#Auger Shells

[rattyexplores]

Photos 1-2 - Gastropoda sp.

Photos 3-4 - Fasciolariidae sp.

Photos 5-6 - Terebridae sp.

Photos 7-8 - Neverita didyma

Photos 9-10 - Duplicaria bernardii

More shells washed up on the shores of Woppa.

13/09/23 - Gastropoda spp.

QLD:CQC, Woppa (Great Keppel island), ocean shore

[doyoulikewafflez]

Day 19 - Ridge

(I have to admit, this was a bit challenging. Anyways: fun fact about auger shells (the long one), they can grow to be 6 inches long!! )

[susiecards]

Ace of spades

Auger Shell Found in warmer waters, they stun their prey which consists of various marine worms.

[w1tchcr4ftt]

what if i said i imagined music for a splatoon idol group i made that does not exist but its a fire song. Augy sings, Calico writes and plays and Smash adds percussion whether in edited form or other.

[sejdkvinna]

shells for witchcraft

Abalone Shells

Abundance, peace, and compassion

Abalone shells are very colorful, and the insides are coated with the same material that make up pearls, nacre.  These colors are said to be incorporating all the colors of the sea and sky.  In addition, the iridescent colors promote a feeling of abundance, peace, and compassion.  In addition, the colors can represent the upper chakras, the Abalone shell is useful for developing psychic powers.  Since Abalone shells have also been a food source for thousands of years, Abalone shells represent the giving power of the Ocean.

Abalone shells can also be made into jewelry and amulets, and not only will they promote abundance, peace, and compassion, but they will also impart a calming, spiritual vibration to help the wearer through emotional difficulties.  In addition, Abalone shells have also been historically sacred in Polynesian and Native American cultures, especially as a vessel for sage while smudging.

Scallop Shells

Travel and spiritual quests

Symbol of Venus and Water

Scallop shells are distinguished from other shells by the multiple rays and ridges, which all converge at a single point near the base.  To early humans, this likely symbolized the sun's rays converging on the horizon at sunrise or sunset.  Because of this, Scallop shells are a good symbol of Venus, also known as the Morning Star or Evening Star.  Later, to medieval Christians, the Scallop represented the path of pilgrims to holy sites.

Continuing, Scallop shells had a sacred meaning in Christian Europe from as early as the first pilgrims.  The pilgrims, although mostly illiterate, were able to be guided to the pilgrimage sites with the Scallop symbol.  In addition, the Scallop is a symbol of the Saint James the Apostle, and the symbol of the Scallop can be found through countless Christian altars and cathedrals.  Because of the association with pilgrimage, the Scallop is a symbol for those who have undertaken a spiritual quest.

In addition, the Scallop shell is often depicted as the seat or carriage of ocean deities in art.  For example, in art Poseidon often rides upon one, and Aphrodite is seen rising up from the sea in a Scallop shell.  In addition, Scallops are often on Pagan altars to symbolize ocean deities and the element water.  Because of this, Scallops are often used as a chalice, offering bowl, or vessel for love magick.

Nautilus Shells

Renewal, growth, and rebirth

The Nautilus travels hundreds of miles in the currents of the sea, and can be considered the nomad of the sea.  In fact, the fitting name means "sailor" in Greek.  More importantly though, the Nautilus shell is an important symbol of mathematics and sacred geometry because of the logarithmic pattern in its spiral.

This shape is because unlike other shell creatures, rather than shedding its shell and finding a larger one, the Nautilus increases the size of the shell.  The Nautilus shell grows to create a larger chamber for the body as it grows.  Because of this, the Nautilus shell is a good symbol of growth, renewal, and rebirth.  Additionally, the outwards spiral trend of the Nautilus suggests that it can continue growing indefinitely.  Meditate with a Nautilus shell or use it in your magick for spiritual growth and expansion.

Auger Shells

Protection and aggression

Auger shells are distinguished by its shape, which is an elongated spiral that has an opening at the base and a point at the tip.  In the language of shells, the Auger is considered to be both masculine and feminine energetically, therefore representing completeness.  There are hundreds of varieties of Auger shells all around the world as well.

In addition, Auger shells come from a type of predatory sea snail, and the aggression of the animal is implied by its narrowly focused shape.  Auger shells have a venomous tooth as well, making it a good shell to use in hexes and curses.  In magick, Auger shells are one of the only shells that are associated with the planet Mars.  Other uses for Auger shells are for headdresses, magick wands, and protective charms.

Cowrie Shells

Fertility, luxury, and wealth

The Cowrie shell is characterized by its yellow or white color and egg-shape, with two rows of teeth along a gap in the center of the shell.  Cowrie shells are admired for their natural polish, which symbolizes refinement and luxury.  In fact, the Italian word for Cowrie is porcellana ("little pig"), which the word porcelain is derived from.  Because of its shape and polish, Cowrie shells have been used as currency, decoration, and religious items in nearly every part of the world.

In addition, because of its shape, the Cowrie shell symbolizes the vulva.  Therefore, the Cowrie shell is often used in charms regarding wealth and fertility.  Cowrie shells can also be strung onto necklaces or sewn into garments.  Additional uses for Cowrie shells include divination.  There are many different systems of divination with Cowrie shells, mostly stemming from African and Afro-Caribbean cultures and traditions.

Conch Shells

Awakening and mermaid connections

Conch shells have been symbolically used by cultures around the world since ancient civilizations.  The conch (or Shankha) is used by Tiben Buddhists as a way to call people to worship, and the conch shell is also seen in the hand of the Hindu god, Vishnu.  In addition, the sound of blowing through a conch is similar to the sound of AUM (the sound of the universe), which has an awakening effect (similar to chanting OM).

In addition, the conch shell is often shown in the hands of mermaids, which makes the conch shell a good tool for connecting to mermaid energy and mermaid spirits.  Similarly, blowing through the conch shell can be used as a tool for summoning mermaid (and other ocean creatures) spirits.  Meditating with the conch shell can be a way to get in touch with the ocean and ocean spirits, since you can hear the ocean in the conch shell.

Sources:

https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/the-magick-of-seashells

https://zennedout.com/magical-uses-meanings-of-shells/

[boymanmaletheshequel]

offerings for Artemis

🍃🦌🍃🦌🍃🦌🍃🦌🍃🦌🍃🦌🍃🦌🍃🦌

Physical offerings: 🎁

• Moonstone, • Amazonite, • Emerald, • Moss agate, • Apophyllite, • Green calcite • Pearls, • Deer hair, • Deer bones, • Deer antler, • pheasant feathers, • arrowheads, • white roses, • Artemisia, • Deer Imagery, • Boar Imagery, • Bow or arrow imagery, • mugwort, •wormwood, • yarrow, • Auger shell, • Fern, • Nettle.

