#as is the fact that if they live a slightly high end average lifespan they may be among the last cats i ever have

[naamahdarling]

.

Little bit of pet loss and sad talk in tags.

[nabesthetics]

Draconids: Saltwater Dwellers

Description and status in the modern era

Southern High Lindwurm

Danger level: 2.5-3 Elemental affinity: Lightning Intelligence: Sapient Status: Isolated

The only surviving subspecies of sapient water-dwelling lindwurms, Southern High lindwurms are natural inhabitants of cold seas south of the main continent. Formerly encountered in the Strait of Seals, they were pushed further south by human activity, now mainly residing in both deep and shallow waters of the Frozen sea. They build their dens in natural and dragon-made caverns, with underwater entrances in the cliffsides of islands and the continent.

Physiology: Cold-blooded, omnivorous lindwurms covered with thick non-scaled skin. Most are neutral colored in blue/green-ish range, with dark stripes and/or spots; “emerald” morphs haven’t been seen in a few centuries; “ice” morphs are exceptionally rare and appear to be sterile. An average adult reaches 13 ft. in length, with some individuals glowing up to 15 ft. Ice morphs tend to be smaller, up to 10 ft. in length. No observable sexual dimorphism. Theorized average lifespan of ~150 years.

Behavior: Southern lindwurms avoid contact with humans; it is unclear whether they cannot shapeshift at all or simply prefer to remain isolated. Not aggressive, and quite social among their own, they live in communities of 7-10 individuals; rivalries between communities are rare. During winters, entrances to the dens are sealed as lindwurms hibernate for 3-4 months.

Combat: Most possess natural affinity to lightning spells, releasing the charge when biting their prey or opponent, often wrapping their long bodies around the target in the process in attempt to immobilize and/or strangle them. Spellcasters use more powerful electric spells and telekinesis. Ice morphs appear to have stronger magical abilities, though true to their name, they tend to use water and ice magic instead. Generally, lindwurms prefer to flee rather than fight, unless the den or their kin are threatened.

Shoreline High Dragon

Danger level: 4 Elemental affinity: Water Intelligence: Sapient Status: Integrated

Originating from shallow areas of Sea of Persephia, most shoreline high dragons have abandoned their original lifestyle and spread throughout the continent, blending into human society. Now they are most commonly encountered among ship crews; there is a myth of a pirate crew consisting entirely of shoreline high dragons, but actual existence of such a ship is debated.

Physiology: Warm-blooded omnivores covered in short coarse sleek fur. Most often soft green or brown; unusual colorations like “golden” or “midnight” ones used to be rare due to being targeted by predators and humans, but are becoming more common. No distinct marks aside from a light stripe on the edge of their crests and wing membrane. Relatively small dragons, generally up to 9 ft in length, with males being slightly larger. Average lifespan: 230 years.

The distinct 10 antennae are used for detecting magical and life energy currents in both air and water. Their loss makes the dragon disoriented and susceptible to illnesses, though exceptional regeneration abilities of the species allows them fully recover the antennae in about two weeks.  

Behavior: In nature, shoreline dragons would travel along sea coasts and nest in river deltas in pairs or small groups. The nomadic habits made them feel at home aboard human ships. Highly energetic, empathic and most often extroverted, shoreline dragons are one of the few draconid species that fit into human communities without trouble. However, tight bonds with humans often end with a heartbreak due to the dragons’ longer lifespan, and older individuals tend to become more quiet and reclusive over time. For the same reason, these dragons tend to form close relationships with each other – it is uncommon for a shoreline shapeshifter to work alone among humans.

Combat: Shoreline dragons aren’t naturally aggressive, but they are quite easily provoked. If fighting side-to-side with humans, they stick to the same tactics; however, in a life-threatening situation their strategy switches to overwhelming magical force. The shoreline high dragons’ magical affinity is significantly strong and versatile: their instinctual magic revolves around water element, but most of them advance their skillset with other offensive elemental spells and magic schools.

Cloud Chaser

Danger level: 3 Elemental affinity: Air/Lightning Intelligence: Beast Status: Isolated/extinct

Formerly one of the more plentiful species of lesser dragons soaring over the seas in areas with semi-tropical and tropical climate, cloud chasers were exterminated and pushed from the continent during the Dragon Conflict. It is unknown whether they are completely extinct or still reside in territories that humans haven’t reached yet. 

Physiology: Cold-blooded obligatory carnivores covered with small matte scales, sporting a wide variety of color depending on the region, characterized by light areas on long, thin webbed wings. Males’ wings were significantly darker on the outer side. Albino specimens were surprisingly common and didn’t fare much worse than the rest of their kin. Size of an adult individual varied between 15 and 25 feet in length depending on the bloodline. Average natural lifespan is unknown due to high mortality rate, but there is a legend about a cloud chaser that breached 300 years old before being hunted down.

Behavior: Cloud chasers nested on cliffsides, residing in the same territory with a mate and offspring. During the breeding season dragons flew to islands to mate, after which the females returned to their territory with a different male every year. Cloud chasers flew far from the shores to hunt large sea birds, fish and humans, when the latter began contesting the dragons by fishing. Being highly territorial, Cloud chasers would attack boats and ships that moved towards their nesting site, and became a serious threat to vessels in the Emerald sea. Resilience to heights allowed these dragons to soar over most clouds, granting them their name.

Combat: Fast and agile flyers, cloud chasers attacked smaller opponents or prey by diving from the sky, grabbing their targets and lifting them up to drop them onto cliffs or into water from high altitude. They primarily used magic to fly rather than fight, aside from a single trait that made this species especially dangerous during and shortly after thunderstorms. Cloud chasers took to the sky, actively seeking out a lightning hit; absorbing most of the electric power, the dragons could use it over the next few days to unleash devastating elemental attacks onto larger prey — or ships.

Genus: Carved Sea Serpents

A.k.a. “Sea Harvesters”

Danger level: 4 Elemental affinity: None (?) Intelligence: Beast Status: Active, uncovered

Several species of similar physiology and behavior, carved sea serpents are rarely considered draconids outside of expert circles. It is the magical traits of their bodies that prove their belonging in the Dragon Class. Unlike with most draconids, existence of carved sea serpents is a known fact, although they are still surrounded by an array of sailor tales and legends.

Appearance of these beasts in the waters of Salty Sea is very recent; their presence beyond the Strait of Seals used to be anecdotal at best, but the sightings – and attacks – became more frequent over the past few decades, for reasons yet unknown.

Physiology: Cold-blooded obligatory carnivores covered with small scales with almost sandpaper-like surface, and mineral formations that grow and spread throughout the creature’s life, starting at the neck and tip of the tail. Shape and color of the mineral varies from species to species, ranging from rough gray to agate-like rock. Black, gray, brown and teal are the most common hide colors. Legends often mention albino Harvesters or individuals covered with precious crystals, but those claims haven’t met any proper proof so far. Species of carved sea serpents range from 30 to 50 feet as old adults; legendary 100 feet-long individuals haven’t been sighted since the Dragon Conflict. Average lifespan unknown but is theorized to be above 500 years.

Behavior: Despite their uncovered status, behavior of these beasts isn’t well-studied. Carved serpents were never seen in couples or groups, and judging by scars present on most individuals they are highly aggressive towards each other. With primal magic allowing them to breathe underwater and withstand tremendous pressure, they remain in deep waters most of the time, and it’s likely that their young never ascend to the surface until they reach specific age.

There are debates around reasons why the carved serpents come up to the surface, and attack ships when they do, considering that their usual prey consists of animals much larger than humans; some of the incidents suggest that the creatures are provoked by magic use and artifacts. Adjusting ship courses and equipping them with specifically crafted harpoons has reduced the number of attacks, but reports of serpent sightings closer to the shores are concerning.

Combat: Harvesters do not appear* to possess any elemental magic attacks, instead relying on their brute force. However, the said force is enough to grant them a high danger rating, as larger specimens are capable of sinking a large ship in minutes by ramming the hull or crushing both wood and metal with their jaws.

*The creatures are most often seen during severe storms, but it isn’t known if they are simply attracted by the unrest on the surface, or actually affect the weather in any way.

Great Sea Dragon

Danger level: 4-5 Elemental affinity: Water Intelligence: Unknown Status: Active

Common figures in myths, great sea dragons do not actually appear in the internal continent seas. Their sole existence is debated even within dragonhunting circles. Ancient records claim that they did reside in the local waters once, but left by themselves during the Dragon Conflict, and now remain in the Great ocean, acting as one of the reasons humanity hasn’t been able to cross it.

Physiology: Described as serpents visually similar to many land dragons, these creatures are claimed to never stop growing, with ancient, mythical variants reaching 150 ft. long and higher due to their unknown but immensely long lifespan. They are covered in orange, red or blue scales and sport signature fins on their heads and tails.

Behavior: Unknown; old records mention sea dragon attacks on ships and even seaside cities – a sea serpent is claimed to be responsible for one of the early disastrous cataclysms in Ancient Vesuvia – but every story is accompanied with nuances that make the attacks seem to be revenge or retaliation to endangering the serpent or its young. However, if the theory of them destroying ships in the Great ocean is true, then the dragons became much more aggressive since their leave of the continent.

Combat: Great sea dragons are described to have immense destructive magical abilities revolving around controlling the waters around them, raising massive waves and creating maelstroms. Younger individuals that haven’t reached that level of magical prowess would use scalding steam as their elemental breath. Physically, they could crush boats by wrapping their long bodies around the vessel and constricting it.

[thebattlelost]

"The Best Of Times"

"Tonight's the night we'll make history, honey, you and I

And I'll take any risk to tie back the hands of time

and stay with you here tonight

I know you feel these are the worst of times

baby I know, you wouldn't have to cry

I do believe it's true

When people lock their doors and hide inside

Rumor has it it's the end of Paradise

But I know, if the world just passed us by

The best of times are when I'm alone with you

some rain some shine, we'll make this a world for two

our memories of yesterday will last a lifetime

We'll take the best, forget the rest

And someday we'll find these are the best of times

These are the best of times

I do believe it's true"

Styx

Charles Dickens wrote "It was the best of times,

it was the worst of times" but to tell the truth of the

matter for me, it seemed anyways that it was nothing

more than time, a time that was filled with chaos and so much

confusion and of course cha cha changes when your

friendships, some that even went back as far preschool

and or kindergarten would start to become something

slightly different, as everyone started growing up graduated

and then started moving on to what we call the real life

becoming so called adults in a world that had a hell of

alot more questions than it did answers to give, then having

to make those decisions about college the military, starting

families making new friends or loosing old ones becoming just

a mixed up menagerie of broken and fractured memories

of our past, almost like chapters in a book that were

ending with brand new ones beginning'' in a world that

was so much different then the one we had all grown up

in, one that was harsher, colder, less caring, less God-

fearing, more hateful, and spiteful in fact it was down

right terrifying. Down here on this planet that we call

earth which is the third planet from the sun, that revolves

along its axis every twenty-four hours or what we call

a day, all the while revolving around the sun that takes

three hundred sixty five days or one year, which does

not sound all that very long at all except that when you

think about it and relizes that an average human only

lives up to seventy nine years meaning we only get that

many spins to get it right or to find the meeting of life,

or why it is we are really here. Even Einstein said its

become appallingly clear technology has surpassed

our Humanity and that is very sad, which brings us back

to the beginning of at least this prose, for my generation

was one of the last to know and truly understand what

"friendship" really means, all of those connections we made

are ones that will last a life time because we had

the time to spend and the energy to cultivate and feed

and grow, using our bicycles skateboards and playgrounds and most of all real life

communication in a language that seems to be dying

out going extinct called get this actually talking face to face,

everyday, and night, for

days, weeks, months, and years through laughter and

tears the real kind not electronically recorded sound

boards or stupid smiley or poop emoji

standing around

not making a sound staring down at a phone no, we

were bonded by laws of the sacred street light where

if you were not in by the time they came on the parent militia

would be released as you dodged the neighbors trying to

capture you giving you an ass whooping as you were trying

to find your way home each taking turns spanking your butt

with a wooden spoon or hair brush or scolding you then

when you are hand delivered to the warden, your mother

where you hear the dreaded phrase "Just wait until your father

gets home" thats when it went silent not a sound and all

your friends cringed knowing what was coming then

sneaking candy or sodas to make sure you survived

the ordeal and that my friends is love. yes real

tangible love the kind I have been searching for my

entire life trying to get back wanting to feel that once again.

Love is not just between a man and a woman or wife and husband or even boyfriend and girlfriend, it is

between those who will open their doors at three am without a

question why, those who have cried with you, laughed

when you shaved your eybrows off accidently, or when

you lost your dog or cat, fell off the swing lost your

diamond ring, called your parents Mr. and Mrs or

just plain mom and dad, all of those friends who made

the effort to actually physically either walked, rode their

bike, skateboard, or scooter all the way across town

just to say hello, and not just call, text, or have their

assistant send an email that is what love is all about,

it is sad nowadays who they call a friend for the people

you meet today may indeed call themselves friends and

they might or might not stick around for just a little

bit but there is a difference and it is all superficial at that

because if you ever needed help for any reaon or were

running from the cops and I do not mean you just killed

somebody because you would not be a good friend

dragging them in the middle of that or you just needed

someone to talk too at four am in the morning the first

ones that come into my mind are those that have already

been there with me through good and the bad, happiness

and being sad, had a bed ready and beer whenever

any and the many breakups I have had just appeared.

But enough of that I think you get the picture and if you

do not then I feel sorry for you because your probably a narcissist

who do not even know how to love themselves

or even worse, just a scourge to humanity anyways run

As fast and far as you can away from them, so in

closing I would like to say I love you to class of nineteen eighty-four

and all the others before and after who know the true meaning of

friendship and love and all the hardwork that goes into

making both work, and any and all of you who ran the

street light gauntlet trying to get to the house before

your father got home and bear the marks of a belt whopping

given by the neighbors when you ran from mom, or

playing with me in the park until dark, pitching

quarters at school, buns up at lunch, even walking

home or taking the school bus,

ditching class to

go to zuma beach, driving around smoking Marijuana,

Skiing down a hill at Mountain High first thing

in the morning, taking a hike in the hills around

White Face, putting out fires in October as the winds

tricked or treated us. All of those memories I will never forget

reminding me of a very short moment of time that God had

given me when I was so very happy I had the chance to

experience in my life because all of those friends that I

made back then are and will be my

friends until the

very end and to those friends who we have already

lost to God up in heaven just know you will never be

forgotten, so just know I have made the spin around the

sun more then half my lifespan and shall soon follow you

down the path you have taken to be your friend once again.

Rumor has it it's the end of Paradise

But I know, if the world just passed us by

The best of times are when I'm alone with you

some rain some shine, we'll make this a world for two

our memories of yesterday will last a lifetime

We'll take the best, forget the rest

And someday we'll find these are the best of times

These are the best of times

I do believe it's true"

Styx

Poet Richard M Knittle Jr.

A Poet's Journey

A Texas Poet Laureate Nominee 2016 - 2022

[biostudyblog]

Human Physiology

 This is a brief overview of some specific human organ systems and processes. It will be pretty long.

Digestion

Digestion is a process where large food molecules are broken down and absorbed for the body to use. Fats are broken down into glycerol and fatty acids, polysaccharides like starch are broken down into monosaccharides, nucleic acids are broken into nucleotides, and protein is broken into amino acids. Vitamins and minerals are already small enough to be absorbed.

The digestive canal is known as the alimentary canal and is around 30 ft long spanning from the mouth to the anus, and made of smooth (involuntary) muscle which moves food along via peristalsis. The autonomic nervous system controls digestion.

Mouth

The mouth marks the beginning of both chemical and mechanical digestion. The enzyme salivary amylase begins to break starch down, meanwhile, the tongue and teeth work to mechanically grind food down into pieces small enough to be swallowed. Animals teeth is a good indicator of what diet it has. Humans have three kinds of teeth; incisors for cutting, canines for tearing, and molars for grinding, indicating that we are omnivores.

Oesophagus

The oesophagus is only the tube that moves food further down the alimentary canal, and into the stomach. The oesophagus and trachea (windpipe) are connected, so a flap of cartilage at the back of the pharynx (throat) called the epiglottis closes down.

Stomach

Like in the mouth, both chemical and mechanical digestion occurs here. The stomach is where protein digestion starts. With its thick muscular walls, it begins to churn food and secretes gastric acid, made of hydrochloric acid and enzymes that digest proteins. Hydrochloric acid eats away at the muscle and activates pepsinogens which digest the proteins. Meanwhile, the protein rennin breaks down the protein commonly found in milk. The environment in the stomach is extremely acidic, especially in comparison with the rest of the body. The human body remains at a neutral 7-7.5 range, while inside the stomach, the pH drops to around 2-3. The cardiac sphincter at the top of the stomach keeps acidified foods, and gastric acid from escaping into the oesophagus, while the pyloric sphincter at the bottom keeps food in the stomach until it is ready to be digested. 

Ulcers in the stomach, oesophagus, and duodenum (the first section of the small intestine) is caused by excessive acid.

Small Intestine

The small intestine finalises digestion. In fact, digestion finishes in the duodenum which makes up only 10 inches of the 6-metre long small intestine. Its pH is slightly basic, at 8. The enzymes in the intestine are amylases, proteases, lipases, and nucleases. The pancreas secretes pancreatic amylases into the small intestine to aid in starch digestion. Peptidases, like trypsin and chymotrypsin, continue to break down proteins. 

The small intestine is lined with fingerlike projections called villi which absorb nutrients and increase the surface area of the small intestine. Each villus contains capillaries which absorb amino acids, vitamins, and monosaccharides directly into the bloodstream and a lacteal which absorbs fatty acids and glycerol into the lymphatic system. Villi have their own projections known as microvilli.

Liver and gallbladder

The liver produces bile which emulsifies fats. Its pH is 11 and neutralises chyme (the acidified food that has come out of the stomach). The bile is sent to the gallbladder which stores bile until it is needed in the small intestine.

The liver also breaks down and recycles red blood cells, detoxifies the blood (removes drugs and alcohols) produces cholesterol which provides structure to cell membranes and produces our nitrogenous waste, urea via protein metabolism.

Pancreas

Along with producing the hormone insulin, the pancreas plays an essential role in the digestive system. It produces enzymes like amylases, peptidases, lipases, and secretes them into the small intestine. It also produces sodium bicarbonate which helps neutralise the chyme from the stomach.

Large Intestine

Once food has reached the large intestine, digestion is complete. Instead, egestion, vitamin production, and reabsorption of water occur here. Egestion is the removal of undigested waste. Bacterial symbionts who live in the large intestine produce vitamins B, K, and folic acid. When reabsorption of water goes wrong, it leads to constipation or diarrhoea. 

Rectum

The rectum completes egestion. Here, faeces are stored until it is released through the anus.

Gas Exchange

Air enters through the nasal cavity, where it is moistened, warmed, and filtered. After that, air passes through the larynx, into the trachea, into the bronchi, and to the bronchioles, which end with microscopic air sacs called alveoli.

Unlike earthworms, humans have an internal respiratory surface., The rib cage expands, causing the diaphragm to contract, and move down, causing the chest cavity to expand, and the internal pressure to decrease. Air is drawn into the lungs because of the negative pressure, as pressure moves from areas of low pressure to areas of high pressure.

