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gallusrostromegalus · 1 year

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I haven't seen any dog stories in a while. How are Charleston and The Hanukkah Goblin doing?

Dog updates!

The first one is a little sad, but also how life should go. Arwen is 14 now and while she's still moving, eating, pooping and generally enjoying life, she also has canine dementia and sundown syndrome where she gets extremely nervous and her dementia gets worse after dark. She'll be with us for a while yet, but it's something we have to manage now.

One person who is very much helping her manage is Herschel. My parents are traveling a lot while they still have the knees for it so I spend a lot of time up at their house, and Charleston and Herschel come up too. Being a Corgi, Herschel likes to manage things, and Arwen would like someone to manage things for her so he's become her self-appointed guide dog.

When I call the dogs for food or outside, he goes and finds her deaf ass and herds her to the location. Normally she doesn't go outside after dark but when the boys are there she's willing to wait for Charlie to chase away anything that might be lurking out there, and then follow Herschel's ass around the yard at night.

Very literally.

She's also got cataracts forming and I think his bright white backside is easy for her to see in the dark, so she follows it around.

During daytime walks she sees well enough but neither she nor Charlie are fans of strange off-leash dogs running up to them (a regrettably common problem out here. I don't care if your dog is friendly MINE ARE NOT!), so both of them prefer to walk half a pace behind Herschel so his more socially adept and knife-filled face is out front to intercept any unwanted solicitors. This does tend to give people the opposite impression though- because he is so much shorter, Herschel gives the impression of a tiny, charming mafioso flanked by his two large and surly bodyguards.

Like, they absolutely would kill a bear for him.

But Charlie and Arwen would also try to kill a bear on general principle.

At night, when Arwen barks at shadows, Herschel runs up and stand between her and the alleged menace, and does his best to look large and intimidating and for as silly as he looks, he does have a very good growl. After a moment, when the alleged bear or congressman or other horror fails to appear, he will stick his nose into the offending shadow, and finding nothing, be satisfied that their joint effort has successfully chased the problem off, and report back to her. This, more than anything else, seems to alleviate Arwen 's fears.

I guess we all just need someone to take us seriously when we're frightened.

Charleston, meanwhile, has gotten into giving safari tours of the front range's small vertebrates.

After eight years of managing his exceptionally high prey drive, something clicked earlier this summer and instead of immediately lunging his whole face at any approximately bite-sized animal in an attempt to expedite it's journey into his stomach, Charlie has started *pointing* at things until I come look at them and tell him he's a good boy. This started with a mole, something he'd never seen before and that moves above ground in a strange way, so he wasn't sure about eating it, so he only alerted at it. "GOOD BOY!" I shouted, giving him all the cuddles. "GOOD SPOT! GOOD JOB NOT EATING IT!"

It's important to reward behavior you want to see.

Since then, he's been trying out pointing at small creatures in the grass and then making very pointed eye contact with me until I come look at them. This is a little tricky when walking both dogs because Herschel is still very much in his "inhale wildlife" phase, but usually I can lock the little gremlin's leash and go look at whatever Charlie has cornered while Herschel attempts to develop telekinesis to will the critter into his mouth.

So far, Charleston has found: a baby rabbit, several baby rabbits in a cluster, an adult rabbit with Jackalope virus, several voles, several moles, a fledgling owl, only the two mice, several mouse-sized grasshoppers and cicada, someone's pet rat (the person was searching within earshot and 'Socks' was collected forthwith), a beanie baby that had me fooled for a hit minute too, a marmot which I didn't know lived down here, a groundhog which I didn't know lived up here, a mink, so many toads, a wild turkey chick, so many more garter snakes and last night, an aquatic shrew.

I don't know if there's an Audubon Society for small things that scuttle around in the undergrowth, but I am inclined to join solely to get Charleston recognition for his service in surveying them.

#dogs #Charleston Chew #Arwen the crime dog #Herschel the Hanukkah Goblin #family lore

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sicklysaccharinerush · 7 months

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Space Critters cus I love SPACE!!

Catnap is a Alien that follows Dogday around while he's on expedition.

( still working on the other critters designs and their roles )

Catnap is supposed to look more the like alien... from the movie Alien.

#my art #digital art #catnap #dogday #the smiling critters #smiling critters #poppy playtime #poppy playtime chapter 3 #smilling critters au

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sun4ki · 3 months

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“So young and pretty, it’s too bad they passed”

- In my room _ By insane clown posse

Aeon of light!Gn Reader X various Hsr women hcs

Characters (Ruan Mei, Kafka, Robin, Himeko, Black Swan, Natasha)

Gn Reader being forgotten Aeon of Light, keeping their distance around any human life as they wandering peacefully around the universe. Having great and powerful strength, only to be degraded by other, stronger Aeons. They hid their identity but that would soon change as these women found Gn reader and took them in...

Warnings: slight ooc? MEN OR HOMOPHOBIC DNI

Author's note: first fic post like actually :p hope you like this! I'm open to criticism and improvement! Sorry for bad English, its not my first language and im dyslexic :(

Ruan mei

The scientist who found you wandering all alone in the secluded zone, the poor Aeon got lost and ended up in the Herta space Station..

Lucky for you, That was the day Ruan Mei visited. You explored the Secluded area, seeing a lot of these critters around.

feeling curious you picked up one of them, only to hear mechanical noises of a door being opened behind you. You turned around seeing the Scientist who created these critters herself. . .

“How interesting . . “ the scientist spoke to herself in a monotone manner

Eventually Ruan Mei soon took you in, doing some simple experiments for her study.

“Hold still , this would be less painful if you stop with the unnecessary movement .”

You could only sit and watch idly as the scientist takes some blood sample from you for her research on an extraordinary being like you

Kafka

Kafka found you during one of her missions, She took you in, saying how it was “destiny’s plan”, how both of you were destined to meet eventually. . .

Elio had already told her it was part of her “script” meeting with you and bringing you with. . .

The stellaron hunter knew you could be a great addition to their team— I mean just imagine a powerful yet forgotten Aeon of Light in the stellaron hunters team ?! Not to mention you would also be a great sparring partner

“You’re pretty strong Y’know ?

Great for me to test my skills on without you dying ~ “

Jokes aside Kafka is actually very gentle and caring about you, aware of the fact you don’t know a lot about how humanity lived (considering you kept your distance around them), she would teach you how to blend in and live a life like the rest . . .

Robin

By the time you got to Penacony, you were immediately drawn to this ethereal singing . . .

When you saw Robin for the first time, you were mesmerized by her beauty as she sang. . . Her looks reminded you one of an Angel, a beautiful one, you couldn’t take your eyes off her

The two of you became fast friends, Robin would guide you around Penacony, she was like your tour guide, showing you around the dreamscape.

