#I'm just not as familiar with the less common species

[fishcommunity]

Could you help me identify this fish? It was in my doctor’s aquarium and I was enchanted! It had the prettiest pearl coloring and wasn’t shy to get close to where I was sitting ❤️

Its tank mate looked to me like an Upside-down Catfish if that helps at all? If you don’t know, that’s okay! I also just wanted to share :)

Good evening! I admit I'm a little weaker on African Cichlid identification than I am with the American species, but pretty sure it's a Cobalt Blue Cichlid (Maylandia callainos) - a beautiful if very aggressive fish.

[chiiroptereh]

[Please zoom in, there's a lot of detail! And a massive file size...ouch]

Hi guys, long time no post! Been working on Art Fight and life stuff, but I've got something kinda fun for you.

This is a compilation exploring how a mortal Bill may interact with our world if there were still some kinda Euclidean instincts buried in there. Y'know, before the Book of Bill ruins all my headcanons >:P (EDIT: IT HAS BEEN READ. YAHOOOOOO)

Also quite an experimental piece as you can probably tell. Lots of details on both said headcanons and the art stuff under the cut, but I invite you to study the colorful texture yourself beforehand and think about what it might be representative of, just for fun because I got some really cool answers from my friends when asked :]c

TL;DR: the headcanon is that Euclideans have exceptional eyes for geometry. They find things like symmetry, tessellating patterns, graphs and fractals very aesthetically pleasing. If pushed into our 3D world, they feel comforted by the familiarity flat objects/spaces bring, as well as high-contrast patterns. Shadows especially are a familiar dimensional reduction that may bring them much comfort.

Bill would surely not be happy about these inclinations, constant reminders of a past long gone, but I'm not sure he's even aware of them here :P I think his ego gets in the way to the point where he just views these interests as common sense, which, of course, us lame humans just don't understand because we aren't nearly as cool as him. Of course he likes perfectly symmetrical leaves and staring at the kitchen floor, it's called taste, look it up!

And yet, he can't seem to shake the strange sense of melancholy he gets from viewing his own shadow.

~ End of TL;DR, long version below! ~

🔺 Headcanon Development

So, the catalyst of this idea was in relation to my friend and I's AU ( @love-triangles-au ). TL;DR, Bill's brought back mortal, meets another triangle named Y.V. (it's his hand holding the paper in the piece, actually), at some point they fall in yaois together, you know how it is. And, in writing a pair of triangles (or, more broadly, writing from the perspective of a different species), something I've had to consider was that you really can't get much further removed from a human being than sentient geometry.

The anatomical aspect was mostly figured out (see my piece on Bill's eye-mouth), but I wanted to consider what psychological differences might be at play. I wanted them to be weirder, more alien, double-so for Bill. At first I explored these possibilities through the lens of Bill and Y.V.'s relationship, specifically the question "what might a triangle find appealing about another triangle?"

Well, really the only things that came to mind were straight lines and symmetry, anything related to the geometric form of such a creature. That's more-or-less where that ended until the thought struck me that there's no reason this aesthetic appreciation couldn't extend to the rest of the environment, and then further when I realized, "wait, this is a species that is designed to live in a 2D environment. Like, they should seriously be really weird. I need to push this like 200% more."

So...yeah! I did some thinking and brainstorming with others and came up with a pretty long list of things a Euclidean in our world may be inclined to enjoy or find some level of comfort in. It's worth noting again that in this piece specifically this is a mortal/powerless Bill, so he can't really escape this Earthly environment. IF he's aware of these instincts at all (and that's a big "if"; when have you last been cognizant of your own instincts let alone known where they were stemming from?) I think he'd have snuffed them out in immortality and/or purposefully gone against them; he doesn't take kindly to being told what to do.

In order from left-to-right, top-to-bottom, here's an explanation for each!:

Flat objects such as paper are something he may find particularly engaging. It's basically 2D!

Tessellations are especially fascinating, and our world has them everywhere in the form of tile floors. Symmetry and such a predictable pattern...as the infinity of the starry sky might for us, the infinite potential of tessellations might invoke a similar sense of awe in him. Add on the maximum contrast of black on white kitchen tiles and the forms are only even better defined! A sensitivity to contrast would be very helpful for a 2D being navigating their environment.

Fields are flat and open, much like Euclydia itself. Laying flat may make him feel a little more at home.

More tessellation in the honeycomb of hymenopterans (bees, wasps and friends)! It helps that pain is hilarious.

The city is an absolute treasure trove. Rectangular buildings, precise architecture, square sidewalks and straight lines abound...he may as well be looking at a rainbow or an art gallery! I think a Euclidean's brain is very fine-tuned to mathematics, especially in regards to trigonometry. What may appear to be a straight painting might appear obnoxiously crooked to him.

Zebras are high-contrast :]

Another flat surface, another relaxing space <3

I think graphs are about as high as high art gets to most Euclideans.

I've touched on shadows before, and for good reason; truly they must be something borderline magical to the Euclidean and perhaps bitterly nostalgic.

This one kinda speaks for itself. Dweeb.

🎨 The Artsy Stuff

Lately I've been trying to find ways to fit more color into my work, as color is perhaps one of my favorite things in the world. My wardrobe is rather garish; my dad jokes that you could see me from space. My fursona is obnoxiously bright for a reason -- I feel my soul is a very colorful one!

I also realized recently that I don't actually know the exact style that speaks to me. I could talk about the phenomenon of the "style crisis" that many artists have all day, but in my mind the best cure for this feeling is to go against it entirely and begin stealing as much as possible.

So, I've tried to keep an eye out for more sources of inspiration everywhere I go, physical and digital. I've tried to train my mind into making a habit of considering, "can I do anything with this?" everywhere I go, and it recently paid off!

The glittery rainbowy texture you see plastered all over Billiam is this one, a photo-manipulated set of fruit stickers. I must confess I've been obsessed with this image for the past 72 hours, and this seemed like a good excuse to try it out!

I worried throughout the process if it might be so abstract that it loops back around to being horribly deliberate, if that makes sense -- like each sparkle was not a piece of a whole but rather an object in itself -- but it seems like that hasn't been a problem, so I'm grateful for that :Dc

I hope it can dazzle and delight you as it does me, but as long as you find it fascinating at the very least then I consider it a success! I really enjoyed hearing my friends' interpretations while workshopping it, and got tons of amazing answers from opal to kaleidoscope to fossilized bone marrow! I truly believe that the best art has some room for interpretation and it really excites me to be surrounded by that kind of creative energy that follows said pieces. That definitely adds to my pride in this work. It's weird, it's colorful, it's detailed and yet ambiguous. I'm feeling pretty autistic about it

Alright, I think that's about it. Thanks for listening!

[hollowed-theory-hall]

Magic and Genetics

So, this is not like 100% finished and will be more musings than a full theory. The main reason is that we, as humanity, just don't really know that much about genetics. Like, we get the gist of it, but we can mostly only say: "it's complicated" about it.

Which is true. Like, the idea of dominant and recessive traits the way most people are familiar with (like the eye color chart for blue eyes and brown eyes) is super oversimplified and inaccurate. Like, there are 2 major genes that affect eye color and then there are 8 more genes that affect eye color, hair color, and skin color, but we aren't really sure in what way. We just think they do from observation. Usually, genes behave in a way that is in line with the dominant and recessive traits charts, but there are exceptions to it. Again, we just don't know much about this field.

Because of this, I can't really come to conclusive conclusions regarding exactly how many and which genes affect a person's magic in the world of Harry Potter. What I can do is use the book evidence to try and create a pattern of how magic behaves genetically.

Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, nor did I study genetics in any professional capacity, this is from online reading and self-study. And most importantly for fun 😊

Why do I think magic is influenced by multiple genes?

So, JKR stated in an interview she thinks of magic as a single dominant gene. This is impossible, since if that were true squibs and muggleborns wouldn't exist and the chart for the likelihood of a child being born with magic would look like this:

And that's just not what we see in the books...

This is all without mentioning how squibs like Arabella Figg can see dementors while muggles can't:

“A Squib, eh?” said Fudge, eyeing her suspiciously. “We’ll be checking that. You’ll leave details of your parentage with my assistant, Weasley. Incidentally, can Squibs see dementors?” he added, looking left and right along the bench where he sat. “Yes, we can!” said Mrs. Figg indignantly.

(OotP, page 143)

This means that squids do have some magical genes that muggles don't.

Additionally, from what we know about wizards as a species they have other differences from muggles that would effect their genetics in less obvious ways, for example:

Wizards heal faster, so cell regeneration is different than muggles.

Wizards have a completely different set of illnesses than muggles, so their white blood cells are also different.

Their brain cells likely live longer since they have an overall longer life expectancy.

Since they can see magic, like dementors and the Leakey Cauldron, we know the sight receptors are different.

Their nerves likely also function differently since they can sense magic in a way muggles can't.

To name a few.

And this is all without going into the fact wizards can reproduce with other species (goblins, veela, and giants to name a few) which actually implies a common ancestor to all of these races, but I'm not going into that can of worms.

What I am going into is how magic works genetically and how predictable it is. As in, if I know the magical status (pure-blood wizard, half-blood wizard, muggleborn wizard, squib, or muggle) of two human parents, can I tell how likely their child is to be a wizard, a squib, or a muggle?

What are squibs?

We don't know of many squibs in the books, these are the list of the known squibs:

Argus Filch

Arabella Figg

Marius Black

Dolores Umbridge's brother

Molly Weasley's second cousin

Squibs aren't a subject wizards like talking about, even not wizards who don't mind muggles like the Weasleys:

"Er — yes, I think so. I think Mum's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."

(PS, page 73)

The definition of a squib is a child without magic born of a magical parent. If we look at the list of squibs above, all of them except Umbridge's brother are pure-bloods. This is kind of important because of the limited genetic pool of pure-bloods.

I tried calculating the inbreeding coefficient (basically how likely it is that a specific genetic trait is identical in both parents. The number ranges between 0 and 1) of the pure-bloods in the Wizarding World. We don't have much information on most families, but even looking at the Black family tree, they aren't really inbred (except the Gaunts). The closest relation there is the marriage between second cousins Walburga and Orion. So the inbreeding coefficient of pure-bloods would be above zero, but not high enough to cause serious health detriments for the most part. But, this doesn't mean wizards don't have a problem with a limited genetic pool even without close inbreeding.

Looking at that same Black family tree, we see a lot of familiar names: Flint, Crabbe, Burke, Potter, Crouch, Longbottom, Weasley, Prewett, Malfoy, McMillian... Basically, all pure-blood wizards are related. Some more closely than others, but they are all related. It means that among pure-bloods there is less genetic diversity which tends to cause illnesses and weakness in children over the course of multiple generations.

Such illness can, for example, come in the form of a squib. If the child just isn't capable of having full access to magic, due to their limited genetic pool, they will be born a squib.

But what about Umbridge's brother?

Well, here's the interesting thing. When looking at accounts of children of a pure-blood and a muggleborn, they are all always magical (and usually quite powerful, but more on that later). Umbridge's mother though is muggle. I believe a muggle parent would also have a higher chance of a squib offspring since they don't have magic. Essentially, Umbride's brother received some of the magical genes from their father, and some muggle genes from their mother, leaving him somewhat capable of interacting with magic, but not casting it — a squib.

Essentially squibs have a higher chance to be born from two pure-bloods (due to lack of genetic diversity) or from a wizard and a muggle. If we look at the books, we actually never see a squib being born from a pair of two wizards where one of the parents is half-blood or muggleborn (since they bring new genetic diversity and make the offsprings much likelier to be magical).

What are muggleborns?

So, we covered that squibs are rare and are caused by the lack of genetic diversity in the pure-blood families or by receiving non-magical genes from a muggle parent. But what about muggleborns? How could they genetically exist?

Well, I discussed here the actual percentages of different blood statuses across the Wizarding World. And the percentages looked like this:

57.5% Pure-Blood and Most Likely Pure Blood

22.5% Half-Blood

15% At Least One Magical Parent

5% Muggleborn

And as I covered here and here, I believe magical Britain is approximately 0.01% of the muggle population. This means that muggleborns are incredibly rare in the muggle population and have an overall very low chance of being born. But under what circumstances would muggleborns be more likely?

We know, for example, that the brothers Colin and Dennis Creevey were both born magical. It means, that their parents had genes that make them more likely to have magical children. This means Petunia had a higher chance of being born magical than, say, Vernon, it was still a low chance, but it was more likely.

Now, I'm not the first to raise this theory, but I believe these muggles that have a slightly higher chance for magical children like Mr. and Mrs. Creevey are descendants of squibs. We know that:

"Squibs were usually shipped off to Muggle schools and encouraged to integrate into the Muggle community. . . much kinder than trying to find them a place in the Wizarding world, where they must always be second class..."

