#baby fox newt

[surrogate-fawn]

Im a fan of #7.

Nesting (Werewolf AU)

Prompt: "The baby feels so low" [Also inspired by @hush-writes-preg's "Spooky Season Day #3" prompt. He can consider this an early birthday gift as well!]

Characters: Fawn, Newt/Asher - Pre-Polly Relationship ((Newt is owned by @mittysins, and Asher is owned by @killer-orca-cosplay.))

Context: This takes place in a modern world where werewolves are common amidst human society. Fawn is a packless Beta who is about to give birth to her ex-mate's pup. Newt, an Omega, and Asher, an Alpha, are a mated pair who took Fawn into their home -- despite the fact they're expecting a pup of their own in a few months. The three have formed a close friendship, though Fawn still feels like an outsider. After all, she was human only a year ago.

Disclaimer: This fic contains lore for my, Mitty's, and Orca's werewolf AU -- be forewarned there will be worldbuilding mixed in with the kink stuff. If story-heavy kink is your kind of thing -- like it is for us three -- enjoy!

TW: A/B/O dynamics, but within the context of a werewolf society; mentions of past abuse, werewolf-related birth troubles.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Smoky whisps of incense scented the room with lavender. The shades were drawn over the windows to block the fading sun. Golden fairy lights twinkled in the gossamer curtains woven through the support beams of the nesting tent, the only dots of light in the dark room.

The nylon pop-up tent was specially designed for those who were nesting. It clung to the baseboard and covered the entire bed in a snug, arched shelter. It could be zipped or unzipped in sections to create windows and doors as needed, or it could be shut tight for total privacy. The interior of the tent was stuffed full of jumbo-sized Squishmallow plushies, three oversized duvet covers, and one very pregnant werewolf.

"How you doing, Mama?" the mop-haired Alpha sitting bedside asked.

Fawn's pointed ear flicked in the direction of his voice in acknowledgement before she opened her eyes. She lay curled around a giant fox pillow, the soft material supporting her belly as she lay dozing in the tent. She had opened a section of the tent by the headboard so she could leave the nest if she wanted, but at the moment she didn't feel safe anywhere else.

"I've been better," she said, her voice lagging with fatigue.

A dewy layer of sweat clung to her whole body. Her clothing was shed to the bedroom floor, save for a black tank top and pair of boyshorts. The air around her was temperate, but her body burned with a mild fever. Her muscles felt heavy and useless, tired from months of carrying her pregnancy whilst fighting the tremors of rejection sickness. The worst of it had passed over time; but here she was, still feeling the effects of breaking her pair bond almost ten months later.

Oh, and being in labor for the last nine hours was not helping the situation.

The soft click of the door handle caught their attention. The pair of cryptids lifted their heads to look as it opened, the hallway light reflecting green in the mirrors of their eyes.

Newt's familiar scent -- much stronger than his mate's -- overpowered the lavender as he entered the room. Fawn's sinuses tingled with the spicy-sweet aroma of his smell, comparable to sassafras, that indicated his pregnancy as much as the grapefruit-sized swell of his lower belly. Fawn still struggled to describe the scents that were new to her.

The Omega approached her nest and held out the glass of tap water he'd been sent to fetch. Fawn craned her neck and lapped from it, her mouth too parched to obey her command. Her tongue was longer than it had once been, able to bring water to her throat as easily as any straw. She didn't pause to wrap her lips around the edge of the glass until her thirst was mostly quenched.

"Jeez, don't drown," Newt chuckled as Fawn took the drink from his hand.

Asher, the Alpha, got up from his seat and offered it to his mate with a nod of his head.

Fawn gulped down the last of the water and came up panting for air. "Don't tell me what to do," she retorted with a tired, playful grin.

"Don't tell her what to do, babe," Asher said, unable to disguise the smirk on his face as he set the empty glass on the bedside table.

The three shared a brief, quiet laugh.

Fawn's eyelids drifted closed as the room settled back into silence. She shimmied herself deeper into her pile of softness, falling easily into a twilight sleep; at least, for a few more minutes.

A huff of air left Fawn's nose a split second before her brow creased in discomfort. "Ash, start it," she said, curling tighter around her pillow.

"Yes, ma'am." Asher fumbled to unlock his phone and started the timer on his stopwatch app. "Started."

Fawn filled her lungs with air with one long breath and released it as a drawn-out exhale. The contraction coiled itself around her hips and squeezed, growing tighter by the second. The pain grew like a stinging vine around her belly, her ribs, her back, even wrapping around her upper thighs.

With a low groan, Fawn rolled herself onto her back. Her legs fell open at a wider angle than normal -- a sign her hips were loosening in preparation for her large pup to come through. She continued her ritual of slow, deliberate breathing as the contraction continued to climb to its dreaded peak.

Newt leaned into the opening in the tent, enough for him to run a gentle hand over the clammy skin of Fawn's arm. He didn't say anything, but his touch brought her a sense of ease. Even knowing that Asher was in the room, even if she couldn't see him, made her feel better. They'd only known each other a month, but she couldn't imagine surviving labor without them.

Fawn flashed her fangs in a snarl as the contraction reached its apex, the part she dreaded each time. "Ugh!" she growled through her teeth, her head pressed back into the pillow.

Newt's eyes widened when Fawn hooked her hands beneath her knees, drawing her legs up on either side of her belly. "Are you pushing already?"

"She's what?!" Asher gasped in alarm, his face appearing over his mate's shoulder.

"No!" Fawn growled, hardly able to breathe enough to speak. "My legs are about to fuckin' dislocate!"

She could feel the pup pressing its way out, prying open the flesh of her cervix as her womb squeezed it down. The pressure sent stabbing waves of agony between her legs. Her birth canal opened a little more with each millimeter the pup dropped, and now it was putting unbearable pressure on the ball-socket joints of her pelvis.

Fawn grunted in relief as the contraction ebbed. She released her legs, draping them wide apart over her plushies. Thankfully, Newt and Asher's guest bed was queen-sized and allowed her plenty of space to spread out.

"It's done," she announced, so Asher could stop the timer.

"Ooh, getting close," Asher said. "That one was thirty-eight seconds."

Even that short burst of work sent drops of sweat rolling down Fawn's sides. She pulled her tank top over the curve of her belly and tucked the fabric under her swollen breasts. She caressed the sore underside of her bump in long, soothing circles. The skin around her womb was pulled smooth as glass from the weight of the pup inside. She could feel where its surface was gouged by deep, purple stretch marks. Her pup wriggled impatiently beneath her hands, as if able to sense her touch through the thinness of the skin.

"Call me crazy," she said, "but I'm hoping this baby takes its time. It might rip me apart if it tries to break the speed record."

Asher checked the recorded times in his phone. "You'll be fine, it doesn't look like they're in a hurry," he said. "Just stay relaxed and the pup will keep working its way down."

Fawn gave a thumbs-up. "Copy that, Sarge."

"So, guys, are we taking bets?" Newt asked, resting his upper torso inside the tent.

Fawn tilted her head to peer up at him from inside the canyon of her pillow plushie. "On what?"

"Boy or girl," Newt grinned. He propped his chin up on his hand and beamed down at the redheaded wolf woman. "Should we take bets?"

"You boys can if you want," Fawn said.

"Just you versus me, babe," Asher chuckled from somewhere else in the room. "Fawn already knows, that would be cheating."

"No, I don't," Fawn said, quiet and matter-of-fact. She turned her eyes to the little golden lights twinkling over her head. "I didn't know if a doctor would make me contact my mate, so I never went to one."

At the mention of him, the mating scar at the nape of Fawn's neck became hot. She grimaced, able to feel each small wound his teeth had left when he'd inflicted her with the curse of the wolves. It wasn't as strong of a reaction anymore; the pain had at one point been overwhelming.

When she'd taken that first step out of the apartment with the intention to never come back, the mark had burned so intensely she thought she could smell her flesh searing. She was lucky Todd hadn't been home, because he'd no doubt felt the same sensation on the back of his neck -- where he had forced her to mark him as her mate as well. Had he been home, Fawn wouldn't have made it out of the building before he'd realized what she was doing.

"Besides," Fawn added, "I have no idea if I should go to a doctor or a vet now." Her freckled face paled, and she looked back up at Newt. "Shit, is that offensive?"

Newt laughed and leaned in to rub his cheek against her forehead. "Nah."

Fawn smiled as he brushed against her, leaving a bit of his spicy-sweet scent on her skin. She was still adjusting to perceiving the world through scent as much as sight and touch, but she grew more comfortable with it each time the pair scented her. Scent was transforming into language the more she utilized it. Maybe she wasn't sure how to communicate with it, yet; but there was something about it she was starting to understand.

"We'll show you the ropes once you're over the rejection sickness," Asher said, leaning against the nightstand so he could peer into the nest. "So . . . this guy didn't explain any of our lifestyle to you?"

Fawn shook her head. "Not anything us hum-," she paused, pressing her lips into a thin line. "Not anything humans don't already know. Transformation and full moon stuff, basically. He had me sell my silver jewelry before he'd even kiss me. I didn't know werewolves were that sensitive to it."

The boys shared a concerned look.

"Um," Asher cleared his throat, "we aren't. Silver allergies are rare as hell. A few poor bastards had a fatal reaction hundreds of years ago, and humans assumed it was a rule for all of us."

"Good old stereotyping," Newt said.

