#i also love scientific names because so often it's like 'that's a [genus name]? no way!'

[gaytobymeres]

my toxic trait is i dont know many common plant names. im not trying to be pretentious i just actually dont know what youre talking about.

#i love the clarity and the order of scientific names #once you get into the way of taxonomy taxonomic ranks get a handle on genera and families it actually becomes a lot easier #i do love common names im just bad at remembering them #i also love scientific names because so often it's like 'that's a [genus name]? no way!' #or alternatively you see a plant thats new to you and youre like idk the species but i think it's this family or this genus

[bonefall]

tried to translate some Clangen names:

Minkthroat - Nheemleh

i couldn't find something for throat on the lexicon so I went for tongue because I though that fit as well.

Boragenut - Couldn't find one for borage, but nekboq worked for nut, so maybe uhssa for bush might have the same effect - so uhssanekboq for her

Voidpatch - not sure what to do with him, so I went for Hhoelkonpen

Curlystar - Fofwarrlshai

Owlspeckle - Huowoowoo (i love this one so much)

Asternettle - Luoobpokal (I couldn't find a translation for Aster, so I chose Luoob because I like both the names)

Briarears - Pik'kaira

Ramblingpatch - Abababkonpen

Fallenheart - Fewlbabi

Huowoowoo takes the cake, I also gotta shout out Pik'kaira. That one's also fun to say! Pik'ka Ira!

Let's get you some new words-- and start with ASTER, because it's going to be a bit quirky! Old World Asters (of the genus aster) have issues growing this far north.

But they do have a ton of plants in the asteraceae family. IN FACT, dandelions are one of them! Feverfew, chamomile, thistles, daisies, salsify, cornflower, heliotrope, goldenrod... it's a BIG family.

Asters

So, here's a few interesting asteraceae that would make cool symbolic names, and you can translate any of these as simply "aster" in a name. Clan cats don't have cladistics after all, lmao

Common Fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica) = Skfom (From Itch + Again = Contraction.) In humans, you can see right there in the scientific name that it was historically used as a treatment for dysentery, and in the common name that it repels fleas. In cats, it's a skin irritant and a poison. A desperate cat in the midst of a flea infestation will resort to this to treat themselves, if the Cleric's overwhelmed. Its name is a comment on its cruelty-- it will relieve you temporarily, but you'll get a second itch later. Has another English name; Erigeron, which is applied to all fleabanes.

Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris) = Bochol OR Ffyy-en-aminama (Pigment + Green) OR (Butterfly + 's + Shanty) An easy source of green dye, but not the BEST source of it due to fading. Known by two names, Clerics tend to prefer Butterfly's Shanty because it evokes an image of the sacred insects dancing around it. Bochol is actually the newer term, appearing sometime in the late Dawn Era alongside advances in dyemaking technology before SkyClan was driven out. Toxic if eaten, HATED by humans for being an agricultural weed, Clan cats value this plant greatly. It feeds many insects, which then feed other animals, which then feed Clan cats. It's also bright yellow and cheerful.

Sea Aster (Tripolium pannonicum) = Osaash (Daisy + Salt) This plant is seen exclusively in salt marsh biomes! Seaside areas that are regularly flooded by saltwater. They're one of the most notable plants encountered by Salt Patrols, and one of the few flowers that can handle salinity. They have a reputation for being hardy, and being a sure sign that you've made it to the ocean.

Throat and Void

Throat's going to be straightforward!

Throat = Au'u Translates directly. The front of the neck.

But void... it doesn't really make sense they have a philosophical concept of the void, you know? They don't even seem to have a concept of zero. So here's some possibilities;

Nothing = Shmo Translates pretty directly. Nothing at all. Absence in general.

No Detectable Smell = Mufm A "smell" often associated with certain things that have crossed through water, or certain mythological figures. Most things have a smell, even if it's faint. Probably the closest metaphorically to "void," because a thing without a smell creates a noticeable absence. There's probably an (ANCIENT) TigerClan folktale about some tiger warrior sent to catch the Void Beast of No Smell, which serves as a kitten tale to help remember non-scent types of tracking methods.

Silence = Uh'hwa The absence of sound or words. Not to be confused with Hah'o, which is a SUDDEN, ominous silencing of all the animal song in an area, usually because they've spotted a predator.

#clanmew

[quillpokebiology]

If you haven’t already, do you have any Jolteon facts?

Jolteon Facts

(Art by Shin Nagasawa)

-The scientific name for Jolteon is "Electrica vulpes altera" which translates to "Other electric fox"

-Jolteon are the most hyper and active Eeveelutions, and need a lot of excersize

-While the Eevee line encompassases many traits of other species, Jolteon share a lot of similarities with dog and rabbit pokemon. They have powerful back legs that they can jump long distances with, and their long ears help them sense danger

-Though people say that Jolteon spikes will sting you if you pet them, that isn’t fully true. While the spikes ares sharp, you just have to pet them front to back instead of back to front

-Jolteon will often rub on surfaces like rugs to gain more electricity

-Similar to Boltund, Jolteon were bred to heard sheep Pokemon like Mareep

-Out of all electric types, they're most prone to getting Joltiks

-There is a breed of Jolteon that were bred to have very long legs for faster running purposes. They're often used for sport racing

-Jolteon are often used as mascots for the electric type

-Jolteon are said to be able to sense when a thunderstorm is coming. Their fur is very sensitive to weather changing, and can sense lightning from a distance. If a Jolteon's needles suddenly raise, but it is relaxed, a thunderstorm is coming

-Jolteon growls are a lot deeper than most Pokemon, and are said to sound like the rumble of thunderstorms

-An Eevee getting struck by lightning can also trigger the evolution for Jolteon

-When happy, Jolteon will make a crackling noise in their fur that sounds like purring (headcanon from @adobe-outdesign )

-Jolteon are very dramatic and become very vocal when they don't get what they want

-Jolteon mostly live in open field or on tall mountains, and are rarely found living in dense forests (like a lot of other Eeveelutions)

-Jolteon don't groom themselves often, as they have a lot of it and it's spiky, so they end up getting matted fur really easily. There are special combs made to groom them which you can buy at Pokemon centers

-Despite not being very feline-like, Jolteon still have small spikes on their toungues

-There is a breed of Jolteon who were bred to have floppy ears at the end tips

-Once used to their evolution, Jolteon are good Pokemon to have around children for their loyalty and playfulness

-When angry, Jolteon will stamp their feet generating electricity which makes a startling crackling sound

-Despite having no tail, Jolteon still wag their bodies (which can be really funny and cute to watch)

If you're curious, here's some other eeveelutions I did!

#quill awnsers #jolteon #eeveelutions #electric types #electric type #electric type pokemon #pokemon biology #pokemon biologist #pokemon researcher #quill pokefacts #pokemon #pokemon irl #irl pokemon #pkmn irl #irl pkmn #rotomblr #rotumblr #pokeblr #pokeblogging #pokeblog #pokemon roleplay

[murmurmurl]

i need u to tell me everything about your unit so when ill be writing once i have time, i can put them in it too

hohoheheoehehehoheoe,,,,,,, I'm gonna use this as an opportunity to shove all of the most important info into one place. Everything is a little all over the place tho, but it's always like that wjkhkskh

Helianthus♡Light!

Helianthus is the genus which includes sunflowers. Fumi and Seina suggested this part of the name, since Fumi loves flowers and the flower language/symbolism behind them, and Seina knows the more,, biological/scientific stuffs. The "Light" part is both because it also has to do with sunflowers, and Toshiro suggested that they're "reaching for light", because they chose the name at the end of their main story and they were feeling very hopeful,, it's not like they're not hopeful now, idk why I phrased it like that ANYWAYS.

I'm kind of not sure what type of music they play (mainly because I don't know ANYTHING about music genres lol), but it's definitely something warm, nostalgic, maybe a bit echo-y, somewhat soft, and their cover arts definitely include a lot of nature stuff,,,,, I haven't designed their virtual singers yet, but they're probably gonna be Rin and Luka (and Miku obv)

Unit members!

Toshiro Hasegawa (they/he)

178 cm tall, unit leader, probably main vocalist?, class 2-B (post-3rd anni), class 1-C (pre-3rd anni). Pretty energetic and outgoing, straight-A student, very afraid of failure and tends to try to earn love and affection through exceeding at everything because family problems, yay. Has an older brother (Hiroto Hasegawa, he/him), who is a part of ANOTHER unit,, The two are pretty distant. The whole family actually is, woops. Toshiro is also VERY into crystals and spirituality. It gives a sense of certainty. Also has an orange cat named Surfer. They're a big MMJ fan, specifically Airi fan. Friends with Ichika and An. Always braids/does everyone's hair.

Matsu Kimura (he/him)

162 cm, probably also vocals, but mainly deals with the uhm technical musical stuff that I know nothing about?? class 3-C (post-3rd anni), class 2-B (pre-3rd anni). Very bubbly, energetic, affectionate, super-uber-extra autism (sea-flavoured), very average grades because he only really does what he's interested in, but he does it rlly good. Used to get bullied in middle school, struggles with people's expectations and trying to fit in. Very-very silly. Only child. Keeps pet fish. Friends with Emu. Very tactile, loves tackling people.

Fumi Hatanaka (she/they)

169 cm, loves musical instruments and plays guitar, class 2-A (post-3rd anni), class 1-B (pre-3rd anni). A surprisingly bad student, doesn't care about school. She's pretty reserved and a bit grumpy most of the time but tends to easily get angry and even a little aggressive. Cares a lot about her friends, even though she doesn't really know how to show it. Also doesn't want to show "weakness". Blames herself for being too soft in middle school and not being able to help Matsu. Her family owns and runs a small flower shop. Friends with Shiho, dislikes Tsukasa and Rui (thinks they're too obnoxious and chaotic lmao). Also an only child. Doesn't have pets, but feeds strays that often hang out around the shop. Friends with Shiho and pretty much all of leo/need, as well as Toya. Can be pretty distant physically, but likes subtle physical gestures of affection.

Seina Amari (she/her)

175 cm, writes lyrics for their songs, loves writing in general, the only one in the group who goes to Miya girls', class 3-B (post-3rd anni), class 2-B (pre-3rd anni). Does VERY good at school, super responsible, helps everyone, though isn't actually all that interested in most subjects except literature. She's very calm and caring, always tries to help everyone, has a very gentle energy about her. This mostly comes from the fact that she had hurt a dear friend in the past, which was actually genuinly her fault, but also some shit happened, and she ended up dealing with this by being overly-caring and not letting her loved ones see when she's struggling. Doesn't mean she doesn't ACTUALLY care though. She very much does. Has a younger sibling (Taru Amari, they/them), who's also part of the same unit Hiroto is! Also has a pet bunny named Puddle, who's very similar to her, which I think is funny,, not exactly friends with Mafuyu, but just a little bit closer than regular acquaintances. Close friends with Shizuku and pretty much the rest of MMJ too (Toshiro nearly fainted when they found out). Has a part-time job at a local coffee shop, where she met and became friends with Ena. Often shows affection/compassion by something like placing a hand on someone's shoulder.

I decided that they all should have emojis because,, idk,,,, it's fun,,,,,, so:

Toshiro – 🍑

Matsu – 🦈 (or jellyfish, but I don't have this one and don't want to have to copy-paste it every time,,)

Fumi – 🍊

Seina – 🍃 or ✒️ (but here I mostly use ✒️)

How all of them know each other!

(Because I wanted ALL of them to have some kind of connection to each other before the unit was formed. I think it's fun.)

🦈🍊 Matsu and Fumi are childhood friends and went to the same middle school. It was very awkward and tense at first when they met again in high-school, because back then Fumi felt extremely guilty and ended up distancing herself, eventually kind of abandoning Matsu when he needed support most.

🍑🍊 (fucking fruits /j) Toshiro's brother visits Fumi's family's flower shop very frequently, that's how Toshiro and Fumi met, since she often helps out with the shop in the evenings. Though they didn't become close until the main story started and the unit was firmed.

🍑✒️ Toshiro and Seina know each other because their siblings, Hiroto and Taru, are friends! So they kinda met through Seina accompanying Taru whenever they wanted to visit Hiroto.

🍊✒️ Fumi loves coffee and met Seina when going to the coffee shop Seina works part-time at. Because Fumi ended up being a regular customer there, even with their tough personality the two became acquaintances, but also didn't become very close until the events of the main story.

🍑🦈 Toshiro and Matsu just kinda bumped into each other at school. They became friends before the events of the main story.

🦈✒️ I think Matsu and Seina are the only exception though. They've only met when the main story started.

[also, side note – none of them canonically have labels, but the pronouns are canon]

Dynamics!!

🍑🍊 They bicker and argue a lot, but not, like, SERIOUSLY. They're both aware they're joking and most of the time it's affectionate. Fumi isn't as big of a fan of physical affection as it seems the rest of the unit is, so Toshiro doesn't get the chance to braid her hair that often. But when he does, it's very nice and relaxing for both. Surprisingly, Toshiro might be the closest to Fumi, after Matsu, that is.

