#my furry setting is mammals only

[ethereal-hollow]

My toxic trait is that I don't care that much about non-mammalian furries. Like the characters not the people. Yeah they're cool but I'm not gonna vibe with them too much usually. Except for moths and sea slugs specifically. Sorry

[puppyeared]

fuck it. plaguesona

[iamespecter]

Seeing your post about Jax I wanted to ask what advice you would give me for furry art. I feel that it makes it spectacular.

I don't think I'm the wisest person to give furry advice of all things-

but it is very good to learn from other furry artists or typically considered furry medias and see what aspects of those styles you like. Do you like 'realistic facial structure with human proportions' type of furry? Semi-realistic? Toony like Don Bleuth?

Do you like how fluffy they make the characters or do you prefer the kemono/anime furry style where they look like sculpted clumps of gorgeous clay? Maybe you want to start your own zany way of making furry expressions/faces?

if you can't seem to decide, try sketching them and see what works and what doesn't work for you. And if that doesn't work? Draw the same thing again. Get used to the feel of the flow of the characters' structure. You'll see that with every attempt, you will improve and eventually, you'll find that one comfortable style you want to go with.

The number one reason why furries exist (other than the erm... 34th rule of the internet-) is because of how spry, fun and how dynamic the designs tend to get, and how much you could get away with their expressions/features that human faces could never.

Don't be afraid to mix-mash fictional and non-fiction species either; you'd find that once you remove that barrier, your creativity for character designs will crash through the roof at unprecedented levels.

You wanna make a badass eastern-dragon/monkey hybrid that's always hanging from rooftops? Fucking go for it.

You want an deep sea critter/land-based mammal mix? Hell yeah.

A racoon with deer antlers and bio-luminiscent fur patterns? Cook to your heart's content, my friend. COOK TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT!

Unless ofc, what you actually mean is how I rendered the Jax piece, which is just using an ever so slightly modified round brush and turning down the opacity to allow for better blending. That's literally it. This is the brush setting I used for that, if you're curious.

Also, use Sai v2. Sai's blending is GOD-TIER. Procreate is the only thing that comes close to dethroning Sai in terms of painting and blending with your artworks.

[bethanythebogwitch]

Wet Beast Wednesday: beavers

I love rodents; they're my favorite mammals. So today I'm combining rodents with the usual Wet Beast Wednesday to talk about beavers. These rodents are not only amphibious, they're engineers that play a major role in their ecosystems. Let's find out why you should appreciate beavers.

(Image ID: a beaver standing on dirt. It is a rotund, furry mammal with a large, blunt head. Its legs and eyes are small. Its tail is wide, flat, and hairless. It is wet. End ID)

There are two species of beaver: the North American beaver Castor canadensis and Eurasian beaver Castor fiber. The two species are so similar to each other in morphology and behavior that it took genetic testing to confirm that they are distinct species. Each species is divided into many subspecies, with a classified 25 for the North American beaver and 9 for the Eurasian beaver. Beavers are the second largest living rodents after the capybara. Adults have a body length of 80-120 cm (31-47 in), tail length of 25-50 cm (9.8-19.7 in) and usually weigh between 11 and 30 kg (24-66 lbs) but can reach up to 50 kg (110 lbs). Beavers are semiaquatic and have multiple adaptations for living in the water. The hind legs have webbed toes and are used to provide propulsion while swimming. The wide, flat, paddle-like tail is used as a rudder. Beaver fur is very thick, with 12,000 to 23,000 hairs per square centimeter and grows in multiple layers. The hair keeps the beaver warm and provides buoyancy while being thick enough to act as armor, protecting the beaver from predators. Beavers can hold their breath for up to 15 minutes, but most dives are shorter than that. While underwater, the beaver's heart rate is halved and blood is redirected to the brain and away from the extremities. The ears and nostrils can close underwater and the mouth can form a watertight seal. Being highly adapted for swimming, beavers are somewhat clumsy on land, but they can still move fast if needed. The front feet are very dextrous and can carry objects. Beavers can stand and move on their hind legs while holding things with their front feet. The tail helps provide stability while standing up. Like other rodents, beavers have an upper and lower pair of incisors that grow for their entire lives. The teeth need to be worn down by gnawing on objects and a beaver that can't gnaw can suffer from health problems as their incisors grow too big. Beaver teeth are coated with a layer of enamel that contains iron compounds, giving the incisors a characteristic orange color. The teeth grow outside the mouth and the beaver can close its lips while moving the teeth, letting it chew or pick thing up with its teeth underwater without getting water in its mouth. Unlike other rodents and pretty much every mammal, the beaver's excretory and reproductive tracts are merged into a single hole called the cloaca. Cloacas are common in reptiles, amphibians, etc, but having separate holes is a kay mammal trait. Beavers must have evolved back into having a cloaca. One hypothesis for why is that having a single hole reduced the surface area that can be exposed to the water, reducing the chance of infection. Males have a penis that extends from the cloaca when in use. Because of this, male and female beavers are virtually indistinguishable by sight if the penis is retracted. Staying downstairs, beavers have two sets of scent glands, anal glands and castor sacs. Both are used to produce scent chemicals that are used by beavers to mark their territory and identify each other. The anal glands also produce an oily substances that beaver groom into their fur to help waterproof it. The castor sacs produce a substance called castoreum and are attached to the urethra. Ancient people often thought that the castor sacs were testicles and that female beavers were actually hermaphrodites.

(Image ID: a beaver seen from the front on some rocks by the water's edge. It is dragging a long log in its mouth. Its top incisors are visible and orange. End ID)

The North American beaver is found in most of Canada and the United States, as well as northern Mexico while the Eurasian beaver's natural range has been considerably reduced from what it once was. They now live in portions of western, central, and eastern Europe, west Russia, and Scandinavia, with isolated populations in Mongolia and northwest China. Beavers live in freshwater (and occasionally brackish water) streams and lakes. They are nocturnal and crepuscular, active most commonly between dusk and dawn. Beavers are generalist herbivores, eating a variety of leaves, stems, shoots, roots, and bark. They prefer herby food in summer and woody food in winter. Beavers form stores of food underwater for the winter. Their digestive systems have an enlarged portion of the intestine called a caecum that helps digest the cellulose form all the plants and wood they eat. Their feces has been reported to have sawdust in it. Beavers are territorial and mark their territory with smell using secretions from their anal and castor glands that are placed onto piles of rock and mud they build. beavers defend their territories fiercely and will get into fights with others trying to move into their territory. Beavers who live in neighboring territories will gradually grow less aggressive toward each other and they become used to each other's scent. This is called the dear enemy effect and is seen in other territorial species. Beavers communicate using a variety of noises including whines and growls. A common behavior is slapping the tail against the surface of the water, which is used to alert other beavers to danger.

(Image ID: a beaver swimming underwater. Its body is strengthened out and streamlines. Its front legs are tucked under its chin. The hind legs are being used for swimming. The tail is out of frame. There are rocks and logs in the background. End ID)

Beavers require deep and still water to build their homes, but they aren't satisfied just looking for lakes to live in. No, these little entrepreneurs will make the conditions they need by damming streams. I will devote a whole section below to beaver damming and its impacts on the environment. Aside from dams, beavers also build lodges, which are their homes. Building these structures requires material and beavers use wood, mud, and rocks. To get the wood, they use their incisors and powerful teeth to chew through trees and branches. Famously, a beaver can take down a large tree in under a day. Lodges take a while to build, and until it is ready, beavers live in simple burrows on the water's edge. There are two types of lodges: bank lodges and open-water lodges. Bank lodges are burrows along the water's edge covered in sticks and are more common with Eurasian beavers. The more famous open-water lodges are built away from the shore. A pile of sticks forms a platform that is covered with a dome. The dome reaches above the water and is made of sticks and rocks held together with mud. Inside the dome but above the water is an open cavity filled with air. This is called the living space and is (as the name suggests) where the beavers live. The only above-water opening in the living space is an air hole built in the very top. The other entrances are underwater, meaning that beavers can only enter and leave by swimming. This provides good protection from predators, most of whom wouldn't be able to swim into the living space, as wells as insulation to keep the living space warm in winter. Beavers live in familial groups usually consisting of a pair of parents and up to eight children. Family members use the scent of their anal glands to identify each other and will body through grooming each other and play-fighting. The parents are monogamous, but will seek out new mates if they lose theirs. Mating occurs in late December to mid January when the female goes into heat. Up to four pups are born three to four months later. Beavers are born furry and with open eyes and can digest solid food after a week, but usually nurse for up to three months. Beaver milk is more fatty than the milk of other rodents. Beaver offspring will stay with their parents for two years before becoming independent and a family can have two generations of offspring at a time. The largest families need to build multiple lodges. The offspring, called kits, will stay in the lodge for their first one to two months and will start assisting the family with construction of dams and lodges at a year old. They reach sexual maturity between one and three years of age and can live for up to ten years in the wild. Beavers that become independent will travel away from their parent's pond to find a new stream or pond to settle in. This is the time most beavers meet their future mates and the pair will travel together in search of their new home. Beavers will stay in the same territory unless poor conditions force them to leave and find a new home.

(Image ID: A beaver in the Minnesota Zoo with four kits. They are in an artifical lodge with stone walls and star and sticks on the ground. The kits are miniature versions of the adult. End ID.)

(Image ID: an artistic depiction of a beaver lodge with a cutaway to show the interior. It is a large pile of branches with a chamber inside partly submerged in the water. The chamber is connected to the outside by two tunnels the open underwater. There are two adult beavers outside the lodge and three juveniles inside. End ID. Source)

The most famous feature of beaver behavior is their dams. By damming streams, beavers create the large and still ponds they need to build their dams. Beavers that live in pre-existing ponds or lakes that are deep enough for their lodge entrances to be underwater don't need to build dams. To start, thy will dig canals to reduce the flow of the stream, then drive large logs and branches into the mud of the stream bottom to form a base. The dam is then filled in with rocks, branches, shrubs, mud, and anything else the beaver can get its paws on. Beavers can pull or carry objects up to their weight and will build canals and use mud slicks to pull larger logs. Dam complexes can cover acres of territory and the canals beavers dig dig to divert water and help move logs around can be over half a kilometer (1,600 ft) long. The largest dam in the world is in Alberta, Canada's Wood Buffalo National Park and is 775 meters (2,543 ft) long and growing. It was formed of different dams that were combined. Beavers are one of the best examples of ecosystem engineers, species that modify their habitats. They are also a keystone species that are vital in wetland areas of their native range. Dams expand wetlands and reshape the stream environment in ways that typically benefit the local ecosystem. There are some negative impact of beaver dams, including impeding fish migration, increasing silt upstream of the dam, low oxygen levels in the created ponds, and harming species that require fast flowing water. However, the positive impacts of the dams are many and varied. The dams create new ponds that provide habitat for many species that require deeper or slower water, including many aquatic insect larvae, worms, and mussels. These ponds are also ideal spawning locations for many fish and amphibian species, especially salmon and trout that can leap over the dams. Indeed, beaver dams are a huge boon to salmon spawning. The ponds also raise the local water tables and help prevent drought. The areas in and around ponds see a large increase in plant species diversity that encourages local grazing animals and migratory species to visit. Because the areas around beaver ponds are so wet, they act as natural fire breaks, helping mitigate the damage from fires. The dams also help prevent floods downstream by slowing the amount of water that passes, thus helping prevent erosion. The dams act like sieves, filtering out silt, debris, excess nitrogen, and pesticides and other chemicals that get into the water. Bacteria living in the dams break down cellulose in plant matter and release nitrogen gas into the atmosphere. On the downside, beavers have been extending their range north as the arctic warms and their ponds are melting permafrost, which releases methane into the atmosphere.

(Image ID: a beaver in a forest environment gnawing a tree. The tree trunk is slightly thicker around than the beaver. The Beaver is chewing at one side of the tree while the other side is already chewed, resulting in an hourglass shape. End ID)

(Image ID: two beavers sitting on top of their dam and working on building it. One beaver is gnawing on a log while the other one is carrying a bundle of roots in its mouth. End ID)

(Image ID: a beaver dam seen from above. The dam is a large pile of sticks, longs, rocks, and mud that stretches across a stream. The water level on one side of the dam is significantly higher than on the other side. End ID.)

Both species of beaver as currently classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, meaning they are not at risk of extinction. This was not always the case. Beavers have historically been heavily trapped for their meat, fur, and castoreum. The castoreum was used in many forms of medicine. Nowadays it isn't used anymore except in homeopathy and other forms of quackery. The fur trade vastly reduced beaver populations and it was only due to new laws and conservation efforts that the two species were saved from extinction. Since then conservation efforts have largely revolved around trapping beavers and reintroducing them to new areas. Probably the most famous example of this is the 1948 beaver drop, when the Idaho Department of Fish and Game dropped beavers in crates from planes, where they parachuted to the ground and were released. Despite how silly this sounds, it had a much higher survival rate than other relocation methods. Only one of the 76 beavers died due to forcing its way out of the crate during the drop and falling to its death. Beavers can damage infrastructure by damming streams near human activity and can damage trees people want to keep alive. There are ways of mitigating this. Pipes can be used to keep the water levels of the ponds from getting too high and fences or other deterrents around trees keep the beavers from cutting them down. If the beavers are causing too much of a problem, trapping and relocating them can help. On the other hand, sometimes environmental managers trying to attract beavers will make artificial beaver dams to try to entice beavers to adopt a stream. This is sometimes done in streams with too much erosion or water that flows too fast for beavers to settle. The artificial dams start the work and set things up for beavers either relocated to the stream or that pass by and settle down. Beavers are used as symbols of hard work, industry, and families. The beaver is the national animal of Canada. If Canada appreciates the beaver, shouldn't you too?

(Image ID: a group of three beavers being released from a crate. End ID)

(Video ID: archive footage of the 1948 beaver drop. End ID)

[fleouriarts]

dorian furryverse EXCLUSIVE LORE

as i mentioned in the prev posts here is a bit of lore for my furry universe. this setting is supposed to be my break from lore-heavy work... but i still made some stuff up because i'm me and that's what i do. ok here we go

in this universe, only terrestrial mammals (and semi-terrestrial mammals like pinnipeds) are sapient. trichechids and cetaceans are not sapient. this is because i really really really don't feel like trying to adapt fully aquatic beasts and other animal classes to a terrestrial bipedal body plan... and i want my guys to have SOMETHING to eat that's not mammalian

birds and reptiles have basically filled in every niche left unoccupied by terrestrial mammals. i will refrain from going spec bio mode on this. most i'll do is revive some extinct reptiles based on if it's cool and/or funny to put them in

since the furries are all terrestrial mammals (which usually can't digest lactase in adulthood) they don't eat dairy. however i still want them to have the joy of cheeses. so in this universe there's a weird genus of bug that's been domesticated to make something milk-like that can be processed into something cheese-like. carnivores tend to digest it easier than herbivores but both groups can eat it

i didn't want to go full zootopia mode and make every furry the same size as their normal animal counterpart, but i still wanted some variation. in my head i class every species i draw as "small" "medium" or "large" and then give a size based on vibes. generally the lower limit of height is 3 feet (stuff like rodents and shrews) and the upper limit of height is 8 feet (stuff like elephants and giraffes)

different species can interbreed but it's only within their taxonomic families. mammal families vary wildly in size which makes this really fun for me. for example santiago from the last post is in family bovidae which has 143 extant species. he's got cousins who are goats, bison, antelope, muskoxen, etc. meanwhile jamie is in prionodontidae which only has 2 extant species. his family tree is only linsangs. also i don't feel like dealing with hybrids or actual genetics so when two species interbreed there's just a simple 50/50 chance between whether the kid will be the mom or dad's species

this universe is parallel to ours in terms of pop culture and such. i want to be able to have characters who watch furry hivemind and listen to furry quadeca. its important to me

ok i think thats all i got for now. another part of why i'm sticking to mammals is because i took mammalogy last year so i just know more about them. lord willing i will be taking ornithology next year so maybe after that class i'll make a parallel universe where birds and reptiles are the sapient ones. anyway ENJOY

[ponett]

some more SLARPG-related questions and answers taken from my retrospring:

Hi, I wanted to start by saying I loved your game and it meant a lot to me. Instead of gushing sappily though, I wanted to ask about the cross iconography in Melody's staff and Provence's armor; what cultural or religious significance does this symbol have in the world of Reverie? (If it doesn't mean anything to them but does to us that's cool too!)

the + shape (typically in green) is the symbol for healing magic, rather than a religious symbol

hi! in an answer on here just now you referred to "the beast kingdom", is that a canon thing and there is a monarchical governed body called The Beast Kingdom, or was that just something you threw out there because you didn't have a name for it, or some exciting third answer?

