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 Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 10:38 pm
[Introduction]
This be Aiden's journal :V
Rules:
1. Don't post here unless you have permission or are staff
2. If you want permission for something, PM me and ask
3. ???
4. Profit
Credits:
Art (c) Fallen_Kitsune_Thief
Shop (c) Nikorasu-Kun
Character (c) Me (Kokonotsu)
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 10:39 pm
[The Man of the Hour] Name- Aiden D. Marlowe
Appearance-
Aiden is fairly tall, standing roughly about 6'1 with a slender, long-waisted build that makes him seem a little taller than he really is at times. He's a bit on the skinny side too, weighing in at only 172lbs, but he isn't slim to an unhealthy point. He's fairly lanky as well, having long fingers and limbs, almost to an awkward (but yet not spindly exactly) point. Perhaps part of his awkwardness is do to the fact he's not the most graceful man in the world (far from it, actually), though.
Probably his most prominent feature is his rusty red hair. It's not a particularly deep or bright, but more like a soft ginger-russet sort of tone. He wears it down most of the times, the locks just barely brushing his shoulders. His hair's mostly straight, and not terribly interesting, but yet it manages to stand out. Like most redheads, he does have some freckles on his face, though not the excessive amount one would suspect. Just a light smattering that is peppered across the bridge of his nose and cheekbones, the likes of which tend to stand out when he blushes or gets all red-faced and angery. His complexion overall isn't as fair as most red-heads, or as pale. He actually has very slightly tanned skin from spending time in the sun and outdoors. He's always had a liking for nature.
Perhaps as a way of balance, Aiden's eyes aren't particularly fascinating or colorful as his hair. In fact, they're a rather dull shade of slate grey with only the slightest blueish tinge- though they aren't quite as uninteresting as he makes them out to be. One could also read his eyes fairly easy- they seem to give off more (or truer) emotion than his face at times.
As far as clothing goes, when the ferry was wrecked, Aiden was wearing a green tank top, a pair of khaki shorts, and a pair of sandals. Nothing utterly in-depth, but hey, they were his vacation clothes so it's appropriate. He also wears a black bandanna as a headband around his forehead, on top of which he wears a pair of tinted motorcycle goggles. If anything, the goggles seem to be his most prized possession (the bandanna's mostly there to keep his forehead from getting all sweaty when he wears his goggles up there).
Personality-
Aiden isn't what you'd call the best role model ever. He's gay, mildly alcoholic, smokes (from time to time, and certainly much less than he drinks), and has a rather fiery temper. He can get irritated quickly at times, though thankfully his anger is fleeting and after some sulking, he tends to get over things. He's really terrible at holding lasting grudges. He tends to be prone to depression as well. However, he's not a big mass of flaws, though.
To his friends- or people who haven't crossed him at the moment- he can be rather warm and friendly. While he's not exactly a social butterfly, he is fairly outgoing. There are times he'd rather keep to himself, and there are times when he'd much rather be with a group of people. He can be rather goofy, and seem like he doesn't take things seriously a lot of the time, though this is largely a coping mechanism to help deal with the depression he's had to deal with. As he's said before, 'If I acted as depressed as I felt all the time, I'd be dead by now. The best we can do sometimes, is just try and be happy.' He does have the capacity of being serious, though, don't think he doesn't! In fact, most of the time when he's alone, he actually comes off as being rather solemn and melancholy. The goofy attitude seems to be a public face more than anything.
To the people he dares forms a close bond with, he tend to take on an almost older-brother sort of air around them- even if he's the younger one. He keeps his secrets guarded, and so he makes a decent confidant, and he's rather loyal as well. One could even say he bonds easier with females than most males, perhaps due to the influence of his mother and sister. Even with women he doesn't know all that well, he feels the urge to protect them and treat them with the utmost kindness. He makes a devoted, kind, and tolerant friend, provided one can get close enough to him to derive such a bond. However, due to poor past instances, he often doesn't form the closest bonds in the world, unless the individual is something special- most of his 'friendships' are informal and not as strong as other people's.
Aiden is also fairly brave and courageous... almost to a fault, in fact. He's not much of a daredevil, per se...but if one of his friends it in trouble, he'll go to great lengths for them, often acting without thinking first- he's a fairly impulsive person, in that aspect. But when he's alone and does stop and actually think things through, he's actually quite cautious and more reserved (he generally doesn't like pain either, and tries to avoid painful acts if he can). As a side note, Aiden actually dislikes water quite a bit, having a slight fear of drowning. It took his sister quite a bit to convince him to go on the cruise.
