#about morphs I don't personally breed

[kedreeva]

Do you think you could give your opinions on the recessive / lethal yellow genes in mice? Do you think you'd ever consider breeding recessive yellow? (If you haven't already.) I'm just super curious about your thoughts on them as I don't really know a lot about genetics. Do you think it's possible to breed a consistently healthy line of yellow mice? I'm just super curious to hear your thoughts as a breeder

Well, this is a kind of long answer and I'll warn it discusses animal death, so I'll put it behind a cut.

Personally, I wouldn't, but not because of ethics concerns; I just don't like any of the colors made with RY/AY. They're just not visually appealing to me. I had a couple RY pop up from the Taylor black line when I first got it, and they were just enh. A good, rich red, esp a satin red, can be a really perfect looking mouse... but by god that's years of work and it never ends because Red is such a hard phenotype to maintain and I'm just not that determined. I'm convinced that people breed for red because seeing it opens all the ferret cages in their brain, not because they can be normal about it. If you want good reds, it's like you dedicate your life (and mousery) to it or you don't do it, and my life's already dedicated to the peafowl. My mousery is already dedicated to blacks and tricolors.

As for the AY gene itself, it's a "lethal" gene in that homozygosity is lethal but it's lethal at the blastocyst stage so it's not really an ethical problem imo. If it was lethal as in the pups deteriorate and die post partum, or if it caused well developed pups to die/be stillborn such that it caused the dam health risks, then it would be a problem. But, it doesn't. You just get smaller litters because some cells die way early on and get reabsorbed. I don't really have any problems with that. Show breeders cull litters down to 4-6 pups (for dam and pup health reasons), so it's not like all of them would be turning into adults anyway.

As for the genetic issues with the adult mice, there are three major health issues. The first is obesity (sort of), and the major problem there is keeping them in breeding shape (meaning, capable of doing the do at all). Curiously, in at least one study I remember seeing, there's a difference between an obese mouse of X color mutation and an AY that's considered obese because of its natural body type; for example, an obese black mouse will likely have a shortened lifespan, whereas an AY mouse doesn't (at least not less than any other mouse color mutation) unless it's obese for an AY. So this isn't really a problem as long as the breeder is watching their diet and ensuring they stay fit for their body type.

The other two genetic problems actually are health issues related directly to the AY gene, and that's being prone to diabetes and to tumors. However, these are both things that (any good) breeders would notice, cull, and therefore not breed forward, in order to keep the line as free from them as possible. Which really isn't any different than any other line that develops health problems of any sort. People don't keep health problems. A good breeder should be and usually is aware of the potential health problems in the lines they are breeding, particularly if it's a genetic one that can't be avoided (like you can't avoid AY if you're breeding AY), and will know what to look for and intervene as soon as possible. Diabetic mice urinate excessively so it's REALLY noticeable, and tumors... well. Hard to miss. And tumors of various sorts is a fairly common "select away from/cull" problem in any mutation, it's just slightly higher risk in AY.

So the short answer, in my opinion, AY isn't really an unethical gene to work with. It's not one I'd choose to work with, but I don't think the people who do are doing anything wrong just for working with the gene at all. It comes down to the same ethics as any other mutation; working to maintain body condition and selecting for health.

Honestly, out of all the animals I've seen bred and bred myself, I think mouse breeders in general have proven themselves to be the most concerned with what's best for the animal, not the breeder. The show clubs like FMBA and AFRMA etc won't recognize standards for things like snub noses or manx tails or anything else that would potentially seriously impact QoL by nature of existing at all, and at least in the groups I'm in, the members are not shy about recognizing when health problems mean no breeding for a mouse regardless of how pretty or sweet. When someone newer asks what to do, I've never seen anyone support trying to breed a mouse with issues, or usually even keep one whose QoL would be poor. They are very familiar with the kindest thing you can do is let them go. It's a breath of fresh air from the goddamn chicken groups, who will limp along any bird that's still breathing regardless of what's best for the bird.

I think the only morph I've seen that I have an ethical problem with is the X-brindle gene, which is a "brindle" gene on the X chromosome that causes the mouse to be unable to absorb copper. This means that the males DO founder and die after birth (which means most people just humanely euthanize the male pups, they aren't out here letting them suffer that I've seen), and females get a strange coat color and curled whiskers from low copper absorption. Does have a second X gene that's clean so they still can, but it's really an unnecessary mutation to continue imo. It hasn't been recognized by the show clubs that I know of, but idk if they can be shown under normal brindle or if you can tell at a glance, as I don't really know as much about them or any of the AY gene specifics. I have basic knowledge but since i don't breed them myself it's very in passing knowledge. I know it's rarely bred or worked with in the first place, and I hope it stays that way or disappears entirely.

[katiefrog217]

Walks with Aziraphale were always so amusing, especially when he took one of his different forms. Tonight, Crowley took note of a few different reactions:

1. Much to his bemusement, quite a few people crossed the road entirely just to avoid him (he didn't know why, he thought this particular form was very charming).

2. Those who didn't avoid them either didn't notice at all, or cooed adoringly at his companion. A few snake enthusiasts tried their best to impart advice upon him (Yes, he was aware it was a chilly night to have a python outside. Yes, he was aware that he had a few extra rolls on him, and he would appreciate it if they didn't body shame him, please and thank you).

3. He had a particularly interesting encounter with a stranger who tried his best to buy Aziraphale from him (he didn't know whether to laugh or be offended on his companion's behalf when the person subsequently dropped their price offering upon learning he was male. He turned them down, of course).

This just in: local vampire hunter tries his hardest to look cool in front of his crush.

I said soon and I guess I meant now haha.

I could help but draw Crowley and Aziraphale from @mrghostrat 's new Vampire AU (thanks for the permission btw!!) and I'll be damned if I couldn't pass up the opportunity to draw Ball Python Azi after being deeply entrenched in Ball python morphs and drawing them for the past few years.

I'm also a big sucker (har har) for any kind of vampire au, so I was incredibly excited to draw this!! I'm still not confident in my ability to draw Crowley (or jackets oof) but I tried.

On that, while I have ya'll here, a few fun facts about Ball Pythons and Morphs:

Azi looks to me to be based on a Blue Eyed Lucy (Leucistic) ball python. Leucistic is different from Albino - both lack pigment, but Leucistics only lack pigments in parts, rather than entirely like with Albinism. The fastest way to tell the difference is the eye color.

Blue Eyed Lucies have eye colors that range from Black to Blue - blue obviously being the more popular eye color.

