#nonhuman biology

[humanlike-research]

Are you Not Human?

Do you have a pet companion who is human or That Which Mimics Humans?

Do you have questions concerning their behaviour, care, or health?

Then this is what you're looking for! Just place an ask into the "Concerns" box, and we will give our best attempt to answer your question.

All information provided will be either from our own collective experiences of studying humanity prior to our integrations or gathered inorganically through the internet.

Important OOC information below cut:

This is a roleplay blog. This blog does not provide medical or behavioural advice for actual human beings (homo sapiens). This blog can also neither confirm nor deny the existence of any eldritch entity known to disguise themselves as humans (colloquially termed homo mimicra). This blog is run mainly by @kingofballs69000. Please keep all asks SFW.

Subjects I don't consider NSFW:

Anatomy

biology

reproduction (for example, you can ask about the fundamentals of "breeding" homo sapiens and/or homo mimicra and it wouldn't count as NSFW)

In general, just use common sense when interacting with this blog, or I will just block you.

[clownshifting]

Figures of the Fins'Above (part 1/2)

I drew the characters from my novel that you should totally check out if you like xenofiction or nonhuman POV.

STONE, the slaughtered.

CLAYFOOT, the executioner.

GOJO, the chariot.

YIBA, the warrior.

YARROW, the devourer.

Fins Above is definitely an outlet for me to discuss and breach the boundaries of what is and isn't human or feral, and allows me, a physical nonhuman, to explore relationships, psychology, culture, and sciences surrounding a world in which one little chemical changed everything.

[your-pal-nebula]

Warning for body horror plus some mild descriptions of gore and violence and implied animal death

*removes my heart that is half exposed constantly that is mostly white with some crystal-like substance inside of it that is still somehow beating from my chest, sprays venom all over my prey with my fangs, melting it's flesh, chews it up in my mouth, takes it out of my mouth, swallows it via my chest cavity, then puts my heart back in my chest, turns around and notices you* oah sowwy you had to see that omg that's so embwissing

[sorensolsikke]

this is me in details btw. i have drawn a reference sheet. if anyone cares?

this is my dragonkin's look, and it felt awesome to work on the details. maybe maybe i have spent too much time on an easy little reference sheet (10 hours), but i just COULDN'T not make it aesthetic.

so me in detail!

i am from one half of a twin exoplanet called Magna Soror ("big sister"), from a solar system called Familia, not too far from here. the system's star is Avia ("grandmother"), and is more or less like our Sun, although significantly older. the Familia system is pretty stable and safe, featuring also a gas giant called Avunculus ("uncle"), and a small planet orbiting the star close and backwards, named Frater (brother).

Magna Soror's twin is Parum Soror. their system was probably formed when Parum crashed into the bigger planet, tossing it out from its previous, more avarage looking track. enormous bodies of water can be found on both of the planets, but in terms of proportion, Parum has the lead. its environment is far more unified than magna's, and more resembling Earth.

Magna Soror is an unusually big planet of rock. its environment is quite extreme due to its size, rotation around the Avia, and the frequent solar eclipses and floods caused by Parum. the life on the planet is breathtakingly diverse, and also cyclic, as it has to adapt to to the everchanging climate throughout the year (which year is around 11 times of Earth's). in spite of its quirks, Magna Soror is an excellent planet for the blossoming life, requiring such unity (instead of competition) between species that is unknown on planet Earth.

one of the most dominant group of species there are the dragons. i am one of them, traveled here with a group of my companions. we consider everything to be our brothers and sisters here on Earth, as we have never seen a planet so familiar to ours before.

here on Earth, my ideal habitats are around the fjords and pine forests of norway. these are the most similar to my home on Magna Soror.

standing on two feet, i am slightly smaller than an avarage human, tho this pose hurts my spine.

my whole lenght from nose to end of tail is 3.6 meters, although more than half of that lenght is my tail (used for maneuvering). my wingspan is over 4 meters.

i have a broad chest, narrow waist, and four short legs, back ones are longer and even more muscular than front ones. i am nimble, but not really a fast runner, and a great jumper – which is needed as i have a hard time getting up into the air. i need to run before and jump forcefully to take off, or i need to climb high and start glinding.

