#the centipede's mate

[deadrayg2mf]

The Centipede's Mate (The Insectoid Mates: Book 1) by A.I. Lustre

I'm back on my shit and didn't think I would open up pandora's box with an insect man but here we are... and I'm not mad about it. I really enjoyed this quick little 128 page read, it got me through the boring parts of my workday and reminded me that fictional men do be more emotionally available and competent than any man in my life.

The story revolves around Eden who has crash landed on a restricted planet after escaping the prisoner transport ship she was on prior to it's space pirate hijacking. Eden is saved by Vedhral, our knight in shining chitin, from a giant alien worm that was gonna eat her for dinner and finds herself cozied up in his underground den with all unspecified number of his legs (que me googling how many legs a centipede has and running into some other unfortunate bug photos)

Vedhral is wonderful, if I wasn't so afraid that his planet may contain giant alien spiders, I'd want one for myself (the odds of there not being giant alien spiders is really stacked against me). He's very sweet, extremely smart (I wish I learned other languages that fast), and Eden's own personal body pillow for how much body he's got. He also doesn't believe Eden has a bad bone in her body and very, very much wants to be her mate.

Que them slowly falling in love, a little turmoil here and there that really got the sad chest pangs going for me, and after some mission impossible like stunts - a happy ending :)

I think A.I. Lustre is a good author. The writing was easy to digest, and the characters were good. I enjoyed the storyline and only had super tiny nitpicky things to say in regard to a singular continuity error. All in all, it was an easy and enjoyable read so if you're looking to be cradled by an innumerable number of legs, The Centipede's Mate is the story for you. 7/10

Would I read again? Sure! I think it would be a good pick me up story

Would I recommend? Yes! If the bug thing doesn't ick you out give it a shot!

[crevicedwelling]

…so I tried pairing some house centipedes to observe their mating behavior, and picked a very large old male that must be 6 or 7 years old and a younger but very large female. everything seemed to be going well with the courtship dance but when the male tried to produce a spermatophore to offer it came out wonky and he fled the corner to hide. I found him dead today.. died of embarrassment I guess

rest in peace Old Moseley glad you got one last dance in even if it killed you (?)

[roach-works]

IT'S TIME TO APPRECIATE THE BLACK AND RUFOUS ELEPHANT SHREW

ON THIS WEBSITE WE LOVE WEIRD ANIMALS AND THIS LITTLE BEAUTY IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THEM. APPRECIATE THE BLACK AND RUFOUS ELEPHANT SHREW TODAY.

NATIVE TO DENSE MONTANE FORESTS OF KENYA AND TASMANIA, THEY BOUNCED BACK FROM 'THREATENED STATUS' BUT STILL FACE HABITAT LOSS DUE TO FOREST FRAGMENTATION.

THESE BEAUTIFUL VACUUM CLEANERS EAT BUGS OUT OF THE LEAF LITTER WITH THEIR NOODLY SNOOT, CAPABLY UNCOVERING BEETLES, CENTIPEDES, AND TERMITES.

MALES ATTRACT AND DEFEND A SINGLE MATE AND CONTROL UP TO A HECTARE OF TERRITORY, WHICH IS A LOT FOR A LITTLE SCOOP OF SPITE AND SNOOTING.

THESE EFFICIENT LITTLE BUSYBODIES BUILD MANY NESTS OUT OF DRY LEAVES TO SLEEP IN ALL ACROSS THE AREA, AS MANY AS A DOZEN, AND USE THEM EACH IN TURN.

DESPITE THEIR COMMITTED MONOGAMY THE BLACK AND RUFOUS ELEPHANT SHREWS DO NOT ACTUALLY LIKE EACH OTHER, MUCH LIKE TIRED BOOMER COMEDIANS: MATED PAIRS SPEND NO TIME TOGETHER OUTSIDE OF MATING.

