#save the amazon rainforest

[olowan-waphiya]

A huge ancient city has been found in the Amazon, hidden for thousands of years by lush vegetation.

The discovery changes what we know about the history of people living in the Amazon.

The houses and plazas in the Upano area in eastern Ecuador were connected by an astounding network of roads and canals.

The area lies in the shadow of a volcano that created rich local soils but also may have led to the destruction of the society.

While we knew about cities in the highlands of South America, like Machu Picchu in Peru, it was believed that people only lived nomadically or in tiny settlements in the Amazon.

"This is older than any other site we know in the Amazon. We have a Eurocentric view of civilisation, but this shows we have to change our idea about what is culture and civilisation," says Prof Stephen Rostain, director of investigation at the National Centre for Scientific Research in France, who led the research.

"It changes the way we see Amazonian cultures. Most people picture small groups, probably naked, living in huts and clearing land - this shows ancient people lived in complicated urban societies," says co-author Antoine Dorison.

The city was built around 2,500 years ago, and people lived there for up to 1,000 years, according to archaeologists.

It is difficult to accurately estimate how many people lived there at any one time, but scientists say it is certainly in the 10,000s if not 100,000s.

The archaeologists combined ground excavations with a survey of a 300 sq km (116 sq mile) area using laser sensors flown on a plane that could identify remains of the city beneath the dense plants and trees.

—

"The road network is very sophisticated. It extends over a vast distance, everything is connected. And there are right angles, which is very impressive," he says, explaining that it is much harder to build a straight road than one that fits in with the landscape.

The scientists also identified causeways with ditches on either side which they believe were canals that helped manage the abundant water in the region.

There were signs of threats to the cities - some ditches blocked entrances to the settlements, and may be evidence of threats from nearby people.

Researchers first found evidence of a city in the 1970s, but this is the first time a comprehensive survey has been completed, after 25 years of research.

It reveals a large, complex society that appears to be even bigger than the well-known Mayan societies in Mexico and Central America.

—

Some of the findings are "unique" for South America, he explains, pointing to the octagonal and rectangular platforms arranged together.

The societies were clearly well-organised and interconnected, he says, highlighting the long sunken roads between settlements.

Not a huge amount is known about the people who lived there and what their societies were like.

Pits and hearths were found in the platforms, as well as jars, stones to grind plants and burnt seeds.

—

Prof Rostain says he was warned against this research at the start of his career because scientists believed no ancient groups had lived in the Amazon.

[the-vast-corner-of-the-galaxy]

BOLIVIA'S EMERGENCY SITUATION

Hi guys, I don't usually post stuff like this, but this is an actual emergency, and I need your help. As a Bolivian, I am morally obligated to share about this:

The rainforests in Bolivia are being consumed by violent wildfires that have been caused by human activity and drought. These wildfires have been happening for the past 4 years, but this year, they got to its highest peak.

More than 4 MILLION hectares of untouched rainforest have been consumed by the wildfires these past few weeks in the eastern region of Bolivia, which is more extensive that Belgium and Switzerland to put it on a scale. These devastating wildfires have burned MILLIONS of trees and plants, killed thousands of species of animals, and left people and animals alike without homes. Whole ecosystems have been completely consumed by the fires, which have (and will have) devastating environmental consequences.

So far, the air quality for over 4 regions is over 100 AQI, which is extremely contaminated air and is already damaging for people. Obviously, the areas that are closer to the wildfires have AQIs over 200, which is even more damaging for the environment.

Due to the fact that the Bolivian government and local authorities FAILED to do anything about wildfire control (they went as far as to pass laws that authorized industries and others to burn whatever the hell they wanted for agriculture in the 2010s), the citizens and private companies are the only ones taking an initiative to stop this devastating situation. Hundreds of volunteers are spread across the regions of Beni, Pando, Santa Cruz, and part of La Paz to stop the wildfires and rescue animals, and many campaigns have been started to donate money, medical supplies, food, water, tools, and other things to the volunteers and for the intensive care of animals.

That is why, I need your help so you can donate money if you are abroad. We need all the help we can get to save our rainforests and our ecosystems, because the consequences these disasters could have in the future are critical. Below this, I've linked some Go Fund Mes and QRs so you can donate if you are living outside of Bolivia.

If you cannot donate, at least be kind enough to share this post and/or the links to the donations.

Please help us save our country.

DONATE NOW

GO FUND ME FOR "STANDING RIVERS" IN USD

GO FUND ME FOR "STANDING RIVERS IN EUROS

QR from @ imagine_bo on Instagram

I will post more links and information about our current situation.

Please help us

-Lux <3

[angelofthelordcreations]

Misha Collins and Alex Clavert have teamed up to help save the rain forest you can help too

Help donate money Amazon watch help rainforest

Here live stream of misha and alex discussing this fundraiser:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Misha Collins (@misha)

[jullinh4x]

Hello everyone, this is a call for help

I live in Brazil and my country is in serious danger due to the fires and droughts in the Amazon Rainforest

But not only that, the city of São Paulo is also suffering from a terrible air pollution

Unfortunately, I don't know of any donation system to help my country, but please spread this message

[greenecosystem]

Every Drop Counts: Effective Ways to Save Water.

Every drop matters. Learn how to save water and protect our precious resources. Our comprehensive guide offers easy-to-follow tips for water conservation, both indoors and outdoors. Join the movement towards a more sustainable planet."

[tizzychardia]

People online are all about accessibility for disabled folks until it clashes with their able-bodied performative environmental activism.

I'm not going to use my daily "spoons" on REAL spoons, per say.

