#and she's a tiny common prey animal

[adhdo5]

Discord discussing daemon AU and I'm thinking abt the JGY daemon conclusion forever now. Her name is Shixing (使兴) and she settles after Sunshot around when he's legitimized and she's a shrew.

[tj-crochets]

I have new neighbors and today they were out in their yard (the youngest kid saw a cool bug) and their little dog was offleash so I got to meet neighbor dog! Neighbor dog is my new favorite

[gallusrostromegalus]

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

Dog updates!

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

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

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

Very literally.

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

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

Like, they absolutely would kill a bear for him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[sreppub]

What I find amusing about things like selkie Jason is the sheer amount of potential shenanigans these aus could possess. Like, what if most of the members of the Batfamily were all able to shapeshift into an animal (let's go with seal Jason, otter Dick, beaver Tim, and polar bear Damian & Bruce) but have all gone to extreme lengths to hide it from one another for years (they were all too busy trying to hide their own secrets to notice what was literally right in front of them), until Damian waltzes in proclaiming how he's the rightful heir and he is the only one who's even actually a polar bear and everyone is silent for a hot moment before the room just explodes in an uproar of confusion. (In hindsight, this would explain why Dick has a weird fondness for that one specific rock and why Jason really likes that hoodie and why Tim has this weird habit of chewing pencils to nubs and why Bruce can't stand any temperature above 50 degrees.)

I also like the idea of all of them being selkies, but they're all different species of seal. Imagine if each species had different customs and ways of communicating, etc.! Their own favorite seafood meal based off of their preferred prey, their own takes when it comes to their coats, etc.! Like, one day Dick holds Jason's coat while the young boy is learning how to swim as a human and Jason freaks out when he realizes because nobody touches your coat in Jason's selkie culture, not even your parents unless it's a punishment, but in Dick's it's common for any of the older selkies to guard the coats of young children who are learning how to swim as humans. Tim absolutely loves grilled octopus while Bruce is more of a honey-glazed salmon type of guy. For Dick it's all about fried scallops with fries and homemade ranch, but Damian enjoys a good simmered squid (takes after his mother there). Clam chowder is Jason's ride-or-die, Cass = shrimp pasta it's a part of her now, and Stephanie practically inhales crab cakes of any kind (she and Jason also fight over which is better: clam chowder vs crab chowder, it's become a "thing" and they're constantly trying to recruit members of the family to their sides). And although Alfred doesn't talk much about his own background as a selkie (nobody's ever even seen his coat), once a year he makes a lobster dish for the whole family.

. . . sorry, now I'm stuck on a batfam made up entirely of selkies.

First, I didn't know asks could be this long, so cheers love lol

Second, ANOTHER layer of secret identity shenanigans???? FANTASTIC

Also, the more seals the merrier!! They're so squishy and cute and make funny noises. Bruce as either those massive scary elephant seals or the teeny tiny ones hehe

A fun fic rec if you haven't already: What the Water Gave Me (Selkie'verse)

[spacebarbarianweird]

Ok so… Astarion x Dark Druid!Tav who’s an elf from a culture that bonds with and rides fire breathing wyverns. Maybe Tav’s wyvern (a dark almost black female) is scary looking and distant from everyone but Tav and surprisingly Astarion. Like, she keeps pushing Tav and Astarion together, bringing him fresh prey, and burns any hunters who try to kidnap Astarion to bring him back to Cazador 👀 Do you think he’d be touched? Maybe she senses the goodness in him still?

Hi! It's a very cool idea and dragonriders are must-have for any fantasy.

I looked throught the manuals and found that it's possible to be a dragonrider if you choose Ranger with Drakewarden subclass. Your dragon starts as tiny pocket-drake, a size of cat, but slowly grows up to be a winged dragon you can conquer cities with.

MORE INFO

Calimshan - a nation that covers the southern corner of west Faerûn, including the Calim Desert and the Spider Swamp. The Lands of Intrigue - a collective term used to describe the nations of Amn, Calimshan, Muranndin, Erlkazar, Velen and Tethyr Alzhedo - a regional tongue of Southwest Faerûn, and the main language of Calimshan. Dahyarif - misplaced stranger in Alzhedo.

Astarion x Drakewarden!Tav

Masterlist

Headcanons

You are a foreigner, born in the Lands of Intrigue, somewhere in the Calimshan Kingdom.

Your people used to be known for taming drakes and wyverns and bonding with them the way some people bond with their dogs or horses.

But it was a long time ago. There aren't too many wyverns and drakes nowadays.

Maybe it is for the best, because your ancestors were ruthless, using their dragons to conquer and destroy.

By the time you were born, drakewardens and dragonriders were a long-forgotten myth.

But you found your own small drake in the desert.

The size of a cat, it was breathing fire and was particularly bitey.

Was it your inherited ability to bond with dragon creatures? Or was it just luck?

You don't know.

You called your little drake Dahyarif - "misplaced stranger" in Alzhedo, your mother tongue.

Somehow, the drake managed to survive the Mindflayers' attack and returned to you at the shipwreck.

You meet Astarion - you see the predatory side of him the moment he attacks you.

Drakes and vampires have a lot in common. For example, they both tend to bite.

Astarion is a bit anxious around the drake that tends to breathe fire and has sharp fangs.

When Astarion finally dares to bite you, the drake immediately pounces and stops only when ordered to.

After that, you notice that Astarion says, "I asked for consent, so stop baring your fangs!" every time he comes to your tent to feed.

And you actually don't worry about losing too much blood because Dahyarif is very sensitive about your health.

But with time the drake starts seeing Astarion as his owner as well.

First of all, he starts bringing Astarion food. Not burnt to a crisp, but still alive, mostly small forest animals, fluttering and bleeding in the drake's mouth.

Second, Dahyarif starts curling on his chest. The cold vampire skin is comfortable for the drake, and Astarion loves this weighted heating pad.

