#broad-headed sharpshooter

[celestialmacros]

There is a pink variant too.  Some day I’ll find one.

Broad-headed Sharpshooter (Oncometopia orbona)

July 11, 2022

John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, Tinicum, Pennsylvania

#Why are people tagging this cicada? #Not cicada #bug #bugs #photographers on tumblr #Oncometopia orbona #broad-headed sharpshooter #leafhoppers #hemiptera #bugblr #insect #insects #entomology #animals #nature

[feltpool]

What they do

We’re told right from the start that the batch are ‘enhanced clones’ and that they each have an ability that makes them special.

But this is an oversimplification. They don’t have different abilities, they all have the same abilities, only in differing proportions. And I’m including Omega in this too. Five enhanced clones.

Hear me out...

Tech tells us: "They manipulated preexisting aberrations in our DNA, resulting in your brute strength, Crosshair's sharpshooting skills, Hunter's enhanced senses and my exceptional mind"

Now Wrecker is big. He’s tall and he’s broad, and looks like he should be able to lift a truck without pause, let alone a troop ship. We see him pumping iron using Gonky on more than one occasion. But bodybuilders also look like they’d be really really strong, however, it’s all about the look of the muscle and they’re actually a lot weaker than their bulk suggests.

But we saw him lift that ship off of Cody so where are you going with this?

I don’t think strength is really where his talents lie. His enhancement has increased his physical density, which gives the appearance of far more strength than he actually has. The structure of his body has become vastly dense which allows him to take the strain of lifting that weighty ship without breaking his own bones, or tearing his muscles to shreds in the process.

Any human can physically lift way more weight than we generally actually do, because our brains cut in with all the warning signals to tell us to stop before we break something important.

So sure, if hysterical strength kicks in and overrides those responses people can do incredible things like lift cars off of trapped people, but they pay a heavy price for that afterwards. Torn muscles, crushed joints, cracked bones and teeth, internal bleeding, etc.

So strength alone just isn’t enough to counter the damage caused by such an action. But density just might be.

Look at the scene in TCW where he’s holding Jesse up by the neck. Rex is pushing at him, trying to make him put him down. Now Rex isn’t a small man, but he doesn’t so much as make Wrecker sway slightly, and he should already be off balance by holding a wiggly Jesse.

And it’s easy to ignore how much the clones are struggling to pull him up and away from the dianoga on Bracca because we’re led to assume all of their struggle is them having to pull against the creature in the water, not that they’re struggling to lift his hugely dense and weighty body up to their level.

They get around this same issue in TCW by having Anakin force lift him out of the Echo Chamber instead of the others having to work out how they’re going to get him out of there.

Look how much he was struggling by the end of his fight with Muchi. Sure, it was made into a joke (“He’s losing his touch”), everything with him always is. Right up until it isn’t funny anymore. Like with bouncing his head off of every hard object until his chip activated and he went into full on murder mode. But what if his apparent lack of stamina is simply the byproduct of him struggling to heft his own body weight around for a prolonged period?

There’s a gap between the fight and him walking through the streets of Ord Mantell with Muchi by his side and we don’t get to see if he spent all of that time sitting down and resting (”chargin' up before I charge in”) any more than we get to see him returning to the ship post fight.

But what does this have to do with anyone else?

With Hunter we saw the Zygerrian slaver wrap his electro whip around his arm and he barely reacted to it. And while much of the whip was wrapped around the armour on his arm he was also holding it in his hand. Given just how much those things have hurt people when we’ve seen them used previously it seems unlikely that the thin fabric of his glove would be enough to protect him from feeling it.

Unless the increased density of his body maybe helps to decrease the sensation of pain? That remains unclear as yet, but it’s a possibility.

But we also saw him fall halfway down a mountain and get up again at the bottom. Gregor, a man also wearing the same class of armour that he has, had already said they couldn’t survive that jump, and that was before Hunter solidly bounced off a lot of rocks and trees as he descended.

Oh, he shook his head a little before he got up, but he should have been dead.

.

We don’t get to see Tech flex his muscles much but he peels that durasteel? panel off the brig wall like it’s nothing.

And what of Crosshair?

In the mess hall we see him trying to be a good boy and not get into a brawl up until the fight comes and lands right in his dinner, at which point he uses his increased density to put enough force behind that flung lunch tray that it not only slams into two other clones, but does it with sufficient force to knock them both right off their feet.

And that’s just not normal.

But neither is the way Omega manages to slide down a cable strong enough to moor the Marauder and prevent it from breaking free and escaping from the crab creatures (in the S2 trailer) without slicing both of her hands open and causing friction burns on top. She certainly should be in no condition to spring up, grab her bow, and start firing shots.

There’s a really good reason abseilers wear sturdy gloves.

.

It's 'Crosshair's sharpshooting skills', not Crosshair's phenomenal eyesight.

We’re led to assume that it’s his eyesight because we tend to think of shooting as being a linear thing, because straight lines are how projectile weapons work.

But blasters aren’t like slug throwers and we see that every time Crosshair gets his reflector discs out, such as when he mows down a corridor filled with droids, bouncing a single shot off disc after disc and cutting down everything standing in between them, or setting up his Elite Squad to die long before they walk into the training room.

His enhancement is an increased mental processing speed, just like we see in Tech and Omega. It’s his ability to calculate the angles super quickly in order to set up that corridor full of droids on the fly, or to target something 10 klicks/6 miles away and to pre-place a series of reflectors accordingly so they never see it coming that makes him special.

