Things The 141 Likes That Most People Don’t

Gaz: Reptiles and Amphibians

Lizards, snakes, salamanders, all of the above. He wants a little sanctuary full of them. He had a pet python when he was a kid and whenever he shows people pictures they’re astonished at the fact that he let a snake that size live with him. He treated it like a dog. That thing was his best friend and he still tears up talking about it.

Price: Boonie Hats (I’m just kidding I mean yes but the actual thing is storms)

Price loves a good thunderstorm, but his absolute favorite weather is right before it rains when the sky is dark, the lightning is flashing across the clouds, the thunder is starting to rumble, and it’s windy. The kind of weather that makes most people feel a sense of danger is when he feels the most at peace. He even finds things like tornados and tsunamis exciting, but he also knows the devastation they can cause.

Ghost: Spiders

To him, spiders are actually little helpers. They eat other annoying bugs like flys, and their webs can actually be pretty handy, including helping wounds clot/close. They’re misunderstood and actually cute if you get past the spookiness. He kind of relates to them in a way (including liking to live in dark abandoned places).

Soap: The Smell of Gasoline

He’s probably gotten high huffing gas before and he didn’t even mean it. Totally took those deep inhales while his parents were pumping gas as a kid. Maybe that’s why he’s so silly, the gas inhalation goofed up his brain.

Things The 141 Dislikes That Most People Do

Gaz: Cats

They are EVIL to him. They’re plotting his murder and you can’t convince him any different. Possibly seen a cat murder a lizard before and that scarred him but he just says they’re evil.

Price: Reality Shows

Wtf even is this? Who cares to watch this? It’s beyond stupid. Granted he falls asleep watching practically anything, these actually annoy him. “What is a Kardashian? A sweater?”

Ghost: Candles & Fragrances

He can’t handle the smells of scented things, unless it has a subtle natural scent like clean linen or something. Possibly has a sensory disorder, or maybe is just so used to the smell of death.

Soap: Caterpillars

They absolutely disgust him. Even butterflies. He hates them. He can kinda deal with butterflies from a distance but dO NOT GET CLOSE TO HIM. Ghost was trying to show him a caterpillar once and Soap literally gagged, and almost puked. Complete, whole body cringe.

Semper Meus

Part 55

Khan

He had stayed in the city. Of course he had. His last date with Leah had been quite… delightful. Khan had honestly enjoyed it. Prison didn’t have nice women… or men as a matter of fact.

The last few days he had followed Montgomery and Leah. McCoy was at work anyway. There was not much to see there.

On the last evening the three of them had gone to visit the same restaurant ‘Jacob’ had first dated Leah at. They came out with two older people. Probably McCoy’s parents.

It had filled Khan with anger to see them act like a happy little family. Montgomery should only be with him, not with these people. He longed to touch him again. To kiss him. To hear his voice.

He would.

Not too much longer and the wedding would finally take place. He had checked out the mansion in the last days. It was quite easy to get inside. No security. Just some cameras but he could destroy them with ease.

He had thought about doing it earlier. To kidnap McCoy after work. But… that wouldn’t be painful enough. No… the worst thing he could do to him, was to destroy his perfect day.

Khan watched McCoy’s house once again from a safe distance. They had guests. The doctor’s parents… and Montgomery’s family. He wondered how they had managed to reconnect. He had made sure back then when they moved abroad that the contact broke. Somehow Montgomery must have seen it through.

It didn’t matter. He’d take Montgomery with him once again and the family wouldn’t interfere. Of course, it would hurt him at first, but eventually Montgomery would see that it was best if it was just the two of them together.

There he was!

Montgomery walked out of the opening garage and checked the postbox for mail. He was smiling brightly. How long had it been since Khan had last seen that beautiful smile? Too long. In the last years of their relationship, Montgomery‘s smile had always seemed forced. He had noticed it too late.

But this time he would regain that generous smile of his love. He wouldn’t lay a hand on him. He would learn to control his anger. No more outbursts.

Khan… could still be powerful without these things. Montgomery could still be his.

He watched his love go inside again to talk with what had to be McCoy’s dad. Then the garage closed again.

Khan drove off. He had seen enough. It was time to gather the supplies he needed for the doctor.

He knew a man who knew another man and so on. Khan had made an appointment with him yesterday. He entered the small darkened shop for amphibians and reptiles.

“Mr. S?“ A voice asked, coming from the backroom.

No names. He chose to stick with that.

He nodded and the man waved him closer. Khan followed him to another darkened room.

There were different animals than in the shop.

Of course. They were illegal here after all.

“You have what I want?”

The ominous looking owner turned around with a little flask.

“You have the money?”

Khan reached into his pocket and pulled out a stack of bills. He placed it on the table.

The shop owner counted it quickly before he handed Khan the flask.

“Well then… have fun with this.”

Khan placed the flask in his pocket and smiled at the man.

“Oh, I will.”

He left the shop unnoticed. Just a man who had looked at a few spiders and snakes. Nothing more.

With that little flask he’d make the doctor’s last day a living hell. And he couldn’t wait for it.

Part 56

McCoy

“That was wonderful.” McCoy watched from his spot in bed as Scotty came out from the bathroom and turned to close the window.

