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bootleg-nessie · 26 days

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Rating the Accuracy of Animal Names:

(I keep updating this list so check back later)

Marine Iguana: 1/10. They don’t allow lizards in the military

Honey Badger: 1/10. It’s not even made out of honey

Horny toad: 0/10. First of all, this is a lizard. Second of all, I couldn’t find one that was willing to have sex with me so they must not actually be all that horny

Crabeater seal: 1/10. They don’t even eat crabs. Felt uncomfortable asking about the other kind but I’d guess probably not those either

Comb jellyfish: 4/10. Doesn’t even have hair

Hammerhead shark: 10/10. Stop killing hammerhead sharks to make hammers

Paper nautilus: 1/10. Paper would get too soggy

Red Panda: 2/10. Not a panda. More orange than red

Jellyfish: 0/10. Not even a fish, but if it were, jelly would be one of the worst things to be made out of

Electric eel: 5/10. Not an eel. Shocking, I know

Blue footed booby: 2/10. My disappointment is immeasurable. Turns out this lying sack of shit is a just a stupid BIRD

Spiny lumpsucker: 8/10. Apparently this fish is named because it has spines AND a suction cup, not because it sucks on spiny lumps

Pleasing fungus beetle: 2/10. Why would fungus be pleased by a beetle eating it? It just worked so hard to grow

Chicken turtle: 1/10. This is just a regular turtle, there are no chickens involved

Red lipped batfish: 8/10. Not a bat. Does have red lips. Also looks incredibly sexy with that makeup on

Aye aye: 10/10. Does in fact, have two eyes

Blobfish: 10/10 out of water, 1/10 in water. The blobfish gets a bad rap, it only looks like a blob because some dickhead pulled it out of its natural habitat at the bottom of the fucking ocean. You’d look pretty weird if you switched places with them too

Dik dik: 5/10 if male, 0/10 if female. This one’s pretty self explanatory

Mountain chicken: 0/10. THIS IS A FUCKING FROG. STOP NAMING ANIMALS AFTER CHICKENS!

Peacock: 0/10. It pees out of a cloaca, not a cock. Technically it doesn’t even pee either

Monarch butterfly 1/10. They aren’t even one of the species of insects that has a queen, let alone understands the concept of monarchism

Cockatiel: 0/10. They do not have teal cocks

Monkey slug caterpillars: 1/10. These are neither slugs nor monkeys, nor are they some kind of fucked up monkey/slug hybrid. Terrible name all around, the only part they got right was caterpillar

Robin: 5/10. It’s a shame this bird has to resort to thievery but we all have to put worms on the table somehow

Alligator snapping turtle: 1/10. This is not an alligator, nor does it even have the fingers to snap with

Ground squirrel: 5/10. Please don’t grind squirrels

Axolotl: 0/10. Doesn’t ask a lot. Doesn’t ask anything at all

Sea robin: 7/10 This is what happens when the land robin goes pro. This creepy fuck evolved little fingers just to steal things. Is this where fish fingers come from?

Tasmanian devil: 8/10. Much like the christian devil, cool name and way more chill than most people give them credit for. Statistically speaking, they’re far from the deadliest player on the board, but they do have the strongest bite force and won’t hesitate to use it if provoked

Water deer: 7/10. No. This is a meat deer

Star nosed mole: 7/10. Name is somewhat misleading, nose merely star shaped, and not a mass of incandescent gas, a gigantic nuclear furnace

Paddlefish: 3/10. Too narrow to effectively be used as a paddle

Shoebill stork: 1/10. Not made of real shoes. Doesn’t pay bills either

Great white shark: 8/10. I’m inclined to agree for the most part but who came up with the name, David Duke?

Bioko drill: 0/10. At least the hammerhead shark looks like a hammer, this stupid monkey doesn’t even remotely resemble a drill

Hippo Tang: 0/10. That’s a fish, and hippos don’t even drink Tang

Bluejay: 3/10. Not actually blue, it’s just a trick of the light. I bet their real name probably isn’t even Jay either

Satanic Nightjar: 4/10. Should be called “slightly evil looking bird” instead

Tarantula hawk wasp: 1/10. Not a tarantula. Not a hawk. Starting to question if it’s even a wasp

Goblin shark: 10/10? Ever seen their jaw move? They sure are gobblin’

Nudibranch: 5/10. The nude part is accurate but it’s a sea slug, not a tree branch. Not even sure how you could possibly make that mistake

Mongoose: 0/10. No mon, it’s not a goose

Bison: 7/10. I just googled it, bison have more gay sex than straight sex so calling them bi is actually pretty accurate. Points removed because there are bidaughters too

Ram: 10/10. They sure do!

Mandrill: 2/10. They could probably be taught to use drills but I couldn’t find any research on this

Silver fox: 1/10. Silver is way too heavy of an element for an animal to be made of

Mayfly: 9/10 Yeah, they might

Fin whale: 10/10. Yep, whales have fins. Glad we cleared that up

Macaroni penguin: 1/10. They don’t eat macaroni

Horseshoe crab: 0/10. Not a crab. Doesn’t wear horseshoes either

Fangtooth: 10/10. Objectively I have to give it a 10 but this is the stupidest fucking name on the whole list. What’s next, knucklefist? Titboob?

Milkfish 1/10. If I go to your house and you offer me fish milk I’m fucking leaving

Little penguin: 10/10. Telling it exactly like it is

Spider monkey: 1/10. Was expecting a monkey with 8 limbs. Let down once again

Glass frog: 2/10. Not actually made out of glass

Hummingbird: 1/10. They can’t even hum

Centipede: 3-35.4/10. Depends on the species, very few actually have 100 legs

Millipede: 0.8-8/10. They have 800 legs at the most

Sockeye salmon: 1/10. Socks would make terrible eyes

Furry lobster: 10/10, 11/10 if that’s a fursuit

Flying fish: 4/10. Merely glides

Sailfish: 3/10. Doesn’t actually know how to sail

Blanket octopus: 2/10. Octopuses make terrible blankets

Cane Toad: 2/10. Can walk just fine without a cane

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merakiui · 7 months

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thinking about fwb fics and even though i already wrote one for floyd (omegaverse fwb) i'd like to write one that's more fleshed out (like contractual codependency and tmdg).

azul's fwb was contractual and done out of a need for something (reader needed more resources for keeping ramshackle in good shape and azul wanted a convenient cover so drugging her with love potion would be seamless).

jade's fwb is defined by "you're not him, but you look like him and so it will do." he benefits from it because he gets to spend time with you and he uses your love for floyd to his advantage to get you to do things you'd never do with him.

for floyd's fwb fic i'm thinking,,,, ex-boyfriend floyd who becomes your rebound after your most recent (now ended) relationship with [insert twst character here]. part of me wants to make it jade for sibling rivalry antics, but then i also like the idea of it being someone from the basketball club. maybe you've dated everyone in the basketball club (everyone: jamil, ace, floyd) and you're back to who you began with initially: floyd. maybe you agree casual sex is fine because neither of you have feelings for the other, right? floyd's just in it to have fun and so are you. there's some sort of yandere to be found here... ;;;;; but then i love cheesy and fluffy romances. orz it is my greatest weakness, as is an angst-tinged romance.

i need to write floyd slowly realizing it's not just the horny grip that has him acting so goofy. he's genuinely in love with you and those feelings have stayed with him even after the two of you first broke up. i need him to realize the reason he gets so angry whenever he thinks about you with anyone else is because he's jealous and wants you all to himself; because he loves you and the thought of you being apart from him makes him shrivel with discomfort. i need him to be conflicted about the fwb because by mer standards the two of you would have been a mated pair already (because recurring fwb isn't a very common relationship dynamic in the sea. at least, not in the waters he's from).

i need him to know all of your favorites without faltering because when floyd likes something he commits it to memory and he really likes you. i need jamil and ace to be rooting for him in their own ways and maybe the lot of you can still be healthy friends despite being exes. :D i need azul and jade to scheme and push you closer to floyd so you can be more than his fuck buddy. maybe a little "kiss the eel" mischief in the mostro lounge. >:)

OHHHHHHH. perhaps that's it!!!!! azul's fwb was "no saying i love you." jade's is "don't let floyd find out we're doing this." and so maybe floyd's is all about no kissing because kissing makes it too real (in reader's opinion). the idea of floyd, who is so physical with his affections, having to withhold kisses (on the lips).......... aaaaaaaa he's going to go crazy...

but most of all, i want to write floyd fucking you in mer form because he never got the chance when the two of you were first dating because maybe he was worried he'd do something silly like admit his true feelings (also another thing he never got to tell you when you were dating). :O hmmmm,,,,, floyd wrestling with being "that silly guy who you sleep with every now and then" and actually wanting to be "that silly guy who is your forever and always." yummy!!!!!! he's so in love, but he's struggling to open up with raw, real feelings because he's so used to just being a goofy guy who never shows those sides of himself and he's not used to feeling vulnerable and and and and AAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!

i will file these ramblings away for potential future fics hehehehe.

#meraki mumbles #forgive how wild my ramblings are #as you can see i am plotting and outling as i write orz #i love fwb trope <3 i want to write it for many characters

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twst-drabbles · 6 months

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The World, Chewed and Spat Out 1

Summary: You walk down a familiar yet unfamiliar beach path to the being that calls itself your friend. 'Azul,' is waiting for you.

What do you see in front of yourself? Is it the natural painting of the world? Of the sea-salt breeze and the gentle ocean waters lapping at your feet as your walk across the bay? Of a bleeding-orange sky with a sun that leaves its final rays on the sand before finally having its rest?

No, no of course you don’t see that. That’s simply a memory. Your steps give pause to a thing you would’ve once called a seashell, but it crawled and pulsed. Black little roots seek out your bare flesh, and while the urge to stomp it out of existence was there, the nostalgia over seeing the shape of a seashell had you walking around it and continuing on.

You can no longer look out into the sea and see graceful waters. You could only see foamy tongues as they climbed higher and higher into the sky, as though it wanted to consume the sun. The winds that once whispered their songs now howl with heat and rot. And the sands were now lumpy with makeshift graves and scavenging creatures alike.

The only solace that could be found was at the end of your road, where a solitary Azul was.

Well, at least someone once named Azul.

“Oh, it’s been a while. You look…”

He stands in the waves, without shoes, without weight as he turns around like a gentle curl of sea foam.

“Hmm? I look? How do I look to you?” Azul goaded, even though it was clear he knew the answer.

“…happier. That’s quite the smile on your face. It almost doesn’t suit you, Azul.” As though to shield yourself from the sight, you closed you eyes.

“Am I not supposed to express my absolute jubilation at the presence of a friend? That’s quite a thing to say.”

“The last time you smiled like that, I nearly lost my dorm along with my friends. So, excuse the pause, I got caught up in those memories.” You didn’t touch the water, didn’t join by Azul’s side, but sat down on a flat spot of sand nonetheless.

