#Hummingbird ‎– Snake Snack

[dawntheduckrb]

Making platters in ceramics, here are my drafts pre-professor-approval. We're making two; one decorated with a portrait w/food, the other decorated with a portrait that IS food... he said we could stretch that as far as we wanted

[frostandflamesfanfic]

Of Sweets & Sweaters (Steve Harrington x Reader)

Of Sweets & Sweaters (Rated T)

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Reader (gender neutral)

Word Count: 2.1k+

Warnings: Brief language and suggestive comment made by Steve, nothing too crazy.

Summary: Stevemas Day 5- A few months after the Great Hawkins 'Quake, Robin decides to throw a little holiday celebration for the party and the older kids. However, Steve isn't too happy with the dress code. Is there anything you can do to convince him otherwise?

“Hey, babe?” Steve’s voice called out from your shared bedroom.You had to bite back the smile that threatened to stretch its way across your face at his tone of voice. It was fairly obvious what his whining could be about. What was so wrong about having a little fun in the process?

“Yes, honey?” you replied in the sweetest tone you could muster. 

“You love me, right?”

You couldn’t help it; a small snort escaped. “Of course I love you. Why would you ask that?”

“Because if you loved me,” your boyfriend’s voice grew louder as he approached the kitchen, “you wouldn’t be forcing me to wear this absolute and utter monstrosity.”

He stepped into the room wearing the brightest red sweater you had ever seen in your life. Covered in pom-poms and tinsel, Steve looked as though he had stepped right out of an offensive Christmas card. To top it all off, there was very exaggerated Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer stitched into the front of the sweater.

You gave a low whistle. “Damn, babe,” you mused. “And here I thought it looked good on the mannequin. This is so much better. I think red really is your color.”

“Oh, yeah?” Steve raised an eyebrow. “Well then, where’s yours? I wouldn’t want you to miss out on sharing this experience with me.” 

You smiled and held up your hands, which were currently covered in dough. There was a dusting of flour all over your clothes, making you look as though you had spent plenty of time in the fresh snow from the previous evening. For the last few hours, you had been slaving over a hot oven putting together the fixings for some of your friends’ favorite holiday desserts. 

Dustin loved brownies, especially when you folded pieces of Three Musketeers bars into the batter. Eleven had found herself becoming partial to your peanut butter blossoms, although it’s most likely because Mike introduced her to the best part: the Hershey’s kiss. There were cookies for Max and Lucas, who preferred to have their snacks on the go. Nancy always preferred the elegant classics, so you went with a chocolate silk pie, which you knew she would love to share with your queen of sweets: Robin. For Eddie, you made your spiked eggnog meltaways, which you knew for a fact Jonathan always stole a few bites of when no one else was looking. 

“My god, it looks like a bakery exploded in here,” Steve remarked, walking over to the counter to swipe some cream cheese frosting that you made for Argyle and Will’s pineapple-banana hummingbird cupcakes. 

“Hey!” you exclaimed, swatting his hand away after he stuck the dollop in his mouth. You tried your best to shoo him back from your workstation. “You have your own desserts coming. I’ve been baking for four days now. Wait your turn, mister.”

“Desserts, as in plural, hm?” Your boyfriend sidled up behind you and snaked his arms around your waist, face buried into the crook of your neck. 

“I may have made that chocolate bark you love so much,” you said with a hum, allowing yourself to melt into his hold for a moment. There was something so special and intimate about these moments with your boyfriend. Steve made you feel like you were the most important person in the world, not just to him, but everyone. You always hated attention, but the love and admiration you noticed in his eyes every time he tells you he loves you makes you overlook that distaste – if only just to see him happy. 

“Oh, yeah?” Steve smiled against your skin, his lips pressing against it in the form of many light kisses. You had to refrain from giggling. “What else?”

“And there might be some fresh gingerbread in the oven right now.”

There was a gentle nip to your ear, which was accompanied by wiggling fingers that danced along your sides. “Mmm, nothing else?”

You gasped and turned to swat at him again. “Steven Joseph Harrington!” you exclaimed. “You get your mind out of the gutter this instant! How dare you try to seduce me while I’m baking for the children.”

Steve groaned. “I can’t help it how hot you look in that apron, babe,” he whined. “Just want to eat you up.”

A hot flush burned at your neck as it spread up and across your cheeks. “Well, maybe later,” you stuttered out. “But for now, I have to get back to work on these treats if they’re going to be ready for us to take to Robin’s tonight.”

In preparation for the holiday season, yours and Steve’s shared best friend, Robin Buckley, had decided to throw a little impromptu party for your friends. After everything that had gone on in your small town over the years, she was determined to salvage one of the happiest (or, to quote the great Andy Williams, the most wonderful) times of the years. She had been planning the party for weeks, selecting only the “best” Christmas films of all time and records that would keep everyone feeling the Christmas spirit – even if it meant playing a few Black Sabbath songs for Eddie. Everyone was meant to bring something to eat and you had volunteered to bring the desserts. While you had nothing against the local bakery, there was nothing like the taste of a freshly made baked good that came from the heart rather than a plastic container. 

The only catch? The dress code was U.C.S.O.:

Ugly Christmas Sweaters Only, otherwise known as what Steve liked to refer to as his own personal hell.

Speaking of your boyfriend, he sighed and stepped away from torturing you momentarily to run his fingers through his dark brown hair. “Fine,” he relented. “Do you need any help, though?” 

With a sigh, you glanced around the warzone of a kitchen and placed your hands on your hips. Everything was pretty much done for the most part. There were a few things in the oven, but everything that needed to be prepped before the party was already set aside and cooling. “I mean, I think I’m just about done. Just have to clean up and get everything out of the oven.”

“If you want,” Steve offered, “I can finish and clean up so you can get ready.”

You felt your heart grow soft as you smiled at the man before you. “Really?” you asked. “You’d do that for me?”

Your boyfriend shrugged. “Of course! How could I say no to my baby like that? I would be, like, the world’s worst boyfriend then, wouldn’t I?”

You giggled and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Not the worst. But you would most certainly still be the cutest.”

“Well, shucks, babe,” Steve teased as he began to roll up his sleeves. “I’m flattered.”

With a wink, he pulled on his yellow rubber gloves and procured a sponge from beside the faucet. His outfit reminded you of the old days, back when your relationship was still new and the two of you were battling an alien dog that had eaten one of your babysitting charges’ cat. While you were glad those days were behind you, there was still a part of you that missed the adventure and worried if the quiet domesticity would be enough for Steve. 

It wasn’t that you were afraid it wasn’t what he wanted– the two of you had had a lengthy conversation about your futures, with both of you being in agreement of wanting to start a family together at some point. You were more worried about the fact Steve may become bored with the idea of a domestic you, where the most rebellious thing you did each day would be whether or not you cut the crusts off your sandwich. 

“Babe?” Steve’s voice cut through your thoughts, snapping you back to reality. When you glanced over to acknowledge him, you noticed the concern practically radiating off of his face. “Are you okay?”

“Hm? Oh, uh, yeah,” you tried to console him. “Just…got lost in thought is all.”

Unfortunately, that hardly did anything to lessen the stress your boyfriend exhibited. His frown only deepened as he set down the sponge and pulled the gloves off to cradle your face in his hands. There was an emotion you couldn’t quite place flickering in his expression. It was almost like a twinge of sadness mixed with…guilt? 

“Are you sure?” he asked, more urgently this time. “You looked like you were in, like, another world or somethin’.”

Oh. 

It made more sense now. Ever since the earthquake, Steve had been increasingly protective over you. He worried about your every move for months, especially since you had become seduced by the siren song of a ticking clock. The same song that took the lives of so many others. It almost took you away from him, too. The night you froze in his arms, shaking in fear with eyes rolled toward the back of your head. They didn’t know your favorite song, they didn’t know how to save you. In an act of blind desperation, Steve had hummed the only song he could think of, which was coincidentally the first song you danced to at the kid’s Snow Ball: Time After Time. 

You can still remember how soft and broken his voice sounded as he sang to you. 

“If you're lost, you can look, and you will find me,” he whispered between tears. “Time after time. If you fall, I will catch you, I'll be waiting. Time after time.” 

If you didn’t believe in the power of true love before then, you did the moment you broke free from the trace and came face-to-face with Steve’s teary hazel eyes. When he finally realized you had come back, he pulled you into a dizzying and searing kiss you can sometimes still feel if you think about it. It wasn’t just a declaration of love, or the feeling of relief, but a promise of a future he one day hoped to share with you. 

“Steve.” You reached up to grab his face with your own hands. “I’m fine, I promise. I was just thinking about things.”

“Are- are you sure?” His voice came out a bit crackly, as though he was on the verge of anxious tears. 

“Absolutely one-hundred-percent sure,” you assured him. With a bit of additional height gained from being on your tiptoes, you pressed a kiss onto his lips. I’m here, it said. And I’m not going anywhere. 

“Now. I’m going to go get cleaned up and get this flour out of my hair so we can get ready to go. If we make them all wait for too long, Robin’s gunna put us on dishes duty.” 

Steve groaned. “But we already did so much…” 

“No, I did the baking. You just stood there and looked pretty.”

Your boyfriend playfully lifted a nearby dish towel and proceeded to swat at your butt with it. “Okay, that’s enough outta you, babe. Go get ready.” 

- - - - - - - - - - - -

About an hour later, you arrived back downstairs feeling refreshed and excited for the holiday festivities that undoubtedly lay ahead of you for the rest of the night. You tugged are your sweater, hoping the material wouldn’t rise up too much over the course of wearing it. When you had washed the sweaters, you had made the mistake of drying yours a bit too long. You were pretty sure it had shrunk, but there was nothing else you could do about it. 

“Well, damn,” Steve let out a low whistle. “I think it’s official. My baby can make anything look good.”

Flattered, you blushed and gave your boyfriend a playful twirl. The sweater wasn’t that much different than his. Fashioned from a similar red colored yarn, your sweater boasted more snowflakes that pom-poms. A non-red-nosed reindeer outfitted the front, its grin appearing a little too eager for the holidays. Tinsel adorned the neck and wrists of the top, as well, ensuring that you’d definitely stand out alongside Steve. 

“Why thank you,” you teased. “But I still think you wear Melvald’s originals better than I do, babe.”

“Remind me to burn that store to the ground one day.” 

You rolled your eyes and slipped on your coat. “It’s not that bad, Steve!” 

“Says you!!” your boyfriend argued. “You literally look smoking hot, while I’m over here looking like a very festive tomato.”

“Ah, yes. But you’re my festive tomato.” You pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before you picked up a tower of cookie containers. Was this potentially too many desserts? Possibly. But what else are the holidays for if not enjoying sweet treats with the ones you love most? 

“Come on, tomato boy!” you called from over your shoulders. “Help me load in these desserts so we can go show the kids just who means business at Christmas trivia.”

==============

Author's Note: Anddd we're back. How's everyone enjoying Stevemas so far? We're almost halfway through at this point, and I have to admit, I'm starting to lose a bit of steam. I have about four unplanned fics left to write, so if anyone has any Christmas (or other holiday season) ideas, please feel free to send them my way!

If you enjoyed this story, make sure to leave a comment, tag a friend who might be interested, and give this post a cheeky reblog! These types of interactions really help me out as a writer. They tell me what you like to see and keep me motivated and writing! I mentioned this last time and I think it helped out a bit with the engagement, so if you want to stay in the loop of all things Stevemas or any of my other fics, don't be afraid to follow or ask to be included in my tag lists. I promise I'm a very friendly person who won't spam you too much with my fandom musings :)

Until next time, my little sparks <3

Taglist: @bakerstreethound

[tacticaldiary]

Shadows Of The Past

Pairing: Ethan Winters x Reader

Genre: Hurt/Comfort

A hike to a picnic leads to some unpleasant memories from the past for Ethan. 

A/N: My first Resident Evil fanfiction! Feel free to send through requests through the ask box, I’ll be waiting!

Masterlist

She’d planned it all for their third anniversary. It had taken ages to find the right spot, hope for the perfect weather and plan the picnic on the cliffside. It was all laid out for Ethan, she just had to lead him to it. 

In hindsight, she should have put more thought into it, because right now, her boyfriend looked more queasy than delighted. 

“Do you need a break?” She asks, slowing down to a stop, turning back to him with a furrowed brow. “I know the hike’s a little steep but...” she trails off, tilting her head and assessing him carefully. 

Ethan was by no means unfit. He went on runs regularly being a morning person (horrible, she knows), and with everything he’s been through...well, she has an inkling of a suspicion that he’s a little afraid of the idea of not being able to run and be strong enough lest something happens again.

Ethan offers her a small smile that looks more like a poor grimace and shakes his head. “I’m alright, let’s keep going.” He nods uphill. “Not much far now, right?”

“You look a little miserable.” She insists. “It’s...it’s alright if you don’t want to do this, you know?”

“I do!” He says quickly, squeezing her shoulder, he leans down to press a kiss to her forehead. “I appreciate you setting this surprise up for me, even if you couldn’t keep it a secret all that well.” His smile turns a little more genuine at the tease. 

She shakes her head, feeling heat creep up her neck. So what if she had gotten a little too excited yesterday and let it slip that she arranged a picnic? He’d assured her with a laugh that he’d act just as surprised when they got there. 

“C’mon.” His hand snakes down to grab hers and he pulls her along, farther uphill. His tone would have soothed the prickle of her worry, but his hands...

His hands are cold and clammy, a stark difference from the humid, warm air around them. It makes her worry, makes her want to probe and push because something is clearly bothering him. 

He’s much too jumpy, eyes shifting from tree to tree in the foliage, shoulders tensed and a way that makes her want to massage out all the knots. Ethan jumps at twigs snapping and if she really strains her ears she can make out his slightly shaky exhales. 

