#sonorangaara

[drundertalescum]

Papyrus doodles! Still too lazy to go adjust on my laptop but Pixlr did an old job I guess. Top right (not the ridiculously long scarf doodle) was supposed to be for the expression meme. Everything else is just shitposting and doodles.

@sonorangaara

[bestiarium]

The Skinwalkers [Dineh/Navajo mythology]

In folklore and myths of the Dineh (also known as Navajo) people, who live in what is now the USA, creatures known as the Yee Naaldlooshii play a prominent role. In English, these monsters are commonly referred to as ‘skinwalkers’, which refers to their ability to transform into an animal. Animals commonly used by Yee Naaldlooshii include coyotes, wolves, bears and sometimes birds such as owls.

The word ‘Yee Naaldlooshii’ roughly translates to “one who travels by means of all four limbs” as in, one who gets around by turning into a four-legged animal. They also have the ability to control the body of an unwilling human being, but they must make eye contact with the victim first.

Although these monsters have been described as “the native American variant of werewolves”, they are much more than that. A skinwalker is thoroughly evil, as they are regarded as the ‘opposite’ of the shamans. If I understand it correctly, shamans or medicine men in Dineh culture are highly respected members of society and are associated with values like wisdom, intelligence and honor. The skinwalkers, on the other hand, are witches that stand for the opposite things: evil, back-stabbing low-lives. Where medicine men (or women) consult the spirits to heal and advice the people, skinwalkers perform dark magic and perform twisted ceremonies for evil purposes. In other words, their magic is a perverted counterpart to that of the shamans.

Skinwalkers are not born that way, they used to be Dineh shamans themselves. But they could not handle the responsibility of learning magic and betrayed their people, eventually losing their humanity and becoming twisted, evil monsters. The ritual to become a skinwalker requires that the subject murders a close family member.

Despite their dark magic, these creatures are not invincible as there are stories about folk heroes who manage to slay a Yee Naaldlooshii.

Skinwalkers have more abilities, but they remain poorly understood by outsiders because the Dineh don’t often like to share their myths and stories with non-natives. Adrienne Keene, a Cherokee activist, claimed that these stories “are not things that should be discussed with outsiders”.

Sources:

https://historycollection.com/18-spooky-native-american-monsters-that-will-keep-you-awake-at-night/9/ http://www.the13thfloor.tv/2016/03/31/the-10-most-terrifying-native-american-legends/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin-walker

(image source 1: Emi Dimitrova on Artstation) (image source 2: SonoranGaara on Deviantart) (image source 3: Killingsquash45 on Deviantart)

[tourmalinecactus]

sonorangaara ➡ tourmalinecactus

[tomistalks]

I saw this on Reddit and it made me think of you.

Submitted by @sonorangaara

I think it was supposed to be a gif but tumblr might have butchered it XD Don’t worry, I think I might have seen it :D Thanks for the submission!

[skeletoncowboy]

Graveyard, Horror Flick, and Broomstick!

For @sonorangaara Graveyard - i do know a handful of scary stories...some real, some made up. Real is always scarier. (Bonus: i sorta "creep out" in the dark, so sometimes things that aren't really actually too scary *become* scary. Call it what you want.) Skeleton - i LOVE scary movies. My favorite, or at least one of 'em is the original Friday The 13th. My friend's mom worked graveyard, and we used to go rent scary movies and watch 'em when she was gone. (This was the days of the laser disk) When you're young, and impressionable, that stuff is always scarier. Chainsaw Massacre scared me in a different way, The Exorcist shared the shit RIGHT outta me.Broomstick - Exciting Places. Well, i spent some time in the Navy. I've seen a lot of places that would probably have been better if i had been on a vacation. There were even a few spots i really *wanted* to see, but the Navy isn't what you might think, and sometimes, you just end up sitting off the coast of a place you've always wanted to visit, That's not exciting, it's frustrating. That was sorta long-winded, but thanks for asking, and thanks to all 8 of you readin' along!(that was my 3rd ask EVER)

[tomis-safezone]

Hello, fellow adventurers! Meet the greatest kenku scholar the realm has ever seen! Many thanks to @sonorangaara for this commission!