“For peace of mind, I’d advise casting away such things. Nostalgia, while a versatile tool in any given sale or product, is useless here,” Azul fully faced you, bending at the waist to look upon you, the dying rays creating shadows upon his face, “Useless when it comes to me.”

You gave a laugh that was more air than voice, “Useless… certainly, very, very useless.”

He reached out a hand, not taking a single step out of the sea, “Let it all wash away, friend. No one would blame you for doing so.”

There was a smile upon your face. It perfectly matched his own in all its plastic glory, “Friend… you keep calling me that.”

“Is that wrong?”

“It’s not right either. You never called me that before.” Prefect, they without magic, the errand person, a number of different monikers, but never friend, “And friends certainly don’t leave and show up however they please after going missing.”

Azul shrugged, “Does time really matter when it comes to meeting with old friends? The truest ones are the ones that can wait centuries and still have nothing change.”

“In a way, I suppose something hasn’t.” You raised your knees and rested your head against them, “Changed, that is.”

“Really? And what would that be?”

“You’re still the type to come and go only when you want something. Rarely do you give anyone the time of day—like a single second will somehow topple your monetary empire.” When one’s empire makes up the tower of their being, its emperor will do anything to keep it standing tall.

“But there are more valuable things than money. You make it sound like that’s all I ever cared about.”

To you, the one known as the Ramshackle Prefect, it’s certainly easy to see him in that light. However, such an impression was never permanent, as evidenced by your fond smile.

“Right right, there are people, after all. Those that can bring in more of what you value. Such as those eels. Or that resident right there.“

#twst #twisted wonderland #twst-drabbles #twst-drabbles exclusive #drabble #the world chewed and spat out #octavinelle #eldritch au #reader insert

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fishyfishyfishtimes · 1 year

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hi it's mermay and i'm thinking about sirens. i'm gunna do some looking of my own (at seadragons, probably) but can you think of any fish that look like their tails/features would make a cool mermaid?

Hello! I've actually answered a similar question before, here is my answer to that one:

But since your question is a little different, I'll feature some unique fish species you could find inspiration from!

The rockmover wrasse! Here is an adult, the juvenile is a little wilder:

Crazy patterns! Should go to good use :)

Eels! Just any type of eel, really. They come in such varied shapes and sizes, and have various abilities too! If you're the type of person who likes to give merpeople the features of the fish they're based on, just imagine a moray eel merperson with two jaws! Or a ribbon eel merson whose tail sways like a ribbon while swimming. I'd suggest looking into eels!

Electric eels too! Despite the name, they aren't actually eels at all, so I'm mentioning their genus separately here. Long fish that sense things with electricity and can generate it, even being able to cause prey animals to stop or start swimming with careful shocks... need I say more?

Here's one that could have many ways to be interpreted as a merson. Stargazers! They're ambush predators that hide in the sand, only having their eyes and mouth showing. I'd like to see how those would be interpreted as merpeople.

Mudskippers! The semiaquatic fish that live most of their lives on land.

Another one that walks, frogfish! Many species not only have a lure, but also walk along the bottom of the seafloor. How's that for an interesting merson challenge?

I don't think I've ever seen a merson who looks like a billfish, as in like a swordfish, sailfish or a marlin. The particular fish here is a sailfish!

I don't see some reef fish often, either. How about a moorish idol?

Perhaps the similarly-shaped butterflyfish?

Oh hey, maybe mandarinfish! That's one colourful guy :)

Deep sea fish are always a treat, too. They look very otherworldly compared to the fish we see often in everyday life! My personal favourite is the barreleye, but any friend from the deep is a friend indeed. The stoplight loosejaw who has a private red flashlight, the cookiecutter shark who sneakily bites chunks off bigger animals, bristlemouths with their large jaws and tiny teeth... I recommend looking into fish that have photophores, aka light-producing organs! They're fish that glow in the dark!!! Extremely cool and mysterious...

Lanternfish are a good example of this, I think. They're thought to be the most abundant group of vertebrates, they're deep sea-living, they have photophores, they migrate vertically in humongous schools that literally look like false bottoms to sonar.

Deep sea anglerfish are a classic, old but gold. Seldom used in merfolk! I've tried tackling anglerfish merfolk myself before, I'll feature my concept sketches below for possible inspiration... though they contain artistic nudity, so I'll only feature them under the cut.

And there you have it! I got kinda carried away, I'm sure no one minds. Have a fun Mermay! I'm gonna draw some art for it myself, but in the meantime, have this fish ramble :)

Once again, artistic nudity under the cut. Just some cartoon tits. Completely nonrealistic nonoffensive unreal cartoon bazookas, just wanna put them away from a direct line of sight because my blog isn't for art most of the time.

Her first initial concept on the left and some additional ones on the right. Anglerfish of all kinds use lures to trick prey, so I wanted to mix the lure aspect with mermaids to create a siren that lures in sailors with her human half and eats them with her fish half. The human half has working eyes, vocal chords and lungs to first spot sailors, then call and sing to them, but besides that all the other organs are in the fish half. No doubt similar merple exist, but this was my take on it! It's a lot of fun to be creative, I recommend just going with the flow and doing what feels the most natural or coolest. You've got this!

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mightbesmall · 10 months

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Octatiro: With Fluid!

Requested: ANTI-CROWLEY SPRAY I NEED THAT 🙏🙏🙏 but um. also. could i maybe request smth? like. octavinelle boys with a genderfluid reader. maybe. idk kkksldkskfksjfjsjf but this is so cure <333 we love it

Genre: Fluff, a little hurt/comfort.

Character: Azul, Jade, Floyd.

Warnings: Mentions of dysphoria, mention of body insecurity, Jade is in a goofy mood.

Summary: The ocean mafia with a genderfluid s/o.

Additional Notes: Don’t mind me making Reader able to shape-shift… nope nothing to see here… OH LOOK A BIRD- It's a self-indulgent thing I just needed to put in there, so sorry if this wasn't what you wanted😭😭😭

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Azul

He will often ask about your pronouns for the day and remind you that he doesn’t mind if they shift throughout the day, it happens in the sea quite often.

He feels insecure about himself and his body so he sympathies with you when you feel… icky.

He’ll try his best to comfort you but he has literally only been around the tweels’ his entire social life so it comes out either awkward or he’s trying to rope you into another contract. There is no in between.

He gets confused and flustered when you shift yourself to match the gender you are feeling at the moment. It’s a neat little trick that Unique Magic of yours.

He will never get used to the sudden change though, one minute he’s talking to a rather ambiguous person then suddenly there’s a hot man. Please give him warning next time!

No matter what form you take, Azul will remind you that he loves you. It can come of as overbearing but a little smooch to his forehead usually shuts him up.

He will send the Leech twins out on anyone and everyone if he catches wind that they are messing with you. If those buffoons make even one little comment about your identity, well. Azul cannot assure that they'll make it out functioning.

When either of you have a particularly bad day, it usually ends with cuddles. You make Azul feel safe and warm and Azul makes you feel appreciated and valid. He will never admit to how he enjoys being the little spoon though.

Jade

He is quite the polite man so he'll always check with you about which pronouns to use for the day. It's actually quite common for sea creatures to change genders (like ribbon eels, they grow into females as they get older) so he doesn't mind if your gender suddenly shifts during the day.

He finds you fascinating. Expect to be prodded dear as he enjoys the reactions he gets.

This man will literally spook you only to watch in interest as your hair changes colour. Your Unique Magic is intriguing indeed.

Jade doesn't get flustered easily, even if there is now a hot man in front of him. It's still you so of course he'll treat you the same as always: affectionately teasing you.

If he sees anyone giving you trouble of any shape or form, he will see to those pests being removed. Don't worry Pearl, he'll take care of it.

If you are feeling... icky then Jade will be right at your side. No matter how you look or feel, he still loves you because you are you. His wonderful, amusing little Pearl. He will fight you if you say otherwise.

He enjoys taking you to the Octavinelle pools and swimming with you. He likes you to be close so you often find his tail wrapped around you whether it be your thigh, waist, wrist, ankle or sometimes your entire torso, he will have it in a secure (but not so that it hurts) grip.

He likes to take care of you! It's been an exhausting day and you just want to cuddle? Jade has got you! He won't admit to being the little spoon though and he will shut you up if you ever mention it (he puts his hand over you mouth, he will never hurt his little Pearl.) You are just not feeling it today? Jade will rub soothing circles on your shoulders. You aren't feeling enough? Or not yourself due to how unrecognisable the person in the mirror looks? He will admit, he had to restrain himself from shaking you by the shoulders for that first one. Instead he hugs you tightly and whispers reassurance about how well you have dealt with everything thrown at you. (He covers up the mirror until you feel like you are in the right skin again.)

Floyd

He doesn't necessarily ask for your pronouns but he gives you a look that lets you know that he'd like to know. He doesn't bat an eye if it went from he/him to they/them in the span of a couple hours. Though it does take a much longer time, some sea creatures do change genders (see ribbon eels or clownfish).

You are his Little Shrimpy! He just loves to squeeze ya!!

He doesn't like it when you cover the mirrors and look at your reflection like you don't recognise yourself, you're his Shrimpy no matter what you look like.

He reminds you of that fact everyday, loving how you turn bashful and grateful. He's thrilled at any form you take nonetheless. "Silly Shrimpy! No matter what ya look like or who you feel like, you'll always be my little Shrimpy!" he will say whilst cradling your body against him.

If he sees anyone messing with you in any way, he'll just squeeze them till they pop!!!

He isn't shy when it comes to his mer-form (unlike Azul) so any chance he gets, he'll swim with you in the dorms' pools and wrap his long tail around you in a form of an embrace before also flinging his arms around you in a tight hug.

Floyd is a very physically affectionate person so you two cuddle often. There are designated corners around the school he will drag you to and just squeeze you gently (as gentle as he could at least) because he just gets so excited to see you that he can't help it!

He actually loves being the little spoon and is not shy about it, he will often demand you to spoon him, even in public. All in all, you love your cute eel and Floyd loves his little Shrimpy, no matter what either of you look like.

#twisted wonderland #azul ashengrotto #jade leech #floyd leech #fluff #reader insert #octavinelle #genderfluid reader #shoutout to all the genderfluids #brrr’s writing

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plasticmantalk · 6 months

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@/SpiderKnightART on Twitter posted an open document where folks could feel free to post pitches/ideas for what they described as “a DC Comics equivalent to Marvel’s Ultimate Universe”. My interest was piqued, so I submitted an idea! I took what most folks think when they hear “Ultimate U”*, ie playing with characters, setting, tone, etc, and made a Plastic Man premise with it, covering the first 10-12 issues.

*Minus, of course, the unsavory bits that are messed up.

So, without further ado, I present: Ultimate Plastic Man!

