#moth catfishes

[aquariuminfobureau]

Erethistes hara (alternatively Hara hara) is the archetypal moth or butterfly catfish, for which reason I shall describe this species as the common moth catfish, though I have also seen it labelled as 'Kosi hara'. Moth catfishes are collectively known as the 'haras', although the genus Hara is very arguably a junior synonym of Erethistes, and does not properly include all moth catfishes when it is regarded as distinct. Sources indicate that E. hara reaches lengths of 13 centimeters, but a more common length would be closer to 8 centimeters, or around 3 inches long.

Recorded from the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Irrawaddy drainage systems of Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, and India, this moth catfish is an inhabitant of slow moving rivers and hillstreams. Moth catfish can be difficult to identify to species, even for catfish experts, and more than one species may be sympatric. For this reason fish that are members of different species, may be exported and labelled together in the same shipment. Their precise identity is little to fret about.

The genus Erethistes is part of a cluster of fishes, which also includes the homalopterid loaches, that colonised the northern regions of India via the 'Assam gateway'. Their origins are in the area from southern China, south into northern, non-tropical mainland Southeast Asia. The Assam gateway - the eastern Himalayas, Assam, and Burma - is a melting pot for fishes of different geographical origins, and also possesses its own endemic genera. The region as a conduit has allowed fishes of eastern origin, to colonise as far west as Kashmir.

Though the catfishes are among the more familiar clades of aquarium fishes, not all subclades of catfish are equally represented in the aquarium trade. Thus a good range of their diversity and disparity, remains obscure or unknown to the average aquarium manager, although they are surely familiar with certain loricaroids - the 'corys' and 'plecs' of South America - and probably the genus Synodontis, the Pimelodus pictus, and a few tankbusters. Among the less familiar catfishes, are species suited or ordinarily sized home aquariums, such as the moth catfishes.

Erethistids are a monophyletic clade of Asiatic catfishes, known collectively as the moth catfishes, that together with some related Asian catfishes, including the enormous goonch, comprise a clade named the sisoroids. Some of the sisoroid subclades, the amblycipitids and akysids, are obscure even to non-specialists. The sisoroids may be more familiar, because they include the mighty goonch, a sensational species which attracts dubious folklore, and the attention of game fishermen. Although sisoroids are not the most diverse or best studied catfishes, comparing the megafaunal goonch to the moth catfishes, illustrates the good disparity in this important Asian clade

A bone of contention involves the morphological similarities, between the erethistid moth catfishes of Asia, and the South American banjo catfishes, though a close kinship makes very little geographical sense. Nonetheless the morphological support for the relationship is robust, and is quite hard to dismiss, even though parallel evolution is thought to be responsible for similarities between other pairs of similar Old and New World catfish clades; the apparent closeness of the Neotoipical pimelodoids to the Asian bagrids, or of the African squeakers to the Neotropical doradoids.

The anatomy of catfishes is subject to a lot of parallel evolution. Indeed one study points out a good deal of similarity between sisoroids, loricaroids such as 'corys' and 'plecs', frogmouth catfishes, walking and stinging catfishes, and banjo catfishes. Though erethistid moth catfishes and aspredinid banjo catfishes look and behave similarly, which might lead to false positives, the degree of coincidence required would be extraordinary, much beyond, for example, the resemblance placental canids and sabertooth cats, to certain marsupial counterparts.

The waters of the rivers Hooghly, Kosi and Bagmati, were E. horai is known to be a common species, possess pH values that fluctuate per the month, but should be thought of as circumneutral, and they are lower after the monsoon, and most elevated before it. A pH value of 6.5 to 8 might be recommended in the aquarium, for fish from these rivers. The best advice would be to avoid extremes of pH, and not to create too sudden shifts in its value. The water temperature recorded in these rivers is 15 to 36 degrees centigrade, so ordinary tropical fish tank temperatures should suffice.

Though these catfish have a reputation as difficult to acclimatize to aquarium life, and for rejecting dried proprietary foods, they should readily accept defrosted foods as provided for insectivorous freshwater fish. The most important aquascaping requirement for these catfish, is a soft substrate, but living, growing plants are also authentic. These peaceful little catfishes are compatible together, and with schooling community fishes such as small cyprinids from the same kinds of riverine habitat.

[mothandpidgeon]

MOTHY. It's Catfish Day and I am here with a question. Unshowered Frankie after 5 days in the jungle: could you make that...work?

(also I think about Frankie's sex tape weekly so thank you for that and I adore you and your writing and your whole energy and I'm glad you're here)

Thank you for blessing me with this ask. I am willing to make any kind of Frankie work despite my best judgements.

I imagine he comes out sweaty and smelly and BLOODY but also so needy. He’s been at the edge of death and he’s ready to put it all behind him and lose himself in you.