Robin was actually very supportive about your whole Aeon of Light thing, and just like Kafka, she would often accompany you and teach the ways to live like the rest

her brother Sunday doesn’t actually approve of you though , he’s suspicious of you and Robin’s relationship but ether way Robin would ensure you he means good

“Don’t mind my brother . .

He’s just concerned about me . .”

Himeko

Himeko found you in one of express’s trailblazer missions right after they left penacony, Himeko took it upon herself to take care of you, aware of the fact you still felt unsure about the rest of the members

The navigator would often let you sleep in her cabin, accompanying you as you would always feel comfortable in her embrace . .

It’s not a surprise you would avoid any contact with the other members of the train. . Either way, when the others set out for another expedition, you would stay behind with Himeko, making sure Himeko is protected and safe at all costs . . .

Maybe because you’re close or maybe because she reminds you of a certain someone in The past you can’t quite identify. . (Doing this cuz i miss murata himeko)

“You’re clingy sometimes you know..?

Who knew the Aeon of Light could act like a clingy love sick puppy at times ?”

Black swan

When you enter penacony, you haven’t seen black swan just yet. . She would be keeping an eye on you from a distance before actually revealing who she is . . (She gives me stalker vibes idk)

She finds you intriguing . . She would observe how you behave for a few days or so and by the looks at it- you clearly don’t know how to act properly around others let alone socialize . .

That’s when the Memokeeper decided to step out of her “bird hide” enough with watching you like a delicate bird unaware of her keen eyes

“What’s an interesting being like you wandering all alone in this dreamscape ?”

Black swan would look into your memories aswell . . Witnessing your past . . Aswell as the memories of being degraded by other Aeons and being forced to live in the shadows of the universe to be left and forgotten. .

“What a poor birdie you are . .” The woman would whisper

“Don’t worry dear ~ I’ll make sure to take care of you ”

Natasha

As soon as you got to Belobog, you were immediately sent to the underground. . .

Let’s just say the guards gave you a not so “friendly” Welcome, which lead to fighting- a lot of fighting-

The fight eventually forced you to be sent to the underground

Natasha was the first to find you, you met her while she was doing some errands . . . Seeing that Natasha was actually kind and gentle with you, you stayed by her side, helping her in the clinic and with the kids

Eventually, Natasha introduced you to the other wildfire members, you started helping in the underground, being a big help in taking care of the people there, like the underground’s guardian.

you would help with the wildfire’s fights, often getting all bruised up since you force yourself to not use your full power.. but whenever you do, atleast you have your trusty doctor to patch you back up

“Just be careful next time okay sweetie?” She would often tell you

Little side note: i was actually supposed to add acheron and stelle lmfao but i got busy and keep forgetting to write their part haha, i will add them though if any of you want a part two. You can also recommend other characters to add ^^

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critter-creature-or-beast · 5 months

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By Kevin Raskoff, Hidden Ocean 2005 Expedition: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration. - NOAA Photo Library, Public Domain

#common clione #naked sea butterfly #sea angel #sea slug #gastropod #mollusk #mollusc #wet [critter creature or beast] wednesday

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itsabouttimex2 · 5 months

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Dude Tang sanzang really sound like a gentle but also....ya know-

and maybe we could get a fic of him?I kinda curious actually-

Taken Aboard

Yandere Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong

(I’ve noticed recently that I enjoy writing yandere introduction fics- them meeting you. The content is a bit softer, but I enjoy establishing these things!)

You don't really want the shiny little key, no matter how important it looks. You just know that it's important. Made from polished silver and ending in many prongs, with a large gemstone set into the bulb... it was clearly valuable.

But you don't want it. Not the silver, not the jewel. You want what comes with taking it- a chase. And if these people didn't want to play your games, why would they come into your forest?

They’re only at the very entrance of the forest, where the trees are thinnest, but it’s still a foolish expedition that they’re surmounting.

There's easier ways to get through the area, after all. The forest is thick with trees and sharp vines, running with many rivers and populated by thousands of different animals. Clearly, these strangers are in no rush and have supplies to spare if they're traveling directly through instead of around.

So what's the harm in one little game?

You’ve learned all the creatures in this forest by heart- their scents and sounds and shapes, each palm-sized critter and earth-shaking beast impossibly dear to your heart.

Your hands; diminutive and deft, shift from tight skin to soft feathers. And as nail curves to talon, the bones of your fingers slide around your palm until they’ve diminished from five to four. In a sudden. startling flash of golden light does the rest of your form fall away.

As the aureate rays that wrap your body burn away from your reducing frame, the new truth of your body becomes clear- you’ve taken the form of a diminutive songbird. Were it not for your green-flecked wings, you would be entirely indistinguishable as a demon by the eye alone.

There’s just enough wind filtering through the dense forest to aid your feathers, sending your small form skyward.

You gather speed by twisting around clustered branches and thick tree trunks, breaking through a canopy of foliage and soaring to the warm sky.

Wings close to your body, you zip overhead the group and unfurl them in what would be a grand display, had you a more imposing form.

Tucking your wings tight, you dive haphazardly, snatching the key from a very startled monk all dressed up in a fancy cossack with a jangly golden stick.

Prying the metal free from his fingers, you retreat to the denser woods, taking a moment to perch as he calls out indignantly for you to return.

But you don’t even have time to gloat to yourself before a multicolored hawk comes at you, red and blue and ginger feathering.

Barely you manage to dodge, watching the bird soar past. The wind left in it’s blazing wake is so fast that your feathers are nearly torn out by their quills.

It rounds sharply, lurching at you again, only missing when you drop from the branch and dip towards the ground. The hawk turns and dives, losing you as you loop a low-hanging branch. It curves the bend with you, only inches away. Through the leaves, it misses by a hairsbreadth, mistaking a browning leaf for your insignificant form. Over the river your shadows startle the koi, causing them to retreat to the muddy depths. All across and through the forest are you hounded, slowly falling closer to the talons of the glorious hawk.

And you finally slip, diving too slow to avoid the clutch of avian claws.

But cold keratin is not what cages you.

Furry fingers tightly enfold your fragile form, stuck fast between the palms of the Monkey King.

He drops from the sky with some measure of grace, tail swaying in glee born of victory.

Exhausted from the chase, you concede defeat in the form of birdsong, melodically peeping and chirping to the simian from the cage his hands form.

Sun Wukong pauses at your display of surrender. It’s not often that a demonic enemy accepts being beaten. He carefully opens his hands to view you- and, to his disbelief, you hop onto the pointer finger of his right hand, holding the little key in your beak.

“You’re a funny little demon, aren’t you? So cute, but so darn troublesome… here, give me that.”

You don’t protest or fight as he snatches the jeweled key, stuffing the metal into his pocket.

