#images of spiders and tarantulas will be shown

[ashcoveredtraveler]

Tw: Arachnophobia

So I just realized that I accidentally made Herrah and Hegemol the same type of tarantula, the Poecilotheria metallica. That species of tarantula had two different names, the peacock tarantula(the species I assigned Hegemol) and the sapphire gooty tarantula (the species I assigned Herrah). When I searched each species separately, the peacock tarantula seemed more blue to me while the other looked purple to me.

Poecilotheria Metallica:

(They looked like completely different spiders when I first searched them up)

Before deciding on the species, I was thinking about making Herrah a Wolf Spider. They are excellent hunters in a society that values strength instead of looks and noble blood, Herrah can easily take the throne(which she does in my headcanon). I have also been thinking of drawing Hornet with black-brown fur instead of just black fur(which didn't make too much sense if Herrah was purple. But it could easily be traces of void in Hornet from PK).

Wolf spider:

Now that Herrah has a different species than Hegemol, I could keep him as a Poecilotheria metallic, but I'll change that. When searching for what to change Herrah into, I found the Greenbottle Blue Tarantula. I wanted Hegemol to be a blue color but I really like this blue color to him. It isn't too dark and I really like the added green and orange.

Greenbottle Blue Tarantula:

[yourbelovedissy]

FEBESTIARY 2024

Throughout all of February, I did an art challenge I called Febestiary! The idea is simple: make 5 diff picker wheels of different prompts based on various animal species, body types, biomes, art styles, and unique traits. Then, smack 'em all together! This is the result of my month-long artistic pursuit :3

Oh also, I waive all rights to these creature designs, and release them under the CC0 license. No rights reserved.

[ID: Eleven images, each showing a different original fantasy monster design, labeled Febestiary with the day, and a bullet point list of traits with a drawing.

Day 1: Cosmic Clam: Bivalve, asymetrical, cosmos, cool, herds, saber teeth, monogamous.

The cosmic clams are drawn flying through a starscale, with deep blue shells on one side and a spike for a tail, with soft pale flesh on the other side like an oyster.

Day 1: Mind Magma Money: primate, tripedal, lava beds, low effort, mind control, diurnal, scavenger.

The mind magma monkey has three legs and two arms, with dark fur striped with cream on the arms and legs and above the pink face. It holds a bone in one hand, with lines of green going from its head to the heads of stick figures with swirly eyes, showing they are brainwashed into doing the money's bidding, one of them offering it energy. The background is black rock and lava.

Day 2: Diplopoltus: Dolpocaulus, hexapedal, tir na nog, minimalist, strong smell, spectral, levitation.

The Diplopoltus is shown as a long, blue and white spectral creature with a curved head like a hammerhead shark, and six short legs with three toes. It has four clusters of whiskers on its head, and blank white eyes with slits for a nose. It floats over a fantastic blue field at night the stars covering the sky.

Day 2: David Bowfish: Walleye, bipedal, cosmos, low effort, telekenesis, supersonic roars, bright colors.

The David Blowfish is drawn as a bipedal fish standing on the surface of the moon. It has two fins on its back, one blue, one green, a dark green fin on its tail and matching duck-like feet, red legs and belly, and a body white on the face with a stripe of red around the eye, a thick black band in the center, and the end striped white and green. It telekinetically holds a walkie taklie and has its mouth open, calling into it.

Day 3: Voltacuda: Barracuda, hexapedal, digital, skeleton, venemous bite, scavenger, elemental kinesis.

The Voltacuda is drawn as the skeleton of a barracuda in a digital grid world, with cables sparking with blue electricity ectending from the head, tail, and fins.

Day 4: Digitulas: Tarantula, quadrupedal, nightmares, creepy, nocturnal, sexual dimorphism, hibernation.

There are two digitulas, shrouded behind hazy darkness making them very hard to see, with their six front eyes the easiest thing to see, white-ish with pupils that seem dark red. One is shorter and closer to the ground, the other is much taller, with long hair partially obscuring its eyes. Aside from vague outlines of spider-like limbs and bodies, nothing else can be seen clearly.

Day 5: Proffo Pelican: Pelican, hexapedal, jungles, cutesy, burrowing, eusocial, strong vision.

The Proffo pelican is drawn sitting, with a bird body that is mostly grey-tan, with darker brown on the head, belly, and tail. It has four dark webbed feet, a fan-shaped tail with a center white feather, and the others dark brown with an orange and red-shaped base. The belly is striped with dotted lines of white. Its wing is tan-grey with white tips, and folded. It has a long tall neck, with a yellow face, a round eye, and a pale orange beak that is red at the base, with a large, striped, red, orange, and pale orange pouch below the beak that is puffed up. Atop the head is a small swirl of white, and smaller white "whiskers" on the cheek. The eye has a white line like a cheetah trailing down.

Day 6: Flying Frankfarter: Canine, limbless, clouds, cool, clairvoyance, poison secretions, migration.

The Flying Frankfarter is drawn as a dark brown hotdot with the head of a dog wearing sunglasses, with yellow stripes along the back in loops, and the top of the head like mustard. It has no limbs except for a short fluffy tail. It farts out fire as it flies through the sky like a missile, with a compass in a thought bubble over its head to show it knows where it's going.

Day 7: Soaring Sea Sloth: Sloth, Aquatic, Islands, Ancient, undead, levitation, healing powers.

The Soaring Sea Sloth is drawn in a stylized form with a long head, two large paws or hands off to either side above and below, tipped with three long claws, a long body, and a tail that seems like backlegs used together, with three claw sets on either side. It has a row of dots along the neck and body, and two dots above each paw. The center of the body has five asymetrical partial rings around it like ribs. There is an overlay like smoke or an old map.

Day 8: Mantid Mast: Mantis, many-limbed, underworld, goofy, time travel, camoflage, immortality. The Mantis Mast is drawn as a swimming praying mantis with large cartoony eyes, and a body that is brown and shaped like a canoe, with the legs disguised as oars, ending in duck-like feet below the water. Semi-transparent swirls of ghosts perch on its back as they are ferried down the river, with one swimming besides it. The Mantid Mast has a watch around its neck like a collar or necklace.

Day 8: Cnitaurian: Cnidarian, centaurian, oceans, scary cute, elemental kinesis, chromatophores, strong vision. The Cnitaurian is drawn as a jelly-fish like creature that is partly transparent, with other parts lit up bright blue, red, purple, and yellow. It has a head like structure with two whit eyes, a shoulder structure like the bell of a jellyfish, and a lower body as another bell, appearing shaped like a centaur, with tentacles forming arms and legs. The inside shows all the connections of the tentacles, and small flecks of white like stars.

End ID.]

[art-of-tek]

Had a random fun idea for an anthro Nyerla AU where Tek and Cirrus are tarantula-riding nomads. Their spiders are still Gertrude and Eldi, just sized up to eleven. And Gertrude is now a tarantula instead of a house spider.

[ID: Four digitally drawn black-and-white images. The first depicts a scarred elderly anthro wolf riding a very large tarantula. The tarantula is scarcely shown, only really portions of the celaphothorax and legs are visible. The wolf is looking at the audience with an uncertain expression. He is missing his left ear and eye. The second drawing depicts the elderly wolf and a thylacine walking side by side. The wolf has crutches and his right leg is held up in the air. He is smiling at the thylacine beside him. The thylacine is looking at him and smiling back. They have a torn ear, scarred right foreleg and are wearing a vest. They have tiny holes in their face and stitches on their stomach, revealing they're undead taxidermy. The third image depicts the same thylacine struggling with the reins of a large and rebellious tarantula. The fourth image depicts a large sleeping tarantula with the elderly wolf sleeping beside her, his crutches lying not far away. End ID.]

[parakaryote]

I realized I never posted the full Invertober art pages, so here they are!

References used (for the more heavily referenced ones):

Lanternfly

Malachite

Wasp

Goliath beetle

Bumblebee

[Image description: Three art pages with drawings of various invertebrates. Each animal has its common name written above and its full taxonomic classification (sans kingdom) written below. Most of them are shown from above unless otherwise specified.

Image 1 has a light blue background and twelve species:

A peanut-headed lanternfly, a light brown insect with a roughly peanut-shaped head.

A malachite, a butterfly with brown and pale green wings, sitting facing right on top of malachite rock.

A common cuttlefish, white with brown stripes, shown facing right.

A fried-egg jellyfish, a jellyfish with a bell resembling a sunny-side-up egg. A few of its thick tentacles are curled up at the tips, revealing blue and yellow bumps on their undersides.

A greater bee fly, a fly evolved to mimic a bee. It is covered in dark yellow and brown fuzz.

A Mexican redknee tarantula. It is black and orange (despite the name).

A ruby-tailed wasp. It has a blue head and thorax, a pink abdomen, and brown wings.

A hammerhead worm. It is mostly bright orange with a semicircular black head and a black-bordered white stripe going down its back.

An anthropomorphized dinosaur ant, a light brown ant with long mandibles. She is wearing a green onesie with a dinosaur on it and sitting with her knees bent and her upper right hand resting over her lower right hand.

A magnificent sea anemone, a wide anemone with a bright pink body and green tentacles.

A goliath beetle. It is black and white with brown elytra.

A Japanese spider crab, a red-and-white crab with very long and thin front limbs.

Image 2 has a light green background and twelve species:

An early bumblebee. It is yellow and black with the back of the abdomen being orange.

A redwood sideband snail. Its body is dark brown, and its shell is dark purple on the outside gradienting to yellow in the middle.

A comet moth. Its wings are a light yellow-green with a brown eyespot on each one and two long “tails” coming off the hind wings. Its body is yellow, and its antennae are brown and very fluffy.

A yellow-spotted isopod, dark grey with yellow spots.

A wingless dragon based on a female European glowworm. It has pale pink skin and dark brown horns and plating along the back. Bright yellow-green light radiates from the tips of its horns and tail in star shapes.

An Anna’s magnificent sea slug, a blue-and-black nudibranch with orange gills and antennae and an orange-and-white frill around its body.

A yellow tube sponge. It looks exactly the way its name implies.

