#it is usually used with terms like bear and otter

[castleofravens]

“Fintan isn’t a twink” “calling fintan a twink reduces/degrades his character” im gonna hold your hand while i tell you this…

[bonny-kookoo]

Jungkook: Clingy 🔞 [Part 1]

In which Jungkook is a professional hybrid heat-partner who just wants to do his job.

Tags/Warnings: Hybrid AU, Wolf hybrid!Jungkook, Otter hybrid!Reader, Angst, strangers to ???

Additional Chapter Warnings: mentions of sex work, we're starting with slight Angst, conflicting feelings already oof

-> Masterlist

♥━━━━━━━━━━━♡━━━━━━━━━━━━♥

Jungkook is someone who's learned to read a person's character simply by looking at the way their apartment looks like.

You're a little chaotic, but it seems that you do have a certain way of organizing most of your things. Despite the small size of your living space, it feels spacious enough and very much like a home, much different to his own home, he feels like. It smells nice, too - faint traces of a past dinner and clean laundry, mixed with fresh air you're letting in currently through an opened window near your small open kitchen. "I'm sorry it's so messy I- uh, didn't.. I don't know. I couldn't really clean up well-"

"It's completely fine, don't worry. It's normal in your state." He reassures calmly, letting you know that he's pretty knowledgeable in terms of hybrid heats - male as well as female, that is. It's his job, after all - and he's one of the best in his company. You've only gotten the chance to book him because there's been a small flue wave going around in the company, rendering most lower rated and 'cheaper' partners unavailable. He's basically not supposed to be here, but considering you've booked weeks ago, the company had no choice but to give you an alternative.

So instead of a fellow otter hybrid, you're going to spend it with this.. very tall and clearly-out-of-your-league-attractive wolf hybrid. Not what your personal choice would've been, but right now, the only other option would've been to cancel entirely, which would've ended in you probably being sent to hospital instead.

And no one likes to spend their heats there.

"..uuurgh still, I don't like this." You fuss around, clinging onto a round pillow as you walk around and adjust more blankets on the pull-out sofa. It's clear to him that if the circumstances hadn't changed like this, you would've never met him in the first place. He's not one to judge by monetary wealth, but its very obvious that you're not the kind of clientele he usually deals with.

First of all, you're his age, just a little younger. He typically deals with women well into their thirties at least- something that never bothered him, but also something he's never quite realized until now. He's not only a heat partner, after all- he also provides company for dinners and other activities of non-sexual nature. 'Arm-candy' like most women would call him.

Secondly, you're clearly not used to having visitors. Much less heat-partners; he's read from your paperwork given by the company to him, that you've never booked with his agency prior to a few weeks ago, and that you've put a cross into the 'Inexperienced' line of the questionnaire. It tells him two things; you're not a Virgin, which takes a little pressure off of him, but you're also not very experienced when it comes to physical intimacy.

You've answered the papers online in a way that gives him a few rough clues as to what you'll need from him. Considering you're typically using suppressants, he knows you might not respond well to an overbearing partner. At the same time, most answers lead him to the conclusion that you will, however, enjoy someone who can take control over the situation and lead you with calm and soft dominance.

Looking at you, nervously nesting on all fours with your arm still clutching the small pillow, he is almost sure that he will enjoy it this time as well.

You're cute - there's no other more fitting word to describe you with for him. Fluffy socks, hybrid tail wagging every now and then, and tiny bear-like ears between your hair moving around with no pause, making him watch you with amusement. He's done a little research on otter hybrids to prepare himself, and to say that he's gotten curious to meet you would be an understatement.

Your kind is rare in the first place - only a few hundred remaining around the world, and most of them are male, not female. Female otter hybrids prefer a mate of the same species, but male otter hybrids aren't very social and, most of the time, aggressive when it comes to physical intimacy. They don't stay with one partner, are prone to infidelity, and do not do well with kids. So most end up with a partner of a different species - and otter genes aren't very dominant, so the resulting child most likely won't gain the mother's hybrid-side.

It made him pity you a bit- the fact that you'll most likely never have a child that looks like you, or that you were willing to spend your heat with someone of the same species for comfort even though you know of the dangers and downsides of it. Maybe that's why he's made sure the company didn't change him for someone else as the alternative. Something about you got stuck in his head - an odd need to at least have someone take care of you properly once in your life because everyone deserves that.

"Its small, isn't it?" You wonder, sitting in the middle of your 'nest', eyes glimmering as you watch him walk closer, putting his bag down close to the bed. "This must be so awkward for you." You chuckle dryly, emotions all over the place due to your pre-heat.

"Absolutely not. Your home is very welcoming and inviting." He reassures, eyes careful to take note of any change in body language so as not to make you nervous. It's a habit, trained into him by now, to make sure customers will be happy with his services at the end of the day. But maybe this time, it's not just that. Something about you, your scent, your behavior.. makes him feel oddly protective, almost.

He blames his alpha-genes.

"You have to say that." You mumble more or less to yourself.

"Hm, maybe, but I mean it too." He shrugs, taking off his jacket before he puts it over his bag. His scent hits you like a wave, making you visibly shudder - something he seems to notice with a small smirk of his, amused, yet you yourself hide more or less in embarrassment. "You're very cute." He comments, and you growl, nose crinkling and tiny canines showing for a second-

Something that makes him laugh, for the first time in a while actually makes him laugh out loud, because that's the least threatening and simultaneously most adorable attempt at intimidation he's ever seen in his life. His tail wags behind him, smacking against the covers, but it makes you smile most of all, something he decides you should do all the time.

You're such a fresh change of the overpriced dinners and millionaire mansions he's been experiencing up until now.

"Okay so, I uh, don't like that position where I'm facing down, but also please don't stare because that'll make me nervous, and I have to hold something all the time because if I don't I get anxious and-" you ramble, and he puts a reassuring hand on your bare thigh, something that sends an odd feeling into his own core, your skin so fucking soft and warm underneath his fingers that he cannot help but let them move around a little bit, thumb running circles.

"I've read your questionnaire and everything. Don't worry about a thing, okay?" He tells you, and you stare for a moment, before asking.

"Are those real?" You wonder, reaching out to tap the silver balls from his piercing on his eyebrow, making him chuckle again. Your mind is clearly all over the place at this point, but he doesn't mind one bit.

Because you're honest. You don't try to impress him, or instantly use him with no hesitation nor thoughts for him.

"They're real. This one too." He explains, pulling on his lip ring for a second. Your eyes widen a bit, thoughts of what it might feel like if you'd kiss him filling your head- but that's a rule you'll have to keep in mind. That's what's been written in his limits.

His description had intimidated you quite a bit at first. Marked down as someone with 'hard dom and sadism experience' made you worry at first, especially after reading about all of his kinks, likes, and preferences. Edging, shibari, orgasm control, size kink, or other intimidating words like manhandling or primal play. Googling these terms made you delete your browsing history immediately after; pictures and videos still in the back of your head. That, combined with the fact that he's tall and athletic and so much more experienced, just filled you with nervousness, to say the least.

But his limits were something that confused you.

Kissing had been at the top of the list, right above things such as praise and pegging - the last being another thing you had needed to search up on the internet.

"Have you eaten yet?" He breaks you out of your thoughts, cheeks reddening as you realize you must've stared at him for a full on minute at least by now, but he doesn't seem to care much about it. "We might want to do that before your first wave hits." He reminds you, and you nod.

"Yeah.. I mean, No- I mean no, I've not eaten, and yes, we should do that." You stutter out, and he nods with a gentle smile. You wonder if he has a girlfriend. The description said no, but he might just not want to declare that publicly. You can't imagine someone like him being single, if you really thought about it. But then again, he could also be a total asshole if he wasn't working, which this is to him.

Work. It's his job. Get yourself together.

"I can just.. have some snack or something. No need to cook." You tell him when he walks towards your kitchen area.

"You need something proper, though. You mentioned that your longest heat was almost two weeks." He gently scolds, looking back at where you're sitting in your nest. "Nutrition is important. You'll need all the energy you can get."

It all reminds you that in maybe just a few hours, your first wave will hit. You'll be completely under his mercy, body aching to be ruined by him, and it all kind of hits you at once. He's here to have sex with you, and he's done it to many before you. His actions aren't one of kindness- they're simply customer service so to speak, no actual emotions behind them. This man is simply good at his job, good at acting the part of a good companion- but down the line, as soon as your heat ends, he will not care.

Just like everyone else.

Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe you should've taken your suppressors. You don't even know why you took Seokjin's advice to stop using them. "Hey." He coos suddenly, sitting next to you on the nest where he looks at you with mild worry. "Can I touch you?" He wonders, and you shrug before nodding. It's not like that'll help you in any way - and neither will he hurt you. His rating would be badly affected by that. He brushes away your hair before seemingly measuring your temperature simply by feel, clicking his tongue quietly. "Already slipping, hm?" He softly states, and again, you only shrug.

Depressive thoughts and feelings can happen to females who suddenly stop the use of suppressants. Messing with hormones is never a good idea, and these medications do exactly just that - creating an imbalance if taken too often, which seems to have been the case with you. Jungkook makes a mental note to be extra careful with you in that case so as not to send you into an episode. Having you drop would be more than stressful for the both of you, and he intends to make this a good experience for you.

Not just for his ratings, but for you.

But he can also only do so much. He can't get too close, can't give you the impression that this is anything but business to him, because that would just be cruel to you. He won't present himself as anything more than what he is; someone you paid for, someone who will ease your pain during your most vulnerable time, someone who's job it is to make you feel good during all of this.

He's not someone to fall in love with. He himself knows he's tainted, dirty. His body is stained with the past touch of all of these people he's entertained, and while he doesn't see anything wrong with his work, he also knows how it's viewed by the general public. He's chosen this himself, and he's fine with it all - but someone like you who seems so kind and friendly should not think of him as a potential lover.

His love would only corrupt you.

"We can order something quick and easy. But you need to eat, okay?" He carefully tells you, watching as you just let yourself fall to your side, clinging onto the pillow in your arms until you stubbornly shake your head.

"M' not hungry." You mumble muffled into the pillow, but he won't have that, as his hand pulls it down.

"Maybe you do not feel hungry right now, but you are." He tells you with a stern gaze. "I've heard your tiny little tummy roar like a lion just a few minutes ago. You don't get to fool me." He jokingly scolds, and you pout at him defeatedly, pushing against his thigh with your socked foot - one he catches by the ankle. "Are you going to be a brat with me?" He tries, and your eyes glimmer with mischief at that. "I thought you'd be such a good girl, but look at you. I'm almost disappointed." He sighs, leading to your eyes widening as you quietly look at him with an expression he knows would melt anyone's tough intentions.