the country slarpg is set in is The Beast Kingdom. i can't remember if that's actually stated in the game. i think it is? maybe it was cut from the intro so as to not overwhelm the player with Fantasy Proper Nouns up front and i forgot to put it somewhere else? idk. the sapphire islands are some distance off the coast, and brightport is on the mainland

i saw some speculation about this based on the name, and yes, it's intended to be a modern constitutional monarchy

(after answering this i doubled checked, and yes, the name is mentioned in the game)

Is there any kind of animal species beast folks strictly CANNOT be? (besides RandomFurryUser726's custom closed species obviously)

off the top of my head i can't think of anything they COULDN'T be, no. mammals, birds, reptiles, sea creatures, bugs. i guess when you get to some of the more oddball invertebrates it becomes trickier, but i also wouldn't completely write off the possibility of coming up with a jellyfish character or whatever. it's just less likely that i'd go for something like that compared to, you know. furries

since holly floated the idea in her own stream: Did Jodie forge her own grill?

you know what? sure. this is canon now

How did Claire come to choosing her name? Was is just a name she liked the sound of or is there more significance for her?

undecided due to how much that part of claire's life is still unexplored

just curious, but is zinnia's hair color intended to be more 'older woman gray hair' or 'magical girl white hair'?

her hair is naturally a very light blue, like how melody and jodie just have naturally white hair

i pictured the scrap cannon skill working by magnetizing a bunch of scrap metal around one's arm to make an arm cannon and firing off a big ball of more scrap metal from that. is this a valid interpretation?

this isn't how i picture it but it's cooler than how i picture it and also adds yet another mega man allusion to the desert, so

Given that it's the day of the Big Game: How do each of the Novas (+ Faith/Beverly) feel about sports?

jodie likes sports and follows the brightport teams actively, but she's also too good of a sport to really hate their rival teams

allison's always liked the act of playing sports way more than watching them (although she was never good enough at following orders to play on a team as a kid). she'll watch the big games with jodie, though

beverly is a casual fan who will at least root for local teams but doesn't really pay that close attention

melody and faith don't follow sports but can be convinced to show up for a super bowl party type get together

claire can only get invested in a sport or team if there's a jon bois type documentary that gets deep into the nerd shit

Were there ever any other names other than SLARPG in the running? Or was it always gonna be slarpg all the way.

i always considered changing the name. i have a list of 75 different names i considered over the years in my notes, ranging from more generic fantasy titles to sillier ones to more unique ones. early on most involved melody's name. many later ones include "Reverie." i may share the full list someday (possibly good fodder for a patreon post), but the "serious" title i've mentioned considering before was Power Couple (or Power Couples). i still like that one

i debated over the title a lot for many reasons. mainly, people are weird about the title, either treating the whole game as a joke or assuming it's porn or whatever. some also assume that you just cannot play the game if you aren't a lesbian, a thing that people don't do with other fantasy things that happen to feature sapphic relationships without putting it in the title

the problem, of course, is that changing your title is often a death sentence. half the struggle with marketing a game is even getting people to remember it in the first place in an era where a million things are constantly fighting for your attention. people need to have seen it a few times before they create that mental connection of "oh, THAT game, i've heard of that." so changing your title massively undercuts that

in that regard, Super Lesbian Animal RPG is just way more unique and memorable of a title than the alternatives i was considering. it's direct and unambiguous about the content of the game, and it grabs your attention in a way that something like "Guardians of Reverie," for instance, doesn't. (that's not a title i was considering too seriously, just an example.) also it abbreviates to a unique hashtag, which i find convenient. also i can say that rock paper shotgun once referred to it as "brilliantly named," so like, of course i can't change it now

several of the names i considered are now in the running for an overall franchise name, though, since i have zero intention of naming a game Super Lesbian Animal Platformer or Super Lesbian Animal Visual Novel or whatever

I wish you could kiss Holly this life is so unfair

fear not my friend, large women exist in our world as well

are all cars on Reverie weird fantasy vehicles like the one in the Celestial Wasteland? or was it just the fact of Greenridge being a tiny town with dirt roads that made cars irrelevant to mention or see in the story?

fantasy vehicles such as flying cars and airships are very common on reverie, but regular wheeled vehicles still exist too. (there is a conversation about motorcycles in the game.) i'd imagine regular, non-flying vehicles are just the cheaper option, but they're also not particularly necessary in greenridge, a small, old town built for foot travel that doesn't exactly have a highway connecting it to the mainland

from the sounds of it, would it be safe to assume that the exact level of involvement you had in the characters Anthony/Scarlet designed varies from character to character? Like for some characters you'd have a solid-ish idea of gender/species/age/role, other times you just have the role ("I need an NPC to fill this nice"), and other times they just sprung a design on you without any prompting from you?

yeah, it varied a lot. for example, faith was a character i conceived and had a pretty clear idea of, but i was struggling to come up with her design, so anthony offered to give it a shot. other times i might request something from him, and he'll give me a black and white concept sketch that i color and then turn into a sprite. but then you've got, like, the paladin brigade, who are characters anthony just pitched to me thinking that they'd be a good addition to the cast. he came up with their names, designs, color schemes, personalities, team dynamic, everything. i just filled in details where necessary. the boys are also anthony's babies - they would not have been included in the game at all if he hadn't pushed for it

meanwhile, scarlet's characters (which included a good number of more general NPCs that didn't make it in due to time constraints) mostly consisted of me giving her broad directions like "we need some adventurers to hang around noel's sanctuary," and she'd come up with her own ideas from there

what's the hardest part of making a cohesive and/or compelling narrative to you?

for me at least, it's the logical glue that holds a story together that's the hardest. that's just the type of writer i am, and as far as i know it's pretty common to feel that way

i'll know specific scenes i wanna hit, emotional beats, the general mood and tone, images i want to use, those sorts of things, but the logical shuffling around of pieces on the chess board to connect those disparate moments is harder to nail down for me. why is this character doing this? why are they here instead of there? why can't the protagonists just do this other thing to solve their problem? what in the narrative is going to steer them towards this next moment? what is this supporting character's motivation that informs their participation in this event? why did this character know or not know this key fact? etc. and in a video game - especially an rpg like this - there's that added layer of needing to give the player clear objectives, having reasons for them to go from point A to point B, excuses for gameplay elements to space out the story beats, and whatnot. it can be a lot to juggle

with slarpg in particular i knew most of the big emotional beats and major setpiece moments i wanted to hit early on, but the logic of the plot took a LOT of reworking. lots of late night pondering and scattered notes trying to piece together the villains' plans and things of that nature

[knavewoods]

Listen.

okay this one is going to be long. The short answer is I imagine mammotts to be a distant cousin of Bowgarts, and the four nips are evidence that they both evolved from the same dude.

The long answer starts with me explaining my silly specbio for the Monsterum Sings. The element system is mostly disregarded, being only an aesthetic thing that acts more as a social phenomenon, like star signs. Should it crop up in any given monster’s biology is happenstance that won’t have too much bearing. Prompted by my seeing that certain monsters share similar attributes even without being a breeding combination. It is not a huge leap of logic to think that ‘Oh, furcorns and Shugabushes share a lot of traits, perhaps they have a common ancestor much like the modern human and apes?’ Am I making sense so far? Oh well. They’re creatures. I know ingame they’re made of dimensional slime and good vibes but here I want to be semi-realistic. Entirely for my own enjoyment. Since I've only gotten as far as Fire isle #1 ingame, that is as far as I'll go here.

Heres the hoedown: Mammotts, Bowgarts, Deeges, Pompoms, Hoolas and Werdos all share a common ancestor - which I'll dub the Prefeapole - a furry bipedal mammal with two primary arms, two secondary arms, the beginnings of antlers, and a thick coat of fur. Through a convoluted series of events that likely had something to do with colossal migration, the Prefeapole population scattered around the monsterverse and evolved into the Feapole we know today. Mammotts and Deeges were developed in the colder continents, while Hoolas and Pompoms were developed in dryer continents, And Bowgarts and Werdos were developed in the Mountains.

Bowgarts specifically are the strain of feapole that best resemble the Prefeapole, still retaining the standout attributes of 'antlers' and 'four arms'. Should these connections not seem too feasible, I encourage you to look at the Rares and Epics, who I posit aren't even Rares or Epics but rather grey matter that fills in the gaps between dominant subspecies. Inspect this handy web I created in ms paint.

Does this make any sense? Am I talking logic? Do you see my vision? Theyre all the same primate, which is why I all give them roughly the same skull shape and forehead nostril (the latter aspect not being rooted in any reference, but rather just something I thought made them visually distinct).

So Mammott having four nips is not just a funny heehoo joke, it's a biological remnant of the ancestors they evolved from. they used to have four limbs, and thus four pectoral muscles. The bones may have worn away through time, but the nipples persist. A sentence I never thought I would write, but the future is hardly calculable.

Other miscellanious notes that relate to the feapole family web: - Deeges are the most recent mutation. The 'Speaker in forehead' gene only cropped up in the past thousand years or so; As a result, the Deege population is the smallest of all the feapoles. Some Deege have small enough speaker indents that they can be hidden by their fur, and those who do are often misunderstood to be very strange mammotts. - Werdos are an odd bunch. Much less of a subspecies and much more 'four people who got won the genetic lottery'. They have the large size of their Prefeapolean ancestors, but thats where the similarities end. Werdo antlers are more structurally similar to horns than anything, not to mention they've got the hand poofs of a pompom... made of anything *but* fur! Don't even get me started on the magical voices that can reach human ears, they're [SWEAR WORD]ed. - What visually sets Poms & Hoolas aside from their other feapolean cousins is their peculiar bare limbs. This attribute is a direct result of the climate they spawned in. Dry environments like plains and savannahs lend themselves great to ticks, fleas and other parasitic bugs; And the Feapole's thick fur turned out to be the perfect breeding ground. Rather than leave the area they'd grown to live in, Poms & Hoolas started scratching off the infected fur on their limbs, some going as far to pull the fur out as it grew to prevent any bites. This got to the point where the bugs that were routinely attacking them went extinct, so the violent hairdressing was no longer needed. But even to this day, the fur on their limbs grows short and ribbed, a visual reminder of what they once had to tussle with.

Also to completely disregard everything I’ve just said what if they had four nipples because that’s the size of a typical mammott litter. Like pigs, or dogs. I’m so tired - I’ve done away with the element system that means the breeding system is out too. This is calvinball except every time i let go of the ball it ricochets back into my own face and noone notices.

[pinescented]

Halloween YCHs I cooked up to raise money for a new iPad!

Details below:

Details:

• These are not one-offs, they are multi-slot and more slots will open if I have time to do more.

• By buying a YCH slot from me you agree to my Terms of Service: flummoxing.carrd.co/

• Payment will be upfront via my PayPal.me link only.

• YCHs have no set deadline unless you discuss it with me first. If you for sure want it done before Halloween, there may be a slight upcharge.

• I can change the ears, tail, add hair and small accessories but I cannot make major changes to the lineart or the species. I can't change the facial expressions. Most mammal characters should look fine on this base with a simple ear/tail change.

Jack o' Lantern YCH: $20

• I can change the Jack o' Lantern's face, will be left default if not otherwise specified.

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Summoning Circle YCH: $20

• Color of the summoning circle will be based on your character's color palette unless otherwise specified.

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Dakimakura YCH: $30

• Dakimakura will be a furry-fied version of any character you please within my comfort zone. Nothing explicit, but suggestive is okay.

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Ghostface YCH: $25

• The Ghostface character can be canon Ghostface or it can be an OC of your choosing in a Ghostface costume.

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Cauldron YCH: $20

• Color of the bubbles in the cauldron will be based on your character's color palette unless otherwise specified.

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[halliescomut]

Who wants a disturbing (potentially) Star Wars thought way too early in the morning?

As part of a joke, in a TikTok video I saw the question posed "Do you think Chewbaccas have pecs/breasts or two rows of teats like a pig would have?" Now clearly this person didn't know the name of Chewbacca's species, but it seems like a fairly valid question, and I thought far too long over how a Wookie might lactate.

My process:

From what I understand about biology of mammals in general, they're engineered to have enough nipples to feed the general max number of 'young'. Humans have two and generally will have 1-2 babies per pregnancy without medical intervention. Naturally occurring triplets or quadruplets are incredibly rare. Other animals that tend to have only 1, but maybe 2 offspring at a time like cows and horses have four. Bears have six and most commonly have 1-2 offspring per pregnancy, but 3-4 is regularly observed. Other mammals with larger offspring sets like canines and felines, both domestic and wild have 8-10 and will often have more than two but less than ten offspring in a pregnancy.

Wookie's are fairly humanoid (as many of the Star Wars aliens are) and it seems that like a standard human they generally have one offspring per pregnancy, maybe occasionally twins, and even more rarely triplets and so on. So the likely answer is they have pecs or breasts.

However, I think a far more interesting option is the platypus style.

Wookie are quite furry and much like how Chewbacca carried C3PO on his back in Episode V, I imagine Wookie mothers carrying their nursing-age children in many styles of baby slings and them sucking milk from the tufts of hair within reach.

Thoughts??

[shadowbunnydragon]

Here is a special peek into an alternate universe! One where everyone's gender is swapped! It was a lot of fun and kinda a trip to go back and rewrite previous parts of the story. I hope you all like it!

And, I hope you all like the picture WastedTimeEE drew of Marigold (the female version of Marcus) in a family photo with her mom and dad, Zelda (Zach's female alternate version) and Varun (Vanna's male form)! It came out just so gosh dang cute and sweet! You can find it here on my SoFurry page in the link below! You can also find it on Wasted's pages over there and on FurAffinity!

Found (Genderswapped Shenanigans)

By

ShadowBunnyDragon

"What's the matter, Puppy Love?" Don asked, the diminutive ram reaching up to take the large gray she-wolf's paw in his hooves. Vera looked down at her mate with a smile before letting out a sigh, her ears and tail drooping a bit.

"Sweet sawgrass, Honey Ram," she said, rubbing her temple with her free paw. "That last place... did ya see the way that guy was looking at us? Ya'd think we were drooling, snarling monsters the way he acted!"

"I know, Vera," Don said with a note of sadness in his voice, "that is to be expected. B-between us being a pred/prey couple... and my criminal history... adopting for us was never going to be easy." The ram looked down at his hooves, only to be swept up into a (near) bone crushing hug by his much larger mate.

"Honey Ram, ya've more than made up fer that. Yer a hero! Anyone who holds yer past against ya like this, ta this degree, is just bein' more stubborn than Ma can be." Don let out a surprised OOF, but recovered and started to rub his mate's arms with his hooves. "We're two mammals lookin' to give some pups a lovin' and stable home, and gettin' passed over like that... it just ain't right."

"I know, Puppy," Don said as he was set back down. He adjusted his tie and lime green sweater vest. Rather than a full suit and tie, Don had decided to dress more upscale casual, so as to leave a good impression. Vera was wearing a light blue sundress. Normally a bit more tomboyish, she too had decided that their chances would be helped by dressing up a bit. "I suppose we have no choice but to just keep pressing forward. If it's any consolation, this place seemed much more promising than the previous one when I booked our appointment. And that was after they had completed a full background check on us." Looking up at his mate, Don's heart skipped a beat when he saw the smile that grew on Vera's muzzle. He was reminded daily of just how much he loved this she-wolf. It had been five years since their tithe and the subsequent caprid ceremony, but they still acted like newlyweds.

"I really hope that there's a little pup and lamb in there that we can open our home to," Vera said, standing up straighter and smoothing out her dress.

"I'm sure we will!" Holding his hoof in her much larger paw, Vera and Don walked up the well-maintained sidewalk path, Vera spotting the sign on the manicured front lawn.

"Warm Hearts, Warm Hearth's Children's Center," she read aloud. The red brick building, not being too far from Little Rodentia, was itself a bit on the small side. From the children's drawings taped to the windows to how well-kept the property was, it gave off more of a cozy feeling, as opposed to the more austere feeling the last facility gave off. It was a very welcome contrast to the couple as they entered the front doorway.

"Welcome," said a male kangaroo with a kind smile as he entered the reception area, wearing a simple white t-shirt and jeans. Out from a nearby doorway came the excited squeals and happy laughter of children. "How can I help you?"

"W-we're the Hunter-Bellwethers. I believe that we spoke on the phone?" Don said, adjusting his glasses.

"Ah yes," the kangaroo said, heading on over to his desk and motioning for the couple to sit down in the chairs opposite it. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Hunter-Bellwether. I'm Adam Hopper, by the way, director here at Warm Hearts, Warm Hearths. You two are early, by the way."

"We're just that eager ta adopt," Vera said, still holding Don's hoof in her paw. She could feel him give her a reassuring squeeze.

"I like that," Adam said, "and if you two are here, then that means that you have been approved to adopt."

The wolf and ram could hardly believe their ears. They shared a look, both with excited grins on their faces, before looking back to Adam.

