#M!A: harpy eagle

[worldsandmuses]

There's been a slight magical accident, Owl. A bit of an experiment gone wrong, if you will. Enjoy being a harpy eagle for a couple of days until it wears off.

Owl had only just woken up after falling asleep in his avian form when the sudden change in height caught him off guard.

"Ah." Well, this was going to be awkward. Both for getting out of his aviary--as it was suited for a bird of his previous size-- and getting around and about without drawing too much attention to himself.

"Well. I suppose I'll be making my next haven at the zoo or far woods then."

The large raptor is less than pleased but is certain his apprentice will want to examine him from tip to talon. Best make his getaway while she's still asleep!

[drhoz]

#2545 - Hieraaetus moorei - Haast's Eagle

The largest eagle ever known to exist. Almost certainly the pouākai of Māori mythology. They certainly would have paid attention to it since it was big enough to consider humans as particularly stupid Moa who stood around in the open.

Here's some talon marks in a Moa hipbone.

Originally described as Harpagornis moorei by Julius von Haast in 1871, from the Greek harpax, meaning "grappling hook". DNA analysis later showed that this bird was actually related to the much smaller little eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides) and booted eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus) and not the large wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax) of Australia.

It probably evolved from the little eagle 1.8 million to 700,000 years ago, which means it increased ten to fifteen times in size - the largest, fastest evolutionary increase in average weight of any known vertebrate species. There were no other large predators in New Zealand, and an abundance of giant flightless prey.

It had a relatively short wingspan for a bird in its weight class. Females were estimated to span 2.6 m, possibly up to 3 m. It seems likely they pursued prey into dense forests, like the goshawks and harpy eagle.

The eagles most likely became extinct in the 1400s, after the Māori hunted their usual prey to extinction. Maori oral tradition about the birds persist to today, with late 1800s records saying it had red, black and white plumage with "black feathers tinged with yellow or green" and "a bunch of red feathers on its head".

Te Papa, Wellington, New Zealand.

[asqadia-banthen]

Introduction!! :3

We are an endogenic (willogenic, stressgenic, and just endogenic) system (intros linked on names)

Neb/Buddy: host, semi-frontstuck

Maxwell/Max: regulates emotions

Ash/Ashen: rarely fronts, helps with creative work

Jordan: will not post here, has own sideblog ( @jordan-in-paradise

[REDACTED]: helps with derealization, nonverbal

Fern: likes trees, co-host, fronts a lot, has own sideblog but will still post here ( @smash-or-pass-trees )

Lonely Wizard: S T I M U L A T I O N ! ! ! fictive ( @lonely-wizard-irl

Koda: wont post here

Mineta: fictive

Kirishima: fictive

)

genders + sexualities + pronouns

Neb: 🤟🏼, panagender, cassgender, demiromantic, uranic, diamoric, objectum, it/it’s, any neopronouns, any xenopronouns

Max: Max💢, transmasc, boyflux, aroace, no pronouns

Ash: 🌨️🐺, genderfluid, lesbian, trixic, she/her, they/them, it/that, pup/pupself

Jordan: ur fav bitch 😘, intersex, nonbinary, abrosexual, conceptum, shi/hir

[REDACTED]: 👁️, gendervoid, aroace she/it

Fern: 🌳Fern🌿, botani, conceptum, pansexual, they/them

Lonely Wizard: the wiz <|:3, unknown, he/they

Koda: not known yet

)

we are a furry, therian, otherkin, and fictionkin 🐾

)

Neb is objectum, conceptum, and mangerum, and is attracted to water trick snakes, DS, highlighters, semi trucks, traffic cones, traffic lights, and fries

Max is objectum and is attracted to the moon

Jordan is conceptum and is attracted to sunsets and sunrises

Fern is objectum/conceptum/botani and is attracted to american beech trees

)

We have collected 4+ leaf clovers for almost 3 years- ask us about them!! 🍀

)

we are autistic, have selective mutism, and have many sensory issues ♾️

)

my special interest is dragons :3 🐉 (ask me about them!)

)

we like to draw

)

I follow back!!

)

we are interested in dragons, animals, mashed potatoes, analog horror, music, and art

)

Kintypes

awakened since 2020-?

(kintype specifics linked)

Therian:

sloth bear

honey badger

gray fox

standard poodle

dingo

domestic cat

jaguar

tiger

harbor seal

gelada

cottontail rabbit

norway lemming

syrian hamster

sperm whale

wild boar

common hippo

suri alpaca

spectral bat

caloshua macaw

bluejay

bald eagle

song sparrow

wild turkey

emerald tree boa

ankylosaurus

dragonfly

northern acorn barnacle

eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly

Otherkin:

sphinx

oasis dragon

fuji dragon

kelpie

leviathan

brown werewolf

wingkin (barn owl)

harpy wingkin (white dove)

ghostkin

skeletonkin

merfolkkin

robotkin

Fictionkin:

P03 (Inscryption)

sand wraith (HTTYD) (rusty colored)

bearowl (The Croods)

Copinglink:

eastern white pine

plastic spinning top

Otherhearted:

golden retriever

raven

Questioning:

reptilian

chupacabra

wolpertinger or jackalope

we will edit these as we confirm/uncomfirm :3

warnings for userboxes

“This user practices filbism /srs” is in reference to an analog horror called “Doctor Nowhere”, if you are sensitive to distorted faces then dont research

“this user loves Jack Stauber” Jack Stauber is a musuc artist and animator many of his songs can trigger derealization, talk about su1c1d3, and have semi-distorted claymation people, if you are sensitive to any of this then do not research

“this user loves vulture culture!” vulture culture includes dead animals and bones, if you are sensitive to anything like that, dont research

NO DNI

Just don’t be an asshole ❤️

[twisted-wonderland-shenanigans]

Twisted Monsterland: Sleepy Birds

So…let’s talk harpies.

Without going into details about the overall species (I’ll save that for the baby monster bestiary I’m working on), I will say that harpies can be based on all species of birds. Falcons, eagles, and vultures? Sure, they’re more commonly known as the base foundation for the species, but they’re not the only ones! Crowley is a good example as a corvid harpy, and some of Rook’s siblings are based on birds of paradise like parrots and macaws! Some can even be based on delicate birds like the hummingbird~

Oof…just thinking about having to flap my arms that fast as a harpy makes me tired! 0.0

Now, you’re probably wondering, “That’s neat! But…where are you going with this?” And that’s a good question! Because we’re gonna talk about birbs~!

