#i like to think he's got some carnivorous plant in him

[jincheeto]

Fern but he has carnivorous plant shit, thus he can consume the bug™

[botanyshitposts]

ok INCREDIBLY old content originally meant for this blog but in 2018 when i was just a wee lad with a little spinner propeller hat and big rainbow lollipop i went to a carnivorous plant convention in california and met a bunch of people who breed/collect/study these guys. one person was this collector who was slowly working on leaving the hobby or at least no longer growing plants, and he had a bunch of carnivorous plant related files he was charging like 50 cents for or something, and so i came into possession of these, which are examples of the kind of paperwork you have to have done to legally ship/trade endangered species of both plants and animals. functionally very boring paperwork, but something i found like, incredibly fascinating. i blacked out the personal id of the person and then immediately forgot to ever upload them, lmao.

these plants were bred and raised in a greenhouse and sold abroad, not taken from the wild, but because the species are endangered and often protected in their native countries (most of these are nepenthes, asian pitcher plants, a huge family spread throughout oceania and southeast asia), there's a lot more documentation that needs to be done regardless of their origin, both on the end of the seller and on the end of the buyer.

the rabbit hole on carnivorous plant trade is deep and kind of wild. there's plenty of common, non-threatened, greenhouse-grown pitcher plants on the market that people buy all the time, even non-collectors, but there's a whole debate to be had on if it's morally okay to be collecting the more endangered/rare of these plants in the first place. the big argument for breeding is that breeding them in captivity means there's more supply that's not poached from the wild, meaning poachers have less of an incentive to take the risk of taking adult plants from their habitats; from what i've heard, sometimes countries will issue permits for breeders to collect some wild seeds just to create a non-wild breeding pool to drive down the price. predictably, however, you also get people who are very much willing to pay a lot of money to get as rare of a plant as possible.

anyone familiar with the allure valuable plants have had over people throughout history can imagine the rest, but here's an article about a guy who started buying poached plants to enrich his private nepenthes collection, who then got busted by a fish and wildlife service agent embedded in his carvirorous plant circle. the plants this guy was buying were being sold to him without any CITES paperwork or declarations like the ones above; it was literally just a guy in indonesia taking rare plants from the woods around where he lived, selling them over facebook marketplace and ebay, and mailing them overseas as an undeclared 'gift' to get around customs. frighteningly small steps to take on all sides, to be honest.

(also, fun fact: another example of carnivorous plants that get poached are wild venus fly traps, which are only native to north and south carolina in the US. from what i understand it's a mix of people who genuinely did not know it's a native species and people who really are just going out into the woods and digging up plants to sell online. sometimes poaching is closer to home than you'd think!)

anyway. wild and interesting times in the land of plants recovered from a hard drive lmao

[moonydustx]

I look better under you

Based on the song Snooze - Sza

Roronoa Zoro x F!Reader

Warnings: smut, mentions of scars, jealousy. Doesn't exactly follow plot canon.

Summary: After two years apart after the incident with Kuma in Sabaody, you and Zoro meet again.

A/N: I was thinking about doing some stories based on songs, especially in the future using one from Cowboy Carter for Ace because it makes so much sense to me. While that doesn't happen, we're left with Snooze, which is one of my favorites from Sza.

requests open | one piece masterlist

Long as you dreamin' 'bout me, ain't no problem

I don't got nobody, just with you right now

Tell the truth, I look better under you

I can't lose when I'm with you

How can I snooze and miss the moment?

You just too important

Nobody do body like you do

Your body itched when you saw a handful of greenish hair appearing on the horizon of the Sabaody archipelago. It was two long years without seeing each other, without talking, without the little escapades in the crow's nest where you spent hours tangled up in each other. Before you could prepare to talk to him, Sanji and Luffy also appeared in your field of vision, running in some direction you hadn't noticed yet.

"Let's go!" Luffy passed you who immediately started running to keep up with them.

"Finally a beautiful and real woman." Sanji's eyes practically threw hearts in your direction. "So beautiful, so fragrant, so..."

For a few seconds you thought Zoro was going to complain about Sanji, like they always did, but he remained quiet just as he didn't show any reaction when he saw you.

Your companions didn't know about the little escapades the two of you had and for a long time it was what made sense to you. Until your eyes witnessed Kuma erase Zoro's existence before your eyes, at least that's what you believed for a while.

"Isn't that the pretty girl from Thriller Bark?" Sanji caught your attention. A few meters away you recognized the pink hair and the gothic style.

The woman's face was almost glued to Zoro's as she yelled at him. Too close to be just a coincidence. "Why haven't you left here yet?" "I brought you here for nothing." Perhaps your vision was obstructed by the anxiety of being back - which now became a bitterness on your lips. Apparently the two years passed differently for him.

Ignoring the confused feelings, you and your companions ran towards the Sunny and before the navy even thought about reaching you, the ship was already sailing towards the next island.

"It's so good to have everyone back!" Nami hugged you tightly in a hug. "Come on, tell me what you were doing this whole time."

Islands with carnivorous plants, strange laboratories, giant birds, a castle with a certain girl with pink hair. Zoro was sitting next to you. As they listened to everyone talk, something about his posture seemed to show some discomfort in being there.

Everyone seemed to accumulate stories and adventures to tell and despite the small puddle of hurt that accumulated in you, you were happy to see your friends again.

"And you." Robin turned towards you. "What challenges have you encountered?"

"I went to a village that was being attacked by venomous insects. We had to keep shooting at them all the time and maybe that improved my aim." You took one of the small knives from your waistband and threw it past the small gap between Nami's neck and hair.

"Shown off." Zoro murmured next to you, attracting your attention for a brief second.

"Did the animals do this?" Usopp pointed to your arm.

Attracting everyone's eyes, you turned your arm, showing the scars that started on your fingers and went almost to the height of your shoulder.

"No." you smiled sympathetically as the shooter looked on attentively. "Let's just say not everyone on this island was nice or interested in the end of the demonic insects."

The others nodded and it didn't take long for them to engage in another story, paying attention to all the news. Even though you weren't looking in his direction, you could feel yourself being watched the entire time.

After a long conversation, everyone decided to explore Sunny. Review what they left behind, prepare for the next challenges. Before you could do the same, you felt an arm pulling you towards one of the rooms.

"What the hell is this." you saw Zoro in your field of vision. One of his hands closed the door and the other rested on the side of your head.

He tried again and saw you repeat the gesture. It took his brain a few seconds to process all the possibilities.

"It's been so long." he murmured, his face seeking the direction of your lips. Begrudgingly, you dodged his kiss. "What?"

"I understand." he started walking away. "Two years is too long, I understand that maybe you found someone else."

"I did this?" The tone of his voice was shrill and full of indignation. "Says the guy who was with the goth girl there. Did you enjoy your enchanting romance in an incredible castle?"

"Are you crazy?" Zoro analyzed you for a few seconds, seeing how safe it was to approach you. His hands found your chin and when you tried to move away from his touch, Zoro held on even tighter. "You know I had nothing to do with her. You know no one is like you."

Your own hands found his and went up to your face, relief was written on your face. Gently, one of your fingers traced the scar that closed his eye.

"Who made this?" you whispered, wanting to hold that little moment between the two of you.

"No one that matters now." He turned his face, kissing one of your hands. His gaze soon reached your immense scar. "About what you said outside, who was the bastard that hurt you?"

"No one that matters now." You smiled, enjoying his touch on your face. "You know I hate her, don't you?"

"Perona?"

"I wish I had killed that bitch in Thriller Bark!" you grumbled, earning a laugh from Zoro.

He wanted to kiss you, heavens he wanted to be able to take you there but he had missed hearing you too much and seeing your eyes shining in his direction. Everything else could wait.

"You only say that because she was playing with the ghosts and you."

"Exactly." your hands went down to the back of his head, pulling him closer. "I'd kill that bitch again just to think of her stealing what's mine."

You could feel Zoro's laughter almost on your skin, given the proximity. "So jealous" he murmured and before his lips stole yours, the two of you were interrupted when you were thrown from the door and the presence of a euphoric Luffy appeared.

"Let's eat! Sanji is going to make a huge feast for you and us." he pulled you by the shoulders. "Can you get your knife between Brook's ribs, say yes, please."

"Does he know you want to do this?" you asked him, taking advantage of Zoro's support to stand up.

"He said he'll accept it, if you let him see the color of your panties." Luffy spoke with a naturalness that brought laughter from you and a groan from the swordsman.

"He won't see, but..." you warned, tugging at the waistband of your pants. "It's pink, with white polka dots." Brook's scream outside indicated that he had heard the entire conversation and had probably combusted.

"Hit his head." Zoro grumbled, leaving the room before you.

A lot of thrown knives, a huge feast made by Sanji - and considering that Luffy ate more than half of it claiming he missed the food the cook made. You watched some of your friends retreat to your quarters.

"Has anyone seen Zoro?"

"He said he would be upstairs if anyone needed him." Chopper warned you and you thanked him, leaving him behind.

Knowing he would probably be alone, you walked up the stairs to the crow's nest and entered unceremoniously. Zoro was lying down, contemplating the ceiling.

"I thought it would take longer." He stood up, coming towards you.

"It's just that everyone is going to sleep, I think we can talk properly now." the words barely had space to leave your lips before Zoro reached you and crashed his lips into yours.

Your hands were against his chest and even though you wanted to move away to at least try to talk before finding out what happened during this time outside, Zoro's lips took yours in an intoxicating way. Honey, drinks and longing mixed in your mouths.

"We can talk later." he murmured, almost reading your thoughts. "I just miss you."

"Me too." your lips heaved as you felt his arms lift you so that your legs were wrapped around his.

Such a movement was made only so that Zoro could take you to the ground in a strange delicacy on his part. The green threads became your fingers' favorite path while his hands removed the few pieces of clothing that your body still had.

"No one that matters now?" he traced some scars that adorned your back and watched you twitch. "I'll still kill the bastard."

"This someone is no longer here for you to take revenge on." you took his lips as a distraction for your hands to slide over the shoulders hidden in the kimono.

"That's my girl."

Scars, bruises, nothing would take away the pleasure of Zoro's contemplation. The long two years didn't really seem that long until he saw you. How can you wait so long? How did he not go crazy and come back even if he swam to Sabaody?

"Hi greenie." You caught his attention by letting your hands caress his cheek. "Are you ok babe?"

"You are so beautiful." The words came out suddenly as if it were common for you to hear that every day.

If it were up to him alone, he would make a point of repeating that all night and for the rest of the next nights as well. Your eyes looking down at him asking for attention to your body, your legs closing against his body, small sighs as you felt him touch you. You underneath him was one of the best sights Zoro would have for the rest of his life.