He himself knows he wouldn't be able to say no to you at any given time if you'd shoot him a glance like that.

"Maybe if you share a meal with me, I'll be happy again." He sing-songs, amused by the way you're so easily controlled by his words alone. He wonders how you'll react later on when he's going to play your body like this. He just knows you'll be so deliciously responsive to the tiniest touch - writhing underneath him, happily receiving his care. He already has to think about all the things he wants to try with you.

Will he be able to push you around a little? He'd love to dominate you with more than just his words, that's for sure. If he could, he'd even bite; mark your body up, leave his own proof that he's been allowed to be this close to you at all. You'd squeak so adorably once he'd bite your neck while taking you from behind, pushing his seed as deep as it can go, filling you up-

He snaps out of it, fingers stilling where they'd been running over the soft bare skin of your thigh, your leg laid out over his lap by now as he'd been busy in his thoughts.

Jungkook used to believe in fate. In soulmates, true love, destiny, and karma - but nowadays, he's grown up. He knows most of that is a lie. People who stay together for life are the exception and not the norm, and families break apart over the smallest of arguments. The fact that he feels himself slip even just the slightest bit from his own control means nothing. It can't mean anything.

He won't allow it to.

You'll forget about him after this. You'll be just another person's dirty little secret, something you might be talking about when you're drunk in the future playing some game with your friends- but nothing you will ever openly admit, and he's fine with that. He knows that this is his place in the world and in society in general. He's okay with that.

And yet, somewhere deep inside, he worries.

Because your scent is already stuck in his head. Your mere skin already makes him crave more. The sight of you has his muscles weak.

He blames his alpha genes again.

Because that's easier for now than possibly admitting what might actually be going on.

[sammy--moh]

A random ramble about my identity, modern queer community and queer history bc I'm hyperfixated

(I don't want slur discourse under my post. I reclaim words that have been directly used to oppress me only and only towards myself, that's where the conversation ends)

(Cis/Hets don't touch this post

Terfs especially don't even look at this post

Anti kink fuckers don't look at this post, kink and LGBT are separate things but you cannot untangle kink history from queer/LGBT history

If your against the use of the word queer, don't clown on this post

Queer cis people are free to interact and add their opinions but don't clown on this post

Trans people and queer punks and activists please interact <3

Any corrections are welcomed as long as their constructive)

So you could probably find a few posts of me talking about some of my more modern and neo/xeno identity labels, its something I'm fairly proud of I'm a neo pronoun user and have been out as a nonbinary man for a long time

But I don't think I talk about my more, I guess classical and older queer labels and that feels disingenuous because I do still love queer history and have a lot of what would be considered ""outdated"" identieies

Yeah I'm a neo user and have some xeno gender labels, and I'm T4T which as far as I know is a label thats been around a long time but its still common and normally used today

But im also just a gender nonconformist(sometimes i use and reclaim the words transexual and transvestite just to piss off cis people who say i cant), i unapolgetically reclaim the word f4g, im in the leather community, I'm a fem man, im a cub, all things that have been around maybe since the 60s - 70s that I/still/ find connection to, comfort and community in

I mean hell I usually consider myself to currently be in a masc 4 fem relationship which you'd probably never guess by just looking at me

Which is another thing! Why is it always assumed that cubs and bears are the mascs?? I think I have more traditionally feminine clothing and presentation then most of my twink friends, I am a big, fat, extroverted, hairy cub and I am still the fem in one of my relationships and very feminine and fem presenting in general

Obviously masc 4 fem is not the only kind of mlm and wlm relationship that's stupid sndnd and expecting it is heteronormative, some people are masc 4 masc,fem 4 fem, heck not everyone /likes/ traditional masc fem labels and that's awesome!

Another thing I don't see a lot of people talk about is the fact that the bear and cub community is objectively a body positivity movement, that's what it started as that's what it always will be

Bear culture was a reaction to the beauty standards of gay culture at the time, when the ideal in gay relationships were young, thin, conventionally attractive gay and bi/multisexual men

Bear culture was specifically made to appreciate, lift up, and love large, hairy,sometimes older gay and bi/multsexual men and cub culture branched off from bears

I'm gonna be honest, I am recovering from a few body image issues and disorders that I wont go in depth on, and bear + cub culture has helped me to love myself and my body and find myself attractive more than any other body positivity space! Not to say other body positvity spaces arent important and needed, but that as a queer trans man this one has been the space I felt the most welcomed in

I wish there were a few expectations we could leave behind, like the idea that bears and cubs only date other bears and cubs, that terms like bear, twink, otter, leather gay, ect are gay exclusive and not just mlm and nwlnw terms, that fem and masc culture are gay and lesbian exclusive (dont come at me there are several moments in history we see these terms used by bi and generally queer men and that show masc and fem culture in bi and generally queer spaces)

I wish I could find more people like me in history, trans men who weren't masc, transmen and transmascs that were unapologetically feminine, I want to find transman queens in history, trans gay and mlm men, it's hard to find.. but I'm almost positive there has to be at least some people like me in queer history

But in general there's so much we can learn and keep from older queer culture that I feel has been lost a lot with younger generations

I love modern queer culture and neo/xeno labels and communities ans MOGAI and the breakdown of gender norms and sexual expectations

But im also unapolgetically a fem, leather loving, kinkster, trans fucking, fat cub, cross dressing faggot

All of these things are me

You cannot untangle or separate these identieies and labels from /me/

There are riots and loss in my history, and there is raw, unapolgetic queer beauty as well. there is pride in my veins, and fight in my lungs, and I wouldn't trade any of it for shit

[evereverest2]

You do NOT have to answer all of these if you don't want to lmao these are just the ones that looked most interesting to me

15, 18, 23, 56, 63, 64 for Little Monster

bitch i finna answer them all i love LITTLE MONSTER SM

15. How do you write smut scenes? Do you get very visual or detailed? How important is it to be realistic?

so generally i put myself in the narrative and i remember/imagine what certain things feel and look like (even though im unfortunately not a gay man) i think i’ve mentioned this before but the way i write i just see the scene like a movie. i imagine every little feeling and detail and try to cram it into the prose as much as i possibly can, and that’s especially the case with smut scenes.

for me, realism is super important. when i was first starting out and was still a virgin i read a lot of smut and therefore would just emulate what i read. experience is def the best way to know how to write something, but given that i will never be a gay man sometimes u have to do a lot of research, ask a man what it’s like to have ur pp touched, and do ur best from there

despite that, though, there is such thing as too much detail for me. there are MANY smut authors in this fandom and all corners of the internet who will give you LOTS of detail. things like the sensation of pubic hair on the tongue and descriptions each and every little pussy fold jiggling is just too much for me. sex irl is goofy and ugly even if it is hot and sexy and fun, and i often exclude the ugly gross parts bc i feel that as a reader and writer, u aren’t reading smut to know what sex is like exactly, ur reading it for the intimate and sexy aspect of it all. plus, i don’t write porn for the sake of porn, i often write it to explore a particular relationship especially as it changes, and you can 100% see that each time i write terzomega fucking in Little Monster.

18. Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process? How do you come up with titles?

usually after.

titling and naming things is the hardest thing for me fr. this is the girl who named her stuffed teddy bear “teddy”, her stuffed otter “otter”, her bunny/baby bunny duo “mrs bunny” and “baby,” her stuffed snake “snakey” ….. so on and so forth. i’ve never been creative with names. so what’s easiest for me is to write the whole thing out and take a certain image/idea/moment/name etc. that i want the reader to pay attention to and make that the name.

for instance, on a personal project, i named one chapter of the story “organ”. in the chapter, there is brief mention of an church organ with an unidentified musician playing it. this is one vague moment that isn’t brought up again, and it may have been missed had i not drawn attention to it with the title. the unidentified organist is a key character that appears throughout the story and is implied to have an overarching influence on the main character.

that’s just one example of how i name things. Little Monster is very similar, i want to draw extra special attention to the term ‘mostriciatto’ and the way terzo uses it throughout the story

23. Best writing advice for other writers?

just go read my post honestly. my best advice is genuinely to keep writing as often as you can.

56. What’s something about your writing that you pride yourself on?

the characters. god i love writing characters and crafting their mannerisms and especially DIALOGUE. muah 😭💕 i think that’s the biggest reason my fics tend to hit people emotionally— characters are extremely important to me to be written well

63. Something you hate to see in smut.

yk how i mentioned too much detail?

yeah. but the line is blurry.

really what i don’t like is lack of distinctive voice/personality. sometimes smut is just really boring bc there’s no subtle interaction or implication in the dynamic being written. the characters are just vaguely tied to their canon material and given no real motivation or personality. no background. nothing.

that shit bores me and is partly why i’m not a super avid reader of fanfic anymore. finding strong narratives is hard.

oh also; infantilization. i’ve written virgins and i’ve written naive partners. DO NOT TREAT THEM LIKE TEENAGERS WHO WERE HOMESCHOOLED CATHOLIC. fuck bro. i love a story with a character having a new, exciting experience for the first time, but they aren’t fucking babies that are clueless to their bodies. most ppl masturbate/know what sex is by the time they do it for the first time (ESPECIALLY in the age of the internet).

even if they’re not virgins, infantilization is still gross for me to read. sex is an adult activity between two consenting people, not a clueless idiot who doesn’t understand sex enough to say no. i’m not down with age play. im down for sub space, but there’s a line.

can u tell what character i’m thinking ab rn?

64. Something you love to see in smut.

everything i said ab personality in the last question but reverse. i love a good fucking story (ha). smut for the sake of smut is fine bc there’s an audience for that. but i’m not the audience. give me tragedy and give me love. give me tearful sex and give me giggling, silly sex. i want to know about your version of these characters, and how they treat each other in the bedroom is absolutely indicative of their personalities (at least, it should be).

[bi-buddha]

Scruff Categories

How do you identify?

Daddy: An older man, often more mature and nurturing, who might be sought after by younger men for a mentor-like, caring, or authoritative relationship. Daddies often have a protective or dominant persona.

Bear: A large, often hairy man who is typically but not exclusively older. Bears are known for embracing body positivity and masculinity, though the community includes all body types and personalities.

Guy Next Door: A man who has a friendly, approachable, and casual personality, usually without any exaggerated traits or behaviors. He’s someone who might be described as "ordinary" but attractive due to his simplicity and relatability.

Muscle: Refers to men who have a highly muscular physique. In the bear scene, this might be the equivalent of “muscle bears,” who combine bulk and muscle mass, often seen as strong and physically powerful.

Chaser: A person, often thinner or less hairy, who is attracted to bears and seeks them out. A "chub chaser," for example, is attracted to heavier men.

