#I do feel like an animal in a zoo enclosure but I'm good with it

[d0vely]

My eyes and nose have finally stopped constantly running. Like, I can breathe and my mood is stabilized. All my disregulation gets amped up alongside the pain. I try to tune everything noisy out when I'm in "the bad place" mentally, but it can be a struggle.

Anywho I hope my little dash is okay and I am sure I have definitely enriched the environment of all 20 of my followers.

[crplpunkklavier]

there is something to be said about how i really barely feel disabled anymore once i'm in a truly accessible space. because the space is no longer disabling me.

so, we went to see the @montereybayaquarium for our honeymoon. we didn't make it through the whole aquarium on our first day, so we went twice. on day 1, i came to the ticket desk with my cane and said i'd like to have a wheelchair. on day 2, i didn't bring my cane, and once again requested a wheelchair. there was absolutely no difference in the employees' reactions: i didn't have to ~look disabled~ to be immediately met with a nod, and a wheelchair that 1) was my size and 2) i was able to move myself.

this is going to seem like a list of things that clear a very low bar, and i suppose it is. but i have been to bookfairs that attempted to take my cane from me because they didn't believe me i needed it, as if cane users carry cane prescriptions around with them (NOT A THING.), and who only let up when my friends and i explained to them (not reminded. explained) that what they were doing was illegal. the cologne zoo only has visitor wheelchairs that can be pushed by a companion, not wheeled by the user themselves. the art museum needs me to bring my own. so, you see where i'm coming from.

the aquarium was fully accessible. (at least for me as an ambulatory wheelchair user - i of course can't speak for people with different disabilities.) there was no exhibit i was cut off from by stairs, because all of them either had reasonable ramps (not too steep), or elevators that were quick and roomy enough not to make me feel like i was missing out. every exhibit was at a height/level that someone sitting down could still see. some of the active touch exhibits (like getting to pet certain animals or feel kelp) were trickier, but staff always came forth unprompted to ask me (not forcibly, just ask) if i could reach everything okay, and if i couldn't, they leaned down and over to help me get where i wanted. there was a walk-through bird enclosure where a staff person followed us, and explained that the doors need to open and close somewhat quickly, so she'll just stay around us while we're there, and as soon as i'm ready to exit through the door i was to let her know. she was fully in the background while we were in there, and at no point did i feel like i was under any pressure to get out soon, or like i was inconveniencing her.

literally the only difficult thing about going through the aquarium with a wheelchair was that at the very end of the day we weren't entirely sure where to give it back. the only difficult thing about going through the monterey bay aquarium with a wheelchair was getting rid of the wheelchair!

am i just advertising the monterey bay aquarium in this post? maybe. yeah. they're good in general and i'll give them as many free ads as i want. they were just also a really good example for accessibility that made me feel like a completely normal aquarium visitor. like i wasn't disabled, because the place enabled me to visit it.

and it's on my mind now that i'm back home in germany, because yesterday i had to take a train from a station that had me crawl up 4 flights of stairs with a cane and a suitcase around crowds of people that didn't help. and it wasn't that the elevator was broken or anything. it's that plenty of train stations even in large cities like cologne simply are not accessible for anyone who can't climb stairs.

and the aquarium was a good example for how it's not just things like ramps and available wheelchairs that are necessary, but how their staff also clearly knew what they were doing. there is an etiquette to learn for people who had never worked with disability before (you will at some point!), and they'd learned it. my needs never stumped them. and i got to spend my honeymoon feeling like an easy customer and only ever weeping because i got to see the ocean.

[4ttack-ur-heart]

rec:

connie x y/n date at the zoom🦙

Lions & Polar Bears

Pairing: connie x gn! reader

Summary: You and Connie go on a cute date to the zoo.

Genre: Fluffy af

Warnings: none

authors note: glad I am finally posting this. It's been in my drafts for months and wanted to send it out earlier, but writer's block and a bit of seasonal depression hit and I wanted to end it good.

okay and ngl, towards the end it’s really fluffy and totally cringe and cliche so I’m excited. also i'm pretty sure I used only gender neutral terms in regards to the reader, but if you catch something I missed just lmk :)

——— he's literally adorable-

“Babe, look at the wolves!” Connie gushes out to you and grabs your hand.

He’s been dying to go to the zoo lately, so he was ecstatic when you bought the tickets online to surprise him. Apparently it was the best gift you could’ve gotten him, as Connie turned into a kid going to Disneyland for the first time.

“I see, baby.” You smile at him and link your arms with him. A few people surrounded you, but thankfully you took a day off of work so it wouldn’t be as crowded as it would on a weekend. “What do you wanna go see see next?”

He hovers over your shoulder, glancing between the park map and the wolf enclosure. “The elephants are near by. Can we go see them?”

“Of course.”

Your local zoo was a popular tourist spot since it was also a rescue center for the animals, thankfully not just some poor creatures behind a steel fence.

It was pretty humid unfortunately, but you and Connie prepared. Both of you were twinning with a couple anime t-shirts and shorts with a pair of sunglasses.

He dragged you through the park, hand desperately clutching onto to yours in hope you’ll match his speed. “C’mon, slowpoke. Don’t make me carry you.”

“If you do in front of all these people, you can sleep with the polar bears tonight.”

“What’s the difference?”

He earned himself a light smack to the back of his buzzed head.

————

It was around noonish by the time your stomach started growling. Between the sun, the humidity, and walking, plus the water bottles you stored in your little backpack were rapidly declining.

“Baby, we should find somewhere to eat real quick.” You tell him as the smell from the food stands started to waft in your nose.

“Weak.” He replied.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Most people don’t survive off of Oreos and a redbull.”

“Ugh, fine- whatever Mom.”

Connie laughed at the glare you sent his way. He wasn’t wrong though. He sure acted like a kid rather than an adult, but his goofy personality was what you liked about him. “Okay, okay, what do you want to eat?”

After various glances between the different food stands, you both decided on getting burgers, which made your stomach growl even more.

Connie came up behind you and placed a hand tenderly on your stomach, “Hey quiet that thing down, it’s gonna attract the animals.”

“Sorry, my handler hasn’t fed me yet.” You let out a giggle as Connie places a small kiss on your cheek.

“Let’s go, babe.”

————

After a good meal of overpriced food, the hiking up the many hills of the zoo were no match for you two.

“You liked the elephants?” You asked and swung your clasped hand with his. He’s been in a great mood all day and you couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride in yourself that you made the right choice in buying the tickets.

“Yes, you’re the best,” He gave you a kiss. “What do you wanna see?”

A confused look took over your face and your eyebrows raised from behind the lenses of your sunglasses.

“Uhh, it’s only like 2:00 pm…” You tell him. “Why do you think I spent the night at your place? I made sure I was going to wake your ass up early, babe. We’re gonna see everything.”

Connies brain felt like it was short-circuiting.

“You okay? You look liked you’re about to faint.”

His hand squeezed yours in response and he nods, a small tint of pink staining his cheeks. “Yeah.” He let out a small chuckle as you started dragging him toward the lion exhibit. “Never been better, actually.”

“C’mon! They have a show soon, let’s go watch.”

———

“This is Mila,” The zookeeper’s voice rang through the small headset from atop a podium. “She’s a lioness who was rescued from poachers about five years ago. We got a call from a rescue organization out there and we managed to send a team out to safely get her and her cubs out.”

The lioness sat comfortable on top of the large rock platform. Her eyes scanned the crowd of guests before sharply shifting her gaze to her cubs. The two smaller lions started nipping at each other playfully, definitely putting on a show for the crowd.

“They’ve grown a lot since they’ve been rescued, but a mother never stops being a mother.” The keeper laughs as Mila starts to trek towards them. The two quickly separated, their manes bustling with movement.

A deep and almost guttural noise echoed through the enclosure. Mila and the zookeepers attention shifted to the noise.

“How exciting, it looked like our male lion, Apollo, has woken up from his afternoon nap.”

“That’s something you two have in common.” You playfully elbow Connie in the ribs.

“Ha, you think you won, but I don’t see how being compared to a lion is bad.”

The crowd let out sounds of wonder as Apollo made his appearance. The lion stood strong with his large and dark mane.