His lips traced every contour of your skin. Every shiver was swallowed by a kiss, every shiver was trapped between his lips. The damp fabric of your panties didn't last long as a hindrance to the swordsman who turned you into tatters. It was like enjoying a feast after years of scarcity, drinking the divine honey that flowed from you.

"Still delicious." "I missed you so much."

Zoro couldn't contain a light laugh when he saw you cover your mouth with both hands, avoiding the screams that hit your body as you poured yourself onto his lips. Your waist took on a life of its own with the sensitivity of your pussy against his tongue.

Without any effort, Zoro turned you around and, handling you, placed your body on top of him, in a lotus position. His cock brought friction against your clitoris, your belly burning with pure anxiety and his hands made your hips move against him without even penetrating you. Your lips already hurt from the pressure you used to not let any noise escape.

"Let me hear you, please." One of his hands caught your hair, placing your head against the back of his neck. "Moan just for me baby. I need to hear you."

"Zoro, fuck, don't torture me. Just fuck me, please."

Hearing you beg was the closest thing a devil like him would get to heaven. Wrong, so wrong. Feeling your pussy contract with every inch he put in, that was paradise.

Despite feeling like you could explode at any moment, you moved slowly, not wanting the night to end. The grips against your ass, the eager hands pressing you against the base of his cock. Neither of them seemed to be able to last long.

The peak reached you first, your lips against the sweaty back of your neck, your fingers prickling the green strands begging for more and more, it was enough for Zoro to sink his teeth into your soft skin, containing his own moans and filling you up.

He lay down, still keeping himself inside you and allowing you to lay against his chest.

"You have new ones too." Your fingers traced some new scars.

"You don't like them?"

"Still beautiful, as always. Zo?"

" What do you need, sweet?"

"I know it wasn't our choice, but... Promise that if we get separated again, we'll find a way and find each other." Your eager eyes drew a sigh from the man, who pressed you even tighter against his embrace.

"This is the easiest promise I've ever made."

The sun began to rise when you could no longer keep your eyes open. With your body tied to Zoro's and covered by his kimono, without worrying if anyone would arrive, the two of you both took a snooze.

[dontbelasagnax]

*curling like a cat against your ankles* Lasaganie, more Codywan headcanons?? 🥺👉👈 (only if you gave them/want to share of course. thank you, you’re amazing and I love you :3c)

I am late but I come bearing gifts in the shape of the codywan headcanons you asked for!!! And I love you too 🫶

- In a no order 66 setting, Obi-Wan has a caf mug that he considers to be Cody's. This would be normal except Obi-Wan bought it during the war and always meant to find the occasion to give it to him but never got around to it. That's to say he's exceedingly normal about this cup. Especially when Cody starts spending time around his apartment and Obi-Wan serves him caf in it. For the first time. Then all the other times as well. Feeling his heart crack open seeing Cody with His Designated Mug. A mug Obi-Wan's perhaps had too much time to place too much sentimental value onto. He's perfectly normal about it and doesn't act weird at all.

(more headcanons under the cut. it's a bit long)

- Cody is a hopeless romantic but won't ever admit it. He loves romance novels and holofilms. From trashy to highly acclaimed, sweet to stuffed with depravity, he enjoys them all. They're just a spot of escapism for him. A fantastical tale to distract himself from the toll of war when the night cycle is quiet and grief is loud. The stories are all so wildly outlandishly unrealistic to him. He's a clone. There's no future for him outside his role in the war effort.

And then one fateful campaign they're on their feet for a full tenday before they encounter an outcropping with flora and fauna that, finally, aren't actively trying to kill them and they are able to set up a tentative base of operation while planetside.

General Kenobi insists everyone rest while they can. Cody lost his bedroll to some sort of carnivorous plant along the way. General Kenobi acts like it's an affront to his very livelihood when Cody tries to sleep on the ground of their shared tent. Cody is tired. He doesn't have the energy to fight back on something so stupid. Which means they have to share a bedroll. His general's bedroll. Where they're physically incapable of both laying on the little mat unless they're plastered together. Cuddling.

It's the best sleep of his life.

...Exactly like how the romance novels describe it.

He's not dumb. He's been aware that he's in love with his general. He just thought the romance novels were all embellishing to a ridiculous degree and none of it was actually... realistic.

But if the romance novels are right about this, what else is just as magical in reality?

And maybe, just maybe, could there be some hope for a glimmer of a chance for him to pursue something else with Obi-Wan after the war, if they both make it that far?

- I am fully of the belief that, in a Tatooine husbands setting, the husband bit is a complete accident. Ben is stopping by for a quick pantry restock at the Pica Oaisis marketplace when it happens. He's lived at his hut long enough for the vendors here to have a familiarity with him so it's not exactly a surprise when one says to him, "Who's the shadow of a fella that's hangin' with you lately?" They mean well, he knows. And still, it's his business. He thinks his answer is quite crafty.

He says, "He's my partner," and leaves it at that. Partner could mean anything. Alas, either an older man living in an isolated hut with another older man implies a particular thing about their relationship or the vendors have a flair for the romantic because he quickly comes to discover on his next trips to the marketplace that he has a husband. Of all the assumptions one could make, it's certainly the most harmless and... he finds he likes it. Being seen as Cody's husband. It's all awfully embarrassing and he doesn't dare tell Cody any of it.

Cody discovers it for himself a few weeks later on a solo trip to the market to pick up some feed for Rooh.

"Here to do your husband's bidding?" a vendor asks and Cody blinks.

He blinks again. "Come again?" he says.

"Ben your husband; you're running his errand?"

His first instinct is to correct them, tell them he and Ben aren't married. But how would he even begin describe their relationship? After a few seconds deliberating he decides he's better off going with it. What harm could it do? Besides, on the ride home, he finds he kind of likes it.

And that's how they become husbands. Well, the beginning of it, anyhow.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Ruggie, Trey: More and More

TWST once again picks the most INCRIMINATING villain shots to display in the picture frames 😭 I am BEGGING the museum curator to do better/j

A Tale as Old as Time.

A lion cub, a warthog, and a meerkat.

It was an odd trio, a group of animals that, under normal circumstances, would never be together. Certainly not like this—not grinning, snuggling up with each other. Carnivore, herbivore, omnivore. Sharing the lives they had, joined in heart and in song.

No worries for the rest of their days.

Ruggie snickered behind one hand. Man, ain't that the dream?

"They've got nice smiles."

The hyena's ears perked. His eyes shifted to a Heartslabyul student gazing upon the same painting. Tall, built well, in glasses.

"Come again?"

"Their teeth," Trey clarified, pointing. "You see? They have different shapes based on their diet. Warthogs mainly eat vegetables, so they have strong, flat molars for crushing plants. But lions are carnivores, so their teeth are sharper for slicing through meat. And meerkats--"

"Okay, I get it already! Now quit it, you sound almost as creepy as Rook." Ruggie groaned. "Can't believe you take one look at this and your first thought is what's in their mouths."

"You don't?" The joke fell flat, and Trey let it go "How about you? What's your first thought when you look at this? If I'm remembering correctly, this painting is based on a story from your country. Does it have significance to you?"

"Eh, it’s some story about a warthog and a meerkat coming together to raise a lost cub they found."

"Really." Trey's eyebrows raised. "How did they manage to feed a baby lion? They probably need a lot of protein, and I don't think a warthog and a meerkat could hunt enough for it."

"Nah, they figured something out." He pinched his thumb and index finger together, peering through the small gap between them and right at the vice dorm leader. "Bugs."

"Bugs?!" Trey startled.

"Yup, there's plenty of 'm and they're packed full of protein for a growing young prince.”

“Prince?”

“Did I not mention it before? Turns out that the lion cub was a missing prince, and they had no idea. When the prince was all grown up, he returned to claim his kingdom with the warthog and the meerkat. The animals were able to get over their differences and live together in harmony. It all started with bugs—that’s pretty resourceful, isn’t it?”

"I didn’t think there would be a twist that wild from a story that started with eating bugs. We sometimes eat flowers in the Queendom, but usually as a garnish or for a snack, not for a whole meal. Is it a cultural difference...?"

Ruggie shrugged. "Sometimes you don't have much of a choice in what you eat. If life hands you lemons when you're starving, are you going to turn it down? 'Course not."

I can't afford that kind of luxury.

"Well, when you put it like that..." Trey gave a light laugh. "You're going to make me hungry too."

"I'd kill for a big roast pork right about now. Fat, sweet, and juicy, the meat so tender if falls off the bone once ya sink your teeth into it..." Ruggie drooled at the thought. "Yeah, if you just shoved an apple into the warthog's mouth, glaze it with honey, and slow cook it over a fire, I bet it'd be real tasty."

"It sounds like you’ve always got food on your mind.” Trey folded his arms, lips tugging back into a lopsided smirk. “Kinda gruesome when you talk about the prep work like that though.”

“We wouldn’t have any food if we didn’t hunt and gather. ‘S how the circle of life works.”

His gaze slanted toward the painting of the happy trio. A unification, food shared from the same platter—it sparked some desperate hope in him.

A world where kings and hyenas can be friends… Heh, maybe I’m asking for too much.

But he was greedy like that. Seeking more and more, his hunger never fully satisfied.

Ruggie shook his head, letting dirty blonde locks fall across his face. “Maybe it’s news to you, but beastmen don’t exactly see eye to eye with other beastmen. That’s why it’s practically a miracle that those three get along. It’s a tale they tell us in the Sunset Savanna to remind us of what we could be, united under one true kingdom. It’s just that: a story.”

“It’s a nice story,” Trey said simply. “And it would be even nicer if it came true.”

It would.

“It’ll be a looong time before that happens. It’s about as real as my dreams of a roast pork dinner.”

Ruggie sighed as he drew his arms up, hands resting behind his head. He reclined back in that lazy, devil-may-care pose.

Trey watched him, his mustard yellow eyes shifting slightly. “… Are you baiting me to offer to make you some?”

“What?” The hyena feigned shock. “Me, trying to get my hands on free grub? Nooooo, I’d never!”

Trey stared at him indignantly. “You’re not being very subtle there…”

Ruggie showed his teeth. “Was I supposed to be?”

“Maybe you’d have better luck getting a formal invite from Riddle first. I don’t usually prepare whole hams for a single guest either—it’s usually a group meal, so you’d have to share.”

“Tch. Whatever, can’t blame a hyena for testing out a shortcut, can you?”