Leather: This term refers to a subculture within the LGBTQ+ community, focused on leather clothing and accessories, often associated with BDSM and kink practices. Leather enthusiasts value power exchange, control, and discipline dynamics.

Poz: Short for HIV-positive, this term is often used in dating profiles to describe someone living with HIV. Within certain contexts, it’s a way to provide transparency about health status.

Discreet: Refers to someone who prefers to keep their sexuality or relationships private, sometimes due to personal, cultural, or social reasons. Often used by people who are not openly gay or bi in their everyday lives.

Geek: A man who is passionate about intellectual, technical, or niche interests, such as comics, video games, tech, sci-fi, or fantasy. The geek identity celebrates intelligence, curiosity, and fandom.

Jock: A physically fit, athletic man who emphasizes sports or fitness culture. Jocks are associated with a sporty, active lifestyle, often focusing on their physical appearance and capabilities.

Chub: A heavier-set man, often celebrated within the bear community for embracing their larger body size. Chubs are often appreciated for their softness and warmth.

Military: Refers to men who are or were in the military, often valued for their discipline, masculinity, and strength. Military men may be admired for their authority and structured lifestyles.

Otter: A slimmer or medium-built man, often hairy like a bear but with less body mass. Otters are sometimes seen as a middle ground between a bear and a twink.

Bisexual: A person who is attracted to both men and women, though not necessarily in equal measure. Bisexual individuals may experience different levels of attraction depending on the person.

Transgender: Refers to someone whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. Trans men and trans women may or may not undergo medical transitions to align their physical body with their gender identity.

Queer: An umbrella term used by people who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Queer can include diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions. It’s a fluid and inclusive term.

Drag: The performance of exaggerated gender presentation, often for entertainment. Drag queens (typically men performing as women) and drag kings (women performing as men) use costumes, makeup, and personas to challenge and play with gender norms.

College: Refers to younger men who are often students, typically in their late teens or early twenties. It’s sometimes a stand-in for youth, freshness, and the pursuit of higher education or personal development.

Twink: A young, slim, often smooth-bodied gay man, usually in their teens to early twenties. Twinks are typically perceived as youthful, cute, and energetic.

[object-yaoi]

🏳️‍⚧️🐺🏳️‍⚧️🐺🏳️‍⚧️

im sure this term has already been coined or whatever but i wanted to make a flag for how i see my gender!

its werewolf or just wolf! it's a term similar to bear and otter, describing trans people who are sorta hairy (usually because of transition or directly because of their transness) and fat.

you might say that's just bear, but the fun part is it's for people who were wolf kids in middle school. bark bark

it's linked to me also being caninekin which is probably why i didnt feel very described by the word "bear". so here's my term, for fat transgender werewolves

it's meant to describe the transmasc part of my identity but any1 can use it if u wanna idm. fat transfem/neu/ect wolves are also welcome i love u

🐺🏳️‍⚧️ color stripe meanings 🐺🏳️‍⚧️

green: nature! playing outside! getting messy!

blue: shadow, feeling like a predator animal (wolf), being nocturnal

white: the stars! and unity and nonbinary genders. in the same place as the white stripe on the transgender flag ^_^

greyish brown: the moon's light

dark greyish brown: the moon

🐺🏳️‍⚧️ wolf png from here! 🐺🏳️‍⚧️

[tealios22]

hello gaymers (plz read)

what to know

- i am 18

- i use he/they pronouns and masculine/gender neutral terms

- this is my pornblog

- i am fat and trans

- i like the color teal

kinklist

what i am into (and stuff i will post/reblog about):

- watersports/omorashi (specifically the other person, usually submissive)

- biting/marking

- exhibitionism

- begging

- enthusiastic consent

- pre-mature ejaculation/cumming quick/cumming untouched

- bears, otters, twinks, most men really

- women ❤️

- trans people :DDDDD

what i am probably into:

- furry/petplay (still doing some soulsearching lmao)

- voyerism

what i am not into:

- ageplay

- diapers

- scat/really anything feces related (idk why i don't have it all things considered lmao)

- cnc

- rape/non -con, pedophilia, zoophilia, necrophilia, etc. (i feel like i shouldn't have to say that, but just in case it's not clear)

other things i will post:

- sex education (especially tips on having safe kinky sex)

dni:

- minors (feel like that's a given)

- people on the last bullet point of the "what i am not into" (everyone else is great, dw)

[leoparduscolocola]

I’ve been thinking a lot about the morality of zoos and aquariums in the context of nonhuman personhood and animal rights lately, and one talking point of pro-zoo rhetoric that I’ve been contending with is the idea that zoos are a key connection between humans and nature. Zoos, the argument goes, provide an irreplaceable window into the wild world, reducing the current crisis of biophobia. But the thing is… there are so many ways to view and learn about wildlife that don’t involve keeping them in captivity; these ways may take more effort than buying a ticket to a zoo, but they’re not as inaccessible as one might think. All it takes to go birding is an identification book and a willingness to go for a walk; there are amazing birds in even the most urban, heavily developed areas on Earth. If you can’t go for a walk, you can buy a bird feeder and bird seed to bring birds to your window. For $99, the price of two or three visits to my local zoo, I bought a camera trap meant for hunters that I use to observe the wildlife that walks through my backyard at night. I’ve gotten videos of opossums, raccoons, rabbits, deer, birds, and more on my camera, but the two most exciting videos of all were my bobcat ones. Seeing that magnificent bobcat (based on the usual territory size of bobcats, I’d say that both videos showed the same individual) strolling by my camera for a few brief seconds, free to go where he or she (based on how large this individual was, I’d probably say they were male, but it’s impossible to confirm this from just a video) pleased, was honestly just as or maybe even more rewarding than the countless encounters with animals in zoos that I’ve had in my life. You can buy a ticket for a whale watch for the same price or cheaper as a ticket to SeaWorld. If you’re too prone to seasickness (which I know from experience can be truly day-ruining) to go whale watching or just don’t like being on boats, there are tons of amazing places where you can watch cetaceans from shore, and from my experience pinnipeds and sea otters are actually easier to view from shore than from the water. At a zoo or aquarium, you’re guaranteed to see the animals you want to see, but there are no guarantees in the wild, which makes the sightings you do have much more special. 

In addition, I worry that zoos send a message that only charismatic wildlife species from “exotic” locales are special or interesting enough to observe and that nature is something far away, something you have to “go to”, when in reality nature surrounds us everywhere on Earth—even in dense cities, coyotes and raptors and sparrows and plants eke out a living. Every species on this planet, from tiny insects to the largest megafauna, contains amazing hidden depths if we are only patient enough to wait for them. Seeing an animal on their own terms, not because they've been placed in an enclosure specifically for people to look at them, is amazing, even if the animal you see is “just” a groundhog running through your lawn—Groundhogs are actually a pretty fascinating species!

Plus, many species of wild animals in captivity have limited autonomy or choice over meaningful events in their lives or opportunities to express behaviors they would express in the wild, so are you really connecting with their true nature when you visit them in captivity? Some species can engage in a lot more wild behaviors in captivity than others—for example, zebras kept in a big field in a zoo probably have plenty of opportunities to interact, graze, move about, and play the way they would in the wild, but a polar bear kept in a zoo will never get to range over a vast distance, skillfully hunt seals, swim between ice floes, or compete with other polar bears the way they would in the wild. How is a captive killer whale teaching anyone to respect and love nature when that orca has been stripped of everything that characterizes her species, to the point that wild orca biologists tell us that the behavior of captive killer whales is virtually unrecognizable to them? When you go to the zoo, you see a lion, but since that lion lives such a radically different life from a wild lion, what does that teach you? Can a lion still be considered a lion if she never gets to drag a buffalo to his doom with her pridemates? Can a sea turtle still be considered a sea turtle if she never gets to make the amazing journey to lay her eggs on the beach where she hatched, and her mother hatched, and her mother’s mother hatched, stretching back countless generations? Can a rattlesnake still be considered a rattlesnake if she never travels any farther than a few feet across the bottom of her terrarium? Can a bottlenose dolphin be still considered a bottlenose dolphin if he never travels up and down the coast with an amorous band of other young males, tossing pufferfish around? If two tigers had their genetics analyzed to determine their compatibility, were ultrasounded and injected with fertility drugs and had their blood hormone levels monitored, were transported thousands of miles by truck or plane to bring them together to mate, and when they refused to mate were subjected to sperm extraction and artificial insemination to produce cubs, can those cubs be considered wild animals? Again, I’m really not anti-zoo; I recognize the fact that some of them do some important work, and I’ll probably visit a select few again in the future. I just think that everyone should ponder the philosophy behind them instead of fully going along with their rhetoric, because in my opinion the rabid pro-zoo rhetoric on this website leads to people rejecting nuance and supporting both good and bad zoos, which ultimately does more harm than refusing to support even good zoos. I know that from personal experience. Online rhetoric was what convinced me a few years ago that the SeaWorld parks are not only ethical places to support but bona fide conservation havens, and visiting the San Diego park and seeing what it was really like—pinniped tanks barely bigger than jacuzzis with blaring pop music surrounding them at all times, orcas floating motionless and belugas and walruses swimming in endless circles, single-use plastic for sale everywhere, and shows that contained either zero educational info whatsoever (the sea lion/otter and dolphin shows) or the bare minimum amount of info topped off with a cheery message about how your purchasing of a ticket has singlehandedly saved the ocean (the orca show)—is what started me down my anti-cap journey, but I still really regret going and wish I had been more educated.

[jinxstrology]

Primal Astrology Signs (Leo)

Primal astrology is a branch of astrology which combines the Western and Eastern (Chinese) traditions, creating 144 new signs that provide a deeper look into your personality. Although the system does include the use of the term "spirit animal", we can disregard that and simply view these signs as "primal animals", which I believe is just as accurate.

LEO (JULY 23RD - AUGUST 22ND) + RAT (1972, 1984, 1996)

Otter

Social, funny, and outgoing, those born under the sign of the Otter use their warmth and charm as their primary tool in navigating life. Like their animal namesake, members of this sign are clever, feisty, and gregarious. They usually spend a lot of time grooming themselves, for their looks are of great importance to them. They are not terribly territorial either, preferring to sleep where their adventure takes them for the night. A nice home will eventually be required, but a young Otter can travel the world for years without getting too homesick.

Otters like to be in charge. This way, they can not only get what they want, but receive attention and respect while doing so. They can occasionally be somewhat self-centered and egotistical, but are usually smart enough not to push their self-proclaimed authority too far. Otters want to be the best, and they understand that being the best takes work. As long as they get to do things their own way, there is little they won’t undertake.

