#but I have a relatively docile temperament

[sellenite]

just a little question that came to me and I wanted to ask the dash:

if you were an animal, what animal do you think you would be?

this can be based on both what you would want to be and/or whatever animal you feel like fits you the best, personality/vibe-wise <3

please feel free to reblog or tag people if you feel like answering!

[whumpsday]

Kane & Jim #47: Failure

Masterlist

content: vampire whumpee, kidnapping (two of ‘em), knives, burns

i should have written this chapter ages ago but it’s finally here wheee

-

The next reunion was in two years.

Kane chewed on the inside of his cheek anxiously as he considered his options. It had been ten years since he took his first human, and five years since the last time he saw him. The escape.

He thought he couldn’t be an even bigger object of ridicule among the nobility, but he was wrong. No one else’s human had ever escaped. Maybe a human would run from the blood farms a week after being captured, before the persuasion had any time to nestle itself in their brain. But not a noble’s human after five years. It was unheard of. He was exceptional in his incompetence.

He should have taken a new human right away, but he didn’t. What if he failed? What if it happened again? Father had told him not to, that he would only embarrass the family. And he’d been right. So Kane isolated himself like he always had, steeped in bitterness and shame.

But now, the reunion was in two years. He’d barely gotten his last human trained enough to attend last time, and there was no way of telling what his next human’s temperament would be like ahead of time. If he intended to attend, he needed to act fast. And if he didn’t... it would be like this forever. He would never prove himself.

Kane got himself ready for his next trip to human territory.

He didn't try to be so sneaky this time. The capture itself had turned out easier than Kane had thought it would be the first time, it was the training that was difficult. No more cloaks. He just wore his normal button-down with a casual suit jacket and slacks, his normal outfit for going out. He did still take the car, though: trying to carry a struggling human all the way back home sounded like a pain. He could carry his human home without issue if he had persuasion, but this would have to do.

Kane drove to a different area of human territory this time, arriving a few hours after sunset. Fresh slate. Maybe the humans here would be more docile.

He drove around slowly and carefully, eyeing his selection. it was a larger selection than last time, as he’d left at sunset instead of in the middle of the night, and gone deeper into human territory, where humans were less cautious, though they were still relatively sparse.

He wasn’t going for smell, this time. The deliciousness of his last human’s blood was a good but ultimately unimportant feature. He wanted someone who looked easy to control.

Humans in groups or pairs, he avoided. He wanted a loner, someone without support, easy to break. After perusing his selection for a while, he spotted a woman walking alone, wearing headphones. One of those new portable players, Kane imagined.

She looked weak, even for a human. Perfect. Kane parked his car and followed.

He grabbed her just as he had his first human a decade ago. He clamped a hand over her mouth before she could scream, though she still tried, a muffled yelp of fear and shock escaping as he ran her back to where he’d parked.

But before he could continue his abduction, Kane felt a sharp, burning sensation piercing right between his shoulder blades, like someone had stuck him with a hot poker. He gasped, dropping the woman and reaching frantically behind him to remove it.

His would-be victim wasted no time in running away screaming for help, but it didn’t matter. He could catch up to her easily. What mattered was getting this awful whatever-it-was out of him, but he just couldn’t seem to reach. It was small, and half-buried in him, some sort of projectile. He could just barely brush his fingers against it, but when he did, they curled back at the singe.

Silver.

Kane tried to ignore the white-hot burning in his back and looked around frantically. This was what he’d been warned about, to not try to take a human lest he be killed by hunters and embarrass his family. It would be the most humiliating possible way to die, killed by his own prey.

“Fuck,” he muttered to himself. He only had enough time to think I should just get back in the car before a second shot landed in the back of his knee, sending him tumbling to the ground with an embarrassing yelp.

The horrible pain was too distracting, his reaction time slowed. He smelled the humans too late, two tackling him to the ground, his face hitting asphalt. Unbefitting someone of his status.

"Get off me, you insolent little shits!” he growled, trying to throw them off, given they weren’t at an angle where he could smash their heads in. But despite being far stronger than either human, he was already injured and disoriented. Kane shrieked as one of them sliced the back of his ankle with what had to be a silver knife, the pain of it unlike anything he’d felt before in his life.

The thought that he wouldn’t be able to run anymore slammed into him like a freight train.

He rolled, swiping with his sharp, claw-like nails, but the hunter with the knife easily dodged his clumsy attempt.

“Back off! I’ll kill you!” Kane screamed, furious. How dare these humans make a fool of him?

Two more hunters emerged, and his heart sunk as he realized he was screwed. Vampires with persuasion died like this. He stood no chance.

Kane panted hard, exhausted from the fight and unable to think of anything but his own impending death.

He was a failure. He’d failed as much as it was possible to do, on every level there was. There was no part of this he hadn’t fucked up, both tonight and throughout his 110 years of life. There would be no more second chances. He would die here, at the hands of his own prey, humiliated.

The hunter readied a stake.

Kane hissed, loud and feral, like a wild animal. I’m going to die. He struggled to get away, but he was too injured to do much.

“Wait.” One of his colleagues held up a hand, motioning for him to stop. “It didn’t use persuasion. It said that stuff, to get off it or back off, and there was no persuasion. Why?”

“How the fuck should I know?” the hunter holding the stake asked.

Kane’s fury overcame his fear of death. “How dare you? Do you have any idea who I am? I am not an it, I am Kane de Sang, seventh-born of Aldrich de Sang, and I-”

“Yeah, wait, he’s right. Why’s it wasting lip service on this when it could be making one of us let go?” one of the hunters holding him down asked.

“That’s what I’m saying. What if it can’t use it? Like uh, the one from that book?”

“Oh yeah, I remember that! You’re saying this could be another one like that?”

“Hey.” The hunter with the stake turned it around and tapped Kane’s forehead with the blunt end. “You’ve got no persuasion, do you, leech?”

Kane bared his fangs with a snarl. “I am going to tear your throat out so violently that any survivors will need to carry your corpse home in two pieces.”

“It totally can’t do it!” the hunter exclaimed. Mocking.

Kane’s struggles reached a new high, his rage incalculable. He would not die being mocked by humans. 

“This changes shit. We could bring it back. We could keep it,” one of the hunters holding him down suggested.

“You could what?” Kane asked incredulously.

The hunter with the stake smirked, placing it back on his belt and pulling out a bloody silver knife instead. “Say goodnight, parasite.”

Before Kane could voice his utter indignation, the hunter plunged the knife into his heart. His eyes flew open in a moment of absolute agony, as if the splintered shards of a thousand suns had forced their way into his chest, and then there was nothing.

-

Kane woke up.

He startled awake at the feeling of a hard floor beneath him, his chest and ankles aching. It took him a moment to remember what had happened, but when he did, his eyes flew wide.

He was in a cell. It looked concrete, with metal bars and a metal door. The hallway outside was empty, more concrete.

A slight touch to the door had Kane wincing and flicking his hand through the air. Silver.

He punched the wall, and it crumbled a bit beneath the force of him. Enough force to split a human’s skull, which was exactly what he would do to those fucking hunters when he got out of here.

A few more punches yielded similar results, but it was becoming increasingly clear that this wasn’t getting him anywhere. This cell was designed to hold a vampire. Besides, he didn’t even know what time it was. If it was daytime and he managed to break through to daylight, he’d definitely be screwed.

He was stuck. The thought settled like ice in his gut. He was stuck here, imprisoned by vampire hunters.

For the first time in his life, Kane de Sang felt true fear.

-

sorry this took a thousand years, been getting more hours at work

extra content posted between #46 and #47:

Canon drabble: Thirty-Four, have some present-arc Jim reflections

Crossover: Kane & Raiza, where whump-queen’s whumper Raiza gets Kane after his stay with the hunters, instead of Jim. if you ever wanted to see Kane in a pet whump setting, here it is.

Crossover: K&J x MMSS has continued with a new timeline! (newest timeline is 18+ only, but the first two are all-ages.)

