#2) lack of jellyfish.

[unusualshrimp]

once i get some experience working with other people's short films i want to make one of my own but also. my brain has fixated on a very specific short story of mine for this purpose and somehow it has decided that this is the one i Have to make. but how am i supposed to adapt something to screen if most of the story is just the protagonist's internal monologue. how do you accurately depict that in a short film. and also how on earth will i acquire live jellyfish

[bestanimal]

Round 1 - Phylum Chordata

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Chordata is a phylum consisting of bilaterial animals that have, at at least some point in their development, a notochord and a dorsal nerve chord. It consists of the Cephalochordates (lancelets), Tunicates (sea squirts, salps, and larvaceans), and Vertebrates.

Vertebrates replace their notochord with a spine in early development, while tunicates only retain their notochord and dorsal nerve chord during their larval stage. Vertebrates and tunicates are more closely related to each other than they are to lancelets (first image), which are fish-shaped filter-feeders. They typically inhabit the sea floor, burrowing the bottom halves of their bodies into soft substrate. They have gill slits, but these are used for feeding on plankton rather than respiration. They have light-sensing organs, and one frontal eye. They do not have hearts or brains. They have two sexes, though hermaphroditism has been observed, as well as at least one instance of a lab-raised female transforming into a male. They breed by releasing eggs and sperm into the water synchronously. Larvae are asymmetrical, with the mouth and anus on the left side, and the gill slits on the right side.

Most tunicates are also filter-feeders, ranging from the sessile, sponge-like sea quirts (second image) to the planktonic salps. All tunicates start life as free-swimming, tadpole-like larvae with rudimentary brains and light sensors, before they metamorphize into their adult forms. Meanwhile, the larvaceans retain tadpole-like shapes and active swimming all their lives. Salps move by contracting, similarly to jellyfish, straining phytoplankton from the water. They have a complex life cycle, in which one generation of solitary individuals reproduces asexually by producing a chain of tens to hundreds of individuals, which are released from the parent at a small size. The next generation consists of a colony of salps (called blastozooids) remaining attached together while swimming, feeding, and growing. This generation reproduces sexually, first maturing as females and later transforming into males. Older chains of male blastozooids will fertilize the eggs of younger female chains. Growing embryos are called oozooids, and eventually detach from their parent blastozoids, to feed and grow as the next solitary, asexual generation. Meanwhile, some species of sea squirt live as solitary individuals, while others replicate by budding and become colonies of zooids. They are filter feeders with two tubular openings, called siphons, through which they draw in and expel water.

The most simple vertebrates are hagfish, which have a skull but no vertebral column. They are marine predators and scavengers who can defend themselves against larger predators by releasing copious amounts of slime from mucous glands in their skin.

Lampreys have an ambiguous position in the vertebrate tree of life, bearing a complete braincase and rudimentary vertebrae. They spend the majority of their life as filter-feeders. A small handful of species are known to be carnivorous as adults, boring into other fish to consume flesh and/or blood.

Chondrichthyes (“cartilaginous fish”) have skeletons composed mainly of cartilage. They breath through gills but lack opercula (gill coverings). They have internal fertilization and some species lay eggs while others give live birth. Chondrichthyans have tooth-like scales called dermal denticles or placoid scales. These usually provide protection, and in most cases, streamlining. Today, chondrichthyans are represented by sharks, rays, skates, sawfish, and chimaeras. All species are carnivores, though at least one species is omnivorous.

The majority of chordate species are Actinopterygians (“Ray-finned Fishes”). They are so called because of their lightly built fins made of skin webbings supported by thin bony spines. They are the most abundant free-swimming aquatic animals and can be found almost anywhere there is water. They come in a vast majority of sizes, shapes, colors, and behaviors, from the 8 mm (0.3 in) long Paedocypris to the 11 m (36 ft) long Giant Oarfish (Regalecus glesne). In most actinopterygians, males and females exist and reproduce through external fertilization. However, some species utilize sequential hermaphroditism, in which they start life as females and convert to males at some point. In a few species, they start life as males and convert to females. Some species give live birth, and some species self-fertilise. Actinopterygians have feeding strategies ranging from predatory to grazing to filter-feeding.

And lastly, the Sarcopterygians (“Lobe-finned Fishes”), named for the prominent muscular limb buds (lobes) within their fins. They are represented by the coelacanths, lungfish, and tetrapods. The vast majority of the rest of chordate species are tetrapods, a terrestrial clade of sarcopterygians who evolved air-breathing using lungs. They are highly diverse, with a large variety of forms, biological strategies, and ecological roles. Along with arthropods, they are the only other group of animals to have adapted to life in dry environments, and the majority of them live on land.

Chordata is one of the largest phyla of animals when it comes to species and is also one of the oldest phyla, known from as early as the Cambrian explosion.

Propaganda under the cut:

Lancelets naturally express green fluorescent proteins. They may use this green fluorescence to attract plankton towards their mouths.

Mentioned briefly above, the Bonnethead Shark (Sphyrna tiburo), a small species of hammerhead, is the only shark known to be omnivorous. While it feeds on crustaceans, molluscs, and small fish, it also ingests large amounts of seagrass, which has been found to make up around 62% of gut content mass.

The Mangrove Rivulus (Kryptolebias marmoratus), a species of killifish, mostly breeds by self-fertilization and can survive for about two months on land. Males are rare, and can only hatch from eggs kept below 19 °C (66 °F).

The largest chordate is the Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus), which can reach a maximum confirmed length of 29.9 m (98 ft) and weigh up to 196 long tons; 219 short tons). While it’s not the longest, it is the largest animal known to have ever existed.

At least one of your favorite animals is probably in this phylum. Most of the animals people keep as pets are in this phylum. We are in this phylum.

I am tired, and there is no way I can write enough propaganda for this poll, so I trust you can supply your own.

[fishenjoyer1]

Fish of the Day

Today's fish of the day is the flower hat jelly!

The flower hat jelly, scientific name Olindias formosus, is a small and rare jelly known for the multicolored tentacles and luminescent display. Belonging to the hydrozoa family, the flower hat jelly is not actually a true jellyfish. The main difference between them being that true jellyfish belong to the Scyphozoa class, and have a life cycle defined by a longer period as a medusa (their adult form) whereas hydrozoans have a lifecycle primarily defined by their polyp or juvenile stages, sometimes even lacking medusa forms, a pattern that can once again be found in the flower hat jelly's life cycle. Their distribution is off the coastline of Japan, Korea, and countries within Oceania. Although some believe that these jelly's can also be found outside of Argentina, and Brazil, it is thought this may be a close relative, Olindias sambaquiensis. With a depth range from sea level down to 55m of depth, these jellyfish tend to live near the ocean floor where they can hide among kelps, sea grasses, and loose rocky bottoms.

Living a nocturnal life, the flower hat jelly spends its days hiding on the ocean floor. But, once dusk arrives this jelly rises from its hiding places to capture small fishes within its tentacles, paralyzing and or killing the fish, before drawing the corpse up into the bell to be consumed. The stings from this jelly are painful, and at least one fatality has been recorded from them in Japan.  These tentacles hold most of the intrigue of the flower hat jelly.  The length of the tentacles may appear to be random, but has been found to be arranged mathematically in an optimization hashing algorithm known as fibonacci hashing. Length aside however, these jelly's, and especially their tentacles contain fluorescent proteins, which are used to attract prey when hunting, and are particularly bright under blacklight. This protein is uniquely interesting due to its use in helping treat some COVID cases, as it can be used as an inhibitor, stopping the replication of the disease, and slowing or halting its spread.