MOTHERS DON'T EVEN LIKE THEIR KIDS. THEY VISIT THEIR YOUNG AS INFREQUENTLY AS ONCE A DAY TO NURSE. THEY GOT OTHER SHIT TO DO, APPARENTLY.

THE YOUNG ARE LESS PRECOCIAL THAN MOST ELEPHANT SHREWS, SPENDING SEVERAL WEEKS IN THEIR NESTS BEFORE GAINING INDEPENDENCE IN ONLY ANOTHER FEW WEEKS AND NEVER WRITING HOME AGAIN, NOT THAT THEIR PARENTS CARE.

THIS HEFTY AND BEAUTIFUL DEDICATED INTROVERT AVERAGES ABOUT 28 CM / 11 IN IN LENGTH AND 450-700 G / 16-25 OZ IN WEIGHT, IMPRESSIVELY LARGE EVEN FOR AN ELEPHANT SHREW.

YOU HAVE NOW APPRECIATED: THE BLACK AND RUFOUS ELEPHANT SHREW. INSECTIVORE. INTROVERT. ABSENT PARENT. SNAPPY DRESSER. THIS PRINCELY POTATO HAS IT ALL, AND A DOZEN VACATION HOMES. TELL YOUR FRIENDS, UNLESS YOU TOO ARE A BLACK AND RUFOUS ELEPHANT SHREW AND DON'T HAVE ANY.

[miifu666]

Perks of being two different animal groups. They both have different ways of grooming each other. for a primate, grooming typically means cleaning one's fur from grimes, dirt, or even ticks. Some even use allogrooming as a way to get an advantage to mate. While anthropods usually use grooming as a way to show their care towards their partner/hatchlings. To deny one means to cut them off from your life.

Theres been a couple of times where Yuan fen learns a thing or two about Suklha, from her strength to the way she can potrude her mouth forcipules easily.

Also fun fact! Centipedes are known to be clean bugs who groom themselves after every meal!

×××

I decided to color this doodle since uhh I've noticed i have NEVER shown a colored version of Suklha 😭🙏 thats my fault im sorry. During my time of being active in college, i actually forgot how to color too... hgdhdhh.

Artwork ©️ Miifu666

[heartfullofleeches]

Bugman and absolutely feral centipede hybrid darling- Darling breaks into Bugman's family home on a night when it decides to visit for something to eat - sniffing out the stockpiles of meat their "family" keeps on the property. Bugman, seeing this aggressive bastard trying to bite one of their family members, immediately has heart eyes for them - recognizing the fact they are a humanoid centipede down to their species. It woos their future spouse with meat and gentle praises.... Honestly it's mostly the meat, but it's the thought that counts.

-

[Screams can be heard from the kitchen as Bugman walks down the hall leading to the dining space]

Bugman: What is all this commotion?.... Hm?

[Bugman peaks around the kitchen table - Centipede Darling attempting to bite through the wood spoon lodged between their pincers as they pin a cultist to the floor. Bugman briefly makes eye contact with the cultist before picking up a discarded slab of meat on the floor.]

Bugman: Here. This is what you want, is it not? Please do not harm my family...

[Centipede Darling sniffs at the air, crawling off the cultist towards Bug. They snatch the meat from them - sitting at its feet they munch on the raw steak.]

Bugman - star in their eyes: [whispers softly] You are.... beautiful.

-

Bugman, leading Centipede Darling on a leash: Brothers.....Sisters.....Siblings....This is my partner, Y/n. I advise you keep an arms distance with them. They do tend to bite.

[Centipede Darling leans closer to Bugman - every cult on edge and some even clutching the knives beneath their robes as Darling opens their mouth. Darling instead licks Bugman's cheek slowly]

Bugman, face flushed a soft pink: I appreciate the display of affection, but please - not into front of family.

-

[Bugman walks out of museum it volunteers at, chatting with another employee as they head down the steps.]

"C'mon, dude- it's just one party. You'll never find a partner if all you do is go home afterwards."

