#i want people to learn about pangolins

[x-crowmancer-x]

Was at a friend's house recently and the little ball python they have creeped out of his hide to look at us. The experience made me emotional cuz I thought about how I get to be on the same planet as that little guy right over there. Words can't describe how cool I think animals are, but being able to live around them is wonderful.

[little-bunny-with-purple-stinger]

I just watched Kung Fu Panda 4, and I feel that it was so close to being a really good movie with a satisfying end to the series, but there were just too many little things holding it back, as well as some inconsistencies during the movie that made no sense for why some characters should've been where they were at certain times and it just felt slightly rushed and a touch too compressed, especially near the end of it all. I'm fine with the idea of passing on the title of Dragon Warrior and stuff, but I feel that it could've been handled better. But you best bet I am agreeing with anyone who says that Li and Mr. Ping are a couple and have gone on at least one date where they kept fumbling around, but that's not why I'm here. The Chameleon. Great design. Great power. Brilliant visuals. But not being able to get into any Kung Fu schools because she's too small? Then what's this little green stick bug here for then?! And this fangless snake that everyone kept making fun of? Or the bird built like a twig?! Literally Tigress is the only one who was really strong from the get go and fit the description The Chameleon was saying could be the only ones who could learn Kung Fu. And where was Oogway? Where was he when spirits kept getting yoinked? And shouldn't Kai be, like, not there? Like, I'm pretty sure he got turned into universe dust by Po, unless I remembered something wrong. Tai Lung was cool though, though I feel like his battle scene was a bit underwhelming for who he is. Made into disappointment when I realized that the lizards were still alive at the end of it. Like, Tai Lung doesn't show mercy. He's more than capable and has killed any who stood in the way of his goal. Of course, I am okay where at the end of the movie he accepted Po as being the right choice in the end. AND WHY ARE THE CRIME LORDS THERE?! THIS IMPLIES THAT THEY DIED AT SOME POINT, BUT WHY WOULD THE CHAMELEON BRING THEM BACK FOR THIS?! WHAT MANNER OF KUNG FU WOULD MAKE THAT WORTH IT?! And also, the thieves guild, what are they doing. They don't act like thieves except when showing that they are, in fact, supposed to be thieves. They're just a bunch of psychopaths that live in the sewers with how much they talk about and show how much they enjoy violence. I would've loved to see more interactions and reconciliations between Zhen(I only learned that was her name from the credits) and the pangolin dude(forgot his name). Like, that would've been so nice to see rather than "Hey there, we're going to kill you now" "Oh no, don't do that. Why kill now when you can do that later" "Oh, darn, you make a good point there. I shall leave you alone now and help you even though I want to kill you." Like, come on! The soundtrack was also kinda crazy at times, the last song felt really out of place with what was happening and the montage felt a touch unnecessary, which left a slightly bad taste in my mouth to wrap the movie up with. But for as much as I am complaining about it, it had a really solid concept and idea that was perfect for wrapping the series up. Po passing on the torch to someone else while becoming the new leader for his people, Zhen learning to trust and rely on another person was a beautiful thing to see that I feel was done pretty good. I loved the pangolin's design, and The Chameleon's transformation animations were so fluid and disturbing each time until the ultimate form one that felt kinda weird when you saw it moving and like just a dragon, but the Po form and execution was so scary and well done. And Mr. Ping and Li were a joy to watch bond and talk and bicker like a married couple(which they definitely are). Overall, it was so close to being a great movie with just too many small things bogging it down.

When I tried to talk to my brother about this we spent two hours complaining about the Project Monarch universe and how a lot of stuff that happens in it is dumb and how so many ideas and things are thrown out of the window. And where's Mothra? Where's my girl Mothera? Godzilla in that universe is nature's wrath, and apparently Mothera is supposed to be the nice part of nature or something like that it's been a while since I watched the movies okay, but like, where is she? I know she died or something, but a big part of what makes Mothera Mothera is that she is constantly being reborn, so where the freak is she?! My brother had a lot of other complaints that I forgot already, but I have to agree with him. The Monarch universe, while interesting concepts and other things that it started out with were good, has thrown far too many things out of the second story window and rewritten so many facets of itself and only ever implied, never saying or showing many things, implied so much that you would need a bulletin board to explain everything. And I only just learned tonight that there is an official Monarch series that has so much freaking stuff in it that explains so much that they never really advertised. And who is this angry red monkey playing with bones? I haven't yet seen the new Godzilla vs Kong movie, and I don't plan to, but who is he and why is he there?

AND WHERE IS MOTHERA?!

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk. Please let me know your thoughts and feelings in the comments and tags and whatever else I may not know of since I am still new to this land of Tumblair, and have a lovely rest of your day.

[jezabatlovesbats]

My Summer Camp Island Fan Campers

I’m a fan of this show who’s been one since it first came out on CN.

Tasha García Ramírez is an 11-year-old ocelot. She is an artist who loves drawing things that she sees in nature. She can’t go anywhere without a sketchbook and likes drawing, painting and photographing all the pretty things she sees. She has the quirkiest brain of the camper crew (what I like to call Oscar and Hedgehog’s little group of friends) and likes to use her creativity to help them. She is also sweet, adventurous and tries her best at every new thing she tries. She shows determination in the face of boldness and is resourceful, too. Tasha most likes drawing the things she sees in nature, like flowers, trees and bushes. 

Tasha lives in Connecticut and is Colombian-American. She was invited to Summer Camp Island because she was revealed to be a forest sprite. She doesn’t really have a problem with the strange phenomena on the island because she’s spent her whole life witnessing weird things happen (but not in the magical way). She’s always ready to lend a helping hand. She can be seen hanging out with Oscar, Hedgehog and Max the most. Tasha’s cabin flag has a paint pallet with a paintbrush on it.

Jack McCattle is an 11-year-old bovine, and his younger sister Patty is 6. Jack is friendly and honest towards other campers. He’s adventurous and loves all things having to do with the outdoors, nature and animals. Patty is energetic and talkative, and she loves mice and flowers. She’s the type of person who would go outside to play in the rain. If kids ever want to hang out at the siblings’ cabin, he warns them about her and her millions of questions.

Their family lives on a farm in Tennessee, and each member has to do their part. Patty is a magical creature called a chatterbox, which means she’s part of a group of box-like creatures who can magically never run out of things to say. When she got an invitation to Summer Camp Island, her and Jack’s parents agreed to let her go, but on one condition: Jack had to go along with her so that he could look after her. The two of them share a cabin, and their cabin flag has a sprouting plant on it. The siblings are good friends with Tasha, who painted a still life of daisies for their cabin, Oliver, whom Jack helps out on the piano patch, and Katie, who they watch TV with.

Katelynn “Katie” Burrow is a 12-year-old mole and my camper sona. She is an aspiring musician and dancer, but she’s a bit shy, so she’s doing it off the stage as of right now. She’s not comfortable around other people, and without knowing it, she can act a little rude towards them. She doesn’t like hearing people talk negatively about things; she can’t handle criticism very well. Most of the time, you can find Katie chilling out and doing as she pleases. She can dance basic tarantella, as that’s personally her favorite dance, and she hopes she can one day combine it with her top favorite genre of music, which is electronic and techno. Her parents let her learn the synthesizer.

Katie flew all the way to the camp from Louisiana. Although she lives in a populous, busy town near New Orleans, Katie was always a pretty lazy mole. She came to camp because she is a river siren. She would stay inside the house she lived in round the clock with no one to talk to but her big sister Carolina (who is 17). While Carolina was generally a nice person, Katie was very introverted. When Katie’s parents received her invite to Summer Camp Island one fateful day, they suggested Katie go there even though she told them she didn’t want to. They believed one way or another, she had to get out there, but what they didn’t know was that it wasn’t the camp they thought it would be. Jack is the person Katie considers her only “true friend” in the camp. Prior to the events of “Popular Banana Split,” the two even created a comic out of pure boredom. It’s called Spectresail, and it’s about a teen pangolin who lives on a boat and goes on adventures in a ghostly world. (Little do they know that Max reads it.) Jack helped Katie open up more. Her cabin flag has a double eighth note with wings on it.

Skipper “Skippy” Lewis is a 10-year-old arctic fox. He loves anything having to do with chemistry, experiments, robotics, mechanics and inventing. He’s both a young scientist and a social butterfly. He’s the brains of the group and a logical thinker. He takes both science and friendship VERY seriously. Skippy is usually found experimenting or reading in his cabin or observing the aliens, yetis, monsters and other curiosa around the camp. He also enjoys creating gadgets and being with his friends.

Skippy is from Ontario, Canada and lives in a town halfway between Ottawa and Toronto. He had been interested in science experiments and inventions since he was six years old and was glad his parents were there to support him. Unfortunately, he lost his dad in the navy. He was invited to Summer Camp Island because he’s an elf. When he arrived on Summer Camp Island, he couldn’t wait to meet all the other campers and maybe help them out in some way. Because of his helpful motives, he and Tasha easily became good friends. Skippy was considering studying the magical phenomena of the island and taking it home to show the world for science, but the creatures on the island didn’t want him to because they didn’t want the world to know about their plan to save it yet. Eventually, Skippy learned to appreciate magic, and he helps the elves invent new things. He and Hedgehog are friends and self-proclaimed professional lab partners. His cabin flag has a vial with a green liquid inside of it, with a few bubbles over its top. 