“Aye,” Scotty agreed. “Our mums are just two peas in a pod.”

McCoy pulled Scotty close as he finally climbed into bed.

“That was a great idea you had.”

Scotty’s color heightened, and he nodded in acknowledgement. McCoy stroked the tips of his fingers down Scotty’s cheek, then leaned in to kiss him.

“Everyone got on well together,” McCoy continued a moment later. “Including you and dad.” He smiled gently at his fiancé.

“I know,” Scotty said softly.

They were quiet, each gazing at the other.

“Just a couple more days…” McCoy trailed off.

“Are ye… are ye still sure you want my name first?” Scotty asked hesitantly.

“Of course!” McCoy answered quickly and firmly. “Of course I do,” he said gentler. “I couldn’t be happier to share it with you.”

It was Scotty who pulled McCoy closer this time.

“Who you are is important too,” McCoy whispered before Scotty crushed his lips with a kiss.

McCoy let his hands slide down Scotty’s firm back muscles.

“I can be quiet if you can,” he whispered into Scotty’s ear. Scotty kissed him hard for an answer.

McCoy was pacing around the kitchen Saturday afternoon. Jim would be over to pick him up in a few hours and he was getting anxious at what his friend may have planned.

“Relax mo ghràdh,” Scotty said, “I told ye; you’ll love what Jim has planned.”

McCoy grunted a response. Leah and Robbie laughed from the dining table. Robbie was going out with Scotty and Keenser in a bit and had come over early. Leah was showing him some of her drawings.

“Aren’t you worried about Keenser’s plans?” McCoy asked.

“Nope,” Scotty said in a relaxed voice. “I trust the wee man.”

“I just know that kid is going to be up to no good,” McCoy muttered.

“Are ye going to help me with this or keep whining?” Scotty asked with a smile.

“Sorry. What do you want me to do?”

When the doorbell rang at quarter to seven McCoy cursed.

“Of course that brat would show up early,” he muttered as he answered the door. “Oh,” he said in slight surprise, “Hey Keenser.”

“Hi.”

He turned to call Scotty, but Scotty was coming up the hall.

“Robbie!” Scotty called something in Gaelic and his brother joined him.

“Be good love,” Scotty said, kissing McCoy as Robbie went out. “And have fun!”

“You too,” McCoy said and snatched one more kiss before Scotty went out, closing the door behind himself.

“Well,” Leah said behind him, “and now the waiting game.” She smirked as McCoy scowled.

For the entirety of August 2021, I want to draw pictures of your pets. During that time, reblog this post with a photo of your pet – make sure to read the rules below and abide by them – and I will draw every single one of those requests I get.

To make a request, reblog this post with a photo of your pet. In the body of the post, include the pet’s name. If you don’t have that text in the body of the post, it makes it hard to find, and I might not notice that you added anything at all in that reblog. Valid requests will be drawn in the order they come in, with some rare exceptions (generally when I’m tired or I need a warm-up).

(If you were here for what I did in April, these are the same rules and methods, only now I’m hoping they’re written out a bit more clearly. Black lives matter, and trans right are human rights.)

Only one photo per request, and only one pet per request. Do not include multiple photos and tell me to pick one. If you give me a photo that has multiple animals in it, be very clear about which one you want me to draw.

Only one request at a time (but see number 5).

It has to be your pet, present or past; I won’t draw just random pictures you found online.

Vertebrate pets only.

If you want multiple things drawn, pick one to start with; wait until your first request is done, and then put in another. That is, you can only have one request “active” at a time.

Once it is no longer August 2021, I won’t be accepting requests reblogged on this post.

Black cats are good, and sleeping cats are good, and curled-up-in-a-ball cats are good; but sleeping curled-up-in-a-ball black cats just look like a black circle. Find a different photo for me to draw.

Answers to common questions are found below the read-more. You don’t need to read this before requesting, but if you have a question, check this out before asking me.

Are you good with drawing snakes? I’m fine with snakes; I don’t have much PRACTICE drawing them, but that’s different.

I know you’re probably not still doing this, but…. In April 2021 I drew all the requests I was given, that went by the rules I’d set up; that was 410 pictures (I counted). Since that started, I have internalized the physical necessity of taking regular breaks (which means that art doesn’t pain me), and also my skills have improved; and I’m still as damn stubborn as I’ve been all my life. The only reason I wouldn’t finish this, is if I’m literally not capable of doing so.

How come you haven’t drawn my request? Three possible options: a) it’s in line, and I simply haven’t gotten around to it yet; b) it didn’t go by the listed rules, so I wasn’t going to draw it; or c) hellsite issues made it so that I never even saw your request. You can message me if you want to know the status; in fact, if more recent requests have been drawn but yours hasn’t, and you’re sure that it went by what I said, PLEASE message me, I’d hate for anything to get lost through the cracks.

When you say “vertebrates only”, does that mean…? Mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians. No insects, no spiders, no crabs, no worms.

Why no invertebrates? Because I don’t want to draw them here. Some of them are just unfamiliar and frustrating to draw, some of them I actually have problems with, and “which is which” is my concern only.

