#pig on a sled

[guineapiggies]

Via bonnet_and_scabbers

[wildbeautifuldamned]

Annas Antique Jewelry ebay

[squidinkarchives]

Happy New Year Postcard

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

If there was one animal literacy thing I could change with a wave of a wand, it would be increasing people's understanding of how dangerous megafauna are. I think that in the US (and probably other Western countries too), we're so removed from wildlife and even large domesticated animals that people really have no perspective on how much a big animal can fuck you up. Even if they're "gentle."

This is a discussion going on on Twitter, too, the last few days: there was a thing where an Iditarod musher shot a moose to protect their team, and a lot of people are confused as to why that needed to happen. Apparently this moose had been hanging around the course for quite a while and was becoming quite dangerous to the sled dog teams. Moose are territorial and not to be fucked with. Everyone from Alaska or areas with moose are like "yup, that's just reality."

Same thing with the bison birth I watched last year. Folk really thought the staff should be in the habitat on the ground with the bison herd, helping with the birth. Sure, that's what we do with cows if we have to, but... bison are definitely not cows and, again, will squish you.

People tend to get it more with the predators. Few people will argue that a cougar or an alligator or a bear isn't dangerous. I think people kinda go both ways on wild pigs / boars depending on their experience. But herbivores or things that don't look traditionally pointy... it just kinda doesn't click.

Any large animal is probably stronger than you think and more likely to hurt you than you realize. Be it a dolphin, an elk, a sea lion, or even an emperor penguin... just don't go near them, buds.

[reikiajakoiranruohoja]

One thing that eternally baffles me with people calling dog sports abusive, is how the offered alternative assumes that a dog is happiest when it is not doing anything.

Putting aside PETA and its anti-pet stance, most critique I have seen comes from people saying the dogs are forced to perform for humans and therefore its exploiting them.

But even a cursory understanding of dog breeds tells you this mentality is not only flawed but also ignorant of the needs of the animal.

For one, you cannot force a dog to do things most dog sports require. If a greyhound doesn't want to run, it won't. If a husky doesn't want to pull a sled, it won't. Have you ever seen a dog in a situation it doesn't like? Most of us have to drag our dogs to the vet and then try our best to mitigate the dog's displeasure towards the vet.

A dog who wants to do something like running or fetching will do it regardless of your opinion. That is why most of dog training is directing this want so the dog isn't destroying things or hurting people.

The breed or breed mix also affects things. If you get a chihuahua, the experience with that dog is completely different from a border collie or a husky. Heck, even closely related breeds like German shepherds and Belgian malinois are vastly different in their temperament and mentality. There is this call for ignorance and naivete in posts decrying dog sports, where breed doesn't exist and any kind of activity outside the home is harmful to the dog. Admitting that dogs have been bred for jobs is to admit that human contact is not always negative for animals and that is a bridge too far for many of these people. It also means that jobs such as ratting, hunting, protection and such are blissfully ignored or assumed to be forced by humans. This means that when a pampered terrier does maul the family guinea pig, the owner gets blamed for abusing the animals. Posts that tell you dog sports are evil are not made with the dogs in mind, they are made solely for an ideology that benefits humans who do not have to live with the animal in question and so can sit on their constructed high horse.

[shipburner]

Where Do Paw Patrol Characters End Up In Dante's Inferno?

Cap’n Turbot: First Circle (Limbo, virtuous pagan). Our guide into Adventure Bay the Inferno.

Skye the air rescue dog: Second Circle (Lust, crime of being a girl). Your helicopter cannot save you from the violent winds.

Zuma the water rescue dog: Third Circle (Gluttony). You’re a surfer, ergo a Californian, ergo you smoke weed. Enjoy being savaged by Cerberus!

Chase the police and spy dog: Seventh Circle (Violence) (Ring 1, violence against neighbors). Boil in blood you fucking pig.

Tracker the jungle rescue dog: Seventh Circle (Violence) (Ring 2, violence against self). Sadly his paranoia has resulted in a visit to the Wood of the Suicides.

Rubble the construction dog: Seventh Circle (Violence) (Ring 3, violence against nature). Your soft heart has earned you the fate of all homosexuals: running in circles in the burning desert.

Everest the snow rescue dog: Eighth Circle (Fraud) (Bolgia 1, panderers and seducers). Crime of being a girlboss. March forever, whipped by demons, just like a living sled dog!

Rocky the “eco pup”. Eighth Circle (Fraud) (Bolgia 10, falsifiers, specifically of things). Recycling is a form of alchemy. Fortunately there are no baths in this ditch of disease!

Marshall the fire dog: Ninth Circle (Treachery) (Judecca, traitors to their lords). His clumsiness was the downfall of the whole PAW patrol.

Ryder the human: frozen instead of Satan in the exact center.

[risoria]

I’m so goddamn tired. I hate it here so fucking badly. I hate it here. It’s 2024. We know better and yet we are pushing these ads and these dogs everywhere, STILL - why do we as a society love animal cruelty so much?? I will never understand.

I’m going to be brutally honest - people are stupid. People will not open their phones to google for three minutes before buying an expensive dog, that lives for 15 years - and media affects people IMMENSELY. Remember how everyone and their mom got a husky (an extremely hard dog to keep, because they’re working sled dogs) after game of thrones? How every single child got a rat after ratattouille, and how most likely a lot of them were abandoned? This happens with frenchies and pugs as well because they are featured EVERYWHERE.

”Oh wow its so ugly i love it ;;” ”Oh it’s so cute I want one!!” No. Dogs who need surgery where you cut their nostrils open just to be able to breathe a /little/ better is not something you should want or support. Animal cruelty is not something you should want or support.

This is a chart for assessing stenotic (pinched) nares in brachycephalic dogs. The open nares seen here are not even actual normal nares - this is what they look like in non-brachy dogs.

There is no other way to say this: these dogs can’t breathe. That’s why they make noises like little pigs - they can’t actually get sufficient air into their lungs because their airways are so closed. They are partially suffocating - every single minute of every day.

Here’s the reasons why:

- the nostrils are closed. you can see how hard and panic-inducing it is to ”breathe” like that by pinchig your own nostrils for a little while. it’s very common to have surgery to cut the nostrils open - but even if it might help a little bit they’re only ONE reason why these dogs suffer

- the face is flattened - this is why the tongue cant actually fit in their mouths, which of course makes the tongue constantly dry and uncomfortable. they also have teeth problems because, again, the teeth literally cant fit in their mouths. they also can’t cool down the way dogs normally do by panting - because the area in their nasal cavity where this happens is extremely small. this, together with the breathing issue, makes them extremely prone to over-heating and dying as a result.

