#Turkeys are the dog of poultry | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

madamepestilence · 7 months ago

Text

H5N1: What to know before fear spreads

What is H5N1?

H5N1 is a 1996 strain of the Spanish or Avian Flu first detected in Chinese birds before spreading globally across various avian species. H5N1 is similar to H1N1, but spreads slower and has a much higher mortality rate.

H5N1 may also be referred to as Influenza A. The American Association of Bovine Practitioners has seen fit to rename H5N1 to Bovine Influenza A Virus, or BIAV, and are encouraging others to use the same terminology.

I would not be surprised if the colloquial name among the public becomes Bovine Flu or American Flu in the coming months, and may be referred to as the Chinese Flu by the same folks who took the spark of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic as an excuse to be publicly racist to East Asian people without social repercussions.

BIAV is a virus, meaning that it is a (probably) non-living packet of self-replicating infectious material with a high rate of mutation. BIAV is structured similarly to SARS-CoV-2, having a packet of infectious material encased in a spherical shell with a corona, or crown, of proteins that can latch to living cells to inject RNA.

Image source with interactive model: ViralZone - H5N1 subtype

What is the history of BIAV?

In 1996 and 1997, an outbreak of BIAV occurred among poultry and infected 18 people in Hong Kong, 6 of which died. This seemingly isolated incident then infected ~860 people with a >50% death rate.

At the time, BIAV was known as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or HPAI, and killed nearly 100% of chickens within a 48 hour period.

From 2003 to 2005, continual outbreaks occurred in China and other East Asian countries, before spreading to Cambodia, the Netherlands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

From 2014 to 2016, it began being detected in American fowl, as well as mutating the H5N6 (lethal in birds, no human to human transmission) and H5N8 (largely spread through turkeys, ducks had immunity) viruses.

BIAV has since evolved into a clade known as 2.3.4.4b, and was first detected in 2021 in wild American birds. This then caused outbreaks in 2022 among wild and domesticated birds (such as chickens) alike, but was largely being overshadowed by the pressing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic at the time.

From 2022 to 2023, it was observed to be spreading among various mammals, including humans. Now, in 2024, we're having the most concerning rapid outbreak of BIAV since 2003.

BIAV is known to spread from mammal to mammal, particularly between cows and humans. BIAV may also be spread from cow to cow (highly likely, but not confirmed - this is likely the reason the virus has spread to Idaho from Texan cattle), and is known to be lethal to domestic cats and birds within 48 hours.

How does BIAV spread?

BIAV spreads through fomites - direct contact with infected animals or infected surfaces and then touching parts of your face or other orifices - as well as through airborne particulates, which may be inhaled and enter the sinuses and lungs.

BIAV is known to spread through:

Asymptomatic Ducks, geese, swans, various shorebirds

Symptomatic, may be lethal Foxes, bears, seals, sea lions, polar bears, domestic cats, dogs, minks, goats, cows, (potentially human to human, but unconfirmed - there have only been 8 potential human to human cases in 2024).

How can I protect against BIAV?

As BIAV is a type of Influenza A, existing protocols should do fine.

Current recommendations are to wash your hands vigorously after interacting with birds (I would also recommend doing this with mammals), avoid touching your face or other open orifices, and wear N95 masks.

Avoid sick or dead animals entirely - I would also recommend reporting them to your local Animal Control or veterinary centre and warning them about the infection risk. People who work with animals are recommended to also wear full PPE such as N95 masks, eye protection, gloves, and partake in vigorous hand washing.

If you suspect you've caught BIAV, seek medical attention immediately. Existing medications such as oseltamivir phosphate, zanamivir, peramivir, and baloxavir marboxil can reduce BIAV's ability to replicate.

Standard flu shots will not protect against BIAV. Remember - symptoms of BIAV may not manifest for between 2 to 8 days, and potentially infected people should be monitored for at least 10 days.

How far has BIAV spread?

BIAV is currently a global virus, though the current infection location of note is the United States.

Image Key: Dark red - Countries with humans, poultry and wild birds killed by H5N1 Deep red - Countries with poultry or wild birds killed by H5N1 and has reported human cases of H5N1 Light red - Countries with poultry or wild birds killed by H5N1

Image source: Wikipedia - Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 - File: Global spread of H5N1 map

Image source: Metro.co.uk - Map shows where bird flu is spreading in US amid new warning - File: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s H5N1 bird flu detections map across the United States

Should I be afraid?

You needn't be afraid, just prepared. BIAV has a concerningly high lethality, but this ironically culls its spread somewhat.

In the event human to human transmission of BIAV is confirmed, this will likely mainly affect marginalized communities, poor people, and homeless people, who are likely to have less access to medical care, and a higher likelihood of working in jobs that require frequent close human contact, such as fast food or retail jobs.

Given the response to SARS-CoV-2, corporations - and probably the government - may shove a proper response under the rug and refuse to participate in a full quarantine, which may leave people forced to go to work in dangerous conditions.

If this does spread into an epidemic or pandemic, given our extensive knowledge about Influenza, and the US having a backup vaccine for a prior strain of H5N1, a vaccine should be able to be developed relatively quickly and would hopefully be deployed freely without charge - we won't have to worry about a situation like The Stand.

Wash your hands, keep clean, avoid large social gatherings where possible, wear an N95 mask if you can afford them (Remember: Cloth masks are the least protective, but are better than nothing. If you can't afford N95 masks, I recommend wearing a well-fitted cloth mask with a disposable face mask over it to prevent pneumonia from moisture buildup in the disposable mask), support the disabled, poor, and homeless, and stay educated.

We can do better this time.

Further things to check out:

YouTube: MedCram - H5N1 Cattle Outbreak: Background and Currently Known Facts (ft. Roger Seheult, M.D.)

Wikipedia - Influenza A virus subtype H5N1

Maine.gov - Avian Influenza and People

CDC.gov - Technical Report: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Viruses

Wikipedia - H5N1 genetic structure

realagriculture - Influenza infection in cattle gets new name: Bovine Influenza A Virus (BIAV)

45 notes · View notes

p-artsypants · 5 months ago

Text

Paint it Black (19) Defaulting

Ao3 | FF.net

Everyone, Bruce included, had expected Robin to continue to improve after the antidote was administered. No one thought he’d be right back up and ready to go, but they hoped there would be an improvement.

