#ultimate marine biologist | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

nervousd · 10 months

Text

Chapter Three— Unexpected visitors

→ Infatuation | m.list

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

#SYNOPSIS— The dead come back to visit

#WARNING(S)— This is a dark fic, implications of abandonment, implications of being a bad mother, child abandonment, implications of discrimination, implications of physical abuse, yandere, unhealthy obsession, possessive, prey/hunter dynamics, scent kink, creepy behavior, throat usage?/does that even make sense?, forced kissing, noncon kissing???)) quaritch goes feral, unwanted touching

#CHARACTER(S)— Recom! colonel Miles Quaritch

#NOTE— so I lied— the good stuff will definitely be on the next chapter. I’m also planning to make a Drabble to make up for it

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Quaritch extended out his palm towards the diagram ❝ The target is pretty much this whole island group— ❞ he was cut of by Spider ducking beneath his large frame, he glanced down at his son smiling briefly, ❝— Never been up there, you know those waters doc. What kind of indigenous we got? ❞ Scoresby gestured towards the man on the opposite side of the diagram. The doc was startled out of his own thinking, hesitating briefly as he glanced at the blue Recom looking at him with piercing yellow eyes ❝ Well— uh we got metkayina mostly some Ta’unui maybe fifty villages— ❞

Having enough of his rambiling, Quaritch cut off him with a puzzled face, ❝ uh you are who?❞ he didn’t need to know what specific species of na’vi there was— all he needed to know where was the nearest village nearby to get stated on his mission ❝ Oh I’m uh Doctor Ian Garvin, a marine biologist ❞ he extended out his palm for a handshake but was ultimately ignored by Quaritch, he dropped down his hand in embarrassment, ❝ Fifty villages— a hundred villages. I don’t care we’ll search them all ❞ Scoresby scoffed, and snapped back with an obnoxious tone ❝ I hunt Tulkun, that’s what I’m rigged for that’s all my guys do. I’ve got quotas to meet ❞

A rotten wry smile split Quaritch face, he showed a smile with far too many teeth— teeth to sharp his lips curled up. He looked like a happy predator with upturned lips, ❝ I’ll be nice once than I won’t ❞ Behind him, Lyle lifted his respiratory mask taking a sip of carbon. His yellow eyes gleamed, as he watched the interaction between the two of them. Scoresby pursed his lips, not expecting to be threatened in his own ship, ❝ Oh if you can’t get out of it, get into it. All crew to stations! ❞

—

It was difficult being the only human among the na’vi, unable to fully understand the ways of being‘ One of the people ‘ as they say. But they were welcoming to say the least— a bit skittish but nothing you can do about it. Had it not been for Jake sully— Toruk Makto as they call him; you would of never been accepted into the Ta’unui clan. You weren’t ‘ one of the people ‘ just a human coexisting with them. It was difficult at first, finding yourself frustrated with them— and yourself. It was a horrible decision to leave the forest but if you didn’t than you would be stuck with him— burden by the responsibility of being a mother. So you packed your things and left—

Gone the next day leaving no trace behind but a few personal belongings. It was heartless— to abandon a child but you couldn’t bare to look at it. Finding bile crawling up your throat whenever you ever so glanced at it. But that was years ago and you can only find yourself wanting to learn about their life now— only a little. You come up with your own conclusions, that’s he’s fine— doing much better now that you were gone. Has a happy family that gives him all the affection and care he needs— anything to lesson the guilt of abandoning him.

You were startled out of your thoughts as a blue hand appeared in your vision. You jumped like a feral cat, whisking around as your eyes caught culprit of a sheepish male na’vi. ❝Jesus Christ— must you always do this to me? ❞ The male na’vi blinked, cocking his head to the side as he stared at you with wide eyes, ❝ I do not understand this sky people talk— what is this Jesus Christ? ❞ You shook your head, waving your hand in dismissal ❝ Dont worry about it— Sky people nonsense and all that. Your English has gotten good ❞ at your compliment, the male puffed up his chest in pride. You scoff at his flared ego— ever since you’ve been here this male na’vi was always by your side, claiming he was curious about the sky people.

He’s become your student— only for a short while. You’ve been teaching him English for quite some and was surprised to see him learn the language very quick. It brought a sense of peace towards you— familiarity. It’s as if you were back in the past with Grace helping her at the school. A wave of nostalgia hit you, often times you missed the moments you had with everyone. You smiled briefly, the past would always sneak upon you leaving nothing but a longing to see everyone. But you had made your bed— choosing to leave and abandon everyone. Now you must lay in your choices. ❝ You are friends with Toruk Makto, no? ❞

Confused by the sudden interest in an old friend, you nodded, ❝ Yeah— Jake sully, what’s the sudden interest in him? ❞ he hesitated briefly, ❝ He is residing in a metkayina clan— not far from here— there has been talk of war following him ❝ Your lips pursed in response, brows furrowing. ❝ That is odd— not something he would do. Who knows maybe he just wanted a vacation? ❞ He looked at you with wide eyes, ❝ You are certain of this? ❞ You hesitated briefly, you weren’t— Jake would of never fled the Omaticaya— especially Neytiri, seeing as how she loved her home and would even die for her people. This wasn’t something they would do— not unless they were running from something— or someone.

But no one could posses such a threat that would cause Jake to flee— and if they did, we’ll they were dead. But you couldn’t cause panic— ❝ I’m sure, who knows maybe it’s for diplomat reasons ❞ He seemed satisfied with your answer and bided you goodbye. You were back to being alone— busying yourself to your own devices. But worry seemed to overshadow your thoughts— worming their way inside your mind. If Jake was here than what of the boy you gave birth to? Jake didn’t adopt him— no the boy had foster parents that took care of him along with other human children that were left behind. But Jake promised— he promised to watch over him. Did Jake bring him here to the ocean clans? Or did he leave him back at the Omaticaya?

Worry gnawed at your gut— you couldn’t bare to risk seeing the boy. Your stomach churned in disgust— you were cut off by a horn being blasted through the air— your stomach dropped. Through the years residing in the clan not once has the horn been used. Distant cries were heard thought the beach and a loud rumbling sound swallowed their petrified cries. You scrambled towards the noise, terror sticking at your nerves as a large ship came into view, ❝ Oh fuck— fuck! ❞ you scrambled backwards running towards your small hut. You gathered your necessity items, shoving the basic necessities in a small bag.

None of this made sense— they shouldn’t be here, not once had they come near the islands. They were often seen out in the open waters hunting tulkun. This was different— had they come here to threaten or kill the na’vi residing in this island? Peace was not on the table so the like hold of the other two options happening were possible. You flinched at the loud cries coming from the na’vi and the curses of your mother tongue being shouted out. If they caught you— there was no doubt you might be publicly executed for betraying your race.

And so you hid— lost in the wildlife of Pandora you seeked shelter behind a trunk covered by bushes. Your breaths came out labored, you peeked from a small opening seeing the na’vi being rounded up on the clearing. You leaned forward trying to get a better view unaware of the footsteps behind you. You let out a scream as a hand tugged you up from your hiding place. You struggled immediately, clawing at the hands that held onto you— ❝ Stay still—! I got a traitor here! ❞ your attacker dragged you towards the clearing, gun pressing against your back.

You tripped over your own feet a couple of times as you were dragged to the clearing. Countless of na’vi were forced to kneel onto the sand with guns and tasers threatening to cause harm. There were avatars among them humans, dressed in full camo gear with weapons strapped towards their vest. The color drained from your face as you made eye contact with piercing yellow eyes, ❝ What the actual fuck— ❞ you were starting to panic, kicking your feet and acting like a mad woman— you were unsure of what to do but your brain screamed at you to run.

In front of you was the man you once thought was dead— no you were certain he was dead. His skeleton was out in the forest decomposing on itself. Yet, here he was, breathing and certainly alive. He was back from the dead and this time he came back blue. Beside him was a human boy wearing na’vi clothes, he was covered in blue stripes. A flicker of recognition sparkled in your eyes— your breath hitched at your throat, ❝no— no! ❞ you shook your head refusing to accept the truth. A newfound strength courses through your body.

