#maybe later I will make version with normal sized eyes

[doctorriri]

yippee ^_^

[kxsagi]

imagine the blue lock boys as dads seeing their children with plushie versions of themselves.

like the boys have just woken up or come home and their young kids are all over this giant plushie of their dad, and its like the same size as their kid too.

the babies just missed their dad 🩵🤭

“𝐬𝐧𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐞”

a/n: alternated between boy and girl toddlers depending on which one i thought suited them best!

ft. isagi yoichi, itoshi rin, itoshi sae, kaiser michael, bachira meguru, mikage reo, chigiri hyoma, nagi seishiro, ness alexis

isagi yoichi

he’s barely taken two steps into the house before his suitcase slips out of his hand. 

he’s exhausted, bags under his eyes, hair a mess, and all he wanted to do was collapse into bed or maybe your arms, whichever one’s closer. 

but then he sees it. 

on the living room rug, bathed in soft morning light, is your toddler in a tiny blue jersey snuggled up on top of a nearly life-size plushie of him. it has the same blue eyes, ahoge, and even stitched-in messy black hair. 

isagi’s heart does a triple backflip. 

he doesn’t even say anything. he just crouches down slowly, wide-eyed, mouth parted like he’s seeing a miracle. 

his son looks up blearily, rubbing his face into the plush. 

“daddy…?” he mumbles sleepily, blinking at him like he’s a dream. “you came home…” 

his voice cracks. “yeah… yeah, i’m home.” 

then he gently scoops him up, still tangled with the plush, and holds him like he’s afraid he’ll disappear. 

later, he sits on the couch holding both his sleeping child and the plush and quietly asks you, “where’d you get this… and do they make me in travel size?” 

itoshi rin

rin’s still in a half-zombie state, hair unbrushed and hoodie sleeves pulled over his hands, when he walks into the living room and just… stops. 

his brain is buffering. 

because there’s his child, kneeling on a giant plush version of him, using its face for makeup practice. 

“daddy, you’re so pretty!” 

the plushie, now with blush and messy lipstick, has his exact flat expression stitched on. 

he blinks once. twice. “… what the hell is that.” 

“it’s you!” your daughter yells, grinning. “but softer!” 

you’re trying so hard not to laugh from the kitchen. 

rin glares at you, then glares at plushie-rin like it personally insulted him. 

his toddler slides down, toddles up, and wraps her arms around his legs with a pout. “you were gone so i used fake-you. but real-you is warm, too…” 

his face crumbles. he picks her up instantly, muttering something like, “you don’t need that fake one. i’m real and better.” 

but that night you catch him curled up next to both the baby and the plush on the couch… fast asleep, arms around both of them like a grumpy cat with too many feelings. 

itoshi sae

sae opens the front door, tosses his keys on the counter, and fully expects the usual: you cleaning around the house, the toddler trying to feed the fish crayons, something normal. 

but instead he finds his child absolutely sprawled out across a plush version of him, limbs tangled with the thing like a koala. 

“... are you serious right now,” he mumbles. 

the plush even has his crooked ahh bangs and bored stare. it’s wearing one of his old jerseys. 

the kid looks up and beams. “fake papa kept me company!” 

“... fake what?” 

“he’s so squishy,” his daughter says, patting its chest. “but not as squishy as real papa!” 

she leaps at him like a flying squirrel and he catches her with a soft “oof.” 

after a few moments of silence, sae glances at you. 

“… did you commission this? did you bribe our daughter into replacing me?” 

he pretends to sulk, but later you find him napping on the couch with the plush under his arm and your toddler tucked into his side. 

he doesn’t let you bring the plush to family events, though. “i’m the real deal. they can meet me in person.” 

kaiser michael

he walks out of the bedroom shirtless, yawning and dramatically scratching his abs, only to stop mid-stretch. 

“what the hell…” 

in the middle of your living room, his toddler is standing on the shoulders of a life-size kaiser plushie like she’s posing for a music video. 

it has everything – his smirk, his stupid little eyebrow slit, even a tiny gold crown. 

“i am… baby daddy,” she announces. “king of the house!” 

kaiser puts his hands on his hips. “hey, i didn’t retire. i still live here, you know.” 

your toddler gasps. “the real one? you’re alive?!” 

he fake-sobs. “replaced by my own child… betrayed…” 

you roll your eyes as he dramatically throws himself onto the floor. your daughter giggles and pounces on him instead of the plush. 

he’s smug about it for days. starts using the plush to teach the baby “cool” poses. 

you overhear him muttering one night: “maybe i do look good in plush form…” 

bachira meguru

bachira sprints out of the hallway the second he hears his kid yell, “BEEEEE PAPA!!!” 

he thinks something’s wrong. 

nope. he walks in and finds his toddler straddling a massive plushie version of him, holding toy paintbrushes and doodling little smiley faces on its cheeks. 

the plush has his chaotic hair and the stitched-on goofy grin. 

“look, papa! now there’s two of you! double bees!” 

he clutches his chest. “two of me?! i’ve always wanted a twin!” 

the boy giggles, and bachira plops down next to him, already reaching for glitter glue like he’s not a grown man. 

they spend the next hour giving plush-bachira a makeover while he tells it, “you’re handsome, brother. you’re the prettier twin.” 

you come back to find him asleep next to the plush, your toddler drooling on his chest, and all three covered in stickers. 

he refuses to let you clean it. “it’s a masterpiece. it’s art. leave it forever.” 

mikage reo

there’s a plush version of him – no, a glamorous, smug-faced, model-tier plush version of him – sitting on a beanbag chair. 

his toddler is sitting on its lap like it’s santa claus. 

“dada number two said i’m his favorite.” 

reo blinks. “... he did?” 

you walk in sipping coffee like this is just another thursday. 

“she missed you while you were in meetings,” you say. “so i got her a luxury stand-in.” 

“luxury stand-in?!?” 

he’s laughing but he’s offended. “baby, i’m your real dada!” 

“but plush-dada’s always here…” 

he ends up buying five more just in case one breaks. 

starts calling them “my stand-ins for investor dinners.” 

genuinely considers launching a plush reo merch line for fun. 

poses with both the plush and your toddler for a fake magazine cover titled “rich, soft, and cuddly.” 

chigiri hyoma

he comes home from training sweaty and flushed, untying his hair as he walks in… and stops dead in his tracks when he sees it. 

his child is brushing a giant plush version of him, humming while carefully braiding the strands. 

“so pretty…” she murmurs. “papa’s so pretty…” 

his heart flips over like a pancake. 

he crouches beside his daughter slowly, fingers twitching like he doesn’t want to interrupt the salon session. 

“hey, sweetheart,” he says gently. “what’s all this?” 

“this is fake-papa. he stayed with me while real-papa was kicking the balls.” 

he chokes. “kicking the… yep. that’s right.” 

she presses a kiss to plush-chigiri’s head, then turns and smushes her face into his. “but i missed this one more.” 

he’s instantly scooping her up with a little laugh and a kiss to her temple. 

asks if she’ll braid his real hair next. 

you come back to find your daughter sitting behind him, brushing chigiri’s actual hair while the plush sits beside them like their assistant. 

nagi seishiro

it takes everything in him just to make it back home. 

he’s dragging his feet like a sleep-deprived ghost, hair messy from the flight, phone barely hanging onto 2%. 

“i’m gonna sleep for five days,” he mumbles, pulling open the front door. 

what he doesn’t expect is to see your toddler curled up like a sleepy dumpling on top of a giant plush version of him. like same white hair, same half-lidded sleepy eyes, same slouched posture. the plush is even laying down with its arms open like it’s always ready for a nap. 

your toddler is lying right on its chest, using its stomach as a pillow, cuddled under one of your oversized hoodies like it’s a whole bed. 

nagi stares. blinks. softly says, “... yo.” 

the baby boy lifts his head blearily. “papa?” 

“mhm.” he walks over and flops right down beside them. “who’s this lazy guy?” 

“it’s fake-you,” your son says proudly, clinging to the plush’s arm. “he naps with me when you’re gone.” 

nagi hums. “figures. he looks lazy. just like me.” 

you peek in and see them both lying on the floor – your real baby curled up with two oversized plushies: one soft and fake, one sleepy and real. 

he’s out cold within five minutes. 

later, when you ask what he thinks of the plush, nagi mumbles, “it’s chill. keep it around. less work for me.” 

ness alexis

the second he opens the door, he’s already calling out, “i’m home! did you miss meeee?” 

he’s expecting your toddler to come barreling down the hallway, as usual. but the house is suspiciously quiet. he tiptoes in, peeking into the living room… and stops dead in his tracks. 

there, smack in the middle of the floor, is a giant plush version of him. same brown/purple hair, same sweet smile. 

your toddler is curled into its lap, cradled like a baby, wrapped in a blanket and surrounded by picture books and little toy animals. 

“... huh? when did i become a babysitter and a pillow?” 

your toddler perks up immediately. “real papa!” 

your son clambers out of the plushie’s arms (it sort of flops over sideways), racing over to him with a huge grin. 

“you came back! fake-papa was here ‘cause i missed you so much.” 

ness’s face melts. 

“you… you replaced me… with me?” he laughs, picking his son up and spinning him around. “that’s so cute it should be illegal.” 

he nuzzles his face into his toddler’s cheek and coos dramatically, “i can’t believe you made me into a plush. i’m already soft, though! did you need softer papa?” 

your toddler nods, whispering, “for snuggles.” 

“okay, that’s fair,” he whispers back, suddenly very serious. 

he ends up taking the plush everywhere in the house like it’s part of the family now. dinner? plushie gets a chair. bedtime? plushie gets tucked in. 

he even jokingly gets jealous when the baby says he loves “both papas.” 

“i love you more, right? right??” 

(you catch him whispering to the plush one night: “i guess we’re co-parenting now. don’t you dare steal my spot.”) 

© 𝐤𝐱𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐢

[sweetshuga]

๋࣭𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝟐 ✰ 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔 𝑶𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏

๋࣭ ⭑⚝ 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕 ⋆ 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒕 𝑶𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏

ⓘ 𝐒𝐌𝐔𝐓! ⋆ +𝟏𝟖 ⋆ Obscene descriptions! ⋆ strong language! ⋆ established relationship ⋆ p in v ⋆ dirty talk ⋆ dumbification ⋆ pet names ⋆ size kink ⋆ choking kink ⋆ creampie

𝒘𝒄. 𝟒𝟖𝟑

𝒂𝒏. Since I’ve done a Matt only version, I thought I should make a Chris one as well.

𝒑𝒔𝒂! English is not my first language!

𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒅? Nope, maybe by me loool

You had never seen your boyfriend be this passionate, and well, he usually stuck to vanilla sex to keep it safe since he didn’t want to hurt you in any way. He always wants you to feel comfortable and thoroughly pleased without being sore the next day, but today was different.

He’s quite literally moaning and groaning loudly while stuffing you dumb and full of his thick length. It was hitting all the right spots and making you cry out into the bed under you, stars dancing behind your eyes. Is the pleasure too much to the point of needing a break from it?

Oh, don’t be ridiculous, you can take more.

"Haahhh—fuck! Can you fuckin’ feel me destroying this tight fucking pussy?" He rasped, his hands barely holding himself up as his hips slammed against your ass, fucking you into the bed.

The sounds were pornographic to say the least.

Wet noises – squelches and shlop’s – filled the room, bouncing off the walls and back in your ear, adding to the intensity of it all. You couldn’t even recognize your own voice, but you were too cock-drunk to think anyway.