- their soft palates are, again, too big for their mouths and make the dogs’ airways more closed as a result. surgery to cut this soft tissue away is common.

- their laryngeal sacculis are often inverted - think of a pocket of your trousers that is turned inside out. these sacs are located in the back of the throat and further obstruct the airways

- laryngeal collapse is also not uncommon

- their tracheas are VERY thin. That’s why breeding for a different type of bulldog and pug etc is important and thats why ONLY opening the nares and lengthening the snout is not the answer - if the trachea is the dimension of a straw, they will still be unable to breathe properly - and you can’t assess this without image diagnostics, of course…

- because these dogs struggle to breathe and are prone to over-heating they can have trouble exercising and this easily get overweight. The extra fat will collect around the neck, amongst other places, and this can pinch the anatomy of the throat and airways of the neck even further

- some symptoms of BOAS (brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome) that people find ~cute and unique include:

-> snoring loudly and snorting when breathing. This is because of the obstructed airways and means they struggle to breathe both while asleep and while exercising/walking

-> ”smiling” (pulling corners of the mouth up) and rolling the tip of the tongue is something seen when the dog is labouring to breathe

-> these dogs often find toys to keep in their mouths when they sleep - this is not normal, they do this deliberately because they can’t breathe.

-> these dogs are the ONLY dogs who will be happy about having a tube inserted into their trachea while undergoing surgery. Normally you remove this the second the dog starts to come to - because it is extremely uncomfortable having essentially a straw inside your airways - but for brachy dogs they enjoy being able to breathe fairly comfortably and they will sit fully awake with the tube for long periods of time. It’s heartbreaking.

PLEASE don’t get these dogs and please call out advertisements etc promoting them - because we all know that they are already extremely popular and that marketing sells even more of them. It’s downright evil, and it’s animal cruelty in the name of ~marketing. Yes of course there’s a lot of them in shelters needing adoption - BUT it’s very important to know what you’re getting into. A lot of these dogs DO need surgery to be able to breathe at least partially, and these are invasive and very expensive.

This was just off the top of my head but here’s a link with more info -> BOAS in dogs

[2treez]

“With no supermarkets and almost no money back in the day, it was "root hog or die" if we liked to eat. Food? We grew most everything we ate. For instance, sausage, ham, tenderloin and fatback? (bacon to us moderns) Yep! Along with all the other foods we grew, we grew those too and never ever did we go hungry, come winter time.

Come spring of the year, Pa bought a small pig; we fed it well all summer and by fall of the year, it had grown quite big. On a frosty November morning, Pa built a fire under the scalding vat, shot the hog, (right between the eyes with a .22,) we hauled it to the scalding vat on the sled and rolled it into the hot water to loosen the hair so we could scrape it off. We then hung it upside down from a tree limb, Pa cleaned it out, cleaned it up and lowered it to some planks he had laid on the ground.

What did he do then? With a butcher knife and axe, he made magic right there on the spot: ham, shoulders, side meat, tenderloin and other good things. (He was mighty good at doing that.) Meanwhile inside the house, we ground up meat in the meat grinder, Mama mixed in red-hot pepper and other stuff, we rolled it into balls, she canned it in fruit jars and stored it in the cellar. (Come breakfast time on cold winter mornings, home canned sausage was the best stuff on God’s Green Earth, bar none.)

Meanwhile, the whole house smelled of raw meat and by the end of hog-killing day, fresh meat was the last thing I wanted to eat. BUT, come next morning, Mama fried a stack of buckwheat pancakes that reached the sky, made white-sop gravy, (sauce, you all) home-made biscuits, perked coffee on top of the wood stove, and best of all, fried up a whole bowl of fresh tenderloin. Was it good? Best stuff I ever seen; bar none.

After hog-killing day was done, it was comforting to know, that (with firewood piled high, the cellar and meat box full to the brim) no matter how rough the coming winter, we would be warm and fed.”

🌳🫶🏼🌳

By Wayne Easter resident of the Appalachian mountains

[ms-boogie-man]

Ahem!…

Remember this post yo!!!

Guilty on all 34 charges… in a pig's ass yo!! You are watching the over-throw of our republic, not the protection of democracy. You are watching the criminal tactics play out in America the way they have in Venezuela, Cambodia, Communist China; just to name a few. Your way of life, across the globe, will become exponentially worse than it already is and what little you have left will be taken from you I am a vampire. I have been around since the waning days of the Roman Republic (👈🏼 recognize that word?) and I have seen this play out many times, and always by liberal elites parading themselves as virtuous as they come for your way of life.

There was not any evidence, there was not any guilt on the part of Trump. This was law-fare, similar to warfare but different

Yeah, I think there is a snow storm headed in Hell's direction yo Complete with snow flakes, hail, snowmen, snow ladies, skiing, sledding, snowball fights, etc

Too, not only is homeboy's popularity gonna go thru the roof, but he is also going to make a mint on merch, bae! $$$

*narrow-eyed nods

Too, if you come to my post here with belligerence and/or disrespect, especially with any position that is baseless — and let us face facts here, siding against President Trump is as baseless as it gets — I will Block you and remove you from the conversation. Come with based, provable facts or do not show up here

Angie/Maddie🦇❥✝︎🇺🇸

[siphonyx]

Books From a Non-Human Perspective

I've seen discussions on books going around the alterhuman community, and it caused me to recall some of my own favorite books from a non-human perspective. The most memorable of these were from a non-human perspective, and focused more on nonhuman existence, than supernatural or fantastical elements.

I've noticed that I tend towards books that are more realistic- not to say that I only read realistic books, but many of the stories I like are focused on the animal's point of view, aren't really shapeshifting focused, and are more focused on being "practically nonhuman". Like, you'll see what I mean if you check out the books 😉

(I've added descriptions and images from the books to the post, all credit goes to Google/Amazon.)

Child of the Wolves - Elizabeth Hall

Granite, a Siberian husky puppy, is all alone in the Alaskan forest after escaping from his kennel. Each moment of his life is threatened until Snowdrift, a great white wolf, welcomes him into a wolf pack. But Granite must earn his place among the wolf tribe by facing vicious attacks from the other wolves, the human wolf hunters, and the constant challenges of the frozen forest.

Lexi's Tale - Johanna Hurwitz

Can Lexi, the street-smart squirrel and his friend PeeWee, a well-read guinea pig, make a difference in the life of a man living hungry and friendless in Central Park?