my paws are big, elongated. forth finger is facing backwards, therefore it's great for climbing. i have fins between my fingers, which makes me a great swimmer, but worsens my running abilities. my claws cannot be retracted.

i mostly eat fish (or on my home planet, fish-like creatures), and i hunt like aquatic birds of prey, flying over the water and diving in to catch my prey. when the water freezes, i hunt animals between the sizes of a rabbit and a deer calf. things like oysters, shrimps, smaller octopuses and berries are beloved treats of mine.

ideally, i swallow in whole, as i don't have teeth for gnawing. however, i have four fangs, four so-called abutment teeth and twenty-four small teeth.

i don't have fur to keep me warm, but i do have some fire breathing abilities. in my throat, i bear with a pair of flint organs that i can crush together by pulling the muscles in my throat, so to create sparks. with these sparks, i am able to light up fires, for example out of wood, to keep me warm, or to defend myself from attacks.

my scales and skin are fireproof. i shred them regularly.

i have a deep blue color, but white stomach and wings. my camouflage works like great white sharks' in water. in snow, i can hide under my white wings.

thorns are both for protection and for finding a mate.

i am a social creature, i love my flight (pack) a lot and would do anything for them. tho i mostly hunt and nest alone, until i can do it with my mate.

i can't roar or purr, but i have a weird noise that resembles crushing gravels, i have some squeeks, and a soft, melody like gurgling noise.

my eyesight is spectecular, and i have a special eyelid for seeing underwater, tho i definitely see colors differently than humans. my hearing is reliable. my sense of smell is very very good. i have nostrils, and can also smell with my tongue underwater.

that's all about me in facts. i'll soon make some more art about my dragonform, but i was so excited to show this!!!

anyways, i hope you'll have a great day, please don't forget to drink water and stay safe<3

[jaskiersroyalslut]

OBSESSED with mermaid/siren jaskier PLEASE give me more im on my knees begging

[etherealkins]

spiderman + deadpool (marvel) with themes of science / chemistry in red.

requested by: anon | made by: crowley

[madcyberkitty69]

I randomly wanted to draw how harpy babies (specifically barn owl folk) would look.

They're born small, almost completely featherless and very pink. However, in the span of 1 month they grow up to almost double the size and get a fuzzy coat covering all their body, their skin also gets pale. That's because during that month they're breast fed by their mom, however, it's only for that month and after it they can already eat solid food.

This is a size comparison of when they're born with a human baby.

[potchatok-art]

Sutviprra keep on! In the jungles of Oujsoer, Ēwar’ sutviprra attracted the most attention. Though not necessarily on the top - among various predators, adapted to hunt creatures just like them, like Furazauiwod fallstalker and tropical short winged Oushikawod and Werkushinouakh raptors, or crocodile-like Ohghour’nikhnukhsurkiakh, waiting to snatch anything that comes for water, among various hazards, like poisonous or aggressive nukhnoonyynaazwas, wewariy and sur’kykakhsoowghour’, as well as competition from their close relatives - aersyrwasruz and werwaruzsywaseewar’ tropicasussas, they have to manage their resources and territory even in such abundant biome. Some keep close rivers, within engineered environments, making dams or supporting specific trees, securing a spot where they know they can get food in the specific season. While “ruling cast” of the north are organizers kaar’, in the dense jungle with complex ecology, the leading group is eeniowas - those, who’s trade is in nature, in learning variation in animals, fungi and plants and their utility. There is no outright religion, reverence is given to the elderly, to those who pass on or to the knowledgeable, there are various myth continuities with varying interaction with reality. The belief complex of Okhdeur’sur’fu’r is one taken as thruth, this is the one taught by the Eeniowas matrons - in their theory of the natural environment and its management, various superstitions and mysticism is mixed in. They believe in the tie between their families and their burial sights - nisniowekshisoow, where the dead serve as the fuel for a great garden, - and the oldest trees in the middle - Wekshinieinis, in various assumptions about animals and in the existence of monsters as if they are real. There is also a mythos, known to be an invention - the setting for children’s fairy tales, with repeating characters and tropes.