The medulla in the brain stem sets the breathing rhythm by monitoring CO2 levels, and pH levels in the blood. When the blood’s pH drops to below 7.4, autonomic nerves in the medulla increase the breathing rate.

Transport of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide

Oxygen is carried through the blood by the protein haemoglobin, which combines with oxygen to form oxyhaemoglobin. CO2, the byproduct in cellular respiration is dissolved into the blood. CO2 is carried in the plasma as the reversible blood-buffering carbonic acid-bicarbonate ion system which keeps the blood pH levels at 7.4.

Circulation

The human circulatory system is a closed circulatory system with arteries, veins, and capillaries. Arteries carry blood away from the heart, and are under enormous pressure, as their walls are made of a thick layer of elastic, smooth muscle. Veins carry blood back to the heart and are not under as much pressure. You can tell the difference between veins and arteries, mainly because veins do not have thick muscular walls. They have valves to prevent backflow and are found within skeletal muscles which propel blood upward and back to the heart. Capillaries allow for the diffusion of nutrients and wastes between cells and blood. The walls are one cell thick, so blood has to travel single file through it.

Blood

Blood is made of thrombocytes (platelets), erythrocytes (red blood cells), and leukocytes (white blood cells) suspended in a liquid matrix called the plasma. The average human body contains 4 to 6 litres of blood.

Thrombosis

Thrombosis is also known as blood clotting. It begins when clotting factors from thrombocytes and damaged tissues are released. Anticlotting factors circulate in the plasma to prevent the development of a thrombus where it is not needed. Serum is plasma without those clotting factors.

Components of Blood

The plasma, along with clotting factors contains hormones, antibodies, dissolved gases, nutrients, and wastes. It is 90% water. Erythrocytes contain haemoglobin and oxygen. They do not have a nucleus and have a lifespan of around 120 days. They are made in the bone marrow and recycled in the liver. Leukocytes are responsible for fighting infection. They too are formed in the bone marrow. When you get pus from infection, that is actually the dead leukocytes and bacteria. (War is hell). Finally, thrombocytes, which as mentioned above, form thromboses. They are actually cell fragments formed in the bone marrow from megakaryocytes,

The Heart

The heart is a muscle found beneath the sternum. On average, it beats 70 times per minute and pumps 5 litres of blood per minute. It has two atria that receive blood, and two ventricles which pump blood. 

The hearts natural pacemaker is called the sinoatrial (SA) node. Electrical impulses travel through the cardiac and body tissues to the skin, where they are able to be detected by an electrocardiogram (EKG). Blood pressure is the lowest in the veins, and highest in the arteries. When you get a blood pressure rating, like 120/80 (the average for resting adults), the high number is the systolic pressure, measuring when the ventricles contract and the low number is the diastolic number, measuring when the heart relaxes.

When you see a diagram of the heart, it is flipped, as you are looking straight at it.

Pathway of Blood 

Blood enters the heart from the superior and inferior vena cava. From there it travels to the:

Right atrium

Right atrioventricular (AV) valve, also known as the tricuspid valve

Right ventricle

Pulmonary semilunar valve

Pulmonary artery

Lungs

Pulmonary vein

Left atrium

Left atrioventricular (AV) valve, or bicuspid/mitral valve

Left ventricle

Aortic semilunar valve

Aorta

The cells in the body

Back to the vena cava

Blood circulates through the coronary circulation (the heart), renal circulation (the kidneys), and hepatic circulation (the liver)

Endocrine System

Animals have two regulatory systems that release chemicals: The endocrine system, and the nervous system. Together they work to maintain homeostasis. The endocrine system secretes hormones, and the nervous system releases neurotransmitters.

Hormones are produced in ductless (endocrine) glands and move through the blood to their target cell, tissue, or organ. They produce either an immediate short-lived response or a dramatic long-term development of a whole organism, for example, adrenaline (the fight or flight hormone) vs. ecdysone (the hormone that leads to metamorphosis) 

Tropic hormones are hormones that stimulate other glands to release other hormones and have far-reaching effects. For example, the anterior pituitary releases the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which causes the thyroids to release thyroxin. Other chemical messengers reach their target by different means, such as the pheromones found in a dogs urine.

The Hypothalamus

The hypothalamus is a part of the brain, and plays a key role, as it is the bridge between the nervous system and the endocrine system. During times of stress, it sends electrical signals to the adrenal glands, however, it also produces oxytocin and antidiuretic hormone which are stored in the pituitary gland. It also contains the body’s thermostat and regulates hunger and thirst. Some other glands include:

The Anterior Pituitary- releases growth hormone, which stimulates bone growth, the luteinizing hormone, which stimulates the growth of ovaries and testes, the thyroid-stimulating hormone, which stimulates the thyroid gland, the adrenocorticotropic (ACTH) hormone, which stimulates the adrenal cortex to secrete glucocorticoids, and the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) which stimulates the gonads to produce sperm and ova.

Posterior Pituitary- releases oxytocin, which stimulates the contraction of the uterus and mammary glands, and the Antidiuretic hormone which promotes the retention of water

Thyroid- releases thyroxin which controls the metabolic rate, and calcitonin, which lowers blood calcium levels.

Parathyroid- releases parathormone, which raises blood calcium levels

Adrenal Cortex- releases glucocorticoids which raises blood sugar levels

Adrenal Medulla- releases epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine which raises blood sugar level by increasing the rate of glycogen break down.

Pancreas- releases insulin which lowers blood glucose levels, and glucagon, which raises blood glucose levels.

Thymus- releases thymosin which stimulates T-lymphocytes during the immune response.

Pineal- releases melatonin which is involved in biorhythms (helps induce sleep)

Ovaries- release estrogen which stimulates the uterine lining, promotes the development and maintenance of secondary female sex characteristics and progesterone which promotes uterine lining growth

Testes- release androgens which support sperm production and promote secondary sex characteristics in men

Cell Response 

There are two hormone types: steroidal or nonsteroidal, also known as polypeptide hormones. They stimulate their target cells in different ways.

Since steroid hormones are lipids, they can diffuse directly through the cell membrane, and bind to a receptor within the cell. 

Protein or polypeptide hormones cannot dissolve through the cell membrane, so they have to bind to a receptor on the surface of the cell. When the hormone binds to a receptor, it triggers a second messenger such as c-AMP which coverts the chemical signal into a response.

Feedback Mechanisms

Feedback mechanisms are self-regulating mechanisms that increase or decrease an action or the level of a particular substance.

Positive Feedback

Positive feedback enhances a response that already exists. A perfect example is during childbirth, when the pressure of the baby's head against the uteruses opening of the uterus stimulates more uterine contractions, leading to increased pressure. The feedback loop ends when the baby is born.

Negative Feedback

Negative feedback maintains homeostasis. It releases or decreases the number of hormones, minerals, etc in the body. For example, when thyroxin levels in the body are too low, the hypothalamus stimulates the anterior pituitary to release TSH, which causes the thyroid to release more thyroxin.

Nervous System

The nervous system is made of two parts: the central nervous system, made of the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system, made of the nerves outside of the CNS. The peripheral nervous system is further divided from there.

Peripheral Nervous System

Sensory- Conveys information from sensory receptors or nerve endings

Motor- Stimulates voluntary and involuntary muscles. Consists of two systems:

Somatic System- controls the voluntary muscles

Autonomic System- controls the involuntary muscles

Sympathetic: 

Fight-or-flight response

Increases heart and breathing rate

The liver converts glycogen into glucose

Bronchi in the lungs dilate to increase gas exchange

Adrenaline increases blood glucose levels

Parasympathetic:

Opposes the sympathetic system

Calms the body

Decreases heart and breathing rate

Enhances digestion

The Neuron

The neurons are the cells that make up the nervous system. It contains a cell body, dendrites to receive electrical impulses, an axon where the impulse travels down to the synapse where neurotransmitters are released through the synaptic cleft. Most axons are wrapped in a myelin sheath which protects the axon and increases the speed of neural impulses.

The Reflex Arc

The reflex arc is the simplest nerve response. When you touch your finger to a hot stove, the reflex arc has you pull your finger away before your brain has time to register what is happening. As your finger touches the stove, the sensory neurons on it are triggered. They send an impulse to interneurons within the spinal cord. These interneurons send an impulse to motor neurons, which move the impulse towards the muscles in the finger, jerking it away.

How a Neuron Functions

All cells have a membrane potential which is a difference in electrical charge between the cytoplasm (negative charge) and the extracellular fluid (positive charge). This difference is between -50mV and -100mV. When this number is negative, it means that the inside of the cell is negative in relation to the outside.

Resting Potential

An unstimulated neuron is polarised and has a membrane potential of around -70mV. The sodium-potassium pump maintains this polarisation by pumping ions that leak inward. A stimulus must be strong enough to overcome the resting threshold or resting potential. The larger the membrane potential, the stronger the stimulus be to cause the nerve to fire.

Action Potential

An action potential is also known as an impulse and is generated in a neuron’s axon. When a stimulus overcomes the threshold, the permeability of the membrane changes. Sodium channels open, and sodium floods into the cell, against the concentration gradient. Potassium channels then open, and potassium floods out of the cell. This movement of ions is known as a wave of depolarisation and reverses the polarity of the membrane. This is the action potential. It is localised and is short-lived. The sodium-potassium pump returns the sodium and potassium where they belong. This period of repolarisation is known as the refractory period. During this time, the neuron cannot respond to another impulse.

The Synapse

As the electrical impulse reaches the synapse, it stimulates the vesicles at the terminal branch of the neuron. These vesicles contain chemical neurotransmitters. When the synaptic membrane is depolarised, Ca++ ions rush into the terminal branch, causing the vesicles to fuse with the presynaptic membrane, and release the neurotransmitters via exocytosis.

The Eye and The Ear

Eye

Cones- photoreceptors in the retina that distinguish between different colours

Cornea- tough, clear covering that protects the eye and allows light to pass through

Humour- fluids that maintain the shape of the eyeball

Iris- coloured part of the eye that controls how much light enters the eye

Lens- focuses light onto the retina

Pupil- a small opening in the middle of the iris

Retina- converts light into nerve impulses that are carried to the brain

Rods- photoreceptors in the retina that are sensitive, but cannot distinguish between different colours

Ear

Auditory Canal- ear canal, where sound enters

Cochlea- fluid-filled part of the ear, sends nerve impulses to the brain

Ear bones- hammer, anvil, and stirrup, transmit vibrations from eardrum to oval window

Eustachian tube- equalises pressure between environment and inner ear

Oval window- sends waves of pressure to the cochlea

Semicircular canals- fluid-filled, helps you maintain balance

Tympanum- eardrum, vibrates as sound hits it

Excretion

Excretion is the removal of metabolic wastes, including CO2, and nitrogenous wastes. The organs of excretion are the skin, lungs, liver, and kidneys. The skin excretes sweat with water and salts, including urea, the lungs excrete water vapour and CO2 from the Krebs cycle, the liver does not excrete things from the body, however, it deaminates amino acids and produces urea, and the kidneys excrete water and urea.

The Kidneys

Depending on how dehydrated the body is, the kidney adjusts the concentration of urine. Kidneys get their blood through the renal artery, and filter around 1,500 litres of blood per day, and produce, on average, 1.5 litres of urine. The kidney responds to the bodies water needs by the Antidiuretic hormone, released by the anterior pituitary, which targets the collecting tube of the nephron. It controls how much water is reabsorbed by the kidneys.

The Nephron

The nephron is the basic functional unit of the kidney. It consists of a cluster of capillaries, known as the glomerulus, which sits within a cuplike structure called Bowman’s capsule, a long narrow tube called the tubule, and the loop of Henle. Each kidney contains around 1 million nephrons. The nephron does its job in four stages: filtration, secretion, reabsorption, and excretion.

Filtration

Filtration depends on diffusion. It is passive and nonselective. The filtrate is made of anything small enough to diffuse through the glomerulus and into the bowman’s capsule. This includes glucose, salts, vitamins, urea etc. From Bowman’s capsule, the filtrate travels into the loop of Henle and then the collecting duct or tubule. From there, the filtrate trickles into the ureter, and the urinary bladder for storage, then to the urethra, and out of the body,

Secretion

Secretion is the active, selective uptake of molecules that did not filter into the Bowman’s capsule, in the nephron’s tubules.

Reabsorption

Reabsorption is the process by which most of the water and solutes (glucose, amino acids, and vitamins) that entered the tubule during filtration and returned to the capillaries. The longer the loop of Henle, the greater the reabsorption of water.

Excretion

Excretion is the removal of metabolic wastes. Everything that moves into the collecting tubule is excreted from the body.

Muscles

There are 3 types of muscles; smooth, cardiac, and skeletal

Smooth or involuntary muscle makes up the walls of blood vessels and the digestive tract. It is not striated and is controlled by the autonomic nervous system

Skeletal or voluntary muscles are large, striated, and multinucleate. They work in pairs, contracting and relaxing.

Cardiac muscle is muscle found in the heart and is also striated. It is able to generate its own action potential, so each cell can beat on their own.

The Sliding Filament Theory

Within the cytoplasm of skeletal muscle cells are fibres called myofibrils. They run parallel to the length of the cell. They contain thick and thin filaments. These filaments contain actin proteins. Each filament is composed of myosin proteins. Muscles contract when thick and thin filaments slide over each other.

The Immune System

Our bodies are designed to fight the numerous microscopic organisms designed to hurt us. These microscopic organisms are called pathogens. In this way, our body is almost like a fortress, lined with booby traps, walls, and guards ready to fight any intruders who get in.

First Line of Defence

The first line of defence is nonspecific. They are barriers that keep pathogens out.

We have skin, the mucous membrane that traps microbes, cilia in the respiratory system that sweep mucus lined with microbes out, and stomach acid that kills any pathogens that get through the nose and mouth.

Second Line of Defence

Microbes that get through the barriers have another layer of nonspecific defence to get through. There are three types. 

There is the inflammatory response that causes redness, swelling, and soreness and warmth, increasing the blood supply, nutrients, and white blood cells. Histamine is a chemical that induces the inflammatory response. Along with that, sometimes fever is used to make it harder for microbes to survive.

There are phagocytes, which eat microbes. One type of white blood cell, called macrophage extend pseudopods and engulf microbes.

Finally, there are interferons, which are chemicals that block against viral infection.

Third Line of Defence-Specific Defence

The third line of defence relies on lymphocytes, another kind of white blood cell. There are B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes. These are made in the bone marrow, and circulate the blood, lymph, and lymphatic tissue: the spleen, lymph nodes, tonsils, and adenoids. They recognise antigens (anything that triggers an immune response)

B lymphocytes produce antibodies against a specific antigen. This is called a humoral response.

T lymphocytes fight pathogens in what is called cell-mediated response.

Antibodies

Antibodies are designed to fit only one particular antigen. They neutralise antigens by binding to them and forming an antigen-antibody complex that a phagocyte will eat.

Clonal Selection

Clonal selection is an essential mechanism in the development of immunity. Antigens that enter the body bind to specific T or B lymphocytes. When a lymphocyte has been selected, it becomes very metabolically active, proliferates, and differentiates into plasma and memory cells.

Plasma cells fight antigens immediately in the primary immune response. They are not long-lived.

Memory cells live the lifetime of the person. Memory cells circulate through our blood that is specific to the diseases of which they fought, whether they were diseases we had or diseases we were vaccinated for. The ability of the immune system to generate a secondary immune response is called immunological memory.

Types of Immunity

Passive immunity is temporary. Antibodies are borrowed and do not survive long. For example, maternal antibodies pass through the placenta to the fetus, or from the breast milk to the baby.

Active immunity is permanent. Antibodies are made on their own.

ABO Blood Types

ABO antibodies circulate in the plasma of the blood and bind with ABO antigens if an improper transfusion takes place. To prevent this, a persons blood is cross-matched to insure their transfusion will be compatible.

Blood type O has no blood cell antigens that can be clumped, so it is the universal donor. Blood type AB has no antibodies to clump the donor's blood, so it is the universal receiver.

AIDS

AIDS stands for acquired immune deficiency syndrome. It is caused when the HIV virus (human immunodeficiency virus) attacks T cells. It is a retrovirus, transcribing itself in reverse, making its own DNA. When the white blood cell count drops, the victim is highly susceptible to infections they normally would have been able to fight off. 

Allergies, Antibiotics, Vaccines, and Autoimmune Diseases

Allergies are hypersensitive immune responses to substances called allergens. They cause an excessive amount of histamine to be released, causing blood vessels to dilate. In extreme cases, the victim will go into anaphylactic shock, where their throat closes up and they are no longer able to breathe.

Antibiotics are medicines that are able to fight specifically bacteria or fungi. The overprescription of antibiotics leads to strains of resistant bacteria, due to natural selection.

Vaccines train the immune system to generate antibodies for certain viruses, as once you have a virus, there is no way to get rid of it. All you can do is reduce the viral load. Most viruses go dormant, however for the few that can ruin a life, vaccines are essential.

Autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis are conditions where the immune system fails to distinguish between self and nonself. In multiple sclerosis, for example, the immune system attacks the myelin sheath in the brain.

[celticfeather]

Akatsuki Fic: Campfires

A brooding clan-killer and a man who prefers to see himself more shark than human are not the most likely, or friendly, of new partners. But hunted and hated, their backs on are the wall, and the Akatsuki starts to form a complex refuge for its members. Their missions blur the lines between men, beasts, and gods, and Itachi must either accept his complicity in evil, or contemplate revolt.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13409132/1/Campfires

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21019778/chapters/49992863

-Chapter 1: Dawn

The tongues of flames danced against the stars like heathens frenzied before a war, springing into the night with a fibrous crackling. The one called Pain stood like a preacher, tall and black,  his shadow painted by the leaping blaze onto the rockface behind him. His voice was low and commanding, yet vibrant, like velvet over steel. From everywhere and nowhere it echoed around the chasm like the voice of a god. “And if you join us, Uchiha Itachi, make clear your mark.” Itachi raised his arm and the thick kunai glinted black and orange. The metal fang plunged down, and with a jumping spark, the knife slit a ragged slash across his headband’s gentle leaf. “You are damned to the world, Itachi. May you find refuge in our Dawn, and together we shall light the world in the rays of a new peace.” No devilish cheering welcomed their new member. There stood a half dozen of his new comrades in black robes with red clouds, their dark eyes peeking out from high collars. Among them he noted the bandages of a Mist swordsman, and he recognized the grinning snake eyes of Orochimaru.

Now at least, damned by his nation as he was, Itachi had no orders to follow but his own. He would protect the Leaf from the shadows. And from this Akatsuki, whatever it was. He was washed with a strange sense of peace. It was not relief. What was done was done. Compared to yours, our pain will be over in an instant, his father’s last words echoed through his mind. He was unsure if they were sympathetic or the curse of a dying man. But it mattered not. The deed was done.

