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gallusrostromegalus · 6 months ago

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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 · 4 months ago

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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?”

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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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femmefitz · 6 months ago

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Ofc legal ≠ moral/ethical but to be clear in most places non-venomous snakes are protected species and it IS illegal to kill them.

Venomous snakes I'm not sure about, but unless you absolutely HAVE to I would recommend against it for the above reason and that their populations can be fragile due to people being overly cautious and killing them. They can be dangerous but they are as vital to their ecosystem as any other native species. Please leave them alone if you can.

People are so stupid about snakes. If there's a little black racer chilling outside just leave it alone, you don't have to kill it, it's probably dealing with all your pests for you, jesus christ

#i have an irrational fear of snakes so like. i get being scared of them trust me #but pls do everything u can to let them live... they are so important to the ecosystem and they are just animals living their lives #they are not malicious #if anything they are scared #i dont think a lot of ppl know this but great apes are classified as megafauna and humans are great apes #we are bigger than many other species!#it's very scary and can be dangerous to them to encounter us!#so have some sympathy for them being defensive. they dont know your intentions and you can easily hurt them. they arent being mean or evil #animals #sorry i was thinking abt this literally yesterday so. i have many thoughts.

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rjzimmerman · 7 months ago

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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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serpentface · 1 year ago

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INTRO TO THE SOPHONTS

There are eight distinct sophont genuses and/or species in the known world of the blightseed setting. above are examples of each to show overall difference in anatomy and size.

note- terms like 'genus' 'species' 'subspecies' have no meaning in-universe, and do not necessarily have a role in the formation of cultural groups and identity.

Yotici

Yotici are large marine grazers. Their place on the tree of life is an offshoot of very early fish, all of whos modern representatives live in alternating generations, with a sessile asexual stage that resembles a plant, and a long-living reproductive phase (shown here).

The sessile phase appears in the form of 'gardens' that grow from a seabed where eggs were lain. The reproductive phase begins when tiny yotici (yotlings) develop and emerge en-masse. Yotici do not actively protect yotlings until they begin to speak, and many will die within their first year. (though they provide passive protection by allowing their yotlings to school around them, and through the shielded garden environment)

Their sessile young, however, are closely guarded. Yotici are ecosystem engineers that modify their environments to protect their gardens. They build enclosed and controllable environments with coral, rocks, mangroves, shipwrecks, etc, in shallow waters. They manipulate their environment via their 'tentacles' (actually highly modified genitalia, very dextrous and present regardless of sex).

They have likely domesticated more species than any other sophont, both as an unintentional byproduct of their ecosystem engineering and through intentional breeding. Their most important domestic animal is the garden shark, a species of bullhead kept to protect their sessile young from predation by invertebrates and other small animals.

They primarily eat sea grasses, certain corals, kelp, and occasionally shellfish, crustaceans, and other small animals. They require large, healthy expanses of seagrass to be sustained, and will readily kill or drive away competition. They also take an aggressive stance towards predation, generally being highly aggressive until predators recognize them as a threat leave them alone. This includes encroaching landdwellers- yotici territories utilized by land dwellers are often sites of conflict. Peaceful coexistence in the same waters requires the creation and maintenance of treaties and pacts, historically rare due to difficulties in interspecies communication.

They have aesthetic sensibilities, and may decorate themselves by allowing barnacle growth, or via scarification.

Yotici exhibit no sexual dimorphism and near-ubiquitously do not construct gender. Their genitalia-arms no longer have a sexual function, and they reproduce via group spawning.

The most basic social unit of the yotici is the pod, related individuals who hatched in the same garden and maintain it throughout their lives.

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Human

Humans are upright bipedal apes. They are notable among midsized mammals for lacking protective fur, making them vulnerable to both sun exposure and the cold.

There is only one species of human, sole survivors of a once broad family of upright apes. Humans came into behavioral modernity as mobile plains dwelling hunter-gatherers- a highly efficient mode of living utilized to the present day. They are omnivores, capable of adapting to a wide variety of diets and thus a great variety of environments.

The first humans likely developed south of the now inhospitable equatorial Deadlands. Known contemporary populations exist mostly within the eastern and northern parts of the supercontinent.

