#Best In Class

[jfs-worldbuilding-and-art]

This one is also a Best in Class submission. Best in Class is a collaborative seed world where the community chose what the planet was seeded with, and now, in the first phase we are creating descendants of those seeded animals 25 Millions of Years later.

Spectember day 13: Marine Metamorphosis

Sargamander (*Benthasalamandra biforma* - Two forms bottom salamander)

Ancestor: Japanese giant salamander

Diet: Carnivorous

Habitat and range: Sargassum fields on the ocean floor surround the Charlie Archipelago, northeastern coast of Wallacea.

A descendant of the Japanese Giant Salamander, the Sargamander is an amphibian with an interesting life history. Living in the temperate waters surrounding the Charlie Archipelago, these salamanders start their life in the water column. After hatching, the free-swimming larvae congregate into large schools where they find safety in numbers. The larvae have well developed eyes, a stream-lined body possessing a lateral line, fins and a long, muscular tail with a fluke in the end. They eat zooplankton early on, but later turn into fish fry and then small fishes.

After some time they start to develop into adults, losing the tail fluke, almost losing their eyes, turning their fins into walking limbs again and most importantly developing many and many folds, wrinkles and strips in their skin. These folds, wrinkles and strips are a mimicry of benthic sargassum that live on the seafloor. The adult Sargamanders lives in close relationship with those algae, living buried among them, waiting for an unsuspecting prey to pass by, such as fish. After which they will suck in the prey with a strong suction force, leaving the prey to no reaction time.

Differently from the larvae, adults have extremely slow metabolisms and don't need food or air very often, surfacing to breathe every 20 hours or so. Funnily enough they have lost their cutaneous (skin) respiration, relying solely on atmospheric oxygen to survive.

[ladykf-writes]

Finally have the energy to start working on / posting fics again, however long it may last. Here's some updates for my solo fics:

CURRENT BUFFER STATUS OF THINGS I'M POSTING:

Best in Class: 12 unposted CHs, 1 posting tomorrow

The King & His Concubines: 11.5 unposted CHs, today's posted here

Waltzing Through Time: 9.5 unposted CHs, posted here Saturday

And here, current progressing buffer of things I am not currently posting but will probably be the next ones on docket that are already in progress:

Dewprism: Journey to the [Relic]: 16 unposted CHs (behind the backburner, there was no real interest)

Dog Whistle: 10.5 unposted CHs (being at the climax / ending require having it all done before posting, sorry)

Party of Five: 3 CHs but they need rewritten

ALSO likely to join the above:

Forged in Fire: 26 unposted CHs, some of it needs rewritten, all of it needs reread before resuming writing

It's Not a Game: 3 unposted CHs (I need to rewatch at least the Avengers. Ideally also Iron Man 1 & 2 and possibly Ragnarok, so that's why this keeps falling low on the list. Also this will ALSO be a big fixit and thus demanding why am I like this)

I'm also 👀 at some WIPs I'm poking on occasion. I'll cut it here and underneath you can see a snippet of two of their beginnings. In the meantime, feel free to ask questions or request out-of-context snippets!

The Goddess' Roulette (series) first fic: The Gift of the Goddess

Suddenly he was desperate for a mirror, to see his face, his hair, anything else that would confirm his sudden suspicions. Because he was so afraid to accept this as truth. That he had been healed, somehow, even though the last thing he remembered was the Mother Goddess Minerva turning him away. He’d thought she had been rejecting his appeal for healing. That she had left him to die, unsalvageable from the deeply entrenched presence of the Planet’s true enemy, Jenova. But if he was healed, it had to be divine intervention. If it was divine intervention, she had not rejected him. If she had not rejected him… then what had that gesture meant? She had turned her face from him and expelled him from the Lifestream, that he was sure of. What did it mean? Genesis got up, jelly legged, and raked a hand back through his hair. And kept going, finding to his somewhat hysterical amusement his hair was well past his shoulders. Twisting to look revealed it was past his waist and down towards his knees, though it didn’t quite reach it. And not a single strand of white to be found. Genesis swallowed hard, a hand fisting in his hair — it felt strong, like he could pull and not lose a single strand. How often had he run a hand through his hair not so long ago and strands of hair come with him? He blinked rapidly, eyes stinging. It was a miracle.

