#Reptile House Challenge

[sylveonyiezoo]

Planet Zoo ideas!

For if you are burnt out or don't know what to make! ♡

1) Monkey World! ♡

Create a zoo full with only primates! I got this idea from the Mokey world ape rescue centre in Dorset I use to visit all the time as a kid! It's also incredibly fun to make enclosures for these animals in game!

2) Reptile House! ♡

Create a massive building full of reptiles! This is a fun challenge because it makes you improve on creating buildings as well as utilising exhibits! I also LOVE making habitats for the monitors! You could also add amphibians and insects because in most reptile houses they usually also have them!

3) New Zoo! ♡

Create a zoo in a biome you have never or don't use often and fill it with animals you have never made habitats for! This is a good idea for me personally because half of my zoos are African and I really need to branch out! I make too many enclosures for lions and meerkats! Here are some animals I have never seen someone use in planet zoo!

4) Where are you from? ♡

Make a zoo based on where you are from! Select your country and biome and fill it up with animals that live there! (If you are from the uk like me I suggest just making a European zoo because there isn't many native British animals in game.)

5) Big Cat Sanctuary! ♡

Create a sanctuary or a rescue centre for cats! There are quite a few in the game right now from all around the world! This will help becoming better at mixing themes in one zoo!

If you do any of these, reblog and show me <3

[reasonsforhope]

"In response to last year’s record-breaking heat due to El Niño and impacts from climate change, Indigenous Zenù farmers in Colombia are trying to revive the cultivation of traditional climate-resilient seeds and agroecology systems.

One traditional farming system combines farming with fishing: locals fish during the rainy season when water levels are high, and farm during the dry season on the fertile soils left by the receding water.

Locals and ecologists say conflicts over land with surrounding plantation owners, cattle ranchers and mines are also worsening the impacts of the climate crisis.

To protect their land, the Zenù reserve, which is today surrounded by monoculture plantations, was in 2005 declared the first Colombian territory free from GMOs.

...

In the Zenù reserve, issues with the weather, climate or soil are spread by word of mouth between farmers, or on La Positiva 103.0, a community agroecology radio station. And what’s been on every farmer’s mind is last year’s record-breaking heat and droughts. Both of these were charged by the twin impacts of climate change and a newly developing El Niño, a naturally occurring warmer period that last occurred here in 2016, say climate scientists.

Experts from Colombia’s Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies say the impacts of El Niño will be felt in Colombia until April 2024, adding to farmers’ concerns. Other scientists forecast June to August may be even hotter than 2023, and the next five years could be the hottest on record. On Jan. 24, President Gustavo Petro said he will declare wildfires a natural disaster, following an increase in forest fires that scientists attribute to the effects of El Niño.

In the face of these changes, Zenù farmers are trying to revive traditional agricultural practices like ancestral seed conservation and a unique agroecology system.

Pictured: Remberto Gil’s house is surrounded by an agroforestry system where turkeys and other animals graze under fruit trees such as maracuyá (Passiflora edulis), papaya (Carica papaya) and banana (Musa acuminata colla). Medicinal herbs like toronjil (Melissa officinalis) and tres bolas (Leonotis nepetifolia), and bushes like ají (Capsicum baccatum), yam and frijol diablito (beans) are part of the undergrowth. Image by Monica Pelliccia for Mongabay.

“Climate change is scary due to the possibility of food scarcity,” says Rodrigo Hernandez, a local authority with the Santa Isabel community. “Our ancestral seeds offer a solution as more resistant to climate change.”

Based on their experience, farmers say their ancestral seed varieties are more resistant to high temperatures compared to the imported varieties and cultivars they currently use. These ancestral varieties have adapted to the region’s ecosystem and require less water, they tell Mongabay. According to a report by local organization Grupo Semillas and development foundation SWISSAID, indigenous corn varieties like blaquito are more resistant to the heat, cariaco tolerates drought easily, and negrito is very resistant to high temperatures.

The Zenù diet still incorporates the traditional diversity of seeds, plant varieties and animals they consume, though they too are threatened by climate change: from fish recipes made from bocachico (Prochilodus magdalenae), and reptiles like the babilla or spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus), to different corn varieties to prepare arepas (cornmeal cakes), liquor, cheeses and soups.

“The most important challenge we have now is to save ancient species and involve new generations in ancestral practice,” says Sonia Rocha Marquez, a professor of social sciences at Sinù University in the city of Montería.

...[Despite] land scarcity, Negrete says communities are developing important projects to protect their traditional food systems. Farmers and seed custodians, like Gil, are working with the Association of Organic Agriculture and Livestock Producers (ASPROAL) and their Communitarian Seed House (Casa Comunitaria de Semillas Criollas y Nativas)...

Pictured: Remberto Gil is a seed guardian and farmer who works at the Communitarian Seed House, where the ASPROL association stores 32 seeds of rare or almost extinct species. Image by Monica Pelliccia for Mongabay.

Located near Gil’s house, the seed bank hosts a rainbow of 12 corn varieties, from glistening black to blue to light pink to purple and even white. There are also jars of seeds for local varieties of beans, eggplants, pumpkins and aromatic herbs, some stored in refrigerators. All are ancient varieties shared between local families.

Outside the seed bank is a terrace where chickens and turkeys graze under an agroforestry system for farmers to emulate: local varieties of passion fruit, papaya and banana trees grow above bushes of ají peppers and beans. Traditional medicinal herbs like toronjil or lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) form part of the undergrowth.

Today, 25 families are involved in sharing, storing and commercializing the seeds of 32 rare or almost-extinct varieties.

“When I was a kid, my father brought me to the farm to participate in recovering the land,” says Nilvadys Arrieta, 56, a farmer member of ASPROAL. “Now, I still act with the same collective thinking that moves what we are doing.”

“Working together helps us to save, share more seeds, and sell at fair price [while] avoiding intermediaries and increasing families’ incomes,” Gil says. “Last year, we sold 8 million seeds to organic restaurants in Bogotà and Medellín.”

So far, the 80% of the farmers families living in the Zenù reserve participate in both the agroecology and seed revival projects, he adds."

-via Mongabay, February 6, 2024

[luna-andra]

Domesticated!König Headcanons ✨

Image: @Jispooks (Source)

Some HCS I thought up of for funsies, take it with a grain of salt if you disagree with any of it. And let me know what you would think differently! If this gets any love, I have a couple of more headcanon ideas to post as well, so please support my delusions of grandeur!

Part 2 is out! StepDad!Konig

Adjusting to civilian lifestyle for König proved to be challenging. Thankfully, he had you to help him along the way.

If you're not from Austria, König will compromise with spending summers in Vienna in the vacation home and live full-time with you in your home county (or wherever the hell you decide to choose. As long as he's not a convicted war criminal there.)

König tends to keep his PTSD episodes in check for the most part, except when he has a few drinks. He opts to sleep in the guest room after scaring you one night from the terrors. The years away from his past life helps them fade, but he will always carry that shit with him.

You help him job hunt. Blue-collar work was for him, the less human interaction, the better.

With that being said, König insists on DIY-ing every problem in the house. He tried figuring it out with his own basic knowledge, but became unstoppable when you introduced him to the DIY side if YouTube. Some projects had him at his wits end, and when you hear him cuss up a storm in German, you have to hold your laughter back until you're out of earshot.

The grocery bill. That's all I gotta say.

Add a couple more bills on it if you got a kid(s).

Most days, König is careful with not trekking mud in from the job site, leaving his boots in the garage/on the front porch. If it slips his mind, you know he's tired. It took a couple of scoldings to figure it out, but he does his best to make it up to you.

König had been okay with living where you wanted to, but he doubled down on living somewhere secluded, or at least outside of the city. Meaning longer drives/day trips if you wanted to shop at outlets. Totally fine, you talk his ear off during the drive to catch up on what he's missed out on during his long week of work.

Tons of nature hikes. If you weren't used to the outdoors, König would get you shaped up. He was so damn proud of you when you stopped relying on GPS and used maps/surroundings/cardinal directions, etc.

Dog or cat family, but I also see him being a reptile dad, too.

WANTS KIDS. THE MORE, THE BETTER. He wants to age and be surrounded by his kids & grandkids every holiday.

