Sleeping Dragon
EXPECTATIONS
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d e v o n

bliss lane
occasionally subtle

Andulka
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ellievsbear
PUT YOUR BEARD IN MY MOUTH
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🩵 avery cochrane 🩵
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@storyweaver-5e
Sleeping Dragon
thinking about this again
hey fun fact this album is actually named after a book called steal this book (first edition came out in the 70s)
here’s the 2023 version, it’s got everything from how to apply for work, ways to feed yourself for cheap, how to start your own printing workshop, bunch of stuff. the pdf is tiny so personally i have it downloaded on my phone
2023 edition of Abbie Hoffman's Steal This Book.This book provides a huge wealth of information about practical living.Great thanks to the l
Phantom: *floating mid-air, reclined on his side while watching, unimpressed, as the Justice League runs around like a chicken with its head cut off* You guys are kinda stupid, huh?
Green Lanturn: This isn't a joke Phantom! Flash was given a Love Potion!
Phantom: *yawns* That-*Points to some snacks that were given to the Flash by a 'fan'* isn't a love potion. *leans down to sniff them and frowns* Its a aphrodisiac, a extremely strong and very well made one, but still.
Martian Manhunter: Aphrodisiac? How are you so sure?
Phantom: Because 'Love Potion's aren't technically a thing. 'Love Potion's are actually consumption based curses, and compulsions, the curse or compulsion ensnare the mind, forcing whoever consumes the 'potion' to 'love' whoever the potion was made by.
Wonder Woman: So a civilian wouldn't be able to make one?
Phantom: Of course they could, nothing is ever impossible. You know that. But, it would be very difficult, making curses and compulsions aren't easy for most species, humans are especially weak with curse binding- but anyone desperate and stupid enough to make one could if they had the right book.
Green Lanturn: And you're certain that those are an aphrodisiac and not a Love Potion, how?
Phantom, sighing: Because they don't smell like blood. All 'Love Potion's are made using the maker's blood, thats how the curse knows who to bind the consumer too. Its not like in movies, or books, or fanfiction, where there's a vegue chance whoever gets the love potion will fall in love with the first person they see, in real life, every 'potion' has a direct tie to whoever is intended for the consumer. Because of that, 'Love Potion's always smell, at least faintly, of blood.
Justice Legue: *tense silence*
Phantom: The aphrodisiac should run its course soon, especially with his metabolism, put him in the med bay until then, and try to track down whoever gives these to him. Even if hes not hurt, someone still tried to essentially drug Flashy over there, so we should still look into it.
Batman: ...If it had been a 'Love Potion', would you have been able to break the curse or compulsion? *watches as the other Heros did as Phantom said*
Phantom: Hmmm*reclining back in the air in thought* It depends on how strong. Low level compulsions, consumers can dispel themselves with enough willpower, but...I can handle most Compulsions and some Curses, but the really strong ones? I'd probably need to call in some help. I'm not really a curse breaker, B-Man, maybe talk to Connie. Worse case you'd have to call in a Cupid, they're usually pretty finicky when working with humans, but they also hate 'Love Potion's, and they're the best at breaking those kinds of curses, since they go against their very nature, so I can probably talk someone into helping in that situation.
Batman: Hnm
Phantom: Anyway, I'm gonna split, I'm tired of being the source magic exposition for today. *waves flipantly before ripping open a portal and vanishing*
I hate how people will look at popular indie artists who had one or two songs go viral on TikTok and start making fun of anybody who listens to them. "Oh you listen to Lemon Demon, Will Wood, Jack Stauber, Glass Animals, and Mother Mother? Tsk, don't you know that is stupid TikTok neurodivergent white transmasc preteen music? It's so mid and bad you should listen to real music–" you are a pit of misery
People can't just say "I don't like this music" anymore they gotta call you gay and autistic for listening to a band that had one song go viral
just gonna drop this here
Relevant xkcd:
Damian: *Picking up Mar'i from school for Dick and Kori*
Mar'i: Uncle Damian! *runs up to him, her teacher, Danny, trailing behind with her backpack* Please get married! I want to be a flower girl too!
Damian: I beg your pardon?
Danny: *clears his throat and hand's Damian her bag* It was show and tell, and one of Mar'i's classmates showed off her flower girl crown from her aunts wedding last weekend.
Mar'i: Yup! The crown was sssoooooo pretty!
Damian: I see, however I am unsure who you think I would marry.
Mar'i: Eh uhhhh um *looks around frantically before pointing at Danny* Mr. Danny! Yeah! You can marry him!
Damian: Pardon?