The lines in Fawn's brow deepened. "That piece of dogshit," she muttered under her breath. "I sold my grandma's pendant for him!"

Goddammit! Why hadn't she thought twice about Todd suddenly needing to "borrow" that money?! Her mating scar throbbed, seeping heat like an open wound where their pair bond had once been. A fresh sweat dampened her brow.

Newt brushed a few stray curls from Fawn's eyes and tucked them behind the point of her ear. "Fuck him. He's a dick."

"Yeah, fuck him," Asher agreed with a frown. His ear twitched as his scowl deepened, knocking his glasses askew. "Alphas are supposed to protect our mates, not take advantage of them."

There was a brief pause. Asher took off his glasses, cleaned them on his shirt, and added: "For what it's worth, Fawn . . . I'm sorry on his behalf."

"Me, too," Newt nodded. "Not as an Alpha, but as a wolf."

Fawn sighed and draped an arm over her eyes. "Thank you for that, boys. It helps . . . at least a little."

She felt like the world's biggest idiot.

When they'd met, she'd been seduced by Todd's hyper-masculine physique and charmed by his overly protective "doting". How special she'd felt, having an Alpha werewolf want her -- an average human woman -- as his mate. In hindsight, being an average human woman was exactly what made him want her. Easy prey.

How quickly she'd regretted her decision to let Todd put her in a mating press. After she'd endured the weeks it took for her anatomy to shift into that of his kind, Todd had convinced her they needed to breed as soon as possible. He wanted a large pack, as many pups as she could give him. It didn't take her long to realize they were the only reason he'd claimed her. Days after leaving him, she'd detected the strange smell of sassafras on her skin -- though she wouldn't know what that meant for two months.

The rejection sickness had masked any symptoms of a pregnancy. The effects were like that of withdrawal: fevers high enough to cause delirium, tremors, nausea, and full-body aches. She'd spent endless days and nights confined to the bed of a sleazy motel room. What carried her through was the knowledge that Todd was feeling just as shitty as she was. Yet, in her darkest moments, Fawn considered going back to him just to make it stop.

Then, her world changed when a fellow wolf woman at the drugstore offered congratulations based on her scent. This prompted her to buy a pregnancy test, and the thought of going back never crossed her mind again.

"Fellas?" Fawn asked, still blindfolding herself with her forearm. "Is a large pack, like . . . a status symbol for y'all or something?"

Asher shrugged. "Not as much as it used to be," he said. "It used to be a big deal in the past, like before we had the treaty with humans. That was because our packs needed the numbers for defense. But now? Not as much."

"Except maybe for those freakishly traditional families," Newt chimed in.

"Mmm," Fawn hummed in acknowledgement. She placed her other hand on the upper swell of her belly and gave it a thoughtful rub. "Well, this baby is mine. I'm not giving birth for the sake of some insecure asshole. This is my baby."

"Damn right it is," Newt grinned, his blue eyes glittering in the low light.

After a few seconds of silence, Fawn's limp-hanging hand curled into a fist. "Mmm, Ash . . . " Her voice trailed off into a chesty groan.

Newt looked over at his mate. "Ash, start it."

Asher pulled out his phone with a nod. "Starting."

Newt massaged Fawn's shoulder as she once again pulled back her legs. The pressure in her hips was immense, and the contraction was heaving the baby down with unholy force. Fawn pulled harder on her knees until she felt her pelvis widen, the bones drifting apart like tectonic plates.

"Breathe, Fawn," Newt gently reminded. "You're holding it."

Fawn hissed out her breath like a deflating tire. "God, it's coming down," she groaned. She shut her eyes and whined as the pup pressed harder against her cervix.

"Change position," Asher offered, bending down to see inside the nest. "Let gravity help you out."

Fawn released a high-pitched whimper. "My hips . . . my hips hurt."

"Here, hold on." Newt reached around Fawn and pulled out another of her oversized Squishmallows from the pile. He left his chair and climbed onto the bed, crawling through the opening of the tent with the plushie in-hand. "Sit up, love."

Fawn reluctantly let her legs fall. Her bones were lead. With Newt's help, she got to her knees and straddled herself atop the large pillow plushie so her hips could remain open.

"There, that's better!" Asher said, sitting on the edge of the mattress. His phone screen reflected in his lenses, revealing the contraction had lasted twenty seconds already.

Fawn bent forward onto all-fours, rhythmically dipping her hips into the pillow as the pain climbed higher than it had before. The Omega at her side dug the heel of his hand into her lower back, allowing Fawn to rock back against the counter-pressure. Her deep breathing wavered, each inhale growing shallower until the wolf woman was full-on panting.

"Calm down, you're doing fine," Newt lulled, ghosting his claws over her spine. "Deep breaths, like you were doing."

Sweat appeared in shining beads on Fawn's reddened face, dampening the frizzy curls around her temples. "I can't," she gasped. All four limbs trembled, fatigued muscles giving up the last of their strength. "I can't . . . I need to lie down."

Fawn sank chest-first into the fox plushie, arms unable to support her weight. Her tongue dipped in and out of her mouth as she failed to control of her breathing. Her fingers sank into the duvet, claws tearing holes in the fabric.

The end of the tent unzipped, creating an arch-shaped door that Asher climbed in through. While Newt continued to knead Fawn's back, Asher laid himself beside her.

"Hey, Mama, look at me," he crooned, his face appearing in the corner of her vision. When her hazel eyes met his, he said: "You are owning this! There's no need to get freaked out. You're too tough for labor to beat. Take a deep breath for us, alright?"

Fawn wet her lips and maintained eye contact with the Alpha while she drew in a big breath.

"Good!" Asher smiled, patting her shoulder. "Now let it out and make the next one even deeper. Show that pain who's boss!"

She obeyed, but mid-inhale she choked on air. With a canid yowl, Fawn pressed herself against the Alpha's body. Her hips ground against the pillow, as if it would cushion the force of her pelvis being forced apart.

"Ugh, gravity's helping too much!" Fawn moaned into Asher's shirt. "This pup is about to fall outta me!"

"That's a good thing!" Asher encouraged, draping his arm over her and motioning for his mate to lie down beside them. "You're making progress. The pup will be here before you know it!"

Fawn's hips finally settled as the contraction eased off, but she still felt unable to move. Her pelvis sat wide open, and the hefty weight of the pup was sinking deep inside it -- even without the contraction.

“Augh, fuck,” she moaned, the sound rumbling in her chest. “Fuck . . . the baby feels low. It feels so fucking low!"

"Ash?" Newt asked as he rearranged the pillows to better support the three of them. "Are you still timing?"

Asher caressed Fawn's thigh as she shifted to support her upper body against the mountain of Squishmallows Newt had piled up. Newt reclined on his side beside her, flashing her a bright smile -- his fangs always hung over his lower lip when he smiled.

"No, I think we're just feeling it out now," Asher said. He'd left his phone charging on the nightstand, just in case they needed it. "I think we're 'reaching a checkpoint' as it were."

Newt rolled his eyes. "Gamers."

Fawn snuggled into the pillow mountain, trying in vain to get comfortable. It wasn't as dramatic as what they showed on television, but Fawn knew exactly what the hot rush of fluid was as it soaked the pillow between her legs.

"Umm, hey . . ." She nudged the pillow aside, revealing ribbons of cloudy water running down her inner thighs. "I think it's time to lose the shorts."

Asher pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "And checkpoint reached!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For five hours, no one left that tent. The room grew darker as the evening gave way to the early morning hours of pre-dawn. The boys stayed at either side of the laboring wolf woman, holding her steady in positions that allowed her pup to ease down with gravity.

Between contractions, the three werewolves lay side-by-side in tranquil silence. The sweat on Fawn's brow would dry, her feverish body would cool, but the warmth of two other bodies prevented the chills from returning. That quiet peace would be broken when Fawn vocalized during a new contraction, signaling the boys to sit her up and widen her stance.

Fawn was growing restless, wanting to switch positions several times during every contraction: squatting against the headboard, kneeling against one guy or the other, or falling into a half-squat in a pile of her plush pillows. The longer the night wore on, the more fidgety the laboring mother became.

At around four in the morning, as the trio rested together beneath the fairy lights, Fawn suddenly spoke:

"Is the cradle ready?"

"Hmm?" Asher sat up and readjusted his glasses.

"Is the cradle ready?" Fawn repeated. There was a glint of urgency in her eyes, although her tone was soft and even.

The fold-out mesh bassinet was visible from inside the nest, placed against the opposite wall. The pup's first outfit was already laid out atop the blanket lining the mattress -- a cotton quilt with embroidered rubber duckies that Newt had donated from the stash he was buying for his own pup.

After a quick glance, Asher responded: "Yep, it's ready and waiting."

"Can you grab some extra blankets or something?" Fawn pleaded. She gradually drew her legs up until her heels touched the underside of her thighs. "Just anything that's soft."

Newt sat himself up and gave his mate a knowing look. "Babe? You think this is that 'final nesting' the baby books talked about?"

Asher's eyes widened. "Oh, crap. It might be."

"What?" Fawn asked. She suddenly realized she couldn't remember what either of the boys had just said -- she wasn't fully aware of what was going on around her. It was so, so hard to focus on anything other than the pounding pressure that had come to rest in the curve of her tailbone.

The mated pair gave each other a nod.

"Ash and I have been reading books about pups like crazy this month," Newt explained in a lighthearted tone. "'Final nesting' is just what your brain does right before the pup is ready to come out."