🍑✒️ Toshiro loves braiding/doing everyone's hair, as I've mentioned already, and his favorite to do this to is Seina. They especially like braiding these tail-like longer parts of her hair. Overall, they're pretty close because of their siblings, and Toshiro might be one of the first people Seina eventually opens up to. Also, I keep forgetting that Toshiro is actually taller. Most of the time, Seina just. FEELS taller, idk.

🍑🦈 These two are very close. They both kinda admire Rui and Tsukasa, which worsens their already chaotic behavior. They're actually two menaces together and no one is safe. Matsu loves tackling Toshiro more than everyone else and Toshiro might sometimes jokingly complain, but loves the attention. Matsu's hair is also his second favorite to braid. Also they drag Matsu to MMJ concerts and keep trying to convert him into being an MMJ fan,,,,,,

🍊✒️ Seina has a surprising way of calming Fumi down better than anyone else. Sometimes, maybe if they're waiting for something or riding a train somewhere, Fumi even allows herself to rest on Seina's shoulder. She's less harsh with Seina (even if her harshness isn't malicious with her friends). Seina sometimes has to stop Fumi from getting into fights. Even if she struggles to show it, Fumi tries her best and appreciates Seina a lot.

🍊🦈 As I mentioned before, Matsu and Fumi are childhood friends. At the beginning of the unit story things are still pretty awkward and Fumi is very tense around Matsu, as she still feels guilty, but isn't sure how to properly express any of it, while Matsu still feels a little hiet over her abandoning him. Though as the story goes on, this conflict pretty much gets resolved, even though it will still take a lot of time for any awkwardness to disappear completely. After the unit is formed, they're pretty close again, despite, uh, all of what I just said. They need some time to get used to each other again, but ARGHHH I LOVE THEM SO MUCH, they care about each other A LOT, even if Fumi isn't the best at expressing it. The whole reason she became so mean and harsh is to be able to protect Matsu.

✒️🦈 Seina kinda feels like an older sister figure to Matsu, I think? At least, for me,, She worries about him a lot, maybe even more than with the others, helps in overwhelming situations, all that. He's still very affectionate, but it's kinda like his affection is more calm with her (basically, he doesn't tackle her as hard as everyone else /hj)

SEKAI description!!!

(I just copy-pasted this from the post where I first described it. I'm NOT typing all that ever again)

I mentioned that I call it the overgrown sekai. Because it's, well, overgrown. As you could hopefully guess. The main part of it is an old stone structure, with some intricate carvings still remaining visible and even discernable, although everything does look like it's at least.. a few centuries old, no less. However, taking into account that it's a sekai, it probably isn't that ancient. Almost everything is pretty much overrun by plants – ivy spreading across the grey stone walls, grass (and most importantly flowers) breaking their way through the floor that seems to be made of marble, but it's too old, overgrown and at times dirty to be completely sure. The said flowers are a strange mix of forget-me-nots and sunflowers that may not quite make sense, but it *is* a whole ass other dimension, after all. There's plenty of light, despite practically no windows in sight, save for a few small ones. The reason for that being the roof, shaped like a dome, with holes in it that clearly weren't here by the first design, having appeared because of the stone collapsing over time. Unsurprisingly, the flowers are concentrated in the areas where the most light seeps through those holes. And speaking of light, the time here is always the same – late afternoon, with the season always remaining a comfortable sunny summer.

There's some furniture in the building, mostly along the walls, with the center looking almost like a flowerbed. That furniture seems to represent each of the owners of the sekai – an old desk made of dark wood with a quil and some paper thrown around it, almost giving it an impression that the owner left in a hurry. The paper has become a light yellow color over what may or may not be a rather long amount of time. Next to it – a somewhat fancy wooden chair. There are mirrors hung around this part of the space – some broken, some have the glass taken out entirely. Just a little further – a shelf and an armchair. Both items' materials and overall look fit that of nearly very other piece of furniture here. The shelf is filled with items that seem to have some spiritualistic significance – amulets, crystals and stones, all of them hand-made and hand-carved, yet seeming to lack in accuracy and having been made in a hurry. The armchair strangely has a few long chains hanging on its back. One of the more noticeable pieces of furniture is... a fish tank. It has no fish. In fact, it doesn't even have water, though it's probably not intended to be that way – the tank is spacious and has pretty much almost everything a fish would need to be happy and content in captivity. But it's old and worn out – the driftwood rotting away, whatever plants used to be inside have withered and everything is covered in a thin layer of... dust..? The tank itself stands on top of something of a dresser. If you care to open its doors, you will see rows upon rows of books – as many as could fit in the little space there is inside. Most of them have to do with marine life, but there are also some journals full of incomprehensible messy writing, as if whoever was filling them either didn't have much time, or was feeling too much emotion to care. Perhaps the strangest item in the building is a cage. It's designed just like one of those small restricting bird cages, glistening with gold in the light from above, but for some reason, the cage could easily fit a human. If you decide to step in, you might notice an unexpected aroma. It's vague and subtle, but... it almost seems like fresh black coffee mixed with something citrusy. Outside, the building is surrounded by a dense forest. The light can't penetrate the abundance of trees, but somehow, it doesn't feel eerie or threatening. It feels familiar in an unexplainable way. Have you already seen these woods somewhere..?

I think that's pretty much all the important stuff..? I ramble A LOT about small details pretty often, but uhm. Explodes.

#wahoo #ask #Helianthus♡Light! #toshiro hasegawa #matsu kimura #fumi hatanaka #seina amari #hiroto hasegawa #taru amari #pjsk oc #oc ramble!

[omg-snakes]

I was under the impression that corn snakes are rat snakes, and therefore are the same species. But the talk about a hybrid between them has confused me a bit. Are corn snakes rat snakes or a different species?

Hey friend!

So okay, yes, corn snakes are rat snakes. Rat snakes, however, are not a single species but many distinct genera of colubrid snakes!

Let's back up a second and talk taxonomy. Humans love love love sorting and classifying things. We simply adore grouping by color and size, giving different things different names, and ranking in general! Sorting and separating is not always a good thing when it leads to some things (or people) being classified as "good" or "bad" or "better," but in scientific context sorting and naming helps us to better understand our natural world.

There's a problem with naming things, though. Different groups of people tend to give distinct things similar names. Like if a group of folks on the North American continent see a snake eating a rat, they might call it a rat snake. Another group of folks wandering around in Southeast Asia see a totally different and unrelated snake that is eating a rat and they call their snake a rat snake also. So now we've got two rat snakes. Are they the same species? Do they have the same habits, size, genetic composition, etc.? When you say "rat snake" which one are you talking about?? This is why scientific names are important.

To unify scientific research and communication, we have developed the basic classifications of living things: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species. There are also sub groups of these groups but we try to keep it simple when we can!

The most basic unit, species, refers to a group of organisms in which any two individuals of appropriate mating types can produce fertile offspring. Species are given a two-part binomial name, sort of like the first and last names that humans often use to describe ourselves and our relationships to others. Scientific names are in Latin, which is a dead language that nobody uses anymore so it's not changing as living languages do. The first part of a binomial name is the genus, which describes the generic group to which a living thing belongs. Genera are capitalized. The second part, the species, is a specific epithet that applies to those organisms within the genus that are more like each other than other members of the genus. Species are not capitalized. Usually, members of a species will only mate and produce fertile offspring with other members of their same species. This is often because they are geographically or behaviorally separated from members of other closely-related species. Is this a perfect system? No. We're still learning every day and taxonomic organizations are revised and updated constantly!

Back to the corn snake/rat snake thing, here's the scientific classification for corn snakes:

Kingdom: Animalia - multicellular, eukaryotic organisms that consume organic material and breathe oxygen

Phylum: Chordata - animals with a notochord (aka: OG backbone)

Class: Reptilia - all reptiles except birds

Order: Squamata - scaled reptiles including lizards and snakes

Suborder: Serpentes - snakes!

Family: Colubridae - "typical" snakes, kind of a wastebasket taxon of snake that aren't special enough to put in their own family. :( Rat snakes are in here!

Tribe: Lampropeltini - colubrid snakes of North and South America

Genus: Pantherophis - nonvenomous snakes endemic to North America

Species: guttatus - corn snake

As you can see from the above, when we talk about "rat snakes" we're referring to a bunch of "typical" snakes in Family Colubridae that span the continents of North and South America and Asia.

To put that in context: You, a human bean, are in Family Hominidae, which includes the great apes including orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans.

Some more closely-related species, such as those in the same tribe, can reproduce and result in offspring. Corn snakes can hybridize with many other snake genera in Tribe Lampropeltini including Pituophis (gopher, pine, and bullsnakes) and Lampropeltis (king snakes), as well as other species of Pantherophis including Texas and Everglades rat snakes. Some of these resulting offspring will even be fertile to a degree!

Sooooooo the TL;DR is that corn snakes are considered rat snakes, yes, but rat snakes are not a single species or even a single genera, but instead a blanket term that applies to a huge variety of both closely- and distantly-related snakes that live across the globe and all, by coincidence, sometimes eat rats.

#Did that part about birds mess you up? #lol birds are reptiles #and we're all fish #lol you're a fish. #lol taxonomy is whack I love it #taxonomy #snake #snakes #reptile #reptiles #reptiblr #long post #text post #oh i'm sorry did you want an answer here have a novel #thank you for coming to my Ted talk #anyway here's wonderwall

[rkn001]

hi random question but are there any flowers you associate with the rkns + quint? how about the stardroids or your ocs? if no, then what flowers do you think would be good?

gonna put this under a read-more since my explanation is going to be extremely long, but tl;dr:

rkns+quint: daffodil, gladiolus, forget-me-not

my fcs: sunflower to pilot man, dahlia to patch woman

i'm not going to elaborate so much about the stardroids because: (1) i haven't spent that many braincells thinking about them, (2) they're quite varied within a group so i'd choose a flower per stardroid individually, and (3) i've already exhausted a lot of hours researching into these flowers and their associated mythology / etymology and this post is getting too long… so i'd like to invite anyone to try to answer this ask for the stardroids!

daffodil

i associate this flower mainly just to enker, but also to quint and to ballade. here are my reasons:

depending on the variety, daffodils tend to bloom sometime from late winter to early spring, although they can survive the winter months as they're known to be particularly hardy; the daffodil variants in japan, for example, are known to bloom from december to january. the yellow daffodils thus symbolize resilience, because of this quality. how does this relate to enker? well if you squint at his profile overall, there’s a recurring motif one can pick up: his cold exterior and gloomy nature. being into new year’s eve (a winter holiday) and nabiyaki udon (a hot-pot dish often served during the winter season). his jpn catchphrase, “grit your teeth and bear it” (hardiness). do you see that all of these things are associated to winter and the cold season, and the commonalities shared with the daffodil?

in addition, here's some fun facts about daffodils: daffodils can accelerate the death of other flowers when placed into a vase with them. all parts of a daffodil are poisonous, but one kind of daffodil also has strong emetic effects and can cause headaches, just by being in a closed room with a bunch of them inside. it's quite a toxic flower that needs to be handled with care in order to cooperate with its flowery compatriots… which reminds me of a certain character…oh…wait…that couldn't be enker, could it...

i think it’s also worth mentioning that the scientific name for the daffodil genus, narcissus, is linked to (but not known to be originated from) the greek myth of narcissus, a hunter who rejected all romantic advances and was eventually punished for that by being led to his reflection in the water and falling in love with it so much that he drowned, where a daffodil sprang from where he died. the part which, i think, relates to enker; not so much about him being narcissist (in fact i hc to be very far from that), but rather, with him circling around in a never-ending state of reflection that distorts the image of his identity and his place in the world (which i suppose is ironic, considering the name of his weapon).

the violet daffodils represent selfishness in honor of narcissus, which isn’t what i would associate enker with (i don’t think he’s that selfish), but on a more positive note, they symbolize self-esteem, and can be used to give to someone who has self-doubts. which, i think, is perfect to give to him (and to quint) really.

the meanings of the daffodil are usually pretty positive, but i think the associations to these can be pretty…bittersweet. one of the meanings of the daffodil includes rebirth and new beginnings. interestingly enough, these meanings are also what pluto symbolizes in astrology—which is associated to the origin myth of the seasons: the greek analogue of pluto is hades, who was known to have kidnapped persephone, the daughter of the demeter (the goddess of harvest and agriculture), by luring her with daffodils, and when demeter found out about this, caused the vegetation and flora of the world to wither, before some negotiation happened where persephone can spend some time with demeter but only up to eight months (namely, spring and summer).

who was also kidnapped? quint. who also encountered a "rebirth" and "new beginnings"? ballade. who also stands on the threshold between two different worlds, one in the past, the other in the present, like persephone? well…i can argue both quint and ballade do, because i think quint still retains his memories of him being rock and is powerless to do anything about them now that he's quint, and ballade…well…i headcanon to be experiencing the brunt of grief and sorrow of being reborn from the other killers+quint, or rather, being born to a space his old self once occupied and now feels pressured to fill in.

anyway, i’m just ad libbing associations here, but this is my argument for why the daffodil is the flower for both enker, quint, and ballade.

