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khaire-traveler · 2 days

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🌲 Subtle Pan Worship 🌿

Take a walk/hike in nature

Take regular breaks from screens; get some fresh air

Go camping out in nature; focus on the wildlife around you; look at the constellations at night

Learn how to safely forage

Get a candle that reminds you of him (no altar needed)

Keep a picture of him in your wallet

Wear jewelry that reminds you of him

Pick wild flowers; press or dry them

Start a garden; tend to a plant

Decorate your space with vines, leaves, and the like; maybe fairy lights with bugs, flowers, or mushrooms on them

Have imagery of fauns, goats, forests, meadows, pan flutes, sheep, wildflowers, or mountains around

Have a stuffed sheep or goat animal; have a stuffed animal of any forest, meadow, or mountain creatures

When you're anxious or afraid, go to the forest or to nature; spend time outside, and breathe; you will be ok

Learn about local fauna and flora

Collect animal bones from nature (please thank the animal's spirit beforehand); make sure to safely handle them; link to some safety tips when handling fleshy remains

Cook with homegrown herbs or produce

Drink a natural herbal or produce beverage; fruit juice works but has high sugar content, so just be aware in case that's an issue for you

Fall asleep/meditate to the sounds of a forest or general wilderness

Pick up trash in your environment

Support environmental preservation organizations, animal sanctuaries, or animal shelters/rescues

Feed neighborhood dogs, cats, birds, etc.

Volunteer at an animal sanctuary or animal shelter

Go outside of your comfort zone; if you're afraid of doing something, do it scared; it could work out far more beautifully than you ever imagined

Learn how to play panpipes; own panpipes in general

Light a bonfire with friends in the wilderness (SAFELY!!!!); share scary stories, especially those y'all have directly experienced

Plant seeds, especially the fruit of vegetables you've eaten; give it new life

Research coping skills for stress, fear, or anxiety; try some for yourself

Keep a dream journal specifically dedicated to nightmares; try to interpret them; what are they trying to tell you?

Explore the areas nearby you, be it nature or otherwise; acquaint yourself with the unfamiliar

Get comfortable with the concept of the unknown and uncertainty; remind yourself that you need not know everything in order for it to work out in your favor

Address the uncertainties in your life that cause you the most stress; find your own answers; topics like death, the afterlife, the long-term future, etc.

Play with your pets; spend time with them

Keep your pet healthy; feed them good food, take them on regular walks/exercise them, keep them up to date on vaccines, etc.

Do something fun and new with your partner (or alone); try something exciting or scary that you've always wanted to try

Use natural herbs and remedies to address minor health issues, such as stomaches or sore throat

Try urban exploring - the practice of visiting abandoned places, especially those that have been reclaimed by nature

Face your fears; learn to work through them

Recycle; reuse things that don't need to be immediately disposed of; use compost for your garden or nearby plants

Take time to be alone and decompress, especially after a long day

Cook a good meal for someone in need

Cook a good meal for you or your loved ones

This list still feels pretty short to me, so I'll likely add more in the future. For now, this is my list of discreet ways to worship Pan. I hope this is helpful to someone, and take care! 💚

Link to Subtle Worship Master list

#helpol #hellenic polytheism #hellenic pagan #paganblr #pagan tips #deity worship #pan deity #pan worship

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hooffuloftootsierolls · 1 month

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The “Michael and Lucifer are brothers” came other media having the two be twins. Especially the Netflix Lucifer tv show and the DC comics by Neil Gaiman that the tv show is based on.

Someone giving me an excuse to blabber on about my thoughts and ideas? That only happens in my daydreams! Also I just realized it's spelled Michael not Micheal oop-

I feel like everything can be traced back to Neil Gaiman in someway. Thank you Mr. Gaiman, for giving me more goofy but sad angels.

I haven't seen The TV show or the DC comics, but just the idea alone of these two being twins was enough to make me flesh out Michael's personality and the relationship between the two.

Just kidding : ) Michael wouldn't question Sera, he obeys orders with a morbidly unquestioning loyalty.

I imagine that Michael was the more responsible one, and would try to discourage Lucifer's ideas and dreams, but Lucifer tended to ignore him. Lucifer would cause some kind of havoc, and Michael would be the one to tell the angels. Luci 100% saw him as a buzzkill and a tattletale, and Michael knew his brother was a safety hazard with wings, but I think they still loved eachother.