His ability to see where a child jumped into dark night waters after a sinking droid, to calculate the distance and angle, and to shoot a grapple at just the right velocity to hit his target even against all the water resistance. And to calculate all of that in seconds before anyone is stupid enough to jump in after her.

Chances are his eyesight is no better than any other clone.

But he also shows signs that he may feel less pain than is usual, just the same as Hunter does.

A high velocity rifle with a super long barrel filled with as many collimating components as will fit inside must give one hell of a kick. Even with the shoulder padding on his original armour the recoil from the firepuncher throws his shoulder back hard every time but he never shows any sign of pain. Does an increased density of tissue simply mean he doesn’t feel it as much?

.

And Tech? With his self proclaimed ‘exceptional mind’?

It’s all about the fast speed at which he can process the data he acquires. Which goes well with the excellent flight skills he’s displayed, such as over Ryloth and Daro, which suggest his reaction times are exceptional, allowing him to correct for changes in environment and in combat situations really quickly.

Very similar to Crosshair’s skill, but with a different application.

.

Omega displayed excellent strategy skills when beating everyone else at dejarik, she identified Cid when none of the others managed to work out who she was, she manipulated Todo 360 into allowing her to repair his leg so she could make her escape from Bane’s ship, while scared and handcuffed she then managed to find the comms station and operate outmoded equipment in order to contact the Batch, then she made her escape from Bora Vio all by herself.

So her processing speed doesn’t appear to be lagging any either.

.

When the Batch are on Onderon Tech says “I would not discount Omega's insight.  A state of heightened awareness is not unusual for an enhanced clone such as herself.”

But they’re all ‘enhanced’, I mean, that’s exactly what’s supposed to make them all so special in the first place.

A ‘state of heightened awareness’ is usually taken to mean a state in which you’re highly aware of your surroundings, hyper vigilant or focused. And those of them whose mental processes have been speeded up should be far more skilled at picking up on subtle cues and background information that other people don’t notice.

It’s like they want to make them force sensitive but without actually letting them access the force because something somewhere once said that clones aren’t force sensitive, so they’ve gone for the next best option.

So they can have hyper senses but no lightsabers.

Hunter sensed the probe droid when it was lurking in the trees and we put that down to his EM detection. But a little earlier, when it was watching them through the trees, Crosshair looked around too, even though there was no indication that there was anything there. So it seems like he felt it in some way too.

.

We all noted how Hunter appears to ‘feel’ Crosshair’s presence when they’re leaving Ryloth, but one person on a busy planet with a lot of people, communications, construction, etc wouldn’t give off enough of an EM disturbance to pick up at any sort of range unless they were deliberately sending out a signal, and hyper awareness shouldn’t apply since he wasn’t within sight, sound, etc range.

.

Crosshair seems to know where Caleb is hiding up a tree on Kaller, and he doesn’t buy that he fell over the waterfall for a moment even though there’s no evidence to show otherwise apart from knowing Hunter well enough to know when he’s lying.

.

In the mess hall fight Tech picks up the threat to Echo from the clone who slams him with the lunch tray even though he isn’t facing him, only turning towards him in time to warn him of the incoming threat.

.

We don’t notice Wrecker reacting to his surroundings in the same way the others sometimes do, but it’s possible that he might have a better sense of the space around him and the room he takes up and uses this to move around in a small area like the Marauder without bumping into things or stepping on anyone’s toes.

.

But no one of them noticed the scrappers on Bracca approaching noticeably before any other one does.

And it was no help to them when the Zygerrians snatched them either.

.

Hang on, Hunter’s skill is EM detection. Tech says so.

Yes, it is. But it’s everyone else’s skill too, they’re maybe not as good at it as he is, but they’re all picking up the signals to some degree.

However, if you’re trying to sell your team of enhanced clones as being unique individuals with a skill that makes each one special, you’re not going to want to point out that they’re all technically doing the same thing.

So they focus on Hunter’s EM detection, Tech’s fast processing, Wrecker’s apparent strength, and Crosshair’s sharp shooting.

Because it sounds fancier that way.

And fancier sells for a higher price.

.

When they’re talking about getting their experimental clones back Lama Su says “We only need one” and if they all have the same abilities coded into their DNA then that’d be right.

Any of them would suffice to allow them to proceed to the next phase.

#tbb #the bad batch #enhanced skills

[jasonlowder]

Broad-headed sharpshooter nymph

#original photographers #photographers on tumblr #nature #north carolina #insect

[todaysbug]

August 9th, 2022

Broad-Headed Sharpshooter (Oncometopia orbona)

This leafhopper, reminiscent of a cowboy in name and ability, can be found in the eastern, central and southern USA as well as Mexico, usually in the early summer months of June and July. Their black-mottled blue wings and yellow bodies give them a striking appearance, but these insects are hard to spot, growing to only 12 millimetres in length.

This insect's name refers to two impressive abilities: its bullet-like jumps, with high-precision landings, and its ability to spray predators with liquid waste. Modified hind legs give these sharpshooters the ability to propulse themselves great distances at amazing speeds. In order to land precisely, these insects need to push off with their legs at the exact same time; a deviation as little as 30 microseconds between legs can cause this leafhopper to land off-course. Aside from their ability to jump away from threats, if cornered, broad-headed sharpshooters will not hesitate to spray threats with a mess of liquid waste, leaving them sticky and pungent so the leafhopper may escape unscathed.