Instead, there was a sharp decline.

Within a few days, Robin went from optimistic about his new future, to nearly bedridden and quiet.

“Robin?” Starfire checked on him for the fourth time that day, hoping this time he’d get up and eat dinner with them.

“Star…” he croaked.

She sat at his bedside and pet his hair. “Are you the same or worse from earlier today?”

“Worse,” he cringed. “It’s like my blood is on fire.”

“I am to ask if you have a headache or weakness.”

“Yes, both. And nausea. Could you bring me some water?”

“Absolutely,” she leaned in and kissed his forehead.

“Sorry, I was looking forward to spending time with you.”

“Your apologies are not necessary. You are still recovering, and we have plenty of time to catch up.”

Robin closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. “I suppose you’re right.”

“I shall return momentarily with your water.” She patted his leg and returned to the common room.

“So?” Batman asked, immediately.

“It is as you have said. He appeared to be sweating quite fiercely, though he has several layers of blankets on. And he said he has a headache and muscle weakness, as well as nausea.”

“I could pretty confidently diagnose him with opioid withdrawal,” Bruce frowned. “It’s not surprising since he’s been taking some everyday for a few months. You can’t quit that crap cold turkey.”

“Is poultry also addictive?” Starfire asked.

“It means quitting without weaning off. I can get about a month’s supply of medical fentanyl from some contacts at the local Wayne Tech branch. Robin’s not going to like having to take it, but if we time it right, we should be able to wean him off gradually. Then he won’t need it.”

“That is an excellent plan! I shall be the one to explain it to him. He should accept it better from me.”

“That’s what I thought too.”

—

Beast Boy couldn’t sleep. He was tired, yes, but there was a tingling in the back of his head he couldn’t ignore. A feeling or an instinct that something was wrong. It had to be his animalistic sense. Then again, that little alarm had gone off a few times since Batman and Alfred came to visit. They were both up and about at night and made just enough noise that his advanced hearing could pick it up, even in sleep.

But that instinct had settled down in the last week, finally getting used to their scents and sounds.

But this was different. Something new, but somehow familiar.

Would it hurt to check? If the coast was clear, he could very well pass it off as an effect of the upcoming full moon and go back to sleep.

He got out of bed and moved into the hall, careful to be quiet and not awake the others. No reason to bother them over nothing.

Last thing he needed was Raven making fun of him for literally crying wolf.

His floor was clear, and was the floor below, where the gym was. But the floor after that, where Cyborg’s room was, was where the feeling intensified.

Beast Boy morphed into a dog to sniff around in the dark. Something smelled like BO and pizza grease, but not like his room.

As he rounded the corner, he was suddenly engulfed by a glowing orange orb, suspending him off the ground. He quickly morphed into a gorilla, and then attempted an elephant, but couldn’t actually become big enough. The material of the orb was solid.

“What’d I tell ya?” Gizmo smirked, while holding a strange looking weapon, presumably what shot the orb. “Green Bean would smell your toe jam and pull the alarm on us.”

“Fine, remind me to pay up when we’re done,” said Mammoth.

“The Hive?! What—? How?!” Beast Boy yelled, but his voice was severely muted in his prison.

Gizmo, Mammoth, See-More, Kyd Wykkyd, and Private Hive were all just casually standing in the hall, like they owned the place.

“I promised to behave the first time I came to visit,” said Gizmo. “I didn’t make any promises the second time. Tin Man might be busy in the upcoming weeks writing some new passcodes…since I stole them all.”

Beast Boy banged his fists on his cage. It felt like electrified jelly, and absorbed every hit he gave it.

Gizmo then turned to his team, laser focused. “Alright, Raven’s going to be our next problem. She might be able to sense auras or souls or whatever, so we need to get her next. Kyd Wykkyd, you have that binding spell?”

He nodded.

“Good. Get her to the Ops room on the top floor, and we’ll get her bubbled.”

Again, he nodded, and phased through the floor.

“Mammoth, you’ve got Starfire. Mad Mod was able to hold her for a while with these Xenothium cuffs. Bring her upstairs when you’ve got her.”

He cracked his knuckles. “I’m on it.”

“See-More, you’re going to take Barf Boy up to the ops room while I take care of Cyborg.” He held up a flash drive. “This code will give us control over him until his battery drains.”

See-More engulfed the already trapped Beast Boy in his beams.

“Private, you’re responsible for crazy Robin.”

“What do I capture him with, sir?”

Gizmo shrugged. “If you can lure him up to us, I’ll bubble him, but he’s mostly not going to be a problem. He’s totally banana pants loony.”

Beast Boy bit his lip. Robin was back, but as of bedtime, he was still resting in his room. No doubt, they’d find out soon enough.

But, even at a quarter of his strength, surely Robin could defeat Private Hive…right?

And if Robin couldn’t handle them, there was always Plan B.

Batman.

That is, assuming they didn’t get the drop on him as well.

At the moment, Beast Boy didn’t really have any options except to wait and watch and wish he had been smart enough to grab his communicator when he went to investigate.

He should really think about gluing that thing to his hand or something.

See-More brought him up to the ops room, and released the ball to float about a foot off the ground. No running or pushing would move it.

“Cool place. Never seen it from the inside,” he wandered around the still darkened room to find a light and helped himself to some snacks.

“What are you creeps planning?” Beast Boy asked, nostrils flaring.

See-More scoffed. “Like you could begin to understand.”

Only a moment later, the Ops room door opened and Gizmo entered with Cyborg in tow. Cyborg’s steps were more robotic and clunky, and his human eye was closed in sleep.

“Cy! Hey Cy! Wake up man!”

“Don’t bother, Barf Brains. He’s trapped in his sleep cycle. As far as he knows, he’s dreaming of his stupid car and eating disgusting food.”

