#as real ones are dangerous to reptiles

[scoriarose]

Meet the newest member of the family, Sakura! I'm giving her the first name Sakura as her coloration reminds me of a cherry blossom, and when she gets older her adult habitat will be Japanese garden themed.

I wanted to give her a middle name that sounds nice together, and represents her well- but it's hard to choose! Maybe a vote can help me pick. Kurīmu is what I've been calling her, but not sure if that is her final name. She's white like cream! And the words creamsicle, cloud, and star didn't have quite the right ring to them in Japanese. Sakura Kurosawa is a fun play on names but I'm not sure it really fits her. She is extremely fast and nimble, and while most other snakes freeze she runs faster than a creature without external legs should be capable- Haia would describe that aspect of her.

Shinju means pearl, which can be considered a rock/gem which would let her name be the inverse of her sister's name (Scoria Rose = Rock Flower, Sakura Shinju = Flower Rock)

Himari means light and love. I'd been thinking of calling her either light or love and this name means both. She is white like light, and pink with love. And her life with me I only wish to let her know love.

[redsrooftopprincess]

Disability HCs

Not all mutations are going to be cool and hot, and let's face it, the world wasn't built for our boys. Here are some things they struggle with...

CW: Mental and physical disabilities, but thought that was obvious. 😅

Raphael:

Weight/Chronic Pain. The harness that he wears strapped across is chest isn't part of his battle gear. Being the biggest of his brothers, his shell is also the heaviest, and no one was ever meant to carry that much weight. Without support, he's likely to shatter bones jumping from rooftop to rooftop. Donnie designed a harness for him that distributes the weight evenly, but he's still in constant pain. He works out not just because he enjoys it, but because his muscles have to be able to carry him, and the more he can carry the less pain he's in.

Bipolar II. His highs are pretty chill, but his lows get DARK. Depending on where his head is when they hit, he'll either double his patrols or lock himself in his room. Violence or isolation are his go to. The only thing that seems to take the edge off is pressure therapy. He's a physical guy and the combination of physical touch, pressure, and being held by someone who isn't disgusted by or afraid of him, makes hugs the most effective and ready available option. Just don't ever point it out, he'll deny it forever. His brothers will plan a movie night that will inevitably end up in a turtle-pile (except for D, because "someone has to make sure you idiots don't knock over the popcorn").

Donatello:

Poor vision (duh). Degeneration from working in less-than-optimal lighting conditions and staring at screens for hours on end.

Hypermobility. He grew the fastest and the tallest of his brothers, which caused extreme hypermobility. His height, weight, and the addition of hundreds of pounds of gear means he's always in danger of dislocation. He wraps his joints tightly and meticulously before heading out, and wears flexible leg braces under his pants that he designed himself.

AuDHD as FUCK. Doesn't like to be touched, other than by his person, and even then only when he's expecting it. Has safe foods and will go without eating for days if they run out, but will completely forget to mention it to whoever is sending the grocery list to April. He's passed out more than once. Hyperfocus is an issue and the rage is real. His brothers have to sometimes force him out of the lab to eat or sleep. He can be very efficiently cruel when interrupted.

Michaelangelo:

Chronic Depression. Covers it well with being the "party guy," but once everyone else goes to bed, the smile fades. More than once he's had to drink or smoke himself to sleep. Cabin fever makes it worse. His brothers know it's getting really bad when he starts taking shots at himself, and plan something fun to do to get him out of the lair.

Cold intolerance. He's more sensitive to temperature than his brothers, and, being a reptile, hypothermia is a real concern. Keeps a (very stylish, tyvm) jacket or hoodie on him at all times, usually tied (very stylishly) around his (very stylish) waist. He forgot one night and almost fell off a building when he passed out. Since then, Donnie always carries a (not as stylish) spare.

Leonardo:

Migraines. Sudden and powerful. He knows that once he starts seeing auras he has about 15 minutes before they hit. Peace, quiet, and dim candlelit rooms are his best friend. Blue light makes them worse, so he tries to avoid Donnie's lab when he can. Nothing really helps, so mind-over-matter is really his only option, especially if they're in the middle of patrol.

OCD and it's a problem. NO ONE is allowed in his room. Everything has a place and everything is IN it's place and that is where it will STAY. Has daily rituals that must be adhered to or his anxiety his the roof. His anxiety exhibits as toxic control and the others know when he's in a bad place because he can be a REAL dick. Meditation is the only thing that really helps.

Everyone:

Lactose Intolerance. All are allergic to dairy, Mikey doesn't care. Everyone else does.

MBD. The lack of UV light means they're at risk for Metabolic Bone Disease. They take calcium and phosphorus supplements that Donnie mixes up for them

Hypothermia. While Mikey is the most at risk, hypothermia is a problem for all of them, especially in the colder months. Donnie invented a device that distributes heat across the inside of their shells after a near-fatal outing during a blizzard, but they still bundle up to keep the heat in.

Dehydration. As semi aquatic reptiles living on land, humidity levels are important. During the summer it's usually not an issue, but during the winter months Splinter is constantly reminding them to drink water, and they all have their own water bottles. Mikey's has stickers.

Shedding/Skin issues. Shedding is

U N C O M F O R T A B L E

They only shed their scutes once a year (and thankfully not at the same time), but they would rather land shell-first in an ant hill. For 2-3 weeks the unlucky one has a basically non-existent fuse, and more than once when they were younger the frustration and discomfort brought them to tears. Occasionally, it still does. Loading up on Vitamin E and keeping things a little more humid in the lair helps things move faster. They also have sensitive skin. The water at the lair is all UV filtered, but when they have to grab a quick shower at April and Casey's they're itchy for days.

.....

If you want to hear more HCs or anything that lmk! Love you! 💚

[domnamewoman]

what would shang tsung, syzoth, smoke and rain be like with a gn!witch? who do spell with more natural things, like crystal, herbs, etc... imagine them being like "I found this little rock, maybe you'd like it" and their s/o picks it up like it's a goblin lol. I love your work, u are amazing 🌟

Characters: Rain, Shang Tsung, Reptile, Smoke

Warnings: Witch!GN!Reader

Masterlist

Requests Are Open

“Can you hand me the duck feathers?” You ask, reaching out your hand to Syzoth.

Syzoth picks up the feathers from the table and walks over to you, placing them in your hand.

“Thank you.” You grab the feathers and stir them into the brewing elixir.

“It amazes me that all these random ingredients can be mixed together to create magic,” Syzoth says in wonderment.

“It’s not so much the ingredients than it is the intention of the person mixing them.”

“Hmm, so the real power comes from you,” Syzoth contemplates as he wraps his arms around your waist and rests his chin on your shoulder.

“Yes, I guess in a way.” You nod, “But I can’t enchant someone without them being exposed to the potion in some way.”

“You seemed to do a pretty good job of enchanting me,” Syzoth mumbles into your cheek as he places a kiss there, “Making me fall for you.”

“You are so cheesy,” You grumble, loving every part of it.

“I think I might pass out…” Zeffeero pants as he hovers over the toilet.

“I’m so sorry, baby.” You apologize as you rub comforting circles on his back.

“Why”–heave–”Why would you even need a p-potion that induces vomiting?”

“It can be useful to demobilize an enemy during a fight,” You reason sympathetically.

“Except I’m not an enemy who's trying to fig-” Zeffeero gets cut off by more contents getting expelled from his stomach.

“I mean it is kind of your fault. Why would you drink a random liquid you haven’t seen before?”

Zeffeero turns his head to you and glares, “M-My fault? I was thirsty. Why was your potion in the refrigerator?”

“The ingredients had to be cold in order to fuse together properly,” You sigh as Zeffeero is hit with another bought of vomiting, “Okay, I should have labeled it. I’m sorry.”

“H-How long is it s-supposed to last?” Zeffeero pants out.

You cringe, “Two hours…”

“Two hours!?”

Shang Tsung stares at the potion you were brewing with repulsion. He leans over and takes a sniff before quickly covering his nose and holding back a gag.

“You know, I would be most delighted to teach you my sorcery. It is more sophisticated than creating vile concoctions like this.”

“Oh shush, there is more than one way to do magic, Shang. This is mine,” You say as you add five drops of toad’s blood to the cauldron.

“It’s tedious and ineffective in an emergency. You have to spend time brewing potions and then have someone consume it for it to work,” Shang Tsung argues.

“They don’t have to consume it, I can also put it in a bottle and throw it at them like a Molotov. Also, making potions isn’t tedious, I actually find it rather relaxing.”

“What could be relaxing about this horrid smell?”

You roll your eyes before turning to Shang Tsung and raising an eyebrow, “Well if your sorcery is so sophisticated, why don’t you zap away the smell?”

You and Shang Tsung stare at each other, your smile growing by the second. Shang Tsung pompously waves his hand before turning around and walking away.

“I thought so,” you chuckle as you turn back to your potion.

You’re standing in your spell room, organizing your crystals and taking stock of potion supplies when Tomas excitedly bursts through the door.

“Baby, I got you something,” Tomas sings as he walks up to you with his hands behind his back.

“What is it?” You excitedly inquire as you try to peek around him.

“Something almost as beautiful as you.”

“Show me already,” You impatiently demand.

“Ta-da!” Says Tomas as he brings his hands in front of him and extends his fingers to reveal a rainbow-colored crystal sitting in his palms.

“Oh my gosh, Tomas-”

“It’s pretty isn’t it? I knew you would lov-”

“No, it’s dangerous.” You snatch it out of his hand and jog to the front door, throwing it as far as you can away from the house. “That is a lifeforce-draining crystal.”

“I-I just thought it was a pretty rock… I’m sorry.”

You shake your head lovingly at Tomas as you comfortingly rub his arm, “I appreciate the thought, anyway. Just leave the crystal scavenging to me.”

[kaijutegu]

As if you needed another reason not to listen to Jay Brewer/Prehistoric Pets

Of all the reptile influencers, Jay Brewer is my least favorite. Let's see what he is up to today!

Recently this colossal idiot pet store owner who pretends he has any real knowledge about natural history went field herping. He grabbed a wild rattlesnake and filmed himself popping its genitalia for field sexing, without having ANYBODY CONTROLLING THE HEAD.

He just put his snake hook on top of it and popped out its genitals. In this incredibly unsafe video, he not only put himself and the snake at risk, but he claims it's educational- and that's why he did it.

Only thing is, he's wrong, and in fact spends time spreading misinformation. Let's take a look at some of his comments. This is the caption to his video.

The "nodes" are the hemipenes. He says that if there was one, it would be a girl. Thing is, girl snakes don't have hemipenes. While they do have hemiclitorises, those don't evert like hemipenes do. If "a node" comes out when you pop (read: bend a snake's tail back at the cloaca, forcing the genitals to emerge), you've given your snake a cloacal prolapse. This can kill them, but mill-style breeder Jay Brewer does not care about the lives of animals. We've known this. He doesn't care about his own snakes- he cuts eggs for funsies, he keeps giant snakes in drawers, and he regularly puts peoples' safety at risk for viral videos. But he also clearly doesn't care about the lives of wild animals.

What else has he said?

So here's a thought: Maybe your audience shouldn't know that they can pop a rattlesnake's hemipenes out of its cloaca because that is fucking dangerous. Not all information is good information to share in the Instagram format! Sometimes the general public shouldn't see you casually doing something dangerous without explaining what it is or why you're doing it!