When the female sharpshooter lays her eggs, she coats them in waxy particles called brochosomes, produced by sites on her forewings; these sites have the appearance of irregular white splotches, collecting the substance as a waste byproduct from the excretory system. This substance helps prevent the eggs from dessicating, and protects the eggs from threats such as parasitoid wasps.

These sharpshooters, like other leafhoppers, have tiny piercing-sucking mouthparts which allow them to suck the juices out of plant leaves. They are an unfortunate carrier of Pierce's disease, which mainly affects grapevines.

#today's bug #entomology #insects #leafhopper #sharpshooter #biology #bugs #ecology #nature

[typhlonectes]

Broad-headed Sharpshooter, Oncometopia orbona, family Cicadellidae, in a friend’s garden in Conroe, TX, USA

photograph by Paxon Kale CC

#me #texas #north america #sharpshooter #planthopper #bug #hemiptera #insect #animals #nature

[pandaemoniumpancakes]

ㅤAvdéev was again turned over, and the doctor long probed in his stomach, and found the bullet, but failed to extract it. He put a dressing on the wound, and having stuck plaster over it went away. During the whole time the doctor was probing and bandaging the wound Avdéev lay with clenched teeth and closed eyes, but whn the doctor had gone he opened them and looked around as though amazed. His eyes were turned to the other patients and to the surgeon's orderly, but he seemed to see not them, but something else that surprised him.

ㅤHis friends, Panóv and Serógin, came in; but Avdéev continued to lie in the same position, looking before him with surprise. It was long before he recognized his comrades, though his eyes gazed straight at them.

ㅤ“I say, Peter, have you no message to send home?” said Panóv.

ㅤAvdéev did not answer, though he was looking Panóv in the face.

ㅤ“I say, haven’t you any orders to send home?” again repeated Panóv, touching Avdéev’s cold large-boned hand.

ㅤAvdéev seemed to come to.

ㅤ“Ah! … Panóv!”

ㅤ“Yes, here…. I’ve come! Have you nothing for home? Serógin would write a letter.”

ㅤ“Serógin …” said Avdéev, moving his eyes with difficulty towards Serógin, “will you write? … Well then, write so: ‘Your son,’ say, ‘Peter, has given orders that you should live long.1 He envied his brother’ … I told you about that to-day … ‘and now he is himself glad. Don’t worry him. Let him live. God grant it him. I am glad!’ Write that.”

ㅤHaving said this he was long silent, with his eyes fixed on Panóv.

ㅤ“And did you find your pipe?” he suddenly asked. Panóv did not reply.

ㅤ“Your pipe … your pipe! I mean, have you found it?” Avdéev repeated.

ㅤ“It was in my bag.”

ㅤ“That’s right! … Well, and now give me a candle…. I am going to die,” said Avdéev.

ㅤJust then Poltorátsky came in to inquire after his soldier.

ㅤ“How goes it, my lad! Badly?” said he.

ㅤAvdéev closed his eyes and shook his head negatively. His broad-cheeked face was pale and stern. He did not reply, but again said to Panóv,—

ㅤ“Bring a candle…. I am going to die.”

ㅤA wax taper was placed in his hand, but his fingers would not bend, so it was placed between them, and was held up for him.

ㅤPoltorátsky went away, and five minutes later the orderly put his ear to Avdéev’s heart and said that all was over.

ㅤAvdéev’s death was described in the following manner in the report sent to Tiflis,—

ㅤ“23rd Nov.—Two companies of the Kurín Regiment advanced from the fort on a wood-felling expedition. At midday a considerable number of mountaineers suddenly attacked the wood-fellers. The sharpshooters began to retreat, but the 2nd Company charged with the bayonet and overthrew the mountaineers. In this affair two privates were slightly wounded and one killed. The mountaineers lost about a hundred men killed and wounded.”

ㅤ— Leo Tolstoy, from Chapter VII in Hadji Murad, trans. Aylmer Maude.

#tolstoy #hadji murad #avdeev

[bluiex]

so going back to the hermit military au, i have the first half of a chapter done and surprisingly did research for this au (because im an idiot when i try to sound smart)

Mumbo would never get used to this.

The shots rang through the air, his breath hot and wet inside his mask. The rifle in his hands, hot at the tip and slick with sweat at the handle and trigger. His body crouches behind a wall as he reloads his rifle with his backpack at his side. The rain outside pattering against the window and the street shiny as the lights reflected against it. He steadied his breath and held his finger to his listening device.

“All clear on the North side.”

“Good job, Captain. Head to the South, we’ve got a helicopter ready.”  Scar’s voice crackled in his ear. He sounded strained but Mumbo didn’t question it.

“Got it, Lt.”

He took a couple seconds to himself before standing back up and heading to the South. Most buildings were caved in, old and some torn down from not being used in years. The banners hanging from ropes dripping with water and the ground shiny. The ground was always shiny. Maybe Mumbo looked at the ground too much. The old, fraying edges of his scarf wet and darkened when he crouched close to the ground. His earpiece lets out a staticy sound every now and again. Mumbo jerked his head up when a warm hand clapped him on the shoulder. Scar, Mumbo thought. Even with half of his face covered, Mumbo could still recognize the bright green eyes of his Lieutenant. The light-colored scar that ran through his eyebrow and down the side of his face. The man who was known as one of the best snipers on the team, well, besides Mumbo. The man was known for being one of the best pilots, vastly preferring helicopters over planes. He had always said they were, “Easier to steer.” But Mumbo never understood what he meant by that.

