#one of said guys is of a species that used to prey on and eat a canon species. another will actually swallow you as a friendly greeting

[eructophile]

'hey like. You good' I have at least 4 bright pink fan characters with freak sharp teeth (big and small) who can be toyed around to have a *high* prey drive if I'm feeling generous. Yeah man I'm fine this is actually how I'm like every day.

#like theyre all based on predators/things that bite too (velvet worm moray eel ferret and arboreal salamander) #one of said guys is of a species that used to prey on and eat a canon species. another will actually swallow you as a friendly greeting #the other 2 are just me projecting #i could have fun with them. i mean they wouldnt hurt their partners at all but they can tease #copernicium

[brainrotdotorg]

imagine a dashboard for alligators. what do you think that would look like

2 notes

🍏gatoridae Follow

Controversial opinion. If you're doing nothing but eating meat, what are you even doing. Remember to include bugs, fruits, and legumes into your diet in order to help aid digestion of the meat that you get from snakes, fish, and mammals.

Just because we have the reputation for eating lots of meat, that doesn't mean we have to stick to it.

🥒biting-you-biting-you Follow

counterpoint: fuit yucky

🪵blog-from-a-bog Follow

wdym reputation of eating meat. i float lik ea log thats what im known for

4,904 notes

🌿swamp-ass Follow

asked dad if i could go and steal some Floridian guy's lunch and he said "we have prey at home" girl we have been doing shit ALL DAY i am an awesome 600 pounds and I need some meat left on me to deathroll with. let me get a quick snack that i don't need to kill mmmmmmm burgers I want people food soooooo badddd....... i know they shouldn't feed it to me but I have such a lovely smile oh please oh please give me your burger.........

182 notes

🥗aliali-seeyoulater Follow

mom says it was cold the season she laid me so i have to be a girl. because girls are always born from eggs laid during cold seasons.

cope and seethe mother first of all, second of all, the reason i am transgender is because you kept me too fucking snuggly warm in the nest.

#i guess if you wanted a daughter you should have. idk. made a shittier nest? #thats not really my fault man

81,337 notes

⛰fuckyeahhugesnout Follow

You'll never guess how I just learned that we have the honor of being the "loudest reptiles in the world"

🫑teethem Follow

Yeah yeah, the 90 decibel mating bellow, we've all heard it.

🤢ch0mper Follow

we've all heard the what

135,633 notes

🩲gaytorrr Follow

this guy asked if i wanted to see his gator hole and i said fuck yes. why this boy take me into a 65 foot long hole in the mud at the bottom of the lake

6,421 notes

🏞daily-clawsitivity

✨Remember to take it easy sometimes!✨We thrive in slow-moving waters!✨Even though we can run fast, we get tired fast too-- it's okay to let yourself take breaks!✨Let yourself relax, that's how we made it this far as a species.

mud-rocks-deactivated20140706

Yeah, imagine telling your prehistoric great great great great great great great great great great grandpa or something to calm down and relax when he should be doing nothing but deathrolls. the longevity of the species should be your only goal. It's irresponsible to encourage your fucking species to fall behind even more than it already has? Have some pride, you're not a crocodile.

scalesssss-deactivated20150310

jesus christ calm down

alidile-crocogator-deactvated20140709

Okay, this post has a lot of misconceptions in it. There aren't as many differences between crocodiles and alligators than you think. It's really harmful to think that we have nothing in common with each other. So what if they're carnivores and we're closer to omnivores, or their snouts are more U shaped while ours are V shaped. We're both badass miracles of nature that have no reason to be pit against one another all the time.

Don't listen to guys like this. It's just hateful and small-minded.

stop-jawlock-androll-deactivated20140911

crocs are like. like them shoes that float right

wetlandia898 Follow

i wish i was a crocodile because i could have a virgin birth and i wanted to see what it would be like to eat an immaculate conception.

bigchallengesrealblog-deactivated20190412

welcome to the no notes gator/croc discourse post.

🦖l8rg8tr-z Follow

omg this is the post.... i can't believe i would see this naturally on my dash

🎍taildraggers Follow

Uh are we just going to ignore the virgin birth reply orrrrrrrrr

🐊gator-heritage-posts

gator heritage post

0 notes

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Follow

hgwiow h

hsfhjs

howw ws i nbevyrboy tyopingssaog oo vd wi hhrth rh thrre cl alawas ?>>

🌴a-l-g-t-r Follow

lmao this idiot never learned how to use their tail to type

#/j lol yeah its kind of hard at first #actually i'd say cut your losses and forget how to type bring the laptop back to the dumpster its not worth it

39 notes

🐍bellowbellowmygoodfellow Follow

am i fucking stupid. i just learned theres another species of alligator other than just me and the guys in my swamp. and i said "oh wow I didn't know that! which one of the two are we haha" and my buddy just stared at me like I was a fucking idiot. how am i supposed to know if no one ever tells me this . WHICH AM I

🍖meet-eat3r Follow

there are only 70-80 mature chinese gators in existence while there are 750,00-1 million mature american gators . do the math.

🐍bellowbellowmygoodfellow Follow

i could have just hatched you don't know me.

20,570 notes

🍀gatortears Follow

a group of queer gators in church call that a congregaytion

#reblogging this one bc none of you appreciate me

1 notes

👞makemeintoshoesdaddy Follow

I'm seeing the no notes gator/croc post circulate again and ha ha yes it's very funny, but we are NOT starting gator/croc discourse in 2024. lets leave that shit in the past. i know that's not what the post really ended up being about but i am soooooo sick of it.

🌾clawstothewalls Follow

okay, so the one with a fetish for getting turned into handbags is gonna talk down to us now.

👞 makemeintoshoesdaddy Follow

Not to be a pedant but its Shoes Actually. It even says so in the name. Shoes.

2,663 notes

#this post was all an excuse to tell you alligator fun facts #i fucking got you dude. i got you

[i-draws-dinosaurs]

Just saw ur vulture post. Could a dinosaur have a crown like a chicken? If so, which ones are most likely to have this feature?

I feel like chicken combs are one of those things that's so normal to us because we're familiar with chickens that we don't appreciate how wacky looking it is, like this animal's entire face gets turned into a massive billboard of red skin flaps.

As far as I'm aware there's no underlying bone structure that correlates to chickens' combs, so if an extinct dinosaur did have one we wouldn't see it in the fossil record unless it was exceptionally well preserved. That being said, there are a few guidelines that can help make some generally arm-wavey guesses about what may or may not have had them!

For predator species I'd say large brightly coloured billboards on the face are fairly unlikely since across most land vertebrates predators tend to prioritise stealth and blending in. I don't know for sure, but I would guess that more carrion-eating vultures have adornment because they don't need to stay hidden from their food, cause it's, y'know. dead.

Dromaeosaurs are generally though to be predators, although like most predators they probably incorporated scavenging into their feeding patterns and we don't know whether there were any species that specialised as carrion eaters! I have drawn dromaeosaurs with combs or crests before, and I definitely don't think it's an impossible suggestion, but I think it's most reasonable to give them muted colours like with this Saurornitholestes:

I would guess that smaller omnivorous or herbivorous maniraptorans like oviraptorosaurs or small ground birds are more likely candidates to have flashy skin on their faces, although large oviraptorosaurs with bony crests probably didn't also have a comb on top of that.

Something like Avimimus, which was a small oviraptorosaur that likely lived in groups according to a bonebed of at least ten individuals together. Something like a colourful comb or wattles on these guys could be used for social signalling or species recognition:

As far as I'm aware there's next to no skin data for small ornithischians like heterodontosaurids and ornithopods aside from the funky Kulindadromeus scales, but being small, mostly herbivorous, probably quite social animals I can see an evolutionary benefit to bright signalling structures! Alongside oviraptorosaurs, I think small ornithischians like Manidens here are probably the best non-avian analogue to modern ground fowl that have these kinda of wacky skin structures:

So overall. Yeah I think there's potential that Mesozoic dinosaurs could have had a chickenlike comb! Like with modern fowl, it would have evolutionary value to small social species as a display structure, but tradeoffs like being more visible to predators/prey would definitely be in play here.

I mean obviously the tradeoff is worth it in some cases since we get creatures like this walking around on this earth:

Basically my message with all this is like. When doing palaeoart look into what areas are open to speculation, then think about what factors might constrain those!