Asher grabbed the corner of the topmost duvet and rolled it towards them until it became a padded cushion. He carefully slid it beneath Fawn and said: "Yep, it's an instinct. Got to make sure the pup has a safe place to land, you know."

Now it was Fawn's turn to go wide-eyed. "Wait . . . wait, is it happening?" she gasped, her head shooting up off the pillows.

"Maybe," Newt said. "You'll know if it is." He placed a pillow over his torso to protect his belly and scooted behind Fawn to support her into a squat.

"And if it isn't, then we'll just wait some more," Asher concluded. "Don't try to bear down if you don't need to."

Fawn nodded, gulping down the dryness in her throat. She had no idea what to expect with the next contraction. If the monstrous pressure she was feeling hadn't triggered her body to push by then . . . oh, God above, what was about to happen to her?

"I don't . . . don't know if I'm ready for this," she muttered.

Newt leaned in and rubbed his cheek against the side of her neck. "You're as ready as you'll ever be," he said. He intertwined his clawed fingers with her own.

Fawn didn't feel the next contraction as pain, only as a familiar tightness wrapping around her womb. All other sensation was snuffed out . . . massacred . . . left bleeding in the streets! . . . by the wicked downward thrust of her pup moving through her effaced cervix. There was nothing holding that baby in her womb any longer, and it was not waiting another minute to leave.

"Oh, my God!" she screamed -- out of fear more so than pain. Her hips jerked back, trying to escape the demonic pressure burning inside.

Newt squeezed her hands -- his claws never marking her skin. "You feel it?"

"Yes!" Fawn cried, her body shuddering under the hellish urge to push.

"Go with it," Asher encouraged, placing his hand on her knee. "Let's meet your pup."

Fawn held her breath and gave a shallow, hesitant first push. She wasn't sure if she was using the correct muscles, but it felt . . . how could she describe it? . . . it felt like she was doing something. A few seconds of strain later, she let up with a sharp yelp. Yes, she'd been doing it right. That slight nudge had sent the pup rushing forward.

"It's moving . . ." was all she had time to say before her body demanded she continue her efforts -- and double them!

Those few millimeters of progress kicked her urge to push into overdrive. Fawn braced her weight against Newt, put chin to chest, and bore down with every ounce of force she could. The crown of the head pressed deeper against her innermost walls with a fiery, thorny tug. The sensation of her baby moving through her after so many passive hours of labor was startling -- yet beyond rewarding.

Had her eyes been open to see, Fawn would have observed Asher's tender smile as he watched primal focus harden her features.

"Just like that, Mama," Asher praised, again stroking her thigh. "Don't hold back, give it your all!"

Sweat trailed down her flushed skin. Unable to hold the push any longer, Fawn emptied her lungs with a harsh grunt.

"It's already hurting me," she growled through closed fangs. Her voice strained as, for just a few horrible seconds, she resisted the urge to push. "Goddamn, this is gonna suck!"

Newt laid his chin on Fawn's shoulder as she sank into another deep push. "Whatever you feel, don't fight it," he offered evenly. "Your body knows what it's doing, Fawn. Listen to what it's telling you to do."

Fawn's ears pressed back against her head as her hips dipped lower to the duvet. She felt a small trickle of fluid drip from her labia, but the flow stopped as soon as she stopped pushing. A groan escaped the back of her throat as the contraction eased off and she was able to relax.

"That was great," Newt praised, unlacing their fingers and letting Fawn have her hands back. "You got the hang of it right off the bat."

Fawn sighed and balled the duvet beneath them in her claws. Her chest rose and fell quickly, and her pulse hammered in her neck. Any sense of physical comfort was gone now, even between contractions. She knew there would be no peace for her until this pup was out and in her arms . . . but God only knew when that would happen. God only knew if that would happen! The pup was barely inside her birth canal and Fawn was already terrified that it was going to get stuck.

"What if . . . what if I can't get it out?" she panted. Her lower back was screaming, so she shifted her hips forward. It didn't help. "What do we do if I can't get it out?!"

"Hey, hey, don't think like that," Newt helped Fawn recline a bit further against him. He steadied her in his arms, his hands gently massaging the curves where her belly met her ribcage. "There's no doubt in our minds that you can do this!"

"And I'm down here if you need a little extra help," Asher said. He carefully took Fawn's leg and draped it over his lap, helping to open her hips now that she was in a more reclined position. "We won't let anything happen to you or your pup, Fawn. That's a promise."

"You're safe here," Newt said in a low, soothing tone. He continued to apply soft pressure to her sides and back, kneading over her sore body as if smoothing out a delicate fabric.

Fawn never doubted for a second that she was in loving hands. She dreaded to think where she would be right now if the pair hadn't opened their home to her. Without their kindness, chances were that she'd be delivering her baby in a motel bathroom or on top of a cot in a homeless shelter. These two had given her the ultimate gift: a warm, safe place to give birth. She owed her pup's life to them.

"I know," Fawn said, snuggling down further into the nest. "I don't want to be anywhere else right now."

Newt bent down and pressed a kiss to Fawn's hairline. "Keep listening to your body. Don't rush what it's trying to do."

Fawn nodded, puffing out a breath as she felt the next contraction roll up from her back to her belly. "Okay . . . let's go."

She took in a slow lungful of air, waited for the contraction to build in strength, and pushed.

Her loosened joints spread easily for the pup's skull as it squeezed its way down her passage. It became an endless pattern: Fawn would push, the head would squeeze down, and her pelvic bones would spread over its shape as it passed beneath them. She could feel the rhythm of the changes.

Push. Squeeze. Spread.

Rest.

Push. Squeeze. Spread. Spread.

Rest.

Push. Squeeze. Spread. Spread. Spre-OW!

OW! OW! Oh, fuck! Now it was so too big! Her hips were filled to the maximum, her canal stretched wide around a huge pair of shoulders as they slipped from her womb. She could feel her labia bulging from between her legs -- and oh, God, they ached! There was nothing but a layer of her skin holding the pup in, and it felt like a bubble of gum about to burst!

But she couldn't stop pushing. Not now, not when everything was raw and stretched and open and hurting so goddamn bad! Fawn curled her toes into the mattress and wailed as she threw herself harder into pushing. Her voice grew louder as she felt the inflamed skin between her legs starting to open.

"Good job, Mama! Here it comes!" Asher cried, his voice raised to be heard over Fawn's roar of effort.

Asher had his eyes glued to the pale, wet sac pressing out of Fawn each time her body strained. He'd read in their books that it was common for werewolf pups to be born with their membranes wrapped around them. That was fine, he just had to be prepared to remove it.

A tiny spurt of fluid leaked out from around the sac as the head began to stretch the skin of the perineum. The pup's size seemed to be keeping most of its sac unruptured, the fluid too pressurized to leave the birth canal. Asher furrowed his brow but said nothing.

Of course, Newt took notice of his mate's unease. He swallowed the unease in his chest, and scented Fawn's hair with his cheek again in the hopes it would distract her.

"Ash sees the head," he crooned. "Keep going, you're pushing like a pro!"

With renewed vigor, Fawn gave into her body's needs. Asher waited until a few centimeters of the solid white membrane stretched open Fawn's lips, then he placed his index finger against the bulging sac to gauge how much fluid was inside. He felt the semi-solid squish of the pup's head just beneath the film, but his finger pad felt the swish of water when he pressed down. That wasn't a very good sign, but Asher still felt confident that he could handle it.

"I'm going to help you out a little, okay?" Asher told Fawn, cupping his hand over the crowning pup. "Focus on pushing, and I'll help you open up. I'll go slow."

Newt once again sensed Asher's unease and made it his mission to protect Fawn from sensing it, too. "Pup's almost out, Fawn," he said as he gave her shoulders a brief hug. "It'll be out quicker with Ash helping you. Just take a deep breath and let yourself stretch."

"I'm trying," Fawn whimpered. "I'm trying."

As Fawn bore down against the pup, Asher ran his fingers against the sides of her lips. He nudged her skin open bit by bit around the sac, watching as it stretched from a small oval to a wide circle over the course of several minutes. Asher cringed as he saw the skin of her labia discolor from a raw red to an almost beet purple with the width of the head.

Fawn, meanwhile, had fallen completely taciturn. Aside from wolfish growls and whimpers, she made no efforts to express her pain verbally. Her focus had shifted solely to bearing through the ordeal, working with her body to bring it to a swift end.

"Keep going, we're almost there!" Asher cheered. He had his hands positioned at the apex of her inner thighs, supporting the tight skin as Fawn pushed the head to its widest point.

Fawn shuddered and let her head fall back on Newt's chest. Her mind was a mess of black static as the pup's shoulders ground against her pubic bone. She arched her spine as the pup ceased to move for one heart-stopping moment. Then, in a sudden lurch, the sac-covered head popped free into Asher's waiting hands.

"Awesome! Awesome, Fawn!" Newt cheered, peering over her shoulder as much as he could. He could see the white membrane resting in his mate's palm. "Babe, you got it?"

Asher nodded. "I've got it, don't worry."

Without drawing attention to it, Asher took the claw of his thumb and carefully -- oh-so-carefully -- punctured the membrane at the base of where he felt the pup's neck should be. A quiet sploosh filled the nesting tent as amniotic fluid rushed over Asher's hands. He hooked his claw inside the tear and slowly peeled the sac over the pup's head.

