hidden-heavens

[hidden-heavens]

So my problem with most ‘get to know your character’ questioneers is that they’re full of questions that just aren’t that important (what color eyes do they have) too hard to answer right away (what is their greatest fear) or are just impossible to answer (what is their favorite movie.)  Like no one has one single favorite movie. And even if they do the answer changes.

If I’m doing this exercise, I want 7-10 questions to get the character feeling real in my head. So I thought I’d share the ones that get me (and my students) good results: 

What is the character’s go-to drink order? (this one gets into how do they like to be publicly perceived, because there is always some level of theatricality to ordering drinks at a bar/resturant)

What is their grooming routine? (how do they treat themselves in private)

What was their most expensive purchase/where does their disposable income go? (Gets you thinking about socio-economic class, values, and how they spend their leisure time)

Do they have any scars or tattoos? (good way to get into literal backstory) 

What was the last time they cried, and under what circumstances? (Good way to get some *emotional* backstory in.) 

Are they an oldest, middle, youngest or only child? (This one might be a me thing, because I LOVE writing/reading about family dynamics, but knowing what kinds of things were ‘normal’ for them growing up is important.)

Describe the shoes they’re wearing. (This is a big catch all, gets into money, taste, practicality, level of wear, level of repair, literally what kind of shoes they require to live their life.)

Describe the place where they sleep. (ie what does their safe space look like. How much (or how little) care / decoration / personal touch goes into it.)

What is their favorite holiday? (How do they relate to their culture/outside world. Also fun is least favorite holiday.) 

What objects do they always carry around with them? (What do they need for their normal, day-to-day routine? What does ‘normal’ even look like for them.) 

[hidden-heavens]

We’ve got our eyes on you 👀

Using 3D imaging and computational modeling, researchers from The University of Western Australia, the UWA Oceans Institute, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, and MBARI compared the structure and function of the eyes of hyperiid amphipods, shrimp-like crustaceans that dwell in the dim waters of the ocean’s twilight zone. 

Hyperia has evolved eyes that keep watch on a wide field of view but can only visualize objects nearby. Phronima—commonly known as the barrel amphipod—can see well into the distance, but at the cost of a very narrow field of view. Phronima has solved this problem by evolving a second pair of eyes for wide, but poor, peripheral vision. 

Learn more about the barrel amphipod in our Animals of the Deep gallery.

Images courtesy of MBARI Adjunct Karen Osborn, Smithsonian Institution

[hidden-heavens]

Emperor shrimp (Periclimenes imperator) hitchhiking on large t-bar nudibranch (Ceratosoma trilobatum)

Photo by Alex Mustard

[hidden-heavens]

No to AI generated images, no to AI generated text, no to AI generated music, no to AI generated voices, no to AI generated games, no to AI generated videos, no to AI generated slop in all its forms. NO TO AI FUCKING SCRAPING I do not and will never consent to have my work used to train your fucking stealing plagiarism machines.

[hidden-heavens]

[hidden-heavens]

Day 17 - Strange

[hidden-heavens]

Do sharks cuddle?

THEY SURE FUCKIN DO.

many sharks are at least moderately social, and if a specific species of shark has the ability to breathe without actually swimming and tends to have a lot of sharks in a fairly small area, well.

they are just going to Pile. and there is simply nothing you can do about it.

[hidden-heavens]

Different ways Mers sleep 

by me

shhhhhhh the fishies are sleeping

[hidden-heavens]

Nautilus expedition live streams (+ their commentary) 2020 / 2021 / 2022

[hidden-heavens]

Ina-Orca and Narzual.

A small thing for mermay, fluffs bcuz I'm still vibing with them. I think it's kinda funny that their sizes would be reversed here. Idea to make them an orca + narwhal came form @hidden-heavens! Thanks!

[hidden-heavens]

Saw a brilliant post that suggested mermaids have poison sacs instead of breasts and by that logic

Merthael should have the biggest tits out of the archangels considering that he's venomous as heck

[hidden-heavens]

Cave fish time!!

Cryptotora thamicola or the waterfall climbing cave fish are extremely rare, found in only eight caves on the border of Thailand and Myanmar. Like most cave fish they are blind and pigmentless but what makes them special is there ability to cling to walls and climb up flowing water.

[hidden-heavens]

Blanket Octopus (Tremoctopus violaceus) - so unbothered they’re actually immune to jellyfish stings

Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss

📷 source: X

[hidden-heavens]

About to get myself put on a watch list again googling stuff for this AU

[hidden-heavens]

An absolutely CRITICAL part of mermaid social etiquette is to ALWAYS swim around head height with other mermaids. This prevents both mermaids from harming each other via their tails, fins, and other appendages.

This etiquette is also intended to symbolize equality – regardless of whether you’re a coastal mermaid, a small freshwater mermaid, or a 50ft tall deep sea mermaid, everybody is deserving of equal stature.

[hidden-heavens]

based off this post