#( cm : toothless )

[vendettavalor]

Bonds That Tether

⚔️ For @rathalascendant ⚔️

Progress was slow but steady. The edges of the woods and the cover of foliage and shrubbery were no longer his preferred place to lurk. Instead, the Night Fury had grown a bit more comfortable drawing closer to the camps their party would set up. The glow of fire caught on his dark scales and reflected warm shades as he slunk around the perimeter. He still hesitated to come too close - close enough to brush against the other beasts as they fed, but at least he no longer took his food and scuttled off to eat it somewhere more isolated.

Instead, the dragon settles close enough that his figure can be appreciated in the lowlight. His purring warbles are heard clear enough as he laps the scales off of a fish and tears the meat from its bones with its teeth. Occasionally, he raises his head to pay closer attention to the sounds of other wildlife or the squabbling of the Pukei-Pukei as they feast.

It's only when he hears the nearby crackling of branches underfoot that he surprises them. In an instant, he is on his feet. Teeth bared, he stalks around them until he has planted himself solidly between the party and the perceived threat that lingers in the nearby woods.

[vendettamuses]

@rathalascendant said: "Easy there, buddy. You're okay. You're okay." // for the Night Fury :)c

⚔️ Random Asks // ALWAYS ACCEPTING! ⚔️

The dragon snorted briefly but did nothing. Laid out on his side, wings pinned in an uncomfortable position by ropes and chains flung haphazardly around his body, he simply gazed at her from the corner of his gaze. Though it wasn't for lack of ability. Even downed as he was, he was not helpless. Had he tried, he would have certainly been able to swipe her with his claws, or kick at her, or snap her arm off with deadly jaws, or fire some type of explosive plasma blast at her. But he didn't. It was as though the fight had left him.

Or perhaps it was because he knew she was trying to soothe him.

For what reason, he did not know. Perhaps it was simply to lull him before she went for the kill. With that thought in mind, the dragon seemed to surrender. His eyes fell shut, head laying back against the coarse soil beneath him, disturbed and scorched from his desperate crash-landing that had no doubt caused most of the damage to his midnight-colored scales.

The nature of the restraints was familiar. The design, the layout, the form. It was all eerily similar to the style of restraints that had ensnared the Light Fury. Weighty iron and reinforced ropes kept his body contorted in unnatural angles that stretched his limbs to the point of shuddering pain and ragged breaths. Yet he lacked the weights on his legs or a muzzle that kept his jaw wound shut.

Whoever had shot him down, they hadn't found him yet it seemed. His wounds were fresh. Still raw. New. And he still looked healthy overall. So they were probably still looking.

And he didn't seem to have any intent on fighting back against them.

He is so unlike Lalune. No ferocity. No aggression. It's concerning to see a creature so hopeless. Behind her, said dragon croons. She lingers close by, worried for her Rider's safety and seemingly sensing the disturbing lack of motivation coming from the other beast. She's worried. Alert. Sensing unseen danger somewhere, but she doesn't know where.

[bethanythebogwitch]

Wet Beast Wednesday: whale shark

So I may have committed a cardinal sin last week because I didn't realize it was shark week and instead of a shark, I covered hagfish. This was clearly a terrible oversight and to make up for it, I'm going to talk about the biggest shark of all: the mighty whale shark.

(Image: a whale shark seen from the side. It is a very large shark with a flattened head and three ridges running down its side. The skin in grey and covered in white spots. Smaller sharks and remoras are swimming alongside it. End ID)

Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are carpet sharks, meaning they are members of the order Orectolobiformes. The carpet sharks most people are familiar with are the wobbegongs, who are ventrally flattened sharks they typically stick near the seafloor, but Orectolobiformes is a pretty diverse clade containing a large variety of sharks with diverse body plans. Whale sharks are the only living member of the family Rhinocodontidae, making them effectively cousins of the wobbegongs. While there is only one living species of whale shark, we know of another few in the fossil record and there were likely more extinct species and relatives that we don't know about. Because shark skeletons are made of cartilage, they rarely fossilize, leaving only their teeth as fossils. Whale sharks have very tiny teeth and smaller things are less likely to fossilize than large things. Add in that fossilization is very rare and it's very possible there were whale sharks and other similar things in the past we will never know about because they never fossilized.

