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gallusrostromegalus · 4 months

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How does each of the main aeiwam cast react to spiders?

Ichigo: "...Why's my leg itchyyYEAUGH! DAMMIT!" *scoops spider up in piece of paper, opens window and throws it out* "OUTSIDE! SHOO! I hate it when they sneak up and on me...

Orihime: Had an intense close personal friendship with a Joro Spider that had made it's web on her apartment balcony when she was six. It's death at the end of summer was her first real experience with mortal loss, and she mourned it for weeks. She still recalls "Joro-San" fondly.

Uryuu: Secretly dreams of Spiders large enough to spin actual ropes of silk- the stuff is a marvel of chemical engineering, and would be incredibly useful to him as a Doctor or Fashion Designer. He feels like the difficulty of harvesting Spidersilk is the main thing holding back a Golden age of Humanity, and is disturbed to find out he shares ANY opinion with Mayuri Kurotsuichi.

Tatsuki: Paralyticly Phobic of spiders. Understands and appreciates their importance in the ecosystem, knows they can't hurt her and that the phobia is an irrational reflex, and even thinks some of them 'look cool as hell'. The second there's a live one in her presence, she locks up and can't move until someone removes it. (Usually Ichigo, because Orihime will just stare at it, fascinated).

Chad: Has a Pet Kitchen Spider. thought about shooing flies in it's direction, then felt bad for the flies.

Kon: Is a cat, hunts them, and will have nuanced discussions about how different spiders taste with Yuzu, the one person who will tolerate that analysis.

Keigo: Screams theatrically and jumps away and into someone's arms if they're there, but that's just how he reacts to anything that startles him.

Mizuiro: Fascinated by them, will stare at them with Orihime and tell her fun facts about Joro-Gumo Yokai and other lore, which delights her to no end.

Yoruichi: Like Kon, enjoys toying with them before eating them.

Urahara: Curled into the farthest corner, screaming, crying, throwing up, and begging Yoruichi to STOP FUCKING AROUND AND GET RID OF IT!

Rukia: *entirely genuine, with a huge spider crawling on top of her hair* "...what Spider?"

(Seireitei Squad Under The Cut)

Yamamoto: Utterly fails to notice or care. There are so many things he's seen that are so much worse, and honestly? Even when he was a young man he didn't give a shit. He slept rough delivering messages, waking up in the dirt with half a dozen bugs on him was normal.

Sasakibe: Thinks they're delightful. So many elegant designs! Such perfect sense of when to strike! Such patience! He finds out about Diving Spiders and goes Ape Shit. THEY MAKE THEIR ON SCUBA TANKS!!

Soi Fon: Spiders are cool but not as cool as wasps and hornets :)

Omaeda: Also has a Pet Kitchen Spider, but does not feel bad about shooing flies into it's web at all.

Gin: Isn't actually sure what spiders are, or if they're even real. He's seeing sixteen dimensions at once, something that minuscule gets lost in the noise. Still thinks that someone Screaming "SPIDER!" and everyone flailing around in fear or suddenly attacking the walls and furniture is a social game like "The Floor Is Lava"

Rose: Thinks they're cool right up until they're in his personal space and then they are VERY SCARY.

Izuru: Was the designated spider-wrangler for the third from the first day he transferred in, because everyone else is a huge bitch about them. he plays it cool, but he's actually creeped out by the really big ones.

Unohana: Spiders are garden Friends :) often heard verbally encouraging them to destroy her garden pests with calls of "GET HIS ASS!" coming from the Hydrangeas.

Isane: Everyone is sort of surprised how chill Isane is about dealing with spiders- even Yamada's Actually Dangerous Specimens- and she shrugs and tells them that she deals with more dangerous things every day, especially over in Pharmacology. It keeps the focus off the Bug she's actually terrified of: Butterflies.

Hanataro: Do Not Ask The Head Of Toxicology And 11th Division Pocket Medic About Spiders Unless You Are Prepared For A Seven-Hour Lecture With A Pop Quiz At The End.

Aizen: HUGE fan of Spiders. What splendid creatures- look at how carefully the spider selects the anchor points of it's web, the skillfulness with which it weaves. Such incredible patience, waiting for the lines of tension it's woven to snare it's game- though I suppose such patience is easier when the fly's capture is inevitable >:)

Shinji and Hiyori: *Screaming and flailing, hitting things at random (mostly each other) in a blind panic, because they share a braincell and that cell is TERRIFIED of spiders* "It's so fast!" "It was huge! It had to be a tarantula!" "We should burn the division down, just to be sure."

Momo: Escorted the little garden spider outside in a cup like ten minutes ago, and forgot about it because that's such a routine chore, and she was having a more important phone call at the time.

Byakuya: Rarely notices spiders, but sometimes one will scuttle across his desk and he'll stop to watch it for the seven minutes it takes to actually cross his desk with a neutral expression, before resuming whatever he was doing. It's a pleasant diversion for him, not unlike watching the koi fish swim around in the compound pond, and he resumes his duties feeling spiritually refreshed by that chance encounter with nature.

Renji: Not bothered by Spiders. VERY Bothered by his Boss's fucking peculiar-ass reaction to a spider wandering across his desk because to Renji, it looked like Byakuya had never actually seen a spider before and was staring at it with an expression that indicated his higher brain functions had ceased entirely. Is currently making plans to study "The Captain Kuchiki Spider Brain Glitch" by catching a bunch of spiders in a jar and releasing them into his office to see what happens.

Komamura: He's particularly fond of Jumping spiders, because they sing little songs while hunting that he can hear if it's really quiet. They're very cute. Gets very upset when people kill spiders or talk about killing them.

Iba: Not afraid of spiders but doesn't know what to do when they're in his way. Killed one in front of Komamura once when he was a little kid and Komamura was still his babysitter, Sajin gave him a huge and very upset lecture about respecting life in all it's forms... but did not actually teach Iba how to remove them. So every time he sees one he sorta stands there for a minute and hopes it will move, before yelling "BOSS!"

Shunsui: Does not want to admit how much Spiders freak him out. It's not fear, precisely- more of a disgust reaction. All bugs make his skin crawl and he understands how important they are, but can they do all that ecology stuff Far Away From Him, Please And Thank You?

Nanao: Like Unohana, reveres spiders as pest control. She takes it a step further, and actively collects Jumping Spider egg sacs as she finds them in the archives and tends to them over winter so when early spring comes, she can release several hundred thousand spiderlings into the archives to destroy the mites, bookworms, moth larvae and other archive pests before they can get a foothold. She usually does this while dumping out the entire terrarium and cackling manically.

Lisa: Immediately joins in on Nanao's Spider Propagation Project, much to Shunsui's horror.

Tousen: If there is a sudden shriek and burst of profanities and hexes in the ninth division, 90% chance it's because Kaname walked into a spider web again, his LEAST favorite texture in the Universe. Yes, including the curse nails. He'd keep them in his spine if it meant he'd never walk into another spiderweb.

Kensei: Often cracked open a beer while watching the evening news during his exile in the living world. Sometimes it was several beers, or something stronger if he'd had a rough day. One night, it was a bottle of Fireball as he watched the news, and felt too intoxicated to change the channel from the newshour, so he kept watching when PBS Nature came on, and damn near pissed himself laughing when he saw the Peacock Spider's Mating Dance. Full on Howling, tears streaming down his face, barely able to breathe, Pterodactyl-noises laughing. Nothing has been funnier before or since to him, so now whenever he sees a spider he starts guffawing and stop to explain WHY.

Shuuhei: Deeply confused by the fact spiders keep coming indoors. "Why are you all here?" he asks, doing a cobweb patrol with the broom before his boss gets back from the inter-division meeting. "What are you eating? Crumbs? Lint? Is it Lint you eat?"

Mashiro: Has a grasshopper-type Zanpakuto who is not a fan, so she attempts to destroy any spider she sees in solidarity. Usually misses and destroys something else.

Matsumoto: Spiders are cool, but not as cool as snakes :)

Hitsugaya: Grew up on a farm, and shares Momo's total non-reactivity to them. It's even deeper, because his constant ambient chill means spiders never climb on him if they can't help it.

Zaraki: Used to agitate Yumichika and Ikkaku by eating them. Now he agitates them by wandering off the trail during 11th Division Boot Camp or other deployments and coming back with extremely dangerous ones and handing them to Hanataro "fer yer collection". The 11th Division's Pocket Medic has explained toxicology at length to him, and now Zaraki thinks of various medicines as "Spider Pills" and "Scorpion Juice".

Yachiru: Still eats spiders. She's the sole exception to the Wrath of Komamura, because there is no malice or fear in her actions- it's perfectly natural and morally upstanding Carnivory. The rest of you are being irrational and jerks.

Ikkaku: Sometimes regrets his life choices when he sees the freak he's sworn loyalty to walk out of the trees with something venomous enough to kill half the gotei-13 with a single bite crawling over his face, then realizes that's FUCKING BADASS and is assured that he made the right choices.

Yumichika: *currently sneaking up behind Ikkaku with a fake spider on a string to affectionately terrorize him*

Mayuri: Unlike Uuryu, Mayuri isn't a Weenie, and he's making his dreams of Milkable Spiders the Size of Cattle a reality.

Nemu: Helping with that. This one is hers. She named it #47, after it's designation, Specimen Number 47.

Ukitake, *entirely genuine, with a huge spider crawling across his forehead* "...There's a spider in here?"