But in the jungles there is plenty of space and it’s easy to miss someone in the dense vegetation. Parallel to Ēwar’, many singular independent tribes forage of the same land. When efforts of Kaikaisurr’ were centralized, such tribes dwindled in population and lost their territory, but with fracturing of Ēwar’ they managed to restructure themself into a new culture - Ledealada. They all share the experience of being pressured out of their normal dwellings and having to explore unknown regions. Such prosecution sparked, at first, rapid development of food recourcing and weaponary, and than an allience of several tribes. This organization managed to push back against against the Ēwar’, carving out the territory in the jungle. The Ledealada people returned to their land victorious.

[clownshifting]

im going to finish the full manuscript of the new fins above book (when i get home from vacation) and then I'm going to take a break and work on my other series, the solar starry, and they'll be short books the length of like 4-5 anime episodes because i would love to just have it out for a low price and have anyone come and pick em up like 40¢ comics.

until then, please use this waiting time to buy Fins Above: Flight, the last book in the first arc of Fins Above. I think you all will like it very much!

[b3ndy]

New silly way I found to describe my weird non-kins

My non-kins, like a certain au (T.T.T if you know you know) and the batdr fellers, they're just a part of my kin genetic code that is in me but is not expressed. Do you get me. They're in my dna but not actually expressed at least not like my actual kin yknow ? Yknow ??

[ipso-faculty]

I just wanna do a small PSA that intersex is not the same as actual biological hermaphrodism. Like many intersex people I find value and validation in studying hermaphroditic species *gestures at slug avatar* but I'm seeing some people get confused about the difference. 🧑‍🏫

Whole species cannot be intersex. Intersex in biology refers to indivdual organisms who don't conform to what is considered typical sex development for their species.

If what is typical for a species is to be able to reproduce as both male and female at the same time, that isn't intersex. It is cosexuality (simultaneous hermaphrodism).

If what is typical for a species is to be able to reproduce as male and female at different times in their life cycle, that is dichogamy (sequential hermaphrodism). It is not the same thing as intersex nor is it the same as transness.

So for example, what's typical for a garden snail is to be cosexual. 🐌This means that:

A garden snail that can reproduce as both male and female, and has typical sex characteristics for the species is perisex ❗️

A garden snail that can only reproduce as male is intersex ✅

A garden snail that can only reproduce as female is intersex ✅

A garden snail that can mate as both male and female but does not have an ovotestis is also intersex ✅

small reminder this pride season that in the natural world you will find examples of animals changing their sex [such as the peacocks, or those lions], or being multiple sexes [such as bilateral gynandromorphs], or similarly being what you want to call "naturally nonbinary" or "naturally trans".

it's fun to use these wonderful creatures as trans and nonbinary iconography, but please! don't forget your intersex siblings in your excitement. those are intersex animals, not trans or nonbinary

sincerely, a perisex bigender constantly bummed at the missed opportunity for cool pride art

[annjo-wolfe]

For anyone interested, I recently finished my fantasy novel 'Chasing Shadows'.

It's book one of a duology, and I'm currently working on book two. I've been working on it for years and am so excited about the progress I have made. So if anyone is interested please check in out, it's also on ao3 if anyone prefers that.

Evangeline has protected Lona ever since their parents passed away. When Lona is kidnapped by a shadow in the dead of night, Evangeline sets off to find her, despite knowing her journey will take her past the Border, where no human has walked in centuries. Finding aid in unlikely places, she and her companions must unravel the truth of Artera’s long-forgotten past and how it connects to Lona’s kidnapping.

It also involves characters speaking Irish Gaelic, Scots Gaelic and Welsh and establishing friendships and mutual understanding with language barriers. I hope this catches someone's interest.

[fantastical-affairs]

Chasing Shadows - Part 24

Evangeline has protected Lona ever since their parents passed away. When Lona is kidnapped by a shadow in the dead of night, Evangeline sets off to find her, despite knowing her journey will take her past the Border, where no human has walked in centuries. Finding aid in unlikely places, she and her companions must unravel the truth of Artera’s long-forgotten past and how it connects to Lona’s kidnapping.

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight | Part Nine | Part Ten | Part Eleven | Part Twelve | Part Thirteen | Part Fourteen | Part Fifteen | Part Sixteen | Part Seventeen | Part Eighteen | Part Nineteen | Part Twenty | Part Twenty One | Part Twenty Two | Part Twenty Three | Part Twenty Four | Part Twenty Five

They led the intruders at spearpoint to their village as Idwal called for Haf to be sent ahead to announce them.