There wasn't much hair on the pup's head -- unusual, though not uncommon -- but that wasn't what Asher was looking for. He craned his neck at a painful angle until he could catch a glimpse of the pup's face. When he saw it, he paled. The features were predictably swollen, but the puffy lips were hanging open and dripping a thick yellowish mucus. Asher thanked the stars above that he and his partner had read up about whelping -- for he was able to recognize the tell-tale symptom of waterlogged lungs.

The mates locked eyes with each other and nothing else needed to be said or done. They both understood.

"This is it, love," Newt said, leaning in to help Fawn hold her legs apart. "This next contraction is going to be the one."

Fawn's jaw gaped like a suffocating fish, but finally her voice obeyed her command: "Is my baby okay?"

Oh, hell. She must've smelled the pheromones of their stress. Newt had been hoping she wouldn't understood what the scent of fear was, yet.

Newt smiled at her and brushed her sweat-plastered hair away from her eyes. "They're fine, they just need some extra help."

"When you push, I'll give them a little tug," Asher said. "It's going to hurt, but it'll be over before you know it."

Fawn squeezed her eyes shut. "Can't hurt any worse than this," she mumbled. "Just do it."

The boys were expecting the horrific scream Fawn released when Asher began guiding out the first shoulder, but it still made their sensitive ears ring.

"You're so strong, Fawn!" Newt said into her ear. He felt her legs trying to close against the pain, and he had to pause to pull them back apart. "I know it hurts, but you're handling it so well! We're so proud of you!"

Asher kept his focus locked on delivering the pup as fast and as safe as possible. One hand supported the pup's body while the other pulled down on the emerging shoulder.

"Come on, little guy," Asher muttered under his breath. "Come on, you can do it."

With an audible pop of Fawn's hip joints -- and another yowl from the wolf woman herself -- the pup's first shoulder slipped free. Asher wasted zero time in hooking his thumb under the tiny arm and continuing his steady, gentle tug.

A rather disgusting squelch accompanied the pup as it slid onto the duvet. The remains of the membrane bunched around its feet as Asher scooped it into his hands. The body was grey and limp, and all three heartbeats stalled.

"What's wrong?!" Fawn cried. "What's wrong with it?!" She reached for her baby on instinct, but Newt held her back.

"It's okay!" he said, adjusting himself to block her veiw of Asher and the baby. "It's okay, I swear! Asher's taking care of it."

Newt stroked her sweaty face with the back of his hand, doing anything he could think of to soothe her. It didn't stop the tears from flooding the exhausted mother's eyes.

Behind his mate's back, Asher brought the pup's face to his lips. His mouth easily covered the nose and mouth of the newborn, and he gently sucked the sour-tasting fluid out of its airway. Asher spit the gunk into his sleeve and repeated the action, rubbing his thumb against the baby's chest as he did.

It was a process that lasted less than twenty seconds, but to all three werewolves it felt like eternity. But eternity ended when the pup sucked in a deep, squeaking breath. The sound of its first cry was shrill, but to the trio it sounded like singing.

Asher couldn't help but start crying as the little body he'd resurrected wiggled to life in his hands. "Here he is!" he said, voice wavering with joyful tears.

Newt sat back immediately, allowing Fawn to see the baby alive and well in Asher's arms.

"Here's our boy!" Asher announced, laying the crying baby over his mother's heart.

Through the haze of her tears, Fawn looked over every detail of her little boy. She saw the layer of damp fuzz covering his skin, the points on his pink, folded-over ears, and the coating of protective skin over his miniscule claws. She thanked whatever power was out there for that last detail, because such tiny needles would've been horrible to feel coming out.

"Sweetheart," she told the baby, wrapping her arms around him, "don't make a habit outta scaring me like that."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Is he already nursing again?" Newt asked as he placed the glass of water on the nightstand.

"He eats like a horse," Fawn chuckled, adjusting the nursing pillow under her baby. Jacob was the name she had settled on.

The sun was coming up now, filling her bedroom with a soft white light. Asher was on the floor, disassembling the nesting tent. It would be taken out again in a few months for Newt to use, but the Alpha was determined to Tetris the pieces correctly into their box.

Jacob was an aggressive nurser. Three hours old and this was his third time demanding his mother's milk. Newt and Asher insisted such an appetite was normal for a larger werewolf pup, but Fawn wasn't too thrilled to learn she was going to get even less sleep than she anticipated with a new baby.

Fawn quickly drained the glass of water. She wasn't sure if she would ever feel not-thirsty again. "So, Newt," she said, "I didn't scare you into wanting a C-section, did I?"

"Nah, not at all." Newt laid down on the bed beside Fawn, propping himself against the Squishmallow pile. "If you could get him out, I'm pretty sure I'll be okay."

Newt pet the thin strands of hair on Jacob's head. The newborn swiped a clumsy, mitten-covered fist over his head with a teeny-tiny growl. All three adults stopped and stared.

"Was that him?!" Asher asked from the floor.

"Yeah . . ." Newt said, withdrawing his hand. "He's very protective of his food."

Asher almost fell over laughing. "That's Alpha behavior if I've ever seen it!"

"How do you guys even determine that stuff?" Fawn asked. "Is it a sex thing?"

"Eh, a bit," Newt shrugged, "but it's also a personality thing." He tickled the folded tip of Jacob's soft ear, and got the same response as before.

"Ow!" Fawn jerked as her son bit down on her breast. "Stop annoying him, or I'm biting you, too!"

"Sorry," Newt chuckled.

"I can't thank you boys enough for this," Fawn said. "This werewolf shit is all sorts of weird for me, and . . . now I know for certain that Jacob wouldn't have been alright if you weren't with me."

"That's what packs do," Asher said, re-folding a segment of nylon tarp. "We look out for each other."

"Do we even . . . " Fawn stopped herself mid-sentence and looked away.

Newt grinned and touched his forehead to Fawn's temple. "I don't know. What do you think?"

Fawn grinned in return and rubbed her cheek against his hair, leaving her scent on his skin.

[bird-nest-32]

RIP Teresa Agnes, you would've loved Remember Me by Mitski

RIP Thomas, you would've loved ballad of a homeschooled girl by Olivia Rodrigo

RIP Newt, you would've loved Limp by Fiona Apple

RIP Minho, you would've loved Nepo Baby by Fox Szn

[princess-of-thebes-1995]

Lowly Desires Remake Drabble pt 2

Helmut was doing his security rounds to make sure unwanted guests or aurors were not interrupting the party. He made the brother of that Newt go to prison for his attempt to arrest his lover, Rosier.

Speaking of Rosier. She was sitting next to her boss, the Dark Wizard was acting strange. Rosier doesn't know Grindelwald personally. They never loved each other. Like how the boss was in love with you obviously. 

Rosier was surprised that a much younger and beautiful girl who was raped by Grindelwald was not married to him yet. She would have been the perfect trophy wife. What was stopping her evil boss from putting the ring on her finger?

Grindelwald was off in his own world as he waited for his chauffeur to park in the back. Everything was going to plan. The Qilin he killed and bewitched told him how Dumbledore and his gang will try to stop him at this party. Which was why he sent Credence to kill his best friend. Grindelwald loved his best friend. But, he was getting in his way. He didn't want Dumbledore to die. He was the reason why he saw you in Thailand. Grindelwald was forever grateful to Albus. He wanted Albus to be his first child's Godfather. 

Then, Grindelwald's thoughts went back to you. Sweet and lovely Name. He daydreamed of you swelling with his baby soon. 

Grindelwald wished he was young. He knew you were almost 19 and too young to be a mother but Grindelwald was a silver fox and wanted to see his kids at least be 18 by the time he died. 

If Gellert was the same age as you, he would have vacationed with you and traveled and gave you a long honeymoon. Maybe five or ten years maximum. 

Speaking of being young. Gellert clenched his teeth as he saw the way the young and sickly boy was ogling at you when Gellert ordered him to give you food and medicine in your cell. 

After he caught those looks, Credence was banned from you. But, Grindelwald saw Credence staring at the photo frame of you on his desk. 

Like he wanted to steal your headshot. 

That won't do.

Being the most beautiful lady, Gellert knew you were well wanted by men. Helmut stared at you as usual, but Credence looked as if he really loved you and wanted to marry you. The other henchmen obviously wanted to rape you. That was all. 

Soon. He will surprise the world with his announcement. The dress he picked for you. He was anxious to see you in it. He knew you would look terrific as usual.

 

Teal was his favorite color. 

Merlin

When will you meet him at the party? 

His eyes hazed as people outside were banging on the window of his car to support and cheer him in the election.

He was out of Azkaban. Rich again. The most wealthiest man in the UK. And better and stronger than ever. 

The cards are laying out for him. 

Soon, he will rule the world with you by his side as his Queen.

[kxttsstuff]

Naming Conventions

🌷;; Borrower names are often borrowed from nouns or adjectives, or borrowed from animals/human names.

🍀;; The following shows the most common borrower names. Some names have strong female or male associations, but most of them are unisex. Most borrowers' names are strictly dictionary, literal nouns and rarely have deeper forms.

❄️;; After seasons: Spring, Winter, Summer or Autumn/Fall. Often because they were born in that season or because it holds a special meaning for the parents. Example: The parents met in Summer, the kid was born in Winter, or they found a home in Spring.