#dinosaurs #paleoart #paleontology #palaeoblr #id in alt text

[linddzz]

Tell me about corals magic man

oh man this ask keeps sitting here and I keep starting to write stuff out, forgetting it, then never finishing. So since I am still processing tons of coral pics from a recent field work excursion about coral (and have a day off to just CHILL at home before regular work again) this is as good a time as any. CORAL. IT'S IMPORTANT I GUESS BUT WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT? PLANT?? ANIMAL??? OVERAMBITIOUS ROCK??? Yes. kind of. Technically just an animal is correct. Corals are animals, but they are fucking weird animals. Weird in the way that only marine invertebrates can get. I love them because they're freaks. Let me show you.

Corals are a cnidarian, which puts them in the same category as anemones and jellyfish, and when you look at an individual coral polyp you can instantly see the relationship. They are colonial animals with massive structures formed out of polyps that are all clones of each other, and all building a support structure to form the whole, called the colony. An especially cute metaphor I've heard is that each coral polyp has it's own little nook like a room in the massive home they all work to build. A layer of tissue connects polyps to each other over the colony, allowing them to share nutrients and such over the entire structure like little marine communists. These polyps can range widely in size, and they can either be distinctly separate or all fused together, only distinguished by separate mouths. Numbers can also range from millions to a couple species that will have one or polyp mouths max. Polyps can extend out or retract into their little nook, called the calyx, and extend more when the coral is capturing prey from the water.

Lookit those cute little polyps, these guys make their own cubby for themselves!

Don't worry about what I just said about capturing prey and feeding, look at those cute little guys. Some of them are out and some are retracted, showing the little bump where they live.

Fused polyps like on brain corals don't extend exactly, but feeder tentacles will come out from that delineation between the ridge and oral groove. It's actually called an oral groove! Those tentacles are full of the same stinging cells jellyfish and anemones have! One biologist referred to brain corals as a wall of mouths! Ive seen them using those tentacles to slowly drag struggling little shrimps and larval fish towards a slowly opening mouth amongst that wall of mouths! It's like living in a place where at night, the walls open mouths and drag you into them with unthinking stinging strings! Sometimes they just spit out digestive strings to digest stuff outside of their body, like other coral that got too close and needs to check itself! Isn't that great!

A lot of people are surprised to hear "mouths" and "feeding" with corals and yup, corals are animals and therefore they eat! Each polyp has a mouth and tentacles and will extend them to capture prey, mostly zooplankton but also some plant material. Because they're fucking weird though, many species also gain energy via photosynthesis with the help of a symbiotic dinoflagellate called the zooxanthellae or symbiodinium. It's this algae like symbiont that actually gives coral most of their colors. These colors can range from psychadelic to just brown, with regular old browns and greens and yellows being the most common colors (especially in the Caribbean). A bleached coral is still alive, but due to stress has lost their zooxanthellae. They can survive and recover, but in this state they are highly stressed, prone to disease, and can starve slowly without the symbionts helping with their nutritional needs. They appear white or faded because the loss of their symbionts reveals the white calcium skeleton beneath the tissue.

Bleached portion of coral beside unbleached. A dead coral is one that has lost all of it's tissue, and every individual polyp has died, leaving nothing but the skeleton which can no longer grow without the living polyps. Bleached coral is very, very vulnerable to becoming a dead coral.

Unusually high heat is the most common trigger for a bleaching event. And this is where, in my education talks I sometimes do, I pause with a strained grimace of a smile as we all contemplate ocean temperatures hiking up every summer. SO WHY ARE THESE WEIRDASS ROCK ANIMALS IMPORTANT BESIDES BEING COOL TO LOOK AT? Coral structure can be colloquially described as stony or soft. Stony corals are what I work with more, and these guys are the ones that build a hard, calcium based structure as their support building, and these powerhouses are the ones that build the coral reef. Soft corals are what it says on the tin, they may have a sort of support structure that varies amongst families, but it's flexible (you'll see them waving very beautifully and gracefully in the currents) and they (for the most part) do not build the reef. If they do add to reef building it, it's with a very slow process of depositing fine layers. (Soft corals of course have their role in the overall reef health, but reefs are bonkers complicated ecosystems and I'm trying to keep on track here.) When you're looking at the reef, you are looking on centuries, if not millennia, of stony corals building on top of each other. Sometimes this building has been going on for so long that islands are made of fossilized reefs from millions of years ago, with corals that still resemble modern species in the rock. (This is the case of BonAire and blew my goddamn mind seeing the fossil reef it's so fuckin cool.)

Sometimes just a single colony will keep building on itself into massive structures. Polyp clones adding on and on to their predecessors, giving the colony overall a lifespan in centuries. It's thought that some huge colonies may be thousands of years old, because the fastest growing stony corals have a growth rate that may equal centimeters per year.

It's those reef structures of calcium carbonate building up and up that provide the homes to so many other creatures that coral reefs are some of the most biologically diverse, and biologically dense ecosystems out there, like rainforests of the ocean. Even marine life that doesn't live directly in the reefs have a connection to them, using them as feeding grounds, breeding areas, a place to hide while young and vulnerable, ect. They even protect coastlines, acting as a literal barrier that reduces wave damage from storms or just wave action in general. The reef takes the brunt of the physical damage, colonies get knocked around, but the still living polyps keep on building and rebuilding so the reef can go on and not get smashed into rubble every year. That is, if there are still stony corals alive to do the rebuilding. :))))))

So you have these weird animals who build stone structures like cathedrals, have algae in their tissue, live as massive ancient colonies of clones that can eat, photosynthesize, and also reproduce both asexually and sexually. They're able to branch out and do all of that because they are adapted to insanely stable environments. Temperatures don't fluctuate by more than a couple degrees seasonally, tides are consistent, storm seasons are consistent, the water is consistently clear due to lack of algae, which allows sunlight to penetrate and feed the symbionts that feed the coral. Mineral levels in the water are stable so they can take the calcium and carbonate from the sea water to build their skeletons. Without having to be able to adjust to changes in the environment they just went hog fucking wild on all the ways an animal can be an animal.

And here I once again pause with a strained grimace smile as we all take in how they need to be alive to keep building those reefs that support the ocean and the coasts, and how not stable their environment is becoming with new pollutants clouding waters, storms becoming more unpredictable, and waters having bigger temperature swings with hot summer spikes. :)))))))))))

#long post #marine biology #coral reefs #informative #corals are freaks and i love them #i barely touched how theyre freaks i wanted to keep this to a simple 101 guide on what they are and why theyre important #and why they are. not doing too great. #in the grand scheme of the world i believe coral reefs as an ecosystem type will survive #a few species are super hardy #some are more adaptable #in millions of years the ones that made it will eventually find new suitable places to rebuild on the rubble of ruins #but also i would prefer NOT HAVING A CATASTROPHIC EXTINCTION EVENT FOR THEM TO RECOVER FROM OVER A FEW MILLION YEARS THANKS #I WOULD PREFER THAT SORT OF RUIN NOT MAKING LIVES HARDER FOR EVERYONE

[dzamie-oc]

Voretober 08 - Sudden

Length: 1800 words Vore type: Oral vore, unwilling prey, M/F, M/M Fandom: D&D Other info: kobold/human, kobold/elf, digestion, fast digestion, smaller pred Summary: How does a little kobold eat adventurers over twice his size? Very quickly, and they don't last long. Apparently eating is a free action.

Saverin wiped the gnoll blood off of his sword, but kept it out - until he and the others knew they'd found a safe room, it was dangerous to let his guard down so completely. Somewhat luckily, one of the gnolls had gotten blasted through the next door by one of Viera's spells. Saverin stashed his rag and raised his shield as he stepped through the stone-lined doorway.

The group passed through the hallway relatively uneventfully. Garren froze a giant rat that even Elise hadn't seen with their breath; Severin was inclined to think it would've left them alone, but he knew better than to argue with their scaly cleric over their hatred of rodents. And then there was another door, this one intact. Elise slipped past the rest of the group to fiddle with the lock, and with a quick click, she soon pushed it open before retreating behind Saverin's guard.

The room was mostly empty, save for a table with a half-finished game of Solitaire, a few scattered chairs, a visibly empty chest, and a single kobold leaning against a door and spinning a fork in his hands. The kobold in question was better-equipped than Saverin expected of his species, with half a metal helmet over the upper half of his face, a few spiked rings affixed to his tail, and a pair of leather shoes that somehow fit his lizardy feet. Saverin had taken only a couple steps in when the kobold looked up and tossed the fork onto the table. "Oh, you guys made good time. You can't go through, by the way. Dragon says no."