Just wanting to know the sex of a snake in the field, when you're not actually doing any real research, is not a valid reason to do something this risky. Part of education is knowing what's actually educational. Another part is knowing how to appropriately frame dangerous activities so that you don't make your audience think that it's something anybody can go out and do. One of the things that makes me so upset about this video is the complete lack of context. It's not just that he has zero respect for a venomous animal, it's that he has zero respect for his audience.

Also, in the audio of his video, he doesn't call them hemipenes. He doesn't provide the most basic education he claims he does! He's just messing with an animal for the sake of messing with it!

He also promulgates a lie that popping doesn't cause the snake any harm, which is not what even most breeders say about it. Now, luckly, the snake seemed fine in this case. But there are plenty of people, mostly pet owners, who have lost snakes because they've tried to pop incorrectly and broken their snake's spine around the cloaca. Between the inability to eliminate correctly and infection caused from wounds, popping is one of the riskiest- and most unnecessary things- you can do to a pet snake.

Good breeders and snakekeepers do not take videos of themselves popping their snakes and put it on instagram and pretend it's educational. You pop snakes to guarantee the sex of the animal, and you do it ONLY when they are very young. Older snakes have more muscle control and it can hurt them pretty badly.

Even Spruce Pets knows that popping can cause your snake significant trauma, but fine, whatever. Let's traumatize random venomous snakes for Instagram views!

Also, he's just completely uninformed! Take this answer:

Probably? No, the answer is an easy yes. Rattlesnakes lose rattles all the time. They lose rattles due to terrain, to genetic deformity (some rattlers never form them!), and to predation attempts. It's just keratin. They're fine without it. Any real herpetologist would know this. If he can't get basic facts right, how can he be trusted to get more complicated stuff right?

And yeah, maybe this whole post is a little unhinged. But I hate this man and his practices so much. I hate that he's the face of an industry that could be so much better if it weren't for people like him. I hate that he's getting a TV show. I hate that people encounter his media and think that anything he does is a good idea. At least Brian Barczyck tries these days and actually promotes good care and safety at the Reptarium, but all Jay wants is popularity. He has zero respect for animals, and I loathe and detest that he's the face of our hobby.

[magicrainbowkitties]

Hyperfixations are insane bro.

Anyways here's my "MK1 Roster By How Good Of A Hugger They Are" tier list

Not Pictured:

Shang Tsung: A

Reiko: B

Explanations under the cut if you want them.

S tier:

Smoke/Tomas: Great arm strength, super sweet and cute in his intro dialogues, definitely goes for head pats. Also big ups for the smokey smell.

Scorpion/Kuai Liang: Arm strength, sensitive and protective in his dialogues, and very warmb. Perfection.

Johnny Cage: You cannot tell me this version of the guy is not absolutely INSANE at hugs. Arms, emotional sensitivity, words of affirmation if you need them, and LOVES giving them. CageCon attendees attest he hugs like a giant teddy bear.

Sindel: She doesn't give them often, but when she does it's the absolute Best. Mom hugs are best hugs, you can fight me on that. But her big up is the prehensile hair. Mom hug + more hug from hair? FUCK YES.

Reptile/Syzoth: I mean this for both reptilian and human form btw. Because in one case, gigantic croco-man being extra careful to not to nick you on claws and scales, and on the other, nuzzles and contact. BOTH have the ups of strength, dad hugs (his son may be dead but I will attest that no matter the status of the child, the ability to give dad hugs remains with the father in question) are also best hugs, and a tail. Also being cold-blooded he'll probably try to seek warmth from the person he's hugging. So more physical contact. Which is Amazing.

A Tier:

Raiden: Very sweet and kind, just BARELY didn't make S tier. Only because the lightning probably means he's got static everywhere and even if his amulet is turned off, he's still gonna accidentally shock you. Which for some people is negligible, but this is my list. Still great at hugs, but with a fatal flaw.

Liu Kang: Also a very near-miss for S tier. He's got a lot of the same ups as Kuai Liang, except he's a good deal less sensitive than the latter dialogue wise, and he strikes me as the kinda guy who feels a little awkward hugging people. Not bad in the slightest, but he prefers other methods of affection.

Kenshi: He's not a very physically affectionate person, before or after blindness, and probably has a few issues recognizing when it's necessary. However, when he does give hugs, (more likely that he's the one being given the hug), he's very sweet about it. Probably goes on for a while longer than originally intended, very good for touch starvation. Just don't expect it very often.

Kung Lao: Would be an S if he TOOK OFF THE FUCKING HAT. Look man, I'm tryna get physical affection, and you're real nice and sweet when you wanna be, but I am NOT tryna get decapitated by that fuckin table saw super-glued to your head! Good arms, tho.

Shao: Yeah this one surprised me too. But, big guy, leans down, and DEFINITELY a fan of head pats. But he's a near miss for B because of the fact that 1, definitely not a hugger, and 2, he's an asshole. He probably gives side hugs if absolutely necessary. Definitely hugged Reiko when he was a kid, tho.

Shang Tsung: OK HEAR ME OUT. Absolute BOTTOM of A tier, but DAMMIT that fucker is a convincing guy. He's spent years and years hawking fake cures and things, you think he doesn't know how to use physical means to make his sales pitch more convincing? He's actually very, very good at hugs and making people feel better about themselves, and that's part of what makes him so damn dangerous.

B Tier:

Kitana: People are gonna hate me for not putting her higher, huh? Well I speak naught but the truth. Bc my girl is NOT a hugger for anybody except her family. Just not really her thing. She prefers a handshake and good conversation from her friends and allies. She gives decent hugs when called for, and is a good person to hug in crisis, but she'd rather be there either in a group hug or on the side talking someone through it while one of the S or As handle the Actual Hugging Part.

Tanya: Same kinda deal as Kitana, but mostly for maintaining professionalism as an Umgadi. She's very sweet and understanding, but prefers to pat shoulders and give affection through presence unless you're very, VERY close to her (cough Mileena)

Ermac: Total wild card. Countless souls within the body mean countless possibilities for hug affinity or quality. So direct middle of B tier, just to be safe. Based on story mode, however, Jerrod is a solid S.

Ashrah: Again, not much of a hugger, but gives decent ones when necessary. Isn't used to physical affection in the slightest, but overtime may graduate to an A as she comes to understand touch as something that doesn't have to hurt.

Takeda: I... Really don't have an explanation for this one. I just. Very mid vibes.

Reiko: Affection is for weak losers, man up and get over it, why don't you? What do you mean touch doesn't have to be hostile, that's crazy talk, leave him alone. Nevermind the fact that he will probably break down sobbing if he gets a real hug he can't push away, and will probably come just this side of crushing the hugger's ribs in return, what? Didn't happen, if you speak of this, you lose your jaw. Why are you bringing the General into this?

C Tier:

Rain: Not a hugger, not good at it, doesn't want to be. Also VERY sweaty. Or maybe that's just his water magic. Either way not good. The only thing keeping him out of D tier is he's got a decent amount of strength to it.

Havik: Will absolutely detach his entire torso in the middle of a hug so the other person freaks the fuck out. He thinks this is funny. It's not.

Peacemaker: Cop mentality and insensitive. The ONLY reason he's not in D is because I am told John Cena is amazing at hugs, so he has some trickle-down skill from there.

Mileena: Was a solid A before getting Tarkat. Very sweet and physically affectionate, and one of the things she mourns the most from before the infection. She especially wishes she could hug Tanya and Kitana more often, but they're also the last people in the world she wants to get sick.

D Tier:

Sub-Zero/Bi-Han: Ew cold hands. Also believes that physical affection is a weakness and refuses to do it. How in the hell is he related to Kuai Liang???

Li Mei: Is a fucking cop. As a rule, cops are bad at hugs.

Quan Chi: Why would you ever want a hug from this fucker? Unless you're Shang Tsung. And even then it's probably not great just because he doesn't get the point.

Baraka: NOPE. Even if you don't care about Tarkat, he does, and will refuse hugs of any kind ever. Even if it wasn't contagious, he's very spiky and awkward with it. Ask Syzoth.

Omni-Man: Just as likely to crush your ribcage as to awkwardly pat the back, more either way depending. Best avoid this fashy fuck all together.

Geras: He is very sweet and a good emotional rock. But a hugger he is not. He refuses hugs with a similar fervency to Baraka, but without the urgency ofc. He hates hugs, and asks that you please respect his boundaries. Also he'd get sand all over your clothes.

Homelander: Do I even need to explain.

[bethanythebogwitch]

Origins of legendary Pokemon: gen IV

It's been a long time since I wrote one of these posts, but I'm back now to examine the real-life inspirations of legendary and mythical Pokemon. for previous generations see gen I, gen II, and gen III. For previous series I did like this see all fish Pokemon, all non-fish aquatics, and all starters.

The lake trio kind of fit as the Mew clones of gen IV, at least in them being small, floating psychic-types that look a lot like Mew. The three are based on and named after fairies from European legend: Uxie the pixie, Mespirit the sprite, and Azelf the elf or Agnome the gnome. The three may also be based on the three highest ranks of angels from the traditional Christian hierarchy invented by the writer Pseudo-Dionysus. Like angels, the lake trio were created by and presumably work for Arceus, the Pokemon god. Uxie most likely lines up with the Cherubim, angels that are associated with knowledge and wisdom. Mesprite could be associated with Seraphim, who are associated with love. Azelf would be associated with Thrones/Ophanim, who are sometimes called 'valiant ones'. In addition, the lake trio draw from the three sacred treasures or imperial regalia of Japan, three artifacts ascribed with mythical origins that are each associated with a a particular virtue. They are the sword Kusanagi no Tsurugi (associated with valor and with Azelf, who brings willpower and lives in Lake Valor), the mirror Yata no Kagami (associated with wisdom and Uxie, who created knowledge and lives in Lake Aquity) and the bead Yasakani no Magatama (associated with benevolence and Mesprit, who created emotion and will punish those who disrespect it). Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf's names also abbreviate to UMA, which in Japanese means 'unidentified mysterious animal', another term for cryptid, animals that are believed to exist by some people but are not recognized by science. The lake trio being mythical beings who live in lakes fits with famous cryptids like the Loch Ness monster.

(image: an artists impression of the three sacred treasures. The actual treasures are kept from the public by the Japanese royal family and some historians doubt whether they actually exist. The mirror is a bronze disc decorated with intricate designs and covered in rust. The sword is a double-edged straight sword with intricate points on the blade, which is chipped and rusty. The bead is a curved magatama bead made from jade with a hole bored in it. End ID. Source).

The creation trio or Pokemon of myth may also be based on angels as they serve the Pokemon god lust like the lake trio. In that case, Giratina would be a fallen angel or even Satan as it was banished to the distortion world by Arceus for it's dangerous behavior like how fallen angels rebelled with Satan and were banished to hell. Dialga and Palkia are physically based on dinosaurs, Dialga being one of the quadrupedal, long-necked sauropods and Palkia being one of the bipedal theropods, though it's upright, tail-dragging pose comes from outdated and inaccurate theropod reconstructions. The Japanese word for dinosaur, kyoryu, contains 'ryu', which means 'dragon", so there is a heavy association of dragons and dinosaurs in Japanese media.