Humans exhibit modest sexual dimorphism, less pronounced than other apes but with some unique display features such as permanent breasts and bright lips. They can reproduce year-round, and typically bear one child at a time. Childbirth is very dangerous, and many young and mothers die in the process. Their young are completely helpless, and may take over a year to even begin to walk.

The most common basic human social unit is composed of reproductive pairs and their families, though there is tremendous variety in how they form groups.

-----

Elowey:

Elowey are primates, most closely related to lemurs. They average around the same height as humans, but are heavier. They are capable of both bipedal and quadrupedal locomotion.

Two relatively distinct subspecies of elowey are known to survive, though with significant gene flow between the two. Southern elowey (pictured here) are larger on average with bigger guts and more exposed skin, and northern elowey are smaller, with denser fur and slight aquatic adaptations.

Elowey are omnivores, but better adapted towards plant eating. Southern elowey can subsist entirely on plants and digest much tougher plant material than humans with their large guts. Northern elowey rely more heavily on meat, especially during the winter months. The gene for lactase persistence is widely found in northern elowey and largely absent in southern populations.

Elowey have a strong sense of smell. They have two sets of scent glands, which at their most basic communicate territoriality and identity, but the social implications are far broader.

They come from highly territorial ancestors, and most individuals become stressed and uncomfortable when living in dense populations with unrelated elowey. This discomfort is lessened towards members of other species, though they are still prone to social claustrophobia.

Elowey lack significant sexual dimorphism, with nonreproductive females being indistinguishable from males (aside from genitalia, which is brightly colored in males). Reproductive females go through a pronounced estrus, and hormones from pregnancy induce permanent bodily changes, mostly in the form of longer fur and greater muscle mass.

The most basic social unit of elowey is a reproductive pair, their young, and nonreproductive siblings/family. Typical families only have one reproductive pair at a time, and the presence of a reproductive female actually suppresses the fertility of other females. They give birth to 1-2 young at a time, which are helpless for a couple months until they begin to walk.

-----

Caelin and Delkhin:

Caelin and Delkhin are two closely related drakes (pterosauroids of this setting), with locomotive forelimbs (wings) and manipulative hind limbs.

Both are obligate carnivores who supplement their diets only occasionally with plant matter, and as such large populations can only be supported by ecosystems with massive herds, or intensive animal agriculture. Both have ancestors who scavenged on the dead, with active hunting being a byproduct/driving factor of sapience.

Males develop large, colorful wattles, and all possess the ability to create booming songs with their gular sacks (though the calls of males average louder). Females are typically smaller than males in both species, and have dull coloration

The two are closely related enough to produce young, but their eggs are often inviable and the young are rarely fertile. In spite of this, there is frequent gene flow between the two and hybrids are relatively common.

The sex of offspring in both species is determined by incubation temperature, with profound societal implications- often sons are intentionally limited.

The pre-sophont ancestors of both reproduced in lek based mating systems, which remains an influence on modern social behavior. The basic social unit of both caelin and delkhin societies is the lek, typically one (sometimes more) breeding males, several females, and their offspring.

Caelin:

Caelin are about the size of egrets, and capable of powered flight. Their ancestors followed herds of bison, aurox, horses, and khait to scavenge on the dead and dying, which developed into more active management and domestication.

There are a few subspecies of caelin, though most are indistinct from one another (aside from the very small polar caelin).

Caelin are the most widespread sophont of all, having settled anywhere in the world that could support them, though the areas with highest populations are the great steppes of the west. There are few populations historically existing in human-dominated areas, as they tend to compete for food resources.

They are capable of a unique mode of subsistence, scavenger nomadism. Scavenger-nomads fly from place to place seeking dead or dying animals as food sources.

Delkhin

Delkhin are flightless and significantly larger than caelin, standing between 3-5ft in height and weighing several times as much as their relatives. They possess a small horn jutting from the back of the skull, larger and colorful in males.

There are few populations of delkhin outside of Cynozepal and the western grasslands. Their reliance on meat and relatively large size keeps their populations at a low density with great difficulty adjusting to other regions.

Delkhin have notched beaks and strong necks that allow manipulation of larger and heavier objects, and their 'hands' are deft at handling smaller ones.

-----

Qilik

Qilik are roughly turkey sized protobirds. Their ancestors glided, but modern qilik have lost much of their gliding ability as their wings were re-repurposed for manipulation. Their hands have two mobile fingers and one mostly immobile claw.

