#shape-shifter!cor

[mahayanapilgrim]

Embrace your ashes to spark your fire.

True Dragons: Shakyamuni, Tara and Avalokiteshvara's close relationship with Nagas and Dragons: and "Tale of the True Dragon"

"Unlike its demonic European counterpart, the Tibetan dragon is a creature of great creative power; a positive icon, representing the strong male yang principle of heaven, change, energy, wealth and creativity. Dragons are shape shifters, able to transform at will, from as small as the silkworm to a giant that fills the entire sky. Dragons gre de or azure dragon cors ascends into the sky

at the spring equinox; it represents the light's increasing power in springtime and the easterly direction of the sunrise. The brown dragon is the autumn equinox, when it descends into a deep pool, encasing itself in mud until the next spring, but its spirit is still with the practitioner bringing wealth and health. The pearls, or jewels clutched in the claws of the dragon represent wisdom and health.

The dragon can control the weather by squeezing the jewels to produce dew, rain or even downpours when clutched tightly. The dragon is the vehicle of Vairochana, the white Buddha of the

[avianscribe]

Happy Birthday Prompto!

I don’t have anything new but I do have a Prompto Rec List from my works! It turns out that Prompto is one of my favorite voices to write in for FFXV, so I have a LOT of Prompto POV stuff. Let’s celebrate the Best Cinnamon Roll Boy!

(Note: I discovered while editing this post that Tumblr has a link-block limit, so you get a pared-down version without all the pretty links, alas!)

"What's In A Name" -- Prompto has finally made actual friends with Prince Noctis, but how will he handle the first challenge in their friendship? https://archiveofourown.org/works/14764946/chapters/34144775

"Drowning in Flowers" -- When love can literally kill you, you grow up knowing to be careful where to let your affections lie. Prompto knew that. But apparently not well enough. (Hanahaki Promnis; one of two shippy fics I've written, based on a chapter of Cracked…!) https://archiveofourown.org/works/18292241

"Charity Case" -- When an embargo traps Prompto's parents (and any money they can send him) overseas, he has to rely on the help of others. It's a good thing he has some really good friends! (Until they take it a little too far!)

"Thirst" -- Noctis is a vampire, and Prompto is a vampire hunter's son… but they can still be friends, right?

"A Beta's Crash Course in Pack Management" -- Prompto hasn't had enough time to feel like he's really part of the pack, but when the pack suddenly has a child in it, he discovers how much he's really needed. (De-aging and Omegaverse rolled up in a family-friendly package…)

"Vengeful" -- An attack in an arcade leaves Noctis unconscious, and Prompto has to fend for both of them.

"Puzzled" -- Prompto is the only one in the group who has ever changed a tire. He discovers he's the only one who even knows how.

"The Tip" -- Prompto follows a tip from some fellow hunters that leads him to a fight he can't win alone.

Super-short-- from my XVtober prompts

"Scarf" -- Prompto grabs the wrong scarf. https://archiveofourown.org/works/34278535

"Prank" -- Prompto's first big prank on Noctis goes pear-shaped. https://archiveofourown.org/works/34364887

"Pumpkin" -- Prompto brings home a pumpkin to carve. https://archiveofourown.org/works/34456084

"Patient" -- Prompto wakes up in a hospital. https://archiveofourown.org/works/34761343

"On The Road" -- It's time to go on a road trip, and Prompto gets to meet the car. https://archiveofourown.org/works/42121392

Prompto-focused, but not Prompto's POV

"Gallopin' Greens" -- Prompto buys home-packaged gyzahl greens from a skeevy peddler when they stop at a Coernix station, and when the chocobos don't like them, he eats them himself.

"Victorious" -- Prompto hasn't told Noctis what he's up to and Noctis can only hope Prompto's life isn't in danger. (It's not.) https://archiveofourown.org/works/24868678

"This Lion Heart Can't Leave You Behind" -- Cor is sent to investigate the Imperial Magitek program, and adopts a cub. (Part 1 of my Shifter AU) https://archiveofourown.org/works/30575549

"Cub's First Moon" -- As Cor escorts his new cub home, the full moon rises. (Part 2 of my Shifter AU!) https://archiveofourown.org/works/44620207

"Photo" -- Prompto ventures out too far looking for the perfect shot…! https://archiveofourown.org/works/34694848

"Beard" -- When Noctis returns, he notices some changes. https://archiveofourown.org/works/34717417

"Cheerful" -- When Noctis has a bad day, Prompto never fails to cheer him up. https://archiveofourown.org/works/35084011

"Photograph" -- Prompto Argentum wants to stop and take a photograph. Ignis doesn't think they have time. Noctis has to make a decision. https://archiveofourown.org/works/42070395

"Camp" -- Noctis invites his new friend Prompto to go camping with him and his retainers. https://archiveofourown.org/works/42216321

"Lyrics" -- Noctis et. al. celebrate Prompto's upcoming induction into the Crownsguard. https://archiveofourown.org/works/42240630

Want to celebrate with angst?

"Safe" -- Prompto has to be revived by phoenix down again -- and it's the last straw. https://archiveofourown.org/works/23922955

"Clever" -- Prompto is in Zegnautus Keep, and Noctis comes to save him. Maybe. https://archiveofourown.org/works/25147393

"Bled in Ruin" -- Prompto encounters a vampire with his face, and it turns his whole world upside down. (Rated M for blood, injury, suicidal thoughts, talk of assisted suicide) https://archiveofourown.org/works/29537433/chapters/72580659

Ending with two Birthday Fics!