You elbowed the guy on the ribs making a run for it, ❝ Don’t shoot! I need her alive! ❞ a familiar voice ran along the clearing— it was him. Colonel Miles Quaritch was back from the dead and came back bigger, stronger and faster in the body of a na’vi—a species he hated with a passion. But how was that even possible? You wouldn’t stay to find out— you had to leave— to hide

❝ Get back here! ❞ He roared out, the sheer volume and grit of his voice caused the ends of your hairs to stand up. He launched himself to your pursuit, screaming out in rage. He was hot on your tail, commanding you stop running but it only caused you to pump your legs faster. Soon enough you heard him right behind you— you glanced back a mistake you realized as he ran at you in a primal way. Hands and feet— claws out for a grip against the terrain he pounced on you. ❝C’mere! ❞ You ducked out the way, barley missing his grasp but not without paying the price of your shirt being torn by his claws. You slammed yourself against a trunk barley missing his claws. You scrambled back to your feet leaving him in the dust.

❝ Stop running! ❞ he screamed out, ❝ you’re suppose to be with me— You’re mine— mine! ❞ Sharp canines gritted against each other and bared into a sneer, his brows were furrowed and yellow eyes were wide like saucers— he looked insane as if he submitted himself to his primal instincts. He was fixated on getting you; even going as far as his abandoning his gun— anything that slowed him down. A shaky sigh left his lips as he gripped the garment of your torn blouse— he inhaled deeply pressing it against his nose. He swears he could taste your scent on his tongue. It’s yours— and you’re here with him.

He exhaled shaky, pocketing the torn piece of clothing inside his pocket. He glanced back up finding you no where in his sight. His ears flattened against his skull, tail laying limp, ❝Don’t be mean now honey— ❞ his voice drawled out, the smirk wiping off his face seeing as there was no indication to where you could possibly be. He scouted out the area in a frenzy coming to a halt as a thud behind him makes him turn around in a swift. He rushes over to the sound pushing away the wildlife , ❝ Gotcha! ❞ his excitement died down when all he found was a small animal cowering in fear. He let out a hiss of frustration, tail whipping around as his anxiety clawed at him.

Panic rose as he searched every creek he could find— which way did you go? His frustration bubbled in his chest, ❝ If you don’t come out right now I swear I’ll paint that ass red and blue! ❞ He looked left and right, running in circles looking for any sign or indication to where you could possibly be. Meanwhile, you had ran as far as you could ending up near your shack. You stoped to catch your breath, heart beating against your chest in an erratic way. You bended over placing your hand on your knees— you had lost him for now. But what can you do before he catches up to you again? For how long can you evade his grasp? Leaving the island would be impossible. This was a hopeless scenario for you— there was no way to flee and running was the only option. You could hide in your shack but wouldn’t that be the first place they would check?

You couldn’t give up now, standing straight you began to plot your next move. Hiding was a no go— you need small places somewhere a na’vi can’t fit in. You could hear the distant scream of your name out in the woods, your head whipped to the sound. Tripping over your own steps you decided to push more distance away from him. You knew exactly where to go— you’ve known this island for years. He doesn’t, all that matters is making sure he doesn’t catch up to you before you get there. Soon enough you heard a branch break beside you— you don’t have time to register the force that impacted you.

You feel like you’re flying through the air— unable to grasp what’s going on. He’s grabbing you and wrestling you beneath him— a coarse laugh came from him, his canines glistened from the copious amount of times of running his tongue over them— unable to swallow his exceeding amount of saliva. His tail thumped behind him in excitement, ❝ I got you, sweetheart— you’re mine now ❞ his chuckles were hoarse, shoulders shaking as deep rumbles came within his chest.

He pressed his nose against the juncture of your nape, curling himself to your size. You froze— did he just sniff you? He’s panting, whole body trembling. ❝ You done teasing me? You and I have some unfinished business to get to. How about we finish that family that we started? Give the brat a couple of siblings while you and I get to be acquainted once again ❞ You shook your head frantically, the thought of having another child with him disgust you. Tears slid down your cheeks freely, you wanted to scream and cry out. This was a nightmare come to life. You let out a squeal as you felt his palm reach down and grabbed a handful of your ass, groping and squeezing the flesh. He rained down numerous kisses on your neck, nipping and lapping at your flesh. You were frozen in place— He was terrifying, and too fucking big. His whole body encased yours. Quaritch looked at you, pupils blown wide—. Your attempts to trash away from his grip was useless against his strength and size. He was overwhelming— you could only see and feel him. Both of his massive biceps were placed beside you, lowering his chest towards back.

Back when he was human he always towered over you but now as a na’vi? He was huge— it was like you were his own personal human doll. You could hear shuffling behind you— you were manhandled as if you were nothing but cargo. You were face to face with him. His biceps kept you locked in his embrace, lowering himself towards you. He was starved for you— relishing every touch he could get from you. You however— we’re frightened and did everything possible to get away from his embrace. You wiggled and kicked helplessly under his strong grip— his arms tightened around you like a snake coiling around it’s prey. It only just hit how strong and big his was.

He hugged you even closer— if it was even possible to do so. Pressing your body against his, he let out a deep low moan making you let out a squeak as you felt his canines drag across your flesh. He leaned down again— seeing his face dip towards yours; you turned your face to the side avoiding his lips from touching yours. His lips skimmed over your cheeks— a low animalistic snarl escaped from him. His fingers dug into your jaws and wrenched your face to look back at him. ❝ You will not take this from me, girl— I have waited so long to have you ❞

His lips pressed against yours in a messy kiss, he pressed his tongue against your mouth. Claws prodding your jaw to open up as he swallowed your mouth whole. Tears streamed down your cheeks— He doesn’t get to have you— you weren’t his. You wish you could tell him this but all you can squeak out are muffled sobs. Quaritch was overjoyed— a sense of peace came flowing to him. You were back in his arms, exactly where he wanted you. Nothing can stop him now— not even the order he was given from his predecessor— you were meant to be his— human or na’vi doesn’t matter.

Your attempts to break away from the kiss were futile against his overwhelming strength. He deepened the kiss, tongue lashing at ever crook and crane he could find. Tears pricked the corner of your eyes as you felt his tongue slither down your throat. Your fist slammed against his chest seeing black dots prick at the corner of your vision. Feeling you go limp in his arms caused him to draw back from your mouth. His hold on you however remained— a string of saliva connected both of your lips. Face running red, you stared at him unable to fully wrap your head on just what happened

He stared back down at you, completely unfazed. As if this was the most natural thing to do ❝ What? Cat got your tongue, hmm Princess? ❞ , you shook your head to the side a couple of times; mumbling out incoherent words. His ears however managed to hear you every well, ❝ You’re not him— how are you even alive? You died— ❞ you babbled out— pawing against his chest pathetically, pushing and slapping with your weak strength. A mistake you were quick to realize as he slammed you back to the ground caging you in his arms, ❝ Just relax, princes I’ll explain it to ya— you see I’m a clone of that old man. He’s deceased— he was weak ❞ he hissed, ❝ I’m better— I’m stronger and I am going to take what is rightfully mine; starting with you ❞

Small wheezes came from you, you looked at him as if he was absurd ❝ I don’t belong to you— ❞ his fingers curled around your throat ❝ Watch it— clearly you’re attitude has been left unchecked for quite a long time. Don’t worry sweetheart, daddy will fix that ❞ His palm pressed against your back bringing you upwards to him, he coaxed you to his lap; tail wrapping around your arm. His palms groped your flesh, touching every place he could. His hands fiddled with your blouse, scrunching up the piece of fabric you called blouse tearing it off. You’re breast bounced from the impact— you curled inward to protect your modesty. His fingers itched to grab hold of your breast— lips curling up at your refusal. However, a static voice coming from his earpiece caused him to pause his actions. You couldnt catch what they were saying but you doubted it was anything good. His yellow eyes gleamed, ❝ Let’s get you back home— where you belong ❞

→ Tag List

━━━ : © NERVOUS.D

409 notes · View notes

areyougonnabe · 2 months

Note

for the polar history recap posts, i’m dying to know more about lillie…deeply tragic and i’ve also heard something about the nickname ‘ooze’ and i desperately need to know more about that