 I wish this corn enthusiast good luck on his travels!

[paintpossum]

You got any tumblr crushes???

Not like Crushes but I’m using this as an opportunity to call out some people I think are Real Cool because!!! They are and it needs to be said!!!@gecko097 who got me into isopods and does some cool vulture stuff, @xwiitok *finger guns* dead friend, @brambleforest who has helped me with Fish Dilemmas, @souless-squirrel with the Great Music Taste, @defectivescissors who makes Great Art and just radiates good energy, @flossiepawsfishblog of the Fish Squad, @sarahssideblog for lovely art and Good Shit, @sonorangaara of deads and good vibes, @eelpatrickharris for being an Absolute Icon……. damn I’m kinda getting carried away but I love y'all! !

[eggmiteeggmite]

PSA

@sonorangaara is OK

[necromancindancin]

@sonorangaara

[rumongray]

Hello! I see you're taking questions, so I thought I'd just pop in with some basic bitch 'get-to-know-you' questions, if that's okay! If you wanna answer, I'd love to know: What's your favorite color(s)? Favorite season? Favorite type of geck and what makes them the best? c: Any hobbies besides writing? Do you collect anything? Favorite food? Favorite music/ bands? (I think I saw somewhere once that you like N.I.N, which is pretty cool) ( Thanks! That's all I can fit for now!)

Hi there! I’m always taking questions, since I don’t get very many to begin with, so I’m totally okay with basic bitch questions. XD

Gonna put them behind a cut!

Favorite colors?

Hmm…I’m weird in that I have a lot, but they all have their reasons I suppose. I never really put stock in a “favorite color” for myself, because there are a lot of situations where certain colors stand out from others.

I like red because it’s a very strong, attractive color. It draws the eye and catches one’s attention better, and to be honest…I like catching people’s eye. I’ve slowly started getting a few pieces of red clothing primarily because of that, and also I think it looks good with blond hair.

I like blue and its many shades and hues because of its calming nature. I’m honestly drawn to aqua and cyan quite a bit. There’s nothing really much to this one other than I just…like it.

Purple, especially dark purple, is a regal color that I’ve really come to enjoy, but again, I’d prefer it to be dark. My school colors were purple and gold, which looked alright, but the purple was a brighter shade, and I…eh…I’d rather forget high school I suppose. It wasn’t bad, just kinda…blegh.

And of course when it comes to characters in games and the like, I try to match what would fit them if possible. I like my paladins to wear white and gold, I like healers to wear blue or green, rogues in black or other dark colors, etc.

To be honest, it’s easier to pick colors I don’t like. I’m not too fond of orange, since at its brightest I find it annoying and when it’s dark it looks…shitty. I’m torn on the color brown. It can often look great on characters with other accents, but sometimes people choose like..the ugliest shades of brown and it can really ruin a character for me. :P

I’m okay with gray. It serves its purposes in the right places…like giving me a cool last name. (My mother’s maiden name is Gray, and if I ever become an author, I’d use that last name as part of my pen name.)

Favorite type of gecko?

Hah, haven’t really put thought into this one. I find them all cute! Although I like green geckos myself, although that’s a bit of a stereotypical answer. XD

Any hobbies besides writing?

Hmm…it’s mostly just video games. I’ve mentioned before though that it’s not just the playing of those games I’m into. I also really enjoy learning about the industry, the ins and outs of how things work. How developers work in their environment, what publishers do exactly, and that kind of thing. I actually like to keep myself up to date on game culture and news.

I do like reading up on melee weaponry from around the world. It usually stops short of say, siege weaponry and the like, but I love learning about swords, spears, axes, and weapons of a more exotic nature. I’m also still a fan of reading up on science, although my college days are long past and I’ve lost the mathematical part of it, I can still grasp the concepts of the more advanced stuff. Astrophysics is a big favorite.