Which is why it would both break them to have Michael be the one who battled Lucifer and forced him into Hell. Lucifer felt horribly betrayed, and Michael would have been trying to cope with the fact that he drove his own brother out.

I have many ideas for them, so little time to write :(

#It took me so long to make Michael look right in that last panel that it’s not even funny I was so frustrated-#HE STILL DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT BUT IT'S BETTER THAN BEFORE #ALSO ALSO!!#I think that Michael likes ducks just as much as Lucifer does!#One of the only things that can make him smile. he's got a face of stone #And I gave him an animal nose because Charlie got that from somewhere :3 also Luci is more goat-like while Michael is more sheep-like #I feel like I should mention neon-ross as well #because I've seen a bit of their Michael art and I believe they're on board with the twins headcanon as well #ok have to do homework :( maybe I'll talk more about good ol Tunahair later #hazbin hotel #lucifer hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel lucifer #lucifer morningstar #hazbin lucifer #lucifer hazbin #lucifer #archangel michael #michael #hazbin hotel michael #michael hazbin hotel #michael hazbin #hazbin michael #hazbin #hazbin hotel fandom #my art #hooffulofdoodles #ask #ramblingovertootsierolls #pssst- Michael has a duck named Lu and nobody asks because they know he's coping #tunahair my horrible son

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duncanor · 1 year

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Not to be insane on main but-

I don’t fuckin’ know why both of these Wolf&Lamb themed movies fit them BUT SOMEHOW THEY DO

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trickstarbrave · 1 year

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i am still playing around with lighting lol. its also been a minute since i drew a guy covered in blood so i gotta filling my quota

trying to find jewelry in skyrim that doesnt suck is hard let alone atmoran stuff. all i can find is armor. bethesda is killing my archaeologist ass only ever showing armor and weapons and the most basic implications of agriculture. i am dying here to see more every day clothes, how fabric is made, and more jewelry variations esp through time. so i just made up my own torc inspired by what i see in atmoran armor with the dragon heads along w some arm bands

#alduin #skyrim #the elder scrolls #all elder scrolls lore is it is seems is gods existing and battles that happened #occasionally we will get interesting folk tales and myths that i think say a lot abt the culture #but would it kill you to show me the fucking sheep in skyrim i know they have more than goats #where else are they getting all the wool from????#theyre from a cold climate with a limited growing season ofc they have sheep #im literally begging for whiterun to feel more like a trading up too while we're at it #whatever no one cares brave just draw your dragon men covered in blood thats what this post is about #my art

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gaemms-chamois · 4 months

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introducing a new strike system on my blog

every time anyone calls ines a goat instead of a sheep under my posts they get one strike. after three strikes they get a block.

[JOKE JOKE THIS IS A JOKE I WILL NOT DO THAT]

#no one debate me on how it's kinda ambiguous with ines I KNOW TH #especially bc ursula calls her a word in chinese that means both sheep and goat. fantastic #BUT I'M FOREVER TEAM SHEEP THE SYMBOLISM IS JUST TOO GOOD DO U UNDERSTAND. SHEPE INES.#gaemms whistling #dont start on her e2 animal that could be either both sheep and goats have a lot of breed variety and thus many face shapes #iirc the most defining trait to differ between sheep and goat head is something with the lips and that e2 points to neither #hehe little lamb

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rambrandt-the-painter · 1 year

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Sometimes I forget that people on this site aren't from the country and don't really understand the difference between goats and sheep

#sheep are usually the ones that vary with the horns #where the rams (males) have larger horns than ewes (females)#i don't know if i have seen goats that have hirns that vary between male and female

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painted-fanbird · 1 year

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Frasa and Skelspyn finally took Witherly to go meet Afanen’s flock and she is having a bonding moment with one of them XD

This is also a birthday present for my bestie @lilianade-comics!! Because she deserves it!! Happy birthday!! <3

#bird’s scribbles #magic crafts #witherly waning #we’re all going to ignore the fact that the scale on that lofty wool is super off #I got it into my head the lofty wools are the size of goats #I also forgot that most goats are actually normal sheep sized and not mini #so uhhh this one is just a jumbo lofty wool #Afanen doesn’t know how it happened either XD

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bitchfitch · 1 year

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I need to sleep B4 work but I'm riled up about fish again, tolerate me for a bit, whoever popularized bare bottom tanks should go to hell forever.