Thug Patrick “Patch” O’Brian has spent the entirety of his young life being miserable and aimless, hoping to find purpose, especially after he’s orphaned. In his latest prison stint, Eel volunteers for an experiment funded by the Ryder Corporation, searching for immortality in many different ways, a “throw spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks” type of approach. Patch is injected with something called only “The Crawford Chemical”, and then has all his bones broke at once, hoping for a mutative reaction.

Well, it succeeds. The Crawford Chemical works. But works too well, and transforms the young man into a pliable freak. He escapes from Ryder Corp with new powers, but lacking tight grip on reality, Patch goes on the lam. While hiding, he realizes that his body is now capable of elasticity, shape shifting, and even density control, all of which he’ll be able to master the longer he lives… which now seems like it’ll be a looooooong time.

A mysterious new friend, that only talks to him and who may or may not be real, convinces Patch to use these new “gifts” to right his wrongs. He starts with those he’s directly affected, which grows into an expanding list of people asking for favors and help. Throughout this time, Patch becomes a local hero to the small city of Mammoth, Illinois, even taking up the new name Plastic Man.

However Ryder Corp has different plans, and begins to send their failed, now-dying other prisoner experiments after “Plas”, in hopes that securing him will ensure their survival. Among them are freaks like Lady Granite, Doctor Forklift, The Clam, Half-Ape, and Thrilla. With all of these super freaks after our pliable pal, and even the US government putting an close eye on him, will Plastic Man be able to make it? Or will he be made into silly putty?

Ultimate Plastic Man would be a mix, story and tone wise, of the superhero adventure story, slapstick comedies, anti-corporate conspiracy, Don Quixote, My Name Is Earl, and The Toxic Avenger.

This isn’t what I’d do if I got the chance to pitch for Plas in the main DCU, a reboot, a movie or tv series, or even an Earth One story (despite the similarities to UU), this is just what I’d go for with an Ultimate Universe take on Plas.

What do you think?

#plastic man #dc comics #eel o'brian #woozy winks #ultimate universe #alternate take #elseworlds #ultimate Plastic Man #slight body horror #violence #characters included here are Plas an old lady an fbi/NBI agent you may recognize halluctionation woozy winks and the Grasshopper

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yan-snowcave · 1 year

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Name: Casanova Valentine [Belongs to @cannibalsweetheart ]

Dragon Species: Zalant

Gender: Male

Dragon Power: Aphrodisiac gas [+control of said gas]

Description :

Casanova is a long, mostly black scaled serpentine dragon with two arms, a pair of large wings and eight horns adoring his face. The largest horns sit atop of his head with a slight curve to them and share the same red coloration like the face, chest and tail tip.

Two small black horns adore his forehead while on each side of his head, two larger, very sharp, white coloured horns protrude outwards. Those are more often than not covered by a white, pink-ish gas that surrounds Casanova's head, making it resemble something akin to fluffy hair.

Right below his hetrochromic eye's is a pink coloured, heart shaped symbol that has the ability to glow, bright pink when emotions are high.

His face and chest are covered in red scales that can change into a lighter shade or darker shade of red depending on his overall health. Two black spikes adore his upper chest, sitting right below each other.

His arms have a lighter shade of red which turns into black scales when reaching his wrist and hand. Each hand has four digits with sharp claws attached to them.

On his back rests two large black wings with a large symbol on his back, a red heart with horns and something resembling a branch or antlers underneath the heart. The insides of the wings are slightly damaged, leaving rips and tears throughout the bottom part of the wings. The red coloured patagium is thinner than that of other Zalants but still quite sturdy like any other regular Zalant patagium would be.

The tail end is partially tinted a red, ending with an upside down, heart shaped fin attached to it that is made out of patagium.

Other Information :

- Casanova has a pharyngeal jaw similar to those of a Moray Eel's, just much larger and stronger. It seems to be used to help him swallow down bigger, struggling prey. That couldn't be ripped apart by his claws or front teeth.

- His hair is made out of Aphrodisiac Gas that he can breath out before taking full control of it in movement, firmness and shape. He can also form them into objects, the only downsides to his power are that he's only semi-resistant to his very own gas and larger doses will affect him.

And that strong gusts of air can blow off his Aphrodisiac Gas before he can take full control of it. This also applies to his hair and other semi-firm gas objects he created.

- Casanova, like most other patients in the facility, is capable of human speech. Through comments and clues given by him it's theorised that Casanova might actually be a demon. That somehow either turned themself into a Zalant or got infected by the virus. It is yet unknown what type of demon Casanova could be or if they even, truly are a demon.

- Casanova is half blind but makes up for it with his extreme keen sense of smell that can detect anyone or anything from a 5 mile radius.

- Zalants are lightning fast, quiet hunters. They either wait in dark areas for prey to come by to snatch up quickly or glide through the air until they find the perfect prey to snatch up for a quick meal. Zalant's don't do well in close combat and will escape any danger the second they can.

[Log #1]

[Click the pictures for better quality & if you're intrested in more Dragon!Nova facts check out the Log below.]

#cannibal sweetheart #cannibal sweetheart vn #casanova valentine #🐉 yandere dragon #my writting

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lizard-shifter-noms · 5 months

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Wayward Waters Chapter 16

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Hello everyone! Chapter 16!

absolute Chaos!!

this Story contains Vore, Dont like dont read.

have fun reading!

and as always Reblogs are appreciated! (Also ASK’s are open so feel free to bother me!)

AO3 Link for those that prefer the layout there;

AO3 Wayward waters

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I stared up at the Gigantic being, my brain still weirdly foggy but now clear enough to finally move on my own.

Not really having any idea what to do as I was way too far for any screams to ever reach anyone I twisted at the Bracelet, growing Giant, though still small in comparison to this being.

Weirdly enough the Kraken didn't do anything, aside from lowering itself down to be more eye level.

Didn't it do the same with Cassidy?

The weird fog in my brain kept me rooted to the spot, and I had no doubt that it was this Gigantic Mer that was the cause of it.

It was probably the reason I walked out here to begin with.

But why? And why me of all people?

It bent down, its face getting way too close for comfort, and let me see that even though I was in Giant form the Kraken's head was as big as I was.

Huh, so that's how people felt when they saw me.

Suddenly I had to commend Robin's bravery even more.

Its unsettingly Lilac eyes with the W shaped pupils focused on me, the face getting even closer as I was rooted to the spot.

It got close enough to touch, its unusual eye larger than my hand.

Hoo fuck, was i about to die?

Apparently not as the Kraken simply let one of its tendrils softly touch at the top of my head.

“Hello”

I Jolted, like back with the electric eel, at the sudden voice that somehow was in my head but also not.

“Apologies, it is not my intent to frighten you, i simply wanted to talk”

The voice, which was very deep and sounded somewhat Female?, said, the sound again vibrating through my entire skull as the Krakens' lips never moved.

“I- what? Wait, why do you want to talk to ME of all people?”

Well, at least the Kraken wasn't here to hurt people it seemed.

“Be calm child of Elven blood, my name is Grella and i have sought you out because i sensed magic on you”

So the Kraken was Named Grella, not what I would have imagined.

“Magic on me? You mean the Bracelet?

Ronan got one too now, so why did you only call me out?

How did you do that anyway? It felt like sleepwalking”

The behemoth in front of me blinked, the weird eyes disappearing for a moment.

“I suppose those questions are rightfully asked, so I shall explain.

Yes, the bracelet is what drew me near.

I have the ability to sense magic and even use the magical energy in the stead of food.

I myself am a magical being, I am sure you have heard of sirens before yes? What I did is not that different, and it keeps the rest of the island fast asleep, even your Statue friend has laid down to rest for now.

And i only called you out as you have more experience with the Bracelet than Ronan, and quite frankly are more responsible”

Well, aside from the fact that apparently she'd managed to get the entire island to sleep, INCLUDING Akeem she was kinda right about Ronan.

If I told anyone that even the Kraken said he was an irresponsible idiot he'd never live it down.

“Well I do have to give you right at the last part, but still, what am I here for?”

The massive body, which was mostly underwater shifted a little, the many tentacles changing color and blending in with the water.

“I have called you here to tell you to be careful, the Bracelet uses the magic of the environment to let you change your shape.

The world of Tern has lines not unlike rivers of blood vessels running through it filled with magic, so called Ley Lines.

I myself use their energy to sustain my life force, but in the last few hundred years I have noticed a steady decline in how much magic they carry.

I had to retreat to Graves keep to stay alive, not able to leave for more than a day now, seeing as at that place multiple of the Ley lines intersect.

But you realize what that means, yes?”

I stared at her, mind reeling from what she had told me.

“Magic is disappearing, but why? And why tell ME that?”

She leaned in closer and I instinctively took a step back.

“If magic is gone you will be stuck in whatever form you chose last, be that Giant, Half Elf or Ardua, and you will take this form to the grave”

I stared horrified at her.

“You mean one day I won't be able to shift anymore?

Even with the Bracelet?”

“Exactly, so you better think about what form you want to live your live in and get buried in, with the way things are going you have thirty years at most before that happens, i myself will Die in less than twenty”

Ah, so she wanted to tell the land dweller early as it wasn't exactly likely I'd ever come back here, Ronan could be told anytime really.

“Wait, WHY is the magic disappearing?

Is that why less and less human mages have been born?

The last case i know of is two hundred years back”

She slowly nodded.

“Yes, and tell me when was the last time you heard of anyone seeing one of the older true magical creatures,

such as Unicorns and the true Dragons?

When was the last time you have seen actual grand magic that wasn't more than some meager little spells?

When was the last time you saw something truly grand that could only be magic?”

I had to think about that, sure Fable had used a light spell and set his thumb on fire but even he admitted that was all, and elves used to be regarded for their magic skills.

And Unicorns hadn't been heard of even in my mothers lifetime, same as dragons, at this point they were just stories, and Drakes weren't even real dragons.

“I do not think i have, there used to be an Icemancer but Oakley took his staff which apparently held all the power? Or at least the Gem on it did”

Grellas' eyes widened for a second, and I almost thought I had imagined it.

“It is Possible to store Magic in specialized gemstones, however even those will run dry one day, i suppose if you get stuck in a form you don't want you might be able to use that Gem as a last effort to change.

Given that you don't use it for anything else”

So, Magic really was dying, what a sad fate.

“So, if magic Dies i will get stuck in whatever form I took on last, and you will simply Die?”

Her mouth twisted into something like a sad smile.

“I am fated to die regardless, I am the last Kraken, my brethren either starved or have been hunted to extinction before they could reach maturity simply for being something the human mind didn't understand.

The Elder Behemoths are almost all gone, especially those with magic, The only other one, that I am not sure where he is now, is an Elder Dragon of a similar coloration as me, his name is Siokhain.

Though if my memory serves correctly his eyes are of a more Amethyst shade instead of my pale Lilac.

