#their tail colors also vary

[mozart-the-meerkitten]

This just in, local catgirl discovers color!

(family and friends now wish she would discover a hairbrush)

This is one of my OC’s from The SOS Chronicles, Silvie, the (feral) little Aguithan girl that Oliver and Silas befriend in book 2. When she’s not sneaking around on special missions and trying to help her friends save her planet from its evil overlord, she likes wearing bright colors since she never had the opportunity before. She especially likes pink because someone (probably Andy James, the only person with any fashion sense in this series on account of growing up with at least 4 sisters) told her it looked good on her. This pink and brown jacket is her favorite article of clothing and she wears it everywhere when she doesn’t need to be sneaky. The matching pants were just a bonus.

I’m also realizing that I think this is the first time I’ve drawn her in color??? So a little breakdown here: her fur is brown and it covers her face, arms and torso in varying lengths as you can see. Her legs and tail are scaled and iridescent, which is unfortunately very hard to show with colored pencils but I did my best by blending olive green and a few shades of purple together. I don’t know if you can tell, but her eyes are yellow.

[failsquirrel]

tbh i don't think it is realistically a good idea but it's interesting to wonder if cats could evolve the vast differences of physical traits that dogs have if they were selectively bred that way

[somerandomdudelmao]

Just started reading and I really love everyone so far 😍

I was curious though could we make our own funky little aliens at some point? They seem so cool!

Yeah sure why not. I don’t have energy to explain every nuance right now but if you want to just have fun and create your own alien I have a bunch of general rules and this shitty drawn note👍

Their hair is always pointing backwards. Although individual small strands may stick out in different directions.

Often there are antennae strands at the place of the nose or forehead, which are also almost always turned back.

Their head shape can vary as you wish. You can do the same things with their skull shape that you would do with a human character. The holes that replace their eyes can be of different shapes, but there are always four of them. The tail can end in any funny shape that can be made with fur, or it can be nothing at all.

No “woman's” boobs. These aliens don't feed their babies milk. So if you want your character to have nice boobs, you'll have to send them to the gym.

You can paint them literally any color you want. I'm not sure about the spots yet. Maybe they could have different color spots on their fur.....

As for their uniforms, I'm totally improvising at the moment and I think you'll have to as well :/ The only permanent detail is small spikes on their arms or legs, but they're optional

[crevicedwelling]

I see at least one cool bug a day, and usually many more, but it’s not because I live anywhere particularly rich in strange, wonderful creatures (I live in an unremarkable corner of Pennsylvania, USA) or spend all of my free time looking for bugs (well, just *most* of it). in my experience, finding interesting bugs is less about actually locating them and more about looking closely at tiny things you’d otherwise ignore!

this very long post was compiled over a couple days in late July, although I spent less than 10 minutes at a time searching. there’s a lot of fun creatures just out in the open.

plants are always a good place to start when looking for bugs, and I chose this small fig tree (Ficus carica) with a mulberry sapling friend. feeding on the sap of the fig and mulberry is the first group I’ll take a look at, the planthoppers:

these two are flatid bugs, Metcalfa pruinosa and Flatormenis proxima. flatids are slow-moving bugs that can be approached closely, but once they get tired of circling around stems to avoid you they may launch themselves into a fluttering flight with spring-loaded rear legs.

Aplos simplex, a member of the related family Issidae, also likes fig sap. its “tail” is actually a tuft of waxy secretions, which get shed along with the bright colors when it assumes a lumpy, bean-shaped adult form.

cicadellids, or leafhoppers, are just about everywhere on plants, but can be hard to approach without scaring them.

Agallia constricta on the left is a tiny species that feeds on grass, but many were scared up onto the fig by my footsteps. Jikradia olitoria is a much larger species that does feed on the fig; juveniles like this are curled, creeping goblins while adults’ rounded wings give them a pill-shaped appearance.

this big, pale leafhopper belongs to genus Gyponana. it’s tricky to get to species ID with these.

Graphocephala are striking little hoppers that eat a variety of native and nonnative plants. G. coccinea is the larger, more boldly colored one and G. versuta is smaller but more common locally. they’ll sit on the tops of leaves but take flight if you get too close quickly.

another group you’re almost guaranteed to encounter are flies (Diptera). these are a very diverse group, so much more than houseflies and mosquitoes (though I did run into both)

where I live, any plant with broad leaves is almost guaranteed to have a few Condylostylus, long-legged flies that come in shades of blue, green, and red. despite their dainty physique, they’re agile predators, typically feeding on other small flies.

next, a few hoverflies: the ubiquitous Toxomerus geminatus and a Eumerus that I’ve been seeing a lot of this year (but maybe I’ve just noticed them for the first time). syrphids have varied life histories, but most adults drink nectar and many of the larvae are predaceous on aphids.

the metallic green soldier fly is Microchrysa flaviventris, nonnative here. Coenosia is a fun example of a “fly that looks like a fly,” with big red eyes and a gray body, and you might think they’re just another dung-sucking pest, but they’re actually aggressive predators! this one seemed to have nabbed itself some sort of nematoceran fly, maybe a fungus gnat.

many flies are very tiny, just millimeters long. the first two little fellows are lauxaniids, while the last one, an agromyzid leafminer Cerodontha dorsalis, burrows through grass leaves as a larva.

while moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera) are drawn to plants for their flowers or to lay eggs, many small moths can easily be found resting on or under leaves during the day.

these first two are tortricids, many of which are flat, rectangular moths resembling chips of bark or dead leaves. the apple bud moth, Platynota idaeusalis, feeds on a wide variety of hosts, while this beat-up old Argyrotaenia pinatubana would have developed in an edible tube nest of pine needles.

Callima argenticinctella feeds in bark and dead wood (a resource used by more caterpillars than you’d realize!) while the last moth, possibly an Aspilanta, is a leafminer.

although beetles (Coleoptera) are famous for their diversity, I didn’t find too many on the fig. the invasive Oriental beetle Exomala orientalis resting here can be found in a wide range of colors, from this common tan to to deep iridescent black. the other beetle is a Photinus pyralis firefly, sleeping under leaves as fireflies do.

a few spare hemipterans: a Kleidocerys resedae that blew in on a wind, and below, the mulberry whitefly Tetraleurodes mori feeds on its namesake host. as for Hymenoptera, I saw manny tiny parasitic braconid wasps and various ants attracted to the planthoppers’ honeydew excretions—always worth checking underneath roosting hoppers for things having a drink.

a couple handsome spider boys were scrambling through the fig seeking females, a jumping spider Paraphidippus aurantius and an orbweaver, Mecynogea lemniscata.

and to round it off, a young Conocephalus meadow katydid and a Carolina mantis, Stagmomantis carolina.

there’s 31 species of arthropod in this post, and I probably saw some 45, not all of which stayed for photos. if you walk slowly and look closely, you can see a sizeable chunk of your local biodiversity in under fifteen minutes! of course this will depend on where you live and what time of year it is, but there’s almost always more cool bugs out there than you’d expect, even on just a single plant.

[ominous-potato96]

Tiefling Physiology Headcanons that nobody asked for!

I've been thinking a lot about tiefling Physiology and body language, but have found precision few resources on the subject. So I wrote my own! My fellow fanfic writers, please feel free to use this!

Includes physical traits of Tieflings and some body language (and by that I mean the tail)

Claws: Modified nails that are thicker, stronger, and sharper than human nails. They grow rapidly, typically ending in points.

Teeth: Rather than having four canines (two upper, two lower), Tieflings have 6 to 8 (double canines on the upper jaw and either single or double on the lower jaw). Canines are elongated and much sharper than those of most other races.