The vegetation opens up to reveal a small cliff tucked away, grass blanketing the ground, lush and green, flowers growing near the cliffside. It’s a beautiful view of down below the mountain, a stream weaving in and out of the valley below, hummingbirds whizzing through the leaves above them that provide a gentle shade. 

She looks up with a smile to gauge his reaction to the lovely picnic blanket covered with his favourite treats, glasses of wine and snacks, blankets, and pillows. 

The smile on her face falters a little when the only reaction Ethan has is to squeeze her hand and take a seat on one of the pillows, staring out below the cliff. There’s a conflicted expression on his face, subtle but present, and she won’t lie and say she doesn’t feel a small pang of hurt at what seems to be the blatant disregard of her efforts. 

Nonetheless, she takes a seat next to him, feeling a little awkward when he doesn’t speak. Ethan blinks hard as if trying to rid himself of his own thoughts, and she’s just about had enough of seeing him like this. She’s hurt, yes, but concern for him greatly overshadows her own feelings. 

When she places a hand on his arm to get his attention, he grabs her wrist and turns to her quickly, caught aback. 

“...Ethan?” She frowns. 

“Shit I-...I’m sorry.” He lets her go immediately, apologetic. “Just scared me a little.” He tries a laugh, but it’s hollow and not genuine. 

She doesn’t like it. 

“Tell me what’s going on.” She demands. “Don’t say it’s nothing,” she continues when he opens his mouth to deny it. “Not when you’re trembling, Ethan.” She grabs his hand, brings it in her own lap and Ethan swallows as he realises that his hands are indeed shaking. 

It seems to snap him out of it, because he sighs and in a voice so defeated and small it makes her heart crack, says: 

“I’m sorry. This is...it’s amazing, really. You’re amazing. I love you, and I love that you did this for us, and I swear it’s got nothing to do with you, but...” He falls silent, trying to find the words. 

“But?” She prompts gently, squeezing his hand reassuringly, letting him know that she’s there and he can take all the time he wants. “You can tell me anything, you know?”

He mulls on it for a second, before taking a shaky breath. 

“It reminds me of Louisiana.” He whispers, clutching onto her hand. 

And she finally realises her mistake. The woods, the humidity, the trek through the forest. God, of course it reminded him of that hellscape, of what he’s been through. 

“Shit, I didn’t think-”

“It’s not your fault.” If he had sounded unsure before, this at least he is firm in. “My fucked up past is not your fault.” He brings an arm around her, and she tucks herself into his side, wrapping her arms around his waist. “It’s the woods, just...it reminds me of when I was trapped there.”

“I understand.” She assures him, resting her head on his shoulder. She can feel his heart racing, and it makes her feel bad. “You’ve told me about it once, and I know you hate thinking back to that place. You don’t have to explain.” 

When the only response she gets is a shaky exhale, she shifts, tugging him down until his head rests in her lap. “We can go home.” She offers, running a soothing hand through his hair, knowing it grounds him, calms him down. “None of this,” she gestures with her free hand towards the spread of food. “means anything to me. You do.”

Ethan guides her hand from his hair to his lips, presses a kiss to the inside of her wrist and mumbles against her skin: 

“I love you.”

“Not as much as I do.” She smiles when it draws a weak laugh from him. 

“I’m sorry I ruined this-”

“You didn’t ruin anything.” She brushes his hair back. “We’re gonna pack this up, go home and lay it all on our coffee table, and do a movie marathon. It’ll be just as great.” 

Despite the woods beating down on him, despite the way he feels as if he might shed his skin if he stays here any longer, the look Ethan gazes up at her with is so filled with relief and love and admiration that it makes the entire trek worth it. She’d pack and leave behind a thousand picnics if it meant he’d look at her like that one more time.

(09/06/2023)

[oldsalempost-blog]

The Old Salem Post

Our  Local Tamassee-Salem SC Area News each Monday except holidays                                          Contact: theoldsalempost@gmail.com                              Distributed to local businesses, town hall, library.                                            Volume 7 Issue 15                                                                                                Week of April 3, 2023               https://www.tumblr.com/settings/blog/oldsalempost-blog                                                         Lynne Martin Publishing

EDITOR: The Holy Week leading up to Easter begins with Palm Sunday, April 2, when we wave palm branches remembering Jesus as he rode in to Jerusalem on a colt. Over 2000 years ago people waved palm branches and placed their coats on the road to usher in Jesus,  as they thought Jesus was taking over to rein as King. But, in a few short days those same people yelled to crucify our Lord.  When given the opportunity to release this guiltless man, they demanded the release of a murderer instead of this innocent Christ. I cannot understand this absurdity that the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate allowed.  We live in a strange world now. But looking back, Jesus lived in a strange world too. Some things do not change. Holy Week does not change. We remember the events that led to the crucifixion of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, who came, loved, and died for us all, no matter our transgressions. This Good Friday should be the most sacred day of our lives, when Jesus was crucified on a cruel cross to save the undeserving likes of all mankind.    LRMartin  

Town of SALEM: Community Easter Egg Hunt April 8th at 10am sharp. Help share the true meaning of Easter.  You can still drop off wrapped candy at the Town Hall.            SALEM LIBRARY:  Open Monday 10am-6pm– Tuesday-Friday 9am-5pm.                      

JOCASSEE VALLEY BREWING COMPANY,(JVBC) & COFFEE SHOP 13412 N Hwy 11 Open this week Wed-Thurs 12pm-9pm. Friday-Sat 8am-9pm.  Sun 2pm-7pm.  Events this week: Thurs: Old Time Jam 6:30pm Featuring Food Truck: Kiss My ASADA setting up at 12pm.   Fri– FOOD Truck : FRESCO LUNA 5pm Music: Chris Wayne at 6:30pm.  Sat–Music: JL FULKS at 6:30pm Food: Palmetto Spoon.  CLOSED Easter Sunday            

Tamassee DAR offers Spring Break Camp:  April 3-7, 7:30am-pm.  Breakfast and Lunch and afternoon snack included.  Open to all children K-8th grade.  Fee 100-120/ week. Register 864-944-1390 Ext 118.  Have fun enjoying activities and learning.

From a Reader:  This year is the 70th anniversary of the building of Lake Cheohee. Many will remember Lake Cheohee as the first man-made lake in Oconee County.  Locals came to swim, fish, picnic, and water ski.  Today Lake Cheohee is a 40 + acre private lake community.  There are 36 property owners and 11 owners call the lake home.  To protect the tranquility and peace of the neighborhood, gas powered motors are no longer allowed.  All property owners are blessed to own land in an area surrounding Sumter National Forest. The land has a large variety of native plants and trees.  One resident affectionately refers to the area as a lake terrarium.  Lake residents enjoy the occasional siting of a bear, a wild boar, bobcat, deer, fox, beaver, raccoon, and many more native SC wildlife.  Residents also enjoy herons, mallards, hummingbirds, bald eagle, osprey, Canadian geese, and more native species.  Of course, no area is without insects and snakes.  The lake is home to a native bat being studied by Clemson University and protected by the US government.  Last but not least, residents enjoy the bass, brim, sunfish, black crappie, and other SC native fish.                                                      J Young

ONGOING FRESH LOCAL FOOD **

The Clemson Area Food Exchange has been selling produce and table items from the farm in Pickens, Anderson and Oconee counties for the last 15 years.  SALEM is on the drop off on Tuesday 4:30pm -6pm, hosted by  Sisters Restaurant on the porch, 281Stamp Creek Rd. Order between Friday pm- Monday noon. First two orders complimentary, then $ 20/ year per household. Order on line at Clemsonareafoodexchange.com      

DAR SCHOOL STUDENT FROM 1942-1946 RECALLS EXPERIENCES (Fourth Installment) - Mr. Cain would often host a group of DAR dignitaries for a meal, and serving them made us very nervous at first, but we eventually got used to it. Mrs. Marett, the dietician, would always make out a more elegant menu for them than the students ever had, but it would not be anything extravagant. . .Every other month we would have to polish the dining room floor. We would move all the tables to one end of the room and mop and wax the floor. Then we would use old army blankets to polish it. This made the floor shine so that you could almost see yourself in it. When the first area was finished we would move the tables to the other end and polish the remainder. . .In the laundry we had big cement tubs to rinse the clothes in after they were washed. We would inevitably splash some water out and get the floor wet, and one day while we were in the laundry a thunderstorm came up and lightning came in on that wet floor and shocked us. Fortunately, no one was hurt. After that, if a dark cloud was nearby they would not let us in the laundry. . .Mrs. Nicholson taught us to iron sheets and pillowcases on a big ironer. Then we would return them to the dormitories. . .There was a water tank between All States Hall and the dining room, and a bell was on the water tank that we had to ring at different times. Sometimes it was for classes, sometimes it was to call us for meals, and sometimes it was for special events. . .One day the rope to ring the bell got caught on the water tank and we could not reach it. Although it was a "No! No!" to climb the water tank, Maggie decided she would do so anyway and get the rope loose. I was afraid she was going to fall and get hurt, but thankfully she made it back down safely. . .TO BE CONTINUED

EAGLES NEST ART CENTER , 501c3, 4 Eagle Lane, Salem                              The regular scheduled meeting on April 3 has been cancelled.  

ENAC Hosts : Saturday April 15, 2023, 9am-11am  Sons of the Savior M/M, Redeemed Chapter.                                                                                            ENAC Announces Trial by Fire, a Journey Tribute Band to perform Saturday, April 29, 2023 at 7pm.  Tickets are $25 and $30 day of the event, available at Salem Town Hall and on Ticketleap or call 8-280-1258.   Doors open at 6pm.  

The Power of Prayer:  We must pray the scriptures to protect our families, our children, our schools and our nation.  Psalm 127 reminds us, “Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” Ephesians 6 says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” The March 27, 2023 school shooting at Christian Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee took 6 innocent lives. Join in Prayer:  We war for the protection and the healing only Jesus can bring! Lord, bring comfort to these traumatized school children, parents, and the shooter's family. Help us be vigilant to the needs of the broken and hurting as we seek You on how to keep our children safe. Let us not be complacent but give us a fighting spirit! Amen.   Contributed by, Marion Farrar   from article from the Reformation Prayer Network                                                                                                                    No paper  Easter Monday. LRM

[saoncella]

HUMMINGBIRD - Snake Snack (1976)

[primrose-fr]

Wildlife of the Windswept Plateau

Hey I've decided to make this a series. Next on my list of "researcher documents the Flights native wildlife" we have the Wind Flight! I hope this is at least a good jumping off point for you writers/RPers/Worldbuilders!

Includes little personal notes here and there about possible uses, ecology and real-life equivalents, and interesting notes from the items bio too. Calling this series “Ecology of Sornieth” where I detail: Wildlife.  Aquatic life. Insects. Plant life. ???.

Long post ahead. Cut for convenience.

Wild Life:

Balsas Anole (Able to change color based on mood. probably a popular catch for hatchlings) Plague Bat (Bats native to the Scarred Wasteland. Most likely purged for spreading diseases.) Sun Flecked Fieldmouse (Fur sparkles in the sunlight. can leap great distances and has a tendency to brood.) Zephyr Sparrow (Flies very high but is prone to oxygen deprivation. Tend to be short lived due to this reason. Possibly kept by dragons for it's plumage) Broad-footed Moles (Stubborn. strangely tend to dig in opposite directions from their mates. Possibly dug up as food by hatchlings) Cottontail Rabbit (A decent meal for dragons, probably farmed for meat and fur. hilariously large dragons might use them similarly to cottonballs.) Hooded Hen (Can be ornery maybe? A decent meal for a dragon. Probably farmed for meat and feathers.) Steppes Box Turtle (Known for the pattern on it's shell) Hooded Skunk (despite being a skunk its rather docile. Probably hunted for as wild game for meat and fur) False-Peacock Quail (Pretty plumage. A decent meal for a dragon. Probably hunted as wild game for meat and feathers) Mallard (A decent meal for a dragon. Probably hunted as wild game for meat and feathers. Note: Irl only male Mallards have the signature green hood.) Golden-Laced Rooster (Can reached running speeds of up to 15km an hour. Probably hunted as wild game.) Arroyo Toad (Most dragons have developed an immunity to it's skin toxin. Mirrors however are allergic.) Firebearer (A type of squirrel monkey. Has been observed spreading forest fires by carrying burning branches to new areas. Possibly done to flush out game from underbrush or usher in new growth in remote areas. Possibly a Keystone species?) Fancy Rat (Possibly kept as pets. Might even be given as gifts(for pets or to eat) during special occasions) Wallaby (Probably hunted as wild game. A decent meal for a dragon.) Pangolin (Noted for keeping lairs insect free! Might be kept around as a form of pest control. although maybe not by insectivorous dominated clans.) White-Eared Hummingbird (Yes birds do have ears!) Olive Sea Snake (VENOMOUS. Aposematic. Bright blue and orange coloration warns of it's toxicity. Named not for it's color by for it's curious love of olives. Note: Irl all species of sea snake are venomous. they are close cousins to cobras and kraits.) Grey Squirrel (Probably a common meat in stews and campfire roasts) Tree Gecko (Has great camouflage but oddly is color blind.) Magpie (Hunted for both their meat and hoards of shinies) Ferret (Probably kept as popular pets/small game hunting companions.) Sugarglider (A prime pest of Sugarmelon crops. Probably kept and bred as pets for their cuteness. Funfact: It's a possum!) Bar-headed Goose (Probably hunted as wild game or farmed for meat and feathers.) Crested Newt (Notable has a crest for mating displays) Emerald Striker (VENOMOUS. Contains it's venom in the "emeralds" on it's body. Probably not safe to eat due to the "venom pockets" throughout it's body) Silver Racoon (Named for it's love of silver ore and trinkets. Might be hunted as wild game.) Lesser Land Iguana (apparently very self confident. I take that to mean they are aware of how dangerous they are and probably have few predators. Probably hunted if there are no other options though. Most likely avoided due to average iguana temperament (That is to say violent as hell)) Bog Canary (Has an awful call. but it's plumage is pretty and might be kept as pets (Note: Picture depicts a budgerigar not a canary)) Golden Reefprince (A type of axolotl, has a golden sheen. typically given by dragons to someone they're trying to impress. Might be farmed similarly to Valentines roses and sold for holidays and anniversaries.) Black Swan (Probably kept as ornamental birds by the upperclass. Compete in elegant displays with each other. Probably over mating rights.) Juvenile Prairie Skink (The adults of this species perform excellent parental care for lizards when the hatchlings are young. (Note: Maternal care in irl skinks is highly unlikely. Note 2: Art possibly depicts a jeweled lacerta instead?)) Muskrat (A native to the Gladevines of the Viridian labryinth this rodent is commonly found in aqueducts hunting small aquatic life. Probably hunted as wild game or farmed for meat and water resistant fur.) Reedhopper (Amphibian. well camouflaged though makes a loud incessant croaking. Probably a common sound at night near fresh waterways like ponds and rivers.) Collard Lemmings (Has local folk stories that tell of them staring into your soul and knowing all your secrets.) Glowing Pocket mouse (Common prey to smaller predators. It's brightness indicates it's mood. Kept as familiars) Skycats (Common winged felines that guide dragons throughout the Windswept Plateau. Multiple sets of large ears implies excellent hearing. Normally catch the updraft of larger dragon wings for easier flight. Kept as familiars.) Bamboo Phytocat (Has developed bamboo growths on it's body for camouflage in the reeds. Ambush Predator. Large and dangerous. Possibly hunted for trophies or as rites of passage. Kept as familiars) Banded Owlcat (Silent ambush predators from both the land and the sky. Kept as familiars) Grassland Trunker (Small squat herbivores. Very docile. Often kept as pets or farmed for meat. Kept as familiars.) Lilyfowl (Birds who spend most of their time submerged in ponds and such. Can breath through it's plant-like growths! Kept as familiars.) Myosotis Fox (Fur is vibrant in color and displays many beautiful flowers. In the wild they most likely use this for camouflage. However they are kept and bred as companions. Possibly bred for color and flower variation. May even be used in shows. Popular among upper class? Kept as familiars.) Traveling Garden (Large tortoises with a variety of plant life growing amongst their shell. Maybe a Keystone species? Kept as familiars.) Heckling Hydrena (Possibly native to the Shifting Expanse. Unknown if invasive or just widespread. Most likely inhabits marshlands and other waterways. Apparently pose danger to stray hatchlings. Kept as familiars) Toxic Igueel (TOXIC. Coloration is aposematic to warn would be predators. Probably inhabits rocky coastlines and other marine environments. Leather is very useful in leatherworking as interfacing and support. Kept as familiars) Tradewinds Gull (Common seabirds. Popular for use in message transport. Most likely used by maritime trades. Kept as familiars) Blueridge Greatshell (Large aquatic turtles that inhabit freshwater only. Cannot survive saltwater. Probably hunted for meat. Kept as familiars) Scaleside Noggle (Most likely a riverway/lake predator for small to mid sized creatures. Kept as familiars) Fiendcat (Fiery predators that cook their prey. large and dangerous. Probably a threat to smaller clans. Hunting one could be considered and accomplishment. Kept as familiars) Bluetail Skira (Large herbivores who spend much of their time lounging in ponds and lakes. Blue algea growing on their tail gives it that blue color. Kept as familiars ) Ringlet Amphithere (Tiny winged snakes that can fit in a Fae's claws. Might be kept as pets. Kept as familiars.) Hippojay (Might be farmed for meat or hunted as big/trophy game. Probably a common sight in wind clan backyards. Or kept as familiars) Crowned Roc (DEADLY. Massive dangerous birds that can be found hunting the skies of the Windswept Plateau. Poses a threat to all but the largest of dragons(Imperials?). Might even hunt/eat mid to small sized dragons. Apex predator of the region and a possible keystone species. Might commonly be the subject of stories, legends, myths, art, ect. Hunting one is probably a great event. Kept as familiars) Cloud Chaser (Airborne cetaceans that fly through the air, possibly in massive beautiful pods. produces clicks and whistles. Groups of them might sound like an orchestra of woodwind instruments. Most likely the favored prey of Crowned Rocs. Also probably subjects of popular culture. Kept as familiars. )

Aquatic Life:

Fissure Crawdad (Found only in dark crevices. Tasty. worth the effort) Leech (Common pest after swimming in waterways) Common Minnow (can be eaten in mass quantities for nourishment. Possibly kept in dragon aquaria) Sun Baked Oysters Jumbo Shrimp (Meat has a sweet and tender flavor.) Pumpkinseed Sunfish (Tasty and addictive when roasted and salted. decent meal) Sea Sparrow (flying fish known for it's abrasive chirping) Sea Hare Sea Fae (Known for it's resemblance to the dragon species. Plentiful snacks) Dumpling Squid (dipped in tangy sauce when eaten) Golden Rainbow Trout (Commonly fished from riverways as a decent meal. Golden shine is noticeable from the bank. Might be farmed in aquaponics for meat) Green Corydoras catfish (Tiny bottom dwelling armored catfish. Might be kept in dragon aquaria) Golden Cushionfish (Puffer fish) Seabed Pincher (When threatened they swarm and attack the threat. Plentiful food if a little difficult) Longfin Urchinbane (Species of cardinalfish that preys on urchins. considered a pest fish by dragons.) Sea Heart (Some kinda urchin. might be preyed on by Longfin Urchinbane) Steppes Pincher (Well camouflaged and possibly territorial) Topaz Guppy (Very friendly, possibly live in a area free of natural predators. Beautiful copper finage. possibly kept in dragon aquaria) Silverside Tetras (Small tetras, shimmery scales confuse predators when in schools. Possibly kept in dragon aquaria) Red Octopus (Color changing cephalopods. Might display typical cephalopod intelligence. Tentacles might be eaten as seafood.) Lesser Shallowshark (Small cat sharks. Scavengers. Large schools are common and very efficient at striping large carcasses) Royal Oyster (The more pearls this species has produced the more valuable they are to dragon collectors.) Chromodori Swimmer (Variety of dragon sea slugs) Golden Snakehead (Labrynthian fish capable of breathing through primitive lungs. Allows them to live in low oxygenated water. Medium vicious predators. Decent meal for dragons.) Electric Stingers (Jellyfish whose sting is particularly painful) Marbled Hatchetfish (Top dwelling schooling fish. Probably kept in dragon aquaria) Kuhli Loach (Bright colors ward off potential predators. Probably kept in dragon aquaria. (Note: Water spaghetti! One of my favorite fish in aquaria)) Molten Goby (Thrives in incredibly hot waters. meat is possibly very spicy.) Glass Isopod (Have very fragile shells that crack easily.) Pale Smallmouth (CANNOT handle water touched by the plaguebringer, It's presence is an indication of a healthy ecosystem and safe water. Indicator species. Decent meal for dragons too) Discus (Popular, beautiful, and challenging to care for in irl aquaria. Possibly kept as decorative fish for the upper class in dragon aquaria) Four-Eyed Butterflyfish Morning Star (Seastars active only in the early hours of the morning.) Angelspine (Golden spines of this urchin are valued. Meat however is bland.) Gaseous Megashrimp (Big, kept as familiars. this is speculation but depending on the size it may also be used as a seafood alternative to whole roasts like pig) Skittering Megashrimp (See above) Lurefish (Predates on other fish using it's lure. Probably a species of jawfish. Kept as familiars) Plantation Pincher (Considered a rampant pest on farmland.)

Insect Life:

Gliding Ant (Known for it's ability to glide across the ice. Most likely Native to Ice) Honeybee (Tastes sweet. Most likely kept for food as well as honey.) Crop Cutter (Pests that can devour entire fields. Plant eater hate them while others feast on them.) Nymph (appears to be just a grub) Bean Beetle (considered a pest to gardener. popular to eat for insectivorous dragons though. Get your Fae friends!) Swamp Mosquito (Clouds of this insects are a joy for insect eaters and a plague for everyone else.) Blow Fly (Very common in summers. tend to swarm lairs to keep cool. Doesn't need to be stated that that's upsetting.) Cricket (Commonly caught in bulk, dried, and sold as snack. Faes are experts at catching them) Greenworm (Blends in well and challenging to find) Garden Snail Spotted Grasshopper (Particularly vibrant specimens are caught as trophies and pinned to walls by Fae.) Stick Insect (Tundras often mistake them for actual sticks and often get a buggy surprise) Striped Earwig (Common pests that get into everything) Lunar Lacewing (Swarms can be found flitting between trees on full moon nights.) Redknee Tarantula Southern Grass Cicada (Nymphs can't fly and are commonly dug up as snacks) Millipede White Cabbage Butterfly (Very common. Overconsumption can lead to gas issues.) Stinglash (DEADLY. Aposematic. Skull pattern on it’s head is a threat display. When stinger is removed however it’s considered a delicacy) Pillbug (curls into a ball when threatened) Four-Spot Mealworm (Commonly found feasting on festering rot) Rhododendron Leafhopper (Swarms of these insects inhabit the interiors of bamboo stalks. Hatchlings love playing "Shake the Stick.") Venomous Fly (DANGER. Bite has paralyzing venom.) Green June Beetle Blackshield Cockroach (Fae use rocks to crack it’s shell for eating.) Diving Aranea (Aquatic spiders similar to the diving bell spider) Petal Moth (Makes its home in flower beds of a similar color to its wings, helping it hide from darting birds and lesser mammals.) Yellowtail Caterpillar (Commonly eaten in piles with pepper sauce, cucumber, rice, and wrapped in seaweed) Bark Biter (Devours tree bark. Can devastate entire forests overnight if population wasn't kept in check by dragons. Quite tasty!) Water Bug Micromoth (Common reagent in magical remedies. Most likely cultivated for medicinal purposes) False Mantis Prickler (Herbivorous. Example of batesian mimicry. Mimics the threat display of mantids to fool predators) Autumn Pennant (Dragonfly. Scarce, only appears towards the end of autumn) Brave Blue Bee (carapace is a shiny blue color. Possibly a species of solitary bee.) Reedcleft Sparkler (Hides amongst reeds. capable of bioluminescence) Leafy Moth (This large moth feeds by spreading its chlorophyll-rich wings in a patch of sunlight and flapping gently. Large. Possibly farmed as cow equivalents to insectivorous dragons. Kept as familiars) Triple-Sight Firebug (Dragons closely bonded to this bug can use it’s sight for short periods of time. Possibly used for rough reconnaissance. Kept as familiars) Goliath Mountain Beetle (Long lifespans and natural armor allow this insect to reach enormous sizes. The largest has up to a 7m wingspan! I could see these being herded and tended to by Fae. Kept as familiars.) Garden Larail (Pests. A gardeners nemesis. However they are cannibalistic and keep their own population in check.) Highgrass Priest (A type of mantid)

Plant Life:

Clover (Common plant life. A legend tells of a rare clover that can unlock anything and uncover buried treasure.) Cliff Lion (A species similar to dandelions that grow on cliffsides. Like it's cousin it can be fermented into wines and beer) Sweet Grass (Some dragons choose to chew on sweetgrass for hours. probably similar to chewing gum.) Cindershroom (Spores resemble cinders but are completely harmless. Unknown if edible. Possible.) Red Emperor Tulip (Cultivated by herbivorous dragons as both beautiful displays and tasty treats!) Greenstripe Amaranth (Healthy food for herbivorous creatures. Cultivated for food. Naughty hatchlings pass their amaranth to their familiars.) Wild Mustard (Grows in thick patches with bright yellow flowers. Goes great with wild Catsup) Thistle (Provides food for herbivores. Seeds provide food to songbirds.) Sour Spinach (Has little to no nutritional value and is nearly inedible. Used to discipline naughty hatchlings.) Sunkernel (Smallest of the acorns. Harvested and eaten in mass quantity.) Green Shoots (Hollow. Makes for a chewy meal or a durable paper.) Chickweed (Used in herbal remedies to sooth itchy scales. Probably cultivated for medicinal purposes) Greater Plantain. (possibly like its relative the Herbal plantain whos leaves can be used as an effective anti-toxin. Probably cultivated for medicinal purposes) Peace Lily (Pretty and edible, it’s petals are a favorite snack of peace doves. Probably cultivated for decoration and consumption.) Corona Sempervivum (Edible succulent. Cultivated for food and décor) Treasure Plant (Considered to bring good luck if kept in the lair. Possibly cultivated for decoration or as gifts.) Boxwood (Has a subtle flavor?) Seaberry (Bright blue berries most likely found near marshes and waterways.) Bonebark Mold (Plentiful. grows on dead trees.) Tundra Cactus (Grows well in winter and colder climates. Probably native to Ice.) Sour Green Apple (A green apple. Sour. Probably cultivated in orchards for consumption) Wild Onion ( Edible? Possibly Deadly??) Prickly Pear (The fruit of cacti. Edible but not that great.) Peppermint (can be consumed to help aid a number of maladies such as indigestion, nausea, colds, and headaches. Probably cultivated for medicinal purposes) Sunbeam Fig (Edible fruit. Trees only produce fruit when exposed to direct sun for long periods of time.) Fairy Ears (Tree fungus. Theres a myth explaining it's existence but it's apparently unpleasant. Unknown if edible.) Green Plantain (Has a tart flavor and can be stored in cool places for long periods of time. Probably cultivated and exported to other flights.) Lume Daffodil  (Blooms under moonlight, with a cool, refreshing taste. Often consumed as after-dinner mints. Probably cultivated for these reasons.) Quinoa (Recently, Tundras have started claiming quinoa is full of vitamins, cures disease, and attracts mates. Mirrors are skeptical.) Pinwheel Paddies (The blooms of this plant can spin for hours.) Minty Jadevine ( leaves are favored as snacks due to their sweet, cooling taste. Probably cultivated for these reasons.) Strawberry (Its a strawberry.) Withered Rose (perfume made from this rose remains nauseatingly strong. Dragons may use such blooms to cover up all manner of undesirable scents. Possibly cultivated for this industry) Pompom Mums (Vibrant, cheerful petals. Very attention getting to pollinators. might be used to attract pollinators to fields. Also useful for decorative purposes) Sand Creeper (Type of ivy that spreads prolifically over sand. Might be a good crop for those in barren wastelands.) Charged Duneberry (Berries glow brightest and taste the best after storms. Possibly native to the Shifting Expanse.)