He also doesn't seem to handle crisis very well. When faced with a crisis Aiden tends to try and avoid it the most he can, goes into denial, drinks, smokes, or freaks out. In a crisis, he tend to act two ways towards people, largely dependent on their standings in his eyes. He'll either lash out at them, or he'll form quick, sometimes weak, bonds for support. It's more common for him to seek others for support in the end, after he swallows his pride and machismo. It all depends on the crisis, and the people around him.
Relationships of note:
As far as relationships of significant note (I thought this would fit here better than his backstory), Aiden is most closely bonded to his sister. It's expected that twins bond closely, and with Aiden and Rain, it's no exception. The two are outwardly very different- Aiden's tall, Rain's short. Aiden has red hair like his mum, Rain's is black like their dad's. They are the stereotypical 'twins who are nothing alike' in the physical sense. Even their personalities are radically different, Rain being more quiet, moral, mellow, chipper and outgoing than her brother- in a lot of ways though, she helps balance out her brother and keep him grounded. That's probably one of the reason's they get along so well. They are terribly different (though that's expected for fraternal twins, to an extent), but they do manage to get along well. Rain has always very supportive of her brother, always knowing what to say to cheer him up or cool him down. Though they do get into disagreements and squabbles- as all siblings do- they are generally short-lived. Rain has managed to keep her brother out of trouble on several occasions as well, and even coaxed him to go back to college after he dropped out. out of the people Aiden would miss, he'd probably miss his sister the most.
Granted, he'd also miss his mother a great deal as well. He always was a bit of a mama's boy. Since his father died when he was very young and left with few memories of the man, he ended up bonding closely with his mother as well. He helped her out around the house before she got ill, and after she was diagnosed with cancer, Aiden worked his butt off to make things comfortable and easier for her. His deep sense of loyalty shows very prominently when he's dealing with his mother (and also his sister). He's always been very devoted to his mother, and feels he owes her quite a bit for providing him with such a comfortable, loving life.
He's had other relationships before too- dating relationships, one of which in college that was very important. However, said relationship ended very poorly and Aiden often doesn't talk about it. He doesn't much talk about his love life in general, mostly due to his apprehension about his sexuality, and also due to the poor experiences he's had before.
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 10:48 pm
[Because we all start somewhere...] Background-
Aiden Marlowe was born into a fairly well-to-do family, along with a twin sister named Rain Marlowe. Their parents were fairly well-known and prominent in the social circles of Seattle, and they always had a comfortable life, due to the money the family possessed. However, Aiden's parents made a point to make sure neither him or his sister grew up spoiled. However, Aiden's childhood was not completely smooth. When he was about four years old, his father died in a car accident. It was one of those things that just happen, and while it shocked the family, they managed to keep their heads above water. Aiden didn't seem particularly effected by his father's death, and often has remarked about the subject 'It's hard to miss someone you barely knew.'
Aiden attended a private school with his twin sister for the duration of grade school but as they grew, neither of the children like the elitist attitudes they encountered. Due to their viewpoints being rather different than most of the kids in their social class, neither of the children really fit in well, and so their mother transferred them to public school at the start of junior high where they seemed to flourish better. School came fairly easy to Aiden and he had a fairly average school career, with all the same awkward bumps and struggles that any child goes though. More than once he got into a fight. In the end, he graduated high school with his sister and went onto college.
However, when he turned 19, his mother got very ill and was later diagnosed with Breast Cancer. This seemed to effect him very profoundly, as he had always had a very close bond with his mother. He struggled through the rest of his Freshman year, dealing with not only his mother's illness, but also with losing some friends after he came out to them about being gay. He dropped out of school later in his second year, seeing that college held very little for him anymore, and stayed largely at home to help care for her after she underwent chemotherapy and a mastectomy.
Those were rather tough times for the man, and he sunk into a bit of a depression and took up drinking as a way to cope with his unhappiness and stress with his life. He had started smoking earlier when his mother was first diagnosed with cancer but by the time she was doing chemo, he had gone from a smoke here and there to chain smoking pack after pack. But he never smoke or drank around her, and unsuccessfully tried to hide it from her. But she knew, to a certain degree. She was aware he was smoking and drinking, though she wasn't aware he was doing so to the degree he was. His sister Rain was fully aware of his activities though, and she perpetually lectured him about cutting back.
