#like they’re winged but aquatic right??

[ghostlemon36]

HAS ANYONE SAID GREEK MYTHOLOGY ACCURATE SIREN GRIAN FOR HC10 YET???

[espionn]

SeaWing tribe sheet!

seawings my beloved. i didnt do anything too crazy with them but they deserve to be a bit over-the-top. (also, lmk if anyone is interested in a size comparison chart and/or an evolutionary tree for the tribes because i might do those if people would like it)

Physical Appearance + Traits:

-SeaWings are almost entirely aquatic dragons. They can live and breathe out of water, but vastly prefer their ocean habitat, and too much time out of water can dry and dull their scales. 

-They have short legs with wide, webbed talons which they use to propel through the water. They also have long, thick and powerful tails. SeaWings cannot be called comparatively large or small due to these unique proportions.

-Not unlike MudWings, SeaWings can fly, but aren’t skilled at it. Their wings have adapted to be used essentially as large fins to steer accurately through the water, and are not as effective for flight. They sometimes can leap from the water and catch air like flying fish, but they struggle to get fully off the ground; their wings are better suited for passive gliding.

-The pale marks that cover their bodies can be used to create bioluminescent light, so efficiently that SeaWings can turn individual lights on and off at will, and even control the dimness. They use these marks in flashing patterns to communicate underwater, in a language called Aquatic. Phrases in Aquatic are often less about individual words assigned to specific combinations - though that can be applied to some - but more about the overall visual expression. (For example, in the right context, random and scattered twinkling refers to stars, or the night sky.) Aquatic, like much of SeaWing culture, is loose, expressive and artistic.

-Large and airy frills run along their bodies, connecting at the tail. These bolden their appearance and make some swimming patterns almost mesmerizing.

-Colors, like many SeaWing traits, vary greatly, but blues and greens are most common. Grays, purples and even pinks also appear on occasion. 

-Due to the vastness of the oceans, there are multiple variants of the typical SeaWing. Living outside the sea kingdom, near the coral reefs bordering the mud kingdom and rainforest on the east side of Pyrrhia, are the fittingly-named Coral SeaWings, which are brightly-colored with rougher and rockier scales (and even minor color-changing abilities). Another group, with sightings so rare as to be unconfirmed beyond urban legend, is the Deep SeaWings; almost nothing is known about these besides a dark and spiny appearance with vivid bioluminescent markings. 

-Gills allow underwater breathing; small lungs allow above-water breathing, but not as strongly or reliably. SeaWings also have a few adaptations that allow them to withstand pressure changes.

Life Cycle:

-SeaWings are laid in clutches of anywhere between 6 and 12. It’s these large groups that will make up their friends and peers for the first few years of their lives. SeaWing parents are present for the incubation and hatching of the eggs, and they are fiercely protective parents when the dragonets are very young, but most dragonets begin to be more independent after that. 

-While the sibling clutches aren’t as close as MudWing troops, they do tend to be quite interdependent and prefer each other’s company. Once they get a bit older, though, they often branch off and find friends and romantic partners outside this group. 

-SeaWings are monogamous and mate for life. It isn’t uncommon for the first dragon they show interest in to be the one they stay with. Both parents are considered equally responsible for dragonets if they have them.

-Because they’re hatched underwater, dragonets don’t learn to speak aloud, walk on land or fly until they’re several years old; some never do in detail, instead living underwater without contact with other tribes for their entire lives.

Culture and Society:

-SeaWing society is structured and organized around the royal family, who have great cultural influence and wealth. The Deep Palace alone holds about 40% of the SeaWing population, and it is by no means a small tribe.

-Arts are a huge cultural mark of the Sea Kingdom - no other tribe, aside from the NightWings, has such expansive literature, and SeaWing sculpting and jewelry-making is famous across Pyrrhia. Before the war, in fact, one of the main exports of the Sea Kingdom came from art exhibits - festivals held on near-shore islands, where dragons from all different tribes would come, to enjoy the scenery as well as look at and/or buy various displays of SeaWing art. 

-This is one of the most social and closely-bonded tribes; with talons mainly made for mobility, dull horns, and no breath weapon, SeaWings depend on each other for safety, and their society is close-knit. Social norm intricacies, politeness in language, and subtly complex ranks and boundaries are all cultural things that dragons simply adapt to by being around it.

-The SeaWing education system is one of the most successful and robust, with every dragonet attending a school for at least two years. If they choose, there are also more specific career paths they can take if there’s an area they’d like to specialize in. They are taught extensively in literature and history, basic hunting and self-defense, and basic land language and skills, such as how to walk and fly. 

-Even more than other dragons, they take great care to keep their scales and frills shiny and healthy. In-depth cleaning methods are abundant, to keep barnacles and parasites off of them, and SeaWings in general are seen as much more attractive when they’re polished and unscratched. As they get older and move less, it may become harder to keep barnacles and algae off, but some SeaWings accept this and allow themselves to take on a “stones in a tide pool” look as a clear indication of age. SeaWings also enjoy jewelry, particularly made up of pearls and precious stones on strings; gold and silver don’t work as well underwater.

-They are resourceful and use a wide variety of tools; the fact that they have few natural defenses has led to a greater use of weapons than most other tribes, for example.

Diet: Facultative carnivorous (mostly meat). Fish, shellfish and crustaceans make up the vast majority of their diet, but their meals can also include a few types of seaweed, seagrass and other aquatic plants. In the palace, large hunting groups provide food for the entire population, but SeaWings who live outside of it usually provide food for themselves.

[elliott-the-creature]

Some WoF headcanons! (Pt. 1: Pyrrhian Dragons)

(Some of these ideas are mine, and some of these I’ve seen from others).

MudWings

Their colours can be browns, orangey-brown, greenish-brown, grey-brown, amber, jade green, and even brown-black.

Some MudWings can have crocodile-like snouts that are thinner and longer than regular MudWing snouts.

They have multiple rows of spikes along their back (like alligators and crocodiles).

Sometimes they can have webbed talons like SeaWings.

Due to their love of food, they’re one of the best chefs in the continent. They also love using lots of herbs and spices in their dishes.

MudWing royalty will wear bone/teeth jewelry, jewel piercings, cow pelt capes, flower crowns, and even antler crowns from deer, elk, or moose.

MudWings have tusks that they use to dig up plants and fight for mates.

Low class MudWings that struggle to make regular MudWing homes will dig undergroud or through the sides of cliffs/hills to make their homes.

SeaWings

They’re some of the biggest gossips in the continent and love to tell tall tales.

SeaWing families are very affectionate, and some parents are known to spoil their dragonets (which other tribes find weird).

Besides IceWings and SkyWings, SeaWings have the biggest hierarchical difference between lower and higher class dragons.

SeaWings that live near the surface/in reefs are more vibrant and have less need for Aquatic markings outside of communication (due to how bright their environment is). They also have weaker night vision.

Open ocean SeaWings look the most like an average SeaWing, and get bigger the deeper they live.

Deep-sea SeaWings are giant, and come in dark blues, navys, blacks, and even shades of red. They have the strongest night vision, and use Aquatic the most.

SeaWings have fish-like tails and sails along their wings and upper tail to help with navigation.

Due to them living primarily in the ocean, their wings are the least developed, and SeaWing dragonets fly much later than other dragon tribes.

SandWings

SandWings have the second hottest firebreath, only being beaten by SkyWings.

SandWing families are very distant, and many SandWing dragonets are orphaned shortly after hatching.

They have the best heat tolerance, and some SandWings can have fire resistance like blood-egg MudWings.

SandWings can have rattles near the end of their tail (right before their tail barb), and shake it when intimidated or angry.

They’re the most musical tribe, and have travelling bards (similar to IceWings).

Alongside SkyWings and SeaWings, they’re expert jewellers, and have very good reviews from even queens who buy their products.

SandWings are the most opposed to pets, and consider them a waste of space and resources. Thus, any dragon with a pet will most likely have their pet eaten or accidentally killed.

Many SandWings will have underground burrows to stay cool during the day, and will hunt in the evening/at night to avoid the intense sun.

SkyWings

SkyWings shed their scales the most of any tribe, and some dragons or even humans will collect the scales for jewelry or decorations.

SkyWings often have windchimes outside their home, and consider elegant designs and complex sound systems to be more desirable.

They have a very good tolerance to altitude sickness.

The hotter the SkyWing’s fire is, the lighter their scales are (like actual fire (I also love the idea that some SkyWings have blue or white scales due to how hot their fire is)).

They have the best eyesight, but have terrible night vision.

SkyWing eggs are more durable than other eggs from different tribes, and can even survive small falls from their nests (firescale eggs are more fragile though).

Their overall endurance is crazy good, and pride themselves on how well they can fly/fight.

SkyWings and water don’t mix whatsoever. They act like housecats when forced to go in water.

NightWings

Besides mind reading and future sight, NightWings born under new moons can have telepathy or past sight.

They’re super big on accessories, and often have lots of pouches and sacs filled with their favourite items.

A rare condition that NightWings can develop is something called Vampirism. Dragons with this condition crave blood and are super sensitive to sunlight (so they’re basically vampires).

NightWings born with albinism are often cast off by their parents or even killed due to being “impure” or “not fit for living”.

They have the weakest firebreath due to them spending the least amount of time under the sun.

NightWing scales under the sun are actually very vibrant, and shine in many different colours when in the right condition.

NightWings overheat often due to their scales attracting sunlight.

They have an interesting relationship with humans, and wish to study them more often and learn from them.

IceWings

Similar to NightWings, their scales are colourful under the sunlight.

They are the second best swimmers and can hold their breath for up to an hour.

Their horns can sometimes be segmented (like cervidae), and can be shed or broken off during spring and summer.

IceWings are very pompous and despise getting dirty.

They celebrate the winter solstice and love to have parties whenever something eventful happens.

IceWing royalty wear animal hides, gemstone jewelry, bone necklaces/bracelets, and shell jewelry.

The equivalent to firescales in IceWings is frostscales, where instead of burning things, they freeze things. And like fireless twins, frostless twins exist, and have a lower life expectancy due to them having poor cold resistance.