“Wukong! Wukong, don’t hurt them!” Says a worried voice from just a few paces away, clearly out of breath from running. “Wukong do not make me recite the… sutra?”

His voice trails away at the sight of you, cupped in the simian’s ginger-furred hands.

“…they aren’t running, Master. They just… gave me the key after I caught them.”

The monk approaches slowly, then takes you into his gentle hands, a note of pity in his contemplative eyes. One soft finger brushes against the green spots that speckle your quills.

“Demon, I kindly ask you- reveal to me your name and form.”

With a giggling peep, you do as asked and immediately return to your true form- in his palms.

Tang Sanzang gasps from the sudden shift in weight, pulled to the ground before he can right himself. You giggle again, sprawled half on his lap and half on the dirt. And Sun Wukong laughs too, enjoying a moment of indignity from his oft-stoic master.

There’s a flash of irritation that fades the second the monk gets a good look at you- gods, you’re only a child. And so thoroughly ragged too. Mud and leaves in your never-cut hair, your fingernails chipped and uneven. Shredded clothing and no shoes.

“Have you been out here long, little one? In the forest, all on your lonesome?” Pity in his voice, compassion in his eyes. “When was the last time you had a meal? A drink? Come, quench yourself with my canteen,” he commands, lifting the fur-wrapped metal to your lips.

“They’re not a baby,” Wukong argues, tapping one clawed finger against your nose. “And don’t act like they’re harmless, Master.”

You pull away from the canteen after a long sip, sticking your tongue out at him. “No one asked you, Hóutóu!”

“Are you getting cheeky with Sun Yéyé? Maybe I should chase you all around your own home again, brat!”

Tang Sanzang sighs, not cutting into the squabble. Petty arguing was better than outright violence, and neither of you seemed all too serious about the verbal spat.

All he can really do is change the subject.

“I can hardly leave a little one all alone out here- even in the forest, it must grow cold at night. Come, you may rest in my tent when the sun falls. Then we shall find your parents, and-“

“Nope!”

“…excuse me? ‘N-no’, little one? You mustn’t joke with me like that-“

“I’m not joking,” you cheerily and confidently respond. “This whole forest is my home! And I don’t have parents, anyways! I was born from a fallen peach tree!”

That didn’t sound… too implausible, honestly. Strange things gave birth to demons, after all. Rocks, in Wukong’s own case.

But, even if you were a demon born of nature and the wilds…

Wouldn’t it be horribly cruel to leave a child out here, all alone?

You were small enough to still fit in his lap, small enough that you only came to Wukong’s hip even when you stood on your toes.

A child. Gods, how could you have survived on your own for so long? Demon or not, you were a child. Gods above, he couldn’t leave you here.

It couldn’t be that you’d leave easily. You had just declared that this forest was your home. And with the powers and skills you had, simple force wouldn’t be enough.

He… had some praying to do. To Guanyin, and to another blessed length of golden metal.

You would not be staying here a night longer.

#Platonic Yandere #Yandere Lego Monkie Kid #Yandere LMK #Yandere Tang Sanzang #Yandere Sun Wukong #For Clarification #Hóutóu means ‘monkey head’ and is an insult in JTTW #And Sun Wukong often refers to himself as “’Grandpa Sun’ to mock his enemies #In form of ‘Sun Yéyé’ and ‘Son Wàigōng’#Taken Aboard #Journeyfam

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matrixbearer2024 · 6 days

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“Daddy dearest can't save you now squirt! You're mine!”

Aeschylus has nightmares about a familiar chaotic triangle we yeet around because LORE! I'm planning to make a comic about him waking up from the nightmare because holy SPAZZ he needs some good shit to recover and help with this.

More lore and context under the cut:

Way back when Aeschylus was a kid he used to adventure out of the shack and into the woods to explore and or bring back neat little critters to ask papa Sixer about(despite his mom having scolded them both about bringing random specimen of all kinds into the house). The behavior didn't really stop even after Ford got sucked into the portal, hell it happened more often because Max kept looking for his dad- convinced he just got lost on an expedition or something similar.

However, as you all know how Cipher messes with everyone's minds when granted the opportunity- the triangle tried to beeline for the kid that most resembled his darling Fordsy in both personality and behavior when the researcher finally grew wise to his shenanigans. He didn't really have many opportunities to for a couple years because of Stanley and Ford's wifey protectively hovering over the triplets but Bill would say waiting four earth years was well worth the return for the damage he had inflicted.

All it took was a little bit of stroking that same flame of curiosity as he did Sixer and Aeschylus was all his for the taking. Like father, like son, Bill couldn't have found it more amusing. Slowly he guided the kid deep into the forest, away from the eyes of mother mayhem and uncle irritating.

Much to the triangle's annoyance however, Aeschylus was more cautious of him than Ford ever was. The kid refused to make a deal with him and even tried running away at some point when he finally realised what the triangle was trying to do.

"Nu-uh! You're the weird guy that made my daddy crazy! My mommy says to never make a deal with you!"

Bill was pretty pissed at this point that his plans are being proper screwed with so he forced his hand.

"If you're not going to give me access to your head, I'll just take it then!"

Imagine having taken your eyes off your eldest toddler son for just a second only to find him suddenly gone. It took so much strength to even allow the kids outside of the cabin you called your home ever since Cipher started haunting you and the family since Ford's unfortunate incident with the portal. To find Aeschylus missing would've driven anyone at that point into a flurry of panic.

When Stan came out to check on the both of you, his expression of dread and anxiety merely mirrored your own to a lesser extent. The two of you immediately shouting for the kid as you checked the nearby area thoroughly, the both of you making your ways deeper into the forest surrounding the log cabin cautiously.

It was Stanley who found Aeschylus first, seeing the kid strung up high into the canopy was eerie enough but noticing he wasn't responsive made the panic shoot sky high. There was some kind of large furry creature that poked and swat around the young boy like a pinata which Stan immediately threw hands with the get rid of the darn thing in his emotional high.

You heard the screaming and shouting and rushed over before feeling sick to your stomach, there your kid was- but strung by the neck by a vine so high he seemed to nearly be a part of the forest canopy. You steeled yourself and pulled the small pistol from your pocket which your husband had made prior with the intention to use it for hunting creatures.

Who knew it's first use would be as a pivotal tool to save your son?

Despite shaky hands and eyes blurred with tears, your aim rang true and the ion blast burnt the vine clean a couple inches above the toddler's head. You didn't account for the tall drop however, as the priority was first and foremost to get him down before he was hung to death.

Thankfully, Stanley had been paying close attention as he managed to catch Aeschylus with a loud grunt. The kid was dropped on him like a bomb multiple times both literally and metaphorically but this moment falls under the former. Your stomach dropped to the floor when you also started to smell the familiar metallic tang of blood.