“Frankie, you stink,” you tell him as he’s nuzzling into your neck, kissing and biting. “Shower first. I’m not going anywhere.”

His skin is covered in a layer of grime, hair caked under his hat, fingernails packed with dirt and dried blood. The scent coming off of him is ripe— iron and sulphur and the spicy musk of body odor. It makes you gag yet you can’t stop inhaling him.

You haven’t even been able to get an explanation out of him as to where the fuck he’s been. As soon as he laid eyes on you, his lips were crashing into yours, hands pushing your shirt up. Was he crying?

“Uh uh,” he grunts. “Now.”

His dirty fingers are under the waistband of your panties, circling you with precision and desperation. Your body doesn’t care about what your mind knows, that he’s absolutely filthy and you’re going to end up with a UTI if he keeps doing that. You’re melting and clenching under his touch.

“Shit, Frankie. Okay. Fuck me,” you hiss.

And he’s more than happy to oblige.

[tothesolarium]

Thinking about how I kinda pitched my story as a hell striving for utopia, with a lil hint of the moral authority being the “mad/bad guys”

When it’s more like, a hopeful critique of Utopia. It’ll always be struggle to make a safe place, but that struggle with keep Many happy and safe, even if not perfect

And that the moral authority, while being tortures are also soul themselves that have experienced a millennia of grief and been traumatized by their family as well as the memory of an earth that can no longer connect to, and really want to bring Justice to a life they feel will never be just

And how there’s whole other parts of hell with their own magic rules, coping with grief by making reality a dream. Spirits crafting their own rules on the backs of sleeping demons, demons acting as if they’re just a tree to watch what will happen, quiet nudges, or a world unlike anything seen before

[smileymoth]

I fucked up my lithography drawing #slay

Made 1 tree too dark on accident. Cant fix it either. LOL

[just-my-hyperfixations]

Hey watch this v

[doktoptaxa]

REIMAGINED WINGS OF FIRE DRAGONS

This is a small project about redesigning Wings of Fire dragons with a small bit of speculative biology. Not evolution though; these creatures would barely evolve naturally.

Important mention: all of these redesigns are inspired by real life animals and creatures from Monster Hunter series. I do not own the originals, these are just fanart. Also, this artstyle isn't common for me, I mostly draw cartoony stuff.

SANDWINGS: inspired by scorpions, sand vipers, fennec foxes and sand cats, and also desert lizards.

SKYWINGS: inspired by eagles, hawks and pterosaurus.

LEAFWINGS: inspired by leaf-tailed geckos, anteaters and chameleons.

RAINWINGS: inspired by chameleons, boas and octopi.

NIGHTWINGS: inspired by bats and cave animals.

ICEWINGS: inspired by polar animals in general.

SEAWINGS: inspired by seals and catfish.

MUDWINGS: inspired by water buffalos and pseudosuchia.

BEETLEWINGS: an insect micry.

HIVEWINGS and SILKWINGS: inspires by wasps and moths. Descendants of BeetleWings.

Important mention 3: Lizard/Freedom. Because she is practically nothing out of these.

I'm taking requests on drawing canon characters with these designs! See it on my page.

[whatsnewalycat]

like a moth(man) to a flame(thrower)

pairing: frankie “catfish” morales x f!reader

summary: just a deeply self-indulgent meet cute with frankie at a halloween house party.

rating: t

words: 900+

warnings: drinking alcohol, party

notes: happy halloweeeeen!

—

In lieu of red solo cups, a long-standing tradition in house party lore, your cousin opted to get black solo cups. Which was a nice touch, you had to give it to her.

You picked one off the tall stack and wrote your name on it in metallic sharpie. As you ladled the crimson “fangria” into your cup, someone dressed as Richard Simmons bounced through the cramped kitchen behind you on their way to the basement.

Sound erupted from downstairs when they opened the door, a racket of inebriated conversation and Monster Mash by Bobby "Boris" Pickett & The Crypt Kickers, then dampened when they closed it.

A skunky odor hit you after a two-second delay. You turned to look at the door, taking a sip of the fruity wine concoction, and considered joining the livelier half of the party. The floorboards beneath your feet bumped from the bass, as if trying to convince you.

If you didn’t taken one more look around before submitting to its call, you might’ve missed him.

This guy, leaning against a dining room table with his arms of his bomber jacket crossed over his powder blue hoodie. Army green cargo pants, sunglasses, a flame thrower strapped to his back. Even the big, dumb cowboy hat thing. It caused you to burst out laughing, recognition tickling your fancy.

He did a double take, only a glance at first, probably just sourcing the noise. But his attention quickly returned, alongside a crooked smile, lingering on you for a few seconds before he turned back to his conversation with an eerily spot-on Jason Voorhees.

Your pulse skittered. There was something in the way he did this. Intent.

