#Lesser long eared bat

[flittermousing]

via basscoastbats on Instagram

[transgender-chiroptera]

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Lesser Long Eared Bat pups (nicknamed 'the pastries')

Embedded the video rather than taking a screenie because LOOK AT THEM.

[vampiritea]

OKAY SO:

I don't know where it came from. My sis (@werewolfsmile) and I were playing with our dogs inside when suddenly there was what appeared to be a giant moth flying around the room. I thought moth because it was completely silent, but the next second I thought it must be a bird because of its size.

But it wasn't a moth or a bird. It was a bat!

Its wings made absolutely no sound as it flew. It looked almost ethereal, half translucent as it flew around the room. (I think at this point I was staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed, just in absolute awe of how close I was to my favourite animal.)

werewolfsmile took the dogs outside so they wouldn't hurt it, and the tiny creature soon landed on the back of a curtain to catch its breath.

As a bat enthusiast, I got up as close to it as I could, standing on the arm of the couch, and I could see its tiny head through the eyelet of the curtain. It had two adorable ears poking out from its head and it kept twitching and looking around. I could also see one of its tiny feet holding onto the top of the curtain. 🦇

(I also may have started crying from joy at this point, but that's irrelevant.)

After a brief google search on what to do, we got a container (as a last resort) and dimmed the lights in the room. The bat started to fly again and I went over and opened a door to outside.

It took a little while (the bat settled on the curtain again for a rest at one point) but eventually the critter found the open door and swept out into freedom!

Truly one of the highlights of my life. I love bats so much.

After that I did some research to try and figure out what kind of bat it was, but I never got a super good look at it because whenever it was still it was hiding behind the curtain. The best I could guess was that it was a lesser long-eared bat.

So yes. I've seen a bat irl. 🥰🦇

have you ever seen a bat irl? (not on tv,online etc.)

[suppose-i-was-worm]

For Lack of a Burger

**finally I have written! Sorry for the long absence, folks- my cat is a needy little thing and I love her. Enjoy!**

“As blood son of Batman, it is only natural that I train here to become heir to the Bat.”

Dick- well, Nightwing right now- looked down at Robin, who was staring out over Gotham with his brow furrowed.

“And what of the league? I can’t imagine them letting the heir to the Demon’s Head run loose.”

Robin stiffened a fraction more than he already was- something that Nightwing wouldn’t have noticed if he wasn’t trained by Batman himself.

“I know only one thing for sure concerning the heirship of the league.”

“What is that?”

“Grandfather will not taste relief in death.”

Nightwing wasn’t sure what that meant, but Damian seemed so assured of the fact. He would have to tell Bruce- maybe Ra’s had discovered a better method of immortality than the pits?

An alert pinged on their communicators, and the two of them checked it before heading off to save the citizens.

~~~

“I miss real food, Clocky.”

“You are currently unable to process it.”

“I know. Ectoplasm just isn’t the same though.”

Danny sprawled on Clockwork’s floor, lazily filling out paperwork from ages ago and yesterday.

“It has been a very long time since you left humanity behind.”

“I wish there was a safe way to go back and get some food.”

His mentor paused briefly, and Danny looked up. Was that a gleam in Clockwork’s eye?

“There is a way.”

Danny shot up into a seated position, crossing his legs.

“Tell me!”

“You will face many hardships.”

“Clockwork, serious as a funeral, I would kill for a burger right now.”

Clockwork smiled enigmatically.

“You may have to.”

He flicked his fingers and Danny found himself pushed back. He allowed it- at this point in his existence, he could overpower Clockwork, but he’d asked for this.

The world went dark around him.

~~~

In the year since he’d come to live with Father, Damian had not said a word about his brother. He’d been told, before being unceremoniously bundled away from the only home he’d ever known, that he was to be the heir of the Bat and Daniel was to be the Demon’s Head.

His mother had told him that Father would try and steal Daniel away from the League- that Damian would yet again be the lesser son. After a few months with Father, Damian had stopped believing that. There was no thing as a ‘lesser’ child for Father.

And yet.

Grandfather was a powerful man, and Grandfather treasured Daniel more than he had ever cared for Damian.

Daniel al Ghul, second son of the Bat of Gotham, was brilliant. He kept his emotions in check, fought with practiced ease in any situation, and spoke circles around even mother. It never took him as long as it took Damian to learn a new skill, and most of the time he spent studying, even when they were both allowed a break.

Damian loved him, even as the younger child overtook the position Damian had striven for his entire life.

What was not to love? Damian had loved him ever since his tiny hand had curled around his finger in infancy.

He had always been fond of small, cute things.

But if Daniel left the League, Grandfather would come after him, and it would be unsafe.

Damian held his tongue and loved his baby brother from a distance, even though he might never see him again.

~~~

John “Hellblazer” Constantine needed a drink. Or several.

Bats had appeared on the Watchtower with yet another new Robin, and this one was probably the most concerning out of all of them.

No, it wasn’t the sword.

It was the massive fucking protection order from a powerful death god that radiated off his small form.

“Bats.”

“Hm.”

“I need to talk to you and the kid.”

Bats nodded, a gesture John took to mean ‘go ahead’.

John sighed.

“Not here, Bats. Too many ears.”

“Hrn.”

The Bat swept away, followed closely by his brightly colored companion. John followed as well. He was pretty good at speaking Bat, after all these years working together.

They made their way into the bowels of the Watchtower, into a sitting room John hadn’t known existed.

“What do you need, Constantine?”

John paused for a moment, assessing. Robin was watching him suspiciously, hand on his sword, and Batman was standing half in front of the little bird protectively.

“Did you know this one was friends with a death god?”

“What?”

The Bat and Robin spoke the same word at the same time, in the exact same tone. Did they practice that? Anyways.

“Yup. Little redbreast screams hands off.”

“I am not acquainted with any gods.”

John shrugged.

“Doesn’t mean you knew they were a god. To get to the bottom of this- has anyone ever sworn to protect you in some way?”

Robin went still and pale behind his mask, before darting a glance up at Batman.

Batman, who was looking down at his sidekick.

“Robin? Report.”

The boy stuck his chin out.

“It was many years ago, Batman. He- they couldn’t have been a god.”

“You don’t know that, kid. Where did you meet him?”

“He wasn’t a god!”

Robin had become defensive, sword halfway out of it’s sheath, glaring at John- presumably for the sin of being alive.

“If the League of Assassins has contact with a deity of death, we need to know, Robin.”

Snarling, Robin started out of the room.

“I will not discuss him with either of you. He is safe where he is.”

“Robin- chum. Who is he?”

Robin stopped in the door, not looking back. His voice wobbled a little as he spoke.

“My younger brother.”

John needed a drink, and fast.

~~~

Danny stood over Damian’s bed, watching his older brother breathe shallowly. Grandfather had beat him badly, and Danny was still unsure why.

Talia wouldn’t look him in the eye, and Grandfather had gone to soak in the pits.

“Daniel?”

“Damian!”

Danny bent over his brother, placing a hand over his pulse to check it.

“Why?”

Why had Grandfather beaten him? Why had he stood and let it happen? Why didn’t he run?

“He… wanted me… t’kill you.”

Danny felt rage swell up in his tiny seven-year-old body. What right did Ra’s al Ghul think he had, to beat a child almost to death for such a reason?

What right did that man have, to touch someone Danny had come to care for?

Closing his eyes briefly, Danny allowed himself to meditate for the few moments it would take to let his rage die down enough to comfort his brother.

Once it had, he opened his eyes again and pressed his forehead to Damian’s.

“I swear I will protect you, ahki. Ra’s al Ghul will not taste relief in death.”