Garren started to say, "does she know that we only seek-" but was swiftly cut off by their other magic-user.

"Well, your dragon's about to learn otherwise! Now stand aside, or I'll be opening that door with your corpse!" The red gem on Viera's staff glowed, menacing.

"She's said she has no patience for more slayers, and granted me speed to fulfill her will," the kobold countered, with no worry in his voice, "so… leave. Or stay here forever, but you aren't going in."

A magical incantation in an equally magical language spilled forth from Viera's lips, and a ball of fire shot from her staff, scorching a decent area around him. A quick glance to the side, and Saverin saw Garren murmur a quick prayer; they couldn't stop their fellows from killing creatures who weren't even defending themselves, but they could at least seek forgiveness on their behalf. Saverin wasn't a religious man, himself, but he understood their plight-

Just then, a strange, muffled shout pulled his and Garren's focus from the scorched and wrecked door. The kobold was just past where Viera had casted from, but their mage was nowhere to be seen - well, that wasn't entirely true; the diminutive lizard rested on a massive gut, scales stretched beyond reasonable to accommodate something over twice his size, even curled up tight. His tail swished slowly, and with arms crossed, the kobold looked out of his helmet at the remaining trio. "Okay. Let's try this again. You can't go in, so leave. Once you do, and this troublemaker apologizes, I'll let-"

Elise struck from the shadows, seeming more like a trick of the light than an elf. "Now, when it can't move!" she shouted, driving her daggers towards the kobold's bloated gut, an easy target.

At least, it would have been, had the kobold not landed a solid kick on her, sending her flying into a wall with a crash that surprised Saverin with its lack of sound. The swordsman tore his eyes away from the horrid scene to the door, or rather where the door used to be. Slowly, he started to creep towards it, though morbid curiosity kept him staring at what the kobold was doing.

At the moment, the kobold was hissing, annoyed. "Look, if you really want to try this, I'd better just…" He rolled back, landing on his feet, and stretched. An awful gurgling and growling echoed in the small, stone room, immediately joined by Viera's screaming. Loud cracking and snapping ensued as, before their very eyes, the lumpy bulk of the kobold's stretched stomach grew rapidly both less lumpy and less bulky, shrinking into a noticeable but much more normal-looking gut. He thumped his chest with his fist a couple times, then opened his scaly jaws to let out a truly massive belch, ridding himself of even that amount of bloat. Saverin figured that, if he'd been next to that monster, his ears would be ringing, and that may be the least of his problems. A wisp of red, magical flame issued from the predator's maw, the only sign that Viera had even been in the room.

"Now then, you wanted to fight?" the lizard challenged, glancing around the room. Elise had once again melted back into the shadows, and it seemed that, for all his speed, the kobold's eyes were normal. Saverin shuffled a little closer to the door, over halfway there…

A pair of knives flew at the kobold from behind; it was only then that Saverin managed to spot the shadowy elf. But only for a moment; the swordsman only barely registered the clatter of metal on stone after a blur of scales seemed to instantly transform the sinewy, stealthy assassin into a much more compact, scaly mass hanging off of the kobold's midsection. This time, he leaned one hand against the wall and put his other hand on his hip, more addressing Elise than the rest of- than Saverin and Garren.

"Really, this could have not happened if you just left, or even didn't atta- AGH, OW!" He stumbled, supporting himself on his oversized gut, and gritted his sharp teeth, muttering curses in Draconic that surely made Garren blush through their scales. "Grraah, you wanna fight like a rat, I'll treat you like one!"

Blanching, Saverin turned and ran; it didn't stop him from hearing Elise's cry cut off, or the sickening crunch of bones shattered even before melting, but he at least didn't have to see it, and maybe he could be around the corner and out of the kobold's-

The next thing Saverin saw was a set of small, but very hungry-looking draconic jaws opened unreasonably wide right in front of his face. He grunted, more from discomfort than pain, as his arms and legs were forced to immediately curl up against him; it even took a couple seconds to realize that he couldn't see anything, and that he'd gone from a cool, slightly damp cave system to a hot, humid, and wet…

Kobold stomach.

Saverin tried to reach for his sword, but it had been either knocked away or was trapped against him where he couldn't reach. Fear gripped him in the deadly, acrid chamber as he realized his hands had already started to tingle, and he desperately hoped it was just a lack of circulation, rather than the kobold doing… well, he didn't want to think about it. To make matters worse, the deadly lizard let out a short laugh over his doom. "Ha! Using your own allies as bait to sneak by? Devious, but my mistress's boons are stronger. Will you finally agree to just leave? I'm running out of lessons to give, not that I mind."

"We aren't here to kill her!" Garren's voice was muffled just as Viera's and Elise's voices had been, but this time Saverin was on the other side of things. "She has twenty-three overdue library books and we're asking for them back! Ideally with the fine, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there."

The kobold is worryingly quiet for a few seconds; Saverin couldn't decide if he wanted this ordeal to hurry up or never reach its inevitable conclusion. Eventually, though, he spoke up, "why didn't the other three say anything?"

"After the giant rats, the slimes, and the gnolls, even I didn't expect you to actually speak."

"Oh. That's… I'm not sorry - those two tried to kill me - but I wish it hadn't happened."

Saverin struggled around, pressing out from within his fleshy prison. "Hey! You can let me out now!"

More silence, save for the disquieting gurgle of his captor's guts shifting around. "Uhh… surely this can be done with just one person? And I'll just… keep him until you get back, just in case you secretly plan to try to kill my mistress! It'll be twice as hard with only one person!"

Even through the kobold's belly and scales, Saverin heard Garren's sigh. "KOBOLD," they said, with a severity to their voice. The rest of their words was in Draconic, so the trapped swordsman could only hope the cleric knew what they were doing.

"Y- of course, O Dragon," the kobold said, in a much shakier voice than before. And then, he moved.

Saverin had to squint his eyes against the instant re-existince of light. He coughed and sputtered, getting the stale and sharp air out from his lungs and the kobold drool and stomach juices from his mouth. Shakily, he stood and shambled over to his dropped sword, immediately sheathing it just in case the kobold thought it a good excuse. And speaking of the kobold, the swordsman turned to see him kneeling on the floor before Garren. Saverin did his best to shake off his wet clothes and armor, then turned to the cleric, himself. "Uh… thanks, Garren. I'm pretty sure you just saved my life."

Garren awkwardly rubbed their neck. "Don't mention it, please. I panicked. I should've talked him out of it, rather than…" they trailed off, then gestured to the deferent kobold. "Anyway, are you well enough to continue? We can rest here, if you need time."

Saverin shook his head. "I can go. The sooner I get a proper bath and a proper bed, the better." Rolling his shoulders, he continued on through the doorway, and Garren followed soon after.

"When you return, may I eat him again?" the kobold called out to them, "I'll let him go, I swear!"

Saverin heard Garren's footsteps stop, and turned to see them thinking for longer than he'd like, settling on "only by his permission, and ending by the earlier of his or my request."

"Thank you, O Dragon! Good luck on your quest!"

As they walked down the final stretch to the dragon's chambers, Saverin shot the cleric a glare, to which they meekly shrugged. "I… don't like telling them outright no. So you get to. Sorry." A sudden weight came to their scaly features, and they let out a deep sigh. "When next we rest, I will perform rites in memoriam of Elise and Viera."

Saverin grumbled. "This would never have happened if the damned dragon - no offense - just read her stupid mail."

#voretober #dnd #d&d #kobold #elf #vorefic #unwilling prey #v.ore #v/ore #human #digestion #kobold pred #human prey #elf prey #writing #writers on tumblr #text

[dirty-bosmer]

Tell me about the fish you saw snorkeling please :)

Oh my GOD I nearly burned my self with my coffee when I saw this. Thank you so much for asking, but also you've opened the flood gates because it just so happens I am about to dump so many fish on you. While I primarily study freshwater fishes, I am a lover off all things aquatic, so here we go (all these images are from the internet):

Parrot fish galore and HUGE ones at that. The biggest one I saw looked like this. I don't know my scarids very well, but I do know that I saw a bumphead parrotfish. So funny looking. I was honestly surprised by how all the fish out there are CONSTANTLY nipping at the corals, but the current was pretty strong so we all had to swim a lot. It makes sense that they always need to be eating. I had no idea life on the reef was so turbulent

A lot of acunthurids. No blue tangs but plenty of brown ones and some unicorn tang! The ones I saw had really small humps.

