#eastern firefly

[uncharismatic-fauna]

A Night Out with the Eastern Firefly

The eastern firefly, or North American firefly (Photinus pyralis), is a popular sight throughout the United States and southern Canada east of the Rocky Mountains. They are commonly associated with the beginning of summer, as they spend the winter hibernating underground and emerge only when the weather begins to warm. They are commonly seen in deciduous forests, grasslands, gardens, and backyards.

Contrary to their name, the eastern firefly is actually a type of beetle with well-developed wings. Adults are quite small, only 10-14 mm (0.39-0.55 in) long. They have a yellow and red head and a dark brown body with a narrow yellow stripe marking the outline of the wing casings. The main difference between the two sexes is the length of their wings; males have longer wings and are capable of flight, while females have shorter, less functional wings. Both sexes have a special organ on the end of their abdomens that produce light; however, the female's light tends to be weaker. The North American firefly produces its light by combining oxygen with a chemical called luciferin; the resulting chemical reaction gives off a glow which is amplified by special reflective cells in the firefly's abdomen.

Like all fireflies, P. pyralis uses its light producing ability to attract a mate. Males flash only while flying, in bursts about 6 seconds apart. Once a female signals her interest-- also by flashing-- the male lands near her and offers her a package called a spermatophore made of sperm, protein, and nutrients. If the female accepts, she inseminates herself and buries the rest of the package with her clutch of about 500 eggs. These eggs, which glow slightly during development, hatch about 4 weeks after being laid, and the larvae feed on the remains of the nutrient-rich spermatophore. The larvae can take one or two years to develop, and spend most of their time underground or near sources of fresh water like lakes and streams. Once the larva pupates and develops into an adult firefly, they only live in this stage for about a month before dying.

Both larva and adult eastern fireflies are predators, feeding on other insects like worms, snails, and other fireflies. However, larva spend almost all their time hunting for food, while adults spend the majority of their time seeking out a mate. To avoid predation, P. pyralis can emit foul-smelling odors and excretion of sticky substances; they also emit a chemical called lucibufagin that repells spiders. However, other species of fireflies will actually mimic the light patterns of the eastern firefly in order to predate upon them.

Conservation status: The North American firefly is currently considered Least Concern by the IUCN. However, they are threatened by light pollution, pesticides, and habitat loss.

Photos

Judy Gallagher

Katja Shultz

Sydney Penner via iNaturalist

[sitting-on-me-bum]

An eastern firefly zooms through the air. There are over 177 species of the glowing insects in the United States. National parks in the southern part of the country, including Great Smoky Mountains and Congaree, are some of the best places to see them in the summer.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN ABBOTT/NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY

[sorrcha]

septembug prompt 3 - "glow"

eastern firefly, Photinus pyralis

[jtfieldsiii]

Jack of the Wood, of the Green, of the Tales, of Many Names.

I wanted to lean a bit into the whole “aura of summer” he has going on occasionally and got a bit self indulgent. All the species depicted (except one) are found within the Appalachian mountain range.

[thedestructionofgrace]

Tlou ep6!!! (It’s 2:07am, please excuse any mistakes as I haven’t proof read lol)

You just know the couple at the start have a great relationship, even though we only got to see them briefly I loved the back and forth between them and the fact that the lady made joel and Ellie food, it was interesting to see Joel’s interrogation technique (regarding the map) on the couple especially since he’s so violent with it in the game. The white rabbit that Ellie steals reminds me of the rabbit she shoots in the winter phase of the game.

I also love how the show has a much deeper insight to Joel’s mental health, we all know he’s a badass but to know it takes a toll on him mentally makes him a lot more relatable and human, when he has his first panic attack outside the cabin I was like oh shit

The show is also more realistic in regards to his age, the fact he’s slower, looks like he’s having trouble with his hands and his instincts aren’t quite as sharp, it’s really sad to watch him realise that those kind of things are catching up to him and the fact that he doubts his ability to get Ellie to the fireflies is just 😢 I believe his age is something we see more in the second game. I felt so bad when he thought that girl was Sarah.

Oh I was scared for a minute when the dog was approaching ellie but it was so cute when it ended up liking her. The group riding up on their horses was really cool, I love the western theme that’s been applied, and maria hanging back then realising Joel is her brother in law, can’t imagine what she was thinking there, especially since everything she knows about him is through Tommy, she probs never thought they’d meet. Rutina Wesley did an amazing job as Maria.

Joel shouting for Tommy 🥹 you could tell it was such a relief for Joel to find his little brother and for Tommy a surprise after all these years. Gabriel Luna is just spot on with tommys voice especially in that first episode, he sounds just like Tommy from the game

Communism lol, tommy having to pause, realising that that is what their town is like and Maria being like “yeah it is communism!! 😁” just made me laugh

Joel mentions sheep once and now they’re eveywhere, also that’s exactly what Ellie and Dina end up doing at the end of tLou 2, raising jj and sheep, ugh just makes me 😫😫

I had real conflicting feelings towards joel, you just found your little brother after years of being separated and you can’t be happy that he has a wife and their going to be starting a family together “guess we’ll find out” ???!!! What on earth would ever possess you to that to someone, your little brother is trying to tell you some good news and even confesses that he thinks he’ll be a good dad and that’s what you say 🤬 and Tommys confused face after Joel saying that 😫. On the other hand Joel’s moments with Ellie, teaching her how to shoot, telling her about his job and what he would like after this is all over and that he used to want to be a singer, that was all super sweet. While being a sorry excuse for a brother his dadness really came through in his moments with Ellie

I love how we get to see how Ellie ends up with all her iconic outfits, first getting her red palm tree top from bills place and now getting her jacket from Maria, love it!!! It’s such a simple nod to the game but so satisfying to watch as someone who’s played it. I really love being able to point out things to the folks I’m watching the show with and noticing all these little details.

Maria providing Ellie with a mentrual cup, again I love how realistic the show is and that it isn’t shying away from these kind of things, also Ellie inspecting it and being like cool 😁 made me chuckle. Maria giving Ellie a haircut too was 🥹 they gave Maria a lot more back story and I appreciate the way they did it cos it didn’t feel forced, she had a son, was an ADA, is on the council etc. I’m looking forward to seeing her and Tommy having a kid in the second season

Was that Dina??!!!! Please tell me it was Dina!! Also, Shimmer!!!!

It annoyed me when Tommy went to talk to Joel and started apologising, I personally believe Joel is the one who should be apologising but you know 🤷🏻‍♀️

The house they set up Ellie and Joel in, had a really beautiful exterior lol it’s not really relevant but I really liked it, cool how Ellie’s room was the one she ran away to in the game, would have been cool to see a Joel/Tommy/Ellie team up but I think it made sense the way the shows done it too. Bella is also spot on with her acting, she’s doing such an amazing job, her accent doesn’t even hint that she’s English, her facial reactions and emotion in her voice are just on point, I really really don’t understand the hate towards her 🤦🏻‍♀️

Joel letting Ellie drink??!!! Lmao why not 😭

Pedros voice “you have no idea what loss is” oh my god, 10/10, perfect

Curious as to why they’ve bunched Jackson, the university and probably what is going to be the cannibal episode next into the one season (I mean winter season) maybe it’s just to shorten the jumps between the next few episodes?

