#green keeled lizard

[brella-boi]

Three days of practising acrylic paints since I haven't used them in about 7 years! Trying to find a style that fits me instead of my learnt photo realism. It is harder that I thought!

[theriantastic]

x x

[lunartflare64]

I did it. I made an OC to be Leonora's GF. The shipper in me wouldn't let her get away with being a disaster lesbian without a GF. So here is the other disaster lesbian, Julie! Personality and background under the cut! (Be warned, I ramble)

So! Julie! She's a year older than Leo, making her 19 to our girl Nora's 18, and an artist

Julie cut off contact with her parents when she was 14 (they sucked), and two years later she found herself mutated, and since her roommate has a green keel-bellied lizard...she got stuck with bright blue-green scales and a pretty long tail

It sucked those first few months, obviously, but she was already kinda a hermit, and what's done is done, so she wanted to focus more on finding what her new normal looked like

Weirdly enough, very few mutants were content to live semi-normal lives, mutant communities were very.....combat focused. Even if Julie was interested in fighting, her tail would give her a massive learning curve, so.......no, that's not happening

So how will she contribute to the mutant community? Well, tattoos don't really stick around through the mutation, and getting tattoos the regular way doesn't really work well (fur and scales don't cooperate with tattoo guns, and that's before you take into consideration things like shedding), so she'll focus on bringing tattoos to the mutant community! Luckily her roommate (a biologist in college) took her mutation well and is happy to help figure out how to make that actually possible

Its not just tattoos, she learns how to do a wide variety of piercings and body mods, her only limit being actual surgery (she has a strong stomach but not that strong). She believes its important to give these options to mutants, its not mandatory, but if a mutant decides they want to have fun with their form, have control over how they look, then they see a future with their mutated body. Its acceptance. The majority of them didn't choose to be this way, but now that its done they should have the chance to have fun with it, should they want that

Outside of her new career, Julie has found a love of parkour. It started out as something she did for convenience, since the rooftops are safer to travel on for mutants than the road is, but it turns out the species she was mutated from are super big on climbing, so when she's feeling particularly pent-up, scaling the nearest skyscraper is the ideal workout for her

I haven't quite worked out how Julie met Leo yet, but Leo's siblings weren't there for it. They had no idea about Julie for the first few weeks, and even after they found out their sister was seeing someone they still didn't meet her for a while after that. Leo hasn't really had many opportunities to have a life completely separate from her siblings, and she loves them, but Julie was a breath of fresh air. Aaaand Leo wanted to keep her GF to herself for as long as her nosy siblings would allow.

Julie is a pretty smart person on her own, she started one of the first "mutant" businesses, of course she's smart. And no matter how chill she is, she likes to stick to her schedules. But with Leo......that all kinda goes out the window. For both of them. Their braincells cancel each other out and suddenly they're staring at a livestream of a goldfish tank for three hours straight.

It has it's downsides, schedules fall to pieces after they start dating, everyone hates it, but it also gives them the rare opportunity to just...forget their responsibilities. And since neither of them do that ever, anyone who plans on interfering with it is gonna find waaaay too many ninjas in their house the next night

Okay, I thiiiink I'm done rambling about Julie. For now. Time to give my wrists a break, and then I can move on and start drawing these dumb lesbians, I love them so much

[featherfont]

same lizard!!!

“Merlin really shines in the sunlight”

(Source)

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I've been dreaming of the Seeker of Cradles.

He swore to protect them. His children, his princess, his country.

Lives are precious, and he will not see them snuffed out prematurely.

How does a moment last forever? How can a story never die?

Lilia acts before he can think.

He pays no mind to the audible gasps of the senators, to Baul’s worried pleading. The only voice he listens to is the one that draws him like a moth to a glowing flame.

It’s a shrill cry, the sound any infant makes. But the sob is filled with an overwhelming sadness, a deep desire that resonates with him. Lonely, longing for love.

It breaks his heart, makes him tear up.

“Wait for me!" he shouts. "I’m coming to you right now...!”

He thunders up the steps of Cradle Tower, bracing himself against the lightning hurtling his way. His hood is thrown off, hair whipping, slapping him in the face and standing on end. Lilia fears no man--but in the presence of such sheer, raw power, he's compelled to cower.

He soldiers through, forcing himself up another step. Right as his foot connects, a wild bolt comes down hard, striking him.

Lilia lets out a guttural cry, his small body keeling over. Every fiber of his being screeches in pain.

"Vanrouge-dono...!!"

He stays stationary for one long, awful moment. Then--a sharp intake of breath--and he miraculously rises on trembling legs.

"H-Hah..." he grits out, clutching onto himself. "Is that... Is that all you've got?! It'll take a lot more than THAT to take me out. Your mother has made me deal with tantrums far worse than this!!"

Lilia resumes the arduous climb. More lightning is lobbed at him. Wincing, he wills his aching muscles to weave as best he can around the incoming attacks.

He's nearing the top of the stairwell now, where the power is most concentrated and the wind howls like a banshee. Lilia raises his voice, calling over the storm.

"Are you upset because no one's paying attention to you? Well, you're wrong!! Everyone... Everyone is terribly worried about you!!

"You're such a spoiled child, rejecting your grandmother's magic. Do you know what will happen to you if you don't take it?! You'll die. You'll DIE, and all the people who sacrificed themselves so you could live was for nothing. You don't have the luxury of choice!! You MUST live!!"

The future depends on you.

He doesn't know if the unborn child can understand him or not. It must, to some extent, because the screaming in his head escalates to a frenzied pitch. A strong gale nearly knocks Lilia off the tower--he grasps onto a column and inches closer to its treasure.

The dark, speckled egg floating inside of a barrier.

"You stubborn thing!! Lilia scolds, pushing against the magical shield. His palms burn, as if coated with acid. "If you still refuse... then take me instead of Maleficia...!! I'll give you everything."

He pushes, the barrier holding firm. Pain climbs up his forearms, eating him alive from the inside out. He feels his energy being leeched, his flesh screaming, on fire, as it is sucked out.

"My love..."

The barrier shudders, shakes.

"My magic..."

His biceps are searing, his blood, molten.

"My life...!!"

A crack.

"Accept it all, Malleus...!!"

It breaks.

Lilia falls through, arms extended toward the egg. He entraps it, hugging it tightly against his chest. It’s warm. Malleus is warm, and Lilia can feel a faint flutter of a heart on his skin. Contentedness floods him, even as he feels the pull of magic as it is drained and hungrily devoured.

The egg gives off a green glow from within. The light grows brighter and brighter, until—

“Kyuuuuuuuuuuu!”

Suddenly, an explosion of blinding white. The shell splinters and sheds.

There is no egg in Lilia’s arms, but a lizard with raven scales and a violet underbelly and spines. It blinks up at the general through round, reptilian eyes, belching a line of emerald fire.

“A-Ah… You are…” Lilia’s knees go weak. He falls to the ground, still cradling the baby to him. “Malleus…! You’re here at long last. I… I-I…”

He doesn’t realize it, but he has started to cry uncontrollably. Fat tears dribble down his cheeks and land on the baby dragon’s hide.

Lilia allows himself to wail. It’s ugly, full of raw emotion. Less human and more like the cry of a hideous beast.

From below, cheers and praise float up to him.

“Our hero!”

“Congratulations, Vanrouge!”

“The prince owes his life to you.”

Their words sting his head. The world wavers, wildly distorting--Lilia can't tell if it's his tears blurring his vision or not.

