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ordinaryschmuck · 11 months ago

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Quick Thoughts on the first two episodes of the Percy Jackson TV Show

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the original book series, changed my life.

I know that I've said that with The Owl House, which rains true for the present day. But Percy Jackson is a book series that pretty much formed my love and style for story telling. Back when my fifth grade teacher read this to my class, she not only introduced me to a great book series but to a type of fiction that I didn't know I needed. Stories that managed to find that perfect balance of epic adventures, heart-tugging drama, and hilarious comedy. For years, I've been seeking out books that scratch the same itch Percy Jackson did, but never really found anything beyond Rick Riordan's other work. On top of that, the series formed my style of story telling. Did you pick up my level of snark in my fan fiction? The way I manage to form dialogue? You want to know what book series inspired all of that? Percy Jackson did, and I owe everything to it.

So when Disney+ announced that there was going to be a TV show, one that followed the books and had Riordan himself being closely involved with it, I was excited...but a little cautiously optimistic. It was great news that the series would follow the books, but as a Disney+ original? With other Disney+ original content ranging from mediocre to bad aside from a few exceptions? Yeah, I...didn't have faith in this, and the faith became weakened when I heard the show was going to be in live-action. Call me an animation shill, but I always felt like animation was the perfect medium for Percy Jackson, what with the insanity that the series goes through and the ideas that need to be conveyed in ways live-action couldn't. Just imagine something like The Owl House or even Avatar: The Last Airbender's style for Percy Jackson. It would have been GREAT.

Still, I didn't want to be all doom and gloom. I wanted to give this show a chance, even if it didn't follow the story EXACTLY or fit with the animated show I kept in my head for years. I would be open minded and see if it was still a good show regardless, and if these first two episodes are anything to go by, it might be...sort of.

In terms of the characters, everyone is on point. I buy that a lot of these actors are the characters they're portraying, and everyone nails the right amount of energy. Especially Walker Scobell, who IS Percy Jackson. There's SOME awkwardness because, you know...child actor. But when it comes to the sass, angst, and occasional stupidity of the character, the boy does great at the job and will hopefully improve as the years/seasons go by.

As for the action, it's pretty well-choreographed and epic. The Minotaur fight especially looked cool and surprisingly NOT hindered too badly by relying on CGI. It looks good enough where I can believe it, even if it's very obviously a CGI bull.

And then the comedy. THANK THE GODS for the comedy staying in tact. It was a big part of what drew me in with the books because while it can break my heart with drama or leave it pumping with action, it can be pretty funny a lot of the time. Just look at the chapter titles. They're full of sass and jokes, and it's important to keep that energy when adapting it. The show does a great job doing so while adding a few jokes of its own that feels like it would have fit in well with the books. I don't THINK Mr. D tried to make Percy think he was his father so Percy would get Mr. D some cheap booze was in the books...but dammit, it would fit PERFECTLY.

So, overall, I'd say this show definitely nails the energy of the books, being intense and comedic with the actors doing a great job at portraying the characters. However, while the show understands the energy, it kind of crumbles when it comes to telling the story.

Firstly, there ARE some changes. It's to be expected, because if I wanted every single bit from the book exactly as they were...I would have just read the frickin' book. I don't need all the exact details and I'm fine with writers taking liberties for the sake of making an adaptation standing out on its own. And no, I'm not tearing my hair out over the characters being a different race or Percy being blonde. As long as the actors still feel like the characters, which they do, there's nothing to worry about. But there are some narrative changes that I can't help but question. And, yeah, this is going to be SLIGHTLY spoilery, so be warned that if you haven't checked out the show yet, this is your last chance to skip ahead to the bottom.

Now, there are changes that I like. I like that they introduced Mythomagic early. It's a little detail, but it's a nice one to add and could maybe give Percy something to bond with Nico a bit when we finally get there. I also don't mind Sally giving Gabe that East Coast sass, making her more willing to stand up to his crappy behavior. It takes the punch out of the tragedy of her being stuck with him, but it's great to see Sally stand up for herself and it still works in showing that it's a situation she doesn't want to be in. But then there are...questionable changes. Like Chiron giving Percy Riptide when he broke his pencil. Like...No. The dumbass kid would have uncapped it immediately. NO.

Also, was that Grover's girlfriend? I mean, it's kind of cute on paper to introduce Grover's girlfriend this early, but the actress is VERY MUCH older than our baby-boy playing the goat kid, and it is uncomfortable seeing them give each other heart eyes with this VERY NOTICEABLE age difference.

And then there are changes that are made due to cutting time. Like cutting out the scene of Percy and Luke training with swords and choosing instead to have campers say "Luke's the best sword fighter in camp." You gotta SHOW instead of TELL for a TV show, Riordan. And then there's the fact that the Hellhound didn't show up, proving that the camp isn't safe for Percy and makes him believe that it's Hades who stole the bolt instead of...jumping to a conclusion. I don't need EXACT recreations of the book, but these are necessary beats for the story and even the future of the series. But we cut them out because this is a six-episode season and we need to skip as much as we can.

This brings me to why it's not a good thing that this show is a Disney+ original: Disney+ doesn't make TV shows, it makes MOVIES. Long, extended movies that are split into six or eight parts because they put too much money into an already short budget for anything lengthy. Sure, you get great stuff out of that like Loki and...I don't know, Andor? I only watch the Marvel stuff on that platform. But the problem is very much present with the Percy Jackson TV show. If this was a movie, I'd be more forgiving if we skip a lot of stuff so we can tell the story a lot faster. But because it's a TV show, something that SHOULD have all the time in the world to tell a story, it feels rough that it has to skip a lot for that six-episode limit. Because of it, we're breezing by so much that it feels like the story's on fast-forward yet also slow enough to have scenes like Grover being with his girlfriend--Seriously, am I the only one uncomfortable with that?

I WANT to say that Percy Jackson the TV series is GOOD, as it does understand the energy of the books. But the story and the pacing is questionable at times and it REALLY holds the series back. At least for now. Who knows, maybe things will get better as the season progresses or even if the show progresses. This IS only the first two episodes, after all. It can always get better...but it can also always get worse, but I'll wait until I've seen the whole show at least.

#percy jackson #percy jackson and the olympians #percy jackson tv show #percy jackson tv series #grover underwood #sally jackson #chiron #percy jackson show spoilers #percy jackson spoilers #quick thoughts #what i thought about

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glitchyk · 6 months ago

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give us voice lines of Fnaf characters and we

can imagine them in ur voice and see how much you fit

Sjsjksms okay I’ll do Fnaf animatronics/characters I’ve been told I’d be decent at.

Foxy:

“Never underestimate the cunning of a pirate, or a fox, for that matter!”

“Dead men do indeed tell no tales, ha har!”

“I can’t run like I used to, but I can pull myself apart just fine.”

Charlie Emily/The puppet:

“The others are like animals… but I’m very aware.”

“I used to be scared of you… not anymore.”

“The others are under my protection.”

“I don’t hate you… but you need to stay out of my way.”

The mimic:

“Break off the heads and limbs, pile them up. Easy peasy, got it.”

Imitating tiger rock while looking for Kai, “Are we playing hide-and-seek? I know how to play. I learned it a long time ago.”

(Reverted and distorted at the end of princess quest) “I ALWAYS COME BACK. LET ME OUT.”

Haven’t played any of ruin tho so I dunno if M.X.E.S. Has any lines or what they’d be-

William afton/Springtrap:

“It is not your flesh that sustains me. It is your FEAR."

“How can I resist, a promise, such as this.”

“What a deceptive calling. I knew it was a lie the moment I heard it, obviously, but it is intriguing nonetheless.”

Henry Emily:

“Before you is an animatronic found in the back alley, we are unsure of its origins. It is your job to complete the Maintenance Checklist before claiming it as salvage. Or, if you choose to, you can throw it back into the alley where you found it, and forfeit payment. Please make your choice now."

“Connection terminated. I'm sorry to interrupt you, Elizabeth, if you still even remember that name, but I'm afraid you've been misinformed. You are not here to receive a gift, nor have you been called here by the individual you assume. Although you have indeed been called. You have all been called here into a labyrinth of sounds and smells, misdirection and misfortune. A labyrinth with no exit, a maze with no prize. You don't even realize that you're trapped. Your lust for blood has driven you in endless circles, chasing the cries of children in some unseen chamber always seeming so near, yet somehow out of reach. But you will never find them. None of you will. This is where your story ends."

"And to you, my brave volunteer, who somehow found this job listing not intended for you: although there was a way out planned for you, I have a feeling that's not what you want. I have a feeling that you are right where you want to be. I am remaining as well. I am nearby. This place will not be remembered, and the memory of everything that started this can finally begin to fade away, as the agony of every tragedy should."

"And to you monsters trapped in the corridors, be still and give up your spirits. They don't belong to you. For most of you, I believe there is peace and perhaps more, waiting for you after the smoke clears. Although, for one of you, the darkest pit of Hell has opened to swallow you whole, so don't keep the Devil waiting, old friend."

"My daughter, if you can hear me, I knew you would return as well. It's in your nature to protect the innocent. I'm sorry on that day, the day you were shut out and left to die, no one was there to lift you up into their arms the way you lifted others into yours. And then, what became of you. I should have known you wouldn't be content to disappear, not my daughter. I couldn't save you then, so let me save you now. It's time to rest; for you, and for those you have carried into your arms. This ends for all of us. End communication

Micheal afton:

“I found them… they were right where you said they’d be.”

“They thought I was you.”

“Can you hear me? I don’t know if you can hear me… I’m sorry.”

Withered Bonnie:

“I may be missing my face, but even I could see you stalk.”

“What is this new prison? Is it me trapped, or is it you? Perhaps, it's us both.”

“Might as well FACE the facts. You were always destined to fail.”

And I’ve been told that I’d be a good person to play Gregory but I think we all know his voice lines lmao

…and yes in all honesty I’ve thought of voicing the whole Henry Emily communication.

#gk asks #anon chaos #Fnaf Sona au

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scarecrowmax · 10 months ago

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misc. tag game...