"Just Another (Awful) Day" -- Prompto's birthday is just like any other day -- until it isn't. https://archiveofourown.org/works/27234874

"Brothers" -- Prompto didn't grow up with siblings. https://archiveofourown.org/works/42625416

[purcextase]

                     ' 𝑌𝑂𝑈𝑅 𝑀𝑂𝑈𝑇𝐻 𝐼𝑆 𝑃𝑂𝐼𝑆𝑂𝑁

    𝑌𝑂𝑈𝑅   𝑀𝑂𝑈𝑇𝐻 𝐼𝑆 𝑊𝐼𝑁𝐸 .  

morgan ophelia lexley, conhecida como molly, foi reclamada por circe como sendo sua há sete anos, quando chegou ao acampamento meio-sangue pela primeira vez. durante esse tempo, ela aprimorou seu carisma e suas habilidades de batalha e seus poderes concedidos pela matriarca e deusa da feiticeiria de transfiguração, mas ainda lida com impulsividade e irresponsabilidade. originária da agitada cena noturna de las vegas, molly foi criada por seu pai hugo lexley um homem irresponsável que a expôs a uma vida noturna decadente. após deixar o acampamento devido a um evento marcante que ainda a persegue, ela assumiu o comando de uma boate, mas agora sente um chamado para retornar e enfrentar não apenas monstros, mas também os fantasmas de seu passado.

BENÇÃO OU MALDIÇÃO: sua melhor amiga morreu durante uma das festanças no acampamento meio sangue, Elsie, então passou a atormentá-la, aparecendo em seus sonhos e até quando estava acordada, em momentos inconvenientes e inapropriados reclamando e soltando anedotas ironicas e irritadas com a situação que estava morta.

ARMA: possui duas pulseiras em formato de ramos negros qua escorrem pelo pulso da garota e se transformam em duas armas sai, adagas pontiagudas com forma de tridente negro com as quais a filha de circe consegue (ou conseguia) lutar aplicando golpes de artes marciais, porém, como desde que deixou o acampamento há cinco anos ela deixou de praticar é bem provavel que suas habilidades estejam um tanto enferrujadas.

HABILIDADE: transfiguração (shape shifter): poder de mudar a forma/aparência de objetos e pessoas por um período de tempo (quanto mais complexo o objeto transmutado menos tempo dura os efeitos de sua modificação e vice versa) inclui também a arte mudar a própria aparência ou partes dela (cabelo, cor dos olhos, rosto) até modificar a aparência para algum animal ou criatura, passo que a feiticeira ainda não domina plenamente.

HEADCANNONS

existe uma diferença gritante na molly que frequentara o acampamento da primeira vez e a que retornou, atualmente a prole de circe parece apenas meio viva, está sempre distraída, as vezes fala consigo mesma, tudo isso tem a ver com o aumento das drogas e com a morte de sua melhor amiga.

após o fechamento do acampamento meio sangue há seis anos, morgan passou a gerenciar um dos clubes de seu pai em vegas, com tema dos anos setenta, altamente inspirado em mamma mia, na era disco, e é claro, na mitologia grega. a carreira de combatente de monstros ficou em segundo plano, evitando sempre que possível, por isso está em completa fora de forma atualmente.

é viciada em diversos tipos de drogas e álcool, abusando dos dois com frequencia ainda maior depois da morte da melhor amiga.

depois da morte de elsie, morgan passou a receber sua companhia espectral com bastante frequencia, infelizmente, apenas ela e alguns com poderes mediunicos ou ligados ao submundo poderiam reparar na presença de elsie que está frequentemente irritada acompanhando a loira como um encosto.

molly sempre está com casacos, de couro com pelos na ponta e nas golas, no modelo anos setenta, ou de pelo sintético, coloridos com cores neon, uma mudança um tanto radical desde a última vez que frequentou o acampamento onde usava majoritariamente vestido bohos brancos, porém, devido o consumo excessivo de intorpecente, ela estava sempre suando, com frio precisando de casacos.

BIOGRAFIA COMPLETA: 

Os anos noventa foram mais do que empolgantes, foram lendários para toda o ramo do entretenimento. as danceterias e vida noturna que vivia seu ápice nos anos oitenta com a era disco pavimentou o terreno perfeito para nascerem os maiores e mais incríveis festivais, festas, shows, programas de TV voltados para o entretenimento. Las Vegas. A cidade do pecado. Onde as bebidas e as drogas eram tão abundantes quanto os grãos de areia do deserto a sua volta. Não havia lugar melhor no mundo para viver a vida de depravação e diversão sem limites. 

Hugo Lexley, o dono de uma casa noturna quase não acreditou na sorte que tinha quando a mulher mais linda que tinha visto entrar em sua boate — ele já havia saído com dúzias de modelos, atrizes famosas, deflorado algumas cantoras teens mas de alguma forma a loira de olhos azuis era marcante de uma forma que ele não sabia explicar, e ele tentaria explicar, por meses, o porque aquela noite tinha sido tão importante mesmo que não conseguisse se lembrar exatamente dos detalhes, por mais que tentasse sua mente continuava anuviada, poderia ter sido as drogas, poderia ter sido a bebida, quem poderia saber? eram os anos 90. 

Um ano depois, quando um bebê de olhos azuis e cabelos loiros como a mulher misteriosa foi deixada em sua cobertura, ninguém sabia como havia parado lá, nem câmeras de segurança tinham conseguido identificar o surgimento do bercinho branco no meio do tapete de couro de zebra.

Passado todos os testes de paternidade, confusões legais e até tentativas de contactar a mulher que ele sequer se lembrava o nome, não haviam dúvidas de que Hugo Lexley, o maior cafageste da costa oeste agora era pai. mas quem dizia que o homem se tornava pai quando via seu bebê nunca esteve tão errado. Hugo não tinha qualquer instinto paterno e apenas gostava da atençaõ que recebia por ter uma criança tão linda no colo, sem se preocupar em ter strippers, cafetões e prostitutas como figuras femininas modelos para a filha que parecia que havia se adaptado muito bem a vida as avessas, sendo uma criatura da noite por natureza. 