A black portal opened from the ceiling before Raven fell, bound by the wrists and ankles with a white aura to the floor. The white aura also appeared as a mask over her nose and lips. Kyd Wykkyd appeared, giving Gizmo a thumbs up.

“That’s three down,” Gizmo smirked as he shot his containment orb at Raven. “Just waiting on the alien…and technically crazy Robin, but I’m not worried about him.”

Raven, just wearing her leotard, rolled around to sit up and look at Beast Boy.

“Yeah, they got me first. Are you okay? Can you breathe?”

She nodded.

“Gizmo hacked Cyborg somehow, and has him under control. Let’s hope Starfire’s a light sleeper.”

Raven gestured her head, silently asking about the others in the tower.

“Not a clue. I’m calling it Plan B. If you know what I mean.”

She rolled her eyes, but ultimately nodded in understanding.

Then there came a boom from somewhere below, shaking the tower.

“And…that would be Star,” Beast Boy smirked.

“Kyd Wykkyd, See-More, go back him up,” Gizmo demanded, throwing See-More the strange gun. “I’ll watch these bozos. Not that they’re going anywhere.”

“This is going to hurt, isn’t it?” See-More asked as they left.

“I’ll ask again,” Beast Boy snarled. “What are you creeps up to?”

“Nunya business, Butts for Brains.”

“I think it is our business, considering you broke into our house!”

“Big talk from you dweebs. I hear someone in this tower is actually a thief. Some heroes you are.”

Beast Boy didn’t have an answer for that. He simply looked over to Raven again.

She shrugged back.

“Thief of what?”

“Not sayin’, just something that doesn’t belong to you.”

Beast Boy remembered the strange white doll again, though he couldn’t believe that was what Gizmo was talking about.

After all, that wasn’t stolen, it was abandoned.

Or maybe not.

“Sir, Gizmo, Sir!” Private Hive arrived, a body clad in plaid pajamas over his shoulder. “There was no one in Robin’s designated room, but I found this old man in the room next door.”

“Unhand me, you brute!” Alfred shouted from his awkward position.

Beast Boy gasped and shouted, “Let go of our grandpa!”

“Your grandpa?” Gizmo smirked. “I would have thought that any family of yours would also be green.”

As Private Hive brought Alfred over to where Raven and Beast Boy were being held, Gizmo looted through the drawers in the kitchen until he found a roll of duct tape. “Here. Tie him up with this. Doubt the old man is any kind of threat.”

Private Hive taped his wrists and ankles and left him on the floor between Raven and Beast Boy.

“You okay, Alfred?”

“I’m mostly fine. A little more bruised than I would like.”

“They’re trying to catch Starfire right now. No sign of Robin, it sounds like.”

“Miss Starfire is quite strong. They have their work cut out for them.”

They waited more time in silence, anxiously waiting for any sign of a battle, while Gizmo impatiently rooted around the ops room.

Maybe ten minutes later, the other Hive members returned with Starfire bubbled. Mammoth was bleeding from the nose and a cut above his eye. Starfire wore a tank top and shorts, though one strap on her tank was ripped. She was dazed and sprawled out in the bubble as they plopped her down by Beast Boy.

“Star?” He asked, concerned.

She clenched her eyes shut a few times, trying to focus. “Beast…Boy…?”

“You’re okay. They’ve got us captured in these bubbles. Raven’s gagged and they infected Cyborg with a virus, so he’s out of commission. And they found Alfred.”

Starfire just laid on her stomach, and pounded a cuffed fist against the orange surface. “I should have fought harder.”

“Please, Miss Starfire, don’t be so hard on yourself. This was a surprise attack.”

“And I went easy on ya,” Mammoth mocked, wiping his face with a dish towel. “Next time, you won’t be getting up.”

Starfire leapt to her feet and began wailing on the orb. Her attacks made the bubble shake violently, but it didn’t break. “THUS VAR Y’KEEM!” She shouted in her native tongue.

“Ohh I’m so scared.” Mammoth rolled his eyes. “What’s next, Pipsqueak?”

Gizmo gave him an annoyed look, but ignored the nickname. “We find the target. We have 24 hours before these bubbles wear down. I wanna be long gone before then. Crazy Robin is in the tower somewhere, but we outnumber, outpower, and out-sanity him. Call for backup if you see him.”

Mammoth stuck a finger in his ear. “What are we looking for again? Some weird doll?”

Gizmo scoffed. “Nice work, Fart Face. Whatever. Yeah, all white doll, made of cloth.”

Beast Boy let out a squeak that was muted by the prison.

“Alright, spread out!”

Kyd Wykkyd disappeared through the floor, but before the others could leave, the lights went out. The Hive members went still.

“He’s here,” said Gizmo, converting his backpack into its spider form. “Get ready for something weird and stupid.”

Instead, the main doors opened, and a cloud of smoke rolled in, making them all cough and choke.

“What the—?” Gizmo exclaimed, but before he could finish, a grapple line wrapped around him and yanked him off his feet.

A Batarang cut through the air and hit See-More right in the eye, making him fall to his knees and cry out in pain.

Private Hive took out his shield and ran into the smoke, ready to fight.

While the sounds of Private Hive getting the crap beaten out of him filled the silence, Mammoth ran at Alfred, swept him off the ground and put him into a painful headlock. “Give up now, or I snap the old man like a twig!”

Private Hive gave a final ‘oof!’ as the wind was knocked out of him.

Mammoth squeezed, and Alfred let out a painful gasp.

There was silence, and then Batman flourished his cape and cleared the smoke. He stood in the doorway, watching intensely.

“One more move, and Grandpa’s toast.”

Batman noticed the bead of sweat that traveled down Mammoth’s forehead, but more importantly, the color draining from Alfred’s face.

It just wasn’t a risk he was willing to take.

Batman sighed and put his hands up.

“Stand over by the others.”

Batman did as directed, never showing what he was thinking.

With Alfred still in a headlock, Mammoth recovered the bubble gun from the floor, and shot Batman. Then he dropped Alfred harshly on the ground. “You came in handy, gramps.”

Alfred coughed and choked. “I hope you rot, you thug.”

Mammoth kicked him once before going over to Gizmo and attempting to untangle him.