Devotional offerings: 🙏

• donating to a woman’s shelter or other feminist organizations and movements

• donating to children’s aid groups and childbirth centers/safe abortion access groups

• going out in nature for a walk

• bathing or swimming in a natural body of water like a lake or stream

• donating to or supporting wilderness conservation efforts

• consider recognizing or celebrating Greek holidays that center Artemis such as artemisia, thargelia, and laphria.

🍃🦌🍃🦌🍃🦌🍃🦌🍃🦌🍃🦌🍃🦌🍃🦌

[bestanimal]

Round 3 - Chondrichthyes - Heterodontiformes

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

While several extinct genera of Heterodontiformes are known from the Jurassic, today only one genus, Heterodontus, the “Bullhead Sharks” remains. Ten living species of bullhead shark have been described.

Bullhead sharks are relatively small, with the largest species reaching just 1.65 metres (5.5 ft) in maximum length. They have tapered bodies, with blunt, proportionally large heads, relatively small mouths, pig-like snouts, and pronounced ridges above their eyes. They have two large dorsal fins, the first larger than the second, and an anal fin. Both dorsal fins have a rigid spine at the front of each fin which is used for defense. Bullhead Sharks are bottom feeders in tropical and subtropical waters. They have cusped grasping teeth at the front of the mouth, and flattened teeth at the back of the mouth. They use the flattened teeth at the back of their mouth to crush hard-shelled prey like bivalves, crustaceans, and sea urchins, and the grasping teeth on soft-bodied prey like worms, anemones, and octopuses. They hunt at night by "walking" along the sea floor with alternating motions of their pectoral and pelvic fins.

Bullhead shark egg cases are shaped like an auger, with two spiral flanges. This allows the egg cases to become wedged in the crevices of rocky sea floors, where the eggs are protected from predators; however, some bullhead sharks deposit their eggs on sponges or seaweed. Due to their spiral shape, each egg case requires several hours to rotate out of the mother shark's cloaca (Oof). She usually lays two at a time. The eggs typically hatch after 7 to 12 months, depending on the species. The pups will usually reach over 14 cm in length by the time they leave the egg case.

The Heterodontiforms appear in the fossil record in the Early Jurassic, with modern forms appearing in the Late Jurassic. Despite the very ancient origins of the genus, phylogenetic evidence indicates that all living species in the genus arose from a single common ancestor that survived the K-Pg extinction.

Propaganda under the cut:

Female Japanese Bullhead Sharks (Heterodontus japonicus) are known to deposit their eggs in communal nests, with as many as 15 eggs left in the same nest.

Horn Sharks (Heterodontus francisci) (image 2) have relatively small territories they hunt in at night, returning to the same “house” during the day. They may remain faithful to the same territory for over a decade. Now that’s a homebody.

Horn Sharks are queued by light rather than by an internal clock. In laboratory settings, they will become active as soon as lights are turned off. If they are in the middle of something when the lights are turned on, they may stop swimming and sink to the bottom. In one experiment where the sharks were kept in darkness, they remained continuously active for 11 days before slowing from fatigue. (☹️)

The Horn Shark generates the highest known bite force relative to its size of any shark, which it uses to crack into mollusks, echinoderms, and crustaceans. One study found the average bite force for this species in the wild to be 95 N with a maximum of 135 N, while under experimental conditions sharks could be induced to bite with over 200 N of force.

Female Horn Sharks in the wild pick up their egg cases in their mouths and wedge them into crevices to keep them safe.

In July 2018, three people were arrested after stealing a juvenile Horn Shark from the San Antonio Aquarium. The shark was scooped out of its tank and smuggled out of the aquarium in a stroller, wrapped in a wet blanket. It was thankfully returned unharmed two days later.

The Crested Bullhead Shark (Heterodontus galeatus) (image 4) produces spiral-shaped egg capsules that are secured to seaweed or sponges with long tendrils.

The Crested Bullhead Shark is a major predator of the eggs of the Port Jackson Shark! Individual sharks have been observed taking the egg capsules in their mouths and chewing on the tough casing, rupturing it and allowing the yolk to be sucked out, or simply swallowing the capsules whole.

The Port Jackson Shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni) (image 1) is a migratory species, traveling south in the summer and returning north to breed in the winter. Males tend to arrive to the breeding grounds first with the females arriving later and staying later, perhaps as a means to reduce egg predation upon their newly laid eggs.

While juvenile Port Jackson Sharks are not particularly social, adults are often seen resting in caves in groups, and prefer to associate with specific sharks based on sex and size. In lab settings, these sharks were shown to have unique personality traits and preferences, can be trained, can count, and can learn by watching other sharks.

[sea-witcheh]

🐚 My Shell List for Ocean Witchcraft

very long!

Cowrie Shell -- Prosperity, fertility, feminine energy, wealth - where to collect: Africa, Indian Ocean beaches

Scallop Shell -- Journey, pilgrimage blessings, protection - where to collect: Atlantic beaches (USA, Europe)

Conch Shell -- Call to spirits, awakening inner power, amplifying voice - where to collect: Caribbean, warm tropical beaches

Sand Dollar -- Spiritual rebirth, peace, trust in universal cycles - where to collect: Mexico, Florida, tropical sandy shores

Murex Shell -- Royalty, sacredness, defense magic - where to collect: Mediterranean, Indo-Pacific

Olive Shell -- Grace, smooth paths, grounding wishes - where to collect: Southeastern US, Australia

Auger Shell -- Psychic defense, focus, clarity - where to collect: Indo-Pacific, Florida, warm beaches

Wentletrap Shell -- Spirit communication, delicate energy, accessing dreams - where to collect: Shallow waters, Southeast Asia

Babylon Shell -- Abundance, rootedness, wisdom of ancestors - where to collect: Persian Gulf, India, Philippines

Triton’s Trumpet -- Powerful protection, summoning sea spirits, strength - where to collect: Indo-Pacific reefs, coral-heavy shores

Limpet Shell -- Adaptability, steady progress, emotional protection - where to collect: Rocky shores, tide pools worldwide

Nerite Shell -- New beginnings, resisting negativity, safe travels - where to collect: Caribbean, Florida, Indo-Pacific

Moon Snail Shell -- Intuition, hidden wisdom, psychic dreams - where to collect: Pacific Northwest (USA), colder beaches

Top Shell -- Personal growth, creativity, positive flow - where to collect: Mediterranean, Caribbean

Turritella Shell -- Ancient memory, ancestral connection, earth-sea balance - where to collect: Fossil beds, warm shallow waters