The next day Danny watched invisibly as Talia dipped Damian in the Lazarus pits to heal him before putting him on a plane to Gotham.

~~~

“You have made me proud, Daniel.”

Ra’s watched as Daniel bowed, having taken out a squadron of elite ninja for his tenth birthday.

The ninja were still breathing- Ra’s was sure Daniel had spared them so as to not weaken the ranks of the League he was set to inherit.

It pleased him that his young grandson was so wise, despite his youth. His older brother had no such wisdom- rash and impatient, still full of emotional weakness. Ra’s would no longer claim that boy as his grandson once Daniel passed his newest test.

With a wave of his hand, several ninja brought forth a young man. They had managed to kidnap Richard Grayson from under the nose of the Bat, and now Daniel would kill the other.

“Grandfather?”

“This is your Father’s oldest ward. He is a usurper to a place that rightfully should be yours. Kill him.”

Daniel walked towards the bound man, and the ninja holding the captive backed away respectfully.

“May I ask him a question, Grandfather?”

Ra’s nodded. There was no harm in it.

The boy drew his sword and stepped around the man, holding the blade to his neck.

“Tell me, Grayson. Is Damian well?”

The lilt in his voice spelled danger for Damian, and Ra’s could barely contain his grin at Daniel’s ferocity.

“He is protected,” the kneeling man forced out. “You won’t harm a hair on his head.”

Daniel smiled, not unlike a shark.

“I know.”

Before Ra’s could blink, Richard Grayson’s bonds had fallen to the floor as if he had turned into a ghost, and Daniel’s sword was stabbed into the dirt between the Demon Head’s feet.

“We are leaving, Ra’s, and you will not stop us.”

The venom in his calm grandson’s voice when Daniel said his name made Ra’s pause, but only for a moment.

At a gesture, ninja poured out into the courtyard, intent on recapturing Nightwing and taking down the heir to the Demon.

Seconds before the ninja collided with the two, Daniel grinned, his eyes locked straight on Ra’s, grabbed Grayson’s hand, and the two vanished.

~~~

Dick was… Confused didn’t quite cut it. His day had been a disaster, and then this tiny meta who looked like a carbon copy of Damian appeared.

“So… You a clone?”

“No.”

“Oh. Uh. What are we doing, by the way?”

The boy smiled serenely at him, and then continued his work.

“Jacking a plane.”

“You’re like, eight.”

The boy shrugged.

“If you like.”

“Where are we going?”

“Gotham.”

“Who are you?”

The boy turned and put his hands on his hips, and Dick was starkly reminded of Bruce by the posture and facial expression.

“Look, Grayson, I get it, you’re confused. But if you don’t shut up and let me finish this wiring, we’ll never get you back to Gotham before the League catches up.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.”

The boy turned back around and continued his wiring.

“Call me Danny. Too many fruitloops call me Daniel.”

