#sheep jumping spider

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Vida's Sheep Jumping Spider: researchers believe that these tiny spiders developed their "woolly" appearance as a way to mimic lacewing larvae or scale insects

The scientific name for this species is Oviballus vidae, but it has also been referred to as the "sheepy jumping spider" or "Vida's jumping spider." It was discovered in 2015, and first described (in a formal context) back in 2020.

As this article (PDF) describes:

Recently, two new salticids, R. legitima and Oviballus vidae were described from South Africa, and suggested to be mimics of either scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) or lacewing larvae (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), due to their white colouration and the presence of peculiar tufts of white setae on the body.

The possibility of [scale insects] being the model is supported by Oviballus vidae being regularly collected from plants with woolly scales, although the movements of O. vidae quite closely resemble those of chrysopid larvae.

In fact, a fourth species of possible scale mimic, a new Rhene species, was recently discovered in a collection of salticids from southern Mozambique, indicating that this phenomenon may be more widespread than has previously been known or even suspected.

O. vidae was named after Vida van der Walt, the photographer who captured some of the first images of these spiders back in 2015, just after the species was discovered by Dr. Galina Azarkina. Vida van der Walt also took the photographs that appear in this post.

Sources & More Info:

Arthropoda Selecta (scientific journal): Rediscovery and Redescription of Rhene cooperi, another possible mimic of scale insects (PDF)

Spider Club of South Africa: Two New Species Named After SA Photographer (PDF, with the relevant info on page 5)

Field Guide to the Spiders of South Africa: Section on Vida's Sheep Jumping Spider

[sacabambaspis-fan]

Critter doodles at work!

[thatpolisteschick]

It looks like a lamb.

Sheepy jumping spider, Oviballus vidae, Salticidae

Found in South Africa

Photo 1 by craigmain, 2-9 by hrodulf, and 10 (for scale) by sallyslak

[hagscreature]

i have such pet fever right now oh my godddd

[ghosts-and-glory]

if requests are still open, what about some Shamura doodles / headcanons?

You know I always have a Shamura up my sleeve, Shamura, save me Shamura.

Btw the dialogue is a quote from “I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream” by Harlan Ellison (1967) because it’s like my favourite piece of literature to ever exist lmao

Idk why but I like mentally zoomed in on how Shamura joins your cult dissenting. I think they should also get to try and kill The Lamb, as a treat.

Headass ramblings under the cut.

It may be a hot take but I feel as though Shamura probably has the most hostile relationship with The Lamb. (Only rivalling Heket probably.) Again joining the cult dissenting, they’re the ex bishop of war who caused the sheep genocide and they don’t even seem to grasp the gravity of their actions due to their injury.

I am most enamoured by what Shamura was like before the betrayal. Other npcs speak on them as if they where something so much more. What we see of them they seem unaware and consumed by guilt and after loosing their godhood they’re reduced even further. Like both Narinder and Kallamar’s fights are harder than Shamura’s and that drives me crazy, the implications of it.

Speed round, they’re a jumping spider to me and as a mortal around the age of 60.

As a oldest sibling myself I can and I will project so hard onto them watch this-

Shamura definitely is not the kinda eldest to have played kindly with their siblings. I know in my heart that they could win sparing matches against them and would ruthlessly kick their asses.

I am also blasting them with my aromantic beam.

Shamura, my problematic fave.

[pangur-and-grim]

[gaybananabread]

•• @/Anon For the TT prompts, how about Lee!Miguel and any ler for day 5 or Ler!Peter B. with any lee for day 24? ••

TickleTober Day 24 - Joke

~This is the second half of a request for day 5. Not sure if the Anon will see it, but I still had fun writing this! Hobie’s little quips towards Peter were so casual and fun; I think they deserve more little moments together. If you’re seeing this, thank you for requesting, and I hope you Enjoy!~

Lee: Hobie Brown

Ler: Peter B. Parker (& special guest appearance by Mayday)

Summary: Peter is in an extra corny mood, telling all of his best (worst) dad jokes. Hobie refuses to acknowledge anything funny about them, staying stubborn. With a little help from his daughter, Peter quickly finds a method to get him to appreciate the jokes.

Warnings: none! This is a tickle fic, so if you don’t like that, scroll away!!

“Okay, okay, how about this one?” Peter chuckled, bouncing his little girl in his arms. Hobie was hanging out with the two that morning, and the father had decided to unload his favorite dad jokes to pass the time.

“I just read a few facts about frogs,” Peter grinned, giving the line a few seconds to sink in. “They were ribbeting!”

Hobie giggled through a groan, running both hands down his face. That was, like, the thirtieth dad joke he’d told within the past ten minutes. One man can only take so many horrible puns and cringe-worthy jokes.

“I’ll pay you ta stop.” The punk peeked out from behind his hand, seeing the goofy grin on his friend’s face. Peter was a great guy, especially when Hobie just wanted someone easy to talk to and chill with. Plus, Mayday was adorable.

The jokes, however, were killing him.