“Ahahah… I’m slightly concerned that you’d even attempt to have an entire pig to yourself. Your appetite must be legendary.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

More and more—he wanted it all. Gluttony, a sin to the common man. To him, a desire for something greater than this.

He saw it now, a kingdom built upon the jagged cliffs. His kind and other scorned creatures. creeping out from the darkness and into the moonlight. They all looked to the one that stood far above them, the one that would lead them to that shining future.

Someday, it will come.

Ruggie spun, his back presented to the painting. A spotlight upon the trio, and the shadows closing in on his own face.

Even so, his smile was as big and as bright as ever.

“Nishishishishi! Don’t worry so much, Trey-kun~ Just be happy—hakuna matata!”

[crusty-chronicles]

As requested, I present to you ✨

Hiei Bringing His Airheaded S/O To Demon World

Absolute chaos

The entire time he regrets bringing you there.

He only did so because he was tired of you crying everytime he left. Even though he always came back to you no matter what, idiot.

Truthfully, he prefers you staying in the living world because there's less things that could kill you.

No bloodthirsty demons salivating at the scent of you. No carnivorous plants waiting for you to aimlessly stumble into. And no threats of kidnapping and being used for ransom.

It's not like you can't take care of yourself, but the chances of a someone or something taking advantage of your naivety are high

Which is why he specifically tells you to stay close to him.

“If you get lost here, I won't try to find you.” It was a small warning that he'd never really follow through with. But he needed you to take this seriously.

“But you found me when I got lost on my way home that one time.”

“I mean it this time.”

He has to keep a constant eye on you at all times.

Even going as far as holding your hand to keep you in place.

Which is very humiliating for him. The three eyed demon not used to openly showing his affections.

His first stop is Mukuro's base. To which you responded ‘Why is it moving??? I think I'm gonna get motion sickness.’

Because of his constant supervision, he isn't really able to do his job.

And so it begins.

He needs his Jagan, so it's either you or the other poor humans who stumbled past the makai barrier.

Guess who he chooses most of the time.

The few times he does leave you, he makes sure you're occupied with something.

“Go spar with those new recruits over there while I'm gone.”

“Okay!”

Bless those poor demons. They never stood a chance.

Hiei warned Mukuro beforehand about you.

How you're decently strong but don't have a single thought in your head.

She didn't believe him at first. At least, not until she met you in person.

How you managed to bust a hole in the wall by tripping, she'd never know. She saw it happen, but she still doesn't understand how it's possible.

Hiei introduces you to her and immediately regrets it.

“You’re a liar! You said you didn't have any friends.” You pointed out, causing the three eyed demon to tense up.

“I don't. Mukuro's an ally.”

“We both know it's the same for you.”

He's actually mad you're smart enough to figure that out but not why you shouldn't eat glass.

He's pretty embarrassed about your relationship. Not because he's ashamed of you. Couldn't be any further than the truth. He relishes in the fact you're so strong, paired along with your heart that has more kindness than he's able to fathom.

No, Hiei is embarrassed because here he's respected. His reputation is infamous and he's regarded highly. Known to be cruel yet reasonable.

But here he is telling you not to wonder off like some worried parent.

Here he is inspecting the smallest of cuts on your finger and healing it.

It's just so embarrassing for him to be soft in front of others who aren't you.

“So this is the one that has you returning to the human world.” Mukuro teased.

But Hiei wouldn't take the bait.

“I don't know what you're talking about.

Only for you to come up to him with a small gem. Presenting it proudly to him.

“Hiei! Look what I found! Isn't it pretty?”

It's a ruby. Something you'd told him reminds you of his eyes. It makes a tinge of red appear on his face.

But Hiei's a stubborn demon.

“And what do you expect me to do with it?” A tone that would sound cruel to anyone but you.

“Maybe I could turn it into a necklace like the one you gave me.”

“That's a ridiculous idea.”

It was inevitable something would happen to you on this trip. A lot of demons were still bitter about the outcome of the tournament. And with Hiei's involvement with the reform, you were only a huge target.

He ends up wearing it for the rest of the trip. Guarding it with his life. Much to the amusement of the Mukuro and her henchmen.

He came back to the base expecting to see you waiting, but you weren't there.

He didn't waste a second using his Jagan to find you.

He fully prepared to end the life of whatever demon decided to mess with his mate, but when he found you, you'd already taken care of it.

Save for a few scratches on your arm, you were completely fine.

It led to Hiei scolding you for walking off with someone you didn't know. Promising this would be the last time you ever came here for acting so reckless, and that you weren't to leave his side for the rest of the time you were here.

It proved that he was right with you staying in the living world. It was safer for you. And he had Kurama to take care of you if anything happened. You were completely alone here.

“How come you didn't want me to come here?” You asked while he went over your injuries once more.

His answer came immediately.

“Because I knew you wouldn't be able to stay out of trouble.”

“Hey, it's not my fault that guy wanted to fight. How was I supposed to know he wasn't a part of Mukuro’s army?”

He glared up at you.

“You're an idiot.” Then his gaze softened. A look reserved only for you.

“…But you're my idiot, therefore my responsibility. I can't have you getting hurt on my watch.”

What kind of mate would he be if he couldn't even take care of you in his element?

You sat in silence for a while, and he briefly wondered if he went too far. You usually never took his harsh words to heart. He was relieved when he heard you speak again.

“You seem to really like it here. I wouldn't blame you if you decided to stayed after all one of these days.”

You still thought he would just abandon you? Truly your naivety infuriated him.

“In case I haven't made my intentions clear before, I come back for you and you only. Yet you still doubt my devotion. If you expect me to stay in the living world forever with you, you shouldn't.” But I'll always come back for you. Words he'd said over and over again.

An idea struck you then.

“We could stay here if you want. Get all old together. Maybe start a family.”

He couldn't stop the heat crawling onto his face. The way the red seemed to glow from his flustered state. He had to look away from you and move back.

“As if. I have no intentions to keep you here, nor procreate with someone who can't even tie their shoe.”

He heard you laugh and the red only worsened from there.

He didn't like the effect your words had on him.

Tempting him with something so sweet. Something that would inevitably give him even more of a weak spot.

But you weren't meant for this world. Your home was on the other side of this barrier. And his was with you.

For now this arrangement of being with you periodically would work.

[coeur-de-fruk]

May I introduce you all to some fantasy au :0

The hurricane might’ve altered my brain chemistry because yesterday I thought of forest nymph!france x naga!england, and immediately got to work on coming up with a basic concept of it!

I even included Mattie and Al, their supposed offsprings in which they are mixed breeds of nagas and nymphs who I dubbed “nymphagas”. I haven’t gotten this whole thing nailed down but I like to think they are reptilian creatures that spend their time in the trees and in the water.

Some info under the cut!

Francis is a forest nymph who took care of the nature in the enchanted forest. He’s homeless, but he doesn’t mind it as he sees the forest as his home no matter where he went. He takes care of the small animals that lurk around him, including other mythical beings such as fairies and pixies (although the pixies do give him a tough time for how malicious they can be sometimes.) Francis considers himself a pescatarian, meaning he consumes plants and fish only. While he sometimes does hunt for fish, he relies on the herbs, fruits and vegetables around him.

Arthur is a naga who resides in the heart of said forest and he lives in an underground den. He’s kind of a hoarder and his den is full of trinkets and treasures that he likely stole from the village. Though the most valuable of them all was a giant pearl he went on a perilous journey to find. He believed who ever accept his pearl will be his lover forever, which happened to be Francis; who had a lot of shiny things on his outfit. He was harmless for the post part, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t carnivorous. While Arthur consumes small animals such as birds and rodents, he doesn’t eat larger animals nor humans.

He and Francis met near the springs one day and eventually settled down once they got to know each other. Francis offered to cook for Arthur so he would help him get used to his change in diet. He even taught him how to properly eat as well as using some utensils he had brought with him. In return, Arthur taught Francis archery, which helped him improve his hunting skills. There was one thing they both had in common: their love for each other. Eventually, the underground den became Francis’ permanent home.

One day, the two of them had twins; Alfred and Matthew. They spend most of their time hunting in the forest as well as exploring places their parents haven’t been too. Alfred is known to be a trickster, while Matthew was more timid and tended to stay out of trouble.

[sanjoongie]

Pʅαɳƚҽԃ Dҽʂιɾҽʂ~ Tσραȥ Eԃιƚισɳ

🌷 Reversal scenario of @flurrys-creativity's planted desires. Go read hers, being the one attacked by the naughty plant is just as fun.

🌷Pairing: Magical Botanist Researcher! reader (f) x Boyfriend! Mingi

🌷Genre: smut

🌷Au: modern magic au, magical au, fantasy au, botanist au

🌷Trope: established relationship

🌷Word Count: 1,705

🌷Rating: 18+, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

🌷Warnings: ⚠DUB CON⚠ read with caution!!! (the plant takes advantage of mingi), nipple play (m&f), oral (m), masturbation (f), fingering (f), voyeurism, restrained sex (bdsm), fear kink (slight)

🌷Summary: when you're intending to feed your carnivorous plant but get side-tracked, you didn't expect to see the plant life in your garden being real friendly with your boyfriend

🌷divider by @cafekitsune

You studied Respirare Picea, or in layman's terms, the breathing spruce tree, with your tongue between your lips. You were sure its breathing was becoming more labored the closer to winter it got. Would it slumber and produce less oxygen? If so, you were thinking you might need to invest in a HVAC, or hummingbird vacuum apparatus collective to have more air circulating. 

“Good morning!” Your boyfriend yawned as he entered your greenhouse. He raised his arms over his head in a stretch, welcoming you with a lovely view of his faint treasure trail.

“Good morning to you too,” you hummed, wrapping an arm around his narrow waist. “What brings you here so early?”

Mingi sent you a hurt puppy dog look. “You weren’t in bed when I woke up. I missed you.”

“I,” you paused to bop your adorably sleepy boyfriend on the nose, “still have the maneater to feed, Mingi. Why don’t you make us some coffee and I’ll be out in a minute.”

Mingi nodded sleepily and then meandered back to the house.

You walked further into the greenhouse, coming up to the pink-tinted green plant that always made your inquiring mind perk up.

“Good morning,” you trilled softly to your carnivorous plant.

The plant unwound its tentacle-like tendrils and extended them out. With a gloved hand, you let it wrap around you in greeting. Normally, the maneater was quite dangerous, but you had raised this one since a seed, so it knew you by scent and sound, so it never attempted to devour you. Besides, it knew you were its only source of food as well, so it didn’t dare have a taste.

You measured its tendrils, noting the growth on your clipboard, and considered measuring the height of the cup where it usually placed its prey to devour. You were rudely interrupted by Mingi barging into the greenhouse once again. 