The reproduction and younger stages of the flower hat jellyfish were a mystery for many years, but in 2012 the Monterey Bay Aquarium managed to be the first to breed them in captivity, capturing a full lifecycle from larvae to polyp to medusa. Beginning as polyps attached to a hard surface along the seabed, where they are completely stationary, surviving off of a single active tentacle, which is waved back and forth to gather nutrients, forming a medusae and releasing them only once a size of 1mm was achieved. Then they will mature into juvenile medusa, which are identical to adult medusa in appearance and behavior, only being identifiable by their smaller size and less tentacles. Juvenile medusa only being around 2-20mm, and adults getting only as large as 6inches total throughout their lifespan. Adult flower hat jellies are only observed in the months of December-July with peaks in the months of May and April. However, we understand very little about how these jelly's sexually breed in the wild, but fertilization occurs externally, as gametes are released into the water to create small, non-cooperative colonies along similar areas. These animals live only 4-6 months as adults, and only around a year total before slowly losing their fluorescence and passing away.

That's the flower hat jelly, everybody, have a wonderful Tuesday!

[zwolfgames]

|Mistakes|Platonic Yandere Alastor x fem!reader

Requested: /

Warnings: Alastor, condescending behavior (thats it for part 1)

Parts: Part 1 (you are here) , Part 2 , Part 3

(Takes place before the Hazbin hotel and before Alastors dissapearance. + You have jellyfish features cuz demons have those extra animal things idk.)

(3rd person POV)

Here you were, Y/N L/N. Or well, thats what your mortal name had been.

After twenty harsh years in hell you had just stuck with only Y/N. Died at twenty four, how sad.

Tough thats not your problem at the moment, the real problem is your current situation.

Extermination day.

It had started half an hour ago.. Angels poured from the skies like dark birds, bad omens. Angels of death.

Angelic blasts and weapons rained down upon your neighbourhood. The appartement you had worked so hard for to get was in ruins. Your ceiling had fallen down and blocked you into your windowless kitchen...

Your whole appartment must be destroyed... Just you and your kitchen... If you were lucky, the angels wouldn't search for any sinners here...

And maybe... your unexpected guest would be of aid if they did.

You hadn't dare speak to him.

Alastor... Radio Demon. An overlord.

The red, deer-like demon had shown up in your kitchen when the ceiling crashed down... Why? You didn't dare ask.

Surely he could do some wicked magic nonsese to get out, unlike you and your absolute lack of impressive powers.

Maybe he just tought this would be a good hidey hole. Or he saw you as his next prey... One's clearly nicer then the other.

The tall overlord simply hums in his radio accented tone. Looking at his sharp fingers with that same grin on his face.

It hadn't changed since he came in here. Just kept on smiling.

"Lovely day today, wouldn't you say?"

He spoke... The overlord spoke to you! Shit- now what? Smile and wave! Fall over and die!

"Couldn't be better..." You sigh in clear sarcasm. You don't know what compelled you to play jokes with mister 'could kill you in a snap'. But perhaps you felt doomed enough to just go for it.

Alastor chuckled rather charmingly. Still smiling. His sharp yellow teeth looked... scary, to say the least.

"My my, what positivity. You must be a wonderfull sinner." Alastor grins and looks down at your seated form.

You were simply sitting on the kitchen floor, knees to your chest as you leaned against the wall.

You hum in acknowladgement.

Alastor had eyed your features... You weren't the most common animal he'd seen a sinner be manifested as.

Sure everyone had their human like parts... but.. jellyfish? He's never seen a jellyfish sinner before.

A big, seetrough cap on your head, like that of a jellyfish. It must be attached to your head... Long glossy tendrils hang from it. Practically coating you in a protective curtain.

Alastor wonders if you sting...

"I like your cap. You look more serene then most sinners." Alastor atempts at conversation once more.

"Thanks... I like your horns." You reply, albeit a lot more awkard then he was. Cmon, you can't blame yourself. Overlords are scary!

Alastor keeps smiling. Atleast you were polite enough to compliment back. Your awkardness was amusing.

The clear struggle for survival was evident in your eyes. He liked the look. What? He's a sadistic killer.

"Whats your name, jellyfish girl?" Alastor asked, maybe in a little bit of a belitteling manner... but he was showing intrest. Who's he kidding, he's just bored and he'd rather chat with this sinner then face angels outside.

"Name's Y/N. You- I mean.. I know you- sorry." You retsrain from hitting yourself multiple times.

Alastor chuckles again. Oh how fun, you're getting so nervous just from his presence. Better then the usual fear or fawning tough... he can work with this.

"Alastor, dear. How about some bevarages as we wait out this extermination? Mhh? Im sure your little kitchen has something." Alastor suggests. Oh- hanging out with the Radio demon on extermination day, yea sure, why not?

"Oh.. sure.. I've got... water and fruit juice..." You trail of solemly at your.. clear lack of good options.

"Why, no alchohol, dear? You're a rare creature." Alastor hums in amusement as he takes in your sad fridge. Money came slowly when you were in hell! Okay?! You're not into any shady buisiness... so.

"So thats a no to drinks...?" You ask awkardly.

"I'll take water." Alastor answers.

You nod and serve him a glass of water. Atleast your fridge still works, so it's cold.

Alastor gently takes the glass and takes a sip. He sits down next to you on the floor. Albeit at a respectfull distance. Maybe cuz he just doesn't like being close... or he wants you to feel safe. Wich, good try but you don't.

"So, Y/N. Those tendrils of yours. Do they sting?" Alastor asks with a broad smile.

"Yup. From what i've seen, really badly." You nod, getting just a tad bit more comfrotable now since you two were just talking about random things.

Alastor raised a brow, and he does the dumbest thing you have ever witnessed... wich seemed highly unlikely of an overlord.

He grabbed a tendril... What is this dude thinking?!

You saw the signature 'zap' sparkle trough the overlord. His hair fizzed up and he was out like a light.

Did he take your defences as a challange or something? What now? You've accidently killed lower sinners with your sting but... an overlord would be fine... right?

He's just.. sleepy...

You sigh and lay him down properly on the floor and try to find something to cushion his head with... Not a lot of good options in your kitchen... a bunch of towels it is then!

You managed to make the unconcious Radio Demon atleast a little comfy.

You awkardly try to get his hair flat again so he wouldn't... remember, maybe?

You were mid stroke when Alastors red eyes shot open. You flinch back immeadiatly as he gets up.

Tough instead of striking you, he laughs.

"A dangerous little thing you are, mhh?" Alastor chuckles and observes you.

"I suppose so.. sorry." You rub your neck, hoping he wouldn't oblivirate you for... well him touching your tendrils. It's defenitly his own fault, but that doesn't work like that with overlords.

"Don't be sorry dear. I should have believed you. Is that the full extent of your powers?" Alastor muses and looks at you closer.

Atleast you knew that if he were to physically try and attack you, he'd just get zapped like everyone else, good to know.

"I.. think so. It's like a protective little shield.." You answer with a nod. Alastor seems amused by the way that action makes your jellyfish cap bobble along.