The Werewolf Club and the Magic Pretzel (series) - Daniel and Jill Pinkwater

Everyone knows people turn into werewolves if they are bitten by a werewolf, but did you know you can turn into a werewolf by:

1.Thinking about werewolves

2.Reading a book like this one

3.For no reason at all

Norman Gnormal didn’t know this until someone signed him up for the Werewolf Club at school. Raised as a puppy (he’s pretty sure his parents wanted a dog but got him instead), he never quite fit in with most kids at school, who don’t growl at people or dig holes in the lawn. But in the Werewolf Club he finds home with other kids who like running on all fours and howling at the moon.

When the club learns that their teacher has been cursed, the only way to cure him is with Alexander the Great’s magic pretzel. But will the club be able to find the pretzel? And can Norman, the only non-werewolf in the club, keep up?

Lionboy (series) - Zizou Corder

When his parents are kidnapped, what's ten-year-old Charlie Ashanti to do? Rescue them, that's what! He doesn't know who has taken his parents, or why. But he does know that one special talent will aid him on his journey--his amazing ability to speak Cat. Charlie calls on his clever feline friends--from stray city cats to magnificent caged lions--for help. With them by his side, Charlie uses wit and courage to try to find his parents before it's too late.

The Call of the Wild - Jack London

The Call of the Wild is a novel by Jack London published in 1903. The story is set in the Yukon during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush—a period when strong sled dogs were in high demand. The novel's central character is a dog named Buck, a domesticated dog living at a ranch in the Santa Clara valley of California as the story opens.

Stolen from his home and sold into the brutal existence of an Alaskan sled dog, he reverts to atavistic traits. Buck is forced to adjust to, and survive, cruel treatments and fight to dominate other dogs in a harsh climate. Eventually he sheds the veneer of civilization, relying on primordial instincts and lessons he learns, to emerge as a leader in the wild. London lived for most of a year in the Yukon collecting material for the book.

The story was serialized in the Saturday Evening Post in the summer of 1903; a month later it was released in book form. The novel’s great popularity and success made a reputation for London. Much of its appeal derives from the simplicity with which London presents the themes in an almost mythical form. As early as 1908 the story was adapted to film and it has since seen several more cinematic adaptations.

White Fang- Jack London

White Fang is a novel by American author Jack London (1876–1916) — and the name of the book's eponymous character, a wild wolfdog. First serialized in Outing magazine, it was published in 1906. The story takes place in Yukon Territory, Canada, during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush and details White Fang's journey to domestication. It is a companion novel (and a thematic mirror) to London's best-known work, The Call of the Wild, which is about a kidnapped, domesticated dog embracing his wild ancestry to survive and thrive in the wild. Much of White Fang is written from the viewpoint of the titular canine character, enabling London to explore how animals view their world and how they view humans. White Fang examines the violent world of wild animals and the equally violent world of humans. The book also explores complex themes including morality and redemption.

Return of the Wolf - Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

Clarion author Dorothy Hinshaw Patent is well known and highly respected for her natural history books. "Return of the Wolf," her first work of fiction, draws on her extensive knowledge of wolf behavior, based on first-hand observation. In the course of a year, Sedra, a young female wolf, establishes her own territory, finds a mate, and begins a new wolf pack. Quick-paced, dramatic, and told from the wolf's point of view, this story contains fascinating details of wolves' life in the wild: their communication, the birth and training of pups, and the pack's strategies for hunting and survival.

Frightful's Mountain - Jean Craighead George

Sam Gribley has been told that it is illegal to harbor an endangered bird, so when his beloved falcon, Frightful, comes home, he has to let her go. But Frightful doesn’t know how to live alone in the wild. She can’t feed herself, mate, brood chicks, or migrate. Frightful struggles to survive and learns to enjoy her new freedom. But she feels a bond with Sam that can never be broken, and more than anything else, she wants to return to him.

Runt - Marion Dane Bauer

DEEP IN THE Minnesota forest, where only the strong survive, four regular-sized pups—Leader, Sniffer, Runner, and Thinker—are pushed into the world. Then one last, very small pup is born into the wolf pack. He is called Runt.

From the very start, Runt struggles in the harsh wild world of the wolves. He tries learning along with his brothers and sisters, but makes serious mistakes. It’s hard pleasing his father, King, and the other wolves. If only Runt could prove himself to his powerful father and family. . . .

The Puppy Sister - S. E. Hilton

Nick and his parents get more than they bargained for when their newly adopted puppy, Aleasha, decides she'll have more fun with her new "family" if she becomes human, too. So begins a laugh-out-loud adventure told from Aleasha's point of view, about her transformation from puppy to girl.

Alien in a Bottle - Kathy Mackel

If Dinn Tauro hadn't shot Tagg Orion off the Inter-Dimensional Wheel, Tagg and his sidekick, Squeeto, would never have crashed on that nowhere planet called Earth. And Sean Winger would never have found the two extraterrestrials in a bottle on the beach.

Without the aliens Sean wouldn't have a hope of entering a glass sculpture in the Hollis Art Fair -- and winning a scholarship. That's all Sean really wants in this world. Sean just needs two things -- glass and fire. He knows his parents won't help. So when Tagg offers Sean three wishes in exchange for protecting him from Dinn Tauro, how can Sean refuse?

Could two extraterrestrials really hold the answers to Sean's yearnings? Or are they only taking him on an extraterrestrial ride?

We3 (comic) - Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly

Writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely deliver the emotional journey of WE3 - three house pets weaponized for lethal combat by the government - as they search for "home" and ward off the shadowy agency that created them.

With nervous systems amplified to match their terrifying mechanical exoskeletons, the members of Animal Weapon 3 (WE3) have the firepower of a battalion between them. But they are just the program's prototypes, and now that their testing is complete, they're slated to be permanently "decommissioned," causing them to seize their one chance to make a desperate run for freedom. Relentlessly pursued by their makers, the WE3 team must navigate a frightening and confusing world where their instincts and heightened abilities make them as much a threat as those hunting them - but a world, nonetheless, in which somewhere there is something called "home."

[softpawpup]

— petre moodboard masterlist !!

seal pup regression moodboard

a pink cinnamoroll puppy regression moodboard

pink pet moodboard

wolf moodboard

tiger moodboard

pink and white kitten moodboard

cute reindeer moodboard

red panda outdoorsy moodboard

sleepy puppy moodboard

opossum regressor moodboard

calico fall moodboard

golden lab regressor moodboard

black cat witch moodboard

comfy purple guinea pig moodboard

winter/fall neutral colored puppy moodboard

autistic androgynous german retriever muted colors moodboard

masc autistic sled dog moodboard

[hogwash-deli]

Hogswatch - Discworld & Terry Pratchett Wiki

Hogswatch is the festival celebrating the winter solstice and the New Year across much of the Main continent and some other areas of Discworld. It falls on the 32nd of December, the new year beginning on the 1st of Ick. It includes elements resembling the Roundworld Christmas traditions as well, especially the Hogfather - a sort of scary version of Santa Claus with added tusks who wears red and white to signify blood on snow. He drives a sled drawn by wild boars rather than reindeer. He is the recent version of an ancient winter god associated with pig-killing and recalls prehistoric pagan kingmaking rituals when smart little bald men would palm a hard bean into the dish of the man they believed would make a good leader for a time (and when winter isn't defeated and the little old bald men sharpen the knives for a sacrificial victim - who better than the new king who isn't helping?).