🌺;; After flowers: Rose, Lily, Ivy, Violet, Magnolia, Lilac, Rosemary, Bluebell, Wisteria, Tulip, Margaret, Buttercup, Peony, Orchid, Camellia, Lavender, Petal.

🌳;; After herbs, trees and other plants: Basil, Dandelion, Laurel, Cedar, Leaf, Willow, Aspen, Clover, Cypress, Ginger, Olive, Mint, Herb, Sage, Moss, Pine, Oak, Branch.

🌎;; After noble occupations that their family used to have or that they find brave and charming: Archer, Hunter, Ranger, Author, Gather, Dancer, Rider, Fisher, Rogue, Striker, Chaser, Poet, Explorer

🍎;; From fruits, spices or food: Apple, Honey, Apricot, Cherry, Cinnamon, Plum, Peach, Tangerine, Lemon, Almond, Sesame, Rue, Strawberry, Saffron, Pepper, Maple, Berry, Clove, Tea, Thyme, Fennel, Coriander

🛠️;; From household items or tools: Penny, Denim, Clay, Quill, Blade, Treasure, Dagger, Cotton, Jewel, Velvet, Calico, Anchor, Feather, Dice, Coal, Shell, Guitar, Bell

🐿️;; From animals or bugs: Robin, Raven, Hummingbird, Byrd, Fox, Bee, Fawn, Lark, Cricket, Newt, Crow, Teal, Buck, Sparrow, Doe, Dove, Crane, Swan, Canary, Wren.

🌙;; From natural phenomena: Rain, Storm, Sky, Snow, Cloud, Sun, Moon, Star

⭐;; From human names/pet names: for example, being named after a cool name your parent saw in a magazine, or once when they saw what the human called the housecat.

Changing your name in borrower culture:

• Contrary to popular belief, often borrower names given by parents don't actually have a deep value, like with humans. They're often more than welcomed to change it however they wish, this is known as "to borrow a name".

• Some borrowers will change their name just because they found a nicer one, or they want to transition to one that fits more their current identity or their age. Some nicknames may transform into a borrowers' name, this is surprisingly common. This tradition is popular, especially reaching adulthood or even late teens, and some communities heavily encourage the borrowing of a name to signal a borrower is ready to get involved within the community. A borrower may have borrowed lots of names through their lives.

• Some people give their kids ‘baby names’. This is the case of names like ‘Peanut’, 'Raindrop', "Button" or ‘Seed’ and they are expected to be changed later on when the borrower finds their own identity. The new name shall be called the "Chosen name/true name", and it is considered demeaning/patronizing/sometimes mocking to insist on using the baby name of someone to address them (if you happen to know it); this happens a lot with parents and their young. Baby names lose their value the second they change it, so it's not really necessary to let others know what it was unless you want to explain the term to a human and get teased for one month.

🪲;; Some spelling has changed over time, transforming “Bird” into “Byrd”, for example. There is also a tendency of choosing shorter names, making "Leaf" or "Petal" one of the most common ones.

🪲;; Giving nicknames based on their skills, personality or appearance is very common. This tradition has developed from survival purposes but now it is considered cultural, a form of showing love and is especially seen from older borrowers to the young.

🪲;; Borrowers don't have middle names.

About last names: This depends on the family, some of them consider them superficial and have no last names. Some borrowers do HAVE last names, especially the ones living in communities. As with names, last names don't usually hold a deeper value and have very literal meanings. Most of them reflect the particular part of the landhouse their hideout is close by, whether it's the Clock, the Cabinet, the Shower, etc. Their last names may or may not be subject to change in case they move out, some could be slightly attached to them so they choose to keep it.

Generally speaking, when a borrower "marries" another and they move out, they'll get a new last name based on the location they're building their hideout on, which their children will inherit until they move out. This would make most Borrower's last names transitory.

[alwaysahiccupandastrid]

“autistic luna” this, “autistic luna” that, can we talk about how hermione was autistic coded pls?

I mean... yes? It's definitely something I've thought about but I haven't really talked about it because I'm aware of my habit of making headcanons that all of my favourite characters are autistic (Dano!Riddler, Robin from ST etc), but yes, I've definitely considered that Hermione is autistic-coded.

Let me just be clear from the beginning: Do I think that R*wling intentionally wrote Hermione as autistic or autistic-coded? Absolutely fucking not. That woman can't write autism for shit, as she's proven with her Strike books; she didn't write Newt as autistic intentionally, nor did she write Luna as autistic intentionally, and I'm not giving that nightmare the credit for any autistic-coded characters in her works because she doesn't deserve it.

With that out of the way, let me discuss autistic!hermione.

One of most obvious things we all know about Hermione is her love of studying; it very much seems that upon finding out she was a witch, she threw herself into that world and learned all that she could about it. By the time she was on the train to Hogwarts for her first year, she had literally read all of the assigned text books and even knew a few basic spells. This is in part due to the fact she wanted to fit in with the Wizarding World - it's implied that she didn't really have any muggle friends pre-Hogwarts, she was probably ostracised for being such a "know-it-all", and it's clear that she wanted to fit in at Hogwarts, to find a place where she belonged, hence why she threw herself into it (and also because of her love of learning of course). You can see that she was desperate not only to learn as much as possible but also to make friends; if she didn't care about being accepted and making friends, Ron's comment about "no wonder she hasn't got any friends" wouldn't have hurt her nearly as much.

While a love of studying certain topics and a desire to fit in aren't solely autistic traits, they are ones that autistic people do seem to experience, myself included. Speaking from experience, I want to fit in and make friends because I feel lonely, and I see that everyone else around me seems comfortable/to have found people they can be around and trust, and I wish I had that. I find friendships very difficult to build and maintain, because I don't know how to talk to people or how to get them to like me, and I feel deficient in that area. Again, that's probably an experience non-autistic people can relate to as well, but from what I can tell it seems to be very common among us.

Another reason I think Hermione could be autistic-coded is that she seems to display a lack of empathy for others at times; a prime example of this is when Lavender's rabbit, Binky, died. Lavender was - quite understandably - sobbing about it, especially given that Binky was only a baby and that he was killed by a fox. Instead of offering any kind of sympathy or empathy, Hermione instead lectured her (and everyone else) about how Trelawney wasn't actually a seer, analysing how Trelawney didn't predict the bunny's death - she was more interested in proving that Divination sucked because it was her worst subject, like she had to have some kind of win over Trelawney/Divination. And while I understand her logic, she was sort of right, choosing that very moment - when one of her dorm-mates was sobbing over her dead pet - was not the best time to voice it. There's also her utter disregard for Ron's feelings over "Scabbers"; she had this "he's never really cared that much about Scabbers anyway" "he's an old rat anyway" kind of mentality that just displayed no kind of attempt to understand his feelings. The fact that Hermione became a pet owner herself just a few months before all of this also goes to show her lack of empathy/sympathy, the fact that despite owning an animal now she still was unable to do the socially acceptable thing and show empathy/sympathy instead of logic. Hermione is certainly not emotionless by any means, but there are definitely times where she seems so absorbed by her own ideas and thoughts/feelings that she's oblivious to other people's.

Not all autistic people are like this, of course, and not all people who display a lack of empathy or sympathy are necessarily autistic, but it's another thing to consider. While I like to think of myself as being a bit too empathetic, there are many times where I've appeared selfish and too caught up in my own head/feelings to regard other people's feelings or how best to approach being there for them. It's not because I don't care for them, it's just that I'm so caught up in my own thoughts and how I'm feeling that I often don't think twice about how someone else must be doing - and I'd say it's the same for Hermione, because while she doesn't seem to feel particularly strongly either way about Lavender in PoA, we know she definitely cares for Ron because he's one of her best friends (and love interest but if anything it was probably more a crush than anything else in third year)

Some more things that I'm too exhausted to discuss properly because I'm suffering severe burnout right now:

Hermione is very blunt and to the point, she doesn't sugarcoat things or mince words at all

It's mentioned that she talks very fast, to the point where during their first interaction Harry's like "did she even breathe during that speech?!?!", which is usually what I do when I infodump on people because I want to get all of my words out before I'm interrupted or forget them

An extremely good memory, she remembers so much of what she reads in books; the only reason I don't think it's photographic is because she read about Flamel and then later didn't remember it immediately when the trio were searching for information on him until Harry found him mentioned on the back of Dumbledore's Chocolate Frog card.

It's worth mentioning that she panics in dangerous situations and seems to forget things; "oh we don't have any wood to build a fire", for example, and then Ron had to remind her that she's a witch and can literally just use magic - something you'd think she'd remember given that she not only set Snape on fire that year but also created flames to put in jars during the winter

Hermione seems to be brilliant at spells and magic that require precision, but then she struggles with spells/magic that require some creativity and imagination like the Patronus charm - she's a logical thinker and so struggles with emotional charms

This links to what I said above about a lack of sympathy/empathy and her struggle making friends, but she definitely lacks social awareness; she constantly butts into other people's conversations and business, speaks her mind abrasively, and critically

Hermione taking on way too many classes in PoA, struggling to keep on top of it all, and snapping at anyone who came near her; struggling to manage things is is commonly found among many of us with autism since we can often only handle a certain amount of sensory input before we get overwhelmed.

Her reluctance to even consider other people's views/beliefs, eg. Luna's belief in strange or bizarre sounding creatures. She may have technically been right, but she was rude to Luna about it and didn't even want to consider why someone may have an opposing view. Hermione is so set in what she believes in, and what she believes in is logic and hard evidence.

