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artifacts-and-arthropods · 2 years ago

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Hummingbird Hawk Moths: as a result of their hummingbird-like behavior and appearance, these moths are often mistaken for actual hummingbirds

The Eurasian hummingbird hawk moth: Macroglossum stellatarum

Like an actual hummingbird, the hummingbird hawk moth uses a flight maneuver called "swing-hovering" (rapidly swinging from side-to-side while hovering in mid-air), has a wing-speed of up to 85 beats-per-second, produces a humming noise when flying, and feeds on the nectar from flowers; the hairs on its body even resemble the tail-feathers and wings of a hummingbird.

These moths are also able to maintain a stable position in mid-air by relying on the same flight patterns that are found among hummingbirds -- the moth rapidly rotates its wings in a "figure-8" motion, generating lift on both the forward and backward strokes, which effectively allows the moth to hover in place. The flight maneuvers (and other adaptations) of the Eurasian hummingbird hawk moth are so similar to the characteristic traits found in hummingbirds that this little moth is often mistaken for a real hummingbird, despite the fact that it is found exclusively in habitats that do not contain any wild/native hummingbirds. Though this species can be found in various ecosystems throughout the British Isles, mainland Europe, Central Eurasia, and even some parts of North Africa, there are no actual hummingbirds in any of these regions, as wild hummingbirds are found only in the Americas.

These moths (M. stellatarum) have a wing-speed of up to 85 beats-per-second. For comparison, the amethyst woodstar hummingbird, which is one of the smallest and fastest hummingbirds in the world, has a similar wing-speed of up to 80 beats-per-second.

While most other moths are nocturnal, the hummingbird hawk moth is active only during the day. It uses a specialized proboscis to feed on the nectar from various flowers, including honeysuckle, jasmine, tulip, red valerian, lilac, and phlox. This species also differs from other moths due to its lack of auditory organs, meaning that it has no sense of hearing. Among most moths, auditory organs have evolved as a defense mechanism to detect the ultra-sonic chirps that are emitted by predatory bats at night, but because the hummingbird hawk moth is only active during the day, when bats are largely inactive, that particular defense mechanism was not developed.

Experts generally believe that the similarities shared by hummingbirds and hummingbird hawk moths actually arose through convergent evolution; this means that the hummingbirds and the moths both experienced a similar set of needs, pressures, and circumstances within their respective environments, and they simply developed similar adaptations in response to those circumstances. Their uncanny resemblance therefore does not qualify as a form of animal mimicry -- the moths may look and act a lot like hummingbirds, but the resemblance is viewed as a product of incidental factors, and it is unlikely that those similarities were developed for the purpose of providing camouflage.

This is not the only type of moth that is commonly referred to as a "hummingbird moth." The genus Macroglossum contains several moth species that have hummingbird-like characteristics, and the term "hummingbird moth" can be applied to many of them; there are also at least five "hummingbird moths" in the genus Hemaris, although they belong to a separate clade and their resemblance to hummingbirds is somewhat less convincing. They include H. thysbe (also known as the hummingbird clearwing moth), H. diffinis (the snowberry clearwing moth), H. thetis (the Rocky Mountain clearwing moth), H. aethra (the Diervilla clearwing moth), and H. gracilis (the slender clearwing moth), all of which are found in North America.

Moths of the genus Hemaris: these moths may sometimes be identified as "hummingbird moths;" the genus Hemaris also contains a variety of moths that are popularly referred to as "bee hawk moths" or "bee moths" because they bear a resemblance to bumble-bees.

The Eurasian hummingbird hawk moth is not closely related to any of the "hummingbird moths" from the genus Hemaris, however, as it belongs to a completely different genus and occupies a separate habitat on the other side of the Atlantic. Still, it's interesting to note the presence of similar hummingbird-like traits within these different genuses.

Sources & Addition Info:

PBS Nature: Featured Creature, the Hummingbird Hawk Moth

The Wildlife Trusts: Hummingbird Hawk Moth

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds: Article about Hummingbird Hawk Moths

Journal of Comparative Physiology: Fuelling on the Wing: the sensory ecology of hawk moth foraging

Country Life: The Confusingly Enormous Hummingbird Hawk Moth that Looks Set to Become a Regular Fixture in British Gardens

#moths #cute moth #tw bugs #hummingbird #hummingbird hawk moth #insect #entomology #evolution #science #nature #lepidoptera #biology #I spend way too much time reading about moths #but they are just wildly underrated

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bethanythebogwitch · 1 month ago

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Wet Beast Wednesday: channel catfish

I like cats and I like fish, so it's a bit silly that I haven't done a WBW on catfish yet. Time to fix that. The channel catfish may not be the most spectacular of all catfish, but it's a skilled survivor and a tenacious little fish worthy of respect.

(Image: a channel catfish swimming in clear water. It is a long fish woth a round body and a broad, flat head. The fins are rounded and the anal fin is long and runs under the back half of the body. A fleshy adipose fin is on the top of the tail. The eyes are round and protrude from the head. Four pairs of barbels grow from around the mouth, the the largest extending from the upper lip. The body is a murky brown, with a white underbelly. End ID)

The majority of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) reach 30 to 60 cm (1-2 ft) in length and weigh between 1 and 2 kg (2-4 lbs), but they grow throughout their lives and can occasionally get much larger. The world record channel catfish weighed 58 lbs (26 kg). Channel cats possess traits typical of catfish. The bodies are cylindrical and scaleless and four pairs of long, sensory barbels grow from around the mouth. The pectoral and dorsal fins have spines that are filled with venom which can cause stinging and numbness in humans. I know this from personal experience.

(Image: a channel catfish swimming over rocky substrate in murky water. End ID)

Channel catfish are heavily adapted to live in low-visibility environments by heavily focusing on senses other than sight. They have a powerful sense of smell thanks to heavily packed olfactory receptors in their nostrils. A channel cat can smell amino acids at concentrations of 1 part per 100 million. In addition to their mouths, channel catfish also have taste buds covering their skin, essentially turning their bodies into one big tongue. The taste buds are most concentrated on the barbels, which the catfish uses to help detect sources of food. Catfish hearing is enhanced by the presence of a Weberian apparatus, a complex system of bone and ossicles that connects the auditory system to the swim bladder. This allows the swim bladder to amplify vibrations, allowing sounds too quiet for the inner ear to normally detect to become audible.

Pogfish (Image: a channel catfish with mouth open, about to bite onto a baited hook. End ID)

Channel catfish are found in the eastern half of North America from Canada to northeastern Mexico. They can tolerate salt and brackish water, but are mostly found in freshwater, where they can inhabit everything from crystal-clear streams to murky lakes. While channel cats are omnivorous, they are specialized to act as predators in murky water. They are nocturnal ambush predators who retreat to deep water in the day and move to shallower water to hunt at night. They will either sit still and wait for prey to pass or slowly search through rugged areas, using their barbels to investigate crevices where prey could hide. Their nostrils and taste buds help finding prey, specifically by detecting the amino acids L-alanine and L-arganine, which are shed by animals. When catfish detect amino acids, they have been observed getting excited: turning, biting, and maneuvering themselves toward prey. As with other catfish, they rapidly open their mouths to create suction and force prey inside, where it is swallowed whole. Catfish will eat just about anything they can find, including small fish, various invertebrates, snakes, amphibians, insects, small mammals and birds, algae, seeds, nuts, and other plant material. Their diet becomes more carnivorous as they get older. Channel catfish are not social outside of mating and establish territories. They appear to follow a dominance hierarchy with larger animals claiming better territories and fighting to maintain them.

