#prehistoric nails

[energiadelladea]

Nails by 528hzhottie on Instagram

[thesilicontribesman]

Iron Age Nails, Montrose Museum, Montrose, Angus, Scotland

[reginaldubel]

dinovember day 9: therizinosaurus 🌶

[miutonium]

I need to go to sleep but shhh I suddenly have the urge to kiss Utonium and I started thinking about them in college again haha.

Anyway, I already talked briefly about how their first kiss went but shh I'm starting to think about another scenario that doesnt involve Utonium being a clumsy dude hsksksk anywayy I imagine that they probably had their first kiss at a Science Museum.

Usually, for their dates, Utonium always plan his dates to be somewhere Chloe wants to go or somewhere he knows she would enjoy. Chloe doesnt really force Utonium to pick places she wants, in fact, she doesn't even plan at all. Utonium is always in charge of the planning. And she feels guilty about it because she doesn't like the feeling that Utonium has to listen to her all the time just to please her. So one day she tells him they should go somewhere that he wants and she will agree to it whether she likes it or not. Initially, Utonium is pretty sceptical in about going to places he's unsure if she would like, and the last thing he want is for them to argue over something miniscule (honestly they won't, Utonium is just being a worrywart lol). But Chloe assured him it's fine and its time for him to bring her somewhere other than their usual spot so he suggested that they should go to somewhere he wants to revisit: Townsville Science Museum.

They didn't book any slots and decided to walk in praying there would be a slot and surprisingly when they arrived, the museum is almost practically void of visitors since it's the weekdays. And luckily there's no school tour on schedule either so they can walk inside freely without any kids screaming and running.

Utonium already been to the museum a few times before (although the last time he went there was when he was in junior high) so he already knows what to expect inside, prehistoric exhibition, modern times exhibition, space, physics, all that science crap. Despite that, he still loves walking inside reading the info cards and be mesmerised by the exhibition there. Chloe never really went there before so he's excited about showing her around and became her tour guide. During his past time, he loves reading books especially science trivia books since he was a child so he used the info that somehow plastered into memory and mention them whenever he thinks it's related to the info cards and samples they're reading;

"Hmm, prehistoric air smells like farts, no wonder the dinosaurs died."

"Well the fart smell is because of bacteria byproducts around that time. It releases carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide whenever they 'eat'"

"Huh, I expect it to be pure oxygen to be honest."

"Pure oxygen is actually quite toxic to us. The air we're breathing right now is a compound of other gases.

"....So are we breathing farts now?"

"Well, not now but sure if you go for egg salad at the canteen"

It might be because she's bias and he's her boyfriend but Chloe really enjoyed having Utonium walking her around each hall while he excitedly talks about Science. Partially because she learned a lot from him but mostly because she loves seeing him talking passionately about things he likes while beaming with joy. She sees how good he is at attracting her attention towards something she used to considered lame and thought how nice it is to have him change other's mind about science and make it sound fun. So she encouraged him to ask if they have any part time job as a tour guide inside the museum. I like to think he did get the job and ended up spending his 2nd year of Uni working with kids on school tour showing them cool chemistry tricks and spilling trivia while he walks them through every hall. And I like to think that's how he started having interest on teaching people and wanted to become a Professor.

I wrote about them stargazing before and I thought it would be really neat to tie them up here (although I probably write about it briefly cuz I mentioned the whole thing in my prev hc lol) As they were checking out the space hall, Utonium noticed how her eyes glued to the constellation on the walls but her face looks more bewildered than curious which earned a questioned look from him:

"Why'd you look so concerned?"

"Constellations are real?????"

And Utonium laughed and had to explain to her that they're real and in the end after the talk he promised her they'll go stargazing one day after finding out she never go for those trips before.

Luckily, there seem to have a planetarium scheduled every 30 mins so he suggested they should go inside.

When they're seated and the show started, Utonium couldn't help himself but gaze at Chloe, falling more deeply in love with her while she has her eyes locked on the ceiling looking at the stars in awe. There's never a day where he doesn't have those warm fuzzy feelings in his chest whenever he thinks about her, she's live in his mind basicly rent free since 73' but somehow he feels a bit extra sappy for her, maybe he's at the place he loves, maybe it's because he's able to talk about things he loves to the person he loves so dearly without any worries or anyone belittling him, or maybe it's Chloe believing in his goal and passion and gave him a little push today to encourage him spreading his love of science for others. There's too much in his mind right now yet there's nothing in his mind at the same time whilst he looked at her through half lidded eyes intoxicated by his feelings for her. And Chloe is clueless about his inner thoughts and him looking at her so softly and lovingly in the dimmed theatre.

When the narration starts to mention the audience being possibly the brightest star despite a very brief moment in the Galaxy, Chloe turns her head to look at Utonium only to notice him been staring at her for the past minutes with a soft smile on his face. Usually, she's always so quick to tease him about staring just to make him flushed but today, maybe she got caught up in the moment just like him and peered into his starry eyes lovingly. She had nothing to say when they locked eyes in adoration and even more so when Utonium's hands cupped her cheeks gingerly, pushing away a strand of rogue hair from her eyes before he sealed her lips with a soft kiss. When he pulls away, he suddenly feels a bit afraid that he pushed too far and was about to apologize, but when Chloe returns his feelings, her hand brushing his face slowly before returning his kiss, he knows she feels the same way about him and glad he made the first move.

There's approximately 200 billions, trillions of stars above them, yet both of them shines the brightest at that brief moment of time. And he still believes she's his brightest star til this day ;w;

[dinodouchebaggery]

What body part are you? 

Hands

Hands can do so much, they’re extremely versatile much like yourself. They can nourish, they can pray, they can comfort. But we both know that’s not what you use yours for is it? You know as well as I do how hands can maim, can strangle, can destroy. They are unthinking and unfeeling, and unlike the others they do not act off instinct but off of command. Every act you commit is purposeful, filled with an intent, sometimes to be cruel and sometimes to be kind. You know who is deserving of your hurt, who is deserving of your love. Always make sure you can tell them apart before you wrap those hands around them.