I kind of like how much they cut out (most of) the university part and got straight to the point, don’t know if they could have made that into an entire episode of them being at the uni so I think it makes sense, loved seeing a classic Joel take down when he strangled the guy that came at them with the bat, also was shocked that the goon manage to stab Joel with a piece of the broken bat, it’s nice that the writers stay really close to the original material but are still able to surprise us

Little moments that deserve shoutouts

Ellie talking about space and seeing northern lights 🥹✨

Joel’s smirk after proving Ellie wrong with the rifle and of course he gets a bullseye 😏

The fact the target said asshole on it

Random but Bella Ramsey looked really cool with her hat on

Joel trying to repair his shoes (with duct tape lol), realistic in terms of the shoes durability

Marias nose piercing, I know it’s a random thing to point out but she looked good

“Some people wanted to own everything and some people didn’t want anyone to own anything at all” Ooft can’t get any realer than that, plus “which one were you?” “Neither” 😂

The dining hall looks like where the dance is held and where Ellie and Dina kiss in tlou part two!!! Fitting that their first kiss is in the place the first see eachother 😍

“Damn” (dam)

Ellie mind your manners at the dinner table lol

Also “you gonna shoot this thing or get it pregnant” no fucking way did she say that 😂😭

I really think and hope this next episode (which I’m assuming will be the cannibal episode with David and Troy baker!!) will be bellas turn to shine and we’ll get to see her own her own for a bit. She’s gonna do such a good job I know it already.

[gaia-prime]

And if you would, put the country/region you’re in in the tags, or a park/forest near you that you can visit to see them 💛

[cordycepsbian]

for entomology class we have to write a brochure about why a certain insect should be nominated as the representative state insect somewhere in the u.s. :autism_smile:

[calochortus]

Common eastern firefly (Photinus pyralis) by Trey Wardlaw

[arashi-ihara]

There is magic all around you…

[buckets-and-trees]

Sweet, sweet Aspen. You have been a very bad girl. This soft!dark guy, your boss, caught you doing something wrong—something that could easily get you fired—but he decided maybe, jussst maybe, he should keep your indiscretion, and your resulting punishment, between the two of you. After all, he’s been dreaming about filling you with his cock for ages 😏

(I picked this GIF because it looks like he’s saying, “On your knees.” lolll)

well, dearly beloved sister ho, you know we were thirsting over a particularly ... inspiring gif.

I don't think you anticipated your ask to spawn THIS, but... here we are! THANKS FOR POPPING MY ANDY CHERRY!

Title: I'm Your Man Characters/Pairings: soft dark!Mafia!Andy Barber x female!reader Word Count: 3k Summary: You've spent weeks working to pull off the perfect night for Andy Barber's big charity event. A rush job, but you worked meticulously and diligently over six weeks to coordinate the biggest event of your career to date. You weren't the only one with a plan for the night.

Content Warnings: extortion, explicit smut, DUBIOUS CONSENT, spitting, oral - male receiving, spanking, vaginal intercourse, breeding kink, unprotected sex

Logistical Notes: A NAUGHTY submission @the-slumberparty's Naughty or Nice challenge. Prompts incorporated are in bold.

Additional Notes: I didn't want to write a summary. There's only enough plot here to smut you up. Dividers by @rookthornesartistry and @firefly-graphics.

You sit up straight when you hear the door to Andy’s home office open behind you.

“Thank you for waiting for me,” he says as he strides across the room and takes a seat in the leather executive desk chair.

“Yes, of course, Mr. Barber,” you reply. Every part of your body is tired – tired in a good way from the long day of work – so you were eager to get home, soak in your tiny tub, and crawl into bed for the rest of the weekend, but it hadn’t been an incredible inconvenience when he’d asked if he could speak with you before you left.

“Tonight was exquisite, you did well,” he doles out the praise, and you try to quell the blooming in your chest. In the six weeks working with Andy Barber to plan the charity event you’d just executed for his foundation you had seen that he wasn’t one to casually compliment, hard to impress. You had taken more and more satisfaction out of each meeting, email, or text exchange as you consulted and then presented him with options for the event when he had fewer and fewer notes, knowing you had cracked his taste and gained his approval. He’d been your toughest client to date, but by far one of the most rewarding as he had excellent taste.

“Nearly perfect,” he adds.

Your smile falters ever so slightly, and suddenly your chest floods with a chill. “Nearly perfect? I’m sorry, sir, what didn’t live up to your expectations?”

This was far from your first event, you had built an incredible portfolio over the years, and you knew you were finally ascending to be one of the best event coordinators on the eastern seaboard – you had received an email request from a goddamn Vanderbilt to plan a wedding for them in a year and a half that you were going to respond to and accept in the morning. You weren’t arrogant, but you’d worked damn hard and knew you were good.

“You.”

Your breath catches in your throat. “I – what?”

“Only one misstep tonight.”

Your brain flies back through the evening, reviewing every moment, raking through trying to determine what you could have possibly missed.

“I’m very particular about what belongs to me, and I cannot abide theft.”

Your jaw drops.

“Empty your bag.”

Now your whole body is buzzing with incredulity. You shake your head.

“I know what’s in there.”

You almost didn’t take this job when it landed in your lap. He was the reason you knew you should have said no. There were whispers about his reputation, his real businesses. But you took the initial consultation because the pitch was more money than you’d made over the last three years. Then when you’d met him, he’d been so normal, so nice, maybe a little charming, and up until this moment you had convinced yourself there was no way any of those rumors had been right.

But before you even put your hand in your bag, you knew you were wrong to have thought he wasn't all those awful things.

Not one, not two, but three Rolex watches nestled in the bottom of the main pocket. Watches you'd never seen - wouldn't even have known where to find them.

You scoop them out and drop them on his desk, eyes burning with tears. “Why?”

“Yes, why? I was already giving you a fat paycheck. What a shame when I had just given your name to the Vanderbilts’ social secretary for their son’s wedding a few days ago, I’ll have to reach out and let them know.”

“No,” you breathe.

“I’ll have to discreetly let everyone in my network know it’s better not to invite someone in their home with such light fingers.”

Your breath hitches and your hand flies to your mouth to stifle an almost sob, trying to hold back the onset of tears. “Andy, no, please.”

His smile softens. “There we are,” he coos, “you finally called me Andy like I’ve told you to so many times.”

He leans forward resting his arms on his desk.

“Now, if you go upstairs, be a good girl, put on what I left for you in my room, and wait for me, maybe I can make all of this little misunderstanding go away.”