Thank you for the tag @the-cinnamontography-is-amazing <3

a band you don’t like that many others do:

not technically a band but taylor swift. i just never really liked her music and i find her so overplayed that it's actually gotten to the point i get annoyed when i hear it played.

a childhood memory that you remember vividly:

one day i came home from school after we got to visit the school library and i borrowed the bailey school kids book about cupids and so when i got home i laid down on my top bunk and read the whole book and finished just in time for dinner and i was so proud of myself for finishing it so fast until i remembered it was gonna be a full week before we got to go back to the library

least favorite animal and why:

i don't necessarily have a least favorite animal but i guess small dogs? i just find them weirdly unnerving and so often they're so loud and badly trained and not washed often enough so they smell and i just don't really like them

hot fandom take:

just because someone/something is popular in the fandom it doesn't mean it/they're good. sometimes people or concepts just suck either in general or for your experience and it's fine to not interact/block/not consume that content if it isn't doing it for you.

do you wear any jewelry, if so, what’s your favorite piece:

i wear a ring on each hand every day and i wear earrings and necklaces sometimes too. i love my rings, my hands feel naked without them honestly, but my current favorite piece is probably a necklace i made out of a broken ring. it was an adjustable one and one side snapped off so i snapped off the other side, added a jump ring through an open part of it and added a chain. it's a spider holding a skull. its super fun and very different to a lot of my other pieces.

a movie others liked but you didn’t:

i'm not really a fan of the original evil dead trilogy. like the concept is cool but the humor, the stop motion animation, and a lot of the deadite makeup is just not really my taste. i do love the 2013 movie though. big fan of that one.

three things you love about yourself:

i've learned to be just okay at things and still have fun doing them, i have really pretty eyes, the fact i make a lot of things be it food or crafts or fandom stuff i just like making things

a place you hope to visit in the future and why:

i'd love to visit somewhere outside the us sometime because i never have before

an actor that gets on your nerves and why:

there's several and honestly it's either their energy or they did some fucked up shit and im tired of people talking about them. im not gonna name names though.

things you’re excited for in the nearby future?:

i'm gonna see a band I really like on the 17th of next month and it's gonna be so great because it's a small venue so I'll almost assuredly have a great view. plus tickets with service fees were $17.50 a piece which rocks. im spending more on gas to see them than on tickets which i find funny.

least favorite ship in a fandom you’re in:

i have zero interest in naming names here, i'll keep that in my exclude tags lists on ao3

what’s the most toxic fandom you’ve been in?:

i don't think i'm actually in any. i don't interact with shit like that because i'm in fandoms to have fun and enjoy shit so i stay out of drama and will block people who suck and then forget they exist

list three things you find beautiful about life:

people care about each other even when we don't know each other, there's a million little joys to be found in life, you can meet someone and have a great time together at an event and never speak again but you'll remember them fondly and do it over and over again.

any dreams for the future?

uhhhh, not really? I've never been a big dreamer. i'm a day by day girlie from way back

how are you really feeling today?

not too bad, i was good earlier but i played a couple video games too long earlier and now my ability to focus my eyes is a little screwy and I've got a bit of a headache

tag you're it if you're up for it @rossmccallsqueen @fromcrossroadstoking @tvserie-s-world

#tag game #long post

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fireworkmaker · 2 years ago

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Nier Automata [First Ep Impression]

First Impression: Man, they're focusing in the story and speedrunning the playable segments.

Review: First thing, I love Nier Automata as a game. Its easily one of my favorite games ever and I never get tired of replaying it.

That's why I'm trying to not get my expectations too high with this anime. Videogame anime adaptations have always been notorious for not being exactly the best, with clear examples like Danganronpa, Divine Gate, Devil Survivor, Diabolik Lovers… And that's just the letter D!

For every 10 horrid adaptations, we get one good videogame adaptation, something understandable that many of these adaptations are trying to fit in 12 episodes over 20 hours of content that we originally find in the source material.

That's why there isn't much I can judge from one episode, specially one that adapts what in-game is a tutorial to help us learn the controls (one that for someone like me who isn't too used to playing bullet hell games took me over 2 hours to reach the save point the first time, I don't even want to imagine how long it would have taken if I had picked hard mode).

Something Noteworthy: Dear lord someone please put some shadows in that CGI… I'm incredibly glad they kept the game's OST too, it's one of my favourite things about it! Expectations: As I said before, I'm trying to stay with low expectations. There are many scenes I look forward to seeing animated, but I can't help hut worry that the story will be rushed and they might sacrifice many of the plot details…

It's also going to be a pity the fact we very likely won't be able to see most of the side quests, and even less likely that Emil and the side quest with the flowers won't make it to the anime either, as those are mostly a call-back to Replicant.

Will I keep up?: Ride or die, even if it turns out to be the hottest garbage of the season I'm gonna stick to this show simply because of the sheer love I feel towards the source.

#nier automata #nier automata anime #nier: automata #nier:automata ver1.1a #nier #2b #9s #anime #First Episode Review

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twinprincessparty · 2 years ago

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Interview - #4 Original Story

Interview #4 from the first detail book!

Translator: currytantou, thank you very much!

Twin Princess of Wonder Planet

Birthday who came up with the concept, character outline and world setting in "Twin Princess of Wonder Planet". We asked them what kind of vision that brought the Wonder Planet to life.

Birthday is a company that creates original characters such as Keybots and Neargo. Of course they created not only characters, but also assembled its world, as seen with the game Daikaiju Monogatari which was planned by the company. Twin Princess of Wonder Planet is the first full-scale animation project for Birthday, which has worked on various characters and contents thus far.

The Reason of Twin Princess' Birth

One of the reasons was to expand its universe before selling it as merchandise - but Twin Princess was a plan we came up with an anime adaptation in mind. In the first place, we have come up with an RPG called Daikaiju Monogatari before, so we are experienced in creating universes and establishing characters.

We thought of the outcome of what would happen if we took a different direction from our previous game, and we reached the answer which is an anime. Since we have leaned towards creating something for boys, we decided to make something with princesses for girls. I also wanted to create something related to wizards/witches.

With that as the basis and princess theme as the highlight, we thought of the various kingdoms and such.

I wanted to deliver the importance of communication as it’s the age where it’s weakening. For that purpose, I chose twins instead of sisters. We often heard how twins have similar thoughts even though they're apart. I like that factor. Such as how one can feel pain when the other is hurting. This does not happen in normal friendships, right?

Their hearts communicate even though they are apart - the two who understand each others' thoughts.

Anime Adaptation's This and That

We came up with these in detail from the draft stage - from the character visual, basic setting, to each kingdom's form and climate. We could not include everything in the anime, though. However, I believe that the production, director and producer have made good use of them and I feel good about it.

But as expected, finalizing the characters was the most difficult of all. We felt a little reluctant upon learning that there will be changes in character design. We moved forward with the planning with our design for a year. Even the makers praised how adorable the characters are.

So knowing that we had to change the design for the anime feels a bit... you know? We had quite a conflict when coming up with the setup - between anime staff who think it's granted for changes to happen and us who wish to stick to our scheme, hoping to proceed the way it is.

We understand that few changes ought to happen since many staff are involved, but we hope that it stays close to the original plan. Towards the end, our intention reached Director Sato and he prioritized it.

Even though keeping the art close to the original design requires lots of lines, they made sure to match with our plan. It was really tiring at the beginning but we produced a great outcome as a result. You can see princess-like and royalty-like in the end product too.

The Involvement Between Production Staff of the Original Work and from the Anime Side

Other than what we created from scratch, there were also characters that we created in order to match the plot. In that situation, we will bring forward materials as basic references. For instance, for scenes where the characters explore new adventures - if seas did not exist, then we will suggest adding it.

From there on, the anime staff will add more details such as (the newly added location to be) the home of certain characters. We discuss things together generally, but Birthday handles rough plans while the anime staff work on its details.

Generally, the anime production progressed in the way it was promised.

Even though the whereabouts of the Sea Kingdom is not stated in-depth, we are aware of how they can reach that place through Windmill Kingdom. We also discussed things as we progressed with the plot.

The Twin Characters

The characters' personalities were polished even more by not only Director Sato and series organizer Mrs. Nakase, but we also came up with mini comics where you can see them portrayed in comedic settings whenever the occasion demands. But I had to say the twins' personalities grew stronger after staff from both sides started working together.

The Unpleasant Dance, too, was something made possible when Director Sato mentioned his desire to create something. They brought up the idea and asked for our opinion. He also decided how the distinction when the twins speak should be made clear. They speak in unison and answer at the same time but we pay attention to the details such as when they are about to take an action or do something different. It would be boring if everything is the same for them.

About Original Character Design

We had a hard time dealing with Fine and Rein's hairstyles. We wanted them to be noticeable even though only their silhouettes are visible. I think you can tell it’s Mickey Mouse from his silhouette alone, no? We want it to be the same with Fine and Rein too.

Also, don't girls just love princess-like twirly hairstyles?

Not a thought of how it would be difficult to animate them crossed our minds.

We created them with the mindset that if we do not show their hairstyles visible, their charm would be reduced by half. We thought of ways on how to be particular with the hairstyles, so it won't be outshined by the volume of their dresses. It might be the part where we paid the most attention to. When they are wearing everyday attire, rather than to appear plain, we flourish and make them identifiable through silhouettes, to bring as much charm as possible.

The dresses too, they can't be just any dress. We often see how chic the Disney princesses look in their dresses. We produced several ceremony-like dresses for the kids. Even though we heard feedback about how some looked religious-like, these are the result of highlighting their personalities - with the desire to do something unusual and to create something that suits the girls.

The Universe Called Wonder Planet

We basically wanted to do something wondrous with interesting situations and locations. To tell the truth, I wanted to draw the horizon within the earth.

Meaning, not on flat land and it rises gradually. Was the Wonder Planet 1,000 km or 2,000 km in diameter? It's not a distance that you can see even if you wave your hand from the other side, but I want that kind of different world view.

Also, we wanted to create unusual living things since drawing normal creatures who live on such a planet would not be interesting. But we made sure to not make the characters too strange so that kids could understand them easily.

Creatures like dogs and bears. But give the dogs the ability to fly. Why do the ears of women from the Doggle Clan grow longer once they have babies? Because those ears are used to carry babies. These are not shown in the anime but we came up with this to give more characteristic and significance to the design.

We also created details to the locations.

For example, how do people of the Drop Kingdom make clouds once they gather water. Even though each of them were not included in the anime, we came up with all those details.

I suppose it’s for this reason, they were able to keep their promise and prioritized realistic expression in a mysterious universe.

For example, Peanuts Lake in the Drop Kingdom. There are mangrove-like trees towards the end and a doctor who lives there.