One day, you notice Astarion learning Draconic. "I don't like our communication to be one-sided," he says, scratching Dahyarif's ear.

When the tadpole is gone, Astarion disappears in the streets of Baldur's Gate, and you worry sick about him.

The drake finds his track in no time - Astarion has hidden in the basement of a tavern, suffering in pain.

You're afraid to touch him, but Dahiarif immediately crawls into his lap and lets out a trickle of smoke.

You decide to leave the city and go to the south to the Lands of Intrigue.

The drake is slowly growing up. It starts bringing bigger animals, and you notice small rudiments of the wings on its back.

Arriving in Kalimshan, you are ambushed and captured by the enemies of your people.

Astarion and Dahyarif manage to escape, but you are put in chains.

You are beaten, and tortured - your captors want you to train drakes for them, but you can't even say where you found your own one.

You lose track of time. You have been moved several times, but you are always alone with the darkness.

Until one day your captors' fortress is attacked by a winged, fire-breathing wyvern that melts the walls and incinerates a warrior in armor.

You are finally free, and you breathe the scent of the desert night.

The wyvern lands in front of you - and you recognize the familiar red scales.

The drake has grown into a wondrous beast.

The hooded figure of a rider jumps to the stone floor and rushes toward you.

You are in familiar cold arms.

Astarion is wearing thick black leather armor with his face hidden under a mask made of some intricate metal that allows him to see.

You have too many questions, but you collapse in Astarion's arms and he carries you to the wyvern's back.

Together you fly away from the destroyed fortress.

"I just fed him well" he explains. "We found a particularly nice place for hunting. And as for the armor… You can get a lot of things if you have a wyvern."

The torture and captivity leave permanent marks on you, and you often have nightmares when you think you are still in the dungeons, chained and beaten only to wake up in the cold arms of your lover.

It takes you time to learn how to ride a dragon.

But with time, you become a dragon rider of your own.

Now you fly together on Dahyarif's back.

Looking for adventures, fun, and trouble.

--

Tag list

@tugoslovenka @marcynomercy @wintersire @vixstarria @not-so-lost-after-all @ashiro20 @theearthsfinalconfession @herstxrgirl @starlight-ipomoea @micropoe10 @astarion-imagine-archive @veillsar @elora-the-slutty-songstress @fayeriess @lumienyx @tallymonster @caitlincat-95 @tragedybunny @valeprati @lynnlovesthestars @marina-and-the-memes @waking-electric @ayselluna @connorsui @asterordinary @darkarchangel96

[rippleclan]

[Image ID: Mousesong stands below the title: "Name Deep Dive: Mousesong".]

Since name deep dives are some of my favorite lore, I'm going to start going through the characters as I please, with a focus on those who just got their names. So let's talk about Mousesong, the molly with the pretty, yet unfitting name.

Prefix: "Mouse"

"Mouse" is a common prefix in the Clans, just as mice are one of the most fruitful prey in the land. Without mice, many cats would go hungry through the winter. Like other prey names, "Mouse" has connotations of life and longevity, but also of weakness. Those who believe names hold power over their owners would doubt anyone with a prey-name could become a leader.

"Mouse" specifically is the sneakiest of the prey prefixes. Mice are small and stay tucked away in tiny holes. Their small size makes them a go-to choice for runts and small kits. Rebecca wasn't thinking of any of these connotations when she named her child, however. She knew kit names ended with -kit, and liked the sound of Mouse. So that is how she named her daughter.

Suffix: "-song"

Unlike the canon Clans, who only have birdsong, RippleClan and its neighbors have actual songs, alongside the instruments to play them on. "-song" is a highly desired suffix for musical artisans or anyone with a love of music. It is a wonderful reflection of that talent.

When given to someone outside the realm of music, it often refers to a pleasing or soothing voice. Caretakers may enjoy the suffix to showcase their talents in kit-sitting. All in all, the suffix implies a beautiful voice and soul.

Full Name: Mousesong

The prefix for a “-song” name implies various types of sounds connected to that object. Pairing “-song” with an animal prefix creates the Clan word for the creature’s unique sound. Mousesong literally means “the sound of a mouse”. Mousesong was named after the soft chirps and squeaks of a mouse, implying a quiet heart.

Anyone who has met Mousesong knows this is an awful fit for her. She is confident, she is independent, she is loyal to others but does not want that loyalty returned. She is not quiet. Why Downstar gave her that name, she won’t say. Perhaps it’s a way to calm her fiery spirit?

[is-the-primate-vid-cute]

hi friends!! i have a question about gorillas/great apes in general - do we all get that nurturing instinct toward little fuzzie animals, like how koko adopted her kittens? she is so gentle toward them...are there any other cases of great apes adopting pets other than us? i think the thing that astounds me the most is the size difference, koko knew the kitties were fragile and handled them with care?! I wonder if this instinct is more common with female great apes? ahah sorry for the long ask im just enamored w this notion....

It isn’t uncommon in the wild for chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas to capture small animals and carry them around, petting them. They frequently eat these animals too, but sometimes they just carry them around and let them go later. We have posted in the past about the silverback that found a tiny marmoset and cradled it for a while before putting it back in the tree he found it in. The bonobo that was photographed with a mongoose was a young male too, so it is not an instinct exclusive to one sex.

While apes can act nurturing to small animals, they can also be... less so. Bonobos eat their prey alive even after a snuggle session, chimpanzees will kill small animals and play with the corpses, and while they can be gentle they don’t always seem to be able to fully grasp if their behaviour is making their little friend uncomfortable. I saw a video of a gibbon in a zoo that caught a squirrel and was treating it to a rather intense grooming session that, while appropriate for a baby gibbon, was not fun for the squirrel. So definitely cute! But there is a reason that giving captive apes little pets is not a common practice.