His steel blue eyes are hard, they demand an answer.

You cock your chin up wishing you could say no, wishing you could even scowl at him, but aside from the heat and hurt in your eyes, you know you can’t do anything more without risking further ruin, so ultimately you let your chin drop and nod, resigned to the impossible power this man wields.

“Now we’re back on track for a perfect night, sweetheart. I’ll be up soon.”

You don’t know how long he makes you wait, using the promise of soon as another show of his power, but long enough that your knees hurt from sitting back on your heels in a submissive, kneeling position with your head lowered, hands folded in your lap, and back to the door as the card in the white box left for you had instructed.

Also in the box had been a set of exquisite black lace and silk balconette bra and cheeky underwear. That they fit you like a glove had been both humiliating and alluring.

Even though Andy was the reason you almost said no to the job, even though he was the humiliating reason you were in this position – extorted into a nearly naked state, no question of what was to come – he was also the reason you took the job.

Dread pooled in your stomach, but along with the dread and humiliation, there were rivulets of shameful desire.

You had taken the job for the money and for how quietly charming he had been. He had never outright flirted with you, but he always left you with the question of whether he was. You worked hard for him because it felt good to win his approval. He praised you and you had preened under his intense blue eyes every time. You had forced yourself to keep everything professional.

All for nothing since you were in the farthest position of professional now.

When you finally hear him enter the room, your sit up straight again.

He tsks and says, “Head down, sweetheart.”

Andy comes around to stand in front of you. You see his perfectly polished shoes, the perfectly tailored trousers. His hand moves to your jaw, tilting your head up to look at him. He runs his thumb over your lips, circling them.

“Open your mouth,” he says.

You do.

He leans closer, then spits in your mouth, and you blink in surprise, a surge of humiliation running through you, but his grip on your jaw is powerful, so you don’t move away.

“Close your mouth but don’t swallow.”

He moves back from you then, and he begins to silently undress. He had already taken off his jacket, but he doesn’t hurry as he unbuttons the cuffs of his shirt, the buttons down his chest, and then shrugs it off his shoulders. He places it nicely on a plush armchair on the side of the room. Next he sits on the edge of the bed and removes his shoes and socks.

The way he doesn’t watch you but does all of this in your line of vision, knowing you have to watch, is another move meant to communicate who is in control of this situation. Still holding his saliva on your tongue is starting to become uncomfortable. Your instinct is to swallow, but you don’t know what disobedience may mean with Andy, so you fight the urge, not wanting to tempt any more of his darkness.

He stands and takes the shoes and socks to a large closet off to the side of the room, and when he returns, he stands directly in front of you again, takes your jaw in his hands again.

“Show me,” he says.

Your eyes watch his face you open your mouth, showing him the pool of saliva.

“Good fucking girl,” he murmurs. You hate the small bloom in your chest those words immediately invoke again. He spits into your mouth for a second time, then with a caress that is too tender he urges you to close your mouth. “Swallow.”

You do.

Andy unbuckles his belt, unbuttons the top of his fly, then unzips and pushes down the waist of his trousers with his briefs, and reveals his hard cock for you.

He’s big.

You had gotten yourself off to the thought of him a few of times late at night alone in your bed, most recently a few days ago, and you hated that you had since you were now here like this, forced on your knees in front of him.

Your core is pulsing with heat at the sight of him though – bigger than you had fantasized, and bigger than any man you’ve been with previously. You know he’ll fill you in a way that will ruin you for other men. You want and dread it.

“Take me in your mouth, sweetheart,” he commands.

Instead of forcing his cock into your mouth, this is more possessive, having you submit yourself to pleasing him of your own accord. You know every way he’s manipulating you.

“If I have to tell you one more time,” he trails off, leaving the end open for your imagination.

You plant one hand softly on his hip and wrap your other hand around his shaft, leaning forward to take him in your mouth. As you push forward, he groans. He won’t hold back when he’s pleased with you – he never has, he knows it affects you. His hands go to either side of your head. “Eyes on me, sweetheart.”

You do as he says, sucking him, bobbing up and down his length, and for a while he lets you control the speed and the depth, but his hands let you know he can and will control this when he wants to. After the first couple of minutes, he makes this clear when you push back to take a breath and wipe the mix of your spit and his pre-cum dripping out of your mouth and his hands firmly prevent you from moving off him. Instead, he pushes you down slowly – more slowly than you had been pumping – and doesn’t stop until your nose hits his lower abdomen. You try to push against his hips, and he pushes his hips forward with you still anchored on his dick. Your eyes well up.

“So pretty,” he says, “imagined you like this, but you’re more gorgeous than I thought you would be.”

Something in your chest melts. You wish he wouldn’t say things like that. It makes you weaker – weaker for him. He pulls back just an inch or two, then pushes his length into your throat again.

“That’s it, sweetheart, my perfect fucking girl.”

You whimper, and the tears spill over.

His right hand moves away from your face and around behind him. He’s quick, and when you can see his hand again, it’s to discover he’s taken his phone out of his back pocket. He takes photos of you, angling the phone a few different ways. Then he tosses the phone onto the chair where he’d laid his shirt.

Then he resumes his small, concentrated rutting, only easing out just enough to make the thrust back in worth it for him. As he does, he groans, swears, wipes tears from your cheeks, and the moment before it’s too much, he finally pulls you off him.

You fall forward, gasping for deep lungfuls of air, but he’s already putting a hand under your arm and hauling you up.

“Get on the bed,” he instructs, man handling you with surprising ease, doing most of the work your weak and aching legs can’t do to hoist you up onto his Alaskan king bed.

He’s immediately up as well and behind you, the last of his clothing stripped off. His fingers quickly undo the clasp of your bra and pull it off your shoulders and toss it away. He pushes you forward, toppling you down to the mattress. He slaps your ass, and you gasp and jerk. He brings his hand down on your round flesh again, with another sting, but the second one has you moan, and he lets out a satisfied, “Yes,” before giving you a third slap, the hardest, and you moan again, but this one more guttural, and you’d be mortified if you weren’t shocked over the way it translated to pleasure so quickly to your brain.

Then he yanks the lacy underwear roughly down and off your legs, tossing it away as well. He pushes between your legs behind you, splitting your legs open, and his fingers seek your cunt.

He hums in approval, “So wet for me. Ready for me.”

You huff and pant.

He leans over your back, pressing you down into the mattress. “Are you eager for me?”

“Andy,” you whine.

“Say it and I’ll fuck you good, sweetheart.”

You don’t want to. You bury your face in the covers.

He slaps your ass again, and you yelp.

“Admit you want me to fuck you.”

Another slap.

Another.

“Yes,” you finally concede.

“To breed you.”

You gasp, but he’s already hauling you further up the bed, and he drapes himself over your back, arms caging you in on either side of your body. His legs push yours apart as he leans down to press kisses over your shoulder blades, at the base of your neck, along your spine. He uses one hand to guide the thick head of his cock to your leaking entrance. He doesn’t care to stretch you. “Take me in your cunt, sweetheart, it’s mine.”