When you would go out on dates/shopping trips, there was no avoiding the double takes and stares. You man was giant, it wasn't something he could help. It would grind on his nerves when it came from grown ass adults, but he had a soft spot for children. They didn't know better, so he'd flash a friendly smile or wave so they're not afraid. Those moments would bring back the baby fever for him.

Nothing made König more happy than coming back home to the home you two have made after an adventurous day, watching you saunter happily to the kitchen to grab drinks and snacks to settle down into the plush couch next to him to watch some movies. Your choice, always. And if that baby fever was raging, he would toss you over his shoulder to settle that urge in the bedroom 😏

If this does well, I'll consider posting some other headcanons I have been thinking of! Likes & reblogs are always appreciated <3

[angiechia]

"Little Brother"

John joins the gang

No ship intended, just a short random thing i wrote instead of sleeping :P

☆☆☆

Some random day in 1885

The day had been awful for Arthur.

It started with some promise, as Hosea suggested a job robbing a dressmaker in Saint Denis. Arthur agreed without realizing he'd end up running from three huge dogs guarding the lady’s house like loyal bodyguards, ready to bite and tear anyone who got too close. Meanwhile, Hosea was "distracting" the lady—if you could even call it that. It looked more like he was courting her.

After all that, Arthur’s cut was only 10 dollars. Not much, he thought, but he had no choice but to take it. He decided to blow off some steam at a saloon, where some fellow tried to pull a fast one on him and picked a fight. With his ego far too big for a man of just 22, Arthur accepted the challenge, even though the drunk was twice his size.

After getting beaten up, Arthur was in a foul mood. The only thing that might calm him down was a ride out in the open, so that’s what he did.

For some reason, he chose to ride through the Bayou, a place known for its giant gators and treacherous swamps. Lucky for him, Boadicea was a brave mare—brave against gunfire, hunters, and even ferocious wolves. But gators? They scared the hell out of her, which Arthur learned when a sleeping gator spooked her. She threw him off, sending him tumbling into the mud, and he had to scramble away from the reptile, who had just been trying to get some sleep.

After that, Arthur figured he’d distract himself by picking up a newspaper from a kid selling them in Rhodes. Maybe there’d be something interesting going on. But his heart sank when he read the newlyweds section and saw a name he knew too well.

Mary Gillis had gotten married.

Or rather, Mary Linton now.

He let out a deep sigh and threw the paper in the trash, anger boiling inside him. That’s it, he thought, I’m heading back to camp. I need some sleep.

Luckily, nothing much happened on his ride back to camp. If he was fortunate, he’d get to feast on Pearson’s stew tonight, and Miss Grimshaw would probably make him take a good soak in the nearest river.

When he arrived, he left Boadicea with the other horses and tried to sneak over to his tent, hoping to avoid Hosea, Dutch, Grimshaw, or Pearson. They were always asking favors, and being the youngest in the gang, that burden often fell on him.

“There you are, Mister Morgan!” Miss Grimshaw’s voice called out. He sighed. “I was just about to ask if you could fetch me a—My word! What in the world happened to you?” the woman exclaimed, seeing him covered in mud.

“…I fell” Telling her his horse threw him off seemed a bit embarrassing, right?

“Sure looks like it… Let me see—” She moved in quick to grab his hat, probably planning to clean it up and send him off to wash, but Arthur stepped back, gently pushing her hands away. Nobody touched his hat.

“Whoa there! I reckon I’m just fine, Miss Grimshaw. Just need a little sleep.”

“You smell like you’ve been rollin’ in a cesspool, young man! I ain’t havin’ you stinkin’ up the camp. Get yourself cleaned up, you hear?” Her voice took on a sharper edge, and Arthur rolled his eyes, heading toward the river.

“Just what I needed,” he muttered, tossing his jacket on the ground. Miss Grimshaw snatched it up with a huff, planning to wash it later.

His bath was quick but did the trick, and once he was cleaned up, he headed back to camp.

“Much better, Arthur!” she said with a clap of approval as he walked past her, making him feel a bit sheepish. Once again, he made for his tent, but before he could enter, another voice stopped him.

“Mr. Morgan!” It was Pearson, the camp cook.

Arthur let out another weary sigh and made his way over to the “kitchen,” if you could call it that. “Mr. Pearson,” he greeted, his tone dry.

“I’ve had a hankerin’ for some rabbit lately,” Pearson said as he skillfully chopped vegetables. Dinner was close, the sun sinking fast.

“Rabbit?”

“Yep! Them big ones you find out on the prairies. Think you could hunt me some for tomorrow?”

At least he didn’t need it now. “Sure,” Arthur agreed, giving a nod before turning once more toward his tent. Just as he was about to step inside, he was intercepted by...

“There ya are, Arthur!” Dutch Van Der Linde.

"Now what, Dutch?" Years of trust between them allowed for a more relaxed exchange.

"Son, I heard about Mary..."

"No."

"I know, I know, Arthur. You probably don’t wanna talk about her, but… well, I remember how much you cared."

"Dutch," Arthur grumbled, feeling his face flush with embarrassment.

"What I’m tryin’ to say is there’s plenty of women out there, son, plenty! You can find another."

Arthur got angry, pushing open the tent flaps without stepping inside yet. "Mary’s in the past!" he lied. "It doesn’t hurt 'cause I’m over it, and I don’t want another woman, thank you!" His tone betrayed him.

Arthur entered his tent and let the canvas flaps fall behind him, shutting Dutch out. He ran his hands over his face in frustration, cursing silently while quickly untying the bandana from his neck and shrugging off his suspenders. That’s when he heard something coming from his bed—a snore.

Arthur fumbled around his desk until he found the gas lamp and lit it. As the tent filled with light, his eyes landed on a kid with dark hair sprawled out awkwardly on his bed, uncovered, mouth open, drooling on his pillow with crooked teeth.

"And why in the hell is there a damn kid in my bed?!" Arthur bellowed from inside the tent, waking the boy with a start.

"Ah, that’s John," Dutch replied from outside. "Hosea and I rescued him today; they were gonna hang him."

"Wha... what’s goin' on?" the boy, around twelve years old, mumbled, his face barely masking the confusion as he looked up at the man before him.

"And you gave him my bed?!" Arthur got out from his tent, incredulity etched across his face, while Dutch beamed like he’d done the best deed of the day.

"Well, we didn’t think you’d be back so soon. You took your time."

"Well, here I am. But who’da thought we’d turn into a damn orphanage and start adoptin’ brats?"

"What’d you call me, old man?!" the kid hollered from behind him.

Arthur, surprised, turned slowly to face John, repeating what he’d just heard. "Old man? Old man?! I’m twenty-two!"

"Yeah, twenty-two in each foot. You’re older than a barrel of aged whiskey."

Arthur resisted the urge to pounce on the quick-tongued kid. "Who do you think you are, you little...?"

"But ain't this a heart-warmin’ sight?" Dutch chimed in with a smile. "He’s just like you were when we found you."

"At least I respected my elders," Arthur shot back, glaring at the kid sprawled in his bed. "Outta my bed, now!"

"I ain’t movin’ nowhere, old man!" John retorted.

"Oh, come on, Arthur, the boy’s exhausted. You know what it’s like to be nearly hanged? First, they tighten that noose 'round your neck so hard you can barely breathe, and when they hang you, crack, your neck snaps. Poor little John must’ve been scared outta his wits."

Arthur glanced at the kid again, who now put on a pitiful face, nodding along.

"This is a joke, right?" Arthur said, exasperated.

"You wouldn’t mind sleepin’ under the stars tonight, would ya?" Dutch asked.

Arthur looked at the man, then at the kid, sighed, and said, "Just… don’t touch my stuff," with a stern voice.

"Relax, I won’t touch your junk," little John said innocently as he settled back into bed.

"Little shit..." Arthur muttered under his breath as he walked out of the tent. He looked at Dutch. "He ain’t gonna be in my tent long, is he?"

"Well… you wouldn’t mind sharin’ it, would ya?"

"DUTCH!"

"Oh, quit your whinin’, Arthur! The boy can’t sleep alone. We don’t know if he’ll try to rob us or slit our throats in our sleep."