He wondered what had happened to Sasuke. The Hokage himself must be consoling him now. Maybe the boy would be sent to live with another family, or an orphanage. No, probably not, unsavory types would be waiting to adopt the boy. “Hey, you.” Itachi looked over, his thoughts of family broken. A man older and taller than he had prodded him on the shoulder. “Name’s Kakuzu. Follow the rules, don’t be brash, and I won’t kill you.” He gave Itachi a small leather pouch. “What is this?” “Ten thousand yen.” An unexpected gift. But since his days in Anbu, Itachi was reticent to show surprise around people he wasn’t sure he liked. “That’s for the month. If you need food or an inn, buy it. Petty theft is beneath us, and attention costs money.” Ten thousand yen was hardly generous for a month’s travels. In fact, an ordinary human would die of exposure. The inflation rate had been such that fifty years ago one could travel a few weeks on 10,000 yen. Now it would suffice for only a few bowls of ramen. “Hey now, Kakuzu! Let him live a little bit! No one lives forever! Oh wait, you do, heheHAHA!”

Kakuzu narrowed his eyes hatefully at the interruption. The high pitched voice sounded like it belonged to a teenager. Itachi looked in its direction, and giggles simmered from the orange mask. Kakuzu growled, and ‘Tobi’ yelped and wilted. Finding the boy sufficiently scared, he did not press his advantage. Itachi suppressed his unease: the disguised, giggling, Madara was also alive far beyond a human lifespan. It unnerved him to see him manifest this boyish farce after they had worked together only hours prior to massacre their clan. But Itachi‘s face was an aloof, slightly irritated mask. “Rumor has it,” a woman’s cool voice uttered to him, “Kakuzu fought the first Hokage.” “Is that so,” Itachi echoed. If true, this Kakuzu would be eighty-five years old at minimum. He only looked forty. It seemed that Orochimaru and Madara were not unique among those who experimented with eternal youth. He would have to tread carefully here.

Itachi studied the woman. She was older than him, early twenties maybe. Her hair was bluish. He had only now seen her leave Pain’s side, and she was the only female member of the group. He wondered if she and pain were romantically involved. It was strangely like an academy clique: the one woman had chosen the highest ranking man of the group. “Konan is my name,” she told him. “I hope you can find a home here.” “Uchiha Itachi. A pleasure.” She did not seem terrible. The mist ninja with the executioner’s sword and red face paint stepped forward to Itachi. He smiled his mangled, filed, teeth at Itachi, and extended his bandaged hand. “Looks like you’re the only other shoe without a mate, kid. Biwa Juzo.”

“Now,” the gravelly voice of Pain claimed order. “Our organization needs to gather funds if we are to achieve our goals. You have your partners and your missions-- you are dismissed.” (keep reading)

A long time later, Juzo was dead.

Itachi did not know if the swordsman understood he would die when he jumped to shield Itachi from the Misukage’s strike, or if it had been an impulse he did not live to regret. The Kage’s blast had shattered his sword, and sated its iron-hungry blade in its owner’s abdomen. Not risking a burial, Itachi had returned the hilt to Juzo’s hand and fled the Land of Water for his life.

He wondered if he was still there— if the crows found him. He hoped they had. If it were him, he would prefer crows to the Mist intelligence corp-- and especially Zetsu.

Itachi’s newest partner introduced himself a few hours ago. The eyes that now walked beside his were white and devoid of mammalian emotion, and Itachi had not yet noticed Hoshigaki Kisame blink. The ex-mist ninja was of hulking stature, maybe two meters, which brought Itachi’s highest hairs up only to his jaw. He might have been thirty, but he had a strange face and it was hard to tell. His skin carried a faint bluish sheen, and his cheekbones were slashed with what could best be described as partial gills. Itachi had once pondered a similar thought with Orochimaru: Were you born looking like an animal?

Itachi found the Mist ninja’s desire to be partnered with him ignoble. By the end of the bizarre introduction speech involving live shark births, this Kisame seemed to advocate fratricidal cannibalism. Respecting Itachi because he killed his family was a poor way to gain his admiration.

“Isn’t this a mission for state ninja?” Kisame’s voice broke his thoughts. “A jounin could handle this.”

“The Land of Iron has no ninja village,” Itachi said. “The Ishikawa tiger, too, is an endangered species, and I do not think the neighboring waterfall ninja would agree to hunt it.”

Earlier, the pair had debriefed each other on their strengths and strategies. Kisame, as far as he had trusted to self-report, had massive stamina, lethal dexterity with water style, and was skilled with the chakra absorbing sword he carried. Itachi had listed fire style, shuriken, and genjutsu as his advantages. It seemed a profitable marriage of skills. 

“Hm. Now, how to find the poor sap?”

“My tracking skills are… above average,” Itachi said. Red gleamed out from under his high collar. 

“Right. I’ll let you lead.”

His world flared in the expanded spectrum of colors and avian detail of the sharingan. Itachi looked at the tree limbs above them, where a bird’s nest balanced lithely on a swaying branch. In the nest’s carefully woven lining was a tiny tuft of orange fibers: a mixture of orange guard hairs and slightly lighter whitish underfur. Among the orange was a single black hair of the same length.

A few minutes later he saw some twigs broken by a large quadruped. Then he saw a smeared paw print with retracted claws. They continued into a shallow ravine. Kisame followed quietly, but a crackle came from his direction: his living sword was excited.

Itachi peered from the bushes and signaled to Kisame. Through a leafy window they spied a massive cat, far larger than an ordinary animal, nearing the size of a horse carriage. Bunches of muscles rippled on its haunches as it lapped a sandpaper tongue at the creek. Facing profile to them, it yawned, and fangs longer than kunai flashed in the light. Itachi reached into his robe to draw a single knife. A strike to the brain would be sufficient. 

“Allow me,” Kisame said, unshouldering the huge, blunt, Samehada from his back. “Pity to let such nice chakra soak the sand.”

Itachi tipped his knife back into his robe in consent. More than he would like to see this over, he would like to observe how this Hoshigaki Kisame operated.

Kisame alighted before the beast in the clearing. Surely the tiger was unaccustomed to being approached by anything living, especially not something smaller than it. It sprang with coiled fury at the man that dared, but its front claws met only earth. Shiny brown river pebbles sprayed loudly into the air and clattered back down to the ground.

Brandishing the thirty-kilo sword, a grinning Kisame landed spritely five meters from the tiger’s impact. With the darting grace of a tropical fish, he danced away from the cat’s frustrated strikes, his sword carving the air around it, but never cutting it, until the cat grew weak. At last it stared at the two men, panting, black lips curled back over yellow teeth.  

Kisame had to turn his whole head to look at Itachi. For, perhaps like a shark, he was incapable of moving his eyes much in their sockets. “Can you sedate it, Itachi?”

The cat’s pupils, black slashes on yellow disks, dilated to wide spheres as Itachi set the animal under a genjutsu. It was always a strange procedure with beasts. Genjutsu involved manipulating chakra flow to the brain, and in a brain that was not human, it was a coarse process. Itachi could not communicate complex images like he could with humans, so instead he instilled it with feelings of darkness and warmth. 

Kisame approached the sleeping tiger and drew the broadside of Samehada along its jugular. The sword’s scales rippled, and Itachi knew the cat was dead. Itachi revealed his kunai. 

“Could probably get some gold for the pelt, too,” Kisame said, slinging the purring Samehada to his back.

Probably they could. But Itachi was not Kakuzu, and he did not desire to carry a bloody tiger pelt around for a few extra yen. Itachi crouched over the carcass, and with careful incisions he removed its teeth. They clattered against each other in his leather pouch. Whatever some royal leech would do with them to cure his presumed impotency, Itachi did not know. 

“Someone’s coming,” Kisame warned him.

“Just merchants,” Itachi said. The rogues sprang into the trees. They heard the surprise of the men to find the freshly killed tiger. They’d feed the village! Get drunk! They invoked the gods for their luck. Kisame smiled devilishly but Itachi was unamused. Soon enough, the two rouge ninja were over the border of the Land of Rice.

Obtain the teeth, the scroll, the real or metaphorical scalp-- the object was the only variable. Then he brought them to a collection office. He gave the reward to Kakuzu and awaited further orders. The string of missions seemed to be the only constant in Itachi's life since the Uchiha massacre.

The sun yellowed and sank as they traveled. Juzo, his senior, was usually the one to suggest respite. But now that Juzo was dead, Itachi supposed this responsibility fell to him now. He slowed, halted, and sprang down from the tree to the clayish earth. A shaded wood surrounded them, and willow boughs trailed gently on a narrow, clear river with a sandy bank. The sinking sun painted dappled golden strokes on the surface of the water, and fish tail slapped from the waves. Kisame alighted after him. 

“What do you say, Itachi? Fancy a fish dinner? We’ll see who can catch the most.” Kisame’s gently rough voice was surprisingly only baritone for a man his size. As many fish as two elite ninja could catch? “What a wanton slaughter.” “I can eat a lot of fish,” Kisame said. “We’ll do first to catch five,” Itachi decided. “Fine.” Kisame strode to the bank. With a blur of signs and motion of his arm, a sphere of water rose, and a wriggling green bass shimmered inside. He released it from the water prison jutsu and the first thrashing fish tumbled to the earth, and he removed its gills with a stomp. Kisame raised his hand to snare his next victim. Itachi slid kunai between his knuckles like bear claws, three in his right, two in his left. He ignited his sharingan, and like an osprey he saw through the water like glass. He pinpointed the motion of five adult fish, observed the current, and noted the water’s angle of refraction. He jumped high, extended his arms, and let the kunai fly. Easily as wooden targets, each knife struck its living mark. “Impressive,” Kisame said with restrained mirth, dispelling a ball of water and depositing a fish on the bank. “But in my book, fish don’t count as caught when they’re pinned to the bottom of a creek.” There may have been a flicker of perturbance on Itachi’s face. But it must have been a trick of the light. Itachi was not annoyed.

Itachi shed his robe and with a few launching steps he pierced the chilled water in a shallow dive. The fish were weighted by the knives to the riverbed, their eyes wide and mouths open. He snatched the knives by the handles and kicked hard towards the surface. When Itachi breached, he looked to the bank to see Kisame perched on a tree root, one elbow on his knee, grinning widely. His five fish were lined up in size-order at his feet, each about the length of a sandal. “A bit too slow, unfortunately,” Kisame grinned. “I knew I lost the moment I had to dive in,” Itachi said, stepping drenched to the bank. Having to retrieve the fish was a technicality— losing gracefully was not a skill Itachi had to often practice. “No, Itachi. You lost the moment you humored a shark to a fishing match.“ Doubtful, Itachi thought. But he said nothing as he removed the knives and placed his five fish on the bank. “Would you go find some sticks to spit them on?” the victor asked with a gesture to the forest. Itachi did so. Upon returning, Kisame had gathered kindling and larger branches, and arranged them into a conical shape

 “Be a pal and light us up?” Itachi wove a sign and blew a thin jet of flame at the base of the cone. Which, aerating nicely, set the tiny pyre ablaze. “We both have our fields Itachi. You’re not terrible... for a leaf ninja.” Kisame said. The two rogues speared their ten fish in a radial pattern around the flames. Perhaps a bit too soon, Kisame selected a fish and sank his huge teeth into its head. A wretched, wet, splintery sound crunched across the flames as Kisame ate his catch skull, spine, organs and all. Maybe he was doing it to see if it would bother Itachi. Kisame grinned. Or maybe that was just his face. Either way the mist ninja’s huge triangular teeth made quick work of the food. Itachi bit into the side of his fish, now especially careful not to eat its needle thin ribs. Its flesh was moist, hot and salty, and he felt strength flowing back into his body. He allowed his spine to sink against the tree trunk he leaned against. He was cold and tired, and it felt good to have a hot meal around a fire… Even with company as reptilian as Kisame.

At that moment, a sudden jab of pain split behind Itachi‘s eyes and he coughed into his hand. He discreetly curled his fingers into a fist to conceal the blood on his palm.

“Eat a bone?” Itachi cleared his throat and swallowed the blood. “No.” Kisame grunted, his eyes flashing from his soaked partner to the icy stream. “Do you drink, Itachi?” 

“Not alone.”

“You might as well start the fun kind of sinning. It’ll warm you up.” Kisame tossed the greasy stick into the forest and reached for the next largest fish. As he bit a steaming, flaky hunk out of it, he reached for a waterskin on his body. He removed the cap, and passed it to the young man. “Kakuzu would not be pleased to hear what you spend your allowance on,”  Itachi said. “That stinge gave me his speech. He can try to punish me.”

  “Kakuzu has already killed two members of the Akatsuki.” Kisame laughed. “You’re kidding!” “Afraid not.” “Did Pain punish him?”

“No. Our leader has many killers, but only one bookkeeper.”

“Hm. Better hope we develop new talents then, eh?”

Itachi took a few swallows of the sharp but sweet rice wine and returned it to Kisame. Kisame sniffed the lip of the waterskin: he closed his eyes but made no remark. 

The fire flickered lower. Itachi had gathered a little pile of fish bones at his feet. Fish were pretty animals, not frivolous, with graceful spines and streamlined skulls. He counted three heads in his pile. He was comfortably full. Kisame had eaten seven of them, bones and all.

“I learned something today. I wasn’t sure you could use genjutsu on a tiger,” Kisame said. He picked his huge teeth with a shard of rib, then chewed on it as if it were a stem of wheat. He did this until it was pliable, and then swallowed it.

“Men and beasts are very different,” Itachi said.

“Are they?” It was a challenge rather than a simple reaction. Kisame’s contracted eyes studied him.

“Unquestionably.” Itachi held his gaze.

Kisame grunted but said nothing. Instead of glancing down in defeat, his hard eyes swept deliberately and coolly to the side. Thus, Kisame postponed a conclusion to their discussion, at least until he was certain he could win it.  The mist ninja sat with his hands clasped over his stomach. They rested by the fire until it elapsed into smoke and the spirited flames sobered into glowing black and red coals. 

“So Itachi, how does this work? Do we sleep on the ground? Take watches?” “In peaceful conditions, I don’t watch. But I do sleep in a tree for concealment,” Itachi said. “Leaf ninja,” Kisame muttered. “Sleeping in trees like a bunch of monkeys.“ In a flicker, Itachi had climbed the oak above them to its lowest fork. Kisame covered the ashes with a kick and leapt to the limb opposite him. They faced each other for a moment, chins down, listening in the silence for possible observers. Sensing no one, Kisame turned his back and fastened Samehada to the underside of the branch. The weave of his robe was tight and warm, and Itachi tipped his chin inside its high collar. His breath filled the cavity with warm air, and it was not uncomfortable. Crickets chirped. Neither of them said good night. 

Day 2----

Dawn corded its cold light through the pine needles and onto Itachi’s eyelids. As he parted their red curtains, he saw a young crow. It stared for a moment, curious at the oddly placed human, then shuffled its wings and darted off. Rising gently, Itachi stepped to the other side of the trunk to rouse his new partner.

Round fish eyes opened on his approach. “Did you know, sharks never fully sleep?”

Great.  

“Let’s get these teeth to the collection point,” Itachi said.

He led the way until the building became visible from the forest. As was often the case, the underground bounty office had its cover as a mortician’s practice. Morticians had plenty of space for storing bodies, and arriving there from the country with a corpse on one’s shoulder was considered only slightly rude. 

“Who goes in?” Kisame asked.

“I’ll go. You watch.”

Itachi entered the building: he tipped his chin under his collar until only his coal black eyes peered out. Itachi was not an immediately intimidating man. He was of average height, average build, perhaps even thin. There was nothing special about his coloration. But the representative at the counter knew the red-clouded robes, and rising from his collar, Itachi’s eyes gleamed garnet.

The collection man’s knuckles tensed a tendinous white as he stared at the approaching Akatsuki. Itachi halted, and hailed him as stipulated:

 “What rings the Dawn, and shall bring Man to his haven?”

“Our world glimpses Death’s yawn: the hoarse call of the raven.”

Good. Itachi placed his pouch with the teeth on the counter. The man inspected the smooth oranged teeth and accepted them. He set a case of cash on the counter and displayed it to the Uchiha. Itachi did not count the money: no contractor had been foolish enough to short change the organization since a recent incident involving Kakuzu.  

One million yen. Not bad for a glorified pet hunt. Now they just had to deliver the money to the Akatsuki’s ancient master of coin or one of his henchmen. The zombie pair were conducting a mission some forty kilometers away; they could meet them in just a few hours.

“I’ll carry that,” Kisame said when Itachi emerged with the large briefcase. Itachi gave it to him and they set off north. They traveled a quiet hour before Kisame spoke.

“I smell blood.”

Itachi had sensed nothing unusual. Kisame’s strengths were complementary to his indeed. With a gesture of his hand, Itachi instructed Kisame to lead. The shark-ninja’s sense of smell was better than his, but not at the level of a ninja hound’s, because in just another few long leaps, Kisame had grounded himself on a dirt cart path.

Hung upside down on a tree was a human body. The victim’s feet were tied together with a strip of cloth and jabbed through with a stake into the trunk. Itachi thought the man was less than thirty minutes dead. Blood dripped down from his death wound, down his sternum, his throat, to collect on the jut of his jaw and dye maroon swirls in the muddy water of the cart treds. 

“Huh,” Kisame surmised, wrinkling his wide nose. He looked at Itachi.

“This is the Akatsuki’s doing. One of us makes such displays,” Itachi said. 

Itachi cut down the corpse. He strode powerfully, urgently, along the path. Between the trees appeared a traditional inn with the peaked roof of mountain tribes, dark wood paneling, and pale stucco walls. An inn of the piquant sort, judging by the oiran fan and floral carvings on the upper balconies. A familiar black robe with red clouds lay discarded on a bench outside. “Do Akatsuki go to brothels?” Kisame asked. Itachi didn’t answer. On the ground outside the brothel was a circle drawn in blood. “He’s going to kill those women.” “So?”

Itachi rushed forward. 

At the instance of his arrival, an individual strode out of the building’s door. He was young, zealous, handsome, and walked with his smooth chest bared bared. His muscled arm was wrapped around the thin waist of a pale woman with long black hair. Mid sentence, he recognized Itachi. 

“Hey hey, Itachi! Wouldn’t think I’d find you at a place like this. Where’s your new partner?” Hidan greeted.

Itachi’s voice was low. “You paid these people for a service. Their deaths were not part of that.” Like a friendly dog Hidan smiled. A friendly dog, who just in case the friend was a foe, smiled to remind him he had teeth. “Well! I haven’t paid anyone yet, and I think Lord Jashin will appreciate their talent!”

The woman’s smile faltered. No sooner had she realized the danger, Hidan threw her against the wall and held her by the throat. He drew his pike. 

That damn Kakuzu. Maybe if he wasn’t squeezing Hidan’s purse, the cultist would not have extra incentive settle his debts with death. Or maybe Hidan would just kill anyone weaker than him regardless. Itachi’s patience for negotiation had elapsed. Flickering, he grabbed the girl and deposited her next to Kisame in the yard. “What am I supposed to do with this?” Kisame said, but Itachi had already flickered back to Hidan some ten meters away. Now Hidan’s teeth flashed impatiently when he spoke. “You’re annoyingly noble for a member of an evil organization, you know that?”

“Where is Kakuzu,” Itachi asked, though as customary for his questions, his voice lacked a submissive rise pitch at the end. The bothersomely rational waterfall ninja would surely restrain his partner from this idiocy if he were around.

“Think I need him, huh?” 

“Idiots require supervision.”

Shrieking, Hidan raised his scythe and sprang at Itachi. 