The only mercy is that he slots himself in slowly.

You press your hands up against the headboard and concentrate on taking deep breaths, on trying to relax your walls completely, because he’s entering you, in you, filling you, unrelenting invasion and it’s pleasure and pain and too much and not enough because every moment of more fullness is exquisite and you can’t even think about holding back the sound he’s pushing out from your diaphragm, up your throat, and out of your mouth, because that’s how it feels as he's filling you.

Once’s he’s fully inside of you, he presses his mouth right next to your ear. “I’m going to fill this pussy with my seed.” He anchors one hand on your hips, then begins pull out, only so he can start thrusting back in. “I want everyone to know who you belong to.”

You’ve never had an orgasm only from vaginal penetration, but the way he fills you as he fucks you, and at this angle, making you almost forget to keep breathing, you wonder if this is how you’ll go, strung out as his cock punishes you with the pleasure, but then his hand works around beneath you and his fingers quickly find your swollen and aching clit. You cry out, and one of your hands reaches back to cling to him, fingers clutching into his hair. He nips at your neck, chuckling darkly.

“My pretty girl, my good girl, taking my cock so well, you close?”

An immediate, “Uh huh,” is all you can manage.

“Then let go,” he commands, pinching your clit harshly.

You see stars, and you cry out for him.

Hearing you scream his name and feeling you clench around him is all he needs, and he pumps his cum into you, saying more dirty, filthy, possessive things, but you don’t know what the words are, because you’re completely lost to coherency.

He sinks his full weight on top of you when he’s completely spent.

Both of you are silent while you come down, heartrates returning to normal.

You wait for him to say whatever he’s going to torment you with next, but he doesn’t speak.

After more long moments, he finally pushes up enough to turn you from your front to your back. He cups your jaw again and strokes his thumb over your cheek. Your breath hitches at the intimate gesture in the aftermath.

“Aw, why are you crying now, sweetheart?”

No, you didn’t want more tears, and not these - the soft tears. You try to look away, but he forces your face back to look at him.

“I would have slept with you if you’d asked, Andy, why did you have to do it like this?”

“Because this is so much more than that, sweetheart. I didn’t want to just sleep with you, and I needed you to know from here on out that you’re mine. I own you. I’m very particular about what belongs to me. I didn’t want you to have any illusion that there’s a choice here.”

He brushes the tears off your cheek.

“I’ll have my men move your things here in the morning, and we’ll elope in a few weeks. I’m closing the deal on a resort in Lake Como, doesn’t that sound perfect? We’ll tie the knot and then spend our honeymoon there – we can stay all summer if you want.”

You hesitate.

“No one else is gonna take care of you like I do. Now I asked you, ‘doesn’t that sound perfect?’”

“Yes, Andy,” you whisper.

“Of course, it does.” He finally kisses you – and it’s dangerously soft. Warm lips engulfing yours, insistent, sucking your bottom lip between his. You whimper, and he licks his tongue into your mouth, lapping you up. He rolls over with you, putting him back on the mattress with you on his chest. He holds you pressed to him with one hand, the other hand securing your head so you can’t escape his kiss until he’s done kissing you.

It isn’t until you think you might pass out from how breathless you are that he finally breaks off the kiss. He shifts his pelvis up against you, his cock hardening again. “And I was serious about you carrying my child. But first you’ll ride my face until I’ve made you cry for a good reason, and then I’ll fill you up with more of my seed. You’re not leaving this bed the rest of the weekend.”

ARE YOU OKAY? AM I? DO WE EVEN CARE IF WE'RE OKAY?

read: -> THE MORNING AFTER

↠ Main Masterlist | Aspen's Ask Box | Field Guide to the Forest

I do not do tag lists, but FOLLOW @buckets-and-stories and TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS to be updated any time I publish a new work!

[mathmodder]

Get Wild Mod by MathModder (In Progress)

What you need to know:

This mod introduces wild animals into your game map that spawn naturally in beetle spawners. It includes birds, small mammals, amphibians, more insects and reptiles in nature zones. Birds can fly and land in random locations and ground animals can be seen walking around the map.

You can choose ONE from various versions that best suit your world. Select the version that spawns specific animals suitable for your World's location.

Here's a list of potential versions that will be included in the mod:

All Wildlife (City World)*

All Wildlife (Medieval / Country town)**

American Wildlife (City World)*

American Wildlife (Medieval / Country town)**

European Wildlife (City World)*

European Wildlife (Medieval / Country town)**

African Wildlife (City World)*

African Wildlife (Medieval / Country town)**

Eastern Wildlife (City World)*

Eastern Wildlife (Medieval / Country town)**

*Versions for cities will have additional specific effects that help create a more beautiful environment for your city, such as planes in the sky, fireworks, sunshine rays during the day, and sky lanterns for the All Wildlife and Eastern Wildlife version. **Versions for Medieval/Country towns will feature additional specific effects to enhance the beauty of your world, including hot air balloons in the sky, sunshine rays during the day, and more.

These additional effects mentioned above will appear rarely and randomly in your world.

Can I place individual animals in specific locations, such as on rocks or tables?

In a future update after launch, this function will be added, for now they will only spawn where there is a beetle spawner. Ground animals on the ground and birds in the air.

Is the mod heavy to run?

Within the game I am optimizing it so that a small number of animals spawn at the same time and only spawn at a maximum distance of 500 meters from the player's camera.

How many files will there be?

Because there are many animals and specific animations for each one, the files will be heavy, will be a maximum of 2 to 3 files. In tests in my game with 150 other mods from other creators, I didn't see any loss of performance due to the optimization I'm doing within the game.

It is worth mentioning that some files will need to be placed in the Overrides folder and others in the Packages folder, they will all be specified at launch.

Is this mod compatible with other effect mods?

Yes, it will be compatible.

Bugs:

Depending on the location, there may be some bugs such as birds landing in the air or animals walking a little above the ground, this is due to calculation problems on certain game surfaces and physics, whether hills or mountains, but over time I will update and see What can I do to reduce this. In this case I depend on the engine the game has and whether it is possible to correct certain errors.