“I burnt the coffee!” He lamented, looking to you for help. 

“Mingi, I’m in the middle of performing my job,” You couldn't help but say in an unimpressed tone.

“But you always make the coffee the best!” Mingi protested.

“Fine!” You huffed. 

You pulled off your gloves and removed your visor. “Go put on some gear, grab the claw stick, and feed Nelly, okay? That way, everything still gets done.”

Mingi eyed your carnivorous plant. “Me?”

“Oh, don’t be such a scaredy-cat,” You said nonplussed. “If you’re far away and covered up, it won’t harm you.”

“But I--” 

Mingi started to protest, but you interrupted him with a throaty kiss. You could even feel his dick twitch in his pants from the way you pressed your body against him.

“Be a doll and do this for me?” You purred. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

Mingi’s pupils were blown as he nodded his head dumbly. “Okay.”

You walked away, confident Mingi would do as you asked. 

You temporarily put away your equipment and moved back to your house attached to the greenhouse. 

You hummed a little as you roasted the beans with a flip of your wrist. Your nose could pick up the piquant smell when the beans were perfectly roasted. It was a female thing. Must be why Mingi always burnt them.

Just as you were motioning with your hand to pull the tray of beans out of the stone oven, a shriek made you drop the tray. 

Your head whipped around in the direction of the greenhouse. You were certain Mingi was safe, but if he had skipped a step, like say he didn’t put his overalls on, he would be in a lot of trouble.

You dashed from the kitchen to the greenhouse, your heart beating out of your chest. If anything happened to Mingi, or if you had to take out the plant to save Mingi, you were going to be devastated. You were already lucky enough that Mingi endured your obsession with your profession, but you would never forgive yourself if he was harmed from one of your plants.

You turned a corner, your heavy boots skidding along the gravel path, and you were met with a scene that can only be described as absolute filth. Mingi had indeed forgotten his overalls, but his clothes were in tatters, barely clinging to his body. ‘Nelly’, as you so fondly called the plant, was doing very naughty things to your boyfriend. The plant had used its tendrils that had been covered in the substance that broke down the bodies it ate, and had reduced its acidity so that it only wore away Mingi’s clothes where it wanted to… you were having a hard time understanding why the plant wanted to touch Mingi so lewdly. 

You cocked your head as Mingi let out a low moan. Currently he had a tendril rubbing up and down his length, slowly trying to dematerialize his boxers. His shirt still clung to his shoulders, but where his chest was, the material had worn away so that two tendrils could lick at his nipples. One strong tendril was wrapped around his wrists, holding him aloft. 

“Shall I leave you two alone?” You mused out loud.

Mingi’s eyes snapped open, wide and slightly scared. “No, wait, get me out of here. I thought this was a maneater, not a dickeater!”

You chuckled quietly under your breath. “Considering that you’re not being eaten, I think we might have to reclassify Nelly.”

Mingi shook his head, but whatever he was going to say was cut off, as the tendril had worn away his boxers and his long, angry-red cock, bounced against his flat stomach. A new tendril appeared, this one with a small mouth-like apparatus, opening up and encompassing Mingi’s cock. It moved up and down Mingi��s length and he let out a lengthy groan as your plant essentially sucked Mingi off. 

You frowned in thought as you slowly formed a hypothesis. Perhaps your plant was attracted to Mingi’s semen. Scent was a strong motivator for the maneater. If it had discovered Mingi’s erogenous zones, which helped Mingi secrete his semen, it would use that to its advantage.

“Amazing,” You said in a tone of awe.

“A little he-help here?!” Mingi stuttered. 

“But Mingi!” You protested. 

You immediately pulled out the notebook you kept in your back pocket for quick notes and began to write down your theory. “I have to see this to completion to see what the plant is working towards. Besides, it’s kind of turning me on.”

Mingi bit down on his lower lip, another groan threatening to spill from his plush lips. “It is?”

You tucked your notebook back into your pocket and hummed in reply. “Oh yes.”

Mingi mentally collapsed like jello upon understanding that you liked what you were seeing. “Oh fuck, it feels so good,” Mingi whined.

“Is the naughty plant turning you on?” You cooed.

Mingi’s eyes opened, and his eyebrows furrowed cutely. “It feels so wrong, but so right.”

You bit down on the tip of your thumb, getting more and more turned on in the moment. Mingi was clearly blissed out with the pleasure he was receiving, eyes closing once again to enjoy. It was amazing how the plant was taking everything it had to consume live prey and convert it to essentially what equated to a milk machine. What was it going to do with Mingi’s semen once it collected it? 

You had to take advantage of the scene before you, however. You weren’t certain if Mingi would repeat this for scientific purposes, of course, so you would only have one chance to experience this as it was.

You took a few steps backward, moving to get out of the direct reach of your used-to-be carnivorous plant. You unclipped the overalls you had donned, yes, jean overalls under work overalls, and flipped the straps over your shoulder. The garment fell down to your hips, but it left you with enough room to wiggle your hands towards your lower region and begin to touch yourself. 

At first, you kept your noises of pleasure to a minimum, not looking to distract Mingi from the plant that was giving him pleasure. But, if you could tell from the way Mingi’s back was arching and the way his hips were chasing after the tendril that was acting like a mouth, he seemed pretty close to coming. So you did what any girlfriend slash scientist would do: you put on a show for your boyfriend.

You pulled up your t-shirt and bralette, letting your breasts bounce freely. You grabbed one with one hand, pinching and twisting your nipple. Your other hand circumvented your underwear and dipped into your entrance, finding the rough spot inside of you, and began to rub against that as well. Then you let out the loudest moan you could muster.

Mingi’s eyes opened again, zero-ing in on the show you were putting on for him. And with a surprised grunt, he came. His nose scrunched up, his voice getting low and gravelly as he shot his seed inside the plant. 

You watched with avid interest as the plant seemed to ‘swallow’ all of Mingi’s cum up, the semen seemingly travelling along the tendril to its bucket aka it’s main body. As soon as it acquired everything Mingi had to give, it dumped Mingi unceremoniously onto the floor, recalling all its tendrils, apparently done with the human. 

You assumed Mingi would scramble backwards now that he was free but it looked like he was all out of fucks to give, because he had just had the most odd but satisfying orgasm of his life. 

You stopped pleasuring yourself and moved over to Mingi's collapsed form. You wrapped a supportive arm around his waist and attempted to hoist him up. You were not successful and collapsed on top of your well-used boyfriend.

Hair clung to Mingi's forehead, sweaty from the excursion. His tongue was out from panting after his orgasm. His eyes sparkled, and his skin glowed. Mingi looked so fucking good; good enough to eat, if it wasn’t too soon to say so. 

“We better get you away from Nelly before it decides it wants more of your semen, Song Mingi,” You teased your boyfriend.

Mingi whimpered at the thought of being taken advantage of again by the plant. “I could really use a coffee now.”

You leaned forward and gave Mingi a loud smooch on the forehead. “You did good,” You laughed softly. “Let’s go get that coffee.”

[sapphicstone]

Soul's flower garden | broZone x Reader.

‎ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ꒰🌱꒱ ♡ ‎ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ‎ㅤ𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚣𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚡 𝚐𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚛!𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛

summary: you're a gardener, so you have extensive knowledge of all the local flora.

pairings: John Dory x Reader, Spruce/Bruce x Reader, Clay x Reader, Floyd x Reader.

‎ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ‎ㅤ‎ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ‎ㅤ‎ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ‎ㅤhope you enjoy it!

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ꒰🌱꒱ ♡

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ. . . . . john dory

JD drove frantically to Mount Rageous. The place where his younger brother Floyd was supposedly being held. You only knew him from the stories and photos John Dory had, you never saw him in person.

You saw when he read the letter that strangely reached Rhonda and you saw how worried he was.

Mount Rageous looked like an unhealthy place, although it seemed to be partly made of plastic or something similar.

"Wait here." John asked as he got up from the driver's seat.

"I'll go with you." You put down the book you were reading about the local flora and got up, intending to accompany him.

"No way."

And off he goes.

You've spent minutes waiting, after reading the whole book from start to finish, JD arrives with a slightly melancholy expression. He said nothing, just sat back down on the bench and turned around with Rhonda.

You didn't question him about anything in order to maintain respect. John would say an hour, in his own time.

The next day, Rhonda didn't want to walk. John Dory was explicitly worried when he turned the car around and realized that the armadillo simply refused to move. She didn't have the strength.

You both left. You were startled when you noticed the greenish tinge on the poor creature's face. As you approached her, you noticed the sickly look on her face.

"She looks terrible! She must have eaten something she shouldn't have on Mount Rageous."

"What are we going to do?" John looked even more worried.

You knew exactly what to do. Nearby there were some boldo leaves, you picked them and offered them to Rhonda, who frowned as soon as she smelled the plant.

"Come on, Rhonda! I know it looks bitter, but you have to chew it."

She obeyed. Rhonda got better a few hours later and John Dory showered you both with kisses and hugs.

You help John to stay away from plants that can cause allergies, since he loves walking through the woods and acts unconsciously most of the time.

Once he almost ate poisonous berries if you hadn't been around…

"Can I eat that?"

"If you want to swell up and explode into glitter, yes!'' One day, John was bitten by a carnivorous plant and didn't leave Rhonda for a few days. You laughed at him and he got upset.

A complete disaster when it comes to laughing plants, he hardly ever recognizes them. Lucky you know a cure for them.

He loves your knowledge of flora and constantly presents you with flowers he finds in his favorite book.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ. . . . . Spruce/Bruce

He seasons the food with plants that you take to Vacay Island.

Because it's an island, the plantation is somewhat limited, so you have to go out and explore a bit more.

Bruce goes along, he doesn't want you to get hurt while trying to pick plants to season the food sold in the restaurant.

"Do you think this would go well in soup?"

He thinks it's funny when you bring the plants close to your face and smell them to simulate a possible combination.

"No, dear. Try this one!"

"Incredibly delicious."

The best fruit salad on Vacay Island. The best drinks and juices too!

Bruce also gives you flowers and some special seedlings.

One day you told him about a flower that grows in all possible environments, even tropical ones.

Guess what? He found a way to get this flower and helped you plant it in a pot at the back of the restaurant.

Every day that flower grew more colorful and beautiful.

"My little flower" as he calls it.

"My little ones." As he calls his children if they have any.

Your house is all decorated. Flowers in pots, flowers on the ceiling, flower arrangements and the pantry is full of grains and vegetables that you grow yourself in pots for your own consumption.

He waters the plants every day when he remembers.

