#do you how hard it is to find digitigrade feet

[arcadewonder]

welcome home.

[fantasy-anatomy-analyst]

Hello! I wanted to start off by saying thank you for your digitigrade humanoid references, they've been super helpful for drawing my sheep-satyr oc!

I was wondering though, do you have any resources for writing nonhuman creatures? Specifically when referencing the nonhuman aspects of them. For example I have this sentence that goes:

"I jumped to my hooves."

I don't have any frame of reference for this :/ so when I'm writing my oc talking about what she does with the sheep half of her body it sounds kind of off.

I looked on Youtube and online and just saw "Do some world building and give your nonhuman characters human traits," which isn't what I'm looking for.

Kindest Regards-

oh I am doing so much of this in my own writing. I think the trickiest part for me is that I'm trying to also add in the detail that most of the people species don't smile the way humans do, with exposed teeth and a wide mouth being more of a fear/threat response rather than a happy expression. so I keep having to force myself to describe happy expressions in different ways! this is quite challenging, for obvious reasons lol.

but beyond that, honestly I like to just focus on using their non-human body parts to help enhance their body language. my porcine orcs and gnomes wiggle their snouts. anyone with large ears can move them as an expressive body part. tails do all sorts of things!

I think using the phrase "I jumped to my hooves" works just fine! it shows the reader that your character has hooves. The hardest part of course is figuring out how to introduce the character's appearance as early as possible to avoid too much confusion. Looking at my own writing, opening on a scene of a gnomish character, I didn't mention her ears until a few paragraphs in, and her hooves didn't get mentioned until several paragraphs after that. I'm still trying to scan through and find where I introduce her snout lol. it's really hard! and sometimes just using illustrations is unfortunately not possible.

But I think as long as you remember to mention different body parts when they're relevant and using them in the general body language, you'll be just fine. A few things I've been doing with this gnomish character include:

mentioning that she catches a pebble between her cloven toes

using her snout as an expressive body part

writing scenes where she needs to have her hooves trimmed because they grow perpetually

writing scenes where she files down her tusks, because she's also a quarter orc and has some recessive genes that cause tusk growth in amab gnomes, so filing her tusks is one part of how I explore her relationship with her body and gender as a trans woman

I also have elves with long monkey-like tails, though I give them tail expression more similar to cats. Teeth can also be an important expressive body part, when applicable! baring sharp canines or moving one's head and mouth in a way that puts a large pair of tusks on full display is a great way to show things like fear, intimidation, or anger.

you can also study the body language of whatever animal you're using for reference, like sheep, and apply those details to the way you describe your character!

here is an article about sheep behaviors for reference!

and a few quotes with non-human body language from my own rough draft:

“K’arik is the one I’m worried for, not myself,” Morianon murmured, flicking his wings nervously. Evarin nodded, wrapping her arm around her husband’s waist. “I’m worried for him too.” They walked in silence, gravel and bark chips crunching under their feet as they made their way up the road. Evarin spread her hoofed toes with every step, willing a stone to catch between them. A cold pebble lodged itself in the crease between her toes just as they turned up the path to her parents’ door.

The stranger bent low, pushing their enormous three-toed feet over the threshold, ducking their head and reaching forward to pull themself inside. “What’s going on?” He-esh squinted and frowned. “Elkha, tell me what’s going on.” He tapped Th’elir’s arm, but she too had been caught by surprise and only mumbled as she tried to explain. Evarin stepped back towards K’arik, eyes wide. She glanced at her mother and saw her own shocked expression mirrored right back. As the stranger grunted and half-crawled through the low door, she saw her father escape the crowd and hurry to join her. “Can you believe—��� he whispered, but Tawei shushed him. The stranger’s body blocked the whole door as they finally fit themself through it and stood up. Even inside, they had to bend their neck to avoid the rafters, towering over the tallest orcs in the room. Four hooved feet, holding a body so heavy they sunk into the packed dirt floor. Legs as tall as a gnome. They wore layers of woven cloth, all green and brown and cedar red in beautiful leafy patterns, draped over their uncanny body that seemed to have two sets of ribs. Their arms were just skinnier versions of their forelegs, Evarin noticed. She could barely see their face in the shadows by the rafters. Morianon could see them better, perched above everyone else. His feathers shivered as the stranger noticed him, catching and holding his gaze. Their mouth was tense, their long ears laid flat against their head. Morianon glanced away and found Evarin’s eyes, shaking his head in disbelief. “Forgive me,” the stranger said, bringing the murmur of the crowd to a dead hush, “for not announcing my arrival ahead of time.” They walked carefully forward, every step remarkably delicate for someone so massive. “I came to deliver my herd’s respects to you, He-esh.” “Oh? Ah, no, I do know you,” He-esh sat up with Th’elir’s help, clearing his throat. “Or perhaps this is an old man’s dying dream. Are you a spirit?” he laughed, “I never thought I’d live to see a centaur enter my village. I suppose it would have to happen on the last day of my life, wouldn’t it?” He smiled up at the centaur and welcomed them forward with an open hand.

Despite the difficulty, Kouto looked oddly chipper for an early morning and sat down in a hurry, tail curling playfully.

“I remember when he was a kid,” Nanji said, shaking his head, “he had a lot of potential. Shame to see him grow up into such a stubborn and angry fellow.” He passed the tray to Jen who set it on the central table. “I hate to blame anyone but him for his change of heart, but we all know it happened after he got married and moved to that other clan up north.” “He was very annoyed that He-esh wanted to die by song instead of the usual orcish tradition,” Mori said, “Kept giving Evarin nasty looks.” He ruffled his feathers and sat a little closer to his wife. “I was too nervous to pay him any mind,” Evarin assured him. Ikar’s irritated gaze had added to the nervousness, she admitted to herself, but it had been among the least of her worries.

Leaving the bedroom, Evarin was momentarily startled by the looming figure of Ikar at the hearth. She had been in such a hurry, she hadn’t noticed him on her way in. He gave her a sideways glance, lightly swirling the cup in his hand. “At’ali’s granddaughter, aren’t you?” he muttered. “That’s right.” Evarin tensed up defensively. Ikar humphed. “You look nothing like as’el. Must take after your father’s side more.” He sipped his drink and went quiet, turning away from her. Evarin’s snout wrinkled and grew hot, but she left the house without another word, shaking off his comment and breathing deep in the fresh air.

[identityquest]

this is a hyperspecific ask but i was wondering what inspiration you take when you draw raposa legs, if any. i love when people draw raposa with digitigrade legs but ive always had a hard time with them. thanks!

YAH idk how much help this will be bc i feel like the way i draw them is kinda jank but id love to talk about it :)

most of my inspo comes from dog legs actually, with a lil cat and ferret or even rabbit mixed in depending on how i want them to stand. raposa that stand a little taller like, aimsir and wilfre, are more on the dog and cat end of things, while raposa like benji are further out on the ferret and rabbit end. also, all the animals i reference have legs that face directly forward (ideally), but my raposa all have a pretty severe degree of hip dysplasia when viewed from the front lol. i just feel like it makes them visually distinct

also this is also gonna sound silly but if i find myself having trouble with a pose, I'll try to draw a human doing the same thing but with bent knees. digitigrade legs have the same bones as plantigrade ones, just at different sizes, so i kinda just tweak the proportions until i'm satisfied. that's why some of my raposa even look plantigrade but with big ol feet, like in benji's recent sketch page. he's bunny-style plantigrade though, standing on his full foot at rest but running on the tips of his toes like other digitigrade animals.

idk how much help this is but! thats my process and my references :) plus it helps having little guys around the house that you can harass for photos too lol

[willow-and-morel]

Visions Through Orpiment Eyes

Chapter 2: Train Your Human Tuesday

Jasper

I woke up, still in the forest. With no idea how I had gotten here in the first place. I sighed, at least my headache had started to subside and I could actually think clearly. My back still ached- it seemed more inflamed than earlier. I looked around myself to find that fine lines of grass, or possibly rope, bound my hands. I stared at the tiny knots; it seemed like the string was barely holding onto my wrists. I tried to move forward and winced as my shirt edged against the inflamed wounds on my shoulders and back.

Too bad I don’t have a first aid kit with me, I chuckled.

“Stop moving.” I flinched as I heard a firm voice from the ground, close to my left side. I looked over to see the humanoid.

I guess I was not hallucinating earlier... It was only three or so inches tall, maybe less, with fluffy shoulder-length hair and animalistic ears. It had “hands” or- what resembled hands… they were more paw-like in shape. To match, it had digitigrade-like legs and soft clawed paws instead of feet. The main defining feature though, was its glare. A mix of intelligence, hatred, and fear. I recoiled as this thing seemed to stare daggers through me. It was an odd feeling to endure- Such a small creature holding emotions much too big for its presence. I was still observing it in awe as it seemed to wait for my response.

I choked up a bit as I attempter to get my words out, “Um…” I awkwardly held my hands up to show they were still bound. Although I could easily break them, it seemed more respectful to wait. They gave me an odd look.

“What- what do you want with me?” I asked. I noticed that anytime I moved or spoke it flinched, keeping a hand on what I assumed was a weapon at its side. I did not fully understand their skittish behavior, as they could have run away the moment I slumped over. I had never seen such a small humanoid before, and I wasn’t sure if it was going to grab its friends to eat the flesh right off me. I wouldn’t be able to do much against a group effort in my current state.

“I need…” they hesitated, a mild look of disgust in their eyes,

“I need your protection.”

I looked at them confused. They live in this forest right? Why would they need me…? I chuckled, which caused them to tighten their grip on the weapon in their holster. I continued in explanation,

“What use would I be to you? Anyways, I’ll die of infection before I can assist you with anything.” I turned slightly to show the bloodied wound on my back. They looked… flabbergasted? Annoyed? I couldn't tell. It seemed I was having trouble reading them.

“Fine, you help me, I help you.” They growled, “I know what kind of plant to use for your wounds and where water is… I can keep you alive and you can use your… size… “ -they looked me up and down, eyes still piercing into me-

“To keep me alive.”

What?

What the hell does that mean?

It sent shivers down my spine to hear such familiar words.

I'm not as useful as you think I am.

I was starting to worry they were going to use me for something that might put me in more danger than I already was in.

Why is their phrasing so odd?

I could not follow whatever thought process they were going through. They were still shaking, or trembling. It was hard to see. Maybe they thought I would kill them? I cocked my head slightly.

“So…” I held up my bound hands, “Can I get rid of these?” They nodded slowly, and pulled out their knife to cut the ropes. I was too impatient to wait as I ripped the thin ropes away from my hands. They looked somewhat dismayed at the fact that the ropes were futile.

Sorry, I can wait for you.

I promise

Don't let it be a lie this time

Fawn

You have got to be kidding me, I thought. Between the trembling, my heart rate being through the roof, and still registering that my only family member was killed in front of me- I was feeling… well.. Like shit.

I looked up at the gigantic form in front of me, bloodied and tired looking.

Just how much blood has it lost?? It was definitely more than probably was safe. It was taking all of my willpower to avoid locking my knees and falling to the ground, or simply running away from a creature who could easily kill or harm me.

Even not on purpose, it’s still going to be a danger. Great, great…

I made a mental note to train the human to never grab me. So just how dangerous would a giant with a thorough amount of blood loss be…? There were pros and cons, but I would have to take the gamble.

I pointed west. “We should head that way. There’s a stream and the plants growing in it should disinfect and assist in healing your wounds.” He nodded but seemed hesitant to move. My stomach sank.

“Can you walk?” I asked. It wasn’t as if I could carry him there. He groaned, which sounded more like a low growl then I would have liked. It was still taking my brain a couple tries to register that any noise the human made would be much louder than I would have appreciated, even if he was attempting to be quiet. I made another metal note to try and avoid flinching when he spoke.

“I can make it… er… probably.” He slowly moved to a kneeling position, clouding out the speckled sunlight and looming over me. I still flinched but I was amazed to find I managed to keep the composure to even speak to this thing. It seemed he had figured that he would need to carry me, which I was not adamant about… although I would much rather be high up than underfoot. He held a hedgehog sized hand out onto the ground for me to clamber onto. I stared, waited, and looked up at the scratched and tired face of the human in front of me. In comparison to his scratched arms and legs his hands were slender and relatively smooth besides hard calluses on his left hand. They still had smudges of blood but were oddly unscathed. I sighed, trying to bring my heart rate down and preparing myself for the sense of vertigo that I would undoubtedly have to deal with once he started moving.

“I won’t hurt you.” he said, I chuckled under my breath in response.

Yeah right, beanpole. I almost growled.

I climbed onto his palm, and fingers a bit longer than I was tall twitched slightly at my movement. It was an odd, fleshy, warm surface. What disconcerned me most was the sense of his slow pulse. It was enough to have him in front of me, it was another thing entirely to be sitting in his hands. Hands that could squeeze the life out of me, hands that could snap bones, rip apart limbs-

I tried to stop thinking about various nightmarish circumstances as I was still mentally preparing myself for him to start moving. When he did I was quickly brought back to reality. I propped myself kneeling down to stay balanced, as I assumed I would not be able to stand very well with how quick he was moving. It felt as if I was being pressed further into his palm as gravity took me down whilst he moved upwards. It made my head spin with the sense of movement but eventually he stopped with his hand carefully set next to his right shoulder. I stepped off onto his shoulder and kneeled in front of his neck, the connection point between his neck and shoulders had a natural dip with his collarbone, making an easy spot to sit in. His pulse was louder now that I was next to his carotid artery. I hated the feeling of obvious life right next to me, like a stupid mountain of flesh. “You good?” he questioned, I flinched at the volume as well as the vibrations from his vocal chords, which resonated through my bones.

