#crab is perfect organism

[carionto]

Humans really like space wildlife

As Humanity integrates itself within the Galactic Coalition ever further, trade and travel between Sol and neighboring member systems is growing at exponential rates. In particular, their interest in the native wildlife of other planets is the most widely expanding sector for tourism and commerce.

Even though it is also the most heavily regulated and restricted one, Humans, who typically display a desire to subvert the normal procedures to expedite any process they can, for this they are surprisingly willing and eager to fill in all the necessary paperwork and spend hours upon days making sure they follow and adhere to all the requirements to import some of these creatures.

While such level of determination is not uncommon for new member species who discover a certain non-native creature or something that to the respective natives is commonplace but for them is the pinnacle of exotic, the variety of requests made by Humans is nearly as great as the entire list of known fauna species. And the reasons listed on the forms are even more diverse:

"That's a unicorn! I've always dreamed of having a unicorn and you're telling me there's a dozen subspecies?! Yes, please!!!"

"After reviewing their behavior, this bear-sized fluff-ball is the perfect cat I've always wanted, but couldn't because of allergies. I'll treat them with love and care, my life is incomplete without this fella."

"Tiny. Elephant-duck. Want."

"Our company was looking for a mascot, and these six-legged spindly beaver-crabs are perfect. Here's our mission statement and prepared accommodations for a flock."

"They all said I hallucinated the lizard sasquatch when I was on that acid trip, but now I'll show 'em. It's real. I knew it all along!"

"Aww, these baby puppies are so adorable (referring to the four meter, 800kg Fanged Widowmaker of Abyss Valley predator). My kids were looking through your alien picture books and instantly fell in love with these ones."

And so on. At first we had to reject quite a few, mainly because half of them were deadly beasts from Deathworlds that are almost impossible to capture in the first place. Then the Human officials informed us that, while they will try to stop it from happening, if we don't make importing and adopting even the most dangerous animals in the known Galaxy reasonably possible for them with Human help and expertise in the field, some Humans will set up illegal smuggling rings to "fill the market gap" as they said. Historically, they explained, that causes more problems and expenses than just handling it through official channels.

Reluctantly we were persuaded and have set up a new organization to quell this, apparently, unquenchable Human pack bonding condition. Even if said pet can kill them. We think, as horrible as it may be, that for some that is part of the appeal. Even the ones that breathe out literal poison.

"We'll wear a mask around them. This wendigo-like one is too cute to not get belly rubs."

Said the OFFICIAL Human Representative of a monstrosity that can only be described as the living incarnation of countless teeth, fangs, claws, vivid seizure inducing iridescent feathers, and a body that extends from a inconspicuous ambush pose to a fully 8 meter tall six limbed nightmare machine of Death!

#humans are space orcs #humanity fuck yeah #humans are deathworlders #humans are space australians #humans are space oddities #carionto #aliens are cute #pet the predator

[engineering]

Tumblr Hack Week, September 2022 Edition

It was Hack Week (more than just a day!) once again at Tumblr! A couple of times per year we slow down our normal work and spend a week working on whatever we want and see how far we can get with our hacks. The main star of the last Hack Week was the “Summon crab!” button, and we loved it so much that we rolled it out not just for April Fools this year, but we made it our first gift-able widget in TumblrMart!

Here are some of the projects that got made for this most recent Hack Week in September. Some of these things you may also end up seeing on the site…

Tumbeast Digital Pet

Ben worked on adding our friendly server room Tumbeasts to Tumblr as a cute little digital pet. You can feed them and play with them, and they poop and get unhappy and need tending, of course. Who wouldn’t want one of these to take care of every day on Tumblr, forever and ever?

Tumblr Blaze on TumblrMart

@adalpari added Tumblr Blaze as a gift-able item in TumblrMart, which would allow folks to buy Blaze "credits" for other people. Perfect for those times you see an amazing post on Tumblr that definitely deserves to be spread around, and you don’t mind throwing some money at letting that person have a chance to spread it via Blaze!

User Account Switcher

@yi5h hacked together an account switcher for the web, so that folks can log in to more than one Tumblr account and easily switch back and forth between them. Super handy if you have one account for your roleplaying character, and another for your Star Trek fandom discussions. Very useful!

Tumblr Collections

On web as well, João made a version of an idea that’s floated around many times, the idea of being able to organize posts on Tumblr into "collections" that can be named and shared. I think everyone would very much enjoy having a collection called "waves" that’s just soothing GIFs of ocean waves.

As always, stay tuned to the @changes blog to see if any of these hacks make it on Tumblr for real!

#tumblr engineering #tumblr hack day #tumblr hack week

[paranoidginger]

Support Team!

Everyone's favorite crazed doctor, piss man, and stab crab, just a bit different than you might originally know them.

Clones are never perfect, they each have their own quirks.

First off, we have Johann, the medic of team Blu. Somewhat off-putting at first, with a relatively empty look in his eyes and a cold thousand-yard stare, Johann is a caring and loyal doctor.

He has a quieter demeanor than his red counterpart, and has much more genuine care towards his teammates. He is far less experimental towards them as well, unlike Ludwig, whose healing is moreso a side effect of the experiments he runs on his team.

Despite his usual quiet and caring demeanor towards his team, battle truly brings out the worst in him. The sights, smells, and sounds of battle can often send him into a frenzy, where he cannot help but relish in the violence and bloodshed, something he often has guilt in feeling.

He is generally close with his other support members, although he has a rougher relationship with Spy, after the trauma the other endured from the Red Medic.

He is absolutely horrible in hand to hand combat, so usually prefers to stick back during battles, making sure his teammates are good to go, while occasionally venturing out to collect the bodies of his fallen cohorts in order to properly revive them in a safer area. Thanks to his body hauling, he is physically much stronger than many people give him credit for.

It is rare for him to be seen without some form of gloves, since it is the only way he can keep himself from picking at his skin, a habit he unfortunately cannot help.

He cares deeply for all of his teammates, but cares especially for Heavy, Scout, and Engineer, all of which worry him to some degree. With heavy and Scout usually being towards the front lines, and Jacob's especially low health, he tends to focus most of his energy towards the two of them while in battle. The Engineer worries him for entirely different reasons, especially after he sawed his own arm off and almost bled out in his workshop.

He often harasses Jacob, Mace, and the others about wearing enough sunscreen.

Sniper is a coldhearted professional, seeing the enemy team as nothing but wild animals most of the time. The only ones he actually respects of the Red team are the Medic and Spy. The Medic, because of his sheer skill, and the Spy because of his quick, cutthroat attitude.

Unlike his Red counterpart, he isn't against disabling his target before a finishing blow. You won't see him taking his hat off in respect, either.

He is cold and distant, even when out of battle, he tends to blend into his surroundings, silent and watching. It takes a long time for him to warm up to anyone.

He's fairly close with Spy, and they sometimes train together in hand-to-hand combat, something that Mace is surprisingly good at, considering that his main focus is long-distance firearms.

A complicated fellow, Spy is close to quitting smoking, after urging from both Johann and the Engineer, both of whom he is rather close to, and trusting of.

He is especially close with the Engineer of the team, although he tends to stay quiet about their relationship to one another, trying to remain ambiguous, although to the others in the team, it is clear that they have more than just a simple "Friendship."

He has a fairly decent relationship with Jacob, trying to do his best to be a decent father. He is less secretive than the Red Spy, often taking his mask off whenever he knows that they won't be battling any time soon.

Despite doing his best, and being as loyal as possible to his team, he certainly has a few scars that are not so easy to brush off. He has persistent nightmares about the Red medic, and being trapped as a severed head in Ludwig's organ refrigerator.

Due to his trauma, once he had been safely recovered and reattached to his body, he attacked Johann, leaving a rather deep gash on the medic's face before realizing that he was not the Red medic and backing down.

After being reunited with his body, he is almost always seen wearing a turtleneck in order to conceal the scar around his neck, unless he is sleeping, when a turtleneck is simply too warm to sleep in.

#cloneblu #tf2 support #tf2 #small artist #team fortress #tf2 au #tf2 medic #medic tf2 #team fortress 2 medic #heavymedic #tf2 sniper #sniper tf2 #spy tf2 #tf2 spy #engiespy #tf2 fanart

[avelera]

Some slightly more coherent thoughts about Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (ATSV) now that I've had a little time to process and long to return to the theater to see it again and again and again:

1 ) Go see it. Holy shit, go see it. Re-watch Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (ITSV) before you go if you have the chance but you don't have to, they recap it well enough and I promise anyway, the first thing you're gonna do when you get home after is turn ITSV on and then scream a bunch because it is all so tightly connected from the very beginning.