Bugman: On the contrary, I've already found a suitable mate for myself. Also, I ask you not to call me that. My name is Bug.....Oh. There my spouse is now.

[Bugman speed walks over to Centipede Darling, wearing a cultist's robe to hide their tail. Darling picks Bug up and walks off - the other worker catching a glimpse of reader's tail as they leave.]

[genderqueerdykes]

my favorite is when people say "god made adam and eve, man and woman" like I'm sorry but he also made clownfish, hyenas, snails, and thousands of other animals that defy the human concepts of male and female. so maybe, just maybe. trans and intersex people are actually natural.

there are tons of animals in nature who are hermaphrodites, snails are a very well known example, and there are other species that are able to change their sex if there is not enough males or females in a given population! many type of ocean creatures are capable of changing sex if needed. there are also species that are capable of self-fertilization and do not require a mate to reproduce! there are species of all female lizards and centipedes and other animals who procreate via parthenogenesis, a form of asexual reproduction where they are able to create a new embryo without fertilizing an egg. it's basically self cloning and it's really fucking cool!

nature does not have a sex binary. there are so many animals that sit in between "male" and "female" or are literally both or can literally change their sex. there have also been examples of animals who are born with conditions very similar to intersex variations, where they may have an imbalance of hormones, mixed/"non-standard" genitals, and so on! it's not just us who do this. nature is just like this. and it gets even weirder

[bogleech]

i had no idea that flea larvae produce silk!! what other creatures make silk, besides moths, spiders, and pinnidae? those were the only ones I knew about before lol

All sorts of arthropod groups! Lots of arachnids including pseudoscorpions and many mites use silk to make a nest or during mating, some CENTIPEDES make silk as part of their mating practices, silverfish apparently have silk glands but I forget what they use them for (it was probably for mating again), various other insect larvae including caddisflies, mayflies, weaver ants, and even antlions! An antlion has a spinneret on its abdomen and uses it just once in its life, to weave grains of sand together into just a big sphere it pupates in!

There are also webspinners, which are really cute little insects that weave silk from their big fat forelimbs to make colonies in tree bark:

[owlcomics101]

Bug hybrid!Task force 141 x Human!reader

Bug hybrid AU LETS GOOOOO-

Warning: Bugs/insects/arachnids, sfw (I am a minor), fluff, bug shenanigans,

Let’s bug out y’all (I’m sorry please stay-)

Moth Hybrid Price:

-One of his moth antenna‘s are damaged leaving him unable to fly (He can glide though)

-Sometimes he eats your sweaters if you accidentally leave them in his office or quarters (He immediately apologizes repeatedly and tries to buy you a new one)

-During mating season he gets all fluffy like a moth (he’s gonna need help with shaving…)

-And yes, he can’t resist any form of light but only at night (Price is obsessed with Reader because their eyes shine bright from any light’s reflection)

Funfact: Moths are actually pollinators and feed off of nectar just like their cousin the butterfly.

Tarantula hybrid Gaz:

-Has the lower half of a Tarantula (Like a centaur but spider)

-Large Tarantula pinchers that can poke out of his mouth (Eating is messy for him. Poor Gaz)

-His bunk is completely covered in webs

-Has the urge to constantly make small webs to impress the reader

-During mating season he fluffs up like Price and also does a little mating dance (He’s only done it once on accident in front of the reader)

-Has Venom but it is weak when inflicted on humans (Some can have serious reactions depending)

-Likes to wrap the Reader in webs like a burrito (Blink twice if your endanger reader)

Funfact: Tarantulas can get severely injured if they fall from great heights (Be careful with your eight-legged friends)

(Centipedes honestly terrify me-)

Centipede Hybrid Ghost:

-Cury antennas (They twitch and move around)

-Lower half of a centipede (Like a centaur but centipede)

-His legs make little click sounds when he walks (Sends shivers down the spines of anyone who hears it)

-Disgusted of himself. Ever since the team’s transformation he’s honest to god disgusted and horrified of his appearance (Reader sees through that and helps him through it)

-Coils his lower half around the reader. Being the only remaining human of the task force he’s very protective of them like the others are.