He crumples over with a groan. "M-My head... Agggh!"

"Kyuuuu?" Malleus pads a claw onto his cheek, confused.

The senator's voices are growing louder, angrier.

"VANROUUUUUGE!!"

"What has he done?! This is going to be a scandal--a scandal, do you hear me?!"

"Oh, to think that a disgusting bat has tainted the noble Draconia bloodline...!"

The contradictory shouts mix. It feels like there are fists beating his skull in from both sides. Lilia hangs his head, pulls at his hair, tries to understand the clashing sounds.

That's when he senses the presence of a shadow standing over him.

"I’ve found you at last, Lilia.”

He slowly raises his eyes, careful to keep Malleus guarded with his arms. There is a man in black robes towering over him, his mouth fixed in a frown. A pair of horns protrudes from his head, crowning his ominous yet regal aura.

“What… Who are you?!” Lilia demands of the stranger. “That face, those horns…!”

They're just like Levan and Meleanor's.

The stranger ignores his question. His expression has morphed from displeasure to anger. "Insolent fools!! How dare they speak ill of you. There will be severe consequences for this.”

The air stirs, chilling. Thunder crashes in the distance, seemingly in response to his fury.

He regards Lilia again, his voice dropping to a dangerously dulcet coo. “Ah, but you needn't concern yourself with them."

He takes a stride forward, and Lilia shrinks away. "S-Stay back! I'm warning you...!"

"What sort of a dream would you like to have this time, hmm?" he asks nonchalantly. "A dream in which mother and father are still by your side? A dream where you can live freely with your children? A dream for you to find true love? Just say the word, and it is yours."

With each suggestion, Lilia backs up further and further--until he is nearly at the platform's edge. Wind blows from below, sending hair and fabric flapping.

Here is the devil, come to tempt, and the jaws of death behind him.

The stranger bends down, his smile serpentine and eyes iridescent, twisted with obsession. Charming as a snake. He extends an arm, palm open. "Come, Lilia. Take my hand."

“FATHER!!”

CLANG!

A bolt of silver arrives, expertly blocking Malleus's outstretched hand. He stumbles back, glaring at the two bodies that put themselves between him and Lilia.

“You are…”

“Are you alright?” The quiet question comes from a boy with aurora eyes—clear as a cloudless sky.

Silver.

“Lilia-sama, stand back!!” His partner, Sebek, barks, baton at the ready. “We will protect you!”

“What nuisances,” Malleus snarls. “Still you insist on disrupting these dreams? It is a hopeless endeavor.”

“Maybe it is.” Silver tightens his hold on his own baton. Resolution threads his voice, and he stands his ground against the encroaching monster. “But we will never stop trying until we’ve broken through your blessing.”

“Bless... ing?”

The single word is like magic. One droplet rippling in a pond, setting off a chain reaction.

Memories fire off—the departure, the packing, the party, well wishes, the thorns. Someone screams, jet black tears streaming down their face. The wrath, the hurt.

“I DON’T WANT TO LOSE YOU!!”

The fog lifts from Lilia’s head, and the world clears. The identity of the horned stranger, the same as the baby dragon he holds.

Malleus… It’s you. It was always you.

Lilia gives a shaky laugh. "This is no blessing, boys. It's a curse."

Malleus glowers. “… You’ve awakened, haven’t you?!”

“That’s right. It seems I was dreaming for quite some time too—but I’m alright now, thanks to Silver and Sebek~”

“Father…”

“Lilia-sama!!”

“You too then… You’ve decided to turn traitor on me.” He hisses it, loathes the taste of treachery.

“No, Malleus.”

“Kyuuuuuu?”

Lilia steps beside his students—a general joining his knights. Ruby meets emerald, glittering with defiance.

“We’re going to save you, simple as that 🎵”

[herpsandbirds]

Green Keel-bellied Lizard (Gastropholis prasina), family Lacertidae, found on the coastal plain of Tanzania and Kenya

photograph by Reptiles4all

[anime-is-godlike]

Twisted wonderland dorms x esmeralda reader

One day the dorm leaders (jamil instead of kalim for this one) finds a magical stone with the power to show parts of the past of someone close to them they choose not to use it to respect there privacy of that person but shenanigans ensue and the stone is used and there shown there dear SO’s past

This is the Disney version of the hunchback of notre dame

Be warned this is gonna be long as it’s the last part

Heartslabyul-savanaclaw-octavinelle-scarabia - pomefiore-ignihyde-diasomnia

Diasomnia

It was late at night and a tall dark and handsome fae was taking a stroll on the way to see his gorgeous girlfriend the entire walk there he was smiling like a smitten kitten which a certain vampire dad couldn’t help but smile at

“My dear lad where are ya headed in such a cheerful mood?” He asked already knowing where he was headed to he’s not that good with keeping secrets from lilia

“I’m gonna go for a visit to her” he said in a low voice so the two guards wouldn’t overhear one was asleep the other….well let’s just say you could hear him a mile away

“Ooooh wish them a hello from me” he said with a smirk he was now floating around

“Ooooh I have a idea why don’t I make some food for you two as a nice picnic date” at the mention of the word food and with lilia saying it malleus ran over to Lilia

“That won’t be necessary where just gonna go for a walk that’s it” he said using his body to block the kitchen way

“So we shall not require food okay?” Lilia pouted but nods reluctantly

*thud* something drops to the floor this made lilia and malleus pause for a moment malleus bends down and picks it up examining it then silver and sebek come in

“LORD WAKASAMA GOOD-EVENING!!!” Yelled sebek silver only yawned entering the room and the poor fae prince lost his chance to meet you this night Damn it

“What is that?” Silver asked looking at the stone malleus had a feeling he knew what the stone was but before he could say a word more a black flash jumped out and sabek and silver was on guard

“HOW DARE YOU STARTLE WAKASAMA!!” It was nothing more than one of lilia bats but it was already to late as now everyone was huddled up together the stone started shining

“Oooh this is gonna be interesting” lilia said with a glint in his eyes and then the whole world faded to darkness

………………..

“Ooooh my head” malleus said getting up from the floor lilia was already awake and on alert silver was fast asleep and sebek was having….well let’s just say a fit

They where outside a huge stone building with a huge round stain glass window

“WHERE IN THE SEVENS ARE WE AMD HOW DARE THEY DO THIS TO WAKASAMA?!!” Honestly it’s a wonder how sabek hasn’t Damaged his hearing yet with a voice like that

As they where looking around and one man snoring in dream land a blue orb floats down from the sky

“Hello and-“ it was cut of

“ARE YOU THE VILLANESS CREATURE WHO HAS KIDNAPPED US?!” Sabek yelled

“Well-” it was cut of again

“HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO WAKASAMA AND MASTER LILIA?!! The blue slowly changes to red the more sebek spoke lilia was just about to say something when

“SHUT UP SHUT UP YOU GREEN LIZARD!!!!” The now red orb fires back to which sebek

“GREEN LIZAED HOW ARE YOU CALL BE THAT YOU OVER GROWN LIGHT BULB!!” This egged the orb on more and now silver was awake coving his ears as was malleus and lilia who where now getting headache

“Okay now why don’t we all calm down” malleus said trying to be a voice of reason sebek turn around

“BUT WAKASAMA THIS THING IT-” now it was sebek turn to be cut of

“I’m not a thing I’m the keel of this stone I think you know what it does right malleus?” Malleus nods