Brianna Overwood is a 9-year-old sloth. Brianna is a very cheerful and polite friend of Pepper’s, and her motto is that any friend of Pepper’s is a friend of hers. This means that if Pepper rolls with the camper crew, Brianna wants to meet them too. She’s also an athlete, and she’s passionate about sports and health. She likes sports such as swimming, roller skating, gymnastics, tennis and yoga, but she is particularly good at swimming. She likes giving people hugs and coaching them towards happiness, helping them be the best they can be.

Brianna and Pepper live in Napsville, Vermont and have been best friends since they were both six years old. Brianna was invited to the island because she is, in fact, a mermaid. Pepper’s parents were the ones dropping them off at camp, and they’re also pretty good friends with Brianna’s parents. She also helped Pepper get used to all of the strange magical stuff. Brianna only sees Pepper as a best friend, and he sees her as a very good friend. There isn’t anything more to that. She gets along very well with all of Pepper’s friends. Her cabin flag has a cupcake with pink frosting on it.

[crimsonqueenmagnus]

Magnus sat upon the head of one of the megafauna of Ataraxia. This one was shaped like a pangolin. It was relatively... calm by comparison of most of the other massive beasts of this planet. The megafauna didn't seem to be much of a problem anymore for the capitol of this planet due to Magnus' psychic presence. She was able to link with them to some degree and guide them away from civilization. This one in particular, however, had taken to the crimson queen and seemed to enjoy her presence. She called herself Yori and liked to refer to Magnus as "Red Child" "Yori, I would appreciate your assistance in something," Magnus started, clearing her throat as she spoke to the creature, one of her hands resting on its great plates. "What do you want, red child?" "I would appreciate if my sons could practice communing with you so they can protect humanity in my stead when I leave Ataraxia," She explained calmly. "Are you not intending to remain on Ataraxia?" "Not all of the time," Magnus explains with a shake of her head, "The nature of myself or my blood doesn't really coincide with staying on one planet forever. I hope... this place will remain my home, though." "You hope? Do you worry for Ataraxia or do you believe it to not fully be home?" Yori asked simply as she tread through the jungles. "It... perhaps is both. I've lost home before and... I suppose to some degree it will never be home like that home was." She admitted, not wishing to avoid the creature's questioning. "I see... is there something that might make Ataraxia truly your home?" "I'm... not quite sure," The sorceress sighs, her eye flickering about as she tries to process how she felt on the matter before she perked up with an idea, "I could show you my old home, Prospero... perhaps with that view you would also sense my emotion for it..." "You may..." Yori replied. Magnus closed her eyes and breathed in quickly. It was easy for her to mentally transport herself back to Prospero. It was as visceral as the day she had lost it. The dry heat from the sun beating down upon the pyramids of Tizca. Shadows cast in the geometric shapes of the pergolas she would sit under with her people, speaking for hours on true curiosities. The feeling of the warm sand between one's toes. The echoes of a benet being played by a musician as she read. It was magic. It was electric. It was harmony for psykers to learn and grow. The strong aroma of spices from cooking. The art, the joy. The feeling of sheer white cloth being draped upon her person. It was everything she had lost and everything she dreamed of every night. Particularly cruel nights involved waking up and hoping it had all been something nightmarish. Her eye sprung back open before she could get too lost in her memories. It was habit for her to force herself out if it. She always thought that some part of her begged to live within those visions instead of facing reality and that scared her. "So sad to lose your home..." Yori echoed ponderously within Magnus' brain, "Although your journey is not yet over, and you will always miss the place you lost, home can be found again within yourself and those you seek to protect. I have had humans destroy homes I've had in the past, though I have survived still... and I have found another home. If you seek to make Ataraxia your home, you should build the place you wish for. A place of knowledge and safety." "Yes, I know... I should really speak with my brother, Perterabo as I want his help in building... I was intending to start work after my sister's wedding..." "All very human worries... but let me know when this Perterabo comes. I think I know just the place for you all." "Would you be willing to show me where?" Magnus asked, confused by the creature's eagerness. "You're looking right at it, Red Child. What safer place for humans with a greater connection to us... than on the back of one of us?"

[livefuntravelposts]

The New Big 5

What is the New Big 5? Most people know the traditional Big 5 animals:  Lion, Leopard, Cape Buffalo, Rhino and Elephant.  They were named as the top animals to kill on Safari in Africa.  In time, they became the top animals to photograph. The New Big 5 was an international initiative to create a New Big 5 of Photography and not hunting.  Animals that we want to shoot with a camera and not a gun.  The New Big 5 are Polar Bears, Gorillas, Lions, Tigers and Elephants. The traditional Big 5 was relatively easy to see.  Travel to Africa and more than likely you will encounter most if not all of the Big 5.  The New Big 5 is harder.  It means traveling to the Arctic, Asia and Africa.  Even then you might not encounter all of these animals. Kati and I did just that. We travelled to the Arctic and saw over 40 polar bears in the wild.  We have ventured to Africa and saw Gorillas, Lion and Elephant.  And we went to Asia and saw Tigers and the Asian Elephant.  And it has been incredible. Yes, it was great to be able to photograph these animals in the wild.  But more importantly we were able to learn about the struggles these iconic animals go through.  Whether it is habitat loss, or poaching or from climate change, these mighty animals are all struggling. Wildlife throughout the world is struggling.  Whether it be pangolins, jaguars, or even the Florida panther, much of wildlife is on the verge of extinction.  A tiger in a zoo is not a wild tiger.  A gorilla in Disney World is not a wild gorilla.  To continually destroy their habitats or kill them because of some ancient belief is insane.  And yet that is what is happening. To not believe in climate change is incredible.  It means that all the scientific data is wrong.  It means that our own eyes are wrong.  It means that the unbeliever has tuned out everything around him or her and ignores what is apparent and right in front of them.  We hope this changes before many of these animals will no longer be here. Here are our favorite photos from the New Big 5:

Tigers

A Tiger sleeping in the Jungle. It was the first wild Tiger we saw.  

This large male Tiger was with a female and mated while we watched.   According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the current tiger conservation status is classified as endangered / critically endangered.  There are approximately 4,000 wild tigers left in the world.  With poaching, human encroachment and climate change, the wild tiger population is seriously under threat.  Can you imagine a world without wild tigers?

Lions

This is the Black Rock Pride in the Masai Mara. With 3 cubs, the males were very protective.  

A female lion in the Maasai Mara  

These two lion cubs were waiting for their mother in Uganda.   According to the WWF, the IUCN estimates that between 23,000 to 39,000 lions remain in the wild. However, other data from recent years suggests that that number may be closer to 20,000, as three-quarters of their population is in decline. In just the last two decades, lion populations have decreased by 43%.  Down 90% over the last 100 years.  The lion is vulnerable due to the same reason as the Tiger above.  

Gorillas

Trekking into the jungle to experience Gorillas is amazing experience.  

Thinking!  

Taking a nap. Experiencing a gorilla in the wild is a life-changing experience   Mountain Gorillas are endangered.  There are about a thousand mountain gorillas remaining on Earth, and about half live in the forests of the Virunga mountains in central Africa.  

Polar Bears

  Seeing Polar bears in the Arctic  

Seeing so many polar bears together was amazing.  

Polar Bears are the most iconic animal in the Arctic. We cannot lose these amazing animals.   The IUCN Polar Bear Specialist Group lists the polar bear as a vulnerable species, citing sea ice loss from climate change as the single biggest threat to their survival.  There are about 26,000 polar bears left in the world.  Their lives are changing and without action on climate change, we could lose all but a couple of the populations left by the end of the century.  

Elephants

An elephant family in Uganda.  

Elephants need saved. They are lovely creatures.  

Big Tuskers like this are becoming more rare. There are estimated that only 24 survive today due to the devastating effects of poaching.   Following population declines over several decades due to poaching for ivory and loss of habitat, the African forest elephant is now listed as critically endangered.  African elephant populations are down 90%,  

Our Final Word

The New Big 5 is just a start.  There are so many animals on the brink of extinction in the world.  I cannot imagine a world without wild tigers, or elephants.  You have to wonder if the human race will be forgiven for almost wiping out mountain gorillas or turning our backs on Polar Bears.  There are so many other species that are almost gone.  There is only about 200 Florida Panthers left in the wild.  There are only about 3,500 shoebill storks left in the world.  In 1900 there were 500,000 rhinos in Africa and Asia.  Today there are about 26,000 left.  We have seen the effects of climate change firsthand as well as what happens when poaching occurs.  Human encroachment is a huge problem in many parts of the world. Organizations like the WWF and Project Tiger are working to ensure that these animals will still be here for generations to come.  Find an organization and support it.  It is not just about the animals, but about all of us.

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[prophecytoad]

My journey so far

My journey as a game dev started later than most. At the age of 26 I decided I would get serious about my dream of work in game development, and so during work breaks and after I got home I followed online courses to learn how to program and watched YouTube tutorials about the Unity game engine (Shoutout to Brackeys for creating content that made starting with the engine easy). Along with this, I applied to the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) to undertake a Bachelor of Games and Interactive Environments. As of writing this blog, I made these decisions three years ago and have done much since.

Blackjacky and Phaser 3

The first game engine I touched was the Phaser 3 game engine that used JavaScript as its scripting language. I learnt how to use this engine by following a course on Codecademy. Blackjacky was a version of the card game Blackjack that I wrote after completing the course.

