#also males have bright blue throats to attract mates

[nonuggetshere]

OHH MY GOD UR LIGHT FURY REDESIGN SHE LOOKS SO COOL

I had a httyd movie marathon the other day so it's been added to the microwave that is my brain

HTTYD FANS RISE 🤝🤝🤝

THANK YOUUUU

Big wif

Also gives you nightlights redesigns (from left to right; Ruffrunner, Dart, oc (Pouncer's mate) and Pouncer)

[aplpaca]

tell me another bird fact please,,

White-throated Sparrows have 2 color morphs: one with white stripes on their head, and one with tan stripes on their head. Both males and females can be either white-striped or tan-striped. White-striped individuals are more aggressive, outgoing, and territorial, while tan-striped individuals are less outgoing, and have been found to be more "attentive" parents. Pretty much all mating pairs are composed of a white-striped individual and a tan-striped individual. However, its been found that all females prefer tan-striped males and all males prefer white-striped females. But because the white-striped females are more aggressive, they end up getting the tan males first, and then the white males and tan females end up pairing up.

Vultures in the Americas evolved separately from vultures in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The have similar traits from evolving into similar niches, but theyre not actually closely related

Personal anecdote rather than a Fact, but when I interned at a hawkwatch, we would set up a big fake owl on a pole solely for the purpose of seeing if we could get the migrating raptors to fly in closer to try to scare it off. The larger birds like Red-tailed Hawks and Red-shouldered Hawks and the larger falcons like Peregrines would usually only dive in on the fake owl when they had already been flying directly overhead of it. The American Kestrels however, which are about the size of a Mourning Dove (or like a twelfth the size of a Great Horned Owl, which is what the fake was representing), would make 90 degree turns from 2+ miles out of the way to come in and divebomb the fake owl before continuing on their migration path. And I just always found that really funny. Heres a female and male American Kestrel (male has the grey on his wings)

Green Herons often use bait to catch fish. They'll toss a bug or a smaller (dead) fish or something into the water and wait till the fish gather around it, then grab ones that are the right size for them. Here's one doing it with bread

Theres a population of about 2000 Rosy-faced Lovebirds in Phoenix, AZ (theyre native to Africa) that have learned to use air conditioning vents to stay cool. They only use them when temperatures are over 90F/32C

Mourning Doves can fly up to 55mph/88kph

Woodpeckers dont just peck stuff to find bugs. They also do it to attract mates and mark territory. And the louder the noise is, the more impressive it sounds to other woodpeckers. So when they peck metal pipes and utility poles and stuff, they're not looking for bugs in the wrong place, they're being loud on purpose

Theres a family of birds in Central and South America called Antbirds. Not bc they eat ants, but bc they, to varying degrees, follow ant colonies and eat the bugs and small animals that are running away from the ants. Some, like the Bicolored Antbird, are obligate ant-followers, and get the vast majority of their food this way. Heres a Bicolored Antbird

male Temminck's Tragopans (a type of pheasant) have this bright blue bib thing they can unfurl/inflate in their mating display. Also this pheasant species nests in trees, which is uncommon for pheasants (they usually nest on the ground). but seriously look at this shit

[mosaicshirts]

Be A Nature Lover

The hummingbird is a natural marvel. The swift, unpredictable flight of these tiny, brilliantly coloured birds is a sight to behold. This article will discuss what makes hummingbirds so interesting to observe and how they differ from other birds.

Hummingbirds' lightning-fast reflexes and dexterity in flight are nothing short of astonishing. Because of the enormous power of their wings, which can beat up to 80 times per second, they are the only birds capable of hovering. This allows them to travel in any direction, including backwards and upside down, which makes them an amazing sight to behold.

Hummingbirds are stunning creatures, both in appearance and in flight. Their feathers are iridescent, reflecting light like jewels, and they come in a rainbow of colors, from lime green and blue to deep purple and pink. In order to attract mates and defend their territory, male hummingbirds display bright plumage, particularly on their throats and tails.

Hummingbirds' antics are another fascinating aspect of these birds. In their pursuit of nectar, insects, and other sustenance, these birds are continuously on the go. They are also known to be highly protective of their territory and eating grounds.

The extraordinary biology of hummingbirds is another reason why these birds are fascinating. Their metabolisms are so high that they require food every 10 to 15 minutes. Some animals have heart rates that can reach up to 1,200 times per minute. Hummingbirds can consume as much as double their body weight in nectar per day, and they have the highest metabolic rate of any bird species.

Last but not least, observing hummingbirds is a wonderful opportunity to get in touch with nature and revel in the world's many delights. These tiny birds remind us of the wonder and diversity of the natural world, and they motivate us to preserve the ecosystems that allow them to thrive.

In all, hummingbirds are fascinating little creatures. Because of their extraordinary abilities, striking appearance, interesting behavior, and extraordinary biology, they are a natural marvel. Take a moment to stop, stare, and maybe even gasp the next time you see a hummingbird buzzing about in your backyard or a neighboring park. To help others have a look at this beautiful bird you can have a humming bird print polo shirt.

[carnegiemuseumnaturalhistory]

Magnificent Frigatebirds: The Flying Pirates of the Caribbean

by Nicholas Sauer

Fish and other aquatic animals aren’t the only ones who go splish-splash is an ocean biome. Let’s not forget our feathered friends, the birds. Today, we’ll be taking a closer look at one of the most conspicuous of all seabirds, the Magnificent Frigatebird (fregata magnificens), also known as the Man o’ War Bird.

Did you know the museum has a frigatebird on display in Bird Hall?

These birds primarily live and breed on the islands of the Caribbean having been observed by scientists and bird watchers on the Marquesas Keys and Dry Tortugas. They are also found nesting on human-made structures like pier pilings from Texas’s Galveston Bay to the Atlantic coast of southern Florida. Frigatebirds make both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans their home, flying on occasion over the isthmus of Panama. In fact, Magnificent Frigatebirds are able to remain airborne for up to a month and a half over their watery environs without the need to land. Some frigatebirds even adapt their hunting and flying practices to specific wind patterns that will allow them to travel and forage more efficiently.

The species is well-suited for such a lifestyle with a wingspan averaging 7.5 feet and a lengthy forked tail which maximizes their aerodynamic abilities. If you ever catch sight of a Magnificent Frigatebird from the shoreline you will see that this species is a stark example of sexual dimorphism. The female is covered in dark brown or black feathers and has a white breast and underbelly. The males are entirely black with a bright red throat pouch which they inflate like a balloon for mating purposes. To attract a mate, the males, often perched together among mangrove trees, will inflate their throat pouches, and then raise and vibrate their wings, calling out with guttural shrieks. When a female chooses a mate, the male takes on the responsibility of finding sticks to build a platform-like nest. He brings these materials to the female who then typically builds the nest on her own. Figatebirds live in colonies, but these communities are by no means free of strife. Both parents incubate a single egg between them each mating season and feed their young after it has hatched. It is paramount that the mother and father maintain vigilance over their nest. At least one parent must be present, or otherwise fellow members of the colony will prey on their neighbors’ eggs and newborns. After twenty to twenty-four weeks the juvenile is able to fly for itself. However, another sixteen weeks will elapse before the young frigatebird reaches full maturity and the mother feeds it for the last time.