People from various kingdoms would pass by the tree hospital. It did not happen in the anime but it makes the Wonder Planet realistic.

Even though I said "we created this and that," the truth is the Wonder Planet actually exists. I traveled through dimensions and went there to meet the people, that's why I was able to picture them. It's a reality (laughs).

#Birthday Ltd #Original Concept #Interviews #Character Detail Book 1 #Translator: currytantou #English Translations #English

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lamactivedog · 5 months ago

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The Irresistible Charm of Miniature Dachshunds and the Rise of Cute Dachshund FLOWER T-shirts

Miniature Dachshunds are one of the most adored dog breeds worldwide. Their distinct long bodies, short legs, and soulful eyes have captured the hearts of many. Recently, the trend of Cute Dachshund FLOWER T-shirts has surged in popularity, combining the love for these adorable pups with fashionable, playful designs. This comprehensive guide explores everything you need to know about Miniature Dachshunds, their care, their unique charm, and the burgeoning market of Dachshund-themed apparel.

The Enchanting World of Miniature Dachshunds

A Brief History

The Dachshund breed originated in Germany over 600 years ago. Their name, which translates to "badger dog," reflects their original purpose: hunting badgers. Bred to be fearless and persistent, these dogs were perfect for digging into burrows and chasing out their quarry. The Miniature Dachshund, a smaller version, was later developed to hunt smaller prey like rabbits. Despite their size difference, Miniature Dachshunds retain the same tenacity and hunting instincts as their standard counterparts.

Physical Characteristics

Miniature Dachshunds are known for their unique physique:

Size: Typically weighing between 8-11 pounds and standing about 5-7 inches tall.

Body: Long and muscular, with short, robust legs.

Coat: Comes in three types – smooth, longhaired, and wirehaired, each with its own unique grooming needs.

Color: A variety of colors and patterns, including red, black and tan, dapple, and piebald.

Personality and Temperament

Despite their small stature, Miniature Dachshunds have big personalities. They are known for being:

Loyal: They form strong bonds with their owners and are often very protective.

Curious: Always eager to explore their surroundings and follow their noses.

Energetic: They need regular exercise and mental stimulation to stay happy.

Independent: Sometimes stubborn, making training a bit of a challenge.

Caring for Your Miniature Dachshund

Diet and Nutrition

A balanced diet is crucial for maintaining your Miniature Dachshund’s health. Here are some tips:

High-Quality Food: Choose a dog food with high protein content and no fillers.

Portion Control: Avoid overfeeding, as Dachshunds are prone to obesity.

Treats: Use healthy treats in moderation, especially during training sessions.

Exercise Requirements

Despite their small size, Miniature Dachshunds are active dogs that require daily exercise:

Walks: At least two 20-minute walks per day.

Playtime: Engage in interactive play to keep them mentally and physically stimulated.

Avoid Jumps: Their long backs are susceptible to injury, so discourage jumping from heights.

Grooming Needs

The grooming needs of a Miniature Dachshund depend on their coat type:

Smooth Coat: Requires minimal grooming; regular brushing to remove loose hair.

Longhaired: Needs regular brushing to prevent matting and tangling.

Wirehaired: Requires trimming and possibly hand-stripping to maintain coat texture.

Health Concerns

Miniature Dachshunds are generally healthy but can be prone to certain conditions:

Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD): Due to their long backs, they are susceptible to spinal issues.

Obesity: Can exacerbate back problems and lead to other health issues.

Dental Problems: Regular dental care is essential to prevent periodontal disease.

Training and Socialization

Training a Miniature Dachshund requires patience and consistency. Here are some effective strategies:

Positive Reinforcement: Use treats and praise to reward good behavior.

Socialization: Expose them to different environments, people, and other animals from a young age.

Consistency: Maintain consistent rules and routines to avoid confusion.

Miniature Dachshunds and Fashion: A Match Made in Heaven

Miniature Dachshunds are not just pets; they are fashion icons. Their distinctive looks and charming personalities make them perfect models for a range of apparel, especially T-shirts. The trend of Cute Dachshund FLOWER T-shirts has taken the fashion world by storm, blending cuteness with a touch of nature-inspired elegance.

The Appeal of Dachshund-Themed Apparel

Adorable Designs: Featuring playful illustrations of Dachshunds adorned with flowers, these T-shirts are irresistibly cute.

Personal Connection: Dachshund owners and lovers enjoy wearing apparel that celebrates their favorite breed.

Gift Potential: These T-shirts make perfect gifts for dog enthusiasts.

Incorporating Dachshund T-shirts into Your Wardrobe

Here are some tips on how to stylishly incorporate Cute Dachshund FLOWER T-shirts into your wardrobe:

Casual Outfits: Pair with jeans or shorts for a relaxed, casual look.

Layering: Combine with a cardigan or jacket for a more polished outfit.

Accessorizing: Add accessories like hats or scarves that complement the colors in the T-shirt design.

For more inspiration, check out the collection at Petals and Paws Miniature Dachshund Puppy Reverie with Flower.

Why Miniature Dachshunds Make Great Pets

Miniature Dachshunds are more than just cute faces; they are wonderful companions for many reasons:

Affectionate Nature: They love to cuddle and be close to their owners.

Adaptable: Suitable for both apartments and houses with yards.

Long Lifespan: With proper care, they can live long, healthy lives, providing many years of companionship.

Loyal Guardians: Their protective instincts make them excellent watchdogs.

Conclusion

The allure of Miniature Dachshunds extends far beyond their physical appearance. Their rich history, unique characteristics, and delightful personalities make them cherished pets around the world. Coupled with the rising trend of Cute Dachshund FLOWER T-shirts, it's clear that these little dogs hold a special place in our hearts and wardrobes.

Whether you are a proud owner of a Miniature Dachshund, a fan of the breed, or simply someone who appreciates cute and fashionable apparel, embracing the charm of these dogs and celebrating them through creative fashion is a trend that is here to stay. So next time you see a Dachshund with a flower-adorned T-shirt, remember that you're witnessing a perfect blend of canine charm and human creativity.

For those looking to add a touch of Dachshund charm to their wardrobe, don't miss the collection at Petals and Paws Miniature Dachshund Puppy Reverie with Flower.

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gameonoverdogcom · 1 year ago

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#IFTTT #Gameonoverdog

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catbreedsblog · 1 year ago

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The Majestic Maine Coon Cat Breeds: A Complete Guide

A Quick Look at the Maine Coon:

It has a big, muscular body, a long, bushy tail, tufted ears, and a soft, fluffy coat.

Personalities: They are known for being gentle, friendly, and playful.

Popularity: This breed of cat is loved and popular all over the world.

Personality: They are friendly, affectionate, and very social. They like being around people and other pets.

Lifespan: With the right care, they can live for 12 to 15 years or longer.

Colour of the Coat: It comes in many colours and patterns, such as solid, tabby, bi-color, and more.

Mixed Breed or Original Breed?: a new breed of cat. But there are also mix breeds and hybrids that are made from Maine Coons. Ragamuffin, Siberian, American Bobtail, Norwegian Forest Cat, and Persian are all common mixes.

How to Keep a Maine Coon Healthy

Food

Your Maine Coon's health and well-being depend on it getting the right food:

Quality Cat Food: To help them grow and stay healthy, give them a balanced diet of quality cat food that is high in protein and other important nutrients.

Wet and Dry Food: Give them a mix of wet and dry food to keep them hydrated and help keep their teeth healthy.

Specialised Food for Large Breeds: If you want to meet your cat's specific nutritional needs, you might want to feed them food that is made just for large or giant breed cats.

Getting around

Making sure your Maine Coon has the right environment is important for their health and happiness:

Large cats that like to move around. Make sure they have a lot of room to play, climb, and move around.

Scratching Posts: Give them strong scratching posts to keep their claws healthy and satisfy their natural urge to scratch.

Comfortable Beds: Give them beds that are good for their size and have enough space for them to stretch out.

Taking care of

Taking care of your Maine Coon regularly through grooming is important to keep it in great shape:

Brushing: Because their fur is long and thick, regular brushing keeps it from getting matted and tangled and stops it from falling out.

Nail Trimming: Cut their nails regularly to keep them from growing too long and causing problems.

Cleaning Their Ears and Eyes: Clean their ears and eyes gently to get rid of dirt and other things that could cause infections.

How to Take Care

Spend quality time together, playing with others and keeping your mind active. Keep them happy and content by giving them toys, treats, and praise.

How to Get a Maine Coon or Adopt One

Popular places to visit

A lot of people love it in many places, like the US, Canada, the UK, and Europe. Families and people who love cats often look for them.

Price on Average

The price can change depending on where the dog is, its pedigree, and the reputation of the breeder. A well-bred kitten will usually cost between $800 and $2,000 or more.

Adoption and Rescue Groups

You might want to adopt from a reputable animal shelter or a rescue group that specialises in a certain breed. For example, "Maine Coon Adoptions" in the US and "Maine Coon Cat Club" in the UK are well-known names.

What You Should Check Before Adopting or Buying

Before you adopt or buy a Maine Coon, make sure you:

Check the cat's general health: Make sure it looks healthy, with clean eyes, a shiny coat, and no signs of illness.

Vaccination Status: Make sure the cat has had all of its shots to protect it from common feline diseases.

Medical History: Ask about the cat's medical history to find out about any conditions or treatments it has had in the past.

How to Get Ready for Life as a Maine Coon

Three short pieces of advice:

Set aside time for interactive play and getting to know each other; they need company.

Get your cats cat trees, scratching posts, and interactive toys to keep them busy and healthy.

Regular check-ups with the vet are necessary to keep an eye on their health and take care of any problems right away.

Equipment You Need:

Large Litter Box: Big cats need a litter box that is big enough for them to feel comfortable.

Sturdy Cat Tree: Get your cat a tall, sturdy tree to satisfy their need to climb and give them a place to look out at their surroundings.

Interactive Toys: To keep them from getting bored, give them toys that will keep their minds active and make them want to play.

Everyday Illnesses:

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM): Taking your pet to the vet for regular check-ups can help you keep an eye on their heart health and catch any early signs of HCM.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA): There is no cure for SMA, but catching it early can help keep the cat comfortable and improve its quality of life.

Gingivitis and Dental Problems: Taking care of your teeth regularly, like brushing and going to the dentist for checkups, can help keep gum diseases and dental problems at bay.