It is a shame really, the Violet eyes used to share their knowledge with the smaller folk, our lifespans far longer than that of any other mortal and capable of storing the memories of those that asked us to.

If magic Dies a lot of knowledge will too, and if that happens people will revert back to attacking things they used to know out of fear”

So, basically if Magic Died a lot of other things were fucked as well.

Damnit.

“Yeah, people attack things they fear and don't understand, i know that too well, i guess they don't want to be afraid and instead become angry because it's easier for them, and hey, if they destroy the thing that scared them they won't have to be scared anymore”

Grella let out a sound that was probably a chuckle, albeit distorted from her being so big.

“But they should be scared, not of things they don't know, but of things they DO know.

Anyone can take up a weapon and murder if the conditions are right, a person that is generally seen as helpful and loving could be the serial killer that haunts the streets at night.

And i think that people should in fact be uncomfortable sometimes, if you never have the way you view the world challenged it lets hatred foster and stagnate your heart.

Sadly a lot of people do not seem get that being safe and feeling safe are two different things”

Taking all the bravery I had, I looked her straight into the eyes, well one eye.

“Is there nothing we can do to stop it?

Are you just content to Die like that? WHY is the magic disappearing? And where to? Where the fuck does all the magic go to if it isn't in those Ley lines anymore?”

There HAD to be SOME way to fix it, right?

Grella smiled sadly, a tear shining in her eye uh oh.

“Little man, it does not matter if i am content to die or not, But I did have to accept that I cannot do anything to stop it, and worrying everyday about it will not make it better, Instead I have chosen to enjoy the time I have left, even though these days I'm mostly confined to Graves keep and my life isn't that bad.

Cassidy is a dear friend and as I told him I could not leave for long he offered to see the world for me.

He goes out on adventures and then comes back home to share the memories with me, be they made on land or at sea.

Even though I cannot go far, I still have seen more of the world than most ever will.

There are fates worse than this, but thank you for wanting to help.

As for where the magic goes, I cannot really say, but I suspect the land of Valyria had something to do with it about three hundred years ago as they have managed to alter the flow of a few of the lines.

I would have investigated had it not been on land, and had they not aimed their weapons at me as I swam closer.

Had i known what i do today i would have tried harder, but now i cannot go too far from Graves keep or risk withering away, besides at this point they surely have better defenses against threats, they've seen me once so they surely prepared in case i came back”

Valyria huh? That sounded ominous, and Elven maybe I should ask Fable as soon as I was back.

Still, I kinda felt sad for Grella, but at least she wasn't alone, and apparently could see memories.

That and she cared enough about a stranger to warn them that they could get stuck in one form for the rest of their life.

“Grella?”

“Yes child of Elven blood?”

It was a weird title but I WAS of elven blood so she wasn't wrong.

“You said you can see and store memories, yes?”

She nodded slightly, probably to not disturb the surroundings too much

“That I can, yes, are you asking to see some of them?”

I shook my head.

“No, opposite actually, id let you see some of mine, i don't think Cassidy has ever been In Kamerasca so i could at least show you what it looks like?

I mean, you came this far from Graves keep just to warn me of the magic thing, that's the least i can do, just promise to not show them to anyone else okay?”

Grella actually smiled, showing off three fangs, two of which pointed up and framed a third one that grew down the middle of her upper jaw, not unlike an octopus beak.

“I will not show anyone as long as i live, thank you young man, are you truly sure?”

I nodded, I already offered so no backtracking, that would just be mean.

“Yeah, i am, though i warn you that most of it is not happy”

She gave a slight nod once again, more of her hairlike tendrils curling and uncurling near my own head, gently touching at my own hair and skin.

”Rest easy now young Ardua, and be assured your sleep will be untroubled”

What?

The tendrils curled around me, getting the foggy feeling back into my brain.

“Tell Oakley my regards, and that i enjoyed the time we had so long ago”

Then it was black.

I woke up who the fuck knew when later still on the sandy strip, sun out and Kraken gone.

Did that really happen?

Judging by the fact I was still here AND giant sized, yes, it did.

What the hell.

Hopefully I made no one worry, seeing as the sun was just going up, but at least I did not have any bad dreams or any dreams really.

At least Grella had been right in that, but what the fuck was that last comment about Oakley?

The way she said it made it sound like they had something going on in the past.

Of course Oakley would fuck a Kraken, why the hell not.

I twisted the gem on the bracelet and shrunk back down to human size, dusting the sand off of my legs and finding a bunch of very colorful seashells next to me.

Considering how far from water I was, Grella had to have placed these here.

I picked up the five or so shells,

finding a twisted one with spikes about the same Color as Grella was, which I now realized was just pearl white with a hint of blue.

There also was a blue, red and purple one I would definitely give to Arthur and a few others I could decorate my nearly empty shelf at home with.

I really ought to find more stuff to put in it, empty as it was, it just looked sad.

Well, better get back before anyone got worried.

Good thing i at least somewhat remembered the way back, and in nearly no time at all i was back near Imugi’s saltwater pond.

“Donovan! Where have you been!”

I looked at where the voice came from, seeing Robin had somehow gotten on top of the weird house.

Well, what the fuck was i supposed to tell here? That the Kraken herself had called me out in the middle of the night to tell me magic was dying?

Absolutely not.

So instead I held the seashells up.

“Got shells, I did tell Arthur I'd get him a pretty one after all!”

Robin leaned over the roof to look down and I prepared to shift in case he fell.

“Ohhh those are pretty! Which one are you gonna give him?”

“Come down here and I'll show you all of them! And don't fall!”

He nodded, scrambling out of sight and to wherever he got up in the first place.

I did not know one could go on their roof, if a somewhat flat stone top of a cave even counted as that.

If anything it really was just a very big boulder that had gotten hollowed out, however the fuck that was done.

Holding the seashells I walked around to the entrance and found that there was a ladder going up to the roof, which Robin was currently climbing down.

Before I could say anything to him though Ronan popped up, well rather fell out of his hammock and landed face first on the floor.

“Ouch! Hey where did you get those shells?

They are from some deep sea species! Can I have one?”

Deep sea species? Of course Grella would give me something like that, why not, well whatever counted as deep sea for humans probably was still rather shallow waters for her.

“I found them in the sand, and one of those is for Arthur, but i can give the small blue one”

I handed the small but rather long and thin twisted blue shell to him after he managed to stand up.

“Thanks! Can't wait to measure it after I find my measuring tape!

Where did I put that anyway?”

Before he could get far he got scruffed by Akeem, who held the other a good foot or so above the floor.

“No science for today, we have stuff to do, namely repair the ship.

You are going to go get supplies Imik listed for you, you can ask someone else to come with if you want”

Ronan pouted at that.

“Fine, at least let me stash this properly so it doesn't break!”

Akeem nodded and shoved a list into his hands before letting him fall to the floor.

As the stone man walked out his eyes met mine for a second, almost as if trying to look through me.

He knew something was off, clearly as he usually didn't sleep but the Kraken had managed to make him do just that.

I tried my best to stare back with a blank expression, which seemed to be enough and he left.

Ronan had stashed the shell away, letting me use one of his boxes to put the other ones in and then invited us to tag along as apparently he just had to buy more wood so they could make a new railing.

Robin of course was immediately for it as he wanted to explore the city, but apparently the place to get wood was outside of it, near a little forest.

Well it kind of was still exploring the island, and he'd probably need help dragging the stuff back so we went along with him anyway.

Also I did not trust him to not do something dumb, especially now that he could shift.

“Hey wouldn't it be easier to shift big to go get stuff?”

Yep, there it was, he already wanted to shift in the middle of the day in the middle of the island.

“Better not, you might give someone a heart attack doing that, also not everyone takes well to having a giant suddenly appear out of nowhere”

He made an unhappy face but before he could say anything Robin had found the weird door that was built directly into the stone, still featuring that odd tree.

“What is this door for? Can I open it? Where does it go to?”

It was the door I had been told nobody could open so they just let it be.

Ronan laughed.

“If you manage to get it open i will eat a dozen raw eggs!”

That sounded like a great way to get sick very fast.

Still Robin tried to pull the door open with all his strength, and even tried to see if the door had to be pushed instead before going back to pulling.

It obviously wasn't working, not that something like that had stopped people from doing things before.

Grabbing him I heaved him away from the door, the ginger still clinging to the very old and used looking handle.

“Aww come on, is it rusted shut or something?”

Instead of letting go he tried once more to pull it open, using me as a sort of brace but when even that didn't work he gave up.

“Why build something like that anyway?”

Good question, though it might have been part of something else once and was now just rotting and rusting here.

“Eh it was probably meant for something else that just never got finished”

After that I had to tell Ronan at least two more times to not randomly shift where people could see as he might cause some panic.

He clearly didn't like being told what to do but still didn't shift.

It wasn't long before we came across the sawmill near a patch of woods, already hearing the telltale sound of wood being cut.

Ronan of course waltzed in without knocking.

“Heya old man! How's it going? Still have all your fingers?”

Robin looked at me, clearly aware that Ronan was rude to whoever worked here, and neither of us would be surprised if he'd get a log tossed at him.

Going in after him I saw him handing a list to a man that looked very familiar.

He looked like an older version of Nemas, minus the face tattoo.

Right, the Captain of the Victory Rose had mentioned that his father had chosen to work in a sawmill instead of being a sailor.

Though I had not expected that to be here, well if he was anything like his son Ronan should prepare to get his ears talked off.

Which he didn't, but he did whack Ronan with a flexible stick for being rude before shoving everything that was on the list into his arms, not caring if Ronan could actually hold it or not.

Which he definitely couldn't so me and Robin went to help.

Well mostly me, Robin struck up conversation with the man, telling him that he looked like Nemas, who was indeed his son, and then walked out after hearing his son was here but apparently hadn't visited him so far.

Well, that sure was something just now.

Helping Ronan gather up the not so small amount of materials we helped carry it back towards the Halcyon, the new shifter complaining all the way that he wanted to get big to carry the stuff.

We did not let him, even Robin was aware that randomly shifting in a populated place was a bad idea so we were stuck bringing the wood back the old fashioned way.

Apparently once he'd given the wood to Imik and Akeem who worked to restore the ship he deemed it far enough away from people and jumped into the water, shifting to the creature form.

Of course Imugi had her fun with that, swimming around him happily clicking and splashing.

Well, if Grella was right I had only about twenty years of shifting however I wanted, so why not join them for a bit?

Jumping down I also shifted and a moment later the big and green form of the Ardua was also splashing in the water.

I yelped as Imugi suddenly spit water at me from behind, turning around and splashing back with my paws.

Imik yelled from somewhere on the ship for us to fuck off if we weren't helping and i could clearly hear Robin laughing loudly at the silly display we did.

We did as told, Ronan and Imugi a lot faster than me seeing as i wasn't a sea dwelling creature like them.