“They’re good! Mayday likes my jokes, don’tcha, sweetheart?” Peter held his daughter out in front of him, making her giggle and kick in the air. “See? She gets it.”

“She’s yer kid. She’s gotta ge’ it.” He couldn’t help but roll his eyes at Peter’s reasoning. He doubted the toddler understood the concept of jokes just yet, but it was still a cute thought. “Lil’ bit pro’lly don’t even get the point o’ jokes.”

“Hey! Every Parker gets jokes!” Peter huffed indignantly, hugging his daughter to his chest. The girl squealed as she was slightly squished, wriggling in her father’s arms. “Watch this. Mayday, what do you get when you cross a bee with a sheep?”

The girl stuck her tongue out at him, studying his face. She was trying to figure out what he was saying, paying about as much attention as a child of her age could.

“A baa-humbug!” Peter made an obnoxious baa-ing sheep noise at the beginning of his punchline, making the toddler squeal in amusement. It was a good trick, Hobie had to admit.

“Aw, c’mon! She jus’ liked the sheep noise!” Hobie rolled his eyes once again, tossing his hands up in protest. The joke was so corny; it made it hard to laugh when all he wanted to do was cringe.

“You are such a downer!” Shaking his head, Peter hoisted Mayday onto his shoulders. He glared at Hobie, nudging Mayday’s little arm until she copied him. It was – unfortunately for Hobie’s resolve – utterly adorable.

“Cram it, ol’ man.” The punk turned away, crossing his arms as he hid a fond smile. He adored Mayday more than he’d like to admit, and Peter was a funny, sweet guy to hang around. Even if he did hurt Hobie’s brain sometimes.

“I’m not that old yet!” Peter’s shoulders jumped up with his protest, his daughter snickering at the feeling. “Oh, hush, you little scamp.” He scratched a finger down one of her tiny soles, making the girl kick and squeal. She tugged at his hair to keep her balance, which he was used to by then.

Actually…he might’ve found a way to show Hobie just how funny his jokes really were.

While the teen's back was still turned, Peter fired a shot of web at him. Hobie's spider sense buzzed a second to late, not really counting Peter's silliness as a threat. The thread hit him square in the back, yanking him towards Peter.

Hobie’s back hit the man’s chest, two strong arms quickly wrapping around him. It was a little awkward with the height difference, but Peter made it work. While Hobie may have had height on his side, Peter was stronger.

“Lemme go, ya geezer!” Hobie twisted and thrashed in Peter’s grip, but he couldn’t fight with his full strength; Mayday was still on the man’s shoulders. He didn’t want to risk accidentally hurting her.

“Let’s try this again, shall we?” Peter’s smug voice grated against Hobie’s nerves as he tried to pry the man’s hands off. "Why was the stadium so hot after the game?"

“I don’ care!” Hobie stomped his feet, trying to drown Peter out. Unfortunately, the man could just say it right in his ear.

“Nope! Because all the fans left! Eh, eh?”

Instead of waiting for Hobie’s inevitably underwhelmed reaction, Peter dug his finger’s into the punk’s hips, making him snort into a burst of loud, scraggly laughter.

“GAHAHAHAHA! FUHUHU- *snort* PEHETER!” Hobie tried to fold in on himself, but he was stopped by the man’s strong grip around his chest. He was trapped in a tickly hug with no viable ways out.

“Language! You know better than to curse around Mayday.” Peter shook his head before drilling his thumbs into the little pocket above Hobie’s hip bones, pulling a shriek from the lanky teen.

Mayday seemed thoroughly amused by all the chaos, climbing over her dad’s shoulders to reach for Hobie. She nuzzled her tiny head against his neck, her wily curls softly tickling behind his ears and across his neck. Hobie tried scrunching his shoulders up, only causing the girl to giggle and press closer.

“GEHEHE’ YOUHUHUR DEHEHEVIL- *snort* OHOFFA MEHEHEHE!” Hobie tossed his head around as carefully as he could, trying his hardest not to hit the girl on his shoulder. It was incredibly unfair, using her as a shield like he was. The teen had to admit that he was a bit impressed.

“Devil?! My little girl is an angel, thank you very much!” Gasping dramatically, Peter spidered his fingers up to Hobie’s sides and ribs. While the boisterous laughter was quite nice, he didn’t want to exhaust the teen entirely.

“I-Ihi dohohon’ wahanna ahaccidentahally huhurt heher!” Hobie’s cackles died down to pitchy giggles and laughs, his voice about an octave higher than normal. He made a good point, but the man still needed Mayday to keep him from fighting.

“You wouldn’t hurt her. I’d trust you with Mayday’s life if I had to. It’ll be fine.” Peter disguised a tease under the compliment, clawing his way up and down the punk’s sides. He really was enjoying himself; seeing the kids laugh was always fun.

“Y-youhuhu- GYAH! Youhu neehehehek!” Hobie nearly cursed, but Peter censored him with a quick scribble to the navel.

“Being mean in British is still being mean, Hobie.” Peter chastised him, tutting as Mayday went right back to snuggling her fuzzy head against his neck. Now that his reactions were calmer, the little squeaks and voice cracks came through perfectly.

