#Increase In Height After 20

[reasonsforhope]

"A new study reveals the profound ecological effects of wolves and other large carnivores in Yellowstone National Park, showcasing the cascading effects predators can have on ecosystems. In Yellowstone, this involves wolves and other large carnivores, elk, and willows.

The research, which utilized previously published data from 25 riparian (streamside) sites and collected over a 20 year period, from 2001 to 2020, revealed a remarkable 1,500% increase in willow crown volume along riparian zones [note: riparian means in/around rivers] in northern Yellowstone National Park, driven by the effects on elk due to a restored large carnivore guild following the reintroduction of wolves in 1995–96, and other factors...

Pictured: Upstream view of Blacktail Deer Creek in 2005 and 2021, northern range of Yellowstone National Park.

Trophic cascades, the effects of predators on herbivores and plants, have long been a topic of ecological interest. The study quantifies the strength of this phenomenon for the first time using willow crown volume as a proxy for aboveground biomass, demonstrating a significant three-dimensional recovery of riparian vegetation represented by the growth in both crown area and height of established willows.

The strength of the Yellowstone trophic cascade observed in this study surpasses 82% of strengths presented in a synthesis of global trophic cascade studies, underscoring the strength of Yellowstone's willow recovery process. The authors note that there is considerable variability in the degree of recovery and not all sites are recovering.

Even though riparian areas in the western United States comprise a small portion of the landscape, the study has particular relevance since these areas provide important food resources and habitat for more wildlife species than any other habitat type. These areas also connect upland and aquatic ecosystems and are widely known for their high diversity in species composition, structure, and productivity.

"Our findings emphasize the power of predators as ecosystem architects," said William Ripple. "The restoration of wolves and other large predators has transformed parts of Yellowstone, benefiting not only willows but other woody species such as aspen, alder, and berry-producing shrubs. It's a compelling reminder of how predators, prey, and plants are interconnected in nature."

Pictured: An across channel view in 2005 and 2021 of a downstream reach on Blacktail Deer Creek, northern range of Yellowstone National Park.

Wolves were eradicated and cougars driven to low numbers from Yellowstone National Park by the 1920s. Browsing by elk soon increased, severely damaging the park's woody vegetation, especially in riparian areas. Similar effects were seen in places like Olympic National Park in Washington, and Banff and Jasper National Parks in Canada after wolves were lost.

While it's well understood that removing predators can harm ecosystems, less is known about how strongly woody plants and ecosystems recover when predators are restored. Yellowstone offers a rare opportunity to study this effect since few studies worldwide have quantified how much plant life rebounds after large carnivores are restored.

"Our analysis of a long-term data set simply confirmed that ecosystem recovery takes time. In the early years of this trophic cascade, plants were only beginning to grow taller after decades of suppression by elk. But the strength of this recovery, as shown by the dramatic increases in willow crown volume, became increasingly apparent in subsequent years," said Dr. Robert Beschta, an emeritus professor at Oregon State University.

"These improving conditions have created vital habitats for birds and other species, while also enhancing other stream-side conditions."

The research points to the utility of using crown volume of stream-side shrubs as a key metric for evaluating trophic cascade strength, potentially advancing methods for riparian studies in other locations. It also contextualizes the value of predator restoration in fostering biodiversity and ecosystem resilience."

-via Phys.org, February 6, 2025

[nsharks]

bleeding blue | apocalypse au

part twenty-three —other parts

pairing: Simon “Ghost” Riley x fem!reader words: 4k tags: death. blood. cannibalism mention. zombies of course. AFAB reader. single dad ghost. there will be sex but it isn’t here yet. slow burn!!! enemies to lovers. summary: After losing your companions, you run into a skull-masked man and his daughter. They are your last hope for survival. a/n: ily

In a split second, the ground seems to open up and you sink down, down, down into a memory brimming with death. Stark white snow surrounds you, soaked with blood beneath your feet. You hear the screams of your sister and Paul. A wall of grey descends over them. There are many, too many. All you can do is—

"Fucking run! Come on, before they smell us!"

Kyle tugs your arm and rips you back to the present. You trap the terror, throw the bow on your back, and sprint. Which way did you even come from? The meadow feels bigger than before. He seems to know so you follow him, fighting through head-high rue.

It doesn't seem like the Greys have taken notice to you yet given the absence of hungered screeches, but you can hear the uneven footsteps continuing behind you. You try to look back at them, but all you can make out through the plants are flashes of grey and green and amber sunlight. You don't slow down. You need to increase the gap so they can't get close enough to scent you.

"She's right over there," Kyle urges.

The tall grasses turn into pine needle covered ground. You make it back to Cherry, who must notice the shift in the air as she whinnies against the rope. Kyle slinks his rifle on his back, unties her with nimble fingers, and without warning, grabs you by the waist and tosses you onto the saddle. You grip her mane to steady yourself. He swings a leg over behind you, then thrashes the reins. She breaks into a gallop, weaving through the trees. 

You look back again once she's gained some distance. They have trampled through the meadow, consuming it, and you realize with a sinking pit that without a horse, you wouldn't have been quick enough to get away. From this height, you can now see just how far back the crowd extends, to the point that they swallow the horizon. 

If they continue this way, they'll reach the camp. 

A barbed fence and trench won't stop them.

You look back ahead of you, the forest passing as a blur in your peripherals. 

"We have to get back and tell them. There's too many," you speak into the whipping breeze. "There is no month."

He tightens an arm around your middle and mutters gravely in your ear. "No, there isn't."

It feels like hours before you make it back, though the sun has yet to fully set. Blood orange streaks the sky. They must be preparing dinner. No one is outside. Cherry slides to a halt in front of the trench and Kyle helps you down with a firm hold, as if he is worried you'll be unsteady, but you brush his hand off and race inside.

You enter with such urgency that all eyes snap to you. Ghost is crouched in front of the fireplace. Price and Nereida are curled on the couch, legs entangled, as he strokes her long, black hair. Blue and Ari are looking through a magazine splayed on the table.

"Greys," you announce, looking around. You land on dark eyes that widen as they take you in. "They're here. They're coming."

"We saw them by the hundreds about 20 kilometers south. Too many for us to handle. We have to move, Price," Kyle says.

Ghost rises. You close the distance and stare up at him with unwavering conviction, ignoring the nausea that has been churning in your gut since the moment you witnessed them. 

"Ghost, we're not fucking around. I saw them. A horde. Bigger than the one that destroyed my camp. We have to get out of here. We don't have the time to wait around until they—"

"I heard you." His eyes sweep over the length of you. "You're alright?"

"Yes," you dismiss quickly. "They didn't get to us. But if we didn't have Cherry..." 

You trail off.

Price stands. "20 kilometers, Simon. They can close that distance in a matter of hours. We move now."

You see a war dance in Ghost's eyes as he releases your shoulder and nods firmly at his old captain. The stiffness in his shoulders and the hard set of his jaw show his realization that the battle he’s been fighting to grapple for more time is unwinnable.

"Dad?" Blue's voice is small from the table. 

He looks at her. "Kid, go get your things. Everything I've told you to bring if we ever had to leave."

"Where—where are we going?"

Price answers. "We start with moving a safe distance away. South, past Loughborough, like I showed you, Simon. Get your map. Gather everything we talked about. Only the necessities that we can fit in the truck."

Then, everyone moves.

A pot abandoned over the crackling embers. 

The magazine left on the table.

You rummage for your things.

Ghost throws a military-grade backpack at you.

"Use this."

You fight trembling fingers to unzip it. You don't own much. Even after cramming all your vials and pill bottles, gauze, knives, and clothes in it, there's space. He fills the rest with food from the pantry. Canned beans, fish, soup, peanut butter. A few packages with bold letters: MRE. Military ready-to-eats. 

Minutes race, and you're back outside. Moonlight floods the sky. Time feels like an enemy. How far away are they now? You swing around back to the truck. Kyle and Price have already loaded guns, food, and the deflated raft around Ghost's kayak. Blue watches them finish packing. She has a backpack of her own and Grim in her hands. Her eyes are red.

Ghost comes out with two heavily stuffed bags of his own. 

"You can't take him."

Blue tightens her hold on Grim. "I'll hold him the whole way."

"You can't."

"I can. I'm not—I'm not leaving him. He'll die."

"Say goodbye to him and get in the truck."

The look he gives her is final.

She knows it.

She kneels down and releases the rabbit.

He lingers by her feet.

Tears flow. 

"You have to stay here, okay? I'm—I'm sorry."

Kyle and Ari give their farewell to Cherry. He removes the saddle. You are tempted to thank her for saving your life, but before you can, Kyle strikes her rear and sends her running toward the north. You hope she can get out of here. 

You, Blue, and Nereida sit in the backseats. Kyle and Ari sit out on the truck bed, while Ghost drives and Price holds the map. Faded headlights cut through the night as the engine coughs to life. The silhouette of the camp outside the window is the last glimpse you steal as Ghost drives through the trees.

There isn't much talking except for Price telling him where to go. When Price unfolds the map, a small paper falls out. Ghost quickly snatches it and stuffs it in his pocket. Blue trembles beside you, but she's silent. You switch between playing with the plastic bracelet on your wrist and reopening the scab on your finger to keep your mind busy. You can't think about the what-if's—not now.

The bumpy ride softens once Ghost makes it to the road. You squint your eyes to read the roadsigns as they pass, but they're faded and it's dark. All you can make out is the letter M: motorway. It must be the M1. You crossed it on the way to the village, but this time Ghost follows it south, opposite of Manchester. 

Not even half an hour into the drive, Ghost swears under his breath. He slows down to a near-stop, causing your forehead to almost slam into the headrest. Your heart stutters when you look out the windshield. A group of Greys, not as large as the one you witnessed, but still sizable, lingers in the middle of the road. The headlights draw their shadows against the concrete—dark, spidery fingers. 