The whiter the snake, the more sought after it is (not all Lucies are pure white, depends on the morph combo)

Unlike a majority of ball python morphs, Blue Eyed Lucies don't have a distinct gene combo that defines them. Generally, their morphs included Mocha, Mojave, Lesser, Butter, etc. The combos are generally endless. A Super Mojave (Mojave bred to Mojave) will produce a fairly grey/white snake, but their heads tend to be a very dusty grey, and isn't an ideal combo for a Lucy.

A snake that seems incredibly white when hatched may change color as it ages and become less white. This is common for all morphs, and their patterns define themselves and get stronger with age.

In breeding, males are generally less desired than females, and run at a lower price generally. This is because a single male can breed multiple females, so it's less effective to have more males in a clutch than females.

Obesity in snakes IS a real thing, and generally hard to manage if you do have an obese snake. Snakes tend to retain weight well, so exercise is really the only method to help bring their weight down (plus smaller meals). Good luck if you have an obese snake that isn't particularly inclined to be active.

Ball Pythons generally tend to have what's called a 1,000 gram wall - in which a snake that hits 1k grams stops eating and will not gain more weight. No one is 100% sure why this phenomena happens, but it's incredibly common.

Not a fact but opinion: Paradox ball Pythons are my favorite morph. If you want to see some incredibly interesting genetics, look them up.

[seattlesellie]

color me ♡

pairing: ellie williams x reader

warnings: pure smut, rough sex, breeding strap, fake cum swallowing, ass play, maybe a lil gross but 🤍

authors note: so i dont know whats actually inside those breeding straps and if its not actually safe to digest… sorry! obvs based on an old one of mine n @elskittie important server discussions <3

"El Ellie, Ellie — Ah!" was the only repeating sentence that left you whiney mouth for the past seven minutes. Ellie was quick with it, brutal, even. The sharp pain of her strap's ongoing strokes and thrusts rendering you borderline unconscious. You liked being like this, didn't you? her personal rag doll, being thrown around for her pleasure.

She wasn't afraid of telling you how much you liked it, either. Ellie loved basking in your neediness for her, in how dumb you looked when she fucked you senseless. Each resounding slap against your flesh, and every firm tug of her fist on your hair served as a vivid affirmation of her power over you. "You fucking like that? huh?" she gasped in amidst the rhythmic thrusts. You could feel her in your tummy, feel her stinging inside of your brain. "Like being like this f'me? yeah?" she was panting like an animal, you could feel how close she was by the way she was swallowing her words. Her voice was hoarse, and she struggled to maintain her composure, almost falling apart right there with you. Slap! you were on all fours now, face shoved in the soft, cream colored pillow, ass shamelessly spread completely open. You felt vulnerable, like she could see everything. Ellie wasn't always like this, see, she loved taking her time. Caressing you, giving you tiny pecks everywhere around your body, like little butterflies landing on your skin. Today wasn't like this. “Get on the bed" she commanded after getting back from a three day hunt. You knew it by the flare in her eyes, by the way she couldn't look at you directly. Whatever happened there was between her and herself only. Oh, how Ellie loved how you looked. "Pretty asshole too, huh?" She panted, her thumb gently tracing circles around the perimeter of your clenched entrance. "So fucking—" she growled, and stuck her thumb inside, leaving a stinging pain ringing inside of your body. Twisting it in slow circles, it's deliberate, controlled movements akin to a meticulously driven screw, twisting slowly, intensifying the sensation with each revolution. "So fucking tight everywhere" she marveled. You couldn't even respond, drool cascaded onto the rumpled sheets beneath you. You were whimpering, screaming, god, she had effortlessly coaxed three mind-shattering orgasms from your trembling form. You could have passed out already, you could have been laying on her chest, listening to her soft breathing by now. But this truly, wasn't about you. With a forceful strike, she gave your ass another harsh slap. It morphed into a deep shade akin to a bruised blue. "Pretty" she panted. You were mumbling incoherently, a mixture of "thank you Ellie" and "for you, Ellie". You wanted to ask her — "You really think I'm pretty?" "Am I yours forever? You making me yours?" but goddamn, you were too fucked out to function. She slipped her other thumb inside your tightest hole, as if her other one wasn't enough. The overwhelming sensation caused your vision to blur with celestial bursts, your voice erupting in a symphony of screams and desperate pleas that reached the heavens themselves. "Ellieeeee — too tight!" you babbled. She plunged it deeper with a cocky grin. That action drove you to instinctively fight against her grip, your hands frantically clawing at the fabric of the sheets, seeking a desperate anchor to reality. She formed a tight fist around your hair, yanked it, and pulled you by gripping her fingers tight on your ass. Don't you dare.

"Don't you fucking run away from me" she grunted, and kept her grip on your waist.

"Stay" she commanded, and you did. Her desperate grunts and the fact that she reached that little spot, that spot no one else ever did, made your stomach tie in tight knots. You were fucking close, too. And she knew it. Who knows you better than her? "Gonna let me fucking use you" she growled, "Gonna let me fucking cum inside of you?” she told, her breath hot and unsteady against your neck. And then, it was as if a cartoonish light bulb appeared over your head. You smiled dumbly to yourself. You really are fucking nasty. "In my mouth" you hiccuped. Her hand left your plump ass, and started forming small, harsh circles on your clit. She was flabbergasted, her strokes slowing down. "In your what?" she questioned, her voice deep. "Want you to cum on my face" you stated. Simple as that. Ellie laughed, she laughed at you. "You're fucking nasty, you know that? she teased, the faint sensation of her smile pressed against your shoulder conveyed the delight she derived from your desires. Those words could have made her come on the spot. "Get on your knees" she commanded, and pulled the plastic cock out of you with a deep, breathy grunt. You clenched, feeling utterly empty without her deep inside. You pouted with a small "mhm". Ellie gave you a stern look. It was so, so clear how hard she was controlling herself, her own clit throbbing and begging for release. "You wanted this" she said, and squeezed your plump cheeks together. She almost forced you to open your mouth, stick your tongue out in order to directly spin on you, but you wanted something much, much more disgusting. It was an ego trip for her, truly. She yanked you down, and got you to get on your knees with a loud thump. That was going to leave a bruise. Oh, how you weren't expecting Ellie's next step. She grabbed the large silicone shaft in her hands, an pinched your chin, to get you to look at her. Ellie had her eyes fixated on you, entranced. You looked pathetic, sticky drool on your chin, thighs covered in your own release. Her look was piercing through you. She caressed your cheek delicately, calloused hand grazing your skin. She was going to burn this moment in her memory. If she could, she would have taken a picture — but this was still an apocalypse, and she got ever so lucky from just finding the obscene sexy toy during one of her patrols. She took the base of the cock, and began grinding in on her own clit. If she was going to cum on your face, it had to be the real fucking deal. "Ohhh god — shit" She moaned deeply, never once leaving your eyes. You felt your own clit throbbing, a swarm of butterflies buzzing in your stomach. You trailed your hand down and began forming slow circles on your clit, still wet, still deliciously creamy. She bit her lower lip. She would have scolded you for your desperate actions, how dare you touch yourself when she's right there — but thankfully, she knew you just couldn't help it. Breathy, high pitched moans were escaping her mouth, she really was fucking close, rubbing it all over her wet cunt. "Don't you fucking look away from me" she commanded, swallowing her own words. “Don't you dare." The shaft's movements on her cunt were deeper now, faster, the base hitting her puffy button just right, pressing on it. Her eyes rolled back in pleasure, almost fucking there. "Gonna cum" she panted. "Stick that fucking tongue out - Fuck — stick it out" her eyebrows were squinted together, jeez, how you loved her fuck-face. She was full on whimpering your name, hand wrapped around your scalp. She shook the strap up and down on her glistening slit.