Only another moment went by before he parted ways with Jason and started towards you.

Acting casual, he grabbed a cup from the tower and wrote his name on it, asking you, “How’s it going?”

“MacReady.”

He raised his eyebrows in question, “What?”

You pointed to his getup, “The Thing, right?”

“Oh!” Understanding brightened his features. A big, charming smile spread across his face when he looked down at himself, nodding, “Yeah, MacReady from The Thing.”

“I love it,” you grinned.

“Thanks.”

Drifting a little closer, he studied your costume. Confusion creased his forehead. He tilted his head up slightly and tugged on your feather antennae, as if trying to pluck a clue from it.

“You are… a, uhhh—” he frowned and shook his head, “I don’t know, a scary moth?”

“Mothman.”

“Mothman?”

“Right, mothman.”

“Never heard of him,” he chuckled as he filled his cup. Taking a sip, he leaned back against the counter, even closer. His gaze felt hot on your cheeks. He said, “You look nice, though.”

“Thanks,” your eyes dropped to his cup and you read his name aloud, “Frankie.”

“You’re welcome.”

You licked your lips, then told him, “That’s one of my favorite movies. The Thing, I mean.”

“It’s a classic.”

“Ok, sorry—I need to talk about this costume more. You have a fucking flamethrower and everything. And the hat—” You giggled and gave the visor of the floppy hat a playful smack, “It is ridiculous.”

Drifting a little closer, he chuckled and held up the business end of the flamethrower, “You know how many people have asked me if this is real tonight?”

“How many?”

“None. And that’s a goddamn travesty.”

“Uh-huh,” you smirked, meeting his eyes through the sunglasses, “Well, is it real?”

He smiled and shrugged, “Maybe.”

“Maybe yes or maybe no?”

“Maybe yes.”

“Shut the fuck up, are you serious?”

He nodded.

“Can we light shit on fire? Oh my god, please? My cousin has a fire pit—”

“Whoa, slow down, Sparky. The tank is empty.”

You deflated, shaking your head as you murmured into your cup, “What a tease.”

Frankie laughed, “A tease, really?”

“You can’t tell a gal you’re sporting a real flamethrower then not set shit on fire with it.”

Shaking his head, he said, “Tell you what, give me your phone number, we can set up a time for me to show you how to use it.”

Your heart skipped a beat. Heat rose to your cheeks and you smiled, “Really?”

He dug into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, then handed it to you.

As you saved your contact information to his phone, you said, “I know this might just be a cute thing you’re saying to get my phone number, but I fully expect you to follow through.”

“You have my word.”

When you gave back his phone, his hand brushed up against yours, and something sparked inside you. He tucked the phone into his pocket. You felt him staring at you, and glanced down at his mouth as his tongue peaked out to wet his lips. For a moment, the two of you stood there quietly, letting static build between your bodies, pulling you closer.

The door to the basement swung open, filling the room with Thriller by Michael Jackson. A worse-for-wear Hollywood Hulk Hogan stumbled up the stairs into the kitchen and closed the door behind him.

He squinted between you and your new friend, swaying a little, then recognition kicked in and Hogan yelled, “FISH!”

“Jesus Christ, Benny,” he muttered in response, setting down his cup to start towards him, “You can barely stand.”

“I’m fffffine,” Benny swatted at his friend.

“Let’s get you home.”

He let out a dramatic groan, but accepted Frankie‘s arm slung around his back.

Frankie looked at you, eyebrows knit together, apologies written all over his face, and asked, “Can I call you tomorrow?”

“Absolutely.”

You both lingered there for a moment, despite the dead weight hanging off one side of him, then he said, “It was nice meeting you.”

His voice was low and sultry. It heated you from the inside.

“You too,” you grinned wide and nodded, “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

He returned the smile, then glanced over at his friend, “Alright, drunk ass, let’s go.”

[genevawrenn]

For the love of god drop the merch so we can pay the QSMP server admins because they've all lost the plot.

Tubbo has industrialised all of Fobo, killed multiple horses and ended Foosh's addiction. Tubbo has also started his factories.

Fit is in time out in corpse cave.

Pac has been throwing himself into dungeon after dungeon and flirted with multiple people.

Philza is running multiple gambles in his chat on the likelihood of catching a catfish, a quest they all got and have been going insane trying to accomplish. This is post the deep deep dark caves quest with the horrifying moths where we got our first and only Philza horror stream.

And Town of Fobo deciding to start a war with Philza which horrifically failed when he killed their prank nuclear creeper in under ten seconds and last I heard Foosh's eyes had turned to Tazercraft.

We've all lost it /lh

[tigerfang318]

I fit very much into the common therian characteristic of loving meat. It’s been this way my whole life. While I’m no longer a picky eater, I used to be EXTREMELY picky as a child. However, despite my aversion to most food, I was obsessed with fried chicken. Heck, my mom didn’t allow me to have Kentucky Fried Chicken for years because she thought it made me sick, when in reality, I just ate so much fried chicken to the point where it actually did make me sick.

