#due to anatomical limitations

[iamthekaijuking]

What do you think is Nu Udra? How could it relate to Nakarkos or Yama?

Is it a vert-

So going off the 8 arms and generally floppy body this is likely an octopus. Specifically within Octopodoidea and likely closely related to Enteroctopodidae (yellow and giant octopus), Octopodidae (common, blue ringed, and mimic octopodes), and Megaleledonidae.

Granted, Nu is very unique anatomically, likely due to being a terrestrial cephalopod.

The big one is that it’s in contact with fresh water. Fresh water is a massive hurdle for cephalopods because of osmotic stress, basically they have no mechanism to keep fresh water from sucking the salt out of their cells. I’d imagine though that Nu gets around this by having thicker skin (it seems to have a texture like that of a toad) and mucus membranes.

Its gills might have transitioned into lungs.

The beak is further forward on the body and not in the middle of all the arms, likely to make it easier to eat things since without the support of water it’s probably harder to position itself over top of food.

It seems to have gotten rid of almost all suckers, maybe for friction reasons??? But I don’t know any logical reason for the loss aside from the devs probably didn’t want to program and animate them all. What few suckers remain have been turned into massive hooks, which isn’t unusual for a cephalopod. Squids have some nasty talons.

Apparently Nu Udra has bad eyesight and it doesn’t even have pupils, and has sensory organs on the tips of its arms. This gives the tips of the arms a sort of cupped shape like a hectocotylus, which would make it pretty hard to tell which individuals are males. Granted Capcom has a pretty firm no-no rule on giving the monsters private parts, the most they’ve done is arse-holes and rajang’s glowing pubes.

Its relation to Nakarkos is pretty much like that of any other octopus and cuttlefish. And Nark is explicitly a cuttlefish. It doesn’t drop elder dragon blood when killed and gives you cuttlebones. In a recent wilds dev interview they said they wanted to go squid-ier with nark like Nu Udra but couldn’t due to technical limitations.

Yama…

Is a British man.

[girlfishes]

I think that there is a compelling biological argument that men are naturally aggressive.

This will be me yapping for way too long, but hear me out.

In many sexually dimorphic species, the males live a very short life. Think of bugs, like spiders and wasps. When males are born, they inseminate eggs and then die, or eaten, or exiled. To keep them involved any longer is a waste of resources that could be used on the females to create more offspring. Male bugs live a harsh life, because they are barely necessary except in their limited reproductive role.

Bugs are r-selective species, which means that their reproductive cycles prioritize producing as many offspring as possible with the expectation that most will die before they reach maturity. And the limiting factor in that equation is the number of females, which means that more males are created than are necessary in a 50-50 split.

As life forms become more complex, species become k-selective. This means that the energy in reproduction is put into creating few good-quality offspring. The mothers spend more time with their children, gestate them inside their bodies in the case of mammals, and stay with them until they reach maturity. It takes much longer for a k-selective species to reach sexual maturity, and males in such species are no longer anatomically inferior like they are as bugs.

The primary interest of the individual male is to make sure that his genes are passed on. But this isn’t so easy. I’m going to speak in terms of bears from now on. One male bear can impregnate 50 female bears, and those female bears will no longer be fertile for some time. Bears won’t just pair off monogamously, so male bears face steep competition. They kill each other and they kill each other’s cubs in competition to the limited females who can pass on their genes.

Now what does this have to do with humans? Well, we’ve established that in order to survive and personally reproduce, a male of any species is fighting an uphill battle due to the limited number of females and the female need to not waste precious resources on them. Both of these stem from the different reproductive roles inherent in sexual dimorphism seen across species. The males who succeed in reproducing will have necessarily been stronger and more aggressive. Basic survival of the fittest method will tell you that whatever causes these traits will be passed down.

Humans are the same. The bodies of women are largely organized around the production of large gametes and the gestation and feeding of offspring. The male body is organized around the production of small gametes. Males have been selective bread over millions of years to compete with other men and ensure that women cannot siphon resources away from them. This manifest in higher muscle mass, larger stature, and yes, high testosterone.

For thousands of years human males have forced themselves to remain relevant by crippling the lives and freedoms of women by the disabling nature of pregnancy and their superior strength. They also wage this battle psychologically, which is unique to human beings.

It is important to note that I can argue these points and still acknowledge that men do have the ability to think, feel, and reflect on their actions. If they so chose, they could turn their backs on this troubled past and start a new way of society which values individuals for their minds instead of their bodies.

This is not a fatalist dooming of all future men to forever stick to this pattern. The aggressive actions of men are borne from a deep insecurity that women do not need them. Because we don’t. But the thing is, human beings are capable of valuing each other for more than our reproductive roles or capabilities. Men need to not let their maleness define how they relate to women and each other, but let their humanity guide how they treat other humans. Only then can we leave this all behind.

If you read all of this, thanks for bearing with me.

[whencyclopedia]

Family Planning in Greco-Roman Antiquity

Family planning was a topic of vital importance in the ancient Mediterranean. Some of the earliest medical literature from ancient Greece and Rome deals with fertility and reproductive health. Among the numerous treatments and procedures utilized in Greco-Roman medicine were methods of contraception and abortion.

Societal pressure meant that most people married and had children at a fairly young age. However, not everyone chose to have children, and those who did still had to decide how many and when. These decisions were even more important for women, who bore the heaviest burden when having children. Before the advent of modern medicine, pregnancy was frequently a matter of life or death. For unmarried and disadvantaged women, having children could also mean social or financial ruin.

Greco-Roman religious and philosophical thought encompassed a variety of beliefs, and there was no widespread condemnation of either contraceptives or abortion. Legally, there were few regulations preventing access to birth control. However, the options available to women were limited by patriarchal social expectations and the extent of medical knowledge.