???:

Gale Wolf (Dangerous and possibly extradimensional? Only appear wherever a warm front meets a cold front. leaves behind mass destruction. Hunting them is probably considered a great accomplishment. Kept as familiars) Glassbound Gustvul (Glasslike vulpines that can be found often napping in patches of sunlight. Might be popular in folk-lore, stories, art subject ect.. Kept as familiars.) River Muck (Goopy. probably common in or near waterways. Probably a pest/hazard) Garden Watcher  (Walking tulips???) Orange Blotch Pansy (??? Uproots and moves itself to more optimal locations when required.) Cactus Marzal (Behaves like a normal plant until it matures in which it will become more animalistic. Weird. Kept as familiars)

[peachfluffsoftstuff]

Lost and Found [1]

Content: Soft Vore, Half size, Unwilling Prey, Mischievous Pred, Lamia/Naga Pred, Fearplay, Safe Vore (Ambiguous At First)

Word Count: 3927

Fandom: N/A; Original Content

A/N: My first piece posted on this account!! If you enjoy, please drop a reblog or comment!! <3

- Bahi watched the small human warily trek through the forest, eyes trying to peer through the darkness of twilight. The poor thing didn’t have any sort of night vision or even a weapon, from the looks of it. He’d been watching the young adult travel in a jagged, uncertain path for the last hour, and it looked like he was well and truly lost. Vulnerable.

As such, it was best that Bahi get a grip on him before any of the… less friendly folk in the forest did. He waited silently for the human to get past his current hiding spot, and then quickly struck from behind, knocking him over with a yelp and encircling him with his thick snake half in the next instant. He waited patiently for the human to stop uselessly struggling before speaking.

“Well, hello there.” He said with a wry curve to his lips. “Not often I see a human around here!” 

 The human took in his size and appearance with a wide eyed expression, lips pressed together in fear. Bahi looked back with an amused sort of curiosity.

“And what’s a mouthful like you doing in this part of the woods?” He asked, tightening his coils’ grip on the human just slightly. He could feel his quick, hummingbird-light pulse and the slight, ineffectual jerks of the human’s body reacting to the snug hold Bahi had on it. 

“I lost my way. Didn’t mean to end up here.” The human’s voice was soft, and surprisingly steady, considering that Bahi had heard his breath audibly hitch at the word ‘mouthful’. A reasonable reaction, what with all the rumors about lamia dietary choices. 

“Oh man, you must be a pretty unlucky guy.” Bahi commented, leaning forwards on his thick snaketail till his face was only a few inches from the human’s. “You got a name, or am I going to call you ‘snack’?” 

The human shuddered, soft brown eyes locked on him. “... It’s Ran.” He answered after a moment. His hands clenched and unclenched lightly from where they were trapped against his sides. Bahi grinned, chuckling at how Ran’s face paled a bit at the sight of his teeth. 

“Well, Ran, thanks for getting lost in my corner of the woods.” Bahi propped his head up with one hand, casually. “I’ve been feeling hungry all day.” 

Ran’s body stiffened, eyes widening. He inhaled, but before he could utter even a syllable, Bahi surged forward and covered his mouth with one hand. “Hey now,” He whispered, as though telling a secret, “don’t start making noise or I’ll have to bite you.” He smiled sharply again. “That’s no fun for either of us, yeah? There’s stuff in this forest that would be a lot less kind with you than me. A morsel like you doesn’t want to attract their attention.”

Ran stared at him with pinprick pupils, and he withdrew slowly, holding a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture to emphasize the message. Sure enough, when he removed his hand, the human didn’t start screaming.

“I-It’d be much more kind of you to let me go.” He said shakily, almost as low as Bahi’s whisper. Bahi pretended to consider this. 

“It would be,” he conceded, “but I’m hungry, and you smell delicious, so it turns out I’m not that kind.”

With that, he shifted his coiled tail to orient the struggling human horizontally, picking at the laces on his boots until they came loose enough to be tugged off. “No way I’m eating those,” he commented errantly, and then nudged Ran up at an angle just slightly so he could make eye contact with him. 

“Thanks for the meal.” He said, smiling, and then opened his mouth, teeth folding back. He huffed a chuckle at the human’s panicked breathing, and caught both ankles in one hand, pinning them together to bring them into his mouth. 

“Gghghhaugh.” Ran said weakly as Bahi wrapped his tongue around his ankles. He would have laughed at the reaction if his mouth hadn’t been occupied with feet. Instead, he lifted his tail to hold the human above his head, almost completely vertical. Never hurt to let gravity help out. 

He loosened his coils, causing Ran to start sliding lower. His throat opened up easily to accept the human’s twitching feet, and he swallowed thickly, a pleased purr starting up in his chest. Ran whimpered, and Bahi ignored it completely in favor of running his tongue along the calves in his mouth. 

“There’s gotta be something I could do for you so you’d let me go. Please, I’ve got money, I can hunt, I’ll do anything, please-” He twisted in his hold, chest swelling with panicked breaths.

Bahi huffed a laugh again, and made it clear exactly what he wanted from him by tilting his head back and swallowing, pulling more of Ran’s legs into his mouth. The fabric of his clothes didn’t taste nearly as good as his skin, he noted. Still interesting flavors, though.

As soon as he reached Ran’s navel, he unwrapped his tail from around the rest of his frame. Unsurprisingly, Ran immediately tried to go for his eyes, presumably to claw them out. Bahi caught his hands easily with his own, and then coiled the end of his tail around Ran’s small wrists, locking them together and then pulling them up above his head and out of the way.

Ran swore, writhing and straining to pull himself out, but his struggles only made him sink deeper into Bahi’s throat. His purring intensified as he swallowed again, eyes narrowed with enjoyment. Even so, his meal’s rapid, fearful bargaining was growing louder, and the last thing he wanted was to be interrupted. He reached up with one hand and ruffled Ran’s dark hair teasingly before pushing downwards, shoving him further into his mouth and swallowing several times. 

Bahi paused. At this point, the only part of Ran not entrenched in the lamia was his arms. Almost all of the human’s body was tucked into his throat and first stomach, his wriggling a delightful sensation on Bahi’s insides. Taking his time, he curled his tongue around Ran’s arms and swallowed lightly, dragging more of him into his esophagus. 

He looked cross eyed past his nose to the grasping hands sticking out of his mouth, and tilted his head back again, relishing the feeling as Ran slid down deeper, first stomach already starting to stretch with its new occupant. Lips twitching up in a satisfied smile, Bahi poked Ran’s fingers into his mouth one by one, and swallowed a final time. 

Soon enough, the only sign that the human had ever been there was the writhing imprint sliding down his throat. Bahi pressed his fingers against the movement and sighed as the last of the weight dropped into his stomach, wrapping his coils around himself and leaning back against them. “See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” He cooed, and got a bout of violent thrashing and indistinct panicking from Ran in response. 

“Come on, you’re not even being digested. I couldn’t digest you in that stomach if I wanted to.” Bahi pressed down on his exposed abdomen, chuckling when Ran shifted around trying to get away from his touch. After a few moments of silence as Ran absorbed that statement, he spoke. “You couldn’t?”

Bahi grinned. “Nope. I like to make my meals last as long as possible, after all.”

Ran was shaking inside of him. “You… You’re a monster.”

The lamia rolled his eyes, amused. Humans were so easy to mislead. “Yup. Thought you’d figured that out when I caught you in my giant snake coils? A little slow on the uptake there, kid.” He punctuated this by stretching out and relaxing, another rumbling purr starting up at the sensation of being pleasantly full. 

“Why would you even do something like this?” Ran spat, shuddering at Bahi’s movement. “Why not just kill me?” The implied ‘it’d be better than this’ went unsaid.

“Man, you’re kind of boring, huh?” Bahi continued over Ran’s indignant sound. “I did it for fun. And because I was hungry, obviously.” 

“Fun?! Eating people alive is fun to you?” Ran spat, twisting around as much as the small space would let him. Bahi’s eyelids drooped at the sensation, his pleased purr increasing in volume, much to the human’s ire. 

“Very.” He murmured, on the edge of deciding to head home and settle down for a nap. 

Before he could curl up properly, a sound caught his attention. It was faint, barely discernible to even his advanced hearing, but… It sounded like someone calling. Bahi stretched out leisurely, ignoring the discomfited movements from Ran, and then headed that way, long ears twitching to try and pick up the noise better. 

He didn’t have to go far before he could understand the words. Someone was yelling Ran’s name in long, echoing calls. He grinned in amusement. “Oh, so you didn’t come here alone?” 

“What?” The human evidently hadn’t heard his would-be rescuer yet. “What are you talking about?”

Bahi didn’t bother answering, instead moving faster towards the source of the noise. He knew Ran had heard it too when the human suddenly started struggling with a renewed vitality. 

“Stop! Don’t go near him!” Ran demanded, with a surprising amount of ferocity for someone who was in no position to make demands. Bahi kneaded his hands into his stomach in retribution and kept moving, eventually reaching the source of the voice. 

It was another human, this one taller with downturned hazel eyes and worry lines creased into his face. He was following the dirt path, but peering through the trees in search, presumably of his missing friend. Bahi flicked his tongue out, scenting the air. It seemed as though this one would be just as tasty as Ran. Maybe even as amusing. 

He moved further ahead along the path, finding a tree with a comfortable fork to rest his coils on. Before long, the new human came into view, and froze at the sight of the huge lamia draped in front of him, looking ready to bolt. Bahi offered him a sly grin, and then directed his words at the human curled up in his gut. 

“Looks like your friend is here.” 

Ran thrashed, alarmed, and the other human ran forwards a few jerky steps, eyes wide with horror. “Ran?” He yelled, eyes locked on the human-sized lump in Bahi’s stomach. 

“Glin?” Ran shouted back, hands pressing desperately against Bahi’s stomach lining. “Glin, run away! Get out of here!”

The newly-named Glin hesitated, looking between Ran’s trapped form and Bahi’s lax expression. He stepped forwards again, to Bahi’s amusement. Humans had no sense of self preservation. It was hilarious. 

“You… ate him?” Glin said, unsteadily. Bahi nodded a bit smugly, lowering himself to the ground and slowly making his way over to circle the human. Glin tensed, turning to keep him in view. 

“Could you… let him go? Please?” Glin said, backing up a step as Bahi came closer.

“It depends… I could be persuaded.” Bahi answered, tone light with humor as he felt Ran still inside of him. He flicked his tongue out again, picking up the delightful taste of a very nervous Glin from a foot away. “But I am so hungry… Perhaps I could release him for someone more likely to fill me up fully.” 

Glin’s head jerked up, understanding immediately what Bahi’s intent gaze meant. He looked at Bahi’s body, where Ran was now kicking up a fit that made the end of Bahi’s tail curl in pleasure, desperately trying to convince Glin to get away and leave him there. He swallowed visibly, and then met Bahi’s eyes, gaze determined and terrified in equal measure. 

“Let him go. I’ll take his place.”

Bahi smiled a very unreassuring smile. “How generous of you.”  

Ran was thrashing about still, making him one of the most energetic occupants Bahi’s stomach had ever had. He easily stopped the panicked movements and flailing limbs by tensing his core, his stomach muscles compacting Ran into an easy-to-regurgitate ball. It was never pleasant, forcing a human back up out of his gut, but it wasn’t particularly difficult either. In no time at all, the last of Ran’s wriggling form dropped out of his mouth, landing on the ground covered in saliva and stomach fluids.  

“Ran!” Glin quickly jumped forwards to help his friend, pulling him up and hugging him tightly. “I thought you were dead-”

“What are you thinking, you idiot?” Ran hissed back, struggling to his feet. “I don’t want you sacrificing yourself for me! I-”

“Whoops!” Bahi picked Ran up by the collar, prying him away from Glin and hoisting him into the air like a disobedient puppy. “Don’t go running off before your time!” He dropped Ran into his coiled tail, wrapping it tightly around him like a woven basket to muffle his protests.

Glin looked near tears, stress evident in his body language. “You said you’d let him go.”

“I did! And I will, once you’ve fulfilled your end of the bargain. I wouldn’t want you both trying to escape and betraying the deal. Then I’d be free to break my end of the deal.” Bahi leaned in, reaching out to run his clawed fingertips along Glin’s cheek. “I’m sure I could make room to fit you both, if I really tried. You wouldn’t want that.”

Glin nodded jerkily. “R… Right.”    

“Good.” Bahi smiled, and then pulled one of Glin’s hands to his mouth, wrapping his tongue around his wrist to taste him properly. Glin was tense but unmoving, and Bahi was delighted to find that he tasted just as good if not better than Ran. The stiffness wasn’t ideal though… Normally, he had no problem getting his unwilling prey to struggle all the way down, but Glin might interpret that as breaking their deal, which was no good. 