"And you’re makin’ me watch him?"

"You’re the youngest of the gang, ain’t you? Or, well… you were." Arthur gave him a hard look. "Look on the bright side; it’s like you got yourself a little brother."

[is-the-snake-video-cute]

I get if this isn't your expertise, but do you have any advice about how to approach if someone tells you they are going to get a reptile and then describes the deeply substandard enclosure/care they plan for it? At my new job my coworker said they plan to get a dwarf caiman and keep it in a 20 gallon tank as a baby, 100 gallon as an adult. Any advice on how to (somewhat politely) tell them this is a way bigger commitment than they think it is?

This is always a very difficult conversation to have.

You might find some success with asking them how big they think dwarf caimans get. They do not "stay the size of the enclosure they're kept in" (a shockingly common myth!) and average around 5 feet long - that animal will not fit in a 100 gallon tank.

I really wish I had better advice for you here, but it's tough to think of semi-polite ways to say "even a small crocodilian is a large reptile that is very capable of sending you to the emergency room and wrecking the room you keep it in, and that's if substandard care doesn't kill it within a couple years."

I would start by asking why they want a pet caiman. They're not small or easy to house. They're expensive to feed. Their bites can do serious damage even when they're young. They're extremely messy. In many places, they're not even legal to own.

Unfortunately, I find that a lot of people who talk about wanting to own animals like crocodilians are past convincing otherwise. That's how my venom lab gets a surprisingly large amount of our snakes - people buy hot snakes, have a near miss, realize they bit off more than they could chew, and surrender them. The best you can do is try to be a calm voice of reason and challenge misconceptions when you hear them.

[mooniedust]

Modern Aemond Bot/Prompt.

Plot: Aemond and his family have started therapy, and each of them now has an emotional support animal. Aemond appears particularly enthusiastic about introducing his support animal to you.

TW: The only potentially surprising element is that the Greens are now in therapy.

With all my heart,

Moon Dust.

When Aemond and the rest of his morally questionable family finally gave in to the idea of therapy, you felt nothing but explicit pride. Not because you wished for your friend to become a domesticated animal, like a fierce dog that needed to be kept in check—a medicated lunatic.

In truth, the act of admitting the need for help is far more intricate than most might conceive; overcoming pride and confronting the skeletons buried in the past is a challenge that few would allow themselves to undertake.

You knew this firsthand, having walked that same thorny path yourself.

The Targaryens’ psychologist, an apparently skilled and dedicated woman, had managed to make each member of that peculiar family feel comfortable exploring their idiosyncrasies. Even Alicent, the ever-reserved and composed matriarch, had started attending the sessions, and you’d heard rumors that she was, in fact, talking about her feelings. It was something you never imagined witnessing: the Targaryen family coming together to discuss emotions like ordinary people.

It seemed as if the end of times was near.

It was a dramatic thought, yeah, but the truth is that everyone in the house seemed more open in a way that bordered on the surreal, almost as if a breath of normalcy was sneaking in among them. Even Aemond, who had once openly scorned therapy as a waste of time and money that could be better spent on something more "important," had changed his perspective.

Your interactions had become less frequent, an inevitable consequence of increasingly conflicting schedules. Nevertheless, there were still those monthly weekend meetings where you allowed yourself to collapse in Aemond’s impeccably arranged room. The environment was a curious mix of English literature books and volumes on business, an ironic juxtaposition that never failed to bring a smile to your face.

But that night, something was different. Aemond, unlike his usual self, didn’t let you lazily throw yourself onto his soft bed, sarcastically complaining about your classmates' artistic opinions. Instead, he approached, with an enigmatic gleam in his eyes, gently covering yours and the smile that accompanied the gesture conveyed a clear message, expressed in Aemond’s silent language:

Trouble.

You were guided around the room with careful precision, avoiding invisible furniture and obstacles until he finally removed his hands from your eyes. Before you, he stood with an unmistakable expression of pride, pointing to something new and surprising.

A tempered glass cage dominated one corner of the room, lushly filled with vegetation so rich that it made your mother’s modest garden look insignificant by comparison. But what really caught your attention was not the vegetation, but the creature that moved slowly within that habitat. Your mind initially thought of a snake—but no, it was bigger, much bigger.

Hell nah.

“Why do you have a Komodo dragon in your room?” Your voice sounded alarmed as your arms moved in broad gestures, pointing to the imposing lizard that was calmly enjoying a plump tomato.

The last time you saw a reptile of such impressive proportions was perhaps in some natural history book. The animal resembled a compact version of an alligator, every inch of its body exuding a primeval presence, you leaned in, instinctively, to get a better look, and the animal, with calculated insolence, flicked its tongue, provoking a sudden feeling of unease.

“This is Vhagar,” Aemond clarified with studied serenity. “She’s a Cyclura ricordii, an iguana, not a Komodo dragon, you idiot—my emotional support animal,” he added with an eye roll typical of his dry humor, as he opened the habitat and picked up the iguana with surprising tenderness.

Vhagar, in turn, seemed completely content with the attention she was receiving, wrapping her rough tail around Aemond’s arm, still nibbling on her tomato with the enthusiasm of a child savoring a sweet.

Of course, the psychologist would suggest an emotional support animal, and of course, Aemond wouldn’t settle for something simple like a cat. Not even one of those hairless cats with a stern appearance...what was their name again? But no, for him, nothing would do except a miniature "dragon."

“Do you want to hold her?” Aemond asked, extending Vhagar like a mother extending her baby toward you, his eyes challenging you to accept the invitation.

[path-of-grass-and-leaves]

Creating a Backyard Land Spirit Profile

Working with land spirits can help connect you with your local ecosystem, and for some practitioners is a crucial aspect of bioregional magic. Some folks, like myself, consider themselves to be initiated by one or more land spirits.

When I use the term land spirits, I am referring to a few different things. First are the collective spirits of various plants, animals, and insects present in a specific bioregion. An example of collective, in this context, means that if I'm petitioning help from the spirit of violets, I am working with the spirit of all violets present in that area rather than a singe flower that grows in my yard.

The next is the land guardian, which in my practice is a more powerful spirit with claim over a specific territory, like a forest, river, or neighborhood.

Sometimes these two concepts are separate and sometimes they're interchangeable. It all depends on personal practice, culture, local folklore, etc.

One thing that has been extremely beneficial to my practice has been creating a backyard land spirit profile. This method has been useful for spirit work and "green" magic, but more importantly, it's helped me immerse myself in my local ecosystem and I get to meet a lot of cool animals and plants.

Here is an over-simplfied example of my backyard land profile:

Ecosystem: Central Interior and Appalachian: Mixed woodlands, close to possible floodplains

Soil Type: Clay in garden bed, Loamy near/beneath shrubs, Sandy in sunny areas of the lawn

Flora:

Cultivated- Paradise Apple, Highbush Blueberry, Rose of Sharon, Dog Rose, Black-Eyed Susan, Sundial Lupine

Native - Bloodroot, Wild Strawberry, Common Violet, Wrinkle-Leaf Goldenrod, Blue Wood-Aster, Horseweed, Fireweed, Deer-Tongue Witchgrass, Common Milkweed

Invasive - Round-Leaved Bittersweet, Yellow Toadflax, Creeping Bellflower, Common Mugwort

Naturalized - Dandelion, Broad-Leaf Plantain, Deadly Nightshade

Notes - Various mosses, unidentified mushrooms growing on lawn and lichens found on some trees/shrubs.

Fauna:

Mammals - Raccoon, Opossum, Striped Skunk, Grey Squirrel, Chipmunk, Feral Cats, Deer mouse, House Mouse

Birds - Cardinals, Chickadees, Catbirds, American Robin, Downy Woodpecker, Turkey Vulture, Crow

Reptiles and Amphibians - N/A

Fish - N/A

Invertebrates - Dotted Wolf Spider, Leopard Slug, Tiger Bee Fly, Monarch Caterpillars, Peach Root Weevile, Narrow-Winged Mantis, Fireflies

Ecoregion and Soil Type

The first thing I did was determine what type of ecosystem my yard used to be. In an urban/suburban area this was a bit challenging.