They all remind him of you, so Bruce doesn't feel lonely when he's away from you.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ. . . . . Clay

Clay's office has never been as colorful as it used to be.

You work in a location a little further away from all the centralization of the putt-putt village.

Because she has a vast knowledge of plants, Viva has appointed her as a "healer". Always serving teas and medicines to trolls who end up injured or sick.

Clay admires you from afar. He gives you some books that he finds interesting, even though you have a collection of them and don't need new ones.

But you think it's cute and keep it anyway.

Afternoon tea almost every day! Clay gave up his coffee addiction for a while just to enjoy his delicious herbal tea.

Clay doesn't like sweets very much, he hardly eats milkshakes and French fries. So salads with fresh vegetables are always welcome!

You stock up on fruit and fresh salad for him in a little jar, always knocking on his office door to deliver it to him.

"Lovely pumpkin." That's what he usually calls you.

"Thanks for helping to look after us!" You say with a smile.

"You do it better than me."

One day you asked him to look at your farm. He liked it so much that, thanks to this tranquillity, he began to relax a little from his work as an accountant. Of course, he was still very professional, but with a little moderation.

You taught him how to pick moon fruit. They have the shape of the star and are naturally illuminated and he keeps one of them as a lamp in his office.

That way, he always remembers how special your relationship is.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ. . . . . Floyd

Skincare!

You definitely know the best plants that can take care of trolls' delicate skin. Almost every night before going to sleep, you rub some creamy plant on their faces and talk while you wait a few minutes for it to take effect.

Floyd has some trouble sleeping. Sometimes his body aches and his mind is agitated, so you prepare some herbal tea with calming properties so that he can relax and sleep.

Your cocoon is in the most flowery tree in the countryside.

Floyd would like to learn more about the flora. He wants to talk to you about his interests and loves it when you teach him something you've recently learned.

flower crown!

But Floyd ends up sneezing from the pollen.

Special fruit pies are always on the table. He loves his homemade sweets.

Floyd puts the flowers in a vase with water. There's always room for more vases inside the cocoon.

He has learned to eat some edible flowers and now always asks you to make some refreshing salad with them.

"Please?" He begs with piteous eyes.

"Okay, Daisy." You call him that and then give him an Eskimo kiss.

The shape of Floyd's hair resembles a tulip, however.

Floyd now smells of roses. And he loves it.

౨ৎ ˖⑅ ࣪⊹ ୨୧ ˖⑅ ࣪⊹ 𝜗𝜚˖⑅ ࣪⊹ ୭ৎ ˖⑅ ࣪⊹ ୨ৎ ˖⑅ ࣪⊹ ೀ౨ৎ ˖⑅ ࣪⊹ ୨୧ ˖⑅ ࣪⊹ 𝜗𝜚˖⑅ ࣪⊹ ୭ৎ

I hope you enjoyed it and sorry for any mistakes! :') masterlist

[anothergameofwickedgrace]

Some sweet Stolitz to soothe the soul.

Pairing: Stolas x Blitzø

Words: ~3,000

Relevant Tags: Comfort, Gentle Sex, Fluff

AO3 Link

"Stolas isn't doing well after being banished. Blitzø tries his best to make him feel better."

Love is a Garden

"Hey. I'm on my way home. How's Stolas been doing?" Blitzø asked over the phone as he drove back to the apartment.

"I don't think he's moved from the couch except to go to the bathroom." Loona replied.

Blitzø sighed.

"Did he at least eat some of what I set out for him?"

Loona got up and cracked her door open, peering over at the table next to the couch. The food was completely untouched.

"Doesn't look like it."

"Dammit, Stolas." He muttered under his breath.

"He's really doing that bad, huh?" She frowned slightly.

"If I can get more than three words out of him at a time, I consider it a win." Blitzø responded. "Hopefully the stuff I got will help cheer him up some. I should be home soon. I'll see you in a few. "

"Okay. Bye, Dad."

Blitzø smiled warmly.

"Bye, Loonie."

About ten minutes later, Blitzø stepped into the apartment, bags and a box in hand. He looked over at the sofa, seeing Stolas’s legs sticking out over the end.

"Hey, Stols. How ya doin', Bud?" Blitzø asked softly and carefully as he closed the door behind him.

No reply.

Blitzø walked over and set the stuff down on the floor near the couch, sitting down by Stolas's legs.

The TV was playing Voxflix, and Stolas was staring blankly forward at it.

"Watch anything fun while I was gone?" Blitzø asked with a small smile.

"Not really." Stolas replied plainly.

Blitzø paused, taking a moment before grabbing one of the bags.

"I got some shit for you." Blitzø told him. "I got you some shampoo that's good for feathers and smells real nice, bubble bath, a bottle of preening oil." He pulled them out to show Stolas as he listed them out. "I got you some tasty snacks I know you like. And your favorite cereal."

"Thank you, Blitzø." Stolas responded, sounding hollow.

Blitzø frowned, brows creasing together. His heart ached as he looked over him.

"Hey. Sit up for me. I got a present for you."

Stolas lifted his head from the pillow, and Blitzø moved to help him sit upright.

"Okay. Close your eyes. No peeking."

Stolas did as he was asked.

Blitzø reached over to the box he'd set down and pulled out his gift to Stolas, holding it out in front of him.

"Okay. Open them."

Stolas opened his eyes, and they immediately widened upon seeing what he was holding in his hands.

What Blitzø held out for him was a small sapling of one of the carnivorous plants that Stolas tended to.

Blitzø looked down as he spoke. "I know you don't have any access to your greenhouse anymore. And I know how much you love and care for your plants, how important they are to you." His eyes flicked back up to Stolas's. "I know it's not much, but I thought maybe you could raise one here."

Stolas took the plant from him, eyes brimming with tears as he looked at her with careful awe.

"She's beautiful." He whispered out, running a finger gently over the top of the plant's bulb.  She perked up at the touch, opening her tiny little mouth.

Blitzø watched, gaze warm, and rubbed at the back of his neck.

"I don't really know shit about them, but I told the lady to bring me the best one she had, and she handed me this one. Said something about some special coloring and that the plant had a, uh—" He paused to look at what he had scribbled down on his hand. "—'pacific and amiable temperament', whatever the fuck that means."

Stolas looked at him with warmth and thankfulness in his eyes, tears running down his cheeks before he leaned over to pull him into a tight hug, careful to mind the plant. "Oh, Blitzy. I love her. Thank you so much."

Blitzø blinked surprised before his expression turned soft and happy. He hugged him back.

"...I didn't realize how much I missed hearing you call me that." He mused, smiling as wetness pricked at his own eyes.

Stolas held him like that for a few long moments before pulling back, and Blitzø saw on his face the first smile he'd seen from him since the start of this whole ordeal. It made his chest clench tightly.

Stolas turned around momentarily to set the plant carefully down on the side table before turning back to Blitzø.

He was looking at Blitzø in a way that pulled at his heart. Tears were still brimming in Stolas's eyes, threatening to spill again. He reached out to cup his face in his hands and leaned in, bringing his mouth to Blitzø's.

Blitzø froze in shock, definitely not having expected that. After recovering from the initial surprise, he kissed him back soft and slow. When Stolas pulled away, hands still cupping his face, Blitzø gave him an adoring look.

"I missed that too." Blitzø chuckled quietly.

Stolas's gaze didn't move from his face. He looked at him with a mix of emotions swirling in his eyes.

Blitzø met his gaze, and moments later, Stolas’s mouth was on his again. This time, Blitzø wasted absolutely no time kissing him back.

Stolas deepened the kiss, one hand dropping down to Blitzø's chest, the other sliding up to hold the back of his horn.

Blitzø reached under his thighs and pulled him gently into his lap before wrapping his arms around his back, holding him close. It felt so incredibly nice to have him in his arms again.

Stolas's hand curled into a fist, gripping onto his shirt. His other hand slid higher up his horn, cradling his head. He started to lean back some, drawing Blitzø down with him.

Blitzø let him pull him down and on top of him without breaking their kiss. He shifted slightly to brace his hands and knees on each side of Stolas.

Stolas arched upward and pressed in close, rubbing himself up against Blitzø.

Blitzø was straining against his pants and he had to assume Stolas could absolutely feel that as he was moving against him.

Stolas's hands slipped under Blitzø's shirt, and he ran them up his abs to his chest. He broke from the kiss momentarily in order to pull said shirt up and over Blitzø's head, discarding it to the floor.

"Stols." Blitzø managed out, trying to get his attention, before Stolas sealed their kiss again, ignoring him and deepening it.

Blitzø wasn't going to complain about the current situation, but it nagged at the back of his mind. Stolas had been almost catatonic for days and now he was trying fuck him. It made him feel uneasy, as if he was taking advantage of his vulnerable state.

"Stolas..." Blitzø purposely pulled away, looking down at him with cautious worry in his eyes.

Stolas tried to tug him back down, but Blitzø refused to budge.

"Blitzø, I know what it is you're going to say. You need not concern yourself. " Stolas looked him directly in the eyes. "This is the first time I've felt any semblance of happiness in days. I don't want it to slip away. I need this respite."

"I just wanted to make sure you weren't just acting on an impulse you'd regret." Blitzø frowned some. "I don't wanna be the reason for anymore of your pain than I already am..."

Stolas gave him a slightly exasperated look.

"You really think after I did all that I did, that having sex with you would be my regret?"

"...Fair point." Blitzø gave him an awkward little smile.

"Kiss me, please?"

Blitzø did exactly that. If physical comfort and pleasure was what Stolas was wanting, he was going to give him it.

Breaking the kiss only momentarily, he reached down and grabbed the hem of the sweatshirt Stolas had been wearing, pulling it off of him and tossing it aside. He carded his fingers up through his feathers, causing Stolas to press closer into his touch.

Stolas reached down, fingers working to unbutton and unzip Blitzø's pants.

Blitzø let him do so before toeing off his boots and shucking said pants and his boxers off. He then turned back to Stolas, removing his shorts and discarding them to the floor.

He slowly kissed his way up his leg and along his inner thigh, gazing up at Stolas the entire time. He shifted Stolas's hips forward some and dipped his head down lower, forked tongue slipping past the entrance of his cloaca. He lapped at his insides, slipping a finger into him as well.

Stolas squirmed at the intrusion, lip catching under his beak as he watched him work between his legs. He reached down, caressing one of his horns.

Blitzø let his eyes slip closed as he focused on getting him nicely stretched and ready, and relished in the taste of him on his tongue, a taste he had feared he'd never have again. He took his time, making sure to rub up against all his more sensitive spots.