Yes, I'm going to continue to use paper plates, plastic straws, plastic/paper cups, and plastic utensils - because I can't stand long enough to clean glass dishes or do the "up & down" of loading the dishwasher. Somedays, I can't even sit upright long enough to do it while sitting in my walker. I'm not going to willingly let glass dishes rot and mold in the sink and create a biohazardous environment for myself simply because some performative fucker online thinks that I'm singlehandedly killing the Amazon Rainforest.

I'm not going to use up my one doable task of the day on fucking dishes and dragging them out to the kitchen every meal. I have to worry about feeding myself, showering, feeding my pets, laundry - things that actively keep ME alive and going.

I'm not going to hire a damn dishwasher or a maid to come in and take my dishes whenever I eat - and I'm not forcing my parents to do that either when there's a much easier option for everyone involved.

The people who complain about shit like this online aren't actually advocating for environmental preservation. If you care so much about the fucking trees and planet, switch to solar energy. Save up for an electric car. Limit your use of paper. Don't light fires or contribute to air pollution. Don't contribute to light pollution. Invest in local environment preservation groups. Donate. Recycle. Spend your freetime picking up litter.

Do SOMETHING productive other than just screaming online about how the world is falling apart over non-biodegradable materials when some people in the world have to rely on them just to get by.

[ghcstao3]

(part 1) (cw blood/violence)

Shifters should be born, not made. That’s one of few things that science has been able to say for certain about the biology (and ethics) of the species.

John MacTavish was born, not made, and all his life he’s told that’s something he should be grateful for. And he is.

Because it’s his heightened senses that aid him in excelling in his career. It’s his inhuman abilities that give him an edge; it's his differently-wired brain that deepens his perception, his instinct, and lends him a better gut feeling to tell right from wrong.

And Simon "Ghost" Riley is nothing but wrong.

John could sense something was off about the lieutenant from the moment they met—the man smells human beneath the smoke and dirt and gun oil, but he carries himself too strangely to not be something else. His voice, though obviously naturally gravelly, rasps like his vocal cords don’t take too kindly to words, and his limbs are slightly, almost imperceptibly disproportionate, and it's unsettling, but John just pastes on a friendly smile and promises to save you a seat, sir.

Ghost's stare weighs heavy on John's shoulders as he retreats, something dark and piercing and haunted. It bores a hole through John’s gear, burns the nape of his neck, but he has to continue walking away. He can’t pause, can’t look back, because somehow he fears he won’t like what he sees if he does.

It’s animal instinct that has his hackles raised in Ghost’s presence from then on. John acts unafraid, is unafraid, but there’s something about the man he needs to know but cannot, and it’s eating him alive. Ghost may say he’s human and Price might back that claim, but John isn’t stupid. He isn’t so naive to think that something isn’t wrong.

Then John gets his answer. Stranded alone with Ghost, exhausted and irritated and sticky with sweat in the middle of the Amazon, he gets his answer.

Their makeshift camp would offer scant protection, but being in the middle of nowhere John anticipates their worst enemy would only be the fauna—regardless, though, they’d take turns keeping watch. Or they might take turns, given Ghost has a track record of taking the first shift and never waking John up until they had to move.

Sometimes John thinks that the man might not actually sleep.

This time, however, John is roused by the tearing of flesh and the squelch of blood, by gargled screams and snapped bones. It’s too dark to make anything out, but rather than investigate John wills his body still and breath quiet, preferring he not get caught by whatever monstrous thing he can hear growling low in its throat.

As wary as he still is about his lieutenant, they’ve grown close enough that John itches to reach out for his assurance, to make certain the man is still alive.

But then there’s one last nauseating rip of limb from torso, and a desperate, choking plea, and then there’s silence.

John has to bite back his own scream when a wet snout suddenly nudges his face.

A cold nose brushes his skin followed by a whiskered, bloodied maw, the creature sniffing at him while John keeps his eyes screwed shut. He begins to worry that this is how he dies—like the other men that must have found their position just in time to get torn apart—but then the creature moves away from his face, wandering elsewhere, but not far, before it slumps on the ground.

After its breathing has evened out, John dares take a peek, and while the rainforest’s canopy blocks out most moonlight, he can still faintly make out the form of what he thinks is a jaguar, a black panther—but it’s too big, too gangly, its fur patchy and matted with crimson. John is tempted to pick through his gear for a flashlight, the moonlight too dim to pick out the details, but he ultimately resists. Just squints into the night at the strange disjointedness of the maybe-jaguar, its composition wrong, almost like it’s an amalgamation of animals rather than just one.

Eventually John rolls onto his back, staring up at the silhouettes of branches and leaves high above, trying not to think too hard about the massacre he’s going to find in the morning, or about the beast, or about where the fuck Ghost had gone.

He doesn’t really fall back asleep, only drifts in and out of consciousness, his mind restless and battling with his fatigue. When dawn mercifully breaks, John wastes no time getting up, unable to stay still any longer—he’d been right, of course, about the grisly sight of their camp’s perimeter.

A dozen or so dismembered and disemboweled bodies are strewn about, remnants of gear and weapons telling John they had, in fact, been the enemy caught up to them—and the culprit of it all, John remembers, is still asleep on the soft earth as if it hadn’t so easily caused all that carnage.

And Ghost is still missing.

John turns, tentative, to observe the jaguar-thing, and as his gaze sets upon it in the growing light, a violent shiver rolls up his spine.