[depressedhatakekakashi]

God of Storms AU- Shino and Choji

Choji

God of the Harvest, Patron of Farmers

Animal Companion: Butterflies

Symbol: Basket of fruits and vegetables, and a plow.

Birth: Rose from the earth Yamato gathered into his hand from the first field that human’s ever tried to plow.

Lore: Choji enjoys roaming the mortal world to check on the farmer’s fields and try some of the dishes that mortals have created. Particularly enjoys BBQ Meat and chips.

Choji crafted butterflies in the hopes of showing Mortal’s how beautiful bugs can be. He decided to do this after seeing how upset Shino is that no one seems to enjoy any of the bugs he creates.

Loves to bring food to the other gods when they’re too busy to visit the mortal world. Has every god and goddess’ favorite food memorized.

The month of May is dedicated to Choji. With Harvest festivals scattered throughout the month at various locations, farmers give their thanks to the God for their bountiful harvests. BBQ’s are common during the month, with a large plate of meats and veggies being left out for Choji to enjoy.

Choji enjoys spending his downtime with Ino and Shikamaru, watching as Mortals go about their business with no idea that there are gods watching them. He gets along best with Ino and Shikamaru, but has a rather strong dislike for Kankuro, though he rarely shows it. He prefers to be friendly with everyone when possible.

Love: Karui

Shino

God of Bugs, Patron of weaving

Animal Companion: Stag Beetle

Symbol: Staff with stag beetle’s crawling all around it towards the top.

Birth: Created by Mito, Shino was brought into existence with the first beetles (Pollinators) to protect the tiny creatures.

Lore: Shino is viewed as a strange god by Mortals. A god whose job it is to protect bugs and create new bugs as he goes.

Shino has always understood that the small creatures that he creates would not be liked by mortals, but he continues to create them for the good of the earth and in hopes of helping mortals to see how wonderful they really are.

Most of the creatures Shino has created have been for other gods, or for some of his mortal followers. It’s his way of showing those around him that he cares and that he wants to see them smile.

·        Fireflies were created for Hinata to keep her company during dark nights.

·        Bees for Mito who worried that beetles would not be able to pollinate plants quickly enough

·        Dragonflies for Kakashi while he was looking lonely one night.

·        Mosquitoes to play with Kiba and Akamaru

·        Moths for Karui, who loves Choji’s butterflies but hated that she could never see them at night.

·        Spiders he created by shifting one of his most dedicated followers into one when they were threatened by an enemy. He provided pincers to protect them, and silk with which they could build themselves home as well as a trap to catch prey in.

Shino prefers to spend his time with Hinata and Kiba but avoids Haku whose sheer cold kills his bugs.

Love: Tenten

[texasobserver]

”Insects All Around Us” by Digital Edital Editor Kit O'Connell, originally published in the January/February 2024 issue of Texas Observer magazine:

Photography and additional reporting by Fall 2023 Reporting Fellow Paula Levihn-Coon.

The prey is already dying when the hunters arrive. 

The sky is dark gray, the air thick with the threat of rain. But that hasn’t stopped over a dozen from gathering. They’re mostly, but not exclusively, older folks���frequently retirees with the ability to take a weekday morning off—and they’re armed with Digital SLR cameras and macro lenses.

Valerie Bugh crouches down over the squirming spots on the stone of the shady courtyard entrance to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, prodding at the poisoned insects. Bugh, a gray-haired local naturalist, isn’t responsible for the state of these southern yellowjackets (Vespula squamosa), but she’ll take advantage of it for a photo opportunity. Someone on staff at the center discovered their nest and sprayed them just before the bug hunters arrived, and the entire hive is trickling out from their hidden home in a low rock wall. Bugh warns me to keep my distance from the females, who have fatter-looking bodies with stingers compared to the longer, thinner males, which normally only leave the nest for mating purposes. As I take a step back, she fearlessly kneels by their wriggling bodies, picking the males up and focusing her camera on each in turn. 

“I’m trying to find one that doesn’t look dead,” she said. Soon, she’d even manage to document the hive’s queen as it haplessly tried to flee the toxins—a rare catch, though a grim beginning for a weekly ritual that largely focuses on the living. 

Katherine Daniels and David Cook, volunteers, take insect photos.

Bugh is the author of 10 short fold-out pamphlets with color photos, with titles like Spiders of Texas: A Guide to Common and Notable Species and Unusual Insects of Texas: Caddisflies, Mantides, Lacewings, Walking Sticks, & More. That’s just one of her jobs: She’s also second clarinet in the Austin Opera. She’s modest about these accomplishments when asked—Bugh is too busy searching for bugs to brag about herself. 

Every Thursday morning from February through mid-December, Bugh and her team of volunteers in the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Fauna Project explore a winding path, gradually aiming to cover the entire grounds over the course of a year, in order to inspect more than 650 species of native plants in the gardens and the 50-plus species of oaks in the Texas Arboretum for their occupants. 

With this diversity of native plants comes a diversity in insect population too. Allowing for a few pandemic-imposed breaks and schedule changes, Bugh has otherwise been doing this consistently since 2010, during which time she’s identified almost 3,000 species of insect including over 50 bees, 345 flies, and over 500 different beetles. It’s not unusual to find a new species to add to the garden’s known tiny inhabitant list every week. 

As Bugh gets moving, other bug hunters follow her in a pack. One by one and in pairs they break off from documenting spiders and beetles found clinging to the brick walls around the entrance and offices of the center. A few volunteer birders are also on-site, but for the most part, they work independently and seem invisible compared to the cheerful, chattering bug hunters. The group also documents signs of larger animals, from mammals to amphibians, but their main focus is on these tiny crawling creatures, since bugs are the most plentiful fauna present both in this garden and worldwide. 

Every Thursday from 2010 to the present, Valerie Bugh leads the Fauna Project at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas.

The bug hunters move in a little cluster, calling out when they find something new for Bugh to examine. The salt marsh moth (Estigmene acrea) caterpillars are everywhere.