gladiolus

the name of this flower, gladiolus, originates from the latin word gladius or "sword," referring to the sword that roman foot soldiers used in battle. it should also be noted that in ancient greece, this flower was called xiphium, which comes from the greek word xiphos for "sword." both of these refer to the sword-like leaves; this is the flower for fighters, and indeed, that's what the rkns are.

the meanings of the gladiolus are integrity, honor, faithfulness, and strength. i mostly associate these qualities to punk for some reason, since we know he prefers to have a fair-and-square fight and he believes in his own strength—but this also somewhat applies to all rkns, as each upholds their own version of some moral code when fighting, and their devotion to the cause is what defines them as a group.

furthermore, these meanings of the gladiolus seem to come from what roman gladiators stand for. going back to the naming etymology of these flowers, they refer to the swords that roman foot soldiers use. after the martial reforms for the roman military were enacted, these soldiers were given a shield, some javelins, a sword, and a dagger. in battle, they would wield the sword and shield for close combat after breaking their enemies' defenses and formations with the javelins—so in some sense, the sword is used a secondary means of offense and defense against enemies. which is the role of each of the rkns + quint as well! in the gameboy games, they're always the enemy you fight after fending off the robot masters from the main series or the stardroids. which, i think, is fitting.

as a last addition to this, it should be noted that these soldiers must follow the oath of allegiance, or sacramentum militare, that they have to swear once they enlist. this is a pledge to loyalty towards the consul of the roman republic in the republican era, or towards the emperor in the imperial era, of the roman republic. breaking this not only becomes an act of disloyalty against the state or the emperor, but also against the other members of the unit—which serves as a deterrent against revolts, despite the numerous records of civil conflicts arising from betraying the oath. i think these conflicts are also at the heart of the rkn—automatically programmed to swear their allegiance to an empire just to kill one small boy is what also defines the group, and what might also threaten the integrity of it; how each of them uses that devotion to the cause, or rather, how much they stick to it is what defines them individually, and it's an interesting thing to look into when considering each rkn as an individual and their place in the group. such themes, i believe are relevant, and this is what makes me choose the gladiolus as a flower for them.

forget-me-not

this would be the flower mainly associated to ballade, but also to quint.

the etymology of the scientific name for its genus comes from the ancient greek term for "mouse's ear," but its actual name supposedly comes from a german folktale, about a knight and a lady strolling along the riverbank. the knight fell into the water in an attempt to pick up flowers for the lady, and before he drowned, he cried out the name of the said flower and threw the flowers he picked up to his loved one, and since then, in grief, she would wear forget-me-nots in commemoration for him.

throughout the world, forget-me-nots would be used for remembrances of those who died in wars (especially the world wars), as well as from well-known disorders like dementia and alzheimer's disease.

and that's what the forget-me-nots symbolize: remembrance and memory.

just like the knight in the folktale, ballade saw something, something beautiful in the last moment he faced rockman, and it led to the end of that brief span of life that ballade has occupied up, which wouldn't be easily forgotten by the other rkns + quint. he might've been just one flower, one casualty, plucked out in a long series of unnecessary wars between two roboticists—and sure, he might've been rebuilt afterwards—but the rkns + quint don't see it that way as just one robot who died and was reborn. he was somebody—maybe a fucking idiot beforehand, but at least he was their idiot.

similarly to quint: he was rock(man) before, and the moment wily reprogrammed him is the moment those two identities have died. him meandering through life, through the halls of the wily fortress, trying to reconcile with the death of his past self... don't you think he deserves some of these flowers to commemorate what he was? i don't think he's ever completely processed that himself. i think these flowers are also for him.

sunflower

when it comes to the sunflower, their meanings include optimism and strength, warmth, and unwavering faith. all of which describes pilot man; his good quality is his ability to make the best of a situation no matter how bad it gets, and he's a pretty warm dude if any character gets to know him.

the binomial nomenclature of the sunflower, helianthus annuus, comes from the greek words helios ("sun") and anthos ("flower") and the latin word annuus ("annual"), referring to how the sunflower quite literally looks like sun and how it is a perennial flower that blooms in the mid-summer until fall. often, when i think about where pilot works, he's always under the rays of the sun, running around from hanger to hanger, ensuring that things in his little private airport are in operation...and also, his best work on building plane models comes out during the mid-summer months, when things aren't as busy for him as they are in the rest of the year.

it's also thought the reason this flower gets its named is how many believed that it is heliotropic (that is, the sunflower head tracks the sun). note that i said "believed." sunflowers aren't truly heliotropic; only the immature flower buds, leaves, and the stems do orient themselves in the direction of the sun. this reminds me of a very young pilot man, bouncing with vigor and always eager to work with the company that created him and have his abilities tested as much as possible, to the point where both the company and pilot believed he can do so much more, until they... flew close to the sun, y'know?

(which…reminds me of the greek tale of icarus, who he and his father daedalus, a master craftsman, escaped from imprisonment by flying with the winds daedalus created using wax, feathers, and blankets. icarus was warned not to fly close to the sun, lest the wax melted, nor close to ocean they were flying over, lest the dampness of the sea weighed his wings down; icarus unfortunately fell into his own hubris by doing the former. which is pretty close to the disaster that happened with pilot within a year of his activation, due to his company's hubris, haha.)

but mature flowering buds actually only face east, which is still pretty interesting to note; the earth rotates in such a way so that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, but such buds continuously look in the east—it's like they always expect for the sun to rise no matter where the sun shines or goes, without so much following the sun's direction. to me, this says much about an over reliance of faith to take over things can overshadow the true gifts of life, instead of having just a little of it, which can go a long way...it's reflective of pilot's outlook on life prior to and after the disaster.

dahlia

this one is chosen purely out of symbolism, haha; the differing colors of the dahlia and their individual meanings actually do represent different facets of patch woman.

some meanings to the dahlia include inner strength, staying graceful under pressure, and elegance. patch woman's work is constantly her being under pressure, because her job is to tap into connections, find some interesting information about a company or a person whose life she's gonna destroy, and leak it into the world without leaving so much of a trace or negotiating with other parties about this information or wiping such information from everywhere if she feels it's necessary (often a big decision to handle). she handles this with a quiet sort of dignity and poise that can leave others baffled into how she's not...fizzling out from handling all of this info and intel.

dahlias with mixed blue/green colors represent fresh starts and big changes. part of patch's origin story is that she was originally [redacted] and prefers to keep that part even unknown to herself, lest bad parties might use this against her—and the fresh start wily gave her is what drives her to go on (and sometimes influences her decisions handling such intel).

the negative connotations of the dahlia also represent patch woman as well. in particular, the black dahlia symbolizes betrayal—which, yes, one should be careful when around patch because once a piece of information about oneself is thrown into the well that is patch's information network, one better watch their back because she may as well use it to step on them for her own purposes. in fact, betrayals, compromises, and deceit are what fuels her and gives her repute in the dark world of info.

there's an interesting little historical tidbit (or possibly myth or tale, unclear) about dahlias, related to empress joséphine, the empress of the french. she was well known to be into botany and was overly protective of her garden at the château de malmaison. having been offered some dahlia tubers from the french minister, she fell in love with their bloom so much that she wouldn't permit a single seed or root from the garden to exit the malmaison. except...a polish count visted the malmaison and bribed the gardener to dig up a hundred of those dahlias to propagate, making the empress extremely angry and having her destroy the remaining dahlia tubers. it's a funny little story exemplifying how value works: when one values something so much, it can be easily used against them. it's a key principle that patch keeps in mind when handling intel, and it's something which patch deals with on a daily basis.

--

okay, alright. this was way too damn long, but i appreciate the pretty cool and thoughtful question; it was certainly a fun writing exercise to be thinking about over this past weekend. thanks for indulging me!

#ask #mega man #megaman #rockman #mega man oc #rockman killers #enker #quint #punk #ballade #pilot man #patch woman #thanks for the ask! #so can you tell that the daffodil is one of my favorite flowers of all time or nah #also i'd like to offer some apologies if the writing is unclear at places; i kinda rushed this since tumblr's editor is garbage

[hildathesaint]

Hilda's Herborium: Oak Tree/Acorns

This is a new series I am starting on magickal herbs and plants and their folklore from around the world! (feel free to request!) I am starting with a very significant plant in the history of paganism: The Acorn.

Scientific name: 450+ Species which fall under the genus Quercus

Native Habitat: North America, Europe, Asia, Africa

Magickal qualities:

Oak

-wisdom

-stability

-protection

-endurance

-regeneration

Acorns

-luck

-protection

-abundance

-potential

Folklore:

Oak trees have been considered sacred for an extremely long time. The Indo-European tribes (late Neolithic period, so 6,000-4,000BC) worshipped oaks and connected them with thunder and lightning. Oak trees are first mentioned in the mid 400s BC by Heroditus, who believed that oaks held the gift of prophecy in their branches.

In Greek Mythology, the oak was sacred and was associated with Zeus. Zeus' oracle in Epirus still has a sacred oak tree to this day, where priests would try to interpret messages from the gods by listening to the rustling of its leaves. The oak is also a sign of regeneration because of the confrontation between Zeus and Hera, which devastated the land with a torrential downpour. It was the first thing to sprout from this ravaged land.

Similarly, in Norse mythology the oak was associated with Thor. The tree was said to attract lightning more than any other trees, and druids would often collect fallen acorns after storms. They would then put the acorns on their windowsill as a sign of respect to Thor and for protection from lightning. The Celtic word for Oak is "duir" which linguists believe to be the source for Druid. Duir also means "door" which could mean the oak tree opens a path to other realms or levels of awareness.

Celtic Witches used to exchange acorns to each other to let them know they were witches and were in safe company, much like Christians did with the symbol of the Ichtys.

Many stories and legends also mention oaks.. One popular story is the “Oak King” and the “Holly King,” which tells of two kings who rule over the cycle of the year, with the Oak King ruling the light half of the year and the Holly King ruling during the dark half. Another legend is the “Wishing Oak,” which granted wishes to those who whispered their desires to its trunk.

Quotes about Oak trees:

An infinity of forest lies dormant within the dreams of one acorn – Wayne Dyer

Each human being is bred with a unique set of potentials that yearn to be fulfilled as surely as the acorn yearns to become the oak within it. – Aristotle

Within a tiny acorn, a mighty oak is waiting! Great things always start small, so embrace beginnings and take joy in the journey – Pearl Sanborn

I could faintly smell the ocean. I imagined being one of the old oak trees standing there swaying in the wind and braving all sorts of weather. I pondered what they had seen in the past and what they might see in the future — Nancy B. Brewer

Giant oak trees ... have deep root systems that can extend two-and-one-half times their height. Such trees rarely are blown down regardless of how violent the storms may be. — Joseph B. Wirthlin

Our ordinary mind always tries to persuade us that we are nothing but acorns and that our greatest happiness will be to become bigger, fatter, shinier acorns; but that is of interest only to pigs. Our faith gives us knowledge of something better: that we can become oak trees. — E.F. Schumacher

How do you not love a place where the faded beads from a parade six years before still hang in the branches of the live oak trees. — Rick Bragg

Only something as insane as human beings would ever asked themselves if 'I'm good.' You don't find oak trees having existential crisis. 'I feel so rotten about myself. I don't produce as much acorns as the one next to me.' — Adyashanti

#paganblr #paganism #witchcraft #witchblr #mythology and folklore #mythology #nature #oak leaves #oak tree #acorns #green witch #hilda's herborium

[jerryjerseys-garden]

How to Keep Your Alocasia Flying Squid Plant Thriving With Easy Tips

Are you always looking for rare plants to bring home? Still haven't found the best one? Well, the Alocasia Flying Squid is a rare member of the Alocasia family of plants. This is a fun plant to have in your home because it looks great and has leaves that look scary and weird. The Alocasia Flying Squid is the best choice for people who like unique plants because it looks great and is different. The Alocasia Flying Squid is a plant that can be kept inside or outside. They do well in places where it stays warm all year. This rare plant is something that every plant lover wants. The leaves have beautiful, multicoloured and textured foliage. If you know what this plant needs, it's not too hard to take care of it. Read this article if you want to be a good parent to your new leafy Alocasia Flying Squid and give it the care it needs. You've come to the right place to find out about this plant, which will help you decide if you want it and how to take care of it. This article will tell you everything you need to know about the Alocasia Flying Squid and how to take care of it. So, let's get started as soon as possible.