(Image id: left: art of a theropod dinosaur. It is a bird-like reptilethat stands on two legs and has small arms. Its body is covered in feathers and it has a long tail. right: art of a group of sauropods. They are very large quadrupedal reptiles with long necks and tails. End Id. Source 1, Source 2)

The origin forms for Dialga and Palkia make them look more like Arceus and therefore make them based on the qilin or longma. I will go over those origins when I discuss Arceus. Palkia's origin form also looks like an armless centaur. Giratina looks more like a centipede or insect in its altered form and a serpent or serpentine dragon in its origin form. Since Dialga and Palkia are dragons, Giratina may be based on an omukade, a gigantic centipede in Japanese folklore that devoured dragons. Centipedes are often associated with impurity in Shinto, which goes with Giratina being a fallen member of the creation trio. The typings of the trio could come from states of matter. The steel-type Dialga is based on solids, the water-type Palkia is based on liquids, and the ghost-type Giratina represents gasses. The story of Dialga and Palkia likely comes from the Shinto creation myth. In said myth, the gods Izanagi and Izanami used a spear to create one island, placed a pillar on that island, and created the rest of the islands from it. Dialga and Palkia are credited with creating Sinnoh from Spear Pillar.

Like the other Regis, Regigigas is based on a golem. Golems are being of semitic legend that are made of inanimate matter and animated via magic. The most famous golem legend is the golem of Prague, which was made of clay and was animated with a word either etched on its forehead or on a tablet that was placed in its mouth. The dots on Regigigas's head represent the writing on the golem's forehead. Regigigas being involved with the creation of the world before being sealed in Snowpoint Temple could come from the Greek legend of the titans, the generation of gods before the Olympians who were defeated and sealed away in a war. Specifically, Regigigas draws from the titan Prometheus, who created humanity at Zeus's request and ended up siding with humans against the other gods. For stealing fire from the gods to give to humans, Zeus imprisoned Prometheus. In LA, the flame plate description mentions a punishment for defeated giants, which likely references the fate of the titans. Slow Start may be part of Regigigas's punishment for whatever it did. Regigigas also draws from the Daidarabotchi, a Japanese giant so big it could be mistaken for a mountain while sleeping. In one legend, a demigod named Omizunu was said to be as big as a Daidarabotchi. He wanted to expand his domain, so he chopped off pieces of a nearby island and used ropes to drag them over to his domain. This is the origin of Regigigas dragging the continents into their current configuration with ropes.

(Image: traditional Japanese art depicting Omizunu visiting a hot spring and meeting another character. He is depicted as a giant wearing robes and beads ans is much larger than the other character. Original artist unknown. End ID)

Heatran seems to be based on myths from around the word that explain volcanoes by claiming a monster or deity lived in them. Many cultures would attempt to appease this monster through rituals to keep the volcano from erupting. Heatrean's fire-steel typing comes from the intense heat within the planet and it's iron core. Not a lot more here.

Darkrai and Cresselia are based on phases of the moon and dreams. Cresselia's name and design identifies it as being based on the crescent moon while Darkrai is based on the new moon, when the night is darkest. Cresselia has a lot going on for a minor legendary. It looks like a swan to reference the constellation Cygnus ad the rings around it look like planetary rings as wells as auroras and hagoromo, garments worn by the Tennin, divine beings in Japanese Buddhism who have the power to bring good luck like how Cresselia can bring good dreams. The hagoromo grant the Tennin the power of flight, something Cresselia is shown to have. One play called Hagoromo depicts a man stealing a female Tennin's robe to prevent her from returning to the heavens and force her to marry him. Scholars have pointed out a similarity between this play and western swan legend stories. Cresselia's color scheme comes from the robes of the Chinese moon goddess Chang'e. LA adds mention that Cresselia resembles a heavenly maiden who created the milky way. This could reference the Estonian goddess Lindu or Greed titaness Rhea, both of which are credited with creating the milky way and are associated with birds. Finnish mythology also stated that the milky way was a patch that birds would follow to reach Linutoko, the home of birds.

(Image: art of a Tennyo (female Tennin) by Matthew Meyer. She looks like a human woman flying in the sky wearing a long skirt and flowing pink hagoromo robes that flow around her body. She also wears jewelry and white makeup and carries a pair of cymbals. End ID).

Darkrai being a bringer of nightmares draws from mythical creatures from cultures around the world that would bring nightmares and often sit on people's chests while they did so. Examples of these creatures include the German Alp, Thai Phi Am, Turkic Basty, Philippine Batibat or Bangungot, Catalan Pesanta, and Germanic and Slavic Mara or Mara or Zmara. The prevalence of these beings in so many separate cultures is believed to be the result of sleep paralysis. This is a medical condition where the body partially wakes up, leaving them conscious but paralyzed. Hallucinations are common during sleep paralysis and common hallucinations include an intruder or monster sitting on or standing above the person being paralyzed. A specific nightmare monster Darkrai may draw from is the Slavic Notsnitsa, which could be warded off by placing a knife or adder stone under the pillow. This is likely the origin for Cresselia's lunar wing protecting against Darkrai's nightmares. Sleep paralysis may also be part of the inspiration for boogeymen or other monsters that lurk in children's bedrooms, which are likely another inspiration for Darkrai. For more modern folklore, Darkrai may draw from stories of shadow people, ghost-like beings of shadow that are also likely partially inspired by sleep paralysis. Physically, Darkrai being a humanoid to becomes an indistinct cloud at the waist draws from popular depiction of genies.

(Image: The Nightmare, a painting by Henry Fuseli, 1781. It depicts a sleeping woman in a white nightgown hanging off of a bed. A goblin or imp-like creature is sitting on her chest and a black horse looks in from behind a curtain. This represents folklore that says mares would steal and ride people's horses and sit on people's chests to cause nightmares. End ID)

Shaymin has one of the most simple and yet genius design inspirations for any Pokemon. It's a literal hedgehog. It likely also draw from chis pets, sculptures which plants grow from. It being the gratitude Pokemon and having flowers and buds growing on it makes it a living bouquet. Sky form Shaymon looking somewhat like an ungulate may reference Santa's reindeer. The red petals on its neck could draw from an aviator's scarf or the scarves worn by many heroes in sentai stories. Shaymon purifying the air references environmentalism and cleaning up pollution, as well as plants use in filtering harmful chemicals from water, soil and air.

(Image: a hedgehog standing in grass. It is a small, brown, round mammal with a pointy snout, and short spines covering its back. End ID)

The lake trio may be Mew clones in looks and typing, but Manaphy takes the role in stats and being a mythical. Manaphy and Phione are weird Pokemon. Manaphy can only breed with Ditto, and can produce only Phione as an offspring. Phione can also breed with Ditto and only makes more Phione. Manaphy only producing Phhione could be a reference to eusocial animals. These animals live in colonies which usually only have one breeding female, a queen, who produces non-breeding drones to act as workers and guards. Manaphy could be the queen bee with Phione as the drones. Manaphy's role as a sea guardian could come from sea deities line Greek Nereids. In that case, Phione could be a demigod a half-god who is still more powerful than a mortal but less than a full deity. Physically, Manaphy and Phione are based on sea slugs of the genus Clione, commonly known as sea angels. These are free-swimming, translucent sea slugs that are popular in Japan, especiall in Hokkaido, the island Sinnoh is based on.

(Image: Clione limacina, a sea angel. It is a long, slender sea slug with a distinct head and two wing-like fins. Most of its body is translucent, except for its digestive organs, which are bright orange. End ID)

We have reached the original one itself, Arceus. Arceus is based on creator deities, gods from cultures worldwide who are responsible fro creating the world. Given that Dialga and Palkia represent Izanami and Izanagi as the creators of Japan in Shintoism, Arceus could represent Ame-no-Minakanushi or Kuni-no-Tokotachi, both of whom are identified in different Shinto sources at the first god who sent Izanami and Izanagi to create the world but did not otherwise take part in creation. Prior to LA, Arceus was described as slumbering after creating the other legendary Pokemon and not interfering with the universe. This could draw from deism, a form of religions belief in a god who is responsible for creating the world or universe, but does not interact with it at all. LA reveals that Arceus does occasionally intervene, but prefers to act through human agents rather than directly interfere. This references many myths in which a god tasks a mortal to do something for them. LA also revels that the Arceus we see in the games is only a creation of the true Arceus that it makes in order to interact with the universe. The true Arceus is unseen and unknowable. Many myths say that gods make avatars to interact with humans as we are not capable of seeing their true forms and surviving. For example, in Greek myth, the human mother of Dionysus was tricked into requesting to see Zeus's true form. Zues showed her only a small amount of his true self and even still, she was burned to ash. A similar story in Islam has Moses request to see God's true from. God says he will show himself to a mountain first and then ask Moses again. The mountain is obliterated and Moses quickly changes his mind. The game Arceus being a lesser creation of the true Arceus likely acts as an explanationg for how god has been power-crept since gen IV. It's kind of silly to have the supreme being be straight-up weaker than a dog with a knife. Arceus is said to have hatched from an egg before there was anything. This is a straightforward to the cosmic egg, a story in many cultures from around the world in which the universe or the creator god is born from an egg prior to creation.

(Image: a white llama. It is a hoofed quadruped mammal with long legs and a long, upright neck. Its body is covered in fluffy, white fur. End ID)

Arceus's physical appearance looks like an ungulate mammal, with traits of Equidae (horses), Camelidae (camels and llamas), and Giraffidae (giraffes and okapi). It is most likely based on the Qilin, a mythical creature from China that combines the traits of a dragon with a horse or ox. Qilin are often used as symbols of power and benevolence and are associated with the Yellow Emperor, the mythologized founder of Chinese culture. The appearance of a Qilin is said to foreshadow the birth or death of a great sage or emperor, much like how the physical form of Arceus is the emissary of the true Arceus. Another inspiration could be the Longma, a Chinese legendary creature similar to the Qilin. It is a winged horse with the scales and head of a dragon.

(Image: a statue of a qilin in Beijing's Summer Palace. It is a quadruped with cloven hooves and dragon scales. The head looks lion-like, with a beard, long whiskers, and deer-like antlers. End ID)

The ring around Arcues could come from a halo, a symbol of divinity in many cultures. It may also come from the Buddhist symbols of the Dharmachakra and Bhavachakra, wheels used to symbolize the endless and beginningless cycle of death and rebirth called Samsara. The end goal of Buddhism is to escape from Samsara by reaching enlightenment. Arceus is also said o have 1000 arms, but only has 4 legs in the game. This may be another Buddhism reference. Avalokiteśvara (or Kannon in Japan) is a boddhisatva (person on the path to enlightenment who has obtained godlike powers) often depicted as the cosmic man (a depiction of Buddhist and Hindu cosmology in the form of a person) who is said to have a thousand arms but often manifests in a form with white skin and four arms. Presumably Arceus's true form has the thousand arms, making the white quadruped we see its avatar.

(image: a Tibetan depiction of Avalokiteśvara. He looks like a human with pale, white skin and four arms. He sits cross-legged and is adorned with colorful robes, jewelry, and flowers. End ID. Image from Wikipedia, I couldn't find the original source.)

[eevylynn]

That Boy is a Monster

Sterek || G || Creature Stiles || 1836 wc

Derek almost blacked out at that point, that is until he felt two hands grab him and force him back up towards the surface. Gasping for air as soon as his head broke the water, Derek moved his eyes towards the left to see who his savior was. “Stiles?!” He yelped, “You’re a–”

Made using the prompt "Glowing Eyes" for @sterekbingo

I don't know what came over me, but I just cranked this whole thing out in the course of one afternoon. That never happens, but I was like a woman possessed with this thing, so here you go!