"Go around them," Price directs. "Keep some distance."

Ghost veers the truck left onto the grassy side of the motorway. The ride turns rough again and you notice Blue pressing her knuckles into your thigh. You let her. You watch the group pass through the window—maybe twenty or thirty of them. They are moving in the direction of the woods. Drawn to the terribly strong scent of the mass already congregated in there. 

When the truck fully passes them, your mind drifts. You think of small things. The growing cabbages Blue planted. If they will survive, or be trampled. Ghost's books. The shed you used to sleep. The violets by the pond, in full bloom, soon to be crushed and matted to the ground.

Ghost won't be driving all through the night. 

Price claims it would be a waste of fuel, since they haven't decided upon the safest route to continue further south towards the channel yet. One step at a time. Instead, after passing signs for Loughborough and circling around the quaint, broken town-scape, Ghost drives down a gravel road that leads to a quiet, overgrown ranch. There is a broken barn and eroded fence posts, but mostly grass. At least, that is what you make out in the dark. It should be far enough from the horde to be a safe place for sleep. 

They have two tents with them. Kyle hops out of the truck bed and sets them up with Ari, Price shining a flashlight for their eyes. Sleeping bags are thrown in. 

Nereida touches her husband's cheek. 

"Are you going to sleep any?"

"Not tonight. We'll keep watch." He kisses her knuckles.

Nereida and Ari end up in one tent for the night, and you and Blue take the other. The three men will stay awake, watching over the supplies and keeping an eye out for signs of Greys. You have the stubborn itch to stay up with them—be a fourth set of eyes—but you will yourself to leave your bow at the foot of the tent and bend down to slip inside with Blue. You help her into the sleeping bag since she has never used one before. She curls up inside it.

You are barely inside your own when she whispers, "Twix?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't like this."

"I don't, either."

Moonlight breaches the nylon walls. You can make out the shape of her nose, the glisten in her eyes.

"Are we going to go back?"

"I don't—I don't think so."

Luckily, it's left at that. She doesn't know about her dad's plan for Switzerland yet. Or maybe she is starting to put the pieces together. She doesn't ask. 

You turn on your side to look at her better. You reach a hand out of the sleeping bag to stroke her hair. "I'm sorry. I'm...I'm so sorry about Grim. He'll be okay, alright? He's a smart guy. Learned from you all these years."

"I hope so," she says, quiet. "I don't even have any pictures to remember him by."

"You have your memories of him. All of the small things. Hold tight to those and you'll never forget him, okay?"

"Okay." She shivers. It's cold now without the sun. For a few silent minutes, she simply cries. You stroke her hair, from scalp to ends, and count in your head. It does some to ground you. To ignore the fresh images seared into your eyelids. By the time you reach 248, she wipes her eyes roughly and says your name again. Her teeth are gritted, to keep her warm, or to stop from crying too loud. 

"Yeah?"

"Are you having sex with my dad?"

The question makes your fingers pause in their ministrations.

Something clenches at the pit of your stomach.

"I, um—no. No, of course not."

A shaky breath. 

"You would tell me, right? If you were."

"Yes, of course," you whisper. "Get some sleep, alright?" You give a final stroke to her hair and turn away, flat on your back. 

Sleep is difficult, but the three shadows outside the tent offer a thread of comfort, so you will your eyes to shutter. You dream of an endless meadow. The tall plants turn to hungry mouths. By the time dawn arrives, you awaken, and feel disoriented. You sit upright, looking around and wondering how you got here. You aren't in Ghost's room, in his bed, with his warm body close by. Your toes are numb. You see Blue's face slackened with fatigue, half covered by the sleeping bag, her body snuggled close to yours, and everything comes back to you in flashes. The Greys in the meadow. The quick evacuation. Pulling over for the night. It sinks in. Your stomach howls, but you ignore it, 

There are murmured voices outside.

You carefully unzip the entrance and slip outside so as not to wake Blue. The sky is a muted purple. Price, Kyle, and Ghost are by the truck bed. Price has the map in his hands, and Ghost is showing him two bright red jerry cans. 

"That's it?"

"That's it, plus what's already in the tank."

"And it's full?"

"Bit less than full now."

With everyone else still asleep, you hesitate to make your presence known. You feel like you'd be intruding. But the thought recoils quickly. The more stubborn part of your brain bares its teeth. You have a right to be apart of the conversation. You want to know what is happening. What they plan. 

As you make your way over, chilled arms crossed tight beneath your breasts, it is Kyle who notices you first. His eyes soften. Then Price—his brown eyes lift from the map as he regards you.

"Twix." He greets and you think it is the first he has said your name. Ghost is the one you fail to look at but you feel his stare. "Sleep alright?"

"Just fine." Your eyes flick to the map, noticing new marks that weren't there the last time you looked it over. "Have you guys..." As the words leave your lips, the confidence in your chest falters. You clear your throat in attempt to recapture your resolve. "Have you decided where we are going next? I mean—Switzerland is still the plan, right?"

Price's eyes sweep over you once, twice, before moving to Ghost, brow ticking as if in question. This irritates you—as if he is asking Ghost whether or not he should tell you, and you have to bite your cheek to fight a scowl. 

There is a subtle nod from Ghost that you think you might imagine, but Price looks back at you. "Switzerland is still the plan. We need to get here first—" he taps a finger on the map at the edge of England,"—to the Strait of Dover. The narrowest part of the channel. The biggest question is how. Going through London is the quickest way."

"But London is bound to be teeming with Greys," you frown.

"Precisely."

Kyle threads a hand through his hair, visibly concerned. "But going around it means more fuel."

"Well, how much do we have?" you ask, finally glancing at Ghost. You are scared of the answer.

He lifts the two cans up. "About 43 liters, plus the 30 already in the truck."

You feel relieved. "That's actually decent."

Kyle shakes his head. "Decent, yeah. But we're bound to have to end up taking side streets and stopping here and there for shit that's on the road, which wastes fuel. It's not a perfect drive."

"Well," your eyes move over the truck, then back to Price, "Can't we just go the long way, see how far the truck gets us, then do the rest on foot?"

"Are you willing to carry the kayak, Twix?" Price asks.

You flush. "I mean, it's not impossible is it?"

Ghost sets the cans down. "It's too much to carry. We can't go on foot for very far with the kayak, and we need it."

Because the raft is for six people. Not just that, you realize, as you take in just how much is filling the truck bed. All of the supplies have to make it across the water, too. It doesn't matter if six people can get in the raft if the supplies add to the weight limit like an extra person. 

Somewhere in your thinking a hand brushes over your bicep and you flinch. "Cold?"

It's Kyle. Without your response, he chucks off his jacket and places it over your shoulders. You mutter a quiet thanks and slip your hands through the sleeves. 

You don't know why, but your gaze shifts to Ghost, though you are only met with an unreadable expression before his attention refocuses on the map. He moves a gloved finger over it, landing on Colchester.

"Then we take a longer route on the water. If we avoid London and travel on the east side, we save fuel making it to the coast. The trip across will be longer than the Strait of Dover, but I'd rather take that risk than go through London. It's a fucking death trap there."

"That's a possibility," Price nods slowly, mewling it over. He rubs his beard. "Leaving from the Colchester coastline would mean maybe eight or ten hours to get across, which we can manage—with the right weather." 

"Colchester, then," Kyle says. He seems more keen to this idea, shoulders loosening. "We can take the A14 towards Kettering. Can't be more than an hour or two from here. And then the A11. It should avoid the worst of it."

Price nods and folds the map up. "We keeping moving, then. The longer we stay in one spot, the more risk." He lays a hand on Ghost's shoulder. "This was the right choice, Simon."

Ghost simply nods.

The plan seems solid enough. Drive to the channel and get across. It is the water that makes you the most uneasy, and traveling through France where no one here is as familiar with the landscape as they are England. You've tried to recall what you heard from the radios way back at the start. You know Paris, a major city, succumbed quickly. But what about the rest of it? 

You wonder if Ghost is as scared as you are to be ripped from the small semblance of safety he has had for over five years now. If he is, it doesn't show. He is back to clinical. A lieutenant. Not the man you've grown far too comfortable throwing attitude at.

When Kyle and Price leave to make a small fire with gathered kindling, he tosses the jerry cans back in the truck and grabs your arm before you can walk away.

"How is she?" he asks.

Blue, he means.

You look back at the tent. "She's doing alright, I think. Scared. But she understands." You wet your lips. "She doesn't know, does she? About us heading for Switzerland with them."

"I haven't had the chance to talk to her yet."

You nod, teeth grazing your bottom lip. "Thank you... for letting me be apart of that conversation. I know that I—I don't have as much value here as everyone else, but I am still worth keeping around. I am ready to help. Just tell me what to do, Ghost, and I'll do it. You know I will. I am stronger than I was before, thanks to you."

Ghost's head tilts downward as a breath of silence passes between you.

He doesn't comment on anything you've just said. He takes hold of one your hands. You are confused before he pries it open, grabbing your thumb and inspecting it like a slide under a microscope. The nick from when you cut your hair. The scab you've failed to let take.

"Stop picking at it, unless you want an infection."

"I can't help it sometimes."

He drops your hand. The warmth fizzles. "You still have antiseptic?"

You nod. 

"Good. Use it only for yourself. Understood?" 

"Yeah," you breathe, and wonder with a furrowed brow why he is bringing this up now. There is no chance to ask when he grabs the lapel of the jacket on your shoulders and begins to force it off. 

"Give this back to Kyle. You have your own."

Breakfast consists of jerky, beans, and water that Price and Kyle tapped from a tree. A spile. Of course, they have one. You try not to feel spiteful of how competent they are—prepared. Just like Ghost. If only Paul had such things at his disposal. Maybe he could've devised a stronger Plan B. Maybe they would've been able to get away with you that first time around.