“I’ll give you a chance, since you bargained for your friend so valiantly. If you can get free of me now, I’ll let you both go.” Bahi offered. As the proposal registered in Glin’s mind, he brought both of the human’s wrists to his mouth and swallowed, eager to begin. 

Glin jerked back, but found that once something was stuck in Bahi’s throat, odds were you weren’t going to be able to just yank it back out. Instead, he kicked out at Bahi’s abdomen, making him grunt slightly. A valiant effort, but one doomed to fail.

Bahi met Glin’s gaze with amused eyes, and then let his jaw open further and shoved his head in, swallowing again so that Glin’s arms were fully caught in his throat and his head only inches from following suit. Glin writhed with the fervour of an animal caught in a trap, and Bahi reached down and picked the human up by the sides, tilting his head back as to ease the process. He had to be careful now if he didn’t want Glin to suffocate, which would be no fun.

He swallowed, easily accommodating the human’s upper half, and paused to savor the taste. Glin kicked desperately, wriggling with his whole body, and Bahi began to purr with satisfaction. Frenzied movement in his coils reminded him of his other catch, and he loosened them enough that Ran could see as Bahi angled his head back further, letting Glin’s thrashing legs slide further into his mouth easily. 

As expected, Ran nearly howled in protest and began to attack the coils holding him with renewed energy. Bahi struggled not to laugh, instead wrapping his tongue around twitching ankles and swallowing a few times to get the last of Glin down, exhaling with pleasure as his meal slid into his stomach completely, still thrashing. 

For a moment, he simply basked in the sensation of being full, eyes half closed as his whole body vibrated with the force of his purring. After a moment, Glin stopped struggling, probably having accepted that escape was futile, and Bahi forced himself not to take a nap when there was a very angry human still wrapped in his snake half. He tightened his coils, forcing Ran to quit trying to fight, and lifted the human up in the air. 

“Oh, quit it. You were the one trying to get out a while ago, so be grateful. Your friend made a brave choice for you, after all.” 

Ran had gone limp, staring at Bahi’s slightly distended stomach. Bahi glanced down as well, and realized that while he could feel every shuddering breath Glin took in his stomach, from the outside it looked as though his prey wasn’t moving at all. 

“Oh, he’s fine.” Bahi sighed, rearranging himself so that he could settle down on his coils properly, and then shoved Ran against his abdomen, causing Glin to jerk in surprise. Ran almost flinched away, and then seemed to dismiss the fact that he was pressed up against a lamia’s full stomach, and sought out Glin’s shape instead. “Glin! Glin, are you okay?”

Glin twisted, able to hear Ran’s voice even through flesh. “Ran! Why are you still here? Go! Please, just run! Go home!”

Ran stared, almost uncomprehending of the choice he was supposed to be making. “I can’t… I…” He looked up at Bahi, eyes glassy. “Please, I can’t leave him… I’ll do whatever you want, anything, I’ll feed myself to you, just please let him go. He only came here because I got lost, it’s my fault and he shouldn’t have to suffer for it. Please, I’m begging you.” 

Bahi had been nearly asleep, enjoying the blissful sensation of having two humans pressed up against the inside and outside of his stomach walls, and sighed as he was dragged back to dealing with the situation. Panic and anger were amusing, but tears like this simply soured the sweet taste in his mouth. He supposed he should have expected it, preying on the bonds between two close friends like this. “I can’t sit here in this forest all day making deals and re-eating the both of you.” He grumbled. 

Well. That actually sounded appealing on some level, but he wanted to nap already. 

He leaned forwards lazily and dragged his tongue along Ran’s face, reminding himself of the taste. Ran’s whole body twitched but the little human forced himself not to jerk away, even as Glin pleaded with him to run. Bahi sighed, as though put upon. “A nap.” 

Ran blinked, slowly. “What?”

“I want a nap, and then I’ll let your friend go.” 

“Won’t… won’t he die? Please-”

Bahi rolled his eyes. “Didn’t I tell you I can’t digest anything in that stomach? He won’t die. I’d have to hibernate for days for him to run out of air in there.” 

Ran seemed to consider this, watching Bahi’s face as though gauging his honesty, and then nodded, slowly. “Okay… I’ll wait for you to finish napping.” 

“Good.” Bahi stretched, excited at the prospect of sleeping, and reached over for Ran. “C’mere.” 

He lifted the human up again, watching as he twisted uncomfortably in midair. “Wh-what are you doing?” 

“Did you think I was just going to leave you out here so you could run off and bring back a hunting party? I’ve got just enough room to squeeze you in there.” 

Ran seemed to freeze, and Glin spoke up. “You said you’d let him go! We made a deal!” 

Bahi sighed again, setting Ran down on the ground proper. “There. I let him go.” Ran stayed still, like a rabbit trying to figure out its next move. “Last chance to run away.” Bahi told him, nudging his shoulder with his tail. Ran stumbled a step, looked to Glin, and then the forest path. He looked at Bahi. “I’m not leaving Glin.” 

Glin tried to protest, but Bahi easily ignored him to instead lift Ran back off the ground. “Great, then it’s settled. Don’t move too much and this will go quicker.” He said, and then opened his mouth wide. Ran looked down into Bahi’s maw and let himself go lax. “Okay.” He said weakly.

True to his word, he didn’t thrash around as Bahi lowered him into his mouth for the second time. It went much faster this time around, as Ran didn’t struggle and Bahi didn’t take quite as long savoring the sensation. He swallowed quickly, dragging him down into his throat with impressive speed, and patted Ran’s head before finishing up, once again tracing the human’s descent to his stomach. 

It was a somewhat tight fit, shoving two humans into his first stomach, but the slight discomfort was dwarfed entirely by the pleasure radiating through his body as the two struggled to adjust, moving around and speaking to each other in low whispers. 

He moaned slightly, tempted to just sleep right there on the forest floor, but there was always the chance that something bigger could come along and swallow him up, and then he wouldn’t be able to fulfill his part of the deal. So, he set off for home, travelling slowly along the ground. His passengers struggled to rebalance themselves.

“Where are you going?” Ran asked, alarm creeping into his voice. He shifted nervously, making Bahi’s purr rise in volume for a moment.

“Home.” Bahi said, a bit blearily. “Safer to sleep there.”     

“Where is that? This wasn’t the deal.”

Bahi yawned. “Relax. ‘S not far, and we won’t get snapped up by anything big if we’re there.”

“Bigger than you?” Ran radiated disbelief. 

“Big enough to gulp me down in two mouthfuls.” Bahi winded through the trees, amused by the shocked silence that followed. “This forest is full of dangerous folk.” 

“Then… why do you live here?”

Bahi hummed in false consideration. “Because of all the tasty humans that get lost in the woods.” He retorted, teasingly. 

Glin stiffened, but Ran just halfheartedly kicked at his stomach wall. “You enjoy toying with us, don’t you?” 

“Ah, so you caught on.” Bahi purred, ducking underneath a branch. “Humans are too funny not to mess with. Especially when hunters come out trying to skin me, of all things. Hilarious.” 

“Did you… eat them, too?” Glin asked, tentatively.

“I eat most humans that come my way. I’ve got to eat to live, after all. And humans are the most filling thing out there,” he said blithely, aware they’d misinterpret his words but not satisfied enough to give the game up just yet.

There was silence from the two for a while, probably thinking about how they were in the same stomach that had contained plenty of humans before them. Bahi sighed in relief as he finally reached his little cove, clearly marked with his scent and difficult to stumble into on accident. 

Ran finally spoke up again. “If you hadn’t heard Glin, would you have digested me?” 

“Hm?” Bahi settled under his favorite rock outcropping, finally getting to settle down properly. “Why would I digest you? Much nicer to let you squirm around in there.” He coiled around the humans in his stomach, eyelids fluttering as the sensation of being full began to lull him to sleep. 

“I mean once you got bored of me. Or were you going to leave me in there until I suffocated? Are you really going to just let us leave tomorrow?” Ran shoved out, only increasing the volume of Bahi’s sleepy purring. 

“Too many questions… Talk in mornin’. Tired.” Bahi mumbled. Ran said something in response, but it was indistinct to his ears, and in moments he was asleep.

[alexanderwesker]

My headcanon on America:

My headcanons on America's physical appearances(because I see him a little differently than canon same as Russia): America is not white. He is biracial. White/Powhatan. (I have some HC about America's mother and the personifications of the other Native Tribes (if you want to hear about them tell me in the comments or with a like ^^).

His eyes are blue as the blue waters of the Caribbean Sea.

He has five tattoos: A snake coiled on his left arm, a tribal owl, of the size of a penny, on his collarbone, a nordic protective rune on his right shoulder, a tribal hummingbird on his heart and Lady Justice, though she is not the usually rappresentation on Lady Justice but his mother as Lady Justice, on his back.

He has some scars, a big one on his heart, where he tattooed the hummingbird, that was caused by the fire of Washington DC caused by Canada in 1812, one on his side caused by the Pearl Harbour attack, and two very jagged burn-like scars on his arms caused by 9/11.

My heacanons on his personality:

He is really, really smart. When he became a nation the age of colonization was ending, and for this he had to sharp his mind, other than train his body, to surpass the others because it wasn't only a question of strenght anymore but mostly of ingenuity.

He knows lots of languages, almost all of them in fact, but he always pretent he doesn't know any language outside of English.So he can listen to what the other nations say about him when they think he can't understand them.

He has a dark side that can rival Russia's cruelness, but he keeps it very well hidden because respect of Russia he is aware of its existence.

He hates both England and France for the hand they had in his colonization. Especially England since for America it's his fault if he doesn't remember anything about his own mother's culture. He hates Spain too for what he did to his sister, Mexico.

America is not very forgiving. But if you can show him that you seriously regret any wrongdoing you did to him, he'll surely continue to be friendly with you, and maybe with time forgive you.

Other headcanons:

During the Civil War, America felt like he was two people at the same time. Sometimes he was Confederate States and sometimes he was Union. And he was never aware of when he would 'change' from one to the other. Sometimes his internal fight, excalated in a actual fight against himself, with change of tones and voice while he was shouting to himself. And that scared him. After the end of the Civil War, he wasn't sure of who... he actually was.

During the Cold War, America became aware that 'Confederate' never left his mind, in fact 'he' was the one in control for that time. After the Cold War he and 'Confederate' finally merged and that destabiled America a lot.

He loved Canada as his brother, until he heard him call France 'Papa', after that, after seeing that his 'brother' considered his colonizer as family, he started considering him as he did England and France. But he still pretends to be Canada's affectionate 'little brother'.

The only nation he actually considers family is Mexico, and she does the same.

He really likes sweet things: cakes, pies,snacks,candies... etc.

He is a morning person, but during winter time he becomes very lazy and sleepy, because of all the changes happening in his states climate.

He can see without his glasses, he uses them only to seem older, and because for some reasons the glasses is how Texas presented itself.

[nocturnalsleeper]