What he first decides is that’s it’s not quite a jaguar, but nor is it really anything else. John’s eyes had not deceived him in assessing its size and too-long limbs; it’s almost grotesque in form, malformed, uncanny. Corded muscle is uncomfortably prominent, as are the ridges of its ribs, its shoulder blades, its hips. Teeth and claws long and sharp and deadly, fangs so lengthy they poke past the jaguar-thing’s lips like a sabre-tooth tiger.

It goes beyond mutation, John thinks, but he also doesn’t know how else an animal like that could exist without some kind of unnatural intervention.

Unless—

No. No, that’s a stupid thought. No one becomes a shifter, and if they do they certainly don’t live to tell the tale. No, that can’t be possible.

But it would make so much sense.

The jaguar-thing stirs, then, blinking open eyes the same dark colour of the spongy soil beneath them.

Not the right colour for a cat of any kind.

John doesn’t move. Considers shifting himself not to fight but to give him speed in fleeing, but he needs his gear, and he needs to know if this thing is Ghost, so he remains glued in place as the creature stands and stretches, moving lithely in spite of the way its body so wrongly exists. He stands his ground even when it approaches, even when it stands much taller than a jaguar should, almost like the beast is half-bear.

Then its presence shifts, and he sucks a sharp breath through his teeth.

What stares back at John is not human.

[not-the-cheese]

one(ish) sentence summaries of every magnus archive episode PART 3 (111-154)

HELLO FRIENDS In honor of one of my friends starting tma i am posting the rest of what i have for this series

I'm going to be honest, i wrote all of these like a year and a half ago so i don't even remember if all of them are as accurate as i thought they were at the time so tell me what u guys think ( ALSO IM SORRY IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO POST THESE)

if you guys want more i can be convinced to relisten to the series and finish this and also send me asks i love getting asks

------------------------------------------------------------

111. god fuck he just wanted his friends to call him gerry

112. guys I have a great idea for a game it’s called murder tag and there are no downsides I promise

113. sweet dreams goodnight don’t let the carbon monoxide poisoning bite

114. cleaning lady takes a trip to mandela effect land

115. ship cook discovers an infinite meat glitch!

116. oh god the unknowing ritual is fnaf security breach

117. alright guys it’s time to prepare for clown time let’s do a roll call

118. martin burns some stuff and gets traumatized while Jon and the homies are sneaking through an interactive wax museum.

119. ah fuck it’s clown time

120. omg! you were in the archivist’s dream last night! so cool!!

121. dude I’d KILL for a good night’s sleep

122. the worst person you know tells you about their "new philosophical theory" for 24 minutes

123. man is scammed into being the helpless mod for murder reddit

124. old man ruins our austrian mountain trip with impromptu skydiving

125. bagpipe music makes an entire town do a The Purge (2013)

126. man is so shit at sculpting that it literally makes four people loose their minds

127. hey guys… eye am not feeling so well…

128. skinwalker delivery man mourns the loss of his skinwalker delivery husband

129. we needed this rain

130. HOT SINGLES IN YOUR AREA WILL FILL YOUR HOLE WITH MEAT

131. I get the guy who turns peoples’ bones to turn my bones and also tell me the story of how he started turning peoples’ bones

132. MAN OPENS COFFIN. WE ARE VERY WORRIED FOR HIM.

133. My son’s weird boyfriend is a little too invested in my treasure hunt.

134. journalist takes a short and awful trip to dystopia land and it gives both her and adelard decker an existential crisis .

135. let me tell you about our lord and savior: shadow jesus.

136. my boss does a reverse pinocchio.

137. I am saved from the real horrors of war by spooky ghost horrors of war.

138. my dear jonah, it seems my years of fucking around have finally caught up to me, and I am nearing the time in which I will find out.

139. Local cult cooks up an antichrist and then deals with the terrible consequence: parenthood.

140. 17th century homoerotic rivalry between an astronomer and shadow jesus

141. our captain got depressed and then made us all steal a camera

142. hey sorry your archivist got addicted to eating trauma. yeah he’s just watching people on the street now. yeah he’s pulling statements from them like teeth. yeah he’s been showing up in my dreams and he is all eyes.

143. we KILL this evil orb using the power of looking at it too closely

144. math podcast makes man foresee the end of the world

145. gertrude drops the hardest diss track of the century on the desolation / part 2 of local cult’s adventures in parenthood

146. man is stalked by a sneaky door.

147. the archives is stalked by a sneaky spider lady.

148. Security camera guy loves his job so much that he becomes a security camera.

149. weird trash art in the Amazon rainforest bites researcher

150. HOMOPHOBIC SUBURBAN HOUSES

151. have you ever played aquarium tycoon

152. let me introduce you to the world of recreational dirt naps ( I am not asking )

153. evil worm polycule

154. i quit my job and my hot goth wife kills me.

Part 1 | Part 2

[lizard-sheningans]

And we all know the importance of rainforests like that one for the ecosystems of the whole earth! Please read through these inspirations and follow at least a few of them to be a change in this world!

The recent satellite data from Brazil’s space agency Inpe reveals that deforestation in the Brazilian portion of the Amazon rainforest hit a new record high last month.

As the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) states, the Amazon “is of vital importance because people around the world, as well as locally, depend on the rainforest. Not just for food, water, wood and medicines, but to help stabilise the climate — around 76 billion tonnes of carbon is stored in the Amazon rainforest. The trees in the Amazon also release 20 billion tonnes of water into the atmosphere per day, playing a critical role in global and regional carbon and water cycles.”

On the International Day of Forests 🌳🌲🌱, learn 6 things you can do to help the Amazon Rainforest!