Pregnancy in the Ancient Mediterranean

Pregnancy was dangerous in the ancient world due to relatively primitive prenatal care and obstetric medicine. Malnutrition and disease caused elevated rates of miscarriage and other complications during pregnancy. It is estimated that in premodern societies there were an average of 25 maternal deaths for every 1,000 live births. The level of infant mortality was even higher, with perhaps 1/3 of children dying during infancy.

Roman and Greek medicine combined anatomical knowledge, empirical evidence, and spiritual beliefs. Physicians like Galen (129 to c. 216 CE), who rejected superstitious folk remedies, were in the minority. The quality of medical care varied, as there was no oversight to ensure that physicians and midwives performed medical care up to an agreed-upon standard. Women who could not afford to hire a physician or who lived in rural areas had even more difficulty accessing quality medical care.

Another factor which contributed to a high rate of maternal and infant mortality was the young age at which many women became mothers. Women in the ancient Mediterranean typically married between 15 and 22 years old, although marriage as young as 12 was not unusual. Ancient physicians were aware of the connection between youth and maternal mortality and warned against the marriage of extremely young girls. In Sparta, women were not allowed to marry before the age of 18 out of concern for the health of both mother and child. Despite these risks, cultural expectations meant that women were often encouraged to marry and produce children as soon as possible.

Although many physicians understood that there were natural causes underlying medical conditions, the majority of people viewed disease as the result of supernatural forces. Pregnant women were given amulets to protect them from malicious forces. Deities associated with marriage and midwifery, such as Artemis, Hera, and Eileithyia, were specifically invoked to protect women during childbirth.

Continue reading...

[jadedwoman]

I hate when I try and look for tutorials on how to draw and it just so heavily devolves into stereotypes. Like bruh, no, women do not 'naturally arch their back" like that, that's literally just a hyper sexualized pose used by past artists to sexualize women. It just irritates me to hell and back to the point I'm genuinely considering never utilizing a guide that argues men and women will be fundamentally, not just cuz fuck that I'll make all my character GNC if I choose to, but also because it's often so stereotypical that even anatomically it makes no sense. It just always irritates me when people are like "sometimes you have to include those aspects so people get what a character is even if those are stereotypes" and I think it's bullshit because thats exactly how you propagate stereotypes further. If people interpret more pointy noses as more villainous (often due to old antisemitic depictions that made the association) that does not mean you should make all your villains have that. You can recognize stereotypes that people use a lot and decide to just, not fucking use them, instead of justifying it as fine to enforce stereotypes because "you gotta exaggerate" EXAGGERATE SOME OTHER PART, you're not limited to only exaggerating the parts with heavy histories of prejudice.

[max1461]

This is an area of active debate, and also evolution of language is not my field, so I'm not especially qualified to speak on it. The position that language evolved separately in different areas of the world (polygenesis of language) is held by various people, so indeed it "may have" occurred that way. By in my estimation it's not particularly likely.

Humans have a lot of specialized adaptations for speaking. Our vocal tracts allow us to produce a wide range of consonant sounds, for which we are unique among mammals. The range of our hearing also appears tuned to pick up these consonant sounds. We also very probably have cognitive adaptations specifically for speech production (as opposed to just general intelligence), although their nature is perhaps less agreed upon. All in all we are biologically adapted for speech, and there is some evidence that earlier human subspecies like Neanderthals were too.

In light of this, I think it is almost certain that language predates human anatomical modernity, perhaps by a very great degree (recall also that things like relatively complex tool making predate modern humans by several million years). Thus: language predates the migration out of Africa, it predates various population bottlenecks that modern humans were subjected to, etc. etc. Most importantly, I think it is extraordinarily unlikely that language is something we "invented" one day. I strongly suspect the modern human linguistic capacity evolved slowly out of earlier, simpler communication systems used by our primate ancestors—communication systems which had some cultural variation, as modern chimpanzees show today, but orders of magnitude less than what humans have. And, in the limit, these systems evolved from even simpler ones with no cultural variation at all.

This makes monogenesis trivially true if go far back enough. Under this hypothesis we can say that modern human linguistic variation might conceivably date to pre-human cultural variation in our ancestors' simpler, pre-linguistic communication systems. If this is the case, human-language-as-such still would have been subject to either strong mutual areal influence at various points in history or to some kind of convergence of features due to the constraints of modern human linguistic cognition specifically, because all modern languages are "pretty similar".

This is all not to mention creolization, which depending on how you want to frame it, adds disjoint nodes or cycles to the tree of linguistic descent.

[lord-squiggletits]

I’d love to hear any comments/headcanons you have for pre-Tarn/pre-war Damus!

Those tags about him being touch starved due in part to his Outlier powers had me in my feels 😭😭 I loved that wonderful (and angsty) analysis on him.

Hmm I'm not sure I have that many but let's see if the ones I do have end up blossoming into a more robust list or not

Like most people, I headcanon Damus having an affinity for music long before becoming Tarn; I mean, his outlier power had literally nothing to do with sound at all to begin with (even once he started being able to do it at a distance), so it seems like for Tarn to have 'music lover' as one of his big traits, he would've picked it for a reason, no? Not all parts of Tarn (TM) have to be a complete pretense

Following that, because Damus' outlier broke all electrical devices/machines he touched, he became a singer because his own voice is something he can't break and that no one can take away from him. Maybe he would've tried non-electronic instruments, but he would've gravitated towards singing more than instrumental performance regardless

Also, depending on how you headcanon Cybertronian singing to work (do any of them "breathe"/push air like humans do or are their voices entirely synthesized? Is "breathing" a special mod or does it work as a function of ventilation/cooling), being empurata'd probably could've affected Damus' singing ability since he would no longer have a face/mouth to shape his sounds. Could still sing since he does have a voice box, but I imagine that, considering Damus wasn't able to touch anyone/anything anyways, losing his hands was way less hurtful to him than losing his face.

