#and I like how goblin sharks are Like That

[deoidesign]

What’s your favorite animal?

goblin shark

[bacchuschucklefuck]

species medley ft. gorgug and riz

[some-pers0n]

i never watched arcane cos of the transmisogynistic joke in like episode 1 is it any good after that

There's a transmisogynistic joke in there? Damn that stinks. Anywho, I'd say Arcane is pretty good all around. It's really quite fun and has excellent animation and style as well as an interesting story with fun and dynamic characters. Personally I'm going on a bit of a hater arc unfortunately due to me not really being too pleased with the second season, but overall I think it's worth your time.

[ameliathornromance]

“Ouch!” Your Orc hissed, jerking in pain as you pressed alcohol soaked cloth to his arm. “You can’t be more gentle, can you?”

“Well if you stopped moving,” you returned through gritted teeth, “then it wouldn’t hurt as much. It’s not me that’s causing you pain, it’s the chemical. If I’m any more gentle about it, the pain will just last longer and it will sting a lot more.”

The giant gash in his arm just did not want to stop bleeding. You let out a sigh of irritation as you realised it was going to need stitches. “Hold onto it for me?”

Grumbling, your Orc Boyfriend pressed held the soaked cloth in place as you reached for your medical box behind you, “how did this happen then?”

“I was in the gym,” your boyfriend started, “and this goblin wouldn’t stop trying to take pictures of me, so I told him to put the phone down. He said ‘no, it’s a public space, I can film who I damn well likes’ and his smug face pissed me off. So… I might have gotten a little rough with him.”

You sighed again. Typical of an Orc to start the physical fight. Pulling out a needle and medical thread, you cleaned them, nodding as your boyfriend went on, “and then this little bastard pulls out a knife and just slashed me open!”

Your head whipped around to look at your partner, “what the fuck?!” you set the needle and thread down on your bedside table. “You’re not hurt anywhere else, are you? Oh my God, why did they even let that guy in with a weapon!?” You surveyed your Orcs topless body, searching his green skin for any kind of graze or cut.

“Something about it being for Goblin arts practice.” Your boyfriend grunted, annoyed. “Anyway, he’s then restrained by some of the staff, the police are called and there was also an ambulance.”

“Why didn’t you let the paramedics stitch you up?!” You asked, aghast. “Why would you refuse it and come back here!?”

Meeting your boyfriends gaze, he gives you a sheepish look. “… Because you used to sew up my cuts when I was a cage fighter?”

“That was only on the fly!” You snapped, “I’m not a medical professional, I could have really hurt you doing that!”

He scoffed, “we all could have gotten really hurt doing that. It was underground and illegal for all of us to be there.”

You rolled your eyes and picked up the needle and thread again. You set to work sewing up your boyfriends wound, “that was a very, very long time ago. I don’t know if I’m still any good at this.”

“I trust you.” The Orc said, smiling. “You were always gentle with me whenever I’d come out of the ring.”

You couldn’t hold back your smile, “I was only gentle with you because I liked you.”

Back then, it was difficult to find any kind of joy. You were in a lot of trouble with loan sharks and had to do something to pay them back.

You’d been kicked out medical school, were drowning in their debt… but there’s no reason as to why you couldn’t put to use the little skills you’d learnt.

So you started helping illegal cage fighters with their injuries. They paid well and everyone had a don’t ask, don’t tell policy. Although half of your pay check got taken back by the loan sharks, the fighters you did heal would give you tips of 100 coins, sometimes up to 1000, depending on how they were feeling, so that helped a great deal.

Your boyfriend, known as ‘Big Money’ for his green skin and huge muscular body, was the top fighter there. If you were smart, you betted on ‘Big Money.’ It’s in the name isn’t it? You want to win? You bet big.

Every time you took care of him, he always took you out to dinner as thanks. And eventually, he was taking you out just because, and before long, you were dating.

Everyone knew you as ‘Big Money’s girlfriend’ and rarely gave you any slack… apart from the occasional too big for his boots fighter who snarked you or shoved you away when you tried to tend to his injuries.

When that happened, everyone would treat said fighter like he was a bomb about to go off; no one wanted to be near him, or associated with him And who would? If Big Money was going to get you for disrespecting his girl, you would stay clear too.

A cold shot went through you, “you don’t think that Goblin knew who you were, do you?” you asked.

Your Boyfriend stiffened at the question. He was quiet for a little longer than you’d have liked, but he answered you. “I’m not sure. I didn’t recognise him when I saw him, he might have just been a spectator.”

“Either way… it’s still a concern.”

Your boyfriend was in a similar situation to you too, but the difference was that he was hundreds more in debt than you were. Which is why he was put in the ring. Partly as a punishment, partly as a way to earn back all the money he’d lost.

The pair of you wanted to escape that place. Not because you didn’t want to pay off your debts, but because of the barbarity of the environment.

Every time you saw your Orc coming out of the ring, he just looked worse and worse. Black eyes, shattered orbital bones, fractured fingers and toes, tendon snapping and a whole list of other, much gorier things were what made you both realise you wanted out.

With each time you had to fix up his injuries, your hands became even more unsteady.

The event organisers had no clue of your relationship with their ‘Big Money’ and often berated you, threatening to raise your interest if you couldn’t do your job properly.

“We need to leave.” Your Orc had urged you after a particularly bad fight. Both his eyes were swollen and he had stitches sewn into his bottom lip. He paced up and down your cramped bedroom, “this is getting bad, like, too bad. Who knows what they’ll do if-”

“Just stop saying things like that!” You had said, grasping the sides of your head. “I don’t think I can cope with talking about that kind of thing, if they find out we’re thinking about running, they’ll kill us!”

“No, they won’t.” Your Orc had said, firmly. “They won’t. I won’t let them lay a finger on us.”

He had bent down to you, squeezed your hands reassuringly. “I can do this, get us out of there, but you have to trust me okay? I know a guy, who knows a guy. They can get us out and we won’t have to worry about the debt again.”

When you began to shake your head, your boyfriends puffy eyes meets yours. “Please, (Y/N), trust me on this, they’ll believe we’re dead and gone, they won’t come looking for us!”

The final straw came when your Orc was knocked unconscious for two hours. They’d had him in fight after fight, breaks of ten seconds all but before he had to get back in the cage and fight on.