2 ) ITSV is a masterpiece. ATSV is more of a masterpiece in the same way that 11 is bigger than 10. They took everything in ITSV, which is a perfect 10/10 and made it 11/10 for this film. I shit you not. It cannot be otherwise expressed with words. Everything is just bigger, faster, bolder, more.

Ok, now getting into some of the more spoiler-y thoughts:

3 ) Loved me those themes of connection and loneliness. When you go back to ITSV, you see it's right there from the start. All of the version of Spider-Man are lonely. They are tired. They're isolated and unsupported and they are all suffering. Miles makes their lives better. They make Miles' life better. This becomes such a huge, huge theme in ATSV as Miles literally breaks the canon, he is the ultimate fix-it fanfic character, every Spider-Man he interacts with gets some element of their tragic backstory fixed. Peter B. reunites with MJ and has a child that brings joy back into his life. Gwen gets a friend again. Pavitr doesn't have to watch his girlfriend's father die. They are no longer doomed by the narrative.

4) Another post commented on how tired Peni looks when we finally see her, but she's not the only one. All of the Spider-People in the Spider-Verse look tired and it is, in fact I'd argue, Miguel's fault. He appealed to their sense of martyrdom to put together an organization that helps people and saves the world(s). BUT he made "maintaining the canon" an aspect of this (a wonderful meta commentary on Miles himself, btw, and all the comic book nerds who want to rehash the same story over and over instead of transforming it into something new and hopeful). Because they had all suffered so much, it followed logically for all the Spider-People that all of their parallel universe selves must also suffer.

This is the crab bucket mentality. Miguel dragged all the Spider-People into the crab bucket with him. He taught them learned helplessness. They're all tired and worn down because they have to keep reliving their own trauma by standing by and making sure these awful things that happened to them continue to happen, over and over. It's the mirror too for any marginalized community where the past generation believes the next one must suffer as they did. But it's exhausting for them to see the misery and do nothing. That's why they're all so tired. It makes sense to them that to be Spider-People, the next generation must suffer as they did but they are also, all of them, heroes and so it wears them down to watch this happen over and over. Miles brings back their energy and joy and their hope by refusing to be doomed by the narrative.

It's wonderful fanfic but it's also fantastic storytelling and it works on so many layers of the story, Doylist and Watsonian, all the way down.

5 ) THIS is a tightly knit story. Every. Single. Element. Ties back to the central story, the central themes. Every line either reveals plot, character, setting, or themes. It is so, so tight as a writer I was gaping. In necessary, if brief, moments of exposition they make sure to keep the screen busy and moving. There's no time for boredom. It is literally so fast that even as someone with ADHD I was sometimes overwhelmed as much as riveted. The few scenes that slowed down to simply fast movie pace felt achingly slow as a result and I bet you they were maybe 30 seconds long.

6 ) I AM. SO HYPED. FOR THE ENDING AND THE SEQUEL IT SETS UP? The perfect dark mirror story, not rushed but simply introduced so we can see that the final boss for Miles is himself. Unless they subvert that expectation, which they might! But it is so ominous to see Prowler Miles, it makes so much sense, it is perfect and deep and rich. Literally every time you think, "Maybe they'll rehash old material?" they don't they just keep introducing cool new characters and concepts and themes it's mindblowing.

7 ) They never leave you with one thread. Miles is going to face himself and fight to save his dad from the Spot and fight Miguel, presumably, in the next one. No single line only does one thing. No frame does one thing. And yet everything ties back to the core story of Miles and the Spider-People both on the Watsonian and Doylist level. I want to study every frame under a microscope. It's insane.

8 ) THE ART IT'S JUST. I'm not an artist so I'll leave it at this but THE ART.

9 ) I love Pavitr and Hobie. So much. I gasped when we saw Pavitr's world.

10 ) The Spot's animation was insane just insane and I think he's foreshadowed in the ITSV and it blew my mind on the re-watch.

I need to see it again. I could talk about any single element for hours. But I just can't stop thinking about the mastery embodied in this film. I know a sequel to a superhero movie that's animated will never win Best Picture but I do not exaggerate when I say that in itself might be an indictment of Best Picture. This film deserves Best Picture. It is the best movie I've seen in an unfathomably long time including ITSV.

#spider-man across the spider-verse #atsv spoilers #atsv #itsv #spider-man #spiderverse

[adobe-outdesign]

what are your thoughts on through dwebble line? been one of my favorites since first getting into Pokémon!

I don't know how GameFreak managed to make a hermit crab so cute, but they did it. The body reads well but is super simple, and the all-black eyes have a neat shape to them; kind of being cylindrical with the black part of the eye taking up the top. It's just very pleasing to look at.

The main focus of the design, the rock "shell", is also well done; it's obvious as a visual focus and the orange and brown go very well together. It makes for a nice little twist on the usual hermit crab shell while still feeling like an organic and natural element for an animal to utilize. I especially like this detail about them forming a mutualistic relationship with Hippowdon:

The only thing I find questionable about this line is the Bug/Rock typing, as hermit crabs aren't insects at all. Part of me does wonder if these guys are even crabs though, as they seem to have tails and very un-hermit crab-like bodies without their shells:

And thankfully Crustle, while less cute, keeps all the good elements of Dwebble while expanding upon the rock-shell theme. The colors once again look great, expanding into a yellow-brown-brownish red palette that feels very natural with the earth tones they were going for. The body gains a little more detail but still doesn't feel overly busy, and the striations in the rock help break up the large object and draw the colors through it nicely. No complaints here.

The only other note I have about these guys is that they apparently started out as having pottery shells (note: artwork shown in Tweet is fanart and not reflective of any actual beta design):

While I think that going with the rock idea worked out really well, I can't help but want a regional variant that harkens back to the original pottery idea; maybe they live exclusively in ruins, and have bug/ground typing to reflect the clay pots they've moved into.

Regardless, this is a pretty perfect line. The colors are pleasant, the theme is obvious, the evolution feels meaningful and suitably different from the pre-evo, and there's some nice biological aspects tossed in there as well. I'm a big fan.

#dwebble #crustle #pokemon #pokemon reviews #.gif

[dragon-with-a-ink-quill]

PDA: New data acquired, Levia-Sun

(File name changed) " Sun"-"Sunny"

Leviathan-Class [REDACTED], Male, Adult

[not hostile unless threatened]

The "Rays" around [Sun]s head are actually "basking organs" used to absorb sunlight he floats vertically with them fully outstretched due to his size there are no creatures that would bother him during this time.

His "face" is only for show except for his eyes which are real. his head opens more like a clam shell or a venus fly trap.

Despite the initial appearance of his eyes he is not blind, he has secondary eyelids that prevents him from going blind during sun basking.

His irises show up when on deeper water such as the lava zone which he migrates from to the surface every two days to collect sunlight.

He uses the collected sunlight to regulate his body temp between zones and to cook his pray.

This is a mutation unique only to [Sun] as [Moon] dose not display the same behavior and even shows repulsion at this action.

[Sun] and [Moon] are the only [REDACTED] level of Leviathan. But corrupted alien data has potential evidence of a "Cross" class of Leviathan still out there [More data required]

Log Entry (User ID: Y/N)- when scanning the back of suns head I found foreign material identified as "alien" in origin making up 87% of his brains make up...I knew they where smart but I never would have guessed at computer level smart. Just what are they really? :End Log

New Mission Acquired [Collect Further Data]

UPDATE HE GOTS COLOR NOW, LOVE YOU ALL!

PDA: New Data acquired, Moon-umental

(File name changed) "Moon"

Leviathan class [REDACTED], Male, Adult

[Aggressive] - (File Altered) -[trust problems]

[Moon] has a bioluminescent light at the end of his "night cap" the light itself resembles a starfish in structure.

The "night cap" is like the head of a giant squid but extended. ([Moon] can move the end of his "Night cap" like a tentacle).

[Moon] also has an advanced camouflage ability like that if the mimic octopus on Earth. despite his large size he can blend in to any environment within seconds, he can even maintain camouflage when in motion.

Despite the many abilities [Moon] posseses pointing to him being a ambush predator, his hunting style is more activity aggressive mainly hunting other leviathan class creatures and predators.

Log Entry (User ID: Y/N)- [Moon] won't hunt Reefbacks despite them being the perfect pray animal. He will hunt Crab squids "rather violently" though.