“I’m fine- just, speak quieter please.” I responded, rubbing my ears a bit from the sudden noise. He hummed a low sound in response, which although was quieter, still made me flinch. I could feel so much vibration within his throat and I tried not to think about how the face above me could swallow me whole. He waited a moment before standing up. As he stood I had to hold onto the collar of his shirt to keep a proper hold to avoid falling. His full height was more than high enough for me to break a couple limbs if I fell. I, again, tried to slow my breathing.

“This way is west right?” He asked, more quietly this time. I nodded yes then realized he would not be able to see my motions, “Yes, that’s the way.”

As we walked I took note of the human’s point of view, he was high up enough that it would have been impossible for him to have seen Father's camouflaged form. I hadn't even told this human that he killed someone… What was I supposed to say to him,

Hey you murdered my father.

I sighed.

This sucks.

This sucks so much.

It may have been worse to just ignore it, but really, how was I supposed to bring it up. I chuckled at the morbidness of the situation. Maybe I could bring it up once he noticed the large blood stain on the sole of his shoe.

—---------------------------------------

[bedbellyandbeyond]

You’re A Dad Now

(Story Post)

“Gods, what have I gotten myself into…” Asger had been living at the German APID facility for a few days now. They accommodated him with his own single room while Tand and kids were in a separate quad room. Korsy was working on paperwork to move them to the Canadian APID branch, but in the meantime, he and Dusty had other work to do, so Asger and the Dark Realmers would hang out here for some time. It was a big change for Tand and his kids. Living in the dim dark woods for so long, where the sun never rose, they were having a hard time adjusting to all the light in this realm. They constantly kept the overhead lights off in their room, with just the night stand lamps on, and barely left, so Asger made a point of bringing them their meals from the cafeteria to their door. Tand didn’t seem to like having him around but had accepted him as their Earth Realm guide, and the kids loved him, so he would hang out with them for a few hours each day. He would go out on occasion and buy them clothes and toys, and the kids had some fun learning how to do up buttons and zippers. Finding them shoes was difficult as their feet were different in that they were digitigrade and long, so he figured something more custom would have to be figured out later. Now a couple days in, Dr Vermeulen had the results of Tand’s blood test and speculations were confirmed.

Tand was pregnant. When they tried to do an ultrasound though, he became very uncomfortable, and it had to be postponed until later. His blood results, however, returned positive for anemia and several nutritional deficiencies. His health would need close monitoring for a while and more blood work soon to see if his new diet helped in these areas. For now, his pregnancy would be considered high risk until his health improved and an ultrasound could be properly done. “So, it’s like you’re a dad now,” Korsy commented. He and Dusty had come to check up on Asger’s situation and were having lunch with him out at a restaurant. “But I’m not their father, and Tand hates me, and I’m starting to think I should have never interfered with them at all,” Asger said. “I mean, yeah, probably,” Korsy admitted. “It wasn’t your place to tell them what’s best for them. Plus, you knew you weren’t allowed to take anything from the rift.” “Now hold on,” Dusty said puffing his chest. “I disagree. Sure, Tand and the children were surviving out there, but they weren’t living. And yes, he managed to get through three pregnancies on his own, but there’s always risk to it, and who knows if he would survive a fourth without medical assistance. If things went wrong, those children could be left all alone to fend for themselves. They’d never survive. You’re doing the right thing.” Asger lowered his head into his hands. “What do I do now?” “Well, do you want kids? ‘Cause it seems like you have kids,” Korsy said. “They’re Tand’s kids, though,” Asger said. “I can’t just insert myself into their lives.” “You already did,” Korsy said. “And like, be honest with me. Would you really have done all this for them if you didn’t have a little crush?” Asger was taken aback. “What, on Tand?” “Of course, on Tand. Do you think we’re stupid?” Korsy shook his head. “Asger, you’re a prude. I know. But tell me you weren’t a little aroused when that cute guy tried to mate with you in the woods.” “I wasn’t! I mean, I suppose you could say he’s attractive… But I have decency,” Asger said. “I’ve heard enough lies. Dusty. Get a read.” Dusty shook his head. “I don’t need a read. He’s completely smitten.” Asger blushed and shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Also, I don’t appreciate my cousin making light of someone trying to force themselves on me.” Korsy sighed. “Okay, fair. Sorry about that. I’m sure it was scary.” “It was. I had it under control, but still…” Asger complained. “Anyway, they’re your responsibility now,” Korsy said. “Anything beyond the rift is the responsibility of the dark elves, and as a dark elf yourself, this family is your responsibility. Regardless of your exile.” “Jag vet… But what good can I do when I’ve betrayed Tand’s trust?” Asger asked. “Honestly, I think he understands what you’re trying to do for them, he’s just stubborn,” Dusty said. “And you can’t blame him for being cautious. He’s been alone a long time. Where are those kids’ other parents? And the doctor said he’s still young. Where are his parents, hm?” Asger felt sick to his stomach now, thinking once again about the young Tand, having kids all by himself. “I don’t even know if he wanted to have kids in the first place… He shows some signs of resentment towards them. He was even ready to let them go with us without him before.” “You said his species mates every time they meet up because they’re so few in number and live separately,” Korsy said. “But is that something he knew inherently, or was that something someone told him to justify taking advantage of him?” “I…don’t want to think about that right now. I’m losing my appetite,” Asger said. “Have you talked to your mother since all this?” Dusty asked. “Yes… I had a call with her yesterday,” Asger sighed. “She has…mixed feelings. I think she's proud of me for helping, but rather upset about my exile.” “That's your dad's fault, not yours,” Dusty said. “He's such an asshole…” “As strict as my father can be, I did break the rules at the end of the day,” Asger admitted. “Such rules are not made without reason. We know far too little about Mörkret. It is only reasonable to fear the other side.” “But Tand and the kids are dark elves, right? They deserve to be here,” Dusty said. “I still can't confirm that they are elves,” Asger said. “You haven't checked their mark?” Korsy asked. “The dark elf mark isn't in a very conspicuous place, you know,” Asger reminded. “It's not like I can go around dropping people's pants.” “Didn't you say Tand dropped his pants for you?” Korsy asked. “Should've seen it then.” “I'm sorry, but searching his inner thigh was the last thing I wanted to do in that moment!” Asger defended. “I mean, he literally wanted you to give him attention down there anyway…” Korsy retorted. “Not everyone's like you, Korsy,” Asger said. “I can't just lose my dignity for anyone who offers.” Korsy shrugged. “Your loss…” “You did the right thing,” Dusty assured. “And anyway, we don't know if Tand really wanted to sleep with you or if he was just doing it to get it over with.” Asger frowned. “Yeah…” Korsy raised an eyebrow at his cousin's reaction. “You dog, you.” Asger sat up straighter. “Excuse me?” “You really do have a crush on Tand.” Asger huffed. “Have some respect.” “You didn't say no.” Korsy curled his lips. “You don't want to just be another John, you wanted him to want you.” “Stop.” “You wanted him to find you handsome and charming. Heroic, even.” “You don't know what you're saying.” “You want to hold his hand. You want him to kiss you.” Asger suddenly flushed, remembering those gentle lips on his own. “…” Dusty’s eyes widened. “…Did you kiss him?” “No…” Asger shook his head. “He kissed me. But just to get me in the mood…” “Were you in the mood?” Korsy asked. “Definitely not,” Asger said. “We are not discussing this further.” “Okay, okay. Sheesh.” Korsy had mostly finished his food so he leaned back in his chair and stretched. He paused when he noticed a sly look on Dusty's face, his lips curling devilishly. “What?” “Nothing,” Dusty said, waving it off. “If you have something to say…” Asger lead. “Well…” Dusty propped his chin up. “I was just thinking it must run in the family.” “What?” Asger asked. Korsy rolled his eyes. “Don't encourage him…” Asger raised an eyebrow. “I'd like to know what your friend here has to say.” “It just seems you boys both have a knack for suppressing your feeling,” Dusty said. “You could benefit from being a bit more open.” “I am open,” Korsy said. “I’m an open book! I tell you a lot of things!” Dusty shrugged. “Your book might be open, but you have pages torn out.” “My pages are perfectly intact,” Korsy rebuked. “Alright. Tell me about your pregnancy scare,” Dusty said. Korsy faltered. “I… Well…” “Pregnancy scare?” Asger asked. “You got someone pregnant?” “No, a scare's a scare,” Korsy corrected. “No one got pregnant. And I don’t talk about it because it's not my place to talk about it, you know? It involves another person. People deserve privacy…” “Fine. What's your father's full name?” Dusty asked. “Uhh… Günther Larsen Korsgaard,” Korsy recalled. “Don't ever call him that. Only my mother and his mother could call him that.” “What was your mother's name?” Dusty asked. Korsy tensed a little. “Gesine.” “Tell me about her,” Dusty said. Korsy forced himself to relax. “She was lovely. Bravest person I ever met. She loved cinnamon and collecting animal skulls.” “How did she pass away?” Korsy immediately clammed up. “How did you lose your leg?” Dusty pressed. Korsy stayed silent. “That's enough,” Asger said. “My farster's accident is a sore spot for the entire family. We do not speak easily of it.” “So it was an accident?” Dusty picked out. “I said that's enough,” Asger ordered. “We get your point. Leave it alone.” Dusty waved his hands in front of him. “Sorry. I'll drop it. I can get carried away.” Asger sighed. “I should get back to Tand and the kids. I was going to show them their first movie.” “Ooh, what movie?” Dusty asked. “I'm not sure yet… I'm between Pippi and Moomins.” “Oh, hard decision,” Korsy said, suddenly all chatty again. “But you have to go with Pippi, right? Make your Swedish side proud.” “You're right, it has to be Pippi,” Asger said. “I can show them the Moomins later.” “Wait, Pippi? Like Pippi Longstockings?” Dusty asked. “Pippi Langstrumpf. You know the show?” Asger asked. Dusty nodded quickly. “I watched the show with Dante when I was a kid! She's Swedish?” “Of course! They showed her in Canada?” Asger asked, astounded. “The animated show was actually a Canadian/German/Swedish collab aired around the world,” Korsy informed, checking is phone. “I watched it as a kid in Canada too.” “And here I thought the rest of the world did not know her marvel. I'll be choosing one of the live action films, however,” Asger said. He pushed out his chair, and placed some cash on the table to cover his meal. “Still, I should get to it.” “I'm sure the kids are going to love it,” Dusty said. “Tand too! I can’t imagine he’s seen anything like that.” “I'd ask to come watch with you, but I got some work to do before bed,” Korsy said. “Work?” Dusty asked. “Aren't we off for today?” “You are. I have to do some rescheduling since our elven detour,” Korsy said. “We're gonna have to do some doubling back tomorrow…” “Boo…” Dusty pouted. “Well, it's not late enough to call Grey yet, so I'm gonna see if I can find him a souvenir.” “Sounds like a plan. So, I can get the waiter to bring you the bill?” Korsy said directly to Dusty. “Me?” Dusty frowned. “You were serious about that?” “Yep. I’ve bought every meal since we got here and you don’t need to eat,” Korsy said. “I should’ve never told you that…” Dusty said pouting. “Fine.” He started to pull out his wallet. Asger chuckled and put a couple more bills on the table. “I’ll get it this time. Don’t worry.” “Hey! No! You shouldn’t be paying for shit,” Korsy said. “He needs to learn.” “It’s fine, I have plenty of funds,” Asger said. “Yeah, but you’re out of the job now, so you should be saving,” Korsy said. Asger started backing away. “I’m leaving. What’s on the table is on the table.” “So chivalrous,” Dusty said, smiling coyly. “Korsy, you could learn something from your cousin.” “I’ve literally paid every bill until now!” “Okay, okay. Calm down, big boy.” “You’re all too much.”

[slagethor]

14 and 25 for the artist ask?

14. How has your art changed over the years? A ton! Like a lot, a lot! I apologize if this is long but I like thinking about how far I've come, its a good day for it. I picked up drawing again during one of my most boring jobs in an office with no wifi, and hour long lunch breaks. I was super into fire emblem heroes at the time, so I took character requests to fill my time. It was honestly a fantastic way to start, because the simple shapes made for an easy on ramp for me. Immediately after I started feeling comfortable, I threw myself in the deep end and did an inktober and luckily I liked it! I stuck with pretty simple lines once I invested in a tiny lil tablet, and had a hell of a time figuring out what "Layers" and "Stabilization" were. I think these two exemplify a the best of what I could make at the time.

