#intelligent calcium

[blimbo-buddy]

Rain World slugcat species headcanons/semi-speculative biology

Before we start: Researchers have found that all of the species studied have shown high levels of intelligence, any kind of communication they might have is their own language, they have societies and history, as well as records of their past such as carvings. No single species is dumb by any means.

Enot/Inv

Species has since been lost to time, barely any records of their society exist

The only species that can switch from digitigrade to plantigrade

Enot themself is actually named after their species for unknown reasons

Enots are suggested to feast on fungus and other bacterial mold, they are renowned for their strong stomach acid and inability to grow ill from their diet

"Paw pads" are actually used to absorb the nutrients from the ground if there is no mold or fungus around to consume

Enots are a florescent species, in the dark they glow bright neon lights. It is thought that this can be used to disorient predators when escaping

Species came far before the Skewerslugs

Enots often had a special item that they always carried on to, no matter the situation. Having that item destroyed is the worst thing that could happen to an Enot

Only species of their evolutionary lineage to have "real claws"

Communicates through screeches, yelps, giggles, and, as one researcher put it, "Haunting opera singer-esque calls that carry for miles"

It is theorized in many chats that the reason there is barely any evidence of the Enot's existence is because they too had also figured out how to ascend and escape the cycle

Spearmaster

Species is also commonly referred to as Skewerslugs

The characteristics of this species consists of elongated arms that can pop out from their sockets to elongate. This helps them swing from vines better

Skewerslugs have developed pouches on their tails in which they can quickly deposit organic spears from

These spears are hardened calcium deposits and are biodegradable

The spears can also be crushed up and turned into bone meal, making Skewerslugs excellent agricultural masters despite not being able to eat the crops they grow (With the exception of a few plants)

Skewerslugs have whiskers that are able to contract and elongate, the only species of their evolutionary line that is capable of doing this

Skewerslugs live in massive colonies of up to 50, sometimes even more than that

Skewerslugs communicate through hisses and wheezes through their nostrils

They are also capable of communicating through tap code

They consistently walk on specialized digitigrade legs, always walking and standing on their digits

Skewerslugs have no mouth, another trait that is only present in this species

Just like in game, Skewerslugs gain their nutrients by impaling the source of food with their needles and consumes the nutrients through their spears like a straw

While carnivorous, Skewerslugs enjoy using the crops they grow to garnish their foods and fatten up their livestock to make them tastier

Unknown of what happened to Skewerslugs by the time Rivulet's campaign comes around, presumed extinct or evolved into a new species

Artificer, Hunter, Gourmand, Survivor, and Monk

Referred to as we know them and their ancestors and successors; Slugcats

Species is theorized to have come from directly the Skewerslugs, although gaps in that theory are prevalent

Unlike Skewerslugs, Slugcats have a constant plantigrade stance and walk

Only species to have varied diets depending on the Slugcat

Colonies typically consist of smaller numbers

Out of all the species, they are the most diverse in terms of diets, culture, and practices

The species that evolved from them later down the line gained their special ability to retract their arms

The species has evolved to grow high pain tolerances, this is thought to be heightened due to the numbing oils that cover their bodies

It is not known if past and present species (Barring Saint's species) have the same high tolerance to pain

Communicates with a series of purrs and trills, giving reason to their name

Rivulet

Species is referred to as the Plungeslugs

Only species to have webbing between their fingers and toes

The one species who has the least amount of bones in their body, explaining their jelly-like flexibility

Tools consisted primarily of coral

Can keep in their oxygen for extended amounts of time, however bolting through the water drains their air supply

They communicate through clicks, squeaks, and echolocation. However it's suggested that they are able to mimic the sounds of other creatures in order to steal food

Colonies increased in size once more, back to the numbers that the Skewerslugs reached

When leaping out of the water at high speeds, they use their webbed hands+feet and their tail to propel themselves for longer air-time, making them appear as if they're running mid-air

Evolved from the Slugcats mentioned before, after rain fall became heavier and more frequent

Equipped with a layer of blubber, unfortunately it just makes them tastier to aquatic predators

Can easily dry out in intense heat, so they often bathe themselves in mud and even take short naps in it to replenish energy

Their webbed hands make it harder to grasp onto tools, but not an impossible task

Hypersensitive antennae that can help pick up shifts in the currents

When the weather started getting colder and colder, Plungeslugs began to evolve with thicker layers of blubber and spend less of their time in the water

Their skin slowly dried out, and from the oils sprouted bits of fur

Saint

Species is referred to as the Tundraslugs

Evolved with a thick layer of blubber and a top layer of hydrophobic fur

Communicated through grunts, oinks, and groans, although occasionally they squealed as a danger alarm

Only species of Slugcat to have fur

Furless antennae/whiskers expel excess heat

Fur has a rough, thick texture except for their stomach, which has softer and thinner fur

All herbivorous, loves berries in particular

Like their Skewerslug ancestors, they have figured out agriculture through storing the seeds of the berries they eat in their cheeks, and they spit them out into the ground

They have special saliva that keeps their tongue and antennae/whiskers from getting cold

They all have elongated tongues to reach any berries that might be high up

Their saliva helps hydrate the seeds that they plant into the ground

Out of their entire evolutionary lineage, Tundraslugs have the most bones

Like the Skewerslugs and Plungeslugs, the Tundraslugs have large colonies

To share warmth, they all gather into one big pile. Youngest and/or most vulnerable go in the middle

The most religious species of Slugcat

They are also excellent philosophers, wondering of their ancestry before their time and how the world came to be, they ponder the nature of ascension

#blimbo rambles #rain world #rw

[lactodebillus-bulgaricus]

"Many yogurt males don’t know why they’re special. We have a unique set of tastes that set us apart within the social hierarchy. In many ways, we are the most interesting and attractive type of man. Mysterious, intelligent, calcium-rich, independent, sexual, and predatory. Listen to these affirmations to discover your strengths, understand your mysterious diet, and dominate Greek people."