Bare bottoms are the norm for quarantine and hospital tanks bc there's a non zero chance of you needing to bleach those in the near future. (and also bc it makes treating certain microbial and parasitic infections easier.) They're not recommended in any other setting because they are worse for the fish in basically everyway.

They provide nowhere for a microbiome to establish within the tank, and thus the entire tank is reliant on what the filter and its bioload can do. and unless you have some Monstrous turnover, what your filter can do to stabilize water quality in the tank is basically nothing without an established and healthy biome in the tank proper.

Bare bottom tanks are also usually devoid of anywhere for the fish to hide. there's no where for them to feel secure. Without enrichment from ideally real plants rocks and wood or synthetic decor thats made to allow the animals to express their natural behaviors you end up with critters who are under stimulated and over stressed.

That stress of being exposed in an empty box plus the stress on their bodies from the constantly fluctuating water quality will drastically shorten their lifespans and make them suffer a bit more everyday as the stress causes progressive organ failures.

#stress in humans is uncomfortable im the short-term and lethal only in extreme amounts over a long period of time #(not counting suicides or other causes of death)#in fish its an immediate threat to their lives that causes actual visible damage to their bodies. You can see the worst cases with #the naked eye during a necropsy. or a microscope for the more mild ones #chronic inflammation of the muscle tissue. areas of burst vessels that look like bruises but they're Inside the body with no trauma #organs being malformed or incorrectly sized #Just bc it doesn't bark doesn't mean it cant feel pain #fish are all like sheep or goats or parrots. if they're feeling bad they will do Everything in their power to hide it until it kills them #and even when they arnt its Really hard for humans who dont have specific training to know what to look for bc like #they're fish. they express themselves so differently from us its hard to Read them the way we sometimes can another mammal

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argothiathedreamer · 2 years

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thinking about that ‘weirdest foods by state’ post and I will defend Provel cheese even though I don’t particularly like cheese in and of itself.

It’s just cheese, ya’ll. It ain’t even close to the weirdest kind of cheese in the world

It’s just cheese.

Chislic is just red meat on a stick?????

Whoever made that graphic was weeeeeeird.

#people are really hung up on the idea of eating lambs as 'weird' but like meat is meat #humans have been eating sheep and goats for probably a heck of a lot longer than we've been eating cows and pigs #Argothia's being weird again #actually you know what this time I'm NOT the one being weird #Argothia's NOT being weird this time #I was gonna say 'hot beef sundae sounds pretty weird' but then I looked them up #and they're just mashed potatoes; beef; gravy and a tomato styled to look like a sundae #and that's not weird either #it's just kinda silly and fun

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homosexualcitron · 1 month

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my mother went to the ophthalmologist in the capital and it was the neighbor????

#it's not thaaat far but it's not the closest #it's at 1 hour something like that and we're in a pretty small town.. funny #it's the one with the farm.. now that my mom know one of these people maybe they'll let me pet their sheep #and their dachshund...#i wanna see the pigs too i can't see them from my window :(( only all the birds (hens duck turkey ect)#and the sheeps and goats #+ the dogs.. i can only see the dachshund when they're outside

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imwritesometimes · 3 months

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me: I'm gonna finally try out the horse aspect of horse ranch with this sim! gonna buy her a horse! I built a barn for it and everything!

also me: check out these 6 mini sheep & goats I bought! converted the whole barn so they can live in it!

#one day. maybe. I'll play a household with a horse. but not today.#and not at any point since I've bought the pack..............#🤷‍♀️ I'm not really a horse person but I fckn LOVE sheep and goats ok. fckn LOVE. want irl. so. you know.#no horses. 8292 billion goats and sheep......#sims stuff #erin explains it all

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milquetoad · 1 year

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damn. the hits start comin and by god they don’t stop comin

#got soft fired this morning. great start !#got an email abt the class im failing from the prof like hey you were doing so well what happened so great. love it. thanks for the reminder #my one pair of uniform shoes finally shit out so now i get to squeak around my rich ppl school w duct taped shoes. feels good feels organic #and! during eval tonight chef described my cake decor as ‘just throwing shit all over it’! bro i was really proud of it lol!!#shit boi . gotta be real yall i am straight up not having a good time #my posts #vent #<- is that a good block tag for complaining. i know some ppl want to filter them #gonna look at images of goats and sheep and maybe some donkeys and or mules. to be fixed