“B-Brihitish ahain’t a lahahanguage!” Hobie’s shoulders scrunched once again, giving Mayday a little boost. She giggled from the movement, patting her small hands against his rosy cheek. It was adorable, making it near impossible for him to be irritated at her.

“So nitpicky. First, you criticize my jokes, and now you’re correcting me? For shame, Hobart, for shame.” The dad gave Hobie’s hips one more good squeeze, mainly trying to distract him from the fact that he’d just said the boy’s full first name. That usually got some not-so-nice words in response; he wasn’t looking to teach Mayday anything else that MJ would scold him about.

While the punk usually could’ve held on for much longer, his cheeks were getting sore, and he could feel Mayday slip a little with every big laugh and squeak. He knew Peter would never let her even come close to hitting the ground if she fell, but the teen was anxious nonetheless. He knew what he had to do…

Enjoy the ego boost, Parker.

“F-fihihihine! Youhuhuhur johohokes ‘re fuhuhunny!” Hobie finally conceded, trying to bring his squirming down to a minimum. He’d get his revenge later, no doubt, but peace was his only option for the time being.

“There ya go, kid!” He gave Hobie one last squeeze of a hug before pulling back, taking his daughter with him. Mayday whined at the break in contact, reaching out for the giggly punk.

“J-jehehez, ruthless ol’ bum…” Hobie muttered the words under his breath, meaning absolutely nothing by them. It wasn’t uncommon for him to exchange loving insults with his older friends and mentors.

The teen recovered pretty quickly, taking the squirmy toddler into his arms when he was able to breathe normally. She immediately cuddled into his chest, demanding snuggly affection that no being with a heart could deny.

“Yer lucky she’s ‘ere, or you’d be in tears.” Hobie calmly laid the threat out, slowly swaying to make Mayday smile. He loved the little rascal’s grin, especially the cute little gap between her front two teeth. While he didn’t seem the type, he really did love kids.

“Uh-huh, sure,” Peter huffed, knowing all too well how true that statement was. One thing that was always interesting about Hobie: he was willing to dish out whatever he received, and vice versa. It made for playfully fun slow days at the Society.

“It’s almost her nap time. Wanna help me put her down, maybe grab something from the cafeteria? I’ll pay,” Peter offered, gently nudging the boy’s shoulder with his own.

Hobie was quite peckish after all the goofy activity, and making Peter pay for things would be a step in the vengeance direction…

“Al’ight, yeah. Let’s go, gramps.” Cradling the sleepy little girl against his chest, Hobie started for the lobby. Peter rolled his eyes before catching up, reminding himself to steal some of the teen’s fries in retaliation.

Maybe he could even have busted out some of his worst burger puns, though they might’ve been too cheesy.

[cadaverousconsumer]

animals i would like to snuggle w but prolly cant :((

pigeon

chipmonk

crow

raven

tiger

opposum

jumping spider

tarantula

seagull

canadian goose

wolf

bb cow (calf)

sheep

bb goat (kid)

alpaca

snake

big snake

lil snake

junebug

mole

rat

fox

raccoon

[letthe-skyfall]

your mission: assign bugs to your favorite hermits

Ooo, okay!

Gem is a Monarch Butterfly, due to her Empires season 2 wings and theme!

Wels would be a Chrysina limbata, because beetles have armored shells, and this beetle is all metallic and silvery.

Joel is a Common Green Darner, they're fast predatory dragonflies, with the dragon aspect fitting into Japanese culture, the theme of his megabase, and I suppose that also goes for dragonflies. Green Darners are green, which is a Joel color, and an aqua that's about the same color of glow squid... stuff.

Zed would be a Sheep Jumping Spider, for one, the it's called a sheep jumping spider, and a sheep is what Zed is most commonly portrayed as in fanon. The sheep jumping spider is small white and fluffy, is quite a quick and nimble animal, and jumping spiders are one of the most unorthodox bugs, and tell me with a straight face that Zed is a very orthodox Minecraft player. (I'll admit, I cheated on this one. Spiders are arthropods, not bugs. Sue me, ig)

Cub is a glowworm. Glowworms are quite pretty creatures, but they can be dangerous. (especially towards smaller bugs) They use their glowy bits to attract prey and lure it in. They're sly little tricksters. Just like Cub. That man also has some scheme up his sleeve. Also, look up a picture of a glowworm cave, it actually looks somewhat like sculk, especially the blue ones.

[justanothersanjilover]

One Piece modern Gym Au Wip (Part 14)

At first, nothing happened…but then the spot started crawling around.

Cute spider, Zoro thought, following it with his eye - until a shriek sounded, followed by the loud clatter of a pan hitting the ground.

Looking up, he saw Sanji jumping away from the kitchen island and pressing up against the wall behind him. Tears in his eyes made Zoro move faster than he’d thought he could.

“You alright? Did you burn yourself?”

But Sanji didn't answer. He just clung to Zoro’s shirt. Hiding his face on his shoulder.