What all counts as “a pet”? I have a pretty loose definition of that, for here. Farm animals and semi-feral animals are both okay, so long as they have names.

I don’t want to monopolize your time, is it okay if I ask for another picture? I have the “further requests” set up so that this won’t be a problem. If you abide by it, and only ask for another once the previous is done, then the only way you’ll be using more of my time than others, is if other people don’t put in requests of their own.

What counts as “end of the month”? My cutoff point for new requests is “when I first get online on the first day of September”. That means that, pretty much so long as it’s still August SOMEWHERE in the world, you still have time to get a request in.

Survey #290

“you’re a little pistol, & i’m fuckin’ pistol-whipped.”

What’s the biggest argument you’ve ever had with a family member? Did things ever go back to how they were beforehand? Definitely something with Mom. The biggest was probably in the car one night where she got so mad at me that she tried to kick me out of the car. No, I didn't listen. I don't really remember exactly what we were arguing about... other than it was something small that blew up about bigger themes. Have you ever experienced some kind of natural disaster? Hurricanes. If you have pets, do you feed them human food or do they just get regular pet food? If they do get human food, what’s their favorite thing to have? Roman only gets cat food. He's actually really well-trained about not taking human food after he did once as a kitten. Now he might just sniff around curiously and give it a look, but food can be pretty close to him and he doesn't go for it. Have you ever been in a physical fight? Who won? No. What were you lighting the last time you used a lighter or matches? Probably a candle. What’s the mode of transport that you take or use the most? Mom's car. Are there any sequels to things that you prefer to the original? I'm sure. Oh, Shrek comes to mind; I love the original, but the second is my favorite. What games do you play on your phone, if any at all? Just Pokemon GO, really. I have a couple others up there just for my niece and nephew to play. Aside from family, who was the last person you spent time with? How do you know that person? miss rona doesn't allow "hanging out." Do you spend a lot of money on your appearance? No. Have you ever had a zoo keeper experience or anything where you’ve been able to go behind the scenes and look after/feed the animals? I wish! :( Do you have an item that is your good luck charm? No. Your favorite thing about your job (or school)? N/A Least favorite thing about your job (or school)? N/A Do you have a "funny" toenail? No. Favorite canned soup? Meh, not a soup person. Do you have a particular coffee mug you drink from? No. Your take on declawing cats? It's cruel as fuck and you're despicable if you think it's all good and well to torture your cat like that. Do you have smoke detectors in your home? Yeah. What was your favorite snuggle toy when you were a child? First it was my little stuffed bunny that held a polka-dotted blanket, but through most of my childhood I cuddled a stuffed moose I got from Ohio at Cabela's. Brownie is still on top of my dresser. :') What did you do on your first date? Got Sonic and saw Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance in the theater. I had the weirdest first date in that he invited my mom lmao. I still count it as our first one, though. The last time you let someone go, was it to make yourself happy or them? Myself. Who was the last person that could tell something was wrong with you? My ma. Have you ever thought about online dating? If so, were you desperate? Well I had a long-distance relationship, but it wasn't through a dating app or anything. Had one of those once and am mortified by it (even though no one shoud be), but no, I wouldn't have called myself "desperate." I was just incredibly lonely. Do you try not to take a lot of medicine or do you take it whenever? I just take it if I need it, honestly. I've been medicated pretty heavily most of my life, so whatever. Are you ever scared of people reading your survey answers? I wouldn't put them out there if I was. Would you ever go back to your most recent ex? That's the plan if things go ideally, but I'm not letting my hopes get too high. It'll be nice if that happened, but I'll still live on if not. What’s your best friend’s pet’s name(s)? She has lots of pets. There's Martha, Crowley, Little Dot, Jane Marie, Doris, Buster, Mango, and for her fish, I only know the one pleco's name: Raisha. When was the last time you got a splinter? I'm not sure. Are there any spiders in your room right now? I mean, probably. Somewhere. Have you ever taken a picture while laying in the grass? Not of myself. Who’s your favorite Disney charater? Dory. Are there any framed pictures of you in your house? In family shots, yes. What was the first television show you were obsessed with? Pokemon. Do you and your friends normally say you love one another? Definitely. How often would you say you get sick? Almost never. Let's not jinx it. Is there anything you get for free as a benefit for being a member of something? No. When were you the saddest in your life? 2016 was a year I'd wish upon absofuckinglutely nobody. Do you think bald guys are attractive? It would depend on the person? I don't find them inherently unattractive or attractive. If you don’t recognize the number of who’s calling, do you answer anyway? Nope. How do you pronounce route? "Rowt" What's the last thing you looked at under a microscope? Something during a biology lab when I was still in school. We looked at a number of stuff. Pretty cool. What internet service provider do you have? ... We just moved and changed providers and I already don't remember. Do you ever hear of something disgusting that you haven’t seen, so you go and look it up? This is very rare. If something is *disgusting*, I don't exactly wanna see it. If you had to get a tattoo on your face to save your life, what would it be? I'd have to think on this. I'm not opposed to a subtle face tat anyway, maybe near my ear or eye. Has someone ever made you a Build-A-Bear? No... but I've always kinda wanted a partner to lmao that's cute as fuck. Who was the last person you were “in a relationship with” on Facebook (including anyone you may have put “in a relationship with” for a joke)? Sara. Were you ever “the other man/woman”? How did it turn out? How do you feel about it today? No, and I never would be. What do you think of open relationships? If your partner suggested it, what would you say? Not for me whatsoever, but it works for some people. I'd honestly leave the relationship because I'd feel like I wasn't good enough. Would you ever date out of your race? I have before, would do it again with no problems. Have you ever had a reptile for a pet? Oh, plenty! Did you have a swing set when you were a kid? Yes. Swings were my favorite outdoor "toy" as a kid. What is a book that you really want to read? The Testaments by Margaret Atwood. I fucking adore The Handmaid's Tale and I literally have the book, I'm just too into WoF to make time for it. What is something that you really want to try, whether it’s a hobby, food, etc.? A lot of things. I guess to name one... wow, now that I'm actually thinking, nothing is coming to me, lmao. What sort of things do you like to post or look at on Tumblr? Mark-related stuff, what a shocker. What type of people are you usually attracted to? "Different," but not in a super weird-you-out way. I like clearly unique, truly one-of-a-kind people. What song are you listening to at the moment? "Watching For Comets" by Skillet is on. I'm surprised I feel okay listening to it. How often do you take naps and how long do they usually last? Almost daily. They can be an hour or two... embarrassingly, haha. Who’s one person who changed how you viewed something? Hannah Hart on gay rights. How many pillows do you like to sleep with? Two. What was the best conversation you’ve had recently? I dunno. Have you ever considered modeling? Nooooooooooo sir. When was the last time you did something daring? ME? DARING? Who in the world knows. List five of your favorite foreign foods. Uhhhh. 1.) This requires a lot of thinking and 2.) I'm very uninformed in what is *actually* truly foreign food that I've eaten and not just an American adaptation. I'm not very adventurous with foods, either, especially when I know it's "foreign." What types of seafood are your favorite? I just like shrimp. Do you write a lot for pleasure? I wouldn't say "a lot" anymore. Do you like bacon? Oh yeah. Do you like Rammstein? Hell yeah, they're in my favorites list. Have you ever been to a State Fair? Maybe, but I don't think so. Do you like YouTube? Maaan, I don't know what I'd do without it lmao. If so what's your favorite channel? I like that Mark R. Pliers guy a little bit, and lately I've really been digging Snake Discovery and Hazelnuttygames. Good Mythical Morning/Rhett and Link are deep, deep in my heart still, even though I don't watch them anymore. There is truly a *lot*, it's why I don't need television, haha. What is your favorite small dog breed? Papillons, probably. When was the last time you went through a McDonald's Playplace? Oh yikes, no clue. I definitely haven't ~really~ been in one since I was much younger (uhhhh and smaller), but I do have a faint memory of starting to go in one chasing after a kid. Maybe my nephew when he and his dad visited? idr What was the first comic book you ever had an obsession over? I was never into comics. Do you like kids pop-up books? BITCH you are LYING if you say you don't like looking at the cool effects lmao. Have you ever ridden a camel? No. Have you ever punched somebody? No. Can you sing opera? Oh, definitely not. Who was the last person you video-called with? Have you done this more often since COVID hit? My therapist, and you could say that, considering I never did before because I hate video calls. If you have pets, when was the last time one of them annoyed you? What happened? Roman (my cat) was just playing too rough with my hand. He's always hyper in the morning. When was the last time you took a dog out for a walk? Is this your own dog or did you borrow someone else’s? Wow... it's been many years. I walked Teddy sometimes, but that definitely slowed down and eventually came to a halt as he aged and his joints got bad; he would hesitate going down the porch steps, and I didn't want him to get too tired mid-walk and then have to go up them. Have you ever been the victim of a theft or robbery? What was stolen? Did the police ever catch the person who did it? No, thankfully. Are you a fan of garlic bread? Do you eat it on its own or as part of a bigger meal? Garlic bread would ruin my life if I let it, lmao. It's always a side. When was the last time your area was under some kind of weather warning? Did it end up being as bad as predicted? There was literally a tornado warning three days ago. I don't think so, no, but then again I didn't really look into it. Do you prefer having the blinds/curtains open or closed when you’re at home? Does it depend on the weather or the time of day? OPEN. You NEED natural light, I promise. I used to like my room as dark as possible in my worst times, but I am so glad I cut that out. I like, feel a part of me lighten up when I open my blinds in the morning. Who was the last person to tag you in something on social media? How do you know that person? My mom shared something that reminded her of Roman. Have you ever eaten a Big Mac? No; I don't like lettuce in my burgers, so I'm sure I wouldn't like it. What brand is your vacuum cleaner? I'd have to check. Where was your favorite hangout as a kid? So at my childhood home, down the road was a "stream" (aka a ditch and drainage pipe going underneath the road) that usually had at least some water in it, but if it rained, it really started to feel more like a real stream to us kids because of the movement. It drained into the pond just beyond the woods, and my sisters and some neighbors loved to play around that area. What’s your favorite pizza topping? Pepperoni,ig. Which sport do you suck at the most? All of 'em lol. My hand-eye coordination is awful, and hell no can I run. Are you good at rapping? I've never tried, but I'm certain I wouldn't be. I stutter so badly, and it's been getting worse. Can you say the alphabet in more than one language? I know it in German. Do you eat three meals a day? It varies. What do you want out of life? Fulfillment. To feel like I did something worthwhile.