Ghost explains to Blue the plan. That there is no going back, not now or ever. That there will be a new home for them, a safer one where they will never have to flee, far away in another country where other people have made a community, where she could have more friends. It is all wishful thinking, of course, but he has to sell it to her as something certain.

You overhear bits of the conversation as you force yourself to eat. She sounds sad and distant. Detached. Like she hears what he is saying but doesn't really hear it. Still, she isn't crying anymore. When they are done talking, she eats her breakfast in small bites beside Ari. 

By high morning, the air heats up, and you don't need a jacket at all. It is time to move onward. Kyle and Ghost take the tents down. Nereida whispers something to her husband and then disappears behind a tree somewhere. When she returns, she taps your shoulder.

"My period just came," she says, shaking her head. "Quite the timing, huh?"

Oh. "I'm sorry, that sucks. You have little towels and stuff for it?"

She nods. "Yes, luckily. Remember the rosemary I found? I use that to help fight the odor so Greys can't smell it as well. Let me know if you ever need any." You take a mental note. "You know, I was hoping getting my tubes tied would stop things like this. All it did was make it more irregular."

Your brows furrow. "Wait—you mean, you did that before the spread?"

She smiles lightly. "I never wanted to be pregnant. Really makes things less stressful now."

That makes sense, then. That her and Price don't have to worry. The question has popped into your brain a few times now, against your will, whenever you caught sight of them kissing and touching. They seem far too intimate, even in those small moments, to not be having sex in private. 

Just before taking off, you unpack your supplies and wrap up your thumb with some ointment. More than anything you want to crawl under a blanket and hide, preferably back on Ghost's warm bed. But as you crawl back into the truck, that vision fades further behind you, and you will yourself to focus on the road ahead, to keep moving. 

[jakeswifeyyy]

Jungwon smut pls:)

OK guys hear me out I can't be the only one heavy on the jungwon x making out agenda like this man is just so good at it.

Pairings:Bf! jungwon x Gf! reader.

Warnings:Making out,cunnilingus,cum eating,use of aphrodisiac chocolates,like if I forgot anything.

Bf!Jungwon,who both of you were a very shy couple,furthest point of intimacy attained was kissing,never any tongue involved,not than any was inexperienced and He did watch some porn videos for research purposes wanting to make his girl feel good.

Bf!Jungwon who heard about some aphrodisiac chocolates online and bought them not letting you know what it was as he gave it to you,because he knew both of you wanted to progress further in intimacy but both too shy,feeling bad he decided to sit down with you and tell you about it to which you happily agreed.

Bf!Jungwon,who was now staring straight into you,gaze dark with lust as you shyed away from his gaze but no he wasn't having it,beckoning you to move closer before crashing his lips onto yours ,he was always a gentleman this time manners being kicked out the door but you loved him this way.

Bf!Jungwon whom you were now sitting on his lap ,20 minutes later as the effects of the chocolate,aggressively making out,sloppy messy kisses,but neither caring just wanting to feel more of the other up,taking off his glasses,he looked so hot in that moment as he was a complete 180 degree flip of his usual self,groping your ass and tits occasionally.

Bf!Jungwon,who carried you to the bed stripping you both off of your clothing as you traced your hands all over his muscular chest,holding your hand,both your confidence boosted a hundred times more,he guided it to his clothed hard in grinding against your hand as he bit his lip moaning at the contact while you stared up at him innocently.

Bf!Jungwon who takes his time to taste every inch of your skin making sure to mark you,to remind all those boys who drooled like puppies after you,you were taken.

Bf!Jungwon who loves hearing your pretty moans as he ate you out and you bucked up into his face ,using his head as leverage to guide him,using him but he wasn't complaining,he infact loved that.

Bf!Jungwon who told you to take off his briefs,audibly gasping at his size as he smirked,he had a lengthy veiny cock and he knew it and new just how to use It.

Bf!Jungwon who has you screaming his name out for the neighbours to know,both of you not in your right minds to give a fuck at the moment,they saw you as the quiet innocent kids,how would they know.

Bf!Jungwon who starts rubbing your clit in fast circles when you tell him you're close,as he pounds into you,deep,slow strokes,grinding against you causing friction on your clit with every time he bottomed out as you shamelessly groaned your name.

Bf!Jungwon who keeps making you cum nearly 5 more times that night ,the chocolate increasing boh your sex drives to heights not known by both of you,but as they say you live and you learn.

Bf!Jungwon who goes down on you again wanting to taste your cum mixed together with his ,shamelessly lapping at your cunt,your entrance slowly leaking both your cum as he greedily gulped it all down before coming back up to kiss you because you begged for a taste too,scooping it up with 2 fingers before shoving it in your mouth,watching you suck on his fingers containing himself not to fuck you again ,make you cum for the 6th time.

Bf!Jungwon who is big on aftercare getting a wet towel and cleaning up your mess from between your legs and changing the now soaked sheets,before getting you in his t-shirt as he cleaned up and wore some sweatpants cuddling in with you as you lazily made out.

Bf!Jungwon who was shy again the next morning back to his usual self as you teased him.

[qqueenofhades]

I am FULLY ONBOARD the Harris/Waltz train, tho before this i was leaning towards Mark Kelly (AZ is a swing state! He's an ASTRONAUT!) If you want or have time, no pressure, but any thoughts on what makes Waltz a better pick?

I like Mark Kelly too, and since he's married to Gabby Giffords (having run for public office after she got shot and could no longer do so) he would have been an amazing pick in terms of supporting the first female POTUS. But he is a less charismatic public speaker than Walz (for whatever that's worth, but politics is a mess of Aesthetics and Vibes that matter as much and/or more than actual facts) and more moderate/conservative. He's been a great senator and picking him would defuse some of the BORDER IMMIGRATION BLAH BLAH!!! scaremongering that Republicans love to run on, but it would also leave open the possibility of losing a special election and other dangers with the Democratic senate that we really need to minimize. So Walz is a better choice for that alone, but also:

He really has serious progressive credentials as governor, even if he was a fairly mainstream Democrat (who flipped a rural red House district in Minnesota that Democrats have not been able to win again after he left) during his 12 years in the House. This is an INCOMPLETE LIST of what he was able to do in two years with a one-seat Democratic majority in Minnesota:

A Climate Action Plan that included:

Investing in energy infrastructure

100% carbon-free electricity by 2040 goal

Transition off of fossil fuels and onto clean energy resources

Building more electric vehicle charging stations

Providing funding to help workers acquire new skills through apprenticeship programs in clean energy fields

Direct state funding for transit

Money for rail

Tax credit for e-bikes

Permitting form to fast-track clean energy projects

And that was in addition to:

Codified abortion access in Minnesota

Guaranteed paid sick time and paid family and medical leave

Funded replacing ALL LEAD PIPES IN THE STATE

Free school breakfasts and lunches for all

Made public college free

Stronger labor protections

Drivers’ Licenses for All

Voting Rights Act to reverse recent court rulings that make voting harder, including restored voting rights to convicted felons

Banning medical debt from credit bureaus

The "Taylor Swift Bill" requiring all ticket "junk fees" be shown up front

Banning most "junk fees"

No book bans

Protection for tipped workers

Banned non-competes

Legalized recreational cannabis

Gun control, including increased penalties for straw purchases of firearms, expanded background checks and enacted red-flag laws, passing gun safety measures that the GOP has thwarted for years

Made MN a Trans Refuge State, and required health plans to cover “medically necessary gender-affirming care.”

Pay increase for Uber and Lyft drivers

Elimination of the so-called “gay panic defense”

A ban on “doxxing” election workers

A prohibition on “swatting” elected officials

In March, during the height of the Gaza/uncommitted primary protests against Biden, Walz said that young people should be listened to and they had a right to be speaking up and the situation in Gaza was horrible and intolerable, without directly slamming Biden or getting involved in the issue in a way to draw negative headlines. Regardless of what you think about any of it, that is a very deft way to handle it and pairs well with Kamala's better responsiveness on the Gaza issue overall. That was a big part of the reason why Gen Z/younger voters were very excited about Walz despite him being an "old" (actually the same age as Kamala but he has joked that teaching high school for 20 years will do that to a guy) white guy. If half the battle in politics is making the right pick to excite your core voters and reach out to new ones, then Harris nailed it. As I have said in earlier posts, there was just too much energy with young voters FINALLY checking in when Harris became the candidate, to risk introducing a big ideological split with Shapiro.

Aside from that: the most insufferable Smart White-Bro Political Pundits (TM) are big mad about Walz, many Never Trumper Republicans thought they were entitled to a "moderate" in exchange for oh-so-generously lending us their vote against Trump and not run the risk that we might end up with someone *gasp* progressive, and the regular MAGA Republicans are hysterical, which means they're terrified. It's also incredibly hard to paint Literal Midwestern Stereotype Dad (football coach, social studies high school teacher, military veteran, etc) as THE EVIL END OF AMERICA in the way they desperately want to do, though the fact that they're trying shows that they've got literally nothing. The fact that Kamala picked Walz against the PREVAILING WISDOM!!! that she had to take Shapiro (for whatever reason that might have been) is also a good sign, because by far the most genuine and extensive enthusiasm that I have seen from Democratic voters, especially those feeling burned out or disillusioned or angry with specific policy choices of the current administration, was for Walz. Having everyone excited for the pick beforehand, effectively using the "weird" line, and rallying behind the guy, only for her to actually go for him, is inspiring. It makes people feel like they're being heard and the Democrats have decided to win by being progressive, and not just endlessly Catering To The (Imaginary) Middle as they have always been told to do (and often done). That alone is MASSIVE.