I also recently found out that Emma Watson was apparently diagnosed with combined/hyperactive type ADHD as a child; while autism and ADHD are two different things, sometimes there's an overlap and sometimes people have both, so it's not outside the realm of possibility that any autistic/neurodivergent traits in movie!Hermione are partly down to this.

I'd be interested to hear other people's thoughts and if people want to add onto this post because it's been a long time since I read the books properly, and its also 1:30am here so I'm going to bed to try and get a few hours sleep!

[yutopia-eleftheria]

Color Wheel Challenge

I finally did the Color Wheel Challenge, but I add some rules to myself

3 Characters per color (except white with 2 to have the male/female equality)

There is a male/female ratio. Each complementary colors have the same amount of male and female characters.

All characters came from different universes. No doubles.

A bonus motif added to each color to add some unique context.

Red Segment (only boys) :

Hyouma Chigiri from Blue Lock

Kurama from Yu Yu Hakusho

Yuri Plisetsky from Yuri !! On Ice

Orange Segment (a boy and 2 girls) :

Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn

Virgil Van Dijk

Yoimiya from Genshin Impact

Yellow Segment (only girls) :

Centorea Shianus from Monster Musume

God Is A Woman Goddess Version from Just Dance 2020

Kiria from Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest

Green Segment (2 boys and a girl) :

Captain Celaeno from My Little Pony The Movie

Ukyo from Amnesia The Anime

Yoshi from Super Mario

Cyan Segment (only boys) :

Kool from Star Fox Manga

Newt from The Baby In Yellow

Ori from Ori and the Blind Forest

Indigo Segment (a boy and 2 girls) :

Frederica Sol Valux from Monster Hunter Riders

Meowstic from Pokémon X and Y

Steorra the Starseer from Octopath Traveler

Purple Segment (only girls) :

Hanyuu Furude from Higurashi ; When They Cry

Rui from Cat's Eyes

Shinobu Kocho from Demon Slayer

Pink Segment (2 boys and a girl) :

Cherry Blossom from Sk8 The Infinity

Kouma Ren from Magi ; The Labyrinth of Magic

Zair from Redakai

BONUS PART ! :

White Part in the Center (a boy and a girl) :

Angela Blanc from Black Butler

Bernard Girikanan from Inazuma Eleven Orion

Total characters : 26 (13 boys and 13 girls)

[originalwinnercheesecake]

One more list of backround character palisman choices

Some spoilers for season 3

Pairing palisman to witches has been one of my favorite things to do in The Owl House fandom. I have done about 3 lists so far.  A “first guess list” I did pre-Hunting Palisman (Amity and Mary the sheep horned abmination student were the only ones I got right). Then a list involving the palisman that did not go home with witches in “Hunting Palisman”. My third list was one I did for all the adult characters, based on their personalities and headcannons some of their actor’s had given. Well in honor of Stringbean hatching I want to make a fourth list for all the teenager’s/young adults whom we have not yet seen with palisman.

Amber’s palisman: A fruit bat. I have seen some people in the fandom nickname the youngest of the bard trio “baby bat” due to her ears, fangs, and wings. I love this, so I want to keep that little theme going with her palisman also being a bat. I piked a fruit bat just because I think their little fox-like faces are cute

Derwin’s palisman: A Newt, possibly a firebelly newt for its cool look and rebel sounding name. So I really want the the original 4 BATT’s to all have a different type of animal palisman. Raine’s voice actor already said Raine would have a penguin (a bird), Katya has a herculean beetle (an insect), and above I said Amber would get a fruit bat ( a mammal). Then that means that Derwin should get either a reptile or an amphibian. I am going to reference Amphibia here: I headcannon Derwin as being most intelligent of his trio (Katya being the caring one, and Amber being the brave one) because he wears glasses and his name is super similar/derived from that of a famous scientist.  And in Amphibia the newts were the scholarly race

Blight Twins. Okay so originally I wanted all three of the blight siblings to have cats, with Emira having a black cat and Edric having either a gray one or a tabby. Then that turned into Emira still having a cat but Edric instead having a small dog. But earlier today I saw the tweet that said the writers wanted to give the twins a butterfly and a moth. Which is funny because in my adult witch list I said that if the little brown rat was not Alador’s paliman, then he should have a lunar moth palisman. Now I am just imagining ghost with a gaggle of bugs, rodent’s, and Stringbean, who’s default form is a snake... All animals cats usually try and hunt/catch, but these ones are her family. lol.

Moving on, the person said that the reason we haven’t seen the twins with the two bugs is that they crew cold not decide which twin should get the moth and which twin should get the butterfly. Well choosing to believe them, I can decide: Emira gets the moth. Edric gets the butterfly. Now let’s talk breeds.

Emira Blight: A prometheus moth. It took approximately 5-10 seconds for me to pick this breed of moth for Emira. Prometheus moth’s are brown feathered moths with eye like images painted on to the back of their wings. Emira is such a watchful person. She does so much to try and take care of Ed and Amity. In season 2 she honestly seemed like the closest thing her siblings had to an involved parent. I think it would really cool if she got a prometheus moth that literally had eyes on the back of its wings, and it either followed just behind her or sat on her scalp, and was treated like Emira having eyes in the back of her head.

Edric Blight: A red spotted purple butterfly. They are actually blue with black edges and orange spots. They look kinda like blue Monarch butterflies. In contrast to his sister, just looking through butterfly breeds on google to find him one did nothing but overwhelm me. So to try and cut it down I decided I wanted to give him a blue butterfly, since he has blue magic. There are like 50+ types of blue butterflies, but I found the red spotted purple butterfly petty high on the list and picked it. It has three colors to its wings, just like Ed has three track colors on his school uniform. 2 of its colors even match 2 of Ed’ tracks. So a red spotted purple butterfly is Edric’s butterfly.

Matt Tholomule: a white Rat. So a rat was my original pick for him just because after 1x09 the fandom kept referring to him as “the construction rat”. Now that we have seen more of his skills and personality, the animal just continues to suit him more. Rat’s are, sneaky, good at building, really smart (seriously rats are actually incredibly smart rodents.) and fast little creatures. I say with all the love in the world that  Matt is a rat gremlin. Originally I was going to pick out a breed of rat that was black or dark grey to match Matt’s color scheme better... Then I realized that that would look similar to Micky Mouse. No. Adrian Graye, who was written as a vessel for the creators to express their disgust/frustration for Disney’s producers, is the only character who a Micky Mouse palisman works with. Give Matt a white rat that looks nothing like Micky.

Steve: Hedgehog palisman for Steve. He was on my last list, where I suggested a scorpion palisman. I have since been unsatisfied with that choice and want to change it to a hedgehog (I will give all the Tholomule’s rodent’s). I looked at its meanings and a hedgehog is literally perfect for Steve. A hedgehog is a tough little creature but also non aggressive, so is Steve. Totem wise they are seen as vessels for positivity, and Steve likes to cheer for people. But also a creature who likes peaceful outings. Europeans view them as representations of victory over evil forces, which can be represented with Steve choosing to walk away from the Emperor’s coven when he no longer believed in The Emperor’s rule.

Vee Noceda: A mocking bird. Oh y’all thought I wouldn’t include Luz’s siblings on this list? No chance. I have seen more fan art on Tumblr of Vee with Stringbean than Luz. So many people have been commenting about how the egg hatched into a mythical creature that is so similar to a basilisk, and how flattered Vee will feel when she meets her sister’s new pet. Guys Stringbean is Luz’s. Vee needs her own palisman. I did want to give her something that could learn to mimic other creatures similar to how Vee does. I also thought about birds, because Vee mentions playing with Masha and a flock of birds at camp in one of her letters to Camila. Put both of those concepts together and you get Vee with a little mocking bird palisman.

King Clawthorne: A bunny. He can have one too, once he gets old enough to take care of it. I am sticking with my first idea that once King becomes old enough to outgrow Francois he gets himself a bunny palisman to be his little buddy instead.

The Collector: A multicolored parrot. Yeah if King was going to be on this list then his new baby brother had to be next. Anyone who has watched 3x02 can see how at his core the collector is just a lonely little kid who is afraid of being alone. If you know about Parrots you know that they are long living birds who develop close bonds with their owners to the point where they want to be by their side always. A parrot could spend all day every day playing with the Collector and they would both love it.

Hunter: Well of course the first thing I want to know is if, since he has flapjack’s spirit, can he carve a new palisman body for Flap and put him into it. In “Hunting Palisman’s” Hunter said he wished he could chose his life for himself, and that bonded him to Flapjack. Well in “Thanks to Them” almost everything he said he would like to do with his life involved palisman. He still needs one and there is no room left in the show for him to mourn Flapjack and get to a point where it is believable that he would be ready to get/make a new palisman.

But let’s say that either A.) It is possible for Hunter to carve Flapjack a new body and he carves something other than a cardinal, deciding that both he and Flapjack should have knew looks for their new lives. Or B.) the Owl house gets spin off material and somewhere down the road we get a comic of Hunter going through the process of mourning Flapjack, and coming to terms with what happened. Then eventually getting to a stage where carving a new palisman wouldn't be to painful. I have seen a lot of people suggest a wolf. That good, but I want to suggest on final tribute to his fallen friend’s old forum. A black/dark brown wolf with red feathered wings. Palisman do not have to look exactly like the animals they are based off, and so far canine palisman haven’t. The green skinned fang kid has a unisus wolf, and Jarbo has a unicorn dog. So why should Hunter carve a plain old wolf when he could do a black and red Pegasus wolf?