Sundial Shell (Architectonica perspectiva) -- Cosmic connection, time magic, spiraling growth - where to collect: Indo-Pacific, sandy shallow areas

Helmet Shell (some of my favorites!) -- Courage, spiritual shielding, warrior energy - where to collect: Indo-Pacific, Caribbean

Volute Shell -- Love, devotion, honoring vows (Great gift for your partner <3) - where to collect: Warm waters, Indian Ocean

Paper Nautilus (Argonaut Shell) -- Creativity, femininity, magical flight - where to collect: These are rarer than most, and they float! Mediterranean, Australia

Angel Wing Shell -- Fragile beauty, spiritual awakening, connection to dreams - where to collect: Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Caribbean

Slipper Limpet -- Subtle healing, balance between giving and receiving - where to collect: European and East Coast shores

Donax Shell (Coquina) -- Energy shifts, playfulness, social magic - where to collect: Southeastern USA beaches

Cockle Shell -- Friendship, love, carrying home’s blessings - where to collect: European beaches, Atlantic shores

Pheasant Shell -- Endurance, adaptability, balance of inner and outer selves - where to collect: Australia, New Zealand, Pacific beaches

Spindle Shell -- Manifestation of goals, swift change, ambition - where to collect: Indo-Pacific region, tropical beaches

Marginella Shell -- Financial luck, small blessings, quick positive changes - where to collect: West Africa, Indian Ocean

Ark Shell (clam) -- Courage to face emotional challenges, opening the heart - where to collect: East Coast USA, Gulf of Mexico

Cat’s Eye Shell (Operculum) (My favorite!!!) -- Spiritual gateway, protection during astral travel - where to collect: Washed up with dead shells (Sri Lanka, Australia)

Button Top Shell -- Inner balance, softening harsh emotions, emotional maturity - where to collect: Caribbean, Indo-Pacific

✨ Tips for Collecting Shells

Respect local laws: Some places protect shells, corals, and marine wildlife! Always check if it's okay to take them.

Ethical gathering: Only take empty, dead shells (never with a creature still inside).

Cleanse shells: Wash gently with water and sea salt before using them in spells or altars.

🐚 Shell Magic Ideas

Use cowrie shells in money bowls.

Sand dollars are amazing for transformation rituals.

Conch shells can be used as literal horns to call spirits or start a ritual.

Tiny auger shells make great protection charms to wear or carry.

Paper nautilus shells (if you can find one!!) are perfect for creativity and dream weaving magic.

other sites to use: Shelling tips , shell hunting in Texas , Where and when to find shells

Note: some shells match certain moon phases! Do extra research before using, and make sure the ones you're taking aren't still alive or home to a hermit crab! that can be a miniature trouble! especially if the snail inside is possibly poisonous or venomous.

[bigmammallama5]

Shell Haul

Atlantic bay scallops, calico scallops, baby’s ear snail shells, cayenne keyhole limpets, lettered olive, shark eye moonshell fragments, Atlantic auger shells, common jingles, small eastern oysters, pen shell fragment, eastern banded tulip shell fragment, Atlantic coquinas, cross-hatched lucines, fossilized shark teeth and fragments.

Cross-barred venus clams.

Cross-barred venus clams.

Cross-barred venus clams, common Atlantic slipper snail shells, arc shells (turkey wing and moss).

Arc shells (turkey wing and moss), southern ocean quahog venus clams, soft-shelled clams, eastern oysters, Atlantic giant cockles, assorted small arcs and cockles.

Atlantic giant cockles and fragments, assorted small arcs and cockles, soft-shelled clams, lightning whelk fragments, pear whelk fragment, assorted coral fragments, scotch bonnet fragments, worn and textured shell fragments (quahog, arc).

[All shells were responsibly collected, most to be used in or with art.]

[scarletwritesshit]

🐚 Brant x Zani🐚Devilish Deliveries and Seaside Yearning

This was the closest thing to a vacation that Zani was going to get. If she was being dragged out of the comfort of her office for work on site, then she might as well try to make something out of her time near the sea. Surely, nobody would notice if she strayed just a little bit away from the group, and took just a few minutes to herself to clear her head out...

Zani glanced down at the sand and spotted a multitude of seashells scattered about. There was an abundance of shapes, some flatter than others, some longer than the rest, and some just fatter overall. Picking up the shells and observing every groove and spire carefully was a nice way to get her mind off of official business. Perhaps as a memento of the outdoors she rarely had the opportunity to freely experience, Zani would stash one in her pocket to take back with her.

It was a matter of which one out of her countless options she would rather take. Scallops and oysters would make a perfect dish to hold jewelry or other small trinkets of hers. But cones and augers looked cool to her, despite their lack of practicality. Reasonably, Zani could only fit one or two in her pockets with all of her equipment and keycards she had to carry around. Not to mention, lugging around too many shells would turn her into a walking beach, clanking loudly with every step.

If only she could spare just a single day off. That way, she could spend as much time on the beach (or outside of her office at the very least) as her heart desired. For the time being, Zani would have to make-do with a small seashell as a token of the beach to adorn her desk. A brief glance at it was enough to spark enough daydreams to let her imagine being anywhere but on the clock. A bare minimum and rather soulless prospect, but something had to get her through the day as bits of her soul were exchanged for shell credits.

"Ah, I didn’t know that you were rather fond of seashells, my dear."

Talk about a soul-eroding nuisance. Her tail flicked out of irritation, as he couldn’t have bothered to show up at any other time, such as when she was off the clock, so that the repercussions for sparing him some attention wouldn’t be so great…

"I don’t know anything," Zani said, matter-of-factly, "but looking at seashells is less soul-sucking than listening to another second of corporate business speak.”

Brant slid beside her and peered over her shoulder, narrowing his eyes. "Ah, but that knowledgeable glint in your eyes says otherwise. That is the look of a well-versed expert, and not a passerby in such studies. I know a performance when I see one, and your sharp gaze is no act."

He was acting so smug, as if he were proud of himself for seeing right through the mask Zani donned. In truth, she wanted no more of her brief moment of peace to be gone to his distracting presence, albeit she made a very poor effort in attempting to deter him.

"Turritella, I see?" Brant continued, glancing down at the long, slender shell that Zani was rotating in between her fingers.

"...My favorite, yes," Zani said.

"Then, do explain to me why you still harbor such hesitation!"

She held up the long shell to observe it further. "I cannot fit it with my other belongings. And I am supposed to be accompanying the rest of the vault works out at the present moment, anyways.”