Dick expected a long flight ahead of them.

~~~

Damian was strapping on the last of his gear to go rescue Richard from the League of Assassins when the man himself strolled into the batcave, looking tired but no worse for wear.

“Dick!”

Batman- no, he took his cowl off- Father threw himself across the room to assess the health of his son.

Damian started unstrapping his gear.

“How did you get free?”

“We apparently had a man on the inside?”

“Had?”

“He blew his cover to save me.”

“Nightwing, report. Where is this man now?”

“I was landing the plane. Nice digs, dad.”

The cave fell silent, but for the ringing of the batarangs Damian dropped as he spun to face the newcomer.

“Not sure what I think of the ‘cave’ vibe you have going on, though.”

“Daniel?”

Daniel met Damian’s eyes, and a look Damian had never seen on his little brother broke out on the boy’s face.

A true, genuine, joyful smile.

“Akhi!”

Damian pulled out his sword and held it towards the stranger in his brother’s body.

“Who are you?”

The boy laughed.

“I’m a little weird now, right? It’s okay, Damian, it’s me.”

“What was the last thing you said to me.”

Damian felt that was a good question. No one but Daniel would know.

“I said I would protect you, and that Ra’s al Ghul would not experience a pleasant afterlife.”

“That-“

“Isn’t quite it, I know. Still true, though. I brought the Lazarus pits with me. Ra’s can’t use them anymore.”

Damian heard Father and Drake choke at Daniel’s words. This was Daniel, despite his complete personality change. No one had been with them when Daniel had made his promise.

“Since when were you a god of death?”

Daniel laughed.

“It’s a long story, Ahki.”

Damian sheathed his sword and held out a hand.

“Come then, habibi, tell me.”

“Can I have a burger to go with the story? I’m starving."

[written-with-blue-ink]

Cuddles with alhaitham? I want to be in his arms desperately please and thank you

Thank you for the ask! Not necessarily cuddles but happy wholesome fluff is coming up <3 also, I got a lot of requests and I am going in order from oldest to newest, sorry for the wait y'all. Wish the Furina wanters to be Furina Havers!

At the Dendro Archon's Decree, Alhaitham X Reader

Being the (Acting) Grand Scribe meant long days and multiple pots of coffee just to get work done. How he wondered how much Aazar and so many previous Grand Sages fucked up just due to not listening to the “Lesser Lord”. 

The average day had him leave long before you woke up and come home when you had finished your dinner, curled in the corner with a book. Sure, the few moments he got to spend with you were precious, but you both knew you wanted more time together. Just seemed like it wasn’t in the cards right now.

That’s why when the doors of the elevator opened, he was not expecting the God of Wisdom sitting at his desk, scribbling down notes and her vizier, no kagemusha was the term he used for himself, sitting off to the side with a scowl and crossed arms. “Lord Kusanali,” Alhaitham slowly stated, eyes glancing at the both of them, “I wasn’t aware we had a meeting today.”

Her green eyes fluttered up, her flower-shaped pupils meeting his, and seemed to shine with amusement. “Alhaitham! You’re here,” she smiled, pulling herself up so she was standing on the chair, “you can go home now. Bye!”

The white-haired man narrowed his eyes and cocked a brow as he stepped to the center of the room. “While I don’t mind going home,” he spoke bluntly, “is there a reason for my sudden dismissal?”

“Yeah, you work too much,” the hat-wearing boy said in the corner, a smirk on his face that always seemed to rub Alhaitham slightly the wrong way.

“Exactly,” Nahida smiled, pointing at the boy with indigo hair. “Not in a bad way but you have taken on so much work that was originally split evenly amongst several heads. While we are looking for replacements you have taken on that work but you deserve a break, Grand Sage Alhaitham.”

“Acting Grand Sage,” he corrected but he couldn’t help but feel some of the tension leave his shoulders. “But thank you, Lord Kusanali. I’ll be going now.”

Swiftly turning around and walking back to the elevator, he couldn’t help but smile as Nahida shouted, “Have fun! Tell (Y/N) I said hi!”

Walking out the doors of the Academia’s Library, the edge of the sun started peaking over the horizon. The warmth on his skin seemed to add some speed to his step as he briskly walked home.

---

Waking up in the morning, the smell of fresh bread hit your nose and the light shining through the windows sturred your senses. The thin bronze cat batted at the pillow next to you, her spots seeming darker in the shadow she gave off. “Mornin, Asal… How are you, baby girl?”

She purred as you scratched behind her ear, flopping on her side as you scratched her tummy with a smile. After a minute or two, the smell from outside your bedroom seemed to grow stronger and Asal flipped herself back onto her feet and bounded out the cracked door. You giggle as you hop to your feet, running out the door after her.

Wandering through the hall, you turn the corner just in time to watch Asal crawl up the green fabric before wrapping herself around the neck of a familiar face, his eyes concentrating on the stove as he cooked some eggs. She licked the side of his face, causing him to turn to the left, eyes meeting yours as you both smiled. “What are you doing here, handsome? Shouldn’t you be doing Grand Sage things?”

“Lord Kusanali sent me home and said I needed to spend more time with you,” he said, eyes on you instead of the dish in front of him as he slid the eggs onto a plate. “But you wouldn’t have any idea about that, would you?”

Strutting forward, he places an arm around your waist. “Why, I have no idea what you could be insinuating,” you smirk, placing a kiss on his lips as he pulls you closer to his chest.

Asal crawled down from the man’s neck into your arms, purring as you held her close. Alhaitham rolled his eyes, leading you to a table covered in slices of bread, cheeses, honey, and other spreads. Pulling a chair out for you, he spoke, “Then how did the Dendro Archon know you and I were dating? I don’t necessarily talk about my private life at work.”

“Well,” you coo, placing a hand on his, “I may or may not have run into her while I was bringing you lunch a few weeks ago. Then she would occasionally stop by in my dreams and we would talk… You aren’t mad, are you?”

His eyes melted at the question. Leaning over the chair, his arms wrapped around your shoulders and he placed a kiss in your hair, “How could I ever be upset at you?”

[bat-identifier]

[cracks knuckles]

From left to right:

-Wrinkle-faced bat (Centurio senex) -Visored bat (Sphaeronycteris toxophyllum) -Mediterranean horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus euryale) -Lesser Bulldog bat (Noctilio albiventris) -Florida Bonneted bat (Eumops floridanus) -Jamaican fruit bat (Artibeus jamaicensis) -Ghost-faced bat (Mormoops megalophylla) -Hammer-headed bat (Hypsignathus monstrosus) -Eastern Tube-nosed bat (Nyctimene robinsoni) -Common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) -Brown Long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus) (or possibly another member of Plecotus) -Black flying fox (Pteropus alecto) -Ghost Bat (Macroderma gigas) -Hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) -Pied Butterfly Bat (Glauconycteris superba) -Wahlberg's epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus wahlbergi) -Honduran white bat (Ectophylla alba) -Northern ghost bat (Diclidurus albus) -Northern Myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) -Kitti's hog-nosed bat (Craseonycteris thonglongyai) juvenile -Greater long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis)

I'm pretty confident on all of these except the Northern Myotis because they pretty much All Look Like That.

I’ve decided that all bats fall somewhere on this horrid little graph I’ve devised. Here are some prime examples of the various Creature Varieties found in nature.

[leonenjoyer69]

Hi!!! Guess who has an AU of an AU now? Yeah, so here's the fresh Vampire Elias AU, art and vague lore! Also you can't tell me Hyde wouldn't play dress up with a vampire

I don't even remember how this idea came about, but I've been doing stuff non stop with it for the past 3 days 💀

So! Lore and details-- (also, color-pickable refs at the bottom)

Elias got turned while out walking around a park with Lanyon. The two were actually mostly getting along when Elias got attacked, and he wasn't able to really fight them off through the panic (and with Lanyon yelling in his head) so, he got turned.

The HJ7 is able to supress a bit of stuff, and basically mostly keeps Lanyon from turning (bc I say so, magic potion), but Elias is definitely still a vampire. He only has one eye that mostly turned red, on the side he was bit. He wears an eyepatch over that eye, unless he's alone or just with Jekyll/hyde where he knows they won't be disturbed. his ears pointed a little, and of course he has sharper teeth. His skin also grew a bit paler and a bit more ashy looking, and his flush isn't as strong. He's also sensitive to light, mostly in his red eye, and his skin stings a bit when he's exposed in the sun too long.

He also has a lot more control over his vampiric impulses, and for a while basically starves himself of blood out of guilt (until Jekyll and/or Hyde find out and force him to feed from them. Hyde is *very* excited to have a vampire boyfriend. He's,,, quite into it. Jekyll won't let Hyde get turned (though Elias wouldn't do it anyways)). At a point, he'd probably try feeding on himself, but quickly stop when he realizes that it makes him sick. His bat form is a little white fruit bat (or something of the sort, I just want him to be fed fruits man) ALSO, @historysphysiciann HAS SOME REALLY AWESOME VAMPIRE ELIAS ART WITH HIS LIL BAT FORM :D