Private Hive got his wind back and pathetically barked. “You never said Batman was involved! I never signed up to deal with Batman!”

“Aw shut up, I didn’t know he was in town.” Gizmo finished untangling himself and dusted his arms off. “See-More, you good?”

The teen in question just sniveled, presumably not ‘good’.

“Fine. Mammoth, Private, join Wykydd in the search. I’ll look in here and keep an eye on the hostages and See-More. You all have your radios?”

“Hostages?” Beast Boy barked.

“Oh, did I offend you? What would you prefer? Prisoners? Captives? Losers?”

As the team split up, Batman opened the computer on his gauntlet. “Alright, what do you know?”

“Oh, um…Gizmo’s kind of a returning pain in the neck. We actually…recruited him to help on the case. He’s the one that recovered the files from the SD card from Robin. Sounds like he hacked our system the last time he was here.”

“Hm.”

“Mammoth let it slip that they’re looking for some white doll that was allegedly stolen.” He shouted over to where Gizmo was. “Even though we don’t steal!”

“Not according to our sources!” Gizmo chirped back.

“And who are these sources?” Batman demanded.

“Not telling, Bat Barf!”

“Charming child, isn’t he?” Alfred quipped.

Batman scanned the bubble prison, trying to find a weakness. “These cages are made out of an electrified aerogel, composed of silicon and amber. We could dissolve it if we had turpentine and toluene.”

“Oh good. I assume you have those in your utility belt?” Alfred asked, sarcastically.

“Gizmo said they’ll weaken in 24 hours. So we won’t die here at least…”

“And no one has mentioned Robin?”

“Private Hive said he wasn’t in his room.”

Batman shifted his jaw. “Then we might not be totally out of luck.”

“But he could not possibly take out the Hive on his own. He is far too weak right now!” Starfire protested.

“He probably couldn’t win if they teamed up, but if he picked them off one by one…”

Gizmo seemed to overhear that much from his spot across the room, and called out on his radio. “Keep on your toes for Robin. Don’t let him pick you off!”

“I’m in his room right now, sir. Someone was here not too long ago.”

Before Gizmo could respond, there was a long beep that was emitted from the ceiling. Then, music started playing, an acoustic guitar.

“Intercom system activated.” Cyborg said, in an emotionless voice.

“Intercom? Since when did we have an intercom?”

When you were here before…couldn’t look you in the eye…

“Alright, who’s messing with the radio, huh?” Gizmo yelled into his com.

You’re just like an angel��your skin makes me cry.

Beast Boy shuttered. “This is ‘Creep’ by Radiohead.”

“Could that mean…?” Starfire whimpered.

You float like a feather…in this beautiful world.

“That antidote didn’t work.”

I wish I was special…yes so very special.

“Mayday! Mayday!” Private Hive’s panicked whisper over the com. “Crazy Robin spotted! He’s pissed! And I think he has a gun!”

“Where are you?” Gizmo asked.

“I’m in the trophy room. I’m hiding behind a corner.”

“Why the heck are you hiding!? Get out there soldier! He doesn’t have superpowers! And don’t let his weird intimidation tactic get to you.”

But I’m a creep…I’m a weirdo…what the hell am I doing here? I don’t belong here…

There was silence on the other end for a while, before Private Hive came back on, screaming. “Help me! He’s going to kill me! Ahh! Make it stop!!”

Mammoth responded. “Private, I’m coming to back you up!”

Gizmo scoffed at the radio. “You can’t find good help these days. Maybe we’ll go with the Hive Four until Billy’s out of jail.”

I don’t care if it hurts…I wanna have control…I want a perfect body. I want a perfect soul.

“Did Private say he had a gun?” Beast Boy asked. “Where did he get a gun?”

“I hope he’s mistaken,” Batman sneered. “Or else this is going to get messy.”

I want you to notice…when I’m not around…you’re so very special…

It was faint, because the tower walls were so insulated, but there was a definitive ‘pop pop’ somewhere in the tower.

“Shit.”

I wish I was special.

“Private! Status!” Gizmo shouted.

There was no answer.

“I’m closing in on his location,” said Mammoth. “There’s no one here but—-ough!”

“I’m making the call, get out of there!”

Mammoth’s radio must have fallen while being turned on, as the sounds from the room were clearly heard. Fists connecting, Mammoth’s cries of pain, and someone singing along with the radio.

But I’m a creep…I’m a weirdo…what the hell am I doing here? I don’t belong here.

“Hold…still…you little…!”

“Uh oh! Sounds like someone’s full of regretti, upsetti, and spaghetti!”

“You…crazy son of a…”

“Hey! There will be no goddamn swearing!”

She’s…running out the door.

There was another loud ‘pop pop’ before silence.

“Kyd Wykkyd? You still out there?” Gizmo asked with palpable fear in his voice.

“If you let us out of here, we might be able to call him off,” Batman offered. “We might be able to save your friends.”

“Like I believe you!”

She’s run…run…run…

Gizmo sank to his knees in the common room, as there was nothing but silence over the radio, and only a warning over the speakers.

Run! Run!

“Screw this! I’m getting out of here! Sorry See-More!” And Gizmo booked it out of the room.

Whatever makes you happy…whatever you want…you’re so very special…

No one knew what to say. Was this considered a win? At what cost?

Batman hung his head, shaking it in disgust.

I wish I was special.

Starfire sobbed. “Why didn’t it work?”

“What?” Asked Beast Boy.

“The antidote! It was supposed to cure him!”

“I’d like to know too,” Batman growled. “Because either the antidote was faulty, or he got dosed with his poison somehow.”

“But he hasn’t left the tower in days,” said Beast Boy.

“So…who got in?”

But I’m a creep…I’m a weirdo…what the hell am I doing here? I don’t belong here…

The door to the ops room opened once again, and Black, wearing his ratty jeans and trench coat, stood in the doorway, gun in hand. “I don’t belong here!” He sang with the radio. “Sorry guys, looks like I made a widdle mess!”

“Get us out of here, now!” Batman roared.