It was a marvelous look, my god.

She could feel the white colored pleasure taking over, and almost instinctively, as if it was truly connected to her, grabbed the balls of the strap, squeezed them hard, and as she rode her orgasm - the white, thick, creamy liquid squeezed out of the tip of her cock, splashing all over your warm, eager tongue, and then all over your face. "Holy— fucking— shit" she moaned, riding it out, marveling in how much of a fucking whore you looked like, covered in cream. She was delirious, almost, because she swore it felt like it came out of her own cunt.

Unsurprisingly, who would have thought, you came all over your fingers. Ellie laughed, again, astonished, panting and grunting obscenities.

"You fucking — " she gulped, and rubbed the liquid all over your tongue with her fingers. tracing it up down, swirling it all over your mouth. "Swallow it" she commanded, hypnotized by your pathetic look.

"Cumslut" she whispered in disbelief.

[whumpbees]

I love winged whumpees a whole lot, there's just so much to DO with them! They're pretty as display pieces both big and small, come in SO many breeds and color morphs, and they're incredibly sensitive with their wings! Pluck a few feathers and they go into an absolute tizzy! And it's so easy to get them to panic too, just run a hand along their wing and watch them get all fussed about it, it's fun!

Or, you don't even really need to touch their wings to have fun with a winged whumpee. They're creatures of the sky, after all. A good too-small space for a while, while a normal person can handle it decently well, is absolute hell for your winged whumpee.

-Nsfw under the cut-

Or maybe your winged whumpee has very sensitive wings, it's so fun to run your hand absently over the feathers- or maybe sit them down and scold them about not taking care of themself while you carefully preen their sensitive feathers - a task usually reserved for a partner or lover, but well... they belong to you, don't they?

[omg-snakes]

I saw your tags on your thread about lumi and apollo and it made me realize how much I wish breeding issues were... I guess less stigmatized? It's like we have a community that embraces morphs with known problems, but we're still afraid to talk about potential problems in "safe" morphs. It really sucks. I know it's because capitalism but it's not like it's stopped actually proven bad breeds so why can't we just have an open dialogue instead of hiding the bad like most breeders do?

You're totally right.

I know it's that people are afraid that they'll lose their reputation or have to give up their hobby. It's no fun to be the person who's saying, "hey this animal you're obsessed with is probably going to live a short, painful life so let's don't make more of them please." Few breeders want to admit that there might be a problem because if we admit there's a problem somebody is going to have to pay to fix it.

If I just don't notice, maybe it'll go away on its own and I can focus on producing my line. Maybe mine won't have that problem. Buyers will ultimately get whatever they think they want, so it's not like they just won't buy a breed or species if it's not right in their grasp. Look how many folks get scammed online buying sight-unseen "purebred" frenchie puppies. At least I'm not a scammer.

I'm not saying I actually hold or agree with this sentiment, but this is part of the thinking that keeps breeders from acknowledging possible issues within their lines.

It's especially bad in the reptile industry because snakes take a relatively long time to reach physical maturity and can only breed once per year. Be it ego or sunk cost, few breeders are willing to admit that the gene they've worked for ten or fifteen years to propagate is causing a fatal mutation in the offspring they're producing. There's also an element of doubt: Was that pairing actually bad, or did something go wrong in my incubator?

Another thing I think is going on is that for a while there, the trend was to buy new morphs in sibling pairs from the same clutch and then breed them together to make more of that morph. I saw it everywhere when I first got into corn snakes. Thankfully it's now less common as I think a few newer breeders got a hard lesson in coefficients of inbreeding and the early proponents of the practice started seeing diminishing returns. Reptiles aren't as quick to show inbreeding depression as mammals, but there is a limit and I think that some morphs in particular have reached it.

I think we should as keepers and breeders talk more openly about problems, genetic and systemic and situational. I think we're getting better, together. It's a process. We still have a ways to go.

[karniss-bg3]

Thank you for this blog, your answers are so well thought-out and insightful it's a pleasure to read. Here's something I've been pondering lately: Karniss with a Tav who also has some serious body image trauma, maybe due to being a race that's not very well liked, like tiefling or something.

Thank you for the compliment!

I thought this over for the past day and admittedly I was a bit nervous about giving an opinion on the statement. Not because it isn't a good head canon or idea, but because I know the topic of body image is a sensitive one and I don't wish to breed animosity. As someone who had body image troubles in their youth I know the struggle and it's a difficult part of yourself to come to terms with. Especially in an era where we're bombarded by unrealistic expectations on every media platform available. So I want to preface this response with a bit of a disclaimer. While I have thoughts on this head canon, it is not indicative of fact. It's not meant to represent everyone's personal struggles with body image nor is it all encompassing. Everyone is different and this is strictly a personal opinion.

With that said, I do like the idea you've pitched here. My thoughts are that while both struggling with their appearance in some manner would help them relate, it may also prove a hinderance in terms of moving forward. What I mean by this is there is a chance they could feed off of each other's insecurities. It can be difficult to try and lift someone else when you feel so very down about yourself, at least in my experience. That lack of confidence creates a wall and if both parties have those walls, one can't hear the other.

As an example, if Tav tries to tell Kar'niss he is beautiful and Kar'niss denies it vehemently refusing to hear it, then if Kar'niss says the same to Tav in return then they may very well deny it as well. It's difficult to get a foothold when both parties have such a great deal of self-loathing.

But!

This does not mean all is lost. I've always believed that light can pierce even the darkest corner and the same is true here. Over time perhaps either Kar'niss or Tav have a moment of clarity, a realization. Tav might see Kar'niss chiding or belittling himself and come to understand that this is what they've been doing to themselves all this time. It may have taken a while to see it but once they do their mindset begins to alter.