Alocasia Flying Squid Characteristics

One thing is to want to own a rare plant, and another is to know enough about it to make a good decision. The Alocasia Flying Squid is a unique plant, so it's important to know more about it before you decide to buy it. Origin Every plant comes from a certain place. It is where the plant was found for the first time. So, where did the Flying Squid from Alocasia come from? Are you sure? Well, I should tell you that the Alocasia Flying Squid comes from and lives in the tropical and subtropical parts of South-East Asia and Eastern Australia. It grows well between 0 and 1500 meters above sea level. This plant is only going to live for about 5 years. Common name and scientific name Alocasia Flying Squid, which is also known as Alocasia Plumbea, is a unique houseplant. It is in the genus Alocasia, which is in the family Araceae. This plant is called a Flying Squid by most people. Alocasia is also called "elephant ear." People often call it Flying Squid. Plant Size If you know how big the plant will be before you get it, you might have an idea of what problems might come up later. This information will help you be ready for these kinds of situations. The Alocasia Flying Squid plant can be grown both inside and outside. They are only 1 to 3 feet long, so they can live inside. Usually, this plant grows to be 1 foot tall. It stands almost 15 cm tall and 10 cm wide. Leaves and Flowers The name "Flying Squid" comes from the way the leaves of this plant look like the tentacles of a squid or jellyfish. Each green and burgundy stem has a small leaf at the end. The flowering plant Alocasia Flying Squid has white flowers. Flowers bloom at different times of the year. Price As a flower grows, it becomes a part of your family. In the long run, spending a few extra dollars will be a good investment because the flower will become a part of your family. So, knowing how much a plant cost helps you decide whether or not to buy it. Alocasia Flying Squid costs anywhere from $10 to $20. Since it is one of the rarest and most unique plants, it wouldn't be surprising if most online plant stores sold it.

How to Take Care of an Alocasia Flying Squid

Sunlight Alocasia Flying Squid loves bright light that comes from the side. This plant does very well when it is not exposed to direct sunlight. Even though Alocasia Flying Squid is a much easier plant to care for, you still need to put it near a window that gets bright light all day long if you want to grow it indoors. Since these are light-sensitive plants, the best thing you can do is keep them out of direct sunlight. They can get sunburned, which could hurt your plant, and direct sunlight could also cause leaves to fall off. In short, the Alocasia Flying Squid has lived its whole life as an indoor plant. So, if you want to plant it outside, you will need to protect it from the sun by putting something over it. Giving the plant water How often you have to water an Alocasia Flying Squid depends on how hot or cold it is outside. Once a week, give this plant a little bit of water. But if the temperature drops, you need to cut back on how much and how often you water. When you water an Alocasia Flying Squid plant, you should use about 0.8 cups of water for the best growth. Since Alocasia Flying Squid doesn't like being too wet, you shouldn't water it too much. They store water in their petioles, so it doesn't matter if the soil is always wet. If you plant Alocasia Flying Squid in a hotter area, you will have to water it more often because it will dry out more quickly there. So, a great way to take care of this plant is to only water it when the soil is dry. More Trending Guide: - Alocasia purple sword Care - Alocasia wentii Care - Alocasia Chantrieri Guide - Alocasia Frydek Variegated Care Guide - Alocasia Low Rider Care - Alocasia Dragon’s Breath Care - Alocasia Dark Star Care - Alocasia Jacklyn Guide - Alocasia Yucatan princess Care - Alocasia Pink Drago Guide - Alocasia Cucullata Care - Alocasia sinuata  Care Guide - Alocasia Red Secret Guide - Alocasia Scalprum Care Guide - Alocasia Bisma Caring Guide - Alocasia Serendipity Care Temperature and humidity The Alocasia Flying Squid does best when the humidity is between 50 and 70%. If you want to grow the plant inside, it's best to keep it away from heating vents and radiators that constantly blow hot air. To increase the humidity around your plant, you can even put it on a pebble tray filled with water. Alocasia Flying Squid grows best at temperatures between 60 and 75°F during the day and 55 and 60°F at night. Because they are hardy, these plants can survive in a wide range of temperatures. But if it gets very cold where you live, they might get frost. If that's the case, you'll need to put your Alocasia Flying Squid near a warm window during the day. Soil & Fertilizers When it comes to soil, it is recommended to be careful not to let the soil get too wet. This can be done by planting Alocasia Flying Squid in potting mix that is loose and drains quickly. Coco coir and an organic base like Perlite or Vermiculite make a good potting mix. This potting mix makes drainage better. The new soil you use to pot your plant has all the nutrients it needs to grow and bloom. So, you don't have to use fertilizers if you change the soil every year. If your Alocasia Flying Squid gets out of shape, you may need to move it to a new pot. You can do this once a year or whenever the roots are getting too big for the pot. Keeping pests away There are bugs like Mealybug and Scale that hurt Alocasia Flying Squid. With the help of their cottony saliva, these bugs stay safe from insecticides and pesticides. Because of this, it's hard to get rid of these bugs. But if your plant gets affected, you can mist it with soapy water or neem oil. The Alocasia Flying Squid is still pretty good at keeping these bugs away. So, even if you don't do anything to keep pests away, there might not be a problem. Control of Toxicities If you're worried about whether or not Alocasia Flying Squid is dangerous, don't be. We'll take care of you. Every part of the Alocasia Flying Squid has Calcium Oxalate Crystals, which can make your mouth and oesophagus hurt if you eat them. Cats and dogs can also get sick from this plant. In short, the Alocasia Flying Squid plant is dangerous for everyone, including you, your children, and even your pets. So, plant it in places that are hard to get to.

How to Propagate Alocasia Flying Squid Plant?

The Alocasia Flying Squid Plant can be propagated by dividing the rhizomes (underground stem) or by taking stem cuttings. - To propagate by dividing the rhizomes, carefully dig up the plant and separate the rhizomes with a sharp knife. Each piece should have at least one growing point, or "eye", and some roots. Plant the divisions in moist, well-draining soil and keep them warm and humid until they establish new growth. - To propagate by stem cuttings, cut a stem that has at least two or three leaf nodes (the point where the leaves attach to the stem) and removes the lower leaves. Dip the cut end in rooting hormone powder and place it in moist soil or water. Keep the cutting warm and humid until it roots and develops new growth. Both methods should be done in spring or summer when the plant is actively growing. For both methods, Keep the soil moist but not soggy, and out of direct sunlight until new growth appears. Then gradually acclimate the new plants to brighter light before planting them in their permanent locations.

Common Problems Associating With Alocasia Flying Squid And Their Solutions

- Yellowing leaves: This can be caused by too much direct sunlight, under-watering, or over-fertilizing. Move the plant to a shadier location, adjust the watering frequency, and reduce the amount of fertilizer used. - Brown or black leaf edges: This can be caused by low humidity or dry air. Increase humidity by misting the leaves, using a humidifier, or placing the plant on a tray of water and pebbles. - Wilting leaves: This can be caused by under-watering or poor drainage. Make sure the soil is consistently moist, but not waterlogged, and that the plant is in a well-draining pot with a drainage hole. - Pest infestation: Alocasia plants can be susceptible to spider mites, mealybugs, and scale insects. Control these pests by using insecticidal soap or a mixture of water and dish soap, or by using neem oil. - Slow growth: This can be caused by a lack of light or poor soil quality. Make sure the plant is getting enough light and repot it into fresh, well-draining potting soil. - Root rot: This can be caused by over-watering or poor drainage. Allow the soil to dry out slightly between waterings and make sure the plant is planted in well-draining soil and a container with drainage holes. - Leaf drop: This can be caused by a sudden change in temperature or humidity. Keep the plant away from cold drafts and make sure the humidity level is consistent.

Frequently Asked Question

How much light does the Alocasia Flying Squid plant need? The Alocasia Flying Squid plant prefers bright, indirect light, but can tolerate some shade. Direct sunlight can cause the leaves to yellow and burn. How often should I water the Alocasia Flying Squid plant? The Alocasia Flying Squid plant prefers consistently moist soil, but it is important not to over-water. Allow the top inch of soil to dry out slightly before watering again. Be mindful of the drainage, to prevent root rot. What type of soil is best for the Alocasia Flying Squid plant? The Alocasia Flying Squid plant prefers a well-draining, humus-rich soil that is high in organic matter. Does the Alocasia Flying Squid plant require fertilization? The Alocasia Flying Squid plant can benefit from occasional fertilization during the growing season. Use a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer and be careful not to over-fertilize. How do I propagate the Alocasia Flying Squid plant? The Alocasia Flying Squid plant can be propagated by dividing the rhizomes or by taking stem cuttings. Both methods should be done in spring or summer when the plant is actively growing. What are some common problems associated with the Alocasia Flying Squid plant and how can they be solved? Some common problems include yellowing leaves, brown or black leaf edges, wilting leaves, pest infestation, slow growth, root rot and leaf drop. Solutions include adjusting the amount of light and water, fertilizing, increasing humidity, and addressing pest infestations. Can the Alocasia Flying Squid plant be grown indoors? Yes, the Alocasia Flying Squid plant can be grown indoors as a houseplant, as long as it receives enough light and humidity, and is protected from drafts.

Conclusion

If you've been with this article from the beginning, you care about plants. You know a lot about the Alocasia Flying Squid already. But have you decided yet that you want to bring this plant into your home? If not, decide now. If you decide to get an Alocasia Flying Squid, it will add a lot of value to your home. This article tells you everything you need to know to grow an Alocasia Flying Squid and take care of it. We hope that this information will help you grow an Alocasia Flying Squid plant that is both beautiful and healthy. Please let us know if you decide to keep this plant. Also, if you liked this article and learned something new, share it with your friends and family who are interested in this plant. Last but not least, thank you for reading our article. We are always thankful for the help you give us. More Guide - Philodendron dark lord vs majesty Comparison - Philodendron Fuzzy Petiole Vs Nangaritense Guide - Philodendron Melanochrysum Vs Micans Guide - Philodendron Plowmanii Vs Mamei best comparison Guide - Philodendron Pedatum Vs Florida Guide - Philodendron Red Sun Vs Prince Of Orange - Philodendron Orange Marmalade - Philodendron Imperial Green - Philodendron Paraiso Verde Guide - Philodendron Golden Dragon Guide - Philodendron Florida Green Guide - Philodendron silver stripe Care https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Kv4rKYjxoq0   Read the full article

[sideblogformindtrash]

A PLANT GUIDE TO ALTERNATIVE FOOD SOURCES/PLANT BASED MEDICINE/POISONOUS HERBS

FOR WHEN YOU ARE A 15th CENTURY PEASANT AND GOING TO THE DOCTOR WILL KILL YOU BECAUSE NO ONE HAS WASHED THEIR HANDS IN A MONTH.

This post ended up huge. 

DISCLAIMER CAUSE I DON’T WANT ANYONE TO GET SICK BECAUSE THEY ATE BAD LEAF:

Natural medicine is a fascinating topic and it carries a rich history of survival, culture and human history.

It is also a valuable source of insight for traditional medicine – it is often by searching the traditional, plant or nature based solutions and researching the active compounds on them that regular medicine can be crafted. These sciences are allies, they aren’t enemies, and the end goal is, always, to save lives.

HOWEVER it is NOT a replacement for traditional medicine. Traditional medicine works on isolating and amplifying components that are proven to be the source of the healing properties of plants and other things, both increasing the chances of obtaining a result and reducing the collateral effects, as well as monitoring people on a close and safe environment were any side-effects particular to that individual, caused by other pre-existent conditions, can be taken in consideration and dealt with by professionals. Dosage is also a very important factor that has to be considered. Doctors are equipped to deal with that. Everything can be a poison in excess.

By this, I mean to say if you go around using this info to justify selling mlm essential oils or being antivaxx I’ll personally haunt you once I’m dead. Natural medicine can be an interesting addition to conventional treatments if used responsibly, but it is not a replacement and is not to be used if you have no clue what you are doing. Please don’t go outside to eat random leaves and don’t trust random moms on facebook, their ‘research’ is far less than what I did for a tumblr post :’)

I can’t stress this enough: this is intended as a writing resource and not to be used in real life or as a guide. Don’t eat/use plants you don’t know. Please don’t. I’m also not a medical professional, I’m a plant nerd :)

And – a lot of this comes from oral traditions passed on by family. So shoutout to my grandma. Most of it is stuff you should be able to verify with a quick google search and I expent the day doing just that as well as gathering more info; I can link more trustworthy sources than Wikipedia if someone is interested, but they are mostly not in English.

ALSO, as a note: Popular plant names are NOT RELIABLE and vary greatly among regions, besides, they often are used to refer to a great number of species of the same genus; when in doubt always check the scientific name of the plant as that is standardized globally and taxonomists work hard to keep it concise.

Go to the doctor if you are sick please please please please please please please please please please please please please please :)

And just one more little note: I live in South America, that’s the flora I’m most familiar with. I know very little about European and Oceanic flora; but I reckon a lot of these might be similar to Asia and North America since a bunch of these plants are invasive species originated from Asia that have adapted well and spread around the continent.

Ok, first part is medicine second part is poison.

Some general info:

TO MAKE A BALM: You’d need some sort of animal fat or vaselin + a triturated mix of the correct plant parts and bee wax. Fat needs to be melted first, then you’d add the plant mix and lastly the bee wax; it needs to be constantly mixed until it gets the balm consistency and then filtered.

HOW TO MAKE A POULTICE: It’s basically just the mashed ingredients + something to make it slightly moisty; it largely depends on what it is exactly but it could be water, milk, coconut oil or animal fat. The paste is to be spread over a warm wet cloth and wrapped around the wound.

ON TEAS: A lot of the time you will need the fresh plant leaves and not the dried versions they sell on little sacks; Or they might both work, but likely to different things. Different parts of the plant might have different effects.