The Seventh God

Love is a powerful thing. A lack of love — familial, platonic, romantic, any sort of all — could do terrible things to a man left in painful isolation not for a year, not for five, not for ten, not twenty but twenty five hundred years, nearly three millennia. Left to murderous pain and soul tearing despair. Tears streaked down his face until he had no more strength in him to cry, burning black ichor dripping to the floor. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. (In another time, this was exactly how things were planned to play out; a man starved of his humanity was a much more pliant tool. But that is not how this story goes.) He hung from meat hooks, exhausted, dehydrated, listening to the wails and cursing and feral sounds of the daemons that tried to possess him. Sometimes he wondered if it wouldn’t be worth it to just… let go. Let them have him, little that there was to have. In the lowest point he could have hit, he felt it. The faintest coolness on his fevered brow, making him groan softly. ‘Thank you.’ Red brows furrowed in confusion, too tired to even begin to understand what he could possibly be being thanked for, nor who would.

[vanillacokeacola]

lowkey me bc I don't wanna study but I have to mantain my "best student" role and and I can't let my academic rival win

[novaneondream]

Anyways what kind of music do you think Eri listens to

[maxxdeliverycanada]

Efficient delivery is key to construction success! MaxxDelivery.ca is transforming Toronto’s construction logistics with on-time material deliveries and advanced tracking technology. Avoid costly delays and ensure your projects stay on track. Trust MaxxDelivery.ca for precision and reliability. #Construction #Efficiency #Toronto

[ruushes]

companions re-classed part 3 - shadowheart 🌌🌚🌝

*shadowdancer isn't a 5e rogue subclass, it's a 3.5e rogue-based prestige class, but it suits her so well and when i played 3.5e as a kid i thought it was the coolest thing ever lol so i wanted to use it

karlach 🔥 wyll ⚔️

[pranpat]

Weak Hero Class 1 (2022) | Weak Hero Class 2 (2025)

[classjezter]

Guide to cybertronian carriage - Part 1

More below 🔽

First event - Creation

Term one

Second event - Descension

Part 2 - Term 2 and Third event: emergence

[jfs-worldbuilding-and-art]

The Grapplebill (Hamorostri) Order is Endemic to Muirlandia, being the main predators of the continent.

They receive their name due to their characteristic beak shape and hunting method. Small to medium sized grapplebills behave very similarly to the extinct Maniraptorans of Earth, holding themselves into prey using specialized sickle-shaped claws and balancing using the wings and tail fan. However there is one crucial difference, the grapplebill parrots also use a namesake - their hooked upper bill - to hold onto prey, using the sharp lower bill to slice the throat of prey, much like saber-toothed cats and other predators from Earth. For a stronger and more precise bite these birds have fortified their necks, making them short but strong, losing most of the neck mobility seen in most birds.

Green Bushkee (Interfector viridis - Green killer)

Ancestor: Kea

Diet: Carnivorous

Habitat and range: Central forests of Muirlandia

50 Centimeters tall keas who live in small communities in tree or ground nests, sometimes appropriating the burrows of dicynodonts. These communities consist of 2-5 individuals who hunt mostly alone, targeting small birds and dicynodonts, but will cooperate to take down larger prey.

Still flighted and hunts in crepuscular periods to avoid competition with other similar sized predators. Once prey is found they ambush it, clinging themselves to the sides/back of the animal, securing themselves with the two sickle claws in the front of the feet. Then they hook themselves with the beak generally in the neck region, after which they start to stab the unfortunate victim with its lower beak, in hopes of hitting an artery.