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queenie-the-court-jester · 2 months

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Yandere farm x farmhand reader 🌾

A/n: this contains few nsfw mentions, mdni please! They're not all that yandere, just a bunch of dumb silly hybrids trying to catch their favorite humans attention. This is their intro

✩̣̣̣̣̣ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩ͯ•͙͙✧⃝•͙͙✩̣̣̣̣̣ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩ͯ•͙͙✧⃝•͙͙✩ͯ•͙͙✧⃝•͙͙✩̣̣̣̣̣ͯ┄•͙

★yandere farm x farmhand reader. I know this isn't original, but I always love the concept. Just minding your business, sweaty and hot from the sun, when suddenly a certain German Shepard hybrid starts sniffing you up and down, lapping up your sweaty skin and grinning when you swat him away. How did you end up here?

★maybe you came here for a summer job, maybe some relatives owned the farm, maybe you were always working here. Either way, it doesn't take long for the hybrids to notice you once you arrive.

★the bulls and cows watching curiously from the fields, the centaurs trying to peek from their stables, the merfolk living in the lake just down the property poke their little heads out. The dogs barking from their Little homes, and the cats watching from the windows. You couldn't help but gawk at the variety of hybrids, there were so many! Merfolk, avians, cattle, cats, dogs.

★your first week there was nice, the other farmhands were nice, and the owners were so sweet! Always speaking fondly of their pets, the old couple would watch them run in the field or play by the lake. You yourself found them a little annoying. Always sniffing, grabbing, nipping at your clothes. You've had to fight your overall bottoms free from one of the pooches one too many times. The cats were no better.

★your second week you meet the cattle and centaurs. And unlike the house cats and guard dogs, they're less handsy. Simply observing from afar. Occasionally sniffing you before nodding their heads and pulling away. Letting you do your job of combing, cleaning and fixing up them and their stables. The cattle would happily let you milk them, applying the breast pumps to the females and a cock pump to the males. You ignored how they looked at you strangely during milkings

★the third week you meet the avians. Odd little bunch, hopping around and puffing up their chests. They watched you enter their enclosure curiously, you were busy picking up their molten feathers because you thought they were pretty. So bright and colorful! Walking around bent over a little when you finally notice the peacock male standing right Infront of you. He gave you a pointed look before his tail feathers expanded. Looking prideful, tilting his chin up as if in an arrogant way. Swaying side to side and closer to you, while you just held the feathers in your hands, a little confused. He got closer until he let out an incredibly loud squawk. Turning around abruptly to glare at the cuckoo who bent down to poke his butt. The cuckoo gave you a grin before climbing back up the tree, using this time as distraction, you quickly escaped.

★on the fourth week, you meet the merfolk. Having been here a month, they were eager to meet you. Watching you walk on the dock with fish feed, eagerly Perking up and swimming closer. You shook out a good handful and chucked it out for the koi fish to eat. They swarmed the area until all the food was gone, simply staring up at you. One poked her head out, tilting it a bit and making a 'click' sound with her tongue. You mimicked her, doing the same. She seemed elated, making various whistles and clicks, splashing up and down the lake. The lake was manmade and filled with koi fish when it was finished, but then again there may be more fish not even the owners know about since it was so deep. How'd they get in there? You're not sure, but you just know it.

★on the fifth week your owners told you about how they had bought multiple sheep, and goats. One male for each group. Watching the loading truck approach the little barn they were finished building. So that's why it was there, they started construction when you arrived the first week. You helped the other farmhands get them situated, at first they were rowdy and a little aggressive but for some reason calmed down when you approached them. Your colleagues now called you the sheep whisperer. You quickly learned how to shave their wool and milk the goats properly. Sometimes braiding their long hair, you just wish the ram would stop headbutting the nearest male colleague for your attention.