"That's wonderful news," Don said. Vera was silent, but her tail thumping her chair spoke volumes to her joy. It was then that Don spotted a small wire picture frame on the desk, containing a picture of the kangaroo before them and a tiger, both wearing white tuxedos, the latter nuzzling the former. Don had to stop himself from cooing at how precious the moment captured was, but Adam seemed to have noticed. There was a certain sparkle in his eye as he continued.

"My mate and I know how hard it can be for pred/prey couples to adopt. But I want to assure you both that you have nothing to worry about moving forward."

"Uhm," Don said, shifting a bit in his seat, "a-are you sure? I mean... y-you must know about my... past."

"Mr. Hunter-Bellwether," Adam said, taking note of how the she-wolf leaned down to hug her smaller mate, "everyone makes mistakes in their past. What is important is that you have not only been able to move past it, but even gone on to become a hero to the entire city, at great risk to yourself no less. I promise you, there is no problem here." Don and Vera both felt assured by that. "Now, moving on, you said on the phone that you would prefer children older than infants or toddlers?"

"Y-yes," Don said, feeling suddenly nervous again.

"We know that most couples tend ta adopt the really little ones more than the older pups," Vera explained, "so we were hopin' ta make a difference fer some pups more in the six ta nine age-range."

"Understandable, and you really will." Adam smiled again, quickly getting back to business. "Now, you also expressed a desire to adopt a wolf and a sheep? May I ask why that is?"

"W-well, we felt that it would probably help us to connect with them and better guide them through certain things and instincts in life. L-like the headbutting phase," Don said with a blush. He received a kiss to his forehead from Vera.

"And o'course, the howling urges," the she-wolf said simply. "But we'll still happily adopt outside our species, so it's not a dealbreaker."

"Absolutely! We just want to be parents!" Don chimed in.

Adam chuckled at that. "That's good to hear," he said, pulling out a file from his desk and opening it. He grabbed a photo and passed it to the couple. "As it just so happens, we have a trio that fits what you're looking for almost perfectly." The ram and she-wolf looked down at the photo to see three young mammals, smiling and hugging in a pose for the camera. One was a black wolf pup, wearing a yellow t-shirt and blue shorts, with bright yellow eyes. Then there was a little black-wooled ewe, in a yellow sundress. And sandwiched in between the two was... a largely furless mammal. He, as Don presumed the child was a boy, was wearing a similar shirt and shorts to the wolf pup. He had a shaggy patch of chestnut brown fur atop his head, but based on the rest of his face and arms and legs, he looked like he was otherwise devoid of any fur.

"This cute little trio think of each other as siblings, and have refused to be separated. The oldest, the little wolf boy, is Alex. He's eight. Tiffany, a sweetheart, is the ewe, and she's seven. And there in the middle is little Leon. He's six."

"Oh my... well, we only discussed having two lambs... but I don't think that three would be a problem, Puppy?" Don looked up at his mate, who was looking between him and the picture. Her tail was still wagging.

"True... three is a bigger commitment than two already was... but I ain't gunna go separatin' siblings from one another, even ones not related by blood. Though, I gotta ask, what species is little Leon? Don't get me wrong, he seems just as adorable as his brother and sister. I just never saw one of... whatever he is before," Vera said.

Adam began to rub the back of his head, looking uncomfortable. "Well, that's the thing. We don't know. We even had a sample of his DNA tested, but all we got back was an Unknown. And he doesn't match any kind of species on any registry we've been able to find. So... he's still an unknown species. And all we have to go on is that he was picked up from the streets at around age three or four."

"Oh," Don said, looking down at the picture again. "The poor little guy. He must've been so scared!"

Vera frowned at the thought of a child that young being all alone without anyone to take care of them, and let out a small whine. "Not knowin' what his species is might make it a bit harder ta relate ta him or some of the things his species goes through as they get older... but whatever he is. He and his brother and sister are more than welcome ta join our little pack... if'n they want. Right, Ramchop?"

Don looked up at his mate and, hopping up in his seat, he reached up to kiss his she-wolf on her nose.

"Of course, Puppy," Don said, handing back the photo to Adam, who kept in a snicker at how cute the couple across from him was together.

"Well, in that case, how about we introduce you two to them, and move on from there?" With an enthusiastic assent from the couple, Adam got up and led them through a short hallway into a room with some couches in it. Vera and Don took a seat on a maroon leather couch across from a navy blue one and waited while the kangaroo exited to go and get the children. Adam returned shortly afterwards, herding three young mammals into the room. Right away, Don and Vera noticed how Alex, who was wearing a red shirt with black shorts, was placing himself in front of the other two protectively, looking over at the two strange mammals with determined yellow eyes. Tiffany, who was wearing a blue dress similar to Vera's with a matching bow on her head floof, and Leon, who was in a green shirt and blue shorts, were both looking over his shoulder, soft hazel and curious deep blue respectively. Leon, despite being the youngest, seemed to be taller than his brother and sister, and was hugging a green stuffed dragon to his chest. Nervously, the three walked to the other couch and took a seat on it, huddling close together. Don and Vera both had to hold back a coo at the cuteness.

"Alex, Tiffany, Leon, this is Mr. and Mrs. Hunter-Bellwether; what do we say when we meet new people?" Adam asked in a gentle voice.

"H-hi," Tiffany spoke first. This was chorused by Leon and Alex.

"Hi there, pups!" Vera said, excited. Her tail was making a thumping sound against the couch where she sat, and that made Leon and Tiffany giggle. Alex turned to look at his siblings, before looking back at the strange couple before them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you three," Don said, beaming at the little lambs. After the initial introductions, the conversation continued, albeit a bit awkwardly at first. Don and Vera learned that Alex loved soccer, Tiffany enjoyed writing, and Leon liked to draw and explore.

"Are you going to adopt us?" Tiffany asked, putting a hoof around Leon and pulling him into a side hug. "'Cause Leon's our baby brother, and where we go, he comes with." The little ewe was polite, but very firm in her statement. Adam looked shocked and a little worriedly at Don and Vera, who both seemed to be holding back chuckles at the brave little lamb.

"Well, if y'all three don't mind the idea of us becommin' yer parents, we really would like ta adopt all three of ya," Vera said. At that, the pups seemed to relax a bit.

"You three do deserve to know that... because we're a predator and prey couple, we sometimes receive harassment for it. And... well, we just wanted to make sure you knew that, before deciding if you would like to come home with us." Don suddenly realized just how nervous he felt at that moment. Vera took his hoof in her paw and gave it another reassuring squeeze. The children huddled together on the couch, whispering to each other. Vera's ears twitched as she heard Leon's voice lightly drift over as he said "I think they're nice." Seeming to have reached a consensus, the three broke apart the huddle and, with Alex acting as the spokemammal for their group, he cleared his throat.

"... So long as me, my brother, and my sister can all stay together... then yes," Alex said, starting off sounding confident and strong, but his voice breaking a little at the end there, his little tail tucking itself as his ears started to droop a bit. Vera felt an urge to go over and give the pup a hug, but restrained herself. Instead, she and Don excitedly grinned and spoke with the children for almost another half an hour. When it was time for them to go, Adam led the children away, returning to see the couple out, and assure them that from that point onward, the adoption process was going to be much quicker. In a few more days, the couple would be able to take their children home with them. Walking back out and towards the minivan they had gotten, the she-wolf stopped and swept her mate up into another hug, which he was of course happy to return.

"This is really happening, Honey Ram," Vera said "it's like a dream!"

"I know, Puppy," Don said, suddenly finding himself sitting on Vera's shoulder. He let out an involuntary laugh-bleat. "We're about to become parents! Oh! There is so much we need to do now!"

"I know, darlin'! We gotta start clearin' out a third room, and triple check that the house is safe fer pups. And then we should probably hit up a toy store or two, and we'll need ta get a third bed for Leon, and then--" Vera was cut off by Don grabbing her head and turning it towards him. His lips met hers, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around him. Breaking apart, she felt a bit calmer, although her tail felt like it might just go ahead and break off from how hard it was wagging.

"Y'know, Honey Ram," Vera said as they continued to their car, now a husky tone to her voice, "when we get home, just because we're adoptin', that doesn't mean we can't try the old fashioned way to have yet another pup runnin' around with the three we're already gettin'." As the two buckled up, with Vera in the driver's seat, she leaned over and began to nuzzle the now-blushing Don, who had to remove his fogged-up glasses.

"I do believe that you make a very valid point, Puppy Love," he said, turning to look up at his mate with love and adoration in his eyes, that were mirrored in the bright green ones looking back at him. The two shared another kiss just as Vera turned the key in the ignition.

* * *

"Thankfully she was brought in when she was. The injury to the leg was beginning to show signs of infection," Doctor Catson said, adjusting her glasses as she looked up at Doreen. The lynx was consulting a chart, a slight frown on her muzzle. "If she had been out there much longer, she'd be potentially looking at a major infection. Which, when considering how malnourished she is, and her living conditions..." she trailed off, not needing to spell it out to the law she-wolf.

"Accordin' to my daughter and her mate, the two did some poking around the areas they believed she was livin'. Apparently she's been living off of foragin' and creek water, and some kinda canned foods. Sleepin' outside, I'm surprised she didn't get pneumonia, considerin' how wet and cold it's been lately."

"It's a miracle she was found when she was... but there's something else." Doctor Catson's small frown was now much more pronounced. This made Doreen pause.

"What is it, Layla?"

"Based... on her behavior, as well as some physical scarring, I believe that she had been subjected to physical abuse," the lynx said, her ears drooping.

Doreen grimaced but nodded, having had a similar thought based on how terrified the girl had been. Not to mention how she jumped from even the slightest noise or whenever someone spoke.

"Ya mentioned scarring?"

Layla nodded, shuffling her documents a bit, holding out a couple of photos to the white she-wolf. Doreen looked them over.

"There's scarring on the backs of her paws, but those pale in comparison to the ones on her back."

Doreen saw for herself in the picture, the small series of faded pink lines going down the backs of the child's paws. It was when she looked at the photo of her back that caused Doreen to wince, and even let out a whine. The child's back was a crisscross network of much larger, more fervent-looking scars that were much more pronounced, and nearly covered the entirety of her back. Doreen handed the photos back, a sick feeling in her gut.

"Know what coulda done something like that?" Doreen asked, a few ideas of her own in the back of her mind.

"Well, a knife or even a claw is not entirely out of the realm of possibility. However, it is in my opinion that the injuries to her back were caused by a whip."

Doreen winced again, the idea of those having been scars from a whip having been a theory that she was hoping had not been the case. After confirming that Child Services had been contacted, Doreen started to head towards the room that the mystery mammal was in, an idea beginning to take root in her mind. She quietly opened the door, entering with a practiced warm smile on her muzzle, taking slow and deliberate steps so as not to spook her.

"Now, Pup," Doreen said as she settled into the chair by the hospital bed. She looked at the older mystery mammal, who sat there in a hospital gown, hugging her knees to her chest. She looked upon the older law she-wolf with blue eyes filled with worry and fear. Doreen tok some solace in the fact that the girl was no longer shivering. "How about we start with somethin' simple, like yer name?"

"M-my name?" the young girl asked, scooting a little bit away on the bed, looking confused.

"Yep. Mine's Doreen." She gave what she hoped was a comforting smile.

"U-uh..." The girl looked away as she started to speak, now trying to make her voice sound deeper. "M-Marcus."

Doreen sighed and shook her head, internally muttering something about Pups not being good at lying. "Sorry, Pup, but yer gunna have ta do better than that."

Flinching a little, the furless mammal looked to be mulling it over. "Uh... I m-meant to say... my name's Eli?" Doreen just looked at her with an unamused, half-lidded stare. "B-Barry," she squeaked out, the falsetto now gone. After a moment of silence, she hanged her head, realizing the jig was up, and looked Doreen in the eyes. "M-my name is a-actually... Marigold."

Doreen's tail started to wag as her frown broke into a happy smile. "See? That wasn't so hard, now was it?"

"... I g-guess not," Marigold said, gulping audibly.

"Now, mind tellin' me why you tried ta claim y'all were a boy?"

"... B-because p-people always said b-bad things happen to girls when they go into the 'system'," Marigold said.

"I promise that nothin's gunna happen ta ya so long as I'm around, Miss Marigold. Ya can count on that," Doreen said with a wag of her tail. "Now, how old are ya?"

"... 18."

Doreen sighed and just silently sat there, staring at the girl. Marigold fidgeted and squirmed before sighing.

"I j-just turned 12," she said, now a look of pleading in her eyes. "P-please don't p-put me in the system! I can take care of myself!"

"Oh, can ya now?" Doreen asked, pointedly looking to the bandage wrapped around the girl's calf. "'Cause according ta the doctor, that little injury there was close ta becomin' infected. And also, from the tests they ran, yer pretty underweight. How long were you out in the woods?"

"Uh... m-maybe a month?"

"And ya were by yerself that whole time?"

Marigold just nodded silently at that, a couple silent tears streaming down her pale cheeks. The sight hurt the she-wolf's heart. Looking at the vulnerable, frightened young girl sitting there, Doreen couldn't help thinking about her own girls. The idea of any one of them, being left alone at such a young age, to fend for themselves in the wilderness, made Doreen want to howl in anger and sorrow.

"Where are yer parents?" Doreen asked. Seeing how the girl began to hyperventilate at that question, once she calmed back down, the she-wolf decided to hold off on questioning further in that area for the time being. Noticing how the girl kept nodding off, Doreen smiled.

"Ya know, yer not the first of yer species I've encountered," Doreen said, taking note of the look of worry in the girl's eyes.

"I-I'm not?"

"Nope. My daughter and her mate actually adopted a group of pups not too long ago, and the youngest, my little grandson Leon, is one of yer species. And he's just the sweetest little guy. But the thing of it is... he doesn't know what yer species is called, and no one we've been askin' seems to have encountered anyone like y'all before either. So I was wonderin' iffin' you could tell me what yer species' name is?"

"... H-human," Marigold said in a faint voice, looking very confused.

"Uman? Mind spellin' that fer me?" Marigold did, after stifling a yawn.

"Okay, you've answered enough questions so far, missy. Right now it looks ta me like you could use some shuteye," Doreen said. While her mate Addy was the more emotional and nurturing of their tithing, she still had mothering skills she had developed after raising seven pups. The older she-wolf gently took the blanket and pulled it up over Marigold. The furless young mammal seemed surprised at first, before letting out a big yawn and laying down.

"Uhm... th-thank you, sheriff," Marigold said in a sleepy voice.

"Yer welcome, Marigold. Now, we'll be nearby if ya need us. I promise, ya ain't gunna be alone anymore," Doreen said softly as she exited the room. Walking out into the waiting area, she had to hold back a snort. She saw Yuki sitting with her arms crossed, looking annoyed, with a large quartz crystal sitting on her head. Right next to her was Undine, who was slowly waving another, smaller crystal, looking like an amethyst, around Yuki's head.

"This will align your chakras and help alleviate some of that stress I am sensing coming off you, Yuke." Doreen held back a chuckle at the sight of her daughters, the two younger black she-wolves oblivious to their mother's amusement. It was while looking around that Doreen spotted just the russet-and gray-colored she-wolf she was looking for, currently talking on her phone.

"Zelda," Doreen said, getting her attention. Zelda saw that her mother was motioning for her to follow, so she made quick work of hanging up and entering an empty room right behind Doreen. With the door closed, the white wolf looked upon her daughter with a smile on her muzzle.

"So what's happenin' with the girl, Ma?" Zelda asked.

"Well, that's what I wanted ta talk to ya about, Hun," Doreen started, a sly smile on her muzzle. "See, as ya can tell, she's had a bit of a rough go o' thangs, and is now all alone. And I personally hate the idea of her just goin' ta some foster home where she will be the only known member of her species. And, what's more, Vera and Don haven't been able to uncover any information about Leon's species, so it wouldn't really be a benefit fer anyone fer the poor gal ta just be shipped off to who knows where and surrounded by strangers. At least here we've been able to build a rapport..."

At that, Zelda's ears perked up and her tail started to wag. "So you and Pa are gunna take her in!"

Doreen chuckled at that. "Well, I'm sure Addy would be more than happy ta. But, we're makin' some... alterations at the ranch."

"So Don and Vera then?"

"I'd be willin' ta bet good money that they'd be willin' ta as well, but with the new pups 'n all, they don't really got that much space..."

"But, then, who else? Yuki and Adamo have barely enough time fer themselves over in Seaotter, and... wait a sec, Ma. Hold the phone!"

"What? You and Varun have that big 'ol house all ta yerselves, plus I know that Addy would just love to have another grandpup nearby ta dote on and spoil."

"Yeah, but," Zelda said, now looking thoughtful.

"Plus she's gunna need some stability with a good, permanent home. And you and Varun said ya were both talkin' 'bout adoptin'."

"... I'll have ta talk with Varun about this first," Zelda said, sounding like her mind was elsewhere, her tail starting to wag. Doreen bit down on a smirk, knowing that her daughter had already been sold on the idea.