I’ve never owned a bird as a pet before, but my grandparents had one when we used to visit in my childhood. One thing I learned about birds (aside from the fact that we had to clap whenever their bird performed a trick on her own and someone saw it) is that one common thing bird owners do to calm down their feathery companions:

The “sleepy-time blanket”!

When the blanket goes over the cage, it’s supposed to mimic night time so the bird thinks it’s time to sleep. And when the cover is removed? It’s time to sing good morning~! Granted, it seems like this varies from bird-to-bird, but considering how often I’ve struggled to stay awake in school whenever the teachers used powerpoint slides in a dark room? Yeah, I get very sleepy in those cases. 😅

Now…imagine if Yuu discovered this by complete accident in the Monster!AU. >v>

////

Yuu: *hanging laundry out to dry on a bright, sunny day* “Hey, Grim? I need another clothes peg. The middle is sagging too much.”

Grim: “Yeah, yeah, here.” *flaps wings to hover next to Yuu, holding a bag in his paws* “Are we done yet? I’m bored…”

Yuu: “We’d be done sooner if someone hadn’t taken one of the bedsheets while the ghosts were collecting laundry and added one more load to wash and dry.” *unaware of a large shadow on the other side of the sheet, Yuu frowning as they go to take the sheet down and redo the arrangement*

???: “Bonjour, little Trickster~!”

Yuu/Grim: “Ack-!?!”

Crash!! Fwomp!

Grim: *pinned under Yuu* “Get…off! You’re heavy!”

Yuu: “Ow…sorry!” *climbs to their feet with a wince before turning to face the visitor now covered under the sheet* “Rook! You scared us half-to-death!”

*Rook doesn’t move, eerily silent as he stands there*

Grim: “Hm? Hey, wazza matter? You usually start talkin’ funny by now!” *huffs when he doesn’t get a response and goes to peek under the sheet* “Hey! Are you listenin’ to m…eh? Wait a minute…he’s asleep!?"

Yuu: “Huh??”

Grim: “He fell asleep standing! See?!” *yanks off blanket, pulling off Rook’s hat at the same time*

Rook: *straightens up with a blink, fluttering his wings before feathers settle down and he smiles* “Oh, there you are, Trickster. How are you faring this morning?”

Grim: “Mrah!? I thought you were asleep! What gives?”

Rook: “Hm? I was asleep? I don’t recall…”

Grim: “Yes you were! You were practically snorin’!”

Yuu: *picks up the sheet again, looking between it and Rook before slowly climbing back on the stepladder near Rook*

Rook: “Non, non, I promise you that I did not fall aslee-”

Yuu: *throws sheet over Rook’s head again*

Rook: “Mon di-!?” *freezes before slumping, standing in place in silence again*

Yuu: “…holy crap…I wonder if this’ll work on Ace or Cater?”

Grim: “What’s going on?!”

////

Needless to say, Rook was thoroughly confused by this until Yuu told him what happened. This also leads to a discussion on harpy parents using their wings to settle down rowdy chicks and restless hatchlings. Suffice to say, Yuu decided to run their own experiment on their fellow winged students. The results were…interesting to say the least.

Ace: Froze in place but was wide awake.

Cater: Fell asleep but collapsed on his side.

Leona: Blanket was torn to shreds from manticore quills. Hiding out in Diasomnia until he cools down.

Kalim: Normal blanket activates the zoomies. Introduced weighted blanket. Instant calm and Jamil is left baffled and grateful at the same time by this discovery!

Crowley: Fell asleep instantly. Sheets have been weaponized by the staff on occasion, so now he flies away at the sight of anyone carrying one towards him.

Seeing these results makes Yuu question what other animal reactions the students can possibly have. Meanwhile, their fellow students are warily watching the human scribble down notes in a notepad while carrying a jar of peanut butter.

Jack: “…why do you need me to be in beast form?”

Yuu: “I wanted to see something.”

Jack: “Okay…but what’s with the peanut butter?”

Yuu: “This? It’s just a tasty snack.” *opens it and scoops out a large spoonful* “See? Just regular peanut butter.”

Jack: “…alright.” *shifts into Fu dog form, nearly eye-to-eye with Yuu now* “Okay. What did you want to se—mfph!?!” *scrambles back after Yuu shoves the spoonful of peanut butter in his mouth, licking and trying to chew at the same time* “Blamph! Namf-nif-thaths?!”

Yuu: *scribbling notes* “Fu dogs react to peanut butter like dogs. Fascinating…I wonder if catnip affects manticore too?”

Ruggie: “Do you have some sort of death wish???”

[amymaleneart]

Got an inspiration hit for @missterious-figure Wine and Feathers AU.

So here's the next part what I'm going to call,

"The Mail Service Trilogy."

Enjoy!

Another package has arrived and waiting for you at your desk. This time, it is for Moon. He doesn’t often order things for himself besides the usual basics of skincare and feather-care maintenance. What does surprise you is that this box came from a high-end confectionery store.

You know as their handler that hapries, or birds in general, cannot eat processed sugar. It’s technically not toxic to them, but consuming sugar still isn’t good for them since it’s not naturally found in nature. The only “sweets” they are allowed to have are the ones found in fruit. Granted, harpies can have a little but the casino has to order the sugary treats and syrups from a manufacturer that specialize in exotic pets. Otherwise they couldn’t enjoy their virgin cocktails while entertaining the guests.

(You found yourself cringe at the thought of any of the harpies labeled as “pets”.)

So it is definitely a surprise for you to find that Moon was able to order some from an unapproved establishment. How did he pull this off? You might as well find out so he doesn’t do this again. You bring the package with you so you can have evidence that he did, in fact, made this order since the invoice has his name as the buyer. For being a peacock, he does like to weasel out of situations that he causes.

You went out into the big aviary straight to the tree that Moon likes to perch in when he is in between shows.