Brant held out the palm of his hand, and looked at Zani with a smile. "Spare your pockets from further strain, my lady. Allow me to handle your treasure in your steed, and return it to your hands without fail."

Zani was most curious to see if, and how, Brant would be able to follow through on his promise. It wasn’t like she was putting faith in him to return a priceless treasure to Averado Vault. She placed the seashell into his hand.

"In that case, I trust you to keep it safe?" she asked.

"And sound and in a better state than you found it in!” Brant said, closing his fist and backing off with a bow.

With him finally backing off, Zani sighed and stood up, dusting off the sand that had stuck to her suit. Time better spent relaxing, wasted on a rowdy handful of a man. She was, admittedly, most curious as to what his plan was to return the shell to her, especially since one dwelled within the confines of a high security office and the other stretched his wings on the open sea. For the rest of the day, however, Brant and Zani's shell had totally escaped her mind. It was nothing more than a one-off encounter to her, at least relative to the stakes at play.

As tired as she was after the conclusion of her regular working hours, Zani returned to her office to further chip away at her seemingly bottomless pit of work needing to be done. She would not make absolutely full use of her time, however, as the start to her work was delayed by her shock upon the sight of a foreign object sitting on her desk. Awaiting Zani on her desk, was an item most familiar, yet she had quickly discarded from her mind earlier. It was the shell that she had passed off to Brant to keep safe.

Now the question was, how did he manage to return it directly to her office? She wouldn’t put it past that troublemaker to have slipped in somehow, but security within Averado Vault was top of the line, even within each individual office. And if he asked someone to pass it along to her, surely Zani would have caught wind of some freakshow having a gift for her.

Or perhaps he charged straight into the vault, delivered the shell, and accepted the jail time. Which, again, wasn’t something that would surprise her.

If anything, Zani was impressed that he went through whatever it was to deliver a mere seashell without fail. Unsure of what to do with it, she set it near the back of her desk, where she had a small amount of free space not overran with papers or empty cans.

Going through the vault’s high security just to deliver a common shell under my nose, Zani thought. What a peculiar man.

Zani heard not a single word of gossip even remotely alluding to his presence the following morning. If Brant truly managed to slip by without causing a scuffle, then perhaps the security systems were long overdue for an upgrade. A possible cause for concern, though she neither got paid enough nor had enough coffee to care about that at the present moment. Although Brant’s visit had apparently caused no notable harm, the thought of investigating that man’s ways lingered in the back of Zani’s mind. Paperwork had due dates and any sort of “date” with Brant would have to wait, however. Zani walked into her office and sat down at her desk, the incident nothing more than a mere thing of the past for the time being.

On top of the papers that she had laid out the night prior was home to…a seashell. In her sleep deprived state, could she have used it as a paperweight, for whatever reason? But the shell she had personally selected from the beach was still at the back of the desk.

Zani had a distinct feeling that she knew exactly who the culprit was. Somehow making it through security one way or another a second time just to give her another seashell was impressive, if not baffling at the very least. It just so happened to be another one of her favorite shapes, though by sheer coincidence, most likely. For the annoying fool he was, Brant was not quick to fall for her lie of apathy, and quickly deduced her love for collecting such things.

She slid the shell towards the back of her desk, placing it alongside the first one. Zani glanced at the two seashells, half-expecting them to spill his secrets to her. It could be nothing more than a clever way of saying he hadn’t forgotten about her so easily. Regardless, the meaning behind this gift of a second shell would have to be deduced at a later time.

The next morning, a third shell of a similar shape appeared on her desk yet again.

Strange. Puzzling. Dumbfounding, even. Alarms remained dead silent, and security systems showed no signs of being tampered with. Was this some sort of prank? It seemed a little nonsensical to "prank" someone with something you know that they liked.

Zani wanted to confront Brant about his antics, especially given how a loophole in security could put the entire vault at risk, but investigation into this not-so-secret admirer of hers costed time better spent tearing through that massive stack of paperwork. Shaking her head, Zani slid the shell to be lined up with the other two and stared at the row of three shells. What she couldn’t get out of her mind was the question as to why he kept giving her a multitude of shells all because of a mere, unfortunately correct, deviation that she was fond of them. The thought had crossed her mind that he had grown attached to her in a particular way, but nevertheless, the sun would only keep rising, and her stack of paperwork wasn’t going to shorten itself. Occasionally, she would glance above at the shells laid out before her.

If only the vault paid overtime to compensate for the extra work that went into keeping tabs on Brant.

𓆞 𖦹˚｡⋆𓇼 ⋆｡˚𖦹𓆝

He couldn’t believe how easy it was to access her office. All it took was a charming smile and the utterance of Zani's name for someone to direct him promptly to her office. Perhaps such trust was due in part to the warning that if stepped so much as a single foot away from his designated path, he would see a fate worse than imprisonment or death.

It was a risk even he wasn’t too eager to take. No reward was in store for him other than the satisfaction of his curiosity, and an even greater punishment was at stake. His crew couldn’t count upon him from the ninth circle of Hell, and he certainly wouldn’t have a chance to see Zani again from the trenches.

On second thought, it wouldn’t be too farfetched to expect to see that devilishly beautiful lady in the depths of the underworld shaming him for his idiotic decisions. Though, he would much prefer to be glared at with his life kept intact, so Brant, for once, opted to behave and deliver the seashell as she requested without stirring up too much fun for one night.

After a successful initial operation, Brant once again decided to test the waters, and returned the following day with yet another seashell of similar shape.

"I am here with a delivery for Miss Zani," Brant said, presenting the seashell clearly in the palm of his hand.

"Right this way sir," the guard said without protest.

It was most strange, almost suspicious as to how easily he was able to access her office. A very likely case was that they did not have the time to keep track of every one of Zani’s eccentric visitors, hence allowing him to get by with a simple name drop.

Didn’t Zani work for vault security?

Wouldn’t things be the exact opposite?

 If he thought too much about it, then his current and any future opportunities were bound to slip away from him.

Brant opened the door to Zani’s office slowly, on the off chance that she happened to be resting at her desk. Nothing. Nothing but deathly, lonely silence. He walked towards her desk and saw the moonlight reflecting off of the shell he had brought for her the night prior. Brant had expected her to have long since discarded it after he saw his assignment through. In a way, the sight of this shell still on her desk was oddly comforting to him.

Careful as to not swiper a single page out of position, Brant placed the shell on her desk and made for a swift exit, daring not to lay his finger upon anything other than the door handle.