"Absolutely! You go on and think what I said over and talk to yer mate." Doreen watched Zelda head out the door to look for the large tiger, and waited until she was out of earshot before pulling out her phone. Tapping on it, she dialed up a number. The other end rang a few times before it was picked up.

"Hey, Xena, I'm so sorry, Sweetheart, I know ya and Melly are enjoyin' some much needed R and R, but Zelda and Varun really need yer help right now. See, they decided ta become foster parents. Yes, that's right, the pup we found in the woods."

Elsewhere in the hospital, Zelda had found her mate sitting with the other Hunter boys (as they like to call themselves), with Tarin having been sitting on his head. Seeing his mate wanting a word alone, he had plucked the black-furred fox tod off his head, and instead deposited the small canid onto the head of a certain hyena.

"Hey! My head ain't no jungle-gym!" Adamo barked out in his Barx accent. Varun chuckled as he walked off so he and Zelda could speak. Of all the things he had been expecting, what came out of his she-wolf's mouth was not one of them.

"You want us to become foster parents to that poor girl?" he asked, scratching his chin.

"I know it's sudden, but we need ta act now! She needs stability and Ma and Pa can't provide it 'cause... well, Ma didn't elaborate as ta why she and Pa can't do it, but the point still stands!"

"Hmm," Varun looked to be deep in thought as Zelda continued.

"Plus, Don and Vera need all the help they can get in understanding all they can about Leon's species. And on top of that we've both agreed that we want to adopt. Granted, we thought about getting a feline or a canid child, but I think we could provide an excellent home for her and--"

"I agree," Varun said, his deep and soft voice cutting off the she-wolf mid-explanation.

"... Huh?" Zelda was stunned.

Varun chuffed happily and smiled at his mate, his tail swishing as he wrapped his powerful arms around her waist, making her blush as he nuzzled the top of her head.

"I'll admit I'm a little nervous about becoming a father, even a foster father. But... I like the idea of opening our home to the poor girl. And with Mama and Papa Hunter being nearby, it's not like we would be truly on our own."

Zelda's tail became a blur of joy, fighting back the urge to howl in pure excitement. She had been warned twice before if she did so in the hospital again that she would be given a fine. "I know we're probably gunna have ta take it slow... but I'm just so excited at the idea! Us, having a daughter!" The two shared a long and passionate kiss.

* * *

Morning sunlight cascaded through the bedroom window, bathing everything it touched in a warm golden glow. This included the cuddled up forms of Vera and Don, the former of which was practically encircling the latter with her body. Slowly, the two began to stir. Don's eyes fluttered open as he buried his face in his mate's neck ruff, while Vera affectionately nuzzled his head floof.

"Mornin', Floofy," Vera said with a smile, her tail thumping the bed.

"Good morning, Puppy," Don replied with a yawn and a smile.

Vera looked her mate over as she stretched a little. "Ya had the dream again, didn't'cha?"

The ram winced and nodded. "Y-yes, but instead of it just being Diana and my m-mother, there were also what I think my subconscious decided were what adult humans looked like for my dream. Only instead of looking more like Marigold or just a taller Leon, they had long gangly arms with many different joints, and could unhinge their jaws. And they kept trying to take Leon away with them." Don shuddered at the memory of the dream, feeling comfort from Vera gently pulling him closer.

"Hey, now, that's never gunna happen, Darlin'," Vera said, looking Don in the eye. "Leon, just like his brother and sister, is our pup, and no one is gunna take any of them from us."

"I know, Puppy Love... but a part of me just can't stop worrying."

"That's just you being a good dad." Vera smiled and kissed her ram on his nose, making him blush and let out a happy bleat. Don snickered and reached up into Vera's ruff, easily finding the spot he was looking for and scratching it. Vera's right leg immediately started to twitch as her tongue lolled out and she rolled over, unable to stop herself. Don stopped when he heard some giggling coming from their bedroom door. Vera's ears twitching at the sound, the two turned to look and saw their children poking their heads through, only to suddenly dart back out having been caught.

"Am I correct to believe that some little lambs decided to peek in on Mommy and Daddy this morning?" Don called out with a smile on his muzzle. There were some giggles outside the door, before the children apparently composed themselves, and opened it properly. In they came, with Alex in the lead carrying a tray with food on it, followed close behind by Tiffany, who was cuddling her new wolf plush named Mrs. Sniffy, and Leon, who was carrying a relaxing Sir Callibrie in his arms, the little lizard looking about and letting out a content chirp. The children were still all in their pj's, Alex in his soccer-themed pajamas, Tiffany in her yellow nightgown, and Leon wearing his much-too-large for him black Samurai Snakes t-shirt over gray pajama bottoms.

"Happy birthday, Daddy!" the little human boy called out in excitement.

"Uh... w-we thought you might like breakfast in bed?" Alex said, looking away and trying to sound casual, but his perked up ears and slowly wagging tail were a dead giveaway for his anticipation. Don let out a coo at the cuteness before him as Vera chuckled and the two disentangled to allow the children to approach.

"Well now, that sounds so thoughtful," the ram said, grabbing his glasses from the bedside table and putting them on. Alex carefully, but quickly walked over to set the tray down in front of Don. "Now, what do we have here? Oh! Why, is that a fruit salad I spy?" Seeing Alex blush beneath his dark fur while looking away was a dead giveaway to Don. "Do I have you to thank for this thoughtful and tasty-looking salad, Alex?"

"Uh... w-well... yeah," Alex smiled as Don took a few bits of the cubed honeydew and mango, popping a strawberry in his mouth as well.

"It's delicious, thank you, Alex," Don said, leaning over and pulling his oldest son into a hug. The young wolf let out a surprised yip, but was quick to return the hug, now blushing more.

"And what's this little treat here?" Vera asked, pointing to two pieces of toast that appeared to have some kind of black frosting spread over them, with a white face drawn on, and plenty of black and white and purple sprinkles.

"I made Pirate Toast!" Leon said proudly, setting a squirming Sir Callibrie down on the bed, who darted over to Dawn and up his arm, coming to rest on his head floof, curling up to relax once again.

"Pirate Toast? Now that sounds adventurous," Don said, picking up a slice. "Did you design them to look like little pirate flags?" He smiled when Leon proudly nodded. "You are such a little artist! They look just like the real thing... only toastier!" That got a giggle from the lambs.

"I used the vanilla cake frosting I found in the cupboard, and didja know that if you mix the red, green, and blue food colorings together in it, it turns black?"

"I certainly didn't," Vera said, scooping Leon and Tiffany into her arms and setting them on her lap, her tail thumping. "What else is in it?"

"Well, I also added some sprinkles I found," Leon said as Don took a big bite of his toast, "and some red glitter!" Don froze at that, immediately feeling the tiny pieces of decorative plastic in his mouth. Vera looked to be holding back a snicker while Don continued to chew his bite, giving it a swallow while Leon looked on with joy in his eyes.

"Ah, so you did. Well... that is truly delicious, buddy, thank you." Don was quick to grab the glass of cloudy dark liquid and take a sip. It had a sweet, citrusy taste to it. "Oh my, this is lovely. What is this juice?"

"I made you Outer Space Juice, Daddy!" Tiffany squeaked.

"Now what's all in Outer Space Juice, sweetie-pie?" Vera asked, looking down at the ewe in her lap. Tiffany gazed back up at her mother with a bright smile.

"It's cranberry juice with the powdered orange drink for Astronauts mixed in! Though I wanted to pour some Deep Space Cocoa Spheres in, Alex said not to." Tiffany was very matter-of-factly about her response, letting out a giggle when Vera gave both her and her little brother a loving squeeze.

"We can make some more juice and fruit salads and pirate toast for everybody," Leon chimed in, prompting Vera to stand up, setting the two of her younger pups on her shoulders.

"Why don't I come down and help y'all with that, honey?"

"'Kay, Mommy!" Leon reached over and wrapped his little arms around her neck. The she-wolf's tail started to wag while she looked at her mate and gave him a wink. Don looked relieved as, with Leon watching, he hesitantly took another bite of the pirate toast. With the younger lambs now out of the room and down the stairs, Don sighed with relief and let out a chuckle. He then looked over to Alex, who was shuffling uncomfortably on his paws.

"Something wrong, Alex?" Don asked.

"Uh... I guess while I was busy keeping the cereal out of the juice, I musta missed Leon getting the glitter... sorry," Alex said, only to find himself being hugged again.

"There's nothing to apologize for, son," Don said with a warm and gentle smile. "That was a lovely breakfast."

Down in the kitchen, Leon was in the middle of making up some more batches of pirate toast, with Vera 'making sure thangs ran smoothly'. When Leon wasn't looking, she grabbed the jar of glitter and dumped it down the sink drain.

"Aw, shucks, honey," Vera said, feigning disappointment. "It looks like we're all out of glitter."

"Awww! But pirate toast needs glitter!" Leon looked contemplative. "I guess I'll just have to borrow some of Tiffany's glitter glue in a little bit."

Vera left Leon at the counter and took the little ewe who had been mixing some more glasses of juice together aside, leaning down to whisper in her ear. "Alright, darlin', I'll give ya five bucks if ya can hide the glitter glue in yer room from Leon."

"Why, Mommy?" Tiffany whispered back.

"Uh... th-there's a glitter shortage and we need ta preserve as much as we can?"

"I'm on it!" Tiffany said, quickly running off.

"Where'd Tiffany go?" Leon asked, looking up at Vera with wide blue eyes.

"Er... she went ta go see if she can get ya that glitter glue ya mentioned. But she thinks it might be lost."

"Oh no!" Leon whined in disappointment. Vera was quick to wrap a loving arm around his shoulders.

"It's okay, sugar-pie! Pirate toast can still be great even iffin' we're outta glitter of any kind." She kissed the top of his headfur, making her little boy giggle.

"Okay, Mommy!" And with that, Leon dove right back into it, using some of the frosting he had separated and not added any food coloring to it to draw the skull and crossbones on the toast.

* * *

The sun had just dipped below the horizon, the twilight slowly giving way to the growing dark. Varun sat leaning up against a tree, looking at the first twinkling stars beginning to show, letting out a contented sigh. The large tiger's ears twitched at the sound of approaching footsteps. His tail swished as he smiled at his mate sidling up next to him. Varun slipped an arm around Zelda's waist as she leaned into his powerful frame.

"Yer just so sweet with Marigold!" Zelda said, her tail a happy blur. "She looked like she was havin' a lot of fun playin' catch!" She thought back to how nervous their foster pup had been when they'd first brought her home, always walking on eggshells around the two of them. It had broken her heart how often the girl would flinch whenever someone spoke to her.

"It did seem to help her come out of her shell a bit," Varun chuckled. "I'm actually thinking about teaching her how to play baseball. We've got a bat in addition to the gloves."

"That's a wonderful idea!" Zelda felt like she could howl. "I just love havin' a little girl ta dote on and do Mother-Daughter thangs with!"

Varun chuckled. He had found Zelda's adoration of Marigold adorable, especially since the girl didn't seem to have had any positive female role models, at least based on how much she went out of her way to try and please Zelda. He had found that the girl had seemed especially nervous around him at first, though Varun had taken the initiative to help break the ice by playing some games with her. She had seemed very confused about how the Z-Box One worked as well as video games as a whole, but starting with a simple game of catch, he had found the young girl had started to open up.

"I never took you for much of a girly-girl," Varun teased, kissing Zelda's nose. She rolled her eyes and waved a dismissive paw.

"Oh hush. I'm just as feminine as the next gal. It's just that li'l Marigold desperately needs some TLC and somethin' we could both bond over."

"Like dress shopping?" Varun chuckled, taking note of the light green sundress his mate was wearing, and how it was a similar shade of green as their uniform shirts. Zelda just rolled her eyes.

"We were out in town today and I saw her lookin' in the display windows. 'Course I took her inside so we could find somethin' she'd like... the fact that she and I got matchin' dresses, the exception bein' hers needed to be tailored a bit so that it didn't have a tail hole in the back, was just a happy coincidence." Zelda blushed a little, though her tail continued to wag. Varun let out a happy chuff, and held her tighter.

"Of course, my love," he said, looking around. "Where is Marigold, anyway?"

"Oh, she said she was feelin' a little worn from the day, what with goin' out with me, and then that cute little pie caper Leon went and solved," Zelda said with a slight giggle. "I still can't believe that Tarin tried to frame that cute li'l lizard of Leon's... or how well he figured it all out."

"Mama Doreen certainly seemed excited by his detective work."

"Don't let Vera hear ya say that," Zelda giggled, "she's so worried that Ma will try and push policin' on him that she's tryin' ta clamp down on anythang of the sort around her pups."

Varun looked off in the distance, stiffening suddenly. "Zelda, you said that Marigold was going to rest, correct?"

"Yeah, why darlin'?" Zelda asked, confused.

"Because I just saw her climbing out of her bedroom window with that little case in her arms, running off into the forest," Varun said simply.

"What?!" Zelda jerked around and, sure enough, she could just make out a figure running away from their house and deeper into the trees. Without a work, she grabbed her mate's paw, and started to drag him through the trees after them. "Somethin's gotta be wrong! And what if she hurts herself again like when we first found her?!"

"My love, please try and calm down, I'm sure that everything's fine," Varun said in an attempt to reassure his mate, but with a pit of worry forming in his own gut regardless. They stopped not too far from their house, near the edge of a small clearing with a stump near the center. Varun and Zelda were hiding behind a tree as Marigold was looking around, a worried expression on her face. She was still wearing the same green sundress from earlier, it taking on an ethereal glow in the fading twilight as the light of the full moon was beginning to shine. All around, fireflies were starting to take flight.

"We gotta be quiet, or else she'll hear us," Zelda said from where she was crouched.

"So whatcha think she's up to?" Tarin asked, poking his head up from a bush to Zelda's left.

"I'm not really sure yet, we just saw her runnin' off and... Tarin? What're ya doin' here?" Zelda asked, looking down at the black-furred fox tod who was smiling casually back up at her.

"I saw you both running off into the woods and decided ta see what was happening. I figured that it might be something fun."

Zelda rolled her eyes while Varun had to choke down a chuckle at the antics of his unofficial brother, as all the 'Hunter Boys' liked to think of themselves.

"Tarin, ya ain't s'posed ta be here, now git!" Zelda hissed.

"Who ain't s'posed ta be here?" Tyra asked. The arctic she-wolf scooped up her mate and set him on her shoulders.

"T-Tyra?!"

"What? I saw my cute little ball of fluff run off inta the woods, naturally I'd follow him," Tyra said as Tarin rested his head on hers.

"Sounds ta me like youse was thinkin' of maybe gettin' up ta somethin' naughty out here in da woods, away from where anybody could see or hear yas," Adamo said, stepping from behind a tree, the male hyena grinning with a toothpick in his mouth.

"Adamo?!" Zelda clapped a paw to her forehead. Removing it, she saw Yuki standing there, trying to look bored.

"We were makin' out when ya two started yappin' about Zelda bein' a girly-girl and then heard ya decide ta chase after Marigold," the black she-wolf growled as Adamo squeezed her side.

"Yeah, and we wanted ta make sure dat youse wasn't gunna go and invade that goil's proivacy," Adamo said, looking pointedly at Zelda, whol was wringing her paws.

"I thought that she might be tryin' ta run away or somethin'... I just wanted ta make sure she was safe! That's my puppy after all!" Zelda blushed, clearly flustered. Adamo pulled her into a hug to comfort her.

"She was probably drawn to this spot thanks to all the positive energies that emanate from it," Undine's voice could be heard up above. Looking up, everyone saw her sitting on a tree branch with Melvin laying in her lap.

"It is a pretty peaceful spot," the male honey badger said, looking up at the stars through the canopy. He was holding a bowl of popcorn in his claws.

"What, did a memo go out or somethin'?!" Zelda asked, exasperated.

"Now now, sweetie," Adrian said, inexplicably standing next to a very surprised Adamo and Yuki, with an embarrassed-looking Doreen standing next to her. "As it just so happens, this here spot is a favorite fer yer Ma and me fer our little picnics."

"Well, they start out as picnics," Doreen said, wrapping her arms around Adrian's waist, making the older gray wolf wag his tail and chuckle.

"Ma! We didn't need ta hear 'bout that!" Vera said from right next to Zelda, making the auburn she-wolf whip around. She saw Don perched on his mate's shoulders.

"Okay, is everyone we know here in the woods tonight?!" Zelda demanded. Right then, as if on cue, Gareth tumbled to the ground nearby, Winnie in his arms, Xena and Melanie tangled up in the gangly giraffe's legs.

"Oi! You two! What's the big idea about scamperin' in between me legs?!"

"It wasn't our fault that you didn't look where you were walking," Xena pointed out, adjusting her glasses. Standing up and brushing herself off, she reached down and scooped Melanie up into her arms, the two kissing. "Are you alright, Butterball?"