"Yeah, fuckin’ take it all, your pussy’s grippin’ me so good—shit—ahh fuck," he moaned, babbling profanities, his pelvis crashing against your plump cheeks and making sickening slapping sounds. "Won’t last—nmghh—if you suffocate my cock like that," he hissed.

The bed was shaking and creaking underneath you, the sounds still not enough to drown out your shared moans. Although, your head was pushed into the sheets by Chris, it wasn’t nearly enough to silence your screams of pleasure.

Oh did he love your sweet screams—the sounds you made were heavenly.

You went dead silent when your second orgasm crashed over you, gasping loudly a minute later before letting out a series of high pitched keens – muffled, but not silenced, by the mattress.

Chris could feel your pussy spasming and quivering, sucking him in as it pulsed around his rock hard cock. "Thaaat’s right, fucking cream on my dick, yeah? Jus’ let go baby," his hand snaked around and gripped your throat gently, applying enough pressure to make you lightheaded.

He pulled your head back, letting your moans echo. He buried his face in your shoulder blade and started to angle his hips to hit your g-spot specifically and all thoughts dispersed from your mind.

Your mind was blank, quite literally dumbified by his cock.

A few more slams into your greedy pussy was all it took for Chris to release his load deep within you. He bottomed out, grinding his hips against your ass as thick rope after rope of milky cum painted your velvety walls white.

Your body shuddered under him, the only thought in your head being the exquisite feeling of being creampied to the brim.

You were both hooked, and probably not going back to normal sex for a long while.

𓆩♡𓆪

𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕: @emely9274 @chrissweetheart @lilyyliloo @larallott @thebigbadwolfahoooo @strnlslut @knowingnothingnoel @slvtf0rchr1s @sturnioloszn @sofiaaguilaxx @sophand4n4 @mattsfavoritestar @strnilolover @diasturnsth @brookheartsmatt @tpwktahlz @cupiidk1lls @slut4angstt @pvssychicken @poolover123 @loud-sturniolos @inlovewchrissturniolo @sagesturns @chrisstopherfilmed @splashhsworld @billiesbabya @h3arts4nat @moosegirl96 @urfavallyyy @cayleeuhithinknott @bilssturns @shadowthesim @ivysturnss @peiivnao @sturniolokaulitz @megluvrr @marrykisskilled @sturniolo-fann @goingtojohnkramershouseee @sturniolosluttt @chrislilcumslvt @starstrucktyrantinfluencer @m00nl1ghts1vt @ribread03 @hearts4werka @whore4mattsturniolo @stvrnzwrld @mattslovergirlie @lovergirl4gracieabrams @s1ut4chris

© 𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒔𝒉𝒖𝒈𝒂

[snowthedemonfox]

So we got some screenshots for Ep 3, and I'm going to talk about some things I've noticed + some theories

I went off for over an hour in the bunnydoll burrow's VC talking about everything I noticed, but I'm realising writing it all down would be a smarter move, cause I know I'd forget it. If I've missed anything you think is important, let me know! I'll edit this post with new notes.

Let's start with the first screenshot, because that just makes the most sense:

The elephant in the room is the realistic human hand. I don't doubt this is the scene that has some level of blood and gore in it. We can't see what the hand is connected to, but whatever it is, it seems to be taller than Pomni and Kinger. They're both looking up, and the camera angle is facing down towards them both.

We can see 2 heads hanging from the wall behind Kinger, and what we can assume to be a 3rd behind the desk behind the hand.

One of these heads, as many have pointed out, seems to resemble Pomni. The face is entirely white, what I can assume is an eye seems to be the same size as Pomni's, and you can see that familiar looking hair on the side.

Even the other two things we see look like other members of the cast!

The head to the right of Kinger looks like Ragatha. It's got the hair, and even the face looks to be made of actual fabric, like a real doll. It seems whatever these things are, they're meant to look like more 'horror' versions of the characters.

(Side note, but if I had to guess, if Glitch releases a 3rd sticker sheet for episode 3, I wouldn't surprised if we got a new set of icon variations for the main cast. But instead of candy, we get these horror versions instead. I think that'd be cool, and I really hope that's what happens.)

You could even go as far to say the 'human' hand we're seeing is from the horror version of Kinger. Like I said before, the camera is looking down at them. Why would it be looking down? Because whatever's looking at them, is attached to the wall.

Moving onto other details in the room, we can see there's a chair behind Pomni with some kind of light on it. At first, I thought this might have been the tape recorder from the February trailer, but you can see the tape recorder is on a desk, not a chair.

And while there is a desk in the room, whatever is on there doesn't look like a tape recorder. It looks more like a photo, or some kind of radio.

The giant 'M' on the rug. We know the ghost lady's name is Martha Mildenhall, so this probably implies she owns the mansion the gang are exploring. Why would she need their help, though? Maybe whatever force is moving the hand in the screenshot, is some kind of 'evil' ghost, and that's why Pomni and the others are there to help. There's evil ghosts inhabitating the mansion, and Martha needs help to get rid of them. It's simple, it's your basic video game quest, it seems like a normal adventure plot that Caine would come up with.

There seems to be something behind the chair, but I can't make out if it's a door, some curtains, or some kind of closet. The lighting isn't doing me any favours. Either way, I doubt it's important to the episode, probably just background decoration.

As for my other thoughts that aren't as related to the screenshot itself, I do believe that everyone is going to be split up. Obviously Kinger and Pomni are working together, but I'm still not sure if Jax would be hanging with Ragatha & Gangle, or if he'd be off doing his own thing. As for Zooble, I'll get to them later.

And this might just be me looking into things too much, but it almost looks like one of Kinger's eyes is focused entirely on whatever is behind the camera, while the other isn't focused at all. Like he's half paying attention to the 'danger' he and Pomni are in.

But that's really all I have to say about the first screenshot. Let's move onto the main event:

Again, let's get the obvious out of the way: new Zooble design! They've got some new parts, like the arms, unicorn horn, and the blocky yellow and pink thing, but also some old parts, like the bluish-green ring, and their classic black and white antenna. So far, I like this design! I'm happy to see that they've decided to mix things up a bit. Not my favourite design, but still decent. They've got good taste.

Before I talk about Zooble and Caine, I first want to talk about the location they're in. At first, I thought this might've been Zooble's room, but looking closer, it's obviously not. Then I thought it was that little desk area at the end of the dorm hallway.

But nope, the hallway has different plants, picture frames, wallpaper, and no chairs to be seen. The plants we can see look similar to those seen in Caine's resturant realm from Ep 1, so I think I can safely guess that this is a new location, made specifically for him and Zooble to chat.

Speaking of that, I think that's going to be the driving point of Zooble's character development this episode. Something is going to convince them to join the future adventures, and it seems this will be that something. We know thanks to the AMA, that Zooble not going on adventures is important to their character, so having their episode focus on this topic makes sense.

What I can assume happened to lead up to this interaction is this:

Caine announced the adventure, and just like in both Ep 1&2, Zooble immediately expresses that they are not interested, and walks off. Caine can't really do anything about it yet, so he focuses on everyone else. Explains the rest of the adventure to them, and sends them on their way.

He then catches up to Zooble before they reach wherever they planned on going, and teleports them both to this new room. It looks almost like some kind of waiting room, or a room where they're both supposed to talk things out. It's got the comfy chairs, wall art, I wouldn't be surprised if there's a little table between them.

Zooble, obviously, is not impressed. They don't care about Caine's adventures, and want nothing to do with whatever he has planned for them in the meantime. Caine, on the other hand, just wants to figure out why Zooble doesn't want to go on his adventures. He spends so much time figuring them out! Just for the humans! Why won't Zooble participate!?

This very likely evolves into an argument between the two. I like how Caine is clearly angry in this screenshot. It's nice to see him show some more variety when it comes to emotion!! Zooble doesn't care for whatever Caine is saying, and Caine just wants to understand why they don't care.

Something happens, maybe they do talk it out, maybe something else, but by the end of the episode, Zooble decides that maybe going on a few adventures isn't that bad. I think it's way too early to guess what happens in that huge timeskip, but for now, this is the best I've got.

I feel Zooble's arc in this episode might touch on a few topics, like how while they might think staying by themselves all day and doing their own thing is better for them, isolating themselves isn't doing anyone any favours, and that, for lack of a better term, going 'outside' every once in a while can't hurt.

... and that's pretty much all I can think of to say regarding these two screenshots! I'm sure we'll get to learn more as the episode release gets closer, but I'm excited to see how things turn out!! :3

[daily-smol-silm]

Can you tell me more about Angbang children?

Absolutely! Sorry for taking so long!

Their names are Naira, Caurë, and Ormë, meaning something along the lines of Dreadful, Fear, and Wrath/Haste in Quenya, respectively.

I honestly don't think their parents would have named them in Quenya, but I was having a hard time finding a decent-sized corpus of Black Speech, and I'm the most familiar with Quenya anyway. I reconcile this by saying that this is what the Noldor might have called them, as they might have been vaguely aware of three energetic Ainu children running around in the North? But that's very much so a band-aid on the larger problem of Their Names Should Not Be In Quenya Anyway. I imagine, if the Noldor had names for them, then the Sindar would also have had names for them, and because Sindarin seems to be much more common than Quenya in the 3rd age most historical records would have been in that language, meaning that the triplet's translated names would have been in Sindarin, or at very least sindarized.... Which I honestly just can't be bothered to do anytime soon? So tldr for this section, their names are weird for who they are, and I don't really have a good explanation for that.

Also, the words Naira, Caurë, and Ormë are mostly nouns straight from a dictionary, and from what I understand might not be typical for names? I think that if they were to be more name-like, their forms would be Nairien, Cauwë, and Ormendil. Maybe. Something like that. However, I like using the first versions, mostly because they feel more like concepts and less like oddly named elves. They're the children of Melkor and Mairon. Morgoth and Sauron. They may be tiny and cute but they also have a much more primordial, elemental side to them, where each represents a certain aspect of Melkor and Mairon's effects on Arda. Ormë represents the hastiness and careless destruction of war. Naira represents the pointed cruelty of both of her fathers. Caurë represents the all-encompassing, blanketing fear that Angband spreads as a shadow in the North. Especially to the Noldor, who wouldn't have known them as Mairon and Melkor's sweet little babies. These three may be small and grow slow, (I'll get to that later), but, to anyone outside of their very niche family circle, they're going to be absolute terrors. Anyway...

Naira is the angbaby who resembles Mairon, her Maia dad, the most. She's pointed and tactical, and is frequently a ringleader amongst her two other siblings. She adores mathematics and architecture (you know, normal toddler* things), and also likes following Mairon down to the dungeons and torture rooms. She finds blood and screaming to be very funny. If she's crying, all her parents have to do to cheer her up is show her the tormented faces of elven thralls. (Again, very normal toddler* things).

Naira's fána, unsurprisingly, matches Mairon's the most, although it's never quite stable. Nor does it have a consistent number of eyes. Typically, she's a being of glowing, corporeal flame, with uncountable teeth and gleaming irises orderly lined along her fiery hair.

Also, Mairon likes to dress her up, much to her chagrin. She just looks so much like him! How could he not? She's always following him around or sitting on his shoulders anyway, and a Maia can only listen to "Why?" so many times before he has to react.

Seriously, though. Naira has too many outfits. She's barely a century old, Mairon, she doesn't need all that decorative armor. (Although she does prefer the armor to the frilly stuff. In a game of make-believe, she's always the one to play the fearsome knights and valiant generals).