#Bleach #bleach fanfiction #AEIWAM #an elephant is warm and mushy #Spiders #some people are more chill than others #and some are straight up failing perception checks

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phan3145 · 2 months

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Title: Slippery Slope. Fandom: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Rating: T. ( Cursing…Intensity?) Pairing: Eventual Noa x Human!Reader.

Chapter 2: Caught

You

You ran for your life. Everything inside of you screamed how stupid you had been, how reckless you had been to do what you did.

The ape, Noa, you assumed, if his friends cries for him had held any truth to them. He had already sensed your presence the moment he arrived at the creek. You should have left then, before he came as close as he had. Of course, you didn’t, and now here you were. Dodging tree limbs and trying to avoid mud puddles while your muscles screamed out at being worked so hard in such a short span of time.

When you noticed the rain had let up earlier, you decided it was time to journey to the creek to bathe and rinse your hair. Maybe you would be able to fish if the stream was calm enough. The constant rain had left you cooped up in your shelter for so long, you were becoming too aware of your oily hair and dirt stained body. Instead of the peaceful day you imagined, you had found a group of young apes and a matriarch on the opposite side of the water.

Your plans were thrown quickly to the wayside, even if the apes hadn’t been there, the current of the creek was too strong to be able to fish. You contemplated moving downstream where the water might be calmer, but realized the bigger issue of how exposed you would be if you did that. Even with danger just on the other side, you felt safer here than somewhere further away from your shelter. While considering your next move, your ears picked up on the matriarch’s lesson about the creek’s ecosystem with the young apes.

Sneaking away and coming back once the apes were gone should have been the course of action you took, but as the matriarch demonstrated how to make a fish trap, you found yourself at war with your instincts. She knew things you just didn’t, and the water carried the sound of her voice to you perfectly. Not to mention, her stunted speech was slow enough you could follow her demonstration, even from your hiding place in the bushes.

You decided to trek back to your hut, which was relatively close, but instead of staying there, you quickly gathered the supplies she described needing. You returned to the creek and hid yourself in the underbrush, following her teachings as best you could. That part had turned out surprisingly well. You had brought too much rope with you, but regardless, you figured you would be able to set the trap in the water as soon as they left to test it out. With any luck, you would have fish for breakfast tomorrow.

Then, Noa had shown up. His eyes were already scanning the surrounding area for signs of you, while his two companions remained oblivious to your presence. You hadn’t meant to shift the bushes you were concealed in when they arrived, you had only wanted to put more distance between yourself and those observant green eyes. Honestly, just a few steps would have been enough. You thought you could be discreet and he wouldn’t notice, but a stray limb had hooked itself into your pants. The second you made to step away it had dislodged the limb and reverberated against the entire shrub.

Your second attempt to rise, just wanting to crawl away and go home, managed to be more disastrous than the first. Your mere movement upwards into a crouch had immediately caught his attention. So there you remained, frozen in place, swearing up and down you wouldn’t move again until they were gone, no matter how awkward the position. Just please don’t let any of them come after you. It was truly terrifying, how nothing but water and some under brush had separated the two of you at that time.

How you wished for that water now.

Though the ape you saved was not a Gorilla, he was still an ape. You owed them nothing, and yet you still risked your safety and freedom. If he was a Gorilla the situation would have been plainer, you would have let him drown. Understandable, seeing as they actively hunted humans…which you only seemed to remember now as you constantly checked behind you to see if you were being pursued. You hoped not, but as the sound of crunching branches and leaves echoed in the forest, you knew you were.

You prayed to the God you constantly questioned the existence of, just to make it a little further. Just make it to your home and you would be safe. You wished you had left the main entrance open now, leaping on top of one of the lower rock formations that made up your structure, hoping your scent going upwards would confuse the ape pursing you enough to make it to the burrow.

You heard the rustling closer as you climbed up the structure. Rolling onto your stomach once you reached the top, there was no time to catch your breath as you immediately launched yourself forward. You jumped from rock to rock on the hillside, feet only sliding once amongst the rough surface, but thankfully you were able to catch yourself. As you reached the edge you realized there was no time to scale down safely. Instead, you sat down, allowing your feet to hang over the edge before you flung yourself off the high rock.

You landed in a rough tumble on the soft dirt below, only a small twinge in your calf that told you your tumble hadn’t exactly been perfect. Leaves and twigs wedged themselves in your hair as you pulled yourself from the ground, wet dirt that wasn’t quite the consistency of mud covered your fingers, but you paid them no mind. Your heart raced with relief as you spotted the door that was about twenty yards in front of you. Scrambling up, you ran the rest of the distance only to slide to the ground as you threw the hidden door open. Ignoring the dull thumping of your side from the fall, you allowed your body to topple forward into the hole you had dug. You shifted quickly to your knees, raising up to grab the handle of the hatch and pull it towards you.

You bent your head, ready to accommodate the new height of the shut door as you pulled. That’s when you heard another slide against the dirt and leaves. Suddenly, the hatch wouldn’t shut…suspended in midair by something prying it open. It might as well have been a steel rod for how immoveable it had become. Your breath froze in your lungs and time itself seemed to stop.

Next to your hand, close enough you could feel the heat radiating off of it, was another hand. This one was much larger than yours in comparison, and covered in fur. You felt consistent gusts of air rustle the hair at the top of your head, sound returning to your ears as you realized it was the ape’s panting breaths. Touch continued to serve you well, as you felt a drop of water land on the back of your neck…then another. The adrenaline that coursed through you sent icy spikes of fear down your spine, the hairs on your arms raising.

You swallowed, contemplating your death at this ape’s hands, daring to slowly lift your head. You came face to face with Noa now, an unreadable expression painting his features. They were hardened, but not necessarily aggressive or threatening as his breaths continued to come in bursts. His eyes were locked on you, openly watching you read him, seeming to have no need to return the favor. His face was so near that you were able to watch a single drop of water run from the hairline at the top of his head, down towards his slightly bleeding nose, before curving out to his cheek. It trailed all the way down the side of his jaw before falling, landing on the arm you had braced on the ground. You would have flinched if you weren’t so captivated by the danger in front of you.

He’s too close again.

Parallel to his jaw, where the water drop had been, was his open mouth. His bottom lip, there seemed to be a small cut that was still healing, one that would potentially scar. A particularly deep breath showed you a hint of his canines, but it seemed as if he was purposefully pushing his lips forward in order to keep them covered. Odd. Most apes would be displaying them proudly after a chase, whether to scare or display dominance. The longer you looked the more you realized he was in fact hiding his. Why?

He didn’t seem to be tired from the chase, his right arm steadily bracing the hatch open. His left arm however, while supporting his weight along with his other two legs, seemed to be favored in his stance. Had he injured it in the water? You saw the log that had knocked him off the side of the creek originally, but you weren’t sure if that was the cause.

A small rumble from the center of his chest shocked you back to staring into the ape’s eyes. You imagined he didn’t care for your assessment of him, your suspicions confirmed when he slowly growled, “Are you done…looking at me?”

You weren’t sure if he expected you to answer, but you were taught a long time ago that silence was best when dealing with apes. A quick death came to humans who couldn’t talk, but a worse fate awaited the future pets that could speak. It was enough to send another spike of fear down your spine. You were unable to stop the shudder that wracked your body from the thought alone.

This did not go unnoticed by Noa, who seemed to understand on some level the position you two had found yourselves in. His lips pursed tightly, annoyance flashing in his gaze for a moment. He let out a long sigh through his nose, hand never leaving the hatch as he moved away from you, coming to stand to his full height. His eyes had unnervingly held yours captive as he did. The emotion in them was incredible, the words unspoken but clear- I am giving you space, but you will not mistake my generosity for weakness.

You released the breath you had been holding. You took in a shaky replacement, quickly realizing that while the space was nice, you were no less intimidated. Actually, you were more intimidated as he stared down at you. His eyes were taking you in fully now, never having to move in order to assess your every weakness. You contemplated forgoing the door all together, seeing as the ape’s size was so much bigger than your own. Was there merit in just simply backing up into the tunnel? He wouldn’t be able to follow you surely, but if his reflexes were as quick as you assumed…he’d have you by the neck before you could duck your head again.

You were fully and truly trapped.

His brow furrowed then, his eyes breaking contact with yours briefly as he looked above you, and then at the hole in the ground overall. He seemed to be processing something, fitting together pieces of a puzzle. His features all at once softened, but you remained frozen while he continued to study the structure. His hand slid along the edge of the hatch, further away from yours before changing his mind and returning it to where it had been before. His eyes flicked back to yours then. His mouth opened, and softly, so softly it was as if he was speaking to a child, he ordered, “Let go.”

Without conscious thought, the hand that had been raised above you this whole time released its clutch on the wood. Your arm came down immediately after to mirror your right, continuing to brace your upper body on the ground.

His brow raised then, before a satisfied smirk spread across his face. Apes could smirk? At first, you didn’t understand the reasoning behind his apparent pleasure. What puzzle piece had you just handed him? You bit down on your tongue, almost voicing your question before stopping yourself. Listen. The ones who listened lived longer.

He nonchalantly threw the hatch all the way back then, allowing it to hit the ground behind you. You flinched at the sound but didn’t move otherwise. You felt even more exposed as he shuffled from side to side, almost pacing along the edge. He openly contemplated you now as you had him before. Those eyes pinned you in place better than any hands could, and you only hoped that they stayed as serene as they were now. You might survive if they did.