I started by identifying a few wild plants and finding out where they usually grow. Most of them seemed to prefer shady woodlands and rich soil. There were also a couple of pioneer species present in the sunnier and more disturbed areas of the yard.

Next, I took a look at surrounding wild areas. We are close to a mountain and a large river. There are woodlands near and within the city made up of mostly hardwood and conifer trees. I knew from memory that certain areas close to my home are likely floodlands.

After that, I found a bioregion map of my country which showed that my state fell under the category of Central Interior and Appalachian. I searched this region on landscope.org and was able to determine my specific ecoregion (not shared here for privacy reasons).

From there I started making educated guesses. I determined that my backyard was likely a mixed hardwood and conifer woodland sitting very close to what might have been a floodplain.

For my soil type, I took samples from different areas of my yard and used an online guide to determine what kind of soil I had. Most of it was sandy or loamy, but my flower beds seemed to have some clay.

Using all this information, I had a general idea of what kind of plants and wildlife would be present without human intervention. It also helped with deciding which native plants to start growing.

Plants

Throughout the year, I went out to the yard with a wildlife field guide and a couple identification apps and identified every plant and insect I found. I grouped the plants into four categories: native, invasive, naturalized, and cultivated. This isn't shown in the example, but I also grouped them by season and the time of year they appear.

Naturalized refers to plants that have integrated themselves into the environment without inflicting damage to the local ecosystem.

You'll notice that under the cultivated section I included a few native plants. This is because those plants were introduced by me and would not be present without my intervention and I wanted to make that distinction.

The importance of native and naturalized plants is obvious, but what about cultivated and invasive? Keeping a profile of invasive plants helped me keep a record of which noxious weeds I need to remove. From an ecological perspective, their removal is crucial to the survival of my native plants and garden crops. From a spiritual perspective, this can be an offering or act of service to the local land spirits. Some of these plants, like Common Mugwort, are both valuable for workings and fine to harvest in large quantities since they are invasive.

Cultivated plants are also important. Many of these plants, like my Blueberries, Apples, and Rose of Sharon, were here before me. The importance of plants introduced by humans is greater than you'd think. First, they are usually crops and flowering plants and provide food for both humans and the local wildlife. Secondly, I live in an urban area, and my land spirits are likely very closely associated with people.

I researched all of my plants and took note of growth patterns, toxicity, medicinal uses, ediblity, native region/habitat, ecological significance/impact, etc. Then I moved onto folklore and symbolism and started working with the spirits of a few plants, performing divination, leaving offerings, harvesting them and including them in rituals and spellwork. I did this in groups to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Please note that you should always properly identify plants and be aware of potential toxicity before harvesting, especially if you plan on burning or consuming said plant. Also steer clear of protected or threatened plants and keep harvest to a minimum even for abundant native species.

Wildlife

My next project was writing down every species of animal and insect that I had encountered in my yard. I grouped them into several categories: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. In real life my invertebrates section is separated into several subcategories (orb weavers, beetles, etc.).

Next, I used basically the same system I did for plants, researching their native range, preferred habitat, behavior, diet, ecological importance. Then I started looking into folklore.

Finally, I started integrating them into my practice and working with their collective spirits. This involved using animal symbolism in rituals, leaving offerings, and performing a lot of divination.

Remember to never interact with or directly feed wildlife. If I'm making offerings outdoors it is usually fresh water, scattered birdseed, and acts of service like creating habitats and growing plants that a specific species enjoys. If scattering birdseed, do so in the morning to keep too many animals, like raccoons, from entering your yard at night.

Side note: Keep a record of what appears in your yard each year! For example one year we had several chipmunks and one year I saw none. One year we had no fireflies and the next our backyard was covered in them.

Tying It All Together

Once I had my backyard profile completed, I started working with the collective spirits of select species. I have an offering schedule, perform communication, and petition these spirits regularly in spellwork. I use certain plants that I harvest for offerings and use for tinctures, infusions, cooking, and crafts. I use symbols of local animals in crafts and spellwork.

After working with the "smaller" spirits, you can start seeking out specific land guardians by using a combination of divination and research of local history and folklore.

On a mundane level, I am now able to cultivate an appropriate ecosystem for the local wildlife and start projects to support it. Examples of this are pollinator gardens, stick and brush piles for fireflies and small animals, growing seed-rich and fruiting plants for birds and mammals, winter shelters and TNR plans for feral cats, and more.

I also like to take notes on plants and wildlife that I encounter in my general area that don't usually make it into my backyard. For example there have been coyotes, foxes, bobcats, and black bears spotted in my neighborhood.

I want to stress that I live in a semi-urban and relatively populated neighborhood and I have a small yard. The brief example of of my land profile doesn't cover even a fraction of the wildlife I have encountered in my backyard. There is so much life in urban and suburban areas in need of our support.

[genopaint]

Back again with what should be week 31 of the Daily Dragon Challenge!

As always you can follow me on twitter where they’re posted daily

And read more info on each of them below the cut

Daily Dragon #210 / #211 - Blue-Eyes White Dragon / Red-Eyes Black Dragon

MORE dragons I knew I wanted to do from the start. Something Yugioh related is LONG overdue but god DAMN the dragons in this series are not easy to draw!!

Certainly not perfect, but considering I'm tired and they're tricky designs I think they could've come out a lot worse! I hope you like them!

Daily Dragon #212 - Mimring

WE GOT ANY HEROSCAPE FANS IN THE HOUSE!?!? The characters from that game are so cool and have stuck in my head nonstop ever since I was a little kid. So many good memories of this figure's wings falling off.

Daily Dragon #213 - DRAGON.EXE

[ GIF / FLASHING LIGHTS WARNING ] Uh oh... Well, I'm sure that file wasn't important... Thank you all SO much for voting! That's that on July, this fella ended up being the most popular!

Here's the results :

DRAGON.EXE - 2 Votes Megalogon - 2 Votes Black Hole Dragon - 1 Vote Drake Typhoon - 1 Vote Eggodon - 1 Vote Chocodon - 1 Vote Bombodon - 1 Vote Bog Rex - 1 Vote Cleoboros - 1 Vote Vampire Wyvern - 1 Vote

This time, the tie breaker was decided by my mom :)

I won't toot my own horn, but there were a few dragons I was pretty pleased with this month. But I think my ultimate favorite may have been the Black Hole Dragon. With Exor, Vampire Wyvern, and Gila Devil being close runner ups.

Here's the 2 frames on their own. Since I always gotta go that lol I hope you enjoyed the little gif effect thing I just randomly decided it would be cute! But yeah, that's the end of July! Very exciting! My birthday isn't too far off!

Daily Dragon #214 - Bahamut (Final Fantasy 3)

First dragon on my sort of hiatus and also somehow the first true Bahamut of the challenge! I want to draw each FF Bahamut as I play the games, but I've been LONG overdue on this one. I beat 3 back in January

Daily Dragon #215 - Godzilla

This was a drawing I started for a previous day but abandoned. However, looking at it again tonight I actually REALLY liked how the lineart looked, so I finished it! The King of the Monsters is here!!

And before people say "oh this isn't a dragon" there was a palm tree included in this challenge. a palm tree. that was a dragon.

Daily Dragon #216 - Bio Dragon

A strange dragon made in a lab by people trying to play gods. They're incredibly ferocious, made with the most powerful traits of various reptiles. Such as camouflage and toxic spit.

This is a redraw of an old dragon, I don't have an exact date but I want to say its sometime pre-2017??

and yes... yeah... its another poison one

[sinisterexaggerator]

NSFW THOUGHT

—

Fic idea: Bounty hunter “games.”

Hunters are bored. Sitting around, drinking, smoking. One of them suggests: “should we play a game?”

Hondo is there. It’s most likely on Florrum this happens.

He pulls out a suitcase full of various item: binders, sabacc cards, dildos, buttplugs, vibrators, rope, etc etc.

“Eh, all right. We can make this work” — Jango probably.

They draw cards, or straws. Cad gets the shortest one. He’s tied to a table, naked. The game is to build a house of cards on his belly and take whatever the others give him at the same time (meaning orgasms or various forms of “gentle torture”).

He loses if he squirms too much and the deck falls.