Horns: The horns of a Tiefling are made primarily of bone, with a protective keratin layer. Their inner structure is not solid, but resembles a honeycomb, with blood vessels and nerves (I based this off of a cow's horn structure). Breaking a horn is excruciating and results in significant bleeding. Eventually the broken horn will develop a boney callous or cap to protect the inner structure from damage or infection. Horns DO have sensation, similar to that of fingernails in humans. Their primary function is dissipating excessive heat from the body and maintaining body temperature.

Ridges: Each Tiefling's pattern of ridges is subtly unique, though most follow a similar pattern: cartilaginous and bony bumps and/or ridges adorn the body. Ridges are most common on the elbows, upper arms, shoulders, chest, shoulder blades, along the spine and into the tail, hips, and thighs. Some (typically males) also have facial ridges along the brow, cheekbones, and chin. On the shoulder blades the vestigial remnants of wings can be found, including a claw-like spur.

Body Temperature: Tiefling body temperature can range from 99°F to 102°F (37.2°C to 38.8°C), making them noticeably warmer than other humanoids.

Eyes: Tiefling eyes can have either black or white sclera (some say that this is connected to parentage, white being human parents and black being from tiefling parents, but these claims have not been substantiated) and irises of almost any color with glowing, dancing flames framing the pupil. Pupils can be rounded or vertical slits (cat-like).

Tongue: A tiefling can have either a single pointed tongue or a forked tongue. In either case, the tongue is usually slightly longer on average than a human's.

Ears: Tieflings, like elves, have pointed ears which can be highly sensitive to stimulation.

Vocalizations: Obviously, Tieflings can talk, but they also have a range of other vocalizations. Growling, snarling, and even purring have been observed.

Tail: The tail is prehensile, usable to pick up and grip objects, assist in balance, express emotion (usually unconsciously), and can be used as an improvised weapon (not for stabbing, but it makes an excellent whip.) Some tails have a barb or spade-like structure at the tip, which is made of flexible cartilage. Sensitivity varies for each individual, but commonly the tail is not overly sensitive at the tip, but the base and underside can be.

Tail posture and movement can be very informative on a tiefling's emotions:

Happy/Excited: Tail is upright with the tip flicking or waving forward and back.

Angry/Agitated: Tail is low and whipping from side to side.

Nervous/Anxious: Tail is either tucked or wrapped around the tiefling's own leg.

Affectionate: To express affection (typically romantic) a tiefling will wind their tail around another person's ankle or wrist. If the other person also has a tail, they may link or intertwine tails. This is usually done as a romantic (but polite) gesture but is also seen with parents and children. It's equivalent to holding hands.

Possessive/Protective: A tiefling may wrap their tail around their partners thigh or waist if they feel possessive or protective. This is typically frowned upon in public as it is fairly intimate.

Presenting: When a tiefling is interested in someone sexually, their tail will be held up in an "S" shape. This is done by both males and females, and usually subconscious...which can lead to some very awkward situations...

[espionn]

LeafWing tribe sheet!

its over, i finally did them all. sorry this one took a while, ive been losing motivation, but at least its done!! honestly i love leafwings, so im glad i could get them out.

Physical Appearence + Traits:

-LeafWings are arboreal dragons, living in and relying on trees to hunt, shelter and sleep. Their talons are perfectly shaped to comfortably climb and hold onto branches, and their narrow wings allow them to swoop and weave through the trees without crashing.

-LeafWings’ colors, physical traits, and even demeanor shift and change with the seasons. During the summer, their frills and wings are rich green, and scales bright and glossy. They have higher energy and sleep less. During the fall, their colors shift to a warmer spectrum, their leafy frills start to flake off, and they start to prepare for winter. Once winter arrives, they lose their frills, tail-leaf and wing membranes, as well as turning duller and darker. They spend the majority of winter asleep, relying on the trees’ bare branches for camouflage, now rendered flightless. Finally, during spring, they wake up, their colors brighten, and their wing membranes return. The buds that grow along their backs open up and form their spine frills before summer begins.

-LeafWings are lithe and agile, and are very quiet fliers, especially when compared to HiveWings and SilkWings.

-During the summer, with their wings at their fullest, they can actually photosynthesize. They still need to eat food, but anytime they sleep during the day with their wings open to the sun, they wake up energized and not needing to eat for a while after. 

-The coloration and shape of LeafWings’ wings varies both by region and individual. Some LeafWings mimic specific types of trees.

-Some LeafWings also have Leafspeak, an ability which allows them to communicate with plants and even control them if powerful enough. 

Life Cycle:

-LeafWings hatch in clutches of one or two. They take around 5 months to hatch, and they are deeply reliant on their parents and their wider community. LeafWings are strongly protective of their dragonets. They also grow up somewhat quickly, reaching physical maturity quickly, but they continue to grow in size their entire lives.

-They partner for life, but often only raise one clutch of eggs (sometimes only a single egg) in their lifetime. The tribe is somewhat small as a result.

-LeafWings don’t have an official education system, instead relying on parents, peers and older, more experienced dragons to teach them what they need to know. LeafWings can then go on to pursue whatever tribe role stands out to them, using a sort of mentoring system.

Society and Culture:

-Before LeafWings were split into two groups, the tribe was quite peaceful and unified. The queen, by tradition, always had a council, and they lived nearby and alongside SilkWings. The tribe was known for being friendly and knowledgeable, and deeply dedicated to caring for the forest. 

-LeafWings are also very resourceful. From various leaves, grasses, bits of wood, flowers, and insects, they could create baskets and rugs, thin slats of wood to write on, dyes, storage objects, and various weapons and food preparing tools. Learning to make and control fire meant they could progress faster. They were also talented woodcarvers, weavers and artists, sometimes trading not only supplies, but also various art pieces to and from the SilkWings. 

-They were expert foragers, and had records of every type of tree, plant and animal in their forest. Many had  small gardens of their own - medicinal herbs, spices, and plants they simply found pretty. 

-Those with leafspeak were beloved and respected in the tribe, not dissimilar to animus dragons. Sometimes they would mould the shape of trees’ growth to create proper homes and nests for dragons to spend the nights, especially in winter.

-They have tribe-wide celebrations to mark spring, when they all wake from torpor, and the summer solstice, when they are at their highest energy and fullest lives. 

-The SapWings, after the tribe was forcibly split, remained very similar culturally, though they lost their ability to trade and had to concentrate on survival in the poison jungle. The PoisonWings, meanwhile, changed dramatically. They became distinctly aggressive and warlike, taking their understanding of plants and animals and weaponizing them. They used the many venoms, poisons and sharp, dangerous objects throughout the jungle to their full advantage. A number of dragons died in the process, but those who survived became stronger.

-LeafWings believe that plants hold some level of consciousness, and some believe that they are animated by fully conscious spirits, each with its own unique consciousness and opinions. Trees are unanimously believed to be extremely wise and benevolent, and as deserving utmost care and respect. They are treated as if they were tribe elders themselves. It was once agreed upon by all leafspeakers that if a tree resisted a request, they were not allowed to make any attempt to force it to do what they wanted. Leafspeakers would also be used to make requests before cutting off any part of the tree to use - if it refused, it would be left alone. (It isn’t hard to imagine the way they felt when the entire forest was cut and burned down by the HiveWings.)

Diet: Omnivorous. LeafWings eat meat (birds, rodents, sometimes large mammals and reptiles), sometimes raw, sometimes cooked, and also a wide variety of plants, fruits and nuts. Because of the versatility of their diet, they have a great number of meals they like to prepare, usually garnished with herbs, spices and sweeteners like honey and certain types of tree sap.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Maybe a drabble in which our Lamb meets Chimaera Reader, the maker of all crowns? Like, he stumbles upon their lair, and sees all types of the crowns, big and small, black and white, one-eyed and two-eyed, etc.? Maybe even a little inter actions between the Reader and the Red Crown in which it recognises them as their maker?

Sorry for my English, it is not my native language-

Also sorry if this request repeats, tumblr May have doubled it-

I swear I'm gonna turn this into an OC one day because I LOVE the concept of a crown maker in the COTL universe

........