Still no bounty on his head the following evening. And yet another worker to inquire about directing him to her office. At this rate, he could slip in every day of the week, having a fresh face to allow him into the office unaware of his visits prior. Surely, by the time he would be greeted by someone new, they would have long forgotten about his presence in favor of what preoccupied their mind at the present moment. It was sort of hard to forget about a visit from the most flamboyant man in Rinascita, but he wasn’t going to waste his thinking capacity questioning it.

"Another delivery for Miss Zani."

And just like that, he got in.

Once more, Zani’s office was thick with the dust on the shelves and the blanket of silence. Walking around her desk to set that evening’s gift down, his eyes were caught by the shine of the moonlight through the crack in the curtains. Brant walked over and gently nudged one of them aside, careful to remain hidden should a witness be lying in wait below.

The view stretched far beyond what Brant could see with his naked eyes. The land of Rinascita appeared to him as nothing more than a playset for a young lady, and the seas bordering the region stretched even further beyond that.

To think that this grand view was a typical sight for her. Zani probably thought nothing of it, just as how Brant thought nothing of the seas. Did she ever tire of it? Did Zani ever long for at least, a temporary change of scenery? By the puffs of dust that flew before him, it appeared as if the window remained undisturbed for quite some time.

Careful as to not further disturb the dust, he walked over to her desk, but turned around one final time to glance out the window.

Was this truly something that Zani saw every day, and thought nothing of such a marvelous spectacle? he thought to himself.

Brant once again directed his attention to her desk. Two shells lined up against the back. Arranged so neatly too, as if there was some essence of care for them. Brant sat down the shell, and couldn’t help but wonder what Zani truly thought of his antics as he hesitated and held it still in his hand. At the very least, she didn’t hate them, otherwise, the shells would be as good as gone. Or so he hoped that she bared no ill will towards him, as he was currently stripped of any further ideas of how to get closer to her.

Brant finally let go of the shell he placed on her desk. As per his routine, he made for the exit, but found it harder to pry himself away compared to previously. He looked back out the window, just one final time, indulging himself in a daydream of Zani staring out her window, not sparing the effort to brush aside the curtains as the moonlight peered through and glimmered on her horns.

Brant shook his head, and exited her office, silently shutting the door to pay his respects to those not there.

The fourth evening of his plan, if could even be called that, was upon him. Brant had yet another shell in hand, though he was sure she had long since caught on by now. Zani wasn’t a dumb woman. Logically, who else would suddenly start giving her shells after learning of her love for them?

This was the hole he had dug, and he would continue to dig himself deeper, until Zani caught him in the act and yanked him by the collar.

Wasn’t he supposed to be trying to discourage himself here? Thinking like that only made him want to get caught in the act.

Absentmindedly lost in the delusion of his own hopes, Brant walked up to one of the workers and said, "Another request fulfilled for Miss Zani, to be delivered by my hands!"

"Ah, I see. Right this way, please," the man said, clearly making a failed effort to suppress a big smile.

Perhaps Brant got a little too ahead of himself, as wasn’t that a snort of laughter he just heard?

𓆞 𖦹˚｡⋆𓇼 ⋆｡˚𖦹𓆝

Zani stood at the doorway, perplexed at the sight upon her desk. Three shells lined up where she had left them, and another placed obviously upon her stack of unfinished documents. Her tail flicked like a cat’s, not out of anger, but rather, out of thoughtfulness.

One of her coworkers took notice of her standing idly in the doorway.

"Pardon me," he said, "but is something the matter?"

"Hmm, you wouldn’t have happened to see a blue-haired pirate about Averado Vault, have you? He is not very difficult to miss," Zani inquired.

"The same one who has been insisting that you asked him to deliver seashells every day?"

"Ah. That explains more than enough."

"Apologies, but did you not request for his presence? I can rectify this immediately upon his next visit."

Zani shook her head. "No. Allow him to continue as usual. I am most curious to see how long he keeps this up."

"You aren’t bothered by him practically welcoming himself into your office?"

"Hardly."

He was truly a bother, but a most welcome one.

The man was a bit baffled by Zani’s response. The moment he was told that that man was an unwelcomed visitor, his body tensed up with anticipation to send the entirety of the vault’s security on the prowl. His disappointment to disarm before he even called the shots very quickly turned into suspicion. Zani wasn’t bothered by a nuisance being allowed practically free entry into her office, just to place shells on her desk that served as nothing more than paperweights? Unless she had other plans with the shells, something wasn’t quite adding up. He stepped to the side to glance over her shoulders, smiling and her arms crossed.

He was in no position to question her, but there was certainly more than enough of a basis for a rumor.

Zani, hardly concerned with the thought process of the devious coworker behind her walked over to her desk and sat down. Her desk remained undisturbed, with the exception of the seashell from Brant that was placed upon her stack of papers. Even the sheets lazily piled on top remained as they were the night prior. In fact, Zani almost wouldn’t have suspected that it was him, given how it was a bit unusual that a man with the firepower of a traveling circus and a half could leave every speck of dust untouched. She placed the shell at the back of her desk, alongside the many others.

Just how many more was he willing to bring? Surely, he would get bored from her lack of action sooner or later.

It became a part of her morning routine. Walk in, sit at her desk, and add yet another seashell to her collection. Shells of all different shapes and sizes were to be found, some practical, some no better than a notepad’s paperweight. Occasionally, she would glance up from her desk to see all of the shells laid out before her. Zani almost felt pity for the shells too small or oddly shaped to serve any real purpose.  And her desk was quickly becoming covered with them, and Brant had yet to show any sign of stopping.

With a little bit of fishing wire and a deathly sharp blade, that problem was easily rectified as Zani strung them all into a necklace. Not exactly practical for her to wear, as it would get tangled up in her horns before she could even put it on. For the time being, it would serve a simple purpose of adorning her belt, on the side of her hip, out of her way, at least until she returned home to figure out what to do with it.

Glancing at her watch, Zani had noticed that she had already stayed so late just crafting the necklace. Might as well stay a bit longer for a shot at catching that trespasser in action. But first, Zani rested her head on the desk, just for a couple of minutes. Her horns were beginning to weigh heavy on her head.

𓆞 𖦹˚｡⋆𓇼 ⋆｡˚𖦹𓆝

He inched the door open, careful as to not make a sound. His plan remained the same as prior. Slip in, daydream about the lovely Zani, place the shell on her desk, and slip out. Only this time, all plans went out the window once he turned around after shutting the door.

One crucial factor that he didn’t plan for was for Zani to still be present in the office.

He knew that it was a possibility. He knew that it was a looming threat. Yet the entire time, he was negligent in plotting his course of action in the event of such.