-

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[is-the-snake-video-cute]

Are there any monitors you consider to be relatively safe to keep as a pet? Not interested in one for myself, but would love to hear your thoughts on the subject

All large monitors are absolutely unsafe and unethical pets, but I think a small handful of the smallest monitors can make safe and ethical pets in the right hands.

No monitor is ever going to be a good beginner pet, but there are a few that are small enough to ethically house in captivity and pose little danger to their human keepers. Ackie monitors, pygmy mulga monitors, emerald tree monitors, and timor monitors are examples of small monitors that can do well in captivity and make ethical pets for the right people. They're still not going to be ethical pets for most people, though, and they all require a huge amount of time, money, and space. They're smart lizards and need lots of enrichment - a bored monitor is a bitey monitor.

I think the best pet monitors are Ackies. They're awful first lizards, but they're good first monitors. They stay around 2 feet long and have pretty sweet and docile temperaments. To give you an idea of just how difficult monitor lizards are, though, I'll tell you a bit about how I take care of my own pet Ackie, Dinah. Her care isn't easy right out of the gate - she needs an extremely intense basking spot, around 160 degrees Fahrenheit, intense UVB, and also needs moderate humidity levels (which can be tough to maintain with a hotspot that high!). She needs space to dig, so I keep her substrate about two feet deep. That doesn't sound awful, but her enclosure is six feet long - lots of substrate! She also has an attached play pen with lots of toys to keep her mind busy. She eats a lot of insects, and also needs occasional raw prey as treats to keep her happy and healthy. Even though she's one of the best pet monitors and I love her to death, Dinah isn't easy to take care of. I wouldn't recommend getting any monitor unless you have a spare half of a bedroom at least you can devote entirely to that animal.

Smaller monitors can be good pets for the right people, but you still need to give them a lot of time and money, and you have to keep them entertained. Small monitors won't hurt you too badly if they do bite you, and they'll be less likely to bite, but they're still animals to handle with care and respect.

[legendaryprofessorwisteria]

Beginner Legendaries

Before I say anything else, I'll say that "beginner Legendary" is a bit misleading. A Legendary should never be your first Pokemon or owned by any beginner Trainer. However, for people new to caring for Legendaries, there are good and bad choices. So I'll review them a bit because even in my field, few talk about things like this. Honestly, the barrier to entry can be unfortunately high especially given how overwhelming it can be to even try and care for some of these Pokemon.

Good Beginner Choices

Mew. They're high-energy, will need a lot of enrichment and playtime, and may become destructive if their needs aren't met. But other than that, their care needs are startlingly easy to keep up with! They're also tiny and very friendly.

Suicune, Entei, and Raikou. Suicune is the easiest of the three, but they're similar enough that I'm grouping them together. All of them need space to roam, but their temperaments are excellent. Most times, the worst behavior problem you'll have with them is having your face licked, barking at strangers, or having them come back home from a run covered in burrs. They're also big enough to carry as many as three people as adults but not prohibitively huge for an average house.

Latias and Latios. As with the Pokemon above, they need to exercise daily. But, they're incredibly friendly and easy to work with. Their care needs are manageable, and their versatile abilities make them phenomenal partners. If you can keep up with the energy and the playfulness, which is a bit easier with Latios, they are a treat to work with. People in my lab have previously fought over who gets to work with a visiting Lati.

Shaymin. They're small and friendly with less of an exercise need than most of the Pokemon listed, particularly in their Land form. You could feasibly live in a one-bedroom flat with a window garden in the middle of a city with a Shaymin issue-free. They're also relatively common and easy to find.

Yveltal. Yes, shockingly enough. They have a terrible reputation, but they're stunningly docile, and the most severe care needs aside from their large size is a meeting with a healthy Xerneas periodically for adults to keep them topped up on life energy. They also respond very well to reinforcement training, which is a massive plus for a large and dangerous Pokemon. I am planning to apply for a license to own one once I move into a house with a yard, which will be soon! However, just due to size, they're probably the most challenging 'mon on this list.

Bad Beginner Choices

Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. They're super aggressive and territorial, making them very difficult to deal with. Even the babies are difficult to train and feisty, often snapping at their own trainers or becoming destructive.

Groudon and Kyogre. Highly dangerous, highly aggressive, highly territorial, and very challenging to get a License for. Their care needs are also really prohibitive. Just don't unless you have a LOT of experience working with large and dangerous Pokemon.

Necrozma. They're not nasty creatures by any means, and most have a pleasant disposition...but they need an energy intake that is absolutely, prohibitively high for most to keep up with, and can become desperate or violent if that need isn't met.

Literally any Ultra Beast. Aggressive to the maximum, with strange and particular care needs that can put them or you in danger if not met. Prone to hurting people by accident, and also ridiculously difficult to find.

[homeofhousechickens]

What are the best breeds for someone who's never kept chickens before in your opinion? I want to eventually keep backyard chickens (not anytime soon, I don't even have a backyard atm) but there seem to be so many options and I wouldn't really know where to start? I'd want them to be healthy and relatively friendly and of course lay eggs, but like... A reasonable amount of eggs, I can't eat 5 dozen eggs a day like Gaston xD I live in germany, if that matters for like climate and such

Sorry if you've answered this before but tumblrs search engine is sadly the worst

Since you live in Germany I will give you quick heritage German breed suggestions along with the standard beginner poultry breeds. I will give you some base knowledge but its important to do your own research especially as a German you can learn more about German chicken breeds more then i can :) The Bielefelder is from Germany is very beloved by its keepers! The Bielefelder is a dual-purpose bird produced for both their meat and eggs. These hens produce average 230 large eggs a year. This is a large breed weighing around 10 pounds but they are known to be docile and very easy to raise

Next up is the German Langshan with its uh "unique" look The German Langshan is a dual purpose breed usually used for meat or show but they lay a decent amount of eggs as well. These birds have exceptional height and can get pretty tall and big! They are hardy, fast growing, and easy to raise

Lakenvelder my beloved... The Lakenvelder is an endangered non broody egg laying breed. Unlike most egg laying breeds they are easily out performed by other egg layers which makes them suited for backyard flocks who dont want to be swamped with eggs They are confident robust birds but can be a bit hand shy. Its important to note that this breed is very very old and does originate from Germany and the general area

Buff Orpingtons are well known for being a friendly and docile breed they are a dual purpose broody breed that lays a decent amount eggs but not crazy amounts. Hatchery birds or birds from a breeder tend to be good backyard birds either way just be careful of reproductive issues

Plymouth Rocks also make good first time birds a versatile breed, ideal for eggs, meat, good temperament,or just their nice plumage. They are pretty hardy!

hope this gives you some ideas!

[unbloomingmoonflower]

So I did this on Twitter, but Imma copy and paste the answers I did with more depth b/c Twitter has shitty character limits. 

Under the cut, because this is a lot of Shuri lore.

1.  Shuri’s birth name is actually Saran Orl. She doesn’t know this to this day since her birth parents were killed when she was born. A midwife managed to save the infant Saran/Shuri by taking her to the Angura, where she was given the name Shuri Angura when she was adopted by Agathe and Declan Angura. She took the title name "Fontaye" after a year or so in Eorzea (an idea to have Fontaye be a title for Shuri thrown at me from @earthlystar).

2. Shuri is an Auri Xaela. Her main class/job is Dancer, as she was trained by Nashmeira in her late teens to not only dance, but to wield the weapons a dancer does. 

3. The most striking features is Shuri’s scales. As they are not the usual scales one would find on a Xaela, the superstitious few would consider her cursed. She grew to be proud of her scales, finding beauty in them even she herself hated how different she looked.

4. She has been alive for 28 winters. Her birthday is January 7th. 

5. Shuri is a gentle and docile woman, a far different temperament that one would normally not expect out of a Xaela. However, don’t think her gentle-hearted nature is her only side. If she is crossed the wrong way or if anyone she loves is harmed or insulted, Shuri will display the bloodthirsty side of her. When she is crossed, she is merciless.