LILLIE 😭😭😭😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

denis (also spelled dennis) gascoigne lillie was born in 1884, making him 26 when the terra nova set off for antarctica. he was trained in natural sciences at cambridge (although he didn't do too well on his exams) and was appointed as the ship's biologist—meaning he did not form part of the shore party in the hut in at cape evans, but remained on board the ship during the winter, studying antarctic marine biology including whales, plankton, and deep-sea creatures like sponges (like the one pictured above). his nickname "ooze" comes from his job as biologist—ooze refers to a specific kind of biological marine sediment that got pulled up in seabed dredges which lillie would then examine.

in silas's diary on the voyage south, he describes lillie:

Lilley—"Hercules'" or "Sequins" is rather a dreamer and asserts he can remember his former existences in this world. Much fun can be got from him if handled properly.

lillie was noted by other members of the expedition to be a bit of a crackpot, asserting that he was a persian and a roman in his past lives. and more than that, possibly:

Lillie had decided that he was not the marrying type, claiming that he had evolved beyond it. In later years Scott’s young Norwegian skiing expert Tryggve Gran recounted that as they crossed the Equator on the Terra Nova Lillie had revealed that he was a woman trapped in a man’s body. ‘When I see a naked man I blush,’ he allegedly said as the others sprawled shirtless on the deck in tropical sunshine, ‘I am split and I can’t help it. Luckily I understand myself and have the control to avoid doing anything wrong.’ Gran was a notoriously unreliable source, and it is hard to imagine anyone having the courage to say that under those circumstances; but perhaps Lillie did.

(from sara wheeler's cherry)

usually i would not recommend anyone trust anything that comes out of gran's mouth, but honestly i do buy this, because, well... vibes.

anyway, on the terra nova, lillie was notable for his talent at caricature, and several of his rather hilariously cruel drawings appeared (copied by wilson) in the south polar times, including this one of birdie:

while the shore party was in antarctica, lillie spent two winters in new zealand studying whales, fossils, and anthropology:

Lillie has been fossilizing & is off next month for 5 months whaling with the Norwegians. He is looking very well & very happy and is ‘a dear little chap’ to use Scott’s expression.

—pennell's diary, may 18 1911

after returning to england, taking the long way round on board the terra nova to continue his marine research, lillie took up residence at cambridge again, alongside deb, silas, priestley, and griff, to work up the scientific results from the expedition.

lillie also spent a lot of time with atch and pennell in 1913, frequently accompanying them to dine and see theater in london. he also drew (probably on board the ship) the caricature of them as the "antarctic lovebirds":

during the war, he was a conscientious objector—a "conchie," refusing to go to the front. it was an incredibly difficult position to maintain in the face of widespread societal opposition. he found solace in a continued and deepening relationship with cherry (who was also not at the front, though in his case for health reasons) as sara wheeler describes in her biography of cherry:

Currently working as a bacteriologist for the military, Lillie had been one of the few visitors at Lamer during the bad months in the middle of 1916. They became unusually intimate (‘I should love to see your chubby cheeks again’), and after one weekend Lillie scrawled with typical irreverence in his note of thanks that, ‘It was only my body which left you, for my ultimate Reality still walks behind your Bath chair and meditates about the many paths of your lovely garden. With love.’

and god i just need to copy these entire sections from the wheeler in here because they make me want to sob:

In September 1916 he had been transferred to the pathology lab of a military hospital in Bournemouth, which he loathed (‘no nice cliffs or sea birds, only sand banks and orange peel’), and was appalled to learn the next year that Cherry was poised to become engaged to Christine Davis (‘being unconventional and as near to nature as I can get, it seems all wrong to me that you should have to tie yourself up for the sake of Society’), but he strove, generally, to be optimistic, whereas Cherry was permanently resigned to his destiny. In August 1917 Lillie returned to Lamer for a week. Writing in advance with details of his train to Hatfield, he concluded that, ‘if a motor does not turn up the wings of joy will waft me those four-and-a-half miles bag included. So don’t worry.’ They had a wonderful time together. ‘I do hope,’ Lillie wrote when he was back in horrible Bournemouth, ‘your throat and the rest of you continues to get well and worthy of the sunny spirit which I see under the label ACG.'

though things seemed to be going as well as they could for lillie, shortly before the end of the war in early 1918, he suffered a nervous breakdown and landed in the notorious bethlem mental institution, known as bedlam. he was there for three years, and cherry was barred from visiting him.

he emerged for a short period of time in 1921, seemingly recovered, and took up lecturing in biology again at cambridge, but by the end of that year had relapsed and was institutionalized again.

frank debenham, writing to expedition agent j.j. kinsey in 1927 to solicit funding for SPRI, gave him an update:

Poor old Lillie is in less happy circumstances, the last I heard of him was that he was never likely to get out of Bedlam, a rather ghastly end up for poor old "Ooze's" brilliant promise.

lillie spent the rest of his life in institutions, and lived until the age of 78, dying in 1963. that was four years after the death of his friend cherry—who, despite constant attempts, was never allowed to visit him.

per UK law, lillie's medical records will be sealed until 2063, 100 years after his death, but a post on bethlem's official blog about lillie briefly notes that he was "depressed, delusional and suicidal."

the post also notes, importantly, that his breakdown had nothing whatsoever to do with his antarctic experiences:

The content of his medical notes suggests that the state of mind that brought him to hospital was entirely unrelated to his experiences of 1910-1913. Indeed, they report that “on the whole he felt better during this time”.

OK, let's end on a nice note. here's a picture of him having a nice time at silas's wedding (i think) with his best friends. RIP lillie, i hope your next life is going well somewhere out there right now 🥲💓

(also another good writeup on lillie with some lovely art can be found on @worstjourney's patreon here!)

#denis lillie #terra nova #polar exploration #this marine biologist is TRANSGENDER !!!

72 notes · View notes

blackopals-world · 8 months

Note

Oh, okay, I see! Umm. I have a couple things to throw out, that also have my own thoughts and I was also thinking of other possible Yuu ideas if you’re interested in them( just what their “!” Is for and personality, not who they’re matched with) and up to hearing about them. Uh. This ask though is for the creature post and-

Me, a person who loves mythology and folklore: My time has come-

Theatre kid!Yuu as a changeling(or some other shapeshifting creature, I know of the background surrounding changelings and can understand why one may be uncomfortable with changelings(I am also the ✨neurodivergent✨))

Harpy!Yuu as a Manananggal(I know that harpies are already mythical creatures, but think about it)

Maid!Yuu as a Brownie (yes, you read that right, though it can also be spelt “broonie” or “brùnaidh” and they are a type of fae, but ,ah)

Special Forces!Yuu as a Grim Reaper(I just think it’d be neat if their role was to guide and protect the dead on the way to the afterlife instead of being what people usually expect/think of reapers, and also because they themself are often depicted as scary and dangerous, and they are, but they more so just. Guide souls to the after)

Vet!Yuu OR Marine Biologist!Yuu as a Selkie(I want them to go on a rant of how selkies are NOT half seal half human, their lower body is NOT that of a seal!(this is my being frustrated by Selkie designs that aren’t actually selkies, but the art is still really good/nice))

Oookay, that’s all of them that I had prepared. Uh. And of course, these are just suggestions, you don’t have to add anything if you don’t want to or you can pick and choose which you’re interested, I hope this isn’t coming off as forced and I apologize if it does-

🎭Theater Kid!Yuu- Shapeshifter

The ultimate actor.

Can play any role and use any voice.

They spend time endlessly rehearsing.

Likes to play pranks by pretending to be an injured animal to have people take care of them.

Allergic to iron.

Will not use their powers responsibly

They don't consider any one form their true form. They simply are.

Agender icon.

"What's gender? Is it edible?"

🧹 Maid!Yuu- Brownie

Got inside after someone left a bowl of cream out

They set up shop and began cleaning at night.

During the day they hide out in the form of a dormouse.

They have a fuzzy tail

They fix up broken items. You might find an extra mismatched button on your shirts.

Don't leave a mess on purpose. It's impolite.

If they feel taken advantage of they with make a mess and leave.

Leave out a treat for them and they will reward you in kind.

You'll never lose an item again. It will appear just where you remember it. Unfortunately, that always the last place you look.

🔫Special Forces!Yuu-Reaper

It's hard work and the coworkers are the worst.

One of the many reapers tasked with dealing with the recently deceased.

Really prickly due to being constantly tasked with the most stubborn ghosts.