A three-banded lady beetle, a ladybug with five rectangular spots (two pairs on the outer edges of the body, one band across the middle).

A strawberry squid swimming with its body tilted to the right. It is dark pink, and one of its bright green eyes is noticeably larger than the other.

A Linne’s cicada, green with darker green markings, sitting with its wings folded.

An orange-legged dronefly sitting facing right. It has a yellow head and thorax, orange abdomen, light pink wings, and dark brown legs with orange feet.

A giant Asian mantis standing facing right, only the front of the body shown. It is light green with light yellow eyes.

Image 3 has a light yellow-orange background with seven species:

An Indo-Pacific horseshoe crab. It is a light greenish grey.

An ivory millipede, a black-and-white millipede, walking to the left with its body curved into an S shape.

A yeti crab, a greyish pink crab with thick white fur around its pincers.

A wavy-lined emerald moth, a light green moth with white line markings on the wings.

An anthropomorphized bold jumping spider shown from the waist up. They are dark grey with four black eyes, six arms, and a handful of hairs sticking up around their head, and are wearing a bright green tank top. They’re waving with their upper left hand.

A Johnson’s sea cucumber, red-orange with white “spikes” and tube feet, shown from the side.

A Halloween crab, a black and red crab with purple and light blue front limbs / pincers. It is standing facing the viewer. There are thick yellow markings over its eyes that make it look like it’s doing a pleading face.

End ID.]

[fireflysummers]

Here comes the boooy ~

What do your esper eyes see, Mobbu?

(The unholy amalgamation of trauma that has been haunting Jonathan Sims since he was eight)

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Image ID:

Two comic pages done in grayscale and a monochrome off-red.

Page 1

The three panels in the upper left corner sit stacked on top of each other. Each one displays a bust shot of Jonathan Sims, a dark-skinned man with pockmark scars and shoulder-length dark hair with gray streaks, expressing various shades of exasperation and frustration while addressing somebody off-screen.

Panel 1

Jon presses his steepled fingers against his mouth, as though he’s inhaling sharply through his nose. The burn scars on his right hand are visible in the motion.

Jon: ....

Panel 2

Jon places his right hand over his face, eyes closed, as though staving off an oncoming headache, while his left hand is left to gesture inarticulately.

Jon: Look....

Panel 3

Jon returns to looking off-screen, bringing his hands now in front of him, palms up, as though expecting to be handed an explanation.

Jon: We really appreciate your...hospitality. Given our rather unconventional circumstances.

Panel 4

The shot changes to reveal Serizawa, Reigen, and Dimple. Serizawa is a tall, broad man with dark, short hair, wearing a dark suit. Reigen is a smaller, slighter man with lighter hair and a light suit. Dimple is a nebulous gas-shaped spirit with dark red circles on his cheeks and notable nose and lips. Serizawa is holding a transparent umbrella open, defensively as though a shield, with a look of vague aggression on his face. Reigen stands behind him, one hand on Serizawa’s arm as though to calm him, but with a neutral expression. Dimple also hides behind the protective umbrella, two ghostly arms clinging to the edge of the plastic surface.

To one side, the word “hospitality” is written out, with a small arrow pointing to the display of aggression.

Jon: However...I’m afraid I must draw a hard line...

Panel 5

Jon is shown standing closer to the camera on the left side of the panel. He’s gesturing expressively with his left hand to Mob, who stands on the right side of the frame, further from the camera. Mob wears his usual neutral expression, apparently unbothered by the mood of the room.

Jon: At involving literal children!

Panel 6

A close-up of Mob’s face, ensconced in shadow. The framing is ominous as he takes in the situation.

Mob:

...

Page 2

Mob’s point of view as Jon continues to rant and gesture. A large, horrific spirit is revealed to be hovering around Jon. It is a mixture of a spider and centipede, with eight appendages to each side and a long tail that spirals behind. The spider’s face has both mandibles and a skull-like jaw with crooked, jagged teeth. Eight eyes peer from its face malevolently. The first pair of appendages are meaty, chunky arms that reach down towards Jon from above. The second pair of appendages begin like a tarantula’s legs, but end in a pair of long, thin hands that cover Jon’s eyes and mouth partially. The other two sets of appendages are typical tarantula legs, positioned as though propping up the monstrosity on its own bulk. Behind the spider’s main “face” sits a hump where the skin has apparently torn away to reveal a second face with dark, empty eyes and a perpetual smile. Dotted across the creature’s carapace are eyes, looking in different directions, or alternatively empty holes through which the occassional worm can be seen.The remaining segments of the monster are held together with a porous flesh, which can be seen in gaps and where the shell has cracked and fallen away. The dark interior of the creature’s spiraling body contains a spider’s web, with its rays leading back to Jon’s head. Surrounding Jon is an array of teeth, seeming to dig into him from behind. Atop his head, though, sits the watcher’s crown, each of its prominent prongs shaped like a curled, upside-down spider’s leg, with the three central “jewels” appearing as eyes. A halo of eyes frames him from behind, seemingly caught in the web.

[miraculouscontent]

“Sentibubbler” summary? “Sentibubbler” salt?

Why not both at the same time?

Something a little experimental, though also somewhat reminiscent of some of my past videos. Calling it “summasalt” for now, based on the word “somersault” because this episode was an exercise of my patience.

It’s basically just me going through the episode with my usual episode summary, but salting along the way instead of making you guys read a wall of text without any images or clips or me making snarky comments.

(By the way, yes, I did in fact have caffeine before recording.)

script below for anyone who wants/needs it:

"Sentibubbler" begins with Marinette having food with the Cesaires and I already know this isn't real because Marinette is actually getting to interact with her best friend's family. That's only happened, like--when, two episodes of Season 2? [”Sapotis” and “Anansi”]

Marinette sees Trixx and points out how they're supposed to be a secret, and Alya asks why while calling Marinette "Ladybug." Marinette plays dumb but is told by Nino that everyone already knows her secret. Chloe is also there, chiding Marinette for her identity rule - it's not Marinette's rule but after "Reflekdoll" I've just gotten used to Marinette being blamed for things she didn't do - and Marinette goes to question Chloe's apperance when there's a knock on the balcony door. Alya invites Shadow Moth in and--[Shadow Moth has to duck to come inside]--huh, I thought Sole Crusher was seven episodes ago.

Anyway, now obviously, Marinette is just being ridiculous and overemotional as usual, because why would Marinette ever think that Alya would reveal any information to--["Feast"]--oh yeah, that's right.

Tikki doesn't transform Marinette and says that Marinette shouldn't have trusted Alya with her secret. Enter Chat Blanc, who says that they can be together now without any secrets. Not really sure what this episode is aiming for with the mixed message of "your identity rule sucks" but also "your fault for trusting someone instead of having a mental breakdown," but a’ight. Trixx also gets another dig in on Marinette for giving Alya the fox miraculous.

Marinette wakes up from her nightmare and panics, but Tikki reassures her that Alya is loyal. [”Chameleon”] Mm. Also, that kind of support might've been nice from Tikki literal seasons ago when Marinette could've used a confidant.

Wayzz - I swear, they've had eyelashes more often than not in this season - points out that Trixx is mischievous and Xuppu talks about Trixx being the cause of the Loch Ness monster rumors, which worries Marinette further. Marinette runs out in her pajamas and I can already predict that neither Tom nor Sabine are going to check on her later or care.

Marinette finds the Cesaires looking for something, their words vague enough for Marinette to think that they're talking about Trixx. Alya brushes Marinette off and tells her to help with looking instead of lecturing her.

Marlena makes a comment that reminds Marinette of her nightmare, only increasing Marinette's stress. A tarantula crawls up a ladle and Marinette freaks out when she sees it, which Marlena has a laugh at because Marinette's anxiety, fear, and panic is hilarious, guys!

This is my laughing face. [not a laughing face]

Nino exits, having been too afraid of the spider to leave the room, so Nora compares Marinette to him. Nino tries to play it cool, then changes the subject to point out Marinette's pajamas. Alya wonders aloud why Marinette showed up and Marinette tries to act casual, but Alya sees through it and states that she doesn't usually lose things when someone lends them to her.

I presume the exception is Marinette's trust. OH-HOOOOHHH, we'll get there.

Nora takes a jab at Alya for losing the spider and Marinette drags Alya away to talk. Nino tries to join but Alya states that it's between her and Marinette, which makes Nino sad.

Nino, does the phrase "guys' time" ring a bell by any chance?

Marinette is explaining her nightmare and is simply told to calm down by Alya, though Marinette is briefly startled by a phone ringing. Marinette puts together what she knows that Shadow Moth knows, including that Alya is Rena Rouge, adding on that Shadow Moth could steal the fox necklace if he figured out that Alya has it permanently. Alya reassures her that no one will ever know and Marinette states that this must include Chat Noir. Alya agrees and brings attention to the fanny pack around her waist, which Trixx has been hiding in, and Marinette has Trixx promise not to show up at the dining table like in her nightmare. Tikki tells Marinette that everything will be fine and Marinette admits that it was silly of her to worry, which it was! ...If you ignore all the anxiety, mental scarring, and constant pressure to be perfect or risk Paris lighting itself on fire, much like I presume they accidentally did with their original script for this episode.

Alya tells Marinette to trust her and also herself - I'll be sure to keep that in mind, Alya, thank you - then Alya loses her temper at the phone continuing to ring. She leaves to find an empty living room, then answers the phone only to hear Shadow Moth on the other line. Alya turns upon hearing Marinette scream to see that Marinette has been trapped in a bubble. Cue the reveal/return of the Bubbler, who is definitely Nino akumatized and not--like--a sentimonster, because the episode didn't spoil it at all with the title of Sentibub--

show, this is freaking embarrassing. Why even bother akumatizing someone when you can mold a sentimonster with the exact power you want?

At least they reveal it quickly, though that also means I have to live with the knowledge that Shadow Moth wINKED AT ALYA, NO.

Anyway, Shadow Moth tells Alya that he wants her to betray Ladybug. Marinette, meanwhile, is panicking over being unable to transform while in public, whereas Tikki remains calm and reassures her that Alya will figure something out and it's why Marinette gave Alya the fox miraculous in the first place.