Vaccines that are needed:

Feline Virus-Respiratory Tract Infection (FVRCP)

Cat Calicivirus (FCV)

Panleukopenia in cats (FP)

Names People Use for the Maine Coon

The process of picking out a name can be fun. Think of names that show how majestic and playful they are, like "Leo" for the way they look like a lion or "Willow" for the way they act.

In the end, it's a real pleasure. Their friendly and calm personalities, along with their beautiful looks, make them a favourite among cat lovers. You can make sure your beloved has a happy and healthy life by giving them the right care, a loving home, and regular check-ups at the vet.

#cat food

0 notes

catbreedstips · 1 year ago

Text

The Majestic Maine Coon Cat Breeds: A Complete Guide

A Quick Look at the Maine Coon:

It has a big, muscular body, a long, bushy tail, tufted ears, and a soft, fluffy coat.

Personalities: They are known for being gentle, friendly, and playful.

Popularity: This breed of cat is loved and popular all over the world.

Personality: They are friendly, affectionate, and very social. They like being around people and other pets.

Lifespan: With the right care, they can live for 12 to 15 years or longer.

Colour of the Coat: It comes in many colours and patterns, such as solid, tabby, bi-color, and more.

How to Keep a Maine Coon Healthy

Food

Your Maine Coon's health and well-being depend on it getting the right food:

Quality Cat Food: To help them grow and stay healthy, give them a balanced diet of quality cat food that is high in protein and other important nutrients.

Wet and Dry Food: Give them a mix of wet and dry food to keep them hydrated and help keep their teeth healthy.

Specialised Food for Large Breeds: If you want to meet your cat's specific nutritional needs, you might want to feed them food that is made just for large or giant breed cats.

Getting around

Making sure your Maine Coon has the right environment is important for their health and happiness:

Large cats that like to move around. Make sure they have a lot of room to play, climb, and move around.

Scratching Posts: Give them strong scratching posts to keep their claws healthy and satisfy their natural urge to scratch.

Comfortable Beds: Give them beds that are good for their size and have enough space for them to stretch out.

Taking care of

Taking care of your Maine Coon regularly through grooming is important to keep it in great shape:

Brushing: Because their fur is long and thick, regular brushing keeps it from getting matted and tangled and stops it from falling out.

Nail Trimming: Cut their nails regularly to keep them from growing too long and causing problems.

Cleaning Their Ears and Eyes: Clean their ears and eyes gently to get rid of dirt and other things that could cause infections.

How to Take Care

Spend quality time together, playing with others and keeping your mind active. Keep them happy and content by giving them toys, treats, and praise.

How to Get a Maine Coon or Adopt One

Popular places to visit

A lot of people love it in many places, like the US, Canada, the UK, and Europe. Families and people who love cats often look for them.

Price on Average

The price can change depending on where the dog is, its pedigree, and the reputation of the breeder. A well-bred kitten will usually cost between $800 and $2,000 or more.

Adoption and Rescue Groups

What You Should Check Before Adopting or Buying

Before you adopt or buy a Maine Coon, make sure you:

Check the cat's general health: Make sure it looks healthy, with clean eyes, a shiny coat, and no signs of illness.

Vaccination Status: Make sure the cat has had all of its shots to protect it from common feline diseases.

Medical History: Ask about the cat's medical history to find out about any conditions or treatments it has had in the past.

How to Get Ready for Life as a Maine Coon

Three short pieces of advice:

Set aside time for interactive play and getting to know each other; they need company.

Get your cats cat trees, scratching posts, and interactive toys to keep them busy and healthy.

Regular check-ups with the vet are necessary to keep an eye on their health and take care of any problems right away.

Equipment You Need:

Large Litter Box: Big cats need a litter box that is big enough for them to feel comfortable.

Sturdy Cat Tree: Get your cat a tall, sturdy tree to satisfy their need to climb and give them a place to look out at their surroundings.

Interactive Toys: To keep them from getting bored, give them toys that will keep their minds active and make them want to play.

Everyday Illnesses:

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM): Taking your pet to the vet for regular check-ups can help you keep an eye on their heart health and catch any early signs of HCM.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA): There is no cure for SMA, but catching it early can help keep the cat comfortable and improve its quality of life.

Gingivitis and Dental Problems: Taking care of your teeth regularly, like brushing and going to the dentist for checkups, can help keep gum diseases and dental problems at bay.

Vaccines that are needed:

Feline Virus-Respiratory Tract Infection (FVRCP)

Cat Calicivirus (FCV)

Panleukopenia in cats (FP)

Names People Use for the Maine Coon

The process of picking out a name can be fun. Think of names that show how majestic and playful they are, like "Leo" for the way they look like a lion or "Willow" for the way they act.

#cat food

0 notes

case-57-with-the-enclosure · 1 year ago

Text

Chapter 2

The power went out and i have to stay up to take some meds. SO:

please be aware of the content warnings and be safe on your reading :] <3 that being said im ready to get my ass kicked by the prose let's go

=======================================

"(..) the void between worlds is a nothing-place, where code is boiled down to its barest components. There is no concept of hot or cold– there simply is, and is not (...)"

man i love the embrace of the "everything is, at its core, just 1s and 0s" aspect of it all. instead of ignoring the source of the story it writes it a ballad and dances with the thread that unites it, very nice :> scratches my brain good

(dear reader i am restless for i cannot find a proper playlist of ambient slightly melancholic music to have as a background. jazz and blues have too much personalities and i get distracted, only piano is too basic for the mood. i do not know where to turn.)

"His limbs feel like they're made of lead, but he rolls his shoulders anyway, dislodging some of the blankets to let cool air slip between his feathers. Grian sighs at the sensation, and some of the tension stringing throughout his body eases. He's not sure where he is, but for the first time in months, in almost a year, he's– comfortable. He's comfortable. Grian's not sure what that means."

broken at the thought of how long he hasn't had a home, and hasn't known rest.

"Grian's seen what code-death looks like, and he's Seen a consciousness dissolve from it, melting to join the rest of the code that makes up their universe. No, to die would mean giving up his individuality, merging with everything else, rejoining the collective– Grian still knows himself as Grian, and therefore he can't be dead."

fun fact this is very close to what i think irl death to be like. anyways i keep finding it fascinating i want to know EVERYTHING about this Worldbuilding and how it affects its cosmovisión (idk if there's an english word for it- probably the same)

"This hunger is a low rumble deep at the core of him, steady in the same way one might test a newly healed bone. The kind of fragile after a respawn, when your skin has knit together but the echo of pain still lingers."

WHAT THE FUUUUUCKKK (positive) what do you MEAN this hunger is like distant thunder that reverberates in the chest!!!!! ALSO THE IMPLICATIONS IN THE MECHANICS OF RESPAWNING!!!!! eats it. eats this paragraph.

"The room he's sitting in is unfamiliar– a sort of bare-bones interior with mismatching wood for the walls, as if it had been constructed very hastily. There's not much in it aside from the bed he's laying on and a double chest, as well as a chair to the left of his bedside. No real decorations– not even carpet. "

this man really almost died and is still subconsciously criticizing the decor- spot on characterization y'all.

"Grian sucks in a painful breath, lungs flexing– instinct wants him to taste, to Look, to pull answers from the fog like a seeking lighthouse."

bitches will see the word lighthouse used in monstruos contexts and go crazy. its me I'm bitches THAT ONE FRAGMENT ABOUT MONSTERS AND LIGHTHOUSES HOLD ON let me look for it hold on

ok its Ocean Vuong, from On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous.

yes im gonna copypaste the whole thing here it is:

"You’re not a monster, I said.

But I lied.

What I really wanted to say was that a monster is not such a terrible thing to be. From the Latin root monstrum, a divine messenger of catastrophe, then adapted by the Old French to mean an animal of myriad origins: centaur, griffin, satyr. To be a monster is to be a hybrid signal, a lighthouse: both shelter and warning at once."

EATING IT UPPPP

"While it doesn't matter so much now, habit stills his wandering eyes before he can even open them."

i love how this sentence is constructed, the choice of words AUGH its so phonetically pleasing to me.

'Tango clearly doesn't get this message. Instead he jerks forward, brows furrowing in concern. "Shoot, sorry, okay– yeah, that was a little loud, sorry. But it's cool, man, we're good, you're good." His smile goes a little lopsided at the edges. "It's just me, promise."'

The need to reassure him, the way his only message and priority is "you're safe"......... sick and twisted (<- emotional)

"It tickles the back of his throat, urges to sing through the air, but he bites it back. Instead he swallows, darting glances between Tango and his own hands."

"Horror wells up his throat. He must've somehow been feeding on them– it's the only explanation for why the hunger isn't subsuming him now. Even unconscious, he can't stop himself from being a monster."

"It's such an absurd question that Grian almost chokes on a bitter laugh. He forces it back down his throat instead, swallowing it like razor blades."

orz man.. the hunger & feeding symbology, and the recurring throat + swallowing-to-keep-it-from-bursting-out imaginary.....

"The dread that pools in Grian's stomach is a black, gurgling tar, spreading viciously through his veins– ice-cold and numbing, until he can't quite feel his hands enough to tell if they're shaking."

ohohohohoho- sorry grian i know you're like, basically a scared little baby chicken rn but oh what a tasty tasty use of language.

"Instead he is saddled with all of them, pulse a rapid song between his teeth."

OOF once again- just, nice.

OH POWERS BACK HELL YEAH

oke for the record this conversation is devastating and heart shattering (good), and i got too hung up on it to grab quotes to cite. let it be clear: there are things i love that im too busy loving to realize i should put them here ajsajsgssk

"The words drop from his mouth like beads of glass. They shatter as they hit the floor, and for a single, small eternity, Xisuma stares at him with blank eyes."

curls up with my eight hundred pillows and my dog plushie Bianca. god

" "Grian, ple–" Xisuma starts, but he's interrupted by the door flying open with a slam.

Both of them jump. Grian shies away from the reverberation, eyes wide; Xisuma's hands fumble his helmet, almost dropping it. As one, they twist their heads to stare at the open door, still shuddering on its hinges.