“Moon! Where are you?” You continue to look up into the tree, expecting to at least see his long tail feathers with the blue and yellow eyes sticking out of the branches like a silvery waterfall, cascading down the brilliant greenery.

“Moon?”

This is starting to make you nervous because when he doesn’t come when he’s called, he’s usually going to…

You are suddenly picked up from behind with an indignity “yelp!” on your part, and whisk away into the trees like an eagle that caught himself a tasty fish. And you’re the fish.

Once settled, you found yourself being snuggle tightly against the white and blue torso of the mischievous harpy, while sitting comfortably on his incredibly yet strong lap.

“R-really M-moon? How m-many times have I t-told you n-not to do that,” you say as you tried and failed to keep the fluster out of your voice. You hear his devilish cackle at your expense as his response, snuggling his head into the nook of your neck. “But you sound so beautiful when you scream. I just have to hear it again.”

You can feel your whole body heats up to a point that you bet if this was a cartoon, you would turn into a thermometer as you go completely red. You start to quiver, causing you to shake with the package still somehow in your hand, causing a simple rattling noise. Moon finally takes notice and creates a happy trill at seeing the package.

“Wonderful. I was starting to think this will never show up.” Being completely stunned from his affection, Moon easily takes the box from your hands and opens it to reveal his order.

He pulls out an elegant f/c box of chocolates, tied in a satin blue ribbon with a familiar silver peacock feather pattern sewn into the fabric, letting the original packaging fall from the tree. He slowly unties the ribbon in a delicate manner, just to retie it to your neck in a cute little bow like a show puppy. Moon takes a moment to admire his work with his brilliant rose red eyes, as he stares ever so lovingly into your cherry red face.

After he gets his fill, he removes the lid of a box to expose the most delicious assortment of sweets you have ever seen.

It is when he grabs one between his gloved fingers that you finally snap out of it to shout, “Moon wait! You cannot eat tha–” Your urgent words get muffled as he slips one of the expensive confectionaries into your open mouth.

“Hush, little starlight. It’s not for me.” he says with his rumbling baritone voice.

Your eyes open wide as the sweet explodes with flavor as it melts in your mouth. Then you realize that is one of your favorite flavors!

You swallow down the tasty treat in order to ask, “How did you–” another one gets placed into your mouth.

Moon chuckles as he says, “I’ll tell you, but only if you let me feed you each and every treat that’s in. this. box.”

Part One: Done in an ask - Part Two: Here - Part Three: Over There

[dragonthunders01]

Spectember Day 4: Sympatric speciation

New Zealand got transformed by the step of humanity, for the few large mammals that remained there like possums and goats, alongside the demise of their unique endemic bird fauna previously and after human colonization, at the end it took millions of years for the same endemic fauna to recover, now with some extra foreign mammal occupants, and for another 20 million years it has come to a proper balance.

This forged the evolution of new ecological interactions, between them a new predator, descendant of the kea that intelligent and skilled was able to survive and cover new niches, turning more predatory. There are other dozens of species of this group that takes in different carnivorous niches, but for this entry only matters two species, they among the largest avian predators. This will be called the Harpy kea (Sarconestor) evolved in a competitive environment alongside birds of prey and large omnivorous possums, upon these they managed to stay at the top in the most forestall regions of the island. Up to 80 cm in height, and a wingspan of 2.5 m the mauling harpy kea (Sarconestor macronychus) is the main oldest species is a voracious bird capable of tear down some of the large now resident goat descendants that resemble a Takin, using their large harpy eagle like feet with large claws. They evolved around 10 to 15 million years after the departure of mankind on earth, now stepping as the apex predators, they would have remained as the only of their own genus if it wasn’t for a subdivision of one population on the same environment and region, this probably caused by a switch on preferred prey.

The second species is the Standing harpy Kea (Sarconestor phonteteres), less robust but more taller species of Harpy kaka, this reaching up to 1.1 meters and a wingspan of almost 3 meters, this one became focused on hunting medium size animals, this includes juveniles of the Takin-like goats, some large terrestrial ratite-like birds that inhabit the dense forests and so varied other animals, this evolved in the last 5 million years, and even though they often overlap in range and prey, both The mauling and stood kea doesn’t compete with each other as they hunt for specific types of prey.

[lilacella]

Hello hello,

You have reached the sloth blog. I mostly post about marauders (wolfstar, prongsfoot, sucius, jilypad, wolfstarbucks and who knows what else will turn up). Prongsfoot is my otp though.

I am not a fan of fanon characterizations of the marauders, so if you are looking for that you came to the wrong place I'm afraid. Also, obvs: FUCK JKR. We do not endorse the terfs on this blog. Scurry away and take your bioessentialism with you!

You can find some of my writing here or on my ao3.

More under the cut.

_____

Other stuff I'm into:

I also am a big fan of birds but not in a ornithologist type of way, more like "i love all birds and like to learn fun facts about them!" My faves are the Shoebill Stork, all types of geese and ducks, corvids and the Harpy Eagle.

Other Fandoms:

Good Omens

Dead Boy Detectives

Our Flag Means Death

Stardew Valley

Sherlock Holmes (not the BBC show, the books. Though I did like the show)

Lord of the Rings

Discworld (is that a classical fandom? Idk)

Feel free to send me asks about any of these! My inbox is always open😊

_____

Tag guideline:

#marauders complaint department - where I complain about fanon. Block if you're sensitive to salt.

#writing sloth - me yapping about writing

#sloth rambles - me yapping about my life and anything else

#prongsfoot propaganda - a collection of my favorite prongsfoot posts. Og and reblogs

#moodboard monday - I post a pinterest moodboard every monday (until I grow tired of it). It's usually HP themed but I might branch out one day

_____

Stuff I've written:

Nightsky, 11 chapters, completed, Wolfstar (on ao3)

Reindeer Games, 5 chapters, completed, Prongsfoot (on ao3)

Safehouse, 4 chapters, completed, Prongsfoot Mafia AU (on ao3)

99 problems, 7 chapters, completed, Wolfstar - werewolf activist AU for @casurlaub (on ao3)

Final Girls, 8 chapters, completed, Sapphic Wolfstar camp horror AU

__ WIPs__

Bachelorettes, 2/5 chapters, Sapphic Prongsfoot dating show AU

--- ONESHOTS---

Evil Secret, 3/? chapters, highly problematic Sucius

M is for Murder, ohhh what could this be what could this be?!