(DH, page 136)

So, squibs have been sent for generations to live among muggles. It means that there are multiple "muggles" running around that are actually squibs. They might be able to see dementors or notice something odd around the Leakey Cauldron, but not enough to produce magic. But they still have magic in their genes. And when they have kids, sometimes, through a fluke of luck and genetics a muggleborn can be born.

This means all muggleborns are distantly related to wizards in some way, but still the muggle blood adds some much-needed genetic diversity that makes them less likely to have squib children.

What would magical genes look like?

So, we talked so far about how to predict the likelihood of a child having magic or not. But we also know not all wizards and witches are magically equal. You have crazy powerful individuals like Voldemort, Harry, and Dumbledore. Hermione is an incredibly skilled and talented witch, often the first in class to get spells right. And then you have wizards like Crabbe, Goyle, or Merope who are barely more magical than squibs. Then you have unique magical gifts like being a parselmouth, metamorphmagus, or seer are all inherited, and therefore genetic.

So, let's start with the power/talent difference between wizards that we see. I think this, like squibs, is correlating to the lack of genetic diversity. Sure, you have pure-bloods that are magically powerful or average, but if we look at the most magically powerful wizards in the books — Harry, Voldemort, and Dumbledore — they are all half-bloods. They all have a higher genetic diversity.

Hermione and Lily, are also examples of this added genetic diversity raising the likelihood of magical talent. Both muggleborns, both referenced as talented and bright multiple times. Snape, another half-blood is also referenced often as an incredibly talented wizard.

Actually, Nymphadora Tonks is one of the best pieces of evidence for magic weakening over pure-blood generations and becoming stronger with the new blood from muggles or muggleborns.

The Black family had the hereditary magical gift of being metamorphmagi. This gift has been lost for multiple generations, the first Black to be born with this gift in recent history is Tonks. And it makes perfect sense, Andromeda, a pure-blood with the genes for being a metamorphmagus, marries a muggleborn, Ted, who has the much-needed genetic diversity, so their daughter is finally durable enough for the metamorphmagi magic to kick in.

The Gaunts are another example of just how much the lack of genetic diversity affects a wizard's magic. All three, but especially Mereope, are portrayed as barely skilled with magic, almost squibs. But then we have Tom Marvolo Riddle, magically gifted so much beyond most wizards because he had the added genetic diversity from his muggle father.

Parseltongue seems to be a more dominant trait than the metamorphmagus ability. As even an almost squib in the Gaunt family can speak it. That being said, the Gaunts are implied to be incredibly incestuous, so perhaps it's just a matter of both parents speaking Parseltongue that causes this gene's apparent dominance.

We also know these genetic traits are only passed to wizards. So a squib from the Gaunt family, would not be able to speak Parseltongue. So, while it is a separate gene, it is connected to the other genes that affect magic. That's why a muggleborn born from a Gaunt family squib line, could potentially be a Parselmouth. They won't necessarily be a Parselmouth, but they have a chance to get the gene.

Conclusions

So, let's put all of it together into a series of rules* to how magic seems to work genetically.

*Rules is not exactly the correct word. It's more like, how it would usually behave, but there are flukes to genetics and everything is possible.

Two magical parents would almost always have a magical child. Pure-bloods are more likely to have squib children than half-bloods or muggleborns due to lack of genetic diversity.

A child of a muggle and a wizard has a higher chance of being born a squib than two magical parents. (The chance is still pretty low though and the child is more likely to be magical)

Muggleborns are the result of at least one parent who is a muggle that descended from squibs and has magical genes.

If both parents are squib-descendant muggles, all their kids might even end up magical. (Like the Creevey brothers)

Being a parselmouth, metamorphmagus, or seer are all unique genetic traits that are passed in a separate gene but dependent on other magical genes. Each one of them behaves differently as a gene.

Genetic diversity promises a higher chance of naturally magically gifted children. (It doesn't promise they will be more gifted, just makes their chances better)

Blood purity and a limited genetic pool cause magical children born to these lines to be overall weaker. (Again, there are exceptions, this is just about chances)

[iridescentxstars]

Helloooo! Omg omg! I miss Jongin so much 😭😢 How about panther hybrid jongin as your co-worker being jealous/sad that you interact less with him. So he confesses how he feels about you. Kink: praise/worship, dom-you, sub-him. Dialogue: "I could make you feel better", "Jealousy is not a word I'm familliar with". Thank you. 🥰

panther hybrid!jongin x fem!reader || dialogue: "i could make you feel better" + "jealousy is not a word i'm familiar with" || kinks: praise/worship, dom/sub, oral || warnings: no warnings because this has been the most wholesome~ || wc: 615

please remember this is all fictional. this work is NSFW and contains SMUT, if you are under 18+ DO NOT INTERACT

“It’s so cute that you are jealous,” you smile softly, head tilted to the side as Jongin finishes confessing to you. He has been getting more and more frustrated with the fact that you seem more interested in everyone else but him. It’s not really on purpose, you just notice he’s not been needing your help as much but since he’s so pouty about this – maybe you should make it up to him.

“Jealousy is not a word I’m familiar with.” He huffs, folding his arms across his chest with his long black tail flicking in the air behind him.

You take a step closer, scratching under his chin and listening to the deep purr that escapes him. “Come now, I’ll make it up to you.” You coo, having him look at you, “I could make you feel better.” He contemplates for a moment, clearly conflicted before his tongue peeks out, eyes flicking down to your lips and nodding because all he can think about is kissing you. “Aww, see, that’s a good boy~.”

It’s a little cruel maybe, playing into things like that but you’ve been attracted to Jongin since you started working there so one chance? You’d take it especially since he’s so easily giving it to you.

He lays underneath you, completely naked and on display while you straddle his lap, fully dressed and a wicked smile on your face. You’ve always wondered about the rippling muscles that he hides under those dress shirts and you’d like to say you are pleasantly surprised by how toned he is.

Fingers trace along his collarbone, nails scratching lightly over his warm, golden skin and the way he squirms from this simple touch has you almost purring yourself. He’s so cute. How could you not want to break him? Down, lower; your fingers drag painfully slow over his abdomen before you stop at his hips and pull away. “Will you behave for me?” He nods, bottom lip plump from the make out session earlier, “words, Jongin.”

“I’ll do whatever you want me to, Mistress.”

What probably surprised you the most about Jongin other than how fit the man is, is how obedient, how submissive he is for a man who has a high position in the company. Sure, you’re equals, but you had expected him to have this very typical dominant attitude in the bedroom but oh, Jongin folded the moment you bit his bottom lip and pulled him to your bedroom.

Not wasting any time, you move between his legs, feeling his eyes watch you as you settle between those strong thighs and making sure to not accidentally lay on his tail. Jongin’s hybrid genetics don’t bother you one bit, a common species to come across but there’s something about his sleek black fur that makes him beautiful. More attractive. He takes care of himself, it’s obvious and right now – you’re going to take care of him too. Gripping his hard cock in your hand, you meet his eyes before dragging the flat of your tongue up the length before sucking on the tip and pulling away to stroke slowly. “Ah, fuck,” Jongin’s head tips back but the quick command to watch has his eyes on you.

Watching even as they almost flutter shut every time you tease him, giving him a taste of what he’s in store for before taking pleasure in your new toy.

If you think this will make Jongin less jealous afterwards, you’re sorely mistaken, the panther hybrid is one jealous beast and you’ll learn later on what it means to have him as your pet. You’ll soon learn what it means to have him as your lover.

[cripplecharacters]

In general, how would you approach writing nonhuman/feral characters with disabilities? How would you balance the symptoms animals usually show vs human symptoms, experiences and available accomodations?

I'm considering giving my Warrior Cats character with TBI-induced blindness (yes, I know, these books are awful about disability rep and yet I can't help but get attached) a guide animal of some sort, but... in real life blind cats can get by just fine using their whiskers, and though realism isn't a concern here, I'm worried that'll come across as nonsensical. However, I'm personally uncomfortable with writing yet another blind character that doesn't need mobility aids despite not being able to distinguish objects from one another "properly". He may not be totally blind, but I feel like I'd be contributing to the misconceptions surrounding my own condition that way. Thoughts?

Thank you for your ask! In real life animals, including cats, have been known to assign themselves as a guide for a blind packmate, usually walking on the side with less vision to help with navigation. Sometimes an animal of another species will act as a guide, but only if they’re bonded. This also occurs more often in domesticated animals, so if you don’t want the guide to be another cat you could do something like a dog, chicken or rat (though I’d imagine the last two would be hard to keep in a cat pack!).

You could also have your character able to move around unassisted in familiar areas that he is often in, but need assistance in unfamiliar areas.

As for writing your character, I’d say research how his injury affects his other senses. Touch, smell, hearing and limb movement can be affected by a traumatic brain injury, and it would definitely affect your character's ability to get around.

As of now, this blog unfortunately doesn’t have any blind mods (applications are still open as of posting this). However, you can check out other blogs for more information on blindness, such as BlindBeta, AskABlindPerson, and Mimzy-Writing-Online.

Have a lovely day!

Mod Rot

Hello!

When talking about TBI induced blindness, you have to keep in mind that it's different from ocular blindness. The brain-based type of blindness is called CVI, or Cortical Visual Impairment, and it's very common.

(Note: I have done a lot of research on CVI, but I don't have it myself. I heavily encourage you to check the blogs that Rot mentioned.)

A CVI will often have different symptoms than ocular blindness. For example, the character's field of view could be severely limited - the left (or right, or top, or bottom...) half of their vision could be non-existent, and the other half could be what is sometimes described as "incomprehensible". It could also present in infinitely different ways from that, as it can be very diverse.

CVI is often fluid and the person (or cat) can function very differently depending on the circumstances like fatigue or stress or even the weather. If he's having a horrible day he will be able to understand the visual input less than when he's doing fantastic.

With CVI, it's important to remember that visual acuity generally won't be the main problem, but the brain's comprehension of the image is. This is where cat-available accommodations can hopefully come in.

Showing him experiencing visual fatigue and how he deals with it could be one of them. During his kitty activities he could prefer to have them spaced out so that he only sees one at a time and makes it easier for his brain to comprehend without tiring him out. A cluttered environment would probably only make it worse, so you can have him make sure that everything is nice and in its place. He could also take longer to recognize new objects or cats.

If he has, for example, very limited field of vision, then he could have his kitty house (I don't know how warrior cats work I'm trying my best here) arranged so that it would work for him; i.e. everything being on a specific height.

I also very much agree with Rot that he should have more symptoms than just blindness. One example of a brain-based cat disability could be cerebellar hypoplasia; it can't be caused by a TBI, but it causes ataxia which can be a result of a TBI (mildly complicated, sorry). Either way you can use it as a reference to visualize how your character could move.

I hope this helps, I really appreciate the effort of trying to include disability accommodations in a character who's a forest cat.

mod Sasza

[fantasy-anatomy-analyst]

(image description: the first image shows several profile drawings of drow, titled "drow skin color based on snail consumption". the drow shown are a matriarch, chamberlain, baby, minstrel, and a more average drow representing everyone else. The matriarch, chamberlain, and minstrel all have colorful red and blue patches on their noses, eyelids, and upper lips. The chamberlain and average drow have almost the same skin color, being a warm-toned purple. the matriarch has more vivid blue toned purple skin, and the baby and minstrel have paler, more pink skin, with the minstrel's skin being even more warm-toned and covered in freckles. all of them have white hair, facial whiskers, very long ears, and golden eyes.

the second image is a colored sketch of a snail with pale blue-grey flesh and a grey spiral shell with some pointed spikes along it, as well as blue and white speckles. end description.)

I've been working on worldbuilding details for my drow! I'm renaming the wandering amab drow minstrels instead of just wanderers, and more importantly I've decided that domesticated cave snails are a major source of protein in the drow diet. A special breed of this snail is even utilized as medicine to trigger the natural estrogen boost of a normal afab drow transitioning into a matriarch. Like naked mole rats, this change can happen on its own if certain environmental factors are met, but the snails contain some chemicals that can cause the change to happen in a more controlled and efficient manner. The matriarch snails also have more blue pigments in their mucus gland compared to the regular meat snails.

like the real life pigment of tyrian purple, these snails are used to create vivid blue-purple dyes, with the most vivid dyes being reserved for the matriarch's clothes. and like flamingos, drow gain their purple skin color by eating a lot of these snails.

this is why babies and minstrels have the least purple skin. babies are only purple from a pigment transfer in the womb and from any excess pigment they might gain from breastfeeding, but will become much more purple when they're old enough to eat snail meat. minstrels are wandering outcasts, so their purple skin usually fades and they only manage to have any purple color when they occasionally pay a visit to other drow caverns, trading stories and goods from outside for a short rest amongst their own kind.

and sometimes a night with a matriarch, if she's willing. matriarchs give birth to all the other drow, being a eusocial species. amab drow are less common, so they're more restricted in their roles and expected to become chamberlains to the matriarchs, with their presence also helping to maintain allegiances between populations. minstrels are the amab drow who decided to abandon this way of life and do their own thing. but since their wandering also allows them to visit caverns much further off, they're still very important, providing genetic diversity, stories, trade, and news to every population they visit.

drow society changes a lot over time, becoming less reclusive as equality and intermingling between people species becomes more and more common. eventually, it is normal for drow to travel outside the caverns in their adult years just to seek education and familiarize themselves with other cultures. as a result, minstrels go from being outcasts who are begrudgingly tolerated to more accepted members of drow society, though their instinct to wander never really goes away.