Onto Lanyon, he does get a few of the physical traits, (his eyes have a slight red tint, his teeth are the slightest bit sharper, but grow a tad bit more around blood, slightly pointer ears, slightly paler skin (especially when Elias is basically starving himself), etc.) But certainly to a lesser degree than Elias. He can also still eat normal food, just has a craving for meat more. Also, he *can* drink blood for the both of them, but it's a very gross concept to him and he only has a slight taste for it, so it's still something he avoids. Otherwise, he's still mostly human, and his heart still pumps, just a decent bit slower. He gets cold quite easily now.

Elias's heart still vaguely pumps, but it's mainly because of the HJ7-induced adrenaline.

Also! Elias doesn't have a reflection any more, so he can only see Lanyon in mirrors now. When Lanyon's in control, he still has a reflection, but it's slightly blurry. He can also still see Elias in the mirror, since the HJ7 reflection and shadow thing is just like, a hallucination or manifestation of the other half.

A buncha folks on discord also made him angsty after just turning. Someone asks for directions or such and a freshly turned Elias can't control his urges, since he's freshly drained, and attacks the person. Lanyon forces a transformation in a panic, leaving the person not dead, and runs off to the society to find Jekyll or Hyde. That doesn't really have to be canon lmao, still fun tho

ANYWAYS YEAH, THIS IS NOT CANON TO THE LANYON TAKES THE POTION AU, THIS IS JUST,,, ANOTHER AU OF THAT 💀💀 for funsies 😋 also, he WILL be on art fight, as a seperate character from normal Elias :3

FEEL FREE TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS NEW AU >:33

[cripplecharacters]

Hi! Ok so at one point I remember when answering an ask you said that when making animal based characters to just stay away from making any rat ones because of negative connotations (which I totally get)

So my question is would it be ok to have a whole humanoid race that is mildly based on mice? They look like humans but their ears vaguely look mouse-ish, they have tails, and their feet are sort of like paws. I am considering two different options with the tails in case I should stay away from the mouse thing, one looks like a mouse tail (kind of the main thing making them mice themed) and the other is a similar shape but fluffy especially at the end (A little like some versions of unicorn tails I've seen)

I would like to include disabled characters so if the mouse thing still isn't recommended I'll redesign them

Hello!

Most of the time when we advise that people avoid a certain trope/concept, it isn't a complete ban on it. It's generally more of a "be careful with how you approach this" type thing.

For example, we often advise against making a disabled character that's a villain because of their disability. If your only disabled character is a villain with chronic pain that kills people because their disability stops them from their dream job, that's not great. BUT if you have this same character and you also have a wheelchair user who runs the tech stuff for the hero side (Oracle-style, for my DC folks) and a Deafblind hero who leads the charge against the villains and an autistic sidekick and an amputee henchman for the villain and several able bodied villains and so on, then its less of a problem. It might not be gold medal representation but because you're no longer equating disability with tradegy and hatred and instead showing that villain as part of a cast with diverse stories and, more importantly, as a person with their own unique experiences, it's much better.

This is all a very long way of saying that most tropes that are generally best avoided can still be okay in some contexts.

In this case, having this whole species is completely fine and it's great that you want to include disabled characters! I see nothing wrong with this.

If you had a world where the characters were all anthropomorphic animals and the only rat character was also your own disabled character, that'd be a bit of a problem because it's singling out your disabled character -- presumably to poke at their disability.

In the concept you've presented, though, being part of this species is a trait all (Or most) of your characters share. Which is fine!

As a few final notes of caution:

If you're worried about certain unintended connotations or messaging coming across, it's generally best to spread your cast out as much as possible. By this, I mean that if you have other species in this world, don't have all your disabled characters be part of this one species. Likewise, don't have every member of this species be disabled. Instead, consider having your disabled characters be from different species. For example, have an amputee character be from this species but have a blind character be from another species.

Certain specific disabilities do have individual associations to watch out for. Be careful making associations between a character with a cleft lip and hares/rabbits (Because of the derogatory term "harelip" that has been used). Likewise but to a lesser extent, be careful with associations of blind people and moles, mice, and bats. This is because of the naked mole rat, the Three Blind Mice, and "blind as a bat" respectively. There are a few of these out there.

This is less of a warning and more just something to consider but keep in mind how their animal traits can be impacted by their disability. Would a character that's paralyzed have use of their tail? Would a blind character trip over their tail or would their same "sense of self" extend to the tail like it would an arm or leg? How would a character in a wheelchair adapt their chair to their tail? Etc.

Hopefully some of this is helpful!

Cheers,

~ Mod Icarus

[flufffilleddonut]

Lieutenant’s Laughter

Summary - Tired of Lute’s bland responses to his attempts at humour, Adam takes it upon himself to make his Lieutenant laugh.

Word Count - 730

-

Adam and Lute were in Heaven, walking through one of the realm’s lesser populated areas. The more casual nature of their stroll prompted Lute to leave her helmet behind, yet her typical, stoic demeanor remained.

“Can you believe that, Lute?! HAHA-” Adam laughed boisterously, having just recounted a time he humiliated another angel that had attempted to one-up him.

“They were quite foolish, sir.” Lute said flatly with a nod.

Adam stopped in his tracks and turned to Lute, who halted in response.

“Seriously, Lute? I have been nothing but hilarious all day, and the biggest reaction you've given me is a nod! What’s the deal?!” Adam questioned.

“I assure you that your comedy is top notch, sir.” Lute responded calmly. “I just personally don’t have major, gleeful reactions like you. As Lieutenant of the Angelic Army, I do my best to keep my composure.”

“Well that’s stupid.” Adam said, clearly annoyed. “You need to lighten up, girly. Stop taking yourself so seriously. You rarely even smile!”

“I am comfortable with my current displays of amusement, and do not intend on altering them. Trust me, I find you quite entertaining, sir, even if I do not show it.” Lute said with a weak smile.

Adam huffed in response.

Lute turned, ready to continue walking, when she felt a sharp jab in her side. It was followed by another, and another.

Adam was repeatedly poking at her torso from all directions. Lute began batting at his hands.

“Sir! What are you doing?!” Lute questioned, beginning to get a bit frantic.

“Stay still! I’m testing something.” Adam said, focused.

“Sir!” Lute called out, doing her best to hit away Adam’s hands before they reached her. “This is very unprofessional!”

“Fine…” Adam said, pulling his hands away and folding his arms against his chest.

Lute turned once again to begin walking. This time, she felt fingers wiggling up against her sides.

“Adam!” Lute called out, gripping his wrists. This time, however, Adam was persistent.

“Nuh-uh~” He sang out, keeping up his attack. “I’m done with this. I need a laugh, and I need it now.”

Lute, unable to remove Adam’s hands, began giggling.

“Okahahay! Okahahay! Stahahap nohow!” She pleaded.

“Mmm, I don’t think so! I’ve waited long enough for this. I’m not ready to give it up quite yet.” Adam responded with a grin.

Adam then grabbed hold of Lute’s wrists, raised her arms into the air, pulled her close, and began squishing her stomach with his free hand. Lute squealed.

“Ahahadadam! Nohohoho! Ehehehehe!” She giggled out madly.

“Who’s my giggly little Lute? You are! You are!” Adam cooed, grinning deviously.

Lute flushed. Adam knew just how to fluster her, and she hated it.

“Adahaham! Quihihit ihihit! Ehehe!” Lute protested.

“Music to my ears~” Adam said, ignoring Lute’s pleas as she continued to giggle. “Ooh! Idea!”

Suddenly, Adam released Lute’s arms and scooped her up bridal-style. He began raking his nails across Lute’s stomach, imitating the sounds of his guitar.

“Bow-now-now-nownow! N-now-n-now-nownow!” Adam sang enthusiastically.

Lute’s giggles turned into full-fledged laughter.

“NAHAHA! AHAHAHAHA!” She laughed, holding onto Adam’s arm.

“You make a sweet guitar, Lute. You hit aaaall the high notes~” Adam teased.

He continued for a few minutes before slowing his hand to a stop.

As Lute was catching her breath, she felt something soft being grazed underneath her chin. Adam’s wing’s agonizingly slow movements kept a smile plastered on her face, as soft snickers spilled from her lips.

“Wow, Lute. I never knew you were this ticklish! I should have tried this a long time ago.” Adam said, pulling his wing away and placing Lute down onto the ground.

“Plehease don’t, sir.” Lute said as she studied herself.

“Oh hush, Lute. I could tell how much you were loving every second of that. Now, come on. We have places to be.” Adam said, making his way down the street.