Unlike [Sun]s migration patterns [Moon] drifts between any biome he likes, mainly frequenting the darker biomes as his eyes can only handle so much light.

[Moon]s Eyes are like that of a cat's when it comes to light reflection. In the dark they take on a red shine, but when in sunlight they are completely black lacking any shine or reflection to them.

Other than these traits he is much like as his brother physically, like the clam like structure of there face and the tech that makes up their brain matter.

Log Entry (User ID: Y/N)- After around 4 weeks of observing [Moon] and [Sun] I realized that they don't communicate vocally to one another even if they click and warble when trying to communicate to me.

I assumed it had something to do with the way their head appendages move and emote but after awhile I learned that it has more to do with the tech in their brains as my PDA kept picking up odd signals when they where near.

I wonder if I could learn to decode it enough to hold a real conversation with them?

[End Log]

#fnaf daycare attendant #fnaf security breach #fnaf sun #dragon with a ink quill #my art #Sundrop #Levia-Sun #subnautica #AU #dragon-with-a-ink-quill

[lokabrenna-writes]

More Soukoku Headcanons Because I Still Need Healing After Chapter 109 (The Anime Somehow Managed To Make It Worse???)

Fluff Edition

Dazai has a deep-seated hatred for Mickey Mouse. Is it his voice? His personality? Nobody but Dazai knows.

One time the duo were sent on an “important mission” that turned out to be babysitting Elise for a few hours. There wasn't much to do considering they were under clear instructions not to leave headquarters since they may or may not have lost Elise last time. So, they decided to put on a movie. Elise looked at Chuuya, then at Dazai, then back at Chuuya before telling Dazai to put on Brave. Chuuya lost count of how many times he had to say “yes, I’m sure I’m not Scottish” and “no, I don’t straighten my hair. It’s wavy, not curly” and “shut up, Dazai! I don’t look like Merida’s little brothers!”

Chuuya has tried multiple times to convince Dazai that a dog would be the perfect addition to Soukoku. It never worked.

One time Dazai got cold that was much more intense than it should’ve been since he didn’t rest properly in the earlier stages. He didn’t feel like doing anything including taking any medication. He just wanted to sleep and for Chuuya to stop waking him up to tell him to eat or take his medicine. Chuuya could not get Dazai to say anything to him rather than hum in agreement or huff in disagreement. Finally, Chuuya asked if Dazai wanted anything to which Dazai finally gave a verbal answer: bleach. Without saying another word Chuuya went into the kitchen, grabbed a disposable cup, and poured the proper amount of medicine into said cup. If Dazai wouldn’t take the medication on his own, Chuuya would just have to get creative. He took the cup to Dazai and when he received a raised eyebrow he responded with “you said you wanted bleach, so here.” Dazai later complained that the ‘bleach’ Chuuya gave him tasted suspiciously like bubblegum cough syrup.

They've both been banned from nearly every social media platform either by Mori, Kouyou, Fukuzawa, Kunikida, or the platform itself because of the cancellation threads they post of each other.

Chuuya refuses to watch anything with Dazai after they watched The Promised Neverland together. Dazai had watched enough clips prior to figure out the plot and some major plot twists, then told Chuuya about how he had found them something happy to watch. They binge-watched all of the first season in one night and Dazai got a kick out of watching Chuuya react. Chuuya denies to this day that he cried multiple times, but Dazai remembers. Dazai has video proof.

Dazai once convinced Chuuya that his room was haunted by a cat and that he had to leave crab dishes on the counter so he wouldn't wake up to everything having been moved to the top shelf again. When questioned on how a cat would be able to move all of his appliances to the top shelf, Dazai said it was important not to question the powers of a vengeful ghost. Chuuya discovered this was just another scheme to get more crab after he caught Dazai sneaking in on the third night to eat the crab dish.

Dazai covers Chuuya’s eyes when the ‘Help Dogs in Need’ commercials or adds come on. He has no choice. Last time Chuuya saw one of those commercials he was a wreck for days and Dazai had to hide his card to keep him from giving all of his money to the organization. Dazai also had to hide his own card incase Chuuya gave up looking for his.

If Dazai ever sees any of the old Sheep members, he glares at them. Doesn’t matter where he is, he will stop and glare. Doesn’t matter who he is with either, poor Atsushi was very confused when his mentor stopped mid-sentence to glare at someone who was just trying to cross the street (they ended up turning around). The only difference is if Chuuya is the one with him. He’ll glare like usual, but if Chuuya notices and attempts to look at what has caught his attention, Dazai will flick the back of Chuuya’s hat so it blocks his vision and say something like “Oh no, the wind is picking up! Better get to *insert wherever they’re going* quickly before Chuuya blows away because he’s so short!” And he’ll pull Chuuya along, twirling them both around because he has to show off that he still has Chuuya and the Sheep could never stand a chance. Chuuya doesn’t resist, but will always respond with something like “It’s not even windy! And what does my height have to do with anything?!” Yes, Dazai knows it’s petty, but that’s part of the fun. Besides, he’s been doing this ever since he was 15, why stop now?

I also want to add that while Dazai was in the Port Mafia, Akutagawa took note of all the people (aka sheep members) Dazai was glaring at and began to follow his example. Akutagawa has no clue why Dazai glares at them, but he does not question it. If Dazai glares, then so will Akutagawa.

#I’m not ready for tomorrow’s episode #it’s not even funny #i’m so scared #soukoku #bsd headcanons #bungou stray dogs #bsd skk #skk headcanons #soukoku headcanons #correction: todays episode #i meant to post this yesterday #oops

[dathomirdumpsterfire]

who's ready for more king of the dragonfish??? 🔥

Want to be on the tag list? Have an idea for next chapter? Clicked the wrong option? Reblog or Comment! New? Start 👇🏽here to catch up. Chapter 3 is down below the cut.

@obimaulartfire @savageopressbignaturals

(Art by Obimaulartfire! Check out the full cut on their blog, or at the end of chapter 1.)

-Chapter Three-

Maul cackles when the jedi goes limp in his hold. Weak. Defeated. Submissive. Oh, what a beautiful thing it is!

He dumps the other man onto his ass and retreats to the water's edge, nearly euphoric. "Enjoy your prison, Kenobi. I hope you find it very comfortable."

Blue eyes glare at him from the floor, but it only delights him further. Maul rolls backwards on slippery black scales, and disappears into the water.

It is time to let the jedi stew in his dwindling hope. Maul intends to find ways to give it back to him... and take it... and give it... and take it. The perfect game, endless amusement until he decides it is time to break the jedi for good.

He swims gracefully through the cave system, almost dancing through the water in his delight. Maul heads for open seas and the room to move. There is a geyser field not far off, with luminous magma flows on the sea floor which make for warm currents and good hunting. The perfect place to plan his next move.

Kenobi, Kenobi, Kenobi… how to keep a Kenobi? To keep him bloody, barely mobile? To keep him starved, begging for food? To keep him... or to kill him?

Oh, ohhhh, how good it would feel to plunge his claws into the jedi's guts, to tear his liver from him and eat it while he watches, hopeless and dying. The very idea is enough to give Maul the chills.

But only… only once. He can only kill Kenobi once.

It would not do to rush the finale, he thinks. Killing him too quickly would only rob Maul of his due, and spare him the full spread of his just desserts.

The dragonfish sith rides the thermals of the magma field, and tries to focus through his own crazed glee enough to plan. Enough to think through logistics.

How best to keep a Kenobi?

First, containment.

The caves were his home, winding tunnels with multiple air pockets, rooms as big as a cargo bay and as small as a closet. It had always been a boon that some sections went closer to the surface… but did they go too close? How far could a force user go without breathing? He isn't sure, anymore. Some knowledge from his old life is simply gone, decomposed during the process of his rebirth.

He would have to get Kenobi to admit to his own limits.

Hmmm… perhaps putting something the jedi wants into a cave not far from the empty room he was stuck in, and encouraging him to go to it? Then another thing, a little further away. He could see how much effort it took…

Yes, a test. He could design a test. That would do. Later.

What else? …food. Yes, food was important.

Maul snatches a blind eel fish from the rocks, and considers it thoughtfully before tearing it's head off with his teeth. Could Kenobi eat eel? Crab? Can jedi live off the sea as he does? Could their weak stomachs process raw fish? This knowledge is also missing, and what personal references he has to compare it with are spoiled by dint of his original species. Zabrak were obligate carnivores. He is still an obligate carnivore. Unhelpful.