Members of this sign have a sense of pride that only a few other signs can top. They absolutely hate looking unintentionally foolish (though they will act the part of the fool if it gets them a good laugh), and have little tolerance for those who don’t respect this important (if unspoken) rule. They like to be seen as evolved, wise, and powerful, which they often are, but this can sometimes cause them to hesitate when trying new things.

Above all things, Otters don’t like to live by other people’s rules. As long as they keep life in perspective this shouldn’t be a big problem, but, out of perspective, Otters risk becoming greedy and narrow-minded, and there is always a chance that they will take what they want if nobody is willing to offer it up to them. Members of this sign can also be a bit judgmental of others, particularly those who are less successful than they are at that point in their lives. As they mature, they tend to realize that everyone operates differently, and will slowly come to accept this.

LEO + OX (1973, 1985, 1997)

Sun Bear

Those born under the sign of the Sun Bear are something of a contradiction. On one hand, they are funny, outgoing, warm, and upbeat, but just as often are serious, overly hardworking, determined, and even stubborn. They are excellent in social situations, able to charm with ease and speak with great authority. Sun Bears are natural leaders who command the respect of even their most bitter of detractors.

Members of this sign struggle to live a balance between these two very distinct sides of their personalities. It seems that only when they are working towards a goal do they feel balanced, so they tend to work long, hard hours in order to try to make things right. This is an optimistic sign that believes that what you give will be returned to you, so for the most part, they try to stay positive at all times. Showing weakness is not part of their nature, so don’t expect them to back down from a challenge.

Though socially adept and charming, Sun Bears do most of their best work lost in their own thoughts. Like their animal namesake, members of this sign have a solitary, stoic quality that seems somewhat out of character. This deep personal thinking, however, is where their deep connection to their passion and personal ideals stems from. It is critically important to the balance of a Sun Bear that they take this time to themselves to recharge for another day in the spotlight of the world.

LEO + TIGER (1974, 1986, 1998)

Wolverine

Strong, proud and emotional, those born under the sign of the Wolverine are born leaders who can rise to a challenge with the best of them. Like their animal namesake, Wolverines never back down, even to much bigger opponents. Their powerful presence and confidence in battle intimidate even the most resolved competitors, allowing them to achieve unlikely victories in territories that most others would fear to tread.

With such a strong personality, one might expect members of this sign to be serious all of the time, but in reality nothing could be further from the truth. Though less pronounced, Wolverines show their playful side often. In fact, if given the opportunity, they would prefer every day to be a lazy day filled with good food and rousing entertainment, but they also know that if they want to achieve their goals, they must get up and fight for what they want.

Wolverines spend a good deal of energy putting forth a self-image that they want others to believe in. Pride is incredibly important to members of this sign, and a great deal of their fight comes from the need to prove that they can match the power and intensity of anyone around them. If it were possible, they would make it so they could never show any weakness or uncertainty again. What they fail to realize is that it is their faults that make them charming and relatable. Without their imperfections, they risk coming across as overly aggressive and competitive, which many people find off-putting.

Though they can be among the most fun people you will ever meet, they also have a darker side that comes out when things don’t go their way. In fact, Wolverines have a reputation for sulking if they don’t get their way. Members of this sign want to be in control all of the time, and they don’t share the leadership role well. When they are happy, they are outgoing, gregarious, and kind, but when they are upset, these traits quickly disappear. The caveat is that Wolverines are far too proud to put their negative emotions on display, though they also don’t hide them as well as they think they do.

Ultimately, Wolverines want to be the best all the time. They can be controlling and moody when they are “off”, but when they are “on”, there are few stars that shine as brightly as they do. With maturity will come stability, but Wolverines don’t have to worry too much about directing their energy one way or another. Unlike many other signs, those born under this one can typically let their intuition and natural ways of being guide them through life successfully. As long as Wolverines remember that they don’t always have to win, life can be whatever they want it to be.

LEO + RABBIT (1975, 1987, 1999)

Angora Rabbit

Charming, friendly, and somewhat mysterious, this is a sign that others are intrigued by. Maybe it’s because members of this sign can be hard to figure out. In truth, Angora Rabbits are a bit of a contradiction. They have big personalities, strong leadership qualities, and an undying drive for success, but at the same time, they tend to come across as reserved, delicate, and sensitive. They hate conflict, but they won’t back down if they believe in something. They are most powerful when balanced, but often put themselves through long stretches of unbalanced behavior.

Make no mistake about them - Angora Rabbits want what they want, and they will get it one way or another. Rather than being forceful or aggressive, they are more likely to subtly charm their way to their goals. They have an uncanny ability to get others to listen to them and do things for them. Maybe it’s their calm confidence that convinces others that they know exactly what they are doing, even if they are making it up as they go. Angora Rabbits can be self-centered. Though they genuinely care about those around them, they tend to be more concerned with how they look at any given time, rather than what is going on around them. To be fair, they are usually known for their excellent (if not somewhat eccentric) taste, and go through quite a bit of effort to maintain this reputation.

In the animal kingdom, angora rabbits are best known for their big, wild, unruly, or otherwise unusual hair. While not everyone born under this sign has memorable hair, most Angora Rabbits have something special about them that is hard to ignore.

LEO + DRAGON (1976, 1988, 2000)

Orca

As it is with their animal namesake, those born under the Primal Zodiac sign of the Orca have no natural predators. Astrologically speaking, they represent the very top of the food chain in terms of leadership, respect, and pride. While they are truly warm-hearted, energetic, and capable of all kinds of success, they also tend to have highly inflated egos.

Orcas know they they were born under a fortunate sign, and fully expect a life full of adventure, mystery, drama, and excitement. They also expect to be highly respected, to the point of being worshipped. Thus, it’s easy for this powerful and majestic sign to lose sight of what’s really important in life. For all the immense good a Orca is capable of, many lose perspective on the contributing side of their nature, particularly when they feel they are not being given the reverence and appreciation they are due.

Life is supposed to be a grand adventure for this King of the Zodiacs. When there is no drama, they will invent it. When they have no enemies to challenge them, they will create some. When everything is going just fine, they will find a reason why it needs changing. At the same time, when there are real threats and adventures in their lives, this is a sign that should embrace and conquer them as their nature intends. One of the key life purposes of a Orca is understanding that reverence and respect is earned, not their birthright. Those who can accept and adopt this way of thinking will become virtually unstoppable in life. More than any other sign, Orcas need a purpose in life with goals to pursue.

LEO + SNAKE (1977, 1989, 2001)

Fox

Those born under the sign of the Fox are elegant, charming, and impossible to ignore. Whether you love them or hate them, Foxes have a natural ability to influence others without trying. Members of this sign are born leaders, but are also extremely independent. They are wise and cunning, and don’t take risks until they have thoroughly evaluated the situation. Others know to follow a Fox’s lead, even though Foxes rarely try to recruit followers.

Members of this sign have amazing intuition. Not only can they read social situations well, they also know exactly what other people want to hear. This is not to say that they are phony in any way. In fact, this is one of the most genuine signs you will ever meet. Rather, Foxes choose what to say and when to say it with great care. They never just blurt out what they are thinking, except when they are around those they trust completely. Trust and betrayal are huge concerns of this sign - they are loyal and honest with those they care about, and demand that this trust be returned. Ironically, they are gifted liars - a trait that they only put to use when they deem it necessary.

Foxes are ambitious when it comes to what they want. They work and play exceptionally well, as long as the work and play interest them. Nothing is worse for this sign than being forced to do something they don’t like. In honesty, Foxes are only really interested in being comfortable, which usually means relaxing and talking with friends. They can only relax, however, when they feel that they are in control of their lives. If they are having financial, relationship, career, health, or any other challenges, they simply cannot rest until they’ve made things right. This trait helps them work hard to get to a successful place in their lives, but it can also make them anxious and controlling when progress is happening too slowly for their liking.

LEO + HORSE (1978, 1990, 2002)

Hyena

The Hyena is one of the most social signs of the Primal Zodiac. Like their animal namesake (particularly the spotted hyena or laughing hyena), members of this sign strongly prefer to spend time in large groups of friends and family. This is a very strong-willed sign, with the ability to follow through on their promises and take what is theirs when necessary.

Those born under this sign are highly energetic and outgoing. They have an easy charm about them that draws other people in. Hyenas are great at taking charge of situations, and are by far most comfortable when they are in charge. While they are generally quite kind and thoughtful, they will stubbornly insist on things being done their way, and expect others to follow. Luckily, others do tend to follow the leadership of this strong and intelligent sign, who is more than capable of proving themselves worthy of the task.

The main weakness of Hyenas is their tendency to be self-centered. While they are highly likable, and usually very friendly, they also expect to get what they want when they want it, and have been known to throw full-on tantrums when they don’t get their way. This behavior seems out of place for this sign, which usually gives off the impression that they are in full control of everything. Hyenas who don’t get their way get frustrated, and this is when they will exit the social group, and not return until they have fed their individual need (much like the spotted hyena who lives in groups, but hunts alone.)

LEO + GOAT (1979, 1991, 2003)

Swan

Talk about a contradiction. Those born under the sign of the Swan are confident, beautiful, and elegant from a distance, but hiding inside is anxiety, uncertainty, and a mind that constantly wanders. It is this very inner-drama, though, that makes the life of a Swan interesting and compelling. A creative, multi-talented group of people, members of this sign are perhaps destined for stardom more than others, but it’s their inner imbalance that keeps them constantly checking themselves. Even those who become legitimate celebrities are more concerned with the quality of their work over fame and fortune.

Members of this sign are socially gifted, and most people they meet assume that they are extremely self-confident and highly aware of their talents and charm, but Swans are usually the first to doubt themselves and become paralyzingly indecisive. The irony is that they have no reason to feel this way, as the path to success is practically laying out in front of them, if they would only stop second-guessing themselves long enough to just start walking on it.

Swans have an annoying habit of wanting to be in charge of situations, but then becoming indecisive as to the next move to make. A big part of this sign’s personality simply wants to sit around and dream while someone else takes care of everything for them. It’s contradictory to their powerful external personalities, but Swans get very upset when things don’t work out the way they hoped, and usually take a while to bounce back before trying again.

LEO + MONKEY (1980, 1992, 2004)

Ferret

Those born under the Primal Zodiac sign of the Ferret are playful, fun-loving, and rambunctious. Members of this sign wear their hearts on their sleeves. You will always know what a Ferret is thinking or feeling. Thankfully, they are usually in a good mood, and tend to perceive life as a challenging game that they are eager to win.

As natural leaders with a creative intelligence to match their curiosity, they perform surprisingly well in the business world. Of course, they have to be interested in what they are doing for this to be true. Ferrets are known to quit jobs as soon as they become boring, but they are such great networkers that they can always find another one quickly.