Strut, Prongsfoot fashion AU (on ao3)

1+1<3, sapphic Prongsfoot mathclub AU (on ao3)

She-Wolf in the Closet, sapphic Wolfstar in a night club setting (on ao3)

Kiss me, I'm drunk, Prongsfoot first kiss

Sleepless, Prongsfoot first kiss cuddling in a band bus

Birthday Boy, Gen/Prongsfoot Sirius 17th birthday ficlet

[thecoldsoldiers]

M!A - Wings; Your muse sprouts a pair of harpy eagle wings. They are incredibly large - certainly large enough to carry his weight should he attempt to fly, but they are also proportionately heavy.

SEND IN 🪶 FOR A WINGED BUCKY STARTER THIS WEEKEND.

The immense pain in his back was what Bucky woke up to, the feeling like his skin was being torn from underneath and the sensation of muscles shifting and changing. He screamed into the pillow as he could feel something emerging from his back, they were heavy and it almost gave off the sensation of a weighted blanket. Bucky could feel his heart racing and he had no idea what was going on, had he been poisoned? Was he hallucinating?

When the burning finally stopped Bucky pulled himself up to look in the mirror, the sweat covering his body. He nearly dropped to the floor in disbelief. A pair of black and white wings were now settled behind him and as he shivered he could see the feathers ruffle with him. Fuck. He had wings? Bucky was used to weird but this was something else.

How was he going to explain this?

[ratsoh-writes]

Mirla: mhm

She grabs her stuff and is ready to get out and go back to her turtles

Mirla: um... do you know a winged lady that sells wine?

Ram: brown eagle wings, harsh cheekbones and pointed eyes?

At mirlas nod he expands

Ram: yea that’s harpy. She’s m’ boss’ new business partner, owns a vineyard and some fancy rich people wine brand. I know she’s smart, pitch likes her.

They get in the truck and drive lazily back towards the city. Ram is being cautious considering the rain pelting down

Ram: do y’ know her?

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Wings of Justice

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/QwM05Aa by Wizardess11 Mila Greene just wanted to cure cancer. Was that too much to ask from her second life? She had ignored the part of her new world with superheroes and villains and managed to get to university at the age of fourteen, with all her pervious research work intact. But now, with Harpy Eagle gene’s running through her veins from her psycho professor’s botched experiment, Mila will have to get help from the heroes she’s spent her life avoiding. Words: 2006, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Categories: F/M Characters: Original Female Character(s), Tim Drake (DCU), Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Barbara Gordon, Original Characters Relationships: Tim Drake & Original Female Character(s), Dick Grayson & Original Female Character(s), Bruce Wayne & Original Female Character(s), Jason Todd & Original Female Character(s), Damian Wayne & Original Female Character(s), Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne Additional Tags: Human Experimentation, gene therapy, Harpy Eagle, Meta-gene, Case Fic, Mentions of Cancer, OC just wants to cure cancer, gets a family instead, Batfamily (DCU) Feels, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/QwM05Aa

[paranormalisthegreatest]

‘I must say being named James David with an M on a pair of orange and silver shoes is more thrush than lyre bird but I’m pretty sure I’m so fast sometimes even the supernatural world is like sweetea boy jimborqmalamadingdong chuckie boy voice, how in Gods name did you just do that. To which I reply, in my defense the blue genie did not want to be wished for but now that it exists it separated the rest into life and afterlife, because holidays are a stain on existence, but who hasn’t had fun on holidays 🤔🧞‍♂️🧞‍♀️🐍🦅🦜🐺🍑🧚‍♀️🦍🍆🦊😷👿😈👹👺🤡👻💩💀☠️👽👾🤖🎃😺😸😹😻🎃🙌👍🤘👌🤞✌️🫰🤟🫦🦵🏼🦿👅🦻🫀🫁🧠👀👁️🗣️🫂👥👨‍🌾👩‍🌾🧚🧜‍♂️🧜🧜‍♀️🧚🏼‍♂️🧞🧟‍♂️🧛‍♀️🧙🧝‍♀️🧙‍♂️ and like most things when I was younger I begged and pleaded and tried to make up excuses for my mom to not make me do stuff I didn’t want to do. And whatever it was I was like I’m gonna become king of this whole I’m doing it. But I’m my defense lyre birds are the best vocalists, falcons the fastest, Eagles the best eyesight, hawks the sharpest beaks, harpy eagles the sharpest claws, owls the most vigilant in the dark, and as you ascend up the ranks of wingless birds, to humans favorite things to eat, to flightless birds, to apex birds, to song birds, the most sensual is the love bird.’

[tnc-n3cl]

These are purely my own headcanons as we'll most likely never get any answers on these questions from Nintendo.

-I headcanon Rito with hollow bones.

-Rito can see more colors, although, outside of ultraviolet ranges I don't bring it up that much in my fic. (Every Rito has ultraviolet markings on their beaks, which means I had to come up with markings for most of the 40+ characters for stories from a Rito's perspective. I am running out of line patterns...)

-Nutcakes are implied to be a Rito food, but I don't know how bland it is. IIRC, some birds have tastebuds on the roof of their mouth. It's possible that Rito might have a better sense of taste than other birds. This also brings questions regarding their diet, since they have raptor-like beaks (save Kass) but eat things like cake and bananas. (Considering Genli's love of fish, and the fact that another one of his daughters mentions him teaching her how to fish, I posit that Kass' favorite food is fish.)

-Birds also apparently dissipate heat through their beaks (and feets) so they might throw cold cloths on their beak or feet. (Or say smear white chuchu jelly on them...)

-Some birds, such as pigeons and doves, produce a milk like substance in their crop (both sexes do this). This is stimulated by, more or less, the same hormone that controls lactation in mammals. I am debating having this be a thing in my fic. I presume they may feed their young like birds, at least until a certain age. (Especially if one were to do a modern AU with knowledge of microbiomes/"return to nature" movements and such being present). Although just cutting up/crushing food might be good enough. (In fact, I think some raptors just rip out pieces of meat for their chick. I watched a documentary where a Harpy Eagle just handed it's chick a whole monkey arm...)