So the common name for acunthirds is surgeonfishes because they have these sharp, blade like spines on their caudal peduncle called a scalpel. You can see it a bit more clearly on the Clown Unicornfishes (which were my fave cause the colors were so bright). Here they're the bright orange processes near the tail.

Wrasses. SO many wrasses. We saw birdnose wrasses with their long snoots, moon wrasses that were as colorful as rainbow lorikeets. My favorite were the cleaner wrasses following all the big parrotfish around and eating their ectoparasites,

I saw a moray!! That was the most unexpected find for me. I was the only one in my group to see one, but it was so far out that the crew working the sailboat had to call me back in 😅 It was brown and spotted black and looked just like this guy. I didn't actually see his head, but I saw his long long body. He was huge!!

Some gobies hiding in their holes. Apparently some species of goby have a mutualistic relationship with shrimp. The shrimp digs a series of tunnels in the sand and the goby stands sentinel at the entrance. The shrimp then maintains contact with the goby with its long antennae so that it knows if the goby moves or startles when predators are nearby.

The goatfish was probably my second favorite find after the moray because I had no idea they were out there. Goatfish have two long chin barbels covered in tastebuds that they use to probe along the sand in search for prey. They are quite dextrous barbels too. They flick em around so fast!

I got stung by something! it whipped me across the face pretty much 20 minutes into the water and it felt long and filamentous so i thought maybe it was some stray strand of anemone or jellyfish with active nematocysts. The crew member said it was likely a small jelly so woohoo! I got stung by a jelly on the great barrier reef :D

Triggerfish. Iw as hoping to see more tetraodonotiforms like puffers or filefish or a cowfish maybe, but I'm glad I still got to see at least one representative of the order cause they are among the most bizarre groups of fishes

This Moorish Idol that looked exactly like Gill from finding nemo

Lemonpeel angelfish, bluegirdle angelfish, emperor angelfish, you name it.

a lot of chaetodontids too. As I said, I don't study marine fishes so all the butterfly fishes looked so similar to me XD most of them were some combination of white, yellow, and black with their characteristically tall bodies and narrow snouts.

Giant clam!!! THEY WERE SO BIG. And so colorful. The movement of their spiracle truly hypnotized me.

Alright. That's all I got time for at the moment, as I need to pack and head up to the rainforest for the last leg of my trip. I'm sure I have forgotten dozens of fish already XD Thank you for attending my show and tell and for expressing interesting. Truly, I'm living any biologists dream rn, and I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity to visit such a beautiful part of the world 🥲

#asks #personal #great barrier reef

[lynaferns]

I was thinking about my BIOMáquina AU, and it's a DCA centric story, the others animatronics exist in the AU but won't be present (probably).

But I thought about how would be a story about the main band and how would I add Bonnie with the new lore dropped by the dlc and I got some funny ideas if you want to read them

VVV

Ok so, biomáquinas (máquina = machine, I just like more how it sounds in Spanish :P) are these robots with hyper realistic look and feeling, they are machines with real functioning organs made out of actual metal components, converted into organic. They can bleed, eat, but also can modify and replace their parts.

Fazbear Entertainment was looking for the most real feeling they could give to their animatronics and started experimenting with biotechnology.

Well their experiments made the animatronics be TOO real. One day they found a BIOMáquina Bonnie prototype being brutally ripped apart by a BIOMáquina Monty and someone said:

"Who the fuck decided that it was a good idea to experiment with all the animatronics in the same place when we are using real animals DNA?! We literally have predators next to preys! For God's sake-!"

And so they separated the animatronics in different facilities. I imagine a conversation where two employees discuss how to make them meet each other because they are supposed to be a group and friends. Something like:

"Ok- so... Monty needs A LOT of training yet so we can't introduce him to the rest. Roxanne and Freddy are a maybe but- still- we can't be so trustful that another incident won't happen"

"I think Freddy would be good to go and meet Chica and the next Bonnie"

"Why Freddy?"

"I mean... You know that we are using actual animal DNA... And that bears are extinct, well- the specie Freddy is based on is, so... The lab guys discussed about- if using a mix or so of other bear species... And they ended up giving him a mix with dog DNA"

"...What?"

"Yup"

"Really?"

"He barks sometimes, but it turned out great for training! They tryin' to do the same with Roxy... but eeeeehh... she's having an attitude towards it"

This was funny in my head, I'm also sleep deprived (sorry if my English here is bad)

Take this as an explanation of why in the main story there's no glamrocks appearances, haha.

#maybe one day I'll design them as biomáquinas who knows #lyna rambles #fnaf au #biomáquina au #fnaf dca #fnaf glamrock chica #fnaf glamrock freddy #fnaf roxy #fnaf monty #fnaf glamrock bonnie

[dangans-ur-ronpas]

some world-building stuff for my danganronpa monsters and mythics (mnm) au

long post below vvv i should space this out to different posts but i dont want to. so.

society stuff:

there are nonsentient 'monsters', as in, non-human creatures that are so rare in human populated areas or are hard to be perceived by humans due to magic, they end up being considered myths

re: above point, these creatures may either be wild or cultivated like livestock for sentient species (i.e: harpies raising pegasi specifically for meat)

all species mostly have their own societal structure. there are cases where there may be cross-interaction between different species, but most of the time humans are excluded from these

re: above point, not all interactions are neutral or have good intentions. i.e: vampires and werewolves have traditionally feuded, humans have been preyed upon by kitsunes and harpies

humans have been considered one of the weakest and 'the most paranoid' species, given how so few humans can use magic compared to other species

humans in general have a hard time mixing with other species. most of them can't perceive or understand magic so it becomes a strange and unnatural concept, which creates a sense of fear. only in modern times has there been attempts to integrate humans to nonhuman society

the official title of 'monster-hunter' is a purely human concept. traditionally hunters were used to eradicate non-human creatures for the sake of protecting humans, nowadays they try to settle issues between humans and non-humans and only resort to violence when necessary

monster-hunters are also tasked with minimizing contact between non-human creatures and human populations and preventing spread of knowledge. this is both intended as 'a way to protect humans' and also 'a way to protect the profession'

(most monster-hunter organizations suck btw they're like the cops of this world. but solitary hunters exist and they can either be like vigilantes or. cop +)

hope's peak academy traditionally has taken in exceptional students of different species, excluding humans, though it has had human instructors

latest class of hpa has, on jin kirigiri's instruction, numerous students of partial or entire human descent. specifically, this year's class aimed to recruit students who have some link to humans, whether by bloodline or just living in human societies

it's kind of like 'mairimashita! iruma-kun' where it's a bunch of demons of different races with different abilities and cultures all living under one roof and then there's one human guy who can't do magic or fly or anything (makoto)

cultural stuff:

many species carry the belief of consuming something and gaining its power. some species will make it a ritual thing, i.e: a dragon eating another dragon's heart to gain strength and magic, a vampire drinking another vampire's blood to symbolize dominance/transference of power and title

the implications and potential taboo of eating sentient creatures of other species varies. traditionally, this sort of thing was fine and normalized - nowadays, especially in places with many different species residing, it's less accepted to hunt others for the sake of eating

with that said, among nonhumans it's considered a sign of friendship/love/trust to give someone permission to eat you if you die

kinda like beastars i guess but the instinct to hunt or be hunted isn't as big a factor or an obstacle for cross-species interactions

similarly, some monster-hunters groups will take trophies as a symbol of growing stronger or use nonhuman parts as tools. some will even eat what they hunt - this is usually less smiled upon among non-humans because it's considered killing for the sake of killing, and disrespecting the dead

the word humans use for nonhumans is 'monster', but all other species usually also have a word to refer to 'everyone else'

cross-hybrids, especially with humans, are usually inclined to have some genetic troubles because of it. because of that they are usually shunned and disregarded - the same goes for those who grow too fond of humans

humans in general are considered weak, ignorant and needing to turn to trickery and dishonorable methods to make up for their general lack of magic. hence another reason intermarriage with humans is frowned upon

not a small amount of species have and will hunt humans for sustenance. several have evolved to specialize to hunt humans

monster-hunters will sometimes use another human as bait. because of moral concerns, nowadays monster-hunters mostly use human-like artificial beings instead. but now there's conflict on whether this is ethical, as making a convincing artificial human requires the parts of other humans

humans are the most populous species on the planet. because of this, the spread of human cultures may end up drawing from or adding to the cultures of the other populations around them (i.e: legends and myths about various species may influence how that species chooses to portray itself around humans)

some species may choose to live among humans to take advantage of them, to consume them or otherwise

re: above, because of this there is also a lot of linguistic 'borrowing' between species. i.e: species that reside in japan might communicate in japanese or a language derived from that. vice versa, many human languages have words, characters, phrases etc that might be borrowed from nonhuman languages

#dgr mnm au #danganronpa #can u tell i have no idea how to start these kinds of au posts. i'm just going off vibes #i was working from home earlier today and. my manager was also not working. and. i was not doing Anything #i mean i was trying to work but i also had to catch a flight in a few hours so..... #calling this 'monsters and mythics' bc it sounds like dungeons and dragons and no other reason #the term 'monsters' will go from makoto using it to describe people negatively to a term of affection for those who are considered misfits #among humans and nonhumans alike. due to their outstanding ability and strange behaviors #if anythign in this au seems off-color or not cool please let me know #im not specifically basing any dynamics here off of anything irl this is mostly from. beastars. dungeon meshi. marimashita iruma kun #i'll make a master post for this at some point sure

[catabibaz0n]

GOT BUGS ON MY BRAIN- sort of, these guys are bug adjacent!