IceWings make igloos for non-IceWings to help them stay warm when staying in the IceWing kingdom.

RainWings (my favourite tribe!)

They are expert dancers and love to perform for others.

RainWings omnivores exist, but are more uncommon (these usually exist when the RainWing is a hybrid).

They are the best medics, and often have travelling medics that go around spreading info about medical herbs and treatments.

RainWings often become biologists due to how diverse their territory is, and have the most extensive knowledge about animals and plants.

Besides sloths, RainWings often own tropical birds, frogs, insects, and even wild cats (like jaguars and panthers).

RainWings are the second worst flyers, and are more used to gliding than full on flying.

Some RainWings have extendable tongues that they use to grab stuff with (like chameleons)

RainWings have sticky pads on their talons that are used to grip surfaces better (like geckos).

[crazylittlejester]

You said I could talk about moths whenever, so have a list of Links as moths. I’m so tired right now, but that doesn’t matter, because it’s mothing time. Just me rambling about moths while slapping some Links onto them based on vibes. Well, I tried to that ha.

Twi - Luna/Moon Moth. The main lime green color of the wings fits so well with the rest of his outfit. Also, moon, night, twilight? Thematic themes is theming. And fun(debatable) fact, Luna moth caterpillars vomit to scare away predators!

Wild - Uropyia meticulodina. They don’t have a common name :( but they are typically called “dead/curly leaf moths,” so I guess that’s the closest thing. They mimic dead leaves, their wings being curled. And when their wings are spread out, they are shown to be quite fluffy. And their antenna look a bit stick-like in my opinion.

Wind - Small emerald moth. Cute little moths, much love, I love for them. There are also very pretty. Their wings are more blue-green than emerald, and they have white cross lines on them. Just look at them, look at them, they make me want to move to England so I can see them. I’m probably hyping them up too much, but I love them.

Wars - Pompelon marginata moth. Also no common name I could find. Closest thing I could find is “day-flying moth,” but that’s not really a nickname. They are beautiful. Their wings are mostly black, with a striking, vibrant blue coloring on the ends. They look more like a butterfly then a moth. They are the only species in their genus, Pompelon.

Time - Imperial moth. The wings are super cool, they are yellow and rusty in color. I don’t have much to say for this sadly, but the wings do look a bit like semi-circles in some pictures I’ve seen, and that’s cool.

Sky - Atlas moth. They are big. They are one of the biggest moths in the world. The tips of their wings look like snakes. They are so cool. They are just super cool what much can I say.

Four - Madagascan sunset moth. They’re super colorful and pretty, butterfly looking ass(positive). They also drink nectar :)

Legend - Rosy maple moth. They are yellow and pink, they are his colors, and they soooo cute. I beg you to look up pictures of them and just scroll, they are so so so cute. According to one website, they are sometimes called flying kittens. I couldn’t find any other site confirming this, but I like the nickname.

Hyrule - Snowberry clearwing moth. They act like hummingbirds and are so cute. They hover when they drink nectar, like hummingbirds. I also love hummingbirds, so I might make a list of the Links as hummingbirds next. They also have a lobster-like body at the end.

Honorable mentions aka moths that almost fit:

Southern pink moth: They look so goofy and kinda ugly, but in a cute way.

Painted lichen moth: They are tiny and poisonous and also really cute.

White witch moth: Supposedly, its name comes from people trying to shoot it, but they couldn’t hit its body, leading to people thinking it was an unkillable witch.

Texas Wasp Moth: They mimic wasps but don’t have any actual stingers, they’re harmless. They’re two hind legs look like stingers, and they are so funny to look at when they are climbing.

White Plume Moth: They’re funny to look at hehe. They have feather-like wings and hold them in a T-shape.

Greater death's head hawkmoth: They are also called bee robbers, since they steal honey from honey bees.

Any aquatic moths: Some moths leave their eggs in/near water, and they have to crawl out and dry their wings. I just couldn’t look at any of them because the caterpillars and stuff started to freak me out unfortunately.

I LOOKED UP ALL OF THESE AND OH MY GOD DO THEY FIT SO WELL. AND THEYRE ALL SO PRETTY AND COOL LOOKING THANK YOU FOR SHARING THESE OMG OMG

[bethanythebogwitch]

A while back I made a series of posts examining the real-world origins of every fish Pokémon. It’s been a while but I’ve gotten the urge to do more of that. So now I’m doing the same thing, but with every aquatic non-fish Pokémon instead. What I define as aquatic is that it has been depicted as aquatic either in Pokédex entries or in the main series games. Most of them are water-types but not all and there are even a few water types I don’t think are aquatic. I’m also going to cover the water starters and legendaries/mythicals in their own segments. I will start with generation I, which I will be splitting in half because of how many there are. This entry will cover the Psyduck through Shellder lines while part 2 will cover the Krabby through Dratini lines.

The Psyduck line seems pretty obvious. It’s right in the name, they’re ducks, right? Well I’m not entirely convinced that’s all. Psyduck has the classic yellow duckling/rubber duck coloration, but it clearly has arms instead of wings. There’s another hint of them not being ducks in their typing. Back in the development of gen I, the flying type was called the bird type. This is why the Doduo line is part flying despite being flightless. The similarly flightless psyduck line not being granted the bird type makes me think they aren’t supposed to be ducks, but rather playtpuses (platypi?). These are among the only surviving monotremes, a lineage of primitive, egg-laying mammals that may represent a stage of development between pre-mammal therapsids and modern viviparous mammals. The platypus has four legs with webbed toes and a duck-like bill, just like the Psyduck line. The only thing the two are missing is the beaver-like tail.

(image: a chimera platypus)

Golduck is also based on the kappa, a creature of Japanese folklore described as a humanoid with a beak that lurks in ponds and streams. The gem on Golduck’s forehead is likely based on the third eye symbolism you get in a lot of new-age woo and the pseudoscience of parapsychology, which was adapted from the chakras of Hinduism. This is in reference to the line having psychic powers despite not being psychic-type.

(image: one of many depictions of a kappa)

The Poliwag line are based on tadpoles, the larval stage of frogs. As they mature, tadpoles go from basically a head with a tail on it to a tailless frog. Poliwag represents an early stage in the metamorphosis of a tadpole where it starts to grow hind legs and has not yet lost its tail or started to grow its front legs.

(image: a tadpole with its hind legs grown in)

Poliwhirl and Poliwrath are a more advanced state of metamorphosis where the tadpole has grown all its legs and lost its tail, but is still not a mature frog. Only if Poliwhirl evolves to Politoed does it become a mature frog. Poliwrath never fully maturing is an example of neoteny, a species retaining juvenile traits into adulthood. There aren’t any examples of neotenic frogs that I could find, but there are neotenic salamanders, most famously the axolotl, with keeps multiple juvenile traits as an adult. Politoed is just a generic green frog. The spirals on the bellies of the line is a reference to how some species of frog have such thin abdominal skin in their tadpole stage that their intestines can be seen through the skin. (warning, potentially gross picture below).

(image: a tadpole with visible intestines)

The tentacool line are jellyfish. Specifically, Tentacool may be a box jellyfish, the only jellyfish with true eyes.

(image: diagram of a box jellyfish with focus in the eyes. source)

Several species of box jellyfish are also extremely dangerous to humans, with their venom causing extreme pain and death. Tentacruel may also be based on the Portugese man-o-war (in fact, Manowar was its prototype English name). Despite looking similar and having a similar hunting style, man-o-wars are not jellyfish, but siphonophores, an extremely cool group of colonial cnidarians you can learn about here. Man-o-wars float on the surface of the water and with for prey to run into their stinging tentacles. Tentacruel is often depicted hunting in a similar style.

(image: a man-o-war)

Finally, the line’s big red gems and ability to fire laser beams from them likely comes from “bug-eyed monsters” a classic type of sci-fi monster typically found in b-movies.

The Slowpoke line are weird. They are one of those Gen I lines that are weird monsters with little in the way of real-life counterparts like the Nidos, Rhyhorn, and Kangaskhan. I think Slowpoke is a combination of hippos and giant salamanders. It has the little round ears and snout of hippos (which spend much of their time in the water) while its body shape and behavior are closer to giant salamanders. Not just any big salamanders though, they are based on the Cryptobranchids, of which there are three living species: the Chinese giant salamander (actually 5 closely-related species), Japanese giant salamander, and north American hellbender. These giant salamanders spend most if not all their time underwater and are known to be very long-lived and spend most of their time sitting perfectly still, waiting for prey to pass by. Their very still and slow lifestyles inspired Slowpoke’s slowness and stupidity.

(image: a man holding a giant salamander and fulfilling a wish I didn't know I had until just now)

Things get more complicated when Slowpoke evolves. Both Slowbro and Slowking have a symbiotic relationship with a shellder that bites onto their tail or head, respectively. The shape of the Shellder is based on a turban snail and was planned to be available as an evolution foe Shellder in the Gold/Silver beta called Turban. The fact that the line’s Japanese names (Yadon, Yadoran, and Yadoking) come from the word “yadokari” meaning “hermit crab” and Slowbro being called the hermit crab Pokémon is pretty clear that they supposed to be hermit crabs despite being possibly the least hermit crab-like creatures ever. Come to thing of it, Digimon has Shellmon, another supposed hermit crab that's a weird pink monster sticking out of a turban snail shell. I don't know what to make of that. The hermoit crab connection isn't a very strong connection as hermit crabs live in the discarded shells of snails for defense while only mega Slowbro can actually withdraw into the Shellder. Slowking’s Shellder being on its head and it having that neck ruff is a reference to royalty wearing ruffs, crowns, and turbans. It being the smartest of the Slows may also draw from imagery of the wise, middle-eastern vizier or scholar trope. Finally, both evolutions are based on the sazae-oni, a legendary Japanese sea monster that wears a turban-shaped snail shell. The Pokémon version did not keep the part of the legend where it steals a bunch of sailors' testicles and holds them for ransom.

(image: a depiction of the sazae-oni)

The Galarian forms aren’t much different, though they seems to have moved to a more terrestrial lifestyle. Their Shellders being poison-type may reference the highly toxic cone snails. Galarian Slowbros Shellder being on its arm and acting as a projectile weapon references side arms and arm cannons while Galarian Slowking is a more sinister take on the turban-wearing wise man, with its Shellder now looking like a pointy witch hat.