(Image: a channel catfish swimming amongst rocks. End ID)

Channel catfish have a complex system of communication using both chemical and auditory cues. Catfish in general can produce pheromones that can be used to recognize other specific individuals. They use these to advertise their presence to each other and mark their territory. Channel catfish can use pheromones to determine the sex, age, and size of another member of their species without ever actually encountering them and can differentiate between other species of catfish that share their habitat. When a channel cat detects another in its territory, it can mark its territory by altering its scent through a chemical change in the composition of the amino acids in its mucus. This scent does not linger long and is used as a challenge to the intruder, telling it to either leave or be prepared to fight. The change in scent may be regulated by club cells, specialized pheromone-producing cells found in the skin. The cells don't directly open to the water. It is hypothesized that injury may expose the club cells and cause them to release their contents. This would inform other catfish in the area of the injury, which could lead to a change in the local dominance hierarchy. Sound is produced through stridulation: clicking and grinding the bones of the pectoral girdle and the spine that leads the pectoral fins. By moving the base of the spine over the pectoral girdle, the fish can make a variety of noises. These noises vary in based on the movement of the fin and based on size and possibly sex, allowing channel catfish to learn about others that they hear. Channel cats will use noises to communicate dominance with each other and to startle predators, allowing for an escape while alerting any other catfish in the area of the predator's presence. If you've every caught a catfish and heard it make a croaking noise, now you know what's happening. Curiously, individual channel catfish will have a preference for which fin they use to make noise, with the majority favoring their right fin. This could be analogous to right and left handedness in humans.

youtube

(Video: a catfish that has been caught by an angler. It is being held by a tool and is making croaking noises. End ID)

Channel catfish spawn in spring and summer, when the water is consistently warm. Males will look for a cavity of some kind, which could be a crevice in rocks, a bank underhand, a spot beneath a log or other structure, or artificial objects like the inside of litter. He will clean the area of silt and mud to expose a hard bottom and then release pheromones to attract a female. Other males may attempt to drive him from his nest to claim it for themselves, leading to fights. When a female is interested, the two will enter the nest and remain there for up to 6 hours as eggs are laid. Females can release 2,000 to 4,000 eggs per pound of her weight and will do so in batches, with the male fertilizing them as they are laid. The eggs are yellowish and stick to hard surfaces. Once the eggs are laid, the male will chase the female from the nest and guard the eggs until they hatch. Until then, he will fan the eggs with his tail to keep oxygenated flowing over them and aggressively attack any perceived threat. Channel catfish in the wild only mate once per year, though males raised in captivity may attempt multiple matings. Larvae are hatched with the egg sac still attacked and survive on yolk for a few days until it falls off. After that, they have an algae-based diet that will gradually shift to carnivory as they age. Young channel catfish are a yellowish-brown with dark spots along the body while adults are a muddy brown all over.

(Image: a juvenile channel catfish held by me. It is a miniature version of an adult, with proportionately longer barbels and eyes. The body is a yellowish color. It is smaller than the thumb in the image. End ID

Channel catfish are classified as least concern by the IUCN, meaning they are not in danger of extinction. Channel catfish are the most widely distributed and populous catfish in North America. In the USA, channel catfish are a major food source and the channel catfish aquaculture industry is the largest aquaculture in the country. Channel catfish are raised in artificial ponds or other structures and are usually harvested for their meat at two years old. That's a lot for an animal that tastes like congealed air. Channel catfish are also a popular sport fish for their edibility and the fight they put up when hooked. Their use as food and for sport is a major reason for their introduction outside of their range. This has led to them becoming an invasive species in multiple countries, where they outcompete native species.

(Image: a POV shot of someone wearing rubber waders holding a channel catfish just above the water. End ID)

#wet beast wednesday #channel catfish #catfish #fish #bony fish #fishposting #fishblr #freshwater fish #biology #ecology #zoology #animal facts #informative #educational #image described #Youtube

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kirain · 9 months ago

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I know you've said you're not into shipping, but if you HAD to ship bg3 companions (you do, I'm saying you have to😝) which npcs would you ship them with?

Well, since you're forcing me. 😅

...This was actually harder than I thought it would be, since I don't usually consider ships. But I think I'm happy with my choices.

In my opinion, Lae'zel and Varsh Ko'kuu would make a fantastic couple. Personally, I prefer the ending where Lae'zel returns to the Astral Plane to usher in a new age for the githyanki, hopefully turning them from their violent and conquerous ways. To do that she'll need support, hence her call for rebellion. I like to think Ko'kuu would be one of the first to join her, as the Narrator tells us he's grown "tired"; likely of his people's brutal and callous ways. He's clearly diplomatic and maternal, as well as open-minded enough to trust an outsider with his young, so he'd be a perfect ally. As he becomes Lae'zel's righthand man during the civil war, they would naturally form a bond that blooms from respect and admiration to romantic. He would also make an excellent father to Xan.

This ship I don't think I even need to explain. Karlach and Dammon are absolutely perfect for each other. They respect each other, they like each other, they understand each other's struggles, and they're both kind, caring, optimistic people. Karlach not only fantasizes about Dammon in her origin run, but they also have an adorable handholding scene once he upgrades her engine. So in relation to her somewhat disappointing ending, I like to think Dammon discovers a cure for her condition and follows her to Avernus, where they break into Zariel's forge, construct a permanent upgrade that negates the deadly heat inside her, and then escape back to the material plane. After that, the two would become inseparable. They would start a new life in Baldur's Gate, with Dammon continuing his work as a respected blacksmith and Karlach becoming an avid defender of the city.

This ship was actually my friend's idea, and I believe she's planning on exploring it further on her own blog. As we discussed it, we both agreed Sebastian would probably hate Astarion and want blood, even knowing he had no choice but to follow Cazador's demands; over a century of misery and torment leaves little room for forgiveness. After his release, I think he'd track Astarion down and try to kill him in a blind act of revenge, but hesitate, failing the task. Still a sweet and delicate soul, he'd fall to his knees in tears, lamenting everything he's lost. Plagued with guilt upon seeing his broken state, Astarion would comfort Sebastian, knowing what it's like to feel nothing but fear and hatred. Things would be rocky at first, slow, messy—but eventually Sebastian would forgive Astarion, falling in love with him all over again. And with that closure, Astarion would finally be able to forgive himself.

To me, this ship makes the most sense (and may also be the sweetest), as Shadowheart and Nocturne already have a shared history and they've both suffered under Shar. When we meet Nocturne, she implies she's grown wary of following the dark goddess and her cult, but she's too afraid to leave. So after defeating the Absolute, I like to imagine Shadowheart rekindles her relationship with Nocturne, eventually turning her away from Shar and convincing her to leave the sanctum. With her once best friend's guidance, Nocturne would adjust well to the world outside, growing close to Shadowheart once again and rebuilding her lost memories, as well as making new ones. Together they would travel the world, forever wrapped in each other's loving embrace.

I fell in love with Exxvikyap the moment I met her, and I think she'd be perfect for Wyll. He needs someone who can match his excitable, charismatic energy—and she definitely would. Whether Wyll follows in his father's footsteps or follows Karlach to Avernus, at some point I like to think he'd return to Baldur's Gate. Once he does, he'd find himself visiting the Rivington General for a new weapon. As she helps him find a sword best suited to his fighting style, they'd strike up a conversation. Wyll would find her warm and bubbly personality both infectious and endearing, which would lead to him visiting the shop again. And again. And again. And again. Slowly, he would begin courting the sweet dragonborn woman, and she would happily accept his advances. Eventually she would quit, joining Wyll on his many adventures and defending the Sword Coast from any who would threaten to harm it.

This ship I waffled on for a while, because personally I didn't see it; especially since I think Gale needs someone who's compassionate and affectionate. But then I realised Rolan is both of those things. At least by Act 2. He's sassy and snappy and self-important, but he loves his siblings—to the point that he was willing to risk his career to stick by them at the Grove, and enough to risk his life by searching for them in the Shadowlands. He also saved the orphans, even though he whinged about it. He wants to be independent, but he later learns to accept help, which leads me to Gale. At some point, I like to think Gale visits Ramazith's Tower, looking for a book. He bumps into Rolan, who's struggling to cast an advanced spell that summons a hoard of angry mephits. Chaos ensues, causing Gale and Rolan to team up and reverse the damage. Rolan would beat himself up over the incident, but Gale would encourage him, teaching him the proper way to cast the spell. From that point on, their relationship would blossom in ways neither of them expected. Together they would find a perfect balance, propping each other up while also keeping each other humble.

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #gale of waterdeep #gale dekarios #astarion #karlach #lae'zel #wyll ravengard #shadowheart #varsh ko'kuu #dammon #Sebastian #Nocturne #bg3 sebastian #bg3 nocturne #exxvikyap #bg3 rolan #rolan #shipping

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slavghoul · 2 years ago

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Interview from Upset Magazine 6/2023

Words: Steven Loftin

Like an apparition manifesting within a dense fog, it was through radio static that Swedish rockers Ghost were formed. In the kindergarten he attended as a young boy, Tobias Forge found himself enamoured with the music crackling through the little toy speakers. From this point forward, he began picking apart the notes and melodies - his journey toward the lore and canon coming into focus as he sat, trying to figure out how this black magic could be summoned.