Also, yes, I acknowledge the irony that I didn't use a different square for this story, lol.

~*~*~*~

“Stiles, run!” Derek yelled, frantically turning to push him away from the giant reptile creature. That split second of making sure the human ran to safety proved dangerous for Derek because the humanoid lizard thing whipped its tail, scratching the back of Derek’s neck.

Almost immediately, he felt the difference the paralytic venom made on his senses, muffling them. He had a vague thought of wondering if this was how human hearing worked. Derek heard Stiles’ voice say something, but it felt like his brain was working sluggishly, almost like his body was putting everything into fighting off the venom before it seized hold over him.

It took Derek a second to register Stiles slipping under his arm, helping him run around the pool, and away from the creature.

“Where is it? Can you see it?” Stiles asked.

“No! Just Hurry!” Derek said briskly. “Call Scott!”

They needed help. Erica was knocked out, Boyd was busy, and Derek wasn’t going to put Isaac in danger of getting arrested by coming onto campus. Not to mention he was too far away. Scott was close. Besides, even if Derek wasn’t Scott’s favorite person (for whatever reason Scott decided on this time), he’d come to save Stiles at the very least; Scott’s very human best friend.

Stiles had his phone in his other hand, frantically trying to call Scott for assistance. In classic Stiles fashion though, he fumbled the phone, dropping it to the ground, releasing his grip on Derek in the process–

“Stiles!” Derek shouted desperately as he fell. “Son of a –”

If Derek thought things were muffled before, there’s nothing like being paralyzed in a pool. He was barely able to take a breath before submerging completely. Derek felt the paralysis take full hold of his body by the time he hit the water.

Powerless.

That’s how Derek felt as he slowly sunk to the bottom. He couldn’t even move his head, much less do anything to save himself. Maybe it was what he deserved for everything that has happened in his life. What Derek deserved for what he had done.

Derek’s head felt fuzzy as he lost the oxygen in his brain. His vision was starting to get fuzzy…

Then, he saw it.

Two bright, seafoam green orbs floated towards him.

Derek almost blacked out at that point, that is until he felt two hands grab him and force him back up towards the surface.

Gasping for air as soon as his head broke the water, Derek moved his eyes towards the left to see who his savior was.

“Stiles?!” He yelped, “You’re a–”

Holding him with surprisingly strong arms, the younger teen looked very different from the human Derek thought he knew. His pale, speckled skin had taken on a greenish sheen. His shorn hair was the color of seaweed, and his eyes, sure enough, were a glowing seafoam green. On each side of his long, graceful neck, right below his jawline, were real life gills, opening and closing as the water Stiles was treading entered them. The hands holding him had a thin web of green skin connecting them together.

[continue reading on ao3]

[dreamerwasntfound]

Kpop Writers and Fic Recs

List of Kpop Fanfic writers I follow and the fic I found them with (if there is one)!!

Warning: Very Long List :)

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✎ @remedyx > Boyfriend for Hire (Series) ♡ BTS OT7 x Reader # N/A ➤ n/a 🗨 Unsatisfied with your life was an understatement. Being under the thumb of your father can have that effect. He wanted someone capable of running the company, but you wanted to pursue your passion. Countless unwanted blind dates and the threat of losing your freedom drives you to seek help from a group of individuals you’d least expected.

✎ @bebejungkook > Gym Bunny (Series) ♡ Jungkook x Reader # N/A ➤ Toxic friends, reader learns to love herself, cuss words, accidental boners, some mean comments about reader from her friends and Kooks bestie who hates YN. 🗨 After being tired of feeling insecure you decided to take your friends advice and hit the gym. The only problem is you don’t know what to do, but luckily the very muscular and scary guy next to you offered to teach you a couple things. He just also happens to be the sweetest man you’ve ever met and not scary at all. You catch yourself falling in love with him on your journey of self love, but old insecurities stop you from doing anything about it.

✎@your-daily-biaswrecking > You sit on his lap in the car and he cums in his pants + but, check out their m.list ♡ Kim Namjoon x Reader # Drabble ➤ n/a 🗨 Like the title says ;)

✎ @m-yg93 > Solace ♡ Kim Namjoon x Reader # 13.5k ➤ Brief blood mention from a cut, mention of minor character death (sickness), fingering, hand job, big dick joon, belly bulge, unprotected sex, mentions of choking, creampie, dirty talk, inconsistent POV 🗨 Namjoon thought getting used to a new roommate would take time and adaptation but you fit yourself into his apartment with ease. He swears he only landed in your bed to keep you safe in his arms when you get spooked by the storm. Surely he can blame the eventual lack of clothing on the summer’s heat stroke.

✎ @joonsytip > Anonymously Yours ♡ Hong Joshua x Fem!Reader # 18.6k ➤ Fluff, Angst, Humour (broken coz mine), high school au, enemies to lovers au, strangers to lovers au, anonymously yours au. 🗨 After an accidental text message turns into a digital friendship, you and Joshua start crushing on each other without realizing you both see each other frequently in real life.

✎ @peekaboongi > Snake Kisses (& Defense Against the Dark Farts) ♡ Yoongi x Reader # 8.5k (& 2.2k+) ➤ Licking kink? masturbation, voyeurism, exhibitionism (kinda?), slight? biting kink, dom!yoongi, sort of aphrodisiac? idk his spit makes you kinda sorta sensitive does that count as a spit kink? fingering, oral (female receiving), orgasm denial, degradation, name calling, spanking, pet names (he calls her princess), cumplay,  unprotected sex, humiliation, handjobs, choking, creampie, like mild cum inflation? overstimulation. oh dear god this is more than I thought it was. (& dom yoongi but also soft yoongi, one tiny possible spoiler for the very last harry potter movie, sad danger noodle yoongle, oral (male), handjobs, yoongi has two dicks, one (1) spank, yoongi spits on her hand, unprotected sex, degradation, name calling, pet names (he calls he princess), tiny bit of begging not really, i think that’s it) 🗨 You are grossly unprepared for the snake hybrid that enters your life. Yoongi is quiet and sneaks around you but eventually, even the cold reptile warms up to you. (& While trying to get Yoongi to take the full Pottermore sorting quiz, you discover something that he’s self-conscious about. Lucky for him, you love every part of him, snake bits and everything. ↳ defensive snake farts are a thing, apparently)

✎ @whatifyoulivelikethat > (seven) days a week ♡ jungkook x reader # N/A ➤ rated M (18+) for language (reader swears a lot); strangers-to-lovers; vague allusions to a loveless childhood and bad parenting (no specifics); JK might be insane and you do tell him that he is; slight crack; fluff; smut (fem reader, fucking with clothes on and off, m and f-receiving oral, light hair pulling, fingering, nipple play, choking, penetrative sex, handjob); non-idol!BTS – persistent!Jungkook x noona, def tsundere!reader lol ft instigator-cupid!Park Jimin setting them up 🗨 It only takes seven days (a week) for Jeon Jungkook to get you in his bed to fuck you right. And showing up in weird places. And kissing in the rain. He’s crazy. Okay, it’s kinda complicated.

✎ @httpjeon > lovebug ♡ jimin/reader # 12k ➤ spider hybrid!jimin, hybrid mistreatment/bullying, love self esteem/self-worth, arguments, crying, physical altercation between jimin & reader, name-calling, attachment anxiety, possessiveness, kissing, scenting, dom!jimin, manhandling, size kink/difference, fingering, dirty talk, cunnilingus, sensitivity kink, wet & messy, lots of cum, cumflation, jimins duality 🗨 hybrids are lovable companions for humans. unfortunately, most people simply want a cat or dog with which they can cuddle and love on. while looking for one to adopt, a lonesome hybrid of an unusual breed catches your eye.

✎ @solemnreads > Way Back Home (Series) ♡ jungkook x reader # N/A ➤ parents au, single parent, coparenting, chaebol, ceo jungkook, assistant reader, jeon twins, one of the babies has a weak heart, smut 🗨 "please tell me this isn't what i think it is" he asks you with tears in his eyes. you look down at the sight of your son with an oxygen mask on his face while your daughter is sleeping on the couch near the wall. you look into his eyes, broken and sad. you've dreamt of this day for years, wondering how he would react. but here you are, hoping he could've meet the twins under different circumstances. "yes...they're your children."

✎ @dovechim > the singularity theory (m) (Series) ♡ yoongi x reader # N/A ➤ posted on each chapter 🗨 in your last year of undergrad, you find out what a gloryhole is at the expense of your final year thesis. it’s a classic example of a psychology experiment that went way, way wrong. but how were you to know that a certain min yoongi would be sticking his dick into your life?

✎ @jeonstudios > drown for you (Series) ♡ siren!jk x f reader # N/A ➤ posted on each chapter 🗨 there was something in that enormous tank, hidden in the murky water. all you knew was that you weren’t allowed inside the room and that it used to hold something dangerous.

✎ @barbika1508 > Lacuna (Series) + M.List ♡ Hybrid!Jeongguk x reader # N/A ➤ posted on each chapter 🗨 posted on each chapter

✎ @btssmutgalore > Nude (Series) ♡ Taehyung x reader # N/A ➤ smut 🗨 You accidentally send a nude to Taehyung, a fuckboy you definitely shouldn't have been thinking about, despite already kissing him. The fact that he's your roommate's best friend doesn't help your situation at all.

✎ @joonberriess > Jock!JK (Series) + M.List ♡ jock!jungkook x reader # N/A ➤ posted on each chapter

✎ @dreamescapeswriting > BTS Reactions + M.List

✎ @taesbetch > To Own A Hybrid (Series) + M.List ♡ Jungkook x Reader # N/A ➤ posted on each chapter 🗨 the hybrid world was one y/n never really involved herself in; however, after certain events, she is tossed into a world of uncertainty in the company of a particularly rude hybrid. 

✎ @gothvkth > sensitive ♡ Jeon Jeongguk x GN!Reader # 2k+ ➤ self conscious jk, sensitive jk, nipple play, pussy pocket, vibrator, dirty talk, whiny jk, orgasm denial, sub jk, dom reader, pre-discussed kinks and wtv, safe sane and consensual, jk hugs a pillow to his chest like a cutie, a hint of dacryphilia, jk cries but he loves it. 🗨 you two have been friends since the beginning of time. after finally getting together, you guys had a miscommunication problem regarding your sex life in concern that jeongguk didn't want you but truth is, he's just a sensitive boy, too sensitive.

✎ @taleasnewastime > Purr-haps I like you ♡ Yoongi x Reader # 11.6k ➤ An abandoned cat; the cat gets ill at one point. 🗨 You have a no pets policy where you live, but when you find a tiny kitten in a box on the side of the road, what can you do but bring it home with you? The only problem? The landlord who made the no pets rule, also happens to be your flatmate.

✎ @kookslastbutton > Too Late to Dream (Series) ♡ professor!jungkook x fem!artist!Reader # 16.5k (TBA) ➤ 8-year age gap, professor-student relationship (oc was a Masters student), lots of family drama, fighting, pent-up issues/desires, jk has daddy issues, therapy, sexual content + more specific warnings per chapter 🗨 You did it. You married your college professor. You even bought a house together. Against all odds, everything had fallen into place. But after two years of marriage, you begin feeling something was missing. You want a baby but your husband can’t say the same.