★On your sixth week, you went for a walk in the forest when suddenly a little body of fluffy fur tackled you, growling with it's teeth barred. You looked up to see a Pomeranian hybrid, trying it's best to look intimidating. Their fluffy tail gave them away, it was wagging 100mph. They visibly deflated when you reached up a hand to pet them, letting you for A couple minutes before getting off. Walking back into the woods towards three wolves. Dissapearing with them. Not soon after you found a friendly garden naga. Just lounging on a rock and enjoying the sun. You asked to join and they let you, laying there for a good while until you had to go back to the farm. Noticing they had wrapped their tail around you, oh boy. It'll take a good while to get out. Welp, might as well make yourself comfortable and wait for the dogs to come find you

•°. *࿐ ⋆ •°. *࿐ ⋆ •°. *࿐ ⋆ •°. *࿐ ⋆

HYBRIDS AND THEIR NAMES:

Week one, cats and dogs;

Brutus, dog hybrid, 18, German Shepard, he/him

Dolly, dog hybrid, 26, doberman, she/her

bladviba, dog hybrid, 25, black Russian terrier, he/him

Molly, dog hybrid, 17, chow chow, she/her

Sweet pea, dog hybrid, 17, samoyed, they/them amab

bubba, dog hybrid, 37, borzoi, he/him

Princess, cat hybrid, 18, ragdoll, she/her

Prince, cat hybrid, 19, Norwegian forest cat, he/him

King, cat hybrid, 27, Khao manee, he/him

•°. *࿐ ⋆ •°. *࿐ ⋆ •°. *࿐ ⋆ •°. *࿐ ⋆

Second week, cattle and centaurs;

Miss bené, cow hybrid, 49, white park cattle, she/her

Miss blackberry, cow hybrid, 22, Aberdeen Angus, she/her

Miss Polly, cow hybrid, 26, Aberdeen Angus, she/her

Miss frufru, cow hybrid, 28, Aberdeen Angus, she/her

Miss Vivian, cow hybrid, 35, Aberdeen Angus, she/her

Big daddy, bull hybrid, 52, Aberdeen Angus, he/him

Johnny, bull hybrid, 18, Aberdeen Angus/white park cattle, he/him

Jacqueline, centaur, 19, shire horse, she/her

Timothy, centaur, 21, galineers cob, he/him

maya, centaur, 17, fjord horse, they/them

Casper, centaur, 23, ardennais, he/him

miguel, centaur, 18, Andalusian horse, he/him

harmony, centaur, 25, Breton horse, they/them

•°. *࿐ ⋆ •°. *࿐ ⋆ •°. *࿐ ⋆ •°. *࿐ ⋆

third week, avians;

Sydney, avian, 22, cockatoo, they/he

Evangeline, avian, 19, peacock, she/her

Gabriel, avian, 20, peacock, he/him

fajarah, avian, 24, indian ring necked parakeet, she/her

Foolish, avian, 26, owl finch, he/him

simon, avian, 28, tyto alba, he/him

•°. *࿐ ⋆ •°. *࿐ ⋆ •°. *࿐ ⋆ •°. *࿐ ⋆

Fourth week, merfok;

tancho, koi fish merfolk, 19, tancho koi, he/him

kiko, koi fish merfolk, 19, kikokuryu koi, she/her

hime, koi fish merfolk, 19, hirenaga koi, she/her

Tsu, koi fish merfolk, 19, doitsu koi, they/them

koromo, koi fish merfolk, 19, koromo koi, he/him

Mason, lake 'monster' (crocodile), 20, freshwater crocodile, he/him

•°. *࿐ ⋆ •°. *࿐ ⋆ •°. *࿐ ⋆ •°. *࿐ ⋆

Fifth week, goats and sheep;

Sally, goat, 25, angora goat, she/her

Opal, goat, 24, Tennessee fainting goat, she/her

Sasha, goat, 26, australian cashmere goat, she/her

kim, ram, 23, dutch landrace goat, he/him

Poka, sheep, 19, Valais black nose, they/them

Juniper, sheep, Valais black nose, she/her

violet, sheep, 18, harri, she/her

azucar, sheep, 17, Columbia sheep, she/her

Wehrner, ram, 21, American black belly, he/him

•°. *࿐ ⋆ •°. *࿐ ⋆ •°. *࿐ ⋆ •°. *࿐ ⋆

Sixth week, the forest creatures:

roxy, wolf hybrid, 19, grey wolf, she/her

Silas, wolf hybrid, 21, grey wolf, he/him

Milo, wolf hybrid, 20, albino Grey wolf, they/them

Kiki, dog hybrid, 18, Pomeranian, they/them

Coachella, naga, 27, garden snake, they/him

•°. *࿐ ⋆ •°. *࿐ ⋆ •°. *࿐ ⋆ •°. *࿐ ⋆

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shadydays047 · 3 months

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GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY I FEEL FANTASTIC

Uncommon therians + otherkin should like totally interact with this so I can go

WOAH A _____ INTERACTED WITH MY LIL TUMBLR POST!!!!! THATS SO COOL!!!!!!!