“Apollo was transferred from another zoo due to issues with mating with another lioness. We were a bit nervous when he was relocated here, since we didn’t know how he would react to Mila and her cubs.”

While Connie pretty much had a front row seat, a few people started to trickle in closer and obstruct your vision, but you didn’t mind. He looked back towards you and pulled your arm to make you move closer as the crowd started to ‘aw’ at the lions. He pushed you in front of him so you could see what was going on.

A cub slowly emerged from under Apollo’s legs. The little cub seemed skittish from all the attention, but a slight bump from Mila encouraged her to move out from Apollo.

“As you can see, the two have bonded very well and had Serene. Normally, male lions won’t really take part in raising cubs, only seeing it as a the lionesses job. They mostly add protection and watch over the pride while the mothers go out to hunt. After Serene was born, he immediately showed signs of care, which surprised us, and he always has her in his sights. Talk about daddy’s little girl.”

“Dude, that’s so cute.” Connie wrapped his arms around your front and rested his chin on the top of your head.

As the show continued, the zookeeper gave out other information about the lions and Mila’s family.

“Hey, I think it’s ending soon.” Connie’s voice whispered in your ear. “Wanna beat the crowd and go check out the llamas?”

“Whatever you want to do, Connie.”

And with that, you both snuck out and headed for the llamas.

“Holy shit, they’re fluffy.” He gaped at the animals.

“Connie, there’s kids here.” You whispered as a few parents glanced in your direction at his profanity.

“So? Take them to Disneyland then. The animals won’t censor their lives, why should I?”

You shrugged off the glares, he did have a point. The pack of llamas and alpacas were sifting past each other behind the fence. The smell was… tolerable- kinda and globs of spit dribbled down some of their mouths. You decided it was safe to keep your distance.

“Would you like to pet him?” One of the handlers asked.

“Wait- yes, can I?” Connie asked.

You quickly take out your phone and snap a few pictures of Connie with the llama. His hand gently rubbed the furry muzzle and the llama bleated a bit at the touch. It was going great, until a large thick glob of spit trailed down Connie’s wrist and down his elbow.

“Careful-! Sorry, he’s drools a lot. Here’s a tissue.”

———

After many more hours of seeing the animal habitats, the sun started to set. The warm summer atmosphere started to glow dim with dark colors painting the sky. Torches and lamps illuminated the walk ways and guests were busy trying to catch the last shows and exhibits before closing.

“Babe, let’s go to the gift shop.” Connie drags you towards the small shop, like a little kid in a toy store… literally.

The shop was filled with souvenirs ranging from magnets, water bottles, and plushies. The cute jungle theme was spread throughout the store with bamboo flooring and vines hanging from the ceiling.

It’s only been a few months of you two dating, but you’ve both have been inseparable. There was never a dull moment with Connie. Weekends could either be going to a dive bar or watching Netflix with takeout, which both of you never minded. He was also treated you like royalty too, always opening the doors, complimenting you when you’re feeling down, fuck- even tying your shoes.

Your thoughts were interrupted when Connie shoved a monkey plushie in your face. Blinking your eyes to focus, you took in it’s abnormal appearance: wide body, small head, scrawny legs.

“Look how ugly this thing is!” He laughed and tossed it back in the basket with the others.

You chuckled at him and glanced at the other plushies. An adorable lion caught your eyes and you picked it up. The soft fuzz from the mane tickled your fingers. “You’re coming home with me.”

Connie bumped into you and you both made eye contact, a light blush heating up your faces. He cradled a polar bear plushie in his hands.

“That’s the one?” You asked, your gaze fixed on the stuffed animal.

His eyes never left you. “Y-yeah.”

After paying for both the plushies, it was finally time to go home. The plushies rested under your arm as the two of you walked back to Connie’s car hand in hand.

The other families were trailing slowly to the exit with exhausted kids sleeping in their parents arms and strollers.

“Thank you for today.” He said once you two reached the parking lot.

“Of course, baby.” You squeezed his hand tighter. “I’m glad you had fun.

“Nah, like…” Connie trailed off for a moment, biting his lip. “You don’t understand.”

Your head creaked to the side in confusion. “Understand what?”

“Fuck, like other people I’ve dated in the past never really enjoyed doing stuff like this.”

He walked you to the passenger door of his car.

"The zoo? Who doesn't like the-"

“Nah, they’ve always wanted to go clubbing every night or go to five star restaurants- and like don’t get me wrong, I like to go out and get fancy once in a while too.”

“But it’s draining. Overall it wasn't what you wanted to do, was it? Plus we’re young and broke, who can afford it in this economy?” You finished for him with a giggle.

A sigh of relief escaped him. “You get it.”

Your hand reached up and swiped through his hair. “I do. Wanna get Taco Bell on the way home?”

“Dammit, how are you-”

"So perfect for me," he wanted to say. “Fuck it, Y/n, I love you.”

Your breath hitched in your throat and Connie looked like he was about to pass out- again. A warmth flooded through your body and you couldn’t help the smile forming.

“I love you too.”

He was wide-eyed. “R-really? You aren’t just saying that cause I did? It’s okay if you don’t yet- or if you never do- wait…”

A loud laugh escaped you as he continued to ramble. “Connie, I love you too.”

Connie let out a heavy sigh. “That’s a relief, the drive home would’ve just been...” He whistled lowly.

You leaned up to kiss him. “Get in the car, I’m hungry again.”

————

Connie finally pulled into the parking lot of his apartment complex. The music was playing lowly in the background and his hand never left your thigh the entire drive. Taco wrappers and hot sauce packets littered the floor by your feet and both plushies resided with you under your seatbelt so they could be safe.

“Y/n, babe, wake up. We’re home.” He gently shook your sleeping form.

A grumbled left your lips, but you didn’t stir. Connie grabbed the trash and threw it out in a nearby bin then opened your door. He reached over and unbuckled your seatbelt. The two plushies found their way into your tiny backpack which Connie reluctantly put on.

“Come on, my little polar bear.” He laced your arms around his neck and edged you off the seat. Your legs wrapped around his torso and his arm secured itself under your butt to support you. You hummed into his neck, ever so grateful he was carrying you.

“Fuck, maybe I should’ve called you a koala instead.”

-----

Taglist: @cullenswife @sad-darksoul @laylasbunbunny @kokosmiles

(Lmk if you would like to be added or removed)

[intimidating-fettuccine]

Hi ! I love what you do !

Could I have something cute with little Sally ? Or angsty of you feel like it, anything really, poor girl's underrated

I'm glad you like my stuff, and I hope you enjoy <3 Love doing some Sally stuff

Sibling Figure!Reader takes Sally to a zoo

Sally has always wanted to go to a zoo. She obviously couldn't go considering her circumstances when she was alive, but now that she's been in the care of Slender, it's just something that she's been begging to do for so long. Of course, Slender is so frequently tied up with work that he's never had the time to take her, but when you step into the picture, now Sally's dreams can finally come true.

She's a huge bundle of joy the entire time you're on the way to the zoo, and by the time you get through the front gates, she's jumping up and down and running around in excitement from how happy she is. I hope you like zoos yourself, because she's gonna want to see every single animal that's in there, and so you aren't leaving until you've made a stop at all the different animal enclosures the zoo has to offer. Despite her excitement, she's actually very well behaved the whole time you're there, holding your hand so the two of you don't get separated, keeping her voice at an appropriate volume, quietly and politely admiring the animals. If you're willing, she just might ask you if you can hold her as you walk around so she can have a better view. 

She ends up being really fond of the aquatic animals, mainly polar bears, and I can see her wanting to spend a lot of time in those types of exhibits. Gift shops in zoos might be incredibly overpriced, but if you get her a plushie of an animal she really liked it'll mean the absolute world to her, and she will love and treasure that little stuffed animal forever. She just has this air of childish wonder around her while you're walking around, absolutely amazed at the variety of animals all being kept in the same space all at once, and she finds it to be an incredible experience, everything she's ever dreamed of and more. This day is something she'll treasure and remember, just like that little stuffed animal, and it makes her happier than she can express to have someone like you willing to help her experience these things. She just hopes she can find a good enough way to thank you for it, and she'll definitely try.