Many Roundworld traditions have their counterpart on Discworld: carol singing, presents, warm alcoholic drinks, giant department stores with grottoes - even a Wenceslas-type king/peasant scenario that Death and Albert quickly reverse.

Another Hogswatch tradition is that Witches must not go out that night. Like other rules, this one is observed at the discretion of the Witch. The festival features most prominently in Hogfather, and was actually first mentioned in the pre-Discworld novel The Dark Side of the Sun. It is mentioned that the origins of Hogswatch occurred during winter,when a kind king was passing a cottage and heard 3 sisters weeping over having no food to eat. The king took pity and threw a bag of sausages at them (knocking out one of them, but no-one cares).

[linkemon]

Albedo (selfship)

Selfship was made for xivia___ on Wattpad.

You can check my Masterlists both in English and Polish here. Consider supporting me on Ko-fi. You can also check out my commissions if you’re interested. Other selfships can be found here.

∆ You first met when you came from Sumeru to Mondstadt. In your country, knowledge was a kind of currency, so naturally you wanted to deepen it. Jean took you in as a guest and put you up in her quarters. On your first day, you checked out a stack of books from the library and then you ran into Albedo. Just like in the romances you used to read in your free time. He helped you up and was about to leave when he saw what you were going to read. It wasn't every day that he saw people so interested in science. After a moment of thought, he suggested that you join him in the lab.

∆ Dragonspine is a cold land. You learned that all too well. The research there was incredibly arduous but you endured the place largely because of Albedo. At first, he was quite quiet and focused on his work. It took him a while to get used to you and your presence.

∆ He won you over with little things. When he saw you were cold, he would give you his coat or cook you a warming stew. Sometimes you would accidentally find sketches of you that he made in his free time. Other times, Albedo would finish your research for you when he saw how tired you were. These little things led to you confessing your love to him.

∆ Albedo couldn't quite handle this confession. Up until now, he had seen this feeling through a scientific prism. But he would be lying if he said that something inside him didn't stir every time you smiled at him. So, conflicted with himself, he apologized and disappeared for a few days, Barbatos only knows where. You were angry and at the same time you felt like an idiot.

∆ The boy came back and it was Klee who made him realize that he was thinking too much about everything. Little brother likes spending time with [Reader]? Does he like her? He must love her! The little one was incredibly proud of herself and watched as Albedo told you how he felt.

∆ He also told you shortly after that he was a homunculus. You knew he must have really trusted you because practically no one else knew that.

∆ Not many things have changed in your relationship. Despite that, Albedo tries to be a good boyfriend. He once went to Kaeya for advice, which was an unusual sacrifice since he wasn't very fond of him. He came back with a lame pick-up line that barely made it through his throat. At least it made you laugh. Luckily, you liked the cecilia bouquet better.

∆ You're his guinea pig. You spend a lot of time in the lab. Albedo's not afraid to put you through tests, but he prefers to do the most dangerous ones himself.

∆ When you want to pull him away from his work, you use your anemo vision to wind-blown snow and direct it at him. He usually ends up soaked. He sighs and breaks away from his research. His geo vision is useful for studying various types of minerals. If you need crystals, he'll get them easily.

∆ Your first kiss was something of an experiment for him. Or so he told you. Right after it, he decided he wanted to continue.

∆ Albedo likes it when you come over to him while he's working and hug him from behind. He finds it incredibly adorable.

∆ You often play together with Klee. You build snowmen or go sledding. Unfortunately, the little one can be unpredictable, so you often run after her, trying to put out fires...

∆ You and Albedo leave each other little notes when you don't have much time for each other. If he has a moment, he also draws little pictures for you on them.

∆ When you had to go back to Sumer for a while, you wrote letters to each other. Albedo is hopeless at expressing his feelings in writing.

∆ If you don't like spending too much time with people, this is the perfect partner. He can get tired of places where there are too many people. He prefers to stay in his own privacy.

∆ You often read books together. You don't always know when to turn the pages but that doesn't bother you at all.

∆ The boy likes sweets. That's why you try to bring him some treats from Mondstadt every now and then because he comes down from the mountains less often than you do.

∆ You're still learning how to be a couple but you're doing very well. Albedo appreciates your patience and understanding towards him. He's been coming down to the city more often lately. He saw something in the mountains that you shouldn't know about. He intends to solve this problem as soon as possible...

[stinkybrowndogs]

-Shiloh was pretty ok but kind of boring. The beagle was cute tho.

-101 and 102 Dalmatians were both pretty good. Glen close carried the movies for sure. Also Mr dr house who is in the first movie as a burglar. There were also a bunch of on screen tricks that the dogs did which is fun.

I would like to note that the description for 102 Dalmatians is “oddball the spotless puppy goes on an adventure to find her spots” and that is definitely NOT the plot of the movie? Why they would just lie about this I’m not sure. But the plot is that Cruella devil has been “rehabilitated” by dr Pavlov (of the Pavlovian response and also the dogs) and must do community service. But Big Ben (the clock) triggers her to return to being a puppy killer and she must be stopped. Again.

Shout out to this stuffed dog who is hanging out with a bunch of actual puppies. It made me cry laughing.

-Old yeller…. Holy shit. They just let that dog attack a bunch of animals and filmed it. By my count they had him on a rabbit, raccoons, mule, pigs, cow and an actual bear and maybe a wolf or just another grey dog it was hard to tell. They just let u do fucking anything in Hollywood for a bit there, huh. Also? Racism.

-Because of win Dixie is probably my favorite so far, they didn’t kill the dog and it still made me cry (but like? Happy cry) it was one of my favorite books as a kid and I think they did a really good job with the movie. The Picardy shepherds r darling

-Snow dogs marks my second sled dog film, and I gotta say it was way more fun than 8 below. Honestly, maybe the funniest movie I’ve watched so far? The border collie was very darling. But the best bit was these two characters, who had barely a line between them, that became dentists by the end of the movie

[lonelyfanboy48]

Gravity Falls Holidays, Festivities And Elude Traditions Chapter 7 Astray Firm Sledder

The group reunited with Grenda and Candy after they finished up their costume contest, coming in second place. They were thankful enough they reached almost to the top rather than close to last place. The reward they got are gift certificates for one location in the Festival to enjoy themselves. After reuniting with the group, they found a location for all of them to enjoy.