I love seeing all the different creatures on here :3

Common ones too!!! I'm a hyena and a doggo, so i fall on the common side lolz theres like 17 of us yeens here on tumblr

All the doggos and wolfies and yotes can awoo together

And I say hello to all the cattos and compliment your pretty colors and patterns and soft pawbs

And I stare at fellow yeens nervously with love because I haven't been a wild yeen in a very long time and i want them to like me

And I smile and wag my tail at the foxxos and ask if they wan play

And I lay down and wag my tail at deers bc I dont wan be threatening

And I stare at dragons and angels with anxiety questioning if I am allowed to speak to such a beautiful creature

And I vibrate at sheeps and goats struggling to not ask to herd them

And I sniff bunnies and opossums and groundhogs and other rodent friendos because I wanna know about your lil guy adventures

And I stare at that one peepy on here with sheer joy because I never saw a talkin peepy before

And I politely bring bears some berries or fish in request for friendship

And I say hello to horsies and wonder why that zebra had no stripes

And I wag my tail really really hard at cattle and say hello moomoo frens

I LOVE YOU ALL WAAAAA

#otherkin #therian #therianthropy #otherkin positivity #long post #therian community #otherkin community

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wp100 · 2 years

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yknow i have been feeling very sentimental lately. i do miss the simpler days of being a kid and not having a worry in the world

but, i also like experiencing things as an adult. i appreciate things more now, because i know my time is precious now. and i have a more developed brain so i guess i have a different perspective now compared to 10... hell even like 3 years ago.

#ive changed a lot over the years #i think moving has changed me as well #it's not a bad thing #it's definitely for the better #i couldn't have it any other way honestly #ramblings #though i do miss family and friends #we dont have any fam/friends down here #which kinda sucks but i guess that also means we can try n make connections down here #try n make local connections.. again #a lot of our friends and family live where we used to live #or hours away from us #and they have to give up a few days or a week just to visit us #which means...that wont happen often sadly #trying my darndest right now to get my mentor to meet my parents #because we may be in need of his services one day once we get sheep and maybe goats lol #also he' a cool guy. all these ppl in this program are cool #i dont wanna just. Leave them without ever adding them somewhere or something idk #im sick of not trying to like. idk. keep in touch with ppl over the years #i know ppl come and go but it's been happening for years now

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hybbart · 2 months

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Day 2170: Jimmy makes the mistake of searching for their missing goat...

Short story below

It started with a head count of the sheep, when Jimmy realized three were missing. Three sheep and one obnoxious ruddy goat he never seemed able to shake no matter how early in the morning they took off or how distracted it was when they did so. They weren’t his sheep. For all he knew, Bigb had come along and taken them to slaughter (Three at once was far too much for their flock) or for shearing (there weren’t any that needed shearing). But the stupid goat missing even when Jimmy placed himself in prime headbutting position right in front of the manure stall was too strange to ignore. So, he went on a search.

The first thing he should have done was tell Tango. Jimmy wanted to, but it had been over a week since he saw the man before dinner. Besides, there was no way to know if he was somewhere Jimmy could reach. They let Tango have free reign so he could work, but without Bigb’s escort Jimmy’s movement within the so-called kingdom was limited. So, he stupidly wandered off alone after his work, straining his flight muscles to do so. No one told an avian where they could go.

He heard the ear splitting scream first. Distressed bleats, drowned out by the shuffling of feet and groans of the dead. It led him to the edge of Ren’s kingdom, beyond reinforced fences. Stubbornness more than anything flew him over it. The stupid goat screamed again, echoing through the buildings that were growing in height. It was coming from the overpass.

A ruddy face poked over the rail, and then screamed at Jimmy. “You wretched little beast, what are you doing?” He shouted back at it. Jimmy could hear them above, dozens if not hundreds of stumbling steps just out of sight, and the terrified bleats. He sprinted up the walkway. Just grab the stupid goat and run.