“You did good, c’mon let’s get inside!” 

Even with his mouth covered with fabric, his voice struck out against the loud whirring of the helicopter. 

Mumbo nodded and winced as he stepped a bit too hard on his heel. Scar must have noticed from the way his brows furrowed and his eyes squinted slightly. He looked over at a tall and broad-shouldered man next to the door of the helicopter. He jerked his chin towards the entrance of the helicopter before grabbing Mumbo's bicep and dragging them both inside. Scar shoved Mumbo into the passenger seat while he took his place in the pilot's seat. The tall man kneeled between the two seats. 

As the door’s closed, the noise slowly quieted and Mumbo could finally hear again. Scar sighed and put on his stereo headphones and gestured to Mumbo and the tall man to do the same.

“You’ve met Doc right, Captain? He’s gonna check you over in case anything happened out there. No one was shot or too badly injured, but we want to make sure nothing is wrong, got it?”  Scar’s voice was muffled over the noise in the helicopter but Mumbo had listened to every word.

Mumbo did remember Doc. Not many can forget the large metal arm on his right and the bright red of his eye on his left. His deep voice, thick with an accent, was always recognizable over his ear piece. Somehow, the man hasn’t been caught in over 20 years, over half of them on the field and the rest as the doctor of their team. Doc is, was, known as one of the best sharpshooters before Scar and Mumbo came into play. But the thing that really made Mumbo wonder was, who exactly was he? Doc had always been known as Doc even before he became a certified doctor in the field. 

Mumbo nodded and Doc went to work checking his arms and waist, squeezing himself as best as he could in the space between the two seats.

Scar flicked a few levers and pressed a few buttons. His left hand grabbing hold of the collective lever and his right hand on the cyclic stick. His face leveled as he shifted his grip, and the helicopter slowly lifted off the ground. He tilted his mic towards his mouth with the back of his hand before returning to the lever. He spoke into the mic, Mumbo hearing his words in his ear but not listening. Mumbo really would never get used to this.

BRO YOUR WRITING- AAAH I LOVE THIS SO MUCH OMG

#bluie gets an ask poggers #long post #apocalyptic military au

[the-laridian]

A D K and N for the fanfic alphabet asks? Hier sind kekse.

A Gun for Barns edition!

A: How did you come up with the title to A Gun for Barns?

"A Gun for Barns" comes from the fact that Gunnar really isn't a good shot at all. "Can't hit the broad side of a barn", as the saying goes. But there are guns that can hit barns (e.g. big things) even if you suck at sharpshooting. Gunnar ended up toting around the grenade launcher (the "barn gun" in the story) because that was his gun for barns - something he had a hope of hitting things with. Dangerous? Yes.

And as happens so often with my fics, the funny placeholder title became the Actual Title. :D

D: Is there a song or a playlist to associate with A Gun for Barns?

Yes there is!

K: What’s the angstiest idea you’ve ever come up with?

Every time I try to kill off a favorite character. 1960s Max's death was so powerful that @the-lastcall and I couldn't finish it. A previous iteration of Gunnar, writing his death brought me and @porkwithbones to big sobby messy tears. I seem to be really good at writing that kinda thing, but boy does it mess me up.

N: Is there a fic you wish someone else would write (or finish) for you?

ngl if anyone wrote a good Conrad Sadik story I'd be very happy, but I'm also aware that the image in my head may not actually match what anyone would write XD

I have a lot of story ideas that are in the "well nobody else is gonna write 'em, guess it's up to me", probably because they're rather specific.

#answered #thank you! #a gun for barns #gunnar volk #fallout new vegas

[celestialmacros]

Broad-headed Sharpshooter (Oncometopia orbona)

March 21, 2023

Southeastern Pennsylvania

A good day of bug hunting on this first full day of Spring

#This was the best photo and the only one I could positively ID #bug #bugs #photographers on tumblr #insect #insects #broad headed sharpshooter #Oncometopia orbona #nature #animals #entomology

[outpost51]

A Freelancer's Guide to Galactic Exploration: The Zal

They're not even the deadliest thing on Pruna.

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

The zal (sin. & pl.) are an oviparous arthropodic species that, like the ix’ai, are known for their military prowess and cultural discipline — and boy, do they ever take it way too seriously.