500 Drawing Prompts

waterfall

wizard's staff

zombies

sandcastle

fangs

tattoo

family crest

spaceship

mythical beast

spooky tree

alien

tropical cocktail

robot

dragon

tombstone

medieval goblets

king's throne

mermaid

vampire

witch's cauldron

tooth fairy

deep sea monster

magic carpet

sculpture

coral reef

wine bottle

statue of liberty

beast

beauty

elephant

Mayan ruins

birds

cameras

bowl of soup

breakfast

lunch

snack

dinner

flower vase

ladder

full moon

bright sun

autumn

summer

spring

winter

butterfly

caterpillar

troll

roller skates

rain boots

weeds

flowers

bedroom

kitchen

dining room

bathroom

egg hatching

wrist watch

night

harvest

pond

raincoat

hat

water bottle

flashlight

sailboat

dandelion

earthworm

bank robber

policeman

superhero

villain

view out a window

cactus

sunflower

mosquito

spider web

star fish

flip flops

lawn chair

trampolines

pots and pans

sword

lighthouse

pie on a windowsill

house plant

soldier

chimney

barbed wire

squirrels

hot sauce

chain

beehive

helicopter

hot dog

venus flytrap

stained glass

sphinx

skateboard

serenity

open book

werewolf

hourglass

tower

camel

Cleopatra

favorite book character

desert

forest

mountains

ocean

pumpkin seed

pine cone

octopus

mannequin

lollipop

something sticky

footprints

tractor

slime

island paradise

sand dune

archer

my favorite outfit

trophies

fishing fly

black hole

cyclops

swan

mirror

microphone

pretzels

newspaper

submarine

scrambled eggs

eel

wave

bike

leather boots

keys

coffee cup

self portrait

snake charmer

playground

sumo wrestler

crystal chandelier

eight ball

secrets

treasure chest

children's toy

something that sparkles

penguin

unicorn

pirate

tribal pattern

suit of armor

pinball machine

erupting volcano

seahorse

ninja

happy monster

futuristic car

three little pigs

magic amulet

yeti

toolbox

fish bones

zipper

carpenter

handcuffs

doll house

mask

telescope

piano

windmill

double sided axe

samurai

ghost

hot air balloon

bubbles

polka dots

plate of cookies

snake scales

pair of socks

high dive

belt

figure skater

fisherman

space

jack-o-lantern

Cinderella's glass slipper

hay bale

bumper cars

cover wagon

spy

fighter jet

parachute

tree bark

radio

art gallery

bow and arrow

pepperoni pizza

snail

bushel of apples

doorknob

talking object

harp

chess pieces

sprinkler

electricity

computer keyboard

presents

barn

plaid

jewelry

ballet

curtains

tripod

sunglasses

bow tie

Saturn's rings

birdcage

swap creature

horse and carriage

banana peel

stapler

toothpaste

thunder storm

movie poster

video game controller

cinnamon sticks

target

skull

elf

alien plant life

first love

new baby

kids jumping

glaciers

shark

scarf

wheelchair

blacksmith

four wheeler

cowboy

crossroads

pedestal

police car

pug

someone who is full of joy

what's under your bed

hieroglyph

dolphin

wooden shield

laughing

jump rope

desk

something big next to something small

taxi

staircase

tomahawk

hummingbird

hedgehog

gorilla

firetruck

soda can

teddy bear

fortune cookie

fruit basket

smirk

game of marbles

crumpled paper

swordfish

alarm clock

goldfish

puppet

salt and pepper shakers

jet pack

time machine

hands

wood fencing

cave mouth

milkshake

high heeled shoes

music

smile

mad scientist

telephone booth

skyscraper

gargoyle

diamond

sushi

brier patch

something that comes in pairs

box of chocolates

brick wall

bat

chicken

bonsai tree

headphones

a new typeface

jellyfish

candy canes

lawn mower

rain puddles

school

lamb

wolf

bed

bowl of popcorn

lampshade

peacock

turtle

bear

ceiling fan

yo-yo

oil spill

kite

invisible man

casino

Abraham Lincoln

ice cream cone

corn on the cob

claws

beekeeper

coins

watermelon

landing on the moon

rotary telephone

brain

rocks

needle in a haystack

picnic basket

fireplace

bottle of poison

genie in a bottle

knight

hammer

acorn

orange

owl

hair

wheel barrel

pyramids

exploding dynamite

shrimp

guitarist

keyboardist

drummer

singer

griffin

carousel horse

bunnies

puppies

board game

a famous painting

stone walkway

maple leaf

lizard

eyes

ears

nose

mouth

leopard

record player

bulldozer

bride

snowman

feather headdress

playing cards

windy day

sleeping bag

dancing skeleton

piggy bank

wizard

evil prince

lantern

beach ball

cherub

sprout

aircraft carrier

olympic swimmer

wedding dress

feather

baseball glove

noodles

cat

dog

happy

sad

angry

relaxed

graffiti

motorcycle

tornado

caveman

pineapple

Lock Ness monster

flag

gas mask

starry sky

dream house

deer

Goldilocks

frog

tadpole

swing

circus clown

earth

cupcake

lace

rocking chair

bravery

Big Ben

doctor

railroad car

parade

Christmas sweater

Ferris wheel

sci-fi gun

medicine cabinet

birthday party

cutlery

great wall of china

umbrella

traffic sign

catapult

light bulb

bamboo

heart

moon colony

sandwiches

juice box

lake house

bushes

hard candy

camouflage

platypus

football helmet

soccer game

balloons

astronaut

missing teeth

memory

jukebox

tulip

ladybug

birthday cake

t-shirt

igloo

golf ball

fossils

your least favorite food

pencil cup

half eaten apple

food with a face

horseshoe

daffodil

castle

tea party

scared

bag of chips

camping

cabin

bonfire

ship

watering can

palm tree

wind chimes

armchair

fireworks

knife

wine cork

waitress

farmer

fountain

last leaf on a tree

saber toothed tiger

grocery store

rainbow

typewriter

engine

bluebird

shooting star

a new invention

school of fish

bearded lady

secret garden

suspension bridge

viking artifact

Eiffel tower

a feast for a king

guitar

tree house

seashell

dinosaur

sea lion

Taj Mahal

your favorite animal in a tuxedo

[leonisdumbasallhell]

ashley graham, james marcus, moira burton aaaaaaaand vincent goldman~~

ashley graham, - Am I related to anyone famous?

Not to my knowledge? Some members of my family consider me the famous one, tho I don’t really think I count lol. 

james marcus,- Favourite animal?

oh goodness, i love lots of animals!!! Robins, Cats, Hummingbird, wolves, Foxes, Okapi, Deer, Bees, literally any bird, snakes, i could go on i love animals 

moira burton - How much/often do you swear?

like all the fucking time. 

vincent goldman - Whats the most evil thing you do?

 sometimes when i take the last snack from the cabinet i leave the empty box.

[jazzfunkdid]

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU6LYg6AHBA)

A&M Records ‎– SP-4595 - Released in 1976. Hummingbird ‎– We Can't Go On Meeting Like This. Guitar – Robert Ahwai. Backing Vocals – Joanne Williams, Liza Strike, Madelaine Bell. Bass, Harmonica – Clive Chaman. Drums – Bernard Purdie. Guitar – Bernie Holland. Guitar, Vocals – Bobby Tench. Keyboards, Synthesizer – Max Middleton.

[primrose-fr]

Wildlife of the Scarred Wastes

Hey I put together a list of all wildlife found in Plague, for writing purposes. Because it's pretty unique from the rest of Sornieth. Thus can be a bit difficult to write for.  It's also interesting to note that most of the creatures can be found in other locations too, I picture the varieties found in plague to be more...plague-y. I hope this is at least a good jumping off point for you writers/worldbuilders!

Includes little personal notes here and there about possible uses, ecology and real-life equivalents, and interesting notes from the items bio too.

Everything under the cut. Long post ahead

Meat:

Panther Anole (Small, fool hardy, easy prey for hatchlings) Plague Bat (Bat that carries plagues?? Probably a small snack for adults and a meal for hatchlings) Satin Mouse (Magically charged mice, might have been introduced from Arcane) Java Sparrow (Small songbird, Nutritious) Shrew (Small and mole like, cannot be tamed) Marsh Rabbit (Oily water repellent fur, probably like a softer beaver pelt. Decent meal. Probably farmed for fur) Dappled Clucker (Chickens whose females brutally fight over males. Probably farmed for meat) Steppes Box Turtle (known for it's shell pattern) Musk Scrapper (Like a brown skunk, stinks but apparently the meat is incredible.) Flecked Bushrunner (Type of quail. males race each other to impress females. Proabably a common type of wild game) Wood Duck (Probably a common type of wild game) Silver-Laced Rooster (There was a play about a rooster trying to woo a dragon. Ended poorly.) Arroyo Toad (Most dragons are immune to it's toxin but Mirrors are allergic to it.) Plantain Poacher (Type of squirrel monkey. Common pest that raids produce stores.) Bush Rat Wallaby (Probably a decent sized meal) False Podid (Decent meal, cousin to common podid, tastes best when roasted in the shell) White-Eared Hummingbird Coral Snake (VENOMOUS. Rear-fanged. But edible to dragons if eaten carefully. Snakes store their venom in the head area. Body meat is generally fine.) White Squirrel (Cannot jump, probably easy prey. Most likely is native to Ice) Tokay Gecko (DEADLY. Covered in a potent poison from head to toe. (Note: real tokay geckos are not poisonous, just massive bitey assholes)) Bleeding Heart Crow (Only Males have the "Bleeding Heart" coloration) Ferret (a treat for most dragons, might also be kept as pets and for hunting small game) Sugarglider (Common pest in sugarmelon crops. might also be kept as pets.) Bar-Headed Goose (Might be farmed for meat/feathers) Hellbender (Massive salamander (one of the largest species on earth!)) Emerald Striker (VENOMOUS. Emeralds contain the toxin) Silver Raccoon (Known to steal and hoard silver.) Green Iguana (apparently very friendly and probably common pets (Important Note: Real green iguanas are NOT friendly and want nothing more than to whip you to shreds. Make terrible pets!)) Bog Canary (Song is apparently horrible, but plumage is pretty, might be kept as pets (Note: the art depicts a budgerigar not a canary)) Golden Reefprince (Regal and golden, best served to someone you're trying to impress. Probably farmed and marketed in the same vein as Valentine Roses) Black Swan (Probably farmed for Meat/Feathers) Green-throated Skink (More confident then it's cousin, probably more common to see skittering around in daylight) Dustrat (Seen as vermin, a sign to clean your lair) Banded Dart Frog (POISONOUS. However NOT deadly. Instead it's hallucinagenic. Probably farmed as an legal and/or illegal narcotic. Probably a big market for them.) Collared Lemming (Probably has a local superstition about it staring into your soul and knowing all your secrets) Webwing Alpha ( might be farmed for meat or plumage. Or kept as familiars) Yellow-Throated Sparrowmouse (kept as Familiars. Plumage might be used in crafts) Basilisk (Direct eye contact can turn dragons to stone. Probably Hunted as Big/trophy game. Also Kept as familiars) Clown Charger (Skin is poisonous. Might be hunted as Trophy Game but not eaten. Also Kept as familiars) Parasitic Fungus (Has mind controlling fungus, however fungus rarely takes. Also Kept as familiars) Fungalhoof Qiriq (Leaves a trail of fungus where ever it goes, easy to track dangerous to hunt. Might be hunted as big/Trophy game or as possible rites of passage . Also Kept as familiars) Roving Lionsnake (Large dangerous ambush predators that stalk long grasses. Might be hunter for trophy game or possible rights of passage. Also kept as familiars) Murkbottom Gull (Common seabirds, most likely a common sight at waterways. Also kept as familiars) Giant White Toridae (Large! Has Myths and urban legends surrounding it. Probably hunted as Trophy game or even rites of passage. Also Kept as familiars.) Ultramel Amphithere (Amphithere displaying the "Ultramel" color morph. Probably popular pets. Also kept as familiars) Auburn Woolly Walrus (Hostile due to chronic pain. Probably Farmed for meat and fur while also being hunted as big/trophy game. Also kept as familiars.) Hooded Dodo (Completely blind despite three sets of eyes. Probably farmed for meat and feather. Also kept as familiars) Infestation Hound (Wild ones are ambush predators, baiting and eating scavengers. Probably Domesticated by plague clans and bred then raised as hunting partners and companions. Kept as familiars) Heartred Croaker (Meat is uniquely brown and green in coloration. Kept as familiars) Mossy Cerdae (Healing magic-less Unicorns. Population is rising exponentially. Probably hunted for meat/fur/horns. Kept as familiars) Hippojay (Might be farmed for meat or hunted as big/trophy game. Or kept as familiars) Bluetail Skira (Blue algea clings to their tail fur causing the blue coloration. Might be farmed for meat or hunted like big game. Or kept as familiars) Paddyfowl (Common predator to smaller amphibians, might be farmed for meat or plumage. Or kept as familiars) Moordwelling Trunker (Displays are a lot like jousting. Probably farmed for meat. Or kept as familiars) Glowing Pocket Mouse ( A light snack. Or kept as familiars) Grey River Flight ( Probably farmed for meat and water resistant hide. Or kept as familiars) Brown River Flight ( Probably farmed for meat and water resistant hide. Or kept as familiars) Bearded Pupowl (Actually a vertebrate! Amphibian and probably distantly related to salamanders. Kept as familiars)

Aquatic Life:

Crawdads Wetland Vampire (Leech) Glass Minnows (maybe kept in dragon aquaria?) Mussels Clown Shrimp Warmouth (A mid sized bass/perch-like fish, probably decent eating) Wave Skippers (Flying fish?) Sea Hare (Sea slugs) Sunset Sea Dragon Dumpling Squid (bio implies they’re eaten and dipped in sauce.) True Rainbow Trout Green Corydoras Catfish (tiny bottom dwelling catfish, maybe kept in dragon aquaria?) Golden Cushionfish (Pufferfish) Seabed Pincher (Hermit crab) Blackwater Jester (Appears to be a cardinal fish of some sort) SeaHeart (Some kinda urchin) Aether Hermit Black Maiden (type of Black Guppy, possibly poisonous? maybe kept in dragon aquaria?) Ruby Tetras (possibly a red version of the blackskirt tetra, maybe kept in dragon aquaria?) Blue Ring Octopus (DEADLY. Venom can straight up kill smaller dragons. Considered an accomplishment to catch and eat properly. Probably equivalent to Fugu.) Striped biter (Similar to a cat shark in appearance. Apparently very common.) Devilsnap (Apparently an oyster that bites back) Blue Dragon Seaslug Cobra Snakehead (mid-sized carnivorous fish) Nebula Floaters (Jellyfish of some sort, very sweet may cause tooth decay) Pond Slip (Come from dirty water, VERY important to clean) Cinnamon Loach (Popular gift among the seafood eating dragons, may also be kept in dragon aquaria?) Deviant Darter (Covered in pustules, looks plague-y) Giant Isopod Billy Bass (Breaks into song when taken out of the water, mid-sized fish probably decent eating) Discus (Popular, beautiful, and challenging to care for in irl aquaria. Possibly kept as decorative fish for the upper class in dragon aquaria) Four-Eyed Butterflyfish Pincushion Urchin Gaseous Megashrimp (Big, kept as familiars. this is speculation but depending on the size it may also be used as a seafood alternative to whole roasts like pig) Skittering Megashrimp (See above) Longjaw Lurefish (Based on the jawfish, probably much bigger. preys on birds) Glow Star (glowing starfish. Glow fades when it leaves the water. Might make good underwater decoration) Wave Sweeper (Patrols shallow waterway. Probably hunted for meat or ignored, Kept as familiars) Plantation Pincher (Considered a rampant pest on farmland.)