'Where am I now..?' Lamb pondered as they stepped into a cavern--one most unfamiliar to them.

It was strange, considering they've scoured nearly every corner of the Old Faith for resources, potential rival cult activity, and even martyrs for the Bishops.

But this area was entirely new to them.

With their weapon drawn, they cautiously ventured further inward, eventually arriving into a larger room that was almost entirely cloaked in darkness. They could barely see a thing even with the few torches scattered around lighting the way.

Then suddenly, they saw a bunch of eyes opening up on all sides of them, varying in shape, size, color, and number. And they just stared down at the little sheep.

While they were accustomed to having so many eyes on them, this was completely different.

These eyes certainly didn't belong to any follower of theirs.

What if this was a trap?

What if-?

"Welcome, little Lamb! Promised liberator of the Old Faith!"

Looking upwards, they could see you descending from the darkness. You looked like a tradition chimera: a lion, goat, dragon, and snake all mixed into one. Both of your heads smiled as you took a seat upon your throne, although you frowned a bit upon realizing how poor the lighting must have been.

"Oh forgive me, it is awful dim in here, isn't it? Hold on one moment." Your lion head breathed out a small blast of fire, aimed towards a nearby candle that lit up.

That set off a chain reaction which lit up dozens of other candles around your lair, and burned the torches bright enough for Lamb to see what all those eyes belonged to:

Crowns.

So many crowns.

Big and small, black and white, one-eyed and two-eyed..and even multi-eyed; some sported horns and some did not. Others had bare surfaces while others were decorated with jewels or marred with scars from time.

It was an astonishing sight, and when Lamb looked back up at you, they could see a crown on each of your heads--snake tail included.

Not to mention your seat was adorned with four familiar ones...

"So you..take crowns from fallen gods?"

"Do I take them?" You repeated, before laughing uproariously. "No, but I can see why you'd assume that. I'm [y/n], Maker of the Crowns."

They blinked. "You created the crowns?"

"I have since the first gods ruled over these lands." You chuckled, taking the Green Crown into your paw. "I mold them into a design of my liking, give them life, and then send them off into the world to find a worthy host. They're like my children, so I do get sentimental at times...but I know they'll do great things."

'Huh...Leshy did say the crown found him..' Lamb mused.

"Of all the ones I've created, though, I never thought to see the Bishops' crowns again. But they were in such terrible condition...falling apart, barely able to keep their eyes open....I couldn't believe it." Your gaze shifted down to the sheep. "You wouldn't happen to know why, would you?"

They tensed. "...well...um-"

"Haha! I only jest, Lamb. I know everything." You smiled reassuringly. "I've sensed strong spikes in their energy, and I'm well aware they've been used as aids for the bishops after Narinder's betrayal. Speaking of whom...."

Pausing, you outstretched your paws towards them. "I see the Red Crown has found a new master."

"It's a long story, but--hey!!" All of the sudden, the Red Crown slipped out of their hands, morphing back into its normal form as it began floating up to you. They were shocked and angered, feeling extremely vulnerable without it. "What are you doing?!"

"Nothing, little one. It came to me all on its own. Welcome home, my darling." With the crown nestled into your paw, your smile grew as its eye stared back up at you with happiness. You sighed and brought it closer to your cheek, allowing it to nuzzle up to you. "Oh how I've missed you, mighty crown of Death. I'm glad you have not forgotten me."

"Give it back!!" Lamb snarled, baring their sharp teeth as they tried storming up to your throne. But their little hooves kept slipping on the skull pile that served as its foundation, and they eventually tumbled downwards, landing on their rear. "I need it back right now!"

"...are they always like this?" You muttered to the Red Crown, who just rolled its pupil in response. "Huh, I thought so. Arrogant, entitled, paranoid....just like your first master-"

"Don't compare us." They scowled. "Narinder was worse than arrogant...he would have destroyed this entire world, along with you and all these crowns if I returned it to him! We are NOTHING alike."

"Hm, I see I've touched a nerve. My apologies. I just wanted to take care of this little chip in its horn." Smiling, you manifested some black ichor to seal the crack you discovered on the crown, before sharpening up its horns a little bit. "There. Much better."

"....thank you. Now may I have it back?" Lamb put their hand out, growing more anxious with each passing second they were separated from it. 'Why isn't it returning to me?"

"It doesn't see why it has to right at this very moment...and quite frankly, I don't either. It's not connected to your lifeforce. You're still standing without it-"

"Because I'm its new master! I gave it new purpose. I gave it freedom...and it should be obeying me unconditionally and I don't understand why it's being so stubborn. That crown wouldn't be anywhere NEAR as powerful if it weren't for-!!"

"Choose your next words carefully," you tutted, shaking your head as you gestured to the walls. "My children do not look it, but they too have ears."

Falling silent, they looked all around, noticing that the crowns were now glaring at them. They tensed up, a feeling of heavy discomfort and embarrassment washing over them as they slowly realized how childish they were acting.

And in front of the crown creator, of all people?

"Tell me..do you see the crown as nothing without you? Or perhaps you feel like you are nothing without the crown?"

"........"

"Your mistake, little lamb, is that you see crowns as simple tools to do your bidding. A conduit for your godhood. But do not forget, they are also living breathing creatures like you and I." You chastised. "As such, they deserve respect. I figured you would've been more grateful to meet their maker...such few have the privilege to enter my lair and receive such a warm welcome."

The Red Crown bobbed up and down in agreement, before it scowled down at Lamb, as though to say "you better listen to them and treat me better".

They just looked at the ground, unable to form words as shame creeped up their spine.

You sighed softly. "I understand your worries as a new god. The mere thought of separation from it drives you to rage, especially after what happened between you and Narinder. But I have no desire to take it from you. Not when you've fought so hard for it. All I wish is that you continue caring for it."

"....I'm sorry, Great Crown Maker.." Lamb muttered, finally letting themselves be humbled. "I don't mean to act like I did. It's just...he's been annoying me all day today, shouting about "divine right" and making my life a living hell. He still can't accept that it chose me over him.."

They felt the familiar and comforting weight of the Red Crown returning to the wool atop their head, but they only looked up at you with respect. "Thank you."

"Of course, young one." You nodded, smiling once more. "Narinder has possessed that crown since he was a wee little kit, so it's going to be quite a long time before he lets that grudge go. Perhaps in a hundred years, give or take."

"I understand...so.." Lamb looked around. "Do you have any wares?"

"Oh, plenty!" You clapped your paws together. "Feel free to take a gander! Since this is your first visit, you may have one of the tarot cards over there on the house. But just know that the crowns aren't for sale."

[avtrbee]

love game. ii

a/n: you guys were screaming about how angsty love game was so i grant you 1 (one) barely fluffy scene for 1 (one) moment only. gif is not mine :> also, from the love love game had received many of you had asked me to tag you and i have tried my best to tag everyone!! please message me/comment if i missed you. thank u and enjoyyyy 🫶🏽😋

“Oh what would I do to have Dream grovel in front of me?” called out a velvet voice lounging on your bed. “He won’t keep his promises,�� it warns.

You stop at the sight of them before sighing in defeat.

“Couldn’t you at least knock?” You question. “Or, I don’t know, let me know before you stop by?”

“Mhm,” Desire replied, not bothering to answer your question. An Endless must ask another Endless permission to enter a their realm. You, however, were not an Endless. Desire has taken to your bed like it was a second home since they found the loophole, disregarding every protest. You warmed up to it eventually. It was nice to have someone to talk to sometimes.

Desire was laying on their stomach with their hands propped up to support their chin. They are wearing the cat outfit today- one of their favorites- with small cat black ears peaking through perfectly styled hair. There was a cunning smile plastered on their face and a tail that swirls around in circles and curves almost seductively. They were a perfect image of a cunning cheshire cat. 