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

Biology

Zal have elongated, triangular heads with beak-like snouts (labrum) and mandibles. They possess two compound eyes with thousands of ommatidia; a small area at the front of each (fovea) provides greater visual acuity, while the peripheral ommatidia are hyper-perceptive of motion. Their eyes are wide set and situated laterally, resulting in a wide binocular field of vision and precise stereoscopic vision at close range. Because of this, Zal are some of the best sharpshooters in the Xatal galaxy. 360 no-scope indeed! Their necks can rotate between 120-180 degrees. They also have tympanate hearing, with two tympana in an auditory chamber behind each eye. They are quadrupedal, walking on two pairs of five-segmented legs, each ending in two-toed claws, with an additional pair of spiked, mantislike (raptorial) arms ending in three-pronged graspers. The third prong has an extra segment with a rotating joint, allowing it to serve as a “thumb”. Zal have pronounced polymorphism, with four distinct sexes: kem, k’ot, gat, and rak’. ➤ Kem (di/dir) are the smallest, between 4’ and 5’ in adulthood, have milky or translucent carapaces with pink, blue, or lilac tinting at the terminal ends of limbs, antennae, face, and abdomen. Their antennae curve backwards and “droop” just below their shoulders. The carapace around their legs extends outward in “ruffled” plates and their abdomens are smaller and upward-curving. Kem can carry eggs and produce the structural protein froth required to form an ootheca, but cannot produce or fertilize them. They’re diurnal and biphasic. ➤ K’ot (ghe/ghen), while still small, have a larger height range at 4’ to 6’ tall. They have spiny structures on either side and underneath their abdomens and their carapaces are typically jade green, yellow, pink, or red, though k’ot have a higher probability of albinism. They have upright, curvy antennae that are banded with brown, dark orange, or black. They possess the reproductive organs of both gat and rak’, but only the gat (fertilization) organs are functional. K’ot are cathemeral and polyphasic (4-6 sleeps per day). ➤ Gat (zuu/zuur) are slightly taller than k’ot, but with a narrower height range: 6.5’ to 7.5’. Their abdomens are long and straight, extending well past their posterior legs. They have broad shoulders with a flared, shield-shaped carapace extension. Their carapace is mostly jade green, but tinted in brilliant red, white, blue, purple, and black along their “shield,” backs, “feathered”, mothlike antennae. Gat are also cathemeral, but biphasic (one big sleep, one little sleep). Gat exhibit fully functional fertilization reproductive organs. ➤ Rak’ (suu/suur) are the tallest, growing up to and sometimes over 8’ tall. They’re far narrower than gat, however; they have willowy builds with small, spiky, upward curving abdomens. Their carapaces are typically a solid green, pink, or brown, though mottling and marbling is somewhat common. Their most distinctive feature is the crest of horns they have in place of antennae. Rak’ can produce and carry eggs, as well as produce structural protein froth. They are crepuscular, monophasic, and have acute night vision. Zal will deposit between 10 and 50 eggs in an ootheca after a two-month incubation period. Eggs hatch in two to three months, and nymphs are almost always brown, red, or translucent white. Nymphs are always given neutral pronouns (chas/chul), because they do not develop any sex characteristics until their final molt. Nymphs undergo a molt every 4-6 years, and molt 5-10 times before full adulthood is reached; after the final molt, the newly emerged adult will exhibit their final sex characteristics and possess either long or short vestigial wings that lay flat against the back unless threatened. Zal do exhibit deimatic displays when faced with megafauna in order to distract the creature long enough to draw a weapon, but will not expose their wings to anyone they perceive as weaker — it is seen as a sign of submission and surrender.

Diet

Zal evolved from carnivorous ambush predators that were nowhere near the top of the Prunan food chain — the smallest of the megafauna, ritzal (imagine, if you will, a 12 foot tall moose with opposable thumbs), are capable of cracking an adult rak’ open like a Kinder Surprise Egg. It’s believed that whatever happened with the kailit mushroom spores’ evolution effected proto-zal’s neurological development rather than their physiological development (like everything else on the moon). All this to say: they have guns now. If they can kill it, they’ll eat it. If they can’t kill it, it eats them. For space-bound zal, they have perfected a method of vat-synthetization that produces relatively palatable vat-meat.

Social Organization

Zal live in a meritocratic republic; as individuals, they are highly competitive, and as a group this has led to rapid, efficient advances in technology, a strong public works system, and a booming economy — all in pursuit of being the Best. Nymphs are not raised by their parents, but by retired and disabled veterans and elders in nursery schools. Zal do not have family units; if they like each other, they stick together, otherwise they part ways once their business is concluded. Zal do, however, have service units, and that’s pretty close to a family, probably. Their society is built on individual merit and personal achievement. Nymphs are brought up with the strict belief that zal are superior, and that their purpose in the galaxy is to elevate others to their level of greatness. A weak link can break a chain, and so is the belief that a weak individual can wreak havoc on society as a whole. What is society but one big service unit, after all? On mixed-species ship crews, this means your friendly local murder mantis can and will move mountains for an uknuk who cannot reach a jar on a high shelf. It’s not “helping” to simply take the jar down for zuur crewmate. Helping does not mean doing something for someone else; no, “helping” is providing the tools or facilitating an environment in which an individual can complete a task with their own skills and knowledge. Zuu will build a stepladder out of scraps, or tape together a bunch of boxes, or provide a boost so zuur crewmate can pick up the jar with their own hands. Personal achievement! In line with setting someone up for success, zal emphasize the importance of inalienable individual rights: one cannot succeed unless one’s physiological needs are being met. As such, zal governments provide housing, healthcare, utilities, and transportation to all citizens. Nutrition is provided, but if someone wants something better than “fulfills biological needs and nothing else,” they can earn it. There is a place and a purpose for everyone in zal society, even foreigners. Those that cannot do physical work can teach, can write, can create, can do something, and by gum, we are going to figure it out together. The flip-side of this mentality is that oftentimes zal can come across as pushy, overbearing, or downright exhausting — there is no such thing as “giving up” and “failure” and “surrender” for zal. Ix’ai, as the exact opposite of the same coin, often carry sedatives for their zal crewmates. You know, to help. :) (Because they will work themselves to death. It’s happened.) Because of where zal have historically fallen in the Prunan food chain, it has given them an all-or-nothing approach to violence, fighting, and war: it’s a waste of resources when waged needlessly, but if pushed, they will do what needs to be done. When conflicts cannot be solved by any other means, duels are legal, regulated, and societally accepted. Zal do not make threats; they make promises. If you do not kill whatever is coming after you on Pruna, it can, will, and actively wants to kill you. They do not take prisoners — you surrender, or you fuck around and find out. First contact between the ix’ai and zal was messy and brutal. Second contact annihilated two star systems and cut both species’ populations in half. The zal threw a moon at the ix’ai. A moon. The cazen stepped in to broker a treaty before third contact destroyed them all. This treaty resulted in the Galactic Enforcement Agency: a multi-species organization dedicated to rounding up and rehabilitating criminals throughout the Xatal galaxy. More specifically, the ix’ai run the prisons, and the zal fill them up (with a little help from their friends). The direct opposing force to this is a multi-species network of pirates, smugglers, gangs, crime syndicates, and headhunters that make GEA’s job really difficult.