Do you remember how I was talking about the bug people and how they look and just YEET themselves out of there beautiful cities every now and then? Sometimes it’s because of these motherfuckers!!! Introducing to you the horrible nasty no good slug people. Now they’re not really horrible nasty… as long as you don’t take into account that their primary source of food, and their whole society is based off of infiltrating, hiding inside of, and eating bug people inside of their hives!!!

MORE STUFF ON THESE PEEPS UNDRE THE CUT!!!

These little buggers are Apex predator slugs ready to throw down and eat you alive if you are a bug. They are a highly intelligent and adaptable, consummate infiltrators and mimics. Their favorite method of hunting is to seize a wandering individual from the hive, using their many limbs to hold down their prey, while they use their internal tendrils -which are equipped with sharp nasty pointy bits- to put down said victim! and cleaning out soft delicious yummy bits, and then wearing them as a disguise to enter a hive! Hiding amongst the soldiers and workers as a member of their society, while they slowly pick off more and more individuals, spending years hidden, feeding off one population.

These guys usually work in very small groups; usually two individuals up to a maximum of five of the slugs will live in one hive sharing a hunting ground and sometimes working together depending on the situation. Slug on slug violence is extremely rare. Usually these people are very peaceful when it comes to their own species, and foster close bonds between family groups and other individuals. When it comes to kids they usually have a minimum of 3 at a time. The baby slugs will spend the first few months of their lives being carried inside a special pouch of one of their parents’ mouths. Once they’ve grown too large to be hidden inside said pouch, they will cling to their parents backs or fronts underneath their bug disguise!

The bug people and the slug people have evolved in tandem in an almost arms race, the bugs coming up with new ways to biologically and societally try to get rid of the slugs, where the slugs, biologically and societally come up with ways to continue eating the bugs! Because of this the bug people have a toxin that goes through their entire body through a system of veins, very similar to the circulatory system. When a bug is a young these are very small and impossible to be removed and make children and young adults within the bug people impossible for the slugs to eat, so they must eat mature adults. So, when you have a group of little baby slugs, this exoskeleton is far too large for just one baby slug, so you need to have multiple babies in one exoskeleton - essentially ‘three kids in a Trenchcoat’, with the addition of predatory murder and eating the victim afterwards. The slug babies will work together to learn how to hunt and mimic, riffing off of one another to improve their skills and form strong bonds.

As they grow older, they will separate into their own exoskeletons before eventually moving into soldiers, whose exoskeletons are larger, for the space. This process usually takes decades of their lives. They can fit into small spaces much like a octopus, but eventually they will have to move into larger exoskeletons to be able to keep piloting their bug suits effectively.

Eventually they will grow out of being able to fit into even the soldiers’ exoskeletons; most commonly these individuals choose a city, and remain in the bowels of the city in hibernation until a bug colony will consider the city clean of any slug or fungal infection, and move back in; they will use their long tendrils to ensnare and grab their prey and eat them from below. Some very clever and talented hunters will take the exoskeletons of queens to hunt.

After the first queen kill, and their new exoskeleton has been donned, a slug’s hunting style becomes very different when they attempt this particular feat, considering that they then must go to a new hive, convince the soldiers to let what appears to be a “strange queen” into the hive, and then assassinate and devour the queen of the colony, a large enough feeding that they can go for long periods of time between each meal. Since they cannot replicate or mimic a queen’s ‘router’ like telepathic abilities, the slug is working on a time limit before they are discovered once they are safely inside of the hive; once they get into the Queen’s chamber, they will attack, kill her as quickly as possible before the guards can arrive, and then flee!!!!!

#cut bugs #bug race #d&d #dungeons and dragons #HERE WE GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! #after I’m done flushing out these bastards I’m going to fucking do some fungus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEEEEEEEE #bug people

[cloudcountry]

Ok, I've got three funky fishies for you!

First is the snailfish! Specifically the deep sea snailfish.

It was found at a depth of around 8,336 meters (scientists also physically caught two other specimens at around 8,022 meters) found around August 2022

Info online is a little questionable, as I'm sure you know, but I'm pretty ( I wouldn't bet money on it as only one article said so) sure these are juvenile. These guys are called the Liparidae scientifically, which is classified within the order Scorpaeniformes. Snailfish prey can be grouped into six main categories: gammarid, krill, natantian decapods, other crustaceans, fish, and others. It really just depends on how big these weirdos are.

Next little weirdo on the list: deep sea batfish

They feed on invertebrates, bivalve molluscs, sea spiders, brittle stars, starfish, and worms.

It's about 39 cm, and it can be found at a depth of about 45-1300m

Look at him! Like a little dumpling, I wanna eat it!

Fishie number 3!: Fluffy sponge crab

The new species, Lamarckdromia beagle, belongs to the Dromiidae family. Of course, it was found in Australia (western). commonly known as sponge crabs, crustaceans in this family fashion and use sea sponges and sea squirts for protection. They trim them using their claws and wear them like hats!

No, you can't eat them :(

The sponge crab is a scavenger, eating dead plants and animals that it comes across (at least they recycle!)

the sponges help the crabs to camouflage from predators such as octopi and other crabs.

Hope you enjoyed learning a little (hopefully correct) info about these guys as I did!

OMGGG I LOVE FINDING STUFF THAT GROWS ON CRABS BACKS!!! ITS SUCH A COOL LITTLE THING NATURE MADE UP AWHWAHAWHHAWHAW

also that batfish really does look like a dumplings :O

#THANK YOU COLE :D #auburn's fish market <3 #🐚! cole

[lord-radish]

I made a post about rarepairs on another website the other day. That led into a more in-depth thought about shipping and stuff which I'll turn into another post, right now I just wanna be cringe and share my goofy underappreciated ships.

I'll start with the more wholesome one. It's a ship between Tekken characters - Lili de Rochefort and Leo Kliesen.

Lili is an aristocrat from Monaco with a long-standing rivalry with another character, Asuka Kazama. Leo is an interesting character, they were introduced to be intentionally androgynous and their gender presentation has flip-flopped over the years. Harada has apparently said that Leo is AFAB, but they've also been called "he" a bunch of times by canon sources and the current stance is that Leo's gender is entirely up to the player. They can wear multiple pieces of gender-locked customisation gear, and in Tekken 6 they were prey to both male and female grabs. There's a convincing case for Leo being a trans man, though I hem closer to nonbinary.

So my ship headcanon is that Lili's in a weird place regarding her rivalry with Asuka. She's been raised rich and privileged, and she's not entirely comfortable with queerness? So thinking about queerness in relation to herself has this weird dissonance to it. She's in denial and she's not ready to face the question.

So she's at a ball or an event or something, and she's swept up by this charming German guy named Leo. They dance, they eat, they have a good time - and from there they start seeing each other. Leo's a dashing sort of fella and they go on a bunch of dates.

Eventually, Leo tells Lili that they're non-binary. Lili needs some time to think about it - they continue the date, because Lili still really likes Leo, but it comes back to that homophobic upbringing and that dissonance she feels about her sexuality.

It takes a little while. She never really stops seeing Leo - she's a bit distant, but she wants to move through it because she likes them and being with them makes her happy. She thinks about it a lot, writes it down, really evaluates her relationship with Asuka and hones in on the ins and outs of all that - and she comes out the other side realising her attraction to masculine and feminine qualities. She wouldn't mind dating a handsome fella, and she's attracted to women too. And while it's early days, she likes Leo. They're a handsome person, and they both cut quite a figure. What's not to like?