You had to fight back tears as you shakily stitched up a split eyebrow and tried to keep your cool from going off on the event organiser, who sat behind you and counted bills, feet up on the table in his ironed clean suit, paid for in blood money.

And when your boyfriends stitches had failed to hold together and he went down and out… the blame fell to you.

That was it.

You knew you both had to leave.

Your Orc had woken up with no apparent brain injuries and as soon as you were both able to speak again, you told him, “that guy who knows a guy, how much money does he want from us and how soon can he get us out of here?”

From that point it was simple: a fire would be started, people would have to clear and escape the premises, and that’s when the two of you would run.

You remember what it was like, preparing for it. You had to get your blood drawn every two weeks, not a lot, but just enough for people to know that something had happened to you during the confusion.

Your boyfriend did the same thing. He got all of his – limited payments, just enough for him to eat off of – in cash, so he saved and saved for weeks, you did too.

And the moment that fire broke out, you’d never felt such relief.

The pair of you took off in the crowd and the guy, who knew a guy, spilled the blood you had drawn in those earlier weeks.

You’d both gotten into an unmarked van, before being dropped off in a city where nobody knew your names, your past or what you’d had to do to become free.

Once the adrenaline of getting caught had worn off, the pair of you had celebrated with buying a new flat and staring new careers.

You got into alternative medicine, and now healed people through those means, while your boyfriend became a fitness trainer.

And overall, everything seemed to be going well… until today that was.

The guy your boyfriend knew, had said that you had to avoid being photographed, filmed and having any kind of digital trace if you wanted to avoid being found.

You had completely forgotten about that part. Life had been so good that your past had felt like a nightmare.

But if your anxiety was correct, it seemed like you would need to pack up, go on the run again. Or find a way to get that footage off of the Goblin and delete it… and that’s assuming that he hadn’t already put it on social media or sent it to the event organisers, if he was connected to them.

“Hey,” your Orcs soft voice broke you out of your trace state. You tied off the stitches as he put the knuckle of his finger under your chin and forced you to look at him.

“Whatever happens, we’re going to be alright.” He said, firmly. “No one is going to try and hurt us. I’ll get in contact with my guy, and we’ll see what he can do. Who knows? That little bastard might have just been running a fitness page or something. Since he had a knife, he might just do this sort of thing a lot and expects to get into fights.”

You smiled, grateful for his reassurance. “Yeah.”

Sometimes, occams’ razor is the way to keep your head above water. You still made a mental note to pack a duffle bag full of valuables to make sure that you could both shoot off if you needed to.

But you trusted that your Orc Boyfriend would keep you safe. He’d done so all this time, so what would stop him now?

Hi! Thank you so much for reading my story! If you like this kind of content, you should check out my Patreon! There, I post stories twice a week and earlier than I post on Tumblr. I also post exclusive stories there too where you won’t be able to find anywhere else.

If you’re not sure about signing up, I have a 7 day free trial enabled on my lowest tier so you can see if you like my work written there!

Taglist <3

@sunndust @greenie-c

[lizardho]

For Father’s Day, I want to share one of my favorite memories of my dad:

My dad is a prolific snuggler. He LOVES snuggling. And because I was a tiny energetic ADHD child I was extremely difficult to snuggle. It was also a challenge to get me to go to sleep at all, and because I was like 4 I needed to nap at least once every day to not turn into a manic distructo-goblin tornado.

My mom had learned how to outsmart me - she knew if she could trick me into sitting still for like 5 minutes I’d just fall asleep, like a shark asphyxiating without movement. It worked sometimes but sometimes it was still a struggle. My dad’s technique was then used if mom’s strategic outmaneuvering of a 4-year-old failed to keep me sitting still for the requisite 300 seconds needed for my tiny body (acting as-if propelled by a motor) to shut down.

My dad’s technique was great because I was a TOTAL daddy’s girl so I would basically agree to do anything he asked. And his strategy was to come up to me around nap time and tell me that he was SO tired and that he just couldn’t sleep without snuggles and that all he needed was a few minutes of snuggles and he’d be able to fall asleep and I could go back to playing and kicking stuff and scrabbling all over the walls like a bug on amphetamines.

Of course, my dad, who liked sleeping about as much as he likes being dunked in acid, was actually tricking me. He would lie down next to me, put an arm around me, slow his breathing down, and eventually I would just kinda doze off and he would sneakily get up and go do something around the house.

Because I was such a sucker for my dad’s pleas for help I was fully incapable of using logic or recognizing patterns and always agreed to help him sleep and never realized this trick. I, in fact, only learned about this a few years ago when I was working with my mom on a Christmas puzzle and started getting sleepy and she laughed and said this is how she got me to nap when I was a kid. I was hit with a tidal wave of memories of falling asleep mid-puzzle and waking up in bed while she and my dad talked about their different strategies and I realized that my dad’s technique for getting me to nap STILL worked and my parents STILL sometimes did that when I was visiting on the weekends and seemed tired. I was like 25. To be honest even now that I know how it works it still works, and now that my beautiful wife @cintailed knows about this trick she has also successfully gotten me to nap on days where I’m exhausted from work but trying to “push through” for some reason.

@optimisticdad-blog you’re an awesome dad and your dad snuggles (or duggles) will always be a source of joy and comfort for me. I love you SO so much and hope you have a great Father’s Day!

[just-some-user-hunny]

The Cannibal dragon headcanons ...

(art credit for middle image, ig: dracalyss)

. Cannibal is a huge dragon, the largest of all wild-dragons, but I can't see him being any larger than Vhagar- let alone Balerian the black dread. I imagine he'd be a tad bit smaller than Vhagar- just about. His build is bulky and scarred, a thick neck of scarred obsidian scales, a set of jagged jet-black spikes that run along his spine, and covered in thick taut muscle and hardened flesh. His eyes are a blazing emerald green, teeth sharp and jagged like a shark.

. I also love the idea of him having this 'grinning' look on his face, like a crocodile or the indoraptor from Jurassic world. (His personality screams indoraptor to me, just a mean guy with a nasty lil goblin grin). And with his torn jaw and exposed teeth, it makes him look even creepier and menacing. There's something way too...human about it. Expressive in both his grin and mannerisms.

He's definitely a stare-er too. Something about a monstrously big dragon being unnervingly quiet and observing is uncomfortable, which is exactly the vibes he gives off.