[deathbypixelz]

I was going to add this to this post, but I realized I was just restating a lot of it in my own words with the occasional extra thought. But I still wanted to post this.

-----

I love birds dearly. I'm studying to become an ornithologist, and I would never own a parrot, or parakeet, or any other "exotic" bird. I simply do not have the means to provide everything a non-domesticated bird needs. Very few people do, unless they have the money, time, and space for an enclosure genuinely comparable to a zoo or wildlife center aviary.

These are wild animals. They have needs even the best zoos can't completely satisfy*. They are not domesticated. They are not built to live in people's homes. Birds, especially parrots, have intelligence comparable to people, and yet they are so different from us on such a basal level. They cannot live a good life any other way than the way they've evolved to.

*(Though they are still VERY well cared-for and captive populations are necessary to protect species from extinction. Without zoos we would be without so many more species on top of what we've already lost. That's not to mention just how far that exposure to these animals goes when it comes to stirring compassion and activism.)

They belong in their natural habitat with other members of their species. And if that can't be accomplished because of population and/or habitat loss, then at the very least in a high-quality zoo where they're treated like animals, not pets.

Chickens, doves, and other domesticated fowl are bred and built to thrive in captivity. If you want a pet bird(s), get something that's domesticated. It will actually live a fulfilling, happy life, instead of always feeling like something is deeply, deeply wrong with its life, but being unable to change it. Not to anthropomorphize TOO much, but I think a lot of us can empathize with that feeling in this modern era.

~~~~~

I've kept chickens and would so love to do so again when I have a yard again. They're delightful, and the variety of breeds available is extremely fun. Personally I recommend ameraucanas -- they have cheek fluff/"beards", they're very cold-tolerant, and lay green and blue eggs :) And they don't need extra care like Polish, silkies, or other breeds with crazy feathers that get dirty easily.

And if you're totally unfamiliar with chickens, there are two sizes of most (if not all?) breeds: standard and bantam. Standards are the big ones you're likely familiar with, while bantams are maybe half or a third the size. So if you're pressed for space, get a flock of four or five bantam hens of your preferred breed and you're golden :)

Socialize them when they're chicks and they'll adore you when they're older. They have their own personalities, and they'll turn your kitchen scraps into eggs lol (just... double check before feeding them anything that it's safe for them). A mature hen can and will lay an egg a day when she's happy and healthy (no rooster needed), which is actually another reason to go for bantams instead. Smaller eggs (~1/2 the size of standard eggs) means their output is easier to keep up with. And if all else fails, you can sell the eggs too. Fresh, homegrown eggs have better color and flavor so there WILL be demand for them.

[is-the-snake-video-cute]

how do you feel about snake discovery? I have mixed opinions on her for sure since her handling/showing off of her “””pet””” alligator Rex is. Hm. Very questionable at best

If you’ve already answered this my apologies! I hope your day is good though and I offer you a photo of my hognose, caramel!

Caramel is such a cutie! I love that last picture of her poking her head out of her tunnel especially. :)

Snake Discovery is definitely one of those channels to be wary of; they're a lot better than the worst out there but there are still some major issues to be aware of. Their handling of venomous snakes on the channel is textbook perfect and a lot of their how-to videos are good resources, but other than that, the issues I'm aware of are:

As you mention, the handling of the alligator on the channel has been extremely irresponsible. Treating an alligator as a pet at all is dangerous, and it's irresponsible to take an alligator out in public and handle them without their mouths taped. I think their handling of the alligator has gotten better based on what I've seen, but it's still something to be aware of.

The enclosures are a big one. I understand that breeders have to think of space, but the animals' welfare should always come first. The rack systems on the channel have gotten better, and the zoo enclosures aren't bad at all, but I still think the enclosures on the channel could use a lot of improvement.

They tend to cut eggs too soon. Egg-cutting often boils down to just impatience, and that's what I see in their videos. It's not dangerous, but it also isn't necessary and it's always better to let babies hatch at their own pace. I'd only ever recommend cutting eggs if they're past the due date or if all the eggs have pipped but one - in both cases, you can be confident in guessing something's wrong and the baby needs help.

Those are the big things I'm aware of. Like I said, far from the worst out there, but as with any one resource, I always recommend taking the channel with a grain of salt and doing your own additional research before taking any advice you see on the channel.

[samstwilightzone]

It's always sunny elsewhere-

"So, why not just go and talk to one of them? They are not animals in zoo enclosures for you shitheads to gawk at."

"Oh right, as if it's that easy!"

"Yeah! If it was that easy none of us would be single and a virgin right now!"

"Man, you guys suck-"

"Says you!" Five out of the six identical brothers shot back at the brunette on her towel next to them, applying sunscreen onto herself. It was a nice sunny day, the sextuplets accompanied by their lady friend decided to spend their day at the beach, mostly because if they didn't god knows when the next time she'll be free to come with them.

"You're the one who's hanging out with us of all people, Aki!" Osomatsu stated.

The girl rolled her eyes at her friends, rather humoured as she slathered sunscreen over her legs. "I'm hanging out with you guys because we are friends, it would be a boring beach day if I came here alone." She simply replied before closing her sunscreen bottle and standing up.

Placing her hands onto her hips she looked down at the phatetic excuses for adults that were her sextuplet friends "So, do you losers plan on just watching girls from a distance or are we gonna have some good ol' fashioned summer fun?" She asked, earing those blank looks as they stared up at her.

"Come on, hot girl summer can't start without me..." Aki sighed rubbing her temples "I'll... Crush the watermelon between my thighs."

The brothers looked between one another before grinning. Oh how easy they are to sway. "Alright, let's go then!" Osomatsu announced, causing his brothers to follow suit.

The gang proceeded to engage in classic summertime activities. Swimming in the sea, collecting seashells, building a sandcastle, burying Karamatsu in a hole, you know... Fun stuff. Of coarse Aki was the one that had to get him out of that hole-

"Whew..." Aki sighed out as she sat in the shallow water, needing a break after the digging she did. She washed the sand off of herself, feeling the presence of at least two people behind her. The footsteps were faint, where they trying to sneak up on her? Who could it be? Most likely Bakamatsu.

Was she right? Weeeeell...

As she stood up she sensed a hand reach out towards her- just before one could blink Aki had grabbed the person by the wrist and flung them into the deeper part of the water. Well it wasn't that deep- maybe just a bit over-the-pelvis deep on the Aki-scale.

So... Who did she throw? Ichimatsu.

"Woooooow Aki, way to scare him! Just after he worked up the courage to approach you as well." Todomatsu, who turned out to be the second person, snickered as he watched Ichimatsu's head shoot up above the water surface. Absolutely shook.

He sort of just sat there, dead on the inside.

"Ah fuck-" Aki winced before shuffling her way trough the water.

As there was no more fun to be had Todomatsu woild take his leave and let Ichimatsudo his thing, Osomatsu said he'd be the one obtaining the watermelon from a fruit stall somewhere nearby... Gotta make sure he picked the biggest one.

"Sorry Ichi!" She said as she approached him, poor guy, he was like a cat that had a bucket of water dumped onto him. "You good dude?" She asked, looking down at him, bending down she extended a hand out to him to help up.

Did he need help? No... But he sure needed a pick-me-up.

Ichimatsu blinked a few times, from staring into space, to staring at Aki's hand, then up at her face- he didn't know what he wanted more, to melt or to explode. One could swear a halo of light formed around Aki's head as she shielded him from the sun as she towered over him.

So radiant...

But he accepted Aki's hand, his face contriting a timid expression as he tore his eyes away from her. "... Fine... I'm fine." He simply answered, he was going to stand up on his own, but he didn't expect to be pulled up just like that by her.

So strong...

Aki pulled Ichimatsu back up onto his feet, securing an arm around his back just in case his legs wobbled. Good thing she did because Ichimatsu felt like jello in her hold. "There you go, nice and easy Ichi." She said. She made sure that he was firmly planted on his feet before letting go.

Ichimatsu retracted his hand, covering it up with the other as his gaze shifted around, looking anywhere but up at Aki... Or even worse, the boob window of her black swimsuit. "Thank you Aki-chan... You... You really don't need to bother with me." He spoke lowly, his voice slightly shakily as he scratched his cheek.

"But I wanted to bother myself with you." Aki stated, rather bluntly, he may be trying to close a door but she was kicking them off their hinges. "So, you wanted to ask me something?"