#hetalia #aph bulgaria #hws bulgaria #hetalia bulgaria #aph greece #hws greece #hetalia greece #aph byzantine empire #hws byzantine empire #hetalia byzantine empire #bulgre #grebul #inspired by that one post about bulgaria and the yogurt male asmr #thanks I didn't know that actually existed :DDD #I'm trying to find a simple yet good-looking artstyle #damn all of my drawings have different styles

[burstfoot]

SARIA BLAST

List for reference:

Saria x Gladiia x Kal'tsit (you can break this up into its constituent ships)

Saria x Penance

Saria x Whislash

Saria x Ho'olheyak

First up is Saria and some women older than her.

Sariia (Saria x Gladiia):

I like the idea of an intelligent, strong, hypercompetent, silver-haired, nigh-indestructible woman falling for an even more intelligent, hypercompetent, silver-haired, nigh-indestructible woman. Also they’re both over six feet tall, there is no way they’re both under six feet according the the game. You’ve also got that sweet Land x Sea dynamic going on.

I think it would start as months or years of them staring at each other intensely at formal events until one of them cracks.

You can also put some Saria x Kal'tsit in there for some Calcium x Calcite action. Also the smartest silver-haired polycule on Terra.

And of course, I’m assuming that Gladiia/Kal'tsit is happening at all times.

Anyways, more Saria ships:

Saria x Penance. Two women in positions of moderate power, in roles designed to protect people, kept from that role by the meddling of other forces which has gone ignored by those supposed to provide oversight. Also middle-aged woman yuri. (Saria is canonically 34, but I refuse to believe she is younger than 40. Well, Kristen is canonically 34 and they went to college together.)

Also, because Kristen isn’t confirmed dead, Penance could advise her on the divorce. Apparently Saria only needs to make it public knowledge and have a reasonable chance of Kristen seeing it, according to a quick search on divorcing absent, living partners.

Oh yeah, throw Kristen x Saria in there, but we know that’s pretty much canon.

Next is Zoria (Whislash x Saria). This one started out as a typo when trying to type Zofia. They’re both women who had days they look upon with fondness, now torn from them, with no way to go back. Also Zofia is single and Saria is… newly single. I haven’t read much regarding the Nearls. This ship is my least thought out.

Finally: Saria x Ho'olheyak. This one started when I saw the CG of Ho'olheyak grinning widely as Saria pinned her to the wall by the throat (same), but there’s actually something there.

If you interpret Saria as a woman haunted by her past (like in DramaticGaze’s “A Dance”), Ho'olheyak could either provide a strange comfort as a woman who has quite literally had her future torn from her for the sake of the past or they could end up in manipulative toxic yuri. AND it’s middle-aged woman yuri!

Saria/Gladiia: Sorry, don't see it. They're kinda similar, but from such different worlds and not in a way that interests me like Susie/Gladiia... and the thing about Land/Sea applies to Gladiia and 90% of the cast. Saria/Kal'tsit: Didn't really get sparks between the two of them when they talked in the manwha. Similar missions, but live in entirely different worlds, can't see it. Saria/Penance: In terms of crack ships I am more interested in this one, I think there's a bit more chemistry there but I'd need to see like, a story around it to be convinced.

But I do have to say (and no hate when I say this): Penance is not middle aged, it's never been confirmed she's middle aged, and I know saying 'she doesn't look middle aged' in a gacha game means nothing, but she doesn't! I don't think her age is elaborated on anywhere, but she's treated as the new generation in Siracusa alongside Vigil (who is like early 20s at most), so I don't know where this idea of her being in her 40s came from. Realistically, I think she's around early to mid-30s (has spent 10 years as a judge after school) but I wouldn't be surprised if we learn that she's like, 28

Kristen x Saria: Wrote a fic about it, it's the core of Lone Trail and the Manwha, it's absolutely heartbreaking, I love them. Whislash x Saria: Self-admittedly not much here. They were meant to co-star in a sportswear skin line together though

Ho'olheyak x Saria: Oh Saria had one really unfortunate night shwants to forget about while still trying to move on from Kristen on the landship after Lone Trail and Ho'olheyak won't let her forget. Love it

#i have nothing against middle aged women I just hate fanon that everyone treats as canon #thanks for the ask anyways!! this one was kinda harsh LOL #arknights #ask game #burstmail

[churchydragon]

my own Masked headcanons because @pangolin-404 got me obsessed

they're a slime mold. they're very intelligent, especially as they get older, but they are mold. they usually reach a stage where they could learn to talk by either using the host's organs or by replicating them with their own mass around 5 to 6 years old and even learn to use tools, but one could learn how to do these things as young as a year old with outside intervention, such as humans. they're a little low on the food chain the younger they are, and are typically scavengers that eat things that are already dead, or hunt the bug creatures that reside inside abandoned buildings.

