#it needs more water but it's also very pigmented so it can handle it? but everything also dries so much more slowly as a result | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

molsons112000 · 1 month

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This is why men who get obesed, and do not. Wear proper undergarments that breathe too much.Heat causes sterilization!

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How does heat affect the production of testosterone in ...

Soaking your testicles in hot water daily will cause short term sterility. Heat based contraception | Natural birth control for men For

They found that men, and this goes for women as well that work in environments that have extremely hot temperatures, it causes fatality problems... But it also causes hormonal problems. And again, this is why I tell you, in africa, they have violence and the middle east violence, latin america has more violence... So in proportion, they tend to be more violent. And it is because it's causing certain hormonal problems. And this is why certain pigmentation is required, but we don't get the right pigmentation anymore, because we spend too much time indoors. Truly, before you are exposed to the elements more often, and now you habitate, indoors and for people of color they need outdoor exposure. They need to get the right pigmentation. Levels for the environment. So they need the study, pigmentation and hormonal levels. Figuring out for say, black people in Africa, depending on if they're in southern Eastern Western northern, what is the right pigmentation for that environment? It's the same with latin america, those closer to the equator tend to be darker... But now they spend a lot of time indoors and they might not be getting as you see with indigenous people, they tend to be darker. So the point is they have to understand the correlation between heat exposure and skin color. And I think we're getting the wrong pigmentations on people and for their environment because of their amount of time, they spend indoors, and I think don't handle the Sun correctly and are getting hormonal imbalances.... So we need to find the right skin color based on race and ethnicity, and we need to do that for people living in a certain environment. So doctors can say, Hey, you need to get a little bit more sunlight, your pigment is too low. You're spending too much time indoors or you have to supplement in front of A You know mirror there's all kinds of ways to get extra sunlight.. And so I think this is causing issues.. 🤔 😐 And I think the march of dimes, who is against birth defects, would be very interested in doing this research.... 🤔

ScienceDirect.com

https://www.sciencedirect.com › pii

Assessment of sexual hormones in foundry workers exposed to heat ...

by H Mohammadi · 2021 · Cited by 11 — No significant relationship was between heat stress and testosterone levels. ... The co-exposure to psychological and heat stress can cause negative testis ...

Defy Medical

https://www.defymedical.com › blog

Testosterone Cypionate Storage Warning

Does Heat Affect Testosterone Cypionate? ... Temperatures above the recommended Testosterone storage temperature range (over

And this is why we have to get thermatic underwear because your testicles should be a couple of degrees cooler. Then your body temperature and this is why the testicles hang from the body truly so they get exposed to airflow, and this is why tidy whitey are not good... They cause too much heat and this affects growth... So as you saw, I was out in the cold and everything else stimulating, and I could have grown bigger if I didn't particularly wear tidy whites. Yes, you have to worry about too much ball movement. But underwear needs to be more properly designed. It is improperly designed and it is causing birth and fatil. The and all kinds of health problems.... The CDC in the World Health Organization need to get into studying this and working with manufacturers of garments, and they need to work with manufacturers of garments, so they can create garments that meet the health code. And I believe the government can get involved with manufacturers. And mandate that their garments meet certain health code requirements because this is f****** b*******!!!! I don't care if they don't wanna change. They have to!!!!! And this is why obesity takes away that natural room and causes the testicles of men and women truly cause too much heat in the vaginal canal destroying the eggs. And this is why David's I'll forgo the rest but my Daughter-in-law was having a problem because she was heavy and they couldn't conceive. But the funny thing is, his son gained sympathy. Weight became heavy too, and it affected his fertility and made it even harder for them to get pregnant because his sperm and her egg were hindered. Because of temperature... And this is a serious issue, so diabetes is causing serious issues. Because obesity has lots more issues. Besides diabetes, it's causing all kinds of structural damage!!!! And then there is this acceptance of fat people where there should be a thing that they have to do special things and schools need to mandate this. It is no longer an option in elementary school to be fat or in high school. You are now put on a certain regimen... 🤔 And we're talking about protecting the health of our country, protecting the health of society... Oh yeah. It does nerve damage as well. It causes vascular damage and nerve damage. Because you don't have the right hormonal. Mix the support. You're nervous and circulatory systems and other tissue structures ... And this is why Ron Santo of the cubs, lost both his legs, they had to amputate them... For some reason, you think depriving me of my wealth is a f****** joking matter!!!!

Sperm production is at its best when the testicles are several degrees cooler than your body temperature. That's why they hang outside the body in the scrotum (the pouch of skin that contains the testicles and a network of blood vessels and nerves).

https://www.healthline.com › health

Cold Testicles: How Cold Is Too Cold and How to Warm Them

https://www.healthline.com › health

Cold Testicles: How Cold Is Too Cold and How to Warm Them

Yes, keeping your testicles cool can be beneficial for sperm production and quality. The ideal temperature for sperm production is around 93.2°F (34°C), which is a few degrees cooler than the normal body temperature of 98.6°F (37°C). Overheating your testicles can damage up to 90% of sperm, leading to low sperm count, poor morphology, low motility, and DNA fragmentation.

Here are some ways to keep your testicles cool:

Wear loose-fitting underwear

Reduce sitting

Avoid saunas and hot tubs

Limit exposure to warm objects

Take breaks outside if you work in a hot environment

Use cooling underwear: Some brands, like Snowballs, include ice packs to cool your scrotum. You can also try the Underdog, which has a wedge-shaped ice pack to cool your testicles while you sit.

Use a wearable testicle cooler: Some options include the "CoolMen" gadget, which connects to your smartphone.

To Improve Fertility, Let Your Sperm Chill Out - SpermCheck

Jul 5, 2021 — To Improve Fertility, Let Your Sperm Chill Out - SpermCheck.

SpermCheck

As it says here, you guessed it. High blood glucose levels cause elevated body temperatures, and for pregnant women. Getting diabetes is a very bad thing. It puts the incubation of the child at risk because it elevates their body temperature, and so this causes birth defects and stillbirth. Because they're too warm..... And you think this is a f****** joking matter?God is going to slaughter you all for what you do to me, and one of them is depriving me for my economic resources!!!!! You're f****** stumbs!!!!

Some things that can push your temp upward: sitting in the sun on a sweltering day, battling an infection (in some cases even a mild one, like a cold), and—you guessed it—high blood glucose levels. This problem occurs in people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, as well as anyone with metabolic dysfunction.

https://www.levels.com › blog › gl...

How do blood sugar levels affect body temperature?

And so the march of dimes needs to put a temperature monitor around the belly, making sure I told you pregnant women are not supposed to be exposed to extreme temperatures, whether it's hot or cold, they're very much more temperature sensitive... They need to stay in a tighter range....

Yes, people with diabetes can have higher body temperatures than normal due to a number of factors, including high blood glucose levels, complications from diabetes, and dehydration:

High blood glucose levels

High blood glucose levels can cause body temperature to rise in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, as well as those with metabolic dysfunction. This can also happen in healthy people who eat too many carbohydrates, which can cause a spike in insulin and glucose.

Diabetes complications

Damage to blood vessels and nerves can make it harder for people with diabetes to cool down by affecting sweat glands. Diabetes can also impair the body's ability to adjust to heat, which can lead to an impairment of wet heat exchange through sweating and dry heat exchange through the skin.

Dehydration

People with diabetes can become dehydrated more quickly, which can make it harder to stay cool.

People with diabetes are also at higher risk for heat exhaustion, which occurs when the body becomes too hot and has difficulty adjusting its temperature. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include:

Sweating more than usual

Body temperature of 38°C or higher

Dizziness

Cramping muscles

Clammy skin

Headaches

Fast heartbeat

Nausea

Managing Diabetes in the Heat | Diabetes | CDC

May 15, 2024

CDC

One day expose the temperatures above eighty seven degrees, shorten the length of pregnancy by five days.

For example, a one-day exposure to temperatures above 87 degrees Fahrenheit was associated with a decrease in the average length of pregnancy by five days. Fetuses exposed to heat waves while in utero were more likely to suffer from fetal distress and breathing problems at birth.

https://nationalpartnership.org › hi...

Higher Temperatures Hurt Moms and Babies

National Institutes of Health (NIH) (.gov)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › pmc

Temperature during pregnancy influences the fetal growth and ...

by H Rashid · 2017 · Cited by 38 — Another study in Perth, Australia, revealed that higher temperatures constant over pregnancy may adversely affect fetal growth, which was ...

Missing: hurt ‎unborn

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu › th...

The dangers of heat during pregnancy - HSPH.Harvard.edu

January 12, 2023 – Higher temperatures were linked to impaired fetal growth, according to a study from Stefania Papatheodorou, lecturer on epidemiology at ...

Again, extreme cold can be a problem as well. Pregnant women need to stay within a certain temperature range... This allows the proper incubation of the baby so it can grow properly... Even a single day in nine months of extremely high temperatures or extremely low temperatures can cause issues!!!! 🙃 But no one's watching this, and you think it's a f****** joke, and this is why we're having so many f****** problems!!!!! And healthcare companies give freely temperature monitors of the womb. That gives a mother an alert that if the temperature gets too high even through exercise that's why certain exercise I preach during pregnancy, other exercise.I don't. I don't want the body overheating.I don't want the body getting dehydrated. That's why sumo exercises are nice. They're easy, they're more static and you won't overheat yourself, you won't get hyperventilated...

Maternal hyperventilation can cause transient reduction in fetal oxygen tension. Fifty women with normal and high-risk pregnancies, between the 32nd and 43rd week, were voluntarily hyperventilated; in 33, fetal heart rate (FHR) acceleration or transient tachycardia were observed (reactive FHR).

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › ...

Fetal response to voluntary maternal hyperventilation. A ...

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This is why it's so important important that women are very careful of sexual interaction. And note, when a man is orgasm into them so they can monitor themselves because once Inception happens, it's a whole new life for them and human resource, this needs to understand this and modify Their activity level... Modify their exposure, and that's why women in the military should not get pregnant during assignment... And if they do, they need to rotate off immediately, they cannot be on assignment. Anymore, they must move out of those positions immediate rotation out..... Because you have a duty to protect the unborn child. Whether they wanna go or not, it is no longer their decision.... There is some things as a society.We take the right of people away to make certain decisions.... Protecting them from their own stupidity, especially the unborn child....

Yes, hyperventilation can cause problems during pregnancy, including:

Reduced fetal oxygen tension

A study found that maternal hyperventilation during the 32nd–43rd week of pregnancy can temporarily reduce fetal oxygen tension. The study also found that a non-reactive fetal heart rate response to hyperventilation was associated with a worse pregnancy outcome.

Respiratory alkalosis

Hyperventilation can lead to chronic respiratory alkalosis, which can cause acidosis and depression in newborn infants.

Hypertensive disorders

Hyperventilation combined with anxiety or panic attacks can cause a temporary rise in blood pressure, neurological symptoms, and hyperreflexia, which can be similar to preeclampsia.

Reduced uterine blood flow

During active labor, hyperventilation can cause tachypnea, which can reduce uterine blood flow and adversely affect fetal oxygenation.

Hyperventilation is common during pregnancy. Other symptoms that can occur during pregnancy include: Dyspnea, Tingling, Dizziness, and Fainting.

Common side-effects of pregnancy - Patient.info

The end result is that you can feel panicky, tingly, dizzy and faint. Hyperventilation is quite common in pregnancy. There are some other causes of ...

Patient.info

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › ...

Fetal response to voluntary maternal hyperventilation. A ...

Four out of five black women being obesed is a health crisis, and now two out of five white women moving towards three out of five... We have to reverse these trends. We can't accept obesity anymore!!!!!!

Look at what's happened to the black community. And they think it's just not having a father, it's all the mental instability that has been caused in these children, and it's causing unbelievable harm to our society.F****** irreversible harm!!!!! So if they don't want to change, then we need to force it upon them!!! As the bible says sweetly broken one way or another, you're going to f****** comply!!!!!!

If not, as we've seen, the community suffers ungodly consequences, and it's been a f***** nightmare.....

And I tried to get my sister in law to understand this and not have her children grow up.Obese, my grandparents died because they were overweight.... And I offered to do a lot of things with her to bring down her weight and I did, and I would drive out of my way, I would do whatever and I talked to her son and her son got her treadmill. And her son batter gin shoes and then he said, well, she's still not doing it, then I said, get one for yourself. Another treadmill and put it beside her and do it together... A commitment to her and this is called Commitment groups. Accountability groups. I used to do this with my workout truly before. I always had a workout partner. Why?Because it forced me to go in even when I didn't want to go to the gym. So I would always partner up working out. And it put them into the gym too. When they didn't want to go, because I would be there, emmy new each other would be there, and so we showed up... This is what I did with Jen, we had our own accountability group. I got her in the running and lifting and all kinds of things to take care of her call, love!!!!!

So we have to implement certain things in our society, whether people like them or not and politicians have to be ethical and moral and go against the flow, even if they don't want it... That's why the founding fathers credit electoral college, so just in case society didn't want something a person, because they were just A. Yes, person they wanted a person that was more unethical and could go against society. And put that person in power even if it went against a popular vote. F*** them the family father said!!!! Putting the right person in place is critical... So sometimes you go against a popular vote, and we should have an elector or college in the state of illinois... And if need be the they can go against the popular vote... But they're mandate, and they can be removed is ethical and moral, and if the person doesn't have the ethics and morals. And with that, the bill need to do the job, then they cannot be in office... So it's ethics and morals and ability, they gotta have all three... So it goes with the popular vote, but it goes against the popular vote when they elect somebody who is not right for office.....

See, our founding fathers came up in countries that put the wrong people in office and they didn't want that to happen here in the united states.But the electoral college, instead of doing their job have become putsi's!!!!

In the United States, the Electoral College is the group of presidential electors that is formed every four years during the presidential election for the sole purpose of voting for the president and vice president. The process is described in Article II of the U.S. Constitution.

https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › U...

United States Electoral College - Wikipedia

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What is the Electoral College?

Jul 6, 2023 — The Electoral College consists of 538 electors. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the President. Your State has the

#Health concerns

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bodacioussalon · 1 year

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All about keeping good care of oily skin

An oily skin has its own advantages and disadvantages and it needs to be kept well-nourished and hydrated all the time.

Our skin is a creation of fantastic natural resources.

Owing to different elements present in different layers of the skin the type and texture of the same varies from one to the other.

There are different variations in our skin tone. It often varies from dry to oily and then to normal going by the popular definitions of beauty and biology.

Every skin has its own advantages and disadvantages. While oily skin does not age easily it is also prone to acne and pimples more than any other skin type.

There are several reasons behind a skin type to be oily. Some of the reasons include heredity, hormones, diet and lifestyle, environment and effect of foreign substances on skin. Often lack of proper and adequate intake of water deprives the body of its essential hydration thus causing excess oil activation inside. Fried food with excess of dairy products like cheese and butter are also responsible for excessive oil secretion.

Due to its delicate demands oily skin has to be taken special care of. Here are a few ways to do so.

Oil absorbing sheets: These sheets are also known as blotting papers which soak the excess oil and make the surface dry. They are papery thin and very light in weight. Easy to carry in purse and even easier to handle and use whenever there is an excessive oiliness felt anywhere in the body especially on face. To use these sheets one has just got to press the paper hard enough on the oily part to allow it to absorb the extra oil. These are the sheets which are often used at all the best skin care salons in town.

Clay masks: Masks made of the right variety of earth are an excellent oil absorber. Earth, especially fuller’s earth is excellent for skin as known to all of us. The masks made of mud absorb extra oil and dirt from the inner most parts of the skin thus refreshing the face all over again. A thin layer of clay is applied on the face and allowed to rest for a few minutes and then rinsed off with warm water. Masks can be applied depending on the oil concentration of the face. It is refreshing, water infusing and soft on skin. It is also exfoliating as well as detoxifying. It pushes the dirt, sweat and oil particles to the brim and washes them away with clay and water. Most of the best unisex salons make the most of these masks.

Salicylic Acid Peels: It is a variety of beta hydroxy acid which has an exfoliating effect on human skin. It also works well on the pores, de-cluttering the pores and opening them for better hydration and oxygenation. Any best skin care salon makesuse of it which means layering the skin with the chemical face mask, leaving it on for a while and then peeling it off. The good effects of it are removal of dead skin cells and blemishes, accelerating hyperpigmentation and lessening oil production and secretion.

Hydrophilic Clean Up: As any oily skin is always attacked by acne hydrophilic clean-up is applied to get back the straightened youthfulness that gets lost due to excessive oil secretion. It employs different kinds of gels, exfoliation packs and AHA masks to exfoliate and hydrate the skin minus the shine and oil.

Microneedling with Dermapen: It is an advanced technology based skin treatment method where it cures a number of issues of the skin at the same time. Some of the problems solved by it are stretch marks, acne, ageing, fine lines, and pigmentation. It also facilitates collagen production and restores the radiant and youthful look of the skin as before.

Hydra Medi Facial: This is an even improved version of oily skin treatment where the good effects of original oxygenation and anti-ageing features of tripollar radio frequency and ultra sound are combined for coming up with quick skin development, long lasting youthfulness and anti-ageing characteristics. All best skin care salons employ these high end methods to cure oily skin troubles which refuse to subside easily.