-I don't know about the dosing off thing. At least make them calm down/too anxious to do anything? It might be funny though...

-Pigeons are believed to have the ability to create "scent maps" to find their way home. And I've read a study that indicates their sense of smell may be asymmetric (they blocked off one nostril (nare) and the pigeons were unable to navigate quickly, while when the other nare was blocked they were about to navigate as usual).

-Rito navigate by starlight at night if they have to (memorizing positions of stars, lots of migratory birds do most of their migrating at night actually, it's why outdoor lighting is so dangerous for them).

-Like birds, I presume Rito have a syrinx (a vocal organ located right where the airway splits to the lungs). This allows the entire throat to act as an amplifier for the sound, which is why birds are so loud. (Also bird lungs are ridged and connected to the ribs, the airsacs themselves inflate, also they have the ability to take in air with every breath).

-This one is actually confirmed by the Creating a Champion book! Concept art depicts Revali blinking a nictitating membrane (third eyelid)

-I think they would mostly take smaller bites of food/cut it up with utensils to appear "civilized" depending on the situation. (Trying to enjoy a meal vs. scarfing something down real fast before a patrol or something) I'm sure they might just swallow something whole if it's small enough or they're in a hurry (or just don't care what people think of them). (After all we know Zora eat fish raw.) Although I'm not sure they could chew in the Hylian sense of the word.

-Birds have a gland at the base of their tail that produces preen oils which they coat their feathers with. I see no reason for Rito not to possess this as well. This also relates to sense of smell, as this varies among birds, but I'm assuming Rito have a decent enough sense of smell. Rito preen oils contain scent molecules.

-Plenty of birds still have little thumbs with claws on them (owls and ostriches for example) so I'm presuming that Rito fingers have little claws as well. Also they're not quite as big as you'd think, most of that is feather fluff. (Which also means they're pretty much incapable of making a finger snap sound.) (As for the wings, after the first five fingers the rest are typical bird flight feathers.)

-Some cranes have bumps on the back of their skulls to anchor their crests, so I assume Revali has this going on as well.

-I'm assuming that owl-like Rito (Kaneli) would possess the asymmetric hearing that owls have as well.

-Rito "hair" is just special ornamental feathers. (In fact, I think it's possible Nintendo got the idea for Rito ladies' design from the long-crested eagle, although it's just as likely they were referencing Medli's design from Wind Waker.)

-The Rito are actually made up of multiple related species (in a similar fashion older Zelda games just used the term "human" so in-universe "human" could be used for Hylians, Sheikah, and Gerudo). I came up with this idea cause well... Kass and Kaneli would have wildly different skulls than say Teba or Saki, or any of the "standard" Rito. (I'm also assuming the same is true for Zora.)

-It's possible Rito may consider something other than what mammals consider "spicy" to be "spicy". There's something called a bird family called bustards and some of them at least are immune/resistant to toxic beetles. They'll eat them to kill of internal parasites (males in particular gorging on them during mating season to show off their poison resistance to the ladies). So maybe Rito could have a similar thing going on. [I used this in another project for some bird people...]

-As for egg headcanons, I'd recommend reading the Rito Chronicles saga on AO3. (Also I'd recommend it anyway cause it's a great series!) Although, like the author @unmaskedcardinal, I presume the Rito have evolved some way of (mostly) preventing the laying of unfertilized eggs.

-Beaks are made from the same thing as fingernails and constantly grow, so I presume Rito might have some sort of grooming tool for this purpose. Like a specially shaped rock or bit of bone or something to grind down their beaks. (Also some Rito warriors may sharpen their talons with something similar.)

Bird traits I want to know if Rito posess:

-Hollow bones so they're light enough to fly. Wouldn't this make them kinda glass canon fighters? Fragile lads.

-The ability to see way more colours than humans/other species can because of their extra cones. Apparently birds can see patterns on Human skin we don't even realise we have. Is Rito vision also uber-colourful?

-Swallowing food whole because they have no teeth. Relying on their gizzard to do the breaking down of food. Rito clearly cook - are they making themselves cakes and pies and then just....swallowing them whole??? Does the concept of chewing make sense to them?

-They have significantly less taste buds than most mammals, and also lack the ability to experience spice. How bland is Rito food?

-Birds don't sweat, they release heat through their tongues by panting. Do Rito pant??? That's an unsettling mental image.

-Birds go to the bathroom and lay their eggs through the same opening, which is horrifying enough. Most bird species lay infertile eggs either periodically or via hormone stimulation induced by feelings of safety. Is laying eggs like having periods to Rito?

-I don't need to tell you how birds feed their young. I fear considering this.

-A lot of bird species will instinctively go to sleep if plunged into darkness (hence why people put little caps over trained birds eyes, or throw blankets over budgie cages at night). If you covered a Rito's eyes, would they doze off?

-Do you think they go through nesting periods like birds do when it's egg laying season? Desperately hunting for soft things by instinct.

Feel free to add more bird facts. It's the middle of the night and I'm just fascinated thinking of the logistics and just how similar or not they would be to real birds.

[writeforfandoms]

WIP List

Aka my attempt at accountability

So SOMEONE *coughAdiracough* nudged me in DMs to make this happen. Because my list is... long. Really long. So long I sometimes forget what all is on here.

So! Proceed at your own risk, yada yada. Feel free to come ask me about any of these.

Active WIPs

These are things I am actively writing within the past two weeks.