While it would be many years before he would don his garb as Papa Emeritus, the essence of what his future would sound like was being set through his exposure to a wide variety of music. If any proof were needed, just look to the impressive list of covers Ghost have put their ghastly mark upon, including 2016's 'Popestar' EP, which included the band's takes on Echo & The Bunnymen ('Nocturnal Me') and Simian Mobile Disco ('I Believe').

Ghost's latest EP is another covers bonanza. A five-piece offering of Tobias's backstory, 'Phantomime' plays out like a Greatest Hits radio playlist - a fitting throwback to Tobias' first dalliances with music. Of course, when a group more aligned to the metal/hard rock community bust out covers, including Genesis and Tina Turner, eyebrows are raised. To this reaction, Tobias scoffs. "In 1991, Genesis was one of the biggest bands on the planet! That was a huge hit. In the mid-80s, when I had an older teenage brother who rented every VHS movie that came out, of course, we saw the fucking Thunderdome, and that was a huge hit, and it's still being played on Swedish radio. It's an evergreen; it's not an eclectic choice at all," he declares. "I grew up listening to Stranglers because my brother liked them. What else do we have, Iron Maiden - I mean, are you kidding? I'm a metalhead!"

Originally conceived during the sessions for their fifth album, last year's 'Impera', there were two folders on his computer's desktop: one named 'Impera', the other simply 'Covers'. As the ideas for 'Impera' grew, Tobias would enter his usual routine of working on a cover or two. "At any point, when you lose a little wind in writing your own things, it's quite nice to say, 'Today let's go in and work on the covers'; you can choose anything you want, you can work on absolutely anything you want. And you don't have to finish it, you don't have to release it, you don't have to do anything, but just continue working."

He likens it to the freedom of being a theatre owner who, instead of trying to pen the next greatest Broadway phenomenon, opts to have a go at something already timeless and perfected.

"Maybe you're like, 'Okay, so this fall we're just going to do a reinterpretation of Hamlet instead, that's going to be fine, and that keeps everyone working, and that keeps a project moving along! And I find a similar thing with working on covers. So as I was writing "Impera', the covers folder was also growing exponentially and at a point. I had this idea that was going to be a full-length album."

With COVID restrictions meaning the original producer for 'Impera' was stuck in the US, Tobias had to source a replacement. It would be Klas Åhlund who stepped up to the plate. But, on one condition. "He was pretty upfront. He was like. Yeah, I only want to make the record; I don't want to work on covers," Tobias remembers "Fine, fine, fine, that's fine." he shrugs. "So, after the 'Impera' recording was done, I felt as if making a completely different, whole record again: I didn't have time for that. I didn't have the energy for that. But once I trimmed down the number of songs to only these five to make a very rocky record, it loosened up the screws a little bit for me in terms of like, "Okay, so now I know what the EP is going to be - it's going to be a full, full-throttle rock one."

Ditching some rumoured softer covers, including U2, Misfits, and Motörhead. 'Phantomime is instead a delectable slice of Ghost doing what Ghost do best: creating theatrically big rock. It's Tobias's mark upon some bonafide classics, including Iron Maiden's 'Phantom of the Opera' which feels as befitting to Ghost as it does seeing Papa Emeritus kick the bucket ready for his next iteration. While the focus was on creating this small dose of Tobias's musical DNA, it also served another purpose; to simply be "not very complicated." The project began with the mindset of "we can make this recording loosely - quick but stress-free - as opposed to making a record which is your hard fifth record that needs to live up to certain standards. So it was just a very inspired, very simple recording, actually."

After the complexities of 'Impera' which wound up requiring two studios simultaneously running in parallel "to be able to work efficiently" - Ghost was morphing into a taxing experience for the band leader, "It was just a bigger thing [and] way more stressful."

Deciding to strip that covers folder down to the five tracks, by all accounts, 'Phantomime was a measured and reserved effort. "It ended up being me, an engineer, and an occasional musician coming in and doing something. It was so much looser, so much more mentally Feng Shui," he smiles, relief glowing in his voice. "And I think that that reflected a little bit on the two different records. They're meant to be related - they are definitely related - they were made roughly in the same time, but they're completely different things."

'Phantomime' plays out like a ghoulish social commentary. Starting with a searing rendition of Televison's 'See No Evil, the journey traverses the scourge of Televangelism (Genesis' Jesus He Knows Me') with a delightfully-fitting NSFW video, the instant gratification humans require to feel (The Stranglers' Hanging Around"); the pull back into cruel reality (Phantom Of The Opera"), and the resulting undying hope from a degraded society (Tina Turner's 'We Don't Need Another Hero"). Each offering is bolstered with Ghost's dramatic, theatric rock licks and Tobias's powerhouse vocals.

With 'Phantomime' in the bag and the European leg of the 'Impera' tour imminent (Tobias is currently holed up in preparation), the idea of reflecting on how he came to go from a young boy listening to the static sounds of pop hits on the radio to orchestrating not only a feverishly adored band and its lore but finding the capacity to embrace his inner music nerd, couldn't be more timely. Tobias's relationship with music has always been one of intrigue. He's a pop songwriter with the ambition and ideas of a stadium rock band, which, in essence, explains perfectly why Ghost can sit in a unique, exponentially growing and expanding space.

"My earliest inclination of wanting to transform into something else was definitely Twisted Sister," he recalls. "You know, "I Want To Rock' and 'We're Not Going To Take It' - that was a huge record in 1984, and in 1984, I was three years old," he says. "My brother was 16, so everything that was going on pop-culturally amongst teenagers was happening in my home."

It was thanks to his brother that much of Tobias's relationship with music was formed. He's introduced him to various giants of the time, like tectonic plates being pushed around, impacting and shaping his musical landscape. Translating for young Tobias the attitude of punk at the time, as well as everything else that was 'in', he remembers, "When I was a kid, and he was supposed to babysit me, as a pacifier he would put me in front of [Sex Pistols mockumentary film] 'The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle"," he laughs. "And then when that was over, he would just switch to [X-rated cartoon] Fritz the Cat. And I loved that stuff, of course. That was as much [about] the expression and the attitude. Of course, I loved the songs, but it was also filtered or combined with big songs for me." Those big songs ("Men At Work 'Down Under'," he initially cites, "those sort of songs still have a unique place in my in my writing") would eventually entwine with his darker side that he'd explore as he grew older. "Whilst my whole adolescence was completely in the name of extreme metal, I always had a very soft spot for Top 40 rock and pop radio always," Tobias explains. "And I've listened to that all my life. So it's almost equal portions of Venom as it is anything. that was on the radio."

Also, witnessing shock and glam-rock bands explode intrigued Tobias. He became swept away in the idea that not only could you push a boundary to its absolute limits with convictions and over-the-top grandiosity, but you could do so with songs that quantifiably bop. But, as time has gone onto prove, it wasn't pop music that enamoured Tobias enough that he wanted to become a pop star. It's the mythology and mystery that has become his calling card.

Tobias remained an enigma under the disguise of an evolving form of the iconic Papa Emeritus (now in his fourth incarnation) until 2017, after a lawsuit from a previous iteration of his backing band's rotating cast, the Nameless Ghouls. Visual and video components to releases are often hoovered up by the fandom, stripped apart for meaning and potential. Instagram posts are referred to as a '[Message From The Clergy]" (a phrase later claimed for 2022's Best Of playlist), and lest it is forgotten, the Ghost 'Grucifix' - the prominent crucifix deconstructed into Tobias's gothic 'G' logo - which ties together the vision, religious imagery and satire that would become a core part of the Ghost experience.

His musical ambition and education colliding in the middle of his Venn diagram between dark metal and pop magic is thanks to the likes of the aforementioned Twisted Sister and W.A.S.P., as well as his teen years in the black metal community. "Their first record was also a huge impact in Swedish media," Tobias remembers. "There was this big sort of Satanic panic thing going on at the time in the fall of 1984. Where you had essentially all those things happening. You had Mötley Crüe 'Shout At The Devil', which came out a year earlier, and they were there because they toured with Iron Maiden in 1984, so there was a lot of focus on these shock-rock bands. I saw that as a kid, and I was immediately blown away - it was the coolest thing I've ever seen. And I think that that was the trigger that made me identify as that is how I want to express myself."

Decoding the songs he'd hear also became an integral part of that expression. "That was the only thing I did for years before I started writing my own songs." Recalling his time in kindergarten, they had a piano and guitar, which Tobias became infatuated with. Instead of playing with the other children, he would find himself enraptured, listening to the radio or flipping over whichever cassette happened to be loaded at the time. He would then imitate the sounds he was soaking up. "A lot of those early beginnings of how to learn and how I've learned how to understand music filters through everything I do now," he explains.