O pai era imaturo, ambicioso e um ser humano ruim, mas ela o amava, tinha sentimentos um tanto quanto maternais pelo pai, como se precisasse cuidar dele e não o contrário, por isso, quando fora atraída para o acampamento há oito anos, com dezesseis anos de idade, ela se viu dividida. Não era uma criatura responsável por natureza, mas se preocupava se alguém iria pagar as contas ou se haveria comida além de bebidas na geladeira. 

A presença de monstros, no entanto, pareciam um motivo muito bom para ficar. lidar com eles em plena The Strip a noite seria péssimo pros negócios do pai e ela decidiu que seria melhor tornar o lugar seu novo lar.. Logo movimentava festas, regadas a bebidas contrabandeadas (que por algum motivo o pai não achava anti pedagógico sua filha pedir regularmente antes da idade legal) e drogas, principalmente LSD, Êxtase, algo que logo ela entendeu ser um traço de sua mãe. o apelido de Molly, tanto pelas drogas quanto pela raiz de moli que derrotou sua mãe, foi um apelido que simplesmente pegou. 

Até que toda a alegria terminou em desastre que ela jamais iria esquecer e a assim que completou dezoito anos abandonou o acampamento e voltou para Vegas. 

assumiu uma das boates do pai, gerenciando o lugar, voltando a rotina quase vampírica de outrora, só parando de trabalhar (e farrear) quando era de manhã. a vida de caçadora de monstros parecia ter ficado para trás, como um sonho ou um pesadelo esquecido, até que recentemente, sentiu que precisava voltar, foi difícil entender o chamado, mas quando o fez, ficou ainda mais dificil obedecer, já que havia jurado nunca mais voltar ali, mas ficou claro que algo estava errado. talvez sua volta para o acampamento meio sangue fosse mesmo inevitável e isso era o que ela mais temia, não pelos monstros, mas pelos fantasmas de seu passado que pareciam ansiosos para prestas as boas vindas.

[ertrunkenerwassergeist]

So I've had a thought for a CorNyx. Fae seem to me to be possessive/protective of what they view as theirs. Now add in someone who decides Nyx would be a great person to court. Wrong move. Cor can be just as petty and vicious as any other fae when he feels he needs to get a point across.

Oho. Possessive Cor. Good idea!

Let’s put a bit of a spin to it.

Cor has been skulking around Nyx for a while now. Nyx tolerates it with the aplomb of a bristlig cat. At first. After a while, Nyx accepts it and starts to settle down, even if he’s still grumbling. Then Cor toes the line a bit and the process begins again.

Let’s say some fihrie take notice of this. They see this... this fae marking a territory that most definately is not his. And Nyx lets him. The fihrie are appalled.

So, to make the fae back off, one of the fihrie stakes a clame on Nyx. They go all the nine yards. Freshly skinned pelts from animals they hunted themselves, trinkets and jewellery made out of bones and teeth, cloth made out of spun moonlight and a breath of summer. The most impressive thing is the heart they lay down at Nyx’ feet. A human heart that had sill been beating less than a minute ago. (It’s the heart of some poor Niff soldier.)

Nyx hates all of it.

Meanwhile Cor bristles like a possessive cat. This selkie is his, damnit! Cor saw his wild beauty first, his bloodthirst and the way he danced with a dagger in each hand. It is Cor who sees the autumn sky in beautiful blue eyes, who revels in breathless laughs after a good chase and shudders at each toothy grin.

The fihrie had not wanted him until someone else did.

Cor hates it.

He snaps when the fihrie lays down the heart. They’re outside the city, thankfully, so Cor doesn’t need to hold back while he rips his rival’s throat out. Nyx, in a flash of sudden realization, stays out of it.

He has never thought he would be desireable enough for suitors to fight over him. Pitioss, he hadn’t even realized Cor had been courting him! And he had. Or not?

Nyx is still grappling with that question when Cor saunters over, bloody from head to toe and the spine of the fihrie in his clawed hand, incredibly pleased with himself. It turns to pure smugness when Nyx accepts the spine and rubs his cheek against Cor’s jaw.

[secret-engima]

...only one more after this, promise! -Ice in my veins, never gonna run, venom on my fangs, fire on my tongue

...

........

DRAGON FFXV AU.

Specifically an AU where Prompto was, unbeknownst to Cor, part of a special science project to create the ultimate weapon.

A DRAGONSHIFTER.

Let’s assume shapeshifters used to be a thing, but died out or something so now there’s just legends. But Verstael “I Unearthed the Actual Adagium” Besithia is not going to let petty things like “extinction” and “possibly fictional” stop him from getting what he wants so he starts gene tampering. Most of the clones in the project die, but one Special Clone that he added special genes to survives, and he can’t WAIT to see if it will learn to shift when it grows old enough-

Except then some Lucian (a very righteously angry and oblivious Cor) STEALS IT.

Cue Prompto growing up in Insomnia, terrified of two things in his life. One is anyone finding the barcode on his wrist-

The other is anyone finding out he can turn into a monster.

A dragon, specifically, but Prompto doesn’t really CARE what kind of monster it is when he had to learn to handle suppressing the transformation during his puberty all by himself and HE’S never heard of the old shapeshifter legends so he has NO IDEA that he’s anything other than a freak. Let alone that, secret of secrets (something even Besithia doesn’t know and Ardyn never told) the lines blessed by Bahamut can shapeshift too, and are ALWAYS draconic. Of course, it’s been so LONG that even the LCs and Oracles don’t really remember how, and Luna and Noctis are the first in generations to shift instinctively (Regis ... did not take it too calmly when his son hit puberty and then accidentally transformed while having an argument with Gladio. Gladiolus also did not take it calmly, but that was because he went from arguing with a tiny ten year old to getting roared at by a six foot tall baby DRAGON. Everyone give thanks to the quick thinking Ignis and his hot chocolate or else something would have gotten set on fire that day)

(also coincidentally in this AU, Besithia stabilized his last prospective shifter clone with Ardyn’s DNA, thinking that since he was an ancient human he was closer to the time shifter’s died out, he genuinely has no clue that Ardyn IS a dragon shifter and that’s why his special project clone didn’t die instantly).