After I started getting comfortable, and understanding shapes a bit better, I actually became pretty paralyzed about details in my art. I realized that if I stared at my art for more than 30 second I would find a new problem with it. Like I would zoom in waaaaay too close to smooth curves, like correcting 4 pixels. I realized that was a problem, so I came into a brush where these "errors" were in fact one of the features, and worked with that to make my lines a bit more loose, and force me to stop thinking about those tiny "mistakes"

After a few years of working on that, I feel a lot better about lil bits like that in my art, and I've largely shaken the bit in my brain that wants every curve to be perfect. I found that I wanted more weight and variance in my lines, and that brush didn't really allow for pen pressure, so I again switched brushes. This current brush is actually meant for sketches, but I like it more than any lining brush I've tried so here we are!

These are all better examples of each of these eras of art for me. There's a lot of stuff that doesn't look nearly as good, I am still making plenty of pieces like that today, but these felt like good ways to showcase each! 25. Based on your recent reference searches, what would the FBI assume about you? They would probably think I'm a furry, or I've got a thing for feet. I don't think either of those are true of myself, but I'm trying to get better at feet. Furry because of that Sybil draw, and also snouts are hard to figure out, that and digitigrade legs. I respect the hell outta furries doing that stuff all the time

[tickfleato]

Weird art question! 18, 20, 30 >:]

18. An estimate of how much art supplies you've broken

hmmm! good question. my tablet has broken quite a few times (fucky usb port, thankfully my dad is good at fixing stuff), but in terms of physical stuff... can't think of anything really

20. Something everyone else finds hard to draw but you enjoy

HANDS!!!! and feet. i looove drawing hands. this is a lesser one also among the art circles i'm usually in but digitigrade legs also

30. What piece of yours do you think is underrated

idk honestly. some of my goopworld stuff, maybe? there are some paintings i've done that i'm really proud of that didn't get much attention. most of the art i have that i've been upset abt the lack of interest was like, nsfw stuff and thus was on twitter, a site where getting any kind of attention is nearly impossible unless u have like a five-digit follower count

[olderthannetfic]

Baculae anon here, replying to this ask.

Most mammals have baculae and humans are a relatively rare exception, so it makes sense that a non-human fantasy race might have them. I guess ultimately the whole thing started with a non-horny interest in animal anatomy, and then that crossed over with horny for catboy twinks.

The train of logic went "what if a catboy had a rough tongue like a real cat?", and if his tongue is that way then he's probably got the dick spines, too. And then the baculum follows naturally. And then I find myself saying "I'm not a furry, but..." (Maybe I am a furry; I'm not into the snouts or digitigrade feet, but I pile on the less visible animal characteristics like purring, reflective eyes, and fancy dicks).

A character with a baculum would last longer and be harder than his blood-powered counterpart, but wouldn't necessarily be larger. A lot of the practicalities just aren't things I've actually written in my own fic, though. I've only written such characters as bottoms (so far). They can't wear cock cages made for other species :)

I wouldn't be able to tell you what other writers do because there kind of aren't any. The werewolf one I read played up the hardness, but that's a sample size of one.

Right now I'm working on a fic where a character uses magic to control his erection, and the magic works on soft tissue but not on bone. I'm not even sure sure how I'm going to work that mechanically yet.

And if dicks aren't your thing but you want in on the fun, a lot of female mammals have an os clitoridis.

--

[bakuliwrites]

Ignite, Part Two- Reversed Julian x Reader

Rating: 18+ (MINORS DNI)

Fandom: The Arcana

Relationship: Reversed Ending Julian Devorak x Reader

Summary: Julian struggles to come to terms with the idea of living the rest of his life as a "monster." You set out to prove to him that he is still the same wonderful, beautiful man he was before his transformation, and there's nothing he should be ashamed of. Part One here.

Read here in this post or over on my AO3.

Dawn

Julian bends to meet your lips, his mouth warm and gentle. You pull him down to the ground with you, settling on the nest of blankets beneath. His hands are roving freely, grasping desperately at your body, making up for months of barely touching you. The tip of his tongue tests your parted lips before delving in to explore the familiarity of your mouth. Your hands brush through the onyx feathers on his head, careful not to pull too hard or run your fingers in the wrong direction. He moans softly into you, lips working feverishly against yours. You can hardly get a breath in until he moves to pepper your jawline with kisses. 

There’s a dull ache in your core, one you want to rectify swiftly, but one that you also want to torture yourself with a bit. You’ve waited so long for this and you want it to last for as much time as it can. Not that you’re expecting yourself to last long. You want to cherish these pure moments of ecstasy, of exploring Julian’s new body. He’s still the same man to you, but with some added accoutrements. He needs to know that you worship every piece of him, new and old. 

You take the time to caress Julian’s muscular wings, feeling every sinew, every ripple of his strength. All these months, he’s been scared of his own power; but, this power is not terrible. This power is majestic, awe-inducing. He beats his wings gently when you tickle the inner edge closest to his back. He flushes pink.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to do that,” he mutters, glancing sheepishly away. 

You merely smile, commenting on how adorable his response to your subtle stroke is. His wingspan from your angle appears immense. You feel shielded, protected by them when he wraps them around you. He’s never tried to fly with them, but you hope that someday he will. The places they could carry him would certainly sate his adventurous soul. 

You slowly push Julian back, so he’s seated before you, legs outstretched in front of him. Aside from his wings, this is the other part of his body that is vastly different from before. His digitigrade legs are scaly and his toes end with large, razor-sharp talons. You run a finger along the honed point of one of them. These talons could rip you to ribbons, you think. But Julian could never let them. His strength is contained, not unbridled like he fears it is. His scales glitter, wavering blue and black in the light of the sun, like dark jewels under the surface of a clear stream.

Julian stares bashfully down at you as you start from his feet and press tender, deep kisses up the length of his legs. Here, on the insides of his thighs, the feathers are sparser, downy and velvety. They give way to pale skin only at his Adonis belt, the V-shape of which is outlined by smoky black. You could lose yourself entirely in the silky sensation of his feathers against your lips.

“You are lovely, Julian Devorak,” you breathe, straddling his narrow hips and capturing his lips with yours, “Even if you can’t see it yourself.” 

His eyes fall shut as he leans his forehead against yours. Tears slip down his angular cheeks, tears you brush away with feather-light kisses. His lips find yours again and soon, he’s practically drinking you in. His motions are impassioned, heated, making up for lost time. It’s as if he’s unable to stop himself, exploring your body like it could disappear at any moment. Months of frustration dissipate. The tension that leaves your body is swiftly replaced with the exhilaration of holding Julian in your arms again. He surrounds you, a haze of him enveloping you, body and soul. Nothing exists outside of that haze. You’re filled with Julian's scent, his breath, his warmth. 

Julian moves to trail wet kisses down your neck, suckling softly as he goes. You feel him trembling against you with each breathy sigh that falls from your mouth. His talons drag down your back, but not hard enough to break any skin. You throw your head back, moaning sinfully as his teeth find the pert bud of your nipple. His tongue flicks expertly against it, swirling and teasing. You grind your hips against his, eliciting a muffled hum from Julian that reverberates through your chest. He begins to move his hips in tandem, rocking them in rhythm with yours. The downy feathers there connect with your heat. It’s strange at first, but oddly pleasant. 

“Julian,” you test, trailing one hand along the line of feathery down that bisects his chest. He inhales sharply as your nails tickle the sensitive skin of his stomach. Your fingers stop just before they reach his groin. He draws back from his ministrations, dusky gray eyes hidden under his long lashes. Silently, he nods before diving back in to attend to your other breast. You part the fluffy down, fingers ghosting over something fleshy and slick. The structure of it is foreign to you, but not wholly unfamiliar. You take a guess, wondering if it works anything like your own parts do. Slowly, you insert one finger, but quickly withdraw when Julian gives what sounds like a pained gasp.

“I’m so sorry! Did I hurt you?” you cry, cupping Julian’s face and peppering it with kisses. You hear him chuckle and it’s music to your ears.

“No,” he admits, smiling up at you, his cheeks crimson, “I was just startled. You can keep going.” 

You nod, returning his beam with one of equal joy. You feel your heart swell at the sight of his brilliant smile. Julian returns to suckling at your breast, one hand gripping your ass firmly and the other kneading the tender flesh of your hip. You slip your hand back down to his groin and slowly re-insert your finger. Then you test with another, to which Julian groans sordidly. You begin to pump in and out of him, slowly at first, to allow him time to adjust. He’s moving his hips in time with your fingers, helping you find a good pace. His keens and pleasant sighs tell you he’s very much enjoying the attention you’re giving him down there. 

Your hand is slick with his arousal when he grabs your wrist to withdraw you from him. He nuzzles against your neck and coos, “Let me please you. I’ve wanted to- for so long, now.” You nod, placing one final kiss on Julian’s forehead before he lifts you cautiously off his lap.

Julian flips you on your back, laying you down gently amongst the nested blankets. His eyes dart up to meet yours briefly before he buries his head between your legs. He licks a long, slow stripe up your heat and you can barely contain the moan that escapes your lips. Oh, how you’ve waited for this sensation. How you’ve craved it. You feel his lips quirk into that devilish smirk you’ve so missed seeing. He waggles an eyebrow at you, a familiar, mischievous glint returning to his eyes. There he is: your Julian. He’d been there all along, hidden under timidness and frustration. 

“Welcome back, my handsome rogue,” you giggle as he grips your legs to hold you in place. He merely laughs before nestling himself into your folds, tongue swirling deftly around your clit. Heat builds in your core as Julian’s tongue laps up your arousal, his feathers tickling your inner thighs as his head bobs up and down. His tongue darts inside you, moist and warm. You’re trying hard not to buck your hips into him. Luckily, Julian’s strong grip on your thighs prevents you from moving too much. But he’s quite careful not to grip you too hard. 

“You’re so good to me, Julian,” you praise, voice strained in your chest. The tip of his nose bumps against you as he picks up his pace, egged on by your compliments. 

With each expert flick of his tongue, your arousal blooms, threatening to burst any second now. You can feel your walls shuddering against Julian’s tongue, and suddenly, the coil in you tightens one last time before coming completely undone. Waves of ecstasy surge through your body as Julian’s name falls prayer-like from your lips. Finally, you think, stars dotting your vision. Your whole body feels sensitive, overheated and delicate. You yank Julian up and envelop his soft lips in yours, tasting the proof of your desire strongly on him. You cling to him, and he to you, hands roving rapaciously over each other’s bodies.

You need Julian close to you, as close as he can possibly be. His vast wings are spread out to either side of him, a veil of inky black as dark as a moonless night. They envelop you as his lips move yearningly against yours, kisses sloppy and needy. Your hand finds its way down to Julian’s groin again and you slip your fingers into his slick, pumping rhythmically. He mewls at your touch, biting down hard on your lower lip. It draws the slightest bit of blood, but you take no notice, wanting desperately to make Julian feel good. You can feel that he’s close, his walls contracting against your fingers, constricting and releasing in time with your motions. 

This time, it’s your turn to flip Julian. You’re careful not to flip him too fast though, in fear that he might crunch one of his wings. Your piercing, hooded gaze meets his as you take the fingers you withdrew from him not moments ago and pop them in your mouth, licking them clean. You make sure to drag them torturously slow past your lips, watching with impish glee as you drive Julian absolutely nuts. He watches longingly, blush deepening across his cheeks and chest, brows furrowed and mouth agape. With a sordid, wet pop you release your fingers from your mouth and begin to teasingly fondle Julian's now soaked folds.

"So wet, my love," you croon, flashing him a brilliant smile, "You're such a good boy, Julian." 

He bites his lip as you start to trail delicate kisses down his chest. His breathing is shallow, weighty with desire, and his heart beats wildly behind his ribcage. When you reach his heat, you tenderly kiss the pink flesh hidden by his dark down, earning a salacious groan from the man. You glide your tongue along the slick opening and feel Julian shudder with pleasure. His voice hitches in his throat when he exhales your name.

You breathe in Julian’s scent as your mouth works to pleasure your beloved. He’s musky and sweet, just like you remember him, but with a bit of something pleasantly earthy. Like petrichor, perhaps. Julian is practically beside himself, whimpering your name, babbling incoherently as your tongue slides in and out of him. You feel a second wave of euphoria building in you, gathering in the pit of your stomach. His sultry groans are enough to make you lose your mind. 

“I-I’m so close, my love,” he manages to speak, one hand tangling in your hair. You pick up your pace and quickly, Julian comes undone, a string of strained moans and sensual keens spilling from his mouth. He clenches, shudders, mewls. His arousal spills into your mouth, thick and salty. You greedily lap it up, lost for a while in the blissful aftermath of Julian’s orgasm. You give his heat a few more flicks with your tongue before withdrawing from him, garnering a small whimper from the man. He’s a right, disheveled mess when you rise to greet him. His face and chest are flushed, his eyes distant and shimmering. There’s a quirky little smile on his face that you can’t help but chuckle at. 

You crash your lips into his once again and he returns this with equal fervor. You can taste yourself on him, and him on you, desperation and months of longing finally coming to a head. In that kiss, you tell Julian how much you need him, want him, love him. In that single kiss, you thank him for loving you. And in that single kiss, he thanks you, too. 

Flopping down on his chest, you trace a finger along the feathers blanketing his shoulders, giving him a minute to breathe and settle down. You like how big he is now, his chest even broader than before, allowing you more space to lay across. 