Listening In (Soap and Ghost)

Ghost shifter fic

Waking Lions (Price)

Until The Levee (dark!poly!141 x f!reader)

harpy eagle shifter

fennec fox shifter

Ghost x baker

poly 141 soulmate adventure

Vicious (Graves)

Welcome to New York (Miguel O’Hara)

Warrior Song (John-117/Master Chief)

Conversations in the Dark (ChiefPilot)

Price Holiday fake dating

Konig x medic

Monster rescue 141

Long Way Home (Gaz)

Battlefield (Gaz x Price x reader)

Fall Into Me

Hypa Hypa (Soap)

Less active but still there WIPs

How Did You Love ch 9 (Ezra, Thief, Frankie, Dave, Marcus P, and Jack)

Wild Mountain Thyme (Ezra)

Dragon Rancher Jack (last chapter)

Octopus’s Garden (Oberyn)

Marcus M fae fic

Shatter Me

Until the World Goes Cold (Frankie)

Songbird ch 3 (Fennec Shand)

Far Across The Land (Ezra and Frankie)

Soft Place to Land (Din)

Ice age clan leader (Din, Ezra, Jack)

In Dreams (Oberyn)

[a-safe-and-quiet-place]

Stymphalian Bird

Stymphalian Bird

Pausanias theorized that the Stymphalian birds originated in Arabia, citing the presence of fierce desert birds known as the Stymphalides. He then admits that the population found at Stymphalos, in Arcadia, may have been the result of a few wayward birds making their way into Greece. Following this line of reasoning, Pausanias deduces that they earned the name of Stymphalides due to their fame in Greece, and the name then supplanted whatever name they originally had in Arabia!

Variations: Stymphalide, Bird of Ares

The appearance of the Stymphalian birds is no less muddled. Their most feared weapon is the sharpened, pointed tips of their wing feathers, which they fling like darts to stab their prey. Sometimes their feathers and beaks are made of bronze or iron, the better for piercing armor. Pausanias described them as about crane-sized, but resembling the ibis in shape, but with a stronger bill; elsewhere he says they are like hawks or eagles. In Greek art they have been represented as ibises, swans, and other such waterfowl; at least one obol from Stymphalos shows a bird with a short crest and a stout, powerful bill. Finally, no doubt influenced by tales of harpies and sirens, the temple of Stymphalian Diana also has stone statues of virgins with birds’ feet.

It remains true that the Stymphalian birds were first and foremost associated with Lake Stymphalia. They terrorized the region, ravaging crops, killing people, and poisoning the ground with their dung. Fox suggests that the legend originated as a glamorization of a plague or pestilence rising from the marshes, which would explain their noxious qualities. While their feathered darts could pierce armor, they were powerless against a certain type of tree bark, which held them fast like quicklime. There was only so much bark to go around, though, and the birds seemed numberless.

It was this scourge that Heracles was sent to destroy. As his sixth labor, it was one of a list of impossible tasks, and indeed the vast numbers of birds seemed beyond the hero’s strength. Heracles got around this by exploiting a simple fact – despite their numbers and ferocity, Stymphalian birds were as easily spooked as sparrows. Fashioning a pair of bronze castanets, he made such a din that the flock took off in a panic; from there he shot a great number down with his arrows, while the remainder of the birds flew off and were never seen in Arcadia again.

That was not the end of the Stymphalian birds, as from Greece they made their way to the Black Sea and populated the Island of Ares, where they became sacred guardians to the god of war. It was this flock that Jason and his Argonauts encountered on their way to Colchis. While the birds of Ares managed to wound the Argonaut Oileus with a feather projectile, they were scared off once more by the noise of rattling bronze armor, but not before pelting the Argonauts with a hailstorm of feathers.

References

- Aldington, R. and Ames, D. trans.; Guirand, F. (1972) New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology. Paul Hamlyn, London.

- Ames, D. trans.; Guirand, F. (1963) Greek Mythology. From Mythologie Generale Larousse. Paul Hamlyn, London.

- Apollonius, Coleridge, E.P. trans. (1889) The Argonautica. George Bell and Sons, London.

- Fox, W. M. (1964) The Mythology of All Races v. I: Greek and Roman. Cooper Square Publishers, New York.

- Pausanias, Levi, P. trans. (1979) Guide to Greece, volume 2: Southern Greece. Penguin Books, London.

Original Traditional Art before it gets My Surreal/Psychadelic Touch - A Book Of Creatures

PS: Btw it really sucks that tumblr doesn’t let people upload gifs with less than 10mb, makes us optimize our gifs and even then it optimizes them even further in theyr servers to 3mb i believe

[cherrywoes]

i. the girl in the foxes’ den.

chapter one. queen of shiratorizawa.

a/n: dedicated to @godjo​ because reasons :’) 

WHALE BONE HUGGED TIGHTLY at your ribcage, the silk ribbons of your corset pinching and pulling all of your body’s fat into your waist to the point where you could barely breathe past the stays. Bent over your vanity, fingers gripping the painted wood so firmly that your knuckles went white, you exhaled a shaky breath and pushed all of the air from your lungs as the maid pulled a final time. Tears squeezed past your lashes when she finished, adding an additional jerk to knot the bow tightly. You remained over the vanity even when she departed to your closet to retrieve a dress for you to wear for the evening, your breaths shallow and uneven. With each tiny inhale, you watched your chest—pushed past decent and bordering on obscene with the aid of extra fabric—rise and fall, and felt a red flush creep up your neck from the exertion.

“Your Highness, your dress for the morning.” You watched the maid lay a gorgeous gown upon the crushed velvet duvet on your bed through the mirror, the rich purple appearing like ripples of waves under the rays of sunlight peeking through your window. She patted it down and turned to face you, hands clasped primly in front of her like all the maids were taught, docile as if she hadn’t just forced you into a corset that was a few sizes too small for you. She’d dug that monstrosity out from your prepubescent teenage years and insisted you would fit into it. “You will be meeting with Sister Yui to discuss the rising number of—”

“I’m aware of what my schedule is,” you interrupted her, struggling to straighten your shoulders out to their fullest potential. There was an odd stiffness in your spine from the corset and you tried to appear as natural as possible, relaxing your abdominal muscles against the tight space. “What I want to know is news from my brother. Has there been any word from either he or Tendou?”

The maid had the nerve to shake her head and look disappointed for you rather than at you. You were offended that she had the gall to do it in front of you as well. “I’m afraid not, my lady. None of the messengers have been moved since yesterday.”

You stared at your face in the mirror and patted delicately at the perspiration dotting your forehead with a silk handkerchief. The room was hot—perhaps it was just you—and you were irritated. First with the maid, who had some spine on her to pity you, and now with your brother’s apparent lack of communication with the messengers. If Wakatoshi wasn’t seriously hurt, you were going to rip him a new one for ignoring all of your letters and indirectly putting you in charge of managing his affairs while he was away.