they really only need to eat once a month, but if they go too long without substance they'll start to eat their host, and if they go longer without nutrients after that they'll start literally eating themselves. usually they'll stop before they start eating the mass closest to the mask, but there have been cases where they eat the part that makes them alive and they end up dying. that's pretty rare though. if you find a dormant Mask there's a 50/50 chance that it either consumed itself to such a low amount of body mass that it had to go into hibernation, or its host was damaged and made immobile and it went dormant because of that.

around 6 to 7 years is when they can start spreading out their mass into growths to make sensitive "webs" of mold that can detect movement or to manipulate objects, or, in some cases, defend themselves. think of the tentacles that SCP 035 has near its cell in SCP Containment Breach. it's like that.

after their 7th year is when they might start to stop compressing themselves into small, human sized forms, and can grow to the size of Giants. at this point they are no longer scavengers that occasionally hunt lootbugs, centipedes, and mantacoils, and are now predators, with their most common prey being Baboon Hawks, Eyeless Dogs, and even other Giants. they're unable to reproduce at this stage, and are typically considered elders and protectors of a colony. there's usually only 1 or 2 elders per colony at a time.

they also make a wide variety of noises! the laughter sound they make ingame is a greeting or them basically saying "I'm here!", and the attacking noise is a threat/attack and general "I'm angry" call. they also make a chittering sound they make that's a general question/curious call, a shrill warble when scared and general "there's danger, help!" or "I'm scared!" call, and of course, a low and warm rumble that means affection/"I love you" call. they also do laugh, it sounds like Regirock in the anime, specifically the "DMB DMB DMB DMB" without the robotic filter.

the substance they use to reproduce is a mix of their own mass, and any calcium and liquefied bone that the host body still has. a Mask without a host body (that is, one that is purely mold in a humanoid shape) or that has reached Giant size cannot create new Masked. they eat by spitting out part of their own mass (to absorb) and digestive fluid (to digest) and drink that up, though they could also just shove food into their body and that would also work.

#churchy talks #lethal company masked #lethal company #now I just need to draw Skit properly. my my scaredy-cat Mask guy. loves their crew. low self esteem #hates the color white and lab coats. for normal reasons I promise (lying)

[pokemoncaretips]

(@absol-trainer)

I'm considering catching a Houdour, any tips?

General notes:

The houndour is a decent pokemon for those who can control it, but its evolved form requires a LOT of care and attention.

General care:

This line is a fairly simple canine type pokemon, and as such its care reflects that, with a good quality kibble providing perfectly fine nourishment. Treats such as organ meat and bones are also excellent, and though houndoom is much more carnivorous, houndour have been known to enjoy small amounts of foods such as squash, pumpkin and watmel berries. Take care not to provide too many treats, especially not human foods which are often full of fat and salt, and this can cause pancreatitis.

As a fire type, some kind of fire proofing is essential, especially when its young. Young houndour often struggle to control their fire, especially around the 2-5 month range. A fire extinguisher is very useful to have, ideally one in each room.

This entire line is very intelligent, and requires a lot of enrichment and play. Toys and puzzle boxes are excellent choices. A bored houndour is dangerous.

Houndoom horns can sometimes catch on things, especially inside, and many trainers use horn caps. The ridges on their body are made of exposed solid bone, and as such houndoom require more calcium. Their horns grow continuously over their lifetime, and an elderly houndoom may require surgical shortening as they start to weigh them down. In the wild, they don't live long enough for this to become an issue.

Overall, the houndour line isn't too difficult to care for.

Care rating: Green

Training:

HOUNDOOM ARE AGGRESSIVE. This cannot be stated loudly enough. They are an aggressive pokemon with a HIGH prey drive. If you intend to keep it as a house pet, you will have to rehome any smaller prey pokemon. The most you can do is train them to not attack immediately but one sudden or twitchy move and there will be tragedy.

Battling partners have an easier time as it spends longer with them, and has slightly stronger instincts for "this is my clan mate we fight together" but even so I wouldn't put a houdoom next to a prey pokemon in a doubles tournament. Even raising a houdour with a prey pokemon is potentially dangerous. It's all fun and games until your pachirisu is startled by a loud noise and triggers an instinctive lunge.

Houndour are less aggressive but may try and push their luck against you. Make sure you don't let them push you around.

Moving on from that serious warning, when it comes to young houndour, it is essential to make sure you know the difference between deliberately lighting a fire, and a fire started by an accidental sneeze. These are very smart pokemon, and punishing it for "nothing" will cause grudges. In the case of accidental fires, the houndour is likely as startled and frightened as you. Take care of the fire then provide comfort. If it was deliberately lit, pokeball it. If done well, a houndour pup will feel comfortable running to fetch you if it accidently starts a fire, which is a VERY good thing for it to learn.

This pokemon line requires a lot of care and effort to train. You cannot ever allow it to slip into bad habits. No matter how much you love and trust your houndoom, you must always be mentally present when dealing with it. Failure to maintain control can lead to tragedy. A particularly dangerous pokemon might wind up euthanized

Training rating: Red

Safety:

The houndoom is technically venomous. Though not classed as a poison type, glands in its jaws produces a nasty, highly flammable toxin. This substance, when applied through flames or through a bite, causes severe, long lasting pain. Though the claim it "lasts forever" is perhaps an exaggeration, people have reported it taking years for the issues caused by the venom to fully subside. There are a number of support groups for people who've wound up on the wrong side of a houndoom, as well as groups swapping care tips for their injured pokemon.

As well, fire types require a lot of care and alertness.

Safety rating: Red

Overall ranking.