“Oi, talk to me! Did you hurt yourself? Maybe with the knife? Did you cut your hand?”

Shaking his head, Sanji took a deep breath to calm himself, but his body shook without him being able to do anything!

“Okay, just…sit down. Come on.”

Zoro wanted to bring Sanji over to the chair he previously sat on, but that made everything worse.

“No!” The cry was full of panic, so Zoro stopped pulling Sanji with him.

“I…”

“I’m sorry! I can't!”, Sanji yelled against his shoulder. “It’s there! It’s still there! I can't!”

Irritated Zoro threw a look back at the kitchen. It took a minute until he realized what was going on.

“I get it,” he said, peeling Sanji’s hand from his shirt. “Let go and I take it away.”

“But don't…don’t kill it,” Sanji sobbed. “Please don't…”

“I won’t.”

Sanji nodded and let go of Zoro’s shirt. Zoro went to a shelf he’d noticed some glasses on and took one. In one swift move he trapped the little spider under it and pulled it toward the edge of the counter, until he could cover the opening with his hand. Turning the glass over he walked to the window and opened it. Looking down, he spotted a small windowsill and placed the spider there.

“Of you go, buddy,” he mumbled while watching it crawl down the facade of the house.

Turning around, he noticed that Sanji wasn't standing in the room anymore. His irritation grew as he walked back to the kitchen and placed the glass on the counter.

Just as he wanted to search for Sanji, he saw him. He had pressed himself into a small space between the fridge and the wall. Curled up and hands buried in his hair, he seemed to have trouble breathing. Zoro knew a panic attack when he saw one. Slowly he went over and sat down in front of Sanji.

“Hey, it’s gone. I took care of it,” he said in a calming tone. “You need to breath, Sanji.”

A blue and a green eye snapped up at him, but his breath was even more irregular than before.

“Here,” Zoro grabbed Sanji’s hand and placed it against his chest.

He made sure to breathe slowly and steadily and after a while Sanji copied him. It took half an hour until Sanji had calmed down so he could stand up again. Immediately his face turned red and he opened the little ponytail to hide his face again.

“God…I’m sorry,” he mumbled anxiously biting his lip. “That’s so embarrassing…”

“It’s fine. A lot of people are afraid of spiders,” Zoro offered a genuine smile.

“But not much of them have a panic attack because of them…”

“As I said, it’s fine. Don’t worry.”

“It’s because…I just…when I was a kid…I…”

Zoro recognized within seconds that Sanji struggled to explain himself. It seemed like he wanted to but at the same time didn't want to. So Zoro shook his head while placing a hand on each of Sanji’s shoulders.

“You don't have to explain yourself to me, okay? It’s fine. Everyone has fears. You are afraid of spiders, what's the big deal?”

Sanji looked up, still with tears in his eyes.

“And what are you afraid of?”

“A lot, actually.”

“Yeah?”

Zoro chuckled.

“Yeah. Losing friends, surgeries - especially being put under sedatives - falling back into addiction…sheep.”

“Hold on, sheep?”

“That’s the one you question?” Zoro laughed and released his hold on Sanji. “Yeah, sheep. Got bumped on the head by one as a kid. I had such a bad concussion I had to stay in the hospital for two weeks.”

Now Sanji giggled, too. The image of Zoro getting headbutted by a sheep was just too funny.

“Bet you tried to find out who has the bigger head.”

“Where you there, too?”

They both laughed loudly. But then again, Sanji stopped suddenly. Zoro raised an eyebrow and started looking for a spider again.

“The food!” Sanji moved to the stove and cursed in a wild variety as he saw the burned food.

prev/next

First Part

[i-rate-horse-games]

rating horse life for pc

this is the closest thing to a title screen i could find lol

the player character is shorter than the horse, i dont think ive ever had this pov looking up at a horse, it's scary, eyes right next to their teeth, short people are so brave, wow. this is my horse Ramune out at pasture.

she always has her ears back in the pasture and ignores me the first three times i call her but as soon as she comes over she seems happy? like she really hates socializing but is acting like she does to seem cool to her friends? i have no idea

this game is abandonware now and my copy of it seems to be poorly translated from french, so i'm not going to comment on the funny bits of dialogue, but the dialogue lines themselves were incredibly repetitive!

the game goes like this: you take care of your horse (feed, clean stall, sponge, or brush - not all at once though) which feels like it takes forever but might just be three minutes on average. you compete to win gold medals in show jumping, dressage, cross-country, and eventing.

jumping and cross-country both use the same jumping mechanic, where you change your speed between every jump to the one the game wants and then press the space bar when the ground in front of the jump turns green or white. dressage has you click the left and right mouse buttons to the beat of a metronome, except the beat of the sound and the beat of the flashing lights on the screen don't match and if you follow the lights, you're sunk. eventing is just all three events in a row.

whenever you win, the resident Mean Girl accuses you of cheating, and the Stud Farm owner says he’s so proud of you. there’s a morning-evening cycle and after the sun sets, the stud farm owner tells you the day is over and to go get rest and come back tomorrow. this happens instantly and changes nothing.