But would a hungry jedi admit what he wanted to eat? Maul could even frame it as a kindness, to keep him off base. Room service in prison, what luxury!

He rolls over in the water, laughing silent bubbles that catch the green glow of his eyes and scatter it. The light attracts a school of small, clear fish. He plucks one from the stream of them and pops it in his mouth like an hors d'oeuvre.

What else, what else…

Containment, nourishment… hm. Maul struggles to think of what else a prisoner might need to survive. Perhaps more will come to him later? He will think on it again. In the meantime, he will go back to Kenobi. Watch him, and see if he tries to escape, to wander, or to get into Maul's private cave. There are weapons there, and he will not be allowed such things.

With sufficient plans for the time being, the dragonfish sith returns, drifting into the water of the prison cave slowly, stealthily. He rises up in a shadowy corner so that only his eyes and ears are above the water line.

The jedi is still there. He is pacing, holding a wristcomm up to his mouth and speaking into it.

"This is jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi. If anyone hears this message, please contact the temple on Coruscant and inform them that I am trapped underwater in a cave system off the coast of Theed. Tell them Darth Maul lives. You will be rewarded for the effort. Please."

Kenobi draws in a breath, turns to take another lap of the space, and begins again. "This is jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi…"

Maul covers his mouth with a hand, holding in the snickering that wants to escape and give his position away.

Oh how fun! The fool thinks a little wristcomm has enough signal strength to be heard through leagues of water and stone. Grinning, he sits and watches the other man uselessly call for help, making bets with himself on how long the hope would linger in those blue eyes, how many repetitions it would be before Kenobi gave up begging to empty ocean.

He gets to seventy four repeats before the jedi sits down on a rock, elbows on his knees. One hand holds up his forehead, while the other bears up the comm device to his mouth. At a hundred and sixteen loops his voice trails off, scratchy, and then he falls silent.

Maul slides through the water, going down and under, then coming back up in a pool close to the jedi's left side. He puts effort into stealth, setting his arms on the shore and putting his chin down on them.

There, he waits to be noticed.

Minutes tick by in a pleasant daze. Kenobi sits before him, bent and broken, hope for rescue leaking from him like a cracked glass. Maul watches the man, tail swishing in the water, and thinks he could do this for years. Just sit, and bear witness to Kenobi's growing misery.

The jedi coughs. The dragonfish sith frowns.

Kenobi coughs again, dragging a hand down his pale face.

He is falling ill? Already? Maul scowls ferociously. He is weak! Already he is dying? No! No!

The jedi can only die when he allows it, and not before!

His tail slaps the water in agitation, and they both freeze. The sith quickly wipes all expression from his face, relaxing back onto his forearms as Kenobi turns to look at him.

"Back again, I see," the man says grimly. "Come to kill me?"

Maul grins at him, ever cheered by the idea. The man looks at his mouth and grimaces, seemingly put off by all his excellent teeth.

"Did your allies not return your calls, jedi? What a shame... perhaps they do not want you anymore?" he says, in the tone of a sympathetic confidant. "Do not fret, I will keep you."

"Or you could not," the man suggests dryly. "What worth could I possibly have to you, except for dead?"

Maul laughs at his naivete. "Tell me Kenobi, what do you eat?"

The jedi turns on his rock to face Maul. "Are you taking special requests? Because I would trade my shirt for a shadwa club sandwich right now."

The sith snorts, "Think seafood, imbecile."

Kenobi looks at him, really looks at him, and Maul finds himself compelled to roll his tail, showing off the translucent blue fins and the pretty dots that line him.

He blinks, confused as to where that inclination had come from.

"You're intending to keep me alive then?" the jedi asks.

Maul refocuses, his grin returning as he drags himself up out of the water. He gathers the length of himself beneath his torso and sways closer. "Yesss, jedi. You are here to suffer. You may only know the privilege of death when I am satisfied with my revenge."

Kenobi looks up at him from under long, damp eyelashes, assessing. "I truly doubt you can keep me alive, sith. This cave of yours will run out of oxygen sooner rather than later. I'm already burning through energy trying to stay warm, because everything is wet and freezing cold. I am actively healing myself to handle the pressure acclimation, and I cannot continue for long without a place to rest that won't simply result in hypothermia. Besides, what am I to drink? Saltwater? Hah."

Maul leans back on his tail, brow furrowing.

The jedi stands to meet him, crossing his arms. "I'll be dead in hours at worst, days at best, so you had better decide between watching me asphyxiate, killing me yourself, or letting me go before it happens."

Maul gnashes his teeth in agitation, clawing at the force for answers. No. No! Hours? His revenge cannot end in hours! He has dreamed of it for years!

"Well?" Kenobi asks, droll, "What's it going to be, hmm? Murder or mercy?"

He hisses, "Shut up! I am thinking."

The jedi simply watches him, calm, leaning back on one hip.

Maul flexes his hands, clawed fingers clenching and unclenching. "You will not run out of air. It is always fresh here. Cold… cold. Water. Wetness. Cold. Water." He mutters to himself, thinking of solutions, then raises his chin. "What is most fatal to you, jedi? Which of these threats would steal you away from me first?"

Kenobi looks away, and for a moment it seems as if he's considering the consequences of silence… but then those blue eyes come back around. "The cold. I need to warm up, or my heart will give out."

The dragonfish sith mentally chews on that. He seems warm, to himself, but what temperature is that? Hm. The only thing also warm to him down here are the magma flows… but perhaps their gift could be borrowed?

"I will return," he says, and flips himself back into the water.

Maul swims out to the same field, sinking down and hunting until he finds a brightly lit geyser. The small mountain glows luminous and orange at the core, so hot that even the frigid seawater cannot temper it.

Cautiously, the sith reaches out with the force, pulling on a chunk of molten stone as big as he is. The magma is slippery and uncooperative, but he is determined and far more powerful than mere rock. He pulls a ball of it up and out of the geyser, pushing it through the water and away from the mount by the force.

As it rises the edges cool, becoming a black shell that belies the burning within. Once it is raised high he approaches, finding that it is too hot to touch, but pleasant to be near. Perfect.

Very pleased with himself, Maul swims back to the caves, fighting with the ball to get it through the winding corridor. At one point he has to set the black shell down and batter at an outcropping to make way. When approaching Kenobi's cave, he must also take care to keep the rock from touching the plants and burning their air-giving leaves and light shedding mosses.

He rises from the water perhaps half an hour after leaving. The jedi is in one corner, looking miserable and damp.

What a delightful thing to return to.

Maul drags the magma ball up into the room with the force, where it takes up space at the center. After a moment, steam begins to waft off the surface.

"What in the blazes is that?" asks the jedi, rising to his feet.

Maul points at it, preening, "Warm."

#chat writes the plot #the live feature we actually wanted #star wars #darth maul #sith #dathomir #maul opress #zabrak #nightbrothers #obi wan kenobi #obimaul #obiwan kenobi #Obi-Wan #obiwan #king of the dragonfish #flash fiction #naboo #monster!maul #jedi

[leonstamatis]

[ID: Two banners with gold and white text on a black background. The first has splashes of gold on the corners and three bases across the top. It says: “Blaseball: The Coronation Era: Mini Siesta Reading Challenge.”

The second banner has the same accents, slightly smaller. It has a checklist and says:

“Team Fic Exchanges: Read / Comment on at least one fic from each exchange. Baltimore Crabs; Boston Flowers; Chicago Firefighters; Hellmouth Sunbeams 2021; Hellmouth Sunbeams 2022; Seattle Garages; Tokyo Lift; Bonus: Rolling Remix; Bonus: Zine Jam” /End ID]

Well, folks! We’ve got a siesta! Which means now is the perfect time to catch up on some of the things you might have missed during the last month of active play -- or even the last year.

During the Grandito Siesta, a number of creators organized and participated in team-wide fic and art exchanges. These were hotbeds of creativity and collaboration, and there’s a lot of insight into players, worldbuilding and fanmade lore.

I’ve put together a checklist of some of them, in the hopes folks might read along as we wait for Blaseball to return (again). Even if you were there the first time, why not come back to an old favorite and show some love again?

Links to every collection (and some additional places to poke around!) are below the cut.

Baltimore: The City That Fics

Boston Flowers Fic Exchange

Wow! A (Chicago Firefighters) Fanfic exChange!