Walz is tremendously funny, personable, has Democrats from AOC to Joe Manchin praising it (again, shocking), was right out the gate supporting Kamala, has already been majorly successful on TV, was by far the most progressive-on-policy picks of the VP finalists, is incredibly, hilariously wholesome and small-town Midwestern (he's the JD Vance that they wish JD Vance was), and is already sending ActBlue gangbusters with donations again. And when you're getting this kind of response on the Cursed Bird Hellsite, just:

Just. I don't know what's happening either. But let's enjoy it, and then work hard, because we gotta fucking do this and for possibly the first time this entire year, I really think we might. Heck yeah.

[ltwilliammowett]

The Drake Passage

The Drake Passage (Mar de Hoces, pasaje de Drake, paso Drake) is the strait between the southern tip of South America (Cape Horn) and the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula (Prime Head, northernmost point of the Trinity Peninsula). It connects the Atlantic Ocean, in particular the Scotia Sea, with the Pacific Ocean and is part of the Southern Ocean, which is named after the English Free State of Scotland.

It was named after the English privateer Francis Drake (1540-1596), who, according to legend, discovered it by chance while sailing around the world in search of two escort ships that had drifted away in a storm. In retrospect, the naming was probably politically motivated, as it was only attributed to Drake around 20 years after his death and two years after the Dutchman Willem Cornelisz Schouten (1580-1625) crossed it.

The sea area was first navigated in 1616 by Willem Cornelisz Schouten, who originally named the Strait of Le Maire after Jakob Le Maire, the discoverer of Cape Horn. It is possible that the area was already travelled before Drake and Schouten by the Spanish captains Francisco de Hoces (1526) and Gabriel de Castilla (1603). For this reason, the sea route is often referred to as Mar de Hoces (Hoces Sea) in Spanish, Argentinian and Chilean sources. In Spanish, however, Estrecho de Le Maire refers to the passage between Tierra del Fuego and the Island of the States.

The Drake Passage is considered one of the most dangerous passages in the world due to various factors. Firstly, because of the extreme weather conditions: The passage is notorious for its fierce winds, which often reach hurricane force and more. These winds, combined with rapidly changing weather conditions, can lead to massive waves and violent storms that pose a considerable risk to ships.

Strong winds and currents in the Drake Passage can lead to exceptionally high waves that can reach heights of over 30 metres. These unpredictable waves pose a great danger to ships and can cause them to capsize or be severely damaged. Icebergs and ice floes are not as common in the Drake Passage as in the polar regions, but are still present, especially during the Australian summer. These floating obstacles increase the risk of collisions and damage to ships, especially in poor visibility or rough seas.

Although the Drake Passage is one of the widest ocean passages, it is relatively narrow and shallow compared to other major ocean passages. This can lead to rough and choppy seas, making navigation even more difficult and increasing the likelihood of accidents. The Drake Passage is also far away from major harbours or rescue facilities, so help can be slow to arrive in an emergency. The remoteness and inhospitable nature of the surrounding Antarctic region makes rescue even more difficult.

The currents in the Drake Passage are also dangerous: the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC): This current flows rapidly from west to east around Antarctica. It is the widest and fastest ocean current in the world. It becomes even faster in the Drake Passage, making the seas turbulent and unpredictable.

Other currents from the Atlantic and Pacific meet in the Drake Passage. These include the Falkland Current from the north and the Westerly Current from the south. When these currents meet, they intensify the water flow and create eddies and turbulence.

Although the tidal currents are not as significant, they also have an influence on the Drake Passage. Although they are not as strong as in other places, they can still affect navigation, especially in combination with the strong ACC. These tidal currents can make navigation through the passage even more difficult.

Despite these problems, the passage is passable today.

[nichiperi]

Height chart doodle in my planner because I'm on a Zib kick!! ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

Some Zib notes and hcs under the cut!!

- They're all the same age in the height chart (adult, late 20's). Zib is shorter than Dib due to developing more like an Zim. His proportions are more Irken-like too, which was more apparent when I'd drawn the initial sketches.

- I know Zim Number 2 canonically got wiped from existence but uhhhhh I am going to ignore that in lieu of speculating on how his relationship with Zib could've changed over years of being stuck together in the Zimvoid.

- I think Zib's feelings towards all the Zims are pretty complicated, particularly as the years progress and Zim's influence slowly takes over his mind more and more. The parts of him that are still Dib see Zim Number 2 as his..."""favorite"""??? Or rather, the one he can stand to be around the most??? I think he finds Zim 2's efforts to be one of the ultimate Zims almost endearing.

- But the parts of him that are more Zim slowly grow to hate the other Zims. At first, it isn't a problem. He's seen as the "Ultimate Zim" after all. But as the other Zims, 2 in particular, start climbing the social hierarchy of the Zimvoid and becoming more impressive in battle, it irritates the Zim parts of Zib in increasing amounts as time passes and he slowly begins to make increasingly impossible demands of the Zims in the Zimvoid.

- Being fused with a PAK, Zib will live longer than any human ever could, but he's incredibly sickly, and as he ages, he experiences an ever-increasing amount of pain and fatigue as his body struggles to maintain his new semi-Irken body chemistry, organs, and bone structure.

[artificial-transmutations]

Transformation Letter: Mikey

Hi, I'm Mikey. I'd like to transformed into a more masculine guy, not an object. I'm a 20 year old bi guy from England, 177cm tall with fairly pale white skin, average build (not muscular but not exactly twinkish), short brown hair and not much facial hair to speak of.

A new transformation letter! There's no harm in wishing to be a bit manlier, right?

You have heard the rumors about these special transformation letters and decided to give it a try. Sure, there were reports of twisting wishes and not getting *exactly* what you asked for, but those were probably just exaggerations. It's the internet, after all.

So, you quickly summarized who you were and what you wanted to become - "more masculine" should suffice - and sent the letter.

You were just on your way home a good one and a half week later when you suddenly felt strange. The first thing that was almost immediately noticeable was your height, which increased quite a few centimeters, to a good 1,85 meters. That wasn't too bad for your trousers, they were only noticeably too short now, but your shirt and jacket were almost uncomfortable now. You looked around, and, after making sure nobody was there to see you, slipped out of both.

You can hardly believe what you are seeing! It worked! Where before you were a normal guy, you now looked down at a somewhat defined body! A visible six-pack and the subtle bulges of muscle on your arms and chest gave you a lean build. As you touch your face, you notice a difference there, too. Some stubble has formed on your chin, and your jaw has rearranged somewhat, becoming a bit more masculine. Looking further down, you see another new bulge that you didn't have before - at least not this big. Apparently, your privates have grown as well, making you well-endowed down there. When you took a careful sniff, you noticed a faint but manly musky smell emanating from you, especially your exposed armpits. Not really intense but enough to add to your newfound masculine charisma.

Giving your cock a squeeze, you began to hurry home. You could hardly wait to see the full story!

You made your way home quickly. However, as you are just entering the apartment, the feeling from before returned, stronger now. You watched your torso stack on more muscle, now growing into a clearly muscular and fit form. Your biceps strained the skin on your arms, and you can even see some veins popping up on it. As soon as you let out a "Woah", you recognized that your voice, too, has changed. It was a much lower tone than before, enough to send shivers down the spines of other men. On your even more defined abs and your juicy pecs, you could see a light coating of hair. Not enough to be clearly visible on a picture, but definitely there - everywhere actually. The little hairs looked shaved, and you briefly wondered how they would have looked if you let them grow out. The thought was thrilling, and you felt your cock chub up. When you looked down, however, the bulge it formed in your pants is almost obscene. You were a long way from being fully hard and yet, it looked like a pair of socks stuffed into your underwear. Apparently, you also had grown another few centimeters, since your pants were riding even higher now.

Finally finding a mirror, you were almost shocked to see your face. Your eyebrows have grown bushier, and your eyes had gained a new, almost predatory quality. The musk you now exude made you irresistible, filled with raw sexual energy.

You like this, you concluded. Perhaps it was even a bit much, but it's still manageable. You were definitely manly now.

Just as you were thinking that thought, another rush of transformation set it. Your arms ballooned out with more and more muscle, making you look like a bodybuilder - or a steroid junkie. The veins on your arms were clearly visible now. At the same time, your body hair growth accelerated again. The new coating of hair was now clearly visible, even though you somehow knew that you had just shaved a few hours ago. You had to shave twice a day now, body and face, to keep it at decent level and not look like a cave man in the matter of hours. Your stomach turned into a cobblestone washboard, displaying at least an eight-pack. You were beginning to have trouble judging that however, since it was getting more and more difficult to see past your shelf of pectoral muscles that sat on your chest like a piece of plate armor.

Your shoulders had broadened incredibly wide and the combination of that and your heavily muscled arms disallowed for any reaching around your back now. At the same time, your pants started to feel really constricting. Not just the front, but the whole length was stuffed to the brim with muscled legs that yearned to be free.

With some difficulties, you peeled out of the tight fabric, standing only in your underwear in front of the mirror now. Your once wide and comfortable briefs were little more than a poser now - stretched by your wider muscled hips and filled with your manly bulge so much that it didn't even touch your hairy legs anymore. Your voice has turned into a very low growl now, almost more animalistic than manly. Your musk has grown so strong, it fills any room you walk into, a raw, primal scent that has men weak in the knees.

This is entirely too much. You needed to call someone to reverse this madness! How are you supposed to continue living your live like that? Before you could react properly however, you felt the next wave of change approaching, sending you deeper into manliness still, never stopping...

Oh dear, seems like Mikey got more than he asked for. Will he ever stop growing?