Ichimatsu flinched and his head shot up to look up at her. She was so perceptive too, in his eyes at least. His eyes were slightly wide, but his pupils expanded at the sight if her face. It took him everything in his power to keep eyecontact with her like a normal person as he meekly nodded his head at her question "Y.. Yes... I wanted to... To ask..." He could feel himself screwing it up already. His heart was hammering against his chest "D-do.. Do you... Uhhh- do you want to- to..."

"Take your time Ichi." Aki gently reminded him, placing a hand onto her hip, he looked like he was going to start hyperventilating. "Remember to breathe."

Ichimatsu inhaled deeply, fuck it, he was just going to spit it out. "Do you want to go get kakigori with me??"

Aki blinked as she processed the question, it was such a simple question too. From the way he was wrecking himself, Aki thought it was something big but no. He just wanted her to accompany him to get kakigori. It was just... So sweet. "That's it?" She asked.

She only got a nod in return.

Good enough. "Sure, let's go." She said before turning around and shuffling her back to shore, only to pause, look over her shoulder only to see the fourth sextuplet looking rather stunned. She was going to bite her lip, but digressed and allowed a smile to make it's way onto her face. "You coming, Ichi?"

That seemed to break him out of the spell he was put under. He blushed in embarrassment. "Ha? Oh- y-yes! Yes!" He exclaimed as he shuffled after her. "I'm coming!"

Aki snorted, refraining from making a dirty joke as she waited for the purple Matsu to catch up. That way they ended up walking together, side by side. Ichimatsu kept his hands to himself, crossed over his chest while Aki's hands swung back and fourth freely at her sides. "You know, I actually... Don't really like kakigori..."

"Eh?" Ichimatsu let out a confused sound at her confession, his head snapping towards her while she stared ahead. "W-why did you say yes then??" He questioned.

Aki puffed her cheeks out and huffed, they stopped at her towel which allowed Aki to grab her wallet before continuing the walk. Kakigori was just flavoired ice... just having it in her mouth made her gums hurt. "I just... Don't see myself saying no to you." She admitted, pursing her lips for a second before grinning instesd. "I didn't want to say no, you... Usually don't talk to me, so this made me happy."

He... Made her happy? That was such an unbelievable thing to think about. Just who would the doll of darkness be able to keep happy? Well... Aki, apparently. The thought made Ichimatsu rather happy as well, he wasn't completely useless then. Aki liked having him around. "So... You don't actually want kakigori?"

"Nah... I don't. I'll see if I can get myself like... Whatever I feel like." Wow, must be nice having a job that provides you with sustainable income, and in turn with money that you can spend however you want.

While not exactly good at small-talk the two made do- a good way to keep Ichimatsu engaged was to talk about cats to him, his special interest. Aki even brought up her own cat and like a proud mom showed him the pictures of her furless baby which she had in her wallet.

Ichimatsu got his kakigori, which was paid for generously his sugar mommy of a friend, while Aki ended up with a can of beer. Nothing else in particular caught hey eye.

That was until the rest of the Matsus came back into view and there they had the watermelon. The virgins were keen on making Aki keep her 'promise'. "Oi, Aki! Check it out!" Osomatsu announced, holding up the watermelon.

"Time for you to make good on your promise, our dear Aki-chan." Karamatsu added, ever-so-slightly tilting his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose. "Show us the true power of a woman's quads!" Oh the pain, and it came from his voice alone.

Ichimatsu scoffed, mostly in distaste at his brothers behaviour. Usually Choromatsu would be the straight-man in this situation, yet even he was stoked about this. "Idiots..." He huffed, glancing up at Aki who had a rather unreadable expression on her face.

"Woooow... You guys are... Really dedicated to it. I wasn't even that serious." Aki mumbled out, pressing her lips against her can. She could do it sure but... She understated the resolve of a bunch of adult vigins.

"Don't underestimate us Aki, of coarse we took it seriously!" Jyushimatsu piped up "Now, crush the watermelon!"

"You don't have to go trough with it, you know." Ichimatsu remarked, poking at his shaved ice with his wooden spoon. He stabbed it into the ice and kinda just left it there. "They're being dumb..."

"Way to try and spoil the fun, niisan." Todomatsu remarked. Pouting, already having his phone out.

"Well?" Osomatsu spoke up and grinned, tapping the watermelon... It was rather dense. "What's the matter Aki? Can't do it?" The eldest brother challenged. "Or are you just shy?"

Aki inhaled before exhaling trough her nose, she glanced down at Ichimatsu and smirked "Hold my beer." She said, handing Ichimatsu her beer can.

Walking over to Osomatsu.l, Aki snatched the watermelon out of his hands with ease. "Watch, bitch boys."

So confident...

She sat down and wrapped her legs around the watermelon and squeezed it. The fruit stood no chance against her, as it cracked up, got crushed and broken open just like that. And it was glorious.

And messy, the sticky kind of messy. Gross.

Everyone else was pretty vocal about this 'victory'. But Ichimatsu? His mouth was merely hanging open. That just confirms it, Aki can crush his skull between her thighs.

How hot is that?

[autisticlenaluthor]

You go to the zoo with the four Girls on the Bus girlies. Which animals do they each want to see first? And which animals do you associate with their personalities?

- 🐞

sadie wants to see the redpandas first, they match her personality to me. she would drag everyone along to make sure they get a good spot by their enclosure

i feel like sadie would also be interested in the seals, or any kinda aquatic exhibit where you can see them feed the animals (especially if it's interactive). lola has some sort of anti-zoo stance, where she thinks they're morally wrong. but she secretly wants to see the griaffes first.

grace and kimberlyn, I'm not sure. i think after seeing them, grace would love any kind of Big Cat. kimberlyn would like literally any baby animal

as for personalities - Kimberly to me is a meerkat, lola is a peacock who doesn't have an enclosure and just kinda roams free, grace isn't a zoo animal, she's a fancy, highly intelligent corgi. and sadie ofc is a red panda

[h0wi1e]

Apologies for this long ass rant but I need to say this.

Am I the only one that's surprised by the amount of hate Allison and Teddy get as characters? I didn't mind their side plot of trying to find Wallace, although Guy Lapointe just made it longer than it should've been by talking but what a lot of people hate them for us the ending which I want to talk about.

Allison and Teddy weren't the ones that put Wallace in the zoo and I'll fucking die on that hill. Just because they're the two characters we see visiting Wallace doesn't mean they were the ones that put them there. For starters, they are civilians and aren't related to Wallace or are his guardians so they have little to no say on what happens to Wallace. And as his Ex girlfriend and best friend I just don't see them being the ones to make that decision, they'd try and push to get Wallace the surgery and rehabilitation he needs. A perfect example I will use is the fanfic 'The Water is Wide" on Ao3 where we get a chapter in the POV of Allison after they find Wallace, the police and ambulances come but later she sees a zoo ambulance drive up because Wallace is manic and needs to be restrained. Seeing the van Allison is Pissed and starts arguing with a police officer. That would've been her exact reaction to Wallace being put in a shitty little zoo exhibit, however in that fic Wallace is taken out of the suit and placed in a mental hospital but my reason still stands.

Both of them would definitely have a lot of guilt that Wallace was put in an enclosure, if Teddy had picked up his call they could've rescued him sooner. But despite all the guilt they have they don't run away, they still come to visit Wallace anyway, it is obvious that being there hurts mostly of Allison (since we see them leaving pretty early) but they still confronted Wallace and told him that they did still love him despite his appearance since Teddy says this.

"You don't have to hide from us, Wallace."

I could just never understand why people were very quick to blame Ally and Teddy, I see a lot of people saying that they just dump him there and ride off into the sunset but what else were they supposed to do? They couldn't do anything about the situation and that's what hurts, they can only sit there and watch Wallace rot away in that shithole. Personally for me I believe it was the authorities, we aren't given a real reason as to why he's in a zoo enclosure other than being because he looks like a mockery of an animal but the decision to put Wallace in such a place like that just feels like it was made by the higher ups.

So yes I'm defending Allison and Teddy, I'm not saying they're entirely innocent though, they're good people that have just done bad things (cheating together) but I just don't see them being the kind of friends to ditch Wallace and run, the fact that they stick around and visit is enough to show that they care.

Idk thank you.

[iridescent-moon]

🌊Games For Seal/Pinniped Therians!🌊

This will be a series of many posts where I'll be listing off games that I feel are good for therians! Whether you're RPing or playing as your theriotype, or doing something that your theriotype might do! (I.e. fishing/hunting, swimming, etc.). And feel free to suggest games for me to add to this or future lists!

Here's how this will work. I will start by listing the name and devs, the price (in USD, for now!), a description of the game and my opinions followed by pictures/gifs!