"Shut up before I kill you again!"

Believes Sam was a Reaper (is he? Possibly)

Their skin has white skeleton tattoos. But when they are working their skin turns translucent and reveals their actual skeleton.

Enjoys their job when they actually get to do it without problems.

Believes in the myth they tell all reapers about that guy sisyphus.

Their favorite job is chasing down wondering souls that are on the run.

💉Nurse!Yuu - Caladrius

They have white wings.

Gets confused for a angel but they are firm that they are not.

Their job is to take sickness and transfer it into their body. Then they fly away with it as they disperse it, healing themselves.

Gives away feathers to ward off danger and illness.

Hates that Savanaclaw students use them as a cat toy.

A long suffering birdy who is losing too many feathers.

🩺 Vet!Yuu- Werewolf

Not the same as beastmen and is firm about that.

They look human most of the time but the whole transformation thing gets in the way.

Is still a vet but if now they are liable to snap their jaws at patients.

They love a good nap in the sun but must resist.

Jack knows to keep his head down if he doesn't want to get along. That just how wolves do. Make nice in the pack or be pushed out.

They don't imprint. If you say that they will rip out your throat.

They don't have soulmates. They have normal relationships like normal people. They just believe in loyalty to make relationships last. They can change partners but they usually don't.

🌊Marine Biologist!Yuu- Selkie

Not a mer just a cute rolly polly seal.

Such a friendly face, but they have sharp teeth.

Keeps their seal skin hidden away.

These days if someone does take their skin they are trained to attack them. Watch out they go for the fingers first.

The seal skin is unique to every selkie so it can't be replaced.

They will always choose the ocean if it came between it and love. But Yuu is a strange Selkie.

They know the tale of Ursilla, a human who loved a male selkie. This is part of why they believe they are destined to be with Azul so that history repeats itself.

Selkies lure their human partners into the sea and most tales say they never return. Yuu attempted with Azul not knowing he was a mer. Very embarrassing.

#theater kid!yuu #maid!yuu #nurse!yuu #vet!yuu #marine biologist!yuu #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #twisted wonderland yuu #twst yuu #twst mc #azul ashengrotto #azul ashengrotto x reader #special forces!yuu

206 notes · View notes

snzhrchy · 11 months

Note

Hey so saw that requests for dr.stone were open and wanted to ask if u were willing to write ryusui x reader maybe something along the lines of the reader being a marine biologist

Only if your ok with it hope you have a great day and hope everything is going well thank you🤗

homesickness.

ryusui x marine biologist!reader

synopsis; a feeling of dread washes over you as you gaze out to sea, luckily, ryusui is more than happy to cheer you up. taglist; lmk if u wanna be on it <3 warnings; none at all! notes; soz for uploading this so late <//3

the ocean was an abyss; a long, never-ending void filled with twists and turns of the water waves that would ever so slightly change their path for your easy travel.

hands crossed, your upper-half was leaning onto the railings of the perseus, looking out into the abyssal, black sea. you sighed, reminiscing about your life from the past--a life you knew you could never have anymore, a life that you had lost. it's funny really how one day, you're getting congratulated by renowned scientists from all the over the world for your accomplishments, and the next? you're back in the stone ages.

you were too lost in your thoughts to have noticed the familiar, flamboyant captain of the ship walk towards you and lean on the railing of the ship with his back and his head turned towards you. 'what's on your mind?' he asks as he crosses his arms around his chest, giving you his familiar smile.

you paused, unsure of whether to shrug it off or actually tell him the truth. ultimately, you decided to simply change the direction of the conversation. 'it's nothing,' you sighed.

warm autumn breezes greeted you both every now and then. whenever they did so, the wind would make ryusui's hair seem angelic and beautiful. the sun's reflection on his golden locks further aided it.

ryusui remained silent for a short while, until he thought of the most befitting question to ask you: 'you were a marine biologist back then, correct?'

you simply nodded at his inquiry.

'then i assume you've spent months on the sea as well?'

'well, i wouldn't say months... more like, a few weeks on the open sea and the rest of it at science conferences and the university.'

'well, whatever. it's still nice to meet someone that's a bit knowledgeable about these open seas!'

'i'm... more of an organism person. i don't know much about the tides like you do.'

ryusui scoffed and began to compliment your talents, saying that you having a phd in marine science was no ordinary feat; even asking you to showcase some of your talent by pointing at random aquatic organisms and asking you to name them or explain their anatomy.

you couldn't help but giggle at his silly antics to cheer you up, explaining to him how the requirements for being a marine biologists were far different from all the movies he'd consumed.

though, you both did begin to talk and soon, you felt all your worries leave your body like the blissful tides of the ocean. you nearly forgot how homesick the ocean made you feel.

having ryusui to talk to about your life from the past really did uplift your mood to an extent.

who would've expected that you both would get along so well?

#dr stone x reader #dr stone ryusui #dr stone imagines #dcst imagines #dcst x reader #nanami ryusui #ryusui x reader #dcst ryusui #ryusui imagines #ryusui nanami #nanami ryusui x reader #nanami ryusui imagines

270 notes · View notes

tealin · 9 months

Text

Antarctic Food

Below you will find my account of eating at McMurdo, but PBS did a whole special on it which has more privileged access and, like, moving pictures and stuff. I highly recommend watching that if you're at all interested in the food question.

As other pleasures in life are restricted or eliminated, food gains significance beyond mere nutrition. When removed from the comforts and diversions of civilisation for months or years at a time, polar explorers had to pay particular attention to the culinary side of their enterprise. Scott learned this the hard way on the Discovery, when their cook was so bad he was sent home after the first year and others took over his job in shifts. Shackleton, on his second visit to Antarctica, brought all sorts of tinned delicacies, and left a lot of them behind in his hut at Cape Royds, which the Terra Nova men would raid on day trips from Cape Evans. Scott was much more careful with his choice of cook on his second expedition, and in his journal he continually praises Clissold's cooking – though Atkinson, writing for a publication he knew no one would read, says that Archer (the ship's cook, who filled in after Clissold was invalided home) was a far superior chef, and made the miserable second winter that much more bearable.

The expeditions of the early 20th Century brought down crates and crates of imperishables – tinned vegetables, powdered milk and eggs, and dry goods like flour, sugar, and tea. These were necessary, of course, but were ultimately supplemental to the core of their diet, which was the produce of Antarctica itself. In fact, in a letter laying out contingency plans if the Terra Nova Expedition were stranded in Antarctica, Scott says not to worry for their safety because the continent provides enough food to keep a party happily fed; they would only be wanting the comforts of a civilised menu. Mostly what the continent provided was seals, whose meat (especially livers) contained enough Vitamin C to stave off scurvy, but penguins and their eggs also regularly passed through the kitchen, and the contents of the marine biologist's net – once properly enumerated and dissected, of course – would often end up in the frying pan. The Notothenia fish was commonly eaten at breakfast, appreciated for its 'sweet' and 'nutty' flavour. Notothenia’s claim to fame is the sugar in its blood that acts as an antifreeze, so this is hardly a surprise.

Thanks to the Antarctic Treaty forbidding the killing of animals for consumption, modern Antarctic larders are not stocked with local wildlife, and as far as I know, no one down there now has tasted the sweetness of Notothenia. They do, however, have the advantage of modern transport and food storage, not to mention a century's worth of advances in the study of nutrition, so the diet of the present-day Antarctican is fresher, healthier, and much more diverse.

McMurdo Station's annual food supply arrives in one lump delivery, every January, on a big cargo ship from California. From the harbour where the Discovery berthed, it goes into climate-controlled storage, either to the dry goods store or to the freezer, which is a whole building off the cafeteria in the main station hub. A freezer, in Antarctica? Why, yes, because food safety regulations require frozen food to be kept at a constant temperature, and the only way to ensure that is to build an enormous manmade freezer in the land of ice and snow. In the summer, temperatures at McMurdo will wander around freezing, so this is entirely practical, but for much of the year, it's actually warmer inside the freezer than outside.

The modern Antarctic commissariat is not entirely divorced from its Edwardian predecessor, though – frozen vegetables taste fresher than tinned, and are more nutritious and palatable, but they are not fresh; powdered milk and powdered eggs are still the status quo. During the summer, perishable groceries – called 'freshies' – come down on the flights from New Zealand, if there is room after the passengers and equipment are loaded. After a month of flight cancellations, fresh apples and oranges are greeted with as much delight as they were on the arrival of relief ships in the Heroic Age, and the appearance of a salad bar in the Galley prompts general rejoicing.