I sometimes joke that I would be a carnivore if my body allowed me to be. But all of my theriotypes are carnivores! It just makes sense! And it goes even deeper than just having a love of meat. If I don’t eat meat for a day, something feels a little off or a little unsatisfied. I love staring at the meat aisle of the grocery store like a ravenous beast. I used to and still envy the big cats from Big Cat Rescue for being given so much raw meat and getting to eat it all. I even think the smell of meat lingering on a person is attractive. I had an ex-boyfriend who cooked often, and when he made any sort of meat, I clung to him like a moth to a flame.

Anywho, favorite meat time! I’ve always loved chicken— specifically fried chicken— but I LOVE the smell and taste of brisket. And I really like pulled pork. I also really enjoy bacon. And those fancy steaks you get from nice restaurants. And I’m a sucker for hot shrimp. And any sort of sushi! I looove sushi. Eating the raw salmon and tuna is fun. I also like gyro meat. And I LOVE those little fried crab claws. I can make a meal out of those things. Calamari is also fun to eat. And where I’m from, catfish and crawfish and sausage in jambalaya and gumbo is popular and sooo good!

[puzzled-pegasus]

Wof Tribe Headcanons

IceWings have lots of variety in the shapes of their horns. They can be straight, curved, looped like a ram's, or branched like antlers.

IceWings can have gray or green eyes as well as blue.

Somewhat of a given but IceWings have blue gums. I noticed this while drawing one with bared teeth lol

SeaWings have a coating of slime on their scales to help them glide through the water, like a fish. Because of this, they always feel wet to the touch.

More of a redesign than a headcanon but I feel like SandWings should be able to have a gene for rattle tails instead of barbed. Additionally, they should have mouth venom like a NightWing.

SkyWings are particularly closely related to RainWings and can change color very slightly between shades of red, orange, or pink.

Solid color dragons are boring af so guess what! They can have markings! Stripes, tails of different shades, spots, speckles, freckles, face stars, muzzles, blazes, tail tips.

Many MudWings have green mixed in with their scales to blend in to more mossy or algae filled swamp land. They can also have green or yellow eyes as well as brown.

SkyWings have a holiday like Halloween, where they carve gourd lanterns and make sweets and whatnot and the high status ones paint their faces and wear costumes because it's the night where the spirits can come down from the sky and cause Mayhem and I'm not sure what other traditions it would entail but the war and Queen Scarlet and all that kinda made it not fun for a while so they stopped celebrating as much but Ruby is bringing back the Fun and doing pair costumes with Cliff

SandWings grow marijuana

NightWings can have silver freckles

The only tribes that have SLIT PUPILS should be SeaWings and NightWings because SeaWings have good night vision and NightWings also should, as they are in fact up at night.

This fact in mind, NightWings should 100 percent have LIGHT eye colors because LIGHT eye colors reflect more light so one can SEE BETTER AT NIGHT. These colors should include yellow, orange, green, and blue, maybe purple because they're all mystical. Not black eyes like are described on Darkstalker.

SandWings are often superstitious and things like magicicans, psychics, witchcraft, onstage shows are common jobs. It was probably originally an idea to trick people into paying them for lying, but it caught on and now many people believe it. Storytelling is also a common job.

NightWing wings have sort of feathery edges like an owl, allowing for near silent flight at night.

Falconry is common in SkyWings because birds of prey are the only pet they can have follow them and be even close to keeping up with them in the sky.

I've probably said this before but uh?? Where's our tribe flags??? They need flags and symbols and stuff??

RainWings have flat molars because they eat more fruit than any other tribe and have for thousands of years

SilkWings can have fuzz like moths! They can have patches of it, or a line down their back, or a tail tuft, or be completely covered!

SeaWings can have barbels like catfish. This makes them especially useful at hunting for shellfish. SeaWings and SandWings also have heat sensors.

SandWings can taste the air like a snake. Their tongues flick out whenever they are intrigued. They have a bit of a lisp because their tongues are unusually shaped.

[stoptakingthegoodname5]

/ As for my liking for Animal Crossing, I’m putting my favs drivers and who I think what Animal Crossing bug/fish they remind me of

(⚠️ THIS IS NO HATE THIS IS ALL FOR SHITS AND GIGGLES ⚠️)

First off we have Lance Stroll, honestly this dude reminds me of a Robust Cicada 😭

/ I don’t know why man, this dude just looks derpy enough to be a cicada. And well cicadas do annoy people and sadly Lance annoys many 😭

Next is Max Verstappen, I’m sorry but he’s a Catfish no questions asked

/ The eyes the dead fish expression when he’s shocked, and the lips. Catfish on the ice box in a fish market coded.