Upon seeing Zani slumped in her desk, Brant stood motionless. He was bracing himself to turn tail and run the moment she stirred, but Zani didn’t react. After being frozen still for five minutes that felt like an eternity, Brant inched himself closer to her, treading lightly careful as to not make a sound. Upon getting closer, he noticed that Zani was out cold, sleeping no better than if she was in a coma. From the strange position she was slumped in, he deduced that it was likely that she had no intention of falling asleep. To remain in such an awkward position, Brant assumed (and hoped) that her unplanned nap was a rather deep one.

Nonetheless, he treaded lightly, careful as to not startle her awake.

Before he placed that night’s gift onto the table, he froze in his tracks. All of the shells that he had brought for her were completely gone. It seemed as if Zani at long last, grew sick and tired of his nonsense. He knew it was going to come at some point, but he wasn’t braced for the time to come so soon.

It stung his heart deeply. Far more than he was willing to admit to himself or anyone else.

Careful as to not wake Zani, he swallowed his tears that were building up and withdrew the shell. Unable to resist one final look of longing before he left, he gazed upon on her only for his attention to be caught by a familiar shine of moonlight on her hip.

The seashells.

All of them, including the one he bought for her the first day, were strung neatly and looped through her belt. Hope once more filled his soul, but he had to keep his silence, lest he accidentally woke her. Before he did just that, he leaned forward to set down the shell gently, that time directly in front of her face so that it would be the first thing she saw upon waking up.

𓆞 𖦹˚｡⋆𓇼 ⋆｡˚𖦹𓆝

The sun pieced through Zani’s tightly shut eyes. She pulled herself up, still groggy, and after a few minutes, realized that she had never went home for the night.

And there was a seashell directly in front of where her head was resting. Not only did she neglect to go home, but she completely slept through a visit from that slippery shell-sneaking eel.

The workers of the vault were used to Zani dozing off at her desk and sleeping through the night, so they had eventually learned to not bother her. There was less risk of her trudging home only to collapse and find herself the meal of a hungry Dreadmane. For a moment, she Zani was irritated at such consideration, as that was the one night she would have been most pleased with her slumber being disturbed. There was, however, no use to fretting over the past, when she knew that an abundance of opportunity was upon her.

She grabbed the shell and slid it to the back of her desk where the shells that now comprised her necklace once rested. No more excuses. That night, she was determined to confront Brant.

𓆞 𖦹˚｡⋆𓇼 ⋆｡˚𖦹𓆝

The door peered open, and Brant erred on the side of caution, for once in his life. Shell in hand, he slipped through the door and shut it swiftly and quietly, only for his cover of stealth to be busted immediately. The moonlight that normally peered in through the window was overshadowed by a tall figure standing directly in front.

Her tail flickered. There was no way that he was getting out of this one. Brant stood his ground and hid his hand with the shell behind his back, silently preparing for his death.

Zani turned her head to the side, arms crossed, and glared at Brant. The moonlight reflecting off of her demonic red eyes made her appear to be a far crueler woman than he knew…or at least, thought her to be.

With every grueling thought, his heart rate only continued to skyrocket.

Is she going to throw me into jail?

Is this the end of me?

Even worse, is this the end of my crew?

"Why so shy, all of a sudden?" Zani asked.

"Ah... good evening, my dear lady. Just here on the account of...business. Yeah that. Business."

"What kind of business could you possibly have with Averado Vault security at this hour?” Zani said as she sat down at her desk and crossed her legs.

"Oh, you know. Business. And stuff," Brant said, deprived of an excuse.

Zani bent over her desk and rested her elbows, holding up her head with a dastardly smile. The way that she was looking at him certainly made him something, but he couldn’t help but think that her idea of business was hanging his head for the public to see.

"For an actor, your talent of constructing believable falsehoods is quite lacking,” Zani commented.

Brant said nothing. Sincerity was his greatest strength. Even he couldn’t don a mask that wasn’t his own.

"Hold out your hand."

Brant did as he was instructed, keeping the other with the shell still in it behind his back.

"Both of them."

Hesitantly, Brant held out his other hand that was holding the shell, and Zani smiled.

"Caught you, devious seashell bandit.”

"Me? Surely, this is nothing more than a coincidental misunderstanding- “

"Who else would start giving me shells upon correctly deducing that I have a fondness for them?"

Brant once again remained silent.

"Come a little closer," Zani beckoned.

Fearing possible repercussion as a result of disobedience, Brant obeyed her command and approached Zani. She suddenly took hold of his collar and yanked him downwards, nearly causing him to lose his footing.

The moon backlit Zani, causing her to look almost no different than a fearsome, yet respectable beast. What Zani was seeing, however, was a stark contrast to Brant’s perspective. She saw the faint glimmer of light reflecting off of his eyes, like amethysts resting under a sea of stars.

It was as if their perceptions of each other were reflected in their eyes, careless daydreams as real as reality could become within a fleeting moment. As an excited terror filled Brant, Zani’s gaze softened, and she released her grip on his collar. He cautiously found his footing once again, bracing for what she may do next.

"Forgive me for my brashness," Zani said. "It is well past midnight, and I seem to have carelessly discarded my manners."

"My lady, I should be apologizing, for exploiting access to your quarters in such a way."

"No harm no foul. Though, now I do have this seashell necklace that I cannot see myself ever wearing," Zani said, taking the shells off of her belt and twirling them around her fingers.

She thought for a moment, then said, "Come here."

Brant was hesitant.

"I won’t choke you out. Not this time."

Still wary, Brant once again approached Zani. She instructed for him to bow his head as she held up the necklace and draped it over him. He looked down, unsure of himself, then looked back at her.

"...Are you sure, my lady?" he asked.

"I can’t fit this on over my horns. Plus, it looks prettier on you anyways," Zani said, straightening it out.

"P-prettier?"

"I know what I said. Don’t believe me? How about you stay in here with me until the sun rises?”

"I couldn’t possibly accept such a generous offer. I have no means of repaying you."

"You’ve done plenty, Brant. I wouldn’t mind you taking a seat at my desk for the night.”

"But what about you? You can’t possibly be thinking of resting on the floor.”

"My desk has room for two, you know."

"...Ah."

[themarginalthinker]

Undertow

Laddie and the Boys go beach combing. Laddie shows Dwayne some shells he found.

-

Hey guys! Back with another one! A cute scene between Dwayne and Laddie I've had in my head for forever, and finally getting around to writing it.

However, before the drabble, there are a couple of things I'd like to say about specifically our version of Dwanye here:

In our headcanons and worldbuilding, Dwayne is Native Canadian, from the Haida people of Haida Gwaii off the coast of BC Canada. In this drabble, he tells Laddie a story of Raven. I, nor my co-author, are Indigenous. The information on the story nominally comes from the University of British Columbia and the Canadian Museum of History. Here and here.