“It’s a memory stone and since I was the one holding it that means where gonna be seeing yuu’s past?” The orb now back the blue floats up and down as if nodding

“Got it in one you are correct ahhh I knew there was a reason I liked you more than the others especially that green overgrown lizard” sebek was about to fire back when lilia put a hand over his mouth

“We are curious to see her past but I feel wrong doing so” malleus said he knew a bit into your past but there was definitely something you didn’t want him to know and he respected you’re privacy and knew you would tell him on your own one day

“Sorry sir but once you pick up that stone there’s no way to go back you have to see the memory in other to return” all malleus could do was nod he will discuss what has happened with you once’s he’s back and nods the blue orb flys into the air

just then three items appeared suspended in mid air it was a small wooden doll which looked like yuu the second one was a golden headpiece which looked like a dancers and the finale item was a necklace with a cross in the middle it looked like it was made of string

“Each one of these items holds a key peace of her personality” the orb flew over to the necklace

“Her kindness” then it flew over to the crown

“Her passion” then flew over to the doll

“Her darkness” malleus has his green orbs on that doll

“Pick one item and you can see into her memory but be warned once you’ve chosen a item you can only see memories connected to her personality so what shall it be her kindness her passion or darkness” the orb giggled and flew up in the air and the two faes half and human turn to each other

“Darkness” malleus quickly said the orb flew up and down as if happy

“Oooh finally usually it takes people so long I just give them a fake time limit and Pick a item but I was gonna give you this one either way because well it’s the last one left” the high pitched orb said

“Last one?” They all said and now there where underground covered in bright colours and stone walls with candles and light somewhere in a unfamiliar place but the scene was still frozen the orb was still their

“Since you’ve given me so much entertainment I’ll let you know something before the scene begins you see yuu is a gypsy and where she’s from their seen as outsiders and the man in purple is called Frollo and well he wants all gypsies gone and he’s got a weird thing for yuu” you felt the air drop at that last bit because of malleus

“Anyway and the two men the hunchback is yuu best friend and the blonde is another friend I tell you this because frodo is on a man hunt for yuu and her two friends have gone looking for her before well you’ll see” the orb disappeared and the scene begins

“These men aren’t spies there our friends” they see yuu jump up on a podium with two men then looks like they where about to be hung they all swallowed

“This is the soldier who saved the Millers family” she said untying the blonde

“And Quasimodo helped me escape the cathedral” she said untying the hunchback the blond drab forward

“We came to warn you frollo’s coming! He says he knows where you're hiding, and he's attacking at dawn with a thousand men.” Was all he yelled out to the crowd scaring them

“Then let's waste no time! We must leave immediately!” Yuu said to which the people around her began running around packing everything they could

“I don’t understand why much they flee they’ve done nothing wrong” malleus said from what the orb said gypsy are see as outsiders but why mush they flee from there home for that

“You took a terrible risk coming here. It may not exactly show, but we're grateful” yuu said hugging herself talking to both of the men they smile and the blond pushed Quasimodo in front of him with a smile

“Don't thank me. Thank Quasimodo. Without his help, I would never have found my way here” the blond said patting Quasimodo’s back

A voice rang out turning the sweet moment cold

“Nor would I” this made everyone look to the entrance to see frollo their with many guards the guards ran over and arrested every person in sight and pointed spears at yuu and her friends malleus eyes went into slits and lilia patted his back calming him down

“What in the sevens is going on?” Silver said thoroughly confused 

“After twenty years of searching, the Court Of Miracles is mine at last” frollo said looking around and walked right up to Quasimodo

“Dear Quasimodo, I always knew you would someday be of use to me” frollo said patting Quasimodo’s head Quasimodo turned around

“No” was all he said realising something

“What are you talking about?” Was all yuu said glaring at frollo with two guards pinning her arms behind her frollo walked towards her

“Why, he led me right to you, my dear” frollo said stocking yuu’s chin slightly yuu pulled away with disgust on her face the aura around malleus at the moment was deadly he looked about ready to kill

“You're a liar!” Yuu said struggling against the guards frollo sights then went to the blond

“And look what else I've caught in my net--Captain Phoebus, back from the dead. Another miracle, no doubt. I shall remedy that” was all frollo said to Phoebus walking away from them and his attention went to everyone getting arrested

“There will be a little bonfire in the square tomorrow, and you're all invited to attend” malleus didn’t like the sound of that not at all something inside him was screaming grab yuu and run but he can’t as these are images that have already happened

“Lock them up” was all he said the guards dragged yuu and everyone away yuu struggling the whole time malleus took a step towards her but was cut of by the scene changing into something that left all four men in shock and malleus close to ripping the head of frollo

Their in from of them was a orange sky a huge stone building behind the scene of a stage with yuu in a tatted white dress, she was tied to a long wooden pole and piles a stick lay at her feet frollo in front and a man with a mask next to him holding a lit torch and a crowd

“What in the sevens?” Was all lilia could mutter as now was not the time for his jokes and malleus was having trouble controlling his emotions even if this was a memory world they could still see his enormous power in the air

“The prisoner Yuu has been found guilty of the crime of witchcraft. The sentence…” frollo said to yuu

“Death!” The crowd cheered and the four where dead silent even sebek couldn’t yelled the atmosphere turned cold as frollo said death everyone slowly looked to malleus to see he was standing there his eyes glowing green his fist tightened

“Now malleus” lilia was now trying to comfort the prince

“Listen these are memories these have already happened but yuu is fine now she’s back at her dorm with grim and jolly waiting for your midnight stroll” lilia whispers to malleus and that, that calmed him down they went back to watching

Frollo took the torch from the masked man and went to yuu

“The time has come, gypsy. You stand upon the brink of the abyss. Yet even now, it is not too late. I can save you from the flames of this world, and the next. Choose me, or the fire” yuu looked appalled by the man in front of her the four men did ask well yuu then spat in his face that, that was her answer to this old man

“The gypsy Yuu has refused to recant. This evil witch has put the soul of every citizen of Paris in mortal jeopardy” he said lifting the torch to the crowd

“I seriously do not like this man” was all lilia could say he’s been around a long time and only a handful of people has made his skin crawl this much

“for justice, for Paris, and for her own salvation! It is my sacred duty to send this unholy demon back where she belongs” he then put the torch down onto the wood by her feet the fire came closer and closer to yuu which made malleus take a step forward lilia held his arm back

“This is but a memory!!” He yelled struggling to hold onto the fae prince all malleus could focus on right now was yuu and she could see her looking terrified all he wanted was to run up there and save her but he couldn’t dude to this already happened to you which made him even more angry how dare they do that to you

The fire continues to get closer to yuu the more closer it go the more yuu coughed and looked faint just then someone was swinging through the crowd in a rope then landed on the stage and looked to yuu to see her eyes closed and she’s not moving which worries malleus to no end

Quasimodo then ripped the rope of yuu and grabbed her as the flame where touching her feet malleus in that moment looked so grateful to the hunchback Quasimodo then grabbed the rope and swung himself up the tower she climbed up with a unconscious yuu one he got to the top with a huge round stain glass window behind him his lifts yuu into the air her still unconscious and yelled at the top of his lungs

“SANCTUARY!!!!! SANCTUARY!!!!! SANCTUARY!!!!!” The four smiled at this and malleus looked relived I mean of course your fine your in night raven collage….wait how did you get to night raven just then the scene changes to them up on the balcony with you and Quasimodo as he run inside and puts you down into the bed

“Don't worry. You'll be safe here” was all he said then running back outside malleus waste no time in running to your unmoving form

“Yuu?!” Was all he yelled out worried he went to touch your cheek only for it to faze through he hated this being here yet not at the same time, but he could tell something was wrong very wrong with you just then Quasimodo came back into the room incredibly happy

“We've done it, Yuu We've beaten them back! Come and see!” He said looking to her the back outside the back to her

“Yuu Wake up! You're safe now” was all he said

“Yuu?” He walked closer confused and touched her cheek nothing

“Oh no” he said quietly he went to a bowl of water took a spoonful of it and brought it back to yuu he lifted her head and place the spoon to her mouth the water didn’t go in and slid of her mouth onto her cheek then onto the pillow Quasimodo dropped the spoon and kept looking at yuu with a sorrowful expression

He grabbed yuu’s hand and looked even more down cast he then grabbed yuu pulling her into a hug and crying into her hair

The four stood there in shock and silence I mean that’s not possible your at twisted wonderland very much alive so how?