Without warning, his pacing stopped and he moved to crouch closely in front of you. This crouch was more familiar than the ones you had seen apes do in the past…more human. There was a spark in his eyes now, his arms bent and resting at his knees, far too casual for how tense the situation had been just moments ago. He didn’t seem to have this swagger when you viewed him by the creek, but it practically dripped off of him now like the water on his fur. It gave credence to a more playful personality, similar to the one his companions had displayed.

And yet, this still felt different…more dangerous somehow. Again, you saw too much humanity in his actions. It was that of a victor in some game. This type of playfulness could get you in trouble if you took it for granted.

“This is what…is going to happen now,” he began.

You heart stopped at that, not liking the confident tone he now presented, all animalistic growl gone. You preferred it when he didn’t sound so soft, so human.

He nodded towards you, “You are going to…come out of that hole. You are going to sit down…on that rock over there…and we…are going to speak.”

You continued to stare at him, riding out the bluff you were sure he was making. His eyes narrowed, but you simply tilted your head and blinked a few more times.

His lips pursed into a grimace and another sigh left his nose, “This is not starting…well for you…you can stop hiding the truth…you were caught…when you understood my command…to let go.”

Fuck

Well, that certainly explained why he had been so smug earlier. Obviously, you were intelligent, but that didn’t mean you could speak. Up to that point you two had only communicated using body language, but a command? A very specific command using only two words, spoken in a soft tone, was foolproof. If you had been speechless it wouldn’t have sparked any reaction from you, you wouldn’t have understood, but of course you…you did exactly as he had asked.

Your eyes dropped to the ground, gritting your teeth as you decided there was nothing to do as this point. Once you’re caught, you’re caught. Pushing off the dirt, you shifted until you were able to stand up and climb out of the entrance to your burrow. You didn’t bother to close the hatch, still hoping there would be a moment you could get him distracted and dive in. It was a slim chance, but if nothing else, today proved never leave an easy exit blocked.

You were given space as the ape rose from his crouched position, stepping in tandem with you as you made your way towards the rock. It was a small heft to “sit on” as he had requested, but before your hands could brace themselves on the side of the rock, you felt your body being lifted.

Non-human hands were on your hips, they had spun you and hefted you up in a dead lift to place you on the rock. It was as if you weighed nothing. A sharp inhale from your nose had been your only form of protest, but the contact was over before it had even fully registered in your brain. This inevitably brought you face to face with the ape once more.

Equal footing.

“You are…small.” The ape explained, “Much easier to view this way.”

You weren’t small in human standards, but then again this was not the time to argue with him. Speaking with him wasn’t even a huge want of yours right now, but what choice did you really have? You wondered briefly when was the last time you had spoken? Or, spoken to someone who wasn’t an animal. Well, technically he was an animal…regardless, when was the last time you had spoken to someone who could respond to you?

“At some point…” he started. “You will actually have to…say something…would it be easier…if I asked what…I wanted to know?”

You nodded your head.

A sigh, then a reluctant nod in return, “Are there others with you?…Others that are not here now?”

You shook your head, holding his eye.

He seemed to relax slightly at that. He tried again, “You were at the creek the whole time?”

You nodded.

“Spying?” He demanded.

You shook your head vehemently.

“Speak up!” He growled, “I know you can.”

This time, his canines were present and you felt fear settle in the pit of your stomach. You swallowed, desperately thinking of something to say. Your throat seized as you opened your mouth but nothing came out.

He took several steps away from you for then, letting out an aggravated sound and waving his arms before rounding back on you again. He came closer now, face so near to yours that you had to lean back in order to create a comfortable distance. It seemed as if he was trying to be patient, but let his tongue run away with him as he spat, “Why did you help me?! Echo are…nothing but trouble…cause disaster…cause hurt…pain…and yet you…saved me.”

You wanted to answer him, truly you did, but even you had been contemplating that answer since you had acted on it. You didn’t believe it was an impulse, nothing in your being would naturally tell you to save an ape, but something about him had captivated you. So much so, that your body rebelled against you and forced you to extend your hand. He had saved the young apes, the matriarch, and his companions. He had put them first, a noble and almost human thing to do.

Then, he fought. Fought, kicked, and clawed his way through the water in a desperate attempt to live. That drive to survive, that power in his fight for life, had reminded you of several situations that left you shaking afterwards. To almost die, it shook that thing inside of you that some called a soul. Someone who wanted to live so badly, whether ape of human, deserved help. They deserved every chance at survival.

Your continued silence must have opened some old wound, as he lamented, “Why am I doing this?…Echo hide…have secrets…lie when it suits them…selfish crea-”

“I am not a liar.”

Finally, something worth saying. You felt the words roll off your tongue with more conviction than you ever had in your life. The way you had interrupted him, the force of which you said it, had stupefied him it seemed. He took a step back, shock clearly written across his face. Something about that filled you with a sense of accomplishment.

He released a breath, “Will never…be used to that…knew and still…surprised.”

You hummed, “Then in surprise we are perfectly matched. I thought by now I’d be dead on the ground in a pool of my own blood. Or, does that come after this interrogation?”

He blinked several times, mouth open to speak but hesitant to say anything. For a moment you wondered if perhaps that was the case, and he didn’t know how to respond to your prediction. You didn’t know where the sudden gumption had come from, but it didn’t seem to be hurting your chances of survival. You weren’t sure why him assuming you would lie bothered you so much, but if the insult had forced you to find your voice you were grateful for it.

As the silence stretched on with no answer to whether you would live after this conversation you felt fear bubble back to the surface of your bravado. Swallowing back the bile in your throat, ready to speak, say anything else that would change the subject, you found you mind blank. Thankfully, Noa beat you to it.

“We…do not…kill.” He opened his left hand, palm up. His right hand, knuckles curled, stamped into his left, growling, “That is the law….to protect or eat. Dishonorable ape will be…banished if the law…is broken.”

So you were safe, for now at least. Your biggest priority suddenly became not being a threat to him. You didn’t fully trust him, but he spoke with such faith that it made you believe he was at least telling you the truth about his law. To be fair, he has had multiple opportunities to kill you, but he hasn’t. A Gorilla would not be talking to you right now. A Gorilla would have killed you the moment you failed to close the hatch.

Attempting to fill the silence that stretched on, you offered, “Not that it makes much of a difference, but I have no desire to hurt you or your…family on the opposite side of the creek.”

“Clan,” he offered. “We are the Eagle Clan…this has been our home…for many generations.”

“I didn’t know that,” You admitted. “I haven’t been here long.”

His eyes narrowed at that. He sniffed the air before his gaze trailed up and down you body. You clenched your jaw and raised your chin in defiance, refusing to shrink away. He must have been satisfied with whatever he found, grunting, “I believe…you are truthful…you speak…well.”

You huffed at that, “Glad to hear you think I speak well. Give it some time though, you’ll beg me to shut up.”

He looked confused, asking, “Shut…up?… Shut what up…shut wood up?”

He pointed over to the open hatch, clearly what he saw as the only logical conclusion to your strange phrase. Why would an ape know that phrase? Human slang, which could be considered disrespectful at times, would have no place in his culture. His genuine confusion, combined with the extreme tonal shift that had happened between the two of you, tickled something in your stomach.

You tried, really you did, but the more you thought about the whole situation, the more you felt the quiver in your shoulders. Despite yourself, the urge was just too strong, and you released a full body laugh at his misunderstanding of your words. The sound itself seemed to surprise Noa, causing him to jump away from you and pivot side to side in alarm for a moment. He swayed to a stop when he realized he was in no danger.

You covered your mouth, smothering your giggles, ready to apologize when he unexpectedly leaned forward. Your breath caught and you froze once more as he invaded your personal space. He seemed fascinated now, head tilted, raising a hand to point his index finger at your mouth, asking, “What was…that noise?”

You mirrored him, head tilting in confusion as you remembered hearing apes laugh and scoff before. Maybe not exactly like that, but surely he saw the parallels and saw they were the same. You treaded carefully as you asked, “Do you mean my laugh?”

He shook his head, hands seeming to follow the shaking motion as he explained, “No…not laugh…heard laugh before.”

He then managed to mimic the chuckling of a human man, who sounded as if he was trying to be polite and laugh at a joke that wasn’t funny. You countered, “It is a laugh, like apes do.”

You mimicked the sound you had heard his companions making across the creek, something he had been unaware of as he searched for you. Though taken aback by your own version of ape sound, he shook his head again, explaining, “Not laugh..louder than laugh…bigger sound…more like scream…”

You quirked an eyebrow. Had he never heard a real laugh before? He must have met other ‘Echos,’ as he called them, who could speak. He was able to imitate what he thought a laugh was, and he was able to figure out that you could talk. In all that time he never heard one genuine laugh?

On second thought, it made sense. Why would a human have a reason to laugh in his presence? The two species, what little was left of one while the other thrived, weren’t exactly on speaking terms. You mentally chuckled at your own pun. You could understand then, why he was so focused on this. You decided to give him another word you hoped he hadn’t heard before in an attempt to sate his curiosity.

“Oh,” you feigned understanding. “That’s called a cackle. My mistake.”

“Cackle…” he tried out the word. “Loud…shakes body…comes from females.”