. I like to visualize him as a very 'wild' looking dragon, like how'd you imagine a stray feral cat. His scales are rough and weather-worn, covered in large claw-like scars from fighting and hunting other dragons throughout his life. There's also fanart of him missing a huge chunk of flesh around his jaw and mouth, baring his teeth, which I think looks really cool :) as a young dragon he probably picked off the small and easy dragons, ones that wouldn't put up much of a fight. But as he grew in age and size, he would probably grow cocky and try his luck with larger prey. Due to him being an absolute monster, I'd imagine he'd often come up on top- but not without earning a few disfiguring scars in return.

. Despite never being bonded to a rider before, nor being ridden before in his life (he'd scoff at the mere thought of some little measly human thinking that they could climb upon his back and treat him like a pony), once he bonded with you it was like an instant connection. He is still a little edgy and unpredictable, but there is one thing for certain and that is he is always as gentle as possible with you. He'll press his body into the dirt if it allows you to climb on and off safely, craning his claws and jaw for you to step upon.

. He wouldn't wear a saddle, so you'd have to learn to ride him bareback. Thankfully he has many jagged scales and spikes to cling onto, but to be on the safe side, you'd have special riding gear to wear to help cling on. Rougher gloves and boots and trousers, it certainly helps, even if it's just a little. If anything the fact you ride bareback is a testament of your bond, showing how close and in sync you both are.

. The biggest issue with him would be his... diet, and how he'd have to adapt once he begins to hang around dragonstone more often. I'd imagine he wouldn't eat much, adding to the unpredictability of him and when he would hunt, but as his rider you'd have to supply him at least livestock every week to keep him happy and saturated. Cows, horses, large livestock due to his sheer size.

. He flies quite similar to Vhagar. His form is heavy, and although strong, he is lumbering.

Although at his age now he'd be a rather ancient dragon, he wouldn't really show his age besides a few moments where he just wants to curl up in his little cave upon his ✨private island ✨ to take a nap. In his youth he was most likely a very quick dragon, like a stalking panther striking upon his food. (Being younger dragons and hatchlings). I've seen someone write about him being a silent hunter (I'll reblog and credit once I find them), but that's such a neat idea for his character! He's survived from hunting his own kind, so he's going to hunt differently. Smarter.

. His fire in the books is described as green, and that's just too cool to swap it out with normal fire. Blazing emerald flames that engulf earth and prey, unnatural and mystical. It'd be very distinctive as well, whoever finds their fields or flocks of trees burning and crackling in a blaze of green fire, they'd know that the cannibal had just been there.

. Personality wise, I feel like he'd be cruel and sadistic, but wise and grumpy. Probably cocky as well, for having survived on his for so long and through unconventional means.

He's not a hardheaded bully, he's very tactical when it comes to facing challenges, but at this point he's such a huge threat he may be blinded by his own ego and emotions. If something were to happen to his rider, he'd make sure you'd get avenged. He's ride or die, quite literally. He'll burn everything down for you, because he feels strongly for the one human he feels he can trust. His grief is not silent or tearful, it's angry.

[gremlinmodetweeker]

Moonlight Thought Meander Through My Mind

Okay so, I will probably write a bit of smut to accompany this post and put it on my KoFi (will let you guys know if I do), but this is mainly just a post to explain where giant squid mer!König's thought are on taking reader as his mate. If you'd read the previous part, you'll probably want to shake him after this. Man is so oblivious I want to kill him. Either way, enjoy a story written from König's perspective for once! Hope you all enjoy!

Tws: minor allusions to sexual acts,

Wordcount: 1.8K

Art from This Post

Rest of the Story Below the Cut

Moonlight Thought Meander Through My Mind

Ever since you’d given König his massage, he’d been reluctant to let you get too close to him. In fact, he’d gone so far as to relegate you to sleeping in the clam shell in his den. He wouldn’t even let you play with his lower arms and braid them together.

It was starting to frustrate you. Sometimes you found yourself feeling guilty about what happened. He had been so sweet to you, but now he was almost avoiding you. You had only wanted to try and encourage him to see you as something more than a guest but it had blown up in your face. A part of you was furious with yourself for rushing things too quickly. König was a mer that needed time, patience, and understanding. He needed to be coaxed from his shell before you could snatch him up. You, however, had just tried to crack open his shell.

So thus, when you patrolled König’s territory you kept to yourself despite König’s encouragement to come into his arms. When he shared meals, you were careful to not accidentally touch his lower arms and give him space. You were painfully careful to avoid encroaching on his space.

Meanwhile, while you were careful to be mindful of König’s boundaries, König had been progressively more frustrated with the current situation.

König watched you as you curled into your clam shell, snuggling in as cozy as possible. He gently stroked a lower arm over your face, then pulled it back to his side.

He cursed himself for his stupidity. You’d made it perfectly clear that you wanted space, and here he was going against everything you’d asked for. What had changed?

Well, he knew what changed. Ever since you’d massaged him and he’d accidentally exposed himself to you, you’d been behaving differently. He didn’t blame you. He’d only promised to take you in as a guest of his home, not a mate. And yet, though he’d promised you safety in his home, he’d lately had other thoughts occupy his mind. Nagging thoughts. Dark thoughts.

König was a giant squid mer. He was large, especially so for his own kind. Mostly this worked to his favour. Other mer were frightened off by his sheer size, with even some larger shark merfolk being wary of upsetting him. The few that dared to come to his territory included an oarfish mermaid in the southern corner and a few goblin shark mer that travelled together in the east. There were a few others that he shared his territory with, but not a single cephalopod merfolk dared to try and fight for his land. He’d made himself known amongst his kind for his sheer brutality in how he dispatched competitors. Being so large and so powerful led to him being feared by most who knew him. And up until this point, his size had only served him well.

Size did not help when dealing with something so small. You weren’t delicate, not by any means, but he still found himself in wonder at your size. He knew your species was small, but this small? It was almost unheard of. He’d never even met another dumbo octopus merfolk before. However, after a few discussions with you, it was clear that you were actually on the large size for your species. He couldn’t help but laugh at the thought. If you were large, what was the rest of your kind like? Unthinkable.

He chuckled at the thought.

König looked down to see a spider crab slowly crossing across the sea bed. Normally, he would’ve been quick to lunge down and grab it, but his thoughts were occupied.

Namely, by guilt.

You’d been the perfect guest. He hadn’t expected such a cuddly octopus to take up so much of his heart and yet you took it in your hands and squeezed tight. Painfully so, even. He hated what he’d done to you.