6. The Xaela tends to wear comfortable clothing when she isn’t busy working or saving the realm for the 100th time. You’ll find her in either comfy dresses or the Ala Mhigan gown since she finds armors quite suffocating. She’d don her more seductive clothing when she works at the clubs.

7. Tragic. Shuri’s birth parents were killed when she was born and as such, she has no memory of them. Her foster parents were also killed by Garleans in her early teens, with the young Shuri barely escaping with her life. In her traumatic state, she managed to go as far as Kugane to take stow away on a ship bound for Eorzea. 

8. Her goal is a simple one, yet sometimes it seems unattainable: a peaceful life. Enduring the traumas she has, the turmoil she’s felt, Shuri longs for a quiet, peaceful life. She doesn’t like to fight so needlessly. 

9. In her non-WoL verse, Shuri works as a dancer at a club called Sirensong. She makes quite a sum of gil that she is putting into savings to get a home with her fiancee. In both WoL and non-WoL verses, Shuri also does commissions for the weaver’s guild anonymously. She gets a fair amount of gil in that respect too and she enjoys doing it. 

10. Anything sweet. Shuri’s developed a sweet tooth outside of favoring her traditional dishes. 

11. Ending up alone again. Shuri’s already lost her family once. She is deathly terrified to lose more people she’d grown to care about. To her, losing them is equivalent to losing a piece of herself and she doesn’t ever want her found family to be harmed or lost. 

12. See number 9. 

13. DPS, as a Dancer. Shuri does not like to tank head-on and she feels her healing skills are inadequate as a White Mage. As a Dancer, she feels free to move as she sees fit and striking with precision and grace. 

14. Shuri believes she doesn’t have any talents. 

15. Shuri is not an Eorzean native. She fled there after Garleans massacred her tribe. She was born and raised into her early teens in the Azim Steppe and she will always say as such even while living in Eorzea. She does visit her homeland often with the eventual intent to settle there. 

16. Both sets of parents are deceased. Shuri has a memorial altar both in her home and one she built herself in the glacial mountains where the Angura thrived. 

17. Via the headcanon with @peachteaoni, Shuri has a twin sister that still resides in the Steppe named Ami. She found out about Ami when she went to the Steppe to take part in the nadaam and encountered a Xaela who is identical to her. Ami was raised by another tribe, as she and Shuri were separated at birth. 

18. Her only other known, living relative is Sidurgu, her cousin on her father’s side. 

19. Shuri is a hopeless romantic, but tends to shy away from love when it is professed to her (unless she’s the one who made the confession out of brief instances of boldness). To her, love is the most beautiful, frightening thing that someone could ever experience in their life and she also believes that love is not the same with each person she encounters.

20. Sex can be a beautiful thing to unite two souls made for each other; but it can also be used as a weapon. Shuri is aware of this and prefers sex being an instance where she and her partner’s souls connect in the most intimate ways through the act. 

21. It’s a necessary evil. Shuri knows this well. Compared to trades in the Steppe, Eorzea runs on gil and Shuri knows the struggle of not having any. 

22. Shuri is a devout, firm believer of Azim and Nhaama, with Nhaama being her patron deity. She does not believe in the Twelve, though she respects that her partners (in both verses) do. 

23. Her enemies are Garleans. That is something that is hard to sway for Shuri and if she encounters someone she’s grown friendly or fond of, only to find that they are of Garlean descent (defectors or otherwise), it confuses her feelings. She still has unbridled hate for those still aligned with Garlemald, however. 

24. Aside from her friends, Nashmeira is a role model for Shuri. The woman taught Shuri everything she needed to know to be a dancer, taking on an almost mother-figure role for the young Xaela. Shuri reveres Nashmeira and often speaks highly of her. 

25. Shuri has many fond memories with those she’s met in her life. She can never choose one over the other. 

26. Shuri is extremely insecure and very easily discouraged. It is a flaw she is trying to overcome, though sometimes she falters and it takes some time to help her regain her confidence. 

27. See 22. 

28. Having been called a savage by Garleans and even some Ishgardians, Shuri understands the plight of the Beast Tribes being painted with the broad brush when some fringes sought the power of the Primals, or succumbed to the Primals for other, heartbreaking reasons. She sympathizes with the Beast Tribes and assists them whenever she can. She also tends to question any ally who sees all members of the Beast Tribes as savage monsters without truly understanding their plight and only what things are said. 

29. Her greatest regret is misplaced. She feels that if she had been stronger, she’d have been able to save her foster family and other members of her tribe instead of fleeing. She carries the weight of that regret in her heart that not even those closest to her are aware of it. 

30. She’s terrified of Diremites.

[thetarantulacollective]

Scientific Name: Grammostola pulchripes

Common Name: Chaco Golden Knee Tarantula

Type: Terrestrial

Category: New World

Endemic Location: Paraguay, Argentina

Diagonal Leg Span (DLS): 8”(20cm)

Urticating Hairs: Yes Type III

Growth Rate: Medium

Life Expectancy: Females 15 years / Males 5 years

Recommended Experience Level: Beginner

Grammostola pulchripes, also known in the hobby as the Chaco Golden, is a New World Terrestrial tarantula that is endemic to the sub-tropical nation of Paraguay. This T can grow to an adult size of around 7-9” with males living about 6 or 7 years while females can live 20-25 years. This species has a medium growth rate and while it isn't the slowest grower, if you get your golden knee as a small sling, it may be years before you see the true adult coloration. Being a new world tarantula, this T does not have medically significant venom but does possess urticating hairs.

This species has a reputation of being very docile and rarely kicking hairs but bare in mind temperament can differ between specimens and even between molts of the same specimen. This tarantula is an opportunistic burrower, but the older they get, the less they seem to burrower and the more they tend to just move substrate around their enclosure. 

This is an amazing tarantula to observe with their bright gold accents and beautiful appearance. They are usually out of display and not very skittish. It is fascinating to watch them diligently moving dirt around constantly rearranging their environment and filling their water dish up with dirt. This is a hardy and thick tarantula and very easy to care for. They make for wonderful beginner species and are relatively inexpensive and widely available. Be wary of buying this species from your local chain pet stores like Petco as they tend to sell a lot of adult males and charge nearly $100 for a T you could pick up from an online dealer, like Fear Not Tarantulas, for less than half that price. I do not normally handle any of my T’s, but this T is on a very short list of Ts i would consider handling when showing off my collection to my friends. Overall, this species is a staple in the hobby because it is an amazing tarantula in many ways. It is easy to care for, docile, and a must have for any collection!

[omg-snakes]

Hey! I just found your blog, and I was hoping you could help me out? I've never owned a snake, and I'm really interested in getting one. I read black rat snakes are a good place to start, but I was hoping for an opinion from someone who actually owns snakes. Not just the breeders thoughts and articles of "easy snakes" are a little iffy. Look forward to any and all advice on the matter. Thank you!

Hi there!

I do keep black rat snakes and while they’re fairly bombproof in terms of care they get fairly large, have a habit of musking for no apparent reason, and can be a bit on the “eat now and ask questions later” side of things. If you want a very large colubrid that wipes burning-plastic-popcorn-scented goo on you from their butt and sometimes tries to eat you, then yes, a black rat snake might be the snake for you!

Non-corn North American rat snakes in general will need a lot more space than a corn snake, more climbing opportunities, more enrichment, more time spent cleaning poo from of places you didn’t think a snake could get poo, more security as they’re VERY smart and quickly learn escape routes, and they don’t appreciate handling as much as their more docile captive-bred corn snake cousins. While they certainly can be a sweet pet and/or a gorgeous display animal and they will show off given the proper enclosure, you can’t always predict their temperament. I’ve had four captive bred and two wild caught black rat snakes, and the wild-caught were the most handleable. I currently have three captive-bred 2-year-old siblings and one is very sweet, one is somewhat shy, and one will devour anything that moves, looks like it might move soon, or may have moved at any point in the relative past. They’re just like that.