Sharingan! Hidan froze. Inside the fictional realm, Hidan was tied to a tree trunk. Itachi created a replica of the retractable pike he tried to use on the prostitute, and with its sharp point, Itachi punctured the man’s intestines. Drawing it out, Hidan flexed his fingers in convulsing pain and howled like a jackal. Itachi felt a presence in his realm he did not invite. A hulking black monster lumbered out from behind the trunk, humanoid in shape with flesh of black fire revealing a white skeleton. It had a skull like a goat and its glowing pink eyes regarded Itachi hungrily. Hidan’s trembling lips parted in rapture as he beheld it. With a bony talon the monster pressed Hidan on his sweating forehead. The brothel, the forest, the yard had returned. The genjutsu was broken. Itachi seized a reactionary few steps back. Hidan was not skilled enough to break out of that on his own. What was that skeletal monster? Did he just witness his god? “You,” Hidan said breathily. Trembling and weakened, he leant on his scythe as he stood. "You'll pay for that!" he swore, swinging the blade at Itachi's throat Itachi would have to fight Hidan without genjutsu. His ninjutsu wouldn’t kill him. And close quarters taijutsu was risky, since one graze could make that blood ritual of his troublesome. He would have to incapacitate Hidan. Chop off a limb. That was how he would win.

Hidan swung at Itachi with the graceless zeal of a chunin, and each time, his weapon only met the air. Itachi drew his tanto blade. Hidan smashed his scythe into the earth on another missed strike, which grounded him. Placing all of his strength in the blow, Itachi cleaved through Hidan’s tibia, crushed his fibula, and Hidan was gracelessly grounded, separated from the bottom half of his leg. Bleeding heavily, Hidan’s severed shin spun to a halt a few meters away. 

“FUCK!”

In the corner of his vision Itachi was aware of Kisame standing tense: he had been ready to act, but must have decided it unwise. Itachi paced forward, shortsword swinging, and when he swung it through the air, the blood leapt off in a fine spray to speckle a tree in red. The blade had cracked beyond repair: he had been reckless to cleave the two bones in Hidan’s shin in one strike. To the music of Hidan’s curses, Itachi began to wipe the soiled blade in the grass. He would have to bury the thing, better children did not find it.

The toothed crown of a plant, like a venus fly trap, emerged from the grass nearby. Zetsu’s head had materialized from the dirt and Itachi’s hands stilled in surprise.

“Hello, Zetsu,“ Itachi greeted the head.  

“Hello.“ Then, “They’re here, Pain,” the strange plant ninja said.

Pain appeared. Robe billowing, he stood between Hidan and Itachi. His presence was magnetic and every head turned to him. “What,” Pain growled, “is the meaning of this infighting?” “I was just... behind on my sacrifices...” Hidan breathed from the ground, and struggled to prop himself up. “When this prick insulted me, gutted me in a genjutsu, and then. Lobbed. Off. My. Fucking. Leg.” “Hidan. Killing civilians and leaving witnesses awards you with the bounty of the five nations. We can not afford this attention.”

“Sorry about that, sir,” Hidan muttered, looking diffusively at the ground.

Pain’s attention swiveled to the next unruly young adult. “Itachi, we are no heroes. Never compromise our goals by attacking our members.”

Itachi dipped his chin in an acknowledgement that was not quite submission. Pain strolled forward to the wooden building. The brothel’s matron, three prostitutes, and a few men stared out at the colorful flock of S ranked ninja from the porch and balcony. Pain extended his right arm. “What are you doing?” Itachi demanded. Pain unfurled his fingers. “Shinra Tensei.” The wooden house exploded in a rain of splinters and structure. Wooden beams and ceramic roof tiles hailed down around them. Itachi searched Pain’s expression for a reason. Instead, Pain’s ringed eyes fixated at the surviving girl who stood shivering next to Kisame. “Kisame,” Pain ordered. Massive Kisame took the girl, placed either hand on the side of her face, framing it in a gesture that seemed almost intimate. But a ligament in Kisame’s forearms twitched, and she was dead before her corpse hit the ground. 

Fire erupted from the uprooted gas pipes and ravenous flames quickly devoured the wooden house. The black beams stood like a skeleton among a roaring, moaning fire that devoured the wood and paper structure. The intense dry heat prickled against the moisture of Itachi’s scleras, but despite it, he could not blink. Pain rounded on Itachi. Backlit by the flames, he saw his own face reflected in the rippling fog-colored eyes that locked him.

 “Our enemies hunt us as we speak. Because of you, Itachi, too many saw too much. If I decide that anyone is disloyal to the Akatsuki, I will kill him.” Itachi stared into eyes more ancient, more evolved, and more knowing than his own. He learned then he was not free in his outlawry. Even he must tread the line between light and dark as closely as he dared. Should his steps toward the light be too obvious, he would find his own neck on the rope, and dead men can protect no one. 

—

Author’s Note:

暁 Akatsuki = Dawn

A step away from my usual work, but I recently fell in love with Naruto Shippuden. I have chapter two, Cannibals, about finished and will post it soon.

*Special thanks to myochiikurin for her hard work beta reading this chapter and the next!

I thought the life of Itachi and the others members settling into their lives in the Akatsuki was the most compelling and underexplored aspect in the Naruto universe, and thought I’d give filling the gap of this organization my try.

Feedback is greatly appreciated,

Celtic

Next Chapter on Tumblr: https://celticfeather.tumblr.com/post/188589156066/akatsuki-fic-campfires-ch-2-cannibals

(Follow on FF or Ao3:

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13409132/1/Campfires

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21019778/chapters/49992863  )

[maisietheyellowlab]

My Dog Breed Selection Process

Yesterday I got this message from an anon:

“I saw your getting a Koolie!! Nice!! They're such pretty dogs. And actually if you don't mind I have a question for you? Feel free to not answer. But you have a lab and are getting a koolie, two different breeds obviously, so do you have any tips for someone trying to find a breed? It'll be my first purebred dog and going to the shelter is hard enough because all the dogs are so cute so how do you narrow down the list for the perfect dog? Idk if you had a list - but how'd you decide on a koolie?”

and I quickly realized this was gonna be a long post, so here it is. This whole thing:

This is the general procedure that brought me to my breed choices:

First come up with a list of “must haves” “nice to haves” and “must not haves” for the type of dog you want (size, coat type, shedding, energy level, trainability,..) (as @katieisstilltumbling / @winedogs already pointed out in the original ask).

Be very honest with yourself and consider that while the dog has to be a good fit for you, you have to be a good fit for the dog as well!

Then go through a list of dog breeds and/or take a few “what’s the right breed for you” type quizzes OR if you really like a dog sport check out the breeds that usually do well in that sport (e.g. mushing: Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes,..)

→ see which of those you like and check their breed descriptions

→ check blogs, forums, videos, fb groups of owners and breeders of that breed, see if you still like what you see

→ if there are any events where you might be able to meet the breed irl (dog shows, trials, breed meet ups…) go there and talk to owners! (this step is not always possible but it’s very helpful if you can do it!)

→ check if the dogs of that breed fit your “must haves” and “must not haves”

→ look up breeders

→ contact a breeder, ask about the breed, their dogs, what kind of owner they like for their dogs, ask if you can meet them and their dogs

→ when you meet irl, see if you like the breeder and their dogs

→ if you’re now sure you want a dog of that breed, tell the breeder you’re interested in getting a puppy from their upcoming litter

→ be patient and respectful

→ get puppy

→ done!

So, here’s an example of my personal breed-selection journey:

Dog breed selection process 1 - Labrador Retriever:

The first step at all was trying to think of the dog breeds I'm generally drawn to/think they're cute and looking them up, checking out youtube videos where owners talk in depth about the breed and being real honest with myself if the breed would fit into my lifestyle. For example, I always liked Cocker Spaniels, Golden Retrievers, Border Collies, Labs and Dalmatians.

Second step was going thru breed lists online and checking them out, trying to see if there's more breeds I like, but maybe haven't seen or heard of before.

Third thing I did, was take some Dog Breed Selector quizzes online, to see if I'd like any of the dogs that would come up as recommended to me. Ofc this is not to be take too seriously, bc you can be a perfect home for a border collie, but the quiz results won't match you to Border Collies, just because you didn't tick the box that said »I have an enormous yard.«

So at that point I had somewhat of an idea what I would want in a dog, and I had a list of traits in my mind that I applied to my top ~10 breeds.

It was something like this:

Must haves:

Medium size

Tolerates cold&hot weather

Easy coat maintenance

Easy to train --> biddable or will to please

Medium/high energy

Suitable for hikes&canine sports

Playful

Good around older children

Good for first time owners

Not very sensitive

Okay with being left alone for a few hours regularly/not prone to separation anxiety

Good with people and dogs

Average lifespan longer than 10 years/as long as possible

Breeder in my country

Cute!

Nice to haves:

Doesn’t shed a lot

More of a quiet type of dog

Litter in the next 6 months

Likes water

Longer than average lifespan

Must not haves:

Guards people/property

Very large or very small

Prone to health issues

Very independent

Very sensitive

High maintenance coat

Prone to DA or HA

Pure working line

Ideas: Australian Shepherd, Toller, Border Collie, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Brittany

I started looking for breeders of those breeds in my area and looked through all the websites I could find. I looked at their dogs, their breeding practices, the offspring and of course, litter plans.

At that point I felt like a balanced Aussie might be the way to go, so I contacted and met up with a breeder. Turns out we didn't really click and the way that she described the breed and her personal requirements for her puppies' owners left me feeling very overwhelmed, so I decided agains getting a dog of hers. I looked at some other breeders websites, but the more I researched the more I also started realizing that an Aussie might not the the best choice for me any the household I was living in at that time.

So here I learned a very important lesson. Not only do you have to find a suitable dog, you also have to find a suitable breeder. A responsible breeder will stay in contact with you for the res tof the dog's life, try to point you in the right direction, will be a source of help regarding the dog's development, health and training, so you need like them and they need to like you back. So I added another bullet point to my puppy search list:

a breeder that is helpful, friendly, nice to be around

Dog breed 1, try 1: Aussie →  not a good fit.

I eventually narrowed my selection down to Goldens and Labs, because they were generally easier for first time owners than the rest of the breeds, less prone to sensitivity and there were announced litters in the next few months.

In the end I went for a Lab, because they seemed a little more sturdy and had slightly less health issues, as far as my research showed. Then I contacted two breeders, I think, and I went with the one that felt more right. Oh and also, I thought the parents of the litter looked better, bc that's honestly a big factor too. You're gonna live with this dog for 10+ years, why not choose the one that fits your criteria as much as possible.

So that was it, this is how I chose Maisie's breeder. She's great, helped me a LOT during the first few months when I needed it most, and we're still in touch, I visit her every year. It feels like she's my aunt or smth, she's really nice.

Dog breed 1, try 2: Lab → WIN :D

Dog breed selection process 2 - Australian Koolie:

The second time around I approached the breed selection a little differently, since I had already met more breeds of dogs irl by then and also had an idea of what I’d like in a second dog from experience with Maisie. A part of my decision to go for a herding dog came from what I want to do with them - I want to try more canine sports that include jumping, so a dog with a lighter build and more will to please. That kind of dog will enjoy those activities more and be able to do them more safely than Maisie.

Must haves:

Medium size, lighter build

Tolerates cold&hot weather

Easy coat maintenance

Will to please

Medium/high energy

Suitable for hikes&canine sports

Suitable for jumpy sports

Playful

Okay if sensitive, would prefer less sensitive tho

Okay with being alone for a few hours if needed

Good with people and dogs

Isn’t bothered by obnoxious Lab behavior very much

Average lifespan longer than 10 years/as long as possible

Working/ working x mixed line

Cute

Breeder in Europe

A helpful, friendly breeder

Nice to haves:

Doesn’t shed a lot

Not noise sensitive

Not very sensitive in general

More of a quiet type of dog

Litter in the next 6 months (hahahahhaha I’ve been waiting for a little over 2 years at this point)

Likes water

Likes snow

Likes toys and food as rewards

Longer than average lifespan

Must not haves:

Guards people/property

Very large or very small

Prone to health issues

Very independent

High maintenance coat

Prone to DA or HA

Pure show line

Ideas: Aussie, Border Collie, Rough Collie, English Springer Spaniel, Welsh Springer Spaniel, Toller, Koolie

I’d met enough Aussies by that point to realize they weren’t exactly what I wanted in a dog, but I still really liked Border Collies. This time around I wasn’t intimidated by higher energy level anymore, but I was still a bit worried about sensitivity and the fact that most BCs I’ve met low key hated Maisie. There were a few who liked her, but many didn’t so I kept looking for a better fit (I thought it wouldn’t be fair for the new dog to be stressed by Maisie just existing and being herself..it wouldn’t be fair to either). I was considering Tollers too, but there weren’t any litters announced at all, and I knew of literally one breeders, so I kept on looking. I had a hard time with finding Rough Collies without extreme show coat and had trouble finding non extremely showy Springers around here as well.

I think I found out about Koolies when I was going through herding dogs, and it was a new breed I’ve never heard of or seen before. They were rarely included bc I was mostly looking at very generic lists I think. I read the description, watched a few videos and really really liked them. They had all the traits of aussies and BCs I liked, but weren’t as sensitive as BCs generally are or as prone to guarding as Aussies tend to be. I found two breeders in driving distance, contacted both, one was kinda weird with replies and said she doesn’t want to sell pups outside her country, but the other breeder was very nice and helpful in her replies and that’s how I started talking to the breeder of my future puppy! I met her and two of her dogs about two years ago and loooved them. They also aced the “can tolerate a playful (obnoxious) Maisie” test, the main thing BCs struggled with.

So unfortunately I couldn’t get a puppy from the two litters that were born in 2017 and 2018 bc my life circumstances weren’t suitable for a puppy at the time, but now I am READY and basically just waiting for the puppy to be born sometime this year.

Dog breed 2, try 1: Koolie → win!

[starwarsgirl198]

"Jha'durs are fierce Faberian hunting animal and like all creatures living on Faber, it is Force-sensitive." – Marrika Nerys Jha'durs are canine-like creatures native to Faber, Jha'durs were Force-sensitive and thus capable of being domesticated by the native Faberians. Biology and appearance Jha'durs’ are canine in appearance with the long narrow muzzle and large erected ears but there are some features that make them different than other canine like creatures. All members of the Jha'durs had orange eyes with vertical pupils that were quite disconcerting to other races. They had extremely sharp teeth that ran along the length of their snout, with four fangs protruding over their lower lip, each ending in a double point. Slightly elastic jaw muscle and cheek increase bite force like a rubber-band snapping back and also allows for a large bite range-like a snake. They extremely long green tongue, which they use to smell their prey when their nose to busy smelling something else. They have strong neck and jaws for carrying heavy objects. Their chest is deep and its waist is narrow. The Jha’durs’ paws have semi-retractable claws for extra grip in its high-speed pursuits. They have hand-like paws for climbing and they have strong front legs for climbing as well. And they have a long whiplike tails for balance and maneuvering, their tails can also be used as a weapon and has been known to break bones and cause internal bleeding. Jha'durs was strongly telepathic to their Faberian partners though they sent images to their partners' mind instead of actual words. This ability was a natural manifestation of the Force among their kind. Jha'durs could also 'hide' themselves from the Force, though they could also make themselves detectable in the Force at will if they chose to, just like Faberians. As a whole the species were long lived; the average lifespan for a Jha'dur was 700 years. Behavior and intelligence Jha'durs was highly intelligent creatures, capable of understanding verbal commands and intuiting the feelings of those Sentients around it. They were territorial creatures, marking the area they claimed as their own by rubbing their bodies around the perimeter. Domesticated Jha'durs would not often leave their owners, but occasionally did roam within the boundaries of their territory independently. Despite their predatory ferocity, Jha'durs was extremely protective of their young and the offspring of those within its social sphere. Human infants needed not to fear a nearby Jha'dur and, in fact, Jha'durs was known to construct nests for human children much as they would for their own pups. Jha'durs was skilled trackers and fierce hunters, capable of taking down large prey such as Grazers and carrying the carcass back to their abode. Their sharp claws allowed the Jha'dur to climb the sides of buildings and trees, where they would wait to ambush a prospective target. Once the prey was in range, the Jha'dur leaped from their high perch and pouncing in their prey. When domesticated, Jha'durs was extremely loyal and protective of their masters and their surrounding families. Jha'durs are always seen in the company of a Faberian and cannot be owned by any non-force-sensitives though they have been seen working alongside non-force-sensitives when their partners are not with them. Jha'durs was extremely loyal and protective of their masters and their surrounding families. Jha'durs are always seen in the company of a Faberian and cannot be owned by any non-force-sensitives though they have been seen working alongside non-force-sensitives when their partners are not with them. Jha’durs are very vocal creatures and can make a lot of noises that range from squeaks to whistles. And it is the Jha'durs are the top predators of Faber, wild Jha'durs even hunt lone Faberians mostly because they often mistake Faberians as one of their numerous Force-sensitive prey. Classification: Omnivore, Force-sensitive. Habitat: Forests, mountains of Faber. Intelligence: Very high. Distinctive Features: Orange eyes with silted pupils, hand-like paws and long whip-like tail. The Jha’dur is a Force-sensitive pack animal; their packs can consist of ten to twelve. These units were dominated by an alpha male and alpha female. While some Jha’durs have made it off Faber, it is better if the owner is a very strong Force-sensitive because anyone weaker than they are will be viewed as prey and attacked, and non-Force-sensitives general have a hard time training these creatures since they cannot form a bond with the Jha’dur. Jha’durs will eat anything from rotten meat to berries, this works well for them when winter comes and food is scarce. Jha’durs are immune to almost everything, so if the animal eats anything poisonous or that would infect humans or aliens with any virus, the owner doesn’t have to worry about them getting infected when the animal licks their owners or when the Jha’dur accidentally or intentionally bites people. In other words, Jha’durs had very clean mouths, their saliva affecting as a natural disinfect so Faberians tend to use Jha’dur saliva to put over their wounds. The saliva of Jha’durs also acts as a natural blood-clot, preventing the Jha’dur to bleed a lot or leave a trail of blood when the animal tries to hide.

[cherrywineandmagic]

Wings

A/N: I’m gonna be quite honest. These past weeks I’ve been staying up until 6 am and waking up at 2 pm. One day I woke up and found I had written this in my notes. I don’t really remember writing it, but hey. Why not?

Spencer Reid meets his guardian angel and she’s nothing like he would have ever imagined. 

Spencer Reid was at a loss that night. He had returned home from a particularly difficult case that had resulted in no happy endings for anyone, and he was beginning to doubt himself. If he wasn’t quick enough on his feet, if he was unable to calculate the unsub’s locations before another innocent person lost their life, was he really of any use to the BAU?

He sighed deeply, allowing himself to fall back into the soft comforts of his mattress and momentarily rejoice in the fact he was home. That small ounce of happiness was of course short-lived as his concerns immediately rushed back into his mind.

He wasn’t sure how long he laid there, with his hand covering his eyes as he attempted to relax. It could have been five minutes or it could have been hours, up until he heard a loud thump hit the floor beside him, startling him to death. 

“Who are you?” he immediately asked as he sat up, alarmed at the fact there was now a stranger in his bedroom.

“Wow, I did not calculate that right,” she groaned as she turned over, the pain she felt in her back showing in the way she cringed when she lifted herself off of his floor. He watched as she stood and stretched out, acting as comfortable as if she was in her own home.