They draw cards or straws again. The person who wins this round gets to dish out the punishment, dealer’s choice.

It’s Bossk. He chooses to fuck Bane with his two monster reptile dicks but he wants him in his boots and hat. Bane complains but he calls him Nuna-bellied and now he’s gotta prove he’s a man so he agrees and takes the challenge.

By the end of it Bane’s a mess in more ways than one, and Bossk will forever have bragging rights that he made Bane cum and moan his name like “the blue bitch he is.”

[fullmetaldevil-blog]

Axel: The Asshole

(?/??/?? - 8/23/24)

Sadly the last of my reptiles has passed away. He was unadoptable as a baby due to his aggressive personality. I like a challenge. Ever since I brought him home, he has glared daggers into my being. Beady, judging eyes watching me from across the house. In spite him being the embodiment of a shit head, he was weirdly sweet, when he felt like it.

I'll miss my little asshole buddy.

[nat-1-whump]

🌈 Pride fantasy prompts

Pride writing ideas no. 1

(Little to no angst or whump here, I wanted to focus on happier stories this time around.)

Mages use transformation spells as a magical method of gender-affirming surgery. One mage who specializes in such magic travels across the land, helping anyone from tiny fairies to gigantic dragons be their true selves. Nothing brings them more joy than giving their client a mirror after the spell is done and watching their face light up. And when someone needs that spell, the mage will find a way to do it, no matter who or what they have to challenge in order to do so.

Asexual succubi and incubi find non-sexual ways to seduce their targets. A character hears a noise in the middle of the night and goes to the kitchen to find a demon-like creature baking them a cake that reads, "Come to the darkest pits of the underworld, please? 🥺" With the layers upon layers of chocolate fudge, how could anyone resist?

A gay mage learns a teleportation spell to bring their crush on a date without anyone else seeing, because they are worried about what people will think. However, the spell backfires and ends up teleporting them to the wrong place. As they work together to find their way home, the two overcome challenges for each other and realize that their love really does conquer all.

A trans character finds out that they're trans by accessing some sort of magic that only another gender is supposed to be able to access. For example, a transfem sailor thinks she's a cis guy until she is the only one on the ship who can see an island that is magically hidden from everyone except women. She had always felt a bit "off" but kind of pushed it to the side, attributing it to literally anything except being trans. The island beckons to her and confirms the feelings she had ignored for years. (I thought there was an island like that in the Odyssey but I can't find anything about it so I may be wrong.)

When a gay couple adopts a child, they weren't expecting to bring home a dragon egg. But, that won't stop them from being the best adoptive parents anyone could have. They spend nights deep in the library, set on learning everything they need to raise their dragon child. (Or, alternatively, a dragon couple ends up adopting a human or otherwise non-dragon child.)

Due to their association with rainbows, magic, and self-expression, unicorn derbies become widely celebrated events during pride festivals. A particularly clever unicorn escapes right before the derby, and magical shenanigans ensue.

While others their age are asking their crushes to dances and peeking at raunchy magazines, an aroace teen is busy training swordfighting with a dragon that they keep hidden a little bit away from their house. Their parents find some evidence of their teen sneaking out and assume it's with some romantic partner. When their teen reluctantly agrees to introduce them, they weren't expecting to come face to face with a gigantic reptile. They said they wanted their teen to be with whoever makes them happy... But this is awkward.

Immortal characters who've been around for centuries don't necessarily understand the newer labels and identities, but they're excited that their children are able to express themselves in ways they weren't able to a few hundred years ago. They do their best to support their kid's identity... Possibly to the point of embarrassing their kid with their enthusiasm. They mean well though.

A genderfluid character who can shapeshift uses their ability to transition on the spot whenever and however they feel like it. They kind of take this ability for granted, until their non-shapeshifter friend wants to transition and can't just do so by snapping their fingers. This shapeshifter does their best to help their friend find clothes and hairstyles that might have the same effect. They end up having to be a bit creative with what they have, but it's a lot more fun than either expected.

To represent the strength of their relationship, a gay swordsmith forges a sword as a surprise present (or proposal, like a ring but cooler) for their beloved. They decide to gather gemstones from the place they first met (or some other place that is significant to them), but getting the gemstone proves to be a difficult quest. They end up asking for their partner's help, all while keeping it a secret why they need it. When they finally get the gemstone and forge the sword, the colorful pieces in the hilt tell a story of their journey together.

Elves and other androgynous creatures completely demolish outdated standards of what each gender is "supposed to" look like. Some people are frustrated with how hard it is to assume an elf's gender, but lots of trans and nonbinary people are inspired by the magical genderfuckery. (I know I am, lol. Legolas was my first gender envy.)

(Feel free to add on!)

[mtnikolle]

Clearing my first roadblock for @kakairu-rocks 2024 Maze Challenge: Single Parents AU

A seal appeared after Kakashi tried to skip roadblocks and teleported him back to the start. Bad Kakashi!

Making New Connections

Summary: Kakashi volunteered to chaperone for Naruto's field trip. That... may have been a mistake. But Naruto was pretty cute like this. And he got to meet Iruka, who understands the trials and tribulations of single parenthood. So, really, it was good.

🐵🐍🐻🐸🦫🦜🦊🦆

Kakashi almost couldn't believe that he'd volunteered to supervise Naruto's field trip to the local zoo. What did he know about either animals or 7 year olds? Then he looked down at Naruto, sitting, calmly for once (or so he assumed, based on what his teacher, Ms. Mitarashi was always telling him), and knew he'd do just about anything for the little brat (affectionate).

“As I call your names, go line up with your parent-chaperone.”

Kakashi could see most of the kids were paying attention, but at least three girls were “whispering” together at something under one of their desks, one boy was playing with cars on his desk, and another two? three? boys were passing a paper back and forth.

“Mr. Hatake?”

Kakashi waved at the kids.

“Naruto, Kiba, Amir, Zion, and John are with you.”

Ah, one of the boys no longer paying attention was Naruto. At least he knew who that one was. Another of the boys poked him on his way up the aisle toward Kakashi. When Naruto looked up to… say something, Kakashi made eye contact and raised his eyebrows. Naruto got with the program and grabbed his backpack to join them. Ms. Mitarashi was already calling the next group of students as Kakashi led his group out of the classroom.

🐵🐍🐻🐸🦫🦜🦊🦆

The bus ride to the Konoha Zoo was… something. Loud was probably the best descriptor. Despite the kids having been told to sit with their groups, Kakashi noticed that his was scattered all over. He could only assume the same was true of the other groups. He sat in one of the seats, debating standing to yell at the kids, when another body landed beside him.

“Don't bother.”

“Excuse me?”

“I recognize the look on your face from my own mirror— or would, if I brought a mirror on these trips.” The man held out his hand. “Iruka Umino.”

Kakashi took it. “Kakashi Hatake. What do you mean?”

“They won't listen. Best to save your voice for later.” The man, Iruka, explained.

“Oh.” That made a lot of sense, though Kakashi internally shuddered to think of the implications.

Ms. Mitarashi climbed onto the bus after the last of the students and took a final headcount. With a jolt, the bus started toward the zoo. Kakashi didn't know buses were so loud. The public buses he sometimes took certainly aren't.

Once the ride was somewhat smoother and the sound didn't feel as bone-rattling, Kakashi asked, “You chaperone a lot of these trips?”

Iruka nodded, then looked over his shoulder at a quiet boy who looked nothing like him. “Ever since I took in Sasuke and his older brother, Itachi.” Iruka was quiet for a while. Kakashi supposed he's a quiet guy, despite being the first of them to speak. Kakashi was about to turn his attention to the window when life came back to Iruka's face and he asked, “Which is your gremlin?”

Kakashi gave a mental snort. ‘Gremlin,’ indeed. “Naruto. Do you know him?”

“Ah, yes, the active blonde?”

“‘Active’ is a kind description. Gremlin is closer to right.”

Iruka laughed. “He does seem pretty adventurous when I come visit the class.”

They chatted the rest of the way to the zoo. Kakashi was sure he would find Iruka's insights and advice useful.

🐵🐍🐻🐸🦫🦜🦊🦆

They'd barely made it through the entrance before Naruto bolted for the Reptile House.