It was actually Rain that managed to coax him back into school when he was 21 and their mother had gone into remission and stabilized. Add to that the fact his mother was also pushing for him to go back and finish his education...and well, he really couldn't argue with the two most important women in his life. Though he still grappled with alcoholism, he had cut back on smoking, and was back down to a smoke here or there in times of high stress. Somehow he managed to struggle through, earning a degree in Art, with a major concentrated in Photography. He always did have a thing for the arts, feeling most at ease when he could be outside, sketching or just observing nature.
However, college hadn't been perfect for him. He still had the same struggles as he did before he had dropped out, and along with a relationship that ended in a very poor way and left him with two scars on the side of his face...well, it didn't help his depression much. So, perhaps to help him with his unhappiness and to help start his art career, his sister began to try and convince him to go on a cruise that summer. Even after their mother's hospitalization and treatment for cancer they could still spare SOME money for him to take a vacation...
It took a hefty amount of coaxing on not only his sister, but on his mother's part as well. Aiden really didn't like water, and so the thought of a cruise didn't exactly appeal to him. Plus, he just didn't feel like doing much of anything so soon. Finally, Aiden agreed, feeling that he did need an escape from things. His sister was still in school- aiming to get a medical degree- and taking summer classes, so she was unable to go. She offered to tend to their mother in her free time in Aiden's place, and since his mother was in remission and she asserted she'd be just fine for however long he was gone... Aiden gave in and booked himself a slot on a Pacific cruise, hoping it would help clear his head and cheer him up a bit...
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 10:49 pm
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The Wild SideWikipedia
Description
With each individual possessing a unique pattern of fine, dark spots (or light spots on a dark background in some variants), they vary in colour from brownish black to tan or grey; underparts are generally lighter. The body and flippers are short, with a proportionately large, rounded head. The nostrils appear distinctively V-shaped; as with other true seals, there is no ear flap, or pinna. A relatively large (for a seal) ear canal may be visible posterior to the eye. Including the head and flippers, they may reach an adult length of 1.85 metres and a weight of 130 kilograms. Females are generally smaller than males.
Population
With an estimated 400,000 to 500,000 individuals, the population is not threatened as a whole; most subspecies are secure in numbers with the Greenland, HokkaidÅ and Baltic Sea populations being exceptions. Local populations have been reduced or eliminated through outbreaks of disease and conflict with humans, both unintentionally and intentionally. While it is legal to kill seals which are perceived to threaten fisheries in the United Kingdom, Norway and Canada, commercial hunting is illegal; the seals are also taken in subsistence hunting and accidentally as bycatch in fishing nets. In the United States stricter protection applies, and it is illegal to kill any seals or any marine mammals, as they fall under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. On the East Coast of the United States their numbers seem to be increasing quite steadily as they are reclaiming parts of their range, and have been seen as far south as South Carolina.
Female common seals have a life span of 30-35 years while male lifespans are usually 20-25. Scientists have suggested that this is due to stresses male seals are subjected to during breeding seasons.
Habitat and Diet
Characterized as showing a strong degree of site fidelity in their choice of resting sites, they may spend several days at sea and travel up to 50 kilometres in search of feeding grounds, and will also swim some distance upstream into freshwater in large rivers. Resting sites may be both rugged, rocky coasts such as that of the Hebrides or the shorelines of New England, or sandy beaches. They also inhabit sandy intertidal zones; some seals may also enter estuaries in pursuit of their fish prey. Some have even taken to feeding in New York Harbor and Boston Harbor in recent years. The seals frequently choose to congregate in harbours, lending the animals their other common name.
The feeding habits have been studied closely in many parts of their range; they are known to prey primarily upon fish such as menhaden, anchovy, sea bass, herring, cod, whiting and flatfish, and occasionally upon shrimp and squid. They are able to dive for up to ten minutes, reaching depths of 457 metres (approx 1500 feet) or more, but average dives may be three minutes long at depths of about 20 metres (approx 66 feet).