Weird, I thought it was for the show to continuously validate Alya as a worthy choice for a confidant despite repeatedly covering up her sINS and so the show can push for more anxiety on Marinette's part while simultaneously not having to make a new hero model for Alya, which they would have to do if the realistic decision had been made to give Alya a different miraculous due to Shadow Moth knowing her identity as Rena Rouge.

Marinette texts Alya to inform her that the Bubbler is a sentimonster and so Rena can tell Chat not to use Cataclysm on him or the bubbles will burst due to the sentimonster's lack of control.

Hate to burst the show's bubble but Alya could literally see Nino up in the sky and they could see her; the bubbles are in viewing range. Did this even go through a quality check?

Alya goes to look at Marinette's text, but the phone is bubbled away by Sentibubbler. Marinette sees the phone floating by and panics, only to be reassured again to trust Alya and at this point I vaguely wondered if I was watching this episode on repeat. Tikki also adds that Alya has never let her down - [”Ladybug”] MMMM - and Marinette agrees, also certain that Chat Noir will show up soon.

Oh yeah, he exists. Oh no.

Cut to the Agreste mansion where Adrien is watching the news - dude, how is there never anything better on when you need to be told that there's an akuma? here, look, I'll show you [”Silencer” Lukabug clip] there, much better, see? - and it's pointed out that the bubbles are identical to the ones Bubbler had, yet Nino is in one of the bubbles. Adrien readies himself while Plagg is - for once - okay with leaving since his cheese isn't "edible" yet.

I feel like he should be a little more concerned about Marinette being in a bubble.

Meanwhile, Shadow Moth is explaining to Alya that Ladybug will come to give her the fox miraculous due to the bubbled people in the sky - plenty of other choices that aren't within breathing range of the obvious danger zone, but a'ight - and SentiBubbler will catch Ladybug. Alya brings up Chat Noir saving her but Shadow Moth states that she'll create an illusion of Ladybug and Rena to lure Chat Noir, who won't see Sentibubbler coming, at which point Rena will hand Shadow Moth her miraculous. He adds that her loved ones will only be returned once all three miraculouses are in his possession, though if she tries to warn the heroes then Sentibubbler will send the bubbles into space, too far for any hero to save them.

[clip of space power-ups] Hm.

Also, I would've just let her keep the miraculous as an extra bribe since he doesn't need the fox and she wouldn't have time to recharge anyway - at least to his knowledge - but that's just me.

Marinette is relieved that Alya still hasn't been captured--TIKKI, I KNOW, YOU'VE BEEN PARROTING THIS ALL EPISODE, I KNOW--but Marinette changes her tune when she sees Alya blindly calling out for Ladybug's help, unaware that Alya is buying time. Marinette laments the idea of transforming there and having using the rabbit to go back in time to reverse, as that's never a good thing (seconded), but gets the idea for Tikki to take her miraculous to someone else. Tikki rejects the idea, as the earrings won't go through the bubble, and Marinette realizes that Chat Noir is their only hope.

I mean, it was nice knowing them. Sure is interesting how Marinette has only been getting herself into these situations where she requires saving when the show needed to present Alya as a valid choice for a confidant.

Meanwhile, Chat Noir is leaving a message for Ladybug about the bubbles in the sky, saying that he'll wait for her; I already see where this is going and I don't like it.

Alya mutters to Trixx about how they need a plan to release Marinette. Through Alya Vision, we're shown Sentibubbler, a bowl of fruit, and the bathroom door. Alya tells Sentibubbler that she needs to go to the bathroom and - wow, we're really doing this, aren't we? - which Shadow Moth rejects. Shadow Moth is also on top of a building holding a coffee cup which honestly makes about as much sense as the rest of the episode, so whatever. Alya claims that she can't wait and that it'll be awkward for Ladybug to find her like that, which gets Shadow Moth to relent but also remind her of what's at stake if she tries anything. Alya states that she can't do anything without a miraculous anyway, then purposefully falls onto the table, concealing her long enough for her to transform and allowing an illusion of herself to go to the bathroom while she escapes. She detransforms in the twins' room and feeds Trixx with some grapes that she'd picked up.

Alya explains her plan to trick Shadow Moth and Sentibubbler since they don't know that she has a miraculous, though she also has to make sure that Chat won't ruin things. Rena then proceeds to call Chat Noir and claim that Ladybug wanted her to call him with her plan, but adds that it's a two-person plan and Chat himself isn't needed, so he needs to wait for further instructions. Chat demands that Ladybug call him to tell him herself, but Rena insists that she can't, as Ladybug is very busy. She warns him not to use Cataclysm if he sees the Bubbler, as he's a sentimonster, then promises to talk to him later before hanging up.

She uses Mirage again, making the Alya illusion reappear as well as creating a Ladybug. Chat Noir, infuriated at being left out, destroys part of a building with his baton. He then dismisses the action because Miraculous Ladybug will fix it.

Spoiler alert, it will, which is a very fascinating detail! I mean, I can't imagine another situation where a hero did something while there was an akuma going around and Miraculous Ladybug decided to help 'em out, but it just goes to show what happens when you're the writers' pet. Just look a little pitiful and they'll give you all the sympathy in the world.

By the way, didn't expect them to actually confirm my theory that Chat Noir does Chat Noir things because he knows that Miraculous Ladybug will fix it anyway, essentially allowing him to earn brownie points from Ladybug via sacrificing himself regardless of how it affects her mentally, yet here we are and I don't know whether to be sad, angry, disappointed, or a mixture of all three.

Chat Noir sees the Ladybug illusion jumping off and gives chase, refuses to stay where he is. Marinette, seeing that Rena Rouge's illusions are active, panics at the sight of Chat Noir, as the illusion will vanish if Chat touches it.

I like to imagine the immediate concern is the idea that Chat Noir will try to take Ladybug's hand while trying to flirt.

Anyway, Marinette flails inside the bubble in an attempt to reach Chat Noir, while illusion Alya and SentiBubbler get into position. Chat Noir watches what he perceives as Ladybug heading into the Cesaire house with Alya, but Marinette gets to him in order to tell him not to go anywhere. Chat complains about everyone telling him to stay put, but Marinette explains Rena's plan to him. Chat is skeptical of how she knows that, to which Marinette insists that she saw it from where she was. Chat Noir relents with a sigh and stays where he is.

SentiBubbler watches as the illusion of Alya and Ladybug talk to each other, Rena making it look like Ladybug is piecing together what happened and refusing to give Alya a miraculous ever again due to Shadow Moth knowing her identity. She claims that she'll find another holder and give them an even more powerful miraculous, which interests Shadow Moth and gets him to follow after the Ladybug illusion. Once Sentibubbler leaves as well, Chat sees this as his chance to stop the sentimonster, as the Ladybug illusion will vanish if it's touched. Marinette strokes his ego for the token love square moment of the episode, and Chat Noir fights SentiBubbler while Shadow Moth goes after the Ladybug illusion.

I'm noticing a real lack of tension in this episode. Once Alya has her plan, it's kind of a clean sweep from start to finish with no interference or unexpected roadblocks in the way. Even Shadow Moth following the Ladybug illusion goes fine, with Shadow Moth even punching a building thinking that Ladybug actually got away from him.

Dude, it's fine, Miraculous Ladybug will fix it, just put on your best sad face. Maybe Chat Noir gets it from you actually, is treatment from the writers a hereditary thing?

Sentibubbler and Chat Noir are still fighting. Shadow Moth shows up and Marinette tries to warn Chat, but Chat gets caught in a bubble and Marinette apologizes; she doesn't have anything to apologize for but after "Reflekdoll" I--wait I already did this.

Chat Noir uses Cataclysm to escape, only to get caught in another bubble. I'd just like to throw out there that this guy's a hero three seasons going and the love interest for the main character, yet his role in the episode has amounted to complaining about the authority of a hero Ladybug chose, throwing a property-destroying tantrum over being excluded, and wasting his power without a single thought which just got him captured again.

Chat, does the name "Syren" ring any bells by any chance? I'm just sayin', you could always quit. In fact, wasn't it you literally one episode ago saying that you understood if Ladybug couldn't always come get you? Then, after seeing the jump from "Glaciator" to "Frozer," I'm about as shocked as rubber.

Back with the competent one, Alya notes to Trixx that Rena Rouge can no longer be seen by Shadow Moth or else the jig is up. She transforms and texts Marinette to be ready, creating an illusion of Marinette that simultaneously hides the real version, allowing her to transform into Ladybug.

Chat Noir's bubble gets dragged down and Shadow Moth gets SentiBubbler to mute Chat Noir's bubble.

[clip from “Silencer” where Ladybug takes amusement in Chat being muted]

Ladybug uses Lucky Charm and receives a pot, her Lucky Vision spotting Shadow Moth's coffee cup, then SentiBubbler, then the tarantula trapped in a bubble. Ladybug deduces that the cup is the sentimonster's object, then pulls the horse miraculous out of her yoyo and unifies it with the ladybug--oh.

Oh my.

You know, it's times like this where I'm reminded that the show knows nothing about fashion... or girls... or good writing actually--there's just a lot of stuff they don't know.

Sentibubbler does a countdown, then starts sending the civilian bubbles up into the sky. Chat Noir is about to de-transform while PegaBug notices of Shadow Moth's two miraculous, up for grabbin'. She notes that she won't be able to catch everyone, so she forms a portal behind Shadow Moth and goes for the coffee cup first, thus putting her in control of SentiBubbler, who happily brings the bubbles back down at her command.

Shadow Moth erases SentiBubbler from existence though, causing everyone to fall, but Chat and PegaBug manage to catch them. PegaBug de-transforms and presents the Cesaires with the tarantula, which had been trapped inside the lucky charm. Ladybug and Chat Noir watch Shadow Moth escape and Ladybug laments that it could've been the end of Shadow Moth once and for all because it's not a Miraculous episode without Marinette being at fault or feeling guilty in some way! Chat Noir reassures her [*by “reassure,” I mean he might as well have said, “Well, you saved ME, so you did great!”] - wow, that's two token love square moments for the price of one episode, don't I feel spoiled - and Ladybug leaves to retrieve the tarantula's tank.