Third Oscar Piastri, he’s just a Moth

/ He’s not giving much on the table and that’s ok! Just the plain chill vibes he has truly Kimi Räikkönen’s son.

Finally Logan Sargeant, he’s a Cherry Salmon

/ Like Max, dead expressing but with less lips. And maybe I’m reaching here but the soft tan highlights on the fish remind me of his hair. But yeah he is totally hanging with Max in that ice box at the fish market

/ That’s it, Ik it’s a shitpost and what not but I had fun doing it 😭 (I wanna hear y’all’s opinions 🤷🏻‍♂️ and if you guys want this as a series I’ll be glad to do more)

(IM A FAN OF ALL OF THEM ON THIS LIST I SWEARRR)

[14dayswithyou]

Hi there, i'm not sure if it's been answered already but from what i read I didn't see this yet. I actually saw the whole relationships of the different characters and ended up with a question.

When playing the game, I was under the impression that Moth was actually another "character" that was actually Ren (so in my mind, Ren, [Redacted] and Moth were the same) isn't that actually the case ?

I thought so because of the facts that :

Moth is the person that we're telling everything to, our love for Haruko, the fact that we were about to get pronote, etc

Moth only had his camera towards the ceiling, only showing a but of himself

When we got Ren's number without inviting him over, Moth immediately hangs up for is to text/call Ren

And when Ren said discreetly that we suffered the fact that Leon moved out, it sounded as if Ren had been the one taking care of us ever since.. Something that someone like Moth could say regarding the closeness between Angel and him as best friends

Sorry if it's confusing, I hope it makes sense ^^'

✦゜ANSWERED: Hiya!! You're totally fine, it made perfect sense to me ^^ A few people have actually made similar theories to yours (Tumblr's search feature sucks so I can't provide any links right now), and I'm happy to say that you're half correct!

Originally, Moth and Ren were the same person in the 2017 version of the game. He was basically the original Teo, and would catfish you (and Elanor) both in real life and online, and use the things you tell "Moth" to his advantage. But I ultimately scrapped that Idea because I didn't think anyone would like 2017!Ren (I was wrong.... Almost Everyone is a Teo enjoyer and I hate it here /j). I've since rewritten everything for the 2022 version, but I guess the subtle writing/undertones still stuck ^^;

But!! Just to clarify, Ren and Moth are two separate characters in the current demo! You'll get to officially meet Moth in Day 3 as well, and any similarities found within the game are just happy coincidences!!

[galway-girlatwork]

Fandom: Triple Frontier-This is completely AU.

Rating: Mature-There is angst and fluff. Maybe some smut but ya gotta squint

Central Characters: Reader/Frankie “Catfish” Morales

Central Relationship: Frankie/Reader

Word Count: 2,525

AO3

Please do not copy my work. Please re-blog if you liked it and tag me.

Music inspiration: The Fiery Cross By Bear McCreary

Thank you to @almostfoxglove for the beautiful mood board and letting me know that I can go anywhere

"Not all who wander are lost."

SUMMARY:

Fairy rings do not exist. Fairy rings do not exist. Fairy rings do not exist.

Witches are not real. Witches are not real. Witches are not real.

How many times can he repeat this in his head for it to take hold? A thousand? A million?

What happens when a man transcends time and space and falls in love with a witch?

It’s just a bunch of hocus pocus, right?

Beyond Time's Edge

Frankie Morales had always been one for adventure. A New Yorker with a penchant for thrill-seeking, he'd traveled far and wide, but nothing could have prepared him for what was to come. A solo vacation to England had seemed like the perfect way to unwind. The rolling hills, quaint villages, and the ancient folklore had drawn him in like a moth to a flame. Little did he know, his adventure was about to take a turn beyond his wildest imagination.

On the third day of his trip, while exploring the serene countryside of Sussex, Frankie stumbled upon a peculiar sight. A ring of mushrooms, perfectly circular, nestled in the midst of a lush, green clearing. A fairy ring? He’d heard the stories—stepping into one could bring bad luck or, worse, take you somewhere else entirely. He chuckled at the thought, stepping inside with the nonchalance of a man who didn’t believe in such things.

As soon as his foot touched the ground within the ring, the world around him shifted. The air grew thicker, the sky dimmed, and a strange, tingling sensation crawled up his spine. The sounds of distant birds and rustling leaves faded, replaced by a deafening silence. Then, just as suddenly, the world reappeared—but it wasn’t the world he knew.