Naming Conventions

Zal nymphs are given names that are formed by combining the school syllable (known as the “legacy”) of the clutch they hatched from + the order they emerged from the ootheca + the initial sound of their nursery school’s name. For example, a nymph hatched from V’senaz’s clutch, who was the seventh out of the ootheca, born into G’ok-tet Academic Nursery would be named Nazyeg. Chul clutchmate, who was fifteenth, would be Nazaalaag. When zal reach adulthood, they drop their clutch syllable. Following the examples, Nazyeg would become Yeg after ghen final molt, and Nazaalaag would become Aalaag after suur final molt. Their new initial syllable (called the “achievement syllable”) will correspond to the rank they have achieved by the time they lay/fertilize their first successful clutch. V’senaz was a captain (v’alke) of dir own ship when di laid dir first clutch, and will be V’senaz for the rest of dir adulthood.

Cultural Note

Only courting partners, very intimate friends, or the zal who helped them hatch may drop the achievement syllable of someone’s name, and only with direct consent. It’s considered a massive disrespect to do so otherwise, because it symbolizes the stripping off of one’s “armor,” and is legal grounds for a duel or just being shot, depending on where you’re at in the galaxy. Under NO circumstances are non-zal to bring up the possibility of dropping the achievement syllable. If you’re an intimate friend, it will be brought up by the zal in question. They love their ceremony, and to be one’s intimate friend is a great achievement that deserves the proper honor (usually dinner and preening).

#xatal galaxy #worldbuilding wednesday #i am so normal about the murder mantises

[grubloved]

little guy (teenage broad-headed sharpshooter, Oncometopia orbona)

#birdes bugs #birdenest

[udc793]

Oncometopia orbona, the broad-headed sharpshooter, is a species of sharpshooter in the family Cicadellidae. (at Arlington, Virginia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CklxEb_pb6bEkL0cduU8IOM17Bnj1XdCVhT14A0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Oncometopia broad-headed sharpshooter color variation.

Photographer: Thomas Shahan

#thomas shahan #photographer #oncometopia broad-headed sharpshooter #color variation #nature #macro photography

[onenicebugperday]

Hello!! I bring you two bugs bc i forgot to ask when I got the pics of the first one(the moth) but do you know the names of these friends? My mom identified the second one a glassy wing sharpshooter but google images results didn't look the same. Thank you in advance! (nc)

Cuties!! I love them. The moth is a pawpaw sphinx and I think the sharpshooter is actually a female broad-headed sharpshooter. Glassy-winged sharpshooters won't have the yellow-ish triangle behind the head :)

#insects #bugs #submission #moth #sphinx moth #pawpaw sphinx #sharpshooter #leafhopper #broad headed sharpshooter #the-meme-monarch

[genshin-utopia]

xiao | memories

note | thank you for the 1000+ followers. I don't deserve it with the lack of updates and motivation. Half a year and I finally decided to write again. This is similar to the "Moments with you" headcanons I do. I hope you like this new series I will be starting with each/most/some characters. Also big thank you to @arthurhastingpoems for betaing! This was suppose to end with smut but lol what happened.

Tags: Established relationship, extremely corny/cheesy lol, hurt/comfort, a tiny bit of violence, fluff, bittersweet if you squint

You never expected to fall deep in love with the man beside you, who’s seldom rough and cold. But also, so soft towards you, as if you were something precious to him. A collection of stories shared between the two of you.

i.

It was rather unexpected when you first discovered you had a peculiar interest in Xiao’s arms or more specifically, his strength. You love how easy it was for Xiao to pick you up, as if you weighed nothing – that raw power that’s contained within. The first time you consciously discovered this fact was when you were playfully wrestling him due to playful banter.

You were both on the sofa, a soft comforter that left you unintentionally drowsy as you sink deeper into a comfortable state. On the other hand, Xiao was seated upright on the other end with a book in his hands. These were rare peaceful days that you both couldn’t afford frequently as duties kept you two occupied and most importantly, separated. As sleep started to overtake your senses, you started poking him lightly with your feet to draw his attention.

The slight twitch in response did not go unnoticed, however his gaze continued to be fixated on the literature in front of him. You, of course, did not mind as much but continued your ministrations to escape your drowsy state.

As time went by, you rose from your laying position and snuggled closer to him, laying your head softly onto his shoulders. You peered over curiously at the pages in front of you. Almost immediately, the words, “Rex Lapis,” neatly printed on the paper caught your eyes. Slightly irked at the fact that Xiao was paying more attention to Zhongli even in this situation, you started slowly tracing his arms with your fingers.