ACTIVATED CHARCOAL: It’s the go-to emergency poison retardant. It has the characteristic of being an adsorptive; this means other particles tend to cling to its surface and later be expelled with it. It can cause vomiting and nausea. Regular charcoal has been used historically for the same reasons. Eating the charcoal may interfere with other medications the person might be on.

 A Few Non-Conventional Edible Plants and Medicinal Herbs:

-Pereskia aculetea: Popular names are lemonvine; blade-apple cactus; leaf cactus; rose cactus; fruits, flowers and leaves are edible and has high-nutritional value. Depending on how it’s prepared, the leaves taste somewhat like fish. The flowers are sweet, and can be used in baking cakes and pies. They have sharp thorns on the fruits and branches. It is a good emergency food-source as it causes a fulfilling sensation and can be consumed raw.

Tea made with the leaves is good for the intestinal flora. It is anti-inflamation and helps ulcers heal. Can be used externally if the leaves are triturated and mashed into a paste. The fruit is anti-oxidant;

Stanchys byzantina + some others of the genus: Known as Lamb’s ear. It’s cute and fluffy. It also tastes like fish if fried on butter. Making tea with the leaves can help with cough and throat irritation. Helps with stomachache and indigestion.

-Mentha sp. – MINT! Everyone loves mint. It smells nice and is fresh. It helps with colds and is effective against parasites such as giardia and amebas. The tea has to be made with fresh leaves for it to be effective, not dried ones.

-Arnica sp. – NOT EDIBLE AND CAN BE TOXIC IF INGESTED. Small amounts can be used as a spicy however is not recommended. However, it’s a very good topical painkiller; can be used as a balm, a poultice or on lack of other options, making a strong tea and infusing a clean piece of cloth on it then applying to the sore muscles can work.

-Calendula sp. – It’s edible but not exactly tasty, a little spice I’d say. A balm can be made from it that is very good on cuts and bruises.

-Begonia cucullata – Known as wax begonia. It’s all edible, but calcium rich so should be avoided by someone with kidney problems.

-Portulaca oleracea – The Poultice is good against acne and insect stings; helps with inflammation and tea can be used against intestinal parasites. Slightly cooked leafs can help with burns (1º degree burns, don’t apply on anything worse). The seeds are specially good against parasites. Leaves, flowers and seeds are edible.

-Conyza canadensis / bonariensis – The Horseweed. Leaves are edible. They taste spicy-ish.  Can help treat hemorrhoids and diarrhea.

-Echinodorus grandiflorus: This one is common of wetlands and water proximity. The crushed rhizomes can be put over the skin to alleviate rashes and hernias. Tea made with the fresh leaves is a diuretic and laxative; is also good against throat inflammations. Cold tea can help with skin conditions as well. Leaves are very bitter, the rhizome is somewhat sweet.

-Hedychium coronarium: White-ginger-lily or garland flower; It is common on wetlands or near water sources. The rhizomes and flowers are edible (leaves aren’t), flowers usually consumed as sort of a jam and the rhizomes as flowers. Helps with throat inflammations and pain. Oil made from this plant can be slightly sedative.

-Cymbopogum winterianus: Citronella; or Lemon Grass. NOT EDIBLE. It’s super sticky to the touch, makes your hands sticky too and very easy to get cuts from it because the leaf blades are somewhat sharp. A poultice of the leaves can be used on cuts, but the better use for it is as a natural repellent. Mosquitoes and other insects hate this plant. Just by having it planted somewhere near is very unlikely they’ll approach; candles can be made from it and incenses too.

- Pampinella anisum – Commonly known as aniseed and actually easy to find as dried leaves or the seeds. The dry leaves tea help with cold and throat swelling. Poultices and the essencial oil can be good as a relaxant; Tea made from fresh leaves is good for insomnia, nausea and stomachache. Tea made with the seeds can be used against intestinal parasites; breathing the vapor helps clean a constipated nose.

-Plantago major – Probably the most common one on this list and one of the best.  Called great plantain or broadleaf plantain. Leaves are diuretics; help against inflammations and help soothe stomachaches and diarrhea. Everything but the roots are edible. Tea helps with cold.

-Ilex paraguaiensis – Yerba-mate or just matte. Has a very good nutritional value. People drink the dried leaves tea like water in Brazil and it’s very good for cooking sweets. It is slightly stimulant(high caffeine teor) and highly antioxidant. The fruits and leaves are nutrient rich; can be good on fighting anemia; has some effect against caries inducing bacteria and is effective against certain types of fungi; it only grows in forested areas because it is very sensitive to sunlight.

-Xanthosoma sagittifolium – Arrowleaf Elephant’s Ear. Rhyzomes, leaves and haste are edible BUT ONLY IF COOKED. Tastes similar to spinach. When they are raw, they have oxalic acid and are somewhat toxic. Is somewhat good against fever. A fried leaf can be used as a wrap over burns.

-Hibiscus sabidariffa  - Slightly sour tasted tea made from the leaves; have a diuretic effect. Can be used as a natural pigment on other foods.

-Pistia stratiores – Water lettuce. It looks like a lettuce and it floats. Can be consumed as a juice, infusion or used as a poultice on hernias. HOWEVER I’d recommend never using any found on nature. Floating plants are being studied as having absorbent qualities and helping filter toxins and heavy metals from water, so much so they can make part of sewage treatment.

 Dangerous/Poisonous Plants:

General treatment idea: A very generic idea of how poisoning is treated would be the administration of activated charcoal and a gastrointestinal wash depending on how long ago has been the ingestion. Mucosa can be treated/washed with products like egg whites, milk and olive oil in small quantities. Eyes are washed with water and saline. Most poison’s don’t have antidotes, so everything else would be treating the specific symptons. Catheterization may be needed on cases where the urinal tract is paralyzed because it’s important to keep the person hydrated. Laxatives may also be used in cases where it is safe. Everything largely varies with the specifics of each compound. On many of them inducing vomit might be worse.

PLANTS:

Brugmansia spps.: Known as Angel Trumphet; Angel’s Tears or Snowy Angel’s Trumpet. This plant likes high-humidity, so in a dry climate, it might indicate proximity to water sources. The in-nature form of this plant is highly toxic; every part of it being leaves, flowers trunk or roots. Seeds and leaves are specially dangerous. Can induce a trance-like and delusional estate as well as induce visual and auditory hallucinations; can cause paralysis of smooth muscles, confusion, dry mouth, pupil dilation and paralysis of the eyes. Can lead to death; severity varying depending on part of the plant ingested as well as the age of the plant and hydration state. They start from 15 to 30 minutes after ingestion.

Euphorbia milii.: Known as Christ’s Thorn; Crown of Thorns or Christ Crown. Honestly this one’s strength is the aesthetic. It has thicc thorns, pretty red flowers and I’m pleading you all to put it on a Whumpee’s head. It’s a moderate poison compared to the others; Inside the whole plant there is a white latex substance that is toxic. It causes skin and mucosa irritation. It can cause severe stomach-ache. Can lead to blindness if non-treated eye contact occur. If ingested, can cause severe stomach-ache and ulcers. The latex is very sticky to the touch. 

Dieffenbachia spp: Similar to the one above without the fun thorns.

Zantedeschia aethiopica: The Calla Lily. In contact with mucosa’s it causes swelling and irritations; feelings of burn, nausea, vomit and diarrhea; difficulty swallowing and can cause death by asphyxiation due to internal swelling of the digestive system that in turns compresses the pharynx.  ALSO: This is not exactly widespread knowledge I think, but this plant is hallucinogen and like 2-3 years ago the tea has been used as kind of a drug around here. However, this plant does not work as other popular recreational hallucinogens; it causes damage to the central nervous system and even if used just once, the user might never recover from it. What I heard from people who did try it, is that the hallucinations tend to be really bad and on the negative side.

Cicuta maculata – If you want to be dramatic and die like Socrates I guess. Its poison was used for execution in ancient Greece.

Calladium spp. – It’s ALSO called Elephant’s ear. See what I mean by common names not being reliable? Irritation, pain and swelling of tissues. All parts of the plant are poisonous. If ingested can lead to death due to swelling of throat/tongue.

‘Curare’ – this is actually not just one plant, but a mixture of several made into poison for darts and arrows. The Strynchnos and Chondodendron genus are the most important. It was used for hunting, but considered bad practice on war. Causes paralysis of the external body and some of the main internal systems killing the prey by asphyxiation. The person responsible for producing the poison was very likely to die due to being exposed to toxic fumes, because it was needed to cook the tree-barks during two to three days. Someone hit by the poison can survive if artificial respiratory methods are available until the poison-effect passes.

Potatoes – I’m not even going to elaborate on this one but raw and green potatoes = bad; however cultivated potatoes are way less toxic than the wild variations and the most poisonous plant parts are the leaves;

Aesculus hippocastanum – A horse chestnut seed, bark, flower and nut can cause poisoning when consumed raw. Causes muscle twitching, weakness, loss of coordination; vomiting; kidney problems and stupor. It slows the formation of blood cloths and might worsen the condition of hemorrhagic wounds.

Agave sp. – The flowers are edible and the saps can be used for an alcoholic beverage. But the saps cause pain and burning in contact with the skin; it will also start to develop blisters soon after the exposure. The healed skin tends to remain sensitive and have reoccurring itchy for years after the contact. Ingesting the saps might be fatal.

Anemonoides nermorosa – Wood anemone. All parts of the plant contain protoanemonim, it can cause irritation and burning sensation to skin; ulceras on the mouth; vomiting blood and nausea.

OK that should be it for today, but it isn’t even the surface. If anyone wants to expand or correct something on this, I encourage you to do so. Just don’t eat the leaf. Please don’t.

Not all but some of the sources (again, not english): here; here; here; here; here; here; one that IS in english and a shoutout for wikipedia cause why the hell not and one to my grandma who is a lovely lady who hates just about everything in the world.

#whump writing #whump scenario #whump writing resource #whump #im ded

[aliceaddellheidde]

When I saw @the-ss-horniest-book-club HBC Lucky In Love back in February, my Muse kicked me and idea to write soulmate au was born.

You might not noticed it, but there are always hidden hints in my works. I know most people don’t care about it – they just wanna read a story. I also like to put some educational informations in my stories. Maybe that's why they're so boring. I'm detailist and it always takes me a lot of time to find and put all details into stories. Like restaurants, places, etc.

Anyway, here is analysis of FATUM:

WHY FATUM

In this story are reader and Bucky made for each other by Destiny. It´s sometimes also referred to as Fate - from Latin fatum "decree, prediction, destiny, fate". Hence the name. I wanted it to sound fancy.

WHO ARE MOI, RAI & PARCA

Moi & Rai are in reality one word: Moirai.

In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Moirai, often known in English as the Fates were the incarnations of destiny; their Roman equivalent was the Parcae. You see the connection?

WHY ARE MOI, RAI & PARCA GENDERLESS

Because I didn't want them to have woman or male opinion/behaviour.

WHY BLUE STARS AS TATTOO

Bucky looks great in blue. Blue looks good on every skin tone. If you read part 6, it´s explained why blue & stars are important for reader and Bucky.

They both saw solar eclipse, but in different years. It really happened.

Both, inauguration of Calvin Coolidge and The Great Gatsby, happened in 1920´s.

Steve Rogers & Stephanie Rodgers.

In part 4 You can find Actiorione - four-armed siamese twins and sons of Poseidon. They had four arms, four legs and two heads.

In part 9 Sam met Aderyn. Her name means "bird" in Welsh. Declan´s girl is Vanessa. It means "butterfly" and it´s also is a genus of brush-footed butterflies. She works as lepidopterist. It´s a branch of entomology concerning the scientific study of moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies

Part 12 and "You asked your mated friends". It´s there on purpose. Sparks happen when you're close to your mate, but you're not connected full-soul-y. You didn't touch properly.

In part 19 Nat's daughter's name means "resurrection". Because Natasha was resurrected.

That's all. If You have any questions don’t be afraid to ask. 💜

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pic by me. Those are my notes 😅 Am I the only one who's writing them???

Informations from internet.

#fatum

[heroes-writing]

Hello! It’s great to see you back again, you’re one of my favourite OPM writers! And greetings to Stella, it’s good to have you aboard •v• Is my Zombieman with a former experiment s/o still on the books? If not, I’d like to request it again if that’s alright. Good luck with the quarantine, and stay safe! •v•

Greetings Anon!

Okay well shit, maybe it’s impossible for me to do headcanons for prompts like these without turning it into a story-length outline, goddamnit. I always feel the need to put more and more detail to make it feel real. Hi, my middle name is ‘Extra’.

This also turned out to be a wild animal - morphed into a double whammy of HC-scenarios. I hope it’s close enough to hit what your prompt asks.

Enjoy under the cut,

Stella

Word count: 1202

Okay, so I get the feeling that successful mad scientists like Dr. Genus are not, in fact, running rampant, even in a universe like OPM’s. This shit takes a lot of hard work and knowledge and you gotta know what you’re doing. Most rogue scientists either quit because of the low success rate or get killed by their creations.