Anyway! Shenanigans happen and Prompto and Noct become friends ala canon and Prompto struggles with his raging dragon MINE instincts over his friends and Noctis struggles with his own MINE instincts over Prompto (do not glomp the civilian, Noctis tells himself, do not attempt to flop all over and cuddle the civilian, DO NOT grab a hairbrush and compulsively groom the civilian he won’t understand your following dragon instincts and not intentionally being a weird creep, Noctis tells himself sternly as his instincts screech).

And then like- SOMETHING happens and there’s DANGER, probably an assassination attempt or something while Prom and Noct are doing video games in Noct’s apartment and Noctis goes down before he can debate the risk of transforming in front of Prompto with a glancing blow to the head and Prompto sees his friend-packbrother-wingmate go down and sees BLOOD and-

He-

R a g e s

The Crownsguard and a few Glaives arrive at the apartment to find that the assassins are very, very dead and in multiple pieces, and the living room furniture has been smashed against the walls to make room for the Very Unhappy and Enraged golden dragon that JUST BARELY fits in the apartment living room, hunched protectively over the unconscious Noctis and hissing at the startled newcomers, with something dripping from his fangs that makes a very acidic hiss and pockmarks on the floor when it lands.

Cor, who KNOWS who Prompto really is and is there and can see the barcode peaking out on one scaly wrist is just- his brain is shorting. Cor.exe no working pls reboot.

Nyx, who has no idea what’s going on but as a Galahdian (and secret Coeurl-shifter) remembers enough stories to know this young dragon is maybe 5 seconds away from eating them, goes into damage control while internally screaming because MARSHAL STOP STARING. MARSHAL WHY IS NYX THE BRAINCELL RIGHT NOW HE DOESN’T LIKE IT.

So anyway yes I now have a new AU (oh no) and here are some thoughts:

Noctis is a fire-breathing/four legged dragon, Luna is an ice/eastern dragon, and Prompto is a GoT-Style dragon with venom he can spit rather than fire-breathing, that way all the stuff in the title is officially covered. >:D

Shifters still exist, but are mostly in hiding because Obviously and also are predominantly Galahdian, which means they can only take non-flying, natural animal shapes. They are also still rare. Ulrics are the only Coeurls left, but the Bellum have a Behemoth or three and the Arra have a handful of Wolves.

Ardyn has 0 clue that he technically has a SON running around playing best friends with his “hated enemy”

The day he finds out Besithia used his blood to make a child and didn’t tell him is also coincidentally the day Besithia and his lab go Fwoosh because Ardyn may be Scourge crazy and vengeful but he is still a dragon and YOU DO NOT take a dragon’s hatchling away from them. Ever. For any reason.

Also coincidentally Ardyn decides that he is going to have to rework some of his plans.

Also also Dragon shifters get BIG. Regular shifters are the size of their animal or smaller (Bellum Behemoths are smaller than regular Behemoths but far more Fightey), but because Magic™, dragon shifters when full grown/old get to be HUGE. Like- can knock over four story buildings huge. KAIJU HUGE. But that’s when they’re full grown. Noctis at twenty is only about 20-24 feet at the shoulder. Wait until he’s fifty+ years old and THEN we’ll hit Kaiju sizes.

[considermeharmless]

The Cartoons Games - Part 06

A new day in the arena, new nonsense to be witnessed! Let’s see how the last toons fared yesterday:

Only four left... And not the most violent ones, surprisingly! 

Night 5

That’s weirdly nice of him...

Well, the night seemed rather peaceful! Good for them!

Day 6

Heyyyyy, wouldn’t that be nice for him in canon of The Inky Mystery? XD 

(imagine the cure to the inkness just... left on the front porch of the house by who knows who, everyone kinda just freaking out, while Oddswell tests it and is like “Well, cor blimey, it turns out these two components do the job actually! I never thought of trying that.” Red yelling in the background, Wilson turning over in his grave, Bendy just... annihilated. X’D)

The image is very funny to me for some reason!

Don’t get pricked by thorns again, Azazel.

Hunting for food or toons??

Again? Joan did that too during the 3rd day! She’ll have a full flower shop if she keeps that up!

And now...

The Fallen To-

Wait what?

Oh... 

Well that’s a first! So, no new status for the day, I guess, and no kills for anyone! Let’s see if the next day is any different:

Night 6

Sure, sure.

OH WOW

That’s really impressive, Xedo! How did you even do that?? 

This is pretty badass... (even if Azazel wasn’t much of a threat in these games)

Would have Cazziel’s fate been any different if Xedo had tagged along?

Not bad I suppose!

Day 7

Again??? Wasn’t that his main achievement of day 4? How many lakes and rivers are there in this arena?

...Wouldn’t it be funny if it was, in fact, the exact same river as the one he found, 3 days ago? xD

Okay?

Be careful not to find the same river Xedo keeps stumbling upon!

And now...

The Fallen Toons

And with Azazel gone, all demons have officially lost the Games... All died either from the environment or from someone else... In a world were demons are mostly fireproof, shape-shifters, powerhouses, can teleport or have ridiculous strength, I find it rather pathetic. Especially, if taking into account the fact that they had little to no kills. XD (Remember that Granny had more kills by herself than all demons together...)

Status of the day:

Only three remain! All are regular toons, have no established magic abilities and are from Toon Town! That really is a funny coincidence... Who would you like to see win? Who do you expect to win? Do share what you think!