“Stop,” he commanded softly, not sparing a glance at your direction.

You ignored his words, your hands trailing further down to his chest before swiping the book from his hands quickly.

Chuckling to yourself in triumph, you edge yourself towards the other end of the couch, away from him.  However, you can’t escape from Xiao. Within seconds, your back is on the sofa with him hovering above you.

Not wanting to admit defeat, you attempted to stretch your arm, with the book in your hands, up to where Xiao couldn’t reach. That attempt was proven to be futile as his body presses you down with his larger one, ceasing all movement. You continued to squirm away from his grip until suddenly Xiao traps both your wrists above your head with one hand, the book slipping away in the process.

Xiao’s free arm cages your head, not allowing you to look away. He slowly lowers himself to your ear, whispering, “Where are you going?”

Hues of pink flushed your cheeks at his husky voice that was so close to you. Suddenly realizing the precarious position you were in, you shifted your eyes away from his gaze and onto his arms. Despite the initial embarrassment, you loved how he cages you with his arms. Ironically, you felt protected and safe.

Not liking that your gaze was averting from his, he gently lifts your chin with his free fingers, “Look at me.”

You quickly followed his command only to meet his darkening gaze. Hypnotized by his eyes, you squirmed once more but this time to get closer to the source of heat above you. “X-xiao, kiss me.”

He obliged quickly, closing the gap between you and swallowing your whimper. His tongue delves between your lips, unhurried and tender. Xiao has one hand up your shirt, stroking the soft skin of your chest as he steals your oxygen. The slow and soft touches were torturous, you started bucking your hips up impatiently. However, before you can get the friction you so desire, he anchors himself up slightly. His arms are still caging your body, but this time he leaves a small space between the both of you. A small smirk etches onto his face as he looks at your needy expression, wanting more of his touch.

You love his strength and his arms caging you.

But he loves your docile self as a result.

ii.

Xiao is very much like the element he holds.

Like the storm, the wind can be very turbulent.

Yet it can also be soft, gently caressing your cheeks as you walk.

He also has a quirk of disappearing and appearing before your eyes randomly.

Much like right now.

You are currently taking a break on the hilltop after a long commission you just finished. Your back rests on the trunk of the tree perched on top of the hill. Its leaves serve as an umbrella, shielding you from the sun's harsh rays. You close your eyes as the gentle breeze wafts through the air, enjoying a peaceful and tranquil time to yourself.

It has been several days since you’ve last seen Xiao as the both of you are quite busy, especially the latter.

At times like these where you are unoccupied with only your own thoughts accompanying you, you find yourself missing Xiao the most.

You close your eyes, his silhouette forming inside your mind as you start to reminiscence the times you’ve shared with each other.

“Xiao...” You whispered unconsciously.

For the next few seconds, only the leaves soft rustling could be heard.

Just then you sensed a presence in front of you. Your instincts kicked in and you hurriedly open your eyes and unsheathed your weapon.

However, it wasn’t a lone hilichurl in front of you like you expected, but the person you longed for the most.

You quickly sheathed back your sword and stood on your feet, a bright smile adorning your face at the sight of Xiao appearing before you. You ran to his awaiting arms, wrapping your arms around him, and leaning your head on his broad chest. He reciprocated the hug, enclosing your body with his arms. It felt like time halted for the both of you, like nothing existed except you two.

You were snapped out of your trance when you felt a slight weight behind your ears. Curiously, you withdrew from his loving arms and directed your attention to his hands.

“Crystalflies for you,” he stated as his right hand were filled with numerous crystalflies, “I caught more than I intended. I hope you don’t mind.”

Happiness surged through your body; your previous loneliness long forgotten as you took the batch of crystalflies from his hands gratefully.

A small smile carved its way to his face, his gaze softening at your ecstatic self. He combed your hair softly with his right hand, “As I thought you look very nice.”

He leaves a quick kiss to your forehead before disintegrating with the wind.

“If you wish to seek me, call out my name.”

iii.

The sharp arrow plunges into your stomach, halting your movements and loosening your grip on your sword. You felt as if your insides were ripped to shreds by a mere arrow due to your carelessness. You were fulfilling a commission which entails you emptying a hilichurl camp. What was thought to be a simple task became a nightmare as you let your guard down when reinforcements came unexpectedly. You scoffed to yourself at your idiocy for ever letting your guard down in a fight.

A sense of dread overcame your senses, your vision blurring momentarily, and you lose footing for a split second.

Flashes of images depicting your moments with Xiao crossed your mind.

You wonder how he was doing at the moment. Probably also fighting demons like he always did.

You wished to see him right now.

With that thought in mind, you gripped your sword firmly with more determination.

A blue magic circle formulates beneath your feet as you send ice shards at the hilichurl sharpshooters hidden within the trees. You ignore the sharp pain of your stomach at your sudden movement, and instead you diverted your attention at the several Mitachurls with axes surrounding you.

“Come at me you assholes.”

The area immediately became colder as shards of ice flew everywhere. Your stamina is decreasing at an alarming rate as you quickly cleared the area with your sword and magic.

You shoved your sword into the last mitachurl when you heard a distant horn in the distance, signifying to you that there were more to come.

You could no longer ignore the pain of your new wounds all over your body and kneeled slightly while clutching at your stomach.

Were you going to die?

No, you couldn’t.