Duck Ranger

After finding out about the Unity game engine and its popularity amongst the indie community, I immediately sought to move over and begun working on a 2D platformer called Duck Ranger; A game where you play as a masculine duck that solves puzzles and punches enemies using the power of his massive duck beard.

Whilst working on this project, I began my studies at QUT and switched my focus away from development. This project is on indefinite delay, but working on it helped me immensely before beginning my studies.

Some of the cute pixel art animations I made while working on Duck Ranger

Pond Protector

The first small project I made for an assignment at QUT, Pond Protector is a simple single-screen strafe shooter where you play as a frog protecting its pond from mosquitos and other animals that want to dirty the water. A fun and simple project that was the first time I proved to myself that I could make something that felt complete, no matter how small.

Unnamed RPG

I spent my first Summer break working on this game that I never named. I wanted to code some typical RPG mechanics to push my development skills further before my second year. I absolutely loved working on this project and will definitely return to it if given the opportunity.

The Other Me

My first ever Game Jam submission for The GMTK Game Jam in 2021. Our team of three, named “Pangolin’s in Pyjamas”, which included myself and my friends Jazmin and Grim endeavoured to create a game in 48 hours around the theme “Joined Together”. Our team created a 2D puzzle platformer where the player could astral project their spirit to help them solve puzzles. Our team did incredibly well considering it was our first ever game jam, and the tight deadline!

 Scream Dream

The second coming of Pangolin’s in Pyjamas, this time for the Australian Global Game Jam in 2022. I have forgotten this jam’s theme, but our team created a 2D action platformer in 48 hours with the idea of: “What would the nightmare of a nightmare creature be?”. Thus, we put out nightmare creature into a world of overwhelming cuteness.

Open Day

My first group game project made at QUT with the Unity game engine was a game that we developed with the purpose of inspiring people to attend university. With my friends Emma as artist, Bianca as programmer, and myself as designer, team lead, and supporting programmer, we created something that we were very proud of in less than thirteen weeks while studying other subjects.

Zoolich

The Pangolin’s in Pyjamas strike again! Now with the additional members of Emma and Bianca! The first Brackeys Game Jam of 2023 has just recently passed and, despite a couple of us moving home in the middle of it, we created another fun little puzzle game. The theme of this jam was “The end is a new beginning”.

After some deliberation, we decided we wanted to create a puzzle game where the player was a lich who had been removed from their real body and turned into a slime. Their objective is to solve puzzles and find their way back to their real body to regain their powers and dominate! We fit the theme by making the player have to “die” to an enemy in order to gain the form of that enemy. Each enemy has their own unique abilities (e.g., wombats can push boulders), while ghosts have no abilities at all. The player must choose the correct form while dodging ghosts in order to complete the puzzles!

Our team had a lot of fun working on this jam, and I’ll be writing a post-portem in a later post!

Current Project: Partner Game

Lovers of Neopets, Tamagotchis, Pokemon, and Digimon, unite! My current project aims to be the final destination for all lovers of pets and partner creatures. Combining the love of having a bond with a magical creature, with none of the forced labour, this game will be full of fun, excitement, and adventure!.

Description

Adventure around a world while exploring different locations. Strengthen the bond with your partner creature and help rebuild a city that has been almost destroyed by a trio of evil creatures.

Details about the current development of the project, and future development plans can be found in the next post, and future posts!

Thanks for making it this far into the blog! Here’s your reward: Todays frog; the Malaysian Horned Frog!

Image retrieved from: https://reptilesmagazine.com/malayan-horned-frog-care-and-breeding/

[acamaryseinteery]

Huh, okay. Let's try that.

@vibing-with-trashy-trolls @rootinteen @phoenix-rock-26 @comfortable-dragon @chaotic-trav

1. Are you named after someone?

No, my name is original because the night I was born, there were born other girls and all of them were named like I was supposed to, but my mom didn't want me to be one of many and wanted me to be original, so they changed that name a little. I'm glad they did because the name I was meant to be called I never liked. Sounds like someone is shouting at you. I hate when others call me by that name instead of my own.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Let's see.... Today's a Monday so.......

From emotions: Thursday or Wednesday or Tuesday. Or each of these 3 days. Had a rough week, each day sucked. Tuesday was the worst.......

From pain: Friday - headache

3. Do you have kids.

Nope.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Eh, when I feel like it but others can't tell from my voice often.

5. What sport do you play/'ve played?

Not really a sports doing fan but I enjoy Dodgeball, swimming, badminton. I like climbing on rope structures^^

6. What's the first thing you notice about other people?

Their energy, the way they look at me, the tone. And mainly the eyes.

7. Eye colour?

Eh..... Either hazelnut green or pistachio green.

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings. Idm a bit of horror but I hate to be afraid. Also the torture(psychical and psychological) situations in movies feel too real and I hate being reminded what rotten existences are here. I met plenty.

9. Any talents?

High uncontrollable imagination. I can picture a lot of things but I can't tame it. Like, I could write whatever if I feel like it but I'll never write what you want from me. You want me to write about place in fantasy, I'll write about hiding in fantasy. You want me to write holiday blog, I'll write a short story of my OCs as humans writing a postcard to someone.

When I scribble I can see in crossing lines pictures, but I'll never draw what I'm supposed to. You see apple, I see it's tree. You tell me to draw snowman, I want to draw snow statue being build by others.

I can't draw or write reality. It'll never be as good as my imagination, because it's not my style.

10. Where were you born?

Brno hospital.

11. What are your hobbies?

Drawing, writing (both when I feel like it), listening to music, taking care of animal, creating stuff, reading, cooking, learning about mythologies(preferably North and Egyptian), painting (drew 6 canvas), watching movies and cartoons, etc.

12. Do you have any pets?

I have a Pittie and I plan on getting a Boston terrier or English bulldog and an Iguana. And a Barn owl. And Sphynx. And Fire skinks. And maybe a turtle.

13. How tall are you?

154 cm.

14. Fave subject in school?

Used to be art clas(man I miss that) and nature class, now is Biology, AaR(Amphibians and Reptiles), BaM(Birds and Mammals) and English. And practice learning.

15. Dream job?

Working in a sanctuary to help endangered animals and do something for stopping of being endangered (for example: Pangolins are so damm cute and they are extremely endangered because of Chinese fake medicine. Their scales are keratin you idiots! Same thing as your nails and hair! Leave them alone fuck dammit!!!) and be a writer.

15 questions!

Tagged by @spyderschaos

Thank you!

Tagging @per4mancecheck @rosiethedragongeek @lilliths-httyd-blog @yenich @jgvfhl @deathgripper-venom @holonium @acamaryseinteery

1. Are you named after anyone?

Lol, no, my parents browsed through baby names and they just particularly liked this one

2. When was the last time you cried?

Like, 2 days ago… I’m very into history and is currently halfway through the autobiography of a slave girl, it’s called “the incidents in the life of a slave girl”. It’s really heartbreaking and is a cruel reminder of how cruel humans can be when they allow themselves to hate. That, along with the knowledge that it isn’t even that long ago that slavery was abolished, made me cry

3. Do you have kids?

Nope!

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Whaaaatt??? Noooooooooooo (yes)

5. What sports do you play/have you played?

Like, part of an actual team? I was on a swimming team when I was 7, which was terrible considering that I was terrified of water. The only sports I’ve participated in since is friendly matches in football, badminton, rundbold (Danish sport), and stuff like that.

6. What's the first thing you notice about other people?

I think it’s their smile. You can tell a lot about a person from the way that they smile

7. Eye color?

I’ve been told that it’s sea green

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings, I can’t handle scary movies

9. Any special talents?

Talking. I can talk for a long time

10. Where were you born?

Denmark hospital

11. What are your hobbies?

Reading, writing, watching movies/shows, baking, playing Minecraft

12. Do you have any pets?

Yes! I have a dog

13. How tall are you?

162 cm.

14. Fave subject in school?

History! My teacher was one of those where you can really tell that she loved what she was teaching. I full heartedly believe it’s because of her that I love history so much

15. Dream job?

If I had to choose it’d be any position within a museum. I’ve already had an internship at a museum, and working with history like that is really amazing.

[petboymart]

Ok but bnha hybrids is my current brainrot and I’m actually writing an AU on Wattpad (shameless plug hehehe) and I have list of every 1A character plus the pros and villains as hybrids.

First off, Denki is a fox hybrid. Agile, cunning (and flirtatiously sly), Denks was rescued from a fox trap by a kind human and lives at with them on a lil farm where he keeps an eye out for pests who try to hurt his human’s prized chickens. He’s not the best at speech tho so you’ll have to learn his different lil yips and squeaks <3

Mina is an extremely rare gazelle hybrid who was rescued from an illegal hybrid trafficking ring along with rhino Eri, pangolin Kota and bat Shoji where she was going to be de-horned and killed for her meat :((((. Uses lil honks when she’s excited about something but fairly well spoken.

Tokoyami is a raven hybrid who got separated from his flock as he was travelling south for the winter and suffered from a broken wing until reader finds him and fixed it up 🥹🥹. Very well spoken, one of the best to have a conversation with.

Mineta is a flea. That’s all.

Twice is a fennec fox who is convinced he is a Siberian husky (but don’t disagree or else he’ll sob). Will speak but not as developed, mainly relies on lil barks but they’re kinda like tics I suppose? “Master, cool stick! (Woof!)”

