#they’re living up to one of their species many names

[sc-02]

Yurifies your Breakbee

[luveline]

omg can I request a more timid luna lovegood reader with remus lupin?? I feel like he’s more serious, so she would compliment him well!! maybe the two of them falling asleep with one another and her dozing off while talking about bugs or something and he’s just like, wow I love her!!

“Oh,” he says quietly, more to himself than you as he pulls you to his chest, “lovely, I missed you.” 

Your pyjamas are made of a soft, thin material you favour and he can’t name. Your vest doesn’t cover much, but he’s covered you up with his arms and the blanket, and the space between you is roiling with body heat. “We were apart for twelve days.” 

“I know.” He could not be more regretful. 

“That’s almost three hundred hours without seeing one another.” 

“We spoke on the phone.” 

“It’s not the same,” you say. Remus would have to agree. 

He feels like he can sleep well for the first time in those three hundred hours, knowing you’re alright, happy, and fed within arm’s reach. He really can’t decide what he missed most, your smell, your hair, your nose as it rubs against his throat. It must’ve been this, your weight on his side, and the sound of your voice as you murmur intricacies into his skin. 

“I caught fifteen bugs while you were gone, that’s more than one every day… I kept the ladybug, but then she exploded into even more ladybugs. I noticed she laid eggs in the tank but I wasn’t expecting them to hatch so quickly… it was…” Your lips curve into a smile against his neck. “It was only a few days, baby. So many bugs.” 

“I’m sure she lived a very good life.” 

“She’s still alive, I think. I let them out into the back garden, I wasn’t expecting to be responsible for so many.” 

You fold an arm across his chest and kiss his chin, to his sleepy delight. Your presence is lulling him to sleep, once slow sentence at a time. “I’m sure she was just as happy in your tank as the outdoors, lovely,” he says. Your tank being a very large space that you customise to whatever bug you’ve found. You do your research, and you give them long, healthy lives. You’re kind, and you keep them only to watch them and love them. 

“You know ladybugs are beetles?” you whisper. 

“I didn’t know that.” 

“Mm-hm,” —you kiss his chin again, soft and with warming breath— “there are five thousand different species of ladybugs. Thousand. And they’re all different colours and sizes and…” 

You rub your nose into his cheek.

“I missed you so much,” you say. 

“I missed you too. I missed your voice.” Remus rubs your back, feels your top ride up. He draws a line along your naked spine. “Tell me more about the ladybugs, please? I was almost sleeping.”

“If I tell you and you fall asleep, you won’t remember.” 

“Can you tell me again at breakfast? Would that be okay?” 

You sound pretty sleepy yourself as you answer. “Okay, I’ll tell you twice, but only because you asked me so nicely.” 

Wow, he thinks, feeling the length of your back in sluggish drags, I love her.  

[vesppperoro]

What is it like being the Sin of Envy?

The pic above is your sigil.

You’re a Hellborn, like the other sins.

As your sin suggests, you embody Envy. Sinners and Hellborn alike live in the Envy ring.

The Hellborn? They’re called Glamours.

Glamours are a fish/mermaid/siren based demon that gives the Hellborn a special ability. The ability to manipulate water.

They don’t do much with it but host performances and such, but you also have this power.

You’re a fashionista, an inventor, and a performance artist. You do everything your heart tells you to do.

You protect your people no matter what.

Anyways. The Envy ring is FREEZING COLD. Your people have adapted to the cold, despite being in hell. You and them don’t have a high tolerance to heat.

You run a Jester Circus-like place full of Glamours and Sinners! You invite all rings, except those from the Greed ring, to watch your shows.

You put so much hard work into getting your jesters to be perfect. Hell, you even own most of their souls. Except a few, of course. For example, Fizz. Ozzie would NOT like you if you owned his soul.

You’re a shapeshifter! You shift into anything you see yourself as. Whatever you want to be, you can be it. That’s the perk of being jealous of everything and everyone.

Your demon form is based on a monstrous Sea Serpent that is around 200ft+ long. You, in your normal form, are around 8’5 unless you choose to shrink yourself.

You adore Hellborn. You love Hell Hounds and Imps alike! Some of your jesters are Imps too!

You also know of Hell Hounds through Beelzebub, seeing as how most of the Gluttony ring is that species.

You, despite loving parties, like to be alone a lot of the time. A quiet day in your aquarium filled room gives you the energy you need to continue.

Onto other things. Your actual name is Leviathan, but you use Name or Nickname whenever you can. You just like it better.

You also have a long, serpentine tail that protrudes from your back. It works similarly to a dog tail.

You may seem rude to most, but you’re a huge softie. Especially for your people.

If anyone tries to hurt your ring, you’ll kill them on the spot.

Just as you are protective with your people, your people are just as protective about you.

If you express distaste towards someone or something, they’ll do everything they can to end it or end the person.

You also visit other rings often. You have some Glamours follow you around as your guards!

Not that you need them. They just want to spend time with you.

However, even if you love your people, you won’t stand for betrayal. NO ONE is allowed in the Greed ring. If they are found in the Greed ring, they are not allowed to return.

Everyone in the Envy ring understands your hate for Mammon, so they avoid him as much as they can.

Anyways. You also throw many parties since you and your ring just love drugs and alcohol.

While others fight for their lives, you guys are living your best afterlives.

You believe in Charlie’s redemption hotel, so you always advertise it whenever you host an event.

During the war, you and your people helped fight off Angels.

You put a protective spell over the Glamours and Sinners from the Envy ring, but they still got it and it broke your heart. Or, whatever you had.

You took care of all of your people and made sure they were in good shape.

Long story short, your people adore you. You’re their idol, the one they look up to if anything happens.

You’re like their parent and they’re like your children. You wouldn’t have it any other way.

[tellmyah]

I always see dbf!Abby but never dbf?reader🏃🏽‍♀️‍➡️🏃🏽‍♀️‍➡️maybe? Idk

༉‧₊˚. — this is so genius??? thank you anon ily

it all starts when you notice a middle-aged man with dirty blonde hair outside of the house across the street from yours, a look of disappointment on his face. he has many potted plants, maybe too many, and over half of them are dying. you stroll over to his front yard and he wastes no time in expressing his frustration to you, a total stranger who had just moved here with your family a few weeks ago.

“i just don’t get it. i water them every single day. it’s not like they aren’t getting enough sunlight, right?”

you hum in acknowledgment, and he steps aside to allow you to take a look for yourself. it’s almost comical how quickly you notice the cause of his problem.