[itspheenixbaby]

RIDICULOUS GROUP SCENARIOS i scripted for my kpop dr

now playing . . . "mas que nada" by black eyed peas

A big, smelly ass rat found itself on stage mid way through an encore...guess who ran off stage crying?

male member gets struck by lightning after saying God should "strike him down" if he's lying about denying his crush on a female member. he went in a coma for two weeks.

got stranded on a rich members gifted yacht in south east asia. then the ship started sinking and we knew we were cooked. but luckily got saved by...pirates...? and hustled to an event in singapore via carpooling in a basically totaled car for four days straight.

doing the pacer test as a challenge on a high school themed variety show. it wasnt planned by the show makers but our managers requested it to fuck with us.

the group went on a "team building retreat" (fancy word for vacation) in Brazil and got lost in the Amazon rainforest because somebody forgot to book a guide and some others were convinced we didnt need it. rescued by our managers in their chopper (which nobody knew they had?? because who tf just has a chopper). but it seemed like they just ran into us on their way to do something.

big paintball match with a bunch of other idol groups. like group v. group. but we took it way too seriously! military strategizing and everything. we won tho.

performed a cover of "jailhouse rock" by elvis in orange jumpsuits a day before our CFO got arrested. no we did not know that he was getting put behind bars.

the group has a fleet of cars (since were too cool to get driven around...or something? the logic is stupid, whatever it is) some shared some private. almost nobody in the group save for like five people should be let on the road. none of us can drive. nearly every idol in our age group has been in a car with the shitty driver line and can attest to it.

the group split into two and bet against if two members would end up together by the end of the year. the group who lost had to give the other group fifty dollars each and eat dog food. (in my dr my intuition is crazy good so no, i was not in the loosing group)

a member got his bedframe and mattress off of temu for like fifteen dollars. it broke down on a livestream a year later. like nobody was even sitting/ laying on it, it just broke.

[rea-grimm]

Sleep Protector Boa Hancock

Everyone who knew you knew about your incredible fear of snakes. You yourself were aware that it was an irrational fear since snakes were minimal and not even venomous where you lived.

You knew that as a child, you were not afraid of snakes until a certain incident. You didn't remember exactly what happened, but from that moment on, you had a panicky fear of snakes that you couldn't overcome.

And even though your best friend had an aquarium with snakes and was constantly trying to help you overcome your fear, or at least alleviate it.

However, you had no idea what had gotten into you. Whether it was a momentary weakness or pure insanity, but at your best friend's urging, you signed up with her for a part-time job at an exotic research station in the Amazon rainforest. It had a lot of perks, and one of the main ones was that your transportation there, your stay and your food would all be paid for.

She constantly cajoled you, and for every one of your rejections, she found a thousand more positives as to why you should give it a try. She was so convincing that you believed it yourself.

Your faith didn't last very long, however, and just as you got your acceptance letter, the whole situation weighed on you. You were going for two months to a country that was on your top danger list.

You had such a meltdown that you started having nightmares about it. About the Amazon rainforest, its dense jungle, and all the dangers that could befall you there. Of course, most of the nightmares centred on snakes. You were trapped by them. They were crawling all over you. Trying to crush you and bite you and stuff. 

How many times did that make you wake up screaming at night, bathed in your own sweat. You always had to turn on the light so your brain could see for itself that you were safe, and there were no snakes anywhere. 

One thing led to another, and very soon, you developed insomnia from the stress, because of your fear of nightmares about snakes. 

You were a walking disaster, but even that didn't save you from your fate in the jungle. Once you decided you should call it quits, there was nothing you could do about it. 

You slept through the entire plane flight because you inadvertently took more sleeping pills than you wanted. But when you thought about it later, you didn't mind.

You were picked up at the airport by a car belonging to the research station, where you were taken to the main building that connected all the centres around. There, you filled out the rest of the paperwork that was needed for your accommodation, and also a questionnaire that would assign you a tailor-made job. 

Your friend was thrilled when she was assigned a job looking after snakes directly. You were relieved when you were assigned the job behind the camera, where you were to make sure that the snakes were not stolen and that there was no accident where the snakes got away. 

As soon as you were assigned your jobs, your new supervisors were there to take over. You were taken to the camera room. There, sitting in your new chair, was a black teddy bear wearing an elegant dress with gold snake earrings and a long white and red snake wrapped around her paw.  

"This is for you. Such a little talisman for peace and courage," smiled your supervisor, who was an elderly lady who might as well have been your grandmother. 

You were a little sceptical about it, but it was a gift and that's what counts. Plus, the teddy bear had fur as soft as velvet and was nice to touch. You felt that with a teddy bear and these nice people, you could do the job. 

After all, they had given you a break because they didn't want to torture you on the first day, and they knew you would be tired after such a long journey. They wanted you to settle in first before they put you to work. 

You'd barely unpacked your things from the suitcase when you fell into bed, teddy bear in hand, and after a long time, you fell asleep quickly, without any problems. 

But the trouble came in your dreams. You found yourself in the middle of a dark jungle, completely surrounded by vegetation. The unfamiliar sounds of animals gave you the chills, and there were snakes everywhere. Snakes in the grass, in the trees, everywhere. Wherever you moved, a snake was hissing at you. 

You didn't know what to do next. How to get out of there in one piece without being stepped on by a snake or eaten. You closed your eyes in terror, awaiting your end. 

But that never happened. Instead, something moved beneath your feet and carried you into the air. You gasped as you saw a giant white snake with red spots on its body and a skull with horns on its head under your feet. The snake carried you into the air to safety. 