Magnificent frigatebirds feed on flying fish, tuna, squid, jellyfish, and crustaceans. As opportunistic feeders they aren’t picky about their dietary choices. Interestingly enough, when hunting they never swim or float on the surface of the water. When swooping down to catch aquatic prey, they confine themselves to surface-dwellers, specifically life that resides in the top inch of water, that is, the epipelagic or “sunlight” zone.

Sometimes frigatebirds will dispense with hunting and foraging altogether and let other birds do the work. They are what scientists describe as “kleptoparasitic.” In other words, they are pirates stealing food literally from the mouths of other birds. Frigatebirds use their intimidating size, ferocious bill, and acrobatic flight abilities to wrest fish from the mouths of almost any bird they can, from seagulls to blue-footed boobies and even brown pelicans. Either that, or they force the weaker birds to regurgitate their prey during midair skirmishes. In these battles, the frigatebird often bites and tears at the target bird’s tail feathers until the victim submits to highway robbery. The frigatebird then catches their target’s lunch before it drops back into the sea. This strategy helps the frigatebird conserve energy and minimize risk while hunting and also gives the bird its extravagant name. Like the pirate ships and British navy man o’ wars of history and myth, the Magnificent Frigatebird prowls the tropics and takes what it likes by a show of force. These beautiful but fierce seabirds demonstrate the intricate adaptions—flying on specific winds and the use of kleptoparasitism—necessary for a creature to thrive in an environment divided between land and sea.

Nicholas Sauer is a Gallery Experience Presenter in CMNH’s Life Long Learning Department. Museum staff, volunteers, and interns are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences and knowledge gained from working at the museum.

References

De Monte, Silvia et al. “Frigatebird behaviour at the ocean-atmosphere interface: integrating animal behaviour with multi-satellite data.” Journal of the Royal Society, Interface 9, no.77 (2012): 3351-8.

Kaufman, Ken. “Magnificent Frigatebird.” National Audubon Society. Accessed 29 July 2021. <https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/magnificent-frigatebird>.

“Layers of the Ocean.” National Weather Service: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Accessed 29 July 2021. <https://www.weather.gov/jetstream/layers_ocean>.

Osorno, J.L., et al. “Kleptoparasitic Behavior of the Magnificent Frigatebird: Sex Bias and Success.” The Condor 94 (1992): 692-698. <https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/condor/v094n03/p0692-p0698.pdf>.

Stittleburg, Vicki and Maria Hart. “Magnificent Frigatebird.” Houston Audubon Society. 2021. <https://houstonaudubon.org/birding/gallery/magnificent-frigatebird.html>.

[house-of-galathynius]

Only You ~ Rowaelin

A Rowaelin fanfic, set if Aelin’s parents had lived and she had met Rowan under normal circumstances, if Erawan and Maeve weren’t threats. Hope you enjoy! 

Prologue ~ Chapter Two

Chapter One: Meeting 

 Summer had always been Aelin’s favourite time of the year. It was the soft breezes and the long days, the late nights. It was the time of year where she didn’t have to be a princess. There was no need for the formalities or the pretending. 

Summer was the season of freedom. 

And when she had woken up that morning, the sun was still low in the sky, the mist dancing between the trees and the bird song was mellowed, quieter somehow. She had known that summer was over; her Fae senses could feel the shift of the season. Summer giving way to the crispness of autumn. And despite the peacefulness and beauty of autumn, it was also her least favourite time of the year.

Court would begin again. Gone would be the long nights of stargazing, the lazy days lounging in the sun with a book or the trips to the Staghorns; now was the time for her royal duties to start once again. 

A gentle tap of the door had Aelin groaning and shifting in bed. 

“Your Highness? Your father would like to know if you will be eating breakfast with them this morning.” Her maid Elspeth was one of the good ones. She was in her late forties and had been with Aelin for her entire twenty years. She was a short woman, her hair starting to grey at the roots, her cheeks always rosy and plump. But Aelin loved her like a mother.

Elspeth slid into the room and closed the door behind her, she strode over to the towering windows which looked out over the forest beyond the castle. The thick curtains were opened to reveal a grey morning. Elspeth didn’t wait for a response from Aelin as she continued her way around the room to the balcony on the far side. She opened the doors and Fleetfoot, Aelin’s beloved dog perked up and trotted off to the fresh air. 

Elspeth was well versed in the ways of Aelin. Which is why her final task was to perch on the edge of her bed and pull the covers back. 

“Aelin, you have guests arriving today.” 

She shot up in bed, staring at Elspeth. She had forgotten about the guests. If she had, she definitely would have been up earlier. She said as much. 

“The Queen of Doranelle, Sellene Whitethorn is arriving with her family.” 

Of course. There had been turmoil in Doranelle for many years and finally, only a few months ago, they had decided on a new queen. It had been a surprise to her Uncle Orlon when it had been announced, but nonetheless, had extended an invitation to visit once the new queen had settled into her new role. Just as the offer would be extended to me one day- when I became queen. 

“I suppose I cannot get away with my usual attire today?” She said. Elspeth laughed and shook her head. “I’m afraid not. A dress will be required.” 

Elspeth had picked a simple yet regal gown in a deep Terrasen green. Elspeth tried and failed to get Aelin to braid her hair, or at least put it into a simple updo. But Aelin enjoyed her hair free, the long blonde locks were one of her favourite assets, and never understood the need to hide it. 

She surveyed herself in the mirror, despite her late night with Sam, she looked awake and bright eyed. Ready for a day of acting like a princess. 

When Aelin arrived into the breakfast room, her father and mother were already seated, Orlon too. She took up the seat beside her mother and smiled apologetically to the three of them. Tardiness was one of her weaknesses and had frustrated all of them to no end. But with the night she had just had… if only her parents knew. 

“Late night again, Aelin?” Orlon grinned. He had always been privy to Aelin’s whereabouts, where she would sneak off to, who she would meet. 

Sam was not royal, in fact, he held no title in Terrasen. He had moved when he had been sixteen years old; escaping the grips of an assassin in Rifthold. He had stowed away on a ship, not knowing where it was going, but hoping that anywhere was better than before. He arrived in Terrasen with a few coins and his wits about him. He’d managed to secure work at a library. The owner had been old and frail, unable to lift the books, unable to do much at all. Sam had taken it upon himself to help in any way he could. And six years later he was the proud owner. It’s where Aelin had met him. Since then, she had been sneaking off to see Sam every chance she could; the only person knowing being Orlon. 

She knew it could never be more than it was with Sam, a reason why she had been so quick to shut down his offer the night before. And despite Terrasen being a forward-thinking country— the King was married to a man for Gods sake— they still drew the line at commoners and royalty marrying, or even being involved, the only exception being a mating bond; something so rare and final that no King or God could argue with it. So she tried to enjoy the stolen moments she had with Sam. Avoiding the advances of any foreign royalty that may come her way. The King only allowing it on the condition that when a serious offer of marriage arose, Aelin would accept and take her place as the next heir to the throne. She loved Sam, and on occasion had been angry at the impossibility of it being anything other than what it was now.

There was the other problem of her immortal lifespan. Sam was human and at some point it would have to end anyway.

“Did you forget about the arrival of the Whitethorns today?” Her father asked.