A Kinda Long but Not Very Detailed Review of Spider-Man: Hostile Takeover - an intro + chapter 1

David Liss's Spider-Man: Hostile Takeover is the official prequel to Marvel's Spider-Man, which I'm a huge fan of. I have yet to read any reviews of it, so I'm going in with a nearly open mind (I talked to my friend @spiderzaap about their thoughts on the chapters they've read). I'm enjoying it so far! But I also have complaints. So let's get into them! (Disclaimer: both the game and its sequel are greatly influenced by comics, but I have yet to read those, so I can't comment on that. I can only say how I feel about this particular take on the characters and stuff.) (Disclaimer #2: These reviews will not be spoiler free.)

Before I even start to read, I know this book won't have the same emotional impact as the game. The game's ending demolished me in a way I can't see the book doing. Especially since it's a prequel; I already know what's gonna happen. No matter what happens to the characters, I know what'll happen to them later. And that's another problem I already have going into this - I know what will happen, more or less.

The back of the book raises the questions,

"When a new threat-a deadly doppelganger with Spider-Man's suit and abilities-wreaks havoc in the streets, can the real wall-crawler prove his innocence? With the clock ticking and lives on the line, can Spider-Man stop the brutal rampage of the Blood Spider? Will Spider-Man fall to his fears and foes, or will he rise and be greater?"

Lemme guess: yes, yes, and rise and be greater?

So the stakes don't feel very high, do they? If there are other characters or events introduced, there can still be suspense and such, but that can't change that at the end of the day, I know Peter will succeed. I know he'll live to see another day. I know that, even if his enemies win, it won't have a monumental impact. And so on...

Another thing: no Miles. :( I mean, as long as the book ends before the game begins, which I'm sure it will. Even if I'm wrong, I doubt we'll see Miles, which sucks.

But despite all that, I decided to go into this with an open mind. After all, I've always loved prequels. Something about seeing what life was like before the main action of a story is fun to me, and I love learning more about my favorite characters. So while I'm talking about it, what are some things I hope to see as I read? Clearly, Miles lol

And Harry! I want him to have face to face interactions with his friends, I wanna see more of the impact of Emily's death. I wanna see subtle hints that he's not going to Europe like he says. I also want Peter and Norman to interact more, out of pure curiosity. I'll be sad if I have to see more bonding moments between Peter and Otto, but I definitely want it to happen anyway. And two of my favorite aspects of the game are the social media feed and the encounters Peter has with normal civilians (Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is best Spider-Man). So if that carries on into the prequel at all, I'll be happy. :)

chapter 1

Right off the bat, the first page weirded me out. I really wasn't following. Something about the way the snake thing was introduced was weird but I can't quite put words to it. However, I'm glad to know the amazing Spider-Man is afraid of snakes, or at least grossed out by them. ("...it was a snake and it was icky.") (To clarify, the snake thing is a robbery conducted by a lone guy in a reptile store. When he spots Peter, he makes a break for it with what seems to be a bag of snakes, leading to a short chase scene to the nearby docks, where he's quickly webbed up.)

The intro to Peter and explanation of his powers felt useless but didn't take up too much time in my opinion. I guess it's good to include for people new to Spidey. Still boring to read though if you're already familiar with the character.

Then we get our first taste of action in the form of the aforementioned chase scene. It was fairly entertaining and kept my attention. Didn't have me on the edge of my seat or anything, but I can excuse that, especially since it was a fairly simple chase (young guy with no super powers running down the street for awhile before being easily taken down). Even so, it's kind of disappointing to start with a lame action sequence?? That's kind of the appeal of the whole superhero thing. :/ I'm sure there's better stuff like that later, but still-

The criminal in question, Andy, was kinda fun. I felt his cluelessness on an emotional level and I like a criminal who can and should be redeemed. I was really rooting for him and wish he could've gotten the chance (more on that in a later post). I'm also glad that Peter tried to give him that chance; it gives an early look into Peter's morals better than any exposition ever could (actions speak louder than words, as everyone says all the time).

Oh yeah, and Peter and MJ are together, which means we'll get to see what their relationship was like (PeterMJ stans, rise up). Plus we'll get to see them break up, right? I'm curious to see how that went down, including the buildup to it, which starts immediately as Peter calls MJ several times in hopes that she'll pick up. Too bad she's busy doing something she doesn't want him to know about. So basically, the same dynamic the game presents us with. Nice. 👌 (And here's to hoping that that's not the only kind of interaction they have.)

Another fun thing about this chapter is the humor presented in the Snake Store Incident™. There are some good bits along the lines of the earlier comment about Peter not liking snakes. I'd include them but I can only focus on one thing for so long.

All in all, I expected more but also got things I didn't expect. So this was a decent first chapter and I can tell it's gonna get better from here. I'm pleased with Peter's characterization and the writing style is nice. I'll probably edit this post to add more, but for now, this is it. Next up, a review of chapters 2 and 3.