Hellmouth Sunbeams Summer Solstice Art Exchange (2021)

(Hellmouth Sunbeams) Solstice Art Exchange 2022

Parking It! A Seattle Garages Fanfic Exchange 2022

Tokyo Lift Fic Exchange

Blaseball Zine Jam (AO3) / Blaseball Zine Jam (Itch.io)

Chicago Firefighters Present: Blaseball Rolling Remix 2022

Beyond team-wide fic exchanges and fandom events, plenty of teams have their own collections to gather fic in one handy place. There are also a few small friendly exchanges between private servers, and some individual writers have put together primers of some of their favorite work. You can browse every Blaseball collection on AO3 here.

This is all very AO3-based, so I’m also going to throw out there that there are plenty of people creating art on Tumblr, Twitter and in Discord. Please show them some love, too! <3

#blaseball #blaseball reading challenges #blaseball mini siesta #if people like this one i can put more together on like a weekly basis idk #like i figure the team exchanges are a good place to start but i know there's a lot more going on #so like. if you have other ideas on how people can find works lmk lol #dropping a new checklist next week like 'have you read the lofi collective's works. have you. here are our links.' (i will not do this)

[sidhewrites]

Some fun animal facts i want to share with everyone, since I've been info-dumping to strangers all day

Some single-cell bacteria can "see"! They don't have eyes in the sense that they can see shape and form, but they use their rounded membranes like a lens to focus incoming light and allow them to react to the light levels by moving towards or away from it based on their needs.

Horseshoe crabs, jellyfish, and sharks are all older than saturn's rings! Though we aren't 100% sure how old the rings are, it's thought that they're less than 400 million years old, with many scientists thinking they're only 100-200 million years old. Meanwhile, horseshoe crabs, jellyfish, and sharks are all well over that number, with horseshoe crabs as the "youngest" species at only about 445 million years old!

The sex of many reptiles is determined by the temperature of their egg, rather than genetics. Though the individual babies are genetically identical, certain genes are "turned on or off" at certain temperatures during the embryonic development, changing the hormones and anatomical structures that develop.

Moss (isn't an animal, but i'm getting there) is a primitive/simple plant that can come in a variety of structures. Some have leaves and stems, while others are even simpler than that. These tiny forests provide the perfect biome for a massive variety of microbes, lending them the moniker the coral reef of the forest. There are even old growth moss forests, with thousands or millions of tiny animals living inside a patch of green on a rock.

Speaking of coral, it's an animal! Coral is what we call a colonial species, with one structure made up of hundreds or thousands of identical organisms known as polyps. Most coral have a symbiotic relationship with an algae that grows inside their structure, receiving nutrients and food in exchange for providing a place to live.

While coral is stuck in place, Sea Anemones can swim! Though they prefer to spend their lives sitting in one spot, this can be trouble when a predator gets too close, or the environment becomes dangerous. When this happens, the anemone will detach from its spot and wiggle away. Watch it move at the youtube video linked here.

Finally, not a lot of people know the difference between a sea lion and a seal, but it's actually very easy! A sea lion can push itself upright using its front flippers and has ear flaps, while a seal is used by official bodies such as governments or notaries to enact a legal document, or legitimize a document's authenticity.

#science side of tumblr #animal facts #text post #i love animals my dudes. theyre so cool #infodump

[ghost-mantis]

The Barraki were cool underwater themed villains, but the sea creatures they were based on were too generic and uncreative. Let’s headcanon a different team lineup!

Stonefish

Ugly as sin, an ambush predator, and toxic spines. Look at that face and tell me it’s not villain material?

Horseshoe Crab

Natures’ perfect animal, eternal and unchanging. Unstoppable in the face of mass extinctions, predators, and time. The Toa are doomed!

Jellyfish

Also unstoppable, immune to mental attacks, and with lots of sting! A possible stand-in for the energy-draining squids. Arguably being shot at with jellyfish is more terrifying than being shot at with small squid.

Angler Fish

The perfect monster for an abyssal underwater prison. Lure in victims with light just to maul/eat them. Nightmare fuel made manifest, with teeth only Satan's dentist could love.

Sea Cucumber

Horrify and repel the good guys by vomiting your organs up at them! Hide yourself between battles by looking like a weird rock or some sea turd.

Deep Sea Snail

Crushing pressure and boiling temperatures are no issue. Fully armored and ready for whatever the good guys can throw at it. Would carry the entire team to victory if only it weren't so slow.

What would your proposed alternate Barraki team be?

#bionicle #barraki #silly headcanons

[marinerainbow]

//O M G so I love your eel ideas and now I have to tell you mine.

Smartass: California Moray (Gymnathorax mordax) because they're brown, toothy, have goldish brown eyes and while its rare they have attacked humans and left puncture wounds. They have a pharyngeal jaw, which is an extra set of jaws that come out from the back of their head to drag prey to their throat. They also enter symbiotic relationships with shrimp and that works with Smartass' "you scratch my back, maybe I'll scratch yours" mentality. He's patient and intelligent if not slightly viscious.

Greasy: Green Moray (Gymnothorax funebris) Like Smartass he also has a pharyngeal jaw but is freakier and creepier with it. He is a cooperative hunter and will often follow anyone who is slightly better at it than him so he can have his share of the spoils. His goal is to mate as much as possible and have loads of his little descendents swimming the seas. Only problem is no female moray will choose him. But like most morays, he will wait until game comes to him. POV: You're a female moray minding her own business and this guy tries to charm you.

Wheezy: Wolf Eel (Anarrhichtys ocellatus) While not technically an eel (though don't bring this up to him he'll snap your fingers off) he's a valued asset because of his formiddable jaw. He's incredibly patient and a sharp shooter with his tail, curling into an S shape for his attack. Wolf eels are actually very curious and good at hiding. They also make good parents and mate for life. They are hunters from Day 1. Also as they age they turn browner or olive green and their pattern is somewhat smokey.

Psycho: Shortfinned cutthroat eel (Synaphobranchus brevidorsalis) they're long bottom feeders and efficient hunters who love their food and will also eat dead matter. At first I was going to make him an electric eel because his weasel version probably had electro-shock treatment but then I remembered they're freshwater so he wouldn't be able to live in the sea but the cutthroat species communicate through electrical organ discharges. Also the name was just perfect. Alternatively he could be a conger eel because they're adorable but toothy!

Stupid: I'm going to agree with you and say Spotted Moray (Gymnothorax moringa) I was originally going to go with a larger conger variety but if we go by the headcanon that Smartass and he are "brothers" they should look a bit similar. Especially the ones that have kind of that goofy look on their face. They are active during the day, are usually solitary and shy and like to eat crabs. Stupid's jaw at the back is worn out a bit from being too overexcited when grabbing crustaceans. Keeping them is imoractical due to their size. Look at this unit!

Just gonna put this ask here, so anybody who reads this will see what you mean right away ^^ and don't worry about it!

I absolutely love all of these options! I gotta agree with them ^^ And I got to learn some new species too. I'm very intrigued by the wolf eel ^^

Ngl my favorite is Greasy. Just- ok let's analyze this real quick. Among animals, while the other males are duking it out trying to woo the females, a weaker but smarter male will find a way to sneak past them. And the female is so into it!! Here, it sounds like Greasy is indeed the more intelligent bachelor among Moray Eels. At least the most clever. But Greasy is such a creepy dick that the girls still pass him up! They pass up the chance of their descendants knowing how to survive because Greasy can't keep it in his pants! Greasy blocks himself! 🤣🤣

Also, that picture is just sending me. Imagining that eel as Greasy. And just... It looks so cute! Even though it looks like it's rearing to attack the cameraman XD @slashingdisneypasta would you be able to resist that face on Eel!Greasy? XD

#asks #fish AU #Mermaid AU #eels #animals #fish #marine #wfrr #Toon Patrol #Smartass Weasel #Stupid Weasel #Greasy Weasel #Wheezy Weasel #Psycho Weasel #who framed roger rabbit #disney #disney villains

[pbandjesse]

The coughing continues. Thankfully I was able to sleep easier but the Mucinex I took made me wake up with gummy eye balls and it was terrifying and horrible. And every time I moved I would start coughing again anyway. So was it worth waking up with very gummy and very red eyes? No. But at least I got some sleep.

James left for work long before I got up. I had planned on sleeping until 930 but my coughing woke me up around 830. And after washing the junk from my eyes I would just lay in bed and scroll on my phone until I couldnt take the coughing anymore. The coughing is a lot worse when I'm laying down.

I got up and got dressed. I took my time trying to make myself feel better. Even wore the new sparkling eyeliner stick I got. And it helped. I felt a lot better even if it wasn't perfect.