you get coins from winning, which you can use to purchase unlockable wearable items for your horse and your rider! although i don't think anything can save this outfit.

you can't customize this rider at all, either, and there's only like four horse color options and then a few custom markings.

next you go to Training in the Training arena, and the stud farm owner teaches you the one trick that distinguishes your competition level from the next, and then you compete at the next level. the mean girl is always competing in the same races as you, and she always scores exactly 85, which is honestly more impressive than getting 100, that's so specific. you have a childhood best friend who shows up every now and then to remind you to take care of your horse like you used to, and that you’ve always been such a better rider than her.

then, although i swear it’s not in the tutorial, you eventually realize you can click on the woods north of the map and go on trail rides, which get you involved in cutscenes that tiptoe around the idea of the game having a plot. so far the mean girl has been caught trying to tire out my horse & we got to chase her “to stop her from hurting herself” and then there was no resolution after she was caught. i was so surprised that she would do such a thing that i tried to take a screenshot and got this weird glitch where half of the stable turned invisible, revealing a second secret stable in the distance... so mysterious...

then we were ordered to ride out there and take a picture of the town using the camera function, which you can use at any time when on a trail ride which Is Fun! here's a picture i took of some sheep!

they're so smooth...

after that, a vet came along with a sick horse and made me ride the entire trail with him slower than a gallop, which is frustrating because the entire trail takes like seven whole minutes to complete, so i started watching videos some random kid fight a giant spider in Grounded while doing that. i also got tired of taking care of my horse ramune, but just feeding her boosts her health, and so far there's been no repercussions to just feeding her a lot and doing nothing else.

the game is pretty repetitive, but if I were still a preteen or younger and not yet aware of my surroundings and the world around me, my dreams of someday riding a Real Horse would elevate this game to a new level. you have to use your imagination and get yourself invested in it in order to have fun with it. and for some, that’s what you’re looking for. overall, it sure is a horse game, and it’s not actively bad, it’s just mid.

i'm rating this game 2.5 out of 5 stars!

★★✬☆☆

smooth cows

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Brenthia Moths: these moths can mimic the appearance and mannerisms of a jumping spider so convincingly that actual jumping spiders will sometimes attempt to court them

The markings, posture, and movements of a Brenthia moth (genus Brenthia, also known as a metalmark moth) all contribute to its disguise; the moths move around in short, jerky motions that mimic the movements of a jumping spider, and their hindwings are covered in black-and-white bands that strongly resemble the tucked-in legs of a salticiid spider, especially when the moth displays its unique wing position. The disguise serves as a defensive strategy, enabling the moth to avoid being preyed upon by actual jumping spiders.

In some cases, that disguise may work a little too well, as jumping spiders may actually mistake the moth for a potential mate and then attempt to engage it in a courtship/mating dance (which must be a pretty awkward and bizarre experience for the moth, tbh).

The resemblance between a Brenthia moth and a jumping spider may not seem terribly convincing to us, as human beings, but as this article explains:

When discussing animals mimicking their predator, it is important to remember that we humans are not the target audience. This means that the imitator may not look too convincing in its mimicry to us, but still manages to trigger a desired response from said predator.

Jumping spiders have also been known to respond to Brenthia moths by exhibiting a territorial display, which is yet another behavior that the spiders generally reserve for other spiders.

This study expands on the adaptive benefits of the moth's disguise:

In controlled trials, Brenthia had higher survival rates than other similarly sized moths in the presence of jumping spiders and jumping spiders responded to Brenthia with territorial displays, indicating that Brenthia were sometimes mistaken for jumping spiders, and not recognized as prey.

The illustration below shows the basic/general resemblance between a Brenthia moth and a jumping spider:

Sources & More Info:

New Scientist: Moth's Disguise is so Good, Spiders Love it Instead of Eating it

Animal Behaviour: Sheep in Wolf's Clothing

Science: This Moth Could Pass for a Spider

PLOS ONE Journal: Metalmark Moths Mimic their Jumping Spider Predators

Gil Wizen: Jumping Spider Mimicry in Brenthia Moths

Moths of North Carolina: Brenthia pavonacella

[earako]

Queen killer.

That was what they had labelled Ballister.

Kind, honest, loyal Ballister.

Hesitated to even harm a spider that had crawled into his room Ballister.

The media, every news channel, all labelled Ballister has a heartless killer who murdered their beloved Queen. They painted him as a villain who bided his time and waited for the perfect time to strike. A wolf in sheeps clothing...

They were wrong. Ballister was no wolf, he was a bloodied deer with hounds nipping at his feet, prey in a maze full of hunters. He was no Queen killer.

Because the Queen was alive.

Nearly a month had passed since the disasterous knighting ceremony. Queen Valerin had somehow managed to survive the blast and limped her way over to a back alley clinic that didn't think to question the bloodied woman who pratically collapsed at the door.

Perhaps it was a good thing Valerin had decided to shed her outer dress, crown, and collar in favour of her much lighter shift. The lack of excess fabric lessened the wound on her chest...though it still felt like someone had lit a fire under her ribs.