Frankie found himself standing in the middle of a forest, but it was different—wild, untamed. The trees were taller, thicker, and the air carried the scent of woodsmoke and damp earth. Before he could process what had happened, he felt the ground beneath him shaking, hearing thunderous sound of horses coming at him. He did the only thing that made sense to him, which was run. He’d barely made it into the thickness of the trees, Nike’s slipping on the steep incline, caused him to lose his balance, sending him ass over feet down the hill, the air being knocked from his lungs as he laid there, staring up through the thicket of branches overhead. That was when he felt the sharp pain, hand pressed against his side, feeling something warm, sticky and wet. Fuck, he thought, blood. Son of a bitch, he was going to die in the middle of a god damn forest. The branches above him blurred as he laid there, thinking he just needed a minute to rest, before he would get to his feet and find his way back to the village he’d been staying in.

Una had been gathering herbs deep in the forest when she sensed it—an unfamiliar energy, powerful and disruptive. Someone had either come or gone through the ring. She was always amazed when it happened, the power it took to travel through and not end up dead. She’d heard stories growing up, about how it felt as if your insides were coming through your skin and always took great pains to stay away from the fairy ring but something deep within was calling to her and she decided to needed to see which one it was. One hand grabbed the end of her dress, hiking the hem up, steps quick and determined, as she ran into the clearing, seeing a man, dressed rather odd, knowing he’d come through, seeing his blood, soaking the forest floor.

Without hesitation, she rushed to him, mind already working through healing incantations, as she kneeled next to him, lifting his shirt, a hole in his side, wondering what impaled him.

Frankie groaned as he tried to move, but pain shot through his body. His vision hazy, and his head throbbing. When he blinked, he saw a woman crouching beside him, fingers hovering just above his skin, chanting in a language he didn't recognize.

"Easy now," she murmured, her voice soothing as she carefully placed a hand on his forehead. Warmth spread through him, and the pain dulled. "You've had quite a journey. I am going to have to clean the wound, no stitches, or whatever is inside will fester if I do.”

Frankie blinked up at her, trying to make sense of the situation. "Where... where am I?" he asked weakly.

"You're safe," Una replied, her tone gentle but firm. "Ye crossed through the ring, and ye been injured in the process. My name is Una. I’ll take care of you."

He squinted, trying to sit up, but she pressed him back down with a surprisingly strong grip. "Don't move. Ye torn something inside. Just let me work."

Frankie wanted to protest, but something about her presence calmed him. She moved with the grace of someone who knew the forest like the back of her hand, reaching into the small pouch at her waist, pulling out various herbs and powders.

As she began mixing them with her fingers, chanting as she did, working some kind of spell. Holy fuck, was she a witch? Chuckling, he shook his head. Witches weren’t real. Just like fairy rings weren’t real. This had to be some kind of joke, one of the guys pulling off one hell of an elaborate joke.

"What are you... doing?" Frankie managed to ask.

She gave him a small smile. "I’m a healer. These herbs and spells will ease your pain and help you recover." Gently applying the mixture to his wounds, she could see the relief washing over his features. “We’ll need to wait a time, before ye can stand. Twill be easier for me to heal if ye are within the cottage. I’ve got food and water. Then I’ll help you get back.” Taking off her dress, leaving her in nothing but her shift, she rolled it up and lifted his head, putting it beneath him, gently laying him back. “Just rest for a few.”

As the hours passed, Una watched him sleep, looking over the clothes he was wearing. The fabric that encased his lower half, was a deep blue, rough to the touch. He wore a shirt with buttons she’d never seen before, the material thin and soft. His hair was a wild mess of brown curls, stubble graced chin and cheeks along with a moustache. She’d never seen a man with one before, fingers gently caressing his face, she found the hairs soft and prickly, a contradiction in her mind.

When he finally woke, dusk was settling over them. “We need to go before dark, do ye think ye can stand? My home isn’t far from here.” She knew there were all kinds of wee beasties in the dark and though she was a healer, the dark fae would still have a field day with them if they didn’t get back before then. It took some time, he was heavier than he looked but just as the tendrils of dusk let go of the sky, the cottage came into sight and she sighed with relief as she pushed open the door.

He marveled at the quaintness of the place, the air thick with the scent of dried herbs and candle wax. She laid him on a cot by the hearth, tending to him, hissing as wet cloth was pressed against the wound, the pain radiating up the entire left side of his body.

“I know it hurts but I have to clean the wound, apply a salve and then I will need to wrap it. Once that is done, ye can rest while I make a healing tea and get some broth in ye belly. Ye’ll need ye strength before the next full moon. I think that is when ye be able to go back. I’ll keep ye safe, swear it.”

Over the following days, Frankie slowly regained his strength under Una's care. He was a modern man, used to hospitals and doctors, but there was something about her magic that felt natural, even comforting. As they spent more time together, he found himself drawn to her. She was not only kind but strong, wise, with a quiet confidence that intrigued him. She moved with grace but determination which was evident when she’d left him one afternoon to go hunting, she said, offering to go for her. To which she laughed when she asked if he knew how to use a bow and arrow, his answer being a resounding no. She’d come back with quail, watching in awe as she cleaned them and set them to cook over the fire.