Framed in the doorway, covered in stone grit and cave dust– hair mussed and eyes frantic– is Mumbo."

oop my tummy did a lil scared jump there

===================================

Overall feelings on this first chapter:

ok so first of all

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

yknow? but also loved how the tendril-like feeding was conveyed, same for everything that had to do with throat/moth/eating :> i promise this is not a Hell Yeah Vore kind of review im so sorry if it sounds like that KWGAKSGSKAJS

very emotionally moving in the sense that you've got my guts tied around and weighted down by an anvil so. excellent job as expected ok bye mwah

✒️ Fic Dissecting Time

My highlights for lost in the dark (he's got a heavy heart) chapter 1, by @definitelynotshouting

definitelynotaroughdraft (definitelynotshouting) on AO3

This dissection will consist of highlights and commentary on the transcribed fragments.

Please be sure to read the tags and cws, we're going by dead dove rulings.

Spoilers ahead.

This is by no means anything formal- it's the writer equivalent of putting all your toys on a single line.

The author has a very lovely rant here that gives the piece context- but im sure you know that, if you read their notes �� please read this fic. then come back and agree with me.

===================================

Rating: Mature

Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Category: Gen, M/M

Fandom: Hermitcraft SMP, 3rd Life | Last Life SMP Series

Character: Charles | Grian, Ryan | GoodTimesWithScar, Oliver Brotherhood |

Mumbo Jumbo, Xisumavoid (Video Blogging RPF); Pearl | PearlescentMoon; TangoTek (Video Blogging RPF); Hermitcraft Ensemble

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Charles | Grian, Charles | Grian Angst, Watcher Charles | Grian,

Watchers, Charles | Grian Needs a Hug, Suicide Attempt, Suicidal

Thoughts, Starvation, Eating Disorders, Parasites, <-- the watchers

are parasitic, Body Horror, Trauma, Eventual Happy Ending, Recovery,

Self-Harm, my guy be in SITUATIONS, Winged Charles | Grian, Identity

Issues, every single tag i add makes me realize how hard im making

grian go through it, rip king you'll get a happy ending i promise,

Misunderstandings, Worldbuilding, sooo much worldbuilding, Not RPF,

Not Beta Read

===================================

its been a while since I've read angst for the sake of hurting and yknow what? i missed this feeling of controled despair.

And, Grian realizes, with a flicker of– of something undefinable (he can't say it's excitement, because he isn't actually keen to die– but it's something. A bit like hope, a lot like loss, in the shape of grief and threaded, ultimately, with desperate relief) (...)"

(sobbing, wheezing, heart-ached) what the fuck. what the actual fuck.

The devastation yawns in the deepest pits of his heart, in his very code, and threatens to tear him apart at the seams.

"the devastation yawns" alright. next time just gut me with a knife it'll be quicker than DESINTEGRATING MY SOUL LIKE THIS???? i love that, i love that so badly.

"Grian grits his teeth, then lifts his hand and opens his mouth, sinking them into the base of his thumb. Copper sings on his tongue; the spike of burning pain forces his eyes inward, drawing his attention and keeping it there as blood fills his mouth, thick and tacky."

AUGH thats it!!!! thats what this fic tastes like- burning copper, not as in copper that's been burnt, but as in copper that leaves a painful heat as it goes down your throat, that you can feel cruising your chest and guts as it makes its way down your stomach. (positive).

"(...) he chokes out, and that seems to break whatever trance Xisuma, Pearl, and Tango have been in this entire time. They rush forward, eating the distance between them in rapid strides, until they're all crouched around Grian."

gods i LOVE the use of "eating" here. its so visual and tangible i love it

"Voices rise around him in a cacophonous symphony, but Grian no longer has the strength to parse them. He sinks, dribbling into the abyss like molasses from a bottle. The darkness consumes him. He does not dream."

"He does not dream" my stomach hurts this is so good. tasty tasty angst. also molasses. the molassiest word ever.

===================================

Overall feelings on this first chapter:

that was. so tactile and textured- i need to hold it in my hands and press my palms into it, and let the spikes in its texture hurt my hands a little. its so good, the wording makes it so engaging and leaves you enraptured on its flowing narrative- you sure did put that guy in situations huh

if you've read all the way over here: hi ü hope you don't mind this block of text of cero coherent analysis. i had fun.

i have to attend to my life now before i run late, so I'll return to this piece and its dissection soon (hopefully in some hours?)

#i lied about figuring the tags out later hehehe #✒️ fic dissection 🔬#loved it obviously #NOW CHAPTER 3 BABEEEYYY

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is-the-owl-video-cute · 3 years ago

Text

Owl Intelligence, and Respecting Their Way of Thought

For those of you who have followed my (original) blog for some time, my stance on owl intelligence should be clear. I am of the mind that owls are just as intelligent as a hawk or a falcon, and the pervasive reputation of these birds as being “lazy” and “stupid” animals is one of my biggest pet peeves.

The Myth of Owl Stupidity

In a cruel twist of fate, this mischaracterization of owls as being “slow” often comes from those who work with owls professionally because owls do not respond to the same training as their diurnal counterparts, but if you are constantly trying to shove a square peg in a triangular hole, it may not be the peg that’s unintelligent.

Diurnal raptors are only distantly related to owls, so it should not be a shock the two groups have more differences than similarities. A hawk is straightforward; they react to visual stimuli much like humans do, and they are at their peak confidence during the daylight. A hawk will look around, see no danger, and feel perfectly content to preen or eat from the glove. They burn off a lot more energy than owls as well since they capture prey by chase and have to be very active in searching for visual queues. A hawk will enter a dark room or have a hood slipped over its head and become almost catatonic because a lack of visual stimulus cues the hawk to feel calmed and stay in place much like they would to roost.

Owls see with their ears, not their eyes. An owl is also an ambush hunter rather than pursuit, every part of their instinctual wiring is geared to ensure they are not seen. If they are not seen and if they are not heard, they are safe, and they can be fed and they can relax in their invisibility. Because of their desires to remain unnoticed, they rarely show the same dramatic flight response of their diurnal cousins. Unlike the hawk, a frightened owl will not attempt relentlessly to take flight, a frightened owl sits as still as possible.

If you’re training a hawk and find it standing in place and looking at its surroundings without apparent urgency, it is a sign the hawk is confident; it needn’t watch you as you aren’t a threat, and it needn’t flee because it is safe and you will provide it food sufficiently. It can take time to look around at other things.

If you’re training an owl and it exhibits a similar behavior of standing firm on the glove and turning its head away from you to look at something else, this is a sign the owl is uncomfortable and worried, it’s not looking around out of curiosity, but to find an exit or a better hiding spot since it feels very visible on fist in the open.

Point of View of the Owl

When training hawks, the mutual relationship between man and bird is obvious. You are providing the hawk a secure roost, food, water, and freedom from disease. The hawk is more than willing to humor you in standing on your glove as though it were a tree limb and take time to look curiously upon whatever new sights you have to offer it, or to chase game you flush for it in the field.

Owls are more complex because the idea of being paraded in front of a crowd of humans or hunting game your noisy feet will scare away are very disagreeable to the owl for good reason. As I said, an owl is comfortable when it is not observed. Owls have a slower metabolism as well, meaning they do not hold food in the same esteem as the hawk. There is little urgency in an owl’s need to eat if all it has to feed is itself and it’s finished growing. Therefore, the only benefit a human can provide an owl is security. If you are not keeping the owl safe from scenarios that frighten it, you are not meeting your end of the bargain, and the owl views it as a betrayal because to be seen and to feel unsafe is torturous to these birds.

Owls find companionship to be disagreeable as well, and do not enjoy physical touch or constantly being around a human or other animals. They only spend a few months of the year with their mate and owlets, the exception being burrowing owls who are more tolerant of company, but do not particularly crave it either in many cases. They simply hold it with indifference rather than displeasure.

Because of the strictly solitary nature of owls, they may become disagreeable in turn if you don’t give them their space. An owl prefers to be alone in its enclosure for most of the day and night undisturbed, and the only parts of the owl that should be touched are the keel (to determine body condition) and the talons (to ensure anklets can be placed in a way that will minimize stress). The face of the adult owl should never be touched unless it’s to briefly help it get something off, like residue from food or dirt that would be more irritating if left caked on the bird. Any touch at all to the bird should only be done for clinical reasons.

All of this is what makes owls incredibly unethical to keep as pets. Invariably, videos of pet owls show the birds being relentlessly stroked like dogs, forced to interact with humans or other pets, and taken to noisy places like a living room with the TV on or a store. Some even go as far as dressing them up in costumes.

Owl behavior and cognition in terms of how they see their world are complex enough that I can’t fully cover it in a tumblr post, but if you take away nothing else understand this much: owls are not cats, they are not dolls, they are not pets. An owl is a wild animal misunderstood even by self-proclaimed experts and many of us in the field are only just recently actually seeing them. There are so many misconceptions about owls that lead to them being abused and traumatized by being treated by something they aren’t.

In many ways, an owl is very much a wise animal because they devote all their time to silently observing. What people mistake as the bird simply “zoning out” is actually the bird analyzing everything it’s hearing and seeing. They don’t need to look around to observe, their ears see even more than their very keen eyes. They make silent note of everything you do in their presence, and if you misstep and cross them, they will remember it.

Owls may not have a “complex” language humans can quantify, and they may not use tools, but they also don’t need to. These should not be the end all be all of how we measure intelligence in animals. In solitary animals, there is no push for them to develop a language, and in animals as well adapted as an owl, there is no push to learn to use tools. They have every tool they need attached to their bodies as is.

Their way of thinking is alien to humans, as we are diurnal animals which require socialization to survive, but this in no way means they are not intelligent. They are simply different. An owl is very smart at being an owl after all.

#academia #birblr #wildlife #owls #raptor #wildlife rehabilitation #animal husbandry #animal training #zoo keeping #ornithology #falconry #owls in captivity #zoology #owlvid-weighs-in

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insertmesoftly · 3 years ago

Text

Reasons To Keep You Here (Yuri x AFAB Immigrant Reader Trying to Get a Visa) Part 1

I got this idea as I was messing around with the original concept I thought of with you being the Forger's neighbor. I feel this Y/N needs to be gendered, as the anime is set in an old timey period with very conservative views being a big part of the character conflicts given. So everyone regards you as a woman, but not one that fits the country's idealistic mold. Along with dressing mostly in gender-nonconforming ways and taking on jobs of any kind (including some that are considered masculine)-

You were not born there. While not from the opposing country they're at war with, Westalis, you came from a neighboring, smaller and poorer nation as a baby with your mother. Your mother managed to marry someone here. They've had other children and managed to live in some normalcy… except you’ve always stuck out and been slightly ostracized by your family.