The early records he'd find himself trying to unpack included KISS 'Alive' and Pink Floyd's 'Piper At The Gates Of Dawn' - disparate matches, but undoubtedly Ghost fuel with hard rock melodies and psychedelic tendencies. "I had the first and the second Pink Floyd on a double LP that was called 'A Nice Pair'. And that's the shit that I sat and listened to and played guitar to," he says proudly. "That's weird music, that's really weird chord sequences and melodies that sort of went nowhere. And, that coloured me a lot in my vision of this is how you write a pop song. Of course, I knew more conventional writing as well. But I figured that this resonates with me, and I want to write more like that."

Tobias is the first to admit that the influence his musical exposure has had on him isn't the most straightforward. "For all the years that I was in bands, up until Ghost, basically when I was in bands not doing well, I got a lot of, I wouldn't say stick, but it was always like, 'You write weird songs, there's something weird about them, and it will never really become anything because it has that sort of weirdness to it".

As he grew, the songs he'd heard reflected this inherent strangeness he'd constructed. Before the days of mass formulaic pop factories, the music emanating from the radio abided by the strictest rule of needing to at least be approachable, but within these confines, artists of the 70s and 80s would push the envelope as far as they could. Citing Nik Kershaw's 'The Riddle' as one example, "Holy shit, if you would have taken that song and taken it to a chord structure masterclass amongst pop writers now who want to write songs for Miley Cyrus or The Weeknd or any of that sort of level they would say, no, no, no, no, that this will never work. It's too strange. It's too weird. You can't do that; it doesn't have the normal chord progression.

"There are a lot of songs from the 80s that are like that," he reckons, "compared to the now, more informative way of writing, the 80s was braver actually, and it worked well. And those songs are evergreens in a way that a lot of the top radio shit from seven years ago is forgotten, and that's the stuff that I grew up with when I started playing the guitar."

Having made that inner sanctum, he would enter kindergarten a reality, one where he can explore those recesses of his mind shaken by the musical earthquakes he experienced; now, he's matured and deeply entrenched in the reality. "Throughout the modern day of pop writing, I know a few professional pop songwriters, and we continue having these conversations because in pop," he says, "where some of them work prolifically on really high releases, they're like, it's strange how the business wants everything to be so informative. Everybody wants a weird song, but still, all the big songs are usually very, very formatted [and] very, very simple."

While unpacking the songs he'd heard back in the 80s offered Tobias a chance to comprehend what makes a good song, it, more importantly, helped him to set out doing it on his own. When digging into crafting a new Ghost number, Tobias explains that "each new song is a little bit like virgin territory with its own riddle to be solved, and is always a combination of the horror of maybe not solving the puzzle, with the thrill when you do. And it's never easy because each new song needs something new. And so you constantly need to feed your ability with knowledge about how other things are."

Breaking it down into a figurative example, he likens it to being like a detective. "I'm assuming that part of being a great detective is to constantly have an open mind, but also constantly learning about human behaviour and wha people do. If you just had 100 forensic classes, but you know nothing about people and how they live their lives, it's gonna be hard to solve crimes." The same rings true for writers who have to read to improve and further understand language, while comedians pull from real-life experiences - music is no different. Tobias's early days of stripping down songs to their basic parts and then rebuilding them have remained a constant endeavour. "But that's how you write songs as well; you go and absorb new things."

The covers process, as mentioned, is a release for Tobias. When things are stuck when trying to piece together a new chapter for the Ghost bible, a cover offers up a chance for something lighter. "Working on covers can be equally euphoric," he confirms, "because it's fun to understand a song whereas, on the other hand, it can be almost demoralising because you're like, I can't believe that this song is so much better than anything that I've written! And it's so much easier. It's so simple."

"I find myself overcomplicating things often, but you might not hear the complicated detour that I took to end up at the more understandable, straighter version that ended up being the actual recording," he continues. "That's a never-ending struggle because that's how it's supposed to be. It's not like you write the one song. I don't think I know anyone or know of anyone who's content with the idea of having written one huge song. And then you know, okay, that's nirvana for you. You don't write the one song the same way that if you're a comedian, it's not like, 'Oh, I just told the funniest joke. So now I'm done".

While Tobias is one for wanting to keep the ball rolling and on a constant endeavour to continue his musical evolution, he knows there's a limit. Every release of Ghost must have a purpose. Nodding to the 60s method of firing singles out on all fronts, eventually compiling them for a full-length release, Tobias acknowledges his relationship with his fans is based on a more long-term understanding. "That's not how we do things; we make an album, and off of that album, there are singles - it's a 70s/80s thinking. And I don't want to refrain from that - I don't want too many singles to be these autonomous little creatures."

But the world is different now. It's a Wild West where being in the masses' consciousness is key, so things may have to change for him. Admitting that right now, he knows he's post-release of Ghost's last canon entry, 'Impera', which arrived back in 2022, and while 'Phantomime' is a reasonable enough bridge, sooner or later, he's going to have to play the game of ensuring Ghost ramp up. Earlier this year, Ghost collaborated with Def Leppard's Joe Elliott on a re-release of 'Impera' cut 'Spillways' which, while a fantastic addition to their arsenal, adds to the same notion Tobias is fearful of. "I'm slowly preparing for making a new record that's going to come out in 2024, which is way too long for the current contemporary music climate; you need to be ever-present," the last phrase hanging in the air ominously.

That doesn't mean he has to lower his standards, however. No Ghost release will exist just for content's sake. Everything must have its place. He even reckons a 14-track album is "a lot of music", and he still sees an album as being "22 minutes of music per side" - true to form, currently, no standard issue of any Ghost album breaches 12 tracks. He's even ready to aim for the likes of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles by swiftly lobbing a couple of spicy takes out. "Look, man, I don't even think that 'Exile on Main Street' is that good. Not even the fucking White album is that great - break it up! Both of those records would have been better if they were trimmed down to singular records."

That pop mind breaking through; Tobias is someone who knows that music is entertainment. Certainly, a medium which often leads to more bulky connotations, but it must entertain. It's why he doesn't pay any mind to those naysayers that yearn for Ghost to be more metal or to follow a different path. This is Tobias's game; we're just privy to the sermon. These days the floodgates are open and, when compared to previous decades, as Tobias remembers it, "you had to buy your own records. Whatever additional music you got, that wasn't maybe heard on the TV or the radio, when you took something from someone else, was usually a choice, so music styles could in some way be a little bit more insular back then just because you weren't subjected to as much." He mentions his beloved death metal as being a signifier of the changes happening. "Back in the day, when I was starting listening to extreme metal, that was completely embraced by a certain little subculture or group of mostly teenagers and 20-somethings. Whereas in the 2000s, when Vice started doing black metal reporting, all of a sudden you have indie personalities who were fans of Darkthrone, and so, obviously, what ended up that turned into this fusion, which was a positive and very natural thing."

This cultural shift is another reason Ghost's space is widening and its success growing. "Nowadays, people are a little bit more open," he admits. But, with this comes issues. "As time has progressed, metal and hard rock, as well as most genres that have been around for a while, [they've] gone from this youth culture to a conservative institution because so many of the fans are now aged." The passage of time waits for no one. But, more presciently for culture, it also means our understanding of what is 'good' and what should be where is moulded differently to when we were younger. "Unfortunately, that happens to most people regardless of who you were when you were 20," Tobias reckons, "or your ideals when you're like 40/50/60 years old. Your brain starts morphing into a slightly more conservative, slightly more nostalgic... You don't want things to change."

Tobias is the first to hold his hands up and admit the same has happened to him. He yearns for 1984 and even 1990-94. He would even be happy with 1987, back to those days with the crackling radio and a childlike spirit. "That would be so much cooler. I loved that way more than in this day and age. But I can't sit around and mope about that because it's not a problem that it's not 1987."

'Phantomime' is proof nostalgia can be a useful tool. It fuels with passion, and Ghost is Tobias's Neverland. "There's such a debate about what we are and why that is." Ghost are a band that, thanks to Tobias's musical education, transcend time. They exist on their own plain and with the evergreen, timeless sounds of yesteryear echoing around Tobias's head, long may Papa reign with his gloved melodic iron fist.

#the band ghost #tobias forge #interview #really good one 👍

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linka-from-captain-planet · 11 months ago

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The L Word: Faerûn, Part 3: The Chart, Pre-Canon

Previous part.