Tomorrow will be the last day of events! :)

[ofbrasilis]

MUSES;

 ⚛ BRAZILIAN FOLKLORE

BOTO COR DE ROSA   ( some sort of a charming shape shifter entity  or merman that has superior musical abilities, seductiveness and a love for parties && sex that often result in illegitimate children; at night leaves his body as a river dolphin and shifts into a handsome man with a hat in search of a good time  )

YEMANJÁ    ( major water deity; queen of the oceans && the patron spirit of the fishermen and the survivors of shipwrecks, the feminine principle of creation, and the spirit of moonlight; she is one of the seven orixás in candomblé and umbanda )

YARA   ( mother of waters, lady of the lake, an immortal figure of ancient tupi and guarani mythology; shape shifter entity that varies as a water nymph, a siren or a beautiful mermaid; lures people to the water with her beautiful && hypnotic singing )

IANSÃ     ( an intense deity responsible for the winds, storms and lightning; an unbeatable warrior, this orisha's attributes include great intensity of emotions, sentations and charm; holding power over the mysteries that surround the dead, she is the entity of death and rebirth )

⚛ BRAZILIAN LITERATURE \ MINISERIES

DONA GLÓRIA   ( widowed mother of bento santiago who, following the miscarriage of her fist child years before bentinho's birth,  vowed to offer up her next son, if vouchsafed one, to priesthood. the vow is broken largely thanks to capitu's influence. )       DOM CASMURRO \ CAPITU

COUNTESS OF GOUVARINHO  ( an irreverent, futile and fiery woman married to an aristocrat, the countess is caught in a marriage of convenience and reveals herself in the game of seduction she shares with carlos, the young man she has an affair with  )    OS MAIAS

MICHELE SANTANA  ( a smart and sly young woman who has a very strong sense of justice. she has no family and was raised by her brother, who did not return after being sent to the process. )  3%

LÍGIA SOARES    ( malu's childhood friend, lígia is an aspiring singer trapped in an abusive marriage who eventually joins the girls; she is later attacked by her husband but survives the shot )     GIRLS FROM IPANEMA \ MOST BEAUTIFUL THING

[luxroyalty]

snappysprinkledog replied to your post “... lowkey now want a snow leopard shifter in shape shifter au. Aranea...”

Cor *walks in on bby noct and luna chuffing at each other repetitively while rubbing against each other* Cor *takes video and walks out slowly*

Adorable and sickening!

They’re basically yelling ‘friend friend friend’ at each other and Cor wants no part in that. Or they might try to do it to him.

Some times they do it to Regis and there’s just three big cats just chuffing at each other, the cubs sometimes standing on the adults back.

(Ravus refuses)

[anidiotsguidetoanimals-blog]

SHOW NOTES Episode 18: Boto

Adam and Kirsten find out they have similar preferences for animals this week as we delve into myth and legend...

Introduction

Theme: Animals with myths and legends about them

100 Facebook likes

Patreon: two tiers, thanks to Sophie “The Killin’” McMillan, Drunken Bear & Lady Georgia

Twitter polls & iTunes reviews

Dog & duck storm news

Kirsten & Adam’s animal (11:30): Boto (Boto Cor de Rosa, Bufeo, Boto Encantado, Pink River Dolphin)

Classification

Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Cetartiodactyla/Cetacea – until recently, Artiodactyla and Cetacea were recognised as two separate clades however molecular evidence suggests that cetaceans evolved from artiodactyl ancestor therefore Artiodactyla is a paraphyletic group unless Cetacea is included. Infraorder: Cetacea – dolphins, porpoises and whales Suborder: Odontoceti – toothed whales Family: Iniidae – a family of S. American river dolphins Genus: Inia Species: Inia geoffrensis (3 subspecies based on location – Amazon, Bolivian, Orinoco) 

Habitat & Distribution

Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia & Venezuela

Through Amazon and Orinoco river basins (slow moving rivers & streams) up to 3000 km from the coast

Occur mostly within 150m of the edge of rivers

Description

Largest freshwater cetacean – up to 2.4 m

Weight up to 98kg

Bulging forehead, small eyes, chubby cheeks, long and narrow mouths w. up to 140 teeth (heterodont dentition – different functions for grabbing and crushing prey)

Light pink to grey/brown –get pinker as they get older (older males most pink – could be from scar tissue)

Vertebrae not completely solid; they can turn their heads left and right 90 degrees as well as up and down – very flexible can swim in shallow waters and weave in and out of trees

Long plump body, paddle shaped fins & ridge along back no dorsal fin

Ecology

Sophisticated sonar system that helps them navigate muddy waters; after humans they are the major predators of fish. They have the most diverse diet of all toothed whales, feeding on a variety of fish and crabs (and sometimes small turtles and shrimp) generally near the bottom. They swim into flooded forests and search for prey. Sometimes, they associate with the distantly-related tucuxi (Sotalia fluviatilis), and giant otters (Pteronura brasiliensis) to hunt in a coordinated manner

Usually alone/in pairs but up to 37 have been seen – most active early morning and late evening (crepuscular)

There is significant segregation during the rainy season, with males occupying the river channels, while females and their offspring are located in the flooded areas

Slow swimmers: 2km/hr

Playful & curious – approach boats and pull on paddles

Some resident, some move up to 100s of km but no seasonal migration.

Reproduction

Sexual maturity 6-10 years, gestation ~11 months:  a single calf is born May-June

Up to 5 years between births (normally between 15 and 36 months).

In captivity lifespan can be up to ~30 years but sadly the average lifespan in captivity is ~2.5 years (however there was an individual named Apure at Duisburg Zoo in Germany that lived more than 40 years after being captured from the wild at 9).

Males have been seem carrying sticks or other floating vegetation/ balls of clay – sociosexual display – aggression to males, attractant to females. The behaviour is thought to be triggered by an unusually large number of adult males and/or adult females in a group, or perhaps it attracts such into the group.

Males often have a significant degree of damage in the dorsal, caudal, and pectoral fins, as well as the blowhole, due to bites and abrasions. They also commonly have numerous secondary teeth-raking scars. This suggests fierce competition for access to females, with a polygynous mating system

In captivity, courtship and mating foreplay have been documented. The male takes the initiative by nibbling the fins of the female, but reacts aggressively if the female is not receptive.