"I'm just fine, Fluffytail," Melanie said, putting her arms around her mate's neck, all the while Winnie was helping her own mate to his shakey hooves.

"No need to fret over me, love," Gareth said, leaning his head and neck down to smile at the she-wolf he was lucky to have found.

"Hey, that just seemed like a nasty fall, that's all," Winnie said, her tail swishing.

"Can y'all just keep it down! I'm amazed that Marigold hasn't heard all y'all!" Zelda quietly snapped. Everyone grew silent at that, and looked out into the clearing. Marigold was kneeling next to the stump, where she had set her case down on it and opened it. From inside, she pulled out a photograph.

"Hey, Ryan," they could hear the girl's soft voice float over on the gentle breeze. "I just... I remembered that today is... was... your birthday... and I just wanted to let you know that I'm keeping my promise." Her voice hitched a little, but she composed herself. "I'm still moving forward, b-big brother... I m-miss you so much." She wiped a tear from her cheek, before she stood up and pulled out a well-cared for violin from inside the case. She tested the strings to make sure they were in tune before taking a stance.

"Happy birthday, Ryan," she said, raising the bow to the strings. Then, she began to play. As the tune began to ring out gently in the clearing, sounding like a bouncy and fun folk tune, Marigold began to sway and twirl, spinning on her feet. As the music picked up the pace, but the tone became something more melancholic, Zelda realized that not only was Marigold skilled at playing her fiddle, but she also had some training in ballet. With each new song, the girl would dance and pirouette, leap and spin-turn, and perform other moves that Zelda didn't know the names of. She and the rest of the family watched, entranced and silent, at this little concert that the newest addition to their family was putting on, for her brother who, most of them guessed based on what they had overheard, was no longer alive. The full weight of what this moment must represent to her foster daughter suddenly hit Zelda, just as Marigold seemed to be slowing down in both the dancing and her playing.

"S-sweet sawgrass," Zelda said as Marigold seemed to be finishing on a long, mournful note. "W-we all can't let her know we saw this!"

"Truly a great invasion of her privacy," Xena mused, only to suddenly be pushed by Zelda.

"Enough musin', we gotta move, now," she barked as quietly as she could. Everyone started to head back the way they had all come, when there was a sudden loud CLICK. Turning, they all saw that Marigold had returned everything to her case and snapped the latch shut. She got up and proceeded to walk back to the house... which was in the same direction everyone in the family sans Vera and Don's pups were in at that moment. Scrambling, the Hunters and their mates ran through the trees and underbrush, avoiding the scant trail like the plague. Everyone darted around to the other side of Zelda and Varun's house. Varun stealthily peeked out from around the corner, watching as Marigold was looking all around, before trying to stealthily climb back in through her bedroom window. A few very loud thumps later, and she was back inside, none the wiser. Varun released the breath he had no idea he had been holding, all the while Zelda was making everyone swear that they wouldn't say a thing to Marigold about this.

"B-but," Undine whined, holding up her camera, "it was so in line with the natural energies of the clearing! Folks would be so energized and helped by seeing the video I took of it!

And here it is! The peek into the genderswapped AU of Found! I might do another in the future, but holy crap did this one take a bit of time! I hope everyone is having a great summer!

[writingwrittenwriting]

Damn, I was nervous. Only a first year at the academy, but this was the academy. I'd graduated from a regular academy already, proven my magical abilities and talents. Finally after years of studying my ass off, I qualified for the adult academy of advanced licensed magical techniques. Barely 5 percent of the magically capable population earned the privilege of attending ALMT, even less graduated. Today was initiation. We'd be able to keep our summoned companions even if we flunked out, but our familiars would dictate what subsections of magic we'd be taught in.

Everyone was supposed to summon their familiars today. I'd never seen such a wide variety of familiars in one place, but then again I'd never been anywhere where people with familiars would be. That weird guy, Kirk, was really happy with his Scarab. Apparently that's what his grandfather had gotten too, and they were both obsessed with Egyptian magics, a very niche interest. I was pretty happy for him. Insect familiars were pretty common, but scarabs had ancient religious connotations and would likely get him quite a few great choices of study.

Those who got small furry animals would likely be enrolled in animal and wildlife magics, maybe healing magics, or if their grades were high enough, elemental magic. Elemental magic could be used for so much, so it wasn't a failure, but people always had big dreams of summoning something fantastic as a familiar. They'd always find themselves happy with what they summoned, find that the great spirits knew exactly what they needed. But the dreams of summoning something exotic and magical were deeply ingrained as kids.

Eric was the first to get something other than a bug or a small mammal. It'd be toning it down to say he was ecstatic with his four foot long salamander, the coolest familiar so far. A shining black with bright blue and yellow stripes, deadly and probably poisonous to all but him. He'd likely qualify for a mix of demonic studies and elemental magic with a summon like that. He was basking in the attention; until Francesca summoned a lion. Traditionally the familiar of the gods magic and noble studies. People began losing their shit, certain their familiar would be even better. After all, the summons were only getting better as the day wore on!

Students still buzzing over the lion, I started to feel nerves ball in the pit of my stomach. There were so many factors to what decided a persons familiar. Most familiars were more common to the summoners home country, where they were raised. Their family lineage, hidden strengths. Francesca grew up in Scotland. As far as I knew, there weren't Lions there... She was the first of her documented family to reach the stage of summoning a familiar, showed no interest in the magic of gods... If she could summon something that seemed so unsuited to her, what would I end up with?

Now I was panicking, what if what I summoned was a let down? The coolest familiar to beat was a lion. I wasn't special, I'd likely get a rat or a frog. My turn was next, and eyes were turning to me. Ready to watch the ceremony. My supervisor, Mrs. Palejah was coming to me now. My hands were shaking, I could barely hold my little summoning box, so I set it down on the table in front of myself. There would be no more waiting, I was the last in my class to call my familiar.

Certain everyone else bought their fancy, high-quality summoning boxes, I felt awkward with my home made one. Everyone had taken the time to fill their boxes with things connected to them. The spell list suggested hair, baby teeth, childhood toys, important memorabilia. Things that defined you as a person. But people would cheat on their summoning boxes, specialty shops sold little packs of "boosters" to help summon more powerful familiars. Packets of semi precious stones, medicinal herbs, ancient coins. People would stuff their boxes with the most impressive things they could buy, with loose reasons why the items suited them.

I had carved my box myself, and hoped it would have a good effect on the summoning. I spent a handful of years on it, dreaming I'd make it into the academy. When I started on it, my first day of high school, I needed something to funnel my stress into. A project to channel all my explosive energy. I carefully learned to carve swirling curves like clouds and waves into it. Carving hadn't been enough, I had more energy to pour into it. So I painted it, swirling colours, elaborate dots, rich gradients, veins of gold lines. It still wasn't enough, so I carved little holes into it and used tree resins I gathered myself to stick some of my favourite stones to it.

I collect stones, I've got a lot of really nice ones. I didn't want to lose them forever, but I figured that using things I really treasured would help. Looking at the box now, shining dully in the candlelight, I felt like I'd made the right choice. I travelled a lot in my teenage years with my family, so I'd been in places to find many interesting rocks. Different types of quartz, rose, smoky, citrine, tourmalinated. Sparkly rocks always filled me with excitement.

I researched the properties of stones as well. Adding amethyst, a guide for the third eye and a stabilizing anchor of sanity. Amethyst was supposed to absorb and neutralize negative energy, my room was full of them. Fuchsite to hold love and compassion, helping relaxation and encouraging peaceful energy. Jasper, another one that absorbed and neutralized bad energy, replacing it with peace and balancing aura's. Turquoise, more healing and balancing. Obsidian, a stone of strength... And absorbing and neutralizing bad energy. It also blocks psychic attacks and encourages growth. And finally moonstone, another third eye, but a stone of new beginnings as well. Meant to sooth emotional instability, stabilizing emotions. All of the stones meant to keep calm, fix emotions, and be strong.

Using pretty stones and those that promoted emotional wellness seemed limiting however. So I used my most financially valuable stones too. My raw garnet chunks, my uncut cloudy opals, my prized uncut diamond. Expensive things that I truly treasured. I needed things that connected to me in other ways than stones however. I'd included the regularly suggested pieces. A lock of hair from my first hair cut. (Much to my mothers dismay) Baby teeth, my first earrings, my first love note (Undelivered) and my first pocket knife... I felt like I'd put more thought into my stones than myself.

So I had a little back up packet in my robe. Things I wasn't certain I wanted to lose, but things I knew would help in the summoning. My great grandfathers sapphire ring, given to me by my father on his death bed. A letter from my grandmother encouraging me and praising my strength for fighting through my first depressive episode when I got diagnosed bi-polar. My mothers wedding ring, which she gave me when they divorced. All precious things I didn't want to lose. Things precious to my soul.

My heart ached, knowing I would never see these items again. Summoning my familiar would need this. I packed the last minute additions to the box and took a deep breath. I could do this. Mrs Palejah summoned the circle of powdered sulphur, lines of geometric shapes burning within it and beneath my feet.

"Hold your summoning box to your heart and recite the incantation you chose." She instructed me, to which I complied. Another deep breath, I closed my eyes so the crowd wouldn't make me nervous.

"Heart of truthful lies, tell me your forgotten lore. Speak of secrets unknown. You may carve these into my soul. Into the stone of myself, my reality. Grace me with a teacher, a friend, and companion"

I'd translated the words myself, from the traditional tongues of magic to modern speak. I knew if I used the original words, I would fumble and speak them wrong. There was no rule against translating, and I had tested the minor spells I was allowed to use. The translated verses still worked. Still, Mrs Palejah stared in shock at me. Her frown was telling, she was about to tell me off for not using the proper tongue... Then the circle exploded in light, stretching wider and pushing everyone away. It hadn't done that for anyone else. Lines pulsed and shifted, moving and reshaping until they seemed to find their place. The floor sizzled where the lines burnt into the granite, and light swirled in a rainbow until it all crashed down.

The man standing there looked to be middle aged, his hair in fine braids that extended down to the floor, covered in gold beads and bands. His eyes nearly glowed the colour of light shining through a bottle of whisky. His skin dark as obsidian but gleaming as though brushed in topaz coloured dust. Claws of gold moved gracefully with his hand as it moved to grasp his smooth shaven chin in thought.

"Well now, how long it has been since I've been summoned? Have the words been lost? So many great sorcerers once vied to gain my patronage, and now I stand before a mere fledgling who shakes in their boots. Hah! How amusing."

Shock had stunned everyone, no one was moving. However, I always felt in a state of panic. Handling a situation while in a panic was normal. First matter of business wasn't greetings however. This man was standing there perfectly naked. Granted no one here was under the age of 20, but no one likes unsolicited nudity. I slipped my ceremonial robe off and swiftly rushed him into it. Thankfully he found it amusing, and let his arms be brought through the sleeves. I tied it around his waist, barely, and sighed in relief.

Mrs. Palejah must have found her tongue, as she spoke up in a shrill screech.

"Vio, what in blue blazes have you just summoned???" My new familiar frowned at her shrieking, turning to glare at her.

"My title is Auryn, though you may call me sir." He addressed her in a cold unpleasant tone, displeased with her pitch. I felt the blood leaving my face, he'd just told my teacher to call him sir, I was dead.

"I may not dwell upon these lands, but you are truly incompetent to not know of me. A powerful golden dragon, the golden dragon enslaved to the sorcerers of your world to teach them the secrets of true magic. Though this is admittedly the first time I've been summoned in my human form, such an abnormality." He practically purred his words, pleased with himself. I felt ready to puke. This arrogant... dragon? Was my familiar. I guess I won the coolest familiar award.... But I feared I'd be kicked out from the program if he continued to insult my teacher.

"Uhm, Mr. Auryn, may I please... uhm... calm down please sir. We'll figure this out. I don't wish to enslave you. I just filled my summoning box with things that meant something to me and-"

He stared down at me, raising his brows. Well shaped and tipped in gold, how strange.

"You just happened to stumbled upon the correct words, and use the correct stones, to summon me?" I couldn't tell if he was amused, annoyed, or if he thought me a liar. I shied back, biting my lip and nervously reaching for the beads on my wrist. Seeing this, he softened himself.

"You just happened upon it... Allow me to check." Somehow, he summoned the box. I thought it destroyed in the summoning! He opened it and dug through it, looking at the item.

"It's a beautiful piece of work. And the samples you used... All of them are aesthetically lovely. You simply wished to give the best to your familiar, didn't you?" In a puff of golden flame, it disappeared from his hands. stepping towards me, he broke the spell apparently and everyone started talking. Cringing into myself, I looked down and shifted.

"The stones you used, they aren't the ones that normally summon me. You summoned me for something other than my power."

"I collect stones, they're important to me. I wanted to use ones that symbolized-" He held up his hand.

"I know what they symbolize. You needn't explain in front of the crowd, my dear." Sighing in relief, I looked around and felt myself tense up once again.

"This is... a little overwhelming. I have a feeling the dean is going to want to talk to us both." Mrs Palejah tried to speak up, but he growled at her. Oh shit, I was fucked.

"I dislike being surrounded by so many, let us abscond to your room. We may use the opportunity to sort through our new bond before you're interrogated." A thought flashed through my mind. He was... taking care of me? Mindful of my fear and discomfort, he wanted to remove me from the situation and give me a chance to relax and recover my thoughts.

I nodded to him, I was already in trouble from his remarks to my teacher, I might as well flee.

"I'd like that." To my continued surprise, he held his hand out to me.

"Come along, I know the way."

During the annual Familiar summoning course for first year students at the magic academy, some students end up with creatures like Beetles to bunnies to even a lion, you on the other hand wound up summoning an Arch-Dragon in his human form

[merrilywereadoutofline]

Beastars Review (Manga)

Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️

Note: I am not a furry I’m just a big fan of Paru Itagaki’s art style and I have big opinions on just the main characters TT

WARNINGS! Mentions: violence, sexual activities and relations, and main character syndrome.

And of course spoilers!

Despite the memes and huge online discourse on Beastars being the version of Zootopia you do not want to show your kids and whether or not it is exactly like Zootopia - during it’s first season of the anime adaptation (by Mappa) released in 2020 - I can confirm it is exactly as the memes say; an adult version of Zootopia. (Got no clue if it's a good thing or not but it's a true thing).

To keep it short, Beastars follows Legoshi, a grey wolf who’s apart of the drama club who develops a romantic and carnivorous interest in the promiscuous bunny Haru. The series follows the two as their romance blossoms in a society where carnivores and herbivores mustn’t interact with each other and keep to their respective species. As the series progresses, the two find themselves discovering things about themselves and the society around them as Legoshi battles to distinguish if his feelings for Haru are sexual, romantic or primal, and Haru finds power and dominance as a small mammal in a world of large mammals, outside of her sexuality.

Besides being a fan of the charming art style, I really liked how different each and every character was.. except for Legoshi. The main problem I had with his character was how often at times he seemed like a plain and boring character. Though he is the main character and I guess with room for self insert, his personality seemed too reminiscent of the edgy, plain-jane male character of rom-com manga/anime series with a male audience in mind. Examples of these kind of archetypes are the main characters in sword art online, my dress up darling, kanojo mo kanojo, quintessential quintuplets (tbh the list can go on for ages lol). This wasn’t such a huge problem in the first 50 or so chapters however, when the manga definitely went down the action route, when Louis joined the gang and Legoshi became an apprentice to Gohin, Legoshi’s character was a little lame and repetitive. Especially since by then we were being reminded almost 24/7 that Legoshi loves herbivores but is unsure if it’s because he wants to be friends or if it was a “kink” of his (could be translation issues but it was still a weird way to put it regardless). This was also a problem in other crucial moments such as his conversation with Jack in regards to carnivores and Legoshi’s behaviour, he had absolutely no backbone and kind of sat there like a ragdoll. I felt that maybe if he had more backbone (especially in the introduction of Melon and the Melon arc), while still being gentle, I would have enjoyed his character way more.

This may be an unpopular opinion but I ended up liking Haru towards the end of the manga. Though it was difficult to understand her wishy washy feelings towards Legoshi and Louis, I enjoyed the way she expressed her dominance and independence as a smaller mammal and femininity through her sexuality. The negative attitudes towards her promiscuity really helped to sympathise with her character as the only way she's gained respect or seen as an equal is in a sexual setting with multiple partners at a time. Her shift in attitude and motivation to how she gained respect from others, especially males, when her relationship with Legoshi develops was done really well in my opinion and you can definitely see the positive impact it had on Haru and her relationships, not only with others but with herself as she began to love herself and gain more self respect (She definitely did not deserve the hate and being labelled as a "slut").