The Queen blacked out.

That was three weeks ago. Since then Valerin had gone and done her own hunting.

Ballister was not a killer. Valerin was alive, and she saw the look on the boy's face. Complete surprise, shock, dismay. Horror.

Ballister was always an open book.

That boy couldn't lie to save his life. It was a trait Valerin found both endearing and concerning.

Ballister wore his heart on his sleeve and Valerin had, after many years, learned how to read her chosen child with ease.

(Son, a small voice at the back of her head said. Valerin shushed it, it wasn't her choice to make.)

Ballister was framed. He had to have been.

Valerin had watched over that boy since the day he jumped over the wall, she had seen him at his highest, his lowest, and everything in between.

She knew her boy was innocent.

So the Queen, now in hiding, laced up her boots and went on her own hunt. Who replaced Ballister's sword, where could a weapon like that even be made? Who would sell something so destructive?

Not to mentioned Ballister and Ambrosius were attached at the hip. The rare the two weren't together, Ballister was either busy working another thankless job to cover his tuition (despite Queen Valerin insisting she cover it. Briliantly stubborn, yet kind hearted boy he was-) or having a check in with Valerin herself. When would he even have the time to-

A video was playing on the television in the stkre Valerin was walking past. It was the Director.

"I framed Ballister. I killed the Queen."

In hindsight, the Queen was never really that fond of the Director. And it seemed the feeling was mutual.

[hermit-lover]

can you write a zedaph x reader!! reader would be a spider hybrid, but i want general fluffy antics if possible :D

i hope you have a lovely day <33

More to love

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

Character: Zedaph x Spider!Reader

Type: Blurb (~1k)

Theme: Romantic, fluff

Summary: Seeing Zed's creations after some time apart never failed to wow- but maybe all you wanted was to steal away and cuddle.

TWs: Respawning/Death, shenanigans, usage of petnames.

A/N: I'm trying to get back into writing, so I'm sorry for the shortness of the fic!! No beta we die like Zedaph.

The clinks of bottles and gentle gurgle of running water would be relaxing had it not been for the various cries and honks from the many animals dangling above the dish-like base. You stare up at them in strange fondness, pondering how he managed to sleep at night when not tucked in your arms. Squinting your eyes (many...many eyes) you scour for your golden-haired lover, trotting around the odd structure. He had called you here for some unknown reason- you had been off world recently so you secretly hoped for a relaxing, cuddly evening. The odds of which was low knowing your lover.

Turning around a bend, you peer down the long hallway lined in shiny golden trophies.

"Zed?!" You call, fangs clicking gently in thought. Did he want to come and find him or something?

"Ah! Over here!!" His voice calls from a different tunnel, and you turn to skitter in his direction.

"This place is somehow a maze!" You huff, finally seeing his familiar form.

Seemingly ignoring your dismay he throws himself towards you- not fearing being dropped due to your extra limbs. Catching him effortlessly you indulge, nuzzling into his hair and flicking sheep ears. He smells as you remember- like sunshine and grass. A satisfied hiss pulls from your lips. You truly needed and evening just holding him in your arms.

"Hi darling." Zedaph sighs, head resting on your shoulder, arms looped under one pair of your own. He's warm pressed against you, soft cardigan brushing the skin on your arms and letting your palms sink into it. His hair is curly and bouncy, catching the light and nearly reflecting it into your eyes. Soft, precious, and just as wonderful as you remember.

"Hi lovely." You respond, smile tugging your lips. You bask in each other for a long moment, before Zed seems to realize something.

"Ah-" He leans back, and you scramble to not let him fall on his ass. "I forgot! I have something to show you." Zed's eyes glitter with that familiar mischief, and earnest excitement to show me his creations. His tail wiggles, matching the curling grin. You cant help the twinge of worry- his creations had a tendency to be...explosive.

"Should I be worried?" You raise an eyebrow. His grin only sharpens. Ah, definitely then.

"It's just over here-" He shifts and you plop him to the ground, snatching your hand he guides you a little further down to an inconspicuous cubby with a bed inside. His palms are soft, with small odd scars from freak accidents, he squeezes one of your hands suddenly buzzing with energy. Thinking something less pg- you raise another eyebrow, heat crawling to your cheeks. Noticing your suspicion he giggles. "Well I wouldn't jump to conclusions." Zed releases you and steps onto the bed. "Prepare- To be amazed." He waggles his fingers as if performing magic- before stepping into a piece of tripwire- and plunging downward. Your heart leaps into your throat-

'Zedaph Withered away.' The chat pings. You almost reach forward to grab him when respawns on another tripwire and plunges into the depths- abruptly you realize he was trying to die.

'Zedaph was squished too much.' Pinged the next, you chuckled letting some tension from your shoulders- squished???

You saw him for just a moment before-

You could guess this one from the loud pop- 'Zedaph went off with a bang.'

'Zedaph was killed by magic.' Declared the next hole.