In Myth/Legend

Viewed as shape-shifters – can turn human at night, usually into men. Are said to go to parties (mainly June parties) to seduce/hypnotise local women. They wear white suits & hide their blow hole by wearing a white hat (myth is said to have originated because dolphin genitalia bears a resemblance to human).

Main story – Rosita (18) lived with her family near the riverbank. She often did chores down by the river. One day she decide to swim (naked). A young man appeared at the edge of river, watching her. He sais he was a fisherman and she fell in love with him & spent the night. Every night they met at the same spot. She eventually told her father what was happening as she wanted to get married and he invited the mystery man to stay the night. However the man would leave every morning before dawn. One day he forgot to awake before dawn & Rosita found a pink dolphin in her bed. The dolphin tried to escape but couldn’t and the father shot it in the head. Rosita thought her man had left her and now she was pregnant. She died giving birth to a pink dolphin. From then on all girls were warned to stay away from mysterious men at the riverbank. 

This myth was used to explain unexplained pregnancies (teenagers, single women, incestuous relationships) and birth defects like the scalp not forming properly (blowhole forming). Kids with no dad in some places in Brazil are called a “child of the boto.”

“It happened to the cousin of a local man she interviewed. “A boto had come to her one night, disguised as her husband,” the man recalled during the interview. “But her husband was away fishing. They made love as if in a dream. Nine months later, she gave birth to the baby.”

Superstitions vary –

Previously human: dolphins once humans but cursed.

Collect the souls of those who die in the river or can just can drag you to the underwater city of Encante (paradise palace)– won’t return

Bad luck to hunt or eat them

Rainforest dwelling shamans have been known to learn medical techniques from them

They are considered to be the Amazonian manatee’s guardian so to see one you must locate a dolphin and make peace with it.

If you make eye contact with one you’ll have nightmares for the rest of your life

It is believed that these myths kept people from intentionally killing them and have helped playing a role in keeping the population stable.ConservationThe sexual nature of this folklore has lead to the perceived value of boto body parts as love charms. Most important = eyes and genitalia. Holding the eye of the boto while conversing with a member of the opposite sex is thought to make one highly sexually attractive because no one can resist the boto's gaze. Grinding the penis of the boto, mixing it with talcum powder or perfume, and applying it to the genital area is believed to increase the pleasure that a woman can give a man. Similarly, the application of a ground dolphin's vagina to a man's penis is believed to increase his potency. Dolphin oil is also sold to cure chest ailments. But most if not all parts are from different species (marine cetaceans and sheep/pigs).

Other threats include:

Pollution of habitat

Getting caught in fishing nets

Dams blocking rivers

Deliberate killing for bait or to remove competition for fish

Fishing with explosives

Collision with boats and motors

1956 to 70s >100 captured and exported to US, Europe and Japan.

IUCN lists them as data deficient but previously listed as vulnerable – in areas where they are studied they seem widespread and relatively abundant but this is only small proportion of their total range.They are fully protected in Brazil and Bolivia; they have partial protection in some areas of Peru, Venezuela and Columbia. Tourism may provide sufficient income to help protect them.

References

Encyclopedia of Life. Available from http://www.eol.org/. Accessed 27 Sep 2017

Gravena, W., Hrbek, T., Da Silva, V. M. F. and Farias, I. P. (2008), Amazon River dolphin love fetishes: From folklore to molecular forensics. Marine Mammal Science, 24: 969–978. doi:10.1111/j.1748-7692.2008.00237.x

https://www.naturalworldsafaris.com/blog/fauna-folklore-animal-myths-and-legends

https://www.rainforestcruises.com/jungle-blog/the-legend-of-the-pink-river-dolphin

https://www.worldwildlife.org/blogs...

Outro (39:40)

Dragons (Adams backup)

Rat vs. pigeon, who would win?

Peanut worm

Adam’s holiday stories

Soundcloud link to full episode

iTunes link to all episodes

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to rate, review and subscribe on whichever podcast app you use, or alternately please consider donating on Patreon.

Many thanks from Kirsten, Adam & Rich

[ertrunkenerwassergeist]

I send you a Thing over on Ao3 comment section on Heart of Thunder. Feel free to answer it here and delete it there afterwards! I hope you like my little idea on reversal of the selkie!au 😁💗

Delete it? Maybe. But here it is, so that people know what I’m answering to:

How about a reversal of the selkie!au? Galahd has legends of selkie. But those on the islands are like Fae. You have to be very careful to cook me out of meeting them more or less intact. So Galahkari treat them with due caution and keep the hell away.

On the other hand, in Lucis skin changers have a moderately benevolent history. Helpful, if you treat them well but break a contract or harm an innocent around them and YOU. ARE. DONE. There are many stories of a queen or two shedding feathers of a Swan (one black and one white, guess who was more beloved) to settle down with her beloved. Countless more romanticised versions among the literature - all of which the refugees from Galahd scoff at with derision. But most of Insomnia treats those like fairy tales or sth, believing it even less than the takes of the Astrals and their Messengers.

Wider Lucis is a different story. Ppl there still have the Shifters appear from time to time. Tales of ppl with slightly wilder look around them are common. They all try to exercise their hospitality and manners especially well around those individuals.

And if that annoying herd that keeps destroying crops suddenly moves away or the Thunderocs that try to nest on the antidemon lights disappear they keep it to themselves and just smile extra warmly at the stranger should he appear again. Cor is a skin changer. Not many (beyond the Retinue) are aware of that. Mors certainly was not despite using the feral child as a soldier/guard. He feels like a wolf or a bird of prey of some type.

Regis knows the lore, some of the skin changer blood flows through his veins, he understands the urges. (Hmm, maybe Ardyn's mother's ancestor had phoenix blood in their veins? Maybe Somnus was just his half brother?) and knows that Cor's instincts are much sharper. Trusts that whenever Cor deals away with a member of his court, there is something wrong. Hell, even his suspicions are usually enough to start an investigation.