It wasn't rocket science for both you and Stanley to know that you needed to rush Aeschylus to the hospital, especially as the vine around his neck unwound to leave a large and nasty wound that seemed to circle around his entire neck. The vine itself was thorny and barbed but it had apparently dug deep enough into the kid's skin to cut.

Stanley drove to the hospital like a bat out of hell while you kept a towel firmly pressed into your son's neck in an attempt to stop the bleeding. The kid was breathing but shallowly, not to mention he was turning paler by the second.

You and Stan were never really religious, but you could both only really pray to whatever deity was up there if there even was any- to keep Aeschylus alive. You wondered how much your husband would've lost his shit had he been here, but you swallowed down the grief at the reminder of him as your in-law pulled into the ER parking lot.

Memories from that point on were a blur, you could only be grateful that despite the apparent tension between your husband and his twin brother- Stanley didn't just leave your family behind. He was expectedly dejected that he wasn't even told about the triplets getting born, much less his brother getting married, but he still stayed to care for you all in place of his brother. Not to replace him, but to do what he knew Poindexter would've and should've had he not been stuck wherever the portal threw him.

By the time you'd been able to see Aeschylus again, the doctors claim that it's a miracle the kid even survived. It's as if just enough pressure was put on his neck not to kill him but to make him suffer. He didn't pass out from oxygen deprivation, but from the pain.

You fell to your knees sobbing when you heard that, already knowing what or who was responsible rather because of their words. Aeschylus couldn't talk for a couple weeks due to this incident, and even afterwards his voice had changed due to the damage.

You regretted this moment every single day afterwards, all the more when your son even refused to step a foot outside anymore. He refused to explore the woods he once loved, the woods your family used to stroll by sunset or camp out in when Ford was still around.

Aeschylus started wearing high-collared shirts or turtlenecks to hide the scar as well, not telling anyone exactly why or how he got into that situation in the first place as everyone in the family already had an inkling or hunch. They didn't need to ask. He didn't want to be shifted to homeschool however, as much as you and Stan tried to convince him- since he seemed determined to study for whatever reason.

This event still gives Aeschylus nightmares until the present day, Bill Cipher didn't get into his head- but the triangle got damn well close and he would've had to pay his life if you or Stan hadn't found him.

Those same nightmares is why Aeschylus barely manages to sleep, having developed insomnia out of the fear and paranoia around the same time he was able to come home from the hospital. Even if you asked him now what was the scariest experience in his life, Aeschylus would likely mention this near death experience- as nothing else in his life has ever come quite close to this incident, not even weirdmaggedon.

Sketchy for this piece is here:

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dutiful-wildcraft · 4 months

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Secondhand News

John Price/ plus size F!OC

John Price chases after his sergeants sister, a soft and sweet wildlife rehabilitator in the rural south.

Tags: domestic fluff, critters, poor flirting, and eventual smut. There is also some background romance between the rest of the 141. Please Enjoy <3

Price bounces gently in the back seat of the old SUV, his hand curled over the rain guard from where his arm hangs out of the window. Content to let the warm wind wash over him as they speed down the bumpy gravel road to Darren’s home. Pleased to see the landscape shift from seemingly endless plains of agricultural fields and miles of 2-lane highway, to dense and muggy bottomland filled with oaks and hardy cypress.

Ghost is sitting passenger, mask temporarily pulled down, scarred lips pulled into a knowing smile as he watches Darren fuss stubbornly with the worn out radio. Ghost eventually grows tired of the annoying swap between static and too loud classic rock, giving the knob a quick smack. He reaches over, tugging at Darren’s ear. “Jus’ listen to the wind.” he chastises warmly. Rolling his own window further for added effect. Darren wrinkles his nose in displeasure, growing antsy in his excitement to get home, but holding back his chatter. Price gives him about 5 minutes before he touches the radio again.

This was a well needed “vacation.” Rather, they had been bullied into taking temporary leave, signed and expedited by Laswell herself before the boys could get swept up in another ultranationalist regime. They had been running for months, beaten and exhausted after Makarov. The near miss with Soap had worn heavily on them all, and another group was being pulled online to clean up the aftermath. After a few weeks of huddling with Soap, John had intended to go home to his empty flat in Liverpool, drink himself silly and wait for a call, maybe binge the football games he'd missed in the chaos. Pay his mum a visit.

However it had been Darren’s casual offer that brought him to this portion of the rural united states. Darren, the last to join his task force. A good friend and former teammate of Alex Keller. Price had been pleased with the man’s skills, stealing him like he had done with the others, and Darren’s presence had been invaluable in the hunt for Makarov, securing himself as part of the team as well as snuggling him in just as nicely with his other teammates.

Darren spoke fondly of his home, particularly of his baby sister, whom he fretted for and praised in equal measure. “Ruby’s sharp, smarter than me by a long shot,” he tells them, the 5 of them crammed into their favorite booth of the local pub, “She’s just on her own out there, I know she does just fine, but still.”

Price knew of her, had met her before, years ago at an awards ceremony. She was a pretty thing, all big soft curves and dark freckles on her round cheeks. He’d stolen her to his side most of the night, dancing and laughing, but circumstance had them parting without exchanging contact. Their time together had been brief, but he’d be lying if hadn't layed in bed that evening, hand on his cock as he thought about how the pretty warm thing would sound mewling underneath him.

And maybe some more nights after that.

Price had listened intently when Darren spoke of her. From what he could gather, she was in fact doing just fine. Having been the first to snag a college degree, something to do with animal sciences if he remembered correctly. According to Darren she ran her own small scale wildlife rehab. “Nuthin’ crazy, mostly just the critters folks find hurt or without their mommas” he’d explained in his soft southern drawl. Showing them videos of a fawn trying and failing to walk over his home’s hardwood floors, as a familiar feminine voice encouraged the babe to give it another go, biting off giggles somewhere off camera.

Her laugh was just as sweet as Price remembered, and he’d decided then and there that he would travel to the asscrack of southern america just to hear it again.

It had already been discussed that Soap and Gaz would go to London, spend some time with Gaz’s family while Soap waited for his checkup with a neurologist. Darren would return to his shared home with said sister, Ghost in tow. “You should come too Cap, take a break for a while, it’s outta the way, and we got plenty of space. Ru won't mind!” he’d beamed.

Price had pretended to contemplate before agreeing in mock reluctance, hiding his smirk behind his glass as he downed the rest of his scotch. Sure, why not?

Price’s attention is pulled again as Darren makes another turn down an unmarked road. They trundle along the long gravel drive, through the trees until a house blooms into few.

It’s a two-story, rustic looking thing, with off-white paneling, and dark shingles. The paint is chipping and weeds grow tall around the foundation. What looks to be tractor tires lay on their sides in the front yard, acting as makeshift flower beds for soft purple irises and yellow coneflowers. He figures the place has been around long enough to see several generations come and go.