“Damn, okay.” Black grumbled. “God forbid there’s any gratitude around here.” He left the room, and when he returned, he had Gizmo by the collar, his arms bound to his body by a grapple line.

“Scuzz munching, brain barfing psycho.”

“Turn off the orbs,” Black demanded.

“I ain’t doing squat!”

Black pointed his gun at his head. “I really think you ought to,” he sang.

“Okay okay!” Gizmo relented. “Jesus Christ.”

Once he had a hand free, Gizmo simply tapped a button on his suit and the orbs popped.

Beast Boy worked on setting Raven free from her binding spell while Batman picked the locks to Starfire’s cuffs.

Once Raven was free, she disappeared into the floor, off in search of the injured villains.

“You better fix Cy too!” Beast Boy shouted at Gizmo.

“Ugh yeah yeah. Man, this is turning out to be a major failure.”

While Starfire was free to help Alfred, Batman went to Black and held out his hand. “You really shouldn’t have that. Why don’t you give it to me?”

Black screwed up his lips. “What if I need it?”

“You don’t.”

Cyborg let out a yawn and a stretch. “Good morn—hold up. Gizmo?”

“The twerp hacked you, my man!” Beast Boy shouted.

“Several of our adversaries intruded upon our home,” Starfire elaborated.

“Aww man…and I slept through all that? And now I bet I have to reset all the codes, huh?”

Gizmo shrugged. “Don’t know. Don’t care. I’m all done. You gonna take me to the police or what?”

Batman begrudgingly allowed Black to keep the weapon, for now, and approached Gizmo. “We’ll take a little ride in the Batmobile in a minute, but first, I want a word.” He grabbed Gizmo by the shirt and dragged him out of the room.

“I can walk you know!”

Soon after, Raven returned. “I couldn’t find Kyd Wykkyd. Private Hive is stable, but injured. Mammoth was in the worst condition, but if he gets to a hospital soon, he’ll survive.”

The group collectively looked at Black.

“Uh, you’re welcome?!” He sassed.

Mostly, they were just wondering how he was here and not Robin, but no one was sure how to ask the question. Black wasn’t supposed to know that they tried to get rid of him.

Distantly, the group could hear Gizmo screaming as he fell off the tower, but no one minded much.

“What did those knuckleheads break in here for?” Cyborg asked, playing catch up.

“It’s the D-O-L-L again,” said Beast Boy. “I think that’s why Batman is interrogating Gizmo.”

See-More still laid on the floor, in pain due to his broken eye. He spoke up, sniveling. “Joker offered a position as his apprentice if someone brought that thing to him.” He worked on taking his helmet off. “Jynx and I had weird vibes about the situation. It's one thing to be a big time villain, but that guy is not stable.”

“So why did you join the mission?” Raven asked, kneeling to look at his eye.

“Curiosity. I wasn’t going to accept the position, but I thought it’d be a good experience.”

“Yeah, I bet ‘I ran a job for the Joker’ looks great on a villain resumé,” Beast Boy chuckled.

“You joke, but we literally had lessons on it from the guidance counselor at the Hive Academy.”

“That’s wild.”

“As it is, I doubt I’ll be doing anything evil for a while, if I haven’t gone blind from this.”

“Well, make sure you make an appointment with your evil optometrist, and you’ll probably be fine,” Raven concluded her exam. “As it stands, we’ll probably need a few ambulances.”

“My question still stands,” said Beast Boy, walking up to Black. “Where did you get the gun?”

He tucked it away in his waistband. “I’ve had it the whole time.”

“Bull shit!”

“I’m serious. If you go back, it’s mentioned in chapter 6.”

“What are you talking about?!” Beast Boy became frustrated. “You almost killed people today! Robin never used guns, and knew exactly where to hit people to knock them out without killing them. You—…” He shook his head and walked over to the couch. “I thought this was over.”

“Wow,” said Black. “You all are nothing but a bunch of ungrateful brats. Here I thought I’d get a bunch of ‘atta boy’s for rescuing all of you. But nnnoooOOOOoooOoooo. You’re all like ‘people could have died’ and ‘I’m scared for my own life because you have a gun and you’re crazy’.”

Frightening how no one had said the second part aloud.

“Black,” Starfire began, resting her hands on his shoulders. “We are grateful that you saved us. We knew you could do it, and knew you were our only chance. We’re just…concerned about your methods.”

Black looked at Starfire, tilting his head to the side. He glanced away, furrowing his brows, like he was listening to something.

Then he backed away from her. “Glad to know one person is grateful.”

A moment later, Batman returned with a pale and shaking Gizmo. “I have a location.”

“Good,” stated Cyborg, from the computer. “Where are we headed?”

“Tomorrow night,” Batman clarified. “They have a meeting. I’m going to be there instead. The rest of you are going to watch Black.”

“Uh…tomorrow is Halloween,” Beast Boy piped up. “With all the kids trick or treating, Robin likes to have us all on patrol.”

Black perked up.

“Right,” Batman sighed, forgetting the date.

“Sir, could we not put him in the containment unit for the night? I would be more than capable to look after him.”

“That will have to work. In the meantime, we should clean this mess up.”

—-

After all of that, Beast Boy returned to his room, totally pooped. He hadn’t even done any fighting, but the adrenaline of it all kept him wired.

But as soon as he laid down, he got a whiff of an unfamiliar smell. He morphed into a bloodhound and started sniffing around. Someone had been in his room.

When it all clicked, he transformed back into a boy and ran to tell the others.

The doll was gone.

#teen titans #paint it black #starfire #robin #robstar #dick grayson #dickory #fanfiction

16 notes · View notes

is-the-snake-video-cute · 1 year ago

Note

hi i was wondering what sort of treats you like to use for your snakes!! you said thats how you got one of them to do the knock over cup trick so i was curious whats a good motivator

The efficacy and practicality of treats can depend on the species. For example, I don't often give more picky snakes like ball pythons treats, because there's a good chance they'll decide they like some hard-to-get and fatty food more than the usual stuff.

But snakes like kingsnakes? Perfect for giving treats to. You want snakes who are good eaters and who consistently have almost never turned down a meal. You can either give small treats to supplement meals or larger ones to replace meals.