“Where did you come from?” he asked, unsure of whether he was dreaming or not. If he wasn’t mistaken, she had fallen from his ceiling. Logically that didn’t make any sense.

“Aw, Spencer,” she said in a tone that was similar to the one people used on their pets after coming home from a long vacation, “I came from up there, you know that.”

“I…who are you again?” he asked as he looked around, his mind quickly locating objects that could be used as weapons. He had left his gun in the living room along with his other things. The lamp beside him would have to do if he needed to defend himself, but he was completely lost as to what exactly was happening in his room at this point.

“I’m Y/N. I’m your guardian angel,” she replied with a proud smile, her arms on her hips and her stance confident. “And don’t hit me with a lamp. That fall was enough for me.”

“You’re my…I’m sorry, what?” he asked, completely flabbergasted.

“Come on, Spence. You know what a guardian angel is,” she chuckled as she sat on one of his drawers a few feet away from him. “You know, I protect you, make sure nothing horrible happens, blah blah. You know the deal.”

“This can’t be real,” he muttered to himself. He rubbed his eyes in an attempt to wake himself up, completely convinced he was dreaming. Guardian angels weren’t real. They were just stories, made up entities to provide hope and promote faith. He was a scientist, he knew better.

“Not dreaming, kiddo,” Y/N stated with a grin after watching him debate with himself. “Do you need some proof?” she asked as she hopped down and walked towards him.

Spencer nearly fell back on his bed as wings sprung from on her back. They were impressively large and made of pure white feathers that seemed to shine despite the fact there was no light to reflect from them. His hand naturally reached out to touch one of the wings, surprise filling him with how delicately soft they felt.

“See? Angel,” Y/N said with a small smile as her wings retracted into her back and disappeared from sight. 

“But how? So heaven is real? God’s real? Can you show me? I dont-”

“Spencer,” Y/N interrupted. “There are questions that I can’t answer, and things I can’t show you. Try asking me something a little simpler.”

“What are you doing here?” he finally asked after the initial shock passed. She took a seat beside him and gently placed a hand on his knee.

“You’re doubting yourself, Spencer. You shouldn’t be. You’re more than enough for the team.”

“I…how did you know?” he questioned. He hadn’t voiced anything aloud about that the entire time. His doubts had been kept to himself, eating him alive.

“I’m your guardian angel! I can hear and feel when something wrong is going on in that mind of yours.”

“You hear my thoughts?” he asked hesitantly, his mind suddenly crowded with all the times he had thought anything sexual, rude, or just straight up inappropriate. He cringed at the idea someone else had been listening in.

“Yes, but only if I want to. I feel what you’re feeling. So I tune in when I feel negativity, but I give you your privacy for everything else,” she replied with a wink. He sighed in relief. At least he had some privacy.

“Why now? Why are you showing yourself now?”

“I had to beg the big chief upstairs to let me do this. I’ve been begging for a while now. We’re not supposed to interact, you know,” she said pointedly. “But you’re kind of a big deal, even with us. Everyone is a fan. And you’re my human to watch so I wasn’t about to let all this negative thinking get to you.”

“Negative thinking is what made you come down?” Spencer asked in disbelief. “You’re supposed to protect me! Where were you when I was taken hostage and killed? When I was high on drugs?”

“Yeah,” she cringed at the reminder of his past troubles. “You weren’t always mine to watch over. You used to have another guardian angel. Name was Debra. Kind of a bitch to be quite honest.”

“Y/N.”

“Yeah, yeah. Anyways, after that whole ordeal…she kinda got fired. She always went on and on about how smart you were and she actually decided to take a small “vacation” because she thought you could take care of yourself. Bitch was in the Bahamas while you were suffering.”

“Are you kidding?” Spencer exclaimed. “Can you even do that? She didn’t feel me in pain? She didn’t feel me die?!”

“Oh, she was completely drunk. See, we can blend in with you guys easily. And we can be seen when we want to. She was out drinking when that happened and it wasn’t until the big boss snatched her up that she realized what was happening to you.”

“What happened to her?” Spencer asked, a part of him sure this whole interaction was a figment of his imagination and the other part desperately wishing it to be real.

"She got fired. Literally. Got sent straight down, if you know what I mean,” Y/N answered with a shake of her head. “And that’s when I got you!” she added with genuine excitement.

“What about everything else? Like when I got shot in the neck?” Spencer demanded to know. “Aren’t you supposed to protect me? Where were you then?”

“Spencer, you got shot in the neck. How many people do you know survive that? I intervened. Of course I protected you,” Y/N replied, slightly offended of the fact he was seeming so ungrateful. “You’re not exactly the easiest person on Earth to keep safe, you know.”

Spencer nodded silently as he tried to process things. In his death experience he had seen a bright light calling to him, something that many interpreted as heaven. If he had seen that, surely angels weren’t too far out to believe in, right?

“I’ve really tried, you know,” Y/N said softly. “You know those nights when you almost did stupid things only to wake up the next morning not remembering how you got to bed? That was me.”

Spencer nodded, remembering the days when Emily had been declared dead. Many nights he had thought back to Dilaudid and the relief it would bring. Every time his thoughts strayed that way he’d find that sleep overtook him suddenly, and he’d wake up the next morning with a clearer mind.

“And those days where you felt so low and then suddenly you’d feel a small burst of happiness, just enough to get you through the day?”

“That was you,” Spencer sighed, realizing he owed much more to her than he knew.

“Yup.”

“But if you can make me feel happy, why did you let me suffer so much over the years?” he asked, real confusion filling his voice. If there was an almighty, all loving god, surely he would’ve been saved the pain.

“You’re human, Spence. You need to experience things and heartache is one of them. This is how you grow.”

Spencer nodded, looking at Y/N in an effort to remember everything about her. If this was his angel, he wanted to be comfortable. Even then she brought a small sense of comfort sitting beside him, a small smile on his face as she felt his previous negativity begin to melt away. Knowing he was protected brought some peace to his mind.

“How old are you?” he asked with curiosity. She looked young, maybe his age or maybe a little younger. But angels weren’t exactly humans and he had no real information about their average lifespan.

“It’s rude to ask a lady that,” she chided, an amused smirk spreading across her face. “I’m about a thousand. I stopped counting decades ago.”

“Wow.” Spencer was stunned at her age. She had seen things he probably wouldn’t even be able to imagine. Yet the way she spoke and held herself remained youthful. Whenever he thought of angels he pictured majestic beings who acted with elegance and class.The girl in front of him instead kind of reminded him of Emily, unapologetic and lacking in a filter.

“You should get some sleep now. You’re exhausted,” Y/N commented as she stood. He nodded, a part of him not wanting her to go. He wanted to know more, to ask questions he’d always wondered about and yet he knew she wouldn’t give him answers.

“Thank you,” he said softly, his words ringing with sincerity. She grinned, the dimples on her face an adorable feature.

“No problem, kiddo. You’ve been my favorite human since Einstein! Can’t let you suffer too much.”

“Einstein?!” Reid exclaimed in surprise. Immediately he wanted to know more, to know who the man actually was, and to know what he thought about.

“Of course! I get all the geniuses” she said as if it was common knowledge. “See you, Spence!”

In the second it took Spencer to blink, she was gone. He stared at the spot she had stood literally a second before, a tiny grin pulling at his lips.

“See you, Y/N.”

[wolf3223]

Writing prompt: fire. Use it symbolically, but try to break the trends of what it means. Ex: fire is often used to signify change, so use it to describe stagnation. Fire is often used as a source of light or illumination, so use it as darkness or to conceal.

They walk down the arched hallway. Their broad shoulders scrape the sides of the narrow passage. There are torches adorning the walls, pale wood held in place by a dark metal band. It’s just high enough that they could hit their head against it, but not low enough to hit their shoulders. The flames that dance atop the wood barely seem to illuminate the small area. They can tell that the uniform blocks that make up the hallway have small imperfections, little bumps and divots pull at the loose strings on their sweater. But they couldn’t tell you what color the blocks are.

They turn their attention to their destination. They squint against the dull light, trying to see how far they have yet to walk. They chuckle to themself at the cliche; they can only see a light at the end of the tunnel. So they keep walking, and keep hoping that none of the torches will spit out embers that could set their hair on fire.

Slowly but surely, the light gets bigger, but it never gets any less bright. It feels like it’s piercing their eyes and they can’t look directly at it without getting a headache. It seems as though they’re walking towards a solid wall of light and as they near it, they tense up, half-expecting to bounce back when they hit it. They pause a step in front and close their eyes, their body ready for the pain of bumping into a wall, before they step forward.

After a moment, they open their eyes and are shocked at what they see. They’re no longer in some dim sketchy hallway. They’re in a room so vast they’re hesitant to call it a room. Their childhood home could fit in here several times over and still have extra room for a mansion. It’s impressively well lit, with no obvious sources for light. The floor seems to go for miles and they can’t tell where the floor turns into walls, or where the walls turn into a ceiling. The floor is soft beneath their bare feet, a welcome change from the unyielding hardness, roughness, and cold of the hallway. 

They step forward, looking down at the perfectly symmetrical white squares that line the room. There’s a thin but uniform space between every square that’s a light gray strip. Their feet carry them forward, marveling at how something that looks like it should be as cold and hard as the hallway’s floor could be pleasantly warm and yield slightly under the weight of their feet.

They look up to see what they’re heading towards and their steps pause for a moment before resuming out of curiosity. They’re heading towards something that seems startlingly out of place in a light place like this. Whatever it is, it rises from the floor, darker than the light gray strips between the tiles. It too is perfectly symmetrical, a square rising from the floor, the inside hollow. 

When they get close, their vision flickers for a moment and they blink when they see that the interior of the square is not, in fact, hollow. There’s fire in it. But Gods, they’ve never seen anything like this. The fire is darkness itself, a hollow in reality, so black it seems like nothing exists there. It licks hungrily at the air around it, sucking out the light wherever its flames touch. It’s contained by the square but it greedily spills over the side, reaching for everything it can. 

But they’re not scared of it, by this darkness. They watch the fire dance, their eyes unfocusing as they stare into the center of it. They take a step forward, then another one, until their legs are pressed against the gray tiles jutting upwards to form the square. The fire moves like it knows they’re there, coming towards them. They don’t jump back or scream, or try to get away. The fire reaches for their right arm and a warmth flows through them as it flits over their skin. 

Their head raises from where they were staring down at the fire, feeling eyes on them. They don’t turn around, waiting for whoever’s there to make the first move. The person walks to the left of them, reaching out as well but the flames ignore them, not seeming to care they’re there.

“We had hoped you would come,” the person says softly.

They look to the person, watching as their body slowly morphs from one look to another. Their skin color changes, their height changes, their hair changes, their face changes, their clothes change, until they’re an entirely different looking person. The change is constant, never settling on one body. 

“We?” They ask.

The person smiles softly, not yet dragging their gaze away from the fire. “Yes, we. It has been a while since the last one, we’ve been waiting for a replacement.”

“A replacement for what?”

“The Keeper.” They answer, as though that should answer everything. “This fire is something most cannot touch without losing their sanity. It is everything good in the world. It is pure power, something so mighty the Gods themselves fear it. In the wrong hands, it could mean an apocalypse. The end of all things. Anyone wielding it would have the power to take down the Gods.”

They grimace and look back at the fire. “Sounds like no one should wield it.”

The person nods. “That is the same conclusion we came to. So we put in place the Keeper, someone who could protect it and could not be corrupted by its power. No man or woman is strong enough to do it.”

They look up at the person, noticing their hairline recede. “I’m neither.”

They smile warmly again. “Yes, and you aren’t corruptible. Perfect.”

“You want me to be the next Keeper.”

“We do. It is not easy. You will live much longer than the average human, and spend your lifespan protecting the flame. It is a noble calling, but one that can be refused. We can always find another.”

They don’t need to think about it. “I’ll do it. But first I need to know. Who are you?”

“I am Death themself, and I am called by the other Gods ‘the many faces of the dead.’” They grin proudly at their nickname, their teeth slowly shifting from blindly white to a grimy yellow. “Welcome, Keeper.”

[gethealthy18-blog]

Telomeres: Can They Reduce Aging and Improve Longevity?

New Post has been published on http://healingawerness.com/news/telomeres-can-they-reduce-aging-and-improve-longevity/

Telomeres: Can They Reduce Aging and Improve Longevity?

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I’ve talked about aging on the podcast and how we have some control over how it ultimately goes down. But today I want to talk about telomeres and how they affect aging. Telomeres are an interesting piece of the aging puzzle that shows we have more control over our age (biologically at least!) than we thought.

What Are Telomeres?

If you think back to high school biology class you may remember that our genetic material is arranged on a twisted “ladder” of DNA called chromosomes (or a DNA strand). At the end of each chromosome is a little bit of DNA that protects the genetic data and makes it possible for cell division. These telomeres act like caps on the end of the chromosome. The caps are often compared to the tips of the shoelaces. These tips protect the shoelace from fraying much like telomeres protect DNA from “fraying” or becoming mixed up.

But as human cells divide the telomeres get shorter and shorter. When the DNA is replicated, RNA (DNA messengers) attach at slightly different spot, shortening the telomeres. Eventually this makes the cell unable to divide. When this happens it causes cell death or inactivity.

In 1933, Barbara McClintock (the first woman to receive an unshared Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine) noticed something interesting about DNA. She hypothesized that there were some kind of chromosome ends but kept it stable.

In the 1970s other researchers, including Elizabeth Blackburn (who later won a Nobel prize for her work) discovered telomeres.

How Telomeres Affect the Aging Process

Telomeres have an interesting connection to aging. More specifically, how long they are reflects how old the body is biologically. What research found was that short telomeres are linked to aging, cancer, and other diseases.

In fact, the largest study to date found that shorter than average telomere length was associated with a higher risk of mortality (even after controlling for lifestyle factors that are known to shorten telomere length). Those with the shortest telomeres were 23 percent more likely to die within 3 years. Telomeres shortening is also associated with lowered immune system, heart disease, diabetes, and other diseases.

But researchers don’t know for sure if telomere length actually causes aging or if it’s only a sign of aging. In either case though, telomere length is an interesting and telling sign of health.

But it’s not just that telomere shortening occurs as we age or that shortened telomeres show that we’re aging faster than other people. What’s really amazing is that telomere length can change. Telomeres can become longer, essentially stopping or reversing premature aging.

Therefore, aging, and how we age isn’t just a matter of luck or genetics. We have the ability to choose how we age by the way we treat our telomeres. In essence, what the study of telomeres shows us is that what we eat and how we live affect the way our cells renew, for better or worse.

Telomere Length in Children

Interestingly, children have been known to have short telomeres due to some life events that cause stress.

In fact, research shows that the higher a mom’s prenatal stress, the shorter the baby’s telomeres length is.

Other early stressors (such as neglect) at home are one of the strongest indicators of shorter telomeres length. This is because these early stressors follow children into adulthood, potentially causing chronic stress.

There’s a lot of other research on this topic:

Research from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that father loss (through death, divorce, or incarceration) is significantly associated with shorter telomeres, especially in boys.

A 2017 study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that shorter sleep durations were associated with shorter telomeres in children.

A 2017 review published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research found that early stress may cause early aging and age-related disease in children.

Whether telomere length causes aging or the other way around, this evidence in children shows that in any case, telomere length is an important sign of health. While some of this evidence is bleak, it’s encouraging to know that even children with early stressors that shorten their telomeres can improve their health and even lengthen their telomeres with healthy lifestyle choices later.

Are My Telomeres Long Enough?

Obviously, we can’t tell how long our telomeres are just by looking in the mirror. But there is a way to find out. A service called TeloYears will measure your telomere length and give you your results so you can see how much work you need to do. They’ll also include some tips for lengthening your telomeres.

Telomerase: Lengthening Telomeres

Researchers who discovered telomeres also discovered telomerase, an enzyme that helps lengthen telomeres. Telomerase is active in germ cells, embryonic stem cells, and certain white blood cells.

Newer research shows that telomerase activity in the body has a direct effect on telomere length. A 2010 study found that mice engineered to have low telomerase aged faster. When telomerase was replaced, mice become more healthy.

However, other research also shows that telomerase has a downside too. This research shows that cancer cells may require telomerase for growth. In other words, the lack of telomerase as we age may actually be protective against cancer.

That being said, there are no studies showing that the kinds of activities (healthy lifestyle choices) that help natural production of telomerase cause cancer. And in many cases, these activities have been shown to be protective against cancer risk. So, it seems that gene therapy with telomerase is potentially a bad idea. But improving our natural ability to produce it is probably a good thing.

Elizabeth Blackburn, along with health psychologist Elissa Epel, in their book The Telomere Effect: A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer, agree. They recommend healthy lifestyle choices to support longer telomeres and a longer “health-span.”

According to Blackburn and Epel, a health-span is the part of a lifespan that a person is disease-free. This is a term I hear more and more from the experts I interview like Valter Longo and others.

How to Improve Longevity (With Telomeres)

Artificially boosting telomerase levels in the body may not be the answer, but we can optimize the body so it produces the right amount of telomerase naturally. Here are some tips based on the best research:

Reduce Stress

We already know how important relaxation and de-stressing is for our health, but here’s another reason to make it a priority. According to the APA, stress is one of the most consistent predictors of shorter telomere length.

A 2004 study found that women caring for ill children (compared to women caring for healthy children) had significantly shorter telomeres.

African American boys from stressful home environments had telomeres 40 percent shorter than peers in non-stressful situations, according to a 2016 paper.

A 2016 review found a small but significant decrease in telomeres length due to stress but warn it could be because of publication bias. It also notes that long-term “chronic” stress may have a larger impact and should be studied.

Finding a daily activity for reducing stress can go a long way to improving overall health, and maybe telomere length too! Here are some ideas:

Take a daily walk – Gentle exercise is a great way to reduce stress and has the added benefit of building a stronger body. Just aim to break a light sweat if you’re just starting out.

Eat a healthy diet of antioxidant-rich foods – Antioxidants help fight inflammation and oxidative stress. Whole 30 or the Wahls Protocol might be a great place to start, or just double the serving of veggies on every plate!

Get enough sleep – Sleep is important for both adults and children. Here are 6 ways to get better sleep.

Avoid toxins – The indoor air at home is sometimes the worst culprit!

Choose whatever activity that makes you feel relaxed (and you’ll actually do!).

As moms, we tend to put ourselves last, but research is piling up that shows it’s just as important for us to have stress-reducing activities in our days as it is to eat healthy food!

Exercise

Exercise is important for a healthy life, but it turns out, it may have an effect on telomere length too. In one 2015 study published in Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise, the more a person exercised the longer their telomeres were. However, even just 10-15 minutes of exercise has an effect on telomere length.

Exercise is hard to do when it’s not fun though. Check out these fun ways to exercise as a family.

Diet

Diet is one of the biggest factors in a healthy life, so it’s not surprising that it can also affect telomere length.

One 2014 study published in the American Journal of Public Health found a connection between sugar-sweetened soda and short telomeres. Artificially sweetened sodas didn’t have the same connection. (To clarify, soda of either kind isn’t a great choice for anyone trying to be healthy!)

There are also many studies showing that adequate levels of vitamins and minerals help keep telomeres long. Some vitamins and mineral that are important for longer telomeres include:

Vitamin D – In a 2007 study, women who had higher vitamin D levels had longer telomeres. Vitamin D is also an anti-inflammatory, reducing oxidative stress.