(Image: a whale shark seen from the front. Its mouth is open, very wide, and apparently toothless. End ID)

Whale sharks are the largest living sharks and the largest living animals that aren't whales. Whale sharks can reach an average adult size of 14.5 meters (48 ft) and 18,600 kg (41,000 lbs), with males being larger. The largest whale shark on record was measured to be 18.8 m (62 ft). Whale sharks have broad, flattened heads and unlike most sharks, their mouths are on the front of the head instead of beneath the snout. The mouth can be over 2 meters across in an adult and is lined with approximately 300 rows of tiny teeth. These teeth are vestigial and do not play a role in feeding. Instead, the shark uses a structure at the back of the mouth composed of 20 fleshy pads that are coated with a thin mesh and held in place with connective tissue. More on feeding below. Whale sharks are grey in color, with white bellies and white spots covering the body. Each whale shark has a unique pattern of spots that scientists can use for identification. The spots will reappear in areas where damaged skin has healed instead of being scarred over. Whale sharks also have some regenerative ability, being able to recover from major wounds and possibly regrow sections of lost fin. Each side of the body has three long ridges that may help with streamlining.

(Image: a whale shark seen form the front with its mouth closed. There are remoras attached to its underbelly and a group of small yellow fish with black stripes swimming near the mouth, possibly acting as cleaner fish. End ID)

Whale shark skin can be up to 15 cm thick and is covered with tiny, tooth-like scales called dermal denticles. Having tiny teeth where bony fish have scales is normal for sharks. What is not normal is having them on your eyes, but the whale shark does anyway. Let me repeat: whale sharks have teeth on their eyeballs. I like body horror and I'm creeped out by that. The eyes can be retracted into the head and these two adaptations are believed to protect the eyes from predators and parasites. Another adaptations the eyes (which, again, HAVE TEETH ON THEM) have is a mutated version of rhodopsin, the pigment the rod sells of the yes use to see. this mutation makes the eyes good at seeing blue light, but the rhodopsin becomes unstable in warm temperatures. In humans, this mutation leads to a degenerative eye condition that can result in blindness. Whale sharks have a solution, though. When in warm, shallow water, the pigment can be turned off to keep the eyes from degenerating. When the shark dives to deep water, the pigment is reactivated, granting the shark better vision as blue light is the most common in the deep sea.

(Image: a close-up of a whale shark eye. It is a small, black, lidless eyeball surrounded by gray skin. End ID)

While whale sharks are huge, they aren't hunters. They are one of three living species of filter-feeding shark, the others being the basking shark (which I covered previously) and the awesomely-named megamouth shark. The majority of a whale shark's diet consists of plankton: primarily copepods, krill, eggs and larvae, and small fish, squid, and jellyfish. The shark can feed either by ram feeding (swimming forward with the mouth open) or creating suction to draw water into the mouth. The mouth is shaped like a funnel and forces water through the filtration pads. The pads, which likely evolved from gill rakers, capture food particles, which are then swallowed as the water is forced out through the gills. The filtration pads are extremely efficient and resistant to being clogged up with debris, though whale sharks have been observed performing a coughing-like behavior that is speculated to help clean the pads. Whale sharks spend up to 8 hours a day near the surface of the ocean, feeding on an estimated 2.7 kg (6 lbs) of plankton per hour.

(Image: an artistic diagram of the feeding pads and gills of a whale shark and how water flows through the mouth and out the gills. Source: EmilyDamstra.com. End ID)

Whale sharks live in temperate and tropical oceans worldwide and can be found in both the open ocean and coastal regions. They are gentle giants who swim slowly and bask at the surface of the ocean, not threatening anything bigger than a sardine. While they spend a lot of time at the surface, whale sharks periodically dive in search of food. Most of these dives are less than 200 meters (660 ft) deep, but they will occasionally dive over 500 m (1,600 ft) deep. The deepest recorded dive reached 1,928 m (6,325 ft), the deepest recorded dive of any fish. Whale sharks are known to practice different feeding behavior based on available food in their region. There are two subpopulations of whale shark based on location: the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific populations. 75% of the whale shark population lives in the Indo-Pacific. Whale sharks seasonally migrate following warm waters and food and may also migrate to mate. Multiple places around the world host seasonal gatherings of whale shark, making them to best place to reliably see them.