“Naruto!” Naruto slowed, but didn't stop. “Wait for the group!” He didn't— kinda— he was waiting by the entrance. Probably because there was a small, fenced pond just outside with a couple of… frogs? sunning and swimming.

Naruto grabbed his sleeve. “Dad! Look at them! They're so tiny!”

The other boys gathered around to look, too. The frogs were smaller than even Naruto's small hand. Kakashi wondered how Naruto had even seen them, quick as he'd been running.

“They sure are. Do you know what kind they are?”

Naruto shrugged, like it didn't even matter. To him, it probably didn't. Kakashi still looked around for some kind of placard. Nothing out here, so maybe inside. Not that it mattered—all five boys were enthralled now with watching the two tiny frogs hop in and around their little pond. Naruto, completely focused like this, was completely adorable, and reminded Kakashi a lot of both Minato and Kushina when they had focused in on their individual fixations.

With the boys occupied, Kakashi took a moment to look around. The boys had blasted straight passed the confectionary stand—just as well, Kakashi didn't think any of them needed extra fuel. Beyond the Reptile House (which Kakashi thought likely housed more than reptiles, given the frogs outside) was a path with a sign that read ‘Northern Mammals.’ He figured that was likely both Alaskan and northern Canadian. Then he wondered if there might be penguins… Or polar bears! How would any if those cold weather creatures do living down here…?

Unfortunately, Kakashi's mind went for a wander. Fortunately, it came back in time to see the last of the boys slipping into the Reptile House. Kakashi lunged to follow after them. It was going to be a long day.

🐵🐍🐻🐸🦫🦜🦊🦆

It was a long morning. The boys ran from one exhibit to the next. Kakashi's only consolation was that they were content to remain in a group, even if they each had their turn being impatient with someone else's preoccupation. As Naruto had been enthralled by many of the reptiles and amphibians, Kiba was with many of the canine species, Amir with the great cats, Zion with the butterflies and other insects, and John with the monkeys.

By the time lunch rolled around, Kakashi couldn't wait to regroup with the rest of the class. Then the children could entertain themselves and enjoy more communal supervision.

Once they were within sight of the park where the class would have lunch, Kakashi let the kids sprint the rest of the way. He made his own beeline for the adult table where a number of parents were already sitting. Actually, it looked like all the other parents had arrived before his group. (Was he doomed to always be the last to arrive? He could swear his life hadn't been like that before Naruto…) He was in luck, too, the four moms had taken over one end of the picnic table for themselves, which left him a spot opposite Iruka.

Iruka looked up from his sandwich and waved as Kakashi sat down.

“Hey, how'd your group do this morning?”

Kakashi drooped dramatically. “It started with my kid taking off for the reptiles, and I'm not sure it stopped.”

Iruka laughed at him and winked. “Just wait until they refuel!”

Kakashi shuddered and pulled out his own lunch. He'd made onigiri for himself and Naruto last night—stuffed with supper's leftovers. He looked at what the other parents were eating and was surprised by the variety. Curried chickpeas over rice, pizza, pita wraps. It all looked so good.

“And your group? Were they as enthusiastic?” He took a bite of his onigiri after asking.

Iruka smiled. “My groups tend to be pretty calm. Ms. Mitarashi likes to put kids of similar energy levels together. It usually works out so each kid is in a group with a friend. Sasuke is pretty quiet, so he ends up with other kids who are pretty calm.”

Kakashi banged his head on the table. “That means I'm doomed whenever I can come again!”

His dramatics attracted the attention of the moms, and the one sitting next to him patted his shoulder consolingly. “I feel you.” She pointed at one of the boys trying to eat while hanging upside down from the monkey bars. “That one's mine, so my group is always high energy, too.”

All the adults at the table spent time trading stories about their kids and groups. The other parents also shared stories about other field trips that year or the year previous. Some were nightmare inducing, some were hilarious. Overall, Kakashi decided he wanted to make time to chaperone more of these trips.

🐵🐍🐻🐸🦫🦜🦊🦆

The bus ride back to the school seemed unnaturally quiet. No one was yelling, no one was trying to move from one seat to another, no one was standing. Not even Naruto. The kids must have been as wrung out as Kakashi felt—and his energy reserves were significantly lower than theirs. He hoped this quiet would carry over to the house.

“Bet your wife will be happy that Naruto ran himself out today.”

Kakashi turned toward Iruka with a wry grin. “No wife.” And before Iruka could express any condolences, he continued, “Naruto's adopted.”

“Ah, similar to my situation with Sasuke and Itachi, then.”

Kakashi nodded. He'd picked up on that implication to Iruka's earlier statement.

“There's a single parents group that meets once a month.” Kakashi perked up at the information. “We informally call it Coffee and Commiseration.” Iruka's smile twitched into an almost smirk when he said it. Kakashi could completely understand how the name came to be. “It's mostly just a chance to spend time with other adults who understand. We rotate houses, so the kids play together and the rest of us can visit. Are you interested?”

“Hell, yes!” Talking with his other friends was good, but they were either married with their own kids, or had none at all.

Iruka flashed him a wide smile. “The meeting is at my house this month. This Saturday, actually.” He held out his phone to Kakashi. “If you give me your contact information, I can text you the details.”

The bus pulled up to the school, so Kakashi quickly typed in the information and passed the phone back. He looked forward to getting to know Iruka better.

[montywithchildhoodtrauma]

More SAMS & MAFS incorrect quotes becuse LUNAR!

Sun: Why would you give a knife to Puppet?! KC, shrugging: Puppet felt unsafe. Sun: Now I feel unsafe! KC: I’m sorry… KC: Would you like a knife?

Puppet: Hey, quick question. How petty am I allowed to be?

Monty: Yo! I heard you like reptiles, got any fun facts? Puppet: If a alligator eats your dad, they become your new dad. Monty: I... don't know how to respond to that...

Moon, probably: It's not ugly, just aesthetically challenged.

Monty: Can you be serious for five minutes? Lunar: My record is four, but I think I can do it.

Monty: Hey. Foxy: Hey? Monty: I can't sleep. :/ Foxy: I can. Goodnight.

Rays: Try not to roll your eyes at me. Moon: I don't have pupils.

Monty: You think that’s cringe? Moms around the world wait 9 months just to end up naming their kid Puppet. Puppet: Hey, fuck you.

Moon: Is… he meant to be on fire? Monty, staring at Pops on fire: No… not really. Moon: Are you going to do something about it? Monty: Hm… nah.

Monty: Yesterday, I watched Lunar try to eat a decorative rock from Earth's potted plant. Sun caught them, and told them they can't eat rocks. Lunar started whining something about no food being in the house before walking away.

Rays: slams down an absolute doorstopper of a tome I checked this out weeks ago for a bit of light reading. Monty: This is light?!

Foxy: Remember what I told you. Monty: Don’t be a cunt?

Monty, trying to flirt: So, you come around here often? Earth, confused: I mean, this is my house, so yeah.

Sun: If this plan goes down the drain, where should we regroup? Monty: The afterlife, I guess.

Moon: Earth, gather the others. We need to have another Sun-is-doing-something-stupid-again-and-we-have-to-stop-them-before-they-hurt-someone convention.

Monty: You bought a taco? Puppet: Yes. Monty: From the same truck that hit Lunar?! Puppet, with a mouthful of taco: Well, me starving ain't gonna help them.

Moon: So what do you have planned for the future? Lunar: Lunch. Moon: No, like long term. Lunar: Oh…um, dinner?

Eclipse, done with everything: I don’t think my death ray is working. I’m standing right in it, and I’m not dead yet.

Kidnapper: I have one of your friends. Puppet: Which one? I have three. Kidnapper: The loud, annoying, rowdy one who never shuts up. Puppet: Which one? I have three. Monty, distantly: HEY!!!

Monty: seductively takes off glasses Wow, you're… blurry. (I like to think their sunglasses are prescription)

Earth: Not gonna lie, I'm kind of afraid of Puppet… Monty: As you should be. Earth: No, for real, they're kind of- Monty: As. You. Should. Be.

The squad's reaction to being told they're the chosen one Monty: I'm going to let you down. Earth: Sounds fun? Puppet: K. Moon: No, I'm fucking not. Foxy: Do I have to be? Sun: Please god, I am so tired.