[a-place-to-be-sad]

tadpoles die

green remembers green in the garden hyacinth and squirrel trees, foxes and elderberry little cobble paths twisting through the underbrush baby bunnies under oak roots deer drink at the edge of the pond next to the wolves newts slurp up tadpoles, fish swallow newts with a flicking ear, a mother scarfs the berries and the fox eats the hare the cemetery is full of flowers

[coolclaytony]

So I'm either:

A skeleton archeology professor whose estranged with his ex-wife and child.

A fox martial arts master.

A half-witted black cat who learned the secrets of magic from a god.

A demon lord who presides over bullies and petty criminals.

The princess of a kingdom ruled by PBS-kids style cartoon logic.

The magic rainbow fairy tree that the aforementioned princess worships as a deity.

The god of atheism.

The king of skeletons.

The king of the bogeymen.

A witch who turns people into newts as a hobby.

An British dandy who eats babies and likes the Beatles.

An evil owl queen who wants to conquer the universe.

A nigh indestructible robot samurai security guard.

A mad scientist goblin.

A sexy goblin who's good at magic.

A 9-year-old Korean-American girl who likes weird stuff and to whome weird things seem to always happen.

Her 9-year-old anthropomorphic pig French-Canadian boyfriend who wants to be a chef.

A 7-year-old Indian-Palestinian nerd girl who fears dogs and the ocean.

A 9-year-old Jewish Italian-American girl who's learning wrestling. Her favorite band is Disturbed.

A 10-year-old Hatian child who runs track and studies existential philosophy.

A 11-year-old Japanese-American pretty-boy who is a hopeless romantic and is also very sensitive.

An 11-year-old Inuit boy with a mysterious and cool personality and who's backstory is a convoluted string of noodle incidents.

A gender-fluid 10-year-old white kid who's only real defining trait is having a lot of money and a willingness to give it away.

A 13-year-old Cajun boy with a guardian complex and a righteous contempt for fascism and capitalism.

An 8-year-old African-American girl who likes bugs and lizards.

[teamtrisha]

Baby Newt - Fox Spirit

[ecoevoexo]

saw what i think was a baby newt (called an eft) today when i was hiking w friends:

it's hard to make out cuz the water was pretty muddy & i couldnt get close to take photos without scaring them away. still, ENHANCE:

we also saw a ton of tadpoles of at least 2 species and some very young frogs, and also what may have been a fox or a very fox-like coyote. ^-^

[funkzpiel]

Just a Little Bite

For @mamin-the-troll​ because she’s FILLING MY LIFE WITH SUCH ADORABLE AND LOVELY DRAWINGS AND I CAN’T FUCKING RESIST, OKAY, I AM WEAK?! I NEVER USED TO WRITE FLUFF BEFORE THIS FANDOM, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!

Based off this and this post from Mamin, which inspired this fic.

As it turns out, Newt really takes to Percival - so much so that when it’s time to go home, he won’t leave with the Goldsteins as they had planned. Or any other auror. In fact, they can’t seem to pry him out from behind Graves’ legs, and when he cries as they try, Graves can’t help but stop them.

“No, no, it’s fine. I’ll take him, leave him be.”

The aurors are stunned as they watch Graves gently pick up the small boy and walk off to the disapparation point, but no one says a word to stop him.

“Does Mr. Graves know how to take care a child?” Queenie asks innocently, a small smile on her lips. Tina shrugs.

“Guess we’ll find out.”

As it turns out, no, Mr. Graves does not know how to take care of a child. He feeds him easily enough. Shrinks down a shirt and soft pajama bottoms he never wears so they might fit Newt - cutting a hole in the back for his tail. In fact, it all goes well until it’s time for Graves to attend to his own needs.

Like showering. Or just using the bathroom in general.

Newt gets anxious when he closes the door and Graves can hear his bitty nails on the other side of the door, clicking sadly as he paws and whines and whimpers at him to be let in.

“I’m almost done, Mr. Sca—Newt. Just a moment.”

He finishes his business, but he still needs to shower and child though he may be, Graves will not allow the man he has a crush on (though he’ll never admit it) to watch him shower as a fox eared child. But he can’t just leave him alone, either. Jesus, how did his mother do it with six of them?

He pauses from that train of thought - frozen - when suddenly he realizes that outside the door, Newt has become quiet. He bursts through, eyes wide and heart beating - unsure of what he’ll find.

But the room is not in shambles and Newt has neither destroyed anything or been abducted. Instead, he finds the little boy in the corner. His laundry hamper has been knocked over and within the confines of his dirty clothes is a familiar shock of red hair and a fluffy, squirming tail. He feels his heart slowly begin to calm, and when he finally finds himself towering over the little pile - his beautiful black suits now covered in fur - he smiles.

Newt is small and sleeping, his little paws kneading gently at Graves’ tie as he nuzzles a little deeper, tail tucked around him like a blanket. He can’t fathom why the child had decided to do it, but if his dirty clothes calmed him, he was more than willing to forgive the mess if that meant he could safely shower without worrying about Newt.

It’s the quickest shower he’s ever taken, and that’s coming from a man who went to war. He keeps the door creaked open just enough so that he can peek at Newt through the shower curtains from time to time. The boy never moves, snoring the soft and enchanting litany of a child’s sleepy nasal breathing. So when he’s finally done and dried and in his own sleep bottoms, he can’t help but sag in relief when Newt is right were he left him.

It’s a simple matter to lift the child, cocooned as he is in Graves’ clothing. What he doesn’t expect is the sharp and sudden press of milk teeth in the meat of his hand near his thumb, piercing the skin. But as a man used to pain, as a man who had survived Gellert Grindelwald, he merely hisses but hold the child tight as Newt blinks, realizing where he is, and quickly lets go.

“I’m sorry,” Newt babbles, gently licking at the slightly swollen and sluggishly bleeding wound. “I’m sorry.”

“Ssh, ssh, ssh,” Graves says, holding the child close although his hand smarts wickedly. “It’s okay. I startled you, it’s not your fault. It’s okay.”

It’s a simple matter to close the little punctures, but surprisingly the bruise it leaves behind won’t fade - two pearly little marks left behind atop hot, pink, plush skin. Graves shakes it from his mind and gently tucks Newt into his own bed. Gets him a glass of water, makes sure the blankets are nice and snug, and lets Newt keep his rich blue scarf - his little nose pressed into it, obviously soothed by his scent. Which Graves tries not to think about.

“I’m going to sleep on the couch, okay?”

Newt blinked and shook his head, curls tossing.

“No?”

“Stay,” Newt pouts.

“Newt, I—“

“Stay?” And now his lower lip is quivering and damn it. Graves closes his eyes and sighs.

“Give me a moment to fetch my paperwork. I can work from the bed.”

He tries to ignore the boy’s victorious little smile and the way he happily kicks his feet beneath the covers as Graves goes to find his papers. Only… when did it get so hot in his flat? He wipes at his head, quickly fetches his work and returns to the bed. He sits atop the blankets, his socked feet crossed as he leans against the headboard and puts on his glasses - something Newt is fascinated by as he quickly snags them from Graves’ nose and puts them on, eyes comically large in the lenses.

“I need those,” Graves chuckles, for once not ashamed for having owned them. “Can I have them back?”

He holds out a hand, but Newt doesn’t place them in it. Instead, he lifts himself to his bitty knees and gently manages to set them back onto Graves’ face - if a little clumsily, thanks to the paws, but close enough.

Newt falls asleep soon after, snuggled into Graves’ side, face buried in the scarf. And Graves is grateful he didn’t slip beneath the covers too because his skin feels on fire and Newt feels like a furnace against him and he’s sweating?

He ends up unable to focus on his papers for long. His head is pounding and he aches, and he figures it must be a delayed reaction to the stress of the raid and what happened to Newt, and distantly he reminds himself to thank his mother for surviving the Graves boys before setting his papers aside, curling around Newt and falling asleep.

The next morning his hand is throbbing, but he ignores it. He showers while Newt still sleeps, manages to get breakfast into both of them, and apparates them to MACUSA. He’s pale, he knows, and no doubt everyone will contribute it to the fact that he struggled to care for Newt. But he’s beginning to wonder if he maybe caught something when yet another employee is stopping him, asking him if he’s feeling well.

“Quite well,” he murmurs, Newt’s little paw in hand, before trudging off to his department. He’s just made it inside when already he’s taking off his scarf and tie, suffocating, and Tina blinks at him owlishly - caught in the middle of her greeting - before rushing to him.

“Mr. Graves, are you—?”

She gasps as two little pops silence the room, her eyes drawn to something atop his head and Graves blinks.

“Ms. Goldstein—?”

Another pop, and a rip, and Tina’s blushing now. Graves too, for that matter, because he’s unfortunately quite sure that his pants just split in the back and — all thought is lost beneath another haze of pain, his mind caught as though by blinders by the heat and the ache and the shrinking - wait, he’s shrinking?