“I meant what I said,” they murmur, golden eyes watching you as you plop to the space beside them. “I know my brother better than anyone. He is as cruel as he was before his capture, my Love.”

“He’s not cruel, just cold.” Your murmur in his defense, sinking into your bed. “He has never done anything bad, Dream is only…neglectful.”

The last word sparked your companions eye. Desire sinks in the bed with you and lays in their side. They reach an arm out to play with your hair lovingly. “And me? Have I ever been neglectful?”

You snort immediately and push their looming head away with a laugh. Many of your husband’s siblings and Dream himself raise an eyebrow to your strange…friendship. But the line between love and desire are thin and often crossed. “You’re fishing for compliments so badly today.” You accuse and Desire smiles. They do not deny it. 

There was a beat of silence before you spoke again. “I am not naïve,” you say slowly. “But he is finally being…” you rack your head for the right word. “…kind to me. I know it won’t last forever, but is it a sin to relish in it while it lasts?”

Sighing, Desire shifted to capture your palm. Soft kisses travel slowly over to the back of your hand until your temple, to where Desire kisses it last. “Is that what you desire? He does not deserve you.”

You heave a sigh before rolling off your bed. You do not deny Desire’s statement. I know, you want to say. But if you do then they will ask why are you giving their brother a chance and you cannot give any answer. You don’t know yourself either.

“I have to go,” you tell them, straightening yourself up. You feel a tingle inside your head and soon enough, your husband’s quiet voice slips into your thoughts telling you to come to him. “He’s calling for me.”

You were already slipped through the Dreaming, too late to seeDesire’s eye roll back in annoyance. 

-

“My lord, I-”

“Wife,” he greeted. “Love.” He amended quickly after. 

Morpheus gestures behind him and steps aside.  At his back stands a long wooden table fit to cater twelve people.There were all sorts of fruit, cheese, and varying plates from different cultures. From where you stand you could identify what you think may be a charcuterie board filled with cheese, toasted bread, olives and grapes. There was bowls of soup, the reddest apples you have ever seen in a bundle next to a basin of colorful berries. Candles that do not melt sprout tall from the food, while decorative flowers lay beside some dishes. The table ressembles a hungry man’s sweetest dreams.

The palace was in a much better shape than you saw it last. There weren’t any more fallen debris on the floor, no more weeds growing at its cracks. No dust hangs from any corner of the room and the floors were pristine like it was newly polished. It was almost shining.

“Dine with me.” Morpheus has seated at the head of the table, and you start to move opposite him to reach the other end- the farthest seat away from him. 

But before you can take a step Dream conjures a chair beside him from sand, on the right side of the table. You sense something strange about your husband…he seems stronger now. Not as weak as he was three days ago, nor was he as powerful as he was before he disappeared.

You could feel Morhpeus’s eyes stare at you as you move. You crane your face up to observe the room, a pathetic attempt to avoid meeting your husband’s sharp gaze as you walk to your seat.

The details in the room were intricate and clean, like how Dream created it to be. It was as if he was never missing for a century. But it was so quiet. Every step you take towards the table echoes across the room and every breath sounds as loud as thunder. The Dreaming was not meant to be so silent.

It does not help that you do not know how to talk to your husband, and neither does he know how to talk to his wife. It has been centuries since you last had a conversation with him that extends from commands or formalities. The clinks of your forks and knives were the only sounds emitting from the both of you as you ate in silence.

You have always prided yourself to be a good conversationalist having succeeded to have decent and polite conversations with your enemies when you need it, but this was something else. The silence makes you want to shrivel up into a ball and retreat back to your realm and cringe at this memory forever. How ironic is it that you get along better with the people who wouldn’t hesitate to kill you than your husband? You rack your brain for things to say, but your usual conversation starters have failed you. Have you ever been in love? Well, guess who I am! Yes, he has, Dream had lovers before you and you before him. Your husband is also well aware of who you are. At this point, you wouldn’t have minded melting into a puddle. 

As if reading your agony, it was Dream who spoke first. “I apologize if this feast overwhlems you. I did not know your favorite dishes.” He admits. 

“Yes, um,” You perk up immediately, eager to hold the conversation lest the silence takes over once again. “I…I like spicy dishes and…” you trail off your words as your eyes search the plates and bowls full of fruit. You reach towards a bowl to your right with a small smile on your face. “...and peaches. I love peaches.” 

From your preiphiral you see Morpheus’ forehead crinkle at the new information and in a second, the food on the table faded away to sand only to be recounjured as countless spicy dishes appeared and bowls and bowls of all kinds of peaches- yellow peaches, white peaches, and nectarines litter the table. Some were untouched and whole, while a small cup full of sliced peaches appeared on your plate. 

“And you?” You asked awkwardly, but not before raising a slice of peach in your mouth. You were touched, truly, but you can’t help to think that the table resembled a glitter-rabid kindergartener’s Valentines day card. Still, your heart flutters and skips a beat. The Dream Lord isn’t callous for no reason, he has priorities. It has just never been you which makes rare moments like these make you think that you could actually love him…until your anger comes back at the memory of neglect.

Morpheus looks at you then back to the table. “I have no preference.”

“You’ve gotten your pouch of sand back,” you realized, finally pinpointing what has changed. You recall how Morpheus conjured the chair you were sititng on with sand, how abundant the amount of food is and how easy he replaced them.

“I have,” Morpheus agrees. “It was with an occult detective who left it with her lover. I should have asked you to join me, you would have made it easer. I intend to travel to Hell next.”

“What business do you have with Lucifer Morningstar?” You ask slowly, frowning at the mention of Lucifer’s realm. Nobody has ever visited Hell unless they were desperate or insane, and an even lesser number has come out alive. You have had a few visits down to Lucifer’s realm but all visits were either summons from the fallen angel or as yourself serving as a representative of yourself, never of personal reasons. 

“One of the demons have my helm.”

“My lord,” you start, weighing your options. Does he intend you to accompany him? Is this his idea of being kind? You have not heard of any summons for Dream in Hell, so you suspect him to enter uninvited. Having you beside him on his way might give Lucifer an excuse to see your act as some form of war causing more chaos.  “Love is weak in Hell. I am willing to help, but I can only do so little to help you.”

“Fear not, Love,” he says, before helping himself to a peach slice. “I am not asking you to accompany me. This is something i must do alone.”

“Alone? You cannot survive Lucifer alone.”

“I must.”

“What- is this goodbye, then, Morpheus?” You gesture widely to the table and to its extravagant excess of spicy dishes and peaches. “Is this what this is?”

You glance at the table and push your plate away, finding yourself full and suddenly disgusted by the amount of food on the table. Deep inside you didn’t expect this supper to go anywhere, but a small part of you hoped. You would be lying if you said that the naive girl you have pushed away from your earlier years came back. 

Morpheus stays silent at your accusations you scoff. “What happened to your promises? I knew it was never going to last, but your promise had only lasted a mere week.”

“I intend to keep my promises, wife.” Morpheus reminds you gently, like he was talking to a cornered animal. “When I come back-“

“If you come back, my lord.” It isn’t lost to him how you drop back to your courtesies so easily, and how he reverts back to call you wife so quickly. “You and I know you will be walking into a trap.”

“I will come back.” Morpheus growls. Somehow you can always sense his annoyance from miles away. The slightest hint of it was always your cue to go, lest you infuriate him more. 

“Isn’t that what you told Lucienne before you disappeared for a century?” 

You somehow always make him angrier. You make him doubt himself, make him seem like he wasn’t worthy of you. Deep inside he knows its true- he had come back weaker than he was before and had treated you cruelly. You didn’t have to rub it in his face.

A fist bangs at the table making plates and you jump in surprise. “You forget yourself, wife.”