Una, found herself growing fond of Frankie. His stories of the future fascinated her, but what struck her most was his resilience. Despite being out of his element, he wanted to help her around the cottage once he was able to move again without being in too much pain. Full moon was coming soon and even though she knew he’d have to leave, she taught him as much as she could and he was eager to learn. How to gather herbs, brew the healing teas she’d made him drink every day, he learned quick, laughing often over his clumsy attempts but there was a building tension between them that was getting harder to deny.

One evening, as they sat by the fire, she looked at him, expression serious. "Ye can't stay here forever," she said softly. "Full moon is in five days’ time. Whatever happens, you’ll have a place here, with me”

He reached out, taking her hand in his. "Una... I don’t want to leave you."

"Ye have to go back, Frankie. Your place is in your time, just as mine is here. But that doesn’t mean we have to forget each other."

He stood, taking her by the hand, pulling her towards him, looking down into the greenest eyes he’d ever seen, fingers undoing the braid that held white blonde hair in place, before his hands cupped her cheeks, thumbs caressing her skin. Leaning down, he gently kissed her. Her hands found his hips, digging into the rough cotton of the pants she’d stolen for him. She was hesitant at first before she began kissing back, swearing he could feel her magic swirling around his mind. Picking her up, he moved towards her bed, gently laying her down before stripping off her gown, tossing it to the floor where his clothes ended up next. He watched as she came to her knees, hand cupping his cheek before she kissed him, pressing her self against the warmth of his skin.

She pulled him towards her, as she laid back on the bed, feeling his entire body against hers, his lips at the skin of her neck, teeth nipping at her earlobes, causing a small moan to escape her throat. He moved down to her breasts, suckling at erect nipples, back arching off the bed, feeling the hardness of him against her pelvic bone. He had to have known, some where in the deepest recesses of his mind that she was a virgin, never knowing the touch of another. His name was a hushed whisper as she clung to him.

Frankie didn't need any more encouragement as he positioned himself between her legs, his cock hard, throbbing with need. He entered her slowly, savoring the feeling of how tight she was, the head of him, hitting that barrier, looking down at her and before he could say anything, her hands, cupping his ass, pulled him towards her and before he could blink, he was buried inside of her.

The pain was brief, like a bolt of lightening striking the ground, but the after effects of it, radiated through her body. She could feel him, not only filling her body but her soul, magic flowing around them, making her swear she could see stars behind closed eyes. Wrapping long legs around his waist, nails dug into his shoulders, drawing blood from the small crescent shaped marks. There was a tightness, deep within her, coiling tighter and tighter, before exploding, feeling her self clench around his cock, as fingers twisted in the curls at the nape of his neck. Knowing this would be the only time she would have with him, she wanted to experience everything.

He didn’t know how much longer he could hold out. He knew when she came, her orgasm blindsiding both of them. It was like a white-hot heat that was scalding his blood as his lips found hers, kissing her, before laying his forehead against hers, letting out a loud moan as he came, filling her with his seed. They lay there for a moment, catching their breath, before he rolled off of her, not wanting to crush her with his weight, laying on his side, an arm around her waist, blazing a trail of kisses along her shoulder as she laced her fingers with his.

Five days passed in which they barely untangled themselves from her bed, before they found the fairy ring that would take him back to the 21st century. They stood together at the edge of the forest; the air thick, not only with magic but with the bittersweet goodbye.

"Take this," Una said, pressing a small charm into his hand. "It’s a charm, to protect you. Maybe, one day, it will help you find your way back to me."

Frankie leaned in, capturing her lips in a final, lingering kiss. "Do you really think I will find you again?" voice thick with emotion.

“I don’t know.” Walking him backwards, hand cupping his cheek, she kissed him one last time before she shoved him into the middle of the circle, feeling the air being sucked from her lungs, magic swirling around him, and in a flash, he was gone. She stood there, alone in the clearing, her heart heavy but filled with hope, just as she knew her belly was full with his child.

Some loves are meant to transcend time, and she knew that their story was far from over.