The US Antarctic Program has its roots in the Navy, and McMurdo is still provisioned by one of the big firms that supplies the US military. Having had experience with industrial-scale American catering in California, I had moderate expectations of the quality of food at McMurdo, but it was surprisingly good. One might argue that the excitement of being there and the daily energy expenditure would be a good sauce for anything, and this may be true, but against this I would argue that dry air impedes one's ability to taste – that fact it was so flavourful at all is significant. People kept apologising for the food in the Galley and I kept telling them, earnestly, that it was better than the food in the Disney commissary. They didn't believe me, but I firmly attest this; I ate at Disney on my return journey and have confirmed it by direct comparison. I know they were working with roughly the same quality of ingredients, but the chefs at McMurdo reliably made things delightful to eat, which is more than I can say for the other place. Why this should be is anyone's guess ... Working as a Galley Rat is one of the few ways enthusiasts can get down to the Ice, so it's full of keen, intelligent, and curious cooks, and maybe that rubs off on the food. There are people who come back to tackle the unique challenges of Antarctic cuisine year after year, so maybe they're more experienced and invested in the job. My personal theory is that because they have to eat the food, too, of course they're invested in making it tasty – I suspect the folks behind the counter in LA have much better meals waiting for them when they get home.

Mealtimes follow a strict schedule:

5:30-7:30 Breakfast (many a time I missed the cutoff, woe)

11:00-13:00 Lunch

17:00 to 19:30 Dinner. There was always a portion of the cafeteria serving breakfast food at this time; this was reserved for the night shift workers, who got a reprise of the day shift's dinner for their lunch. If you really liked whatever was served for dinner, nothing could stop you coming around again for another go at midnight.

The one exception to this was Sunday, when a brunch would be served from 10 to 12. The service in the chapel started at 10 as well, and was very weak competition. Brunch was always excellent, and being the single day off, was often where one would meet up with people who were too busy during the week.

If you failed to make a mealtime for any reason, there was always something on offer. A fridge would be stocked with packaged leftovers, sandwiches, and other food-to-go – when I had a day out, I would eat breakfast and then grab my lunch from this fridge. On one occasion, dinner included fried okra (one of my faves, rarely had outside the States) and after stuffing myself with it, I nabbed two or three extra portions and cached them in my dorm room mini-fridge to enjoy later.

In a challenging environment, with a lot of people doing energy-intensive jobs, calories are important. There was only one rule regulating portions: Take what you want, but eat what you take. With a finite amount of food on hand, and delivery only once a year, food waste is anathema – if you need it, then eat it, but do not throw any away.

The menu seemed to originate with whatever presented itself in the enormous freezer, though perhaps in November and December it was dictated more by what remained in it, prior to the new shipment. We didn't suffer for want of variety, though: if anything, we benefited from a surfeit of prawns, including great bowls of them at Sunday brunch. I found myself wondering if the US military had a contract for most of the catch from the Gulf, and how much of their famously inflated budget went into that; I suspect, in reality, the kitchen just hit a seam of prawn in the recesses of the freezer and had to use it up. As a devotee of all shapes of sea bug, I was in seventh heaven, and did my level best to help McMurdo clear the surplus.

Once new food was defrosted and cooked up, it would cascade through various dishes down the week, as leftovers were repurposed to minimise waste. Usually this was successful, but sometimes they had to try a little harder ...

A variety of cuisines were offered, some of which were more successful than others. They seemed to reflect the makeup of the US military, for whom the rations would have been designed. The best dishes were the meat-and-potatoes variety (my minder said that if she were on Death Row, she'd ask for McMurdo Pot Roast for her last meal), Italian, Southern (see above re: okra), and what I assume was Tex Mex – the only misstep on the last count was an almost inedibly hot 'taco soup' which may have been more of a delivery vehicle for leftovers than an intentional dish. The only disappointments were anything attempting to be Asian, and the fish, which, due to the circumstances, was always overcooked. Provision was always made for vegetarians and even vegans, but I can't say I noticed many people adhering strictly to those diets. I suppose if the animals are already dead and in the freezer, there's little difference whether you eat them or not.

There was also, always, pizza. It was left in one of those tiered heated racks like you get at a buck-a-slice takeaway pizzeria, but this was no buck-a-slice pizza, this was McMurdo pizza, and McMurdo pizza is AMAZING. My brother-in-law's cousin went to super legit pizza school in Naples, and gets queues down the street wherever he opens a pizzeria. He makes the best pizza I have ever had anywhere; McMurdo’s wasn't quite as good as his, but it was pretty darn close. It's a testament to how good the rest of the food was that I didn't just have pizza for every meal. The pizza kitchen runs 24 hours a day, and takes orders for pickup from all across the base. If you're flying out to a field camp, it's good manners to take their pizza order and deliver it to them hot and fresh. For all the advances in food technology since the Heroic Age, surely the greatest has to be the McMurdo Pizza.

We were reminded constantly how important hydration was, and the Galley offered a range of liquids at all hours. To my surprise, what looked like a soda fountain offered not pop but fruit juice – grapefruit, orange, cranberry, and apple, though one or more often ran out before the end of breakfast. There were enormous urns of extremely weak coffee – a provision, I supposed, for its diuretic effects – though with 10-hour workdays and very early starts, a little more oomph would have gone a long way. Experienced hands, and those of discerning tastes, brought their own coffee or sourced it somehow from the stores. The kitchenette in the Crary library was full of people's personal coffee-making supplies as they sought a more effective brew.

I had been warned that if I liked tea, I should bring my own; this was a sound warning, as the black tea on offer looked and smelled as though it had been on a shelf for about a decade. What I had not been warned about was that the only 'milk' on hand for one's coffee or tea was, in most places, 'coffee whitener', a ubiquitous Americanism which I'd completely forgotten about (or supressed?) since moving away. For those who've not had the privilege of its acquaintance, this is a blend of margarine, sugar, synthetic vanilla, and titanium dioxide, rendered into a powder by some unknown chemical process and packaged up to pass for milk. (I think it might be illegal in Europe. I've certainly not seen it around.) The Galley had the base's only dispenser of actual mammalian lactation – reconstituted from powdered, of course. If I were to go again, I would bring a small bottle to fill there with 'real' milk, which I could take away for tea purposes elsewhere. There were boxes of UHT milk available for purchase in the shop, and had I been staying longer I might have invested in some, but for just a splash per cuppa, it hardly seemed worthwhile.

The undisputed star of the Galley was the soft serve ice cream dispenser, named Frosty Boy (or Boi), an ancient beast that was such an institution that it was rumoured the USAP had bought another one from a junkyard just for parts. The Thing to Do was, instead of putting milk or coffee whitener in your coffee, to use a dollop of Frosty Boy instead – I'm not sure which end of the dairy/non-dairy spectrum his product was nearest, but it did go well in the coffee, such as it was. More often than not while I was there, Frosty Boy exuded only a watery splutter rather than creamy delight – even when he was working, the product was rather gritty – but I was assured he was just going through a phase, and would be right again soon. I got the impression that if anyone tried replacing the machine with something more reliable, or which produced something more resembling ice cream, there'd be a protest. We shall see if Frosty Boy survives the station revamp, as the NSF seems keen to scrub out any vestiges of character ...

I have brought two things back from the McMurdo Galley, and they're things that go right back to the beginning: powdered milk and powdered egg. Even when I'm near a shop with both in fresh form, it's convenient to have the powdered on hand for recipes. I really only use milk to splash in my tea and coffee, so don't keep a large amount in my fridge, but recipes often call for far more than I have – so instead of making a trip for the extra, I can just mix it up on demand. I've also taken on the Perpetual Yoghurt: McMurdo makes its own yoghurt from its vast reserves of powdered milk, using a bit of the last batch to inoculate the next, and it turns out this is perfectly doable at home, too. Eggs eaten as eggs are better fresh, of course, but when providing structure in a recipe, no one's going to notice if they've been reconstituted, and then I can save my 'real' eggs for when they'll be appreciated. It's a good system, and economical, too. Alas, the pizza isn't as easy to replicate at home ...