However, since his outlier ability would make him pretty much functionally disabled on Cybertron (literally everything and everyone is machines), Damus would've had a greater appreciation for physical mediums of art/function more than the average person, I think. In a society where pretty much everything is stored on datapads, computers, etc, Damus would've been a huge pen-and-paper, art canvas, stonecarving, etc kind of guy; a big appreciator of things that can survive without an electrical connection or any machine functioning. He's basically one of those people who, in human terms, would own a lot of antiquated stuff like record players, cassette decks, CDs, etc because his outlier forced him to adapt to (and then eventually enjoy the benefits/unique traits of) physical rather than digital mediums. I imagine this trait would make Damus odd among other hobbyists, since for both anatomical reasons (they're a mechanical species) and cultural reasons (history of mechanical superiority/anti-organic tendencies), most people would probably degrade physical media as less fast, efficient, flexible, etc compared to digital. Which does kind of make it ironic that Damus later became a Decepticon, but I suppose non-electrical/mechanical doesn't necessarily equate to being organic.

On account of not gaining control of his outlier until his outlaw days with Orion and co., I imagine Damus' job opportunities would've been very limited and he would've mostly had a very poor/limiting lifestyle (which also inclined him to be more interested in Megatron's writings and eventually becoming a Decepticon). Creativity isn't running well at the moment, but probably something like waste management (like being a garbage man) or some sort of manual hauling job, although Damus appears to have just been a normal 4-wheeled car alt-mode so I'm not sure he could've/would've gotten hired for heavy manual labor stuff. Perhaps he could've been a courier like Bumblebee was pre-war?

That also begs the question of how Damus compensated for his disability. Maybe to handle electronics, he could do so as long as he wore really thick gloves or something? Probably he'd also take advantage of stuff like voice commands/text to speech on electronic devices, so I imagine Damus' life wasn't completely devoid of any technology whatsoever. Do you think he'd be able to cook food on a stove top as long as he used a pair of tongs to grab it? I bet Damus had to get really good at improvising disability aids and getting basic life functions done without touching things directly with his hands, so maybe he was a bit of a tinkerer back then as well. And now I'm imagining Damus' home being full of elaborate Rube Goldberg machines that do very basic things like turn the stove to a specific temperature and turn it off after a set interval of time klsdalfjkdls

[hotnsweetnprimrose]

Who am I? Well,

I'm part boy part girl, boygirl, the protector and mayor of transgenders! Well. Not that last one, that's not an official position nor would I claim it in a non-joking manner. I'm just a silly t4t slut :P

If you see this blog in sfw areas or engaging with sfw blogs, I’m just there to shitpost and I cannot be bothered to do a main blog switch thing lmao. But if it makes you uncomfortable, that’s okay too! Feel free to block. I will also probably reblog sfw memes and such too. A laugh is a powerful thing.

Last Updated: Jun 9 2025 - had a birthday

My name is Prim or Eden (switch 'em up when it's been a while). I'm 23, I am trans, non-binary, and bigender (androgyne flavor), and I'm here to fuck and get fucked, at least in what ways are possible over the internet. I'm interested in all genders, but have far more fondness in my heart for my fellow trans folk. :P (I’m on the aroace spectrum but absolutely sex-favorable. It’s fun)

I'm a switch and vers in many things! I am 5'1" and a tad fragile. However due to mental health stuff, domming requires a Lot of trust in advance. I’m more likely to sub simply because it’s less stressful for me at this point.

My pronouns are fae/faer, they/them, and she/he (alternating). If you’re ever in doubt for what to call me, just slam both binary gendered words together until it sounds not terrible. Examples include guygal, boygirl, princessprince, etc.

I might use it/its for myself while in subspace being a toy, don’t change any of your language in response unless I ask or you get permission, please!

I strongly believe in trans joy and t4t joy. Transmasc transfem transneutral trans [fill in the blank] we are all so hot and cool. <3 It brings me joy to lend aid whenever and wherever I can. This blog is focused on trans 4 trans first and foremost. Cis people are an afterthought, almost always.

Send me asks if you want! DMs even! I love meeting people! Don't be shy! Unless you're cis, then I have high standards so yes do be shy. And if you’re cis and heterosexual? …. Sorry, if you’re attracted to me, you absolutely cannot be both of those things! I have a discord available after I get dm'd because tumblr dms my behated.

Please don't interact if you're a minor or don't have your age in your bio. I will block you. Immediately. Be patient and you'll have a chance to explore when it doesn't endanger yourself or others.

More stuff under the readmore including limits, kinks, and other tidbits.

I also just block and unfollow liberally if you aren't firmly on the side of t4t solidarity and mutual support. We're all having a hard time out here. (I also will not hesitate break mutuals if you post content that damages my mental health that I can't filter for. This is my safe haven.) - if you support calling anyone theyfab without that being a thing they said they’re okay with I’m sorry but you’re getting fully blocked on here. I have moral OCD traits that are bad enough without me feeling like my very identity is fake to people I thought could be trusted. Thanks!

Top Surgery (No Nips!!!! Wahoo!!): 10/16/2024

Anatomical Terms:

clit, tdick, tcock, cunt, pussy = GOOD!

boygirl + any term that's deemed good already= GREAT!!

hole = fine. a bit boring

vagina = BAD! too technical

If I'm dominant in your scenario, call me mastress, mixtress, or captain. Sir is on the table for those who earn it. If I'm submissive in your scenario, call me toy, pet, diminuitive names, or kitten.