“If it’s a salt marsh, I don’t want to know about it,” declares Bugh dismissively, though with good humor. Their hairy bodies remind me of an asp, the caterpillar with a nasty sting. But they’re actually harmless to the touch. Bugh is just frustrated because there are too many of them. Unlike other caterpillars, the salt marsh moths will eat almost any plant, building its hairy cocoons all over. 

“Every single plant is their host,” Bugh said. 

By contrast, the Gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae), another caterpillar present in the day’s fauna count, subsists almost entirely on passion flower vines. 

Bugh’s disdain for the salt marsh moth doesn’t stop her from plucking one from the greenery and posing for a photo with it. She’s happy to show off and talk about her fauna friends, even the overly common ones. As she moves around, her tone becomes more of a graduate lecture in entomology, no doubt similar to the insect walks she sometimes leads around Austin. Her volunteers are here to hone their skills at macro photography, to learn from a preeminent local expert, and to expand their naturalist knowledge. Many are members of the Texas Master Naturalist program.

Valerie Bugh holds a salt marsh moth caterpillar (Estigmene acrea) in her hand.

But it’s a social occasion as much as anything, and the bug hunters talk among themselves around me, catching up on their lives. Two have just returned from African vacations and are excited to dish about all the great wildlife photos they got there, documenting large predatory wild beasts. But they seem just as eager to capture the living world’s small inhabitants in their lenses, too. 

“It’s an insect safari,” said volunteer Katherine Baker, who told me she relished the challenge of macro photography after over a decade of experience in more general nature photography. She’s been helping count the fauna for about four years now, and always feels among kindred spirits here. But they all orbit around Valerie, returning to her for advice or an ID after wandering off.

Every Thursday for 13 years, naturalist and author Valerie Bugh, far left, has led volunteers in counting and photographing animals at the wildflower center.

“Her knowledge surpasses everyone … she’s just amazing,” Baker said of Bugh. 

The gray morning clouds are starting to burn off. As it warms up, the butterflies and others will begin to emerge from the foliage where they’re resting during the rainy, humid part of the day. 

“Aha, here’s where the bumblebees are,” Bugh declares with delight as some are pointed out to her. “These are workers and look how docile they are, they’re barely moving.”

Even before the sun appears, I become aware of how the plants around us are full of life, more than first appears to the untuned eye. As I start looking at one insect, like the predatory leafhopper assassin bug (Zelus renardii), a leggy, long-bodied, hungry thing with a venomous proboscis, I spot another, smaller bug crawling along the same bit of wild grass. We allow ourselves to forget in our day-to-day lives, but insects are all over, constantly surrounding and outnumbering us. 

Valerie Bugh shines a small LED light on an insect.

On the day we visited, the team spotted seven different kinds of grasshoppers, two types of katydids and one cricket. Hunters often spot the American bumblebee, Bombus pensylvanicus, which is thriving in Central Texas even as its numbers dwindle elsewhere. But lately, its Sonoran cousin (Bombus sonorus) has been showing up more and more in the bug counts. 

“That doesn’t bode well for desertification,” Bugh told me. “We’ve had a lot of Western species moving in, birds too, which means the habitat is great for them and a little drier than we’re used to for everyone else.”

The naturalist bug hunters are strongly aware of the harm climate change has brought on our region, and there’s a bittersweet feeling to parts of the morning, a subtle sense that someday soon could be the last day one of these fauna appear in a count. 

“The ecosystems are moving east, including tornado alley. It’s not great for the people in the way, and not great for us on the edge of deserts. Think of Austin without any trees. I really like trees,” Bugh says wistfully.

But most insects still spark joy when she spots them. As sure as falling leaves, the appearance of the scorpion flies (which are neither scorpions nor flies) represents the start of true Texas autumn, and they were just putting in their first appearances that Thursday in November. 

Bugh can identify a great number of creatures on sight, but sometimes enlists help from collaborative internet forums and apps, or even, in one case, a book of Central American insects published in 1900. 

Later, when I come home from the center, I pore over her very detailed homepage, which features a searchable spreadsheet of every creature identified by her team since 2010. I email Bugh to ask what changes she’s noticed over time. 

“It is very hard to compare the past to the present since it is short term in geological time but very long term for humans,” she writes back. “Who can say what they’ve learned in over a decade? I bet it is a lot.”

[frostcorpsclub]

@dahliarauxt and I were talking about it bc of that ask from a bit ago and she requested I share

The dogs I think the gang would have

Jack

A stout pitbull (you know the ones with the big ass heads and tiny ears) named something like Chopper, Chopper is very afraid of Suzy's tiny dogs and whines during thunder storms

A Basset hound, I don't know how I particularly justify this one it just seems like an old rural person dog, his name is like Charlie or Huey

A big ol Saint Bernard that thinks it's a lap dog which Jack loves, the toddlers love taking piggy back rides on it. His name is probably Bulldozer

Suzy

Catherine the Great the Yorkshire Terrier of course, Suzy has more bows for her than her actual daughters.

A poodle, with the classic continental cut of course, her name is Marie Antionette

She has a pitbull as well because she thought it would be cute if her dog was Jack's dog's "wife" and they had puppies together. Her name is Doily and she is a monster of a dog she is not safe around children her and Suzy eat babies together

Santa

I know this was just one dog but the dog was just standing there and Santa's a huge dick so I'm gonna say he's just not a dog person

He has a Norwegian Forest cat named Alvis which means wise dwarf because he's fat little (compared to Santa, these cats are actually fucking huge) baby and the only son Santa actually wanted

He constantly makes jokes about Doily eating one of Jack and Suzy's babies

Virginia

A Dalmatian named Cookies n Cream! They're smart, love to run, and can kind of be dicks.