Lute followed behind, attempting to hide her blushing face.

Despite her protests, Adam wasn’t wrong. She would have slaughtered anyone else who launched such an attack, playful or not, but, since it was Adam, she didn’t mind. It was also nice to be able to let her guard down for a bit.

As Lute walked alongside the first man, one thought filled her mind that she was unable to shake.

She hoped that Adam would make her laugh more often.

-

[outofangband]

Mammals of Maglor’s Gap and Lothlann

Now that I’ve finished world building posts on birds for each Fëanorian realm pre Amon Ereb, I’m going through mammals next! Mammals of the March of Maedhros can be found here and my environmental world building Masterlist is here!

Maglor’s Gap was the widest break in the mountains and cliffs dividing Beleriand and the lands to the north. It lay between the blue mountains to the east and the March of Maedhros to the west. Lothlann was a wide expanse of plains to the north of the Gap. The rivers greater and little Gelion ran around the western and eastern borders.

Forest steppes: wild goat, wood bison, southern white breasted hedgehog, gray marmot, ground squirrel, dormouse, woolly hares, long eared hedgehog, gray shrews, northern hog badger, sable (rare), steppe mouse, lesser noctule (bat), wildcat, red fox, red deer

Bordering mountain fences: Caucasian Tur, mouflon, chamois, alpine pika, pond bat, marbled polecat, saiga antelope, steppe polecat, mountain weasel, ibex (rare), argali

Plains: goitered gazelle, steppe wolf, wild horse, northern water vole (by the rivers), snow vole, grey dwarf hamster, common hare, common rabbit, striped field mouse, ural field mouse, harvest mouse, mountain hare, field vole (also primarily by rivers), wild horse

World building notes:

The horse based cavalry of Maglor is one of the few details we have about this region. I headcanon that the horses in question are a mixture of the descendants of the Valinor born horses brought by the Fëanorian host as well as wild horses from Estolad, Himlad, Lothlann and the other plains regions of Eastern Beleriand.

Sheep and goats provide the majority of milk and cheese products in the Gap. Some of these species are imported from other regions like sheep from Thargelion.

Domesticated bovine are rare in Eastern Beleriand outside Thargelion and parts of Estolad. There are however wild and semi domesticated bison such as the wood bison, especially on the borders of forested and forest steppe regions. Fur, skin and bones from bison are used by both Noldorin and Avarin elves for clothing and other materials.

Wild hamsters, rabbits, hares and voles were used by a select few of Maglor’s cavalry as companions and even spies.

A regiment of foot based scouts had the sigil of a hare in the form of a light silhouette upon a black background.

[flittermousing]

via microbatsofmelbourne on Instagram

[transgender-chiroptera]

Lesser Long-eared bat, via

[24hrsoda]

This is gonna be long and prob uninteresting so feel free to skip but I saw that you wrote that you didn't think of species when drawing bats for your au and that we're free to interpret them how we want and though Large flying fox wouldn't match what you've drawn super well (outside of colour) cause they've got small ears and are raven sized(up to around 1kg in weight and 1.5 meter wing span), it'd mean that Cass could very easily hitch a ride as long as she's a normal sized bat(like a black myotis, though all vesper bats are prob too small so a species of leaf nosed bat might fit better but she doesnt have a leaf nose).

Also Cass having small eyes but being able to echolocate while Bruce has big ol eyes and can't would be a fun parallel to Cass's mask not having visible eyes and her whole 'body language as a native language' thing(like... both being an extra sense kinda deal).

I really hope this isn't a bother i just love bats and will use any excuse i can get to word vomit about them, they are such an awesome group of animals(they make up a fifth of all discovered mammal species(1300) and the smallest have a weight that's like 1/400th that of the biggest! Not to mention the variation in noses and ears!) and your au is very cute(Not to mention all the other awesome art)!

Hope you have a good day! Also, please look up the Lesser mouse-tailed bat if you haven't seen it i love them, ghost bats(woag... like the ship) are really funny looking too. Most bat species are fucked up little freaks and i love them all, they might be part of what got me into batman ngl 👉👈. I'd def recommend looking through bat species just for the hell of it cause they really are awesome, theres some real cute and bizzare ones out there. I've personally used dif species as inspiration for dif batman designs.

Ok i'm restraining myself so hard to not write more i want to write about the bird eating spectral bats so bad but this is. So long. And unsolicited.

Ghostbats are ugly-cute little gremlins! I’ve come across so many pictures of them while looking up ghostbat (the ship) related things!

I do find a lot of bats to be strange and funny looking but cute in their own way :3 I just don’t have enough bat knowledge to decide which species of bat first best for each Bat family member lol. But plenty of people seem to have better ideas than i do!

These are all interesting, Anon! And the differences between Cass and Bruce would make for some super interesting and cute connections between the two of them.

(I did go back and do some research to find the photos i used as references when i first started sketching the AU and i believe i used pictures of fruit bats, which may be why i colored them brown!!)

and speaking of ghostbat…maybe Khoa needs to make an appearance or two in this AU…and i have a pretty good idea of how to do that :3

[metalhoops]

Like a lesser hero in a fantasy tale, the night was cut clean in two by the dull glow of a flashlight beam, flanked by two boys. It was an odd pastime but a familiar one to them. They had grown at home in the strange dark places of the town, aware of what might be lurking in the shadows between the pines. 

Eddie, the first boy, with his hair and clothes as black as the forest floor, shook the silent woods with the intermittent clatter of his stainless-steel rings on the metal shaft of the light, his makeshift weapon. Each ring was a treasured yet well-worn possession. The ear of the pig ring and the temple of the skull were permanently scratched from the repeated action.

Steve, the other boy, was more prepared. He came brandishing a baseball bat, its wooden body a sister to the surrounding trees with a halo of gnarled nails, hinting at the more sinister air of their surroundings.  

Unlike Eddie’s fantasy games, the backstory didn’t matter. It was the reason the boys were there, of course, but it was also the imminent threat they didn’t wish to speak of. In their shared pasts, there had been portals to other worlds, monsters beyond human comprehension and near-death experiences that’d brought on the winter of Eddie’s life, and the spring of Steve’s. 

Eddie had spent the past month jumping at shadows in the corner of his new bedroom or in the woods beyond the trailer park. Steve, on the other hand, had bloomed beautifully and brutally before Eddie’s eyes. Before the Upside Down, he would look at Steve and all he’d feel was ire, righteous indignation and a small yet frustrating, pang of lust. 

When he looked at Steve in the yellow glow of the torchlight, he saw a man who’d come when Eddie called, in the middle of the night, with haste and a plan. He saw someone who believed in him or at least, cared enough about him to go willingly into the night when Eddie had reported seeing sinister shapes shift past his window.

It was enough to get Steve to leave the confines of his isolated mansion and slum it with the poor folk down in the proverbial trenches. Eddie now saw a man he very well might be in love with. Jagged shadows cast by stray branches sliced across his face, resembling the snaking vines of the Upside Down. The boys had barely escaped the place and every moment after felt as though they were living on borrowed time. 

“What’d you say we do one more loop past the old train tracks and call it a night?” Steve asked, at last, his body sticking close to Eddie’s side. He felt a pang of guilt for dragging Steve out of bed, again, just to find nothing. 

“We can head back now, I’m probably going crazy, man.” 

“No, I wanna check. Otherwise, it’ll bug the hell outta me. We’ve all been a little crazy after everything we’ve been through. I mean, I’ve almost died like ten times. Think the eleventh time might be the one that sticks- you know?” 

It reminded them of another night, in another world. It had been a quick yet intimate conversation with a stranger. If we get out of this, Eddie had thought at the time, I might actually want to get to know this guy. Months had passed. He still felt like he didn’t know Steve enough to say what he wanted to say, but Steve needed to hear it. 

“That’d be a real bummer, you know? If you died. I wouldn’t have anyone to go on long walks in the moonlight with.” 

The two boys had fallen out of step with one another. Steve had charged forward in the semi-darkness leaving Eddie a few paces behind.

“Nancy would come with you.  After the first time, when Will and Nancy’s friend went missing, she’d swing by my house, and we’d sit on the deck chairs watching the pool. Honestly, you might be better off with her. She’d bring a gun,” Steve spoke, tossing the jagged bat from hand to hand, with the skill of an ex-high school sports star. 

“Why is it you and I always end up in the woods trying to set each other up with Nancy goddamn Wheeler?” Eddie spoke disbelievingly as he jogged to catch up with Steve. He laughed, his hand bumping Eddie’s side as the two fell back into step. 