“it has nothing to do with the amount of sunlight or water they’re getting, actually. look at the soil of the ones that are dying.” you kneel down to feel the soil of one droopy plant in particular– a bunch of faded red petunias– and gather some soil between your fingers. “dry as a desert.”

you spend the rest of your day helping jerry replace the soil in the effected pots over some pleasant small talk, in which he confides in you that ever since his wife passed away, he’s been struggling to upkeep her impressive garden. the hard work is done by the time the sun sets, and he invites you in to wash your hands and have a glass of water.

that’s the very first time you get to meet abby.

she’s about your age, standing at nearly six feet tall. even in her sweatpants and baggy t-shirt, you can tell that she’s made of pure muscle. initially, when she walks down the stairs and sees a random girl in her kitchen, having a conversation with her father about invasive plant species in seattle, she’s puzzled, but she recognizes you fairly quickly.

she remembers watching from her bedroom window while you helped your mom to drag a couch in through the front door. she remembers going outside to check the mailbox and seeing you, sitting on your porch, feet propped up on the short wooden fence with a book in your hands. she could never seem to take her eyes off of you any chance she got to see you, so, when she sees you standing in her home, she completely freezes. luckily for her, jerry rushes to introduce the two of you.

“i didn’t even know you were home, sweetie! abby, this is y/n. y/n, this is abby, my daughter.”

“hey,” she extends a hand, “i’m abby.”

you smile as you reach for her hand and shake it. “bet you can’t guess what my name is.”

abby’s nose scrunches up as she realizes her mistake, completely aware that she isn’t thinking straight. she can’t be too embarrassed, though. not with the way your eyes scan her from head to toe like a predator sizing up its prey. “cut me some slack, i haven’t had my coffee yet. anyways, why are you both covered in dirt?”

the night ends with jerry scolding abby for making coffee so late, and thanking you for all of your help before sending you home with a homemade chocolate chip muffin.

since then, jerry shows up at your door when he needs help or simply has a question about gardening, and you never hesitate to help him. he’s a respectable man who just wants to honor his wife’s memory, to keep something of hers alive even if it isn’t her.

within a few months, his garden is looking lively and vibrant and noticeably healthy. after a few more months, he’s able to do everything you’ve taught him on his own, but you still come visit a few times a week to see how it’s going.

each and every time, abby finds some excuse to talk to you. you aren’t blind to it, but you certainly aren’t opposed to it. she’ll compliment your hair, your outfit, thank you for helping her dad with something so important to him, and anything else she can say to get you to stick around longer.

it isn’t much longer until jerry invites you to a barbecue in his backyard. an hour into it, he’s standing with a few of his friends around the grill, some neighborhood kids are playing with water guns in the yard, and you can’t help but notice his daughter’s absence.

you excuse yourself to the restroom in the middle of a gossip session with a few older ladies from around the block. however, the first thing you do when you step inside is beeline up the stairs and toward abby’s room.

of course, you knock first, and hear a muffled “come in” from the other side of the door. you enter, and see abby sitting on her bed with her laptop open, clearly drowning in her college work. her messy blonde hair is in a low bun, and her body is engulfed by a sweatshirt that is at least two sizes too big for her. she glances up, notices it’s you, and immediately straightens her slouched posture. “oh. y/n, uh… hey. you look nice. like, really nice.”

“nice enough to make you come join the party?”

“not that nice. i’m dying over here.” she vaguely gestures to her laptop.

“you’re pretty for a dead girl.” you hum, walking over to sit next to her and take a look at the laptop. there’s a concoction of mathematical problems plastered on the screen from top to bottom. your eyes hurt just looking at it. “oh, abby, you poor thing. all i can do is pray for you.”

“why do i need to know what a logarithm function is? and since when is there limits to infinity? i thought the whole point of infinity is that it’s limitless.”

you decide to cut her off before she can get any more worked up than she already is. “what’s your major?”

“pathology. which, mind you, has nothing to do with logarithm functions.”

you huff out a laugh. “pathology… what’s that? something medical, right?”

“yeah, pretty much just the study of diseases.”

“that’s hot.“

abby stares at you blankly, and you stare right back. clearly, you have her full attention now. “why do you always do shit like that?”

“like what?”

“like, you know… ‘that’s hot,’ shit like that.” she says, trying her luck at a very bad impression of you. “calling me pretty. staring at me.”

“because i think you’re pretty, and i like staring at you.” you answer simply. “why? want me to stop?”

“i didn’t say that.”

you smile, eyes studying her flustered face, the pout on her parted lips and the reddening blush across her cheeks.

just as she thinks you’re finally going to make a move, you stand up from your spot on her bed and begin heading toward the door. “well, it’s always nice talking to you, abby, but i gotta get back to the party before linda thinks i abandoned her.”

“what– who’s linda?” she tilts her head.

“the lady from down the street. you know, the one with the blue eyeshadow and smoker’s cough.”

abby scoffs at the description. “oh, right. linda. do you really have to go?”

you lean against the doorframe and cross your arms. “i don’t know. what would happen if i stayed?”

this questions seems to leave abby at a loss for words. is there even a right answer? she could be reading too far into this, and end up looking like a creep if she spoke her mind– but then again, she could be missing out on a golden opportunity if she doesn’t. she’s wanted you for as long as she’s known you, that’s completely true, but saying it out loud is something different.

after a long few moments of silence, you stand upright once more and reach for her doorknob. “thought so.”

with that, you shut her door and join the party downstairs once more, leaving abby alone with a million thoughts and feelings. she can’t focus on her work. she can’t focus on anything other than the way you smelled, sitting so close to her. how soft your skin looked, how she gets goosebumps just thinking about your voice.

once the party has died down and she’s done helping her dad clean up, she rushes back up to her room (and puts away all of the schoolwork she never got to), so that she can send you a simple message from her phone.

can you come over?

[lemonwrap]

Okay, imagine: Merman Ghost and marine biologist Soap. 

Soap is a young, intelligent marine biologist who is invited to study a newly acquired mermaid. Of course, the species is not newly discovered, but, like great white sharks, its proven impossible to keep them alive in captivity for more than a year or so. They’re also difficult to capture in the first place, and the only reason Ghost had been captured was because he had been injured.

Soap is introduced to Ghost. The tank is barren, with no hiding spots and not much substrate, so Soap gets an eyeful of the beautiful merman in the tank. He’s huge, with a sleek black tail, pale, scarred skin, and a matching set of gills on either side of his neck. The other researchers think that the scars are from nets, or perhaps from attacks from other members of his solitary species. Ghost swims up to the glass to investigate Soap, which surprises the other researchers, who describe him as elusive and reserved. 