Behavior and Reproduction
While not forming groups as large as some other seals, they are gregarious animals. When not actively feeding, the seals will haul themselves out of the water and onto a preferred resting site. The seals tend to hug the coast, not venturing more than 20 kilometres offshore. Both courtship and mating occurs underwater. The mating system is not known, but thought to be polygamous. Females are thought to give birth once per year, with a gestation period of eleven months.
Birthing of pups occurs annually on shore, beginning in February for populations in lower latitudes, and as late as July in the subarctic zone. The mothers are the sole providers of care with lactation lasting four to six weeks; males occupy themselves with fights between other males. Researchers have found that males gather underwater, turn on their backs, put their heads together and vocalise to attract females ready for breeding. The pups are born singly and well developed, capable of swimming and diving within hours. Suckling for three to four weeks, pups feed on the mother's rich, fatty milk and grow rapidly; born weighing up to 16 kilograms, the pups may double their weight by the time of weaning.
Common Seals must spend a great deal of time on shore when moulting (shedding off their fur), which the seals undergo shortly after breeding. This onshore time is important to the life cycle and can be disturbed when there is substantial human presence (Sullivan, 1989). A female will mate again immediately following the weaning of her pup. This pinniped is sometimes reluctant to haul out in the presence of humans, so that shoreline development and access must be carefully studied in known locations of seal haul out.Seaworld
Physical Characteristics
A. Size.
1. Males reach about 1.4 to 2.0 m (4.6-6.6 ft.) and 70 to 170 kg (154-375 lb.).
2. Females reach about 1.2 to 1.7 m (3.9-5.6 ft.) and 50 to 150 kg (110-331 lb.).
B. Body shape.
Harbor seals have a rounded, fusiform body.
C. Coloration.
Harbor seals range in color from light gray to silver with dark spots. Some are black or dark gray to brown with white rings. Spots or rings are numerous on the dorsal (back) surface and more sparse on the ventral surface (underside).
D. Foreflippers.
1. Limbs are modified into flippers. The foreflippers, or pectoral flippers, have all the major skeletal elements of the forelimbs of land mammals, but they are foreshortened and modified.
2. A harbor seal's flippers are short and webbed. Each foreflipper has five digits of about equal length.
3. The foreflippers have noticeable claws. The claws are blunt and measure about 2.5 to 5 cm (1-2 in.). Harbor seals use their claws for scratching, grooming, and defense.
4. Foreflippers are not as broad as the hind flippers and have less resistance to water flow.
5. Foreflippers are covered with hair.
E. Hind flippers.
1. Like land mammals, seals have five bony digits in the hind, or pelvic, limbs. The first and fifth digits are long and stout; the middle digits are shorter and thinner.
2. Digits of the hind flippers are webbed. When a harbor seal spreads its hind flippers, the flippers look like wide fans.
3. Harbor seals move their hind flippers side-to-side to propel themselves in water. The hind flippers also function as a rudder.
4. Unlike a sea lion, a seal cannot rotate its hind flippers underneath the pelvic girdle. When on land, a seal moves by undulating in a caterpillarlike motion.
5. Hind flippers are covered with hair.
F. Head.
1. A harbor seal has a rounded head with a fairly blunt snout.
2. A harbor seal lacks external ear flaps. Its ear openings close when it dives.
3. Harbor seals have 34 to 36 teeth. The front teeth are pointed and sharp, adapted for grasping and tearing (not chewing) their food. Harbor seals often use their back teeth for crushing shells and crustaceans.
4. Vibrissae (whiskers) grow from the thick pads of a seal's upper lip. Vibrissae are attached to muscles and are supplied with blood and nerves. Vibrissae continually grow throughout a seal's life.
G. Tail.
A harbor seal has a short, flattened tail tucked between its hind flippers.
H. Hair.
1. Harbor seals have thick, short hair. The coat is made of coarse guard hairs and finer, but denser underhairs. Each guard hair has three to six underhair fibers attached to the root.
2. The density of a harbor seal's hair increases with age.
3. Glands in the skin secrete an oil which helps waterproof the hair.
4. The hair provides no insulation for the harbor seal.
5. Molting.
a. Harbor seals molt (shed their hair) each year after the breeding season. They gradually lose their hair in patches. Molting generally lasts one to two months.
b. Females molt after their pups are weaned. In pregnant females, hormonal changes at the end of the molt may trigger blastocyst implantation on the uterine wall and embryo development.
c. Pups shed a white coat called the lanugo shortly before or after birth. They do not molt again until they are a year old.
d. Based on observations in zoological environments, harbor seals generally seem to decrease their food intake during molting.