“Very well then.” Squinting in the mirror, you plucked at a stray hair near your eyebrow and fueled all of your inner rage into a placid mask of complacency and politeness. They should bow down on the ground and worship you for the effort it took to deal with the foolish people milling about you like clockwork. It certainly was an exhausting endeavor on its own. “And the harpies that are eating my breakfast on the veranda?”

The maid looked at you with quick, wide eyes. You just barely caught it in the mirror, loosely plucking at hairs that weren’t there, and lowered your hand to the vanity with a smug smile. You’d thought as much; it was far too quiet inside the palace for it to be just you and the staff present. There was someone else here, a multitude of someones, ones you hadn’t invited yourself. No, it was more likely that the woman who envisioned herself as Wakatoshi’s future Queen had invited herself and her entourage and simultaneously manipulated the entire staff into serving her as if she was the Queen. You could see the truth of it in the maid’s face.

You sighed and set down the tweezers in your hand, drumming your fingers against the vanity. Since you were already in a corset, there was no reason for you to make the torture you’d gone through worthless in the end, so you couldn’t wear one of the foreign dresses with gaping slashes from neck to navel just to shock them, but you had another plan in mind, one that would be equally as shocking, especially for a princess of your renown. You just had to show that try-hard Duke’s daughter what she would be competing against for the rest of her life: you.

For it to work, though… Your eyes went to the maid through the mirror again, contemplative, and she squirmed under your gaze. You needed the trust of the staff, which was obviously being swindled in that Duke’s daughter’s favor—they were all stupidly gullible when someone turned on the water works and begged for their help. No, you needed to get rid of her and do this on your own, or else they would warn them in advance.

“Leave,” you said airily, waving your hand towards the door and picking up a livid red shade of lipstick. The gold, spherical case cast your reflection back at you, as pristine as the day it had been gifted to you by the heir of the Haiba family, a famous producer of cosmetics among royalty. You were sure that Lev wouldn’t mind if you used his precious formula to put a gold digger in her place.

“I’m sorry?” The maid squeaked, then amended,”Your Highness?”

You turned around and raised your eyebrows, lipstick in one hand and the other pointing to the door. She just indirectly proved that she was obeying that bitch’s orders and not yours. “I told you to leave. Do I really need to repeat myself?”

“M-My Lady—”

“I said go,” you repeated, sauntering over to your fireplace and removing the sword mounted over it. It had been a gift from Wakatoshi, as avid a swordsman as ever, and still had a sharp edge to its blade. You had used it to cut off greedy fingers on more than one occasion and you had no issue with using it on a disrespectful maid’s face for questioning you.

She was gone before you even fully turned around. You heard her footsteps thumping against the marble floor in your room and outside the door, then down the hall, presumably to report to her new mistress how awful you were. Of course, your reputation as a meek, docile, and pacifistic woman was indestructible—no one would believe her even if she had solid proof. You and Wakatoshi had spread that little rumor yourselves, backed it up in public and in private, so no one would think twice about it, especially coming from a maid who had a lot to gain from slandering nobles.

This was how you worked. This was how Wakatoshi wanted you to work—to protect yourself from anyone who might wish to harm you or the kingdom. One wrong move and you could drag them down to the darkest pits of hell with no way to get out, wishing they were dead but completely at your mercy. You were Shiratorizawa’s trump card, their magnum opus; one wrong move against you was one wrong move against the entire kingdom.

And Kurotsuchi Yui had just made one disastrous move against you.

You had to admit, your plan would certainly raise eyebrows, but you were highly known for your adventures into fashion—it was all you wanted to do besides crush your enemies into smithereens—and, well, it wasn’t as if there weren’t more progressive kingdoms who wore equally as daring clothing in their day to day life. Shiratorizawa wasn’t one of them, but if you set your mind to it… It may just play a double edged sword.

Your plan cemented in your mind, you skipped over to your closet and immediately sought out your riding pants in the mess of silk, chiffon, and muslin. They were high quality, form hugging, and absolutely impolite to wear in normal company if you weren’t riding for the day, but it wasn’t as if you weren’t riding later on; you’d just have to ride your own horse to the orphanage instead of taking a carriage. It wasn’t  something to complain about, your muscles needed the workout anyways. Desk work was so gentle on the body, Wakatoshi complained, and you seconded that thought.

Your riding pants secured, you scoured your closet for that one blouse you had been gifted by a notorious lingerie designer down in the red district during your routine checks to make sure everyone was abiding by the new tax laws in place. It had been so scandalous that you had tossed it in your trunk without a second thought, face flaming red (this was also when you were younger, you would have never been so ashamed if it were recent). But now, you were going to put it to good use, and you prayed it still looked like it would fit. 

Pulling it out from the almost back of your closet, hidden behind absolute mammoth dresses from a time of ballgowns and petticoats, you grinned at your triumphant discovery, marveling in the delicate lace hem and high collar. It was as gorgeous as you remembered it and the perfect weapon to teach Yui a lesson.

Only… You stared at the collar of the shirt and the deep identical slashes in the arms to expose your shoulders, as well as cutouts in the sides to flash your hips to the world. Isn’t it a little too revealing?

It was too late now to back out of your plan, however. You had at least another twenty minutes before breakfast was over and the women scattered to various parts of the castle to conduct their own little ‘tours’ as if they were supposed to be there. You left your hair alone, as it was fine after running a brush through it, and only wore the smallest amount of makeup because you had an impression to make. Wakatoshi had told you that you looked intimidating when you wore a full face of make-up and wondered what your eagle form would be if you ever got it.

As you got dressed, you had to wonder if you would ever get your eagle form at all. Wakatoshi had gotten his at an early age, but that was typical for the men in your family. The women got theirs around eighteen or so, but you had yet to get yours, already in your twenties. You’d always wanted to experience the joy of flying, hearing stories from soldiers about how it felt to soar through the skies, and while Wakatoshi was more than happy to take you flying, it just wasn’t the same. It was your only disappointment to your mother in your entire life, one she never got over even on her deathbed. Your father was more considerate about it, having been born outside of Shiratorizawa, and treated you like he treated Wakatoshi: like his child. Your mother was not so kind.