“I told you that you wouldn’t hurt me,” you venture finally, glancing up at him from where you rest. You lift yourself slightly so you can see him better. There are tears in his eyes when you meet his gaze, tears you quickly kiss away.

“I love you, Julian Devorak,” you whisper, caressing his cheek with your thumb, “I love you in all forms. In all iterations of you.”

His lip quivers as he draws you in for another crushing embrace, where you remain for a good portion of the morning. The sunlight streams brighter through the windows, catching Julian’s feathers and making them twinkle a brilliant blue, like sapphires. 

“You are so beautiful, my darling,” you murmur in his ear, raking your fingers through the crest of feathers on his head, “So precious to me.” 

You feel so happy, so joyous, to have your Julian back. You knew it would be a long time before he felt truly comfortable with himself, but this has been such a breakthrough. It’s this quiet moment- basking in the sunlight with him, bearing yourself to one another, breathing in one another’s scent- that you’ve been waiting so very long for. Julian’s warmth is slowly returning- you can see it burning on the sharp edges of his feathers, fiery and bright. You snuggle closer to him. Asra will be so delighted when he gets back.   

A laugh suddenly rumbles through Julian’s chest. He tenderly drags a talon down your back and settles the scaly pad of one of his fingers on your clit. 

“If I’d known this is what it would take for me to feel myself again, I would’ve done this a long time ago,” he teases, his finger moving in a slow rotation around your still sensitive bud. 

“You’re a scoundrel, Julian Devorak,” you whimper at his touch, a smile tugging at the corners of your lips. He chuckles jovially before he draws you in again to press his lips against yours. His kiss is deep and conveys something to you that you don’t really have words for. Something infinite and all-encompassing. Something loving and warm. 

“In all seriousness, though,” he continues, looking you in the eye. The storm clouds are gone, replaced now by a familiar fire you’ve been hoping would return. 

“I love you,” he breathes, “In all forms. All iterations of you.” 

Looking into Julian’s breathtaking eyes, you know that everything is going to be alright from now on. 

[loousir]

[Satyr} Insecurities

Soft Male Presenting NB Satyr x Male Reader

Dakota

Warnings: Dakota get comforted by you after a sudden breakup and you end up confessing, they realized they like you too, mentions of alcohol (tho not explicitly stated other than beer), two faced boyfriend (now ex)

Masterlist

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

Currently, you are on your way to third wheel for your best friend, Dakota. This guy that Dakota was dating was one that you really did not like. He was all sweet and kind around Dakota but the second they turned their back, he was a complete jerk. You knew you should tell Dakota but they just looked so happy being with this guy that you didn't want to ruin this momentary happiness.

Anyhow, both of you were walking down the street to a small yet busy pub that he had asked Dakota to meet. Dakota had asked him if you could come and he said yes but you knew he would have said no if that didn't ruin his "perfect boyfriend" image. You developed feelings for Dakota years ago, long into your friendship with him but you never confessed. You knew they didn't feel the same so you decided to just try to be the very best friend you could be.

Dakota pointed out the place you two were going and you followed them up to the front door. You opened it for them and they almost instantly spot their boyfriend, going over to him and hugging him. You smiled a sad smile and looked at the two before joining them at their table. He had sent Dakota off to get drinks for the three of you. "How have you been (R/n)?" He looks over to you with a not glare for once. "I'm breaking up with him."

Your eyes widened slightly. "What?" He nods. "Yeah I got hit pretty hard in the face with reality after the last time we met." His whole demeanor had changed from what it was before. You tried to say something but Dakota came back with a beer bottle and two glasses. They set one of the glasses down in front of you and handed the bottle to their soon to be ex who's demeanor went back to perfect boyfriend mode.

You smiled at Dakotas smile before taking a drink of what they got you. "Ah, (R/n)! Did you see the new episode yesterday? It was so good!" Dakota said before going on to ramble about bits and pieces. (R/n) smiled and nodded, chatting about said episode with Dakota.

A few minutes had past with the three of you talking before (R/n) decided it was time to bring the bad news. "Dakota." They looked up to (R/n) who looked like he just accidentally kicked a puppy. Dakota noticed and went to grab his hands to ask what's wrong but he pulled away. You looked away out of courtesy but still listened in. "I'm sorry Dakota. I dont think we can be together anymore. Its really me, not you. You've been nothing but good to me and I want you to be happy but it can't be with me."

"Maybe we'll see each other around. Don't worry about paying for drinks, I'll cover it on the way out." He said standing up to leave. Dakota couldn't seem to process what what happening as they watched their now ex-boyfriend walk away. "Kota, let's go." You said standing and grabbing their hand.

They didn't move but instead started to shake slightly. "Dakota, please." You pulled them up and practically dragged them out of the pub and stopped when you were a block away from it. Dakota hadn't said a word but held on tightly to your hand. "Do you wanna go back to your house?" You asked, looking to them. They nodded softly, more hair moving to cover their usually covered eyes.

You squeezed their hand gently as the two of you walked back to Dakotas place. It wasn't too far from the pub so neither of you saw the point in taking the car. After a few minutes of walking, Dakota stopped, making you look back. "Im... S-so sorry... I... I cant..." They tried to say something but ended up almost collapsing, legs shaking like crazy. You caught them before they could and opted to carry them the rest of the way.

Dakota holds onto you and cries into your neck. You gently rub the back of their head and whisper reassuring words into their ears. After a few more minutes of walking, you make it to the house and carefully unlock the door and close it behind you before taking them upstairs to their bedroom. "I'll go grab some water. I'll be right back ok?"

You head back down stairs, lost in thought as you grabbed water from the fridge before heading back up. You didn't expect to see what you did though.

Your body stood ridgid with shock. Standing in front of you, staring back with wild and afraid eyes was your best friend of 5 years. They looked like they were wearing pants but they weren't. Their legs were covered in dark brown fur, same colour as their hair. Your eyes followed the soft digitigrade shape down to the cloven hooves in place of feet. A small tail to match laid tight against their body.

"Dakota..?"

You breathed out hesitantly. They seemed to snap out of whatever trance they were in for a moment and they started to shake. "Hey... Hey whats wrong?" You asked as you very slowly approached them, as if the wrong step could send them sprinting away. They didn't say a word and you eventually got to their side. You very carefully grabbed their hand but they pulled it away faster than you could blink.

They looked at you with such fear that you could barely even tell if it was your sweet Dakota anymore. A tense moment passed as you had seen his eyes for the first time. You gently took their hand again and pressed their palm against your chest. They could feel your heart pounding, theirs was probably just as fast. You and Dakota had this thing where if one of you were panicking, the other would place a hand on the heart of the one whos panicking. It usually ended with a hug but it was really just a comfort thing that Dakota had started with you when they had a panic attack in public. Once they had seemed to realized, some lever must have flipped as they pulled you into a tight hug.

"(Y/n)..."

You hugged them back, gently placing a hand on the back of their head to keep them close. A silent minute had past before you felt your shoulder getting wet again. "I'm so sorry." It was barely a whisper but you heard it. Neither of you said a word after that. Dakota pulled their head out from the crook of your neck and rested their forehead against your chest.

"I didn't want you to find out like this..." Their voice was small as they spoke, hands gripping tightly to the back of your shirt. You carefully set a hand on their cheek, coaxing them to look up to you. Their eyes were red and slightly puffy from crying. The bright green, almost yellow irises stood out against their pink-ish scleras. "Your eyes are so beautiful." You mumbled out without thinking.

Dakota blushed and looked away. "I know you probably don't wanna talk so let's sit down and I'll go first." You lead them over to the bed and both of you sat down. "Judging by your reaction you didn't want me knowing about the whole... Lower half thing." You paused to look at Dakota who nodded. "Sorry." You said, still processing everything. Dakota shook their head. "N-no... I..."

"I don't know what to say..." Dakota said with a heavy sigh. "It's ok. You don't have to say anything-" They cut you off before you could continue. "(Y/n) I've lied to you for 5 years about it! Of course I have to say something!" You looked away from them and sighed. "I would be lying if I said it didn't upset me that you never told me what you were." Without hesitation, you grabbed Dakotas hand again, staring at it as they let you intertwine your fingers. "But I always had a feeling you weren't exactly human anyways... Of course I wanted to know but I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable around me."

Dakota looked to your eyes, tears welling up in theirs again. You could see that they wanted to apologize for not saying anything but you just shook your head. "Kota, I could care less that your a Satyr. If anything I like you even more." You mumbled the last part but they still heard it anyway, signaled by the blush that rose to their cheeks yet again. Dakota placed their free hand on your cheek and made you look back to them.

"I love you so fucking much Kota. You don't even know. I'm sorry. This is probably a lot on top of me finding out about probably your biggest secret and the... Y'know." Dakota shook their head. "Its all been so overwhelming. I'm honestly surprised I haven't passed out yet." You let a small huff of a laugh pass as they pulled your face closer to theirs. "You seemed to have calmed down a lot." You mumbled out.

Dakota nodded. "Yeah. I guess I'm... Relieved... I've known you long enough that I know you when you aren't feigning truths." They pause for a moment. You took this moment to observe their tear stained face. "(Y/n). I dont ever want you to leave me." Their voice had been shaky since you found out about them being a Satyr but it was even worse when they said that. "I couldn't truly live if you weren't in my life Kota."

They looked at you with wide eyes. "Sorry, said something weird didnt-" You were cut off by a pair of soft lips against yours. You carefully kissed back, tangling your hand in their soft, fuffy hair. The second both of you pulled away, Dakota smiled and pulled you into a tight hug. "Kota-" "I think him breaking up with me was the best decision ever." You furrowed your brows, really confused.

"What? Why? I though you two were happy together." Dakota nodded. "I was happy. But I also saw how unhappy you were. A-and it made me realize... Just how much I wanted to make you happy because you make me happy." You couldn't say anything but just looked at them with surprise. "Can I... Can I kiss you?" You asked quietly. Dakota laughed and nodded, pulling you into a kiss.

Your hands decided to test the waters a bit and you gently ran a hand through the soft fur that coat their leg. They shivered and gripped onto your shirt, leaning into the kiss more. You pulled away and let your hand linger on their thigh. "Did... Did you really mean it when you said that you liked me more knowing I was a Satyr?" You blushed and laughed awkwardly while looking away. "Yeah... I didn't realize I said that out loud."

Dakota let out a gentle laugh and pulled you into a tight hug. "Let's take a nap, I'm tired after crying so much..." You nodded and kissed their neck softly as the two of you laid down.

"Please stay by my side."

I originally started this one shot at the paragraph that starts at "Your body stood ridgid with shock." so sorry if everything above it seemed weird-

---

1890

[heartwitchhouse]

Therianthropy (Part 1)

Catboy Logan Au MasterPost

Warnings: Graphic descriptions of pain and blood

Characters: Logan Sanders, Janus Sanders, mentions of Patton Sanders

Fanart from Danie @deodorant-stick

Janus had convinced him to take a break. 

He had been working way too hard for the past week, supplying every thought and inquiry and answering Thomas's every question. But Janus had demanded he take a break. He had barely slept, catching up on leftover work during Thomas’s sleep, and only eating when Patton called for meals. He had emergency snacks for night shifts, but he always got too focused on his work to remember to eat, almost always falling asleep at his desk, then waking up when his alarm blared. Janus had put him onto the couch, head on his chest slightly. There was some cheesy soap opera of Janus's choice.He was doing this to force him out of his room, his work station. He still had his phone, though. He had backed all of his recent works to his phone, as Virgil had begged him to. So he decided to sneak in some work. Just answering a few questions from Thomas, It’s fine.

“Logan. Please don’t tell me that you’re working.”

“I..” “Logan put the phone down. Watch the fucking show.”

“Yes sir.”

He put the phone on the side table, sighing. He had this toothache, it had been getting worse and worse over the night.

“I’m going to go get some Tylenol..” He got up, going to the bathroom.

“Don’t let me stop you.” Janus sat up, leaning onto the blankets.

He entered the bathroom, looking in the mirror. He pulled his lips away, checking his teeth. He poked the point of pain. His canine was loose. How the fuck was it loose. He was a grown man, and always tried to work on his hygiene the moment he woke up.

He checked the other. Also loose. And so were the ones on the bottom.

The pain in his tooth was piercing now. It fell out into his hand, blood dripping down with it.

His ears hurt. His spine hurt. His hands hurt. And then the searing pain. He curled up on the floor. Blood dripped out of his nose, his canines fell out, clattering onto the floor. He groaned loudly, coughing up blood onto the floor. His spine ached and stretched, clothes slightly tearing and ripping with the constant shifting. He tore off his glasses, rubbing his eyes as they began to hurt. Logan groaned in agony, scratching at the tile beneath him as he felt blood fill his nose. His tailbone broke through his skin, sending blood flying as he screamed. He passed out as he struggled to breathe.

------

Logan groaned, awakening in a hospital bed. The blood had been cleaned, and he had been  dressed in a hospital gown. He opened his mouth, feeling at the spot where the tooth had fallen out. There was a new tooth there. He checked the others.. They were thinner, sharper, longer. Oh god. What else about him had changed? He reached for his glasses, finding a pill bottle, note, and a vase on the desk next to the aforementioned glasses. He put them on, blinking as his eyes refocused.