-During mating season he gives off a foul Oder and makes webs to impress the Reader like Gaz does (They get very competitive with each other)

Funfact: Centipedes are not harmful to humans. In fact they help keep the pests away like cockroaches, moths, flies, silverfish and termites. They also do not make webs or nests indoors. (As much as they terrify me they do take care of the pests)

Praying Mantis Hybrid Soap:

-Has the mantis arms under his normal arms at his sides and cute antennas on his head. (And he has the Mantis tail. I believe it’s called a Metathorax?)

-Hunts like crazy (His urges constantly puts him in hunting mode)

-He’s always bringing back everything he hunts to the Reader (Makes him even happier if you eat what he gives you in front or him-or pretend to)

-Able to fly/glide for a short distance

-For mating season….uh….lets just say mantises are very horny

Funfact: Mantises can turn their heads a Full 180 Degrees. They have very flexible a joint between the head and prothorax that allows them to swivel their heads.

Bonus:

(Roach is Roach)

Cockroach Hybrid Roach:

-He has the Roach antennas, and roach arms/legs under his normal arms (He has the roach tail as well)

-Fucking indestructible. (Can literally survive radiation)

-Can literally eat anything (that’s from a living organism

-Cuddles. He’s clingy and always wants a cuddle from the reader after a long mission. (I honestly don’t blame him with the shit the task force goes through on a daily basis)

-Reader is very worried about Roach despite his indestructibility and always panics if he gets hurt during a mission. (He enjoys the attention)

Funfact: Cockroaches like to cuddle. Cockroaches like feeling something solid against their bodies. That’s why they hide in cracks and crevices or even your stacked towels and linens.

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Frolic with the Fire Salamander

The fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) is a species of salamander native to the deciduous forests of central and southern Europe. They commonly reside near sources of water such as ponds or streams, but can also be found under logs and leaf litter in moist environments.

Fire salamanders are so named for their bright yellow and black coloration, which serves to warn away potential predators. In addition to their unique look, S. salamandra is also noted as the largest salamander species, at up to 25 cm (9.8 in); females are slightly larger than males. The two are otherwise indistinguishable outside the breeding season, when the area around the male's vent swells.

Depending on their region, S. salamandra breed at different times of the year; those in colder climates begin in June or July, while populations in warmer areas mate in October. Males seek out females on land, and after a brief courtship ritual he deposits a packet of sperm for her to pick up. The eggs develop internally throughout the winter, and the female gives birth to 20-75 newly hatched larvae in the following spring. These larvae live in ponds or slow-moving streams for 3-5 months before fully metamorphosing into adults. Individuals can survive for up to 14 years in the wild.

The bright coloration of fire salamanders is a form of aposematism; warning predators of their toxicity. The skin secretes a highly potent toxin, which can also be sprayed directly at potential threats. However, only adults have this ability, so juveniles may be victim to birds, frogs, fish, and mammals like weasels and foxes. S. salamandra in turn consumes mainly insects and invertebrates like earthworms, slugs, larvae, beetles, and centipedes. They do most of their foraging at night, and rarely stray far from their small home territory./

Conservation status: The fire salamander is considered Vulnerable by the IUCN. Their main threat is from the chytrid fungus, which can wipe out entire localities. Populations are also threatened by habitat loss, as they require both pristine waters and dense forests to thrive.