[hippolotamus]

top seven reads of 2023

thanks for the tag @stereopticons @your-catfish-friend @jesuisici33 @eddiebabygirldiaz I did more reading (books) than I expected to (who knew?) Here are my top 7 reads from thislast year in no particular order:

Moth by Lily Mayne (Book 5 of the Monstrous series) [Buddie vibes in a monster/human romance]

Lor by Lily Mayne (Book Seven of the Monstrous Series)

Psycho by Onley James (Book 2 Necessary Evils series) [August my beloved]

Headcase by Onley James (Book 4 Necessary Evils series)

Lie with Me by Philippe Besson [prepare for all your repressed queer feels to erupt]

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston [see above + lots of sobbing (affectionate)]

When the Summer's Over by @annarbpollock [who knew farming was so heartwarming?]

i'm not sure who's done this yet but i'll call on @shortsighted-owl @blackandwhiteandrose @disasterbuckdiaz @elvensorceress @giddyupbuck @thewolvesof1998 @chaosandwolves @watchyourbuck @wikiangela @buddierights @ladydorian05 @vanillahigh00 @lizzie-bennetdarcy @rmd-writes @apothecarose @monsterrae1 @honestlydarkprincess @daffi-990 @jamespearce9-1-1

[juletheghoul]

a/n: I started writing fanfic when I was in my teens, typing away into the night as a way to feel connected to my faves. Eventually I stopped, maybe convinced myself that I'd grown out of it, but that definitely wasn't the case. Truth is the stories have always been there, and I've always wanted to tell them. I'm happy to have found my way back to fanfic, back to the sense of community and all those other amazing fucking stories that I've read here. I've been lucky enough to have my things put on rec lists and now I want to make one of my own. I've been compiling a list of submissions, along with some of my faves and I offer them up to you, humbly. This list in no way encompasses all of the masterpieces I've read, just doing my best with the shitshow that is my memory lol. I am beyond lucky to have reached such a wild milestone, thanks for following along-please enjoy and show these creators some love!

Story recs;

Each story will have it's own warnings**

Jack Whiskey Daniels;

Under Marula Trees (Jack x F!Reader) by @deadhumourist

Cognitive Dissonance (Jack x F!reader) by @prolix-yuy

The Cowboy Next Door (Jack x virgin!freader) by @ikissdin

Javier Peña;

Learning to Live (Javier Peña/f!reader) by @wheresarizona

Fear and Loathing (Javier Peña x F!Reader) by @joels6strings

Lie to Me (Javier Peña x DEA Agent fem reader) by @iamskyereads

Mailroom Crush (Javier Peña x f!reader) by @littlemisspascal

Girl Next Door (Javier Peña x f!reader) by @babybugwrites

Teach Me Tonight (Javier Peña x F!DEA!Reader) by @storiesofthefandomlovers 

Dieter Bravo;

Funny Girl (Dieter x F!Reader) by @radiowallet

Stay on the Screenplay (Dieter x F!Reader) by @jazzelsaur

Love Triangles (Dieter Bravo x Female Reader) by @littlemisspascal

Morning (Porn star Dieter x Porn star reader) by @write-and-buried

Dave York;

Appreciation (Dave x F!Reader) by @pedropascalsx

My Girl (Dave York x f!reader x Francisco “Catfish” Morales) by @foli-vora

Family Fun Series (Dave York x F!Nanny!Reader x Carol York) by @absurdthirst

Rare (Dave York x fem reader) by @ezrasbirdie

Din Djarin;

Take Me to Church (Din Djarin/Reader Western AU) by @frannyzooey

Vibes (Din x F!Reader) by @mandoblowmybackout

Boxer Din Series (Boxer Din Djarin x Masseuse Fem!Reader) by @djarinsbeskar

Like a Moth to the Flame (monster!Din x F!reader) by @the-scandalorian

A Brush of Life (Hades!Din x f!reader) by @charnelhouse

Pero Tovar;

Ego & Black Powder (Pero x F!Reader) by @psychedlic-ink

The Wolf Series (Werewolf!Pero Tovar x F!Reader) by @absurdthirst

Frankie Morales;

Weeknights (Frankie Morales x F!reader) by @frannyzooey

Please To Meet You (Frankie x F!Reader) by @intheorangebedroom

Still of the Night (Frankie xF!reader) by @foli-vora

Joel Miller;

West (Joel Miller x Third Person Female) by @radiowallet

September (Joel x f!reader) by @wheresarizona

Pedro Across The Street (Calls)

Good Things Take Time (PATS x f!reader) by @oonajaeadira

Masterlists;

@novemberrain-writes - masterlist

@thisishellfire - Pedro masterlist

@foli-vora - masterlist

@wheresarizona - masterlist

@frannyzooey - masterlist

@oonajaeadira - masterlist

@psychedelic-ink - masterlist

@nexusnyx - masterlist

@wardenparker - masterlist

@loversandantiheroes - masterlist

@whiskeynwriting - masterlist

@pedros-mustache - masterlist

@writer-darling - masterlist

@mothandpidgeon - masterlist

@littlepadika - masterlist

@pedropascalsx - masterlist

@absurdthirst - masterlist

@just-here-for-the-moment - masterlist

[aiilurociide]

Okay…. So the other factions in the Fealty of the Vale are hybridized between catfish, alligator, and goat…. What should the final hybrid be?

(SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOMED AS WELL, PLEASE)