Zombieman’s SO would, in fact, be a scientist that volunteered to experiment on themselves, backed by a team in the Hero Association’s Research & Development biology division. (Side note, obviously no one in the OPM world ever has taken a course on scientific ethics or human subject research.) They’re trying to get powerful enough to become an A-class or even an S-class hero. They have a strong drive to make the world a better place, along with scientific curiosity (to see what they can do with their knowledge), and this is the result of their extreme devotion and obsession taken to its conclusion.

They know what they’re doing, but guys, shit happens. The experiment is only moderately successful due to some unforeseen hiccups. SO joins the Hero Association as a high B-rank hero. This obviously isn’t good enough to investigate further in, so that little research foray is scrapped by R&D and kept on the down-low. 

SO is neither particularly well-known nor obscure and they periodically suffer from side effects of surgical augmentations; their hero name is “Human Experiment” (lol). Zombieman hears about their vague origin story (at least part of it, anyway) and seeks them out to find out if they were also a victim of the House of Evolution, in hopes of tracking down Genus.

He’s disappointed to find that they are not part of the House of Evolution. Despite that, he still feels a weird kinship of sorts with them, and they end up talking a little longer. Zombieman ends up enjoying their company, and they start hanging out whenever they’re both at HQ. Because it’s classified information, SO doesn’t reveal at this point that they experimented on themselves with the help of the HA.

After a few weeks, Zombieman finally asks SO out on a proper date, and it’s during this first date that SO reveals their true origins as an experiment, because they don’t feel like they should let Z get into a relationship with them under this huge lie of omission. Z is surprised and a little disappointed since he’d been under the impression that they’d had an extremely similar experience to him. But, they didn’t actively deceive him about it, so he puts it behind him and accepts it for what it is. 

Despite this, after a while of being in a relationship with SO, he feels able to talk about his experiences with them and is interested in hearing about how theirs was similar or different. He’s a little bitter, but too rational and calm to truly be upset about how his experimentation was forced, and how theirs was consensual and self-inflicted. It’s their past, they accept each other, it is what it is. 

Although they’ve both come to terms with their life before meeting each other, they still talk about their experiences together. It provides him with a source of relief to be able to share with someone the worst parts of his life that he can remember and not have to censor the most graphic parts. He shares his fears and anger, and they their hopes and doubts, about what they both went through during their experimentation. 

He shares his hatred of being drugged to the gills, the mindless terror of a prey animal he’d felt as he fought for his life and then died during the first few dozen times his regeneration was tested, desperately wanting to actually die to end it, the rush of adrenaline that still floods his body after he wakes before he realizes he’s no longer a captive in the basement. His sensitivity towards being called a monster as he is definitely still a human.

SO has the utmost empathy hearing about Z’s experience -- they were willing, but he wasn’t; they imagine their own experimentation if it were non-consensual and how awful it would have been. SO is extremely indignant on his behalf and can’t help but rant about how disrespectful it was to Z, how improper those procedures were, and how Genus is a disgrace to all scientists and shouldn’t be considered a proper one. They soothe Z with kisses and reassure that he is in no way a monster.

His SO shares their naive idealism that had spurred them to volunteer their body for the cause, their wavering conviction as it became clear that the overwhelming success they had planned for was no longer guaranteed, their uncertainty that it was worth it at all. Their struggles as they doubt if they’re human anymore: they look like one, but they feel like they’ve been changed on such a fundamental level, they’re not sure if they can even share the full human experience anymore.

Z is not unsympathetic towards SO and knows better than to blame them for their self-inflicted situation they’d created. He tells them that they shouldn’t worry if they’re human or not: their heart is in the right place and their actions are pure and good.

SO then confesses that they actually hate killing monsters because they feel that they’re too much like humans -- monsters have feelings, ambitions, thoughts, and dreams of their own. Zombieman reveals that his enjoyment of killing monsters (often brutally so) is only because he feels the desperate need to prove he’s not one.

Shit gets philosophical between them. They become engrossed in their conversation as the sun sets and the street lights flicker on. What is the line between human and monster? The difference between extreme experimentation and monsterization? There are humans that harm other humans in egregious ways, but they don’t get hunted down like monsters. There are monsters that don’t harm humans, but they are exterminated anyway. What makes a monster a monster? Intent, actions, self-perception, or how others see you? And in the end, does it even matter at all? 

-----

Finally, I have an unhealthy love of angst, so I have a little separate headcanon-plot about Zombieman and his little science-experiment-SO being in a steady relationship, but with the twist that they have to deal with the fallout of his SO’s experimentation, which is starkly different from his own outcome. 

His SO doesn’t have a “positive” result like Zombieman and their experimentation was botched and unsuccessful. Instead of regenerative abilities and basically not being able to die, she has the thematic opposite, i.e. slow-acting but terminal cancer from her exposure to the carcinogenic substances that were used during her time in captivity. 

She can buy a little time with amputations of body parts (contrast with Z being able to GROW BACK parts), but it will kill her eventually. She opts to do this to be able to spend more time with Zombieman, but they both have to deal with the consequences of her declining ability to be independent and care for herself with the loss of each limb. 

Oh lort I just made myself supremely sad.

#one punch man #opm #opmheadcanons #opm head canons #headcanons #zombieman #mod stella #Anonymous

[sciencespies]

What the Rhythm of a Maned Wolf's Heart Reveals

https://sciencespies.com/nature/what-the-rhythm-of-a-maned-wolfs-heart-reveals/

What the Rhythm of a Maned Wolf's Heart Reveals

Smithsonian Voices National Zoo

What the Rhythm of a Maned Wolf’s Heart Reveals

September 8th, 2020, 10:09AM / BY

Ashley Goetz

(Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute)

Spindly legs and thick, red fur have earned them the nickname “foxes on stilts,” but maned wolves are neither fox nor wolf. These charismatic canids are a unique species (the only members of the genus Chrysocyon) and are found solely in South America’s savannas, where Brazilian researcher Rosana Nogueira de Moraes has studied them for nearly 15 years.

In 2015, Moraes came across a study of wild black bears that used heart sensors to reveal what observation couldn’t — that the bears had a hidden stress response to drones flying overhead. She wondered what the same technology might reveal about maned wolves. Two years later, she helped launch the Rhythm of Life Project, a maned wolf heart rate monitoring study at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. Moraes shares the latest on the Rhythm of Life Project and what researchers have learned.

Why is it important to protect maned wolves?

Maned wolves are a “keystone” species because they provide critical ecosystem services. They keep pest populations under control by hunting small rodents, and they help disperse the seeds of native plants. Maned wolf poop can be full of the seeds of a tomato-like wild fruit that they love to eat. The fruit, called the wolf apple, is even named after them. Maned wolves are also great ambassadors for the conservation of the Brazilian Cerrado, one of the most threatened savanna biomes in the world.

What do you hope to learn by monitoring their heart rates?

Maned wolves are very secretive and shy animals, so they are good candidates to help us answer some important questions. How well do animals hide their “emotions?” Is behavior a good indicator of an animal’s internal response? And how does their heart respond to human presence or changes in the environment?

Heart rate is a result of the balance of activity in the autonomic nervous system — the part of the nervous system that automatically controls body functions, like blood flow and digestion. When an animal is excited or stressed, the system increases its heart rate to prepare for a fight-or-flight response. If an animal is calm, its heart beats much slower. So, by tracking heart rate, we can identify if situations have a positive or negative impact.

VIDEO: Maned wolf Hope stops to stretch in her yard, with a relaxed heart rate of 57 beats per minute.

It becomes even more powerful when combined with other tools — like a daily report from animal care staff, a measurement of stress hormones from fecal (poop) samples, or a genetics report on the kind of microorganisms present in a maned wolf’s gut. These tools can inform us about levels of stress, but heart monitors can help us pinpoint the moment when stress occurs and find the cause.

How do you monitor a maned wolf’s heart?

We use heart monitors that were made for humans by Medtronic Inc, who donated the devices used for this project. The monitors weigh only 2.4 grams, and we place them under a maned wolf’s skin, over the heart area. The process is like injecting a dog with a microchip, but because the monitor is larger than a microchip, we need to make a small cut and then close it afterward with stitches. The monitor continuously senses each heartbeat or, more precisely, the electric current that comes from the heart when it beats. It records the average heart rate every 2 minutes and can last up to three years.

The heart rate monitors that we use for our maned wolves are the same monitors used for humans with heart problems. (Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute)

To read the data, we use a special computer and a handheld device that connects with the heart monitor via radio. The monitors are also equipped with a remote transmission system that can send data to a computer whenever a maned wolf rests near one of our “antennas,” which are set up near their dens.

How many maned wolves are you monitoring?

We care for 13 maned wolves at SCBI, and so far, we have monitored six of them — three males and three females. This is the first study of its kind for maned wolves, and we’ve collected more than 2.5 million points of heart rate data! Heart rates increased in response to people, restraint, loud noises (like lawn mowers) and social interactions with other wolves. Often, heart rates spiked in response to a negative experience, like being startled by the presence of a neighboring wolf in the middle of the night. They also increased when an animal was positively excited, like when a couple approached each other during the breeding season.

VIDEO: Maned wolf Caido reacted to a neighboring wolf barking in the middle of the night, and his heart rate spiked to 118 beats per minute.

How can you tell if stress is positive or negative?

A good example in humans would be the body response of two different people riding a roller coaster. While one person could be very excited, the other could be extremely scared, or even sick, during the ride. Both people might have similar spikes in heart rate, but the stress would only be positive for the person with positive emotions. Since maned wolves can’t tell us how they feel, we use their behaviors, hormone measurements, and the magnitude of their heart rate increases to tell us when their stress is positive or negative. Some wolves like the presence of a familiar human and get excited when that person visits. We call that positive stress. Others might show a similar heart rate but a totally different behavior, such as avoiding the visitor, which is negative stress.

Has anything that you have learned so far surprised you?

I was fascinated by the wide range of heart rates, and the extremes that the maned wolf’s heart can reach. The heart rate ranges we found were very different from what was previously known. When maned wolves are asleep or resting, their heart rates can drop below 30 beats per minute. But they can have a 10-fold increase, reaching up to 330 beats per minute, when they are stressed. Those extremes normally last for just a few seconds.

I’m also amazed and genuinely happy to see how technology can help us learn so much about ourselves and about animals. The footage that we capture with our trail cameras at SCBI can be inspiring, enjoyable and even poetic at times. So, it’s fascinating to also capture what is happening inside an animal while they freely move and live their lives.

For example, we have videos of a maned wolf couple fighting across the fence when they were first introduced for the breeding season. In later images, the same pair is very playful and moving around together, as if “in love.” And the best part is that the heart monitors were capturing the changes in heart rate for all those moments!

[embedded content]

VIDEO: Maned wolves Echo and Layla play together in their habitat at SCBI. In this moment, Echo’s heart rate was around 143 beats per minute, and Layla’s was about 136. They were positively excited.

How has heart rate monitoring helped support the care of maned wolves at SCBI?

Maned wolves are solitary animals, so living as a family group (parents and pups) might be stressful depending on the group’s size and how long they are together. Heart rate monitoring helped us identify that one of our male wolves was stressed while living with a female and their four pups — and confirmed that moving him to a new area solved the problem. We can also work with animal care staff to test if maned wolves respond positively to novel forms of enrichment.

VIDEO: Enrichment takes many forms. Sometimes, it’s a simple pile of leaves to pounce in. Maned wolf Fin’s heart rate increased to 158 beats per minute as he played with leaves and a stick in his yard one night.

The core of this project is the heart. As humans, we can understand that heart rate tells us a lot about our emotions and how we feel in each life situation. Since we don’t speak the “language” of animals, we need projects like this to better understand how they perceive their environments, so we can use that information to help them thrive.

How can this data support the conservation of maned wolves in the wild?

Only 3% of the natural habitat available for maned wolves in Brazil is inside protected areas. That means animals are also living in areas where encounters with humans, vehicles and farming machinery are common — and stress levels are higher. When sugar cane fields are harvested, for example, wolves can lose all their vegetation cover and food resources in less than 24 hours.

Having objective measurements of stress levels, and an understanding of where and how wolves move, could help us and land owners think about managing the land in ways that are more beneficial to wildlife. Our main goal is to become experts in the use of this technology, so we can apply it to the conservation of maned wolves and other endangered species in the wild. Studying the animals at SCBI has provided us with the skills we need, as well as the opportunity to overcome any obstacles in a controlled and safe environment.

What’s next for the Rhythm of Life Project?

This project is an excellent example of how much we can accomplish when we work as a team. We are physiologists, ecologists, biologists, veterinarians, animal care staff, students, donors, partners and more, all coming together to make this work possible. After a successful start, we’re expanding our scientific research at SCBI to other species, including eight scimitar-horned oryx. We proved that heart monitors can be safely used in maned wolves, and generated valuable information to compare with wild wolves. In 2021, we plan to start a field study with maned wolves in Brazil.

The Rhythm of Life Project was made possible with generous support from Medtronic.