An American Bulldog, supposedly they don't do very well with other animals and their high prey drive makes them common in fighting rings. She would name it Cinnamon

An itty bitty Papillon because that means butterfly in french and Ginny's hyperfixation didn't let her not get the dog, it's name is Cupcake

[viciousoverlord]

The small girl fiddled with her father's hand, examining it. It was so much larger then her tiny little ones, bit something always stuck out to her about them. His dull fingernails that were painted black, why were they to dull? She didn't see any use in them being that way, how did he hunt when they were like this.

"Papa, why are your claws so short and dull? How do you hunt with them like this?"

She had no idea what Ki is, how could she? She didn't necessarily even know the full existence what magic is despite being born in a universe full of it. She was young, so her magic hadn't even manifested when Kefla had found her and taken her in. Not to mention there was now no chance for it to do such in a univers full of Ki, something that would surely benefit her in the future at some point.

The small girl would continue to mess with his hand, subtlety lifting it up to look at the polish before ever so graciously deciding to zero in on one of them before deciding to use her sharp little teeth to try and get the polish off his nail. Using one of her upper fangs to be exact, griping onto his hand with her own little hands which had nails in need of a manicure once more.

"What ish dish stuff on your slawsh?"

After a long day at work, he earned some time for himself. Tomorrow was supposedly not going to be as heavy in tasks as today. But if he wanted to be lazy, he could just send a copy to work while he would stay at home to do other things like taking care of Lucy. Speaking of the infant, she had became better at speaking the Sadalian language. He thought he would have to do some language practicing with her, but she was a bit of a genius even if she was a bit chaotic on the side. Her ability to learn and comprehend was higher than most and that explained her curiosity about most things even if, sometimes, it was completely unnecessary knowledge to have.

Just like with his nails and how he could even manage to hunt with nails that were short and dull as she said. A bit strange that she was talking about hunting like she was an expert of sort, but he remembered that during their first encounter, he found her hunting a strange rabbit thing. To develop hunting instinct at such a young age, he wondered if he made the right call to prevent her from approaching any single animals on the planet. It was similar to turning a predator into a prey and if her parents had decided to raise her like they should have : how different would their method be?

He was raising Lucy like a saiyan, but perhaps this was not the best method.

[— Because that's how I was born, and I don't need to have claws to hunt. My strength and speed is more than enough, and it will be the same for you, eventually.]

He let her do as she pleased with his hand until, for some reason, she decided to remove the black paint on his nails with her teeth. Just a mere second in, he had already slipped his hand away from her mouth with a long sigh leaving him. One, this stuff was extremely toxic and two, he had to get black nail polish again. He could understand that she needed to be taught a few things, but she was at that age where common sense would already be kicking in. Like how eating the nail of someone who just wrong, but she was not a saiyan and was harder to raise than one, actually.

[— That is not for you to know until you get old enough to use makeup. In any case, you need a manicure again.]

Without letting Lucy say anything like a complete refusal, he lifted her into his arms and took her to his room where all the tools necessary were. Better to prevent any nails infection and if she is girly like Alicia is in the future, she is going to do manicure and pedicure on her own. That, or she could ask his daughter to do it for her; she would be more than happy to oblige.

That thought aside, he would start by trimming her nails with a nail clipper. Her nails now sporting a square look as he took the next tool to continue: a glass nail file to seal the layers of the nail and the cuticle stick to push out the dead skin. As he notes that there is dead skin lodged in a deeper area of some nails, he gets the cuticle scissors and make sure to remove them as slowly and carefully as possible to avoid hurting Lucy. Knowing how difficult it is for her to just stay put in one spot. He rewards her with a bag of candies of different shape and taste.

As far as he is concerned, it is good to reward a child for behaving well and good to punish them when they behave in an inappropriate way. Afterward, they should be able to tell the difference between what is right to do and wrong to do by themselves.

[aeshnalacrymosa]

Zootopia: a love letter

Judy & Nick w/ unnamed OC, colored pencil on white paper, June 2018

Zootopia is an important movie for me. While I live in a largely monocultural nation, my country’s colonial past and the millennials’ online exposure has made me conscious of the racial tensions dividing the world, and Zootopia has helped me navigate the nuances of racial conflict. Judy Hopps’s journey through Zootopia is a story that resonates with ethnic minorities in the age of globalization. Her diminutive size and nature as a prey animal has put her in a secondary status against the predators and larger mammals of the city, but her efforts to prove herself reveals prejudice in herself.

I know many fans from various other cultural backgrounds see themselves in Judy (I’ve seen fanart of Judy in a hijab or kimono, etc.), but to me, as a Filipino, I saw through Judy the millions of Filipinos—mostly nurses and domestic helpers—seeking greener pastures in first world countries for their families at home. I have yet to follow in their footsteps, but I also have ambitions of pursuing work abroad, preferably in North America like some of my relatives. But for the longest time, especially in my youth, I had qualms about going to America because of myths and horror stories about how the wider world sees us. As a child, I’ve heard stories of Americans still believing that “Filipinos live in trees” as recently as the ‘90s, or the backhanded praise of having “good English” or “no accent,” disregarding that most of us are bilingual or even trilingual from childhood. I became wary of how I’m going to be perceived. But going with Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde on their wild otter chase, it occurred to me that those stories and myths were also indicative of self-destructive victim mentality. The movie cemented in me something that I already learned from my first (and so far only) visit to California in 2011, when I didn’t feel unwelcome at all, and the locals were friendly and didn’t seem to notice or care that I’m a foreigner.

Similarly, by immersing herself fully into the life of the city, Judy discovers that nobody is what they seem. Chief Bogo is a prey animal, but he is the physically imposing leader of Precinct One in the Zootopia Police Department and is a big softie inside. Mr. Big is a vicious mob boss but also a doting father. Benjamin Clawhauser is a predator, but he is the first friendly individual that Judy meets at work. Finnick is a tiny, adorable little fox with a deep voice and a mean streak. He and Nick become con artists because foxes are seen as untrustworthy and unemployable. Dawn Bellwether seems like a sweet and harmless sheep because her boss bullies her all the time, but she is a mastermind of an insidious attack against predators. And Judy herself, having grown up being warned against predators, has unknowingly internalized some prejudice and discovers herself to be not as progressive as she thought herself to be. By rekindling her friendship with Nick Wilde, Judy Hopps overcomes her prejudice and goes on to make the world a better place with her new partner.

