#Delphinus delphis

[namu-the-orca]

Here's another one for SECAC; an adult male Short-beaked common dolphin. The female below is an older illustration (though I changed her slightly to match better) but I though it'd be fun to post them together to show the differences.

Although subtle, this species does display sexual dimorphism. Males tend to have bolder markings, especially around the face (the pectoral fin-to-chin stripe in females is often thinner and/or yellow instead of black) and the anal area. Most reliable for sexing though is the post-anal hump, the "bump" between the belly and flukes, which readily identifies all adult males.

Common dolphins are something of a comfort subject to me, I love drawing them and they always turn out so pretty (this is to say more about their natural beauty than my drawing prowess). This guy was a delight to draw and I'm very happy with the result.

[inatungulates]

Short-beaked common dolphin Delphinus delphis

Observed by charlottekirchner, CC BY

[snototter]

A female common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) with her calf surface at Newport Beach, California, USA

by marlin harms

[llumimoon]

Been playing a pokemon moon soul link nuzlocke with @silverbreeze424 and of course as the seal guy I had to pick the sea lion/seal starter r you kidding ?? Anyways loved this doodle page of Delphy sooo much I decided to color and post it <3

[vgtrackbracket]

Video Game Track Bracket Round 1

Goodbye, Inspector from Papers, Please

vs.

Delphinus Delphis from ABZÛ

No propaganda was submitted for either track.

If you want your propaganda reblogged and added to future polls, please tag it as propaganda or otherwise indicate this!

[indigoparkconfessions]

Oceanic Odyseey has potential.

WAIT WAIT WAIT PLEASE DON'T GO HEAR ME OUT HEAR ME O-

Now, you probably looked at this ask with a raised eyebrow wondering what the fuck I mean by "Oceanic Odyssey has potential" so, allow me to explain.

I feel like Oceanic Odyssey has the potential to take inspiration from many ocean exploration games but I have two in mind that would make the best candidates: Subnautica and ABZU.

ACT 1: Subnautica and its possible influence on the horror in Oceanic Odyssey

Now, what IS Subnautica? Subnautica is an ocean exploration based survival game where the player explores the oceans of a once unknown planet called 4546B located in the Andromeda Galaxy and finds various alien sealife within the planet's oceans. A lot of them are pretty chill but the main thing that Oceanic Odyssey could take inspiration from in terms of horror is Subnautica's leviathans that act as 'bosses' in a way. Here two of the best examples.

The Reaper Leviathan

This thing could be a pretty big influence in terms of how Finley can possibly jumpscare you as this creature can LITERALLY LUNGE AT YOU. I don't think I need to explain myself any further.

The Ghost Leviathan

I feel like the anticipation factor of Oceanic Odyssey's horror could easily be influenced by The Ghost Leviathan as you don't see it as often and when it jumpscares you, you almost never see it coming. The Ghost Leviathan more so just creeps around the ocean and amubshes you instead of lunging at you at the first moment it gets which could be a great inspiration for the anticipation parts of Oceanic Odyssey's jumpscares.

ACT 2: ABZU and its influence on Oceanic Odyssey's atmosphere

ABZU is an ocean exploration based adventure game where you take the role of a robot exploring the depths of the ocean and documenting the life within the ocean waters. I feel like in terms of atmosphere (and soundtrack if you really wanna go the distance) could definitely take some inspiration from ABZU as the world and music of this game are absolutely BEAUTIFUL. (Pictures and audio below are from the ABZU game and OST)

based off of all of this alone, I'm pretty confident to say that ABZU could be a great inspiration for Oceanic Odyssey's atmosphere.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

I feel like Oceanic Odyssey has the potential to be scary and absolutely beautiful at the same time. This was just me wanting to get that off my chest so, yea.

.

[badwryter]

Chapter 3: Caught

"They said you could change the way you looked. How do you do it?" The gruff voice asked behind Delphi.

"I'm not Gemini." She replied while turning to face her aggressor.

His face was sharp, brown hair hung low over his brow, with neatly trimmed stubble outlining his jaw. A long leather duster hung closely over his plain clothes with a rifle strapped to his back. His gloved hand held a large pistol to her forehead.

"Oh? You're not?" He mocked while flashing a watchdog badge.

"I'm following his trail too."

"Open the bag."

Delphi slowly slid her bag off of her shoulders and dropped it in front of her. Her hands shakily tugged at the drawstring until her armor came into view. Her bow sat on top of the pile and drew her attention.

"None of that." He dipped his revolver into her view. "Now dump it on the ground."

She grabbed the edges and slowly turned her back on end. Her bow, armor, and a few provisions tumbled onto the ground before them. The look of recognition in his eyes caused her to wince.

"So you're not Gemini, but why did an archeologist attack a government building. Put your hands against the wall." He gestured to a place mostly clear of debris.

She placed her hands on the wall as he quickly patted her down. Soon after he placed a pair of electronic cuffs around each of her wrists and locked them together. They were tight, but not uncomfortable.

"State your name, purpose, and point of contact."

"Delphinus, catching Gemini, none."

"Well Delphinus, I am officer Jerry Gilroy of the Watchdog unit. You are under arrest as the main suspect in an attack on the maintenance authority. You will be held until someone higher than me hears that you're an archeologist and releases you against my advice. You will be fed, housed, and given entertainment until such a time as you aren't a ward under my protection." The sarcasm dripped from his voice as he led her out of the gate and to a small shuttle.

Gently, he pushed her through the doorway of the brightly lit unmarked vehicle. He tossed her bag with its content, and the note into a small compartment. The glass door of the confinement unit lowered in front of her face as he slid into the drivers seat of the shuttle.

"So Jerry, you're taking me in to get questioned?" Delphi began fiddling with the lock before sending an electrical pulse through them, disabling them with a barely audible click.

"No, I'm taking you to see a play at The Sands. It's a local theater that's all the rage for criminals."

"Well Jerry, I haven't seen a play in some time if you can believe it." She spoke while focusing waves of energy on the lock om her cell.

"Call me Gilroy if you're gonna keep using my name. Only my parents call me by my first name." He yawned before turning on some soft local music.

"Gilroy it is." She sent the last pulse through the lock, disabling it, just as she finished her sentence. "Do you have a favorite play? Or do you only go when you're arresting people?"

"Only when arresting Proctor's. No one else gets preferential treatment." He yawned again and pulled onto a large stretch of pavement.

"So what's your favorite play to see with Proctor's?" She slid the door open as quietly as she could and stepped into cabin of shuttle. Her eyes rested on the rifle he had placed just outside her cell on top of the container holding her things. Without looking she leaped for it only to hear the telltale click of a gun being cocked.

"The one where the stupid Proctor doesn't realize she's been outplayed." He did not so much as turn around as he aimed in her direction.

"How did you know?"

"I got a notification when you fried your handcuffs. I assume I should be thankful that you didn't do that to me while I was patting you down."

"I don't believe in resorting to violence under any circumstances."

"Luckily for me, I do. Now get back in the cell before I have to shoot you."