Somehow Imugi got a new tree, which I actually started to suspect was stolen from the other side of the island where the sawmill was, and let me hold onto it as she dragged me towards shallower water.

At least I could stand here, and Imugi wanted to play tug o 'war again, which I lost considering I was still in water.

Ronan tried to sneak up and get Imugi by spitting water at her, but missed and hit me instead.

In retaliation I dunked his head under, The flat surface of it was perfect for placing a paw on top.

“Hey! Haha! How long do you think I can hold my breath?

This form doesn't have gills so I guess it's more like a seal? maybe?”

Honestly I had no idea how long those could hold their breath either.

“No idea! You can test it later if you want!”

Imugi forced her head against Ronan, shoving him around like a piece of cork and dunking him every time he tried to get away.

“I blame you for this!”

I just grinned at him, splashing Imugi who then turned her attention to me, bonking her head against my own.

Despite barely being able to stand i tried to shove her trough the water like she had done, with only mild success.

It was fun nonetheless and she used her beak to gently tap at me.

I responded by bapping at her with a paw, a motion that would have anything just half her size falling over.

Ronan then headbutted me away, trying to shove me over the sandy ground of the little bay we were in and trying to dunk me as well.

Standing up on my haunches I shoved him backwards with both front paws, the situation quickly escalating into stupid and childlike play fighting, well if one could call two shapeshifting creatures trying to shove, harmlessly hit or headbutt each other that.

Imugi tossed the log shed found between us and like some stupid dogs we fought about it, me biting one end and him biting the other one.

Whoever let go first lost.

Water splashed as we each tugged and tore at the wood, Imugi click-whistled happily as we both acted like animals if just for this moment.

Then we got interrupted by someone yelling.

“HEY BOYS! FUNS OVER GET OVER HERE!”

I let go of the wood surprise, Ronan keeling over backwards as I suddenly stopped holding it and making a spectacular splash as his back hit the water first.

Looking up I could see Yamet standing there, waving us out of the water.

What time was it anyway? Judging by the sun at least midday now.

He'd probably cooked lunch or something, so better we'd dry off now.

Walking out of the water closely followed by Ronan I shook myself like a dog as soon as we were on dry land again, Ronan immediately trying as well and getting the water from his fur all over me.

I placed a paw on his head and pressed down a little, seeing him squish his body like that was funny and more reminiscent of a cat being slightly annoyed.

Before he could think to do it back I jumped up the few boulders closer to Yamet, shifting back to human form as soon as I was next to him.

“What is it? Did you make Lunch?”

He shook his head, which I found a little disappointing.

“No, though i should soon, but whatever, your friend, the black haired one is looking for you, i think he wants to go to some other island soon?”

Ohh right, Kamerasca had a colony here, whatever that was called, of course Rikaad would want to take a look at it when he was already here.

“Uh, sure? Where is he now? Do I have to get my stuff?”

Well, it looked like we were leaving pretty fast, though that was just like Rikaad really.

I was, however, a bit sad, being here had been fun! And now that they were here also i had wanted to at least stay a day or two more.

Yamet just shrugged and pointed me back towards the boat.

As said Rikaad was there, and the guy with the oversized chicken as well, Chicken included.

I could see Imik keeping his distance from it while Jamie was gently scratching its head.

As Rikaad saw me his face got a good bit less grumpy.

Nice to see he cared.

Robin was right behind him, also staring at the Chicken.

“Donovan! There you are, why are you drenched in seawater?”

“Ronan was testing his new form a bit more, and Imugi wanted to play”

Rikaad glanced at the water where Imugi was swimming back to the boat.

“I see, anyway since we are here i wanted to go check out Naroa island, Which is the colony's main place, Do you want to come with? We will come back here after and stay here till Nemas manages to repair the ship”

Oh right, the Victory Rose had gotten quite a bit damaged, wait how would we get to Naroa then?

“Uh, sure why not, see a bit more of the world, but how are we going to get there if the Victory Rose is damaged?”

Rikaad pointed all the way over to where they had parked the Call Of The Damned.

“Cassidy is going to take us there, apparently his wife is also there for the next two or so weeks and he wants to talk to her”

Oh yeah that would work, wait wasn't Cassidy divorced?

Eh not my life so not my problem.

“Yeah why not? I am curious what that place looks like!”

Suddenly Ronan interrupted.

“Can we come with? I've never been there either!

And only Yamet and Imik know how to repair the ship anyway!”

He had to duck as a hammer was tossed at him from Yamet.

“Then fucking learn!”

Ronan ignored it in favor of listening to Rikaads answer.

“I do not see why not, as long as Cassidy lets you on the ship i have no problem, anyone else here want to come with?”

Jamie jumped, grabbing at Ronans arm with their bird claws and standing sideways.

“I'd like to see! I have no idea where on the fucking map that is anyway!”

“If Jamie and Ronan go then so will i, someone has to stop them from doing stupid things”

Ah so Akeem would come as well, nice, and yeah he was right in that.

Rikaad nodded curtly.

“Very well, get what you need and meet us at the ship”

NEXT / PREVIOUS / OVERSIGHT

#sstc #lizards writing #vore story #giant/tiny #extreme cuddling #sea serpent #sea monster #Kraken #Sea of Barmea #Ship #sea #boat #art

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sinosauropteryx--prima · 11 months

Text

Life in the Ordovician

(top left: Endoceras; top middle: Promissum; top right: Pentecopterus; middle left: Aegirocassis; middle right: Bumastus; bottom left: first land plants; bottom middle: Sacabambaspis; bottom right: Arandaspis)

Art by:

Bumastus - Obsidian Soul

Promissum, Aegirocassis, Sacabambaspis - Nobu Tamura

Endoceras - AStepIntoOblivion

Pentecopterus - Patrick J. Lynch

Arandaspis - Christian Darkin

First land plants - Tahoenathan

After the Cambrian Explosion we reach the “Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event“ or GOBE (which, admittedly, sounds a lot less catchy than Cambrian Explosion).

The Ordovician starts directly after the Cambrian about 485 million years ago. Life really started to diversify during this period and came up with a lot of new and more modern forms (as far as you can call something that‘s 485 million years old “modern“). Groups like gastropods (slugs and snails), bivalves (shelled marine invertebrate) and brachiopods (shelled molluscs like clams, oysters, etc.) started to gain prominence. It really is a shame that, as a vertebrate myself, I am biased to things that also have bones and therefore won‘t talk a lot about those critters (maybe at some point i have to dig deeper into them). I can however tell you that those groups became very important to marine ecosystems and that the brachiopods especially are characteristic for the “paleozoic fauna“ in contrast to the “cambrian fauna“. Also, the fact that paleontologist distinguish between those two should give you a hint as to how impactful the GOBE really was.

Trilobites like Bumastus, which first originated in the Cambrian, were doing very well and diversified further. Most of them were bottom dwelling and relatively small, but the biggest ones, which lived during the late Ordovician could reach up to 70 cm. Just like the gastropods, bivalves and brachiopods, they were mayor players of their time, and just like them, they get concerningly little attention in relation to how big of a group they were and how important they were to our Earth‘s history. Although, I suppose I am part of the problem here, because I could go into deep detail about them right now. I‘m just not going to. Maybe some day…

While the trilobites were running around on the ocean floors some of the earliest chordates slowly turned into fish. They were of course a very basic type of fish. We call this group Agnatha, which translates to “no-jaw“, because, well, they didn‘t have jaws yet (they did have teeth though). Some jawless fish are still alive today, the lampreys and hagfish. They are truely disgusting, slimy, blood-sucking, eel-like creatures. The extinct jawless fish include the conodonts like Promissum. For the longest time scientists had no idea what kind of animal conodonts were, because the only parts of them that fossilized were their cone-shaped teeth (that‘s also where they got their name). Those teeth however were found everywhere and they are very important fossils, because by looking at them geologist can determine from which geologic age a fossil site is. Relatively recently we then started to find better preserved fossils, that revealed that conodonts where also eel-shaped and had big eyes. The other type of extinct jawless fish were the Ostracoderms like Sacabambaspis or Arandaspis. They are usually better preserved because their heads were covered in boney armor which fossilizes much better than the wiggly soft bodies of the conodonts.

One of the biggest names of the Ordovician was Endoceras, a shelled cephalopod (related to squids and octopus). And by big I mean that this weird ice cream cone was more than 3 m long. Another famous group that got their start during this time are the eurypterids, the sea scorpions, like Pentecopterus. Neither were they real scorpions (they were arachnids though, so close enough), nor lived they exclusively in the sea as there were a lot of fresh water species. There are some suggestions that they might have been able to at least briefly walk on land and breath in the air. They were also some of the biggest arthropods that ever live. Pentecopterus for example was about 1.7 m long and it wasn‘t even the biggest eurypterid (we‘ll get to that one later). They weren‘t all massive, but sizes of 1 m and more were not rare and to be honest, that‘s already way to big for any bug of my liking.

While all those new linages arose they slowly outcompeted many of the Cambrian weirdos I talked about last week. Some held on longer than others though. The Radiodonts (Anomalocaris and friends) declined during the Ordovician, but it was also the time during which we see the biggest one of them: 2 m long Aegirocassis. It was a filter feeder, so basically a giant whale of its time.

As all of that was happening in the oceans, another revolution happened quietly on the shores of our early planet: We see the very first land plants. Those early plants would have been non-vascular plants (vascular tissue is basically the plant equivalent to blood vessels; and it had not developed yet). They would have looked similar to mosses.

Even though those early plants wouldn‘t have looked very exciting, they would have put a lot of work into terraforming the world. It is believed that their photosynthesis lowered carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and that this might have caused temperatures to drop, turning the late Ordovician into an ice age. We know for certain that this drop in CO2 levels and temperature happened. If it was actually caused by the photosynthesis is another questions, though. Another suggestion, that also makes plants the culprits, is that their roots increased the erosion of rocks and this erosion involved the reaction between the rocks and CO2 from the atmosphere. Another reason for increased erosion could have been vulcanism creating a lot more “new“ rocks to erode. An (to my ears) absolutely wild theory is that the earth actually didn‘t cool because of lower CO2, but instead got hit by a gamma-ray burst, which sounds like something out of a scifi-movie. Apparently a gamma-ray burst is an intense energy beam, that is caused by a supernova (I really know nothing about space…), and it could have stripped our planet very quickly of our ozone layer. As ozone is a greenhouse gas, just like CO2, that would have also caused a cool down.

Whatever it was, at the end of the Ordovician the earth froze over. Drastic changes in temperature usually lead to extinction and that was the case here as well. The Late Ordovician Mass Extinction killed around 85 % of marine species, which is a pretty big deal when you consider, that almost all species at the time were marine species. It is often seen as the second-worst of the mayor “big 5“ mass extinctions (we’ll get to all the other ones in the future, don‘t worry about it). But, unlike many other mass extinctions, it didn‘t have a mayor impact on the fauna and most groups of life recovered and re-diversified after the extinction. But that‘s a story for another time.