He dangled his legs off the bed, noticing his feet. They were covered in black fur, and digitigrade. He pulled his foot onto his lap. The fur went right to the top of his ankle. The pads were pink, which, while heavily inaccurate, defined them better.He checked his hands. Pads on his fingertips and palms, blending in with his human skin.

He felt very odd about this. He stood up, trying to find a mirror. Something lifted up his hospital gown. He checked behind himself, finding a black, feline tail. Oh dear god no. His ears twitched in frustration. He felt at them. They were on the side of his head. At least they were anatomically accurate as they could be, he sighed.

He found a mirror, inspecting himself. The tip of his nose was blackened, the nostrils smaller than before. He had small whiskers poking out from his cheeks, and he had thicker sideburns. His hair seemed to be made of fur, and his ears were large and reactive. He had noticeable body hair, which was odd to him, seeing as Thomas never seemed to keep body hair. His pupils were slits, irises an amber color.

Well, he’s probably stuck like this. It slightly reminded him of Patton’s transformation, except much more.. Modest in the changed qualities. Sure, he didn’t appear human anymore, but it was nowhere near the extent of transforming into a giant, talking, ripped, anthropomorphic animal. 

He plopped back onto the hospital bed, tired of the mindscape’s bullshit.

[cyberneticlagomorph]

A text box floats in front of your face, killing your immersion. 

"The following test will choose which of Ursumbra Online's many classes is the best fit for you.

To do so we will be incorporating elements and scenarios from your subconscious. 

If at any time you feel overwhelmed or like you cannot continue, we have given you a panic button. 

Using it will stop the test immediately and place you back in the General's office.

This is the only piece of equipment you will be allowed during the exam.

Good luck!" 

You're in the dark again.

Falling.

Falling.

Falling.

You hit the ground and roll across the smooth floor. 

The only light here comes from the bright red panic button embedded in your chest, protected by its little plastic cage so that you can't press it accidentally.

As you stand, the world takes shape. 

Sewn together by ghostly hands just like you were at the start of the game. 

You don't know what you expect to see. 

Another child's bedroom? 

A toy store perhaps? 

As the fabric walls take the shape of dirt tunnels ribbed with roots, you realize that you're in your own home. 

Everything, down to the last detail, down to the fucking cracks in the walls has been recreated in fabric and craft supplies. 

If you try hard enough, you can even smell your wife's perfume.

There's bits of your husband's fluff sticking to the furniture as you wander by.

Everything has been super-sized.

Tables and chairs tower over you.

Beds have become unscalable mountains.

Counters are gleaming plateaus. 

The sense of scale is absolutely remarkable. 

You don't get much time to appreciate it before a scream shatters the silence. 

A scream you recognize. 

Your feet are moving before you even realize, carrying you towards the source of the sound. 

You round the corner to the kitchen and find Egg cowering on the ground.

Not a plush version. 

Not a hologram. 

Your Egg.

She even SMELLS like Egg when you get close enough, that sour milk and baby shampoo smell you've come to love. 

Egg sets her eyes on you and screams again, scrambling back with all of her fur on end. 

"G-go way!" She squeaks.

"Egg, shh shh, Egg it's me it's ok." You hold up your paws, "It's Bibi." 

Egg shakes her head, fat tears roll down her cheek as she starts to tremble and sob. 

Your hearts sink, and you stop in place, hands falling to your sides in defeat.

Something moves in the shadows behind you, Egg sees it and screams again.

You spin around and come face to face with your ex girlfriend.

…more like face to ankles, but that's not important right now.

What is important is the fox e-girl looming over you with a sick sadistic smile on her face.

Her name is Fiadh, but she always let you call her Fifi

She looks wrong.

Her arms hang down to the ground, knuckles dragging across the floor with each step. 

Her legs are… bowed? The digitigrade element of her feet has been exaggerated so much that her calves are about the size of a regular human hand and her feet are stretched out to make up the rest of the length. 

Watching Fifi move is awkward and uncomfortable. 

Her tails are too long and too numerous, each ending in a drooling toothy mouth; a bristling hydra of fur and teeth that writhe in your direction, forked tongues lolling.

Empty black eyes gaze down at you from her sharp face. Pale Irish skin, sprinkled with freckles.

A mane of ginger hair flows down her back and curls around her neck like a ruff.

It spills down her chest, trailing off into a treasure trail that disappears into the thick orange fur covering her from the waist down.

She opens her mouth and words fall out.

It's not like speaking.

Her mouth is open, unmoving, curled into that perpetual grin.

Sound just pours out of the hole in her face in the most unnatural way imaginable. 

Like a speaker made of meat.

"Jackie boy, long time no see bunny!" You watch her lean down down down until her face is level with yours, "How's the new kidney?"

She gives you a saucy wink like you two just shared some private joke.

She smells like wet subterranean places and old blood.

Back in meatspace, your Y incision scar burns. 

You remember waking up in that tub full of ice with Fifi leaning over you just like this.

Your blood on her gloves.

Missing two ribs and a kidney.

She'd drugged you, and cut you open.

You remember the sensation of her fingers running tenderly along your stitches, her lips against your temples.

A cascade of nausea overtakes you only to be immediately replaced by rage.

White hot and blinding. 

You take a step forward, fists balled at your sides. 

Fifi just smiles, "I missed seeing you like this." Her hand comes up to caress your cheek, each finger capped with wicked talons painted her favorite shade of purple.

You smack her hand away, and she tilts her head like a confused animal, lips twisting into a cruel smirk, "Oho bunny has some fight in him now then, about fucking time you grew a spine."

You're so angry. 

Every thought you have is violent.

It's hard to breathe, hard to sit still.

You want to sink your teeth into Fifi's fucking throat and watch her choke on her own blood.

Nice and slow.

It's better than she deserves. 

Your voice sounds alien when you finally find the willpower to speak, "Yeah, about fucking time." 

She chuckles, and each of her 8 tails giggle in their own voices, a chorus of Humiliation that makes your blood boil and your skin itch.

"Y'know, bunny, your other kidney was so shite I didn't even fucking get full price for it." Her hands come at you faster than you expected and pin you to the ground, arms spread wide, chest exposed. "you fucking owe me money dickhead… I think I should take both of them this time, and finally break even."

Her tails bend towards you, clenching scalpels and needles in their teeth.

Panic wells up inside you but you're too angry to be truly afraid right now. 

You twist and kick and flail until your arm comes off again and you can wriggle free.

You run.

You run to Egg, and stand with your back to her.

Arms (...arm) spread wide, feet planted.

You look ridiculous, you feel ridiculous. 

There's no way to defeat that thing like this but you'll die before you let anyone hurt Egg.

Real or simulated.

Fifi snorts and her tails mimic the sound, she tosses your disembodied limb behind her like litter and stands to her full height. 

"Be a good bunny for me and stop struggling, mmkay? you wouldn't want to make this more difficult than it has to be." Fifi purrs as she drops to all fours and begins to prowl towards you.

Black ichor flows from her mouth like drool, spattering on the ground where it grows a dozen tiny hands that flail at nothing. 

You grab Egg by the scruff, despite her protests, and drag her away as fast as you can before Fifi leaps.

Her teeth snap shut a hair from the tip of your tail.

Egg is heavy when you're this small, and hard to hold onto with one hand but you manage to balance her mostly on your hip and book it out of the kitchen with Fifi in hot pursuit. 

The sound of Fifi's claws tearing up your floors, her breath against your neck, the tunnels of your Warren whipping by as you run.

It reminds you of your childhood. 

Of the lab you grew up in.

Of failed escape attempts and dead friends. 

You won't let Egg suffer the same fate.

Even as the dirt walls become polished metal and white paint, tiled floors and antiseptic scented AC.

The beep and whir of equipment you haven't heard since you were 8. 

Keep running.

The tears in your eyes are making it hard to see but you don't have a free hand to wipe them with. 

You take a corner too fast and hit the ground hard, managing to flip over so that Egg doesn't get the worst of it.

The room doesn't have a ceiling, just a black nothing that stretches up into eternity. 

Eyes gaze down at you from that eternity, glowing so brightly that they illuminate the entire room in the specific kind of brightness only found in police interrogation rooms and operating rooms.

Everything here is polished surgical steel, except for the walls. 

Those are mirrors, like the ones in fun houses.

Distorted and horrific, they reflect your face back at you in the most grotesque ways. 

Fifi lumbers in, dressed in surgical scrubs and a mask painted to look like teeth. 

"It's cute how you thought you would end up anywhere but here" She says, herding you towards the operating table. Egg is crouched behind you, trembling like a chihuahua. 

"You are only ever the sum of your parts, bunny. Putting them together adds nothing, takes nothing. Change them, distort them, pour magic or more robotics in, you still are left like a living shambling amusement park. The only thing that does is ignite the curiosity to explore you for a while. That's the only fun thing about you. The only way the ship is the same before and after is if everything that makes it be "itself" sums up to a zero. And from where I look... you are awfully empty. 

King? character? Alice? All these words, just hanging off you, trying to cover up your stink. I'm not like others, Jack. I'm not just glancing off, ignoring the blood you spill, the tragedies you cause. I'm in love with those things too. I adore it, the ugly pieces. There's no need to fluff if up with heroic nonsense. 

What were you made for?  You are an accident, is what.  Plagirism on top of plagiarism, big fucking words with huge bows and frills to look palatable. You are a chimera, can't stand on your own. If you aren't getting vivisected in flesh, then you are in mind, open to the metaphor pen like a scalpel. And I bet the blade hurts so much less. It's easier to write off being just a bunch of objects than it is being clunky tropes glued together. 

I can make you forget all that. The more you cry out pitiful sounds, the less you can think about it. The deeper my hands reach, the closer you are to the platonic ideal of a storm of flesh and metal no better than a grinder halfway through a slab of meat...  then, the closer you are to real. Really real. Really, really real. 

Because real things don't have a story. They aren't under a spotlight. Unlike you, they aren't dying for the attention of the next line. I'll keep existing when the lights are all off. I'm so much more real than you. All I'm ever doing is rifling through a bunch of objects. When you close the book, there is no one there. At all."

That rage hasn't left you, it's still there simmering low in your belly like a bad meal threatening to escape. 

The heat of it rises like bile until it's burning in your chest.

The second Fifi gets a little too close, you launch yourself at her full force and go for the eyes.

She howls and writhes, tearing you off and tossing you across the room where you bounce off a wall and land on a tray of surgical tools. 

You grab a bone saw and rush Fifi again. 

Her face is in Ruins, more of that black ichor leaking from the wounds in place of blood.

But you're seeing red, foam flecking your lips like a rabid animal as you swing the saw more like a bat than a sword.

Nobody has the time for finesse or proper stances right now. 

You slice off fingers and tails, anything she's stupid enough to let come near you is quickly and cruelly severed. 

But there is no catharsis in this.

Only violence. 

Only survival fueled by anger and adrenaline you've been sitting on your entire life. 

It's over in an instant. 

Your ex is reduced to a pile of squirming cubes that melt into nothing and leave black stains on the steel floor.

You turn to look for Egg and find her ok, huddled under some nonsensical machine you don't recognize. 

"You alright Egg?" You whisper, feeling the need to crouch even though you're both the same size. 

"S'not over yet…" she whimpers.

You don't see the hands snaking their way out of your keyhole, but you feel them split your back open like a cicada shell. 

[thetravelerwrites]

Cetzu (Reptilian Changeling)

Rating: General Relationship: Male Changeling/Human Woman Additional Tags: Exophilia, Lizardfolk, Changeling, Interspecies Romance, Monster Boyfriend Words: 4356

Part 1 of 5 commissioned by @ivymemnoch​​! A woman selling her father's merchandise has several issues as a lone person out on the road and decides to hire help. She's directed to Declan's farm to recruit a bodyguard. Please reblog and leave feedback!

The Traveler's Masterlist

When you decided to venture out on your own, you knew there would be hurdles and dangers, but you had no idea how bad it could be for a lone woman on the road.

Your father was a carpenter, specializing in sturdy, well-built pieces of furniture, like tables, chairs, chests, cabinets, and the like, and when you became old enough, you asked if you could help. You weren’t much of a carver yourself, as you were rather clumsy, but you could handle horses and drive a cart and covered wagon, so you offered to make his deliveries for him and set up a stall in various towns so that he wouldn’t be distracted from his work. After all, some of the pieces could take a week or more to make, and if he was gone to deliver his wares, he had less time to make them.

He was nervous about letting his only child go out into the world by herself, but you told him that you could take care of yourself. It took some convincing on your part. You were tall and well built, but you’d always been a little on the shy side and not what people would call a fighter. Although you were quick to warm up to people once you got to know them a bit, actually approaching them had never been your strong suit. You were also awkward and clumsy and prone to accidents. It was a hard sell, but he eventually agreed.

It hadn’t gone as well as you’d hoped. The first time you went out, the entire wagon had been stolen while you’d gone in the woods to pee. The second time, you’d sold the merchandise like you were supposed to, but as you camped, bandits attacked and stole all your money at knife-point. On your way home, you’d heard tales from others about women who’d been taken in addition to the money and goods, sometimes never to be seen again and the ones that had been found wished they were dead. It scared you a little more than you liked to admit and it was at this point you decided you needed to hire help.