Just then when all hope was lost, the clear blue sky darkens into a gray hue as the wind around you started to pick up ominously.

Could it be?

“Block it."

Reflexively, at the sound of a very familiar voice, you immediately surround yourself with thick shards of ice and braced yourself.

A turbulent force plunged down from the sky, the surrounding area immediately getting hit by explosive wind, rendering all enemies powerless and dead within seconds. The shards of ice protecting you cracked, before crumbling away. You peered up and met the eyes of Xiao, his normally impassive face deforming into one of pure anger.

“Why?” He gritted out, “Why didn’t you call for me?”

“Because I’m strong,” you managed to mutter out. As if to prove your point, you staggered to get on your feet to demonstrate you didn’t need his help despite the pain consuming your senses.

“No, you humans are weak,” he stated harshly, voice icy cold.

You shook your head, ready to retort. However, whether it was the relief of seeing Xiao again or the fact that you survived the whole ordeal, you couldn’t fight the pain of your wounds. You braced yourself for a harsh drop, but instead something soft embraced you.

You couldn’t figure out what it was before you faded into a deep slumber.

iv.

Drifting in and out of consciousness resulted in your inability to depict what was real and what was fake.

Your wounds from that day were proximately fatal and you spent the majority of the day and nights recuperating.

You would dream of getting impaled by several arrows.

Sometimes you would dream of horrific images of ways you could’ve died that day, like you are right now.

However, before the nightmare could get any further, a green butterfly would always spreads its wings, painting the canvas with new colors instead of the dreadful gray and red images.

The nightmare would disintegrate slowly into shards that would evanesce into a better scenario.

You would open your eyes only to be greeted with golden orbs who covered your vision, “Hurry and go back to sleep.”

Those nights you would dream of a green butterfly accompanying you and circumventing you with warmth.

V.

You have come to a startling conclusion that Xiao was ignoring you for weeks.

Xiao often wanders and if he wasn’t at home or wouldn’t appear out of thin air at your call, you couldn’t pinpoint where he is.

Rummaging through your head, you couldn’t come up with a decisive moment where it led to this.

Clutching onto your soft blanket, you pulled it closer to you for warmth. The spot on the bed adjacent to you felt even more emptier than before.

For weeks you endeavored to dissuade yourself from coming up with the revelation that he doesn’t want to see you. You continued your everyday obligations, diverting yourself with dispiriting thoughts that plagued your mind. Unfortunately, you were at your breaking point, the rain pitter-pattered against your windows made the atmosphere even more dejecting.

Tears formulated at the corner of your eyes and leaks reluctantly down your cheeks.

“Xiao,” you called out softly.

Just then, familiar hands caress your cheeks, wiping away the tears that eluded, “Why are you crying?”

The person you wanted to see the most was now in front of you yet simultaneously was the last person you wanted.

You chuckled monotonously, “Is this a dream?”

Xiao shook his head slightly, hands never once leaving your cheeks. Slight anger submerged within you at his nonchalant attitude as you push his hands away from you. “Why are you here?”

Silence emerged with only the sounds of the rain reverberating around the room. No one moved an inch. You were still sitting up on your bed, clutching onto the white blanket whereas Xiao was standing next to the bedside unnervingly.

You half anticipate him to disintegrate into thin air once more, but what you didn’t expect was him to sit next to you on the bed. He grasps your hands with his, holding it carefully as if you were a porcelain doll ready to shatter at any given moment.

“I don’t deserve you.”

Thousands of rebuttals were ready to be hurled at him, but you waited patiently instead for him to continue. After weeks, you were finally getting some answers.

“One day I might be contaminated with evil itself. These hands...” He trailed off, hands withdrawing from yours.

Your eyes trails from his hands to his face. The moonlight reflecting through the window, illuminates his beautiful face. Now that you gotten a closer look, you realize that he looks tired, worn down from years of torment.

The anger subsided, leaving nothing but love for the man in front of you.

You reach out for his face, lifting him out of his thoughts. Your eyes never left his, hoping to convey your adoration towards the man. You reach out for his rough hands littered with callouses that developed over the years.

You bring his hands to your cheeks, resting on them before leaving a soft kiss onto one of them. “These hands have brought so much happiness. The crystalflies you gathered that day, the soft hands that would comfort me during a nightmare...You’ve done so much.” You crawled onto his lap, resting your forehead on his, hands never once leaving his.

“No matter what, I want to be with you.” With that you closed the gap between the two of you, pressing your lips onto his. Compacted In that kiss was the sweetness of passion, thousands of loving thoughts condensed into this kiss. Your heartbeats resonated in each other’s ears, and you could only focus on how soft he felt against your mouth, how addictively he invaded all your senses. You continue to place soft kisses to convey how much you love him, before slowly, detaching yourself from his embrace and resting your forehead against his, “Even if my time is short...”

The two of you remain in the comfort of each other's arms, with only the wind reverberating against the window in this long night. Instead of an everlasting adepti and an ordinary human, it was just Xiao and you, hearts connected. The sand in the hourglass can’t be stopped until it reaches its end, but for now you will enjoy the flow with the person you love most.

#xiao fluff #xiao headcanons #genshin impact scenarios #genshin impact headcanons #genshin impact imagines #xiao x reader #xiao #xiao fanfiction #genshin x reader

[psikonauti]

Colorful Broad-headed Sharpshooter Leafhopper

#Leafhopper #Colorful Leafhopper #Insects #Upl #Leafhoppers