[sunkissedlouis]

Hi! I don't know if you already have a tutorial but would you mind sharing your gif making process? Thank you!

hiiii anon!

thank you for sending this in :) it's my first time getting a tutorial request hehe i tried to explain each step i do as best as i can.

i'll put the gif making process and tutorial under the cut bc it's image + text heavy

before starting, i'd just like to share what i use in creating gifs:

i'm on mac (i used to do them on windows... the ps steps are the same if you're using one)

i'm currently using photoshop 2022

i use 9xbuddy or video downloadhelper extension on firefox mainly for downloading videos

best quality to download for hq gifs is ideally 1080p and above. (although you can get away with 720p for smaller gif sizes)

i use mplayer-osx extended to get the screencaps/frames for my gifs (if i'm not doing the import option in photoshop)

for this tutorial, i'm using the latam highlights video from louis' ig reels to make today's gif. on to the tutorial / process!

please click the screenshots i've included below and zoom in on the texts on them to see them clearly (apologies for the quality!)

IMPORT YOUR FRAMES. once you've downloaded your video, open photoshop and click FILE > IMPORT > VIDEO FRAMES TO LAYERS

SELECT THE PART YOU WANT TO GIF. the shorter, the better because you want to keep it crisp and keep the file under 10mb when you save it after all the layers. here are the settings i use:

toggle the smaller arrows under the bar to select the parts you want to gif. once you have your frames loaded, it should show you a timeline table at the bottom and their corresponding layers on the right side. (if you can't see the timeline, go to WINDOW > click TIMELINE)

3. DELETE EXTRA LAYERS, CROP PARTS YOU WANT TO FOCUS ON, AND RESIZE.

after cropping the parts of the gifs, resize them according to the tumblr sizing to prevent your gifs from looking blurry once you upload them. you can use this size guide for your reference :) the gif's height can be any size as far as i know. go to IMAGE > IMAGE SIZE > INPUT THE SIZE. for this gif, we'll do 540 x 540

4. CHANGE GIF SPEED and CONVERT TO SMART OBJECT

once you've selected all frames

set the delay to 0.07. this is usually the natural, normal speed for gifs on here. it depends on the number of frames you have but i usually do .07 or .05 (sometimes .08 haha)

with all your timeline frames still selected, then select all the layers on the right side. go to SELECT > ALL LAYERS

then convert them to smart object so we can edit all the layers all at once. go to LAYER > SMART OBJECTS > CONVERT TO SMART OBJECT

5. SHARPEN (one of my fave parts!)

this is the basic one that most users use:

STEP 1: go to FILTER > SHARPEN > SMART SHARPEN

radius usually goes from 0.3-0.4

STEP 2: Repeat STEP 1, but this time change the settings to:

you can stop here but i like my gifs crispier and to have more texture! i use the sharpening settings from this tutorial or these sharpening action packs from user brainwasheds. i highly recommend these! i mix and match the settings when i'm not happy with how they look on my gifs. but for this gif we'll use the sharpening settings from this tutorial.

in addition to the settings from that tutorial, i also added FILTER > OTHER > HIGH PASS at 3.4 radius, then set the opacity to 60-80

then lastly add FILTER > ADD NOISE > NOISE at gaussian setting with 1.5 amount, then set opacity to 20-30

6. BRIGHTENING, COLORING, BALANCING, ADDING TEXTURE

now for the fun part!

STEP 1: BRIGHTEN UP THE GIF this is my go-to way to increase the brightness. go to LAYER > NEW ADJUSTMENT LAYER > BRIGHTNESS / CONTRAST then change its blending mode from NORMAL to SCREEN

you now have a very bright, highly saturated gif but we'll fix that lol

STEP 2: ADD CONTRAST BY FIXING THE BLACKS AND WHITES add a new adjustment layer > LEVELS

i usually play around with these. middle and black arrows add shadows and contrast while the white arrows add highlights/brightness to the gifs.

these are my settings! these are not definite bc it varies depending on what you're working on, so adjust them accordingly. next, add another adjustment layer > CURVES

i usually zoom in to locate the darkest / black area using the black dropper. then once that's done, do the same and locate the brightest/white area. this adds further contrast to your gif that wasn't done in the previous step.

STEP 3: COLORING (my fave part!!!) add a new adjustment layer > SELECTIVE COLOR this is the part where i like to neutralize the skin color when it gets too yellow or red, make the colors pop, and sometimes change them too. louis' skin was looking too red heavy, so i wanted to reduce that! i start with balancing out the skin color with REDS & YELLOWS.

these are my settings for this gif! adjust them and observe the changes it makes on the person's skin. if you know color theory, it's helpful to see how it affects the colors on your gifs. putting the arrows more on the left side, adds more 'cool' tones, whilst putting the arrows to the right side, adds more 'warm' tones.

i like to deepen the blacks on my gifs further so, go to selective color's BLACKS and on the black scale, add more to the right! for this one, i added +10

add a new SELECTIVE COLOR adjustment layer. for this one, we'll make the surrounding colors pop more!

for these settings, i made the leaves more vivid while the teal(?) wall, i adjusted them made it more blue.

next, add a new adjustment layer > COLOR BALANCE this is where you can make further adjustments on the overall colors of your gif. you can also change the color tone of your gifs here if you want to make it more 'cool' tone or 'warm' tone looking.

earlier's color theory applies here as well!

6.5. OPTIONAL STEP: ADD TEXTURE/OVERLAYS after the last step, you can save your gif as is but again, i like adding textures to my gifs so we'll add one. i use the textures/overlays that i got from here :)

i like to use film, grainy textures! add the texture you want on top of all the layers.

then change the blending mode to LIGHTEN or SCREEN. adjust the opacity to 20-40%. for this gif i used screen with 40%.

7. EXPORT AND SAVE YOUR GIF time to save your gif! click FILE > EXPORT > SAVE FOR WEB

this is my default setting for my gifs. i also tick the interlaced option sometimes.

here's the finished gif:

there you go anon! :) if you have any more questions, just lmk or you can directly dm me off-anon if you want.

i also get inspo, guides, and other tutorials over at @usergif

[moredorkysjonsson]

My Hero Academia OC

Note: my oc's story is not meant to be set in the canon story of mha, it's more of an alternate universe.

She's no pro hero, nor a vigilante. She is a regular citizen with a complicated quirk and a natural instinct with protecting the weak. She calls these attributes a curse, because it just causes a lot of problems for her.

Quirk: "Werewolf", mutant type.

She has a similar behavior with the animals of canis genus, has an advance sense of smell and sense of hearing, high bite force, nails that naturally grows pointy. She's also greatly physically capable, impressively strong och fast, high stamina and her wounds heal faster than average.

Her werewolf transformation gets triggered by the increase of her adrenaline, and the more she transform the more aggressive and impulsive she becomes. Her hair raises hackle, she grows fur on her body, grows a tail, immense bite force, more powerful claws and paw pads. Her physical powers also increases and her body healing ability becomes faster and she can heal lose limbs as long they are placed back together.

Weakness:

Her quirk might appear OP, but she has some weakness too. For example: 0% might be impressively capable, but she's weaker and slower than her 10-100% forms. Advance sense of hearing and smell can also be quite a hassle when it comes to very loud sounds and strong smells. The werewolf transformation is also tremendously physically and mentally exhausting, which makes her body collapse when she re-transforms and the 70-100% forms often causes amnesia, which makes her not remembering what happened during it.

Her collar she has around her neck, is also a somewhat of weakness. Its durability is limitless and can be used against her to maneuver her. As long as she doesn't caught whatever is catching her with her strong jaws. (She has been wearing that collar since she was 5 years old)

Info about her:

Name: Toboe Soichi

Alias: The Werewolf, Wolf, Pup (She didn't choose any of these alias, it's what she's called by people because of her quirk. Her daily 0% form isn't recognized by those alias)

Gender: Female (she, her, they, them)

Age: 30's

Height: 173 - 178cm (5'8 - 5'10)

Eye color: kyanite-blue & deep-yellow

Hair color: Dark chestnut

Occupation: Part time florist assistant

Soichi was born in Nagano Prefecture, her father was one of Japan's top heroes and he died 5 month before her birth. She was raised by her mother and with some help from her aunt (mother's sister). Soichi was born with some of her quirks attributes, but the werewolf transformation took form at the age of 4 and it was quite different than it is today. Her transformation turned straight from 0 to 100%, and the first impression of her new quirk was a disaster, biting off the finger of a kindergarten teacher, and that wouldn't be the last time her quirk caused chaos.

Soichi's childhood was difficult because of her quirk, she struggled to get friends, she was harassed by other children's parents and so did her neighbors, because they were scared of her werewolf form. Soichi's mother was however doing everything she could to keep her safe and loved, and so did the rest of the family. At the age of 9, her and the family moved to Yamanashi Prefecture to try and start a life with less harassment and it fortunately went for the better. However, this is also the chapter in her life when she starts to do heroic things.

In her early 20's she gets in trouble with the law after an altercation with a A rank villain and a misunderstanding fight with the top hero All Might. Soichi gets charged for vigilantism and violence against pro hero, and she gets brought to trial. Soichi's mother begs All Might to help Soichi from getting into prison and she explains her quirk's complication and that she's actually a good person. All Might being the hero that he is decides to meet Soichi himself to get his own impression of her, and when that time came he was surprised by her 0% form, she was a completely different person compare to the one who he fought. She was polite and shy, but most notable was her righteousness and sense of responsibility. Telling him that she deserve to go to prison for attacking him, even if she rather not. This and the fact that Soichi fought the villain to protect people, made All Might realize that she doesn't deserve prison time at all, this also makes him decide to defend her when he attends to the trail as a witness.

During the trial, the judges sympathizes a bit for Soichi's quirk complications, but what really made them recognize her was All Might's input on the situation, and they finally decides to judge her as not guilty. However, this is where Soichi gets labeled as a "risk of violent behavior" at the police registration, which means that the law will have a firm eye on her.

A year after the trial, Soichi gets in contact with a psychotherapist from northern Europe, that works with people who struggles with similar quirk complications as herself. He helps her to learn to better control her negative emotions and a safer way to protect herself and others. After 4 years of this, she grows a lot as a person and she's able to slow down her transformation. Her 100% becomes rare and her 0-60% are a lot more common.