Senses
A. Hearing.
1. Harbor seals have a well-developed sense of hearing, especially in the water.
2. Research shows that under water, harbor seals respond to sounds from 1 to 180 kHz with a peak sensitivity of 32 kHz.
3. In the air, hearing ability is greatly reduced; harbor seals respond to sounds from 1 to 22.5 kHz, with a peak sensitivity of 12 kHz. (The average hearing range for humans is 0.02 to 20 kHz.)
B. Eyesight.
1. Harbor seals have large eyes. Their vision underwater is better than a human's, but inferior on land. Lenses are enlarged and almost round, adapted for focusing on light that is refracted upon entering water. The lenses are not as well-adapted for sight in air.
2. Harbor seals' eyes are adapted for sight in dark and murky water.
a. Like the eyes of other pinnipeds, harbor seals' eyes contain high numbers of rod cellsâphotoreceptor cells that are sensitive to low light levels.
b. Harbor seals have a well-developed tapetum lucidum, a layer of reflecting plates behind the retina. These plates act as mirrors to reflect light back through the retina a second time, increasing the light-gathering ability of the rod cells. (The tapetum lucidum is the same structure that makes a cat's eyes appear to "glow" when reflecting light at night.)
c. Under water, the pupils dilate (expand) into a wide circle to let in as much light as possible. In bright light, the pupils constrict to a slit.
3. Mucus continually washes over the eyes to protect them. Unlike most land mammals, pinnipeds lack a duct for draining eye fluids into the nasal passages. When a harbor seal is out of the water, mucus surrounding the eyes gives them a wet, "tear-rimmed" look.
4. Good vision does not seem to be essential to harbor seal survival; scientists have found blind but otherwise healthy individuals, including mothers with pups, at sea.
5. Harbor seals probably do not have color vision.
C. Tactile.
1. A harbor seal uses its sensitive vibrissae to find food, especially in dark, deep waters or at night. A substantial nerve system transmits tactile information from the vibrissae to the brain.
2. Each vibrissa can move independently. Under water, a harbor seal thrusts its vibrissae to and fro in a sweeping movement by pushing its mobile upper lip in and out.
3. Prey moving under water creates vibrations that the seal may detect with its vibrissae.
D. Taste.
Little is known about a harbor seal's sense of taste.
E. Smell.
Researchers believe that harbor seals have an acute sense of smell on land. This sense may be important for mothers identifying their pups.
Adaptations for an Aquatic Environment
A. Swimming.
1. Harbor seals swim with all four flippers: their hind flippers propel them forward, and their foreflippers help them steer.
2. Harbor seals can swim forward and upside-down. They rarely swim backward.
3. Harbor seals can swim up to 19 kph (12 mph), but they generally cruise at slower speeds.
B. Diving.
1. Harbor seals can dive to depths of 90 m (295 ft.). They probably don't routinely dive this deep, however, since most of their food is found in shallow waters.
2. Adult harbor seals can stay submerged for 15 to 28 minutes, but dives usually last only three to ten minutes. A two-day-old harbor seal pup can stay submerged for up to two minutes.
3. All marine mammals have special physiological adaptations for diving. These adaptations enable a harbor seal to conserve oxygen while it is under water.
a. Harbor seals, like other marine mammals, have a slower heart rate while diving. The heart rate slows from 75 to 120 beats per minute to only four to six beats per minute. When a seal surfaces after a long dive, it experiences an accelerated heart rate for a short time.
b. When diving, blood is shunted away from tissues that are tolerant of low oxygen levels to the heart, lungs, and brain, where oxygen is needed.
c. A harbor seal has a greater volume of blood than a land mammal of the same size; therefore, it can retain more oxygen.
d. The muscle of harbor seals also has a high content of the oxygen-binding protein myoglobin (about 10 times as much as humans). Myoglobin stores oxygen and helps prevent muscle oxygen deficiency.
4. Before a deep dive, a harbor seal exhales to reduce the amount of air in its lungs. Oxygen is stored in the blood and muscle tissues, rather than in the lungs.
C. Respiration.
Like most other marine mammals, a harbor seal's typical respiration cycle is a short exhalation, a short inhalation, and a longer breath-holding (apnea) period.