'Zedaph went up in flames.' You winces sympathetically at the painful manor.

'Zedaph was shot by arrow.'

'Zedaph was impaled.' You stifled a giggle.

'Zedaph was pricked by a pufferfish.'

Finally the last block fell from beneath him.

'Zedaph was pricked to death.'

When he respawned you gave in, reaching forwards and snatching him into you arms. As impressive as the death loop was- it was never a fun experience.

"Zed!" You scolded, "That was probably the stupidest thing you've ever created." Holding him close, you feel his heartbeat slow from the adrenaline rush. He welcomes the cuddles in a boneless slump.

"You promise?" He manages with a giggle. You cant hold back a huff of fondness. He was the stupidest smart person you've ever met. Cradling him a little tighter your protective instincts calmed a tad.

"Yes, I do. Now let's go find somewhere to cuddle thats not the death bed- alright?"

"Mmm fiiinnneee." Zed relented, leaning back to stare lovingly at you. Purple eyes hooded in tiredness and fondness. Pressing a small kiss to his button nose you not so subtly trotted from the death loopificator. "You missed." He declares smugly.

"Oh did I? My apologies." Before he can gloat at the win you lean in to steal his breath. His lips are soft and plush, so easy and tempting to sink your fangs in and claim. But this kiss was sweet- pouring in the love you two bottled up in the small time apart. You dont want to pull away- missing his touch as soon you lean back.

"I love you." He sighs, so absentmindedly it clenches your heart. His eyes flutter open, simply watching you watch him.

"I love you too." You promise, leaning to steal another sweet kiss.

You shuffle him to one side, using an extra arm to fish a bed from your inventory and plop it down. You don't even let go- crawling forwards and placing the two of you onto the sheets. You pepper his face gently with kisses. "No more death loops- okay love?"

He groans as if it was an impossible feat.

"No more death loops- this season?" He offers, puppy dog eyes glittering in hope- and guilt tripping. You sigh, pretending to think about it before chuckling.

"Fiiinnneee." You agree, in much the same tone he had you.

"Thank you lovely". He plunges back into your neck, resting against you delicately.

You cant help the rumble of appreciation that flows through you. Such a lovely, soft person trusting you wholeheartedly. Few others dared got as close- spiders weren't exactly the most popular creatures.

But this fearless little sheep loves you with his entire heart.

[mousetoe-wc]

I Got bored one time awhile ago and made a list of every prefix plus some into organised sections so I thought I might as well share.

All the ones that aren’t cannon to warriors, yet at lest are bold

Describing names

Colours: red, russet, copper, golden, amber, yellow, green, blue, violet, pink, white, gray, black, ebony, dark, pale, silver, brown, tawny, fallow

Pattern, Texture + Size: spot/ted, dapple, speckle, freckle, brindle, patch, mottle, ragged, tangle, kink, bristle, fuzzy, curl/y, wooly, soft, sleek, little, tiny, small, slight, short, tall, long, big, heavy, crooked, broken, half, stumpy, shred, torn, jagged

Actions + Character: flip, pounce, bounce, jump, hop, crouch, down, low, drift, flail, strike, running, fidget, mumble, whistle, snap, sneeze, shiver/ing, shining, flutter, fallen, lost, rush, fleet, quick, shy, sweet, brave, loud, quiet, wild, hope, wish,

Other: claw, whisker, dead, odd, one, spike, fringe, echo, song, hallow, haven

Elements

Time + Weather: day, night, dusk, dawn, morning, sky, sun/ny, moon, storm, lightning, thunder, cloud/y, mist/y, fog, snow, blizzard, ice, frost, dew, drizzle, rain, clear, wind, breeze, gale, shadow, shade, bright, light,

Earth/Water/Fire names: stone, rock, boulder, slate, flint, pebble, gravel, sand/y, dust, mud/dy, meadow, hill, rubble, river, ripple, whorl, float, rapid, shimmer, lake, swamp, marsh, wave, wet, bubbling, splash, puddle, pool, creek, fire, flame, flicker, flash, blaze, scorch, ember, spark, ash, soot, cinder, smoke

Plants

Trees: alder, aspen, birch, beech, cedar, cypress, pine, elm, willow, oak, larch, maple, bay, rowan, timber, bark, log, wood, twig, acorn, cone, seed, spire

Berry/Nut/Fruit/Herb: juniper, elder, sloe, holly, yew, mistle, bramble, hickory, hazel, chestnut, nut, apple, cherry, cranberry, olive, pear, plum, peach, chive, mint, fennel, sage, basil, mallow, parsley

Flowers: aster, poppy, primrose, rose, bluebell, marigold, tansy, pansy, briar, cherry, daisy, dandelion, daffodil, tulip, violet, lily, myrtle, thrift, yarrow, heather, lavender, blossom, bloom, flower, petal

Other: leaf, frond, fern, bracken, sorrel, hay, rye, oat, wheat, cotton, reed, pod, cinnamon, milkweed, grass, clover, weed, stem, sedge, gorse, furze, flax, nettle, thistle, ivy, moss, lichen, bush, vine, root, thorn, prickle, nectar