Skin problems are subjective. They are treated differently on different people. So it is important to understand that what works on one may not work in the same way for another. All best unisex salons are always coming up with alternative solutions based on international skin care standards to suit every skin challenge faced by individuals who come to them. Those who try out remedies at home are advised to not follow each other’s skin solutions blindly but to understand their skin type first and then select beauty solutions based on personal needs and skin demands.

India being a tropical country is ravaged by scorching sunlight almost every month of the year. Here sweat pores on skin are often open and exposed to heat while most of the population is out on the streets for work. Oily skin issues are faced by every second person on the street and not everyone can afford the services of a best skin care salon. Hence homemade traditional items have to be applied to get rid of the oily shine that covers our face all the time once we come back from work. Not every skin care salon solutioncan compete with the effectiveness of domestic beauty solutions offered by our elders.

Skin care, especially caring for oily skin requires deft professional hand after a point of time. Home remedies donot come of use if the problem aggravates which is common in case of oily skin issues. Bodacious is the name of the best skin care salon in Kasba whichprovides excellent solutions to all types of skin troubles. Known for administering solutions for both male and female skin, Bodacious is the best unisex salon in Kasba to depend on right from the word go.

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bambi-lesbian-posts · 2 years

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Heyo here's a Mojave Desert Plants Masterpost

(a list of all my favorites! With high focus on the grasses and wildflowers) at the request of @autistic-ace-bee to cure my insomnia

Edit: I got tired by the time I reached the white-colored wildflowers section so. I'll come back and reblog with more fun flowers some other time. Anyway, enjoy what we've got so far!

So let's just jump straight into it, yeah? For reference I'll be using my copy of MOJAVE DESERT WILDFLOWERS: FIELD GUIDE by Pam Mackay (aka my college course textbook)

Wildflowers:

Blues, Lavenders, & Purples! (specifically ones that I think are particularly pretty)

Desert Canterbury Bell, aka the Phacelia campanularia

The Desert Canterbury Bell is an annual flower in the Borage family which produces a thick, reddish-colored stem in order to hold multiple vibrant and deep blue bell-shaped flowers. They bloom in the late spring/early summer months (specifically March-May). Many people contract contact dermatitis when handling Phacelia species like this one, so don't pick it even though it's pretty.

Desert Sage/Gray Ball Sage, aka Salvia dorrii (variation pilosa)

Desert Sage is a low rounded bush (about 2 feet high) of the mint family, that produces small violet flowers on top of magenta-colored whorls of hairy bracts. They are perennial, and flowers tend to bloom from May-July.

(Honorable mention) Desert Cymopterus, aka the Cymopterus deserticola

The Desert Cymopterus is a really short, flat perennial "bush" in the carrot family that produces one super thick stem in order to hold a giant ball-shaped cluster of very dark, royal purple flowers. These guys are pretty rare actually! They like to grow in/near Joshua tree woodlands.

To wrap up the purple flowers section, let me say: All color pigments in desert plant species ranging from pale pink to dark purple are a result of water-soluble pigments called anthocyanins, which occur due to acidity and alkalinity inside plant cells. This means, purple-pink pigments are typically a result of soils with a higher acid/alkaline content.

Pinks, Rose's, and Magentas!

Tiquilia, aka Tiquilia plicata

Desert Live-Forever, aka Dudleya saxosa (species aloides)

In all honesty guys, I like this one for its highly plicate(folded) leaves. Anyway, Tiquilia is a species of low creeping bush in the Borage family with small, bell-shaped flowers that are pale pink in color. They are evergreen perennials, which means the leaves stay alive and attached to the stem even in winter! Yay!

Desert Five-Spot, aka Eremalche rotundifolia (get a load of that scientific name.. it'll make sense when you see the flower)

The Desert Five-Spot gets its name from the five red-colored spots visible on the inside of its flower petals! They are an annual flower of the mallow family, with very dark green, scalloped leaves (the leaf's edge is a bit round and ruffle-y lookin) with pale pink petals. The flower itself tends to look very circular in shape. Rotund, even. Haha. Anyway they bloom between March and May.

Reds and Oranges! (I'm trying to limit myself to 2-3 plants per category but it's so difficult, ugh)

Before we begin with the reds/oranges, let me say: red and orange pigments (in flowers)come from fat-soluble carotene compounds, much like the carotenes humans need to survive. Red colors can also come from water-soluble anthocyanin pigments found in the central vacuole of plant cells. Reds and darker Oranges tend to attract more avian(bird) pollinators, typically offering large amounts of nectar in return!

Apricot Mallow, aka Sphaeralcea ambigua

Apricot Mallow is perennial subshrub in the mallow family, that produces pale orange (or apricot-colored) 5-petal flowers. The flowers usually bloom in late spring/early summer (March-June) and much like most plants in the mallow family, contains compounds that are useful against mouth sores and coughs (tastes bad tho). A study was actually conducted with Apricot Mallow(among other plants)in order to see which plants are most capable of resisting invasion by a separate invasive species (Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens), in which a monoculture of Apricot Mallow was actually shown to be the best at reducing the biomass of the invasive species (reduced by 91%!)

Whites and Creams!

Desert Lily, aka Hesperocallis undulata

Desert Lillies are a rather tall (ranging from 1 foot to 6 feet) perennial species of flower in the Century Plant family(Agavaceae, my second-favorite flowering plant family). These flowers grow from a bulb-root system as opposed to a branching root system(when in doubt, think of onions vs. ginger. Onions being the bulb, and ginger being the branch)

Aaaaand I'm tired now actually, I'll probably come back and reblog more at a different time. Who knows. It's 5:40am.

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mikauzoran · 2 years

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Weekend Watercolors

I have these lectures on watercolor painting, and, this weekend, I watched some of them and followed along with the exercises. I feel like it didn’t go very well. ^.^;

I’m still a super beginner, though. I’ve been doing a lot of work on my drawing skills, but I haven’t put the same time and effort into painting, so that’s probably the problem.

In the picture below, we were painting a bowl on a surface. I don’t have a good handle on applying an even wash of paint. I need to work on highlights and shadows too. But at least you can tell that it’s supposed to be a bowl. ^.^;

Another exercise from the lectures was a wet on wet technique. You lay down a layer of water all over your paper and then drop in the paint so that it spreads and mixes in a more organic, whimsical fashion.

This is supposed to look like a nebula. ^.^; I think I got some interesting colors and patterns, but the colors didn’t mix to form pretty greens and purples like the instructors’ did.

I didn’t get the paint on the paper fast enough, so it didn’t move around and blend. The paper was too dry by the time I got to adding the blue because I realized that the blue I prepared wasn’t dark enough.

Oh, well. I do think it looks pretty cool, even if it didn’t turn out the way it was supposed to.

After that, I was feeling pretty discouraged with the lectures, so I decided to paint some sunflowers because I thought that would be peaceful and relaxing. That didn’t go very well either.

I’ve graduated to using the cheaper set of watercolor paints from the tubes (I was using a fifteen-year-old kids’ watercolor set previously), and I’m not really used to getting the pigment to water ratio right. The colors aren’t quite right, and I’m having trouble laying down a consistent, continuous wash of paint. Also, the painting lacks depth. ^.^;

I just need more practice, honestly. Once I get more familiar with my paints and how to apply them to achieve the effects I’m going for, things will be better. I’m still in the “how do watercolor?” stage.

#Watercolor #Watercolor Painting #Watercolor Art #Mikau's Art

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heshemejoshi · 3 years

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Ok i was talking about this with a friend and i think it's an important topic that has to be addressed in the octopath community:

Alfyn and Therion's dynamic.

I know most of the people in this fandom like alfion!! I do too. And it is because I care so much about them that I'm writing this and I consider it key to enjoy their chemistry together at their best.

Octopath Traveler presents interesting themes and small similarities between their stories, like the whole color scheme thing with Darius and Alfyn and Miguel and Therion being thieves, so I can see why people (like me) are drawn to this relationship in particular. It presents conflicts you are invested in.

But I feel like it's relevant to not water things down.

I think Therion is the most abused out of both of them. The way he learns about trust with Cordelia, a character that shouldn't have been handled with this importance that she has, at all, is downright offensive writing and a really incompetent way to have Therion learn about breaking out of the cycle of abuse (he could have easily learned it with Gareth by sparing him, giving him a chance again: a foil that reflects Therion back then, before the fall, but alas, that scene didn't happen. It could still work if it didn't happen, though, but his murder wasn't explored at all beyond Gareth just being another soulless enemy and i'm very angry about it still.)

I think Darius's ending was a good way to close the story off though: as an abuse victim it gave me so much comfort to see him get his comeuppance by being killed by his own men, and not by Therion. Therion isn't really shown to be fond of battle in the game's dialogue (his english voice lines and tone, on the other hand, are so bad at representing him), he only does it because he's forced to in his story and in the gameplay for self defense. He's not like Miguel. So if you made Therion be the one killing Darius, that would go against his whole character, against his whole morals. He never wanted revenge.

Darius deserved to die. But Therion did not deserve to have his old partner's blood in his hands.

I feel like a thing overlooked by the fandom too for some reason is the fact that Therion is portrayed as a brownskinned man (though with reaaaaally ashy pigmentation 🤨) in concept art. The illustrations where he's on whitewash him: which i also feel like isn't talked enough about in the community. Sometimes I draw him either brown or albino for that reason, but most people do portray Therion as brownskinned.

Which brings me to the next point: Alfyn isn't Therion's savior, and making him that is, indeed, racist, since Alfyn is a white man. I trust we know about the concept of white saviorism enough to know this is a problem. The thing with Alfyn and Therion's dynamic is that it's more complex than one saving the other. Each of their characters have their own agency and don't need to be saved, at all. Their mutual support is needed, of course, but they're not fully dependent on it. Human relationships are more complex than that.

Which brings me to my next point:

Therion and agency, and the doctor/patient situation.

As I stated before, I feel like Therion is the most abused out of both of them. I've read far too many fics where the plot is that Therion is dependent on Alfyn's medicines and treatment which is what brings them together and things develop into romance.

That's weirdo shit, and here's why: it robs Therion of his agency by making him fully dependent on a man he doesn't know, there's a significant power imbalance where the brown/albino man is on the lower end of the stick, and it goes against all code of ethics. You know what else has the same problems? Professor/student relationships, though those tend to have a very significant age gap too.

Alfyn would never fall in love with one of his patients canonically, and I don't know what makes people believe that. He's not a creep.

If you can't come up with not-creepy situations, follow canon. Make Alfyn steal from the Ravuses, he would definitely support the poor from Bolderfall and would understand the motivations of a thief against the most powerful people in a town where class differences are obvious to the eye. Make Therion follow the kindness he still has in his heart by supporting an apothecary who needs to save a little girl.

The potential is there. Just don't be creepy or weird about it. Let's enjoy a very interesting romantic chemistry between two men in a healthy way, because never does the game make it creepy.

Thank you for reading this, and I hope my points were understood!

#octopath traveler #alfion #text post

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amuelia · 3 years

Note

Got any fun Woose head cannons bouncing around in your head ? :) or about anyone else. you have such neat insight into asoiaf and I love reading it

Hello, thank you that's so flattering! 🥺❤ I'm glad you enjoy my meta posts!

I do have many Woose headcanons :D I am going to try and focus this post more on headcanons that i can somewhat closely support by text, so i'm sorry if i mentioned some of these already!

Since Domeric squired in the Vale under Lord Redfort, i headcanon that Roose' mother was a Redfort as well since that would explain the connection the easiest... The way Roose talks about Lord Redfort doesn't necessarily sound like theyre close or related, but that might just be to keep the information simple for the reader. Either way we will likely find out in Sansa's tWoW Vale plot how that connection came to be, since she will probably interact with relevant characters like Mychel Redfort.

[Domeric] served four years as Lady Dustin's page, and three in the Vale as a squire to Lord Redfort. [...] Redfort said he showed great promise in the lists. - Reek III, aDwD

Roose not only has a son who loves horses, but he himself also has some quotes alluding to him liking to ride and being knowledgable about horses, which makes me hc that Roose is an able rider as well; So Domeric would get it from both sides of the family (explaining why he's such a horse boy). This hc is inspired by analysis from Bran Vras

"...on our way back to the Dreadfort my favorite courser came up lame..." - Reek III, aDwD

"The clans of the northern hills come with him on their shaggy runtish horses. " - The Prince of Winterfell, aDwD

He's likely so pale from all that leeching (since they cause regular blood loss), and would probably have a normal skin color if he didn't do it so often... His quiet voice might also be caused by it (fatigue). I also assume his "unwrinkled" face is at least partially due to him having such an emotionless expression; if he showed an intense emotion (like a very genuine smile) there might be more wrinkles visible. I also don't get the impression his "unwrinkled"/"ageless" face makes him look unnaturally young, since none of the older PoVs (Cat, Jaime) comment on it; He probably just looks like he aged very well.

He is described as having a "hairless body" during the leeching scene, which makes me think he might shave his body hair so the leeches can apply easier (which ive seen recommended online for leech therapy).

Him having dark brown hair is unfortunately still a headcanon, since his hair is not described in the books... But it seems likely to me because it would contrast his pale features and make them stand out more; and if his hair was grey that would have probably been pointed out as a contrast to his unwrinkled face. I'm usually excluding blonde/red hair as a possibility since I assume grrm would have described that explicitly.

He'd probably wear sunglasses frequently in a modern au, his eyes seem sensitive to me because their color is so light (less pigmentation making eyes more sensitive to sunlight)... I also hc him as nearsighted + needing glasses in modern au, though obviously we don't have anything in the text referencing this.

He and Barbrey share a long history, yet we see that she talks negatively about him to Theon... I hc that she probably started having a lower opinion of him due to the way he handled the Domeric situation (or that the situation at least heavily contributed to it); My assumption is that Barbrey quickly suspected Ramsay of murder and hates Ramsay because of that, so if Roose takes Ramsay in as his new heir this would make Barbrey think that he's really callous/emotionless and "does not love/hate/grieve".

"Those leeches that he loves so well sucked all the passions out of him years ago. He does not love, he does not hate, he does not grieve." - The Prince of Winterfell, aDwD

Roose doesn't seem to care when it comes to various cruelties and illegalities (telling Ramsay he will not chide him for his "amusements" and Ramsay just needs to be "more discreet"; and also being guilty of many crimes himself), but due to the long Bolton-Stark animosity i feel he would probably see warging as an abomination and oppose it on "moral" grounds (similar to how he says a kinslayer is "accursed").

He is usually described as clean-shaven; i hc he shaves his beard partially out of vanity, partially because he doesn't want to look like his father... He probably also takes a while to grow a good beard/has weak beard growth. (No textual evidence for any of these statements, just hc; sadly we don't know about any of his family beyond his sons/wives. I also wonder if he was always shaving his beard, or if he had a beard phase when he was younger)

I get the impression he is not that strict a father, and is more someone who tries to get to his kids verbally than through punishment... In both Ramsay's and Domeric's case we see that he gives them advice that they dont much care for, and neither appear to fear disobeying him or arguing with him much.

"He wanted a brother by his side, so he rode up the Weeping Water to seek my bastard out. I forbade it, but Domeric was a man grown and thought that he knew better than his father." - Reek III, aDwD

“It should have been you who threw the feast, to welcome me back,” Ramsay complained, “and it should have been in Barrow Hall, not this pisspot of a castle.” [...] “Is this why you left Lady Dustin and your fat pig wife? So you could come down here and tell me to be quiet?”- Reek III, aDwD

I do also have more "fanfic-like" headcanons, but im shy about posting them since they could easily be deconfirmed in future books :") Of course i try to do them as "in-character" as i can, but in some aspects grrm just hasn't given much info yet.

#asks #anonymous #asoiaf #roose bolton #asoiaf meta #long post

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janiedean · 3 years

Text

... the tyrion/sansa hairdresser/mortician au no one was expecting but happened

well @meri-vaahtoaa I TOLD YOU IT WAS GONNA HAPPEN TODAY AND IT HAPPENED, have a for now untitled tyrion/sansa mortician/hairdresser au inspired by this post with bonus guest star jeyne p. u___u don't look for angst, also extremely background mentioned jb plus jaime & bronn being themselves in the backstory, have fun u__u

This fucking teaches me to be drunk around both my brother and Bronn, Tyrion thinks for the umpteenth time as he keeps on walking - he needs a damned salon and he needs it now but he also had to get out of the neighborhood because like hell he’s going to risk running into anyone who knows his father. That’s the… least thing he needs, honestly, as if his life choices aren’t already something he has to fight for every other moment and he can’t fucking wait to be out of the house, which should be soon -

If he doesn’t get thrown out of his internship because of his horrible drunk choices.

Why did they have drinks together, why did they have drunk bets, why did he bet with Jaime that he would dye his hair bright blue if he stopped beating around the bush and confessed to the bartender that he’s been into her since they started coming to that specific place for drinks because he chickened out of it for months, except -

Except Jaime went and did it and it turned out that she actually had been looking back and Tyrion hadn’t been wrong in that assessment, but then he had to do it and he actually went and used a do it yourself dye and -

Well.

He honestly can’t go and start his apprenticeship with blue hair that’s also… well, not even professionally dyed, and considering the arguments that it created the least thing he needs is going somewhere he’d be recognized.