I guess I’m not much of a hobbyist. Outside of writing, I just like to kick back and relax with my time off. Watch youtube vids, play games, just take a load off. The benefit to this is that when a new hobby presents itself, I can acclimate and adapt to it if I find it something worthwhile to pursue, y’know? I’m pretty easy going and can stay entertained with just a conversation for the most part when I’m with other people.

Do you collect anything?

Other than swords and the like? :P

Although I suppose the answer is no, I don’t really collect anything for the sake of collecting. Every now and then at work I’ll find a strange quarter or currency from another country that I’ll slip into my pocket, but that’s pretty much it. You’d be amazed at how many people think silver dollars are just quarters! XD

But even then, if it’s an odd coin I’ll collect it. A penny that, through a chemical reaction has turned gold? Yeah I’ll snag it. Another penny that’s straight up silver? Yep, got one of those. I even have a coin from the United Arab Emirates around here somewhere. Can’t find it right now though. Bummer.

I also like getting videogame-related trinkets every now and then. I have a Bowser amiibo, Sans and Papyrus figures, Yoshi and Bowser Mario Kart from my work’s happy meals. I don’t really collect them though for two reasons: Money, and space. I used to collect Magic: The Gathering cards as a kid. Used to. Boy was that an expensive habit.

Favorite Food?

If I had to pick, I’d have to go with a well-prepared steak. If prepared well enough, steak sauce isn’t even needed. I’ve had some like that before. Just…perfect flavor from start to finish.

I also like Mongolian BBQ, or a nice rotisserie chicken dinner.

Favorite Music / Bands?

So, for music in general, I’m always drawn to a good melody over anything else. Something that sounds good to the ear that can elicit a good emotional response. It really triggers my writing brain and helps me come up with scenes to match to the music at times.

As for bands, yep! I’m a big Nine Inch Nails fan, from The Fragile onward. Never got into The Downward Spiral, but it has a few tracks I do like. Trent Reznor’s just so good at evoking emotions with his music, especially the darker ones that I like to explore in writing every now and then. Along with this is “How To Destroy Angels,” another band consisting of Reznor his wife Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. Their first full-length album was a chilling, amazing look into the possibilities of the Technological Singularity. It’s such a great album.

Another favorite band of mine is Vertical Horizon, and their song, “I’m Still Here,” is probably one of my absolute favorites.

Fear Factory is another big favorite of mine. I do like metal, but I don’t really like the screaming so much…it tends to sound almost lifeless to me at points…no melody to it, or at least, not one that strikes my fancy. Fear Factory’s Burton Bell though has a fantastic voice, both for screaming AND singing.

Fear Factory is also one of the hardest working bands I’ve ever been a fan of. They’ve consistently put out albums every…3 years or so since they started, and haven’t stopped yet. They’re currently working on another one, and I’m hyped for it!

Other bands I like include: Imogen Heap/Frou Frou, Linkin Park (yeah yeah, shut up, he’s got a great voice), Celldweller (I’m weirdly proud of Klayton and his success. I remember when Celldweller started, now he’s producing music for  trailers, movies, and games, including even Killer Instinct!), Gravity Kills (chatted with the frontman, Jeff Scheel once for a little bit on twitter. He’s a pretty cool guy!), The Crystal Method, Carpenter Brut, God Lives Underwater (RIP :C), The Birthday Massacre, and Zeromancer.

Of course, I also enjoy Ninja Sex Party, Starbomb, Steel Panther, and Nashville Pussy, for music of a more comedic bent. XD Danny Sexbang’s former band, Skyhill, is also really calming to listen to. His voice is so astoundingly good!

Hope this answered your questions, but I’m always down for more.

Thanks for asking! Take care! :D

[dramaticfishtart]

Tagged by @flamiekitten. I had to post my lock screen, home screen, song I listened to most recently, and my most recent selfie.

My lock screen is plain and boring, just the way I like it, and my home screen is a screenshot of the onsen scene from YOI because why not.

I've never taken a selfie before in my life, because pictures makes me extremely uncomfortable, but what the heck - dats mah face! I tag @sonorangaara, @sabaku-no-memer, @frnatic and @se0k-jin but please don't feel pressured to play uwu