After being shown a tour of the facility, Soap gets started at his new job. His job is to study and observe Ghost, especially his behavior, so it’s no wonder that Soap ends up feeding him one day. Ghost pokes his head out of the water and watches Soap with sharp, intelligent eyes, but seems bored of the fish. Soap tries to talk to him, and Ghost is interested, but he doesn’t have the same vocal cords a human does, so he cannot speak like a human would. 

The next week, Soap goes out of his way to get some fresh, exotic fish from a market, which Ghost greatly enjoys, judging by the happy chirp he lets out. They grow closer. Soap even picks up a book on sign language and teaches both himself and Ghost so that they can communicate. Communication between mermaids and humans is unheard of, but Soap keeps it a secret because Ghost feels special to him. He knows he’s neglecting his work by not recording it, but he doesn’t tell a soul anyways. 

Once he has the words, Ghost tells him of many things, from the fact that he liked the exotic fish that Soap had brought him, to that he had been attacked by a shark before he had been brought to the research center, to that he wishes he had hiding spots, to that he misses the ocean. Ghost even comes up with special signs for their names. Soap gets him some accommodations, like a proper hiding spot and some plants for his enclosure, and tells him more about himself.

But as the time goes on, Ghost’s shiny scales grow dull, he becomes skinnier, his appetite lessens, his happy moods are much less frequent. Soap knows that his time is drawing near. It has to be. It’s been nearly a year of captivity, and the longest living mermaid in captivity had only lived a year and a half. 

So he hatches a plan. 

He stays late one night, and breaks Ghost out. He carries the merman out to his car and drives to the ocean nearby, and releases the ailing Ghost off of a pier. Ghost disappears in a flash, and Soap knows with an aching heart that he will never see him again. 

It’s a few weeks before Soap returns to the pier where he released Ghost. He feels torn between missing Ghost, and knowing that releasing him was for the best. And then he notices something. A dark shape in the water stands out to him, and before he knows it, Ghost is peering out of the water, frantically signing Soap to him and chirping happily. 

[just-your-average-cryptid]

most of us have heard of the red car game. you’re on a road trip, you’re bored, you start looking for red cars to do something.

and then they’re everywhere. you notice them nearly every few minutes.

there aren’t suddenly more red cars now, of course. you were seeing them already, but you weren’t noticing. you weren’t looking.

I am noticing things.

there is a plant I notice everywhere now, a small bushy plant in suburbs, along streets, by shops on the highways. dwarf umbrella bush is what the internet tells me when I look for it’s name. I did this because I wanted to know why,

every time I ever saw it, every place,

it was always dying. always the leaves turning yellow, the branches small and scraggly. inside out - nitrogen deficiency. their soil drained.

I am noticing how many of these landscaping plants are yellowing, how small and sickly they look in just a few years. I am noticing how often the grass outside the house is replaced when it once again turns brown and dry, how the type never changes and the cycle starts again. I am noticing how the unmowed, unkempt spaces on lakesides and roadsides look more alive than this. how the preserve I grew up next to was miles of “messy” unmanicured nature and the ground was covered in leaves instead of grass and there was life.

I am noticing the birds that come by the lake. there was a flash of blue wings and red chest - eastern bluebird, male, relatively common. I had never seen one before. there is a family of ducks that appear every spring; i cannot say if it’s successive generations or different ducks, but I can always look forward to ducklings. there are little brown birds with white heads whose names I do not know - are they some kind of piper? why don’t I already know?

why is it so hard to learn about my native plants (accurately, that is)? why are so many gardening sites littered with people who think a plants value is based on how pretty or useful it is to them, who think a tree shedding leaves is “messy”?

why is knowing about the world we live in so… odd? why is it a hobby and not vital knowledge? I learned about polar equations. I taught myself about mycorrhizal networks and species of insects.

(did you know there are shiny green bees? a special species of wasp pollinating figs? that white flowers bloom at night for moths? do you know? have you looked?)

I cannot look at a lawn and see life anymore. it is a wasteland, devoid of life, dying slowly itself. everywhere is grass, grass, doused in water that runs over into storm drains, soaked in fertilizer and pesticides and a hundred other poisons and sending one clear message:

this is a place of death. life is not welcome here.

I do not think I could live in a city. too loud, yes, too busy, yes, too many people, yes, but the plants would bother me. a tree allotted only a convenient square, surrounded by dead stone and metal.

a forest cleared for this, for burning asphalt streets and racing cars and shops whose bathrooms are “for paying customers only”.

this is a place of death. life is not welcome here.

and now I am noticing.

[amazeingartist]

alien vibe times (octosoap edition)

“alien soap being an apex predator species that ghost’s team finds floating in a test tube during a laboratory raid. soap’s conscious and floating around, tracking ghost’s movement in particular with large star filled blue eyes”

(slight divergence from the writing to this but shhh it’s fine)

(and full design here with all my little starting notes and scuffed as fuck photobash doodle)

here are some more notes that go into it a bit more if you’d like to read em (I basically made the species first and then was like, “ok soap your this now” lmao)

(also sorry for not posting for a bit before the global strike, hopefully this makes it up a bit)

currently calling the species “cephalopinna,” literally just combined scientific names lmao

physically they look like an octopus given seal qualities, but they don’t have as many bones as most of their body is just pure muscles. the bones they do have are dense like most aquatic life, and are there to support vital organs or provide the most simplistic skeletal structure

the planet cephalopinna live on is entirely water, with the landmass being submerged and most of the time floating along with the planets current. plantlife does exist, these landmasses varying in size and vegetation—from coral reefs and underwater forests, to sandbanks and floating debris.

cephalopinna are an incredibly intelligent and semi-social species, usually only straying away from other members of their species when a pair are incubating their young

cephalopinna are monogamous and only have one partner, at most two if the first partner dies, otherwise they can die from loneliness after being paired

cephalopinna also have up to 4 spawn but usually only one or two make it maturity. also technically have eggs that are kept tucked away under the hood of the adults neck, next to the gills so that they’re oxygenated and once born, cephalopinna will raise their young to maturity (young could be called pups, cubs, or whelps)

they are incredibly territorial and both male and female “equivalents” of cephalopinna will fight off a competitor to be paired (I say equivalents because there is no proper determination or designation of a male or female sex within the species by human standards)

courtships are dances where a pair will flash colours, gifts of food, and tests of intelligence via what could be considered puzzles (intelligence is highly regarded among cephalopinna)

the front fins have claws that can used for hunting, foraging, fighting, even potentially grooming (gently scraping off algae and parasites) and are very functional as hands as they sorta have a thumb claw

cephalopinna are incredibly large but are excellent ambush predators, laying in wait to latch on and bite while pumping prey full of venom. if the ambush fails, they will chase down the prey till they are close enough to prick them with venom to then follow behind from a safe distance as the prey succumbs to their incredibly potent paralytic toxin

their teeth can crush through bone, nothing of the prey is ever left afterwards

they have a long life expectancy

the connective tissue between their primary tentacles stretch to cover body, while swimming cephalopinna will cover themselves to be more hydrodynamic. they also often do this when sleeping out in the open to protect themselves.