Rena Rouge is waiting for her and they hug, with Rena repeating that she doesn't lose something that someone gives her. Ladybug states that she never should've doubted the idea of giving Alya a miraculous and Imma just give you guys a counter real quick. [counter that shows that Tikki has complimented Alya four times, Alya has complimented herself/told Marinette to trust her thrice, and Marinette has said that she was wrong thrice]. Miraculous Ladybug is cast and everything returns to normal, with Alya explaining what she did and Marinette being relieved that Shadow Moth won't be going after her anymore. Alya confidently asks if she was smart and Marinette is happy to praise her, confirming it and stating that Alya is a real superhero and honestly? If the narrative wanted to marry Alya this badly, they should've just used some of the budget to buy a ring instead of projecting onto the other characters.

Then again, the apparent budget can't even afford a new hero model nor new akuma to a very noticeable degree, so I guess they're taking what they can get.

Alya praises Marinette as well for her work as PegaBug and they do a fistbump, thus ending the episode. There's also this ever-so-lovely post-episode scene with Gabriel and Nathalie where Gabriel laments the fact that Ladybug never makes mistakes which--I... has he even watched the series at all? Gabe, babe, Babriel Agreste, it's literally part of the show's formula that Marinette makes a mistake in every episode and she felt guilty like a minute ago over not yoinking your miraculouses when she had the chance, where have you been?

But, yeah, anyway, the episode.

Needless to say, not a fan. Like I said, the show seems so intent on immediately validating the choices they make with Alya in order to make her look like a better character. "Gang of Secrets" basically replaced her with someone different at the end of the episode, and the episode immediately afterwards in chronological order, "Mr. Pigeon 72," did everything it could to push Marinette out of her guardian position long enough for Alya to figure out the grimoire despite having zero onscreen experience with it, the episode even trapping Ladybug in a situation that forced Rena Rouge to come into play to validate that decision as well.

And now we have "SentiBubbler" here following immediately after "Optigami," desperate to reassure its audience that Alya is cool, smart, truthworthy, and that not needing to make a new model--sorry, I mean Alya continuing to have the fox--was a good decision. All the while, they continue pushing Alya's flaws under the rug [Note that it’s not even considered that Alya is even remotely at fault for Shadow Moth going after her specifically after her stunt in “Optigami” when no one else but Ladybug and Chat have ever given out a miraculous], hiding them instead of Alya actually acknowledging them, the only reason she did so in "Optigami" being the same as in "Gang of Secrets"; to make her look good while Marinette makes a big decision in their relationship.

The episode tries so hard to drill in this idea that Alya is a good friend who can be trusted, and I'm just not here for how much they try to hammer it in. Marinette's very real anxiety over Shadow Moth's power and ability to plan things is played off as her being silly instead of something to be concerned about, and instead of giving her a hug and trying to help her calm down - [clip from “Heart Hunter” of Luka hugging Marinette] I miss Luka - she's just told to trust and believe and hAVE fAiTh in Alya.

Shadow Moth is an adult; he has abilities that the teenage heroes don't. I'm not even saying that Marinette isn't overreacting [Basically, her concern about Shadow Moth is valid, especially after “Optigami” where her identity was almost found out], but she has anxiety and some obvious trauma over "Chat Blanc." I was already upset that Alya got a free pass to Marinette's identity, but the constant stressing over how much Marinette should trust her just doesn't affect me when I know Alya and I know the kind of stuff she's done that the show blatantly ignored in favor of pushing for her.

But okay, show, I'll give Alya the benefit of the doubt that she doesn't deserve. Let's say that she's turned a new leaf, and has become the reliable, trustworthy, and loyal partner that Marinette deserves. I'm sure that Alya has Marinette's back, and will never go behind said back in order to do something completely unsurprising and wholly indicative of the character I actually know her to be.

Especially not a mere three episodes later...

[chrislikesmonsters]

Armogohma — The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Several of the Zelda games features giant cycloptic arthropods called ‘Gohmas’ but their appearances change dramatically between titles. In Twilight Princess they are more spider-like, and the largest one is the Armogohma. It initially appears to be a massive armoured tarantula with a big eyeball set deep in its cephalothorax (protected by a pair of exoskeletal eyelids). It also has claws on the ends of its pedipalps (like a scorpion) and circuitry-like patterns of grooves on its exoskeleton. The Armogohma crawls around the ceiling of a dark chamber, firing beams at the player and laying eggs which hatch into small Gohmas.

When the monster’s armour is destroyed, a fun twist reveals that the ‘true’ Armogohma is a much smaller spider-like creature, and the giant ‘eye’ was really the back of its spherical abdomen.

[tarantula-therapy]

“disco spider” (typhochlaena costae)

this rare and unusual tarantula species was discovered in 2012 by miriam costa. typhochlaena species are tree-dwellers that nest underneath loose bark, constructing a trapdoor-like home as shown in the first image. both the males and females of this dwarf species are black with two rows of red spots on the abdomen. three specimens have been collected, one during an animal rescue project during a flood, one in a pit trap, and the third inside a container of fossils. not much is known about their natural history, but their relative typhochlaena seladonia is a gem in the hobby with spiderlings selling for large amounts.

images belong to c. andre (2017) and babelfish of arachnoboards

[booksneedcaffeinetoo]

BOOK REVIEW: The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi My rating: 5 of 5 stars

He taught him how to eat and how to hunger for things out of reach and how to steal without ever looking like you lack for something.

So Roshani originally said she wanted to write a book that was essentially National Treasure but with hotter people and all of the glamorous catastrophes of The Mummy.

THE GILDED WOLVES has the puzzle solving of National Treasure with the charming characters of The Mummy but this book is something else entirely.

I fucking adored it.

So what's this book about?

Basically, everyone is obsessed with rings.

Just kidding. Sort of.

Really it's a book about a group of teens who are on the hunt for artifacts and steal them. It's a ragtag team of misfits who already have an established group dynamic (which is rare in these types of group-themed adventure books) which was cool. They all have known each other for at least a year (besides Hypnos, buts he's special, okay), so the working dynamic, preferences, etc. are established. Some have know each other for many years. Any ways, I loved that aspect. But yeah, basically they steal stuff, do magic, solve puzzles, do treasure hunts, commit heists, investigate conspiracies, bake a lot of pastries, feed a tarantula, and try to win back one dude's title.

I have no idea ow to even shelve this book because it is historical fiction but also has magic but they call it science but it is hidden from society (sort of). Whatever the hell it is, it works.

Also this book has IMAGES. SO COOL. Mostly nerdy. But very cool.

So we are blessed with 4 main POVs:

Séverin:

My boy steals back objects that the rich stole from others?!? He finds treasure?! Damn. He really is a sexy, more charming Nicholas Cage. Also, the dude has purple eyes. What's not to love?! He steals stuff. Sometimes because it use to be his. Sometimes to give it back to its rightful owner, sometimes just for the thrill of it.

Acquiring was what he called his particular hobby. It sounded … aristocratic. Wholesome, even.

But also this:

“I don’t want to be their equal. I don’t want them to look us in the eye. I want them to look away, to blink harshly, as if they’ve stared at the sun itself. I don’t want them standing across from us. I want them kneeling.”

He's my favorite character of the book. I just want my boy to be happy.

Laila:

She can read the objects around her. I know that particular skill has a fancy name, I can't remember it. Regardless of what it is called, she does it. And it is cool AF. Also, my girl can BAKE. I'm jealous. I burn everything. Or someone manage to make cookies both burnt and underdone. Clearly Laila is a wizard.

Being loud in one life allowed her to be quiet in others.

My girl has a secret. Trust me, it's not what you're thinking. Also she's the total mom of the friend group. I love her.

Enrique:

What a nerd. A funny, attractive, bisexual nerd.

Enrique had always imagined what it would feel like to be a hero. This was not how he imagined it.

His relationship with Zofia and his banter with Hypnos gives me life. I love my nerdy boys.

Zofia:

A math wizard, loves fire and sugar cookies. I think she's written to be on the autism spectrum. I love my math geek.

When it came to socializing, Zofia had difficulty knowing the right moves. But fighting was different. It was all patterns, anticipation of the movement of muscle. That she could do.

Also, she's super smart and loves to set things on fire. Heh heh. I really like this chick.

With amazing supporting characters like:

Tristan:

Dude has a scary spider. When Roshani said on TwitterTristan is a gardener extraordinaire & also that little brother who says "LOOK WHAT I FOUND" and thrusts a bunch of writhing insects in your face while cooing at them. She wasn't kidding...

Tristan barged into the room, his hands outstretched. “Look! I thought Goliath was dying, but he’s fine. He just molted!” Enrique screamed. Laila scuttled backward on her chaise. Zofia leaned forward, inspecting the enormous tarantula in Tristan’s hands.

He loves plants and bugs and is an adorable child. The baby of the fam.

Hypnos:

Technically has a POV. But it's only one, so does that really count? Idk. My boy is funny. Charming. Not above blackmail.

"You’ll like working with me, I promise! I’m fabulous at parties, have excellent taste in menswear, et cetera, et cetera."

He's mostly drunk, very funny, and I love my gay fave.

What else do I love about this book?!?

The b a n t e r.

Exhibit A:

“Still waiting on my thanks, you know,” huffed Enrique. “It took me ages to research and assemble that.” “It would have taken less time if you didn’t antagonize Zofia.” “It’s inevitable. If I breathe, your engineer is prepared to launch warships.” “Then hold your breath.”

Exhibit B:

“You’re doing it again,” said Enrique. “What?” “That whole nefarious-whilst-looking-into-the-distance thing. What are you hiding, Séverin?” “Nothing.” “You and your secrets.” “Secrets keep my hair lustrous,” said Séverin, running his hand through his curls.

Exhibit C:

Enrique scowled as he held apart the bear’s jaws. “Remember when you said, ‘This will be fun’?” “Can this wait?” Séverin grunted through clenched teeth. “I suppose.”