Shiggy is a hyena but you originally thought he was a dog hybrid until you bathed him. (He’s mute out of choice. Poor baby was already laughed at bc of his skin and mangy ears 😭)

Bakugou is either a dog/wolf hybrid but I love the idea of him being a bear 😭😭😭 soft lil ears, huge yawns that show off his pearly white fangs, and the cutest little pompom tail. Imagine him scratching his back like a real bear tho 😭😭

there’s so much to unpack here but i’m so grateful you took the time to type all this out! it gave me some really good ideas!

i absoloutly love all of this, but i’m so focused on the gazelle meat thing. do people actually eat gazelle meat??? is it like eating deer meat??? i’m scared to look it up

ANYWAY

my fav is bakugo as a bear. i just love bearboys they’re so precious

i also wonder though, do y’all think i’d like rhino boys giraffe boys and such as like centaurs or with two legs? i think rhino kiri (rhino eri made me think if it lol) as a centaur kinda thing would be cool but i also don’t know how ✨sexy time✨ would work and i’m not sure if i want to

moving on, tokoyami as a raven hybrid is so adorable. it totally fits him. and i fuckin LOVE bat shoji that’s a 10/10 big brain idea my dear

-eden<3

[everythingthemoontouches]

Heyo gurl👀❤ i wanted to participate in da new game 🍂🎃

☃️bonus emoji cuz this too cute☃️

Have a blessed day🌻

Hello there, love 🧡

Here's what you should romanticize about yourself ❣️🥰

OK, so you should be celebrating that 6th sense of yours. I'm guessing you have tremendously tuned psychic intuition. You always know what's Goin on. You always keep an ear to the ground such that nothing catches you uanwarae. You feel things so very deeply and I want you to take joy in the depth of emotion you experience. Sure it can heighten the unsavory feeling but your highs are higher than most. You're so, so loving. Revel in that. I think I'm in awe of how fiercely you love. Kindness. Pangolins? Your love for animals. Or conservation efforts? Ability to make people feel like they're listened to. Hades-Persephone kind of love. One dark, the other sunshine and madly, undoubtedly in love. You're PROTECTIVE af about those you love and I love that about you. ❣️

You know how trees shed leaves that are no longer making food? You think it's easy to let go? it isn't. But it is what it is. There are somethings we can't change. Let the leaves fall as they may

🍂👀What should you ACCEPT !!??

so u might be feeling like people are out to get you or that you must constantly be on the guard. Sure it would be nice to lay down the sword and rest but you can't be this spectacular and not have a few Haters along the way.

You will be thrust in new situations and you must find a way to communicate or win your battles by initiative and brain prowess. You're just gonna have to accept that there is no rest.

It's up to you to get it done. Without any help in a lot of cases.

Think of the lone warrior who fights off the enemy before his battalion can get to him. You'd still survive cuz you're smart, quick witted and nimble footed. Always be alert and quick to learn.

OK, so once trees shed a bunch of leaves in a park, the gardener sweeps them away to keep the pretty aesthetic right? Here's what you need to get rid of to keep your garden looking pretty 💕

☄️What to sweep OUT :

the illusion of choice. Take a close look and make plans. See how many of your options get weeded out the minute you try to do / build something concrete with them. Focus on one thing at a time. Dig deep. You're good at analyzing hidden details. The shiny baubles aren't always the ones that are the nicest. All that glitters isn't gold. Streamline things once in while. Put that instinctive discernment to use👁️‍🗨️💕🌟

And the leaves have spoken 🏵️

Happy Spooky Season ❣️

[goldeneyedgirl]

TwiFicMas20 Day 4: Daemons

Greetings! I hope everyone is having a less profoundly irritating day than I am. Also, migraine :( 

Today I bring you a Daemon-verse fic, ala His Dark Materials. Whilst I love the idea of animal souls, and I love Daemon fic, I have never read or see His Dark Materials, so if I’ve messed up on the laws of daemons, I apologise. 

It was intended to follow Alice from awakening through to around her discovery of her past, but I’m honestly on the fence about how the final version will shape up.

The list of daemons is below the cut, which might be spoilery but I think it’s easier to envisage what’s happening when you know what each daemon looks like. 

Onwards! (And thank you for reading!)

--

Cast

Alice – Milo - ??

Jasper – Lula – grey wolf

Rosalie – Beauregarde – white mink

Emmett – Allegra - Sun bear

Esme – Pax – Tree pangolin

Carlisle – Winnie – Giant Anteater

Edward - Khalida - Owl

Bella – Egil - Crane

--

One.

She wakes up in the mud, curled into a ball. Beetles are crawling through her hair, and there is mud – and blood? – dried all down one side of her.

He was curled against the small of her back, and clung to the ragged gown she was wearing as she sat up, blinking confused ruby-coloured eyes.

She does not recognise him at all, does not even know her own name, and he is terrified of her blood-coloured eyes, and what she has become. She has been born anew, and what she doesn’t remember cannot hurt her. She is bright and cheerful and giddy in a way that she has never been before.

“What are you?” she asks eagerly, kneeling before him, smiling.

“I’m you. You’re me. I’m… your soul,” he explains, and her lips into a surprised ‘o’.

“What is your name?” is her next question, one that breaks his heart.

“Milo,” he says. “Me-lo.”

“And I’m …Alice?” she says, suddenly uncertain.

“Yes. You’re my Alice.”

She scoops him up and kisses his nose, and for the first time, he thinks they might be okay.

Two.

They are wrong, and she doesn’t even know it.  

He tries to talk about it, weeks after she awakens as a red-eyed monster.

“I used to be a mouse,” he says suddenly, as they make their way through the forest.

“Really?” she looks intrigued.

“Yes.”

He hasn’t settled. He can feel his skin alight with energy and possibility, and he worries. She was sent away before he ever settled, and then everything happened to them.

Are they broken?

When she asks, he denies remembering ‘much’ from before she woke, remembering their names and the fact that he was a small white mouse with grey ears, which she accepts without question.

He is lying.

He remembers most of everything that happened to them. And whilst he hates her red eyes, and watching her feast on the stray humans that cross their path, he adores this cheerful, joyous self.

She steals a dress in the next town they cross through, a yellow gingham with ties at the back and a pocket big enough for him to ride in, that seems to swallow her up. She keeps the filthy, ratty hospital gown she was found in, wearing it like a cape, until she steals a bag. She carries it in there, along with a little notebook and a pencil, a second dress (dark blue wool, just as stolen.)

She finds a piece of blue ribbon one night, and ties it loosely around his neck, stroking his soft fur, and cradles him, her face so happy.

If this is broken, they’ll be okay.

Maybe.

Three.

They have a peaceful existence for twenty-eight years. They stay in the forests, only sneaking into small towns to steal after she learns that she can hunt wild animals instead of humans. That makes him feel better about what she’s become.

Everything is wonderful to her - the flowers, the weather, whatever her latest outfit is. She would sit for hours, watching a spider spin a web, or sit in the branches of a tree, watching birds build nests, utterly transfixed.

The dreams that made her family turn away from her have become fulling fledged visions of the future, ones that seize her without rhythm or warning. Those visions are for her mind only, though she shares every detail with him - including that of the vampire she calls Jasper.

He’s worried about how she speaks about Jasper, about the look on her face when she’s thinking of him. But Alice promises him that Jasper will only mean good things - like the Cullens.

“We’ll have a family, Milo!” she beams, lying in the soft grass next to a river, stroking him. “A mother and a father and brothers and a sister!”

She had a mother and a father and a sister, and they turned her into this, he wants to say, but he doesn’t. He tucks their lost history in the back of his heart and tries not to worry.

He’s sorrier than he can say when their solitude ends, and they slide into Philadelphia. They break into a hotel room to wash, and Alice seems giddy with excitement; then to a shop where Alice tries on a dozen dresses, and stuffs the toes of a pair of shoes so that they fit properly. She twirls in the mirror, and she’s beautiful. She even steals a bag, little brush and some new ribbon for him, so that he can be fancy too.

“We have to make a good impression,” she informs him, as she pockets a gold tube of lipstick and then some gold hairpins. “It’s our fate."

Their date with destiny goes to plan, though Milo wishes that he had been able to see the visions, to be prepared. This ‘Jasper’ is not just anyone; he’s over six feet tall, with dozens of overlapping scars, black eyes and lank blonde hair. He’s not particularly bulky, but every movement reveals his strength and skill; he practically emits violence - as does the mangy grey wolf at his side.

But Alice doesn’t flinch, doesn’t falter. She gets up and goes to him, her eyes full of him before he ever knows her name. Milo just huddles in her stolen handbag, his ribbon drooping, and waits.

Somehow the impossible happens and Jasper takes Alice’s hand. The wolf - Lula, Jasper calls her - huffs, and Alice scoops up her bag and they walk out into the drizzly night together.

Four.

She doesn’t tell Jasper about them, about how wrong they are. He’s told her before, gently, but she really doesn’t understand, and so it isn’t important. It’s up to him to worry and plan and watch.

Lula keeps her distance, and her eyes see everything. Every odd statement, every little mistake that reveals how broken they truly are. But Lula is not cruel or unkind - she is simply wary, and as more pieces of Jasper’s story comes out, Milo understands why.

The worst day is the one Alice spies a fawn drinking at a stream and stuffs him into Jasper’s hands before taking off.