“She’s not my type, Stevie. You can have her,” Eddie tacked on, trying to defuse some of the tension that had arisen between them, skimming his light amongst the trees. 

“I don’t think she’s my type either. Well— not anymore. We tried it. It didn’t work out. We wanted different things,” Steve admitted.

Once they reached the train tracks, Steve surveyed the old wood and rusted metal. The place also had history. He could smell freezer burn and rotten meat on the breeze. When looking at Eddie’s profile he felt a sudden charge to the air like the calm before a thunderstorm. 

He thought of a conversation he’d had years before with Dustin on those very tracks. He knew with sudden certainty why he’d hauled himself out of bed in the middle of the night, once again to chase Eddie’s hunches. He and Dustin had been talking about love.  He gave himself the same advice he’d given the kid all those years before. 

Don’t fall in love. It’ll only break your heart.

“Right, you wanted that whole hoard of kids and an R.V. vacation thing? Three girls, three boys. A whole brood of Harringtons,” Eddie breathed, kicking up dirt and leaves with his shoes. Steve shot Eddie a perplexed glance, surprised he’d been listening and shocked he’d remembered the statement word for word.

“Right, yeah. I know, make fun all you want, dude. It’s crazy I know.” Once more, they fell out of step. 

Eddie stopped while Steve kept walking, playing the role of a funambulist, his hands outstretched as though standing at a great height as he walked foot over foot across the thin metal. 

“This might surprise you Steve but for once I wasn’t going to give you shit,” Eddie replied, walking beside Steve, jumping from wooden beam to wooden beam. 

The metal track gave Steve a good half inch of height, making it so that for once the two weren’t eye to eye. Eddie kept flicking the light between the vast track ahead of them and the empty woods behind. He still felt as though any moment something could burst through the cracks in the earth left in the wake of the quake and drag them back down into Eddie’s personal version of hell. He couldn’t help but think of Steve’s words. The eleventh time would stick. Eddie didn’t know what he’d do without him. 

“So, what do you want?” Steve asked, shaking Eddie from his thoughts. When his answer didn’t immediately present itself, Steve continued.

“I mean, you know what I want. Six nuggets, touring the country. What do you want?” 

The question startled a scoff out of Eddie. It wasn’t as though anyone had bothered to ask him that before. He didn’t know. 

“I’ve got no clue. I’m not like you. I don’t sit around thinking about the future. I’m just trying to get through today,” Eddie confessed, speaking more candidly than he’d intended. 

“Alright. You don’t know what you want to do with the rest of your life. That’s pretty normal, but having nothing? Dude. You’ve gotta have something. Let’s start small. What do you want to do tomorrow?” 

“I don’t know. I wouldn’t mind having breakfast with my uncle and spending some time with the kids and the band. Maybe if I’m lucky I’ll get to see you, hopefully under some better circumstances,” Eddie explained as Steve misstepped, almost falling from his perch. 

He corrected himself, placing an outstretched hand on Eddie’s shoulder for balance. Eddie tried not to preen beneath the other boy’s touch. 

“I like the sound of that,” Steve confirmed, daring a glance at Eddie. 

The storm within him continued to brew. Eddie’s plans for whatever small future stretched out before them involved Steve, which was more than he’d gotten from anyone else.

Nancy wanted a career in investigative journalism. She wanted to change the world for the better. It was a noble goal. One Steve had admired endlessly but he couldn’t help but feel like a small child asking for a seat at the grown-up table when trying to compete with the hopes and dreams of Nancy Wheeler. For her, he would’ve changed his dreams to play a small part in her life, but he’d come to realise that wasn’t a good way to love. 

Every relationship Steve had went to hell eventually. He didn’t want the same fate with Eddie. He wanted to continue walking the fine line between friendship and whatever awaited them on the other side of the electric storm. Steve didn’t know if he was ready for all the complications being in love with Eddie would entail. It’d wreak havoc on his sense of self and take a hatchet to his dreams of white picket fences. That was on the slim chance Eddie felt the same way about him. 

When Steve looked at Eddie he felt as though he were back at the bottom of Lovers Lake. To love Eddie was to drown beneath the crushing weight of possibilities. 

“You okay?” Eddie asked, a hint of concern in his tone. 

It was only then that Steve realised he’d stopped walking, his knuckles turning white as his fingers dug into the fabric of Eddie’s jacket. 

No. Steve was far from okay, but he couldn’t voice it without ruining everything. 

“I need a minute,” Steve muttered, stumbling back from Eddie, removing his hand as though he’d grabbed the wrong end of a hot poker. 

He’d moved on instinct, forgetting where he stood on his precarious perch. He tumbled ass backwards off the train tracks, trying to save whatever sense of dignity he had left by scrambling to his feet quickly. He heard his bat clatter to the forest floor as he headed off into the woods, unsure of his direction. He needed space to sort his head out. 

There were only two ways Steve knew how to face a crisis; two base and primal instincts, fight or run. Eddie wasn’t a wayward creature that devoured cats or a schoolyard bully. He couldn’t punch himself loveless and doing anything to hurt Eddie was worse than torture. 

Steve wanted Eddie to hit him. It’d shake loose some of the tension in his chest at the sight of the boy’s brown eyes; the eyes that reminded Steve of the deep warm wood that was fashionable in homes during his childhood. The familiar floorboards of the entryway where he’d lay with Tommy after hours of swimming, drip-drying on the wood, warping it to the shape of their bodies. 

Eddie’s eyes reminded him of home. Not the place he’d grown up in, but the sensation one felt when they recalled a fond memory, years removed from context and complications. Steve couldn’t imagine a future where Eddie would hurt him, even if that’s what he wanted. 

He did what he did best. He ran away. 

Without Eddie’s flashlight, the woods were a gaping maw of some unseen creature. Even the breeze on the back of his neck felt warm. Steve collapsed at the base of a tree and searched his pockets for a lighter. He didn’t bring his cigarettes but there was something soothing about the weight of the object in his hand and the repeated action of sparking the flint and extinguishing the fire with a twist of his wrist. 

Steve heard approaching footsteps signalled by the crunch of leaves underfoot.  He prayed Eddie wouldn’t ask why he’d run. If he asked, Steve knew he’d tell him. Then they’d both be screwed. 

Steve tried to spark the lighter again, but no flame would ignite. It was out of lighter fluid. Just his goddamn luck.  

“Steve?” Eddie’s voice echoed through the trees. 

The direction was all wrong. Eddie’s call came from a distance. The footsteps were close. Right goddamn on top of him. Fuck. 

Steve acted fast, fumbling in the underbrush, trying to find a weapon. He grabbed a stray branch with enough heft to wield. He was good at making use of what he had. He held the wood aloft, scrambled to his feet and fumbled with the lighter, desperate to get one last spark out of it. He knew how much the creatures hated fire. In a way, he was thankful that he knew what he was dealing with for once. 

The swiftness of the footfalls and the length of the shadows cutting through the blackness let him know within seconds he would be face to face with a full-sized Demogorgon. 

Steve felt the creature before he saw it. A sudden force collided into his body knocking him from his feet. He had just enough time to get the jagged end of the stick between himself and the creature. He felt the branch wade into the creature’s soft flesh. 

Eddie called his name once more, drawing the creature's attention away from him. Steve had an opening.

His trembling hands flicked the lighter again. This time, for a brief and brilliant moment, it sparked. He shoved the naked flame against the creature's wound. He wasn’t sure if he’d hurt it or just made it mad. It thrashed and writhed, grabbing at Steve’s body, and pounding him into the damp earth. Now Steve had its attention. 

He tried to strike out but this time the monster was too quick, its body bared down on Steve and before he knew it, he was face to face with the monster's strange unfurling flesh mouth and razor-sharp teeth. So, this was how he’d die. 

“Mother fucker,” Eddie muttered as two shifting figures caught his attention. 

Steve was pinned to the ground by something that looked fresh out of his nightmares. The others had told him there were more things out there than the bats and demonic, skinless hell-wizard they’d faced but Eddie’s mind had never been able to conjure a creature that would match the true beast before him. 

Steve was doing his best to keep the creature at arms-length. A rotted wooden branch cut at the palm of Steve’s hands and had gone straight through the thing’s body.  Eddie scoured his brain, trying to remember everything he’d been told about the creature. Heat. They hated heat. 

Eddie had grabbed Steve’s bat as he followed him. He’d wanted to be the kind of person who could give Steve space but every fibre of his being had told him to chase after the boy so he had. 

He dropped the flashlight to free up a hand and searched the pockets of his jacket, thankful he always had his lighter handy. He knew Steve would be pissed if Eddie torched his favourite weapon, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He’d rather have Steve pissed than not have him at all. 