Seel is, rather obviously, a seal, probably a harp seal pup. In addition to its seal origin, it may have some inspiration from other arctic marine mammals: the “horn” of a narwhal, white color of a beluga, and tusks of a walrus. Dewgong is named after the dugong, a relative of the manatee, but that is where their similarities end. Dugongs are rotund sirenians while Dewgong is obviously a seal. It’s a more mature Seel, with all the same inspirations.

(image: a harp seal pup, easily the cutest thing I've ever put on this blog)

Shellder and Cloyster are both a hodgepodge of various bivalves. Shellder is a combination of clam and scallop. Clams spend most of their time buried under sand and have a powerful foot that can stick out of the shell and is used for moving and digging. Clams also have siphons, organs that are used to intake water, that can be extremely large in some species, most notably the geoduck.

I know what you're thinking and shame on you (Image: a geoduck clam)

Shellder’s constantly exposed tongue is likely a representation of the foot or siphon. They are also based on Scallops, which can swim short distances by rapidly opening and closing their shells to shoot out water.

And now you know why Spongebob made these into birds (gif: a scallop swimming)

Cloyster retains the Scallop swimming methods, but are more based on thorny oysters and true oysters. Thorny oysters are known for having prominent spines on their shells to deter predators.

I CAN FEEL THE WARP OVERTAKING ME! (image: a thorny oyster)

True oysters are the most famous pearl-producing bivalves. Cloyster’s head is based on a pearl, specifically a black pearl. These are produced by only a few species and are very valuable due to their rarity.

(image: black pearls on the shell of one of the species that make them)

That’s it for the first half of gen I. I will return soon (hopefully tomorrow) for the second part and they we will move on to gen II and beyond.

[ratsoh-writes]

Monster idea: A big bug-beetle like monster with a veeery narrow waist, horns and a sturdy carapace like back.

Their face has a sort of T shape, with big ole eyes and a second smaller pair below them.

Their torso, legs and arms are pitch black. You can know their magic color by the color of the hands, horns and carapace.

They are mostly known to have acid and poison magic.

Their carapace is so strong that not even cannonballs or bullets can dent them.

Whew! That’s three new monster types down! I’ll start from left to right!

Carashield:

One of the oldest monster subspecies, carashields are found in every au, and every AUs records. They like to fight with the goats and slimes over which of them came first in monster history.

The carashield is a lanky but massive monster, averaging between 8-12 feet tall. These monsters are known for a bug like appearance with a small triangle head, bulging eyes, and of course the massive back shell pieces. Every carashield has a skin color ranging from pitch black to a charcoal grey, and rarely, slightly green shades of grey. And of course, their favorite features about themselves: the tiniest waists

A special detail about these monsters is that the large eyes are actually false, they are used to show emotion but don’t actually “see”. Instead the two smaller eyes in the middle of their face are their true eyes.

The carashields magic color will show in their large false eyes and proper eyes, as well as the tips of their horns, fingers, toes and the spot on their carapace.

The carashield is a monster built like a tank, as long as they have their back armor that is. Without it, the monster is very frail. The back carapiece is both a shield against magical attacks and physical ones, being able to withstand even bullet fire. These monster also tend to be skilled in poison and acid magic, and occasionally, illusion magics.

Carashield monsters are known for being highly intelligent and proud. They are easy to offend and hard to please, but get in ones good graces and you’ll have a friend for life. All AUs have these monsters, but the ones with the highest carashield population is gastertale and undertale.

Maedaes:

The maedae monster is a medium sized monster with a round head, false flames surrounding the head and neck, and a solid torso. The lower body slowly tapers off into a wispy shape resembling smoke. They typically “stand” between 4/5’8 feet tall

Maedaes are a monster type who while not “new” are young enough to know what two monsters they came from. The first maedae in each au had a sunsport and ghost monster parent.

Maedae monsters take more after their ghost ancestors in their magic and structure. They float naturally and can become partially intangible in their torsos and the “flames” surrounding their heads. They’re monsters skilled in healing and occasionally fire magics.

One special thing about these monsters is that their magic color is always a warm shade. It is represented in their eyes, mouths, flames and the little pads on the tips of their fingers.

These monsters are known to be rather wild with high tempers. Never piss off a maedae or else the wild magic from its anger will give you one hell of a migraine. These monsters in ancient history were known for being on the front lines in war for a reason, despite being healers, they’re born with a fighting spirit.

There are Maedaes in the aquatic AUs! These rare individuals still keep their warm color palate but their “flames” resemble a teardrop shape, and none are found with fire affinities. The aus with the most Maedaes however are underfell, fellswap red and lustfell.

Vambao:

The vambao is an older monster type and a known ancestor of bat monsters (with a mouseling being the other parent). Vambao monsters are a medium sized monster standing between 4’5/5’5. They have large ears, tiny moth like wings, sharp teeth and hooves.

These monsters are known seductresses/seducers. They are highly skilled in pheromone and illusion magics and appear in a lot of human mythology for “stealing”young men and women away lol. The way these monsters spread their pheromones is through the dust on their wings, or through a bite. The method depends on what family the Vambao came from

Vambao are lustful monsters, and they almost always prefer other monster subspecies or humans over each other, so the Vambao population is always much lower than the average monster type. After all, when you pick a mate from another subspecies, you risk only having the same type of monster children as your mate.

Polyamory is also very common with these monsters, often being in a triad or more with their chosen loves, however they’re jealous lovers and do not share. Either you’re all dating the vamboa or not lol.

This monster type also enjoys meat more than the average monster, needing a lot of protein to fuel their type of magic, so a good way to get on a vamboas good side is with some great barbecue.

Vamboas are found in every au, but the AUs with the most of them are lustswap and lustred.

And now let’s meet the new babes!

Berkeley Dickens:

Berkeley is a handsome carashield from gastertale! He’s just entered his middle age at 300 and stands at 9’1 feet tall! He has a neon yellow magic.

Berkeley is a well spoken dignified and elegant fellow. He was born in high society and worked hard to respect the customs and rules of his ancestors. He has a scientific mind like many in gastertale, but takes it in a different direction with an interest in music! So despite having the attitude of the stuffy “silver” (gaster) monsters, he’s considered a bit of an oddball in his au

Barkley is a conductor for a prestigious orchestra in ebott. He writes the music they play as well, designing the songs for the way the sound waves make people feel over the actual sound. However many adore his music and his shows are always packed

Berkeley is single at the moment, and yes for lack of trying. His research has consumed him for most of his life. He’s open to a partner, but doesn’t care if he never pairs. So it would take someone determined and willing to chase him to tie this classy monster down

His magical talent is being able to “double hum”. Basically when Berkeley hums, it sounds like two people are doing it lol. His magic weapon is a simple sleek fencing sword.

Things he loves: music of course, the piano and cello especially, fencing, lemon flavored ice treats, his cat Beethoven, the color navy blue, fancy pens and stationary, winter

Monsters he knows: napstablook, Vamp (royal), pepper, green, G, crow, vibrato

He lives in the community around mettaland and has two roommates

Cotton Lee:

Cotton is a young maedae born after the crash to her outerswap parents. She’s only 14 at the moment and stands at 4’5 but is still growing. She has a reddish orange magic color!

Cotton like every maedae before her is a real spitfire! She’s got a lust for violence and her biggest goal is to be a professional fighter and to someday beat every fighter who’s ever won ebotts freedom festival battle royal. Especially Helios, she’s modeled her fighting style after him after all.

While cotton is feisty, she is also a compassionate child and loves feeling helpful. Her parents found that the easiest way to keep her out of trouble is to make her feel like she’s in charge of or responsible for something lol.

Cotton is currently in school of course, but she was allowed early in the older grades physical classes because of her talent. She’s working hard hoping to graduate early by the time she’s 17

Her magical talent is also her signature move. She calls it “vessel burst”. She has the ability to concentrate a massive amount of healing magic on one small area of the body to force it to grow and burst suddenly. Yea terrifying. Her magic weapon is a large spiked hammer in the shape of a sun.

Things she loves: sparring, fighting, any form of combat, Godzilla movies, her mom’s vintage frilly dresses, stealing from her moms closet, Helios, GI Joe, lace bows.

Monsters she knows: petunia, dove, Jupiter, bruiser

She lives with her parents in an apartment in inner ebott city

Mozzy Stewart:

His name is actually short for mozzarella. But he prefers Mozzy. Mozzy is a young adult Vambao from farmswap! He’s 62 years old and has a pretty light blue magic. He stands at 5’3

Mozzy is actually a half breed monster, but not in the way you think. Both his parents are mages, his mom a mothra mage and his dad the vambao mage. He just got all the monster genes he guesses. He has three other siblings, two mages and one a normal human. He’s the middle child

Mozzy is a huge goofball, he loves to play and joke around. And of course he lives up to his monster subspecies by being a huge flirt. However he tends to get sidetracked while picking up chicks/dudes and winds up making friends instead. Oops.

Mozzy comes from a long line of butchers and follows the family business working in his parents butcher shop. He’s mostly behind the counter slicing the meat and packaging it. He takes a lot of pride in his job and hopes to inherit the shop when his parents retire as the only child who works full time there.

Mozzy’s magical talent is word search. At least that’s what he calls it. Whenever someone can’t remember a word, if he’s nearby he naturally just thinks of the exact word they’re looking for. His magic weapon is a meat cleaver the size of his arm.

Things he loves: baby back ribs, pork loin, tri tip, sloppy Joe sandwiches, barbecue sauce, hosting barbecues, gardening, hook ups, hair care, volleyball, swimming, the lake

Monsters he knows: cider, barley, rancher, peaches, rosemary, Carmen

He lives in a little cottage in Corncopia with his oldest sister (human, 78).

Things he hates: mozerella cheese.

[girldragongizzard]

Chapter 4: A cause for alarm

I’m being chased through the sky by someone that looks like they were drawn by Mercer Meyer. And I don’t really know what I’m going to do about it.