"I can see that... don't like being touched, do you, dear?" Alastor asks with a toothy grin. You nod again.

"May I know why?" Alastor follows up.

"..No." You decide.

Alastor let's out a dramatic gasp.

"Oh deer, such attitude." He smirks and looks upon your messed up kitchen.

Deer puns... wow...

Oh a little mystery. How fun. You deem to be quite amusing.

Alastor keeps staring at you. It's making you feel a bit intimidated.

"... Music?" You suggest quietly. Looking up at him carefully. Holding out an earbud.

"From this... thing?" Alastor narrowed his red eyes.

You nod. "It's an earbud. Connected to my phone... my whole living room is in shambles so... no other means of music.. listening?" Your words were getting messed up as you were set under this demons scruntionizing gaze.

"Fine.." Alastor sighs in distaste. You notice you've messed up so your music choice had to be top notch!

He's from 19... 20? Something? Old. He's an old guy... old music... What does your downloaded list have to offer.

Frank Sinatra...

Who doesn't love that guy! Best guess. All or nothing.

As Alastor tries his best to put an earbud in his strange deer ears, you play the music.

It takes a couple seconds but the deer demon seems... content. A little sparkle in his eyes!

Yes, you guessed right! Take that, anxiety!

First mistake: Sharing good music.

_____☆_____

I really like splitting one shots into parts on here and then just upload just one whole thing on Wattpad, its just so cool to see feedback.

[cyren-myadd]

Let's talk about the first look at Avatar 3 (pt 2)

🚨SPOILER WARNING FOR AVATAR 3!🚨

Next up, I want to talk about the next two images I saw from D23: Neytiri riding on her ikran, and the sky ship.

You can read my post discussing Varang and the Ash People here.

In the first image, we see Neytiri flying at night on her banshee, with what appears to be several large flying ships behind her, and in the second image, we have a clearer shot of the "sky ship" in daylight.

The ships are clearly Na'vi-made, since we see the natural weaving pattern and no metal. They have a large sail-like structure on top, and behind Neytiri we see a flying stingray-like creature that appears to be harnessed to the sky ship and pulling it along.

This was really exciting for me to see because I never imagined we'd see the Na'vi creating actual flying vehicles rather than just riding on the backs of flying animals. Most interestingly, even though these sky ships are more complex technology than anything we've seen from the Na'vi before, they appear not to break any of the laws of Eywa. They don't appear to be made of stone or metal, and they don't use wheels. I really like seeing this because I hate that one theory that Eywa intentionally keeps the Na'vi from technologically advancing out of some malevolent goal. Eywa doesn't have any problem with technological advancements, she only prohibits things that would harm the balance of nature, like mining metal and tearing down the forest to build roads for wheeled vehicles.

I believe that these sky ships belong to the Windtrader clan James Cameron has hinted at. These ships look pretty different from anything we've seen from the Ash People, plus Neytiri is flying alongside them like they're allies. It would also make sense based on the name for people called "windtraders" to fly through the sky using the wind and also have large ships capable of carrying material to trade with other clans. I can't wait to see what a windtrader Na'vi looks like and if they have unique adaptations to set them apart from other clans! Perhaps they would be smaller in order to be lighter on the ships and have bigger lungs to process oxygen at such high altitudes.

Now to talk about the sky ship itself, it appears to have three main components: the cabin, the steed, and the sail. The cabin is the woven part of it that is the actual ship where the Na'vi would ride and store their goods. The steed is that stingray looking creature behind Neytiri that looks like it's harnessed to the cabin and pulling it through the air. I would really like an in-universe explanation for how in that giant stingray thing is flying. It looks HUGE, maybe a little over half as long as tulkun. I know Pandora has lower gravity and a thicker atmosphere, so the physics are different, but come on that things has to weigh a hundred tons! They better have a sci-fi explanation for how that big thing flies. And if you look closely, there seems to be a na'vi riding on it's back, implying it has kurus to plug into up there. From what I can see of its back, it looks blue with white spots, kind of like a whale shark.

The last part of the ship is the large sail-like structure that appears to be keeping the whole contraption buoyant. I saw folks on the r/Avatar subreddit speculating about what it is, and I believe they had the right idea when they guessed it was a Medusa.

The medusa is a giant, flying jellyfish-like creature that James Cameron dreamed up many years ago. Here are some old concept arts for it, and as you can see, they look quite different. Cameron never settled on a final design for this creature, just that it was a flying carnivorous jellyfish. He wanted to include it in the Avatar universe, but never had the chance to. He recently said in an interview a few months ago that Avatar 3 would finally include his alien creation, but he didn't say how. Since the Na'vi would lack the ability to create hot air balloons or zeppelins like humans, I believe the windtraders are using a creature from their environment to lift their ships, and that creature is the medusa, given a final design by James Cameron and his creative team. The sails are a pale purplish membrane like in the concept art, and if you look directly behind Neytiri's head, there seem to be tentacles hanging down from the ship, implying it is a medusa.

So it seems to me like the windtraders weave their boats out of the same material that maruis (Na'vi homes) are made from, then they attach it to a medusa to lift it into the air, and then they harness it to a flyinf stingray to pulls the boat where they want to go. The windtraders must be super smart to come up with all this! I cannot wait to see it in action!

And the way Neytiri is flying with them gives me the vibe that she and Jake have been reaching out to other clans to join the fight against the RDA and the windtraders agreed to team up with them and now they're flying off on a mission together!

What do you guys think of all this? Did I miss anything?

[thefourthwifeoftengenuzui]

Hiiii bonten Rindou hc???? Pleaseee. Love him frr

To be honest, I intended for this to be almost exclusively for haikyuu… BUT FOR YOU MY FRIEND! *pounds chest* I SHALL GIVE YOU THE RINNY OF YOUR DREAMS. Also you didn’t specify what kind you want so ima give you my finest shit, which happens to be my head cannon prowess. (Totally not because I hate writing dialogue, no,no, that’s so stupid 😳) Also important side note: I aint spend days finishing the Tok rev manga not to use it tf outta here. Tokrev and Jjk content is welcomed proudly.

idk if I’ll make a part 2, but on the off chance I do, look foreword to girldad Rinny content.

status: unedited

warnings: cursing, slightly sexual situations (but no smut), mafia bs, blood? Fluffy bullshit, Rindou being a dick hole, the ick, my bad Spanish

💜Bonten Rindou Hataini. Headcannons~💜

The first thing off the bat, I definitely think he is on the demisexual spectrum. I know everyone else be saying that he would be all about just sleeping around like that, but to be honest, I think that that’s more of a Ran thing. I feel like the only reason he would go to strip clubs and shit like that for work, and would actually be really grossed out when people would coddle him. If he was to have a significant other, it would have to be someone he has known for a long time, or from his old delinquent days. My best idea would be a calm friend who would give him the notes from his skipped classes. And in return he’d take them out for food or some shit. Somewhere along the way y’all would just be like, “we’re totally together right?” “Duh, why else would I put up with you.” Yeah he a lil bitch.