Ferrets can be overly concerned with feeling good, which leads some people to think of them as self-centered. In truth, they are a bit too self-involved, but they are also a sign that cannot function when they are out of balance. A Ferret’s mood affects everyone around them, good or bad, so it’s better to give this sign what it needs to be happy.

LEO + ROOSTER (1981, 1993, 2005)

Peacock

Those born under the sign of the Peacock have, more often than not, larger-than-life personalities. They are witty, confident, and have a flair for the dramatic. Peacocks love attention, and for this reason, they often like to start drama or controversy. They are highly social, and have little desire to spend time alone. Being out and about is where they shine, as is performing whatever task it is that they excel at. Success is important to this sign, and Peacocks love to share (and show off) their success by treating their friends.

Like their animal namesake, Peacocks live to be admired. They may feign modesty from time to time, but they are very aware that they have an uncanny magnetism that attracts both attention and praise. Members of this sign like to look good, feel good, and be on top. They consider themselves winners in all they do, and because of this, they are usually right. To witness a Peacock doing what they do best is to witness confidence personified. They truly believe that they deserve all of the attention and praise they get, and have a very hard time understanding the occasions where they don’t get it.

The biggest weakness of this sign is that they rely heavily on others to fulfill their emotional needs. Peacocks have a deep-seeded need to be proven right all the time. They also need to be loved, admired, and praised. While most people can go through life with occasional reminders of respect and admiration by others, Peacocks cannot. They need to be reminded on a regular basis that they are special, and as big as their egos may be, they cannot rely on their self-worth alone to fill this need. For such a strong, independent sign, Peacocks can be brought down in the simplest way - by being ignored.

LEO + DOG (1982, 1994, 2006)

Shih Tzu

The name “shih tzu” literally means “Lion Dog”, so it’s only natural that those born under the Primal Zodiac sign of the Shih Tzu share the Tropical Sun sign of Leo, and are born during the Chinese Zodiac’s Year of the Dog.

Members of this sign are kind, loving, and generous. Their deepest hope is to play an integral role in making their surroundings better. This is almost always appreciated by others, but Shih Tzus also have a tendency to become bossy, and can become moody to the point of acting childish if they don’t get to be in charge (though minor signs in the birth chart may affect this differently). Over time, Shih Tzus learn that they will eventually get what they want if they focus on giving, instead of receiving. Still, this is a sign that at the very least needs the adoration of those they are helping, in order to feel good about all they are giving. They have a strong sense of justice, and if they feel that they are being treated with less respect or appreciation than they deserve, they will shun the offender and punish them by withdrawing their own help and attention until an apology is made (or enough time passes that they forgive and forget, which they do quite easily).

This is a very honest sign, who values integrity more than most. Those who are dishonest or disrespectful with them will be cut off without a second thought. Unfortunately, Shih Tzus can also be a bit paranoid from time to time, thinking that others are plotting against them, but they also have good instincts, and should learn to withhold judgment (or revenge) by balancing their intuition with the facts at hand.

LEO + PIG (1983, 1995, 2007)

Quetzal

Warm, colorful, and gregarious, those born under the sign of the Quetzal have personalities that are hard to ignore. Interestingly, they are not the loudest or most outspoken members of a given group, yet they are often the most popular. Quetzals seem to have some kind of magical “x-factor” - an indescribable trait about themselves that draws others to them, and draws success to their lives.

It is not unusual for well-known Quetzals to have a different public or occupational persona than they do in private. It’s as if they can split their personalities into two parts - the bright, outgoing celebrity that takes everything in stride, and the quiet, thoughtful, funny, and generous person they feel comfortable being with those they know. Somehow, this rarely comes across as phony, as both sides of their distinct personalities are genuinely a part of who they really are.

Though they can be gentle and easygoing, members of this sign are surprisingly able to succeed where most others fail. It’s not that they are necessarily strong-willed ,like some other signs, rather, they simply choose not to see the obstacles in their way. Quetzals see what they want, and don’t stress about the details. Instead, they proceed step by step, day by day, until they have achieved goals bigger than anyone else thought possible.

[wookie92]

The Furry Report: New Trends in Masculine Chest Hair

I am the middle brother of three brothers.  My older brother is quite hirsuit with a thick veldt of chest and stomach hair and hair on his upper back and shoulders.  My own chest is quite hairy, but I keep my shoulders and back clean of unwanted hair.  My younger brother has a center patch, but significantly less hair that the other two of us.  I am sharing that just to point out that among the three brothers our chest hair patterns are all three different from one another and still different from what Dad has.

I started growing chest hair at age 13 and had a fully hairy chest by 15.  I got the nickname “wookie” at school because of my hairy chest.  I was proud of my chest hair, and unless “commanded” to shave it as a part a member of the swim team, I let it grow. In college, it wasn’t an option; we had to shave.

My own experience has been that a clean shaven or waxed chest was very popular from 2000 to 2016, but a more natural look seems to now be returning as a grooming fashion.  That was good news to me.  Shaving is not a good option for those of us with thick fur on our bodies.

MASCULINE CHEST HAIR

Chest hair is hair that grows on the chest of a male in the region between the neck and the abdomen. Chest hair develops during and after puberty along with other types of androgenic hair (hair that develops on the human body during and after puberty). According to the New York Times, for a new generation, the overly groomed body appears to be falling out of favor. “We’re seeing a return to ’70s fashion,” said Tim Bess, an analyst at the trend forecasting agency the Doneger Group. “The late ’60s and early ’70s were about freedom, the hippie movement, having lots of hair.”

DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH

Although vellus hair is already present in the area in childhood, chest hair is the terminal hair that develops as an effect of rising levels of androgens (primarily testosterone and its derivatives) due to puberty. Different from the head hair it is therefore a secondary sexual characteristic. Men tend to be covered with far more terminal hair, particularly on the chest, the abdomen, and the face.

The development of chest hair begins normally during late puberty, usually between the ages of 12 and 18. It can also start later, between the age of 20 and 40, so that many men in their twenties have not yet reached their full chest hair development. The growth continues subsequently until the end of life.

PATTERNS AND CHARACTERISTICS

The individual occurrence and characteristics of chest hair depend on the genetic disposition, the hormonal status and the age of the person. The genes primarily determine the amount, patterns and thickness of chest hair. Some men are very hairy, while others have no chest hair at all. All ranges and patterns of hair growth are normal. The areas where terminal hair may grow are the periareolar areas (nipples), the centre and sides of the chest and the clavicle collarbone.

The direction of growth of hair can make for interesting patterns, akin to depictions of mathematical vector fields. Typical males will exhibit a node on the upper sternum, the hair above which points up and the hair below which points down. Some individuals have spirals on their upper pectoral regions (several inches from the nipple towards the neck) which run clockwise on the left breast and counter-clockwise on the right.

Considering an individual occurrence of chest hair as abnormal is usually not due to medical indications but primarily to cultural and social attitudes. An excessive growth of terminal hair on the body of men and women is called hypertrichosis. This medical term has to be distinguished from hirsutism that just affects women. These women can develop terminal hair on the chest following the male pattern as a symptom of an endocrine disease.

SETTY PATTERNS

Four areas in the Setty chest hair pattern system: infraclavicular (top), pectoral (left), sternal (middle) and circumareolar (right)

There have been occasional studies documenting patterns of chest hair in men and occurrence of these patterns. A study of 1,400 white men aged 17 to 71 conducted by L.R. Setty in the 1960s defines 15 patterns of chest hair. In this study, four parts of the chest in which terminal hair occurs were identified:

There have been occasional studies documenting patterns of chest hair in men and occurrence of these patterns. A study of 1100 men aged 17 to 71 defined and documented ten patterns of chest hair in Caucasoid men. In this study 6 percent of the men were found to have no chest hair. The largest group, 56 percent, displayed pattern four as shown in the accompanying figure. The remaining 38 percent of the men displayed a lesser quantity of chest hair. Seven percent displayed pattern one, 13 percent displayed pattern two and 18 percent displayed various other patterns.

WHAT PERCENTAGE OF MEN HAVE CHEST HAIR?

74%        (Sternal)  The center and lower part of the body of the breastbone        

63%        (Infraclavicular)    The area immediately below the medial end of the collarbone

77%        (Pectoral)  The breast area, including the area immediately around the areola (nipples)

16%        (Circumareolar)    A small area immediately encircling the areola.

6%        No chest hair.   The pattern of no chest hair may be found predominately in Native Americans, Ireland, UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Southern Russia, Netherlands, Denmark. Unhairy - Majority of population not hairy (e.g. a lot of men don't have chest hair) Norway, Sweden, Finland, Baltic States, Northern Russia.

Chest hair may occur on each of these areas independent from the others, making for a total of 15 combinations in addition to the apilose (bare) pattern. Hair is said to occur on both the pectoral and circumareolar areas when there is hair around the nipples and on the breast, but these areas are not connected.

What Your Chest Hair Should Look Like

Chest hair can be pretty divisive. You are either really into it, or not. Even if I had to look at it objectively, some of the manliest men of all time had quite a bush. James Bond, Anil Kapoor and Chuck Norris—to name a few. Yet, there are some handsome hunks who can pull off bare-chested look like a boss. Case in point - Ryan Gosling, Ranveer Singh or Salman Khan. The truth is with such a laudable amount of care going into manscaping, I thought it’s only legit to inform you about the top styles that can accessorize your chest. Here goes!

The Rug

It symbolises manliness like no other chest hairstyles. It’s the ‘daddy cool’ style, which is, more often than not, sported by men who’re old enough to be fathers. With celebrity supporters including Tom Selleck, Akshay Kumar and Alec Baldwin, it’s no wonder the style has to be worn proudly. Just keep the look under control with constant quick trims.

The Tree

As the name suggests, this version of the style has moderate amount of hair on the upper torso with a small trail leading south. It’s rather popular among young guys who don’t want to come across too bushy but also don’t want to part ways with chest hair. This evergreen approach, as a result, let boys sport a happy tree throughout the year.

The One Sided Affair

This one is the manscaping underdog, and characterizes a well-trimmed hair on the top half of the chest but a smooth bottom half. Smooth can become stubble but that’s as far the length of the hair on the bottom half can go. As seen on Don Draper, this look is popular and is sported by men of all ages.

Gay Otter: A man with think or thickish athletic build that usually has lots of body hair. Typically, this hair covers various parts of the torso, including the chest and stomach. Some otters also have hair on the arms, back and butt.

Gay Wolf: A man with a lean, muscular build. Usually has body hair on the chest and/or torso region. Almost always has facial hair.