Not quite…but then again, maybe he wasn’t too far off. It didn’t sound like he was exactly asking either. He took a step back, looking off into the distance while he seemed to collect his thoughts. You were relieved to have personal space again, but you had a feeling with him it wouldn’t last long. He seemed to enjoy close encounters. You had to wonder if it was out of ape habit, or if he did it for a different reason.

“Echo is…odd…very different from apes.” He thought aloud. “Have many words…for same thing…then use same word…for different things.”

You shrugged, “Synonyms aren’t a sin, but sometimes it’s easier to group things together.”

He looked confused again. His jaw worked for a moment before he hissed, “S…ssss…sina…sinamons.”

“Syn..o..nym.” You corrected gently, not wanting to offend him.

“Syn…synonym.” He waved an arm in the air, not wanting to continue after that one success. “You… know weird echo words…too many.”

You shrugged, “That’s what happens when you grow up with a dictionary and a lot of time.”

An annoyed huff, then a repeated, “Dictionary?…Is that…Echo’s clan?”

“Human.” You corrected, becoming bolder the longer you spoke with the ape. He had given you no indication that he intended to kill you, though harming you wasn’t out of the question. You let your walls fall slightly but did not drop your guard entirely. “We are not echos, we’re called humans.”

“You are echo,” he insisted. “Have met humans…not as…vocal….Dictionary is human clan?”

“No, no. It’s… it’s…” you trailed off. You tried to think of words to use he would understand. “It’s a list- a collection. It’s a collection of human words and what they mean. It was used in schools- lessons. The collection of words was used in lessons for children.”

“For younglings?” He asked. “With…symbols in them?… Like a book?”

Your brow furrowed, “Symbols?… You mean pictures. No, that’s not really what it’s for. It’s…designed to just name words in a certain order one after the other. Wait, wait wait- symbols and…you know what a book is?”

He huffed, looking down then away from you,“Something…like that.”

Your amazement was palpable, leaning closer to him, trying to recapture his gaze as you praised, “That’s amazing! Slightly unnerving, but amazing! I had no idea that apes had learned how to read. I was always…told it was one of the few things that only humans knew how to do.”

His eyes refused to meet yours no matter how hard you tried to get him to look at you, disappointment settling in you stomach like a brick. You ignored the implications of that feeling as you watched him wander back over towards the still open hatch. He remained silent for another beat before wondering, “You…read?”

“Not as much anymore,” you confessed. “I used to live in a…big metal-.”

“A vault.” He offered.

Once again, you were surprised by his understanding, as well as the human vocabulary he did possess. Clearing your throat you continued, “Yes. I lived in a vault when I was younger. Then…well, I’m here now. I had access to books in the vault, but they are harder to find out here. I have two in my shelter, but keeping them clean is difficult, so I very rarely use them.”

He turned then, fully facing you as he approached your rock. This time he stopped an arms length away, but it seemed to be more out of trepidation than respect. His eyes searched your features, looking for something you didn’t quite understand.

“You have…books?…You… are able to read?” He asked again, only this time, there seemed to be a hidden meaning behind the questions.

That’s when the realization hit you.

“You can’t read, can you?” You paused, licking your lips before you conceded, “You want to learn.”

There was silence between the two of you, tension seeping back into the atmosphere as you seemed to have turned the tables on him. He wanted to hide this fact, for whatever reason, but with it out in the open you felt a chasm form between the two of you. If you had garnered any trust, your ability to read him had set you back to where you had been when he placed you on the rock. You both seemed to have the same questions, but unfortunately neither of you had the answers that the other wanted.

The tension was broken when your felt something land on your arm. Breaking eye contact with Noa, you applauded yourself for not flinching, looking down to find a raindrop. Another landed on your collar bone, and you found yourself following Noa’s example of looking upwards. A new storm was rolling in at a fast pace. Your turned your attention from the sky and back to Noa. His eyes were moving back and forth, searching the skies for something more than dark clouds.

You swallowed, calling out, “Noa.”

His head snapped down immediately to you, clearly surprised that you called for him by name. His mouth opened but he quickly closed it again. Seeing as he hesitated to say anything, you inquired, “That’s your name isn’t it?”

He nodded, bringing a closed fist to his chest, “Yes, Noa.”

He did not ask for your name, but you gave it anyway, mimicking his gesture as you did. He said it once, then again, testing the weight of it in his mouth. You nodded both times. You felt more droplets fall against you, scowling as cold seemed to follow the water. You had no desire to get soaked, and if the speed of the droplets meant anything, you were minutes away from a downpour.

Steeling your nerve, you slipped yourself off of the rock, your footing unsteady as you sunk into the wet Earth. Noa’s eyes followed you, but made no move to stop your path towards the tunnel. You stopped in front of the hole, turning back to observe him. He remained rooted to the spot, showing no signs that he would stop you now. You could leave, avoid the ape in the future, and pretend all this never happened.

Something felt so wrong about that. Water descended faster, misting your clothes and the edge of his fur. He huffed, body giving a single shudder as the hair on his shoulders and neck visibly rose. A half smile crept across your face, knowing that whatever lied ahead of you, would be yours to accept or deny. It would be your choice.

And you had decided.

“Would you like to take shelter with me?”

****************************************************************************************************************

Author’s Note:

Hello everyone! I know the KotPotA fandom is small, so I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who commented or left kudos on my previous chapters. The next chapter will probably be the last chapter I do within the same timeframe, skipping around to eventually circle back to the prologue. The meeting definitely needs to be established from both perspectives. Speaking of, I am not used to writing in perspectives like these (I prefer using “I” and “Me”) but this is my first ever xReader fic, so I’m working to keep it all straight in my head. As always, comments are welcome!

P.S.- If anyone can figure out what scene the image above was used for I’ll send you a tease of the next chapter before I post it.

#planet of the apes #pota #kingdom of the planet of the apes #kotpota #noa #noa pota #noa x reader #fanfiction #fic writing

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rjzimmerman · 5 months

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Excerpt from this story from the Associated Press (AP):

More than 80 years ago, a beautiful butterfly called Xerces Blue that once fluttered among San Francisco’s coastal dunes went extinct as stately homes, museums and parks ate up its habitat, marking the first butterfly species in the United States to disappear due to human development.

But thanks to years of research and modern technology a close relative of the shimmery iridescent butterfly species has been reintroduced to the dunes in Presidio National Park in San Francisco. Dozens of Silvery Blue butterflies — the closest living relatives of the Xerces Blue — were released in the restored habitat last week, officials said Monday.

Scientists with San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences utilized the Academy’s genetic sequencing capabilities and analyzed Xerces Blue specimens in their vast collection to confirm a group of Silvery Blues in Monterey County, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of San Francisco, could successfully fill the ecological gap left by the Xerces Blue.

“This isn’t a Jurassic Park-style de-extinction project, but it will have a major impact,” said Durrell Kapan, a senior research fellow and the lead Academy researcher on the project. “The Silvery Blue will act as an ecological ‘stand-in’ for the Xerces Blue, performing the same ecosystem functions as both a pollinator and a critical member of the food web.”

#Presidio National Park #Xerces Blue butterfly #Silvery Blue butterflies

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gallifreyinstituteforlearning · 2 months

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What native Gallifreyan species are there?

Gallifrey has a diverse range of fauna, both native and introduced. Despite claims of minimal ecological impact, the installation of the Eye of Harmony and millions of years of Time Lord civilisation have significantly altered Gallifrey's original biosphere.

🦋 Invertebrates

Beatitude Flies: Begin as maggots and pupate into golden-winged nocturnal insects. They use nectar to create helium in their bellies and are attracted to light and decay.

Butterflies: Various species flutter across Gallifrey.

Bees: Essential for pollination.

Gullet Grubs: Likely to live in digestive tracts of larger mammals, or similar environments.

Blossom Thieves: Possibly insects that steal nectar or pollen.

Scrubblers: Likely small, cleaning insects.

Neversuch Beetles, Sandbeetles, Waspbeetles: Various beetles.

Dustworms: Likely live in dry, dusty environments.

Scissors Bugs: Possibly predatory insects with sharp mandibles.

Flutterwings: Gigantic insects (3 meters by 25 meters) that never land. Five races include Wild Endeavor, Mandrigal, Silver-Band, Blue Crystal, and Perdition.

Snails

Water-Sligs: Likely aquatic or semi-aquatic molluscs.

Web-Spinning Insects: Including spiders about an inch long.

Other dangerous invertebrates: There are also nasty creatures that live beneath big stones.

🐟 Marine Life

Singing Yaddlefish: Notable for their song, and they can be eaten.

Kittensharks: Hatch from eggs and presumably grow into Catsharks.

Axolotl Salamanders: Amphibious creatures with regenerative abilities.

🐍 Elapids

Taipan: A venomous snake, 10 metres long.

Venal Snakes: Possibly nest-stealers or highly venomous.

Bat-Snakes: Presumably flying snakes.

Dinosauria: 20-meter-long reptiles resembling brontosaurs with thick chitinous scales and serrated teeth.

🦅 Avians

Owls: Symbol of Rassilon.

Flurry Birds: Likely small, fast-moving birds.

Trunkikes: Game birds whose eggs are often eaten.

Air Diamonds: Fly in the upper atmosphere, possibly crystalline or bioluminescent.

Song Birds: Various species.

Gargantosaurs: Dinosaur-like creatures, twice the size of a hab-bloc, with two legs, vestigial wings (with purple and white feathers), and four eyes.

🦣 Mammals

Plungbolls: Thumbnail-sized furry creatures living in mountains, attach en masse to warm objects.