So, he’s plenty out of the neighborhood, but he hasn’t found someplace that felt… well, not extra fancy. The second-least thing he needs is extra fancy shops where people would send looks his way that he could absolutely do without.

Also, it’s fucking hot. Why did he do that in the middle of summer again? And why couldn’t he have bet something more reasonable - right, it was Bronn’s idea and they were drunk. Fuck.

He walks a bit more, wondering if maybe he should sit down and check on Google Maps if he’s ended up in the only area of the city that doesn’t have any, and then he sees one on the other side of the road - fine, he stopped because he wondered who names a hair salon Beauty and the Beast, but it costs nothing to have a look from the outside, right?

He crosses the street and walks up to the door.

First thing, the pricing list outside it looks… well, it’s not cheap, but it’s certainly not the ridiculous fares they ask where his sister goes to have her hair done, which is exceedingly good since he doesn’t want to spend a salary’s worth of an average office employee to get that blue crap out of his hair. He looks through the glass door - there is just one woman inside getting her hair done, which is also good because the least people around the shorter the wait, it certainly does look clean and while the pastel aesthetic is maybe a bit too much for his tastes - everything is a pastel shade, from the light yellow on the floor to the pale pink and violet of the chairs and the powder blue of the walls… well, beggars can’t be choosers when it comes to it, and the woman on the chair is chatting amicably with the chestnut-haired girl doing her hair and doesn’t look like she hates being there or like she chose the wrong shop.

Also, it’s two PM and he knows this is going to take long. He can hardly afford to fuck around much longer.

He pushes the door open and walks into the shop.

“Welcome!” The chestnut-haired girl says, giving him a nice smile. “Sorry if I don’t come over, but if you sit for a minute my colleague will be back from her coffee break shortly.”

“Sure,” he says, “no hurry,” and he goes sitting on one of the pale violet chairs on the side - they’re comfortable, at least, and he considers taking out the book he brought with to pass the time, but then -

“Hello and welcome! Can I get you a glass of water” Someone else chirps from his side, and right, he did hear the door open -

Oh.

“Hi,” he blurts, staring into a pair of lovely blue eyes belonging to supposedly the other girl working here - she has long auburn hair styled in a french braid and is wearing a blue summer dress that pairs with her eyes perfectly and she’s smiling down at him as if she’s not horrified by his horrid dye-job, or by his presence in the first place, which is his general experience in this kind of shops, so - that’s good, at least. “And uh, thanks,” he says, realizing he is thirsty.

“Be right back! Sorry, I was taking my break but we have no appointments today, so I’ll be on your case very soon.”

She goes to the corner of the room and grabs a glass of water from a dispenser, then brings it to him - shit, he needed it.

“So, what can I do for you?”

“Er,” he says, “I dyed that hair for a bet but I was called for an internship yesterday, and I start on Monday, so… I need a removal. If it’s possible.”

The girl leans closer, taking a good look at his hair.

“Hm,” she says, “it might take a while, but I think it’s possible. It’s not a very good dye job, if I can say so.”

He snorts. “Oh, you can. Please, I did it and I have regretted it every moment since.”

“Well,” she nods, “you’re lucky that most likely no one will show up for anything complicated today then. Jeyne, can you handle other customers in case?”

“Sure,” the chestnut-haired girl replies. “As if I don’t know you’ll have the time of your life.”

She rolls her eyes, then goes to a wardrobe in the corner and finds him a towel, tucks it around his neck and lowers a chair near the small sinks at the bottom of the shop so he can sit on it - he does, feeling extremely thankful that it’s extremely comfortable leather, and he can hear her tutting about bad dyes under her breath as she washes his hair once, twice, thrice, and her fingers feel really good on his scalp but he’s not going to think about that now.

“Just for the record,” she asks as she rinses it, “do you just want the dye to go away or do you want a cut, too?”

“Hell,” he says, “I need to look presentable. I suppose the cut can’t hurt.”

“Will do,” she chirps again, “and by the way, never use that kind of dye again. Not with hair this nice.”

Tyrion would have toppled off the chair if his head wasn’t thrown too far back for it to happen.

“I have nice hair now?”

“You can feel it,” she replies, “under all this… this,” she says, shaking her head.

“I know,” he says, “bad choices.”

“Extremely,” she goes on, rinsing. “But don’t you worry. I’ll have it fixed.”

“Really,” chestnut-haired girl says, “Sansa is a pro with that kind of thing. You’re in good hands.”

Oh. So her name is Sansa. It’s pretty, he thinks.

“Well,” he says, “I can’t wait to see how you manage it. I’m Tyrion, by the way. Figures you should know if I know yours?”

“Oh, absolutely,” she goes on, and gives his hair a last rinse. “Right, can you move forward?” He does and she dries his hair with the towel, then goes to find a mantel that somehow he doesn’t drown in. “Please,” she says, “on whichever free chair you prefer.”

He picks an empty one two spots away from Jeyne and the other woman and lowers it so he can sit down, and then Sansa raises it up again until his still sadly blue head is at the right height.

“Hm,” she says, grabbing a lock and feeling it between her fingers, “from what I see here you’re a natural blonde?”

“Sort of,” he shrugs. He is - his hair isn’t as golden as his siblings’, but it definitely is on that shade. Not that he ever bothered to look into it. “Wait,” he says, fishing into his pocket, and then he grabs his phone and shows her a picture Bronn took of him and Jaime during Tyrion’s latest birthday party which is about the only one of his he’s kept there where you can see his actual color very well. She takes it, squints, zooms on his head, then nods and hands him back the phone.

“Well,” she says, “we’re going to have to use a color remover to take out the blue pigment, then apply some more pigment to allow for the proteins in the hair to adhere to it. Then… yeah, possibly mix a few different types of toners to reach the goal of your natural hair color, and it’s going to take a while, but we should get there. Nothing that terrible.”

“Er,” he blurts, “how much chemistry did you have to study to get there?”

She smiles a bit wider.

“Yeah, I know, but some people don’t like if we talk like that. It makes it sound complicated, I’m told.”

“Not at all,” he says, waiting as Jeyne, who has finished the other woman’s hair, goes to the back room to presumably get Sansa at least the color remover, “not like it’s not… sort of my thing, too,” he says, and then he bites his own tongue - why did he ever do that, now she’s going to decide he’s a creep or something -

“Really,” she says as Jeyne comes back and hands her the remover, “do lean your head back. And what it is that you do?”

He takes a deep breath and tells her.

—

“Oh, so you’re a mortician?” Sansa says happily as she keeps on applying the remover to his hair, her fingers pressing along his scalp as she rubs it in. To her credit, she doesn’t sound like she thinks it’s creepy.

“Well, apprentice,” he shrugs, “but yeah, working on it. And starting an internship soon. Where I can’t… look like this. But yes. Just going through my degree - I had a final a couple days ago. Fuck, it was so embarrassing.”

“Did they judge your hair?”

“Called it apocalyptic, but I aced it.”

“Nice. What was it about?”

“Embalming, mostly,” he sighs. “All the chemistry about formadelhyde I had to learn.”

“Fun fact,” Sansa grins, “do you know they use it in clothing?”

… He somehow had not known that.

“What? Really? They forgot to cover that part.”

“Well,” Sansa says, “I used to crash fashion school lessons, my brother’s boyfriend snuck me in. I learned a lot. I think it’s because of the preserving qualities, though I’m sure it wasn’t… all of it.”

“I mean,” Tyrion blurts, “it’s a preservative but it’s also a disinfectant. Destroys bacteria and their food supply, and it’s a dehydrator, there’s a reason why we use it that much.”

“Hm,” Sansa nods, starting to put aluminium stripes on his hair - fuck, he looks ridiculous like this, “one wonders why you don’t just use alcohol then? Because I thought it was kind of carcinogen.”

Well, she did listen to those lessons for sure.

“It’s cheaper,” Tyrion sighs, “a lot cheaper. It cuts costs. Guess I’ll resign myself to the cancer risk.”

She snorts. “Please,” she says, keeping on placing those stripes carefully, “I’m pretty sure that’s exaggerating a bit. There, they should rest for half an hour. I have to place a few calls now but if you want to read while I’m at it feel free to, just don’t move your head around too much.”

“Roger that,” Tyrion nods, and settles back in the chair.

He has a feeling it’s going to be long, but at least she’s very good company. Jeyne looks about to say something but then another woman comes in the shop and she goes to greet her, and Tyrion goes back to his Chinese sci-fi book that he’s really enjoying and hopes that at the end of it he doesn’t have to shave his head because that dye was that bad.

—

Half an hour later, after washing away the remover, Sansa has moved on to applying the first round of pigment to his hair - the blue did go out, but it still looks…. well. Bad. He can see it just looking at it in the mirror.

“So, she says, “is your internship at a funeral home?”

“Yes,” he replies, “it’s during the last six months of the degree, then you write your thesis and you get your license, and honestly, it’s a nice funeral home. I hope they hire me for good. Anyway, it makes sense. We need to have… experiences with, uh, cases, you know, uh -“

“You can say bodies,” Sansa grins brightly, “it’s fine. I know what you do in funeral homes.”

“Oh, thank God,” he blurts. “I’m sorry, uh, people tend to get queasy when I mention them. The bodies, I mean.”

“That sounds nonsensical,” Sansa shrugs, “what do people think happens when they die? Anyway, you can absolutely say that. Hm, here we go, I think these can stay. Another… yeah. Half-hour, forty-five minutes? Get yourself comfortable. I’ll go mix those toners meanwhile.”

Oh. Right. The toners. Fuck, he can’t wait for this entire dye business to be over. Honestly, he hasn’t done that when he was fifteen, he should have stuck with it.

He grabs his book back and starts reading it again, except that he finds himself wishing he could chat with Sansa some more and he needs to get that thought out of his head right now, no reason to set himself up for failure.

He reads on.

—

Later, she’s washed his hair again and she’s still mixing the toners.

“Yeah,” she says, “I think this need a bit more work, but I’m curious. Is there anything you don’t like about your school? Because you sounded really excited before.”

Did I, Tyrion thinks, but then again… he almost never talks about it to anyone except Jaime or Bronn because everyone else thinks it’s morbid, and somehow this girl who owns a wholly pastel shop actually seems to enjoy discussing the topic, so why the hell not?

“I mean,” he says, “I think we should do autopsies.”

“Oh, you don’t? I’d have expected it.”

“Eh,” he shrugs, “me too, and I think we should for, you know, completion and so on, but we don’t, so I guess I’ll read up on it.”

“But,” she says, “hypothetically,” and she’s kind of smiling slyly, what, “let’s say that someone wakes up while embalming them. What do you do then?”

“I mean,” Tyrion replies, slowly, “I think there’s a pretty huge difference between a living body and a dead one?”

“Sansa, please,” Jeyne says as she combs through the hair of the other woman, who looks… a tiny bit disturbed, but neither Jeyne nor Sansa are, so… who cares. right?, “never mind that you need a bit more toner, but I think there’s a thing named rigor mortis that’d make it pretty fucking obvious.”

“That,” Tyrion replies, “also if one gets stuck in a fridge for a few days I think you’d be dead anyway. Not to be, you know, morbid.”

Sansa mixes a bit more toner and smiles wider. Right. She was so fucking with him. “I mean, you did pump them full of carcinogen just before, right?”

“Right,” he laughs as she tells him to lean back and starts applying the toner to his poor roots, “we did, technically.”

“Just stay still,” she goes on, “it’ll be another hour, I think. Then I can cut.”

Well, he decides, at least this entire process is being not overtly miserable.

He leans back and lets her apply the toner and then cover it with the aluminium stripes all over again.

—

“So,” she says later while Jeyne is going through the third client of the day and he’s sitting on the chair again after his hair was thoroughly rinsed and washed for the umpteenth time — he lost count, honestly, but now it does look like his usual shade, sort of, he thinks, “can I ask what was this infamous bet about? Also, I can see your hair is naturally wavy — should I just trim the edges? Because I can see you cut it yourself and it’s not bad but you kind of hacked at them.”

“Er, yes,” he says, “sounds good. Wait, naturally wavy?”

“It is,” she says, “I can recognize it.”

“I, uh,” he coughs, “I don’t think I ever had it long enough to notice?”

“It’s the exact same as your brother’s,” she shrugs, “just a bit darker, but again, this should tide you over for a while. I mean, by the time it wears off whatever travesty you did to your hair in the first place should be fixed and it’ll be as before and no one will notice.”

“Then - I guess you can trim only and I’ll see,” he says, his throat suddenly feeling dry. No one ever compared him to Jaime in that sense without making it… well. About how he’s not the person with the good looks in the family, so this entire thing is just - weird. “Anyway, uh, you can ask about the bet. I mean, it’s just embarrassing.”

“I’m listening,” she says, cutting the edges of his hair slowly, and surely she puts a lot more thought it in than he does while cutting it, but then again… it’s her job and he learned because he didn’t want his father’s barber to go near his head.

“Er, so,” he clears his throat again, trying to figure out how to tell her the sanitized version of it while sparing her from all the family ugliness, “I was out drinking with the brother and the best friend at the same bar we’ve been going to for months because they have good drinks and the brother absolutely had a crush on the bartender, except that he came from a, uh, toxic relationship, let’s put it like that, and I thought he wasn’t going to fess up ever, so - we were drunk and it came out and I said of course I’d dye my hair that horrid color if he fessed up to her and like, I thought he never would but he actually went and did it and — yeah. I mean, glad for him that it went well but not my greatest moment.”

“Aw,” Sansa replies, keeping on trimming, “I like a nice love story. I imagine he doesn’t share our interest in formadelhyde.”

Why does his heart beat a tiny bit faster when she says our interest?

“No,” Tyrion shakes his head, “he’s more into nerding over Middle Ages weapons, but at least he didn’t tell me Six Feet Under was boring, so.”

“I loved that show,” she replies, “who’d say it’s boring?”

“It’s my favorite,” he shrugs a bit as she puts away the scissors. “And a lot of people, but it seems like you have good taste.”

She nods as she grabs some lotion that she supposedly has to pass into his hair before drying it. “And what about you?”

“Sorry?”

“Well, he had a nice love story going into port, so what about you?”

“Er,” he hopes he’s not blushing, fuck, he’s usually not — he doesn’t fluster, fucking hell, “I — really am not looking. My family kind of… fucked up the only serious relationship I had going for me and most people get put off at the whole I want to be a mortician thing, so.”

“What kind of family fucks up relationships for other people?”

“The kind we come from,” he sighs, “but at least he’s out of that circus and I’ll be the moment I graduate.”

“Nice,” Sansa nods, “now just hold on a moment and I’m drying it.”

He nods — she grabs an hair dryer and starts blowing it and yes, he can see she got the exact shade right now that it’s not wet anymore, and — well, of course it’s her job to make it look good but the more she proceeds the nicer it looks, and now he can vaguely see what she meant when she talked about natural curls, and also… it feels fluffier? Lighter? He has no fucking clue, but the moment she’s finished — well.

“Fuck,” he admits, “I don’t think my hair ever looked this nice in my entire life.”

She grins. “I know how to do my job. Another moment.” She sprays some more lotion on her hands and runs it through his hair again. “This was just for a bit of nutriment, but there you are. You know, if you treat it a bit more nicely you might not need it me to make it look good.”

“Yeah, well, and what if I’d like to come back here instead?” He blurts, not knowing what the fuck he’s aiming for, but then she grins back a bit wider.

“I always like making new clients,” she replies, “especially when they’re cute and they don’t only want to talk about the gossip in magazines. That gets boring after a while.”

Wait, did she call him cute?

“Tell you what,” she keeps on as she takes the mantel off him and waits for him to get off the chair and follow her to the counter, “let’s say I don’t give all new clients a ten percent discount but I do give it to the ones I like.”

What the fuck —

“So, here you go.”

She hands him a receipt… with a fifteen per cent discount. “But you have to promise me you won’t use that crap dye anymore. That’s probably more cancer-inducing than formaldehyde could ever be.”

He has to laugh at that.

“Fair,” he says, “I won’t. Maybe I’ll come back before my last final. It’s two weeks from now,” he says, slowly, “I might want to look good for it. As much as it goes, anyway.”

“Oh, I’ll make you look incredible, don’t you worry.” She takes his card, swipes it, hands him the POS. He’s sure he doesn’t let it drop just out of sheer force of will. The payment goes through, she gives him his receipt and he pockets it, his hand still sweating —

“I’ll see you to the door,” she goes on, and she follows him out.

“So, Tyrion,” she grins again, “see you in two weeks?”

“Oh,” he replies, “absolutely.”

“And let me know how the internship thing works out. I like to know what’s up with the clients I like,” she winks, and then she leans down and kisses his cheek before going back into the shop.

Tyrion just stands there dumbfounded and only takes a few steps from the shop, and he didn’t mean to eavesdrop but he hears Jeyne the moment he starts walking away and —

“Sansa, I know you said you’d be forward after that asshole Harry, but I never saw you being that obvious. You really liked our mortician or what?”

“So what?” Sansa replies, and Tyrion thinks he’ll faint. “No point in playing hard to get and all. When he comes back I’m absolutely asking him out for coffee or something. I did like him.”

“Good for you,” Jeyne replies, “he seems nice and you deserve a nice guy. Even if that dye was a really crap choice on his part.”