For more information on McMurdo food – The Antarctic Sun newsletter put out this podcast: https://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/4329/ I didn't mention how good the desserts were; I was lucky enough to share my time at McMurdo with Rose McAdoo, who was featured in this story on NPR: https://text.npr.org/779463164

#antarctica #food #mcmurdo station #cuisine #resourcefulness #powdered milk #frosty boi #pizza

160 notes · View notes

daxeart · 5 days

Note

hiii!!! im a little transmasc who met you in new york not noticing it was you until halfway through the show and didnt have enough time to come back to the merch line to get a photo...!!! :( i had abyss angel makeup with an entire wing for my whole eye; blue eyebrow too!! i am an aspiring marine biologist and just have 2 quick question; 1) do you have any information on why the abyss angel in the album art is faceless? it looks older than stage 4 but younger than 5... 2) and was it eating from the whalefall? it swims through the ribcage in the art and swims away from it in an ARG clip... i can't tell if it was just on a stroll.. sorry if this was a very big post, thank you so much!! had a great time in new york!! <3

It was nice meeting you! I’m afraid I don’t do a good job of announcing myself. Your makeup was very cool, thank you for coming to the show.

The abyss angel on the cover of Plastic Death is faceless because nothing felt right. I had tried a few different options while working on it, but each time it projected an unwanted emotion. Ultimately, I wanted to leave it ambiguous and let the viewer/listener have the space to feel whatever they need to feel while experiencing the album.

In my concept art, the angels don’t actually have facial features, it’s more like fluid suspended inside their body that changes shape and opacity the way a cephalopod might change the pigment of its skin depending on their mood or environment. I think people engage in this kind of behavior in their own way, code-switching or masking depending on where they are, or who they’re speaking with. I like to think it ties into themes of the album’s lyrical content.

To answer your other question, it’s definitely part of the ecosystem. It might not feed in the corpse of the whale itself, but it finds what it seeks amongst the other denizens of the deep who have gathered themselves around it.

Thank you for the questions, I hope you have a beautiful day!

37 notes · View notes

docochocart · 2 months

Text

DOCORONPA R

CHAPTER ZERO

(3/3)

Shock paralyzed the group. They stared at Ghost Hunter's limp body, all too appalled to make a sound.

Finally, Daredevil sprung into action. He rushed to Ghost Hunter's side, desperately checking his limp arm for a pulse.

After a few moments of silence, Daredevil's eyes lit up. Ghost Hunter was alive.

The group quickly surrounded his unconscious body, frantically checking for signs of injury. After only found some light burns, their attention turned back to the massive fence.

A peer through the chainlink only showed more woods, seemingly infinite. The horror of their situation was fully setting in, even for the likes of Daredevil and Sailor.

Despair filled the air, only being cut by a stranger's voice calling from further along the fence.

The group's attention all swung to the intimidating duo marching towards them on their left. As they got closer, their formal attire stuck out to the group. Some students even believing for a moment that these two could be their rescuers.

These hopes were crushed quickly when the two quickly revealed themselves to be ultimates as well. Respectively, the Ultimate Cowboy and the Ultimate Cadet.

Cowboy spoke for the two of them, with a cautious but stern tone. He explained that the two had been following the perimeter of the fence, finding no exits along their path.

As he spoke Cadet stared the group down coldly, her icy stare looking each of them up and down. She didn't need to speak, they could feel her judgement.

After Cowboy finished his calm and collected speech, the two were immediately met with Sailor's chaotic ramblings.

Furious with this situation, Sailor furiously berated and interrogated the strangers about this whole "no exits" thing.

While Cowboy was willing to try and reason with the overgrown brat, cadet was not nearly as patient.

Sailor's rage was cut short with two strategic blows from cadet, leaving him a puddle on the floor next to Ghost Hunter.

With that taken care of, the pecking order was clearly set for the rest of the group.

Upon the orders of Cadet and Cowboy, they continued their journey along the fence, dragging Sailor and Ghost hunter behind them.

...

The group soon arrived at a clearing in the trees. Examining the scenery, they quickly realized they were right where they had all began.

Four cabins formed a crooked row in the clearing facing the large food hall building across from them, now with even more strangers standing at it's entrance.

Two slim, tall girls stood in front of the food hall's double doors, staring down at something standing between them.

Both girls had a striking appearance, with rigid features and statuesque posture.

One wore her fiery auburn hair in explosive twin tails that nearly reached her ankles. The other kept her Icy green hair in a conjoined loop, with every hair neatly kept in it's intended place.

The group cautiously approached the girls. Stepping through the trees, the large crew made their way over. As they began to call out to the two a cartoonishly cute voice cut their introduction short.

This voice belonged to neither of the girls.

Their heads spun in all directions looking to meet this mysterious call, only to be greeted by a stuffed animal standing upright and waving, seemingly completely independently, from between the two girls.

Welcoming the cast, the two toned sheep plushie introduced itself as MonoMaton, their new camp counselor!

Ignoring their clear bewilderment and confusion, MonoMaton turned the groups attention to the girls around him, introducing them each as the Ultimate Bartender and Ultimate Ice Skater.

The girls both glared in the groups direction, not moving from their spot at the door. The first to approach them was Marine Biologist, shyly sauntering toward the girls.

Ice Skater spared no time in chastising her, sternly questioning why she left the cabin. Marine Biologist quietly apologized as the rest of the group followed her up to the craft hall entrance.

Bartender explained to the group that MonoMaton told them the final cast member had locked themselves inside the craft hall.

Trucker hastily volunteered to get it open, cockily approaching the door and tugging. After 30 seconds of struggle, PT pushed her way up to the door demanding a shot. Trucker ignored her, continuing to try the door.

PT, growing furious, yanked Trucker backward off the door, quickly evolving into a scrap between the two. As Cowboy and Cadet moved to pull the two apart, Sailor stomped toward the craft hall entrance, breaking apart the brawl and kicking the door in with a single blow.

An angry, gravely voice came barreling toward them from inside the craft hall.

Inside was a tall blonde boy sitting atop one of four massive tables, furiously screaming at the group to back off. Ignoring his demands, MonoMaton led the group inside, promising answers to this mysterious "situation".

After every student had taken a seat in the craft hall, MonoMaton stood atop a table in the center of the room with an announcement.

MonoMaton cheerily announced that the cast was brought here for one reason: a killing game!

Meaning that: in order for anybody to leave this camp, they must murder a fellow student and successfully survive a class trial, only being able to take one student with them to freedom if they succeed.

The cast erupted into chaos immediately, MonoMaton silently sliding out of the room in the fray.

As the group frantically questioned if this could be true, a commanding shout cut through the anarchy.

Cadet stood tall, coldly stating that if they were to survive the cast would need a leader to guide them. She asked the room for volunteers, robotically stating it could and would not be her.

The first to step forward was Ice Skater, firmly asserting that she would take up the mantle as leader. Trucker shot up right after, contesting that this matter should be put to a vote, and volunteering himself as opposition.

Ice Skater viciously scanned the room, asking if anybody else dared to throw their hat in the ring, triggering a nasty response from Rebel.

Rebel leaned back, shouting that he wouldn't be following the orders any leader and that anybody here who would was too weak to live.

Salesman concurred, asking what was to stop the leader from using their influence to get away with murder. He was followed up by Sailor, who agreed that this crew was better off with no captain.

Ice Skater insisted on a vote, but the group had already seemingly soured on the idea.

Salesman put the final word in on the subject, stating that the cast could function just fine as a democracy. With no leader elected, students began trickling back out into the camp.

Drummer followed Personal Trainer and Social Star back to their cabin, leaving Marine Biologist with a fuming Ice Skater.

Arriving back at their cabin, they soon were joined by Bartender, their fourth cabin mate. Social Media and her quickly hit it off, chatting about pop culture from across the room from the top bunks.

PT laid silently in her bunk, just below Bartender, seething with jealousy.

Drummer spent the first evening in silence, staring up at the decaying wooden planks suspended just above her face.

What now?