Brain

To say you have a tendency to overthink things would be an understatement of the century. It’s the only way you can function. Spending more time with your thoughts than others because they simply don’t understand. How can you make them understand? The answer is, you can’t. Some people are beyond logic and reason, but that doesn’t mean they are lost. You are the one who is more lost than they ever are, hemming and hawing over all the choices that you don’t need to. To tell you to ignore it though and to trust your instinct would be nothing short of a waste. Stay with your thoughts, but it will not give you peace of mind.

Tagged by: @kaibacorpbros

Tagging: @numberoneduelist @angelus-x-tenebrae @dubmiho @dragontamer05 @cannibalmariku @zigfried-von-money​ anyone else that sees this and feels like it 

[pimosworld]

Pairing-Joel Miller x f!reader 

Summary- Joel’s a grump when it’s hot and also when he gets jealous. 

CW- 18+, No outbreak au, established relationship, mostly fluff, grumpy Joel, reader is not described, possessive Joel, family dynamics, illusions to smut, joel is down bad for reader. 

  WC-1.9k

 A/N- I can’t wait for summer so I wrote this little snippet into the life of the Joel I think about often. May do a spicy part two if the mood strikes me. 

[Main Masterlist][Joel Miller Masterlist]

Not beta read

Dog Days

He told you he’d behave. Begrudgingly and with promise that you’d make it up to him. That’s the only thought he clings to as he sits in this lawn chair that’s too small for him. The only seat away from everyone else so he doesn’t have to do the small talk thing. He can still see you though. Sun kissed and smiling at something Maria is saying. 

  He still doesn’t know how you do it, how you make it look so effortless even on the hottest day of the year. His shirt clings to him and he’s sweating in places he wouldn’t speak of out loud and you just stand there all heaven sent like it’s a different temperature in your world. 

  Your world bled into his before he knew what hit him. He started to enjoy sunsets and stopped to smell the flowers, because that’s what you liked to do and he quickly learned that anything that made you happy made him feel like the most fortunate man in the world. He’s fortunate to have you every morning, waking up curled into his side as you steal sleepy kisses along his chest and his arms. He pretends to be asleep for as long as he can until he’s so worked up he has to make you come at least twice before you extract yourselves from the bed. 

  That’s where he wants to be right now as he stares at some prehistoric bug that’s landed in his warm beer, flailing and hoping someone can put him out of his misery much like he hopes after being dragged to this godforsaken barbecue. Despite it being his own brother he would have gladly come up with any excuse not to be here. He loves his family but sometimes he couldn’t stand Tommy. 

  ‘Who has a party on the hottest day of the year?’ You laughed earlier as he grumbled about in the kitchen helping you pack away the things you prepared in the cooler. 

  ‘He can’t control the weather Joel. You know he’s excited about the new house.”You with your rational thought and kind heart. 

  ‘Who’s side are you on Darlin?’ He caged you in against the counter as he ran his hands up your thighs. You shiver under his touch and he knows it wouldn’t take much to convince you to stay home. 

  Your hands meet his as you pull them up higher, bunching your dress a little to reveal those cheeky shorts he couldn’t get enough of. You wrap his hands around your waist as you run yours up his arms and around his neck. His chocolate brown eyes are glazed over as you slowly put him under some trance. Your lips kiss that spot in his beard as your nails scratch at his scalp and he has to brace himself against the counter to keep himself grounded. ‘I’m always on your side Miller.’ 

  “What’s up with you brother?” Tommy slaps his back bringing him back to this fresh hell. A man can’t even day dream in peace. 

  “It’s hot.” He grumbles and goes to take a sip of his beer before he remembers and chucks it out on the grass. 

  Tommy licks his lips as a smirk pulls across his face, no doubt thinking of something to say that will have Joel flying off the handle. His niece is running towards them with the same look on her face to save him from his impending death. Wild black curls bouncing in her face to match her parents. 

  Tommy holds his arms out for his daughter but she crashes her small body into Joel as the weight of her hit causes a small creak in the lawn chair. A muffled hi uncle Joel is said into his shirt as Tommy stands there defeated. “You stayin out of trouble?” 

  She just shrugs her shoulders and offers her hand out to him. An ice cold Diet Coke she’s barely able to get her little hands around. A mystery smudge is on her shirt and her pants have seen better days. Tommy wanted a boy but he was pleasantly surprised when her little personality started to take hold and he quickly realized he had his hands full with this one. Her two front teeth are missing and the smile etched across her face is a mischievous one. “Thanks sweetheart.” Joel takes it from her, it’s still cold despite having traversed the lawn and been subjected to the warmth of her hands. He’ll wait a moment to open it, no doubt jostled as she ran over here. 

  “My mommy said you look hotter than h e double hockey sticks.” 

  “Izzy!” Tommy snaps at her and Joel can’t help the laugh that bubbles up. 

  “What…I spelled it. I didn’t say Hell.” She rolls her neck and he swears he can see Maria in that moment. 

  “Isabella.” Tommy’s voice drops an octave in warning as she backs away slowly with her hands raised. 

  She reminds him so much of Tommy when he was younger. It’s only fair that he gets a taste of his own medicine. When Joel met you the decision had already been made that you didn’t want kids and Sarah was almost in college and Joel didn’t want to start over. It was a relief to find someone that could love his child so fiercely despite it not being their own. Izzy came barreling into their lives shortly after Sarah left and you loved that little bundle of joy like it was the last thing on earth. 

  There’s little hints of you in her sprinkled throughout your time together. Her insistence on correcting people and their grammar, the way she defends others although you told her she should try to use her words more after she punched some kid on the playground for bullying a smaller kid. Joel may have had a hand in that one. 

  Joel cracks the can as Tommy drones on about repairs that need to be done to the house. He already knows what his brothers’ getting at and he doesn’t even need to ask…of course he’s going to help him take on whatever project needs to be done to get the house in order for the new baby. He knew Tommy was nervous before Izzy arrived and this brings on a whole new level of responsibility. They were so grateful they’d found a house down the street from you and Joel with just two months to spare before this new bundle arrived. 

  He takes a sip of the bubbly cold drink, the sweetness is slightly off. You swore he wouldn’t be able to tell but of course he can. His doctor told him to cool it on the sodas and he made the mistake of telling you. You care so much…too much. You called his brother and Maria and now they’re watching him like a hawk so he has to sneak the ones with real sugar like a junky getting his fix. 