Having explained the overall premise and basically who "Alekto" is, it's time for the real meat of The L Word: Faerûn which is who's fucking who and when and why.

Thus, in more or less chronolgoical order, the pre-canon (pink lines) relationships/hookups/drama is as follows...

(over 100 years ago) Isobel and Aylin meet, piss off Isobels' dad, and lose each other, exactly as occurs in canon. Similarly, Jaheira lost Khalid as in canon.

(? years ago because these are just for seasoning and timing doesn't really matter) Helsik and her #1 rival/frenemy/LOHL Korilla have been on and off forever. They don't know they're desperately in love. Helsik has definitely also ~encountered~ Harleep and Mizora is too nosy and obnoxious to have never crossed paths with Harleep, and crossing paths with Harleep seems to mainly mean one (1) thing.

(c. ~30 years ago to ongoing) The long, rocky relationship between Alekto and Florrick was laid out already in the previous segment, since it explains much of the backstory for the entire TLW:F concept.

Alekto, Florrick, and Naoise Nallinto are also connected as part of a polycule. Alekto is more or less monogamous, but flexible enough for a well-definied poly relationship if desired by her partner. Florrick is definitively poly, and she and Naoise have been involved consistently for quite some time, including during Florrick and Alekto's relationship. Driven by their connection as city-dwelling wood elves, they find each other grounding and enjoy spending time together, but aren't compatible enough to be very serious. Florrick and Naoise remain involved with one another, even though Alekto split away some 10 years pre-canon. Alekto and Naoise had little in common, so they rarely spent time together without Florrick, but consider each other acquaintances up to the present day.

(c. ~30years ago to just before canon). Shadowheart and Nocturne were long-term sweethearts, each other's rock in the harrowing environment of the cloister, although if asked, either would downplay their feelings for each other in accordance with their lady's teachings. They never really broke up, but rather were on-and-off due to Shadowheart's sessions with the Mirror of Loss and having to often rebuild their not-a-relationship from scratch. Due to this, the eternal denial of their true feelings for each other, and the overall culture of sexuality in the cloister, they both often were involved with other members of the cloister (represented as Mirie on the chart but could be really anyone/multiple people) both individually and also there were definitely orgies.

(~20 years-5 years ago) Florrick and Nine-Fingers Keene also had a rivals-and-lovers situationship going, as a gung-ho younger Florrick hoped to make a name for herself in the Flaming Fist by taking down the rising star of the criminal guild, but things got sexy and dramatic fast. It has been several years since they last slept together, but the sexual tension endures. (For what it's worth, I think Nine-Fingers is in her mid-forties as of 1492.)

(~13 or so years ago). Teenage Hoodlums Karlach and Skoona were a casual, infrequent thing before Karlach went under Gortash's wing.

(~10 to 1ish years ago) After Gortash betrayed Karlach, she found some kind of fun, comfort, companionship (against her better judgement) in Flo the Garotter. Karlach would never admit they were ~together~ at all let alone for that long, but if you look at the facts, they don't lie.

Now look at Allandra Grey and tell me that woman is not running some kind of racket out of that temple!! Obviously Nine-Fingers would have a finger in that pie, and a finger in other things if you know what I mean. The city could NOT handle them together, it's like how the horses in Macbeth start eating each other to signify a rift in the natural order. Umberlee probably drowned a lot of people over it. Of course (not pictured) the Polycule From Hell that is Nine-Fingers' Ladies and the Umberlee cultists is alive and (not) well.

Now in the peri-canon realm (within the 1 year prior to), we got a lot going on in the Harper Corner:

Jaheira and Nine-Fingers have had a little casual thing going on for several years, nothing serious; Jaheira doesn't want a new one and only because she already had her one and only. They have some fun, they share information, they pick this thing back up in a couple months.

Now with the Harpers, Jaheira isn't out looking for anything, but you know when you're working so closely with people, and the stakes are so high, and the nights are so cold... shit just kinda starts happening. So Talli and Jaheira developed a bit of a thing while working together to mobilize the Harpers to go to the shadow-cursed land and take on Ketheric. Talli's a good gal, salt of the earth, humble, hard-working; she's ready to settle down but Jaheira is so far beyond settling down that it's just... not a good situation for either of them. Feelings hurt, Talli rebounds with Lassandra and that's really fine, but they just didn't have enough in common to build the kind of relationship either of them want, but they made for good bedfellows while it lasted.

Meanwhile, at one point Jaheira and Isobel get drunk, start reminiscing about their lost loves, and have sex. It WOULD be a secret they both take to their grave if literally everyone didn't know about it.

In the tiefling region, sorry but Lakrissa has bag-fumbler written all over her!! Of course she and Alfira flirt, but Lakrissa fails repeatedly to seal the deal and you know Alfira doesn't make the first move (hence why they have no pre-canon connection). (Also Alfira was desperately in love with Lihala in the most hopeless, idol worship crush way, but this was 100% one-sided so not on the chart). It also doesn't help that Lakrissa's ex-teenage-sweetheart from Elturel, Xeph, is also in their caravan. Xeph dumped Lakrissa because Lakrissa wouldn't get serious about her, a mistake Lakrissa claims she will never make again, but... bag-fumbler. Lakrissa also has some bouts of low self-esteem and since her post in the grove overlooks Aradin's crew camp, I imagine she got into a little something with Remira even though Remira, like Aradin, is a piece of shit (but she is also hot, so).

Lastly, we of course have the Minthara-Orin thing which is honestly not my cup of tea whatsoever, but exists and is thus on the chart. Just because I wanted her on the chart, I feel like Minthara and Roah Moonglow have banged at least once in the goblin camp since Minthra would need to blow off some steam with someone hot and also clean.

And of course Z'rell needed to be on the chart, so the question was, who could handle her? The answer was obviously Araj, whose unflinching craziness yet delusional serenity would be a fun and equal match to Z'rell's intensity. They smashed like 2-3 times in Moonrise.

Next: The Chart, Act 1

#as usual disclaimer that almost everyone on the Chart is bi/pan even if basically only F/F relationships are mentioned #the l word: faerun

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themarginalthinker · 1 year ago

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Cherry Ginger Ale

(Laddie comes to Dwayne in the middle of the day, Dwayne worries.)

It should be a parable - 'never wake a sleeping vampire'. Or something to that effect. One could only guess at what it might mean.

For Dwayne, it mostly meant confusion, with a pretty good-sized dash of concern.

No matter what happened after you woke one up, rousing a vampire from the daysleep was a task not easily accomplished. Aside from being nocturnal, the magic that made them tick had peculiar ways of puppeting their bodies. Cycles and routines that it kept for time immemorable. The height of their waking at the darkest of the night, and the depths of their slumber at the zenith of the day. Dwayne wouldn't pretend to know why it was so, only that is was.

So actually managing to hear his name worming into his ears when by all counts he ought to be rather literally dead to the world was quite the feat.

Maybe that was just Laddie's effect on him.

"Dwayne? Dwayne."

Like rising from some black abyss, clawing by inches his way back to consciousness, Dwayne's eyes flickered, seeing nothingness, and then the shadows beyond them.

When he opened them, the familiar sight of the roost greeted him.

The bare rock walls (not like anyone fancied gussying up anything, it wasn't a nest, just a roost, they weren't spending waking time in here) the rocky, uneven floor, and the myriad of pipes and wooden support beams that had wound up in here when clearing out the main hall for space. To his immediate left, Paul, who had one arm wrapped around Marko, the other hanging freely thanks to not locking it in place because hugging the mate was more important than letting it not dangle in sleep. Marko's whole face was buried in Paul's chest, arms secure around his waist like a sane vampire. David was the last in the line, arms around no one but himself, and his back to the pack. He'd been...a little more distant, lately. Ever since Star had joined up, following Laddie into the shallows of their world, David's moods had been up and down, and the last night had ended in a down. Maybe later would be better. Still, even that was not the last thing Dwayne's eyes landed on as they took in wakefulness.

The unfamiliar sight of one little Laddie Thompson also greeted him.

The boy was standing awkwardly at the little crawlspace entrance, the only way to get in or out of the roost room, unless you could fly to an even smaller opening beyond the hang poles. He was in a loose pair of jeans (modified from some that had been a size too big) and a teeshirt that was about three sizes too big. Actually, Dwayne thinks that's one of his, though he rarely wore them, especially in summer. Oh.