#danganronpa #dangan ronpa #dangansona #fangan ronpa #fanganronpa #oc #docoronpa #docoronpa r #my art

36 notes · View notes

uwmspeccoll · 1 year

Photo

Science Saturday

RACHEL CARSON

In 1951 Oxford University Press published American marine biologist and conservationist Rachel Carson‘s critically-acclaimed book, The Sea Around Us. It became one of the most successful books ever written about the natural world. Rachel Carson's rare ability to combine scientific insight with moving, poetic prose catapulted her book to first place on The New York Times best-seller list, where it enjoyed wide attention for thirty-one consecutive weeks. It remained on the list for more than a year and a half and ultimately sold well over a million copies, was translated into 28 languages, inspired an Academy Award-winning documentary, and won both the 1952 National Book Award and the John Burroughs Medal.

In 1958, Simon and Schuster published this special edition for young readers, adapted by Russian Empire-born American writer Anne Terry White, with illustrations by Rene Martin and maps by Emil Lowenstein. It also includes an additional chapter by Jeffrey Levinton, a leading expert in marine ecology, who incorporates the most recent thinking on continental drift, coral reefs, the spread of the ocean floor, the deterioration of the oceans, mass extinction of sea life, and many other topics. In addition, noted nature writer Ann Zwinger contributed a brief foreword. The last photographic image shown here is by American science photographer Fritz Goro.

View our 2021 Earth Day post on Rachel Carson’s most influential book, Silent Spring.

View more Science Saturday posts

128 notes · View notes

bethanythebogwitch · 8 months

Text

I enjoy analyzing the real-life origins and inspirations for Pokémon. Because I’m a marine biologist, I have so far covered the origins of all fish Pokémon and all other aquatic Pokémon, but I did not cover starters. That’s because I’m going to go over them separately. Welcome to the first of a three-part series analyzing and explaining the real-life origins of all the grass-type starters.

Gen I gives us the template for all grass starters going forward: Bulbasaur. As the first Pokémon line in the dex, it introduces a lot of trends, such as the concept of evolution and how the different stages appear to be more mature versions of the ones before them. Bulbasaur and its evolutions are most directly based on frogs, but they also take influence from a number of other creatures. In fact, what the -saurs are supposed to be has been a matter of debate amongst the fandom for quite a while. Given that Bulbasaur’s Japanese name can be translated as “it seems strange”, the ambiguity seems intentional. The biggest thing people seem stuck on when it comes to the frog origin is how their legs are so short and don’t take on the classic frog leg pose. The stubbiness of their legs is similar to those of the genus Ceratophrys, also known as dwarf frogs or pacman frogs.

(image: a roundboi dwarf frog from the front)

The line also has similarities to extinct species like pareiasaurs or certain dicynodonts (therapids notable for protruding tusks, similar to the exposed teeth of the Bulbasaur line). Given that the early generations did often make some obscure paleontology references, it certainly isn’t beyond the realm of possibility that these were intentional.

(image: paleoart of the dicynodont Dicynodontoides. Art by Dmitry Bogdanov)

Of course the Bulbasaur line are both plant and animal. The bulb on its back matures while the animal evolves, going from a bud in Bulbasaur, to an almost mature flower in Ivysaur, to a fully bloomed flower in Venusaur. The leaves on all three look like palm fronds and Venusaur’s flower looks like the real-life Rafflesia arnoldii, the largest flower in the world.

(image: a Rafflesia arnoldi being measured by a human. Each petal is wider than his head)

Mega and Gigantamax Venusaur don’t stray far from the original, just being exaggerations of Venusaur rather than incorporating new influences. I found conflicting accounts of the line’s designs. One interview with Ken Sugimori and Atsuko Nishida states that Venusaur was designed first with the other two being designed backwards from it. Another source states that Ivysaur came first, being included in Capsule Monsters, Satoshi Tajiri’s original pitch to Nintendo that would ultimately develop into Pokémon.

Gen II gave us probably the most-maligned grass starter, Chikorita. People give it shit for having the worst gym matchup of possibly any starter in the franchise in its debut games and for the line remaining cute all the way through. I like the design personally, but that gym matchup really shot it in the foot. The whole line are based on sauropod dinosaurs, the famous long-necks like Apatosaurus and Brachiosaurus.

(image: a fossil reconstruction of a Brachiosaurus)

The combination of plant and dinosaur could be a reference to Nicolia aegyptiaca, a type of fossilized wood that was initially mistaken for a piece of dinosaur jawbone. While Bayleef and Meganium have the classic sauropod neck, Chikorita’s is shorter, making it look kind of like a pear or a Belgian endive. The endive origin is more likely considering it is a type of leaf chicory, which is the origin of Chikorita’s name.

(image: a Belgian endive)

Bayleef’s name is a dead giveaway that the leaves around its neck are bay leaves. These are aromatic leaves used for seasoning and aromatherapy. Specifically it is based on a bay laurel, the most commonly used bay leaf. Bayleef having a very strong, spicy odor references the aromatic nature of bay leaves and their use in aromatherapy. The flower petals on Meganium’s neck are probably based on geraniums, the origin of Meganium’s name. In addition, a ring of flower petals with a long, green stalk in the center is reminiscent of Amorphophallus titanium, the corpse flower. Meganium’s antennae are based on a flower’s stamen.

(Image: the mighty corpse flower)

The Treecko line are based on leaf-tailed geckos, who have flattened tails that look like leaves. These are used as a form of defensive mimicry, making predators overlook the gecko by mistaking it for a leaf.

(image: a leaf-tailed gecko with focus on the leaf-like tail)

Grovyle and Sceptile gain features from therapod dinosaurs. Specifically bird-like dinosaurs like Dromaeosaurus, with the leaves acting like the dinosaur’s feathers.

(image: paleoart of Dromaeosaurus. Art by Fred Wierum)

Sceptile meanwhile gets the twin head crests of Dilophosaurus.

(image: a fossil reconstruction of a Dilophosaurus skull. If you draw paleoart of one of these with the neck frill from Jurassic Park I will personally come to your home to beat you with a paleontology textbook)

Grovyle and Sceptile having red underbellies/lower jaws most likely comes from male lizards who have colorful dewlaps used to attract mates, such as green anoles. Sceptile’s tail looks like a fern or a yew tree. Both fit with the orbs on its back, could be a fern’s spores or yew’s berries. Mega Sceptile’s tail looks a lot like a Christmas tree and the ability for it to be fired like a rocket launcher references autotomy. This is the ability of an animal to shed a body part and regenerate it later. The most famous example of autotomy is arguably the ability of multiple lizards to shed and regrow their tails in response to predators. The anime also gave the whole line ninja-like behavior, with them engaging in swift surprise attacks.

The Turtwig line is my favorite grass starter line and Torterra is my favorite of all the final-stage starters, so I’m excited to get to talk about them. The line are based on terrestrial turtles and tortoises. Turtwig seems to be a box turtle while Grotle and Torterra take on snapping turtle characteristics (though actual snapping turtles are amphibious). Grotle and Torterra also take inspiration from ankylosaurs, especially the twin spikes on their heads and the longer, thicker tails, though they lack an ankylosaur’s thagomizer.

(image: a plastic model of an Ankylosaurus)

Finally, the whole line are based on myths of the world turtle. These myths occur in cultures around the world and state that the earth rests on the back of a giant turtle. The most famous of these myths is the Hindu version in which the turtle is named Akūpāra and is another name for Kurma, an avatar of Vishnu. It is this version that inspired most modern depictions of the world turtle, most famously the version seen in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series.

(image: the version of the world turtle that inspired Terry Pratchett. Its thought that the version where elephants stand on the turtle is a fusion of two separate myths, one with a turtle and one with elephants)

Another variant occurs in China, where after the four pillars that held up the sky broke, the goddess Nüwa replaced them with the legs of a gigantic turtle named Ao. The world turtle also appears in the Americas, found in multiple Native American cultures from what is now the midwestern and northeastern United States and southeastern Canada, including the Lenape, Haudenosaunee/Iroquois, and Anishinaabeg cultural groups. There are many variations of this version of the story, but a common feature is the world being flooded and multiple animals trying to dive to the bottom to bring up soil so it could be placed on the back of a turtle and grow into new land. Because of this, a common name for the North America amongst those cultural groups is Turtle Island. Torterra is a small version of the world turtle, with only a tree and miniature mountain range on its back, but the intent behind its design is clear. It can even support an ecosystem, with mentions of small Pokémon living on its shell.