Exhibit D:

Enrique being a total nerd geeking out about an artifact

“No need to seduce the thing,” cut in Séverin. “I’m appreciating it.” “You’re fondling it.” Enrique rolled his eyes. “It’s an authentic piece of history and should be savored.” “You might at least buy it dinner first,” said Séverin.

Exhibit E:

“Must you creep up on us like that? I didn’t even hear you come into the room!” “It’s part of my aesthetic.”

Exhibit F:

“What is taking that security guard so long?” Enrique grumbled. “He was supposed to be out by eight o’clock. It’s nearly nine.” “Maybe he doesn’t have a clock.” He stared at her. “Are you finally making a joke?” “I’m pointing out a gap in your observation.”

Exhibit G:

Zofia sat up straight, held his gaze, then did what she’d seen Laila do many times when she looked at Séverin—lift one corner of her mouth ever so slightly, but tilt her head down at the same time … wait, now she couldn’t see anything, oh, and Laila would sometimes lift up one shoulder— “What on earth are you doing?” “I am imitating patterns of flirtation.” “Wait. You’re flirting. With … me?” Zofia frowned. Why would he think that? She just said she was imitating the general strategy of others. “Maybe I have the methodology wrong. I also saw women do this. Better?” She relaxed her body. Then pretended there was something on her upper lip and licked it off with a slow swipe of her tongue. Enrique blinked rapidly then shook his head. Shaking one’s head meant no. Zofia shrugged and waved her hand. “I’ll practice later.” “You … don’t need much,” said Enrique, his voice pitched lower than usual. He wasn’t looking at her. She must have been terrible.

Honestly, the dialogue in this book is great. And the sexual tension between Laila and Séverin has me dead. I've never wanted two characters to be end game so badly before.

Also, shout out to Roshani for mixing the good and the bad parts of history. She mentions it in her Author's Note too, but this book doesn't shy away from our less savory parts of history.

Basically this book is amazing and deserves ALL THE STARS.

I am thirsting for the sequel.

Content Warnings:

violence, anti-Jewish remarks/bullying (towards main character, includes hate crime), mention of suicide (part two intro + chapter 38), slavery, colonization, child abuse, racism, murder, mentions of house fire that ended in death, torture, self-harm (mentioned earlier in book, shown briefly chapter 26), people zoo (because racism), drugging person without their consent, implied rape (via "sex" with slaves which result in children)

View all my reviews

[hogwartslessons-blog]

Potions| Friday. June 15th, 2018| Lesson Three: Arthropods as Ingredients

Perhaps to many of your chagrin, one of the most common phyla of animals used in our Potions is the phylum Arthropoda, or the arthropods. Insects(for example beetles or cockroaches), arachnids (spiders), and crustaceans (crabs or lobsters) are all examples of specific classes that make up the arthropods. Now although many of the ingredients we use from this phylum are simply mundane or magical, there are an overwhelming number of creatures that display transitional qualities. There is also a remarkable variance in the effects that these creatures can have on a Potion, from being vital to certain Potions for heart health to increasing vitality and energy. 

Scientists trace the beginning of the phylum  Arthropoda to sometime during what is called the Cambrian Explosionsometime between 570 and 530 million years ago. During this time, fossil evidence suggests an emergence of the major lineages of most life currently found on Earth. The species that appeared during this era were aquatic and most were relatively small in size. The compositions of these creatures are also typically simplistic. Major observable traits of arthropods - which can even be found in these early forms of life - include:

bilateral symmetry: if you cut them down the center from head to     tail, the left side would be a mirror image of the right

paired appendages: an even number of legs, claws, wings, or other     appendages that are paired

segmented composition

a hard exoskeleton:     this is typically made of a hard substance called chitin that     they shed throughout their lives as they grow

An example of one of these early arthropods, which of course predates Witches and Wizards and therefore has no known use in Potions, is the Sanctacaris, which exemplifies all of the physical attributes listed above.

The Sanctacaris’ name translates to mean “saintly crab,” and it is considered to be an ancestor to arthropods such as spiders and scorpions. Again, as the only evidence we have of these early arthropods is fossil evidence, it is impossible to say which of these creatures (if any) possessed elemental magic in any form, or whether living creatures did not yet possess magical ability. It is unlikely, owing to their simple composition, that they possessed any powerful magic. However, as our own understanding of the derivation of magic remains so scarce, it is impossible to say with absolute certainty.

Cockroaches

It is important to note that the name cockroach does not refer to a single species, but rather a group of insects that consists of over 4,600 species. The most commonly recognized species are the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) and the Oriental cockroach or waterbug (Blatta orientalis). Termites also belong to this same order of insect, and are in fact cockroaches that adapted to ingest wood. The earliest fossils from this order date back to between 354 and 295 million years ago, and evidence has been found of the modern cockroach living over 100 million years ago. Cockroaches survived the famous mass extinction of the dinosaurs, and for this longevity, it is often suggested that cockroaches are among the hardiest creatures on the planet.

Despite the negative connotation many current societies have with the cockroach, Healers all over the world have been using the insect in mundane remedies and magical Potions for over one thousand years. There is record of their magical medicinal use from Rome to Egypt to as far as China and Southeast Asia. As recently as the 19th century, Healers in New Orleans, Louisiana, where the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy is still often stretched just a little bit, used cockroach tea for medicinal purposes when treating both Magical and Non-Magical clients.

In the Magical world, the American cockroach is a valuable transitional ingredient in certain Potions that help treat and manage heart disease and other pulmonary issues. The Pacifying Potion, often used to treat trauma and anxiety attacks, also utilizes the magical properties of cockroaches in order to slow the heartbeat and calm pulmonary distress without causing drowsiness or other soporific effects. While the treat known as Cockroach Clusters is often mocked and used in pranking friends and relatives, it is thought that these sweets were initially created as a nutritious, more heart-healthy magical snack.

For Witches and Wizards who prefer to keep and harvest their own ingredients, the American cockroach is probably one of the easiest to maintain. Although it is possible to purchase cockroaches at your local apothecary, some Potioneers and Healers will keep a small colony in their home or Potions closet. The American cockroach is omnivorous, or capable of eating both meat and vegetables, and has been known to eat everything from glue to rotting vegetables to cheese, spoiled meat, and bread. They have been known to go up to a month without food, although this is not recommended or at all ethical if you are keeping your own colony of cockroaches.

Butterflies

For the purpose of this lesson, we are only talking about true butterflies, in contrast to skippers or moth-butterflies. Butterflies are certainly held in higher romantic esteem than cockroaches, and have long endured in Magical and Non-Magical culture as symbols of rebirth or continuity of the soul. This is greatly owing to their transition from caterpillar to butterfly.

One detail that is interesting to note is that lacewing flies, an important ingredient in the Polyjuice Potion undergo a transformation from larva to grown adult through the creation of a silk cocoon, which they use to protect themselves similarly as they transition to adulthood. It is thought that this transformative ability may have some latent magical quality to it that is integral to this Potion, with which the consumer undergoes a temporary transformation of appearance. However, lacewing flies are of a different order than butterflies, so the direct genetic connection is not as strong as between butterflies and moths, for example.

Wizards use both caterpillars and butterflies in Potions, interestingly for different purposes. Caterpillars are very useful in Potions and concoctions that shrink or eliminate blemishes, such as the Tolipan Blemish Blitzer. This may indicate that the magic they possess is somehow related to their immaturity and the fact that they are not yet fully adult. Caterpillars are also used in Potions that help to regrow hair as well as finger and toenails. These Potions are often consumed orally as well as applied to the region where hair or nail growth is desired. It is interesting that their potential for metamorphosis does not manifest in latent magical uses and qualities. In the creation of very early Potions similar to Polyjuice Potion, many Potioneers experimented with caterpillars, thinking that the potential to transition from caterpillar to butterfly would yield positive results in a Potion. However, to this day they have not been successful in creating a Potion to this effect.

Potioneers often use butterflies, meanwhile, particularly butterfly wings, in certain Potions that cause hallucinationsand a trancelike state. Some Magical beings claim that this trance helps them communicate more effectively with the Afterlife, although this has never been conclusively proven. What is known is that the magic within butterfly wings are capable of altering chemicals in the brain enough to create a temporary though intense magical hallucinatory state. Consuming Potions with butterfly wings can be dangerous, however: incorrect dosages or improper recipes can cause a permanent catatonic state or a permanent psychological break from reality

Arachnids

The class Arachnida is composed of arthropods that include the scorpion, spiders, ticks, and mites. Arachnids all have eight jointed legs, and almost all currently in existence are terrestrial, or live on land. 

While spiders are known to be venomous, one interesting thing to note about spider venom is that the toxins within the venom vary spider to spider. This variation causes certain spider venom to harm living creatures differently than another species’ venom. For example, the funnel-web spider of Australia’s venom has one toxin in its venom so specific, the only things harmed by it are humans, baby rats, monkeys, and fruit flies. Even adult rats are not impacted by this chemical: only the infant and immature rats. There are also spiders that, while their venom may not be immediately fatal to humans, have toxins that cause tissues to dissolve and break down after the bite has been administered.

One of the most common phobias among both Non-Magical and Magical beings is what is known as Arachnophobia, or the fear of spiders and creatures that resemble spiders. Studies have shown that up to 50% of women and 10% of men show signs of at least mild phobic responses to spiders. When considering the above information about spider venom, it may not be an entirely irrational fear at all: some hypothesize that this phobia developed as an early survival mechanism for humans, given the fatality of many spider bites even to fully adult humans.

In the Magical world, Potioneers and Healers mostly use spiders of the suborder Araneomorphae when brewing Potions. These are the typical, smaller spiders one usually sees in the home, in contrast to the Mygalomorphae, which includes tarantulas. Those of this suborder have fangs that point directly at one another, in contrast to tarantulas, whose fangs point more downwards. These spiders are typically used in Confidence Potions, although they are not an ingredient in Felix Felicis or other Luck Potions. Spiders are also used in their more mundane state to enhance certain magical poisons, though interestingly, they are also often used in the antidotes to those same poisons. One interesting thing to note about this is that spiders are not necessarily immune to their own venom, which means that it is not a magical transference of immunity when spiders are used in these antidotes.