Ormë is the triplet who resembles Melkor, his Vala dad, the most, taking after his chaotic nature and frustration with stuff like rules and planning. Ormë is the one to come up with extravagant, rube-goldberg style plans for him or his siblings to act upon, most of which don't turn out as intended. There have been multiple times when he's tried to sneak into places he isn't allowed, only to grow careless and be caught by someone who, horror of horrors, enforces rules.

Strangely enough, Ormë ADORES water. He's almost like a little Ossë, in the way that he loves seeking out sources of water and becoming an absolute monster for anyone also trying to access that water. If Angband were by the Sea, Ormë would be living, eating, and sleeping in the ocean. His dads wouldn't let him, as neither of them are a fan of water OR the Ainur who live in the sea. But a kid can dream. Actually, on that note, his parents have joked about Ormë being a lost child of Ossë and Uinen's, just because of how sea-and-storm oriented he seems. But in all actuality, Ormë just has a really uncommon interest for a child of Melmai.

Since Ormë is most like Melkor, he typically follows him around the most. He's also the one who invented the concept of jungle-gym dad, where the babies try to scale Melkor like a climbing tree. Don't worry, even though Melkor does have his injuries from the Fingolfin fight, the tinies are very, very light.

Ormë's fána is more solid than Naira's, although he often enjoys taking the form of storms and whirlwinds when he can get away with it. Typically, he looks like a bipedal cross between a dragon and a sea serpent. In his most humanoid form, he still has shiny, bluish-green scales and a spiky tail.

Caurë is the child who doesn't distinctly take after either of their parents. They're seemingly calm and quiet, often preferring to play on their own. They like shiny things, and Mairon often leaves his jewelry box open for them to play with. (Strangely, quite a bit of Mairon's jewelry has disappeared since Caurë started playing with it. I wonder why).

Cau often gets overwhelmed by their loud siblings, and sometimes needs to go in another room while they're playing. When that happens, they usually go to Mairon, who keeps a stash of paper and charcoal in his desk. They like drawing and coloring, and Mairon has been teaching them the basics of 3d shapes and light to foster their creativity. (And curiosity. Caurë is almost as bad as Naira when it comes to "Why??")

When they do get involved with their sibling's schemes, Caurë is usually the one to actually pull things off. Like theft. If there's one thing it's certain that Cau inherited, it's Melkor's kleptomania. They're stealthy and unassuming, so they make for the perfect burglar. They've even found a stone that comes out of the walls, that, with careful arrangement, becomes the perfect place to hide their stash of stolen goods. Mostly Mairon's jewelry and random shiny rocks. Sometimes their siblings get them to hide snacks in there, too, although they're very particular on getting them out of there as soon as possible. (And no, you can't hide decomposing skulls in the walls, they'll get too much gunk on the metal. Naira).

Caurë also suffers from frequent nightmares, some of which can be rather disturbing, even to their parents. The way they know this is that oftentimes, when Caurë has a nightmare, Melkor or Mairon will have the same nightmare at the same time. Those nights typically end in Caurë sleeping in their parent's bed, because no kid should go through those alone.

Caurë's fána never really changes, and for the most part represents a porcelain doll or a rather opaque ghost with pinkish-to-red irises. They're very pale, and their hair is long and white.

As I've alluded to before, these three are triplets, and so were "born" (heavy quotations because it's weird), at the same time, sometime shortly after Melkor fought Fingolfin. I say "born" in quotes because I kind of stole part of an idea from @melkor-did-nothing-wrong , where the baby Ainur were essentially all ëalar, and formed their fánar after they split from that of their parents. I messed with the concept a little more, and basically came up with... this.

So essentially, what I think happened was this: (I say I think, mostly because this gets into AU territory and I really don't have a solid AU idea). After Melkor returned from his imprisonment in Valinor, his physical hands are severely burned, and so is the stuff of his soul, pretty much in the same fashion that the Silmarils burned his hands. It hurts, and Mairon tries to heal, or at least lessen, the pain by using his own spirit to fill the places where bits of Melkor's soul were charred off by the Silmarils. (Fully going with the "Silmarils burnt Melkor's soul not just his body" idea here). In the process, both of their ëalar wound up overlapping, and since I imagine that's just generally nice for those Ainur who trust each other deeply to do, they just kept doing it. They'd also have times when they would let their spirits mix and overlap and mingle, just because they could. It alleviated quite a bit of Melkor's pain, and let them comfort and communicate with each other better than osanwë ever could. The thing is, just like how when you mix two different colors of paint, or of light, you get a different color, the combination of Melkor and Mairon's souls kind of started to... I dunno, take on an identity of its own? Not really, because it didn't take over Melkor and Mairon themselves, but there was still something there. And the more they were together, the more it started to stick around, almost like how if you look at one color for too long, a negative of it will be burned into your vision for a little while. Only it didn't go away. Sooner than later, Melkor and Mairon started to notice that each of them seemed to have slightly more souls than usual. And as time went on, they became more and more defined. Almost like how one theory as to how planets formed involves clumps of matter being drawn together, and then slowly becoming more solid as they increase in gravity? Something like that, although I probably explained the planet thing pretty badly. At that point, it became rather obvious that there was more than one.

The "birth" of these three was probably more akin to them finally growing too well-defined to rely completely on their parents, opting to tear themselves away in order to form their own fánar. And they were small. As in, kangaroo baby small. Even though technically they were strong enough as spirits to create their own bodies, it was kind of the bare minimum needed to hold them together. Baby Ainur, it turns out, are tiny, delicate, and need a lot of sleep.

(Side note, even though these are triplets, I don't imagine they were all developing with the same parent. They probably were at first, before they became well-defined as three separate entities, but as they grew I imagine at least one of them decided to latch onto the other instead. Specifically Naira leaving the comfort of Melkor's ëala for Mairon's. Melkor probably wasn't having that great a time trying to sustain three other souls, especially while also being injured. Poor guy D:

Also, the mechanics behind how they were actually conceived are another idea I stole from melkor-did-nothing-wrong. Particularly the metaphor about blending colors. What can I say, she has good ideas. And I REALLY didn't know how else to make this work 😅)

Oh, and about the age thing: Melkor and Mairon's kids age amazingly slowly. Since they're Ainur, and baby Ainur at that, I figured there wouldn't be all that much precedent for how their life cycle works. So, essentially, my headcanon is that their childhood consists of mostly growing their spirits in strength, meaning that they need to eat, sleep, and learn a lot over a very long period of time. For the most part, I don't imagine that adult Ainur need to meet that many basic needs, (except for learning/creating things, that's probably important throughout all their lives), but baby Ainur, who are still bordering on wisps in the wind and don't quite know how to sustain themselves yet, have most of the basic needs of mortal children.

I might have forgotten something, so if I remember I'll put it in the replies. Thank you for asking!!! And I hope this wasn't too incoherent, I finished typing this at 12:30 AM :P

[pureconvexenergy]

oKAY BUT CUBS OBSESSION WITH SCAR IS SOMETHING NO ONE CAN BREAK- THE I D E A S- (also hi sculk scar anon again :3)

1: Cub Totally uses Scar as a basis for spite specifically! Or at least Scar level spite (then you get Grian level instigation, Doc level revenge, aaaand honestly Cub uses himself as a Knows It level to see how others vary on what they know like parkour and different mechanics for it in the Labyrinths case - everyone elses mini games and businesses are enough data on their own, talkings just a bonus)

2: Cub had to lock himself away, listen to the Songs of the Vex and later the Sculk, when Grian was soulbound to Scar. Already Grian was connected to Mumbo, Grian already was paired up! Scar was *His* proven and Earned soulhalf- Sometimes he can only be brought out of his jealousy by the Vex, other times he calls Scar over and covers absolutely Covers Scar in jewelry while looking at their shared earring/necklace/ring/piercing. They may not have the Cathedral anymore but hell if Cub didn't know how to make Scar feel like an altar, worshipped and made *perfect*.

3: Though course connected as they are, Cub is near by, watches, listens, plans, *lives* near Scar in ways the other Hermits could never even Attempt. But Scars version? It's Being. Cub is near by? Scar slows, stops, flies predictably. Cubs watching? He becomes more animated, smiley, putting on a him sized puppet show for Cub. He's listening to Scar? More inflection, tone, stylized pacing- ends some stories as "For the one and only, Cubfan!" Planning is Inevitable for those two. Living?

They are Vex. They have always been before and after. Even Watchers look on, envious of the Connection eyes cannot achieve.

...aNYWAY- Hope yall like it :D (need more convex crumbs I am Dying)

1: Yep. Definitely. Scar spites, and holds grudges, and gives his friends the cold shoulder like no one else. But never towards Cub. They’re not sure if it’s a vex thing, but Vex definitely hold grudges, so it’s probably part of it

2: ooooh yess. Cub would definitely be at least a little bit jealous and begrudging of Grian for being Scar’s soulmate, and respond by treating Scar even better than usual. For so many reasons. A: how the other soulmate pairs get to act around each other without anyone questioning. He and Scar are happy to be close and affectionate in private, but being able to do that more publicly without the other players teasing them for it? Yes. Cub needs that.

b: he’s heard Scar’s stories of Grian being distant and rude and then later cheating in Scar. He knows Scar just wants an ally who cares for him. Grian has a chance to be as friendly and excited and caring with Scar as he is in Hermitcraft and he’s blowing it completely. (Which also made Cub wonder if Grian was faking it in Hermitcraft) C: one of my headcanons is that during Double Life, Cub ALSO feels the Scar and Grian’s injuries (but as phantom pain), even stronger than usual. And then Grian saying how Scar’s always getting hurt when he really isn’t. And Cub can’t quite understand Grian’s problem.

Also, on the same point, I want to know more about this Song of the Vex. I love it. Clearly it’s something that calms vexlings down, perhaps something only vexlings can hear. And maybe allays as well, and the allays are either calmed by it, or it makes them act up. And other players are really confused. I can imagine a lot of humming, no real lyrics. But a lot of pent of emotion. And now that’s led me to a thought that Vex - and Vexlings - hum when they’re happy. Like the equivalent of cats purring.

3: Scar putting on a show of normal everyday things whenever Cub’s around? Yes. So much yes. Anything he can to make Cub’s day that little bit brighter. And when Cub’s in a conversation with other hermits, Scar sometimes appears behind and Cub’ll be left trying to explain Scar’s antics. And he never quite can explain how Scar made him laugh in a way that the other hermits understand. In the same way neither of them can explain how they understand their secret non-verbal language of tiny movements, or what any particular movement means. They just have that connection with each other. Is it the Vex? Probably. Are they in love with each other? Only in a QPR way. But would they exchange that feeling for anything else? Absolutely not.

[stardustneeko]

As promised, here's the process video for my YGO Rare Pairs Mini Bang piece. I feel like this event always gets me to push myself beyond my limits (or maybe it's Tealshipping ;-P). A lot of attention and care went into this piece, so I want to talk about it a bit.

(Extensive yapping under cut)

As with many of my works, it started with a song. Pretty much the entire aesthetic direction of this piece was inspired by it, specifically this lyrics video.

I started with a thumbnail with pencil on paper because I'm astonishingly near-sighted and can only determine a good composition at a very specific size.

Fun fact: This thumbnail was very likely jotted down on company time :D

Then I traced it onto CSP and started with the values sketch. Since the song/lyrics video provided a very clear vision, I worked out the light sources pretty quickly. Some things I kept in mind:

The elements in this piece should suggest that we are looking at this scene through Johan's eyes. That's why Ryo's eyes are closed, and Johan's seeing a different version of "himself" in the mirror.