"I don't think you will." She slowly reached for the rifle, placing it on the ground and opening the container.

"What gives you that impression?"

"Guns not loaded, cars stolen, your names Uriah Rockefeller, known accomplice of Andromeda Manning, aka Gemini." She rattled off everything Cerberus spoke inside her head as she placed her armor on the ground, read Gemini's letter, and started changing.

"Can you warn me next time you're taking off your clothes?" She watched his eyes snap back towards the road.

"Why? It's just skin. Had it my entire life actually." She walked towards the front of the shuttle and sat in the seat next to him, setting her helmet in her lap.

"Yea, and I've seen plenty, but there's something to be said of professionalism you know." He turned to look at her for a moment.

"Turn left here." Cerberus remarked and Delphi repeated.

"Now you're telling me where to go?" He asked while easing the shuttle down the new road.

"Yea, sorry about that, you kidnapped the wrong person." She pointed at a small apartment complex just ahead. "Now are you going to behave so we can see why Gemini lead me here?"

"You think I'm gonna take orders from someone I just met?" He flashed a charming smile, directed at an entirely unimpressed face.

"Well you were looking for Gemini for a reason and I'm your best bet." She pushed open the shuttle door and stepped into the mostly empty street.

No other shuttles passed as she crossed to address she had recovered. The building in question look entirely dismissable. Faded red walls matched the buildings on either side of it, each window had curtains pulled, even the dingy blue of the door failed to draw her attention as she knocked.

"So Gemini is in this building?" He had long since placed his revolver back in his holster, but kept his hand on a knife tucked in his waist.

A few seconds passed before she empowered her suit and scaled the wall, leaving a shouting Uriah behind her. The top floor window lead into a furnished, but obviously abandoned room. The next few floors were equally as vacant as she finally unlocked the front door.

"You could have warned me." He said as soon as she came into view.

"I could have left you outside."

"Yea, you're definitely related to him. It seems arrogance is a family trait."

"So you want a warning whenever I get dressed, and whenever I climb a wall, do you want one when I eat, sleep, or drink?" She paused her search of the building. Each door she checked had been unlocked and the complete lack of food left a nagging feeling in the back of her mind.

"Hey." Uriah called out while Delphi combed through a few papers lying around.

"What?" She shouted back, setting the papers in a disorganized stack on a side table inside the otherwise organized bedroom. Even the sheets looked to have been never disturbed as a layer of dust gathered overtop them.

"You think this could be anything?" He remarked as soon as she entered the main hallway.

In front of him was set of stairs leading under the building that had been hid behind an empty bookshelf. The bookshelf rested against the wall, having been noiselessly moved out of the way. No light drifted down into the dim and dusty space below, but a soft mechanical glow rose up to meet the still air above.

"Guess you're not useless." She took the first tentative step onto the wooden stairs.

"Well one of us has to be of use. I don't see you finding anything." His steps creaked behind her.

"You do one thing right and suddenly you're the most useful person in the room?"

"Better than the person who hasn't done anything right I'd wager."

"You're lucky I'm tolerating you."

"Don't worry, once I find Gemini you'll never hear from me again."

"I'll hold you to that."

The walls of the room were lined with servers and had metal plating along the ceiling and floor. A singular rolling chair sat in front of three monitors. The glow came from the screen saver. A small picture of Uriah and Gemini embracing each other with their lips nearly touching, bounced around each screen barely missing the corners. It got closer with each bounce until she disturb the image with a tap of the keyboard.

"Just when it was getting good."

"So you two were together?"

"Kind of? I don't really know what I was to him."

She glanced back at his steel expression before returning her attention to the unlocked computer. A video of Gemini was already center screen and waiting for someone to click play. The background was of the same room she found herself in, but with a few tables and unfinished tech on them.

"Should we?" Uriah asked right as she clicked play. The voice came through crystal clear.

"Uriah, or is it Delphi who found this first? If I'm right, as I often am, it should be both of you here. How interesting." Gemini gloated as a refurbished moving bot packed up the tables and tech in the background.

"So let's start with what's happening here shall we? Firstly, Delphi, so sorry about your ship. Unfortunately I need it much more than you. Secondly, Uriah, sorry I couldn't take you with me." He face turned serious for a moment as he rubbed the bridge of his nose before continuing.

"I found something. Something big. Huge even. It could change the way we view everything in our solar system. Hell, it could get us out of our solar system if I'm right as I usually am."

"Do you believe this asshole?" Uriah asked between Gemini's sentences.

"He's an ass, but not an idiot." Delphi focused back on the screen.

"I know you're both gonna try to come after me. Let's be real here, I understand both of you way better than you understand yourselves. Before you do, I left a drive with some information that I found out. Have Cerberus look over it. Oh, and Delphi..."

"I'm gonna kill him when I find him. You cool with that? The smug bastard deserves to die for this shit." Uriah growled.

"All guns and no brains huh?"

A click sounded behind her as a hand flung her to the floor. "What the fuck..." She stop mid sentence as Uriah pulled his revolver out of its holster.

Behind him, a rotary rifle spun up before opening fire on where she had been moments before. The monitors were shattered, leaving melted glass covering the floor. The chair had burned holes through it the size of her fist. Uriah had his arm blocking his face, a metal gleam showed through the holes in his duster.

"Trust Uriah." Was the last garbled sentence the Gemini said before the computer went entirely dark.

Uriah opened fire on the rifle, leaving large holes through it. The loud bang that accompanied each shot rang inside Delphi's ears. Seven shots later the rotary rifle dropped from the ceiling and clattered to the floor with a muffled sound that barely went over the ringing in her ears.

"I thought you said the gun was empty." She asked Cerberus immediately after gathering her wits

"I said that I didn't detect an active power source."

"It's analog. Your AI couldn't have noticed that." Uriah already had his metal hand extended in her direction.

She grabbed his hand and let herself be pulled to her feet. "He didn't mention the arm either."

He tore off the now nearly shredded sleeve and revealed an entirely mechanical arm of a dark black metal. "Gemini made it. I'm not surprised that he made sure a Cerberus unit couldn't see it. The metal covers my entire back as well."

"You know about Cerberus?" Delphi dusted herself off before reaching towards the arm and pulling her gauntleted hand back. "May I touch it?"

"Gemini told me about them before he vanished." He straightened his arm out for her inspection. "Be my guest."

She removed her gauntlets and ran her hands along the metal tenderly, her fingers rubbing the scorch marks until they disappeared entirely. The metalwork was immaculate, no sign of welding could be seen on the smooth surface. The metal plates overlapped with each other, creating a seamless piece all the way up to the organic shoulder. The palm of the hand had a synthetic latex sensor that allowed it to transmit the sensation of touch, tempature, vibration, and electrical current.

"He does good work." He stated flatly before tearing off his other sleeve to make his duster symmetrical.

"That's an understatement. Work like that can only usually be gotten at home." She put her gauntlets back on and walked towards the now destroyed computer.

"I plan on getting it replaced when I come into some money." He responded nonchalantly while following her.