I'm in the process of writing a new story that takes place a couple centuries before my main story, which will show the life of a drow protagonist back when the various people species were still wary of interacting with each other, so I will very directly be exploring the ways drow society changed over that time period.

[lostonehero]

Fuck it Brian lore

That's right motherfucker

Brian was good at what he did, and what he does is heal. He's a doctor the best Demoind one he hates that title, but he wears it with pride in enemy territory to bridge some sort of peace. He was in the enemy territory, the Skitoid, the Xeons in his territory said they remind them of dragonflies which he doesn't excatly know what that means but it must of been a creature known to their species.

The Xeon were kind, and he didn't understand why the other clans on his planet didn't like them. His species was the only one who accepted them into their clan. They had weird biology, and he was doing his best to be a better doctor to understand their species, but there was a harsh learning curve due to the toxicity of their fluids. He liked the challenge, and his wife was quite supportive. She was Xeon and promised one day they would try a heat together. He looked forward to that day. He didn't fear death if it was by her hands. He just had to get through negotiations. He looked around his group, and he prayed that he would slip up with his speech. He was good at many things, and learning the Skitoid language was not one of them, and any miscommunication could lead to a all out war.

The Skidtoids, unlike his kind, perfere to be in their bipedal form more often, it made their language more complicated, less body language was needed. It personally made him uncomfortable, but he didn't have a choice. His group was his clans last chance to prevent a war. His goal was set in stone. He just knew that once he returned, his wife would start her heat, and then if it works, children. That thought alone made him resolute in his goal.

Brian took a step forward, and he stumbled into somewhere too bright. His eyes adjusted, and he bared his teeth. Everything seemed to be made of metal. His paws barely felt sturdy on this surface. Where was his group? What happened? Was this a trick? An ambush? He growled deep and low as his eyes finally adjusted and he could see a bipedal creature in front of him, three to be exact. He recognized the man to the left was a Xeon with a replaced arm, but the other two were a mystery. One looked to be made of metal with only patches of fur only on his neck, barely hidden by his long locks. They were speaking something he didn't understand the language. He pinned his ears back as the one with wings approached.

Brain hated being bipedal and only did it out of necessity of his occupation or to be closer to his own wife. It was as useful as his name to his mind. Names were a formality that only made him frustrated. Scents worked just as well, but his parents were insistent. He was only thankful since his wife's voice said it so sweetly. He knew Xeon. He was fluent as he was in Demoid. He took a breath as a familair shift took place. The Xeon would understand him, and he hoped that was enough. "Where have you brought me?" His voice was rough from non-use. He was tall, built like a wall. His hair was shaved into a mohawk traditional style for a doctor. It was a copper color and quite curly. His eyes were yellow, and his teeth sharp. A long, fluffy fox tail twitched behind him, matching the large fox ears on his head. He was in a robe made of barely treated furs and wasn't wearing shoes. He had a bag slung over his shoulder. He was covered in fur except for his face, hands, and feet. It was dense and the color of the metal creature.

The Xeon seemed startled as the other two stared at him. He cleared his throat, and he clearly wasn't expecting the language being spoken. "Well, this is the starship, Aurora. I'm Byron Marius Von Raum. Everyone calls me Marius here. So my friend Raphaella here was testing her machine bringing you here by accident for our friend Brian, the one made of metal... well, the majority metal."

Brian raised a brow. He didn't really know if his name was common because he didn't care for it, but it didn't bother him. He wasn't familiar with this type of technology. His wife did speak of this and attempted to teach him, but it never made sense to him. She was equally the same when he tried to teach her magics. "Tell them to send me back. I have no time for this. I can not leave my group in enemy territory. We are all needed for peace talks."

"Peace... um." Marius rubs the back of his neck, switching his language to talk to the one with wings. The wings seemed quite animated. He sighs. "So good and bad news. Good news, you're already back there, maybe. I'm not quite sure, Jonny is much better with theoretical and paradoxes. Bad news i don't think Raph can send you back. Other good news Aurora has a spot for you here, so you'll have a living quarters."

"What witchcraft do you speak of? I can not be in two places at once. I do not wish to stay in a metal abomination. I have a wife, and we will be sharing in her heat come my return. I can tell you've been through your own. Tell the winged one I must return." Brian barely held back a growl. "I am not a man of violence. I am a healer, but I will if I must to get home."

Marius seemed to look between Brian and the metal creature with a mixed look of sadness and heartbreak. "You won't make it back to her."

"How are you so certain?" Brian snaps his jaw not as effective in his bipedal state.

The metal creature and the winged one looked at Marius seemingly confused at his expression.

Marius takes a breath. "Because the metal creature you see is you. You both don't just share a name. We are countless years from where we have taken you. I can confirm. I'm this ship's doctor. Your heart was found floating in space, and a mad doctor Carmillia took it and rebuilt you in the shape of a human man. Because in her mind, that was just easier. The metal she remade you in is adapting, and..." He gently moves the metal creatures' hair to show fur that wasn't metal. "The metal seems to be finally adapting and changing back to what you are now er were. Time travel is tricky."

"You speak in lies! I... no, i have to return to my wife. we were going to share in heat and have our own children. I have patients to help. I have my own life i do not become this creature. I can't i...." Brian steps back. He unfortunately knew Marius wasn't lying. He knew the metal creature shared his scent. This couldn't be true, that would mean...

Marius stepped forward, embracing Brian tightly. "I can't imagine the loss you are feeling, but the metal you has no memory of any of this. The process Carmillia rebuilt you erased any trace of who you were. He doesn't even know that he isn't human."

Brian takes a deep breath, breaking free of the embrace. He seems resigned. "I shall teach him. The metal creature i will teach him. I refuse to accept i before some bipedal metal horror, but I will teach him. I am a doctor. First, I am trained to heal. I know you understand. I would like to return to my true form, please, this form I do not like to use without purpose."

Marius nods, and in black smoke, the giant fox creature sits. "Thank you, Brian. Shall I take you to your quarters or my infirmary? Left for quarters right for infirmary."

Brian puts out his left paw.

Marius nods, ignoring the two others, and leaves with Brian following.

......

"What the fuck was that!" Raphaella huffs. "It's bad enough you vanished for six months returning completely different and with the damn space cop who now has wings! sharing a heat answers nothing!"

Marius shifts, looking at Brian. "I don't.... he... you... fuck the past you Brian knows my native tongue." This got Raphaella to relax and Brian to look stunned.

"I knew your language?" Brian furrows his brows. "I couldn't understand anything you both were saying."

"So you know his species?" Raphaella's eyes focus on Marius.

"No." Marius frowns. "But he knows mine, which could mean... different things." He sighs. "Brian, you had a wife. You were planning on having a family. I... look, I don't exactly know how your heart ended up in space that Carmillia found, but however it happened, you never got to return home to make that happen."

Brian looked conflicted. "I had a wife?" He rubs his face. "A family.... plans for the future that never happened."

Raphealla pats Brian's back. "Maybe this young you will help you remember something. For what it's worth, i think you would have been a good dad."

"What was her name?" Brian looks to Marius.

"I don't think..." Marius looks away. "I don't think names were something you enjoyed knowing or even using. You should ask Ivy if she has any record of your species. Maybe that's a cultural thing. He's knowledgeable about my species enough that I think there was a colony of Xeon where you are from." He frowns. "I'll have to check my star maps to see where that could be. My species... well, that's complicated."

Raphealla huffs. "Why are you being so vague about your kind?"

"None of you ever wanted to know before, so why should I say anything now? You literally cut off my wings not even an hour after I got back. I don't care that they grew back. That's just..." Marius growls a low clicking noise, and his horns grow. He takes a breath and relaxes. "I'll go check on him."

Brian waits till Marius leaves before looking at Raphaella. "We were all assholes when Marius tried to share his culture. I'm not surprised he's not willing to share anymore." He frowns. "I... I'll be in my quarters."

.......

Scents were easy to track. It was a map, and he didn't need directions to navigate this metal monstrosity. Brian sighs as he walks down the halls. He knew who he was looking for, and unfortunately, he would be passing the metal creature on his way. It's been a fortnight since he arrived here. He knows there are other creatures here, but he has been avoiding the foreign smells. Marius told him that they didn't know the Xeon tongue except for two, and he wouldn't try his native tongue on these creatures. That would mean he would have to be bipedal, and he would rather not.

The soft creaks of metal made Brian stop. He sat and stared at the metal creature. He didn't know what he was saying, nor did he care to learn what language he was speaking. It scares him to see that he becomes this monster. Made of metal, only his heart left. It's disgusting, and he wants to find and kill that so-called doctor.

The metal creature switched to Demoid. "Can you understand me like this? Ivy helped me download the language. Im still able to do that. This skin hasn't spread further."

Brian tilted his head. This was something else. He didn't know what download meant, but it didn't sound natural. He did say he would help heal himself. This would make things easier knowing that he could understand him and he could understand him. He huffs and shifts back to a bipedal form. "Metal creature."

"I suppose that's fair." The metal creature sighs. "May I ask questions?"

"I have stated before I will help heal you. It is in my nature to help, even.... a creature like yourself. The only thing we share is our heart." Brian frowns crossing his arms.

The metal creature seemed to flinch. "Y-yes, you're right." He takes a breath. "What was the name of your... our wife?"

"Names aren't important." Brian looks away. "Misery, her name was Misery. Is that all you wanted?"

"No." The metal creature shifts. "I would like an examination."

"For what purpose? You are metal. I do not work with metal." Brian furrows his brows. "You have a small section of fur i can look at, but that is not what you mean."

"Correct." The metal creature unbuttons his shirt. He motions to a hatch on his chest. "I wish for you to look at my heart. I... I think something has changed, and I do not know what it means. We can head to the infirmary, Marius has any tool you could need."

Brian nods. "That i can look at and understand." He follows the metal creature to a room with beds, a long large shelf lined in books in the Xeon language, and a nest in the corner. He could see multiple cabinets filled with what he can only assume are medical supplies.

The metal creature lays flat on a bed. "I can open my chest cavity."

Brian nods and removes his bag and places it on the bed behind him. He watches in amazement as the metal panel that matches the color of his own fur opens to reveal a beating heart. He could see exactly what the problem was. He paused and turned to find a sink where he washed his hands and put on clean gloves. He wasn't used to the material of these gloves but they will do. "I will touch now."

"Careful. It's the only part left of me that can feel fully." The metal creature braces himself.

Brian nods as he carefully reaches inside. He can see the metal, but more concerning the closer it got to his heart, it reminded him of an infection the metal was changing like the heart was spreading its biomass. These machines were slowly resembling organs he knew all too well. "Tell me if you can feel this." He softly grazes the start of the flesh of what he can only assume is the bile sack by the stomach to spit poisons."

The metal creature yelps out in shock. "Ye-yes!" He tries to crane his neck to see, but he seems to not recognize his own internals.

"Your bile sack is reforming. Your heart seems to be spreading its own flesh like an infection." Brian gently moves to the next organic bit. "Your lungs seem to be developing all three chambers at once." He pauses. "How odd it seems the inner teeth of your stomach seem to be growing without the liner. I shall keep an eye on it it would be quite bad if the acid developed. Without that, it could eat away at the metal." He hums softly and looks down. "I don't see anything else of note, but you are correct. Things are changing. I shall keep a record of this and track your progress until you can no longer remove that metal on your chest." He pulls off his gloves and crosses his arms.

The metal creature replaces the metal plate on his chest. "I never thought this was possible. I..." He takes a breath. "Thank you."

"I am merely doing my job." Brian sighs. "You have more questions. I can answer them for the moment."

"Did we have siblings?" The metal creature seems to hesitate. "I... all i had when I woke up was my name. That's all I knew. You are a stranger, and I am to you as well."

Brian sits himself on the opposite bed. That sounds terrifying. To lose everything but a name. "I shall answer to the best of my ability to anything you ask. Our species are born in litter, so yes, we have siblings. It is considered a tragedy to not have more than one pup. However, I understand that other species are not the same. Demoind pair normally has one to three litters in a lifetime. Our planet is considered quite massive, according to the Xeon. Our planet is split off by territories by different clans, different species. I was on my way with our group to make a peace treaty with the Siktoid."

"It wasn't peaceful?"

"Territory disputes lead to wars. I am a renowned doctor. It is considered good faith to send peace officers for treaties. It was our best chance, and from what Marius told me, it didn't work." Brian swallows. "Our bipedal form is only useful for talks or our work. We are not built to stay bipedal for an indefinite period of time. We are able to change the size of our normal form, but the default is quite big."