The human looked livid and had been the most violent in their struggle when they’d been caught. The gaoithe and éan though seemed oddly calm despite their initial struggle, but Glyn didn’t let that lower his guard.

It’d been a quiet when they went on patrol, peaceful enough that Glyn could almost forget why they were patrolling in the first place. Then a shrill screech echoed through the forest, followed by the sounds of a scuffle. When his hunting party got closer and heard a wisp song, Glyn’s confusion grew. Most animals knew to steer clear of wisps.

When they’d finally made it to the source of the sound, the lead hunter immediately called for them prepare an ambush, as the sight of the three intruders sent ripples of alarm through the party. The human most alarming of all.

Reaching the village, the Swynwr, a group of swynwyr and armed hunters stood waiting. Glancing up, Glyn found many eyes staring from the canopy.

As they got closer to the Swynwr, she calmly walked towards the intruders. Her escorts followed her, melding with their own party. Among them was Parry who came to his side to eye the intruders.

“Do you think this gaoithe is the missing child the previous group were looking for?” Parry whispered.

“They might be, they look a lot like the gaoithe leader,” He whispered back, noticing the gaoithe’s distinct coat and colouring.

The Swynwr began addressing the éan of the group in Éanac, to which éan looked shocked, but quickly recovered. The human eyed the Swynwr suspiciously, setting Glyn on edge, while the gaoithe looked on nervously.

Waves of unease wafted from everything coed. It’d been a long time since they had dealings with a human. Their history was long and not easily forgotten.

Glyn watched as the Swynwr conversed with the éan, noticing how the gaoithe and human inched closer to them, as if ready to pounce if they spotted a hint of a threat towards the éan. As he stared the human, as if sensing his gaze, turned to look at him, their gaze hardening to a glare. Shooting back his own glare, he then turned his gaze back on the Swynwr.

“You want to know what they’re saying, don’t you?” Parry whispered. Swivelling his ears to show he’d heard them, he nodded.

“The éan introduced themselves and the gaoithe and human, they called them their… their travel companions? I think that’s what they said.”

Raising his brow at them, he asked, “Since when do you know Éanac?”

“Since Alys started teaching me,” they said nonchalantly.

“Is that so?” he replied, giving them a side-eye.

Parry’s huffed. “Shove off.”

Shaking his head at them, he turned back to the Swynwr. “So, what are they doing here?”

Parry pursed their brow as they listened. “I think they’re saying somewhere and came up nearby to where they were found.”

“Came up?”

Parry shrugged. “Again, my Éanac isn’t great.”

“What are a gaoithe and human doing with an éan then? Did the Swynwr ask?”

“She hasn’t yet, I don’t think.”

The Swynwyr then turned her back to the intruders, which prompting the hunters to hold up their weapons in warning. Addressing all those who were watching this exchange, she announced, “These intruders express they mean no harm, but for the safety of our people, we will hold them in the hollow until we can negotiate their leave.”

She turned to a hunter, Trefor, who stood by her side. Glyn strained to hear her. “Organise a search party for the group of gaoithe we found earlier, tell the leader we have found his child.”

With a nod Trefor disappeared climbed to the canopy. The Swynwr then turned to speak again to the éan, relaying what she just said.

Suddenly, the human shouted, lurching forward. Glyn drew his bow and every other hunter drew their weapon on them threateningly. They held up their hands in surrender, speaking slowly in Éanac to the Swynwr, much to the shock of most in the crowd and the Swynwr herself.

Beside him, Parry listened intently.

“What’s happening? What are they saying?” Glyn hissed.

“They’re saying they can’t leave… That they’re looking for someone here, in our forest.” They blinked, shooting him a perplexed look.

“Who?”

Parry listened again. “A child? They’re looking for a missing child. Their missing child?”

“Why would a human child be here?” Glyn asked.

They shook their head at him. “No, not missing. I think the word they used was taken.”

“Taken?”

As they listened, their face grew grim. They shot him an expression and suddenly he didn’t need to ask. The child was taken by a shadow beast.