In terms of pacing, I loved the first arc, with the murder mystery at school as they try to discover who killed Tim, and the introduction to Legoshi's rivalry with Louis, and the love triangle between Legoshi, Haru and Louis. However the next arc, in my opinion was the worst one. It felt really random that Louis joined a Lion mafia gang like????? I understand it was Louis' act of rebellion against becoming the next Beastar and wanting to be more powerful against Carnivores despite being a deer but it felt a little unnecessary and random to be completely honest. Both reading and watching this arc made absolutely no sense to me and just felt like a weird spot in the whole Beastars series.

An arc I didn't like at first was the Melon arc (on my first read). However, I've grown to the arc and it's my favourite in the whole series. Melon was such an interesting character, and I loved the introduction of Hybrid characters among the "Carnivore vs. Herbivore" concept in the series that really changed the pacing of the manga and how we viewed this seemingly long standing separation between both species. Linked at the end of the blog is a subreddit that dives deeper into Melon, his character, the arc and also hybrids in the Beastars series and how they affect the society and those around them. My only problem with the hybrids was Legoshi being one himself. The backstory behind his mother and her hybrid was really good but it still felt a little unnecessary and just a ploy to make Legoshi somewhat interesting to his rom-com main character personality disease (I think this opinion is mostly bias towards that personality trope lmao).

Something to note is that I found the reading vs. watching experience to be really different for Beastars. I found Legoshi to be a little bit more likeable in the anime than the manga, but that could be because of the more fluid anime style. Furthermore, I prefer the way the characters looked in the manga in general (that's a pretty normal opinion anyways lmao). The anime made them look more human which could be a plus for some but I prefer their original looks in the manga as it's closer to Paru Itagaki's art style.

All in all, despite the issues that I personally had with the series, I still enjoyed the series and can't wait for the release of the third season to be released sometime this year. I don't understand how they plan to fit 100 chapters into a single season but hopefully Mappa won't disappoint.

If you've made it this far thank you for reading and this is just my opinion so don't take it as a critical review of anything!

Links: https://www.reddit.com/r/Beastars/comments/kuzp2v/defending_melons_father_twist/ (link to a deep dive on Melon and Hybrids)

[jawllines]

miss jaws !!!! pretty pls could you soon give us that witchrry catch up you promised us ???? 💟☹️

OH YES! IM SORRY HERE YOU GO

i.

“I do not like this form, human! Change me back at once!”

When Y/N said she wanted to try the spell that could give a familiar a human body for a little while, she really had not expected it to go over like this.

How she did imagine it was something cute and simple. She and Harry having nothing to do on a Saturday night bored out of their whits and looking for some mild entertainment. Y/N would remember that she’d seen this spell flipping through one of the books that her Nan sent her in the mail, she’d tell him they should try it, and Harry would agree, of course, because who didn’t want to see an animal as a human? It would be fun, they would get to see what Thumper and Oat would be like as something other than furry little mammals, and then they would change them back and that would be that.

However, when you’re a witch, things rarely go as planned or even think about being as easy. Maybe it was Y/N’s fault (it definitely was), but she had sort of jumped the gun on waiting for a Saturday night that she and Harry were both bored. Instead, on a Thursday night when Harry is supposed to come over after doing some business at one of the bars here, Y/N thought she should just go ahead and make the concoction now. That’s all it was -- some special herbs and mixes that the familiar would consume. She thought it would be easy to just make it, set up somewhere high that Thumper and Oat (who she watched while Harry was working) wouldn’t be able to reach it, and then surprise Harry with the fact that she had made it once he got back.

But of course, just as soon as she’s turned her back to get the lid for the bowl she’d made it in, she turns around to see Thumper with his face buried in the mix, “Hey!” She cried out, but it was already much too late; Thumper’s little nose twitched as it was covered in the pink substance, and there is a flash of light so blinding that Y/N has to close her eyes. When she opens them. . .well, she made the potion correctly. In the place of her grumpy little bunny there is a grumpy looking guy with his arms crossed and his brows furrowed. He had hair as white as Thumper’s fur, very dark colored eyes, and stark naked.

Y/N squealed, covering her eyes but before she could she saw him cover his ears, “Loud! Stop that!”

“I’m sorry,” she rushed to say, a little quieter, “Cover your -- cover your bits!”

“My what?” He sounded irritated, Y/N could only huff -- even if she hadn’t witnessed it happening, there would be no doubt in her mind that this attitude was coming from her bunny.

“The dangly thing between your legs,” she urges, “Cover it!”

There is a disgruntled sigh, “You are so rude! Why am I human? I want to be a bunny again!”

Y/N peeked her eyes open a little to make sure he had something over him, and she sees he’d settled with his hand, “Well if you would have just waited instead of sticking your nose in something that wasn’t yours, I could have explained what it was before you went and eat it! You’re such a naughty bunny.���

“I am not! You are a naughty witch. Who wants to be human anyway?” He plucked Oat up when had come around to sniff the bowl, “Don’t eat this Oat, it tastes like oranges, limes, and lemons all wrapped into one.”

Squinting, Y/N is about to scold him for being mean when the sound of a throat clearing drags their attention away from glaring at each other. He looks confused, his head tilted and his mouth had fallen open just slightly, “Who is the naked guy?” He inquired casually and said naked guy, turns his nose up at him.

“I am Thumper, can’t you see?” He sneered.

“Thumper, be nice!”

Harry hums low, “I could have sworn Thumper was about 60 centimeters tall and also a rabbit.”

“I made that -- the potion thingy, to give the familiar a human form, remember? And I was going to cover it and wait until you got home so that we could try it but someone immediately went over and started eating it!” Y/N looked back over to Thumper who is still scowling, and this is around the time he would usually stomp his foot then hop away to a different room. Seeing as he can’t hop, he stomps his foot and storms out of the room instead, still clutching Oat to his chest.

When they were out of the room, Y/N turned to face Harry with a deep pout on her mouth. He chuckled warmly, opening his arms for her, and she crosses the room to him quickly. She buries her face in his neck (he smelled like cold air and pine needles) and melts into the hug, “You’re silly, d’ya know that?” He rubbed up and down her back in large circles, “You know Thumper never minds his business when you make something that looks edible. And can I be honest? I really didn’t expect him to look. . .”

“Cute?” Y/N fills in for him, and Harry hums in agreement, “Yeah, I always imagined him as a grumpy old sod in his 70s, so you can say I’m also a little shocked.”

He laughs again, only this time he slipped away from her, looping his fingers around her wrist, “C’mon,” he murmured, “Let’s go see what they’re up to before he burns the flat down out of spite.”

. . .

As always, for some reason or another, Thumper takes better to Harry despite literally being Y/N’s familiar. He eventually calms down but only because Harry offered him the whole bag of carrot chips in the fridge, and asks him what he would like to watch on TV. When he choose animal planet, both Y/N and Harry hold back a snicker so they wouldn’t piss him off all over again. And despite not being happy about it, he does put on the boxers Harry gives him.

And like always, while Y/N and Harry are snuggled together on the couch watching the telly and waiting out for Thumper to relax enough to stop grumbling and grousing about how much this form stinks. He was always grumpy for a time but then relaxed after a while and usually crawled his way into Y/N or Harry’s lap to sleep. They figured he would alter it some since now he was about 160lbs at 6ft, but Thumper was not one to conform to anything with others in mind. If he wanted in a lap, he was getting in a lap, which is how Harry and Y/N both ended up with him stretched out across their thighs with his head resting on the couch pillow.

It was odd, but objectively, weirder things had happened.

He told them Oat didn’t want to be a human and kept her cuddled against him so he could “protect her from you rotten humans” and they both allowed it to happen, so she was snuggled up too. It was just a big cuddle pile, much how they usually are only with more human legs and arms than usual. Ultimately, he did calm down enough that they could pick his brain a little bit, and learn more about him than what was usually permitted between he and Y/N’s thought transference. Even then, at his calmest, it was like pulling teeth to get much of anything out of him.

“How long have you been around?”

“A very long time.”

“Well, yeah, but in years --”

“Many years.”

Y/N sighed, and Harry would squeeze her shoulder, chewing hard on his lip to stop himself from giggling, “Alright,” she continued, “Where were you born?”

“Earth.”

“Thumper,” Harry plucked Oat up from where she’d been sitting on his shoulder, “Oat wants to know too, she said! You wouldn’t keep her from knowing, would you?”

Thumper, whose eyes had been closed (they were completely black, which was a little startling to say the least, but nobody brings it up), blinks one of them open and peeks over at Oat who is looking at him with her head tilted. With a small huff, he readjusted himself, closing his eyes once more, “I have been around for 980 years,” he answered, and a small smile twitches at his mouth when they both gasp, “I was born in the Netherlands, and my first owner called me Finn. I hate this name, but she was not a witch and often fed me many good plants from her garden, so I suffered through it.”

Under the guise of Oat wanting to know, Thumper tells them plenty about himself, and it becomes quite clear why he was such a grumpy guy. He’d been around for years upon years and constantly switched owners, more often than not because they did something to upset him. Sometimes they would forget about him, sometimes they would step on his paw, other times they would call him mean names, and the worst of it -- they would punish him for nibbling on things. “I always wait for you to do something to upset me, but you have done nothing yet.”

“Shouldn’t you give me the benefit of the doubt at this point?” She patted at his full belly and he swatted her hand, “You did come to my doorstep didn’t you? S’not even like I stole you from the woods.”

“I smelled fresh fruit and plants, how was I to know I’d find a gardening witch? The imprinting was unintentional!”

Y/N pouted, Harry tugged her closer to him though and traced looping patterns into her arm, “You know he loves you,” Harry tells her, then takes a turn to poke at Thumper’s belly -- he swats him away too which makes Y/N feel a little better, “Oat tells me all the time how much nice stuff he says about you. He even comforts you when you’re sad! I think this grumpy stuff is all an act.”

Thumper’s brows furrow but he does not deny it, instead, he crosses his arms and turns his face away.

She smiles.

He eventually changes back after five hours and it was while they all had fallen asleep. One moment there was a very heavy presence with their arms circled around Y/N’s waist, with their head on her belly -- the next there’s a furry little body sat in her lap. He curled up in a tighter ball and snuggled nearer -- he didn’t even nip her when she pulled him up to sleep in her arms. Y/N maneuvers them both, and in doing so stirs Harry, who accommodates her. Her back to his chest, his arm flopped over her body, Thumper in her arms, and Oat sleeping at the top of Harry’s head.

Y/N wonders how she ever got to sleep without being like this.

[scarletlight-has-issues]

TTS Siblings AU, Chapter 1

I though that this deserved its own upload, I’ve decided to at least try to continue writing this, so I’ve fixed the spelling and grammar mistakes and given it a proper upload! I hope you enjoy! 

~*~

Varian woke up to the sound of scratching at the window. Groaning as he sat up, he cast a sleepy gaze to the aforementioned opening in the wall. Upon seeing the grey ball of fluff and mischief he called Ruddiger outside, he slipped out of bed and, after glancing behind at his golden-haired sibling (who was thankfully still asleep) crept to the window and cracked it open to let the raccoon inside.

The furry mammal scuttled up Varian’s arm and curled around his shoulders, rubbing his head against the boy’s neck and chittering happily. The 14-year old giggled, making frantic shushing noises. “Keep it down! keep it down! You’ll wake up Rapunzel and mother!”

Varian froze as he heard Rapunzel shift in her sleep, afraid to move for a few seconds for fear of disturbing her. After he was sure she wasn’t awake, he turned around, setting the raccoon on the window and giving him a smile. “I’ll try to get you something to eat, huh?”

The raccoon gave a quiet chitter as Varian began to creep out of the room and down the stairs to where they keep the fruit. He had to keep his relationship with the animal a secret, as he knew that mother would definitely not approve. Also, it was better for his sister if she didn’t know either, less chance for her to get in trouble with mother for keeping a secret. If mother found out, he had to be the only one to blame, he had to take every amount of punishment. Rapunzel couldn’t be hurt. She was far more important than he was.

He picked up an apple and was making his way up the stair to their shared room when he froze. The sound of Rapunzel’s laughter was drifting through the open door. He broke out in a cold sweat and he felt panic prickling up his spine as he rushed up the stairs and threw the door open. Rapunzel was standing at the window, laughing and gently stroking the furry creature as he chittered happily. She turned towards Varian, but her smile faltered when she saw the look on his face. “Varian? Are you okay?”

Varian rushed forward, pushed Rapunzel away slightly to stand in between her and the raccoon. “You can't know about him!”

Rapunzel gave him a puzzled look, “Why not? He's just an animal and- ..Varian, you’re glowing.”

Varian glanced upwards and saw that, yes, the blue streak in his hair was indeed glowing, proving to him that, although he didn’t want to admit it, he was panicking. He let out a yelp, closing his eyes and trying to calm himself.

Rapunzel rested a hand on his shoulder, “Varian, what’s wrong? Why can't I know about him?”

Varian took a deep breath, when he opened his eyes he saw that his hair had stopped glowing. “Mother would kill me if she found out I’ve been letting Ruddiger inside… I.. I didn't want you to get in trouble too if she found out…”

Rapunzel gave him a warm smile, “Its okay, Varian, she won't find out”

“Won't find out what?” Mother’s cold voice drifted from the open doorway, making both of them freeze. From her tone alone it was evident she was displeased. “One of you, answer me! What on earth is going on here?!”

Rapunzel moved to stand in front of Varian, “Mother, listen, this is all just a misunderstanding-”

“It's my fault.” 

Varian spoke up, stepping out from behind her with Ruddiger in his arms. Mother’s eyes widened and then narrowed in anger. “I let him inside.. and.. I’ve been taking food to give to him.”

“You little brat!” She strode towards him, shoving Rapunzel out of the way, ignoring her cries. She ripped the Raccoon from Varian’s grasp, glaring down with a fury that Varian, unfortunately, knew all too well. “Wait! Stop! Please! Don't hurt him! Please don't hurt him!”

Varian clung to Mother’s arm, trying to grab him back as the small raccoon hissed at the woman. “How many times-?! Ugh! You’re impossible sometimes, Varian! Why can't you just behave for once?!”

She walked over to the window and threw the struggling creature out, slamming it shut again. Varian let out a yell, rushing over to the window to see if his friend was okay. After seeing that Ruddiger has caught the branch of a tree and was alright, he turned back to Mother, his hair and eyes glowing with anger. “Why did you do that?! He’s just a-”

He was cut off by a hard slap delivered to his face, falling to the ground with the force of it, his hair and eyes flickering out.

“You do not speak back to me. You are not to leave this room until I say you can come out. Is that clear?”

Varian raised a hand to his smarting cheek, there was sure to be a bruise, the only sound he could let out was a strangled whimper.

Mother reached down and pulled him up by his collar, forcing him to look at her. “I said, Is that clear?”

He closed his eyes, nodding as he bit back tears. Mother always told him that boys aren’t supposed to cry.

“Good.” She dropped him back onto the floor, standing up and making her way towards the door. “Now, since we’re all up, I suppose I should make breakfast, Rapunzel, would you care to help?”

Rapunzel rose from her place in the room, casting a worried glance at Varian. “Can I have a few minutes to talk to him?” 

“Don't be ridiculous, Flower, he’s fine. Now come help me before I change my mind about not punishing you as well”

Rapunzel walked past him, whispering, “I'm sorry.. I’ll try and sneak you some food later..” as she passed.

The two closed the door behind them and Varian found himself alone. The light of the rising sun his only company.

[punedrr]

Here's my contribution for WIP Wednesday! Passing the torch off to @i-prefer-base-twelve and @journalnumberthree ! Excerpt from Chapter 13 of The Thesis and the Doctorate:

"

The two hour drive was just as boring as you remembered, although the scenery was nice. Traffic wasn’t too bad as you got into the city, and by the time you got checked in to your motel, it was just past noon. It was a rare sunny day in the city, so you decided to stretch your legs and go on a walk before sitting down to work on your thesis. Although the motel wasn’t in the nicest part of town, the bustling streets were still a far cry from what you’d grown used to in Gravity Falls. You had forgotten how alive everything felt here. As you walked past high-rise apartments and towering business centers, you realized just how much you’d missed it all. The movement, the people, the sounds, everything was so vibrant in a way that Gravity Falls lacked. You found yourself glad to be back, even for just a couple nights.

Stopping briefly near the mouth of an alley to check your phone, you heard an odd scratching noise. Looking around, you spotted something moving further into the alley. The noise continued as it moved closer. It’s probably just a rat. They certainly weren’t uncommon here. But you quickly realized that it was definitely not a rat. At least, not fully. It was dragging an empty can towards the alley mouth, walking backwards. That must be the noise, then. The back half looked like a rat, black and furry with a hairless pink tail and small paws. But as it came closer, there was something off about the front half. It had dark gray feathers, and the front feet were scaled like a bird’s, and it was using its beak to drag the can. It was definitely a pigeon, except that it was attached to a rat. You’d never seen anything like this before, and watched disbelievingly as it dragged the can out of the alley and then down into the sewers through a grate set into the curb. You looked around. Nobody seemed to have noticed the creature besides you. What the hell?