"Look, I don't know what you two were to each other, but you should keep it. It obviously means a lot to you." She searched around the computer until she found a fully intact drive.

"Do you trust that?" Cerberus asked moments before she shoved it into a slot in her helmet. "Nevermind."

"We should get out of here. Someone has to have heard the gunfire." Uriah had walked back towards the staircase, but waited at the bottom step.

"Download complete." The words filled her head as she followed him up the stairs and out of the building. He quickly placed the bookcase back against the wall, blocking all view of the stairs.

Delphi sighed and climbed into the shuttle, taking her seat in the passenger spot. Her boots rested against the dash despite the obvious dangers. A soft music filled the air as they drove away from the scene. Soon they could hear chatter over the radio of officers arriving at the abandoned apartments.

"I'll drive you home. Just give me the address." He remarked after a few minutes of driving in relative silence.

"Better idea." She directed him to a nearby bar Cerberus had found.

"Do you really think drinking is a good idea at the moment?" He complained, but still crawled out of the shuttle after her.

"Well you'll want to keep tabs on me right? To find Gemini. Cerberus will take some time to pick through the files and I've already had a long day." She remarked casually as she held the door open for the continuously more sullen man.

"Delphi I do not think this is wise." Cerberus called in her head as she and Uriah pulled out their chairs and sat at a table in the back of the bar. He immediately picked up a tablet off of the table and began clicking through menus while they waited.

"I know, and I'm sorry I haven't been talking to you as much today, but I have a good feeling about him." She whispered under her breath. "Plus he looks like a kicked puppy. Probably what Gemini liked about him."

"Ever the reckless one I see."

"You know it's considered rude to talk about a guy while sitting across from him." He spoke lazily over his tablet without making eye contact with her.

"You know it's also considered rude to kidnap someone? Dramatic ass." She laughed. "Can you order me an Ole Fashioned and some fries. I'll get more food when I'm good and buzzed."

"You paying?" He tapped on the tablet before placing it back on the table.

"Can't even get a me a drink after holding a gun to my head? This is the worst kidnapping I've ever been apart of." She sighed and reached for the tablet.

"Calm down. Your fries and drink will be here shortly. Dramatic ass."

Delphi played a rhythm with her fingers on the table and tilted on the back legs of her chair while she waited. The bar was relatively full, with patrons providing some much needed background noise to mask their conversations. Her eyes drifted towards the counter and kitchen until a pleasant looking waiter set a drink down in front of her. She plucked the cherry from the glass and quickly ate it before sipping the drink and snacking on a few fries.

Uriah kept to himself as he ate, a glass identical to hers sat in front of him. Her eyes followed his deadened movements as he ate and sipped. His eyes never left his nearly robotic movements.

"So did you start drinking these because of Gemini or did he get that particular trait from you?" He finally spoke after he had all but finished his burger.

"Oh, from me definitely. I was already fifty-three when he was born."

Uriah choked on his drink and cleared his throat. "How old are you?"

"I think I turned two-hundred a few years back. I don't really keep track. What about you?"

"I'm twenty-three." He mumbled.

"You're twenty-three and you already lost an arm? Was it a mining accident?"

"Pirates. I used to be in the military. Signed up young to escape poverty. Got screwed over." Her eyes narrowed more the longer he spoke.

"So you killed people." The words were not an accusation, despite the tone that had crept into her voice.

"I kept pirates from killing civilians. I didn't fight in any wars. I thought I was helping people."

"You still killed people."

"Yea, still do if the need arises. Sometimes it's a matter of either killing or letting someone else die instead. Sometimes that person is you."

"You still killed people."

She took a heavy drink before setting her glass down and ordering another. A third followed, and then a forth, the conversation hanging dead in the air. Her mind began to feel a familiar haze as she ordered some more food for herself.

"Delphi, you're definitely going to want to see this." Cerberus chimed inside her head.

"Hmm?"

An overlay of a ship type she had never seen before sat in front of her eyes. The sleek dark metal overlapped and moved in tangent with each other in a mesmerizing way. No visible windows, weapons, or engines. Nothing to showcase a weak point.

The inside was even more advanced. She could see a pilotless cockpit and a thrustless engine drive. The shielding technology matched all Proctor designs, but without the built in safety limitations. Even capturing the ship for herself she was certain it would take another century for her to imagine replicating any of what floated before her eyes.

She grabbed the tablet off the table and a few hacks later she was showing the ship the Uriah. He looked quizzically at her.

"What am I looking at?"

"A ship, check out these specs." A few more taps later the blueprints revealed themselves on the tablet.

"What the fuck kind of ship is that?" He took a gulp of his drink.

"It's Proctor, but older, and far larger than any even we've managed to find. That's what Gemini is after."

@artisplatters

[lightningspam-photography]

Short Beaked Common Dolphin (delphinus delphis)

status: protected

taken off the coast of Santa Barbara, California

Something a little different this time - a video! Showing still images of these animals is fun but sometimes I don’t feel it quite does them justice. Short beaked common dolphins are certainly one of those as they tend to fly out of the water like popcorn. This day the water was incredibly flat offering a clear view of them underwater as one launches itself airborne. Listen to that smack as it hits the water!

[tabsters]

The Twelve Days of Zodiacs - Day 5

"On the fifth day of Christmas, my Zodiacs gave to me, Five ugly sweaters, Four wrapped presents, Three snowmen, Two bread rolls, And a snowball fight under a tree."

it should be noted that this story is in a modern AU, aka an AU where no magic exists. everyone is just normal and untraumatized! the modern AU names for the characters are listed below:

TZE! Gemini: Hannah TZE! Scorpio: Sera TZE! Aries: Alex TZE! Leo: Leo TZE! Lacerta: Lacy (mentioned) TZE! Delphinus: Delphi (mentioned) TZE! Sagittarius: Will (mentioned)

tagging @mythicalmagical-monkeyman @hyperfixation-tangentopia @maiawhimsicalt @sweet-star-cookie

next chapter is here!

“Thank you for taking me to the mall!” Cassie said as Ciara’s dad drove into the parking lot. The man smiled as he parked the car, stepping out and pulling Cassie’s door open for her.

“It’s no problem at all.” He was a short man, with dark red hair and a sprinkling of freckles across his face. Ciara said that he worked as a daycare teacher, and Cassie could definitely see it. “We’re very glad that Ciara’s making some more friends.”

Sera, who was coming along on their mall trip, stepped out of the car as well, holding Ciara’s bag for her. “Such a gentleman,” Ciara quipped.

“Mm.” Sera only nodded, handing her bag back. “Cassie, you mentioned that you needed to do some Christmas shopping?”

“Oh! Yes!” Cassie rummaged through her bag, making sure that she had her possessions. “I have my own money, though, you don’t need to worry.”

“What do you do?” Ciara’s dad—Mr. Alejandro—asked as they walked into the mall. Ciara let out a loud sigh of relief as they stepped into the heated rooms. “Dog walking? Pet sitting?”

“Better to ask what Cassie doesn’t do,” Ciara laughed, and Cassie blushed. “Anyway, where to first?”