Just then the whole room became dark with just you laying there in the clothes you where in before the white tatters of a dress and a voice rang out one they knew well

“Ah, my dear esteemed benefactor my proud beautiful flower of evil” malleus took a step forward only to feel as if he was stuck he looked down it looked as if there where floating on dark water the ripples going around there feet and spreading outwards to where no one knows

“You are truly the fairest of them all” Yuu slowly sank down into the water each time the voice spoke they knew the voice but don’t remember where from

“O magic mirror thy wisdom I entreat….reveal unto me the visage I seek” with that last sentence Yuu was swallowed up by the dark water and then a vision appeared again it was the ceremony she yuu was there with grim in front and everything was back to normal

they all stood there frozen for a few minutes then malleus ran out the dorm and to you it was still night and you where sitting on the ground under a tree your meeting spot you heard footsteps and turn to see a frazzled malleus

“Mal?” Was all you said he ran up to you stroking your cheek

“My fire your okay thank the sevens” this utterly confused you malleus went onto explain what happened only for you to smile sadly understanding why he was like this

For the rest of the night he was glued to you terrified about letting you go even silver a sebek didn’t come looking for him that night and just left him to you with lilia occasionally checking up

“My dear please don’t leave me” was all he whispered into your neck from where his head was buried

“I promise on everything I’ll stay with you my dear” and with that you guys

lived happily ever after

————————————

Not proof read

Oh my lord it’s done I hope y’all enjoy this series as much as I did making it

If you want more content like this but with different characters and yuu as different characters let me know

Hope everyone is having a amazing day and hope y’all enjoyed

[dansnaturepictures]

A look back on my 2024: Part 2 of 3-Mammals, dragonflies and damselflies, beetles and others

Another very strong mammalian year in which I saw my highest ever amount of species in a year centred on adorable Red Squirrels as I was lucky to observe them in Scotland and on Brownsea Island. Scotland was an incredible time with so many mammals observed; Stoat and Brown Hare adding to the magic of the wild cottage with lots of wildlife around to see that we stayed in and simply breathtaking wild experiences watching Bottlenose Dolphins on the Moray coast and a Mountain Hare in the Highlands. Roe Deer at the cottage and Red Deer during the week were other highlights with both species key to my year overall with amazing local Roe Deer views and the Bushy Park Red Deer and Fallow Deer experience which was great again in September. I had an amazing year for Stoats seeing two at Rutland Water in July as well and as my fortunes of seeing these species has taken an upturn the past year and a half we got fantastic Weasel views at Bempton Cliffs. We saw Field Voles really well there and got exceptional immersive views of Grey Seals at Flamborough Head. It was a splendid seal year with superb views of Common Seals on the Beaulieu River and in Newtown Harbour on the Isle of Wight on a boat trip in a strong run of mammals standing out in September. A Water Shrew was a surprise first for me as I waded through a flooded path at RSPB Radipole Lake in January and I was overjoyed to see a Water Vole at Rutland Water. Closer to home Fallow Deer and Sika Deer have been great to see in Hampshire and Dorset, with impressive home views of Hedgehogs and I had a magical year of observing beautiful Foxes with top sightings at Southsea and Hook-with-Warsash.

Perhaps unexpectedly again with similar to butterflies as mentioned in my last post a few species I really needed to work for this year I saw my highest ever amount of dragonflies and damselflies this year. It was a green dream for odonata in 2024 with a big moment seeing my first ever Downy Emerald dragonfly at Bentley Wood in May and both Emerald Damselfly and Willow Emerald Damselfly seen at Thurley and Fishlake Meadows respectively. Common, Ruddy and Black Darter gave me thrilling moments this year as did Black-tailed Skimmer with an especially good view of a female at Testwood Lakes and Keeled Skimmer. I was captivated by watching Golden-ringed Dragonflies at Winnall Moors, Testwood Lakes and Fen Bog Nature Reserve. Hawkers owned the summer with a strong couple of months or so seeing Migrant Hawkers and Southern Hawker and Brown Hawker enjoyed too. Azure, Blue-tailed and Large Red Damselflies were also very pleasant to see.

Beetles I suppose took another step up in importance for me this year as I kept a year list of ones I could identify for the first time ever recording twenty species. Green Immigrant Leaf Weevil, Violet Oil Beetle, Bloody-nosed Beetle, Tawny Longhorn beetle and Devil’s Coach Horse Beetle were some of my favourite finds. Once again cantharis rustic soldier beetle, Common Red Soldier beetle, Red-headed Cardinal beetle, Black-and-yellow Longhorn beetle, Swollen-thighed beetle and treasured views of epic Green Tiger Beetles at Bentley Wood in my home area, Strathdearn in Scotland and Fen Bog Nature Reserve in Yorkshire brough vibrant colour to my spring and summer. Dor beetles, ladybirds, Garden Chafer Beetle and Common Malachite Beetle were more delights seen this year.

Some other key species of my year included fascinating Hornet Mimic Hoverfly and Lesser Hornet Hoverfly in the summer, Marmalade Hoverfly, a notable amount of Common Lizards in the summer, frogs and frogspawn, the indomitable Long-winged Conehead one of my key crickets/grasshoppers of the year at Lakeside and Milford on Sea, Mottled shieldbugs, Dock bug, Forest bug, Grey Silverfish and spiders including Long-bodied Cellar spiders at home, lots of snails enjoyed at home and a fascinating Ambersnail seen at Winnall Moors in the summer.

The photos in this set are of; Keeled Skimmer dragonfly at Brownsea Island in September, Common Darter dragonfly at Lakeside in August, Willow Emerald Damselfly at Fishlake Meadows in October, Red Squirrel on Brownsea Island in September, Stoat at Rutland Water in July, Garden Chafer beetle at Magdalen Hill Down in May, Tawny Longhorn beetle on scabious at Shipton Bellinger in August, Hornet Mimic hoverfly at Stockbridge Down and Ambersnail at Winnall Moors in August, Fallow Deer in the New Forest on Good Friday and Long-winged Conehead at Lakeside in August.