Qilik would be considered a genus rather than species. There are several species + subspecies of qilik, with the most distinct species being the plains qilik (which are larger, with long thin tails and smaller wings) and the forest qilik (which are smaller, with fans on their tails, broader wings, and are better climbers). More isolated populations have more derived features, such as the small and nocturnal cave dwelling qilik of the deadlands. All are interfertile with significant gene flow between most.

Qilik are omnivores and primarily insectivorous. Their ability to survive on insects makes them one of the least competitive for resources with other sophonts, and as such qilik populations commonly overlap with others and may be indigenous to the same areas.

Most populations are native to forested regions with a high density of insects. Those who have taken up animal husbandry spread to the plains and eat a more meat-based diet.

Qilik have sexual trimorphism - large, dull colored females, smaller, brightly colored males, and larger, dull colored 'feminine' males (faeder).

Mating occurs seasonally, and most individuals lack any significant sex drive out of season. Hens typically mate with multiple males and mating pairs do not form permanent bonds.

The most common social unit is same-gender (or hen/faeder) flocks which are interdependent but live primarily homosocial lives, with hens/faeder doing most work while groups of males care for children. Their social systems are highly plastic, however, and great variety exists.

-----

Talking crows

Talking crows are crows. They produce language and have complex societies, and can intelligently communicate with other sophonts via mimicry. They may give the impression of being child-like or 'animalistic' to other sophonts, as they struggle with large numbers and certain abstract concepts (and live overall similarly to their non-sophont corvid relatives) but excel beyond any other at cognitive mapping, memory, and navigation.

They do not differ significantly in anatomy from other crows, though notched beaks and flexible feet allow for more deft manipulation of tools. Because of their appearance and relative isolation from other sophonts, they are often interpreted as supernatural beings or 'talking animals'.

-----

Archin

Archin are sapient ant colonies. The only known extant population of the species occurs in the Red Rock Archipelago far southeast in the world-sea, and has been isolated from other sophonts for the majority of its history.

Rather than an individual animal, archin consciousness and personhood exists in the collective. Archin consciousness is an emergent property of colonies, with individuals being somewhat akin to cells composing a brain.

They are not a hivemind in any literal sense, rather they use the same methods of chemical and touch communication as most other eusocial insects (only highly specialized and with enough plasticity to communicate abstract concepts and understand language).

A single archin has more complex cognitive ability than most ants, and most vertebrates for that matter (better memory, complex motor skills, problem solving) and fully functional as an organism, but is not sapient on her own. Individuals are also very large for ants- about an inch long, with strong jaws capable of deft tool manipulation,

Archin colonies are composed of ‘units’ of 50-100 ants, each unit being functionally an individual personality. A single archin lives about a year, but a unit can survive and retain memories for decades. A unit usually has a set job within the colony, but their role may shift throughout their life. They will usually choose a 'name', and identify themselves with chemical and some visual signals.

A full colony (~1000-3000 individuals) blurs the lines between a person, family, and tribe. It can function as one broad consciousness, but cannot ‘think’ quickly and efficiently as a unit.

Each colony has one queen, who functions as the womb of the group. Her lifespan determines the lifespan of the colony, (up to 60 years in a healthy individual), during which time she will lay eggs yearly. The queen is no more or less intelligent than any other individual archin and contributes little to the collective consciousness, but her importance to the colony's longterm survival makes her uniquely valued over any other individual.

Drones (reproductive males) function as the sperm cells of the group, and are used to forge alliances with other colonies. They die upon mating and contribute nothing to archin consciousness, though their reproductive value makes them the second-most protected individuals in a colony.

Individual archin instinctually reject 1:1 inter-colony communication, which is necessary to not interfere with their consciousness. When parts of different colonies combine, it can lead to units becoming confused and disoriented, or 'mentally ill'. This may be resolved into rogue units, who roam apart from their colonies until they die (or are successfully divided and restored).

Consciousness does not extend beyond a colony. However, due to the highly plastic nature of archin consciousness, it is possible for colonies who lose their queens or suffer great loss of population to perform mergers with other colonies and form new identities. Relations between colonies vary- each has allies and enemies. Allied colonies may form 'nations' and even have forms of governance, though this is near-universally decentralized.