The Snivy line have been confirmed by the designers to be based on snakes, with the first two stages being given short limbs to make them look less intimidating to new players. Reiko Tanoue, the line’s designer, says she got the idea for them after reading a picture book that mentions snakes with the appearance of vines. There are various tree-dwelling snakes that this could refer to, though one of my favorites is the green tree python, which has Snivy’s green coloration and certainly could be mistaken for a vine.

(Image: a green tree python in its signature pose resting on a branch)

The tiny limbs of Snivy and Servine may draw from skinks, lizards known for their relatively small legs. Some species of skink have even lost their legs entirely and developed a snake-like body plan.

(Image: a skink. Note the tiny legs)

The two may also be inspired by fossilized proto-snakes, who were long and serpentine but still has small limbs, or by snakes who are born with one or more legs as the result of a mutation. If Snivy and Servine are skinks, then Serperior could be a legless lizard instead of a snake. Multiple lizard lineages have lost their legs and adopted a snake-like body plan, but can still be distinguished from snakes by a number of different features. Serperior’s ability to paralyze opponents with its gaze comes from two sources. The first is the muth that cobras and other snakes can hypnotize their prey (which is the basis for the move Glare) and the second is the basilisk. Basilisks are legendary creatures from European folklore with the power to kill anyone who makes eye contact with them. While described as “the king of serpents”, many depictions of basilisks make them look more like lizards or monstrous roosters (a result of them getting confused with the cockatrice, another monster).

(image: a 1640 woodprint of a basilisk by Ulisse Aldrovandi. I wouldn't be surprised if this version inspired the multi-legged lizard version in Dungeons and Dragons)

Ken Sugimori has confirmed that the Unova starters were all designed with different cultures in mind to reflect the diversity of Unova. The Tepig line were given Chinese motifs, the Oshawott like were given Japanese motifs, and the Snivy line were given “western” motifs. Given that he explicitly cites the character of Lady Oscar from the manga The Rose of Versailles (which takes place in France during the life of Marie Antionette), it’s pretty clear that what he’s referring to as “western” designs are European symbols and heraldry. Specifically, Serperior’s design incorporates the fleur-de-lis (based on a lily) and acanthus leaf motifs (based on acanthus plants).

(image: a fleur-de-lis)

Chespin is the first grass starter to be based on a mammal, something that seems to have started a trend as two of the next three starters are also mammals. They are based on hedgehogs, though I think Chespin also looks a lot like a chipmunk. While normal hedgehogs have spines made of hair, the Chespin lines are made of plant material. Specifically, they are based on chestnuts. More specifically, they are based on the cupule, the green, spiky coating that covers immature chestnuts to protect them from herbivores.

(image: a branch of a chestnut tree, with multiple visible nuts, each coated in a spiky, green cupule)

Cupules are typically green, fitting the color of Chespin and Quilladin. The hard shell is much more noticeable in the middle and final stages, where it might also derive from armored mammals like armadillos and their extinct glyptodon relatives.

(image: a nine-banded armadillo)

The final forms of the Kalos starters are based on the fantasy character archetypes of the warrior, mage, and thief. Chesnaught is the warrior and its armor makes it look like a knight, fitting for a region based on France, the birthplace of chivalry. Its shell is based on medieval armor and a helmet, while its bulkiness, hidden ability of Bulletproof, and stated ability to survive bomb blasts without a scratch are based on bomb suits. These suits are used by people working with explosives to protect themselves and can be considered a type of armor.

(image: somebody wearing a bomb suit)

Rowlet is quite possibly the cutest of all the starters and is based on a barn owl. This family of owls are known for their white, heart-shaped faces that matches Rowlet’s design. Common barn owls have become an introduced species to Hawai’i.

(image: a barn owl currently winning in a staring contest)

Another owl the line is based on is the pueo, which is found only in Hawai’i. I’ll come back to them later as this inspiration really stands out in Decidueye. Dartrix continues the barn owl inspiration but has also become a dandy. The dandy trope is a man who is very devoted to his personal appearance and grooming and is typically a fan of leisure. Dandies are often played for comedy as they are perceived as upper-class twits and due to gender roles assuming that caring about your appearance is a feminine trait. Dartrix certainly is the comedic dandy as the Pokedex points out how it can get so absorbed in grooming that it forgets about other stuff. Decidueye drops the barn owl inspiration in favor of the pueo and the extinct stilt-owls. Stilt-owls are extinct (hence the ghost typing) owls native to Hawai’i that had long legs and while they could fly, they spent most of their time on the ground. Decidueye also has long legs and while it can fly, it loses the flying type. Decidueye also draws from the ‘aumākua, ancestor spirits in Hawaiian mythology that would watch over their living relatives and protect or judge them as needed. They would manifest in the form of animals or inanimate objects and one of the most famous of these physical form is the pueo owl.

(image: a pueo owl currently giving a Polynesian rat a panic attack)

Decidueye’s archery and green hood and cloak of feathers is a clear reference to Robin Hood. Hisuian Decidueye also draws from mythology, being a reference to the Ainu (indigenous people of Hokkaido, the basis of Sinnoh/Hisui) god Cikap-kamuy, god of owls and the land. Hisui has a lot of references to Ainu culture. Being based on the god of the land might be why H Decidueye is a terrestrial owl, though this may just be a holdover from Alolan Decidueye’s origins. H Decidueye’s coloration is a reference to leaves turning red in the fall. Autumn leaves are also associated with Rōnin, disgraced samurai without masters who would commonly be wanderers, just like H Decidueye. The shape of its head feathers look like kasa, wide-brimmed Japanese hats that samurai are often depicted as wearing.

(image: art of a samurai wearing a kasa. Couldn't find the source)

The Grooky line are primates, with Grooky itself being a monkey. More specifically, it’s a squirrel monkey, new-world monkeys known for their small size and who have similar mouths.

(image: a squirrel monkey mother with its baby on its back)

It using a stick references how primates are the most famous tool-using animals and a stick is a pretty versatile and simple tool if you know how to use it. Macaques use sticks to drum rhythmically on objects as a dominance display, which is pretty close to Grooky using it as a musical instrument. Thwacky looks a lot like a caveman (still a primate) and wears its sticks in its hair like hair sticks. It continues the music theming. Music is a universal human trait and is used for innumerable purposes. Thwacky using its drum beats to rile it and others up indicates it might be based on music used in warfare to inspire the soldiers. Thwacky still has a tail, though it is shorter, meaning it is still a monkey. Rillaboom, on the other hand, is based on a gorilla, an ape (yes, apes are a subset of monkeys but most people think they’re different). Its drumming motif comes to the end where it is now a drummer in a band (more obvious in its gigantamax form). It takes some influence from Japanese taiko drum, but that wild 80s vine hair makes it a pretty obvious reference to rock-and-roll band members. England has a pretty big rock-and-roll culture with famous bands like the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin.

Sprigatito is a cute little kitten, likely that of an Iberian lynx, an endangered species of wildcat.

(image: an Iberian lynx rocking some serious mutton chops)

While people like to joke that it’s based on marijuana, the grass inspiration actually comes from jessant-de-lis, a heraldic symbol that is a fleur-de-lis coming out of a cat’s head.

(image: a jessant-di-lis. Artist is Di from Wikipedia)

If Sprigatito is the innocent child, Floragato is a rebellious teenager. Its bipedal stance, dark feet, and its cunning behavior make it a dead ringer for the tales of Puss in Boots. The yo-yo bud it uses normally attaches to the upper left of its chest, making it look like a flower worn in someone’s lapel. Something that fancy seems out for a scoundrel of a Pokémon, but it could be a preview of its next stage’s more upper-class demeanor. The final forms of the Paldea starters are all based on entertainers and Meowscarada is a magician. As such, it is a master of sleight-of-hand, which it uses for its Flower Trick unique move. Its mask draws from those worn in masquerade balls. The masks were used to hide the identities of the attendees and hiding identities is definitely useful for a roguish dark type.

(image: a collection of modern-day masquerade masks)

In fact, both Floragato and Meowscarada take inspirations from picaresque novels, a genre focusing on characters who survive by cunning and trickery. The mask and flower could also come from Mardi Gras and the flowers thrown during it.

23 notes · View notes