Taffelshrews: Edible rodent-like mammals.

Fledershrews: Bat-like, mushroom eaters, nearly extinct.

Cobblemice: Mice that sprout wings.

Rovie Mice: Field-dwelling, long-lived if kept safe, sometimes pets. They have short memories.

Moss-Rats: Possibly rodents that live in marshes with moss-like camouflage.

Vex: Burrowing animals.

Gallifreyan Womprats: 1-metre-long rats with fifteen legs.

Pig-Rats: Inhabit the Drylands, presumably combining porcine and rodent traits.

Rabbits

Flubbles: Small six-legged koalas.

Unnamed rounder rabbit-like creatures

Ounce-Apes: Might be tiny monkeys that are particularly agile.

Sealak: Perhaps a kind of seal, often eaten.

Bear-Ass: A donkey-like animal with bear-like qualities.

Horse-Cats: Probably a horse/cat hybrid-like species.

Sagittary: Horse-like creatures.

Elephants

Pig-Bears: Can be trained as pets.

Wolf-like Creatures: With long snouts and black-and-white striped fur, almost as big as adult humanoids.

Broakir: Live in foothills, often hunted for food.

Baanjxx: Arboreal browsers that like to eat hallucinogenic cerub nuts. As a child, the Doctor was kicked by one in the head, apparently.

Cows

Walrus

Gallifreyan Marlot: Purple and unique in all of time and space. Probably a bit cat-like.

House Cats: Revered as symbols of intelligence. Traditionally, Presidents kept them as pets.

🐱 Killer Cats (C.A.T.S)

Killer C.A.T.S: These sapient creatures possess instinctive precognitive powers and cat-like physiology. Known for their lethal gladiatorial contests, they despise Time Lord traditions and live in the Gin-Seng Sector of Southern Gallifrey. Their culture includes mercenaries and oracles; they are telepathic.

🏞️ Ecosystem Preservation

Though Gallifrey's outer ecology has suffered, the Time Lords have used technology to preserve many species. Extinct species have been collected, ensuring none become completely extinct. The more fearsome creatures are contained in the Death Zone, while xeno-zoos hold alien species from other worlds.

🏫 So ...

So there's your whistlestop tour of the species on Gallifrey. One day, I'll try to put these onto a species distribution map. Oh, by Rassilon's Beard, I just gave myself more work.

How is Gallifreyan geography different to Earth?: The landscape of Gallifrey.

Factoid: The Fruits of Gallifrey

What could be some biological traits of Gin-Seng cats?: Looking at who the Gin-Seng cats are, their biology, and their place on Gallifrey and in society.

Hope that helped! 😃

Any purple text is educated guesswork or theoretical. More content ... →📫Got a question? | 📚Complete list of Q+A and factoids →😆Jokes |🩻Biology |🗨️Language |🕰️Throwbacks |🤓Facts →🫀Gallifreyan Anatomy and Physiology Guide (pending) →⚕️Gallifreyan Emergency Medicine Guides →📝Source list (WIP) →📜Masterpost If you're finding your happy place in this part of the internet, feel free to buy a coffee to help keep our exhausted human conscious. She works full-time in medicine and is so very tired😴

#doctor who #gil #gallifrey institute for learning #dr who #dw eu #gallifrey #gallifreyans #whoniverse #ask answered #gallifreyan culture

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elodieunderglass · 1 year

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Hi! This seems like a silly ask, but did you ever end up actually getting your hands on Beefy Resilient Strex?

(OP charmingly sent a follow up ask with spelling correction, the name of the bean I seek is Beefy Resilient Grex, ref here: https://www.tumblr.com/elodieunderglass/729281313452982272/beefy-resilient-grex-open-source-seed-initiative)

No, I have not been able to access it from the UK - which is okay, as seed import is a justifiably highly regulated area of policy. If you lift up that rotting log you will find a teeming society of government, plant breeders, farmers, plant-based venture capitalists, conservation biologists, etc who all compete to further their interests in Which Bits of Plants Can Go Where For Whom.

some of this protects the interests of our beautiful diverse sexy planet and her ecosystems.

Some of it seemingly exists to stop me from getting too powerful, and growing dangerous amounts of “beans that taste more beefy than beef” to accompany my “salsify that bleeds and tastes worryingly of oysters.” Like, other people are fucking around with lab-grown this and platonically massaged jackfruit that, but when I want to simply grow plant-based plants that decided to ape the properties of flesh, that’s “weird” and “wrong” and “nobody is importing those seeds and private citizens cannot take matters into their own hands” and god forbid swans do anything

Anyway! I am a responsible citizen who has not tried any further. If anyone in the USA wants to grow Beefy Resilient Grex then I really really really hope they do. It would also make a good name for an orc girlfriend I think

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thefrogman · 4 months

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Recently I took a panorama of the Pittsburgh skyline at night that got a positive response. That was done on the spur of the moment with an iPhone. I want to do that again and more, but this time with a dedicated camera setup. It's been years since I've had one, so I'm basically starting over again. I'm mostly interested in getting day and night cityscapes, and maybe the carryings-on at this year's Anthrocon. Would you have any particular knowledge to pass on as I set off on this journey?

Since you didn't specify a budget I'm going to assume it is in the $10K range.

And you're probably thinking I'm going to suggest a Leica. Every dentist and his brother (who is also a dentist) gets a Leica. But I just can't take a camera brand seriously when they charge you an extra $2200 for the privilege of not being able to shoot in color.

Sure, you can hit a single button in Lightroom to get B&W and save some money, but then you won't be able to brag about how limiting yourself to only shades of gray has opened up new artistic pathways in your brain while a clueless person responds in mumbles during their root canal.

What you really want for your landscapes is a Hassie.

They were the first camera on the moon! How could you *not* want a Hasselblad? That is some camera gorgeousness right there. And it's so reasonably priced*!

*compared to their previous $40,000 camera systems.

And if you are doing landscapes with the Hassie you'll need a nice wide angle lens to go with it. This one is actually quite affordable*!

*compared to their previous $8000 lenses.

Can we all agree that is a work of art? They even use their H logo as the knurling.

That is just so... extra. And I love it.

Out of the entire alphabet I've heard Hs give you the best grip.

Man, I almost wish I was a dentist just so I could buy a fancy camera.

Sorry... I was just having a little fun.

I never get to recommend the super cool expensive cameras. Because, ya know, the economy and the fact that only dentists have Hasselblad money.

You probably think I'm being silly but there actually is an entire community of dentist photographers keeping the high end camera market alive.

Okay, let's get started...

Landscape Buying Guide

Opening Thoughts

For landscapes I would highly suggest a full frame camera and a high quality wide angle lens.

Full frame has several advantages but it is not necessary. You can go with a smaller sensor like APS-C and get great images. Personally I would not go any smaller, but there have been some great landscapes taken on micro 4/3 and even smartphones. Technique, knowledge, experience, and composition will usually win the day over a camera, but having a nice camera makes things a lot easier.

At this point, with full frame options being very affordable now, the main reason to get a smaller sensor is if you want a smaller system that is easier to carry for extended periods and easier to pack when traveling. Or if you aren't sure you want to take on photography as a hobby, you can get an old APS-C DSLR for under $200 to learn with and test out.

So if you need a very cheap OR very compact system, APS-C and Micro 4/3 might be worth considering, but a bigger sensor will cause less frustration most of the time.

Froggie Note: The expensive Micro 4/3 and APS-C systems are the compact ones. The cheap systems are about as bulky as full frame.

The biggest advantages to full frame are low light shooting, lens selection, and field of view. Full frame cameras have many, many more lenses to choose from. And since the sensor is bigger, it is much easier to get a wider field of view that is often needed for landscapes. And the high ISO noise performance tends to be better on full frame.

However, you can use full frame lenses on APS-C camera bodies within the same ecosystem. They just get a little... zoomier. Roughly 1.5x zoomier. A 35mm acts like a 50mm, for example. So if you want to spend a little less now you can get an APS-C camera with a full frame lens and then upgrade to full frame later on without having to buy a new lens. Full frame lenses work on APS-C bodies but not the other way around.

Most landscapists have a really solid 16-35mm lens and that covers almost all of their needs. So I would suggest something comparable. Please don't get suckered into some crazy 18-300mm superzoom. Just get the focal range you need for the photos you want to achieve.

A purpose-built lens always outperforms one that was made to do everything.

As far as where to get used gear, I highly recommend using KEH or MPB when buying used camera bodies. They check every device and offer between 3 and 6 months warranty to make sure the device won't crap out on you. Lenses are typically a lot more robust and a safer thing to buy on eBay or Facebook Marketplace if you can find a better deal. But the security of having a warranty and a return apparatus if something goes wrong might be worth the extra price when using these two sites.

I am going to recommend Canon, Nikon, and Sony systems. I feel they have the most complete ecosystems with gear that spans all budget ranges. I'm not saying there aren't good cameras from other brands, but you have to remember every camera has an ecosystem surrounding it. There are accessories and upgrade paths and niche lenses that may not be available with other brands. I think Fuji has some tempting options and if you like the look of vintage film photography, their emulation options are quite stunning. Their cameras are also quite attractive and have very satisfying knobs. But I still can't recommend them unless you have a specific reason for wanting their gear.

Just remember that for every Canon DSLR I recommend there is a comparable Nikon option available as well. There are more lenses for a Canon full frame DSLR body than any other brand with Nikon coming in a close second.