Jasper audibly gasps, and he flinches but Alice doesn’t even look back.

Milo flickers in and out, and the sugar-glider form vanishes, leaving behind the grey and white mouse form.

“She doesn’t understand,” he manages to tell Lula, trying not to shake at the feeling of Jasper’s hands cradling him, at the faint pulling as Alice strains their link.

Lula whines, and Jasper looks at him carefully, and follows Alice. Her hunt is successful, blood on her mouth, and she beams up at them all without seeing the pity, the new understanding in their eyes. Instead, she splashes some water on her face, and reaches out for him, letting him run up her arm and tuck himself under the collar of her dress. Then she tucks her arm through Jasper’s and smiles up at him.

He wonders, later, if she truly doesn’t understand how broken then are.

Or she just doesn’t care.

Five.

The Cullens seem nice, and Esme is enchanted by Milo, currently a meerkat, who likes high places.

But he worries. So does Jasper. And the Cullens are surprised by the way Lula trails after Alice – the separation is a strain on both Jasper and Lula, but one they bear without flinching to make sure Alice is safe. But Alice and Jasper are connected in a special way, and Alice always jerks slightly when she realises that Lula has stretched as far from Jasper as they can tolerate, always apologetic at her ignorance. She knows that the pull other people experience when separated from their daemons is much more painful than when she and Milo seperate.

She doesn’t ask why, she just accepts it. Sometimes he wonders if she knows, in her heart of hearts, how much they suffered. How there’s no pain now because they ran through all of it - and then some - in the Before.

And then two things go terribly wrong. They are there only a week or so before there is a family hunting trip. He rides in the pocket of Alice’s new coat, and he wants to pretend everything is fine but he can feel the energy under his skin, twitchy and static.

He climbs out and scrambles up her shoulder, around her neck and back again – trying to burn off the manic energy.

He hears her voice – for his ears only. “It’s okay, Milo. Don’t force it.”

He knows. They aren’t settled, it’s going to happen eventually, and they’re going to know.

She still doesn’t understand that they will be ostracised for such a thing. Not Jasper’s warlike history, not his slip-ups, not her gift, but because they are deformed freaks.

It happens with a crack as he hits the ground – from meerkat to pika. He hears Rosalie’s hiss of horror, of gasps and growls at the unexpected shift and he scrambles back to Alice’s ankles, where she scoops him up tenderly.

“Better?” she asks out-loud, gently scratching his neck. He just nuzzles in.

The Cullens are horrified. A splayed-out corpse would be less obscene, less of a tragedy than a vampire with an unsettled daemon.

Jasper is glowering at them, Lula’s glare dark as well. The message is clear - do not draw attention to this. Do not upset them.

Esme’s Pax and Carlisle’s Winnie are both upset, curling together, fear in their eyes. Beau tucks himself deeper into Rosalie’s hair.

Alice looks back up, still happy, still ignorant and no one breathes a word.

The second time, it is an accident, it is instinct and it is terrifying. Jasper and Emmett are wrestling, and Alice is perched on a rock, jeering at Emmett’s attempts to pin Jasper. The rest of the family is nearby – enjoying the peace of the forest.

Emmett and Allegra are nice, and he trusts them. He does.

But Emmett looks at them with a glint and lunges, grabbing Alice around the arms and flinging her over his shoulder with a victorious roar.

A prankster, a gentle giant, a consummate big brother – all things Milo knows about Emmett. But there is a flash of unease in Alice’s mind that he’s not sure she is even aware of, and the way he grabs her is so reminiscent of how they would drag her away back at the asylum… the way she would cry…

Jasper and Lula are pissed, too, but they are a blur as he lunges – a two-pound meerkat that shifts into an almost-seven hundred pound Siberian Tiger that roars at Emmett, whose eyes are as wide as saucers.

Rosalie is shrieking, Esme is clutching Carlisle and Alice is bewildered, but holding her hands out in an attempt to placate him, still upside down on Emmett’s shoulder.

Lula is suddenly at his side, looking tiny and delicate against his new form (and it is entirely new. He’s never been a predator before, never been too big to carry). He growls at her but it is not a threat, but an expression of fear at the way Emmett grabbed at Alice, at that tiny flash in the back of her mind that remembered their suffering.

“Put Alice down, Emmett.” Edward is there, calm and collected. “You startled them. Jasper, can you calm them?”

As soon as Alice’s feet hit the ground, Jasper is by his side, stroking his head and pushing peace and security onto him. Alice is there, too, her arms around his neck and her face buried in his fur. Rosalie and Allegra are clinging to Emmett, who looks shell-shocked.

Esme and Carlisle are having a quick conversation, too low for anyone else to hear.

“I’m sorry, Alice, Milo. I didn’t mean to scare you,” Emmett’s apology is unexpected in the tense silence, and is genuine. His voice is steady and he is sympathetic; Rosalie is giving them murderous looks.

He looks at Emmett for awhile before resting his giant head against Alice’s, his eyes closing and a loud huff leaving his body.  

“Don’t be afraid,” she whispers to him. “We’re safe here. I promise.”

He wishes he could believe her.

[rametarin]

To reiterate.

The virus is real, masking kinda helps, the vaccines are real, effective and fine.

The issue I have is not that the vaccines “don’t work,” or.. have “magnetic whatever” in them (they don’t.) That’s hooey. The reality is, yes, COVID19 is real, the vaccines are real. In fact, mRNA vaccines, once the bugs are worked out, will enable RAPID response to the onset of actually very bad plagues or bio-weapons in a very short time, and have the potential to render a virus toothless out to ten billion generations of natural mutation from the source, given enough development. the mRNA vaccines or conventional COVID19 vaccines are not there to sterilize you, give you learning disabilities or autism, or TURN THE FREAKIN’ FROGS GAY.

The real problem is that this virus didn’t need to exist, and it is beyond disbelief to imagine that a corona virus with characteristics of multiple different corona virus families, many of which from species with no hereditary function to apply or infect human beings, would just fly out of the ether. COVID19 was without precedent and was shown to have characteristics identical to other corona viruses not of its hereditary lineage, but cousin species. However this discourse has gotten awfully quiiet, for some reason. It wasn’t just a Pangolin virus that gained the ability to negatively interact with human lungs. That did not happen by natural mutation in the wild.

Considering the fact it verywell and probably was a weapon that just so happened to escape from the literal god damned Chinese military COVID biolab in Wuhan, funded by Fauci’s little group, where they were STUDYING THIS EXACT BULLSHIT, that may be a reason of international diplomatic relations and national security. Despite being rather obvious to anyone that thinks about it for two god damned minutes.

So we have an American-Chinese team where they study gain-of-function in corona viruses in a Chinese military bio-lab, a virus with grab bag characteristics that IT CANNOT GAIN THROUGH NATURAL EVOLUTION ARBITRARILY (no two mutations are EVER the same. You don’t get the same fucking spike through convergent mutation, that shit was spliced and inherited) and surprise surprise it escaped and made its way across the globe because the Chinese corrupted and manipulated the WHO and international bodies into keeping quiet and not asking questions on threat of nuclear war (look it up. The US tried to probe, China threatened.)

And ultimately, what is the damage of the virus? Actually rather little. It was never going to exterminate more than 1-2% of the human species before we all gained natural immunity to it, or it thinned the herd enough for allow natural immunity at the great expense. Same as corona viruses from everywhere else on earth humans have dealt with since antiquity. It’s just another virus that can kill you and will more than likely kill the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions.

So then, why release a milquetoast virus as a doomsday weapon? And there’s the rub.

COVID19 was not created to cleanse the world like a conventional bio-nuke. It was created to be the backdrop for a greater discussion and practical argument for socialism. After using the bureaucracy to negate alternatives and other options, inertia in the system designed to prevent functioning and solving this problem in any logical of reasonable fashion, they want to have a “discussion” about how to fix this.

The real discussions they want to have are about the poor and the exposed, about how there’s now a need to prevent people from being homeless regardless of their ability to pay for a shelter, or work for pay. A reason to declare it to be wrong to hold church masses, but turn a blind eye to other people having maskless close-quarters gatherings. A reason to demand a kind of “practical conformity” in the form of masks, whether or not they actually do anything to eliminate virus transmission outside of a clinical setting or from lack of switching them out enough.

The virus was created to be a prop and a natural hazard as people argue for the “necessity” of their ideological bullshit. It was a weapon designed to punish inaction and the lack of addressing infection vectors. It was created specifically to argue that, “nobody, despite their age or level of infirmity, should be accepted to just die from natural greater exposure,” since they disagree that just because you’re old, you should be more vulnerable to illness.

So they’ve argued and used a virus as a weapon to demand everybody tighten their belts and we stop accepting that just because someone is morbidly obese and with other co-morbidities and age related weakness, that a wave of flu that for the rest of humanity is unfortunate and inconvenient but survivable, takes out people 80+. COVID19 is simply a weaponized prop for this “turning point” discussion.

But it’s not JUST a weapon designed to make those conversations about, “social change,” more real, it’s a weapon designed to make healthcare a bigger part of government and policy making as a whole. Creating a necessity via healthcare necessities, such as through viruses released into the wild to mutate and change. Or, if not naturally mutate and change, occasionally refresh the antagonist pool by dropping new and more virulent strains artificially created and cultured. Y’know, as a treat.