The swynwyr at the Swynwr’s side and a few hunters held a similar expression. Though hunters weren’t required to learn Éanac like swynwyr were, some, like Parry, chose to anyway. As unease rippled through the group, Glyn didn’t doubt that those few who’d understood were spreading that news like wildfire.

The Swynwr turned, raising her staff and everyone quieted. “Tonight, we will hold council. With this new information, we have much to discuss. For now, the intruders will be led to the hollow. Hunters, if you please.”

As she requested, Glyn and the other hunters raised their weapons, corralling the intruders through the centre of their village. Near the old ash tree was a yew. It was short and stout, with a hollow historically used to hold prisoners.

As they pushed the intruders towards the hollow the gaoithe halted, backtracking before being stopped by the hunters’ spears. Glyn watched as their eyes darted around and their breathing became heavy, failing to follow their companions inside. Some hunters grew antsy, trying to corral them using their spears, some pulling out their bows in case of an escape.

Just then, the human came out, grasping the gaoithe’s hand and speaking in low tones. Slowly, they managed to beckon the gaoithe inside, where they were both met by the éan waiting at the mouth of the hollow, who was cooing calmingly as well. Steadily, all three entered the hollow.

Then two swynwyr, partners, Brynn and Heli ascended from the canopy. Heli, the more confident of the two, approached the mouth of the hollow first, and waited for Brynn to join them. Both standing in front of the hollow, they closed their eyes and began humming, stretching out their hands in front of them.

Suddenly, woody branches sprouted from the ground, growing taller and thicker until the front of the mouth was a tangled of woody branches, a sort of cage, allowing the prisoners to be seen but keeping them contained.

With that, Heli and Brynn gave Idwal a nod and returned back up to the canopy. With a tired sigh, Idwal called for them all to head to their nests. Absolved of his role as lead hunter, his shoulders drooped as he followed behind the other hunters.

Giving him a farewell nod as they all headed to their respective huts and nests.

Dropping wearily into his empty nest, Glyn barely had a moment before sleep washed over him.

Glyn bolted upright as he felt someone shaking his shoulder. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he was met with Trefor, who abruptly informed him that council was about to start.

Rushing out of his hut behind Trefor, they both hurriedly made their way to the main hall, finding it packed with everyone in the village. The Swynwyr surrounded by swynwyr sat at the farthest wall from the door, while everyone else congregated against the walls of the room. At the centre of the hall, a circle of space was left where a group of coed already stood debating for all to hear.

As he tried to find room in the crowd, he craned his neck to get a better look at those debating and found two hunters, Mil and Catrin and Alys who were locked in a tense argument.

“We can’t let a human stay in our village,” said Mil, an older hunter.

“I agree, having one here would be too dangerous, should others find them missing they might send a search party for them like the gaoithe did, and they won’t be as friendly,” voiced Catrin.

To their statements, Alys replied, “The human has obviously been gone for weeks judging by how long the gaoithe has been missing and we have heard no sign of any others looking for them. I’m not saying we should let them stay permanently, but they may have information about the shadow beasts that we could use.”

“Information that we don’t already know? Be sensible,” said Mil.

“I am! We thought our children were the only ones being taken by the shadow beasts. This is the first instance we’ve heard of a kidnapped child from another race. Talking to the human may allow us to figure out why all this is happening.”

“Can we not do that before they leave? What purpose would they serve staying with us?” said Catrin.

“What makes you think that they’d be willing to share that information when we’re demanding that they leave?” she countered.

“What makes you think they’ll give the information if they stay?”

Realising this back and forth was getting nowhere, he made his way forward to enter the debate. The crowd moved aside for him once they realised, many eyes to watching intently wondering what he’d add.

Once he reached Alys’ side, he looked stared intently at Mil and Catrin. “They want to go looking for their child, right? So, let them.”

That caused a stirring in the crowd, and he caught the eye of the Swynwr, who stared expectantly at him. “I agree with Alys, this might be the lead we need to find our children. We exchange information with them, then send out a search party accompanying the human.”

Glancing at the Swynwr, he watched saw her frown deeply. Catrin placed a hand on her hip. “And why would we do that?”

“Think about it, how far from the Darklands do humans live? And one of those beasts managed to travel all the way to their settlements and back? Whatever is taking the children is getting stronger. Soon we might not have any children to protect.”

Catrin glared but didn’t comment. Mil, like many others looked to be considering his idea.