The next rarepair is much less wholesome and much less nuanced. It's another fighting game rarepair - Baraka and Skarlet from Mortal Kombat.

Baraka is the king of a monster race called the Tarkatans. He has big, sharp teeth and arm-blades, and his people capture and consume other species alive. They have traditions like the Flesh Trade and Meat Pits.

Skarlet is a blood witch:

Trust me, it was NOT EASY to find a GIF that was this tame. She uses blood weapons and blood projectiles, she rains blood, she uses her blood, the opponent's blood - seriously, this is the tamest GIF I could find.

So this is sort of a Peter Griffin/Lois situation, sure. It's not a "serious" ship in the same way I've thought out the Leo/Lili ship. But there is a jokey, kiiiiiiinda flirty line of dialogue between them in the pre-match banter? She says she misses Baraka's camps because blood is everywhere.

So this is more like, Skarlet wants blood from a stone and Baraka's just the guy to give it to her. He's crazy and stabby and brutal, and she'll like suck the blood out of a guy, turn it into a bloodsicle and pin him to the ground. I dunno, it's silly.

#tekken #mortal kombat #tw: blood

[auroragothcs]

TWs and CWs: Mentions of violence, injury, cannibalism, human experimentation, disordered eating, recreational herbs and detachment to a sense of self.

| Il Dottore Headcanons (pt.1).

1. Dottore is so used to bitter and sour tastes thanks to his constant consumption of coffee and pills that he grew to have a major sweet tooth.

2. Autistic because I am and I said so.

3. Probably queer too but he either put too much thought into it to the point where he overcomplicated things and "exhausted his options" or just doesn't care enough to figure it out.

4. He relies heavily on supplements to stay healthy as he struggles with maintaining his appetite, sometimes forgetting to eat.

5. The role of one of the most essential harbingers is more of a burden than an honor for him as the pressure and responsibility make him burnout very quickly but he feels as though he couldn't possibly achieve as much as he has without an Archon by his side so he endures.

6. As a child Dottore would eat pretty much any plant he found, getting sick more often than not and still coming back to try a new species, this habit carried onto his adulthood as well.

7. His bedhead is very fluffy and soft, so much so that one of his lazier clones got nicknamed "Sheep" for giving up on taming it and just living with the messy look.

8. Dottore is almost a natural at dancing but finds it far too bothersome and tiring.

9. He has eaten sand and dirt out of curiosity and was absolutely disgusted, ate it again while traveling to a different country to "compare samples".

10. He rubs the back of his neck when he feels awkward but tugs at his fingers if he's embarrassed.

11. Hands and arms have chemical burn scars from acids melting through his gloves and clothes.

12. He's not close to any of his fellow harbingers and would usually rather be anywhere when he's around them, as far as he's aware they're not too different either.

13. Extremely skilled with his hands, be it with handling tools or writing reports to the Tsaritsa with beautiful calligraphy.

14. He rarely finds himself interested in anyone -be it of a platonic or romantic nature- but if he does it soon ends up with the poor bastard being taken to his lab as he tries to figure out just how and why that person caught his attention even though they never reciprocate.

15. Chronic back, neck and wrist pain from poor posture and continuous repetitive movement while taking notes.

16. Hates veggies with all his soul, the clones like to prank each other with it by making it so the veggies look like something else.

17. Being called "young" is far too similar to being called "underdeveloped", "naive" and "stupid" to him, he's very resentful of anyone who sees him as such.

18. He doesn't mind quiet company while he works, which is why he keeps a clone that turned out to be selectively mute around, they're both comfortable enough around each other to at least have no awkwardness.

19. Dottore sees his scars as something to be ashamed of as they all come from moments where his work failed or from when he was unable to protect himself.

20. A clone once slapped Prime awake and the glare that the poor guy received was enough for him to bolt away, the others nicknamed that glare the "prey stare" as it made nearly anyone under it want to flee.

21. He's either overworking himself into the next collapse or collapsing into his next work spree, no in-between.

22. He doesn't mind and accepts that he'll always get dirty when working on his test subjects but he stops and rushes to clean himself fully as soon as something gets on his face or hair.

23. Very fast reader and incredible when it comes to condensating information in a cohesive manner, the Tsaritsa trusts him to filter through some of her own paperwork because of this.

24. Well-moisturized hands since his scars can affect his mobility and become uncomfortable easily.

25. His legs and core are quite strong since he focused on evasion and footwork over strength and fighting skills.

The posts regarding this list will be simply copy-and-pasted in order to focus on pumping out new ones, hope it's not an issue!

#V Dottore hcs #fatui harbingers #fatui headcanons #harbinger headcanons #genshin impact #genshin headcanons

[sonicasura]

Stonewearer

If anyone noticed me using Stonewearer, in this Jim 10 post... Well I thought why not expand on it?

What is a 'stonewearer'? Basically the troll's version of a mimic, specifically a mix between boo hag and skinwalkers. Boo hags are mythical creatures that come from Gullah culture. Similar to vampires but they on a person's breath and steals a person's skin to wear for stealth purposes. Skinwalkers are witches from Navajo culture who possess, turn into or disguise themselves as animals.

Back onto stonewearer, they're known as stone eaters that feed on any rock material. This especially includes trolls since their hide has the second largest source of nutrition, only being out beaten by geodes. Stonewearers don't eat Heartstones so ones they get from said prey are planted in the ground.

Why? Well, stonewearers believe that these small Heartstones fragments can be used to restore ones found in troll settlements. They are buried in magic pockets, areas chock full of mystical energy only seen by stonewearers. Over time the fragments would absorb the natural magic and become Healer Stones. Healer Stones are crystals with powerful rejuvenating properties but also been rumoured to be the key to healing magic.

Now it quite easy to identify these 'troll boogeymen'. Stonewearers are a mix between living stone, plant life from kelp to ivy, and finally flesh usually a blend of various animals but sometimes humans. This weird composition is where their name comes in.

Stonewearers take the hides of trolls and wear them. Once a small piece is all they need as the stone hide on their body expands to form an entire false skin. A disguised Stonewearer is completely indistinguishable from an actual troll. This disguise can mimic every species as long as an individual has eaten a piece for the one they want to mimic.

There are a few tells though. Stonewearers can't stand to eat particular herbs like rosemary. Just a tiny bit is enough to make one vomit and a large bunch can lead to incapacitation. They like to eat Gaggletacks as iron is in their diet. Final tell is stonewearers can't stand wool socks. No one knows why but some speculate it's in the transition process for the wool.

Stonewearers are considered an myth as the War For The Surface Lands had driven a large chunk of magical beings into hiding. Albeit there have catalogued disappearances that can attributed to these troll eaters but yet to be proven. Even in present, more cautious trolls believe Stonewearers still exist.

If anyone is wondering... Yes, Stonewearer hybrids are indeed possible. Humans and ironically trolls are quite compatible but they usually lean over to the former. These cases aren't really taboo however there are some stonewearers whose disapproval can be lethal for both parties.

Human/stonewearer hybrids accidentally contribute to the prejudice against Changelings! The reason being they can disguise themselves as human so trolls assume their altered kin share a similar preference for troll flesh. Troll/Stonewearer hybrids don't really eat any trolls unless facing starvation. It's mainly cause their diet has greatly expanded that they don't need to.

If you guys want to try a hand at this then go ahead! Just make sure to tag the page here so it's easier for other people to access! Why not add some more worldbuilding to Tales of Arcadia's troll side?

That's all I have for now! Until next time folks, I'll see you back in Arcadia!