This is why so many like Faucci are in on it. What on earth would the medical establishment have to gain from colaboration with the Chinese military? A fast tracking towards vaccine technology that otherwise may’ve taken decades to fully realize, but due to practical and pragmatic reasons, can now be argued to get “needed” funds and necessitate rapid approval and development. Undercutting miles of red tape and time gated meetings, approvals, commitees, deliberations and refinements and trials, due to it basically being, “wartime emergency.”

And it isn’t even about gaining billions, conceivably trillions of dollars in profit. Just greed, there are better avenues for that then this haphazard cloak&dagger mess. It’s this entire performance is about engineering, “social change” and turning the world into a theater.

This method to “have convuhsayshuns uwu” and flex a bit of authoritarian moralist muscle is the epitome of everything that is wrong with, “social justice”, as defined by these fucks. Manufacture a problem and then use social manipulation techniques and set the house on fire to distract and force priority of discussion, only converse in the way and topic of what and how you want to converse, and disallow conversation that might take the outcome away from the target. It’s cold blooded, it’s manipulative, it’s machivallian, it’s fucking psychotic. And oh so familiarly, it’s in the interests of somebody’s, “greater good.”

Every complaint the supposed “left” has about hawk&dove war mongering against tangible other people and governments, the need for civil rights and diplomacy, the need for privacy from government, goes out the window when it comes to something like a virus or plague. They’ll very happily use the wartime economy and social schism to impose their own moralist versions of jingoism. And a virus is the perfect thing to weaponize to get what they want. Just rather than fight an unwinnable war against drugs or islamoimperialism, they seek to turn the wartime economy towards and war on illness. Replacing the military with the medical establishment.

And when the curtain finally falls and people point out this has all been smoke and mirrors, a massive play to dismantle churches, reshape the social sphere, make the New Normal not accepting seasonal viruses wiping out the elderly and infirm just because you can’t stop seasonal viruses, they’re going to ask, “But what did we really lose, though? :^)”

[pooklet]

you know what? no.

i was going to let this shit stay buried and just block you, but honestly, this reductive line of thinking is not just infuriating, it’s dangerous, and it chills me to think other people might have the same overly-simplistic view of the cause of this pandemic. so let’s try and turn this unnecessarily antagonistic interaction around, and learn some facts.

firstly, research into the origins of covid-19 is still ongoing and a definitive source has not yet been determined. the link with bats comes from the fact that the virus closely resembles existing viruses found in bats and pangolins[1] (side note: by your logic, pangolins are also a forbidden animal. so be sure to be rude to anyone who posts gifs of them, too). but that doesn’t mean that bats or pangolins are at fault for the spread of covid-19. no animal is at fault for being the origin of a disease that has jumped to humans. such is the case of civet cats and SARS. civet cats were proven to be the likely source of SARS in humans[2], but it was furthermore determined that most civet cat populations did not have the disease, and that it was overwhelmingly found in a market in which overcrowding and contact with other animals was the likely cause of the disease in civets[3], which then jumped to humans through the consumption of civet cat meat.

in other words, it was the fault of humans and their mishandling of civet cats that ultimately caused the SARS epidemic. which is also shaping up to be case with covid-19. although i wouldn’t count it as an academic source, this opinion piece by dr. robert breiman is worth a read.

secondly, i don’t think it’s possible at this point to deny the fact that the rampant spread of covid-19 has very little to do with its origin, whatever that may be, and everything to do with the fact that we, as a society, were so incredibly underprepared for a pandemic. epidemiologists have been warning us for years that the next pandemic was inevitable, and that when it happened we would not be able to handle it if appropriate precautions weren’t taken. well, they weren’t. and here we are.

thirdly, fear-mongering about bats has already put them in extreme, unnecessary danger[4] and could have untold consequences on the ecosystem as a whole, especially given that many species of bat is already critically endangered. bats provide an essential role in pollination and reducing the population of disease-carrying insects. maligning them as being the cause of covid-19 based on incomplete research is hugely irresponsible.

lastly, on a more personal note: i’m writing this post from home quarantine, where my mother has been showing many of the symptoms of covid-19. because of the lack of available tests, we have no idea if she has it, or just a severe, poorly-timed cold. we have no certainty one way or another. her doctor has told her to stay at home unless her cough turns into shortness of breath, at which point azaya and i have to be ready to rush her to the hospital, which for all we know may not even be able to treat her because of overcrowding and lack of resources.

my sister-in-law has also been confirmed to have come in direct contact with someone who has covid-19, and as a result she and both my mother-in-law and father-in-law are also in quarantine. there is not a single person in my immediate family who is not at risk for the disease or, in my mom’s case, might already have it. and because our country’s politicians do not give a shit about us, we have no way of knowing, no access to early stage treatment and have been told to just stay home and only seek medical treatment if things get bad, by which point it could be too late. we have spent the last week in a state of near-constant anxiety, and i have sobbed in azaya’s arms on more than one occasion.

but as scared for my family as i have been, and as angry as this whole situation has made me, i have not once blamed bats for it. because doing so is not only wrong, but it shifts blame away from those actually at fault. if you want someone to be angry with, start with the utterly incompetent politicians that fired their country’s pandemic response team to cut costs[5]. start with the heartless rich assholes demanding millions of dollars for the use of their empty real estate as desperately-needed hospital space[6]. and definitely don’t assume that the people you’re accusing of being insensitive about the current global crisis for using a bat gif aren’t also being directly effected by that crisis.

p.s. i hope it goes without saying that i don’t want anyone dog-piling on this person. i’ve said my piece, i’m done, and now i’m going to go recolor some shit.

[howieabel]

Poetry in the time of isolation

For the first time in the globalised age, everyone is reacting to and in some way affected by a single story - a virus making its way around the earth; and this is the first time in history that we can speak about our experiences to people all over the globe as it happens.

I've recently been reading about other plagues and epidemics in history. A century ago, as the first world war was raging and coming to an end for some, the Spanish Flu took more lives in a shorter time than the war took in its four years, a sum which could have been many times more than 50 million people. Nobody really knows exactly where that flu came from, although anyone who knows what life was like in the trenches wouldn't be too surprised of its potential to spread. However, the first cases of the flu were in military forts in the USA, and may have spread to Europe from there. It was only called the 'Spanish' Flu because Spain was neutral in the first world war, and therefore its press was more free - Spanish newspapers reported on the flu accurately, unlike every other combating power who didn't want to demoralise their troops with the mass death that was occurring, not at the hands of enemy soldiers, but a common enemy to all combatants - the appalling conditions that they were fighting in, the ideal way for a virus to wreak havoc.

This time around, calling the virus the Coronavirus, or Covid-19, is more sensible, as much as demagogues like Trump may want to call it the 'Chinese virus'. It seems to have been past from bats (like Ebola) to pangolins, which were sold in wet markets in Wuhan in China, to humans, but as is always the case, these origins remain murky, and often disgusting. These markets are unregulated by the government, as animals from all over the world can be imported there, where they languish in the most awful conditions - not to feed the poor, but as a sort of trophy food for the rich; and that's why many countries are in on the game, letting their merchants illegally export rare, often endangered, often hunted animals to the wet markets.

The Chinese government had tried to crack down on this after previous outbreaks of SARS, including in 2002, but it has proved difficult to rein in the peculiar tastes of the new rich, and of trophy hunters around the globe. Hopefully they learn from the crisis and regulate or eliminate the trading practices of their wet markets. In the mean time, it seems they have controlled the outbreak very well once it happened, and now they are sending doctors to Italy, alongside more recent help from Russia and Cuba, to help with the Italian government's much less successful attempts to control the spread. Unfortunately, as we saw with Ebola, these viruses can pop up every few years just about anywhere, especially, it seems, where there are bats. But I don't know enough about the transmissions from animal to human to write more about this. What i'm most interested in are past examples of how human communities and their governments have tried to shield their vulnerable from plagues and pandemics.

The most interesting example I found was from when the plague came to Italy almost 400 years ago, in the autumn of 1629. This of course is especially relevant as, from the day of this post, Italy is the worst affected of all countries by the virus, which poses a number of questions - Why Italy? Because they have one of the oldest populations? Because there is more inter-generational living than in many other countries? Because of just simple bad luck, for example a virus spreading through catholic mass, hour upon hour upon hour, so that by time it was realised to be a problem, it was already too late?

The reason the reaction to the 1629 plague interests me, is because it shows the importance of government and community reaction to a pandemic - it can make all the difference. Italy had a number of different city states, so we can compare their reaction, and although such comparisons are never perfect, they are some of the best we have. For example, in Verona 61% of people died - in Milan, 46%, in Venice - 33%, and in Florence? 12%. So what did the Sanità, the city of Florence's health board, and government, do so well that they greatly lessened the death toll in comparison to other cities in Italy? One reason this is an especially interesting question is because 12% seems to be around the average mortality figure for the coronavirus (especially among countries with an ageing population and/or a fractured health care system).