A tall girl in a beautiful purple dress that looked very much like the dress your new teddy bear was wearing jumped down to where you were standing. She even had the same gold snake earrings. She looked around with her head up before tossing her hair to the side. 

She took a stern look at all the nightmares before pointing at them and leaning back as she looked down on them too much. She then stood up and, during the blink, turned all the nightmares into a stone, which she then smashed into small pieces. 

You were safe at last. The snake that had been supporting you brought you back down to the ground, where a girl walked over to you, took you under her chin, and gave you a stern look. You had the impression that she could see right through you. 

The girl introduced herself and asked you if you were all right. You, however, were completely mesmerised by her beauty and did not hear a word she said. Your thoughts were somewhere else entirely. 

She let you go in disappointment before taking you somewhere else where no nightmares could bother you. You knew that she was your protector, who cared for you in your dreams and helped you face your fears little by little. 

The next morning, you woke up after a long time full of energy. The circles under your eyes had improved a little, and you felt like you were finally ready for your new job. After all, watching snakes through a screen didn't seem so scary after all. 

At the time you arrived in the computer room, where you had a view of all the important places from where you could keep an eye on people and snakes. This way from the screen, at one point, they didn't seem as scary as they first appeared to you. 

All of this led to a drastic improvement for you. In your dreams, your beautiful protector was helping you overcome your fear of snakes in her original ways. You travelled the world, she showed you the best places where you felt free and also her best treatments that made you feel more beautiful in the real world. 

You had the impression that your protector was cold to you at first, but you noticed how she opened up to you more and more, and you realised that her almost divine looks weren't everything. That even underneath the glossy shell, there was something much deeper. 

You even noticed that at some points she was more in her thoughts than you were. Sometimes you'd see her smile and blush. 

Everything went as smoothly as clockwork. You and you friend have totally gotten into your new jobs and you've been making huge strides. You even went to your friend's terrarium regularly to try to break your fear of snakes. In your dreams, it was no problem and you wanted to make those advances in the real world.

Your friend was incredibly proud of you when you came to her alone and said you wanted to pet a snake and even hold it.

You've talked about it, but you haven't been able to put it into practice. You've been preparing for days, but you've always backed out.

You had a night watch today. You had your feet up on the table and watched the screens when you had no idea what happened, but suddenly you saw a sort of short circuit where all the screens went off, with all the electricity going out for a moment.

Just until it managed to power up the electricity and the screens, so it was your job to figure out what happened. What gave you pause, however, was the image on the screen. You had to lean in close to believe your eyes. All the snake enclosures were open, and you could see a strange person in black opening another one.

You let the rest of the security team know, and without any attempt on your part, you went to sort it out. You had a flashlight in one hand and a tear gas canister ready in the other.

Just as you stepped through the door to the room in question, you paused. Several snakes were slithering right in front of you. But you knew from your friend that they were relatively harmless.

You took a deep breath before carefully stepping around the snakes and heading further inside, planning to reveal the figure in black. You went deeper, passing one snake after another, but the person was nowhere to be seen. 

You were about to turn back when you froze. You felt someone put something between your shoulder blades. You suspected it was a gun. 

"Don't think of anything funny," someone said coldly in your ear. You nodded your head in agreement, and snakes were the least of your worries at that moment. 

"How dare you touch my beloved?! You men are all the same," came a cold voice full of contempt that you instantly recognised. You wanted to turn to follow the voice, but the weapon against your backside prevented you from doing so. 

The gun was pressed more into your back before you heard the scream. It sounded like the man behind you. There were a few footsteps, a thud, and rocks falling to the ground. You turned around, but the man in black was nowhere to be seen, and in his place was a pile of stones, like crumbled statues. 

"Hancock?" You asked the girl who threw her hair behind her. 

"Are you all right?" She asked, and a giant white snake with red spots and a skull on its head appeared behind her. 

"I'm fine. I thought that was the end of me," you admitted. 

"Nothing will happen to you when I'm here," she said, taking you under the chin and kissing you.

One Piece Masterlist

Sleep Protector Masterlist

[glitchlight]

honestly somebody should introduce the zoomers to all the c-tier or failed memes that have accumulated like storm tossed driftwood on the distant shores of long lost memory. tumblr is to the wider internet as the dust of the barren sahara is to infnite diversity of the amazon rainforest; a vital resource little known save to those who watch the winds blow. do they know about forearm laser. has anyone told them about jo crystals. I could teach them so much; I could be a prophet to them. A messiah.

[averageallogene]

What are your thoughts on Tighnari x Modern!reader? Like reader gets transported into Genshin, and Tighnari finds them wondering around the forest confused or sum like that! I feel like that could be something interesting to think about. Thank you, and have a lovely day <3

Gender neutral reader ; fluff. Scenario format.

notes. Hello dear anon! ♡ That's such an interesting idea, I feel like Tighnari would definitely be one of the most fun characters to come across a modern reader! I hope you enjoy the ideas and I apologize for the wait! Enjoy! ✧˖°.

Tighnari would definitely, at first, be a little ticked off upon finding some lost soul so dangerously prowling through the Avidya Forest! All his hardwork only to have people ignore his well deserved warnings had him prematurely growing white hairs, seriously.

He would at first watch from afar as the person, seemingly confused, walked slowly as their eyes gawked at the fauna and flora around them, fingers carefully brushing through the folliage as they attempted to figure out their surroundings. He would jump into actino however, upon noticing how they approached some fungi with a smile on their face- Did they not know they were a dangerous threat!?