Price watches curiously as a gaggle of guinea fowl mosey around the front yard, pecking at the ground, unperturbed as the 3 men pile out of Darren’s vehicle. It’s quiet, save for the sound of rustling trees and the soft clucking of more fowl in the back. However, it only takes one slam of the car door to shatter the peace. A loud and vicious snarling and barking comes from inside the home. Something large and apparently very displeased knocking itself against the windows and door of the old house. Price half readies himself as the front door opens, a bulky gray pitbull barreling out and launching over the steps entirely in its haste to reach the men.

The slobbering dog’s demeanor rapidly shifts from violent snarls to whining excitement as he recognizes Darren. Lacking a tail to waggle, the dog’s whole ass-end shakes wildly as it bounces and sneezes around the sergeant, leaning against Darren’s legs bodily.

“Hey, Blue” Darren chuckles, leaning down to give the goofy dog a pat.

Blue breaks away, wiggles turning shy as it snuffles carefully at Simon and Price’s boots, dodging away intermittently at any shift in movement, only to get distracted and start bouncing again as Darren coos. Simon is the first to earn the pup’s trust, angling his body away slightly and crouching. Hands clasped in front of him as he lets the dog get some more sniffs of his t-shirt, eventually Blue settles his heavy head on Simon’s tattooed forearm, trembling slightly in excitement as Simon gives him a rub between the ears.

Next was John, who also crouches, offering a hand palm down for the beast to sniff. The dog obliges, standing stock still as it investigates very seriously. Snuffling with the fervor of a hog at every inch of Price. Eventually Blue sucks in one long drawn out whiff, gears turning as he processes.

The moments tick by as Blue finalizes his decision. Giving an answer in the form of a big bodily sneeze to the captain’s hand.

Scan complete: Test passed.

Pleased, the goofy mutt circles him happily, leaning most of his weight onto John’s legs as he stands. The white’s of Blue’s eyes visible as he cranes his head back to stare at John, wishful for a pat. Of which John obliges after wiping the snot from his hand with a good natured laugh.

“Blue!! Sorry he's a slob!” comes an apologetic call in the distance.

John looks up, heart fluttering like a teenager at the sight.

There she is. His pretty thing, swinging her way out the door and into the yard, looking slightly embarrassed. John tries not to stare at the way her soft body bounces as she trots down the steps.

Darren is quick to snag her up in a bear hug, squeezing her hard enough to knock the wind out of her. She returns with equal fervor, the pair of them grunting with the force of it before setting her down, ruffling her hair to be a shithead for added effect.

She's just as he remembered her, standing a foot or so shorter than her brother. Bulky in the shoulders like him too, albeit much softer. All of her is really, with round freckled cheeks framed by wavy red hair that spilled down her back. Full frame on display in a plain tank and shorts for the humid summer air.

She fixes her hair with a huff, elbowing Darren sharply before grinning at the men with an innocent smile. Fucking adorable. John can't help but smile back.

Darren makes reintroductions, gesturing between them.

“I’m tickled to see you boys again.” she chimes, and John wastes no time, stepping closer and offering a hand.

“We appreciate the hospitality, Miss Martin” John replies warmly, his eyes crinkling in the corners as she accepts. Price’s hand engulfs hers, and he gives her a gentle squeeze, holding on a bit longer than necessary, taking brief pleasure in the way her cheeks flush.

“Ruby’s just fine” she corrects with scrunch of her nose, pulling her hand away to greet Ghost as well. “Sorry about this, I promise I got manners. Darri just told me you guys would be in later.” she says pointedly, giving Darren a look. The soft drawl of her accent was more prominent than her brothers, melodic and laid-back in a way that put Price at ease.

“But I did fetch groceries” she chimes, jabbing a thumb to the black SUV. “Just got back with em’, just need them loaded inside and I can fix us some lunch. You okay with sandwiches Captain?”

“Just John” he corrects easily, “And that sounds perfect.”

“Well alright ‘Just John’, gimme a hand?” she fires back, “You two also, more hands is less work and this midday heat is the worst”

John gives her a curt nod, glancing at Darren who is giving him an unreadable look, and Simon who eyes him knowingly over Darren’s shoulder.

John stares at the back of the SUV. The woman had quite literally bought enough groceries to feed a whole army. Not to mention the extra large sacks filled with various feed for the animals. John wasted no time loading as many plastic sacks along his arms as he could, Darren and Simon following suit. Hauling them in without a sound and dropping them on the kitchen table before fetching more. Ruby hurriedly putting away groceries as an assembly line of men deposited plastic bags along the floor.

John also loads the bags of feed over his shoulders dutifully, trotting back inside, Simon close behind.

“Oh, hey! I just needed the groceries in, I could’ve got that!” she exclaims upon seeing them, eyes wide as both men stand there. Carrying the bags with easy expressions, as if they weighed nothing at all.

“Well I’ve got them, now where do they need to go miss?”

“Ruby” she corrects again, moving closer as if to take them herself. Neither one of them budge.

“Okay, where do these need to go Miss Ruby?” he tries again, cracking a smile at her exasperated expression.

Ruby shoos them outside, pointing to a corner of the porch for them to be deposited, before herding them back inside and to finally sit down at her small round kitchen table.

The kitchen is outdated, with old floral wallpaper, and several well worn rugs placed over scuffed laminate flooring. Faded red plaid curtains hang in the window, illuminating the plethora of cherry themed knick knacks and kitchenware she has displayed along the tops of her cabinets and countertops. He finds himself charmed by the cozyness of it, a welcome change from off white walls and overhead lights.

Darren sits between them, chatting lightly about how the place was once his aunts, passed down to them after she met that fella in vegas. Price's eyes flicker between Darren and the pretty thing puttering around in the kitchen beside him. He loses himself a bit in fantasy, thinking how she would look with a ring on her finger, or wearing his clothes. He wonders if she loves antique malls and shady hole-in-the-wall burger joints.

One step at a time. If Price could do nothing else, he could certainly execute a plan. He would just need to tread carefully. This was one of his sergeant’s siblings after all.

He continues his scan, looking for more clues when a rather curious sound hits his ears. He shifts his attention behind him, watching Ruby pluck store bought grapes from the vine and into a bowl with various other cut up fruits. She examines each one, placing the grapes she deems suitable onto the tray and lowering the unwanted grapes into what he assumed to be a trash can at first. However, shortly after she brings her hand back, a loud and intense smacking follows, seemingly coming from the kitchen floor.

For a split second he is about to tell her it isn't good to feed dogs grapes before Blue comes waddling around the corner, looking properly dejected. The smacking, however, continues, making his brows furrow.

What the hell?

Was there another dog he hadn't spotted?