Any way, as for him as an adult, all I gotta say is “Mmmm Papí ¿quieres una besito?~”. Like Jesus Christ man has no right being this freaking fine. Sexy Jellyfish ass boy

Yakuza Daddy🥵. This man will spoil the everlasting shit outta you, and go to Walmart for his own shit. But had does it in the most obnoxious way possible. He gets you a necklace? “Hey babe, gotchu this, your old one was musty af, take better care of your shit.” Awww you want a new dress? “Sure babe, but just know that thing barely covers shit, and will be gone by the end of the night.” You want something just random? “Wtf am I a walking ATM? No, pick it tf up, I’m buying it, you can’t stop me. Quit arguing before I buy you 3 more.”

But when it comes to himself? Yeah he only indulges in suits and Jordan’s. Other than that, he has an avengers shirt he had since he was 12 and a pinball machine. That’s the extent of his possessions. Well that and the watch you got him for his birthday, but shhhhh he can’t let you know he cares ewwwww.

Man is literally the biggest (for lack of better word) Tsundere. Like Top three in anime. Like you got 1.Kageyama 2.Sasuke 3. Him. Like manz would rather die than say he cares. His love language is quality time and gift giving, so he’s more show you he loves you, but won’t say it first. The kinda mf that when you say I love you to them say, “Yeah I know, I love me too if only there was someone out there who loved you.” Like manz is so obvious I wanna kiss him to shut him the fuck up. (I think I have a type.) like bro the me love you tf?

In terms of icks there is one thing I no for fact. This mf wears socks to bed. And not the cute fluffy kind. The musty ass crusty socks he wore all day, then stepped in water, and now you gotta deal with it while yall cuddling. I hate this mf.

On a more serious note, because of his Bonten Bs, he doesn’t have a lot of time for us. So we make time. His time. We just barge in during his meetings, lay across his lap, watch TikTok’s, while everyone (him) are just looking like “is this bitch serious!?” >:|

Anyways, because he’s so busy all the time, the majority of what he wants to do when he gets home is just to sprawl out on the couch and just stay there. You can cuddle with him too or whatever he doesn’t mind🙄. But fair warning, he’s the kinda dude who is only ever in the mood for either ww2 documentary’s or like deep sea documentary’s. Like mf has the same movie taste as my dad, I can’t with him. It’s a good day when you can convince him to try something actually entertaining. And you know what he picks? The Fucking exorcist. He’s an asshole. The kinda dude to pretend he’s unfazed, but his left leg physically won’t stop shaking.

speaking of movies, I know I say this every time, but scream Halloween costumes. Yes. Give me Rinny as ghostface please, I’ll freaking sell my soul. Especially if it’s not the robe but one of the like dry fit and leather harness- *incomprehensible pterodactyl noises* 🥵

anyway back to cuddling, his go to position is literally the Hakari and Kirara thing. Like this mf will always have a hand on your ass. He doesn’t like PDA but this? Yeah you can’t stop him. He is an ass guy, it’s just where his hand naturally gravitates.

I cannot explain the urge to play daddies home by usher every time I see him. Like he and my baby daddy Gojo have partial custody over that song. Like bro. Yes.

Tbh I don’t see him having a big wedding. Or any wedding. I think his thing would be just handing you his debit card and saying “pick some shit out. No, don’t worry bout the price I’m rich for a reason.” And after that yall just elope to some tropical place across the planet for like a month.

speaking of travel it’s a pretty common thing for you. Just that it’s always last minute. Like bro don’t even give you time to brag to the your friends. Man just pulls up 10 minutes before y’all need to go to the airport and says, “get ready, we’re going to France. How long? Idk a month? Boo hoo bitch. Stay home then. Mhm that’s wtf k thought”. Manz is such an ass but you gotta love a walking wallet.

My last thought I’m gonna share is how he physically won’t use nicnames. Like babe is the physically most he can bring himself to do. Maybe baby. He gives himself the ick every time he thinks of doing anything else

all in all, he’s the one who is always there for you, and expects the same. He’s a great guy, under all the stress and yakuza bs. Treat him well, or I’ll treat him better😤

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ sorry this took me so long to write, I’m working on another request too, and more importantly, my final exams for collage, love that. But even do, if you liked this, please like and request something, and I will definitely be posting. Love y’all so much, I’ll see yall later.

[bethanythebogwitch]

There's been a distinct lack of invertebrates on my Wet Beast Wednesday posts so let's fix that by adding sea spiders. These arthropods are notable for being probably the creepiest things i've features on this series. Like I'm not afraid of actual spiders at all, but these things give me the heebie-jeebies. And I'm exactly the kind of person who loves to spread the things that creep me out, so let's combine thalassophobia with arachnophobia for the worst of both worlds! The first thing to know about sea spiders is that the name is a lie. They aren't spiders but instead members of their own class: Pycnogonida, meaning that a more accurate name is to call them pycogonids. Another alternate clade name is Pantopoda, which means "all legs", a pretty accurate description. They are traditionally classified as chelicerates, putting them in the same subphylum of life as proper spiders. However, this may change as a few genetic studies (Regier, et al., 2010 and Sharma et al., 2014) instead place them as a sister group to all other extant arthropods. Sea spiders occupy every part of the ocean with around 1,300 documented species.

(Image: a collage of many sea spider species, courtesy of ye olde Wikipedia)

The first thing you'll likely notice about sea spiders is that their legs are much larger than their bodies. In fact, the body is so reduced that many of the internal organs have to extend into the legs because they otherwise wouldn't fit. Sea spiders have a wide range of sizes, with the smallest having a legspan of 1 millimeter and the largest having a legspan of 70 cm (2.3 ft). That is larger than my sister's dog. Most species are pretty small, with the very large specimens being the result of polar or deep-sea gigantism. Most species have 4 pairs of walking legs, but some have 5 or 6 instead. The body consists of 2 segments: a cephalothorax subdivided into a cephalon (head) and trunk, and a very tiny abdomen. The cephalon contains the first pair of legs as well as a smaller pair of legs called ovigers that are used to handle their eggs, for grooming, and courtship. Every sea spider has a proboscis on the cephalon that is their feeding appendage. Depending on species, they may also have a pair of palps and/or chelifores, smaller appendages used to manipulate food. Some species lack both the palp and chelifore and their proboscis is instead flexible and muscular. Many species have a structure on the cephalon called the ocular tubercle which contains the eyes, but some deep-sea species have lost their eyes entirely. The trunk contains the remaining legs. Finally, the abdomen is extremely reduced and almost completely vestigial.

(Image: a diagram of sea spider anatomy)

Sea spiders are carnivores, using their proboscises to pierce soft-bodied invertebrates such as cnidarians, sponges, and some worms. They have no respiratory organs. Instead, dissolved oxygen diffuses into the body through the legs. A small and long heart beats at 90 to 180 beats per minute, circulating hemolymph (bug blood) through the central body and giving them a high blood pressure. Oxygen in the legs is transported through repetitive motion called peristalsis in the parts of the digestive tract that extends into the legs. Sea spiders can move both by walking and swimming, which they achieve by beating their legs in a motion similar to opening and closing an umbrella.