“It may have slipped my mind.” An easy lie. She took a bite of the pastry in front of her, savouring the sweetness. “But I am here now, and ready to be the perfect princess.” Another bite. 

Her mother chuckled to herself, sipping on the herbal tea that she would drink every morning without fail. Orlon cleared his throat, giving her a look. 

“The queen is new to this Aelin. We must ensure she is welcomed and feels comfortable during her stay.” 

A roll of her eyes. “I think I can manage being nice for a few days.” 

“Weeks.”

She stopped mid-chew. 

“The Whitethorns will be here for at least three weeks. Their castle is under renovations, so we offered them a place to stay whilst they were underway.” 

She had never heard of such a thing. A new queen, leaving her territory for weeks? 

“Darling, you are not expected to entertain them alone, nor be present at every minute.” Her mother had always been the diffuser; ensuring the conversations remained civil, if not for her sanity, for the sake of Aelin’s temper that had resulted in a few fires. “But the sneaking off will have to stop. Lysandra will understand.” Lysandra being Aelin’s excuse for when she was actually sneaking off to see Sam. 

She smiled politely and confirmed that she would be well behaved for when the guests arrived.

And that was that. 

She finished breakfast quickly and excused herself before they could make her stay longer. Aelin made her way to the training ground just beyond the walls of the garden. Orlon had had it built when it was evident Aelin needed a place to train with her powers. Fire magic was a rare gift, one that hadn’t been in the royal family since Brannon. She was grateful for the space, even if she no longer needed to train to the same extent. Only meeting with her trainer once every month.

“I thought I might find you here.” Lysandra’s voice echoed across the stones. “Hiding?” Lysandra laughed. 

“Something like that.” 

Lysandra was silent as she perched on the stone bench, watching as Aelin made shields of flame, as she danced the fire through her fingers and flung her powers towards the wall.

“I won’t be available for a while Lys. The Queen of Doranelle and her family are arriving today.” Aelin held the flame in her palm. “I need you to send a message to Sam for me.”

Lysandra had been the daughter of one of her mothers maids. And when her mother had died, Aelin’s mother could not stand the thought of Lysandra going to an orphanage. So she had housed Lysandra and trained her as a lady-in-waiting for Aelin. And even though they hated each other as children, the older they got the more they understood the other. 

“I heard one of the Whitethorn princes is extremely handsome. Do you think he’d be interested?” Aelin snorted. Any person would be insane not to be attracted to Lysandra. 

“Gods help the poor male if you pursue him.” Aelin returned to her flame.

“We all know that you’re going to marry me one day.” 

They both whirled at the sound of the male voice at the archway. Aedion stood there in all his glory. He wore a midnight blue jacket and dark pants, clothes for important people, Aelin thought. It was envy that Aelin was feeling. Aedion may be a prince, but he would never be King; marrying Lysandra would never be a problem, if she ever agreed, that was. 

Lysandra rolled her eyes and flipped her hair to the side. “Aedion, we both know you can’t handle me.” 

“We’ll see, Lysandra.” Mischief glittering in his eyes. 

Aedion took his wandering eyes away from Lysandra and back to Aelin, who had already lost interest in their banter. 

“What do you want Aedion? Aelin and I were busy.” 

“I’m here to tell Aelin that the Whitethorns will be here any moment, and her father wishes for her to be in the great hall to welcome them.” 

No peace. Summer was well and truly over then. Her flame flickered out and she brushed down her dress that was lightly coated in dust. She shook out her hair and let it fall past her shoulders, running her fingers through it to release any tangles. 

“How do I look?” 

“Like your father is going to kill you when he see’s the mess on your clothes.” Aedion held his arm out, she linked hers through it and smiled back at Lysandra who was brushing her own dress down.

“I’ll see you later Aelin.” A smile. “Always a pleasure, Aedion.” And then she was gone. 

Aelin and Aedion strolled down the path that led back into the gardens and then into the tall white palace of Orynth. The guards bowed their heads as she passed, the only acknowledgement that they would give. They continued into the palace, the halls empty of people. 

“Did they have to put out so many flowers? I feel like I’m just going to sneeze the entire time.” Aedion laughed, but didn’t respond as they approached the doors to the great hall. 

The room was only ever used for special occasions, I suppose a new queen included that. The room was large, taking up an entire wing of the castle, it’s ceiling tall, gold chandeliers dropping from it. The walls were painted white, with green and gold accents dotted around— the colours of Terrasen. The room was magnificent, every inch dripping in wealth and splendour. 

When she entered she dropped into a low curtsey. Orlon was sat atop the Antler Throne, his eyes fixed on her and Aedion— who was also bowing low. Her father and mother were sat on two smaller seats to Orlon’s left. A second, smaller throne rested next to Orlon’s; for the consort of the king. Which was unusually empty; Orlon’s husband usually filling the spot. 

As soon as she was in her place and everyone else were in their correct spots the guard at the end of the hall announced the arrival of the first Whitethorn family members. Aelin knew this formality all too well— get the lesser family members out of the way first, and then announce the most important. So she dropped her eyes and fiddled with the hem of her sleeve. She kept her eyes averted as the guard listed off the names of lesser royals and their spouses. A pinch on her shoulder made her look up, she spun to berate Aedion for being an ass, when the guard started to speak once more. 

“Your majesty, I would like to present Rowan Whitethorn, Prince of Doranelle and  Endymion Whitethorn, Prince of Doranelle.” 

The two males stepped through the open doors and she met the eyes of the shorter male. He was handsome, of course; and she smiled politely at him, wishing this would go faster. He smiled back, lowering his head slightly before doing the same to Aedion. Aelin tore her eyes away and looked at the second male stood next to him. Her breath caught in her throat as she beheld what was in front of her. 

It took him a moment to look toward her, and when their eyes met she felt every hair on her body stand up. His pine green eyes met her own and it was like the world was falling around her. She swallowed and forced herself to breathe, her body heating. 

The male in front of her seemed to be doing the same thing. His breathing turned shallow and he couldn’t tear his eyes from hers. 

It was like everything around her was spinning or maybe she was falling, Orlon’s voice faded to the background, all she could hear was the pounding of her heart. 

As she stared into the eyes of her mate.

[ketrinadrawsalot]

Lizards of California #6: The Coast Range Fence Lizard is arguably the most frequently seen lizard in the Bay Area. The males have bright blue scales on their sides and throat, while females have a duller blue or no blue at all. Males are also territorial, often perching in high places doing push-ups to attract mates.

[nialledfromfics]

The Dating Game | Chapter One 

~~

8:37. 

He was already thirty seven minutes late. Her fingers lightly tapped at the veneered mahogany bar top, the ice in her drink having nearly turned to water in the bottom of her empty glass as she picked up her phone to check the time once more. 8:38. 

Slumping her shoulders in a soft sigh, she reached up to tuck a few strands of her red hair behind her ear as her narrowed stare drifted around the semi-full bar area of the restaurant. She carefully inspected each lonesome male guest one last time, hoping that maybe she had just overlooked the man she was there to meet. Her teeth scraped incredulously along her bottom lip, her back straightening slightly as she attempted to peer over the heads of seated patrons, though it was becoming increasingly obvious by the second that she may have been stood up.  

“Are ya waitin’ for someone?” 