It's not a smooth climb to the peak of Mt. Confidence, in fact it's a long and rocky road. Yet Tav has found new motivation, a reason to fight the intrusive thoughts rather than allow them to emerge victorious. Now when Kar'niss compliments them they resist the urge to deny it and instead accept it with a humble thanks. I know that is a hard lesson I had to learn over the years and I've become far better at it. It's not arrogant to accept positive feedback or to even feel proud, it's something more people should do.

With Tav starting to accept themselves more then Kar'niss may follow suit, especially if the pair have grown close and formed trust. Suddenly that negative feedback loop morphs into a positive one and steadily both learn to love themselves for who they are rather than what others want them to be. This is, of course, a loose summary and they'd still have bad days along the way. Personal progression isn't a straight line, it's full of peaks and valleys. Two people that have been through such strife will travel that winding road often. Still, I think it is very possible for Kar'niss and Tav to find a happy medium, one they can live with. Sometimes it's the best you can do, and that's okay.

Thanks for the ask!

[corvins-colubrids]

Just put a deposit down on this gorgeous boy. I am obsessed with his gorgeous pattern. He's a Pastel Enchi Clown Ball Python. I wasn't even looking to add a new ball python to my collection yet, but I was browsing other local breeders, and saw this gorgeous guy from a local breeder, and omg, I couldn't resist. A cool-looking yellow and black snake has been on my wishlist for awhile (very generic; I love BPs, but don't breed or get into specific morphs, I just look for what I love.)

Currently I have a Banana Pied baby who I just love, and in the past I've had a few different rescues who were a mixed bag. I now prefer to get well-started babies and socialize them myself, after some nightmare rescue scenarios. I think my first snake ever was a bp, but it was so long ago, I can't really remember.

This guy will be named Herky, after the University of Iowa mascot, since their colors are also black and gold (clearly a theme for me, if you've seen my corn snake project).

Part of what I love about reptiles as pets is that they vastly prefer to stay at home in their enclosures, as opposed to dogs who need to go outside and love adventures and outside enrichment. I love my dog so much, and I've always been a "dog person" but the more my chronic illnesses and disability impact my life, the more homebound I become, and the more I want things in my home to be enriching for me. I could spend all day with my reptiles and be perfectly happy.

A big project I have for the summer (when I'm on break from my day job of teaching) is redoing my reptile room to make it more functional for me the human caretaker, more functional, and more comfortable.

This dude will be a great edition, and I'm looking forward to meeting the breeder and seeing his setup when I pick him up in the next few weeks.

[river-muse]

Hiya, I was wondering if you might be able to provide some info into how/where you got your snake? It’s one of the loveliest looking caramel morphs I’ve ever seen.

Hello, anon!

I'm going to go out on a shaky limb and guess you have at least some basic knowledge about reptile keeping. If not feel free to send me another ask if you want more info! I'm definitely not a pro but I do have some experience and resources I can share. I do apologize beforehand that I'm in the US so things I recommend might not be an option in other countries. I'll put the info under a cut since it might be a bit lengthy.

Dalamadur absolutely is gorgeous, and the breeder(VMS herp)had a lovely reputation. His website was very minimalistic but worked super well. A few years back however he retired from snake breeding or I'd link you to him in a heartbeat.

A good website you could go to is Morph Market. Think of it kinda like ebay but for reptiles. It will give you a chance to see listings from multiple breeders at once. I will always say to prioritize purchasing/adopting captive born/bred for multiple reasons. Luckily if you're after a corn snake like Dalamadur is it won't be hard.

If you're hesitant about ordering a reptile from an online breeder check around and see if you have any local breeders/shops. Just please don't buy from big chain pet stores like Petsmart since their stock comes from reptile mills. Or better yet, check to see if you have a repticon near you. Tickets to get in are cheap and you can always research the breeders there online before attending. It would also give you the chance to talk to the breeder in person.

Last method I'll suggest is seeing if there are any reptile shops around you that do adoption/rehoming services. Sadly it's not uncommon for life to happen and owners needing to find a new home for their snakes since depending on the species they can be a 20+ year commitment. Of course that means you most likely wouldn't be getting a cute hatchling but you would be giving them a second chance at a home.

Thank you for the ask! As a treat I'll share Dalamadur's baby picture from when he was a hatchling if I haven't already done that in the past. This was taken by the breeder and shown on his listing back when he hatched in 2019. He was a skittish little thing when I first got him which is super common for hatchlings.

[blorbologist]

Growing up, if Percy hadn’t been so interested in engineering and metal work and instead, took the path of biological sciences, what kind of character/person do you think he would be? In your mind, how do you think that would affect the story and whatnot?

Heyo! Saw you sent this to @essayofthoughts - hopefully our answers are different enough!

You have no idea what a delight it was to receive this as a biologist myself >:3c

First point: (fantasy) engineering is something that works on a completely different timeframe to (fantasy/early) biology, and with different rewards. Percy can make a seige arrow in a night of unbridled guilt - you can't grow a flower in that time without magic, let alone make an entirely new morph or something. A lot of biology, until fairly recently, was done with knowledge being the reward, the takeaway, which could then be used, while engineering can make, you know. Guns.

Today of course we can make trangsenic strains of all sorts of species, and do tiny surgery on tiny organisms to lesion regions of the brain or inject something in them, but this is likely beyond the abilities in the setting - again, without magic. Biology just works on too long a timeframe... usually.

I think, first of all, that a more nature-inclined Percy would be more patient than we see in canon - again, long timeframes - and with less DEX but more WIS (for observation) and (even more) INT. Still likely fairly introverted before the Briarwoods, but drawing more satisfaction from knowledge than he already does given he can’t really create much. Given his broad interests in canon, I could see him dabbling in all sorts of fields: basic anatomy and neurobiology (I think neurobio would facinate him, but ofc early neurobio is... dubiously ethical at best. Very best. Fuck.), botany (the poison garden was likely fun), ecology and zoology (the Parchwood is right there!), genetics (as a noble family, the de Rolos likely had horses and hounds of quality, maybe falconry birds too - I could see him having an interest in the breeding of domestic species, and livestock and crops too), maybe some basic microbio (maybe he invents a microscope? If we wanna give him a potential avenue to be a Gunslinger like canon - use microscopy + biochem as the stepping stone to guns).

Next big question, of course, is: if Orthax can't inspire him to produce guns, assuming we don't just use 'Percy invents the microscope which gives him the experience Orthax needs to produce firearms'... what tool of vengeance will Percy use?