✎ @stylesluxx > Eight Years (Series) ♡ poly!ceo!bts x reader # N/A ➤ angst (and more, posted on each part) 🗨 in which they fall out of love

✎ @jcwriting > There's A First Time For Everything ♡ idol!namjoon x reader # 2.8k ➤ swearing, oral (m receiving), face fucking, choking, reader has a painful thigh kink (don’t we all), overuse of the word thigh 🗨 namjoon has never had a blowjob before. you’re about to change that.

✎ @minnochu > Lustrous (Series) ♡ Hybrid!Kook x Reader

✎ @appreciatethefoolishness > Bunny Trouble (Series) ♡ jeongguk x reader

✎ @numinousher > Combined Beings (Series) + M.List ♡ mafia/ceo!bts x chubby!reader # N/A ➤ cursing, a bit of mature content ( English isn’t my first language so just to warn you all 😭),  deep conversations based on beauty standards, body dysmorphia, mental health issues, harassment/bullying, gore/violence 🗨 You are bullied on a constant because korea’s beauty standards do not fit girls on the heavier side. The bullying gets worse once a ceo is attracted to you and he mentions you to the other 6.

✎ @secretbangtnn > Until I bleed out (Series) ♡ poly!BTS x hybrid!reader # N/A ➤ mentions of sexual assault and sex trafficing, violence, mentions of homelessness, mental problems, panic attacks, reader is scared of everything, bts just wants to help, smut later, mentions of abo, to be added… 🗨 Hybrids always were discriminated against, the laws passing over years changed nothing, collars still needed to be seen on those innocent necks like some kind of label. Cruelty was something the hybrids faced on daily basis, sex trafficing or illegal fighting it still felt as if those humans treated everything like pets. Situation you however found yourself in, was kind of different - not worse not better but still so bad you did not know if the next day would be yours, and when the winter started coming with big steps it was only a matter of time when the freezing cold would eat you alive. Unless one silent night a little too loud striped tiger decides to break your calm nap with a clumsy package of long limbs after him who just could not leave your tired and scared self alone…

✎ @20moonchild21 > Sehncucht - Discontinued? ♡ Hybrid!BTS x human!female!oc # N/A ➤ fluff, angst, humor, smut (later), mentioning of sexual assaultment, abuse, violence, friendship, love, dark themes 🗨 Hope is your average New York college girl, who is only one step away from reaching her big dream and becoming a lawyer for Hybrid rights. Never would she have thought, that one night, where she heard a whimpering coming from a dark alley, could turn her whole word upside down.

✎ @strlstlvr > skz finding your old fan tweet for them (hyung line linked, also maknae line version available) ♡ skz x reader # N/A ➤ smau, crack, a wee bit suggestive in changbins🫣 🗨 of course you were always their biggest fan, too bad they took a deep dive and found out how obsessed you actually were

✎ @alternateafterthought > Golden Time (Series) + M.List ♡ hybrid!jungkook x reader # 30k+ ➤ posted on each chapter 🗨 Y/N has been rescuing and recovering hybrids her entire life. Now she has inherited her grandparent’s hybrid sanctuary. It was a normal rescue, get the hybrid, recover him and give him a choice, stay on the sanctuary or find a life for himself. Why was this one so different?

✎ @idkcantthinkofaname > It takes time (Series) ♡ bts x reader # N/A ➤ posted on each chapter 🗨 after finally getting the house y/n always wanted, she find a hybrid hiding in an old shed. Unlike most people who find strays, y/n doesn’t turn him into h.c mainly because there was a lot of shady things that happened with the hybrid control in the area.

✎ @jiminrings > 4-7-8 (Series) ♡ jungkook x reader # N/A ➤ semi-heavy angst (pls take a break when necessary!!), emotional constipation, no cheating happens here btw (neither physical nor emotional), self-loathing, miscommunication, based on the moral dilemma of whether or not it's okay to be friends with ur ex, intense yearning + specified tags in each installment! 🗨 you're secure when it comes to loving jungkook, knowing that your husband loves you beyond words. what you aren't so secure about is his first love - someone who isn't you. alternatively, jungkook's married to you, but he still celebrates his anniversary with his ex out of sentimentality.

✎ @ya9amicide > Redamancy (Series) ♡ ot7 x ot7, ot7 x oc # N/A ➤ posted on each chapter 🗨 Hybrids were accepted in society to a certain degree. To some, they are for entertainment. Used as sex and money tools. To lock up and abuse whenever and however they please. Something to have control over. To others, they are companions. Just like regular animals are used for therapy or simply companionship, hybrids are too. To the rest, they are just like everyone else. Someone with their own life who deserves the same freedoms as your everyday John or Jane Doe. Wren is one of these people. She hates the idea of owning a hybrid. She has nothing against those who own them for medical or companionship reasons. Just the rest. But, when a ragtag pack of seven mismatched hybrids somehow ends up in the woods behind her home, she takes them in and does the one thing she never thought she would do. Own them. But, she also does something she didn't even think was possible. She fell in love with each and every one of them.

✎ @sue-bts > Teething ♡ Bunny!Jungkook x Reader # N/A ➤ much smut very sin wow, biting, pet/owner (he is of age, hybrid stuff makes the developmental process- i.e. teething- a bit slowed but he’s 19) 🗨 (Requested) Can you do one where hybrid Jungkook is going through his heat and he just needs dom!y/n so bad, but she just loves to see him beg and practically dry hump her leg. Can you add dirty talk in there too. I don’t care what he’s mixed with.

✎ @eternal-mikrokosmos > Stubborn Hugs (Series) ♡ Hybrid Namjoon x Reader, occasional ot7 x reader, ot7 x ot7 # N/A ➤ posted in each chapter 🗨 After helping out a koala and bunny hybrid, your bring them home with your other hybrids to adjust. But a certain koala doesn’t seem tho get the concept of being cared for without a catch. Having your own set of secrets, it already proves difficult to gain their trust and getting them to stay with you at the same time. Your hybrids already know everything about you and are willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to keep you safe.

✎ @arrianna21 > Hybrid!Taegi Masterlist + M.List ♡ cathybrid!yoongi/doghybrid!taehyung/reader # N/A ➤ posted in each chapter

✎ @gimmesumsuga > Pink Panther ♡ Jin x reader # 13k ➤ Graphic descriptions of sex, oral sex (female receiving), impregnation kink, unprotected sex, dirty talk 🗨 ‘The one where your boss, Kim Seokjin, tries to show you how beautiful you are’ - Hybrid!AU

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✎ @borathae > Masterlist

✎ @tasteleeknow > Masterlist

✎ @ffsarchive > Masterlist

✎ @guess-whos-now-a-mood > Pretty Moodboards

✎ @taetae-tea > Masterlist

✎ @yeontanismypresident > Masterlist

✎ @jinniesboy > Masterlist

✎ @baepsaets > Posts in General

✎ @secret-kpoplibrary > Masterlist

✎ @thereaderstea > Masterlist

✎ @jamaisjoons > Masterlist

✎ @ahundredtimesover > Masterlist(s)

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[book--brackets]

Summaries under the cut

The Music of Dolphins by Karen Hesse

Mila creates headlines around the world when she is rescued from an unpopulated island off the coast of Florida. Now a teenager, she has been raised by dolphins from the age of four.

Researchers teach Mila language and music. She learns, too, about rules and expectations, about locked doors and broken promies, disappointment and betrayal.

But the more Mila finds out what it means to be human, the more deeply she longs for her ocean home.

Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell

Emmy was a good girl. At least she tried very hard to be good. She did her homework without being told. She ate all her vegetables, even the slimy ones. And she never talked back to her nanny, Miss Barmy, although it was almost impossible to keep quiet, some days.

She really was a little too good. Which is why she liked to sit by the Rat. The Rat was not good at all . . .

Gideon the Cutpurse by Linda Buckley-Archer

1763.

Gideon Seymour, cutpurse and gentleman, hides from the villainous Tar Man. Suddenly the sky peels away like fabric and from the gaping hole fall two curious-looking children. Peter Schock and Kate Dyer have fallen straight from the twenty-first century, thanks to an experiment with an antigravity machine. Before Gideon and the children have a chance to gather their wits, the Tar Man takes off with the machine -- and Kate and Peter's only chance of getting home. Soon Gideon, Kate, and Peter are swept into a journey through eighteenth-century London and form a bond that, they hope, will stand strong in the face of unfathomable treachery.

Dragonbreath by Ursula Vernon

It's not easy for Danny Dragonbreath to be the sole mythical creature in a school for reptiles and amphibians -- especially because he can't breathe fire like other dragons (as the school bully loves to remind him). But having a unique family comes in handy sometimes, like when his sea-serpent cousin takes Danny and his best iguana friend on a mindboggling underwater tour, complete with vomiting sea cucumbers and giant squid. It sure beats reading the encyclopedia to research his ocean report . . .

Undertow by Michael Buckley

Sixteen-year-old Lyric Walker’s life is forever changed when she witnesses the arrival of 30,000 Alpha, a five-nation race of ocean-dwelling warriors, on her beach in Coney Island. The world’s initial wonder and awe over the Alpha quickly turns ugly and paranoid and violent, and Lyric’s small town transforms into a military zone with humans on one side and Alpha on the other. When Lyric is recruited to help the crown prince, a boy named Fathom, assimilate, she begins to fall for him. But their love is a dangerous one, and there are forces on both sides working to keep them apart. Only, what if the Alpha are not actually the enemy? What if they are in fact humanity’s only hope of survival? Because the real enemy is coming. And it’s more terrifying than anything the world has ever seen.

Poison by Chris Wooding

Poison has always been a willful, contrary girl, prone to being argumentative and stubborn. So when her sister is snatched by the mean-spirited faeries, she seeks out the Phaerie Lord to get her back.

But finding him isn't easy, and the quest leads Poison into a murderous world of intrigue, danger, and deadly storytelling. With only her wits and her friends to aid her, Poison must survive the attentions of the Phaerie Lord, rescue her sister, and thwart a plot that's beyond anything she (or the reader) can imagine. . . .

Kiki Strike by Kirsten Miller

Life will never be the same for Ananka Fishbein after she ventures into an enormous sinkhole near her New York City apartment. A million rats, delinquent Girl Scouts out for revenge, and a secret city below the streets of Manhattan combine in this remarkable novel about a darker side of New York City you have only just begun to know about…

Willa by Robert Beatty

Move without a sound. Steal without a trace.

Willa, a young night-spirit, is her clan's best thief. She creeps into the cabins of the day-folk under cover of darkness and takes what they won't miss. It's dangerous work--the day-folk kill whatever they don't understand--but Willa will do anything to win the approval of the padaran, the charismatic leader of the Faeran people.

When Willa's curiosity leaves her hurt and stranded in the day-folk world, she calls upon the old powers of her beloved grandmother, and the unbreakable bonds of her forest allies, to escape. Only then does she begin to discover the shocking truth: that not all of her day-folk enemies are the same, and that the foundations of her own Faeran society are crumbling. What do you do when you realize that the society you were born and raised in is rife with evil? Do you raise your voice? Do you stand up against it?

As forces of unfathomable destruction encroach on her forest home, Willa must decide who she truly is, facing deadly force with the warmest compassion, sinister corruption with trusted alliance, and finding a home for her longing heart.