Stolas's face was starting to flush, and he had his mouth covered with his hand, muffling the little noises that Blitzø was drawing from him. His chest was rising and falling rapidly, body tensing up.

Blitzø smiled and pulled back, not wanting to push him past the edge just yet. Deeming him more than prepped enough, he shifted his body so he was kneeling between Stolas's long legs. He gave himself a few pumps, slicking his dick up in precum, and lined himself up at his entrance. Blitzø lifted his eyes to him, silently asking for confirmation to continue.

Stolas gave him a little nod.

Blitzø slowly pressed inside him, biting down on his lower lip as the wet heat encompassed him. He reached up and took Stolas's hands in his, lacing their fingers together and pressing them down to the sofa cushions as he fully sheathed himself.

"You are so fucking beautiful." Blitzø breathed as he gazed down at Stolas, starting to move inside him, his strokes long and slow.

Stolas looked up at him, eyes full of loving warmth and mouth falling open in a soft pleasured sigh.

It made Blitzø's throat feel tight. Suddenly, the reality of how close he was to losing him slammed back into him again like a brick wall. It was bad enough before the trial. He had felt so hollow and hopeless without him. But the sheer terror and despair he experienced during those minutes of uncertainty when he was locked away from him...

He swallowed hard and buried his face in Stolas's chest plumage, hiding his face as he desperately fought off the tears stinging his eyes. His fingers tightened around Stolas's, and he let himself sink into the feeling of him, relishing in every movement.

He was never going to risk letting anything happen to him again. He swore to it.

Blitzø's attention was drawn from his own head when he noticed that Stolas's body was trembling slightly, his breathing shaky. Blitzø immediately stilled and pulled back to look him in the face, concern on his own.

"...Stolas?"

Stolas looked up at him. There were tears streaked down his face.

"Don't stop. Please, don't stop." Stolas requested, voice wobbly.

"You're crying." Blitzø frowned.

"I'm okay. I just... got a little overwhelmed." Stolas offered a shaky smile and swiped a hand at the wetness on his cheeks. "It all feels surreal. It's just so much at once, and for days I've just felt so sad and numb, and now—" He took a breath in, steadying himself. "Will you... will you hold me? Please?"

Blitzø's gaze was soft.

"Of course." He wrapped his arms around Stolas and pulled him close to his chest before he started moving inside him again.

Stolas leaned his head down and buried his face into the crook of Blitzø's neck, clinging onto him.

"I got you." Blitzø promised him. "I got you."

He rocked his hips into him, keeping Stolas cradled close. He moved slow and pressed deep, soaking in the intimacy of the action.

Slowly, Stolas relaxed in his arms, signs of any previous distress gone as he melted into the pleasure Blitzø was giving him. Soft, quiet noises started slipping from him, bringing a smile to Blitzø's face.

"There we go. That's it."

Blitzø loosened his grip on Stolas and laid him back down on the sofa.

"I wanna see that pretty face." He told him, running the back of his hand down his cheek.

Stolas's face was flushed in arousal, beak parted as Blitzø continued to draw breathy sounds from him. He kept his arms wrapped around Blitzø, moving with him as his cock slipped in and out of his cloaca. It was all starting to become too much, the pressure building within him.

"Ah-ah." Stolas moaned quietly and breathily. "Oh, Blitzy."

Blitzø could tell he was growing real close with how he was tensing up and clinging onto him. He sped up slightly, angling himself to hit deeper sweet spots.

A whimper of a noise was pulled from Stolas’s mouth as he did. He arched upward so he was pressed flush against Blitzø, talons digging into his back as he teetered on the edge. He only lasted a few seconds more before his climax overtook him.

Stolas bit down where Blitzø's shoulder met his neck to muffle his moan, sharp beak sinking into his skin, causing Blitzø to wince.

Blitzø kept moving inside him, jaw clenching as Stolas spasmed and squeezed around him, trying to keep up the rhythm of his hips.

Stolas let go of his grip on Blitzø as he came down, letting himself fall fully onto the couch. He laid there, soaking in the wonderfully full feeling of Blitzø's cock inside him and the hormones from his orgasm that were washing over him. He gazed up at Blitzø with a tired smile and a blissed expression.

Blitzø reached up and cupped Stolas's face, fingers gently caressing his cheek. He felt warm as Stolas gazed up at him with such a peaceful and happy look. He wanted to do anything to prevent that look from slipping away. To prevent him from slipping back into depression.

Blitzø leaned back up, taking hold of Stolas's thighs. His movements hastened as he felt himself drawing closer and closer to the edge.

"Hey, Stols?" Blitzø panted slightly. "I'm— I'm real close. Did you, um, want me to, y'know—?"

"Are you asking if you can ejaculate inside me?" Stolas asked, a slightly amused edge to his voice.

"That is probably the least sexy way you could have worded that, but yes." He let out a short breathy laugh.

"When have I ever not let you do that?"

"Ah—" A groan caught in Blitzø's throat. "Just wanted to make sure after, y'know, everything."

"Blitzø, I promise none of my preferences or boundaries changed while we were apart." He reached up and ran a hand gently down the side of Blitzø's face with a smile.

Blitzø grip on his thighs tightened as he sped up the movement of his hips, quickly approaching his orgasm. It didn't take long for him to hit it, and he spilled out into Stolas with a pleasured groan.

After a few last lazy pumps to drain himself fully, he let himself collapse down on top of Stolas, face buried in his feathers as he caught his breath and came down.

Stolas smiled softly down at him, ghosting his fingers lightly up and down Blitzø's back.

They laid together for a few minutes, not saying or doing anything, just enjoying each other's presence. Blitzø was the first to break the silence.

"Hey Stols..?"

Stolas's gaze fixed on Blitzø.

Blitzø peered up at him, looking almost timid. His voice was gentle and serious when he spoke.

"...I love you."

Stolas smiled a small smile, soft and warm, and hugged him close.

"I love you too, Blitzø." He responded. "I'm sure I have made that quite clear."

Blitzø let out a quiet, awkward laugh. "Yeah. You certainly did."

Stolas leaned down to press a kiss between his brows, and Blitzø leaned up to give him a quick peck on the cheek in return.

"So, what were you thinking about naming her? The plant, I mean. ...It is a her, right? That's what you said earlier?" Blitzø asked, folding his arms and tucking them under his head as he peered up at him. "I didn't even know plants had a sex."

Stolas gave him a smile. "They are a dioecious plant species, so these in particular do. And she is female, yes. You can tell by the leaves." He paused, looking up at the plant. "And hmmm..." He thought for a second. "How about... 'Hope'? I think that's something we could all use currently."

Blitzø smiled warmly. "Hope sounds perfect."

Stolas stayed quiet for a few long moments, gazing down at him before asking, "Blitzø? Will you lay here with me for a little while?"

"Of course, Stols." Blitzø reached up to gently tuck a few stray feathers back in place. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be."

"Not even riding a horse?" Stolas teased lightly.

Blitzø looked him directly in the eyes, face completely serious.

"No. Not even that. Not even close."

Stolas was taken off guard by that, having expected him to tease him back. A slow smile appeared on his face, and he wrapped his arms even more tightly around Blitzø, holding him close.

Blitzø smiled into his feathers, so very happy to be in his arms. They stayed like that for a long while till they drifted off together.

Loona walked out of her room, pulling an ear bud from one of her ears and looking up from the phone in her hand.

"Hey, for dinner can we—" She stopped when her eyes landed on the scene in the living room.

Clothes were scattered across the floor around the couch. Stolas was on his back, draped across the entire sofa, and Blitzø was lying on top of him, using his chest fluff as a pillow with his tail wrapped around one of Stolas's legs. The two of them were fast asleep, a blanket tossed over them both.

Loona smiled softly to herself, just happy to see they had made progress and were doing better. She stepped back into her room, quietly shutting the door behind her, and headed back to her bed to continue watching stuff on her phone.

"Good for them." She mused.

[far-from-official]

Happy Valentines Day!

Transcript:

"Isn't it beautiful out here?"

Scarab had dragged Prismo outside, far away from home. Many storage cubes full of different sampling equipment sat bunched in Prismo's floating blanket, test tubes and containers, stuff Prismo can't identify by just looking at it sat in those cubes.

"'Suppose so."

Prismo sounded a little bored, but he's seen quite a few of these fields in his very long lifetime. Seen one, you've seen them all. A huge, sprawling flower field. Prismo can't identify a single flower here, even if he tried. Which, to be fair, he won't try. The field was colorful, blindingly so. Yellows, reds, blues, golds. Blobs of every shade of green, sprouting out tall where the flowers hadn't invaded. It reached farther than Prismo's eyesight could render.

Scarab dragged him by the (covered) hand out into it. He mumbles different scientific proposals, things he wants to show to the rest of Wizard City.

Nerd stuff.

Prismo only hears the excited tone of his voice and focuses on that. He quickly fell in more toward Scarab's behavior than what he's actually talking about, finding all the little things he recognizes. Prismo leans on the blanket ball, nodding along like he's listening.

Scarab talks with his hands. Scarab trills and clicks. Scarab watches the ground so he doesn't step on too many flowers at a time.

Prismo gets so distracted that he hadn't realized that Scarab had dropped Prismo's hand, instead actively trying to tug the blanket out from under Prismo.

Prismo lets go of the blanket immediately, stammering out a small excuse.

"You spaced out, didn't you?" Scarab trilled, cutting through his needless excuse. He gently takes the blanket from him, and he spreads it out on the ground.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry." Prismo plays with his turban in his own habit, a nervous tic. Scarab moves each cube to be stacked up all nice and neat, taking out what he needs.

Prismo went to his side immediately, curling into him. His turban was pressed into his back with his legs slung over Scarab's hips, his hands occupying themselves by playing with Scarab's jutting spikes around his chest.

Scarab collected samples despite his limited range of movement, gentle with each flower as he plucked out their pedals and cut stems.

Prismo was instructed to hold things occasionally, pick flowers, go get dirt from the side of that hill over there. He carried them out without much thought, too distracted by watching Scarab at work.

He sat cross legged, stuffing flower petals in some book to dry. Gentle as he turns bleeding stems upside down over a vial and then corking it closed. He whips around excitedly to Prismo, showing him the vial.

"I've never seen this before, look!" He got up with a few creaks and pops in his knees and hips, walking quickly to Prismo despite the clicks coming from his knees. To Prismo, it looked like strawberry jam, as it was bright red with chunks of what looks like seeds. He was far more concerned with Scarab's joints popping like they did.