  In the brief moments he’d been graced by Tommy’s presence he lost sight of you. His eyes scan the large backyard, the kids playing in some dirt mound, some guys from the job site ribbing each other by the grill. You and Maria are by the cooler with some mystery man while you rub her swollen belly. His eyes roam down your body as you bend over to lay a kiss to it and whisper sweet words to your soon to be niece or nephew. 

  You stand and try to adjust the strap on that dress he loves so much. You’re always complaining about how the straps never stay up and he supposes you keep it just for him. He’ll have to remember to burn it when you get home as he grits his teeth and watches the man get an obvious look down the front of your dress. 

  “Who’s that?” Joel juts his chin toward the end of the yard as Tommy squints his eyes. 

  “Don’t.” 

  “I just asked his goddamn name Tommy.” He huffs at his brother and he just shakes his head. The heat was already getting to him before and now it’s at a fever pitch. 

  “His name is James, we just hired him.” Tommy holds his arms out in a mock satisfaction and Joel’s not in the mood for his theatrics. 

  “We? Hired him.” Joel shifts and he hears the chair creak again. He stands up abruptly not wanting to be flat on his ass because of his brother's crappy lawn furniture. 

  “Yes Joel…remember you put me in charge of staffing the site?” 

  Joel just hums under his breath as he crosses his arms over his chest. He’ll have to remember to start vetting the candidates again if this is the type of people Tommy’s got working for them. 

  The man is crossing the lawn towards them with a presidential smile and Joel’s already pissed. He greets Tommy and offers his hand to Joel as he begins to introduce himself. 

  “James is it?” Joel squeezes the man's hand a little too tight as he winces. Tommy retreats not wanting to be a witness to whatever Joel was going to say or do. At this point he knew there was no stopping him. 

  “Mr. Miller, it’s nice to meet you.” He doubts that and he can tell by the look on his face that he’s already sorely regretting walking over here. 

  “You don’t really have an eye for jewelry do ya?” Joel cocks his head waiting for an answer, an easy trap to set for a simpleton like James. There’s no right answer. Not when he’s got his teeth sunk into him. “See I noticed almost immediately that there’s a ring on your finger.” He gestures to the man’s hand and holds up his own. “You didn’t seem to notice my wife’s hand when you were eye fuckin the shit out of her.” 

  “Hi Honey.” Your sweet voice hits his ears as your hand travels up his arm, working your way behind his neck to rub that spot that seems to always make him deflate. 

  James uses this momentary distraction to run away with his tail tucked. 

  “You behavin?” You purr at him as he drops his head down to let you run your fingers through his hair. 

  “Always sugar.” His words slurred a little as he succumbed to your touch. You’re like a sedative the way you seep into his veins and put him in a trance like state. 

  He can’t see your eyebrows raised at him as you scan the backyard for the offending party. “Come on Miller, let’s get you home and cool you off before someone gets fired.” 

  He starts to speak but you shush him with your finger placed gently on his mouth. A quick glance over your shoulder and you lean up kissing him deep. It almost takes him by surprise how you still have this effect on him. No longer concerned with the heat or the stress at work or his brother’s constant annoyance. You can silence all those thoughts with just a taste of your lips. You break away when you hear the whoops coming from Tommy and Joel grumbles under his breath. 

  The strap on your shoulder slides down and you sigh a little as Joel runs his finger underneath, feeling your smooth skin turn to goosebumps. It’s intoxicating the way he knows he has that same effect on you. He’s smirking to himself as he reaches behind you and adjusts the strap, getting a glimpse down the front and the soft swell of your breast. 

  “Looks like you and James have something in common.” You laugh as he scowls at you, the kind of laugh that has tears at the corner of your eyes. 

  “Don’t push it darlin.” 

Comments and and reblogs are much appreciated

[sergle]

If we’re talking abt nail polish releases in similar brands, I also think it’s good to bring up like. Mooncat and ILNP also released some new collections recently, and compared to the color story / specific shades in the HT release, these actually read so much more summer-themed. They share a few similar shades (which is why ppl are wondering what HT is bringin to the table for this last release), and seem to have more cohesive color stories/themes. “Fairy Forest Collection”

“Pretty Prehistoric Set”

[scarsmood]

Fleeing is fair

Why being a prey animal with no fight mechanisms is just as valid as predatory animals

I'm a little surprised i felt compelled to make this but I guess I shouldn't be. Adding to my herbivore essay collection I felt it was important for me to add that Flight, fawning and defense mechanisms are just as valid if not more so valuable in their own right than just standing your ground and fighting.

I think it's delightful some species of animals have spent millions of years getting so good at predator-prey conflicts they have evolved to simply make conflicts happen less if possible.

Life in general is not a hammer and nail situation. Fighting isn't always the answer sometimes leaving is a far better option. Camouflage, fleeing, flooding, schooling, and herds are all vital elements to some species survival that requires skill and tact and complete.

Trying to convince a predator your really not worth the effort is an artform that has taken place over centuries and millennia. It's also extremely popular and used in everyday life. When someone tries to start a conflict it can be easier to walk away or say something back that shuts them down. Something to convey to the other person "this really isn't worth your time. Im not playing a game"

I don't think these traits are often celebrated like hunting is because it is something that can't be glorified as easily in western culture. In other cultures I believe it is but since I live in america I don't see these traits being considered often despite being used so much.

The predator and prey cycle is a two organism game. Both of them need to outwit the other through any means they see fit. It's also a relationship prey will adapt specifically to some predators like the pronghorn for example. It's top speed is 55 mph which was used to outpace prehistoric cheetahs. Now it's overkill for things like mountain lions, wolves and coyotes.

For predatory animals I encourage to research your prey and learn your relationship with them. Take a moment to give thanks. Vice versa can be said to prey animals. Respecting the relationship of how you evolved and came to be in your habitat I feel is rather important.

I want to re-state again that other methods of survival are not weak. They are just as important.

[yoga-onion]

[Photo above: Banyan tree in Shuri Castle Park]

Legends and myths about trees

Forest spirits and natives (5)

Kijimuna – Mischievous red-haired spectres

Kijimuna are legendary small tree spirits from the Okinawa Islands in Japan, who live in trees (generally old banyan trees). They are said to look about 3 or 4 years old and have red hair.