#sonicasura #tales of arcadia trollhunters #toa trollhunters #trollhunters #tales of arcadia #toa #worldbuilding #stonewearers #tales of arcadia series #free prompt #fan lore

[kariachi]

Kelpie Thoughts for my AUs

Out-of-Town Kelpies: more commonly hunt for their food, prefer sapients if they can get ‘em since they’re their natural prey but are perfectly willing to take large livestock or wildlife if push comes to shove, will come into town and purchase meat (for a faerie’s idea of purchasing) if necessary, generally when the hunting is shit or the water’s frozen over

In-Town Kelpies: mostly purchase their food (for a faerie’s idea of purchasing), will turn to hunting if they get hungry enough, are more likely to eat a person when hunting than rural kelpies just because that’s what’s there

All Kelpies: don’t generally travel far from their chunk of running water once they’ve claimed one, are magically drawn to water- while they don’t need access to it they get very uncomfortable and antsy after too long out of it, never hunt far from a body of water and never without a straight shot to it, do always pay for food they buy but how varies (sometimes you get cash, sometimes you get cattails, sometimes you get gold, sometimes you get blessed, it all depends on the individual and circumstance and such) as well as whether their payment covers the worth of the item, in-town kelpies are more likely to cover costs that out-of-town kelpies but out-of-town kelpies tend to overpay by far more

There are laws in place to standardize what’s considered murder from a kelpie, given they’re literally the natural predator of three of Earth’s native sapients and also possibly closely related to Greater Dragons though scientists are still working on that shit (taur, naga, kelpies, all species scientists are going ‘just how close to the dragons are you, on an evolutionary scale?’). It’s generally accepted that for a hunt to not constitute murder the kelpie must 1) actually eat the fucker, if you don’t eat them and it wasn’t self defense it’s murder, 2) not have prior association with the individual, because at that point the benefit of the doubt gets shaky, 3) avoid targeting impaired individuals, no grabbing the drunk guy just in case somebody else is trying to use a bitch to commit murder, and 4) drown the individual in the kelpie’s river/stream/creek or in an artificial body of water on property owned and posted as such by said kelpie. Makes hunting more of a bitch, but since most kelpie either live alone out in the wilderness or are hitting the butcher instead it’s not really much of an issue.

“But Achi, why-” People realized that the totally-not-fae predators would start laying nasty curses if you just tried to arrest any old fucker who ate somebody for murder, but if you got some more-or-less fair rules down they’d roll with it and generally accept punishments.

Kelpies grant a damn fine blessing, but also a mean-ass curse when they want to. The big stuff isn’t normally worth putting in the magic, but minor powers have risen and fallen in the shadow of a kelpie.

Waterside safety is a much bigger discussion and often includes “do not approach/keep a respectful distance from strangers around running water”.

From most to least common, Earth native sapients in the standard centaur au- Humans - Taur - Kumari - Kelpies - Naga/Greater Dragons (population of the latter unknown) - Lemurians

#''ms barclay? oh wonderful woman sweet kids. one of them cursed jake to get a splinter every time he climbs the tree out back yes #but we took them a roast when poor jean was sick last month and dad's cough cleared up within a week. he's had that thing for *years* now.''

[zaph1337]

Monster Hunter Rating 40: Green Plesioth, the Tide

The first time I talked about the original Piscine Wyvern, I was thoroughly impressed by its nature as a shark dragon, and at the time, it was my favorite monster design. Now, that place is taken by the Azure Rathalos (not the MHW design, though), but is this Plesioth subspecies a contender for the spot? Well, probably not, ‘cause it’s not blue, but green’s probably my second favorite color, so things’ll work out fine in the end. Let’s see what the Green Plesioth brings to the table!

(How it appears in Monster Hunter Freedom)

(How it appears in Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate)

Appearance: I was already very much a fan of the normal Plesioth design, and the addition of a vibrant green is a huge improvement! Based off some in-game pictures of it on the wiki, especially for Frontier, they look even cooler in the games, and it looks like I’ll be able to use Green Plesioth in Stories 2, which is awesome! Not that that has anything to do with the appearance grade, but still! Also, just like normal Plesioth, these guys are freaking huge, and now that I’ve watched people on YouTube fight it, I have a picture to put numbers to, and thassa big picture. These things just look imposing, though I’ll admit they look pretty goofy when the leap onto land. Still, 10/10.

Behavior/Lore: In the review for Plesioth, I was exasperated by the fact that, despite being so well-adapted for life underwater that they practically rule such environments, they couldn’t actually breathe underwater. The Green Plesioth seems to lean further into this contradiction, as despite maintaining their status as the top dogfish in aquatic environments, they prefer to go ashore to hunt, which is the opposite of what normal Plesioth do. In MH3U, this is likely because they have to compete with Leviathans like Lagiacrus for dominion of such areas, but from what I can tell, normal Plesioth have to deal with such monsters, too. Green Plesioth also go on land when they’re enraged, rampaging around until the object of their ire is past-tense. Finally, much like their cousins, Green Plesioth love eating frogs, making the hapless amphibians the perfect bait for hunters that want to bag a shark dragon to brag about.

There’s not a whole lot here besides what Plesioth normally do, though the fact that Green Plesioth prefer dry land as hunting grounds is interesting, if a bit confusing. Sure, the presence of monsters like Lagiacrus would give them a good reason to stray away from their usual haunts, but normal Plesioth face the same problems, and they’re still mostly waterborne. There’s something I’m missing here, but I just don’t know what it is. 6/10.

Abilities: Disappointingly, Green Plesioth doesn’t seem to have any abilities the normal species doesn’t have. They’re supposedly more precise with their water jets, but that’s it. I guess the fact that they spend more time on land means that they won’t stick to the water and try to hit you from afar, which would be a relief, but that’s still not an ability--it’s just a different strategy, and one that leaves Green Plesioth more vulnerable to non-projectile weapons. That being said, having the normal Plesioth’s toolkit still makes it a very formidable foe, so I’ll be generous and give it a 6/10.

Equipment: Now, this is where things get good! I already loved the aesthetic of the normal Plesioth weapons, so adding a vibrant green to them should make them even better, right? Let’s find out, starting with this Long Sword from MH3U, the Verdant Splash:

This is really interesting to me, because it reminds me of the Long Swords that were really scythes, but it doesn’t actually commit to being a true scythe. I also compared it to the normal version, the Plesioth Splasher, and I definitely like this one more, especially since the fins are blue instead of orange. Next up are Dual Blades from the same game, the Jade Plesioth Fans:

“Dual Blades made from jade webbing like an angel's gown. Enamored prey is cut down without mercy.” Looking at them for myself, I’d certainly get distracted by these beauties. Can you imagine if that actually happened to the monsters you fought, though? It’d be hilarious. Back on topic, these are great, and actually aren’t just recolors of the normal Plesioth Fans: the spines on these are longer. It’s a small touch that adds to the notion that these are superior to the originals. Let’s cap the weapons off with the Leviathan Gunlance (render from MHFG):

The flavor text from MH3U says this is “A Gunlance that is Plesioth personified. Its shells can quell roaring tsunamis.” A cool description for a cool-looking weapon! I love the way the fin almost spirals around it, giving it a cone shell look that works great for an aquatic-themed weapon. The shield looks a little...impractical, but so does most of the equipment in this series. Speaking of which, it’s time to take a look at the armor, starting with the Blademaster Armor from MH3U:

Y’know, I get that the “helmet” is meant to look like it’s made from Green Plesioth scales, but it just looks like a green bowl-cut to me. Aside from that, this conveys the idea of an armored wetsuit perfectly, though I question what those blue buckled things on the arms and legs are for. As for the Gunner armor from the same game:

Now it looks like they’ve got blue bowl-cuts! Jokes aside, I like the sharper look of these, even on the boots, as funny as they should look. I really don’t have anything else to say about these--they’re just great. Normally I’d end things off here, ‘cause I prefer to show the base armors and not the improved versions, but I wanna make an exception here: this is the Plesioth Z Blademaster Armor from MHFU:

THESE. ARE. AWESOME. They take the “armored wetsuit” look and turn it up to 11. These make your character look like they’re water-dwelling aliens, especially since they take the way the helmets look like hair and leans into it, especially with the female set. I don’t think I need to say more, you can see for yourselves how amazing these are!

Overall, the equipment for Green Plesioth is a smash hit, with the greens and blues perfectly complementing the aquatic style I enjoyed so much before, and the Z Blademaster armor is in a league of its own. I’m giving these a 10/10.

Final Thoughts and Tally: I’m a bit conflicted: on one hand, I adore the look and equipment of the Green Plesioth, as it takes something I already liked a lot and improves upon it. On the other hand, those areas are where the biggest changes from the original lie. Everywhere else (aside from its predilection for land), it’s “Plesioth+,” and an upgraded form of such an infamous monster deserves better than that. Oh, well. I’ll take what I can get. 8/10.

#Monster Hunter #Monster Hunter rating #zaph1337

[dzamie-oc]

Voretober 23 - Stranger

Length: 1800 words Vore type: M/F, F/M, F/?, wing vore, absorption, oral vore Fandom: None (Kahudra) Other info: multiple preds, multiple prey, willing prey, unwilling prey, bat/mouse, slime/tiger, and one more Summary: A vore show segment where they showcase the strange and, ah, "stranger" ways to devour another person! Featuring a twist ending, courtesy of Eris.