[snakeswagbracket]

Snake Swag Bracket Award Masterlist

Bracket Winner: White Lipped Python

Superlatives:

Tessera Corn Snake

Smooth Snake

Mangrove Snake

Blue Racer

Dwarf Burmese Python

Blue Malayan Coral Snake

Solomon Island Ground Boa

San Francisco Garter Snake

False Water Cobra

Ball Python

Indonesian Pit Viper

Reticulated Python

Copperhead

Kenyan Sand Boa

Golden Tree Snake

African Egg Eating Snake

Black Mamba

Eastern Yellowbelly Racer

Hognose Snake

Sidewinder

Albino Corn Snake

Northern Water Snake

Timber Rattlesnake

Eastern Indigo Snake

Green Anaconda

Blue Lipped Sea Krait

Brazilian Rainbow Boa

Eastern Speckled Kingsnake

Gopher Snake

Keeled Slug Eating Snake

Bonus Poll Winner: Glass Lizard

[kwillow]

Devoted anon here, so I have tried before to make a ref but art and anthros aren't my strong point haha but I have an attempted description for you!

So when Ambroy is like young probably during the start of his dealings with Hyden she's probably just a few years younger than him? She was born into a family of some kind of lizard anthro I haven't really thought specifically of the details like the specific type of lizard/species it's just vague scaley anthro (though I do see the character being gecko adjacent being a wall climbing lil freak) now weird lore said character is usually a bit off/otherworldly anyways and in order to try to mirror that I did try to read up on Celestial stuff in your world to get an idea of higher beings ect but as I'm not too confident on that (or wanna be rude and imply she's celestial cause that's a special thing and Ambroys thing) she's probably not specifically that but I do think some minor star diety maybe their equivalent of the North star the brightest in the night saw that Ambroy existed/a celestial gave their blessing onto the world and probably out of simple godly higher worldly pettiness decided to do the same (god deities ect are probably a bit petty I mean look at the drama on olympus), though I imagine there was a bit of natural curiousness as well to what would happen if the power was given to a lower class family and thus the oc is kinda off because idk the blue fairy came from the stars and bonked the mother on the stomach with her magic wand (idk I'm trying to make laughs out of this as I'm a bit shy sharing this dumb lore). And speaking of blue fairy I think she is vaguely blueish in appearance? Blue green is usually her color scheme in my mind I associate her more with green but the star is associated with blue (it mirrors other Canon stuff) so she's probably a bit of a different color to the rest of her family because of this and I imagine her blood is silver in color maybe shiny blue silver. Basically yea unnatural similar to Ambroy but distinctly lesser, she probably had some little silver scale speckles on her face when she was born too. Unfortunately unlike Ambroy she wasn't born into this higher up kind of lifestyle where she'd be adored and worshipped she was born in some quiet middle of nowhere kinda town and was born into a struggling family who unfortunately immediately knew to hide her away lest she probably be taken away as special because they wanted to get their dues from her. If they were given this blessed child were they not meant to reap the riches available? Yea desperation breeds greed and exploitation. Me giving my oc traumas. The works usual Tuesday night lmao. (I don't know if there's actually laws that'd mean they wouldn't do this but people ignore laws all the time still)

By the time they'd meet which again is around beginning of hyden dealings Ambroy doesn't like giving blood still hurts but has enough fight in him and hasn't been broken, and her family is still exploiting selling her blood (or any part of her they can) to richer and richer clients, to her parents she's not really their child she's an asset they earned and thus deserve profit on being a bit deluded with their greed and just generally not good people I mean they've probably exploited their kids before moreso in child labor which is seen as 'normal' but this is more extreme, they're probably there as they heard hyden visits and like they think he'll be a good client (he probably wouldn't be would probably cheat them somehow or something). And Ambroy sees them and his immediate thinking is probably ew peasants, ew what is with that sickly girl she looks like she's going to keel over any moment. She's at this point significantly paler than when she was first born borderline grey in color probably, she's thinner than her parents and what she likely should be withdrawn, I imagine she does have a halo of sorts but it's more of a diamond in shape like how stars are depicted that way but god it's so faint it might as well not be there, under her hair which is probably just a messy ponytail hides two odd markings similar to the pattern at Ambroys horn and bandages are seen poking out from under where her clothes are meant to conceal them. Probably takes him a few moments but he senses she's not right, I imagine celestial can probably sense or have an inkling towards others like them and after a few moments the cogs start turning for Ambroy thinking less that honest ideas, perhaps a substitute will do. Theres the selfish reason. He would go effectively shooing off the parents cause go away telling them that their daughter can stay till hyden returns and they will get what they're owed and they don't catch the double meaning. For her however she doesn't hear the conversation just sees Ambroy chase away her parents a massive source of misery in her life and then he offers her a meal (Ambroy knows food means more blood well done Ambroy smart boy) and she doesn't really know how to comprehend his kindness noones ever been kind to her and she doesn't know his plans to exploit her she genuinely believes he's being kind. He's likely taller than her she's short as a lizard folk and being malnourished and all, she would ask what he needs from her just from wariness but he's tactful enough to tell her nothing those like them need to stick together (not wanting to scare her off and making a false sense of kinship/teamwork)

By the time hyden returns its probably been a few days Ambroys got his guest some new clothes (so she looks the part of grandness and so she doesn't make his home look untidy) and he doesn't even need to suggest her blood instead as she sees the knife sees his discomfort as Hyden eyes him greedily and immediately tells him to take her blood instead. She's used to blood letting, she doesn't squirm as the knife draws on her flesh holding still as he takes her blood but she denies him more than a vial. Probably makes Ambroy a bit sick to watch cause ew blood but he likely smiles and thanks her and she simply replies that those like them need to stick together. She sees him as kind that he saved her from her parents took her in cared for her it's the least she could do she's used to it he's clearly terrified of the blade, she doesn't realise she's being exploited in a new way because she thinks like this it's 'her choice'

Ambroy naturally keeps her around it saves him from the blade most of the time, as she's cared for she gains weight she gains back her color her diamond of light glows blue finally visible and grand energy seems to finally flow through her filling her with more energy more vigor (her blood apparently tastes better). Of course with her energy coming back the strange powers that come from being blessed also start to finally act being kinda suppressed due to the weakness of her and she essentially goes through a second deity puberty, her head hurts and bleeds as she grows in horns from the strange patterns on her head under her hair, her scales shed and grow back harder and sharper in texture, her little claws fall off and new sharp claws grow in even her face seems to change in shape her teeth being replaced with larger sharper ones, what once was a sickly little lizard ends up becoming more of a dragon (I am not immune to dragon oc I am not immune, also my logic was Ambroy would be a horse was he not celestial so like those powers gave him the horn making him a unicorn so higher world powers turns normal creature into a more fantastical one) though she's probably more of a drake than a dragon no wings and all as I can't really logic it as much as I want big wings I can't see her growing whole new bones ect, maybe had she been treated right as baby she mightve but for now she's grounded and she probably grows a bit just a bit shorter than Ambroy now and generally looks a lot more menacing than the more soft faced lizard she was so hyden gets a shock at the teeth growling at him warningly (of course after the shock he's probably ready to dismembered her but he won't get the chance)

As the years go by while Ambroy probably doesn't get much taller, she does she grows slowly yes but undoubtedly she ends up being bigger than Ambroy her horns growing larger too as they were still short after her power puberty, I imagine they probably curve backwards growing out of her head and going back making them more decorative than for fighting really she wishes she could have stabby horns but no only decorative but she supposes it makes it easier to lean down and bother Ambroy no accidentally knocking him and hurting him worries, she continues to shed her claws and teeth for newer sharper ones as she grows means she's always keenly aware of her strength and shows her awareness to never truly hurt him when she nibbles him or grabs him, might have some sharper scales now on her shoulders almost like spikes, she's probably darkened a bit in color still bluey green just darker which make her silver speckles pop more against her skin and bring out the silvery patterns more on her (she probably still has silver lines on her body from drawing blood) her muscles more defined being quite a powerhouse muscular looking beast but also distinctly having a pudgy stomach which she is not ashamed of she likes food. You will never catch her in a dress at this age, maybe when she was younger she'd wear a dress and maybe when just after power puberty if Ambroy asked but now she don't wanna, very much a comfy clothes person oversized custom made shirts and trousers would wear an outfit all day and sleep in it lazy dragon (much to Ambroys horror) but she will wear nice things per his request. At this point she definitely is aware of the fact that years ago yea he was actually trying to take advantage use her to give blood so he didn't have to but like hydens gone and was a creep so she can't really blame him in all honesty and he freed her from a bad life so she does appreciate him for that but also the power dynamic has shifted cause she's bigger than him and she finds that fun cause now she doesn't really have to obey him so much, before she did without question loyally following him about but now lmao get it yourself (while getting up to get said thing) probably leaning down to smooch his cheek as she passes like a menace, she does like him and holds a lot of affection for him.