“Oh, if I have a say in it no bad dye is ever coming near that hair. It was so nice,” she replies, and at that point he leaves because he really shouldn’t be doing this and he will faint, but —

But he smiles to himself all the way home.

He thinks he’s never looked forward to a final that much, and if she does really ask him out for coffee, no way he’s being an idiot and saying no.

And if he’ll brush up on cool embalming facts before then, well, you can’t blame him, right?

End.

#sanrion #tyrion lannister #sansa stark #jeyne poole #sansa x tyrion #those are the tags i suppose???#my fic

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hellonoblesky · 3 years

Text

School got me worn out so here's my team dynamic HCs

It's Kaeya, Xingqiu, Diluc, and Ayaka atm hngjfhgdjfg

Kaeya

This man is so tired, Archons please let him rest

Has to pick up his week's paperwork from Jean every Monday when we go to Mondstadt to buy food supplies and stuff before fighting Andrius, gets to work on it while Diluc and the Andrius team go at it

Actually is the person who keeps the whole party safe, has pulled Xingqiu away from ledges while he's reading more times than he can count, makes sure everyone has food at all times, and keeps the schedule in line

Has a flask of Death After Noon that he keeps on him, has to actively keep it away from Xingqiu because the kid's curious

He is so tired he is the reason the party only gets up to leave at like noon because he sleeps in

Thinks he's good enough at hiding his anxiety that no one else has noticed

He is not, they've all noticed him shaking visibly at high speeds in 90-degree weather and the kids will do their best to avoid fraying his nerves on a bad day

Very kind to Xingqiu and Ayaka, kinda like a cool uncle? Buys them things even though they can afford it

Kinda lets the kids do what they want and chat while he keeps them safe and the whole party on their way

Absolute tank, balances his skillset out so he can manage most threats alone, no one has to get hurt, they can just travel, it's fine it's fine

Pretends to casually bring up stuff the kids want to do (after meticulously making sure the party would be in the right place at the right time)

"Xingqiu, we have time to kill, care to show us to the Wanwen Bookhouse? We can see if they have the next issue in that book series you're always reading! :)"

"Ayaka, you wanted to try some Liyuen cuisine, didn't you? We have a dear friend who just so happens to be a chef at Wanmin Restaurant! And since we're in Liyue anyway, we should swing by, shouldn't we?"

He tries his best to find something Diluc wouldn't mind doing too! Usually, Diluc turns him down but Kaeya has scored on occasion!

"C'mon Diluc, you can't have lost all your taste for reading, right? I hear Inazuma has some interesting books nowadays, what with all the isolation..."

Basically, he just tries his best and is so tired please let him rest

Diluc

This man is angry all the time but he doesn't mean to be. He's just unnerved because he's basically back to hunting Fatui in other nations. He just isn't alone this time and the Fatui aren't the focus

He's so annoyed that they don't leave until Kaeya wakes up, actively in denial about the fact that he himself wakes up only an hour earlier and everyone else is waiting for much longer

Runs right into danger all the time please someone tell this man to calm down he is the reason they need so much food

Does and takes a whole lot of damage at the same time and it stresses Kaeya out so much

Was not Pleased to find out he'd be stuck traveling with Kaeya, puts up with it because he can't bring himself to turn down the Traveler's request. Because in his eyes they're just a kid trying to find their family and he really can't turn down their plea for help in

Gets along surprisingly well with Xingqiu, they both enjoy reading, and often recommend books to each other! Diluc has no idea Xingqiu wrote Legend of a Sword, but the only reason for that is that he literally forgot the book name

"Hmm... in Mondstadt we have this book, The Fox and the Dandelion Sea? For a traditional Mondstadt fairytale, it does remind me of Inazuma, funnily enough. There are versions of the book that are watered down for younger children, but if you have the time I'd recommend the full novelization."

"Tales From the Waves? No, I haven't read that. Is it good?" ... "A novelization of an old ship captain's life? That does sound interesting... I'll pick up a copy when I can"

Gets along well with Ayaka as well, they both appreciate the arts and such so they talk about that

"In Mondstadt we don't have nearly as many festivals as they do in Inazuma... but when we do they're quite the occasion, and very dear to people's hearts. There would be rioting in the streets if the Windblume Festival was postponed..."

"Oh Mond has its fair share of dance traditions, but they fell to be a staple of the Lawrence rule, so not many traditional dances remain... although if you wish to learn more about them you could ask Kaeya to introduce you to the Knight's Recconacance Captain. She doesn't like me very much"

Is the one person who actually doesn't realize that Kaeya is anxious All The Time, literally could watch him shake uncontrollably as Venti walks by and think it was his Vision acting up, he has all the pieces to put the puzzle together but has lost interest in it

Xingqiu

Top ten reasons the party gets sidetracked, number one: Xingqiu finding a book and getting so into it that he doesn't notice people

Actually besties with Ayaka he thinks she's really cool!

Top ten reasons why Kaeya actually gets to sleep as long as he does, number one: Xingqiu jumping up and yanking Diluc's hair when he tries to wake him up

"You're 22 you can go get breakfast by yourself, my leige"

Infodumps about his books to the whole party while they're eating dinner regardless of if they're listening or not (they are, they always are)

Pulls out relevant trivia out of nowhere?? Like they'll be stuck in some ruins and Xingqiu just

"Hey, you know this specific style of ruins are known to be built with metal hatches that always lead to escape routes :)"

Or like

"Oh yeah, the coloration in the animals is different here because the plants in Inazuma so often have purple and blue pigmentation, and Inazuma is so naturally isolated, that the animals adapted to get their pigments partially from the foliage!"

And no one knows how or why he knows this much but he Does??

Also, knows everyone's favorite bird for some reason and talks about them, why? Idk I think he'd like birds!!

"A peacock? Oh, I've never even seen one of those! I hear they're lovely, but a little noisy. Sometimes we get feathers imported for design reference at the Feyun Commerce Guild though!"

"Umbertail Falcon, right? Ohh I hear they can be very loyal, right? Ahh, so that's why yours flys down to check in on you? That's lovely! Owls? Oh yeah, those are cool birds, you know their feathers are fanned out just right so they're entirely silent while flying!"

"Herons? Oh yeah, that's what your title is, right? Graceful... I think they're more stealthy, very good at waiting to strike. That's how they hunt, you know? Just being patient and stealthy, then striking. That's also why they're so graceful standing there all the time!"

Bummed that he's the only person in the party without a bird as his constellation tbh, but he's alright with it because he's got books!!

Mentioned Albedo and Kaeya almost choked on his food, Xingqiu thought this was hilarious

Routinely plays pranks on Diluc and occasionally manages to pull a deez joke on Kaeya, leaves Ayaka alone with the pranks though because he knows she's new to all of this

Ayaka

Oh this poor girl, Lumine just dropped her off with Mondstadt's most dysfunctional siblings and a kid who reads at the speed of light and said have fun

Really gets along well with Xingqiu!! Having someone with a somewhat similar background is definitely a relief, especially because Kaeya and Diluc intimidate her, what with them arguing most of the time they interact

She recognizes the anxiety in Kaeya (because she also has it) so she's a little more comfortable approaching him because of that

She's happy to talk about Inazuma's ruins and is fascinated by Kaeya bringing up similar ruins in Mondstadt and Liyue

She really appreciates him remembering what she's interested in and making time in the day for it!

Diluc on the other hand?? She has... some idea how to talk to him? But?? He is either aggressive or glaring off into the distance at all times, and she's been around long enough to know that he doesn't mean to be like that but it's still unnerving to her

However, she Can talk to him! She is still a little confused because he constantly sounds so grumpy, but she's realized that he's actually really good at listening, and is absolutely willing to talk about Mondstadt traditions! Because she does really like to learn about other nations

Plus, she can go to Xingqiu to answer most of her questions!

"Xingqiu, I- I hope this isn't an odd question, but ah... how exactly do you get used to Kaeya and Diluc? I don't think I've quite figured it out yet..?"

"So in Liyue... the Merchant stalls are on the docks? Like Ritou but it's all on the docks? Interesting..."

"You're the second born of the Feyun Commerce Guild? Oh! Forgive me, I thought you were the eldest, my brother handles most international relations..."

It was really hard for her to adjust to the team, just because of how ragtag it is most of the time, but she's got it by now!

She actually kind of likes the scrappy chaos! She hasn't completely gotten used to it all but she finds it like kind of a break from having to uphold her image at all times

Top five Ayaka quotes and who she said them to:

"They fight a wolf ghost every week...?? Are they ok??" (To Kaeya, about the Andrius team)

"So this is Morax's old... dragon friend...??" (To Xingqiu)

"Wait, you do this every week?" (To Diluc, about the domains)

"Oh!! Oh it is spicy!!!" (To Xingqiu, about Xiangling's cooking)

"Ah... OH! Yes um I uh- *gay hand flip* ?? Is that right??" (Xingqiu was talking about Chongyun)

Also the party went to Dragonspine and Ayaka was actually really interested in Durin because she didn't know that other nations also had odd giant dragon skeletons

#genshin impact #genshin kaeya #kaeya albrich #genshin diluc #diluc ragnvindr #genshin xingqiu #genshin ayaka #kamisato ayaka #please disregard any msitakes I am so tired I just wanted to write sometehing #gonna post my school doodles in my sketchbook on the art blog later probably anyway #kaeya has anxiety diluc seems mad xingqiu is stable and ayaka is confused that's it that's the post

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meruz · 4 years

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Hey I can't find this in your FAQ so sorry if it's been asked before! Your traditional art is so stunning and vibrant, would you happen to have any brand recommendations for people trying to get into painting? Maybe specific gouche paint, brushes, papers etc. Thank you so much and have a nice day!

no one has ever asked me this before because this is like the first time ive started putting traditional art on my blog! LOL umm to be honest I’m very far from pro on this front, most of my knowledge comes from a handful of classes I didn’t pay a lot of attention to and lots of youtube videos but here’s my recommendations:

Paint

A lot of my paints are winsor newton designer’s gouache because this is what my teachers made me buy when I was a freshman at art school LOL. it’s definitely kind of pricey, I think it’s like $10.99 for a tube which I was NOT a fan of as a college student and is still not my favorite thing now. But they’re overall worth the price if you really want solid, high quality opaque paints. Though I’ve heard their student grade winton paints are decent as well?

I’ve heard less good things about brands like reeves and artist loft... but I think turner is alright? m.graham is supposedly great.

I also bought a set of holbein acryla gouache when it was discounted on amazon a while ago and have found it very solid. One thing you have to know about acryla gouache is that it uses a binder more like acrylic paint (hence the name acryla). Paints are made out of pigment + binder and most gouache is essentially watercolor but with extra pigment/chalk to make it opaque - the binder is water soluble so these paints can be reactivated with water. Acryla gouache is NOT water soluble when dry and it dries pretty fast so it’s overall less flexible. But other than that you can pretty much treat it like any other gouache and I find they keep a little better too, less likely to get gunky or stiff.

All paint brands have a handful of starter packs which are slightly discounted but if you want to build your own starting palette I’d say get a warm and cool tint of all the primaries, get a lot of white (working with gouache somehow involves a lot of mixing with white lol), and get a brown, maybe like burnt sienna or raw umber for underpaintings. No need to get a black, mixing darks builds character, looks better, and having one out of the tube can become a crutch. If you find a white watercolor paint tube that’s cheaper you can buy that instead of a gouache white. Again, they have pretty much the same make-up. And white paints are generally opaque enough that the composition between gouache/watercolor shouldn’t matter too much.

I’ve never used a block tray of gouache. Like those paints that come in little blocks in a tray? I know there's a bunch out there but I’ve never used them and I don’t know anyone else who does so I have no opinion on them.

Brushes

I’ve been kind of exploring this myself. I recently bought a cheap set of flat brushes off amazon LOL and I like them a lot?

Theyre probably not The Best or anything but I found flat brushes suit gouache plein air painting really well because its suits the kind of color blocking shapes I want to make. Also these had the right handle length to fit in my painting bag. That’s like the main reason I chose them tbh.

Honestly a lot of my art supplies philosophy is “give it a whirl with whatever you have lying around and when it feels like you're missing something specific keep an eye out for when that stuff goes on sale”

Paper

GOTTA BE HONEST I’m using cheapo paper. Because I’m making these paintings half for study and half to give my parents something to hang in the living room.

You can actually see some of them curling in on themselves here lol. If you’ve seen the sketchbook I’m holding in any of my pics of paintings it’s one of the canson mixed media books.

and its FINE... I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it lol.. I like that the texture is very fine but it doesn’t hold a lot of water and definitely distorts. Also I keep ripping off the surface with painters tape but that might just be on me. Oh buy artist tape. Just because its so satisfying to have clean edges.

I’m using painters tape instead of artist tape because I found it in the basement but if youre buying supplies buy artist tape because it’ll be kinder to your paper.

SPEAKING OF PAPER.

I guess anything heavyweight for watercolor/mixed media will be fine? some people like a lot of texture but if you’re painting small you might want to avoid it and pick hot press over cold press. Honestly I feel like a lot of this is going to depend on what your specific needs are.. how big do you want the paper to be.. do you want a sketchbook or would you rather carry around loose paper... etc. Maybe go to an art store and touch all their paper. I feel like its easier to understand sizes and texture when you’re seeing it physically.

When I go on a trip, I normally bring a softcover heavyweight stillman & birn sketchbook because I tend to obliterate metal spiral books in my bag LOL. Also I don’t rip any pages out of my travel sketchbooks so I don’t need perforation or anything. Also they go on sale a lot in the art store I go to haha. I havent used gouache extensively in it but it takes inkwash/maker pretty well.

On the higher end, I personally haven’t used it that much but my friends who do traditional illustration professionally swear by arches watercolor paper. It comes in lots of different sizes.

Whatever you use, if you really want it to lie flat you’re gonna want to soak and stretch it on a board but I don’t bother with that because I am lazy.

Palette

You didn’t ask about palette but I’m taking the opportunity to be a shill because I personally use a sta-wet palette and I LOVE it.

One of the biggest frustrations about gouache for me was how quickly it dries after it leaves the tube. And even if you can reawaken it with water its not quite the same? and consistency is SO important when it comes to applying gouache so I don’t want to be over-watering my paint.. ugh. Anyways, I don’t have to worry about that with the sta-wet palette and really its been a game changer for me. sta-wet is a brand name but there are a bunch of other wet palettes not by masterson that I’m sure are just as good. I mean, it’s just a box with a sponge basically, that can’t be hard to replicate.

The only thing - and I personally have not had this issue but I have friends who have - is that if you leave it wet for too long it could grow mold? or a mouldy smell? Just wash your palette with soap and don’t leave it for weeks on end and it should be fine.

If you’re not feeling a palette that’s always moist, the best palette I used in school was a simple glass palette. you can buy one I guess but it’s so easy to DIY, I think the way we did it in school is getting a piece of glass and mdf from the hardware store cut the same size and then duct taped them together on the sides so it wouldn’t be sharp.

costs like nothing.

what else...get a palette knife if you like to mix paints? and like to save paints... mixing with the brush means you lose paint in your brush in the mixing process so a knife is a good way to maximize that process. I don’t use it much but sometime if I have to mix a lot of one color I’ll pull it out of my bag.

I don’t know anything about easels, I sit on the dirty ground like a gremlin when I paint.

Ok yeah that’s all the supplies tips I have. hope some of it was helpful! always try to save money with art supplies, I think. Especially if you’re just starting out - it’s less stressful to use cheap supplies too lol. Good luck! Happy painting!