Sure, he fed you well and he ensured your safety, but he still couldn’t get over how he’d frightened you. You’d been so sweet, so kind by massaging his muscles after that hunt. He’d tried to stay in control, but the way your hands had moved over body was still so fresh in his mind that he felt like he could still feel your hands running over his skin. He shivered at the thought. He longed to feel them again, but then he’d scared you off and humiliated himself in one fell swoop.

König knew he was aroused when you were massaging him. However, he didn’t think he’d gone so far as to actually go that far. He remembered how shocked, horrified your face had been. And why wouldn’t you be?

You came into his home on the promise of safety and food. You’d been so nervous when you asked if he’d force you to be his mate, and though his heart screamed at him to say ‘yes’, he’d restrained himself for your sake. König was a monster of the depths, but he wouldn’t force a mermaid into a relationship she didn’t want. He’d known so many merfolk to do that to their partners and it absolutely sickened him. He could never do that to you, so small and precious in his eyes.

The way you looked so happy when he’d invited you to his nest still glowed brightly in his mind. The memory gave him a warm feeling unbefitting the cold of the water. He couldn’t get over how beautiful you were.

König narrowly dodged a large rock protruding from the sea floor. He shook his head and sighed. He was being careless. The entire reason he’d gone on this day patrol was to try and clear his head, and yet he was only being lost in thought. 

He felt more helpless than before. 

When he thought of you, his mind went blank and a smile lazily draped across his face. He felt like a stupid lovestruck fool. Unfortunately, he was in love with a little octopus who seemed more and more afraid of him with each passing day.

What was he supposed to do? He didn’t want to trap you with him, and yet that’s how he felt. It was as though you felt like you didn’t have another choice, and he didn’t blame you for that. How could he? He knew full well how small and weak you were in these waters. Maybe if you were deeper, you would be safe. He heard that the deeper you got the easier prey became. He probably would’ve gone deeper if it weren’t so cold. You could handle that cold, easily, but not him. He wasn’t built for those depths.

The thought of you slipping away into the depths shook him to the core. He didn’t want to let you go. He didn’t know if you knew about it, but there were a few sinkholes to the depths in his territory. If you wanted to leave, you wouldn’t have to go far. And if you did, it was only right.

König just wished it could have been different. For the first time in his life, he wished he was smaller. He wanted to take you into his arms and squeeze tight without being afraid of hurting you. He felt like you were too small for him. He’d destroy you if he wasn’t careful.

Most of all, if he wanted to keep you as his mate, he’d want to breed with you. How he longed to be able to breed you. But, that wasn’t meant to be. If he tried to breed with something as small as you, he was worried he might break you. Your body was not designed to accommodate a giant squid merfolk. You were designed for loving and sweet touches, not toothed suckers on giant arms. Your lower arms were lined with soft little tendrils on the side of each sucker while his were designed to dig into flesh and tear. He was a creature of nightmares, while you were the cutest little creature in the deep.

König wasn’t surprised you were scared of him. You’d probably seen his tip and figured that he was about to try and force himself on you. He’d never do such a thing, but the fear in your eyes didn’t lie. He could see you thinking about it, thinking about how he would tear you in two if he tried to take you. König was much too large for you. Hell, he didn’t know if he could even fit all his eggs inside you. He was worried you might just burst.

The thought of taking you passed through his mind. How would it feel to tangle his tentacles with yours and hold you close? What if you were excited by his size? What if… What if you wanted him as much as he wanted you?

He shook the thought from his head. You were a smart little thing. You had to be to make it this far. A little dumbo octopus would never bother trying to make a giant squid its mate. You were probably horrified by the thought. He could not be your mate, no matter how much he wanted you to be.

König would be alone. The one mermaid that had come into his life was an unobtainable fantasy. It was almost cruel. His one chance at true companionship was too small and frightened of him to think of him as a potential mate. 

The entrance of your den grew nearer and nearer. Had he really already finished his patrol? His thoughts were still scrambled. Or at least, his feelings were. He knew it was safer to keep you at a distance, and yet he longed for closeness.

He dipped through the rocks and through the small doorway. Small fish flitted through his fingers, a couple stopping to nip at some dead skin. He watched the silver flashes of their scales in the soft lights. A hermit crab pinched lightly at the tips of his arms and he gently swatted it away. The little things never learned to keep their claws to themselves.

His shadow followed him as he crawled back into his den. You were still sleeping softly in your shell, peaceful as ever. How he wished to keep you like that eternally. To see your smile was the brightest part of his day. If he could make you smile at least once a day for the rest of your life, he’d be content with his life.

But he couldn’t do that for you. You needed to find an appropriate mate, one more suited to you. You didn’t need a giant squid mer forcing you into a relationship. He didn’t want to guilt you into being his mate. You needed to find a mate you loved on your own.

He just wanted you to find a way to be happy. It was a shame he couldn’t be that for you.

Konig Dump

Konig Alternate Universes

MerKonig Page

[dailyadventureprompts]

Hello Dapper. I don’t really expect too much about this, but do you have any ideas for Wargs? They have an interesting relationship with goblins and are weird in that they’re essentially sapient wolf monsters, but I don’t think they’re ever really used that creatively.

Monsters Reimagined: Wargs, wolf panics, and the Economics of Lupophobia

While the surface level answer is pretty simple (warg is a conversion of varger, an old Norse way to refer to mythological wolves like Fenrir) there's actually a surprising amount of material to drill into here on the topic of sapient wolf monsters, especially for someone like me who has a interest in moral panics and mass hysteria events. Wolves were effectively a boogyman for pre-industrial societies, a deep seated generational fear that we only recognize today through cultural relics like the big bad wolf or boy who cried wolf.

TLDR: If you want to do something interesting with wargs beyond just "wolves that talk" I'd advise playing to their folk / fairytale roots. They're creatures of embodied dread, drawn from the stuff of the feywild to sow fear among those who would travel off the path or too close to the wilderness. This lets you tell interesting stories about how the party/major characters respond to fear: Does fear of being attacked in the dark drive the party to make risky decisions that might endanger their quest? How do the villagers react when the wolves are very literally at the door, demanding just one of their neighbours as a meal in exchange for safety?