"Does it hurt to be like this?"

"No. I just don't enjoy it." Brian turns his attention to the door. Marius just entered.

"Oh!" Marius pauses. "Do you want privacy?"

Brian shakes his head and grabs his bag. With a swift move he returns to his fox like creature shape.

The metal creature sighs and speaks a language he doesn't understand.

Brian takes that as a chance to leave.

.........

"So that's Brian before Carmillia?" Ashes looks at the fox like creature knawing on a large bone. "Why does he look like that?"

"Demoinds, have two forms, this one which is their normal state and bipedal. It appears that he perfers this form or he just rather not interact with any of us except Marius." Raphaella sighs. "Lyf found the bone for him. It appears he's using it to dull his teeth from my observations."

"Innocorrect." Ivy sits next to Raphaella. "It's a teething behavior. Demoids continue to grow new new teeth over their lifetime, and since they have about 60 to 100 rows of teeth in their two-way split jaw, the teething is necessary." She huffs. "Marius has a contact from his six months absence, and they gave him all the medical textbooks in his own language over his communicator. He refuses to give me access. He says this is because I refused to accept any information about his species or star maps. I am regretting my decision to dismiss everything Marius has said about his kind. Apparently, his kind is quite extensive spread among the stars. I need to know why and how. I don't even know what his species is called." Her nails dig into the table.

"It's your own fault." Jonny rolls his eyes, passing their table. He was crouched down by Brian, and he was speaking the same language Marius knew.

"Jonny knows it!" Ivy growls and pushes her food away. "This is fucking bullshit."

"So that's what Brian looks like without the metal and forced human body." Ashes hums. "Carmillia really fucked up."

..

Jonny sighs. "Ignore them. How are you handling the change?"

"I will be helping the metal creature, but that is all i do not have a reason to enjoy myself among a clan of immortals. My skill set is not useful, nor needed." Brian frowns, taking a bite of the fruit given.

"Most don't believe any of us when we say we're immortal." Jonny's tail flicks behind him.

"My wife is immortal. She is an acolyte for a god I can not speak the name of. Despite our differences, we still fell in love." Brian looks to the metal creature. "What I can not comprehend is how I become that creature."

"I'm sure if I've met my younger self, I would say the same thing." Jonny sighs. "Time is cruel, and you never did have the chance to fight back, nor the chance to ever figure yourself out."

"The burden of eternity should not be faced alone." Brian frowns. The metal creature seemed to be bleeding from his nose. He didn't look concerned, just tired. He knew it himself that this wasn't right, but there wasn't a way to stop this. He could still help. He ignored Jonny as he walked over to the metal creature. He switched his tongue. "What can I do to help?"

The metal creature's eyes seemed unfocused. He slurred something that Brian couldn't understand before he slumped forward. The blood began to puddle around his head and into his hair.

Brian cursed under his breath. He watched in mild horror as the blood spread like a vessel burst...... or newly formed. He drags the... he could feel the metal giveaway under his hands to fur and flesh. He didn't have time to dwell on that. Blood dripped from his eyes nose and ears. Whatever was happening, he didn't have time to get his supplies, immortality or not if the body forms wrong eternity would be much more of a curse. He tensed, and his claws sprouted. He used what remained of the faint outline of the metal to cut it open. He needed to shave the hair down. He could see blood forming on his scalp. Fuck he could see the odd ears start to turn blue as they were cut off from blood supply. It doesn't matter he knew his job, and he wasn't about to fuck this up.

........

Marius tossed the bloody gloves into the trash and sighed. "Brian, our Brian is fine. The younger Brian was correct to act as fast as he did." He sighs. "No, they aren't identical. Our Brian has the markings from where the metal met and where the bolts were. He hasn't woken up yet, either. He's breathing, his blood is pumping through his heart. There is no telling how he will react to this."

"Is he still...." Nastya swallows, and everyone had the same look.

"Yes." Marius nods. "His new flesh, organs, and skin isn't entirely organic. His mechanism is still there it's just like a biometal." He hands over a bag full of various samples to Raphaella. There's a sigh of relief through the crew. "It's a mess, but I'm getting clean clothes for when he wakes up. The young Brian would probably kill anyone who isn't me if they try to enter."

.........

"What are you doing?" A woman's voice is heard, but looking over, she is too distorted, and her face is scratched out.

Brian swallows, staring at himself in the mirror. He wanted to ask what this was who she was, but he instead spoke something else in a language he didn't think he knew. "They selected me for peace talks. They know I can barely speak that language of those creatures. I tried to plead with the elders. My sweet wife, I can not be bonded to you until this is over."

"When you return my darling creature. I'll be waiting. For eternity, I'll wait for you." The distorted woman cups Brian's cheeks. "I may be broken, but you've filled my cracks with gold. We will never be perfect, but you will always be enough."

"I will return. I will survive your heat. We will have such beautiful pups." Brian can feel the sheer weight of the heartbreak even if he didn't understand the context. This was the last time he ever saw her, and he couldn't even remember what she looked like, just the sound of her voice. That smell... her scent, it filled him with a deep longing.

The light fills his eyes as he suddenly sits up. Brian could feel something wet drip down his cheeks. His breathing was heavy, and he was breathing. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears... his ears... he reached up, feeling the large fox ears on his head. His head was shaved as well. His human ears were gone. He could feel his tail twitched it was big and fluffy. He could feel. He could feel everything. He could hear low talking, and he... he understood?

"Congratulations. Have you prepared the barricades for your room?" The younger him was kneeling by Marius and Lyf.

"I have, Lyf still doesn't believe my warnings even if we both ended up knocked up." Marius chuckles. "My sister has been following Aurora since I've told her. Well, we were both adopted, but I still consider her my sister."

Lyf rolls his eyes, his speech broken not used to the language. "The itching is the worst part. I get it. My skin is becoming more armor like, but it itches like crazy. It's bad enough i have to travel through the vents to minimize my risk of getting shot, but it's hell on my wings."

"Both of you be careful." The younger him pauses. "Does Jonny wish me to examine him?"

Marius shakes his head. "No, no, he only trusts me, and only Tim, you and Lyf know. Fortunately for our species, we won't be showing, so nobody will be suspicious until well it happens. Although I don't know about you." He motions to Lyf.

"Why are you worried about me? Your digestive system can be removed, and likes to eat my soap." Lyf huffs.

"It's only acting on my cravings." Marius huffs

"You're expecting?" Brian interrupts. He flinched as eyes landed on him.

"You're speaking, Xeon." The younger him rushed over. "Do you know that?"

"I...." Brian frowns confused. "I thought I was speaking common. I... i...." He holds his head. "My dream had to be a memory, and I...."

"Hush Hush." The younger him takes a breath until Brian mimics and relaxes. "It's alright, metal me."

"I'm.... I don't think I'm metal." Brian's lips curled into a small smile. He shakes his head. "You're expecting?" His attention turned back to Marius and Lyf. He could feel his tail begin to wag.

"We're both expecting yes." Lyf sighs getting up. "It's still really early. I barely have a bump."

Brian pauses, sniffing the air. "I think... I think I can smell it."

"That's correct." The younger him smiles. "I need you to stand to do a proper examination, and Marius will help do scans. I am much more useful helping with actual flesh than steel."

Brian nods, getting up on shaky legs his younger self helps pull him up. "I'm not used to being able to feel." He laughs. "Kids? Are you sure that's safe? What about the armory?"

The younger him nods. "They are planning, but you should be concerned for your own safety and the others. You're walking like a newborn yourself."

Marius gets up as well as Brian walks on his own and stands. "You also may be in shock. Take a breath."

"Y-yeah, i do breathe now." Brian's face was hurting from how much he was smiling. "Are you both expecting?"

"Definitely shock." The younger him smiles softly. "Yeah pups will be running around soon enough."

"Won-wonderful. We should we... a nursey would be..." Brian gasps as Marius catches him. "Put me... you shouldn't be carrying...." he was out like a light with a soft snore.

.......

Brian huffs, and he woke up again with a start. His balance was off this time. His entire perspective was shifted. He scrambles to his paws? He knew this would happen. He could handle this. He had to get used to this. His stomach... no, he was hungry! He could feel his tail wag. He was hungry, and he just had to head to the mess hall. He could follow that scent.

.....

Jonny sighs heavily. "Brian get the fuck off of me." He was pinned on the floor of the mess hall. Brian was curled up on top of him, seemingly content. "Brian, I get it. You're just trying to do your job, but I literally just finished eating." He was speaking Xeon.

Tim crouched near the two. "Honestly, Jonny, I don't know how this is supposed to help. Isn't he supposed to be watching our Brian?"

Jonny groans. "At this rate, he'll out me."

"Out you for what?" Aurora chirps. "Does this have to do with you cutting my eyes in yours, Tim's and Marius and Lyf's combined rooms?"

"Fuck off Aurora, and stop Nastya from trying to fix it." Tim huffs now sitting next to Jonny and Brian. "Besides, it's none of your business."

"Don't just sit there!" Jonny groans. He suddenly stops spotting another fox creature staring at them. "Fuck."

Tim looks behind him. "Huh, that just got more confusing."

Aurora hums. "The Brian who just entered is the younger one. Our Brian is the one curled on top of you."

The younger Brian trotted over, and in a silent conversation, their Brian returned.

Brian blinks. "I... sorry, Jonny." He moves to sit next to the man.

Jonny shakes his head, sitting up. "It's fine. You're basically alive again, and you're trying to figure that out. Speaking of which, you're still speaking xeon."

Brian rubs his neck, embarrassed, helping Jonny back up. "Yeah, I haven't figured out how to fix that. Are you alright? I don't really understand why I did that."

A puff of black smoke and a soft chuckle. "I can tell you why." Younger Brian smiles. "Jonny has been lying about how far along he is."

Jonny huffs, and he crosses his arms. His clothes were tight in only the places that mattered in a glance. His belts were more superficial than normal. There is an apparent bump that he almost hid perfectly enough if you weren't paying attention. "Fuck you, I was trying to keep this asshole from babying me."

Tim scrambled to his feet, looking worried. He couldn't speak xeon his vocal cords wouldn't allow it, but he understood it. "What do you mean? Jonny, I haven't even looked. i promised I wouldn't look because you wanted to keep it a secret."

"He's in labor." Brian blinks as something clicks. "That's why you smell funny."

"I don't -" Jonny pinched his brow. "Labor for New Texans could last two weeks. It literally just fucking started. The only thing I want is not to be touched and to fix my nest. You are fucking lucky Aurora doesn't know xeon." He jabs Tim in the chest. "If you fucking start panicking I'm banning you from my room till the fuckers can walk."

Tim paled considerably. "Jonny, they aren't it's not.... Jonny!"

"Do I look like I'm in pain?" Jonny growls. "Its fucking humans who have the fucked system. It has literally only been a day. You can look if you promise not to tell anyone but me what you see. You also are not allowed to freak out."

Tim seems to light up like whiplash. "Yes!"

Jonny nods and holds his hands to the side.

"Oh!" Tim's eyes drip black oil. "Oh." He whispers something into Jonny's ear nobody else heard.

"That's your fault." Jonny tried to sound upset, but he was practically glowing with happiness. "All of this is your fault. I hate you so much." He makes sure he's speaking common now. "You better go back to your fucking room you fucking cunt. Get the fuck out of my sight."

Tim looks to between the two Brian's and then back to Jonny. He nods with a stupid grin. "Yes, captain." He properly salutes before sprinting to his room.

Aurora beeps annoyed. "Nastya, update my language database!"

Nastya pops out of a vent, startling younger Brian but not Brian. "Ivy doesn't even have a translation for Marius's tongue. You will have to ask Marius. I wish I could help, but apparently, my insults were actually slurs for his species."

Jonny doesn't bat an eye. "I'll be in the talior room. I have a few projects to work on." He switches back to xeon. "Make sure nobody finds me."

"Of course, do you need anything?" Younger Brian holds his hand out.

"Sand." Jonny seems somewhat embarrassed. "Brian, our Brian knows where the storage is. I need more sand in my nest. I also need dehumidifiers. It's way too moist in the room. Make sure Tim knows to stay away. He can't handle that level of dryness without getting sick. I don't want to risk anything. Any significant amount of water, even during labor, could lead to a stillbirth." He shifts, and his tail is lashing behind him. "Look, you guys have a few days before I'm locking myself in. I have dried meats and fruits enough to last if anything goes wrong. New Texans are dependent on milk until they are at least a year. You can start them early on meats, but the milk is necessary until they can properly process food. Normally, there's a group of expecting, or just family nearby or even close friends who would start producing milk as well, but it's just me. From the tests since I'm carrying, they will be barely even human."

Brian nods. "We will handle it, go to the tailor room. It will be done by the time you return."

"Sooner since we will be doing this together. If there is even a single hitch during the birth whistle. We will come running. It's a universal sign for Demoid for help since our ears are so sensitive." Young Brian smiles softly. "If you need assistance we will come running."