Because of this, the lighting scenarios for the outside world and the mirror world are completely different: the outside world is hazy, sensual, the mirror world is stark and eerie. "Yami" Johan has sharper features than "normal" Johan, and he's cast in colder light. The "real" world, on the other hand, would have warmer tones. (I feel like I didn't push this enough tbh).

The main light source comes from windows off-screen. I was very particular about the way it hits Johan's face and cast most of it in shadow. In contrast, l wanted most of Ryo to be in the light. It's kinda unrealistic, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The light from the windows also helps illuminate the background. Specifically it reveals the one piece of furniture necessary to deduce the rest of the story ( ͈ര ̫ര ͈) ⊹`𓈒

There is a rim light from a lamp hidden behind Ryo. This helps sets the characters apart from the dark background and suggest more depth, especially in the areas of darkest shadow.

The process I currently use is one I adapted from kuroshiro's, with a few tweaks. First, I separated the piece into parts, and coloured them on separate layers with their base colours. Then, I added new clipped layers to each part, set to Multiply or Overlay as necessary, and rendered on those layers. This workflow helps me think clearly about what I need to do next, and easily come back to fix mistakes later on. It also allows me to pause at certain points and play with different lighting/colour schemes, just to make sure I like the direction I'm going in. It's a labour-intensive way of working, with a lot of cognitive power expended on pre-planning and layer management, but it's very effective if you like to problem-solve on the fly.

This scar on Johan's neck has a lot of symbolic significance in the story of this piece (read the accompanying fic to find out why), and so does Ryo kissing it. I wanted to make sure the way I posed the characters + arranged the lighting would give it that prominence in the composition. I based it on ref photos of real electrocution wounds. (And that makes the second time I've put marks on Johan's skin for this event lol).

Occasionally, I'd screencap the image and save it on Discord, so that I could look back at it the next day and immediately notice anything major I needed to fix.

Fun fact: In my vision, the light-cast-from-window thing was mandatory, but I'd never drawn anything like that before. Reference photos were helpful for inspo, but I needed to observe how it works directly. So (after much procrastination) I decided to turn off the lights in my room and stood for a good half an hour watching the way the light hit my wall in the dark, brainstorming how to recreate this on CSP.

(The most painful part of this piece might be looking up hotel room interior refs and trying to design a bg that looks legit but not with the muted color schemes that seem to dominate luxury hotels use nowadays).

The mirror frame was one of the last pieces to be added, and then I exported the image and imported it onto a different CSP canvas. I added a layer on top the image to paint over any remaining mistakes . I also added some special effects (such as air-brushing Johan's breath). Lastly, I signed the piece.

Fun fact: The "pressed against the mirror" thing was another big challenge, for which ref photos weren't gonna be enough help because I had such a specific idea with the pose + lighting. One day, while I was wandering in a new bookstore and about to leave, the employee told me "We also have a secret room, would you like to discover it?" and she DEADASS pulled open a bookshelf to reveal a hidden chamber??? And inside were obvs more bookshelves but most importantly there was a large mirror on the wall EXACTLY like I needed. So I spent a good while in there taking reference photos using myself as a model hehehe. Thinking back on this experience now, I become more firmly convinced that the universe arranged things so that I could bring this Tealshipping image to the world. *^w^b

Overall, this piece took me literal months to complete (most of which was spent agonizing over whether I could pull off all of the aforementioned goals). I'm noticing some pretty big mistakes now that I'm looking back at it lol but it felt pretty rewarding to finish it at last. Do you think I managed to achieve my intentions?

[normal-about-boys]

How would your papyri react to their bitties?

gah! There will be chaos

Cinnamon[s]: they're losing their shit. Both good way and bad way. Cinnamon's just like... that guy is me! But tiny! I could step on him! I wanna be pocket sized!! I could fit in people's pockets!! The heck!! Minimon is feeling the same but reversed. That guy is me!! But huge!! He can reach the top of the fridge!! I wanna be that big!!

They are essentially really jealous of eachother for different reasons. Cinnamon is jealous of minimon cause he gets to he with you everywhere and is, well, portable to say the least. Minimon wants to he able to hug you normally instead of stuck wrapping his arms around your calf. [Also maybe because it's hard to kiss someone if they can put your whole head in their mouth].

Cinnamon and minimon do get along, don't get me wrong. But they are constantly trying to one-up eachother.

Carnation[s]: you think the Cinnamons are bad with jealousy? These two are nightmares. Mini Carn is and always will be a spoiled prince through and through. He can get along with the other bitties [he can be a sweetie and he's forced to live with them so the others are his ride or dies even though he wants to bitchslap them all the time] but with his big version? There's not even a thought of being cordial.

HE is the humans Carnation, not that overgrown brute!! He will NOT let some wannabe take away any of his humans attention! He will bite and scratch and kick and throw so many tantrums because he thinks big Carnation is stealing his human.

Big Carnation? Oh he HATES bitty Carn. That little runt begs for your attention and gets it. He's pampered and adored and cared for and that little shit gloats about it. He would never be like that! [Ignoring that bitty Carn is just a small version of him] He would have some class! Big Carnation is horribly jealous of the love and affection you give bitty Carn. What?? Just cause he's cuter you give him outfits as presents and let him sleep near you?! [bitty Carn has a special bed near yours on your nightstand] BAH! He could be cute if he wanted to too!

Honey[s]: Partners in crime. Little Honey was always full of big schemes, now he has a big and just as mischievous guy to enact said schemes. Little Honey spent SO much time fantasizing about what he would do if he was normal sized that he has plenty a plan. And big Honey? Oh he is going along with it all. Even adding his own suggestions. DO NOT LEAVE THEM ALONE IN YOUR HOME! Even if it's only for a couple minutes!! You will come back to a very booby-trapped house and 2 giggly skeletons.

Both Honeys also have the bad habit of laying on top of you. With little Honey at least it was bearable but big Honey is HEAVY. If you lay down on the couch big Honey is laying all his weight on top of you with his legs sticking over the couch arm rest [downside of having so much leg] and little Honey, with no room, lays on top of your face. Needing to breath be damned.

Jam[s]: These two are fighting eachother all the time like the Carnations, but they're battle is more subtle. Instead of flat out insults and mild violence, they are SUPER passive aggressive to eachother. Little jam just goes on about how comfy it is to hang out in hoodie pockets and how his human is just SO sweet to him while looking big Jam in the eyes. Bug Jam is of course fuming. Later he retaliates by putting his arm over your shoulders and generally showing affection that someone as tall as a water bottle can't do with a smug grin on his face.

Then these assholes end up making eachother even more insecure than they already are and you gotta reassure them that yes, you like them both. [You need to give these little shits some serious talking tos about getting along]

Persimmon[s]: unlike the majority of others, these two do get along! Quite well infact, they enjoy eachothers company alot. Big Persimmon ends up soothing little Persi's anxiety a lot just by showing that things can be okay. I mean, that guys doing okay! And he doesn't even have an emotional support human! Maybe he'll be okay too.

And little Persi does the same to big Persi. You constantly showing affection to little Persi makes big Persi feel he is deserving of love. Call little Persi cute and big Persi feels cute too.

[crying-fantasies]

Self preservation

Masterlist

Once upon a time, when Connie was old enough to be taught the lesson of "interfacing" by her aunty Nickel, after her Papa Misfire and uncle Spinister totally got her more confused on why and how her body now worked, "your insides will melt on itself, and the waste will leak from your organic valve, it's like acid that will make your system go brrrr and shut down for a few days, but you won't die!", one question did immediately pop up on her mind.

"Say", your sweet semi psychopath teenager girl started, taking out of her mouth one of those giant lollipops, making it look normal by her own size, she prolonged the word to be sure to catch your attention, and once she got it, took her shoot, "have you ever done it with carrier in dino form?"

Whatever you were holding was about to fall from your hands, someone laughed and you could almost hear Fulcrum about to return his breakfast.

"Sweetie", your tone tried to be calm, remembering the real little shit in front of you, "I may be horny but I'm not stupid".

That seemed to be enough for her, just for a few seconds, "so you have been thinking about doing it", she had that usual smirk, "at least once I mean".

Connie hummed for herself, playing with the sweet on her full lips, "must be nice to have such big spikes and valves to your disposition, uh".

Someone gagged, and someone laughed once again when she asked "where do you get those?".

Every ounce of will power had to stop you from freaking out, and maybe remind her that your open relationship with most 'cons onboard was private, "Connie, baby, that's not how it works, if you want we could talk about it later", and she looked like a giant super model from your point of view, what was the 'con that made her thinking to make her like this? Was this normal? Should you be worried? Is this her spark own self showing itself again?

"Never too soon to have a healthy curiosity focus on", her big head, at least compared to you, was looming above you, curious, really curious on the matter, "I wanna know, sire".

Was she referring to having a spike? Or maybe she was referring to it like sex?

Well, she was on to be hugely disappointed because you were pretty sure Grimlock would prefer to have her secured against any danger, that, including anything that could do so much as look at her wrong, and that showed when Connie was out and had Grim just behind her, daring whoever would even look at his precious daughter in anything that wasn't just pure and respectful distance.

"I just feel...", without any remorse she touched just above the bottoms of her extra large jeans, red almost magenta eyes unfocused on the floor, "...like something is missing, sire".

Oh, it really was her spark trying to recollect what little could be remembered of her past self, desperate to keep those memories to preserve itself and not fade completely, "We'll talk about it later, Connie-"

"Does a spike feel good?"

Oh, well, you would give her your own version of "the talk", at least she wasn't experiencing any side effects-

"Sire, why- ugh, why do I smell so bad?! What's leaking from my valve?!”

And there were the human side effects.

[shellkissed]

could you do a brody fic maybe where he meets someone out and about in nyc normally and gives them his #. but this person has tickets to the outsiders later on but didn't know he was until seeing him on stage lol imaging a text later like, "what did you do tonight?" "went and saw the outsiders..." lol

Authors Note: yes anon this is perf

Funny Seeing You Here

Brody Grant x fem!reader

It was one of those random New York City moments—something that could have easily been forgotten or lost in the crowd of a thousand other fleeting encounters.

Brody was out for a walk after fight and lift call, grabbing a quick coffee and enjoying a rare moment of downtime. The city was buzzing with energy, but he liked the anonymity that came with being just another face in the crowd. He wasn’t sure why, but sometimes it felt good to just blend in and not be “the actor” for a change.

As he stood at the corner of a busy street, waiting for the light to change, he noticed someone standing beside him at the crosswalk. They were holding a coffee in one hand, their other hand buried in the pocket of a jacket that looked like it had seen better days. It wasn’t their clothes that caught his attention, though. It was the quiet energy they carried with them—comfortable, easygoing, yet with a certain curiosity in their eyes, like they were always looking for something just outside the frame of the everyday.

Brody gave them a casual smile as the light changed. “You heading somewhere exciting, or just taking in the city?” he asked, half out of politeness, half out of sheer boredom.

The stranger gave him a sidelong glance, almost as if they were sizing him up. Then they grinned, their eyes lighting up. “Just another day in the concrete jungle,” they replied, clearly enjoying the way Brody had put it.

“I feel that,” Brody said with a chuckle. “Can’t complain, though. It’s got a charm to it. Kind of like its own version of chaos, right?”