If you want the easiest beginner snake, corn snakes are a bit smaller, less likely to musk and less stinky when they do, come in a wide variety of color morphs, and though they will certainly use every inch of space you give them they don’t require huge enclosures as adults. There are anecdotal reports of black rat snakes hitting 7 feet long, but a corn snake will usually top out at 5.

I don’t want to scare you off from rat snakes, but if you’re new to keeping reptiles they can be a challenge and not everybody wants that big commitment right out of the gate. Your snake will be around for a long time with proper care and upkeep, so think about your future and how your snake will fit into your life. Weigh the pros and cons and decide what snake is going to be the best fit for you now, in five years, and in fifteen years! If you’ve really got your heart set on a black rat snake after all of this and you’ve got the space and resources, then go for it!

I’m sure that you’ll make the best choice for you and I wish you the very best as you explore options!

[serenzippity]

Ok I was kind of thinking of like a witchy theme for this one. Anyways. I was thinking that jinyoung and the main character would be married and have twins I'm thinking fraternal twins one would be a boy the other would be a girl. And the main character would be a witch so her and jinyoung would be getting ready for their babies dark baptism preformed at her coven by the high priest.

Here you go, sweetie. Sorry for the wait!

Warning: Fluffy

The front door opened and closed, followed by a low groan and the rustle of shopping bags. “Babe, I’m home!” Jinyoung called out, balancing three heavy bags in his arms as he shuffled to deposit them in the kitchen. 

“Hey sweetie,” you cooed, placing a sweet kiss on his cheek when the bags were safely out of his hold. Rubbing your hands up and down his toned arms, you tried to alleviate his discomfort despite the relatively annoyed look on his face as he began to empty the thick, brown sacks. 

“So I think I got everything. Here’s the salt,” he said handing you the bottle of pure white salt, “and two feathers— one from a hawk and the other from a white done. What are they for anyway?” He looked at both feathers as if they were strange, alien objects. His complete obliviousness brought a bright smile to your face. 

Winding an arm around his waist, you cuddled into his side as you appraised the goodies on the counter. “It’s meant to represent air. One for our son and the other for our little girl. And these,” you said pointing to the heavy carton of coal, “are meant to represent fire. We will light them up during the ceremony.”

“That one makes sense, but why did I have to go all the way to the Han to get two bottles of water?” He glared at the two aforementioned bottles, looking at them like they are the source of all his misfortune. 

You giggled, hugging him closer and looking up at his handsome yet irritated face. “It represents water. It’s the final of the four elements.” You placed a chaste kiss on his neck, trying to ease the tension in his body that you could feel in strong vibrations. It was only natural that at this point you were completely in tune with his emotions. 

“This whole thing is confusing,” he mumbled, finally looking at you and taking you into his arms. He held you close, slowly exuding the tension and releasing it into the energy around both of you. You said a silent spell, allowing your excitement and love to overpower the negative emotions swirling in and around him. It was like a blanket of calm was draped over you two, and he couldn’t help but give you a soft smile. 

You could feel the muscles in his back ease and it gave you a sense of relief to know that he was slowly melting into you. He could feel the delicate pull of your powers and he accepted it willingly. “I hate it when you know me better than I do,” he said with a smirk, leaning down to capture your lips in a breathtaking kiss. You reciprocated easily, slowly heating up as his hands held you tighter. Chest to chest, you felt every inch of him and yearned to feel more. 

As if he could read your mind, he lifted you by the waist and set you on the countertop. Ignoring the ingredients that surrounded you two. Your mouths battled against one another as they danced to a familiar tempo that moved to the beat of your matching hearts. Despite the clear ‘religious’ differences between you two, there was a distinct pull that held you both together. Like two pieces of the same puzzle, Jinyoung and you were a match that was blessed by both of the deities that were worshiped in your house. 

It would have gone further had a sharp cry not cut through the air. You leaned back from him as your natural instincts to protect and nurture began to smother the fire of lust in you. You gave him one last peck before shimmying off the counter and making your way to the nursery, leaving behind a freshly sore and tense husband.

You called upon the strength of your coven when you saw your son was engaging in one of his typical screaming fits. Unlike his docile twin sister, your son was every bit Jinyoung in looks but completely you in personality. He was fiery and loud, often commanding the attention of others and reeling when he doesn’t get his way. Despite being only a year old, he was a perfect little handful. 

“Shhhhhh,” you cooed, taking him into your arms and gently rocking him. Feeling your empathetic nature, he slowly began to calm. A smile soon came over his chubby cheeks and you felt a swell at the uncanny resemblance to your husband. 

“He’s definitely your son,” Jinyoung said from the threshold, gazing at you two with pure love in his eyes. 

“He’s just feeling the excitement for tonight,” you said with a smile, lightly tracing a finger over the soft skin of his face. “I think he’s going to grow up to be an empath like me.”

“How do you know?” he asked, coming over to the matching crib and gently picking up his daughter. She looked like you, but her temperament was purely Jinyoung. You couldn’t help but feel all different kinds of excitement course through you as he held her. It was finally your family’s time to step into the spotlight of the coven, and you couldn’t imagine a more perfect partner to take the journey with you.

“When they turn 13 we will have another ceremony. Then their powers will manifest should they choose to show them.”

“Another ceremony? How many times am I going to have to lug around 30-pound bags?” He whined, pouting like a child at the idea of more rituals. You giggled at him as you continued to rock your son in your arms. A witty retort was on the tip of your tongue, but a sequence of sharp knocks interrupted you. 

“They are here!” you squealed, placing a gentle kiss on your sons head as you practically bounced out of the room. 

Jinyoung followed behind you diligently, eying the door wearily as if some nefarious monster was lurking behind it. “Just promise me that this time they won’t try to turn me into a cat,” he whispered, practically shielding himself behind you as you approached the door. 

“I promise.”

[lusitanostud]

Comparison of PSL and IALHA/USEF Breed standards for the Lusitano Horse

Comparison of PSL and IALHA/USEF Breed standards for the Lusitano Horse

The APSL has a breed standard for the PSL that is defined in the studbook.  IALHA and USEF have a breed standard for Purebred and Half-Andalusian horses.  The USEF and IALHA consider Lusitanos as a subsection of the “Anadalusian” horse.  This breed standard can be found in the USEF IALHA division on the web.

For IALHA - USEF Andalusian/Lusitano division classes, this is the standard used.  These classes then determine downstream awards, such as USEF Andalusian of the year and breeder of the year.

Because in IALHA/USEF licensed classes,  Lusitanos are judged by a different standard than the one found in the APSL rulebook, they usually do not do well in these classes.

Having viewed years of IALHA/USEF shows results, there is a clear conclusion that Lusitanos do not excel in IALHA/USEF classes.  But it is thing to write that Lusitanos don’t do as well, but as a scientist I need to see why.  So, I broke down the components of each breed standard to see if there are significant differences in the breed standards. As the breed standards are not written in the same format, I used the PSL Breed standard (left column), then pasted in the matching parts from the USEF Andalusian standard in the middle column.  Finally,  I make a very basic assessment on the obvious differences.  I did not try to parse terms that did not use similar phrasing.  I did not overstate and for the most part, let the language of the breed standards speak for themselves. My analysis is that  there are significant differences in the breed standards, as outlined below.  Some of the more important differences are:

·      ( PSL) Ardent (passionate) temperament  versus (And) serviceable, docile.

·      ( PSL) Forward thrusting versus (And) moving forward movement.

·      ( PSL) no winging allowed (by omission) versus (And) excessive winging penalized (by omission winging allowed)

·      ( PSL) highly courageous and enthusiastic temperament versus (And) temperate and hardy, serviceable and energetic, noble and docile (see 4)

·      ( PSL) Profile: subconvex versus (And) straight or subconvex

·      ( PSL) Eye: elliptical (egg shaped), Versus (And) triangular with a permanently raised eyebrow.