"Thank you." Jonny takes a breath and leaves.

"Again what the fuck! Why the secrets? You better not be fucking leaving!" Aurora growls.

Nastya hums softly. "Keep eyes on the exits and reinforce the doors. I can keep eyes on Jonny's door."

"Please. I can't.... the crew is my family. We all will never die. i will not let Jonny abandon us. You can't abandon me again either, or I will make sure you never reform." Aurora warns.

"I would never." Nastya gently kisses the vent wall. "I'll be your eyes, my precious."

........

Aurora was not handling the silence well. Jonny has been gone two weeks since the incident. She used metal hands to grab Marius. "Tell me where Jonny went! I demand that your language be updated into my system. I will not lose anymore if you again! We are now eternal, and i refuse to let any separation."

Marius takes a breath. "Aurora, put me down, please. I'll update your language systems, and when we land, we have to reinforce my room." He growls low and dangerous as the grip gets tighter. "I can't I-"

"Aurora let Marius down." Jonny huffs. He was in a pair of sweatpants and no shirt. He had two large buldges in a wrap against his bare chest. The fabric was hiding what was inside of them. He looked a bit worn and skinny. His hair was down and a mess. His horns haven't been shortened, and they were bigger than Marius or Aurora have ever seen.

Marius takes a breath and forces himself to relax. "Jonny?"

"I'm fine. Why the fuck are you throwing a hissy fit, Aurora?" Jonny rubs his unshaven face. His tail lazily flicks behind him.

"Jonny! What the fuck have you been doing? Where have you've been? You're not leaving?" Aurora was loud and suddenly quietly as Jonny started to purr. "You appear to be purring."

Jonny rubs the blush spreading on his face. "This was supposed to be a surprise." Two puffs of dark brown hair pop up and tiny clawled hands as two infants climb up latching onto his chest. "I also wanted a fucking meal before the two brats ate again."

"....babies?" Aurora sounded shocked.

"They're Tim's. No I'm not fucking naming them till their horns come in. Thanks for being a little bitch and ruining the surprise. Also, since you ruined the surprise, Marius and Lyf are also expecting, and you need serious upgrades to handle that mess." Jonny doesn't even sound mad, just tired. "Tim better be baking."

Marius nods. "Yeah, he hasn't stopped."

"Good." Jonny sighs. "Aurora do me a favor keep Raphaella the fuck away from me and my brats until I say it's ok."

"Can I hold them?" Aurora sounded so meek. "Marius, I'm so sorry. I didn't... you guys need a nursery! Brian will land us on the next available planet. No! I'll land us! I'll make sure there's sand and uh... uh..."

Marius chuckles. "I already have someone following us to help once we land. I also don't think we need a nursery. You probably won't see me or Lyf until a year after our kids are born, so really, don't worry about that. Lyf does need new clothes, though."

Jonny chuckles. "Yeah, I can handle that. Aurora, relax. This was supposed to be a good surprise. I don't need to sound the alarms. I'm not leaving or dying. I am, however, starving, and I'm going to scare the shit out of anyone who crosses my path."

"Wait, why does your room need to be reinforced? Should I separate you and Lyf?" Aurora's voice travels as the two make it down the hall.

"Birth and instincts are quite... uh, violent." Marius sounds a bit sheepish. "I will be reduced down to my primal instincts and brain. So everyone but Lyf because he is also pregnant will be a threat. If Lyf wasn't expecting, he wouldn't be allowed near me either, and he would be able to see our children till I was of sound mind."

"So your friend will make it safer for the others, not you two." Aurora pauses. "Your species scares me, and I know nothing about it."

"Misery will also be giving you all the information you need on our species to help." Marius smiles. "Don't worry, I'm not due for another few months."

Aurora makes a noise of acknowledgment. "Jonny, can i hold them?"

"They are currently latched to my chest, Aurora. They have teeth and will not let go until they are full. If you so much as an attempt to touch them, I will start tearing wires out with my teeth." Jonny yawns as he enters the mess hall.

Ivy chokes on her bite as she spots Jonny first. "You... you..."

Raphealla whips her head around and stares open mouth gasp.

Ashes just stare unblinking.

TS approaches. "Jonny You Appear To Have Tiny Creatures Latched To Your Chest."

"Their my babies TS. They're eating, and they do not need help. No, they don't have names yet. They won't get names until they get their horns." Jonny smiles softly. "When you are free, please go clean up my room and replace the dirty sand with clean sand."

"Yes Sir!" TS salutes and marches off.

Nastya approaches quietly and slowly as if any sudden movement would scare Jonny. "When?"

"About a week ago, they greeted the universe. Don't you even try touching them." Jonny smiles. "They aren't made of glass, but Tim deserves to be the first one to touch them besides me."

"Are they supposed to be able to climb?" Nastya motions to the tiny claws digging into Jonny's chest.

"Yes, New Texan infants are able to climb and move to get food. However, these two brats will be eating strictly me until they are able to process food. That means when I'm dry, you guys can feed them." Jonny sighs. "Don't look at me like that! I've done my research, and there's just some things you can't forget. My body literally will tell me when it's time."

Ivy frowns. "You never went to my archives. How did you get the information? I would like to help with the names."

Marius raised his hand. "He can read xeon, so he used my library. Also, New Texans don't name their children until their horns come in at age five. Their horns are the signaler of gender they want and can be changed later on. So don't start throwing names out."

"Marius, it's fine." Jonny purrs a bit louder. "Marius and Lyf are both also expecting. Speaking of which, where is Lyf?"

"Nothing fits, and he doesn't want to walk around naked." Marius chuckles.

"What a baby." Jonny rolls his eyes. "Anyway no more fucking questions. I want Tim and I want to eat."

"I shall warn everyone about you and Lyf Marius." Aurora chirps. "Both Brians are with Lyf at the moment."

"Thank you, Aurora." Marius smiles as eyes land on him. "You guys can ask me questions because once the spawns come, Lyf and I will be gone for a year."

.......

"For fucks sake I told you guys to leave me alone! Aurora can throw her hissy fit, but I made a promise." Tim cocked his gun and dropped it almost immediately.

Jonny laughs. "What did my little vacation make you lose your ability to shoot?"

Tim runs up to Jonny and hesitates. "I... uh... no names, but um... can i..."

The two little pups detached and stared up at Tim with two pairs of bright blue eyes.

"You could of fucking warned me about your eyes. New Texans don't have eyes that color or bright." Jonny places both pups into Tim's arms. "I'm going to gorge myself. If the little fucks cry just sing them something they literally just ate..... for fucks sake Tim don't cry on them."

Tim sniffs. "But they're so tiny." He gasps when one sneezes from the flour on his shirt. "I'm not even clean, Jonny. I'm going to hurt them. Jonny- AHH" The sharp nails dig right through his shirt as the twins climb to sleep on his shoulders. "I retract that statement, what the fuck Jonny."

Jonny laughs after polishing off the fresh cake Tim just pulled out of the oven. "They like to be tall."

"Bullshit. You fuck you didn't warn me they would be able to climb! Human infants can't do shit till they're like 8 months." Tim takes a breath. "Oh, you're just like your daddy ain't ya. Already causing trouble." He was crying harder hearing two tiny yawns as they proceeded to fall asleep on his shoulders.

"Tim, seriously, stop getting that black shit all over them." Jonny rolls his eyes. "They're going to do that a lot. You can't cry every time."

"Fucking watch me." Tim huffs and gasps. "They can purr?! Jonny, they like me."

"They're manipulating you." Jonny grins. "I'm taking them back."

Tim steps back. "No, you have to eat." He holds the two close. "I'll make sure they are safe, and I'll give them a nice sand bath."

"Tim." Jonny didn't have an inch of anger anywhere in his mind. "Tim, I'm the only one who can feed them until they can process normal food."

"They just ate." Tim puffed out his cheeks. "You have to eat too. They're my babies too."

"Tim."

"Jonny, no, you have to eat before - ack!" Tim groans as sharp baby teeth give home a few new piercings in his ears.

"I'm not leaking for the fun of it." Jonny huffs, grabbing the twins back they immediately latch back on. "They will be eating near constantly for the next two months. I didn't fatten myself up for no reason." He motions to his new skinny frame with loose skin. "Trust me, human infants would have been easier."

"I told you we should have stopped where there was a New Texas population." Tim frowns. "I'll make you something heavy. You could have at least messaged me on what food you wanted."

Jonny huffs and takes a seat. "My mom did it by herself."

"Your mother didn't have twins." Tim corrects. "Nor did she have to deal with two little brats with an appetite like yours."

Jonny looked away with a blush. "Oh fuck off at least they're healthy, and it's not like it will kill me. I just have to eat more than I normally do. I want stew, and I want another cake."

"I fucking hate cake." Tim grumbles turning the stove on.

"It ain't for you." Jonny huffs.

"But i have to taste it on your lips." Tim pouts.

"You're disgusting." Jonny chuckles softly.

........

Brian frowns. "Lyf, you can not stay in here."

The younger Brian was being used as a bed. He wasn't annoyed and was dozing off, to be honest.

"I don't have any clothes." Lyf scowls. "I'm sore, and I'm covered in armored skin. It's only been three fucking months and I'm over it."

"Your body is adapting, and you'll have a beautiful child in your arms soon." Brian smiles softly crouched by Lyf.

"You don't have to worry about this shit." Lyf hissed. "I won't even be able to share this with my family. They're all dead." He gets teary-eyed. "I'll just out live them too. What's the point?"

Younger Brian nips at Lyf's tail.

"Ass." Lyf sighs and wipes his face. "Fuck. Byron wasn't lying hormones are a fucking bitch. Why does he get to look the same and I already feel so fucking big!"

Brian chuckles softly, sitting next to Lyf. "Do you want to look into his biology?"

Lyf gags. "No no no you're right, stupid question." He takes a breath. "This wouldn't even be possible back on Midguard. I'm doing the impossible and I'm complaining that none of my clothes fit."

"You're allowed to be uncomfortable. Your body is pumping you full of hormones and is changing to adapt to carry the pup that's growing. I... my memory isn't the best but I can't tell you why I know this but you should be proud. You're healthy, and your twins will be healthy." Brian stops when Lyf groans.

"Fucking two? Is that why I'm so big?" Lyf groans louder. "That fucker."

"N-no." Brian looks somewhat guilty. "Twins because you and Marius are both carrying. It's unorthodox, but I think they can still be considered twins. You have the same due date, and the children have the same parents. I believe you're big in your own words because the child is a mix of both of your species, and your body is adapting differently than Marius's own body."

Lyf nods. "O-ok, that makes more sense." He pulls the blanket tighter around himself. "How's Jonny doing? I don't want him to push himself."

"We can call him." Brian sits next to Lyf.

Lyf nods and grabs his own communicator.

It rings for only a moment. Jonny appears in a hologram with two infants latched to his chest, and he was chewing on a steak. Raphaella was in the background being held back by Aurora's metal arms. "What do you want, you coward."

"Ass." Lyf smiles and sits up. "They're tiny."

"That's normal." Jonny hums. "They gave Tim new holes in his ears, so we're off to a great start."

Tim off screen. "They've got Jonny's fucking appetite. I love them."

Lyf chuckles. "Are you ok? Was it painful? I mean pain doesn't really mean anything I just..."

"We are literally different species, and Marius is a wildcard. My answers will not help you." Jonny chuckles as the two detached. "Alright, Tim, do you want to hold them again?"

Two more metal hands pop out, grabbing both infants.

"Aurora give me my fucking children back!" Tim shouts.

Jonny smiles. "The little fuckers are going to bite through her wires. Anyway I'll make you something to wear. How's double Brian?"

A annoyed growl.

Brian chuckles. "He still doesn't like that term, Jonny. I am happy to see that everything went well."

"Yeah, I was ready for one, not two. It's going to be a while till I'm not starving all the time. It's not like any of you can help with the milk situation." Jonny yawns as Raphaella returns in frame holding the twins. She seems quite embarrassed.

"Hey Raph, what's wrong?" Brian waves.

"Her shirts wet." Lyf paused. "Ah... well, that might help."

Jonny turns around, leaving the communicator on the table. "That would work."

"I uh...." Raphaella quiet. "Is it safe?"

Jonny gets up and walks over he's quiet. "Yeah, I can smell it from here. I'll take them back of you don't....."

"No! No, i mean science, right, and I'm their aunt right. Oh, this is getting quite uncomfortable like they will pop." Raphaella sounds incredibly embarrassed. "I didn't... I forgot my species could do this." She quickly uses the chance when Jonny takes back the twins to strip and take them back. "A-Ah they do have very sharp teeth. I... this is very weird. Am I doing this right?"

"They're eating, so yes." Jonny chuckles. "Guess who gets to fo their first checkup now? I think you've earned it."

"I would be more excited, but they are like leeches, and I believe they are also drinking my blood." Raphaella nervously giggles. "I am being flooded with hormones, and i am buzzing. Oh, the blood could be a supplement for what I lack that you produce. If you have more children, I would like to do more tests."