“I am used to it. You have always forgotten me.” You stand, pushing your chair back. You turn around to leave, no destination in mind, just eager to get away from the Dreaming, from Dream-

Morpheus stood unmoved, but his nose flared in anger. “Alright,” he relents, scarily calm. “Who would accompany me? You?”

You stop your tracks immediately. Your head twists slowly back to the table where your husband still sits. His gaze meets yours daringly. “Why do you talk to me like that? Like I am useless.”  You let out a small breath in wonder. Finally, it seems like the haze from your vision cleared, like you had just experienced epiphany. “I mean so little to you, don’t I? You see me as fragile, a weak-”

Morpheus runs a hand over his face exasperatedly. “No, no, that is not what I meant, wife-”

“What else could it mean?” Your voice was getting louder in every word, your voice bouncing off the pristine walls of the dining room. “You are Endless and I am just a goddess, but I am not weak! How dare you call me that.”

“I said no such thing.” Morpheus is shouting now, too. “If I take you to Hell with me and Lucifer bargains you for my helm, what then? I cannot lose you, Love.” He asks widely gesturing to you.

“Your concern over losing me is only a recent development.” You remind him, chest heaving from the deep breaths you take to calm yourself. You watch as Dream’s face softens only for a moment before hardening again. “But what of you?” You ask, forcing your voice to soften. “If you stay there, what then? What of the Dreaming? What of Corinthian who has wrecked further havoc in the waking world? Of loyal Lucienne?” Of me?

“You think I have not thought of that? I am not as wreckless as you think I am.”

“I just ask of you to be careful.” You finally plead, exhaustion finally taking a toll on your body. “I understand that what had happened to you is unfair, but every single choice you make impacts billions. I’ve already lost you once but you seem so eager to go so quickly.”

Morpheus face softens at your declaration. “I have no choice.” Blood boils in your veins. Your warnings go through his ear and comes out of the other so quickly. You feel a hand touch yours and your eyes snap to his to realize he is holding your hand to comfort you. “But I shall bring a someone with me,” he amends. “Matthew.”

As if on cue, his raven caws inside the room and looms up to the crystal chandeliers before landing gracefully on Morpheus’s shoulder. 

Your raven? You want to scream, I am right here! 

“Alright.” You reply instead. 

-

In every single place you would dare not to call anywhere home but your realm. It is here where you feel the most safest, able to let your guard down any time. There is no one more powerful than you here. There is only you and the endless sky stuck in an eternal sunset.

Today your bed is gone and is replaced by a huge mirror that you stand in front of. You have been staring at yourself for hours now wondering what had Morpheus seen in you that made him think of you as fragile. Then something shifts.

It was the feeling of lust that overwhelms you first, then you notice how thick the atmosphere has become making it a little hard to breathe. There is an empty hole in your chest that gape widely and you are flooded with the urge to fill it despite not knowing how.

A voice purrs behind you. “Hello, my love.”

You sigh and turn around to meet your old friend. Desire stands in all their glory in a pristine white suit and pants. 

“Desire, darling,” you greet tiredly, but ever so fondly. The memory of your fight with Morpheus brings a frown on your beautiful face. “Have you come to gloat?”

Desire gave an innocent shrug but their lips smugly curved. “Was I right?”

From the mirror you watch as Desire sashays to where you are, wrapping their arms around your shoulders. Their touch grounds you somehow and you find yourself squeezing your eyes shut for a moment then reaching up to hold their forearms. “Is it wrong to be worried?”

“You are truly astounding. My brother whispers a few good promises and he has you wrapped around his finger.” Desire plays with a stray strand of your hair, golden eyes looking at your locks then to your eyes through the mirror. 

“If it’s any consolation, you were right.” Desire drawls, looking at your eyes through your mirror. They turn their head until his lips are in front of your ears and whisper. “He might not come back.”

as always, if you like my work, please check out my masterlist! dont forget to tell me what you think, your comments make my day <33

taglist (love game)

@newromsntcs, @wt-fxck, @acdassenza, @archikina, @perhaps-just-june, @humongousgalaxycoffee, @tiens-letters, @blue-and-yellow-jjk-pjm, @winxchester, @ace-27749, @lunaleah, @thecrazytealady, @niname92, @notibotiswear, @thesadvampire, @dont-staple-waffles, @mavelfanatic, @lu123sworld, @uther-pendragon-is-an-ass, @asexualaromosafezone

[zeb-kunny]

More of the Purple Na’vi twins Ley’aka (f) and At’wahey (m)

They live in a region in Pandora where sunlight is scarce, the Txon’tekaya clan—roughly translated to the Eclipse people

Their dark skin allows them to better blend in with the darkness that shrouds the forest around them

The clan they associate with are similar to the Tipani clan, which raises warriors from a young age.

Hunters and Warriors in this clan are extremely swift and silent, trained to have silents footsteps, little noise when climbing, and remaining indifferent to pain.

Those born in the Eclipse region with either have excellent eyesight or excellent hearing. They are sensitive to their suroundings, feeling vibrations in the air and the ground as echolocation

Their tails are thick and strong for grip, even allowing them to hang from branches upside down

Like their tails, they are more well-muscled in their legs to allows for higher jumps, also notoriously strong in general

Their ears and eyes tend to be bigger than other Na’vi people

The hair on their bodies grow fast to combat against the cold temperatures the lack of sunlight tends to bring. They will often leave their hair loose with minimal braids. They also have higher body temperatures than some other Na’vi

Like the Tipani clan, they are a clan of few words. But they celebrate festivities with music and dance moreso than their more stoic forest counterparts.

Their eyes tend to be sensitive to sunlight, so whoever ends up venturing out of the dark region must wear a head cloak to help somewhat with the light sensitivity.

They have a different dialect where some sounds of the Na’vi Languange are slienced

Their eye colors vary from Grey to a Pale Yellow

They ride a msotly dark-colored variation of Ikran, which is slighty smaller than other species in the Pandoran Mountains and Cliffs. Their smaller size allowes for more a more swift and silent flight—making taming them extremely dangerous.

[raintailed]

how do oyu draw scvaenegrs theyre soooo shaped i love them....

GYAHAHAHA!!!!!!! TUTORIAL TIME!!!!!!

first things first! basic anatomy!

These guys are somewhat monkey-shaped. They have deep chests, long arms, and short legs. They usually move by knuckle-walking, using their arms to swing their legs forward as if they're using crutches.

Scavs have eartlers (which i think are technically horns lol), funny whiskers/sensory frills, and frills/quills on their backs. I also give them ears because I think it looks cute.

A note about their tails: scav tails vary in length (many are tailless), and their tails are thinner than slugcat tails. I imagine their tails aren't as important for balance as it is for slugcats.

From the side, my scavengers have sorta egg-shaped heads; they don't have a very prominent snout. They do, however, have some gnarly teeth - baboon like, but better suited for carnivory? Idk honestly

Scavs have long, 3-fingered hands and 2-toed feet. Some scavengers have a third toe on their feet, but it's vestigial. Their palms/soles are hairless for better gripping and are usually lighter than the surrounding fur.

Variations!!! Scavs are super diverse and I highly recommend taking many screenshots of them. I didn't draw anything for elite scavengers here.

Horns range from nubs to large branches. Some scavengers have horns on their cheeks as well as on the top of their heads.

Whiskers can range from being absent to looking like beards.

Scavenger eyes range in size, narrowness, and angle. Pupils can be absent, dark-colored, or light-colored.

For colors, scavengers are usually gray or brown with darker points. Light and bright-colored scavs are unusual but they do appear!

Proportions and quills vary, and that can have some hilarious results. I've seen scavengers with stick-thin arms, others with tons of big quills, etc.

Scavenger body language is pretty complex. I recommend checking the wiki and watching them in-game to study how they move and act. Their quills do seem to be an important part of how they communicate, since frightened or startled scavengers vibrate their quills!

Hopefully this stuff is helpful!