Again, all the info from wikipedia. I got some stuff about jawless fish here.

#paleontology #paleoblr #paleozoic #ordovician #infodump

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bread--quest · 1 year

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hi I would like your thoughts on eve mcblase

oh yeah i still have a bunch of those "say the name of a character and i'll tell you a bunch of stuff i just made up about them" asks in my inbox. welp! best time to answer an ask is when you get it, second best time is.....weeks later

eve mcblase hours!!!

-clone. created by...the spies?? the league? not sure. the spies never told eve where she came from and she never asked.

-not a very....good clone. epic cloning attempt fail. came out kind of goopy and not exactly human. human shaped at least but for a while she couldn't even maintain that shape all the time.

-puts up a front of being evil and mean and not caring what other people think most of the time. it's...somewhat effective. almost no one has ever actually been intimidated by her but she's definitely made people not want to be around her! which unfortunately creates this self-fulfilling prophecy of "people don't like me -> pretend i don't care and be evil -> this makes people not like me -> continue acting like i don't care". :(

-however!! if she is in a place or with someone where she doesn't feel like she has to put on that front, eve is actually very enthusiastic and bubbly (although she'd probably resent being called bubbly). very much like that tumblr post that's like "ehehe!!! i giggle and kick my legs while thinking of violence" and "girl writing in her diary with a pink glitter gel pen but she's just writing 'violence and killing and killing and violence' over and over again". but like the violence is cartoon violence? filled with joyous whimsy even if the joyous whimsy is mostly about explosions

-peridot stevenuniverse energy. like a lot.

-did Not like being on the spies. doesn't really like to think about her time on the spies at all. doesn't hold a grudge against any of the players (anymore), but still gets twitchy even if they're just going to houston for an away game

-not really sure what evelton the original thought of her. thinks of her? she never really talked to him. tried to avoid it as much as she could, actually. only kind of regrets it now

-loved the mechanics, a lot. made friends, built all sorts of rube goldberg contraptions, became wanted for numerous counts of osha violation, felt wanted for the first time in maybe her whole life. (aside from being wanted for the crimes. that's a different thing.) however at the end of season 17 the mechanics had the worst record in the league and eve felt like she was dragging them down and she didn't want to do that. so she left.

-while on the lift evelton mcblase ii got swept elsewhere for i think the first time ever? except for one incident where she returned in the same game. anyway they were swept and flipped negative and during their time Elsewhere they had a lot of time to think. and the thought they emerged with was "hmm. what if i was a girl."

-(it is important to Me Personally that eve is like "yeah i was a boy at one point but maybe not really and then later i was a girl". however she is very insistent that gender aside she has never been evelton mcblase)

-the mills are the first team since the mechanics that she stays with for multiple seasons :,) they are important to her because they make her deal with the consequences of her actions but also make it clear that those consequences will not be "we stop wanting you around". if you put eels in the hudson river we will force you to learn about the ecosystem of the hudson river and work to correct the damage you have done but you will still have a room in the apartment and we will still want you to be here. excuse me i made myself cat crying emoji

-likes brecken broken ridge a lot, is taking surprisingly well to being a theater kid. has complicated feelings about there now being no evelton mcblase around for anyone to compare her to. she got her wish: she's just eve, and there's no other her. and that's...good, right?

-final and most important thing: during her time on the mills eve regularly goes down to wall street and does this. with the voice and everything

#blaseball #chattin #asked and answered!#cynda my friend cynda #thank you cynda!!! sorry it took so long lol #fan: gnym!!#blb: eve #my beleved <3 #also please please watch that clip its SO important #HELLO WALL STREET. DONT PANIC #im only CRUSHING YOUR HEAD! CRUSHING YOUR HEAD!

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lowkeyclueless5137 · 2 months

Text

Doodles dump! Digital edition >:3c

Bcs on the sketchbook I did references for my current comic and thus I won't spoil u yet :3

This time is a lot of Jade for sum reason :v

We starting with the new au i didn't explain: the fight club au

The premise is basically MK meets Streetfighter, meets twst, meets real world. With Epel trying to get around New York and attending the prestigious NRC school for mages. He uncovers a secret fight club and gets recruited by a misterious fighter in order to uncover a secret drug ring.

The magical girl au :D

This was more of silly doodle time, but there are a few hints of the au's plot :P

Lowkey I didn't know how Ace was gonna look like at first, but now I know EXACTLY why he turned out like this. Parkour I guess :'3

This is from the lettler exchange p5 x twst au :v

Noting how I confirmed that the velvet room attendees are siblings, I HAD to make a few shenaningans in between them :3

Lavenza and Floyd are the ones who get a new fusion method, thus Igor(the deemed parent), Had to instruct Floyd first so he could tell Lavenza as well. I really like how the uniforms turned out tbh.

And yes, this implies that all the attendees are mers. Lavenza, Theo and Elizabeth are eels, while Margret and Azul are octopuses. Might draw those one day :v

For context, it's this spuerhero au. :'3

Ace is the funny lil guy that has and absolute TRAINWRECK of a backstory. And Riddle as well, but I wanted to practice a bit on backs and side profiles, but I also wanted to add sum context ;3

TWO :D

I tried to get around model references, because GODDAMN some of those peeps look like sum bones are in the wrong place :v

also colored vgs, bcs I saw some using those and I do enjoy sum complementary color sumtimes :'3

And what better au than jjba au? The first one is ur hint at the main plot idea of this au, while the latter is a ref for Azul and his stand: Dark Side Of The Moon. I tried to also see how realistically his stand would resist against things, seeing how it is made out of bulletproof glass, also a lot of Drag inspo for his stand tbh. :'3

You know it, I know it, WE AIN'T ESCAPING THE MLB MILD AU<3

It's a sort of tease of what happens during the mlb specials, which all happen post the main 4 seasons ya'll read and saw me losing my shit abt. :'3

YES, THERE WAS A REASON I TEASED MALLEUS'S FAM DRAMA!

Think that NY and Shangai Specials happen at the same time, but each of the our main 2 heroes go through sum self discovery post all that chaos with Madame Moth. Riddle with accepting the flaws of himself and coming in terms with his new family dynamic, while Malleus comes in terms with the tesnsion and the chaos around himself and the fact that he cannot ignore changes he doesn't like anymore.

And the other miraculous au, this time the maleidiazu hard au version.

Since Jade got the butterfly miraculous, I thought that the twins would be ABSOLUTE MENACES to Azul.

For Jade's design, I saw those very pretty butterfly decorations photos and I fixated on Gabe's butterfly tending hat. I also wanted to allude to his eel form, so I imagined a long, sleek, trein, reminescent of a cocoon, that can flare up and reveal it's true shape of a half wing, the top vest part acting as the 2nd part of the wing. He looks pretty aloof, the kind of person you'd assume would be nice, but the veil is like your warning sign, with the butterflies always sitting on the outside, all alert. I really liked how he turned out and probably is one of my favorite designs in this au tbh.

And again, Jade for the last one: the Jjk mild au. damn, I can't find the post

I knew right off the batch that I wanted this mf to get some inspo from Nobara's uniform, just because I think Floyd-pre curse era would have a more yuji insp uniform and since in cannon jjk these 2 were like besties and up to shenaningans at first, I thought it would be a fun and subtle reference. :3

The reason that yellow overall is shown, is bcs underneath the jacket, Jade has a top of a similar shape, mostly to accomodate his brother.

It's fun to think that Jade's so reserved and acts humble, but in here there's literally the truth. He's thrown in this world with 0 knowledge, trying to gather up the disaster that was left behind his brother and just fix things that he isn't responsible for in the first place, all for his own selfish reasons. It's fun :D

and that would be all for now :3

#twisted wonderland #twst #twst jade #a lot of jade in this one tbh #Treyjade for the jojo au too #miraculous mild au #jjk mild au #p5 x twst au #I ain't tagging the rest #too lazy ;'3

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merakiui · 3 months

Note

oh my god… i just read ‘the most dangerous game’ on ao3 and while i was at the part of where jade pretends to be floyd while they… ya know 🥴

i was listening to phantom of the opera’s ‘medley : down once more / and track down this murderer’. and i just wanna you to know the heavenly experience i had cause OH MY LAWD

(~5:35 in the song, which is the duet/ trio between the phantom, raoul [love interest] and christine [main girl] )

and i LOVE how beautifully it connects. with reader’s confusion about their sudden flooding thoughts of jade. why they keep thinking about him even though they’re WITH floyd

while jade is going to the ‘point of no return,’ he literally cant go back. hes pretending to be his brother to 1. plant more jade shaped seeds in their head & 2. HES LITERALLY FUCKING THEM AS HIS BROTHER WHO HE KNOWS THEY HAVE A CRUSH ON. so yeah: he’s literally crossing the ‘point of no return,’ and he knows that. that this will either work out, or horrifically blow up in his face. but that’s only if you found out ☝️😲

my favorite part is that when christine sings about the ‘angel of music.’ the man [phantom] who was there in the shadows supporting her, yearning for her, loving her obsessively to the point it scared her (jade was much more discreet but that’s not the point)

a bit later in the song she sings ‘angel of music you have deceived me’ and i LOVE how it timed up when i read it. and she goes about how ‘she gave her mind blindly’

cause that’s EXACTLY what happened. jade played and deceived reader like she was a piece on a chess board. she literally let him into her mind because she wanted floyd so badly. he literally took over her mind as her thoughts slowly started contain less floyd and more of jade.

also, in the way he deceived her; jade never was going to help them with floyd, and made that ‘contract’ under false pretenses cause this was him making his attack. (ambush hunter, and you know that man was cooking shit up for months too, maybe it got sped up when reader wanted a job at monstro)

(this song also came again when reader and jade were in the ocean 🕺🏻💃🏻🕺🏻💃🏻 and ARGGHHH. i’m gonna lose my sanity im in love)

but also. the song before this is literally ‘the point of no return’ and reader the floyd part while listening to it was just spine chilling. but the icing on the cake for me was the medley 🤤

sorry for the long ask, but i just- i’m literally in love with your writing, the planning that goes into is just awe-inspiring. i love how you give us readers things at face value before revealing smthn HUGE but if you go back and reread you’re like ‘how the FUCK did i miss that’, or when everything gets packaged in a nice little bow (so coquette 🤭🎀)

any ways, just wanted to share this with you! keep up the great work‼️ (i’m foaming at the mouth for more jade)

:O :O :O :O !!!!!!!! AAAAAA THAT SONG AND THOSE MOMENTS FROM IT CONNECT SO PERFECTLY..... "plant more Jade-shaped seeds" omg that's so true. >_< he really did surpass the point of no return in that scene just to ensure you slowly but surely thought less of Floyd and more of him throughout the time you spend together. It was so high-stakes, too. Either it works wonderfully or, as you noted, it completely blows up in his face.