And one last thing before we get to the list of games, I will tag all of these game posts with #iridescentmoongames that way they will always be easily accessible! I may also add a masterlist to my pinned post in the future.

°。°。°。°。°。°。❆ °。°。°。°。°。°。

Small disclaimer, I have not played all of these games but I've done my best to at least go through any that are free to play!

1: Seal Game by TheFriendlySealStudio. (Available on Itch.io, free)

This game is a prototype so it's a big WIP, but it has a lot of potential. I only played for a few minutes and while there's not a lot to do, I still enjoyed it.

Features (to be) included in this game will be the ability to swim and dive underwater to hunt for fish, a large world to explore, socialization with other seals, and you'll be able to raise your own pups.

I'm not sure if it was a glitch or not but I was unable to find any fish to catch. Swimming, at this time in development, is alright! It didn't feel very immersive but it was at least fun to explore around in the water. Using WASD you can move forward, back, left or right and your mouse controls the camera. There's also plenty of visual bugs but hopefully those will be sorted out in the future!

2: Seal World (Available on Steam, $1.99)

This game is more on the silly side! You play as a seal living a forest(?) full of other seals. You collect fish-- ahem, I mean fibsh! As well as hats!

And there's lots of other silly seals you can meet and talk to. I haven't played this game yet but I think this one is my favorite, love the face, love their energy. Overall, it's just a nice chill game to play. Also I love the colors used for the world. The grass, the water, it's all very aesthetically pleasing and in a way kind of gives me Super Mario Sunshine vibes.

3: Planet Zoo (Available on Steam, $44.99. DLC packs are $9.99 each)

This entry is definitely more on the price-y side. With the base game you won't have any pinnipeds. If you want their Atlantic grey seal you'll need the Aquatic pack. And if you want the California Sea Lion you'll need the North America Animal Pack. IAt this time those are the only pinnipeds, however there are plenty of mods which use those models as a base for other species. I recommend using the Nexus to search for mods.

Unfortunately I don't have any nice looking seal exhibits atm so these will have to suffice! Also note that I have my graphics lowered so the models/textures are not as detailed.

While you can't play as any of the animals, you can still build an enclosure for for the animals to live in however you like! I like to imagine I'm building a little home for myself as if I were playing The Sims. If you've ever played Zoo Tycoon 2 but with a lot more room for creativity! You can play campaign or sandbox, build zoos from scratch or maintain pre-built ones.

4. Abzu (Available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox 1. $19.99)

A relaxing exploration game where you swim through the ocean and discover the animals living in it. You don't play as a seal and there are no pinnipeds in this game as far as I know, but if you're looking to find a game that focuses on swimming then this is the game for you!

The graphics and art style for this game is incredible! If you like Journey or Sky: Children of The Light I think you'll enjoy this! I have not played this game to completion however so I don't know if there's any scares at all. So for those with thalassophobia just be careful!

5. Rain World (Available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4. $19.99)

Content Warning for bugs and violence. I will not post any images containing either, but if you do intend on researching the game or purchasing, please keep that in mind!

In this game you don't play as a seal either, however I find some aspects of the game remind me of my seal self. In this game you play as a nomadic slugcat. A small white creature with black eyes. Every so often heavy rains will come, flooding the land, which means you must frequently hibernate in shelters. But in order to do that you must hunt and keep yourself fed while also doing your best to survive in a hostile environment with deadly flora and fauna.

Rain World is a very difficult survival game and can be quite stressful or frustrating. But if you're willing to put in the time and effort, it is well worth it and it has a lot of interesting lore. There is also some DLC coming out for this game soon, adding 5 additional characters. One of which being the rivulet which can breathe underwater and are very fast and agile.

6. Minecraft (Check link for available platforms. $29.99)

Minecraft is a game that most likely does not need an introduction. But in case you haven't heard, it's a sandbox game where nearly everything is a cube! You can play survival or creative. On it's own, I wouldn't say it's an ideal game for seal therians, however with the use of mods (Java edition only) you can put together an experience more suited to that theme!

The first way to make Minecraft a better seal experience™ is to change your skin! You can make you own, commission an artist, or if you're playing Bedrock edition you can get one from the in game store (most packs cost money but some are free!). I don't have any pictures of my old seal skin but here's one I made recently. An important note, if you are playing on the PC version for Bedrock, you can upload higher resolution skins. It's possible to use higher res skins on Java as well but not without mods as far as I know. If you want to use them on Java, I use this mod.

Some other mods you can use are the Origins mod (fabric/forge), Biome's O' Plenty, Aquaculture 2, and Alex's Mobs

7. Tap Tap Fish AbyssRium (Available on Mobile, free)

Tap Tap Fish is a mobile idle game. You can collect fish and other sea creatures. I don't know if is still the case, I haven't played this game in a couple years, but harp seal pup was only attainable through IAPs. I don't know if this is the case now or for other seals. If anyone knows please let me know!

___

That's all the games I have for now, but as I find more on my own or through suggestions I will edit this post!

[pbandjesse]

Today was a really good day. We went to the zoo and I got a bunch of stuff done. I wish that I have another day off but honestly it was still a really good time. And I feel really happy.

Slept okay last night. I think I need to start putting on our one box fan because it's just so quiet in here. But like any noise outside wake me up. But it's fine. Still slept pretty good and I woke up around 9:00 and felt all right.

I don't trust and feel pretty cute. And eyelashes still looking good. James and me matched with her little dad I'm shirts. And I was surprised when we went outside and it was raining. But that ended up being perfect because it wasn't ever too hot and a lot of the animals came out at the zoo and honestly I think it kept some people away because it was really quiet.

While I was getting dressed James had asked me what I wanted to do for breakfast and I felt very indecisive. So we ended up going to a place I had never been but James had gone a whole bunch called the lunch box in Hampden. And it's this whole wall cafe that's like walking back into the '90s. Like not in a cool way like in a hole in the wall way. Everyone there was super old and very Baltimore. And it was hilarious. But the food was really good even if it took forever. And it only took forever because the one waitress who was the only one taking orders and doing everything besides cooking was a little slow moving because I think of a medical issue. But she was a sweetheart and we weren't in any rush so it was not a big deal. And I enjoyed hearing James tell me about baseball and just making plans and overhearing people with their very Baltimore accents in a way that I had not heard before in this concentrated of a space. It was a lot of fun. And I enjoyed my food even if I didn't realize until eating a whole bunch of them that the hash browns had onions in them. Heartbreaking. I will know that for next time.

We left there and drove to the zoo and the sun was peeking out a little but it didn't really come out of the way the entire time we were out. When we got there we had to park in a different lot because they're doing construction on the normal one. And then we went to the ticket encounter and there was one other couple there who was around her age and they were also the only other ones there today that did not have any kids. Which I thought was very funny because we kept running into them. But we got to go free so that was very exciting.

We started with the prairie dogs after making a stop at the bathrooms. I've decided that the very does be called pre-diddles. And that's what I kept referring to them as for the rest of the day. I love prairie dogs though and they were just so fun to look at and they were so sweet. Making little chirpy noises. We did see a fight though I was not expecting that. But it was very cute.

Highlights though for the entire time. Like out of the ordinary things. We did not get to see the honors swimming over the tunnel which James is a little bummed about but everything else was great. I got to see a snake that was super active. And we saw the chimps acting all silly. I really enjoyed the lemurs and the turtles. I think my favorite part though was when we went to the elephant enclosure.

There was three whitetail deers just hanging out in the elephant enclosure trying to steal the snacks!! We came up with a whole narrative that Brad, the boldest of three, was trying to get into all three of the enclosures and steal the snacks and then his little brother who was a spotted von was named Kenny and he was just following his big brother and then there was Brad's friend who was never inside the enclosure but was clearly worried and on the very outside and it was honestly a little shocking to watch because the elephants wouldn't notice it first but when they would they would get really upset and like make noises at them and wag their ears. But these stairs were very brave and they did end up getting some snacks. Watching them go in and out of the fences was really interesting when we were curious how often this happens because the deer seemed pretty sure where the snacks where going to be. It was fascinating though and I thought it was hilarious.