(Image: a whale shark from the side, swimming with its mouth open. Other fish can be seen in the background. End ID)

Not much is known about Whale shark mating. It has only been seen a few times in Saint Helena Island in the Atlantic and off the coast of Australia. Mating likely occurs during the seasonal aggregations. Female whale sharks are believed to travel to regional pupping grounds to give birth, but where exactly these are is an open question as juvenile whale sharks are rarely seen. The youngest whale shark ever observed was discovered having been captured and tied to a stake on a beach in Pilar, the Philippines. It was measured at 38 cm (15 in) and was released after being measured. This discovery likely means there is a pupping ground in the area. Whale sharks are ovoviviparous, meaning their eggs hatch internally and the young are born live. Whale shark females are believed to be able to reserve sperm and impregnate themselves repeatedly between matings, rather than bearing all their young at once. It is not clear how long it takes whale sharks to mature or how long they can live, though some estimates put them at sexually mature at around 25 years old and with a maximum lifespan between 50 and 150 years. It is estimated that only 10% of whale sharks live long enough to reach sexual maturity. Adult whale sharks have no natural predators.

(Image: a baby whale shark that was rescued from a gill net in India. It looks like a smaller version of the adult, but with a proportionately larger head. A human (out of frame) is holding it just above the water. ENd ID)

Whale sharks are classified as endangered by the IUCN. They are threatened by fishing, poaching, bycatch, and boat strikes. Whale sharks are hunted for their skin, liver oil, and meat, though countries worldwide are increasingly regulating or banning whale shark hunting. Whale sharks also ingest large quantities of microplastics. The health effects of this are not understood currently. Whale sharks are kept in captivity in less than 20 aquariums worldwide. They need very large tanks and have special feeding requirements that makes it difficult to keep them healthy. Wild whale sharks pose no threat to humans though there have been reports of them ramming sport fishing boats after being provoked. In places where whale sharks seasonally aggregate, snorkeling or SCUBA diving alongside them has become a major ecotourism industry. Touching the sharks can hurt them and is illegal in most places. Some tourism agencies have been known to lure in young whale sharks by feeding them shrimp, something which is discouraged by naturalists as it can foster dependence on humans and potentially introduce dangerous chemicals to the sharks' diets.

(Image: a person in a pink swimsuit wearing goggles and a snorkel swimming next to a whale shark just beneath the surface of the water. Two other whale sharks are in the background. End ID)

[unitedbydevils]

Match Review: Manchester United 5-4 Olympique Lyonnais

Well. That happened.

I'm still in shock. I felt violently nauseous after the final whistle from the emotional rollercoaster and associated whiplash of that game.

United took an early lead in the tie after 10 minutes, with a great bit of quick play and movement leading to an easy gap and sidefoot finish for Manuel Ugarte - one of those goals that anybody could finish but that United have not been creating this season. Promising.

The Red Devils would continue to dominate possession and dictate the game before finally breaking through with their second goal in first half stoppage time, with a beautiful diagonal long ball from Harry Maguire finding Diogo Dalot who successfully held off the Lyon defender, balanced himself, took a touch, and bam, a low acute finish off the inside of the far post. Sublime. Your sins are forgiven for another week, Diogo.

At this point, United are in full control. FULL control. 4-2 on aggregate, 2-0 up at home, Lyon look toothless.

We come out for the second half. We continue where we left off. Alejandro Garnacho is released with a long ball from the depths of United's half. It's a race, he's onside, he's edging ahead... he cuts back and sells the defender out. It's 1v1 with the keeper but a whole acre of net behind him to curl a shot into.

He shoots near post and a point blank save is made. ARE YOU KIDDING ME.

This was the turning point, because we failed to put Lyon to the sword when our own confidence is so shaky this season.

Lyon got one back in the 71st minute through Tolisso, with a 1-2-3 sequence of headers evading Dorgu, Maguire and Yoro to root Onana to his spot and get the French side back in the tie. Maguire even ducked the ball as it came at him, which was so poor to see.

One goal became two, and Lyon levelled the match and the tie with a goal just six minutes later from Tagliafico: Dalot failing to stop or block the initial cross, Dorgu abysmal at blocking the ball towards him or noticing the player he's meant to be marking, and Yoro caught half a yard out from where he needed to be to stop Tagliafico scoring.