cephalpinna grind their back teeth, like deer, which reverberates through the water, add it with their aptitude for colours, this form of communication has multiple meanings

they have an incredibly advanced camouflage ability, which helps soap in particular in this au appear human. for whatever evolutionary purpose, they have the ability to breathe earth’s—and a few other planets—atmosphere, however they do need to be kept appropriately hydrated it would seem

[herpsandbirds]

Can you tell me about earwigs? I saw sa pair on a leaf for about four months that moved around enough for me to know they were alive but they never seemed to have young, eat, or leave that one leaf. Also, I have always assumed the “ear” part of the name was due to some myth, but my sister actually knew a guy in school who had to go to the hospital because one actually got in his ear. Why are they called that, and not something more accurate to the way they look, like… “spinoroids” or something

Earwigs (order Dermaptera)

Well, obviously there are old tales about these insects climbing into peoples ears. They don’t do it regularly, it’s not even that common, and other insects, like small cockroaches, have been found climbing into peoples ears more commonly. I agree with you, they should probably have some different name, but I think at this point in entomological history, it’s unlikely we’re going to rename them.

There are many different species of earwigs, and they live all kinds of different lifestyles. Some of them are predatory, some are scavengers, and many of them are omnivorous.

They appear as if they don’t have wings, but they do have very thin light wings folded up underneath wing covers. The forceps on the back are used for a variety of purposes. On some species they’re used to seize and hold prey, and on most species they are used during mating.

The mothers guard the eggs, after laying, and even take care of the nymphs for a while after hatching. This is a group of insects that undergoes incomplete metamorphosis.



Common Earwig (Forficula auricularia), family Forficulidae, order Dermaptera, Germany

Photographs by Hans Pohl

[zarla-s]

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This script got unexpectedly long so I ended up cutting it in half, I didn’t want to put myself through another 8000+px one again, haha.

Anyway, I always figured Boss Monsters were more like a type of monster rather than a species, so you could have Boss Skeletons, Boss Goats, Boss Dogs, Boss Temmies, that kind of thing. They were usually in charge of the many other kingdoms around the Goat kingdom of Mt. Ebott (Gaster mentions a Skeleton kingdom in his book), but they all fell during the War, with the survivors taking refuge in the Goat kingdom before they were all sealed underground. I never found a good place to put all this background lore...

A popular headcanon is that skeletons are very long-lived for monsters, but I’ve never really ascribed to it, haha. I think they have the same lifespan of most monsters, so none of them should be alive after all this time unless they were Boss Monsters (what about Gerson? Gerson’s a turtle, they’re basically immortal to begin with), thus why Asgore snaps to that conclusion. He’s too distracted to think about why he doesn’t remember there being a boss skele named Gaster though...

(Does this mean the brothers were aging him after he created them? Yes! Are they still aging him now? Hmmmmm)

[index] [patreon] [comicfury]

[bethanythebogwitch]

It’s Wet Beast Wednesday and today’s topic is Anarrhicthys ocellaus, the wolf eel. Despite the name and long-skinny body, they aren’t eels (I’ll get around to true eels eventually, I promise), they’re actually one of the wolf fish, a family of 5 species, the rest of which look less eely. These fish are most famous on the internet for being ugly, which is a bit rude. Sure, they may look a bit like Popeye the Sailor Man, but that’s no reason to be insulting. I think they’re kind of cute, in a pug sort of way.

(Image: a wolf eel)

Wolf eels live in cold pacific waters in the Sea of Japan up into the Sea of Okhotsk, across the Aleutian islands, and down to southern California. Their long, slender bodies can grow up to 2.4 meters (about 8 feet) long ang weigh up to 18.4 kg (41 pounds), making them both longer and heavier than some children. Like moray eels, they prefer living in caves and crevices, often only sticking their heads out to look for food. Many will find a suitable cave as a juvenile and never leave unless forced out by a larger wolf eel or another cave-dweller like the giant pacific octopus. Wolf eels have a layer of mucus covering their bodies that helps protect from disease. Their scales are small and imbedded in their skin, giving their skin a leathery appearance. Each individual has a unique pattern of spots on their head, which can be used to identify them.

(Image: a wolf eel)

Wolf eels have large and powerful jaws and well as notable teeth. They are heterodonts, meaning they have teeth of different shapes that serve different functions. This is actually somewhat uncommon amongst animals. Amongst extant vertebrates, only mammals, some fish, and snakes have this feature. Wolf eels have molars and canines. In fact, the prominent canines of the wolf fish family is the origin of their name. Wolf eels use their hard molars and powerful jaws to crush and eat hard food. Their preferred diet includes sea urchins, sand dollars, crustaceans, and bivalves. They rarely eat soft food and aquarium specimens that have been fed soft food extensively can show poor dental health.

(image: a wolf eel monching on eating an urchin)

If you need more reasons to not insult them, wolf eels are romantics and model parents. They are monogamous and mated pairs will live and mate together for life. These pairs have a unique form of mating behavior. The male will nuzzle the female with his head and coil around her while she lays her eggs (up to 10,000 at a time), which he will then fertilize. Afterwards, the female will coil around the eggs to shape them into a ball She will occasionally rotate and massage the egg ball to make sure all the eggs are getting exposed to oxygenated water. When both are in the cave, the female will coil around the eggs to protect them while the male coils around her for more protection. Both parents share egg protecting duties, with only one leaving to go eat at a time. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae will leave the nest and move to the open ocean to grow. Juveniles live in the open ocean and have a different diet than adults. They are more active predators who use their canines to attack and eat small fish and fish larvae. After a few years, they will make their way back to shallower waters to take up their adult lifestyles. They become sexually mature at around 7 years old, though some will par up with their future mate as early as age 4. In addition, juveniles are bright orange with purple spots. They become darker as they age, eventually becoming fully grey.

(image: a pair of wolf eels protecting their eggs, the yellowish ball on the middle)

(image: a juvenila wolf eel)

Wolf eels are rather curious and even playful animals. In places with lots of human activity, they can become used to divers. In fact, they can even become friendly with divers, sometimes coming out to play with them and being happy to receive chin scratches. In many places, divers can hand-feed the wolf eels. This is controversial as it can disincentivize natural hunting behavior and ignorant divers may feed the eels the food that is bad for them. Wolf eels are very rarely aggressive, but they can deliver very painful bites if provoked.