I also really enjoyed putting the goats. After a little kids left the pen we ended up having a nice conversation with the girl and she told us about which goats were the oldest and how they eat clothing all the time. And the one go kept eating my dress. But I didn't mind. I mostly thought it was silly. And I really enjoyed just petting them and seeing all the different birds and weird hooved animals. It was a really nice time.

But I got really frustrated at one point when I missed the phone call from the doctor I'm going to on Wednesday and I couldn't get a straight answer of what number to call back and I ended up accidentally calling a crisis pregnancy center because they're called women's Parenthood center instead of planned Parenthood center and apparently they're right next to each other. And I was just very confused. And it kind of made me a little sour. But I would calm down and I would be mostly okay but I think I was just losing a lot of energy and we were going to stay and have french fries and there were a couple things that we missed but I was just not having a good time anymore. And I didn't want it to get worse so we decided that we had our fun and it was time to go.

Who made a stop at the gift shop before we left because whenever we go someplace for you I always feel like you should buy something from the gift shop to still support the institution. And I found this just absolutely lovely bad plush. And I loved seeing the bats today so I was like James I need this and James was like of course you can have the back. And we weren't sure what to name it. James kind of threw out a whole bunch of names but nothing seemed right. We're going towards Lucy but in the end I decided that their name was going to be Louis. And I think that the name fit very well once I made some modifications to him.

But doesn't come later. After we left the zoo we drove to the grocery store. And we walked around and got a few things. I was feeling slightly better after sitting down for a few minutes and having a drink. And we got the things we needed including donut holes and cheese and a few cleaning products. And then after paying for that that's self check out we went home.

When we got back home I did not like any right away. Instead I won't change because James was going to start laundry and I wanted the things that got eaten by goats to be washed. And I wanted to wash the purse that I brought today because it was really stained for some reason and I don't remember what I used it for last so it just needed to be washed. I think I'm going to have to dye it too because it has some pretty intense black marks on it. But that was fine. After I got changed I worked in the studio for a little bit. Specifically I wanted to redy my boots because they've gotten a little rough looking. And I did a little sewing fixing up a few things I had. And I was finally able to get the planned Parenthood phone number to connect me to someone after being on hold for 10 minutes. But while I was waiting I was doing so and so at least I wasn't bored out of my mind. And the woman on the phone was lovely and helped me out right away and got me also. I'm confirmed for Wednesday.

After I finished my boots on cotton bed and jeans left to go in a little bike ride. I spent the next hour or so explain in bed watching videos but I never actually slept. That was fine.

I felt pretty well rested once I got up. And so once I washed off my face a little I went and started the modifications on Louis.

Person I did was find a piece of fabric to be a pouch because I decided to be a little bag. And I sewed up this little fabric pouch and then I cut him open and took out half of the stuffing. I still wanted him to have a shape and I made the pouch big enough for my phone in a couple small things. And it took me a little while to pin and so him together because I had to do the pouches one piece and then the zippers a second. Honestly I might replace the zipper because I feel like it's a little too small I think it's for clothes. But I'm really proud of it. And then I attached some bag straps to his wings so he could be like a crossbody that's hugging me and I just think he came out so cute. And his final modification I sewed his mouth closed. Because while he's very cute I thought that the mouth was cheap looking. Because his body is such a lovely soft fabric but his mouth and teeth are cheap felt. And so while I understood the decision on their part to give him that mouth I think he looks much better with it closed and I love him so much and I'm so excited that I will be able to use him as my Halloween purse. And honestly probably for the ren fair.

Chance came home and did not know what I was doing and since a little shocked and we're having when they figured out what I was doing, when it was done. Celia had said the same thing, that of course I did. I can't be stopped!!

Once I was done I would chill on the couch. I worked on some knitting and finished another tan square. So I have two more tans to do before I finish with my last seven blues. And James asked me to send them the files for my stickers that were going to order for the shop. And it was just a really nice evening.

James made me the fancy corn that they had made when we went camping. And it was great but it was a lot and burned my mouth. James also burns her mouth but on the new hot honey we got because we got the one that said it was spicier but it turns out it's so spicy it's barely edible. So I had James cut it in half over two bottles and fill the rest with regular honey hopefully make a little bit more mild. I haven't tried it yet but their reaction, someone who usually loves very very spicy things, was not promising.

Eventually now someone down around me and sweet pea as we laid on the couch. James was in the other room painting their nails. I want to wash my hair. And I feel pretty good. Pretty tired but not horribly so. And I'm looking forward to going back to camp tomorrow.

I don't know exactly what I'm going to be doing. There's things I definitely can do. But I don't have a specific plan in mind. I will get in and I will probably pull out all of my Native American stuff to make sure that it's ready for the field trip I have this week and maybe do some tidying up beyond that I really could just be working on my lesson plans stuff and a few other small computer tasks. I think it will be a very good day.

I hope that you all have a very good day. I hope you take care of each other and you will remember to wash your hands. Good night everybody.

[is-the-snake-video-cute]

Snake Discovery is one of my favorite Youtube channels. Thoughts on them? Everything seems good and they rep proper care, but wanted to hear your opinion!

They're far from the worst out there. Much, much better than watching Brian Barczyk or Jay's Prehistoric Pets. Their newer content and how-to videos are also largely solid, and I have very few complaints about their zoo enclosures.

Even so, there are some major concerns to be aware of with their content:

Especially in their older videos, their snake racks are not appropriate. While still far from the worst examples of rack keeping, they just simply didn't provide enough room for the snakes.

Even though I just said their newer videos are by and large pretty good, I'm still not a fan of their racks for some adult snakes. I'll always argue that rack setups just don't provide adult snakes with enough room and vertical space. I understand that breeders typically hold themselves to a different standard when it comes to snake enclosures, but that doesn't mean I feel I should excuse it.

Some of their older videos with their alligator are wildly irresponsible (especially the one where they took her into a pet store). An alligator should never, ever be out of its enclosure without being taped. Full stop. They're much better about this now, but it's worth keeping in mind.

They breed scaleless snakes, which I'll argue until the day I die is unethically placing an animal's appearance over its health.

Like I said, they're better than a lot of other reptile YouTubers. That said, and this is true for EVERY reptile YouTuber, it's worth taking their advice with a grain of salt and doing your own research.

[bts-apocalypse-au]

Jimin's P.O.V 🐥 1st May

It's been three weeks since Jin (we're on a first-name basis now) and I first ran here with his class, fleeing the rabid wolves. Things at the zoo are rather prosperous. Jin continues to teach the children using the limited academic resources that the zoo provides, of late most of the lessons have been animal-related but it can't be helped and it's far better than nothing.

Taehyung is friendly but not very social. he's never cold and he's always kind to the children but it almost seems like he feels alienated from us, I suppose it's natural seeing as we're all virtual strangers to each other. At any rate, he's doing amazing work rehabilitating the hurt animals and spends most of his time with them, especially the tigers. I'm of course no animal specialist but I use my surgical skills to help however I can, and I feel as though our friendship is making progress.

When the children are down for their naps and the animals have been adequately tended to the three of us strategise. We've all agreed that it's best for us, because of the large size and young age of most people in our group, to stay here and await rescue instead of trying to seek out help and risk another attack. Sometimes Taehyung makes it sound like he wants to stay here forever, and sometimes I look around and I can't help agreeing with him.

At night the questions eat at all of us.

What has become of our city?

How did this happen?

Will we ever make it out?

Are we the only ones here anymore?

And the children, their parents left them. Who will care for them?