Danny: Excuse me?*squeaks and face goes red*
Mar'i: Yeah! Uncle Damian loves animals, and helping people! And Mr. Danny loves animal and helping people! That's a-a um com-on inch-int-imper eh
Danny: In-ter-est
Mar'i: Yeah! Commons Interest! Daddy said thats good for people who get married!
Damian: That is not how relationships work.
Mar'i: You don't like Mr. Danny? *eyes start to water* But hes nice, and he helps me with my maths and he likes the stars and he has a puppy...
Damian: *panicking* I do not dislike him- but- relationships are difficult to-how do I say-
Danny: Mar'i, *Mar'i turns to look at him* When two people get married, it means they're going to be together for a very long time. You need to be very close with that person, and love them a lot. Your Uncle Damian and I don't know eachother that well, so we can't get married, do you understand?
Mar'i: So its like how I gave Lucy a friendship bracelet but not Conner because I'm not good friends with Conner yet?
Danny: Exactly!
Mar'i: Okay, I understand. Mr. Danny if you do ever get married, can I be your flower girl?
Danny: Sure! But that probably won't happen any time soon though.
Mar'i: That's okay! I'm patient!
Damian: *clearing his throat* I appreciate the assistance in explaining the complexities of marriage to Mar'i. I am afraid such situations are *grimaces* not one of my strong suits.
Danny: Don't worry about it! You'd be surprised how many children try to set me up with their family members. It happens to me a lot for some reason, which is weird because my coworkers don't have this problem?
Mar'i: *looking between Damian and Danny with a mischievous little smile*
It's been a while since I bombarded you all with a swarm of beetle photos. So here are some beetles I've stitched, including some little peeks under 'the hood'. :D
“those stars are already dead. mere ghost light growing dimmer by the day”
but it’s simon who’s already dead the minute he’s welded into the submarine
it’s ava who’s already dead the minute she decides to go after the black box
it’s the pilot of the SM-8 who’s long gone but who’s voice, who’s ghost is being used to lure others to her fate
it’s almost every character we meet who is dead and gone by the end, who’s been dead the whole time and all we can do is watch their ghost light from afar, replaying their last moments over and over
Let’s go over some things, shall we?
Jenny was originally designed to be a shape-shifting superhero; her “pigtails” are rocket thrusters, and her entire body can morph and shift to create weapons. Given her standard appearance is more to look like a humanoid girl, it seems reasonable that that’s an appearance she chose, rather than her default, especially because we know she can modify her appearance however she likes, albeit restricted to her two base colors unless she gets a new paint-job.
Though her mother learns to be more supportive of her later on, Jenny was originally confined to house arrest save for doing her job, supposedly because the world around her wouldn’t accept her.
She is canonically six-foot-six, which is rather tall, though it seems the average height of humanity has also gone up. So it’s not too uncommon for other men to be taller than her, but she’s also taller than most people. She has so far only dated other men who are taller than her.
She gains two different disguises for looking human. The first one doesn’t pass at all, while the second passing one convinces her to behave like a normal human girl, whispering into her ear to not only look, but behave like a “normal” girl, even if it’s not in her best interests.
It’s evidently quite common for androids to be made from different base personality points- Kenny, a boy she dated for a little while, was a re-purposed dog robot, and still carried over some of his dog traits.
The two most popular girls in school specifically have it out for her, because she’s a robot “pretending” to be a girl.
Jenny is allowed to play in her high school’s male football team.
Don’t forget this scene:
I’d suspected Jenny was trans coded for a long time, but this scene was what had me 100% convinced.
Prior to this episode Jenny had always treated Ms. Wakeman as her mother, always referring to her as “mom/mother”; which caused Wakeman to be mocked by her peers. Ms. Wakeman was typically cold towards Jenny, always referring to her as XJ9 (essentially Jenny’s deadname) and usually treating her as nothing more than a defence droid. But in this scene Ms. Wakeman is actually seeing Jenny in danger and rushes to protect her, finally calling her “my daughter” for the first time. As soon as she does, the pure joy and amazement in Jenny’s voice just makes my heart swell.
This show is so incredible and SO ahead of it’s time.
Worth noting that the creator of the show acknowledged this, basically saying “We didn’t intend for Jenny to be trans coded, but we’re ecstatic that trans people are finding comfort in her. Just because we didn’t intend the subtext doesn’t mean it’s not there.” Very cool and way the hell better than Hartman handles shit like this.
🔥 A giant curious moose inspecting a wildlife photographer 🔥
Never forget: Moose are legit Ice Age megafauna that never died out.
He just….just….pet the wild moose…the bravery, the hutzpah
The forbidden snoot!