Another name for the kijimuna is bungaya, which means roughly large-headed. The Kijimuna are known to be very mischievous, playing pranks and tricking humans. One of their best-known tricks is to lie upon a person's chest, making them unable to move or breathe such as sleep paralysis. Even though the Kijimuna are tricksters, they have been known to make friends with humans.

They are skilled fish catchers and only eat the left or both eyes of the fish they catch. Therefore, if you become friends with a Kijimuna, you can always get a fish and become rich. They are good at diving and fishing and catch a lot of fish in seconds. But all the fish they catch have no eyes. They can also run around on the water surface and can stand on the water while carrying people.

They are extremely hatred of hot pot lids, octopus, chickens and human farts, and it is forbidden to let them near the Kijimuna. They also die (or are forced to move to another tree), if a nail is driven into the tree in which they live. They will take terrible retribution, including murder, against anyone who breaks these prohibitions.

Nevertheless, as long as one do not break these prohibitions, they are basically harmless to humans, and many lores say that they are "good neighbours" with humans.

[History of Ryukyu Islands (collective name for Amami Islands, Okinawa Islands, Miyako Archipelago and Yaeyama Archipelago)]

The Ryukyu Islands are known to have been inhabited by humans for about 32,000 years.

The Ryukyu Kingdom was a monarchy, existed in the southwestern islands of Japan for about 450 years, from 15th century to 19th century. It developed through diplomacy and trade with China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asian countries, and the castle of the Ryukyu dynasty, Shuri Castle, was the political, economic and cultural centre of its maritime kingdom. In the late 19th century, the Japanese Government, dispatched troops to oust King Shoutai from Shuri Castle and proclaimed the establishment of Okinawa Prefecture (Ryukyu Disposition). Here, the Ryukyu Kingdom was destroyed.

Genetic studies have shown that populations in the Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa Islands, Miyako Archipelago and Yaeyama Archipelago) have no direct genetic link to mainland China or Taiwanese populations and have identical paternal lines to mainland Japan, and nuclear DNA analysis in 2018 showed that genetically, Ryukyuans are the most closely related, followed by mainland Japanese, from the Ainu (Ref) perspective.

Furthermore, in 2021, a paper on archaeogenetics published in the journal Nature stated that DNA analysis of prehistoric human bones excavated from the Nagabaka (lit. Long graveyard) site in Miyakojima City showed that they were "100% pure Jomon", a research finding that indicates that prehistoric archipelago people came from the Okinawa Islands.

木にまつわる伝説・神話

森の精霊たちと原住民 (5)

キジムナー 〜 いたずら好きな赤毛の妖怪たち

キジムナーは、日本の沖縄諸島に伝わる伝説の小さな木の精霊で、樹木 (一般的にはガジュマルの老木) の中に住んでいる。見た目は3、4歳くらいで、赤い髪をしていると言われている。

キジムナーの別名は「ブンガヤ」であり、「頭の大きい」という意味である。キジムナーは非常にいたずら好きで、いたずらをして人間をだますことで知られている。最もよく知られているのは、人の胸の上に横たわり、身動きや呼吸をできなくさせる「金縛り」だ。そんなキジムナーだが、人間と仲良くなることもある。

魚捕りが巧みであり、しかも捕った魚の左目または両目だけしか食べない。その為、キジムナーと仲良くなれば魚をいつでも貰え、漁運に恵まれる。海に潜って漁をするのが得意であっという間に多くの魚を獲る。でも、彼らが獲った魚は全部目が無い。また、水面を駆け回ることができ、人を連れながらでも水上に立てる。

熱い鍋蓋、タコ、ニワトリ、人間のおならを極端に嫌い、それらのものをキジムナーに近付けるのは禁忌である。また住んでいる木に釘を打たれると死ぬ (或いは別の木への転居を余儀なくされるとも)。これらの禁忌を破った人間に対しては、殺害を含む恐ろしい報復を為す事も辞さない。

然し、禁忌さえ破らなければ基本的に人間には無害な存在であり、人間とは「良き隣人」であると言う伝承が多い。

[琉球諸島 (奄美群島、沖縄諸島、宮古列島、八重山列島の総称) の歴史］

琉球諸島には、約3万2千年前から人類が住んでいたことがわかっている。

15世紀から19世紀までの約450年間、日本の南西諸島に存在した君主制国家、琉球王国は、中国をはじめ日本、朝鮮、東南アジア諸国との外交・貿易を通して発展し、琉球王朝の王城、首里城はその海洋王国の政治・経済・文化の中心にあった。しかし、19世紀後半、日本政府が軍隊を派遣し首里城から国王尚泰 (しょうたい) を追放し沖縄県の設置を宣言した(琉球処分)。これによって、琉球王国は滅亡した。

遺伝子研究では、琉球列島 (沖縄諸島、宮古列島、八重山列島) の集団は、遺伝的に中国本土や台湾の集団との直接的なつながりはなく、日本本土と同一の父系を持つという研究結果や、2018年の核DNA分析から遺伝的に、アイヌ（参照）から見て琉球人が最も近縁であり、次いで日本本土人が近縁であるという研究結果が発表されている。

さらに、2021年には、宮古島市の長墓遺跡から出土した先史時代の人骨をDNA分析した結果、「100％純粋な縄文人」であったとする考古遺伝学の論文が雑誌「ネイチャー」に掲載され、先史時代の列島人が沖縄諸島から来たことを示す研究結果が発表されている。

[traincat]

Ms. Cat, Ms. Cat! You've talked about how great the Waid and Hickman runs are before, so I wanted to ask: what are some things about these runs that you didn't like? Is there anything you would've added, dropped, and/or rewritten, if you were magically granted the ability to do so?

Ooh okay NEGATIVITY. my actual favorite. and I can do it off the top of my head! (I found the 2018 copy of my refs folder, but not the hard drive I know has a 2022 copy.)

So I have talked a lot about what those runs do right, and I think Waid especially is a really good beginner run, like, if you want to start reading Fantastic Four comics, his run is as close to a perfect modern starting point as we have. (I was talking to someone recently and the conversation segued at one point into how, for a lot of comics, there's no such thing as The Place Where You Start Reading, you kind of just have to hop in.) Hickman... is not an ideal starting point, but if you want to read an interesting, coherent Fantastic Four story that's plot heavy, the first half of his run is excellent for that. (Note I said first half. I'll come back to that.) As opposed to, say, Claremont's run, which is completely incoherent in terms of plot but has the best character work in probably any Fantastic Four run ever. Just don't pick it up if you want the story to, you know. Make sense.