What did the Sanità in Florence do then, in the plague year of 1629? They arranged the delivery of food, wine and firewood to the homes of the quarantined (30,452 of them). Each quarantined person received a daily allowance of two loaves of bread and half a boccale (around a pint) of wine. On Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays, they were given meat. On Tuesdays, they got a sausage seasoned with pepper, fennel and rosemary. On Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, rice and cheese were delivered; on Friday, a salad of sweet and bitter herbs. Every morning, hundreds of people in the lazaretti were prescribed theriac concoctions, liquors mixed with ground pearls or crushed scorpions, and bitter lemon cordials. The Sanità also devolved some tasks to the city’s confraternities. The brothers of San Michele Arcangelo conducted a housing survey to identify possible sources of contagion; the members of the Archconfraternity of the Misericordia transported the sick in perfumed willow biers from their homes to the lazaretti. But mostly, the city government footed the bill, and making use of its own police force, court and prison – also punished those who broke quarantine. Its court heard 566 cases between September 1630 and July 1631, with the majority of offenders – 60 per cent – arrested, imprisoned, and later released without a fine. A further 11 per cent were imprisoned and fined, rich and poor alike.

Some of this account would even sound impressive now (especially the pint of wine a day!). It must have been like a revelation to the poor for them to realise that something like this was possible - that the people around them who were thirsty or hungry didn't have to be. It shows how a crisis can destroy the previous idea of normalcy and replace it with a totally new normal. In Britain, for example, the Conservative Party for years laughed at the spending plans proposed by the Labour opposition, ridiculed them as the mad schemes of communists, and every day ad infinitum posed the question on television - but how will you pay for it? Doesn't it all seem very unrealistic?

And now look where we are - our governments are spending more money to cope with this crisis than anyone had ever suggested, millions and millions of people's wages are being payed as a sort of Universal Basic Income, and it suddenly turns out that it would have been a very good thing if everyone had free and fast public broadband after all, now that it is apparent that everyone needs and deserves good communication during this pandemic, not only for them to communicate with their loved ones, but also so they can access the right information. Homeless people in London have been given hotel rooms at no cost. People are coordinating in their communities to help the elderly and the vulnerable, to bring them their groceries so they never have to leave the house. Many countries have nationalised their entire private hospital network, to give their beds to the infected. Look at how Korea and Taiwan have reacted to this crisis, for example, and then compare it to European countries. Many government's have not yet gone far enough, and will need to go further over the coming months to cope with the crisis as it unfolds, and as usual the British and the American governments are some of the most reluctant, not just to foot the bill, but to make what was previously thought impossible, possible after all. If they show, in direct counterbalance to the last decade of austerity, that they had the money to do this all along, it might cause them some problems afterwards. But they have no choice - we are living now in a new normal, and all the old economic orthodoxy has been thrown out the window.

In a time of crisis like this, it suddenly becomes apparent that doctors, cleaners, supermarket staff, food and public sector workers, and in this case also postmen and delivery workers, are the lynchpins of society. It's a shame we haven't spent the less 10 years looking after them a bit better, and perhaps because of this, many more people will lose their lives than should have done if we had started looking after them earlier. There's still a very high possibility that the NHS in Britain could break under the pressure. Unfortunately, we don't have as many doctors are we could have had. There isn't much of an incentive for the young to train to become doctors or nurses, with such pitiful pay and long hours. But there are still many selfless souls who take it upon themselves to make the sacrifice - nevertheless, most of my friends who studied medicine and care had to leave the UK to continue their studies after school, countries where they are now helping in this crisis as junior doctors. They simply couldn't afford the university and accommodation costs in the UK.

As we all begin to adjust to this new normal, and as it becomes clearer that the old world can never be brought back again, perhaps from now on we can fix some of our mistakes and prepare better, so that when the next crisis comes along, we don't find that the people who keep our society going were kicked out of it by the rest of us a long time ago. And as we come out of the crisis, with millions, even billions, of unemployed all over the world, remember then how it was possible to pay people's wages even when they weren't working. If we are against all visionary thinking, then we are also against the NHS, the 8 hour working day, and public parks and free museums. They were utopian ideas once, and in many countries, they still are. What will be normal afterwards? Our reaction now will define the future we can create. Our breadth of vision will determine whether or not we demand its creation.

“The assumption that what currently exists must necessarily exist is the acid that corrodes all visionary thinking.” - Murray Bookchin

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[daughterofsarenrae]

i was tagged by @ohsweetflips

Rules: Answer 20 questions and tag 20 people.

1. name: Julia!

2. nickname: Bel and Juls, but literally no one irl uses a nickname for me. it’s just an internet thing. @my irl friends get on this

3. zodiac sign: Capricorn

4. height: 5′7″ ish

5. language: english, used to be pretty good at japanese but i’ve probably lost it all rip! and i’m about to start trying to learn icelandic 

6. nationality: american

7. favourite season: fall

8. favourite scent: mmmm idk... i dont know that i have one? scents arent that important to me

9. favourite flower: ooh hmm... love forget-me-nots, love carnations, 

10. favourite animal: i know it’s a cop out to say all of them but.... they’re all so good. if i HAVE to choose, a week ago i’d have prob said orcas or wolves or mustelids in general or smthn like that but then i wrote a paper on pangolins and fell absolutely head over heels in love with them so. white-bellied pangolins is the answer i’m going for here

11. favourite colours: blue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and pastel pinks

12. favourite fictional characters: Vin Venture, literally every single critical role lady (i REFUSE to choose), The Reaper Squad, Angus McDonald, Zelda, Ellie Williams

13. coffee, tea or hot chocolate: hot chocolate only!

14. average number of hours of sleep: who is out here having a consistent sleep schedule any more? my ideal amount of sleep is like 7-8 hours 

15. dogs or cats: DOGS (cats r cool but i literally cant pet them or i suffer for hours afterwards so.....)

16. Number of blankets you sleep with: this ranges a Lot. sometimes it’s a sheet, a blanket, a comforter and another blanket. sometimes i sleep on top of my comforter with just a blanket. sometimes i just dont have sheets or a comforter on my bed and just have a fitted sheet and my weighted blanket. there’s literally no rhyme or reason to it

17. dream trip: i just want to go to iceland so BAD and then never come back

18. blog established: this one? uhhhhhh according to my archive July 5th, 2017. i’ve been on tumblr for a few years longer than that tho

19. followers: 1037

20. random fact: i graduate in 6 days and idk what to do with this information!!!!!!!!!!!

tagging: if you’re awake rn 1) go to sleep but 2) i’m tagging u

[dingdonghun]

Quarantine Boredom

I told Sarvi to give me homework because Quarantine sucks, and she asked me to teach her about Pangolins. So I did. It’s learning time. @funkyrosejin​

Like so many people already know, the Pangolin looks a lot like if an Anteater and an Armadillo made love, and then their baby decided it wanted to be a warrior and wear spiked armor.  Although Pangolins look so similar to both of these mammals, it actually isn’t closely related to either. 

Their scaly and spike-like armor is actually made of Keratin, the same thing that makes up our nails as well as Rhino’s horns and make up 20% of their total body weight. The fact that the scales have incredibly sharp edges only adds another layer of defense. A second and more gross layer of defense is their stinky little butt glands. Like a skunk, they have glands under their tails that they use to protect themselves and mark their territory.

The Pangolin has long powerful claws as well, but they aren’t used for protection. These claws were made for digging holes and peeling bark off of trees to search for insects, which they can sniff out with their powerful little snooters. Once they find their food, they use their long tongue to slippity slorp those badbois up. Their tongues are able to extend up to sixteen inches! 

Despite all of these intimidating defense methods, they still manage to look like your nervous but polite neighbor child. They have adorable little faces and fiddle their claws together adorably when they stand up on their hind legs. This is not an opinion, it is a fact.

I bet you think that because they have heavy scales and big curved claws, they probably can’t swim, right? WRONG. The Pangolin is practically a rolly Michael Phelps, observed to be excellent swimmers. Not only can they swim incredibly well, but some species can climb trees and use their tails to hang from them. They make their homes in tree trunks or in burrows underneath the ground and I know what you are thinking, “Is there anywhere that the Pangolin CAN’T go?” and the answer is no. There is nowhere safe to hide from your polite neighbor Pangolin. He will find you. He will shyly ask you for a cup of sugar.

Another interesting fact about Pangolins is, since they don’t have teeth, they have little pebbles in their stomachs that they use to grind up the insects that they eat. To accompany that, their lower stomach has spine-like protrusions that stick out and point towards the center of the stomach. What are you, Vlad the Impaler? A scaly maraca? 

I know what you are thinking at this point as well. “Marie, is there any weakness that a Pangolin has? Is there any hope for us to survive a Pangolin encounter? Am I doomed from the start?” I will lay your worries to rest, my friend. Despite amazing snoots, they have atrocious eye-sight and awful hearing. This is their only weakness, aside from their soft underbellies. 

Now if we have gotten to this point in our education and you are still wondering to yourself, “what the hell is a Pangolin? Are you just making this up? It’s mythical isn’t it? You’re a liar, Marie.” Relax, I would never lie to you. Chances are, if you’ve never heard of these sweetbois before, it is because they only live in select areas in Asia and Africa, making their homes in the grasslands and forests there. Almost all Pangolins are nocturnal as well and like to live in solitude, like all of us introverts, so that only makes it harder to learn about them.

On a serious note, though, one thing that is very clear, is that Pangolins are critically endangered. They are one of the most widely and illegally hunted mammals on earth, with only 8 species, some more endangered than others. Hunters kill these beautiful creatures to make medicine out of them, to eat them or to make clothes out of their scales. What is incredibly important is that we make sure we take care of the creatures that live on this planet along side of us. 

If you are interested in learning more about Pangolins and how to protect them from going extinct, please do your own research on the subject and make a donation to a reputable site, if you can. Every step helps.