Price sits up straighter in his chair, straining to see around the little mobile kitchen island. By now the noise has caught everyone’s attention. He gives Darri a questioning look, who only meets him with a mischievous grin, shrugging his shoulders. Look for yourself.

Curiosity gets the better of him, and Price eases himself up, leaning around the kitchen island carefully to finally spot the noisy offender.

Chomping messily on the kitchen mat is a chubby little thing, with wirey white and grey fur, tinges of pink painting the tip of its little black ears. Its white mouth stained pink from its fruit eating. Is that a bloody possum? It rises to its haunches, tugging at Ruby’s pant leg insistently before she lowers it another piece of fruit. It’s tiny pinky fingers snagging it clumsily before it shovels the fruit into its maw, chewing with comically loud smacks and tilting its little head back to help the food slide down. Blue sits around the corner moping, waiting patiently for his own grape that Ruby forbids in a soft voice.

Price watches Ruby wrinkle her nose as pieces of fruit fall in a sticky mess to the floor before clearing his throat politely.

The redhead jumps at the noise, whirling to face him with wide eyes. She stands sheepishly, frozen as her eyes flick between Price and the very obvious possum sitting on her kitchen floor.

She presses her lips together firmly, trying to seal in her laughter as she takes in Price’s bewildered expression. He raises a brow at her, tilting his head to the side in question, and stifled giggles break into a laugh, full and loud, the force of it making her soft body shake. Price laughs too, easing a little closer to get a better look.

“Y’gonna tell me what you got there? Or was I not supposed to see em’?”

“Well you see” she drawls, like a child trying to explain why she shouldn't get in trouble. ”I was gonna give a more formal introduction, but the little shit snuck in once he heard the plastic crinkinlin’.” she laughs, scooping the animal up with a flourish and stepping closer to Price. “This is Cotton, got him when he was just a baby. He’s not fit to go back into the wild, so he just stays with me, does ambassador stuff for the Game and Fish when they need him.” she explains, bouncing the giant rat in her arms like a baby.

She shifts him to her soft hip, its pink tail twisting around her arm for security as it snuffles the air. Ruby scoots close enough for Price to smell the shampoo in her hair, flashing him a grin and swearing Cotton doesn't bite (most of the time). Price studies the animal with an amused expression, letting it sniff his hand before scritching between his ears. He’s much softer than Price expected, the critter grabbing at his hand with cold little fingers, presumably looking to see if he has more fruit to part with.

Price watches as she takes a little tour to the table. Darren giving the possum a familiar, too rough scrub to the head before Ruby rounds to show Ghost. As she approaches the little bastard wiggles from her arms and onto the broad soldier. Scrabbling onto Ghost's shoulders and snuffling in his ears and hair.

Ruby begins to panic, reaching for Cotton frantically, but Ghost holds up a hand, utterly unphased. He sits still, letting the little beast inspect him for a moment before snagging Cotton by the scruff and plopping him in his arms. There is a little amused huff from the large man, who lets the possum settle against his chest as if it were a house cat and not an oversized rodent.

Price smiles at the sight.

What a fun stay this will be.

#john price x oc #price x oc #john price #oc: ruby martin #oc: darren martin #simon ghost riley #call of duty #secondhand news #wildcraft writing #captain john price

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simon-roy · 5 months

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To commemorate the success of the campaign, and invite others to join in, we've kicked off a little impromptu alien design contest!

The timeline is a little tight for this (mainly because i want to get all our files to the printer before end of april, to expedite the process and ensure timely book delivery) but a week to doodle a critter, and maybe win a book in the process? It's crazy, but it might just work!

(note - posting your critter to tumblr works too). Any skill level, and multiple submissions welcome!

To get you in the mood for designing critters, take a look at this new youtube video all about the planet of Altamira from the great Curious Archive:

youtube

And lastly, if this is all new to you, take a look at our campaign here!

#simon roy #comics #griz grobus #habitat #scifi #kickstarter #sciencefiction #specbio #speculative zoology #speculative biology #speculative worldbuilding #refugium2024 #Youtube

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infodumpingaboutnature · 11 months

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Great news for monotreme lovers!!!

The Sir David Attenborough's Long-Beaked Echidna (Zaglossus attenboroughi) has been sighted for the first time since 1961!

Also known as the Cyclops Long-Beaked Echidna, this nocturnal critter was first described by Western scientists in 1961 during the Dutch colonial era of what was then known as Dutch New Guinea. It was only described from a fragmentary preserved specimen (pictured below) and was of course named after the famous naturalist Sir David Attenborough. However, I do want to point out that, as is the case with many newly discovered species, it was known to the native people of this region way before this and was traditionally hunted for both food and for ceremonial peace offerings. However, according to my research since the species was classified as Critically Endangered, the native villagers were very enthusiastic about its conservation and agreed not to hunt them in order to help preserve the species.

Z. attenboroughi is native to the Cyclops Mountain Chain in northern Indonesian New Guinea and feeds mostly on worms, ants, termites, and other invertebrates by using their long beaks to forage through the soil and creating distinct “nose pokes”. For a long time, these “nose pokes” were the only sign scientists had that this species hadn’t gone extinct. The last unconfirmed sighting by locals was in 2005, though some tracks and burrows that were thought to belong to the species were discovered in 2007.

Now, over 60 years after it was initially described, an expedition of scientists from Oxford University to the Cyclops Mountains has resulted in this elusive monotreme being videotaped by a game trail camera.

Photo credit: Cyclops Expedition

Attenborough’s Long-Beaked Echidna might somewhat resemble hedgehogs in appearance and behavior, however, they are one of only five species of egg-laying mammals known as monotremes! The other four species are the Short-Beaked Echidna, Western Long-Beaked Echidna, Eastern Long-Beaked Echidna, and the Platypus. The Attenborough’s Long-Beaked Echidna is the smallest species of Echidna and is apparently more closely related to the Short-Beaked Echidna than it is to the other two species of Long-Beakeds. It also possesses a more reddish coloration. All species of monotremes are known for, as I mentioned before, laying eggs instead of giving live birth like placental mammals and marsupials do. Monotremes also lack nipples and instead produce milk for their young out of modified sweat glands like how the early ancestors of all mammals did. Male Platypi/Platypuses (both terms are correct) and Echidnas also have ankle spurs which are highly venomous in the case of the Platypus, but Echidnas seem to have lost their venom and instead use them to help dig. Apparently, they also seasonally secrete a creamy substance their spurs but this, while kinda gross, is harmless.

While the rediscovery of this species is super exciting, we mustn’t forget that Attenborough’s Long-Beaked Echidna is considered Critically Endangered and is still at risk of extinction. Habitat loss and poaching seem to be the biggest threats to this species and many other unique creatures endemic to Oceania.