“I saw a really stupid ugly sweater in one of the stores’ websites,” Sera began to say, before getting cut off by one of Ciara’s long, drawn-out groans.

“It’s a family tradition,” Mr. Alejandro said at Cassie’s questioning look. “We dress up in ugly sweaters and take pictures to use for our Christmas cards.”

“I love it,” Sera said cheerfully, the most emotion Cassie had seen from him. “You all look so stupid and you all look so funny.”

“Lacy and Delphi certainly seem to think so,” Ciara grumbled. “Did you know that your friends made last year’s picture of me a meme?”

Sera chuckled, pulling out his phone to show Cassie the aforementioned meme. “Yeah, I was the one who sent them the photo.”

Cassie looked at the picture on Sera’s phone. It was zoomed in on Ciara, who was sitting like a cat, her arms attempting to cover up her ugly sweater. She was pouting, her lower lip stuck out.

“You look cute!” Cassie said, giggling as Ciara recreated the exact same pout in real time. “No, really!”

“Just show us the stupid sweaters,” Ciara sighed, swatting at Sera’s arm.

-

After an hour of walking around in confused circles (and after getting sidetracked and spending a solid half hour in Barnes and Noble), they finally found the store Sera was talking about.

“They opened very recently,” Sera attempted to defend himself. “They’re a small business.”

“Just admit you got lost.” Ciara pointed at one of the mannequins, who was in fact wearing an ugly sweater. It had a giant reindeer with lights strewn all over its antlers. “That one would be good for you, my dearest brother.”

“I already have my sweater,” Sera said proudly. “It has Santa falling into a snowdrift. My boyfriend gave it to me as an early present.”

“Good God, not again,” Ciara said. Mr. Alejandro patted her on the shoulder, possibly offering his condolences to his daughter. "You and Hannah, always talking about great your partners are."

"If Alex ever ends up confessing to Will, you're doomed, Ciara." Sera stuck his tongue out, walking into the store.

"I don't think I could take it if all three of your siblings started dating," Mr. Alejandro stage-whispered out of the side of his mouth. Both Cassie and Ciara laughed.

They walked through the store, trying to figure out which sweaters would look good for each of Ciara's family members. Ciara vehemently denied the idea that any sweater would look good on her.

"It's for the bit, Ciara," Cassie said, holding up a sweater that had Santa stuck in the chimney of a house, his legs flailing in the air. "Commit to the bit!"

"I've been committing to the bit since I was seven," Ciara complained loudly. She nudged her father in the side, startling him. "This guy and Mom thought it was a good idea as a family bonding activity when I first got adopted. And then we just never stopped."

"We were doing it before we got you!" Mr. Alejandro protested. He scrolled through his phone, showing Cassie a picture of him and a woman. Both were dressed in ugly sweaters, and the photo dated back to ten years ago. "Your mother and I have been doing it ever since we started dating!"

"That's your mother?!" Cassie asked, mouth falling open in shock. The woman was ethereally beautiful, with her black hair falling over one shoulder in one long plait. Her dark skin was dusted with gold glitter around her cheeks, and her smile was infectious. She somehow made the ugly sweater look like high fashion. "Is she a model?"

"Real estate agent." Ciara tapped her mother's face. "She's the breadwinner of this family. Dad's the trophy husband."

"And I'm perfectly happy being your mother's trophy husband!"

"SHIT!" Sera came rushing back towards them, a panicked look on his face. "Guys, hide me!"

He then proceeded to duck behind all three of them. This was a mostly unsuccessful task, as he was tall and lanky, and could not be easily hidden.

"What are you hiding from?" Cassie asked the man, who was now trying to see if he could make a mad dash towards the exit. She looked around. The store seemed devoid of any imminent danger.

"Ah, shit," Ciara said. "It's his ex."

"Which one?" Mr. Alejandro asked.

"How many does he have?" Cassie asked, bewildered.

Ciara actually began counting them out on her fingers. "There was the guy who was really into Call of Duty, the genuinely shitty one, the really pretty blind girl, the girl that helps out at the bookshop on the corner of—"

"It's Leo," Sera finally hissed out.

"Ah." Mr. Alejandro nodded in understanding. "But I thought you two were on decent terms?"

"Then he dated Hannah, and now we're not on decent terms!" Sera whisper-shouted. "I may or may not have given him a failed shovel talk."

"He dated you and your sister?" Cassie asked, getting more confused by the second.

"He dated Sera, Hannah, and Alex, but I think that last one was a dare." Ciara sighed, rubbing her temple. "Or a result of spin the bottle. I forgot."

"Who cares—he's here, he's in my vicinity, can we please get out—"

"Sera!" A loud voice said before Sera could finish. "I didn't expect to see you here!"

The speaker was a tall—taller than Sera, surprisingly—man with tanned skin and bleached blonde hair. He was wearing a golden fur coat, the fur looking remarkably like lion fur. He flicked his sunglasses up to his forehead, revealing golden contacts. A sun necklace jangled around his neck.

"Hi, Ciara," Leo said, holding up his hand for a high-five. Ciara had to jump up to slap his hand. "Mr. Ramirez. And...who's this?"

"This is my friend," Ciara said, gesturing to Cassie. "Cassie, this is...uh, well, he used to be the head of the theater club in middle school."

"I'm her mentor!" Leo said cheerfully, patting Ciara on the head. "What are y'all shopping for?"

"Ah, well, we were looking for ugly sweaters, for our family tradition," Mr. Alejandro said, playing mediator. He cast a wary glance to his son, who was trying to sneak his way out of the store. "But I believe we're just about finished."

"I can help!" Leo punctuated his words with a couple of pats to Ciara's head. "Sera knows that I have an excellent taste in fashion.

All of them looked towards Sera, waiting for his judgment. The boy sighed, trudging over to join the group.

"I don't get why you needed a theater club. There was already a theater class." Sera flicked Leo on the shoulder. Leo just smiled. Cassie distantly thought that they didn't look like they were on such bad terms.

"It was for theater enthusiasts like me and your sister!" Leo walked leisurely through the store, pulling sweaters seemingly at random off the shelves and depositing them in Ciara's arms. "Those that appreciate the art of acting."

"I'm in theater!" Cassie piped up. "Tech theater, though. Actors have too many lines to memorize."

"And without techies like you, we wouldn't be able to put on such a good show," Leo said, patting Cassie on the shoulder. "Theater is a collaborative art form!"

Sera sighed some more, probably at the fact that his ex was swooping in and stealing his spotlight. 

They found four good sweaters for the other members of their family: a green sweater with a 3-D Christmas tree for Ciara's mom, a red sweater with an enormous Rudolph on it for Ciara's dad, a darker red sweater that said "ON THE NAUGHTY LIST" for Alex, and a white sweater with the words "ELVES MUST STOP CRYING BEFORE RETURNING TO WORK" for Hannah.

"Ciara should wear this one!" Leo held up a red sweater with three cats on it, under the words 'Have a Meow-y Christmas!'. Leo held the sweater up to Ciara, who scowled.