Soichi has no interest in the hero life style, she just want to live a normal life and only protect her family and the few friend she has, but she can't avoid her instinct with helping those who happens to be in danger close by. She tries to avoid the police and most pro heroes. But the law isn't the only problem, so are villains that goes against her and those who recognize the similarity she has with her father.

Inspirations for Soichi and her story:

MHA(obviously), Mob Psycho 100, One Punch Man, Devilman, Invincible, DCUA, Beastars, Naruto and much more.

There is a lot more to Soichi’s story, but I think this should be enough as a preview

---

Pardon for any bad grammar, English isn't my first language and I was a bit tired when I wrote this ^^'

[angelicsatin]

Tang Tian ♡ˎˊ˗ | Confectionary for the Z-Fighters (DBS Era)

art credit to @ taidaken on instagram note: this is her design & appearance ref for Dragon Ball Super. Still waiting / working on her earlier designs.

Name: Tian Tang (Tang Tian) Nicknames: Tang Tang, Tangy Height: 5’1 (155cm) Ethnicity: Chinese Species: Human Age: 43-49 (DBS), 25-39 (DBZ), 14-20 (DB) Birthday: February 14, 737  Zodiac: Aquarius Gender: Cis female Sexuality: Panromantic Demisexual Blood Type: B Status: Alive Occupation: Heir to the Tian Family’s Pastry & Confectionary Shop + Baker to the Z-Fighters & especially Lord Beerus Parents: Gāodiãn Tian (father) & Caomei Tian (mother) Romantic Interest(s): Lord Beerus, Lord Frieza MBTI: ESFP Enneagram: 7w6 Power Level: 120 (T1) TBD (T2, being trained by Frieza)

keep reading under the cut for more detailed info <3

Importantෆ 

Overall I have 2 ‘timelines’ for her. Her main timeline ties directly to the main anime/manga timeline, in which she ends up shipped with Beerus. 

While the timeline she’s shipped with Frieza directly runs with her Beerus timeline, the timeline splits following the Tournament of Power– where instead of staying with Beerus and her friends all the time, she accompanies Frieza with the Frieza Force.

For organizational purposes, each timeline is numbered. 

Tang’s main timeline, where she is with Beerus is T1.

The timeline that splits off that one, where she ends up with Frieza is T2.

Fun Factsෆ

Her power level is explained by her childhood in the wilderness + training from Tien Shinhan at multiple points through the series to acclimate her power level just below Chi-Chi’s. 

Tang's full name means 'Sugar Sweet' or 'Sweet Sugar'

Her parents' names also follow the naming rule Toriyama placed

Tang is the inventor/creator of the ‘Z-Boosting Cupcakes’ as she calls them, which are an alternative to the food pills Capsule Corp. supplies with extra. Said alternative offers the same kind of boost as a food pill (ie, full stomach, increased stamina, replenished health, etc.) but instead of either a flavorless or bitter food pill, in the form of a sugary sweet cupcake. Each different flavor provides a different power boost type. They kick in quicker than food pills but do not last as long – requiring more cupcake consumption. 

In the anime/manga, she would be nothing but a supporting character. In any game, only an add-on or support type.

Her role in Beerus’ life is both as a romantic partner and unofficial attendant of some sort. Similar to Whis, she lives on his planet and carries out duties to keep the Destroyer God happy. Some examples include the sorts of chores Vegeta and Goku do when training there, as well as cooking and cleaning overall to allow Whis more time to relax. 

With Tang’s role as his ‘unofficial attendant,’ Tang is allowed to accompany Beerus almost anywhere he pleases.

When shipped with Frieza, Tang is simply referred to by the Frieza Force soldiers as 'Lord Frieza's Companion,' and is never supposed to experience disrespect from them.

By Super, Tang has used one Dragon Ball wish. She requests Shenron bestow her with knowledge of every written culinary recipe on earth, but she knows there are recipes out there that are unwritten and unknown to her, which drives her to try to create her own.

Sometime following the Broly Arc, Tang begins to be trained by Frieza in the timeline where she is shipped with him. Her power level in this timeline is undetermined due to how powerful Frieza is and dependent on how much she is capable of as is.

Info For All Timelinesෆ

She doesn’t know who her birth parents are, and from as early as she can remember, she had lived deep in Mount Paozu until a man found her. She’d grow to call him Father, a kind bakery owner traveling through the mountains on a delivery run named Gāodiãn Tian. 

Shortly after Bulma and Yamcha broke up, Tang and Yamcha began to date after he regularly visited her family business. However, a similar fate befalls them when Yamcha’s unfaithfulness becomes even too much for Tang as it did Bulma.

This brings the two women closer, and Bulma and Tang relate with one another. They spend ‘girl time’ together complaining about boys and whatever other nonsense comes to mind.

(eventually, i'll upload the complete list / writing I have for all of Tang's appearances or how the anime would be different with her presence. it's currently being worked on more than halfway through DBS and working backward to DBZ next and then DB.)

Personalityෆ

Positive Traits: Ambitious, Optimistic, Sweet, Respectful, Gentle, Energetic, Playful, Silly, Imaginative, Innocent, Simple, Curious, Supportive, Nurturing, Obedient, Friendly, Wholesome, Generous, Charming, Efficient, Passionate, Affectionate 

Negative Traits: Dimwitted, Naive, Overly-Trusting, Too-Forgiving, Ignorant, Childish at times, Spoiled, Foolish, Gullible, Careless

Likes 

Beerus

Frieza

Piccolo

Baking

Watching Martial Arts Tournaments (or similar things)

Making Food For Others 

Climbing Trees

Mountain Climbing

Sunny Days

Space

Good Hygiene

Giving Gifts

“Strong People.” – Tang 

Tails (She just thinks they’re neat)

Dislikes 

Thunderstorms/Rainy Weather

Close Toed Shoes

Frost (“Off-brand Frieza from Universe 6”)

“All that high-tech stuff Bulma does.” – Tang, probably.

Making Clothes (She can, but hates to)

Sewing

Sleeping in the woods/any type of camping or “roughing it”

Training (herself, she likes to watch her friends train)

Bitter or Bland Food

[crowemoji]

Rank: S

Attribute: Electric

Specialty: Attacker

Type: Slash

Real name: Leonide Cyrille

Alias: Orchid

Birthday: September 5th

Height: 180cm (5'11")

Gender: Male

Species: Human

Faction: Withering Buds

Signature: Preying Flowerlord

Namecards: Orchid's Namecard | "To The Sun"

Combat Info:

Basic Attack

Basic Attack: Voltaic Sever

Press [BA] to activate:

Unleashes up to four attacks in front, dealing Physical DMG and Electric DMG.

Basic Attack: Electric Carve

Hold [BA] to activate:

Unleashes two slashes in front, dealing Electric DMG.

Gain 1 point of Root when attack hits.

Basic Attack: Flowering Shockwave

When in Blossomed state, press [BA] to activate:

Unleashes up to five attacks in front, dealing Electric DMG.

Basic Attack: Garden of Voltage

When in Blossomed state, hold [BA] to activate:

Unleashes four slashes in front, dealing Electric DMG.

Root

Dash Attacks, Dash Counters, Assist Follow-ups, and EX Special Attacks will consume 1 point of Root to unleash an additional attack.

Orchid can have up to a maximum of 4 points of Root.

Shock

Additional attacks inflict Shock on targets. Shock prevents enemies from moving and decreases Electric DMG RES by 20%.

This lasts for 5s and cannot be inflicted again for 2.5s.

Dodge

Dodge: Insulation

Press [Dodge] to activate:

A rapid dodge.

Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Dash Attack: Vined

Press [BA] during a dodge to activate:

Launch a forward strike on enemies in front, dealing Physical DMG.

Dodge Counter: 10K Volt Charge

Press [BA] during a Perfect Dodge to activate:

Unleashes three slashes on enemies in front, dealing Electric DMG.

Dodge Counter: Entwined Green

When Orchid possesses at least 1 point of Root, press [BA] during a Perfect Dodge to activate:

Unleashes three slashes on enemies in front, dealing Electric DMG.

Consume 1 point of Root to enhance this ability and unleash an additional attack:

Lunges forward, Shocking targets and dealing massive Electric DMG.

Assist

Defensive Assist: Tazed

When the on-field character is about to be attacked, press [AA] to activate:

Parries the enemy's attack, dealing massive Daze.

Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Quick Assist: As Fast As Light

When the on-field character is launched, press [AA] to activate:

Crashes down and slashes enemies back and forth, dealing Electric DMG.

Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Assist Follow-up: Thundering Bloom

Press [BA] after a Defensive Assist to activate:

Unleashes a storm of lightning on enemies, dealing massive Electric DMG.

Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Assist Follow-up: Lightning Blitz

When Orchid possesses at least 1 point of Root, press [BA] after a Defensive Assist to activate:

Unleashes a storm of lightning on enemies, dealing massive Electric DMG.

Consume 1 point of Root to enhance this ability and unleash an additional attack:

Slashes through enemies three times with powerful force, Shocking them and dealing massive Electric DMG.

Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Special Attack

Special Attack: Intertwining Bolthits

Press [SP] to activate:

Slashes enemies up to four times, dealing Electric DMG.

Anti-Interrupt level is increased while using this skill.

EX Special Attack: Intertwining Bolthits - Stormforward Assault

With enough Energy, press [EX] to activate:

Slashes enemies up to five times, then crahses down with a powerful strike, dealing massive Electric DMG.

Gain 2 points of Root when attack hits.

Anti-Interrupt level is increased while using this skill.

EX Special Attack: Electrifying Onslaught

When Orchid possesses at least 1 point of Root, with enough Energy, press [EX] to activate:

Slashes enemies up to five times, then crashes down with a powerful strike, dealing massive Electric DMG.