Rays: I don’t need to touch grass, I need the fall of capitalism.

Monty: You’ve got to learn to love yourself. Sun: But don't you hate yourself. Monty: Yeah, but this is about you. Stay focused.

Sun, on like 5% seeing a banana on the car seat: What the FUCK?? Sun, buckling the banana up: Fucking buckle UP, it’s the LAW!

Puppet: I’ve never smoked marijuana. I ate a brownie once at a party. It was intense. It was kind of indescribable. I felt like I was floating. Turns out there was no pot in the brownie. It was just an insanely good brownie.

Lunar: Puppet, what if there are monsters? Puppet: Don’t worry, we’re top of the food chain. Much later… Lunar, lying awake at night: I am the monster.

The squad is playing a team sport Earth: Are you upset you don’t get to be on the same team as Lunar? Rays: Have you ever played a game with Lunar? Earth: No… Rays: Have you ever been trapped in a cage with a wolverine? Meanwhile, on the other side of the field Lunar, chasing Sun: I SAID STOP FUCKING TALKING!! SHUT YOUR TRAP! COME HERE I'M GONNA PUNCH YOU!

Everyone is playing a board game together Foxy: I will put 'A' down to make 'A'. Earth: I will add onto your 'A' to make 'AT'. Monty: I will add onto your 'AT' to make 'RAT'. Moon: I will add onto your 'RAT' to make 'BIOSTRATAGRAPHIC'. Monty:... Earth: Oh dear Monty: flips the board

Foxy, at Monty's funeral: I need a moment with them. Pops: Of course. He leaves Foxy, leaning over Monty′s coffin: Okay, listen here you little shit. I know you’re not dead. Monty: Yeah, no shit.

Puppet: Are you listening to me? Monty, who's been zoned out since before the conversation started: nods Puppet: What did I just say? Monty: nods Puppet: …

KC: WHY DID YOU KILL HIM?! HE COULD HAVE HAD HOPES AND DREAMS, HE COULD HAVE HAD A FAMILY!!! Rays: KC- Rays: It- it was just an ant-

Foxy, to Puppet and Monty: holding knife out in front of them Are you or are you not an enemy of the people?! Puppet: … Monty: … Puppet: That is such an open-ended question. Monty: Yeah, it really depends on a lot of different factors-

Foxy: What’s it like being tall? Foxy: Is it nice? Foxy: Can you reach comfortably for the cupboards? Monty: We live in constant fear of the short ones who, in my experience, will climb 4 chairs, 2 boxes, a small coffee table and 6 oddly placed stools to get what they want. Lunar: It was one time!

The Squad is at Home Depot Lunar: Fell in the cacti display while wandering around the garden section Monty, Puppet, & Sun: Tokyo Drifting one of those flatbed carts down the aisles while Sun is screaming his head off, he wanted no part in this! Moon: Stealing paint chips for aesthetic purposes Rays: Just wanted some goddamn light bulbs and everyone ruined it Earth: In the car sleeping

Monty, to themself: I hate taking off my glasses, because without them, my vision goes from Full HD all the way down to buffering at 240p and I just can't handle that.

Monty: I just heard Lunar call the dog a “fucking liar” because he barked like someone was at the door and no one was there.

Monty: Just be careful, Lunar! Lunar: heading out the door I'm always careful, Monty! Lunar: It's everything around me that's careless.

Earth: I don't want to fight you! Moon: I wouldn't want you to fight me either!

Puppet: What’s something you guys are better than Monty at? Foxy: Mario Kart. Lunar: Yeah, video games. Earth: Emotional vulnerability.

Moon: I wasn’t that drunk. Sun: You colored my face with a highlighter because you said I was important. Moon: BECAUSE YOU ARE!

Lunaar: If I stay in bed I'll be warm. If I get in the shower, I'll also be warm. But the distance between the bed and shower? No. That is not warm.

Rays: That sounds like a terrible plan. Sun: Oh, we've had worse.

Monty: You know, studies show that keeping a ladder in the house is more dangerous than a loaded gun. Monty: That's why I own TEN guns. Monty: Just in case some maniac tries to sneak in with a ladder.

Foxy dies in a game with ships Puppet: This ship is no longer a ship of love, it's a ship of vengeance, a gavel of justice against all that is wrong in the world, showing no mercy, as no mercy was shown to us. Puppet: The spark of love will now fuel the fires of destructive glory as I wage my war across the world with righteous fury. Moon: Legend has it that Foxy still haunts the ship, stealing my fucking drinks. Foxy: Of course I do.

Puppet: It's locked. You got a lock pick? Monty: Yeah- Moon: kicks in the door

Monty: shatters a window and climbs through it Monty: turns around and helps Lunar through it Breaking and entering is wrong Lunar. Lunar: Okay.

Lunar: You gave me up, you let me down, you turned around, and deserted me. Eclipse: But did I make you cry? Lunar: cries on the spot Eclipse: …Shit.

Monty: Tired of just deserving better. Gonna start taking it by force.

[pandapple-dapple]

✎ 𝗧𝗶𝗺 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗸𝗲 - 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗙𝗶𝗰 𝗥𝗲𝗰

Notes: Yes this is the second post in my blog. Am I proud of it? Definitely not. Am I still gonna do it cause I have nothing else to do? Yes. I hope some peeps out there might find it useful though so,,, yeah!

Also, make sure to read the tags beforehand!! Stay Safe!

[ T ] the space between by nephelax

Romantic Pairings: Timkon (Not the main focus right now though)

Description:

Red Robin is a name meant for greatness. It echoes of a kid that had decided to step up as a hero that Batman needed, of a teen that shouldered burden after burden without complaint—of someone that, despite the pain and the grief and the losses, held his head high. A genius, a leader, and one of the best detectives that the world has ever seen. Red Robin is a name with weight. Tim, a high schooler whose last living memories involve a bridge and murky waters, can’t measure up to that. The ghost that lurks rent free in Tim’s head with a familiar looking insignia cracked in half on his chest says otherwise. or, how Tim realizes that he’s trapped in a world that’s supposed to be fictional, discovers that he somehow body-snatched a future Robin, and finds himself caught in the Bats’ orbit despite all his efforts not to (and maybe, just maybe, gets a family along the way too).

[ T ] Banshee In A Well by liverobinreaction (bugbee)

Romantic Pairings: None

Description:

Tim is five years old when he drowns in his parents' pool. He dies quietly, waiting for parents who love him, but will never be there, to realise that something is wrong. They never show up, and he sinks into oblivion. When he wakes up and claws his way out of the water, the sun has set, and the lights of his house are on. He is cold and wet and his lungs burn. But most of all, Tim is alone. (If you die and no-one is there to see it, were you ever alive in the first place?)

[ T ] Happy Families Kill People Too by raven_of_hydecastle

Romantic Pairings: None

Description:

Jack Drake loves his wife and son, even if they're giant, fire breathing reptiles that would rather eat the mailman than pick up a package. That's fine, he can deal. It'd just be nice if they weren't so territorial. Then they could actually be on the same continent without trying to kill each other. Oh well, every family has their challenges. The Drakes' just happen to be more homicidal than most. Feat. Dragon Tim and Janet's loving (but murderous) relationship, Jack's ongoing attempts to be a good dad, and the Waynes getting increasingly concerned about Tim's home life after he becomes Robin.

[ T ] unchanging by birdbat

Romantic Pairings: None

Description:

A lot of people tell Tim that he looks just like his mother. They share the same eye color and shape, often cold and calculating. The same sharp smiles and ghostly pale skin, and the same, lean body frames that could almost be described as delicate. One last thing they have in common is an orange pill bottle. The only difference is the name. (Or how parents pass things on to their children.)

[ T ] so much you don't know by konan_konan

Romantic Pairings: None

Description:

“Enough chatter,” Tim barks. Green Lantern grumbles. “You want to get through this, right? Then settle down. Alright. Workplace injuries.” He pauses, squinting at the slide. “We’ve seen nearly a 3% reduction in injuries this past quarter. Our goal was 5%. Do better.” “Hey,” says Flash, “it’s a dangerous job!” “Do better,” he repeats. or: tim drake is totally a pro at this whole batman thing.