It’s extremely frustrating, because now that I can think a little, I’d really rather stop and talk. But my tablet was almost certainly destroyed in the initial attack, and I don’t have it anyway. I can only communicate in non-verbal cries and squawks, and body language I feel like I’ve adopted from an array of other animals.

It’s ironically much easier for me to communicate with a human right now than it is for me to talk to another dragon.

And it really feels like it shouldn’t be that way.

And, if I’m honest, I have no idea if this dragon spent any time as a human (or resembling a human) like I did. How should I figure out whether to call them “it” or “they” or what?

Anyway, in the air I’m more agile and faster than them, just like when we were both in the apartment. And they’re bigger than me and have that terrifying mouth, with teeth the size of… Very Big Things.

This means that, while I really don’t want to face them in physical combat again, I can get away. I’m pretty sure neither of us have a hell of a lot of stamina, though they do seem more mammalian than I am. I don’t think that we can go by appearances in judging those things though. But, in the moment, I can leave them in the dust and am in the process of doing so.

The problem is that I’m scared that if I keep fleeing, I’m going to cede the entire city to them, and I don’t want to do that. Shit, I want to protect my claim to my block with my coffee shop, and I’ve already given that up.

I need to find a way to humiliate them, and make them back down. I need to show my dominance, and as the dragon fleeing I don’t exactly have that position right now.

I’m headed out over the bay, which means I’ve still got city on three sides of me, and an island in front of me. We can fight out here without hurting anyone, but then they have the advantage. Unless it turns out I’m more aquatic than they are, but I’m feeling a wariness about the water. And they’re hippo-like and I don’t have webbed toes.

And if I keep going and truly leave the city limits, they probably won’t follow me, and just assume they own my home town now.

If I turn us right or left, I have an array of waterside parks I can lead us to. Or, I have a choice between residential neighborhoods to fly over. But a sharper left turn will take us over the south hill and the university to the arboretum, a very large park on a hill filled with trees.

And if I can draw the conflict into the thick of those trees, I think I can find the leverage I need to overpower my opponent.

God, I should name them something.

You know? They yawped. They declared their presence with a mighty yawp.

I’m going to fucking name them Whitman.

So, I’m turning a sharp left and heading back over buildings and houses, and hoping that Whitman here will follow me into the arboretum.

And I’m also wondering if either of us can or will breathe fire.

There’s this book called The Flight of Dragons by Peter Dickenson. And in it, Peter speculates that dragons could breathe fire because they filled themselves up with hydrogen to float like blimps, and it’s a simply matter of igniting the gas with an electrical spark upon expelling it. And I’ve always liked the goofiness of that theory, but I’m pretty sure we don’t work that way. Or, I don’t, at least.

I fly a heck of a lot like how a pterodactyl would, just with an extra set of limbs. And I haven’t been able to watch Whitman fly to be really sure of how they work, but they’re just a little too fast for how I think the blimp concept would work.

If Whitman was a biological blimp, I think I could get away just by soaring, and I’m not doing that. I’m burning a lot of calories by constantly pumping my wings. And the few glances back I’ve taken indicate that Whitman’s doing the same.

We’re going to be so exhausted when we make it to where I’m going.

But I make the peak of my flight over the south hill, which is taller than the arboretum, and I’m aiming for a more open space near the entrance to the park. I can glide down to that and gain speed and momentum. And the small field there will look less threatening and worrisome to Whitman, I hope.

Of course, I’ll be able to dash into the trees rather easily after insulting the other dragon.

I take another glance back and see that Whitman hasn’t gained quite as much height as I did, and is having to work harder to keep up. And I’m getting a bit of a rest with this glide.

Perfect.

Well, it’s an advantage, at least.

As I come in low over the southern part of the university campus, students playing ultimate frisbee stop and point at me. Others notice Whitman and point at them. I can hear them shouting in excitement, but I can’t understand what they’re saying. But they definitively are not taking the sight of dragons in stride now. They’ve stopped striding to gawk.

Dorms and conifers fly by as I rocket into the park.

I swerve and weave to get exactly where I’m going, briefly following the drive in and gliding in between sets of reasonably tall trees. And I realize that I’m going to leave some significant divots right before I do.

I do my best to land running, but my heels skid and my tail slaps the ground, and then my claws are digging up moss and grass as I change directions and wheel around to face Whitman to shout at them.

I do a repeat of my first challenge cry, drawing up a good rumble for a couple seconds as I watch them flapping madly into the park after me. And then I screech as loudly as I can, and rear up and flap my wings.

That should do it.

They come right at me, jaw slowly opening wide as if to try to swallow my head.

I drop and bow like a playing dog, and use that maneuver to spring to the side and gallop toward the woods to my right, uphill. And again, after a few strides I’m up on my hind legs, using my wings for balance and a bit of lift.

If Whitman is a local, they should know that just on the other side of the road here, a few paces beyond the tree line, there’s a short cliff of rock, about twelve feet high. I’ve got my eyes on a spot between the trees that I can leap up into and pull my wings tight to fly through like a spear or a rock.

If I can leap high enough at just the right moment, I can make it safely to the top of the cliff. I can see it through the trees. A clear shot.

And I’m hoping that Whitman will try to do the same thing in rage and indignation, and fail.

I rattle and clack as I go, cackling like a wood block, and it kind of sort of works!

When I land atop the cliff, I do have too much momentum and as I try to turn to face Whitman I slide sideways uphill into a tree.

Whitman lands right on the edge of the rock ridge, the corner of the cliff right into their gut, with a sharp exhale of breath and foreclaws scrabbling on stone and dirt for purchase. I’m suitably surprised that they made it between the trees, but they are sliding backward, at least, and look stunned.

I huff and stomp and turn to face them, taking a couple of steps in their direction. Then I rear up, close the translucent nictitating membranes of my eyes, which I hadn’t really known were there until just now, and take a really deep breath into chambers of my chest that don’t quite feel like my lungs.

Is this going to work?

Is this going to work?!

Holy shit!

It’s going to –

I’m a flame thrower.

What I expel isn’t just flaming gas, it’s an oxygenated fluid, a lot like biologically produced napalm. And I have no idea how to explain it. I just know what it feels like and how it behaves once it leaves my throat.

I aimed for just over Whitman’s head, not right at their face. But the liquid falls and creates a trail of fire from me all the way to the road, and right down Whitman’s spine, from snout to tail.

And from how I feel, I don’t think I can do that again right away. I’ve got to generate more of that fluid. I feel empty, thinner.

Whitman is clearly nonplussed, for possibly both of the definitions of that word. Conflicted.

I rear up and cackle, flapping my wings half open to avoid hitting trees.

Then I drop and stomp a few steps closer, menacingly, but stopping short of any sort of lunging distance they might have.

And then I start rumbling again, and wait for them to make the next move.

They were foolish to follow me into the trees, but I think I got lucky in learning how to breathe fire first. They might be able to do it themself right now, though I suspect their physical position will make it hard to project the liquid. That is, if they can even do it.

I’ve known I was a dragon since I was nine years old. I’ve done a lot of reading. And when I talked to Chapman earlier today, I learned a few more things. It turns out that there’s so much material out there about dragons that two dragon lovers who’ve researched the shit out of them for a few decades will still end up with information that the other won’t have learned. And we agreed that there was one thing for certain about mythical dragons, and that’s that no two dragons are alike.

In the original myths, dragons weren’t originally dragons. They weren’t a single species of monster, but a collection of individual creatures tailored for their individual stories. And while breathing fire became a common trait after the word dragon began to be applied to them all, it wasn’t universal.

And we’re real, actual dragons here? But here’s Whitman looking so different from me that I’m pretty sure we both feel like we should be called different things.

They might have a completely different surprise.

But the look in their eyes as they continue to slide back off the cliff suggests not.

I really, really want to ask them, “Why are we fighting, asshole?” But I just can’t.

I can only watch them decide to let go and land with a thump on the ground below, and then try to roll to put out the flames.

I don’t know if the flames are hurting them all that much, but they certainly are charring the shaggy fur that lines their back, and threatening to spread.

I walk to the edge of the little cliff and look down at them, and then cackle-chatter again.

Then I remember the chime sound I managed to imitate by accident earlier, and have an idea for a roasting taunt.

I take a little breath and imagine what the noise I want to produce should sound like. Like I said, I’d been practicing a lot at home, and I have a pretty good idea of the limits and range of my vocal apparatus now, and what I’m going for is a fairly constant tone, with a long, slow worble.

Before I do it, I take a full breath so I can maintain it.

And then, as Whitmat struggles to put out the flames on their back, the sound of a fire engine’s siren begins to wail from my open throat, keening and changing in pitch and tone just like the real thing. Just as obnoxiously loud. Then, to add insult to injury, I add in the brap and double horn honk as well.

Slink away, Whitman, slink away, I think to myself. Maybe if you approach me meekly sometime in the future, we won’t have to do this.

It also occurs to me that if we dragons are going to make a habit of doing this, the humans are probably going to stop being so mysteriously reasonable with us.

And shit.

Now my lair is half destroyed.

I’m starting to see the appeal of a cave.

Fortunately, I know of one just to the south of here, an old abandoned coal mine. But there might be another dragon already there, if Whitman and I are not the only ones that have manifested in the county. Heck, it might be Whitman’s cave now.

If I decide to claim it, I’ll have to approach it with due caution.

But, first, I really need to check on Rhoda.

After I catch my breath.

Also, I should probably make sure I haven’t just burned the whole arboretum down.

So, I end up having to wait until Whitman leaves, which they eventually do. Skulking away down the road into the southside neighborhoods. I don’t suspect they’ll leave town, but between us I guess I’m top dragon. For now.

Then I spend some time tearing limbs off of trees and bushes that are on fire, and kicking dirt over all of the flames that I can. There isn’t much dirt I can kick, and it’s not working. And I consider just lying down on top of the flames myself, but I don’t know if I’m impervious or not and don’t feel like testing it.

It turns out that someone saw the fight and the flames and called the real fire department, and I decide to leave when I hear the actual sirens.

Maybe I need to reserve fire breathing to more extreme circumstances, if I’m going to care about the local trees and neighborhoods.