Gay Bear:  Broadly-speaking, a bear is hairy, with a large build and over 30-years-old. They are hunky, chunky, often with bellies, big legs, big butts and almost always with a full beard or facial hair.

[foulserpent]

what's an animal that's almost a bear... like a wolverine? a badger? I've heard gay men use otter but maybe that's not the same thing

that is SUPER not the same thing. the animal slang has like long standing established meanings so you cant really just throw out new ones

but otter is a skinny/lithe hairy man, ‘wolf’ describes a medium hairy build but i think thats less widely used, ‘bear’ is a term with a lot of history that describes a fat hairy man, usually older (younger/’on their way’ bears can be called cubs), with a connotation of embracing and subverting a form of rugged masculinity (though some people just use it to describe the body type)

[traaansfem]

So, a lot of those terms are aesthetic classifiers that also signal an expected behavior, which can be further modified with subcategorical terms.

In the case of lesbianism, you see stone, pillow, soft, etc as modifier terms, and femme/butch as aesthetic signifiers (which may exist on a spectrum, but may be found on a range within that spectrum- i can get into that later if you want. I'd want to dig up sources at that point).

Gay as a category sees a lot more lingo with direct sexual expectations tied into them, but also a great deal of aesthetic signifiers that do not directly signify a specific expected outcome from a hook up, or flirting, or a sustained relationship, or whatever. Bear in contrast to otter likely defines body types, but an otter usually has a "swimmer's build", whereas bear generally signifies fat and hairy.

With nonbinary, the terms are generally more aesthetically focused, and based somewhat on individual presentation- I've seen some fancy dandies, bog gremlins, probable vampires (fetid crypt variety AND high society subspecies, etc), gender forfenders of purposefully inexplicable natures- this is more of a signifier of what someone generally wears, and has little bearing on how they act. Skinny white androgyny is not a signifier either- there are plenty of nonbinary people who lean in some other angle of style of presentation who have no relation to a western colonial view of "binary" gender- fatness, color of skin, size, etc- NONE of that precludes someone from being nonbinary. You can also have a very specific sort of hyper feminine style and still be nonbinary and very specifically NOT a girl, for example- gender presentation does not indicate gender identity. This is more true with nonbinary people in my experience- if you're confused about someone's gender, wait until you're in a safe space where neither of you will be in danger to ask a question. There are some terms for nonbinary people associated with specific expected sexual or romantic roles, but those are generally used by bigots and chasers, so I shall omit them.

Also labels are made up so I suggest picking out ones you like and feel cozy with and using those- there are terms specifically attached to racial or ethnic minorities with specific queer identities, so please refrain from using those unless you're part of those groups or you get told "yeah you're fine, that fits" by enough people in those demographics to not be worried.

This is not an exhaustive system either- it's a cursory explanation, and I am still eepy and my knowledge is incomplete and imperfect so please don't take it as queer gospel or anything.

Is there a comprehensive list of terms for gay, lesbian, and Non-Binary types?

Preferably, a 3+ collum grid that shows the counterparts for each like, I’m a nonbinary, and I feel like if I were a guy, I’d be a cub. But I’m not a guy. So what term fits?

Like, what is the lesbian and nonbiary equivalent of twink, bear, hunk, etc?

What is the nonbinary and gay version of a butch? What are all the lesbian terms anyway?

Like, this should be something easy to find, I feel.

[petcarediary]

What is a Pet?

An animal, or companion animal, is a pet maintained as a friend and/or for friendship. Household pet dogs are usually tamed pets such as pet canines, pet cats, birds, fish, reptiles, etc., but can also include wild animals like rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, hamsters, gerbils, computer mice, rats, snakes, turtles, reptiles, frogs, hedgehogs, chameleons, iguanas, parrots, apes, porcupines, squirrel.

The term "household pet" has in fact been used to define the connection in between people as well as other species given that ancient times. The earliest known composed suggestion of family pet dogs comes from Egypt in 3000 BC where it was pointed out that individuals would certainly keep lions and also leopards as family pet dogs. In Ancient Greece, Aristotle wrote about keeping peacocks as well as peahens as household pets, while Pliny the Elder explained how he had trained his dog to fetch water.

During the Middle Ages, great deals of European kings possessed lots of domestic animals including equines, cows, lamb, goats, donkeys, burros, geese, ducks, chickens, pigeons, turkeys, swans, ostriches, pheasants, partridges, quail, doves, sparrows, owls, eagles, falcons, hawks, magpies, ravens, crows, cranes, storks, heron, woodpeckers, bats, foxes, wolves, bears, otters, beavers, weasels, badgers, martens, lynxes, raccoons, skunks, marsupials, armadillos, sloths, anteaters, substantial tortoises, crocodiles, alligators, sea monsters, sharks, octopus, jellyfish, squid, starfish, lobsters, crabs, crawlers, scorpions, vermins, millipede, arachnids, snails, butterflies, , ants, insects, flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches, beetles, fleas, ticks, worms, caterpillars, grubs, and also plants!

In modern society, many households have at least one pet; however, there are still some who pick not to own any pets. Some may find this choice hard given that they feel guilty if their chums ask why they do not have a pet dog. Others could assume that having a family members animal will certainly take up excessive cash and also time. Still, others might think that having a family pet dog requires more work than they want to take into caring for an additional living pet. Nevertheless, these reasons are usually just excuses for those who genuinely don't care enough to make the initiative required to provide appropriate take care of a family animal.

[voidworksdumblittlenotebook]

DSMP X HDM AU

Okay so I might make a fanfic about this but I haven’t read fanfic in over a year and written fanfic in over two, but ima try.

For now though, have some quick ideas and explain actions ✨

(Also I swear I made a second post about this but I can’t find it :p)

I have already covered that Steve is an armored bear, but Steve isn’t a very panserbjørn-esk name so for the sake of fanfic, his name is officially Calder Vriend Vandemens. Techno calls him Steve as a nickname. They are a very formidable and threatening duo in battle but are very chill with eachother. Techno’s dæmon is a boar named Ambrosius, which is the Dutch name for Ambrose which I believe goes back to the nectar of the gods from Greece, which seems thematically appropriate.  Technoblade is more of an alias, as is most of his other aliases. No one knows his real name except for Steve, Phil, Wilbur and Ambrosius.

Phil’s dæmon is a golden eagle named Aart.

Wilbur’s dæmon is technically a swan named Ade, meaning man of nobility (though she is female). Ghostbur on the other hand has a dæmon who takes the shape of a sheep and goes by Jantine, meaning god is forgiving.

Alivebur and Ghostbur have two different dæmons tho the explaination being that when Ghostbur was revived, Ade had been basically reborn and therefore settled in a new form and adopted a new name. People who knew Aliverbur find Jantine very unsettling, but people who only knew Ghostbur don’t react the same to her.

Tommy’s dæmon is named Koen and has not yet settled. During the revolution, it was common to see her as a golden retriever or a hawk, but over the course of exile, his dæmon took on smaller forms like coyotes, raccoons and smaller birds. As he gets more healthy, his dæmon takes larger forms, but when his health lapses, she reverts back to smaller forms. 

Ranboo’s daemon is named Jop and when in enderwalk, Jop is usually a tall black and white horse. Most of time, Jop is seen as a deer or a maned wolf. They have also been lambs and hares.

Dream’s dæmon is a tall white horse named Bly. Bly is rarely ever seen, known for walking in the trees and out of sight. They never speak, Dream speaks for them. I imagine Dream has used the “touching your dæmon intimidation tactic ™️” before but only when alone with the receiver, I think he would have only really done it to Tommy and to Wilbur when escorting them to exile, tho Wilbur would’ve been Ghostbur than and not reacted to it the same.

Shlatt’s dæmon is a ram named Drika. Drika looked very sickly due to Shlatt’s drinking and smoking habits. Tubbo’s dæmon is named Melisent and is often seen as a bee, lamb, calf, honey badger or honeyguide. Quackity’s dæmon is a American Pekin duck named Gokker. During Shlatt’s presidency, Shlatt had clipped Gokker’s wings as a means to control Quackity. It was an extremely traumatizing experience for both Quackity and Gokker and it caused long term problems as Shlatt had not done it correctly. Quackity is still working with Gokker to try and get the feathers to grow back correctly.

More Random Dæmon ideas

-Sapnap’s dæmon is a salamander

-Fundy’s dæmon is a fox

-George’s dæmon is an otter

-Puffy’s dæmon is a sheep

-Sam’s dæmon is a bear

-Skeppy’s dæmon is a blue macaw 

-BBH’s dæmon is a fruit bat

-Callahan’s dæmon is a reindeer

-Eret’s dæmon will either be a rainbow boa or a flamingo. I’m not sure yet :p

-Sally and Philza’s old partner are both witches. Philza’s partner(she has not yet been named :’) has a dæmon in the form of a puffin. Sally’s is in the form of a salmon.

[metellastella]

Mao Mao Pride Week Prompts, Part 3

A continuation of the prompts put out by @maomaosmother Part 1 https://metellastella.tumblr.com/post/621726687992872960/hello-everyone-happy-pride-month-to-all-of-you Part 2 https://metellastella.tumblr.com/post/621834183114932224/mao-mao-pride-week-prompts

7. Marriage

“But first,” Mao’s sister clapped her hands together, “I wanna talk weddings some more!”

“Right on!” the badger agreed. He whooped. 

“Oh good grief,” Mao rolled his eyes. “Fine. You two can chat with the king about the possibility. And I reiterate. Possibility. When you’re ready to make good on your promise, come find me.” 

She clucked her tongue in disapproval. “Fine. Be the usual stick in the mud. Don’t know why I’m surprised.” 

He grabbed a few more things off his plate and left. 

“So,” she sat back down, “I guess if you favor men, the animals here didn’t have to petition for marriage laws to be amended, huh?” 

”Correct.” the lion replied. 

“Though some thought I was … ironically … being ‘biased.’ Oh well. Can’t help that. Royal power is absolute, for better or worse. I’ve traveled to other nations and, during debates, have suggested that they not use the term ‘marriage’ as I have. Law is, at least in some peoples’ opinions, supposed to be ‘secular,’ and not ‘religious,’ anyway, so why cling to a specific term that isn’t? Simply afford all the exact same rights to civil unions or domestic partnerships. Or make up a third designation. Much easier to get it passed that way. Bypasses a whole lot of entrenched resistance. People can hash out in their own communities what to do with the non-legal angles and rituals and what to call it. But for a ‘marriage’ certificate? What, after all, is a rhetorical difference, in the end?” the diplomat and statesman snapped his fingers. “And like that, less angst for absolutely everyone involved. It’s not always that easy to reconcile or find middle ground. I can’t think of practically any other issues where simply altering one single word could have that effect. Despite a couple of decades worth of rhetorical experience under my belt.”