While their mode of consciousness is quite alien to other sophonts, coexistence, communication, and even friendships are possible. A unit is functionally a person with their own personality, with likes, dislikes, curiosity, favorite foods, aesthetic sensibilities, etc. Archin also exhibit highly abstract thought and have forms of religious sensibility.

#theres a lot of sophonts bc the magic in the setting requires abstract thought to use #which selects for sapience far more frequently than it seems to occur irl #blightseed #elowey #delkhin #caelin #qilik #talking crows #archin #yotici

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gallifreyinstituteforlearning · 4 months ago

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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.

📺|🌳🍎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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nellasbookplanet · 19 days ago

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Book recs: monster/creature friendships

Do you like movies like Alien vs Predator, Venom, and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes? Do you enjoy dragon riders and talking animal companions? Friendly yet deeply inhuman aliens? Monster children and monster parents? Consider yourself less of a monster fucker and more of a monster best friend? Watch horror movies and fantasize about befriending the horrifying ghosts and ghoulies? Then this is the list for you!

A note: some of these books do have romance subplots, but not as the most important relationship or focus.

A (second) note: the criteria for "monster" are subjective. I looked mainly for titles featuring creatures who neither look nor act/think human. In cases where they are more human looking, I wanted a distinctly inhuman mind and morality, meaning most books featuring vampires, werewolves, fey, etc are excluded. I may have included books you feel aren't monstrous enough, or excluded ones you feel are sufficiently monstrous but I don't agree about. Again, it’s subjective.

Feel free to leave your own recs in the notes, but please know that if you rec books featuring mostly human vampires and werewolves I will be judging. I have separate lists for those, go look there instead.

For more details on the books, continue under the readmore. Titles marked with * are my personal favorites. If you want more book recs, check out my masterpost of rec lists!

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir*

Ryland Grace just woke up from a coma, unable to remember anything. He finds himself alone on a space ship, and as his memories slowly trickle back, he realizes he’s been sent on a mission: to find a solution to the impending doom of the earth. Still struggling with holes in his memories, Ryland tries to fulfill his mission, but as he gets closer to his goal, he discovers someone else got there first. And they aren’t anything close to human. Funny, heartfelt, and heavy on the science.

Fragment by Warren Fahy*

The reality TV show Sealife is having a rough time - as it turns out, a ship full of scientists doesn’t make for the kind of drama they hoped for. Hoping for some excitement, they reach Hender’s Island, a fragment of a lost continent that may contain an interesting new ecosystem. But as they step foot on the island, they quickly come to realize the ecosystem isn’t just new, it’s highly dangerous and very hungry. Among all this life is one single species that may be more dangerous than any other, but which may also be the salvation of the scientists on the island. A bit wonky, but genuinely one of the most fun books I have read, I love it so much.

The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis*

Francie has just traveled to Roswell to attend her college friend’s wedding to a UFO conspiracist. Not a believer herself, Francie is shocked when she finds herself abducted by an alien. Her abductor is not much what popular media would have you believe, looking more like a tumbleweed than a grey alien, and is clearly on some kind of mission it isn’t willing to put on hold for the sake of Francie attending to her duties as a bridesmaid. As more people get roped along - among those a conman, an old lady, a ufo conspiracist, and a retiree with an RV - Francie finds herself getting closer to the alien and wanting to help it succeed.

The Last Human by Zack Jordan

Young adult. Sarya is a human - the only one of her kind. Living with her adoptive mother - a vicious, insectile alien - on a space station surrounded by hundreds of other alien species, Sarya spends every day staying below the radar and hiding her true identity. But when an odd new alien arrives on the station, she may finally get an answer to her biggest question: why humanity was deemed too dangerous to be allowed to exist.

Alien vs. Predator: Prey by Steve Perry & S.D. Perry*

On desert planet Ruyshi, businesswoman Machiko Noguchi is about to take over the leading position in a small human colony. Her job is made infinitely harder when the colony comes under attack on two fronts as two species of vicious aliens choose it as their battle ground. If you're reading this list, you probably already know of the movie by the same name. The book, while completely different in setting and cast, does feature many similar plot points, among those a third act team-up between a human woman and a murderous alien.

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky*

Millenia and generation spanning scifi. After the collapse of an empire, a planet once part of a project to uplift other species to sentience is left to develop on its own, resulting not in the intelligent monkeys once intended but in sentient giant spiders. Millenia later, what remains of humanity arrives looking for a new home, only to be met by the artificial remains of the ancient woman who once led the uplift project - and she is not willing to let them on her planet.