Magnesium – A 2012 study found that magnesium stabilizes DNA and promotes DNA replication and transcription. It also increased telomere length.

Vitamin K2 – A 2008 study found that intake of vitamin K2 increased longevity.

Folate – A 2009 study found that folate was important for maintenance of DNA integrity and DNA methylation (which affect telomeres length).

B12 – Adequate B12 levels were associated with telomeres’ length in a 2016 study.

Additionally, a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that antioxidants are important for reducing oxidative stress (and chronic inflammation) which can lead to telomere shortening.

A final note: Supplements were helpful in improving telomere length, but antioxidant-rich foods were better as sources of vitamin C and E. Proof you can’t out supplement a poor diet!

Telomeres: Bottom Line

Telomere length is an important indicator of overall health and biological age. Luckily there are some lifestyle choices we can make to optimize telomere length and avoid premature aging. Ultimately, genetics are not set in stone and can be manipulated with a healthy lifestyle (for the better!)

Do you think your telomeres are shorter than they should be? Why?

This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Ann Shippy, who is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and a certified Functional Medicine physician with a thriving practice in Austin, Texas. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.

Sources:

Shammas, M. A. (2011, January). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3370421/

Mozes, A. (2012, November 08). DNA ‘Telomere’ Length Tied to Aging, Death Risk. Retrieved from http://consumer.healthday.com/senior-citizen-information-31/misc-aging-news-10/dna-telomere-length-tied-to-aging-death-risk-670426.html

(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/10/chronic-stress.aspx

McLanahan, S., Schneper, L., Garfinkel, I., Brooks-Gunn, J., Notterman, D., & Colter Mitchell. (2017, July 18). Father Loss and Child Telomere Length. Retrieved from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2017/07/14/peds.2016-3245

James, S., McLanahan, S., Brooks-Gunn, J., Mitchell, C., Schneper, L., Wagner, B., & Notterman, D. A. (2017, August). Sleep Duration and Telomere Length in Children. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28602380

Stress-related telomere length in children: A systematic review. (2017, April 02). Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022395616304022

Callaway, E. (2010, November 28). Telomerase reverses ageing process. Retrieved from http://www.nature.com/news/2010/101128/full/news.2010.635.html

Greider, C. W. (1998, January 06). Telomerase activity, cell proliferation, and?cancer. Retrieved from http://www.pnas.org/content/95/1/90

 (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/10/chronic-stress.aspx

Epel, E. S., Blackburn, E. H., Lin, J., Dhabhar, F. S., Adler, N. E., Morrow, J. D., & Cawthon, R. M. (2004, December 07). Accelerated telomere shortening in response to life stress. Retrieved from http://www.pnas.org/content/101/49/17312.long

Hobcraft, J., McLanahan, S. S., Siegel, S. R., Berg, A., Brooks-Gunn, J., Garfinkel, I., . . . Colter Mitchell. (2014, April 22). Social disadvantage, genetic sensitivity, and children’s telomere length. Retrieved from http://www.pnas.org/content/111/16/5944.abstract

Perceived stress and telomere length: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and methodologic considerations for advancing the field. (2016, February 04). Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S088915911630023X

Loprinzi, P. D., Loenneke, J. P., & Blackburn, E. H. (2015, November). Movement-Based Behaviors and Leukocyte Telomere Length among US Adults. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25970659

Soda and Cell Aging: Associations Between Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption and Leukocyte Telomere Length in Healthy Adults From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2014.302151?journalCode=ajph

R., V., A., G., P, J., D., . . . A. (2007, November 01). Higher serum vitamin D concentrations are associated with longer leukocyte telomere length in women | The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition | Oxford Academic. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/86/5/1420/4651027

N., K., R., L., & J. (2008, April 01). Dietary intake of vitamin K and risk of prostate cancer in the Heidelberg cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Heidelberg) | The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition | Oxford Academic. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/87/4/985/4633405

Rowe, W. J. (n.d.). Correcting magnesium deficiencies may prolong life. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22379366

P., L., C., M., D., A., . . . J. (2009, May 20). Telomere Length in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Is Associated with Folate Status in Men | The Journal of Nutrition | Oxford Academic. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/139/7/1273/4670470

Shin, C., & Baik, I. (2016, January). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4731864/

X., Q., P., G, C., C., R., . . . H. (2009, March 11). Multivitamin use and telomere length in women | The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition | Oxford Academic. Retrieved from http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/89/6/1857.full

Source: https://wellnessmama.com/424385/telomeres/

[poop4u]

American Pit Bull Terrier Breed Information Guide: Quirks, Pictures, Personality & Facts

#poop4u #dogs

Welcome to the BarkPost guide to dog breeds where we belly flop straight into the depths of dog breed origin, evolution, and purpose. Follow along each week as we publish new guides that highlight the strangest, most interesting, and most surprising stuff about these creatures who have been our best buds the last 30,000 years.  

Intro / Overview

(All dogs are individuals, which means any single dog from any breed can be any number of ways, both good and not so good. Keep that in mind as we discuss breed generalities!)

The American Pit Bull Terrier may be the most stigmatized dog breed in history. They are often confused with any number of blocky-headed mixed breeds.

Sadly, this breed is subject to mislabeling, unfair stereotypes, and life-threatening breed restrictions. American Pit Bull Terriers are more likely to end up in shelters than any other breed. Apartment complexes (even entire cities) ban their presence, and they suffer widespread exploitation and abuse.

Despite all the hate and misunderstanding, APBTs also have staunch advocates in their corner. Determined owners and rescuers devote their lives to giving mistreated Pitties a second chance.

While the American Kennel Club (AKC) fails to recognize them, the United Kennel Club (UKC) and the American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA) consider the APBT an official breed. Therefore, we will defer to them for breed standards and characteristics.

Also Known As…

Pit Bulls, Pit Bull-type dogs, Pitties, Pibbles, Velvet Hippos, Furry Potatoes, Land Seals, Wigglebutts. “Holy moly, that dog is incredible. What kind is it?” “That there’s an American Pit Bull Terrier, sir.” “I LOVE THEM ALREADY.”

Origins

According to the UKC, the ancestors of the modern American Pit Bull Terrier can be traced back to nineteenth century England, Ireland and Scotland. Dog farriers began breeding powerful Bulldogs with intelligent, energetic Terriers. Not only were the resulting dogs strong, athletic and courageous, they were also fiercely loyal.

Sadly, even the earliest Pit Bulls faced exploitation at the hands of humans. When Britain passed the Cruelty to Animals Act of 1835, bear and bull-baiting – too difficult to hide from authorities – become a thing of the past, replaced instead by dogfighting. Unscrupulous owners forced these early Pit Bulls to take part.

Immigrants heading to the U.S. brought along their dogs where the breed was sought out by farmers and ranchers. Early APBTs served as driving dogs for livestock, helped catch semi-wild cattle and hogs, and became family pets.

Size

True American Pit Bull Terriers are considered medium-sized dogs, although many blocky-headed pups labelled as Pit Bulls grow to be much larger. They should be stocky, muscular, and slightly longer than they are tall.

The desirable height range for males is from 18 to 21 inches at the withers; for females it is from 17 to 20 inches at the withers.

Weight Range

The UKC lists the desirable weight range for adult males as 35 to 60 pounds. Females should be slightly smaller and fall between 30 and 50 pounds.

Personality

American Pit Bull Terriers are strong, confident and enthusiastic. They are fiercely loyal and go out of their way to please their humans – even if it means acting goofy! Despite their history of exploitation, APBTs are known for their love of children.

Stories abound of Pitties defending their families from peril. They drag them from fiery infernos, alert them to intruders, and even take bullets for the ones they love.

While APBTs will gladly lay down their lives for their people, they may not make the best guard dogs. If they do not sense a threat, this breed tends to be extremely friendly, even towards strangers.

Intelligence / Trainability

APBTs are intelligent and eager to learn, qualities that date back to their early breeding as working and blood sport dogs. They excel at obedience training and canine sports such as Tracking, Agility, Lure Coursing, Dock Jumping, Weight Pulls and Conformation.

Due to their strength, high-energy, and need for strong leadership, training a Pit Bull can be challenging. Contact a qualified trainer if you need help.

Best Training Techniques For American Pit Bull Terriers

1. Start Socializing Your Dog Early

Like most breeds, early socialization is best. Whther you purchase a puppy from a reputable American Pit Bull Terrier breeder or rescue an adult from a shelter, exposure to a wide variety of adults, kids, and other pets should be at the top of your training list.

2. Use Positive Reinforcement

Pit Bulls live to please so positive reinforcement techniques and reward-based training work best. Since these “Velvet Hippos” also love to eat, a handful of tempting treats go a long way towards an obedient pup!

3. Consider Canine Good Citizen Certification

In order to earn certification from the Canine Good Citizen Program, dogs must demonstrate basic obedience skills, manners around people and other dogs, composure in public, and more.

While any dog can benefit from the program, having your Pit Bull certified may help put the minds of your neighbors or landlords at ease.

Ideal Environment

American Pit Bull Terriers are diverse enough to thrive in just about any environment as long as their needs are met. It doesn’t matter if you have a studio apartment or a 20,000 square foot mansion as long as you provide your Pibble with plenty of exercise and tons of love and praise.

Besides, no matter how big your home, chances are your APBT is going to be glued to your side anyway!

Good For Families & Kids?

As mentioned above, American Pit Bull Terriers love children and make wonderful family pets. However, this does not mean you can bring home a new dog and simply toss it in the yard with the kids.

Just as dogs receive obedience training, little ones should learn the proper ways to interact with pets. Also, as with any dog, interactions between APBTs and children should be monitored at all times.

Kids can be loud, grabby, and unpredictable. Pit Bulls are big, boisterous, and excitable. These traits can be a recipe for disaster without adult supervision.

Average Lifespan

12 – 14 years.

Health

American Pit Bull Terriers tend to be quite hardy when compared to breeds of similar size and their average lifespan of 12 to 14 years reflects this. Despite their overall health and vitality, Pitties are predisposed to some genetic orthopedic disorders such as hip dysplasia, degenerative myelopathy, and luxating patella.

They are also at risk for skin allergies, thyroid conditions, and certain congenital heart defects.

Energy

The American Pit Bull Terrier is considered an active, high-energy breed. They require daily exercise to stave off boredom and prevent destructive behavior.

Friendly With Dogs/Strangers/Cats & Other Pets?

Dogs

The UKC notes, “Because Pit Bulls have a history of being bred as fighting dogs, they are not always tolerant of other dogs.”

However, just like humans, every dog is different. Many adore other dogs and thrive in multi-dog households while others need behavioral training to reduce dog aggression. Keep in mind, aggression towards other dogs does not mean a Pibble will be aggressive towards people!

Be sure your APBT masters basic obedience commands including Look, Stay, Come and Emergency Recall. If you do not have experience training Pit Bulls you may want to hire a professional.

Strangers

Believe it or not, Pit Bulls are more likely to pass temperament tests than the general dog population – including favorite breeds like Labs, Shih Tzus, and even Golden Retrievers!

The trials involve a series of situations including interactions with strangers.

Cats & Other Pets

Pit Bulls have a particularly strong prey drive and may chase cats, small pets, and wild animals like squirrels. However, the breed is intelligent and eager to please so the right training can help curb this behavior.

Coat & Grooming

Pit Bulls have short, smooth glossy coats that require only minimal care. They can come in any color, color pattern, or combination of colors except for merle.

Since they are prone to allergies and skin irritations, it is important not to over-bathe your Pit Bull. Once a month with a soap-free hypoallergenic shampoo should do unless your veterinarian recommends otherwise. Be sure to clean the ears after bathing to prevent overproduction of yeast and bacteria.

Quirks

Pibbles are under the impression that they are lap dogs. Whether they are petite pups or heavyweights, you can expect some very invasive snuggles!

Toys American Pit Bull Terriers Would Like Best

APBTs are master chewers and often make short work of their toys. But never fear! BarkShop has just what you need to keep your Pibble’s jaws happy and busy. We have durable Fetch Toys for playing fetch, delicious flavored Benebones for gnawing, hardy Super Chewer Toys for endlessly chewing, and Tug Toys for playing tug-o-war.

If you’re looking for a more extensive list, check out the following post: What Are The Best Toys For Pit Bulls?

Recommended Diet Or Supplements

American Pit Bull Terriers are muscular, large-boned and energetic. In order to maintain optimal health, they need a diet with a protein content of at least 30%.

You may want to choose a protein source such as Salmon that is rich in the fatty acids DHA and EPA which help reduce inflammatory conditions such as skin allergies. Pit Bulls that do not get enough Omega Fatty Acids from their diet may benefit from a fish oil supplement.

Fish Oil Skin & Coat Supplement

These delicious, vet-formulated chews are made with all-natural ingredients including Omega 3, 6, 9, and Vitamin E. They are designed to support immune health, provide relief from itchy allergic skin, and promote a healthy coat. ($19.99)

Glucosamine Supplement For Hip & Joints

This joint supplement is veterinarian-formulated, made with all natural ingredients (glucosamine, MSM, chondroitin, and hyaluronic acid), and comes in the form of 150 soft chews. Basically, it looks and tastes just like delicious treats, and it could really help your Pit Bull with their hip and joint issues. ($32.99.)

Recommended Products

Orthopedic Ultra Plush Memory Foam Dog Bed

This ultra plush orthopedic dog bed provides support for even the meatiest of Pibbles! The combination ergonomic memory foam and gel foam relieves pressure points, and helps ease body aches caused by hip dysplasia, arthritis and other orthopedic issues. It offers the best therapeutic support for your APBT. ($27.99-64.99.)

Notable Rescues To Find The Pit Bull Of Your Dreams

American Pit Bull Terrier Rescue

Northwest Dog Project

Pit Bull Rescue Central

New York Bully Crew

Detroit Pit Crew

Angel City Pit Bulls

Villalobos Rescue Center

BADRAP Blocky Dog Rescue

Any local rescue, probably

Adoptable Pit Bulls on Petfinder

Notable Instagram Pit Bulls

(Not all of these famous pups are purebred APBTs, but we believe rescue Pibbles deserve love, too!)

Pibbling With Theodore @Pibbling

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Good pibbles don’t chase chickens. Especially not Rita, she’s a tough old bird! #pibbling #pitbull #doberman #sato #rhodeislandred

A post shared by Theodore (@pibbling) on Jun 18, 2019 at 10:27am PDT

Noelani & Her Pit Bull Pack @NoelaniIG

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Angel has a new baby

#shesinheaven #fostermom #adopt #rescue / MATCHING SWEATERS BY US! @urbsub

get your fur-children one or 3 at urbsub.com

A post shared by Noelani (@noelaniig) on Jun 26, 2019 at 10:14am PDT

Hans Gruber & Guybrush @HansyAndBrush

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Our Uncle Jake came over yesterday and Guybrush snorfed all over him. If you don’t know what a SNORF is you should watch this video with the

on.

A post shared by Hans Gruber and Guybrush (@hansyandbrush) on Nov 4, 2018 at 8:24am PST

Sookie & Ivy @SookieAndIvy

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If you were to rename your dog(s) based on their unfavorable habits, what would your dog’s new name be? . Sookie would be named “Garbage” because she loves trash. She would be so happy if she lived at a dump. #hideyotrash . Ivy would be named “Complaints Department” because she loves to complain. About everything. Empty plate on the table? Let me bork until you clean it up. Human snack dispenser working slow? I would like to speak to your manager. “Her” seat on the couch is occupied? Hello, 911?

I need to make a secondary post listing all her various daily complaints

. . . . . #weeklyfluff #dogsofinstagram #adoptdontshop #thedodo #barked #animaladdicts #instadog #dogoftheday #dogstagram #dogsofinstaworld #animalsco #cute #ilovemydog #dogs_of_instagram #petstagram #instagramdogs #doglovers #adorable #pupflix #dogsofbark #dogsbeingbasic #staffy #buzzfeedanimals #pitbull #ruffpost #doggosdoingthings #theweekoninstagram #dogscorner

A post shared by Sookie and Ivy (+Jani) (@sookieandivy) on Jun 25, 2019 at 4:14pm PDT

Roofus, Kilo & Company @RoofusAndKilo

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Happy #nationaldogday! Every day is dog day around here but we are celebrating anyways

First up a *super cooperative* almost family portrait! Everyone is so excited to pose for mom – I mean just look at Roo's face. That is the definition of happiness if I've ever seen it. Big Luck is over there being all patient, and the chihuahuabulls are totally looking at the camera – they must know it's a holiday #theyloveme #iswear #stillsleepingwithoneeyeopentho #atleastMoostoppedlickingarock #foraminute #rescuefamily

A post shared by The Misfits (and Candice) (@roofusandkilo) on Aug 26, 2017 at 1:55pm PDT

Princess Gracie @IHeartPGracie

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For those asking what game I used to help Gracie with her fear of bathroom/tub…here ya go! … (Though honestly I didn’t do it on purpose for training…Elsie looooved this game so I played with Gracie too except instead of waiting in the bathroom we tried waiting in the tub…even Elsie didn’t jump in the tub like that #overachiever

) … #findit #hideandseek #findthetreats #funandgames #game #adoptdontshop #dogsofinstagram #dog #thedodo #weeklyfluff #dogoftheday #animalplanet #muttsofinstagram #pibble #pittie #gracie #princessgrace #ofnyc #shelovesgames #iheartpgracie

A post shared by Princess Grace (P. Gracie) (@iheartpgracie) on Jun 25, 2019 at 3:12pm PDT

Stevie Nicks The Pit Bull @StevieNicksBull

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Another rainy day, another raincoat. That better not mean another bath! ⁣ “Still the rain kept pourin'⁣ Fallin' on my ears ⁣ And I wonder, still I wonder⁣⁣ Who'll stop the rain?” ⁣⁣ @theofficialccr ⁣ ⁣⁣ #creedenceclearwaterrevival #stoptherain #wethead #lookingforrainbows #imclean #cleanasawhistle ⁣⁣ @canadapooch Photo by @theblepspecialist ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ #adoptdontshop #lovernotafighter #endbsl #pittielove ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣#rescueismyfavoritebreed⁣⁣ ⁣⁣#dontbullymybreed #pibble #pittie #rescuedogsofinstagram #nycdogs #rescuedogs #pittiesofinsta #thedodo #pitties #bullyinstafeature #pitbulllove #dogsofinstaworld #bulliesofinstagram #dogsofnyc #pittiesofinstagram #pitbulladvocate⁣ #bestwoof ⁣ #pitbullinstagram #pitbullsarelove

A post shared by Stevie Nicks the Pit Bull (@stevienicksbull) on Jun 19, 2019 at 1:18pm PDT

Titus, Lexy & Shelby @TitusAndHailey

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Notice a trend with all of our bedtime pics??? Hooverette, up front every time as if she would be forgotten otherwise!