You stopped in Willowridge for the evening, which was larger and more busy since the last time you and your father had come through. At the tavern, you paid for a room and care for your wagon and asked the barkeeper where you could find someone big and beefy to scare off potential bandits.

With a sly grin, she said, “There was a farm in the woods where you might find such help.”

“On a farm?” You asked, uncertain.

“Oh, yes,” She said, cleaning out a mug. “Believe it or not, our highly lauded town’s sheriff, Feera, came from there. These are very helpful folk. Ask for Declan. He’ll take good care of you.”

“How do I find it? Is it hidden?”

“A bit, but look for the nectar flowers planted by the roadside. They’ll lead you to the farm.”

After a night at the inn, you hitched up your horse, got up on your wagon, and headed where the barkeep had told you to go. She said by wagon at a decent trot, it would take only an hour by road. Dubious but curious at the same time, you nudged your horse to the left, down the road toward the farmhouse and out of the town.

Sure enough, about an hour’s ride down the road, you found trumpet honeysuckle climbing up the trees and purple coneflowers and milkweed lining the road. As you got past the last bush, which had a little green hummingbird flitting here and there, you saw a smaller path branching off the main road, leading farther into the woods. Clicking your tongue and snapping the left rein, the horse turned and pull the wagon down this new unknown path. In no time at all, you saw a very large farmhouse and a similarly large barn just beyond it.

It was spring, so planting season was in full swing. You saw two centaurs hitched to plows, one piebald and one solid russet, pulling rows. Behind the tawny one, there were two cervitaurs, one male adult and one female child. The adult was steering one of the plows, while the little one watched him closely. He seemed to be giving her quiet, gentle instructions.

The second plow was being driven by a young, plump human woman with a third tiny cervitaur dancing around her legs, stumbling once or twice. Strangely, this cervitaur had two legs rather than four. You’d never seen that before. Though in fairness, it wasn’t all that common to see cervitaurs in the first place, as cruel, bigoted humans saw them as little more than animals and hunted them for sport.

Following behind the plows was a gnoll and another creature you’d never seen before, like a centaur but a dog on bottom, both using thick sticks to press holes into the rows at predetermined intervals and dropping seeds into them. Behind them was another human, though you couldn’t tell if they were male or female, as they had they had a very androgynous appearance, and a female faun. They were closing the holes and watering the spots with watering cans.

Clothing seemed to be optional here. Both of the humans wore clothes--one in a dress and the other in trousers--but very few of the others did. The only other creature in the planting field that wore clothing was the small cervitaur girl, who wore a green bolero jacket and a matching ribbon in her hair. The female faun was nude, and while everything below her waist was covered in oak-brown fur, her breasts were uncovered. You felt a vague sense of social mortification, but pushed it away when you realized no one else seemed to care.

Beyond the planting field, you saw an orchard of fruit trees, and among them were even more figures working. You saw two large bat creatures, a harpy, a kitsune, and a lizardman. They were all unclothed except the lizardman, who wore short trousers that were modified to accommodate his tail, and the smaller, redder of the two bat creatures, who wore a necklace of stones around its neck. There were also two more human women among them, wearing sensible pants and shirts. The winged creatures were up in the trees, pruning the dead or weak branches, while the others were fertilizing the soil at the base of the trees, raking and watering and spreading mulch.

You slowed your wagon to a stop near the front of the house and stepped down from the driver’s box onto the wood of the porch. You felt a little overwhelmed and weren’t sure which of the people to approach. Which one was Declan? Should you go right to him first? Was there some sort of hierarchy, someone you was supposed to talk to before you could meet with Declan?

Thankfully, before you could fret too much, an older human woman and the larger of the two bat creatures came walking up to the porch.

“Hello there, traveler!” The woman said, raising her arm in greeting. “What can we do for you?”

“I, um… I was told to find Declan?” You said uncertainly, wringing your hands a little. “I need help.”

“I’m Declan,” The bat creature said in a serious tone, stepping forward on all fours. Even crouched as he was, he was taller than you. “Are you alright? Has something happened to you? We can protect you, if that’s the case.”

Realizing how your words sounded, you clarified; “Oh, no, no, I’m fine. It’s just… I’m a merchant, and I’ve been having trouble with bandits stealing my merchandise. I was told you would know someone I could hire to guard me and my wagon on the road while I’m traveling.”

“Oh, I see!” The woman said. “You know, this sounds like a perfect job for Cetzu.”

“I think you might be right, Ryel,” Declan said. “I’ll go and fetch him.” And he wandered back toward the orchard.

The woman, Ryel, stepped up to the porch and asked your name, shaking your hand in the process. “I keep telling Cetzu he should sell his trinkets at market, but he keeps using the excuse that we need him on the farm. I think he’s just being shy.”

“I can relate,” You said, chuckling a little. “What sort of trinkets does he make?”

“Little carvings out of wood and bone. Jewelry boxes, children’s toys, figurines, amulets, religious totems, all sorts of things. He’s an artist, though he’d never admit it.”

“Oh,” You replied, marveling. “My father is a carpenter and woodcarver, too, and he does very good, sturdy work, but he’s not much of an artist.” You pointed to the wagon that had some of your father’s work on it, and Ryel went over to inspect it. You were proud of your father’s work, but you had to admit it was a little plain to the eye.

“You’re right,” Ryel said appraisingly. “It is very solid work, if a little rustic. Cetzu might be able to help with that.” She pointed at a little side table. “How much would you charge for that? My daughter Lymera’s birthday is coming up,” She pointed out to the faun still working the field. “And I’d like to build her a shrine to her patron deity so she feels close to him while she’s home. She’s a priestess in training, you see.”

Daughter? You looked at the faun again. She was a full-blooded faun, how could she be this human woman’s daughter?

As you were negotiating a price, Declan returned with the lizardman in tow. He was tall, taller than you by at least two feet, and barrel-chested with a slim waist. His eyes were like pitted silver, deep and reflective, with slitted pupils. His face was slightly elongated with his teeth settled on the outside of his lips like an alligator, alternating between upper and lower on the sides with the front of his snout toothless. His hands ended in four wickedly curved talons, though the toes on his digitigrade feet were straighter, though still sharp, allowing him to walk without difficulty. His tail was long and flat, looking like the tail of some sort of sea serpent.

His muscles were huge and broad and moved smoothly under his skin, with thick, wide scales across his back, looking sharp, but steadily shrunk in size as they drift inward toward his stomach and chest and down his arms and legs until it almost looked like smooth leather. The scales on his back were black with a silver one here and there, but his belly was white.

“Ah, here he is,” Ryel said, jumping down from the high porch, more spry than her age would suggest. “This young lady has come requesting help with her cargo. I thought you’d be perfect for the job.”

You were a little intimidated by his size and gulped. He also seemed a little awkward, fidgeting and not meeting your eye.

“Oh, stop being so shy,” Ryel said. “Shake the girl’s hand, at least, and introduce yourself.”

He looked down at your hands, and then his own. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Mama,” He said, his voice rough and gravelly. It surprised you to hear such a coarse voice call this woman Mama. “I don’t want to scare the poor lady any more than she already is.”

“No… it’s alright,” You said, a little more meekly than you would have liked, and extended a hand carefully.

After a moment’s hesitation, he took your hand, but only applied the barest amount of pressure, careful not to catch your skin with his claws, and let go immediately.

“I’m Cetzu,” He said quietly. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too,” You replied, and told him your name.

“Well, now that we’re acquainted, let’s go inside and talk,” Ryel said, taking her… son… by the arm and leading him inside. He seemed reluctant, but allow her to pull him along. “Would you like some tea?”

“Yes, thank you,” You replied. “But I should unhitch the horse first.”

“Sure thing, lass. Do you need help?”

“Oh, no ma’am,” You replied. “I can do this myself. Where should I take him to rest?”

“There’s a hitching post near the barn that’s got fresh hay and water,” She said, pointing at the big barn. “Feel free to come inside the house when your done. The tea will be waiting for you.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” You said, and started with the harness. After you managed to get the horse free from the wagon and lead it to the watering trough, tying it to the post there. You could feel the others in the fields eyeing you a little, but not paying that much attention. You had a feeling random guests showing up out of nowhere was a regular thing here.

As you stepped back onto the porch and approached the open door, you heard a conversation between Cetzu and Ryel.

“Honey, you know your father and I would never push you into doing anything you didn’t want to do, but this is an amazing opportunity for you! Your work is amazing and the world should see it!”

“But you need me to help with the planting--”

“Cetzu, you can’t keep using the farm as an excuse. Between Laefa’s brood and Rantha’s family, we have plenty of hands to handle the spring work.” Her voice became soft. “I know the outside scares you, and I understand. Everyone that lives in this forest understands. Not one of us hasn’t had some horrible experience outside of this haven. You know the story of how your father and I met. You know the gnolls’ story, and the centaurs, and Caeli’s and Yala’s and Reed’s and Sayo’s. We’re all runaways, cast-offs, and survivors. But you have a talent no one else on this farm has and that shouldn’t be hidden away.”

“I only have talent because of what I am,” Cetzu grumbled sourly.

“So what?” Ryel retorted. “That’s like saying Soraya, Sayo, and your father can fly only because they have wings. It’s the simple truth, nothing more, and the same goes for you. There’s nothing wrong with who you are, my boy, any more than there is with any of your family. You are made how you are made and there’s nothing wrong with that. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Mama,” He replied mechanically. It sounded like he’d heard this speech innumerable times.

“Give it thought, love,” Ryel said. “You have potential and opportunity. I don’t want you to look back with regret someday because you didn’t act on it.”

Cetzu sighed. “I’ll think about it.”

“Good,” Ryel said. “Now help me with the tea.”

You heard dishes clinking and decided to stop shamelessly eavesdropping and go inside. Cetzu nodded at you politely as he exited the house to continue helping with the pruning of the fruit trees.

You sold Ryel the table and helped her stash it away out of sight as it was meant to be a surprise, and she insisted you stay for lunch with the family. Strangely, or perhaps appropriately considering the motley crew that lived here, meals were not taken in the house, but in the barn.

The barn itself was built like a half stable, half house, with a kitchen area, common lounging space, and a storage loft above the stalls. A large table was placed in the space between the stalls, which were larger than average animal stalls and served as bedrooms for the four-legged family members, complete with large sleeping cushions on the floor with blankets and shelves built onto the walls to hold personal effects. The stalls had solid doors rather than gates, and they all had locks on them for privacy.

Lunch was a variety of foods, including dried and fresh cooked meat, dried and preserved fruits, and spring vegetables. You noticed that while a few of the family were omnivorous, some members only ate meat, some only ate vegetables, and the bats only ate the fruit. You were able to meet his family and learn their names, though you didn’t ask about how they all came to be here. You imagine the stories couldn’t have been happy ones if all these various creatures had somehow come to call a human woman and a giant bat creature mother and father.

After lunch, you took your horse, Jackdaw, behind the barn, where there was an actual stable for mounts and work animals. He was due for a good brush down, and as you were working, you saw the lizardman, Cetzu, coming out of the forest carrying a yolk on his shoulders with six large buckets of water slung on it. As intimidated as you were by him, the raw, brute strength of his body made you raise an eyebrow.

He nodded again as he passed you, and you debated with yourself for a long moment before calling out, “wait.”

He stopped and turned his head to look at you. “Do you need help?” He asked.

“No,” You replied, gulping down your heart and gathering your courage. “No, but… I was hoping I could talk to you for a moment? If you’re not too busy? I--I mean, I can see--I know you’re in the middle of something, so I can wait--”

“No, it’s alright,” He said, pushing the yolk off of his shoulders and carefully setting the buckets down. “What can I do for you, miss?”

“I--I was wondering… could I… if it’s alright with you… could I see your carvings?” You sort of shrugged your shoulders up around your ears, which you tended to do when you were nervous. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“Oh,” He said, surprised. “Oh. Sure. Lemme just…” He motioned at the water.

“Yes, of course,” You replied. He shouldered the yolk again and took it inside the house, emptying the buckets into a reservoir in the bathing room. He then stored the buckets and yolk on a hook in a closet.

“There are some in here,” He said, leading you to the common area. “Mother displays the ones she likes best.”

In the room, you saw a few shelves on the wall that held a number of different carvings, from animals to plants to symbols. The one that caught your eye the most was a monarch butterfly carved of bone, life-sized, with wings carved so thin that light passed through them.

“Wow,” You breathed. “Is it alright if I pick one up?”

“Yes,” He said, watching you with slight apprehension.

You picked up the butterfly and examined it closely. You could see the segments of the legs, the veins in the wings, the thin antennae and proboscis. It looked as if a real butterfly had somehow been turned to bone.

“This is absolutely beautiful,” You told him in wonder.

“Thank you,” He said, ducking his head bashfully.

You replaced the butterfly back on the shelf and sighed. “I know you’re reluctant to leave here, and I get it. I really do. I was scared to death to leave home, too. You have this big, amazing family, but back home, it’s just me and dad, and I just want to help him.”