They took them to another trail with lights from above, just like the trail Pacifica and Wendy went through. But they witnessed a line, almost moving faster than the one before. In fact, it's one of the best activities in the festival. Pacifica looked at her pamphlet to witness the activity she’s getting herself into.

“Sled Dogs?��� She said, “Well that's…something.”

“Trust us, you love it as much as we do.” Candy smiled.

“Not gonna lie, if it’s what I think it is, I’m gonna enjoy it.” Melody replied.

“Hopefully, it’ll keep my mind off of what just happened.” Wendy added.

Candy and Grenda are still aware Wendy and Pacifica are hiding away from their families, but they wouldn’t believe what really happened. It’s either best to not know about it and hoping the sled dogs would cheer her up, or wonder if being with her could lead to a huge scene they’re afraid to witness.

“The good thing is, the track for the sled dogs is far away from the festival.” Candy said.

“You'll get a great view of the festival from up on the hills.” Grenda added.

“So we’re going up the hill?” Pacifica smiled. “That’s some sightseeing experience.”

“We don’t have to ask that your parents ever took you sightseeing since you once lived on the hills.” Wendy commented.

“I will tell you we used to have a dog…that we also sold months ago.”

“Did you remember the dog’s name?” Soos asked.

“My parents were keeping me busy, I was only with my dog for Pioneer Day and once in a while in the mansion. I would remember her name if I actually spent time with her.”

“Did you spend your time with your pony before you sold her?”

“Yes, it was more time than before, but all because I wasn’t in a mansion. That pig of Mabel’s…” Pacifica remembered how she won a chicken while Mabel won Waddles, but on the other hand, she and the group didn’t know about the time travel situation Dipper and Mabel went through. “...I wouldn’t be friends with it as much as I did with my dog.”

“You’re not really a nice animal person are you?” Melody said, catching on.

“Neither are my parents.”

“I don’t want to know what they really did to any animal they get their greedy hands on.” Candy replied. “At least they will never get these dogs giving us a ride.”

After waiting in line, they witnessed the sled dogs appearing after taking kids and adults a ride on the track they ran on. The riders got off, as the dogs were drinking water while they rested, along with other people taking their place. The dogs are Alaskan Huskies, who are not cute but strong enough to pull the sleds around the track.

“These dogs aren’t something I’ve seen before.” Pacifica commented.

“There are many breeds of dogs.” Grenda smiled.

“Including puppies.” Candy added.

“Cool! I didn't notice these sooner.” Wendy replied. “I would’ve given these dogs a chance if I wanted one of them.”

“You should, they’re not a mouthful when they’re really coordinated.” Grenda said. “Last year, they used to race like in the olympics. You could not imagine how much competition caused the festival to revert the original plans of no more races.”

“I’m sure whoever was part of the race last year…would want nothing to do with this place.” Melody commented.

“I don’t know if I say that person had the worst Christmas ever or the dogs didn’t trust him enough.” Wendy commented.

Pacifica’s thankful she’d never met any of these dogs, especially during the Religious Organization over the years, but for every year they come during the holiday season, she’s aware at least one of them would recognize her for how smart they are if one person ever mentioned her name in front of them.

“Do you want me to be with you two?” Pacifica offered.

“Yes.” Candy smiled. “It’s our way of saying thank you for the fudge.”

“And this could be our way to start our new friendship.” Grenda added.

“I guess I’m having a team of Alaskan huskies to myself.” Wendy smiled.

“And we’re gonna need more of them for our ride.” Soos replied.

“I’m sure they can handle our weight.” Melody spoked. “But mostly yours.”

As the group get their chance to ride, Pacifica, Candy, and Grenda take their herd of dogs in the middle while Soos and Melody take their herd on the left while Wendy gets hers on the right. Pacifica holds onto Grenda from the back while Candy takes control of the dogs. As much as she wants to see what’s in front of her when it comes to the ride, aside from looking in the left and right, she wants to prevent any content from the dogs.

“You’re alright back there?” Candy asked.

“Yes. I’ll hold on as long as possible.” Pacifica popped her head from Grenda’s left.

“Don’t worry, if anything happens, we'll look after you. We promise it won’t be an accident.”

“Just hold on tight and you'll be alright.” Grenda said. “This is the closest you've ever gotten to having reindeer give you a ride.”

“Gravity Falls couldn’t afford reindeers?”

“Not really, they just wanted the dogs to do something.”

“Fair enough.”

As they’re all set up for the ride, the woman in charge of the area opened the gate of the trail to be revealed. As she got out of the way, she gave the dogs and people the signal to start sledding. Wendy made a head start with Pacifica and her group followed while Soos and Melody followed them from behind.

The speed of the dogs were surprisingly fast, impressing Pacifica, as if she was going the same speed as she was inside a limo with her parents. But then again, she never rode any animal who had the strength to take her. She noticed that Wendy is speeding up with her dogs running thanks to less weight they’re pulling.

“Man, these dogs can really pull and run!” Wendy cheered. She experienced bumps throughout the beginning of the trail, but that didn’t stop her, she enjoyed it in fact. “Keep on bumping, it won’t knock me off!” She slightly hit the dogs with the whip once, but not intensely enough to have the dogs not trust her. It got to the point where thanks to the speed, she’s farther away from her friends, taking off on her own.

“Wendy’s really enjoying this.” Candy watches Wendy disappearing from the distance.

“I’ll have a hard time holding onto her for how fast she’s going.” Pacifica commented.

“That’s the fun part.” Grenda turned back. “Come on, let’s make the dogs run faster!”

Candy took out the whip and hit the dogs, causing them to go faster. Pacifica made sure to keep her grip onto Grenda at all times. The sled they took didn’t have belts nor anything to keep riders on them. Despite trying to make the best out of it, it wasn’t easy once she got faster.

They took the first turn which leads to the hills over Gravity Falls. Luckily for them, People put up lights to lead the way. The dogs slowed down the pace but once they made it to the top, they regained their pace, but there was no sign of Wendy.

Soon, Soos and Melody caught up from behind as they moved next to Pacifica and her group. “Where’s Wendy?” Soos called.

“She’s way ahead of us.” Pacifica answered. “She’s definitely gonna pass other riders who are supposed to be further ahead.”

“She’ll still wait for us.”