Sammy Keyes by Wendelin Van Draanen

Grams always told her those binoculars would get her into trouble. Now Sammy's witnessed a crime at the Heavenly Hotel-a light fingered thief stealing $4,000 from Madame Nashira, the astrologer with the fire-hazard hair-do. Thing is, while she was watching him, he was watching her, too...

First Light by Rebecca Stead

Peter is thrilled to join his parents on an expedition to Greenland, where his father studies global warming. Peter will get to skip school, drive a dogsled, and finally share in his dad's adventures. But on the ice cap, Peter struggles to understand a series of visions that both frighten and entice him. Thea has never seen the sun. Her extraordinary people, suspected of witchcraft and nearly driven to extinction, have retreated to a secret world they've built deep inside the arctic ice. As Thea dreams of a path to Earth's surface, Peter's search for answers brings him ever closer to her hidden home.

[clobertina]

Fellow Dino Nerd ruining y'all's prehistoric childhoods lol

-its not scientifically backed up that raptors hunted in coronated packs. They most likely hunted in an unorganized mob behavior and likely even killed eachother over carcasses.

-Group hunting is not the norm.

-Ceratopcid dinos could not ram into things like rhinos, otherwise it would have shattered their skulls.

-Dinosaurs could not roar, but can make bellowing sounds etc. Roaring is a mammalian thing.

-The raptor's sickle claw was not used for disembowelment, it was only sharp enough to puncture the skin but not slice it. It's been theorized that it was used to pinning it's prey down as the creature ate it's prey alive as well as for helping them climb.

-Most dinos didn't have protruding teeth like you always see in media, they had lip coverings, otherwise their teeth would dry out. One of the few creatures like Crocodilians who do have their teeth protruding out; their skulls and teeth do not match with those of dinosaurs. In fact, most skulls of carnivorous dinos have these little holes above their teeth, something found in animals that have lip coverings.

-Troodon is a Nomen dubium, meaning that it is not a valid genus. Sorry to all the Troodon fans. This is because Troodon was made from a single tooth, causing many scientists to lump in all things with similar teeth into that genus, causing major problems in the long run. It is now refered to "an Arctic Troodontid" instead of just "Troodon".

-The Brachiosaurus you see in most dino movies, (mainly Jurassic Park/World) is NOT ACTUALLY A BRACHIOSAURUS. The dino you keep seeing is ACTUALLY a Giraffatitan!

-It is unclear if Triceratops (and I mean Triceratops specifically) lived in large herds. It is more believed that they lived in smaller groups.

- "Pterodactyl" is not a real word, dinosaur, or a real genus. The real classification is called "Pterosaur". In fact, Pterosaurs are not even dinosaurs lol. Pterosaurs are actually reptiles and it's even been found from fossilized eggs that they layed soft-shelled eggs like snakes!

-Spinosaurus looked like this (at least as of now, this Dino keeps changing fr lol)

To make up for that, here's cool prehistoric facts.

-feathers make dinosaurs more dangerous believe it or not. Feathers can break their fall, make them more silent, protect them from the cold, and more.

-Mosasaurs are not dinosaurs and are, interestingly, a distant relative to Monitor Lizards, they even have a forked tongue!

-T-Rex was pretty intelligent, had incredible vision, incredible since of smell, and can run as fast (or slightly faster) than the average human. They where the irl Mary Sue fr lol. That said, they weren't unstoppable and just an animal. (I'm side eyeing the T-Rex fan boys so hard rn lol).

-Fossilized chemicals give us an idea of some dinosaur's actual colors! Sinosauropteryx is the most common example!

-T-Rex was an ambush predator and would be much scarier than the Hollywood counterpart. This is because they would be much more silent and would stalk their prey instead of immediately making it's presence known.

-Tyrannosaurids start out leaner, faster, and weaker than their adult counterparts when a juvenile or adolescent. This is because they filled a different niche. Once they age, they grow chunkier, slower, and stronger to fill in their new niche of hunting bigger creatures like Triceratops.

-Even though it is not supported that raptors hunted in packs. It IS actually supported that Albertosaurus did! While with raptors, their group remains are mostly found near other fossilized animals, Albertosaurus Fossils have been found in LARGE groups of numbers of other Albertosauruses.

-Smilodons actually had smaller brains compared to modern cats

-Dimetrodon was related to mammals

-Irrirator (a relative to Spinosaurus) had a split jaw to swallow bigger prey whole.

DISCLAIMER: Science is ALWAYS progressing, so some of these could be disproven in the future. It is always important to make your own conclusions.

[evolutionsvoid]

The Underworld can be an intimidating place, history shows quite a lot of surface folk are fearful of it! But even if you were to brush aside the bad blood between the surface world and Underworld, people would still find this underground land daunting. The labyrinthine tunnels, the vast caverns, the eternal darkness and, of course, the strange beasts that call it all home. They truly have some bizarre species down there, and some pretty big ones too! People worry about stumbling into them when lost in the endless tunnels, and are fearful that they would find themselves trapped by a vicious beast and a dead end path. To many, the Underworld is a dangerous place that has nothing but horrors. I, however, know this to be false!

Do remember that the Underworld is just another land, another simple ecosystem. The creatures down there are mere animals, with no evil thoughts to them or desire to be cruel. Just because they are big and strange doesn't mean they are dangerous or need to be feared. Sure, some do look pretty intimidating, but there are plenty others down below that you would find pretty mundane. They got normal animals, cute ones and even some pretty goofy ones! You may find it hard to believe that anything silly can be found in the Underworld, and to that I simply point at the Mandollo.

The Mandollo is a rather odd beast to witness, as it shakes your faith in how nature designs its creatures. Most species you encounter seemed to be crafted with the idea that they fit into their environment and are specially made to perform and thrive there. Surely the animals that lived in these areas for so long are perfectly adapted to it and thus their prolonged survival! However, the Mandollo challenges that notion that all species are perfectly suited to their surroundings by being...well, a Mandollo.

The Mandollo are awkward creatures, ones we don't even really know how to classify. Some folk would point to them and say they are a reptile, which certainly looks true, but some things don't match up. Certain features of them lean more towards bird, which other groups argue against. Whichever they are, they are still baffling creatures. They aren't huge, or even that large, yet they don't seem to run and hide like the smaller critters of this land. Running doesn't even seem to be an option, because their gait is truly odd. Their limbs jut out at awkward angles, and their feet seemingly more suited for walking backward than forward. In some cases, they straight up drag their bellies across the ground, which is an odd way to do things. We have seen that they excel more in shallow water, their limbs more swimming than walking. It just seems whenever they leave these damp areas, things stop working.

Due to their awkward way of traveling, they are certainly not a creature that can outrun predators. Hiding doesn't seem to be an option either, as they don't blend in with their surroundings and they barely put in any effort to remain subtle. They make a ton of racket, honking and snorting with their trunk-like nose, which alerts anything nearby. Thankfully, the species has a very hardy shell on their body, and tough scales to ward off bites. Stubby barbs jut from these plates, making it hard to sink your teeth in without getting jabbed. They rely on this armor when on land, as when in water they prefer to swim away. In real deep water, however, they aren't fast enough swimmers for those deep beasts either, so once again they rely on heavy plates to keep them alive. Their limbs possess claws and sharp spikes, which they can use to defend themselves. But with their weird placement, these attacks are more like blind flailing, hoping predators back off from sheer confusion. They do possess a special gland in their long back sweeping "horn" that lets them mix a burning fluid with their saliva and gut contents. When threatened, they can spit this awful mixture that causes a reaction on one's skin or sensitive membranes. Such efforts do work against attackers from time to time, but there are also plenty of times that they simply don't. Perhaps the true defense they possess is the fact that they reproduce real fast and churn out a lot of eggs. This species survives simply because there is too many to eat in one sitting.

Mandollo feed on fungus and lichens, preferably those in or near water. Their trunks help grab this food or pull it off the stone, then feed it to their beak-like mouth. These same noses help sniff out their meals in the first place, sometimes leading them to carcasses of past hunts. Though they are fungivores, Mandollo do partake in some scavenging, not ones to pass up on a free meal. Their beaks may struggle with tough hide or muscle, but do quite well against bone! They may crack open these bones to eat the marrow, which once again makes a ton of noise so you better hope the hunter still isn't around!

To the denizens of the Underworld, the Mandollo is nothing special. They are another creature to hunt and eat, supposedly making a wonderful stew! Their plates make for a nice light armor, and I have seen their claws in pendants and decoration. However, the Mandollo does not have a good reputation down there. In truth, the species is seen as "stupid" and "annoying." Some stories claim that Mandollo first started getting hunted because demons and shades grew sick and tired of their obnoxious honking. As a creature that seems to struggle on land, make dumb noises and flails for self-defense, the people down below have a real hard time taking them seriously. So when someone calls you a "Mandollo," they are just outright calling you an idiot.

Some may wonder why this species even exists, or how it continues to do so. They sure seem terribly adapted to everything, so how can this be? My theory is that this was a species that was isolated in a secluded cavern for a real long time, and was free of any real predators or threats. But when the Underworld started to open up, be it natural causes or civilization expanding, their home was breached and these creatures got exposed to a lot of things they weren't used to. I guess we should count ourselves lucky that their quick reproduction let them survive this, as many other species would have been wiped out!

I do apologize if I come off harsh or critical of this species in my entry. I am sure I made them sound real useless and stupid, and that shouldn't be my intention. At the end of the day, they are just another species just trying to live in this world. They just happen to go about it in a real odd way. Part of it may be the fact I am still a little miffed that my demon guides compared me to a Mandollo early on. At the time, I wasn't aware of the species, so I was curious of what they were talking about when they called me one. Turns out my loud talking and stumbling in the dark reminded them of the flailing honking beasts of these lands. When I finally saw one....well, lets just say the moment was soured...