The only thing that might have resembled it was the hawktopus that Ford pointed out to you in Gravity Falls, which had the head and torso of a hawk but the tentacles of an octopus where the legs should have been. Except, y’know, for the fact that those were two different animals than the whatever-you-just-saw. It was a similar principle, and now that you were thinking about it, Ford had also mentioned getting carried off by a griffon that one time. Maybe the pigeon/rat was the same thing except smaller? You’d never seen any Weird creatures outside of Gravity Falls, but you knew that they existed.

You quickly walked back to your room, eager to text Ford about what you had seen. Regardless of what had happened on the porch this morning, you were sure he’d want to hear about this.

I saw something Weird in the city today.

Sure enough, there’s a response in the time it takes to set up your laptop on the motel wifi.

What was it? Were you able to get a picture?

No, unfortunately. It looked like a weird hybrid between a rat and a pigeon? Front half of a pigeon and back half of a rat. It was dragging a can into the sewers.

This time, the typing bubbles appear and disappear several times before an answer comes.

It sounds like you ran into a griffin. They don’t always appear like the ones in fairy tales. The variant you saw is quite common in bigger cities.

Huh, you wouldn’t have guessed that. Although, you suppose it makes sense. Back half of a mammal, front half of a bird. You wonder how you didn’t see them before. The same way I didn’t see gnomes until they were chasing me through the forest. Ford has told you before most people don’t see the odd things right in front of them. Before you met him, you were one of them.

I never noticed them before! Anything else I should keep an eye out for? Honestly, you’re just glad to be talking to Ford again. It feels like your friendship is finally back on stable ground again, even if your romantic feelings are still unresolved.

There are several subspecies of Lilliputtians known to inhabit elevator shafts and light rail lines, but I doubt you’ll see them unless you’re really looking. There are also of course a tribe of merpeople in the Columbia, but I’d advise you not to interact as they can be quite aggressive.

Are you speaking from experience?

Unfortunately. "

It's WIP Wednesday, my good dudes!

WIP Wednesday is here! Tagging the peeps that made the mistake of telling me they had writing in the works!

@i-prefer-base-twelve

@punedrr

@journalnumberthree

No pressure to share but I'd love to see what you have! And as always, if you see this and want to join in, please do! Consider yourself tagged by me! The banner is free to use!

Anyway, here's a little preview of Chapter 9 of Horror Vacui:

Fiddleford’s hand suddenly grabbed Ford by the wrist. His friend’s face looked startled as though he’d just witnessed something disturbing, and it was then that Ford realized he could see the damage. The old engineer’s brow furrowed as he rolled up Ford’s coat and sweater sleeve to reveal the violet pattern that made his skin look like fractured porcelain. “This is where it latched on, wasn’t it? That thing… that Neverwere creature.” It was such a simple and earnest question it took Ford a moment to properly formulate a response. It felt self-serving to focus on something so insignificant as his collection of scars (and quickly fading scars at that). His first instinct was to ignore the attention, but the look on his friend’s face made it impossible to sidestep the question. “Yeah, it, uh, its grip on this dimension was fading so it fed on me to stabilize his presence. But that’s not important right now-” “Jesus, Stanford, you nearly died! I’d say that’s pretty flippin’ important!” Fiddleford frowned, tightening his grip on Ford’s wrist for a moment before reluctantly letting go. “Does it hurt?” Ford blinked owlishly in confusion. Clearly his own discomfort or lack thereof had never crossed his mind. As far as his list of priorities went, his own physical ailments were somewhere near the bottom if included at all. A part of him wanted to snidely point out that almost dying was not dying and there was no need to make a fuss. Another part of him looked at his friend’s expression and felt something akin to shame. “No. It doesn’t hurt. I got patched up so it’s fine,” he reassured him. “Does your family know you got hurt?” Ford sighed as he pulled off his goggles and made a show of checking something in his satchel. Somehow he knew it was all going to loop back around to this. “Stanford, have you told them?” “And why would I do that?” he asked, irritation bleeding into his voice, “What would it do other than raise Stan’s blood pressure and make the kids worry? And all for nothing! I didn’t die! I’m not in any pain! I’m perfectly fine!” “Are you?” He flinched as though Fiddleford had jabbed him in the eye.  There was no reason for him not to be fine. Everything had worked out perfectly! Sure, he had about a million unanswered questions and the entire ordeal had been too terrifying to mull over for longer than ten seconds, but of course he was fine! He had to be fine! Like Stan had said, people depended on him, he couldn’t afford to fall to pieces over things that almost happened! Nevermind that his family was expecting answers from him and he was still no closer to explaining what had happened other than “Space Botulism”. Nevermind that he felt as though a door had been thrown open and Bill's corpse was clawing its way out of his grave. Nevermind that there were great cosmic forces at play all around him and his response to that was to have his friend make quaint little eyeglasses so they could see the colors of their impending doom… Don’t think about that.

[bmarvels]

Just a Bite

Just a little something I decided to write before I’m unable to do anymore writing until the new year. You can read it in parts here on AO3 as I separated the POV changes into chapters. Otherwise please enjoy my one and only contribute to Hauntober with this Hak x Yona fic

Yona’s POV

The rain fell heavy that day. It was already becoming a busy and long one as I made my way to my second job. At least this one, I actually looked forward to: The Hiryuu Animal Rescue and Recovery Center. The founder was a big proponent of helping animals in need whether they were pets, strays, or part of the wild. His dream gave a sanctuary for all living creatures in need to find help. The staff is mostly made up of volunteers, much like myself. My hope was to stay on long enough to make it into a career to replace my current- and boring- day job. Stuck in an office all day staring at a computer screen was not where I thought I would find myself after years of schooling, but at least it pays the bills and I didn’t have to worry about needing a roommate to help pay the rent. Plus, the recovery center was close to where I lived so I could easily walk there on the days of my shift. Even on rainy days like this one, I didn’t mind the walk. With an umbrella in hand to help shield me from the brunt of the downfall, I walked along the sidewalk heading to the clinic. That is, until I saw something small and dark lying in the grass next to the edge of the sidewalk. The closer I got to it, I could tell it was a small, fuzzy animal, but it wasn’t until I was nearly hovering over it did I recognize it to be a small bat! With a gasp, I unraveled the scarf from my neck to gently pick up the small, delicate creature and swaddled it to protect from the cold chill of the rain. 

Walking through the sturdy door of the clinic, I shook out my umbrella and shook out my hair of loose water droplets. My red curls became more unmanageable from the humidity as they hung loose around my face. I quickly made my way towards one of the stations to set my scarf still cradling the bat down on so I could hang up my coat. Pulling my hair back roughly into a ponytail, I stalked back towards the small mammal to assess the damage.

“Oh, you poor thing,” I clicked my tongue, seeing how malnourished it was along with an injury to one of its wings. Taking extra care not to do further harm, I put on a smile and got straight to work. “Don’t you worry. I’ll take good care of you.”

I proceeded with the usual initial tests until I heard the door chime open. I looked up from the task at hand to see a familiar mop of coral hair and bright blue eyes pop around the corner.

“Good morning, Yona!” he greeted me as he hung his wet coat. “Early as ever, I see. I’d swear you lived here had I not seen you leave yesterday after your shift. Whatcha got there?”

“Good morning, Yoon!” I returned his greeting as he walked towards me to inspect my station. His eyes widened at the sight of the tiny creature swaddled in warm cloths as I got him to nibble on a few pieces of dried fruit.

“Yona! Where did you find a bat?!”

I couldn’t help but giggle at his shocked expression. “I found him in a puddle on my way here. I was just as surprised to see him as you are now, but I couldn’t leave him out there.”

My finger gently stroked the side of his furry face as Yoon took a closer look at it’s injured wing. It was probably my mind playing tricks on me- or maybe just me being hopeful- but I could’ve sworn I saw the bat close his eyes and lean into my touch. Although, the thought was quickly disrupted as Yoon got into his “mothering” mode.

“Well, we will take good care of him and he will be out of here, flying again in no time! Won’t you little guy?”

I nodded to my coworker with a smile as he scooped up the bundle and took the bat to the back. Yoon always had a special healing touch when it came to the animals. I had no doubt that little guy was in good hands and would be fixed up comfortably soon enough. That was until a few minutes later I heard Yoon yelling from the back.

I hurried towards the muffled shouts and opened the door to the lab to see Yoon tending to a few bleeding scratches and bites along his hands.

“Yoon! What happened?!” I asked as I rushed to his side to aid him, worried about the sudden wounds on his hands.

Pulling out the antibiotics and swiping the bandages from his hands, Yoon glowered towards the bat.

“That little monster started attacking me after I set him down! I tried feeding him a bit more of that dried fruit and he bit me! So, I didn’t force it on him but the wound started bleeding. I go to cleanse the area so it wouldn’t get infected, thankfully I’ve kept my shots updated but I’ll still get some tests taken just in case he’s carrying anything, but I come back to take a look at his wing and he starts biting and scratching at me! Little cretin hung on tight and I thought I was gonna lose a finger to him!” he explained.

I looked over to the swaddle to see the fuzzy creature nestled in as if it was sleeping then continued to wrap up the task at hand- pun intended.

“There. Finished,” I told him then started packing away the first aid kit. “Keep an eye on those but definitely run some tests to be safe.”

“Thanks, Yona.”

I offered a warm smile and turned towards our little friend. “Now, what are we going to do with you? You were doing so well earlier…”

I approached him cautiously and found his dark, beady eyes blink back at me seemingly innocently. He didn’t appear to be aggressive or hostile, but Yoon’s hands backed his story.

“Please, be careful, Yona.” Yoon warned as I held out the dropped piece of fruit on the table.

“Come on, you need to eat and we need to take care of that wing of yours,” I cooed. 

The bat started nibbling on the fruit piece and grabbed it gently with his tiny hand on his uninjured wing. While he ate, I got a closer look at the injured wing.

“Okay, Yoon. Tell me what I need to do.”

Time passed by as I followed Yoon’s specific instructions to treat the poor bat’s wing, and to both of our surprise without any fight from the tiny creature. Once we reached the end, I sighed in content at a job well done and packed the supplies away.

“I can’t believe he didn’t try to bite you or anything. I couldn’t even get near him after bringing him in here, yet he let you handle him without a problem.” 

I just smiled at the cute fuzzball and gave him a tiny scratch below his chin just as I had done earlier.

“Well, I did save him after all.” I giggled.

Yoon shook his head. “Well, he’s going to need some monitoring and it seems like you’re the only one he will allow near him, but you won’t always be here, you know.”

“Hmm,” I pondered, thinking for a solution. “Well, if there isn’t anything else to be done here, I can always take him home with me.”

And that’s exactly what I did. At the end of my shift, I gathered my things then went to pick up my little friend to take him home with me.

“Ready to go, little guy?” I smiled at him through the carrier. “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you!”

With bat in tow and a skip in my step, I hurried home to keep our exposure to the outdoor chill to a minimum. Now more than ever, I was glad to live so close to the recovery center. I wasted no time unlocking the door and rushing inside to be greeted by a rush of warm air fighting off the cold bite on my face and hands. Setting the carrier down, I shrugged off my coat and slipped off my shoes by the door, then picked it back up to head towards the kitchen.

“How about I make us both a little snack? Something to help warm us up.” I mused, talking to the bat.

I placed the carrier on the counter top and opened the little caged door to bring out the swaddled bundle. There was just something about this bat that every time I looked at him, I couldn’t help but smile.

“It’ll be nice to have a little bit of company around here,” I told him.

I pulled out some leftover dinner from the night before out of the fridge and popped it into the microwave, turned on the kettle, and grabbed an apple to slice up. Taking a slice for myself, I continued to cut the apple into smaller pieces to feed the bat, until the knife nicked the tip of my finger. A cry of surprise escaped my lips as a couple blood droplets fell onto the counter and too close to the bat for my liking. I cradled my hand and reached for some paper towels to wrap up my finger to keep from dripping blood everywhere until I can get the first aid kit. Before I could step away from the kitchen, I suddenly felt a heavy weight pressed against me and darkness obscured my vision.

The cut wasn’t that bad, was it? I never felt dizzy...did I really just pass out?

It made no sense to me because it was then I felt myself falling backwards. A squeak passed through my lips at the sensation but a hand cradled the back of my head, halting my fall. My vision returned to me as my mind finally caught up to what I saw.

A tall, intimidating, and attractive man with his body pressed flush against me stared down at me with eyes darker than the night with messy hair to match and blood smeared across pale lips. A quirked grin played on those lips, baring sharp prominent fangs. An audible gasp that I barely registered came from me as my breath was stolen away by the man before me. My heart beating rapidly and my blood pounding in my ears before I saw the exposed wounds on his arm heal in seconds. But nothing could compare to the silky voice that forced me out of my thoughts.

“Thank you, my Dear.”

Hak’s POV

The words slipped from my lips as I stared down at the petite woman in my arms. Curly red hair that framed her delicate features and bright violet eyes stared back in wonder and shock. Her blood called out to me the moment it hit the countertop and I couldn’t help myself, but it was all worth it. The sweet nectar glided across my tongue and I immediately felt invigorated. My strength returned to me and my blood pumped harder through my veins as if given another chance at life. I couldn’t remember the last time I had a taste of blood, but it had been far too long, weakening me to such a state that I relied heavily on this small human to nurture me back. It was simply the stroke of luck that she would cut herself before me. Carefully, I lifted her back up to her feet but her eyes never left mine. I could feel the darkness slipping away, the bloodlust retreating, the more our gazes remained on each other.

I moved back half a step but my hand cradling her head remained on her, sliding down to the back of her arm while her other hand stayed warm between fingers. The blood at her fingertips I had licked away clean, healing the wound completely. My gaze traveled to her lips which formed a soft “o” shape and barely moved as if at a loss for words or maybe unsure of where to start.

Cute.

“Bat got your tongue, Dear?” I chuckled.

Some small sound came from her in response. Maybe she was finally finding her voice again.

“H-How… W-Where….umm..” she cleared her throat but her eyes remained locked onto me. “Who are you?”

A grin stretched my lips further as I lifted her hand with a slight bow at my waist.

“Son Hak, at your service. And I am well pleased to say so.”

I lifted my head to meet her gaze again causing her free hand to cover her mouth in hopes to have muffled the soft gasp I undoubtedly heard. I knew then that the black of my eyes from the bloodlust was completely gone, replaced by a stunning pair of bright blue that always had quite the effect on both women and men alike.

Her eyes seemed to glaze over as if fighting with herself within her own mind. It was as if I could read each and every thought.

How did he get here? Obviously the bat. But that doesn’t make sense! What is he? Don’t be an idiot! You saw his fangs!

She obviously had a brilliant mind but human logic always wanted to fight with the unknown, the supernatural, the mysteries in this world even when shown plainly and delivered on a silver platter. It didn’t match up to their “science”.

I placed a gentle kiss to her hand still in mine, watching her cheeks flush her fair skin. “Does a name come with the one who saved me?” I inquired, raising a brow curiously.

She slowly withdrew her hand from mine before finally finding her voice.

“Yona,” she whispered before clearing her throat. “My-my name is Yona.”

“Yona…” 

Her name’s like honey on my lips, a breath of fresh air, a pleasant buzz through my veins. I ran my tongue over my fangs, the lingering taste of her blood sent another jolt through my body as a sigh breathed heavenly past my lips. 

“A beautiful name for someone just as stunning.”

Her blush turned a deeper red and a hand reached up to a lock of hair to mindlessly fidget with, keeping her eyes averted from meeting mine. I leaned in forward, closing the distance between us, my face merely inches away from hers. Surely, she couldn’t keep her gaze away now.

Her violet eyes hesitantly met mine, realizing the close proximity and squeaked in surprise before shuffling backwards until stopped by the counter behind her. I couldn’t help but chuckle, then stood back up straight.

My eyes wandered on her small frame taking in the subtle curves she tried to hide with the loose clothes practically draped over her body as if threatening to swallow her whole until my gaze fell on a subtle mark peeking from her collar and slightly hidden by her hair. No one would typically notice such a small mark, barely visible to a mere human if they were not looking for it, but I could see it clearly.

I took a step forward, my hand reaching out towards her. I barely registered her body growing stiff and the nervous gulp as she watched me with a hint of fear and uncertainty. My fingers brushed her hair over her shoulder and lightly touched the off colored mark, barely tugging at the collar of her blouse.

“Hey!” she shrieked and scrambled away from me. “What do you think you’re doing?!”

I stared after her, dazed and- for the first time in a long time- at a loss for words. It couldn’t be the same, could it? Maybe my eyes were just playing tricks on me. It’s been centuries, so there’s no way now we’d be reunited after all this time. Her skin was smooth beneath my fingers, not raised like a scar as I would’ve imagined had it been truly the same mark. What are the chances that this woman who managed to save my starved and broken self has merely a birthmark resembling the wound that took my true love from me all those hundreds of years ago? Surely much higher than I imagine, but I still can’t help but wonder.