And you're right!!! Jade was never going to help you get closer with Floyd. He was willing to entertain and enable your obsession, but that's as much as he'll do. He's just in it for his own benefits and to hopefully twist your perception so that you might fall for him instead. He really was cooking that plan up months in advance. T^T what an evil eel... I love the Phantom of the Opera and its soundtrack,, <3 your ask reminded me of just how brilliant it is!!!! I need to listen to all of the songs again. >w<

Thank you for reading and enjoying tmdg!!!!! I'm happy you like the way I write. One of my favorite things to do is write scenes in which you can glean new information after a reread. >:D there are so many tiny details sewn into tmdg and topped off with a pretty bow!! Very coquette indeed!!!! (˘ ˘ ˘)💖

#sweet messages #i too foam at the mouth for jade... orz he's so !!!!!!!

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twst-drabbles · 6 months

Text

(Zine) The World, Chewed and Spat Out

Summary: The horror zine piece, as it was.

(Whoops, forgot to post the original piece, my bad.)

What do they see in front of themselves? Is it the natural painting of the world? Of the sea-salt breeze and the gentle ocean waters lapping at their feet as they walk across the bay? Of a bleeding-orange sky with a sun that leaves its final rays on the sand before finally having its rest?

No, no of course they don’t see that. That’s simply a memory. The Ramshackle Prefect’s steps give pause to a thing they would’ve once called a seashell, but it crawled and pulsed. Black little roots seek out their bare flesh, and while the urge to stomp it out of existence was there, the nostalgia over seeing the shape of a seashell had them walking around it and continuing on.

They can no longer look out into the sea and see graceful waters. They could only see foamy tongues as they climbed higher and higher into the sky, as though it wanted to consume the sun. The winds that once whispered their songs now howl with heat and rot. And the sands were now lumpy with makeshift graves and scavenging creatures alike.

The only solace that could be found was at the end of their road, where a solitary Azul was.

Well, at least someone once named Azul.

“Oh, it’s been a while. You look…”

He stands in the waves, without shoes, without weight as he turns around like a gentle curl of sea foam.

“Hmm? I look? How do I look to you?” Azul goaded, even though it was clear he knew the answer.

“…happier. That’s quite the smile on your face. It almost doesn’t suit you, Azul.” As though to shield themselves from the sight, they closed their eyes.

“Am I not supposed to express my absolute jubilation at the presence of a friend?” “That’s quite a thing to say.”

“The last time you smiled like that, I nearly lost my dorm along with my friends. So, excuse the pause, I got caught up in those memories.” The Prefect didn’t touch the water, didn’t join by Azul’s side, but sat down on a flat spot of sand nonetheless.

“For peace of mind, I’d advise casting away such things. Nostalgia, while a versatile tool in any given sale or product, is useless here,” Azul fully faced them, bending at the waist to fully look into his friend’s face, the dying rays creating shadows upon his face, “Useless when it comes to me.”

The Prefect gave a laugh that was more air than voice, “Useless… certainly, very, very useless.”

He reached out a hand, not taking a single step out of the sea, “Let it all wash away, friend. No one would blame you for doing so.”

There was a smile upon their face. It perfectly matched his own in all its plastic glory, “Friend… you keep calling me that.”

“Is that wrong?”

Azul shrugged, “Does time really matter when it comes to meeting with old friends? The truest ones are the ones that can wait centuries and still have nothing change.”

“In a way, I suppose something hasn’t.” They raised their knees and rested their head against them, “Changed, that is.”

“Really? And what would that be?”

“You’re still the type to come and go only when you want something. Rarely do you give anyone the time of day — like a single second will somehow topple your monetary empire.” When one’s empire makes up the tower of their being, its emperor will do anything to keep it standing tall.

“But there are more valuable things than money. You make it sound like that’s all I ever cared about.”

To the one known as the Ramshackle Prefect, it’s certainly easy to see him in that light. However, such an impression was never permanent, as evidenced by their fond smile.

“Right right, there are people, after all. Those that can bring in more of what you value. Such as those eels. Or that resident right there.“

The beach was not as familiar a place as, say, the stringy lines of kelp that Azul would often hide in as a child. As warm, beautiful, and fascinating as this place was, it was simply too open, too vast. The sun wasn’t supposed to be this large orb of light in a changing sky. It was supposed to be stray rays through unstable waters that find themselves lucky to hit the sea bed. The clouds weren’t supposed to be perfectly white and reflective. They were meant to be large dollops of sea foam that languidly drift by in their scummy form.

Azul never felt truly comfortable on the beach, as close as it was to home, but he can’t deny the beauty of it. Though, whatever stability he managed to grasp overtime was being tested. As, in front of him, was something that Azul could have only described in his head as a monster.

“These, creatures,” Azul almost wanted to say ‘things’ but decorum dictated he keep his true thoughts under a veil of polite words, “have a name? Truly?”

Besides, who was Azul to insult prospective contract signers? Just because this once-human creature had their skeleton blooming out of their skin like fatty flower petals didn’t mean they were any less deserving of respect. Well, as much respect as the value of this golden contract in his hands had. The more use he has out of this creature, the more he’s willing to extend some of his carefully cultivated olive branches.

However, Azul has many doubts as to whether he can make this creature do anything. By all means, it looked no different than a corpse, despite the fact it didn’t smell like it. In fact, it didn’t smell of anything horrible. The sunlight reflected off of the delicate bones stained red with mucus and coagulating viscera, an odd black mass that beat within the cage of its ribs, and yet anything below that was still of warm flesh that twitched against the sand they all stood on. All this, and yet no scent.

Azul’s stomach was still tight, and the doll-like stillness of this creature the Ramshackle Prefect had dragged from the sea did nothing to comfort that.

“Everything has a name, Azul,” they spoke as they drew in the sand in a language Azul will never understand, “Though, not all of us are equipped to hear it. And not all of us should try and learn them. Let alone say them.”

They spoke to him of their name and its meaning but the Prefect never told him what it actually was. Just another piece of information that he will never learn no matter how hard he or Jade may search the internet. They only told Azul a first name, a potentially fake first name.

Time had passed since the raid of his vault and the destruction of his paper collection, and yet still Azul refused to speak of the Prefect’s human name. They never once commented on that, and Azul isn’t sure if he should be irritated or relieved.

“A warning like that makes me think that I shouldn’t attempt to make a deal with this… friend of yours.” If even its very name was a danger, a curse waiting to be cast, it wouldn’t do him or his customers any good to have it near.

“And yet you stand here with a contract at hand, with your feet still in the sand,” they pointed out and extended their hand, as though to invite him near. “If you tell me you’re a cautious individual, don’t get angry when I laugh in your face.”

And how can Azul fault them for that? One look at the company he keeps would speak of his nature as a risk taker.

Even so, he sighed as he extended the contract to the creature that sat below them both. “Does it need a pen?”

This creature, with its skull empty of any eyes save for the slugs that rested within, signed a name Azul could not read, with a finger dyed in the ink of its chest organ. The creature was embraced by the tide as it rose past his knees and soaked the once dry sand.

Azul was compelled to give an order. “Bring more of your brethren to me. As many as you can.”

It sank beneath the waves.

The contract in his hands was the only evidence that it ever existed.

“Did you know?” Azul drummed his fingers on the head of the first creature the Prefect brought to him.

“Know what?”

“That I was Ɔ̸͍̠̳̈́̎̊ʞ̷̳̥̭̀̔͗ǐ̴̠̞̲̈́̚ɿ̷̨̥̥̍͛́Ɉ̶̳͓̤͆̏̈́-̷͉̱͍̋̆̉Я̶̨̠̻̉̂̚ɒ̷̤̘̬͆̓̈́l̶̛͔̯͖̑͝ first promise? Rather romantic, don’t you think?” The skull under Azul’s fingers lost its structure and became inky sludge. It blended into his shadow, swallowed as though water to a sponge. ”It’s a memory that still lingers. A memory gifted to us all.”

“…So, contracts are promises to you now, are they?”

“Is that wrong?”

“To you, I suppose it isn’t.” Contracts, promises, oaths, all those things mean the same to the one named Azul. A piece of one’s being put on a platter for others to witness, and for Azul to grab and manipulate as he pleased. At least, that’s how he once was, before the Prefect ripped all of them away from his greedy hands. “The distinctions are already lost to you.” Dead, gone, never to return, “No use in trying to make corrections if you’ve already forgotten.”

Dipping his hand into the surging tides, Azul pulls out papers of glittering gold. It’s a sight that would catch the attention of anyone. A gaudy shine, and yet the prefect leaned in as though in front of a comforting campfire.

“This color, you seem to like it,” he waved them about, and in an instant, as though a blooming drop of paint, the ocean became just as vibrant as the pages in his hands, “though, despite these contracts once being an open gateway for us all, for whatever reason, there is nothing stirring within.”

“How odd,” they replied, only speaking to reflect Azul’s thoughts rather than their own. They knew the reason why, but there’s no point.

“I have to ask…why?” The contracts, in all their glittering gold, had long since lost their appeal to Azul. “Why rely on the one named Azul to reign these ‘guests’ in line?”

“Because of your love for the material.” The sea sought to lap at his defeater’s feet, but they inched away at the last moment. “I trusted in that selfishness of yours.”

“Trust…” Azul let the contracts dissolve into tar bubbles, “You still can, if you wish.”

“...trust in you?”

“If not in me,” His voice was layered with others, of familiar tones and hisses. A drop of ink fell from the corner of his mouth as an array of fused bones tore through the side of his torso, “then is there someone else you want to trust? Go on, take your pick. If you want, you can have all of them.”

Familiar skulls hang from the blooming bone tree like fruit. At the top, one can see the structures that make up Jade and Floyd, their jaws loose, as though frozen in a mournful wail.

Take your pick. As though they are gifts.

It was comforting, this high tide. The cold feel of the sea over his legs, the scent of salt that entered his nose, all of it almost made him want to take everything off and swim in the form he hated to show others. However, that’s not what Azul’s here for.

The raised waters refused to go back and in some part of his mind that still slept, Azul knew that there would be someone within the greedy sea. This was part of the contract, after all, and it had been too many days since the first visit.

The bloated swell of these waves told him that something, or someone was coming. And there was that odd, misplaced smell in the air that Azul couldn’t quite put his finger on but he recognized. He wouldn’t be standing here if it weren’t for the Ramshackle Prefect’s word guaranteeing his safety.

The contract you made is as strong as a faerie’s promise. You’ll be fine. Go to the sea. You can feel it calling for you, right?

“Ah, how nice,” Floyd drawled out as he stomped and splashed around with his legs. “Hey, Azul, can I go for a swim? Just for a bit. I don’t think I’ll ever get to swim in currents as strong as these.”