[powdermelonkeg]

Worldbuilding

Made a new fantasy world in my spare time today, populated it with fantasy races.

Premise of the story: An elf chef who runs the best restaurant in the area gets his ingredients by diving into the local dungeon. His restaurant is the best not only because of his fantastic cooking skills and quality ingredients, but also because he can serve anybody that comes through his doors; each of the races has different dietary needs and finds different things poisonous, and he can cook for anyone.

One day, he's in the dungeon, and he falls down into a lower level nobody's been to in AGES. Thing is, though, there's a human living there, a biologist who's been studying the dungeon ecology for centuries, and the last human alive—all others were wiped out centuries ago due to a plague, and she's only alive because she's been living in the dungeon.

Main story arc is this guy trying to figure out not just what she can eat, but what she'd LIKE to eat, without killing her in the process.

Yes this is inspired by Dunmeshi. What of it.

Races are:

Humans (extinct)

Elves

Faunlings

Halflings

Orcs

Dwarves

Brounies

Gnomes

Elves

A camouflage species, their colors depend on the environment they're in. A snow elf would be pale white, a wood elf shades of green and brown, a dark elf (as in, lives underground) stone gray with jet black hair, and so on. Knife-point ears. Average height: 5'8"

Diet: Vegetarian, can't process meat at all, regardless of source.

Faunlings

Deer-like people, ranging visually from elves with horns to satyr-like. They're all one species, despite individual variation.

Diet: Opportunistic carnivores, they CAN eat meat, but mostly eat plants; can't process milk or most sugars past infancy. Average height: 4'10"

Halflings

NOT hobbits. They're small people, deathly pale and young-looking in their base form, with nub horns on their heads. Their appearance changes depending on who they live nearest, from their build to their coloration—a halfling living near wood elves might get taller and coppery with pointed ears, while a halfling near faunlings might have furrier legs, dappled shoulders, and longer horns, etc. Average height: varies wildly

Diet: Obligate ovivores, eat almost exclusively eggs when young and need lots of protein. Depending on who they live near, they'll eventually adapt to local cuisine and build up poison tolerance, but forcing that adaptation to go too quickly can send them into shock.

Orcs

Cat eyes and feline fangs, big and muscular. Like elves, they camouflage based on location, but they tend to be more colorful overall. Average height: 6'10"

Diet: Heavily meat-based diet, they eat most meat raw. Highly lactose intolerant, may occasionally eat plants, but can't process grains.

Dwarves

Short and stocky. Dark blueberry purple-blue by default, will temporarily turn pale on parts of their bodies that are exposed to light for a few hours. Sunlight sends them into temporary hibernation and petrification, making them statue-like. On cloudy days, they're lethargic, and on moonlit nights, their skin gets a little harder, with white patches depending on the strength of the moonlight. Average height: 3'9"

Diet: They have a tolerance for poisons that most races would die over, but they can't stand most acids. Citric acid in particular is poisonous to them. Cavern-based diet.

Brounies

THESE are the hobbits. Short and humanlike, with long, fur-tipped tails. Usually monochrome in color scheme, leaf-point ears. Average height: 3'2"

Diet: Can't process plant fibers properly, all plant matter must be cooked to break it down. Mostly raw pescatarian.

Gnomes

Even smaller than brounies, humanlike, with round-edged pointed ears and generally plump bodies. Average height: 2'4"

Diet: Vegan, with HIGH poison tolerance, they actually need some poisons to live. Mushrooms and fruit make up much more of their diet than leaves do.

[chocodile]

Apologies if you've answered this somewhere: for your Amaranthine 'verse, are there any "hybrid" animal folk? On one hand, kwillow's Theo has a rat and a stoat as parents, but Theo himself is a rat (with his mother's coloring, but still a rat). On the other, Ambroys very clearly looks like a cross between a horse (father) and Something Else (Celestial mother). In the middle is Hayden's one night stand with the cat barmaid, which resulted in a child with a bunny's snout/tail, a flatter catlike face, and bunny ears a biiiit too wide and pointed to be 100% "bunny."

I'm super curious about the genetics of it as well as the social aspect (i.e. is son considered a bunny/cat/both by his peers?). It's one of my favorite bits about anthro worldbuilding!

Hybrids exist, but are pretty rare!

Typically, children will just inherit their species from one parent or the other. Hybridization is very unusual and typically is limited to one or two very minor traits--like the child of a rabbit having slightly longer ears, the child of a weasel having a noodlier build, the child of a carnivore having fangs, etc. In almost all cases, the dominant species of the child is very clear, and the hybrid traits tend to be very recessive--rarely preserved beyond one generation.

Particularly in the Western Kingdom, though, hybrid children do have a reputation for being unlucky, an ill omen, or even outright cursed (depending how superstitious the person you're asking is). There are a few reasons for this… the simplest is that hybrid traits are sort of a "birth defect" that can sometimes present along with other health issues. Though not all hybrids are frail and sickly, any concern about a child's susceptibility to illness was a huge deal in rural peasant villages that already tended to have high childhood mortality rates.

Over time, the perception of hybrid children = ill omen became warped and exaggerated. Western Kingdom folktales sometimes cast hybrids as vaguely supernatural trickster characters, such as tales of mysterious changeling babies whose hybrid traits eventually revealed them to be half Infernal.

For this reason, the actual frequency of hybrid traits is probably greatly under reported… anyone who can hide or ignore or lie about their hybrid traits probably will. Though most Western Kingdom superstitions fell away after the collapse of the old kingdoms, some degree of stigma in Post-Fall society remains. No one seriously thinks a sheep with fangs is half Infernal anymore (most don't believe that Infernals and Celestials even exist), but it will still probably be passively assumed that a hybrid is less fit for difficult labor, among other things.

Half Celestial and Half Infernal offspring work a bit different… they're always technically "hybrids", but specifically hybridize in such a way that they take the form of mythological creatures (unicorn, dragon, cockatrice, etc). I'll let Kwillow talk more about this when she discusses Ambroys' mother since she's been the one working on this section of the lore, but Half Celestials are most certainly seen as a blessing. Half Infernals… well, fear of them is part of the reason hybrids are stigmatized in the first place, so suffice to say they have it rather rough. How severe the stigma is varies across cultures and tends to be worse in the rural West, better in cities, and pretty much completely absent in much of the Eastern Kingdom.

In the Post-Fall present day, nobody believes Celestials, Infernals, or their offspring exist anymore... aside from those who know about The Kingdom of the Sun.

Also, once in a while, a hybrid is born whose traits are so blended that their parent species are difficult to determine. These very unlucky individuals are referred to as "chimeras" and tend to have shorter life expectancies, among other things. We may be seeing a character who fits this description eventually. :P

[wasyago]

unsure if you’ve been asked this before but what is your character designing process?

i have already answered in this post (you can go read it if you want), though it's more jrwi based, so i feel like i can answer again! i doubt I'll end up saying something new but hwhatever who cares dhhdhd

obviously this isn't math, so there's no specific scheme i follow every time, and each design is different and it all varies heavily.

in general, when i start working on a design i already have *some* sort of idea in mind. normally not for the entirety of it, but some bits and pieces here and there that help me characterize the design in my head! i try to get those on the canvas first. they're like key points, and i most likely wont change them.