Release date:

Between January and February 2024 (It is in the testing phase)

Here is the list of animals that will be included in the mod:

American Eagle Bird

Anteater

Artic Tern

Aphids

Bat

Beaver

Bees

Black Bird

Black Egret

Black Fox

Black Goose

Black Rat

Blue Bird

Blue Frog

Blue Green Parrot Bird

Blue Jay

Blue Lizard

Blue Parakeet

Blue Macaw

Booby Bird

Brown Bird

Brown Bunny

Brown Egret

Brown Hen

Brown Monkey

Brown Owl Bird

Brown Pelican Bird

Brown Squirrel

Bullfinch Bird

Bullfrog

Butterflies (many colors)

Buzzard Bird

Canary

Capercaillie Female Bird

Capercaillie Male Bird

Canadian Goose

Cardinal

Carcara Bird

Charadriidae

Chimp

Chimpmunk

Chukar partridge

Condor Bird

Cormorant

Coyote

Crow

Cicada

Cockroach

Dart Frog

Dove Bird

Dragonfly

Egret

European Goldfinch

Falcon

Female Peacock Bird

Flamingo Bird

Fox

Fireflies

Golden Monkey

Golden Pheasant

Goldfinch

Gray Frog

Gray Lizard

Gray Parrot Bird

Gray Partridge

Green Bird

Green Frog

Green Lizard

Green Parakeet

Green Parrot Bird

Harlequin Duck

Hawk

Heron Bird

Hoopoe Bird

Horn Owl Bird

Humming Bird

Humming Bird Loop

Jack Rabbit

Kinkajou

Komodo Dragon

Ladybug

Lilac-breasted Roller

Little Red Parrot

Little Yellow Bird

Little Yellow Parrot

Magpie

Mallard Bird

Marmot

Marten

Male Peacock Bird

Mole

Multicolor Bird

Nude Rat

Orange Bird

Orange Fox

Orange Frog

Owl

Pangolin

Pheasant

Pink Cockatoo

Piper Bird

Possum

Pigeon

Quero-Quero Bird

Raccoon

Raven

Red-Eyed

Red Fox

Red Frog

Red Head White Cardeal

Red Lizard

Red Panda

Red Macaw

Red-crowned Crane

Rooster

Scissor White Bird

Sea Parrot Bird

Seagull

Silver Pigeon

Skunk

Snake

Sparrow

Spiny Lizard

Stork

Striped Lizard

Swallow Bird

Toco Toucan

Tortoise

Vulture Bird

White Bunny

White Cockatoo Bird

White Diving Bird

White Fox

White Goose

White Hen

White Monkey

White Owl

White Pelican Bird

White Piper Bird

White Rat

White Squirrel

White Swan

Wild Rabbit

Woodpecker

Yellow Lizard

Yellow Parakeet

Yellow Pelican Bird

Yellow Toucan

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If you have any questions, leave them in the comments and I will add them to this post!

[lowcountry-gothic]

"Six Seconds of Dark"

The proper habitat for synchronous fireflies can be found in pockets across the eastern United States, but they are sensitive to light — even a full moon can disrupt their ability to flash in unison. Large swaths of untouched, dark forest in national parks provide prime habitat. Every year, between 30,000 and 40,000 people enter a lottery for just shy of 1,000 passes to see the lightning bugs over eight nights at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A record-breaking 17,593 people entered a similar lottery in 2023 in hopes of being among the 1,300 chosen to see the Photuris frontalis species at Congaree National Park in South Carolina. 

From a story by Jessica Bradley for The Bitter Southerner. Photos by Stephen Cook.

[mishapeep]

Uh, I saw your post and you mentioned that you teach the kids... how do I put it... that are given to you at social functions due your park ranger aura for safekeeping how to tell the difference between predatory lightning bugs and normal lightning bugs.

And then you didn't tell us that secret! May I ask you to share the difference between predatory lightning bugs and normal ones?

Thank you very much :)

By popular demand and because this was the most polite ask: how to tell the predatory lightning bugs from the non-predatory lightning bugs.

First, there are over 2000 species in Lampyridea. I am not qualified to distinguish between all that. I grew up in Northern Ohio (71 species) and every year summer wasn’t official until the lightning bugs came out in the evenings (usually the first or second week of June).

This is our first clue. The first lightning bugs out each evening are a species of non-predatory chaps. Their glow goes in a special pattern. Flash, pause, “J” shaped flight about 2 -3’ off the ground. Repeat. Their glow is more yellow and lingers. These are the males of Photinus pyralis or the common eastern firefly. They look like this:

(Photo from iNaturalist: a lightning bug beetle, mostly black with gold lines around the wing casing. Head shield is yellow with a red “eye” with black iris in the center. Rounded front and back, long down the center.)

Their females hide in tall grasses waiting for the right suitor. If you’re lucky and clever you can see her dimmer flash in the grass beaconing the males closer.

As the dark of night progresses you’ll start to see a quicker, brighter, greener flash. Blip, blip, blip, blip, long pause. They are FAST! They’ll also mimic the flashes of Photinus females. These are usually higher up off the ground. Even in the trees! These lightning bugs aren’t looking for love.

Photuris (not gonna get to specific epitaph on this one without a sample and a key) are looking for dinner!

(Photo from blog.greatparks.org another lightning bug beetle. This one is slightly larger than the non-predatory bug. It has “shoulders” and extra gold lines running through the back. Its legs are longer and its shield is more “sharp”. The shield marking is less like an eye and more like a yellow D where the inside is a red triangle with a black line running through.)

Another way to tell is to go out at night and catch a bunch of lightning bugs (if you can; I hear they’re getting scarce). Offer them a slice of apple. If you wake up in the morning to only a few and the rest are dead, good chance you found some predators. (This is how I found out about them! Wooops!!)

Lightning bugs are freaking magical. I’m so sad to hear that they are yet another wonder that we are losing at an alarming rate. If this bugs you as much as it bugs me there are a few things you can do to help them:

1) do not spray for mosquitoes! That spray is not-species specific. It’s bad for lightning bugs. It’s bad for monarch butterflies. It’s bad for birds. It’s bad for bats. It’s bad.

2) kill your lawn. But Misha! You said they breed in the grasses! True! However native plants are going to provide so much more habitat for these guys than a gross monoculture of Kentucky bluegrass ever will. The Midwest has some of the best native plant nurseries in the country! Use that resource!

3) Advocate for them and donate to conservation if you’re able. Bugs don’t have voices and they fight an uphill battle just for being a bug.

Thanks for joining my ranger talk! Support your parks.

[navybrat817]

The Pull of Gravity

Pairing: Shifter!Bucky Barnes x Shifter!Female Reader Summary: Bucky has a chat with Steve about his new friend. Word Count: Over 2.3k Warnings: Shifters, flirting, tension, teasing, slight possessive behavior, Bucky Barnes (he's a warning, okay?). A/N: More Wolfie and Little Red! ❤️ Beta read by @whisperlullaby (thank you!), but any and all mistakes are my own. Dividers by the amazing @firefly-graphics .❤️Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog for new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!

One of the most important rules of the eastern territory was that nothing and no one was allowed to disrupt the sanctuary of the land. It was a place for Bucky and the other shifters in the pack to shut out the rest of the world and be themselves without judgment or fear. They deserved a home with peace and security.

Watching you in the garden, he wondered if you were going to shake things up.

What the hell is wrong with me? I don’t know you. Other than that you're a little badass fox who can help in getting rid of a body. And spirited and beautiful and-

"Talk," Steve said.