If I could pet a moose
I would be very happy
Normally I would say you shouldn’t pet a wild animal, but the moose is already right there. If you’re that close to a moose’s snout you might as well pet it. If the moose wants to kill you, you’re going to die, so you might as well.
@paran0rmaltexas
A giant moose, OP says when that is just a normal size moose
A lot of pop psychology gets thrown around and since I already have a headache, here's preventing you lot from making it worse.
Love-bombing: A manipulation tactic of increasing affection and grand gestures before or after doing something abusive, specifically to weasel one's way out of consequences.
What it is not: A streak of affection and generosity towards friends/loved ones.
Trauma-bonding: Knowingly traumatizing someone to take advantage of their vulnerable state, to then act like the "hero" or the one who cheers them up.
What it is not: Bonding over similar traumas.
Gaslighting: *Knowingly* convincing someone they cannot trust their own perception of a situation in pursuit of one's own narrative.
What it is not: Misaligned perception of events.
Narcissist: Someone afflicted with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, a traumagenic cluster B disorder, that struggles with self-obsession, paranoia, craving validity from the public, delusions of grandeur, and social disconnection.
It is not: Your rubbish ex that cheated on you.
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
-Xanthe
Oh... That's what trauma bonding is. Oh.
I *also* didn't know that trauma bonding and love-bombing were... that. added to lexicon and course correcting...
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/trauma-bonding
it's another kind of grooming, age regardless - you put yourself in a position of power over someone and then exploit their need for intimacy or protection or affirmation
AU where Shawn isn’t hyper-observant, he just knows he’s in a tv show and puts it together from the evidence that gets highlighted
Watson and I feel that, in order to do our best work, the chemistry needs to be right.
#see THIS is what makes Sherlock in Elementary so unique#a lot of versions of Sherlock#or pretty much Any modern crime drama would have the brilliant detective calling the other detectives ‘idiots’#or ‘amateurs’ or basically insulting their intelligence and ability as detectives#here Sherlock is both acknowledging their skill as detectives and crediting that to their Captain’s leadership#while also acknowledging that he can’t work with them because THEY don’t like him#all the while he is accepting as fair because he’s self-aware to know he’s not easy to work with#there are ways to depict an anti-social genius without being a huge asshole to everyone#and this is it
Yeah Mr. Darcy’s proposal was a complete turd and a half but you gotta understand. You got your life together. A good career, stable income, retirement plan, all that shit together. And you meet this girl. And she’s everything. Clever, outspoken, funny, calls you on your bullshit. Grade A cutie, right? And she doesn’t go out of her way to spend time with you but she’s nice, and sometimes you catch her looking your way in a way that makes you think you might have a shot.
But her family. Holy shit.
First off, it’s p much ALL women, and mostly UNMARRIED women, which at this time means of something happens to her dad then you’re financially responsible for like. Four grown ass adults, potentially forever
Because mom in law is DEFINITELY gonna need someone to take care of her when dad in law kicks it, and they have like. NO money. So already you’re accepting that if all goes well, you’re gonna be one random old bag’s retirement home. That’s expensive and exhausting, yeah? Imagine asking someone on a first date knowing that if they say yes and things go good her high-strung chihuahua mother is gonna move in with you. IMAGINE.
And girly’s other sisters. Well, one is a sweetheart, yeah, and she’s getting engaged so she probably won’t be an issue, but that still leaves two more, and those ones are INSUFFERABLE. Never went to school, dumb as rocks, spend cash like it’s toilet paper
And while one of ‘em’s young still and might grow out of it the OTHER one is actively torpedo’ing her entire family’s reputation by wandering off with random dudes and chasing ass. She’s never gonna work, she can’t build connections, she’s a fucking sinkhole, and she’s being led on by the same goddamn con man ass leeching tit who’s been bleeding you dry while telling anyone who’ll listen that your family is full of ratty thieving bastards.