So if you choose not to go mirrorless yet, the Canon and Nikon DSLR camera ecosystems are immense and have tons of gear and accessories available to go with them. And since used gear holds up really well, those ecosystems will survive for decades.

Should you buy a mirrorless camera or a DSLR?

Mirrorless cameras are the latest camera technology for interchangeable lens camera systems. At this point they are superior in every aspect and they continue to improve year by year. Because of that, used DSLRs have plummeted in price. This allows people greater access to a starter ILC (interchangeable lens camera) without a significant investment. You can get professional quality images on either format, but mirrorless has a shallower learning curve and much better automatic modes.

The in-body image stabilization (IBIS) stabilizes *every* lens and the eye tracking autofocus make "focus and re-compose" extinct. These are huge selling points for a lot of people. With IBIS you can take photos with up to 2-4 second shutter speeds without a tripod. And never missing focus on a human or animal or bird is pretty cool too.

DSLR camera bodies are no longer being designed by most of the major manufacturers. Thankfully Canon and Nikon developed plenty of bodies and lenses, so you will always have options and upgrade paths. But you will not be able to upgrade to systems with the latest advanced features.

The best DSLRs available are probably the Nikon D850 and the Canon 5D Mark IV. That is as good as it will ever get. The technology ends there. So if you want to enter an active camera ecosystem then you will have to get a mirrorless camera.

DSLR Camera Systems

Full Frame DSLR Camera Bodies

Canon

If you buy a used DSLR, there are some very affordable full frame options. In fact, the classic much-praised budget full frame Canon 6D can be had for under $300 right now.

This is an old camera. It has no fancy features. It only has 20 megapixels. It just does what it says on the tin. But it has a big sensor and a *ton* of really cool lenses available for it.

If you are specifically looking to create really high resolution panos, you could also look at the 50 megapixel 5DS R for around $1000.

There is a community of landscape pano-maniacs that love to create "gigapans" that have endless amounts of detail where you can zoom in and find new details in every photo. I was only able to create a 120 megapixel photo, but you can still find things like people starting a campfire and a dude fishing and a truck on a far off bridge. So even though this seems expensive for a DSLR, you are looking at another thousand bucks to find anything with more megapixels than this bad boy, so it is quite a good deal relatively speaking.

Nikon

Probably the best DSLRs ever made were the Nikon D800 series and you can get the Nikon D800 for $464.

This is a newer camera than the 6D with more megapixels (36) and a better sensor. It also has a more modern autofocus system and about 3 more stops of dynamic range which can come in handy for landscapes. This is an incredible camera for this price.

APS-C DSLR Camera Bodies

If you aren't sure you want to commit to this hobby, you can look into a Canon APS-C sensor body like the Canon Rebels and Canon 60D through 90D models and get good results.

And there are many Nikon DX APS-C bodies that would be great starter cameras as well. If you get a Nikon, you'd have an upgrade path to the D800 if you get hooked by the photography bug. I would miss a few very special Canon lenses like the 100mm f/2.8L macro and the 400mm f/5.6 telephoto but I'm sure I could figure out some reasonable Nikon alternatives that would do roughly the same thing.

Canon APS-C

There is a Canon 60D for $139 right now that would be perfectly adequate for landscape work on a tripod.

That was my first camera and I took some very nice photos with it. Only 18 megapixels but it has a very convenient flippy screen which was really helpful for a disabled photographer trying to get low angles.

This was in 2014 and I didn't know what I was doing but that is a pretty stellar-looking sunset for a (now) $140 camera.

Nikon APS-C

And the Nikon D3400 would be a great option as well at around $184.

You get some extra megapixels (24) and it is a bit newer than the Canon. I get the sense that used Nikon DSLRs give you more value for your money right now but I don't have a large enough sample size to confirm that.

Full Frame DSLR Lenses

Froggie Note: I am recommending full frame lenses even if you choose an APS-C DSLR body so you have an upgrade path. But also very few purpose-built APS-C lenses had superior glass. Just remember, crop sensor APS-C cameras add ~1.5x to your focal length. So a 16-35mm will have the equivalent field of view of a 24-50mm lens. Still quite acceptable for landscapes, but you may benefit from doing panoramas more often. And if you upgrade to full frame down the road, you'll already have the ideal lens.

Canon DSLR Lenses

If you get the 6D or another Canon you could pair it with the beloved-by-landscapists Canon 16-35mm f/4L.

Honestly, it is blowing my mind you can get that combo for under $600. Me from 12 years ago is super jealous right now.

If you are worried you might need something to work in lower light and still want a zoom, the f/2.8L starts at around $434.

This might be the most famous landscape lens of all time. Kinda boggles the mind how many gorgeous vistas this thing has captured the light of.

If you can live without the zoom, you could get a much sharper prime lens that can also be used in even lower light. A used Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art lens is $439 would be a fantastic option.

24mm is still a very good focal length for landscapes and the sharpness of this lens lends well to panoramic stitches. Seriously, these art lens are so freaking sharp. Although 35mm is typically preferred for most street photography, I think this would do great for that purpose as well. It couldn't do close up portraits, but 3/4 and full body portraits would look great. I also love this focal length for doggos. It enlarges their heads a bit which enhances adorable-ness.

Though I probably wouldn't recommend the 24mm on APS-C for landscapes as it would put you near a 40mm full frame equivalent field of view.

Nikon DSLR Lenses

And on the Nikon side of things you could get the Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 for $399.

This is a great lens too. Very comparable to the Canon L glass. And paired with that D800 you would have a better shooting experience than with the 6D if it fits within your budget.

It's a little harder to find, but you can also get that same Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art lens for Nikon at around $528 used on Amazon and in the $400 range on KEH and MPB when it is available.

The older and softer Nikkor 28mm f/1.8 is a little more affordable and easier to find.

What if you are not a dentist but are willing to save up for something a little nicer?

Enter the world of...

Mirrorless Camera Systems

Sony currently has my favorite ecosystem of mirrorless cameras and lenses and they are consistently ahead of the other brands as far as technology and features. In fact, many other manufacturers use Sony sensors. They literally supply their competition with their own tech. They are also pretty good about updating firmware—even with older models. So I feel like Sony has a lot of future-proofing advantages over other brands. Sony has a great selection of 3rd party lenses like Sigma, Tamron, Viltrox, Laowa, Samyang, etc. These lenses often have nearly the same optical quality as Sony's G Master lenses at a fraction of the price.

Full Frame Mirrorless

Currently, I think the best value full frame mirrorless camera for landscapes would be the Sony a7R III.

This is very nearly a top-of-the-line landscape camera for a little over $1200.

That might sound like a lot, but I want to be clear...

This isn't just decent. This isn't "good enough." This is a spectacular professional grade full frame camera.

10 years ago you could spend $6500 for a *worse* camera. 5 years ago you could spend $3000 for a *worse* camera.

It can do every genre of photography except for maybe fast paced sports/action. It has an amazing 42 megapixels—which are not necessary but they do make editing and printing a lot less of a headache. The file sizes can get a little big, but storage is a lot cheaper than it used to be.

Oh, and it can be used for professional quality 4K video work too.

The a7R III comes with all of the modern bells and whistles including in-body stabilization (IBIS) so you can handhold at very slow shutter speeds. It has one of the best autofocus systems—complete with eye tracking. But not just human eyes! Dog eyes. Cat eyes. Bird eyes. If it has an eye, the Sony can probably lock focus on it. And it has an admirable 10 fps burst shooting mode.

APS-C Mirrorless

If you want to enter the Sony ecosystem but can't afford full frame quite yet, you could do the a6400 for about $600.

You still get the eye-tracking and the in-body stabilization, but you will lose some image quality at higher ISOs due to the smaller sensor size. However, you can get the same full frame E-mount lenses for it and upgrade to a bigger sensor later on and not have to buy new lenses.

Mirrorless Landscape Lenses

I think a good value landscape lens would be the very impressive Tamron 20-40mm f/2.8.

This is a newer lens so there aren't many deals on used options yet. But this is still a great price for the quality and versatility you get. You will never regret spending a little more on glass.

The 20mm range can fit an entire cityscape in the frame without needing to do a panorama. But if you zoom to 40mm and mount the camera vertically, you could stitch together several photos to get well over the 100 megapixel range.

Also, the 40mm focal range is long enough to do street photography and even head & shoulder portraits. The wide f/2.8 aperture combined with the high-ISO friendly full frame sensor and in-body stabilization means you can shoot in very low light without a tripod. You can also get some great pictures of stars if you travel to someplace with minimal light pollution.

The cheapest landscape zoom lens I could find was the Sony 16-35mm f/4 at $384.

It's one of Sony's older lenses and may not take advantage of all of the a7R III's pixels, but it would be a good option to get you started in this system and upgrade the lens later on.

Mirrorless Prime Lenses

Zoom lenses are great but you have to spend more to get tolerable quality. Kit zooms can be softer than even the tiny plastic lenses on your phone. So a great way to stretch your budget is to get multiple fixed focal length "prime" lenses. Primes can be built inexpensively while still having good low light performance and decent sharpness.

For instance, you could start with something like the Tamron 20mm f/2.8 for $175. And if you want to do more than landscapes you could add the Sony 50mm f/1.8 for $170 later on. Cheap primes will outperform any of those mediocre kit zoom lenses in that same price range. You lose some versatility and have to deal with the pain of changing lenses or zooming with your feet, but sometimes a tight budget demands a little pain.