With a gentle smile, hoping I wouldn’t frighten her further, I brought my hand back to my chest and bowed my head.

“Forgive me. This old mind of mine seems to be playing tricks on me.”

I looked up at her through my disheveled bangs and I could see some of the tension was beginning to leave her body. Her eyes searched mine for any deceit or further foul play, but she would find none.

With a soft clear of her throat and her eyes breaking her gaze with mine, she nervously fidgeted with that same lock of hair again and slowly made her way around the counter.

“I suppose it is getting late. Let me get some bedding for you. I’ll show you where you can stay just for tonight.”

My eyebrows raised in surprise, but I still followed her. 

She would have a complete stranger stay with her? I couldn’t help but wonder, not that I would even be sleeping. But, that’s not something I had planned on telling her; she’s witnessed enough for one night.

For living by herself, she had an impressively sized home. It wasn’t grand by any means, but one would assume she would’ve had a roommate. Did she feel lonely within such a large space by herself? Or did she prefer having the extra room that didn’t seem to have ever been used?

I had found myself wondering more and more about this tiny woman who carried herself with an air of ease and confident independence, even if she was easily flustered.

“Well, here you go! I have some extra blankets set out in case you need them.” she informed me. “The bathroom is just down the hall and my room is just past that in case you need anything.”

As she turned to bid me good night, my eyes found themselves trapped by her violet gaze once more. A gentle flame that casted warmth to all who were graced by its tenderness, yet remained strong and steady in its fiery stature. Such strength and grace emanating from this tiny package that I was captivated and wanted to find out more about her. 

If my skin could warm, I imagined I’d find myself blushing after breaking whatever trance I kept falling into by her. 

“I’m sure I’ll be just fine. Thank you,” I said with a smile. 

She nodded with a small smile of her own but kept her eyes averted from my own as if reflecting my own concerns to avoid an unbreakable gaze. As she passed by me, heading out the door, a wave of easiness and security washed over me with the soft scent of blossoms and honey. My eyes widened at the familiar smell but by the time I turned around, the door clicked shut behind her. 

“Stop it you old fool,” I scolded myself with a sigh then turned back towards the bed she had put together for me. 

I still couldn’t decide if she was too kind or too foolish. 

Yona’s POV

I woke with a start, my heart hammering hard against my chest as if trying to escape.

What was that strange dream?

I tried to recall the details but there was only one face I could remember seeing clearly. Hak. I shook my head and rubbed my hands against my face. Surely, I couldn’t be dreaming about a man I just met?! A complete stranger, no less! That’s ridiculous. I didn’t care how drop-dead gorgeous he was! 

Those stunning sapphire eyes shimmering with elegance and mischief paired with his deep voice would swoon any woman, but the smirk that danced across what looked to be smooth, soft lips told mysteries were hidden behind every gaze. However, it was the after chill I felt from where his touch had lingered as if my skin had been licked by ice after a hot summer’s day. The chill traveled through the rest of my body, leaving me breathless.

My body froze after those lingering thoughts, recalling the previous night’s events.

What is he?? Is he even human? And I let him stay the night?!

I threw the covers off my body and wrapped a robe around me before quietly making my way down the hallway. I came to the spare bedroom and placed my hand gently on the door to open just a crack. Peering inside, no one was there, so I opened the door the rest of the way. The bed had not been disturbed as if no one had slept in it. Surely, I hadn’t imagined all of last night as well? However, the stack of blankets I had set out assured me that none of it had been a dream.

A fresh aroma wafted past me followed by small sounds coming from the kitchen, so I headed in that direction to see none other than the man I not only unexpectedly met last night and allowed to stay in my house with me, but also apparently had dreamt about. I couldn’t help but gawk at him moving effortlessly about my kitchen as he cooked: an egg omelet with bacon, cheese, and other fixings he managed to find in the drawers of my fridge. 

“Good morning, my Dear,” he greeted without turning to face me.

Did he hear me come in?

“G-Good morning,” I managed to say past the accumulated saliva from the delicious smells coming off the pan in his hands. “Have you been up long?”

I found myself taking a seat at the bar, watching over the countertop as Hak plated the food before turning to me with a smile.

“I don’t sleep much and I didn’t want to disturb you.” he said simply, but his smile seemed to hide more than what was vocalized. “Besides, it seemed you weren’t sleeping so soundly last night and figured a good breakfast would be a better start to your morning.”

I nearly gaped at him, but luckily my brain wasn’t short-circuiting like it was last night that I kept my composure.

Was it because I was dreaming? Gods, I hope I wasn’t that loud! Oh my- what kind of sounds was I making?!

I could feel the heat of embarrassment had made its way onto my cheeks, no doubt coloring my whole face a similar shade that matched my hair. However, he only chuckled as if he could read every worry I thought of.

“Don’t worry, my Dear. I’m sure it was only just a dream, nothing that should concern you now that you’re awake, right?”

His eyes held a hint of mischief as he winked at me, setting the plate of food in front of me, and suddenly I felt a rush of deja vu. Did something like this happen in my dream? Or maybe I was just missing the comfort of familiar company, but why would I feel so at ease with someone I just met, no less previously being a bat?!

I merely hummed a response with a nod of thanks before digging into the food. If the smell alone was anything to go off of how delicious I had expected it to be, it paled in comparison to the explosion of flavors covering my palette. How could a simple omelet taste this good?!

“Oh my god…” I moaned around the bite I continued savoring. “This is incredible.”

Hak flashed a brilliant grin at my praise as he watched me savor each bite I took. “I’m glad you approve.”

The way he leaned against the counter and his arms crossed in front of his chest as he watched with a hungry gaze, I could’ve sworn I had seen something similar before. The background seemed to blur and transform into a new setting I didn’t recognize, but instead of the bright overhanging lights I was used to, candles were the main source of light surrounding us. Everything around him seemed darker by the low light and antiquated as if from another time period. I don’t know how long I had been staring, but his voice brought me back into focus as he called my name and everything snapped back to normal.

“Yona, are you alright? Is there something wrong with your food?” His eyebrows were knitted with deep concern. No longer was he leaning back against the far counter, but now was leaning forward close to me, as if searching to see what was wrong.

“I’m fine!” I stammered, blinking furiously while I tried to figure out what the hell just happened. “Sorry, I think random pieces of my dream just keep coming back and it throws me off.”

I shook my head with a chuckle and finished the rest of my plate. Hak made a grab to take my plate, but I snatched it out of his reach.

“The food was delicious, but since you did the cooking, I’ll clean up. It’s the least I can do to say thank you.”

His deep chuckle resonated deep into my veins, a pleasurable warmth I hadn’t felt in years when I was with someone.

“Yona, you offered me a place to stay after treating my wounds. Cooking you a little bit of breakfast was the least I could do to show my gratitude to your hospitality.”

The way he said my name raised the tiny hairs on the back of my neck and sent chills down my spine, but the gentle smile he gave me simply melted my heart. How could I rebuttal that? My hesitation apparently was enough for him to take the plate from my hands then continued on to cleaning up the kitchen.

“You could always keep me company as I clean. Why don’t you tell me about that dream of yours that’s been troubling you, hm?”

I sighed before hopping back into my seat and once again watched him work while I tried to piece together what I could remember about the strange dream.

“Oddly enough, you were part of my dream.” I started without even thinking, which I regretted.

“Oh?” His voice sounded hopeful, yet teasing, and I felt my cheeks redden again. 

If only I could get my body under control! What’s wrong with me?!

I cleared my throat and reiterated my meaning. “I only meant you were there, not that we- you know… did anything. Anyways! …”

I proceeded to tell him the random pieces I could remember. At times, it was just simple interactions between the two of us like we were doing now, but somewhere else. I’d explain as best as I could the details of what I could remember of each scene’s setting because some of them were beautiful gardens that made me long to visit, while others dark and terrifying that resembled much like a battlefield you would see in movies with blood and dead bodies strewn about. I would shudder recollecting those images, but felt a sense of peace as I retold the dream as if lifting a heavy weight from my heart. 

I couldn’t remember the last time I really had such vivid dreams or even had told someone the strange dreams I would have the previous night. But with Hak, it was comforting. When his body faced me as he cleaned, I could see some surprised reactions, some even more distraught, and if possible, paling his complexion further.

“I’m sorry,” I chuckled nervously. “If this is too much, I can stop. It’s just the more I talk about it, the more I start to remember all the way towards the end which is what woke me up.”

I shook my head remembering the sharp pain and gasp of air, jolting me awake.

The tension I hadn’t noticed he was holding in his shoulders drops as he finished cleaning and turned all his attention on me.

“What happened?” he asked softly.

The gentleness of his voice ached my heart that I almost didn’t want to tell him. I mustered up a small smile in hopes to ease his worry.

“I was stabbed.” I told him as my hand moved toward my collar as if I could still feel it’s mark.

His eyes followed my hands, then widened before turning away and taking a deep breath.

“Hak? Are you okay? It was just a dream, everything’s fine!”

Hak remained with his back to me. Concerned, I hopped out of my chair and walked around towards him to gently lay my hand on his arm. “Hak?” I prompted softly.

After a few quiet minutes, he finally looked at me. Shock and horror painted his face, but in the next instant they were gone as if they were never there.

“My, what a terrible nightmare! To witness your own death would be dreadful.” His voice had changed to a false astonishment. “Luckily, it was just a dream. Like you said, everything’s fine now.”

Hak smiled at me, but it wasn’t the same as before. There wasn’t any genuinity in this smile. No, it was like he was trying to convince himself more than me that everything was alright. But I couldn’t understand what would have him so worked up over a silly dream of mine. The sight of blood clearly had no effect on him, but maybe it was the thought of something more gruesome?

I offered him a smile. “Right. Just a dream.”

Hak’s POV

No, it couldn’t be right. She can’t be. But her dream- no, her nightmare...my nightmare. How could she know of those details if they’re not in fact memories? Impossible. I saw her die right before me. The image still haunted me of her blood running down my arms as I held her until her last breath. The dark pool of blood surrounding us, her life force completely drained from her small body. They couldn’t be the same person… could they?

Yona assured me that I could stay in her home while she was away for work, promising she wouldn’t be gone long and that I should make myself at home, more comfortable, as long as I didn’t rifle through her personal things. However, I could not stay. Not after reliving those terrible memories she knew to be but a simple dream. I would not put her life in danger… not again.

I kept walking, past the trees and unruly brush as vines scraped and caught onto my clothing as I passed through. It was time I had returned home. It was foolish of me to think I was ready to leave. Apparently a few centuries was still too soon. 

A sigh escaped my lips as I pushed open the heavy door of my old home- still dark, empty, and lonesome just as I left it- and headed back to my chamber. Maybe if I slept for a few more centuries, or maybe a millennia, I would stand a better chance at reinserting myself into the world once more. My thoughts continued their linear thinking as I opened my casket and walked in. Once I found myself comfortable, the lid sealed itself shut, encasing me in darkness once more and stilling those miserable thoughts.

Slumber took hold of me and I welcomed it. The darkness had become my solace, my peace, a place where I could forget the past. However, this time I was not as lucky.

Scenes played before me like a dream, something I had not been graced with for many years. It took me by surprise at first, but then I began to recall the events played before me as if I had been thrown back in time, to my own past.

I snapped my eyes open, putting a stop to those flashes of memories I thought I had kept locked away as darkness greeted my vision once more. My breathing had labored and I couldn’t help but wonder why now would my unconscious choose to start dreaming again. Was it because of her? Purple eyes and red curls invaded my mind as I wondered, remembering her pale, soft skin warm against mine along with her retelling nightmare, my nightmare that I had lived with so long ago and continued plaguing the deepest recesses of my memories. Could she have triggered this sudden occurrence?

I sighed and willed myself back to sleep, hoping for peace this time, to sleep another century or two- however long it took to forget this occurrence. Unfortunately, my wish was not granted. Memory after memory replayed before me, drawing me further in, deeper into my unconscious being and unable to force myself awake again. Trapped, I was trapped in my own mind by some unnatural force.

It was not to say each memory was terrible to relive, but it added pain to my heart each time the memory would come to an end, only to remind me that it was indeed just a flashback and something I could never regain.

“Hak? Hak! Hak, wake up!”

What was this? My memory recalled the current flashback as easy as if it had happened mere hours ago yet those words were quite misplaced...

The scene of my beloved peering into my eyes faded before me, replaced by a blinding light and a faint silhouette. Was I waking up? Who could possibly be in my home?

My eyes fully opened and focused on the being before me. Familiar curls and bright eyes looked back at me with a gentle smile once she realized I was coming to.

“Yona?” I couldn’t believe my eyes yet here she was.

“I remember,” she breathed. Her sweet, melodic voice coaxing me further to the land of the living. Her warm hand extended to cup my face. Such small hands… “I remember everything, my love.”

My eyes widened as I jerked forward causing her to take a step back, allowing me out.

“What? But… but how?”

Her gaze softened, a familiar look I hadn’t seen in centuries, as she led me towards the pair of chairs set by the covered and dusty window. Sitting me down, she sat across from me but her hand never left the comfort of mine.

“I’m not sure how,” she began explaining, “but after that first dream, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Once I returned home and found you gone, I tried to forget about you, but more dreams like the first kept happening every time I fell asleep. However, they were much sweeter and pleasant than the first one, and every one of them felt just as real. I couldn’t keep you out of my mind and I just felt like I had to find you. I didn’t know how, or where even to start, but something inside me just knew I had to find you. It was like my heart was calling out for you. As each day passed, it hurt more and more the longer I failed in finding you.”

She stopped and took a deep breath with her eyes closed tightly as if she could feel the pain all over again. I squeezed her delicate hand in mine, wanting to hear more and how she was able to find me. Her eyes flicked back open as she gazed back at me with such love that I swore my heart tripled its pace for the first time in a very long while.

“But then I had a dream of our last home, here,” she said with such reverence, looking around the room. It seemed as if she could remember every memory of us now the longer she scanned the room before turning her attention back to me. “That’s how I knew where to find you, and I’m so glad I did.”

Tears filled her eyes and I couldn’t resist reaching out to cup her face in my hands. I held her gently, searching her eyes, and I knew… I knew my beloved had finally returned to me after all these years.

“Is it really you?” I whispered, I couldn’t hide the emotion threatening to crack my voice.

Her cheerful giggle brought a small smile to my face as she nodded in my hands.

“Yes. It’s really me, Hak.”

I pressed my lips against hers hard, feeling the tears fall down her cheeks and tasting them between kisses. I kissed her, afraid that if I stopped then I would lose her again forever, that this all was just a dream, a figment of my imagination.

Her small hands pushed against my chest, begging for a moment’s breath. My blood pumped hard through my veins, a pleasant buzz rushed to my head, and all I could think of was this beautiful woman before me… and the fear of losing her again.

She could see something changed in my eyes that moment as her face fell.

“Hak? Why did you leave? Did you already know…?”

I shook my head with a sigh as I laid back against the chair. “No, not at first. I had wondered and teased the thought, but it wasn’t until that first dream- memory- that I figured it had to be so.”

I stayed quiet after that, but she wasn’t having it.

“Then why did you leave? Without saying anything?” Her voice was stronger, more demanding. That same fire I knew her to have even back then, that strong will of hers that drew me to her.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “I couldn’t risk putting your life in danger… not again…” I said quietly.

I never looked up, I remained in my spot, but I could hear her shuffling before me until I felt her sitting on my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck. I opened my eyes to her smiling face, a softened look in her eyes.

“Times have changed, my love. Things can be different this time around.” she said so assuredly.

“You don’t know that! I can’t… I can’t bear the pain to lose you again.”

Her palms squished my cheeks as she turned my face to stare back at the fire dancing in her eyes. “I won’t let you leave me. We have a second chance, Hak, and I’m willing to take the chance to spend another lifetime together.” She never wavered, but it was what she said next that I couldn’t refute. “Are you saying you’re not willing to do the same all because of fear of the past?”

Her eyebrow cocked at me, mocking me. I couldn’t help a chuckle. She got me there.

“Of course I’m willing,” I sighed, grabbing her wrists and kissing at her pulse points. “What wouldn’t I do for you, my queen?”

That brilliant smile of hers returned along with a more sultry look as she wiggled in my lap, satisfied with my answer.

“That’s more like it.” Her fingers thread through my hair and I could feel myself immediately relaxing into her touch. 

Oh, how I’ve longed for her touch… Maybe she was right. The little bit of the world I managed to see had no resemblance to the dark times we once lived in. Maybe it’s not so bad out there.

Could we truly and finally have our happy ending? There was only one way to find out… and I planned on enjoying every second I was given of it.