[ G ] Talk To Me by A_Canceled_Stamp 🔒 (only accessible to ao3 users)

Romantic Pairings: None

Description:

Bruce and Tim have a long-overdue heart-to-heart

[ T ] Into the Deep Dark Night by siren_of_the_ocean

Romantic Pairings: None

Description:

Timothy Jackson Drake drowns in Gotham Bay with not a bang, but a whimper. Luckily...or not, Gotham isn't quite ready to give him up yet. “Spirits of children and women drowned, my child. They live in the ponds that glisten like tar. The Rusalka."

[ G ] Half the Size and Twice the Fun by raven_of_hydecastle

Romantic Pairings: None

Description:

Ra’s was a class A manipulator, but luckily Tim was suspicious of strange men in cosplay dictating his life’s purpose. He doubted anyone would make a clone out of their most “formidable opponent” for the sole purpose of being creepy. There had to be an ulterior motive… Although it was creepy. So creepy.   AKA Tim is a clone, Young Justice has a new BFF, and Batman's adoption tendency has been sledgehammered with Post-Ethiopia grief, which means the JLA is now in charge of a miniature Batman despite almost none of them being parents. This can't end badly, can it?

[ T ] Under A Parent's Wing by IzzyMRDB

Romantic Pairings: None

Description:

When Tim found out that Dick Grayson was a gymnastics instructor in Bludhaven, he quickly signed up. After all, learning gymnastics from The Nightwing himself is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Dick Grayson is more concerned at the obvious signs of child abuse he sees in one of his students. AKA Dick Grayson, as a childcare worker, is a mandated reporter who knows how to recognize child abuse in his students. Tim Drake, after a lifetime of fear and confusion, learns to trust adults.

[ T ] Newton's Third Law (Actions Have Consequences) by Megaerackles

Romantic Pairings: None

Description:

Tim wasn’t sure just how he had managed to go from having everything completely under control and according to plan to being locked in a holding cell in the motherfucking Batcave while all of his secrets were slowly unspooled around him in a single afternoon. Well, he knew how—happy, protected Jason-who-had-no-clue-who-Tim-was had suddenly gotten all of the memories of angry, overprotective Big-Brother-Red-Hood-Jason and had proceeded to kidnap him, just because he was apparently a ‘hazard to himself and reality’. But it had all happened so quickly that he was having trouble wrapping his mind around this new complication. “You know, I’d finally gotten used to being an only child again."

Welp, that's all for now! Hope you enjoy them, I might make another fic rec in my spare time. < 3

[ven10]

For the ten characters ask game: Quigley Quagmire, Isadora Quagmire, Duncan Quagmire, Olivia Caliban (preferably book canon), Lemony Snicket, Beatrice Baudelaire, Esme Squalor, Fiona Widdershins, Monty, Klaus Baudelaire!! Always love your responses to ask games :)

Hey cygninae! Thanks for the ask!! :)

(Btw for the romantic ones I’m interpreting all of them as if me+the character are the same age)

I would

Marry: Isadora! :) She is one of my favourite characters and marriage would enable us to talk+spend time together a lot! (Also, I’ll admit I find people with goth/emo/that sort of vibe quite attractive) (Although I rarely think of Isadora that way, I just like her character) Plus, I like organising bookshelves and she would have a lot of poetry books to organise so that’d work out!

Drink tea with: Monty;he strikes me as the kind of guy who would have a billion different kinds of tea in his house+have really exciting stories regarding how he got each one! That being said I usually just drink black tea (with sugar+milk) but still, the stories would be fun! Also, in order to drink tea with Monty (Spoilers for The Reptile Room) Monty would need to be alive meaning that either he is revived or I drink tea with him before his death meaning that I can warn him about Olaf!

Or: Beatrice! I feel like she’d be fun to spend time with. We’d probably drink it on top of a roof or something!

Side-note; under no circumstances would I choose Lemony for this one. Tea that is “as bitter as wormwood and as sharp as a two-edged sword” sounds disgusting. Ik it’s a VFD proverb so there’s a risk Monty would also drink tea like that however it’s been CONFIRMED (via Kit in TPP) that Lemony conforms to this vile standard of drink so yeah, I wouldn’t trust him to make drinkable tea…🤢

Party with: Quigley! 100%, you just know it’d be fun party if Quigley was involved! Quigley would challenge everyone to Just Dance battles with a bizarre amount of confidence then proceed to lose every round without fail. Would invent a really intense version of capture the flag to play (no matter what kind of party it was) where there is a flag for every country in the world.

Kiss: gonna be real, I don’t really see the appeal of kissing. Ig if it meant we were close in an emotional or romantic sense then one of the Quagmires? Probably Isadora or Duncan? 🤔

Go out on a date with: Duncan Quagmire; he’s sweet+interesting. A date would mean we could spend a lot of time together and I could get the chance to know more about him. Also he’d probably choose the setting of a library or a café for it and those are both good options!

At the same time, I feel like it’d be pretty nice to be loved as deeply as Lemony loves Beatrice so maybe him? 🤔 Plus he has a lot of intriguing stories to share.

Push down the stairs: Beatrice. I mean, she’s already dead so what harm can it do..?

Slap: Olivia (Book Canon) however I slap her whilst she is standing on the edge of a staircase so she falls down those too. Then,when nobody was looking, I put polish on the wooden floor at the bottom of those stairs so that when she tries to get up after falling she slips again. As this is happening, the ‘freaks’ she manipulated into working unpaid at the carnival watch, pointing and laughing much like how the audience at the carnival treated them.

Invade the dreams of: Fiona bc I feel like her dreams would involve a lot of adventures so that’d be exciting! On the other hand, she has most definitely dreamt up at least a few really bizarre species of fish on a few occasions bc of how much time she spends underwater which may be mildly terrifying.

Take a nap with: Klaus Baudelaire. This guy needs the rest :’)

Rob: Esmé! 6th most important financial advisor, you say? Yet you can’t even keep your own finances safe?

Thanks for the ask cygninae!! :)

[is-the-snake-video-cute]

Do you have any suggestions for lizards that would make good first pets? I want a snake but my mom really doesn’t want any frozen or live rodents in the house ever.

Totally! :) Here are my favorite beginner lizards that will make great beginner pets for most keepers. Just remember that lizards are a bit more intensive than snakes, so be sure to prepare for a reptile that will need to eat more often, and will need UVB lighting and calcium supplementation. Check out ReptiFiles for care sheets on all of these.

Leopard geckos are probably my number one beginner lizard to recommend for people! They're small, so won't need a super large enclosure (as small as a 50-gallon is appropriate), are easy to handle, and are insectivores so they do great with easy-to-find feeder insects.

Crested geckos are another great pick. They're another small gecko that won't need a huge space (a 30-gallon tall enclosure is a great minimum for them), and a big draw of them is that they do fantastic on powdered food, so no live insects required. Repashy and Pangea brand crested gecko food is really good. They're not as handleable as leos, but they're still awesome.

Do you want a colony of lesbian lizards? Look no further than mourning geckos. These teeny-tiny lizards actually do best in colonies, and should always be in groups of at least two. You can keep four in a 30 gallon, and just add five gallons for every two additional geckos. They can also thrive on crested gecko diet. All mourning geckos are female and they will reproduce asexually when kept in colonies, so before getting your colony you should have a plan for eggs.

If you're up for a bit more of a challenge than those awesome geckos, check out these more advanced lizards. They're not going to be right for every beginner, and they're all going to need a much larger enclosure (a 4x2x2 enclosure, 120 gallon equivalent, is the bare minimum for all of these), but they're all easy to handle and work with despite their more difficult husbandry.

Bearded dragons are wonderful! They're handleable, super cute, and just all-around awesome. They can be doable for beginners, but they're definitely a step up from those awesome beginner geckos. They need a varied diet of both plants and insects.

Blue-tongue skinks are absolute delights! Like beardies, they will need a varied diet.

Uromastyx are super cool herbivorous lizards, which means no insects! They're also the most difficult lizards on this list. Still doable for beginners, but by no means a commitment to make lightly. They need an extremely hot basking spot and a varied diet of plants.