My first thought is bioweapons. Weaponize some new pathogen - to which he also produces the vaccine, but no cure because this is *vengeance.* Maybe this Percy is still a Fighter - focused on swords instead, getting right into the fray to unleash the toxin near enemies and stab it into their flesh methodically. Or maybe an Artificer, with things reflavored to be based more in science than a touch of magic. Or Orthax compensates for the lack of guns by making him a Warlock (maybe Percy tries to delude himself his powers are all perfectly non-magical, but... he's not stupid.)

I think it would be very difficult for Vox Machina to sympathize with this Percy. Sure, the guns are terrible, but they're very practical and usually kill quickly enough. They're cool. Bandits dying, frothing at the mouth, as some preternatural poison eats up their nerves... that would be way less easy to justify. Keyleth especially would likely struggle with it, despite getting along with Percy more otherwise. Vex might be a little freaked by it, too, though with Vox Machina and Trinket (and any really trusted allies) vaccinated against it friendly fire shouldn't be possible. How would Vex feel about poisoned arrows, I wonder? How would Percy poke at Fenthras, lighting up with ideas? Would he combine his tallents with the girls' to devastating effect? Use this species for brambleshot, the spines are actually glass. Dragons are reptiles - they usually can't breath and run at the same time, use this to set a trap.

Part of his crawl out of vengeance during/after the Briarwoods arc would likely involve making a cure for his bioweapon. Because though no one can directly reproduce his weapon here, it can spread naturally - through immune individuals or asymptomatic carriers. Hell, probably spreads more quickly than the guns, if the pathogen acts quickly enough to be used in combat.

Of course, I'm die-hard Perc'ahlia, so I can't help but wonder how their dynamic would be impacted. I think they would both still grow close - Percy isn't in sniper's roosts with her anymore, but they can bond over their love of the natural world. This Percy would be absolutely fascinated by Trinket - how the ranger bond and adventuring impacts his behavior, how Vex trained him, etc. which would certainly endear him to her despite the whole 'weaponized virus or whatever' deal. Maybe he loves the Sun Tree, too, used to (pathetically) climb into it as a child despite the protests of the religious because he wanted to know and learn and he shows Vex his initials he carved before he knew it bad to scar a tree like that. Maybe they take time to point out interesting plants or tracks or critters to eachother. Maybe Percy's Nat 20 in the Saundor fight fires something terrible for trees right into the fucker, and for all his curiosity he encourages Keyleth to burn all that remains to the ground. Maybe Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt means even more, because he had wanted that title for himself when he was young - that's what he was going to be, before, and he’s giving it to her instead.

Tldr; I think a bio-oriented Percy would be fundamentally different to our engineering Percy, due to the rewards and reward timeframe offered by this area of interest. He would also be a far harder character to sympathize with, given the special kind of awful of bioweapons. Like a terrible, angsty Louis Pasteur and Charles Darwin crossover.

[kedreeva]

Okay, I haven't wanted to talk much about the peafowl lately, been just kinda dealing with Stan's passing, but! I have news I don't want to keep quiet, so here we go with a little announcement.

I've been helping a friend of mine with a bunch of peafowl genetics work lately, as he's trying to prove out a really neat phenotype of speckled and white peafowl that showed up in his breeding stock, and he just spent tens of thousands of dollars importing two new morphs from Europe: European violet (aka, my dream morph) and Ultramarine (pretty and only otherwise being produced by TWO breeders in the WORLD). When Bill heard about Stan, he asked if I was going to go to a large farm auction that's a few hours from my house. I don't, normally, since it's a few hours from my house and the auctions usually make me kinda sad when it comes to peafowl (they stress out SO MUCH) even though it's cool to see how much they're going for at a wider audience auction.

Then he told me he would be going, and that if I wanted to come down the day before the auction, he'd bring me another male, to replace Stan. I had already made plans to hang onto Bismuth, at least for a few years, and to pick up babies from Indie x Arcana/Eclipse this november, including a male, so I didn't really need another male, and don't have the cash for one anyway. He said no, he meant one of the split EUV males from last year's first-USA breeding. For free. As a thank you for helping him.

To put this into perspective, importing the birds is a ~$10k affair, per bird. I had fully resigned myself to never even SEEING one of these birds in person, much less ever owning one. Even if someone else got them imported, they would remain thousands of dollars for the first few years, and quickly become mixed with other stuff, potentially even be lost by people breeding to purple. He went in on a group import with another breeder and they have both just started selling the full-color birds for over $2k apiece (alongside Ultramarine, which before their import was bred by TWO people in the WORLD, and babies from that are going for almost $7k each, but EUV is more widely spread). Splits (like the one I will be getting) are being let go for $750. This is also the color I have desperately wanted since I first saw them 8-10 years ago (though I believe they've been around slightly longer), but that I had resigned myself to never actually having.

To put it mildly, I'm probably going to burst into tears when I see Bill and this bird. It's going to be super embarrassing. And then I'm going to have to build more pens. And then I'm going to have to get as plain-blue, pure-indian blue hens as I can find, and become one of the most serious curators of plain pure EUV in the US, because I know the other two who have them currently will be outcrossing to other patterns/colors immediately and the people buying them will likely be doing the same, and everyone will be clamoring to make them into high Spaldings ASAP, or won't know not to cross them to purples and wreck the color.

Here's the sire cock, the one imported:

You will notice that this bird is purple in full sun, from the sunny side. That's the main difference between European violet and US purple- a US purple looks blue until you get the right angle on the sun vs the bird vs the camera, and you have to get the bird between you and the sun, so the purple is often in the shadow side- visible to the eye but not the camera. EUV is just purple. Even from the sunny side!!

And the Ultramarine, in case you were wondering about their color:

(pics reposted w/ permission from Bill)

The breeder is Spring Creek Peafowl, and in case anyone is secretly a peafowl breeder or knows other peafowl breeders with too much money that want in on a new color morph, he DOES have UM pairs and EUV hens (and more split males) for sale currently, for less than the only other person in the US that has them. They're still pricey, but cheaper. I WISH I had the extra to have my friend add on an EUV hen, but alas, I will have to wait to make my own in a few years. Even just the opportunity to do so is something I never expected to have!