(image: a wolf eel and a diver)

Wolf eels are classified as “least concern” by the IUCN, meaning they are in no danger of extinction. Still, threats to them include bycatch and pollution. They are rarely targeted for fishing today, but in the past, they were targeted by a few Native American tribes. In these, they were considered to be sacred “doctorfish” and were only eaten by healers, in the belief it would enhance their healing abilities.

UPDATE: after doing some digging regarding the usage of the fish by Native American tribes I found that everyone who makes this claim seems to reference the book "Probably More Than You Want to Know About the Fishes of the Pacific Coast" by Milton S. Love, which itself cites a book from either 1868 or 1870 titled "The Indians of Cape Flattery, at the entrance to the Strait of Fuca, Washington Territory" by James Swan. The book specifically discusses the Makah people. I'm a bit skeptical about the source so take those claims with a grain of salt.

(image: a wolf eel sticking out of a rock)

[thesharktanksdriver]

Omg I’m having so many thoughts about the newer stuff of one piece.

These are all jumbled thoughts I came up with recently so it’s unstructured and probably doesn’t make any sense but fuck it

Masterlist for Determiation!

Spoilers for egghead

Determination! Y/n and the seraphim’s would be so god damn interesting like yall won’t believe the sheer amount of ideas running through my head.

Like y/n accidentally running into the Seraphim’s in Egghead after getting separated from the straw hats and absolutely going still when they see S-String(I shall call him that since they’d yet to reveal his designation) and absolutely going into a blind haze where they apologize to him not realizing he’s not Doffy (or at least the Doffy that they feel like they failed).

And it’s there that their dragged to meet the other Seraphim’s

Maybe it was programmed into them to find and retrieve y/n, maybe even protect them.

So the young lunarian children linger by y/n’s side and naturally become curious. Because how can they not be? Especially when all their lives so far had been carried out in a lab, born from artificial wombs that fashioned them of DNA stolen from various people and a species long dead and forgotten.

How can they not be curious when this person they were ordered to retrieve and protect knew of who they were cloned of. Knew more about them than they did themselves outside their programming.

So the children ask questions and they learn

Maybe S-Snake asks about her “mother”, being the only girl had always been a bit lonely for her even when her “brothers” had done their best to make sure she knows she’s accepted. So she wonders about Boa, and how she had come from an island full of women. What was that like? Would they still brush her hair like S-Bear does? Or pat her head for doing a good job like S-Shark did?. She asks about if she was as pretty as Boa, if she was good enough for her “mother” if they ever would meet, a bit of insecurity for the first time curling up in her stomach before y/n says that Boa would love her no matter what, accept her no matter what. Because Boa would never turn down a woman in need, let alone a little girl that was imprisoned such as she was. In that sense she finds a comfort in you, especially as you indulge in things her brothers would usually sigh at but agree to anyways. Without a hassle you let her do little shows where she shows off her fire or make small drawings with the limited art supplies they have. When S-Snake draws you with her and the other Seraphim your heart squeezes ever so slightly.

Maybe S-Hawk has y/n teach him the techniques that Mihawk had taught them when on his island. In a sense he’s curious of his “father” but hides it away as he’d rather die than openly admit the gnawing questions in his mind. When y/n lets him use the blade gifted by Mihawk he can’t help but instinctively rub his thumb over the hilt where the greatest swordsman initials lay carved, a smile also instinctively crawling up the clones face. When his “siblings” become too much and he wants peace and quiet y/n lingers by his side, a silent company that he appreciates as memories not of his own of similar occasions plague his mind. He usually doesn’t enjoy these influx of memories but these ones are peaceful, not filled in bloodshed but instead of a small garden full of ripe fruits he doesn’t know the names of as well as the times in which he narrowly helps them escape an accidental death that may or may not leave S-Hawk on his toes and leads to his presence lingering by your side.

S-Shark notices that y/n seems the most comfortable with him though he knows it makes sense since they’re apart of the crew his progenitor joined. He doesn’t know how to feel about Jinbe, but he does retain a certain sense of respect for him even before he learns more about the fishman and how much he fought for his people. Much like the others he has a sense of curiosity of the world but his is specifically towards the sea, moreso a place where gilled people and pretty women with fish tails lived. That placed seemed so different compared to egghead, more lively and colourful in a way he can’t describe. He cherishes those memories no matter how hazy and unfocused they are, so seeing y/n show him the brightly coloured shells and small bits of coral really make his day. S-Shark knows he can’t go in the ocean on account of the green blood he possesses but he can’t help but wonder. Y/n occasionally clings to him in a way that feels natural, and it’s almost second nature that when this happens he lets them do so without complaint.

S-Bear even before using his ability feels pin roll off you in waves he couldn’t quite comprehend, as if your small body similar to their own could not contain the amount of emotional and physical agony, it cracks and spills from the seems of you that have been restitched and reattached like a doll. It’s scary, but somehow the most terrifying thing is that you retain a smile despite it all. It doesn’t affect you outwardly and maybe even inwardly at most times but it’s there and it lingers around you like an ever-present rain cloud about to burst into a storm. It saddens him, and it reminds him of memories of a pink haired girl he cannot place the name of. Too young to experience such heartache and at the same time her eyes are old and withered from everything that had happened. A child who acts older than their real age because they have to, not because they want to.

S-String notices that there’s a certain kind of Resigned sadness and almost a sense of hope with y/n’a eyes, yet they can never look at him fully without flinching. It confuses him, especially since despite that they treat him with such kindness even when he purposefully acts out or teases the others or them. S-String does not get as many memories compared to the others, most of which are locked away and repressed for some reason but what he does somewhat remember from his “father” is blissful moments of childhood with a boy he cannot name and y/n. This leaves him more confused, these were happy memories yet why do they look at him (and by extension his “father” with such sadness?). So at some point he asks And it’s there that S-String comes to dislike the man that made up his genetic makeup. Because for as much as the others got on his nerves sometimes S-Flamingo loved his “family”, loved his “Sister” and “Brothers” more than he’d like to admit. So hearing that the man he was cloned after harmed his family, and harmed the only person in their lives that had shown him and his siblings any sense of normalcy struck him. That man is the reason why they can’t properly look him in the eye both out of fear and a sense of failure, that man is a reason for their overwhelming pain that night even S-Bear cant comprehend, that man is the reason they broke down when they first saw him and kept apologizing for failing him. S-Stribg isn’t sure as to what happened to you and his predecessor but S-String knows you had not failed him nor his siblings, and he has a feeling you hadn’t failed Doflaimgo but rather he failed you.