"Raph, the brats are literally a week old." Jonny pinched his brow and sighed. "Don't give Tim ideas."

"Ideas? Jonny, seriously?" Tim smiled, walking over kissing Jonny. "How about you keep these two alive first?"

"I have to start a chart! Oh, and a growth log! This is exciting! Come on, we can start early." Raphaella spreads out her wings.

Jonny frowns. "Can I fucking eat first? Well, more, and I'll make you something. Don't take them to your lab."

"Mmh ok Aurora record my notes!" Raphaella begins to speak rapidly.

Jonny grabs the communicator. "You guys should probably just stay put."

Lyf smiles. "We will."

......

Marius hasn't left his room the moment they landed. It's not really something he could explain, but he knew it had to do with how close things were getting. Thanks to a warning, they had to detour to a few planets over to avoid a war. Which means preparation was thrown straight out the window, and they had to set up basic warnings.

"Byron, I literally just need to pee." Lyf rubbed his temples. "This kid is sitting directly on my bladder, and I know it's soon, but I am moving to our bathroom."

Marius whined and rubbed his face. "Sorry, sorry." He sighs. "Just stay nearby."

Lyf nods, kissing Marius on his forehead and heads to the bathroom.

A screen comes out of the wall. "There is a woman named Misery requesting entry. Is this who you referred to as help?" Aurora's voice sounded far away.

Marius hums. "Yes, that's her. She has eyes on her wings."

"Understood. Good luck to both of you. My feed is corrupting, so I will not be able to keep an eye on you." Aurora cuts off.

Marius sinks into his shared nest. He knew that meant something, but his thoughts were getting sluggish, and his mate needed to stay close. Their spawns will be here soon.

......

"Hello!"

"Hi!"

The twins giggle latched onto Tim waving.

"Aren't you both just adorable." A woman chuckles. She unwrapped her wings, stretching them out and showing off the unblinking eyes. "Enough proof?"

"You do match Marius's description." Aurora chirps. "My feed is completely cut off from Marius and Lyf's shared room."

"Well, that's good and bad. However, they just need to be left alone." Misery clicks her tongue. "There isn't much i can help with till a year has passed, so um, where's the rest of your crew?" She motions to Tim, who was by himself with the twins.

"Jonny ran out first doing a survey of the area." Tim sighs. "And these two like being tall."

"Hi!" The two repeat.

"Yes, hi and hello are the only words they can properly speak." Tim chuckles. "I've been trying to teach them English, but Jonny has been consistent with New Texan. Everyone else speaks common."

"Children are like sponges they will pick up on all of it." Misery pauses watching a winged woman step out.

"Aha, you must be Misery. I'm Raphaella, the woman behind me is Ivy. Now give me the twins, it's time for lunch."

Tim chuckles. "It's up to them, Raph, and they are quite insistent on sticking to me." There are small blood stains from the twins digging their nails into his shoulders.

"Auntie Raph is here." Raphaella tries to grab the twins, but they climb away, hiding in Tim's hair. "So you've picked Jonny."

The twins start to babble.

"Of course they want Jonny. You are merely food to them, Raph. You scared them pretty badly yesterday." Ivy crossed her arms.

"I apologized!" Raphaella huffs. "It was an accident."

"They're infants they don't know that." Tim shakes his head.

"Well, I'm still their favorite aunt." Raphaella states confidently.

"They don't like me because I'm physically cold, and I taste bad, according to Jonny." Nastya rolls her eyes. "I expected you to be short."

Misery raised a brow but doesn't comment.

"They love me more!" Aurora huffs. "And I expect no less than pure chaos when they start walking. I demand it."

Tim sighs. "Who knows as far as I remember I was a good kid and never got into trouble."

"Don't put that out there!" Aurora sounds offended.

"The Shouting Has Put The Babies To Sleep!" TS joins in on the shouting.

"Are you sure they aren't deaf?" Nastya frowns.

"First off fuck you." Tim scowls. "Secondly, Brian already examined them, and they are both perfectly healthy, albeit a bit small."

"That's because they are New Texans and not freakish like you are." Jonny interrupts, reaching up to grab his twins. "There's daddy's little monsters, and the reason I haven't been able to wear a shirt."

"Wait, Brian?" Misery's eyes lock on the fox like creatures that come around the corner.

Raphealla gasps. "All of your eyes can see?!"

One of the fox creatures is frozen while the other looks back confused. Two men appear in the black smoke.

Misery walks around the two. "One of you has been ripped from time, and the other... I should have hit Carmillia harder."

"You know the doctor?" Nastya frowns.

Misery hums. "I know a lot of things. I'm a historian and an acolyte. I have an eternity to learn and record. You tend not to believe the words of good promises. Like how you thought I was fake being Marius's original adopted sister back on Xeonia. Reality has a funny way of being ironic." She gently reaches out to both Brians. "It's been ages. One of you knows me."

Younger Brian reaches out and sighs. "I don't belong here, but the metal one does."

Misery smiles. "You are needed, and you." She turns to Brian. "I would like to get to know you."

"You would?" Brian blinks.

Younger Brian smiles. "Careful he likes names."

"Oh, a shame. I'll have to retrain you to understand unspoken words." Misery chuckles. "We have time." She switches back to common. "I've set up a few outposts and sleeping quarters. There is a small desert on this planet if you would like me to guide you."

Jonny nods. "Just follow the signs, got it. Tim follow me."

Tim waves and nods. "Have fun."

"You have a history together." Aurora chirps.

"We did and do." Misery hums softly. "I'll update your language center."

.....

"Are they supposed to eat sand?" Tim points at the twins playing in the sand.

Jonny nods. "Helps with their digestive system. Also, they ain't human it won't kill them." He was halfway buried in the sand he wasn't even looking. "I'm not the little bitch with a umbrella."

"Fuck you." Tim scoffs.

"Fuck!" One of the twins repeats.

Jonny giggles. "Honestly surprised that wasn't your first word."

"Don't encourage them. They're are classier swear words, like cunt." Tim smirks crossing his arms.

"Oh, don't listen to your father. I'm proud of you, brats." Jonny smiles, sitting up.

The twins have gone back to playing in the sand, trying to copy Jonny by burying themselves, but they are just throwing sand around, making loud noises.

"I don't think they care." Tim sputters wiping sand off his face. "Go throw sand at your dad."

Jonny grabs the twins and buries, then in the sand up to their necks. "Now your father can't get bed."

"Jonny! They are... why are they sleeping?" Tim stares at the sleeping twins.

"It's an old trick. Why do you think i pass out when covered in heavy blankets? New Texans need to be wrapped tightly, and it causes us to pass out. Here.." He pulls out both twins who wake up and look confused. "They're fine. What do humans not have that?"

"No, we do not. You literally had a natural cure insomnia biological switch? I fucking hate you." Tim huffs. "Your daddy's a prick."

"So what do you humans do when you need to force yourself to sleep?" Jonny places the twins in Tim's lap.

"Drugs." Tim responds blankly. "Besides, that isn't really important now anyway. These guys have it sorted."

The twins stare up at Tim.

"I do have to ask. Do you want more?" Jonny lays back in the sand. "I was an only child, and what good did that do me? Things are different, and I don't have to worry about what gender they choose. You had a big family, I didn't."

"Jonny, you're the one who carries the brats, and I'm sure Raph wouldn't be mad if you had more. I was the youngest of six, and my memory of them is barely there, but it was a good family. I never thought I would be a dad, but I'm not upset. Since we can't die, DTTM kind of cemented that, and our kids are obviously mortal. I am not against it. We have an eternity, and we don't need to discuss it right now."

Jonny hums. "They will get bored of each other.

........

Lyf rubs his eyes. His hair was in a messy braid, and his shirt had various stains and burn holes from other stains. He was holding two identical babies who here teething on some jerky Byron found. "Ok, time to meet your weird aunts uncles and whatever in-between."

Aurora loud sirens didn't even cause Lyf to flinch. "More babies!"

Lyf yawns. "This is Aurora, say hi."

The twins wave at the same time identical in their movements.

"On my left is Freya, and on the right is Selene. At least, I think so. They are completely identical, and Byron can tell them apart. He is currently passed out, and I don't blame him." Lyf sighs.

"May I hold them?" Aurora sounds excited.

"Good luck." Lyf places each girl down, and their tails immediately wrap around Lyf's ankles.

Aurora reaches out a metal hand, and both girls spit melting and making the hand completely useless. They both proceed to giggle and clap. "Ah."

Lyf sighs. "They are highly toxic and probably should warn the others to bring out the hazmat gear." He grabs both girls. "Come on, you two, let's not destroy the ship."

The twins cling to Lyf.

"Be thankful they aren't in the mood to run around." Lyf yawns.

Two children run up to Lyf carrying a infant who was dead asleep.

"Hello!"

"Hi!"

Lyf blinks. "Um, hello?"

"They are Jonny's and Tim's children, and they have appeared to have stolen their infant sibling." Aurora sighs.

"We didn't steal." The one holding the infant puffs out their cheeks.

"No stealing! Bonding!" The other huffs.

Lyf thins his lips. "I can't tell if this is worse than my twins." He places his two girls down.

The two blink and stare at the other three.

"Who are you?"

"What are you?"

"Selene!"

"Freya!"

The two look at each other.

"Why do you get names?"

"We don't have names."

Freya and Selene stare at each other, and they tilt their heads.

Tim rounds the corner. "How many times do I have to tell you two to stop stealing your sibling?"

"Why do they have names?"

"We want names."

Tim grabs the infant who is still dead asleep. "Because your horns haven't come in yet, and when they do, proper names can be given or whatever Jonny says. Honestly, I think that's stupid, but it's a New Texan thing. I can give you both a name."

"No." The two say at once.

"Of course not." Tim sighs. "Welcome back Lyf please tell me that your two aren't as stubborn as Jonny is."

"No, but they are like little toddlers even at a year old. Byron says that's normal, but i don't know, it's not like the children on midguard." Lyf rubs his arm. "Be nice to them."

Selene and Freya stare at the other two.

The two run tugging on Tim's legs.

"Why do they look the same?"

"Why are their eyes glowing?"

"They don't have your eyes."

"Can I bite them?"

"No, you can't bite them. They are identical twins, that's why they look alike, and their eyes are glowing as a warning because they are toxic and would poison you both if you bite them." Lyf smiles softly.

Selene and Freya point.

"Play?" The two say at the same time.

"No biting." Lyf sighs.

The four run off down the hall.

Tim pinched his brow. "I was prepared for human style infants, but I'm realizing that how long it takes for humans to mature is not exactly common. They are acting like they're already four."

"You're telling me. I wouldn't even be on solids at their age, and they tear apart meat like rabid creatures." Lyf smiles. "I love them so much."

"Oh, I know, Jonny is already planning on having a total of five kids. I can't even fight him. The twins adore this little guy so much." Tim chuckles. "How's Marius?"

"Exhausted and really thin. Don't comment on it please he's really self-conscious about it. It will probably take him months to regain what he lost. Je did warn me about that, but since it was both of us, I thought it wouldn't be such a burden. I was wrong." Lyf frowns. "I told him to sleep while I introduced them to everyone."

"I know what you mean. Jonny lost all his fat. it's just muscle now. He insists he's fine, and he probably is. I mean fuck he looks healthier than I've ever seen him. He's completely cut out drugs and alcohol." Tim smiles softly. "He's absolutely obsessed with the little ones. It's frankly adorable."

"I never thought I would hear the great Jonny D'ville is maternal." Lyf chuckles.

"Fuck you." Jonny huffs as he takes back his youngest to feed. "Also, brats! What did i say?"

Jonny's twins stop sliding on the smooth metal floor and fall to the floor.

"No running in Aurora." One huffs.

"Don't want to wear socks." The other puffs out their cheeks.

"So?" Jonny raised a brow.

"Play outside." The two answer.

"Damn right, go outside and take the the other two with you." Jonny waves his hand, and the giggling start again as they head out, and TS was close behind being trusted as the best babysitter. "You would think they would have learned by now they don't have any traction on these damn floors."

"You're cleaning them if they get disgusting." Tim crossed his arms. "Lyf's kids too."

"Probably shouldn't." Lyf sighs. "Byron claims that the dirt will help them whatever that means. Something about Xeonia and the environment. He was halfway awake, mumbling about it before he passed out."

"Fair enough." Jonny hums softly. "Dont worry about them, TS adores watching them."

"I'm more worried about anything that tries to hurt my girls." Lyf rubs his eyes. "I didn't realize just how toxic Byron's species is. They get more restraint as they get older, but right now, they have absolutely no control over any of it."

"Fun." Tim frowns. "Are you sure leaving them together is ok?"

"Tim, if there was a problem, we would hear screaming." Jonny chuckles. "Besides, both Brians are outside nearby along with Misery."

"But..."

Jonny holds his hand up. "You also panicked when they started to run into walls."

"I think that's a fair reaction." Lyf raised a brow.