Let me know if you need anything tagged!

Due to me being bigender (androgyne edition), I try not to reblog posts with "men dni" or "women dni" on them as I feel like that's denying part of my identity. Also out of principle so maybe people will be less broad with those kinds of statements OR remember multigender folks like myself exist. Please don't binarize me, that sucks.

I call the rp/kink fiction/pretend element "kayfabe" because wrestling is y'know. somewhat analogous to kink in some ways!

I have a lot of posts I still have to queue and tag alas.

Not Planning on Going On Longtime Systemic T Please Don't Act Like I Am [I use tcock and tdick with the t meaning trans or t4t, not testosterone <3]

List time!!!!

g = giving, r = receiving

BIG YESES!!

body worship [g+r]

praise [g+r]

tentacles & monsters [...g+r] (used to be this blog's main theme, but I'm revamping! might still post/rb it though)

bondage & restraint & shibari [g+r]

hypnosis [g+r]

bimbofication & dumbification genre [g+r]

creampies [r+g but that requires a strap and/or imagination] - I hate this word I need a new word!! The stuff with breeding is good but pregnancy is such a no go for me…. 🤔

overstim [g+r]

edging [g+r]

Objectification in the sense of being a toy, a tool, something with a function that does a job [r, unsure about g]

petplay [g+r I am a kitten thank you not a puppy sadly]

gentle gender affirming genderplay/forcemasc/forcefem!!!!!! [g+r]

size kink [I'm so damn short I gotta sexualize it]

DEFINITELY MORE I DON'T REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD

CONTEXT DEPENDENT (not always a big yes but the version eithout context is a no)

anal [giving ONLY, and only with gloves or a strap. I do not stuff in my ass or touching that hole]

intox [giving/domming ONLY]

Consensual non-consent but ONLY if it's clearly established as such with the post/fiction (I know I'm rare in that I find the prep and negotiation hot but hey, I love communication and trust!)

Painplay [giving/domming ONLY]

Breathplay [giving/domming ONLY] (picky about this one because safety but also I got asthma so I need to breathe normally)

NOS!!!!

Any kind of pregnancy or pregnancy focused kink

Any sort of inflation (cumflation is case by case)

Breeding with the INTENT of pregnancy (see creampies above, I do love the raw sex and being cum in but pregnancy still makes me dysphoric)

Nipple/breast focused content and/or kink (don't have those anymore and they gave me dysphoria) [except if you want to do like. breast theft. then we can talk about it but I'm super picky it's basically a no] {okay I’m cool doing it for others tits but not Mine}

Detrans kink and misgendering kink (I respect you but not my thing and usually makes me dysphoric. More power to ya though!)

Kinks involving urine, scat [shit], or filth [literal] in any large capacity

Consensual Non-Consent when it's in-universe just non-con

I respect y’all but no f4uxc3st and please tag it!!!! I have it blocked because my brain goes “you want ocd symptoms abt this? Okay!” I don’t even have full ocd just traits n trauma 😔

Nudes. Not without my express and enthusiastic agreement (rare). I might send but I do not like to receive.

[all of this is subject to changes and updates when I remember things not listed here or I learn more about my tastes!]

Tags:

#Prim Speaks = non-horny posts/writing/updates (that's what this is tagged as)

#Prim Whimpers = horny writing (submissive focus)

#Prim Smirks = horny writing (dominant focus)

#Prim Moans = horny writing (generally)

#Prim Reveals = if I ever do post suggestive pics this is the tag for that. we'll see how I feel.

#it's the little things you queue together = queued posts, if you know what song and musical that's from, kiss me on the mouth.

There are two sideblogs off this blog but they’re both secret. Thank you <3

[psivn]

[   alvise rigo,  homosexual,  genderqueer +  he/him/they,  inorganic amorphous mimicry ]  ̶ ̶ ̶a̶l̶e̶s̶s̶a̶n̶d̶r̶o̶ ̶g̶u̶i̶d̶r̶y̶ ̶|| redacted || is  a  neutral evil  a̶g̶e̶n̶t̶  selected  for  their  infamous thieves guild member and talented czernobog asset/assassin  and  underwent  the  top-secret  mutation  process.  to  the  rest  of  the  world,  the  thirty-three  year  old  originally  from  alexandria, louisiana is  deceased  or  missing.  however, they  are  now  known  as  biliquis of  ̶c̶z̶e̶r̶n̶o̶b̶o̶g̶ after  developing  the  ability  to freely manipulate his own body to mimic known inorganic matter/compounds to manipulate his anatomic structure in a variety of ways.  the  agent  has  been  with  pandora  for  n/a  and  is  trusted  for  being  winsome  &  witty,  but  once  reprimanded  for  being  vexing &  volatile.

THE BREAKDOWN

CALLSIGN: Biliquis ALIAS: Alessandro Guidry MORAL ALIGNMENT: Neutral Evil DIVISION: Cz̶e̶r̶n̶o̶b̶o̶g̶ ̶a̶s̶s̶a̶s̶s̶i̶n̶ TENURE: 12 yrs FORMER OCCUPATION: Accomplished Thief HOMETOWN: Alexandria, Louisiana AGE: 33yrs GENDER: Genderqueer MARITAL STATUS: Divorced SEXUALITY: Homosexual/Queer ROMANTIC: Homoromantic HEIGHT: 6ft 7in (1.65m) ARCHETYPE: Mesomorphic HAIR COLOR: Dirty Brunette HAIRSTYLE: Variable (Example of his common style here) IRIS COLOR: Dark Brown FACIAL HAIR: Example here NOTABLE FEATURES: The sclera of his eyes have become completely black due to the exposure to the impure mutation process Czernobog introduces to their agents. His irises have become violet-red. In his basic, amorphous shape, his shape retains a polished, metallic hue of a deep grey- similar to Maria's mold. MORALITY: (Neutral Evil) There is nothing truly 'good' about Biliquis. Perhaps he'd lost it a long time ago and Czernobog only consumed what compassion he may have had when he saw how ruthless they'd become. Though, he does grant an opportunity should he be presented with his own gain. He has been shown to turn against his own allies for the sake of preservation of himself or the cause he believes in.