Lmao terrible description I'm sorry lore went blah all over my attempts, just a little lizard freak honestly and I love her, I will maybe attempt a reference but urhh I'm weak can't draw anthro but I will try for u so Ambroy can have his big dragon (also I just love the contrast cause usually dragons and unicorns are enemies im weak on it lmao)

Oooh I love the backstory you’ve come up with for your character (or little lizard/dragon freak, as you call her) and how she fits in with the story between Ambroys and Hyden!

I should talk more about Celestials (and their counterpart, Infernals) sometime. You’re right that Ambroys is a special baby boy for being part one, as Celestial offspring haven’t been born in generations. For all their pomp, though the Celestials (and especially Infernals) are beings with their own personalities and quirks, and this kind of pettiness isn’t above them at all. I think the idea of a higher being basically infusing a kid with magic out of spite for Ambroys’ divine parent is entirely possible and also funny.

I like the mirroring going on with your OC – how Ambroys was idolized and pampered due to his heritage and station in life, while she was exploited and abused due to hers. The unicorn and dragon mirror is fun, too. I don’t imagine there’d be laws to prevent them from exploiting her, really, since something like this is so rare. If they’re out further away from major cities, it would be even easier to keep her a secret.

I also really love that Ambroys would just swoop in to start exploiting her next. Sad to say it (well, not really), but he is a deeply selfish lout, and any chance he could get to foist his responsibilities and pain onto another, he would gladly take. I could definitely see him taking her out of that situation purely to spare himself a few cuts from Hyden’s knife. Hyden would also be interested in a new subject to experiment with, I’m sure.

You’re also correct that Ambroys would be a normal horse were he not divine-blooded – I imagine having that heritage “uplifts” one’s species to something more mystical (like a chicken child with infernal blood would resemble a cockatrice, for example) so your OC going from a lizard to a dragon fits right in with that! The idea of her second divine “puberty” is so cool, I just love the visual of her shedding her old scales and growing in horns as she comes into her true power!

I think that would also freak Ambroys out a little – like woah jeez that’s more than he thought he was taking on with this chick! But it’s pretty well too late to back out now. He basically impulse adopted what he thought was a mini-pig and ended up with a huge boar and wouldn’t be quite sure how to handle the situation. It’s very lucky for him that she’s so forgiving of the whole “taking you in purely to distract the evil wizard who’s taking my blood” thing or else I’m sure she could have just pretzel’d him once she got bigger than him!

Her growth as a person as well as in size is also sweet to read; how she becomes more confident and assured in herself after she’s separated from her terrible home.

Thanks for sharing your OC’s backstory with me, I really enjoyed reading it!

[yiqi-fr]

I'm sick and got way too into the ID rabbit hole, so let's discuss why this guy is (Probably!) either in the Gonocephalus genus or Acanthosaura genus and why it can't be an Iguana!

 I want to start by saying although I have more experience with lizards and herpetology than your average person I am not an expert.

Where better to begin than with the teeth, the most gremlin-like part of this guy! This animal has very shark-like teeth which while on their own might not be very informative, combined with a few other traits lets me ID this tooth type as acrodont. Now acrodont teeth are when the tooth itself is fused to the jaw bone which is different from our tooth attachment style as mammals, socketed thecodont teeth.

Figures from Razmade et al., 2023 and Kavková et al., 2020

This is also different from Iguanas, which have Pleurodont teeth like most other lizards. In fact, acrodont teeth are somewhat rare across squamates and are really only in the clade Acrodontia (and some amphisbaenians but this is definitely not an amphisbaenian, if you look them up you can see why)! Acrodontia includes two clades, agamids and chameleons which narrows our search down by a lot. However, we can also see in the picture that this animal doesn't have zygodactyl feet like chameleons so it must be some sort of agamid.

Now agamids are very widespread and diverse, in fact, bearded dragons, uromastyx, thorny dragons, sailfin lizards, and frilled lizards are all agamids, which means that although we narrowed down the clade there are still plenty of candidates. This is where we need to be a bit creative to get whatever information we can from the picture before we sort through the agamid family tree. This animal has green-brown skin and sparse patterning. What patterning it does have is subtle striping on the tail and body. What is notable are the very long arms and legs compared to the body size, and the tall spines/comb along the animal's back extending from the base of the animal's head to the base of its tail. It's very interesting IMO what this animal doesn't have. It doesn't have ornamental scales on its head or cheeks, nor does it have a brightly colored neck (although because we don't know the animal's age we can't rule out that it is some sort of immature animal) It also has rougher/keeled scales on its legs, belly, and tail. Honestly... that doesn't give us a whole lot of information so from here it was a lot of sifting through the agamid family tree.

What I ended up finding was that they seem pretty similar to taxa in the Gonocephalus genus like the Borneo forest dragon or Bell's forest dragon. However, some other sleuths have identified them as the Acanthosaura genus like the mountain horned lizards. I think that both of these are reasonable IDs (biased lol) but let's go over a few of the differences and why we ended up at these clades. For starters, these genera are actually pretty closely related, they're both in the clade Draconinae which includes taxa from southeast Asia and Oceania, and the really cool genus of gliding lizards Draco!

(Acanthosaura capra photo (source/source)(source))

The most likely candidate in the Acanthosaura genus is A. capra, aka the green pricklenape or horned mountain dragon. These animals are often kept in the pet trade, which is one of the reasons they might be pictured chowing down on someone's sweatshirt sleeve (some people in the pet trade also have A. nataliae, A. crucigera, A. lepidogaster, and A. armata but their coloration and spines are different). Many traits fit, as horned mountain dragons have long legs compared to their body size, a tall comb/ tall spines over their nuchal (neck) region, and keeled scales in the same places as the picture. The reason I don't think that it's a mountain dragon is that mountain dragons don't have their spines extending the length of their back, and they also possess a keratinous spike (the horn of the horned dragon) at the back of their eye ridge, which is not seen in this picture. However, again we don't know the age of this animal and the spike/horn doesn't show up in every picture I've seen of horned mountain dragons so I think this is a perfectly reasonable ID for this animal with our available information

(Gonocephalus bornensis (source) (source)) (Gonocephalus bellii (source))

There are a few possibilities in the Gonocephalus genus (also called angle-head lizards or forest dragons) but not many, and it additionally seems like these guys aren't commonly kept in the reptile trade. It seems like Bell's forest dragon, giant forest dragon, and chameleon forest dragon are the more common dragons in the pet trade from this genus but it is very hard for me to find info on how common they are without diving in which I don't have time for so treat this with a grain of salt. This forum and this website both have info on keeping mountain and forest dragons but none of them mention the Borneo forest dragon which makes me sceptical bout my first ID. It seems unlikely if no one keeps them in captivity! So while it looks most like a Borneo to me it would probably be more likely to be a Bell's forest dragon if it is in Gonocephalus. Nonetheless, The reason I think this guy fits with forest dragons is because of the extended comb/spines that stretch from the back of the head all the way to the base of the tail (the perspective makes it difficult to make out but IMO the spines extend all the way) as well as the coloration (look at those tail stripes and the colors!). This is seen in Gonocephalus but not Acanthosaura, but again we have limited info and either hypothesis is reasonable. In fact, I tracked down the original reddit thread that this was posted in and the IDs were either Acanthosaura or Gonocephalus. There are even more threads with this exact picture and ID threads of Gonocephalus that look like the animal in this pic. I think that this is as far as we can narrow it down without any additional evidence like the location of the pics or more pics posted from the pet owner.