Laddie is gazing up, craning his neck back, holding a little flashlight. In his arms, a blanket from his couch nest. When he shined the light onto Dwayne's face, the vampire grunted, and blinked his eyes closed again. There went his darkvision for at least a few seconds. At his reaction, Laddie flicked the beam of light away.

"Dwayne? Are you 'wake?"

Dwayne took in a breath, puffing out the stale air that had stagnated in his chest for his unconscious hours. "Yeah. Am now. You alright?"

Contextually, if there had something been wrong, Laddie likely wouldn't have been standing there calmly, but Dwayne needed to ask. Had to.

"Yeah," the boy answers. He then fidgets with his blanket, the switch of the flashlight.

Dwayne sighs again. Something's off. Laddie didn't normally do this.

He looks down, his own neck almost folding in an unnatural bend to do so, at his boy. His shirt was rumpled with sleep, as was his hair...but there was something about his face. The way he was leaning closer to the wall.

To his credit, the alarms no doubt going off in his head now weren't loud enough to wake the others - though David did twitch - but they were definitely set off.

Dwayne frowns, lifts his upper body up so he could grab the hang pole with his hands, and then unhooks his feet. He swings down like a gymnast, letting the momentum from his lower half carry him to the floor and landing in a silent crouch. Laddie stepped back a little, giving him space, but Dwayne was already at him, hands smoothing hair, trailing over arms.

"What's wrong?"

Getting this close though, he could smell it before Laddie spoke again.

"...I got sick. In the fountain."

Yeah.

Even in the gloom, with the ambient illumination from Laddie's flashlight, he could see the pinched expression on the boy's face, the red dots of broken, tiny blood vessels under his eyes, how gingerly he held himself up, probably still nauseous.

"I see," Dwayne says quietly. At the look on Laddie's face, he shrugged, pulling him close. Laddie came to him with barely a prompt, draping himself tiredly over Dwayne's frame, head at his shoulder. His forehead rests against Dwayne's neck, and he hopes that it's just that his own skin is so chill, but he thinks Laddie might be a little warmer than usual. His own coolness probably feels good against the hot skin.

Fuck. Well. The kid was only still human.

"C'n I sleep with you? Please?" he mumbles, muffled against Dwayne.

Dwayne winces, and glances up. No one else awake still, and he himself is still feeling the unnatural pull downwards, even here on the ground.

"...Okay," he says. It's not like he was about to send him back to bed ill and alone. (A part of him wonders why he didn't just wake up Star...)

At least it seems to make Laddie happy, and he lets Dwayne reposition them. The vampire lifts him into his arms, letting him cling like he does when they're on his bike as he finds the most level, clear part of the floor to sit upon. Dwayne's back is to the wall, knees drawn up, Laddie sitting sideways in his lap with his blanket wrapped around him and his head on Dwayne's shoulder. Yeah, running a fever, but hopefully just a 24-hour bug. Tonight, if Laddie isn't feeling better they'd raid a pharmacy and a grocery store for something to settle a turned stomach.

"I'm sorry I messed up the fountain," Laddie mumbles. "Is David gonna be mad?"

Dwayne hums, eyes starting to shutter. "No, he won't. He'll want you to be okay, and we can just clean it up later. Just try to go back to sleep."

Laddie snuggles down again, the dark and the silence no doubt better than the filtering sunlight and Marko's birds and the pounding of the waves against the cliffs outside only a distant, low rumble here.

As Laddie's breathing evens out, back to rest, so too does Dwayne slip back into daysleep. Where there is no awareness, only the ghosts of dreams. But he's not worried.

This sleeping vampire always wakes when he's needed.

#the lost boys #drabbles #dwayne tlb #laddie thompson #why do we ALWAYS get sick at like 430 am #and when you're a little kid it's like hhhh I'm nauseous AND now I gotta wake mom up :(((#it's ok laddie dwayne is best mom

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billveusay · 2 years ago

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Lackadaisy Hoover Hullabaloo

@lackadaisycats

"Featuring the talents Mordecai Heller, Mitzi May and Rocky Rickaby" A little fancomic I have been working on for the last three days (and one sleepless night's worth of nocturnal drawing). When I discovered that vacuum cleaners got widespread in the 1920's, I realized that this meant Mordecai could conceivably discover their existence as an adult. And that his reaction would probably be quite entertaining. And then Rocky entered the equation.

Anyways, I had great fun working on it, probably made a lot of progress (even though this was my first experience at drawing comics, so I can't stay on model for sugar puffs and the speech bubble are pretty much flying around wherever there's room for them). Hope you enjoy it!

#lackadaisy cats #rocky rickaby #mitzi may #mordecai heller

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phoenix-downer · 1 year ago

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Survivors Chapter 3

Survivors: ~1050 words. Cal makes up his mind.

Story Info: Cal Kestis/Merrin. Set during Jedi: Survivor. Canon Compliant, Alternating POVs, Missing Scenes. Romance, Fluff, Introspection, Mutual Pining.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3

Jedha felt like home. Merrin never thought another place would once she’d left Dathomir, but she’d been proven wrong.

Or maybe it wasn’t the place so much as it was the people. Cal spoke of Force Echoes left by the inhabitants of a planet, their memories and feelings associated with particular places that remained long after they were gone. He could read them as easily as one might scan a Holomap for information.

And now Jedha had many such echoes for her. Many of them were related to Cere, the Anchorites, and now Eno Cordova and Bode as well. But the ones related to Cal, well…

They are in a league of their own.

He was currently looking out over the desert scenery unfolding below. The sky was the color of slate, and the desert at night was deceptively calm. She knew how many nocturnal animals were out and about right now, many of which would be very unpleasant to encounter without the proper preparation, but this spot was a safe little oasis. At last she and Cal could be alone together.

She casually strolled over and leaned against the rocky ledge next to him. Her life had taught her to never waste an opportunity, to leave nothing to chance. And something about tonight felt crucially important. She knew she must speak with him now or risk losing her chance forever.

“What a view, huh?” he said, acknowledging her presence at his side like it was completely natural. “Desert at night seems to stretch on forever.”

She took in the view with him. Jedha had a stark, majestic beauty of its own. The Sanctuary Temple and other buildings the Jedi Order had built long ago felt as much a part of the desert as the rocky bluffs, jagged spires, and windswept valleys. The solitude of this place helped her focus and made her path forward clear.

“There is beauty in emptiness,” she said.

He looked at her, and she returned his gaze. His expression was very earnest and unguarded and sincere, not at all the cool, aloof armor he’d tried so desperately to squeeze himself into. It had never fit him right, and so it felt good seeing Cal just be Cal. To see the man she loved unmasked, to know his real self beneath all the Jedi trappings.

“Now you sound like a Jedi,” he teased, and he sounded very amused by this fact.

“They got a few things right,” she conceded, responding with some teasing of her own. She turned around and casually leaned against the ledge, curious what he would say next.

“Hmm,” was his response, but a pleased little smile was on his face. In his defense, she had come a far way from the hatred of the Jedi she’d harbored in her heart when they had first met all those years ago.

“Even I can admit when they were right.” Her expression softened. “You showed me what a Jedi could and should be, Cal.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” was his soft response. “But they weren’t right about everything.”

It was funny how just a few words from him could change everything. She straightened, her lips parting as she searched his face. After all this time, was he finally going to give in? Was he finally going to stop being so maddeningly, infuriatingly restrained?

He ducked his head, as if his moment of braveness had temporarily fled him. Well, it was not a surprise. These things were very new to him, and she suspected he was fighting years of Jedi training right now. A battle much harder than many of the enemies he’d faced over the years, but one definitely worth fighting.

“Look, uh…” Summoning his courage, he met her eyes again, then rested a hand over hers. His hand was strong and calloused, shaped by years of gripping a lightsaber. And yet it was gentle and reassuring too.

Or perhaps he was seeking reassurance from her as much as he was offering it.

“The Order’s gone,” he said, his voice steady and even. “It’s time to leave it behind. And…I know what I want now.”

She smiled, her giddiness shining through. “Took you long enough.” Finally. He could finally be the kind of Jedi he wanted to be free from the fetters of the Jedi Order. It was not a decision she could have made for him—it was something he’d had to choose for himself. And he had chosen it. Her patience had paid off at long last.

He had not come to this decision lightly. She knew him too well to know this was anything but easy for him. And yet, he was choosing her. Of all the people in the galaxy, he wanted to be with her.

She wanted to be with him too.