“Yeah, I get that. Though sometimes I wish I could escape it for a while, you know?”

“You could always try Central Park. A little greenery never hurts.” Brody felt himself grinning at their easy conversation. It was a rare moment of simplicity, and he wasn’t sure why he liked it so much, but it felt nice to just talk to someone without the pretense.

“Maybe I’ll do that. You’re giving me ideas,” they replied. They sipped their coffee thoughtfully, eyes scanning the street as if the idea of Central Park had suddenly become a more appealing escape.

Brody glanced at them, the conversation flowing easily. There was something refreshing about how they spoke—not the usual small talk that filled every corner of the city. They had a way of making him feel like he wasn’t just another person in the crowd.

“You seem pretty chill,” Brody said, half-smiling. “I don’t know, I don’t always run into people who aren’t in a hurry to be somewhere.”

The stranger chuckled. “Yeah, well… I’m just figuring it out as I go. Honestly, sometimes the best part of the day is just pausing for a second to breathe.”

He could get behind that. “I’m Brody, by the way,” he added, feeling a sudden urge to at least offer his name.

“Nice to meet you, Brody. I’m [Y/N].”

“Well, if you’re ever in need of more distractions, you can grab a drink sometime. Here’s my number,” Brody said, pulling out his phone and quickly typing in his digits before handing it over.

[Y/N] took the phone, glancing at the number for a moment before meeting his eyes. “I’ll keep it in mind. Who knows? Central Park might not be enough to keep me occupied. Might need to swap some stories over a drink after all.”

Brody grinned. “It’s a deal.”

As they parted ways, Brody couldn’t help but smile at the easy exchange. He wasn’t expecting anything to come of it, really. But for a brief moment, New York felt a little less chaotic. And that, he thought, was kind of nice.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That same night..

Brody was halfway through a quick bite at a diner, he glanced at his phone, sighing before picking it up and texting the number he had worked for earlier.

Brody: "hey! how was your day?" He typed, taking a deep breath before sending the message.

After a minute or so, he got a reply.

[Y/N]: "Is this Brody?" They asked, which Brody couldn't help but chuckle at.

Brody: "Yeah this is him."

Brody: “Wait a second, you came to see The Outsiders and didn’t know I was in it? You weren’t even curious when I gave you my number?”

[Y/N]: “Honestly, no! I just thought you were a random guy I met on the street. 😂 You’re good at blending in, I guess.”

Brody: “So what, you were just hanging out in the city, and I’m the guy who got the random text?”

[Y/N]: “Yep! And then I saw you on stage, and I was like, ‘Wait, no way!’ It was a nice surprise, though. Definitely made the night more memorable. What did you do tonight?”

Brody: “Same thing you did, I guess—just performing. But you had the better night out of the two of us, I’m sure.”

[Y/N]: “I don’t know. I didn’t expect to find myself texting the guy I met randomly on the street who just happened to be on stage. So… I’d say I win.”

Brody chuckled at that. The idea of someone seeing him on stage and still not quite putting it together—that was amusing. But it also felt like fate, in a weird way. A brief connection that turned into something a little more unexpected.

Brody: “Well, looks like I’ll have to make it up to you. Drinks on me next time. And I promise I won’t be performing for you.”

[Y/N]: “Deal. But next time, I’ll know who I’m really texting. 😉”

The next time they met, it felt natural. The weird coincidence of him being the actor they’d seen on stage turned into an inside joke that the two of them laughed about. Brody found himself looking forward to their conversations, whether they were casual or deeper. And just like that, a random NYC encounter turned into something a little more special.

—————————————————————————

Authors Note: ☺️ one from the drafts! my flight is at 12 am midnight so hopefully i can get a few fics out today before than because after that im gonna be soooo enthralled by nyc im gonna forget my phone exists

[entomolog-t]

What if a person just assumes the borrower is another human, just shrunk? I think most people wouldn’t immediately assume the very human-looking thing they’ve caught is another creature entirely (unless it’s one of those borrower versions with animal features like a tail and such). So the questions would be along the lines of: How did you shrink? Is there a way to get you back to normal?

The best part is that the ball is in the borrower’s court now. They have to choose between telling the human the truth about themselves, and potentially risk their safety by doing so. Or they could play along with the human’s assumptions and keep themselves in relative safety by letting the human think they’re one of them.

Obviously the lying option could lead to a lot of angst in the future if the human found out the truth. Especially if the human keeps trying their best to help the borrower get back to ‘normal size’ but nothing works, leaving the borrower wondering how long they’re willing to keep up the charade. Meanwhile the human gets more and more upset that they can’t help their tiny friend.

OH I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS

The sheer angst potential with the borrower assuming the only reason the human is treating them like an equal is because they think they're human? So they just dwell on it so much. At first they may feel smug, thinking that the human is stupid, but they realize they may have misjudged their own intelligence because why would a human just let a stranger who has been shrunk wander freely around their home?? So they've unwittingly committed themselves to be attached to the human until they can either find a good escape where they won't go looking for them, or until they admit what they really are.

As they spend time with the human they are less desperate for escape in some sense. The freedom from danger, the liberal amount of food, the comforts the human is willing to provide them... its nice. They miss their personal freedom, and keeping up this ruse is a bit exhausting since they aren't the most familiar with human culture.... but the human is ... nice.

They've grown a friendship with this human, and they want to be able to tell them the truth. They see how worried the human is about them... They've been freaking out about how to get ahold of their family, and how in the hell they're supposed to find a way to reverse it... and they do want their freedom of movement back... They make up their mind that they're going to tell the human but-

Theres a slip up.

Maybe they said something weird, maybe the human put together too many little clues, or maybe another borrower shows up. They panic. No no no no no. This was supposed to be on their terms. They can feel themselves hyperventalating. They don't even want to look at the human. This is at best humiliating, at worst... was the human angry?? they lied. they took advantage of their kindness. They feel a hand start to encircle them and they flinch out of it's grasp.

No.

No, of course they were angry. Why wouldn't they be??

"H-hey... are you okay?"

The words seem to stop all their thoughts. All they can feel is their heart pounding in their ears. They look up at the human... at their friend and see nothing but concern in their eyes.

It breaks them.

They sob into the hand. A mix of guilt and shame and relief and happiness. They're a mess. The human waits to ask questions but takes the new information in stride. Ehh, its not that much weirder than finding a shrunken person right?

That is.... until like... 4 hours later.

The borrower hears banging on the walls.

"Hey ! Uh.... How many times have you heard me being... um weird?"

The borrower can't help but laugh, knowing immediately what the human is talking about. They would constantly talk to themselves in weird little voices, make strange noises, sing to themselves... Hell, they did it to but its not like they had an audience.

"Um" they clear their throat, a little more reassured with a wall between them "... enough."

A resounding thud sends vibrations through the borrower's chambers as the human hits their head against the wall. The groan that follows has the borrower struggling to keep from laughing.

"Fuck you." They can hear their smile despite not seeing them.

This... this could work.

[aprillikesthings]

ONE MORE TONIGHT because I remember I really like this episode :D

s2 ep5 White Out

will I hit the image limit with this one

EDIT: nope I post it early by accident, which means I have to reblog it anyway.

damn right, and I love how often Entrapta mentions this--that all experiments/research end with you learning SOMEthing even if it's not what you were hoping/looking for

Anyway they're in an icy wasteland of sorts and Entrapta is researching some First Ones' stuff under the ice and also there's some kind of big worm-like monster outside. All before the intro music.

Does She-Ra not feel the cold or what

I refuse to screenshot Scorpia's attempt at asking out Catra it's too painful

I knew it was the same thing that fucked with the robots and She-Ra in Dryl!!

I love how I can remember that this episode is the one where Adora acted SUPER violent and then really dumb and drunk but I couldn't remember WHY

but yeah telling this to Catra was A Mistake

Entrapta: "also she got very floppy"

FLOPPY?!

Side note, but it makes sense Catra hates it up there more than Scorpia or Entrapta; cats have a higher body temperature than humans. But wait, scorpions are cold-blooded? Maybe Catra's just a whiner about being cold. (So am I.)

I mean yeah Catra's being a dick here BUT THEN:

It took me WAY too many times to get that literal split-second of her reaction to Adora's voice before she gets herself back under control. Her ears even do a wiggle.

Look I know they were setting us up for these two to be endgame the whole time. But it still amazes me how much they made it so, SO OBVIOUS in all these little ways they could've skipped and didn't. The little ear wiggle and her tiny moment of shock? They didn't have to put it there, and they did. They could've just made her immediate reaction fury or frustration. But nope.

And we see her eyes narrow in a really close-in shot, like she has to take a second and remember they're on opposite sides, before Catra turns around with her usual cocky expression.

but also look at Entrapta's face lol

I love it when they make her look just a little deranged. Because she is.

I do wonder the extent to which everyone else is like "why are these two so obsessed with each other" (I think people comment on that later?)

HOW AM I JUST NOW NOTICING THESE TWO ARE NARRATIVE FOILS they are, right? right?? or am I just reading too much into both of them having unrequited crushes

Bow: "You don't understand the forces you're messing with!" Entrapta: "I know! That's the fun of it!"

augh I couldn't get the shot of Catra's surprised face

yeah I'm probably gonna go over the image limit on this one

THAT'S NOT GOOD

oh boy

Virus!She-Ra: *tries to hurt her own friends* Catra: "This is the greatest thing that's ever happened" Virus!She-Ra: *hears her, turns around, and runs towards Catra*

BIG MISTAKE

I can't screenshot it, but holy shit you really see the degree to which She-Ra normally isn't trying to actually hurt Catra any more than necessary, because of how violent she is when she's possessed by the virus. Like, this version of her would in fact just straight-up stab Catra or chop off her head or something. Normally She-Ra settles for punches or self-defense--her goal isn't hurting Catra per se but trying to stop the harm she's doing.

But this version of She-Ra? Would do a murder, no problem

that is 100% an appropriate reaction!!

Anyway Scorpia manages to separate her from her sword, and Adora goes back to normal size and not possessed. And is out cold.

okay but did you mean for that to sound so suggestive, Catra? did you?? do you even KNOW??

(...did I just get a plot bunny for the kind of fic that would get me hate mail)

(I've written stuff with a major archive warning before and I could do it again)

speaking of ships eheheheheh

Poor Scorpia is just like "do we have to have your ex around even as a weapon" and is also I think just uncomfortable with how nasty Catra is being

But also Catra's face here is too good

I just imagine Hordak being like, "oh YOU'RE obsessed with the blonde girl, too??? And I thought Shadow Weaver had a problem."

Edit: guess who accidentally hit the wrong buttons on her keyboard and posted it. Anyway continued in the reblog.

[wizardingworldlibrary]

AU - Canon Divergence (2) Masterlist

part one

A Bit of Bother and All That (ao3) - manic_intent Original Percival Graves/Newt E, 9k

Summary: Despite later claims by Porpentina Goldstein, the first thing that Newt Scamander, illegal magizoologist, actually said to Graves was “Oh. I really didn’t think that there were two of those.”

Graves looked around quickly, wand cautiously raised. One of Grindelwald’s ‘silos’ of stored and mostly illegal paraphernalia had turned out to also include an acid-spitting two-legged ostrich-sized lizard, whose spit had dissolved, unfortunately, much of said illegal paraphernalia, a desk, several chairs, and Newt’s clothes. The lizard was asleep, bubbling gently beside the stairs, clutching the virulently pink flower bulb that Newt had thrown at it right before he’d been drenched.