D. Sleep.
Harbor seals sleep on land or in the water. In the water they sleep at the surface and often assume a posture known as bottling - their entire bodies remain submerged with just their heads exposed. This enables them to breathe when necessary.
E. Thermoregulation.
1. A harbor seal's core temperature is about 37.8°C (100°F). There is a heat gradient throughout the blubber from the body core to the skin. The skin remains about one degree (C) warmer than the surrounding water.
2. Harbor seals have a metabolic rate somewhat higher than land mammals of the same size. This helps keep them warm by generating body heat.
3. A thick layer of blubber insulates the harbor seal, reducing heat loss. The blubber of a northern Pacific harbor seal during winter may account for 27% to 30% of its total body mass. Blubber also streamlines the body and functions as an energy reserve from which the harbor seal can draw energy during periods of fasting. A harbor seal's hair provides no insulation.
4.In cold water, blood is shunted inward as blood vessels in the skin constrict, reducing heat loss to the environment.
5. When hauled out on land, blood vessels in the skin dilate, allowing heat to be released to the environment.
6. To prevent heat from escaping through the extremities, seals hold them close to the body.
Behavior
A. Social behavior.
1. Unlike most pinnipeds, adult harbor seals are usually solitary and rarely interact other than to mate. Sometimes, however, they haul out in loosely organized groups. These groups may include both sexes and all ages.
2. Harbor seals generally do not touch each other when hauled out. They maintain a space between them of a meter or more (several feet). If touched by another harbor seal, they respond with growling, snorting, aggressive flipper-waving, head-butting, scratching, or biting.
3. Young harbor seals interact with each other on the fringes of the group and stay away from the adults. Harbor seals become less playful and less tolerant of close contact as they mature.
B. Individual behavior.
1. Harbor seals often haul out onto land. While most harbor seals have been observed hauling out during the afternoon, they may do so at any time of the day or night and for any length of time.
a. While on land, harbor seals rarely move from one location. They remain alert and wary, however, and turn their heads frequently to watch for potential danger.
b. Studies show that, within a season, harbor seals tend to return to one or two particular haul-out sites with regularity. The preferred sites may change seasonally.
2. Harbor seals show aggression by growling, snorting, and waving threateningly with a foreflipper. Another aggressive behavior is head-thrustingâsharp, rapid extension and retraction of the neck. Fighting is rare, except between competing males during the mating season.
C. Interaction with other species.
Harbor seals often are found sharing haul-out space with other pinnipeds, such as California sea lions and Northern elephant seals. Harbor seals rarely interact with other species but show aggression if threatened.
D. Communication and vocalization.
1. Harbor seals are probably the least vocal of all pinnipeds. They usually vocalize only when they feel threatened; they may snort, hiss, growl, or sneeze.
2. Pups vocalize more frequently than adults, especially with their mothers. Pups' sheep-like cries are individually distinctive to their mothers.
3. A harbor seal may slap the water or its own body with a pectoral flipper to show aggression, or during courtship.
4. Some studies indicate that harbor seals may use echolocation to find food. Scientists have recorded faint clicking sounds during the final stages of catching prey.
Diet and Eating Habits
A. Food preferences and resources.
1. Adult harbor seals eat squid; crustaceans; molluscs; and a variety of fish, including rockfish, herring, flounder, salmon, hake, and sand lance.
2. A harbor seal's diet varies seasonally and regionally and often is subject to local prey availability.
B. Food intake.
Adult harbor seals eat 5% to 6% of their body weight per day, about 4.5 to 8.2 kg (10-18 lb.).
C. Feeding habits.
Harbor seals don't chew their food. They swallow their food whole or tear it into chunks. With their back molars, they crush shells and crustaceans.
D. Water intake.
Harbor seals generally obtain the water they need from their food. If food intake is decreased, the metabolic breakdown of fat produces water. The metabolism of 0.45 kg (1 lb.) of fat produces 0.64 kg (1.4 lb.) of water.
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 10:50 pm
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Animal I have Become
Things to go here:
-Change sequence, with small reflection bits for each stage (very small, like a few sentence)
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 10:51 pm
[There's something wrong with me, there's something wrong with you...] Friends:
Hailey: Met her on the boat before the wreck. She seemed nice enough, though she sure looks like she has a temper, judging by the altercation on the boat. I'm just the slightest bit intimidated by her- she seems like the type you wouldn't be wise to cross.