(and if i don't have an idea, i don't start drawing. and instead scroll through my gallery or pinterest in search of inspiration)

let's take my Gem's recent design as an example! i knew i wanted her to be a squirrel, and i already had squirrel scar and cub designs to base it off. so the key points were big pointy ears, curvy tail, claws. i also knew i wanted her clothing to look regal and floral, and reflect her main base. this is an idea that i haven't fully visualized, but i kept it in mind and knew in which direction i had to move.

after that comes the point where i start making stuff up 👍👍 i enjoy thinking my designs through and making them make sense in my head and be practical. so the process consists of me asking myself questions and then answering them in a design. with occasional "oh wouldn't that be cool" thrown into it.

continuing with gem. she needed to have her clothes be suited for a tail, so her underskirt splits in three parts to make it easier. i still wanted the design to be recognizable as gem and have it resemble her skin; so i kept the white sleeves, the green skirt, the corset. i wanted to make her and scar's designs match, so i changed the corset to green with this long piece of cloth but decided to change the patterns on it. because the brown from the corset was gone, i removed it from her shoes as well and made them black instead, so brown wasn't part of the color pallett anymore. i will introduce pink into the design later, so getting rid of one of the colors wasn't that big of a deal. plus, brown makes her look more down to earth, whereas i want her to look elegant and rich, so its a win/win. i wanted to keep her antlers, but obviously she's not a deer anymore, so i turned them into a crown and made it black to match the shoes. etc etc. i can ramble for three more hours about this hdgshsh.

well, that's how the well thought designs work.

sometimes it's just "im gonna draw all the things i think are fun and cute until i can't think of any" and there's no rhyme or reason to it. that's why things like "doc as a unicorn", one-off series designs, random concepts, aus exist!

sometimes its a "i have no idea what to do with it, so im gonna merge all the layers together and just keep fiddling with it until i figure it out", and that's exactly what happens. if i feel stuck with a design, merging it together and working with both line and color helps a ton, because it helps me to see the design as a whole and i dont have to divide my process and think of which parts im gonna do in color and which in line! recent example is hypno's design. here it is when i didn't know how to make it interesting and the final version:

(funnily enough i still like the first concept, the fact that all the clothes is the same color is quite tasty. but i know that if i needed to draw this design in the future, i would struggle with keeping the clothing layers separated and shading and all that stuff.)

visually i don't think there's much difference between how i design things (?), but the process varies and in my head they're all on like, different tiers.

hopefully this was somewhat helpful! if not it at least let me ramble about my design process which is great hdhsjsh

[adobe-outdesign]

Thoughts on the Aisha? It’s been my favorite neopet ever since I got a mcdonalds plushie of it when I was like 8 before I even knew what neopets was

Aisha are great because they're almost somewhat normal cat-like creatures—except they have two pairs of ears, one normal set and one set sticking up like antennae. These ears are the most important part of their design, as they're both visually distinct and very memorable.

Aishas also vaguely implied to have some degree of extra-terrestrial origins due to the existence of alien Aishas, which is a nice bit of worldbuilding and helps explain the weird ears even more (not that they're that unusual by Neopet standards, but still, it's neat).

In addition to the four ears, the other main notable thing about Aishas is their near-constant closed eyes (though some Aisha characters do have theirs open), which are punctuated by a ring around the outside. The ring is nice, as it helps break up their otherwise solid body colors a bit.

I'd also argue that Aishas benefited greatly from customization. First, their old artwork was getting very dated and needed a refresh anyways, and secondly, the only real change is that they're standing now, which doesn't really affect anything.

But the other big benefit the Aisha received is that their collars became a wearable item that can now be removed. I'm not going to lie, I never liked the collars. First, they're weird because in-universe, Neopets are anthropomorphic, and indeed, no Aisha characters sport the collars. Secondly, as a species, where do those collars come from, and why do Aishas wear them? And thirdly, they tend to add unnecessary color to their designs (like how the blue and green Aishas shown above sport red and yellow collars—though this varies depending on paint job). The "A" tag also feels clunky. They're not the worst, but having the choice to remove the collars or keep them is the best of both worlds.

The only big benefit to the collars is that they do sometimes do some really fun things with them depending on the color, as I've spotlighted below.

Favorite colours:

Alien: No Aisha review would be complete with talking about alien Aishas, which are absolutely iconic in their own right. Species-specific colors are always enjoyable, and the fact that the alien Aishas have SIX ears is fantastic. I also like the spacesuit/helmet combo, and the red triangle at least accents the red color a bit if you choose to keep it on. I just wish they had done something fun and futuristic with the collar, instead of sticking to the standard version.

Darigan: The converted version of this pet isn't terrible, but the unconverted version is fantastic. The thin body looks great, almost snake-like, and the pointed tail matches the tall ears, which are given a delightful devil-horn look. The spots help break up the body a bit, as does the addition of an underbelly, and the collar changes shape to a D for darigan, which is fun.

Mutant: Mutant Aishas, my beloved! What a great design. Replacing the second pair of ears with mouths and then accenting the pink lips with floppy, tongue-like spikes on the back is just great, with the pink working great against the blue. Bonus shoutout for the singular eye and the mutated "A" on the collar. My only nitpick is that the collar tag should've been the lighter teal of the stripes on the ears, and the band should've been pink.

BONUS: I'm cheating by including this, but I have to give a shout-out to the baby Aisha for being downright adorable with its little binky collar and soft blue color. I'm not usually big on baby pets, but this one's actually pretty great.

[papermonkeyism]

This post can be found in my devArt, (link), please use that for linking if you need the reference, thank you!

Wingbeans

The funny little griffin-y things colloquially known as wingbeans are flightless, roughly cat-sized, seemingly mammalian creatures with curious nature.

They resemble bipedal cats with chicken feet, but not quite. They are usually covered in soft, floofy fur, except for their hind legs and pawpads. They have soft snoot covering their mouths, which they will boop into things and people they like. Snoot bumps are their way of saying hello.

They have big, bright eyes with vertical slit pupils, and their nostrils are hidden beneath the floof of the snoot. They trust their sight and hearing more than their sense of smell.

They have short arms with three fingers, that are usually held tucked against their chest. The fingers usually have hidden cat claws.

Their wings are small and covered in soft, fluffy feathers, that are used mostly as display and as an additional pair of arms when climbing. The wings have five fingers in a fluff mitten, each having a paw pad, which is where the name wingbean comes from. In a wild type 'bean only the thumb of the wing has a retractable claw, like a cat, to use as climbing grip and for defence.

Their legs are usually hairless from ankle down, and have four toes, three pointing forwards and a small dewclaw pointing backwards. The foot claws are dull, and non-retractable.

They usually have long floofy tails, though there are short tailed and even bobtailed variations. It is also possible to have a tuft tipped tail.

Wingbeans are omnivorous, and as a species aren't picky about what they eat, though personal preferences vary wildly.

Wingbeans can have anywhere between 1 and 4 kittens (also called beanies or beanlings) at a time, most often 2. The kittens are born within a soft leathery egg shell, and they hatch usually within few hours after birth. They nurse their young like mammals.

Mom takes care of the kittens untill they're big enough to fend for themselves, though the offspring often stays nearby even as adults. The 'beans are social creatures who enjoy hanging out with friends, so big family groups (be they actually related or adopted) aren't unusual.

Wingbeans are considered fully grown at one year old, and in the wild their life span tends to be around 20 years, though domesticated 'beans can get a lot older.

Wild wingbeans come in a wide variety of markings and their colors cover all shades of browns and grays, but some have been bred to display brighter colors and strange markings, including unnatural ones. All coat types and lengths are possible; short haired, long haired, curly coated, maned, etc.

They have no apparent sexual dimorphism, and gender appears to be an optional feature to them.

Wingbeans are meant to be fun creatures, and to bring joy and fun.

Wingbeans are not meant for making money. They can be created freely, and they may be gifted, but they shall not be sold.

If you want to get rich by making weird little griffin-y things, make your own species.

Can I make my own wingbean?

Yes you can!

Can I make wingbean adoptables?

As long as you don't sell the designs for real life money. Giving them away for free, or trading them for virtual stuff such as virtual petsites' in-game currency, or things like art or poetry is fine.

Can I make wingbean NFTs/sell them for crypto stuff?

No.

Can I commission people to draw my wingbean?

Yes! Also, while wingbeans themselves aren't meant to be bought with money, do pay artists for the work they do. Artists need to eat too.