He sat back, and interlaced his paws contentedly. “Some countries insisted they were still going to adjust tax breaks because of the very unlikely event of children. Unless surrogates are involved, and properly registered as such, to try to avoid wrangling over child custody. That’s a whole other kettle of fish to get into, obviously.” 

She nodded. “Well like Mao said, I’m not here to talk politics. Let’s hear your fantasies about the most important day of your life!”

The badger shook his head. “Well it’s not like that for everyone, but don’t get me wrong, I wanna hear, too!” he said excitedly. 

“Erm … “ the lion looked down. 

“What’s wrong?” she asked. 

“It’s just … I’m more enthusiastic about the idea than Mao, but I’m still a long way off from that myself. So, I don’t want to insult you by making you think I’m further along, just because I have envisioned a marriage … regardless of who the groom is.”

She frowned a little, thinking. “All right then.”

“But I would love to hear about some of your customs, in that event.”

Her face fell some more. “I’m not sure that would be a good idea.”

“Oh?”

“The homeland, though the majority is plenty accepting of pairing in general, has not approved marriage between men,” she said, “so any customs you applied to each other or one of you … might be seen as disrespectful. For example. Would Mao dress as the woman, since he’s chosen to sub? Not only do I think he would never, ever do that …” she looked at the badger for confirmation.

He shook his head, “Oh most definitely not.” He thought for a second. “Maybe that’s why he got up out of here, for that matter. He thought we were gonna suggest doing that. We’ve been to weddings like that. Again, a little like misgendering, no? Even in the rare cases where he gets a mind for it, he’s not at all like a typical sub.”

The badger paused. 

“He doesn’t really fit in when I would hang out with other subs. One panda I met just could not wrap his mind around Mao. It was kinda funny. Irritating for him, though. I would be totally down for dressing like the female counterpart in a wedding, if it were me. I’ve pictured it both ways. Maybe even a costume change in the middle?” he waggled his eyebrows. “Or whatever my partner wanted? If a polar bear gave me any direction I’d melt under his strong paw,” his gaze unfocused, and he hummed appreciatively. “Tuxedo? Coming right up. What color? What style? White wool tunic and stole, as is customary for you big guy? I’ll match you! Usus? My Ursus. My dear ursine. Coemptio? Confarreati? Gown? Dress? You got it, my bae bear. I’m male, sure, but a lot more loosey-goosey in that way. But. It’s not me.”

He sighed romantically. 

“If I understand Mao,” the lion said slowly, “in general, he’s less sentimental, at the very least in expression, so maybe it’s simply that he doesn’t get as wrapped up in it as you or I would.” 

The badger shrugged. 

“Also, women tend to get more excited about wedding planning. Not a hard and fast rule of course, but I think we’ve established that you and I have a lot more in common with women, so it makes sense we’d be more enamored, even if it didn’t necessarily need to be that way.”

The badger slapped his forehead. “Oh yeah, wow. How could I not think of that!” He put his paw down and gestured towards her. “I mean this whole conversation we've had a vibe and Mao has seemed the odd one out, gender wise, but I didn’t consider that.”

The badger went on, “Even without a wedding on the table, which is usually headed up by women in this part of the world, it’s often awkward in the first place for a typical guy to be in a room with all women and vice versa … so this visit has kinda been like that for him, I think. I mean, Mao’s always eager enough to go to a wedding, excited about hitting on and dancing with some ladies, and all, but that doesn’t mean he’d necessarily enjoy planning one. He might even leave it all up to you even if he was totally ready for it!” 

The three femme animals spent the next few hours discussing flower arrangements, color palettes, the band of tolerant aristocracy he would invite, and who among the clan would approve enough to come. That was hard for the sister to get through, as she thought of those she loved who would refuse to give their blessing and ‘miss all the fun.’

8. Self-Acceptance

Mao threw up his hands in exasperation. “This was different than anything anybody knew of. Other clans’ elders who had wielders hurt badly were brought in to consult. We wielders can be slammed around by dragons, can be thrown into the ground and make craters, and walk away. With lesser wielders, bruises could be shrugged off and healed. But SOMEHOW, the universe had, like a homing pigeon bent on mouse’s blood, found one little chink in our armor. . . . Delicate tails aren’t resistant enough to damage to withstand direct crush force. Some of the visiting canine elders spoke of a time when groups of semi-sapient non-magical hunting dogs had their flowing, floppy ears or long tails surgically cropped to keep them from injuring themselves on hunts. To potentially avoid something like this happening again … by cave-ins, like mine, by boulders hurled by some types of dragons, even just being stepped on by a dragon big enough …  Should all wielder animals, intending to fight these beasts … should every species with long tails start doing this removal with our children, they asked? With consent, of course. Like removing tonsils or primates removing the appendix? Lizards probably couldn’t do it, because their slanted gait was too dependent and their tails too heavy. So maybe just the tips? Surely the thicker parts of their tails withstand something like this? They asked. The elders of felines and canines and rodents and otters … the later they waited to dock tails in a trainee’s life, the more they would have to adjust to the missing counterbalance just as I was. They swarmed me and questioned me about it relentlessly. They were asking among themselves �� What age would this terrible offered choice be appropriate?”

His green eyes widened in horror at these questions. As if he needed any more psychological stress after being temporarily crippled, he seemed to have altered the entire course of history with the way clans viewed preparation for wielder heroes.

“Inwardly, I felt like …” he once again tried to force the words out he had started before. “I felt like I was causing an implosion of the whole clan. The tranquil meditation spaces were overrun with visitors. Children still hid from me. Our elders argued over whether they should move me for the duration of my recovery, from the clan’s circle. They argued over what to do about the little ones. But didn’t I deserve to feel safe, too? Of course I was ripping everyone apart! It was what always happened when I was around! When we were all younger, and my sisters occasionally came to my defense from one another or dad, I felt it was somehow my fault they argued, too.”

Even if the elders made these new procedures for children voluntary, he would still be virtually ‘responsible’ for possibly unneeded selective surgical alteration of innocents.

“Blue says that’s common, for bullied children to feel like it’s their fault.”

He looked towards the door, probably thinking of the dog’s unruffled voice of reason.

“I try to listen to him. I try to like myself. B-but I … it seemed l-like my family w-was disintegrating because of m-m-me. And my stupid ‘mistake.’ The whole world of wielders, even! Sometimes it still does, when they visit …! Arguing over father’s treatment of me. Remember when my sister said she wasn’t sure starting arguments over lesser wielders was worth unsettling future heroes? Now imagine what I was thinking when the little ones didn’t feel safe in the circle of the clan because of me. I was drowning in self-blame and the only way I felt I could escape it was to work harder, push myself more, and get away from there.” 

Could Blue even help him out of this? The lion pictured him like a seeing eye dog this time, trying for all the world to lead the black cat out of such darkness. 

Bonus:

From my second story, Outnumbered. Tanya sashayed around the red-caped cat. “Hello Mittens.” “Tanya I swear if you do not stop calling me that, I’m going to use the wrong pronouns for you,” the cat threatened. “Touchy, touchy,” the tanuki tutted teasingly, but her normally chipper attitude got a dent in it. “As if that’s an even trade, anyway.” The masculine magic cat said gruffly, “Maybe not. But I’m tired of you mocking me without consequences. Just because that’s the only thing that ever gets under your skin is no fault of mine. Perky little miss.” She rolled her eyes. “So, you try to make gendering me correctly even sound derogatory. No wonder I broke up with you.” The cat’s fists tightened, but he spoke cooly. “If you can’t handle all this. I’ll just find someone who can.” 

“Like the king you’re serving as a bodyguard to?” the fox-like animal said in a silken tone. “The only kind of lion with no birth mane. Are you a chaser, you dog?” “First off. No. How dare you. Targeting gender non-conforming animals may not be officially dishonorable, but as a concept, it is,” the samurai bristled, “We’re not involved, and we’re never going to be. We’re not attracted to each other, as my nose could clearly tell if he was. Second of all. Since when do you have something against dogs?” “It’s an expression.” “An expression that’s derogatory towards dogs,” the cat sneered. “I can’t imagine the blue therapist dog could be less like that. It’s like ‘sexist pig.’ The yellow pig back in Pure Heart would be crushed if he ever heard someone utter it. Yet outside that nice little paradise, it’s a common saying. King Snugglemagne is having to adjust mightily to the outside world. You may be used to it, steeped in it, but for magic’s sake, stop teasing him about it.” “Oh, a king can’t take a little hardship?” she said lazily. “Of course not, he’s been ensconced in his fancy-pants palace. Now that he has an idea of how it is for everyone else, he crumples at the slightest trouble. Sorry I can’t muster up enough energy to care.” “You should care. Given that he has the same problems you do.” “With pronouns? Puh. Since I’m a roaming outlaw,” the orange animal said flouncily, “I don’t expect either other crooks or enforcers I encounter to respect that my gender doesn’t match my body’s smell. The former doesn’t even respect the law, so why should I take that personally? And the latter are more focused on getting me behind bars. So, no, not my problem. Too much of a bother.” “If you settled down, and got a respectable job,” the cat pointed out, “Established yourself as a constant presence, people would probably collectively accept you.” She laughed derisively. “Oh no, I value my freedom far more than that, Mi-” she swallowed back the nickname. He laughed just as derisively. “I see you do value my word on the matter, though,” he said suggestively. “Are you just not as tough as you make out, or do you still harbor some feelings for me, my sweet little illusionist?” 

She opened her mouth, but then shut it again. 

“You slippery mirage master,” he said “you do, don’t you?”

He paused. “Hm. ‘Master,’ maybe I should say ‘Mistress’?” he amended. “There’s . . . really no good choice there,” she chuckled hesitantly. “There are ‘Head Mistresses’ at some schools in Snugglemagne’s kingdom,” the cat pointed out. 

“Yes but . . . still has connotations. I don’t break the law that way,” she said, normally carefree attitude wobbling. “Even I have standards.”

“Hasn't stopped you from dangling the offer to get what you want,” he said. 

She blushed.

“Yeah, word gets around,” he went on blithely as she uncomfortably gripped one of her arms. “Don't know why I should be surprised that playing with hearts isn't beneath you. But more to the point. I know you’re ultimately reasonably principled in that arena, if really flirty. You ever want to get back together, babe, the invitation is open,” he winked. 

“And endure your jealous behavior again? I think not. I’ll file that away with other useless knowledge,” she said icily. 