Then he tripped. Over what he never saw, something that seemed like it hadn’t been there. But he tripped nonetheless, and he went face first into the pavement. Jimmy had barely pushed up off the ground, ready to yell at the goat standing only a few feet ahead for causing him so much trouble. Then the ground exploded. Instinct pulled him into the air, but he was too caught off-guard to fly and only tossed himself up further. At least he wore his coat, or his arms might not have any skin left from how far he skidded across the pavement.

The world spun. His ears rang. Something snapped its pus and algae-coated jaws right in Jimmy’s face. He stumbled back into the stupid goat. Zombies. A whole pack. They completely surrounded them, held back only by feeble makeshift barriers that were already starting to collapse. The sheep trotted about, searching for an escape that no longer existed. It only riled the zombies further.

Of course this was how he would die. The world ends and he finds paradise with his rancher in the middle of it all for a few years, only to have it burnt out from under him and get torn apart alone in a city street anyways. He hated that stupid goat so much.

A rattle and crack. The first barrier fell. Zombies roared to life, shoving each other so they might get to Jimmy first. He tried to flutter away but the ground was suddenly above him and his wings slapped uselessly against a rail. In the far distance beyond the ring of his bones and blood in his veins he thought he heard his name.

The world went dark, then exploded. Once there was a zombie reaching out for him and then there was blood-splattered ivory. The force with which the spikes locked together created a gust that knocked Jimmy and the surrounding zombies onto their butts. They slowly drew apart, serrated edges grinding away what little flesh had not popped like a rotten egg. In the brief moment the rest of the zombies were stunned an enormous paw slammed down, crushing several zombies beneath.

Jimmy stared up in stunned silence as a form loomed over them. A great beast of a dog, if the dog’s ribs and shoulders had been replaced with human bones and forced into something vaguely reminiscent of a human chest under all the canine musculature. Limbs extended for bipedal motion bent into a quadrupedal position.

Existence look painful, in so many ways. It took it out on unaware zombies. They clawed and bit at its flesh but they were little more than fleas, lacking even the strength to penetrate its thick hide through all its fur. The beast let them, so focused on tearing others apart.

One zombie dragged its half-body all the way up its muzzle, reaching for its eye. Then its head was gone. Tattered remains of its skull splattered across the beast’s cheek while an explosion burnt Jimmy’s ears. A second shot, right through its chest, and the corpse fell away while the beast howled a too-human noise.

“Jimmy!”

“Stop, don’t go up there!”

Jimmy’s ears twitched at the familiar voice of his rancher through the ringing, accompanies by Skizz’s voice. His head swivelled behind him, where the back half of the beast’s body hung off the side of the overpass. A single set of black claws clambered over its back. Jimmy let out a distressed whistle, the most his numb body could do in that moment, when Tango leapt across the gap onto the sidewalk and nearly smacked face first into railing. He recovered quickly in his panicked state, eyes wildly searching until they landed on Jimmy and he bolted towards him. “Jimmy, are you okay?!”

“Are you okay.” He repeated back thoughtlessly, reaching out for his rancher as he collapsed beside the avian. “What-”

There was another roar. The beast moved above them. Both ducked into one another. A paw the size of the abandoned cars swatted at a patch of zombies. Panic began to truly set in. Tango’s terror was palpable and soaked through the shock until Jimmy’s wings beat against the concrete. Fly, far away.

“Hey, you jerks!” Skizz landed on the road behind them, grabbing at the stupid goat before it could ram him. “Stop messing around and let’s get outta here!”

They scrambled to their feet, not needing to be told twice. Jimmy almost asked about the goat before he saw it bounding ahead of them like scaling a giant dog-man was typical. There was no time to relax even on the ground, as Skizz yanked them away towards a door. Bigb was already there, cautiously holding it open and trying to hold Revy back. He barricaded the doorway as soon as they were through. Another bang rang outside which Jimmy could now identify as a gunshot.

Frazzled and on an adrenaline rush, Tango pushed past Revy’s worried whines and went straight for the two men. “What the heck was that!”

“Top, buddy, calm down-”

“Don’t tell me to be calm!” He snapped as his fire prickled down his back. “What. Was that.”

Skizz and Bigb glanced at each other warily. “This isn’t exactly how we wanted to tell you guys.” Bigb scratched the back of his head.

“Well, too bad. We’re not leaving this room until you do. That hing nearly squishificated my rancher!”