Ashley Goetz is a web content writer at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, where she translates animal care research and conservation science into compelling stories. Ashley earned a bachelor’s degree in public communication with a minor in marine biology from American University. When she isn’t at the Zoo, she spends her time traveling, crocheting and watching reruns of “Parks and Recreation” with her two cats.

More From This Author »

#Nature

#Nature

[iolitewitchcraft]

@kikihollix I’ll answer these two together since they’re pretty closely related! (I also love the examples you gave because they cover almost the full range of what I'll talk about!)

The names we’re discussing here are, for the most part, varietal names. Think of crystals like plants: they have a group (genus), a species, and maybe a variety. To use two random examples, compare the naming of the Summer Damask, a variety of the Damask rose, a species of the rose genus (Rose x. damascena var. damascena), with rubellite, a variety of elbaite, a species of the tourmaline group. (Now if only minerals had a nice tidy binomial nomenclature system...)

Varietal names are assigned to varieties of a mineral, which are defined by a unique color, pattern, texture, habit, or other characteristic or combination thereof. The names of varieties usually describe this characteristic that makes them unique. Ruby is a good example of this - it’s been used for thousands of years, and originates from the Latin rubeus, meaning “red”. And sure enough, ruby is a red variety of corundum! Today, when naming varieties, we use similar methods - a newly discovered color of aventurine might be called “red aventurine”, and a red elbaite can be referred to as “rubellite”, a name which has the same Latin roots as ruby. Varieties are also frequently named after the locale in which they were discovered or the person who discovered them. 

In the past few decades, the new age movement has coined a massive number of new varietal names. These may be based on the crystal’s magical/metaphysical properties, a magical/historical/mythical figure/place/idea associated with the crystal, or often just a ~magical sounding~ word! For the most part, these varietal names are a sales tool. Amethyst is one such name that has been around for a lot longer - it refers to purple quartz’s supposed ability to ward off drunkenness. Spirit quartz is a more modern varietal name used to describe a central quartz crystal with a coating of druze, and admittedly, it’s much easier to just say “spirit quartz” than try to describe the formation! But it’s also a lot easier to SELL “spirit quartz” than it is to sell “a central quartz crystal with a coating of druze”. So yes, it’s definitely a marketing tool.

As a side note, tanzanite is another name totally born from consumerism. It’s a variety of zoisite, but it wouldn’t be easy to sell a gem with a name that sounds like “suicide”! So Tiffany & Co. chose to name the blue variety of zoisite “tanzanite” after its country of discovery, giving it an “exotic” feeling that would help it sell better.

Spectrolite, on the other hand, is a flowery-sounding name that actually does describe a particular “grade” of labradorite. The name spectrolite was coined in the 1940s-1950s for labradorite with a dark grey or black bodycolor and especially vibrant labradorescence, typically from Finland. This combination of dark background with bright spectral colors is very desirable in labradorite, so using the varietal name “spectrolite” is a quick way to communicate that the labradorite in question is of good quality.

To give a few more examples of names describing quality, I’ll turn to the world’s two most precious gems: diamonds and jade. Diamonds haven’t always been graded on today’s D-to-Z color scale. Today, diamonds in the “white” color range are assigned a letter grade (or a number depending on the lab) that quickly and precisely describes the presence or absence of color, with the highest grade, D, being completely colorless, and the lowest grade, Z, being quite obviously yellow. But this scale is quite recent - and before, diamonds were described with names such as “river”, “top crystal”, and “Wesselton”. These names were also to communicate the color of the diamond, but it’s a headache trying to remember which name means what (just try guessing which of those is considered the best)!

Jade, however, doesn’t have a convenient letter-grading scale. I won’t claim to understand the finer points of jade grading at all - it’s something that is deeply a part of East Asian culture. While technically accessible to us in the West, the intricacies of grading and the cultural significance of jade are difficult to understand (and you’d probably need a solid grasp on the Chinese language to even begin to do so). However, there are names that have translated to English to communicate different colors and qualities of jade, the most widely known being imperial jade, the very highest quality of jadeite. Other such names include lavender, ice, mutton-fat, moss-in-snow, and melon jade. 

In the above cases, I think the different names assigned to all these stones are totally acceptable - they’re used widely by people in the crystal/mineral/jewelry industries to help communicate some aspect of a stone’s appearance. The real problem is when the names become misleading (such as “smoky topaz” being used to describe smoky quartz, not a topaz at all), or when many names are assigned to a single stone (azeztulite, for example, is just plain quartz!). When this type of naming occurs, it’s entirely to increase sales of a gemstone or crystal, often deceptively. You might sell a quartz crystal for a dollar, but slap an “azeztulite” label on it and suddenly it’s worth ten (or rather, $36.99 on Amazon. Seriously, it’s there). I do take issue with these names, partly because I totally fell for them before studying crystals from a more scientific standpoint, and I know a lot of other folks do too.

[scenariosofkonoha]

Winter headcanon for Shino and Kiba with their s/o, thank you in advance!

Hey Anon! Sorry for the wait! Thank you for the ask. I’m glad I got to write something seasonal for these two. They are a little short I hope you don’t mind and I really hope you like it! ~ Admin Little Lace 🎀

Shino

Shino loves the outdoors. When given the choice he’d rather but outside in the clean air “experiencing the ecosystem” (his words) than shut up inside. Well…during the warmer months that is.

The resident bug expert is not a fan of cold or wet, so winter in the leaf is not his ideal time of year. This is generally when he stays inside, slowly developing a touch of cabin fever.

To combat the feeling of antsiness, he takes up reading. He can finally get through all the books his busy schedule didn’t permit him to finish. This is also the time he can catch up on his etymology studies. Taking painstaking hours figuring out the breeding patterns of a genus of beetle that will be the ultimate partner in battle.

The shinobi will likely spend all of his free time in just this fashion if someone doesn’t step in. When he was younger it was his teammates job, dragging their friend from the house with the promise of adventure. Kiba going on about ‘snow brawls’ and Hinata, gently saying how happy she would be if he came with them. But as he grew older the task fell to his S/O, forcing their lover to at least spend some time enjoying the season.

“You’ve got to get out of your cocoon sometime,” they grinned, pulling his hand. Taking Shino away from his lower study table and out of his bedroom door.

This is task is easier said than done, as Shino believes there is no reason for him to be out in the cold. But nothing gets him to leave more effectively (and stay out) than the promise of of insects.

During the winter, some insects go through breeding process or metamorphosing. Ergo the perfect time for the bespectacled nin to  collect new  specimens that will be ready to reproduce in the warmer months.

His partner, simply happy he is leaving the house on his time off, does their best to assist him in finding the larvae and eggs. Sure…it isn’t a “traditional” winter activity, but to see his face brighten as he explains the genus and species of each of their finds, warms their heart.

“They should be fully grown by spring, these beetle can build an immunity to poison,” he said holding out a naked hand to them, the small ridged beetle perched on his finger tip.“Guess there little guys are helpful, huh?” they said bridging the man’s digit, allowing the insect to crawl onto theirs. Shino watched as his lover smiled at their new little friend, smiling himself.

Not all of their finds around for ‘scientific’ or ‘ninja’ purposes. His S/O has watched on more than one occasion as he collected just the stray bug, seemingly alone in the snow covered forest or along the wall of a building. At their quizzical look, he simply responded.

“It isn’t their season,”

This little saying a why to state, that they don’t have much longer in their cycle and the Aburame just wants to house them for the remainder of it. During the winter the man’s menagerie filled with species of all kind riding out the winter being comforted and cared for.

It isn’t all just bug collecting and insect saving. As a reward for helping him, or he is just too happy to refuse, his S/O has been known to convince him to go ice skating. The argument of, “We’ll bundle up, it won’t be too bad,” easing him into accepting.

Shino actually has adequate balance on skates and isn’t bad at skating. But he always allows them to lead him, a clever ploy to get his lover to hold his hands as they guide him along.

“You’re doing so much better, darling,” they said skating backwards, their hand clasped in his. “Soon you won’t need me.”“I’ll always need you,” he replied honestly, watching as they blushed into their scarf.

But even the promise of warm hands encircling his can keep him outside forever. Eventually the nin will get cold and want to go back inside to get warm. His books and mountains of blankets calling his name.

Much like a moth to a flame, if a kotatsu is set up, Shino will stay under it and not move very far. Given some hot tea, he is guaranteed to be trapped for hours. His S/O, having taken him from his book long enough, will stack them on to table along with a pot of tea.

Joining in on the warmth, they cuddle up close to their shinobi. His lover’s presence is one of the few things that can distract the man from reading or studying. So the books are more often than not forgotten as the two watch the snow fall.

The two always talk to each other in hushed tones, like a lover’s secret. His partner trying to talk him into  more winter activities.

“How do you know if you won’t try?” they tease sweetly.“I’m positive snow angels don’t sound fun at all,” he answered smiling at their droopy eyes.“Ooooo~” they yawn, “Okaay~ you don’t know what you are missing~”‘

Between Shino and the heat from the kotatsu, they usually fall asleep, leaving the Aburame to his much anticipated reading.

The nin watched through dark lens as his love slept. Head lulled on to his shoulder, a soft snore escaping their lips. Easily, he turned to his book, wrapping arm around the, their head slipping on to his chest with a contented sigh.

He supposed he could learn to enjoy winter, if his lover stayed with him like this.

Kiba

Unlike his teammate, winter is the time of year that Kiba looks forward to. The snow, the holidays, snow forts, and hot pots…yes it was his season. As soon as the snow starts to stick, he and Akamaru are out the door to do play in it. And literally the very second, the man has more that once run out to embrace winter wearing nothing but his boxers.

Luckily, his S/O makes sure that everyone is properly covered before leaving the house.

“Why are you dressing him up?” Kiba asked, watching as his partner’s paws were wrapped up by his lover.“The cold could damage his hands and feet,” they spoke kissing the carefully gauzed-bound paw. Akamaru nuzzled their neck in return.“I got that, but why the scarf?”“Because we match,” his partner added a ‘duh!’ as he barked with pride.

Kiba’s S/O is the one to have them all dress in matching hats and scarves. He never thought he would be the guy to be in this kind of relationship, but their their love of winter as high as his, he couldn’t find it in his heart to take the silly tradition from them. Plus it made Akamaru happy, if the ninken’s strutting was any indication.

Speaking of the Ninken, his favorite winter past time was sledding. Something about the air whipping around his face. He had been going with Kiba since they had first been partnered up. As tradition, the large canine always sits in front, their sled perched on the steepest hill that Kiba can find. His sheer size and weight setting the speed and timing of when the three go shooting down the slope.

With his S/O sitting between and his partner, Kiba holds them close. Arms fastened around them protecting from any eminent wipe-out. With Akamaru pressed to their front, his lover is safe and warm until they eventually hit the snow bank at the bottom of the hill.

Kiba’s partner could do this a great many times without getting tired. The ninken more than capable of dragging the sled up and riding it back down the hill. The shinobi following him, each time smiling as the two fo the most important beings in his laugh squealed down the slope.

Being on the competitive side, the Inuzuka’s season is not complete without a snowball fight. As a child, he was known for how legendary his ‘Snow Brawls’ were. The little snowball fights turning into all out war on one of the training fields. It was a take no prisoners affair, casting most of his classmates and, if he was lucky, a sensei or two.

But now as an adult, getting his S/O to play was no small task. Every winter they shared together, saw them making him work for it. With each duck, nonchalant evasion and deflect, they thwarted his fun with a smile. This clever game could go on for a while, his S/O loving to give their boyfriend a hard time. But Kiba is nothing, if not persistent.

“Hello there,” his lover greeted as he wrapped himself around them. Sufficiently stalling the construction of Akamaru’s snow fort. the ninken giving his partner a sour look.“Hey,” he returned with a smile, “you’re so warm,” he cooed, sliding a cold hand under their coat and shirt slightly. The action granting him a shiver.“And you’re so cold.”“Not as cold as this,” laughter turned to a scream as the nin shoved a snowball under their shirt.“Dammit Kiba!” but he was long gone running away as he gained their attention. And a bevy of snowballs launched his way.

It is never a simply snow ball fight for Kiba. Oh no, if he is going to play, he will do it like he does everything else, like a ninja. So their simple fight begins to pick up speed as they run on roof tops, only stopping to launch their frozen ammunition at one another. Akamaru never far behind knocking down large sheets of snow on top of his friends.

As it does every year, the battle catches the attention of former classmates, teammates and friends. And like the unofficial welcoming of winter, everyone is found on a training field. Kunoichi, Shinobi, Ninken and Sensei all on the attack.

Between hailstorms of rotating snowballs launched by shadow clones, large boulder like balls falling from the sky, “mud walls” constructed from snow and strategies for victory being planned, all that could be heard was the laughing and merriment of full grown ninjas…acting like small children.

The night find soaked and freezing clothes, lined by the fire place drying. Not far a sleeping Akamaru wrapped in towels as the last of the snow melts from his fur.

The other survivors of this year’s “Snow Brawl” are underneath every blanket that could be found in the house. Kiba convincing them both to be naked because “you warm up faster that way.” His S/O in no condition to argue as they share slow kisses and laughter over the highlights of the day.