[bpod-bpod]

Spinning Spider Proteins

Tarantula spider proteins have helped scientists to understand for the first time how genetic changes in heart muscle cause different forms of cardiomyopathy, one of the most common causes of heart failure and sudden death in otherwise healthy young people. At first glance, hairy eight-legged spiders appear to have little in common with people. But some of the proteins that make up a spider’s muscles are similar to those in our own bodies, including our hearts. Researchers chose to study spider proteins because it allowed them to explore their 3D structure and how they interact with their neighbours in much greater detail than is possible with human models. They focused on the muscle protein myosin. Here, different parts of myosin are shown in different colours. Coloured dots indicate mutations that block it from interacting with other proteins, which in turn stops the heart from relaxing, and can cause cardiomyopathy.

Read more on this story here.

Written by Deborah Oakley

Image/video from work by Lorenzo Alamo, James S. Ware Christine E. Seidman and Raúl Padrón

MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London; Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA

Image originally published under a Creative Commons Licence (BY 4.0)

Published in eLife, June 2017

You can also follow BPoD on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook

[musiccosmosru]

July 21, 2018 4:12 pm

By Nadia Vella

The tarantula is a spellbinding and powerful spider. Its presence is one that is known to inspire fear and danger. This is due partly in exchange of an unknown understanding of the species. Perhaps it’s through simple appearance, or the myths, which causes this hysteria. The truth is that more people die a year from bee stings than from a tarantula bite and those who do, have allergies.

Tarantulas are part of the family of spiders called Hairy Mygalomorphs. This means it is of various large hairy spiders mostly of the family Theraphosidae. Like other Arachnida, a tarantula’s body comprises two main parts; the prosoma (or cephalothorax) and the opisthosoma (or abdomen). The prosoma and opisthosoma are connected by the pedicel, or pregenital somite. This waist-like connecting piece is actually part of the prosoma and gives the opisthosoma a wide range of motion relative to the prosoma.

A large wolf spider (Lycosa tarentula) of southern Europe,was once thought to cause tarantism. Taranto is also the origin of the common name of the Tarantula spider family, Theraphosidae, … Taranto (Italian pronunciation: [ˈta��ranto] and Italian: Tarento from Latin: Tarentum;Tarantino: Tarde; Ancient Greek: Τάρᾱς, translit. Tárās; Modern Greek: Τάραντας, translit. Tárantas) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. This folklore arose in the 14th century around the Lycosid spider, Lycosa tarantula, in the area of Taranto in Southern Italy.

Old Mother Tarantula

The Navajo used to live in what is now known as the Canyon de Chelly National Park, this contains an amazing monolith of rock 800 feet high known as ‘Spider Rock’. This rock according to Navajo legends was the home of ‘Old Mother Tarantula’ or ‘Spider Woman’.

The spider is a fascinating beauty, which has captivated humankind for many years. There are the new world species and the old world ones, (differing by the place of origin, not age) which are mainly of what the legends seem to have been written about. Tarantula is known in many cultural circles to speak on the cycles of life and death and its glorious resurrection in their art and weaving, their walk and graceful style.

Perhaps to many, the truth is too much to handle. For the power of the tarantula is widely recognized as a fragile gift. For the tarantula is a vulnerable creature, with a lot to lose. With reports of over 800 different species, there is much to learn. Let us listen to the movement of the past…

Arachnophobia

Most will find themselves in fear of this creature. It may be the way they are portrayed, as symbols of the unknown and pure times. Is the ancient D.N.A. lagging behind so bad that we cannot evolve to realize the harmless nature of the spider? Instead of appreciating the night dancers, we reach out and instinctively we want to kill it. Maybe millennia ago, our genes had not the immunities to withstand the bites. Yet, no one will die from its bites, unless they have allergies.

Perhaps these allergies signal a clue to the past that the genes are not changing like we thought they would or maybe you will find yourself like me; an arachnophile. I love and respect this angelic being like common sense tells me too.

I reach out into the soul of the spider and I receive a reply. My dreams and emotions are filled with an awakening of information, which summons the goddess within me, who finds power in every moment. I envision a safe exchange of energy, where we can meet as one being, called life and connect in a balance of magic.

Arachne the Weaver

Arachne is a skilled seamstress in ancient Greek legends. She becomes so great at her craft that she is often found bragging and boasting about her accomplishments and talent. She becomes so arrogant that she spites the God’s themselves by weaving an intricate tapestry depicting them in the worst light. They were corrupted, drunk and useless in the scenes.

Athena, a highly praised goddess was widely known as a master at weaving and pottery. Arachne herself had closely studied her, in order to learn her techniques. She did her best to compete with this immortal. Unfortunately, Athena is a very powerful and clever deity not to be surpassed. She humbled Arachne by destroying everything she had worked for.

In her pride, Arachne wove a rope, with which to hang herself. She could not bear the humiliation that the goddess had publicly put on display. As she hung herself, Athena turned her into a spider and the rope into a web. Therefore, she could forever weave in her dishonor…

Dreams

The dream tarantula may also symbolize the “dark” side of your personality or predict poor health or a disappointing love affair. A spider (tarantula) dream usually symbolizes someone in your waking life who is sneaky and cruel. It could also represent someone who is smothering you.

Below, I want to share with you my dream that came to me before I acquired tarantulas of my own. It is a beautiful dream and one which left me feeling very connected with this creature. If you have any tarantula dreams, it could mean many things!

Tarantulas are an omen of bad luck. Usually they foretell a betrayal, an enemy, or a misfortune. However, this all depends on what it represents to you. For example, they have inspired me with their beauty and mystery.

2/4/2018

Tarantula

A couch covered in a metallic gold paint, sprawls flat and wide alongside the walls of a redone basement. It has pillows on it which are covered in chainmail and rectangular shaped. The wall is painted a creamy coppery white tone. There is a table built into the wall that is slim. It sits across the top of the couch. The board is copper painted wood. On this lays a few books, green and silver tones. Then at the top is a red painted vase shaped basket with tiny holes in the design.

My feet are in the air and I have on white socks and black silk pajama pants. My head is resting in the arm of the couch but, I can feel how my feet are entwined with another person with a male energy on the other side. I do not see this person. It does not seem to be someone that I know.

As I start to peek open my eyes I sit silently in fear as I see a tarantula’s leg wiggling out slowly from the holes in the basket. The bottoms of its feet are dipped in gold and a bright red color patterns in between a tone of deep brown. I can smell forest everywhere in my dream like wet pine and Earth mixed with cedar when it emerges.

I study for a moment and then I start to lightly kick my partner. I don’t wake him up too much but, just enough for him to start becoming aware. By then, the spider has completely escaped and it is very large. Its body is chocolate colored. It is at least a foot wide and tall. It is so beautiful and powerful and we stare at each other until it backs away and disappears into the house somewhere.

Spirit Animals

As a spirit animal, the tarantula symbolizes feminine energy and creativity. In Ancient Egypt, the spider was used as a symbol to represent the goddess of the Divine Mother, Neith. She was the patroness of the city of Sais, in the Nile River delta. Neith was worshipped as early as predynastic times (c. 3000 bce), and several queens of the 1st dynasty (c. 2925–2775 bce) were named in her honor.

Her principal emblem was a pair of crossed arrows shown against the background of a leather shield. Another was a bow case, which she was depicted wearing on her head, in place of a crown. She is an archetype for female empowerment. A tarantula is a force to be reckoned with.

Many representations are found throughout the world. However, because of the poor connection between people and spiders, the descriptions are often vague, misrepresented or misunderstood. The spider has long been feared because of the unknown qualities of the many species.

Myth & Art

The legendary Nazca lines in the desert of southern Peru contain arachnid imagery. The series of geoglyphs depict straight lines and giant creatures and were created between 400 and 650 AD. The largest image spans over 660 feeet across. One of the geoglyph creatures is a giant, symmetrical, eight-legged spider.

Patti Wigington writes in About Religion, “In several cultures, spiders are credited with saving the lives of great leaders. In the Torah, there is a story of David, who would later become King of Israel, being pursued by soldiers sent by King Saul. David hid in a cave, and a spider crawled in and built a huge web across the entrance. When the soldiers saw the cave, they didn’t bother to search it – after all, no one could be hiding inside it if the spider web was undisturbed. A parallel story appears in the life of the prophet Mohammed, who hid in a cave when fleeing his enemies. A giant tree sprouted in front of the cave, and a spider built a web between the cave and the tree, with similar results.”

In Japan the Spider Princess, a mythological spider figure called Jorōgumo, is able to transform into a seductive woman who entraps travelling samurai. The Spider Princess has many names, such as “binding bride” or “prostitute spider”. Jorōgumo morphs into a beautiful woman to beguile warriors into marrying her. Sometimes the Spider Princess appears to carry a baby, which turns out to be her egg-sack.

In Germany and Ukraine, it is tradition to include spiders and webs in Christmas tree decorations, due to the association between tinsel decorations and the spider web strands. The spider is a secret and hidden force, which drives many spiritual ideas.

Rock art and bark paintings in Australia reveal that the indigenous cultures created spider symbols. Spiders in their webs are linked with a sacred rock and ceremony for the Rembarrnga people in central Arnhem Land. Several regional clans use spider totems in rituals.

Spiderwebs & History

Uttu, the ancient Sumerian goddess of weaving, was envisioned as a spider spinning her web. According to the myth of Enki and Ninsikila, she was the daughter of the water god Enki. After being warned by Enki’s wife Ninhursag that he would attempt to seduce her, Uttu ensconced herself inside her web and agreed to let Enki in after he promised to marry her and give her fresh produce as a marriage gift. After giving Uttu the produce, Enki intoxicated her with beer and raped her.

Ninhursag heard Uttu’s screams and rescued her, removing Enki’s seed from her and planting it in the ground to produce eight previously-nonexistent plants.[Wikipedia] Spider tales are stories that were brought over from Africa and told to children of Maroon people.A spider is depicted on a shell gorget by the Stone Grave people, from a mound on Fain’s Island, Tennessee. Ancient Moche people of Peru depict spiders in their art, such as this Larco Museum ceramic, ca. 300 CE.