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

---------------------------------------

"Mandollo"

Folks who been around here long enough probably know that may Underworld is populated by some weird prehistoric creatures. Lot of cambrian critters running about. So of course, I imagined folk would be wondering when the Underworld was going to get some dinosaurs. Hollow earth and caverns time forgot is certainly a trope, and they got dinos! So naturally my place should have dinosaurs too! A fair thought, however, I decided to be a little turd. It'll be a dinosaur alright, but just the wrongest dinosaur imaginable! (but seriously, I don't hate dinosaurs, even if this entry may have come off a little mean)

[darushi-chan]

MORE HOTD REPTILES AU 🤗 EDIT: After I took a nap I checked the post on my phone and the quality of the image looked like crap, dont know if it is my damn phone or what, but just to make sure I divided the strip in parts, now it looks fine in my phone, I like looking at Vhagar the komodo dragon in good definition ok xD? Also Arrax with his cute little crown. Im in pain, I commited myself and finished this in almost 3 days, never again lol. Headcanons time: -If you follow my other posts you know Aemond and Luceyrs are roommates, Aemond lied and said Vhagar “was friendly” so Luke will stay with them, he had been very careful and nothing happenned for like 3 weeks, but the one time he went jogging and didn’t make sure Vhagar’s enclosure was properly closed something happened.  -His “Lucerys it’s in danger” sense tingled and he came back in time to prevent disaster, but Luke saw Vhagar in his room. -Lucerys knows Vhagar its not “friendly”, but he also wanted the roommates situation to work, so he feigned ignorance and trusted Aemond, after all Vhagar did listen to him, most of the time.  -Vhagar did want to have snack time so bad 😞, but she also loves her almond, so no eathing the tiny dragon, Arrax its “her friend” now, and shes also a new member of Luke’s youtube videos! Plenty of new subscribers thanks to that 😂. -Yes, their silly costumes are a little bit of an hommage to their HOTD real characters, after all we do love to make Luke and Aemond queen and king (Or kings) in a lot of fics 😋. -Also also, yes Luke its wearing crocs with cute charms on them, I also love jogging pants, very comfortable 😌. -Vhagar its inded as tall as Luke when she stands, she’s a full grown Komodo, my doberman its as tall as me when he stands, so I think that makes it possible, I’m like 1.60 m,  5.25 feet, so yeh. -After this Vhagar and Arrax become really good friends indeed, they take walks together with Luke and Aemond, they sunbathe, Luke makes videos with both of them from time to time, they also play catch and chase together, this scares Luke a little, but Vhagar will not hurt Arrax, they are important to her know, Aemond likes them, so does she. -The costumes and videos are a little bit tedious, but Luke makes sure to never do something she hates, and Aemond always gives her special treats and cuddles after them, she also gets a fanbase that sends her gifts! Luke says she’s a star now 😘. -MOre lore that keeps me awake at night: Targ special pet companions Need to be a reptile or amphibian+ blood magic with a Targ blood family member sample, usually blood+ some other secret enchantments. Usually, the parent will bring their baby or child and be shown a wide variety of options, specifically eggs, and if there’s a connection with one or more, they are taken and can go through a series of trials and blood magic rituals, and the one that hatches at the end it’s the one that goes with the client. This process can take some time and specially lots of money from the client. Also, it can only work with people from Valyria, the only ones that can really afford this type of thing are the Targs and their blood family members. They may or may not also have a very restrictive contract with the dragon keepers for this kind of service too, hehe. Driftmark incident and bonding with Vhagar!: Alicent lets Viserys have his way with Aegon and Helaena, they got their pet companions since very young, she agreed since both were also relatively safe options, but then he started to get sick and wasn’t as able as before. She never liked this tradition the Targs had, just looking at Rhaenyra’s Syrax, or even worse, Laena’s Vhagar, the seven forbid one of her kids bonds with a monster like that, so with Aemond she gets more control of what her son get access to bond with, small geckos, frogs, turtles…safe and/or small companions, but none of those take, time passes and then Aemond decides he wants to have a big crocodile like his father, Alicent hates the idea, she wasn’t a Targaryen, so she really didn’t believe it was safe. But no matter what other small safe reptiles Aemond was shown none of them reacted. Aemond knew why, he didn’t want any of those “safe” companions, Aegon and Jace won’t stop bullying him with one of those, he needed something that commanded respect, not something “small and safe”. More time pases and Aemond still doesn’t have a pet companion, Alicent stops trying, and he gives up a little. The day of the funeral the kids dare Aemond to go into Vhagar’s enclosure. He accepts and goes into Vhagar’s room at Daemon and Laena’s house, there he finds this really big lizard he has never seen before. The dragon keepers haven’t shown him anything like it, and even if it’s not a croc, he knows this would definitely do, his excitement goes away when he kind of feels the creature’s sadness. He starts to sing her a Valyrian lullaby (The one Daemon sings to Vermithor), and this catches Vhagar’s attention, she goes out from her enclosure and Aemond touches her snout (Like in how to train your dragon, hehe) while he says Lykiri and Dohaeras (Like in the show!). Vhagar can sort of feel the connection, but we still need the blood for it to be completed. Cue the other children. Aegon and Jace can be a little bit mean and feel kind of “attacked” (Inferiority complex it’s that you?), that Aemond it’s getting a good reaction from Vhagar, they weren’t expecting that after all, and because children can be little shits they enter the room and try to make fun of Aemond for singing Vhagar a lullaby, Vhagar has never seen this other children before and doesn’t like all the noise so she goes back to her enclosure. Rhaena and Baela are not vibing that much with the bullying, neither does Luke, but then Aemond gets mad and lashes at everyone, telling them they have lame companions, how they wish they could have something as cool as Vhagar, especially the idiot Strong bastards. Luke and the girls are sad and crying and answering their own mean things to Aemond and then everyone its fighting. Aegon knows their parents are gonna kill him if something happens, so he runs away in search of the adults. There is some stuff used to feed Vhagar in the room (Gloves, scissors, thongs and stuff like that) and in the struggle those things end up in the floor with Aemond and Jace, Aemond grabs the scissors and slashes them around in desperation and ends up cutting Jace a little. Its then that Luke, that was comforting Laena and Baela after they got punched in the squabble, sees this and gets scared, and ends up pushing Aemond, he trips around the mess and pierces his eye with the scissors, by then the adults arrive and all hell breaks loose. While everyone screams, Vhagar gets close to Aemond and licks some of his blood from the floor, Laena its dead, and she likes this feisty hatchling, so the bonding gets completed. Still, the adults are fighthing, but the kids get to say the truth about the taunting and the mean words and Alicent, Rhaenyra and Viserys see the damage that has been done through the adults mean remarks and hatred. So yes, they are all very mad, and are not in the very best terms then, but they all decide to start going to family therapy, so not everything goes to shit in a couple of years, this way Lucemond and Jacegon can still be a little bit toxic, but nobody needs to die, ok? Also Alicent freaks out and almost passes out when she sees the monstruosity sitting at her son’s side, that makes everyone go back to their rooms, lol. 

[inconsistentlywrittensoul]

In Reptile Boy, once again the Angel relationship takes a step forward in an episode about older sexual predators preying on high-schoolers; like Teacher's Pet, the appeal of an older partner is recognized and questioned, and the dangers they represent are confronted. And Angel continues to stress the age difference between him and Buffy as a problem. I really didn't pay much attention to it when I was younger, but the show is way more aware of the issues here than I realised.

Also, yeah, the "When I kiss you I want to die," line is a complete non-sequiter - hell, they've barely even kissed. It might make some sense in Season 3, but it really doesn't fit where they are at this point in the series, and it really sounds way more like a reason to end a relationship than to begin one.

There is however a much more natural connection to her death drive when she expresses a desire to be swept up in an out-of-control romance - it's the "Seize the day, because tomorrow you might be dead" thing again. She wants to embrace passion now without regard for any possible consequences, because on some level she's deeply aware that she might not live to see those consequences; and if she denies herself now, she might not live to see real passion. I'd argue that both her vampire romances are defined by her inability to imagine a future for herself, simply taking whatever love or pleasure she can get right now - because the present is all that she can really believe in.

[kieran-granola]

A Curious Reptile

Let’s start transcribing Discord campfires to Tumblr with a JayTim Fantasy AU, feat Tim finding a strange little black salamander in the Alley on one of his evenings spent photographing Batman and Robin.

It’s a cold autumn in Gotham, full of icy sleet, and Tim really shouldn’t be outside, but he at least made sure to be super extra bundled up before sneaking out of his house. In fact, he’s so warmly dressed that he doesn't notice the poor little creature that burrows its way into his heavy sweater while he’s lying in wait to spot Batman.

It’s only when he arrives home that he realizes that he picked up a scaly hitchhiker. It’s a small, black salamander (he thinks), and well. He thinks about returning it, he really does! But he's not sure of where he found it, and anyway he's pretty lonely. A pet might be... Nice?

So instead of abandoning his new buddy, he does his research to buy food and equipment, and starts taking care of it.

At first, everything seems to go well! Tim's new pet grows bigger at a steady rhythm. It seems to take a real shine to Tim and accompanies him to school, curled up against him or hidden in his hair/bag/coat/sweater pocket. Tim even finds a name for it that it seems to accept. (Thanks @strawberryjei for the name!)

The strange thing, though, is that Caesar Saladmander keeps growing WAY past the size of a normal salamander.

Tim is pretty chill with that at first. Caesar is still super friendly and affectionate, and he doesn't try to hurt Tim. He even stays hidden from anyone else without Tim needing to ask. Tim figures that his herpetology skills just aren't that great, and what he thought was a regular salamander is actually a giant salamander...

A few months later he's like, "Whoa. I really SUCK at herpetology and Caesar is maybe just a very slim komodo dragon?"

Eventually, though, he has to admit the truth: Caesar is definitely no regular reptile. Caesar is long and thin, with horns that just started coming in, a long snout, and whiskers. In fact, Caesar looks...

Well.

Caesar looks like an East Asian dragon.

At this point, Tim figures that he REALLY needs to tell someone about the pet he acquired in Crime Alley. If only because he's not sure what Caesar is going to eat if he keeps getting bigger. Do dragons eat teenage boys?? Tim is eleven, thirteen isn’t that far away!

The thing is, Tim isn’t sure who could be qualified to deal with draconic difficulties. The only person he can think of who might be remotely competent is Batman so... One evening, after disentangling himself from Caesar's snake-like body, he goes out to "take pictures" and ends up stopping Bruce to very politely ask him if he can help him re-home Caesar to a good place where he can keep growing and roam around instead of being stuck in Tim's bedroom.

At first, Bruce thinks that the Drake boy has an overactive imagination. He's about to scold him for wasting Batman's time and putting himself in danger—hell, Drake is his last name, it's not even a very creative prank—except Tim shows him All The Pictures, and okay.

Either that boy is a Photoshop genius or there really is a dragon growing in his bedroom.

(What the hell is up with Gotham, and how did this become his life?)

***************************

Poor little Jason was recently homeless and starving when Tim showed up close to his sleeping spot. He hitched a ride just to warm himself up and ended up falling asleep. When he woke up, Tim had already adopted him. He figured that it was better to lay low and stick around for food, just until he was strong enough to survive on his own.

That was the plan, except Tim turned out to be so nice and adorable. He kept taking Jason to school which meant that he could catch up on what he'd missed when Catherine was deathly sick.

Hell, thanks to the food, warmth, peace, and quiet, Jason even started catching up on his stunted growth! With all this in mind, Jason figured he could stay a little longer.

Needless to say, by the time Tim takes Batman back to meet him, Jason has grown comfortable with his new life. Comfortable enough to shift back into a boy during the day to do Stuff (TM).

Just a few days more.

Okay, weeks.

...Maybe a few months???

(Now that he's too big to follow Tim to school he's got to keep himself busy, and the Drakes have tons of things to read. Also, he no longer fits in the bathtub in his dragon shape, and he needs to soak up occasionally for his health, so... Teenage boy shape it is.)

When Tim talks about handing him over to Batman, Jason is like "What the fuck, absolutely not. No one is parting me from my Timmy!"

He goes as far as to spray water at Batman, something he’s never done before. His panicked reaction makes pretty clear to Bruce that the creature in Tim's bedroom is sentient so... He asks Tim to reason with his dragon

At first Jason stubbornly refuses to listen, but Tim sounds so worried and sad that he ends up paying attention. He realizes that Tim sought Batman out because he's concerned about him. Tim doesn't think he can give him the best care and environment he needs so... He's giving him up for the sake of his happiness.

That's when Jason decides that the jig is up. He uncoils himself from around Tim, gives him one last gentle headbutt with his snout... Then he changes into his human shape in front of him for the very first time.

Voice rusty, he explains that his name is Jason Todd. He's an orphan, and he doesn't want to be spirited away to the boonies. Tim saved him! He wants to stay with him and to protect him.