Can I commission an artist to design me a wingbean?

I'd say that still counts under the commission clause, so yes.

Can I use them in my D&D/TTRPG campaign?

Sounds fun, sure!

What if I want my wingbean to have rainbow colors?

Sure. Maybe your 'bean was bred by a wizard or something. Have fun!

Can my wingbean have raptor claws?

Sounds awesome. Go for it!

Can my wingbean have horns or other fancy details?

Did your 'bean wander in the way just as you were about to cast polymorph, didn't it?

You said they are flightless, but what if I want my wingbean to be able to fly?

Sounds like it was either born with bigger wings, or it can levitate. Either way sounds cool.

Can I make a wingbean of a big cat species?

That might stretch the definition of a wingbean, but if you feel like it's still wingbeany enough, then sure, go for it!

Do they have whiskers?

They can, if you want.

Are wingbean legs scaly like bird feet, or leathery?

Whichever you want. Both are good.

Are there any rare or limited features or markings?

The rarity of those depend entirely on what kinds of 'beans people create. If half the people making wingbeans decide to make theirs blue, then I guess blue isn't a rare color at that point, now is it?

But how will I know if my wingbean is special?

It's special because it's yours. No wingbean belongs behind paywalls.

What would a hairless wingbean look like?

Considerably less fluffy.

[espionn]

IceWing tribe sheet!

icewings actually happen to be my favorite tribe, they're a little messed up but i love them. enjoy my headcanons!

Physical Appearance + Traits:

-IceWings live in the cold and barren arctic north, and have developed very specific adaptations in order to survive. Rather than being warm-blooded and keeping themselves insulated, they kept their reptillian cold blood and slowly adapted to a consistently cold internal body temperature. As a result, they require no warmth at all for their bodies to function; they do not insulate themselves with fur or fat like mammals do.

-Their scales are pale, usually with a bluish tint although other colors are not unheard of. When well taken care of, they gleam and sparkle like ice.

-They are naturally cold to the touch, giving off a chill to anyone close by. In warm environments, especially humid ones, the cold will sometimes cause moisture from the air to condense on their scales, letting drops of water settle on them and drip from them. This, at first glance, can sometimes look like they’re “melting”, and has made some believe that IceWings are literally made from ice, and they can melt in the heat. (This is another headcanon that didn’t originate with me, it comes from @flamebringer0. If you see this, I adore your headcanon, I hope you don’t mind me including it among with mine!)

-Sharp spikes bristle their necks and run along their spines and tails. This can make it difficult for other tribes to gain the upper hand in fights without being wounded by the spines. They can also use their tail as an effective weapon.

-They can summon a storm of tiny shards and crystals from the ice that tends to coat their throat and produce frostbreath, which can quickly deliver frostbite to any dragons who aren’t well adapted to cold.

-Icewing horns are sometimes straight, resembling icicles, sometimes jagged, and sometimes branch off into something more antler-adjacent. They are always sharp, but just slightly more fragile than other horns.

-Some IceWing scales tend to get a bit darker and more silvery as they age, and likewise they tend to hatch with bright, snowy-white coloration. Some will have speckled patterns and general variability between colors across their bodies.

-Their dark eyes help absorb light and allow them to see past the bright glare of sun on ice. 

-Their bodies are long, slender and elegant, especially among royals. Their faces are long and pointed, and they are more agile and maneuverable than most tribes expect. They are generally smaller than SkyWings but taller than MudWings.

-Their serrated claws help grip ice, and make their attacks more punishing. They have a sharp and sturdy point on the end of their snout, which can be used to crack ice without harming them.

-They are not a very physically varied tribe, but the royal and noble IceWings have a look distinct from those on outskirt villages. They often have fewer spines, straighter horns, narrower wings and paler colors, whereas lower-ranking IceWings have more practical antler-like horns, more spines, and a more muscular appearance. (Sketch displaying this below.)

Life Cycle:

-IceWings are hatched in small clutches of one to three. Parents will carve out a nest in the ice, lay the eggs, and then allow them to freeze over again until the dragonets break through the ice. It is believed that the colder the eggs during incubation, the more powerful the dragonets will become. 

-They take around 5 months to develop and are hatched strong enough to free themselves and big enough that most predators aren’t interested in them. They are also hatched with a delicate layer of spines all across their bodies that resemble frost crystals, though these later shed off. Dragonets can also go several days without eating after hatching, which is unusual for dragons. 

-Most parents are available to watch their dragonets, so these abilities simply serve as precautions for the case of missing or neglectful parents. 

-They grow somewhat slowly, reaching maturity a bit later than other tribes.

-IceWings, especially those of high rank, are expected to be strictly monogamous, and their marriages are usually more of a formality than a real union of affection. They aren’t incapable of love, certainly, but marriage is not treated as an act of love among nobles and royalty. Sometimes even lower-status IceWings marry out of societal expectation and not for their own happiness, but things are generally less strict.

Society + Culture:

-IceWing society is strictly ranked by class and birthright. There are seven divisions, referred to as Circles; the Seventh Circle is made up of dragons of low status, living in small villages on the outskirts of the tribe and scorned by those in higher Circles. The First Circle, meanwhile, is almost entirely comprised of royalty and other dragons of high honor and status. In the palace, dragons are expected to greet and interact with others differently depending on their relative ranking. The system is extremely strict and ruthless, and disrespect is one quick way to be lowered down the ladder. During her reign, Queen Snowfall tore down the wall used to keep track of the placement of each dragon, and made great steps toward lessening this aspect of their culture, but it continued to subtly persist long after her death. 

-Lower-circle IceWing society is simple and straightforward. They live in communities quite detached from palace life, hunting for themselves and helping each other raise their dragonets. As all IceWing animus dragons were strategically kept in royalty, most animus gifts did little to improve the lives of those outside the First and Second Circles. The best way for a low-born IceWing to rise in rank would be through military work; otherwise, the groups remain fairly stagnant. Protests and revolts, though, are surprisingly uncommon. Most Sixth and Seventh Circle IceWings are simply too detached from royalty to be concerned with wealth differences, and royals likewise rarely bother to interfere with Sixth and Seventh circle dragons.

-While in the palace, during the worst of the class division, all dragons were commanded to wear necklaces made from a heavy metal that matched their rank. First-Circle necklaces would consist of one ring, Second-Circle necklaces would have two, one inside of the other, and so on. The more circles, the heavier the necklace, and Seventh-Circle dragons, on the rare occasion they visited the palace, would be forced into a constant bow by the weight of the metal.

-IceWings are quite superstitious, not unlike SkyWings. Their beliefs vary by region, but a generally common one is that the deep, impenetrable ice cap they live on harbors some ancient, powerful force, and that if it ever were to break or melt away, that power would be unleashed and cause havoc; they see the ice as a protective field that froze over at the dawn of time, and if it unfroze it would be the end of everything they know.

-IceWings will sometimes wear polar bear fur or the pelts of elk and deer, though not for warmth. Lower-Circle dragons will wear the pelts and sometimes even antlers of their own prey, for bragging rights. Higher-Circle dragons simply wear them as a fashion statement and a show of wealth.

-IceWings are educated much more about their own tribe than others, and generally prefer to stick to their own affairs. They have few exports to trade and little interest in those of others. They are not the most diplomatic tribe.

-After the perceived theft of their last animus, they not only blamed NightWings, but also harbored resentment for every other tribe with animus magic, believing themselves to be the original carrier of the gene and therefore the rightful possessor of it. They are extremely protective of even the least useful of their animus gifts. 

Diet: Carnivorous. IceWings eat arctic mammals like elk and polar bears, and aquatic mammals like seals and even sometimes narwhals and orcas. They also eat fish and, rarely, a few species of birds. They have no way to cook food and no desire to. Other than a few types of berries in the mountains near the SkyWing border, no plants grow in the arctic, and IceWings live on meat alone.