(That's why Titus irks him so much. He has trouble finding evidence between being run ragged by the war, something just /itches/at him in that man's presence. Drautos on the other hand just does not believe in folk tales) And then come the Galahdians.

And Nyx Ulric.

And Cor's every instinct just screams at him to get close to the man. That he is Important. (Doesn't help that he smells nice beneath all the spices, Cor can smell the fragrance even hours after the Glaive finished Guard duty in Citadel. Regis just laughs at him and starts mercilessly teasing his friend. It's only because Cor considers him family that the King does not end up with his throat torn out.)

Unfortunately, the moment Cor gathers enough courage to actually try talking to the man, he stumbles upon a convo disparaging the Lucian naivete re. selkie and decides to stay away and pine from the distance.

Hi, I just wanted to clarify in case tumblr ate my reply to your question: you can absolutely feel free to post this on tumblr with your reply.

Have some more tiny pieces

Galahdians being a bit like the Irish, wary as hell about the fair folk but not selkie, still human.

On the other hand, Cor being able to put on feathers or fur and being *very specific* about how he goes about helping ppl (and only certain ppl) or solving problems Imagine them ranting about naive Lucians having romantic tales about selkie and having the image of bloodthirsty Eldrich sea creatures in mind.  While Lucians think about their Swan queens and maybe some furry Messenger like helpful creatures (as long as you don't offend them) Complete culture shock😜

.

Me:

Okay, first off: This is wonderful. And I love it very much. Also for everybody’s sanity I’ll put my answer under the cut.

Let’s say the term fae is used in Lucis to describe all magical beings that aren’t humans, animals, daemons, the Astrals or their messengers. When they say “A fae must have done it”, it means something very strange is afoot that shouldn’t bee too closely looked into.

Because benevolent or not, the fae like their privacy. Old children’s tales say that you should never tell anybody you saw a fae or that one helped you. Otherwise they will play cruel tricks and after they’ve had their fun you’ll never see them again.

Lucian tales go along the lines of helpful sprites that protect homes when milk and food are set out, of the Titan’s folk (read dwarves) that first taught humans how to mine, of the lindwurm that was blessed by Bahamut and gave the person who solved his tasks secret knowledge.

But the most popular tales are the ones about shape-shifters. Animal-walkers. It is said you can recognize them at the glint in their eyes, the sharpness of their teeth, the something that is different from what a human face should be. Their stories are most popular with hunters and people outside of Insomnia.

I really love how you describe them :D

On the swan queens: Maybe the white swan could actually be a human that got cursed, and the Lucian King (then prince) broke the curse. The black swan was a shape-shifter, and only shed her feathers permanently after her man who wanted her, solved three unsolveable tasks.

Let’s say the white swan queen was considered very imperious and hysteric and inconsiderate, while the black swan queen was very beloved for her generosity and benevolence.

Which is around the time romanticised tales about shape-shifters and humans crop up like weeds. And they keep being popular into the modern times.

Now for the Galahkari.

Their word for magical beings like that is fihrie. But they are far less benevolent. For them fae/fihrie are beings that dance in the twilight when sun and moon share the sky and their music and laughter drives people mad. They are the beings that twist trees into wrong forms and trap freshly departed souls in their dead bodies. They are the ones that ride on the winds of winter and steal the unwary. It’s also said that they steal the first breath of a newborn baby because that is the most precious thing to them, and if the child survives despite that, it stands with one leg in the fihrie world.

Their stories aren’t about beings that are nice.

But then there are the selkie. Stories tell that they once belonged to the fihrie until one of them once stole not the first breath of a newborn, but the second. And that changed them into something that was just tiny bit more human and less fihrie.

So when the Galahkari come to Insomnia and see all those romanticized tales of swan queens and the lindwurm and sprites and tiny people with butterfly wings?

They think they have lost their minds. And wonder why these people are still alive. Because those Insomnian stories would insult any fihrie down to their bone. Which literally means the offending party will die a slow and gruesome death.

A theory says that the Lucians are loosing the war because the fihrie are so unbelievably furious.

Which leads to a lot of strange behaviour from the Insomnian point of view, when sigils appear everwhere along with salt lines and talismans and flower/grain/grass wreaths.

There is more than one loud discussion of how none of the Lucians seem to realize just how dangerous the Other Folk is. How you give offerings when having to walk through their territory, and while there you don’t eat or drink anything that comes from there. How you make sure a newborn’s first breath is takes as close to a fire as possible, because in their mind it is better to belong to the fires (to Ifrit) than to the Others.

And Cor stumbles into one of those discussions without anyone noticing. Let’s say Nyx isn’t there for one reason or other.

What would Cor think about this?

He would obviously know from Nyx’ aura alone that Nyx is a fae. (Just like Nyx knows Cor is not human. But Nyx keeps his distance because this is not his territory and he has not been invited to Cor’s hearth. Normally Nyx would have to make the fist move and he tried to, but this is not Galahd and things are done differently.)

Now he also knows what the Galahkari think of fae. This would make Cor’s protective instinct go into overdrive. Because Nyx is fae - obviously the only one that came from Galahd - and he’s younger then Cor. Which makes him one of Cor’s now.

And this is how not only human cultures clash, but also fae/fihrie culture.