Some good treats across species include:

Quail chicks

Pieces of raw poultry, like chicken or turkey

Quail eggs or pieces of hard-boiled egg (hognoses in particular go wild for hard-boiled eggs)

Reptilinks (I can't comfortably recommend these as a staple food because they're just too new, but they're good treats)

Scented mice or rats (Reptilinks has good scenting juices, even lizard and fish scents can provide good enrichment!). A few scented pinky mice are fun little treats for adult snakes!

And some things to avoid for treats:

Anything that isn't meat

Processed meats, like hot dogs

Seasoned or cooked meats

Eggs that are too big - go smaller than your smake's midsection to be on the safe side

Fish - all snakes can eat fish but not all can digest it well, avoid fish altogether unless you've got, like, a garter snake and it's a main staple

Experiment to see what your snakes like! My kingsnakes all have favorites. Don't be surprised if some are a bit picky with what treats they like! Ed's on the pickier side (by kingsnake standards, he's never refused a meal in his life) but we've found he loves fish-scented mice, rabbit Reptilinks, and turkey.

#not a rating #snake food

92 notes · View notes

claggorstuff · 1 year ago

Note

Claggor taking care or helping take care of a really sick reader. Her fever is really high and she is completely delirious, when she sees him she just keep mumbling about how much she loves him and his adorable face :D!! I was just sick and I'm still feeling the crappy after effects of it. :] thank youuuu!

YURR!! WE LIT 🔥🔥🔥

Claggor helps sick and silly s/o

As I sat up, my head felt light and chalky, I could barely identify the room around me, head spinning. I waited to be able to stand and stumbled around before falling back onto the bed with a groan "wh..how.." I muttered and whined, laying back, hungry, but unable to get myself food, luckily I visit claggor every morning to talk, never missing a day. He knows I like schedule..

About an hour or so into my lay down, boiling yet freezing I heard my door open and through the cloud that filled my vision, I saw someone tall, burly.. possibly brunette.. it was him, he rushed to me holding my head up and I giggled and smiled, "There..yrrar.." he seemed upset in a way, "Hey. Hey are you okay..?!" I smiled and my head swayed in his hands, he set me down rubbing my cheek and pulling away.

Once he had adjusted me comfortably, I laid there tossing and murmering, staring at him as if he were the most incredible thing i'd ever saw, he pet my head trying to make me feel better with some affection. I giggled and muttered, "you're so pretty.. so pretty.. big hands..mm..cozy.." he chuckled and shook his head, standing up, "I'll try to find something for you.. sit tight. Dont move" He kissed my forehead.

I was quite warm so all I could do was sit there really. He left the room for no more than 10 or 20 minutes, and came back with some fish soup, being that the undercity had not much food, fish and some broth was the best he could find. Before feeding me he mad sure to give me some kind of cough syrup he'd found in one of the places vi had him ransack with the others.

It was bitter, I gagged and wrecthed which made him back up a bit, waiting for me to get it out, I never did and so he sat, spoonfeeding me the broth first, incase I decided to barf it up itd only be liquidy. I sipped it quietly and rubbed his hand as he fed me, he sighed and held one of my hands so I could fidget with it. The broth of the soup was warm and comforting, it ran down my throat like melted butter, but tasted so much better, it was quite obviously not a fish broth, but the fish inside didnt affect the taste it was like a turkey broth, or some kind of poultry.

Claggor watched me gobble down the broth as if I was a starving cat and chuckled, many thoughts ran through my head but all he saw was an adorably sick girl, and well. Once I got done with the broth he got the fish cut up with the spoon and fed it to me, it was chewy and strandy, it had soaked in the broth so i couldnt tell what kind of fish it was, at one point I paused, just muttering and murnuring.

"Yer so cute.. so sweet.. cutiepie.." he chuckled and waited until I was done blabbering, he rubbed my head and kissed my cheek, neck, and the back of my hand. "Hey.. I love you. Kay?" He smiled, "Mhmm.." I nodded, he chuckled and shook his head petting my shoulder, once he gave me another spoonfull of fish I tried to push it back to him and he looked away, "Nuh-uh babe. Im sorrry. But yer sick." I whined "noo..! You need food..! Pleaseee.." he tilted his head "I'll get my own bowl in a bit. I promise. I promise.." his words rang in my ears and I smiled, he knows I care, he knows I fear for him, his importance to me is great and vise versa, we love eachother.

As I finished my food he went to get himself a bowl, he'd left his goggles on the nightstand and I grabbed them swiftly, nuzzling the strap and cuddling them, once claggor came back he couldnt help but laugh at such a sight, me with his goggles acting as if they were him, cuddled up to them like a dog. He knew it was because I was sick, delirious, and he was comforting.. he came over and sat next to me on the bed eating, I watched and nuzzled his arm, rubbing the strap of the goggles and then the glass, I waited for him to finish knowing he'd wrap an arm around me, and of course, he did, such a warm feeling washed over me not the blistering warm I was feeling from my fever. But a nice, soft feeling.

As he massaged my lower back I melted into his arms, it was like heaven with all the sorwneas and aching,I hadnt even realized I was falling asleep, until I heard in a low, sweet tone, him say "sweet dreams.." with a gentle peck on my head. I smiled and drifted off, feeling much better than I had this morning..

#arcane #claggor #arcane claggor #claggor arcane #fanfic #x reader #claggor x reader

21 notes · View notes

coyotecreek · 3 months ago

Note

i've been trying to figure out if guinea hens would be a good match for me. how do you like having them? is there anything about them you think potential owners should know about? thanks :)

A few things..

They will yell at anything and everything all day and sometimes all night. 95% of the time, they are yelling about nothing important or alarming. They simply saw or heard something. Maybe you. Maybe a falling leaf. Who knows!

They will wander if allowed to free-range, but will typically return home to roost, especially if you have a pretty solid feeding schedule morning and night, and they've learned to expect that. Make sure you don't have neighbors who might complain about the guineas being on their property. Our neighbors enjoy them.