"No, this one," Sera said, pulling a blue sweater with a pixelated Mario out of the pile. "She likes Mario more than she likes cats. Right, Ciara?"

Ciara looked between the two boys, seemingly unsure on whose opinion she should go with. She glanced back at Cassie with an expression that seemed to say 'HELP'. 

Admittedly, it seemed like the two boys were having a silent contest over which one of them Ciara liked better. Cassie was inclined to be on Sera's side, because something about Leo seemed a bit...off. She wasn't quite sure what it was. 

"I think the Mario one looks nice!" Cassie said, stepping in between the two. "Maybe you can give the cat one to someone else."

Leo made a sound of faux disappointment, before putting his sweater back into the box. "Alright, alright. I see I'm outnumbered."

"Ha!" Sera said in triumph, pumping his fist into the air. "I win. Let's go to check out."

Ciara groaned some more, shoving the pile of sweaters into her father's hands. Leo raised his hands in surrender before ruffling Ciara's hair and walking away.

"See you around, Ciara," He said, smiling at her. He looked towards Cassie. "And nice meeting you, Cassie." 

Sera crossed his arms behind his back, looking towards Cassie as well.

His eyes said what he could not: Thank you.

check out @sweet-star-cookie's starglass zodiac lore if you liked this!! questions about my lore are greatly appreciated!!

[havingawhaleovatime]

Short-Beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus Delphis) - by Clcarder

Short-Beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus Delphis) off the Coast of S. California.

[namu-the-orca]

Do you remember my motley of marine friends from earlier this year? They were (indirectly) for Project UK, which aims to raise awareness and help fishers better reduce and identify bycatch, especially endangered species.

The full guide - including my illustrations - is out now! You can see it HERE. And here is Project UK's website, outlining the work they do. I think it's pretty neat to see the good work being done, and my artwork out in the wild, hopefully contributing!

[inatungulates]

Short-beaked common dolphin Delphinus delphis

With Bonaparte's gull Chroiocephalus philadelphia

Observed by joshuamalbin, CC BY-NC

[o-craven-canto]

All animal species (and a couple algae) that have kept the same scientific name since Linnaeus

The first work of taxonomy that is considered as having any scientific authority for animal species was the 10th edition of Linnaeus' Systema Naturae, published in 1758. (Also a book on spiders called Aranei Suecici, published one year before.) That's the foundational text of the binominal system of nomenclature of species still in use today. Since then most of Linnaeus' original species (4379 species, of which 185 mammals, 554 birds, 217 "amphibians" (including reptiles and cartilaginous fish), 379 fishes, 2104 "insects" (including various arthropods, of which 664 are beetles and 543 are moths & butterflies crammed into only 3 genera), and 940 "worms" (including basically all other invertebrates, and even some protists and algae)) have been dismembered, renamed, or at least moved to different genera (e.g. the house sparrow went from Fringilla domestica to Passer domesticus).

Here is a list of all of Linnaeus' original species from 1758 that still retain their original name. I believe they are 484 in total.

"Mammalia"

(Primates)

Homo sapiens (human)

Lemur catta (ring-tailed lemur)

Vespertilio murinus (rearmouse bat)

(Bruta)

Elephas maximus (Asian elephant)

Trichechus manatus (West Indian manatee)

Bradypus tridactylus (three-toed sloth)

Myrmecophaga tridactyla (giant anteater)

Manis pentadactylus (Chinese pangolin)

(Ferae)

Phoca vitulina (harbor seal)

Canis familiaris (dog)

Canis lupus (grey wolf)

Felis catus (house cat)

Viverra zibetha (Indian civet)

Mustela erminea (stoat)

Mustela furo (ferret)

Mustela lutreola (European mink)

Mustela putorius (wild ferret)

Ursus arctos (brown bear)

(Bestiae)

Sus scrofa (wild boar/pig)

Dasypus septemcinctus (seven-banded armadillo)

Dasypus novemcinctus (nine-banded armadillo)

Erinaceus europaeus (European hedgehog)

Talpa europaea (European mole)

Sorex araneus (common shrew)

Didelphis marsupialis (common opossum)

(Glires)

Rhinoceros unicornis (Indian rhinoceros)

Hystrix brachyura (Malayan porcupine)

Hystrix cristata (crested porcupine)

Lepus timidus (common hare)

Castor fiber (European beaver)

Mus musculus (house mouse)

Sciurus vulgaris (red squirrel)

(Pecora)

Camelus dromedarius (dromedary camel)

Camelus bactrianus (Asian camel)

Moschus moschiferus (musk deer)

Cervus elaphus (red deer)

Capra hircus (goat)

Capra ibex (Alpine ibex)

Ovis aries (sheep)

Bos taurus (cow)

Bos indicus (zebu)

(Belluae)

Equus caballus (horse)

Equus asinus (donkey)

Equus zebra (mountain zebra)

Hippopotamus amphibius (hippopotamus)

(Cete)

Monodon monoceros (narwhal)

Balaena mysticetus (bowhead whale)

Physeter macrocephalus (sperm whale)

Delphinus delphis (common dolphin)

"Aves"

(Accipitres)

Vultur gryphus (Andean condor)

Falco tinnunculus (common kenstrel)

Falco sparverius (sparrowhawk)

Falco columbarius (pigeonhawk)

Falco subbuteo (Eurasian hobby)

Falco rusticolus (gyrfalcon)

Strix aluco (tawny owl)

Lanius excubitor (great grey shrike)

Lanius collurio (red-backed shrike)

Lanius schach (long-tailed shrike)

(Picae)

Psittacus erithacus (grey parrot)

Ramphastos tucanus (white-throated toucan)

Buceros bicornis (great hornbill)

Buceros rhinoceros (rhinoceros hornbill)

Crotophaga ani (smooth-billed ani)

Corvus corax (raven)

Corvus corone (carrion crow)

Corvus frugilegus (rook)

Corvus cornix (hooded crow)

Coracias oriolus (golden oriole)

Coracias garrulus (European roller)

Gracula religiosa (hill myna)

Paradisaea apoda (greater bird-of-paradise)

Cuculus canorus (common cuckoo)

Jynx torquilla (wryneck)

Picus viridis (green woodpecker)

Sitta europaea (Eurasian nuthatch)

Merops apiaster (European bee-eater)

Merops viridis (blue-throated bee-eater)

Upupa epops (Eurasian hoopoe)

Certhia familiaris (Eurasian treecreeper)

Trochilus polytmus (red-billed streamertail hummingbird)

(Anseres)

Anas platyrhynchos (mallard duck)

Anas crecca (teal duck)

Mergus merganser (common merganser)

Mergus serrator (red-breasted merganser)

Alca torda (razorbill auk)

Procellaria aequinoctialis (white-chinned petrel)

Diomedea exulans (wandering albatross)

Pelecanus onocrotalus (great white pelican)

Phaeton aethereus (red-billed tropicbird)

Larus canus (common gull)

Larus marinus (great black-backed gull)

Larus fuscus (lesser black-backed gull)