WHY PANDORA: Biliquis was a casualty of Pandora's assault on Czernobog's outpost in Valea Morții, Romania. He definitely wouldn't have chose them. Not even as his last option.

CHARACTER NOTE: The Thieves Guild took pride in taking advantage of those less fortunate or in dire situations. As a kid on the street, they disguised their intentions with house and hot meals. They'd train him the basics through minor lessons that were masked as physical education. They'd even work to break his psyche through psychological warfare and emotional manipulation. His first skill taught was distraction and hypnosis. It was then that Czernobog and The Guild coordinated Biliquis' "education" until he'd reach 12 years. A Czernobog agent would step in and lead him. It started off as low-stakes robberies. The little things. Trinkets, small value items, and interception. Then larger items. Each serving a test to see if the boy's morality would inhibit his ability. When he was just 15, Czernobog introduced their first dosing. To which it had failed. It only resulted in minor physical mutations but not enough. While they returned him to the field, they experimented on his cells, pushing them to their limits. A year later, they replicated the cellular modifications on a dangerous level. At an unstable stage, he was sent to Romania to be trained by Maria in the sadistic methodology.

MUTATION: Inorganic Amorphous Mimicry. Biliquis is able mimic known inorganic matter or compounds and manipulate/alter his anatomic structure in various methods.

TRAINED SKILLS: Pain Tolerance and Stealth & Infiltration EXPERTISE IN: Close Combat Mastery PROFICIENT AT: Acrobatics & Evasion, Environmental Adaption, Marksmanship, Sleight of Hand, and Tactical Foresight SUBSTANDARD AT: Engineering & Vehicular Operations

[harukadrawsthings]

Ash & goh see lunala wrap herself with her wings

It's an anatomical challenge to make Lunala fold her arms. They would probably look like the way it's on the last photo! Her wings have more limitations than real bats mostly due to the golden edges she has.

So the answer is a maybe, because it would be a ligther wing folding they would be able to watch!

[jeredu]

Have some more of this AU. This time, the Scions of Lorelei are twin Skywings, hatched from a single egg!

Asch (or "Ash") has firescales. Luke, meanwhile, is the hidden shame of the royal family. Crimson, their father, feels that the Queen was too soft. Skywing law demands that a dragonet like "Light" should have been culled, lest he pass along his lack of fire down the bloodline. Ash, too, should not have been allowed to live. But prophecy (and the pleas of their mother, sister to the Queen) won out.

Ash has been raised as a weapon of the Sky Kingdom, resentful of the role he has been forced into.

Light is a hidden, shameful secret.

And Mieu, Light's pet scavenger, accompanies him nearly everywhere. Light is not permitted to leave the cave system without an escort. Mieu is a scavenger, orphaned at a young age, and found by Light on one of these incredibly rare outings. Light begged to keep him as a pet.

Mieu, struggling to speak the dragon language, gave him a scavenger [human] name: Luke.

Over the short years of his life, Mieu has grown to understand dragon speech, and "Luke" has likewise developed an understanding of scavenger speech. It is physically difficult for each to speak the other's language due to anatomical limitations, but they get by. They often use a simplified version of the other's language, which often meshes into an evolved hybrid "gibberish" only they can truly understand.

Despite their disparate life experiences, the boys share a desire to escape the Sky kingdom. They have an understanding, and though they often don't get along, their bond is stronger than one might expect.

I'll be using the tag #au: wings of the abyss for posts within this setting!

[fishenjoyer1]

Fish of the Day

Today's fish of the day is the mangrove horseshoe crab!

The mangrove horseshoe crab, also known as the round-tailed horseshoe crab, and scientific name Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda is one of the four living species of horseshoe crab remaining. The mangrove Horseshoe crab is closely related to the other 2 Asian horseshoe crabs: The Indo-Pacific Horseshoe crab (Tachypleus gigas), and the Chinese Horseshoe crab (Tachypleus tridentatus), but is the only member of the Carcinoscorpius genus. These three horseshoe crabs are separate from the American Atlantic Horseshoe crab, which separated between 130 to 400 million years ago! Now, Horseshoe crabs are horribly named, as they're not crabs at all. Instead, they belong to subphylum Chelicerata, which is in the Arthropod phylum, directly relating them to spiders and ticks.

Like its name implies, the mangrove horseshoe crab lives in brackish waters in mangrove forests. They can be found across Southeastern Asia, down to the Indo-Pacific in Tropical and subtropical climates. This animal spends its time in shallow waters, preferring sandy areas. The mangrove Horseshoe is benthopelagic, meaning it lives its life on the seafloor, and although they rarely do so, horseshoe crabs can swim, albeit, upside down. I'd recommend looking up a video on them swimming, it's very cool to see!

As benthic creatures, the mangrove horseshoe crabs diet is limited to what it can find on the seabed. Not only that, but, like all parts of the Chelicerata subphylum, it lacks jaws and teeth, and so it must feed in another method. Horseshoe crabs eat by grabbing prey with chelicerae, a pair of appendages in front of its legs, and passing prey to a food grove that runs from the furthest back legs, and up to the mouth. Well in the food grove, the bases of the legs are used to grind prey with teeth like structures, simultaneously passing further forward. Due to horseshoe crabs being so unchanged over the years, it is thought that this feeding method may have belonged to some of the earliest Arthropods. The diet of the mangrove horseshoe crab in particular is made up of insect larvae, small fish, marine worms, and mollusks. Although mangrove horseshoe crabs in particular have a strong preference for insect larvae above other prey.