Though they have their moments and can be as cuddly and loving as any pokemon, their aggressive tendencies and high prey drive means houndour and houndoom aren't exactly beginner pokemon. When well trained and controlled, they are excellent pokemon, whether battling, securing buildings or playing, but when allowed to run rampant, they're an accident waiting to happen.

#pokemon irl #pokemon #pokemon care #houndour #houndoom #((ok my executive function has shown up how long will this last))

[raintailed]

Thinkin about those pipe-cleaning slugs that Moon talks about...

The pipe-cleaner slugs were essentially a "first draft" for piperats and are, in a way, their predecessors.

They were created very early on in the history of bio-engineering. At the time there wasn't advanced simulation technology like what iterators have, so the only real way to test a draft for a purposed organism was to create the organisms and study them.

The pipe-cleaner slugs worked well for clearing biofilm from the insides of pipes, but the problem is that pipe-cleaning requires more than just scraping off layers of microorganisms. The slugs were unsuitable for addressing things like roots growing into pipes, objects lodged inside pipes, etc. They also weren't too good at navigating and reproduced quickly, resulting in the slugs colonizing pipes and needing to be cleaned out themselves!

And so, the pipe-cleaner slug plans were redesigned into a completely new creature, which was more versatile and far more intelligent: piperats.

The original draft for pipe-cleaner slugs weren't completely scrapped, however. The blueprints were later refined into a new species: snails. The snails are designed to not only eat algae/biofilms/lichen, but also barnacle-like organisms and rock/metal debris. Snails' shells repurpose the calcium and metals from their diet. Also, snails have remained largely unchanged since they were created, although there are some new species that have evolved since then.

Tldr: the pipe-cleaner slugs were a first draft for piperats. The original blueprints were later reworked into snails.

#raintailed rambles #rain world #rw #headcanons #rain world headcanons #my answer to why my slugcats didnt evolve directly from the pipe-cleaner slugs #in a way the pipe-cleaner slugs are still their ancestors tho #long post

[tomatoluvr69]

I need a piping hot Irish coffee a six hour hike a two hour massage a dive into a snow bank after a half hour in a sauna a stool transplant a 30 day silent retreat a 40 day fast just to see if I can see ghosts or something a couple calcium gummies a bond with a preternaturally intelligent and quiet large dog a new Tana French standalone novel and a pair of clean wool socks…

#guess who is having a weird time in my hometown…

[elleenvs3000f23]

Blog 8 (week 9) - Fireflies; I just think they're neat

Bioluminescence is one of the most incredible phenomena on the planet. Before humans invented electricity and lightbulbs in the early 1800s, the only thing we knew that could produce light was fire and stars…and life. 

As humans we like to think of ourselves as quite advanced and intelligent as we have mastered how to light up the dark - fire allowed us to find safety from predators at night when we were most vulnerable and allowed us to work even after the sun had gone down. But we aren’t special, so many species were making their own light long before we ever tried. 

If you’ve read my old post on art and nature you’ll remember one reason I am very fond of fireflies is because of a chance encounter with a massive population during field work; but fireflies have always been near and dear to my heart - growing up in rural Canada, there's no shortage of time to waste and bugs to catch and fireflies where the first insect I ever really took the time to observe up close as a kid. 

Bioluminescence is incredible for a lot of reasons, one being it is almost perfectly efficient at using energy (Branham, 2005). Fireflies are tiny! They don’t have a lot of material and energy to waste so their light needs to be as cost effective as possible. If you’ve ever touched a lightbulb that’s been on for a long time it's hot! But fireflies don’t waste any light energy as heat - both for their own safety and to save precious calories.

For glow-worms (larval fireflies) flashing lights are a warning to predators - a giant neon sign saying “HEY! I TASTE REALLY BAD!” (and they do, so if a bird eats the glowing worm once, it's unlikely to want to do it again). Adult fireflies have unique flash patterns for their species and use their light to attract a mate (I’ll save you my attempts at flashing jokes, you’re welcome) (Branham, 2005). I’ve you’ve ever taken a date on a romantic night out to look at the stars, are you and the firefly really that different? 

So how does it work? Well bioluminesce happens through a complicated looking chemical reaction like this:

(Navizet et al. 2011)

It looks science-y and difficult but at its core ATP is the same molecule that your body uses when it needs energy. When you eat, the energy from your food attaches a phosphate “P” onto the molecule and then you rip the phosphorus off to use that energy when and where you need it! When the P is ripped off to do biofluorescence the energy is used to power a reaction between magnesium or calcium, oxygen and a chemical the fireflies produce called luciferin that produces light!

As pollen and nectar foragers- they are also pollinators hard at work even after everyone else is asleep. So thank a firefly for more than just their incredible light! I think it's always good to remember that as separate and exceptional from nature we may consider ourselves to be as humans - most of our technology is something nature did first and really - we’re not so different from the rest of the animals we share a planet with. 

 Branham, M. (2005, September 5). How and why do Fireflies Light up?. Scientific American.

Navizet I, Liu YJ, Ferré N, Roca-Sanjuán D, Lindh R. The chemistry of bioluminescence: an analysis of chemical functionalities. Chemphyschem. 2011 Dec 9;12(17):3064-76. doi: 10.1002/cphc.201100504. Epub 2011 Oct 13. PMID: 21997887.

[jomiddlemarch]

let's call this a win-win

Part 2

Meghan figured she’d be holed up in the cabin they’d given to her for an infirmary, reading old copies of whatever magazine had made their way to her, Seventeen and Cosmo, Bassmaster and and Runner’s World washing up like the scrum of sticks and leaves on the shore of an eddying brook, playing endless games of solitaire on limp cards, cleaning up cuts, dabbing on ointment, bandaging ankles, for the entire duration of the summer, which would make any encounters with Joel Miller few and far between.