Sterna hirundo (common tern)

Rhynchops niger (black skimmer)

(Grallae)

Phoenicopterus ruber (American flamingo)

Platalea leucorodia (Eurasian spoonbill)

Platalea ajaia (roseate spoonbill)

Mycteria americana (wood stork)

Ardea cinerea (grey heron)

Ardea herodias (blue heron)

Ardea alba (great egret)

Scolopax rusticola (Eurasian woodcock)

Charadrius hiaticula (ringed plover)

Charadrius alexandrinus (Kentish plover)

Charadrius vociferus (killdeer plover)

Charadrius morinellus (Eurasian dotterel)

Recurvirostra avosetta (pied avocet)

Haematopus ostralegus (Eurasian oystercatcher)

Fulica atra (Eurasian coot)

Rallus aquaticus (water rail)

Psophia crepitans (grey-winged trumpeter)

Otis tarda (great bustard)

Struthio camelus (ostrich)

(Gallinae)

Pavo cristatus (Indian peafowl)

Meleagris gallopavo (wild turkey)

Crax rubra (great curassow)

Phasianus colchicus (common pheasant)

Tetrao urogallus (western capercaillie)

(Passeres)

Columba oenas (stock dove)

Columba palumbus (wood pigeon)

Alauda arvensis (Eurasian skylark)

Sturnus vulgaris (European starling)

Turdus viscivorus (mistle thrush)

Turdus pilaris (fieldfare thrush)

Turdus iliacus (redwing thrush)

Turdus plumbeus (red-legged thrush)

Turdus torquatus (ring ouzel)

Turdus merula (blackbird)

Loxia curvirostra (crossbill)

Emberiza hortulana (ortolan bunting)

Emberiza citrinella (yellowhammer)

Emberiza calandra (corn bunting)

Fringilla coelebs (common chaffinch)

Motacilla alba (white wagtail)

Motacilla lava (yellow wagtail)

Parus major (great tit)

Hirundo rustica (barn swallow)

Caprimulgus europaeus (European nightjar)

"Amphibia"

(Reptiles)

Testudo graeca (Greek tortoise)

Draco volans (flying dragon)

Lacerta agilis (sand lizard)

Rana temporaria (common frog)

(Serpentes)

Crotalus horridus (timber rattlesnake)

Crotalus durissus (tropical rattlesnake)

Boa constrictor (common boa)

Coluber constrictor (eastern racer)

Anguis fragilis (slowworm)

Amphisbaena alba (red worm lizard)

Caecilia tentaculata (white-bellied caecilian)

(Nantes)

Petromyzon marinus (sea lamprey)

Raja clavata (thornback ray)

Raja miraletus (brown ray)

Squalus acanthias (spiny dogfish)

Chimaera monstrosa (rabbitfish)

Lophius piscatorius (anglerfish)

Acipenser sturio (sea sturgeon)

Acipenser ruthenus (sterlet sturgeon)

"Pisces"

(Apodes)

Muraena helena (Mediterranean moray)

Gymnotus carapo (banded knifefish)

Trichiurus lepturus (cutlassfish)

Anarhichas lupus (Atlantic wolffish)

Ammodytes tobianus (lesser sandeel)

Xiphias gladius (swordfish)

Stromateus fiatola (blue butterfish)

(Jugulares)

Callionymus lyra (common dragonet)

Uranoscopus scaber (stargazer)

Trachinus draco (greater weever)

Gadus morhua (Atlantic cod)

Blennius ocellaris (butterfly blenny)

Ophidion barbatum (snake cusk-eel)

(Thoracici)

Cyclopterus lumpus (lumpsucker)

Echeneis naucrates (sharksucker)

Coryphaena equiselis (pompano)

Coryphaena hippurus (dorado)

Gobius niger (black goby)

Govius paganellus (rock goby)

Cottus gobio (European bullhead)

Scorpaena porcus (black scorpionfish)

Scorpaena scrofa (red scorpionfish)

Zeus faber (John Dory)

Pleuronectes platessa (European plaice)

Chaetodon striatus (banded butterflyfish)

Chaetodon capistratus (foureye butterflyfish)

Sparus aurata (gilt-head bream)

Labrus merula (brown wrasse)

Labrus mixtus (cuckoo wrasse)

Labrus viridis (green wrasse)

Sciaena umbra (brown meagre)

Perca fluviatilis (European perch)

Gasterosteus aculeatus (three-spined stickleback)

Scomber scombrus (Atlanti mackerel)

Mullus barbatus (red mullet)

Mullus surmuletus (surmullet)

Trigla lyra (piper gurnard)

(Abdominales)

Cobitis taenia (spined loach)

Silurus asotus (Amur catfish)

Silurus glanis (Wels catfish)

Loricaria cataphracta (suckermouth catfish)

Salmo carpio (Garda trout)

Salmo trutta (brown trout)

Salmo salar (Atlantic salmon)

Fistularia tabacaria (bluespotted cornetfish)

Esox lucius (northern pike)

Argentina sphyraena (European argentine)

Atherina hepsetus (Mediterranean sand smelt)

Mugil cephalus (flathead mullet)

Exocoetus volitans (tropical flying fish)

Polynemus paradiseus (Paradise threadfin)

Clupea harengus (Atlantic herring)

Cyprinus carpio (common carp)

(Branchiostegi)

Mormyrus caschive (bottlenose elephantfish)

Balistes vetula (queen triggerfish)

Ostracion cornutus (longhorn cowfish)

Ostracion cubicus (yellow boxfish)

Tetraodon lineatus (Fahaka pufferfish)

Diodon hystrix (spot-fin porcupinefish)

Diodon holocanthus (long-spine porcupinefish)

Centriscus scutatus (grooved shrimpfish)

Syngnathus acus (common pipefish)

Syngnathus pelagicus (pelagic pipefish)

Syngnathus typhle (broad-nosed pipefish)

Pegasus volitans (longtail seamoth)

"Insecta"

(Coleoptera)

Scarabaeus sacer (sacred scarab)

Dermestes lardarius (larder beetle)

Dermestes murinus (larder beetle)

Hister unicolor (clown beetle)

Hister quadrimaculatus (clown beetle)

Silpha obscura (carrion beetle)

Cassida viridis (tortoise beetle)

Cassida nebulosa (tortoise beetle)

Cassida nobilis (tortoise beetle)

Coccinella trifasciata (ladybug)

Coccinella hieroglyphica (ladybug) [Coccinella 5-punctata, 7-punctata, 11-punctata, and 24-punctata survive as quinquepunctata, septempunctata, undecimpunctata, and vigintiquatorpunctata]

Chrysomela populi (leaf beetle)

Chrysomela lapponica (leaf beetle)

Chrysomela collaris (leaf beetle)

Chrysomela erythrocephala (leaf beetle)

Curculio nucum (nut weevil)

Attelabus surinamensis (leaf-rolling weevil)

Cerambyx cerdo (capricorn beetle)

Leptura quadrifasciata (longhorn beetle)

Cantharis fusca (soldier beetle)

Cantharis livida (soldier beetle)