The low voice startled her at first, but she just casually chuckled and glanced down at her phone. “Yeah...uh, a blind date actually,” she spoke up, tapping at her phone screen to check the time. 8:42. She rolled her eyes and gently peered over towards the stranger that was standing a few feet from her left, who she, for a moment, thought maybe could be her date. Her hazelnut eyes caught his bright blue ones before she noticed the soft sweep of his chestnut brown hair laying across his forehead and the rugged stubble of his beard adorning his jaw, and she, for a moment, almost wished he was her date. “He’s almost forty five minutes late already, pretty sure that’s not a good sign.” 

The guy laughed; the roaring sound resonating right through her as she watched small crinkles form by the corners of his eyes. His infectious smile was lighting up his entire face. It made her smile too. “Probably not, no.” 

His voice was deep, gritty almost and riddled with an Irish rogue that she was certain could send anyone to their knees. The young woman faintly cleared her throat at her thoughts and took to stirring the half melted cubs of ice around her glass with the straw. “Is there, like, some kind of handbook on first date etiquette?” she jokingly asked the man, shifting her stare back over to his. “How long should I sit here and wait like an idiot before it’s okay to get up and leave?” 

“Honestly, I couldn’t tell ya,” he said with a heavy sigh, bringing his glass to his mouth to sip down the rest of his drink, “I don’t go out on dates that much.”

She sat back in her chair and chuckled at his, frankly astonishing, confession. One that, just by the looks of him, she was having a very hard time believing. “You’re joking, right? ‘Cause if you’re having a hard time finding a date, there is absolutely no hope for me.” 

A flush overcame the man’s cheeks, and he bowed his head down slightly. “I wish I was jokin’!” he replied, looking back over at the stunningly gorgeous girl sitting just two feet from him. “It’s actually my job that makes datin’ kinda hard.” 

“Yeah, I wish I could say that about my job,” she said with a slight narrowing of her one eye, “much better than realizing that men are just shit.” 

Another laugh belted from him before he gave her a shrug. “Fair enough, I’ll give ya that. So...what is it that you do then?” 

“I’m a kindergarten teacher.”

“Really? That’s nice.” 

“Yup,” she nodded. “What about you, what do you do?”

He cleared his throat, his shoulders rounding as he rested his forearms on the edge of the bar, twirling his empty glass around against the wooden bar top. “Um...I’m a musician, a singer actually.”

“Well, that’s pretty damn cool,” she shot back with her eyes going big, “much cooler than my job.”

“Doubt that, you get to be with kids all day.” 

She smiled and leaned towards him, reaching out to lightly lay the tips of her fingers over his right bicep. “Like I said, much cooler than my job.”

Sitting herself back up in her barstool, she flipped her long red hair over her shoulder and clasped her hands together on top of her crossed thighs. She was unaware of his wandering gaze on her at that moment: stretching down the long slope of her neck to the slight peek of her ample cleavage that was showing from her top. She had soft full lips, painted in a muted mauve color and a delicately rounded chin. She was absolutely captivating. He quickly averted his stare when she curiously flicked her eyes over to his, and he reached up to card a hand through his dark hair as a distraction. “Uh...can I, um, get ya another drink?” 

She looked down at her empty glass, pondering his question. “You know what,” she started, glancing back over at him, “yeah, I’d like that. Thanks.” 

He smiled at her and raised his hand to motion the bartender over to them. “Whatcha drinkin’?”

“Vodka soda.”

He rolled his lips into his mouth and nodded. “Vodka soda for the lady, please and I’ll have another Jameson, on the rocks.” 

By that time, it was her gaze that was wandering over him as he ordered. She watched as his lips curled intricately around each word that left them, her eyes drifting from the small spots dotting across his thick neck up to the glow of the bar lights that flecked through his soft eyelashes. He was very beautiful. It almost made her nervous. Feeling the heat of her stare, he locked his eyes on hers and slid himself into the seat next to her. She pulled in a deep breath as he situated himself in his chair and she was quick to realize that not only was he crazy attractive, but he also smelled incredible. Of course he did. 

Her stare flicked down to her lap. “So...are you here on a date too or…” she asked, her soft voice waning slightly.

“Oh no,” he replied, shaking his head, “I’m actually meetin’ some of my mates here soon, we’re goin’ out to some club. This is my buddy’s bar actually, so...it’s kinda like our designated meetin’ point.” 

“Gotcha.”

“I’m Niall, by the way.”

Her brown eyes fell to his hand as he held it out towards hers. She shook it and gave him a sweet smile. “I’m Joey, nice to meet you.” 

“Nice to meet ya, too.” Niall’s brow quirked up slightly as the last word left his lips and Joey couldn’t help but bite down on her bottom lip in reaction. He really was wicked handsome. “Can I ask...do ya do this often? Go out on blind dates?”

Her shoulders lifted in a laugh, a real genuine laugh that spilled effortlessly past her pouty lips like a cool breeze on a hot summer's day. Her eyes pinched shut and her nose scrunched with her loud giggle, and he couldn’t help but think how adorable she looked. It nearly left Niall breathless. But he just amorously smiled back at her. “Oh God, no,” she began, gathering her breath as the bartender set down their drinks, “this is actually the first time I’ve ever done anything like this. My best friend, Alexis, she made me download Tinder and Bumble a couple weeks ago-”

“Oh God-”

“I know, right? That’s what I said!” she agreed with another giggle. “But...I told myself that I should just try it out, ya know? Put myself out there, go on some dates, experience shit and see what happens. So...here I am. To be honest, this is the first real date I’ve been on in...a really long time. I’m...pretty nervous. And, of course, it’s already going super great, if you couldn’t tell.” 

Niall let out a snort just as he went to take a sip of his drink. “Precisely why I barely ever go on dates…” 

“I thought it was because of your job,” she snarkily replied, smirking at him around the straw of her drink. So she was clever too. Niall took notice and he chuckled. 

“A bit of both, to be fair.” 

“Ah, I see.” 

“So, this guy you’re meetin’,” Niall began again, lightly waving his hand around as he spoke, “you know anythin’ about him?”

Joey set down her drink, her foot kicking back and forth as she pulled in a breath. “Um...not much really. He said that he is self- employed, around 5’11”, dark curly hair and that he was going to be wearing a light blue shirt.” 

Niall’s mouth turned down at the corners. “Oooh sounds sexy,” he teased.

Tossing her head back in a boisterous laugh, his eyes went wide with enticement as her neck bared itself to him. Her shiny red hair flowed over her shoulder, cascading down her arm just as she reached up to cup her hand over her mouth. Niall’s heart might have skipped a few beats watching her. After her giggles had settled, she tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. “I’m sure I’ll be swept right off my feet,” she joked back at him. 

“Dunno, Joey,” Niall said with a sarcastic click of his tongue, “he could be the one…”

She sighed dramatically. “I definitely better prepare myself.”

“Better have that officiant on speed dial.” 

“Obviously. Every girl’s must-have on a first date.” 

They both broke out into a fit of giggles and Joey couldn’t help but take note of how easy and comfortable she felt talking to Niall. She hadn’t felt that way in a long time. “So,” Niall said, picking up his half empty glass and readying himself for a sip, “have you ever been here before–”

“Joey?”