She had been wrong.

To be clear, it wasn’t that he was constantly right there when she turned around or looked up in a classic stalker-y kind of way or that he was seeking her out with increasingly inane-frivolous-nonsensical medical complaints requiring her assessment in a pathetic stalker-y kind of way or even that he just seemed to appear when she’d just thought of him, how deft his hands were ladling out a rainy day dinner of beanie-weenie or strumming his guitar in the firelight, in a telepathic mind-control stalker-y kind of way. 

It was just nice.

Sometimes, she lollygagged over her morning coffee and Joel didn’t exactly rush off to his next repair. 

Sometimes, he found he was walking in her same direction and fell into an easy gait beside her, for all that he was at least a foot taller than she was. The trees loomed, but Joel never did.

Sometimes, he held the door for her when her hands were full or pulled out her chair at the table the staff sat at for meals, the almost old-fashioned politeness of it somehow part and parcel of the camp itself, though Meghan suspected he’d do the same back home in Texas, though he thankfully never called her ma’am.

It wasn’t just nice. It was very nice. Very nice indeed.

So sue her, she liked him. (Actually, the camp’s malpractice policy was skimpier than she’d anticipated and she devoutly hoped there would be nothing worth litigating in her work, since she was not getting paid especially well to begin with and Ellie’s new school had a uniform policy so extensive that even Old Navy and Lands’ End were unlikely to keep her from racking up some credit card bills in the fall well before Meghan had to ante up for the field hockey team equipment and the God-forsaken trumpet Ellie had decided to play, an evil glint in her eye.) 

After all, why wouldn’t she like Joel? He was competent, intelligent, uncomplaining, a good listener, a devoted father, a guitarist who more than delivered when he played at the campfire—and that was before she considered how absolutely smoking hot he was in worn jeans, work boots and what seemed like an infinite supply of plaid shirts and grey tees, but which was probably about five and she’d just lost track. She’d never met a man who looked better with a scruffy beard, so much so that she wondered if she’d even be attracted to him if he ever shaved properly. (She would, who was she kidding? Those eyes and that lower lip and that ass…) 

He also always smelled good, which given the limitations of their bathing facilities, the lack of AC on hot days and the general organic funk that seemed to cling to everyone after their first dip in the lake, was impressive. And irresistible. 

She was resisting though, a little. She hadn’t thrown herself at him or ever found she needed to reach something in the bottom drawer of her filing cabinet when he was repairing the rotting window trim on the infirmary, bending over to showcase her natural assets augmented by the squats her best friend Alex swore by (Meghan was less convinced, but best friends did what they had to do and she herself never shut up about calcium.) She hadn’t let her hand linger on the salt-cellar or ketchup bottle when he asked to have it passed and she certainly hadn’t requested he play “Make Believe” or any other Rodgers and Hart love-song around the campfire (though the temptation to ask for “Blue Moon” once she’d discovered who wrote it was huge, even more so when she found out there was one coming up in August.)

She could have convinced herself it was all coincidences and hormones, a commodity Camp Firefly had in spades, though not emanating from Bunk 3, except for the fact that Joel hadn’t let her.

“So, here’s the deal. I like you and I think you like me. As Sarah would say, like that,” Joel announced as they took a mid-morning coffee break from her Thermos, the merry sound of campers with first swim distant, mingled with some birdsong.

“Um, that’s quite direct,” she said.

“Yeah. Because I’m a grown-up,” he replied, smiling. “Tell me if I’m out of line. I won’t bring it up again.”

“No?” Meghan knew she was partly stalling for time and that Joel probably knew that as well, but it didn’t hurt to push a little and see what he said next. Grist to the mill, Alex would say, as if Alex were not in a perpetual pitched battle against carbs and wouldn’t be caught dead anywhere near a gristmill unless arson was involved. 

“No. Because I respect you and myself. And my whole ego isn’t tied up in whether you feel the way I do,” he said. Meghan had to do her best to raise an eyebrow, because Joel was starting to sound unreal, like someone’s concept of the ideal man, not Plato’s, because even Philosophy 102 had taught Meghan that Plato had maybe spent too much time in a cave, away from sunlight, at least for her taste. “I mean, I also won’t spend all my free time replacing the perfectly adequate wood trim of this cabin’s windows or discovering that the floor near the back door is warped and ripping it out and asking you to hold the level 12 hours a day.”

“You’re making this hard,” Meghan said. “Because I do like you but I hate unnecessary renovations that take forever. Could we hang out without wood being involved?”

He grinned then as the words hung in the air for a moment and she blushed, she could feel it, red as a cartoon beet, not a real one. She tried a combo shrug-head-toss that would have been more effective if she’d put her hair in a ponytail instead of braids but from Joel’s expression, it was good enough.

“I had to play to my strengths,” he said. 

“I’m not reciprocating with an unnecessary physical and don’t try to tell me you sprained your ankle or something,” she said. “I have standards. Ethics. I’m a goddamn role model.”

“And I’m not interested in you playing a sexy nurse in a skimpy costume,” he said. 

That was when Meghan’s brain sort-of shorted out and she heard herself saying Holy shit before she could have thought about stopping herself. 

“What about a walk around the lake later?” Joel said. “Or we could take a canoe out. Stars are bright up here, brighter than Austin, and the moon’s nearly full.”