Anatomically horseshoe crabs get stranger yet. They contain 10 eyes: 2 compound eyes, which can be seen on the top of the head, used primarily for finding mates. Then, there is a pair of lateral eyes, on the underside, ventral eyes, used for finding prey, an endoparetial eye, and median eyes. Horseshoe crabs can see both visible and ultraviolet light, but are particularly sensitive to light amounts and changes in their surroundings. The tail, as opposed to some common thought, is not poisonous or a weapon, but rather it is used for flipping over easily, and some movement well swimming. In Mangrove horseshoe crabs the tail is far more rounded than its relatives.

Have a good day everyone!

[tizackaan]

Painting Study

I've mostly done line art up to this point, and have struggling to add shading to my sketches. So I decided to start learning how to think in shapes and value by painting some basic 2 value distillation pieces. David popped up on my YouTube browse page and I said that looks fun. I took a screenshot and started painting. The face ended up more dead center than in the reference. I'm not sure if that's due to the limited depth information, or if I just messed up my shapes. Anatomically accurate teeth are a pain, but I think I did good. Implying the lips on top of the teeth kind of worked out. The pillow, face shadow, and shoulders were really hard, but once I realized that they all kind of connected it made more sense. It's not too bad, although I still have a long way to go.

[man-i-love-molluscs]

Hi!

In the UK, last week was biology week and I REALLY wanted to get this finished to celebrate. Unfortunately, I have been incredibly busy with coursework and only managed to finish this up yesterday. So, for my sake, imagine this was posted last week. Without further ado:

——————————————————————————

Dinoflagellates

Superclass- Dinoflagellata

Pictured: Ceratum lineatum

Dinoflagellates are plankton belonging to the superclass “Dinoflagellata”, a clade containing aquatic algae. Though often found in marine environments, dinoflagellates can be found in almost all aquatic environments. They are the bottom of most aquatic food chains and are responsible for many natural phenomena, like glowing beaches and even potentially one of the great plagues of Egypt!

Pictured: an anatomical diagram of a dinoflagellate

Dinoflagellates are covered by a theca (sheath) that can be either plain or ornamented and have two flagella (tails). One is a longitudinal flagella which propels the dinoflagellate forward and the other is a transverse flagella which provides spin to the algal cell.

Pictured: glowing shore caused by dinoflagellates

So, about glowing oceans, they’re caused by some genera of dinoflagellates that contain “Scintillons” which are, essentially, cellular glow sticks. Dinoflagellates light up when they are contacted, causing beautiful displays of light on turbulent shorelines. This bioluminescence is thought to be a response to predation. It sounds strange, producing dazzling light to deter predators, but the lights aren’t to repel predators, they’re to attract the predators of the predators. Like setting up a giant neon sign saying “This guy is eating me and they’re REALLY tasty”. They tend to build up in warm lagoons with limited access to the open sea and glow a bluish colour. Dinoflagellates produce a compound called “luciferin” which reacts with an enzyme called “luciferase”, and this reaction is what causes the light.

Pictured: a coral reef

Aside from being rave algae, dinoflagellates also form symbiotic relationships with many different organisms. Sponges, molluscs and some bacteria just to name a few, they form so many that the family they lie in is called “symbiodinium”. The most notable- though- is their relationship with coral. Coral as we know it is composed of coral polyps and dinoflagellates- or zooxanthellae as those able to form symbiotic relationships are known colloquially. In these relationships, zooxanthellae offer amino acids and products of photosynthesis and in return get carbon dioxide for photosynthesis as well as phosphates and nitrates. Colonies of coral polyps and zooxanthellae comprise coral reefs, responsible for upholding many tropical ecosystems in our beautiful oceans. When these colonies experience high environmental stress, the polyps will expel the zooxanthellae, resulting in coral bleaching, where coral reefs lose their colour and die; Coral bleaching is also a major problem our oceans are facing due to factors like ocean acidification and pollution.

Pictured: Pteraeolidia semperi

Zooxanthellae also form symbiotic relationships with nudibranchs, specifically aeolid nudibranchs from the genus Pteraeolidia; aeolid nudibranchs are those with long tubules sprouting from their backs, those in the genus Pteraeolidia look comparable to Christmas tinsel. In these relationships, the zooxanthellae live in the nudibranchs’ tissue and supplement their diet with photosynthetic products. For more information, look into the work of Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldburg and Professor Rosalind Hinde.

Pictured: a red tide

Dinoflagellates also are thought to have caused one of the 10 plagues of Egypt. Dinoflagellates are known to cause “red tides”, where masses of algae grow on the surface of water. Red tides do crazy evil things, like killing fish, making shellfish poisonous and even emitting toxic aerosols that cause burning sensations in throats and noses. Stalagmite records show that during the plagues, Egypt experienced a great drought. It is thought that this drought caused an algal bloom in the river nile, causing water to become undrinkable, fish to die and amphibian numbers to boom before they escaped the river. It’s important to note that while dinoflagellates are a kind of algae that is known to bloom in this way, some evidence points to algae that do not belong to the superclass dinoflagellata as the cause of this plague. Regardless, the marriage of religion, history and biology is very interesting.