I will say - Yoro played very well tonight, but the fact there are 2 goals and 2 errors... it's not just a him problem, but with more experience he'll be good enough (like a Bruno) to undo the damage caused by lesser players (Dalot etc) making silly mistakes. Quality can buy you grace, and with time this kid will show his more and more and more.

Leny actually had a John Terry moment (no, not racism). A slip on the grass took him down from blocking a shot, so the young Frenchman threw his body forward and blocked it with his head/face. Heroic. That's bravery. Blood and thunder stuff. Dying for the game.

There was what we thought was a momentary reprieve with a second yellow card for Corentin Tolisso, but Lyon looked entirely unfazed by the drop to 10-men, and United looked goosed. Utterly exhausted. We failed to capitalise on the advantage before full time, so into extra time we go...

It's at this point that we fucked up again.

Rayan Cherki, the magic footed forward, finally got his reward and a goal in the tie. 2-3, advantage Lyon, Old Trafford stunned into silence.

It then got worse.

Yoro, trying to tackle, gets interceded by Luke Shaw who makes too much player contact in the box and down the man goes. Penalty to Lyon.

It was a good penalty and a goal for Lacazette. At this point we're done for. An Arsenal reject just knocked us out with 10 men. It's shameful. Banter FC's banter decade just entered a new level of banter that might be X rated.

What had been a generally good performance from people across the pitch (Dorgu overlapping, Hojlund's hold-up play and final third passing, Ugarte's shuttling in CM) just all fell apart. Maybe it was the fatigue, but it felt more like the mental state. The fragility of our own self-doubt manifesting.

Luckily, Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes exist. Mentality monsters. A foul in the box on the Brazilian earned a 114th minute penalty for the captain to bury. Game back on?

Fucking right game back on. Sir Kobbie Mainoo, super sub back from injury, is played in that advanced role that didn't work versus Crystal Palace. Well, it fucking worked here.

Best goal of the night from the kid, a stunning right foot curling effort from the inside left of the box. Top strike from a false striker, but they all count, and this one was MONUMENTAL.

Now Old Trafford's awake. It's happening. We can will it to happen. Our energy can transfer to them and manifest the shithouse comeback of all shithouse comebacks.

Well, we did it. An 11/10 lofted pass from Casemiro into the box, over the defender, and onto the head of Harry Maguire who had all the time in the world with the measured pace of the ball to frame his body right, lose the defender, and nod it across goal past the keeper. I give him a lot of shit, Slabhead, but fuck me he has his moments of genuine class. This was one of them. Peak United, elite composure, the stuff legends are made of.

This game had everything for the neutral. 1-0, 2-0, 2-1, red card, 2-2, extra time, 2-3, 2-4, 3-4 penalty, 4-4, 5-4. And a tifo. And flares. Fair play to Lyon for making it a spectacle with us, and for their fans for giving it 100% from the away end.

For the home fans though... I think we all need a cold shower and a lie down. It was exhausting. Players outperforming their usual selves this season only to revert back to it later on. Hope turning to despair turning to anger turning to hope turning to elation.

It's hard work being a United fan.

Next up in the Europa League are Bilbao; away on May 1st, and home on May 8th.

In the league though it's a home tie against Wolves on Sunday at 2pm. I shall be there. PLEASE can we have a quiet win 😅

[rotbtd-edits]

The characters

Based on my Rotbtd story. The profiles are found on the computer version of my tumblr blog site, but I wanted to have some sort of collective post with them here too, while adding some details. Just because I like profiles 👍

---------------------------

The protagonists of Rotbtd

Hiccup

Age: 20 Height: 6'1" (185 cm) Home: Isle of Berk Guardian core: Friendship Likes: Dragons, flying, exploring, inventions and crafting, diplomacy, sketching, crabcakes, sarcasm, learning about dragons Dislikes: Cruelty, betrayal, arguing with dad, dishonesty, restrictions, being told what to do, manipulation, dragon abuse

An adventurous viking and the future Chief from Berk, Hiccup’s dream is to further study the dragons and explore the world. While being hesitant about Guardianhood at first, he’s a natural leader and keeps the team moving through hardships. As innovative technical genius Hiccup relies more on strategies and sometimes his stubborness of wanting to do things his way can even come off as stalling. Hiccup is the Guardian of friendship, symbolised by his bond with his dragon partner Toothless.