“Yes,” she said. 

Yes, she said when he looked at her before taking her hand in his.

Yes, when he rowed them into a cove and the moonlight was silver in his dark eyes.

Yes, just as he leaned in to kiss her, waiting to hear her first, and again into his ear before she kissed the side of throat, waiting to hear him moan.

She wasn’t disappointed.

#tlou #tlou au #summer camp au #joel/ofc #nearly everyone lives #fluff #romance #rom-com #humor #the last of us #in keeping with my approach to ofc #my ofc has a best friend #tessa-quayle #writing for your best friend #always requires the appearance of one in the fic #included the moodboard this time #I'm learning! #giving joel miller a break

[thecreaturecodex]

Crest-Eater

Image © Paizo Publishing.

[The Starfinder monsters I’m most interested in are the ones with weird xenobiology: some of the writers got really into designing alien ecologies and weird behaviors. Like the crest-eater, which wants your delicious calcium to make solar panels. One thing in Starfinder that I don’t mention below, because it works better with the advanced tech levels of that game, is that kasatha technology is built around solar collectors that are biomimetics based on crest-eater anatomy. That’s super cool.]

Crest-Eater CR 4 N Magical Beast This creature is a horned, reptilian beast the size of a bison. It has three sets of legs—the middle pair is held aloft and tipped with sharp claws. It has long, elaborate horns growing from its head and spine—sails of tissue grow between the horns and hold them fast to the skin. It has two pairs of beady black eyes, and a mouth full of large, crushing teeth.

Native to the harsh deserts of Kasath, crest-eaters are powerful creatures that inspire both reverence and fear in the kasatha that live there. A crest-eater is so named because, when they prey on a kasatha, typically tear open the head, devour the bony crest, and leave the rest of the body behind for scavengers. A crest-eater’s primary goal is calcium, which they incorporate into their elaborate horns and shells. These in turn act as solar panels, giving the crest-eater their main source of energy. These horns wax and wane in size as the crest-eater forages, shrinking in lean times and growing to extravagance when it is well fed.

Crest-eaters have a social organization similar to elephants, with females and juveniles living in herds organized around the oldest female, and males living solitary lives for much of the year. Members of a herd are devoted to each other, sleeping in shifts and fighting together to oppose hunters or avenge their fallen relatives. They are tolerant of smaller predators, which clean up their kills and often have sharper eyes and ears than the crest-eaters do. Solitary males are the individuals most likely to attack a village or other settlement, and they have an outsized place in kasatha folklore.

Some crest-eaters have been exported to other planets, where they are often surprisingly docile compared to their violent behavior on Kasath. If a planet has an oceanic past, large deposits of chalk and limestone serve as food just as readily as bones, and are more convenient to harvest. A crest-eater is of nearly human intelligence, and training them has more in common with teaching a child than handling an animal. They make good, loyal bodyguards if fed well, and are especially valued by those that fear necromancers and their skeletal armies. Kasathas are known to make wickedly sharp bone cestuses using the horns of a crest-eater, and these weapons are often treated as heirlooms and badges of honor.

Crest-Eater         CR 4 XP 1,200 N Large magical beast Init +1; Senses bone scent, darkvision 60 ft., Perception +5, scent Defense AC 17, touch 10, flat-footed 15 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +7 natural) hp 38 (4d10+16) Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +4 Defensive Abilities fortification (50%) Offense Speed 60 ft. Melee bite +6 (1d8+3 plus dissolve bone), 2 claws +6 (1d8+3) Ranged spit +4 touch (dissolve bone) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Statistics Str 17, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 6, Wis 13, Cha 8 Base Atk +4; CMB +8; CMD 19 (23 vs. trip) Feats Iron Will, Toughness Skills Climb +11, Perception +5, Stealth +5, Survival +6; Racial Modifiers +4 Climb, +4 Stealth, +4 Survival Languages Kasatha (cannot speak) Ecology Environment warm deserts and hills Organization solitary, pair or herd (3-8) Treasure incidental Special Abilities Bone Scent (Ex) A crest-eater can detect exposed bone or other calcium by scent at a range of 1 mile, and can pinpoint such creatures within 180 feet. This includes creatures that have taken Constitution damage from its dissolve bone ability within the last 24 hours. Dissolve Bone (Su) A creature bitten by a crest-eater, or struck by its spit, must succeed a DC 15 Fortitude save or take 1d4 points of Constitution damage. A skeletal undead, or a construct or object made primarily out of bone, limestone, chalk or other calcium-rich minerals takes 3d6+4 points of damage if it fails the save. The save DC is Constitution based. Spit (Ex) A crest-eater can spit its bone dissolving saliva as a standard action. Treat this as a ranged touch attack, with a range of 30 feet and no range increment. A creature struck is exposed to the crest-eater’s dissolve bone ability.