Bucky raised an eyebrow at his best friend's authoritative tone. Growing up, Steve's growl was worse than his bite. That was only because he was so small. A late bloomer, his wolf form was one of the largest and strongest he had ever seen. And he was an affectionate punk.

"I'm not a dog. I don't speak on command."

Steve sighed, running a hand through his blond hair. "Would you mind explaining why there's a fox playing in our flowers? I'm sure there's a good reason and I'd love to hear it," he said, not as entranced with you as he was.

Good. One of us needs to be logical.

It took a moment for Bucky to respond since he was too busy watching you roll around, bringing a small smile to his face as your red fur blurred through the petals. “A hunter was tracking her near the border of our land and she handled it before I stepped in,” he said.

"The body?"

"Buried and we covered our tracks," he told him. Even if someone managed to find the man, no one would be able to trace it back to them. It wasn't the first time they had to put someone in the ground.

“She was alone?” Steve asked curiously. Bucky nodded in confirmation. “What was she doing there?”

“The hunter was killing smaller animals in the western territory, so she lured him here. She figured a larger creature could handle him if she couldn’t,” he explained, his gaze soft as he watched your tail flick.

"Smart strategy, if not dangerous. What if you hadn't stumbled upon her? She could’ve been hurt," he said.

Bucky had a hard time not smiling as you sat up to stare at his friend. "I think she can handle herself," he admitted, as much as he didn't want to. He liked to think you needed him in some capacity.

"Did she follow you here?"

“No,” he answered, clearing his throat a little as he crossed his arms. “I may have asked her to come here.”

Steve gave his friend a thoughtful look. He was a man who thrived on doing the right thing, but he also didn’t want to compromise the safety of the place they made their home. "Why did you do that?"

Bucky glanced at you before he looked away. “I offered to get her safely back to the border after we buried the body, but…” he trailed off as he thought back to the conversation he had with you.

"Well, that's that," you said, brushing the dirt off your hands. You weren't afraid to get your hands dirty as the two of you buried the man, along with his bow and arrows. "Finished up quicker than I thought."

"Not eager to leave, are you?" he asked casually, wiping his head with the back of his hand. He wasn't ready to take you back.

"As much fun as it is to put hunters in the dirt,” you winked, stretching your arms above your head with a hum. He wasn’t sure how he managed to concentrate without staring at your chest. “I figured you'd want to lead me back so I can be on my way and you can go home quicker."

"The shifters I live with are used to me being out late," he said, stretching a bit himself. "I'm sure they'd like to meet you."

"I doubt that," you said, looking behind you. "Ready?"

Bucky's brow furrowed. "Why wouldn't they want to meet you?" he asked.

"Because I'm a stranger who killed a hunter in your land," you said, your expression blank. "Can we just go?"

"Okay," he said, ignoring the sinking feeling of you brushing him off. He understood that some foxes by nature preferred to be on their own, but he thought it would be nice for you to meet others like yourself. "So, what is your way once you get past the border?"

“Why? You planning on paying me a visit?” you smiled. "Take a roll on the dirt with me?"

In more ways than one.

"I'd offer a roll right now if we didn't need to get going," he smirked. As much as he didn't want to, he could see you itching to leave. “You said you came from the west, but is that where you’re living?” he questioned, curious to know even though you had no reason to give him an answer.

“It’s where I’ve been staying, but I'll likely move on soon.”

Bucky’s stomach dropped, hoping you wouldn't go too far away. “When are you going to leave?”

“Why are you asking so many questions?” you snapped, putting your hands on your hips. You didn’t back away or appear guarded, but the slight defense in your voice gave away that you didn’t want him prying. “Why do you want to know so badly?”

Bucky shrugged a shoulder, but it felt anything but casual. “You said you were used to going it alone, but maybe I want to make sure you’re safe. Is that so hard to believe?”

“Yeah, it is. Because it's always ulterior motives or people looking out for themselves,” you said, kicking a bit of dirt toward the grave with a flash of fury in your eyes. He wondered what happened to give you that mindset, but knew it wasn’t the time to ask. “I’ve been on my own for years and I’ve been just fine, thank you."

"The thing is, you don't have to be," he said, taking a slow step forward as surprise filled your beautiful eyes. He had a feeling that if he moved too quickly or invaded your space, you’d run. And it wouldn’t be the fun kind of chase. "I don't know your story and you don't owe it to me, but I do want to help if you need it."

"I didn't mean to snap at you, okay?" you said, your tone softer as your arms dropped to your side. He kept still when you moved close enough for him to feel the warmth radiating from your body. "I can sense that you aren't a bad guy and I appreciate that you want to help, but I’m not your responsibility, Wolfie.”

“I know you’re not,” he said, his hands itching with the need to touch you. “But maybe I’m not ready for you to go yet, Little Red.”

"Why is that?" you whispered, placing your hand on his cheek as his heart raced, your scent invading his senses once again.

Bucky couldn't say he felt a pull toward you. It would sound crazy. He had to word it carefully. "I just want to get to know you a bit more and, maybe, there's a part of you that wants to get to know me, too."

Your soft expression shifted to something a bit more sultry. "Not ready to let me go and you haven't even had sex with me," you teased.

Bucky didn't kiss you, but he did lean in close enough to feel your breath mingle with his. "If we have sex, you won't want to let me go."

Cocky, but true.

"I knew I liked you, Wolfie," you smiled, your playful demeanor back in full swing. "And maybe I wouldn't mind seeing your place, if you're really offering. It doesn't mean I'm staying though."

Maybe I can convince you to stick around.

"Let's go then."

"But what?" Steve asked.

"I just thought it would be better if she stayed here for the night instead of letting her go off by herself," Bucky replied, not wanting to say more on the subject as you continued to stare at them.

"But she doesn't want to meet the others?"

"Maybe after she gets some rest," Bucky said, though you weren't acting tired at all. "I'm trying not to overwhelm her."

“Does she realize we’re talking about her?”

Bucky smiled when you barked, loudly. "Yeah, she knows."

The blonde held up his hands when you barked again. “I mean no harm. I’m just trying to get some answers.”

You stretched before you trotted over to Steve’s feet and looked up at him, not blinking as you assessed him. Bucky wondered what was going through his friend's head. The guy was massively built, like him, but you stared him down like his size didn't matter.

"I'm Steve. It's nice to meet you," he said, reaching a hand out to pet you before he decided against it.

Smart move.

Seemingly satisfied with what you saw after a moment, you went to Bucky and carefully climbed up his leg and side. Steve’s eyebrows shot up, not bothering to hide his surprise as you gracefully curled in the brunette’s arms. It had to be quite the sight.

"Are you not going to shift?" Bucky asked.

You yawned and closed your eyes like you didn't hear him.

Why aren’t you showing Steve your human side? Are you nervous to meet everyone? Or are you just being careful?