Reaching towards him, she cupped his cheek, and he wrapped an arm around her in a way that made her heart race. He was not staying still this time. He was not keeping his hands at his sides or letting them awkwardly flail in the air so long as they were anywhere but around her. She liked this Cal very much, this Cal who did not stand there passively but reciprocated her affections.

She leaned in close for a quick peck, then pulled away a little to see what he would do. He initiated the next kiss, his free hand weaving into her hair. She deepened the kiss, and she was surprised but pleased at how unrestrained and eager he was in response. All the years of waiting for him to embrace his feelings, to embrace her, were at an end.

They were the only two people on this lonely desert bluff, bringing an end to the vast emptiness. There was beauty in the emptiness, but there was so much more beauty in filling that emptiness with good things. Wonderful things. Tonight was just the beginning.

Two survivors had found each other and were forging a way forward. She did not know why she and Cal were still alive when so many of their loved ones had passed. But they both knew they had to keep on living. To make the most of the time they had left.

And when she and Cal were together, they were home.

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A/N: Thank you for reading! I really enjoyed exploring Cal and Merrin's thoughts and feelings more as their romance unfolded during Jedi: Survivor. I hope you all enjoyed! Thank you for the likes and reblogs!

#jedi survivor #merrical #cal kestis #merrin #nightsister merrin #cal x merrin #cal/merrin #jedi survivor spoilers #star wars #phoenix writes #phoenix-downer #long post #canon compliant #romance #fluff #introspection #pining #mutual pining

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rodrigobera04 · 9 months ago

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Third round, this time with dragon type.

Here it is:

DRAGON pure

Small dragons lined up, forming a larger dragon,like wishwash does.

Dragon playing hide and seek, blending in with the landscape.

Kaiju turtle with a draconic skull for its shell.

Imp with huge ears like wings, drinks the blood of other dragons.

Draconic two-headed dog, used as security.

Beast with a long neck that goes around its body.

Tarasque with armored hull articulated like an armadillo.

Robust underground dragon with echolocation, with a bat-like face.

Feathered wyvern followed by her eggshell-helmeted chicks.

DRAGON/GRASS

Cactus lizard, carrying a cactus full of water on its back like a hump.

Nocturnal creature with an intimidating bat-flower face.

Dragon parasite strangler fig, wrapped around trees for steal their essence.

Small pollinating wyvern like a hummingbird carrying seeds and pollen.

Leafy sea dragon orchid, floating through the treetops.

Nudibranch covered in vegetation capturing energy from the sun.

Literal dragonfly with Venus flytraps for claws to catch prey.

Parasaurolophus with a wooden trumpet to whistle.

Vegetable drake blowing fragrant smoke of flowers and herbs.

DRAGON/ROCK

Dragon with rocky skin, pretending to be a cave and swallowing prey.

Beast with rock skin and chipped stone claw that sharpens on its body.

Cave lizard men use pieces of fossils as their weapons.

Comet in the shape of a dragon's head and with its trail of light as a body.

Avian gargoyle that rests during the day, like a pooto.

Devilish-looking monster resembling a stone idol.

Mythical beast with gemstone scales that reflect flaming light.

Hybrid of a triceratops and nurikabe with chameleon camouflage.

Winged beast with dragon wings shaped like a drill to open the ground.

DRAGON/ICE

Polychaete worm opening the ice with its jaws.

Female dragon born from an egg exposed to low temperatures.

Crocodile sleeping on an iceberg, with only its mouth and paws sticking out.

Hairy beast with large tusks, remotely reminiscent of a mammoth or yak.

Monster with a flat body, hidden in the snow and sliding in avalanches.

Polar sea monster, its sounds can be heard from the bottom, for kilometers.

Oni-like creature, blowing blizzards from its inflatable throat.

Polar reptile capable of changing its colors to those of the northern lights/southern lights.

Beast with icy blood that, when injured, freezes the attacker on contact.

DRAGON/FIRE

Pig-nosed drake who shoots like fire like a pistol.

Little dragon running and exploding with its lit fuse tail.

Bird of paradise dragon doing mating dances setting fire to its scales.

Wolf beast blowing fire into houses and stealing cattle, like in fairy tales.

Hybrid between a stingray and a bat that lives in lava, it burns its prey by covering it.

Turtle with soup-smelling breath, which attracts prey.

Pangolin with healing scales, its meat can cure diseases according to some.

Rocket dragon, has holes in its back used as turbines.

Male dragon hatched from an egg exposed to high temperatures.

DRAGON/GROUND

Terrestrial catfish that causes earthquakes.

Draconian vicuña with membranes that blow clouds of sand.

Flat crocodile that hides in the dunes.

Huge sandworm with a converging body of a whale.

Hydra eel, emerging from a mud puddle behind its prey.

Serpent like elephant trunk that blows sand, based on grootslang.

Camouflaged predator imitating a tree, as if it were a stick insect.

Snake with reliefs of footprints on the body, rotating and leaving deceptive tracks.

Lizard sticking out its tongue that is actually its real head.

DRAGON/GHOST

Dragon that has been decapitated but can separate its head from its body.

Parchment with a drawing of a dragon on it, which gives it life.

Diaphonized seahorse, with transparent skin and colorful skeleton.

Crocodilian boogeyman, based on the cuca monster,sings a dreamy song.

Dragon skin bag, gaining characteristics of his living "self", like a mouth.

Ancient monster described in a book, with the haunted ink giving it life.

Giant Dracula vampire bat, haunting abandoned castles.

Dragon hunter wearing the skin of a slain dragon as armor.

Undead kaiju that breathes will-o'-the-wisp.

DRAGON/FAIRY

Griffin laying eggs in other dragons' nests, like a cuckoo.

Chinese parade dancing lion, doing acrobatics,fight evil spirits.

Ruby sea dragon, blows pearls from its mouth like a cannon.

Lamia disguised as a maiden or nymph, swallowing approaching prey.

Carp purifying the polluted rivers and lakes by their magical scales.

Small dragon but can transform into a huge beast in defense, like a spriggan.

Unicorn dragon with magical and healing horn, but very fierce.

Lunar fairy based on vespertilio homo, with bat characteristics.

Shinchu immune to poison, predator of poisonous Pokémon.

DRAGON/BUG

Prehistoric cockroach with features of a dinosaur.

Titan beetle cutting down trees with one bite.

Giant mutant ant, like those from a B movie.

Giant tarantula hidden by its foliage camouflage, considered a cryptid.

Thorny katydid with wings looking like a dragon's eyes.

Huge mosquito stealing cattle to drink blood.

Horde of worms imitating a huge dragon.

Wingless parasitic fly that lives in the caves of noibat and noivern

Mandarin wasp causing destruction in bug-type creations.

DRAGON/DARK

Alien eldritch dragon with tentacles on its face and wings.

Yakuza lizards with scales resembling tattoos.

Dinosaur cryptid with dark skin to camouflage itself at night.

Serpent swallowing solrock and lunatone, alluding to bakunawa, apofis, etc.

Gecko with a false head on its tail to prevent decapitation.

Monster like a peanutbug with a hideous fake face on its wings.

Oviraptor preying on other dragons' nests, stealing eggs.

Two-headed beast, one head sings a hypnotic song and the other attacks.

Dragon in "sheep's clothing", uses its jaws to imitate horns.

DRAGON/STEEL

Heraldic animalistic monster with metallic fur.

Folklore monster who faced heroes, swords are stuck in his body.

Dragon covered in molten metal, using its heat.

Dragon with a chain with a metal ball, pinning him to the ground.

Diabolical creature deceiving the greedy with illusions of coins in its mouth.

Metallic wyrm with a metallic head and body, cuts everything like a knife.

Carnifex screaming and creating sound waves heard from far.

Precious mineral-eating cave creature.

Winged dragon closing its wings like a shield.

DRAGON/ELECTRIC

Albatross/iguana chimera, creates electrical storms.

Alligator with electric bite.

Fast raptor, kills prey with a surprise electric shock.

Sachihoko covering herself with her tail, like a mohawk that attracts lightning.

Duck-billed dinosaur, its beak has bio-electric organs.

Dragons like bats, flying in clouds to catch electricity, personify thunder.

Bichir can electrocute like an eel, with fins in the form of lightning.

Dragon with bioluminescent tail like firefly abdomen.

Ouroboros creating infinite energy by biting its tail.

DRAGON/FIGHTING

Iridescent python twitched and whipped its body.

Monster with mutated arms that form a second jaw.

Dragon knight with scales forming swords.