—

We sitting in Rhoda’s apartment, listening to the local news radio station over her internet connection, waiting for a story about my fight to hit. So far it hasn’t.

We’re both surprised about this, but we also don’t really know how the local news works in cases like this.

She’s lending me her phone to talk, which is not as good as my tablet, but does work. And I’ve been slowly and carefully explaining what happened in words as sparely as I can.

And I have a salad bowl full of water to drink.

I’m being super gentle and slow moving, keeping my body as small as I can. I feel oafish and dangerous, and I don’t want to mess up her apartment too.

For her part, she’s just listening to me talk. I think she’s taken some sort of medication to calm her nerves. If it’s like the propranolol I used to use for my C-PTSD, it will help to have something soothing to relax to, though, and I don’t know if what we’re doing is that. But she seems subdued enough.

When I get to the point where I make the sound of a siren, she holds up a finger and gestures for her phone. Then, picking it up she uses her thumb to navigate to an app and activates a ringtone. A pretty simple one, a classic bell, like the phones we both grew up with as children.

Then she points at me.

I lower my head and turn my left ear toward the phone, blinking, and wait.

She plays it again, and I listen carefully.

It’s a high pitch with a quick warble, with some harmonics. I think it’s going to feel a little bit like fizzing bubbles in my chest, so I lift my head and open my mouth and shoot for that feeling.

The siren wasn’t actually perfect when I did it. It was recognizable and loud but off.

My ringtone is also off, at first. But now I’ve got the time and patience to concentrate and adjust. So I try it again and get it much closer.

Rhoda grins and laughs, and then quietly but firmly says, “Stop.” She looks meaningfully at me, and then says, “Say ‘Stop.’”

Hm. That’s a word. That’s actually way more complex than I think she realizes. If I do the glottal stop like sound at the end of it, it might sound like a labial plosive. So, I need to do a kind of hiss, a stop, an open vowel sound, and then another stop.

Again, I try to visualize what that will feel like before attempting it. But what comes out is just not right.

I try it three more times, failing miserably each time, until Rhoda shakes her head and waves her hand, then passes her phone back to me.

I’m about to knuckle a couple of words into the device when there’s a knock on the door.

Rhoda gets up and goes to the door to look through the peephole.

“It’s the police,” she says.

[the-bard-of-heartstrings]

◭—GOBLINS—◮

Goblinoids have quite the large family, having goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, trolls, ogres, cyclopses. Within this family are various subtypes based on environment and breeding that we will not be discussing due to the heated debate surrounding it.

Goblins (standard) are 3 1/2-4 feet tall, and are the quickest adaptive race on the planet. Within just 4 generations they can develop skin that camouflages or gills/webbing to fit a swamp or lake. The reason I say standard is that they may grow taller (like the greater goblin) for roaming forests or smaller (like the little goblin) to fit in caves. Like primates, all goblins (no matter the biome) have grasping feet with an opposable hallux making them 4 toed. The goblin’s larger cousins lack the opposable toe but still possess the grasping foot with the same number of toes. Most goblins have dark vision and have large bat-like ears. Using chirps, clicks and whistles to communicate. While they may lose those large ears due to an aquatic environment, they are swapped for dorsal fins. 

You may think that as a lesser monster that the reason the goblins have survived is due to their quick adaptations or their high birth rate. You would be only partially correct, yes they are a lesser monster but they are the only predator for the fey. Their diet is comprised of grubs, beetles and insects. [with some exceptions when accounting for environment] But with a waning moon the goblins will split into packs and participate in a grand hunt of pixies, faeries, archfey, whatever they can sink their teeth into. 

Goblins will swarm fey forest grounds like piranhas, and once they are done they take their carapaces to make armor of and wings to market…if anything is left. Most goblins hunt in packs but some do manage on their own in hunts and if they do manage to hunt on and kill fey their own they’ve right to all the spoils and are allowed to distribute them as they see fit.

 —[In some desperate cases, they’ll follow bugbears and hobgoblins (the hunters of their species) and, if they feel safe to (or if they’re in a mixed pack with them) they’ll scavenge off of the carcasses they kill. But more often than not there is nothing left.]—

Those who are able to vanquish the fey on their own are often appointed as leaders and defenders within their packs. You’ll see them guarding their compatriots as they sleep, decorated with the durable exoskeletons of archfey. This isn’t to say goblins are the only magical pest control in the lands. But more on that in a later entry.

Since being more accepted into some societies after proving their skills. We’ve found that goblins can adapt to a social environment as well. They can retain multiple languages, and are fast learners when it comes to labor. Slowly and steadily they’re proving people wrong and being integrated into modern society. But let’s move forward with the rest of the goblinoids.

[runwayrunway]

No. 10 - Dodo Airlines

Well, @vultureworth​, I suppose you can. 

For reference: I’ve never played  Animal Crossing, so I actually had to do research for this. I saw an interesting thing or two in the process, though, so here’s what I learned! This took me down an entirely different rabbit hole, so two posts are going up today. Enjoy.

(image: Animal Crossing Twitter) 

So, to begin with, just looking up the liveries I’ve seen a few mentions of the DAL logo being a nod to JAL. 

I don’t not see it. I mean, they’re both circles and both follow an XAL format, but that’s true for like a fifth of all the airlines in the world. Both have a bird facing to the left. The fonts used are similar in width and color and both appear to be italic, but the spacing and typeface are visibly very different. I probably wouldn’t have picked up on it had it not been pointed out to me but the Tsurumaru logo is definitely iconic and it’s a neat little detail. 

The only type DAL operates looks like this. It’s too stylized to discern an exact model but my guess would be that it’s meant to be a Cessna 172 or one of the many similar-looking Cessna models. They’re extremely common and frequently fitted with floats. I’ve flown on a Cessna 180 floatplane myself. 

Yep, that’s sure a Cessna 172 on amphibious floats. DAL’s plane isn’t amphibious, only capable of taking off and landing on water, but you can do that too (I imagine it’s even easier); I just had a weirdly hard time finding a picture of a fully aquatic Skyhawk. 

(image source: ahunt)

I’m actually pretty sure it’s specifically one of the very old models which had a much more angular tailfin and no rear windows, but maybe by this point I’ve thought more about this than the art team did when designing the plane. That said, I have to question the decision to add a third prop blade to a plane that can barely pull 200 horsepower with aftermarket engine changes. That’s just inefficient.  

When it comes to the DAL livery, I enjoy the way that the curve of the main fuselage’s paint is repeated on the pontoons. The logo placement feels weird to me initially but I suppose upon reflection it would be strange to put it anywhere else and it looks fine. It would probably look a bit less fine on a real airplane but this is not a real airplane, this is a cartoon airplane flown by a silly cartoon bird in a video game. 

This is making me appreciate just how hard it is to find somewhere to put a logo on a single-engine high-wing plane. 

But the DAL fleet are actually jellybeans! That’s right, they come in four different colorways!

all images taken from either the Animal Crossing wiki or bidoofcrossing.com

I’ll be honest - I like the blue trim on the yellow and the green models, but it looks sort of bad on the red/orange. My favorite overall, surprisingly, might be the yellow. I don’t know - I like the contrast, but the yellow somehow feels less bright than the green. 

Overall...A solid C for Dodo Airlines. 

Just one thing, though. We’ve gotten basically every angle except directly from behind, but I don’t see a registration anywhere on these planes. Whatever aviation authority the Animal Crossing world is bound to is going to have some words for DAL...

[vivianwrite]

the kelp forest

Florence takes Taryn to her mother’s hometown of Acropora, a seamount settlement of semi-aquatic humans. Takes place after the main story.

“Are you ready?” Florence asked, holding on to the ladder with one hand.

“Yeah,” Taryn said. With a bit of tooth-gritting, it would be true. She didn’t want to leave her girlfriend waiting a second longer; problem was, the early June water was chilly. Bracing herself, she bit the mouthpiece of her snorkel, hopped off the ladder, and plunged into the sea.

The water enveloped her almost completely. Even though she had goggles on, she’d reflexively closed her eyes, and the darkness combined with the cold was unnerving. She bobbed fully underwater for a moment before she reopened them.

Wrong moment. Her head was above water now. She couldn’t see the kelp ahead of her in crisp detail, only the wave-distorted shape of Florence darting around her.

Time to join her properly.

Taryn dunked her head back under the water. Down the slope of the sea-hill, an expanse of greenery opened up to her. Neotree kelp grew from the sand, covered in slick gold bark with thick green banners of leaves unfurling from their branches. A bit of swimming, and she’d be right over the canopy.

Florence led the way, of course. She had to slow herself down for Taryn to be able to keep up. (Taryn wished she’d also been born with webbed toes, or had the experience of swimming every day of her childhood.) Still, they both reached the forest before long.

The green ribbons waved with the currents, their tips brushing against Taryn’s limbs. (She was lucky she wasn’t ticklish.) When she looked down, she could see fish and large shrimp darting between the branches.

The shrimp were particularly interesting. They had thick legs that splayed to the side, making them look more like lobsters than shrimp, with broad plates of chitin projecting off of them. They crawled on the branches and trunks of the trees, occasionally leaping off and beating their legs like wings to flutter to another tree.

Taryn remembered there existed legitimately winged shrimp in other corners of the world. She wished she could see one of them in the flesh (in the exoskeleton?), then shook off the thought. All forms of life were beautiful enough, interesting enough. These fluttering shrimp were just as impressive a sight as the flying ones.

Florence popped to the surface to take a breath. Then she dove down through the canopy, leaves rippling and warping in her stead. Taryn stopped swimming and waited for her to return.

A school of tiny black fish swarmed curiously around her. A few particularly brave ones nudged at her legs with their heads. Taryn stayed as still as she could, not wanting to ruin the encounter. Then Florence emerged from between two kelp-trees, and they scattered.

Florence reached out a hand towards her. Sitting in her palm was a flower… no, a clump of yellow moss roughly shaped like one.

Taryn took it. It was soft and slightly sticky. She turned it around a little, wondering about its anatomy. Did it feed on the dimmer light that got through to the understory, or was it a parasite that sucked nutrients from the kelp? She couldn’t see any roots, so probably not the latter.