You turned to him and looked into his face earnestly. “Look, I’m going to be completely honest with you. I’m not very good at much. I can’t carve like my dad can. I’m clumsy and prone to knocking things over and accidentally injuring myself. I’m not artistic or coordinated. I can’t cook or sew all that well. I’m not much use to my dad, or to anyone, really. But I’m good with horses, and I can drive a cart and a wagon. I figured I could sell and deliver his goods so that he didn’t have to travel as much, but I’ve managed to cock that up, too. The first shipment was taken, wagon and all, and I had to walk home with nothing but the clothes on my back. I was held at knifepoint while bandits stole every penny I had. There are horrible tales about awful things that can happen to women who travel on their own, and… I’m scared. I’m scared to do this alone. I need help.”

He listened quietly, not interrupting. “From me?”

You held out your hands in an I don’t know gesture. “How about this: come with me on this one trip. I’m selling bits that my dad made that weren’t commissioned at market in Coleville. Coleville is a day’s ride from here. We’ll stay in Coleville for three days, and you can sell your pieces along with my dad’s furniture. Hell, I’ll let you use one of Dad’s tables to display them. Then you escort me home with whatever money I’ve earned or goods I have left. At the end, if you decide you absolutely hate it, that it’s just something you can’t do, then we part ways, no hard feelings.”

“And in the unlikely event I actually enjoy it?” He asked.

“Then when I need to hire you on again, I’ll send you a letter and you meet me at my home, and we’ll go on another trip. I won’t keep you away from your family or anything. You only have to escort me when I’m out selling or making deliveries.”

He looked at the shelf that held his creations on it in contemplation before looking back at you.

“Can you give me a day to think it over?” He asked.

“Of course,” You said. “It’s your choice. But… even if you say no, thank you… for listening.”

He nodded and attempted a smile, though you could tell he was feeling nervous. You passed him to go back outside and finish brushing down Jackdaw when Cetzu called out to you.

“Wait,” He said softly. “If I don’t go, what will you do?”

You laughed a little helplessly. “Give up? Go home with my tail between my legs. Find some other way to not burden my father any more than I already do. Maybe marry some man before he finds out how useless I am. I don’t know. I really don’t.”

Shrugging, you left the room and walked out of the house back to the stable.

Ryel and Declan were happy to put you up for the night at no charge. You got a room to yourself; most of the rooms seemed to be for visitors. Caeli and Soraya, who were married, you learned, had their own room. Sayo and Lymera bunked together. All the two legged boys slept in a pile in one room, which you thought was adorable. Laefa, the other older woman helping with the orchard, had gone home to her husband and twelve children. So many people. You wondered what it would have been like to have such a big family like this. Frowning to yourself about dwelling on what ifs, you turned over and tried to sleep.

The next morning as you were coming out of your room to head down to breakfast, you accidentally bumped into Cetzu on the way out of his room, knocking you to the floor.

“Oh, gods, I’m so sorry!” You said, rubbing the back of your head. “I told you I was clumsy.”

“I should be apologizing,” He said, reaching to help you up. “I should have watched where I was going.”

He pulled you up with one hand, and it’s only then you noticed the large trunk he was holding on his shoulder.

“What’s that?”

“Oh,” He looked at it, then you, then away. “I’ve packed.”

“Really?” You said, naked hope in your voice. “You’ll come?”

“You need help,” He said. “Mama and Papa always tell us that helping people is the best use of our strengths. I don’t want to disappoint them.”

“I understand,” You said. “I’m glad you’re coming. I didn’t know where else to go for help.”

“I’m happy to be of use,” He said.

You sighed heavily. “You know, I’ve lived secluded with my dad for most of my life. He’s a bit of a hermit and doesn’t leave the house unless he has to, so I know what it’s like to be isolated and scared of going out into the world, but I didn’t want to be underfoot all the time. I wanted to be of use. You’re helping me do that, and I’m really grateful.”

He didn’t seem to know what to say to that, so he sort of bowed a little and continued down the stairs.

After breakfast, Cetzu loaded his trunk into the back of your wagon as you hitched Jackdaw back into his harness. Cetzu dropped down to say goodbye to his family, putting his little kitsune brother on his shoulder. His shoulders seemed able to carry anything.

“I’m proud of you, son,” Ryel said, pulling him into a hug, though with her height, she could only hug him around the waist. He put his large arms around her and hugged her tight.

“As am I,” Declan said. “You’re braver than I am, Cetzu. I’ve not left this farm since I met your mother. I’m happy here, but the world is bigger than our home. You should see it.”

Cetzu heaved a big sigh and nodded. “I can’t promise I’ll like it, but I’ll try to make you proud.”

“You already do,” Declan said.

Cetzu hugged all of his siblings, except for Sayo, who he ruffled the feathers on her head, making her hiss and swipe at him. He chuckled and snapped back at her.

Ryel surprised you by giving you a hug as well. “Take care of him for me, would you?” She said into your ear. “He’s special.”

“I’ll try, ma’am,” You said softly.

“Good.”

You got up into the driver’s box, and Cetzu popped up next to you. You snapped the reins and Jackdaw started forward. The two of you disappeared down the road to a chorus of people shouting their goodbyes.

Since my work is no longer searchable, please do me a favor and reblog this story if you enjoyed it. Help me reach a wider audience!To help me continue creating, please consider buying me a Kofi, becoming a Patron, or donating directly to my PayPal!

Thanks for reading!

My Masterlist

The Exophilia Creator’s Masterlist

[draconesmundi]

Flight Rising Dragons in Dracones Mundi Style

Flight Rising is an online dragon breeding game set in the world of Sornieth - a land ruled by 11 elemental dragon gods. Dracones Mundi is a book I am writing re-imagining dragons from all over world mythology as super weird crocodiles.

I thought it would be fun to do some Flight Rising fanart as if the dragons were weird crocodiles like the dragons in Dracones Mundi. Flight Rising dragons all have six limbs (until the Ancient Breed update..), with four legs and two bat-like wings, whereas Dracones Mundi dragons usually have four legs with only fancy frill-like structures that look like wings (cannot use them for fly, that’s what magic is for!). Here are the four starter breeds for Flight Rising re-imagined, with Jessica Peffer’s artwork on the left and mine on the right:

Guardian:

Guardian dragons are very large creatures covered in frills and fins. The name ‘guardian’ comes from their nature to find one item or being, their ‘charge’, and guide it for their whole life. The guardian dragon design is like the stereotypical ‘western dragon’, and so for the basis of the Dracones Mundi guardian I have used the design of the smok/firedrake/ddraig goch. The fins and frills fit super well with the Dracones Mundi aesthetic!

You’ll notice here that the Dracones Mundi dragon has her body closer to the ground than the Flight Rising dragon, and that the heel of the foot is on the ground (plantigrade) and not up in the air (digitigrade) - (fun fact as a kid I first learned to use those terms reading one of Peffer’s DragonArt books!) - this is because the Flight Rising dragons have a more feline anatomy whereas the Dracones Mundi dragons evolved from crocodylomorphs. Crocodiles can still run fast - and even gallop! - by employing a ‘high walk’ locomotion rather than the sprawling lizardlike stance due to special adaptations in their wrist, but their hind feet are not as springy as catlike feet.

Tundra:

Tundra dragons are favoured by the Icewarden; they are covered in thick coats of fur to keep out the chill! While the dragons of Sornieth can have fur and feathers, the dragons of Dracones Mundi only have heavily modified scales. I used a design based on la velue/the stollenwurm/the arrassas - ‘hairy dragons’ of European folklore. In Dracones Mundi these animals have a covering of psuedopennae or ‘false feathers’, which are large flat-bladed scales that look like feathers from a distance. This group of animals in Dracones Mundi does not have wings, alas, and probably won’t survive in Arctic conditions like the Flight Rising tundra, preferring to sleep for most of the colder months of the year.

Fae:

Fae dragons are super small and super cute! In Flight Rising they use their many frills to signal to eachother, and find other dragon’s facial expressions quite hard to read! In Dracones Mundi the best dragon designs for ‘large wings with small body’ are the dragons in the wyvern family, so here we have a Flight Rising fae dragon as a wyvern, with two legs rather than four.

Mirror:

Mirror dragons have four eyes, palmate antlers and a whole lot of attitude! They hunt in roving packs and are favoured by the Plaguebringer. In Dracones Mundi the dragons are tied to the laws of Earth’s biology so I had to think hard about how to incorporate the four-eyed design. Obviously there are reasons why a vertebrate animal might have four eyes (genetic or developmental defects for example) but I decided that maybe this dragon’s face is covered in wattles the same blood-red colour as his eyes! Wattles, frills and fins feature heavily in a lot of dragon designs in Dracones Mundi

Thanks for stopping by!

If you liked my take on these dragons consider following @draconesmundi​ , and if you liked hearing about Flight Rising I cannot recommend this game enough; there are sixteen dragon breeds that can come with any colour or pattern you can think of, a rich lore spanning three epic ages, and a fun community that likes to draw art of eachother’s dragons. Also you can give the dragons hats - https://flightrising.com

[earth-ambassador-jim]

A Bad Reaction: Chapter 3

Story Summary:

“Changelings call it "Gravesand”. Derived from the  pulverized bones of fallen Gumm-Gumms, gravesand aids us changelings in  shedding our human form and embracing our more trollish nature…“

Strickler is a little off in his calculations and the gravesand draws  out an unexpected response from Jim. Hopefully he can figure out what  is wrong and how to fix it before it is too late.

AO3 - Fanfiction

~~~~

With a rather blatant disregard of the traffic laws, Nomura was back in the Janus Order base in record time.

Barbara was pacing around the room and glanced up when she entered. Nomura noted that her eyes were bloodshot and the skin around them red and puffy.

She held eye contact with Nomura for a long moment and the changeling debated shifting back to human form, but ultimately decided not to. It was better that she got used to trolls. No point in using kid gloves with her.

Finally she looked away and Nomura turned her gaze to the boy laying on the table.

He looked worse than when she left. The beeping of the heart monitor was sluggish and most of his skin was covered with livid red rashes.

“Did you find what Wal… what Strickler asked you to find?” Barbara asked.

Nomura glanced at the human and nodded. It was a pity there hadn’t been time or she might have had some fun with the old stiff’s office.

“That’s good,” Barbara said with a sigh.

She moved forward to stand beside the changeling (though still with several feet between them). The two of them watched Jim.

“Do you know how he got those scars?”

Nomura blinked at the question before she saw what Barbara was pointing to. A series of branching scars, like frost on a window pane, ran across the boy’s body starting from his left arm. Lichtenberg figures, she realized with a start.

When had that happened? He’d definitely shocked himself a few times trying to escape from his cell in the Darklands, but she didn’t think they had been hard enough to give him this sort of scarring.

“I don’t know,” She said.

“Oh… okay.”

They were both quiet.

Eventually Barbara went back to fussing with the machines hooked up to Jim, while Nomura settled in a corner and started to polish one of her khopeshes. She hated all this waiting, she was a fighter not a physician.

Her lip curled up from her teeth just slightly and her clawed fingers clenched around the hilt. Never before had she wanted a real physical foe to throw her energy at so much.

What felt like an eternity later, though it was really only about ten minutes, the door snapped open and Strickler entered.

“How is he doing?” He asked.

“He’s weakening,” said Barbara. “Did you find everything you needed?”

“Almost. I still need changeling blood. We will need to extract it in troll form.”

Finally! Something she could do.

“Well that shouldn’t be too hard,” Said Nomura standing up and tightening her grip on the khopesh.

She’d willingly sacrifice a finger (though preferably one of Stricklander’s) if it would save Little Gynt.

Strickler held up a hand to stop her.

“We need to do this in such a way that the blood is clean,” He said pointedly.

“Right.” She put the khopesh back in its sheaf.

“Do changelings have blood types like humans?” Barbara asked, looking rather wary.

Strickler opened his mouth and then paused.

“In troll form? I’m not sure,” He admitted. “Let me…”

“We do but they’re different than humans’.”

Barbara and Strickler turned to look at Nomura. She shrugged. Why was that it so surprising that she would know that?

“I was curious and asked my teacher when I was studying poisons.”

Barbara stared at her for a moment before closing her eyes and taking a breath.

“Do you know how doing a transfusion from a changeling to a human would go?” She asked when she reopened them.

Nomura shook her head. Normally there was absolutely no reason anyone would do that.

They sat for a moment thinking. The only sound was the beeping of Jim’s heart monitor and his faint raspy breathing.

“Shall I go through with the spell?” Strickler asked finally.

Barbara hesitated a moment chewing on her lip as she glanced at her son’s still form before nodding.

Strickler turned to Nomura.

“Since I will be doing the spell, I won’t be able to spare any blood. Not without risking running short of energy. Could you… ?”

“Just hurry up,” Nomura said holding out an arm.

~~~~

After a bit of back and forth on how to extract blood from something with stone skin and the eventual use of a surgical drill, Nomura was about a half pint of blood lighter and had a new soon-to-be-scar on her arm.

That didn’t bother her. She’d gotten scars over lots of petty things… what was one more one acquired willingly?

“What about the stone?” She asked.

“I will supply that,” Strickler said. “Having a component of my own involved will make it easier to channel the magic.”

Nomura nodded. Magic wasn’t her forte, but that lined up with the little she knew.

“Okay,” He said, opening his briefcase. “I will need quiet. Magic of this sort is finicky and I can’t afford to mess up.”