“Oh that’s not like you,” he said in a low baritone. “You’re sweet to everyone, even if they can’t catch the mocking tone sometimes.” “Not everyone’s as smart as you, cupcake.” He looked caught off guard by the compliment. “She brushed her fingers under his chin. “I guess you’ll just have to miss me.”

She somersaulted away from him, waving goodbye and blowing a kiss.  He said under his breath, “As if I’d ever misgender you. You may play a lot of mind games, love, but you didn’t catch that bluff.”

Comic page: https://metellastella.tumblr.com/post/621837213819437056/mao-maos-specific-trigger-should-not-be First chapter of Piercing the Swordsman https://metellastella.tumblr.com/post/617045879413719040/piercing-the-swordsman-chapter-1

@beesechurguer @king-himbo

[fortheloveoflizards]

Headcanons

Wings of Fire Dragon Culture - Myths and Legends

Darkstalker – Darkstalker has obviously become one of the most infamous legends in Pyrrhia, thanks to his actions both in the past and present. Being an Icewing/Nightwing hybrid gifted with prophecy, mind-reading and animus powers made him formidable and terrifying even to this day. So much so, in fact, that his story is still used as a cautionary tale for young Nightwings. The story goes that Darkstalker’s parents, Foeslayer of the Nightwings and Prince Arctic of the Icewings, fell in love and eloped, though for many years it was believed that the prince had been kidnapped as part of a Nightwing scheme. The most famous part of his story is when he used his magical artefact to force his father to kill himself in a way so gruesome that almost the entirety of the Nightwing tribe fled to a faraway, volcanic island. His downfall came about when his then girlfriend, Clearsight of the Nightwings, worked in secret with his mentor, Fathom of the Seawings, to trap Darkstalker under a mountain forever. Forever, of course, only lasting about 2000 years. The rest of the story is, I assume, pretty well known by the majority of the Wings of Fire fan-base, so details are unnecessary.

Spectre – Not much is known nowadays about the old Icewing legend of a ghostly dragon prowling the Frozen Coast, with piercing white eyes, accompanied by a single scavenger. The basic story tells of an Icewing dragonet disappearing during a particularly dark winter. The dragonet had hatched sickly and weak, and no one had been expecting it to survive. Nor had they been expecting for said dragonet to disappear mysteriously without a trace. It was quickly concluded that the dragonet had been killed, presumably by it’s mother. As the murder of any dragonet, even weak ones, is strictly taboo unless it’s the result of a challenge, the mother of the missing dragonet was promptly persecuted by the rest of the tribe, stripped of her rank in all but official terms, and eventually disappeared, herself. Things died down for an indeterminate amount of time, until rumours among the border guards began to spread inland of a strange, moon pale, translucent dragon appearing and disappearing out of the fog, sometimes even luring guards out to sea. For the most part, the tribe brushed off the stories as outlandish gossip amongst the low ranked in order to amuse themselves. It was only when, on a dark night, during the largest blizzard the tribe had ever seen, an entire platoon of guards went missing, without so much as a talon print or scale left in the snow the next morning. Many Icewings claimed it was a hoax, but enough believed that it was a spirit, come to reap justice upon those that it felt had offended it, for the story to rapidly gain infamy in the tribe. As for whether the spirit was of the missing dragonet, the mother, or something else entirely, well, that changes depending on who’s telling the story. The only things that remain constant throughout all versions, are the pale white eyes and scavenger bodyguard. Although uncommon, it is said that one could tell if Spectre was about to appear upon spotting it’s scavenger; often it would be standing stock still on an iceberg, or half submerged in the surf, but sightings were rarely reported without it’s inclusion.

Hydra – This is a myth that can be found consistently throughout the history and culture of almost every Pyrrhian tribe, as the Hydra was thought to be the creature from which every tribe originated. This belief was only very recently countered, as it was found that many of the tribes did not share common ancestors. Regardless, the story of the Hydra is a beloved one among scholars and students alike. The basic premise was a large dragon with seven head – one for each tribe – who constantly fought for control of the body. The story typically concludes with each of the heads being separated from the body in some way, with a single head being left to control the body. Which head is left, metaphorically, standing changes from tribe to tribe; as does the order in which the other heads were separated. The Hydra is a common sight during festivals of all kinds, and is still viewed mostly as proof that the tribes can’t coexist in peace. Although, since the founding of the Jade Mountain Academy, it’s use as an example of the similarities between the tribes has increased.

Amphithere – As Peril explained in her book, Skywings believe in a form of reincarnation. Through the act of leaving the body of the deceased in a chamber open to the sky, the belief is that the soul of the dragon will then be able to come back as a Skywing rather than any other dragon. The task of ferrying souls to their new life is that of Amphitheres. These are often portrayed as invisible dragon-like creatures lacking legs that are rumoured to guard the wind currents in and around the Sky Kingdom, using their massive wings to stir up gales and tornadoes. Amphitheres are another prominent character in Pyrrhian mythology, although their significance is pretty much completely lost on most other tribes.

Wail/Whalewings – These colossal Seawing monsters are believed to roam the deepest parts of the ocean, luring prey (including dragons) down to their doom by making distressed whale noises. Their description (and the spelling of the word, itself) varies from story to story. The most common draws from angler-fish and other deep sea creatures; translucent glowing white, with the undigested remains of previous meals still visible in it’s gut. The myth presumably originated as a way for Seawing parents to deter dragonets from venturing too deep without their protection. Of course, there is still much of the ocean that remains unexplored, so there’s a possibility of creatures larger than dragons existing. Wailwings aren’t as heavily featured in art as other creatures, as Seawings prefer to keep things bright and happy rather than mysterious. Dark water places scary.

Aura – Icewings don’t seem to have much imagination for the benevolent side of mythology, and tend to be pretty suspicious of just about everything. There are, however, a few exceptions. One such example being Aura; spirits of the Aurora Borealis that appear to worthy dragons in times of darkness to provide guidance and bestow gifts/knowledge. The tribe remains adamant that Aura bear no correlation with the Nightwing myth, Moon Sprites. Icewings will often leave tributes for Aura during coronation and wedding ceremonies. These consist of prey, animal skins, treasure and a special type of candle made from blubber. These candles are used exclusively for Aura tributes, and being found burning one outside of the ceremonies is punishable by exile and even death.

Moon Sprites – As with the Icewings, Nightwings insist that Moon Sprites are nothing like Aura, despite the similar mythology. Nightwings believe Moon Sprites are messengers sent by the moons to grant wishes and deliver prophecies, and supposedly gave Nightwings their powers. Similar tributes are left for Moon Sprites, typically just before times of harvest or the changing from autumn to winter. Nightwings believe that the moons themselves are cognisant, and have long worshipped them as what you might call Gods. As such, it would be fair to liken Moon Sprites to angels.

Dragonflies – Most tribes believe a dragon is either turned into a dragonfly or, in the case of the Skywings, reincarnated as one, as punishment for a varying list of crimes for each tribe (E.g Rainwings believe they are tasked to assist the changing of the seasons and once a certain number of springs has passed their debt is considered repaid, while Mudwings believe they are given a number of “deaths” as a dragonfly, meaning they must die as a dragonfly for that number of times before returning as a dragon, and Sandwings believe they mark when an oasis contains hidden treasure). Despite this mythology, dragonflies are often depicted as symbols of rebirth, justice and second chances.

SeaDragonets(Seahorses) – Seawings believe these creatures embody the spirits of dragonets taken by the sea. Many Seawings believe they watch over dragonets to protect them from meeting the same fate, as SeaDragonets are drawn to the warm water of Seawing hatcheries. Hatchery guards are also in charge of tending to the SeaDragonets, as they give a reliable warning regarding sharks and intruders – swimming around in flurries, causing mini bubble whirlpools. There are two common varieties of SeaDragonets in the ocean surrounding Pyrrhia; the most common, smaller species, which can also be referred to as “Seahorses”, which come in a range of browns, creams and generally more “bland” colours, and the rarer Reef Dwelling SeaDragonets, which are larger and typically white, pink or blue. These Reef Dwelling SeaDragonets are revered among aristocratic Seawings, and kept mostly in the palace gardens and Royal Hatchery.

WyndWyrms – Sandwings and Skywings believe these serpent-like creatures push the sun across the sky, anchored to it by great chains of stars, while Seawing myths say they control the tides. WyndWyrms heavily feature in Sandwing tapestries and Seawing murals. Skywings have a lot of songs about them, and they typically work in tandem with Amphitheres. While not inherently dragon-like, WyndWyrms are usually described as having dragon faces and snake bodies, sometimes even with fur, like legless otters.

The Grand Nightwing – The legend of a massive Nightwing that holds the sky within her wings has long since been written out of almost every history scroll, as it was found to be a story spread by the Nightwings themselves in order to appear more powerful. She was said to have three eyes (the moons) in order to watch over all of dragon-kind. Thunderstorms were her announcement that crimes had been committed, with lightning being her fire, aimed at the offender. Murals of her still endure, mostly on the walls of the old Night Kingdom, though some murals have been uncovered in the desert. While a widely disapproved of story, Nightwings and Sandwings still share the myth with their dragonets.

Pre-Scorching Stories – These are mostly about the foundations of modern dragon society and the early wars that determined the longstanding tribe borders, however there are more than a few stories heavily featuring scavengers. These cast a rather grim light on the many strange metal things found on the ocean floor, in the rainforest and in the desert, covered in strange markings and numbers. Most of these artefacts are all twisted and warped by time and fire, but scholars believe they hint to the existence of advanced scavenger societies, all but exterminated by the Scorching.

Honeysuckle – A Rainwing animus from before the Scorching who supposedly gave the Rainwings their venom. Paintings of her can be found in the old rainforest caves that appear to have been used as shelter. Her most commonly depicted appearance is lavender purple with gold and lime green accents. It is believed that her descendants survive to this day within the tribe.

Cliffhanger – A legendary Skywing warrior said to have successfully fought off 30 enemy squadrons by himself while simultaneously protecting his Queen and wounded comrades. He features heavily in Skywing art, and occasionally in Sandwing tapestries as well (presumably the battle that made him famous was between Sandwings and Skywings), with large, dark red wings and long black horns. The spear that he supposedly stopped from killing the Queen with his own body is kept in the Skywing treasury.

Bullroarer – During the infamous battle between the Mudwings and Seawings over control of Crescent Bay*, the Seawings planned a surprise attack by infiltrating the Mud Kingdom border under cover of darkness. This plan would have worked had it not been for the lowly border guard, Bullroarer, who’s dying roar alerted the entire Mud Kingdom in time for the army to organise. While Bullroarer did perish, his sibs were lorded and moved to the rich inner Kingdom to be part of the Queen’s official guard.

*The bay between the Mud Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Sea on the map of Pyrrhia