Photos

William Warby

Quentin Martinez

Christian Jansky

[fallenclan]

sunnycotton has got me thinking about the "asking someone out with an insect" fallenclan tradition, and so i've decided to compile a little list of what insects i think have been used in the past... there are so many cool insects i WANTED to add but i'm going to try and be at least. semi-realistic. about what types of insects these mountain cats could plausibly have found.

antbite/lionsong = asian longhorned beetle

moorthistle/littleleaf = monarch butterfly caterpillar (specifically a caterpillar because of its soft texture - neither of them killed it. moor gave it to little for him to inspect and once he realized what she meant he instantly accepted. she later returned the caterpillar to the milkweed plant it had been on)

russetflare/cinderstone = eastern-eyed click beetle (russet was SO proud of catching one, cinder was reluctantly impressed)

willowsplash/bub = boll weevil

blizzardfang/crowflame = pill bug (roly-poly)

nettlestem/scorchstar = indigo duskywing skipper butterfly

newtscar/bluefern = spotted orbweaver (BEFORE evie joined the polycule)

newtscar/bluefern/evie = silver arigiope (after learning of the tradition, evie found one of these guys for his wives)

goldenstar/morningbloom = yellow garden spider

beefreckle/jaycall = praying mantis

cloudtuft/pondshine = green lynx spider (pond was like "cool thx!" at first and then cloud had to explain the tradition)

mossfrog/rustbee = green lacewing

ashblink/sleepydawn = checkered skipper butterfly

sleepycloud/ivybounce = two-striped grasshopper

yewberry/brambletuft = common scorpionfly

flyspots/wormshade = the spongy moth (wormshade didn't know about the tradition, being the kit of an ex-kittypet, and reluctantly accepted, confused. hence why flyspots thought they were mates)

pebblefreeze/human = brown centipede (these two aren't mates, and i see them as more of a QPR situation, but i feel like pebble would've given human a brown centipede anyway. he was horrified)

-🐉(i am in no way an insect expert, esp in regards to location so these still might be wildly impossbile. that's ok tho, fallenclan can exist in a pocket dimension with all the insects)

CUTE!!!!!!!!! all around very good choices (canonizing littlemoor monarch caterpillar & blizzardcrow pill bug bc AUGHHHH <3), i love the way your mind works... also pebble giving human a centipede really makes me giggle

also a few of these do have canon bugs here!

[bestanimal]

Round 2 - Arthropoda - Chilopoda

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Chilopoda is a class of arthropods commonly called “Centipedes”. They include the Scutigeromorphs (“House Centipedes”), Lithobiomorphs (“Stone Centipedes”), Scolopendromorphs (“Tropical Centipedes”), Geophilomorphs (“Soil Centipedes”), and the Craterostigmomorphs which consists of only two living species.

Centipede means “hundred feet”, though no species of centipede actually has exactly 100 feet, as their pairs of legs are always an odd number, ranging from 15 to 191 pairs of legs! All centipedes are venomous predators, delivering venom through a pair of fang-like front legs called forcipules. Prey include other invertebrates like earthworms, fly larvae, collembolans, and other centipedes. The giant Scolopendromorphs are able to tackle larger prey including vertebrates such as lizards, frogs, birds, mice, snakes, and even bats. They live in tropical or desert habitats worldwide, but only in moist environments, meaning they must be more active under cover or at night. Many species lack eyes, though some have simple eyes that allow them to distinguish light from dark. Some species use their first pair of legs similarly to antennae, sensing vibrations and even using them to “hear.” Their bodies consist of 15 or more segments, with one pair of legs attached to the sides of each segment. Their back legs, called “ultimate legs”, are modified depending on species, and can be elongated and thin, thickened, or pincer-like. They are not used for walking, but instead can be used in defensive displays, for hunting, or for interspecies fighting, and they often play a role in mating rituals and are usually sexually dimorphic. Centipedes range from a few millimetres to 30 cm (1 foot) long.

Centipedes are generally solitary, not even meeting up to mate. Males will leave spermatophores on the ground for females to pick up. However, females provide parental care, coiling around both their eggs and young and grooming them (first image). Some species grow anamorphically: adding on segments with each moult until they reach their adult number of segments. Some species grow epimorphically: growing all their segments and legs as an embryo before hatching, and not adding on any more when they moult.