23/06/2020-Thursley Common (Once more, the pictures I took in this photoset are different to the ones I tweeted) 

Today it was Thursley Common in Surrey where we walked where there was a recent large heath fire you may or may not have heard. Nearly every bit we walked today which is part of where we usually walk in at least annually visits to a slightly further afield place there had been impacted by the fire and it became a theme of the walk taking in and photographing the scars of the fire with the blackened trees, heath, grass and other vegetation. I took the second-fifth and eighth-tenth pictures in this photoset all showing this in some form or other my mass amount of landscapes produced today was dominated by that. It really was quite something to see the power of nature of how the fire took hold of the landscape (regardless of how the fire started it is a natural thing how it took hold and spread over the landscape). When right in the middle of the burnt areas as in the ninth picture especially on a day as hot and sunny as today, it was quite other worldy looking at the landscape. I had seen smoke from a fire on a nearby heath burning when at Thursley in 2018 but I had personally never seen scenes like this. In among it all though we did see where especially green vegetation had already started to grow back a bit which offered a great bit of hope. And I felt myself as we walked around feeling very lucky and happy. I think just before the fire raged restrictions had eased with the lockdown so we had an eye on Thursley for a further afield day trip this week so it looked like all hope was lost of maybe seeing this splendid and biodiverse reserve and beautiful place I have come to love since we first visited in 2017 and had an amazing three years here in 2020. So I was just very pleased to safely get to be back here and take it all in today. 

We walked round to the field the famous “Colin” the Cuckoo goes here but didn’t see him today, we had before including very well in 2019. I took the sixth picture in this photoset of this quite beautiful area on a hot and sunny day. But we did spend about an hour there and were delighted to see many Redstarts there a striking looking bird. I took the seventh picture in this photoset of one. Some precious moments spent with them watching them in trees and coming to feed we’ve had a good year for them really a strong spring and summer bird in places like these. Green Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush and Stonechat joined it too. It was a very relaxing time here today. 

When we walked back with the usual boardwalk that sets the reserve apart so much getting you into nice wet habitats rightly closed some of it was burnt we just managed to see the metal dragonfly statue there. I took the first picture in this photoset of this. After all the wildlife of course when I saw online images and videos of the place burning I had a sense of sadness that this statue could be ruined. I say this cautiously and mean I was much more concerned about the risk to the rare wildlife of course but this statue just became a sort of personal symbolism thing for my sadness at seeing the fire had happened. It still stood in tact though which was nice. Dragonflies are a key attribute of this place so this statue is fitting and I did see some today as well as damselflies, Four-spotted Chaser I’m having a great year for them too and beautiful golden female Keeled Skimmers the standouts. As we walked round on a hot and sunny day seeing two Red Kites another of my favourite birds was special. They are a top bird to see here and a regular here on our visits. We walked back through paths going through the heath which before was heartland for Dartford Warblers we’d wondered through here and seen tens before, but this was all severely burned out. Sad to see, but I am hopeful knowing it will all grow back. 

Another really nice walk around a top landscape today a similar one to yesterday at Arne albeit more sombre. Some top wildlife seen too on day two of my five off work. I obviously have to stress in these walks I am social distancing as per government restrictions around the virus at all times preferably at a much greater distance than two metres and taking that very seriously as the health of everyone comes first. But I wanted to comment that today at a safe distance we got to talk briefly to some great people all from different usage points of the reserve. All agreed how sad it was looking at the burned out heath. But on all of these four days of my time off so far we’ve met at a safe distance some very kind and smashing people so it’s just really stood out how the varied community of what we do in our hobby is as close knit as ever from a safe distance. 

Wildlife Sightings Summary: Three of my favourite birds the Dartford Warbler, Red Kite and Green Woodpecker, three of my favourite butterflies the Silver-studded Blue, Small Tortoiseshell and Large Skipper, one of my favourite dragonflies the Keeled Skimmer, Redstart, Stonechat, Robin, Blackbird, Mistle Thrush, Treecreeper, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Mallard, Black-headed Gull, Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Small Cooper, Four-spotted Chaser, Common Blue Damselfly, a Common Lizard for the third day running which was great, another reptile quickly either a very small snake or slow worm and spider.

DBH - OC Ideal Pets

I'm still trying to finish up the Fallout AU Info Doc (I'm stuck on a few choices for what characters will be, especially Josh), so to keep up some activity I've decided to do a post about which kind of pet would be ideal for my OCs.

The list will be a bit long (because I have an absurd amount of OCs) so I'll put it under a cut if anyone is interested in taking a look.

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--Androids--

Joel (EM400) - Despite being terrified of dogs, Joel's ideal pet is and will forever be Chitin, the android German Shepherd that has been nothing if not patient and loyal towards him. Joel's fear of dogs (especially rottweilers) still persists on some level, but Chitin helps him as a therapy animal.

RJ (EM400) - Despite being a rogue unit of the Jerry hivemind RJ still has a fascination for pirate thematics like his many brothers. As such, he has a fondness for exotic and brightly colored fish and other aquatic critters. The grand jewel of his vast collection is a tiny blue ringed octopus he calls Kraken.