(image: a sea spider riding a jellyfish)

Birds do it, bees do it, and weird underwater spider-beasts do it. With the exception of one known hermaphroditic species, all spiders are dioecious, which is a fancy way of saying they have distinct males and females. During mating, the male will climb on the female and they arrange themselves until their reproductive gonopores (which are eon the legs of course) line up. The female them releases her eggs, which the male fertilizes and catches with his ovigers. The male carries the eggs until the larvae are born, with the female providing no further care. Larvae are very simple, consisting of a head with the only appendages being the ovigers, palps, and chelicerae. The trunk, abdomen, and legs develop as the larva grows. Instead of growing the legs all at once, they will grow in during sequential molts. Some have suggested that the development of the larvae parallels the evolution of the ancestor of arthropods, starting out very simple and gradually evolving more complex structures. Scientists have observed 4 types of larvae: the typical protonymph, atypical protonymph, encysting, and attaching. Typical protonymph larvae are the most common and become free-swimming after hatching. Atypical protonymphs are similar, but will eventually find another animal to live on or in. Encysting larvae will find a polyp colony and burrow in. It then encases itself in a cyst and will not leave until developing into a juvenile. Attaching larvae remain attached to their father's oviger until developing into juveniles.

(Image: a male carrying his eggs)

(Image: a larva)

[aroacewxs]

the ruikasa that lives in my head is not romantic in the SLIGHTEST and it cracks me up. sharing my repulsed aro ruikasa thoughts here hehehe don't mind me

first of all i just cannot see tenma tsukasa above all people, the aromantic of project sekai (he's competing with ichika for number one coded aro) sparing one single thought in his empty head for romantic feelings. i feel like tsukasa lacks all common sense surrounding society's idea of what is suggestive/romantic/flirtatious, to the point where if he were to be assigned a role that required him to perform a kiss scene or something of the sort, he'd be all "boy oh boy im going to knock the audience's SOCKS off with this one" and completely disregard that this is actually very very embarrassing for the poor actor that has to be on the receiving end of his rehearsed romantic gestures

oh yeah, speaking of rehearsed romantic gestures

i need you to picture a pathetic tenma tsukasa, specifically kamikou fes tsukasa, on one knee in front of his mirror at 2 in the morning, reciting his cheesy love monologue and chuckling to himself after for how GOOD he is. "just ham it up. it'll look so good. i'm so good. genuinely who else is professing their undying love for their soulmate like i am"

on the other hand, rui actually has thoughts. these thoughts fill him with such distress it makes him feel nauseous. he's really just going about his day, rehearsing with wxs at the wonder stage when he suddenly feels a surge of warmth swirl in his chest whenever tsukasa gladly complies with his wacky ideas. he's just trying to live his poor life when the excitement and adrenaline from performing shows with wxs has him in shambles later because he's debating whether or not this is what everyone calls Romantic Love (it's not. he's just a repulsed aro loser who would die for his friends)

tsukasa: rui, throw anything my way and i'll deliver with 12000% !!!!! guaranteed!!!! as always!!!! HA HA HA HA HA HA

rui: (god are you trying to torture me or what. am i deserving of such a person. Goodness gracious i feel like im floating whenever I'm around these guys is this some kind of sorcery I'm unaware of. i think my heart is going to twist and leap out of my chest they're so good they're so wonderful and im really just here aren't I im really just here and oh my freaking god is this what they call having a crush. is this what everyone around me has been hyping up. jumping jellyfish if it is, it feels AWFUL and i can't believe i've been thinking i'm missing out. no but then what really defines romantic feelings because if we're talking pros and cons and hypotheticals and possibilities, i would not want to kiss tsukasa like that, but isn't that a given when you love someone in that way. am i crazy am i broken am i an anomaly. I need to write this down for later and perform a google search)

[simcardiac-arrested]

BOO!!!!! sillyguy jumpscare

“looks like a raver ancient built him” - my friend

“i am SUCH a fan of how you make all of your fanocs annoying himbos with unnecessary swag” - my other friend

“he’s fresh sans” - like, two people

so — he’s finally here!!! the Basketball!!!! be warned INSANE and MINDBLOWING loredrop below‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ as well as some general trivia about NWB + some more silly doodles

The Ancients, dissatisfied with the very prominent lack of results the Iterator project was bringing, began having doubts. Perhaps they had gone about this the wrong way? After all, the jellyfish that doesn’t try is the one that doesn’t get caught in the net. It seemed they had made their design of the Iterators inherently flawed — they tried too hard to solve the Problem, over and over and over again.

It was time for something new. An alternative.

And so, the idea for the Anti-Iterator project was brought into the world — a whole generation of Iterators that didn’t try. Some called it redundant, some pointless. But it convinced plenty, certainly enough to make that idea a reality, and the plan came into fruition.

No Way Back was the first created; his name was given to him to signify a turning point, a new era of Iterators. One that would bring with it change and, hopefully, finally, a solution.

so anyway NWB did absolutely nothing except talk excessively about the ancients’ fashion and sometimes ask them for their drip clothes for his collection and also make cringefail music. the project was discontinued immediately

NOW!!! TOP 10 GAMER TRIVIA:

- makes the shittiest sounding music possible, sincerely believes it’s peak art. if you don’t think the same way he’ll say You dont get it. You just dont

- fan of fashion, art & history, but in a normal way (unlike pebbles). really wishes he could have a whole wardrobe of clothes like his creators, but they’re all gone now </3 and even back then when they were all still alive they. did not like giving him stuff (they did not like him)

- one of them did give him the nikeys though

- most of his creators deemed him useless and didn’t particularly care for him. however, some of them (usually the kids) liked talking with NWB, and he enjoyed interacting with them too. he kind of misses the ancients even if they were asses

- is an enigma to his local group: he barely sends messages, and when he does it’s wildly off topic, and literally NEVER about work related stuff. occasionally he’ll drop his “bangers” in the groupchat and ask for opinions. unfortunately most of the iterators ignore him because they find him annoying (and useless as well. very ancientcore of them)

- kind of incomprehensible. he just says things

- doesn’t really have a god complex so he’s generally friendly, open-minded and easy going, but if you’re mean to him he’ll go Wow. Not cool, man. and he’ll probably give you a lecture like a 90s PSA

- calls himself a DJ. doesn’t even have a proper DJ name. probably doesn’t even know what a club is

- fan of nature, enjoyer of life. has no friends and no purpose but doesn’t let it get to him. at least he can make the equivalent of cbat 2 and force every iterator in the world to listen to it

- he’s stupid but he’s also really smart because. supercomputer. however he chooses to not use his brain and instead be silly. he thinks it’s funnier that way

- sometimes sends his music to other iterators besides his local group’s. they also ignore him

- you really can’t tell when he’s being ironic or not, and whether he’s really THAT dumb or if he’s just trolling. one thing for sure — he loves to mess with the stuck-up iterators from his local group if they decide to bother him

- if the ancients had any equivalent of the 80s, he would’ve been a very very big fan of it

- loves animals too. would call slugcat “little dude”

leave your thoughts in the COMMENTS below!!! remember to LIKE and SUBSCRIBE and listen to DJNWB on SPOTIFY (suddenly becomes normal) if you have any questions feel free to ask and i will answer. i love this guy he’s my everything

[marvelousmagicalaura]

The Lord Ruler's portrayal worries me. I hope The Stormlight Archive doesn't do this. 

I'll preface this post by saying this is not out of dislike for the Mistborn trilogy. I'm not trying to impose my moral viewpoints onto fellow cosmerenauts. And it's not meant to dismiss that fantasy characters can have their own unique beliefs. This is simply a rant on a topic that's bugged me ever since finishing The Hero of Ages. It came back as I was contemplating Era 2's nuanced portrayal of Elendel’s problems, Harmony's plans, and Autonomy's mindset. And since I'm reading The Stormlight Archive after Warbreaker, this involves a hope of mine.