Tyrant Hookbeak (Parrex tyrannus - Tyrant Royal Couple)

Ancestor: Kea

Diet: Carnivorous

Habitat and range: Central and Eastern montane forests of Muirlandia

In the warm forests of Muirlandia lives one of the largest Kea descendants of 25 Millions of Years after seeding. It is the Tyrant Hookbeak, or Parrex. A 2 meters tall predatorial parrot from the Hamorostri (Grapplebills) order, a Kea order endemic to Muirlandia with a distinct way of killing prey.

These parrots live up to more or less 30 years of age and are monogamous, never changing partners even after the death of one. The chicks (generally 1-3) are tended by both parents for 5 years, after which they are independent and go off to live with other Parrex of the same sex for another 5 years. After reaching sexual maturity at the age of 10 they go looking after another Parrex to mate with. After a series of vocalizations to locate each other they show off their UV coloration in their plumage, the female gets to decide if the male is worthy of mating with if the plumage is bright enough to her taste. After which they go off to settle a new territory and make daily calls to warn off other Parrexes.

They live in forests that are pretty open due to the trampling done by large animals such as Dicynodonts and herbivorous Kea descendants, and thus have adopted a brown plumage dotted with white on the dorso, mimicking the pattern of sunlight hitting the forest floor or tree trunks.

Tyrant Hookbeaks gain their name from their characteristic beak with three hooks on the upper bill and gory method of hunting. All Grapplebills have a distinct hooked beak, strong neck muscles and flexible Cranial Kinesis that allows them to hunt prey in a unique way.

Parrex hunts in pairs in adulthood. After locating prey one of them goes to a set hiding spot and waits, while the other goes into startling prey and drives it to the hiding partner. When in close proximity the Parrex that was hiding ambushes the prey, hooking itself into the prey, generally in the neck, where it is easier to hit an artery. Once hooked the parrot will start stabbing the prey with its sharp lower beak, causing severe trauma and blood loss if not hitting an artery, killing the prey not long after.

Green-crowned Gorer (Caedis bicolor - Two colored gorer)

Ancestor: Kea

Diet: Carnivorous

Habitat and Range: Western, Central and Northeastern forests of Muirlandia

1 Meter tall parrots possessing long strong legs used to kick prey much like the Seriema or Secretary bird from Earth. Even possessing a raptorial claw in the feet used to stab small prey. However, as members of the Hamorostri order they still use their strong necks and hooked beaks for killing prey. They live and hunt somewhat similarly to the Parrex, however they tend to live in larger groups, between 2-6 or even more depending on the prey. Cooperating to take it down and feast as a group.

Their hunting method is almost like a mix of the hunting methods of the two previous parrots. Startling prey and driving it to an ambush, then attacking it using the hooked beaks. However they use more kicks with the sickle claw in addition to the beak. They are flightless but still retain sizable wings used in balance when attacking prey.

[ladykf-writes]

Let's play a writing game!

Reblog this with 5-10 SHORT excerpts (no more than 3-5 sentences if you can help it; you want people to read a tasty bite and want to go back for more) of one or more WIPs of yours. Only very basic context if any, to persuade people why they should read your story.

And link to the story, here / Ao3, wherever. (if there's MAJOR warnings do list those here though)

IF THE WIP IS UNPOSTED, link to anywhere you've talked about it prior, or tack on a quick summary of the fic-to-be. (NOTE, if you put /chrono at the end of your URL for a tag, it will display that tag in chronological order!)

Readers, if the person reblogging this didn't add something from a work of theirs you love, send "[name of fic] excerpt" to encourage them to share more! (Trust me, no one doesn't want interaction.)

I'll start with two examples from the unposted bits of Dog Whistle (FF7) followed by unposted portions of Waltzing Through Time (FF7) Best in Class (FF7), The King and His Concubines (tumblrfic) AND an entirely unposted WIP called "The Shinra Way" -- wherein Lazard snaps when Hollander approaches him

Dog Whistle | FF7 Soulmate AU

“Gods bless, I… I don’t think I can fix this,” Reeve whispered, then shook himself. He had to try.