Turns out, they didn't. The unknown individual would nearly scream at the sight of one of his arrows flying through the air, hastily dealing with the problem. The forest ranger would watch as they fell back, eyes soon landing on him before inquiring why did he do that.

"Why? Because they're a danger, isn't that obvious?" Would be the first words he'd ever throw at them, hand resting on his hip before his eyes narrowed. "Hey, you listening to me?"

They weren't. I mean, how could they? They had someone with real ears and a tail in front of them, wagging and wiggling at every little sound. The sudden urge to touch them was strong, but they had to find out where they were first and foremost.

Tighnari was definitely a little ruthless at first, even if there were some alarm bells that the person before him wasn't from Teyvat. Hinsight's 20/20, and their clothing definitely should've been enough for him to inquire more. Still, his attitude definitely stemmed from the worry of them being injured.

It would all change upon them bashfully cutting him off. "Yes, yes, I understand but- Where exactly... Am I? What place is this?"

Well, Tighnari had been with the traveler before, so despite the initial surprise of their question, he quickly realized what was the issue. It was as though the pieces finally connected, his tongue clicking silently before he offered an apology for any worried smothering.

He helped them get up, checking for any injuries before they made their way back to Gandharva Ville. Their eyes would wander between the forest and his ears, but he simply ignored as he explained to the best of his abilities. He went into deep detail to try and ensure they grasped their situation, explaining a little bit of their history all the while.

"A rainforest... So like the Amazon!" Their eyes would sparkle as they thought aloud, Tighnari hesitantly responding with a 'yes?' even though he had no idea what the 'Amazon' was. He would definitely inquire about it later, he first had to ensure they recieved food and water.

Only upon ensuring they were alright and rested, would Tighnari ask more personal information like their name! After all, he wished to let them know they were safe with the Forest Rangers. Thankfully, despite the initial shock, they were cooperative and overall positive. Perhaps it was due to the initial shock of being somewhere far from home.

He would listen super attentively to everything they had to say! From their name, where they were from, what was it like... The researcher would simply nod his head and even take a few notes, most likely for some follow up questions he'd save for later.

"It's like you're my therapist, taking those notes, haha!"

"A 'therapist'?"

Oh boy.

Praise the Archons they were very patient, for Tighnari's curiosity knew no bounds. In truth, it was endearing. His tail would wag slowly from side to side, his ears twitching ocasionally as he hummed over whatever they had to say. He most definitely took notice, that was something he was used to, after all. A few days later he even took the initiative to ask something regarding the constant staring.

"Do you want to touch them? They're quite fluffy."

"Can I?!" Their excitement was adorable, in truth.

He bent his head down so they could reach his ears, their touch much more soft than what was the norm. Tighnari let them explore his ears with a small smile, followed by his tail. His trained eye knew it wasn't something they were used to seeing, yet still he asked.

"Do you... Not have hybrids back where you're from?"

"No! These aren't a thing back home, so that's why- Oh Goodness they're so soft."

Cute.

Throughout the course of their stay, he would inquire if they'd feel comfortable sharing more about their home, and the two of them would sit together as he listened more about their life before they had stumbled upon Teyvat. Tighnari got to learn a lot of strange things, like what a smartphone was. How exactly could... A small, artificial rectangular device be smart, he had no idea, but he surely wouldn't let Cyno know of that term no matter what. He already cringed with the jokes even when miles away.

Another topic Tighnari liked to revisit often was the botany field. He'd inquire if they had similar flowers to the ones in Pardis Dhyai, the two having tranquil walks as he listened to interesting facts about the flora of their home, if they knew any. He would ask questions that would be nothing less than endearing to them, inquiring aloud how if they had no Padisarahs how would they season their food, for instance. And speaking of food! Him and Collei adored cooking for them, watching with curiosity if they enjoyed the food Sumeru had to offer. Turns out, they themselves knew how to cook pretty well, so it was a treat whenever they would cook a specialy of their home, or the closest thing possible given the difference in ingredients!

And despite the good times and the seemingly seamless adaptation process, homesickness was bound to come. Tighnari was more than aware of it, so he would do next to anything he could to try and help them cope. If they have any particular hobbies, he would do his best to indulge with them. Drawing? He's not great, but he'll join them. Writing? He'll offer to read whatever they write, if they want! Music? Perhaps they can visit the Grand Bazaar and search for an instrument for them. Speaking of the Grand Bazaar, some strolls through Sumeru City are sure to help! Hell, even if Cyno's joke's help ease the melancholy, he will deal with them for a month straight if needed.

He would also exchange more regular mail with the traveler, inquiring if they'd yet found a way to return to their own home. Perhaps they had an idea how to do so? Or even better, maybe they could meet his new friend? After all, only someone who shares the same homesickness can perhaps have a deeper conversation regarding the emotions that such a thing stirrs within. Even if he'd like for them to stay... He totally understands if in the long run that isn't a viable option. Tighnari will support them either way.

Case and point, Tighnari is a great friend, going the extra mile for those he cares about. ♡

[salvadorbonaparte]

Broaden Your Horizons 2024

A Non-Fiction Rec List by Salvadorbonaparte

Books

Adventures in Yiddishland: Postvernacular Language and Culture - Jeffrey Shandler

A Good Man in Evil Times: The Heroic Story of Aristides de Sousa Mendes -- The Man Who Saved the Lives of Countless Refugess in World War II - Jose-Alain Fralon, Peter Graham (trans.)