[llatimeria]

It's really funny how much I wanna dunk on Paleo Pines as if it wasn't a years-long labor of love by a small indie team (I assume) but something about this really makes me want to be mean. i think it's the frustration that arises from the combination of INCREDIBLY GOOD dinosaur designs and everything else being somewhere between "Not to my taste" and "Mediocre"

It's all super subjective stuff to be clear: It's incredibly cutesy/"cozy" when I've never really been a fan of "cozy games" (they all feel a bit.. nothing??). I don't really like the art style or designs used for the human characters, they all look kind of blah to me. No dinosaur breeding mechanic makes me really sad. I don't really like how your character isn't a silent protagonist type that you can morph into your own personal Paleosona and you ALWAYS start with the SAME dinosaur no matter what and you can't even name it what you want. Probably the absolutely pettiest reason is that I think I just don't like a solid most 3d games in general fjrhrbrnfh

If I really were to do the thing of grasping at straws to find a Moral reason to dislike it, which is dumb to be clear but I'm just voicing my subconscious here, it kind of has the vibe of like. The rough edges were all sanded down to make it have as much mass appeal/"accessible" as possible, and that energy combined with my general preference for video games that have really deep mechanics that you can really sink your teeth into is what makes this game kind of roll off of me

[system-of-a-feather]

when u wrote "We will judge you if you buy a bred parrot for any reason other than saving it" i dont really understand why its bad to buy bred parrots so can u please explain? i've had cockteils in the past and want to be informed. /gen /neu

So parrots as a whole are arguably some of the largest victims of the pet trade imo but also some of the pets with the least amount of like... publicity to let people know how bad and extensive it is. Like on a first level, there is all the poaching going on in places the parrots are native to which is HORRIBLE for 5000 reasons (just watch Rio for a general idea though), but the second layer is that there are massive breeding mills that are absolutely horrible for parrots.

This is particularly so because parrots are "highly profitable" and ones like cockatiels and budgies specifically are parrots that have a high demand and they can breed a lot, very frequently and with "little care" if you dont - ya know, care for their welfare like most breeding mills do.

So if you are getting a bird from a swap meet or somewhere where there are like 20 birds in a cage outdoors being sold by someone who doesn't have an independent shop, those birds are probably being mass bred, back to back, with little concern for inbreeding or welfare.

Like, our mom is of the mindset that "all bird pairs should get the chance to breed once" which I have some gripes with, but nothing enough to be loud about it since I know and have always overwatched how the chicks we did raise were handled and reared + personally gave extensive care and diligence to both parents + was very selective with who got to take them home; but cockatiels themselves tend to have clutches of 2-5 and can be sold in about a month or two depending on how shit your ethics are. Then they can immediately start another clutch if they wanted to right after. Repeated clutches especially with low calcium (which is common if you dont give a shit about birds like breeder mills do) which can be horrifically fatal to cockatiels and result in egg bounding which is honestly a horrible way for a hen to die and unfortunately common for those that don't keep an eye on their hens and provide regular calcium to their diet.

So if you are getting a bird that was bred by someone that has a lot of birds suspiciously and especially if they aren't socialized, you are probably getting a product from there. I've seen it personally and two of the birds we got were from those but only because they were genetically fucked up and essentially disabled and biologically morphed to the point the sellers put them under the table so that wandering potential customers didn't have to look at it. I'm pretty sure he was inbred as hell because he had a relatively rare mutation, and in those cases where there is a bird that is going to be high maintence and care need that you CAN provide, you should absolutely avoid supporting these and people who see no problem with it, I either intend to educate or they disgust me if they already know

Then there are the more professional private breeders that tend to do banding and have hyper socialized birds, which I have less of an issue with but I am judgey on this is largely because there is an extreme "housing crisis" for parrots where due to them being factually HORRIBLE pets and people not knowing that before getting them + their incredibly long live + just how high maintence they are and how easy it is to "accidentally abuse them" there are A LOT of parrots out there that need a home, that have owners that are trying to find their bird a home, and if you get a bird that is professionally and ethically bred - you are taking a bird that already technically has a decent owner already.

If you just want a "really cute and friendly very sociable bird to go out with" fair enough I guess, but its kinda part of the problem and honestly, there are SO many parrots that need a forever home that have had absolute shit luck for months, to years, to DECADES due to their life span. Getting one from a professional breeder - while good and all - is kind of communicating that you are more interested in having a pet (to which I would say, if that is the case, get a zebra finches, a canary, a pigeon, a cat, a dog, an actual domesticated pet if you want a pet) rather than having the proper understanding of what it means to own a parrot which means to own a wild animal.

Parrots should NOT be pets. Parrots should not be perceived as pets. No one should WANT a parrot as a pet. Every good parrot owner will advise you against having a parrot as a pet. Approaching parrot ownership with the mentality of it being a pet is a very dangerous thing to do and frequently what leads to a lot of "accidental abuse"

I could honestly write a doctoral thesis (who knows I literally might) on the various complexities an issues regarding parrot welfare, the parrot trade, and the crises parrots are facing but like, thats the jest of it.

The only reason owning a parrot is okay is because we have fucked up such a large portion of parrots to the point they can't live in the wild so the only option is to keep them as pets. As a result, owning a parrot should be seen as owning a wild animal and should be handled similarly.

It isn't a hill I will die on, and so as long as you aren't abusing parrots and own up to the problematic role you play when you buy from a breeder, Ill just sneer a bit and judge but its one of those things where I just give a defeated sigh cause I know not everyone can care about these guys as much as I do and as long as the bird is being cared for, I'm just happy there is >A< happy bird.

TLDR Breeder mills are way too common and horrible and if not breeder mills then basically #adopt-don't-shop

[lookbluesoup]

❤ :  What are some role-plays that you have done/are doing that you particularly enjoy and wish to share with your followers?

✈ :  What do you think is your reputation in your role-play community?

⌘ :  Where do you get some of your inspirations for plots/head canons? Offer an example, if possible. Those too.

❤ :  What are some role-plays that you have done/are doing that you particularly enjoy and wish to share with your followers?

Well frankly I'd be happy to share about any of my RPs! I'm not sure how all my other RP partners feel about sharing, though, so I don't want to surprise most of them by suddenly dropping lines in public. But you're certainly aware I'm enjoying watching Lyrha irritate Semex while he attempts to doctor her LOL Salt and I are also doing one set post-Endwalker for Mahl and Nahte where they get to just sort of have a chill day, "relaxing" in the Shroud (and by that I mean getting into non-potentially-world-ending trouble), which I'm enjoying.

✈ :  What do you think is your reputation in your role-play community?

I don't know? Cringe?? Something like cringe???

I'm honestly not sure I'm well known enough to have a reputation hahaha

⌘ :  Where do you get some of your inspirations for plots/head canons? Offer an example, if possible.

Well... everywhere. From looking at art, from watching good movies and reading good books that make me feel things, nature & survival & history documentaries/handguides, from my personal life and things I've had to face or am trying to understand better, from my studies as a psych major, aesthetic posts, prompt memes, hours long lore-binges researching a topic ad nauseum. Something catches my eye and I want to explore it, storytelling is the easiest way!