#Anonymous #traditional art #gouache #one day ill work out a proper way to tag this

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boys-from-santacarla · 3 years

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Note; I deeply apologize seeing as this is going to end up being long. Onto the information; My name is Ghost(mainly go by this one), Acid, Killer(more of a nickname), or Gore(more of a nickname). I go by he/they/xe/its, and I'm a dude, MLM and poly so it really doesn't matter much who it is. Born March 31st, being an Aries I'm a very loud and energetic person. I'm also very impulsive and get myself into deep shit, even if I don't realize I'm doin' it. I get overly loud when the topic is about something I enjoy or is into, if I try flirting on purpose it's ass but when I do it without realizing I get called a huge flirt. Big music and art geek, I have sketchbooks upon sketchbooks filled just sitting around in my room. I listen to a lot of rock like Queen, Guns N Roses, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, ACDC, Nickelback, KISS, Slipknot, KoRn, and on and on. Although I listen to every genre of music minus country(although there are few songs I can deal with). Big tattoo/piercing person, if you have one visible I will point it out and geek out about it. Although literally don't ask me to name a few songs unless I've been rambling on about it because I have the shittiest memory. I dye my hair so often it's surprising my hair is still healthy. I have literally bleached my hair, dyed it red and let that fade for a week, then dyed it blue and have been touching up the blue ever since then. If it wasn't due to money problems and the fact it's hard to borrow in my town my hair would probably have my hair a different color every two weeks. I ramble quite a bit and have the shittiest focus and memory, so you may have to pull me to the side and tell me to calm down. Would definitely compliment on the boys looks, specially their outfits. I'm a coffee and monster addict at this point, you'll see one or the other in my hand, and the occasional water bottle because I try to keep myself health. My love language is through touch and insulting people. Ex, "I fucking love you dumbass" or flipping you off playfully as a way of saying "i love you bitch". Smoking doesn't bother me, grew up around it my entire life. I love riding on motorcycles, no matter the weather, is it cold asf, nice idgaf, is it raining, shit lets go. I have a bad(good in some people's eyes) of using petnames/nicknames for everyone. Everyone has a wholesome petname from me and then I'll call them a whore or some shit. I cuss too much for my own good, I literally don't have a filter in my entire body. I will impulsively say shit, sometimes that's a good thing and sometimes it's a bad thing. Due to my anxiety I try to stay away from large crowds, but if I'm in them (aka on the boardwalk) I will have music blaring in my ears and my ears glued into my current sketchbook. Although I currently don't have them, I'm going to add them anyways because I'm going to end up getting them when I have the money to go to a piercer or to get a kit. I want a shit ton of piercings. Such as snake bites(lip piercing), tongue, septum, all of the piercings finished on my ears, and bridge. I've stated once I'm a big tattoo geek, so I want a quite a bit of those. I'm definitely a big "oh let's do it myself" person, and I have tried giving myself a septum piercing. (it would've worked if it wasn't for the fact I did it too low to be able to flip it up to hide it) I love the adrenaline of fights, it doesn't matter if I win or loose, although I do prefer if I win. I literally get the most random urge to fight someone for the hell of it. Probably has something to do with impulsive thoughts and shit, but oh well. I'm a big respect person, I live by the motto "you respect me, I'll respect you". I have blackouts sometimes due to rage and anxiety, so I try to keep myself from having them. I have a bad habit of rambling and saying sorry too much. I tend to repeatedly say sorry whilst rambling as I tend to get overly excited and loud when I ramble. I'm a very talkive person if I know and trust you. If you're around me and you don't get your ear talked off or messed with, you're probably not liked or

you need to leave. It's one easy way you'll be able to tell if I get along with you or not. I kinda have a whatever/punk/alt style, a lot of time I just grab something decent and throw it on. Although you'll always see me wearing a belt and my platform shoes. I'm 5'0, so my obsession with platforms grew because of my need to be tall. I wear a lot of baggy clothing, I'm definitely more of a comfort over style person.

Ok, my dude, I'll definitely pair you with...

Marko and Paul

Oh, man, you three are gonna be some threesome (and not necessarily in the sexual way lol)

Just imagine THE MESS

The boys think you're adorable when you get into the romantic mood and try to flirt but end up saying bad pick-up lines, so they'll laugh, but will twirl their hair as whoerish as possible and follow the game. Or they would get on with their manly act and fight to see who will flirt back better.

Now, the chatting will be so goddamn long! You three will go on 4 hour-long conversations that'll get from a "look at this new t-shirt I got" to "so that's why Ronald Reagan was an alien". The worst part is left to the spectators like David or Dwayne since none of you three will be the sane individual and shut y'all up.

The blondes like your drawing, and ask you to draw them or random stuff and people CONSTANTLY, so you'll have many opportunities to improve your skills and try with different models. When they happen to find some of your sketchbooks, they try to impress you or simply give a small present by drawing you or something you like, or at least make the attempt since some of the "fine pieces" as they call them, they give you are like children's school projects.

And, man, about the hair, are you blessed to have the glam diva Paul by your side to give advice and constructive criticism to your hair. He will help you choose the color and will give it style from time to time if you accept. The process to dye it will be so much fun, and so chaotic; experimenting with the pigments ends up with wounds caused from the bleach and the currently used wardrobe disposed later.

A thing they love about you is that you can stand up for yourself if needed, but they rather you not to, because they know you handle yourself and the others well, maybe too well for your good. Paul tries to take care of you as much as he can so there is no need for you to possibly get hurt. It was enough trying to control Marko so he didn't get involved in some stupid street fight every night at the boardwalk to now have to worry daily about you too. Marko shares the passion for the adrenaline of this and will think it is hot as hell, but he protects you as much as Paul, maybe a bit softer than him about it tho, but if you're in the middle of a fight and it starts to get worse than expected, he dead ass will force you to back off. He'll finish the business himself, sweetheart.

As for your love language, don't worry, these dorks will accept you playful pushes with joy, and they'll give you some of them too. But if you accidentally flip and fall some meters before hitting ground, you know the rule: laugh first, help second.

Oh, and you better get prepared for the bullying. You're the smallest in the group, so that leads to a constant attack as a hobbit. Marko joins the quip, but I mean, he'll get humiliated along. Let's just say Paul gives you two a hard time about it. With all the love of course.

They love to get out with you and the others and go to the boardwalk, but they try to take you out on days it is not that crowded, or in hours where a small amount of souls are having a stroll. But, if you happen to go out on a crowded night, they will keep you focused on having a good time, but just mention your getting uncomfortable and you'll be back at the cave in less than a minute.

Paul and Marko really love your style, they think it looks badass and try to match tough outfits with you from time to time. Giving you cool shirts and leather jackets with some patches on them that they think are awesome. Don't ask why some of the clothes have strange-colored stains on them tho.

They go with you to get you ears or nose pierced from the moment you three decided doing it diy style was a bad idea cuz y'all ended up with a bleeding nose and an ear infection the first time of trying it, and because there's no voice of reason in the threesome, Star and Dwayne had to give you kids a very long lecture of not doing those things by yourself.

#match-ups #Ghost #my writings #paul the lost boys #marko the lost boys #i just think u three together would be neat #the lost boys #i repeat my friend:#thank you so much for the request

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whimsywit · 3 years

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Hello I'm not sure if the matchups are open or not so I'm sorry if they aren't but I'm requesting one anyway to see if they are and if I could get one! I'm here to request a MHA romantic matchup please! I'm a 15 year old female but I look and act mature for my age(due to trauma *vibes with shoto in corner*) so I often get mistaked as an 18 year old or even older sometimes. Some good qualities of mine are maturity, level headedness, and then I can be motherly. Some bad traits can include bluntness, coming off as cold, and stubbornness. My hobbies or things I enjoy including hanging out with friends, swimming, listening to music, art, laying in bed on my phone, animals(I want to work with animals as a job), watching anime, the ocean(I love water if I could choose a quirk it would be water based), stargazing(I love galaxies, the moon and stars I find everything so fascinating), then finally goth/emo style! My music taste includes the artists The Neighborhood, Girl In Red, The Arctic Monkeys, Billie Eilish, Melanie Martinez, Alec Benjamin, Corpse, and Conan Gray! Traits I dislike in others are immaturity, impatience, disrespect, pushing boundaries, and not listening. Traits I look for in others are respect, kindness, understanding, patience, and humor. A bit about my appearance is I have longish black hair, pale skin, freckles, im a bit chubby, and tall(5'8). Im also very insecure and I doubt myself a lot but I'm trying to work on that! I have mental and physical health issues so I would need someone who could accept and be able to handle that. I would also need someone that would accept that I have trauma as well. I would want this relationship to be a two way thing so I would try to the best of my abilities to give what they want and need back since that's how relationships are supposed to work! I think thats it... I'm sorry if I missed anything you needed or if this is to long! I understand if you don't get to me right away or at all its alright! I hope your having a nice day! Thank you!

oml you’re so nice tysm i hope your day is going well too! also never apologize for writing too much, i don’t think such a thing exists >:P Now then, from what you told me, I decided you’d do well in a relationship with...

Hitoshi Shinso!

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Off the jump, I don’t know what kind of trauma you’ve been through, but I know that Hitoshi’s been through his own fair share of emotional turmoil in his youth with all the quirk ridicule, so you two are kindred spirits in that aspect! Plus your similar grungey styles and tastes in alt music make you fast friends, as you have endless content to talk about and share with each other.

He’d definitely develop feelings for you by first admiring your cool-calm-and-collected-ness, and then falling for your motherly characteristics that give you a rare compassionate disposition he’s never experienced before and deeply needs. Your negative traits don’t bother him either— he’s had to develop thick skin and thus more so see’s your bluntness as being... honest 😂 (plus he p much shares those traits with you but yall can work on them together ;P) And though Hitoshi’s not your typical sugary sweet ray of sunshine, he has the patience you’re looking for in spades, his own sense of humor he’s more than willing to share once he’s comfortable yes dryness and sarcasm are a form of humor, and I can bet that you’ll see a soft side once you break down those walls of his!

And not just your fashion and music interests, but you can share practically all your other interests with him, the easygoing and down-to-earth activities matching well with his energy levels. I can easily see you guys bouncing back and forth between nights in the rooms filled with music and binging shows, tons of cuddling under blankets and general coziness together, then spending others drifting in the water under the setting sun that pigment the rippling waves as you two laugh and splash the other, before drying off under the kaleidoscope of the heavens above in each others embrace.

All in all, Hitoshi thinks you’re gorgeous, inside and out, no matter your height or weight nor any health issues you might have. You’re a clearly kind and giving soul and that’s what he needs most in a partner, so as long as you’re willing to reassure and uplift him he’ll return the favor tenfold! Whatever your goals are, from working with animals (another thing he adores about you since we all know how much he loves cats but I digress) to powering your vices past or present, there’s no doubt he’ll carry you through all of them with that cute straight-tooth smile on his face 😋

#hopefully the length makes up for the time it took 🥺#order up: red velvet truffle!#bnha #mha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #bnha matchup #mha matchup #anime matchup #bnha x reader #mha x reader #hitoshi shinso #shinso hitoshi #bnha shinso #mha shinso #shinso bnha #shinso mha #hitoshi shinso x reader #shinso x reader

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gloriouskiaa · 3 years

Text

7 Amazing Tips for Summer-ready skin

When the weather warms up, we all want to uncover a bit more of our skin.

Even if you're looking forward to ditching the warm overalls in favor of crop tops and skirts, we can all cop to a little sun-induced anxiety – even if we decide to bare all, would our skin be summer-ready?

This year, you won't have to think about it; just pursue our top tips and you'll have dazzling, sun-kissed skin all summer long.

Summer skin care routine for dry skin

Summers hit your skin every year. The scorching sun, ozone, humidity, and other factors remove its normal radiance and, in some cases, invite infections. But fret not, here are easy-peasy strategies you should try this season to stop all of these hassles and keep your skin glowing like it should.

1) Exfoliate

You must exfoliate your skin regularly to make it look lighter. This extracts the dead tissue, which can dull your skin tone if left unchecked. Also, you'd give your skin a new look and feel while removing toxic parabens by investing in an exfoliating scrub utilizing natural ingredients.

Tip: Use repetitive movements to apply the exfoliating scrub throughout your face and body. Doing this at least 2 times a week will hold your skin in high quality during the season, preventing your pores from being obstructed by sun screen as well.

2) Moisturize

An additional advantage of a successful exfoliation regimen is that the skin becomes ready for effective moisturizing. This is ideal in the summer, because your skin needs all the hydration it can get to help combat sunburns. You will add natural softness to your skin by quenching your parched skin with moisturizers, particularly after exfoliation. In addition, moisturizing the skin gives the tan removal an additional advantage.

3) Shave and Shower, correctly

No one likes stinging sunburns, so you can mitigate the sunburn pain by constantly replacing your shaving blades. It is also a smart thing to shorten the shaving duration. You see, long shaves using steaming hot water dry the skin, you can instead use lukewarm or cool water to close the pores while soothing your skin.

4) Always protect from the sun

You may like the summer tan, but it would be foolish to take no care against the sun's harsh UV rays. After all, nobody feels attractive with sunburnt skin, just make sure you cover yourself well before stepping out in the sun.

Although you might still get some sunburns despite all the preparations in the world you undertake. However, you need not suffer – add refreshing gels to calm your affected red patches of skin. Furthermore, products that use aloe vera's natural strength appear to perform their healing quicker.

5) Facials

Believe us, those women who always appear to have flawless skin are not blessed with a fantastic skin since birth. It takes long-term commitment on your part to flaunt apparently faultless skin all year.

Spa's facial bookings give your skin a regular deep cleansing that unclogs the pores and removes defects. However, the dilemma is that daily visits to the spa or clinic are both time-taking and expensive.

So, why not be a facialist on your own?

Proper home facials not only rejuvenate your skin but also are a must if you plan on tan-removal as an element of your beauty routine.

6) Pedicure

Often you forget, but keeping your toes in top shape is critical.

Face it, you would have stuffed your bad feet more than you should've in boots all season, but you'd just need a bit of care until they are safe from the scorching summer heat.

Tip – File your feet's rough skin, then lather with a lotion until you sit your feet into cotton socks overnight as a perfect DIY pedicure for your feet. This is a sure-fire way to get your feet in top shape for the summer.

7) Eat and drink well

The look of your skin reflects the way you handle your body very well. Maintaining a healthy diet can lead to better skin visibly.

In order to preserve the necessary moisture balance for your body, aim to drink 8 glasses of water a day – it will maintain a healthy, detoxified skin. The idea to load luscious fruits and veggies which moisturize and feed your skin from within is also a good one.

Consider changing your Face Wash and Face Scrub.

Use a Refreshing Toner.

Change Your Moisturizer.

Exfoliate Routinely for Smoother Skin.

Wear Sunscreen before stepping out.

Include Antioxidants in Your Facial Skin Care Routine.

Keep Your Skin Hydrated.

Use minimal, chemicals-laden Makeup.

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This dermatologically tested and revolutionary formulation by Kiaa Republiks can be used as a day & night cream by both men and women. It works overnight to repair your skin's damaged cells, and thus helps in combating ageing, treating acne as well as dry skin.

Ingredients:

Aloe Vera Juice: Moisturizing aloe vera juice has been reportedly said to contribute to a decrease in acne occurrence and appearance of red-patched, irritated skin. It may also alleviate chronic conditions of the skin, such as dermatitis and psoriasis. Aloe vera contains certain types of antioxidants and vitamins that can help to protect the skin.

Argan Oil- The antioxidants and vitamin E present in argan oil help to soothe and reduce inflammation caused by acne and promote skin regeneration and healing. Applying argan oil also helps control excess oil production to prevent future acne.

Green Tea: Green tea contains six distinct polyphenols with the strongest ones being Epicatechin gallate (ECG) and Epigallocatechin (EGCG). Antioxidants are compounds that are capable of fighting free radicals within the organism. Free radicals can affect your body as well as skin's, health if their levels ever get too high. Free radicals can also lead to cell damage, and many diseases, including certain types of cancer associated with it.

Kiaa Repubiks' De-Tan & Skin Exfoliation Combo

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Soothe and detoxify your skin this summer with Kiaa Republiks face scrub and face wash. The combo guarantees tan removal, skin exfoliation and deep cleansing.

Ingredients:

Activated charcoal purifies the skin from bacteria, chemicals, grime, and grease. It also acts as an excellent exfoliator because it's a peel-off mask, which rids the skin of dead cells. The final outcome is smooth, translucent skin. If used as a powder, these masks can penetrate deep into the pores and remove all impurities from within.

Turmeric and curcumin are the most active substances in particular and have many statistically proven health benefits, such as healing properties for cardiac illness, Alzheimer's disease and cancer prevention possibilities. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory antioxidant that can also help relieve depression and arthritis symptoms.

Saffron includes an amazing array of antioxidant plant compounds – organic molecules that shield you from oxidative stress and free radicals.

Notable antioxidants found in saffron are: crocin, crocetin, saffron and kaempferol.

Crocin and crocetin have a red tint with carotenoid pigments. Both can induce antidepressant properties, preventing progressive damage to brain cells, increasing inflammation and lowering appetite to help lose weight.

Parting words: Ensure that your skin shines all summer!

To fall in love with your skin this summer, apply the top tips given above and you will not believe the wonder that follows! For even better results, use Kiaa Republiks' recommended products for long-lasting skin benefits.

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jack-rose1 · 3 years

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jaybug-jabbers · 4 years

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Flick’s Complete Bug Guide

Hi, all! Do you feel a wave of disappointment whenever you bring Blathers a bug and he spends all his time berating the poor creatures? Want to learn more about the buggy friends you find in Animal Crossing without all the snide remarks?

Look no further– this is Flick’s Complete Bug Guide! Learn about these amazing creatures from the perspective of a true bug fan!

You’re encouraged to visit every time you capture a new bug so you can learn more about it!

This guide is written in the theoretical universe where you can approach Flick during a day he is visiting and there is a dialogue option “Tell me about this!”

Upon being asked to tell you about a bug, Flick would say:

“Oh my gosh! A <name of bug>! I can hardly even gaze upon its sheer beauty and magnificence!”

“Ahem. I-I mean, um … thank you for bringing this to me!”

He would then tell you about the bug, and finish his speech with the following:

“It has been an honor to spend time in the presence of your <name of bug>. I hope you enjoyed hearing what wisdom I could share about it!”

Now, onward to the bug guide!

Common Butterfly (Pieris rapae)

The Common Butterfly, also known as the Cabbage Butterfly or the White Butterfly, is a widespread species of butterfly with pretty white wings and black spots. A large reason this species has grown so widespread is because its caterpillars love to eat plants in the cabbage family, including kale, broccoli and bok choy, plants that humans grow plenty of. While these caterpillars are considered serious crop pests, it’s interesting to note that these little grubs will move around a lot when feeding, avoiding damaging any single part of the plant too much. This may be to avoid predators from easily spotting the caterpillars, but they also might be trying to share the crops with us! With that in mind, maybe we can learn to share our crops with the butterflies, too.