Whipping her head to the right at the mention of her name, the young woman was met with a dark curly haired man wearing a light blue button up shirt. She was almost disappointed to see him. “Oh...uh, Josh, right?” 

“Yeah, sorry I’m so late. Traffic was a nightmare,” he mumbled, slapping his hand to the back of a nearby barstool. “Also I had to feed my cat.” 

Joey’s brows buckled at the last bit, but she waved it off. “No, no, it’s no problem, really.” 

He nodded. “Should we get our table?”

“Yeah, sure, let me, uh...grab my stuff.” 

Turning back around, she captured Niall’s stare and gave him an awkward ‘ugh’ expression, one that he was fast to reciprocate with a chuckle. She stood herself up, smoothing down the front of her skirt before grabbing her bag and jacket. “Thank you so much for the drink, Niall,” she told him, keeping her tone low and between them, “And the friendly conversation.” 

Niall nodded. “My pleasure, Joey. Have fun, and be safe.” Giving him a kind smile, she turned to follow her date, who had already begun to shuffle off towards their table. Niall watched as she walked away, Joey barely making it a few steps before she had glanced back at him over her shoulder. He had a coy half-smirk on his face, one that could without a doubt ignite a fire in a snowstorm and, for a split second, Joey wondered what the hell she was doing. 

•

She had known who he was. The second she looked over at him, saw those heavenly blue eyes and heard that brogue accent, it clicked. But there was no way she was going to freak out or tell him that. Besides, by the end of the conversation, she had practically forgotten that he was a multimillionaire world famous musician and singer. He was just...another guy she met at a bar.

However, the moment she sat down at the reserved table with her date, randomly meeting Niall Horan at a bar in West Hollywood was the last thing on her mind. Josh, her blind date, seemed nice enough. He ordered them drinks, a lot of drinks, and kept up fairly well with the initial awkward getting-to-know-you conversation, though his frequent mention of someone was starting to stump Joey. 

“....and Tina really likes it when we play together.” 

Joey set down her drink. “Um...you keep mentioning Tina, who is that? Your daughter or something?” 

“Daughter?” he laughed. “No, I don’t have any kids. No, human kids.” 

Her eyes narrowed in perplexity as the guy tipped his head back to guzzle down the last of his mixed drink, the waiter having already brought him a fresh one. “Tina is my cat.” 

“Oh.”

“Listen, if I could marry her, I would. But I guess that’s not really legal, huh?” 

Joey stayed silent, her widening eyes slowly falling to the salad plate that rested in front of her. She chalked his comment up as a joke, but as the night dragged on, five more drinks being consumed by her date as he gleefully showed Joey about forty two pictures and twelve different videos of Tina the Cat, she began to think maybe he wasn’t joking at all…

Half way through their main course, Joey could tell that Josh wasn’t really holding his alcohol too well. His eyelids were droopy, his skin blotchy and clammy with sweat settling across his brow-line and his words were slurring to the point that Joey could barely understand a single thing he was saying. She knew it wasn’t looking good. 

“Hey...are you okay?” she finally asked, noticing the redness in his cheeks starting to fade to blue. Josh simply looked up at her and swallowed hard before attempting to lift himself out of his chair. He grabbed at his stomach, a slightly worrisome grumble bubbling up into his throat as he kept his balance with his free hand gripping to the edge of the table. 

“Oh...oh, okay,” Joey mumbled, “...this is happening…”

She went to reach out for him as he began to wobble past her, assuming he was headed towards the bathroom, when he paused; the look on his face harboring sheer terror the second his eyes caught hers.

Oh shit. He wasn’t going to make it. 

Joey’s mouth dropped open in a horrified gasp, not even having time to lean out of the way as Josh bent over and puked right there on the restaurant floor next to her. The entire place fell silent as the sounds of uncontrollable retching and half digested contents hitting the tiled floor echoed throughout the large open space. Joey slapped her hands up to cover her nose and mouth, the entire side of her bare leg splattered in his vomit. 

He stayed bent over, heaving and moaning after he was through, servers rushing around him as they tried to figure out how to handle the situation. Joey slowly peeked back up to his face, his glazed over eyes meeting hers and all she could do was let out a defeated sigh. “I’ll get you a Lyft.” 

•

After cleaning herself up as best she could in the restaurant bathroom and helping Josh into his Lyft–and a couple half-assed apologies being muttered as she buckled him in–Joey watched the car pull away, tightening her jacket around her body. It wasn’t cold outside by any means, but there had formed a slight chill in the late night air and instead of grabbing herself a ride, Joey decided to walk the few blocks north to the small Italian bistro, Italiano’s, that her brother worked at. Italiano’s also happened to be her favorite restaurant and had a to-die-for Tiramisu that Joey absolutely loved. She thought that after the night she had endured, she deserved to treat herself to something indulgent. 

It was only a fifteen minute walk, Joey arriving just as they were about to close up for the night. She yanked open the door with a relieved sigh and smiled at Ramona, the hostess and Joey’s brother’s girlfriend, who was standing beside a small wooden podium. “You’re here kinda late,” Ramona mentioned as she stepped to the side to give Joey a hug. 

“Yeah, just left what was probably the worst date I’ve ever been on,” Joey explained, “thought I’d stop by to see if you guys’ have any of that Tiramisu left?” 

Ramona smiled. “I’m sure we’ve got a piece or two left,” she said with a wink, leading Joey over to a table. “I’ll put you in Carter’s section.” 

“Thanks Ramona.” 

Showing Joey which table to sit at, she poured her a glass of water and rested a hand on her shoulder. “I’m gonna go clean up those couple tables over there and then I’ll be back. We can have a little girl talk if you want.” 

Nodding at her with a smile, Joey watched Ramona walk off just as her brother, Carter, began heading towards her table. He was already carrying a small plate that had a generous portion of Tiramisu on it. “You are a lifesaver,” Joey mumbled as he stepped up and set the plate down in front of her.

“I wouldn’t be your bro if I didn’t know exactly why you were here.” 

Joey rolled her eyes and pulled the fork from her folded up cloth napkin, quickly digging into the dessert. Carter took the time to sit down in the chair across from her, his shift pretty much over with Joey being the only patron left in the establishment. “So, how was your night?” he asked her.

“Shitty,” she said between bites, not even looking up at him. “Or maybe I should say...’vomity’.”

Carter’s brows pulled in. “Huh?”

She peeked up at him. “I went on a blind date and the guy threw up on me,” she said with a snort, “well…on my leg.” 

“Fuck,” he chuckled. 

“Yeah.” 

Ramona came shuffling over, pulling out the chair between Joey and Carter and sitting herself down. “Okay, what’d I miss?” 

“She got puked on,” Carter told Ramona, pointing a finger at Joey. 

A gasp left Ramona’s red lips. “You’re joking?!”

Throwing her brother a spiteful look, Joey sighed. “Wish I was, but nope, the guy got totally wasted and just...threw up everywhere. It was so embarrassing.” 

“Yikes.” 

Joey licked the last bit of Tiramisu off her lips and pushed the plate away from her. Dropping her chin into the cups of her hands, she rested her elbows on the table. “I feel like this is some kind of sign, that I’m just destined to be alone forever.” 

Carter sighed. “Jo, don’t say that.”

“It’s just...I’m really trying to put myself out there, ya know? And of course, I can’t even have a decent first date. I have to, literally, get puked on,” Joey said, carefully tucking some hair behind her ear.