I'd also advise getting weirder with a warg's powers, playing into that fear of the unknown by doing unexpected things. The party can fight off a pack of wolves, sure, but what does it mean when the lead wolf rips off the bard's shadow and takes off into the night?

Background: If you want a window into the headspace of wolf-panic, think about the neigh omnipresent fear of sharks created by the Jaws franchise. Children who have never seen the movie, let alone seen a shark in person can become irrationally afraid of getting into deep water because they've absorbed the pervasive cultural phobia, which goes onto shape environmental policy as sharks are overhunted or killed out of spite for their perceived threat.

So it was for wolves, even after they were largely hunted to near extinction by medieval and postmedieval societies, the fear of them was so ingrained into cultural traditions that wolf and werewolf panics were a thing that went hand in hand with witchtrails. France had a country wide one as late as the 1760s and the movie based on it ended up inspiring Bloodborne. Alternatively look at the anti-wolf efforts during the colonization of the Americas, right up to the opposition to reintroducing wolves back to Yellowstone park.

On that note (and because we can't have a Monsters Reimagined without some kind of class analysis), lets talk about how these fears are propagated: On many levels it makes sense for everyday people to be afraid of wolves, they're a hunting species that can absolutely pose a danger to us, and when you're living or travelling outside the protection of a settlement you really are vulnerable to a coordinated pack of carnivores running you down.

However, the primary threat that wolves pose to humans isn't predation, it's property damage, specifically in how they kill livestock. While we can talk about individual farmsteads beset by beasts, in reality the herds that wolves were most likely to prey upon belonged to the landowning classes, powerful people who had a profit incentive in seeing wolves driven off or exterminated. This is where you get bounties on dead wolves, not just paying for the value of the hide but actively rewarding people for going out and killing as many wolves as possible to the point of it becoming a profession. This practice has existed for MILLENIA and is still active today, primarily in places where big agriculture influences governments.

It seems incidental at first but then you realize that it fits the model of just about every other kind of cultural panic: widespread ignorance and fear that just so happens to mobilize the populace in a way that financially benefits a select few. You can see the same thing happening today in england with badgers of all things, which have been identified with the local dairy industry as a threat to their herds. This is not only led them to petition the government to cull the badger population, but to put out anti-badger propaganda, eventually turning it into a culture war issure to the point where conservative mouthpieces like Jeremy Clarkson openly encourages killing and gassing badgers on sight.

Returning to the land of fantasy for now: I think it's worth taking the idea of the warg and mixing it with a few other "black dog" cultural archetypes, which can also include the creatures like the shuck or church grimm. In this instance the warg is a sort of curse made manifest, the fear of a haunted place given literal teeth. People who transgress into these forbidden spaces find themselves pursued by a manifestation that dogs them till they're exhausted and vulnerable, much like a wolf harrying its prey.

The bhargest is also of special interest here, considering how I like to relate goblins back to the feywild. You could easily see bhargests as agents of fey that feed on human fear, leading a pack of goblins or hobs that occupy the desolate lands they've called to haunt. My version of Maglubiyet would also delight in employing such creatures as his emissaries.

Going back to the vargr/ Norse mythology angle, it's interesting that most of the wolves that show up are destined to devour something, whether it be a god or celestial certanty like the moon and sun. It's like the concept of an inevitable chase is so fundimental to what a wolf IS that it became a theme of ragnarok's inevitable certantly. Consider having certan packs of wargs be offspring of some fenrir style god eater, beasts of forboding doom who's mere presence is an omen of ill times.

Alternatively, if you wanted to play on the big bad wolf angle, give wargs the ability to take on flimsy human disguises, all the better to get close to their pray and sow fear among the townsfolk. Historical wolf panics after all are not all that different than serial killer panics, and it'd be a fun twist on a traditional werewolf adventure to have the party on a creature that didn't play by the usual lycanthropic rules.

Artsource

[vampirevatican]

saying the sharks actual names? or trying to learn the pronunciation of them?

personally, ik id have the doctor's name down pat without really trying and same goes for the rest if i hear it just once, but let's go a little indepth huh?

tiggy loves hearing you say his name, unless you're scolding him. true he loves his nickname but you saying his actual name is enough to make him swoon sometimes. he actually does train you on saying it, by sitting face to face and repeating after each other and he gives you a kiss for every part you get right and a love bite when you have it fully.

gw likes when you say his name but also scoffs at it, because as nice as it sounds on your lips it's always chiding him or getting him to stop in his tracks. though he'd laugh his ass off at you trying to say it and failing the first few times. gets kinda pissy when you nickname him car, like "great another dumbass name 🙄😒"

lee will offer teaching you everyone's name but you getting his? will definitely make him blush and make him very excited. he looks at you in awe and a bit of shock bc he assumed humans didn't say those names and he's even more surprised that we do but mainly in science. cue him getting a bunch of science text books, scrolls maybe.

rhin is honored, flustered and requests for you to just say rhin. which you do, but whenever you need him to hear you out and he's stubborn saying his actual name helps a lot. especially when he's lost his cool a bit when dealing with gw.

don is surprised and finds it very cute but prefers just don... unless you make a new nickname out of megalodon that isn't meg. like lolo. and at that she's enamored. only her favorite human can call her that.. and maybe cookie, but no one else!

dr. mitsukurina is disgusted but! knowing his full name. 'mitsukurina owstoni' is enough to make him wretch and feel a shiver up his spine with how you regard him. me personally, "dr. owstoni" said so calmly, coldly and quickly is enough to make this cowardly bastard regard the human turned ruler with an air of caution. again personal but analyst recognizes analyst and there will always be a subtle violent tension in the air between me and this fuckass goblin shark.

[solxamber]

Hi! I want to request a platonic Sam and student reader who works at the mystery shop part time. Reader is shy and quiet, and spends most of their shift restocking shelves and checking inventory in the back. Sam has to step away from the counter for a moment and leaves reader to take his place. A group of students who are known for causing trouble comes in, they've been caught by Sam for trying to shoplift before, and when reader calls them out for trying to steal again, they start trying to fight reader. Sam pops up behind them after getting alerted by his friends on the other side and you can decide how he handles them. After all that, Sam offers reader a hug with a reminder they've got Sam on their side. Thank you if you write this one!

Platonic! Sam x Reader

I haven't ever written anything full length for him, it was fun!