Waid's run -- I would never say Waid's run is perfect, although I do think it's good, which is sort of all you can ask for a lot of the time. The beginning of it definitely falls victim to what I kind of privately call the Johnny Effect: I think a lot of writers have trouble writing Johnny at the start, whether because they don't entirely understand his character or because they're less interested in him than the other three. I literally have a rule where I'll give a new Fantastic Four run like, seven or so issues for the writer to settle into writing Johnny, because a lot of people will fall back on these very shallow perceptions of him, namely that he's irresponsible. (I also think Hickman fell victim to this a little bit at the start of his run, although like with most Johnny Effect cases I'll let it go because both Waid and Hickman wrote incredible Johnny-focused stories that absolutely nailed everything about the character. Whatever Happened to Johnny Storm? and Storm Rising are two of my top Johnny story picks, so they do both get him. It just takes some time sometimes.) Waid's not that bad about it, and he did attempt to spin what I think are traits Johnny doesn't really possess (the playboy nature, the emotional immaturity) into a character arc that does have some good payoff, but if you compare Johnny at the beginning of his run to Johnny in, say, Claremont's run, there's a big difference in terms of characterization. I also don't think Waid is anywhere near the top ten Doom writers -- he goes too hard into utterly cartoon villainy. (Waid's run is, after all, the origin of the Childhood Love Skin Armor of infamy.) His Doom lacks the nuance of Hickman's take, or even the iron willed commitment of Miller's. (I will say whatever I want about the rest of that run but Doom getting eaten by a prehistoric shark and then pulling himself back together atom by atom out of sheer spite is just so fundamentally Doom.) So his characterization can be shaky. He can also pull out really strong moments! I think his depiction of Johnny and Reed's respective grief over Ben is really powerful stuff, although I don't like, love the "journey to heaven" arc. (God is Jack Kirby is pretty funny, though.) If anything, I think it's the juxtaposition of the really strong moments that make the weaker characterization more obvious. I think the Doom characterization is probably my biggest criticism of Waid's run, overall. (I also didn't like his recent Invisible Woman miniseries like, at all. I thought it was boring! Sorry! I wanted to like it!)

Now Hickman, I'm going to complain about. So Hickman's run comes immediately after Mark Miller's run, which I never recommend for the simple reason that it's not good. It's not a good run. Miller deserves his general reputation as one of those overly bro-y comic writers who mistakes sprinkling in sexism for hard hitting realism. Do I kind of want to reread the run right now? Yeah, sort of. Despite it being Not Good, I think there's genuinely interesting stuff in it. Hickman spends the first few issues of his run utterly trampling on Miller's run, like, Godzilla on a miniature city style. It's a little amazing to watch, honestly, like I admire the spirit of spite -- that's what I want to do to both Spencer and Wells' ASM runs -- but it has some intensely negative side effects, namely when it comes to Alyssa Moy.

Alyssa Moy is a character Claremont created back in his run -- she's Reed's old college friend/sometimes flame depending on what writer you ask (they kiss in greeting in Claremont's run, but it could be viewed as a friend thing -- and she's pretty blatantly romantically interested in Ben in Claremont's run), a super genius adventurer who can intellectually hold her own against Reed. In short, she's SUPER fun. Every other writer since Claremont, save for Peter David in Before the Fantastic Four: Reed Richards, has been really fucking weird about her. Whether it's making Sue jealous of her because she's so Intellectually Compatible with Reed (this is nowhere in Claremont's introductory run, where Sue and Alyssa get along really well -- Alyssa was LIVING with the F4 for a while) or having her comment on how she and Reed would have intellectually superior kids while she's married to The Most Boring Man Ever Created, Ted Castle (Miller's run). Hickman is NOT immune to being weird about Alyssa. Where Miller's run leaves Alyssa with her Boring Fucking Husband on Planet Future or whatever (it's dumb, it's a dumb plot), Hickman's opens by saying Alyssa is now... a brain in a jar. A talking brain in a jar on robot spider legs. And then she gets murdered like five pages later. But don't worry, because her Boring Fucking Husband creates a robot version of her, and everyone is fine with this and it's cool actually and we don't have to look too closely about the problematic elements of replacing an Asian woman with a robot version of her built by her freak tech guy husband. And then they blast off to space and have not been seen again. I would SO BADLY love to retcon everything that happened with Alyssa post-Claremont because she's such a fun character and the way she's been treated since in the main book is disgraceful. That's my top pick for what I would fix if I had unlimited editorial power: Alyssa Moy solo.

(Is Hickman great about the depiction of women within the sole context of his Fantastic Four run? I think his greatest triumph with any one female character is Valeria, where he took Miller's depiction -- of a super smart toddler -- and honed that characterization into what's now very solidly Val, with all of Reed's intelligence and a lack of his emotional comprehension, with her strong emotional bond with Doom, with her pragmatism. Can I say he did equally for any other female character, again, solely with the context of his F4 run? Not really.)

I'm not gonna address the renumbering/retitling issue with Hickman's run because I don't think it's fair to put that on the writer, but I do think it's detrimental to the run overall, considering how you need a GUIDE to figure out how to read it. I will say that I think Hickman's run falls off HARD after he wraps up the Negative Zone plotline. And I LOVE the Negative Zone plotline, I think it's really a crowning moment in Fantastic Four canon, but Hickman doesn't seem to know what to do with his run after that point. And I love the roommate issue, it's given the Spideytorch community so much, but I genuinely do think we would have been better served exploring Johnny's emotional state after his two year long death and resurrection cycle, and that was mostly left for other writers to deal with after the fact. Which is kind of the flipside of Hickman's greatest strength -- Hickman is just, like, utterly great at blowing stuff the fuck up. You cannot hand that man a fictional universe he wouldn't gleefully explode and it's great, I love that, I love watching him blow stuff up. I think he really gets into the destruction of fictional realities in a wonderful way that gives you lots to think about. But in the case of his F4 run, there's this weird period between wrapping up the Negative Zone plotline in his first Fantastic Four run and his other Fantastic Four comics (his New Avengers run and Secret Wars (2015) are Fantastic Four comics) where he doesn't quite seem to know what to do, emotionally, with the fallout of everything he set up. Which is disappointing! His depiction of grief in the wake of Johnny's death is so powerful, and I love the message about LOVE (what saves the Fantastic Four and by proxy the world? LOVE) in his FF runs, but he doesn't seem to know what to do with it in the in between issues. That being said, I think the last issue of his FF run, the one with Franklin, is just a triumph. It's hard to be overly negative about the pacing problems in the wake of that, but they are there and I do think they should be addressed.