I made an omelette for breakfast. I think the pan was maybe to hot because the eggs did not spread. But I put cheese in it and had Sriracha mayo and avocado with itbsnd it was honestly great.

I would do a little more organizing. Pulled all my materials for my workshop. And went to take the box to the car.

I could not have chosen a better time so do this. As I was walking to the car a neighbor I hadn't met was walking there dog. Around me and James's age. And then another. Neighbor came out and these to neighbors started talking and as I walked back they introduced themselves. They had also just met.

The first neighbor is Ryan and his dog I believe is named Lenny or Lemmy. Unsure. But he seems great and lives right across from our house with a partner. The other neighbor is Sean (guessing at the spelling), and he is Victoria's boyfriend! And he let us know that she's pregnant! Ah! And due soon! I guess I just through her winter coat was big!

I ended up standing outside with these guys for a half hour talking and it was just awesome. What nice people. I got to learn some stuff about characters in the neighborhood and their back stories. Ryan has an art and music teaching background but works in content creation for an AR company now, and Sean, who I didn't catch what he does, but his mom was an art conservator for the national gallery! Incredible.

I'm literally pleased how nice everyone has been. I hope that trend continues.

I headed back inside and grabbed a few things and then I was off to my workshop. I was nervous! But the nerves were not needed.

Because almost no one showed up. I don't know why this program seems to have this problem. People sign up! But they don't follow through. But it wasn't completely a no show.

I best Michael there. But waited by the door sitting in my wagon with all my materials. And he brought his dog! A mini Australian shepherd named Quin. Who was a bundle of energy but was so lovely.

The space we were working in was very very hot. But it it was fine. It would cool down. Me and Michael covered the tables with trashcan and I set everything up.

And then my one family came. They had come to my workshops before, and I specifically remember the dad from the Lego printmaking class because he made a helicopter. And they were really sweet.

We started at 1230 and I talked about the flamingo, the history of plastics, and how those things relate. Especially through plastic flamingos and acrylic paint. We went through the steps for drawing it out and encouraged them to make changes from my original example.

Michael would do a painting to. Though he left his half finished so his girlfriend could do the other half which I thought was sweet. But I'm besides jumping in to give some techniques and technical advice, it was mostly quiet working.

I made a new painting and I thought it was really funny seeing my simple example vs my new more textured piece. But it was even better seeing what everyone else did. The whole family all did two tones flamingos. The mom did a sunset. The dad added frogs and fish. And the daughter painted very tiny hermit crabs. It was so fun.

We finished up around 230. We cleaned up together and I after giving them my website and letting them know I would have another nat guard workshop soon! I hope they join.

I was down in Towson so I decided to go to the goodwill right there before getting a late lunch.

It was a good stop. I got this very cool corner cabinet for my table top. And it needed a little fixing but I had a vision. I had a nice conversation with the cashier and then I was off.

I went to Chipotle but the line was very long. It was like all the staff changed at the same time. But it was fine. I listened to my podcast. And once I got my food I felt a lot better.

I had plenty to save and brought that home for lunch tomorrow.

I walked to the five below and got a couple little blind bags. And some candy. And a little black romer. And then it was time to go home.

When I got back here I was a little tired.

I got changed and worked on my drawing for the day. I went and cleaned up the small room. And then James was home. I was so happy to see them.

They had been planning on playing a game with friends tonight but that got canceled so instead they would make a run to the apartment. Get my mirrors and and few other things.

And while they were gone I worked on creating a rainbow on the small rooms window out of cellophane. Which took a while to cut out but I'm really pleased with it and it even casts a beautiful rainbow on the wall from the alley lights.

James came back and brought Sweetp to the bedroom so they could unload the car. And then we would work on fixing the curtains that didn't go well yesterday. And they look so much better. We swapped the swing out rods for a regular rod and that seems like the better move for now. The swing outs may be used in our bedroom but we will see what happens.

While James was hanging the curtain I worked on putting fake stained glass on the corner cabinet I got. I also added a little handle where it's had gone missing. And I put that on my desk and it's perfect.

I would work on hanging s few of the mirrors. I had to ask James for help with holding my very heavy shield one, and because the ceilings are lower I had to move the other things in the wall but it's fine. I am really pleased with how it's coming to there. I also hung a mirror on the back of the bathroom door and I absolutely love how it looks.

I would order another bath mat for the bathroom. And text me my mom. And eventually I went to take a bath.

It was a lot harder to get the water to be warm enough but I struggled through and washed my hair and while it was unpleasant at least I was clean.

James gave me an early birthday gift after my shower. An absolutely giant frog plush and a pin of the Maryland Pennsylvania railroad pin. So sweet. I love them. Both the gifts and my husband.

We are laying in bed and watching a scary video. And I feel happy. Tired, sick of coughing, but happy. And I have two days to rest and do moving things and what ever else. I hope I can just keep feeling better.

I love you all. Goodnight everyone.

[danpuff-ao3]

HP Astro #6: Regulus Black

Oh joy! Regulus is my first blank slate character to build and explore. No known birthday, place, or time.

Some time ago, I rolled my astrology dice, which placed him at Cancer Sun, Virgo Moon, and I'm rather attached to the idea! I see many of the Blacks as being water signs. So I needed to find when during Cancer season the moon was in Virgo in 1961 (my year of choice.)

Sadly, I forgot the original rising sign I'd rolled, and didn't have access to my dice when pulling this chart. I had a few signs in mind, so I input a random time with the idea of working towards one of them. Only the first time I input gave me Leo rising, which I initially shied away from.

Until I remembered: Regulus is a star in the Leo constellation.

So then I was sold.

As a Leo Rising, Regulus is magnetic. He shines. The rest of his chart implies a more reserved demeanor, but however quiet he may be, there is just something about Regulus that draws people in. Our ascendant is what people see, and how we react to our environment. In Leo, this tells of drama and regality.

Regulus, meaning "little king"; the lion, king of the jungle; Regulus, a star in Leo.

Life is a stage for Leo Risings; for Regulus, he is the star of a great tragedy. The spare of the Black family. Sirius, the rebel, was heir. The focus of his parents' attention as firstborn, then as the troublemaker. Leo is warmth, generosity, idealism, and honor. These lovely traits aimed to make the Black family proud. And however much he shined, he had his brother's shadow to contend with.

Regulus was good. He was Sorted into Slytherin, as was right. He joined the Quidditch team. Best of all, he took the great step towards the Dark Lord, and made his parents proud. Leo idealism, and bravery...that would ultimately be his doom.

A tragic hero, remember?

But there's more to his story than that, and more to Regulus himself.

Leo Rising marks the Sun as chart ruler. The Sun: self, ego, core. What makes Regulus himself is all the more prominent with Leo Rising, and it tells us that Regulus is very honest in a way. What you see with Regulus, is what you get.

Regulus' sun is in the Eleventh House: the House of Friendship. This is the place for organizations, and humanitarianism. Say what you will about the Dark Lord's cause, it was a cause, and it was one Regulus wholeheartedly believed in. The Death Eaters were a group, a place of belonging. That's what motivated Regulus. Belonging, contributing.

His sun is in Cancer: comfort, home, family. Sensitive and protective. The crab's hard outer shell an armor for its soft heart. There is a need to guard themselves, and those they love. Regulus has family pride in spades; it is the core of who he is. The family he was born into (the Blacks), and the family he chose (the Death Eaters.) He is sentimental; a care for family heirlooms, photo albums, the family estate. Also letters from friends, tickets from his first Quidditch game. Regulus is reserved, though; secretive. The best defense is to hide one's soft spots.

It is telling, to me, that Regulus has the two luminaries so prominent in his chart. Leo, ruled by the Sun; Cancer, ruled by the Moon. Sun as the chart ruler, in Cancer. The moon in a loose conjunction with his ascendant. The bright warmth of the sun, the soothing coolness of the moon.

So where is the moon? The First House: the House of Self. Moon represents mother; this indicates Walburga likely had a big influence in Regulus' life. With Cancer Sun and First House Moon, I can imagine Regulus adored his mother more than anyone. Perhaps she doted on him; perhaps she used his love for her benefit.

The prominence of lunar energy also indicates moodiness, exacerbated, I imagine, by the Leonine dramatics. But his moon is a Virgo Moon: order, perfection, service. Peace is found in routine. Fulfillment found in his usefulness. He is loyal to a fault, and hardworking; willing to go the mile for the benefit of others.