DON’t forget to keep voting for me…..Link in bio. #americanhumane #herodogawards #hallmarkchannel #hooverette #imnotdrooling #threemuskateers #threestooges #pitties #pittielove #adogabull #rescuedogs #shelterdogs #adoptdontshop #pitbulladvocate #rescuedogsofinstagram #rescuedog #endbsl #goodnight @americanhumane @herodogawards @hallmarkchannel

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Titus & Hailey

(@titusandhailey) on Jun 13, 2019 at 7:35pm PDT

Destiny the Pibble @DestinyThePibble

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I believe I can fly

#dontstopbelieving #destinythepibble #pitbull #masticatorymusclemyositis

A post shared by Destiny the Pibble (@destinythepibble) on Jun 20, 2019 at 10:24am PDT

Clyde The Bully @ClydeTheBully_

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Should we play or should we lay?

#blendingin #lifeisruff #weeklyfluff #dogsofig #doginfluencer #famousdogs #americanbully #dontbullymybreed #petme #tugofwar #bullybreed #pitbull #pitbullsofig #layingdown #layinglow #bullyadvocate #petinfluencer #famouspetsofinstagram

A post shared by Clyde The Bully

(@clydethebully_) on Apr 9, 2019 at 6:44pm PDT

Aladdin @aladdinnation_brindlebrothers

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Happy Valentines Day, loves! And a special valentine shoutout to this handsome face right here. Our hearts couldn’t be happier to know your surgery was a success and we will be sending pawsitive vibes for your road to recovery! #valentinesday #valentine #laddy #love #loveisintheair #aladdinnation @aladdinnation_brindlebrothers

A post shared by Show Your Soft Side (@showyoursoftside) on Feb 14, 2018 at 5:10am PST

Brinks The Famous Smiling Pit Bull @SmilingBrinks

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Why hello there!

. #pitbullsmile, #brinks #adoptdontshop #dontbullymybreed #pitbull #bslsucks #rescue #pets #puppy #happy #smile #apbt #bully #dogsofinstagram #dog #gonebutnotforgotten #love

A post shared by Brinks (@smilingbrinks) on Jun 27, 2018 at 3:46pm PDT

Brady & Louie @BradyAndLouie

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happy papa day to our favorite ball thrower/dribbler/magician, headrest, ride, lap! You da damn best

#happydogdadday #dogdad #pibbledad #pibbpibb #doublepibb #pibblelove #pitbulllove #rescuepits #dogsofnyc #boroughbred #adoptyourbestfriend #furdad #momisthe4thwheel

A post shared by Brady & Louie (@bradyandlouie) on Jun 16, 2019 at 5:23am PDT

Macie Grey @Oh Macie

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Hey – I don’t make the rules

A post shared by M A C I E (@ohmacie) on Jun 21, 2018 at 7:02am PDT

***Looking for a gift to blow your Pit Bull’s mind? Spoil them with a Super Chewer BarkBox! Every month Super Chewer delivers 2 super-durable toys, designed in-house, 2 full bags of all-natural treats, and 2 (!!!) meaty chews. Sign up here and receive a free extra toy every month.

Featured image via HansyAndBrush/Instagram

Want More Helpful Breed Guides Like This?

What Are The Best Toys For Pit Bulls?

What Is A Pit Bull?

Why Are There So Many Pit Bulls In Shelters?

Vizsla Breed Information Guide

Dalmatian Breed Information Guide

American Bulldog Breed Information Guide

Jack Russell Terrier Breed Information Guide

Golden Retriever Breed Information Guide

The post American Pit Bull Terrier Breed Information Guide: Quirks, Pictures, Personality & Facts appeared first on BarkPost.

via www.Poop4U.com Trippy.Tube, Poop4U

[oh-councilor-my-councilor-blog]

⊲  [  PREFACE ]  ⊳     NAME OF YOUR MUSE

              LEGAL : “Infinite”   ( in • fin • IGHT • ee )               CEREMONIAL :  High Vigilant: Councilor Infinite

⊲  [  TOPIC  ]  ⊳     ONE PICTURE YOU LIKE BEST OF YOUR                                          MUSE’S FACECLAIM

In the beginning I used Cate Blanchet a lot, I loved the way she looked and acted in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and thought it fit Infinite. Galadriel was graceful, elegant, and had a nigh holy appeal to her that fit the bill almost perfectly. Even her design had this pure white, glowing aspect to it. After that I thought a lot on Symmetra from Overwatch, as the design fit and she held herself with the same sort of intellectual aura that I liked in my character. Now, I’m sort of in limbo, her faceclaim looks most like a stern/stylish business woman with light skin. I don’t really use faceclaims anyway, so it’s not a big deal.

⊲  [  TOPIC  ]  ⊳     TWO HEADCANONS YOU HAVE FOR                                              YOUR MUSE THAT YOU’VE NEVER TOLD                                        ANYONE

1.  Infinite does develop “breasts,” but the fact that they appear much like their human namesake is mere coincidence. These structures only develop while she is bearing a child, as a sort of supportive “shelf” to help hold a protoform aloft over her spark as it develops its own alongside hers. Even as the protoform is disengaged, or she has “given birth,” The protrusions will remain, should she choose to bear another child in the future. Keep in mind this is only in alternate realities where Infinite does become pregnant. 

2.  In reality, Infinite’s lifespan is pathetically short as compared to all other Cybertronians in her main verse, for a very specific reason. In the past, Vigilants were generally not all that long-lived either, but as the burden of communicating with the Allspark was shared between all members of the coven, consequences were rationed. Over time, the strain of having one’s spark and mind process incalculably massive amounts of data for extended periods of time would wear down a Vigilant’s mental state, first effecting their cognitive ability, then their receptiveness, and then perception of reality. A Vigilant perishes after about 7,000 years of service, after their mind completely detaches from their spark and renders them “braindead” by Cybertronian standards. This unfortunate eventuality was hardly even documented, as recognition of such a condition hardly improved morale among the coven and those outside it (should the information ever leak) and as long as there was a steady flow of Vigilants, there was no issue. The condition has no cure. All Vigilants die young.

Because of these circumstances, and being as Infinite is the only known living Vigilant, she will begin deteriorating at approximately 700 years of age from complications she and the other Council members hardly saw coming. At 703 years of age, she will be decommissioned by the government, but as her body itself is too valuable to Cybertronian science to release, she is required by Vigilant law to pass into the hands of the Senate’s standing Director of Scientific Discoveries and Advancement for study. Former Councilor and High Vigilant Infinite’s life ends on a lab table, crying out for help. Alone.

⊲  [  TOPIC  ]  ⊳     THREE THINGS THAT YOUR MUSE LIKES                                        DOING IN THEIR FREE TIME

1.  DANCING. Before she was inducted into office, Infinite worked as a dancer at a club named Electro’s. She was very talented, and desireable, and made good creds before the sky fell down. Now, she spends nights alone on the Council hab rooftop, moving her body to songs and beats under the open sky with no one to please but herself. She’s not supposed to be up there, but that doesn’t stop her. Dancing is her true passion.

2.  ORGANIZING. All of Infinite’s spaces are kept tidy, crisp, and accessible. Since taking office, she came to appreciate the simple satisfaction she got from clearing out clutter on her free time. She attributes it to needing an outlet where she can exert control in a life where she herself has very little of her own, which is true, but keeping up appearances is something so innately Infinite that even without her Council seat, she would be adjusting picture frames wherever she went. She’s quite good at it, too!

3.  SOCIALIZING. Despite her sassy and easily-triggered defensive behavior, Infinite is still the same social butterfly she was long before she was a Councilor. In fact, she was very much a joyful persona; humorous, quick-witted, and attentive- a good speaker as well as listener. The sarcastic and offensive traits she now exhibits are a result of the competitive and combative nature of Senate goings-on, shaping her into a bitter shell of a femme that is today- unwilling to show weakness, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. She still feels the need to talk and connect with others, despite how much she’s changed, and leaps at any opportunity to do so comfortably.

⊲  [  TOPIC  ]  ⊳     SEVEN PEOPLE THAT YOUR MUSE LOVES                                      OR LIKES

No particular order, mostly those she admires. All canon.

1.  Bumblebee 2.  Ratchet 3.  Elita-1 4.  Chromia 5.  Windblade 6.  Optimus Prime 7.  Ultra Magnus

⊲  [  TOPIC  ]  ⊳     TWO THINGS YOUR MUSE REGRETS

1.  Punching that damn police officer at the club that day. If she had only held her temper back, for just once in her life, she would never have stumbled down the road that she was on now. She might still be working at the club. Hell, she might have even found a good mate to settle down with. The possibilities of what could have been haunt her day and night.

2.  Incarcerating an innocent mech. When she was first starting out in the government, she would sneak out after hours to live life on the streets, which she still does, but at the time, it was to visit a lover. Although he had no idea that the femme he was meeting was actually the Councilor in disguise, she was in love with him, and he was in love with her. Or so she thought. After Infinite begins to suspect that he may have been cheating on her, she begins illegally surveiling him using her resources as Councilor, and discovers she was right. In a fit of rage, she arrests him under false charges, denies him a trial, and puts him in lockup. It takes her some time to realize she is making the same horrible choice that was once made upon her, and it ultimately takes the encouragement of her adviser to release him. The mech never learns why he was imprisoned, but after Infinite disappears from his life, he can only suspect.

⊲  [  TOPIC  ]  ⊳     TWO PHOBIAS YOUR MUSE HAS

1. ACTS OF AFFECTION. Though she may be socially outgoing in nature, and possess an above-average libido, Infinite lacks experience somewhere in the middle. Because of this, even mildly affectionate gestures ( hugging, hand-holding, EM field mingling ) both shock and terrify her ever-so-slightly. As she was never “raised,” she was born from the Well whole, she wasn’t surrounded by the warm, intimate family that hovercraft alternates usually have, which by their very nature, are very touchy-feely. By that notion, many hovercraft alts that has grown with a deficit in that department may develop a touch-aversion or emotional disorder, much like Infinite. Before she was inducted, she had considered moving to a hovercraft commune to help remedy this problem.

2.  PRISON CELLS. Or any confined space resembling one. Due to her time under lockdown in the Iacon federal, she grew to hate the small, light-devoid box in which she was confined, and hesitates to approach one any time she finds herself near an establishment holding them. Bad memories and all that.

⊲  Tagged by  ⊳  @visionaryprime​ ⊲  Tagging  ⊳  @squeakersquawker​ @hazardous-outlander​ @subjugated-seeker​ @macaddams​ @chxxtahprxnt​

Artwork by saikusuo on Deviantart

[almosthumanophelia]

The Ophelia Info Masterpost

((I finally did the thing!

This is an about post for Ophelia, including all her important stats, facts, and traits that could be relevant to roleplay, or even to just understanding her character. I would definitely appreciate it if followers and/or RP buds would give this a look because of that.

However, please note that this is not required reading. Ophelia may reveal bits and pieces of information about herself the old-fashioned way, over time and interaction. This is just a sort of handy guide for those looking to know more up-front.

I will very likely add to this as I go forward and determine more things about her. Anyone may feel free to share or reblog at any time. Interest in the character is always appreciated!

All info will be under a cut to make this smaller on dashes. Thank you in advance for reading!

~Mun))

Appearance and Basic Stats

► Ophelia is 20 years old. Her age can vary slightly for specific roleplays, but she will never be younger than 18 except in flashbacks.

► She has no living blood relatives. The closest thing she has to a family are the friends she chooses for herself.

► She is 5′9″ tall.

► She is also very scrawny, at only 130 pounds in weight. This weight is pretty much pure muscle; she has very little body fat.

► Ophelia does not have a feminine build, nor does she usually try to accentuate it in any way. Her hips and chest do not curve very much.

► Her hair is pure, solid black, and is usually kept cut in a messy bob just above her shoulders. It was longer when she was younger. Her eyelashes and eyebrows match her hair in color.

► Her eyes are a deep, rich indigo color. It’s often unclear whether blue or purple dominates her eye color.

► She is exceptionally pale, and her skin tone is washed out and ashy, with not a lot of strong color undertones to it. She leans more towards cool-toned skin.

► Her face is heart-shaped with no scars, marks, or blemishes; she is often mistaken for being younger than she actually is because of a combination of her face and her build.

► Ophelia has no piercings, except for earrings.

► She does, however, have no fewer than thirteen tattoos, in various locations and all in solid black ink. She is VERY particular about who is allowed to touch these, and usually deflects questions about them if she can.

► If you looked closely, you would notice that her canine teeth and molars have sharper points and edges than most people. This effect is not noticeable in passing or from a distance.

► Ophelia has no recollection of her original last name, and usually makes one up on the spot if asked to give one.

► She is right-handed, but can still use her left hand for basic, non-skilled tasks.

► She has 20-20 vision.

► Ophelia rarely wears makeup, and when she does, she keeps it to a minimum. She insists she looks perfectly fine without it.

► Her wardrobe is usually simple and casual, i.e. jeans, t-shirts, sneakers, and other basics. She owns maybe two dresses at most and not a single pair of heels.

► Ophelia has a pleasant, but not spectacular, singing voice. This is a product of her childhood hobby in stage and musical acting. She can also dance fairly well.

Personality

► Ophelia is usually a calm and relatively pleasant person to be around.

► To strangers, she can be aloof and snarky, and any friends she makes often have to stick around long enough to get past these barriers.

► Gaining Ophelia’s trust is difficult. She has been hurt a lot in her life and has lost her faith in people. To truly have her trust you is an accomplishment.

► She is not especially outgoing, but has been known to go out of her way to help people around her who seemed to need it.

► She has a soft spot for “bastards and broken things”. Outcasts, weirdos and freaks are often targets of her kindness.

► Ophelia is a highly empathetic person and very emotional, though she will rarely openly discuss her emotions if she is unsure how they will be received.

► She is a very skilled liar. If she doesn’t want you to know something about her, she is definitely capable of hiding it. And she very often does not want people to know everything about her.

► Anybody who has not earned her trust and pries her for details about her past will receive a very negative response. If she doesn’t want to talk about it, she won’t.

► Ophelia can be very stubborn and doesn’t know when to quit sometimes.

► When angered, she is a force to be reckoned with. Do not make Ophelia angry if you are not prepared for her rage.

► Ophelia has very few true friends, but values those she has dearly. She would do almost anything to protect her friends and keep them safe, even if it meant she would be hurt in the process.

► She can be very insecure about herself and how much people like her. She is used to others considering her a freak and has started to believe it of herself.

► She has had no romantic entanglements and is quite honestly very nervous when it comes to romance. Nobody has ever expressed romantic feelings to her, and the idea that someone would is difficult for her to believe.

► Were someone not already close to her to express romantic interest in Ophelia, her immediate reaction would be suspicion that it is a joke and she would recoil.

► She has never explored her sexuality or orientation and usually treats the entire issue of such with disinterest.

► Despite all of this, Ophelia is not afraid of physical affection and will not shy from hugs, snuggles, and the like - as long as she knows you well enough.

► Ophelia is very intelligent, but she is no genius. She is simply clever and has good intuition.

Abilities and Powers

► Ophelia’s body can generate massive amounts of electricity at her will.

► This electricity always appears blue, and usually makes crackling or buzzing sounds once enough of it gathers.

► She usually uses the electricity through contact with her hands, for simplicity. She is capable of channeling it through other methods, but very rarely is able to actually fire electricity at anyone. Contact is the most likely method of transfer.

► The electricity is also associated with her emotions. When she is especially upset or angry, she can lose control and accidentally discharge. This almost always ends badly.

► Ophelia herself has a high resistance to electricity because of this, and can’t really be harmed by it. If she got her finger stuck in a socket or touched a live wire, she would barely react.

► She can absorb electricity as well as discharge it, but this is more difficult for her and not very common. When she does absorb it, she seems “charged” and remains on edge and hyper until she can find somewhere to discharge the extra energy.

► Because the electricity requires a lot of energy to produce, Ophelia eats a lot, and has a penchant for junk food and sweets. She never gains weight from it.

► After a large discharge of energy, Ophelia will usually be slightly groggy and slow. She either pushes past this after a set amount of time, or takes a nap to recover, depending on the power involved in the discharge.

► Ophelia has a very high tolerance to heat, and even prefers it. Extreme summer temperatures don’t really bother her very much, and she often stays outside in the summer to soak up the sun’s energy. She does not tan her skin or get burned from this.

► Things that would give a normal person minor burns don’t affect her. She can still get burned; it just takes longer and requires more heat.

► Conversely, Ophelia has a very low tolerance for the cold. If the temperature drops too low, she will be almost non-functional and simply curl up somewhere to try and get warm.

► When her fight-or-flight reflexes are triggered and her adrenaline kicks in, Ophelia is insanely strong and agile. In this state, she could easily throw a person across a room and moves fast enough to get past most normal peoples’ reflexes in a fight.

► In especially severe, usually life-threatening situations, she has been known to sprout extra, tentacle-like limbs from her back. These are also pitch-black in color and are used exclusively for self-defense or escape.

► Doing the above is very taxing on her, and once the adrenaline rush is over, she is always very tired and sore.

► She has no control over the limbs when in her normal state, and cannot command them to appear.

► Ophelia has the potential to live much longer than the average human, though the exact extent of her lifespan increase is unknown even to her.

► Ophelia has the potential to develop shapeshifting during a thread canon. She will never possess this ability at the start of any given thread canon. However, once she gains this ability, she cannot lose it and keeps it for the remainder of that canon. There must always be some mechanism outside of herself that triggers her first shift.

Backstory

► Ophelia was orphaned very soon after she was born, and placed in the foster system.

► Her first family was a good one, and they even considered adopting her.

► On her second birthday, Ophelia and her family were in Endsville on the day a being from the center of the Earth - Nergal - transformed most of the town into his own personal lackey “friends”. Ophelia was among those turned, though this was not a conscious choice made by Nergal. She simply got caught in the crossfire.

► The town’s mutations were reversed after the fact, but Ophelia was severely unlucky. Her reversal was incomplete, and she retained some of her mutant traits. This is the reason for her appearance and her powers.

► Her family, frightened by what they didn’t understand, quickly gave her up. After that, she moved around from family to family, never finding a permanent one.

► Accidents followed Ophelia wherever she went. People got hurt and property got destroyed. She earned a reputation as a problem child and an unlucky choice.

► The only temporary family member she bonded closely with was Rosalind, a kind and sweet girl who was eight years older than her. The two considered each other sisters even after Ophelia left again.

► At the age of 12, a particularly bad accident in which a theater was destroyed caused Ophelia to panic and flee town, believing she would be blamed and actually punished for it.

► She ended up in Endsville again, where she met some of the town’s inhabitants - including Nergal.

► Nergal suspected the truth about Ophelia’s origins and took her in, trying to make up for what he did by teaching her about herself and giving her a home and a family.

► Through complicated events, the building explosion caught up to her and the Underworld inhabitants attempted to punish her for violating their law. Rosalind, who had gone looking for her sister after the girl had vanished, teamed up with Nergal and they bartered her way out of a biased trial. Ophelia was given the right to trial by combat.

► During the combat (a giant human chess game akin to Harry Potter wizards’ chess), Ophelia unlocked her ability to control the electricity and with it, won.

► She was allowed to leave and resume life on the surface, where she decided to live with her sister, though she visited the Nergals often.

► During her teen years, Ophelia considered Nergal as a father figure and Nergal Junior as her brother. She attended school, had a few friends, and was largely in control of her abilities. This was the happiest time in her life.

► However, as time passed, she noticed that she slowly grew more powerful, with less control over her power. Her skin started to grow black patches, and her teeth sharpened. She had started to mutate again.