And Tina can only watch helplessly as her boss’ clothing grows too big around his shrinking form; eyes trailing down, down, down until there’s a little boy standing in a puddle of her boss’ beautifully cut cloths, blinking up at her with stupidly big, wet eyes. He’s smaller than Newt, his wolf ears huge on his head where they peak out of his soft black hair, and his little black tail is tucked tight to his legs. His sore, bitten hand tucked to his chest, sleeves long and shirt engulfing him.

Which is precisely when Queenie stumbles in, having heard Graves’ and Tina’s fear, and gasps, “Oh dear.”

And the Goldstein sisters can do nothing more than stare as Newt gently tries to calm a teary-eyed wolf pup Graves down.

“Now what do we do?” Tina asked, voice high and frantic, but hushed so the boys wouldn’t hear.

“I don’t know,” Queenie said, “You’re the auror, honey, not me.”

[ifeelprettyandwittyandgay]

cool gender neutral names :)

some of these are a little gendered, but some people want that so they are here. its just a bunch of names that I think are cool, if you have any to add please do! feel free to share your chosen name in the comments too

NAMES WITH MEANINGS (some of the others have names too)

Tatum - bringer or joy, cheerful, and full of spirit

Devon - a poet

Skylar - scholarly and intelligent

Storm - volatile and powerful

Sage - wise one or prophet

Avery - ruler of elves

MYTHOLOGY VIBE

Zephyer

Echo

Gaia

Niko

Tavi

Leto

Rune

Elli

Finn

Griffin

Calypso

Siv

Ziva

Pax

NATURE VIBE

Perigrine

Obsidian

Forest

Fox

Lark

Wren

River

Dune

Crow

Moss

Newt

Reed

Birch

Autumn

Cypress

Lotus

Mika

Topaz

Bones

Zenith

Azura

SPACE VIBE

Eclipse

Marz

Star

Moon

Tarot

Riven

Nova

Arin

Tarian

Phoenix

Kyri

Indie

Marquise

Kazi

Adira

PLACES

Rio

Milan

Cairo

Rome

York

Cody

Denver

Geneva

Irving

Nara

Kyoto

Memphis

Oslo

Paris

Palma

Dakota

Osaka

Sicily

Sahara

OTHER SUPER COOL NAMES

Aquila (quill for short maybe)

Maven

Kry

Syd

Nye

Cypher

Jada

Azura

Lyric

Mika

Merit

Eleven

Ace

Kian

Gael

Jace

Shae

Harlow

from https://www.theedadvocate.org/100-gender-neutral-baby-names-and-their-meanings/ (more common names), https://nameberry.com/blog/45-rare-gender-neutral-names-to-watch (for some rare names), and https://www.craftymotherfather.com/nonbinary-names/ (even more badass names and a bigger collection)

but most of all remember that you are deserving of love and it doesn't matter what pronouns you have or gender you identify with or who you love or what name you have. i support you, and you have so many people who have your back, even if it doesn't seem like it. ❤❤❤

[hphmmatthewluther]

Summer Break Challenge: Day 4 - Travel

Here’s day 4! It’s a little on the shorter side, but I’m really happy with it so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

And of course, this challenge was created by the wonderful @usernoneexistent​ !

Day 4: Travel

“What?”

Matthew Luther-Snyde tilted his head past the open boot of the car to look at his wife. He wasn’t sure he’d heard her right, and felt like he needed to actually hear her say it.

“I asked if I could drive.” she said, bluntly.

Matthew blinked. “Uh, ‘rula…you’ve never driven a car before.”

“So?” Merula Luther-Snyde shrugged, looking at the steering wheel through the window. “Doesn’t seem that difficult.”

Matthew felt sort of speechless. “But…uh…that’s not…you don’t know how to drive a car.”

“I can learn on the fly.” “That’s really not how it works. There’s a reason you go through months of lessons.” “For most people, yes. But how different can it be from flying a broom, or riding a Thestral?”

Very, Matthew wanted to say. He smiled. He couldn’t help but smile. Was she being a little unrealistic? Of course. That was one of the many, many things he loved about her, the way she was so confident and convinced she’d be able to see things through. It was a skill that he sort of had to work on. Of course, he wasn’t prepared to let Merula drive onto the M25 today, especially not considering their precious cargo.

 In the back, in a baby seat that he was starting to get too big for, was Rowan Luther-Snyde, smiling as he scribbled on a notepad.

“Tell you what,” Matthew said finally, “I’ll drive us to Uncle Newt’s place, then you can have a go around the roads there later. There’s a parking lot nearby that’s usually empty.”

Merula nodded, admitting that his option was far more feasible. “Alright, fine. I guess it’s only fair. You make that Emm-twenty five thingy sound like a nightmare.”

 Thankfully, the traffic on that dreaded motorway wasn’t too bad when they set off in Matthew’s car, a dark blue Ford Focus. The weather was almost perfect, too, allowing for a mostly peaceful car ride. At least until Rowan yelled “Look! A dead fox!” at the top of his lungs. Merula followed Rowan’s tiny pointing finger while Matthew kept his eyes on the road. When they next stopped at the traffic lights, they looked at each other and burst out laughing.

 They were still laughing when the lights went green, and Matt had to focus again to avoid getting beeped by a car further behind. He still had a smile on his face, as did Merula, though hers was a little more pensieve. He looked at her when it was next safe to do so and she tapped her head, the symbol between them for Matthew to use his Legilimency. When he did, his smile brightened even further. “We ought to have another one back there.”

 When they made it to Newt and Tina’s cottage, Rowan looked tired and hungry. Matthew and Merula could understand that, it had after all been a 3 and a half hour trip, enough time to get through all of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and the Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter the Wu-Tang (the clean version, for the sake of Rowan’s tiny, innnocent ears). Merula picked Rowan up and carried him to the front door, Matthew taking the bags out of the boot. As he did, he tilted his head to see his wife and son chatting to each other. He wasn’t actively using his Legilimency, but he could tell that Merula was just as happy as he was. Rowan was pretty happy too, but more preoccupied with whether or not he could have some lunch. Matthew closed the boot as Tina Scamander appeared at the door, and Matthew walked over to join the rest of his family.

[orbmanson7]

[Text in image ID (text only, not image description, as these are screenshots and the still images do not capture the full sequence in each to give context) :

Text in first image reads: Newt is an only child. His father was a piano tuner and his mother was an opera singer - Coloratura. They met in Amsterdam in the 1980's and had a tempestuous affair (both were married). Newt's mother refused to marry and left the baby behind while touring. Baby Newt was raised by his father and Uncle Illia, an eccentric electronics engineer.

Text in the second image reads:

Dr. Newton Geiszler

Date of Birth: January 19, 1980*

Ruling Planet: Uranus (sorry, but true)

Age: Physical: 45, Emotional: 12

Parents: Jacob Geiszler and Monica Schwartz

Text in the third image reads:

Positives: Brilliant, forthright, open and sincere, enthusiastic, energetic, unorthodox, adventurous, creative, bold, vibrant, sure of himself, witty.

Negatives: Terrible singer, overbearing, intrusive, nit-picky, insular, rude, offensive, loud, manic, stubborn, narcissistic, remote, fidgety, hyperactive.

Secret Dreams: To live the life of a rock star.

Text in the fourth image reads:

Most Happy If: Proving Gottlieb wrong, singing, dancing or at a concert, playing his keyboard.

Heroes: Sid Vicious, Johnny Rotten, Iggy Pop, Bear Grylls, Fox Mulder.

Present Love Interest: Whoever will take him.

Text in the fifth image reads: In 2013, as the Kaiju attacks grew more frequent, Newt started sharing correspondence with the son of the Jaeger Program inventor: Hermann Gottlieb.

Text in the sixth image reads: Hermann was able to engage Newt's intellect in a way no one else could. Their letters were passionate and fascinating and the pair agreed to meet in 2017. They instantly disliked each other.

Text in the seventh image reads: In 2020, under the auspices of the Pan Pacific Command, the two scientists joined forces and moved to the Hong Kong Shatterdome where they shared a tempestuous relationship.

/End ID]

* - Newt's birthdate and age are listed differently here than in other material. It's believed this may be from an older draft by Travis Beachum, before Guillermo Del Toro's redesign of the character (that was actually used for the film and notes which were used for the novelization). Del Toro's notes and most canon materials indicate that Newt's birthdate is actually January 19, 1990, making him only 6 months younger than Hermann. [x]

All the Newt + Hermann bits from Drift Space on the special features disk 💙💙

[angelnumber27]

Atypical pets I dream of having:

Jellyfish

Nudibranchs

Praying mantids

Axolotl

Salamanders

Snails

Pink fairy armadillo

African dwarf frog (actually had one of these as a pet a while ago <3)

Madagascan sunset moth

Caracal

Slugs

Caterpillars

Jewel beetles

Blue carpenter bees

Fennec fox

Golden tortoise beetles

Squids

Millipedes

Sea butterflies

Spotted genet

Squids

Tunicates

Rusty-spotted cat

Spice bush swallowtail caterpillars

Rosy maple moth

Isopods

Fireflies

Raccoon dog

Lemmings

Sugar gliders

Anemones

Kinkajou

Caecilian

Tadpoles

Capybara

Platypus

Leopard gecko

Jerboas

Olms

Fire belly newt

Panther chameleon

Hummingbird hawk moth

Red panda

Mantis shrimp

Angora rabbit

Quokka

Wooly aphids

Elephant shrew

Ocelot

Baby otters

Sand cat

Lemur

Hummingbirds

Baby owls

The list goes on literally forever