Yes, Winter was Kiba’s favorite time of the year.

#ask #naruto #naruto imagines #naruto imagine #naruto scenarios #naruto headcanon #naruto headcanons #Kiba Inuzuka #Kiba #Inuzuka Kiba #kiba imagines #Kiba Headcanon #kiba scenario #shino aburame #shino #aburame shino #shino headcanons #shino imgaines #shino scenarios #admin Little Lace

[the-faunal-frontier]

ok so first off, i greatly admire this project, you have a very sleek art style and i look forward to your future uploads. anyway, what i wanted to ask was where do you usually find your reference photos? some species such as say, the salanoia boys, who always looked the same to me are also in photos posted under both species, so i was curious how you get your depictions so accurate and unique to the individual. i'd greatly appreciate it, have a nice day :)

@cryena, thank you so much for the compliments, I’m glad you’re enjoying my drawings! Excellent question! I could write sooo much about finding reference photos, and so I will! (This is your last warning, prepare for a long post!) So, I always start out with the following when I go to draw an animal:

Wikipedia - The questionable online encyclopedia we know and love. Although it doesn’t always have the most accurate or the newest information, it’s a good place to start because it does kind of cite its information and can give me an initial idea of what the animal should look like. In addition, the length and quality of the article lets me know right off the bat if this animal is obscure. (Sidenote: There are a lot of obscure bats.)

Google Images - Another one that’s not always to be trusted but is nonetheless a good starting point; by looking at the search results of an animal’s scientific name, I can begin to understand just how well (or poorly) known a species’ appearance is.

Now that I’ve been doing this a little longer, I use the following sites a lot to find accurate pictures:

Arkive.org - An online wildlife encyclopedia

iNaturalist.org - A place where citizen scientists can share their animal sightings online

This is what I do to find photos, more or less. Of course, it’s not always so simple. The best way for me to explain it is to break the animals down into levels of difficult for you. In actuality, it’s a little more of a gradient than a hierarchy, since every species has its own special things to consider when differentiating it from other species in its taxa. Anyway, here goes:

—

LEVEL 1 - THE POPULAR GUYExamples: Gray Wolf, Red Panda, Walrus, Coyote

Everyone knows what this species looks like. No other species looks like it, and even if it did, it wouldn’t matter. It is ubiquitous. This species often has cultural significance and people take many pictures of it. For this level of animal, I can just use Google Images and it is sufficient. I don’t have to worry that I’m going to mistake another animal species’ picture for this animal. I can tell a Leopard Seal from any other seal, or a Meerkat from any other mongoose. I may still go to Arkive and iNaturalist, however, just because I know they’ll have pictures.

LEVEL 2 - THE SIDE CHARACTERExamples: Gray Fox, Guadalupe Fur Seal, Crab-Eating Raccoon

This animal is definitely no secret to science, but lacks the cultural impact of the popular species. Therefore, if there are other similar-looking or related species, there is a chance that things will get misidentified on Google Images. In these cases, I will rely more on Arkive.org or iNaturalist.org for reference. I can use the pictures I find here, along with the descriptions, as my only references; or if I find that there aren’t suitable pictures on Arkive or iNaturalist, I can take the newfound knowledge over to Google Images and look over the photos I find with a more discerning eye.

LEVEL 3 - THE WALLFLOWERExamples: Mountain Coatis, Pale Fox, Many Genets

It’s like…we know it’s a species, and we have accounts of what it looks like, but for one reason or another, no one photographed it much. In these cases, I’ll go to Arkive and pray to God that there’s something I can go by, because a lot of people get this animal’s picture wrong. Unfortunately, they may not have a page for it. I’ll go to iNaturalist as well. At this point, I can’t always count on finding live specimens of this species. I may have to use roadkill pictures, bushmeat pictures, strange taxidermy pictures…one time, I used some well-drawn postage stamps. Then I take the handful of photos I can find, and with what I know about congeneric animals (that is, species that are in the same Genus), and just run with it.

LEVEL 4 - THE STRANGERExamples: Durrell’s Vontsira, Giant Forest Genet, Hose’s Palm Civet

I have exhausted my usual sources and can count half of a hand how many pictures of this species there are in existence. Sometimes, one of these pictures is a centuries-old illustration that looks like someone found a pelt and tried to imagine the animal that it came from. Sometimes, I’m the person trying to make an animal out of a pelt, because there are only pictures of pieces the animal. Especially in these cases, research is key. If it’s a really recent discovery, I’ll look at news articles. I’ll also go to www.iucnredlist.org/ and find out who first described it as a species and look at those original studies as well as the newest molecular studies, to see what distinguishes it from other species.

LEVEL 5 - THE FACELESSEx.) Genetta letabae, Western Falanouc

There are no pictures of this species. Not even illustrations. In fact, we may not even be sure that this is a species, or perhaps we just found out. I do my best to find descriptions in recent scientific publications, look up other works by the biologists who studies these species, and use the knowledge I gained from illustrating related species. Hopefully, it’s not a shot in the dark. I’ll talk about this process more in depth in the future.

—

So, those are my strategies, but it does vary from animal to animal. For example, there are few pictures of the Aquatic Genet, and no good ones, BUT, as you saw the other day, there is one video, and thank God for it!

In the case of the genus Salanoia, S. concolor (the Brown Tailed Mongoose) was a Level 3: even though the Google Images search for Salanoia concolor looks like a collage of every brown mongoose that ever existed, when you look at the sources, you’ll find that some of them are camera trap photos made by a team that discussed their results in an article on Research Gate. S. durrelli (Durrell’s Vontsira) is a classic Level 4, with only two photos to commemorate it’s discovery in 2010 (neither of which the single caught specimen was pleased to take). I had to use those two photos to extrapolate from what I knew about the similar S. concolor. As another aside, the IUCN doesn’t recognize S. durrelli as a species yet.

Also, something I recently tried and will probably keep trying is finding someone who’s researched the animal and reaching out to them, to see if I drew it right. But that’s another post for another day.

#x #long post #the longest post #I'll have a video showing you how I handle a Level 5 someday #I don't actually use the level terminology when i draw by the way #like oh look at this level 4 species #its more like #AAAAAAAAAAAAAA WHY NO PICTURES #WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAD A SPECIMEN FOR TWO MONTHS IN CAPTIVITY #AND THERE ARE NO PICTURES #this is why we can't have nice things

[fyrapartnersearch]

The captain has turned off the fasten seatbelt sign

Hello, this is your captain speaking. We’re currently flying at the altitude where passenger planes can be spotted! One of my co-pilots is starting to disembark before landing, so I am currently searching for a craft that will carry a story on new wings!

About your aviator: My name’s Jaimie. Hi!

I’ve been flying for many years (15+) but more recently have been stationed abroad (Therefore I’m not going to dole out timezones- it scares away the passengers) all you really need to know is that outside of my flight pattern (my hobby) I have a really time consuming job (40+ hours) but fear not! Rain or shine, this plane always makes the trip! My trips are normally good for one ride a day, however, sometimes I’m willing to take a layover if the going’s good.

Age wise, I’m 27. Welp. 

You’ll notice (or not) in the tags, I clicked fandoms. Despite the fandom ‘click’ I will only use original characters (OCs ONLY). 

Let’s go over some air safety rules!

- Noted above, I only write OCs. Please don’t email me about [Spiderman x Deadpool] or whatever the kids are writing now. NO. I don’t want to role-play your fandom! Hope that clears that up.

- I only write as men. I am looking for a MxM role-play. I double often with a vast range of characters (I repeat, I this aircraft serves all kinds!). I respect your want to play any other story, do not email me saying, “I read your post, but I really like writing a female…lol is that okay?” I will politely turn you down and privately share your faux-pas with my colleagues about you not being able to read. So…hope that clears that up… 

- Please be legal age if you want to write NSFW stories. You must be 18 or older to fly unaccompanied by a legal guardian. I am an adult, I would prefer adult themes but I am not above writing SFW stories either. Let me know what you’re interested in…and your age. We can discuss limits should it be needed.

- I like to think I’m pretty friendly, I would love to talk to you! If you want to chat or be buddy buddy, cool beans friend! I’m all for those kinds of words.

- This has been peeving me for some time. Everyone always says, “I usually get dropped because x doesn’t respond/ the story dips off and I don’t know what to write/ I have no time/ I need time to think of a reply/ etc.”

I will absolutely tell you if the story is going nowhere/ let you know if I want to stop/ Can’t write anymore. Please do the same. I will not be upset and respect you more for it. I might even hit you up if you feel like the time might be right at another date. To those who have previously messaged me, please don’t re-message. It didn’t work for some reason, I see you floating around here too. To you, I say good day sir-madams! 

- Lastly, I will provide story prompts and name my character I intend on using. The plotting point of the role-play (not even the writing) is usually where I lose people…I also get the line, “What are you into…I’ll write whatever…You choose…” Well damn. I will choose. Call it, fatigue from the lack of will to be frank about what one truly wants. 

* (Character bio’s in depth will be provided to those interested in the story/character combo.)

The Flight plan (plots)

1. (Fantasy/Sci-fi/Modern) Startop or affectionately dubbed 'ST’ by his small group of companions is a botanist and lover of any kind of plant life. Working in a world filled with something akin to 'scientific magic’ people not only live along side the growing technological industry but also have discovered alchemic answers to the 'magic tricks’ in the world. As a result animal-like monstrosities have been released in this land along with anomalies in the plant life. A glorious haven for ST, he works in an old castle like building, toiling behind 'chemicals’ to enhance plants to better serve humanity. There is a 'slip up’ here and there, but nothing that can’t be swept under the proverbial rug…or burned. The quirky semi-scientist who slums it in a laboratory has never lived a life of adventure in the fantastic world around him. They say he can work magic on foliage but perhaps someone in his genus could strike up some chemistry instead.

2. (FANDOM- Love Pistols Manga) (Notice: if you have no idea what this is, please either google it or over look this prompt). After losing his best friend to another man in South Korea, Leroy is devastated. At the losing end of a love triangle, the heavyweight faces his future back in New York with disdain. The god-father to his secret love’s son and rival of his current lover. Leroy finds little joy in the time spent back home. Everyone is moving on without him and being the heir to his father’s banking company, Leroy will either face an arranged marriage in order to keep the family wheel turning or find someone to replace his previous 'Prince’. It’s tough being an Alligator in such a cold city, but maybe someone can help this reptile warm up. 

3. (Fantasy) Serbian is foremost a sorcerer but a small fact remains that he is also a demon. Demons fall in many categories in this world, some being benign, others being a threat. In this world there are humans and those who are not. Serbian falls into the aforementioned slot, which he is all too painfully aware of. Spending his time with a page held against her will, and a two tailed beast, the demon often finds himself peddling his wares to fellow demons and humans alike, forever on the move, a nomad in a mysterious continent. Yet, the humans strive to rid the world of demon-kind engineering 'aeygles’ a hybrid of human and demon kind to ward of the surmounting threat to humanity. Stifled with a secret hidden within himself, Serbian struggles to live in a chaotic world wrought with danger, aeygles, daemons, mystery, and magic. Will he succumb to the rise of humanity, or help snuff it out before the Aeygles prove to be more dangerous to both demons and humans alike?

4. (Fantasy/Slice of Life/Modern) Thad is a damn good chef. He has hit a low point however and now works in a sleazy part of town, in a run down restaurant, smack between a strip joint and a dollar theatre. This doesn’t get him down however, being a slacker is kind of his thing. When he’s not working, he spends his time in bars, drinking, or playing the bass in a punk band for kicks. The point remains however, Thad is a damn good chef. He has been for over 500 years. Though that’s pretty young in the lifetime of an imp. The world has always had a side not so often seen, and his world is nearly invisible, thanks to the OG monsters who kept things in the shadows. Life for monsters has been changing however, vampires being more lax, werewolves running amok from time to time. Still, despite this low point, it’s but a small bump in the trajectory of his so-called life. He’ll either continue on as he has been for 500 years or be thrown for a loop by whatever comes his way. But that’s the beauty of life. You never know who or what might be coming down the road. 

5. (Fantasy/Sci-fi) On the alien planet of Avis, in the Sol System- a neighbor to old Earth’s Solar System there live a species undisturbed for eons. Despite the lack of communication between others, the Harpee have thrived with their minimalist technologies, living on their harsh, jungle infested planet. Muteo, a young Harpee prince is leery of taking on his mother’s position as ruler of his people. However, with four waring factions between the Harpee, there is a little competition. With the threat of contact from other worlds looming and the choice to follow in his mother’s footsteps- what is the prince to do? Will he choose to explore these 'settlers’ from another world, or to unify his people and fight them.

There you have it folks! Grab your ticket and fall in line, we’ll be boarding soon!

I only role-play through email: [email protected] (there it is!)

Please don’t email me with no idea what you’re interested in. If you want something a little different or want to modify the stories in any way, please let me know! I’m all for the change! I am also willing to collaborate on a plot/character IF a decent story has been developed and the need arises to make another character.

#oc rp #long term #email #submission