Ramona shot her a soft smile and leaned her arms on the table. “Carter and I had a pretty bad first date. It doesn’t always mean the rest will be bad too.” 

“What was wrong with our first date?” Carter asked her, his face pulling in. 

The dark haired girl laughed. “You were twenty minutes late picking me up, our reservations got ‘lost’ so then we had to wait an extra hour for our table and then your car got towed while we were eating. That’s pretty bad.”  

Carter rolled his eyes. “Oh, that’s not that bad.”

“Anyway,” Ramona continued, peering back over at Joey, “all I’m saying is that you never know how it’s going to end up. Maybe Puke Boy deserves a second chance.” 

Joey chuckled and shook her head. “Most definitely not. We really didn’t have much in common anyway. I’m just worried that I’ll never be able to find someone.” 

Reaching out to put a hand on Joey’s shoulder, Ramona leaned closer to her. “It might seem like you can’t find anyone, but I promise you will. You’re amazing Joey, and you shouldn’t have to settle for just anyone. You gotta keep searching.”

“You think?” Joey flicked her eyes from Ramona to her brother.

“Definitely,” Carter assured her with a gentle smile, “just don’t give up. Not yet, ‘cause it’s usually right where you least expect it.”

•

[sciencenewsforstudents]

Iridescence sparkles across many branches of the tree of life, from dazzling ruby-throated hummingbirds to bright, metallic beetles. While ostentatious coloration can woo mates, scientists had assumed it also attracted predators. But new evidence suggests an unexpected benefit of iridescence — camouflage.

Asian jewel beetles (Sternocera aequisignata) boast brilliantly iridescent exoskeletons, and the fact that both males and females share this trait suggests its importance outside of mating. To see if iridescence affected whether beetles were detected by hungry birds, behavior ecologist Karin Kjernsmo at the University of Bristol in England and colleagues pinned mealworm-stuffed iridescent beetle wing cases to forest leaves along with non-iridescent ones artificially colored blue, green, purple, rainbow or black. All 886 targets — iridescent and matte — represented the spectrum of colors in the iridescent shell, allowing researchers to disentangle the effects of individual colors from the ever-changing sparkle of iridescence.  

Wing cases of the Asian jewel beetle tilted different ways show the diversity of colors iridescence can produce. Most animal colors are produced by pigments, but iridescence is structural. Microscopic layers interfere with how a surface reflects light, and can generate different colors depending on the angle of view.

CREDIT: K. KJERNSMO 

After two days, the iridescent “beetles” were less likely to have been attacked by birds than all the other colors, except black, researchers report January 23 in Current Biology. Birds “killed” 85 percent of purple and blue targets, but less than 60 percent of iridescent targets, Kjernsmo says. “It may not sound like much, but just imagine what a difference this would make over evolutionary time.”

It’s unclear if birds had trouble seeing iridescence or were avoiding it, for example if they associated it with poisonous prey. But Kjernsmo suggests the rapidly changing colors could disrupt normal image-forming processes.

Humans proved worse than birds in detecting iridescent beetles. In a second experiment, 36 people walked a forest path while trying to spot both iridescent and dull beetle cases affixed to leaves in plain sight. Humans on average identified nearly 80 percent of matte blue and purple cases, but only 17 percent of iridescent cases — suggesting to the researchers that iridescence can function as camouflage.

[monster-huntologist]

Monster Ecologies: Anjanath and Fulgur Anjanath

Entry 5 - Anjanath and Fulgur Anjanath

Name: Anjanath

Aliases: Andrew, Pinky, Fierce Jaw Wyvern for Anjanath and Tiger, Thunderjaw for Fulgur Anjanath

Classification: Reptile, Brute Wyvern

Biology: Overall, Anjanath have a body structure very similar to that of their fellow Brute Wyvern Deviljho, but they have numerous features that make them unique. They have a larger mouth than Deviljho and are a bright pink color with black fur running from its shoulders down to its tail. They also have a nasal cask that extends out of its head, with the males cask being larger than that of the females. This serves many purposes such as boosting their already acute sense of smell, amplifying the sounds that the species use to communicate, producing the large amounts of flammable mucus that they use to both defend themselves and mark their territory, and most importantly, acting as an indicator of age, health, and strength to other Anjanath, with females being attracted to those with the biggest casks. Another unique feature to them are large sails that they keep hidden underneath their fur, which pop out when the creatures are enraged or to regulate body heat. Fulgur Anjanath share many similarities with their normal counterparts, but are one of the most unique subspecies when compared to the original. Instead of pink, it has a light-grey hide with white plumage on it’s back. Its head is a vibrant orange color with small black stripes. The outside of their sails share the same light grey color as the rest of the body but are a purplish-blue color on the inside, which can also be seen on their nasal casks. Rather than having fire-producing organs, Fulgur Anjanath are capable of producing large amounts of electricity instead. Their mucus has become conductive rather than flammable, but that is not the main use for this ability. They are able to reroute this electricity to their muscles, “supercharging” them and vastly boosting its strength to the point where it can stand on even ground with numerous Apex species.

Behaviour: Anjanath are very aggressive and territorial creatures, attacking anything that enters their home even if they are largely outclassed, such as against Rathalos and Deviljho. They frequently patrol their territory, covering tree trunks with their snot to serve as a warning to other Anjanath. Surprisingly, they have their gentle moments too. During mating season, they actually rarely attack other Anjanath, instead competing between them of who has the best nose casks and flaps. During the evening when the sun begins to set, Anjanath will often find a suitable perch and use their skin flaps to absorb the last amounts of heat from the day, warming up their blood to help them hunt at night. As they do this, they stare out into the horizon, seemingly enjoying the view. Fulgur Anjanath behave similarly, but are braver or more aggressive. It isn’t uncommon to see them attacking Apex species such as Nargacuga or Diablos.

Habitat: Anjanath exclusively inhabit the Ancient Forest. They wander all throughout the area, from the undergrowth up to the higher canopies. Some of them however, were temporarily scared into the Wildspire Waste by a Kushala Daora that had itself been chased out of its habitat by a Nergigante. Fulgur Anjanath are nomadic and can be found all throughout the New World. The population is at its highest in the Hoarfrost Reach, so it is believed that they originally evolved from their forest counterparts that had wandered there at some point in the past and then migrated back to the main continent across a now-destroyed landbridge.

Diet: Anjanath, being one of the top predators of their environment, will eat anything that they can catch. Their preferred meal is Aptonoth, but they will commonly go after Lesser Jagras, Gajau, Mernos and Kestodon too. It is known for being an opportunistic predator that will feed on maturing or elderly specimens of smaller monsters such as Great Jagras, Kula-Ya-Ku, Pukei-Pukei and Tobi-Kadachi. Fulgur Anjanath are still carnivores, but their nomadic lifestyle allows them to feed on a wide variety of prey in each area they pass through. They have been known to raid Thunderbug nests in order to boost their electrical abilities, but this often puts them at odds with Zinogre.