And it was only because of their curiosity that Azul managed to convince Jade and Floyd to come with him.

Azul pushed up his glasses, “Be my guest. If you see any ‘stray fishes,’ be sure to chase them our way. Perhaps they’ll be in need of some directions.”

The words brought a polite smile to Jade’s face and a feral one to Floyd’s own. Floyd dove into the sea, not caring where his clothes may land.

Jade placed a hand over his chest as he said, “Then, I’ll be sure to greet our guests when they come.”

Azul gave a clean clap of his hands, allowing a few, almost giddy chuckles escape him. “Be sure to attend to them. Give them our warmest welcome.”

And in droves they came. In their various blood and ink limbs, pearls the size of heads, glowing magic crystals that can only be collected from the crushing pressure of the bottom of the sea, coins from long lost ships, artifacts that are thought to be only in legends.

How could anyone blame Azul for embracing those gifts?

And how could anyone blame him for his ignorance? It was only natural for Azul to have Jade and Floyd follow this hoard. If he can find the source of their treasures, then he can have these vile creatures focus on other things, on menial chores that never seem to get done.

How was Azul supposed to know that it would take months before they came back?

“Do you regret it at all,” they asked as they wiped a hand over the sand, “making your home this way?”

“Why mourn? What is there to lament?” Azul knew that expression upon the Prefect’s face. “Bear witness to all of my efforts! Of what I…of what we have brought to this dry and empty world. Is it not wonderful?”

If one digs their fingers into the various mounds, they’d find beautiful gold coins. If one dances on the shores, they’ll find many faces, many friends wishing to dance with them.

“It is beautiful. Like an attempt to restore a painting, only for the original vision to be snuffed and covered with the restorer’s own. The attempt is a sight to behold, if only as a reminder of what you, well, all of you can’t do.”

Of course, the designs of those coins were nonsensical. Heads can be tails and tails can be heads. It wasn’t made by human hands. They won’t rust, they’ll simply turn to dust. And those dancers, their faces, features and bodies don’t matter. They don’t exist, they can’t be anyone’s partner. They come forth and fade like a distant dream.

They’ve all existed as something else, this the Prefect knows, but much like everything else, it was all swallowed up and spat back out like noxious bile. Azul called it beautiful.

“…and what would that be, dear friend?”

The last dear friend found a sand dollar, one of the few pieces left of an old world. It is a comfort, knowing what lays in their head wasn’t just an illusion.

“Originality. You cannot make. You cover, warp, and replace.”

They held the sand dollar close, away from the writhing tendrils of ink and rot that wanted to stab at what they missed. And that expression under all that sludge, one would think all of them angry. The bubbles popped and spat out shrapnels of bone.

The Ramshackle Prefect did not move. They continued to admire the sand dollar, not caring for the barrage, not twitching even a bit. And they gained not a scratch.

A large tide, as though picked up by the hands of the wind, rose to lick the clouds before crashing upon the mass unable to exit the ocean. The sea of gold turned back into dark and murky depths, refusing to reflect the sun’s dying rays.

“Once upon a time,” Azul spoke, looking like his human self again, “those sand dollars used to be a viable currency, somewhere.”

“And not any more?” they asked as they tapped it.

“No. What value is there in the perishable?”

“Aren’t all things?” The sand turned smooth and they allowed themselves to relax back.

“Perishable? Of course, at one point in time. But it won’t stay that way.” Azul too sat down. There was no discomfort in the cold waves washing over his shoulders.

“And yet it will persist.” They clipped.

“The sand dollars?”

“Perishing will still persist for all things.” They smiled, as though the thought was comforting.

“Including you and I?” Azul’s voice whispered.

“Including you and I.“ The Prefect’s voice was clear.

“Don’t make jokes like that. We’re here to enjoy the last of this place. Of course the sand dollars are still here. Of course the sun still sets. We’re experiencing the last of the temporary.” He laughed but there was no mirth there.

“Careful there, you’re getting frustrated.” They replied in turn.

“Can it be helped? To imply that all the hard work that’s been done, all the strings that had to be pulled, to imply that somehow or another, that we are temporary? It’s more than a little laughable.”

“Then laugh all you want,” they quietly chuckled, “I won’t turn away from such a fact. I refuse to ignore it, no matter how comforting that would be.”

When Jade and Floyd came back, they brought in seeds and various forms of meat. To Azul’s eye, there was nothing wrong with them, save for the dubiousness of their origins. However, all things are subject to his scrutinizing eye when the Leech brothers bring him anything.

Even so, Azul had full confidence that whatever they brought back would not hurt him or his customers. How could he doubt them after they were missing for months? He was comforted that they came back at all. Of course, he would never say that to their faces, the smile they would give would make Azul want to retreat to the nearest pot.

Soft and squishy, real chewable, that heart of yours.

The Prefect of Ramshackle told him only a few days after Jade and Floyd returned. They weren’t smiling. Azul was still in that state of celebratory high, still falling from that peak of happiness that Azul wasn’t truly alone again. So when the next words left their mouth, he couldn’t keep himself from wrapping his fingers around their neck.

It’s tragic, truly, that they were swallowed and spat back out. Tell me Azul, how do your kind arrange funerals?

He didn’t want to hear it. He had to squeeze their neck to shut them up. Who were they to burden him with these words, to reach into his head and wretch out the guilt that's been buried for days?

It doesn’t matter that Jade and Floyd refuse to say where they’ve been. It doesn’t matter that their heights fluctuate and that their skin was too tight for their bones. It doesn’t matter that the treasure they hauled up grew in their storage like a parasitic fungus over their other things.

It didn’t even matter when Jade and Floyd’s legs one day melted into one another. All that mattered to Azul was that they were back, that they remembered him, and spoke with him.

“…Hello there, Jade. Took you long enough to take interest in this conversation.“

No matter how seamlessly the form may change, it always looked painful when one’s face was swapped with another. It resembled a rapidly growing infection that boiled the skin and changed its color before it finally settled down into a recognizable shape.

“I didn’t think you had it in you to drive him away,” he mused, hand on his mouth as though he was truly shocked, “was his company so grating that you needed another conversation partner?”

“I don’t need one,” they flecked sand at Jade, as though that’ll do anything. In the many faces of one that can corrode a world, their anger will mean nothing, “though, I can’t say you’re wrong. But it’s not as if you’re any better.”

“Then how about me?”

A sharp slice, like a butcher’s knife through fresh meat. Jade was split clean down the middle. The left half fell into the waters, frothing as tainted oil would, before Floyd rose with a sharp grin that had too many teeth to count. Jade’s side oozed out ink, solidified, then he looked like himself again, as though nothing had ever happened.

There’s no need for them to worry about pain. Not ever again.

The Prefect stared, eyes reflecting a soft and dying light, “No matter the face, conversations with you will always be grating. But I am lonely, and I’m a fool that cares too much.”

“Does it really matter though?” Floyd leaned back, giving his arms a good stretch, “It’s not like Jade and I went anywhere. We’re just…”

“Part of an interesting whole,” Jade had his hand over his heart, as though talking about a friend.

“It was gross at first. Hurt a lot too,” and yet, Floyd shrugged, “But eh, don’t really care about it anymore. Nothing much we can do about it anyway.”

The Prefect closed their eyes, giving a low, shaking sigh. There wasn’t even a spirit in there for rebellion.

“This is for the best,” Jade says, “at the time, it was our best chance for survival.”

“Yeah, and in these cold waters, taking the time to weigh the pros and cons will get you killed.” Floyd says.

They hold no lamentations about being seen as one and the same. The truth was made clear to Jade and Floyd that they were two entirely different people. The whispers and sayings of others hold no influence over this singular truth. The little humans can speak all they want, be confused all they want. It provides entertainment to them all the same.

They are twins, but the word was nothing special to them. Unlike humans, children of Jade’s and Floyd’s species are plentiful. They come from a clutch, but only a few are expected to survive. And in order for them to live, they became partners, and only then did they acknowledge each other as twins once the fight was over.

And when they graduated from simply just trying to live another day, they decided they needed to have fun. It’s why Jade and Floyd have taken to Azul so. Though, how they choose to play along with Azul is vastly different.

Floyd wanted something to thrill him. When Azul gave the okay to chase after this hoard he made a contract with, Floyd was hoping to encounter something gross, rotted, like the leftovers of a half-eaten fish. The creatures that left all those gifts moved so slowly and looked so squishy that he really wanted to see how easy they were to tear apart.

Emotionally of course.

Jade, on the other hand, was not interested in messing with Azul’s new henchmen. He’s aware that there are many odd creatures in this world, though to actually bear witness to them was another thing entirely. So, Jade had to watch them. He needed to see their place of rest, how they moved in the sea, and how in the world did they manage to survive for so long when they seem to have no survival skills of their own.

After all, it was the Ramshackle Prefect that found one of their kind.

There was a cave, a yawning opening of one in the middle of flat, undisturbed sand. It had no reason to be there. The stone it was made out of had a texture similar to coral, and yet the currents haven't smoothed it down at all. There was nothing to protect this cave. And yet the various life forms that have been taken in by Azul squeezed into it.

Jade and Floyd went in after them.

They dove into a cave that yawned to no one, with nothing to keep it company.

They swam in a sea that gradually got warmer and warmer as the light faded, as the gentle song of currents slowly faded away.

In that small little twist that had Jade and Floyd swimming downwards, bubbles brushed past their skin. Little flecks of black worms swam up, crawled over them.

Then, they were snared by a gaze, by millions of eyes right at the bottom of that seemingly endless cave. It was bright. It was captivating. It radiated warmth.

And it was lonely. Millions upon millions of different eyes, so many different voices and memories, and yet it was so lonely.

With one simple look, it has shared its longing with Jade and Floyd. Their skin, their head, their spine, their organs and even their blood, all of it felt the weight of loneliness.

All of them became alight with a searing pain, as though they were taken apart and spread across a mountain of salt.

Join, or forever have this body scream for its missing self.

“It hurts, you know? Nobody deserved any of this. And I don’t deserve to be alone.”

“Then, what should we do, to have you join us? Your loneliness hurts to witness. We do not wish hurt upon our kin.”

This monster no longer reflects the faces of anyone the Prefect used to know. It has become the sea, a small part of the sky, and is even infecting the sand they sit upon.

But they do not run. They simply breathed in the breeze. It no longer haunts their lungs.

“…let me enjoy this air, while I still have it,” they want this small mercy, “if I am to gift my memories to the rising tides, I’d rather witness the last bit of what used to be.”

“Then you will join?”

“Then I will join.”

Once the winds have traveled their path, once the sun has closed its brilliant eye, and once all the stars have blinked out of the sky, there will be the sound of the last pair of legs plunging into the ocean.

#twst #twisted wonderland #twst-drabbles #twst-drabbles exclusive #drabble #the world chewed and spat out #octavinelle #eldritch au #zine #horror zine

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