My journey throughout Scadrial created an increasing sense of concern and worry over the Lord Ruler's portrayal. In my eyes, book 3 fell into the trap of characters defending the Lord Ruler's actions. Simply because they were for the goal of preserving the world. To be clear, I understand what Sanderson was trying to do. He wanted to make a world where most characters, even when destroying the evil empire, ultimately wanted a stable world. And for that, I understand why Vin or Sazed would call Rashek a "good man with honorable intentions."

Vin always wanted a stable life. And when she thanked the Lord Ruler as Preservation, I bet her opinions of TLR were being slightly filtered by Preservation's Intent. Sazed Ascended with full access to how Ruin and Preservation connected back to Rashek. He knew Rashek in ways no one could imagine.

So while their claims were understandable, it felt extremely gross. My first issue is that I lack the same knowledge of Rashek as Vin or Sazed. I only know Rashek as a bitter, violent glory hound Terrisman who maybe had slivers of understandable motives before Ascending. Then I only know him as an evil emperor going insane for 1000 years. I don't know the "good man" Rashek. I know the asshole who did 5% good things and 95% ends justify the means.

My second issue is that the "suffered under Ruin's hand" removed accountability. Rashek didn't NEED to make slaves out of most remaining humans, turn his people into jellyfish, restrict Allomancy to the ruling class, sacrifice humans for koloss armies, or wipe out all religions and cultures. But that line pinned it on Ruin's influence, even though Rashek did horrible things and made horrible plans during the Ascension. Instead of holding Rashek himself accountable for his own actions.

And on that note, fuck Rashek for even mentioning Ruin's whispers in the Fadrex city plate. Yeah sure, centuries of Ruin's influence pushed him to make the Terris breeding program. But those reprehensible actions above were all Rashek's fault when he was a new conqueror.

My third issue is the erasure of potential depth behind Ruin and Preservation's conflict. It doesn't give Preservation something 100% despicable to actively do. It ignores the fact Ruin doesn't insert new personalities, but rather influences what is already there. Ruin was the method through which Rashek did things, but Preservation is the reason and goal. Rashek ruined to preserve.

Brandon should’ve settled for Sazed acknowledging the tragedy and genius behind Rashek’s efforts, while acknowledging they were reprehensible and weren’t solely orchestrated by Ruin. I don't know what The Stormlight Archive will hold. But if there are any characters who go "ends justify the means" or "it's not my fault it's the god," I sincerely hope Brandon calls out their rusting nonsense with a hammer. He did it with Kelsier (complicated feelings about that), he did not do it with Rashek. I hope he does it in Stormlight.

[sol-consort]

Galactic species

Page One

Asari

Hugging them

Imperfect perfection

Dating humans angst

Repackaged finance bros

Homophobia is a human made-up concept

asari human resemblance

Parasite overlap and analysis

-

Turians

Finding out about A/B/O

Taking human porn seriously

Fixing their reputation in bed amidst humans

Human captian turian crew pt.1

Human captian turian crew pt.2

Getting along with humans after the war

Bff with humans

Embarrassed by humans rescuing them

Red scars

Human "makeup" facepaint

Pretty turian face paint analysis

Cuddling with them

Worst first date ever

Don't give turians chocolate

Submissive in bed

Sirens

-

Salarians

Hugging them

Platonic best friend love interest

Stalking for friendship

Encouraging them to go wild

Worst roommate ever

Legit hot

Seeing what pink really is

Lack of sexual attraction

Don't touch that

Don't touch that pt.2

-

Hanar

Jellyfish Jam

Pink erorr skin colour

-

Krogans

Hugging them

Three hearts and symbols of love

-

Drell

The hatman

Human getting hooked on their skin venom

Love at first sight

-

Elcor

Seeing humans as puppies

Human smiles

-

Angara

Love

-

Geth

Connecting with them

Finding warmth in humanity

Geth harem

-

Quarians

Quarian BF teased by human

Fetish for humans

They are bugs

-

Protheans (just Javik tbh)

Humans are his favourites

Humans are adorable

Acts of service as domination

Never rejecting a human touch

Not eating humans

-

Humans

Human porn trending

Humans are a bully

Human bites

Reduced to husks by the reapers

Seasonal depression and sunlight

Being helpful by nature

Tips and tricks to befriending aliens

Living on the citadel as a human with hair

Food as a love language

Heart symbol/emoji

Making music

Fear of the unknown

Pattern recognition and reading other species cues

Helldivers inspired branch

Problem solvers

What defines a human

Naming things

First contact with the Citadel

Human singing along

First contact and getting an embassy

Afterlife

Mimicking things

Humans & Turians VS Humans & Asari

Humans and Art

-

Several Species

Remake of human classicals

Attempting to befriend the humans

Milk

Blood

Manipulation

Mental illness

Reaction to human world cup

Hanar and Keeper companions

Their age of maturity

Safe sex & educational porn

Their reaction to human beds & plushies

Search history after meeting a human

Being the only human on an alien ship

Best roommates to have

Hanar & Geth arguing

Are they packing down there

Drell & Turian black sclera

Military fraternization

Teeth and biting

Cats and pets

[knuppitalism-with-ue]

We had a rather spontaneous Fantasy #paleostream Specifically we did creatures without pre-existing lore, IP or mythology. We started with a simple map of the world, a rather warm one, with large oceans and no polar ice caps.

First animal we created was a herbivorous desert frog the size of a goat.

Second creature is a mudskipper manatee, a small creature living in and on the mangroves that grow alongside many coasts of this world.

The third image shows 2 entries of the Bestiarium: the Eminence, a giant hyper-coiled and intelligent ammonite; and the dangerous upside down jellyfish that hunts for food near the surface, hiding it's massive bulk in the depth while it's tentacles probe upwards.

Btw. there is nothing magic related in here, for that we would first need to create a magic system, something I lack the time for (I like hard magic systems with big limitations that have to be used creatively)

[libbee]

Surviving Rock Bottom

🌼 For inner planets in 8th house natives; after crisis - before transformation = the stage of neuroses.

🌼 Before every transformation for 8th house natives, they are trapped by neuroses; they shed their skin after neuroses to reborn - this is almost constant in their life, but also happens at least one major rock bottom stage that they must learn to handle. Whatever may be the trigger, these natives face intense emotional crisis. Their life begins to get out of control - heart break, job loss, divorce etc. They fall into a downward spiral of ruminations, before they are consciously aware of it, they spend hours everyday thinking about the past with painful emotional outbursts. Ruminations are repetitive thoughts revisiting the same events from past. As we all know that 8th house placements are hallmark of intergenerational trauma, this crisis is the call for healing. This stage of life is called neuroses; it was also called hysteria in old days.

🌼 Carl Jung has said "in all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order, in all caprice a fixed law for everything that works is grounded on its opposite". The natives are yet to know the reason behind their suffering. Unfortunately, if they are lonely, it can take years for them in rock bottom, spending each passing day in the insanity. It is not so simple to get out of this obsessive rumination for the natives - otherwise they would do it already. They cannot just "choose to not think these thoughts" - this is what makes the rumination so powerful, this is what feels like fate, a doom, a curse.