Is the whole world like this now?

And when it all becomes too much I close my eyes and fall asleep to the sounds of the animals.

Jin's P.O.V 🐻

The children love the zoo, it seems to have almost put their parents' "disappearance" out of their minds, and I fear for how long this peace will last.

Most of my lesson material is back at the school but the Zoo isn't devoid of anything, the gift shop is full of books on all sorts of animals and there are posters and animal-themed numbers and letter magnets and blocks, so I can make due.

Storytime is held in the small amphitheater, with stories about monkeys bananas, and Hippos at the drinking pond. Reading and Maths are held in the Staff Room on the sofa with the big whiteboard and animal magnets. And of course, science is all around us. Sometimes I think the children are learning better in this unique environment.

Taehyung has been so generous in letting us stay here, adding almost 20 extra mouths to feed. The children love him when he lets them hold some of the more tame animals and teaches them about the differences between types of owls or lets them play with his robo-dog Yeontan.

When I started to run out of reading material he volunteered his personal collection of books that he brought with him, including the full Harry Potter series.

While I don't know him well it's safe to say that he's a good person and I owe him my life and more.

Taehyung's P.O.V 🐯

The Zoo is my paradise, I'm finally doing what I want to do, where I want to do it but I've never felt more alone. I haven't eaten in almost a month now, and it's not that I'm not hungry (which makes it somehow worse) but that it feels wrong, like some psychological thing that's messing my brain up because I'm not doing "normal" human things anymore.

I'm solar powered if you're wondering. 

My battery, which I would guess is the robotic equivalent of a heart, lasts a week, so every Saturday I just slip away for a few hours to the tiger enclosure to recharge. (Which unfortunately has to be done by taking off my shirt and letting my metal panels soak up the sun's rays.) Usually, I play with Bom, the tiger cub, and try to ignore the fact that I'm now partially made of metal.

Thankfully Jimin and Mr. Kim don't ask many questions. For example, how I got access to part of the city's security grid after it went down. Most of the grid is fried but the few miles I've been able to reboot have helped me track down most of the missing animals. It's surprising, I thought they would've left by now but no, they stay close to home, congregating around the HYBE building. I want to bring it up but I can't figure out how without admitting I'm not wholly human.

Either way, something is up and I think Jimin knows it too. He spoke up about the sketchy vaccines and I had to stay silent instead of thanking him for a new insight into my condition. He says we should investigate but what is there that we can do against a huge corporation like that? And every time he talks about leaving it makes my metal heart hurt a bit. What are they going to do to me on the outside? Will I have to hide forever? Is there even anyone else left to hide from or has the whole planet been consumed by this phenomenon?

My current plan if no rescue comes is to help Jimin Mr. Kim and his class to safety (if there is any) and then make up some reason to stay behind, like serving my purpose with the animals or something. What is my purpose?

Is it to stay here in solitude?

I used to have friends (god knows where they are now) and enjoy being around people, but now I feel like I don't belong.

[domestick-clairvoyante]

heyo uh you said you do dream interpretations?

last night i dreamt about a class trip to a zoo. we stopped at an enclosure with different animals in it: a few sheep, a lot of goats, some cows, chickens and ducks. me and some strangers, who were my classmates, stepped into the enclosure and we started to pet the animals. i was primarily interacting with a male goat for quite a while, which i actually enjoyed a little. then, we had to step out and the teacher asked us what we could tell him about these animals. i said "first of all, they're all mammals", which is not true. then, for a few seconds, i was looking at the ducks and chickens, thinking "oh fuck". i felt incredibly uneasy and started to panic a little, and he just looked at me with a blank expression, but i knew that he was slightly disappointed. that was the dream.

this specific teacher is a reoccuring person in all of last week's dreams and a primary "motive", along with this strong uneasiness. i keep dreaming these things and i have no idea what they're trying to tell me :,)

hey lovely!

sorry for the wait - i hope things have gotten better for you :)

i do indeed offer dream interpretations. it sounds like this dream (or rather, this recurring theme) has made you quite uneasy, so hopefully this brings some solace to you <3

a disclaimer: it can be difficult to interpret dreams as a whole, primarily because there are so many different meanings and symbols to be gleaned from them. please take my interpretation with a grain of salt!

if you don’t want to read through the whole interpretive process, scroll down to ‘In a Rush?“ <3

as per my process, we’re starting with important symbols from your dream:

the zoo: wowee - this is a loaded symbol. zoos, in the waking world, are places where animals are confined. this is reflected similarly in your dream: in this context, it may indicate that you feel confined or that you have lost an element of freedom. linking back to "animals," you may feel that a base urge or a trait has been suppressed.

sheep: taking a page from religious symbolism, sheep are commonly seen as symbols of meekness, innocence, docility, etc. additionally, sheep are flocking animals - there may be a deeper desire to conform/belong.

(male) goat(s): male goats (as opposed to their female counterparts) represent strength, energy, and a strong connection to masculinity.

chickens: generally, chickens are associated with prosperity. there may be varied meanings depending on the type of chicken and the context, but given the information i have, this is what i've gathered.

cows: another agricultural animal, cows are once more associated with prosperity. cows are deeply connected to health, motherhood and femininity, as well.

ducks: while in positive contexts, ducks are symbols of good fortune, the circumstances of your dream may point towards impending conflict instead.

the teacher (a recurring symbol with an apparent “motive” - though perhaps you meant "motif?"): i'm inclined to think that this "teacher" figure is more of a symbol than simply a person who has appeared in your dream, given how frequently they have appeared. teachers are associated with guidance, so it is likely that they are a manifestation of your desire for direction or support.

notable interactions:

class trip to the zoo: class trips, generally, are an indicator of a pursuit of knowledge and awareness. in the context of the zoo, you may have currently become aware of your feelings of confinement and loss of autonomy, and are seeking to understand the source of your emotions.

students in enclosure: once again, this refers to a sense of confinement and scrutinisation, particularly in an academic environment.

students with animals: you may be beginning to learn more about the primal urges and traits ("animalistic" qualities) that are underpinning your current experiences.

your interaction with the teacher (what animals are they? ”they’re mammals”): this may refer to your relationships with people of authority. given the context, you may be afraid of their judgement or disappointment. i do find it interesting that you refer to all of the animals as "mammals" - creatures that are "warm-blooded," denoting warmth and connection at an animalistic level. perhaps this is an indication that you feel a kinship with these confined animals.

general feelings:

unease

disappointment

now after we’ve gathered the necessary details and symbols, we’ll have a look at the context. you’ve described that your dreams recently have had a consistently similar theme. you’ve described a strong sense of unease, and a primary “motive” (i’m not sure what this is, per se, or whether you meant motif, but i’ve tried to glean as much helpful information from it as i can <3).

💫🌟In a Rush? Or Simply Not a Fan of Long Texts? Read Just the Interpretation Below🌟💫

overall, the themes of this dream are related to confinement and a loss of independence. these general feelings of unease are directly connected to an uneasiness you are experiencing in your waking life, whether due to conflict or an uncertain situation.

as far as i can tell, your dream is connected in some way to an academic setting (honestly, as an ib student, i can completely understand that).

expanding on this, you may feel overly scrutinised (perhaps judged by authority figures) and thus confined by your educational environment; this atmosphere may have caused you to feel disconnected from your daily life, and to an extent as though your autonomy has been stripped from you. there is a deeper desire to conform to these expectations, despite being increasingly stifled by them. while academia is one of many pathways to prosperity, it is currently causing you distress.

you are craving a return to your base instincts. you may want an escape from the fast-paced nature of society - seeking time to step back and reconnect with your basic needs. currently, you are being drawn to sensations of strength, energy and masculinity.

going forward, you need to step back. there are a lot of external pressures you are currently facing, and you need to figure out a way to manage those expectations alongside your basic needs as a human being. this will not be easy, but in recognising this conflict, you may find some solace. believe me, it is not worth the excess stress - find support if you need it, and remember to take care of yourself, first and foremost.