Centipedes arose during the Late Silurian, but were considerably rare until the Triassic Period. The modern Scolopendromorphs and Scutigeromorphs appeared in the Cretaceous.

Propaganda under the cut:

In my desire to show just how colorful and beautiful centipedes could be, my first rendition of this post featured 3 Scolopendromorphs and 1 House Centipede. I then realized how unfair that was and changed it to include most of the major types of centipede, which reduced a lot of the color of this post unfortunately. I believe the centipedes I’ve chosen are still beautiful regardless, but if you want to see some pretty colorful centipedes, check out the rest of Scolopendromorpha!

Similarly to spiders, while all centipedes are venomous, none are particularly deadly to humans. Most small centipedes’ jaws are too small to break human skin, but large tropical centipedes’ bites can be quite painful: causing swelling, chills, fever, and weakness, especially in children and those allergic to bee stings. These bites are always in defense, so if you leave them alone, they have no reason to bite.

Some large centipedes are consumed in China, usually skewered and grilled or deep fried. Thailand produces centipede vodka: large centipedes steeped in alcohol.

The common house centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata) originated in caves in the Mediterranean, but has evolved alongside us to live inside human homes. The dark and humid corners of buildings are literally their habitat! They are beneficial predators, feeding on many species humans consider pests such as cockroaches, termites, ants, bed bugs, spiders, and silverfish.

Centipedes have long lifespans for arthropods, some living up to 10 years.

They are friends! Or maybe… lovers?

[aka-indulgence]

📓?

Um………….

A reverse harem with a Skider, a Snake, and a Skelepede Sans(es)…………

It’s reverse harem jealousy and possessiveness x11 and everyone is territorial and instinct-driven and living with their natural enemies, while their perfect mate is in the middle of all of them trying to court you. So not only are they enemies, they’re also competitors, so the likelihood of violence happening is also increased fjehgkrhf

Skider lives in the attic and webs it up, likes to stalk and manipulate the most. He likes to creep up on you and Yoink you up to the attic. Also puts up silk strings to know where you are. Whispery and generally creepy (in the way a spider is creepy, not creepy like “please don’t touch me” djhfd)

Snake loves flustering you. He’s trying to curb his instincts the most- he absolutely wants to throw hands for you and squeeze you, but you need someone Somewhat calm in the midst of monsters. Tries to coax you to relax more and is more subtly sinister in making you rest in his coils and fall asleep, then silently boasts to the other monsters that you’re sleeping in him.

Skelepede is the most volatile and unpredictable of the three and hangs out in the basement. He isn’t quiet like Skider- he likes to make his presence known, prides himself in being able to steal you from either of them. When he ‘lunges’ he’s in and out like flash, one sec you’re on the couch, the next a train of centipede rushes towards you and then you’re gone. Temperamental.

Issue is idk why they’re in a house lol

[flame-shadow]

What sorts of religions/beliefs/deities do you think bugs might have if they had minds more like ours?

I think transformation/transfiguration and death/rebirth would be significant for many cultures, especially ones that include species with complete metamorphosis.

Gods of regeneration. Gods of fertility. Gods of protection. Gods of family.

Spirits that can be called upon to assist in mating rituals or for luck on hunts. Spirits which haunt the giants that killed them. Spirits that whisper ethereal warnings with the faintest of pheromones.

A deity for centipedes that is of infinite length with legs more numerous than the stars or grains of sand. With its length and legs, it curls around and holds the world, keeping it close like a mother with her eggs.

A moth deity with as many wings as there are species and morphs. All are represented that they might find comfort.

A mantis deity whose camouflage and speed are such that no images dare be made of it. Wherever one thinks it is, there it might very well already be.

The firefly deity is a protector of knowledge with a focus in language. Its symbol is commonly associated with libraries.