[toad-in-a-trenchcoat]

So I enjoy speculating on cartoony things and such- even if not fleshing it out, just things that are interesting to think about- and I most certainly have wonders about pmatga. Obviously there’s a lot of cartoon logic but stuff can still be fun to interpret.

I’ll probably do more eventually, but in particular I’d like to talk about some things in the episode “Cave Pac-Man”.

We’re shown that Pacworlders have three toes

While many other species also have three toes, in “Jurassic Pac” when Pac becomes Pac-Kong he does appear to have feet more similar to Earth primates (albeit a bit more hand-like).

Somewhere in the transition from trees to plains, two of the digits on their hind legs just disappeared (maybe there’s some remnants like a dewclaw or whatever or they’re straight up gone.)

also tangent but nails might’ve disappeared too?? Likely animation/design choices but it is interesting the main characters more have sausage fingers while Pac-Kong and the cave-orbs have nails.

But then again we’re shown whatever this is in “Pac-Pong Fever”

which is something I want to revisit later, but yeah not sure about that.

2. Modern orbs are very colorful, though it’s shown their ancient ancestors were shades of brown and some muted tones.

Except this gal

So vibrant colors started coming in circa two million years ago, first appearing as shades of red (with this lady being a pretty drastic pigmentation) at least in this group.

3. So again, there’s cartoon logic with the understanding/speaking basic modern Paclish (and perhaps other languages) though as a stretch you could say some aspects of the language have just stayed the same over millennia.

but there’s this that I’m really interested in-

“Monster is most likely a derivative of the prehistoric Pac-language.”

what does that mean. Did ancient orbs and monsters (I’m mostly assuming Fuzbitz’s kind in this case) just interact to the point they learned to communicate? Or…

Like… could there have been a divergence or something???

Idk. But yeah it’s just neat when you think about the possibilities

Thank you for bearing with me. Expect more in the future

[honey-minded-hivemind]

Ok ok so my hc is that healing factors are a deeply subconscious thing and that it either takes a lot of force or something that has heavy psychological impact for a healing factor to not ‘kick in’ so to say. (Ie. Deadpool and how he got his mutation and how it continues to affect him (shh I know it’s his healing factor trying to fix the cancer but the worlds my oyster)). And that could explain the reason why fallen snow still has all their scars, they affect them on a psychological level. I can Only imagine how insane it is to remember horrific events but having no reminders of it other than your memory and even that’s fleeting.

Anywho; I am always partial to big cat hybrid reader (animal witch au)

Spino

Holy mother of pearl, you get it. You get the healing factor idea completely. How it is tied to the psyche, how the wounds won't heal if the person who has them is traumatized or doesn't have enough power/energy to heal them... You hit the nail on the head, Spino Anon. You summed it up perfectly.

And big cat witch! Reader would be so adorable and bad*ss! Be they a tiger or cheetah or lion or leopard or jaguar, they'd own it. Even if they were a prehistoric big cat...

I'm glad to hear from you again, Spino Anon! Here, have a: 🍯🍵🍮

[paleopinesofficial]

[ALT TEXT: Two Psittacosaurs'; One drawn by a palaeontologist, another is a 3D artist rendition of the Psittacosaurus in the game 'Paleo Pines'. On the left, a brown and dark spotted Psittaco looks with wide eyes up into the camera. Paleo Pines' model is a bright green with dark spots, looking into the camera with wide eyes and is standing at the bottom of a bridge. ]

Get ready to dive into the wonderful world of dinosaurs with none other than our beloved Palaeontologist, Natalia Jagielska. They've handpicked four incredible dinos in Paleo Pines for a deep dive.

PSITTACOSAURUS 

The psittacosaurus, lovingly nicknamed Taco! Not only have they spilled the beans on this little guy, but they've also cooked up a brand new artwork just for us. Natalia has even given our in-game version a mischievous rating to test our accuracy. Are you ready to see how well we've nailed it?

The Bare Bone Basics:

The genus name Psittacosaurus means "parrot lizard", largely thanks to the enormous charismatic beak of the animal. This Cretaceous critter belongs to Ceratopsians, which also homes the bulking, horned and frilled animals like Triceratops. Psittacosaurus was small however and likely bipedal (moved on two feet rather than four).

An Interesting Story:

We cannot observe dinosaurs directly, but circumstances in which we find fossils, can provide us with clues to animal behaviour. For example, a fossil site shows several (34 tiny individuals) baby Psittacosauruses cuddling together, suggesting these animals congregated together in their youth. The cluster of yealings sadly perished under a volcanic flow. Prehistoric tragedy.

Known Unknowns:

Psittacosaurus is one of the better-known extinct dinosaurs, with remains of its species being recovered in multiple countries. We have fossils of babies, adults; full skeletons preserved in herds and three dimensions; even flattened specimens retaining traces of delicate skin and other tissues, like mysterious bristles on the tail. As dinosaurs go, we know rather a lot about them, down to spots that decorated their forelimbs and even the colour of their underside!

Our rating from Natalia: Psittacosaurus: 5/5 Perfection!

Wishlist Paleo Pines to be the first to meet our little Taco!