Working part-time at Sam’s Mystery Shop is usually quiet. You prefer it that way. The backroom, with its musty scent of herbs and candles, is your safe haven, where you spend most of your shifts counting inventory or restocking the shelves. Sam doesn’t mind; in fact, he seems to appreciate your detail-oriented nature, saying it keeps things running smooth as silk. He handles the customers, and you make sure the shop stays well-stocked and organized.

Today seems no different—until Sam’s voice drifts into the back.

“Hey, kiddo!” Sam pokes his head into the stockroom. His ever-present grin is wide, showing a row of perfect teeth. “I’ve got to step out front for just a sec. Mind keeping an eye on the counter?”

Your heart skips. “Uh, I—"

“You’ve got this! Just for a minute. I’ll be back before you know it.” With a wink, Sam disappears before you can protest.

You take a deep breath, slowly making your way to the counter. No big deal, right? Just ring up anything if someone comes in. Easy. You stand awkwardly behind the register, shifting your weight from foot to foot. Hopefully, no one will come in while Sam is away.

Naturally, that hope shatters about thirty seconds later when the door jingles.

A group of students strolls inside, and your stomach twists. They’re the kind of students who bring nothing but trouble—loud, cocky, and notorious for trying to shoplift from the store. You recognize them immediately. Sam had kicked them out once before, and now they’re back, grinning like they own the place.

The tallest one snickers when he notices you at the counter. “Well, well, well. Look who’s on duty today.”

They split up, spreading through the store like sharks circling prey. One heads toward the potions shelf, another fingers through the trinkets near the front. Your throat tightens as you watch them drift toward the things Sam usually keeps a sharp eye on—things small enough to slip into a pocket.

“Need help?” you ask, voice wavering.

“Nah, we’re just browsing.” The one at the front offers a grin too wide to be innocent.

You grip the counter, forcing yourself to stand straighter. When you glance toward the potion shelves again, you spot one of them slipping a small vial into his jacket.

“Put that back,” you say, more firmly than you thought you could manage.

The student freezes, caught mid-act. His grin slips, replaced by a sneer. “What’d you say?”

You meet his gaze, your heart hammering. “I said, put it back.”

The other two immediately close in, flanking their friend. “Who do you think you are, huh? Sam’s little stockroom goblin?”

You swallow hard but hold your ground, though your palms are damp with sweat. “I know you tried to steal before. Don’t think I won’t—”

Before you can finish, one of them takes a threatening step forward. “Or what? You gonna rat us out?”

Your pulse skyrockets, and your mind scrambles for a response. Maybe calling them out wasn’t the best idea, but it’s too late to back down now. You glance toward the door, hoping to see Sam’s familiar grin, but there’s no sign of him.

Just as the tallest one steps closer, looming over you with a malicious smirk, the temperature in the room seems to shift. The air grows heavier, colder—and suddenly, you feel the presence of someone behind the group.

“You boys lookin’ for trouble?”

The voice is low, smooth, and far too cheerful for comfort. All three students stiffen. They turn slowly to find Sam standing directly behind them, his wide grin stretching even further. But this time, there’s a sharpness in his eyes that wasn’t there before.

“I’ve got friends who keep an eye on things for me,” Sam says, his smile never wavering. “They told me something mighty interestin’ was happenin’ in my shop.”

The students exchange nervous glances. The tension in the room is palpable, like a taut string ready to snap.

“Now,” Sam continues, clasping his hands together, “we’ve had this talk before, haven’t we? About what happens when folks try to take what doesn’t belong to them?”

One of the boys stammers, “W-We were just—”

“Just about to leave, weren’t you?” Sam finishes smoothly. He steps aside, gesturing toward the door with a flourish. “Go on now. And don’t let me catch you tryin’ anything funny again. Or else...”

He doesn’t finish the sentence, but the gleam in his eyes is enough to send them scrambling toward the exit. The door jingles as they rush out, not daring to look back.

Once they’re gone, the atmosphere in the shop shifts back to normal, the chill lifting as quickly as it had arrived.

You exhale a shaky breath, the adrenaline leaving you feeling light-headed.

“Not bad, kid,” Sam says, coming to stand beside you. His smile this time is softer, warm with approval. “You handled that better than most.”

“I—I didn’t really do much,” you mumble, rubbing the back of your neck. “They were about to—”

Sam cuts you off with a laugh, clapping a hand on your shoulder. “But they didn’t. And that’s what matters, right?”

You manage a small nod, still feeling the lingering tension in your limbs.

Sam tilts his head, studying you for a moment. “C’mere,” he says suddenly, pulling you into a quick but firm hug. His arms are strong, and there’s a sense of safety in the gesture that catches you off guard.

You freeze for a moment, then slowly relax into the embrace.

“You’ve got me on your side, you know,” Sam says quietly, patting your back. “Ain’t nobody gonna mess with you when I’m around. And even if I’m not, you’ve still got what it takes to handle ‘em.”

The words are reassuring, and the warmth of his hug helps ease the knots in your chest.

When he pulls back, he gives you a wink. “Now, how ‘bout you head back to the stockroom, huh? I’ll handle the front from here.”

You nod, a small, genuine smile tugging at your lips for the first time that shift.

“Thanks, Sam,” you say softly.

He grins, giving you a playful nudge. “Anytime, kiddo. Now, get back to your shelves before I have to do your job for ya!”

With a light heart and a newfound sense of confidence, you slip back into the stockroom, feeling just a little less shy than before.

And as you reorganize the shelves, the comforting thought lingers: you’re part of this strange, wonderful place—and you’ve got Sam on your side.

Masterlist

[woso-dreamzzz]

Sharks IV

Meadema x Child!Reader

Summary: You go to Netherlands Camp

"Okay," Mummy says," You be good, okay?"

She adjusts your shark backpack on your back, closing her eyes briefly when she hands you your Goblin and Cookie Cutter. She smiles at you, running a hand over your cheek.

"Are you sure you want to go with Mama? You won't see Peanut if you go with Mama."

You think for a moment. Lucy and Keira's Peanut is your friend and you rarely see her because she lives in Spain with her mummies now. You haven't seen her at camp either because Mummy's had her big knee ouchy and hasn't gone.

But Mama said that you were welcome to come with her to the Netherlands camp so that's what you're doing.

"Can see Peanut later," You tell Mummy and she brushes your hair out of your face and kneels down to lace up your shoes.

"Okay," She says," Do everything Mama tells you. Be nice. Use your manners. We'll have a chat every night before you go to bed. Sound good?"