[givemeuniversalcrossovers]

@nutsandvoltsweek

So, an attempt at today's Nuts and Volts prompt, Wedding with reference to first date. It's not perfect tried to keep it short and sweet.

The Day

Tyrian paced within a side room, his fingers fiddling with his tie gripping it in his palms causing the material to crease and wrinkle he released one hand to grip at the bottom of his suit, black and traditional, fidgeting nervously pulling and adjusting it as he paced in large steps, each turn caused his tail to swish violently at the suddenness of each turn along with the stiffness of the limb making natural sways difficult in his frantic pacing. His hand nervously came up to check his hair, all neatly combed into his usual braid following the braid down to the end feeling over the hair tie lightly feeling the elastic material stretches flicking the end of his hair as he bit his lower lip. A sharp tut drew his attention as he glanced over at Cinder stood with her arms crossed watching him, guarding the door it seemed,

"If you keep fiddling and mess up your damn tie again I will strangle you with it, you're making yourself look untidy!" She walked over briskly adjusting his tie to straighten out the creases and brush down his suit of wrinkles.

"I can't help it," Tyrian couldn't help but whine as his face twisted nervously biting his lower lip mindful not to draw blood with his sharp teeth, "I'm, anxious? Worried I guess? This is very adrenaline inducing, I-I mean I'm not scared I just, what if he reconsiders? Changes his mind? Thinks what am I doing?" He whinged helplessly as his mind got away with him and Cinder couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"He'll definitely reconsider marrying you if you look a mess!" Tyrian flinched at that comment lip slightly quivering as he seemed to consider her words, 'oh not scared my ass' she thought sarcastically.

"You….you think he'd...d-do that? Reconsider?" Voice soft, vulnerable more than a little scared as Tyrian looked at her hands brought up to his chest fingers fidgeting over each other.

"Look, Tyrian," She sighed out moving her hands up in a slight open palmed gesture, "I was just saying that, your fidgeting is stressing me out," in an unusual act of kindness she moved grabbing Tyrians nervous hands in hers, "it will all be okay, you love him yes?"

"Yes, obviously of cou-"

"And he loves you yes?" Cinder cut in. Tyrians paused in his thinking brows together before giving a nod but he seemed unsure on if that was the answer Cinder wanted, "Yes. He does. He proposed to you you idiot of course he loves you Gods." She rolled her eyes at him but gave his hands a quick firm downwards shake a silent it's okay before letting them go. Tyrian watched her retreat to her guard post and took a deep breath through his nose puffing out his chest in the inhale before exhaling heavily letting his chest flatten, repeating until he felt his tail aching from finally realising how tense it was and having the pain now of it relaxing. He curled it slightly, and stretched it behind him straight out then stretched it upwards while stretching his upper body over a set of drawers working the tension out slowly and apologetically pat the stinger as it curled round near his front, he in that moment was very grateful for personally tailored trousers designed for tails and specifically this pair for him allowing such easy tail movement. After a few more torturously slow moments a light knock came to the door, Tyrians head turned to look so quick he swears it cracked a little as Cinder adjusted herself to open the door a peek not enough for Tyrian to see or hear anything, although wasn't Neo in charge of fetching them when all was ready? He supposes then he couldn't hear anything at all. He wiggled his toed anxiously in his shoes waiting until Cinder looked at him and pushed open the door,

"Come on, show time," she allowed a bit of soft in her voice to hopefully comfort the stressed man before her who cleared the room to the door in quick strides almost walking out entirely in his eagerness until she grabbed his arm, forcefully walking with him to slow his pace as they headed to the main room, Tyrian could feel his heart pointing in his ear and the door felt miles away but no, he kept moving forward each step closer. When the door swung open outwards from Tyrian leading them nicely into the room, the pews were draped with white voile with bouquets of flowers, white flowers mixed with purples and yellows, tied to the end of the pews towards the aisle which was decorated with a red carpet leading towards the Arbor with soft green vines and branches weaved together and covered with another draping of the voile and under the Arbor...Tyrian felt his breathing catch. Under the Arbor, stood Arthur, the love of his life who seemed to refuse to part with his usual suit but he still looked absolutely dashing, Hazel was also stood there behind Arthur holding the book that would bind them not that Tyrian really even noticed him there, despite the absolute size of the main, his eyes hadn't left Arthur. He felt Cinders grip on his arm gently loosen and slip away as she retreated to her seat to watch, Tyrian was a big boy he could walk himself down the Aisle, and that he did his steps felt floaty it was almost like a dream as he walked down towards his love towards the start of a new life to the rest of his life a dream he had had before. As Tyrian looked he felt a wave of nostalgia, Gods, here he was, coming to marry Arthur, he looked so handsome as he smiled up the Aisle towards Tyrian, it reminded him of their first date.

Arthur had really arranged it all and was waiting by his car at the meet up location, he'd smiled at Tyrian gently a level of fondness but uncertainty to the beginning of a potential relationship not that Tyrian could blame him at the time they'd been friends for so long when moving into a relationship from that you worry about never being able to go back. He'd been chivalrous, he'd open the car door for Tyrian to climb inside, shutting the door before moving to climb into the drivers seat, he'd taken them to a nice restaurant though Tyrians stomach was knotted his tail coiled into a belt, he figured Watts had just seen it as normal that Watts hadn't realised Tyrian minded having to hide it for date night, that was until a pleasant faunus waitress had come to collect their orders, she'd had a scaley tail but it didn't look reptilian more like a pine cone, especially with all the notes from orders carefully slotted between the scales keeping them all neatly put together, he'd learned later that she was a pangolin, he'd looked around and noticed others like him eating food or working intermingled with human customers and staff, Watts had lightly chuckled,

"Faunus friendly, I did my research, you can relax here," his voice dropping to a soft tone as Tyrian realised he genuinely wanted him to feel comfortable. The rest of the night melted away over the food and casual banter that occurred, it was wonderful Tyrian remembers that even with breaks for silence that seemed awkward the atmosphere was genuine and of fresh love. Watts had drove him home opening the door for him each time, and walked him up to the front door with tyrian having said some tease on him being being a gentleman, he remembers the kiss shared it was short a bit clumsy Watts lips were dry but it gave him flutters and every kiss after that up to now had been the same filled with flutters.

Tyrian had reached Arthur, he barely realised but he looked at his partner his significant other into those brilliant green eyes that looked at him softly a smile faintly visible under his mustache but Tyrian could tell from the faint creases by his eyes that it was a bright smile just difficult to see for the facial hair not that Tyrian minded it. Hazel began to speak but it was all a senseless background mumble all the official stuff as he just stared at Watts, he wanted to wrap his tail around him pull him close but he knew he couldn't not yet, he caught Watts eyes again not realising he'd been staring at his lips, the eyes were soft and loving as they stared back and it felt like it was just them both, no one else existed, though he blinked himself back to reality as Watts spoke.

"I do," Tyrians heart skipped hearing those words, Hazel shifted his body to more face Tyrian, 

"And do you Tyr-"

"Yes! Of course! I do!" His words tumbled out eagerly excitedly but full of meaning and truth, "I do," he tried to calm himself, "I do," he finally whispered passionately staring at Watts a large smile drawing on his face. Hazel betrayed a faint chuckle as he looked at them both before clearing his throat.

"Then with the power invested in me I now pronounce you Husbands, you may kiss your Groom," Tyrian threw himself at Watts he'd waited long enough as their lips collided the force caused Watts to reposition his footing to steady himself with a startled "mmh!" Like noise before his arms wrapped around Tyrians waist hands gently grasping the back of his suit as he melted into the kiss shifting to push back into Tyrian so he wasn't practically leaning backwards. The few people there clapped, though Mercury couldn't resist a somewhat sarcastic Whoop! Neo whistled loudly fingers in her mouth as Roman tapped the end of his cane into the floor like a joyous stamping while Salem using a handkerchief to wipe away her tears. The newly weds had to unfortunately pull apart from their kiss as it couldn't be too passionate with an audience, that was for the honeymoon, and walked back down the aisle together arm in arm leaving the Chapel building together, as they stepped out the doors Emerald threw rice up into the air which scattered and gently bounced off the pair, Mercury decided to throw his hand of rice straight at Tyrians face having it hit all his face and fall down his suit, had he not been so happy he probably would've killed him for that, Watts was giving looks to imply he felt the same. Before they reached Arthurs car decorated with ribbons and tin cans tied to the back with a "just married" sign Cinder stuffed a bouquet into Tyrians hand earning a somewhat hysteric giggle as he stood facing the car, he moved the bouquet to indicate having it to the girls by out stretching his arm before wiggling happily with Arthur staring with a loving smile as he tossed the bouquet backwards. It landed with a faint rustle on Hazels shoulder starting a row of laughter until Neo snatched it with a well placed leap and umbrella swing moving to bounce sauntering over to Roman who she dramatically bowed low to before presenting the bouquet with a playful cheeky smile. By which time the newly weds had climbed into the car, sharing a passionate kiss with each other which neither of them wanted to part from before Watts started up the car saying with a playful cheeky wiggle of his mustache,

"Time for a honeymoon don't you think husband?" Which caused Tyrian to shiver happily mimicking softly,

"Husband, yes I'd love that husband." The word sounding so perfect falling from Tyrians lips. He smiled broadly as he stared at Arthur, the beginning of a new life started now, right now, with him, and it's all he could ever ask for.