He set fire to the bat, throwing more hellish shadows over the wicked tableau of the snarling beast and the desperate boy pinned beneath its grasp. The smell of burning wood and flesh hung heavy in the air. He had the element of surprise on his side. 

The flaming bat collided with the creature’s skull sending it reeling. It let out an inhuman whaling that scattered the nightbirds. Eddie readied the bat to swing again, expecting the beast to charge. Instead, it ran off into the blackness of the night. It’d finally happened. What they all knew had been inevitable. The Upside Down, and in turn Vecna was back. Though for now, he and Steve had brought themselves time. 

Eddie watched as Steve sat wide-eyed but seemingly unharmed. He guessed Steve Harrington had more lives left in him yet. Thank Christ. 

“Please tell me that looked as badass as it felt,” Eddie breathed trying to alleviate some of the tension between them. 

He dropped the bat, snuffing out what was left of the flame and moved unthinkingly to pat down Steve’s body, checking for wounds. He had a gash on his forehead and a split lip, but he’d live. 

“It looked pretty badass,” Steve confirmed and froze as Eddie’s hands raked through his hair. 

“You’ve got something in your...” Eddie’s voice trailed off as he pulled a leaf out of Steve’s hair, holding it aloft in front of his face. 

Steve’s eyes glanced from the leaf to Eddie before tentatively reaching out, his hands searching the planes of his body, dancing cautiously over the barely healed wounds that’d once littered his side. Steve was checking him over.

“I’m okay. You okay?” Eddie assured holding up a hand before reaching into the back pocket of his jeans. 

He pulled out his bandana and inched forward to wrap it around the gash on Steve’s head. The boy cringed beneath his touch. Eddie muttered an apology. 

“I’ll live,” Steve confirmed leaning back, trying to get some space between them. 

Eddie hadn’t realised how close they were. He shifted back, remembering with sudden clarity that Steve had practically begged Eddie to give him a second alone. He wasn’t willing to do that, given they’d already run into one hell beast that night. There could be others. He did something uncharacteristic. Eddie Munson sat with Steve in silence. 

They sat in stillness for so long that the birds and insects returned to the woods around them. 

“I’m sorry,” Eddie spoke when the silence was too loud. He didn’t know what he was apologising for, but he couldn’t think of anything better to say. 

Steve looked up at the boy with alarm. 

“What’re you sorry for?” He asked, feeling as though he was caught in another echo of the past. 

He remembered a seemingly endless car ride to Nancy’s house, trying to find ways to apologise for some transgression he wasn’t sure he’d committed. He’d wanted to apologise because he’d loved Nancy and he’d been scared of losing her. 

He wondered what motivations were behind Eddie’s apology. He worried that The Upside Down’s strange relationship with time had leaked into Hawkins, that some pasts were destined to repeat. 

“I don’t know,” Eddie admitted after a breath, letting out a nervous laugh. 

“I’m sorry for doing whatever I did to make you go all space cadet on me. Tell me what I did, and I can tell you I’m sorry,” he continued. 

Steve was certain at that moment, Eddie loved him too. It was already too late to change things. They were trains on a track, their futures seemingly already locked in place.

“You know if you want someone to talk to about whatever’s going on in that head of yours, I’m here Steve,” Eddie kept pushing, unable to take Steve’s silence as an answer. 

His tone was so soft, sincere and unlike anything that Steve expected from the boy that he couldn’t help but speak the words out loud, despite his better judgment. 

“I love you.” 

Eddie had thought he’d been prepared for anything, but he hadn’t been prepared for that. It was then that Steve let out a strangled sound between a scoff and a groan. 

“And it's screwed now. I always mess it up.”  

Eddie could hardly hear the boy’s voice over the rush of blood in his ears. His heart was a high-strung choir, singing the same repeated tune, ‘Steve loves me’. When his common sense kicked into gear, he noted the panic in Steve’s eyes and knew he needed to say something. 

“I love you too,” Eddie managed, feeling both heavier and lighter. 

He’d never said it before. He sure as hell hadn’t pictured a world where he’d admit he loved a boy before they’d started dating. Steve was moving at a breakneck speed and Eddie was desperately trying to catch up. To his surprise, Steve hardly stirred at the confession. 

“I know,” Steve admitted sounding broken as his eyes met Eddie’s. He gave the boy a tight-lipped grimace. All of Eddie’s momentary joy fell just as it’d begun to soar. 

“Please tell me that was a Star Wars reference,” Eddie whispered, earning a real smile from Steve. It was soft and fleeting as freshly felled snow on a warm palm. He knew despite all of Steve’s posturing, he was a huge nerd when it came to science fiction. 

“Eds, my track record...” Steve’s voice trailed off. 

Eddie realised the thing Steve had been dancing around. They were still talking about Nancy goddamn Wheeler in the woods. 

“Stevie,” he breathed, for once at a loss for words. 

He was a storyteller, but he didn’t want to give Steve a story. He couldn’t promise him a world where everything was perfect. They lived in a land of blight and monsters, a time of trouble. The town was still after Eddie’s head on a pike and Steve was running out of goodwill with those that’d once called him king. He wanted to show Steve what they were. 

Damn the past. Kill all possible futures. All they had was the brief and infinite present. 

Eddie wanted to show Steve what they could be at that moment. 

He crossed the space between them, pausing for a breath, leaving room for Steve to push him away. When no such protest arose, he placed one hand on Steve’s cheek, the other cupping the nape of his neck. 

“I’m not good at this either,” Eddie admitted tentatively. 

He’d kissed guys before. It’d always been desperate and sloppy. He didn’t want loving Steve to feel like an afterthought as it had with the other men. 

“But I think it’s worth a shot,” Eddie concluded. 

He’d laid everything out on the table, all that was left was for Steve to pick it up or turn it down. 

Steve didn’t surge forward. Instead, he moved achingly slow. One hand landed on Eddie’s thigh, the other tangled in his hair. He gave a gentle tug to pull him that last inch closer. 

Eddie’s lips were wind-chaffed and cool, melting ice on bare skin, shocking and a good kind of painful. Steve’s face had the faintest hint of stubble, it was rough as the rocks, and forest foliage beneath their bodies. He smelled of wet earth, blood, and faded cologne. Their hands traced each other’s topography with fingers, lips and tongues, toppling over in the process. 

When they pulled apart the whole world seemed to hold its breath. The wind was still. The night was silent. An invisible audience waited with bated breath for a conclusion. 

“Christ,” Eddie choked, hand fluttering dramatically to his heart. It was a kick drum in his chest. 

Steve’s hand followed, sliding beneath Eddie’s shirt. 

“Christ,” Steve echoed with a goofy grin. Eddie loved him. The thought came easily. It was the only thought populating his mind. 

“We should probably, you know, shelve this and try to stop the world ending... again,” Eddie proposed, trying to think straight. 

“Only if you promise to take me on a date after,” Steve countered. He pulled himself to his feet and extended a hand to Eddie. 

“Me take you? You’re meant to be the ladies' man with the killer dates,” Eddie argued, falling into step with Steve easily. 

“Exactly. It’d be nice to be the one getting the flowers for a change. Technically you’re the one who wanted to give this a shot. I’ll get the second date.” 

Eddie scoffed disbelievingly. The cocky bastard.  He’d never picked Steve as someone who liked flowers. He’d give Steve a garden, a forest, a kingdom. 

“Alright, save the world. Buy you flowers. Go on a first date. Go on a second date. Seems like I might actually have a plan for the next few days down pact.” 

“And after that?” Steve prompted. 

“If you want me to say six nuggets and a Winnebago you’ve gotta buy me dinner first.” 

[iamthecomet]

𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘺 𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘋𝘢𝘺 𝘚𝘪𝘹: 𝘋𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘌𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘖𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴' 𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘦-𝘜𝘱

Rating: G Pairing: Sunshine/Aurora Word Count: 783

Many thanks to @forlorn-crows for making Mushy May a thing. Divider by @ghuleh-recs

“Ok, now close your eyes.” 

Sunshine does. Trying not to squeeze her eyes shut, or flinch, when Aurora gets close with the brush. She’s not used to having someone else do this for her. Can do her own make-up with practiced ease. But what Aurora wants to do, and what Sunny usually does for herself are in different leagues. 

“Please tell me it isn’t neon blue.” 

“It’s not neon blue,” Aurora promises, and Sunny feels the soft bristles of the brush press against her eyelid. She’s always followed a formula when she’s done her own eyeshadow. A  neutral base color, and something shiny and light in the center for a highlight. Aurora does her own make-up a little more extravagantly. And when she’d begged Sunny to let her do her make-up for this fancy dinner the cardinals are throwing, Sunny couldn’t say no. Not when Aurora looked at her with big blue eyes, and batted those, definitely fake, eyelashes. 