I am currently very active in the Encanto fandom on Tumblr now that much of the Zootopia fandom has migrated to other platforms ever since the great porn purge of 2018. I was primarily a lurker around the Zootopia fandom, happily consuming content, commenting as much as I liked but contributing barely a handful because 2016-2019 was not my most creative period. I regret not interacting then as much as I do now with the Encanto fandom, but I do bring into the current space something I learned from Zootopia and its fandom: A common love for something and having similar values can overcome any differences you might have, even racial differences. An artwork as meaningful as Zootopia or Encanto brings out the best in a lot of people. With hope in my heart and creativity in my hands, I intend to someday explore the world and leave prejudice behind.

[sekhisadventures]

Gremori Autumnleaves, Night Elf Felsworn

Important Stories:

Anger Incarnate: After making a deal with the Annihilan Pit Lord Granthox, Dissonantia expects the demon's aid... which he gives her in the form of Gremori herself.

Battle at Bilgewater: When Dissonantia discovers her human guise has become found out in Stormwind, she attempts to get payback against her enemies by targeting Grimo who is trying to build a device to detect her demons. Gremori is the tool of her revenge.

Race: Night Elf, Fel-corrupted

Class: Demon Hunter, Havoc

Eye Color: Burning Green (Literally)

Birthplace: Ashenvale Forest

Residence: Dissonantia's Lair in the Twisting Nether

Abilities:

Felsworn Might: Gremori is a talented melee fighter, easily able to hold her own against even Az'arad (Dissonantia's wrathguard) without having to transform first. Rather than warglaves, she uses a pair of fel-infused fist weapons, wanting to get as close to her foes as she can in a fight.

Demon Form: At time of writing Jaie is the only one who has seen her demon form up close and she was in no state to remember details, but it resembles a giant Wyrmtongue demon. Her mouth becomes full of huge sharp fangs, her horns extend to curling ram's horns, and she gains a pair of massive bat-like wings. Rather than hooves her feet become huge talon-like claws as well.

Extensive Demonic Knowledge: There is nothing Gremori loves more than learning some new bit of demonology, which is why she was eager to sign on with Unlimited Sin when her former master, the Abyssian demon Granthox, told her of Dissonantia. Her desire to learn of such lore was so great that it was the impetus for her becoming one of the Felsworn even. Between herself and Dissonantia they can uncover many lost secrets of fel magic... though she can be a bit gullible at times and overly eager to believe someone if she thinks they can offer her some new scrap of knowledge.

History

Here's the thing. Gremori is NOT one of the Illidari! She became a demon hunter on her own and of her own volition.

Growing up as Galyssia Autumnleaves, she'd always had a strange fondness for the macabre and disturbing. She loved watching spiders capture other animals and eat them, she'd examine the remains of hunted prey whenever she'd find it in the forests of Kalimdor, and she adored examining anything she could about the War of the Ancients… though not for the reasons her tutors hoped.

Demons fascinated the girl from a very young age… but such knowledge was strictly forbidden among the Kaldorei. Even asking for any knowledge on demonology was looked at as highly suspect at best, but then… when some of your nieghbors may well have witnessed that war with their own eyes it was understandable.

So Gremori grew up dreaming of these dark shadowy beings, wanting to just see one… even a tiny one, even once…

And then she got what she wished for when the Third War came to Kalimdor.

She remembered hiding in the woods with her family, watching the armies of the Burning Legion march through her village… and her eyes lit up. She wasn't a fool, she didn't try to go to them, but she took it all in… every single detail… and hungered for more.

But of course the knowledge of how the war ended is common across Azeroth now. The combined forces of the Night Elves, the Horde, and the Alliance held back the demons at Mount Hyjal until Malfurion could summon every wisp across the continent to swarm Archimonde in a single suicidal blast that scorched the mountaintop for years to come, killing the Eredar General in the blast.

Despite the celebrations, she was not satisfied. Her curiosity had only grown hungrier after that.

Several years later however Gremori, now a young woman, heard tell of a movement on Outland led by the infamous Illidan Stormrage. The Illidari.

She made the trek there at great personal risk, but after pleading her case to the Ashtongue guarding the Black Citadel she was thrown out on her ear and it was only because Illidan himself was not present that she hadn't been killed outright. A night elf who wanted to learn more about demons because she "loved" them? Pure madness!

She was not deterred however… and eventually she got her chance. The Alliance and Horde laid seige to the Black Citadel and, in the confusion, Gremori was able to slip in and steal several tomes of fel magic. She absconded with these back to Azeroth and began studying, and after several false starts she managed to summon a demon. A rather small one, one of the Wyrmtongue demons. She interviewed it, then offered it a drink. However, the drink was blessed moonwell water, poison to the demon. As it writhed in pain she ran it through and cut out it's heart, then ate it whole like a bloody apple.

When the screaming died down some time later she emerged from her hiding spot forever changed, having become a fel-elf. Not an Illidari, by now she'd grown to hate those elitist jerks, but her own creation. She was infused with the very essence of the creatures she wanted desperately to know more about, and had a lifetime to learn as much as she could.

Eventually she would make contact with a demon of the Twisting Nether, a pit lord named Granthox. She took to her new demonic nature like an imp to felfire and became an asset to the demon lord… but eventually the Legion was defeated on Argus as well. Granthox was one of the demons who escaped this, but he now had to make his own way in a universe which had suddenly become full of vicious enemies. The Legion had splintered with the imprisonment of Sargeras, countless factions of demons wanting to become the new rallying point for their kind, outright civil war!