Very skittish, hard to get tame. Some aren't as wild as others, but don't expect your guineas to be like dogs. Some of ours will follow us around and come running when they see us, but they won't let you touch them or even get too close to them. They're also very hard to catch when/if you need to.

Some guineas are going to be VERY aggressive toward your other poultry. Some of our original guineas were so hostile that we ended up having to cull them. They were doing some serious damage. The ones we have now mostly mind their own business and don't bother everyone else when they mingle. They've been good!

They're not my favorite, honestly. Mostly because our first ones were so awful, and they kept attacking my turkeys. You harm my turkeys, you're soup. However, the more recent ones we've added have changed my opinion somewhat, and I don't mind them anymore. Even the noise they make becomes easy to ignore after a time.

#answered #guineas are little weirdos #but i also think they're a species where your experience with them might vary a lot #also watching the cocks chase each other around endlessly is hilarious when they really get into it

2 notes · View notes

quill-of-thoth · 2 years ago

Text

Letters from Watson: The Blue Carbuncle

Crimes in Context: Opportunistic theft is boring so we're going to talk about geese. The domestic goose is not a common food in the USA during the modern era, and it's only barely more common in the UK due to the traditional Christmas goose. As it turns out chickens and turkeys are a little easier to grow at factory scale, and in proportions that would prevent them from surviving in the wild. Nevertheless, they were excellent backyard livestock for a Victorian household, given a patch of grass and some water they mostly didn't need any additional feed, unless you gave them some grain to fatten them up for market. Being water fowl, they don't tend to fly away often if they can waddle, and you could always clip their feathers to prevent it. Domestic goose and domestic turkeys are similar in size, with the yield of edible meat from a turkey being a little bit greater, because the goose has a lot more fat to render out - though this wouldn't necessarily go to waste, since goose grease, like chicken schmaltz, is very suitable for use as a cooking fat. Geese have been domesticated in various parts of the world for about as long as chicken and ducks, (Some time in 4000 to 3000 bce) and the probable method is the same: find nest, steal eggs, hatch eggs. Allow birds to forage around the local settlement where there are fewer predators, steal more easily from their nests. Repeat process year after year until the geese start displaying a variety of funny colors and don't run away when you throw them some sprouted grain you can't cook with. When mature, slaughter, cook, and serve some while keeping others to make more eggs and the next generation of goose dinners. Geese are also fairly useful if you, for example, want to keep a nicely clipped lawn. They're primarily grass-eaters, and their poop is decent fertilizer for more grass. You can herd them around to make sure they nibble the bits you want instead of your garden. They're also large enough birds that they can defend themselves in a backyard poultry setting: they're more than a match, in groups, for the neighbor's cat, or even their large dog. In addition, the feathers are very useful - geese and ducks have down feathers (the fluffy stuff UNDER their oily exterior feathers) that keep them warm in and out of the water, and these have been popular for stuffing pillows and mattresses (due to being softer and less likely to start decaying if they get a little damp) more or less since there have been pillows and mattresses. Also, geese have "teeth" (Actually made of cartilage, not bone) on their tongue and the interior of their beak. Useful information if one of your ambitions is to be bitten by a dinosaur.

#Letters from Watson #The Blue Carbuncle #Look the history of holidays is too much #and everything else is too little #so geese #which contrary to most midwesterners I do not regard as a nuisance #then again geese generally grudgingly let me pass #combinaton of not getting closer to their nests #and visibly not giving a shit about them blocking the path

22 notes · View notes

spanishskulduggery · 2 years ago

Note

hello!! i was wondering how it would work if the general term for an animal is masculine, but your animal is a girl (or vice versa). so, in a sentence like "barbara is a beautiful dog", would you say "barbara es un perro bonito" to match up the endings, or because barbara is a girl, would you say "barbara es un perro bonita"? thank you for your help !!

It sort of depends. There's often a base word, and then sometimes they can change.

With dogs it's perro or perra, and with cats it's gato and gata

In your case it would be es una perra bonita "she's a beautiful dog" or more affectionately you might see perrito/a "puppy" or "little dog"; same with gatito/a "kitten" or "little cat"

*Note: This can be hard for some people in English because perra can be used as "bitch" where it is literally the female dog. The same issue happens with zorra "bitch", which is literally "vixen" or "female fox". But it is very common for people to refer to their female dogs as perra when talking about them and using the feminine nouns

There are a few animals that don't really change like birds and snakes and fish, but many domesticated animals and pets do. In a way it makes sense because domesticated animals are used for breeding or for meat, so there's more distinctions between gender and age

The basic ones to sort of be aware of for more wild animals:

el lobo = wolf / male wolf la loba = wolf / she-wolf

el oso = bear / male bear la osa = bear / she-bear

el conejo, la coneja = rabbit

el ciervo = deer / stag el venado = deer / stag, hart la cierva = deer / doe la venada = deer / doe

And then you have a few where the word could be different - and I'll include the most basic ones I know.

el pollo = chicken [default] la gallina = hen el gallo = rooster el polluelo = chick

el ganso = goose / gander la gansa = goose [female] la oca = goose [unchanging]

el pavo = turkey la pava = turkey [female]

el puerco = pig / male pig la puerca = pig / female pig, sow el cerdo = pig / male pig la cerda = pig / female pig, sow

el carnero = ram / male sheep la oveja = sheep [specifically female] el cordero / la cordera = lamb

la vaca = cow [specifically female] el toro = bull [specifically male] el ternero = calf

el tigre = tiger la tigresa = female tiger, tigress

el león = lion la leona = lioness

el elefante = elephant la elefanta = female elephant

el caballo = horse [default species name] / stallion, male horse la yegua = mare [female horse] el potro = foal [male] / colt la potra = foal [female] / filly [la potra can also be used with women to indicate a very strong or independent woman, sort of like "wild horse" or "wild mare"]

*Note: In my experience some of these words can also refer to meat - el pollo can also mean "poultry", la vaca or el res can be "beef", el puerco "pork", el ternero "veal", el pavo "turkey (meat)", el cordero "lamb", el carnero / la oveja "mutton" and el venado "venison" etc etc etc

Where the names of animals don't change, you might see people use the terms el macho "male" and la hembra "female". As an example: el cocodrilo macho "male crocodile" or el cocodrilo hembra "female crocodile". Sometimes you'll see el macho/la hembra de (animal) as well, like la hembra de cocodrilo "the female crocodile"

But once context has been established you tend to see them just say el macho and la hembra as "male" and "female"

#asks #Spanish #language #languages #vocabulario

45 notes · View notes

twwpress · 1 year ago

Text

Weekly Press Briefing #73: November 12th - 18th

Welcome back to the Weekly Press Briefing, where we bring you highlights from The West Wing fandom each week, including new fics, ongoing challenges, and more! This briefing covers all things posted from November 12 - 18, 2023! Did we miss something? Let us know; you can find our contact info at the bottom of this briefing!