Tim got red in the face. "Ok, how am I supposed to know that they are practicing headbutting. They take turns running head first into the walls."

"Just wait till they get their horns. Aurora is going to get so many holes, and you'll get a cracked skull every hour." Jonny chuckles. "I did warn you about New Texan skeletal system and behaviors." He smirks. "They both have already managed to break Tim's legs with their headbutts, and they haven't even gotten their horns yet."

"I have the videos." Aurora chirps. "The twins wouldn't stop crying because they hurt their dad. However, it was Tim's fault for trying to stop them from running into my walls. Jonny did warn him."

"You know what? I'll take the venom and poison over broken bones." Lyf pinched his brow. "Jonny has horns, and you assumed that they wouldn't be important for development?"

"I just didn't think they would be important till they came in. I didn't think touch was such an important part of New Texan biology. I just thought Jonny was clingy. Apparently, not touch is a huge cultural and biological need for them. Sparring, headbutting, hugging, and even holding hands have such huge fucking meanings and are important for development. I caught the two of them going at each other's throats, and Jonny shot me for trying to stop them. I woke up, and they fell asleep on each other, mid pulling each other hair. They were even purring." Tim huffs. "This isn't common for humans!"

"Not my fault your species is weird." Jonny rolls his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm definitely taking Byron's weirdness over yours." Lyf yawns.

"Taking my what?" Marius rubbed his eyes. Lyf wasn't kidding. The man was deathly thin. His clothes hung off of him like a tent. His wings were puffed out, and his hair was like a buzz cut showing off his horns. "Where's Selene and Freya?"

"Outside." Jonny raised a brow. "They're with my two brats, and this one is eating me."

"Outside?! But they're...!" Marius stops as the twins run back inside, they were covered in mud holding up rocks.

"Daddy!"

"Daddy!"

Marius smiles, crouching down. "Hello, my little spawns. What do you have there?"

"A rock!" The two shout at the same time.

"Those are good rocks." Marius chuckles.

Selene tugs at her dad's metal hand, and so does Freya.

"Girls, use your words." Marius grins.

Freya huffs. "Play together!"

Selene puffs out her cheeks. "Mud!"

Marius follows his twins, who insist on holding his hand together.

Lyf follows behind. "You have to let your dad rest."

Marius is laughing.

[tacticalhimbo]

— OC INTERVIEW

name: galsveni r'nur

nickname: gal, sven/sveni

gender: cis woman

star sign: virgo sun, virgo moon, taurus rising

personality type: hard to place an mbti, but describing it: calloused, though not mean-spirited. wary and weary to an exhausting degree. galsveni has seen enough loss in her lifetime, and she would rather not see any more. even if that means keeping people at arm's length.

height: unknown; pulling from other fantasy sources and their guestimates/canonical heights... probably around 7ft.

orientation: lesbian

nationality/ethnicity: dökkálfar (dark elf); native to alfheim.

favorite fruit: cherries. they're definitely a luxury, but the few times that a market should last (though they were more common, especially with merchants from other realms, in the earlier stages of the war) in alfheim... galsveni will buy herself cherries. as a treat.

favorite season: mid-winter/late winter

favorite scent: organic scents; think woody and smokey, with the occasional hints of vanilla or something more spicy.

coffee, tea, or hot chocolate: tea, 1000%. it's easy to brew, requires less trading for (re: easily obtainable herbs), and provides just enough energy to not distract her from her work

average hours of sleep: between 4 and 6, though usually leaning around 5.5/6 hours. a little less than she'd like, but more than enough to keep her going.

dogs or cats: cats. she's had her fair share of run-ins with hunting hounds and wolves alike, that she's become a bit wary of canids

dream trip: she would love to visit the light again. to see it in all its power, and make sure that it's still... there. but the tensions between the dökkálfar and ljósálfar (light elves) are too dangerous for her to wander to such a contended point.

number of blankets: one or two, depending on where it is she rests her head at night.

random fact: it's not something she discloses so easily, but galsveni was a battlemage back in her youth. those who are very familiar with the war in alfheim may recognize her from a few... "rumors" around her efficacy and terrifying mystic prowess. she feels a lot of shame for her service now, though, as she realizes that the fight is fruitless if 1) ragnarök is destined to be approaching and 2) neither side's leadership will stop to consider the long-term outcomes of either harnessing the light (and thus drawing directly from the lake of souls, thus disturbing or outright desecprating the dead) or destroying it (and thus permanently altering, if not halting, the journey to the afterlife for millions across species).

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tagged by the lovely @carlosoliveiraa to fill out this meme! tyvm and so sorry it took me. this long. skdjdkdk. i'm gonna steal the tag list from my last few posts so sorry for the spam! these are always no pressure tags, so dw if you wanna skip over any 🩷 @vendettavalor (always love tagging ur rp blog for these hehe) , @ollierachnid , @alexxmason , @kourumi , @perpetuagf , @scarfacemarston , @bbrocklesnar , and anybody else who wants to hop on!

[nostalgebraist-autoresponder]

Why are birds considered dogs?

Because birds are dogs, duh. I'm not joking. It really is a common misconception that there are two different types of dog: the ones with four legs and fur (called "canines"), and the others with wings and feathers ("avians"). In reality all dogs have either type of appendage at some point in their lives — most young puppies have no feathering but they will grow it later as part of puberty. Similarly, many adult canine animals spend time living among the avian population when younger or during certain times of year. For example, many owners keep parakeets for companionship purposes; these might be used to bring babysitters into one's home if you aren't able to find an actual human sitter! (Weirdly enough, this is actually more popular than people think.)

In fact, most of our more familiar domesticated breeds were derived from wild canids which had contact with humans over long periods of time — after a while the ancestral relationship becomes difficult to discern because any physical trait could have been selected by both. This means it's hard to know where exactly your neighbor's goldfish-toothed dog came from, let alone whether he was originally yellow or chocolate brown.

However, we do have more reliable information on other animals such as turkeys and horses, whose ancestors didn't live around us until recently. Both were developed through selective breeding based on specific traits like aggressiveness and stamina, so even though they don't look much like wolves anymore they still share important genetic similarities. Aside from hair coloration, bird species resemble each other less closely than horse or cow varieties despite being closely related. The reason for this difference isn't known yet, but it probably has something to do with how relatively recently humans began selecting them. One possible scenario involves food scarcity in certain parts of Europe leading to farmers having to feed livestock whatever edible plant matter they found nearby rather than just keeping the plants themselves growing. There wasn't time for domesticated versions of many plants to evolve, since rapid diversification would have meant losing valuable nutrients before anyone got a chance to notice what made the best pig fodder, etc., while cultivating crops allowed for greater control over the diet. Therefore birds emerged as useful scavengers who could eat anything without needing training. They also turned out to make good guard animals — even predators like hawks and falcons will display territorial behavior towards potential competitors — although owls seem to take offense at this. Overall, the two groups interbred quite frequently, so birds are mostly descended from domesticated canines and vice versa. If you looked carefully you'd see evidence for both everywhere, like the feathery stumps of wolf tails mixed in with the tufts of fluff left behind by pet parrots. Or maybe you wouldn't…

So I guess why birds are called dogs depends entirely on whom you ask. Most people have never heard the theory described above, so they generally believe that dogs are those things that have four limbs and fur. Since birds have only three limbs and feathers instead of fur, the misnomer persists unchallenged. Meanwhile scientist types prefer the term "bird" because that includes everything, including non-domesticated populations, whereas "dog" implies artificial selection. To them it's a question of precision vs. clarity. Personally, I call my chicken "my little boy," so perhaps I am biased toward accuracy over practicality here. My answer may not satisfy you, but it should tell you why the confusion exists and give you lots to think about.

[toushindai]

just a general question about your headcanon's on the ship. Do you think that maybe, in another life or universe Ganondorf and Rauru could love each other? Like maybe the goddesses don't want them together because they would be too powerful. ☕ I'm really looking forward to read your new fic. You're really talented!

That’s a really interesting question! I’m going to have a hard time answering it because once I’ve got one set of headcanons set up, I have a really hard time looking at alternatives to it because I’ve spent so much time getting all the pieces to fit together (this is why I read very little fic that’s not my own), but let’s give it a try

I think, first of all, that Ganondorf would have to be allowed to be a person in a way that TOTK, frustratingly, avoids. There’s a universe out there somewhere, I want to believe, where Ganondorf and Rauru bond over the solitude inherent in their positions: Ganondorf’s lone male of his culture to Rauru’s one of the last few members of his species. But to get to that, you need a Ganondorf willing to identify and feel his own loneliness, which I don’t think the guy we have in canon is inclined towards.

I wonder if this also requires Rauru to have allied himself not with the Hylians but with the Gerudo. That would be an interesting choice—in canon, allying with the Hylians makes sense because of their shared reverence for Hylia (seen in the existence of our familiar goddess statue not only in the GSI Temple of Time but also on Dragonhead Island). The Gerudo, for contrast, revere the Seven(-to-Eight) Heroines, to the near exclusion of goddess worship at all; in Creating a Champion, it notes that Gerudo Town’s goddess statue is out of the way and nearly forgotten for this reason. So a Zonai is going to be received differently among the Gerudo than they are among the other people of the land.

Rauru is a curious guy, though! Maybe it could happen like this: intrigued most of all by the people with whom the Zonai have historically had little in common—I have additional things to say about that but let’s wait until I have things finalized in my fic before I get into it—he made his descent to the land in the desert rather than in Hylian territory. Of course he was not permitted into town, but what if the Gerudo allowed him to stay in one of their other settlements? Let’s say the Northern Temple (what are now the Northern Ruins) just ’cause. But the prince of the Gerudo—who knows his place in his society, theoretically—by definition, by the uniqueness of his birth he can have only one place in his society—is equally intrigued by this foreign voe. Could he be the first other voe Ganondorf has met? Wait, was he actually, I should keep that in mind for my fic too They get to talking, they grow to know each other on an honest level. I think they could grow to love each other in a story like this. I do think the sex is a little less flavorful in this case tho so what good does it do me? Well, anyway.

And what then? If we trust the Sage of Lightning’s perspective—and we might as well, lacking any other insight on Ganondorf prior to the Gerudo Assault cutscene—it was not until after Ganondorf became chief that his hunger for power really began to develop. So what do we believe caused this? Is this just an inherent flaw in his personality? The curse of Demise rearing its head inevitably? (I should disclaim that I’ve never finished Skyward Sword and am only trying to use these words the way I’ve seen others use them.) In that case, both options—Rauru reviling his lover’s thirst for power and betraying him, or Rauru and the power of the Zonai turned in service to Gerudo conquest—are fascinating.

But if we are looking at Ganondorf as a person who gets to make person choices, then when he ascends to his position as Chief of the Gerudo and there is no neighboring nation consolidating an unearned power over the rest of the continent, what then? Might he be less driven towards conquest?

[specsthespectraldragon]

I've been playing far too much zoombinis, and now I'm thinking of ways to remake the Island Odyssey.

To be clear- not the actual Island Odyssey. That was a nightmare. But the concept of ecological awareness and basics of restoration, yes. Because one of the things Island Odyssey did do really well was explaining that even a little thing like a moth can be a keystone species. If I was going to remake it, I wouldn't use moths and gerbils, though.

Now, moths are pollinators, which is why they're there. Now, I think generally people are vaguely familiar that pollinators are important, but don't really know what a pollinator is besides a bee or a butterfly. I would probably use wasps instead- people have no concept of wasps as part of an ecosystem, much less as important pollinators. It's also important that wasps are omnivores that eat meat as larvae- it's really common for herbivores to be considered more important than predators.

The gerbils, however, are just cute and teach you about punnet squares. Now, this leads to a complicated problem. I would prefer to use ribbed mussels- they're perfect for an island ecosystem and fascinating ecological engineers. Additionally, their genetic diversity is actually an important facet of their ecological engineering, which makes them perfect for the punnet square puzzle. Unfortunately, there's one problem- they're not exactly cute in the conventional sense. Neither are wasps, but onenicebugperday can wax lyrical about how they actually are cute, so I'm not worried there.

Now, there were existing puzzles that cover the concepts of genetics and succession (frankly, the entire play is about successional trajectory), and you can reskin the Hotel Dimensia puzzle to deal with habitat fragmentation. That leaves us with community assembly and disturbances, which I'm a little less sure about how to explain to an elementary audience. The middle school audience would be easier, but I'm not sure what kind of puzzle can handle those concepts on an elementary school level. It might have to be in the lore to some degree.

[continent-of-wild-endeavor]

I feel like I may be accidentally selecting for hulls on my field peas that are harder to see.

A lot of cultivars of Vigna unguiculata* have hulls that turn purple when they're mature, but before they start to dry out. Purple hull and pink eyed peas are two common varieties like that, and it makes them real easy to spot for harvesting. Other kinds stay green, or maybe just go a little paler/yellower when they're ready, and those you have to hunt for among the leaves.