On stage, in front of a studio audience and behind a podium, stood a vixen in a purple pinstripe suit and a broad grin, holding a microphone by her mouth. At a cue, she waved to the camera. "Welcome back to the show! I'm Raine, and in just a moment, we have an interview with one of the nation's leading thaumic scientists on what's going on in the fascinating world of coming back from a stomach - or wherever else you wind up. But first is a segment we're calling, "Tooth is Stranger Than Fiction," where several contestants delve beyond the jaws to show off the weirder side of ingestion."

She strolled from her podium across the stage, and the camera followed, zooming out until it framed three pairs of individuals, each a guy and a girl: a mouse and a bat; an orange, lizard-shaped slime and a tiger; and a dog and some sort of furry, serpentine mishmash of species. "Okay, everyone, let's have a round of applause for our three guests," the host said as she stopped before each pair. "Over here on the left, we have Claire, a sleeper by day and teacher by night." The bat in question blushed and sheepishly waved a wing. "Next up, Victor, the wettest bookseller I've ever met." The lizard offered a polite nod. "And last but certainly not least, Eris, an incorrigibly chaotic spirit - so don't incorrige her." Eris leaned her neck over to Raine, leaving the rest of her body behind, and whispered something to her. Shocked, the vixen looked down to see that she was holding a large gummy worm instead of a microphone. The draconequus simply snapped a paw and grinned toothily at the camera, and the mic was back, albeit bright yellow.

After holding it up to scrutinize, Raine shrugged and walked back to Claire, explaining on the way, "And of course, our lovely professional prey, without whom our predators would have to plunder the audience - or each other!" A fourth wave of applause came and went before the fox turned to Claire. "So, Claire, what have you got for us today?"

The bat smiled. "Well, back in college, I experimented with some runic markings on myself - side note for those watching: don't do that. I got lucky, one of my friends didn't." Having turned to the camera for the brief responsibility PSA, Claire refocused on Raine. "Anyway, thanks to that, I can eat people with my wings, which I am here to demonstrate." She spread one wing out, displaying an impressive wingspan and shimmering, blue symbols all over the membrane from tip to shoulder to ankle.

Raine gave a low whistle. "A stunning display, and you haven't even started yet! So, ready?" She looked at the bat, then at the mouse beside her. Both nodded, so she stepped back to give the pair some room - and the camera a good shot.

Claire partially unfurled both wings, and beckoned her prey forward. Once he stood right against her fluffy, furry front, she drew her wings back in, wrapping the mouse in a leathery embrace. "Here goes," she said, "sorry you guys can't see much." A soft, blue glow shone out from under her chin, and over the course of ten seconds, the lumpy, somewhat recognizable bulges of the mouse against her wing membranes grew much less defined, and her hug shrunk inward. Finally, with a cheeky "ta-da!" the bat spread her wings again; the blue symbols shimmered brighter than before, but once the mouse's empty clothes fell to the floor, all that stood between them was her bare, brown fur, no rodent to be seen. She quickly wrapped them loosely around herself again, blushing, and quietly asked something of Raine. The fox muted her mic to respond, and after what looked like a brief incantation, an ethereal mouse rose out from between Claire's body and wings, before floating off to get back in his body.

"Well done," Raine said after turning her mic back on, "now, I'm sure you don't use this on your students, so what's your usual fare?"

Claire thought for a moment, then leaned into the mic. "Well, I have a few friends who are good for a mana recharge… but in the rare cases that I'm desperately low, it's not too hard to find someone willing to let a tired bat hug them, especially if they're not big into listening when I tell them what my wings actually do."

Raine pulled the mic back and started walking over to the next two. "I've said it before and I'll say it again: this segment proves that, if someone asks if they can eat you, it's a joke less often than you think. And now we come to Victor. I've gotta say, Victor, this is the first time we've had a slime on this little game, and the folks backstage have told me nothing about what to expect. So, hit me with it."

The orange lizard smirked. "Not literally, I hope?" he joked in a deep, fluid voice. "But actually, this is more of a… defense mechanism that got out of hand. Once that happens, it's easy for a slime to join with part of themself, whether it was severed or, well… I guess Miss Tabitha and I will show you."

"I guess you will!" The host took a step back once again, and the camera centered the orange pair.

Victor lifted a slimy hand up in front of the tigress, and to Raine's surprise, the cat took a hefty bite from him! Tabitha's eyes widened, but she smiled after she swallowed, the throat bulge this time belonging to the one who was supposed to be prey. Her remark, "you taste like pumpkin pie. I could go for another bite if it helps," and his reply, "ah, no need. Maybe later," were just barely audible.

After a moment of confusion from all but the lizard and tiger, Tabitha startled, shuddered, and lifted her shirt to peer at her own belly. Or rather, the transluscent orange slime where her furry, white belly was supposed to be! She pulled it up more, stopping just under her breasts to see a line of fur steadily retreating before the encroaching slime. "Oh, this does feel strange," she remarked; having caught on, Raine stepped in to hold the mic closer. "A little cold where he's touching me, but nothing where he already is." The tiger turned and looked behind her, where a thick, reptilian tail seized territory that her stripey feline one rapidly lost. Once her paws became like his, the mostly-slime creature pulled her shirt off through himself, to an exclamation of surprise from Tabitha's head, the only fuzzy bit left. She managed to get out "Victor, I'd love to-" before even her head was replaced by the lizard's. The body that used to be Tabitha finished her sentence in Victor's voice, "play around more later? Yeah, I'm down."

The two Victors looked at each other, smiled, and stepped together, though only gained about half a foot in height. "Well," Raine managed to get out, "definitely unique. Um, like I asked Claire, is this for rowdy customers, for fun…?"

"Sometimes for fun - Tabitha's reaction was certainly not unusual. But, since I do have to worry about getting too big with it," Victor replied, then stood straight for a second to show off his height, "it's mostly, as I said, an overactive defense mechanism. Some predator tries to eat a tasty slime, and I end up getting them back in the end."

Getting back into the swing of things, the fox gave him a sly grin. "No comment on the other part of my question?"

Victor laughed. "I don't eat paying customers." Before Raine could ask the followup he'd just set up, he grinned and nodded over off-camera. "Anyway, Eris looks bored. Her turn next, right?"

"Hey now, who's the host of this show?" the vixen jabbed back, but was already making her way over to… Eris, who was sitting backwards on what looked like a schooldesk chair with a back high enough for her noodly proportions, with her head resting on her mismatched lion's and eagle's arms. "And finally we have… Eris, what happened to Russel?"

This earned her a playful, snaggletoothed smile. "Oh, that amorous puppy wanted me to sit on his face. And who am I to turn down such a cute guy?" Eris lifted her paw and gestured to the chair. "So I turned him into this. Fine work, if I do say so myself."

Still shaken from the earlier surprise and now much more thrown off, Raine took a step back and glanced around. "O…kay… well, unless you're going to eat the chair in a strange way, can you turn him back?"

"Absolutely, but it might play havoc with your show's rating." Eris snapped the fluffy tuft of her dragon tail like a whip, and where a chair stood just moments before, laid the untransformed dog on his back; Eris held his ankles to her body and made a quiet grunt passionate enough to hint at where Russel's muzzle wound up. With slightly rosy cheeks, the draconequus continued, "but anyway, puppy boy here is completely safe from becoming part of my body - at least for now."

Raine visibly tensed. "What do you mean by that? You're not going to eat him?"

With a mischievous gleam in her eyes, Eris stared back at Raine. "Oh, no. See, I figured I'd mix things up a bit, and rather than eat someone expected in an unexpected way, I'd eat someone unexpected in an expected way."

The vixen took a few steps back from the third guest. "You don't mean me? I still have half the show left to host, an interview, viewer mail…"

At this, Eris giggled. "That wouldn't stop me, but no. No offense, but that sort of reversal is small-time. Here, follow me, camera, I'll just show you." Oddly, rather than get up from her seat on Russel, she just licked her lips and turned to face-

Wait, hold on. Stay back. You can't just- o-oh, that does feel nice… But no. Eris, there's a story to get back to! You were going to eat him with your- aah!

Stop it! Don't give that look, and don't swallow! What'll happen to the story if y

#v/ore #v.ore #voretober #furry #anthro #furry pred #furry prey #willing prey #unwilling prey #digestion #furry bat #furry mouse #furry slime #furry lizard #furry reptile #furry tiger #furry cat #draconequus #draconequus pred #fourth wall #ocs #oc: eris #oc: claire #vorefic #text