Cantharis oscura (soldier beetle)

Cantharis rufa (soldier beetle)

Cantharis lateralis (soldier beetle)

Elater ferrugineus (rusty click beetle)

Cicindela campestris (green tiger beetle)

Cicindela sylvatica (wood tiger beetle)

Buprestis rustica (jewel beetle) [Buprestis 8-guttata survives as octoguttata]

Dytiscus latissimus (diving beetle)

Carabus coriaceus (ground beetle)

Carabus granulatus (ground beetle)

Carabus nitens (ground beetle)

Carabus hortensis (ground beetle)

Carabus violaceus (ground beetle)

Tenebrio molitor (mealworm)

Meloe algiricus (blister beetle)

Meloe proscarabaeus (blister beetle)

Meloe spec (blister beetle)

Mordela aculeata (tumbling glower beetle)

Necydalis major (longhorn beetle)

Staphylinus erythropterus (rove beetle)

Forficula auricularia (common earwig)

Blatta orientalis (Oriental cockroach)

Gryllus campestris (field cricket)

(Hemiptera)

Cicada orni (cicada)

Notonecta glauca (backswimmer)

Nepa cinerea (water scorpion)

Cimex lectularius (bedbug)

Aphis rumici (black aphid)

Aphis craccae (vetch aphid)

Coccus hesperidum (brown scale insect)

Thrips physapus (thrips)

Thrips minutissimum (thrips)

Thrips juniperinus (thrips)

(Lepidoptera)

Papilio paris (Paris peacock butterfly)

Papilio helenus (red Helen butterfly)

Papilio troilus (spicebush swallowtail butterfly)

Papilio deiphobus (Deiphobus swallowtail butterfly)

Papilio polytes (common Mormon butterfly)

Papilio glaucus (eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly)

Papilio memnon (great Mormon butterfly)

Papilio ulysses (Ulysses butterfly)

Papilio machaon (Old World swallowtail butterfly)

Papilio demoleus (lime swallowtail butterfly)

Papilio nireus (blue-banded swallowtail butterfly)

Papilio clytia (common mime butterfly)

Sphinx ligustri (privet hawk-moth)

Sphinx pinastri (pine hawk-moth) [genus Phalaena was suppressed, but seven subgenera created by Linnaeus are now valid as genera]

(Neuroptera)

Libellula depressa (chaser dragonfly)

Libellula quadrimaculata (four-spotted skimmer dragonfly)

Ephemera vulgata (mayfly)

Phryganea grandis (caddisfly)

Hemerobius humulinus (lacewing)

Panorpa communis (scorpionfly)

Panorpa germanica (scorpionfly)

Raphidia ophiopsis (snakefly)

(Hymenoptera)

Cynips quercusfolii (oak gall wasp)

Tenthredo atra (sawfly)

Tenthredo campestris (sawfly)

Tenthredo livida (sawfly)

Tenthredo mesomela (sawfly)

Tenthredo scrophulariae (sawfly)

Ichneumon extensorius (parasitoid wasp)

Ichneumon sarcitorius (parasitoid wasp)

Sphex ichneumoneus (digger wasp)

Vespa crabro (European hornet)

Apis mellifera (honey bee)

Formica fusca (silky ant)

Mutilla europaea (large velvet ant)

(Diptera)

Oestrus ovis (sheep botfly)

Tipula oleracea (marsh cranefly)

Tipula hortorum (cranefly)

Tipula lunata (cranefly)

Musca domestica (housefly)

Tabanus bovinus (pale horsefly)

Tabanus calens (horsefly)

Tabanus bromius (brown horsefly)

Tabanus occidentalis (horsefly)

Tabanus antarcticus (horsefly)

Culex pipiens (house mosquito)

Empis borealis (dance fly)

Empis pennipes (dance fly)

Empis livida (dance fly)

Conops flavipes (thick-headed fly)

Asilus barbarus (robberfly)

Asilus crabroniformis (hornet robberfly)

Bombylius major (bee fly)

Bombylius medius (bee fly)

Bombylius minor (bee fly)

Hippobosca equina (forest fly)

(Aptera)

Lepisma saccharina (silverfish)

Podura aquatica (water springtail)

Termes fatale (termite)

Pediculus humanus (human louse)

Pulex irritans (human flea)

Acarus siro (flour mite)

Phalangium opilio (harvestman)

Araneus angulatus (orb-weaving spider)

Araneus diadematus (European garden spider)

Araneus marmoreus (marbled orbweaver)

Araneus quadratus (four-spotted orbweaver -- last four are by Clerck 1757, some of the very few surviving pre-Linnean names!)

Scorpio maurus (large-clawed scorpion)

Cancer pagurus (brown crab)

Oniscus asellus (common woodlouse)

Scolopendra gigantea (giant centipede)

Scolopendra morsitans (red-headed centipede)

Julus fuscus (millipede)

Julus terrestris (millipede)

"Vermes"

(Intestina)

Gordius aquaticus (horsehair worm)

Lumbricus terrestris (common earthworm)

Ascaris lumbricoides (giant roundworm)

Fasciola hepatica (liver fluke)

Hirudo medicinalis (medicinal leech)

Myxine glutinosa (Atlantic hagfish)

Teredo navalis (shipworm)

[shout out to Furia infernalis, a terrifying carnivorous jumping worm that Linnaeus described, but which doesn't seem to actually exist]

(Mollusca)

Limax maximus (leopard slug)

Doris verrucosa (warty nudibranch)

Nereis caerulea (ragworm)

Nereis pelagica (ragworm)

Aphrodita aculeata (sea mouse)

Lernaea cyprinacea (anchor worm)

Scyllaea pelagica (Sargassum nudibranch)

Sepia officinalis (common cuttlefish)

Asterias rubens (common starfish)

Echinus esculentus (edible sea urchin)

(Testacea)

Chiton tuberculatus (West Indian green chiton)

Lepas anatifera (goose barnacle)

Pholas dactylus (common piddock)

Mya arenaria (softshell clam)

Mya truncata (truncate softshell)

Solen vagina (razor clam)

Tellina laevigata (smooth tellin)

Tellina linguafelis (cat-tongue tellin)

Tellina radiata (sunrise tellin)

Tellina scobinata (tellin)

Cardium costatum (ribbed cockle)

Donax cuneatus (wedge clam)

Donas denticulatus (wedge clam)

Donax trunculus (wedge clam)

Venus casina (Venus clam)

Venus verrucosa (warty venus)

Spondylus gaederopus (thorny oyster)

Spondylus regius (thorny oyster)

Chama lazarus (jewel box shell)

Chama gryphoides (jewel box shell)

Arca noae (Noah's ark shell)

Ostrea edulis (edible oyster)

Anomia aurita (saddle oyster)

Anomia ephippium (saddle oyster)

Anomia hysterita (saddle oyster)

Anomia lacunosa (saddle oyster)

Anomia spec (saddle oyster)

Anomia striatula (saddle oyster)

Mytilus edulis (blue mussel)

Pinna muricata (pen shell)