Insect Life:

Fungus Cutter (Large fungivore ants) Glade Swarmer (Builds large hives and defend it fiercely, disturbing it will end in either a feast or a healers visit) Crop Cutter (Pests that can devour entire fields. Plant eater hate them while others feast on them.) Maggot (common on the many festering corpses of the scarred wastes) Harlequin Ladybug (perform intricate aerial acrobatics, can be challenging for hatchlings to catch) Salt-Marsh Mosquito (Carry many diseases, numbers swell in summer) Tachinid Fly (Their carapace can be ground into tincture and tonics with restorative capabilities. Valuable. Probably farmed for medicinal purposes) Redwing Hopper (Spend most of their time gliding. low-flying dragons end up with face fulls of them.) Greenworm (Blends in well and challenging to find) Land Snail Rainbow Grasshopper (Taste terrible. seems to be a common prank to tell younger dragons that they taste like rainbows.) Tinder Bug (Tastes good if properly cooked, also effective tinder) Earwig Craftsman Brightback (Crafts intricate nests around spherical fruit, to which the fruit inside is eaten leaving behind the dried structure.) Redknee Tarantula Dusty Cicada (Collecting their shells and placing them in unexpected places around your den is considered a fun pastime) Millipede Wasteland Pauper (In an event known as the Blue Harvest vast numbers of this butterfly go migrating.) Stinglash (DEADLY. Aposematic. Skull pattern on it's head is a threat display. When stinger is removed however it's considered a delicacy) Shale Skitter (Pillbug relative. Completely flatten themselves when threatened) Parasitic Grub Red and Black Froghopper Fever Fly (Ingesting this fly is fine. being bitten by this fly leads to fevers and muscle spasms (dancing!)) Two-Tone June Beetle (Best served lightly toasted) Blackshield Cockroach (Fae use rocks to crack it's shell for eating.) Yellow Jumper (Deadly? Very tasty apparently) False Veneer Moth (Pattern on it's wings shines to distract predators) Yellowtail Caterpillar (Commonly eaten in piles with pepper sauce, cucumber, rice, and wrapped in seaweed) Orchid Beetle (Native to the Starwood Strand. gets its coloration from the plants it eats) Water Bug Catocala Moth (Cryptic patterning on wings) Giant Prickly Stick Insect (Has a hard time find mates due to effective camouflage) Autumn Pennant (Dragonfly. Scarce, only appears towards the end of autumn) Sugarbee (Feeds on sugarcane. Popular as sweet treats. might be treated like candy to insectivores) Firefly (Probably native to Fire. Has a crisp, crunchy texture with an extremely spicy flavor.) Dead Leaf Mantis (Feeds entirely on brain matter. (braaains)) Hydra Scorpion (It's said that cutting off it's tail grows two more in it's place. Probably large and treated like big/trophy game. Kept as familiars) Triple-Sight Firebug (Dragons closely bonded to this bug can use it's sight for short periods of time. Possibly used for rough reconnaissance. Kept as familiars) Tufted Leaf Beetle (Pests. A swarm of these beetles can devour a field overnight. Kept as familiars.) Tender Larail (Consumes all parts of a plant except seeds, which it carefully buries. Might be a Keystone species. Kept as familiars.) Spoiling Scorpio (Probably large and treated like big/trophy game. Kept as familiars)

Plant Life:

Highland Dryleaf (Hardy. Tastes awful. Plentiful) Marsh Choker (Named for it's choking pollen. probably grows in wetland areas.) Desert Scrub (Plentiful. Tastes like dirt) Diseased Fungus (Has a following that believe it tastes zestier than normal fungus. Probably cultivated or foraged for.) Carnaval Tulip (Pretty, often in bouquets. considered by plant eaters to be "edible arrangements" Probably cultivated for food and appearance) Crisp-leaf Amaranth (Seeds are edible and commonly eaten, while the leaves are eaten less commonly.) Wild Catsup (grows along cliff-sides in thin patches with bright red flowers. might also go well with wild mustard greens) Always-Autumn (Thistle. Blooms year-round with sun-dappled colors.) Canyon Ruffage (Staple for herbivorous animals and dragons alike, common in dry areas) Blood Acorn (Filled with nutrient rich nectar) Cinnamon (Probably cultivated for exportation in the spice trade) Chickweed (Used in herbal remedies to sooth itchy scales. Probably cultivated for medicinal purposes) Herbal Plantain (Leaves of this plant can be used as an effective anti-toxin. Probably cultivated for medicinal purposes) Peace Lily (Pretty and edible, it's petals are a favorite snack of peace doves. Probably cultivate for decoration and consumption.) Gryphon's Blood Sempervivum (Appears to be a type of succulent that grows in sandy red (clay rich?) earth near gryphon territory. does not actually use blood in cultivation.) Treasure Plant (Considered to bring good luck if kept in the lair. Possibly cultivated for decoration or as gifts.) Boxwood (Has a subtle flavor?) Winter's Delight (Sweet red berries that taste the best at the coldest point in winter, Most likely native to Ice) Bonebark Mold (Plentiful. grows on dead trees.) Ashfall Prickler (Nectar on the inside has a spicy flavor that oddly goes well with anything.) Honeycrisp Apple (Probably cultivated for food. Most likely food source to Craftsman Brightbacks) Turnip (Does not keep long and must be eaten immediately. Probably cultivated for food.) Wasteland Pear (Common. but finding an edible one is not.) Cindermint (crunchy texture with a  fiery kick. Often dried and crumbled up to help accent desserts or teas. Probably cultivated for this reason.) Butcher's Fig (Fruit has a crimson coloration, juice stains the mouth for days.) Leechroot Mushroom (Parasitic fungus native to the Scarred Wastes. Pests. Targets healthy plants.) Green Plantain (Has a tart flavor and can be stored in cool places for long periods of time. Probably cultivated and exported to other flights.) Daffodil (Can be boiled, mashed, and used in stews. Blooms are also pretty. Probably cultivated for these reasons.) Grassland Grain (Easy to spot and filling meals. Great for foraging on the road.) Water Lilies Crimson Jadevine (Extremely rare. ground up to make war-paint. Might be cultivated for this purpose and might also be treated as sacred.) Sour Strawberry (It's a strawberry, but sour) Wilting Rose (Its a rose, but wilting) Pompom Mums (Vibrant, cheerful petals. Very attention getting to pollinators. might be used to attract pollinators to fields. Also useful for decorative purposes) Sand Creeper (Type of ivy that spreads prolifically over sand. Might be a good crop for those in barren wastelands.) All Seeing Shroom (Disgusting looking, covered in veins and tumors. Unknown if edible but can be traded as currency in select venues.) Ancient Mushroom (Rumored to aid with a dragons growth) Over-ripe Cherries (Cherries that ripen then go bad at a break-neck pace. Probably not cultivated.) Melon Marzal (Behaves like a normal plant until it matures in which it will become more animalistic. Weird. Kept as familiars)

???:

River Muck (Goopy. probably common in or near waterways. Probably a pest/hazard) Poultrygeist (Ghost?? Probably some kind of urban legend. Kept as familiars) Undying Featherback (Undead and requires magic to kill permanently. Probably a serious threat to plague clans. Can be kept as familiar) White Rot Deer (An older wood ear deer, not hunted nor eaten. Cultivated by dryads for protection. Also Kept as familiars) Sanguine Multimist (Sentient mist?? Probably has urban legends surrounding it. Kept as familiars.) Creeping Tendril (Animal like?? Shy, only moves when no one is looking. Kept as Familiars) Blue Vein Pansy (??? Uproots and moves itself to more optimal locations when required.) Ancient Fungus (Has a cracked, stone hard outer shell. Kept as familiars)

[thepoetrystore]

✨giveaway✨ . an incomplete list of wildlife i've seen wild turkeys asleep in eucalyptus trees. tulle elk standing majestic against blushing sunset. a tiny chipmunk on bear valley path. a praying mantis clinging to mount tam grass. hundreds of blue whale fins glittering far off. a giant humpback eye surfacing with open feeding mouth. two great horned owls high up in the tree, asleep, feathers gently shaking, so camouflaged they are almost unseen. tree swallows feeding hungry baby chicks while yellowstone bison take their time crossing the car’s path. a field of yellow bellied marmots sounding warnings into the gorge. a jackrabbit chased by the hungry coyote. a mountain lion, thankfully, only in a flash of headlights. brush rabbits munching on greens, some so relaxed, they flop, exposing tender bellies. the tip of a skunk’s tail in rattlesnake grass fields. red bellied newts swimming in an abandoned artillery bunker. a golden eagle in rahwah wilderness sky. grouse beside the alpine lake. moose munching on opposite shore. a bobcat suddenly on the trail, gone before there's more than a glimpse of black tail. elephant seals pupping on the beach. a family of sea otters teaching the young to fish. octopus hiding beside anemones. whale sharks, open mouths, too fast for a week swimmer to catch up. green turtles snacking on algae. frigate birds in flight. a black footed albatross, open winged soaring over pacific depths. harbor seals sunning on rocks. whooping cranes on migration. a flock of bluebirds. and: cormorants. gulls. canadian geese. spotted fawns. a red fox. wild horses. bald eagles. annas and ruby throated hummingbirds. chickadees. sparrows. tits. wrens. ravens. crows. starlings. grackles. barn owls. mallards. cardinals. california quail. opossums. field mice. muskrats. beavers. mink. dolphins. porpoise pods. starfish. hermit crabs. eels. king snakes. fruit bats. groundhogs. voles. a giant golden grizzly head and shoulders walking out of glacier forest, looking my way, then turning off. silvi 29/365 . for this series, i’m GIVING AWAY every original typed poem. so, if you want it, say so in the comments. if you tag someone else, i’ll give you an extra entry. https://www.instagram.com/p/CL_WIoGhl4P/?igshid=1uqpq1doudtr3

[sophie-the-duchess]

Trick or Treat: Part 3 (Modern Halloween AU Kristanna Ficlet, Rated T)

The weather the next day was sunny, but chilly, and so Kristoff opted for a plaid button down and jeans with his work boots; Anna, apparently, had the same idea.

“Wow,” she gushed when she saw him. “We kind of match.”

Her jeans were a lighter wash than his, but the browns of their boots and the patterns of their shirts were almost identical.

Kristoff had been mortified by the prospect of going out in public dressed so alike, and was about to insist that he go upstairs and change when Anna snorted and shrugged her shoulders in indifference: “Twinsies!”

Despite the fact that it was a Sunday, the apple orchard wasn’t nearly as busy as Kristoff feared. There was no line at the cider mill when they got doughnuts and cider, and when they went for a hayride they were alone on the tractor-trailer alongside a young couple with their toddler, who opted to sit near the front while Kristoff and Anna took the back, dangling their legs off of the edge.

“What kind of apples do you want to pick first?” Anna asked, turning to face him. “There’s Granny Smith, Jonathan, McIntosh, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious…”

She jumped excitedly and grabbed Kristoff with her small hands wrapped around his bicep. “Ooh, we should get pumpkins so we can carve jack-o’-lanterns later!”

“Halloween’s over,” Kristoff chortled, amused by her fervor over an activity so inconsequential.

“Even better.” Her eyes twinkled and Kristoff quickly found himself lost in the deep blues. “That means we’ll be the only ones on the block with them on our porches.”

He couldn’t argue with that logic.

Nodding, Kristoff’s distracted gaze trailed from the excitement in her eyes to the pursing of her soft, pink lips; there was a light dusting of cinnamon-sugar at the corners of her mouth, leftover from the doughnuts they’d snacked on earlier. He wanted to taste it for himself, but instead he gestured to his own mouth with a finger.

“You have some, uhh…”

Anna took the hint and wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve. “Oh, thanks.”

The hayride dropped them off at the back of the orchard, near the treeline, and Anna skipped ahead of him to take stock of their options.

They were the only two people in the pumpkin patch, which was bordered by piles and bales of hay. The patch was mostly brown and bare, with tendrils of dying green vines snaking along the dirt. Most of the remaining pumpkins had been trampled and squashed underfoot, with the occasional bright orange of an intact orb peeking through; upon rolling it over, however, one would find that the gourd was rotting from the inside out.

Kristoff expected Anna to be disappointed, but she surprised him by soldiering on in her optimism, bending down occasionally to inspect a pumpkin here or a pumpkin here, pouting her lips when she couldn’t find one to her satisfaction.

He followed her with his hands in his pockets as she stomped this way and that, darting about the patch like a hummingbird seeking a flower from which to drink.

She made her way to the edge of the pumpkin patch, and gasped.

“Kristoff! Kristoff, over here!”

As he made his way over, he could see what she had found: two perfect, golden, medium-large pumpkins, nestled against one another beneath a covering of dead roots, sharing a vine.

She began to tear away at the roots and sticks to get to the pumpkins beneath, when, suddenly, her shirt sleeve snagged on a particularly thorny branch. Everything that came after seemed to happen in slow motion: she fell backwards, tumbling into the pile of hay behind her, just as Kristoff lunged for her, his own foot tangling in the roots and causing the top-heavy man to topple onto her.

Luckily, the hay was soft enough to cushion both of their simultaneous falls, respectively– even when Kristoff’s own weight came down on top of her petite body.

“Shit,” Kristoff cursed, adjusting himself on his elbows to look down at her face. “Are you okay?”

Her freckled face was flushed and pink, her glittering eyes wide as she stared up at him; her pigtail braids were adorably mussed and stuck all over with grass and hay. At some point in the fall she had grabbed ahold of his sleeve for leverage, and the fingers there tightened around the fabric; they might as well have been tightening around his heart.

Before he was aware of what he was doing, he leaned down, slowly, heart hammering, awaiting the moment their lips would meet.

Instead, his lips were met with a set of delicate fingertips against them.

“I’m sorry,” Anna whispered regretfully as the hand gripping his sleeve loosened. “I just got out of a sorta serious relationship… it was a bad breakup…”

She needn’t say any more; Kristoff didn’t want to do anything to make her uncomfortable. She was too excitable, too optimistic, too bright, too cheerful; he didn’t want to ruin that. It was what attracted him to her in the first place, after all; it was what made him feel as though he might really start to fall for her– and hard– if he wasn’t careful.

“We can take it as slow as you need,” Kristoff promised, truthfully, his intentions innocent and genuine. “I’m happy just spending time with you.”

Anna smiled up at him and he nearly melted. “Thank you, Kristoff.”