[meirimerens]

Your post about Prewalski horses resonated with me so deeply. Something about species so far removed from us that still exist vicariously through selective breeding. Like splicing branches together with nature's genealogy tree to replace what's gone missing. I feel the same way about aurochs like when I play Pathos I just. want. TO PET-

przewalski drive me craaaazy (asylum_pov_tiktok.mp4) dude their history forever fucks me up. almost driven to extinction survived exclusively in zoos. they exist less through selective breeding than just... breeding, because afaik to conserve is as a breed (technically a subspecies), they were not purposefully bred with other breeds/subspecies than the przewalski, from a tiny, TINY amount of captive animals. (they can reproduce with "normal" horses despite the different number of chromosomes and the offspring can also have foals, which is some kind of scientific anomaly). for them, it's less about splicing branches with nature's genealogy tree than fighting tooth and nail to save as many as were left, and have these few left have more, and more...

there's this other horse we believe was an ancestor of either most european breeds or the ancestory of horses altogether as we know today, the Tarpan. the Tarpan, as it was, went fully extinct, just like the aurochs did. And the Tarpan, just like the aurochs, has been "reconstructed". the Heck brothers have reconstituted what is (wrongly) called a Tarpan, or the "Heck horse". these same men have also "reconstituted" the auroch, known as reconstitued auroch, or Heck auroch. the Konik Polski, a polish breed that is recognized to be a close descendant of the Tarpan, but no Tarpan. But that "auroch" is no auroch, and that "Tarpan" is no Tarpan. they're attempts to approach the phenotypes of the Tarpan and the aurochs. they were, in fact, attempts to splice together branches of nature's genealogy tree, trying to pick up which breeds, or which individuals were thought to be the closest to the original thing, to try to approach ot again, once more. the Tarpan is no more, the Auroch is no more. (but yknow, i've written about the auroch specifically. teehee giggle etc). the przewalski horse, whose story is still muddied and hazy and both fantastic to study and hair-pulling, appears as it can be seen today as ancient. less lost-and-remade, more... god if i now. god if i know.

i know they've cloned one recently, but i'm not sure how i feel about it (if i even have to feel about it, because i'm not a scientist). the przewalski exists in very small numbers, and the risk of genetic bottlenecking is very real, so cloning, which is the replication of genetic material in a new animal, and not "new" material at all is... well, i don't know. it brings one more head into the world, but i'm not sure how it will help with bottlenecking, with inbreeding... all of that i don't know.

there are herds, like Now, right now, which live freely, if monitored, because of the efforts of decades worth of conservation work and the reintroduction of that horse in its original habitat. there are currently herds in a reservation in Lozère, who work with Mongolian NGOs to be able to reintroduce the horses and care for + monitor the herds, as well as help care for the people living in the area of reintroduction. There are populations of przewalski horses in the Chornobyl exclusion zone as well as the Ascania-Nova natural reserve, and the safety of both of these zones is jeopardized by the ongoing war. there are herds in Hungary, on the Puszta. (there are also reconstructed aurochs on the Puszta). i forgot where i was going with it. you know what i mean.

anyways prehistoric horses and aurochs hanging out together to the tune of Me Sobbing hysterically

one of the reasons in my mind i'm putting some damn horses in pathologic is because on top of it taking place like. Where They Lived is because. ^^^they're hanging out (violently starts convulsing etc)

[mutantenfisch]

Get to know me!

@eolewyn1010 <3 tagged me but I'm gonna freestyle this because i don't have the right mood for copying the prebuilt questions.

Favourite Season and or Weather

big fan of both late Spring when everything is this rich and vibrant green and the weather is not too warm, with a bit of cloud cover but also blue sky. And as a second (equal favourite!) Autumn with either frosty and misty mornings and warm and sunny afternoons and orange and red leaves and ripe red berries everywhere or November storms with their dramatic clouds and rain and the perfect excuse to cuddle up in the armchair with some mulled apple juice or tea and a book or a crafting project.

Favourite Fruit Product

Quince and pumpkin marmelades my beloveds!!!!

Favourite Nail Polish Colour

Dark blue or black with a thin layer of transparent or holographic glitter on top

Favourite Convenience or Fast Food

Ever since I tried it I'm a hoe for Azad's grilled veggies döner here in Stadtroda. It's like shawarma but even better 🥰

Last Book I've Read

The last one was Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Big Sleep (English) and I'm currently reading both Bram Stoker's Dracula (English) and Andrzej Sapkowski's Krew elfów (in the German translation).

Last Movie I've Watched

In full? Can't even remember, maybe Pacific Rim? Maybe Meg, maybe one of the Kenneth Branagh Poirots? The other day i saw a bit of Mockingjay on TV but I'm not much in the mood for movies lately.

Last TV/Streaming Show I've Watched

Same here. Not really in the mood for any of this atm. I recently rewatched a few episodes of both Miami Vice and Supernatural on DVD and a rerun of Murder She Wrote, my beloved, on tv when i visited mum.

However, i want to pick up Full Metal Alchemist and Lupin se day and also check whether I can watch Prehistoric Planet somewhere.

Song Currently On, On Repeat and On Shuffle

Currently on: Go_A with Kalyna

On repeat: Sabaton with Soldier of Heaven

On Shuffle: Leonard Cohen with Suzanne

Random Pet or Houseplant Pic

Himst 🥰

I'm not gonna tag anyone bc I want to take a nap before my next therapy session. Feel free to feel tagged or don't, your choice :)

[phasmattack]

Visitors (a 65 story) Chapter 6: Reminiscence

Read Chapter 5

Pairing: Captain Mills x Fem Reader

Fic Summary: 65 million years ago, Captain Mills (played by Adam Driver) crashes a passenger transport ship into Earth during the Cretaceous period. You are among three survivors of the crash. Together with Mills, you must make your way to the only shot of extraction through an unknown terrain riddled with deadly prehistoric creatures.

Fic Masterlist

Read on Ao3

___

You

The evening sun began to cast long shadows on the ground, the last light flirting with the horizon. The spot your group currently occupies is obviously an unfit place to spend the night. The scattered boulders don’t provide enough covering from the elements, and being surrounded by darkness in an open clearing doesn’t sound particularly comforting.

This beat of rest has given your mind time to wander. You pull your thoughts back from recalling the situation you fled from at home, knowing the added anxiety won’t help anything. You push them instead towards Mills, not so subtly staring at his profiled face.

His dark hair falls in soft curls onto his forehead and rests along his strong shoulders. Impossibly strong, they seem, despite how much pain they’re in. He draws in a deep breath, the tired and thin clothing covering his chest rising and falling with it. Your gaze rises to the outline of his nose, bold and sharp but perfectly embodying his chiseled features. You settle to his lips, chapped from the sun but yet you still have an urge to run your fingers over them, soft as a whisper but enough to memorize their shape.

Your eyes flick back to his to find them already on you, meeting your stare. Feeling that familiar blush creep up your neck, you clear your throat and start nervously fiddling with your boot’s loose shoelace, trying to pretend like you hadn’t just been caught ogling him.