You love your siblings, and would’ve stayed if only for them, but your step-father kicked you out of the house as soon as you turned 18, and you've been living alone since. It hasn't... been easy. Despite living there all your life, you’re still considered an 'outsider', so the only work you were able to find has been low paying jobs. You took anything and everything, leading to you gaining a lot of odd skills. Though you were always a good worker, you lack any real presence… and you never really reached out to people anyways. You haven’t had much luck making friends as your life continued.

Finally, you found an opportunity you couldn’t pass up. A job you can actually enjoy and do from home as an artist for Sunday paper cartoons. You use a masculine pen-name of course, the paper demanded it. You were worried at first about failing getting any attention, but to your surprise, your cartoon is mildly popular with kids.

So you’re content as is, even as you barely scrape by with rent being so high. The apartment is close to the editing office and its crime rate is low, making it worth it for you. Still… it has its downsides too. There's been moments where the neighbors have caught your bizarre outfits, things that people of your low background wouldn’t blink at, but with their middle class sensibilities… they have begun to talk.

An adult woman living alone and looking like that? There's something wrong with you. Not meddling with the neighbors, you stay blissfully unaware of the rumors spreading.

Hmm, perhaps you have been hitting a rough patch and were running out of ideas for your comic just as the Forger family moved next door. Though you would normally keep to yourself, a mix up with you trying to snoop around to get ideas has Anya take an interest in your line of work. Though your identity was meant to stay a secret, she quickly realized who you were. She’s a fan of your cartoon and has taken a passion to better her art skills as a way to get closer to Damian. So, she begins asking you for lessons and now you’ve been roped up with befriending her. Her mother, Yor, jumps in too, coming in for lessons sometimes just to talk to you. She’s so excited over the prospect of having a close female friend! And her father, Loid… is using this as an opportunity to seem 'more normal' to others and to use you as a babysitting service that’s much more reliable than Franky.

So, you are firmly stuck now as their solidified family friend. It’s been relatively alright, though you’ve had some confusing moments, you always chalked it up to your anxiety making you feel out of place and never that the Forgers are genuinely all weird people.

Enter Yuri. The way Yor always talked about him, you had the mental picture that he was smart, kind, soft. A sweetheart intellectual who would never hurt a fly. You remember all this as you hesitantly approach the figure sitting in front of the Forger's door with wilting flowers. He's been there for an hour.

You know he is Yor's brother by his features. It's unmistakable. Feeling a sense of duty as her friend, and a bit of sympathy, you approach him to tell him that the Forgers went on a cruise.

Yuri glares but asks when they're expected to be back. You crunch the numbers and suspect it'll probably be one more day. He gets up to leave and you offer to call him to let him know when they return. Yuri does not take the offer.

He thinks you are hitting on him, and making an obviously disgusted face, he tells you that you should pay more attention to your dressage rather than trying to meddle with the brothers of your neighbors. Your initial friendliness is immediately revoked and now you dislike the guy.

But the days go on and more adventures are had by the family out of public view. You have more run ins with Yuri. From him visiting as you were helping Yor with dinner, to run ins in the streets, you're both still not on friendly terms but he's grown more accustomed to you. It helps that he knows your entire life story with the background check he did on you. He knows you're an immigrant. With a new law passing, you'd probably be sent back soon anyways. It wasn't his concern. Until...

There's another day where he wasn’t informed of Yor having plans. He crashed the night of the couple's supposed monthly anniversary. Yuri is livid at first, drinking all their alcohol and planting his feet to stay and not let them have their romantic day but Yor is firm with her orders that night.

He is interrupting.

He needs to leave.

Yuri is... heartbroken by her tone. He stumbles out of the apartment in a daze. He's still standing outside the door ten minutes after they shut it. You were getting out to take the trash and nearly scream when you see his depressed, dark, and drunken figure. After calming yourself down, you can guess what's happened.

'Yor didn't tell you today was their anniversary?'

Yuri's shoulders slump a little more. You sighed but move to the way of the trash cans anyways. You're sympathetic to his plight, but you’re dealing with your own issues. With a new law being implemented, you’re going to have to marry someone soon to be able to stay in the country. Not even your work would vouch for you; they were already planning to lay you off if you didn't find someone soon. Their last words in their letter, 'It was about time you stopped anyways.'

.... a devious idea formed in your head. You dropped your garbage off. You return and he's still slumped on the wall between the doors. Instead of going inside, you sit beside him, nervous but desperate.

You know about his creepy obsession with his sister. You know about his disgust with other women. You've respected it and he's let you be. Now to put that trust to the test...

Yuri, even inebriated, could sense something was coming, and he hardened his face on instinct. He looked you dead in the eye.

'What do you want?'

Your breath is shaky. 'I need help...'

'And?'

You take a gulp. You work your nerves to be courageous. And you finally tell him. 'I have a deal for you… if you're interested.'

He has to find you a husband.

What. The hell.

Getting up the next day had been a challenge, but the hardest part of his morning came as he finally recalled the deal in the middle of a work meeting. Now he had a throbbing headache AND regrets distracting him. Getting up from his chair as the briefing was over, Yuri curses the alcohol he consumed.

It deceived him into taking the deal. He always wanted to know more about his sister... to have a tighter hold on her schedule... but the morality. The possible disappointment from his sister. It always stopped him before. He was able to hold off his curiosity with just the occasional check ups. With casually asking his friends to keep an eye on her… It used to be enough. But maybe it isn’t anymore. He feels desperate as he sees Yor changing into someone he couldn't recognize anymore.

It had been too tempting. And the deal seemed... simple.

You are young. There'd be plenty of older men looking for a wife... this could be easy!

.... except that his reassuring himself was immediately interrupted. You called him at work to 'make sure it was the right number.' You’ve added conditions to who it could be. Now you were beginning to annoy him. They couldn't exceed an age. They had to be employed. He should probably check their criminal record too... and their temperament. Basically-

You ordered him to find someone he'd let his sister be in the same room with.

That. Was a tall order.

... it would be easier to revoke this deal. It didn't have to be you that did the spying. He could easily deport you and find a replacement neighbor for his beloved sister to befriend. Someone more worthy...

He mulled all this over as he finished work and went back to Yor’s house with gifts to apologize. Yor greeted him warmly and accepted the gifts, inviting him to dinner to make up for yesterday. Yuri was excited as always to try her cooking, but today it was something new.

... It’s a recipe you taught her. Yor is excited as she recounted how patient you were with her. She felt so lucky to finally have a friend like you… The warmth in her tone makes him stop the thoughts he previously had. She's endeared to you in a way he hasn't seen before. She considers you so close...

... she would cry if you left. He can’t let you be deported.

Stupidly, he resolves himself to his fate. He knocks on your door after his visit to his sister. You open it, and though you were surprised at first, you quickly flashed him a smile. You both negotiated the terms better and agreed to have more visits in the future. Thus begins an awful partnership for survival and love.

Part 2: HERE

#spy x family #spy x family yuri #spy x family oc #yuri briar #yuri briar x reader #yuri briar x y/n #sxf yuri #sxf yuri x reader #female reader #afab reader #reader insert #x reader #FINALLY EDITED THIS MWAHAHAHAHA AND THERE SHOULD BE MORE LATER #i have stuff written but its not in the correct order of the timeline so i need to #write more stuff to fill in the gaps uuugh kjgrbgjgt but its a lot. i hope yall like it sobsob #rtkyh

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westanthewaterman · 2 years ago

Text

Care For You - Engineer!Mark & GN!Captain

Rating: SFW

Word count: 1500+

Request: hi 👋 could u maybe do a fic with the head engineer, where the captains gotten rlly injured but is hiding it from mark/the rest of the crew until mark realises something is up and hes like "huh"? and then he tries to bandage the captain up ? i love ur writing btw!!

Contents: blood and wound mentions, hints at a romantic relationship but can be read as platonic

AO3

As Head Engineer of the Invincible II, Mark has a lot of responsibilities on and off the ship. Whether it’s keeping up with the ship’s many, many systems or designing machinery to help the colonists down on the surface, there’s always something for him to do, something for him to fix. And he likes it that way. He likes being helpful, being needed.

Which is why he’s found himself here - doing laps around the Main Control console, checking the communicator on his wrist every few minutes, and trying not to feel helpless.

Gunther and the Captain have gone planetside to deal with a mob of hostile animals that has been terrorizing the colony ever since they’d arrived. Normally something so trivial wouldn’t be a job for the Captain but they’d insisted, desperate to get their boots on solid ground. Mark had asked to go as well but the Captain denied the request. After all, someone needed to stay to keep an eye on the ship and the only other person on board with the qualifications was Mack and the Captain would die before they left him in charge.

So Mark waited…and waited……and waited.

He was sure it had been hours, maybe even days. The Captain and Gunther were likely already dead, fallen prey to the aliens who would surely leave nothing but their bones left to be found. What if he never sees the Captain again? Who will run the colony? Who will captain the ship now that they were gone? Surely he couldn’t do it. He wasn’t ready for that kind of responsibility, that kind of pressure. Would they even have the resources for a proper funeral? Who would be able to fight off the monsters to retrieve their remains? Oh, ye cruel fate! They were so young! They were so-

Mark checks the time on his communicator.

It hasn’t even been an hour.

So…maybe it’s not the animals he’s really worried about. Maybe, and he feels silly even considering it, maybe not having the Captain at his side makes him a little nervous. From the moment they had been elected by the Board for the position of Captain, they had never been very far away, overseeing every detail as the Invincible was rebuilt. Mark thinks maybe that’s why the original ship didn’t make it through its maiden voyage, there was no one else on board to rival his meticulous care of the vessel as it was being built. And sure, maybe the Captain couldn’t tell the difference between a plasma contractor and an electromagnetic thruster, but they did their best.

And now, after what the two of them had dubbed the C.F.W.I. or Crazy Fucking Wormhole Incident, Mark made sure they were never more than an arm's width away. After everything they’d been through, he thinks he deserves to feel a little cautious, especially now that the two of them are…whatever they are to each other.

Which is why, the second his communicator pings, Mark almost falls forward as he stops dead in what feels like his millionth lap around the room to read the message.

Threat taken care of. Coming back up. Gunther needs minor medical attention.

Mark turns on his heel and sprints to the Hangar, stopping by the Medbay to let them know Gunther would be heading over shortly.

Soon enough, the shuttle docks. The Captain steps out of the ship, supporting Gunther’s weight with an arm tight around his waist. Mark rushes over to his other side.