[duckapus]

Some info on Andrew's starter aliens

Boulder-Dash

-big dude with a big beard

-can do the Advanced Rolling technique (where he gets all spiky and on fire and is surprisingly fast) that Goron Link has in Majora's Mask

-Can also manifest big near-molten stone gauntlets for Flame Punching Action

Gorenado

-Taz is an unstoppable, near indestructible force of pure hunger made from teeth and claws and muscle. Gorenado is... noticeably less so due to Andrew not having the right mindset for a Looney Toon

-That said, he's still an enhanced version of the physically strongest Looney Toon with the brain of an evil genius who's well aware of the Power of Memes, so he's still incredibly dangerous

-Has similar speech troubles to the other Tasmanian Devils because apparently they just aren't anatomically equipped to comfortably speak English. This makes people underestimate him because they think he's dumber like this.

That's a mistake that you only make Once, one way or another

Web Surfer

-Since he's a decent way up on the Admins' Most Wanted list, he's not gonna get much use out of this one until he finds a way to mask his Code Signature

-Genuinely a Very Powerful Program thanks to how the Omnitrix works, but he doesn't actually know how to do Program things, and Spamton isn't much help since he got arrested within a few days of ascending into Virus-hood and doesn't know anything either

Bird Brain

-Has about three times the intellect of his base form. Not any wiser though. If he was he'd probably realize what an ass he is

-Chozo are also significantly stronger than humans, and are nearly as well known for their martial prowess as their technology and wisdom, so it's a solid choice in a fight. Not quite as great as the alternatives, but it does well in a pinch

Mayhem

-The average Rabbid, true to their nature in canon, has nearly as much Meme Energy and as little Impulse Control as most of the Avatars. Mayhem, who is by design the pinnacle of Rabbids, has more Meme Energy and less Impulse Control than Pre-Mario-Reset-Arc Mario in full Crazy Stupid Mode

-This is bad enough with Ben's version of Mayhem, but Andrew's version is as horrible a person as he usually is on top of that!

Shortfuse

-...Yeah I got nothin'. He blow up, that's his whole Bit.

Enerjaws

-Can swim through the land and sky just as easily as the sea

-Since they approached the concept of magic and art in the opposite direction from the other civilizations, Sharks can use magic on pure instinct and imagination rather than having to learn the proper songs or stokes or whatever, so this is Andrew's most versatile form by far until he can figure out Web Surfer

-The limited body plan is a bit of an issue, admittedly

Webstinger

-Has perfect IVs and EVs, Because Omnitrix

-Sniper for his ability

-Starts with a very basic moveset of Poison Sting, Bug Bite, String Shot and Swords Dance, but he's a fast learner so he'll figure out a lot more before long

-Completely incapable of human speech until he figures out how to either move the mouth right or use Aura

Honeytrap

-Like I said before this is a personality change transformation and he acts exactly how you think he does.

-Still a guy no matter what he's got and how well he's flaunting it (Ben admittedly considers his version of Honeytrap a girl but that's purely a Him Thing)

-Most types of Demon are significantly stronger than humans. Succubi are not the exception.

-Innately magically adept, particularly with Fire and Healing magic

-Yes, he gets energy from people being horny over him. Really from any lust that's occurring in his general vicinity. Francis's general existence both fuels and disgusts him

-He'd get more from sex but he is very dedicated to his wife so until the heat's off from Nintendo World that's a no go

-(yes it can be from any gender and doesn't have to directly involve the succubus. What did you think lesbian and ace succubi did, just starve to death?)

Cry Spy

-He big. He stronk. He blind

-Can actually create and control Skulk since he's a dude with a sense of self instead of a lost, abandoned, ancient shambling beast

----------

For some interesting info on the device itself, now that he's got actual equipment to work with Andrew manages to give it the ability to switch between its full gauntlet form and a more compact form that looks like a stylish watch (both Because Rich Dude and Because Omnitrix). He also manages to add several more ammunition types to the Gauntlet form than just the immobilization goo.

Significantly more dangerous ammunition types...

[zalias-n]

Actin' All Okay

Preview & link

Stars, it's so hot. The longer I sit here the hotter I get, it’s like boiling water is trying to escape my bones through my joints. The only Places it doesn't feel like I'm boiling alive is where my hands and skull are pressed against Rus.

“Ye, ima take ‘er up.” Rus’s voice vibrates my whole body as I try to press further into him. The movement causes me to let out a whimper.  In a moment of clarity I realized what was happening to me. I’ve gone into heat. 

I’d be way more fascinated with this discovery if I wasn’t in so much pain. At the very least now I can try and find the memories of the “classes” we had to take back at the lab.

This was easier said than done but, I still managed to find the memory I was looking for.

. . . 

The same tall Intimidating man stood at the front of the room tapping a pointer at different parts of two different anatomical diagrams of ‘monsters’ “the Monster’s body Is vastly different then the human body as it is made of magic instead of the organic materials that make up the human body.” Tap. Tap. Tap. Stars, I hated this man and his insistent tapping. “This means that when a monster’s SOUL knows it has adequate food, safety, and possible ‘mates’ around it-” 

He always said mate with an air of disdain as if the idea was below him. “will start up a ‘Heat Cycle’. For most monster types this happens 2 to 3 times in a calendar year.” A pause. The man looks uncomfortable. 

“But since the lot of you are not pure monsters” the pure disgust in his eyes as he almost has to admit that we are part human “it will either never happen, or will happen according to the average human female menstrual cycle. Meaning that some of you will go into heat roughly every 28 days.”

Damn that alot. I’m kinda glad I'm in the ‘never happen’ category, that's what the doctor that's studying me said at least. “The Information we’ve gathered about Heats is limited, but from what we’ve gathered Heats have been given the name because of the literal heat that builds in the body due to the excess Magic build up that is created in anticipation of a monster child. The Pain from the heat can range from mild and just irritating to excruciating and debilitating.” 