Massive bullfrog sumo wrestler, crushing the opponent.

Hydra that instead of heads, has extra arms.

Bird of terror with strong legs for crushing and kicking.

Anfisbena fighting among themselves to see who takes over the direction.

Wuxia themed tiger and dragon hybrid predator.

Demon with sharp claws and slashing wings based on devilman.

DRAGON/NORMAL

Monster with three pairs of jaws, looking like a strange dog.

Immense dragon looking like a huge mattress, almost always sleeping.

Little dinosaur with a bait-shaped tail for catching fish.

Small lizard but with a huge roar.

Reptile shedding its skin, which takes the form of colorful and stylish clothing.

Angelic-looking beast with sonic abilities.

Rubber dinosaur capable of inflating itself.

Dragon with a beard of colorful scales, used for display.

Long tatzelwurm coiled over its victim.

DRAGON/FLYING

Flock of birds that form an immense winged creature.

Roc launching its tough eggs onto its prey.

Colorful kite pterodactyl creating tornado winds.

Dragon without wings,but it swallows air to blow and also levitate.

Dinosaur turning into a bird when it evolves.

Amphitera with colorful wings and a body that makes a rattling noise.

Flying turtle, its head is hidden in the shell and comes out like a cuckoo clock.

Symbiotic dragon with butterflies, letting them drink his tears.

Wyvern goose used as a guard dog, very fierce and with a serrated beak.

DRAGON/WATER

Kaiju lobster making water turn to steam.

Kraken sea serpent, covered in tentacles and a beak that cuts metal.

Oriental dragon made of water, always dripping raindrops.

Soft-shelled turtle, its shell is shaped like wings for gliding.

Tiny, seemingly dull fish with the mouth of a sarcastic fringhead.

Monitor lizard abandoning the land and becoming a mosasaur-like monster.

Sea monster in the form of a waterspout.

Gar turning amphibian and looking like a spinosaurus.

Supernatural aquatic horse that runs on water, covered in wet, sticky mucus.

FINAL MYTHICAL:

Pixie dragon dragon/fairy, created from children's imagination of fairy tales.

Wait for more.

#fakemon #pokemon #dragon type #dragon pokemon

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fishenjoyer1 · 6 months ago

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Fish of the Day

Today's fish of the day is the Australian angelshark!

The Australian angelshark, known by scientific name Squatina australis, is a common coastal shark in Australia. The range of this shark stretches across the continental shelf of Southern Australia, from Western Australia to New South Wales. Living along the seabed, it survives at depths of 130-255 meters, or 430-840ft. This is where this shark will live on muddy or sandy seabed, which it uses to disguise itself, or seagrass beds, nearby rocky reefs where it will hunt.

As a primarily nocturnal species, the Australian angelshark hunts in the night, searching for prey within rocky zones and reefs. The diet is made up of small fishes, crustaceans, and other invertebrates which it crushes between its sharp teeth. During the day, these sharks spend their time buried beneath the sand, hiding from potential predators, well remaining hidden from nearby prey, which it will lunge at once close enough.

These sharks, like other angel sharks, are ovoviviparous, meaning that the young survive off of the egg casing inside of the uterus of the mother as they gestate, and litters of pups can get up to 20 pups at a time. Other than this, little is known of the breeding habits of the Australian Angelshark, but due to their close relation to the Pacific angel shark, we can estimate they may gestate their pups for around 10 months. From what we know of pacific angel sharks, we can assume a breeding season takes place in May-July, and birthing is done from March-June of the following year. Sexual maturity of the Australian angelshark is achieved at 90cm in length for males, and 97cm in length for females, and they can get as large as 152cm in length total. Although we don't know the lifespan of the Australian angelshark specifically, most angel sharks live lives of 20-25 years, going through around 15 breeding seasons throughout their lifespan.

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

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mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess · 2 years ago

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Still waters

Two weeks later, I deliver the piece @sasumimo has suggested on my post asking for writing ideas.

Thank you for the idea and I hope it is to your liking! After that angst I've just written, this felt like balm for the soul!

Here is the prompt:

The moon shines brightly onto the clear, summer night sky, overpowering the shine of the endless expanse of stars surrounding it. The softest, warm breeze caresses the sleeping leaves of trees and the petals of the fragrant night wildflowers, fireflies flitting into the darkness.

Little Apple grazes onto the damp grass, a little a-ways from the entrance into a large, dark cave. A white, Lan robe has been draped over her back, and two apples have been laid at her feet to snack on.

Her masters have disappeared into the cave, and she's a bit too grateful for that - she's heard enough of their nightly adventures to last her five lifetimes and a little into the sixth, so she happily takes in the cool night air and the distant sounds of nocturnal wildlife before laying down for a nap.

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji have finally reached the end of their impromptu spelunking trip, having explored the rocky depths of the cave, weaving through intricate passageways with curiosity. They reached a breathtaking underground pool, crystal clear water revealing the beautiful rocky formations underneath. A small stream of water from somewhere between the rocks flows into the pool, the rocks around it glimmering with droplets.

"Wow, this is so cool!" Wei Wuxians exclaims and leaps to the edge of the water, dipping a hand into it, breaking its stillness. "It's nearly as cold as the Cold Springs back home!"

Lan Wangji's heart leaps with joy, a smile curling the ends of his lips - Wei Ying thinks the Cloud Recesses are home! He will never find that knowledge less breathtaking, no matter how many times Wei Ying says it. And to think he used to refuse staying there so vehemently, thinking it to be the place of his demise... now it's home.

Lan Wangji is about to say something - something along the lines of I love you - but the words catch in his throat when he sees Wei Ying begin undressing. That's yet another thing Lan Wangji will never get used to or take for granted - it still makes him lightheaded to see Wei Ying without clothes on, skin still carrying the signs of their lovemaking, no matter how many times he's seen Wei Ying naked.

He feels his ears burn red, embarrassingly so, but Wei Ying is so incredibly attractive, his body now having become more his than Mo Xuanyu's, that Lan Wangji can't help it.

It's a bit (a lot) voyeuristic, the way Lan Wangji watches fabric slide off his husband's body, the way he moves, elegant and smooth without meaning to, as he undresses. Muscle flexes slightly underneath his perfect skin, and Lan Wangji swallows hard, imagines - no, remembers (oh, God, remembers!) - the way that skin feels underneath his fingertips and the reactions it elicits out of Wei Ying to be touched.

He doesn't even realize why exactly Wei Ying has been undressing - well, he had his own suggestions as to why, but alas - until he hears the little yelps and expletives that leave Wei Ying the moment he slides into the cave pool water.

"I'll never get used to this!" he wails as he stops at a waist-deep level, "Lan Zhan, are you just gonna let me freeze to death here all by myself? Come freeze with me!"

Lan Zhan huffs a laugh and begins undressing. Wei Ying whistles a low, flirtatious laugh, and Lan Zhan's ears flush a deep shade of red.

"You're so hot, Hanguang-Jun, the moment you touch this water, it'll boil me alive!"

"Wei Ying."

He laughs and wades further into the water, smiling through the bite of the cold that he seemed to have forgotten about. The horny mind is a wonder of nature.

His eyes inevitably draw downwards, where he sees what his teasing has done to Lan Zhan and he gets a mischievous idea. He swims gracefully around as Lan Zhan arranges his clothes in order - very Lan of him to worry about that - and begins humming their song as he does. Lan Zhan's eyes snap his way, and Wei Ying sends him a sultry look as he continues for a few more seconds, making a show of shaking water off his hair.

Lan Zhan finally dips into the cold water, and gains a semblance of rationality the moment the chill bites into his skin.

"Finally!" Wei Ying exclaims, "I need to work on my siren call, I hoped I'd lure you in a lot sooner!"

Lan Zhan easily adjusts to the cold, years of having soaked into the Cold Springs paying off, so he wades up to Wei Ying, who just then decides to move a bit further away and coax Lan Zhan into a little chase.

"Doesn't this feel a little nostalgic, Lan Zhan? It's been forever since last time we shared some space in cold water, but last time it was me chasing you out~"

Lan Zhan smiles, remembering how flustered he had been back then, how it would have never crossed his mind to allow Wei Ying to be close to him and touch him.

It crosses his mind now, and he nimbly catches Wei Ying at last, pressing their bodies together. Wei Ying blushes momentarily before wrapping his arms around Lan Zhan's middle.

"Hm, I was right back then, indeed. It's a lot warmer on your side~"

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #wangxian #writing attempts

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