“I’m not just going to stand here and hold you while we talk, Little Red,” he said, a slight growl in his voice. Instead of jumping out of his arms or cowering, you huffed and lightly nipped his forearm. It didn’t hurt. If anything, he liked it. “Fine. I’ll hold you.”

Steve covered up his laugh with a small cough when you nuzzled against Bucky with a satisfied hum. “Little Red, huh?”

“It’s what she said to call her. Well, what I can call her,” Bucky said, stating your real name.

"She seems to like you," Steve mused.

You gently barked, a happy sound, and moved your head to his chest.

"I like her, too," he said, running a hand along your fur as he glanced down at you, your eyes crinkling as you stared back.

Fucking adorable and probably two seconds away from biting my chin.

"And she's just staying for the night?"

Bucky didn't give him an answer as you tilted your head. He didn't want to say "yes" and make you think you weren't welcome. He also didn't want to say "no" and pressure you to stay.

As if you sensed Bucky's dilemma, you sprang free from his hold and landed gracefully on your paws. He stepped back to give you room when your bones began to shift, your red fur gone within moments as your naked human form appeared. Steve averted his eyes as you stood, the gentleman shifter he was since he didn't know you. He was thankful he didn't have to growl at his best friend to look away.

Even though I have no claim over you.

"Nice to meet you, too, Steve. I like this place," you said, giving Bucky an amused glance when Steve continued to look off in the distance. "Will he not look at me? I'm sure it's nothing he hasn't seen before."

"Just being polite," he said.

"I'm not after you bit me," Bucky said, wondering how much lust was in his eyes when he saw your nipples harden in the breeze.

You rolled your eyes, ignoring his heated gaze. "Relax. It was a love bite and you enjoyed it."

Just a little.

"And, Steve, I'm curious. Will anyone get mad if Wolfie and I fuck in the flowers?" you asked, giggling when he chortled.

"Um. Natasha might ask that you put new seeds in if you make a mess of it."

Really, Steve?

Glancing below Bucky's waist, you smirked, a hint of arousal in the air. "Oh, I'm sure it'll be a mess. And I doubt he'll have any trouble filling a hole with seed," you said. Before Bucky could drag you over and pin you down, you turned and went back to the garden with a swish of your hips. "But maybe later. For now, I'm making you both flower crowns."

Fucking tease. You're going to drive me crazy.

"I'm not wearing a flower crown!" Bucky called after you.

"Yes, you are!" you called back.

Yes, I am.

"She's, um, bold," Steve commented, clearing his throat again as he finally turned his head. "And did she call you Wolfie?" he asked, not covering up his laughter this time when Bucky snarled.

"Tell Sam and I'll rearrange your face," he threatened.

"I'd like to see you try," Steve said as his laughter died down. "She can stay as long as she wants."

"Just like that?" Bucky asked. Was he sure? He knew it was a lot to have someone unfamiliar there.

"Just like that," he nodded. "You like her and I trust your judgment. And, like I said, she seems to like you, too. I have a feeling that doesn't come easy to her."

"Thanks," Bucky said. It meant a lot that he was willing to take a chance on you. "And I have that same feeling."

"I wonder why that is."

Bucky watched as you chose a few flowers, your eyes narrowed in concentration as you made a crown. "I don't know, but I hope she knows she's safe here."

His home was his kingdom. He had freedom and his friends who were practically family. But as you looked over at him with a smile, he didn't realize he was missing a queen to run along beside him.

Until now.

Oh, these two. Love and thanks for reading! ❤️

Masterlist ⚓ Bucky Barnes Masterlist ⚓ Ko-Fi

[late-to-the-party-81]

Merman, maybe?

AN: Screeching in, to get this written and posted before the Stucky Bingo deadline, and somehow managing to get it to fit two bingos plus the extra challenge in one of them. A big thank you to @buckyismyconstant for the quick beta on this fic.

Likes are loved, reblogs are golden

Mood board by me and dividers by @firefly-graphics

Join my tag list here

Master list | Stucky Bingo Master List

Summary: Steve hadn’t been sure what memories he’d get out of a year backpacking around Europe post-graduation, but meeting an honest-to-god mermaid - merman - merperson - whatever! - hadn’t been one of them.

Relationship: Back-packer Artist Steve Rogers x Merman James

Word Count: 1.7k

CW: Modern AU, Mermaid AU, Non powered Steve Rogers, Merman Bucky Barnes, Meet-cute, Language barrier, Cultural barrier, Artist Steve Rogers, Curious Bucky Barnes, Fluff, Mild angst, mildly flustered Steve.

Bingos and Challenges:

@stuckybingo B2 -Sokovia and the May Challenge- Mermay 

@steverogersbingo E1 - Mermaid 

Steve hadn’t been sure what memories he’d get out of a year backpacking around Europe post-graduation, but meeting an honest-to-god mermaid - merman - merperson - whatever! - hadn’t been one of them.

It had started off simply enough. Having crossed from Western Europe (northern Italy) to the Eastern part (Slovenia), he’d wended his way through Hungary, into southern Slovakia and made it into Sokovia just at the start of May. Like other places he’d seen in his journeys, the country was one of dichotomy - modern, bustling cities and then small rural villages that felt like something out of a fairy tale. It was while he was staying in one of these small villages that the strangest thing happened. 

He’d gotten into the habit of travelling to a scenic spot during the day to try and capture the beauty of the landscapes before returning to the village and sketching the people he saw as he ate at one of the eateries.

On this particular morning, having had a hearty if basic breakfast at his lodgings, he’d set out on foot towards a large lake just outside the village. It was nestled at the base of the Carpathians, which rose out of the ground as if to challenge the sky, and was surrounded by swathes of wildflowers. He knew he had to capture it as best he could - his friends back in New York would never believe that such a place was real.

Steve set up his travel easel on a large rock, and placing in his ear buds, he started to make his preliminary sketches, making sure the proportions were right. It must have only been fifteen minutes later that he had the feeling he was being watched. With a frown he lifted his head and looked around, but there was no one to be seen, and nothing other than a few wild sheep and the movement of the lake water as fish made their way around.

Putting it down to his active imagination, he returned to his pencils, but the feeling didn’t go away. However, everytime he looked up, all was the same - a few sheep and circular ripples caused by the fish. Although, he thought, there must be some big fish in there to cause ripples that size. Maybe, if he set up his phone just right, he might be able to catch one of them on film if it came to the surface again? He propped it up on the edge of the easel, with the camera lens pointing at the lake, and he pressed record.

The next time he felt he was being observed, instead of lifting his head, he just flicked his eyes towards his camera… and jumped back, tripping over his feet. Looking up at the lake all he saw was a large, red tail making its way back under the water. Picking up his phone he stopped the recording and then rewound it.