“Where’s the other one?”

“No, no, I meant your coat,” Newt explained brightly.

A Brother to Basilisks (ao3) - Lomonaaeren Draco/Harry M, 613k

Summary: AU of PoA. Harry wakes in the night to a voice calling him from somewhere in the castle—and when he follows it, everything changes. Updated every Friday.

Another Dance (ao3) - souljelly Cedric/Harry T, 2k

Summary: "I was thinking that maybe I could ask Cedric."

An alternate version of events in 'An Unexpected Task' and 'The Yule Ball' in which Harry and Cedric attend the Yule Ball together.

Basic Instincts (ao3) - manic_intent Original Percival Graves/Newt E, 49k

Summary: “Who are you?” Graves demanded hoarsely.

“I’m Newt. Scamander. Err. Pleased to meet you. I mean, I would’ve been pleased to meet you, under normal circumstances.”

“Scamander.” Graves frowned to himself. For someone who was supposedly in a bad rut, he seemed perfectly in control. “Your accent, it’s British. Any relation to Theseus Scamander? Head of the DMLE?”

“I’m his younger brother.”

“Are you an Auror?”

“No. I’m a magizoologist.”

Graves exhaled, exasperated. “A what? Is this a rescue or are you a hostage?”

“Sort of neither,” Newt admitted.

Better safe than sorry (ao3) - MissyAndTheDocs Neville/Pansy T, 3k

Summary: Some things are better left unsaid. And Pansy Parkinson does not like taking risks.

Between Ruin and Salvation (ao3) - commas_and_ampersands Luna/Draco E, 42k

Summary: It was only one second. One second where Remus took his eyes off Harry to stare at the rigid body of his last best friend falling through the veil. One second where he heard James’s son too late, where he wasn’t fast enough to catch him.

Then Harry ran through the veil.

Deal or No Deal (ao3) - LetticeDouffet Hermione/Fred, Luna/George T, 40k

Summary: What might have happened if Hermione met Fred and George on the train instead of Ron and Harry? (What started as a one shot that grew into something more.)

Dearly Beloved (ao3) - prosodiical Original Percival Graves/Newt T, 11k

Summary: or: Five times Percival Graves said he was married, and one time Tina believed him.

When Director Graves starts elaborating on his supposed husband, the entire department is even more certain he doesn't exist - an author and a dragon tamer, who's somehow captured a creature that can kill a hundred wizards at a time? And what sort of name is Newt, anyway?

Tina's one of them - at least, until Newt Scamander, magizoologist, shows up in New York and lets a Niffler loose. And when he realises Graves has been replaced by an imposter, things only get more complicated from there.

Distractions (ao3) - morningsound15 Hermione/Ginny T, 86k

Summary: Ron and Hermione have recently broken up, and Ginny — concerned for her best friend — has decided that the only thing for Hermione to do now is to date someone new to make Ron jealous. And who better than Hermione’s best friend (and coincidentally Ron’s younger sister) to drive him absolutely mental?

Fake Dating AU

Even If I Win I Lose (ao3) - BeautifulMusings Albus/Gellert T, 49k

Summary: Set after the end of 'The Secrets of Dumbledore', this fic follows the consequences of the blood pact being inadvertently revived with an additional consequence this time of Albus and Gellert being unable to be far away from each other.

In Bloom (ao3) - idleside Fleur/Harry E, 65k

Summary: A small, seemingly inconsequential change can cause ripples which become a great wave.

When Fleur makes the choice to kiss Harry goodbye before leaving Hogwarts after the Triwizard Tournament, it turns out that nothing from then onward would be quite the same.

Some changes are better than what might have been. Others are worse. The rest are neither better or worse, but different, and the connection between Harry and Fleur which grows in surprising leaps and bounds is one of these.

They forge a bond that begins as friendship, which is then tempered in the fires of the war against Voldemort, before eventually becoming something more.

(AU that begins at the end of Goblet of Fire, then diverges from there. Explicit chapters/scenes are marked with asterisks)

In the Dead of Night (ao3) - Lost_my_soul_in_a_black_hole Hermione/Bellatrix, Neville/Luna, Harry/Ginny E, 179k

Summary: Hermione discovers something about her professor that leads her to go knocking on her door, late at night.

It's Friday (I'm in Love) (ao3) - punk_rock_yuppie Draco/Harry, Hermione/Ron, Hannah/Neville E, 16k

Summary: At first, Draco only hangs out with them on Fridays after work; then he starts shagging Potter after pub nights. Then all the rest of the gang tries to befriend Draco and even worse, Potter tries to date him. It’s an absolute disaster, if you ask Draco.

Or, Draco and Harry fall in love over the course of several Fridays and some other days of the week.

Luna Lovegood and the Forgotten Circle (ao3) - Hawksquill Luna/Ginny M, 229k

Summary: Luna Lovegood is a reluctant Seer and the subject of a prophecy she's not sure she wants to come true. With her best friends Ginny and Lavender, she rediscovers the old ways of blood magic hidden in plain sight across Britain. Her recalcitrant mother embraces Luna's gifts and uses them for her own ends, establishing an alternative commune for girls and women in the Devon countryside. Facing a rising tide of dark magic and constantly battling the pressures of the prophecy and her mother's expectations, Luna grapples with what it means to have power, to be a witch, to leave a legacy, and to choose her own path.

Margin for Error (ao3) - provocative_envy Daphne/Ron T, 3k

Summary: Ron has spent the better part of a decade avoiding Daphne Greengrass.

It’s absolutely personal.

The Case of the Missing Obscurus (ao3) - manic_intent Original Percival Graves/Newt E, 31k

Summary: Getting rescued from the sarcophagus that Grindelwald had stashed him in turned out to be a thoroughly uncomfortable affair, if only because Graves suspected that Tina would never let him forget it’d happened, ever. Of all the Aurors who could’ve stumbled over Grindelwald’s vault, did it really have to be her?

Besides, Grindelwald hadn’t had that much time to make Graves’ said sarcophagus stay anything more than humiliating, unless his Grand Plan was to see how long Graves would take to die of boredom. Thankfully, Tina had found Graves before he’d gotten tired of grimly plotting Grindelwald’s murder. Unsettlingly enough, by all reports, Grindelwald had actually been credible enough at Graves’ soul-sucking time sink of a normal job that not even Graves’ closest minions had figured him out. Which meant that a) small wonder Grindewald hadn’t progressed his Plans of World Domination(?) further than aggressively stalking some poor kid and b) Graves clearly needed new minions.

The Hanging Tree (ao3) - ArielSakura Theodore/Harry M, 2k

Summary: Upon one of his many night-time wanderings, Harry comes across a peculiar room, hidden behind a haunting portrait of a tree. He soon finds himself enraptured by its frequent inhabitant. But with the war looming, what will become of them? Will they manage to survive? Will it tear them apart? Will their secret be exposed? What harm will befall them?

The Mirror Cracked (ao3) - minnas_hparchive (minnabird) Fleur/Bill T, 3k

Summary: Voldemort and his Death Eaters have been in power for seventeen years, but the fight continues. In France, a strange man turns up on Fleur Delacour's doorstep and turns her life upside down. In a different world, what were the odds that Bill and Fleur would still end up fighting side by side?

Unwritten (ao3) - fantalfart (fantalf), hpwlwbb, inamamagic Pansy/Ginny M, 83k

Summary: In which Pansy tries to figure out whether she deserves love and forgiveness while dancing around her feelings for a certain red-headed Quidditch player.

Windows with a view (ao3) - BlueAlmond Albus/Gellert G, 3k

Summary: Ariana is Albus's responsibility and, most importantly, his priority.

Gellert understands.

[monstermaster13]

Corey and Oats in..

The Creature from Canada: A Canada Day Special

Every year on July 1st something very unusual happens at Nile Road, you see it is unusual in the sense that it not only is Canada Day but also Dan Aykroyd’s birthday and that means one thing…were-aykroyd sightings, now Corey and Oats had a friend named Nathan who was pals with Mel and often stayed with her when he had ‘dum dum were-aykroyd’ episodes.

Corey and Oats were in their home in Nile Road with all their friends including Anglo the anglerfish, when they heard news of the Aykroyd-verse coming in to pay a visit. Corey looked in the bedroom and he saw a swirling vortex materializing in the closet, the closet door opened and several Dan Aykroyd characters jumped out. ‘Hey guys, what are you doing here?’ ‘It is Canada Day and our aykroydian brother Dan needs your help!’ ‘What with?’

‘Vic Frohmeyer and his dark Aykroyd group along with Dumius, are planning on taking Nathan away.’ ‘Yeah, Dumius wants to transform Nathan into a fat dum dum were-aykroyd wife!’ ‘Oh we know all about that, trust us.’ ‘It seems Dumius is deadset on it.’ ‘We have been working on trying to stop him.’

“Oh yes, he definitely is. He won’t stop until i’m his wife.”

“That is definitely true Nathan.”

‘So have we.’ Corey and Oats along with Anglo and Aiyido and Mel began to work on a plan as Nathan’s were-aykroyd alter-ego Dan manifested through a cloud of purple smoke. ‘Well we should be able to work on something.’ They all decided to team up and work together, of course Nathan and Mel had to explain to the staff why there were so many Aykroyds walking around.

“Do you think they mind us letting them all in?”

“Nah, we can explain it to them later.’

Dan helped the group orchestrate a plan to stop the dum dum were-aykroyds from getting them, as he sensed the dum dum were-aykroyds were approaching, which they were as Corey heard their moans and dum dum noises. ‘Dum dum were-aykroyds, even in this main series of universes we have to deal with them.’ ‘At least in this universe they are a joke species.’

The dum dum were-aykroyds moaned as they barged into the Nile Road house, luckily Nathan knew what to do as he spun around and turned into his were-aykroyd form, he helped Mel and the duo fit off the hordes of dum dum were-aykroyds that were trying to get to them.

They took a break to have lunch before continuing on and battling with the dum dums, the dum dum were-aykroyds were quite slow and easy to stop, it was then that Dumius materialized along with a fat female version of Dan the were-aykroyd…’The Dum Dum Queen!’ ‘You know this dum dum?’ ‘Yes, she is me if I became subservient to the dum dum were-aykroyds and to Dumius.’

The plus sized female were-aykroyd chuckled…’Tee hee! Master loves me so much, tee hee!’ ‘She is a bit uhhh…’ ‘Dumb? Yes, she is.’ ‘You are supposed to be a smart were-aykroyd yet you have a dum dum counterpart?’ ‘That universe is confusing to me in general.’

Aiyido used his eye-rays to zap some of the dum dum were-aykroyds and sent them flying backwards as he managed to help keep them away, eventually they cleared away all the dum dum were-aykroyds. ‘So in the dum dum universe, you Dan are subservient to a master and fat and female?’ ‘Oh yes and comically silly too but not stupid.’

The female dum dum were-aykroyd stomped over to Dan…’You are me, but not dum dum? How can you not be dum dum? Do you not have a master to make you into a dum dum?’ ‘Some were-aykroyds can choose not to be dum dums!’ ‘But this is not entirely possible, were-aykroyds in dum dum’s universe must be dum dums!’ ‘Maybe that’s true in your case but not here.’ ‘This is not dum dum’s universe?’ ‘Oh no, this is the normal version of your world, with less dum dums.’

“But why are there no dum dums in this world?”

“Because dum dums are considered a joke species in this universe.”