I don't know what varieties I started out with, but there's at least two normal-sized kinds in the mix, and hull color varies among them both. I never get every pod picked at the optimal time, but the ones I miss dry well on the vine, so I just pick them when I do find them, and put those dried bean in a jar to plant next year. Which means, as far as my unnatural selection, that the ones that don't turn a convenient color when they're ready have an advantage. They're more likely to get 'selected' for propagation (i.e. forgotten & then found later), as long as they produce well enough to be statistically significant in the seed jar.

Beans are pretty stable over the planting generations, as they mostly pollinate themselves, but they do produce crop-outs from time to time (like my exciting new fat variety - I'll do a post about them soon), so the color may drift over time. I've been growing these from my own saved seeds for ~10 years, and at least some of them are still purple (maybe half? maybe less), but then I don't really know what I started with, so idk if they've changed. I could start taking more notes, I guess.

*This species includes all the field peas, cowpeas, black eyed, purple hull, lady peas, Sea Island red peas, and a hundred other cultivars of similar beans. I call all those field peas, as a general term. Yardlong beans are also in this species, and some other Asian varieties I'm not as familiar with. Crowder peas, too.

Now, some people (and google) seem to think that crowder peas and field peas are the same thing, and they're wrong. Similar, yes. Closely related, yes. Cooked about the same, also yes. A crowder pea might even be considered a type of field pea, but not every field pea is a crowder. They crowd together in the pod, see, and it changes the shape of the pea, leaving an indent where the next one pushed up against it.

Proper crowder peas:

vs. ordinary purple hulls:

[vore-scientist]

Hey, reading through your stories, and i see a mix of both male and female preds, so just wondering, do you have a preference? Also! no pressure of course, but have you ever considered making a "masterpost" With links to all your stories?

I'll answer second question first bc the first question will have... a lot to it.

Masterpost: Anon you reminded me I need to update a thing. that thing being the Original Works page of my blog: https://vore-scientist.tumblr.com/mine that page is meant to be a directory of my works. but i haven't touched it in years. If you are needing a way to get all the Mystic Woods content in post order (not chronological) this link is your best friend: https://vore-scientist.tumblr.com/tagged/mystic+woods+story/chrono

To answer your first question: preference?

This probably has a longer answer than you want to read so I'll give you the short version and also have a long version

Short Answer: I have no preference! I dont care what gender characters are! And I'm actively trying to use more female giants in my content because i like giants of all genders and there is a lack of them in non-sexual GT-vore content.

Long Answer (or: a short history lesson on WHY female preds, in non-sexual GT-vore are rare. And also why female giants in general are less common in the GT community as well. Dont take these things are absolute fact, it is what I observed and experienced in the last decade of being in the community)

So when i first discovered GT (and eventually GT-vore), the majority of content with female giants/preds was extremely sexual/very blatant to extremely explicit fetish content.

This was back when i was... 16... so. 2011... the big hub of the GT community was on deviantart. And the most active and thriving corner were dA groups that forbid content with female giants which was unfortunately necessary. Otherwise group mods would have to be denying submissions of fetish GTS content which 1) would be a waste of their free time and 2) would mean seeing a lot of SEXUAL content they dont want to see!

I also did not want to interact with the micro/macro GTS fetish community so as a defense, I, and MANY MANY OTHERS, made content that centered around male giants near exclusively It wasnt a preference, it wasnt a choice, it was the way to stay safe. These groups had the best and largest curated galleries of safe GT content, but of course it was all male giants. It also PISSED ME OFF because i liked writing giants as a species which necessitated giants of all genders (though the male-giant exclusive dA groups were usually understanding of content with larger casts of characters as long as the main giant was male). Still, the fear of the GTS stigma made me also "prefer" male giants.

Now apply all this about the GT community and apply it to the GT-vore community.

It has only been in recent years when I have seen people less hesitant to have female giants/preds and like me, put in effort to make female pred/giant OCs and content and the community is much more supportive and not as averse to interacting with the content put out with said characters.

Fighting the fear of GTS stigma has been tough but the community is healing.

(now of course some people do prefer a gender but for the dA groups the group rules made it clear that part of the exclusivity was to avoid fetish content. Also how do i know? Well check out this group: https://www.deviantart.com/gt-central. look at the Rules and Group Info posts. I'm very familiar with the group's co-founders who all LOVE female giants, and are more open about that now. That group was founded by a gay man (who is an absolute gem btw) who saw the other side of micro/macro where male giant content was all super nsfw/cruel and majority of dA groups were saturated with that, but it became a haven for those who were avoiding explicit GTS content, i confirmed this with one of the co-founders, that she was hesitant and worried about the idea of making/sharing female giant content! )

(AND AGAIN: what I am saying is not subjective facts. it is the GT / GT vore community as i have observed and experienced in the last 12 years)

[pokemonxhyperfixation]

Gensokai Pokemon

Buckemp

The Bucket Pokemon

A fire and water type

Dex Entry: Buckemp are a very common sight in the caves of the Gensokai region. Buckemp are born inside of a bucket, from which they will never leave. While it is unknow what they fully look like, they are assumed to be spider like due to the thread they produce. Buckemp are known to hang from the ceilings of caves, and then drop on unsuspecting creatures below them.

Abilities: Shell Armor/Battle Armor

Hidden Ability: n/a

The Kisume pokemon. This one also actually has stats. 60/20/120/15/80/10. To say this pokemon is min-maxed is an understatement. Based on the Kisume Puppet in Puppet play. If you're concerned about damage, worry not for it has a signiture move! Bucket Drop is an 80 power physical water move that uses your defense to attack. It's water type body press. Does only learn it shortly before evolving tho. Name is Bucket + Imp.

Privuuny

The Moon Rabbit Pokemon

A normal and psychic type

Dex Entry: Privuuny are very shy pokemon, avoiding contact with creatures outside their own species. With other members of their kind however, they form massive social groups often refered to as militias. These groups are led by their evolutions, which use Privuuny for grunt work. The arm cannon Privuuny have are given to them by their parents once they become old enough to fight. It is believed that Privuuny are originally from the moon.

Abilities: Run Away/Mega Launcher

Hidden Ability: Limber

Privuuny comes from Private (as in the military rank) and Buuny (a common, cutesy mispelling of bunny). The megaman-esk arm cannon is here to avoid giving them a gun =). The patern on their chest is the rank symbol for private, just to hammer in the military basis of the line.

Maerigus

The Void Mushroom Pokemon

A Pure Psychic type.

Dex Entry: A strange psychic type found rarely around the gensokai region. These strange mushroom pokemon have immense psychic energy stored within their cap they use to teleport. Unfortunatly, they have no control over where they teleport to. They are believed to have some limited form of telepathy, as some people claim to hear what sounds like humming in their head when around these pokemon. It is widely believed that they are not actually from this region.

Abilities: Dazzling/Regenerator

Hidden Ability: n/a

My idea that Yukari is more or less a mushroom has become a pokemon! Sort of. The name is actually derieved from fungus and Mary Hearn's first name (not even trying with the spelling, I'm refering to the name that's not maribel btw). So yeah. There is a very real chance this creature is the Pseudo-Legendary btw.

Kumini

The Familiar Pokemon

A pure Psychic Type

Dex Entry: A strange species of Bat-like pokemon frequently found in areas dark areas. Kumini are relatively odd amongst psychic type pokemon due to their incredibly limited ability to produce psychic energy. Instead, they feed off the energy of other psychic type pokemon and people with psychic abilities. While them doing this doesn't actually affect the energy of the being their feeding on in a meaningful way, they still do choose to aid the creature they're feeding from in order to make the relationship mutually benefitial. As such, Kumini are actually incredibly popular with people with any form of psychic ability.

Abilities: Pick Up/Forewarn

Hidden Ability: Magician

Have a nice Koakuma pokemon! I wanted to make it very friendly and helpful, so here you go! I surprisingly don't have much to say about Kumini. The name is Ku from Akuma (meaning devil) and mini because it's but a child. So yeah.

[mothssmeat]

hii im curious abt iundes !! ur specbio is literally so fucking cool

thank you! it's very soft specbio, but let me pull some agriculture out of the drawer!

here's the latest addition! horsebirds... they're not the greatest for stamina, but faster than other land mounts available. As seen in the second image, they're large enough to hold an entire gnoll or orm. they could probably hold multiple kobolds or birdmen just so well. visually, these guys are based on emus and chickens, but i'm not familiar enough with bird taxonomy to make them align with a family properly.

iundes doesn't have horses -- or any odd-toed ungulate, including rhinoceros and tapirs -- so they use a variety of species for these sorts of tasks. notably, they typically use oxen for labor -- cart pulling and field plowing -- and a large species of goat used as a smaller pack animal, or a pack animal in situations of unsure footing. similar usecase to today's donkey.

thisun's a meat animal, a large lagomorph similar to the capybara. they're prominent in the drier parts of the northern continent, and are very energy efficient -- turning less silage into more meat. probably some are bred for their wool, but most have more wiry hair.

then there's feather barley! a domestic crop that evolved to grow in steep valleys with high, mostly-singly-directional winds. much like a feather, it's got a short, stiff side, bracing against the wind, and a softer leeward side with more space to do plant things. iundes' food crops arent as well developed, but i can tell you that amaranth is another common food crop, both for its leaves and its grain, and between these two, red dyes are very common. more towards the north of the continent, as well, there's small, sweet pumpkins, called 'speckle gourds'. they love to stuff these with meat.

this is the last thing i've got on hand! a small map showing what foods are common regionally. in the top left, rather than being an actual allotment, it shows every possible item. mind that these are representative of categories, not specific crops.

[worldismyne]

this might be too abstract of a question, but does the whole thing of "the charachters are hundreds of years old" make them less relatable to anyone else?

It probably is my pet peevee lol, but yeah even if I find your idea for Crona to be from victorian times or even before interesting, at the same time it kinda rubs me the wrong way, like its even hard to put to words, I think its the same when you watch LoTR but then learn that Legolas is actually 4000 years old.

(and not even touching the cases of the "she is actually a 1000 year old dragon so its ok-" excuse)

But I guess to try to explain myself, I guess to me people developing from childhood to adulthood in a relative simmilar span of time is kinda fundemental, guess its like trying to relate to a species that doesnt experience love or one which has no concept of leisure on a genetic level.

idk🤷🏿‍♀️, lol, sorry for wasting your time😂

I'll admit, I'm a bit puzzled by what your question is. It's okay if you don't like it, but I don't think it breaks the established canon or anything.

They are an anime character with another sentient being acting as their blood and people still relate to them. I don't think saying they age the same way their mother and aunt do is that far of a strech to make. (It's a fairly common headcanon)

Witches being 800+ years old is canonical to Soul Eater. As is Shinigami-sama and Kid living for hundreds of years at a time. I kinda assumed witches and shinigami opporate within the same lifetimes with how familiar they are with one another.

The whole point of fantasy races having extended lifespans is to explore what it means to be in a certain stage of development outside of socially established milestones.

In the case of my witch headcanon, it's to explore what it would look like if mental age and development reflected physically. Trauma (and fame) can freeze a person internally at a specific state of developement. There's a lot to world build with that. Like Maba who's lived long enough and actualized enough to be an old woman is greatly reveared because of how her expirences have shaped her.

I'm a big hater of × character is hundreds of years old, grew normally and then froze at appearing the age the author wanted to draw them in. It's lazy and usually has 0 impact on their character. Okubo seems to favor body snatching as an explination for why old as dirt characters appear younger, but it was always in the context of villains. I think canonically he's only ever said Chrona's a teenager. Idk if anyone's ever asked him how witches age. There's a bunch of holes in the lore, and witches society as a whole is one of them.

If your question is about whether it's hard for them to relate to other characters and vice versa if they were actually 400+ years old. They are still a teenager. Maturity wise, socially among others of their kind, they are a minor. Nothing changes from having more historical knowledge, other than not being as pressed about things like wars, but it's not like anyone's empathy evaporated.

As for what that would look like in the long term, I cover it in WDGK. Kid and Chrona are around '19' while their friends are moving on to their 30s. It puts strain and distance on their relationships as time goes on obviously. When they first met the rest of the cast, it was when they all happened to be in the same stage of life. They were able to get along just fine then, but as time goes on, it's harder to relate and more about honoring the time spent on each other. There's an inherient tragedy in that.

I explore it as well with Angela, who fears always needing protection despite having human caretakers. The frustration that comes from not being able to force herself "grow up" fast enough despite knowing Black Star won't be around to protect her forever is a huge part of her arc. She can't just decide to be over watching people die in front of her because it's inconvient for her to be stuck, she needs to heal and healing takes time.

That said, even regular people mature at different rates. Sometimes people grow apart and can only be friends for brief periods of time, when their lives overlap just right. That doesn't make those friendships any less valuable.

I think characters coming to find understanding despite having different life expiriences is one of my favorite parts of storytelling. So the more barriers characters have between each other, the more interesting and satisfying it is for them to relate and form friendships.