I’m so glad the Scientist had the common sense to keep the subjects that didn’t have heat cycles in a different cell block from the ones that were in heat. The howling in pain and constant lewd noises are only muffles by the time they reach me, I'd hate to listen to that. “The only relief we’ve been able to suss out is either physical contact from a ‘mate’, this lets the magic flow between the two monsters letting the pressure release slowly. While this works it can take days for the magical pressure to return to normal.”  That explains the ‘buddy’ system some of the other experiments have going on. “The second solution is self ‘release’. This can be a quick fix for the immediate pain but it does not help in the long run.” He scans around the room, the barely disguised hatred behind his eyes. “And finally, Mating. The physical contact mixed with the release can shorten the Heat stage of the cycle.” His face was completely scrunched up in disgust now, it’d be comical if I was in any other situation. “Preg nan cy . . .-

https://archiveofourown.org/works/55474309/chapters/140772151

[andy-paleoart]

Cambrian: An explosion of life | Cambriano: Uma explosão de vida

🇬🇧

During the Cambrian Period, which spanned from approximately 538 to 485 million years ago, Earth underwent a dramatic biological transformation known as the Cambrian Explosion. This epoch was characterized by an extraordinary burst of evolutionary activity, resulting in the rapid diversification of complex multicellular life forms.

Among the notable inhabitants of the Cambrian seas were trilobites, arthropods with hard exoskeletons and distinctive three-lobed bodies. Anomalocarids, another prominent group, were enigmatic arthropods that occupied the role of top predators, boasting large spiny appendages and segmented bodies. Opabinia, with its tubular body and unique proboscis, added an element of peculiarity to the Cambrian fauna. The period also saw the existence of Hallucigenia, a spiky worm-like organism that initially perplexed researchers with its unusual anatomy. Wiwaxia, a small marine creature with a slug-like appearance, contributed to the diverse array of life forms.

This period was marked by innovation and experimentation, and laid the groundwork for various body plans and anatomical structures that would shape the course of evolution. Fossil evidence from this time provides invaluable insights into the early stages of animal life and the processes that led to the rich biodiversity observed on Earth today. It also marked a significant transition in the evolution of life on Earth, particularly with the emergence and diversification of sexual reproduction. Before this period, asexual reproduction was the dominant method. However, during the Cambrian Period, there was a notable shift towards sexual reproduction, involving the fusion of specialized reproductive cells or gametes.

This shift had several advantages, including the introduction of genetic variation. Sexual reproduction led to a mixing of genetic material from two parents, fostering increased diversity among offspring. This diversity, in turn, allowed for a broader range of adaptations to the environment, promoting the evolution of more complex and specialized organisms. The adaptability provided by sexual reproduction was crucial in the dynamic and competitive ecosystems of the Cambrian Period. The variability introduced through this process facilitated a more rapid response to changing environmental conditions.

While the specifics of when and how sexual reproduction evolved during the Cambrian Period remain uncertain due to limited direct evidence in the fossil record, the widespread appearance of complex multicellular organisms during this time suggests a correlation between the emergence of sexual reproduction and the rapid diversification of life. It was a true sex revolution!

🇧🇷

Durante o Período Cambriano, que abrangeu aproximadamente de 538 a 485 milhões de anos atrás, a Terra passou por uma dramática transformação biológica conhecida como Explosão Cambriana. Essa época foi caracterizada por uma extraordinária explosão de atividade evolutiva, resultando na rápida diversificação de formas de vida multicelulares complexas.

Entre os habitantes notáveis dos mares cambrianos estavam os trilobitas, artrópodes com exoesqueletos duros e corpos distintos em três lóbulos. Os anomalocarídeos, outro grupo proeminente, eram artrópodes enigmáticos que ocupavam o papel de predadores de topo, ostentando grandes apêndices espinhosos e corpos segmentados. Opabinia, com seu corpo tubular e probóscide única, acrescentava um elemento de peculiaridade à fauna cambriana. O período também testemunhou a existência de Hallucigenia, um organismo espinhoso semelhante a uma minhoca que inicialmente desconcertou os pesquisadores com sua anatomia incomum. Wiwaxia, uma pequena criatura marinha com aparência de lesma, contribuiu para a diversidade de formas de vida.

Foi um período marcado por inovação e experimentação, que lançou as bases para diversos planos corporais e estruturas anatômicas que moldariam o curso da evolução. A evidência fóssil desse período fornece insights valiosos sobre as fases iniciais da vida animal e os processos que levaram à rica biodiversidade observada na Terra hoje. Foi marcado também por uma transição significativa na evolução da vida na Terra, especialmente com o surgimento e diversificação da reprodução sexual. Antes desse período, a reprodução assexuada era o método dominante. No entanto, durante o Período Cambriano, houve uma notável mudança em direção à reprodução sexual, envolvendo a fusão de células reprodutivas especializadas ou gametas.

Essa mudança teve várias vantagens, incluindo a introdução de variação genética. A reprodução sexual resultou na mistura de material genético de dois progenitores, promovendo maior diversidade entre a prole. Essa diversidade, por sua vez, permitiu uma gama mais ampla de adaptações ao ambiente, promovendo a evolução de organismos mais complexos e especializados. A adaptabilidade proporcionada pela reprodução sexual foi crucial nos ecossistemas dinâmicos e competitivos do Período Cambriano. A variabilidade introduzida por meio desse processo facilitou uma resposta mais rápida às mudanças nas condições ambientais.

Embora os detalhes específicos de quando e como a reprodução sexual evoluiu durante o Período Cambriano permaneçam incertos devido à escassez de evidências diretas no registro fóssil, a aparição generalizada de organismos multicelulares complexos durante esse período sugere uma correlação entre o surgimento da reprodução sexual e a rápida diversificação da vida. Foi uma verdadedeira revolução sexual!