Merida

Age: 17-18 Height: 5'4" (164 cm) Home: DunBroch Guardian core: Courage Likes: Archery, horse-riding, adventures, training, sweets, having fun, free days off, story-telling, being a Guardian Dislikes: Nagging, tight clothes, restrictions, customs and traditions, inactivity, being told what to do, her mother's temper

A princess from the kingdom of DunBroch. Out of the four Merida is the first to embrace Guardianhood, seeing it as an escape from her fate at home and her mother’s demands. Wanting to take immediate action she can come off as hotheaded and inconsiderate, but she deeply cares for the well-being of the people and her team. Merida is an excellent archer and a loyal friend, stopping at nothing to help those in need. She’s the Guardian of courage.

Jack

Age: 17-18 Height: 5'8" (175 cm) Home: ??? (Burgess) Guardian core: Fun Likes: Pranks, flying, having fun, facing challenges, snowball fights, honesty, children, having friends and love Dislikes: Mind games, restrictions, friends' suffering, manipulation, being alone, cruelty, the Man in the Moon

Resurrected by the Man in Moon a few years earlier, Jack woke up confused and alone. Due to his distrust at the Man in Moon he also doubts the whole Guardianhood at first. A free spirit, Jack tends to hide his insecurities under jokes but under the bratty behaviour beats the brave heart of a Guardian. Jack possesses ice powers and cannot remember anything but glimpses of his past, making him an enigma. As the Guardian of fun he lightens up the team.

Rapunzel

Age: 18 Height: 5'5" (167 cm) Home: Kingdom of Corona Guardian core: Imagination Likes: Art, house chores, ducklings, adventures, baking, facing challenges, pranks, singing, being able to go outside Dislikes: Being alone, arguments, betrayal, selfishness, boredom, getting confined, dishonesty, wearing shoes

Born with mystical powers, Rapunzel was raised in isolation by her paranoid mother. Spending her days dreaming about the world outside, she’s always harboured love for adventure and embraces the journey. She can appear naive and insecure but in reality is very clever and resourceful. Her positive outlook also helps the team come together, though sometimes she gets frustrated at the bickering group. A great artist, Rapunzel’s the Guardian of imagination.

[liquidstar]

Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (/ˈeɪviːz/), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight skeleton. Birds live worldwide and range in size from the 5.5 cm (2.2 in) bee hummingbird to the 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in) common ostrich. There are over 11,000 living species, more than half of which are passerine, or "perching" birds. Birds have wings whose development varies according to species; the only known groups without wings are the extinct moa and elephant birds. Wings, which are modified forelimbs, gave birds the ability to fly, although further evolution has led to the loss of flight in some birds, including ratites, penguins, and diverse endemic island species. The digestive and respiratory systems of birds are also uniquely adapted for flight. Some bird species of aquatic environments, particularly seabirds and some waterbirds, have further evolved for swimming. The study of birds is called ornithology.

[drakyns]

𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗔 𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗘𝗙 . . .

a brief study on håkan’s tattoos and physique. his body art was designed by himself and applied on him ever since he received his title as the official chieftain/jarl of berk and the northern islands. all of his markings represent his connection to either his tribe, family or dragons.

håkan has various tattoos across his body. on his chest’s pecs, there are two blackened wings: they represent toothless. above them, right in the middle of his collarbones, lies a combination of the algiz rune with an eye, his chiefdom marking. on his left forearm are traditional drawings of scandinavian art, representing his connection to his tribe and the northern lands. it describes his alliance; his sword and shield will always belong to berk. meanwhile, on his right arm and shoulder, it’s a drawing of a viking holding an axe and braving through the seas—an homage to his father. below it, around his wrist, is a blackened mark. it signifies a killing, avenging hand: a trophy and a warning for drago bludvist’s death, conquered by his own hand. his back also has a tattoo: a circle of runes and a prayer to the gods for protection, peace and strength.

a note-worthy detail is that his tribe and jarl markings brand him as a smith-chieftain. his father also had brandings over his body, though his were of a warrior-chieftain. in medieval societies, it was usual for chiefs to be either warriors, hunters or smiths; however, smith-chieftains were extremely rare.

if he marries someone in his canon verses, he’ll most likely design a complementary tattoo on his left arm to mark the union. this is to further represent his loyalty and dedication to not only the person he marries but also to their tribe/kingdom/land.