·      ( PSL) Eye: huge versus (And) penalized for orbital arches protruding

·      ( PSL) Ears: Average length, narrow versus (And) ears  attached slightly lower on the side of the head but must stand up straight without a curl to the inside or falling to the outside. The size must be in proportion to the head.

·      ( PSL) No comment  about “ultra” convex nasal profiles versus (And) Penalized for the “ultra” convex nasal profiles.

·      ( PSL) with a narrow junction to the head versus (And) nor a thick throat

·      ( PSL) Withers always slightly more raised than the croup versus (And)  height to croup not defined

·      ( PSL) Long and deep versus (And) well sprung and oval rib cage

·      ( PSL) Slightly convex, well connected to the back and croup with which they form a continuous and perfectly harmonious line versus (And) not defined.

·      ( PSL) relatively slight point of the hip providing the croup with an elliptical transversal section versus (And) nicely rounded with a low set.

·      ( PSL) Relatively long and oblique pasterns versus (And) The pasterns should be of medium slope and length

·      ( PSL) Dry shin bones versus (And) Cannon bones are substantial

·      ( PSL) The angle of the latter members are relatively closed versus (And) angle not defined

Why is this important? In the USA, USEF and IALHA are ways to validate a breeding program.  If the Lusitano does poorly in their classes, the awards and medals programs – our Lusitanos compare poorly in these competitions.  These programs are rigged to promote the Spanish horse.  A Lusitano that did do well in such classes, is not a good representative of the breed. A breeder who did not know better, might try to breed to the American Andalusian standard and that would detrimental to the breed in the USA. Furthermore, the naïve buyer is looking to IALHA and USEF to advise them on making a sound investment.  They will use this breed standard as a guideline in horse buying.  Buyer beware is obvious but it is also obvious, that this will create a situation where people buy a horse based on a standard that does not fit the breed.  This is not fair to first time buyers.

[warmau]

Will you be continuing the seventeen mermaid series? If you are, please do wonwoo next!

find others: woozi | dino | hoshi | junhuitw: snakes

a very, very rare kind of mermaid 

unlike most mermaids who derive coloration and fins from fish or shark species they’re related to, wonwoo’s tail is scaled - a faint yellow with black rings 

he doesn’t have a fin, instead his tail is similar to that of sea snake’s long lower body

he also has fangs, longer and sharper than even mermaids that resemble sharks

they’re also like,,,,,,,,,,venomous LOL

but he isn’t mean in the least, like most sea snakes his temperament is docile and rather quiet

he looks more intimidating than he really is,,,,,,the only mermaid who has managed to get wonwoo to open up is energetic mingyu 

he also doesn’t have gills, so he has to stay relatively close to surface waters in order to get air

“don’t get too close though, you know the pirates would kill for your tail”

mingyu always warns and wonwoo says obviously he knows that,,,,,,but he’s also never seen a pirate in his life - let alone a normal human

the sound of boats scares him so deep underwater, that he doesn’t risk even getting near the noise

but it is true - pirates love catching mermaids and there are horror stories of what’s done for their pretty scales

a sea snake mermaid? that’s like a double jackpot - it must be!

you’re,,,,,,,actually very determined to capture a sea snake mermaid - not even for the tail, just to see if they’re real because no matter how many pirates you’ve met they all claim to have encountered a mermaid one way or another

but,,,,,,you haven’t 

and that’s just not going to fly - not even if you’re super young for the pirating game anyway, like you have your own ship and you’re an expert navigator

and also,,,,,,,,,,you just want to see if mermaids exist

“so you’re telling me,,,,,,you just want to see one? not even take their scales and sell them? imagine the millions you’d get!”

vernon, your right-hand, asks as you two play cards on the upper deck of your boat

you scrunch up your nose, “im a pirate - im not a murderer.”

“mermaids are technically half fish-”

you slap your ace down on the table and shake your head, “and half human. pirates don’t kill unless threatened.”

you get your feet off the table and stand, stretching and taking in the sea breeze

nearing the edge of the boat, you peer over into the clear water and let the rocking of the boat carry your mind off into another place

you’re not on a journey to say the least - you’re kind of just coasting it with your crew, trading what jewels or foreign goods you can at the ports you pass

the water is so clear, you can see below into it and there are schools of small fish - the occasional large outcast and corals on corals on corals

that’s when you spot it ,,,,,,,, the banded tail

and your eyes zero in - if not a sea snake mermaid, it’s still a sea snake

and it’s a BIG one

you snap your fingers, one of the deck hands looks at you and you point to the water and go “net, now”

thankfully, the snake doesn’t seem to be in much of a rush - usually they swim quite fast even at a ‘leisurely’ pace - but this one might be,,,,,,,you’re not even sure

but you’re elated when the net drops and there’s a positive on something large caught in it

it takes you, plus three other deck hands to haul it out of the water and - oh my god it’s a person

no no no it’s a mermaid

NO ,,,,,,,, “A SEA SNAKE MERMAID!! VERNON GET OVER HERE”

the person inside, with wet black hairs splayed across his forehead, wriggles around in the net - he opens his mouth and when you bend closer you see his fangs

“he might be venomous - back away!” you signal to your crew, and vernon whose face is perched over your shoulder

you’ve got gloves in your back pocket, so you’re not too scared of feeling those fangs - plus you’ve always been adventurous and nothing scares you

not more than it fascinates you,,,,,,like this mermaid does right now

“hey - hey, im going to get you out of the net ok?”

you talk and the boy bares his fangs again, but doesn’t coil back to strike

“what’s your name?” you ask, working carefully on the netting and keeping your eyes on his face - on his fangs

he’s silent, and you think maybe all the eyes are scaring him

you shoo everyone away, even vernon who stats mumbling about the price of scales and whatnot

“don’t listen to him, i dont want your tail.”

you assure and when you get all the netting off, the boy is still helpless, but his long tail is beautiful to look at it

you don’t risk running your hand down it though, wanting at least to get a name out of him before you do that

“wonwoo”

he suddenly breathes and you smile, delighted “wonwoo, how pretty!”

the boy’s eyes, dark and deep widen at you “pretty?”

“mhmm, ive never heard that name before.”

you squat down beside him and then look over his tail again “all of you is very pretty wonwoo.”

this makes his chest rise a little, almost as if he wants to bring his tail up and coil into a small ball

is this,,,,,mermaid shyness?

“well, it was nice meeting you wonwoo. nice to see a mermaid with my own two eyes!” you celebrate, and then look over your shoulder

“vernon’s going to kill me for this, but like i said. im no murderer.”

as promised, you release him back into the water 

and you expect that he’ll swim away, happy to be within his habitat, but his head pokes out of the water once more to look up at you

you smile, leaning yourself against the boat, wonwoo is pretty - you weren’t lying

with striking features and a strong set jaw,,,,,actually pretty isn’t even the word - he’s handsome

“go-goodbye”

he says, like he’s waiting for something more

“goodbye,,,,,,or wait - do mermaids seal goodbyes with kisses?” you giggle and press a kiss to your palm, blowing it at wonwoo

who seems to not understand, but gets all coy nonetheless

he dips back down into the water and you watch him disappear 

vernon returns to the deck, ready to tell you the money you could make but it’s too late and you have to do your best to calm him down with some pats on the back

“i couldn’t hurt anyone vernon you know that!”