Attack Method: When in battle, Anjanath almost exclusively use brute force to crush their opponents, attacking with their powerful jaws and using their muscular legs to charge into their opponents, often plowing through the ground itself. When enraged, they then start to use flames in their attacks, enhancing their bites with them, expelling twin jets from their nostrils and shooting out large streams of flame from their mouth. The best way to stop Anjanath from using these attacks is to aim for the throat, as that is where their fire producing organs are stored. Fulgur Anjanath fight in much the same way, but trade fire attacks for globs of electrified mucus. They are also much stronger physically, aided by the electricity they are constantly producing.

Place in the Food Chain: Anjanath are high up in the food chain of the Ancient Forest, only topped by the Apex species like Rathalos, Rathian, Nargacuga, Tigrex and Zinogre. All lesser monsters fear it, only fighting it in an attempt to protect themselves and running away the majority of the time, While they are attacked by Deviljho and Bazelguese, this is not for feeding purposes, but instead the monsters extreme aggression and a show of dominance. Fulgur Anjanath are able to contend with the apex species in each environment they pass through, placing them higher in the food chain than their forest counterparts. It is not yet known if the two species are capable of interbreeding, but biologists have noted that neither will show aggression to the other during the breeding season so a crossbreed may occur at some point in the future.

This has been a report on the Anjanath and Fulgur Anjanath. Thank you for reading.

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Ptiloris

Magnificent Riflebird by Eric Gropp, CC BY 2.0 

Etymology: Feather Nostrils

First Described By: Swainson, 1825

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Australaves, Eufalconimorphae, Psittacopasserae, Passeriformes, Eupasseres, Passeri, Euoscines, Corvides, Corvoidea, Paradisaeidae

Referred Species: P. magnificus (Magnificent Riflebird), P. intercedens (Growling Riflebird), P. paradiseus (Paradise Riflebird), P. victoriae (Victoria’s Riflebird)

Status: Extant, Least Concern

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

The Riflebirds are known from Papua New Guinea and Australia 

Physical Description: The Riflebirds are Birds of Paradise - extremely beautiful and weirdly patterned birds with distinctively colored males and fairly drab females, so different that it is not unreasonable to think they’re different birds. In this case, the Riflebird females are a chestnut brown color on their backs, wings, and tails; with brown and white stripes on their heads. They also have white and brown striping across their bellies and bellies and breasts. This is the same for three of the four species - distinctively enough, the females of Victoria’s Riflebird look different still, with more grey feathers on the back, tail, and head; and beige bellies with brown spots. The females are invariably smaller than the males - at 23 - 29 centimeters in length. 

Paradise Riflebird by Dominic Sherony, CC BY-SA 2.0 

The males, meanwhile, are ridiculous. At 25 - 34 centimeters in length, they are, on average, much larger than the females, and very large perching birds overall. They are generally black in color, with blue-green patches all over their bodies. These patches occur on the tops of their heads, the undersides of their necks, and across their tails, varying a little from species to species, and generally very iridescent and beautiful to look at. They have very large, black wings, that are able to spread out into amazing displays - displays for sex! More on the specifics of the display in the Behavior section, but for now, it’s important to note what these birds can look like. They often raise up their wings during these displays, making a crescent of black shiny feathers. They then can fold out the wings and their tails, leaving two white spots in a sea of black, over a long strip of turquoise feathers - the famed Weird Bird Mating Display of nature documentary fame. 

Victoria’s Riflebird by Joseph C. Boone, CC BY-SA 4.0 

Both sexes are long in body, with long tails and heavy wings. They have small heads and compact necks. Their bills are very long, grey, and curved. They have long, thin grey legs as well. In short, even if these things weren’t distinctive in their color and behavior, they would be very distinctive in their overall body shape!

Diet: The Riflebird feeds primarily on both fruits and small to medium sized animals, including insects, spiders, centipedes, and even flower nectar from time to time. Some species feed more on fruits than on insects, while others are the reverse. 

Growling Riflebird by Markus Lilje 

Behavior: Riflebirds spend almost all of their time foraging alone or in pairs, though they do sometimes form groups or even mixed-species foraging flocks. They search for fruit in the upper canopy, but look for insects in the lower canopy, moving back and forth between rainforest levels looking for different sources of food. They especially like going to trees such as Pandan trees that have extensive fruit and insects. They will probe along the branches, pecking at bark and investigating holes with their huge beaks to get food. They move quickly through the jungle, making sure to not stay in any one spot for too long. As they move about the forest, tney make “hrrak-hrrow-hrrak-hrrow” calls back and forth. Some species do make more “woiieeet-woit” calls instead. They can be aggressive to one another, making “kek-kek-kek-kek” calls. Parents will make soft “kuk” calls to their children on the rim of the nest. To attract females, males will literally go “Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas” loudly in the jungle, which I just think ups their meme potential to maximum levels. These calls can be very loud, reaching up to 1 kilometer away. These birds don’t migrate based on food availability, though sometimes males will move out of rainforests into adjacent woodlands during the winter. 

The Riflebirds have the most famous mating display of any bird, honestly, popularized by such things as nature documentaries. The male will first advertise loudly throughout the forest, dispersed greatly from one another but not necessarily enforcing mating territories. First, the male will erect his throat patch and the bright feathers on the sides to catch the sunlight and show off the coloration. Then, he curves his rounded wings above his body, tilting his head back and forth to expose the throat color to the light even more. He then moves back and forth from side to side. They then open their bills, showing a bright yellow mouth, still while moving from side to side. Finally, the males will flatten out their wings, creating a flat surface that looks like a blue screaming mouth on a black background. He then hops back and forth around the female. If the female is happy with this display, she will reward him with multiple matings; the female then leaves to build her nest, while the male tries to woo more females. 

Victoria’s Riflebird by Francesco Veronesi, CC BY-SA 2.0 

The female then goes to make a nest out of a raggedy cup made of sticks, supported by branches near the trunk of the tree. They are usually supported with fibres and dry leaves to form wires around the cup. The clutches are usually 1 to 3 eggs and are well guarded, to the point that the incubation and nestling periods of the eggs isn’t well known. In Victoria’s Riflebird, at least, the eggs are incubated for nearly three weeks; the female then feeds and rears the chicks for about two to three weeks before fledging and leaving the nest, sticking with the mother for a little while before going off on their own. Male Riflebirds have been known to live up to 15 years in the wild.

Ecosystem: The Riflebirds live primarily in subtropical and temperate rainforests, as well as adjacent dry forests. They’re usually found in mid-level elevations - not on high mountains, not above 1200 meters, but also not below 200 meters except in some cases of being near sea level in species such as the Victoria’s Riflebird. They do sometimes visit mangroves swamps and selectively logged forests. 

Victoria’s Riflebirds by Francesco Veronesi, CC BY-SA 2.0 

Other: The Riflebirds are not globally threatened, and while they can be uncommon in certain locations, they are overall commonly found in a variety of habitats. Even so, their preferred ecosystems are, in general, threatened by climate change, making Riflebirds a unique species in need of protection regardless.