rough, calloused hands: though his touch is soft and warm, described as welcoming by many, it can feel highly textured. his palms do not feel like those of a jarl or hersir. dragons seem to love that, though.

håkan has chronic pain in his leg, specifically in his stump. when it gets too bad, he sometimes needs to sit or lie down to massage the region. toothless is capable of identifying when he’s hurting more than usual. he doesn’t like other people knowing about that, even if the closest people (the riders, gobber, etc.) can tell he walks “a bit strange”, almost limping sometimes.

he has fading scars across his body, mainly on his back and chest. some of them were caused by other people’s swords (be them friend or foe, from sparring duels to serious quarrels), while others were injured by wild dragons, claws or small bites. a few of those scratches were thanks to his misadventures across lands or doing forge work. he doesn’t seem to care about them. gothi, the village healer, has grown used to his frequent visits. surprisingly, she does not see him to treat occasional illnesses: he doesn’t seem to get easily sick anymore—his immune system has sky-rocketed in quality compared to when he was just a tiny lad.

hersirs from other lands that met him when he was younger may not recognise him nowadays, as he has changed so much, and not only in boldness. though he was very scrawny and short in his early teenage years—a “toothpick”, as gobber well-summarised him—his work as a dragon rider and a villager’s smith-chief made him develop toned muscles. his hair got messier and longer, too. his height is around 160+/185+ cm (verse dependent).

most of his strength is centred around his core (abs, chest, and shoulders), which grants him incredible balance despite having lost one of his legs. because he is used to riding dragons most of the time, he is not used to running for prolonged periods. cardio can be a real issue for him, and he sweats a lot afterwards.

he is quite hairy on some parts of his body. during his twenties, he tries to at least shave his beard at somewhat regular intervals, thinking it doesn’t suit him. sometimes, he will forget about it, generally when he’s focused on one of his forge projects and gets cooped up/isolated for a week or two. after that, he’ll ask either fishlegs or eret to help him shave. by his late twenties-early thirties, he lets his beard and hair grow a tad more than usual.

[metalharbor]

Dragonkin Ask Game - Day 10

Hello! I am going to be doing Dreki's dragonkin ask game, findable here! Dragonkin Ask Game

10. Do you know your dragon body's size?

I used to think I did, but my mind switches between two. I either imagine myself very, very large, about 70 ft. (or the length of two basic American school busses, or about 2000 cm.) or I imagine myself about the size of two polar bears or so, about twenty to thirty feet (6 meters).

It depends on when you ask, and I'll never know for sure. Imagining myself smaller might just be a way to conceptualize being gigantic, since I interact with the world in a much smaller body. Or, imagining myself bigger might be a reflection of all the giant dragons I see in media.

Right now though, as I'm typing this, twenty to thirty feet feels about right. Fun fact - that's about the size of Toothless!

[vicshush]

[ID: A short video set to the theme music for Driftveil City from Pokémon Black & White, showing aerial shots of a large, multi-wing museum from the outside, framing seven shots of specific rooms and items from the museum. Throughout, tall but narrow, long-snooted, huge round yellow-eyed, wingless, cartoony dragons dance while standing upright on their back feet - most are black, some are white. They come in various sizes as well as being shown at various distance. One wears headphones and dances with closed eyes. Another wears a pointy hat and their tongue sticks out in a derpy fashion. Some appear to have tail fins where one half is red (possibly part of the reason multiple people in the tags have described the dragons as 'Toothless' from How To Train Your Dragon).

The items the dragons dance on and in front of include: the roofs of two buildings and a sign; a bronze sword; a bianzhong [three tier instrument featuring bells, in this case ranging from about 20 cm/8 in. to about 153 cm/5 ft]; gold spring-shaped armbands and thick bracelets; a pair of golden hairpins; a vertical lacquer drum with a stand that is a pair of outward-facing birds; an ornately-decorated pair of a wine vessel (urn- or jug-like shape) and a wider bowl that was meant to hold ice [looks kind of like a two-tier fountain]; and the base of a Jian drum made up of intertwined dark bronze dragons with an overall fire-like silhouette. /end ID]

"My boss wanted us to make a promotion video with the elements of loong" A promotion video for the Hubei Provincial Museum.