Then Florence motioned for her to ascend so they could speak. She lifted her head out of the water.

“I’m going to put it back,” Florence said as soon as she was in the air. “I just wanted to show you one of those. They grow on the tree trunks a bit deeper down. Pretty cool, right?”

“Yeah.” Taryn smiled. “Thanks for showing it to me. They’re photosynthetic, I’m guessing?”

“I think so. I don’t know how they’d eat otherwise.”

“You can take it back now.” Taryn handed the moss back to her. “I wish I could swim through the understory, too.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll find you a diving suit somewhere.”

With that, Florence took another deep breath and vanished again. Taryn was left looking at the bubbles where she’d kicked back under the waves, wondering what beauty she would show her next.

[rafor]

Chapter 72 - Lands of the Hidden Shadows - The Glitch

Nox soared through the sky as an eagle, feeling the wind on his feathers and the sun on his back. He had been flying for hours, but he had no idea where he was. He had strayed into the lands of the Hidden Shadows, a dangerous territory guarded by ruthless shadow dragons. He didn’t notice them until they shouted at him from below.

“Stop, get down immediately.”

Nox panicked and flew higher and faster, hoping to escape their sight. But they were trained to hunt down intruders like him, and they quickly caught up with him. They fired electric guns at him, and Nox felt a jolt of pain in his wing. He tried to use his powers to transform back into a cloud of flames, but nothing happened. He was stuck as an eagle, and he was vulnerable.

He looked for a place to hide in the forest below, but before he could reach it, he was hit again. This time, a net followed the shot, and he was ensnared. He plummeted to the ground like a wounded animal, trapped and helpless.

Nox didn’t utter a word during the whole ordeal. He didn’t want them to discover his true identity. He knew they were Shadow dragons, and everyone always described them as powerful enemies. He had to pretend to be a normal eagle, even if it meant risking his life.

The older scout approached him and said, “Stop moving, giant bird. You’ll just hurt yourself. We don’t want to harm you.”

The second scout said, “Sir, why are you talking to an animal? It can’t understand you.”

The older scout replied, “This is not just any animal. This is a giant fire eagle. They’re smart and should be able to understand us. Don’t you?” He looked at Nox with a piercing gaze.

Nox tried to act as if he didn’t understand, but the scout said, “I’m sure you can understand me. Do you know what this is?” He showed him another gun and said, “This is a weapon that could kill you with one single hit, straight to your head. But I won’t do it. You’re too rare to go to waste. Still, I don’t understand. What are you doing here all alone?”

Nox didn’t reply but showed a frustrated look and lowered his head to the ground, surrendering.

The second scout asked, “What do we do with him?”

The older scout said, “We’ll bring him to the containment zone.”

With ropes around his beak and wings and his claws severed, the giant bird was rendered harmless. The older scout, who was also a chief, spoke to him in a stern voice, “Follow us. Obey our commands and you will be spared, understand?” Nox nodded and trailed behind. He was led to an old containment zone that had lain essentially dormant for years. Inside, he was forced onto an iron table by the scout and his assistants. The room was designed for interrogation and was adaptable to any creature of any size. It even had aquariums for aquatic beings. Bound to the table and immobilized, he faced a glaring light. The scout began his questioning with a classic, “Who do you work for?” No answer. “Who are you?” Silence. The scout grew impatient after the first two queries met with no response. He threatened, “If you refuse to cooperate, we will resort to other means.” Nox uttered a birdlike sound. The scout caught that and asked, “You can’t speak, can you?” Nox blinked his eyes. The scout nodded and said, “We’ll find a way. In the meantime...”. A scientist was busy documenting every detail about the creature.

The scout hurried away, looking for someone who could decipher the language of such a strange beast. He returned with Raphael, a winged human, but right then he was a Shadow dragon who could shape-shift. Raphael took one look at the captive and asked, “What do we have here?”

The scientist answered, “It’s a male, healthy, of unknown origin, a giant elemental fire eagle. But for some reason, he can’t use his element here.”

Raphael nodded. “That’s normal. If he’s not from this continent, his element won’t work here. But why did you bring me here?”

The scout explained, “We want to know if he was sent by someone. If he’s a spy, we need to extract information from him.”

Raphael frowned. “And what do you want me to do? Talk to him?”

The scout nodded. “Yes, please. He seems unable to speak. He’s a wild eagle, but I’m sure he can understand us.”

Raphael shrugged. “Alright, let’s see.” He turned to the eagle and asked, “What’s your name, giant elemental eagle?”

Nox stared at them with wide eyes but said nothing. He didn’t recognize Raphael, nor did Raphael recognize him. They had not crossed paths in a long time, especially in those forms.

Raphael asked again, “Do you want them to leave? Will you talk if they do?”

Nox nodded. It didn’t make much difference to him, but he hoped to gain some sympathy from the dragon.

He said in a sad voice, “I don’t have a name, unfortunately.”

Raphael asked, “Why not? Didn’t anyone give you one?”

Nox lied: “I never met my parents. Everyone always just called me Eagle.”

Raphael pondered his words, then asked, “They suspect you’re a spy. You better tell the truth now. Otherwise, they might hurt you.”

Nox felt a surge of fear. He said quickly, “I’m not a spy. I don’t even know this place. I got lost in the ocean, and this was the first land I found.”

Raphael wanted to believe him. He said softly, “So you’re here by accident?”

Nox nodded eagerly. “Yes. And I need to get back to the main continent. I don’t belong here. I’m lost.”

Raphael paused and then said, “Alright, I believe you. But we can’t let you go. You’ve seen too much already. I’m sorry.”

Nox didn’t protest. He knew that if he revealed more details about himself or his mission, they would think he had connections with someone important.

He just pleaded, “Please, let me go home. I won’t survive here. There’s no prey for me, and I’ll starve.”

Raphael replied, “I thought you hunted dragons. There are plenty of them here.”

Nox shook his head. “No, I don’t hunt dragons. I hunt stupid prey, not smart ones. Unless you’re a stupid dragon who kills himself, then I might make an exception.”

Raphael grimaced. “That sounds terrible. But come on, let’s move somewhere else. The interrogation is over for today.” He was about to free Nox from his bonds when he added, “Please don’t try to fly away now. Your wings are still tied, but I won’t tie your beak. I hope I can trust you.”

Nox replied sincerely, “Alright, then I won’t.”

With Raphael and the scientist as his guides, he was led to a different area, a vast space enclosed by iron nets that cracked with electricity on every side, even above. Raphael spoke to him in a solemn tone. “This is where you will stay until we complete our investigation. It shouldn’t take too long, hopefully.” Nox looked around with dismay. “So I’m trapped in this cage? For how long?” Raphael shrugged. “Maybe a month, at most. You will have to answer all our questions,” he said, before turning away. Nox approached the nets cautiously but recoiled when he felt a jolt of pain. He decided to keep his distance from them.

Raphael was soon joined by the dark lord, who eyed him with curiosity. “Who is this new creature on our lands?” he asked. Raphael shook his head. “I don’t know yet. I’ll try to find out.” The dark lord nodded. “I’ll give you some time to finish your investigation. In the meantime, I think I have an idea who this eagle is. Maybe I’ll have a chat with it too.” Raphael frowned. “Do what you want. Just don’t harm it. It’s one of the few left of its kind. I’d rather not cause another species to go extinct.” The dark lord smiled thinly. “Don’t worry, I won’t harm it.”

He had lied to himself. The dark lord had been tracking Nox all along, and as soon as he caught up with him, Nox felt a surge of dread. He recognized the dragon from his nightmare and tried to keep a safe distance, but he remained silent. He still hoped that his identity was unknown. The dark lord wasted no time and greeted him with a mocking tone. “Hello, Nox. I hope you’re enjoying your stay in our lands.” Nox stared at him with feigned confusion, pretending not to know the name he had uttered, but the dark lord continued. “Don’t look at me like that. I know you didn’t want to come here. I’m not here to harm you. On the contrary, I want to apologize for that dream. I almost died too, you know?” Nox retorted, “What? It was just a dream. It wasn’t real.” But the dark lord explained, “It was a glimpse of reality. If either of us had perished, there would have been repercussions in the real world as well. It’s a complex psychological phenomenon. Anyway, I’m glad to see you alive and well, but why aren’t you shapeshifting and fleeing?” The dark lord didn’t need to ask. He knew perfectly well why Nox couldn’t. It was because he had control over the elements on the entire continent, but Nox said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The dark lord smirked and said, “Really? Then let’s test your elemental abilities. This shouldn’t hurt you.” He conjured a thin arrow and shot it with his hand at the eagle, who was hit in the chest. Nox panicked and tried to run away, but the dark lord said, “See? It doesn’t work. That wouldn’t have hit you if your elements were functioning properly. Something is wrong with them.” Nox, terrified, said, “Stay away,” and pulled out the arrow that pierced him. He felt blood dripping from his feathers, and the dark lord said, “Sorry, I just had to prove it to you. Come here, let me heal you, just like you do.” Nox gathered his courage. He feared that if the dark lord touched him, he would die instantly, but he reluctantly approached him. The dark lord healed him with his powers, and then Nox said, “Thank you, I guess.”

The dark lord smiled and said, “You’re welcome. But tell me, would you like me to fix your elements as well? I have a better method than Erebus’s. It won’t cause you any pain, I promise.”

Nox shook his head and said, “I don’t know. I’d rather live with this curse than endure another dark magic spell.”

The dark lord persisted and said, “Are you sure? It’s a simple procedure. I’ll let you go after that. I only want to help you.”

But Nox looked away and said, “You’re still the dark lord. I can’t trust you.”

The dark lord frowned and said, “Don’t be afraid. You were once a Shadow dragon too, and yet you were accepted. Your people respect you in your kingdom. Your lovely queen adores you. And your daughters are living a normal life.”

Nox narrowed his eyes and said, “Wait, how do you know that?”

The dark lord shrugged and said, “I know many things about you. Forgive me for that. It’s beyond my control.”