‘Dum dum not real were-aykroyd?’ ‘Well you are a were-aykroyd but you are not consider a legitimate one because dum dum were-aykroyds are considered a joke species.’ ‘Do you not think I am beautiful and thicc enough to be qualified as a real were-aykroyd?’ ‘No, dum dum is a waddling idiot who farts a lot.’ ‘Hey! Dum dum cannot help having gas, dum dum needs it to grow, but don’t worry I can make you into fat dum dum were-aykroyds too, tee hee!’

“Why would you want to do that?”

“Because that is what a good dum does!”

“Not as long as we are here.”

The duo and Mel along with Anglo and Aiyido used their combined powers to stop Dumius, luckily Dan could outsmart Dumius while also keeping his fat female ‘dum dum’ self from losing control and they all combined their efforts and saved their home. ‘We did it, we saved our home!’ ‘And we saved my female counterpart from becoming permanently stupid.’ ‘Which is definitely a plus.’ ‘Oh yes, we did it alright!’

They stopped for afternoon tea before using a portal spell to send Dumius and the female dum dum back to the universe they came from, but keeping Nathan, Dan and the Aykroyd characters around.

Afterwards they all relaxed for a little bit, and an hour later they gathered into the lounge for dinner, as they worked out the next phase of the plan, after doing so they emailed Jill about their adventure and they relaxed before playing some games.

They finished playing games an hour later and had a karaoke session, after their karaoke session was over they all went into the bedroom to get ready for bed as Oats put on his pink nightgown and Corey put on his bat pajamas as they raced into the bathroom to brush their teeth.

Once they had brushed their teeth, they raced all the way to the bedroom and picked out friends to snuggle up with and jumped into bed, snuggling up and relaxing and listening to music, they all drifted off to sleep, having sweet dreams as they did so.

And thus their adventure for now had come to an end but more adventures are coming up so please stay tuned for more.

[cathartes-aura-shitposting]

ARGONUS INFO: the other aeronoids

(NOTE: description copy-pasted from DA where i normally post my works. any context that is missing here on tumblr can be found on my DA [linked here and on pinned post] )

[this image is best viewed when opened in a new tab.]

AAAAAND like with the elkinets, i go more into detail about the other members of the order aeronoida.

the aeronoids are the other species of "living aircraft" on argonus. alot about their biology is similar, if not the same as the elkinet. if you want more details on that (and the elkinets themselves), look at this post here [tumblr edit: this leads to the DA post, not the tumblr one which you should be able to find via the search bar]. but, i'll go over the basics:

1-they're entirely biological, with the exception of their semi-mechanical engines.

2-sometimes there exist pygmy versions of them, usually due to lack of resources. a-however, pygmies tend to be more common due to purposely breeding them.

3-colorations is usually based of respective aircraft's, though can be almost anything. a-and like with the elkinets, there's only colors, patterns and markings.

4-hybrids can exist, and have similar statistics of getting a hybrid as the elkinets (primarily with size differences between the parents) a-however naturally speaking, it only exist within two parents of the same genus. b-there tends to be a higher chance for a hybrid for the other aeronoid species, regardless of the size difference.

[tumblr edit: most aeronoid groups are monotypic, consisting of a single genus, if not a super genus at the largest]

5-their engines are more resilient than a normal, non-living aircraft. they don't fly faster than 210mph. a-while on the topic of flight, aeronoids aren't always flying as their top speed. they only have their engines at full power for long enough to get sufficient air. after that, they lower the speed so that it's just enough to keep them in the air. b-however, there are two main groups that don't have engines, later on those.

6-they have a similar lifecycle to each other, though with varying degrees of each stages length. a-these lengths obviously vary depending on lifespan. 7- there are some foot variations with the other aeronoids, like their is with the elkinets a-however, these variations are usually either your standard anisodactyl feed or webbed feet. this is dependent more on the environment they've adapted for than it is the aircraft type.

8-they're around the same length as their real-life aircraft counterpart a-exact sizes vary between individuals and species b-some aeronoids, however, are smaller than their real-world counterparts now, before we can truly get into the four main groups of non-elkinets, we first have to go through the evolutionary tree first, so you get a good idea on who's related to who.

EVOLUTION AND BASIC TAXONOMY          it all starts with the bird ancestor, a sort of stem-parrot, which may have looked similar to your average passerine, or maybe a bit like a mimicoot minus the crest and pseudoteeth. after all, on my post about the mimicoots [tumblr edit: also a link to a DA post], the tomium is purely convergent to the aeronoids. the superorder would then split into two groups: the mimicoot and the aeronoids.

 there haven't been any clear fossils of an intermediate aeronoid (at least at time of posting, maybe i'll make one later), thought most people agree it may have looked like a weird theropect-bird hybrid. between the bird ancestor, the intermediate form and the basal aeronoid, a couple major things have happened:     1-the loss of feather covering the body     2-wings becoming more thicker and longer in the absence of flight feathers     3-the loss of the secondary eyes (the smaller bottom eyes that most vertebrates have)     4-the appearances of prop engines both on the back and on the wingtips.

    after the intermediate form came the basal aeronoid, which looked like a theropect with an engine on it's back. it's guessed that this basal aeronoid uses all three engines to fly, though speculatively rather poorly. that didn't matter, though, since most aeronoids later down the line would develop better flight in there own unique ways.

    the earliest group to branch off from the rest were a group that started using less of the engines in more favor of flapping their first forelimbs. these intermediate gliders would become the avibels, the aeronoids that returned to their flapping winged ways of their ancestor, minus feathers.

    the next branch would lead to the theropects, which further developed their wing engines as their primary scource of flight, as well as re-evolving them as another set of "arms". however, before true theropects came along, another group close to them would split off and start using those arms more often than their original first forelimbs, causing those forelimbs to reduce in size. these aernoids would be the elkinet ancestor, as as they further developed their wings, not only did those vestigial arms completely disappear, but also the prop blades since they started using the actual wing itself to grab and manipulate object. this would eventually lead to the elkinet we all know and recognize.     despite the multiple arms of multiplanes (biplanes, triplanes, ect), they're not a separate group as the elkinets. the multiple wings are more of a mutation that stuck around than something that was ancestral.

    the final branchoff would lead to a quadrupedal aeronoid that had lost the prop engines on the wingtips in favor of the one on the back. one group would ditch the wings entirely and become the carnivoran-like stunits. the other, however, not only lost wings but also the engines entirely. what the intermediate "flightless" form looked like is also under debate, though it may have had small, vestigial wings and a heavily reduced engines. in any case, the aeronoid would instead opt for completely gliding and loosing powered flight, leading to them becoming the rodads.

alright, natural history lesson over, time to continue on.

    most aeronoid species are relatively smart, and have been kept in captivity by both elkinets and later down the line humans. while most of them are really tame, some species have been fully domesticated. their reasoning for being kept by elkinet usually is companionship, though some secondary usages like hunting, transportation, eggs and meat are also common. in addition, their pygmy variation are also common due to intentional breeding.     aeronoids tend to fill in similar niches to other existing animals. despite this, they rarely do ever go into direct competition with other animals of the same niche, probably due to argonus's size which allow the aeronoids to take over a niche of their own in certain areas.

  ok, ok, NOW we can get into each individual (extant) groups of aeronoids.   

THE STUNNITS (helicopters)

wild ranges:     the stunits are found almost worldwide, but are most common in the temperate and lush habitats. they can also be found in civilizations as strays/ferals. general diet:     most stunnits are generalist omnivores, but there are some variations to exactly what they eat. some of the smaller helicopters have a more carnivorous diet, as they'll hunt smaller animals and eat carrion as part of their diet. on the otherhand, some of the largest helicopter species are near-entirely herbivores, having plants as a main staple of their diet.     captive stunits are usually fed their own diet-specific kibble, though with the more omnivorous / carnivores species some good grain-free dogfood have been used as a cheaper alternative. behavoir:     most stunnits are social to some extent, at the very least they'll tolerate each other if food and water is plentiful. armed and attack helicopters have a more vulpine-like role, being carnivorous loners that only really get together to mate and raise young. larger helicopters have a more canid-like behavior. much like other aernoids, the stunnit's tail and prop blades can be an indicator of emotions. for example, their tails wag when happy or exited, or their props could twitch around to show frustration or annoyance.     stunnits raise their young in the late spring. they'll create a shallow "nest" that's either loosely made of nesting materials or no nesting materials at all. the mother will lay about 3-5 eggs, and then both parents will protect the eggs until they hatch. the babies are precocial, meaning they're born in an advanced state to where they're able to walk, run and to some extent drink/eat on their own. the parents still have to protect them and feed them until they're truly ready to be on their own.     stunnits, both in the wild and with feral colonies, have a set territory that that chase intruders off of. these fights rarely end in severe injuries/death. feral colonies tend to be less territorial. stunnits communicate with growls, howls and "groarks" (barking, but with a slight growling/roaring tone to it; best example i can give is the mane wolf's roar-barks).

additional stuff:   the stunnits get the title of "man's best friend" of argonus, and it's no secret why. they're the aircraft analog to carnivorans, more specifically bears, canines and felines. most species have been kept in captivity and used for a variety of tasks, such as transportations, guarding, herding, hunting, pest control, ect.     they have an actual full body. helicopters with a lattice tail (Like the bell 47 tail here) have an actual full tail, and like the cockpit/canopy the lattice rods are just extra ornaments. even with the skycrane, they're a more fuller body.     just like their real-world counterparts, they're incredible fliers that can hover in places, as well as dive and make hairpin turns. when they fight in the air, most of it is just them chasing eachother around, maybe even pushing eachother a few time before one of them leaves. these fights usually dont last too and and almost always ends with both parties leaving with little to no injuries.     most species of stunnits (excluding the mostly-herbivorous ones) have a serrated beak, which is good for cutting into their food whether that's be the flesh of an animals or the flesh of a watermelon.

THE AVIBELS (sailplanes and gliders)

wild ranges:     they were originally found throughout the old world, more specifically nylus and sonias. however, thanks to the elkinets they can be found anywhere where there's civilization.

general diet:     while the avibel are considered generalist omnivores, they're more in line with being an opportunistic carnivores and have at least 50% of their diet consist of meat. most of the meat they eat are usually animals smaller than them, with their favorites being rodents, lizards, frogs and fish. the plants they eats, on the otherhand, are often fruits, grains and seeds of various plants. they've also been known to have an incredibly strong sweet-tooth from time to time, having been known to raid maple buckets and beehives for the sweet, sugary treat insides. this sweet tooth is most common in the spring.     avibels that are kept in captivity are typically content with eating a high-quality dogfood since most contain all the essential nutrients to keep the gliders happy. however, there do exist more specialized feed for avibels, especially for ones who want them to start producing more eggs. this feed usually contains a mixture of insects, dried meat, dried fruit and grains.

behavoir:     the avibels are best described as being "bootleg crows". they have the intelligence just slightly under that of actual crows and ravens, able to learn and adapt to various environments. the avibels are very social animals and are commonly seen in small groups of 3-7 (Though larger groups do occur). they're monogamous and mate for life; if one partner dies, the other will become depressed and will refuse to mate with any other glider for a while (sometimes never). avibel are expert hunters, and can be seen actively hunting small animals and insects.     these aeronoids have a decent vocal range. they made a wide variety of sound, usually consisting of hisses, screeches and "chirps", all reminiscent of various bird-of-prey. they'll also slam their tails on the ground to show anger and frustration (this is especially true to broody hens).     when raising young, the two parents will create a nest usually under a tree or any other covered places. unlike alot of other aeronoids, baby avibel chicks (which they have 1-2 of) are born both blind and deaf for the first week or two, much like some bird species. the parents swap places and take turns caring for the babies until after two months when they're ready to be on their own. sometimes the offspring will stay with the parents to help care for the next generation.

additional stuff:     unlike most other aeronoid species, the avibels typically don't have any form on engines whatsoever. instead, the go the old-fashion route and fly by flapping their wings to take off. once in the air, they'll uses a mixture of powered flight and rising thermals to stay in the air. despite their appearances as a more bird-like elkinets, they're only distantly related to them like we are to baboons.     also unlike alot of aeronoids, their beaks have sorta re-evolved into...beaks. more specifically, their beaks are curved and sharp, with the top one having a point not unlike an eagle's. the beak is much like a multitool, being able to tear, shred and cut not just their food but also really anything.     elkients have raised avibels for centuries as a source of eggs, meat and companionship, and the gliders often double as a form of pest control too. humans also took a liking to them, as their intelligence and easy tamability made them great mounts as well. however, avibels have been known to act aggressive towards humans and anyone who disturbs their nest while they're raising chicks.