#crest-eater #kasatha #pathfinder 1e #starfinder

[wetthandss]

The ocean

The ocean surrounding Mykes is called the Sheat Sea, after the large animals called Sheatfish who uniquely inhabit it. It is a clear blue colour compared to the purple hued lakes and rivers, and noticeably lacks fungi compared to land. Instead its floors are covered in vibrant, large coral reefs, sponges, kelp and marine trees. On the coast of Mykes, there are beaches with colourful and thick sands of crushed coral and shell. A lot of the coastline is lined with beautiful chalk bluffs, the large fossils of Whirling Scourges (a sort of macroscopic dinocyst) sticking from their faces. The sea is a valuable resource for angene, for food, water, shell, and medicine from jellyfish and urchins. Incredibly, an entire city has been built underneath the water by the Undine, named Nymphia. No attempt to explore far past the coral reefs have been successful. Most days, the water is quite calm. The weather in Mykes is not very temperamental besides geostorms. However, if one goes out too far into the sea, where the coral becomes sparse and the sea floor drops into a dark abyss, it rapidly becomes dangerous to sail. Extreme storms pick up with little warning, and there are enormous monsters that attack ships. The dragons have been asked about what else is out there, farther beyond the reefs, but they claim that they have never had interest in exploring far from their floating islands. Dragons have been sighted out far beyond the sea, but the dragon authority has dismissed these sightings.

Note:

"Sheatfish" is not referring to what we call sheatfish in the real world. They would be called "sheath fish" in Mykes. Sheatfish in Mykes are giant sea slugs that have advanced intelligence and communication like whales. They are hunted for their fatty slime and protein-dense flesh occasionally.

Bonus:

there are giant clams that have deep symbiosis with coral, that make coral into their shell rather than producing their own calcium carbonate. the clam gets a shell for less spent energy and the coral gets to eat a lot of plankton as the clam shuts over larger food which it digests. gives the coral a bit of muscle in a way. theyre called coral squeezers.

#creative writing #mykes #my art #madarch

[bpod-bpod]

Not-so-short Circuits

A single neuron in your brain can have up to a thousand branches and each branch can form connections (synapses) with other neurons. It’s complex. Accurately mapping these synapses needs high-resolution electron microscopy images of entire brains and the tools to effectively trace neuron branches. To achieve this, researchers first sliced and imaged a larval zebrafish brain using serial block-face electron microscopy. Next, they used an algorithm to split the images into sections and automatically detect synapses. Consequently, the team reconstructed over 200 neurons in a single specimen, which was also imaged using two-photon calcium microscopy to identify synapse locations. This enabled the team to confirm their approach worked. 3D reconstructions revealed all of the neurons that synapsed with two selected neurons; pictured here is one of those chosen neurons (red) and all of the neurons that synapse with it. This resource will, therefore, prove useful for mapping neuron circuits.

Written by Lux Fatimathas

Image from work by Fabian Svara and colleagues

Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in Nature Methods, October 2022

You can also follow BPoD on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

#science #biomedicine #brain #neuroscience #synapses #microscopy #3d imaging #electron microscope #zebrafish #neural networks #connectivity

[dramatic-shitpost-poet]

Blue tongued Skink

Enclosure:

Hatchlings can be housed in 20 gallon tanks, but adults and juveniles need to be in a 36 x 18 x 18 inches or 40-60 gallon minimum with more floor space

Only house one per tank

There needs to be a warm side with a heating lamp and UVB (can live without UVB, but very beneficial), then a cool side

The basking side should be 90-100 degrees F and the cooler side should be 75-82 degrees F

Day and night cycle need to be present

Substrates can be newspapers, puppy pads, aspen bedding, cypress mulch, etc.

They do like to dig, so give them a few inches of substrate

There needs to be a feeding dish to make sure they don’t ingest substrate

They are awful at climbing and enjoy running space, but make sure at least one hide is in their home and maybe a rock or log to bask on

They need places to hide both in heat and in the cooler side

A shallow, clean water dish needs to be present at all times and water changed every day. Scrub once a week

40-60% humidity is ideal, but indonesian skinks prefer a bit higher

Spot clean daily, completely clean and disinfect once a month

Diet/Feeding habits:

Omnivorous and need variety

50% veggies, 40% proteins, and 10% fruits is ideal

Adults should be fed every 2-3 days and juveniles should eat every other day

Feed juveniles as much as they want in one sitting and adults just enough to fill their reasonably sized bowl

Sprinkle their food with calcium powder and vitamins every other meal for juveniles and every third feeding for adults

Don’t feed foods high in sodium, citrus, avocado, eggplant or rhubarb.

Proteins: Canned dog/cat food (cat food has more protein usually), dry dog/cat food that has been moistened, mealworms/superworms, hornworms, shrimp, boiled organ meats, canned snails, boiled chicken, hard boiled eggs, cooked ground turkey, cooked lean beef, and an occasional pinky mouse

Veggies: Dandelion greens, collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, squash, peas, brussel sprouts, carrots, and an occasional hibiscus flower

Fruits: Mango, blueberry, strawberry, raspberries, figs, papaya, and cantaloupe

Don’t feed corn-based products and canned foods with bones

Age identification:

They live about 15-20 years, but can live more

They reach maturity at 3 years old

Physical traits:

They have blue tongues that are sticky enough to eat insects

Their bodies are usually a light tan with darker brown stripes and chunky

Adult size is 18-24 inches

Hatchlings start at about 4 inches long

Terrestrial 

Awful to climbing and swimming

Their tail can “drop” at any time

Their eggs hatch inside of them and they seem to have “live birth”

They have a clutch of about 10-15 babies a year

Personality:

They territorial easily

Very hardy

They are very picky on the enrichment in their environment and will move their enrichment around until they are pleased

Intelligent and curious

Docile and friendly

They evolved their blue tongue to scare predators

If they are stressed they will puff up, show their tongue, and hiss (also food behavior)

If they get stressed they can lose their tail

They need to be handled often or they get shy and flighty

They do not brumate and instead mate during all of winter and spring

Health Concerns:

Metabolic bone disease caused by lack of calcium and vitamins

Stuck shed can cause lack of circulation, fixed by higher humidity

They will sometimes overeat, so keep an eye on their weight

Handling:

Let them have a week to themselves before you start handling them

Make sure they have a few meals before handling

When first handling just limit it to about 10 minutes, then you can increase time

Support their entire body and hold over a surface in case they wiggle

They love being handled once comfortable with you and sometimes enjoy head/chin scratches

Wash hands before and after handling

Never handle as they are shedding as it stresses them out

#blue tongued skink #skink #lizard #dsp care sheet #dsp care sheets #herpetology #herpetologist #animal #animals #research

[midnightstollsinlatefall1]

Dude, I just realized my name (Khadijah) has like so many fantasy potential.