“Sleep, my son,” she said, gripping his hair in her hand as he gasped and slumped forward. Her eye met Zack’s with that same predatory grin. “Let Mother take care of it.”

Waltzing Through Time | FF7 Soulmate AU

“Really? You have juicy descriptors like ‘bullheaded’ ‘narrow minded’ ‘bigoted’ ‘racist’ and one of my personal favorites, ‘willfully stupid’,” Genesis said, managing a straight face somehow through Reeve’s snort of laughter, “and you choose ‘particular’?”

He got to steady ground, mind churning, and finally said, “Ifalna is the last full blooded Cetra.” // “What, she took a census?” Genesis arched a brow at him. “Who told you that? Chaos? If it wasn’t literally a being Of The Planet it doesn’t count for much, Reeve.”

Best in Class | FF7 canon divergence

“They’re called subspells and every non-summon materia has at least one that can be defined in a way that can be explained and put to use,” Genesis said. “Most people don’t actually break it down like that because in the initial learning stage it takes most people more focus to actually lower their input. [...]"

“This is me looking out for you. You are a very emotional person, Gen, we both know it. I don’t want you getting blindsided and being rash in any direction, be it agreeing to something you resent later or running from something and regretting unnecessary complications on coming back.”

The King and His Concubines | tumblrfic [prompt here]

“My task is the wholesale slaughter of a dwindling magical race, whose only crime is trespassing in fear and fighting to defend themselves,” Harlan said quietly. “Just because they’re enemies of the kingdom, just because we should defend our allies, does not make this an honorable fight. There is no honor in war.” // Cedric looked at him strangely. “…I’m sorry what?”

Harlan chuckled. “Trust me.” // “I do.” Cedric cleared his throat as Harlan arched a brow, realizing he may have said that a little too fast. But he didn’t take it back, didn’t even imply he hadn’t meant it. // Because he had, gods help him.

The Shinra Way | FF7 canon divergence (not yet posted)

"You’ve spilled far more secrets than I have, Doctor, and have far more to lose than I do, so we’re going to do this my way,"

"I think the President’s chair would be a great birthday present, don’t you?"

[z13lovebot]

Haven't posted in a while have some duos

[morganbritton132]

Look, Eddie’s not in love with the fact that one of his new little sheep is Steve Harrington’s number one fan, but he’s got to give Dustin credit.

“Let me get this straight,” Eddie says at their nearly silent lunch table. “You want Steve Harrington - King of Conformity - to come to Hellfire.”

“Just until he gets the heaters in in his car fixed,” Dustin replies. He doesn’t even do Eddie the decency to look intimidated. “Otherwise, I got to leave exactly at six. It’s too cold for him to sit out in his car for hours and he’s my ride.”

Eddie has the flicker of an idea run through his mind and does the opposite of what he should. He says, “Fine.”

There’s a knock on the door a little after five and then there he is. The king gracing them with his presence, flashing a peace sign to them and taking a seat in the corner. And yeah. That won’t do.

Eddie reaches over and grabs the chair, pulling Steve closer to him and announces, “Meet the hostage, boys.”

Eddie rambles over Steve’s protest, laying the groundwork to build an hero’s journey upon. He describes the captive, where they’re at, what they’re doing which is - “Nothing, because our pretty, pretty princess is tied to a chair and-“

He snaps the ring of a handcuff around Steve’s wrist and then the other cuff to one of the rungs in his chair. He smiles at Steve, “-and can do nothing about it.”

And then Steve promptly has a panic attack.

[wobubling]

Kory in the hades artstyle

[floccinaucinihilipilificationa]

[honey-bird10]

MAN I WAS ALREADY NOT HAVING A GOOD TIME MAKING THIS BUT THEN I NEEDED TO CHANGE SOMETHING AND THIS PROMPT CAME UP WHEN I TRIED TO SAVE IT YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK I'll JUST DIE

HERE IT IS WITHOUT THE PROMPT IF ANYONE CARES