Nomura withdrew, moving to stand by Barbara and watch as Strickler worked. His eyes were narrow and his brows low as he pulled out a square sheet of parchment and began to inscribe an intricate pattern circles and runes onto it. When he was done with that, he set the vial of blood in the center. He carefully arranged some hairs he had taken from Jim around it. Next he took his knife out of the disinfectant where it had been sitting for the last few minutes.

With a flash he transformed into his troll form. Beside Nomura, Barbara jumped and her eyes widened. Her lips moved soundlessly as if she had come to some realization.

Sticklander wiped down the surface of his stoney skin with disinfectant and then water. Once he was done he scraped a very small amount of stone powder off into the blood. With another flash he was human again.

“I’ll need some of Jim’s blood,” He told Barbara quietly.

He held out a new syringe.

Barbara hesitated a moment and then took it.

Despite the tightness around her eyes, her hands didn’t shake as she took one of Jim’s arms and inserted the needle. Nomura felt her respect for the doctor go up a notch. She might be scared and out of her element, but she knew her job well. Nomura had made the right decision bringing her into this.

When Barbara was done she gave the syringe to Strickler.

Some of Jim’s blood went into the vial. The rest he meticulously used to fill three empty circles in the midst of the runes.

Strickler handed the syringe back to Barbara, without looking, and set his hands on either side of the paper.

He took a slow deep breath and then began chanting.

At first the strange words simply jarred her ears, then Nomura felt her hair stand on end as a charge of energy filled the air. The runes, beginning at the circles of blood, started to glow. Strickler’s voice shook as he got farther into the chant. The green glow became steadily brighter and brighter until…

All the light rushed inward to the center of the circle into the vial. The contents turned black.

Strickler’s knees buckled and he nearly fell but he caught himself on the counter.

“It’s done,” He said, rubbing his forehead.

He picked up the vial and swirled it around.

“Now we will need to inject this into him.”

Barbara grimaced at this but didn’t protest. She held out her hand for it.

She removed the stopper and filled a clean syringe with the potion. She held it up to the light and flicked the sides to make sure there was no air in it.

She turned back to Jim and stopped…

Nomura watched as she stood there. Her shoulders were shaking a little. Her hands clenched and unclenched. She glanced at the door and then back at Jim. Eventually she seemed to reach some conclusion to her internal debate and she moved forward.

Barbara carefully pressed the needle into the crook of her son’s arm. Once it was empty, she withdrew it and bandaged the insertion point.

They waited.

Nothing happened.

“Come on, little Gynt,” Nomura snarled under her breath.

An uncomfortable feeling fluttered in her core. If the little shit dared die on them she’d…

The heart monitor began to beep frantically. Barbara started to dart forward but stopped with a gasp. Black veins were appearing on Jim’s skin.

On Nomura’s left Strickler let out a startled cry as something glowing and blue shot out of his pocket.

It was the amulet. It settled on Jim’s chest with a flash of blinding light.

A scream rent the air, dropping several octaves as it progressed. Nomura blinked rapidly trying to clear the spots out of her vision.

Not a moment too soon.

The first thing she saw was a clawed hand drawing near her face.

She rolled quickly to the side, bowling over Strickler in the process (His fault for not moving quick enough). She came up in a crouch and got her first look at Jim’s new form.

Where the silver Daylight Armor wasn’t covering him, he was a grey blue color, almost purple. She had a brief moment to note that he had wings like Strickler and digitigrade legs like her (but ending in claws rather than hooves) before he was lunging again.

His eyes were still glowing a sickly gold and red.

Nomura bared her teeth and her hands twitched toward her khopeshes. It was just their luck that the gravesand would still be in effect. She pulled her hands back, letting them fall to her sides. They couldn’t risk injuring him further. She shouldn’t have done it the first time. She just hadn’t realized how bad this was.

Jim growled and dropped to all fours, new wings flaring out and tail (why did he have a tail?!) lashing threateningly.

Nomura hazarded a quick glance behind her and saw that Strickler and Barbara where huddled together… or rather Barbara was huddled, fear clear in her wide blue eyes, and Strickler appeared to be trying to calm her down.

She couldn’t help but be a little disappointed, but she supposed that was a fairly natural reaction to an angry troll for an inexperienced human.

It looked like this was all on her for the moment.

Jim advanced and Nomura planted her hooves firmly, steeling herself for a fight she wasn’t entirely sure how to win.

~~~~

“Listen, Young At… Jim is still under the influence of the gravesand,” Strickler was saying. Barbara could barely hear him over the ruckus of the fight and the pounding of her own heart. “I am going to help Nomura pin him down. You need to talk to him… connect with him emotionally… to make him snap out of it. Do you understand?”

She continued to stare in shock over his shoulder, where Nomura was trying to subdue Jim.

“Barbara!” He said sharply.

Her eyes snapped to his.

“Did you hear what I just said?”

“I… Yeah…”

Barbara watched as Walter changed into a green troll again in a flash of light and joined the other changeling in helping restrain her son.

She could barely believe it was really Jim.

The grey blue troll lunged against two larger changelings, eyes wild. He snapped sharp fangs at them and growled.

Barbara flinched.

How could this be her son?

The vicious feral creature before her was nothing like the sweet kind boy she knew.

Walter finally managed to capture his right arm and pin it against the wall, Nomura got his left.

“Come on little Gynt,” She snarled at him. “I know you’re in there.”

He twisted his neck and tried to bite the hand holding him in response. Nomura slammed her other hand into his throat to keep him from moving but didn’t press any harder than that.

“Quit it,” Nomura said. “Where’s your dumb speeches about hope and all that.” She hesitated. “You wouldn’t give up on me when I was trying to kill you, so I’m not leaving you like this. Quit fucking around and snap out of it.”

Jim growled but the yellow light flickered in his eyes flickered.

“She’s right,” Walter said, seeming to take heart. “I’ve tried to toughen you up but none of it stuck. Not in the way I intended. You are one of the most caring people I know, Young Atlas, and that’s your strength. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for that. You don’t need to do this all alone. We’re here for you, let us shoulder some of the load.”

Jim was struggling less, but it still wasn’t quite enough.

Barbara needed to help them.

She was scared and shaking and way out of her element but…

But this was her son.

She loved him and he loved her. He’d always been there for her, even when it should have been the other way around.

She took a breath and shoved down the instinctual fear that was screaming at her to run and walked across the room.

“Jim,” She said.

The two changelings shifted out of the way slightly but still kept him pinned.

“Jim,” She said again. She reached out a hand. Beside her Walter flinched.

She pushed his sweaty black hair with shaking fingers. Jim growled slightly but didn’t try to bite her. His chest was heaving and she could feel that he was shaking as well.

“Please Jim,” She said, hand sliding down to cup his cheek. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you before… When you wrote that letter… You were trying to tell me what was going on but I wanted you to do it my way… I want to know what’s going on in your life to be there for you. So please…” Her voice cracked. “Please come back.”

The yellow light finally faded in Jim’s eyes. He started coughing. Nomura and Strickler let go and he brought up a fist and coughed harder. It was a raspy cough and followed with a rather unpleasant retching. He spat out a lump of black and purple mucus.

“Mom?” His voice was weak and rough, but when he looked up his eyes were blue and familiar.

“Jim.” She hugged him, tears leaking out of her eyes.

He was alive. They had done it.

~~~~

Notes:

I think I'm just going to wait to do my meta bit on how Jim's reaction to the gravesand and how the potion/spell worked. I'll do a bonus update with that after I'm done with the story.

This is the second time I've written something from Nomura's perspective. Which is funny because I really enjoy her character. Hopefully I did her justice.

I'm going to give myself another week for the next chapter, since I want to give this a satisfying conclusion and I'm considerably busier now that I'm working. The goal is to end this with the next chapter, but I might write some little oneshots in the AU if the mood strikes me.

As always let me know what you think and thank you for all the wonderful comments!

[secret-engima]

Random Breathe (the Dawn Rises) Chocobro HCs:

I still haven’t decided where they wind up because I’m still wading through the early stages of a Realm Reborn cutscene wise but like-

-Prompto is a Stress. Where is he, why is he twenty again, where are his brothers, WHY ARE THOSE PEOPLE CHIBI ELVES. WHY ARE THOSE PEOPLE BIG ELVES. WHY DO THOSE PEOPLE HAVE CAT EARS AND TAILS.

-WHY DOES HE HAVE CAT EARS AND A TAIL.

-Prompto has no idea how to Miqo’te. He’s always been more of a dog person than a cat person someone help him. Why tail. Why tail move. No tail stop moving. Go away tail.

-The sensation of his ears moving in reaction to the situation and sounds and his emotions is SO WEIRD. STOP THAT.

-Why are sun naps a thing. That’s Noctis’s thing not his. Body stop wanting to nap in EVERY SINGLE SUNNY PATCH IN EXISTENCE.

-Meets up with Gladio first and Cries So Hard. Finally someone familiar and safe. Someone who understands his hatred of moving ears.

-It’s a testament to his relief that he does not immediately tease Gladio for his big brown bunny years.

...

-Gladio would like to know who he has to murder for this- this UTTER NONSENSE. WHY IS HE TWENTY AGAIN. WHY ARE THERE A BUNCH OF FANTASY RACES WANDERING AROUND.

-WHY. DOES. HE. HAVE. BUNNY. EARS.

-Not to mention the claws on his hands and feet and the fact that his legs feel like freaking springs and he has to walk on his FREAKING TOES now because this body digitigrade and not plantigrade.

-Relearning how to walk and run with spring-loaded legs was fun. NOT.

-Why is the world so loud now. It’s giving him a perpetual headache. Oh yea he has bunny ears now THANKS LIFE.

-People quickly learn not to make fun of the wandering male Viera. Because Gladiolus will Mess You Up for stress relief given half the chance. Don’t tempt him.

-Finds Prompto by complete accident, is totally not crying just as hard as Prompto is as they hug (he totally is, he’s just quiet about rather than loud, yowling sobs like Prompto).

-Refrains from teasing Prompto over his fluffy cat tail and ears only because he knows that will mean Prompto has free rein to comment on his stupid bunny ears.

-Does give in to the urge to scratch Prompto behind his ears, because Cat Ears, and is rewarded with purring only for Prompto to freak out over the purring.

-I feel like at some point Gladio and Thancred meet. Either before or after reuniting with Noctis, and Gladio dubs Thancred “Pretty Boy”. Thancred just grins and says “Why thank you!” But internally he’s a little miffed because excuse you. He’s not the one with the floofy bunny ears. Pot meet kettle.

...

-Ignis knows instantly that his body has been changed. He’s blind (even if his body is regressed back to twenty) and his survival has long relied on his ability to sense his surroundings and HIMSELF.

-Who dared to give him scales. And a tail. and HORNS. What is he? Some kind of terrible devil cosplay? Someone will be stabbed for this.

-As soon as he figures out where he is and where his remaining brothers are. And how to walk without getting his tail tangled around his knees.

-It takes him a while to figure out that OTHER people are just as weird looking, at first avoids civilization as much as possible for fear of being called a daemon. But ... nobody who DOES spot him really comments on his new appearance, more focused on him being blind, and sometimes people call him “Au Ra” and he doesn’t know why. Eventually he realizes that some people who sound like adults have their voices and movements coming from child height/proportions and surely there aren't THAT many people with dwarfism are there? He thought that was a rare genetics thing. Also some people are freakishly tall and sound like they have long teeth and he’s very sure he’s heard swishing tails more than a few times not counting his own so...

-Oh. Oh-ah.

-Fantasy races. Au Ra must be whatever he looks like now.

-Lovely.

-What he wouldn’t give to have a mirror and be able to use it again.

-Quickly gains a reputation as the blind Raen Au Ra who can complete any job despite his blindness (excuse you blind people are hardly helpless stop acting like that’s a big deal). Also gains a reputation for his frosty demeanor but equal manners to all (hard to be speciest when you DON’T KNOW what the other species are).

-Unlike Gladio and Prompto, who have the worst time figuring out how to groom their ears and tend to just- leave them alone till the dirt drives them bonkers, as soon as his scales start itching Ignis is on the warpath of self care. He experiments and hurts himself more than a few times pulling too hard on a scale not ready to shed, but he figures out the gist of it really fast. Can’t do a complete grooming because he doesn’t actually know what he’s doing and he can’t see his own progress, but its better than nothing.

-Has no idea about horn polish though, he just wipes them down with wash clothes and calls it good.

-Is eventually picked up by another Au Ra who teaches him how to Au Ra.

-Is the first to realize that him being able to use armiger and magic is NOT just because this world lets everyone use magic and magic is moldable so its just fitting what they know best (aka Prompto’s and Gladio’s theory) but that he is ACTUALLY USING ARMIGER.

-He can only do that if the person who gave him that magic is still alive.

-NOCTIS IS ALIVE.

-HE’S COMING NOCTIS.

-HE MAY BE BLIND AND UTTERLY LOST IN THIS STRANGE LAND BUT HE WILL FIND YOU. JUST WATCH HIM. DON’T YOU DARE DIE AGAIN WHEREVER YOU ARE. IGNIS IS COMING FOR YOU.

-Is it any surprise that Ignis is the first one to reunite with Noctis? There are many tears. The tears get even worse when they later find Gladio and Prompto.