North American cultures have traditionally depicted spiders. The Native American Lakota people’s oral tradition also includes a spider-trickster figure, which is known by several names. As chronicled in the legend of The “Wasna” (Pemmican) Man and the Unktomi (Spider).

The evolution of spiders has been going on for at least 380 million years, since the first true spiders (thin-waisted arachnids) evolved from crab-like chelicerate ancestors. They will continue to evolve and surprise us in the future as well. Many times over, they have shared this world with other creatures, before humankind and beyond time.

Legends of the Tarantula

The tarantula is a supernatural force to believe in. A misguided world has taught us to fear that which we do not understand. Perhaps we can rise to the occasion and respect our Earth by treating the spiders how they should be. They resided on this planet first, anyhow.

Let the Legends of the tarantula guide you in soul and soil. Do not be afraid to acknowledge their existence and love. They do not seek to destroy anyone. They only wish to survive and be with us on this planet.

Let your heart turn to the secrets of the other world and be freshly renewed with divine resonance and circumstance of a truer condition which exists in nature; perseverance and concordance with the world and all her power.

May you never be forsaken by the darkness of a stigma. I hope that your days fill up with the lessons of spider and that in the night; your dreams carry you to a place where you can be one with this magical animal. I hope all that care for this being are blessed eternally and with great fortune. An intelligent subject, you who holds the gift of fire from primordial times in your hands. You who seeks out the purity of knowledge forever. May we become connected together, entwined in the mighty web of new technology…

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[ongames]

Scientists Have Found A Strikingly Effective Way To Help You Get Over Your Phobias

There’s plenty of psychological research to back up the idea that facing a phobia can be the best way to get over it. But all the evidence in the world doesn’t necessarily make it easier to cozy up to, say, the spider that causes your pulse to quicken. 

Researchers may have found something that helps: a computer program that very quickly flashes images of whatever it is that freaks you out. While the images go by so fast that you don’t consciously recognize what you’re seeing, your brain processes the pictures and becomes slightly less afraid. 

Researchers first tested the treatment on people who feared spiders and people with social anxieties. In both cases, individuals reported being less afraid and more able to face their fears afterward. The people who trembled at spiders could more easily approach a live tarantula and those with social anxieties were less likely to avoid intimidating social situations.

Now a new study from the same researchers used MRI scans to look at how the treatment ― which they call “very brief exposure” or VBE ― actually affects the brain.

The brain scans showed that even though people could not consciously recognize the flashing images, the part of the brain that controls their response to fear was actively processing the images. In other words, their subconscious was handling what frightened them, without actually frightening them. 

“When people were less aware of the pictures, their brains processed [them] significantly more,” said study author Paul Siegel, associate professor of psychology at Purchase College of the State University of New York.

The researchers are excited about the VBE technique because it may be able to help people with a wide range of fears, perhaps even post-traumatic stress disorder, Siegel said.

As long as you can take a good picture that captures someone’s fears, you can use this technique. Study author Paul Siegel

One of the challenges in treating people with PTSD is that many of them have endured such severe trauma that they can’t bear the idea of consciously facing those images again and they chose to avoid treatment. VBE won’t necessarily cure those individuals, Siegel said.

“But it may reduce fear enough to help [those individuals] enough to get other treatment,” he said.

“As long as you can take a good picture that captures someone’s fears,” Siegel said, “you can use this technique.”

You don’t recognize your fear but your brain does

The latest study tested the technique on 21 women who reported being afraid of spiders and also met psychiatric diagnostic criteria for a phobia of spiders. The researchers then observed what happened when the women were asked to gradually approach a live tarantula. (The study also included 21 women who were not afraid of spiders as a control group.)

The researchers used only women in this study to ensure that gender differences did not skew the results, Siegel said. The brains of women work differently than those of men, physiologically speaking, he explained ― “particularly with respect to emotion and how the brain processes emotion.”

The women were placed in an MRI scanner and shown a series of photos of spiders. Each spider picture was flashed for just 0.03 seconds and then immediately alternated with an image of a series of X’s. This “masking image” prevented the subjects from consciously recognizing the spiders.

In a second phase of the experiment, the photos were shown long enough so that the women could clearly recognize what the images depicted.

When a subject viewed the flashing images of the spiders, there was more activity in the subcortical regions of the brain ― the part known to be involved in controlling our responses to what we fear, Siegel explained. With presumably greater control of her emotions, the woman could more easily face her fear. 

But when the images of the spiders were shown slowly enough for the women to recognize the creepy creatures, activity in that area of the brain that controls fear responses slowed down.

“This suggests that phobic people may be better able to confront their fear if at first they are not consciously aware that they have faced them,” Siegel said.

After coming out of the MRI scanners, the women did not report experiencing more fear during the treatment, when the images were flashed very quickly. Some said it was even relaxing. But they did report feeling afraid when the images were shown slowly enough to be recognizable.

The researchers repeated the experiment with a third series of photos ― this time with images of flowers that flashed very quickly, interspersed with the masking images. On average, the women’s fear ratings ― as they reported and as their brain activity recorded by the MRI showed ― were similar whether the rapidly flashing images were spiders or flowers. Which is to say, the women weren’t particularly afraid during the VBE treatment.

It’s not that the treatment cures you of the fear, Siegel made very clear. “But it appears to treat a certain unconscious dimension of the fear that will make it easier for you to confront what you’re actually afraid of,” he said.

Additional studies are currently in the works to test the treatment in people with PTSD, social anxiety and other fears.

This reporting is brought to you by HuffPost’s health and science platform, The Scope. Like us on Facebook and Twitter and tell us your story: scopestories@huffingtonpost.com.  

  Sarah DiGiulio is The Huffington Post’s sleep reporter. You can contact her at sarah.digiulio@huffingtonpost.com. 

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Scientists Have Found A Strikingly Effective Way To Help You Get Over Your Phobias published first on http://ift.tt/2lnpciY

[yes-dal456]

Scientists Have Found A Strikingly Effective Way To Help You Get Over Your Phobias

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There’s plenty of psychological research to back up the idea that facing a phobia can be the best way to get over it. But all the evidence in the world doesn’t necessarily make it easier to cozy up to, say, the spider that causes your pulse to quicken. 

Researchers may have found something that helps: a computer program that very quickly flashes images of whatever it is that freaks you out. While the images go by so fast that you don’t consciously recognize what you’re seeing, your brain processes the pictures and becomes slightly less afraid. 

Researchers first tested the treatment on people who feared spiders and people with social anxieties. In both cases, individuals reported being less afraid and more able to face their fears afterward. The people who trembled at spiders could more easily approach a live tarantula and those with social anxieties were less likely to avoid intimidating social situations.

Now a new study from the same researchers used MRI scans to look at how the treatment ― which they call “very brief exposure” or VBE ― actually affects the brain.

The brain scans showed that even though people could not consciously recognize the flashing images, the part of the brain that controls their response to fear was actively processing the images. In other words, their subconscious was handling what frightened them, without actually frightening them. 

“When people were less aware of the pictures, their brains processed [them] significantly more,” said study author Paul Siegel, associate professor of psychology at Purchase College of the State University of New York.

The researchers are excited about the VBE technique because it may be able to help people with a wide range of fears, perhaps even post-traumatic stress disorder, Siegel said.

As long as you can take a good picture that captures someone’s fears, you can use this technique. Study author Paul Siegel

One of the challenges in treating people with PTSD is that many of them have endured such severe trauma that they can’t bear the idea of consciously facing those images again and they chose to avoid treatment. VBE won’t necessarily cure those individuals, Siegel said.

“But it may reduce fear enough to help [those individuals] enough to get other treatment,” he said.

“As long as you can take a good picture that captures someone’s fears,” Siegel said, “you can use this technique.”

You don’t recognize your fear but your brain does

The latest study tested the technique on 21 women who reported being afraid of spiders and also met psychiatric diagnostic criteria for a phobia of spiders. The researchers then observed what happened when the women were asked to gradually approach a live tarantula. (The study also included 21 women who were not afraid of spiders as a control group.)

The researchers used only women in this study to ensure that gender differences did not skew the results, Siegel said. The brains of women work differently than those of men, physiologically speaking, he explained ― “particularly with respect to emotion and how the brain processes emotion.”

The women were placed in an MRI scanner and shown a series of photos of spiders. Each spider picture was flashed for just 0.03 seconds and then immediately alternated with an image of a series of X’s. This “masking image” prevented the subjects from consciously recognizing the spiders.

In a second phase of the experiment, the photos were shown long enough so that the women could clearly recognize what the images depicted.

When a subject viewed the flashing images of the spiders, there was more activity in the subcortical regions of the brain ― the part known to be involved in controlling our responses to what we fear, Siegel explained. With presumably greater control of her emotions, the woman could more easily face her fear. 

But when the images of the spiders were shown slowly enough for the women to recognize the creepy creatures, activity in that area of the brain that controls fear responses slowed down.

“This suggests that phobic people may be better able to confront their fear if at first they are not consciously aware that they have faced them,” Siegel said.

After coming out of the MRI scanners, the women did not report experiencing more fear during the treatment, when the images were flashed very quickly. Some said it was even relaxing. But they did report feeling afraid when the images were shown slowly enough to be recognizable.

The researchers repeated the experiment with a third series of photos ― this time with images of flowers that flashed very quickly, interspersed with the masking images. On average, the women’s fear ratings ― as they reported and as their brain activity recorded by the MRI showed ― were similar whether the rapidly flashing images were spiders or flowers. Which is to say, the women weren’t particularly afraid during the VBE treatment.

It’s not that the treatment cures you of the fear, Siegel made very clear. “But it appears to treat a certain unconscious dimension of the fear that will make it easier for you to confront what you’re actually afraid of,” he said.

Additional studies are currently in the works to test the treatment in people with PTSD, social anxiety and other fears.