The dark lord persuaded Nox to follow him to a secluded chamber. He ushered him into an empty room and said with a false smile, “Stay here and relax. It won’t hurt at all. Everything is fine. If you feel any discomfort, just let me know and we’ll stop, alright?” Nox nodded innocently and remained in the room as the dark lord exited and sealed the door behind him. A door that blended with the wall. The room was soon filled with shadows, similar to the ones that Erebus had used on him but with a different purpose.

Raphael was looking for the dark lord. He was searching for the eagle, and he was curious about his whereabouts. He asked some of the scientists in the area, and they pointed him to the chamber. He approached it and said, “What’s going on here?” The dark lord answered, “I’m fixing the eagle’s elements. Something is wrong with them.” Raphael said, “Really? That’s good to hear. Can I see?” The dark lord hesitated, but then said, “Fine, stay here and watch,” and resumed the process.

The shadows began to dissolve Nox’s body, and the room grew darker and darker. Nox felt a sharp pain and a surge of fear. He tried to tell the dark lord, but he ignored him. He knew what was happening, and he enjoyed it. It was all part of his plan. Nox begged for mercy, pleading for his life. He saw his flesh disappearing, and he coughed up blood. Raphael noticed that and said, “Is that normal, sir?” The dark lord said, “Yes, it’s a painful process, but he’ll be fine,” but Nox thought otherwise and screamed, “Make it stop! Please!” Raphael felt uneasy, but he did not intervene.

Then Nox closed his eyes and suddenly transformed into his Shadow dragon form. Raphael gasped and said, “Wait, is that Nox?” The dark lord said, “It might be. Why do you ask?” Raphael said, “What are you doing to him? Are you killing him?” The dark lord said, “No, I’m just helping him,” but his eyes betrayed his true feelings: he was proud of his work and eager to finish it. He increased the power of the shadows and smiled wickedly. Raphael said, “But did he consent to this?” He said, “Yes, he did,” but Nox kept shouting, “Please, stop! I have a family! I want to live!” Raphael said, “I don’t think he consented to this. Can you listen to him and stop?” The dark lord said, “Listen to me. I’m taking his powers to give them back to you. I’m doing us both a favor. To you by restoring what’s rightfully yours, and to me by eliminating this anomaly, as you also called it.” Raphael was afraid and said, “But will he die?” He said, “I’m afraid that’s the only way to do this.”

Raphael did not want his anomaly to die. He saw him as a part of himself that deserved to live. Nox pressed his hands against the glass wall of the chamber, leaving a trail of blood behind. Raphael moved closer and placed one hand on the glass too, as if he wanted to reach him but did not know how. Then Nox closed his eyes again and lost his dragon form. He took the shape of a human: Raphael’s human form with wings. When Raphael saw him crying with a mutilated face, he yelled, “Stop it now! This is wrong!” But the dark lord said, “Sorry, it’s too late. The process can’t be stopped now.” But Raphael thought differently, and when Nox sobbed and whispered with a dying breath, “Please,” he turned into his human form too. Nox saw him and shouted, “You! I know you! Help! Please!” Raphael said, “I will.” The dark lord heard him and said in disbelief, “You will what?” Raphael went through the glass wall like a ghost, and as soon as he touched Nox, a bright light erupted from them, and they vanished.

The dark lord scanned the scene with a furious gaze, unable to comprehend the sudden turn of events. “Raphael?!” he called out, but only silence answered him. He raised his voice to a roar. “Raphael!” But his fake ally was gone. All that remained was a bracelet on the ground. He snatched it up and examined it closely, then put it on one of his horns. He did not know if Raphael had perished or escaped to another realm. Something about the sight stirred a familiar ache in his chest, and for an instant, he saw his brother’s face. The light that enveloped him was the same as the one that had torn them apart. The Fall of Zeno.

[linuxealcipher]

Obey me but instead of demons their dragon hybrids with dragon forms

Lucifer would have red AND blue scales. Since his sin color is blue. Plus dark royal blue dragons look SICK

Mammon having golden coin like eyes and golden scales around his hands/paws. Send

Levi would have more aquatic features, fins, webbed talons, and fish catching teeth. And he has the smallest wings of his brothers, but they’re the best for swimming.

Satan having electric green stripes and maybe even a brightly colored tongue, just poisonous animal vibes like poison dart frogs

Asmo having deep lust colors, dark purple, pink, maybe even Smokey red/magenta, omnivore features that are basically a pun on pansexual vibes

Beelzebub having bug like wings gives me thoughts of them being really colorful in sunlight but they have a more reddish shine

Belphie would be darker colors. And fluffy. Big fluffy boy. Sorta like a dark colored polar bear- his wings would be the second largest, big blanket :3

You do realize I have a obey me dragon au right/lighthearted

Had it for 3 years now.

[unbelievable-ecological-articles]

MUTE SWAN, OCTOBER

These are famously some of the scariest birds in Britain, the mute swan (Cygnus olor). They’re famous for other reasons too: The British Monarch has the right to ownership of every single unmarked mute swan in Britain, making it an act of treason to kill one! There are also still two swans that live at Bishops Palace in Wells, England that have been trained to ring a bell for their lunch. They are also remarked for their sleek elegance and beauty in the popular Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale ‘The Ugly Duckling’.

In the real world, baby mute swans - known as cygnets - are very cute. They grow very quickly, almost reaching adult size within three months after being hatched, but keep their juvenile feather collar until they are at least one year old. In the photo below you can see their fluffy grey down and grey-black beak, contrasted with the white feathers and orange beak of their parents:

As I said before, their reputation as an elegant but feisty bird is well known. Mute swans are usually highly territorial, and will become very aggressive in defence of their young, hissing loudly and sometimes physically attacking by striking the intruder with the bony spurs of their wings and biting with their large orange bill. A common myth is that the wings of a swan can break a mans leg: while this isn’t true, they are still very strong. Other swans, such as the black swan, are much less aggressive. 

There are six species in the genus Cygnus - all known as swans - that live all around the world, usually in temperate climates. Most of them also migrate during the year to breed. The mute swan is known as a ‘partial migrant’ species, being resident in Western Europe but wholly migratory in Eastern Europe and Asia. All of the birds in the Cygnus genus have the trademark long necks, large bodies and webbed feet. Lesser known but also very interesting is the fact they also have a serrated edge to their bills that act like teeth. Below is the Phylogenic Tree for all of the swans:

Mute swans tend to eat aquatic vegetation on the riverbed that their long neck allows them to reach. They will also graze from grassy fields, as well as sometimes eating small fish, frogs worms and molluscs. Their main predator is, besides from maybe humans, the fox. Other threats to the mute swan is freshwater pollution, flying into power lines, and accidentally eating led weights previously used by anglers.

Due to their status as a protected species and ability to migrate, the mute swan is classified as Green in the Birds of Conservation Concern 5: the Red List for Birds. However, it is always good for ecologists to keep tabs on the population sizes and distribution of any bird species. The UEARG (University of East Anglia Ringing Group) have been ringing swans for many years, but only in small numbers. For example, in 2019 only 20 were ringed. However, in 2020, the UEARG began using colour rings instead of metal rings. These have the benefit of being able to give data without catching the bird to read the ring, as the colours can be seen from afar. This also allows the public to aid in the research, by telling the UEARG when and where they see a swan with a certain colour. Within the first 6 months of using the colour rings, they had colour ringed 123 swans across Norwich and amassed over 400 sightings across 17 sites!

To find out more about projects like this taking place right here in Norwich, visit: http://uearg.blogspot.com

[rdjns]

I’ve been thinking abt this too since both om and genshin have been my obsessions for the longest time, and I’ll take this as an excuse to ramble on abt both hehe

I was having a hard time with Luci, but Lucifer would probably main Sara. When Kujou Sara came out I immediately found similarities between her and Luci. Right hand men, strict leaders, even their wings match. And if you look at her cons, her c6 is called “Sin of Pride”, which I find pretty neat <3

Mammon would main Dori, and I’m right about this. I’m not caught up with Dori’s lore (srry abt that) but her love of mora and mammon’s love of grimm has me believing they’d come to an understanding. Plotting and scheming is something they’re both very good at. Another character would be childe, Mammon wishes he had the kind of money Tartaglia did. He was practically throwing it all away in his story quest!

Levi would main kokomi, feels like a given lol both have water motifs, aquatic reptilian motifs, both are high ranking in their respective military factions, and both dislike social interaction. I also agree with the whole Levi caring abt the meta and I feel like he was a Kokomi hater when she was first announced but soon grew to love her as he learned more abt her lore. If not fish girl I think he’d main Eula, Ayaka, or Hutao :P or Fischl, he understands her whole “escape using fictional worlds” thing. Another character he’d main would be Raiden,,,, idk why I didn’t list her in the meta characters part bc she might as well just be the definition of meta,,, her being the third god we meet (Levi being the third brother), purple motifs, both being shut ins, high military ranking, among other things !

I have way too many candidates for Satan so I’ll just go rapid fire; Wanderer, Nahida, Diona, Kirara, Heizou ,, I think he’d identify w scara in a way… both of them are chockfull w anger and both have parental issues. Nahida is a bit harder to explain, but both of their theme colors is green, she’s the god of wisdom & of sumeru and sumeru has the akademiya (and that incredible library!!), both feel like they can’t live up to the image of somebody else (satan and luci, nahida and rukkhadevata). And the other two don’t need explanation. And heizou bc detective. He’d also probably main Xiao. And Lisa? Since she’s the favonius librarian and she’s very very smart

Asmodeus was another difficult one to pin down, as he doesn’t seem the type to continue playing this sort of game, but if he did he’d main Lisa or Kaeya! Flirts of a feather flock together. Ningguang is also a good candidate I believe, asmo admires the power she holds and the air of grace she always carries around. An instant charmer, like he is ! Another character he might main would be Yanfei, bc her gameplay is easy to understand, he wouldn’t need to worry his pretty little head abt a thing. He could just burn everyone.

Beelzebub would absolutely main Beidou. Her parry gameplay would be fun for him. As she is the strong protector of the Crux, he finds he can relate to her. Her lore makes him feel bad, and might be another thing he could relate to. He also feels like he brings bad fortune about, causing trouble for others because of his insatiable hunger, and his guilt for a situation he couldn’t control, but he feels bad for Beidou because it’s not her fault (he should be telling himself that, too!)