And if he dumps her after a week- WHICH YOU KNOW HIS BITCH ASS IS GONNA- you’ve got a SECOND UNMARRIABLE GROWN ASS ADULT TO PROVIDE FOR. And you KNOW she’s gonna be a tantrum-throwing little shit about it, and it’s not like you can lock her in the basement or something, you’re gonna have to bring her fucking. Everywhere. And give her an allowance and shit while she contributes zero, because again, she NEVER GOT EDUCATED AND HAS NO MARKETABLE SKILLS. She’s not even good to TALK to. FUCK
And you’re looking at this girl’s father like “please for the love of fuck get your spawn under control, marry them off, get them working on their résumé, learning to sew or be nursemaids or manage staff or SOMETHING, yall got no money and one foot in the grave” and that old man just laughs like “haha yeah, what can you do. lol”
So you’re looking to the mom and finally it’s making sense how she got that twitch in her eye and as MUCH as she is you’re starting to realize she’s the SMART one, desperately throwing her armloads of girls at random men like they’re a bunch of fucking lifeboats bobbing around a sinking ship, like yes Jesus Christ sweetly that life boat IS old and ugly and kind of boring but for FUCKS SAKE PICK ONE
And you look back at this girl who is ALSO REFUSING THE LIFE BOATS BY THE WAY and god damn it she’s still the most radiant thing you’ve ever seen so fine, fuck it, Christ alive, you’ll do it. You’ll shoot your shot. She’s everything you’ve ever wanted in anybody abut it’s not even just about that anymore, it’s about being her best fucking shot at a future, and even if she doesn’t like you all that much she’s still gonna say yes and that might break your heart a bit knowing it’s about the money but who knows, maybe it will at least be civil, or companionable, and even if she doesn’t LOVE you at least you’ll know she’s well and cared for
And so you’ll do it. You’ll take on the neurotic stress mess mother in law, the absent father, the broke ass wingnut no brain no money no future airhead sisters, the bad mannered relatives and the embarrassing behaviour and the impending future of sharing your entire shit with a clown parade of freeloaders, you’ll risk it all and accept the absolute certainty of financial ruin and emotional exhaustion for the rest of your whole ass life and you’ll make your own family deal with it too, you’ll do it, you’ll fucking DO IT, you stupid lovesick motherfucker
And so you go to this chick like “look. Your whole family’s a shitshow. You’ve got fucking nothing and you’re gonna die on the street. But for some reason- and I don’t get it either- I’ve fallen in love with you, and I wish I didn’t, but I did, so I’m telling you that whether you like me or not, I’ll give you everything. I’ll give you everything even if it’s the dumbest shit I ever done. Fuck my stupid Baka ass, I’ll marry you.”
And she looks at you- having heard or considered absolutely none of your months-long internal debate and monologue- and goes “The fuck did you just say about my family, you son of a bitch?”
And the shock of that is enough to jolt you back into a reality where you are able to actually hear and process what just came out of your damn mouth And yeah
Yeah, I think I kinda get it
Y'all I have to tell you about the tortoises!!!!!!
Okay so I'm doing background information comes first bc this is the order I learned it in and it's such a conservation rollercoaster
So the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador are home to some of the largest tortoises in the world. Huge. Beautiful. Iconic.
What I didn't realize is that, just like Darwin's finches all adapted unique beaks for conditions on the different Galapagos Islands, different islands have their own unique variety of giant tortoise!
But bad news for tortoises, in the 1700s-1800s whalers and other sailing ships would stop in and grab as many tortoises as they could carry as portable snacks bc the tortoises can live a few months without eating, so they make good fresh meat in a long voyage??? And it turns out if you keep doing this, even if you start out with 20k tortoises on an island, eventually you run out.
So on Pinta Island, for example, everyone thought their tortoises were extinct bc no one saw any after the early 20th century, but surprise! Out of nowhere in 1971, a big beautiful boy appears!
Enter Lonesome George. Look at that neck!!!! He's the only Pinta Island Tortoise in the world and scientists and conservation experts are scrambling to figure out what to do! We thought they were extinct but now there's just One More???
So everyone's studying him and trying to get him a girlfriend and hoping somehow we can have a miracle and try to bring back this tortoise from the razor's edge of extinction.
Unfortunately, George never had offspring. He passed away in 2012, and the Pinta Island Tortoise was once again declared extinct. He was already full grown when he was discovered, so he could have been anywhere from 80-120 years old.
So this is the low point in the story. No tortoises, no chance. Until!!!!!!! 2015! Down on Isabela Island, near Wolf Volcano. What sort of tortoises are these? They have these crazy hump shells, not like the native Isabela Tortoises should have....
Turns out!!!!! There's a bunch of hybrid tortoises down here, but they have a ton of features and genetics from our bestie the extinct Pinta Island Tortoise!! We know from historical records that sometimes sailors would pick up tortoises on one island and drop them off on another.
So then it's like,, can we breed these descendant tortoises to get more Pinta features and reintroduce them to the right island ??
Meanwhile
On Wolf Island, more out-of-place hybrid tortoises have been spotted! (This is... early 2000s?) These ones look distinctly like the Very Incredibly Extinct tortoises from Floreana Island
We're talking, like, some of the most recent sightings of these Floreana Tortoises in the wild being recorded by Charles Darwin in the 1830s. We're talking more than 180 years of extinction. And there's little tortoises with the same shell shapes and features wandering around way over on Wolf Island!!!