Okay, yes it does come from religious origins.

Popularity:3115

Origin: Arabic

Meaning: early baby; trustworthy, respected

Khadijah is a girl's name of Arabic origin. The meaning of Khadijah is ”early baby” or “trustworthy” and “respect.” Sometimes spelled as Khadija, Khadijah was the first wife of the prophet Muhammad. Khadijah was an intelligent woman that came from a wealthy background with her family of merchants in Mecca. When her father died, she took over his business and used her industrious skills to keep it thriving. Not only was she extremely hard-working, but she was also compassionate, helping the poor, sick, orphans, and disabled in her community.

(Taken from thebump.com)

And like, I would totally write something my name in it - but I don't want to be egotistical, so yeah...

And, something I like to mention as an icebreaker, my name means premature baby [Born before complete 40 weeks (which is actually 10 months not 9 according to my mom)], and I was a premature baby.

Now the name itself خديجة in Arabic is near impossible for a lot of people to pronounce, so when I'm talking in English I say "Kah-dee-jah" Kah as in Calcium, dee as in the letter D(say its name), jah as in Jack but semi emphasize the h in the end.

They are so many rare & interesting names out there, and while yes I do scramble words for my characters, it's mostly because I have a hard time choosing from all the awesome names out there. And who knows, maybe I'll swap out their names once I'm done with the first draft?

Now, would it be egotistical to write a book where the main character shares my name?

#writblr #writing #Names #Names in writing #fantasy #fantasy writing #I'm trying to tag #Khadijah #I think this is the longest post I've written #fantasy names #writing inspo #someone either writing something with the name Khadijah #or tell me it is not egotistical to write it myself #trending #if i say trending will it trend

[wernerherzogshave]

As a Whole for the Winter Months (June)

Mistakes in the mouth of my life like teeth; calcium from the tracked lost bones of angels, split dinosaur vertebra like a footpath by the crushed glass bottles, rocks, sand; there's time in breathable skin, an endlessness. Shot out of a small cannon under a vertical sky; a creamy cross-section of clouds, rain, river water; sullen intelligent wise cows chewing on crystalline grass, dew-covered & sad.

#poetry #original poetry #spilled ink #tumblr poetry #poetry on tumblr #writerscreed #poeticstories #writeblr #writerblr #poemblr #poetblr #poetryblr #abstractcommunity

[strawberryrituals]

From the book Cosmic Nutrition by Mantak Chia:

The qualities of vibrant health:

1. A healthy, normal appetite for natural wholesome foods.

2. Sound undisturbed sleep and a zest for living upon rising in the morning, free from fatigue.

3. Calm nerves, clear thinking, and a steady magnetic gaze.

4. A clear, strong, and musical voice.

5. Hair that is strong, lustrous, plentiful, and shining, without dandruff or dryness.

6. A clear complexion, bright and glowing.

7. A firm, powerful, and flexible grip.

8. A clear, alert mind, with a good memory, without absent-mindedness or forgetfulness.

9. Constructive and happy thoughts about self and others.

10. The attitude is confident, loving, cheerful, and positive; a realist.

11. Perfect eyesight without glasses; eyes clear and sparkling; hearing perfect.

12. The tongue is pink and uncoated; the breath is sweet and clean.

13. No dark circles or puffiness under eyes.

14. A good sense of humor about yourself and others; a calm, peaceful nature.

15. A proper upright posture and carriage, neither bent nor inflexible.

16. Body weight proportionate to height and bone structure; neither thin or fat, but firm.

17. Body joints flexible and free from stiffness and calcium deposits.

18. Taking total responsibility for all your actions and circumstances.

19. Teeth are even and shiny white; gums do not bleed; no cavities and strong bite.

20. Muscles are firm, strong, and smooth; an energetic springing step; athletic ability.

21. Internal organs and glands in their proper place and functioning healthfully.

22. No sensations of pain, pressure, swellings, soreness, tiredness, stress, or indigestion.

23. Neither cold hands nor feet; body temperature and blood pressure normal; pulse not too high or low but even and steady.

24. A grateful and thankful feeling for being alive, with appreciation for the things you now have.

25. You are orderly and precise in thought and action, neither hasty nor plodding.

26. You are an independent thinker, free from dogmas, prejudices, and false notions.

27. You do not follow organizations, groups, teachers, or cults without question, failing to reason and think about the truth of life by your own intelligence and creativity.

28. Your goal in life is to help other people; you are not self-centered.

29. You have plans and goals in life based on your own creativity and individuality.

30. You know who you are, where you are going, and the purpose of your life.

If you possess most of these positive vibrant health qualities, you are living in accordance with natural law; if not, start on a rejuvenation health program today.

#health #clean girl #taoism #wellness #book #resources #that girl #self improvement #pink pilates girl #pink pilates princess #self care