Brief Answers to the Big Questions - Stephen Hawking

Erebus: The Story of a Ship - Michael Palin

Every Word Is A Bird We Teach To Sing: Encounters with the Mysteries and Meanings of Language - Daniel Tammet

Federico Garcia Lorca: A Life - Ian Gibson

Getting to Yes: Negotiating an agreement without giving in - Roger Fisher, William Ury

I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban - Malala Yousafzai

Ice Ghosts: The Epic Hunt for the Lost Franklin Expedition - Paul Watson

Identity and Violence: The Illusion of Destiny - Amartya Sen

If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?: My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating - Alan Alda

Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism

Iwígara: American Indian Ethnobotanical Traditions and Science

Lingo: A Language Spotter's Guide to Europe - Gaston Dorren, Alison Edwards (trans.)

Monsters in the Closet: Homosexuality and the Horror Film - Harry M. Benshoff

One River: Explorations and Discoveries in the Amazon Rainforest - Wade Davis

Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour - Kate Fox

What's Your Pronoun? Beyond He and She - Dennis Baron

Documentaries

Bowling for Columbine

Break It All: The History of Rock in Latin America

ReMastered: Tricky Dick and the Man in Black

She's Beautiful When She's Angry

Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street

Podcasts

Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda

Freaks and Psychos: The Disability in Horror Podcast

Lingthusiasm

Ologies with Alie Ward

Root of Evil: The True Story of the Hodel Family and the Black Dahlia

The Sewers of Paris

[rextasywrites]

Apple pies and sportscandy (Sportacus x reader) - Chapter 3/?

“Look! Here!”, and with those words, he took out a crystal out of the strange device on his chest. Also gave me a good excuse to stare at his chest - what kind of work out regime does he do apart from running around all day long? “It tells me when someone is in trouble! So I came to help you!”

“So this thing heard I yelled ‘help’ and led you to me, did I get that right?”

Warnings: no one i think

*

I spent the next few days cleaning, scrubbing, and even more cleaning. The rust on most of the equipment was cleaned with no additional damage, lifting a heavy weight off of my shoulders - what would I have done with half of the equipment damaged? Thankfully it didn’t come to this.

But on the 4th day, there was a little…let's call it an “incident”.

I had just finished lunch, a quick sandwich thrown together in the morning - with my own bread, as I had been baking the day before up in my flat. The water isn’t the same everywhere, and I wanted to test my recipes out before sizing them up.

But that’s not the point.

I was tired and full and honestly did not want to continue working, but I had to! I was so close to finishing up, and with a bit of a touch up here and there, I could do the first test runs next week…

Being so caught up in my own mind, I didn’t realize I had started to wander around the bakery, deep in thoughts. What I also didn’t notice were the cables I had forgotten to put behind a different application. I only realized all of that once I had lost footing, my balance went out of the window, and was now heading straight towards the corner of a counter. Ow, that was going to hurt and leave a mad cut on my forehead.

“Help!”, I called out, but who would hear me?

Actually, someone did hear me.

Approximately 0,5 seconds before I greeted the counter with my forehead, I was swept off of my feet…what?

“There you are!”, the person who had just saved me from a concussion said. Wait - I knew that voice!

“Sportacus!”, and there he was, in the flesh. “Where did you come from? I didn’t realize you were here!”

“Well.”, he laughed and placed me on the counter, it seemed like I weighed nothing in his strong arms. “I knew you needed help, and I am always here to help.”

“How’d you know that?”, okay, now things were getting weird. Just mere seconds ago, all that was in the room were me and my thoughts, and that was problematic enough.

Sportacus laughed and pointed towards this strange device on his chest - I had noticed it before, but hadn’t dared to ask. Why would I? Maybe it was some kind of ritual thing, some religious device, fuck do I know. You also don’t go around asking every person you see about the meaning of their tattoos and piercings. But I can tell you the meaning of my ear piercings - it was middle school, we were bored during a free period and one girl had just gotten a new, super sharp compass, and before we knew it, every girl had an extra set of ear piercings.

“Look! Here!”, and with those words, he took out a crystal out of the strange device on his chest. Also gave me a good excuse to stare at his chest - what kind of work out regime does he do apart from running around all day long? “It tells me when someone is in trouble! So I came to help you!”

“So this thing heard I yelled ‘help’ and led you to me, did I get that right?”

“Exactly!”, if he didn’t have ears, his smile would have reached around his whole skull I swear…

“Not to be mean, but you could slap a patent on this and make more money than the founder of Amazon.”

“I do not know what an Amazon is, but I have heard of the rainforest, and that sounds like a cool place. But I cannot patent it. Every Sportacus gets one once he starts his duty, and only lets go of it the day he passes on.”

THERE ARE MORE OF THEM?!

Stay calm, stay calm…he doesn’t even know what amazon is. What a guy, I wish I was as disconnected as he was.

“Now that’s something I was not expecting. Are the other ‘Sportacuses’, like, your brothers?”, I asked, my eyes stayed on the crystal, so I didn’t notice his intense stare at me.

“Kind of. I’ll tell you some day when you know more about Lazy Town, alright?”

The rest of the talk was nothing to write home about. Sportacus helped me a bit more in the bakery, and by the end of the day, there wasn’t a single particle of dust in the rooms, everything was cleaned and fixed to the highest standard. Nothing could go wrong anymore!

“So”, I turned around to face Sportacus as I grabbed my jacket. I had taken it off during the work as I had started to sweat, I had become warmer than I anticipated - probably because of the company I had, “tomorrow, if I need you to help me carry the sacks of flour from the basement up here, I just call out ‘Help!’ and you drop by? Did I get that right?”