“Is that what the sheep are for?” Jimmy’s voice came out airy and high, still gasping for breaths. He could feel his heart pounding in the veins of his neck. Revy practically crawled into his lap, trying to lick away the anxiousness as it bled into the poor pup. “Are you keeping something like that as some sort of zombie killing pet? Are you mad?”

Skizz let out a humourless laugh. “A pet! Don’t let Martyn hear that!”

“Shh.” Bigb chastised before taking a deep breath. “That’s not a pet, it’s Ren.”

“Ren?” Jimmy repeated in disbelief.

“It happens like once a month. He just grows and grows all day until he’s... That.”

“And he doesn’t stop until he gets tired.” Skizz interjected. His arms waved wildly. “So we- it was Martyn’s idea. We distract him with the zombies. That way he doesn’t destroy anything. We’ve cleared out half the city with him! And... And, y’know, it’s a ton of fertilizer for the gardens and stuff. It’s like a win-win.”

It was far from what Jimmy would call a win-win. They’d run into many a strange way of living after the end of the world, but this certainly took the cake. And it was one he had no desire to join in on. “We’re leaving.” He declared bluntly, finally pulling himself up off the floor. Tango gave a firm nod as well, joining his rancher’s side.

“You’re not going anywhere.”

It was Martyn, rifle in hand and pointed directly at the ranchers. They huddled together.

“Martyn, c’mon.” Skizz tried to defuse, but backed off when Martyn nudged his rifle towards him for the briefest moment.

“We had a deal. You get your stuff back and then you help us fix the farms. You owe us.”

Jimmy gaped. “You set us up! Don’t think I don’t know!” Out of the corner of his eye he saw Bigb flinch, and that was all Jimmy needed to know he was right on the money. “We aren’t gonna live around that thing!”

But Martyn didn’t back down, glaring daggers into them. “Ren can’t help what he is. You got a problem with us making the best of a bad situation?”

“I have a problem with you not telling us one of you turns into a giant murder dog!”

“You wouldn’t have even known if you didn’t go snooping where you shouldn’t!”

“Well, forgive me for not trusting the people with a huge zombie pit who tricked us into being here in the first place!”

“Okay, let’s calm down.” Skizz finally interjected. He paused, waiting to see if they would comply. Jimmy wanted so badly to continue yelling. If it weren’t for them they’d be out on the road still instead of here. They wouldn’t have burnt through so many supplies trying to look for their animals. Jimmy wouldn’t have nearly suffocated several times between the separation and getting their stuff back. Tango would still have his prosthetic intact instead of struggling through the work they pushed onto him one-handed just to earn some scraps.

Martyn finally lowered his gun, glaring at the wall instead of them now. “This is exactly why we didn’t tell you. What else are we supposed to do? If you’re going to be annoying about it at least blame me, Ren’s been nothing but accommodating. You could at least return the courtesy.”

“Accommodating?” Jimmy squawked, wings flared against the ceiling. “Tango hasn’t had a day off in a week, it’s like you’re intentionally not giving him any time to work on rebuilding his arm!”

“Jim.” Tango murmured, voice wary. Jimmy knew what he would say. We’re outnumbered, they have a gun, I still need an arm, you’re not recovered you need to calm your breathing, there’s still a giant dog tearing everything apart outside. All of the many very valid reasons not to pick a fight here and now. Jimmy didn’t want to hear them out loud. He wanted to scream.

Bigb’s the one to step forward. “Look I think we’ve all just... gotten off on the wrong foot!”

Jimmy bristled. “The wrong-”

“If it’s information you want, I think we can give you that. Right?” Martyn looked ready to protest, but Skizz hurriedly nodded in agreement before he could speak up. There was a crash outside that sent Martyn running to his king’s aid, muttering something aggressive over Bigb’s shoulder before he stormed out. “Right. But maybe we should move this somewhere else while we talk?”

The ranchers shared a look. There was nothing Jimmy would prefer more than to tell them to shove it and run off, but Revenge’s whine reminded him they still had their stuff scattered about the kingdom. Tango gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “... Fine. But anymore threats and we’re out of here!” He snapped between gasps. Breathing was becoming difficult.

Skizz and Bigb agreed, solemn as they navigated the group back to the rec building. The closer they got to the more of Ren’s subjects appeared, going about their day, wilfully oblivious to the groans and roars that still vibrated in Jimmy’s ears.

What mess had they stumbled their way into?

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