#monotreme #echidna #new discoveries #critically endangered #science #infodump #animals #endangered species #new guinea #animal news

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tsatsked · 22 days

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Analysis of some details in Polar Town

Specifically locations 1, 3 and 5 of the UTTU part of Rayashki event. There are not a lot of screenshots - if you need some, I can DM them. Thanks to @vingler-mirror for the screenshots of Civic Square descriptions and the final Spotlight Chronicle

1 - Rayashki Elementary

Big-Eared Monkey and Mr. Crocodile - a reference to Cheburashka and Gena the Crocodile in form of August’s nicknames. The song Vila often sings might be based on The Blue Wagon from the 70s cartoon.

The collage shows not a bayan accordion but another accordion type called “гармонь” (garmon’) in Russian

2 - Hotel

Honestly, I believe Windsong enthusiasts will analyse the texts better than I could have

3 - New Mine

We’re getting more lore about the critters based on Inuit mythology. Kikituks are said to be evolved from shamanic statues into amphibious creatures and preferring mammal meat over fish nowadays. Ijiraks are said to be former people trapped into the boundary between life and death for wandering too far into the wild. Qiqirns are described as malevolent canines that wander aimlessly for eternity (it can be connected to their role in shamanism).

Information about the background character because I've got attached to him: the Rayashki guest arrived here following an Irish merchant ship. He’s a miner from Greenland expedition team with a bushy red beard and bear belly. He has a crude front but is a symphony enthusiast and likes literature - the temporary library helped him to bond with his teammates over literature without feeling weird. Also he has a little daughter. Pushkin’s Ode to Liberty that he read is a historically interesting piece where the author supports a political activist exiled to Siberia (the ode gets Pushkin exiled too but to a more gentle place)

4 - Swimming Pool

The descriptions go in chronological order of mermaid history.

@sleeplesssmol have copied Rusalka Spotlight Chronicle in their post here!

5 - Port

Among the stage descriptions, there are two interesting objects described:

A preserved seabird, seemenly for the migrated critters.

Rayashki Cheese - is said to be made out of milk from northern tundra. The cheese’s wrap design is based on Friendship cheese made by KARAT. The peculiar detail about it is that the only KARAT factory is in Moscow

Rayashki seemly participates in barter with the ships.

Cultural Palace - is a common name for major club-houses

6 - Civic Square

The polar bear statue was made after one of the meetings and now is taken care of as a symbol of the community

#reverse 1999 #r1999 #farewell rayashki #r1999 polar town

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catscidr · 3 months

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I had a dream about Zandik today. So it's time for my stupid thoughts about him!!!! Do you think he'd bring dead rats to the dorm for experiments? I feel sorry for his roommate.

YES. absolutely. he’d bring a myriad of little critters to study and dissect— from little rats to larger creatures like dusk birds. he wanted to study bigger creatures like shroomboars and rishboland tigers but they’re too big to sneak into his dorm, and he was already on thin ice at the time so he didn’t want to risk anything.

he sanitized them as best as he could (because, like everyone else, he doesn’t like the smell of decomposition. he just isn’t squeamish about it), but he did get a lot of scoffs and disgusted looks thrown his way from his past roommates.

past, because no one wanted to room with him anymore. (not that they did in the first place, but after witnessing the things he’d do in his dorm….. yeah.)

he has gone out on expeditions to find carcasses to study, too. he was trailing a small herd of sumpter beasts once to try and find a dead one (or for one to die on the way, in one way or another) and ended up following them until the very edge of the rainforest. he didn’t get to study what the insides of a sumpter beast looked like, but he did find a deceased flying serpent in the outskirts of the desert.

……. he tried cooking and eating the meat it dropped but it ended up giving him food poisoning. he only got told off for wandering too far without anyone accompanying him, though.

(as he was recounting those instances to you, you couldn’t help but wonder what flying serpent meat tasted like, too.)

#im jealous all i dreamt about was my grad ceremony going horribly wrong #i woke up and my heart was POUNDING bro #anyways ………..#i want him to tell me stories about his akademiya days :(#want him to tell me about how he sneaked in ruin guard parts in his dorm to study uegsnfgns #can you tell i spend too much time thinking about him #i was at work and it was both scorching hot And incredibly humid. right #yet i would think to myself ‘is this the type of weather dottore had to survive’ ………#…..i need him #୧ ‧₊˚orderup!#dottore x reader #genshin x reader #il dottore headcanons #dottore headcanons #il dottore genshin impact #dottore genshin impact #genshin impact headcanons #genshin headcanons

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oddclan-askblog · 1 month

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(Some of the other members of Raaf's tribe. I'll be updating this with new character refs as I complete them.)

Corvocon members:

Huraab:

A drone with burns across his body from escaping the corvo mountains. He's strong and stoic preferring to keep to himself. Huraab is still kind and enjoys teaching the younger muds about the underground tunnels and various minerals he finds in his work.

Klemokk:

Klem is one of the younger members of the clan, apprenticed under Droom he is a leatherworker learning how to make various types of clothing for his peers. When there is downtime, the two of them fish in the swamps. Klemokk enjoys releasing what he finds and like to flip rocks in the waterway to see new critters hiding underneath.

Like Raaf, he hatched after the tribe fled their homeland and has no memory of the event. Klem has crippling claustrophobia and does not join Raaf on his caving adventures. He does tag along with Raaf everywhere else and is happy to hang out with the sligs.

Droom:

A tribal Elder, Droom should be relaxing and teaching the young. Instead he is busy like many of the others preserving what he can remember from the old settlement in the mountains. He sails up and down the river fishing from morning to midday then returns to the village to mentor Klem among others on leatherworking. Though he is exausted and can be snippy as a result, Droom is proud of Klem's progress and hopeful about the future.

To his disdain, Droom is one of the stronger members of the clan so he ends up doing a lot of backbreaking work. He complains a lot and is regularly pretty cranking, most of the younger muds avoid him. Serk and Noft are close friends of his.

Queen Rokkri:

Queen Rokkri is a mysterious and illusive leader hidden deep in the heart of the forest. Only a select few know know her whereabouts: Vitur, Noft, and her daughter Nurani. The Shamans transport her eggs and provide updates on the clan and on spiritual happenings in the forest. Nurani delivers her orders to the corvo and represents Queen Rokkri in diplomatic meetings with neighboring tribes.

Unlike her daughter, Rokkri is authoritative and decisive. She is less domineering than Queen Lealue of the Maokon but shares her peers traditional views on keeping the tribes sepperate. If she could she would maintain the old ways just as religiously as the maokon but moving her tribe from a mountainous environment into a hostile swampland has made that all but impossible. Anymore she mostly fallows the advice of the shamans and hopes to keep her clan hidden as long as possible. Possibly forever if need be.

She is proud of her daughter and does her best to comfort and guide Nurani as much as she can.