Scarab was rattling off all of his observations, how the liquid was thick and he thought it was because it was a carnivorous plant, evidenced by the dead flies in the bottom of the plant. Prismo nodded while leading him back over to the blanket, his hand wrapped around Scarab's waist. He knew that Scarab would start hurting soon, based on the sounds of protest his legs were making.

Scarab knew it too, little etches of pain seeping into his voice as he rambled. He walked to the blanket and that's as far as he made it, unable to lower himself down.

When Scarab was in pain, it made bending his knees extremely painful, but standing up straight hurt worse. Prismo looked so concerned, petting his waist in circles, nosing into his neck.

"Y-You can help by lowering me down, Prismo." Scarab knew what he was thinking, holding the backside of the clothed hand on his waist.

"Tell me if I hurt you." Prismo braced himself on Scarab's back, holding him firmly. Slowly, carefully, lovingly, Prismo lowered Scarab to the ground, adjusting the position or moved faster based on Scarab's groans and clicks. The flowers folded underneath Scarab, snapping with loud cracks, bleeding stems soaking the blanket.

Prismo moved out from under him, receiving an upset trill. "What's wrong?" He cupped his mask and Scarab pressed hard into it. "Can you..put your knee under my back and your arm under my head?" He quietly requested, reaching up and holding the hand on his mask.

Prismo whispered delicate affirmations, doing as Scarab said. A mellow chitter left him in pleasure, his pain relieved just a little bit. Prismo thumbed his chest, nosing back into his neck. A mumbled "thank you" left Scarab, who sighed with relief when Prismo's hand shifted to caress Scarab's sore knees.

"I'm sorry our outing was cut short…I didn't mean to get up that quickly." He whispered, shifting his hands to rest over his stomach.

"Mmm..we're still out, aren't we?" Prismo grinned, huffing a giggle against Scarab's cold chitin. "Don't apologize. You were excited, it was cute."

"Ah. Don't call me cute.." Scarab turned his head away, Prismo knows he's not upset. Under his mask, he was sure he was burning up.

"Hush. I like calling you it." He said. "I call it like I see it."

Though, Scarab chattered in pain when Prismo shifted to hold him closer, Prismo frowning and shushing him. "I-I'm sorry–"

Prismo shushed him louder. "Don't apologize. I know you can't help it, and I don't mind holding you through it."

"You don't have to, though."

"I want to. Gives me an excuse to cuddle."

"Like you need an excuse.”

[showrunnerihardlyknowher]

I'm really digging your latest 50's inspired couple! Is there a fic to go with it? I'm dying to know more about their lore, esp the giants. (:

I'm glad you like them so far!! They're fun to play around with.

They don't have a fic to go with them at the moment. I'm gonna be so real with y'all, when I create something it's purely based on vibes and one very specific scene in my head, and then I worldbuild around it lmao. So this is all subject to change but the working lore at the moment is this:

The reputation of humans precede them even before they discovered space travel, and most intelligent species do not view them kindly. It's why no one has ever bothered to make formal contact with them prior and once it was discovered that humans were able to leave their solar system, everyone just kinda groaned.

Anita is part of a small crew on a ship off on a current mission to explore a newly located planet and determine if it's hospitable enough for any kind of human use (living, farming, etc). While there are a few women who work within the space program itself, Anita is the only woman in her crew, and because this is still the 1950's she's constantly directed to stick to the more feminine/lighter tasks. When they land and get settled, her captain basically tells her to go on and pick some pretty flowers while the men do the real work, which is why she's separated from her group initially.

Unbeknownst to the humans, this planet is already well known and documented by most other extraterrestrials. In fact, the whole place is basically one giant conservation effort as many of its lifeforms are endangered and needs help getting back on the mend to avoid total planetary death. That's where the giants come in - park rangers, more or less. They keep an eye on population growth/control, cull any invasive species, care for wildlife until its mature enough to survive on its own, forbid any other space species from altering the ecosystem.

So when the rangers find the human base camp...yeah, they're not happy. Humans are greedy, destructive things; hell, they've already gone and killed the surrounded flora! They've been here for a week and have done a year's worth of damage! And since humans are so low on the totem pole anyways, the rangers waste no time culling them rather than just writing a citation and fine. They're not worth the bureaucracy. They aren't able to kill all the humans, though, but they're very adamant on hunting down the last stragglers before they can do something stupid and wreck the planet anymore.

Meanwhile, since Anita was away from the group, she was inadvertently spared for the time being. She nearly got herself eaten by a carnivorous plant before she was saved by a ranger herself. Unlike his coworkers, he doesn't outright kill her for being an invasive species. She's a pretty little thing and frankly no one told him he had to, so he's not gonna. His excuse is that he's keeping an eye on her to make sure she doesn't singlehandedly deforest half the planet or whatever and...hey, Anita might be a bit apprehensive about him, but at least he's nice enough. She thinks, anyways.

[foggyfanfic]

What Tattoos would the Madrigals have?

Sorta a weird post, because presumably these characters are relatively devout Catholics, they absolutely would not ever get tattoos (not to mention we have no idea how much they know about micro-biology so jury’s out on how clean tattoos would be in Encanto). But I saw @teawizard ‘s picture of Bruno doing male thot jobs and it got me thinking. So!

Edit: Oof, this has been in my drafts way too long.

Alma

Hers are low key the most obvious to me. Alma would definitely have a little memorial tattoo for Pedro, and possibly have the triplet’s names. I’m operating under the assumption that she wasn’t born into an important family, so when she becomes La Señora Madrigal she makes an active effort to play the part rather than it coming naturally to her. Which would mean she might get a single tattoo right after losing Pedro, someplace easy for her to cover, then never again.

Agustín

I was going to say Agustín looks like he was raised too fancy to get tattoos even in this hypothetical, but then I actually thought about it a little. He’s supposed to be super accident prone, right? So, I think he’d have a tramp stamp. Hear me out! First time he goes out drinking with friends he discovers he is way more sensitive to alcohol than he thought he’d be. He wakes up with a bunch of blank spots in his memory, a helluva headache, and a sore spot on his back. A week or two later he is getting undressed to take a shower and notices something weird on his back out of the corner of his eye. And there it is! The words “Señor Madrigal” in a heart made out of healing herbs. Inexplicably, there are dolphins either side of the heart. When he asks his friends, he went missing for a while and they eventually found him hours later with his tie and vest off, and his shirt untucked. Biggest problem? He is not yet dating Julieta.

Julieta

In contrast, Julieta had an idea for a tattoo for her entire childhood, but figured she’d never get it because she knew her Má would hate it. She starts dating Agustín (is very amused when she sees his tattoo), then starts arguing with Alma over her boyfriend. In a fit of pique, she decides to get the tattoo whether or not her Má likes it. Even though Alma is annoyed at the tattoo itself, when she sees it she can’t help but like it. It’s essentially Julieta’s own version of the Hippocratic Oath on her left shoulder blade. Pepa makes fun of her because “even when you rebel against mother, you’re so perfect about it”. Eventually, Juli gets a matching tattoo with her siblings. Eventually.

Pepa

Pepa always wanted a tattoo but couldn’t settle on anything until Dolores is born. After that she gets each of her baby’s birthdates tattooed on her ankle. She would also eventually get a matching sibling tattoo.

Félix

Song lyrics, his wedding anniversary, and a tattoo that references his side of the family in some way. Maybe all together to form a sleeve, but more likely to be on his back.

Bruno

Bruno would have a full sleeve of good luck tattoos, and then some. He would have a chicken on one foot and a pig on the other (sailor superstition), on his shoulder blade opposite his sleeve he would have a prayer he likes that he got right before going into the walls. In an ill thought out fit of boredom he would give himself a stick and poke in the walls, the word “leña” on his knuckles (one of the ways to say wood in Spanish, although it looks like people usually use it to say firewood, but “madera” wouldn’t fit on his knuckles). Then when he gets out of the walls and is reunited with his sisters they would get a matching tattoo, the movie hasn’t really shown us enough of their relationship for me to say exactly what, but something meaningful to them.

Isabela

Immediately post movie she would get a sleeve of carnivorous and poisonous plants in order to express her newfound individuality. Later when she’s gotten over the initial high of finding herself, she would get a butterfly or something, something that represents her love for the family.

Dolores

One of Mariano’s poems on the inside of her forearm so she can reread it regularly. And a little lightning bolt right behind her ear, Pepa’s gift probably makes their relationship complicated, so I could see them looking for ways to show they do love each other despite said complications.

Luisa

She would have some sort of inspirational quote on her bicep about hard work, then post movie she would get another on the other arm about remembering to pause and enjoy life every once in a while.

Camilo

Like his mother he’d have a really hard time picking a tattoo, since the creators said they would have included him having slight identity issues if they had the space for it. When he gets on the other side of those issues, he gets those two theatre masks on the inside of his wrist to remind himself not to get too caught up in his own act.

Mirabel

Since she puts so much self expression into her clothes she wouldn’t really get the point of getting a tattoo until post movie when she starts actively building a relationship with Alma and thus gets to learn the town’s history more in depth than before. Then she gets the date the Encanto was established, a picture of the butterfly that was on the candle, and a quote about love conquering all.

Antonio

His back would become a guide to different animal tracks. So there would be the paw print and then right under it a label explaining what animal it goes to, but like all over his back and spilling down his arms when he runs out of room. Since he and the artist wouldn’t be sure how to do snake tracks, he’d have the local snake species circling his ankles and wrists.

[zzthekaiju]

Best of the Reptiles in Media - 02 - Heart

Here we are again taking a look at some of my favorite scaly heroes. And this time, we go to the realm of animation. That golden frontier where anything is possible.

A lot of people have asked me what my favorite animated film is. And ever since 2016, I've had the definitive answer. It's a film from Japan staring who might be one of my favorite animated protagonists of all time. One that I wish was recognized by way more people than just the cult following his movie got.

You could say that this character...has a special place in my Heart.

And yes, that is his name. You'll learn to appreciate it.

Omae Umasou da na (You are Umasou) (2010) is an anime adaptation of a series of children's books revolving around a belligerent Tyrannosaurus Rex who ends up adopting a baby Ankylosaurus, with all the mishaps that implies. I'll admit, when I heard about this film for the first time, I wasn't sure what to think. Surely, this free film uploaded to Youtube wouldn't possibly--

It proceeded to rewrite my brain chemistry forever. It really is a great film. It's beautiful to look at, the animation is really action-packed and cute at the same time, it's got a gripping story (which I'll get into), and above all, it's main character is a martial arts-practicing Godzilla-looking T-Rex who engages in interspecies adoption. WHAT MORE COULD I HAVE ASKED FOR?!