Sportacus nodded, “Of course! I am always here to help, you say the word, I am here. But you could also just call out my name, that way I’ll know it’s not an emergency.”

We said our goodbyes for the night and he ascended to his airship. Wow. What a weird sentence to say, but something that’s weird for you is my reality.

Later on in bed, I once again had an amazing view into the direction of the zeppelin again, now knowing it was Sportacus’ home. Why was he living up there? Wouldn’t a house somewhere in the center of Lazy Town be a better spot, especially if he had to help people all the time? What an odd guy, but what did I expect in a town as strange as Lazy Town? I cuddled more into my blanket, wondering what adventures the next day would hold, and if Sportacus would join me in them.

[chin-chilla-7]

Getaway

Summary: Carlisle and Esme plan a trip for just the two of them. Word Count: 940 For @morgandrawssstuff as part of the @twilight-secret-gift-exchange

There was quiet in the Cullen residence. A state that didn’t often occur. Save for the soft ticking of a clock, some fumbling of papers, and hushed words shared, the Cullen’s house was currently a place of peace.

Carlisle and Esme took the day off, something they didn’t often indulge. But after a few too many times of coming home stressed, they both agreed that something must be done. And this was the first step to that something.

With the kids in school, Carlisle and Esme had used the solitude to gather their thoughts and plan something for themselves.

“What about Paris?” Esme asked from the kitchen counter, flipping through another travel book. The surface was covered in a variety of country information pamphlets, brochures, and books.

Carlisle hummed in response, sitting across from Esme, looking over his own stack of information pamphlets. “Paris?” he repeated, a smile on his lips, “Romantic.”

Esme returned his smile, a small chuckle on her lips. “And I’ve heard the night life is quite wonderful.”

Nodding along, Carlisle grabbed a book on France, quickly flipping through to find the page on fauna. “There isn’t much large game close to the city, is there?” he asked, eyes grazing over the words on a particular page.

Esme shrugged. “There’s most likely rats in the city.”

The response earned a disapproved hum from Carlisle. “I don’t think I could do rats again.”

“You did it on our trip to New York.”

“Exactly.”

Despite the fluttering disappointment in her heart, Esme still managed to laugh at Carlisle’s response. “I thought you enjoyed our New York trip.”

Carlisle looked to Esme, gaze soft. It seemed he could tell by her tone that she was disheartened. “I absolutely enjoyed the trip. It was the rats that I didn’t love.” Esme hummed, seemingly about to say something, but Carlisle continued before she could. “You can’t deny it, either. Remember how we both felt sluggish and stiff a week in from our change of diet.”

After a moment, Esme sighed and nodded. “You’re right… rat blood is not ideal…” She trailed off, tapping her finger against another brochure. Carlisle was the one to speak up next.

“Why not just spend the month at Isle Esme?”

This was often a recurring point of conversation in any travel planning they make. Esme looked up at Carlisle, giving him the look that made him know she meant business.

“I go there when I want to relax and unwind. Where I don’t have to worry about anything. And I love it. I love going there. But for  this trip I want an adventure. I want to do something. There’s only so much of Isle Esme to explore before you know everything about it. I want something new.”

Carlisle hummed, looking back down at the papers in front of him and nodding. “Okay, okay, I understand..” he said, half in his thoughts to come up with a better offer. “We could still go south? Explore the rainforest?”

Esme hummed, sitting up in her seat at the offer. “Oh, that could be wonderful!” she said, reaching over to grab a book on the Amazon. “Tree coverage means we won’t have to worry about time of day.”

Carlisle nodded along, a smile on his face as it seemed they were settling on something. “And it’s large enough that we might not even run into anyone there anyway.”

Despite the initial excitement, there was a moment Esme wavered. She set the book down to look at Carlisle. “I don’t know about hunting in such a preserved location.”

That point made Carlisle hum in consideration. “That is fair…” he thought, furrowing his brow. He wanted to make this work. “We could bring our own? Preserve it for the trip and.. eugh-” Carlisle cut himself off, disapproving of his own solution. He shook his head, leaning back. This trip was supposed to help them de-stress. Instead, it seemed to be causing more of it.

Esme reached over again, this time taking Carlisle’s hand in hers. “Hey,” she said softly, causing Carlisle to look at her. Immediately, he began to relax again, the tension falling from his shoulders. “We’ll figure it out, okay?” she assured, giving his hand a squeeze.

Carlisle managed a smile back, nodding. “Yeah, we’ll figure it out,” he repeated, sitting forward again to look over the options. A comfortable silence fell between the two of them for a few moments, both considering what to offer next. Then, Carlisle spoke again, though this time, hesitantly.

“You sure you don’t want to spend our time on Isle Esme?”

The question had Esme sighing, though there was a fond smile on her lips. She began to nod, quiet laughter leaving her lips. “You know what, yeah. I think Isle Esme might be the best option,” she agreed, pushing the brochures and pamphlets away. Even she had to admit that this planning was going nowhere.

Carlisle smiled, seemingly more at ease. “Oh, perfect. And we can still have our own little adventure on the Isle.”

That comment made Esme smile, looking to Carlisle. It felt as if a weight was  lifted now that they decided and agreed on a location to vacation. “I love you,” she said, hand still holding Carlisle’s.

Carlisle stood up from his seat, pulling Esme toward him for a kiss. When he broke away, he answered, “I love you too,” wrapping his arms around his wife to hold her. He swayed the two of them for a moment, looking down over the myriad of papers. “Now we just have to tell the kids.”

Esme hummed. “One thing at a time.”