Challenges/Prompts:

There are no open challenges/prompts that we know of this week. Do you have a challenge or event you’d like us to promote or know of one we’re missing? Be sure to get in touch with us! Contact info is at the bottom of this briefing.

This Week in Canon:

Welcome back to This Week in Canon, where we revisit moments in The West Wing that occurred on these dates during the show’s run.

Season 1, Episode 8: Enemies aired on November 17, 1999.

Season 2, Episode 7: The Portland Trip aired on November 15, 2000.

Season 3, Episode 6: Gone Quiet aired on November 14, 2001.

Season 4, Episode 8: Process Stories aired on November 13, 2002.

Season 5, Episode 7: Separation of Powers aired on November 12, 2003.

Season 6, Episode 5: The Hubbert Peak aired on November 17, 2004.

Photos/Videos:

Here’s what was posted from November 12 - November 18:

Amy Landecker posted photos of herself and Brad at a poker fundraising event for the Entertainment Community Fund. There’s also a video of her and Brad talking about Taylor Swift and remembering Matthew Perry on their way into the same event.

Bradley Whitord posted a photo of himself and his wife Amy along with a joke.

Josh Malina posted a video of himself speaking at the Variety Antisemitism and Hollywood Summit.

Kim Webster posted a throwback photo with Matthew Perry, along with memories of him.

Mary McCormack posted a video of her daughter Rose performing an original song.

Peter James Smith posted a photo of himself on set for Bosch: Legacy.

Peter James Smith posted a selfie.

Peter James Smith posted a video of himself in Station 19 along with a clip of The West Wing, both revolving around not wearing pants.

Peter James Smith posted a photo of the CD he and other The West Wing castmates received after 100 episodes.

Richard Schiff posted photos from a trip to Tanzania.

Rob Lowe posted a promo photo for his new game show, THE FLOOR, coming to Fox January 2nd.

Rob Lowe posted a photo of himself in bed with his dog Bella.

@twwarchive: November 15

Edits/Artwork:

joshdonna jisbon parallel edit (s1-s5 tww) by @lisbonlane [VIDEO EDIT]

Editors’ Choice:

It’s American Thanksgiving this coming week, so we rounded up some silly, funny, and light Thanksgiving and/or turkey-focused fics for you! You can also check out our Thanksgiving round-up from last year if you’re looking for more to read.

Poultry in Motion by ETraytin (crossover with Untitled Goose Game) | Rated G | Gen Fic (No Pairings Listed) | Complete | It's Thanksgiving at the White House and you are definitely not a turkey. Big Turkey by LizaCameron | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | A J/D phone call set during the Thanksgiving after the first election, before Bartlet took office. Creepy And Kooky by turbomagnus (crossover with The Addams Family) | Rated T | Gen Fic (No Pairings Listed) | In Progress | When Josh ends up causing Donna to have to visit family for Thanksgiving, she decides the best way to punish him is to take him with her and there's something she never told him about her mother's family: They're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky… Turkey Day by Steph [archived by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist] | Rated T | Gen Fic (No Pairings Listed) | Complete | The gang tries to cook Thanksgiving dinner for themselves with disastrous results. The Last Call of the Day by Tualha | Rated G | Gen Fic (No Pairings Listed) | Complete | The Butterball Hotline gets an unusual call. Based on Season 3, Episode 7, "The Indians in the Lobby". First published on my LJ.

Fics:

Presenting your weekly roundup of fics posted in the tag for The West Wing on Archive of Our Own.

Josh/Donna Time is Fed by Jane_3yr3 | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

Errors and Omissions by Chinesepapercut | Rated M | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | In Progress

Domestic Days by spooky_spacegirl | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | In Progress

You’re Never Gonna Wanna Let Me Go by Shonio | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

CJ/Danny During the Bartlet Term by Jxjxjx | Rated G | Danny Concannon/C. J. Cregg | In Progress

all I need's a whisper in a world that only shouts by Luppiters | Rated G | Danny Concannon/C. J. Cregg | In Progress

Other Pairings/Gen Fic I Tried To Rewrite It (But I Can’t) by mirhsuri | Rated T | C.J. Cregg, Jed Bartlet, Leo McGarry, Danny Concannon, Ellie Bartlet, Elizabeth Bartlet Westin, Abbey Bartlet (No Pairings Listed) | Complete

Changing the narrative by luckywerewolf | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Sam Seaborn | Complete

Shibboleth by luckywerewolf | Rated G | Sam Seaborn, Josh Lyman, Toby Ziegler, Leo McGarry, Jed Bartlet, Mary Marsh (No Pairings Listed) | Complete

Multiple Pairings Paradise City by casliyn | Rated E | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss, Amy Gardner/Josh Lyman | In Progress

THE WEEKLY PRESS BRIEFING TEAM CAN BE REACHED VIA THE FOLLOWING METHODS:

Twitter: @TWWPress

Email: [email protected]

Feel free to let us know if we missed something, if you have an event you’d like us to promote, or if you have an item that you’d like included in the next briefing!

xx, What’s next?

#the west wing #tww #tww fandom #west wing #west wing fandom #the west wing fandom #tww fic #josh lyman #donna moss #cj cregg #sam seaborn #toby ziegler #thanksgiving fic #weekly press briefing

5 notes · View notes