But so far...from the few times I've bumped into her on the island, she seems like she's not all spikes. She's actually pretty pleasant to be around. I hope she's okay...
Alcine: Met her on the boat before the storm and the shipwreck too. She seemed like a nice enough girl- and she's into photography, which is just awesome.
She helped me through my first change too...and I helped her through her own. She's just a kid, though; how unfair she's even here! But she's pretty keen. I worry about her...not sure why. Sis did always call me a bit of a mother hen, though. But someone's gotta care about the kids, right? I haven't seen her since the last big get-together at the camp a few days before I left for the base. She seems a bit nervous and down...I hope she's feeling better now. I wonder if she's changed again...I hope not.
Ian: Another one from the boat! He seemed a bit moody and quiet on the boat, and we had a slight...issue a week or so after the wreck, but it's all been worked out.
Even when you get to know him, he's a bit moody and snappy, and sort of stubborn. But he's not a bad kid. He CAN be nice. he just had a rough life, from what I understand. It's weird, but I feel kind of protective of him like I do for Alcine. Poor kid; I watched him change too- but for a second time, apparently. What we're becoming...it kind of scares me. If we ever get off this island, I told him he could stay at my place. I doubt that'll ever happen, though, but it never hurts to give someone like that a little hope.
Kainalu:
Kara:
Acquaintances
Ta: Some Japanese kid. He just graduated highschool before he was wrecked. Yet another example of how utterly unfair this whole situation is. I don't know him well, but we've spoken before, and he seem alright- if not a little stiff and quiet. But part of that could come from the fact he's not very well-versed in English...
Wesley: I guess everyone sees him as a leader. Why, because he's older or something? Huah. I ain't taking any orders from him. Let the others be bossed around; who died and elected him president ANYWAYS? He thinks he knows everything, thinks living at the base is a bad idea...I've been doing fine! What's everyone gonna do if the weather gets as bad as it's looking? I hope he's happy.
Paul: Old guy. Quiet, keeps to himself. Met him at camp a few times and while gathering coconuts. I haven't seen him since though. Maybe he up and croaked...
Skye: Not sure about this kid...I only ever saw him once or twice in the old camp in passing. He seemed okay- talked a little weird- but what do I know...?
Jessie:
Michihi:
Foes:
Leonard- ...d**k >.> The guy totally freaked out on me because I dropped his lighter off the edge of the boat. Maybe if he had handed it to me instead throwing it, then that would have never happened. He needs to take a major chill pill. He's one person I wouldn't be sad to see drowned. I'm sure the feelings are mutual too
And you know what? He's STILL peeved about the lighter. Oh, and maybe I chuckled at him once, and he totally spazzed. Yeah, I should have been more sensative, but I didn't mean to be mean. God. At least he's smart enough to know what the blade of a knife means. He better stay away from my area from now on.
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 10:52 pm
[Insert banner here]
Interactions and Altercations
Things to go here:
-Links to RPs
-Brief summaries of RPs (like a few sentences)
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 11:05 pm
[Insert Banner here]
Home Sweet Home
The Camp:
Just off the camp, Aiden had his own little nest. Back when they first came, before Leonard showed him to the base camp, the first out post for the castaways and still a popular congregation point. Just to the North a tad was a small clearing through the foliage Aiden claimed as his own. It was far enough to give privacy but close enough for him to still hear the conversations going on. It sated his need to be alone and have privacy while still saying near to people.
Plus, just a little further north was another small stream, his own stream. Populated with small freshwater fish, a good source of drinking water and just deep enough for him to be able to sit down have the water come to his waist (for cooling down and washing- the level could be raised by damming as well).
The camp was fairly spartan, consisting of his bed, his fireplace space and a small cubby for storage in the roots of a tree. Score mark the trunks of the trees- Aiden's method of keeping time for awhile. One tally for every day spent. In the trunk of one tree, there still lays a fork from his cutlery set, embedded in the bark after one of his 'mood swings'. however, it doesn't seem like it would be easy to pull out...why would you want to anyways?
Fireplace- Nothing too ornate, just a small fireplace to cook his food and keep him warm when the nights got cold.
There was a ring of good-sized rocks arranged to keep the fire contained. Well, not so much a ring, actually. There was a big rock up back and a few slightly smaller ones to the sized and just some small ones in front. It was more of an awkward square. But regardless of shape, it work well enough.