“We can trike a bargain with them. They tell us everything they know, for the assurance that we take them with us.”

“And if they lie?” Alys questioned, he whipped around to face her but saw only saw determination. She agreed with him but knew a half-made plan couldn’t be argued for.

“Why lie when they suffer too should something go wrong.”

Alys stared at him, then nodded before she turned to face Mil and Catrin.

Just then, a movement in the crowd caught his attention. Hedd was picking his way through the crowd headed to the entryway.

Confused and concerned, he turned to Alys, subtly motioning that he had to leave. Her ears flicked perplexedly as she was trying to continue their debate when Parry appeared by them.

“Go,” they whispered to him, before standing at Alys’ side, joining in the debate in his stead. Offering them a grateful nod, he darted into the crowd, causing a stir with those around him. Reaching the entryway, he dashed out, spotting Hedd already on the ground and heading towards the Burial Grove. Dropping quietly to the forest floor, he followed silently as Hedd entered the grove.

Close behind Hedd, he watched as him rush carelessly through the grove, trampling new growth and kicking up the dirt of fresh graves. White hot anger shot through Glyn as he carefully followed behind, stopping to check that the disturbed saplings would recover.

Deeper he followed Hedd into the grove, and darker the forest became as the day turned to dusk. The sun had almost completely set by the time he finally reached the far end of the grove, which sat at the base of one of the western mountains.

Having travelled slower than Hedd, he followed his tracks down a small path sandwiched by high rock walls. Eventually, they led him to the rocky crevice, covered with leaf litter which he carefully treaded over so he wouldn’t be heard.

It wasn’t long before the path led him to ledge on the edge of a shallow hole. In it stood Hedd, tending to a small fire, a pile of sticks at his side. It was a small fire, steadily growing with the kindling he was adding.

Though Glyn was perplexed at the oddity of Hedd’s actions, what made it more odd was how easily everything was catching light. It’d rained heavily not too long ago and anything collected from the forest would’ve been too damp for a fire.

Then, right before his eyes, the fire grew and grew until it’d dwarfed Hedd completely. Soon all the wood within the fire burned out, and yet it still burned. And from within the flames, emerged a shadowy figure.

It was tall, well over twice Hedd’s height, with broad shoulders and wickedly clawed fingers. Its eyes glowed like the fire it emerged from, glaring at Hedd as if he were flea. Hedd withered under its gaze, shaking and stuttering as he attempted to speak. “A-apologies for calling you outside of our arranged time—”

“Your apologies mean nothing to me, little tree sprite. You have called me, and now I am here. Tell me why you have done so and be done with it,” the figure said.

“Y-yes… A human has found our village looking for a child. A child taken by one of your shadow beasts.”

Glyn’s eyes widened, scanning the figure anew. He noted that despite being engulfed in fire, their shadowy form did resemble the beasts. His gaze, now poisonous went from the figure to Hedd.

He knew. He knew this person, this thing, and knew it had been stealing their children. Why hadn’t he said anything? What reason did he have to keep this from them?

“A human in your village? And why pray-tell is that any of my business?” said the figure, staring at him with vague interest.

“The others… they talk of organising a search party to find the children you took, with the human’s help…”

Their form flickered, the crackling of the fire inflecting their voice. “So, you called for me to warn me of their possible arrival? While your concern is admirable, there is no need. They won’t get far through the Darklands. Besides, given how resolute your Swynwr has been in refusing to send out any search parties in the past, I doubt she will change her mind now.”

“I… understand. Is there… is there no way I can aid you more? Surely there is something I can do?” Glyn stared at Hedd in disbelief as he prostrated himself in front of the creature, the thing that stole their children and the cause of their village’s pain and suffering. With a quiet growl his hand gripped his knife which he’d grabbed in his haste when leaving the nest.

“I have no other use of you other than what I’ve already asked. We will continue as planned, before the next new moon you will tell me where your people will hide your children and I will send my beasts to get one. Do not worry, you will not need to do so much longer. Soon our business will be over.”

Glyn’s grip on his knife tightened until it was almost painful, as his heart constricted. His breath became ragged as he tried reigning in his anger.

“And you will keep your end of our deal?” Hedd questioned imploringly, rubbing the sparse fur on his back where Glyn knew his burns were.