If he did notice your embarrassingly long stare, he didn’t say. Instead he clasps his hands together and brings the tips of both thumbs to his mouth, softly blowing and releasing a bird-like sound. You chuckle under your breath at the absurdly random act, but you do catch Koa’s attention perk up across from you.

He smiles successfully and blows another whistle. Now Koa turns to face him, a small sparkle returning in her eyes. He motions to show her how to repeat the gesture and blows a third time. In return, Koa lifts her hands into a completely different position and blows through her pinky nails, sending out a tritone whistle twice as loud as his. Mills fakes a look of offense, throwing his hands up as if it was all for nothing. Koa finally giggles, a sound you’ve both been patiently waiting to hear again.

“Move?” Mills asks her.

“Move.” She replies.

____

You settle on making camp in the mouth of a small cave, ‘camp’ being enough room for the three of you to lay and use your packs as stiff pillows. The cave walls block out most of the breeze, and the roof covers you from the rain that starts to sputter. Mills walks around its perimeter, placing spikes into the ground every couple feet. They whir to life as they’re placed, blinking orange to signal there’s no danger nearby.

Mills shuffles around in his pack and hands a ration to each of you. “Eat.” He tells Koa when she gives him a puzzling look. You unwrap your ration and bite into it, showing her what he means. She cautiously peels the wrapper off the protein bar and breaks off a tiny piece, her face scrunching up in disgust. Her hunger must outweigh her pickiness because she continues to bite off small pieces until she reaches the end.

Satisfied with finishing such a gross task, she leans back against the cave wall and opens her small pack, fishing out several small objects that resemble hologram discs. Your head tilts at her, squinting to try and figure out what she’s up to. Before you can, Mills abruptly asks,

“Where did you get those?”

The tone of his voice makes Koa’s smile drop and she tries to hide the discs back in her bag. Not amused, Mills takes a step to her and rips the bag out of her grip. Dumping the discs into his hand, you can clearly see them now. They’re messages from his daughter.

“Mills, she didn’t mean to-” You start to reason, sympathizing with both of them.

“It’s time to sleep.” He coldly interrupts. He stuffs the discs into his own pack and slumps against the farthest wall. You sigh, picking up Koa’s pack and fluffing it like a pillow before placing it under her head. She curls up, turning towards the wall and softly crying. Great.

You’re really not sure how to mediate this back and forth. Koa was simply being a curious child, trying to find a small speck of joy in this traumatic situation. Mills is a hardened man who lost his daughter, and wants to repress any memory of her. That is, you assume so before hearing the sound of his navigational unit clicking open.

Sat between them, you watch as Mills slides in a disc and projects the message into the air ahead. It’s Nevine, sitting cross legged across from you, hair fluffy from sleep and wearing pajamas dotted with stars. She’s holding a figurine of a rocketship, wrapping paper discarded behind her. Swooping the ship through the air around her, she laughs, the delightful noise echoing off the cave walls.

Tears tugging at your eyes, you turn to Mills. His expression is pensive, his view fixed right to Nevine. A little bit of warmth returns to his face. Koa sits up on your other side and grins at the hologrammed image.

“Shooooo” Nevine mimics engine noises, “It’s just like yours daddy! I love it!”

Koa scoots forward and slowly lifts a hand, the projection so real she wants to reach out and touch it.

“I miss you.” Nevine tells her father, toy slumping and sad eyes gazing into the camera.

The message cuts out, returning the cave to silence and darkness.

Koa yawns, fallen tears now dried up. She scoots back, returning to her curled up position and resting her head on her pack. Mills carefully tucks the disc into his pack and reclines too, the cave opening so small that it forces either of them within inches of you. You stay sitting up between them, listening to the rain patter against the cave and watching the stars glow in the distance. One star is particularly red, you chalk it up to being an unfamiliar planet since you’re on the other side of the galaxy and pause to take one last look at its glow before you lay back and force yourself to sleep.

____

You sleep much deeper than you would’ve expected to on a cave floor, maybe helped by the fact that Mills has pressed against you at some point during the night. You wake at the feeling of his breath on your neck, his knees cradled into yours, and his heavy arm slung over your stomach. You know he wasn’t holding you on purpose, it was his body reacting to the cold and reaching for any warmth he could find.

But you can’t say you minded it, nuzzling into him to steal more of his heat. As you do, you recognize something else that pulled you from your sleep, a softly ringing alarm. Suddenly wide awake, your eyes open and your vision adjusts to see the perimeter spikes now blinking red. You wipe your eyes and lift Mills’s arm off of you, gently waking him in the process.

“They’re red now.” You whisper to him, voice groggy, “What does red mean?”

“Nothing good.” He replies, grabs his weapon and begins stalking towards the cave’s entrance. Just getting prepared to run, you tap Koa to wake her. She doesn’t budge in response.

“Koa, c’mon wake up.” You shake her harder, rolling her back to face you. She slumps to her back, head limp and eyes unresponsive. Her mouth is full of white foam, and with the sudden change of angle it begins dripping down her chin.

“KOA” You yell, “Mills there’s something wrong!”

He lowers the weapon and jogs over, sliding beside you and shining a flashlight to Koa’s face. Now illuminated, you see a furry bug with hundreds of little legs crawl farther down her throat and clamp its pinchers onto her tongue.

“MILLS,” You gasp, heart sinking. You realize you’re completely unaware of what to do in this situation. You grab Koa’s hand and squeeze it, not ready to let go of her anytime soon. Mills swears and hands you the flashlight, suddenly standing and bolting to the nearest perimeter spike.

“What are you-” You cry as he splits the spike in half, creating an electrified shiv. He cradles Koa’s head in his hand and holds her jaw open with his thumb then jams the spike into her mouth, stunning the horrifying little creature.

Koa gurgles, eyes flying open and foam pouring from her mouth. Your heart still pounding in your ears, you flip Koa so she can vomit the rest of the foam out. Both crying, you hold her to your chest and she grips onto your hands as tight as she can. Mills collapses beside you, trying to steady his own pounding heart.

Before any words can be spoken you all tense even further when the remaining perimeter spikes turn from softly flashing red to strobing and sharply beeping. Whatever set them off is still here, and now it’s found you.

Chapter 7