Yellow Butterfly (Colias erate)

Ever wonder about a butterfly’s wing? Such delicate, beautiful structures? Well, the scientific name for the family of butterflies and moths is ‘Lepidoptera,’ which means 'scale wing.’ Butterfly wings are coated in thousands of teeny, tiny scales made of chitin. These scales help insulate a butterfly, as well as allow butterfly wings to get their coloration through pigments or iridescence. The scales also allow for a very neat trick– if a butterfly gets captured in a spider’s web, there’s a good chance some of the scales on their wings will detach, allowing the butterfly to slip away. That’s why if you handle a butterfly, sometimes you hands are covered in a fine powdery substance. That powder is some of the butterfly’s scales rubbing off on you. I have to admit, I envy butterfly scales a little. They seem much more beautiful and functional than my own lizardy scales.

Common Bluebottle (Graphium sarpedon)

This vibrant black-and-blue insect is a type of swallowtail butterfly, and lives in tropical rainforests as well as some drier, subtropical environments. Like most butterflies, they feed on flower nectar, but Bluebottles are also commonly seen drinking from mud puddles. This helps them take in salts and minerals from the ground. In search of nutrients, Bluebottles may even occasionally feed from animal droppings or dead animals! Although this may change your image of butterflies as sweet, lovely insects, it’s actually a really smart move for the butterflies. Good things can come even from wastes!

Tiger Butterfly (Papilio machaon)

The Tiger Butterfly is named for its dramatic yellow and black-striped coloration. It’s also sometimes called a Yellow Swallowtail, because of the long tails on its hindwings that resemble the tails of swallows. When Tiger Butterflies are caterpillars, they are covered in brown, white and black spots– ingeniously camouflaged as bird droppings! As the caterpillars get older, their colors change to a lovely green with black and orange markings. They also gain a new defense against predators, called the osmeterium. This is a forked, retractable organ that the caterpillar can inflate when feeling threatened. The osmeterium releases a foul odor, warding off ants and other predatory insects. As you can see, caterpillars have all sorts of tricks to avoid being eaten– which is a good thing, because that means more beautiful butterflies!

Agrias Butterfly(Agrias claudina)

This superb little butterfly is considered one of the most beautiful species to exist, and with its iridescent pink and violet set on a black background, I find it hard to argue. The glorious colors you’re witnessing are thanks to the teeny, tiny scales that coat the butterflies’ wings. Male Agrias Butterflies also have small yellow patches of scales on their hindwings, and these patches are special. They’re actually made of something called androconial scales. These scales help release pheromones for attracting a mate. Butterflies communicate with each other through these pheromones, as well as those colorful, glittering wings. Of course, with such eye-catching looks, these butterflies may gain the unwanted attention of predators, too, but they’re in luck: Agrias Butterflies are incredibly swift and agile fliers. It takes a lot to get ahold of one of these little gems!

Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae)

Oh, wow! You caught a Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing? Those are rare– they’re an endangered species! They live in rainforests, but habitat destruction from oil palm plantations has really damaged their populations. (It didn’t help that a volcano erupted around the 50s, destroying much of their habitat as well.) These days, it’s illegal to trade this species worldwide. Hopefully, with habitat protection and captive breeding programs, the species will make a comeback. It’s a really special species– did you know it’s the largest butterfly in the world? Its wingspan can reach up to 9 inches or larger! The females are the larger of the species, while males are smaller but more brightly colored. They love to fly quite high up, and have few natural predators due to their size. That fact gives me hope! I want to see these birdwings thrive once more.

Emperor Butterfly (Morpho menelaus)

The charismatic Emperor Butterfly– also commonly known as the Blue Morpho– is a wonderful example of iridescence. The shimmering cerulean shades of this species do not come from pigment but instead from wing scales that have a special microstructure, reflecting the light in a special way to produce the color. As the butterfly flies, you get flashes of bright blue, and other times see the dark wing undersides. It makes for quite the dazzling display. This butterfly’s wings don’t only look lovely, but also are able to repel water. As a result, it’s one of the few butterflies that will fly in the rain! Because of its beauty, the Emperor is popular with collectors, but over collection and habitat destruction threatens this species. It’s essential that we protect and preserve nature and its incredible insects, so future generations can enjoy them as well!

Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing (Trogonoptera brookiana)

The regal Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing is the national butterfly of Malaysia, and it’s easy to see why. This butterfly makes for an impressive sight; it has a wingspan over 7 inches long and has shimmering, electric-green and black wings. It dwells on rainforested islands where it feeds from flowers such as orchid trees. Interestingly, the males love to gather at hot mineral springs to sip the water, while the drabber-colored females are seen far less often, living a more mysterious life in the trees. The caterpillars of this species are white and brown, covered in defensive spines called tubercles. These larvae feed on the poisonous leaves of vines, storing the poison in their bodies so they are toxic to predators that try to eat them. Laws have been made to protect this popular species, attempting to limit the trade and export of these butterflies. Unfortunately, people sometimes still try to smuggle this species to sell to collectors. It’s an important reminder that we need to protect and respect these beautiful creatures, and not let collecting get out of hand.

Great Purple Emperor (Sasakia charonda)

The Great Purple Emperor is Japan’s proud national butterfly, due to their refined beauty and their wide distribution across Japan. They are black or brown butterflies speckled in white and yellow, with the males covered in a gorgeous purple sheen. They like to dwell in the upper canopy of trees but will come down to feed, sipping up tree sap and occasionally seeking minerals from animal droppings or animal carcasses. They are quick, strong flyers and are said to look like birds when they fly. The caterpillars of this species are adorable green larvae with a pair of horns that I think makes them look absolutely charming. These caterpillars enjoy the leaves of hackberry trees, and when winter comes, the fellows will turn a brown color and crawl to the ground and hide among the roots and fallen leaves. When spring arrives, they immerge from hiding and continue to feed until they are ready to pupate and become adults in the summer. Then they take flight with their strong wing beats– truly the kings of the summer forest!

Paper Kite Butterfly (Idea leuconoe)

The Paper Kite Butterfly is known for its slow, graceful flight, looking much like a handkerchief drifting in the breeze. With their silvery white wings, decorated in dramatic black stripes and spots, it only adds to the loveliness of the picture. However, it’s important to note this species is not simply beautiful; it’s also highly poisonous. The caterpillars of Paper Kites feed on a number of toxic vines, and store the poisons in their bodies as they eat. This poison remains when they transform into adults, so any birds that happen by and try to eat this butterfly are in for a nasty surprise. The bird usually survives these encounters but learns a valuable lesson– avoid snacking on these elegant creatures!

Peacock Butterfly (Papilio bianor)

The Peacock Butterfly is a type of swallowtail butterfly, which means its hindwings have extensions that look very much like the tails of swallows. These colorful 'tails’ are actually great defensive mechanisms. If a bird tries to attack the Peacock Butterfly, it may focus instead on the eye-catching tail. This may end up with a bird grabbing a chunk of wing, but the butterfly’s vital body parts are still intact, and it can escape. Next time you’re admiring the gorgeous sparkling tails of the Peacock Butterfly, you can appreciate they aren’t simply for show but can also help protect these insects!

Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)

This particular butterfly is well-known for its epic migrations. Because Monarchs do not tolerate the cold, each year when winter begins to approach, they migrate en masse southward to Mexico, where they overwinter. They do this by taking advantage of air currents and thermals, traveling amazing distances in the process– sometimes up to 3,000 miles! During this migration, when the butterflies are resting, they gather together in large groups to roost on trees, huddled for warmth. A group of migrating monarchs is a truly incredible sight to behold; the air thick with fluttering wings, the trees absolutely covered in bright black and orange. Once winter has passed, the monarchs begin a return migration, but this one is different, as it spans multiple generations. The butterflies that eventually return northward in the spring are the grandchildren of the ones that left in the winter– in fact, it takes 3-4 generations for the monarchs to return to their northern territories again! Their journeys are truly inspiring.

Moth (Order Lepidoptera)

Time for a little lesson! Want to know the difference between butterflies and moths? A lot of people might think the difference is that moths are nocturnal and rather duly-colored, while butterflies are colorful and active during the day. But the truth is, there are actually a lot of daytime-flying moths, and many of those species are extremely colorful! A better way to tell them apart is to look at their antenna; generally, butterfly antenna are thin with 'clubs’ at the end, while moth antenna are fuzzy or feathery and lack clubs. Also, you can look at their wings when they’re at rest: butterflies usually like to hold their wings closed when they rest, while moths usually hold their wings flat. However, these are just rules of thumb, and there are exceptions. Ultimately, they’re both very closely related insects in the order Lepidoptera, and both equally enjoyable creatures.

Madagascan Sunset Moth (Chrysiridia rhipheus)

It is positively euphoric to gaze upon the Madagascan Sunset Moth, with its wide wingspan of 3 to 3 and a half inches, its eye-catching tails, and its glittering kaleidoscopic colors of red, green, blue and black. This day-flying moth species sips nectar and flits about the forests of Madagascar. Their caterpillars, white larvae clad in black spots and stripes, like to feed upon highly toxic shrubs, and then store the poison in their bodies. When they metamorphose into adults, they retain their toxicity, so predators quickly learn to avoid these dazzling insects. This species is considered one of the most beautiful moth or butterfly species in the world, prized among collectors and sometimes used in the making of jewelry. Of course, I feel the best way of appreciating this moth is the same way you appreciate a sunset; just be present for the moment you’re living in. Thank you for sharing this moment with us, Sunset moth.

Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas)

What a beautiful creature! The Atlas moth is one of the largest moths in the world. Do you see how its wings are massive compared to its little body? And here, the tips of its wings have these large extensions that look like the head of a snake! When potential predators disturb this moth, it flaps its wings and uses these false snake heads to try and spook animals away. It’s a clever tactic, because the Atlas moth must be careful about conserving its energy– it cannot afford to fly great distances. Why? Because it has no mouth. Adult moths simply never eat and live off of the fat reserves they built up when they were feeding as caterpillars. Like the bloom of a flower, the life of the Atlas Moth does not last long, but our worlds are all the richer for having them in it.

Rice Grasshopper (Oxya japonica)

The Rice Grasshopper is considered by people to be an agricultural pest, because it loves to eat crops, especially rice crops. However, the Rice Grasshopper is also considered by people to be, um … a very tasty snack. I have a sad story about Rice Grasshoppers. I was a pretty young hatchling at the time, and I was playing outside. I had been chasing a grasshopper for over an hour. When I finally captured it, I was so excited and proud! It was a beautiful Rice Grasshopper, probably a female, since it was quite large. I brought it back home to show my father. I … I gave it to him so he could look at it, and . . . he ate it in one gulp… . I cried a long time after that. He hadn’t realized I wanted to keep it. But, um … yeah. We don’t always get along so well. I can’t possibly imagine wanting to eat such beautiful, amazing creatures.

Long Locust (Acrida cinerea)

This fantastic-looking grasshopper has an incredibly long, triangular head, with two long antenna on top. They also have amazingly long hind legs, which they use to bound away from predators. They feed upon various grasses and especially have a taste for rice plants. The females of the Long Locust are much larger than the males, and can often be mistaken as a separate species. In Japan, these grasshoppers are known as Shouryou-batta, or “Spirit Grasshopper.” Because the grasshoppers appear in summer and autumn, around the time of the Bon Festival, and the grasshoppers’ bodies are boat-shaped, they remind people of the boats used during the festival to carry the souls of the departed. Quite an honorable reputation for this little locust!

Grasshopper (Infraorder Acrididea)

Grasshoppers come from a family of insects that have ancient roots, all the way back to the Triassic period. They have been chomping away on grasses and other plants for a very long time! They have powerful hind legs they use to spring into the air in order to evade predators. In the moment they leap, they may also flash their brightly-colored wings to startle their enemies. Since you’ve captured this grasshopper, I’m sure you know how surprisingly far and fast they can jump. Actually, if you and I could jump as well as a grasshopper, we could leap the length of a football field! Grasshoppers are also known for their chirping, which they produce by rubbing their powerful hind legs against their wings. Those impressive legs are thus useful for a variety of purposes. To be honest, our legs are pretty boring in comparison.

Migratory Locust (Locusta migratoria)

Locusts are a type of grasshopper that can engage in an absolutely fascinating event: locust swarms. Normally, locusts live a solitary, humble life; green insects that slowly creep about, calmly feeding on grasses and generally avoiding fellow locusts. However, if locust populations start to become too crowded, especially due to high rainfall increasing the food supply, then locusts change rapidly. Their appearances change and they gain bright, colorful markings; also, their behavior switches to being highly gregarious, which means they are drawn to each other in large crowds and they start to act as a single group. They begin to reproduce rapidly and eat voraciously, and will travel over long distances, stripping the land of vegetation. These swarms are sometimes called locust plagues, because they can devastate farmer’s crops and even cause famine! There is some consolation, though … locusts are a good, protein-packed food for people to eat.

Cricket (Family Gryllidae)

The soothing, relaxing song of crickets is produced when crickets rub their textured wings together– this is called stridulation. They sing to attract mates and to mark their territories, and some crickets even have a specific tune they sing after a successful mating. These musical insects are also affected by temperatures; most crickets chirp faster as the temperature increases, and they can be so reliable that if you count the number of chirps, you can estimate the temperature. The language of crickets is actually quite complex and compelling! Crickets hear each other through ears located on their front legs, just below their 'knees.’ Cricket hearing is very sophisticated, actually, and may even rival our own hearing. The next time you hear that gentle chirping in the night, you should stop to really listen to it. Who knows what secrets they could be whispering to you!

Bell Cricket (Homoeogryllus japonicus)

Like most insects, the Bell Cricket has two pairs of wings; the hindwings are membranous and meant for flight, while the front wings are leathery and protective. Bell Crickets make a beautiful chirp by rubbing their front wings together, and many people liken the sound to the chiming of bells. These crickets can change the sound of their songs by vibrating their bodies as they chirp, making the sound of each cricket unique. These lovely musicians are popular pets, traditionally kept in bamboo cages. What’s more, there’s actually a Buddhist temple that raises thousands of Bell Crickets each year, so that people can go there to meditate to the melodious sound of Bell Cricket chirps. It sounds divine to me!

Mole Cricket (Family Gryllotalpidae)

Mole crickets are remarkable little critters, adapted perfectly to a life underground. They use their powerful shovel-like front legs to dig rapidly in the dirt, excavating tunnels in search of food such as roots, grasses and worms. The males will construct horn-shaped tunnels and then chirp inside them, so the tunnels resonate the sound of the chirping. This means while you may never have seen a mole cricket before, you’ve likely heard one without realizing! Mole crickets do occasionally leave the earth, however, and can fly or even swim, if needed. Generally they come to the surface at night, so if you’re particularly lucky, you may get to see one!

Mantis (Order Mantodea)

The mantis is a mighty ambush predator, stalking their prey before seizing them with their spiked, raptorial forelegs, using lightning-speed reflexes. They have huge compound eyes, and their heads can turn 180 degrees as they survey the world for food. They feed upon many insects, and can even take down hummingbirds and rodents! Their hunger will sometimes even extend to eating their own kind; it’s not unheard of for female mantises to consume the heads of the males after mating. This is perhaps not as terrible as it sounds; the male’s sacrifice helps provide nourishment for his future offspring. Still, I must admit, if I am to be reborn as a mantis in the next life, I’d probably prefer to be born a female mantis.

Orchid Mantis (Hymenopus coronatus)

This resplendent mantis is perfectly disguised as a white and pink flower, down to the very petal shape itself! The camouflage helps protect it from predators as well as draw in potential prey. The mantis lies in wait among the bushes and flowers for an unsuspecting butterfly or other insect to wander by, and then snatches it up. Such deadly beauty– a clever mistress of blossoms! These mantises are so skilled at disguise, they can even gradually change color to reflect their environment. To be honest, I feel a certain kinship with the orchid mantis’ camouflaging ways. Perhaps someday I will master the art of flower mimicry, just as they have!

Honey Bee (Genus Apis)

The humble honeybee, a hard-working partner of ours for thousands of years. Cave paintings up to 10,000 years old show people eating honey, and beekeeping in clay pots began around 9,000 years ago in Africa. Because of this long-term relationship, we know quite a lot about our buzzing friends. For example, bees communicate with each other through the medium of dance! When a worker bee finds a great patch of flowers and wishes to tell her sisters about it, she returns to the hive and performs a waggle dance. The dance tells the bees the direction of the flower patch and its distance from the hive. As an artist, I can empathize with the bees. Words often pale in comparison with other methods of expression. Truly, the bees are not only diligent workers but brilliant performance artists.

Wasp (Polistes rothneyi)

Wasps! One of the most misunderstood and amazing families of insects to exist! Did you know there are over 30,000 species of wasps? They come in all shapes and sizes, from the fairy wasps that are around the size of an amoeba to the massive asian giant hornets that are almost two inches long. While some are well-known for constructing papery or mud nests and living in hives, many other species are solitary and live in single, tiny burrows. As a whole, wasps tend to be predatory, preying on a wide range of insects, including many species considered harmful to crops. Wasps also dine upon nectar, however, and can be important plant pollinators. It’s difficult to try and summarize the sheer variety and glory of wasps, but know that they play vital roles in the ecosystem and are truly wondrous creatures!