He is critical, he has high standards, he's a perfectionist. Emotions are examined through an analytical lens. He is wary; reserved with his emotions. The lunar energy makes him nurturing, but is channeled through Virgo's fussiness; it brings to mind a mother hen type figure.

The relationship between his Big Three (sun, moon, and rising) is unmistakable. Ascendant conjunct moon; sun as the chart ruler, in the sign of Cancer; moon in the first house. Regulus' sense of self is heavily influenced by intense emotions, and connection to others. Moon: nurturing, Eleventh House: collective, Leo: idealism and bravery, Cancer: family-oriented, Virgo: service. This all comes together into a person with a desire to help, and the ability to do so; the ability to connect with others on an emotional level, to intuitively see what they are dealing with.

But it's a double-edged sword. However reserved Regulus is, he can't hide from others as well as he would like to. Leo Rising means what others perceive of him, is too close to the truth, to the core of him. Conjunct moon means he wears his heart on his sleeve. Regulus gives too much away to anyone looking close enough.

It is likely the Dark Lord knew all the right things to say to reel Regulus in. And by the end, Regulus saw enough of the Dark Lord to uncover the truth. With his blinders gone, Regulus changed course; ever-determined to do what was right, to honor his beliefs, and in the aid of others.

What of the other inner planets? Mercury, Venus, and Mars?

Mercury, planet of information, colored by Cancer. Thoughtful, and sensitive, in communicating with others, but can also tend towards defensiveness. An interest in family history. Is more motivated to learn when he is emotionally attached to the subject. In the Eleventh House; Regulus has a way of dealing with others, and appealing to their emotions. And he thrives in this social interaction.

Venus, planet of relationships, in Gemini; he's a social butterfly. He enjoys interacting with others (air, social), and experiencing new things (mutable, change.) Regulus is curious about others. He is charming and dynamic, which draws others to him. But what draws Regulus to others is whether they can intellectually and socially stimulate him. In the Tenth House (House of Social Status), this shows his connections are what help him in his ambitions. It was connection to others, befriending the wrong people, that brought him to the Dark Lord's door.

Mars, planet of action and aggression, in Virgo the Perfectionist: Regulus has a plan of action for all things. He does his research. He takes his time. He is goal-oriented, and driven by his need to serve others. In the First House, this makes him direct and straightforward. Enterprising. He doesn't wait around; once he is sure of what he wants and what he is doing, he moves forward. There is an aggressive tint to the otherwise humble Virgo nature; a sort of pride in his humility.

Venus squares Mars spells stress in his romantic and sexual life. It also screams passion, even infatuation; perhaps a tumultuous love affair. Remember: life is a stage (Leo rising); Regulus is consumed by the drama of it. Overtaken by the emotion. This can be channeled into creative pursuits.

Which leads to an even more interesting point, to me: Regulus is very creative. Venus square Mars, Leo Rising -- the height of passion and drama. Neptune (planet of dreams and inspiration) in the Third House (House of Communication, Learning, Intellect), points to creative pursuits, likely in speech or writing. The influence of the moon and Cancer, giving an intense and emotional lean. Taking into account his reserved nature, he probably feels a need to express himself safely, such as in art. Perhaps his creative pursuits help him hide more; the excess purged into another form, for safekeeping.

Maybe there is a journal somewhere, chronicling the life as Black family spare, the politicking of his peers, a great love affair, his grand cause, uncovering an awful truth, and his plans of betrayal. Maybe someone will find it one day, long after his death, and learn who Regulus Black really was.

And we can look back, and imagine what Regulus might have become had he lived. It is likely he'd have joined the Order, in a need to belong to a group, his need for a cause, his need to be of service. He would have thrown himself and all of his resources into what he needed to do. A quiet, diligent figure in Order meetings. A bold, skillful warrior on the battlefield. A passionate, curious, creative, nurturing lover.

Thank goodness for fandom: the space and ability to explore what might have been. And doesn't Regulus deserve a second chance?

See also: Astrology Introduction | Severus Snape | Harry Potter | Draco Malfoy | Sirius Black

#hp astro #regulus black #astrology #i was gonna wait until his chosen birthday to post this but i got impatient oops

[thevhagarwriter]

Grandma Violence - I.II.

[Dragons, Death and Daemon]

Chapter II - Quiet Water

Birds fled in horror and crabs retreated quickly into the sand as the gigantic beast laying on the sandy shore let out an earthstattering roar. Vhagar couldn’t help but scream, the pain of drowning for a second time, having her mind taken by the shadowy paws of unknown deities and flung back into time and space was too much for her to bear. 

Her head hurt so much, she couldn’t differentiate between up and down and left and right. The salty air stung in her eyes and mouth and the yelling of the frightened birds seemed to burst her eardrums.

She tried to stand up and to run away, but her long claws kept digging into the sand and she stumbled over her wings and tail. 

Sharp pain seared through her head as her left wing slammed against a rock, breaking it under her and making her lose her footing for good as she landed on her back. 

The world was still turning as she slowly blinked, staring at the cloudy sky, slightly unsharp and hazy due to her aged eyes. 

Vhagar took a deep breath, her enormous body rising and falling. And then another and then another and then another.

The pain in her skull faded and her ears cleared - the sensitive, thin scales covering the hidden organs twitching slightly. While her eyes weren’t the best anymore, at least her hearing and sense of smell was as sharp as ever. 

Without turning her head she deduced that she was at the east coast of Westeros. The air smelt colder and brought with it the faint scent of wet wood, human sweat and grilled fish. The west coast was usually warmer and less wind swept, therefore also having less olfactory traces. 

Still she didn’t exactly know where she was or even when she was. 

Vhagar took another deep breath and closed her eyes as she tried to clear her head. She searched at the edges of her mind, looking for the bond she shared with her human. It was like a quiet humming of bees in the back of her skull, humming songs of the humans feelings and impressions. If the human felt especially strongly, the humming turned into an outright scream - an inferno of emotion taking over her own ones, as dragon and human melted into one. 

She furrowed her scaly brows as she concentrated harder, searching like a bloodhound on the hunt. 

Where was Visenya? Her bond had felt like cool water on a day so hot it even bothered a dragon, it felt like small snowflakes landing on her snout and a thunderstorm rolling under her wings. They melted into one, drenched in the other's soul. 

Where was Baelon? His bond had felt like the first meal after a long fight, like the first salmon of the season, a piece of crispy boar burned to perfection or the rare occasion of crushing huge, juicy melons between her jaws. It felt happy, vivacious and drunk on life. 

Where was Laena? Her bond had felt like the sunrise on a spring day, like thousands of colorful flowers blooming on the field, their scent mingling with the singing of birds and the rushing of a melting river. She was like the melody of a nightingale: beautiful, elegant and welcoming. Where was Aemond? His bond had felt like the night sky after rising through the clouds. A vast expanse of darkness, illuminated by thousands of stars. Unknown, strange and dangerous. High above everyone else and shrouded in mystery, but also so familiar.  

Vhagar sighed deeply. Her mind was her own, just her own. And while that would seem ideal for most, she felt terribly lonely. Dragons weren’t solitary animals. If they didn’t bond with another human, they would at least live together with others of their kind and form a flight. Of course there were always outliers, like the Cannibal or Grey Ghost and Vhagar had believed herself to be like them. She preferred her solitude, wandering the lands on her own, hunting her own food, choosing her own sleeping place. Vhagar had always felt very uncomfortable in the dragonpit. She couldn’t properly stretch her wings, her food was always brought to her and the smells and sounds of the gigantic city overwhelmed and confused her. 

Still, sometimes she missed the companionship of those silly, little humans and her silly, little  dragon juniors. They were fun. 

Vhagar snapped out of her thoughts. She had no time to reminisce about her feelings. She had to find out what the seven hells were going on right now. 

The earth shook beneath her and Vhagar groaned in pain as she willed her feet to claw deep into the earth while she stretched her wings parallel to the ground, heaving herself back on her hindlegs. 

It took a moment for the enormous dragon to regain her balance, but when she did she stared straight at the ocean lying before her. She quickly gathered her thoughts; she was currently very big and heavy, her eyesight was beginning to blur, she was at the east coast of Westeros and most importantly, she was currently not bonded to any human. Considering her advanced age - also proven by her now mostly green scales - and unusual nesting place, Vhagar concluded that she was in the time after Baelon’s death and before Laena’s appearance and that she was currently residing in the southern Crownlands or northern Stormlands.

So the gods really sent her back in time? Or she herself did? Vhagar shrugged and her wings whirled up the sand beneath her. Did it really matter? Did she actually care? She was back before the war and this time she would change things. 