As someone who is not part of the culture and wishes to be respectful, I am open to concrit and suggestions for how to change or improve the character's representation or dialogue, and corrections about the presentation of the story or alternate sources of information!

As always, thank you. :>

When Laddie runs back to him, he's covered in sand.

"Did you fall in?" Dwayne asks with a laugh at the sight of the boy. The large shirt they'd cut down to size that still hung off his small frame was soaked, a smear of red, slimy algae coating the lower edge. His shorts, that were at least made for his small stature, are no better, wet on the front at the backside. There's sand coating Laddie's legs up to his knees and crusted on his forearms. Dwayne will end up brushing out his hair later and come away with enough to make a sandcastle, he's sure.

Laddie is grinning from ear to ear, though. He rushes to Dwayne, barefoot on the deserted beach. The epitome of a child in summer.

"Paul was giving me a piggy back ride and Marko pushed him and we all fell in the water!" Laddie says as he comes close.

Dwayne raises an eyebrow and looks up, to the pair further down the way. Paul and Marko are dancing around each other, feet barely touching the surf as the waves flow and ebb, pants rolled up to their knees and similarly barefoot to avoid soggy boots. They laugh, call each other names that Dwayne is glad Laddie is out of earshot for, and attempt to toss each other into the waves - or failing that, throwing gobs of wet sand at each other. Their jackets are stashed at the bikes that they'd parked up the dunes, where the beach turns into rocky outcroppings overlooking the little curve of hidden cove.

Up there, the glow of a lit cigarette brightens and dims with each pull on it, David huffing out the smoke as he watches the dark ocean and his pack, away from the grit and dampness.

Dwayne thinks priss, and even from this distance, he can see David pause in his smoking and shoot a look down at him. Dwayne just smirks and turns back to Laddie.

"Find anything good before they started being idiots?" He asks.

Laddie nods, and holds up the plastic yellow toy bucket in his hands, rattling its contents. Inside is a collection of shells and stones, glinting under the moonlight, washed clean.

"Uh huh! They showed me the best tide pools. Look! Paul even found some alive snails!"

Laddie reaches in and wedges one off the side of the bucket where it had been attempting to make its escape, the creature sliding wetly back into its shell to hide at his touch. The shell is striped orange and brown and faintly pink at the edges, pretty. Dwayne hums his approval at the treasure, though knowing Laddie might want to toss it back when he's told he can either let it die and keep the shell, or have to give it up anyway because, according to David, "Marko's flying rats are enough."

Dwayne glances into the bucket, pawing through them himself to see what else Laddie had managed to find.

A good handful of seaglass, blues and browns, worn smooth and frosty with the endless sands and waters. There were a good number of cockle shells, small and grey and pretty, a couple spiraling augers like little unicorn horns, a broken half of a scallop, and cowry shells jingling like coins in his palm. One, two, three four, five-

Dwayne closes his eyes, and takes a breath, banishing the numbers from his head. Waiting until the urge to count, count, count passed.

When he opens his eyes again, he sees something else, near the bottom of the bucket, grey and round and unassuming.

Dwayne reaches in and pulls it out, tugging off some seaweed clinging to it, scraping off the sand coating the inside so the pearly white interior is better seen.

A clam shell, dead and empty, but still attached by the connecting hinge.

"Hey Laddie," Dwayne says, "do you wanna hear a story?"

Laddie, previously entranced with the crawl of the whelk on his hand, leaving wet little trails along his skin, looks up.

"Yeah!" He nods his head, long sun-streaked hair flying around his ears. Dwayne reaches out and hooks a truly wayward lock behind his ear. If he wasn't careful he'd start to look like a mini Paul, and then where would they be.

Dwayne rubs the clam shell between his thumb and finger, and the words come quietly.

"A long time ago, when the world was very new, there was Raven. And because the world was so new, Raven was alone."

He lets the count of each pass of his fingers keep the words from catching behind his teeth. Letting them pass.

"One day, Raven flew down to the beach, where he watched the waves come in and out. He didn't find anything new, anything to catch his interest. He very well may have left, if something new hadn't caught his sight, at the last moment."

Laddie tilts his head, eyes intent, on Dwayne and the shell.

"There was a clam shell in the sand, but not like any other shell Raven had ever seen. It moved around, wiggling like no clam ever did. There was something in it."

"What?" Laddie asks, the conspiratorial tone Dwayne had unintentionally adopted having wormed into his own curiosity. Dwayne smiles with him. Leaning in a little. Thirty one passes of his thumb, thirty two passes, thirty three-

"Well, Raven flies down, and he lands on the shell. He pecks it, he prods it, he tries to see it all. And when he tries to open it, a hand comes out! Inside the clam shell are creatures that Raven has never seen before. Very strange looking, too. Bare skin instead of fur or feathers or scales, and just one patch of long black hair, the same color as him. When they see Raven, they are very afraid, and want to stay in the shell, but Raven calls them out. The world is very big, but Raven wants friends, and eventually, they emerge. The first people in the world."

As he has spoken, Dwayne's soothing of the shell hasn't stopped, the numbers in his head keep ticking up. He's smiling down at the shell in his hand, hearing the hush of the ocean nearby. The words come easy, as a scar on his palm catches on the edge of the clam.

"That's a funny story," Laddie says. His smile has turned into a little contemplative frown, shifting from foot to foot as he waits for Dwayne to finish.

Dwayne blinks.

"Yeah, it is, huh."

"Hey! Laddie! Over here!"

Laddie turns around as Paul calls out from down the beach, he and Marko crouching by some big, flat rocks, poking at a pool. Waving to him to come and see and fill his bucket more.

Dwayne breathes.

"If you find any more shells small enough, you can ask nicely for Marko to make them into a bracelet for you," Dwayne tells Laddie, standing up properly. Laddie's eyes sparkle at the idea, and he nods vigorously again, hair flying back out of place from his ear. He's off before Dwayne can reach out to put it back, legs kicking up sand as he runs, bucket of finds swinging.

Dwayne watches him go, and only realizes he's still holding the clam shell when the edge digs into his fingers. Held too tight in his hand.

Looking back out at the dark ocean, Dwayne pulls his arm back, and throws.

-

"Laddie-!" Star exclaims, eyes wide from where she'd looked up from her seat on the bed. She tosses aside the book she'd been reading to rush up to Dwayne.

Laddie is in his arms, barely awake. "Relax, Star," Dwayne shrugs. "It's summer. Let him live, huh?"