But enough beating around the bush, why is Heart so compelling to me?

Let's start with an introduction. Heart is a Tyrannosaurus Rex from a prehistoric world whose lost egg winds up found and adopted by a kindly Maiasaura. Unfortunately, a carefree life of fun and peace with his mom and half-brother Light is brought to an end when he discovers his true nature as a "Big Jaw" (as in, carnivore). After running away out of fear of what he might do to his family, he grows up hardening both his soul and his combat skills so that he may survive the unforgiving badlands outside of the forest he grew up in (complete with training montage).

Then, as if life wasn't done throwing him curve balls, Heart is imprinted upon by a little baby Ankylosaurus he was just about to eat (complete with calling him the Japanese word for delicious, hence the name). Soon, Heart is caught between going with his true nature or taking a few cues from his own adoptive mother...

Design-wise, Heart isn't winning any accuracy contests, but then again, no creature here is. And it hardly matters, either. This dino manages to find a great balance between looking like the kind of character I'd want a plushie of (seriously, why haven't we gotten on to that) and one that conveys great ferocity and coolness. A major part of how that's conveyed is his expressions. This guy is a GOLDMINE of reaction faces for almost every occasion. So much so that, long ago on my Instagram page, I posted a compilation of faces that either cracked me up or just showed his facial range in general.

What's your favorite? Let me know in the notes/reblogs!

Anyway, then there's when he fights. And MAN, does it go hard! Heart doesn't exactly wear kiddie gloves when he's put in a combat situation, utilizing heavy kicks and deceptive agility as his opponents barely keep pace. We see him go up against sauropods and other Big Jaws, and really, I just need to show you these GIFs to sum up what it's like.

But that's not where Heart truly shines. It's his role in the narrative. You see, in most dino media aimed towards younger audiences, the big mean carnivore is the villain. This was most prevalent in works like The Land Before Time with Sharptooth, and the Carnotaurs from Disney's Dinosaur (both of which were the stuff of nightmares for little dino nerds like me). Not that this is necessarily a bad thing. Giant theropod dinosaurs are indeed scary, so of course they make for good villains. But then you consider that most of these predators aren't hunting our adorable plant-munching protags because they're evil. It's just in their nature as predators. What are they gonna do? Go vegan?

And that's the troublesome crossroads Heart finds himself at. You could say this film offers a deconstruction of the "vicious meat-eating dinosaur" archetype. The Anti-Sharptooth, if you will. We're obviously meant to root for him because he's the protagonist and an altogether pleasant guy, but at the same time, both herbivore and carnivore are fully-sapient beings here, and Heart must feed.

The film does NOT restrain from showing him hunt down his prey, but it has the intelligence to show that this is not malice or even pleasure, it's simple survival instinct. He is a huge shade of grey in what would otherwise be a very black-and-white scenario in any other film. And it gets even harder for Heart when Umasou enters the picture.

For the record, almost all of Heart and Umasou's interactions are the definition of adorable. Little Umasou is such a little ball of sunshine both inside and out, and poor Heart just doesn't have the...well, heart...to either eat or abandon him. Seeing his exasperation while keeping him safe while also training him in the ways of fighting like an anime protagonist (complete with training montage) is all kinds of endearing and a testament to Heart's strength of character. Of course, it leads to the inevitable point where he has to let him go...but unlike the source material, it doesn't take. Umasou knows that he and his adoptive dad are as different as can be, but he doesn't care. He's his family, and vice versa, something Heart comes to accept whole-heartedly (I did it again, didn't I).

And with that, the ending to this amazing nature vs. nurture story is very bittersweet, starting with Heart and Umasou reuniting with the former's mom.

Actually, before I keep going, I just want you to know that this scene in which they finally see each other again made me go from "wow, great movie, ten out of ten" to "I NEED TO TALK TO MY MOM!!!" in less than a minute. Seriously, if you're looking to strengthen your maternal bonds, watch this movie and watch the magic happen.

Aaaaanyway, after a heated battle between Heart and the one implied to be his real dad, the truth remains that he can't stay. He's resigned himself to a life as an outcast, never being compatible with his parent and brother's kind while at the same time being shunned by his fellow Big Jaw for adopting food. Nevertheless, he leaves in high spirits, having mended what had for the longest time been a broken bond. That, and he doesn't have to be a straggler alone, anyhow.

Really, Heart is everything I love about a lot of protags in one big package. He's a reptile (a dinosaur no less), he's a badass, he's a nice guy, he rages against what he is in order to be WHO he wants to be, and he's undoubtedly dad of the year. I hope more people come to recognize and appreciate him as much as I do.

Also, he's heavily implied to be in a steady relationship with an adorable Elasmosaurus, so he's got that "interspecies romance" trope possibly going for him too! C'mon, fellow You are Umasou fans old and hopefully new, you can't tell me you don't see it too!

[quasip]

Harbinger of the Apocalypse- Silas Laeratin from "One Knight Stand" by @oneknightstand-if

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that."

Decided to put my insane ramblings in the readmore because, man, I have some thoughts and I don't want my tags to look like a bloated monstrosity.

First of course I have to praise this wonderful work. The customization is astounding but what I really enjoyed was the flavor dialogue. Sometimes it's subtle but it flows so naturally that it really makes you feel that you have a person as an MC. The world and characters feel real and alive and like they've got their own thing going on. Also the EXTREME PARANOIA I get reading dialogue or looking at answers to asks is fun in a masochistic way. What are the lies? The truths? Who knows! All I know is I'm going to have a mental freak out by the end of it and I'll be thankful for the ride.

Anyway, back to my precious fae(ry) boy, too good for this world (maybe. Backstory still pending). Surely being a trusting bleeding heart will not backfire at all in the apocalyptic game of Amoung Us. Honestly the characters are all so good so I can only imagine that I'm going to scream no matter who ends up being the traitor (side eyes Merlin). At least he'll always have his trusty iron lamp and Audrey III! No, he isn't a masochist why do you ask?

Anyway, Silas Laeratin. Changeling. Taken from an abusive home and placed in the care of a loving if aging couple. I headcanon this is where he decided to be a paramedic, taking care of these people who loved him despite his weirdness and scars until their end. He wants to help people like he was helped. He wants to be human and if he stops helping, stops being near them maybe he'll forget what that means. Smoking and sleeping help dampen that worry. Reminds him of "home".

Also lucid dreaming because that sounds like a massively fae skill. Buzzing around dreams. Wish we could drag the others in front of Arthur in the dream for a Royal Vibe Check but alas. Hard way it is. Also poor Arthur man. Silas just wants to go into the dream so he can talk and hangout with the poor guy. Seems like he can use some company that isn't an unknowable horror.

Adrian is his gardening and fencing friend! Partners in nerdism and carnivorous plant propaganda. It's so fun teasing him. No crush but man is it enjoyable to see this man flustered. I think Silas would like to say outlandish things to get this man to smile. Also tease him with tongue twisters and riddles. I apologize for all the times he's going to have to potato sack Silas away from suicidally trying to help someone. Or sleeping with Merlin which is probably what he's going to do if offered in Chapter 3. The side eye Silas is going to get will be legendary. Sorry Adrian. Not my fault Merlin is stupid hot and also funny.

[elcor-thespian]

The rule is for every hour I clean my house, I can spend one hour yapping about my digital children. SO:

I'm doing Rook and partner questions for each of my Rooks. One question at a time.

6) What are their favorite things to do together? Do they share any hobbies? Do they teach each other their hobbies?

Here are the couples:

Nephele Mercar (human rogue) - Lucanis

Nasreen Aldwir (elf mage) - Emmrich

Aleksei Laidir (elf rogue) - Bellara

Brenna Thorne (human warrior) - Davrin

Elspeth de Riva (dwarf warrior) - Harding

Konstantin Ingellvar (Qunari warrior) - Neve

Paloma (Qunari mage) - Taash

Nephele and Lucanis both cook, although she doesn't let him know that until they are officially together. Nephele is from Rivain and her cooking style reflects that, so they spend a lot of time experimenting in the kitchen together showing each other different recipes and techniques. Nephele has never been a good baker however, so Lucanis is trying to help her get better (it's not going well). But Nephele also sews, and she's trying to teach him and that's not going well either. She get's bored when trying to learn to knit and it doesn't make sense anyway because they live in Antiva WHEN are they going to wear all of these scarves and sweaters. Lucanis points out that she doesn't need to make her own clothes anymore either because they can pay someone to do it.

Nasreen because a rabid reader when she meets Emmrich. She's never felt one way or the other about reading, she just hasn't had consistent access to books. But she starts burning through his library and WHAT DO YOU MEAN that this isn't your full library? There's more?? As she's reading she's coming to him with questions which turn into long conversations and eventually (as she learns more) debates. What do you mean debating isn't a hobby? It is if you're doing it right. Also they both have an interest in plants, although Emmrich prefers flowers and she prefers poisonous and carnivorous plants. Nasreen also plays guitar and sings. Emmrich doesn't have any musical ability but he loves listening to her.

Aleksei is functionally illiterate which initially made him feel pretty out of his depth with Bellara. But he's not a quitter so he used it as a way to get closer to her and now they're working on hie reading and writing by writing stories together. He is however, naturally gifted in alchemy and chemistry, which is a fancy way of saying he can make shit that explodes. He also tinkers around with mechanical things. How did you think we got the gun for the Saboteur specialization? Bellara and Aleksei's first date.

Brenna and Davrin are that annoying ass couple that work out together and hike. I mean good for them. Just can't relate.

NEVER forget that Lace Harding was an official member of the Sing-quisition. NEVER. Can Elspeth sing? Not in the slightest. NEITHER of these idiots can cook, so most of the time they go out to eat and try new food in whatever city they've ended up in. Elspeth is really in to wine hand has a share in the Dellamorte Vineyards post-Veilguard (Lucanis was like, of sick, you want to take some of this responsibility off of me? Done.). She's not good at gardening (they are fighting for their life trying to keep a single succulent alive, so Lace helps with that aspect.

Konstantin is a talented charcoal artist and poet, but he absolutely does not share this. Neve finds out eventually, and shows him her doodles in her notes (you know the ones). Once he is officially assisting her detective work (He is her Watson and is THRILLED about it), he does composite drawings of suspects, sketches of crime scenes, etc. He also does a lot of reading (mostly history), and will read to Neve to help her relax.

Paloma and Taash is hard because they really are opposite people and I haven't played through the romance yet, and Paloma is the character I've played the least. Paloma and Taash do meditate together (for different reasons and with different results). I think Paloma does also get into the dragon stuff. I think it would be really hard to date Taash and not be in to dragons.