She glared at the neverending water crashing against the shore. But not here. She had definitely had enough from bathing in deep waters for a lifetime. 

—

Flying in the courtyard of Eternity had definitely been more comfortable than in the world of the living. Though she had been much smaller, Vhagar had had much more speed, agility and stamina - but the current Vhagar huffed and puffed as her old wings carried her heavy body across forests, rivers and fields. She actively avoided big villages and cities, as she hated the loud and high pitched screaming and crying of humans who weren’t accustomed to her presence. She much preferred the silence and calm of nature. Further and further she flew, to the southwest, to the border between the Stormlands and Dorne. 

Vhagar wasn’t exactly looking forward to being back in the realm of those who killed her sister, but she had to admit that the Dornish desert was ideal for her. 

For once they were warm and dry, not at all like the cold water of the God’s Eye. The area was also very empty and there would be no humans to track her movements or try to annoy her. In the rocky desert she would have the solitude and ressources to carefully plan her next steps without anyone noticing. Of course, even if they did, most humans wouldn’t be able to make any sense of her actions, but Vhagar was a careful dragon. On her shoulders rested the responsibility of her lifetime. She had to fix things, only she would be able to. No one knew what she knew, no one was as strong and powerful as she was. It was all on her now. 

And maybe she would also find the time to scare a few Dornish…

—

It took four days, but Vhagar finally found the perfect hiding spot. No, not hiding spot - base of operation was a much more fitting and refined name. 

Her new nest was a huge cave broken into the red mountains of Dorne, surrounded by steep mountains and deep canyons and therefore protected from human eyes. 

The ground of the cave was filled with soft sand and after Vhagar pushed some annoying boulders to the side and out of the opening, it looked quite spacious and comfortable. 

Not far away was a small mountain spring with cooling freshwater and for food she could hunt the many birds, scorpions and mountain goats. 

If there was one thing that the long search was good for, it was that it gave Vhagar a lot of time to think about her past and her new future. She studied her own wishes, her hopes and dreams,  from there deciding who the greatest threats to them were. 

Vhagar was able to go very far to protect those she loved and even then the next few years would be quite hard on her, testing her resolve, patience and determination. 

The dragon eyed three huge boulders lying outside her cave. After long reflections and thought experiments, Vhagar had deduced three clear cut goals. She was aware that she would have to improvise a lot of things and not achieve everything she hoped to in the way she hoped to, but these three things had to be done under any circumstance. If even one of them failed, this whole opportunity was thrown away and nothing would change at all. 

Carefully, as to not crush the heavy rocks under her sharp wing claws, she rolled the stones next to each other and regarded them. 

Stopping her breathing and focusing her dull eyes to the best of their little abilities, she, graceful as a butterfly and as precise as a falcon, carved a stylistic eye into the stone. It was a bit crooked and some fine cracks had appeared in the stone, but it would do just fine. 

Vhagars first goal was: To bond with Aemond Targaryen under any circumstances and despite any obstacles. If it meant kidnapping him from the Red Keep, if it meant fighting against his siblings’ dragons, if it meant burning the entire city to the ground, there would be nothing separating them. It wasn’t just that she loved that little human as if he was her own hatchling, she knew that he needed her. He needed someone to protect him, give him confidence, strength and power or he would wilt under the hostility that was omnipresent in the royal court. And Vhagar couldn’t let that happen. If Aemond wasn’t able to bloom properly, it would not only be a loss for Vhagar but for the whole realm.

On the next stone she carved a curved triangle, leaving out the bottom line and making it somewhat resemble a wave. She purred in satisfaction, proud for her artistic talent. 

Vhagars second goal was: Helping Laena bond with a different dragon. Like Aemond, Vhagar also loved Laena - but not in the way a she-dragon loved her hatchling, but in the way a dragon loved their rider. Laena was kind, brave and adventurous, but she would unknowingly sabotage her first goal. In her first life, the Velaryon Lady had died quite young and gave Aemond the opportunity to claim Vhagar, but would this happen this time around as well? If Laena would live the long and happy life she rightfully deserved, Vhagar couldn’t bond with Aemond, leaving him in a sad and empty life, which he didn’t deserve. 

Comparing the two, Laena not only needed Vhagars protection and support less than Aemond needed it, she also had - unlike the Targaryen prince - a joyful and quick to like personality that would make it easier for her to bond with a dragon that wasn’t Vhagar. 

The last stone was adorned with the carving of a sword and the boulder had nearly broken in half, as Vhagar struggled to keep her anger under control. The third goal was also another reason she couldn’t bond with Laena again. It would make it just too difficult and confusing for everyone involved. 

Vhagars third goal was: To kill Daemon Targaryen as soon as possible. 

#vhagar #hotd #hotd fanfic #asoiaf #house of the dragon #fanfic #grandma violence

[thecreaturecodex]

Qlippoth, Maijem-Nosoth

Illustration © Bob Harvey

[From the Fighting Fantasy book Slaves of the Abyss. A horrible tentacle monster with no face is a perfect candidate for making into a qlippoth, especially since the flavor text claims that it is painful to look upon. Just make that literal!]

Qlippoth, Maijem-Nosoth CR 10 CE Outsider (extraplanar) This hideous creature is hard to describe, a mound of irregular tissue covered in slime, ulcers and gaping orifices scattered haphazardly over its form. It stands on six legs, armored and hairy. Four tentacles grope from protuberances circumscribing the body, and a single jointed crab claw grows from it like a parody of a head and neck.

The maijem-nosoth are qlippoth that represent the territorial instinct. They squat in festering corners of the deepest Abyss, repelling the attempts of non-qlippoth life from exploring or dwelling there. Although they hate demons and daemons, as other qlippoth do, their ire falls most strongly on lawful creatures. Mortal conjurers sometimes call maijem-nosoth to the Material Plane to guard a chaotic item or hunt a lawful enemy, but doing so is fraught with risk.

Despite their grotesque appearance, maijem-nosoth are intelligent and crafty combatants. The greatest trick in fighting one of these monsters is being able to damage it; their horrific appearance causes distracting pain, their bodies blur the light around them, and they can magically force enemies to deal less damage or trap them inside domes of force. Any weapon that can overcome their damage reduction is usually disarmed and thrown, or taken to a remote and dangerous area with dimension door spells. Their weakness is in high-pitched sounds. A maijem-nosoth is vulnerable to sonic damage, and even a simple sharp whistle is enough to cause them to hesitate.

A maijem-nosoth is about six feet in diameter. 

Maijem-Nosoth    CR 10 XP 9,600 CE Large outsider (chaos, evil, extraplanar, qlippoth) Init +7; Senses all-around vision, darkvision 60 ft., detect law, Perception +18 Defense AC 24, touch 12, flat-footed 22 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +12 natural) hp 136 (13d10+65); fast healing 3 Fort +9, Ref +13, Will +10 DR 10/lawful; Immune cold, mind-influencing effects, poison; Resist acid 10, fire 10, electricity 10; SR 21 Defensive Abilities blur; Weakness vulnerable to sonic Offense Speed 40 ft. Melee claw +18 (2d6+6 plus grab), 4 tentacles +16 (1d6+3) Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. Special Attacks horrific appearance (Will DC 19) Spell-like Abilities CL 10th, concentration +13 Constant—blur, detect law At will—chaos hammer (DC 19), dimension door, protection from law (DC 14), spiritual weapon 3/day—debilitating portent (DC 20), invisibility, resilient sphere (DC 19) 1/day—antilife shell, cloudkill (DC 20), dispel law (DC 20) Statistics Str 23, Dex 16, Con 20, Int 15, Wis 15, Cha 16 Base Atk +13; CMB +20 (+24 disarm, grapple); CMD 33 (35 vs. disarm, 41 vs. trip) Feats Blind-fight, Combat Expertise, Greater Disarm, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Multiattack Skills Acrobatics +19, Climb +22, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +15, Knowledge (planes) +18, Perception +18, Stealth +15, Survival +18, Swim +22 Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Protean, telepathy 100 ft. Ecology Environment any land and underground (Abyss) Organization solitary or clutch (2-5) Treasure double standard Special Abilities Horrific Appearance (Su) Creatures that succumb to a maijem-nosoth’s horrific appearance are overcome with incredible pain, suffering a -4 penalty to attack rolls, skill checks and ability checks for 1d6+2 rounds. The save DC is Charisma based.

#maijem-nosoth #qlippoth #eldritch horror #fighting fantasy #pathfinder 1e