[writerspink]

Basic Topics

Food

cook bread cake pie noodles pasta eggs meat milk cheese oil chocolate chips cookies crackers treats snacks muffin rolls biscuit cupcake brownies bagel biscotti French fries sandwich hamburger salad meatloaf breakfast lunch super dinner snack fruit juice soda pop tea coffee wine beer

Outdoors

snow rain wind sunny cloudy tornado hurricane hail ice freeze thaw hot cold earthquake sand mud dirt dust mountain river lake sea ocean valley plain field park sidewalk fresh air camping campfire barbecue picnick

Animals

cow donkey horse rabbit dragonfly deer squid kangaroo bear wolf chipmunk squirrel dog fox cat pheasant brontosaurus mouse eagle clam parrot crow duck cricket swan housefly pterodactyl goose chicken oyster turkey sheep goat hummingbird raptor owl eel hornet zebra bird mosquito whale cougar shrimp elephant lion bee pigeon gazelle cheetah hippopotamus fish tiger gecko grasshopper rhinoceros walrus octopus otter spider jellyfish penguin falcon snake rat crab leopard T-Rex dolphin orca lizard shark hawk giraffe dinosaur starfish snail

Clothes

hat gloves scarf coat trench coat rain coat umbrella shirt pants shorts underwear vest sweater sweat shirt sweat pants sweat suit jogging suit boots shoes sandles slippers swimming suit suit dress skirt blouse hood hoodie fedora flat cap fedora polo shirt dress shirt T-shirt tank top muscle shirt blazer tuxedo cufflinks necklace bracelet earring

Home

house garage workshop window door screen wall floor ceiling kitchen bathroom living room bedroom window door garbage trash can clean wash rinse mob broom washcloth sink shower bath soap toilet toothbrush towel curtain bed blanket pillow bed sheets table chair bench knife fork spoon plate cup bowl water glass bottle cutting board rolling pin toaster blender stove oven fry pan wok pot kettle baking sheet crock pot coffee maker dish washer refrigerator freezer cellar pantry cupboard counter top cabinet closet toybox chest wardrobe vanity coat rack stand sofa couch love seat coffee table footstool ottoman recliner

Office & School

desk computer phone tablet printer clock watch memo note pencil pen ink eraser glue paper clip stapler rubber band sharpen dull shavings shred ruler protractor compass classroom pencil holder calendar pin board thumb tack desk lamp board room whiteboard blackboard conference table manager supervisor teacher principal team & teammates classmates employee student project assignment study work learn correct edit fix repair update upgrade install enroll graduate finish late on time communicate network energy electricity announcement speakers PA system (public announcement) public private corporation company school district industrial park factory building commerce money market

Roads

car truck motorcycle semi truck pickup truck sport car sedan coup scooter dirt bike bicycle BMX bike skates skateboard helmet seat belt air bag crash collision fender bender ticket parking lot speed limit lane highway onramp expressway freeway toll road bridge overpass underpass train tracks railroad train station bus stop yield distance limousine chauffeur driver taxi tour guide travel

Farm & Garden

barn tractor trailer crops harvest irrigation pesticide herbicide weed-killer fertilizer lawn mower bumper crop hay loft straw alfalfa pasture horse fence gate work gloves planting watering weeding trimming trowel plow hoe rake shovel pruning shears hedge trimmer watering can hose hose butler hose reel hose trolley spigot nozzle sprinkler turret sprinkler spray gun rain barrel rain gauge wood chips seeds blossom pollen silo grainery grain elevator cheesecloth cheese curd dairy butcher cellar canned vegetables frost dew perennial annual tulip bulb rose garden walled garden shrubbery

Sports

baseball basketball football soccer lacrosse golf tennis badminton swimming hockey bat glove mitt hoop basket net goal cleats shin guards pads jersey baseball cap court racket pool referee coach team manager stadium arena referee guard forward pitcher catcher offense defense goalie umpire puck penalty disc frisbee quarterback fowl pitch tee-off green rough course field flag boundary out of bounds clock period inning half quarter round match set play (a football play) line sponsor spectator stands bleachers nose-bleed section admission season playoffs tickets finals halftime

Music

piano clarinet oboe bassoon saxophone French horn trumpet trombone tuba flute percussion drum snare tympani bell chimes harp synthesizer instrument sampling director symphony orchestra band marching band parade color guard cadence harmony melody counter melody solo duet quartet march concerto composer tempo beat dynamics volume drum major field commander captain genre jazz blues pop rock n’ roll big band dixieland waltz tango alternative boogie woogie ragtime classical baroque romance medieval pentatonic scale Major minor harmonic

Cyberspace

computer monitor tablet stylus writing tablet touchscreen smartphone mouse keyboard battery power cord cable display desktop wallpaper firmware software application (app) app store runtime environment operating system kernel motherboard integrated circuit transistor processor processor core central processing unit (CPU) graphics processing unit (GPU) random access memory (RAM) read only memory (ROM) user account website profile page Internet web page homepage dependency software stack markup language scripting language cascading style sheet (CSS) hypertext markup language (HTML) database structured query language (SQL) universal resource identifier (URI) (https://write.pink/vocab) universal resource locator (URL) (https://write.pink) web address texting global positioning system (GPS) geolocation temp file directory structure file system email web application blog (weblog) content management system (CMS) human resource management (HRM) customer relations management (CRM) enterprise resource planning (ERP) personal information management (PIM) words per minute (WPM) social media multimedia terminal command line console client server client side language server side language legacy version version history product road map scope creep bug report feature request install update upgrade beta security malware virus spyware cookie meta data content menu navigation heading header footer article post tag search engine web crawler contacts share embed log error message runlevel priority foreground background radio select checkbox dropdown select text field encrypt certificate session web browser desktop application email client

Hospitality

reservation checkin checkout key deposit hotel motel hostel resort bead & breakfast cruise ship country club waiter waitress server maître d’hôtel concierge host butler bus boy bell hop kitchen crew dish crew chef assistant menu chef’s surprise soup of the day cup of joe appetizer soup & salad main course side dish dessert bread basket pitcher order make ticket make line make table make time delivery time serving tray goblet water glass pilsner glass martini glass shot glass wine glass soda fountain on tap deli deli cut tip / gratuity buffet all you can eat take out doggy bag delivery refill silverware napkin place setting cost per plate guest linens dining room floor bedding double bed queen size bed king size bed twin beds room service wake up call bar bar stool high boy bartender barista clerk open shop close shop “we’re all out” first in first out first in last out last in first out cost of sales five star three star

Travel

navigation driving directions baggage luggage carry-on hand-baggage check in checked baggage baggage claim ticket pass boarding pass departure arrival departure time travel time arrival time estimated time of departure (ETD) estimated time of arrival (ETA) delay on time commute journey embark boarding disembark boarding gate departure gate time table service counter first class business class economy class premium economy frequent flier membership card priority boarding priority seating lounge pass call button flotation device evacuation instructions bulkhead cabin wings air pressure altitude tunnel crash landing splash landing touchdown splashdown turbulence in-flight meal in-flight entertainment airplane mode stow dinner tray reading lamp climate control overhead compartment seat number isle seat window seat dining car sleeper car truck stop weigh station fuel station gas station petrol station passengers crew captain pilot copilot navigator conductor flight attendant helm deck terminal dock ferry plane ship airline cruise ship train bus subway space shuttle transporter beam flying saucer teleportation warp drive hyperdrive hyperspace supersonic lightspeed nautical mile time zone

Dinning Out

Dress

“dressy” festive casual jeans and tie dress pants and tie suit and tie three piece suit dress shirt nice shirt nice T shirt old shirt old T shirt jeans nice jeans rockstar jeans stone washed jeans blazer vest dress short nice shorts jean shorts skirt blouse dress high heels dress shoes slippers loafers sandals sneakers casual shoes [sport] shoes wingtip shoes

Menu

orange soda grape soda red soda cola Dr. Pepper lemon lime root beer ginger ale cream soda bread basket sub sandwich fruit platter cole slaw burrito taco nachos melon lemonade snacks popcorn hot dog chips

Camping

camper trailer mobile home campfire fire pit firewood kindling starter fluid charcoal coals ashes marshmallow s’mores graham crackers hot dog roast hot dog bun condiments relish ketchup mustard paper plate disposable silverware tin foil dinner wrap foil wrapped dinner grill barbecue cookout roasting stick campground toiletries bath house dump station park service park ranger national park state park county park city park recreation off road vehicle recreational vehicle speed boat water skiing wake boarding beach sand dune mountain climbing hiking walking stick mosquito net insect repellent tent tarp AstroTurf picnic table lawn chairs lantern kerosene sing-along

Construction

scaffold nails hammer sledgehammer jackhammer allen wrench screws screwdriver torques head Phillips head straight edge concrete flexcrete cement mortar bricks foundation chimbney threshold partition fire escape story loft lean-to foundation basement construction crew construction site building code building permit detour road construction earth moving equipment shovel rake bulldozer backhoe dumptruck studds drywall log cabin blueprints I-beam welding molding trim work framing carpeting tiling tile floor grout trowel hardhat work gloves safety glasses safety goggles face mask plaster paintbrush pain roller paint can paint can opener paint thinner wallpaper window frame door frame hinge deadbolt lock electric outlet breaker switch breaker box fuse box pluming faucet pipe drain septic tank septic system drain field landscaping survey crew land surveying acre shelf awning tarp fence rebar power grid power lines power transformer electrical pole wiring linoleum formica veneer lumber particle board plywood sandpaper palm sander belt sander saw horse table saw band saw jig saw radial arm saw drill press lathe C-clamp wood glue wood putty wood stain varnish lacquer

Basic Topics was originally published on PinkWrite

[rantsandaves]

Arizona & Rufous-capped Warbler: Part Two

I arrived at a rest stop outside Green Valley, Arizona late on August 29th after birding the Salton Sea in California. I stretched my legs. It was still hot, but not nearly as bad as Los Angeles. Signs around the rest stop warned of "poisonous" animals like snakes and scorpions. A relief: if they were venomous, I may have been concerned. Good thing I was in no mood for a snack.  

The next morning, I woke up early and drove to one of my favorite birding places: Madera Canyon. The shrubs and grasses on the way up were still green from the end of monsoon season, a noticeable contrast from the pale yellow that colored the vegetation when I was last there in early March.

Almost as soon as I got down to Proctor Road, I was able to find the year's first Varied Bunting and a handful of Botteri's Sparrows. I spent the morning working my way up to the mountains. Up Old Baldy trail, I ran into a Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher. Their call is described as rubber-ducky-esque, and it is a fairly accurate description. 

The next day, I drove to nearby Box Canyon and managed to score a Five-Striped Sparrow after only an hour and a half of patient pacing back and forth. I met a couple of other birders who had tried two times previous and dipped on it. Third time's the charm!

I decided that it was maybe my lucky day too, so I drove down to Florida Canyon to see if I could find that Rufous-capped Warbler that I missed in March. (If you missed it, you can read about it here)  Instead of furiously running around Florida Canyon without service trying to figure out the right place to be from shoddily-remembered verbal directions, I got smart and downloaded a map from Tucson Audubon that told me exactly where to go this time. It's amazing what a little foresight can do. I realized that there was indeed another section that went the opposite way I had gone before. The trail led to an oak grove where the Rufous-capped Warbler seemed to be just waiting for me. The bird hopped around and sang for a bit and I stood in awe. Below is unfortunately the best picture I could get before the warbler decided the fat lady sang and it was time to close the curtains. Show's over, pal! 

I ended up spending a couple of nights near Madera, one on Proctor Road and another at Bog Springs Campground. I have some great night-birding stories that maybe are best told in person. (Buy me a beer and say code word 'night birding' for more details.) 

I visited some places that I (now very regretfully) missed back in March: Ramsey Canyon, Carr Canyon, Patagonia-Sonoita Preserve and Ash Canyon B&B. All were successful in terms of producing new birds for my year list and absolutely gorgeous places all around. I saw a female Blue-throated Hummingbird at Ramsey Canyon, which is operated and maintained by the Nature Conservancy and further up by the US Forest Service. I stayed the night at Carr Canyon to find the long-staying Tufted Flycatcher (code 5!) thanks to John Battiste and his crew. John then pointed me in the direction of Ash Canyon B&B to find a Lucifer's Hummingbird- a gorgeous creature that I was lucky to get an image of. 

I took a trip to Chiricahua National Monument just to see the sights. I managed to make a complete fool of myself and totally butchered the name "Chiricahua" to a Border Patrol officer. The look on his face as he tried to make coherent sense of what I had said is an image I will never forget. I spent sometime in the Chiricahua Mountains and managed to pick up a Mexican Chickadee and Montezuma Quail, as well as a thick layer of dust that I may never be able to clean out of the bed of my truck. 

I spent sometime bouncing between Tucson and Flagstaff for numerous birds. I got stuck in a hail storm and covered in mud while looking for Gray Vireo and Red-faced Warbler on Mount Lemmon outside Tucson (and dipped on both.) I got lucky enough to briefly catch the Common Crane that had been hanging out at Mormon Lake--terrible, almost heartbreaking looks from a maxed out scope, but a look nonetheless. I managed to get a Bendire's Thrasher fairly easily at Papago Park (only two attempts) while battling the common cold in 106 degree weather.  I visited Red Rock State Park one day and Montezuma Castle the next hoping for a residual Common Black Hawk and managed to find one hollerin' at nearby Montezuma Well!

On my way out of the state, I stopped to try to see at least one of the two Rose-throated Becard that had been hanging out at Tumacacori. I now deeply regret not going much sooner, as there was no reason other than pure absentmindedness. About two hours and twenty mosquito bites later, I left with no Becard, but still had plenty of beautiful memories of an amazing Arizona adventure. I may not be back this year, but I'll be back for you again one day, SE AZ!