The figure nodded. “As we agreed, when I finally enact my plan, you will be spared. Just you.”

Hedd nodded and the figure hummed thoughtfully. “Does our arrangement not bother you?” they asked, though more out of curiosity than care.

Hedd flinched, but responded, “You would not spare us all. Why should I die with everyone else.”

The figure stared at him for a moment, then turned away. “Our business here is done. Return to your village. No doubt your Swynwr is planning on sending the human back from whence they came.

“And if they come back?”

“It’s a miracle the human made it this far alone. The journey here is quite treacherous. It’s unlikely that they will make it back alive.”

“They weren’t alone.”

“What?” The figure snapped, whipping around to glare at Hedd.

Through his shaking, Hedd managed to answer, “Th-they weren’t alone. They had two others with them, a gaoithe and an éan. They’d been travelling together for a while from the looks of it.”

The figure’s form flickered as their eyes burned with rage. They looked away deep in thought before speaking. “This meeting is over. You will hear from me soon.”

With that as it came, the figure disappeared, leaving Hedd alone in the sinkhole with the dying fire.

Glyn took a steadying breath, trying to contain the vicious, bloodthirsty feeling that was telling him to deal with Hedd then and there. Quietly stepping away from the ledge, he whipped around and took off the way he’d came, taking the high route through the tree canopy and never slowing even as he reached the Burial Grove. He prayed those that’d passed understood the necessity for his speed, empathising with the burning rage in his heart that called out for justice and punishment.

Finally, he’d reached his destination, the main hall. Rushing inside, he pushed aside those in his way, seeing the Swynwr announcing something to everyone in the hall. Upon seeing him, she paused. “What is it, Glyn?”

Once he’d caught his breath, he briefly explained what he’d seen. Silenced echoed in the hall as everyone took in his tale. The Swynwr herself looked unsure, the story was absurd, and yet what reason would Glyn have to lie so obviously?

“Take me to where this happened,” she ordered, her voice hard as stone.

With a nod, Glyn led her and a group of hunters and swynwyr back to the hole. It took some time due to the Swynwr’s age, yet when they’d arrived it was almost exactly how Glyn had left it.

Though the sun had long set, Glyn had no trouble seeing in the dark, nor did any other coed present. Before them sat Hedd slouched over scorched stone and ash. Hearing people approach, he glanced up to the ledge, startling back as he spotted their group.

He stuttered over an explanation as Glyn and two others helped the Swynwr lower herself into the sinkhole. She approached the scorch marks in the rock, slowly, deliberately, as Hedd moved to stand in front of it, shielding it from her. As he went to lay a hand on her, an attempt to stop her from moving any further, Glyn’s hand came up to catch his arm in a bone crushing grip. He glared viciously at him, tugging him out of the way as the Swynwr kneeled in front of the scorch marks.

She crouched there, running her hand slowly over it, as her other hand gradually tightened around her staff. After some time, she finally stood and spoke over her shoulder, “Please escort Hedd to the swynwyr den, I will want to speak to him later. Have four hunters guard him at all times.”

At that Hedd began to struggle, the hunters in the group swarmed forward to surround him as Glyn fought to subdue him, pulling out his knife as Hedd grew more violent.

“Stop,” he muttered to Hedd, as he held the knife to his throat. Slowly, to avoid cutting himself, he looked around, finding the many hunters surrounding them both, bows drawn and aimed at him.

With a stuttering breath, he went slack and allowed himself to be dragged from the hole back towards the village, the Swynwr and swynwyr following close behind.

When they arrived, they were met with a tense silence, as the eyes of everyone bore onto them, or specifically, Hedd. Risking a glance at the many faces from above, he saw many emotions in his people’s faces, from shock to grief to anger. All was still as they led him up a ladder to the platforms above and finally to the swynwyr den.

The Swynwr had followed behind the whole time and upon reaching the den shortly after Hedd and his escort, ordered for ten hunters to guard outside the den while she talked with Hedd in private. Among them was Glyn, who waited with his fellow hunters eagerly for any news.

After some time, the Swynwr finally left the den, she directed the hunters on guard to escort Hedd to another hut where’d he’d be held for the foreseeable future. As Glyn moved to follow her orders, she motioned for him to stay, pulling him to the side with a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Looking at her, he noticed a subtle shine in her eyes, and the deepness of her frown. As they stood there for a few silent moments he finally asked, “Did he say anything?”