The Moon and the Sun by Vonda N. McIntyre

You can’t go wrong with a Vonda McIntyre novel just, like, in general. This one is set in 17th century France, where a young woman and her brother travel to live at the royal court, where they are to care for and study a strange captured sea monster fabled to have the ability to grant eternal life. A lot of focus on court politics as well as the cultural and biological differences between the humans and the mermaid. Also available as a movie (but it’s not very good, please just read the book).

Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys*

Lovecraftian fishpeople! Aphra and her brother are the only survivors after the government raided their home, Innsmouth. Their only living family are the amphibian people of the deep, whom they will one day join, but until then they are bound to land where they struggle to build new lives for themselves after the great loss of their home and loved ones. Then rumors start to spread of a russian agent seeking dangerous and ancient magic, forcing Aphra to involve herself as they try to stop it. Does contain horror elements but is generally a much more optimistic look on cosmic horror than most lovecraftian stories, told from the perspective of one of his monsters. Lots of focus on found family and rebuilding of community.

The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky*

The Doors of Eden is something of an experiment in speculative biology, featuring versions of Earth in which various different species were the one to rise to sentience, from dinosaurs to neanderthals. Now, something is threatening the existence of all timelines, dragging multiple different people and species into the struggle, among those a pair of cryptid hunting girlfriends and a transgender scientist. Together, can they find a way to save the multiverse?

The Spider and Her Demons by sydney khoo*

Young adult. All teenager Zhi wants is a normal life (and possibly for her harsh aunt to be a bit nicer), but it’s hard when she’s half spider demon. Every day she must conceal her true nature and hide in human guise. When she slips up and eats a man in front of her rich, aloof classmate Dior, Zhi thinks her life is over. But Dior has secrets of her own, and she is dead set on making herself a part of Zhi's life.

Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

Young adult fantasy. Artemisia prefers the dead to the living, and is training to become a Gray Sister, a nun who helps the souls of the deceased pass on to the afterlife rather than remain as dangerous spirits. To defend her convent, Artemisia accepts the help of a dangerous revenant, a powerful spirit which grants her great power but also could possess her the moment her guard is lowered. As evil threatens her homeland, Artemisia and the revenant must find a way to work together.

Slewfoot: a Tale of Bewitchery by Brom

Historical horror. Young Englishwoman Abitha has only recently arrived and married into a Puritan colony when she unexpectedly becomes a widow. As she strives to save her small farm from going under in the wake of tragedy, something dark and dangerous stalks the surrounding woods. He doesn't know whether he's spirit, devil, or god, doesn't even know his own name, and in requesting Abitha's help, both their lives are changed forever.

Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses by Kristen O'Neal*

Young adult. Priya had plans to go to Stanford, but is derailed when the fallout from lyme disease puts her back, making her question if she'll ever get back to normal. Luckily she has her discord support group with whom she can chat and vent about her illness. Even more - she has Brigid, online fandom friend and fellow chronic illness sufferer. But when Brigid disappears from the web without warning, Priya must drive to Pennsylvania to make sure her friend is okay - and finds that Brigid's condition is a bit hairier than she expected.

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Young adult. Elisabeth is a librarian, trained to handle grimoires - books of magic which, if mishandled, can turn into horrifying monsters. When an act of sabotage leads to the release of one of the library's most dangerous grimoires, Elisabeth finds herself implicated in the crime. Forced to team up with an enemy sorcerer and his loyal and unpredictable demon servant, Elisabeth sets out to find out the truth of what happened.

The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

In a post apocalyptic, zombie-infested wasteland, a group of characters try to stay alive and hope to find a cure. One of the characters is Melanie, a young girl who carries the contagion inside of her and hungers for flesh, but like many children of the apocalypse has kept her humanity. Is she and children like her the answer to the cure we are looking for? Or are they the start of something entirely new? This book has also been adapted as a movie!

Malevolent by Harlan Guthrie*

Lovecraftian horror mystery. Private detective Arthur Lester wakes up in his office, his partner dead, memories fuzzy, vision gone, and the voice of a malevolent entity in his mind. Unable to see, Arthur is forced to rely on guidance from the entity as he attempts to solve the mystery of what it is and where it came from. Is this a book? No. But as someone who reads mostly audiobooks, the difference between a book and a fiction podcast is negligible, and also I love this story and its characters and want all of you to do so too.