There is also a higher quality 3rd party wide angle prime lens that is very popular right now. The Viltrox 16mm f/1.8 is only $549 and the reviews say it has similar quality to lenses 3 times its price.

If you have to choose between a better camera body or a better lens, a good lens will help your photos more than a fancy camera body.

Froggie Note: These are examples. You should always do your own research before making a major technological purchase. This post could be a year old by the time you see it and there could be new stuff that is better. But all of the principles I tried to convey should hopefully guide you to a good decision. Also, feel free to message me if you want to ask about specific gear you are considering purchasing.

More Resources

This is my Encyclopedia of Lens Terms which is a helpful primer in understanding all of the wonderful and different lens options available on ILCs.

This is my buying guide for low budget used DSLRs. Similar to this post but less geared toward landscapes.

And this guide for getting decent landscape photos with any camera.

This is a free tutorial that teaches you everything you need to get started with an ILC system.

youtube

And this free tutorial by Karl Taylor is quite good as well.

#photography #long post

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girlballs · 1 year

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minecraft clone-type 3d voxel game where everything is a cave. the entire world is underground and you can never reach the surface. all biomes are varying types of fucked up cave ecosystems. there's cave apes.

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sepublic · 4 months

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So the jokes comparing Skar King to King Louie over their appearances, with a remix of I Wan’na Be like You playing in the background, are funny and all. But they’re also more true than most might realize???

In the Godzilla vs Kong novelization, it explains that the Great Apes were like any other titans in Hollow Earth… But then they became very intelligent. They got into groups, formed languages. They established hierarchies, made tools, created architecture… And also began enslaving other titans. They conquered and pillaged, expanded past their original roles in the ecosystem.

In essence, the Great Apes became too human. Which is a great way to build off of Kong showing how human he can be in that very film, which introduced his sign language, as well as emphasized that in Mothra’s absence only Kong can defend humanity. He’s always had a symbiotic relationship with the Iwi, and with the stereotype of apes and humans being alike, you could say Kong is the most human of our giant monsters.

So the inverse of that is fascinating to take into account as to why Godzilla fought with Kong’s ancestors, and blasted their empire back into the Stone Age as retaliation for the above-mentioned advancements, which in his eyes were transgressions; I dunno if humanity had already begun the same as the Great Apes, which came first, but one must’ve reminded Godzilla of the other. In fact maybe they evolved into civilizations alongside one another.

And that brings us to Godzilla x Kong and the introduction of Skar King, who is revealed as the original leader of the Great Apes that started that entire backstory. Adam Wingard described him as the most human of the Monsterverse Kaiju, in the worst way possible; He’s the dark reflection to Kong and us in that way. He wanted the Great Apes to become human; Maybe not in the sense that he was emulating us specifically, but in that he wanted to make his species act in all the ways associated with humanity. Dude even has a harem which hammers in how depraved he is.

And like any human leader, he’s not much on his own; But the armies he leads, the tools he has, the beasts he tames, that makes him dangerous. He is just a man in the end; Nothing without his followers and society. Skar King’s ambition in the past led to Godzilla knocking down the Great Apes a massive notch, which led to some fleeing to Skull Island; This sets Kong’s destiny in stone when the Skull Crawlers emerge there and kill his parents. The Godzilla-killing axe must’ve been created under Skar King’s rule, in fact he may have personally made and/or wielded it to begin with; Skar King could’ve recognized that weapon, and been reclaiming it when he first met Kong.

Skar King is responsible for Kong in a sense; To him, Kong is a feral child who just now has reconnected with society and begun to realize how intelligent he can really be; Hence the traps at the beginning of Godzilla x Kong. He’s a reverse Tarzan, funnily enough; Lost his parents and spent more time in the jungle with humans, who are his ‘apes’. Skar King created Kong, in other words his own downfall, just as he sired Suko who rebelled, enslaved Shimo who retaliated, crafted the axe that spelled his downfall, and angered Godzilla who fought back. Skar King made his own demise, he brought his kind to ruin in his attempts to control nature.

So when we go back to the comparisons with another red-haired ape who also wants to act human, in a very destructive way via mastering fire. Yeah I guess Skar King Louie really does wanna be like us.

#Godzilla x kong #godzilla x kong: the new empire #Godzilla vs Kong #Skar king #King Kong #Monsterverse #Godzilla

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thatsleepymermaid · 7 months

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The Georgia Environmental Division just released the draft permits to strip mine three-miles away from Okefenokee swamp.

Currently, Georgia River Network is reviewing these drafts given by the Twin Pines Minerals.

Nevertheless, the Okefenokee is one step closer to environmental disaster.

Here's some actions we can do to protect the Okefenokee Swamp. I ask everyone to do their best to protect this historic and important environmental landmark.

#environmentalism #okefenokee swamp #ecology #save the okefenokee #politics #conservation #save the swamp

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maniculum · 4 months

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Bestiaryposting Results: Dulyamra

Odd one this week, and an entry that is... moderately identifiable? but also confusingly hostile. So let's just get into it. Anyone who's not sure what this post is can see https://maniculum.tumblr.com/bestiaryposting for an explanation and previous entries in this series.

The bestiary entry that people were working from can be found here:

And if you want to join in and draw some kind of Creature for the next one, the entry people are working from currently can be found here:

Art below the cut.

@ectocs (link to post here) was the first to post this week -- and this is their first time contributing to this! Welcome! We've got a bear-like critter here, and the weird puffy face is not unlike a mandrill, which makes sense. I think the threatening facial expression on this one is done well -- as are the clearly worried expressions on the juveniles. There's some interesting material explaining design decisions and a couple sketches in the linked post, which I recommend y'all go check out.

@silverhart-makes-art (link to post here) joined... most of us, actually... in being very puzzled by the bestiary's insistence that this is a Foul Beast. We get a sloth-inspired critter here, because famously sloths have a whole algae ecosystem in their fur, and some closed-minded folks may consider this foul. There's additional explanation in the linked post, including the note that Silverhart has given this creature anteater-style coloration because anteaters are related to sloths -- which I did not know previously, but now that I think about it, does make sense.

@pomrania (link to post here) decided that this creature should be a cynocephalus, but one with a red butt like a baboon to support the author's assertion that the rear is "disgusting and horrid". Honestly that makes a lot of sense with the entry, and it's always good to see cynocephali get more attention. Good direction to go. However, that butt is also unsettling for me, so I'm scrolling down to the next one now.

@sweetlyfez (link to post here) made the observation that a brachycephalic dog -- such as a pug -- has a creased face that many would consider hideous (or at least unethical) and ran with it. I like this interpretation a lot, and I really appreciate the coloration of the night-time scene here.

@cheapsweets (link to post here) really went hard on designing a creature that could be described as foul and hideous -- successfully, I think, because I don't think I'd want to be around this thing. The head close-up is, I think, a well-executed design for a rather frightening creature; and, of course, the overall beast here is something CheapSweets themself describes as "a semi-naked bear with a fat butt," which I think is something I'd rather keep my distance from. (Also, thank you for including alt text.)

@coolest-capybara (link to post here) took this in an interesting direction. (I always enjoy it when someone decides to make one of these an invertebrate, because it usually takes some creativity to justify it.) Anyway, here we have a hermit crab, which of course has arms in the form of claws, and can conveniently hide its "disgusting and horrid" rear end in a shell. As usual, the stylization is delightful -- I like the humanoid eyes on the crab and just everything going on with the moon.

On to the Aberdeen Bestiary.

Yeah, this is pretty evidently some sort of ape. I'm not sure which one, but the bestiary author isn't either -- it just says "ape".

I don't know exactly what the medievals had against apes; in the most recent episode of the podcast, we heard a medieval fable where someone referred to them as "abominable" as though that was settled fact. I'd say it's a lack of familiarity, but also those are pretty solid illustrations of apes, so clearly they had some idea what they looked like. (One of our illustrators this week noted that they find some primates a bit uncanny-valley, so maybe that's it -- apes are just too close to human without being human, and that makes some people uncomfortable.)

Anyway, we've got some neat sequential art here. Here is a hunter with a spear. Here is an ape at rest. Here is the ape getting up and escaping from the hunter. That's cool.

I don't really have anything else to add here. Apes.

EDIT:

Thought of something to end with.

... no, that's nothing. Still leaving it there.

#maniculum bestiaryposting #dulyamra

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legendary-guest · 3 months

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High school sucks, from puberty to petty relationship drama to navigating the cliques - not to mention the teachers! Some so crabby, so lippy, so unfair, so mean that you could swear they were...evil?

Meet Dr. Drew Lipsky and Ms. Shea Go! Other outfits linked here. Lots of text under the cut.

"Mr. Lipsky is my father. You will address me as Dr. Lipsky."

It is difficult to escape Dr. Lipsky on the learning side of the high school ecosystem, he practically runs every class that involves math or science.

Arrogant, grouchy and with a tendency to ramble, Doc runs his classroom with an iron fist and a strict no lip policy. He is seldom seen without his ruler, which he uses to write along the chalkboard with his terrible handwriting, draw diagrams, gesture wildly with and slam on sleeping students' desks to rudely wake them. Despite this unpleasant behaviour, he has obvious favourite students - some of them have gone a long way just by sucking up to him - like not being yelled at and being one of the privileged few that haven't been damned to detention for a minor transgression. He's not just mean, he's also weird.