“You said minor medical attention.”

Gunther waves him off. “I’m all good, just a flesh wound and all that. I’m just dizzy from the blood loss.”

Mark sighs with a shake of his head and helps the Captain get Gunther to Medbay. Once they’ve dropped him on one of the cots, Mark turns to the Captain.

“Are you alright? Did you get hurt at all?”

“I’m fine, Mark, really. Thank you for the concern.”

He squints his eyes, looking them up and down before nodding. “I trust your word, Captain. So how did it go?”

They shrug. “Nothing we couldn’t handle. It was nice to get out on the field again, I missed the action.”

The Captain’s eyes are beginning to droop, eyelids feeling heavy.

“Are you sure you’re alright, Captain?”

“Yeah, I just need to go lay down, I think. All this time in space has got me out of shape.”

“...Okay, but you let me know if there’s anything I can do for you, yeah?”

They reach out and stroke the side of his face gently. “Of course, Mark.”

It’s been four hours since the Captain left for their quarters and Mark hasn’t heard a peep from them. It’s unlike them to take naps, especially during working hours, so he decides to go check and make sure they’re okay.

Mark stops in front of their door, pressing the little button above the scanner to ping them. When there’s no answer, he frowns, sending them another message from his communicator. After waiting a few minutes with no response, Mark decides to just go in. Maybe the Captain would be grumpy at him for interrupting their rest, but at least he would know they were okay.

He presses his hand to the scanner and the door slides open. The room is quiet, too quiet. Usually, the Captain sleeps with white noise or one of the audiobooks Burt had recommended but there’s nothing.

“Captain?”

Mark tiptoes into their bedroom, heart freezing in his chest at the sight before him. The Captain is curled up in a ball on top of the sheets, face unnaturally pallid. They’re trembling and when he gets closer, Mark is horrified to see all the blood staining the sheets.

He cries their name, grabbing their shoulders and turning them onto their back.

“Captain? Captain, can you hear me?”

The Captain raises a hand, trying to push him away weakly.

“M’okay, j-just tired.”

“Like hell you’re okay! You’re bleeding!”

“Just a scratch, m’fine.”

“Yeah, sure you are. Why didn’t you go get patched up in the medbay?”

“Crew comes first.”

Mark sighs. Normally, the Captain’s care for the people under their command would be admirable if it wasn’t the reason they were practically bleeding out. He grabs the emergency first aid kit from the bathroom and sits down on the edge of the bed. Carefully, he pulls off their captain’s jacket and unzips their jumpsuit, pushing it off their shoulders.

“Buy me dinner first,” they mumble.

He chuckles. “Once the colony has a place for me to buy you dinner, I will.”

There are three long gashes on the Captain’s side. Thankfully, they’re not as deep as Mark had originally thought, missing all their internal organs. He gets to work disinfecting the wounds, shushing them when they whine at the sting. Mark’s touches are gentle and tender, careful not to cause them any more pain. He stitches the wounds up with a practiced hand; a small benefit of traveling helplessly through an infinite multiverse - you have an endless amount of time and opportunities to learn how to patch up wounds.

Once he’s done, the Head Engineer washes his hands in the bathroom and fills a glass with water, returning to the Captain’s side. He tilts their head up, helping them to take a few sips.

“We should really get you to the Medbay, Captain.”

“Later. Just sit with me for a bit.”

The Captain gives him their best puppy dog eyes and he sighs with a shake of his head; they know he’d do anything they ask of him when they give him that look. Mark sits down next to them with his back against the headboard, running a hand through their hair.

“You scared me, you know.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to worry anyone.”

“So bleeding out alone is the solution? You don’t think that’s going to worry people even more?”

“Well…”

“Captain, you’re allowed to be cared for just as much as anyone else on this ship. And if you can’t let anyone else do it, then at least let me. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you. Well…I do know.”

“I’m sorry. It was stupid of me, wasn’t it? I can’t take care of the ship if I’m not at my best.”

“You’re worth more than your ability to take care of the ship, you have to understand that, right? Everyone on this ship wants you to be happy and healthy, not because it makes you a better Captain, but because we care about you. You’re worth caring about.”

The Captain doesn’t say anything at that, too lost in thought. Mark takes one of their hands between his and presses it to his lips.

“Promise me, you won’t do this again.”

“But-”

“Don’t.” He gives them a stern look. “Promise me.”

“I promise.”

“Good, now seriously, we need to get you to the Medbay. The longer we wait, the angrier Dr. Iplier is going to be with me for not bringing you down sooner. You don’t want me to get in trouble, do you?”

#iswm #in space with markiplier #engineer!mark #engineer!mark x gn!captain #engineer!mark x reader #x reader insert #ego x reader #west writes #sfw #anon request

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robitherat · 2 years ago

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what’re some mh fanfic recs ? been trying to get back into reading more of em

am I allowed to plug my own AO3?

no but forreal tho, there's so many good ones im just gonna link my favs from my AO3 history (Note that most of these are Jam fics because im a basic little bitch and love my comfort couple okay)

putting a keep reading bc i added a LOT lmao

"Next to You" I think this was one of the, if not the absolute first fic i read for mh back in like. 2017/18? It's a wingfic/ angel and demon AU, and I'll admit its not the absolute most fantastic piece of literature, but it's a classic in my heart so

"One Day" Very Very adorable jam fic, post mh domestic bliss, there's chickens and disgusting amounts of fluff. Read It.

The entire Hotel Hopping series by rebiTV. Still semi-patiently awaiting the next upload because Oh My God. Just the usual hotel shenanigans. Some are funny, some are angsty, and the most recent post to it left us with a cliffhanger that i think killed my soul a little bit in the best way.

"3:27 am" A super well-written fic depicting Jay Going Through it. The whole thing is basically Jay dissociating, so slight warning for that, and it's kind of trippy to read but honestly it's so good dude.

"Lazy Mornings" This one's a Bram fic featuring some fluffy cuddling of unknown origins. Good little light read and one of my all time favorite fanfics ever.

Pretty much anything by jaythewriter, their work is fucking phenomenal and I rlly wish they'd post again honestly but also yknow. stuff happens. I'll just re-read all their works again instead.

"Don't You Hear Me Howling" Another bram one, this time featuring the Masked Boys and how complicated a relationship can be when your partners don't remember you when they wake up. It's super well written and makes me sob every time i read it <3

"Farm Boy" Super soft and sweet fic about Jay kind of remembering his love for farm animals when he and Tim have to stay in a barn for a night. TW for implied animal death (maybe? it's up to interpretation) but I swear it's an honestly really well-written soft fic that makes me feel so many feelings. I also just realized this is another from jaythewriter but yknow what it's so fucking good im keeping it.

"All The World Is Green" Honestly i don't even wanna describe this one you just have to read it. I promise it's worth it.

"CALL IT BLACKSTAR, CALL IT PAINSTAR" OH MY FUCKING GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD IF YOU'RE A POLYHORNETS HAND READ THIS IMMEDIATELY HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT OH MY GOD

"Never Write Lovesongs On The Ukulele" Collection of vignettes of Tim reminding Jay that he's in love with him. love

"To Cut The Taste" Very Early in the hotel hopping days, basically just an awkward conversation Jay and Tim have about Tim's trip to a gas station

"For The Loneliest Blackout" Super trippy to read, very dream-like. Highschool (?) AU with t4t jam and a whoooooollleeeee lotta metaphors. or just one really long metaphor.

"scenes from a movie" god okay iw was looking for this one for like an hour oh my god. Of all the fics ive read this one honestly sticks with me a lot just because of how fucking cool the writing style is to me. I loveeeee vignettes so much and this is one of the longest vignette fics ive read. it's so so so sos o good please read it it has a happy ending

"Build Your Own Noodles" and "Potato Cakes" Both by the same author, both brim, both adorable pre-canon fluff.

"who took heroin, then sleeping pills, and who lies in an alabama hospital" TW for bug imagery and also mention of spider bites. Listen I have entomophobia and arachnophobia so anything with bugs freaks me the fuck out but this is really well done and honestly just the way that it's handled is so fucking fun to read.

The Lost Time series. theres only two stories and theyre both great. A little funky to read because it's, of course, about jay and tim losing time and forgetting stuff about each other. I think there's some?? implied sexual content??? but it's not explicit and otherwise i don't think there's any necessary warnings

"Patterns of Safety" Basically just Jay and Brian bonding over having OCD. I fucking looveeeeeee Same Brain type fics and also jay and brian both having OCD scratches my brain. No One In This Series is neurotypical

"Starting Over At The End Of The Line" Finally a multichapter fic. I promise I read things other than oneshots i promise. N E ways this is pretty much a polyhornets everyone lives AU featuring Brian's lovely gay aunts. You'll notice I commented on almost every chapter because i Love THis Fic SO Much

"No One's Ever Going To Treat You Right; You're Attracting The Wrong Kind" This one isn't a shipfic actually!!! It's sort of Tim's spiraling reaction to finding out what Jay's been hiding from him and the events that lead up to the meeting in the parking lot. The imagery is sooooo fucking good in this one, it's honestly kind of disconcerting the way it's written just because of how In-his-head Tim is the whole time. it's soooo fucking good it's so good.

"psalm 38:8" OKAY LAST ONE this is a great one to end with. It's pretty much just Jay's introspection on his own standing with religion and also hopeless pining that maybe isn't so hopeless after all.

OKAY THIS IS REALLY LONG NOW LOL I HOPE YOU ENJOY MY PERSONAL LIBRARY OF JAM FICS BC IM INSANE ABT THEM

#robi answers #robi rambles #fic recs #marble hornets #fic recommendation #marble hornets fanfiction #marble hornets jam

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batmanisagatewaydrug · 3 years ago

Text

hey I wrote something

I mean. I've BEEN writing it I've been futzing with this story since like... at least 2019? 2018? not a short amount of time. it's turned into a pretty bloated behemoth in that time and I'm hoping to pare it back down to its original spirit.

I'm not done and I'm hoping that by throwing like the first half(ish) up here I can shame myself into seeing it through and actually getting it done.

content warning for uuuh climate grief, suicide, animal death, extreme isolation, and the ocean being creepy as hell. I think that's all the biggies.

01.

On a lonely stretch of beach at the end of the world there stood a drafty cottage, and in that cottage dwelt a woman called Elnora.