I have a LOT of books. Behold a very small excerpt of them:

Lyrha's griffin, Trimaran, had his design inspired by a color morph of the blue and gold maccaw where the yellow part washes out to white. Originally I just had made the character design because the birds looked pretty and I wanted to draw something like them, but didn't have a use for it. Then later, because I knew about the Vochsteins from running hunt trains in game, I decided he would work great as part of the same bloodline, and would be fitting as a Gyr Abanian breed to turn into my testy Red Mage's loyal(ish) steed.

Ask the Mun

[omg-snakes]

hello! sorry to bother you, but since you're a breeder and i adore your snakes, i figured you'd be a good person to ask? what exactly does the "red factor" gene do? is it literally just a gene that enhances red coloration in the snake and that's why it's so popular, or is there something else going on that i'm not noticing because i don't know what to look for?

with photos of adults, i have a super hard time telling the difference between a red factor and a diffused/bloodred, especially if it's one of the diffused snakes that still have pretty visible saddles. is there an easy way to tell them apart, or does that pretty much boil down to what level of experience you have with recognizing corn morphs?

Hey there! You're not bothering me at all. :) I love genetics and thank you for your question!

Red Factor is, as you said, literally just a gene that enhances red coloration. That's it. What makes it interesting is the method by and degree to which it enhances that color.

Most corn snake genes are simple recessive. That means you need two copies of the gene to express that visual morph, aka: phenotype. A recessive trait will only be visually expressed if it's homozygous.

Red Factor is one of a few known incomplete dominant genes, meaning that it will express to some degree in the heteroyzgous form and will be even more apparent in the homozygous form.

A good way to explain incomplete dominance is with flowers. If white flowers are the wild type, and there's an incomplete dominant Red gene, then a single copy of the Red gene in a plant would result in a pink flower, and two copies of the Red gene would result in a red flower.

There are other red-enhancing genes, too! There's also Red Coat, which does the same thing as Red Factor but it's a recessive gene instead of an incomplete dominant. There are also the recessive genes Lava, Strawberry, Sunkissed, and even Hypo that can increase red expression. Another dominant gene, Masque, can also increase red expression in already-red snakes since it tends to brighten coloration. I personally suspect that Masque is a simple dominant trait but others think it might be incomplete dominant. A simple dominant trait is going to be the same phenotype in het or hom forms. A good example of a simple dominant trait in corn snakes is Tessera.

Just as a note, there are also co-dominant genes. These are one phenotype in the heterozygous form and a different phenotype in the homozygous form! An example of a co-dominant corn snake gene is Palmetto. A het Palmetto corn snake looks like a Hypo snake, and a hom Palmetto looks like a white snake with party sprinkles. Co-dominant and incomplete dominant are similar, but distinct!

Okay, back to Red Factor. The appeal of this gene is that even one copy will enhance coloration to a noticeable degree, and a single Red Factor parent will have about 50% Red Factor babies regardless of the genes of the other parent, so it's easy to prove. A double Red Factor (or Super Red Factor) is a remarkably red snake!

Bloodred is a bit of a confusing morph name because it's actually three genes that are being expressed simultaneously: Diffused, Masque, and a red-enhancing gene (either Red Coat or Factor, I'm not sure which is the original, or even perhaps selective breeding?!).

Diffused removes belly checkers, lightens and brightens overall color expression, and reduces pattern expression up the sides of the animal

Masque affects headstamp expression and further lightens/brightens color expression

Recessive Red Coat and incomplete dominant Red Factor reduce melanin very slightly and enhance erythrin, the red pigment in corn snakes. The big difference is that one is only visible if it's homozygous, and the other is visible in the het form and increased in the hom form.

Diffused tends to come along with Masque, though it's not absolutely always the case! There are definitely instances where they're mutually exclusive.

The easiest way to tell a Red Factor from a Diffused/Bloodred is to check for tummy checkers. If you're going from a top-down photo, you can often tell by looking at the sides of the animal to see if their patterning is reduced. Some low-expression Diffused individuals will still have some side patterning, though, so it can be tricky to go just by photos.

Take a look at the two snakes above. Can you tell just by looking which is a Classic Bloodred and which is a Red Factor?

[hislittleraincloud]

I'm a Wenclair truther(why are they so gayly written for each other) but you've also turned me into a Wenovan truther (because they're kinda... perfect?) so now my days consist of:

•waking up

•eating 1294838 meals (repeat as desired)

•thinking about Wenclair/Wenovan

• switching between the two every time I go, "Oh! Wenovan/Wenclair are different in that way!"

•do it again

...Ficwife? Not ficwife. Ficwife would just DM me. So!

I'm def not a Wenclair Truther, but you are quite adorable. I don't know how one makes the jump from Wenclair to Wenovan (and back), but I'm glad someone else sees what I see. Some day soon, after 8 is published (or maybe before, who knows) I intend to make a post/video re: the Wenovan moments from the show. I think one of my favorites is when she completely disses Tyler (and her snood...sorry Wenclairs 😭) after he gave her that cappuccino and lied about the Gates Mansion, popping the Hell up the very second she sees the sheriff walking up to the counter.

That moment couldn't be any clearer. She said quite plainly, "I solved the old case you were whining about all of these years and proved you wrong about my father, come solve the current murders with me." There's no other person she willingly pro-actively interacts with on the show with the intentions of doing something 'great'.

I have this really 🔥 WIP that takes place on Donovan's birthday, July 22, 2023 (this is unedited, saved as it was written in the summer):

This will probably be placed after After the Burn/"Season 2" since I'm starting to think that AtB will only cover January 2023 to...maybe April 2023? I have to think in terms of a season's structure, and in-between the end of 8 and the beginning of AtB, I'm thinking that I might give little shorts/insights that aren't part of any chapters but are fun or informative (kind of like the deleted scenes). I have a really funny one that takes place during Halloween 2023, too...it involves Enid and tight 'sexy' costumes. Poor Donovan LOL

See, people? Sweet Anons get previews and tidbits.