It doesn’t matter that the make up will be hidden behind her mask most of the night. Aurora cannot be stopped. And Sunny wouldn’t dream of trying. 

The cool pad of Aurora’s finger follows the brush. Dabbing at the inner corner of each eye. Then the brush is back on the other edge, then the finger. Sunny takes a deep breath and looks at the inside of her eyelids. She learned a long time ago to trust the process. And despite her worry about neon blue eyeshadow–she trusts Aurora to make sure she doesn’t look ridiculous. 

“Just blending, and then eyeliner, and then you can open.” 

Sunshine hums an affirmation. “Feels nice.” 

“Good, it should. It’s ok to let someone else take care of you, you know.” 

“Is that what this is?” 

The wet slide of the eyeliner pen almost makes Sunshine flinch, she manages to keep herself still as Aurora works. It’s hard. But the last time she flinched when someone was holding an eyeliner pencil near her eye she almost got stabbed. She isn’t willing to risk it again. 

“Yes.” Aurora says firmly. 

“It’s just make-up.”

Aurora makes an indignant little huff, and Sunshine wants to open her eyes to see the adorable face that accompanies it. But she knows better. She waits. 

“And,” Sunshine continues, “you asked me to do this and–”

“Yeah, for you, because you deserve to let someone else do something nice for you for a change. You’ve been here holding down the fort, making sure Aether didn’t go insane while we traveled the world. You deserve a break.” 

Sunshine hadn’t thought about it like that–at least not much. Staying home never felt like work. Touring always did. But she had needed to keep things together. Had to step in for a few summonings when they needed some new lesser ghouls. Had to bend Imperators ear, and make sure Aether fed himself and slept instead of spending every waking moment in the infirmary. She doesn’t know how to respond to that, doesn’t know how to deal with the way it constricts her chest. 

Aurora wants to take care of her–and this is one of the ways she knows how. Sunshine can’t help the way her lips pull up. 

Aurora sweeps eyeliner over the other eyelid. 

“Open.” 

Sunshine does, blinking against the harsh lights that line Aurora’s vanity. Aurora’s brushing at her cheeks now–blush, or maybe highlighter? Bronzer? Sunshine never really bothered to learn the difference. The eyeshadow isn't neon blue. It's peachy turning to rust at the outer edges, almost neutral except for the shimmery shade in the corners of her eyes. It melds so well with Sunshine's natural coloring that it gives her pause. Does she really look like this? Is she really this pretty.

Sunshine looks over at Aurora, at the way her forehead creases when she focuses. Sunshine wants to surge up and kiss it away. 

“Thank you,” Sunshine says finally. Catching Aurora’s free hand in hers so she can kiss her knuckles. 

“Don’t do that you’ll mess up the lipstick.” 

Sunshine smiles brighter, she reaches up to put her hand on the back of Aurora’s neck. She pulls her down, pressing kisses to her cheek, her forehead, the corners of her mouth. Leaving peachy stains across Aurora’s dusky skin. 

“Mmm, guess you’ll just have to reapply it for me.” 

Aurora groans, eyes rolling, but when Sunshine kisses her, sweet and indulgent, Aurora leans into with a little noise that makes Sunshine’s stomach swoop. 

“Fine,” Aurora says as she pulls back, reluctantly. “But just one time. After that you’re on your own.” 

“Better kiss me again before you fix it then,” Sunshine whispers into the scant space between them. 

“Yeah,” Aurora nods. “Guess I better.” 

[splatixboi]

If you like Hualian, but you also like Metaphor: Refantazio, I’ve got a poll for you. But, even if you haven’t heard of the game before, you can still vote!

This post will have enough context for those unfamiliar with Metaphor: Refantazio and its worldbuilding. Be warned, it’s a long post.

•••

I’ve very thoroughly enjoyed Metaphor, and as I always do, I’ve gotta insert Hualian into everything. The purpose of this poll is to gain input from others as to which fantasy race Xie Lian and Hua Cheng would belong to from the 9 tribes available.

This post’s poll will be for Xie Lian, but I will link the poll for Hua Cheng >here< once I post it, so please don’t forget to click and vote for him too after you read this post! All context as to the 9 tribes will be here, so make sure to decide which one you’d place Hua Cheng in before clicking on the link to his poll.

•••

Now, for the tribes you’ll be choosing from + their descriptions! An image will also be provided below this list with labeled pictures of a member from each tribe, so be sure to give that a look as well.

Clemar:

The most populous tribe in the game, they’re one of the kingdom’s central tribes and are held to a high regard. They look relatively human except for a pair of horns on their head. The horns are typically small, rest on the sides of their head, and point forwards. Horns can also be near the top of the head in some cases, and point in other directions. This tribe tends to look down on the others, seeing themselves as superior. Of course, not all of them think like this.

Roussainte:

The second most populous tribe, easily pointed out by their huge pointed ears that sport small tufts on the tips. Their ears typically point straight out from their head, and are horizontal. They’re known for their good physique and physical abilities, so they tend to hold military positions. They are also very resistant to the cold. Yet another race that tends to look down on others heavily, seeing themselves as superior.

Eugeif:

Small bat-like creatures who are heavily ostracized by the other tribes due to their drastically different appearance. They’re nocturnal, and can only use their wings to glide rather than take flight. Their eyes and ears are incredibly sensitive. They tend to make themselves scarce, and if any have a position of importance it is one where they are not seen publicly. They are a gentle tribe who value cooperation, but tend to keep outsiders away due to the fear of discrimination.

Nidia:

Noticeable by their very large jewel-like irises, and distinct hair colors. They are outgoing and tend to win people over quite easily, but their reputation takes a negative turn as people assume they are deceitful liars. This makes travel for them quite difficult. All of them wear a fake form, as their true body stops aging at an early point, leaving them looking like small dolls. (Chibi form is their true form basically.)

Paripus:

A race of people with ears and tails, sometimes with other minor animal features. These features can range between many types of animals. Their skin tone and hair color tend to match somewhat, the skin typically being a desaturated version of the hair. This isn’t always true, though, just common. They have great physical strength, and are as populous as the Clemar and Roussainte, yet… They are treated very poorly, and seen as lesser by many of the other tribes. Many are homeless or poor, surviving on the streets. Their personalities tend to be easygoing and cheerful, but can make them appear insensitive sometimes.

Ishkia:

They appear relatively humanoid, but have two pairs of slender flightless feathered wings, one on their upper back, while the other pair sits much lower on their back. Their features tend to be quite pointy, including their nose. They are the least numerous of the other races, yet are said to have great intelligence. Many are highly regarded as scholars, and hold positions that require great knowledge. Some look down on others, while those of different tribes will also look down on them, tending to insult their flightless wings.

Rhoag:

Defined by their shorter elven ears, and how they tend to have markings on their faces. I’ve noticed that the ones with paler skin tones tend to be pale to the extreme. They are also known for their lifespan, living nearly twice as long as other races. They age at the same pace as others until adolescence, where their aging then slows down to accommodate their extended lifespan. They have high status and value the passing of knowledge greatly. Like the Roussainte, they too have a resistance to the cold.

Mustari:

The most notable feature is the third eye on their foreheads. They have heightened senses, and this third eye is used to see magla (magic) in the air or surroundings. Many people are unsettled by members of this tribe, as they tend to wear masks that cover their entire head, and their unique traditional clothing. They’re also discriminated against for not following the main religion of the land, and are scorned for being pagans. Not many live in cities, preferring to reside on their home island.

Elda:

A tribe that is almost entirely extinct, and is the most despised group out of all the tribes. Most don’t even consider them to be an official tribe due to their scarcity. They have no defining characteristics, and are basically just average human beings by our terms. They possess the knowledge to use magic without an igniter (devices that everyone else uses to cast magic.) Due to this ability, they’re branded as tainted and dangerous.

Halfbloods:

They are looked down on, and very uncommon, but there can be halfbloods of any of the above races.

Here is my poorly thrown together collage of one character example from each tribe. (If anyone who’s played the game has anything to say about my choice for Clemar, shhhhh I know.)

I’ll answer any further questions if anyone has them, also sorry if there’s any mistakes I was rapidly typing up this post while referencing back and fourth from wiki haha…

Without further ado, the first poll:

I’ll link the Hua Cheng poll >here< too, for those who don’t wanna scroll back up.

If you made it to the end, thank you. 🥹🙏