He needed an edge, and he found it. A warlock who had apparently uncovered the secret to creating Anima, the most potent distilled essence of souls that could only be crafted in the Shadowlands. He had offered her 'his services,' but he never specifically said that he himself would be joining her… truth be told Gremori had become rather, well, annoying to the demon. She constantly chattered on about fel lore she'd uncovered and different types of demons, something most demons knew already, and he was eager to be rid of her. Should this Dissonantia give him what he sought he'd just shove her off onto the self-styled Witch of the Blackwald and enjoy having a measure of peace and quiet for once.

[ickybby]

fawn still bears that youthful immaturity that one is said to outgrow with age. still, she understands some consumers in her line of work get off with their left hand and point in judgment with the right. she just never realized the proverbial phrase would play out in front of her by none other than her older brother. “goddamn, jonah. when did you get so mean?” this is a side of her sibling previously unseen. he's never even lost control of his temper around her. even now, when his anger and disdain are undeniable they're still meticulously controlled. every sneer, every word, every movement seems to have a calculated purpose; to humiliate and domineer. he's enjoying this. this realization should've dawned on fawn earlier. the way his pants become more restrictive the longer he hovers and the way he talks down to her while still rationalizing whoring herself out for him makes her head spin. the depravity of their behavior makes her tighten around the toy involuntarily and bite back a moan. the way he looks at her doesn’t help, either. she’s used to being leered at, just not like this. the way he looks at her makes her a little fearful. the look in his eyes is dark, bordering on animalistic. the way predator animals look at their prey before tearing into them. she’s never had anyone gaze at her with such intensity before. wherever the fear lives inside her should trigger some sense of self-preservation or common sense. instead, the fear coursing through her veins intertwines with her throbbing cunt in some twisted combination of adrenaline and arousal.

fawn stares at her brother with mixed curiosity and a dazed sort of lust as he palms himself through his jeans instead of averting her eyes like a god sister should. she really lacks any true sense of shame. fawn can’t correct him on something she knows is true. but if either of them had shame, they wouldn’t be pleasuring themselves in front of each other. her fingers tighten around her phone as goosebumps erupt across her entire body, her nipples stiffening under her tiny excuse of a bikini top. without breaking eye contact, a dainty hand slips under the fabric of her bottoms, fingers finding that slippery, engorged bud just begging for attention. “that’s ironic," her voice is heavy with the weight of her desire. she slips her hand out of her bikini, fingertips gleaming in the light. she uses the same hand she stuck between her legs to point between them. “teapot. kettle. you’re standing in front of me with an erection, talking about shame and eagerness. i was already turned on before you even came in. —you’re the one getting aroused by the mere sight of your little sister doing something you find SO demeaning.” the words aren’t necessarily meant to cut, not anymore. even if they are mocking in nature, the way she hikes her feet onto her seat and leans her knees against the armrests to tease him witht he view of her clothed mound makes it clear she’s willing to escalate the situation.

if fawn felt so comfortable in throwing around his limited experience then why shouldn't he do the same? she might show her tits and pussy off to random people on the internet but that didn't mean shit for real life experience which he knew fawn had little of. she was just a girl playing pretend to people who were too deep into their own perversions to think twice about clicking to watch. " what you expect me to be cool with my own damn sister slutting herself out for other people to tip ? you think that's better than wearing fuckin' clothes and not having to hide in your room all evening ?" the truth was, as annoyed as jonah had been about the constant blame shifting he'd missed his sister. when she began to retreat into her bedroom and pull away it felt like a personal slight against him, as if she was just another pretty girl turning their back on him for the fun of it. " you are cheap fawn , selling your body and pushing those fuckin' toys into you for what . . . a couple of twenties or maybe a hundred ? you want me to clap and commend you for doing somethin' so hard and trying ?" he's never spoken to her like this before, his own sister, the one person aside from their mother who'd given him the time of day, who'd treated him like a perfectly normal albeit quirky person.

the fact she's throwing her plushies at him like missiles is a clear indication of how his words irk her, how they dig under her skin beneath that body glitter and tiny outfit. he doesn't want to hurt her, wound her the way he's been so many times before — but how the fuck was he supposed to act in a situation like this? he's staring at his own damn sister and getting hard, imagining her bent over that too big gaming desk and pulling her tiny little bottoms to the side for him. he doesn't even care about her ridiculous stream still continuing, doesn't spare it a second glance as he inches closer and delivers his demand. the look in her eye . . . it's pure adrenaline to him, pure power and control. " you're the one doing it without complaining . seemed pretty fuckin' eager to get it going again too ", he counters with a careless shrug, hues dipping toward her pussy, the toy humming as it comes to life once more. " listen , if you're gonna act like a needy slut on camera for randos then you can do it for me too. right ? clearly you don't have any shame so . . . why not fawn ?" he's closer now, practically leering over his sibling as he studies her, her practically naked body and how despite their heated argument she's still turned on, still breathing heavily and leaking around that toy into the fabric of her clothes. she was likely right though, it was sick, it was vile to rub his cock as he stood there before her, so uncaring in the way his eyes take her in.

[yaut-jaknowit]

Something in your Hair

Pairings (sort of): Gawtin (female Yautja) x reader (genderless)

Summary: You live on Yautja Prime currently after you were abducted from your home on earth. It's a harsh planet to live on. The sun can easily fry you. The trees are massive. The animals, prey or predator, can simply kill you. The tribe you live with is mild when it comes to humans. They hunt them, of course, but don't full out hate them. That how you coexist with them. You exist there while drawing and creating things that give you status. Many don't care you're there. Some actually come out and greet you. Then, there's Gawtin. A mother who allows you to watch over her youngling. As you said, even mothers need time to themselves. She's taken up your offer many times. This time isn't any different.

Word count: 953

Note: I keep creating these random Yautjas… I already have at least six OC's and a story that's not even half finished yet.