Huemo:

A young drone with a hot temper and pent up energy to burn. He loves to hunt and has the scars to prove it. Huemo is a talented warrior who trains the younger members of the clan to hunt and fight. If the Corvokon had the numbers to wage an all out war he would gladly lead them. Huemo gets along great with the maokon and admires their fighting spirit. He has even gone on Elum hunts with them to gather large game for his clan. He has moderately good aim with a bow but prefers throwing hatchets.

In his off time, Huemo gathers wood and helps build huts for the village. Huemo was engaged to Nurani relatively young and the two are very close. He is scared but excited to become a dad.

Huidi:

A young sailor of the clan, Huidi is one of the few mudokons skilled enough to sail out into the open ocean. He gathers large game for the tribe and loves the salty air of the sea. In his off-time Huidi farms and forages alongside Sterk. Huraab and the other mine workers will join Huidi on his fishing expeditions during sark spawn season.

Huidi is talkative at parties, loves to drink maokon wyne, and is a frequent customer at Jarta's establishment. He talks to everyone and is a great source of news on the happenings of the rainforest.

Sterk:

An elder who barely survived the escape from the mountain seige, Sterk was key in getting the younger mudokons like Jarta out of the burning village. He and Asibatu trained Jarta in cooking and foodprep along with farming and foraging. Sterk as a green thumb and an encyclopedic memory for the plants of the forests and mountains. He sometimes accompanies Vitur in tracking down medicinal herbs.

Sterk lost his mate in the fire and has an intense fear of open uncontrolled flame. He is meticulous about cooking and safety, but much of his teaching is through written documentation instead of hands on. He snapped at Jarta a lot for forgetting steps while training the young mud. Jarta has a most of the clans traditional recipes written down but only has to read them once to remember most of the instructions. Sterk is sad and soured by life seldom finding reason to keep going let alone be kind to others. Despite Jarta's prowess as the best cheff in the village, thanks to Sterk's hostile teaching, the two have a terrible relationship and Jarta is very insecure about his work.

Queen daughter Nurani:

Nurani is soft spoken and shy, she really struggles with her role as a public speaker and diplomat. She is shy arround the sligs and maokon, their lifestyles are vastly different from the corvo but fascinating at the same time. Though she is only truly comfortable arround the corvokon she still tries her best to be respectful and understanding towards the other tribes.

Nurani is very stressed about her future role as Queen Mother and works hard to live up to the title. She is happily engaged to Huemo and, unbeknownst to the queens, would like to add a maokon drone to the mix.

#oddworld #oddtumblr #mudokon #oc #digital art #corvokon #my art #my characters

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shinjisdone · 3 months

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Hii, can I request a scenario with Thorfinn and the reader where the reader finds a comb on one of their expeditions/ raids and brushes Thorfinns hair? (Lord knows he needs it)

i truly salute thee if u uhm somehow still awaited an answer from me and i hope i wont disappoint 🙇

Comb

prompt: Thorfinn refuses to have anyone touch him fic: oneshot

A grin etched itself on your face when you spotted no blood on the wooden comb. Without really thinking you grabbed it in the dead of the night into your pouch, hurrying out of the burning house and into the fiery ocean. Thin strands of hair of someone long gone were entangled in the teeth that you removed one by one, fingers gliding over the wood before blowing the rest off.

"It's a good one. Well crafted." You showed the tool to your friend Thorfinn, who had his hunched back turned to you, idly cleaning his dagger. He had argued with you that this thing was not needed and that you are wasting your space in your pouch - but he was always quick to grow tired of arguing with your stubbornness. Instead, he gave a hum.

With a brief shove to the shoulder, you had the comb hover next to his face. The blonde stumbled, rocked back and forth like a swing and gave only a pout at the comb right next to him. It still had hair, how gross. "Brush mine first. I don't wanna have any of your lices." Though your jab was met with a scoff, Thorfinn tugged his weapon away, turned around and grabbed ahold of the tool. Patiently, you positioned your hair for him to begin. "This is a waste of time I told you." He grumbled and you looked back with a glare. "And I told you I don't want to deal with lices. People don't have these in their homes for leisure. You still trying to trick me that you never had any lices?"

You were first met with silence, before one of his hand grabbed ahold of the crown of your head, while the other roughly tugged at your locks with the comb. You groaned in pain. "I just run my fingers through it." "Oh yeah, and then have them crawl underneath your nails, "You suppressed another yowl through gritted teeth, "And then eat with those fingers. It's a miracle you aren't dead."

Another louder cry escaped you when he flicked your head. His strength, especially for his size and age, was inhuman and you bit your tongue at the childish act. "I'm tough, unlike you. I don't fall by some diseases or critters. You're wasting your time worrying."

"Still, could you try to be gentler? You're yanking all my hair out!"

"You won't have any lices when bald."

"Thorfinn!"

A small chuckle escaped him but without another beg, he held the side of your head gently and brushed smaller locks of hair one after another. Tangled strands loosened and he never noticed how soft your hair could be when he ran his fingers through them. You seemed to enjoy it too, the gentle wood on your scalp leaving you soothed. The blonde hesitated to tease you again and held his tongue.

After a while, he wordlessly gave the comb back.

Turning around, you urged him to do the same. He only rose a brow.

"I told you already."

"Even if you are a unyielding warrior, I don't want you to get sick. Or have you toss and turn and lose sleep over some critters. Let me do this for you quick."

Thorfinn pouted at the small smile lingering on your face. He did not like to be touched by anybody. Not by Askeladd's blade, not by Björn when he brutishly puts his joints back together, not by the other bandmates and their attempts at jokes nor by the bloodied hands of the enemies on the battlefield.

But with you he seems to lose all edge.

Your touch can be just as vicious as any other viking yet it is soft with him when necessary. Your touch seems more human than anyone else's. Something he can allow to come in contact with him.

Slowly, he turned around. Stubbornly he refused to meet your gaze and lowered his head as you began to comb through his hair. The blonde locks are tangled enough to leave a mother gasping at her child, split hair ends that smelled ever so faintly. The session, for how long it took, seemed like leisure to him regardless. You hummed and talked, jabbed a few times when you did find dirt and grime but kept the teasing to a miminum. The feeling of the comb teeth on his scalp left a shiver running down his spine, making him sleepy almost. But letting his guard down is not something he could afford - perhaps however, he could with you.

A waste of time. Waste of space in one's pouch, playing house as if you were a family taking care of each other. He did not like to be touched like that but he could grow to like it when it came from you.

#request #vinland saga #vinland saga thorfinn #thorfinn karlsefni #vinland saga thorfinn x reader #thorfinn karlsefni x reader #platonic #romantic #can be both #gender neutral reader #gender neutral imagine #i hope this is good #pls pls pls pls pls #i feel so bad #im so bad at this request thing #aaaagh #grrr

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