You nod.

"Hey...I love you."

"Love you too, Mummy!" You give her a nice tight hug before you join Mama at the taxi.

The flight from London to the Netherlands is fairly short and you have to get into another taxi to take you to the training grounds.

You stay in Mama's arms the entire way to your new room but still manage to wave at the social media people when they film you and Mama's arrival.

Netherlands Camp isn't too different to England Camp except Peanut isn't here. That's nice though. Sometimes Peanut is a bit too loud and excitable for you even though she's your bestest friend.

You sit with Mama in her room and play with your sharks. You weren't allowed to bring all of them with you (which is sad because you think a few of them will be lonely all at home by themselves) but you got your most favourite.

Goblin and Cookie Cutter sit up by your pillows as you take your little plastic figures on a trip around Mama's bed.

"It's a...a..." You think for a moment. "An ecosystem!"

"That's a big word," Mama says.

"It's a group of animals working together so they can all live in the same place," You explain as you make your clownfish hide in the sheets to escape one of your sharks.

"You're very smart," Mama replies and your face goes a little red at the praise.

It stays that way until there's a knock at the door. Mama gets up to open it and you distract yourself by making your swordfish eat your squid.

"Well," A familiar voice says," It's nice to see somethings never change."

You whip your head around and drop your toys. "Daan!" You run into her outstretched arms. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too!" Daan says, swinging you up and spinning around.

You giggle hysterically. "Mama! Look! It's Daan!"

Mama's got a bit of a weird look on her face but she puts on a smile for you and nods. "I can see that."

"Daan! Daan! Look! My sharks!" You pull Daan over to the bed to show her all the new toys you've got since she's been away.

Viv watches as you do so, suddenly struck dumb at the familiarity you greet Daan. She knows (of course she does) that Beth and Daan used to date. She knows that you had some form of a relationship with Daan.

She just never really expected to see it.

You knew your way around Daan, sitting on her lap and explaining happily what was happening in your little ecosystem. You lean into her body and let her scratch at your scalp as you introduce her to your Goblin and Cookie Cutter.

"Mama got them for me!" You say to Daan and it jolts Viv out of her thoughts, a small smile appearing on her face as you turn to look back at her.

"Really?" Daan asks," That's so cool! I'm glad that you still like sharks." She pokes at your belly. "I remember the first shark I got you."

The smile drops from Viv's face. In all honesty, she hadn't ever thought about how you got interested in sharks in the first place. She hadn't ever wondered who got you your first shark toy.

But, somehow, it being Daan left a bad taste in her mouth.

Viv knows that she shouldn't feel that way but she can't help it, like how she can't help but feel a little anger bubble in her gut at the way you so easily fall back into Daan like she had never left.

The feeling persists throughout the day as you stick to Daan like glue, peering up at her with big eyes and a wide smile. You go everywhere with her and insist on eating with her at dinner.

When Viv gets you back, she can't help but hold your hand tight. She has you wave goodbye to Daan and, after your bedtime call with Beth, she sits on your bed with you.

"I missed Daan," You say as her fingers stroke through your hair.

The feeling is back in Viv's stomach as you continue to talk about Daan, about what you missed about her, about how she used to play sharks with you in the bath, about how she used to tuck you into bed and give you kisses on your cheek, forehead and nose before you went to sleep.

"You must have missed her a lot, huh?" Viv asks even though the question tastes sour in her mouth.

Her words make you furrow your brow, like you're stumped about what she said. After a few seconds, you speak," Only when I saw her. Don't really miss her when I can't see her." Your frown gets a bit deeper. "'Cause I've got you and Mummy and my sharks. I don't need Daan because I'm not so little anymore."

Viv smothers her vindictive smile as she kisses both of your cheeks and tucks your blankets up all the way to your chin. You move your toys towards her and Viv kisses your Cookie Cutter and then your Goblin.

When you wake up the next day and Mama finishes her Netherlands training, she takes you to the pool with Vic. It's empty apart from the three of you and Mama helps you change into your swimming costume.

"It's like a shark!" You say excitedly as Mama takes a pool float out of her bag. "It's a dorsal fin!" You turn to explain to Vic. "That's the big fin that sticks up like in movies."

You clap as Mama slips your arms through the straps and tightens them.

"I've got a fin!" You tell Vic, in case she hasn't realised as she slips into the pool.

"That's so cool," Vic says as Mama lowers you into her arms before getting in herself.

"Dorsal fins help the sharks not to roll over when they're swimming," You say because Mummy read that in your bedtime book with you before you left for Netherlands Camp," And they help sharks swim straight!"

"Well," Mama says," Let's hope that it does the same for you. Do you remember what we talked about?"

You think for a moment. "Hands like ice cream scoops! And...And kick my legs hard...and! And turn my head to breath!"

"Very good!" Mama praises," Now I'm going to swim behind you and Vic's going to be up front, okay?"

You nod. "Okay!"

You take a big deep breath and start paddling. You like swimming. Mummy takes you to the pool lots but only when you wear your armbands. Mama says that you're a bit too old for little kiddy armbands now so she was going to teach you the proper way.

You were happy to throw away your dolphin armbands because you don't really like dolphins anyway. You think they're a lot meaner than sharks so you had a little dance party with Mummy and Mama when they got thrown into the pin.

Your armbands being thrown away meant that you got your new shark fin floaty.

"Woo!" Vic cheers as you swim the long length with only a little stopping," Look at you!"

"Mama!" You turn in Vic's arms to look at Mama," Did you see? Did you see? I swam without my armbands!"

"You did!" Mama takes you from Vic. "You did so good! You'll have to keep practising though."

"I will!" You promise, giggling a little when Mama presses ticklish kisses to your cheeks. You turn to look at Vic as she paddles around you. "Mama and Mummy say that if I eat my vegetables and learn to swim really good then one day, when I'm older, I can swim with sharks!"

"That's a long way away," Mama reminds you," Now, how about we do a few more laps and then we can tell Mummy all about it on your bedtime call later?"

You beam. "Okay!"