“I’m almost having a blast with this if I take control of the dogs.” Melody smiled.

“If you didn’t mention my weight being the problem, I wouldn’t be so pushy to not take control.”

“If you probably went on a diet, you wouldn’t have to deal with dogs carrying your sack of potato chips.” Grenda taunted.

“I wouldn’t bet on that, your sack of ice cream wouldn’t give the dogs every workout.”

“Really Soos?” Melody replied.

“Hey! I only eat ice cream twice a week!” Grenda shouted.

“The dogs are fine, they’re not struggling.” Candy spoked. “It’s not like our weight has caused them to lose confidence.”

“Also, bragging against someone’s weight isn’t part of the Christmas spirit.” Pacifica commented. “Especially since Santa is…you know…”

“Holly Jolly?” Soos guessed.

“Yeah, he is Holly Jolly.”

“Like the five of us, including Wendy.” Candy smiled.

Upon reaching the cliffs, Pacifica, Grenda and Candy witnessed the view of the Gravity Falls Christmas Festival. Thanks to the lights, it was a lot more beautiful with the view from above. Pacifica loved the view, despite appearing close to the lights upon arrival. Grenda and Candy also loved the view. They did witness it in the past during their visits to the festival but they couldn’t get over how it made Christmas magical.

“I was wondering, Pacifica.” Candy spoked as it caught her attention. “Do you want to be friends with us?”

Pacifica signed in relieved that Mabel’s friends didn’t forget about offering that request. “I would.” She smiled.

“Why would you instead of saying yes?” Grenda wondered.

“I do wanna say yes, it’s my parents…who’ll get…” She couldn’t finish her sentence, knowing how dead meat she’ll be.

“In your way or not, it shouldn’t stop us from becoming friends.” Candy responded. “Maybe later, we'll give you a candy cane or two.”

“It’s the least we can do but…it’s still in our Christmas spirit.” Grenda added. “But it’s a shame Mabel won’t be your best friend when you’re not around.”

Pacifica lowered her head as they moved past the view from the cliff. “She read our letter…including Dipper…I’m gonna be the only one who they’re never going to see next summer.”

Candy and Grenda heard every word with it being true. They wished they could light up her spirit with the sled dogs, but she isn’t like them in the current life she’s in. Soos and Melody fell behind so they could witness the view, but they didn’t miss the way Pacifica’s feeling in front of them. If Wendy was with them instead of taking off on her own, she would’ve stayed with them to comfort Pacifica.

“We’re going downhill.” Candy pointed.

“You might want to hang on Pacifica.” Grenda added.

Pacifica didn’t respond, but still held on to Grenda tightly. Soos and Melody went back to Pacifica’s side only to witness what’s coming. “Hope the dogs are fast enough.” Soos commented. “It’s gonna be a bumpy ride.”

They went down the hill as the dogs kept their feet on the trail. The speed slowly picked up and luckily, the trail wasn’t very slippery. Candy and Grenda focused on safely getting down the hill and so did Soos and Melody. However, Pacifica only holds onto Grenda and nothing else. She wanted to enjoy the speed, but all she can think of is her future. She may spread happiness by ruining the floor and rug with mudded shoes in the mansion she used to live in but she’ll never have more of it due to her parents.

Her depression slowly caused her to lose her grip, causing Grenda to take notice. “Pacifica hold on!” Then, the sled did a big bump, causing Pacifica to be launched out.

“PACIFICA!” Both Candy and Grenda reacted. Pacifica went off the trail while falling down the cliff. Candy and Grenda looked back while Candy went back to focusing on the hill. Soos and Melody didn’t miss the bump that happened and the way Pacifica launched off. Soon, they reached down the hill as the dogs slowed down, so did the sleds.

“What are we gonna do?” Grenda cried. “She’s toast if she can’t find her way out.”

“Don’t panic.” Melody replied. “We'll let the people know about it ASAP.”

“We can wait when we’re done with the sled dogs.” Candy said. “Someone by the gate will rescue her.”

“We’re gonna have to take Wendy’s joy away in order to have Pacifica be rescued. But we’re not leaving Pacifica behind.” Soos commented. “Her parents better not be in the woods.”

[brainyxbat]

Chopper's Kingdom On the Island of Strange Animals - Pt. 2

"I'm hungry!" Luffy whined through his growling stomach.

"Just fields, and jungle everywhere," Usopp groaned, laying close by on a flat rock, "We'll starve to death."

"Why are you following us?" Sanji asked the parrot.

"Silence, human! We are watching your every step."

"Relax, we're not here to eat you," Zoro assured with irritation.

"I want meat!" Luffy yelled, and flailed about like a child. "Meat! Gimme meat! I'm hungry!"

"I don't trust them."

In the distance, a pig with an inverted nose, and a furry, curled tail ran up to the top of a hill, began honking and snorting, almost as if it were sounding an alarm. "What a weird pig!" Nami remarked.

Luffy jumped to his feet, drooling eagerly. "It's a pile of pork!"

"It's a messenger pig!" The parrot explained, as it zipped away. "A new king has been crowned."

"A new king?"

Just then, hundreds of varying animals came stampeding in. "What a herd!" Sanji remarked.

"This many?" Usopp watched them, protectively keeping Venus close.

"It's a celebration for the new king!"

Suddenly, the rocks they sat on came to life; they were rhinos! "What's this all about?" Nami asked, as the stone-like creatures joined in the sprint.

"Square rhinos!" Usopp exclaimed.

"Awesome!" Luffy cheered.

-

Meanwhile, a confused, nervous Chopper now donned a suit, red bow tie with his "cloak", which was actually the Straw Hat flag, and a gold crown on top of his hat, along with a wreath of flowers. "Why am I the king?"

"You came from the heavens," Mombambi replied.

"But these clothes..."

"Those are my old- oh, never mind." He stopped when Chopper began walking away. "No, wait!"

"I'm going home."

"But you must stay here, and protect the isle!"

"I'm not the king!" Chopper protested when Mombambi grabbed his cloak. "I'm Tony Tony Chopper!"

"Chopper? A fine name. I'm Mombambi."

"Really?" He turned back to him. "My teacher, the best doctor of all, gave me this name."

"You're a doctor? Great!" The boy beamed. "Some of us are hurt. You're amazing!"

"Me... amazing?" Chopper blushed.

"Of course! We can count on you."

He pinched his own cheek to keep it together. "Well, I suppose."

"And you're very brave."

"You idiot!" Now embarrassed, Chopper suddenly grew into Heavy Point again, and destroyed the rock with one punch.

"Amazing! You're the best!"

He turned back into his small form, and started dancing. "You won't make me happy with compliments!"