S-Sand feels towards y/n a more than ordinary sense of curiosity that plagues his mind. Something he feels is a lingering emotion from his progenitor as he quietly watches and listens to you. It’s odd to him the flippant attitude towards death, something he’s pondered about as the dried out bodies of those who tried to enter egghead lay on the ground. He understands that your immortal, death isn’t much of a good deal to you yet you regard it in such a way that it bothers him. Why do you not seem to care when you tell a story of being ripped from limb to limb or left to bleed out. Surely that’s not something that was fun to experience let alone all the other instances in which you’d died via starvation on the sea or dehydration. Those things hurt, and in that regard you must be hurting all the time if not physically then mentally. Because of that like Mihawk he lingers, first due to curiosity and then out of a certain protectiveness that feel much less like programming and real. When on a mission they feel nothing, more in an empty minded state rather than truly conscious. They don’t feel fear let alone worry but for you he does, and he’s slowly seeing the others feel it too.

S-shadow just finds y/n to be cool’s ngl lol (I don’t know much about Moria so I don’t know how to write for him let alone his seraphim)

Maybe at some point y/n promises them that they’ll one day be free of orders that circulate in their heads

Free to use their wings in a real sky that’s not simulated

And maybe the Seraphim feel a spark of something at those words in their souls

The young lunarian children never thought that they had souls, had the to privilege to posses one when they were clones with no free will, remakes of others who were real people and could make decisions themselves.

But suddenly they find the words of a promise resonate within them, staying there in Suddenly full chests that should just have had it echo due to their emptiness. But the promise stays

And they silently dream of that promise

A place where they could be free

A place where they weren’t poked and prodded at

A place where they could call each other by “brother” and “sister” in full confidence

A place where they may choose their own names

A place where they could experience this idea of “family” that they often pondered about from memories not their own

A place where y/n would teach them all they’d need to know about the world before they’d one day take it by storm

A place where they’d make safe for both themselves and the person they found wanting to protect even without the orders issued by the pacifista

[asherashedwings]

ARS GOETIA OCS (And Paimon redesign ig)

Long post ahead 💀

So like, after the release of the new Helluva Boss trailer, I got SUPER fixated on the Ars Goetia. So I wanted to try my hand at designing my own takes on members not yet shown in the series, as well as crafting some self indulgent lore about the group.

So, I imagine that there are 4 main Goetia families, with each of their houses being in one of the cardinal directions of the Pride Ring. 3 of the 4 families have both a king and a queen at the head, with the 4th only having a king (we’ll get to that).

The couples, and their directions go like this:

Belial (North)

Paimon and Balam (West)

Vine and Zagan (East)

Beleth and Purson (South)

These are just where the kings and queens live. Offspring often move out to other rings, so there’s Goetia influence all throughout Hell.

Each of the kings and queens are also fallen angels, having fallen with Lucifer after the battle in Heaven. For this reason, their crowns appear more halo-like, floating above their heads. Two of them don’t have this on their refs, but that’s just because I designed them before coming up with that idea.

Anyways, to the designs!

Belial

Belial is one of the most powerful members of the Ars Goetia, rivaling the power of the sins, and many mortals think of them synonymous to the Devil himself.

So powerful they can actually reproduce by themself. For this lil hc, I made them a California Condor, a species of bird known to have reproduced without a mate. Also, the look of the condor just goes well with the whole pestilence thing Belial has going on.

I think their cloak is actually wings that come from their back, remnants from their time as an angel. I just didn’t draw them in that second picture cuz I just didn’t feel like it 💀

They’re one of the two I drew before I came up with the whole “halo crown” thing, but I have drawn a doodle of what they would look like now with that concept. It’ll be shown later in the post.

Also, I imagine them being agender, so go with the vibes of “being so powerful, the concept of gender means nothing to them and no word can ever truly describe them”, if that makes sense. Idk, that’s just the vibes I get from them. So I usually refer to them with they/them pronouns, but you can really call them whatever you want.

Paimon

I actually don’t mind Paimon’s canon design all that much. Think it actually goes pretty hard. I more so just wanted to change his species cuz with how I imagine my tweaked version of the Ars Goetia, the parents’ species has no effect on what species the offspring will be. Just as long as they’re bird. So Stolas is still an owl, don’t worry. I decided on making Paimon a raven because Stolas is sometimes described as a raven instead of an owl, so I wanted to pay homage to that.

I also gave him wing arms because he has been said to be able to fly.

That’s about all I got for Paimon

Balam

Balam is Paimon’s wife and also Asmodeus’s sister. I made this decision because when looking at their descriptions, Balam and Asmodeus are described very similarly. They are both chimeras with the head of a man, a bull, and a ram, and both possess a serpent tail. So I decided “fuck it, they’re related now”. This also means Ozzy is Stolas’s uncle, which I think would be an interesting dynamic.

I made Balam a bearded vulture mainly for the fact that Balam is also described to have “fiery eyes” which gave bearded vulture to me, idk.

I imagine her other two heads usually only appear in her more demonic form. They can prolly appear normally too, but I think she doesn’t let them show often.

Vine

Vine is a demon known for construction, and I imagine he built most of the Goetia manors. He makes structures using vines that sprout from his wrists, which then morph into the desired material after the creation is finished.

I decided to make him a Montezuma Oropendola, which are birds known to build large nests out of, you guessed it, vines.

Vine is never escaping the spelling of his name.

Which is also the reason I made him very plant themed. Idk, I just find something so nature-y and alive existing in someplace like Hell to be interesting.

I even wrote a lil world building tidbit about him:

To the east of the Pride Ring rests an overgrown forest, with trees so dense that no light hits the dead grass below and roots so tangled that one cannot hope to get through without getting caught within the knots. But if one ventures far enough, they will see this monstrous forest transform into a lavish jungle. The plants are radiant in their green color, the several ponds sprinkled throughout filled with water that almost sparkles. Within this sanctuary, in a clearing with no true location, sits a grandiose manor; a looming structure almost resembling that of an old European castle, encased in hordes of vines and flowers. The home of King Vine and Queen Zagan — the rulers of the East.

Speaking of Queen Zagan-

Zagan

Zagan is known to transform liquids, turning water into wine, blood into wine, oil into water (which can then be turned into wine). She just makes a ton of wine. But I wanted to mainly focus on the blood to wine part, since I realized I could go with a vampiric aesthetic when designing her.

For this reason, I also chose to make her an oxpecker, which is a (sometimes) parasitic bird known for pecking at wounds on large mammals and drinking their blood.

I decided to pair her up with Vine because they’re both creators. Vine’s creations may be more grandiose, with being literal buildings and all, but Zagan’s creations are probably still useful. I mean, she can also create coins.