Next to it was a pile of dry leaves and good-burning wood from either the jungle or dried driftwood from the shore. Most of the cooking was done by spearing food on fallen sticks (mostly green wood since it burned slower) and roasting it marshmallow-style or resting the stick over the fire.
Bed- Aiden's bed was basically a pile of leaves. He attempted, in the past, making a hammock of vines, leaves and sticks. However, after falling out over the sides and through the bottom and having it break more than once...he gave up and decided to nap on the ground. The hammock wasn't very cozy anyways (sour grapes?).
He laid out wide palm fronds on the bottom, a hearty layer of smaller leaves, and then another layer of big leaves. It was still far from being comfortable, though. But...it was livable and after awhile, he got use to the hard ground, the bugs, the lizards and the aches and pains he woke up with.
Storage- It's nothing special, tucked under the roots of one of the trees, near to where Aiden's bed was. There was a natural hollow, dry from rainwater. Aiden dug it out a little more and used it to store some cans of soda, his knife, his cutlery box and his sketchpad. Aside from some spiders and lizards, this little sheltered hole kept Aiden's supplies dry and out of sight from people roaming through his area that may want to...borrow his stuff.
The Base:
Certainly a step up from the little clearing Aden used to have- it's no surprise he forsaked the company of others to find a place to sleep that was out of the noisy, buggy, dirty and uncomfortable jungle. The bases sit a considerable deal up the beach, a peppering of squat airforce buildings. Barracks are more numerous, though Aiden's inhabited the Officer's Quarters. Aside from being in better shape than the barracks, the officers quarters had separate rooms and a proper door, affording more privacy.
He inhabits the lower offices, as the upper ones get far too hot during the day (heat rises, after all). beyond that, the slanted tin roof is rusted from the salt air and years of wear and leaks. Without the ability to climb around on top, Aiden has staked file cabinets in the past to shove wads of leaves and the likes to plug the smaller holes (even if he doesn't stay in the room itself, the water that leaks in leaks through the wood floor and into his base-level room). This will become impossible once he loses his legs though...
His room is furnished with wood floors and a few file cabinets with assorted papers and maps. Not much, but at least it's helped Aiden improve his island map thus far. There are battle plans and maps pinned to the wall as well, though he's taken those down and used the thumbtacks to hang his own art- art of home, art of the island, art of the islanders. This is less of arrogance and more of making the place feel...homey. A few shells and the likes also decorate the place.
Bed- A cot mattress pilfered from the barracks. A few of them, in fact, stacked one on top of the other. At least it keeps him from napping on the hard, wooden floor. He has a few scratchy, threadbare blankets from the barracks as well. As warm as it gets, there is a breeze that comes off the sea that's more noticeable so close to the shore...
File Cabinets- Found already there when he moved in. On the upper floors, they're tipped and piled so he could repair the roof. In the lower floors, they sit pushed against the wall, used to store shells, existing papers, his sketches and other things. Hell, one of them had been gutted and his box of cutlery shoved in it for neater keeping!
Shelving Units- Found washed up in a box. Not yet assembled.
The Tent:
Not really a bedspace, but a little napping space Aiden made. Supported by saplings and large sticks lashed together with vines. The frame itself took forever to successfully craft, lash together and get up. weeks, easily. But...Aiden's had a lot of time to himself to get it right. Even so, when it gets too windy the thing seems prone to collapsing.
The top covering is palm leaves, smaller leaves, any sort of foliage he could find supplemented by some old ratty blankets from the barracks. it's a nice, shady place to rest outside, in view of the ocean but up high enough so that the tide won't get at it.
The Inner Tube- Sitting under the tent is an inner tube Aiden found. A comfy little seat, the hole in the middle allows Aiden to sit in it without cramping his tail. Aiden hauls it in come night or when he's done sitting out so it doesn't blow away. Occasionally, Aiden brings it as a portable seat when he goes hiking around the jungle.
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 11:18 pm
[Insert Banner Here]
The Goods
Things to go here:
-inventory
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 11:20 pm
[Insert banner here]
Art attack!
Things to go here:
-...art, both official, and unofficial stuff
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 11:22 pm
[Insert Banner Here]
Fun stuff >3
Things to go here:
- ninja
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 11:25 pm
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 11:27 pm
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 11:29 pm
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 11:31 pm
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