A head, distinctly human looking, appeared from the water with long dark brown - possibly black hair - laying in wet tangles on its pale shoulders. It looked like a man, with ice blue eyes, sharp cheekbones and plump lips, but there was something uncanny about him. He could tell the moment he fell back, because not only was the sound of his shout audible on the recording, an expression akin to panic crossed the merman’s face and he dove back under the water, flicking up that tail that Steve had then seen. If he hadn’t had it recorded, he’d have thought he was dreaming. He walked carefully up to the edge of the water and stared down into it, yet saw nothing but the bubbles of small fish.

Trying to make sense of it all, he decided to break for lunch. Sitting down on a rock at the water’s edge, Steve pulled out a sandwich of local sliced ham and cheese and some fresh strawberries, and began to eat. He tried to keep half an eye on the water, but every time he thought he saw the water swirling as though something big was coming to the surface, the movement of his head seemed to scare the creature - man? - away again.

Having satisfied his immediate hunger, Steve got up to return to his easel. Before he did though, he left the last part of his sandwich and a few strawberries on the rock he’d used as a seat. This time when he started drawing, he decided not to put his ear buds back in, but turned his phone speaker up, so that he could still hear the music and hum along. He was notified of the merman’s return by the sound of a wet splat as a half eaten strawberry impacted against the back of his sketchbook.

Peering around his easel towards where he’d left the offering of food, Steve saw that the sandwich had been partially eaten and then deconstructed and discarded apart from the ham and all of the strawberries, except the one that had become a missile, left untouched. 

He chuckled to himself. “Not a fan of cheese or fruit I see. Not totally surprising. I doubt there’s much of that in the bottom of the lake, or the sea, or wherever you’re from.” It was hard to concentrate on his drawing after that, despite his best efforts.

The hours passed and he tried not to look up every time he felt himself being observed, difficult as it was. However, it did seem as though his audience was getting more used to his presence, because when Steve did redirect his gaze at one point, he was happy to see that the top of the merman’s head was still poking out of the lake, his eyes and hair visible, at least for a moment before it ducked back under the blue waters.

Finishing off the drawing he’d been doing, Steve decided to reposition himself. He went back to the rock on the edge of the lake and sat down with his sketch pad in hand. His hands flew over the paper as he worked from memory, trying to recall the features he’d seen. He felt the presence close to him, but kept his gaze on his paper until he’d finished. Then, slowly, he turned and gasped as he saw that the merman had pulled himself up onto the shore, looking over Steve’s shoulder at the sketch of himself. 

His tail glistened in the afternoon sun and water ran off his pale, muscular body in fat rivulets. There was an obvious wave to his hair, wet as it was, and when the merman tossed his head to the side, Steve could see the gills on the side of his neck. Speckles of water flicked onto Steve’s sketchbook and the merman reached out with one finger to touch one of the wet spots, obviously intrigued by the difference between wet and dry. Steve let out a soft chuckle and the creature reared back slightly, looking at him with wide eyes.

Steve allowed himself to smile, not a difficult feat, hoping that the merman would accept the gesture as one of friendship. What he wasn’t expecting was for the merman to grin back, displaying a mouth full of sharp teeth. Perfect for ripping through fish, he thought.

He raised his hand to his chest. “I’m Steve,” he said. The merman blinked at him. He’s unlikely to speak English, you idiot. He tried again, halting Sokovian. “Moje meno je Štefan.” If the merman spoke any human language it was likely to be one from this region of the world. The merman ran his tongue over his pointed teeth. “Jakov,” he replied. “Moje meno je Jakov.”

“Jakov,” Steve repeated, translating in his head. “Jakov a Štefan. James and Steve.” He pointed between them.

“James,” the merman parroted and then pulled himself closer to Steve again with his muscular looking arms. He peered at the pencil in Steve’s hand and Steve held it out to him. James plucked it from his fingers and brought it close to his face, studying the combination of wood and graphite with his icy eyes. Steve retrieved another pencil from his bag and lightly pulled the tip of it over the paper, leaving a trail of graphite in its wake. James poked his tongue between his lips and tried to copy, his clumsy attempt producing a thick, dark line. The merman seemed happy with himself though, as he grinned broadly, turning to look at Steve with sparkling eyes. 

Over the next hour or so, as the sun began its descent towards the horizon, Steve tried to satisfy the curiosity of his new friend. James had plucked at Steve’s clothes with his fingers, leading to Steve shedding first his jacket and then his t-shirt. He tried not to think too hard about how he felt when those cool fingers trailed over his body, tracing the swirls and lines of his tattoos. Eventually though, it started to get cold and Steve’s stomach started to rumble. “I have to go. Už musím odísť.” 

James cocked his head and Steve let out a huff, trying to work out how to explain himself. In the end, he mimed sleeping and James seemed to get it. He packed all of his stuff away, under the merman’s watchful eye and then rubbed at the back of his head, not quite sure how to say goodbye. “Zbohom…” His farewell was cut off when James surged up on his tail and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Then, before Steve could even process it, the merman dove back into the lake, circular ripples the only thing to show he’d even been there.  “Zbohom, Jakov,” Steve finished with a whisper. 

He walked slowly back to his lodgings, finding himself turning and looking back more than once on the journey. As he ate his dinner that evening, instead of sketching the passers-by he found himself returning to his sketch of James: the wet spots, although dried, having left smudges which just seemed to add to the portrait. And when he went to bed that night, it was to dream of an underwater world, sharp teeth and a red tail winding through his legs.

Tag list: @km-ffluv, @wheezy-stucky, @kmc1989, @kombatfather1796, @christywrites, @alexakeyloveloki, @doasyoudesireandlive, @galactusdevourerofworlds, @crayongirl-linz, @mightstill, @nicoline1998enilocin, @starrkermarvel, @ronearoundblindly

[mothscotch]

csrverse bug au rambles below

Batter- Executioner wasp (Polistes carnifex)

Ghost- Warrior wasp (Synoeca septentrionalis)

Bad- Bald-faced hornet (Dolichovespula maculata)

Borbo- Atala butterfly (Eumaeus atala)

Huaso- Mole cricket (Gryllotalpidae)

Flo- Florida dark scrub firefly (Lucidota luteicollis)

Par- Eastern pondhawk dragonfly (Erythemis simplicicollis)

Reinzei- Diabolical ironclad beetle (Phloeodes diabolicus)

Carbine- Prickly stick insect (Acanthoxyla prasina)

Mida- Himalayan giant honey bee (Apis laboriosa)

Lepi- Rice paper butterfly (Idea leuconoe)

Mors- Deaths head hawkmoth (Acherontia atropos)

(Black batter- Red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarus)

White batter- White-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lucorum)

Boxxedman- Thai boxer mantis (Acromantis gestri)

Daisy- Orchid mantis (Hymenopus coronatus)

Ballman- Eighty-eight butterfly (Diaethria anna)

Magenta ninja- Pink toe tarantula (Avicularia avicularia)

ive got a list of reasons for why these guys are who they are, i'll prob share it later once its better ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶

the designs are all subject to change, these were just getting the idea on paper