Oh, and now that I’ve shown both of them, this is what Belial and Zagan’s crowns would look like now, with the whole halo crown thing

Beleth

Beleth was very tricky for me to design at first. Beleth is described as appearing intimidating and fierce when summoned, in order to test the courage of the conjuror. So I wanted to make her intimidating, but was struggling to figure out how exactly I wanted to do that.

Thankfully, my good good friend @braveboiart helped with ideas, and suggested the armor and shadowy cape.

I also made her a shoebill stork, cuz when I think of a bird a lot of people find intimidating, I think of the shoebill.

Purson

And then last but not least, Beleth’s husband, Purson. I decided to pair them up because I wanted to depict them both with armor. They’re a warrior duo.

I made Purson a harpy eagle mainly cuz I thought it’d be cool, but also cuz they’re one of the heaviest birds of prey, and I read somewhere that during the battle it took a swarm of angels to take him down. Idk how canon this is to actual bible lore, but I like it so I’m stealing it /lh

I imagine Beleth and Purson manage some sort of military, and probably train the knights in the Ars Goetia ranking. Idk, I’m still figuring lore out.

Anyways, that’s all I have to show off today. I’m working on redesigning Stolas, Stella, and Octavia, so look out for that I guess.

[funzige-gedachten]

nu jere (en kä crew) doen 🦈🦈🦈

Heheheh thank you so much for enabling my autism to go on about sharks hhehehdhsh

Jere: blacktip reef shark

These guys are very easily recognisable by their little spots at the end of their fins. They’re relatively smaller sharks and tend to be quite curious about things, but not generally agressive. Sometimes they jump out of the water to get over corals which is very cool.

Häärijä: sicklefin lemon shark

These guys get their name for their yellowy skin!! That is so fun!!!! These are one of the bigger types of reefsharks. Theyre a little shyer than the blacktips are and they prefer to live in a little murkier waters over clear sandy flats.

Jesse: nurse shark

Nurse sharks are really cute and really sweet guys. They are nocturnal so in the day they tend to sleep in safe spots with their friends. If you have ever watched a documentary about sharks, these are the guys that always show up before any of the other sharks, since they’re so curious to find out what is going on.

The daltons: grey reef sharks

These sharks, like many reef sharks, live in big families! Theyre quite similar to the blacktips but without the black tip on their dorsal(the big top one) fin. Theyre very fast and agile and very social!! Like many other sharks, they carry their eggs in something similar to a womb.

Mr bodyguard: bullshark

These are often characterized as one of the more aggressive species of shark, the majority of shark attacks are caused by this guy sadly. They can live in both sweet and salt waters! They sometimes swim into things like a bull like a bull in a bull fight. I really enjoy their smooth shape and silly face :)

[bunniehunn]

NEW OC DROP!!!!! Twisted from the Fates from Hercules. Info under the cut as always 😼

Name: Nima Epoche.

They/them.

Species: Human(?).

Height: 170.2 / 5’7.

3rd year / Junior.

Best subject: Astrology.

Hobbies: Knitting + crocheting.

Pet peeves / dislikes: Reckless people, crowded spaces, sleep.

Favorite food: Noodles.

Least favorite food: Any type of crustacean.

Talent: Foresight.

Club: Gargoyle Research Club.

Nicknames: Floyd: “Koi-Chan.” Rook: (I have no idea.)

—————

A distant, quiet, unsociable person. They have a very cryptic way of speech, using old language, yet are surprisingly blunt sometimes. Completely blind since birth.

The Epoche family have been assistants of the Shroud for ages, and Nima is no exception. They practically grew up with the Shroud brothers by their side. Everything around them seems to die. Nima admires the velvety texture of a flower? It’s wilted and falling apart the next day. Nima pets a dog? Expect a weeping child in the morning. It caused Nima to distance themselves from everyone. They thought the Shroud brothers were an exception, yet they thought wrong. The night before Idia and Ortho’s attempted departure from the Island of Woe, they experienced a vivid dream, not unlike the many they had before, of death. A prophecy of sorts. This time, it depicted their dear friend, Ortho. Nima tried desperately to find them despite their own physical disadvantages, and yet it was too late. In result of this, Nima distanced themself even further from the one friend they had, the crushing guilt of feeling it was their fault lain upon their shoulders.

Now at NRC, Nima is the same, distant person. They stay as far away from people as possible (without being a shut-in like Idia). Nima joined the Gargoyle Research Club because of the low demand and no requirements to be around any living plants or animals, besides Malleus. Their blindness doesn’t hinder them much in school, still excelling in their studies, only requiring verbal aid for assignments, though even after two years they aren’t completely familiar with the humongous school’s layout, so the occasional stumble over some unfamiliar steps or bumping into a wall they could’ve sworn was 5 feet to the right just yesterday is not uncommon. Their hair is always unruly, though not unhealthy or neglected, they just can’t bother to ask someone to make sure it actually looks okay. They don’t bother to fix their uniform either if it becomes disheveled. Vague yet terrifying dreams of the overblots come to them the night before they happen, obviously putting them in distress because they can’t tell exactly what the meaning of the dreams are.

★彡

MY CHILD!!! They’re a silly. I have NO idea who to ship them with, please give me some suggestions 😭😭😭😭😭 them and Idia are (maybe?) supposed to be more of a family relationship.

[rainesol]

Twst Fae Headcanons [Dwarves and Pixies]

(The pixie headcanons also tie into an oc lore, so the girl named as an example is not a character you have missed. Don’t worry)

Dwarves:

Dense bones to protect from falling debris. Thicker skulls to protect the brain.

Their eyes are also BIG compared to a human. It gives them a bit of an uncanny look. Their size assists with seeing in the dark, and similarly to some species, can dilate their pupils on command.

They’re very stocky on average. Lots of muscle mass and more body fat compared to the average human. This paired with the dense skeleton makes them surprisingly heavy.

Adding on to the above, they’re very strong. They can easily carry heavy objects around.

Rather than being specifically nocturnal or diurnal, I think they’d be crepuscular. They’re classified as diurnal fae, but not biologically.

There’s a lot of negative stereotypes about them being like children physically and mentally (basically canon but I think it should be expanded on)

They typically range from ~2’9 to just over four feet tall.

Not similar to the canon fae we’ve seen, they have pretty slow metabolisms.

Their lifespans are shorter than most fae, but longer than humans. I hc 150-200.

They can go quite a while on little oxygen.

Pixies:

A lot more insect like in my hc.

Their irises are incredibly big with no visible pupil. Black is the most common to give that big wet bug eyes look.

Their eyes are also large compared to humans.

Most pixies will have white scleras behind their eyelids though. Shimmer can give the anxious dog side eye.