Again. Sometimes old-timey sailors would drop off tortoises in weird places. But like!!!! These hybrid tortoises are descended from the Floreana lineage!! No one has seen these suckers in two centuries and their little descendants are still alive and kicking!
Now, Floreana Island,,, got put through the wringer. Ecologically, it was just a mess. We're talking a bajillion invasive species, species going extinct left and right. It was one of the most frequented islands by whalers back in the day, and it's taken decades of hard work to even begin to undo the damage. There's a reason the Floreana Tortoises went extinct, that's all I'm saying.
But so now we have these Floreana lineage tortoises (not pure Floreana Tortoises blood, that's gone now, but very close!) and we've got a Floreana Island that's been cleaned up and a whole team of ecologists who are very, very excited.
It's going to take a lot of planning to reintroduce these tortoises, though. We've got 15 of these Floreana lineage tortoises who still have a mix of traits, we want to end up with thousands of tortoises, and we can't just stick tortoises back on Floreana yet bc the invasive rats, feral cats, dogs, etc all love eating baby tortoises and tortoise eggs
So thus begins a decades-long project to raise sturdy tortoises with as many Floreana traits as possible and get them big enough to safely release onto an island that's still trying to get its rat problem under control.
All of this culminating in the release of 158 tortoises (aged 12-14, so they're all big enough to stay safe) on February 20th, 2025
After nearly 200 years without any tortoises on the island, Floreana had its tortoises back!
The young tortoises, each weighing between 30-50 pounds, had to be carried to the release site on foot by park rangers and volunteers. (link to video)
So much work went into preparing for this day, and this isn't the finish line! The Galapagos Conservation Trust plans to release hundreds more tortoises in the coming years, and to continue efforts to rebuild the ecosystem! Other native animals are making a comeback, like the Galapagos Rail, a bird who hasn't been seen in 190 years! We thought it was extinct!!! But as the island recovered they've reappeared!
There's so much thought that's gone into releasing these tortoises. They released them in February to take full advantage of the rainy season. The long term plan to handle the rats is timed to wrap up in the next 12 years before the new Floreana Tortoises are old enough to lay eggs. This is such a huge win for conservation in general and Galapagos conservation in particular!!!! This is groundbreaking, and it happened 12 days ago.
So for today, there's no Pinta Island Tortoises on Pinta Island. They're still extinct, and Lonesome George was the last pure-blooded Pinta Island Tortoise.
But two weeks ago there weren't any Floreana lineage tortoises on Floreana Island either. Things will never be exactly the same as before, but the ecosystem and the birds and the grasslands are going to love those tortoises. Recovery takes time, and nature is incredible at bouncing back, especially when people are willing to help move things along.
I really do believe that one day, Pinta Island will have charming, long-necked and bowed-backed giant tortoises again. I feel so grateful to live in a world of amazing creatures, and amazing people who dedicate decades to helping them.
The thing about living with all the earthly desires of a monk is that it does not circumvent the ordeal of other people stressing over buying you gifts, it just raises the stakes
My brother expresses interest in material goods maybe twice a year and we have a fucking back alley telephone network for it
Things he spends money on:
Other people
His car payments
Groceries
Gas
Dog food
Things he will allow others to occasionally spend money on for him:
Dog treats
Coffee if you’re fast enough or defeat him in combat
When he graduated I got him a $100 voucher for a local shop he liked and he used it to buy me a Christmas present
I had to fully bodycheck him off the desk trying to pay for movie tickets once
It has become something of an Art of War type thing and it’s only getting worse the longer it goes on
On his last birthday we got him some bougie high-end treats for his dog since it was the only thing he would keep instead of trying to turn into a selfless gesture and then we all watched him open the bag and eat one because, quote, “I won’t feed him anything I’m not willing to eat myself”
I love my baby brother very much and someday I’m going to kill him
🔥 A giant curious moose inspecting a wildlife photographer 🔥
Never forget: Moose are legit Ice Age megafauna that never died out.
He just….just….pet the wild moose…the bravery, the hutzpah
The forbidden snoot!
If I could pet a moose
I would be very happy
Normally I would say you shouldn’t pet a wild animal, but the moose is already right there. If you’re that close to a moose’s snout you might as well pet it. If the moose wants to kill you, you’re going to die, so you might as well.
@paran0rmaltexas
A giant moose, OP says when that is just a normal size moose
no because this is genuinely what i sound like and nobody outside of sw prequels fandom believes me 😖
LISTEN