[thecuntcakeweveallbeenwaitingfor]

AWWW LOOK AT THE LITTLE GUYYYYYYYYYY I HOPE YOU GET TO SEE HIM

hey man whats your favorite shark :3

BOY AM I GLAD YOU ASKED

my favorite shark is from the species requiem, and it is in the carcharhinidae family!! its called a black tip reef shark AND OMG DO I LOVE THEM SO MUCH (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و its honestly so hard to pick a favorite when it comes to sharks tho, considering just how many options there are and just how unique each and every one of them can be ヽ(´ー｀)ノ unfortunately they inhabit the outlying island waters of the U.S. so i wont be able to see one in person unless its in an aquarium (WHICH I HAVE MAJOR BEEF WITH AQUARIUMS DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED) but i hope one day i might be able to!!!! o( > U < )o

like omg look at this CUTIEEEEE (ﾉ> ◇ <)ﾉ

[melissa-titanium]

mp100 mh au. ekubo...

i imagine it would be . romanized would be goburinfuroggu and its localized name would be bufobolus <- devil + toad in latin, a reference to his strange visual appearance (frog/toadlike) and being an evil spirit, while also tying in to how deviljho looks (devil, diabolus, you know)

bofubolus is a fire-water element amphibian whos associated with the afterlife, the unruly spirits of those who have performed evil deeds during their life and are unable to pass on instead turn into bufobolus. they are known for their intelligence, often being compared to crows due to how often they use their smarts for mischievous deeds.

bofubolus have three stages of their fight. calm, enraged, and inflamed.

calm bofubolus are slow, a little clumsy with their movements. they hit infrequently but when they do, they hit HARD.

enraged bofubolus are faster and more calculated, not giving up the power in their attacks but letting them out much faster than when calm. they tend to utilize their powerful hind legs to push themself into the air, making use of their weight to crush opponents. the vents on their back open to regulate temperature(which increases when enraged), and become sensitive (new weak point.) their crest (which is meant to resemble a goblin shark) raises and hardens to further defend their now softened temperature regulators. its throat pouch puffs up due to all the hot air coming out of its mouth. a good portion of the appearance changes on an enraged bofubolus are simply threat displays.

inflamed bofubolus are violent, the vents across their body now releasing copper-infused fire, resulting in green flame. the inflamed state is characterized by its "kami beam," a supernova in which it releases bursts of flames in all directions then uses the last of its overheated state to sweep a beam of fire across the whole stage (think namielle becoming dried out after using her supernova)

i think . how ekubo himself exists in the mp100 mh au is like. a very old bofubolus that has found itself at the center of a cult's worship, relishing in the attention it receives and using its intelligence to make sure they dont ever lose interest (it doesnt want to be alone.) shige... like in canon is pulled aside by one of these cultists, finds ekubo, realizing the leader of the cult isnt a person, its a monster, and jsut says Fuck it. and kills it.

bcos of how intelligent bofubolus are he plays dead like a gypceros would and comes back later, very weakened. and then hes pretty much just like how ekubo is in canon. i don't like characterizing ekubo as anything less than a human so id like to clarify HE IS. A PERSON. HE IS SMART. in this instance, the legend of bofubolus being evil spirits of dead humans is actually real. like hes straight up a person in a monsters body. i think his "nonhuman" appearance is important to his character. so i dont like visually depicting him as a human LOL

[electricsqueels]

Cats having retractable claws? Peak design right there. Almost as cool as a goblin shark’s protrusible jaws! Then I got a brain worm that sounded like, “the GOAT would LOVE jaws like that!”

Extra: (I’d say no egos were hurt in the making of this comic, but I’d be lying)

Dialogue:

The Goat: “Sooooo… Pretty interesting how a cat’s claws are retractable.”

Narinder: “What about it? Jealous?”

The Goat: “HA! You wish! I’ve got something much better!”

Narinder: “Oh really?”

The Goat: “Yep!”

The Goat: “THESE!”

Narinder: “Knock it off. I’m not scared of you.”

The Goat: “YOU SHOULD BE!”

Narinder: “Why? You’re not scary- just annoying.”

[sharks-fandom-madness]

WAVES I LVOE SEA ANIMALS !

what sea animals do you think the eltingville club would like/be? (based off vibes or you can give reasoning.. i just like hearing about sea animals shh)

Ahhh that's the best question to ask me... thank you anon... I love you anon.... 🥹🫧🫧

Bill: Barracuda. I don't even need to explain it but he's a barracuda..

Pete: Goblin Shark or a Sand Tiger Shark- I remember seeing a small span of how the life of a Goblin Shark is, and the loneliness of it really reminds me of Pete.. sand tiger sharks do live in brighter areas but sand tiger sharks will eat each other within their mothers stomach. I wanna say that's a metaphor but idk how to explain it...

Josh: I was gonna be a little mean and say an Elephant Seal or a Sea Manatee but I love Josh too much to be mean.. he feels like a Bull Shark (I love sharks I'm sorry) because they're typically more bulky and more aggressive. Perfect rivalry with Bill 🥹

Jerry: he's definitely a Sea leopard or a Sea Lion. He's a mammal and he doesn't fit in with them, but he's a predator, so he still clicks, right?

Thank you for coming to my Ted talk 🥹🥹🫧🪸🐟🐠🪸

[mossygrovel]

Sighs. Ulysses having a "talk" with Fable.

"Do you see how every parent is with their child here? Do you see it? See the pattern?"

"They're no different than me."

"Bullshit. They are gentle with their children. They are kind and forgiving."

"Do you see how Kai is gentle with her son? How Wanda is gentle with her family? How much kindness they show?"

"As am I."

"No you're not. Look at how Icarus is with you! I don't think there's been a moment where he hasn't been disassociated in the time that you have been here."

"..."

"You have never been kind or caring to them. You've used them, hurt them. You're a bad person. And an even sadder, sorryier excuse of a father."

"What about-"

"I swear to the gods that remain if you say Rae and Enderian, I will shove my trident where the sun doesn't shine."

".."

"You're wife is in a tube, you've murdered 2 of your siblings, your child is self destructing and-"

"My children you mean."

"I meant what I said, you goblin shark. When you look at Rae Morningstar, what part of him makes you think he has EVER wanted to be your son? What part of him has EVER looked like you?"

"His wits."

"He got those from his mothers. And as a matter of fact, what happened when he called you dad? The one and only time he's ever done it? What happened to him, Fable?"

"..."

"You slapped him across the face. And had the audacity to wonder why he ran away everyday. Why he had so much fear around you and Icarus. You and your child, are cowards. Now, stay away from my kid and his family."

ULYSSES DESERVES TO BE UPSET