Belphagor was quite easy, Sayu or Layla! Since they’re all sleepies. Layla especially, since you could just do nothing when she uses her skill, which makes it all the more easy for belphie to not lift a finger to play. I feel like he would main Sucrose too for some odd reason, js a gut feeling ? He wouldn’t main Ei, but he would like her. He also understands losing someone close to him

Anyways thank you for listen to my ted talk this easily took more than an hour of my life and it’s almost midnight lol, do w this what you will

I keep thinking about this; who would the Obey Me! cast main in Genshin Impact?

[rebeccathenaturalist]

What Are Mosquitoes Good For?

Originally posted at my blog at https://rebeccalexa.com/what-are-mosquitoes-good-for/

Now that the weather has cooled down over much of the United States, insects have died back or gone into hibernation for the winter. So you may be tempted to be glad that the mosquitoes have disappeared for the time being. Maybe you even wish they wouldn’t come back next year! After all, they’re just mosquitoes, which annoy us and spread diseases, right? What are mosquitoes good for, anyway?

Much to the surprise of a lot of people, they actually have some pretty important ecological functions, and your local ecosystem would likely suffer if the mosquitoes were all exterminated. So today, I am going to be a mosquito apologist.

What Are Mosquitoes Good For? Food!

You may have seen hundreds or even thousands of mosquito larvae swimming in a pond or other fresh water. Perhaps you thought every single one of them came to find you after they became adults! They certainly are prolific; some species can lay as many as 300 eggs at once.

But this isn’t just because they want to have more young to annoy you, generation after generation. Rather, it’s because a lot of mosquitoes end up eaten before they even get a chance to reproduce. As eggs and larvae, they’re food for fish, amphibians, and aquatic insects and other arthropods. Once they take to the wing, birds and bats become major predators, as do adult dragonflies and other winged insects, plus spiders that catch them in their webs. While a single bat might not actually eat 1000 mosquitoes in a night, all those various predators do take a significant chunk out of the mosquito population.

Platanthera obtusata is just one of many orchids that rely on mosquitoes for pollination.

What Are Mosquitoes Good For? Pollination!

Believe it or not, most mosquitoes aren’t out for your blood! The majority of mosquito species are entirely vegetarian; it’s only a few in which the females seek out blood to help produce eggs. Most mosquitoes drink nectar or plant sap, and in the pursuit of the former they play a vital role in pollinating the flowers they visit. Goldenrod and orchids are just two examples of groups of plants pollinated by mosquitoes. And while mosquitoes might drive Alaskans buggy, they are vital for pollination during the short Arctic summer.

What Are Mosquitoes Good For? Keeping Things in Check!

Mosquito larvae spend anywhere from a few days to a few weeks in the water where they hatched. They feed on a variety of bacteria, algae, and other microorganisms. Because they have a lot of growing to do, and need to prepare for their final molt to adult form, they have to eat a lot! That means they help keep their prey species’ populations in check. An overgrowth of algae, for example, can reduce the amount of sunlight that submerged plants have access to, and as the algae dies it increases the amount of nitrogen in the water. By constantly grazing on algae, mosquito larvae are helping to prevent these sorts of ecological imbalances.

What If We Made Mosquitoes Go Extinct?

So what are mosquitoes good for? Quite a lot, apparently! However, there’s no denying some species have also caused us a lot of grief. There have been calls to exterminate all mosquitoes, or at least every species that could ostensibly cause us problems through disease transmission. And to be sure, I don’t want to see people dying of malaria or West Nile virus, especially as these diseases often hit disadvantaged populations harder, with fewer resources for treatment. But it’s something where we need to weigh the consequences carefully.

What would happen if there were suddenly no more mosquitoes? Sure, the animals that prey on them could potentially find other sorts of food, but there would be an upset in the food web as the predators put more pressure on remaining prey species, which could lead to some of those species become locally endangered or even extirpated. Or the predators might drop in number as they failed to find enough food. Either way, getting rid of all the mosquitoes would have a negative impact on the food web.

Finally, and possibly most importantly–we may not fully understand the ecological roles mosquitoes have. As I wrote recently, ecosystems are incredibly complex networks of relationships among thousands of species, and for centuries we have been eradicating entire species without any thought as to what long-term effects their loss might have on their native ecosystems.

However, that brings up another point: the fact that there are invasive mosquitoes. Invasive species wreak havoc on ecosystems they’re introduced to, and it just so happens that one of the most notorious disease-spreading mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti, is invasive across much of the tropics, as well as subtropical and temperate areas worldwide. Spread through the slave trade, this mosquito is a prime vector for yellow fever, dengue fever, Zika, and several other pathogenic diseases affecting humans. Its cousin, Aedes albopictus, is also a disease vector and is more cold-hardy, meaning it could spread even further.

What’s the answer? Well, historically people just drained wetlands, much to the devastation of the native ecosystems there. More recently, the widespread and indiscriminate use of pesticides like DDT also knocked back mosquito populations (at least temporarily), but also killed off many other animals both directly and indirectly, to include nearly wiping out multiple raptor species due to eggshell thinning. Moreover, mosquitoes have developed resistance to pesticides, making them a less useful tool overall.

More recent innovations to control specific invasive mosquitoes hold some promise. A. aegypti, for example, has been genetically modified in labs to create a strain known as OX513A. Not only do the offspring die before they can reproduce, even if a OX513A breeds with a wild mosquito, but the offspring also apparently lack resistance to some pesticides. Biological control using Wolbachia bacteria inhibits A. aegypti‘s reproduction, and also makes them unable to carry certain diseases such as Zika and dengue fever.

So it would appear that the fight to control invasive species also has the bonus effect of stopping the mosquitoes most likely to give the rest a bad name.

Did you enjoy this post? Consider taking one of my online foraging and natural history classes, checking out my other articles, or picking up a paperback or ebook I’ve written! You can even buy me a coffee here!

[bibliosophist]

My mouse had a stroke and I accidentally unfollowed you while trying to send this ask D:

Yesterday I thought of a small scenario. Imagine a MC that loves birds/animals and used to feed birds (using a bird feeder/leaving seed and nuts outside of their window) in the human world. So when they see the little Devildom birds, they put some food for them on their window sill and whenever a bird comes around to eat, MC coos at them and speaks in a cutsie voice bc the birds are so adorable. And of course the brothers burst into the room (because apparently MC doesn't deserve privacy) and catch them doing so.

The Brothers with a Disney Princess!MC.

Fluff with a side of stupidity. Also, I hate referring to animals as “it”, like they’re inanimate objects. So I’m not going to.

Lucifer

Walks into the courtyard one morning to see the resident peacock with his tail feathers spread wide open, colours on full display.

That’s unusual. He hasn’t seen any hens nearby.

Then he rounds the corner and sees you sitting on a bench, a book balanced on one knee and a small bucket of berries beside you.

Of course you’re feeding the bird.

The arrogant, self-important, often violent bird.

Like it’s the most normal thing in the whole world.

His heart grows three sizes that day.

Mammon

Strolls into your room uninvited (as usual) to see you standing at your open window with a small tub of food, a large black bird on the sil in front of you.

Are you... feeding a crow?

One of his crow familiars???

And just when this boy thought he had his feelings for you under control, too.

There is no coming back from this. The Great Mammon is done for.

Hey, hold on.

Did HIS familiar just drop a fucking ring in your lap?!

Wait... THAT’S HIS RING!

Leviathan

Catches you feeding the fish in the pond at the Demon Lord’s castle.

Aw, that’s so cute... Waitaminute, is that a jar of Henry’s food in your hand?!

When did you- How did you-

Is torn between melting and exploding.

Once he calms down he considers inviting you next time he goes to visit Lotan.

Clearly you like aquatic creatures. It’s still romantic if you’re feeding them havoc devil quarters instead of fish flakes, right?

Satan

Watches you slipping treats to the “stray” cats living in the garden.

Wants to remind you that they are on a strict feeding schedule and that the treats have little nutritional value, but-

One of the cats jumps into your lap, standing on their back legs to butt you with their furry little head.

His heart.

Immediately puts in an order for a dozen of Madame Scream’s famous macarons. The cats aren’t the only ones who deserve treats for being so cute.

Asmodeus

Loves to watch you garden. He’s so impressed with the way you’ve adapted to working with the unique flora of the Devildom.

Plus, the way the moonlight dances across your skin? He may or may not have an entire album on his phone dedicated to photos of you in the garden.

Just a minute... What’s that over by the fence?

Oh no! It’s making its way over to you!

Opens his mouth to shout a warning, but then you bend down and... oh.

Yep, that’s a wild Caerbannog Rabbit, and you’ve just picked them up. Like a housecat.

And now you’re feeding them from the garden.

Is impressed by your kindness and stupidity bravery. Is also a little bit afraid of you now.

Mourning the loss of the salad you promised him.

Beelzebub

Finds you crouched down on the back porch holding out a spoon filled with what smells like sugar water.

What’s that next to you? Is that... a fly?

It is. It’s an exhausted little fly and he’s having a sip of the nectar you made.

Wait. Did you do this on purpose?

It certainly looks that way.

But aren’t humans meant to be repulsed by flies?

He’s subconsciously shifted into his demon form and his wings are rubbing together in joy.

Belphegor

Is enjoying a lazy picnic with you in a nearby meadow. His head is pillowed in your lap and he’s never felt more content.

His eyes have just slid shut when there’s a hot whumph of air in his face.

How in the fuck did a wild cow sneak up on the two of you???

Sits up just as the cow drops to their belly beside you, nosing through the remainder of your lunch.

Sadboi has an intense emotion when you throw your arms around the cow’s neck and offer them a biscuit.

This wild animal has bodily shoved their way into your life and you just... embraced them.

Is once again amazed that creatures like you and him can exist in the same universe.

Decides that the cow can stay, but there’s no way he’s sharing your lap.

A/N: Did you know that flies can act as pollinators? Yes, they may require a flesh sacrifice in exchange, but who doesn’t? Check out this article fore more information.