[ertrunkenerwassergeist]

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Final Fantasy XV Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Cor Leonis & Nyx Ulric, Crowe Altius & Libertus Ostium & Nyx Ulric Characters: Nyx Ulric, Cor Leonis, Libertus Ostium, Crowe Altius, The Kingsglaive (Final Fantasy XV) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Fae AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, selkie!Nyx, shape-shifter!Cor, Galahdian Culture (Final Fantasy XV), Galahd (Final Fantasy XV), Cultural Differences, Worldbuilding, headcanons, I Blame Tumblr, Fihrie are the Fae of Galahd, Me messing around with fantasy languages, Other Additional Tags to Be Added Series: Part 1 of Fae AU Summary:

Nyx had thought he had found his place in Insomnia. Amongst humans and fae alike. He misses the home he had been forced to leave behind, like all of them did. But the fihrie - the fae of Galahd - are unwilling to let things stand. They want their people back. As the only fihrie to flee Galahd, it falls to Nyx to be the bridge between two parts of the world, he had never thought could be connected with each other.

[ertrunkenerwassergeist]

Chapters: 6/? Fandom: Final Fantasy XV Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Cor Leonis & Nyx Ulric, Crowe Altius & Libertus Ostium & Nyx Ulric Characters: Nyx Ulric, Cor Leonis, Libertus Ostium, Crowe Altius, The Kingsglaive (Final Fantasy XV) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Fae AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, selkie!Nyx, shape-shifter!Cor, Galahdian Culture (Final Fantasy XV), Galahd (Final Fantasy XV), Cultural Differences, Worldbuilding, headcanons, I Blame Tumblr, Fihrie are the Fae of Galahd, Me messing around with fantasy languages, Other Additional Tags to Be Added Series: Part 1 of Fae AU Summary:

Nyx had thought he had found his place in Insomnia. Amongst humans and fae alike. He misses the home he had been forced to leave behind, like all of them did. But the fihrie - the fae of Galahd - are unwilling to let things stand. They want their people back. As the only fihrie to flee Galahd, it falls to Nyx to be the bridge between two parts of the world, he had never thought could be connected with each other.

[ertrunkenerwassergeist]

Chapters: 5/? Fandom: Final Fantasy XV Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Cor Leonis & Nyx Ulric, Crowe Altius & Libertus Ostium & Nyx Ulric Characters: Nyx Ulric, Cor Leonis, Libertus Ostium, Crowe Altius, The Kingsglaive (Final Fantasy XV) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Fae AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, selkie!Nyx, shape-shifter!Cor, Galahdian Culture (Final Fantasy XV), Galahd (Final Fantasy XV), Cultural Differences, Worldbuilding, headcanons, I Blame Tumblr, Fihrie are the Fae of Galahd, Me messing around with fantasy languages, Other Additional Tags to Be Added Series: Part 1 of Fae AU Summary:

Nyx had thought he had found his place in Insomnia. Amongst humans and fae alike. He misses the home he had been forced to leave behind, like all of them did. But the fihrie - the fae of Galahd - are unwilling to let things stand. They want their people back. As the only fihrie to flee Galahd, it falls to Nyx to be the bridge between two parts of the world, he had never thought could be connected with each other.

[ertrunkenerwassergeist]

Chapters: 4/? Fandom: Final Fantasy XV Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Cor Leonis & Nyx Ulric, Crowe Altius & Libertus Ostium & Nyx Ulric Characters: Nyx Ulric, Cor Leonis, Libertus Ostium, Crowe Altius, The Kingsglaive (Final Fantasy XV) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Fae AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, selkie!Nyx, shape-shifter!Cor, Galahdian Culture (Final Fantasy XV), Galahd (Final Fantasy XV), Cultural Differences, Worldbuilding, headcanons, I Blame Tumblr, Fihrie are the Fae of Galahd, Me messing around with fantasy languages, Other Additional Tags to Be Added Series: Part 1 of Fae AU Summary:

Nyx had thought he had found his place in Insomnia. Amongst humans and fae alike. He misses the home he had been forced to leave behind, like all of them did. But the fihrie - the fae of Galahd - are unwilling to let things stand. They want their people back. As the only fihrie to flee Galahd, it falls to Nyx to be the bridge between two parts of the world, he had never thought could be connected with each other.

[ertrunkenerwassergeist]

Chapters: 3/? Fandom: Final Fantasy XV Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Cor Leonis & Nyx Ulric, Crowe Altius & Libertus Ostium & Nyx Ulric Characters: Nyx Ulric, Cor Leonis, Libertus Ostium, Crowe Altius, The Kingsglaive (Final Fantasy XV) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Fae AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, selkie!Nyx, shape-shifter!Cor, Galahdian Culture (Final Fantasy XV), Galahd (Final Fantasy XV), Cultural Differences, Worldbuilding, headcanons, I Blame Tumblr, Fihrie are the Fae of Galahd, Me messing around with fantasy languages, Other Additional Tags to Be Added Series: Part 1 of Fae AU Summary:

Nyx had thought he had found his place in Insomnia. Amongst humans and fae alike. He misses the home he had been forced to leave behind, like all of them did. But the fihrie - the fae of Galahd - are unwilling to let things stand. They want their people back. As the only fihrie to flee Galahd, it falls to Nyx to be the bridge between two parts of the world, he had never thought could be connected with each other.

[ertrunkenerwassergeist]

Chapters: 2/? Fandom: Final Fantasy XV Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Cor Leonis & Nyx Ulric, Crowe Altius & Libertus Ostium & Nyx Ulric Characters: Nyx Ulric, Cor Leonis, Libertus Ostium, Crowe Altius, The Kingsglaive (Final Fantasy XV) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Fae AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, selkie!Nyx, shape-shifter!Cor, Galahdian Culture (Final Fantasy XV), Galahd (Final Fantasy XV), Cultural Differences, Worldbuilding, headcanons, I Blame Tumblr, Fihrie are the Fae of Galahd, Me messing around with fantasy languages, Other Additional Tags to Be Added Series: Part 1 of Fae AU Summary:

Nyx had thought he had found his place in Insomnia. Amongst humans and fae alike. He misses the home he had been forced to leave behind, like all of them did. But the fihrie - the fae of Galahd - are unwilling to let things stand. They want their people back. As the only fihrie to flee Galahd, it falls to Nyx to be the bridge between two parts of the world, he had never thought could be connected with each other.