► This troubled her greatly, and she soon grew more reclusive and paranoid. Most ordinary humans still judged her harshly for her abilities, and she was afraid of becoming an even greater freak than she already was.

► Even Rosalind suggested that they try to find a cure, something that hurt Ophelia deeply. She believed that this meant nobody could truly accept her.

► Eventually, at 18 and just after finishing school, she grew tired of her semi-mutant state, and of not fitting in fully with either humans or the Nergals. She snapped, and in the resulting outburst, severely hurt Rosalind, sending the older girl to the hospital with low chances of long-term survival.

► Horribly guilty and grief-stricken, she lashed out and went to confront Nergal about the extent of what he had done to her.

► During their argument, Ophelia learned that Nergal had suspected this would happen - and chose not to tell her. Worse, when she was younger, there had been a chance he could have reversed it, if he tried hard enough. This too, he had chosen to keep hidden, and at her current age, it was already too late. She could no longer go back; she could only mutate more until she was no longer human at all.

► Furious and betrayed, Ophelia engaged in a physical fight with her former mentor - a fight which injured dozens of people and caused widespread destruction of the town.

► Ophelia fled from the devastation in shame. She remained nearby, but never made contact with any of the Nergals or her former friends.

► Rosalind died from her injuries two months after the fight, without her sister present. Ophelia left Endsville shortly after, convinced there was nothing there for her anymore. She never forgave herself.

Assorted Facts and Trivia

► Her birthday is the 26th of June. Her zodiac sign is Cancer.

► She aged at a rate different than Billy, Mandy, and the rest of the town before she was 12 because she lived outside of Endsville. Endsville has had countless timeline resets and backtracks, slowing things down for them in the time before she moved there.

► Religion and superstition are more facts of Ophelia’s life than belief systems. She has seen gods, demons, and other supernatural creatures in person, and tends to talk about them as people she knows rather than deities.

► Ophelia does not scare easily. That girl has seen some stuff. She thinks horror movies are hilarious.

► Ophelia’s feelings towards Nergal in her present are very complicated. He did save her life as a child and gave her a home, but he’s also responsible for her being in a bad situation to begin with. She tries not to think about it too much.

► She also has very mixed feelings about her birthday, considering this is the day she was first turned. Expect her to act very strange during that time.

► She still loves Junior as a brother, but refuses to speak to or see him in case she was tempted to return.

► Ophelia loves theater, but as a result of her increasingly mutated state, is often too shy to actually get on stage and draw attention to herself. She works backstage and builds props, often custom ones. This is how she earns her living moving from city to city as a young adult.

► Ophelia never attended a university, but made an attempt to teach herself basic electrical and mechanical engineering. She has a natural talent for it.

► Ophelia’s favorite colors are lavender purple and navy blue.

► She has never owned a car, although she does know how to drive. She usually just walks places or takes public transportation.

► She will often read for fun, and has a special fondness for classic literature like Shakespeare.

► She also likes to play video games. She gets very competitive during these. Mario Kart and Mario Party are disasters waiting to happen with her.

► Ophelia is fascinated by space and aliens. Aliens are the only true mystery she has yet to be exposed to.

► She strongly believes that there is life beyond Earth, although she doesn’t understand why any race advanced enough for space travel would bother with the planet. Actually meeting an alien would be shocking and exciting for her.

► Her fascination with space partially stems from a deep desire to escape the confines of Earth, as she believes that the supernatural forces of her past are too deeply entrenched there for her to ever permanently escape them.

► Thunderstorms excite Ophelia. Not necessarily because she likes them, but because the extra electricity in the air automatically energizes her.

► Ophelia is not a morning person. Do not try to wake her up if she’s tired. She won’t like you very much.

► Ophelia loves music of all kinds. She has an extensive music collection of nearly every genre.

~

((Thanks so much for your time everyone! If you read all of this, send a lightning bolt to my inbox because your patience with me deserves some recognition!))

[kit757]

Nextdoor and all it's Glory

Heads up slightly political.....

So I posted this to Nextdoor and thought it was a pretty good rant and wanted to share. First some back story. Some one inquired as to why a restaurant didn't open that night. The answer was that their food and employees didn't show up. To me this means that they either A. Don't pay their employees enough to show up, or B. They did not pay the food people enough money to bring them food. But alas rural GA did not feel this way, oh no. The reason this happened, is of course because the government is paying people unemployment to sit at home.

The post that started it all.....

Susan- What happened to Bone Grill? Went there this evening Saturday 5/29 and there’s paper on the doors and parking lot empty ! It’s Memorial Day weekend

Karen- Sadly, businesses can’t survive when our government pays people more to stay at home than to work.

Other Karen- you got that right!!!

Me- With all due respect. That is 100% not true. You know the max unemployment in GA is $365 a week right? The min is $55 a week. No ones getting rich. People are just leaving the hospitality industry and going to other jobs that pay them more and they don’t have to deal with the general public who were awful to them during the pandemic. It has been proven, in multiple studies, that if you pay people a livable wage, you will get employees and still be a profitable restaurant. Sounds like this restaurant just needs to get with the times. It’s their own darn fault if they refuse to pay a livable wage that they can’t get people.

Karen the 3rd- Yeah but with the extra $300 from the pandemic it's $665 to stay home. Thankfully Kemp is putting an end to that.

Me-Dude the average cost of rent in GA is $1,500 a month with no utilities included. So if you are single and living on your own, sure $665 a week is a bare min in order to feed and house yourself. Now picture if this individual has a kid? Not enough money at all. So before you praise Kemp for taking away money that’s not even his, think about that kid that’s now going to be starving while you feel all high and mighty about taking away Federal funds.

Karen the 3rd- If your unemployed then you are getting food stamps. Too many places need employees. Work two jobs if you have to ( I do) not the tax payers responsibility to support all these people who would rather sit home and make over $600 a week.

Me- You don’t automatically get food stamps if you are on unemployment that’s 100% false. Also, why should you have to work 2 jobs? You shouldn’t have to! You should be able, in American, to work 1 job 40hrs a week and make enough money to live and thrive. This “work till you drop” mentality is killing people! This generation living right now is the first that is expected to have a shorter lifespan than the previous ones and it is linked to (well lack of health care but that a whole different rant) but literally having to work yourself to death to live.

Karen the 3rd and I then got into a life expectancy debate that she regrettably won. I was 100% sure I was right on it decreasing for millennials but alas could not find the data to go along with it.

Me-based on that data you are totally right! I miss quoted my facts and I’m sorry. I had heard it on the news and not done any further research and I am glad you proved me false. However, where I think that come from are some additional factual data that the American life expectancy is the lowest in almost all first world nations. It’s due to a lot of awful things but poverty and income inequality is a HUGE reason.

Karen the 3rd- posting research here that would indicate the decrease is due to drug addiction/suicide, not work. Also, despite these factors the life expectancy is significantly higher than prior generations.

Me-Well this says over working causes Suicide. So we can chicken and egg death or just agree it’s all messed up and there should be a solution. :)

Now on to our lovely John. Not quite a Karen but still has some wild posts on other threads.

John-No doubt life can be tough. I hate there are people who can’t live a good life. However, I always am curious as to how much money people think they need monthly? How does the average person want to handle and spend on monthly premiums for their healthcare? Do people think entry level jobs should provide a good lifestyle? What are people willing to sacrifice as they work entry level jobs.. in hopes of attaining a better job and future? Anything? My parents were poor and did not have a high school education. On Thursday nights.. they ate no supper. They saw that I ate Thursday supper. Why? Because my Dad was paid on Friday at the end of the day. They had no money for themselves by Thursday night. I detest a situation where children go without. I’m lucky my parents taught me the value of a $ and taught me to not live beyond my means. I hope everyone who wants to work and to improve their lot in life are successful. I have a tremendous amount of respect for people who work hard. Those who don’t work hard and expect the government to take care of them.. I don’t respect that CHOICE. To all the workers out there.. 🖖Live long and prosper.

And now for what I think is my mike drop moment!

Me-First I am so sorry your family had those struggles with you growing up. In a first world nation (or really anywhere in an ideal world) that should never happen. As for what the min income should be, models can be found online for each state documenting what that should look like. I don’t need to remake the wheel here. :) Some go as low as $33,000 up to $70,000 depending on the area. (GA min wage right now is at $15,080 a year at 40hrs a week) My point is we should strive to be better as a country! When did we start accepting the bare min standard of living with minimal pay and minimal social services? Why can’t we standardize a 40hr well paid work week as the standard? Think of what that would allow people to do and how that would change GA? People able to spend time with their kids and teach them=less crime. People able to take a break for mental and physical health= longer life and less healthcare costs. The benefits wouldn’t end there.

The human default isn’t to be lazy. And to default to that being everyone’s answer as to why we should cut off unemployment because people don’t want to work in crappy minimum wage service jobs is a disservice to humanity as a whole. People need to have some compassion for other humans, which has been sorely lacking in America recently.

Barry-Food wasn’t good last time we were there, haven’t been back...

You had forgotten how this all started, didn't you! lol

[waterworldcraze]

How Many Eggs Do Angelfish Lay?

So, you’ve successfully been able to have your male and female angelfish mate and pair off. Your female angelfish has laid eggs- now what? How many eggs is she going to lay?

This will depend on several factors, including the water conditions, how healthy the fish are, and how many fish there are in the tank. But generally, you can expect Angelfish to lay between 100-1000 eggs.

In this article, we’ll discuss some of the different factors that will influence how many eggs she will lay, as well as how many you can expect her to lay with each batch.

Factors That May Influence the Number of Eggs

There are several things you will want to consider that will have an impact on the number of eggs your angelfish will lay and that will end up surviving to adulthood.

Whether you keep the angelfish in a breeder tank or a community tank

If you’re not particularly interested in breeding angelfish, you might be more likely to keep them in a tank with other angelfish or different fish breeds. But keeping them in a community tank could negatively impact the number of eggs that will be laid.

This is due to the fact that the other fish in the tank could end up eating your angelfish eggs and fry. So, you may want to keep your angelfish in a special breeding tank to make sure that their babies stay safe and that more of the eggs will survive.

And, of course, making sure that the tank is large enough for your angelfish is key in reducing stress, which will also have an impact on how many eggs your fish will lay. Once again, angelfish need to be placed in a larger tank.

The size will depend on how many fish you intend to keep. If you want one or two, make sure it’s at least 30 gallons, and if you want more, you should aim towards 55 gallons or larger.

Having adequate water conditions

The condition that the tank’s water is in will impact the behavior of your fish on many different levels, including when it comes to their breeding capabilities. You should make sure that you keep the temperature of the water between 72 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit.

Keeping a heater in the tank will ensure that the temperature remains stable, as fluctuations could also disturb your fish. Having a temperature that is too low will result in your fish not breeding as often and making them not as hungry.

But keeping the temperature too high will decrease your angelfish’s lifespan and affect their babies. You must also make sure that the levels of ammonia and nitrogen are as low as possible because these can be toxic to fish if the levels are too high.

Change the water frequently to get rid of bacteria, debris, and waste. Making sure that the water gets changed rather frequently will ensure that your fish will be able to successfully breed.

Your angelfish’s health

This might be difficult to determine on your own. If you’re buying them from a breeder, you will be able to get a better look at which ones will be more likely to produce quality offspring.

There are some angelfish that will have issues breeding according to their genetics, and then there are others that have better chances for the same reason.

If you want to keep an eye on the angelfish’s physical traits, you will want to look out for angelfish that are larger in size, round bodies (make sure the fish is taller than longer), fish that don’t have bumps on their heads of twists in their fins, and angelfish that are not aggressive.

Angelfish that carry all of these characteristics tend to be more successful at producing the most offspring, but this does not mean that angelfish with characteristics that slightly deviate from these will not have babies.

How experienced your angelfish are

If this is the first breed for your angelfish, you might notice that there will be fewer eggs than in later breeds. This is due to the fact that angelfish tend to learn about parenting through trial and error.

It’s totally possible that first-time angelfish parents will eat the eggs the first time, and then eat the fry the second time. This might make you worried, but it’s generally because they aren’t sure what to expect or because they want to protect the babies from the other fish in the tank.

But generally, after a few batches or so, your angelfish parents will stop eating the eggs and fry and allow their babies to grow into adulthood.

Number of Eggs Angelfish Typically Lay

Angelfish, surprisingly, are very good parents and you will find that they are highly attentive towards their young.

So it’s not a surprise when you find out that angelfish tend to lay several batches of eggs throughout their lives and that many of their babies in later matches survive to adulthood.

An angelfish tends to reach sexual maturity when they are eight months old. The average range is between 6 to 12 months. This is when your angelfish will start to look for a mate and have babies.

The average lifespan for an angelfish is 10 years, provided that they are well taken care of and the tank conditions are perfect.

Let’s look at some of the more specific numbers, including how often angelfish tend to lay eggs.

Per laying:

It is very possible for a female angelfish to lay anywhere between 100 and 1000 eggs during each batch. This will depend on the size of the fish itself, as well as some of the other factors we listed above.

How many batches will the fish lay?

This will depend on what you do with the eggs after they’ve been laid. If you want to breed angelfish, then you should remove the eggs from the parents to make sure that all the eggs will hatch.

If you have removed the eggs, then it will generally take your angelfish between 7 to 14 days to lay another batch of eggs. If you keep the eggs with their parents, the angelfish will not lay any more eggs until all the eggs have been cleared away, which might take some time.

Generally, it is safe to assume that angelfish will have quite a lot of babies throughout their lifetime. And again, angelfish are known for being great parents, and after a few tries, they will pay a lot of attention to their young and be highly protective towards them.

Don’t be worried if your angelfish have not produced a lot of eggs the first few times; you will see all the babies they will produce within three or four batches.

Related Questions

How do angelfish mate?

Angelfish mate in a rather unique manner. Once a male and female have paired up and selected a spot for the babies to be born, the female will then lay the eggs. The male fish will follow and fertilize all the eggs, which will result in offspring.

How do I know if my angelfish are male or female?

It is rather difficult to tell the difference. You can look at their tubes- the male’s tube will be more pointed than the female’s. Male fish tend to have larger heads, whereas female fish will have more rounded heads. Females also tend to have larger bellies. But even still, it might be difficult to notice these differences.

Can female angelfish lay eggs without the male?

It is possible for a female angelfish to lay eggs without a male present. However, these eggs will not be fertilized and thus, will not produce babies. You will be able to tell that these eggs were not touched by a male fish because they will grow opaque in color.

[thebattlelost]

It was the best of times

"The Best Of Times"

Tonight's the night we'll make history, honey, you and I

And I'll take any risk to tie back the hands of time

And stay with you here tonight

I know you feel these are the worst of times

Baby I know, you wouldn't have to cry

I do believe it's true

When people lock their doors and hide inside

Rumor has it it's the end of Paradise

But I know, if the world just passed us by

The best of times are when I'm alone with you

Some rain some shine, we'll make this a world for two

Our memories of yesterday will last a lifetime

We'll take the best, forget the rest

And someday we'll find these are the best of times

These are the best of times

I do believe it's true

Styx

Charles Dickens wrote "It was the best of times,

it was the worst of times" but to tell the truth of the

matter for me, it seemed anyways that it was nothing

more than a time that was filled with chaos and much

confusion and of course cha changes when your

friendships, some that even went back as far preschool

and or kindergarten would start to become something

slightly different, as everyone graduated and started

moving on to what we call real life becoming so called

adults in a world that had a hell of alot more questions

than it did answers to give, then having to make those

decisions about college the military, starting families

making new friends or loosing old ones becoming just

a mixedup menagerie of broken and fractured memories

of our past, almost like chapters in a book that were

ending with brand new ones beginning'' in a world that

was so much different then the one we had all grown up

in, one that was harsher, colder, less caring, less God-

fearing, more hateful, and spiteful in fact it was down

right terrifying. Down here on this planet that we call

earth which is the third planet from the sun, that revoles

along its axis every twentyfour hours or what we call

a day, all the while revolving around the sun that takes

three hundred sixty five days or one year, which does

not sound all that very long at all except that when you

think about it and relizes that an average human only

lives up to seventy nine years meaning we only get that

many spins to get it right or to find the meeting of life,

or why it is we are really here. Even Einstein said its

become appallingly clear technology has surpassed

our Humanity and that is very sad, which brings us back

to the beginning of at least this prose, for my generation

was one of the last to know and truly understand what

"friendship" really means, those connections we made

are ones that will last a life time because we spent the

time and energy to cultivate and feed and grow, using

bicycles and playgrounds and most of all real life

communcation in a language that seems to be dying

out called talking face to face, everyday, and night, for

days, weeks, months, and years through laughter and

tears the real kind not an electronically recorded sound

boards or stupid smiley or poop emoji we were bonded

by laws of the sacred street where if you were not in by

the time they came the parent gustapo would be released

as you dodge the neighbors trying to find your way home

each taking turns whooping your butt or scolding you

then when your delivered to the warden your mother

where the dreaded phrase "Just wait until your father

gets home" thats when it went silent not a sound and all

your friends cringed knowing what was coming then

sneaking candy or sodas to make sure you survived

the ordeal and that my friends is love. yes real

tangible love the kind I have been searching for my

entire life trying to get back wanting to feel that once again.

Love is not just between a man and a woman or wife

and husband or even boyfriend and girlfriend, it is

between those who will open thier doors without a

question why, those who have cried with you, laughed

when you shaved your eybrows off accidently, or when

you lost your dog or cat, fell off the swing lost your

diamond ring, called your parents Mr. and Mrs or

just mom and dad, all of those friends who made

the effort to actually physically either walked, rode their

bike, skateboard, or scooter all the way across town

just to say hello, and not just call, text, or have their

assistant send an email that is what love is all about,

it is sad nowadays who they call a friend for the people

you meet today may indeed call themselves friends and

they might or might not stick around for just a little

bit but there is a difference and it is all superficial at that

because if you ever needed help for any reaon or were

running from the cops and I do not mean you just killed

somebody because you would not be a good friend

dragging them in the middle of that or you just needed

someone to talk too at three am in the morning the first

ones that come into my mind are those that have already

been there with me through good and the bad, happiness

and being sad, had a bed ready and beer whenever

any and the many breakups I have had just appeared.

But enough of that I think you get the picture and if you

do not then I feel sorry for you because your a narcissist

or even worse, just a scourge to humanity anyways, so in

closing I would like to say I love you to class of 1984

and all the others before who know the true meaning of

friendship and love and all the hardwork that goes into

making both work, and any and all of you who ran the

street light gauntlet trying to get to the house fast before

your father got home and bear the marks of a whopping

given by the neighbors when you ran from mom, or

playing with me in the park until dark, pitching

quarters at school, buns up at lunch, even walking

home or taking the school bus,

ditching class to

go to zuma beach, driving around smoking Marijuana,

Skiing down a hill at Mountain High first thing

in the morning, taking a hike in the hills aroumd

White Face, putting out fires in october as the winds

tricked or treat us. Memories I will never forget

reminding me of a very short moment of time

that I am so happy I had the chance to experience

for those friends that I made back then will be my

friends until the very end and those

who we have already

lost to God up in heaven just know you will never be

forgotten, for made the spin more then half

my lifespan I ahall soon follow you

In the path you have

taken to be your friend once again.

Poet Richard M Knittle Jr.

A Poet's Journey