She had no family name to speak of, for the simple enough reason that she didn’t have a family. That was how she found herself in such a desolate place to begin with: only wards of the state wound up as shorekeepers, paying back the great generosity that had been shown in keeping them alive.

Elnora had often been told that she was one of the lucky ones, because she did well on her tests and had a “good temperament” for shore work. That was a hard and grueling lot in life, to be certain, but also a vital one that would save many lives and help humanity strike back against the sea.

Besides, it could be worse. Orphans who didn’t have a good work ethic grew up to sweep the streets or stand at factory assembly lines for hours on end, until their eyes seemed permanently empty and all their words came out in a jumbled mumble. You’d be put to work one way or another, Elnora thought, so you may as well try to be cheerful about it.

No one liked an ungrateful orphan.

02.

She was being watched by something in the wicked sea.

Elnora had first noticed this precisely one week prior, although she suspected it might have been going on quite a bit longer than that. Peering out her small window one night she had noticed something shining on the waves - no, scratch that: two somethings, bobbing on the waves.

Two eyes, obviously, catching the light from her cottage in the most unsettling way. Small enough that it must have been a siren, only one hundred or so feet from the shore.

She had taken to sleeping with a pair of soundproof earmuffs jammed tight over her ears, which was terribly uncomfortable and made it hard to fall asleep. Elnora simply brewed stronger coffee in the morning to compensate; lost sleep was better than the alternative.

On the eighth night of being watched she logged her daily reports - measurements of wind and wave and weather alike - and clambered into her little bed, snug beneath the extra quilt that had once belonged to a fellow keeper. His bed stood empty against the opposite wall now, untouched out of respect.

03.

The International Sea Patrol had been a well-oiled machine once, or so Elnora had been told.

She thought that was a funny expression, a holdover from a time when there was so much oil that people took it for granted.

Regardless, there was a time when things had run very efficiently. Keepers didn’t hold any post longer than two months, and would receive a month of rest and relaxation in between each post. They never worked alone, but no pair was together longer than a month to prevent them from getting at each other’s throats. The older keepers talked about this time with reverence.

Somewhere along the line, two months had started bleeding into three. The ISP was so short-staffed, people simply weren’t enlisting like they used to, all convicts and orphans now - but it was such important work. Surely the dutiful shorekeepers could be counted on to man their stations even if it meant staying put a bit longer than they were accustomed to?

Of course, said the shorekeepers. It would be an honor.

So two months became three, and three became six, and six became a year without anyone quite realizing how. And it became more solitary along the way, so having a partner was a lucky break rather than an ironclad regulation.

Elnora’s conscript had called for a year-long post on her lonely shore. By her count she was currently on day five hundred and forty five - and counting.

04.

The morning after the storm, Elnora saw to her daily tasks before going out to comb the beach. There was water to gather from her solar still, wind speeds from the night before to log, sand endlessly in need of being swept back outside.

For breakfast she made a mug of strong coffee and chased it down with a crunchy dehydrated mean. They tasted nominally better if you bothered to hydrate them first, but not so much better that Elnora regretted not making the effort.

The delivery drone was two days late with replenishments to her rations, which had never happened before, but Elnora was trying not to worry about that.

When she was fed, if not nourished, she pulled on the thick boots and gloves that would protect her from the ocean’s sting and grabbed the long, pointed pole that would allow her to examine things from a cautious distance. There were rarely any surprises to be found on her beach, even after a storm, but one could never be too safe when it came to the sea.

Outside, in the water gray light of dawn, she spotted at once the largest of the items that the sea had left her: a humanoid figure, skeletal and green, gills gasping against the air.

05.

Even in its death throes, with the fish all gone and the very water turned to poison, the ocean had refused to go quietly. From the depths it coughed out krakens to strangle ships and drag them down; leviathans that could ram through any hull; sirens, with songs that turned sailors into their own worst enemies.

These beasts were covered extensively in the training every scorekeeper underwent. If one was found washed up dead then it would be immeasurably valuable, for the ISP wanted nothing as badly as it wanted to learn the inner workings of its most dangerous enemies. Any viable specimen, no matter how small, was to be called in immediately for collection.

But first - and this was vital - the keeper must determine that their catch was really dead. For the ocean was a tricky beast, and all its children were the same, and wouldn’t it be just like the damned sea to lure them in close before it struck?

06.

The siren was in poor condition, but very much alive.

Its limbs were long and scrawny, which Elnora knew concealed an awful strength - sailors who got grabbed by their ankles found that the best way of getting free was often to cut their own limbs off, which was much easier than loosening a single siren finger.

Its face couldn’t be human for more than a passing glance - eyes too bulbous, nose barely more than two gashes for nostrils, thin lips unable to conceal its pointed teeth. Its skin was married with thick scars and acid burns, a reminder that even the ocean’s spawn weren’t safe from its wicked ways. Thick dark hair hung tangled down its back, and its chest was dotted with two pinprick black nipples.

Elnora tore her eyes away from that and focused on what, in her estimation, really mattered: the ugly gash in its side, exposing bone and meat to the unforgiving sky.

Overhead, a hungry gull drifted in for a closer look.

07.

The man who’d shared her post - his name was Meech, and he’d been there nearly a year when Elnora came along.

She’d liked him well enough. He was older, and very jaded, and sometimes ranted about how they were being abandoned to die alone on the sea. But he’d also been very gentle, and had a lot of poetry memorized, and he taught her how to knit.

The day before Meech’s year-mark a missive came over the computer: he’d have to stay a little longer, terribly sorry, shortage of staffing, etc. Elnora had sent back a very indignant message on his behalf - it was most unprofessional to not even ask his consent before extending his assignment, or even tell him when his new end date would be! - but Meech sank into quiet resignation. He started keeping odd hours after that, and Elnora often caught him in the middle of the night staring out at the sea.

One morning she had woken to the sound of screaming, or maybe weeping; it seemed somewhere between absolute agony and ecstatic exultation. She never found out what it was, only saw the end results: a swarm of sirens clustered in the shallows, a froth of red that had once been her friend Meech.

08.

The siren came to in the large metal tub that Elnora used to bathe, filled with saltwater that had been hauled inside bucket by bucket and was currently pooling on the worn-down wooden floor.

It blinked its big fishy eyes, which Elnora didn’t like at all.

“I live,” it said, sounding neither pleased nor displeased about this.

“For now,” Elnora said. “I didn’t know you could speak.”

“Unsurprising. There are hardly any things that your kind knows.” The siren looked around with idle curiosity, curling its wormy lip. “You live like this?”

“Shut up. As if you have it any better, living in the ocean.”

The siren looked at its side, the place where it had been gouged wide open, and pressed a tender hand to the wound. The noise it made was somewhere between pleasure and pain, entirely satisfaction. “Mmm. Yes. Mother Sea dragged me across the rocks last night, as punishment for being careless. Silly me, bad siren.”

“What do you mean, being careless?”

“Too close to shore when the storm came. Too distracted trying to watch my favorite shoregirl.” The siren flashed her a smile like a shark’s, all cruel sharp teeth.

“Oh, no,” Elnora said firmly. “I know how you work, getting in people’s heads. It’s not going to work on me.”

“And yet you saved me.”

“Yes. I did.”

09.

After Meech died she’d had a cat for about a week.

It was a pathetic-looking stray - hardly anyone had the money to spend on keeping animals anymore - with patchy black and white fur and one eye missing. It almost certainly had fleas, and maybe worms. Elnora had no reason to believe she’d be able to requisition medicine to care for it, let alone proper food, but she started letting herself fantasize about keeping it around all the same. She started spending hours sitting still so that it would feel safe enough to approach her, and toying with ideas for different names.

Of course that all came to an end when the poor creature tried to eat something that had washed up out of the sea. Elnora screamed and chased it away, but it was no good - she found it the next day stiff and dead, covered in flies, having apparently choked on its own vomit.

She buried it far into the sand dunes, having walked so far that she could hardly hear the waves, determined not to let the sea have it in death.

10.

“Your wound is looking better,” Elnora said that evening, after a long day of stubbornly ignoring the siren. Every few hours she’d splash a fresh bucket of saltwater into the tub, but she always averted her eyes when she did.

The siren stretched out in an indecently suggestive way, looking quite pleased with itself. “Rest and relaxation. All thanks to you, kind shoregirl.”

“Shut up.”

Elnora awkwardly set up the privacy screen that had gone unused since Meech’s death, fumbling out of her clothing and into her bed clothes behind it. She felt twice as clumsy as usual, sweating as she fretted that the siren might somehow be able to see right through the flimsy barrier.

“Shall I sing you to sleep?” the siren cooed, inhuman voice mocking. “Oh, please, let me do something kind for you. A little token of my gratitude!”

“You will not,” Elnora said, but she may as well have told the sun not to rise or the sea not to be deep and dark and full of things eager to kill.

The siren sang through the night with a voice eerie and inhuman, a sound meant to carry miles through the water. Instead it reverberated over and over against the inside of Elnora’s skull, sinking her into a clammy slumber of twilight dreams. She was startled to find herself blinking awake in the morning after sleeping through the night for the first time in months, feeling oddly raw.

“Good morning,” said the siren, smirking at her a few feet away. “Sleep well?”

“Mind your own business,” said Elnora, ignoring the throbbing between her thighs and hurrying to check the drone delivery pad.

Another day without fresh rations.

11.

On the beach at the end of the world there was a road, and that road had led straight to the drafty cottage where Elnora dwelt.

There had been a truck that carried supplies once, driven by a handsome young woman with short-cropped hair and calloused hands and the most terribly kind eyes Elnora had ever seen. The driver always stayed a little longer than she needed to, even though that could get her pay docked, and even started smuggling out cheap romance paperbacks after she learned Elnora liked them.

The driver had mentioned once that more and more trucks were being replaced with drones, and she said it with the kind of forced casualty that signaled she was deeply, terribly afraid. Elnora asked her what she would do if she lost her job to automation.

“Go south and fight the wildfires, probably,” the driver said with a shrug. “It’s crap work - ruins your body - but it’s what most of my family does anyway. And somebody has to do it. It’s all hypothetical, though. They won’t replace us, though. Your deliveries are too heavy, it’s too impractical to use a drone.”

That wasn’t the last time Elnora saw her; that would be too bitterly, perfectly ironic. Months passed, the truck came every two weeks like clockwork, and they both forgot about that conversation entirely.

Until one day a drone came in her place, without even giving Elnora a chance to say goodbye.

#wrote something

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