"You certainly look happy..."

"Now, we will celebrate our new king!" Raventi announced. "First, the king shall speak."

Chopper tensed up when he was surrounded by the other animals. "Wait, I'm not the king..."

"You're not?" Mombambi frowned sadly.

"Sorry, I'm..." Chopper backed up, only to step on a sharp rock fragment. "Kiiiiiiiiii-!" He shouted, and fell face-down.

"He said "king"!" Mombambi grinned. "It's him!"

"A fine speech!" Raventi praised.

Fearful tears leaked from Chopper's eyes, as the animals cheered around him.

-

Elsewhere, the celebration was still going on. When the stone rhinos ran down a hill, the Straw Hats flew off, and landed in the grass, as they stampeded away. Recovering, they looked over the ledge, and were in awe at what was before them: the kingdom! "This place is awesome!" Luffy exclaimed. There was a large tree on the midde of a raised rock, with waterfalls down the sides, and a river on each level. Now in a giant peanut shell-like sled, and wearing a deer disguise, Luffy sailed down one of the vines, with Usopp, donning a lion costume, rode down like it was a zipline. Luffy slid down the question mark-shaped neck of a dark blue bird, and was flicked into a cactus with pink bag-like gondolas; after spinning rapidly, he flew onto a giant caterpillar, and slid down its front, as its legs closed behind him. Cheering, he bounced off of an emu-like bird's leaf-like back, and accidentally crashed into a stack of animals, knocking them down.

"He's at home here," Nami remarked.

"Truly," Sanji agreed.

Usopp was enjoying the area as well, when he noticed that the three were staying put. "I made these fancy suits for us! Aren't you gonna play?"

They were sitting back sulking, while wearing goofy animal costumes. "I don't think so," Panda Sanji refused.

"Why is Venus' outfit more flattering, anyway?!" Monkey Nami interrogated. Bat Venus was pretending to fly, donned in a dark bluish-purple leotard with wings on the undersides of the arms, and black tights. Her denim skirt, and cropped sweatshirt were laid by the trio.

"She let me measure her," Usopp replied, before joining a circular sprint. "This is so fun!"

Just then, some strange, black bison-armadillo hybrids came stampeding in, scaring the animals away. "Horn Eaters!" The parrot exclaimed fearfully.

"What?" Luffy turned to him.

"They attack all animals with horns. They have killed all our elders." Gripping his curled mast, he flew off.

"Then let's get started!" Luffy rolled up his sleeve in determination.

"No, stupid!" Usopp pulled him back, along with Venus. "Let's run!" He hauled them both over his back, and sprinted as fast as he could. "Why are they following me?" He cried.

"They attack all who have horns."

"Horns?" At that, he set Luffy down, and rocketed away with Venus still in tow.

"Usopp!" She scolded.

"Hey! Wait up!" He turned to the bison, who were rapidly approaching. "Go away!" He tore the deer antlers off his hat, and threw them close by... and got trampled.

"Don't throw them in front of you!" Nami reprimanded, as Usopp hid behind the rock she sat on.

-

Elsewhere, Chopper was tending to the animals' injuries, giving medicine with a spoon heated by a campfire. "Don't worry, you'll get better."

"Amazing, Chopper!" Mombambi praised. "We're so glad you're our king."

"I can only be king, as long as I'm here."

"What do you mean?"

"I must return to my pirate ship soon."

"Pirate?" He flinched back. "Are you a... pirate?"

"Yes. It's strange. You're a human living with animals; and I travel with humans." He was oblivious to Mombambi becoming angry. "Where are they?" He wondered aloud. "They should come for me."

Mombambi suddenly threw dirt on the fire, and stomped on the remains, extinguishing it. "Don't leave! You're our king! Forget them!"

"What're you doing?" Chopper pushed him back.

"You can't just leave; you're our friend! Don't be a pirate, stay here!"

"Mombambi... do you hate pirates?"

He hesitated, before caving. "My dad was killed by pirates."

He escorted Chopper to a cabin in the middle of the forest. "What's this?"

The inside was wrecked, and covered in moss and foliage. "The ruins of my dad's ship." He took a locket from his armband, and opened it; it contained a photo of a brunette man wearing glasses. "He was a biologist. But on his way here..." The memory of his father's death, and washing up on Crown Island ran through his mind. "And I got stranded on this island. And our old king, Chimerion, raised me as one of his. I hate pirates!"

"But my friends are nice pirates," Chopper assured.

"There are no nice pirates!"

"But once you meet them... I know! I'll ask Luffy if you can come-"

"I'll never side with a pirate!"

"Mombambi..."

"You can't be with them," He insisted, "You're an animal. You'll be much happier living with us!" Chopper frowned sadly at that.

-

As the bison trampled through the innocent animals, a pale-skinned, red-haired man was playing a violin, donned in a hideous suit. He was with a tan-skinned muscular man with a spiked collar and wristcuffs, and a white braid, and another man with flat, dark blue hair, a sword on his back, and an equally bad suit. As he played, the two men wielded a chain and jagged, two-layered sword, and slashed the horns off of those who had them, before cruelly kicking them into the waterfall. The messenger pig saw everything from hiding in the foliage, and ran off for help.

"Have you seen Chopper? This guy." The disguises now gone, Luffy showed a crude drawing of Chopper on a flat rock slab to a pair of capybaras, but no response. "Not a very good picture, huh?" He made some alterations, but they didn't make it any clearer. "Like this! Have you seen him?"

"I haven't," Usopp replied at the near-unrecognizable picture.

Sanji looked up at a strange noise blaring out. "What's that sound?"

"Humans?" Zoro guessed.

"Let's take a look," Nami proposed.

"Okay," Usopp agreed, and they followed her out.

"What a haul!" The red-haired man cheered at the array of horns before him, some on a nice table. "I drool at the sight of these horns!

"Sir Butler," The muscular man approached him with condiment bottles, "Here's ketchup and mayo."

"Idiot!"

"Huh?"

"Where's the mustard?"

"Here it is." The third man ran over, and they squirted all three condiments on a horn. Satisfied, he chomped the portion off, and chewed obnoxiously. "How is it? Do you feel anything?"

He stretched and flexed, before slumping over. "Nothing. Next!"

Just then, Luffy approached them with his drawing on hand. "Are those bones any good?"

"How dare you barge in!"

"We're looking for this guy."

"Who do you think I am?"

"You better watch your mouths!" The muscular man added.

The swordsman grabbed the handle of his weapon. "Or you'll get what's coming to you."

Redhead tried to punch the drawing, but didn't leave a single dent; instead, his hand throbbed in pain. "Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow!"