You tugged the shirt over your head and let it settle over your body in a rush of fabric. It was tight and form fitting, not what you had expected from it off of the hanger, and somehow held the high collar in place. You couldn’t actually see the corset through it or the gaps in the sides, but you could tell you were wearing one by the way your chest was supported. Overall, it looked new, like you’d intended, and the complete opposite of the trends going on at the moment. If you could turn the tides, that would be just another thing to rub in Yui’s face.

Content with your choice, you tugged on your riding boots and strode out the door, snatching up your riding crop and leather gloves on the way out. You pulled your gloves on as you walked down the hall, clenching and unclenching your fists to break in the slightly new leather. There were no guards or maids in sight as you sauntered down the hallways; you could make out the faint laughter coming from the veranda, each high pitched cackle sounding suspiciously like Yui. Her laugh reminded you of a duck; cuck, cuck, cuck in the back of her throat, never from her chest, and it irritated both you and Wakatoshi whenever you heard it in polite company.

When you stepped out onto the veranda, you realized where all of your guards and maids had vanished to. They stood catering Kurotsuchi Yui and her group of crones, guarding them as if there was some threat to be had against their person, the only one of which was you if you could get your hands around one of their pretty little necks.

“And then I—Oh!” Yui noticed you as she was doing a cursory sweep of the women to make sure they were laughing along with her. The slight trepidation that crept in her voice had you smiling internally; you were the one in charge with Wakatoshi gone. “[Name], I didn’t think you were going to join us. I thought you had joined King Ushijima on his scouting retinue.”

That was an awful excuse and she knew it. There was always an Ushijima at Shiratorizawa when one was away, even a fool knew that. She was digging for crumbs of a reason and failing.

“Of course I wasn’t,” you blinked innocently. You took the only empty chair at the other end of the table, across from Yui at the head, and crossed your legs to rest your riding crop over your knee. “I don’t know where you got that idea from. I also don’t know where you got the idea that you’re welcome here.”

The girls sitting around Yui squirmed in their seats while Yui herself fumed.

“I’m the future Queen,” she informed, red flushing into her cheeks. “Everyone says so.”

“Do they really?” You deadpanned, reaching over and snatching up a piece of fruit from a platter. It was from the royal garden, an even greater offense; she was being served like a royal in the family. Your mother was rolling over in her grave at the slight. “It makes no difference to me because in the end, you’ll never be queen if I have a say in it. And you know I do, Yui.”

She was completely silent, glowering at you from across the table because she knew you were right.

“Anyway.” You tilted a glass of wine around, watching the dark red liquid swirl against the sides. “All of the maids who are here, you’re fired. Gather your things immediately and make your way to the royal gold minister and get your last pay. Knights, return to the barracks and switch out with the Elite Knights under the conception of manipulation.”

With that, you had effectively upped the rigidity of the palace and simultaneously stripped Yui of all of her support and backing in one fell swoop, just like an Ushijima should. She was shaking with anger when the maids and knights began their melancholy walk back inside the palace to make their way to their respective areas. 

“It was nice seeing you, Yui.” You stood up and smiled, gathering your riding crop and turning towards the building where your horse was being housed. “Hopefully I don’t have to see you again.”

The threat underlying it went unsaid: you would do worse next time.

Laughter bubbling up in your throat, you bit your lips and made your way to the stalls, the stablehand saddling up your gorgeous Perlino mare that Wakatoshi had gotten you for your fifteenth birthday. She was vicious and maternal and the best friend a girl could ask for; she had a slight biting issue with men, but that wasn’t something you felt like fixing. If anything, you encouraged it, relishing in the shocked expressions of the men who tried to impress you by showing you how to ‘handle’ a horse. It was the highlight of your day.

As you were riding towards the orphanage, a pair of Elite Knights at your side, you looked up in the sky and spotted an unusual number of eagle shifters soaring through the clouds at a breakneck pace. Assuming it was just Wakatoshi returning from his trip, you looked back down and focused on heading to the orphanage, unaware of the world shattering news that they carried with them…

And the announcement of the new Queen of Shiratorizawa.

MASTERLIST.

< PROLOGUE | TWO >

[freezegirl]

"'s okay. 'm always cold. i don't want you to be. or your daemon."

the white squirrel daemon - "i'm boreas," he squeaks, "but everyone calls me bo, and everyone calls her kie. her actual name is khione. there's a really short story behind that one which is that her parents should have never been allowed to name their kid." - melts into hester's comforting touch. but not before telling them that khione is, in fact, always cold. has been from day one. will be until the day she dies.

boreas fills up the silence like a pro. in between one heartbeat and the next, he's taken it upon himself to fill in lee and hester, telling them about the friend group that khione is looking for.

will stronghold who has an harpy eagle daemon as a companion.

zachary braun, who has a firefly daemon.

magenta lewis, who's got a guinea pig daemon.

"she's got a crush on warren, though," boreas tells them after he steps away from hester's embrace so he can monologue. "and i mean, i get it. he's hot. and i mean that literally. 'cause he's got this fire thing going on. i don't quite know how he does it, 'cause i never did manage to talk to his daemon about it but---"

"oh gosh," khione manages a wet laugh. "stop it, bo. please. these lovely people need their ears, still." after a final hug, she gently retracts herself from lee's hold. "i'm really sorry about... all of this," she sniffs. "i hope i didn't cry all over your nice coat."

POOR THING, HE thinks, running fingers through her hair. she's too young to be burdened by so much. she'd spoken of bolvanger & her friends being taken. he wants to help -- really, he does -- but he's been around enough to know a losing battle when he sees one. besides, heroism doesn't pay, & if he's to stay in the skies ( & stay alive for that matter ) he needs to find something that does. even then, he's already cashing in on his good deed of the week just going to the north.

for iorek.

after that, who knows what's on the horizon? if he was honest, part of him hopes he can afford heroics: just this once. unfortunately, he's not that lucky ( or perhaps unlucky. )

she's colder than she should be, but he chalks that up to the cold air that surrounds them.

" you're freezin', sweet pea, " he says, sliding his own heavy coat off & wrapping it around her shoulders, " why didn't ya say somethin'? " by now, hester has cautiously approached the younger squirrel daemon, gently nuzzling them in a comforting gesture that mimics the way lee rests his chin on the girl's head as he pulls her back into the embrace.