Picture of Gawtin and Qui'oky

Masterlist

High-pitched clicks and growls came from the right, a little ways away. Younglings, your mind supplied. It surprised you they weren’t over here, messing with. Well, besides the singular child in your lap. His mother is protective of him but she knows you and allows to watch over him. She deserves some time to herself, as you told her.

Qui’oky is his name and he’s very interested of your drawing book. Especially of the drawing you were currently working on. His mother’s alien face slowly appearing on the page as you struggled to work out the mandibles. You did your best though.

One the youngling’s small claws traced a line you had just drawn. “Mommy,” he stated in his language.

“Yep, Kiddo. That’s your mommy,” you said and continued to sketch out the picture. It wasn’t turning out the greatest. With practice, came skill. It would take time for you to perfect said skill. Many of the Yautjas around you do the same when they hunt. If they didn’t, those that hunt would die. Kill or be killed in their world. One that wasn’t very welcoming of you. You made do though.

The child grabbed at your mechanical pencil but you were already pulling it away. “Hey, no. K’ko, Qui. If you want it, ask nicely.” Within the Yautja society, you knew politeness didn’t exist. Respect and honor were held on a pedestal. Yet, you wanted him to be polite, at least around you. Ask and not take your things.

His tiny hands stilled, head tilted back to look up at you. From this angle though, he couldn’t see you. “Please?” he softly trilled. Excitement bloomed in your chest. You’ve been trying to teach him about manners but it only does so much with a being that’s no older than three years.

You relented and let Qui have it. Before he could draw over your work, you turned to a page in the back and let him have his fun.

To your eye, it was all scribbles and random marks. Yet, you knew, to Qui, he saw a glorious drawing before him. You let him work, complimented his drawings until a presence behind you made you freeze. Then, you tilted your head back.

Gawtin stood there with a beautiful new fabric hanging from her waist. In a way, it was a skirt. You gazed softly up at her. “Hey, you’re back earlier than I thought,” you said with a smile. Her upper mandibles lift in the same manner. She was magnificent.

In your lap, Qui shifted, dropped your materials, and rushed over to his mother. Happy clicks sounded from his throat, arms spread as he grabbed at one of legs. Gawtin continued to smile as she bent over and picked up the child. You grabbed your sketch book and pencil from their discarded places and stood up. The mother was chittering too quickly for you to understand. Nevertheless, you used some common sense to know what she was talking about.

Her child returned with rapid chitters and growls. It was still considered baby talk to you. His words like to blend with each other which made your life all that harder to understand him.

Once he finished his amazing story, Gawtin’s gaze turned back to you. “You showed at a perfect time though. The trees’’ shadow had moved so I was about to get up and move as well.” Due to Yautja Prime’s harsh atmosphere, you couldn’t be exposed for longer than an hour. Any longer, your skin would be blistering painfully. Thirty minutes is max you could handle with time to cool down. Enough time to traverse to the public grounds and rest under one of the largest trees you’ve ever seen. Bigger than a red wood back on earth.

Strangely enough, Gawtin’s eyes were focused on something either right behind you or the top of your head. “Gaw? Is something wrong? Is Foq’tuy staring at me again?” That male had a nasty habit of staring at you. He’s the reason there was disgusting scar on your bicep. He decided to bring it upon himself to take care of the ‘ooman problem’. Foq’tuy was lucky to be alive after Gawtin dealt with him.

She shook her head, tresses bumping into one another. “H’ko. You have something in your hair.” Gaw seemed to pause and calculated in her head. “Do you want me to get it out?” Red flushed to your cheeks. Had you been sitting here this whole time withs something in your hair? Paya, help you.

“O-oh, yes please, if you don’t mind,” you stuttered and played with your hands. Having her ask to touch your hair wasn’t unusual. For what you considered their ‘hair’, its scared to them. A sexual interaction to them. Of course, with humans, it’s usually not that way. Old habits die hard.

Gawtin gently reached out with a dull green hand. Warmth rolled off the limb as it hovered over your head for a spilt moment. Then, she carefully plucked whatever was on your head with two sharp talons.

The Yautja holds it before her and inspect it. You recognize it as a mildly venomous insect to the aliens that inhabit this planet. “Thank you, I prefer not to be bitten by that thing,” you acknowledged her action. Qui reached out to touch the bug but his mother pulled it away from him.

“You are welcome, ooman,” she responded then crushed it between her fingers. The insects blood squirted out and covered her digit. In all honest, the display was hot with power. You cautiously reached out and used a finger to rub Qui’s chin. He purred and pushed against you.

“So, got any plans for later?”

[adashofniallandasprinkleoflunacy]

Nimbus & Onyx: *going to murder hemmy in cold blood*

Angel: 🥺

Nimbus & Onyx: fine 🙄 we’ll leave it alone 🙄🙄

I think they’d actually fall in love with Hemmy and protect her at all costs. It’s precious because they’re mean and intimating, but she doesn’t register that because she isn’t cognizant the way they are, and despite the fact that she’s a dumb little menace, they adore her but won’t admit. They just take care of her in subtle ways.

Like they’d be relaxing and sunbathing outside on the patio while Hemmy is playing with one of her toys, and then a hawk randomly starts circling overhead. It’s pretty common that hawks try to nab small pets, since their prey mainly consists of tiny animals, so Hemmy makes the perfect bait when left unattended. It drops lower to try and grab her and is met with two burly, black German Sheppards flanking the tiny black cat, their eyes glowing red like embers and their nostrils flaring.

Cut to the hounds going back inside the condo with Nimbus carrying Hemmy by her collar and Onyx trailing behind them, and as they pass Y/N and Harry on the couch, Onyx’s voice echos in the demon’s head in the most blasé, causal tone, despite the message’s gory content.

‘There’s bird guts all over the balcony. Should get that cleaned up as soon as possible.’