Anywho, thanks for bearing with me in this thread.

Dude

[birdsbeauty12]

Keel-billed Toucan

The Keel-billed Toucan, native to South America, is noteworthy for its brightly colored beak. It serves this purpose as an attractive factor for females in the breeding season and as a defense when necessary. Its body consists mainly of black feathers and has a yellow neck and breast region with intricate blends of blue-green algae and yellow on its face, making it hard to look away from!

To their beauty, they are highly social creatures living together in flocks of up to thirty birds strong while scavenging food like fruit, insects, lizards, eggs, or young birds without any issue. Getting close enough so you can appreciate them fully would definitely make your experience memorable since these majestic creatures should certainly go down into anyone’s list of must-see wildlife animals due to having such unique features that wouldn’t stay unnoticed by admirers who’s focus lays elsewhere than just fine wingspan shapes alone.

[lunartflare64]

Oh, guess this is a wip we can post

This was done on our phone during a long car trip so there's a lot we want to fix up but yeah. Losbians.

[lunarflare64]

Tell me about ur OCs ( •̀ ω •́ )

Ajdhwkdj hello! I would love to! But first of all, fair warning, I am definitely not sober rn, vodka is involved, so I shall be long winded and rambley

This is my girl Julie, who will be a regular on my art blog @lunartflare64 for at least a little while

If you couldn't tell, I made her to ship with trans lesbian 2012 TMNT Leo, aka Leonora, because I've been drawing her a lot lately and wanted a big buff girl for her to be gay over

Julie's creation was incredibly vague at first, starting out leaning a lot more into the tough type of butch at first, and as I was going though each individual species of lizard on Wikipedia (as you do) I came across the red eyed crocodile skink

Very fun from a character design perspective, so I took a crack at it (with some aspects of other species of lizards I liked, character backstory forming around them), and proto!Julie looked badass! Very spikey, very fiery. But then I came into a major hurdle. Drawing her repeatedly would be a massive PAIN IN THE ASS

So into the trash that design goes, and back into the lizard species wiki I go. Idk how many species of lizard I looked at. Hundreds would be a given. Thousands is likely. I went through every species of skink first after all, and theyre the biggest family of lizard by a lot. Even when I left the skinks for other families I didn't find anything that appealed to me for a few days. Until.......

The green keel-bellied lizard. Aren't they cool? Look them up, their colour variation is gorgeous. So, after looking at a few more species to make sure this is what I really wanted, I went to start drawing her

Her backstory started to form as I was drawing her. How did she get mutated into this specific species? Well originally I thought about her owning her own green keel-bellied lizard, but I didn't want her character to be that brand of nerd, so...roommate. A roommate in college learning biology and the like, with the focus being reptiles and lizards specifically. And one of their species would be the Gastropholis prasina. And Julie would help with caring for their lizards occasionally because she's a sweet girl like that

Why does Julie live with a roommate in college at such a young age? Guess the parents aren't in the picture. I can see her ditching her parents early if they were shit, so that's what happened. She got emancipated at 14, found her roommate a few months later who helped her out a lot, and two years later the mutation would have happened

I wanted to lean into Julie being the "bad girl" stereotype at some level, even if she's a massive sweetheart, tattoos and piercings would be a given, but how does she get those when she was mutated so young? She couldn't get them before, and getting them after.....the mutant community isn't enough of a community to form even an underground business, and how would they even figure out how to make tattoos and piercings last for mutants? Especially shedding mutants like lizards?

Guess that'll be up to Julie then. Julie is an artist before her mutation, selling a little art every now and then to try and help her roommate out (and just enjoying the art process in general). When she was mutated she had a hard time with it for the first few months, as they all do, but eventually she got tired of that and was ready to find her new normal. Unfortunately, again, the mutant community isn't much of a community. When they do gather its for something very combat focused. Which she's not down for.

While the majority of the mutant community is still fighting, sometimes for good reason, sometimes for bad reason, Julie is ready to do something with her life, which she wasn't even ready for before her mutation. She wants to give something, some form of acceptance, a way to embrace their new forms and take the first step in imagining a life with those forms. And one thing they can't just get now is any kind of body modification. Even if a body mod place didn't freak at the sight of them, they wouldn't be able to help. Scales and fur can't really be tattooed. The normal way, that is. And luckily Julie has a roommate (who has stuck with her through her mutation and has helped big time with figuring out her new biology) who would be willing to help figure out how to make tattoos and the like last for mutants

So Julie becomes a mutant body mod specialist, with her friend figuring out the technicalities of it, and Julie making it happen. In a way, she becomes the start of the first real mutant community

So, what is she outside of her career? Well, from what has been gathered she's very focused, the unknowns aren't a deterrent for her, she's determined and ambitious, she understands that she can't be focused on the present forever, she needs to move forward. She's a trailblazer, but not really a leader. Her ambition has a limit, she doesn't plan on forging a whole community on her own, she just wants to give them something, and that something is what pushes others to find their own places and ways to contribute, even if Julie herself has no real control herself over what they become

But again, outside her career?......what is that? Where is that? Who is she? She went from being a nobody teenager to a driving force in the mutant community, she puts her all into it, she wants to put her all into it, but now she stuggles with slowing down, finding herself and her time, she's focused to much on giving and now she doesn't know where her centre is outside of that

She starts getting pent up, her home and her work are both now restricting for her, there's always something to do now and no escape from that. She needs to move, to do something without a PURPOSE behind it, and so, one day she goes for a run. Obviously mutants can't just go for a run on the streets, they'd be seen, but the rooftops are safe space for them, parkour is an important skill for mutants, so she knows what she's doing. She scales a skyscraper and starts to feel...at home

That would be her mutant parent's influence there. Green keel-bellied lizards are arboreal, they need to climb, and her long tail does give her a decent advantage on the rooftops

Its not much, but parkour becomes her escape, and through that she meets Leonora, a fellow workaholic.