Pinna nobilis (fan mussel)

Pinna rudis (rough pen shell)

Argonauta argo (argonaut)

Nautilus pompilius (chambered nautilus)

Conus ammiralis (admiral cone snail)

Conus aulicus (princely cone snail)

Conus aurisiacus (cone snail)

Conus betulinus (betuline cone snail)

Conus bullatus (bubble cone snail)

Conus capitaneus (captain cone snail)

Conus cedonulli (cone snail)

Conus ebraeus (black-and-white cone snail)

Conus figulinus (fig cone snail)

Conus genuanus (garter cone snail)

Conus geographus (geographer cone snail)

Conus glaucus (glaucous cone snail)

Conus granulatus (cone snail)

Conus imperialis (imperial cone snail)

Conus litteratus (lettered cone snail)

Conus magus (magical cone snail)

Conus marmoreus (marbled cone snail)

Conus mercator (trader cone snail)

Conus miles (soldier cone snail)

Conus monachus (monastic cone snail)

Conus nobilis (noble cone snail)

Conus nussatella (cone snail)

Conus princeps (prince cone snail)

Conus spectrum (spectrecone snail)

Conus stercusmuscarum (fly-specked cone snail)

Conus striatus (striated cone snail)

Conus textile (cloth-of-gold cone snail)

Conus tulipa (tulip cone snail)

Conus varius (freckled cone snail)

Conus virgo (cone snail)

Cypraea tigris (tiger cowry shell)

Bulla ampulla (Pacific bubble shell)

Voluta ebraea (Hebrew volute)

Voluta musica (music volute)

Buccinum undatum (common whelk)

Strombus pugilis (fighting conch)

Murex tribulus (caltrop murex)

Trochus maculatus (maculated top shell)

Turbo acutangulus (turban shell)

Turbo argyrostomus (silver-mouth turban shell)

Turbo chrystostomus (gold-mouth turban shell)

Turbo marmoratus (green turban shell)

Turbo petholatus (turban shell)

Turbo sarmaticus (giant turban shell)

Helix lucorum (Mediterranean snail)

Helix pomatia (Roman snail)

Nerita albicilla (blotched nerite)

Nerita chamaeleon (nerite)

Nerita exuvia (snakeskin nerite)

Nerita grossa (nerite)

Nerita histrio (nerite)

Nerita peloronta (bleeding tooth)

Nerita plicata (nerite)

Nerita polita (nerite)

Nerita undata (nerite)

Haliotis asinina (ass-ear abalone)

Haliotis marmorata (marbled abalone)

Haliotis midae (South African abalone)

Haliotis parva (canaliculate abalone)

Haliotis tuberculata (green ormer)

Haliotis varia (common abalone)

Patella caerulea (Mediterranean limpet)

Patella pellucida (blue-rayed limpet)

Patella vulgata (European limpet)

Dentalium elephantinum (elephant tusk)

Dentalium entale (tusk shell)

[genus Serpula is still in use with none of its original species]

(Lithophyta)

Tubipora musica (organ pipe coral)

Millepora alcicornis (sea ginger fire coral)

Madrepora oculata (zigzag stone coral)

(Zoophyta)

Isis hippuris (sea bamboo)

Isis ochracea (sea bamboo)

Gorgonia flabellum (Venus fan)

Gorgonia ventalina (purple sea fan)

Alcyonium bursa (soft coral)

Alcyonium digitatum (dead man's fingers)

Tubularia indivisa (oaten ipes hydroid)

Corallina officinalis (coralline red alga)

Sertularia argentea (sea fern)

Sertularia cupressoides (hydroid)

Pennatula phosphorea (sea pen)

Taenia solium (pork tapeworm)

Volvox globator (colonial alga)

[genus Hydra is still in use with none of its original species]

[consistentsquash]

Pandemic by eldritcher

Harry/Voldemort. Rated M. 260000 words.

Fest - @hprecfest. Day 14 - A favorite series.

Today's rec is an obvious choice! The first fic I recced :D

"...we, in our imperfections and desperate loneliness, crave to seek and hold and be held, as is the course of human things."

Pandemic is a fic about loneliness, hope and healing. Harry is so lonely during the pandemic and his depression creates an Obscurial.

This is a sweeping epic which shows the mental health and social tolls of the covid pandemic, takes us on a ride through 20th century history of Europe framing it in Wizarding history to underline that we still have the same human wants/needs.

Also a fic about destiny. Delphi's destiny! I have a lot of problems with CC but a big one is about how Voldemort's kid is evil like it's a DNA thing. Pandemic is a brilliant deconstruction of that trope. This is the best Delphi I have read. She is literally The Cursed Child in Job's Coffin. Job's Coffin is the name for the stars at the heart of the constellation of Delphinus "the Dolphin".

Four stars forming the shape of a coffin representing the four men who influenced Delphi (Harry, Voldemort, Dumbledore, Grindelwald).

Just like how the sentient houses and castles in the Wizarding World are the coffin for the wizards/for magic. Also just like how you don't need magic to be in a coffin because sometimes families are coffins/house of blues like the Dursleys are for Harry.

This is not a story about coffins! This is a story about escaping them!

Catullus 16, which I recced yesterday, uses a lot of One Thousand and One nights stories. Pandemic is literally the story behind the story. It's about Sultan and Scheherazade, about loving the unlovable, about being incredibly incredibly resourceful when you are hopeless. It's about breaking the power of Harry's Obscurial/the power of the Sultan's fears/breaking free from the coffin of loneliness :D Sorry went poetic! But it is a poetic fic!

Obviously this series is really deep and I suck at explaining. So I am going to skip that. I really love the characterizations.

Voldemort is somebody looking for a name/an identity his whole life because his birth identity gives him so much dysphoria. He is pretty selfish but also he loves his daughter. Delphi is incredibly happy/cheerful because he's literally using love magic to make her happy when a lot of tragedies happen. Lily used it to save Harry. The parallels are. Yeah. Fate's gonna go where it's gonna go and Voldemort doesn't want to accept that.

It's people and their loneliness. Dumbledore locked up Grindelwald. Snape is his own coffin. Always! Narcissa Malfoy doesn't really leave the dysfunctional Black family coffin. Harry is lonely because he doesn't want to give anybody a chance if they are not The One.

The finale is intense so you are going to be haunted forever. The ending is bittersweet. Harry and Voldemort are together, Delphi survives. Hawthorn will heal your heart after wrecking it first.

recs I made during this fest

lots of love for paddidi who help me a lot on the complicated recs yesterday and today <3

[razberrypuck]

UNDERSEA ENJOYER. grips you by the shoulders. i want you to listen to this. and imagine albatrio seeing the trench

AUAUAUHDHSHWGWG YES YES YES EXCELLENT WONDERFUL

[vgtrackbracket]

Video Game Track Bracket Round 2

Fire Island Volcano from Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon

vs.

Delphinus Delphis from ABZÛ

No propaganda was submitted for either track.

If you want your propaganda reblogged and added to future polls, please tag it as propaganda or otherwise indicate this!