A collection of sibling spiders who act as muses for creatives and artists of all types. Whether a single thread or an entire web, nothing is made in isolation; all is connected, and that is to be celebrated.

I imagine there would be many different interpretations of death and the afterlife too. Cockroaches never truly die - some are blessed to join their ancestors at the Great Feast while others are cursed to wander eternally the Scorched Plain. Webspinners have specific funerary rituals that must be followed, or a loved one's spirit might slip through the wrappings and be lost. Ants are reincarnated into a rival colony. Termites' souls seep into their surroundings, ideally to strengthen the home they worked on and to protect their colony further.

Perhaps there are curses too. You are marked if you survived a stare-down with a predator; surely, it knows you now and will hunt you later. Or you commit an atrocity and now carry the scent of death with you, no matter how many times you bathe or groom. May your antennae be forever fouled if you lead your sisters astray. May you lose a leg for every day you withhold a vital truth. May your spiracles feel clogged like those whom you climbed over to save yourself when they were not yet lost themselves.

Fun stuff to think about. Feel free to add on if you'd like!

[crevicedwelling]

a male house centipede checks out a female with the intent to initiate a mating dance, and is quickly rejected since she is already gravid and might also have seen him as a potential predator. he seems to have got the message, and returns to idling in the corner.

while they’ll readily cannibalize smaller conspecifics, house centipedes aren’t well-equipped to tackle any prey larger than they are. it was interesting seeing her ward off the male with kicks, and his flagging terminal legs show that he got startled and wants to avoid a fight.

while almost all centipedes show no sexual dimorphism with respect to size, color, or external features, scutigeromorphs are one of the few easily sexed. females (left) have curved processes on their external gonopods for burying eggs in the soil, while males (right) have much less prominent gonopods.

(Scutigera coleoptrata)

[miifu666]

Hi I’m a big fan of your blog , love how you draw the characters!!

How do you think monkey king and suklha would court each other.

Helloww ♡♡♡

Funny you ask that!!! 😭 i just finished a doodle about that too!

Since Wukong's a hot tempered and unpredictable monkey king with a high self esteem. I like to add a bit of Monkey facts in his behaviour. Ofc besides the fighting the gods to keep his lover i dont think thats normal monke

From what i know, male monkeys usually start the flirting to enter a sort of consortship with the female. So i believe, Wukong despite the virgin that he is. Would be the first one to show interest.

Monkeys usually spend time with their future mate during courtship, so i figured instead of eating and talking to eachother to spend time. Wukong would challenge Suklha during the first few stages of courtship, if Suklha manages to outwit him he would let out these noises thats a mix of excited chirps and amused chuckles. Seeing Suklha managed to beat him in his own challenge is akin to her saying

"oh you're good, but ill try and beat you to show you im capable of being beside you"

even better when Suklha lets him groom her properly, it would take hours upon hours for him to show her that he's a good mate to keep her pretty and light colored hair clean. Suklha sitting down and waiting for him to finish, only to groom him back with her own pinchers is a sign that she accepted Wukong's feelings. (In his head anyway)

This works with Suklha, too. Centipedes spend time with their mates to start the mating ritual. Female centipedes usually release certain pheromones to attract the male interest. Wukong might notice how she has a more enzymatic scent, floral and berry-like, reminding him of the tree peaches in flower fruit mountain. This works with monkeys, although i think they release a certain odour when they want to mate rather than... courtship-

This in turn, makes Wukong more physically affectionate towards Suklha. His hands never leaving her waist whenever they talk to someone, glaring at anyone who dares to come pick her up like some sort of harlot. Wukong would compliment her to make her pay attention to him more whenever they're in public, of course this is Wukong. Hes not that good with compliments-

Suklha : you dimwit! Ive told you before how to do it!

Wukong : It seemed like i was right at first! Why are you getting so mad over! Just because you're decent-looking doesn't mean you can reprimand me however you like!