Consume 1 point of Root to enhance this ability and launch an additional attack: Further thrusts his daggers into the ground and unleashes a high voltage electrical surge, Shocking enemies and dealing massive Electric DMG.

Gain 2 points of Root when attack hits.

Anti-Interrupt level is increased while using this skill.

Chain Attack

Chain Attack: Orchidaceae Flash

When a Chain Attack is triggered, select the character to activate:

Unleashes a series of slashes, dealing massive Electric DMG.

Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Ultimate: The Flower That Can Blossom In The Thunderstorm

When Decibel Rating is at Maximum, press [ULT] to activate:

Rains down a series of attacks on enemies, then crashes down like a lightning strike, dealing massive Electric DMG.

Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Ultimate: No One Can Stop My Bloom

When Orchid possesses at least 1 point of Root and Decibel Rating is at Maximum, press [ULT] to activate:

Rains down a series of attacks on enemies, then crashes down like a lightning strike, dealing massive Electric DMG.

Consume all points of Root to enter the Blossomed state. Each point of Root consumed increases Orchid's ATK by 25% for the duration of Bloomed.

Blossomed

Basic Attacks deal additional Electric DMG for 10s. After the duration expires, unleash a series of slashes on enemies, Shocking them and dealing massive Electric DMG.

Root cannot be obtained during this state.

Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Core

Core Passive: Electric Dew

After switching to another character, that character's DMG is increased by X%. Switching back to Orchid restores Y Energy to him.

Additional Ability:

When another character in your squad shares the same Attribute or Faction:

Orchid's Electric DMG is increased by 35%.

Core Skill Enhancements: CRIT DMG/Base ATK

Mindscape Cinema

01 Faint Crackling Noise

When in Blossomed state, CRIT Rate is increased by 10%.

_______________________________________

Not all storms bring thunder, but when you're under the rain and hear an unusual noise, perpare for a strike. It may not be lightning, but it's just as deadly.

02 Power Surges Through The Stem

Each second on field increases Orchid's Electric DMG by 2%, up to a maximum of 30%. When effect reaches maximum stacks, the Energy Generation Rate of his attacks are increased by 15%.

_______________________________________

Everything requires energy, requires power.

Seize every opportunity to acquire and utilize it.

Wasting is not an option.

03 Growth, Even With No Sun

Basic Attack, Dodge, Assist, Special Attack, and Chain Attack Lv.+2

_______________________________________

"Nurture yourself, you are your own gardener. Don't allow the ones who trampled your petals to admire others who shared your beauty." — A friend

04 Crystal Clear, Like Electric

Blossomed state lasts for an additional 5s. When activating EX Special Attacks, increases the duration of Blossomed by an additional 3s, up to a maximum of 9s.

_______________________________________

A calm, clear mind is invaluable when exploring a Hollow. You can never predict the dangers a Hollow may present to you.

05 Enhancement Is A Long-term Goal

Basic Attack, Dodge, Assist, Special Attack, and Chain Attack Lv. +2

_______________________________________

Always strive for betterment. Never let yourself get to a lower level. Be the best, even if it's beyond limits.

06 Every Bud Is Equal

When additional attacks hit enemies, PEN Ratio is increased by 20% for 5s. Repeated triggers reset the duration. When switching to another character while the bonus is active, that character inherits the bonus for 3.5s. Switching to another squad member before the bonus expires willl refresh the duration.

_______________________________________

We all begin the same, thus we are all equal.

But that's fantasy.

W-Engine

Name: Preying Flowerlord

Rank: S

Specialty: Attack

Main stat: ATK (48-713)

Sub stat: ATK% (12%-30%)

Effect:

Scent That Lingers

Increases Electric DMG by 0.5%-0.75% for every attack that hits an enemy, max 20%-30%. Effects lasts for 20s. When an additional attack hits, it will count as 2 hits and increases the equipper's CRIT Rate by 12%-24% for 5s.

[peony-flowerking7]

Duzhe Character Sheet

Duzhe

She/They

Age: 20-24

Height: 5'10

Titles: Big Sib, Insect, Fairy, Little One, Captain, Old friend, gift.

Affiliation: Pigsy's Noodle

Occupations: delivery, cook, support and Mk big sibling

Weapon of choice: Debating

Home: Megapolis

Likes: Mysteries, space, myths and history, their friends, the unknown, make-up and cats anything with cats

Dislikes: letting her emotions control them, hurting Mk, eggplants, shorts, their legs, someone ruining her plan

Family: Pigsy, Tang, Mk

Friends/Allies: Mei, Sandy, Tang, Pigsy, Mk, Monkey King, Mo, Demon Bull Family (even Princess Iron Fan), Nezha, Macaque, Bai He, Jin and Yin, the Two Guardian Lions, Nakazawa, Wang Laoshi.

Enemy: Lady Bone Demon, Mayor, Spider Demons especially Spider Queen.

Duzhe is a college student with a chance of many dreams, although they unfortunately got way too involved with Mk's problems. They are the support and try their best, she only won one time yet she's proud of it. She works at Pigsy's Noodle with Mk and seems to be a bit responsible although she can slack off a little bit like her brother.

You could say they are the complete opposite of Mk, but that would be a lie. Mk and Duzhe have few similar traits, only thing to differentiate them from people thinking they are twins is that Duzhe has common sense. Duzhe has higher intelligence than Mk, she is very good at problem solving and just as Mk she can create a plan that half of the time can work. They are a big fan of space and wants to one day conquer it, everything about space is inherently more interesting than their life. Though they know their dreams are not reachable. It's the reason why they stook with the same hobbies as Tang except that they likes to expand themselves more on that knowledge.

Can be short-tempered if provoke and hate acting without thinking. She hold and manages their emotions pretty well. Once they do they act without thinking they messed thing up. She can be just as eccentric as Mk but keeps to themselves, they prefer thinking with their head than with their heart. They have trust issues against Macaque yet considers him as a powerful ally. Sometimes when situation are extremely stressful they can freeze up and go unresponsive, they have been getting a better handle on this response as they've been getting use to the adventures. Even so it still happens and Duzhe has no control over it.

They have rivalry with Princess Iron Fan, must be an hubris thing yet both have fought against each other. Their last encounter Princess Iron Fan call it a truce with Mk though that means Duzhe and her are in neutral tones...that doesn't mean they wouldn't fight each other at sight. They are sociable just as much as Mk and can make a friend in seconds, although most of their friends seemed to be more demon than humans. Either way, it's friendship and they care more about that.

Duzhe lacks physical abilities such as fighting or running. Overtime Wukong and Macaque's training have increase Duzhe abilities and have been able to manage their body pretty well, that saying they are getting a bit stronger and might even get stronger. Duzhe also has a fear towards The Mayor after an incident that had happened, she hates remembering that.

There's more to add about Duzhe but only as the story progresses.

[rjzimmerman]

There Is No Climate Haven. We All Live in Florida Now. (New York Times)

Excerpt from this New York Times Op-Ed from Margaret Renkl:

In the aftermath of Helene, more than 225 people are confirmed dead, with hundreds still unaccounted for. And new research suggests that the death toll will continue to rise for years, long after the immediate losses have been fully tallied.

Nevertheless, the usual chorus of blame erupted on social media even as the rain was still falling:

Why didn’t those people just leave? Why do they keep living in places where rivers repeatedly flood, or where forests routinely catch fire, or where hurricanes so often make landfall? Why don’t they just leave drought-prone areas where rivers don’t carry enough water for the people who already live there, let alone for those who continue to pour in?

I understand the impulse to believe that Southerners bring such misfortunes upon themselves by voting for scoundrels who deny the realities of climate change. When Republican officials routinely vote against measures that increase climate resilience, or when they support unchecked development on the very wetlands that protect human communities from storm surges, or when they gut legislation that would require new construction to be storm resistant, and when they then tell outrageous lies about the federal government’s disaster response — it’s very hard not to believe that we deserve what we get down here.

But a hurricane or a flood or a deadly heat wave or a forest fire or a drought can befall anyone. Climate change has stacked the deck against all of us. Even before Helene made landfall, Appalachia was already saturated. Rivers were at record heights, and hot, wet soil could absorb no more water. Worse, such conditions gave the hurricane new fuel.

Take a look at a map of “disaster prone” areas in the United States. It’s a huge chunk of the country. Already there’s no realistic way to crowd everyone into the places that are currently somewhat safe. Even the safe places aren’t really safe, or won’t be safe for long. Last year, Vermont got hammered by catastrophic flooding. Buncombe County, N.C., among the areas hardest hit by Helene, was until very recently considered a “climate haven.”

There’s no such thing as a climate haven anymore. We all live in Florida now.

Even the few remaining Americans who still dismiss climate change outright must surely know this. They simply choose to parrot the talking points of Republican politicians and right-wing media figures who are paid by Big Oil — or Big Construction — to lie to vulnerable Americans and leave them ever more vulnerable.

There’s no denying that we would be in much better shape today if utility companies and the fossil-fuel industry had not launched a huge disinformation campaign to cover up the truth of climate change decades ago, and if the Republican Party and right-wing media had not embraced it.

Yet they continue to embrace it even now. Climate disinformation frequently runs rampant in the aftermath of climate-related disasters, but ridiculous rumors and conspiracy theories have reached new levels in the wake of Helene. “I have been doing disaster work for nearly 20 years, and I cannot think of another acute disaster where there has been this much misinformation,” Dr. Montano told The Times.

[cheerleaderman]

Lottie Hatterson

An energetic out spoked boy who loves parties and wants to be in the event planning industry.Due to his playful nature other seems not to take him seriously.