Parasyte by Hitoshi Iwaka*

Horror manga, heavy on the bodyhorror. Shinichi Izumi wakes one day after a strange dream: that an alien parasite crawled into his arm. Soon he realizes it was more real than dream, and that an inhuman creature, having failed to eat and take over his brain, now controls his arm. Forced to cooperate, the two do their best to survive as more parasites quietly infiltrate society, meaning to devour our entire species. Also available as a very faithful anime!

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy*

Young adult. Twelve-year-old Stephanie Edgley's uncle, famed horror writer, just died mysteriously and left her his entire fortune. As it turns out, the stories he wrote weren't entirely made up, and that which killed him wasn't entirely human. In trying to avenge his death, Stephanie joins forces with Skulduggery Pleasant, sorcerer, detective, and living, walking skeleton.

The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells

Moon doesn't know what he is. Having lost his family young he lives on the move, shifting his shape to hide his true form. The only ones similar to himself he's ever encountered are the vicious, bloodthirsty Fell, but he knows he cannot be one of them. When chance leads to a meeting with someone like him, he hopes his days of loneliness are over. But his new people stand against a dangerous enemy, and not all of them welcome Moon's help. A departure from other titles on this list in that it features only creatures, with not a single human on page.

The Girl From the Well by Rin Chupeco

Young adult horror. Okiku died three hundred years ago, her body thrown down a well. Now she spends her days hunting for and punishing murderers like the one who once killed her. When a strange boy bearing odd tattoos appears in her area, he catches Okiku's attention - as does something that follows after him. To save the boy, Okiku will be drawn into a journey taking both of them from American suburbia to a faraway shrine in Japan.

Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova

When Magos loses her son Santiago to a longtime illness, she loses herself to grief and cuts out a piece of his lung. After hearing old folktales, she begins feeding it - and is shocked to find it growing and alive. Soon finding herself in charge of a hungry and bloodthirsty creature, Magos and her family must come together to care for what they can only see as a second chance for Santiago.

Semiosis by Sue Burke

A generational story following a group of humans trying to survive on a new planet, where a strange and unkowable intelligence is finding ways to use them to its whims. As the humans come across an abandoned city wrapped in the roots of a strange plant, they slowly come to the realization that mutual communication is the only path to peace and survival. Meanwhile, the alien finds itself tied all the more tightly to the growing human community.

The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei

Maya Hoshimoto used to be an art thief, and a damned good one to, until a disastrous heist made her retire into academia, hoping for peace and coping with an alien disease which causes her to see glimpses of the future. When an old friend tracks her down and asks her help to find and steal a legendary artifact that could save his entire species, Maya is convinced to do one last job.

Magical Girl Dandelion by Mizuho Kaeru

Manga. Tanpopo Ohanami's parents were killed by a phantom monster when she was young, but her life was saved by Shade, another phantom. Ever since then, Shade has been her friend, watching over her and keeping her safe. But then Tanpopo is revealed to be a potential magical girl, meant to fight the phantoms and protect humanity. Her and Shade are meant to be enemies, but can they instead work and fight alongside each other?

His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

It’s the height of the Napoleonic Wars, and soldiers on dragon back fight each other in the air. Will Laurence isn't a dragonrider but a sea captain, but when his ship captures a French frigate and discovers a dragon egg about to hatch in his cargo, his life changes forever when he and the dragon hatchling bond.

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Middle grade. In Lyra's world, every person has a daemon: a talking animal companion who follows them throughout life. When children begin being stolen off the street, among them Lyra's friend, she must embark on a great journey to save him, taking her to the furthest north - and beyond.

A Redtail's Dream by Minna Sundberg*

Graphic novel inspired by Finnish mythology. When an irresponsible fox spirit accidentally traps an entire town in the dreamlands, it’s up to slacker Hannu and his talking, shapeshifting dog Ville to save everyone. Together the unwilling heroes must travel the dreamlands and locate the townsfolk, returning them to the waking world before the fox spirit sends them all on to death to hide his mistake. While the physical copy is all but impossible to get a hold of, the original webcomic can still be read for free here.

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elodieunderglass · 1 year ago

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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 · 6 months ago

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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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