Suklha : ...?

Wukong , counting his fingers : Smart, quick-witted, courteous! Just because you're all that doesn't mean you can shout at me all you want!!

Suklha : i..

Wukong : AND STOP LOOKING SO GOOD

Suklha : IM BREATHING???

Wukong : WELL YOU LOOK GOOD DOING IT

Lastly, it would be a hard way to recognize but Wukong would speak towards her with a deeper tone of voice than usual. He'd even try to talk to her more calmly than yelling high-pitched like usual.

He'll smile more and probably do anything, yes even kill some demons and yaoguai to get an object of her desire or something that reminds him of her. Like a red jacket he saw in a village near the mountains, he'll snatch it and put it on Suklha without any word. Not even a "here's a new jacket" nope. They're already this deep in the courtship stage, she should understand what he means when he gives her things. He might glare at Suklha whenever he sees her missing the object he's given her, no words, just bites and glares.

All in all, it would be a bit chaotic. Like seeing your two best friends slowly getting together. Especially Suklha who despite showing interest in the courtship, suddenly denied Wukong of her answer after his proposal. Of course, this isn't done out of spite. She knows the consequences of accepting his proposal and she wont let a creature of this world suffer due to her. Suklha is a trickster, but she still has a heart.

[unadulteratedkr]

writing prompt: they're both sick and taking care of each other ❤️

meow!!!!!!! hello, friend 💗

okay omg for this I think it'd be really fucking sweet if it was a modern au where they both get knocked on their asses after getting like, their annual flu shot OH OR MAYBE THAT'S WHERE THEY MEET YEAH I LIKE THAT BETTER

because then it can be all cute and flirty and ed can be all "you look big and strong will you hold my hand because I don't like needles" and stede 'does not know a man is flirting with him even when he's covered in tattoos and clearly is FINE with needles' is all gallant and "of COURSE'

and because stede's been SOOOO helpful, Ed asks him to dinner that night as a """thank you""" only when Stede shows up looking like an unseasoned chicken cutlet, Ed's wrapped up in every blanket he owns, and so they end up spending the whole weekend together taking care of each other oh my god I might actually have to like.... WRITE write this, this would be obnoxiously cute

I'm gonna see if I can bang out Ed asking Stede to hold his hand real quick right here in this ask, because I can SEE it, and I must manifest it

--

The nurse---a tall, gangly man wearing scrubs printed with spiders and beetles and every creepy-crawly Ed's ever had a fucking nightmare about---looks at Ed expectantly, holding the door open, and Ed panics.

"Can I---" He swivels back to Stede and Stede's sweet furrowed brow and Stede's beautiful, strong hands on the clipboard and budget ballpoint pen, "Sorry, mate. I---uh---not the biggest fan of needles, any chance you'd---"

And Ed trails off at that because what the fuck; he's afraid of needles?! Ed's fucking covered in tattoos---fuck, Stede's looking over the tattoos as Ed stumbles over his words because this guy's not an idiot, he's going to see right through Ed---and Ed's ready to challenge whoever decided dudes can't be afraid of fucking spiders to a goddamn duel because then he wouldn't be standing next to a crazy man in fucking bug-printed scrubs saying he's afraid of needles instead of the cartoon centipedes grinning menacingly up at Ed.

Stede opens his mouth, and Ed braces himself, trying not to cringe before the axe falls.

"Oh! Of course---of course! Wow, you must have been so brave to get all those."

There's no hint of sarcasm in Stede's voice, and when Ed risks a glance at the hot guy he just met in the grocery store pharmacy flu-shot line, he's staggered by the sincere admiration Stede's beaming at him and his tattoos. He flushes when Ed meets his gaze, and the nurse has to clear his throat to get their attention again.

"Okaaay, then---if you'd both like to follow me?"

--

they're both SO fucking dumb, I love them with all my heart

(also the nurse is Roach because of course)