here’s hoping these dreams get a bit easier to handle! and i hope this helps - let me know if you need any clarification :)

[imtiredofbeingafraid]

Moved to beta

@littlelightningbvg

“We do?” Kay repeated in surprise as she stared at the back of his head. She hadn’t thought there’d be a we after he’d saved her, but maybe he intended to help more then she’d realized. Though she couldn’t imagine what the bigger issues were then the ones she… they were facing at the moment. Even aware that he wasn’t looking at her, her head still bowed a little when he mentioned her needing to explain. Where did you start? And what if he found out the truth and didn’t want to continue helping her… Maybe it didn’t matter. She appreciated the help she’d received so far, and if he didn’t want to continue afterward then she’d make her way back to the woods again. Peering up at the top of the enclosure while she listened, she watched as a few members of the public passed by. No sign of the men from the lab, but she knew he was right, that didn’t mean they weren’t nearby. “What’s a… transport box?” she questioned nervously. It didn’t sound like something she was eager to get into, in fact it reminded her of the scared caged animals they would bring into the lab for them to use their powers on. “I – I… I’m not sure… would I be able to fit in one?” The last time she’d been close to one it had housed a small animal, and she didn’t think she was as small as a cat.

His words were slow to register, and when they did, she stood there in disbelief. Survive and are cared for. Sure, she’d survived at the lab, but she didn’t know what it was like to be cared for, not the way the other children were. “Do – do you mean I… I get to stay with you?”

Dan didn't respond to her first question. He needed to not talk to her. The more attention he drew to himself--the worse off this was going to be. He was still less concerned about the lab people than he was the zoo employees. They knew which animals were staying and which were going and it would be easy for them to figure out that he was up to something. Perhaps he could claim he needed to clean it or had forgotten that it wasn't needed?

His brain was still reeling trying to figure all of this out and how he could successfully pull it off. He was good at coming up with plans but he liked to have time to get it all together. Doing it all on the fly like this wasn't where he flourished. He just needed to get the box close to an exit for her to slip out.

"It's what we use to move the animals." He had no way of knowing what she was thinking but she wasn't that far off. "Believe me, you're not even close to the size of the biggest animal we have here. You'll fit." He could hear the hesitation in her voice, "Hey if you don't feel comfortable I can try to find an alternative? Maybe there's a costume or something for you to hide in?" Cartoons always used balloons or she could get in a stuffed animal but they weren't living in a cartoon and he had to be reasonable about this.

His cheeks flushed. He was barely sure how to get out of here. Let alone what he was going to do after that but he had to be reassuring for her. He tried to shake it and give Kay an encouraging smile, "Of course. Or at least until we figure out a better solution."

Unfortunately it didn't take long for his anxiety to show up again, "The important thing right now is getting you out and I'm having a hard time convincing myself to leave you behind or come up with a meeting place for you even though I know it has to be done." He knew she couldn't come with him. At best if she could get out on her own they could avoid all of this but could she do it safely?

[samtheflamingomain]

typhoon tycoon

There's only 3 simulation games I've ever played: Sims (so technically 4 there) Roller Coaster Tycoon (RCT) and Zoo Tycoon (ZT).

Not even 2 or 3 - the base ZT game. I still do not fuck with 2 or 3 and I'm really not sure why.

But I think I'll discover why as I explain why I hate real-life zoos, love fake zoos, hate Roller Coaster Tycoon but love real roller coasters.

See, designing roller coasters, even in 1, is boring. Hmm, do I want a 30% incline or a 40? Let's spend 15 hours testing which specific piece of track is the one launching my guests into orbit instead of back to the station.

But designing enclosures for animals that won't ever be harmed, without an immediate failure mechanic? Sign me up.

And there it is, I realized why I like 1 over the newer ones: isometric, limited view. 2 invites the user to play in first-person… from the point of view of the animal. Maybe I'm a speshul snowflake but it seems a bit dystopic to be able to view the world from an imprisoned animal.

Also it came with an insanely OP function by which you can simply click a button to tell you what grass and trees a giraffe likes, how many, and one rock can make a 10% difference.

*Hikes up suspenders* back in MY DAY, we had to read the brief about the actual animal and find the names of trees and terrain and figure it out yourself until you got old enough to learn Excel and make the entire game a spreadsheet and then it's not as fun. Just me? Anyway.

The reason I brought Coaster Tycoon into my AAA-level hockey fight that is my argument is that I truly cannot believe the vast dichotomy between these two games.

I am familiar with the history of RCT - and it's absolutely fascinating. Coded in one of the most frustratingly esoteric language in 1996 by one man, ONE MAN, it's actually an incredible story.

Again, I LOVE roller coasters, but no matter how interesting its story is, I just can't stand building a coaster park. I think this is me not liking to see how the sausage gets made if that makes sense. I want to go on crazy fast scary coasters. And the minute I step into the coaster car, I take on the absolute possibility that this insanely complex machine could lose one nut and bolt and launch me into the sun or straight down to hell. Why? Because it wasn't build by me. Maybe I'm naïve but I trust Wonderland. They have 0 deaths. I'll take the chance and enjoy those wild 90 seconds spinning around and looping and being pinned to my seat by centrifugal force. Because a real engineer bent over backward to make sure this structure is so safe that it accounts for double the level of stupidity humans are capable of.

Building them in-game, to me, is boring - I just want the end product. And ride on it. If I were to build a good coaster, I'd almost be mad that I couldn't ride it in real life. First-person mode does nothing for me.

Back to Zoo Tycoon. I HATE real-life zoos. Yes, seeing an elephant up close is truly a deeply incredible experience, but at least for me, it will always be tainted by the intrusive thought, "She should be out roaming the African Savannah, not in Toronto, Canada".

It's such a different experence to build zoos in a game where the animal is a jpeg and you actually get penalized - but not instantly failed - for not taking proper care of them, forcing you to build the most humane of zoos that's possible. Neopets ripped them off.

And, at the same time, actually learning about the animals in the process. I know SO MUCH about animals because of ZT needing me to figure out their favourite tree and their preferred number of roommates.

You can go the Sims route and put a panther in the same enclosure as an unfortunate okapi and get that sadistic "drowning Sims in the pool by removing the ladder" feel that I personally don't understand but it's enough of a phenomenon that I don't think it's a reflection of one's potential psychopathy diagnosis. A discussion for another day.

But it brings me to one thing that's very different that I've yet to touch on: God. Have you heard the Good Word? Me neither.

Sims - God-power. Zoo Tycoon - God-power. RCT? Engineer-power. Sorry boys, your degree isn't quite on par with Jesus.

I hope that makes sense because I can't really explain it much more. RCT, of all the Tycoons, is so insanely specific, meticulous, and anti-thetical to its property. Roller coasters are supposed to be thrilling 90-second experiences, not dragging 90-minute slogs. But again, ONE MAN code.

That's mostly it, but a few straggling thoughts: I really love animals. I struggle to think of any I actively dislike - even dogs I've come around to. So I hate the practice of keeping them in captivity. But I don't hate the idea.

I've always had this oddly-specific plan if I were to become a billionaire: buy out every zoo on the planet, send the animals to sanctuaries or home if possible. Then, instead, spend 5 years investing in an immersive VR that puts you in an animal's habitat to observe. If zoos are for learning, there's no reason the animal actually needs to be there. Don't believe me? Planitariums. Do the planets' absence from such attractions mean one can't learn about them? *passes joint*

But one last thing that's always bothered me is this: what, if anything, could RCT do that would make me like it? And at first I couldn't think of anything, because it is, at its core, an engineering game, and I'm not an engineer.

It definitely wouldn't work as a ZT. Reading about roller coaster building standards is not as engaging as reading about real animals and their habitats. That's an entire game mechanic missing from RCT.

But also, plopping down pre-made coasters without any customization options wouldn't hit. So, to be honest and maybe hypocritical for criticizing without answers, I don't know. RCT is very unique among the Tycoons.

I think another element is stakes. Having one rusty fence on the monkey cage is alarming, but one rusty post on a coaster is catastrophic. Even if your rhino gets out, it's a matter of common sense intervention. If your coaster simply won't run start to finish, often it feels like a set of code that won't run and you just don't know why. It's frustrating. It's hard to get frustrated with animals.

I think that's about it. Again, just some randomly assembled thoughts, honestly not up to my usual posts but it's quite hard to put how I feel about these games into real words.

Stay Greater.