Unlike the dwarves stocky build, pixies are long and slender. Very little body fat or muscle mass. Not many curves either. Especially since they have no breast tissue in my hc.

Long limbs, necks and fingers/toes.

They’re ovoviviparous or oviparous depending on the size. Smaller pixies will lay eggs, similar to many types of merfolk, with only one or two making it to term.

Some craft pixies will have insect like protrusions on their limbs.

They’re also very flexible for in air movement.

They have a huge height range. They can be a few centimetres to over 3 feet depending on the type.

They live a wide range of lifespans, too. Smaller pixies live similar lifespans to humans, and larger pixies can live for several centuries.

Pixies can’t swim, similarly to their untwisted counterpart.

Pixie dust/fairy dust is partially fae made, partially produced by their bodies. It has similar uses and properties to magestones.

Similar to other fae we’ve seen, they have a VERY fast metabolism. They’re like hummingbirds. They constantly eat high calorie foods because of how fast they burn energy. Adding onto the hummingbird metaphor, their tongues are very long to reach flower nectar.

Pixie diets are high sugar and fat, including honey, nectar, meats, fruits, and milk if they can trade for it. Surprisingly they can digest milk, despite not being able to produce it.

I go with the hc they don’t produce milk because of the fact that Lilia brings up most fae are raised on nectar.

They use the bells because their vocal cords physically can’t produce the sounds used in the common language.

When preserving energy, they’ll switch from hovering with their wings to hovering with magic and vice versa.

Pixies do not have the same amount of rights as humans do in most countries outside of the faelands. In canon, their dust that allows them to function and live properly is trafficked and played off as a joke, and they are attacked and kicked out of their homes for a school camping trip. They’re also referred to as ‘familiars’ and made to do menial labour. Ok JKR.

There’s also canon disabilities in the pixie hollow series that I draw inspiration from!

I have more hcs for the separate types of pixies but that’s for another day o7

[lucienwrites]

The Monster Keeper - Chapter 1

-pretty much sfw (contraception mentioned), you show up for work the day after the rift appeared, learn about your new duties, and meet your first monster- 1068 words

You had only been working at the zoo for a few months but you were already getting used to the routine. So when you showed up early in the morning for your shift and your boss was already there waiting for you you knew straight away that something was up.

“Good morning (name)” he grinned.

“morning,” you looked at him suspiciously, “what’s going on?”

“Come with me and I’ll explain.” You dropped off your things in your locker, picked up a clipboard off the side and attached a radio to your belt before falling into step beside him. “I’m sure you’ve heard about the incident yesterday?”

“Of course.”

“Well as you know a huge focus of this establishment is conservation and with people being how they are I was certain that these creatures would likely become a myth again if we weren’t careful, so as soon as I heard the news I sent some friends of mine to rescue as many as we had space for. We’re keeping them in our temporary storage for now, just until we can find new homes for the other animals.” You didn’t speak for a moment, taking in the news. Your boss filled the silence “Most of our keepers will have their work cut out for them looking after the regular animals, and after some discussion we have decided that you should be in charge of our new guests.”

“What?!” you exclaim, shocked out of your silence, “I’m sorry but I hardly think I’m qualified-“

“None of us are, these species are entirely new to us all. You are one of the few members of staff who did not assist in the capture so perhaps they will be more inclined to trust you.” You understood his logic but it still seemed unfair. Something told you that the real reason for the decision was that you would be the easiest to replace, but you decided not to say anything. Besides you couldn’t help feeling excited despite the possible danger. The chance to work with creatures you had only read about in stories wasn’t exactly something you could turn down.

“Alright, I’ll try my best, but if I get eaten it’s on you.”

Your boss chuckled “sure”

You reached the temporary storage pens, or the holding cells as you called them. They were hardly fit for anything to live in, just concrete sheds with barred doors like a jail cell.

“I know they’re not ideal,” the boss admitted, “we’ll find better enclosures for them as soon as we can, and that’s part of your job too. We have no idea about any of their preferred habitats, besides the obviously aquatic creatures.”

“So basically I need to find out everything about how to care for these creatures by myself.”

“Pretty much. But if you need anything you know how to get hold of me.” You already knew you wouldn’t be contacting him for anything other than a genuine emergency, there wouldn’t be any point. He would just give you a corporate pep talk and encourage you to sort it out yourself.

“well I think that’s everything, see you later (name)!”

“see ya”. And just like that you were left alone with a clipboard, a radio and 20 concrete boxes concealing beings from another realm. As you were gathering your courage you heard your boss over the radio, “one last thing, are you on any form of birth control at the moment?”

“what??”

“if these creatures can’t get what they need they will try to escape, and we both know that they will succeed.”

“I had my tubes tied last year if you must know, but I’m not sure that I like what you’re implying.”

“Just keep them happy, I don’t care how you do it.”

You sighed, tied your hair back out of the way and approached the first building.

You don’t know what you were expecting, but it wasn’t this. Within the sad, grey, concrete cell there stood a unicorn. It shone iridescent even in such dim light. You felt your chest tighten, hating to see such a beautiful creature kept like this, cowering in a corner. You slowly reached a hand through the bars of the door, fearing it would try to bolt if you opened it.

“It’s alright,” you spoke softly, “I don’t know if you can understand me but I promise I won’t hurt you.”

-I understand you- you heard a voice in your head, neither male nor female. It reminded you of a river, or perhaps distant music. As the unicorn approached, you felt an irresistible urge to bow before it, and so you did. When you raised your head you were looking directly into its eyes. -I believe your words, you do not feel evil-

“thank you,”

-but this place… I fear it will hurt me and others like me whether you mean it to or not-

You nodded, it was right, “I know, but still I will try my best to protect you. The other people who work here have put me in charge of all the creatures from the rift so please, help me take care of you until we can find somewhere safe for you to live.” the unicorn gently placed its cheek against your outstretched palm, its coat velvety soft. You took that as a yes. “I have to ask you some questions to work out what you need, sorry if some of these seem silly.”

-not at all, I will be happy to answer them- Over the next few minutes you learnt as much as you could, scribbling notes on your clipboard. You’d write up a proper chart later, you told yourself.

“so, what do you eat? Is it the same as horses?”

-yes that would be fine, oats, grass, do you have apples here?-

You couldn’t help smiling, horses were horses it seemed, “yeah we have apples, I’ll get you some!” The unicorn whinnied softly and nuzzled into your palm. “I’m sorry but I’m going to have to leave for a while, there are so many other creatures I need to check on and I want to make sure that everyone is safe, but I’ll be back later, and I’ll bring as many apples as I can get my hands on!”

-Thank you, do not worry I understand, I too was a guardian-

You look into its kind eyes and nod in understanding.