This reporting is brought to you by HuffPost’s health and science platform, The Scope. Like us on Facebook and Twitter and tell us your story: scopestories@huffingtonpost.com.  

  Sarah DiGiulio is The Huffington Post’s sleep reporter. You can contact her at sarah.digiulio@huffingtonpost.com. 

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

from http://ift.tt/2nfFzAf from Blogger http://ift.tt/2n0mAbv

[imreviewblog]

Scientists Have Found A Strikingly Effective Way To Help You Get Over Your Phobias

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There’s plenty of psychological research to back up the idea that facing a phobia can be the best way to get over it. But all the evidence in the world doesn’t necessarily make it easier to cozy up to, say, the spider that causes your pulse to quicken. 

Researchers may have found something that helps: a computer program that very quickly flashes images of whatever it is that freaks you out. While the images go by so fast that you don’t consciously recognize what you’re seeing, your brain processes the pictures and becomes slightly less afraid. 

Researchers first tested the treatment on people who feared spiders and people with social anxieties. In both cases, individuals reported being less afraid and more able to face their fears afterward. The people who trembled at spiders could more easily approach a live tarantula and those with social anxieties were less likely to avoid intimidating social situations.

Now a new study from the same researchers used MRI scans to look at how the treatment ― which they call “very brief exposure” or VBE ― actually affects the brain.

The brain scans showed that even though people could not consciously recognize the flashing images, the part of the brain that controls their response to fear was actively processing the images. In other words, their subconscious was handling what frightened them, without actually frightening them. 

“When people were less aware of the pictures, their brains processed [them] significantly more,” said study author Paul Siegel, associate professor of psychology at Purchase College of the State University of New York.

The researchers are excited about the VBE technique because it may be able to help people with a wide range of fears, perhaps even post-traumatic stress disorder, Siegel said.

As long as you can take a good picture that captures someone’s fears, you can use this technique. Study author Paul Siegel

One of the challenges in treating people with PTSD is that many of them have endured such severe trauma that they can’t bear the idea of consciously facing those images again and they chose to avoid treatment. VBE won’t necessarily cure those individuals, Siegel said.

“But it may reduce fear enough to help [those individuals] enough to get other treatment,” he said.

“As long as you can take a good picture that captures someone’s fears,” Siegel said, “you can use this technique.”

You don’t recognize your fear but your brain does

The latest study tested the technique on 21 women who reported being afraid of spiders and also met psychiatric diagnostic criteria for a phobia of spiders. The researchers then observed what happened when the women were asked to gradually approach a live tarantula. (The study also included 21 women who were not afraid of spiders as a control group.)

The researchers used only women in this study to ensure that gender differences did not skew the results, Siegel said. The brains of women work differently than those of men, physiologically speaking, he explained ― “particularly with respect to emotion and how the brain processes emotion.”

The women were placed in an MRI scanner and shown a series of photos of spiders. Each spider picture was flashed for just 0.03 seconds and then immediately alternated with an image of a series of X’s. This “masking image” prevented the subjects from consciously recognizing the spiders.

In a second phase of the experiment, the photos were shown long enough so that the women could clearly recognize what the images depicted.

When a subject viewed the flashing images of the spiders, there was more activity in the subcortical regions of the brain ― the part known to be involved in controlling our responses to what we fear, Siegel explained. With presumably greater control of her emotions, the woman could more easily face her fear. 

But when the images of the spiders were shown slowly enough for the women to recognize the creepy creatures, activity in that area of the brain that controls fear responses slowed down.

“This suggests that phobic people may be better able to confront their fear if at first they are not consciously aware that they have faced them,” Siegel said.

After coming out of the MRI scanners, the women did not report experiencing more fear during the treatment, when the images were flashed very quickly. Some said it was even relaxing. But they did report feeling afraid when the images were shown slowly enough to be recognizable.

The researchers repeated the experiment with a third series of photos ― this time with images of flowers that flashed very quickly, interspersed with the masking images. On average, the women’s fear ratings ― as they reported and as their brain activity recorded by the MRI showed ― were similar whether the rapidly flashing images were spiders or flowers. Which is to say, the women weren’t particularly afraid during the VBE treatment.

It’s not that the treatment cures you of the fear, Siegel made very clear. “But it appears to treat a certain unconscious dimension of the fear that will make it easier for you to confront what you’re actually afraid of,” he said.

Additional studies are currently in the works to test the treatment in people with PTSD, social anxiety and other fears.

This reporting is brought to you by HuffPost’s health and science platform, The Scope. Like us on Facebook and Twitter and tell us your story: scopestories@huffingtonpost.com.  

  Sarah DiGiulio is The Huffington Post’s sleep reporter. You can contact her at sarah.digiulio@huffingtonpost.com. 

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

from Healthy Living - The Huffington Post http://huff.to/2n06b6w

[describe-things]

[ID: Eleven images, each showing a different original fantasy monster design, labeled Febestiary with the day, and a bullet point list of traits with a drawing.

Day 1: Cosmic Clam: Bivalve, asymetrical, cosmos, cool, herds, saber teeth, monogamous.

The cosmic clams are drawn flying through a starscale, with deep blue shells on one side and a spike for a tail, with soft pale flesh on the other side like an oyster.

Day 1: Mind Magma Money: primate, tripedal, lava beds, low effort, mind control, diurnal, scavenger.

The mind magma monkey has three legs and two arms, with dark fur striped with cream on the arms and legs and above the pink face. It holds a bone in one hand, with lines of green going from its head to the heads of stick figures with swirly eyes, showing they are brainwashed into doing the money's bidding, one of them offering it energy. The background is black rock and lava.

Day 2: Diplopoltus: Dolpocaulus, hexapedal, tir na nog, minimalist, strong smell, spectral, levitation.

The Diplopoltus is shown as a long, blue and white spectral creature with a curved head like a hammerhead shark, and six short legs with three toes. It has four clusters of whiskers on its head, and blank white eyes with slits for a nose. It floats over a fantastic blue field at night the stars covering the sky.

Day 2: David Bowfish: Walleye, bipedal, cosmos, low effort, telekenesis, supersonic roars, bright colors.

The David Blowfish is drawn as a bipedal fish standing on the surface of the moon. It has two fins on its back, one blue, one green, a dark green fin on its tail and matching duck-like feet, red legs and belly, and a body white on the face with a stripe of red around the eye, a thick black band in the center, and the end striped white and green. It telekinetically holds a walkie taklie and has its mouth open, calling into it.

Day 3: Voltacuda: Barracuda, hexapedal, digital, skeleton, venemous bite, scavenger, elemental kinesis.

The Voltacuda is drawn as the skeleton of a barracuda in a digital grid world, with cables sparking with blue electricity ectending from the head, tail, and fins.

Day 4: Digitulas: Tarantula, quadrupedal, nightmares, creepy, nocturnal, sexual dimorphism, hibernation.

There are two digitulas, shrouded behind hazy darkness making them very hard to see, with their six front eyes the easiest thing to see, white-ish with pupils that seem dark red. One is shorter and closer to the ground, the other is much taller, with long hair partially obscuring its eyes. Aside from vague outlines of spider-like limbs and bodies, nothing else can be seen clearly.

Day 5: Proffo Pelican: Pelican, hexapedal, jungles, cutesy, burrowing, eusocial, strong vision.

The Proffo pelican is drawn sitting, with a bird body that is mostly grey-tan, with darker brown on the head, belly, and tail. It has four dark webbed feet, a fan-shaped tail with a center white feather, and the others dark brown with an orange and red-shaped base. The belly is striped with dotted lines of white. Its wing is tan-grey with white tips, and folded. It has a long tall neck, with a yellow face, a round eye, and a pale orange beak that is red at the base, with a large, striped, red, orange, and pale orange pouch below the beak that is puffed up. Atop the head is a small swirl of white, and smaller white "whiskers" on the cheek. The eye has a white line like a cheetah trailing down.

Day 6: Flying Frankfarter: Canine, limbless, clouds, cool, clairvoyance, poison secretions, migration.

The Flying Frankfarter is drawn as a dark brown hotdot with the head of a dog wearing sunglasses, with yellow stripes along the back in loops, and the top of the head like mustard. It has no limbs except for a short fluffy tail. It farts out fire as it flies through the sky like a missile, with a compass in a thought bubble over its head to show it knows where it's going.

Day 7: Soaring Sea Sloth: Sloth, Aquatic, Islands, Ancient, undead, levitation, healing powers.

The Soaring Sea Sloth is drawn in a stylized form with a long head, two large paws or hands off to either side above and below, tipped with three long claws, a long body, and a tail that seems like backlegs used together, with three claw sets on either side. It has a row of dots along the neck and body, and two dots above each paw. The center of the body has five asymetrical partial rings around it like ribs. There is an overlay like smoke or an old map.

Day 8: Mantid Mast: Mantis, many-limbed, underworld, goofy, time travel, camoflage, immortality. The Mantis Mast is drawn as a swimming praying mantis with large cartoony eyes, and a body that is brown and shaped like a canoe, with the legs disguised as oars, ending in duck-like feet below the water. Semi-transparent swirls of ghosts perch on its back as they are ferried down the river, with one swimming besides it. The Mantid Mast has a watch around its neck like a collar or necklace.

Day 8: Cnitaurian: Cnidarian, centaurian, oceans, scary cute, elemental kinesis, chromatophores, strong vision. The Cnitaurian is drawn as a jelly-fish like creature that is partly transparent, with other parts lit up bright blue, red, purple, and yellow. It has a head like structure with two whit eyes, a shoulder structure like the bell of a jellyfish, and a lower body as another bell, appearing shaped like a centaur, with tentacles forming arms and legs. The inside shows all the connections of the tentacles, and small flecks of white like stars.

End ID.]

FEBESTIARY 2024

Throughout all of February, I did an art challenge I called Febestiary! The idea is simple: make 5 diff picker wheels of different prompts based on various animal species, body types, biomes, art styles, and unique traits. Then, smack 'em all together! This is the result of my month-long artistic pursuit :3

Oh also, I waive all rights to these creature designs, and release them under the CC0 license. No rights reserved.