Star pointedly looks over the boy, covered in leftovers of the night's escapade from head to foot. Sea salt and sand and stained shirt, hair tied back with a bit of dried kelp of all things - matching Paul's own hair, evidence of the culprit of such a silly thing. A faint smile still on his face as his hands barely keep hold of his bucket.

With a sigh, Star just reaches forward and gently lays a hand on Laddie's back. "Fine. But you're washing it all tomorrow. Child included."

"Fair enough."

[clipartghosts]

F15_S_B.BMF: A detailed sideview of the U.S. Air Force’s F-15 Eagle. McDonnell Douglas manufactured the fighter jet from 1972 until 1997, and the aircraft is still in use to this day. The F-15 is considered extremely reliable, charting only 1 loss per every 50,000 flight hours. Which makes it all the more unnerving for the general when a squadron of F-15s from Nellis Air Force Base vanish into thin air one blisteringly hot August day. The Air Force covers up the disappearances, obviously, but can no longer deny what it calls a “temporary aberration in operational continuity” when, 17 years later, pieces of fuselage with serial numbers from the missing planes show up in the vast chambers of a gigantic auger shell washed ashore Ocala Beach.

[deityoftherain]

Oceanfolk Tradition made for Empires SMP S1 Lore

Bestowal is something my friend (@welcome-back-to-hoimycraf) and I came up with together. We went crazy in DMs just building up a tradition that I wanted to include in this fic (more info about it on Tumblr) when we didn't need to but when have we ever been sane about our block people and worldbuilding?

Just because I don't think I will be able to use it to its full extent in this series (I might/will probably recycle it and use it in the future for other oceanfolk fics as needed but some of these I don't see myself ever using it BUT THEY EXIST SEE I THOUGHT ABOUT IT ALL), I will share my notes of it that are in my worldbuilding/planning document. Copy and paste, my beloved.

Bestowal: Oceanfolk give shells to those they care about and they wear them on their person as a display of their love. They start wearing them and giving them out when winter turns into spring. There are different shells to show different types of appreciation, care, and love. Oceanfolk tend to wear a lot of shells on their clothing. The shells given are worn as necklaces/bracelets/hairpieces/etc for the spring and they are later sewn into clothes. The shells are passed down and reused, meaning many oceanfolk wear shells their ancestors had worn before. When they don’t want them anymore, there are take-a-shell leave-a-shell spots. Oceanfolk can trade shells there, donate shells they don't want, or take shells to be able to use if they can’t go out to find their own for whatever reason or if they just want extra for xyz.

Shell Code for ^: https://naplesseashellcompany.com/shell-types.html cowries/olives - for those you would like to acknowledge but don’t know well such as coworkers and classmates! They are common and they are the kind of thing you have children gather for activities when teaching them about the tradition bonnets - to give to those you want to know better for xyz reason strombus - to give to those you look up to or respect in your community, showing appreciation as a fan of sorts, etc (those such as teachers, guards, healers, performers, etc) spindle/tibia - (look like sperm soooo) related to sex and fertility however they want to interpret that (your friend with benefits, pregnancy announcement, telling them you want to have sex, etc) tritons/frog - for friends and other platonic relationships turritellas - for familial relationships such as parents, siblings, children, cousins, etc miters/auger - for romantic relationships that you want to get into (if you’re really bold) or to acknowledge an existing one abalones - reserved for engagements and formally committed relationships (marriage basically)

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Unlocking the full potential of Auger electron spectroscopy

Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) is an incredibly useful technique for probing material samples—but current assumptions about the process ignore some of the key time-dependent effects it involves. So far, this has resulted in overly-simplified calculations, which have ultimately prevented the technique from reaching its full potential. In a study published in The European Physical Journal Plus Alberto Noccera at the University of British Columbia, Canada, together with Adrian Feiguin at Northeastern University, United States, developed a new computational approach which offers a more precise theoretical description of the AES process, while taking its time dependence into account. Their method could help researchers to improve their quality of material analysis across a wide array of fields: including chemistry, environmental science, and microelectronics. In the Auger process, an inner-shell electron is initially kicked out of its atom, often through an impact with an energetic light pulse. Afterward, the vacancy it leaves behind is filled by an outer-shell electron.

Read more.

[squiddokiddo]

Favourite types of shells!!!

Yours, but also Squirts and Gordon’s if you wish! And any beachy headcanons you happen to have.

I do think Gordon would be very fun to hang out with and go looking in rock pools and would answer enthusiastic questions about sea creatures equally enthusiastically!

Ohh difficult question. I love seashells but I live nowhere near a beach so I don't get to see many very often, just muddy rivers and lakes around here. (;^^)

When I was younger, my mum used to scuba dive a lot in her free time and she brought me back some cool shells. One I remember was a shell from a type of snail I think and it had these pinkish stripes and would turn pearlesent in water. I really liked that shell, I think mum still has it.

Gordon's favourite type of seashells are probably anything with an animal inside, he's picking them up on the beach and flipping them over to check for stranded critters that need a little help to get back to the ocean. Gords sometimes picks up empty shells to make jewelry out of, he uses string, leather and other bits and pieces that wash up on shore like sea glass and driftwood. He's also made some décor and ornaments, with help from Virgil, some of which sit around the Tracy household as well as one being gifted to Lady P.

I think Gordon would like cowries as an aesthetic choice like cowrie bangles and bracelets, both he and Squirt would have cowrie and sea glass friendship bracelets.

Squirt would like anything with bright colours or unusual shapes like auger shells and starfish (not actually a shell but I'm including it anyway) they also like looking for fossils along the Tracy Island beaches.

.⊹*𖦹🫧🪸🐚𖦹*⊹.

[detective-inspector-her]

🖕for valkyrie?? :D (i promise im not flipping you off /gen)

Ok so this has been circling around my brain space for a while, so bare with me, because it might stray away from the ask. If you've watched Owl House or Stranger Things, you'd have heard of Eda's Orphanage or Steve being a mum. Stuff like that, but with Valkyrie. Omen, Alice, Auger, Never. Her kids now, they keep getting into danger and she needs to be right there otherwise they'd clearly die. Alice is smarter than the damn teens when it comes to survival for gods sake! She is forced to co-parent Omen with Crepuscular Vies against her will. Omen is very against it, but they have a truce when it comes to him.

Now the anger bit.

Anyone hurts those kids now that Valkyrie's healed a bit and is coming out of her shell? They probably won't be alive much longer. Because while she doesn't like killing, she's not having them get the same kind of injures that she used to get. And also bad guys don't go down like they used to and it's annoying.

I also think that 'hurting her kids' extends to the parents of said kids. So Omen & Auger's parents are on very. thin. ice. Crepuscular agrees with this sentiment.