🌼 The reason why these natives fall into this spiral is the heightened negative feelings. As we know that the 8th house signifies the territory everything that is hidden and unknown. This uncertainty of who they are (lack of sense of self) and where they are going (life path) compels them to seek certainty in life. 8th house placements are unfortunately not gifted with a "sense of self", they feel like invisible energy, like a jellyfish they feel transparent and attach themselves to people, things, interests, addictions and make it their whole personality. When in relationship, they mirror and depend on their "favourite person" for the validation of their existence. This relationship must break at some point in their life because they are also prone to invest themselves in wrong type of people, ignoring red flags and being irrational rather than logical about life choices.

🌼 Apart from astrological view, in the words of science, they are genetically predisposed to such neuroses states. In addition to this, their parents also create disturbing environmental influences for them to develop chronic emotional illnesses. These disorders are inherited - what we call "ancestral karma". 

🌼 When the child never learned emotional regulation from their parents and also genetically prone to neuroses, they recall the negative material, negative "autobiographical memories" of the past and negative emotional state all the time.  Gradually they fall into depressive states, ruminating about the events of childhood and fixating on negative emotions. If you are an 8th house native, you know exactly what it feels like - no words can describe what is only experienced by the fallen hero.

🌼 Some symptoms of this spiritual crisis are 1. Obsessive rumination 2. Compulsive behaviours as a routine 3. Depression 4. Apathy towards life (Nihilism and hopelessness) 5. Negative intrusive thoughts 5. Phobias 6. Perpetual anxiety state.

🌼 Lots of natives go to therapy and hospital in emergency to protect against suicidal ideation, self harm and self destructive addictions. Indeed in such cases, pills and medicines are necessary to rescue the natives from their crisis. However, Carl Jung writes that this crisis is the harbinger of soul transformation. He writes that anxiety is the attempt by psyche to self cure the trauma. He writes to 1. Experience the trauma rather than numb the symptoms with pills; 2. Identify the meaning of neuroses; 3. Understand what the neuroses is trying to tell/teach you; 4. Identify the purpose of neuroses in your life; 5. To go from infantile attitude to psychological development. 

🌼 Unfortunately, I have seen natives with these placements never being able to cure their neuroses and instead fall into lifelong alcohol addiction problems that spoiled their family life and caused many miseries like road accident and early death. This shows how powerful and strong the anxiety is. If they belong to below middle class sections in society, they can even end up homeless and helpless (though 8th house is also connected with other people's money  so they could be supported by spouse income or parental income).

🌼 There are some reasons why natives fail to get out of neuroses or delay it: 1. Laziness; 2. Lack the courage to face the challenge of life; 3. Lack of awareness or support system; 4. Fear of change. Though this is not a definite list. Never underestimate the power of neuroses; 8th house transformation doesn't always mean "something beautiful is born out of the mess". A lot of natives simply "transform for the worse" - they do not improve, they do not actualize, they just remain there in self destructive cycles. It is that scary. It is survivorship bias to assume that all 8th house planets will become spiritual and awakened - a lot of them do not and we never hear their story. So, if you are one of those who find themselves near self awakening, please grab the opportunity and get your life on track.

🌼 Therefore, it is crucial to understand that this neuroses is the urge to develop your own personality. It is a call to change your attitude towards life, to change your way of life, to not conform to the herd mentality, to focus your energy on living in the world rather than in your head, to attain psychological independence from your parents, to contribute to community as a responsible worker, to find a purpose in life. It is the call to do self actualization and attain self knowledge, although it is dressed like a nightmare with a hidden gift.

🌼 Do not waste anymore of your energy on internal conflicts, reliving the past memories and processing the trauma that happened to you. There is only one choice in life - to move forward or to regress to the immature and infantile mode again. Your are intuitive, you KNOW the answers in your heart. I always read about the "transformations" of 8th house natives but never really found an answer for what exactly transformation means? Is it magic?  Or is it some legitimate process? I finally found the answer.

This video describes the concept:

Here is quotes from the video:

“What direction the patient’s life should take in the future is not ours to judge. We must not imagine that we know better than his own nature, or we would prove ourselves educators of the worst kind…It is better to renounce any attempt to give direction, and simply to try to throw into relief everything that the analysis brings to light, so that the patient can see it clearly and be able to draw suitable conclusions. Anything he has not acquired himself he will not believe in the long run, and what he takes over from authority merely keeps him infantile. He should rather be put in the position to take his own life in hand.” - Carl Jung, Some Crucial Points in Psychoanalysis

“Only boldness can deliver from fear. And if the risk is not taken, the meaning of life is somehow violated, and the whole future is condemned to hopeless staleness.” - Carl Jung, Symbols of Transformation

This transformation can take years and this is the rebirth of the Phoenix. Rising from the ashes into a new life. Starting from scratch. Shedding old skin. Burning bridges. Reborn. So many names.

[evilmageclub]

false rings chapter 7

ive finished my longest (also just the longest) samsam fic lol, only took me 2 years. its 65k words, rated E, postcanon, and follows samot and samothes through cycles of grief and violence and reconciliation past and present. with a focus on the natural world of aubade

ao3 link

this chapter samsam forge new rings, make a vow, go on a boat trip, and fail to talk about fatherhood. while having lots of sex, because that's what this is all about

sfw excerpt under the cut:

The first day is quiet, wavelets slapping at the hull and vistas of coral branching shoreward until they pass beyond the lagoon. On the second day they lose sight of the island, and with it the final swaying tendrils of Spring growth. They anchor up that night and dive down, down into the dark through shoals of luminescent jellyfish, just to be certain the Spring is not still crawling across the seabed; but Samot would be able to feel it if it were, and the seabed, if indeed the waters out here follow the logic of Hieron in having one, is out of reach. Samot takes hold of Samothes and urges him back up to the surface, surprising himself by being the one to curtail their dive.

It really does seem to extend forever, this dyad of inky sea and darker sky. Samot thinks he sees a shadow pass beneath them as they rise, but such is the illusion of the night. Once they surface, he hooks his wiry arms over Samothes’ shoulders from behind and presses his chest to Samothes’ back, forcing Samothes to tread water a little harder to keep them both afloat.

“It doesn’t unnerve you?”

“This?” The subliminal radiance of Samothes’ gaze comes to rest on the grey lack of a horizon; despite the glimmer of the starshield, Samothes himself and their boat’s enchanted lanterns are the only sources of light. “Of course it does. You’re going to call me naive for thinking there’s a great deal of beauty to be found in the way we persist despite it. I told Hadrian...”

“Hm?”

“Nothing. I told him something similar, once.”

Detaching Samot from himself just enough to hold him by the shoulders, Samothes rolls onto his back and kicks off towards the boat, carrying Samot halfway with him. Age notwithstanding, he has become a much stronger swimmer through his time in Aubade. Samot wonders if he and Hadrian spent much time on the water together before the blade was sealed, and wishes not for the first time that he had found the words to ask Hadrian what it was like to meet his god.

Seeing Samot pause by the hull and misreading his stillness for exhaustion or cramp, Samothes scoops him up and scales the ladder to the deck one-handed… a gesture that makes Samot laugh at the time, but as they lie together in the warmth of the cabin afterward, the sight of his own hands numb and bloodless with chill makes him wonder if perhaps he did need the rescue, not because he lacked the strength to climb but because he was forgetting corporeality, leaching away into the Dark.