“you’re hurting our coin purse though,,,”

he grumbles and shrugs off your hand, but you’re content - the sea has many treasures to offer but a treasure like wonwoo shouldn’t be disturbed

wonwoo returns to his home, mingyu swimming happily along his side after peeking out from the corals

“were you at the surface? see any scary pirates?”

he jokes and wonwoo sees your smiling face flash in his mind, your voice ,,,,,,,, “pretty”

“i,,,,,,,,,no” he falters - avoiding mingyu’s gaze and swimming faster past his friend

maybe all pirates are supposed to be scary,,,,,,,but he’s not sure he’d call you that no he think he’d call you,,,,,,,,

“pretty” too 

[shibainuinfo]

The Ultimate Guide To Owning a Shiba Inu

A Sassy Pooch! Temperament of the Shiba Inu

Do you own a Shiba Inu? Are you interested in adopting a Shiba? Then this article is just for you!

Perhaps one of the most adorable little dog breeds, the Shiba Inu has captured the heart of many pet owners who deeply desire that teddy bear dog face. The Shiba Inu shares his ancestors with the ancient Spitz dogs of Japan. As such these dogs are often classed under the Spitz family. Their most distinctive feature is their fox face and sassy, independent personality.

An Ancient Breed: History of the Shiba Inu

The original Shiba Inu’s were an ancient dog breed that was believed to have originated in Japan during 7000 BC. Often referred to as a versatile dog breed, the Shiba Inu served many purposes in ancient Japan. Despite his short stature, the Shiba Inu was a strong-willed, powerful dog that was able to travel great distances and rough land. Because of his determination, his main purpose at the time was to hunt and flush small game animals and birds. However, the Shiba Inu occasionally did hunt wild boar for their masters.

A Little Teddy Bear: The Appearance and Temperament of the Shiba Inu

At first glance, the Shiba Inu appears to have a kind natured, playful personality. The eyes of the Shiba Inu are almost triangular in shape and may be slightly slanted downwards. Their ears tend to be high set and triangular in shape. His body is relatively compact, muscular and strong-boned.

Shiba Inus are proportionately small in size. On average males stand 14.5 to 16.5 inches in height while females may stand 13.5 to 15.5 inches in height. These dogs are double coated making them perfect for cold winters.

In general, the Shiba Inus outer coat tends to remain straight and slightly stiff, while his undercoat tends to be soft and dense. Coat color ranges from black & tan, cream, red, sesame red with white markings.

The Shiba Inu is a prized breed of Japan, as such the Japanese say the Shiba Inus personality can be best described using three words, “Kan-i, Ryosei & Soboku”.

In the Japanese language Kan-i means bravery, this is partly because despite his short size the Shiba Inu is a brave dog with a bold, dominating personality.

The people of Japan believe that Kan-i cannot exist without Ryosei. Ryosei is a Japanese term that describes the Shiba Inus docile nature. Shiba Inus were designed to hunt and flush animals, they have a high prey drive and are natural alpha dogs. So, they can be a little rough and tough when it comes to playtime with other pets. However, when with his owner Shiba Inus are devoted loyal companies who love to snuggle up in their owner’s laps.

Lastly, the Shiba Inu was often described as “Soboku”, which translates to artlessness. When we put all three words together, the true nature and personality of the Shiba Inu shine. An open-spirited dog, independent in nature who shows loyalty and love to only his owners.

[ganymedesclock]

An add on to my other ask because I’m suddenly in a Lance™ mood: specifically, Lance is characterized a lot by fandom as super self-sacrificing, and I’m wondering what your two cents are on that?

Well, since my first part of the reply (didn’t know you were sending more) was mostly about how to help anchor character reads in canon, I feel more comfortable talking more about my own read here.

So you have to consider Voltron in general has a thing of… character balancing, just like a fighting game. All of the pilots are set up in a certain way, with strengths and weaknesses. So they have an “ideal” style, strategy, mentality, that their skills are built to accommodate.

For example Hunk literally flings himself in the line of fire to protect his allies all the time, but nobody thinks of him as self-sacrificial, because thanks to the way the Yellow Lion is built, Hunk’s almost never even close to in danger from it. His willingness to provoke weblums, slam into fighters, put himself between the Ark of Taujeer and a scalding acid pit, etc. makes sense because he’s driving the most heavy-armored Lion of Voltron. He’s able to take that punishment, no problem, and that’s why he allocates it onto himself and away from his allies.

Lance is similar, and one of the greatest contentions I have with a lot of Lance fanon is it feels like they don’t look at what are his real strengths. Because a huge amount of fanwork, in particular a huge amount of langst, depicts him basically like a fish drowning.

The Blue and Yellow Lions are Voltron’s legs. Literally. They’re larger than Red and Green, and have a more docile temperament. Again, they’re very literally the stabilizing and supporting cores of the team. Red and Green are both unstabilized- Red by passion, and Green by an insatiable, ravening curiosity and desire for personal growth- she’s the embodiment of change and new thinking so she’s never quite content living the same way all the time. Green is the only Lion who didn’t just awaken a power her paladin didn’t have before, but obtained, and gave to Voltron, a power that hadn’t existed before- Pidge gifted Green the ability to cloak.

But there’s a reason both Red and Green are lighter-armored, smaller, and more vulnerable. That’s the price they pay for their changeable, volatile natures. It’s reflected in their elements- fire blazes up, gutters, dies, and is rekindled. It’s not stationary and it’s not a constant. Trees grow, die, decay, crumble, sprout again. Neither forest nor flame is the same minute to minute, hour to hour, day to day.

Compared to that, land and sea have an inherent nature that lives by geological time. Parts of them can change, rage, storm, but the overwhelming nature of it remains the same. The seafloor doesn’t suddenly breach to sunlight.

I mentioned with Hunk- Hunk is the physical, practical defender of the team in a lot of regards. He is often the most wary of strangers, and from the start, he’s the one who airs the question of “Okay, but… do we know for sure we have to fight these people? We might be able to appease them. What are the consequences of that?” and when the consequences mean it’s not worth it, he drops the subject.

Lance isn’t as much of a protector- but it’s been mentioned in official interviews that Blue’s character is the nurturer, the healer, a kind of mother figure out of the Lions. Blue is loving, compassionate, empathetic, and an emotional healer.

And that’s the regard where we see that Lance takes up other characters’ burdens, because he’s best suited to handle them. This is Lance’s area of expertise.

Because Lance talks about his feelings, earnestly. And he does so in a manner that is very effective. He will air his own negative self-talk, but also challenge it in the same sentence.

So I think the problem here is people over-focus on the negative things Lance says and not how much he challenges them. They focus on “Seventh wheel” and not the annoyed way he says Laika doesn’t have to agree with him that quickly, and, “They wouldn’t keep me around if I didn’t contribute something,” or the fact that Lance’s ultimate word in that episode is confidence. Nobody prompted him to make that shot or made him believe he could- he said, with certainty, to Shiro and Pidge, people he worried might not value him, that he could make that shot, and did, and when Shiro commended him on it, Lance’s response was smug. It wasn’t shocked or awed.

Lance knew his good quality, he highlighted it, he was hurt when Pidge didn’t seem to have noticed it about him, and talked about that with Laika, and his ultimate conclusion is “No, I am good at this, I am important, and I can have confidence in my skills.”

Which, frankly, Lance talking shop about his feelings is impressive. It’s something I find very relatable about Lance because I’m someone who tends to try and dismantle my thinking aggressively a lot. If I feel something I want to figure out why I feel that. This level of pedantic dismantling of a cartoon show? I do this with my life. Hell, that’s the whole reason I’m here, is because I got invested in surgically dissecting why and how stories make me feel things.

And that, I feel like, is what Lance is doing, not wallowing in his feelings. Rather, as someone who swims freely in the realm of emotions, these things aren’t unknown to him, they aren’t unstoppable- he doesn’t leave them where they can fester and hurt himself and others. He roots out his own destructive thinking and questions, challenges it. If he’s feeling bad and someone around him even seems to be listening- as the case of Laika who probably didn’t actually understand most of what he was saying- he’ll talk about it.

This is the sign of someone who’s not just emotionally healthy but prodigiously so.