THE RODADS (lifting bodies) wild ranges:     rodads originate from the woodlands and mountains of sonias. just like with the two other aeronoids here, the elkinets and their civilizations have made them a world-wide city animal.

general diet:     the rodads are generalist herbivores, generally speaking. the specifics of what plants they eat can vary by the region. naturally speaking, they eat leaves, flowers, fruit, nuts and seeds, but they'll also take grass, twigs and really any plants they can get their forepaws and mouths on. they'll also take on insects and small animals occasionally. during it's waking hours, a rodad will spend at least 70% of it's time foraging for food. behavoir:     rodad's aren't the most smartest animals out there. rodads are also not very social animals, and at most in the wild they'll tolerate each other if they're enough food and water around. however, in captivity they're alot more easier to get along with each other. wild rodads are territorial, and they can be seen fighting for the best food and mating rights.      when not eating or fighting, rodads are rather slow and chill animals, and can be see climbing and/or sleeping in trees (or any other high, enclosed place), or wonder around to make sure no rival steps foot into their territory. if disturbed, they'll either run or (if in a high place) jump off and glide to safety. and if they're really cornered, they'll try and bite/scratch the threat.     they're rather tolerable around other smaller animals that don't pose much threat to them. rodads are also surprisingly good swimmers, and many species have at least some semi-aquatic lifestyles. with their combined behavior and occasional affinity for the water, some humans called they "citybaras", seeing them as the capybaras of the city.     the aircraft are ok parents. males usually make a small cavity in the ground, just big enough for a female and her clutch pf 4-5, and he'll mate with first female that comes in. after that, he'll make sure no other guys take his girl while she lays her eggs and protect them. once the eggs hatch, he leaves her to do the rest of the work. thankfully, the babies are born precocial, so there's not much to be done other than making sure they learn how to eat and drink on their own.     rodads don't make much noise. at most they've been known to hiss and softly squeak. however, during fights they'll scream and squeal not unlike that of koalas.

additional info     the rodads are the only aeronoid, both presently and within fossil records, to ditch true flight entirely. instead they use their weird body shape to glide from one place to another. they can actually glide long distances, and in addition are surprisingly good jumpers and climbers. unfortunately, they often fall prey to many predator, stunnits and avibels being a common foe.      although they have no wings, rodads still have a small, thin tail. rodads also have evolved whiskers, which they uses to sense their surroundings since their vision isn't the best. 

THE THEROPECTS (tiltrotors)

wild ranges:     theropects are strictly restrained to the jungles and rainforest of sonias. unlike most others here, feral population are actually rare and only confined to equally warm habitats. all other theropects outside of sonias are usually part of zoos and sanctuaries, sometimes as exotic pets, too.

general diet:     theropects are all around generalist omnivores. they eat anything that's edible to them, but fruits and leaves make up 60% of their diet. sometimes they'll pick up some invertebrates, small animals, and eggs to round out their diet. they're rather infamous for raiding fruit farmers and stealing the food they grow, especially during peak ripe season.

behavoir:     one of the most intelligent species of animal on argonus, the theropects are only second to their civilized relatives, the elkinets. as a matter of fact, they're the closest thing argonus gets to chimps and gibbons, since when it comes to primates no hominoids themselves haven evolved on argonus (Only lemur, new world and old world monkeys). despite the likening to chimpanzees, they're more like gorillas, being plant-eating pacifists that rather would scare it's enemies than to actually attack.     theropects are not only bipedal like their relatives, but are also very good a manipulating objects. they use both their forelimbs and their wings (or more accurately their prop blades) to grab, hold and move things. their prop blades are especially good at this, since they move very much like the elkinet's wings. they even have a bit of gecko-padding to further hold things.     the tiltrotors are very social and very good parents. they make a very simple nest to lay their eggs in. the mother usually only has one baby, rarely ever two. while the babies are born with their eyes open, they still cling onto mom (or any other females' if she's not round) for at least two years. during that time both mother, father and other members of the group will help take care of them and the mother, and later down the line teach the offspring how to survive.     theropects make a wide array of barks, screeches, whistles, coos and hisses to communicate with each other. 

additional stuff:     since argonus lacks any apes, this is the closest they got to gibbon, gorillas and chimpanzees. in captivity, they're about as pleasant to own as a cockatoo or macaw (aka don't get one unless you're very experienced). they've been used in laboratories and scientific studies, and are common info the film industry as animal actors. however, they're not all sunshine and rainbows, as they're very noisy, nippy and often can be seen stealing things from their owners. however, with enough proper love, care, toys and attention, those issues are brought down to a minimum. still, there is alot of legality issues when it comes to owning theropects as pets, so usually it's better off to leave it to zoos and sanctuaries to take care of them.

aaaaand that's it for the aeronoids! any other information regarding them will probably be in other post.

[kombuchaclock]

Late last year I wrote a story based on a moment in their past at Moxie's request (she requested we send an important memory of our characters, not a full story, but I typed one anyway), didn't post it publicly but better late than never. For a bit of context: the main antagonists for most of the campaign were "The Upstairs Neighbors", a strange organization of people living in floating islands who would tear chunks out of the ground below and systematically strip the inhabitants of that ground of their culture in order to induct them into their order.

The group of dwarven grade-schoolers trekked through the dimly lit cavern, chatting to each other, often laughing. Judy liked it when their friends laughed, especially if they were the one making them laugh. Judy enjoyed some popularity for their routines where they would shapeshift into exaggerated versions of their school’s staff members. After a while, though, their friends seemed to grow bored of it. The last time one of them asked Judy to shapeshift was to turn into an older-looking dwarf and pretend to be their guardian so they could see an R-rated play. Judy declined. They were worried they wouldn’t get the voice right. For their lack of cooperation, they were declared a “wuss”.

Today, Judy wasn’t even sure if they had wanted to hang out. But they did. They came to a long-abandoned mine, where the lights no longer shone. This was little trouble for a dwarf. Most dwarves, anyway. They each dared each other to go in.

“Hey, Judy, I fuckin’ dare you!” One called to them.

“I, uh- I can’t see in the dark,” they responded.

“Chicken!”

“No, really! I already told you!”

“What if…” another pondered. “What if you made your eyes really big?” Judy thought for a moment. “Worth a shot, I guess.” Judy stared at the tunnel, at the same time imagining themselves with bigger eyes. There was some slight discomfort as they changed. Vitreous fluid pressed against the inside of their sockets, which widened to accommodate. Their pupils dilated and their corneas bulged outwards, prompting Judy to pull their glasses forward slightly.

“Aw, sick!” One of their friends called out to Judy, now looking more like a giant tarsier than a dwarf.

Judy continued to stare down the tunnel. Then they let out an exhale of defeat, their shoulders slumping. “Doesn’t work.”

“Are you even a dwarf?” One friend asked.

Judy had heard this before. Normally, they answered yes. But, increasingly, they were unsure. “Uh…”

Before Judy could answer, another friend pointed at the tunnel and cried out in terror. “Oh shit, it’s Gax!” Judy’s giant eyes snapped to the tunnel and bugged out even further. For a split second, they really expected the skinless visage of the world’s most infamous lich to emerge from the tunnel. They took a step backwards and tripped over a rock, falling on their ass. Their friends laughed.

“Oh, come on! Why would Gax be here?” The one who cried wolf asked. “Oh, yeah… ya got me,” Judy feigned a smile as their eyes receded to their normal size.

Judy got a helping hand up. “So, you coming or not?” They dusted themselves off. “Uh, nah, I’ll see you guys later.” There was a chorus of byes. The last Judy saw of their friends was them dissolving into the dark.

As Judy trudged home alone, they were interrupted by an earthquake. At first, Judy thought this was normal; maybe a purple worm was tunneling underneath them. Then the tunnel in front of them cracked. Judy fell over again as the very ground beneath them lifted up. Soon, daylight poured into the tunnel. Judy slowly crawled over to where it had separated from the earth. Looking down, they saw a hole in the ground, slowly but steadily shrinking as they were carried into the clouds.

Judy, still having very little idea what was happening, was eventually forced into a line. They saw other people, mostly surface dwellers. Some of the ones in line with them were crying. The ones that weren’t in line were all wearing beige and brown. Judy eventually recalled stories they had heard of the Upstairs Neighbors. Judy didn’t realize their chains could go that deep underground.

They came to a man in beige and brown at a desk. Bored was not necessarily the right word to describe the man’s demeanor, but he certainly seemed dispassionate. He looked at Judy with half-lidded eyes. “Name.”

“J-Judy Line,” they answered. “Uh, where am I?”

The man didn’t answer. He quickly punched a few keys on a machine, which came to life with a quiet grinding sound. He then printed Judy’s name on a piece of paper. “Age.”

“Eight,” Judy answered. “Are my parents here?” They looked around nervously.

This time, the man responded, albeit with the same deadpan tone. “You will be assigned a guardian.” After writing Judy’s age, he looked at them again. “Is that a dye job?” He pointed a pencil at Judy’s hair.

“What? Uh, no. My hair just… feels purple, most of the time.”

The man raised an eyebrow, but his expression stayed the same otherwise. “Feels purple?”

Judy nodded. “Watch.” Judy pointed to their hair. It shifted hue to green.

“Can you get rid of it?” “G-get rid of it? Okay…” Judy squinted and clenched their teeth. They felt like their hair was being pulled on from the inside of their skull, somehow. Slowly, it retreated into its follicles. Judy rubbed their head to confirm they were now bald.

“Good,” the man said. “Now don’t do it again.” “Don’t do what?”

“Shapeshift.” His tone was slightly sterner than before. “If you are caught shapeshifting, you’ll be reprimanded.” The machine he used spat out a piece of metal. He handed Judy a neatly folded beige shirt and brown slacks. On top was the piece of metal, a nametag that read simply “Judy”. He pointed to his right. “Please proceed to the changing rooms. After you’ve changed, you’ll be directed to your living quarters.”

Judy stared at the nametag and drab clothes in their arms for a moment before being ushered onwards, shuffling towards the changing rooms. They continued staring as they walked, deep in thought. Their cultural identity was already tenuous, and now it had apparently been erased. Judy’s anxiety gnawed at their sense of self, to the point that they wondered if the nametag was really right. But of course it was, who else could they be? It’s not like they could shapeshift.

Judy / Punch, my changeling bard for @mmoxie‘s new D&D campaign!