[vendettavalor]

Quell Your Fury

⚔️ For @rathalascendant who liked for a starter ⚔️

Wherever they went, he followed. Albeit from a great distance behind.

The party marched along like one great unit, connected by kinship bonds unseen by the eye but woven tighter than the strongest of bindings- a fact which required no visual representation to be seen. They trekked along so closely, laughing, chattering, making camp together under the starry skies as one merry band of monsters and riders. And then there was him.

Jet lingered on the outskirts, a sore thumb in every way. From his pitch black scales which contrasted the colorful cast of characters he trailed after, to the discrete way he clung to the shadows while they walked loudly and proudly in the light, the Night Fury could not be more unlike them all. He lumbered far behind, staying low to the ground and avoiding the humanoids among them as much as he feasibly could. Yet, still, he followed. Intrigued by the other creatures that walked with her. The Light Fury and the Rathalos. He couldn’t help it. His curiosity was insatiable.

Why follow someone who was capable of destroying them so easily?

At long last, his own desire to know overpowered his instinct to remain at a safe distance. He used the cover of shadows to make his approach, unseen. Quietly as he could, he crept over to where the Rathalos and the other Fury sat. A low snuff escaped them- an attempt to get their attention. Perhaps understand what made them so loyal and so willing to linger close to danger.

Why do you stay knowing how easily you could be killed?

[nanas-45]

Feathers and Flight: Unveiling the World of Birds

Birds, the amazing warm-blooded vertebrates that we often see flitting around our backyards, belong to the class Aves. These fascinating creatures are distinguished by their feathers, toothless beaks, and the laying of hard-shelled eggs. Birds exhibit an incredible range of sizes, from the tiny 5.5 cm (2.2 in) bee hummingbird to the towering 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in) common ostrich. With over 11,000 living species, more than half are passerines, commonly known as "perching" birds.

The Evolution of Wings and Flight

Birds are equipped with wings—modified forelimbs that allowed many to conquer the skies. While some species, like the extinct moa and elephant birds, lost their wings over time, others, like penguins and various island species, evolved wings adapted for swimming or other specific functions. Their unique respiratory and digestive systems are perfectly tailored for flight.

Dinosaurs Among Us

Did you know? Birds are actually feathered dinosaurs and represent the only living lineage of these ancient creatures. Modern birds are descendants of primitive avialans like Archaeopteryx, which first appeared during the Late Jurassic. They evolved and diversified significantly around the time of the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, which wiped out all non-avian dinosaurs.

Social Creatures and Cultural Icons

Birds are not just incredible for their physical adaptations; they also showcase fascinating social behaviors. Many species exhibit complex communication through calls and songs, participate in cooperative breeding, flocking, and even mobbing predators. Most birds form monogamous pairs for at least a breeding season, although some have polygamous or polyandrous systems.

Economic and Cultural Importance

Birds play crucial roles in human economies and cultures. They are sources of food, feathers, and guano (used as fertilizer). Songbirds and parrots are beloved pets, and birdwatching has become a popular pastime, contributing to ecotourism. Unfortunately, human activities have driven about 120 to 130 bird species to extinction since the 17th century, and many more are currently at risk. Conservation efforts are ongoing to protect these remarkable creatures.

The Classification of Birds

The study of birds, known as ornithology, dates back to the early classifications by Francis Willughby and John Ray in 1676, with Carl Linnaeus refining the system in 1758. Birds are classified under the class Aves and are part of the clade Theropoda. While traditional definitions of Aves included all descendants of the most recent common ancestor of modern birds and Archaeopteryx, a more recent definition focuses solely on the crown group of modern birds and their closest extinct relatives.

[theinfox]

National Bird Day: A Date with Feathers and Flight

Birds are defined as a group of warm-blooded vertebrates, which have feathers, toothless beaked jaws, strong skeleton, and 4 – chambered heart. Their size ranges from hummingbird (smallest bird in the world) with 5.5 cm size to ostrich (largest bird in the world) which is 2.8 m in size. Due to their mystery, whole day of 5th January is dedicated to them as National Bird Day to explore about them! Read the full article

[tworyimroki]

Do you guys remember dragon Toothless? ❤️ I made a cute plushie for every "How to train your dragon" fan 🐲 Dimensions: 44 cm x 37 cm Price: 35$/35USD + sq.