Robust Cicada (Hyalessa maculaticollis)

Aaaah, the sweet, sonorous cicada. Nothing quite says “summer” like the hypnotic sound of cicadas singing. Cicadas are well-known for their loud, rhythmic songs, but how do they make these sounds? The answer is the tymbals– drum-like organs in the abdomen that males flex back and forth. The sound then reverberates throughout the cicada’s abdomen, magnifying the sound. Robust Cicadas in particular are known for their especially loud chirps. I find these musicians to be deeply inspiring, and it’s always a transcending experience to hold witness to one of their performances!

Gaint Cicada (Cryptotympana holsti)

Did you know that cicadas are seen as symbols of rebirth and immortality in Chinese lore? Just as the cicada lives underground for many, many years and then rises, reborn from the dirt, we hope to emulate such glory. Cicadas were also seen as creatures of high status, as they subsist on dew and perch upon their thrones in the treetops. Because of this symbolism, Chinese royalty has borrowed fashion ideas from the great cicada. Even their crowns were decorated with the image of a cicada, eyes shining bright! A fitting homage to this noble bug.

Brown Cicada (Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata)

While most cicadas have transparent wings, the Brown Cicada sports opaque, brown wings, so it’s pretty easy to recognize. Another recognizable trait is their cry, which is often compared to the sound of hot oil sizzling. These bugs are fond of sipping the sap of trees, including fruit trees. As a result, some people consider the Brown Cicada a pest. Hah! Imagine having the audacity to call these little marvels a pest! The cicadas are only doing what comes natural to any of us– eating to survive. I’ll gladly share the fruit trees with my insect brethren for that.

Evening Cicada (Tanna japonensis)

The males of Evening Cicadas sing a mournful song in the mornings, at dusk, or when the weather turns cool or cloudy. Among the many different cicadas, the sorrowful song of the Evening Cicada is possibly my favorite. But why do cicadas sing? Are they expressing some deep-felt sentiment? Actually, yes. They are expressing perhaps one of the most deep-felt sentiments there can be; loneliness. Evening Cicadas, as well as their cicada relatives, are calling for a mate. Males usually pack into rather large groups and call together, creating quite a large collective sound. Females can hear these calls from around a mile away! It’s a nice thought that because of their mournful cries, the Evening Cicadas are able to happily unite with each other.

Walker Cicada (Meimuna opalifera)

While some cicadas are associated with summer, the song of the Walker Cicada traditionally marks the end of summer and the start of autumn. It has a very characteristic cry, which in Japan is heard as “Tsukutsuku … boushi!” However, the song of this species actually differs depending on the region it is in. That’s right– insects have dialects! Speaking of dialects, the Walker Cicada is actually native to China, but it’s believed it hitched a ride on wooden brooms and was imported to Japan. Now it’s widespread in both countries, in addition to Korea and Taiwan. I wonder what a Walker Cicada would sound like with an Australian dialect? Or an Indian one?

Cicada Shell

This is truly a treasure– a perfectly intact cicada shell! These shells are proof of a wondrous transformation that cicadas undergo. You see, it all begins when a female deposits an egg in a little groove on a tree. The young feed on the fluids of the tree for a while before dropping to the ground and digging their way to safety. They then spend years underground, exploring the depths and dining on roots. Eventually, the young rise from the soil, finally seeing daylight once more, and climb the trunk of a tree. There, they shed their skins, emerging as glorious, winged adults! This shell represents their touching life journey. I hope that it might inspire you, as it does for me.

Darner Dragonfly (Anax parthenope)

Dragonflies are one of my favorite species! Did you know dragonflies were some of the very first winged insects to evolve and have been around for millions of years? Ancient dragonflies had wingspans of up to two feet long! The Darner Dragonfly isn’t that large, of course, but it’s still an impressive creature. They’re powerful predators, capturing their prey mid-flight, kind of making them the hawks of the insect world. Their flying skills are fantastic, and they can fly in all directions, hover, and even fly backwards, so they have unparalleled agility. Because they hunt by sight, they also have amazing eyes, among the best in the insect kingdom; they have up to 30,000 lenses in those enormous compound eyes pointing in all directions, and can detect light in color spectrums well beyond what we can see. If you want to have some fun, just sit back and watch the dragonflies hunt for a while!

Red Dragonfly (Sympetrum frequens)

Ever wonder why dragonflies are usually found near water? They love to hunt in these environments, snatching up and devouring midges, mosquitoes, moths and many others. But dragonflies are also fond of ponds and lakes because those are their breeding grounds. You see, dragonfly larvae are aquatic. The female lays her eggs on plants near the water or will skim the surface of the water with her abdomen, dropping eggs into the water. The nymphs that hatch are active, hungry hunters, devouring mosquito larvae, other aquatic insects or worms, and even tadpoles and small fish. The nymphs enjoy their aquatic lifestyle for a long time, up to five years, occasionally climbing onto a reed to shed their old skins and grow, before eventually molting one last time into a winged adult. Because of their reliance on these ecosystems, dragonflies are great indicators of the health of our wetlands!

Banded Dragonfly (Anotogaster sieboldii)

There has been a very wide range of associations with dragonflies among different cultures. European cultures have historically viewed dragonflies in a very negative light; some have called them “devil’s darning needles” and folklore casts them in villainous roles. Fortunately, other cultures view dragonflies in a very positive way. They are celebrated in some Native American crafts and may symbolize pure water or swiftness; in Japan, dragonflies are strong symbols of courage, luck and happiness, as well as signs of autumn’s arrival. Dragonflies have been used in traditional medicine as well as for food, so some cultures simply associate them with a meal. It’s actually really hard to summarize the many different ways people view dragonflies. Personally, I admire dragonflies’ incredible flying and hunting talents, their sheer beauty, and their tenacious spirits. What do dragonflies mean to you?

Damselfly(Ischnura senegalensis)

The Damselfly is a close relative to the dragonfly, but damselflies tend to be smaller, thinner, and hold their wings along their body at rest. You can also tell by looking at their eyes; damselfly eyes are always separated while most dragonfly eyes are touching. Like the dragonfly, damselflies are talented predators, nabbing flies, mosquitoes, moths and others right out of the air or plucking them off of plants. Males display elaborate courtship dances to impress females. If the male is successful, the damselflies will mate in a complex shape called a mating heart or mating wheel– which is the shape their abdomens make when they curl around each other. The female then lays eggs along the stems of underwater plants. The young that hatch live under water, breathing through feathery gills on their abdomens and feeding on aquatic insects, sometimes molting so they can grow larger. When they’re ready, they immerge from the water and cast off their old skin to immerge as graceful, lithe adults. The coloration of dragonflies and damselflies can range from just about every color of the rainbow, and they often shimmer beautifully in the sun. The next time you’re by a pond or marsh, keep an eye out for these quick, flittering gems!

Firefly (Family Lampyridae)

Fireflies are appealing little beetles with an extraordinary ability: a beautiful bioluminescence located on their backsides. The lights that fireflies produce are chemical reactions that take place inside their transparent abdomens. This light is cool to the touch and is yellow-green in color. Fireflies control their luminescence at will, and will flicker their lights in rhythmic patterns that are unique to each species. This helps males and females locate each other for mating. While many fireflies feed on pollen and nectar, some are carnivorous. Sometimes, females of these carnivorous fireflies will use light signals to their advantage, mimicking the patterns of particular firefly species simply to lure them in so they can eat them. These are femme fatale fireflies, so males need to be careful of them– the mesmerizing displays of fireflies can be a complicated language!

Pondskater (Family Gerridae)

This graceful bug skates effortlessly across the surface of the water, a magnificent feat that us silly vertebrates can only dream of. The pondskater’s body is carefully built to transfer their weight perfectly across their long, slender legs, which are lined with hairs that help repel water. The insects will row across the water with their middle legs and steer with their back legs. Their front legs are shorter and have claws, to help them seize insects that have fallen into the water. They pierce their prey with a proboscis to feed– all while staying on the surface of the water! Pondskaters do pretty much everything on top of the water, even mating. They communicate with other pondskaters by creating ripples in the water; some ripple frequencies are threatening signals while others are mating signals. They are truly masters of their craft. I’d prefer to watch the pondskaters’ dances rather than an ice skater any time!

Giant Water Bug (Family Belostomatidae)

The Giant Water Bug is indeed very large– the largest true bug, which can grow to be around four inches long! They have flattened, oval bodies, with oarlike back legs for swimming and raptorial front legs that are designed for seizing prey. They also have tubes on their abdomen that they breathe through, much like a snorkel. Water Bugs stalk and capture a wide variety of prey, including fish, frogs, and insects, and may even grab turtles and snakes! Once they capture something, they inject it with venomous saliva, then wait for their food to digest before sucking up the liquefied remains. Although these bugs are efficient and aggressive predators, they’re also caring parents; in some species, the female will lay her eggs on the back of the male, and the father will carry them about until they hatch! It’s nice to see father insects taking an active role in parenting as well.

Diving Beetle (Family Dytiscidae)

Diving Beetles are sleek, flat beetles that cruise through the water with ease, using their powerful, hairy back legs to paddle. Although they’re aquatic they still need to breathe air, and actually store air bubbles under their wing cases before diving, breathing the air through tubes in their abdomens. The Diving Beetle is an active predator, hunting a wide variety of prey including insects, tadpoles and fish. The young of Diving Beetles are also carnivorous predators, and are sometimes called Water Tigers. When the larvae are ready, they bury themselves in the mud to pupate, and immerge as adults. Adult Diving Beetles are surprisingly very capable fliers, and will take off at night in search of new watery habitats. They search for the bright reflection of moonlight bouncing off of bodies of water to help guide them. If you ever find Diving Beetles in a small pond or puddle and wonder how they got there, that’s how!

Stink Bug (Family Pentatomidae)

Aww, a Stink Bug! I love these fellahs. Stink Bugs are a great example of true bugs. Technically speaking, a lot of things we call bugs aren’t really bugs. All bugs are insects, but not all insects are bugs! So what makes a true bug? Well, true bugs like Stink Bugs have beaklike mouthparts called proboscises. They use them to pierce plants (or animals!) and suck up their food. Unlike butterfly or honeybee mouthparts, true bugs can’t roll up their proboscises. True bugs also often produce a pungent defensive spray, like Stink Bugs! People argue over what stink bug spray actually smells like– some say it’s very earthy, others call it woody or oily, and some say it’s bitter and fruity. Although it’s designed to ward off predators, I have to admit I’ve grown quite fond of the smell.

Man-Faced Stink Bug (Catacanthus incarnatus)

The markings of the Man-Faced Stink Bug are bright and colorful, and some people think these markings look like a face. With such an appealing, dramatic appearance, you’d expect these bugs to be popular pets, but actually, people have had a little difficulty raising them in captivity. The challenge is in raising the nymphs. What exactly are nymphs? Well, some insects undergo what’s called complete metamorphosis– for example, butterflies first hatch as caterpillars, then transform into pupae before immerging as adults. Other insects, such as stink bugs, undergo incomplete metamorphosis. Their young are not grubs, but instead are nymphs, which are basically miniature versions of the adults. Our hope is to eventually raise these baby Man-Faced Stink Bugs to full adulthood. If we succeed, we can share the joy of stink bugs with more people!

Ladybug (Family Coccinellidae)

These bright red little beetles actually come in a variety of colors with a variety of spots or stripes. Many cultures consider the ladybug a symbol of good luck, and if one lands upon you, good fortune is sure to find you. Part of the reason they are seen as lucky may be because of their voracious appetites for aphids. You see, aphids are tiny little bugs that love to eat people’s crops, but ladybugs eat aphids by the hundreds and help keep crops safe. Thus, some cultures consider ladybugs to be a divine gift. Next time a ladybug lands upon you, try making a wish. Whether you get the wish or not, you’ll be blessed by the presence of this charming little friend!

Tiger Beetle (Subfamily Cicindelinae)

Tiger Beetles are named because they are powerful predators of the beetle world. But it might be more accurate to call them Cheetah Beetles! The fastest Tiger Beetle can run 5 miles per hour, or 120 body lengths per second. A Cheetah, in comparison, can only run 16 body lengths per second– so when you really think about it, Tiger Beetles are the clear winners. In fact, Tiger Beetles move so fast they have to stop in the middle of running several times to reorient their vision before running again. Even when stopping in the middle of a chase, the beetles have no problem capturing their prey!

Citrus Long-Horned Beetle (Anoplophora chinensis)

The Citrus Long-Horned Beetle has a glossy black body with white spots, and has an impressively long pair of antenna. You’re likely to find it hanging out among the trees, as it’s fond of dining upon the leaves, stems and bark of a wide range of tree species, including citrus and hardwood trees. The females will drill little holes into the bark of a tree to carefully deposit her eggs, one at a time. When the eggs hatch, the larvae will dig into the tree, feeding on the nutritious inner bark. To be truthful, the Citrus Long-Horned Beetle is not very popular among a lot of people, because it’s capable of killing many healthy trees when it feeds and reproduces. Of course, there are natural enemies of these beetles that can help keep populations in check, such as parasites, ants and fungi. Nature does try to keep things in balance!

Violin Beetle (Mormolyce phyllodes)

This elegant beetle has a very narrow neck and head, a wide, flat body and marvelously curved wings, looking very much like a tiny violin. In truth, it is probably not imitating a violin but a brown leaf, which helps it blend in with its environment and avoid predators. Its flat body also helps it slip in between layers of mushrooms and tree bark, where it actively hunts for other insects, especially larvae. If startled, this beetle can release toxic fluid as a defense. This is likely to deter anything that tries to stuff it into their mouths! The Violin Beetle lives in tropical rainforests in Malaysia and other islands, and is threatened by the destruction of its habitat. We must strive to preserve our rainforests so precious creatures such as the Violin Beetle can thrive.

Jewel Beetle (Chrysochroa fulgidissima)

This dazzling little beetle is named after the splendid jewel-like shine to its exoskeleton. This coloration is known as iridescence, and the colors shift depending on how you look at them. Like little drops of sunlight, Jewel Beetles are so prized among people that their shells have been used in jewelry and other crafts. There is also an expression in Japan, tamamushi-iro, that refers to the ever-shifting colors of the Jewel Beetle, and the term can also refer to language that can be interpreted in multiple ways. Personally, I draw a great amount of artistic inspiration from the Jewel Beetle, and from my efforts to capture their ever-changing rainbows of power and vitality!

Rosalia Batesi Beetle (Rosalia batesi)

This enchanting long-horned beetle is a beautiful shade of blue, is covered in black polka dots and sports an impressive pair of antenna that can be almost twice as long as its body. Its entire body is also covered in a velvety, fine hair, including cute little tufts of hair on the antenna. The adults enjoy eating pollen, fruits and sap, while the larvae rely on dead wood for food. While Rosalia Batesi bothers some people because it may feed on crops, many people adore this beetle for its attractive appearance, and it’s commonly featured on stamps and other designs. I think if we all learn to share the land and its bounties, then we can be very happy to share the world with this sprightly spirit of the forest.

Blue Weevil Beetle (Genus Eupholus)

The Blue Weevil Beetle comes in many stunning shades of blue and green, and are so bright and beautiful that some people will use them for jewelry. But beware! These sparkling hues are actually warning signals! The Blue Weevil uses its long beak to bore into leaves, and builds up toxins in its body as it feeds. Anyone who’s hoping to chow down on these effervescent insects will end up getting poisoned. It’s far better to respect and admire the Blue Weevil than to eat it!

Dung Beetle (Familes Geotrupidae, Scarabaeidae)

Dung Beetles come from a number of insect groups, including the earth-boring dung beetles, the scarab beetles, and the small dung beetles. What they all have in common is that they feed upon dung! This is an incredibly important job, believe it or not. Without dung beetles and other feces-feeding insects, we might be buried up to our necks in animal droppings! The Dung Beetles break down these wastes and return nutrients back to the earth, recycling these materials. Many of them do this by shaping dung into a carefully compacted ball, balancing on top of it, and rolling it away to a safe place so they can feed. Dung Beetles like to roll in straight lines with their balls, and they use the sun and moon to help them navigate– and even the bright stripe of the Milky Way! It’s no wonder many cultures respect and even revere this talented beetle.

Earth-Boring Dung Beetle (Family Geotrupidae)

Like some of their scarab brethren, the Earth-Boring Dung Beetle has a glittering, jewel-like luster to its exoskeleton. This is a very special kind of color! Unlike most colors in the animal kingdom, called pigments, the shells of Earth-Boring Dung Beetles are colored by iridescence, or teeny, tiny structures that bounce light in a particular pattern. The result is stunning to gaze upon! As these beetles spend much time burrowing into the soil, spotting them is truly like finding buried treasure.

Scarab Beetle (Family Scarabaeidae)

The sacred scarab! Truly, you are fortunate to have come upon one of these little deities. You see, scarab beetles were revered by the ancient Egyptians. When the scarabs rolled balls of dung for their precious young to feast upon, the Egyptians saw them as symbolically pushing the orb of the sun across the sky. In fact, the Egyptian sun God, Ra, was believed to have taken the form of a scarab beetle, named Khepri, and pushed the sun across the sky just like a ball of dung. The Egyptians even placed amulets shaped like scarab beetles over the hearts of mummies to protect them in the afterlife. Scarabs are protectors, bringers of light and of life itself!