So this all comes down to: Lance is good at emotions. He’s good at his own emotions, and he’s good at other people’s emotions. It’s rare that we ever see him actually get manipulative, but, we’ve gotten a few glimpses that if he was a little less discerning and a little less empathetic, Lance could be as much of an interpersonal mastermind as Lotor is:

S1e1, Lance, having identified Pidge is sorely emotional about Kerberos, casually brings it up in an unrelated conversation purely to observe her reaction. He then, valuing sincerity, drops his uninterested facade and explains why he’s poking her, but he easily could’ve left it up and feigned that it was a coincidence.

Earlier in that same episode, he baits Iverson into chewing him out to distract him from Pidge, something that goes off without a hitch since neither Iverson nor Pidge actually seem to realize he did that.

S4e4 tells us that Lance is the only person out of the team who can act. And he acts well. I went on a big ramble about this but the point of all of Worm Coran’s assigned roles is they’re totally incongruous with who the paladins really are. But Lance not only takes this contradictory identity and runs with it, it’s one that he picked up on his own. So Lance can, without a hitch, pretend to be someone who he fundamentally isn’t. He’s a performer, he’s an actor, and he knows how to make a crowd love him by showing them what they want to see.

Again- these are exactly the type, and level, of skills that Lotor plies to devastating effect in s3e1 and pretty much the only difference between them is Lance cares enough about being sincere to people that he’ll show his hand.

We have seen Lance be more directly “sacrificial”, in terms of his action in s1e4, but looking at that scene…

Lance realizes something is amiss, again, because of emotions. Rover doesn’t respond to him properly, and isn’t following Pidge the way it normally does. It’s acting contrary to its personality- and Lance, in a span of five seconds, with one question, plays ‘spot the impostor’ with a faceless robot he’s known for like two days and hasn’t spent much time with. I’ve cited this before but it tells us quite how good Lance is at reading people emotionally.

And what happened before that?

Coran is one of the first relative strangers we see Lance really open up to, and they have a warm, sentimental moment about homesickness. This is a pretty big deal considering Coran, from his perspective very recently, lost his own home, and had specifically left the party to check on Lance and make sure he was okay, and Lance opened up to him in earnest.

There’s a real, strong emotional connection here. And when Lance realizes that’s not Rover- and they’re in the room with something dangerous- his response?

He throws himself at Coran to protect him.

Remember, Allura stated in s3e2 that the quality that the notoriously hard to impress Red Lion found worthy and noble in Lance is his ability to prioritize the wellbeing of others above personal gain.

That’s what’s afoot here- it has nothing to do with Lance’s insecurity or thinking that he’s less important. It’s that- in moments of necessity, in dire situations- Lance is driven by a clear sense of importance, and a lot of compassion.

In s1e4: Whatever the hell is happening right now he’s not letting it get Coran.

In s3e2: he’s still nursing his own disappointment about being rejected by the Black Lion, and it does hurt to see Keith get the position- but this isn’t about winning. Keith is terrified and upset and feels like they’re doing this to give up on Shiro, and it’s setting off all kinds of trauma and fears of rejection, and Lance can’t sit by and watch Keith be in that dark place without trying to say something to reassure and support him. 

And this stays through s3e3- Lance is frustrated with Keith’s decisions, but he determinedly sticks with him and tries to talk him around, never once giving up on getting through to him or holding it over his head when Keith flat-out admits Lance was right all along. His focus is much more on the fact that, again, this all is born from Keith being in an awful place mentally.

And there’s a reason I say with certainty Lance isn’t sacrificial because of low self-esteem, because we can contrast it with someone who definitely is: Keith.

Here’s the thing about Keith’s sacrifices. They tend to be completely senseless. The ones in s4e1 and s4e6 jump out but he was doing this all the way back in s1e11- where he attempts to solo Zarkon and gets his ass handed to him spectacularly.

Keith’s sacrifices are poorly conceived, and he usually has the barest idea that he’s actually accomplishing something. The goal he’s trying to bite off is so comically oversized as soon as he mentions it, you can’t help but go “Keith… no.”

No, Keith as a rookie Lion pilot who’s barely been flying this thing for maybe two weeks tops is not going to take out Emperor Goddamn Zarkon in single combat without any backup whatsoever as Coran spends the entire time trying to tell him.

No, Keith sitting in a standard imperial fighter ship which we’ve seen a Lion’s jaws crush like paper thousands of times is not going to breach the barrier of an imperial battleship when we’ve seen the Yellow Lion slam a much lower-caliber barrier upwards of ten different times before finally getting through it. As Matt was trying to tell Keith.

The only reason Keith survived either of those situations was someone else intervening- Shiro in s1e11, and Lotor in s4e6. 

Conversely, when Lance sticks his neck out? He was only heavily injured once, when he had no idea what was coming and had no time to react to it outside of trying to protect Coran, and other times, when he does have a better idea of what he’s going for, he usually will succeed at his goal even if he bungles certain steps (such as s2e2, infiltrating the palace and giving Hunk the antidote). There’s no sense of Lance going headfirst into an awful situation with no chance of success and having to get dragged away by someone else saving him.

The difference between Lance and Keith taking risks at personal expense is the very difference Kolivan in s4 tries to grill Keith about- that as the leader of an organization that deals with frequent losses where members live with the reality their buddies aren’t often in a position to rescue them if they get in trouble, he can tell perfectly well that Keith isn’t operating with a sense of big perspective- he’s taking poorly conceived risks and not worrying about them hurting him.

If anything, I always read Lance throwing himself over Coran to shield him from the explosion as a lot like Lance in s1e1 running up to Allura to catch her. It’s his inherent compassion at work more than anything else- he sees someone else about to get hurt and that stirs him to action faster than his practical evaluation of the situation. Again, in s1e4, it feels more than anything else like Lance just plain didn’t know it would hurt him as much as it did because in the moment he was more worried about Coran. Thinking of himself- and thus, his mentality towards himself- didn’t even factor in.

[ceaac]

Drawing into Ecology?

Jul 26th, 2020

In the image are two highlighted features found in certain moments of elated fancy – or as I might like to call them: visions. There is the highlight of the shadow cast of the cars and a telephone pole with its wires. At a particular time; they looked like the teeth of something eating the world of artificial colouring – amongst the disturbingly beautiful deadness of the telephone pole – besides the other forms of a contradictory and complementary nature lining the street under a blazing corona sky; the blue of empty summers, planeless and ancient. For a moment was I noticing a swerving of sorts, a blend of imaginings? Do these ‘visions’ that come with a mild intensity of a hypnotic fancy stare at the tightrope of ecology?

Maybe a distressing apparition, but these are witnessed from a transience sense of neutrality; my fear is only reflected by the inseparability to the situation. This interest has also led me to look out of my window, notice the wonder of the clouds; striking, crystallised and golden. Like clockwork I watch the starlings hop from antenna to gutter to wall to feed, together with a carefulness of each others surroundings. Poking heads left to right, up-down, stepping, contracting little treads and relaxing muscles so delicately small, hop to scurry away. Flying, between the wires and right angles embedded in architecture. Their movements across this landscape makes me feel as if a different world enters our all too ordinary one; the paralleling shadows of repeating structural design; the tiles are disturbed by a flurrying of twisting living silhouettes. I guess somewhere in this sensation is the same kick as what birdwatchers get? I had begun to notice their timings, but after overhearing talk of financial stress, the neighbours have since left with the bird feed – the starlings are rarely seen again with such differing encounterance of their eager and keen gatherings.

Seeing ecology in this way as a warping fluid and static communicative experience is paradoxical, but it is no different as looking around the forests or skies and witnessing the insects and birds exchange between each other amongst the landscape they reside. It is like observing habitats, but it is trying to include everything; the impression of the shadows against the temperament of the cars and their situation, the telephone pole with its drooping wires reminiscing the threads of webbed leads of docility – and of course my present mood between the lot. As soon as one sets foot into it, its fleeting and ever passing, hard to capture, to hold still, I scribble in marks before closing the book. Walking home or to the studio; travelling like in a dream – a wandering one of waking tremors. The growing, moving discourse of nature – things emerge as points on the horizon with the gargantuan bulges of shaped texture scatter itself in propensity to the central point of the image – the gravity of it. I fall off losing myself to realise it, I find myself exploring to witnessing the situation then realising the image once more, falling off again then exploring, finding, falling etc.