[reallyprofoundkryptonite]

Krogan is actually like seven foot four (223 cm) :) according to some (now unfortunately lost) research I did from like four years ago, comparing Krogan to Viggo, Krogan is a whole foot taller than Viggo, and according to the creators I believe Stoick is 6’9” (205 cm)

Krogan also has (roughly speaking, this is basically just an estimate) an 11 to 13 (27.94 -33cm) inch hand span (the maximum distance between the tips of the thumb and little finger) the average human hand span is 9 inches.

Toothless is 6’4” which would put Viggo at the same height as Krogan. And the funny thing is that Viggo and Krogan’s height difference changes so I have a random headcanon that Viggo wears inserts to make himself seem taller on occasion.

I was actually supposed to use this one but apparently my mind didn’t get the memo to put the one with their actual heights in there 💀

anyways this is what Krogan would look like standing next to Hiccup and Toothless

[miundy-again]

I posted 88 times in 2022

That's 88 more posts than 2021!

80 posts created (91%)

8 posts reblogged (9%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@miundy-again

@miundy-draws

@rubienne

@akanemnon

@nattravn-stuff

I tagged 88 of my posts in 2022

#deltarune - 51 posts

#kris dreemurr - 42 posts

#undertale - 39 posts

#frisk - 38 posts

#sketch - 32 posts

#chara - 28 posts

#susie - 26 posts

#older!frisk - 17 posts

#krusie - 17 posts

#susie deltarune - 16 posts

Longest Tag: 109 characters

#some days i really want to put this story into a comic then i remember i'd have absolutely no time nor energy

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

*vibrates* i like them a normal amount

a page of Krusie sketches for your consideration.

529 notes - Posted April 2, 2022

#4

this picture is actually 4x5 cm... Why do I paint on such small surfaces? Maybe because I’m a masochist.

560 notes - Posted May 28, 2022

#3

Friendship goals ✨

Do you also think Susie’s axe is her hairbrush? I like this headcanon 😤

699 notes - Posted February 26, 2022

#2

How to pat your Dragon Literally 2s after:

Susie’s not toothless honestly Kris what did your expect

916 notes - Posted June 25, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I-absolutely...loved-this-scene? They sat down - by themselves?? And then... chilled??? aqshhjkllkjh Pure.

952 notes - Posted February 19, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[babycatlix]

15 questions

i was tagged by the lovely @khairemisthios​ 💖 (i love our back and forth on reblogging text posts from each other rn 😂)

1. are you named after anyone? 

my legal name based on my great grandmother’s name.

2. when was the last time you cried? 

probably later today when i catch up on my hero academia... i know this character is dead... but i am not ready to see it...

3. do you have kids? 

no, and i never want kids. i am okay with having all the fur babies, meow~

4. Do you use sarcasm?

all the time, it’s one of my defense mechanisms and sometimes i can be really mean without meaning to be aka very dry humor...

5. what’s the first thing you notice about people? 

hmmm... usually their eyes, even tho i hate looking at ppl when i talk to them at first, i always notice ppls eyes.

6. what’s your eye colour? 

dark brown! stereotypical dark brown asian eyes.

7. scary movies or happy endings? 

i like both lol, campy horror is my fave. think scream or the first nightmare on elm street.

8. any special talents?

if being a gymnast for 15 years, training in japanese traditional martial arts for 9 years, or playing piano for 6 years counts, sure!

9. what are your hobbies? 

making gifs, watching tv/movies, and playing video games!

10. where were you born?

south korea

11. do you have any pets?

yes! i have my own cat, toothless and her brother, pip, is my mom’s.

12. what sports do you play/have played?

as mentioned above, i did gymnastics for 15 years and i trained in japanese traditional martial arts for 9.

13. how tall are you?

152.4 cm / 5′0″ – am v smol

14. favourite subject in school?

art and english!

15. dream job? 

i always say this, but i want the job of putting chapstick/lipstick/lip tint on idol’s lips. how do i get that job without having to be good at makeup 😂

i shall tag: @yonglixx​, @changbeens​, @snug-gyu​, @chanrizard​, @minzbins​, @hanjisoonie​, @chanstopher​, @cheekyquokka​, @agibbangs​, @juiceofmoons​, @ggthydrangea​, and @nevoono​ no pressure! only do it if you want to! 💖