Animals

Mammals: mouse, rat, mole, vole, shrew, squirrel, hedgehog, bat, rabbit, hare, ferret, weasel, stoat, mink, marten, otter, hog, wolf, hound, fox, vixen, badger, deer, doe, stag, fawn, sheep, cow, pig, lion, tiger, leopard, lynx, milk

Birds: robin, jay, cardinal, thrush, sparrow, swallow, shrike, starling, rook, swift, dove, pigeon, crow, raven, duck, goose, heron, wren, finch, swan, stork, quail, gull, lark, owl, eagle, hawk, kestrel, buzzard, kite, hoot, feather, bird, egg, talon

Fish, Reptiles + Amphibians: pike, perch, pollack, trout, tench, cod, carp, bass, bream, eel, minnow, fin, snake, adder, lizard, turtle, frog, toad, newt

Bug type Names: bug, lady or ladybug, moth, spider, ant, snail, slug, beetle, bee, wasp, dragon or dragonfly, bumble, worm, maggot, cricket, fly, midge, web, honey

Skyclan + Warriorclan: Bella, Billy, Big, Harry, Harvey, Snook, Ebony, Monkey

[staenless]

Here's my pitch for a Minecraft movie:

It's stop motion and pretty stylised as a result, not purely Minecraft blocky but pretty square.

MC wakes up in the woods, no memory, no idea where they are or what's going on. No it's not fucking Steve omg... There's a narrator, a kindly older person voice. Maybe with a bit of an accent. Idk, nice sounding. They explain this person woke up and is mad fucking confused. Cue person wandering around. They pick up some sticks, some flowers, they pet some cute sheep and just generally wander around. The narrator tells us this person is having fun, the narrator laughs when they jump in a river and see fish swimming. It's so cute! It's so happy!

"oh dear," says the narrator, as the MC notices the sun starting to set, "that's no good." our character realises there's monsters out and sets off running, panting crying through woods and fields until they see, on a hill, a house with light shinning out the windows. "No time to think," the narrator urges, "go! Hurry! Now!!" our character blunders up the hill, spiders on their hells, and bursts into the house slamming the door behind them.

They're scratched up, still crying and very scared but alive, thank goodness. Theyre also not alone in here. There's a man sitting at a crafting table, slowly whittling a wooden axe. IT'S STEVVEEEE!!!! Our hero tries to strike up a conversation with Steve, apologising for bursting in, asking what was chasing them, where Steve is from, what does he know about this world. But Steve is mute. He offers them some basic food and a bed to sleep in and, reluctantly, our hero takes both. They wake up bright and early the next day, monsters gone and sun shinning down. Steve leads them out the house and teaches them to live in this world. They chop trees, plant crops, lure animals into pens go mining etc etc. Our hero even builds their own house, fancier than Steve's, and they share a meal together watching the setting sun. Time passes and our hero meets a new comer to the world, lost and confused wandering the plains. They take them in, teach them to survive, help them build a house and the three eat meals together.

More people arrive, some are talented farmers, some engineer automatic farms, some build massive buildings, some go mining far deeper than they should and return beat up, but alive and laden with treasure. Our narrator follows this growing civilisation, clearly bursting with pride and cheering it's members on. They love these people, and while they won't meddle in their lives theyre certainly hoping for their success. All the while Steve labours on, silent but loved by this growing community.

One day our hero comes to visit him, but his house is empty. There's a not he left them, he's off to finish the final quest, and he wishes them all well. Not on our hero's watch!! Our hero and their closest companions root around Steve's house. He has maps, high level gear, and when questioning the other towns folk they find he's been stocking up on arrows and eye of enders - a useless item in most the towns folks eyes. Our hero holds a town meeting. Steve's left, to do something dangerous no less, and we can't just let him go alone. Steve was there for all of us, now we need to be there for him! Our hero and their closest companions set off for the end portal.

When they reach then end the find the dragon, strong and furious prowling a deserted end city. Steve is injured, badly, but alive, blessedly. They set up a small camp and care for him, they try to question him, what is this place? How did he know about it? What is he doing here. Steve doesn't answer their questions, he never does, but he gestures to his bow, then to the dragon, and the crew understand. Steve wants to, NEEDS to kill the dragon. They have to help him. It's hard, and scary, but as a team they make it work, baiting and running and hitting when the beats least expects. There's a few near misses, too close for comfort, but they win. The dragon is slain. In it's nest they recover a singular egg which they hand to Steve, his eyes wide and watering. His life's goal, completed. They head to the end portal together, none are sure what to expect when they jump through.

Cue end poem

They wake up in the forest, in that same place they woke up the first time. The sun shines through the trees, birds sing, it's beautiful. It's their beautiful world. They trek back to town silently, and are welcomed with cheers and hugs. Steve places the egg over his fireplace. His quest is completed, the narrator tells us, but his friends quests are far from over, and Steve will help them every step of the way. The town holds a feast in the square under the setting sun, there's dancing and music and fun for all. Fade to black.