Sergei (PL600) - Due to his many psychological issues, Sergei is not allowed to have a pet of his own. Instead he's being educated on proper petcare by Noah who keeps a close eye on him.

Noah (PL600) - Thanks to his great love for animals and veterinary studies, Noah is very capable around all sorts of critters. He has at least three cats (Elvis, Freddy, Brian), one dog (Melanie), five bunnies (Emma, Geri, Beyonce, Shakira, Kesha) and a guinea pig (Phil). They're all named after old singers which Sergei finds amusing.

Dimitri (PL600) - Dogs. Lots and lots of dogs. He has a lot of love to give to creatures that are inherently loyal and loving towards him. He's not only a professional dog-walker but also the Cullen family's official dogsitter. He has two puppies (A Rottweiler named Peach and a Doberman named Bowser) and is also quite attached to Roky and Chitin. He'd want to get a pet bat just to teach it to divebomb people (the threat of rabies is amusing to him).

Seymour (PL600) - Animal magnet. All animals just naturally love Seymour since he goes out of his way to feed strays. As a result you'll find a group of cats and dogs following him around town when he's either on or off duty as a police officer. He owns a massive Great Dane named Adonis.

Apollo (AP700) - He loves dogs but wouldn't be opposed to having a cat since they're more independent and he has Chance to care for. Despite his fondness for animals he'd appreciate it if Dimitri didn't constantly bring strays back home...

Proteus (IO100-P) - Took in his creator mom's three android cats and roomba after he returned home from the Io escape mission. He absolutely loves cats and would be the kind of guy to become a crazy cat-person. He thinks it's less of a problem and more of a compliment.

Dakota (CX100) - She would love to have a parrot. Chatty smart critters are a delight to her, and she'd greatly enjoy teaching it to greet people at the door or even on the phone. The only reason she doesn't own a pet is because she's very indecisive over what species she'd want to get.

Monochrome (CX100) - Not much of a pet owner. He's content with playing with Mile's bizarre android python, PB, who has the processor of a dog. He thinks she's pretty cool.

Baptiste (CX100) - He's terribly scared of animals.

Jindosh (HR900) - Horse kind of guy. He would greatly enjoy owning a ranch at some point, where he could train draft horses. He's not much of a rider himself, but just working with imposing and powerful animals brings him a sort of blissful tranquility.

Veronica (WR400) - She's a cat-person and isn't very fond of dogs, which is hilarious considering her and Scott's situation. She eventually gets a Siamese cat she calls Sir Rolland the Regal.

Scott (HR400 In K9300 Body) - As he's currently stuck inside a dog's body, it's pretty silly to get a pet. When he eventually does get a humanoid body again, he actually keeps the K9300 body and gets a processor for it. The dog's name is Old Friend.

Miles (RK300) - PB is the best noodle puppy in existence and he loves her too much to get any other pet. He has a great love and admiration for snakes, and thinks dogs are lovable and loyal.

Tristan (RK700) - He has a pet chameleon named Preston. It's a pretty ornery thing, but quite chill when he handles it. He likes to carry it around his apartment when he's alone and sort of vents to it since the reptile won't pass any judgment on his past actions. Tristan would kill for his pet chameleon if anyone so much as eyed it weirdly. He's incredibly attached to it.

Uma (???) - She spends a lot of time at Mr. Siddiq's abode to mingle with the exotic animal androids. She seems to be really taken with big cats and with wolves. At some point she rescues a wolfdog that was sent to a shelter to be euthanized. She named it Essex.

Bo Siddiq (YK500) - She doesn't keep pets since she already has access to all of her dad's rescued animal androids. Her best friend is Sasha the tigress.

Hearse (MC500) - He isn't very good with living beings, Dr. Ojomo's children are already complicated enough to look after, but he won't deny possums are pretty "metal". He started feeding one that's gotten into their garbage lately... He calls her Raven.

Eddie (WK218) - Myu's cat, Bravo, is his bestest friend in the whole world. He's extremely gentle with him and loves to spoil him rotten.

Stag (Hybrid Model) - Due to his alterations he's not patient enough with animals. He does follow a specific herd of deer sometimes and admires them from a distance. They seem to not be scared of him due to his antlers.

Bear (Hybrid Model) - Jordan wishes he could keep a pet as company. Sadly, since his reprogramming causes him to go aggressive whenever something approaches (excluding a very minute list), he doesn't want to risk going near any local fauna. He doesn't like bears very much (contrary to popular belief), instead if he could he'd like to own a rat (he thinks they're cool and pretty smart).

--Humans--

Valentina Hernández - She has Regi who honestly is more his own person and her personal bodyguard than a pet. She also rescues animal androids that have been negligently modded (she was the one who gave Miles PB since she couldn't undo the damage her original owner did to the poor python) by amateurs. If she were to get a pet she would go out of her way to either get a goose or a goat (her father had a goat named Pablo and her mother a goose named Rosalinda, they used to tell her stories about them).