After the Burn (this has always been the sequel's working title, but I'm thinking of a new title, maybe) will feature the same characters from the first season (even the dead will appear, in flashbacks). There might be some more introductory stuff, like with the Breedings (we haven't seen Samuel active in the fic yet, and my GOD he is a nasty piece of work...he might be in the opening scene, I'm not sure yet). We haven't seen the last of Laurel Gates, either. My main concern is how much I can write and keep Wenovan's story behind the main one, like in S1, or if that's even doable. As it stands: Morticia is going to have a bigger role, as will Pugsley and his support dog. Xavier's father Vincent Thorpe will also get a good chunk of my attention, since Chancellor also is present for a good lot of the story (and is, actually, key to The Story of why Wednesday even lives to breathe another day). Vincent and Chancellor have the kind of hate for each other that makes you wonder if Vincent is just suppressing his desires. But I assure you, it's hate. The Goodmen storyline will likely be the main storyline, along with more Hyde fun (among other weird 'creature' things, like giving Mishizu Herz a bigger role because she's good enough to be a Nightshade...whether she participates in their sex parties is something to think about, because boy would it be weird if she was fucking someone and her face morphed into the dude's mom or something 🤣), but MorningSong cult will also be causing a little bit of trouble (and are tied to past controversies with norminal society's rules/statutes about outcasts). There is some cool shit that'll be happening with the Nightshades (young and old), we'll learn about Morticia's past and how she got together with Gomez, we'll learn about Goody Isabel Addams (I gave her a real name) and her husband. I just have to get past 8, and within 8 I'm planting some seeds to get what I mentioned rolling.

I think about Wenovan a lot too. Since I have the show on loop, I can't escape them (LOL, I just looked up to my TV and it's the scene where she dumps the evidence she collected on his desk 🫠🥰). But, I've been seduced by Cairo and Jon from Miller's Girl. Like I mentioned in one of my reblogs w the Freeman Fanatic (💖✨), they're the softer version of Wenovan, and Cairo scares me more than Wednesday. Probably because she's more real and her mental issues haven't at all been addressed (unlike with Wednesday, who goes to a therapist...OOOOOH it would've been so funny if Buscemi was her new therapist). I want to see just how far a 'regular normie' would go to keep her man, because we know that Afterburn Wednesday would disappear anyone who tried to flirt up Donovan and do it in a memorable way.

But anyway, yes. Wenovan all day, every day. And I apologize for the long wait for 8. I'm still mentally drained from RL b.s. I have the headers for 8.1 and 8.2 still in my tired brain (I know what I want them to look like, I just need to sit my tired ass down in front of the laptop...maybe I'll do that tonight or something). I have 8 in their bits and pieces and am still writing, but the bulk of 8.2 has been around since last year (almost exactly a year ago!), when I wrote the rest of the outline. Eugene gets lines! 🤣 I think I did him justice.

Daddy needs sleep or something, bc I haven't been feeling well. I need to get back on a Night Owl schedule, since I write best at night. I probably should re-read through Afterburn just to remind myself of which seeds I've already planted and what I need to incorporate or get rid of from my WIPs. I haven't done that in a little while. I'm glad that you probably do, and thank you for the kindness. I don't get any of the sort IRL since I (necessarily, for health reasons) isolate. It's just me and the dogs. 🫠💕🔥✨

[honeymoononvenus]

OH CHEF! A NIGHT WITH KIRIN J CALLINAN

Vinnies Dive Bar was notably packed out for a Sunday night in a city where its people ordinarily have better things to do like attend  yacht parties and host Commonwealth Games. Tonight though, the good people of the Gold Coast (better known as the Cold Ghost) reserved their vigor for homegrown provocateur; Kirin J Callinan. 

In a world that is growing increasingly one dimensional, where echo chambers further trap us into its dystopian jaws - Kirin remains a constant goad for originality and resets the way we view musicians as a whole. For he is part of a very rare, peculiar and endangered breed; SHOWMEN. 

As the daughter of a musical impersonator, I've grown to be a little sycophantic for good entertainment. I long for the days reigned by  stadium tours featuring pyrotechnics, back up dancers and a million dollar budget reserved purely for eyeliner and hairspray. 

A time where artists battled with each other, as well as themselves, to perform more and more grandiose shows with each time they graced a stage. Mixing their love for the act with actual insanity - Think Ozzy Osbourne eating a bat,Eddie Vedder jumping off scaffolding into an adoring crowd, Tommy Lee’s roller coaster drum rig, TISM’s entire career… 

The sanctity of performance - in all its raw, egocentric, glorious self.

Live shows have since morphed from artists putting their whole pussy into a performance in order to dazzle and entertain the audience; to self righteous twats who make it feel like what they are doing is purely laborious, and that the audience simply existing in front of them has created a chore that they must undertake while daydreaming about being literally anywhere else but here, in front of a paying audience full of their loyal fans.

I actually don't know if we should be so quick to blame these wet-rags. Since the death of physical song sales, touring has pretty well been a musicians only hope to make enough money to feed themselves. So now we see people who 30 years ago probably wouldn't NEED to tour, being forced to by broke bandmates and hungry management. 

With all this being said; how fucking refreshing it is to see someone who actually enjoys being on a stage. 

Kirin entered the stage adorned in a toque blanche, chef jacket, infamous kilt, and black cowboy boots with mismatched ‘thrills’ socks hanging out of the top … A large silver crucifix swung from his neck as he marched toward a cheering audience, slinging a guitar around his body. If the point of performers is to say ‘hey, look at me, I have something you want to see’,  then this new uniform alone smacks that point hard into the faces of us all. You simply can't look away from the charade, afraid to miss a minute of the farce.  It was impossible not to notice how obedient and devoted the crowd was, especially when you take into account the amount of beers that were flung over the bar in the lead up to this moment. Kirin held the tongues of the entire room with the emotional ballad “In Absolutes”. 

The only noise heard from the crowd was the swishing of clothes as they swayed along with a grin across their face ( also he had said “if you know this song then dont sing along”, and as i said, obedient fuckers)

Then, in what is perhaps one of the most unique dynamics I've ever personally witnessed between a musician and his crowd, everyone began yelping out “YES CHEF”, with no real rhyme or rhythm to their cries. They yelled it when he asked a question, they yelled it when he finished a song, but they yelled it the most when he took the hat off to proclaim that there was no tiny rat underneath it controlling his every move.

He steered the night through a mix of songs from his entire discography - which spans over 10 years. Three albums and multiple EP’s comprised of self expression, social commentary and numerous covers of past power ballads. 

Genre defying in all aspects, it's hard to simply sum up a man like Kirin. Even his character skin is impossible to define. I'm not sure a definition is even something that is needed here though - since as soon as we are able to pinpoint it he will have metamorphosed into a brand new character all together anyway. There is only one word needed to classify; SHOWMAN. 

A great showman. A humble showman. An enchanting and dazzling showman. During the hour or so that he graced the sticky dive bar stage, he remained nothing but present and devoted to the craft. Even after the show, when he sat on the stage and the audience lined up to meet the man behind the chef mask. Kirin J Callinan went above and beyond to make everyone in that room feel as special as he was.

To make them feel not just like a fan,

But like a friend. 

Kudos, Chef.