He likes to show-off the fact that he can draw a perfect circle, free-handed. This impresses a lot of the kids, until it becomes dull - he is workshopping drawing a perfect dodecahedron free-handed (it's not going well). School festivities and similar events, not centred around sport, tend to have him actively organising and participating in them. Always decorates the classroom around Christmas time, becomes unbearably cheery. His love for Snowman Hank is infamous.

Students have figured out an effective method to avoid learning - by getting Dr. Lipsky to talk about himself, or anything that vaguely interests him, he isn't difficult to distract. If he realises what's happening, everyone gets extra homework. If he doesn't and class ends, he seethes about it.

Of course, this means that he's always marking, always busy, a vicious feedback loop. He secretly doesn't mind this, as it keeps him occupied, away from depressing thoughts and crushing loneliness. His job is his social life, but even this is difficult as the only real rapport he has with anyone are the students he rambles to. Well, them and now Ms. Go, whom he carpools with - picking him up and dropping him off 5 days a week, just the two of them. His own car was totalled by Ed, and unable to afford another on a teacher's salary, he'd been catching the bus to and from work. His garage has turned into a workshop, where he tinkers with fixing old computers, building robots, lasers, programming microchips, etc. He really doesn't spend time in his own home.

Drew is dyslexic but doesn't know it - he's found ways to manage this. One of these ways is calling on kids who he knows are in Ms. Go's classes - he always knows them - to help him spell something. “How do you spell it?” “What?” “What do you mean ‘what?’ I know you’re in Miss Go’s AP Literature class, so tell me how to spell it!” “Uh…” [spelling ensues] “That wasn’t so difficult now was it?” “Thanks would be nice” “Detention.” “What?” “I heard you talk back. Detention. I’m old, not deaf.” Unlike Drakken, the subject of his blue skin and scar aren't things he's keen to talk about. He addresses it once at the beginning of every semester to the students to quell rumours and that's it. “Before you all start asking, I’ll tell you. This nasty scar? Lab accident. Blue skin? Lab accident. Is it contagious? No. We’re speaking about injuries, not cooties. So, you know I take lab safety very, very seriously. Gloves, closed shoes and glasses in the lab at all times! Last thing I need is a lawsuit from your parents.” No member of staff, including Ms. Go, know why he is blue.

He is still a college drop-out - his doctorate and teaching certifications are fake. He has never been caught. The inciting incident for dropping out (I have yet to cement whether or not it is the Bebes) has defeated him instead of motivating him. Drew Lipsky is still Drakken, but listless, without real focus or ambition, prone to indifference and depression. As Dr. Lipsky, he is a genuinely good, competent teacher, despite all his faults - the need to explain things, repeatedly, helps him in the profession.

Ms. Go is the hot new English teacher at school! Although she is new to teaching on her own, she is not as naïve as some might think. With her experience as Shego, member of Team Go from Go City, dealing with her brothers and various criminals and villains alike, Ms. Go knows her way around people - the Child Development qualification is merely a bonus.

Staff and students don't know of Ms. Go's hero identity and she goes to great lengths to deceive students that point out her strangely tinted skin - by telling them that it's merely the fluorescent lights in the school that make her appear green, and that, maybe, they should be more focused on what's on the board. Several students have started wearing glasses since her employment. Gaslighting the kids is something she enjoys immensely. Dr. Lipsky has noticed, too, but he doesn't bring it up, accepting her reasoning - for now.

Her attractiveness is no secret, with many a boy harbouring a crush on her, some of the bolder ones hitting on her in class or the hallway. Ms. Go effectively destroys the fragile, male teen ego in a single, creatively worded sentence, leaving a path of bitter, broken hearts (and sometimes tears) behind her. Creative put-downs aren't just reserved for boys that hit on her.

Ms. Go's criteria for her hitlist include: disrupting class, poor enunciation/pronunciation, mumbling, using the wrong words, incorrect/poor grammar, and abuse of teen slang in class.

Anything that isn't a school textbook or notebook that is left behind in Ms. Go's classroom goes missing. Pencils, pens, spare change, personal diaries, MP3 players, CD players, gum (which they shouldn't have anyway!) - gone. Ms. Go picks the room CLEAN as soon as all of them leave - finders keepers! She has an impressive collection, and shares the spoils with Dr. Lipsky. Forgot something in Ms. Go's class? FORGET IT! She gives props to those who can clap back in a creative (grammatically correct, well-spoken) way. For this, she is a very divisive figure, fluctuating between cool-hot-mean-bitchy at all times.

The popular, self-absorbed girls try to emulate Ms. Go, from her mannerisms to her style. She doesn't mind this, and even has some fun in seeing how far she can take it.

Ms. Go runs her classes efficiently and she never assigns extra homework - she doesn't want to mark it. She clocks in at 7am and clocks out at 3:30pm, not a minute before or after.

She has an expensive sports car (I'm thinking a Maserati), which she was able to procure from the Mayor of Go City for her service. Hego was, is, very upset over this. Although she has been out of the hero game for a while, something about the unusually hued Dr. Drew Lipsky had her extend the offer to carpool - just him. Especially after she saw him come to work, late, soaking wet from some surprise torrential rain, snarling and growling and snapping at anyone who so much as looked at him funny - only to be berated by the principal on top of it all.

Her degree in Child Development means that she holds the position of school counsellor. Problem is, no one wants to see her! Who does after hearing all the mean things she says? Her small office is rarely visited, to the point where Dr. Lipsky has moved in with all his stuff, mountains of paper that made his corner of the teacher's lounge very unseemly. Anyone who knocks is met with the Doc's intimidating stature and signature frown.

Ms. Go and Dr. Lipsky sit by themselves in the small office, never in the teacher's lounge. Drew will sometimes stay back and work, catching the bus home, whilst Shea goes home. As they get closer, Ms. Go will sometimes just go for a few hours and return to the school to take the Doc home. Although it seems like she's got it all, at the end of the day, she still goes home to her apartment - alone. Used to being surrounded by her family, as annoying as they are, used to the excitement and rush of hero work, and no longer actively using her powers, Shea is not too sure what to make of normal, civilian life. Especially after hers has been anything but. Partying, clubbing and shopping on the weekends are fun, but the prospect of socialising with others, finding interests that aren't focused on her career is daunting, if not a little frightening, if she were honest with herself. Shego, as Ms. Go, still calls him Dr. D (for 'Drew', she says the alliteration makes it fun to say) and Doc. Drew Lipsky for when she really wants to annoy him.

Drew/Drakken having dyslexia, Drew/Drakken taking the bus and the name Shea for Shego's real name are all lifted from Dwelling by @gogofordrakgo. The AU has been stewing for a very long time, almost as long as I have been reviewing. All elements lifted have been credited. I see several paths for it.

A 'Normal' AU where they exist within the KP world but never become villains, and don't teach at Middleton High School.

An Origin Story of how Drakken and Shego met teaching at some high school and then getting into villainy together.

An AU where they are teachers at Middleton High School and Kim and Ron are students there, still saving the world. They still play an antagonistic role, Drakken more than Shego, with Shego empathising with Kim without breaking her Shego-ness and becoming too nice, still distance between them. Ron would also be Shego's one-and-only student that she sees as a counsellor. Their sessions consist of having him accompany her to the mall - retail therapy. In this version of the AU, the recurring villains would be The Seniors. Senior Sr. is a big name supervillain looking to retire and is training his spoiled, sheltered son Senior Jr. to take up the mantle, but all he's interested in is becoming a teen-pop sensation, even though he learns quickly and can take on KP. Senior Sr. finds Kim Possible, not only a worthy adversary, but the ideal match for his son! He is the number one Kim x Junior shipper. (500k slow-burn, enemies to lovers epic fanfic, babies ever after - 7 for all 7 continents - 4 girls and 3 boys - evil-and-in-love - he's planned Junior's entire life for him, he can't wait to retire!). Dr. Lipsky and Ms. Go become villains at the end, becoming Dr. Drakken and Shego, the new villainous couple looking to rule the world and taking the place of Senor Senior Sr. and Senor Senior Jr.

Alternative to the last where it's all the same but they don't become villains. Maybe they try for a bit and after having their fun, they settle down to have a family. I dunno!

Now, is there more to come? YES! MAYBE! We'll see how I am feeling. Why did I do it this way and not write something properly? Because I don't like writing or plotting multi-chapter fanfic. I really wanted to make something that I could write for in this very casual way, and, if anyone else wanted to write or draw for this, that it would be possible.

Teacher AU is such a strong concept for the characters as they are, I wanted to really have it be true to them, as we see and know them in the show. I didn't want huge differences in their backstories, interests, mannerisms or relationships with other characters, because all those things inform who they are. I love that Drakken is a scatter-brained, easily-offended, easily distracted grouch and that Shego is such an annoying, snarky woman, a staunch grammarian and runner-up for professional slacker (Ron takes the number one spot). I wanted to challenge myself with this and I hope that I have been successful with it, at least initially.

#Drakgo Teacher AU #drakgo fanart #drakken x shego #shego x drakken #kim possible #Kim Possible AU #drakgo #shego #drakken #legendary fanfic #legendary art #Drakken and Shego wage slave arc #Drakken and Shego say “Fuck them kids.”#Drakken and Shego enact real villainy by destroying the fabric of society #By destroying the self-esteem of hormonal teens and giving them lifelong psychological issues.

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