Drone Beetle (Pseudotorynorrhina japonica)

These handsome creatures are a type of scarab beetle, a powerful group of beetles revered by the ancient Egyptians as sacred. The antennae of scarabs are special, and can be folded out gracefully like a fan to better detect odors, or folded back up into a club shape to serve as a weapon! We can only dream of possessing appendages so adaptable and so magnificent in design!

Goliath Beetle (Genus Goliathus)

This mighty beetle is named after the legendary giant Goliath, and it’s easy to see why. This beetle can grow over four inches long, making it one of the largest beetles in the world! It also can weigh over three ounces when it’s a larva, although the adults are only around half that weight. The reason for the difference is because the larvae gorge themselves on decayed leaves, wood and proteins, preparing for their metamorphosis. As adults, they enjoy a lighter diet of tree sap, fruit juices and other sugary substances. To help with foraging, each of this beetle’s legs ends in a pair of hooked claws that are great for climbing and clinging to trees. If one of these beetles happens to attach itself to you with these feet, you’ll need to gently guide them off. If you just grab and pull, the claws might remain attached, and we don’t want their little feetsies to get hurt!

Horned Elephant (Megasoma elephas)

This hefty beast is absolutely gigantic when compared to most beetles– in fact, it’s one of the heaviest beetles in the world. Males have big horns on their heads, which they use mainly to battle with other males for mating privileges. Another feature you might have missed is that their bodies are covered in fine, delicate hairs, making the beetles appear yellow in color. Sometimes, when I’m feeling anxious, I, uh … I pet the Horned Elephant beetles. It’s very soothing. You should try it sometime!

Horned Dynastid (Allomyrina dichotoma)

These proud warriors have heads shaped like a samurai helmet, and make good use of those horns for battle and for digging. While embroiled in territory disputes, a male Dynastid can actually launch its competitor straight into the air! When they aren’t fighting, they can be found calmly hanging out on trees, sipping sap or drinking from ripe fruits. Their young live underground, eat rotting wood, and take a long time to mature– around a year. Then they immerge, as a fresh new batch of warriors of the woods!

Horned Atlas (Chalcosoma atlas)

The Atlas Beetle is named after a titan from Greek Mythology who held up the heavens on his shoulders. The comparison to a Greek God is appropriate, as the Horned Atlas can reach sizes of up to five inches long and can carry hundreds of times its own weight. That makes it one of the strongest animals on the planet, for its size! Personally, it would not surprise me if we found out that a great celestial Atlas Beetle has been holding up the skies all of this time.

Horned Hercules (Dynastes hercules)

The Hercules beetle is named in honor of the roman god Hercules, famed for his great strength and heroic feats. I can think of no greater name for this heroic beetle. The Horned Hercules can carry up to 850 times its own weight, and can grow to be 7 inches in length, making it the longest species of beetle in the whole world. A lot of that length is in its massive horn, which males use to challenge each other to win the affections of female beetles. Once they have mated, these massive beetles produce, as you could guess, massive babies. In fact, the young of Hercules beetles are probably the largest larvae in the world!

Rainbow Stag (Phalacrognathus muelleri)

Oh! My eyes have been blessed, to be allowed to gaze upon the splendor of the Rainbow Stag. This beetle appears to change color depending on the angle you view it, shifting from emerald greens to ruby reds to glittering gold, all with a luscious metallic sheen. This magnificent color fades when the beetle dies, just as a rainbow will fade in the sky. I like to think the Rainbow Stag reminds us of the ephemeral nature of beauty and life, and teaches us to value things while we can.

Golden Stag (Allotopus rosenbergi)

The Golden Stag’s exoskeleton is a breathtaking, metallic gold, making it highly prized by bug lovers and collectors. The shimmering beetles live in tropical jungles at high altitudes, using their short, sturdy mandibles to dig into wood and dine upon tree sap. Collectors have struggled to breed this stag in captivity, as it’s sensitive to temperatures and the young have strict dietary requirements. However, in recent times, there has been more success with captive breeding. Personally, I derive deep joy and satisfaction simply basking in this creature’s presence, regardless of how long it lasts. Come. Let us enjoy this golden moment together.

Cyclommatus Stag (Genus Cyclommatus)

The mandibles of this stag beetle are staggering, often as long as their body. These amazing jaws are used to mine tree sap as well as fight other stag beetles for the right to mate. In fact, males will often throw each other off of trees in their competitions! However, do not be too intimidated by the Cyclommatus Stag; it can be tender as well. They chew through decaying wood to lovingly craft a home for their young. I’ve actually been considering taking inspiration from this stag and adding more rotting wood to my bedroom. I think it would give it a cozy touch.

Miyama Stag (Lucanus maculifemoratus)

This handsome stag has a thick, bumpy exoskeleton and powerful-looking mandibles. However, despite its tough appearance, the Miyama is a gentle beast. In truth, you can easily injure one if you mishandle it, so care should be taken when interacting with this delicate soul. Miyamas are popular with children, and are widespread in their native lands, in both mountainous places as well as plains. Actually, one of my very first friends was a Miyama Stag. They helped me learn the deep and mysterious art of communication with insectkind. Thus, I will always have a soft spot for these gentle giants.

Saw Stag (Prosopocoilus inclinatus)

Saw Stags are popular pets in their homeland, and it’s easy to see why. Those handsome reddish brown shells, those magnificent saw-like mandibles, those curious little eyes, those hook-like claws! As they grow, that pair of jaws grows along with them, gaining more teeth and a larger curve. You needn’t fear, though; this beetle is unlikely to bite you unless you stick your finger directly into its mouth. In fact, when this beetle feels vibrations, it may freeze and feign death as a defense mechanism. They clearly prefer to avoid a fight unless it’s necessary. The Saw Stags that I take care of certainly will never have a reason to fight– I spoil them rotten with all the bananas and beetle jelly they could possibly want!

Giant Stag (Dorcus Hopei Binodulosus)

The Giant Stag is probably the most popular stag to keep as a pet! They’re very large, docile, easy to breed, and live quite long for a stag beetle, up to five years! People also find their mandibles to be very appealing, which have a single tooth on either side. They will rarely use these jaws to bite, unless you go out of your way to bother them. In fact, these are shy beetles, and they will spend a lot of their time just hiding away in holes inside of trees. They will peacefully sip tree saps and fruits, and prefer to be active at night. In the wild, Giant Stag populations have decreased due to over collection, although fortunately people are turning more and more to breeding in order to keep wild populations safe. This serves as an important reminder– bugs need to be treated with care and respect, even when we’re acting out of love!

*Giaraffe Stag

Walking Stick (Order Phasmatodea)

Walking Sticks are excellent examples of the art of camouflage in its purest form. Not only do they mimic twigs and branches, all the way down to the very knots in the wood, but as they walk, they mimic the sway of branches in the breeze. They have truly become one with their environment. I hope to achieve this level of focus in my own life someday, as I surround myself with all that is arthropod.

Walking Leaf (Family Phylliidae)

These incredible insects have taken camouflage to the next level. Their bodies so closely resemble leaves that they include the veins and even nibble-marks on leaves, and they can even fool leaf-eating insects! As they walk, they sway back and forth, imitating a leaf blowing in the breeze. They enjoy munching on leaves, because the Walking Leaf not only disguises itself as leaves, but eats them as well. They are truly immersed in leafhood.

Bagworm (Family Psychidae)

Bagworms are not really worms, but are the caterpillars of a special kind of moth. These charming little larvae construct themselves beautiful 'bags’ made out of silk and bits of things they find in the environment– twigs, leaves, lichens, sand, and even bits of plastic! They wear these protective bags as disguises as they crawl about and feed on leaves or lichens. When they’re ready to pupate, the bags serve as the perfect cocoon! Males will immerge from the case and spread their wings and fly away. Females, however, are a different story. Bagworm females often are wingless, and may spend the rest of their lives inside their childhood casings. Males will visit the females in their bags to breed. Imagine being so attached to your mobile home that you never leave! Considering how artistic some of these bags are, I guess I can’t blame them.

Ant (Family Formicidae)

The extraordinary ant, a species that has existed for millions of years and currently lives in all corners of the globe. These creatures form complex colonies, often made up of hundreds or thousands of individuals, and have a division of labor: worker ants, soldier ants, fertile male drones, and an egg-laying queen ant. It would be erroneous to think of ants in individual terms, as really, individual ants come together to form a super-organism, the ant colony. They always cooperate for the wellbeing of the colony as a whole. Individual ants are marvelously talented in the ways of chemical communication, and they produce all kinds of scents to help communicate with their sisters; signals to signify food, warnings signals for enemies, and so forth. This is how ants are able to act together as a group. With this kind of communal power, ants can accomplish amazing things. They’ve been known to build bridges with their own bodies for their sisters to cross; some species will create and tend to underground fungus gardens; other species will herd and tend to honeydew-producing aphids as if they were tending cattle! Ants teach is something very important– the power of cooperation.

Hermit Crab (Superfamily Paguroidea)

O-oh! It’s a Hermit Crab! These aren’t insects, but they are arthropods. What defines an arthropod is that they are invertebrates with segmented bodies and jointed limbs, as well as a chitinous exoskeleton. That means Hermit Crabs and insects are relatives! And they’re very charming relatives, too. Hermit Crabs have ten legs, inquisitive stalk eyes, and soft bodies protected by a shell. But these crabs don’t grow their own shells! Instead, they borrow empty shells they happens to find, which are often sea snail shells. As this type of crab ages and grows larger, it must find new, larger shells to borrow. Sometimes, when a Hermit Crab is looking for a new shell, and finds one that’s too large, it will sit and wait by the large shell. Other hermit crabs will pass by and join the first, waiting in an orderly line. Then, when a Hermit Crab passes by that is a perfect fit for the shell, all the crabs will quickly exchange shells in sequence! All that shell-trading may be a lot of work, but in the end, it’s worth it for such a cozy home.

Fly (Musca domestica)

Aah, the common house fly. While this species of insect is rarely adored by people, the fly still has plenty of things to admire. This little scavenger plays an important role in breaking down wastes and organic matter, returning them to the earth. But the fly feeds on liquids, so how does it eat feces, carrion and rotting fruits or vegetation? Well, it regurgitates saliva from its stomach, which helps dissolve the food, and then sucks it up! You might also have observed that flies like to wander around a piece of food quite a bit before feeding. They’re likely tasting the food with their feet! This is also why you can often see flies carefully cleaning their feet. They need to stay tidy so their taste and tactile receptors work well. True, the fly can transfer diseases to human food by landing on something contaminated and then landing on human food. Yet there’s no denying they still play an important role in waste disposal– not to mention a vital role in the food web, as they’re food for many, many animals!

Mosquito (Family Culicidae)

Little mosquito, oh how your reputation precedes you. This tiny fly is known for being a blood-sucker, but did you know only the females suck blood? The males feed upon nectar. The females seek a blood meal so they can produce eggs. Female mosquitoes are able to narrow in on a person or animal by detecting body heat and the carbon dioxide of their breath. The mosquito then lands, inserts her long proboscis, and injects saliva into her target to help with blood flow, and feeds until she’s all filled up. The itchy bite that she leaves behind is actually because of the mosquito’s saliva. Now, mosquitoes can transmit some bad diseases when they bite people, there’s no denying. But mosquitoes are also very useful to scientists, who study the germs that can live inside mosquitoes. By studying them, we can learn to better control the diseases that they can cause.

Flea (Order Siphonaptera)

Fleas are teeny, tiny parasites that hunger for a blood meal. They have smooth, flattened bodies that help them move through fur or feathers with ease, hooked claws to help them cling to their hosts, and extremely powerful hind legs for jumping. A flea’s jump is incredible, and they can propel themselves around 200 times their own body length, making them one of the best jumpers in the world. While many flea species are very picky about their hosts, some fleas are generalists and may feed upon a variety of animals. Females will lay their eggs on the skin or the bedding of their host animals, and they will produce hundreds to thousands of eggs in their lifetime. The eggs hatch into little wiggling larvae that feed upon organic matter and their parents’ feces. When they mature into adults and take a blood meal, they can mate and begin the cycle anew. I can understand why people wouldn’t be terribly fond of fleas feeding on them, but luckily for me, fleas don’t care for reptile blood.

Snail (Phylum Mollusca, Class Gastropoda)

Our slithering, slime-coated companions are not actually insects! Instead, snails are mollusks, close relatives of clams, oysters and other shellfish. They have soft, mucous-coated bodies– the underside of the snail is actually one big 'foot’ of sorts that pulses rhythmically to propel the snail forward. The slime that coats a snail helps it glide efficiently along the ground, and also stick to surfaces. Additionally, this slime helps protect snails from a number of hazards, such as harsh sunlight, sharp objects, and even bacteria! I’m actually a little jealous. Being coated in slime has an awful lot of benefits, as it turns out!

Pill Bug (Order Isopoda, family Armadillidiidae)

Oh yes, the Pill Bug is something special! They’re actually not bugs at all but land-dwelling crustaceans– related to crabs, lobsters, and shrimp. They still retain their fondness for damp environments, so you’ll often see them under rocks or in tree stumps. In these wonderfully wet and dark places, they go about their business, eating decaying plant material and playing a vital role in decomposition and returning nutrients to our great earth. If you try to pick one up, it’s likely to roll into a ball– its plated armor allows it to curl into this protective posture. Wait a little while, and the Pill Bug may stop feeling shy and uncurl again, and you might get the chance to feel its many little legs walking in a gentle rhythm. It kind of tickles!

Wharf Roach(Ligia exotica)

Wharf Roaches are not actually cockroaches– they’re not even insects, but instead are isopods, relatives of crabs and lobsters. They love to wander along rocky coastlines and harbor walls, and scavenge organic debris and algaes, acting as little beach cleaners. You might already be familiar with a close cousin of the Wharf Roach, the Pill Bug. There are some quick and easy ways to tell them apart, though. The Wharf Roach doesn’t roll into a ball, and the Wharf Roach has large, bulging eyes and lovely, long antenna. Another fun fact about Wharf Roaches is that often, the females will carry around their eggs, holding onto them with specialized egg-carrying appendages. If you have appendages custom-made for parental care, you know you’re gonna be good with children!

Centipede (Scolopendra subspinipes)

My multilegged little marcher! The name 'centipede’ means '100 legs,’ but a centipede doesn’t actually have exactly 100 legs. Instead, it has anywhere from 30 to 354 legs, with one pair of legs per body segment. But because they always have an odd number of leg pairs, they never reach 100 exactly. Centipedes also have a pair of modified legs on their heads called forcipules, which inject venom into their prey. Be careful when interacting with centipedes, though! The centipede may bite more than just prey– it can bite anyone that it feels may be threatening them. This bite isn’t usually fatal, just painful, but it does mean you should respect the centipede’s boundaries, as with any creature. While centipedes can be aggressive, they can also be very kind; a large number of centipedes are very attentive mothers, wrapping their bodies around their eggs and remaining until they hatch. That tender, maternal embrace … those baby centipedes are very lucky to grow up so loved!

Spider (Order Araneae)

The bewitching arachnid! With their eight legs and eight eyes, their fang-tipped chelicerae and their wriggling pedipalps, how could you not fall in love? Spiders can produce silk, an amazing substance that’s flexible yet strong, and very versatile– they often use it to weave wondrous webs they wander like wizards, detecting the faintest vibrations when an insect has been captured. Other spiders are ambush predators, and can chase prey down at great speeds. Whatever method a spider chooses, they are truly masters of the hunt.

Scorpion (Order Scorpiones)

Behold, the scorpion! This dapper predator is an arachnid, which means it has eight legs and two body segments. Scorpions also have pinchers for grabbing prey and tails with venomous stingers. Fear not, however! Of the 2,000 or so scorpion species, while all are venomous, only a handful of about 25 or so have venom that is any real danger to humans. Even with those species, if you treat them with care, you should be safe and sound. The truth is, scorpions simply want to go about their lives, roaming around at night and finding insects to eat. They’re excellent hunters, and also excellent eaters! They can eat a great deal in one sitting and store food, so they can survive for long periods without food if needed. Scorpions are also caring parents. The females give live birth, carefully cradle their newborns, and then carry their babies on their backs. It’s honestly adorable.

Tarantula (Family Theraphosidae)

I’m told that a lot of people fear this sublime arachnid, due to its imposing size and its many legs. But tarantulas are actually very gentle, easygoing spiders, overall. While they do have venomous bites, those bites usually aren’t any worse than a bee sting. In fact, you should be more careful about their urticating hairs– that is, itchy hairs on their abdomens that they will fling at predators that frighten them. If you don’t give the tarantula a reason to fear, though, then they will leave you alone too. Actually, quite a few people keep tarantulas as pets. They like to dine upon insects, although they’ll occasionally eat larger things, like frogs, mice and even birds. Tarantulas are very good at sneaking up on their prey because each of their legs are tipped with furry, adorable little paws, which help them climb and sense their prey. Eight little fluffy paws! That’s four times the adorableness that cats and dogs have!

This is a repost on a new blog. The original post was on Aug 13, 2020.

#bugs #animal crossing #flick #acnh #animal crossing new horizons #insects #spiders #scorpions #the anti-blathers #long post #mycontent #video game discussions #real animals that inspire games

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