“While I understand your position, you can’t remain here as a boy without the approval of Timothy's parents,” Batman says softly, “and I doubt you will be able to stay here as a dragon either. You're almost too big for the Drakes' home already, and Timothy told me that you’re still growing.

“If Caes—I mean if Jason wants to stay close then maybe he could stay at Wayne Manor? The grounds are definitely big enough,” Tim blurts out.

Jason blinks. "Wayne? The billionaire? No thanks, they're all sociopaths, he's gonna hunt me for sport."

"Don't be silly, he would never do that. He's a hero! Right, Mr. Wayne?"

Batman freezes. "I'm sorry, are you talking to me? I'm not—"

"Robin can do quadruple somersaults, he's totally Dick Grayson,” Tim interrupts. “Which means that you're Bruce Wayne. It's pretty obvious."

There’s a silence, then Jason sighs. "Oh great, that means he's gonna hunt me for sport while wearing a fursuit."

It takes a while, but eventually Tim convinces Bruce and Jason to give each other a try.

Jason agrees because he wants to stay close to Tim and Bruce promises to put him in the same school as Tim so Tim can make sure Jason hasn't been eaten in sushi. ("Are you even a fish?" "I'm a water creature." "I don't think that's enough to qualify as an ingredient for sushi." "I don't know, I've never had any. Too expensive.")

Bruce agrees because Jason is very endearing and he really wants to keep an eye on the DRAGON that has apparently been living in Gotham without his knowledge. Oh, and on that Drake boy too. He's too smart to be left all alone. That's how villains are made.

Bruce goes through all the hoops to adopt Jason and gets Alfred to coax a bit more knowledge out of Jay so he can set up anything he needs. That's how he ends up getting contractors to build Jason his very own cave next to the lake... complete with space to grow because, oh dear, East Asian dragons are quite long, aren't they?

And Tim gets a new classmate, a gangly teen named Jason Todd-Wayne who very suspiciously takes a shine to the weird Drake kid and drapes himself all over him whenever they're not in class

Tim, who got pulled into Jason's lap and is now stuck in his arms: "People are staring."

Jason, pleased as punch because he can FINALLY snuggle with Tim as a boy: "Good. Let them. Everybody needs to know you're off-limits."

Tim, squeaking: "Off-limits for what?"

Jason, shrugging: "I don't know. But you're mine. I can feel it in the water."

Tim: “Yours? Like a pet?”

Jason: “More like... a boyfriend? That is, if you want me?”

Tim, blinking: “You’re a dragon. And training to be Robin!”

Jason: “...Sorry?”

Tim: “What do you mean ‘sorry’, I was trying to say that you’re way too cool for me.”

Jason: “Now that’s just bullshit. You saved me when I was going to die in the cold, and you found me a family. No one is cooler than you to me. You’re my hero.”

Tim: “Oh.”

Jason: “Yeah, oh. So. Will you be my boyfriend?”

Tim: “...Yes, please.”

[Jason flushes a happy pink... and the sky opens as warm rain starts pouring down]

Tim, gawking: “...”

Jason, mortified: “...” Tim: “...Did you do that?”

Jason: “...Please don’t tell B.”

[overthestars-and-offtoneverland]

Mythological Creature AU: Part 2

Okay, going off this post.

So the Unfortunate Gen is really the first one with a lot of hybrids. Occasionally you'll see a few in SBG, but the SBG is the really the first generation that was doing the whole interspecies relationship thing.

Their offspring tend not to show nonhuman traits until they’re 13 unless triggered somehow.

In this AU, along with V.F.D as a whole, the Baudelaire children would be completely unaware that they're nonhumans until they slowly figure that out, having their first transformations within the story. Beatrice and Bertrand kept their wings hidden.

Olaf absolutely freaks them out the first time he shapeshifts. They have to get used to Monty's tail and the fact he can literally talk to all his reptiles. They get paranoid every time Josephine screams, etc.

Duncan and Isadora are their first nonthreatening first impression of nonhumans. Mostly because they were a lot more eased in to it.

Note: Hybrids don't have perfect genetics. They can get features from one creature much more heavily than the other.

Ex. Say a Vampire/Siren (Not to be confused with Sirin) Hybrid exists. They may look much more aquatic and only really have the fangs from the vampire parent. You know, like how real genetics get screwy.

So....

The Unfortunate Gen:

Violet: Angel/Sirin Hybrid (Violet is a late bloomer, hence not knowing her parents were nonhumans. Unknown whether her parents used magic to suppress her transformation. She grows her wings after being triggered by the stress of the events at Heimlich Hospital)

 Klaus: Angel/Sirin Hybrid (Klaus actually grows his wings before his sister does, his first transformation happening shortly after his thirteenth birthday as is traditional)

Sunny: Angel/Sirin Hybrid (Sunny is an incredibly unusual case as almost no Volunteers have been known to take their true form so young. However, during the events on the Mortmain Mountains, her insistence that she is no longer a baby is punctuated by her sprouting a small pair of wings to match her siblings!)

The Quagmire Triplets: Gargoyles (Creatures known to shift from flesh to stone, though this takes great concentration at a young age. Have wings but only in stone form. Known to be incredibly protective of loved ones)

Carmelita: Human (For now. Too young to know her true form if she is a nonhuman. Possibly slowly transforming into a Changeling due to being stolen by Esme)

Fiona: Selkie w/ Prophecy (Yeah, I do like the theory that Miranda is Fiona and Fernald’s mother. Thank you for asking. Since Oracles only pass down magic, Fiona would be the same, or similar, species as her biological father)

Friday: Human (For now. Too young for her true form and her mother passes for human. Starting to see flashes of her gift of prophecy. Can easily speak to Ink due to being a latent Tannin.)

Beatrice Baudelaire (B.B.) Snicket: Human (For now but believed to be an Algea hybrid. Though, the other half is up in the air.)

Obviously Olaf doesn't realize the kids don't know they're hybrids at first by the way. He openly wonders where the hell Violet's wings are.

Imagine him openly making an awful comment to Violet about her mother clipping her wings and not meaning it metaphorically.

He sees putting Sunny in a bird cage as funny rather than really dangerous because "C'mon her dad's a bird thing!"

And scariest, when he's about to drop Sunny.

"If you're so worried about her, just fly."

Again, any input is welcome.

Hope you enjoyed my mad ravings.

[lordsovorn]

Horror of Shapes

I am OBSESSED with borders and angles, with the language of shape and form.

There is nothing quite like the admiration I feel for the art of dissecting and then reassembling the core sensory components of different things.

I do not mean cosmetic coatings or costumes. I do not mean stiching together equally recognisable, pure parts, like a griffin or a furry. No, I mean the shapes and borders, the silhoette, the weight, the sound envelope, the motion, all talking directly with your reptile brain - and saying different things. Using the language of recognisable forms - but mixing them to say something new. And more often than not, something disturbing.

Our brains don't like things between categories. If they are absurd enough, that's funny, that's just a combination of normal things - but if the contradicting parts are interwoven properly, that's just... real. A wrong, stressful kind of real that doesn't contradict itself, but rather, contradicts our deeply ingrained sensory and emotional catergories.

So it's not at all surprising that this kind of shape mixing - successful or not - is especially common in horror media.

One shape speaks human, and the other doesn't. And it is moving in your direction.

...

For example.

...

And that's why we're all here - to talk about the Stalker from Amnesia: The Bunker a bit.

(Medium-heavy spoilers for Amnesia: The Bunker)

(I'm discussing in detail the design of THE monster of the game. You'll hardly get a good look at it normally, and I will also inevitably reference its nature a bit. Without any story or gameplay spoilers)

...

When you think of the Beast and its defining shapes, what comes to mind first?

Long, terrifying claws? Rows of needle-like teeth? A twisted, contorted visage, from which a snarl of unprecedented hate emanates?

I think of its neck. I'm in love with that fucked up neck as a subtle, yet powerful design choice. If you're surprised you've never really noticed it - google its model and marvel at the huge, thick, long neck of the Beast.

And think for a moment what it means in terms of silhoette.

...

The unnatural length of the neck is invisible from the front - the direction you're most likely to *really look* at the creature when you are cornered and have to shoot. When it stands up to howl before dashing, it keeps its inflexible neck behind the head as well - but the head appears disjointed and disproportionate, moving in a way it's not supposed to in a humanoid creature.

The Beast is quite front-heavy - with huge claws and massive head. This is only emphasized by the perspective trick at play - the head looks bigger because it is actually closer to you than you think, thanks to the neck.

From the front it looks humanoid, like a monstrous gorilla, standing on its knuckles. But when you look at it from the side, while it crawls along the half-lit corridors, you see just have elongated it is. The neck ruins the humanoid silhouette, breaks the shoulder line, lowers the head and emphasizes the arched back, creating an image of a predatory, confident beast.

But the two bayonets sticking out of its spine disrupt even this image. Of course, you're unlikely to even distinguish that those are bayonets in normal circumstances - it's just two strange spikes, breaking up the smooth line of the predator.

...

The back is different too - it is the least deformed part of the creature. Its legs are almost... normal, in the proportions at least, and it's from this angle that you clearly see the ragged remains of torn clothing on a disturbingly hunched back.

It kind of makes sense that from the least dangerous angle in the gameplay sense, the Beast looks the least threatening. Almost like a big, awkward, miserable human - more comfortable with this part of itself than with the huge claws in the front, but incapable of balancing itself any other way.

...

The claws deserve attention too, as they are the first thing you see as it reaches out from its burrow. They are grotesque in their absurd size, that suggests something huge is about to emerge from this tiny hole.

They are bigger than they have any reason to be - it is very clear how awkward moving with them is, as the Beast constantly switches between full-palm run, knuckle-walk and standing on its two legs.

It is the claws that disrupt the "beast vs human" duality - no beast needs such unwieldy claws that are good only for killing. No beast prowls constantly and leaves dismembered, not eaten corpses. No beast constantly vocalizes its anger and frustration in uncontained growls and hisses as it hunts.

...

Finally, this contradiction is also true for left vs right, as the right half of its face is torn and twisted into an almost crocodile-like form. This lateral assymetry, visible also in its uneven shoulders, sends a very clear message - sickness.

Nature is symmetrical - this monstrocity isn't. It is distinctly not natural - not even in terms of lore, but in terms of basic shape language.

Normally, the game does an exceptional job of hiding the Beast - even when it kills you. This contradiction of unwieldy mass, dangerous length and terrifying speed; of awkwardly human, confidently bestial and sadistically demonic never goes away - precisely because the Beasts' very proportions read differently from different angles.

...

Devs at Frictional seem to have been searching for this image for quite some time. The contradiction of human and unnaturally demonic is visible in the concept art of The Dark Descent, but, I dare say, not in the game itself, where enemies look like wax torture mannequins.

A Machine for Pigs tried to do it more explicitly, but failed to properly bind together the disparate shapes, and instead created ugly furries. SOMA did monster design wonderfully, utilizing the strengths of the engine and avoiding its weaknesses - but, of course, not in THAT way. While Rebirth put the horror of shapes back a bit, focusing on ramifications and pacing.

The Bunker seems to be the culmination of this search - a rather elegant solution, one that must have taken a lot of time to get just right. And in the end it is not just simple - it is persistently hidden.

It is the culmination for Frictional of the art of hiding the monster, while letting the shapes do their thing - speak terror into your mind in the most basic language possible.