"Are you all right?"

"Take this!"

"I don't want mustard!"

"Then this!"

"No ketchup either!"

The trio froze, then regained their senses. "Now you know how dangerous I am," Redhead taunted. "Do you want to hear more?"

"No thanks," They all refused.

"I see, then I'll tell you all."

"We said no."

"I'm a brilliant inventor, and biologist, and expert treasure hunter. The world's ultra-genius, Baron Butler!"

"World's ultra-genius?!" Luffy gushed.

"And I'm general Hot Dog," The muscular man chimed in, "Strongest in the world."

"Strongest in the world?" Zoro glared.

"Pirates call me Dog the Fierce."

"And I am the most handsome man," The swordsman stepped up, and flipped his hair "Snake!"

"Most handsome man?" Sanji sneered.

"No woman escapes me. I'm the seductive Snake!"

"Here," Usopp tossed a bone, and Hot Dog eagerly gnawed on it; he then tossed a frog soon after, which was caught by Snake. He smirked pridefully, as Venus snickered.

"Don't feed us!"

"Hey, are you looking for the King's Treasure?" Nami asked.

Snake leaped up in front of her with a bow. "Of course, fair lady."

"Ooh, you're so handsome!" Nami gushed. "Tell me about the treasure."

"Of course!" Baron agreed, now holding her hand, as Sanji raged wordlessly. "But on one condition."

"Condition?"

"If you want to know, you must join my crew," Baron clarified.

"That's it? Of course I'll join you!"

"No way!"

Usopp inched closer at the captain's protest. "Luffy, this is our chance to get information!" He whispered.

"You're a baddie, right?"

"Fool!" Baron scolded Luffy. "What makes you think I'm bad?"

"Just a hunch."

"How dare you?!" Baron stopped short when Nami punched Luffy and Usopp to the ground.

"What's the matter?" Usopp muttered.

"Don't mess up my plan!" She whispered. "I'm trying to get hints on the treasure!"

"Why'd you hit me, then?"

"Just play along!"

"You're mad," Baron remarked.

"Sir Butler," Hot Dog sniffed the air, "They smell like dimwits."

"Nut cases," Snake rejoined the two.

"That's too bad. I can't tell dimwits about the treasure."

"Pretty please!" Nami begged.

"My darlings!" Usopp blew a kiss in their direction, and swung his hips, getting a giggle from Venus.

"No way!" Baron shouted, and they slumped down in disappointment. "I can't tell you that whoever finds it, will get power to shake the heavens!" They all gawked at that. "And certainly not that it's the power of a certain animal horn!" They hummed in interest. "And that this violin can control the Horn Eaters..." He gestured to the bison-armadillo hybrids grazing nearby. "That can gather up all horns, so I can investigate them. That, I can never reveal to you, no matter what!"

His confession was followed by several seconds of quiet. "Um-"

"Dammit! I gave away everything!" Baron exclaimed, interrupting Venus.

"How dare you force him to tell?!" Hot Dog scolded.

"Um, he just told us," Sanji pointed out.

"Silence!" Snake continued the reprimanding. "Sir Butler cannot keep secrets."

Baron prepared his violin. "I cannot let you return alive!"

"What's your logic, man?" Usopp gawked.

He began to play some music, catching the bison's attention. "Come, Horn Eaters!" They perked up, and their eyes turned red. "Kill these dimwits!"

As they stampeded in, the crew prepared to attack; Zoro with his swords, Usopp his slingshot, Nami a spare rod (as her Clima-Tact was still on the Merry), Sanji with a raised foot, and Venus with an energy ball between her hands. Baron was getting nervous; why weren't they running away? A determined Luffy regained his footing, and with a battle cry scaring Usopp and Nami, he stretched his arms straight out, and spun around, knocking them all down the edge.

"Why'd you run amok, Luffy?" Usopp shouted angrily.

He crossed his arms with genuine confusion. "No idea."

"You're about as smart," Zoro retorted.

"Really? Thanks!"

"That wasn't a compliment," Sanji drolled.

"It wasn't?"

In the river was crocodiles with zebra stripes, and short yellow manes. "Ahhh!" Usopp screamed at the open jaws waiting for them below. "Crocodiles!"

"Seems like it," Zoro remarked calmly.

"Luffy, do something!" Usopp cried.

"Gum-Gum... Balloon!" Thanks to Luffy's bouncing power knocking them out and away, and quick-thinker Venus keeping him above water like a volleyball player from Zoro's shoulder, they escaped unscathed.

They all sail down the river on a large tree branch after finding it floating astray. "So the treasure is an animal horn?" Nami pouted.

"In West Blue, I heard of a medicine extracted from horns," Sanji said, "It was worth more than gold."

"Almost like a Devil Fruit," Usopp remarked.

"Maybe."

Zoro turned to the bank, and was shocked at what he saw; it appeared to be seriously injured, if not dead animals scattered about. "It's their work."

"Horrible," Usopp breathed.

"Chopper could probably cure them," Sanji pointed out.

At the mention of their doctor, Nami had a realization. "But if they're hunting horns..."

"Chopper's in danger!" Usopp finished fearfully.

"He'll be fine," Luffy assured.

"Eh?"

"He's pretty strong; and tenacious!"

"Is he?" Usopp was doubtful.

"He's one of us. Of course he's strong! Right?"

"Yup, that's right," Zoro agreed with a smirk.

"I agree," Sanji added.

"Are you really sure?" Usopp asked. "Shouldn't we go look for him?"

"Look for him now?" Nami confirmed, before noticing the green parrot flying overhead. "I know! Let's ask the animal king."

"Yeah!" Luffy eagerly hopped on a higher portion of the branch. "Let's go see the king!"

"Right," Usopp agreed.

He stretched his arms up, and hauled himself on the parrot's back, greatly startling him. "What now?"

"Sorry, but we're in a hurry." The crew ran on dry land, so they were right under them. "Take us to the animal king."

"What?"

"Hey! What're you doing?!" Venus exclaimed, when the ram began tugging on one of her high twintails with its teeth. She pulled it back, and rubbed her sore scalp. "My hair's not grass!" She pulled the hood on her sweatshirt over her head for protection.

Nami stepped in when the ram started getting agitated. "If you take us to your king, you get to eat mine." She seated herself on its back, with the guys perching on the furry hippo. "Now go!"

"You're heavy!" The parrot griped. "Get off!"

As they rode away, the villainous trio watched from behind the trees. "It seems they survived," Snake remarked.

"But in return, we got some nice information," Hot Dog smirked.

"Who would've thought they had a king? That king must know where the treasure is," Baron concluded.