Artyum Kutznekov - Has a brown tabby cat named Misha, and often rescues abandoned kittens he finds on the streets, nursing them back to health before finding them proper loving homes. He's a very nurturing guy despite his grumpy disposition and intimidating size. Val finds it hilarious how he can hold three kittens in one single hand.

Benjamin Peterson - Has a thing for spiders, which has caused several arguments between him and Val. He owns a Mexican Red Tarantula named Tarantino, and he is definitely the guy you call when there's a spider somewhere in your house. He either rescues them or (if they're big enough) offers them up to Tarantino as sacrifice.

Dr. Ojomo - She has a great fondness for birds, specifically birds of prey. On weekends she goes to a sanctuary to help rehabilitate endangered wild birds. She has handled owls and vultures alike. She's taken notice of Earl's habit of feeding the possum that keeps getting into their garbage and finds it adorable.

Elisa "Myu" Corvo - She's without a doubt a cat-person, but she does like dogs as well. She owns a rescue cat named Bravo.

Mr. Asad Siddiq - He rescues exotic animal androids from negligent owners. His collection is incredibly vast and even includes dinosaur androids. All of his animals (except a few very difficult abuse cases) are incredibly fond of him and will approach him openly. His favorites are Sasha the tigress (his very first rescue), Ahri and Jolene (a coral snake and a rattlesnake), and the large herd of giraffes he has amassed from different zoos.

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3. How many tattoos i have and what they are: I have 10. I have the number 7 on my left wrist (long personal story as to what it means/represents but i am happy to explain it if you want, just shoot me an ask and i will elaborate), a quote on the same wrist referencing an album that i honestly hate (the tattoo, not the album) the fonts shit and yeah i plan to get rid of it some day lol, a crescent moon (that has significant meaning to me and my best friend Aadhya that i got as a kudos to our friendship and as a surprise gift for her 21st Birthday), the American Idiot album art, A mash up of the Blink-182 self titled album art and there rabbit mascot from there earlier work demo, a skull with a pizza mohawk, a fight club themed piece (the iconic pink soap) with the first rule of fight club included in text, an IT themed piece (a bloody paper boat)  with the quote ‘we all float down here’, a set of bloody vampire fangs, and a Keith Haring themed piece (incorporating a mix of a lesbian themed pride piece as well as the pride colors that i added). After writing this out i realize it all sounds like a lot but i was really planning to have so much more at this point in life / my current age. I am just broke and have a huge fear of needles and a really low pain tolerance hence why i only have a small percentage of the amount of ones i have planned and want to get and just haven’t because i am a pussy, lol

5. Piercings i have: Just my ears. For someone that has a fair few tattoos which are considerably more permanent then piercings i sure do have a weird stance on piercings in relation to my fear of the commitment they entail,  despite it not being any where near as high as the commitment of a tattoo. Basically i don’t know why i have such a hard time committing to getting one, i just do plus i am just really indecisive in this area and with this specific decision.

14. Piercings i want: I want a dermal, and a nose ring plus heaps more ear piercings. I think i will just find the motivation, balls and commitment to just go and get a second lobe piercing and add to my collection from there.

39.  Have you ever gotten in a car with people you just met? Yeah all the time. And i know this shit sounds dangerous and like i am making myself all the more likely to one day become a victim of a serial killer but hear me out, i only really do this when sharing a taxi/uber ride because its so much cheeper to car pool. If anything i feel safer in a taxi with another stranger as a passenger. Outside of the taxi/uber scenario i wouldn’t get into a car with a stranger, i ain’t that dumb i don’t think.

63. Have you ever touched a snake? Plenty of times. Once at a reptile park i was dared to kiss one on the lips and i did so without a second thought. The guy then proceeded to expel venom from the snake as a kinda ‘lol betcha didn’t think the snake would still have its venom glands or whatever the fuck they are called in.’ Naturally i was like yo wtf, but hey this was in Bali so i wasn’t too surprised by the dangerous practices and the fact they let a teenager kiss a deadly snake with which could have bitten me and killed me as a result. But i honestly don’t find them scary and this stunt pulled on me in Bali didn’t scare me away from them either, now spiders are a whole other story in how i will go calm and then when it the room with one will shit myself. But snakes don’t faze me in fact i think they are kinda cool.

92. Have you ever been told you’re hot by a complete stranger? More so when i was younger but always by grown ass adults who either (depending on my age at the time) new i was a minor or thought i was a minor and assumed i was naive enough to not be able to identify i creep when in the presents of one.

100. Give us one thing about you that no one knows. Shit i don’t know, i am super open and honest, some would say too open and honest so theres not a lot no one knows about me. All my secrets as least one person knows (usually my therapist or my best friend, lol). But i guess few people on here know that i went through a faze i am ever so embarrassed about in which (mind you i was very young and stupid and also under the delusional thought i was straight) worshipped the Janoskians. If you know who they are then yikes sucks to be you. And if you to went through a fangirl period of your early teen years worshipping the ground they stood on then lol same... But if you don’t know who they are/what the are famous for then count yourself as lucky. 

Send me more guys! This self isolation thing might almost be finally getting to an end but its slowly driving me insane so human contact and conversation even if just via the internet is what i need and crave, so please entertain me before i loose the little sanity i have left.