Twst: The Mad Hatter

Basic info

Age: 16

He/him

Height: 170 cm

Birthday: June 20

Voice claim: Jp- K1-B0 - Danganronpa, Eng- Din- the wishing dragon

Hometown: Queendom of Roses

Class: 1-B

Dominant hand: both

Nickname: Hatter , Monsieur Joker(Rook), Clown fish (Floyd), Lots, titi

Favorite food: tea biscuits, bitter tea, Milk Tea, croissant sandwiches, ice cream

Like/hobbies: Parties , Yo-Yos, building sets (like Legos) , tea sets, coloring books, bunnies, finding loops in things, collecting cups,baking/cooking, skateboarding, roller skating

Dislike: Not being taken seriously, carrot cake, being yelled at for no reason

Family: Mom, dad, Marley and Coretta(19 older siblings) , Cerys(12 younger sisters)

Best subject: History of Magic

Talent: Making connections, tea making, balancing mainly things on his head

Unique magic- All Mad Here

Can give a boost in strength, energy etc to others and can increase it more by saying “release the madness” but if he does it to much everyone including himself could go mad and can experience withdrawal symptoms once over.

He doesn’t really use it after experiencing it for one time.

Twist and turns

No end near

But it’s ok

We’re all mad here

(More under cut)

More info

Relationship with Riddle

He has many friends being pretty social and A person who knows a person that knows a person

Others don’t really take him seriously due to his silly and happy go lucky attitude

Has a friend in RSA named Alister who is the housewarden of Wonderling

Family is well known in the Queendom host some of the most well known parties

His older brother Marley is a 4th year at NRC and has told Lottie much about the school

Sucks at alchemy doesn’t know why

Actually very good at organizing the person who has 10 different colored pens and still manages to finish their notes somehow

Called Riddles mom unreasonable to her face

Out of his siblings he is the one able to handle being yelled at or threatened the most

Learned how to deal with entitled people from dealing with so many due to family being in the event industry

Has a book of the rules for Heartsalbyul

Has a rabbit named biscuit

Was the kid to talk back to elders

Other are kinda scared to know what he is like when actually pissed off it doesn’t help that Riddle mentioned that he doesn’t want to ever get into a physical fight with Lottie

Backstory

Growing up in the Queendom of Roses Lottie always loved the parties his parents would throw wanting to continue in their footsteps when he grows up. He would hold his own little tea parties at home and would insist on planning his own birthday parties.

A problem is Lottie had trouble following most rules especially if he thinks they’re dumb finding loopholes to not get in trouble. That combined with his energetic personality people would label him as a troublemaker not taking him seriously for things. Some would even question if he is even right to continue what his family built up leading to Lottie wanting to prove himself.

He grew to become more organized and firm with it comes to events also when able would watch how his mother interacted with clients. His personality never really changed as he doesn’t think he should change that for others thanks to his parents. But others will say that there is definitely a shift to how he acts as if more serious depending on the situation.

Divider

[sarych]

!!! WARNING !!!

I don't know English, I use Google translators and some help from English-speaking people from my environment. Therefore, please write everything clearly and without confusing stuff so that there are no misunderstandings. Thanks you🙏

OPEN✅ Test start

❖ I DON'T DRAW difficult poses(despite my amateur skill, I still can make an exception, but the price will increase), abomination and immorality.

❖ USUALLY I DRAW drones, furries, humans(?), ponies, dragons.

I'd recommend to take a look at my old arts to adjust to my preferences.

!!! Everything is at your own risk. !!!

❖ If the commission does not suit my preferences or I'm sure that I will not be able to draw it, then in this case I can refuse you.

❖ The deadline for my commission depends on my workload, I can draw the work within a couple of days or 1-2 months.

❖ The price of an additional character = 100% of the amount of the first one.

❖FORM

1) Photo/Reference (along with additional character/s)

2) ✅Sketch (monochrome/colouring/shadow) / ❌art (monochrome/colouring/shadow)

Due to the test launch, there are only sketches for now

3) Details that might not be noticed.

4) Pose.

5) Emotion (photo/example)

6) Background (there is an additional fee if its from me, if you have a photo, send it)

7) Portrait/Up to the waist/Full height.

❖COMMISSION PAYMENT

You pay 100% of commissions price after the sketch, or you pay 50% at first, and then when the commission is finished, you pay another 50%

Payment is made via Hipolink or Boosty.

!!! ADDITIONAL INFO !!!

❖ There is no time limit, because I have studies, and I draw when I have free time and desire, plus posts and fanarts for the activity of my other platforms. Therefore, do not spam my personal messages, it will be useless, be prepared to wait a month or at best a week or a couple of days.

❖ I calculate the price according to the price list, in the case of a detailed character, the price may be higher.

- For additional items for the character, there is also an additional payment.

- I charge 1-5$ for edits.

- Backgrounds cost from $ 10-20, and depends on what will be there.

[antiochianorthodoxcumberlandmd]

Daily Scripture Readings and Lives of the Saints for Thursday, May 15, 2025

Feasts and Saints celebrated today:

Pachomius the Great

Achillius the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Larissa

Placing of the Honorable Head of the Apostle Titus

Barbaros the Myrrhbearer of Kerkyra

Andrew the Hermit & Wonderworker

Readings for today:

Acts of the Apostles 10:34-43

John 8:12-20

Pachomius the Great

Reading from the Synaxarion:

Saint Pachomius was born of pagan parents in the Upper Thebaid of Egypt. He was conscripted into the Roman army at an early age. While quartered with the other soldiers in the prison in Thebes, Pachomius was astonished at the kindness shown them by the local Christians, who relieved their distress by bringing them food and drink. Upon inquiring who they were, he believed in Christ and vowed that once delivered from the army, he would serve Him all the days of his life. Released from military service, about the year 313, he was baptized, and became a disciple of the hermit Palamon, under whose exacting guidance he increased in virtue and grace, and reached such a height of holiness that "because of the purity of his heart," says his biographer, "he was, as it were, seeing the invisible God as in a mirror." His renown spread far, and so many came to him to be his disciples that he founded nine monasteries in all, filled with many thousands of monks, to whom he gave a rule of life, w hich became the pattern for all communal monasticism after him. While Saint Anthony the Great is the father of hermits, Saint Pachomius is the founder of the cenobitic life in Egypt; because Pachomius had founded a way of monasticism accessible to so many, Anthony said that he "walks the way of the Apostles." Saint Pachomius fell asleep in the Lord before his contemporaries Anthony and Athanasius the Great, in the year 346. His name in Coptic, Pachom, means "eagle."

Apolytikion of Pachomius the Great in the Plagal of the First Tone

Thou didst prove a chief pastor of the Chief Shepherd, Christ, guiding the flocks of monastics unto the heavenly fold, whence thou learntest of the habit and the way of life that doth befit ascetic ranks; having taught this to thy monks, thou now dancest and rejoicest with them in heavenly dwellings, O great Pachomius, our Father and guide.

Kontakion of Pachomius the Great in the Second Tone

Since thou hadst shown forth the life of the Angels while in a body, O God-bearing Pachomius, thou wast also counted worthy of their glory; and with them thou standest before the Lord's throne, interceding that divine forgiveness be granted unto all.

The content on this page is under copyright and is used by permission. All rights reserved. These works may not be further reproduced, in print or on other websites or in any other form, without the prior written authorization of the copyright holder:

Reading (c) Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA

Apolytikion of Pachomius the Great (c) Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Kontakion of Pachomius the Great (c) Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Achillius the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Larissa

Reading from the Synaxarion:

Saint Achillius was one of the 318 God-bearing Fathers who were present at the First Ecumenical Council; after returning to Larissa he cast down many pagan temples, delivered many from the demons, and raised up churches to the glory of God. He reposed about the middle of the fourth century.

Apolytikion of Achillius, Abp. Of Larissa in the Fourth Tone

A model of faith and the image of gentleness, the example of your life has shown you forth to your sheep-fold to be a master of temperance. You obtained thus through being lowly, gifts from on high, and riches through poverty. Achilles, our father and priest of priests, intercede with Christ our God that He may save our souls.

Kontakion of Achillius, Abp. Of Larissa in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone

Let us all praise with hymns and songs divine Achillius, the brightly shining and unwaning star of all the world, who is Larissa's unsleeping and loving shepherd. Let us cry to him: Since thou hast boldness with the Lord, do thou rescue us from every raging storm of life, that we may cry to thee: Rejoice, O Father Achillius.

The content on this page is under copyright and is used by permission. All rights reserved. These works may not be further reproduced, in print or on other websites or in any other form, without the prior written authorization of the copyright holder:

Reading (c) Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA

Apolytikion of Achillius, Abp. Of Larissa (c) Narthex Press

Kontakion of Achillius, Abp. Of Larissa (c) Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA

Prayer Before Reading Scripture

Shine within our hearts, loving Master, the pure light of Your divine knowledge and open the eyes of our minds that we may comprehend the message of Your Gospel. Instill in us also reverence for Your blessed commandments, so that having conquered all sinful desires, we may pursue a spiritual life, thinking and doing all those things that are pleasing to You. For You, Christ our God, are the light of our souls and bodies, and to You we give glory together with Your Father who is without beginning and Your all holy, good, and life giving Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Epistle Reading

The Reading is from Acts of the Apostles 10:34-43

In those days, Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the word which he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), the word which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses to all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and made him manifest; not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the one ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that every one who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

Gospel Reading

The Reading is from the Gospel According to John 8:12-20

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." The Pharisees then said to him, "You are bearing witness to yourself; your testimony is not true." Jesus answered, "Even if I do bear witness to myself, my testimony is true, for I know whence I have come and whither I am going, but you do not know whence I come or whither I am going. You judge according to the flesh, I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone that judge, but I and he who sent me. In your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true; I bear witness to myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness to me." They said to him therefore, "Where is your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither me nor my Father; if you knew me, you would know my Father also." These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not ye t come.