In trying to describe the subject of ecology, I am at a loss as to how to cohesively capture this and these sorts of sensations in paint, from my understandings of it. Things are one thing, imaginings are another. Definitely more experimentation is required in regards to the latter – as the above statement inquires in descriptive poetic terms; an attempt at searching into it. However the actual thing of paint have had me impulsed to resource from raw material. To grow the plants, press the seeds, refine, source and mine the necessary ingredients’ required to make oil paint. It is quite the venture I assume a relaxed role to build it, for now. I hope to live to see some fruition of the sensation in the years to come; I wish to live a long life with a rich garden that sustains me.

By doing this I will feel, hold and handle the stuff of seeds, soil and water, between the pottedness of plastic and ceramic order – at least some part of my practice will seems more ‘ecological’ by rearing the materials needed from the land of my garden. Making my own paint, all grown and sourced - though this is an ambitious undertaking, amongst all the other matters in life. With that said ecology plays out an impulse in me to behave and interact with the world. The word ‘ecology’ I am using it in an interchangeable and general sense drawing upon the activities of the land, with all its plants, bodies of water and animals, and between ourselves as acting individuals within communities, the buildings they emerge from, and our institutional and political systems tied into them. An expanding situation emerges whereby looking at trained and learned material processes such as permaculture that hold relationship with the term ecology may offer insight: Drawing and the Twelve Principles of Permaculture.

I want to paint my environments with this in mind, in doing so I hope to find a means of expression that inhabits something worthwhile to those engaged with the art. But painting for me provides an anchor of experience for visual digression. Writing on the other hand demands much more of a different sort of cognitive process; getting to the point. Whilst I find performance a much broader field to apply into day-to-day experience – and in my opinion it offers possibly the most applicable of artform’s within communities – when working supposedly ecologically.

This might be a time to write about Vega to draw upon what I might mean by that. At least for the first time liberating a definition of it outside of an application form. Vega is a collaborative project including myself, Thomas Parker and Adam Ekin. It has been an organic process (as with all art) – but what interests me with this project as opposed to my painting or writing is the attitude it adopts towards adaptation – Vega is always changing and may possibly never find fixture. The project is as much an external affair as an internal creative disposition – you could see the project as an attempt at mediating circumstances in and around it – like a heart would beat faster or slower depending on ones current situation, whilst providing the necessary flow of blood to all the bits of the body. And Vega would be incomplete without the humanity to undergo it. That said the project spills with connections, in all walks of life.

Vega is organic; and like all organics it embodies certain rules, (eating, shitting, sleeping, growing etc.) that has until presently enough, kept the project going still venturing into a void of creative platforming. What have been the rules of Vega thus far?

We accept all contributions – integrating content into the wider narrative. In integrating content artists remain sensitive to the other components of the narrative and the situations outside of it. This hasn’t been so much of a problem as the story is about a giant living spaceship sailing the dying days of the universe’s decay. A relatively open book in terms of imaginative fancy. The issue has been in writing, whilst collection remains a performative exercise (even this blog post may find entry into the world of Vega - from a performative position; an ego of mine trying to analyse the artist inside). The process of writing Vega serves to delve in the products of the art for commission or need for creative application and we piece together the connections between them.

I am pleased to say a number of ours efforts has attracted some attention; we have been invited to interviews to discuss our ideas further or shared them with interested parties. Our proposals are prepared with a practice to integrate and adapt, we have often been unable to allude a ‘concrete’ idea or that due to the high number of applicants they have been unable to provide feedback, or non at all. This has fostered some animosity to aspects of the organisational fabric of the arts and I am sure I am not the only one. Therefore, I have come to a conclusion that there is an attitude within the infrastructure concerned with dead ideas, at least you can mark a grave stone by them (and a ticket price). Though our undertakings of preparing applications and their received feedback has offered support, insofar has helped provide an internal framework for Vega to apply itself into a real-world context. Therein Vega functions as it always has, as an archive, supporting its many layers – until the next opportunity.

It has been the case that Vega thrives in conversation; it is a communal context, not an applicant. Whether working between collaborating artists or with those we’ve been offered a platform with - by mutual partners; it provides us the means to actively perform the work thus understand and develop it’s ideas further. Layered into it are the elementary parts of the story alongside the situations that the art needed to resolve (such as a project proposal or invitation to talk) – this has required Vega to become a multi-disciplinary interface generally focused towards finding the next platform that may lead on to more platforms. Vega is a void of exposition.

Working in this way is highly interactive, encouraging within practice as much outside participation as possible, including responses and impulses – recording the attitudes and opinions of those engaged. Drawing upon a diverse range of ideas the project forms a complex web of parts encased within the Vega package – so to speak. As mentioned it is the artist’s job to adhere the seemingly unrelated into a cohesive whole. In doing so artists practice a form of letting go of the confines of the narrative alongside others to find a renewed sense of meaning and direction, without killing the idea.

I believe here lies the concept of artist as community mediator – a catalogue of others. But with this I bare a warning of a purest pursuit; for one would be engaged in turning themselves inside out! To what end if not to make a living. In this sense the artist functions as a sort of traveling merchant, exchanging the goods of ideas primarily above the modern doctrines of economics. Perhaps a visual analogy of travel could be understood in this: The Zig Zag. Engage with communities like an electrical charge, but what is the voltage?

Appendixes:

Barker, G. (2020) Drawing and the Twelve Principles of Permaculture. Available at: https://fineartdrawinglca.blogspot.com/2020/05/drawing-and-twelve-principles-of.html (Accessed: 25, Jul, 2020)

Barker, G. (2020) The zig-zag. Available at: https://fineartdrawinglca.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-zig-zag.html (Accessed: 25, Jul, 2020)

[thetarantulacollective]

Grammostola pulchripes, also known in the hobby as the Chaco Golden, is a New World Terrestrial tarantula that is endemic to the sub-tropical nation of Paraguay. This T can grow to an adult size of around 7-9” with males living about 6 or 7 years while females can live 20-25 years. This species has a medium growth rate and while it isn't the slowest grower, if you get your golden knee as a small sling, it may be years before you see the true adult coloration. Being a new world tarantula, this T does not have medically significant venom but does possess urticating hairs. This species has a reputation of being very docile and rarely kicking hairs but bare in mind temperament can differ between specimens and even between molts of the same specimen. This tarantula is an opportunistic burrower, but the older they get, the less they seem to burrower and the more they tend to just move substrate around their enclosure. 

This T is quite the excavator at any stage, so don't spend too much time meticulously setting up its enclosure as it will spend most of its night rearranging everything in its enclosure and destroy any elaborate setting you made for it. My experience with these T;s is that they are very docile and mine have never kicked hairs at me, but they are also curious and nearly anytime I take the lid of the enclosure, my chacos will slowly start making their way up the wall and out their home doing a little exploring. This is an amazing tarantula to observe with their bright gold accents and beautiful appearance. They are usually out of display and not very skittish. It is fascinating to watch them diligently moving dirt around constantly rearranging their environment and filling their water dish up with dirt. This is a hardy and thick tarantula and very easy to care for. They make for wonderful beginner species and are relatively inexpensive and widely available. Be wary of buying this species from your local chain pet stores like Petco as they tend to sell a lot of adult males and charge nearly $100 for a T you could pick up from an online dealer, like Fear Not Tarantulas, for less than half that price. I do not normally handle any of my T’s, but this T is on a very short list of Ts i would consider handling when showing off my collection to my friends. Overall, this species is a staple in the hobby because it is an amazing tarantula in many ways. It is easy to care for, docile, and a must have for any collection!