[team-frightfur]

Imo, Shark vs IV round 1 (where Tron eggs IV on into throwing so he can brainwash Shark) is the peak of Zexal. Great duel, great animation, great characters, great buildup. It also establishes IV as a wet, beat-up, yet rabid and feral kitten. Just the sight of their raggedy fur and watery eyes makes you want to reach out and pet them but, the instant you get close enough, they latch onto your fingers with their teeth and try to kill you.

Shark vs IV round 2, otoh, is pretty bad. It's good in theory, but lacking in execution. Basically, Shark is having an identity crisis over being Nasch vs being Shark, so IV duels him to try and 'bring him back'.

This is actually really good because it makes the duel a redemptive foil to R1. IV was abused but, as Tron's son, was simultaneously deeply dedicated to his abuser. As a result, he was forced to bend himself painfully out of shape to (try and) please Tron. In reality, though, his efforts to please Tron were bad for everyone involved. III, IV, V, and Tron ALL suffered for not standing up to their abuser.

Shark isn't abused, but he IS loyal to his past life's soldiers, kingdom, and the Barian world. OTOH, he also clearly hates the thought of hurting his friends, including IV. As a result, he, too, is bending himself out of shape (and into Nasch). Thus, IV trying to 'bend him back' is his way of thanking Shark.

I love this! In theory! Just a few issues.

First off, IV keeps on talking about friendship. He and Shark are, like, barely friends. They've duelled together Once.

Secondly, it seems like IV lost all his personality traits along with his villainy. This is fair IF you consider his sadism as a coping mechanism (he was lashing out from his father's abuse and trying to feel powerful/in control/ worthwhile) since it would frame his new niceness as healing. Thing is, even if that WAS the case, having IV recover offscreen is extremely underwhelming. Have that shit happen onscreen! Show him struggling with his sadism! Don't Yuri him!

Thirdly, having IV die after failing to reach Shark comes off as more meanspirited than tragic because it wastes IV as a character. This guy had the best duel in all of Zexal, dropped off the face of the earth for 50 eps, came back for (1) tag duel against a Jellyfish Man, and then got killed by Shark. III and V don't even grieve him too heavily, they just pretend to mourn so they can give Yuma a pep talk!

Anyway, Here's Stuff We Needed in Zexal: I Can't Believe They Did IV Like That Edition

1. Shark having his own weird barian flashback dreams of his past as early as Zexal I. This not only matches Rio and foreshadows his past life as Nasch, but also allows the writers to develop his relationship with Dumon, his men, and his kingdom.

2. Rio should have been conscious during her first coma (the one IV caused), causing her to develop an emotional dependence on Shark. Since their parents are dead, Shark is her lifeline. Once he gives up on her, she's finished. This explains why she switches to being Merag so easily. For years, 'I go where Shark goes' has been her reality and she needs to unlearn that.

(I know that Rio is implied to switch to being Merag first but, in canon, she has, like, no reason to do that. Which is weak.)

(If you want to make things even rougher, make Shark's chronic class skipping a result of his trying to support Rio. This makes her feel guilty for 'ruining his high school life', further encouraging her to sacrifice her own 'life' as Rio for him.

3. A joke episode after Rio's second coma (from being possessed by Abyss) where IV turns out to be visiting Rio in secret (but only when Shark isn't around). Shark finds out about this 'mystery visitor' and stakes out Rio's room for three whole days. When the inevitable confrontation happens, IV swears to Shark that he'll protect Rio alongside him, causing the boys to form a Rio Protection Squad. This not only leads nicely into their duel with Jellyfish Man, but also provides an opportunity to develop IV, III and V in a 'normal' setting.

Example: Shark gets into a motorbike accident on the way to the hospital. While Shark is fine, his locket breaks in the crash. IV finds it and has it fixed, returning it to Shark shortly afterwards. Then, to pay IV back since "I hate owing favours" Shark offers to spot IV for something.

(Bonus: this makes Shark's act of throwing away his pendant even stronger as, rather than throwing away his past with his parents (who are dead) he's throwing away his past with a living friend.)

IV proceeds to stare blankly. Years of Middle Child Syndrome, Deranged Revenge Schemes, and Severe Parental Abuse have made a 'normal life' feel foreign to him. As a result, he has no hobbies or preferences (aside from the...sadomasochism).

Cue an annoyed, tired, and weary Shark watching IV wander around an amusement park. Somehow, they end up duelling a clown.

Unbeknownst to them, III and V are both stalking the pair . III is happy to see that IV and Shark made up, while V recognises that, in failing to stand up to Tron, he failed III and IV as a brother (and Tron as a son). You know, the big theme of his duel with Kaito in Zexal I (Where Kaito is like 'It's because I still love my Dad that I have to punch him out of all this villain bullshit' and V is like 'you have such wisdom. I wish it wasn't too late to sock my dad...').

Ultimately, IV reveals that he hates amusement parks, causing Shark to push him into oncoming traffic. As a fight breaks out, III admits to V that he wanted to try out the rides with IV. V smiles and says he'll take them both sometime.

The implication is that IV liked the park but wanted something to hold over Shark, nodding to his social awkwardness, communication issues, and lingering sadistic tendencies.

4. A scene where, after IV dies, we see III and V genuinely grieve.

Example: Recall that III and V spent ages separated from V. Recall that, once V and Tron got them back, they were stuck in an abusive situation. Recall that they only escaped that situation like, 3 months ago. One way to communicate the tragedy of this is to have them flashback to happy moments, but all those happy moments are either from when III and IV are VERY young + the last three months. This visually hammers in the tragedy of the situation. V, in his eyes, wasted his time with IV. III, in his eyes, will never get to have a future with IV. IV, in trying to save Shark from going through the same pain as he went through (being bent out of shape) sacrificed the future with his brothers he was fighting for.

As for time, idk. Just. Cut the Tomato guy or someshit. There's so much useless filler in Zexal. if Zexal had HALF the planning power of Arc V they could EASILY have built up this plot.

Sorry, I just. Needed to rant. IV is my favourite character but he got done SO dirty.

[todaysbug]

February 13th, 2024

Antarctic Nemertean Worm (Parborlasia corrugatus)

Distribution: Widely distributed in the cold southern seas surrounding Antarctica, as far north as Peru.

Habitat: Epibenthic and marine; found in intertidal zones down to depths of 3590 metres.

Diet: Scavenger and predator; feeds on detritus diatoms, gastropods, amphipods, isopods, vertebrate carrion, sponges, jellyfish, seastars, molluscs, anemones and polychaete worms.

Description: P. corrugatus is a huge ribbonworm that can grow up to 2 metres in length. Like all ribbonworms, this species does not have a dedicated respiratory system, instead breathing through its skin; animals who breathe this way are typically quite small so the oxygen can reach every part of their body, which makes this worm's size even more impressive. Luckily, the Southern ocean is oxygen-rich, and the ribbonworm has a slow metabolism that uses up little oxygen. When it starts to lack oxygen, it flattens itself out to maximize oxygen diffusion throughout its body.

Despite its size, P. corrugatus still has predators. In order to defend itself, it has a proboscis it can deploy in moments, covered in barbs and adhesives (which it also uses to hunt its prey!). If this isn't enough to dissuade predators, it also has an acidic mucus with a pH of 3.5.

Images by Martin Rauschert and Jackson Chu.