She sighed tiredly and shook her head. “He said no more than what you’d already heard.”

She took a steadying breath. “Why? Why would he do this to us?”

“Cowardice,” he hissed. The Swynwr shook her head, leaning on her staff.

“I noticed that he was distant, afraid even. But I had no idea that it was something like this. If I had known—”

She cut herself off abruptly with a deep breath and they lapsed into silence.

Glyn looked at her, speaking gently. “At least we know the truth now. If he hadn’t been scheming with that figure perhaps our plan to hide the children would’ve worked. It still can.”

“You are right,” she said, attempting a smile.

He nodded, continuing, “And now that we know more, we can send a search party out to look for the missing children. If we follow my plan, maybe we can—”

“I’ve already rejected that proposal, Glyn,” she interrupted.

“What?” he whispered.

“Your proposal, I had rejected it just as you entered the hall.”

“I—but this changes everything! We know more now. Why can’t we send out a search party?”

“The dangers haven’t changed and now with the new information we have, we need as many people guarding the children as ever. We need everyone present to help,” she said calmly.

“But that thing is planning something! We can’t just stand by and let this go on!”

“And we won’t. But sending out a search party is pointless.”

“No, it’s not—”

“Swynwr,” someone interrupted. It was Seren, needing to speak to the Swynwr about something important if her grave tone said anything.

With one last glance towards him, the Swynwr left, leaving Glyn standing there, stewing.

A thousand thoughts flew through his mind, before he finally settled on a plan. It was stupid and reckless, but he had to try.

With that, he dashed off. He’d need some help to enact his plan, he just hoped Parry would listen.

Originally, Hedd was going to be Glyn's father to make this betrayal extra hurtful. But I decided to change it because of worldbuilding I solidified shortly after made that connection meaningless. Mainly, that coed don't really care about who their bio parents are since children are raised by the entire village. Sure they might be closer to adults who were more involved in their upbringing, but there's little correlation between who brings them up and who "made" them, so to speak. Some coed don't even know who their bio parents are.

Exactly who is mainly responsible for their upbringing? Well that depends. The village has a sort of schedule to make sure their physical needs are met as well as to ensure they are taught/trained adequately. The swynwyr are responsible for the health and medical side of things usually.

But who cares for their emotional needs is sort of on a volunteer basis. Those who want to take on a parental role do (some would rather stay out of parenting and just perform their duty to the village, which to their fellow coed is considered a reasonable and normal choice to make), either as a mentor-parental figure (which usually enter a parental role when the children enter education) or a directly parental role, i.e., rocking them to sleep, comforting them after a nightmare (can begin parenting from birth). Typically, even if these figures are responsible for the entire group's wellbeing, the bond forged over time will have children gravitate to certain caretakers, this is seen as normal behaviour as it simply means children prefer figures with a parenting style that fits the child best.

It can happen that a child feels left out and/or their emotional needs are not being met due to lack of compatible parental figures. Recognising this phenomenon is part of the Swynwr's job. She/he/they are also responsible for then matching this child with either someone(s) who is, wants to be or wouldn't mind being a parental figure. If all those options have been exhausted, the Swynwr themselves is then responsible for being that child's parental figure.

[legitimatesatanspawn]

The eating habits of nonhuman characters is such a funny thing to me.

If the being is supposed to be a specific sort of animal, while yes you might see the creator of the piece avoid giving them meat products... but...

Sometimes the character eats things made with eggs. Sometimes they eat things that their supposed biology wouldn't naturally support. A good example for many animals is chocolate, and some don't do well with grapes. Sometimes they have tea or coffee which they REALLY shouldn't have considering how high the amounts of caffeine are for their species.

Not going to get into "big herbivore animal eating random bite-sized animals because they can" because reality seems to love to throw curve balls like that.

They eat it and then there's no distress. Either the character has an iron stomach or is just Built Differently.

[oswednesday]

Thank god you're a fellow Shinigami-dilf lover too lmfao

hes so cute and fun!! and serious, sinister backstory, deep,,,,a man of passion and mystery,,,a handsome family man!!