You would think that two workaholics would create a work maniac, but no. They cancel each other out. If they see the other relaxed and in control, then they have no reason to worry or push themselves. They relax each other, sometimes too much. After so long (3 straight years for the both of them, at 18 for Nora and 19 for Julie) of endless work, for them relaxing means appreciating the little things. Very little. You can hear the Mii theme playing as they stare at a goldfish in a fishtank for 2 hours straight. Zero braincells total. They struggle to make date nights actually reach the DATE, they've wasted planned dates talking about nothing for hours in the same spot they met up. They're so dumb together, but its so good for them. Its the only time they can slow down enough to really start finding themselves, and once they get used to being allowed to have those little things they WILL start finding themselves, discovering things together their previous lives didn't let them have, even at the best of times

Okay, I think I'm done for now, this is as far as I've gotten with them. Don't know if the way I went about this said more about Julie or more about the way I go about character creation, but its gotta be informative in some way

[plugrick]

Chivalry, eh? If they weren’t facing off against a growing mob of monsters, Kenneth would’ve given Mike a look. His extended offer of protection came as second nature due to his position as a Federation Grand Leader - and yes, admittedly, his rekindled feelings for his old friend might’ve come into play as well.

Perhaps he should know better than to doubt the capabilities of another star soldier he had fought alongside so many times before, his affection blinding him to the innate strength that Mike had clearly honed during their time apart…

He allows himself to be adjusted into a battle stance that placed them on an even keel, shoulder to shoulder facing the oncoming threat of gnashing hypodermic teeth. The swarm seemed to catch on to their shift in plan and split off in two groups in order to surround them, working intelligently as a unit like pack animals, bright eyes glinting in the gloom with predatory glee.

Kenneth and Mike were forced to step back to back, spine nigh flush with spine, close enough for their shoulder blades to brush with the draw of breath.

To think, all these years later. Against the impossible odds stacked against them. Here they were, on the front lines, preparing to do battle as a unit once more. How many times had they ended up in this very same formation on the battlefield in the past?

But this was no time to reminisce.

“Don’t worry about me.” Ken breathed, his graspers tightening on the handle of his weapon. Pure things? Perhaps they were more unprepared than he thought. He would have to be cautious to avoid being injured. “Protect yourself, Mikey. Do not allow them to bite you. I need you to come out of this with me.”

The miniaturized versions of stalking nightmare circled them, foul tongues snaking around to taste test for weaknesses. The whirling mass of snapping jaws and blood-slickened smooth flesh of one individual was becoming nigh indistinguishable from the other in the flickering luminescence, camouflaged amongst their own kind. It was clear that they were collectively waiting for an opportunity to strike, intelligently scanning for a window of a split second when their prey would let their guards down…

“REEEEEEEEEE!”

The screech signaling attack was sounded, and dozens of lizards all hissed simultaneously in response like some sort of hive mind. Leaping from their low to the ground anticipatory positions and—!

SHHHING!

Kenneth’s golden blade whipped through the air and sliced clean through newly birthed flesh, the strike cleaving the thing in two from skull to pelvis in one deft blow. But where one fell to the ground squirming in agony, another took its place.

He raised an arm and teeth collided with his forearm armor with a resounding CLANG, sharp fangs chipping on golden plating. He grunted with effort to shake it off, stomping the things skull beneath a heavy boot. Then another one was cut down, jaws flying in opposite directions as it’s throat was sliced.

It would be a tedious fight, lashing out in all directions, none of the lizards taking the exact same path as the one before it — if they lost concentration, all would be for naught—!

———

“A-AMY!”

The reality of the situation had taken a moment to sink in, thanks to the shock of literally having a piece of his body viciously torn off - but when the human saw green blood staining through the white fabric of Amy’s stolen jacket, a newfound panic took hold that overrode his own pain.

Rick stumbled towards her direction, reaching out with his uninjured hand in an effort to stabilize her before she fell. He collapsed to his knees with her weight, frantically trying to do something, anything to manage her wound while nursing his own to little avail.

“N-no no no no no!”

Rick looked as pale as a sheet, and it didn’t entirely have to do with the blood loss he was currently experiencing. Mike had told him very specifically to keep his sister safe, and she had been SHOT! On his watch!

Mike was going to kill him. Mike was going to snap and KILL him! Again!

“S-stay with me!” He begged, trying to rouse her from encroaching unconsciousness by shaking her in a way that definitely wouldn’t actually help things whatsoever. He had been in shootouts before and dealt with countless injuries dealt to Mike, but for some reason the fact that this was Amy made things worse. He balled up his coattails and used te fabric to apply pressure, but—

“Agh, m-my hand!”

Nope. This wasn’t going to work. At this point the only way he could tell who’s blood was who’s was by color alone!

Ding! They had reached their destination, but in an ironic twist of fate, there wasn’t much of them left to arrive there. Dead soldiers, severely wounded gromflomite occupants, and a human being thst was quickly reaching hysteria.

“H-hang in there! D-d-don’t you die on me!”

Were those tears running down his face? Rick would never admit to caring about Amy enough to own up to getting emotional when she got hurt, much less would he ever live it down…

He needed to get her help!

“M-medic! MEDIIIIC!”

—————

….

……..

How had it come to this?

The sterility of the upstairs medical bay was unnerving, the quiet beep-beep-beeps of a heart rate machine the only thing filling the uncanny silence.

Rick stared down at his hands - or at least what was left of them - one of his limbs bandaged tightly due to the recent mangling he had endured at the claws of… miniature Lizardperson? He didn’t know what to call it, exactly. But it had taken a chunk out of him, and irreparably damaged what was arguably his namesake as a drug cooking mad scientist.

The human curled up a little more in the gurney bed he was seated in, feeling more than a little exposed in the stupid paper gown that he had been given to wear. Upon arrival they had taken his things to be “sanitized”, citing something about preventing the spread of infection. What a joke. These dumb Feds didn’t have a clue what was happening.

Then again, neither did he…

He swallowed hard, trying to fight the anxiety rising in his chest back down from whence it came. The medics had given him something for the pain, but it wasn’t doing anything to take the edge off thanks to his tolerance for the stuff. He didn’t now whether Any was going to be alright, or where the hell Mike had run off to. Were there more of those things out there? Had he had the misfortune of running into them?

Was he even alive?!

Rick held his head in a palm, trying not to think of the worst case scenario. Why did his dumb ex-boyfriend have to play hero and run off when he’d needed him the most? If Mike had been there, he would never have let Amy get hurt.

Why did he have to be such a weakling without his portal gun?

It was just a waiting game now. Rick just wished for an answer, any answer at all. Please let them be okay…

X

[headcannonsandotherthings]

Spiderman characters as Helluva  Boss quotes

Idk why but my brain decided to write this so yeah. 

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Harry; How come Peter gets to compete?

Norman; You’re best friend doesn’t have a neighborhood headcount

Harry; He so does!

Peter; It doesn’t count if you don’t find the bodyyyyy :D 

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Otto; Just ask me something I wouldn’t normally tell you.

Norman; Ok. Does Rosie ever peg you?

Otto; Sometimes. Wait. Ew! Fuck! Why that?

Norman; Heh. I knew it. 

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Green Goblin; Does anyone love you Spiderman?

Peter; No. But I’m really good with webs. DANCE BITCH!

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Green Goblin; I am eccentric and therefore must do eccentric shit.

The Lizard; Just saying you could have used the door. 

Green Goblin; Shut up dear furry! 

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MJ; What was sex with her like?

Peter; MARYJANE!

MJ; What? You’d want to know what sex with Michael Crawford was like.

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Rosie; What is possibly the greatest gift of them all?

Norman; Money?

——————————————————————————————————————————————

The Lizard; Oh and you three are so superior to us just because we want some greedy, selfish, authoritarian capatalist to keel over dead!

Norman; You’re making things too real now Connors. *sprays water bottle at him*

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

Again I don’t know why but my brain decided to write this so yeah…