Species Differences: The Riflebirds are primarily allopatrically separated - they look similar and behave similarly, but all occupy different locations. The Magnificent Riflebird lives throughout most of Papua New Guinea apart from the most eastern tip, and the tip of the Cape York Peninsula. The Growling Riflebird lives on the eastern parts of Papua New Guinea, where the Magnificent Riflebird isn’t found. Victoria’s Riflebird is known from the eastern coast of the Cape York Peninsula. Finally, the Paradise Riflebird is known from the eastern coast of mainland Australia.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut 

del Hoyo, J., Collar, N. & Christie, D.A. (2019). Growling Riflebird (Lophorina intercedens). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Frith, C., Frith, D. & Christie, D.A. (2019). Magnificent Riflebird (Lophorina magnifica). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Frith, C. & Frith, D. (2019). Paradise Riflebird (Lophorina paradisea). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Frith, C. & Frith, D. (2019). Victoria's Riflebird (Lophorina victoriae). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

[ashley-jones]

The Kings Mate

Chapter 21

The Form Of An Alpha

The group had once more started on there path once more, Rin walking beside Luna holding her hand tightly. Jaken rambling on and on while holding onto Ah Un’s reigns. The teen was able to have her sword back by her side, making her feel safer with them there.

Sesshomaru led the group as always, listening to Jaken ramble and Rin’s soft replies, and then arguments between Jaken and Luna each time the imp would insult Rin. “Insolent human!! Do not refer to me as if you are my equal!” Jaken yelled at Luna. The teen just shook her head and continued walking no longer arguing with the imp.

The act surprised Jaken, as the female would always hit back with fire, so when she didn’t it actually kind of scared him. “L-Luna..I’m starting to get hungry..” Rin whispered. The teen nodded and looked towards her mate. “Sesshomaru..Can I take Rin to get something to eat before we get much further?” she asked softly. “Do as you wish.” he answered.

The girl ran off, the teen soon following after her; both going towards a small river close by. Luna pulled off her combat boots and her stockings, leaving her in the skirt she had put on that morning and slowly stepped in the river with Rin. Both girls beginning to catch fish and setting them aside on the land. Rin ran around splashing around in the water giggling, and just having fun, as the girls had gathered enough fish, Jaken placing them on a line to have for later on. Sesshomaru had gone off ahead, letting the three know to come find him once they have finished. 

Jaken looked towards the teen who had cooked two grilled fish for the child and himself. Something was different about her, her attitude wasn’t as bright, and she wasn’t as talkative. He was about to confront her but a loud yell interrupted him. The teen stood up and looked back seeing a tall male, he had long black hair that was in a ponytail, and dressed in furs. “Oi! What do you three think your doing huh!?” he yelled  “What does it look like?” the teen questioned. She crossed her arms looking directly at the male. “Gathering on the wolf tribes land!” he yelled. Rin quickly went behind Jaken and Luna as wolves surrounded the area. Luna looked around watching the dogs before looking back at the man. “I see no claim. Just a bunch of dogs.” she stated. “Do you wish to die human!?” the man growled. He stomped up to her looking down at her with bright blue eyes, but the eyes that stared back at him, weren't the normal eyes of a human. A deep brown that showed a broken soul, but a girl with immense power.  He stepped back and looked at her closer. “I’m Koga.” he stated. The female looked at him confused expecting him to attack. “Luna..” she answered softly. Rin slowly stepped out looking up at the man, and Jaken lowered his staff noticing the male wasn’t going to attack.

 Luna looked around at the wolves noticing none of them had backed away like Koga had. “They won’t attack unless told to. So you have nothing to worry about.” Koga stated. The teen nodded and turned and kneeled down to Rin’s height making sure she was okay. Jaken ran off to gather Sesshomaru, even though the wolf demon had backed down, the imp still felt the need for the daiyokai’s protections.  The wolf demon stepped away once more so he wouldn’t scare the small child even more she already was, while also admiring the teenage girl. She was marked by a powerful demon, so he knew to keep his distance that way his scent wouldn’t attract onto her. But he also wanted to grab the girl and cover her in his scent, she reminded him of the human girl he had met only a few days ago, Kagome he believed her name was. 

Luna stood up when growls from the wolves emitted through the air, Jaken and Sesshomaru coming into view. Koga quickly jumped out of the way when the full blooded demon stepped out towards the two human girls. Both looking up and standing straight, Luna confused as to why he was here as no harm came to her, and the wolves showed no threatening pose until the daiyokai came into view. “Humph! They wont dare mess with us with Lord Sesshomaru around!” Jaken yelled. “They weren’t messing with us at all Jaken.. Koga backed down.. You were right beside me when he did.” Luna stated. Her arms crossing over her chest and looking down at the imp.  Sesshomaru said nothing and stared at the wolves paying no mind to the wolf demon standing close by, but instead making sure none of the dogs attacked. “Why are wolf demons on this side of the forest?” Sesshomaru finally questioned. “We were attacked. We had to move away before more were killed.” Koga answered. His voice just as monotone as Sesshomaru’s, both holding cold eyes as they stared at each other. 

“Lord Sesshomaru.. I think the wolves like Luna..” Jaken mentioned. The imp pointed towards the teen who was standing by the river, surrounded by packs of wolves. The teen now fully dressed once more while watching the dogs with curious eyes. She slowly stepped past the wolves, each of them moving out of her way allowing her to rejoin her group. Koha stepped close to her sniffing at her. “You look human, smell human, act human..No wolves show curiosity in a human.” he stated. The female just shrugged smiling softly. “Guess I’m just special.”

The group had moved away from the wolves later to start up camp for the evening. Rin running around wearing herself out, while Jaken chased after her. Luna had gone to the hot springs to take a quick bath, and to wash the wolves scent off of her. Her body was sank into the water her hair in a high bun, a kimono sitting beside her dirtied clothing.

Sessuomaru had brought it back for her, it being shorter allowing the female to move easily in it, and also allowing her sword to sit properly against her side. Speaking of the daiyokai he wasn’t sitting far from the hot sponges, his back rested against a tree beside the females small bag. She smiled and slowly pushed herself out of the water and onto the bank using the towel she had brought with her to dry off and began slipping her undergarments on.

“What does your tattoo represent?” Sesshoamru questioned. She hummed clipping her bra into place and looking back at him. She smiled softly and stood up. “it symbolizes supernatural power, wisdom, strength, and hidden knowledge. Also I think the design is beautiful..” she said softly. She looked at the kimono before whispering a small help. The demon smirked slightly and stood up walking over to his mate. “Do you not have kimonos in this era of yours?” he questioned as he began tying the obi for her. “We do..I just don’t wear them, because I’m not originally from Japan, so I never learned how to put one on..” she said softly while watching him.

He just hummed as he continued tying it, and making sure it was straight against her skin; then moved away looking at her flushed face.

She smiled up at him, her eyes soon closing as he placed a chaste kiss against her lips. She placed her hand against his chest leaning up on her tip toes that way she could reach him better. The demon soon moved away and looked up towards the cliff, her eyes following his and taking in the sight of the wolf tribe. “I wonder what attacked them..” she mumbled.

He said nothing while watching the tribe closely, while the female kneeled down picking up her dotted clothing; folding them and placing them neatly in her bag. She stood up putting the bag over her shoulder and picking up her swords. “We should head back..” she said softly. Sesshomaru nodded and began walking but allowed the teen to catch up so she was walking right beside him.

Rin was curled up beside Ah Un, the teen soon joining her holding her small body close so she wouldn’t get cold. In which the small girl cuddled up against her enjoying the teens warmth. The daiyokai had settled down against a tree near the two girls, Jaken passed out beside the fire.

Brown eyes shot open and her body was leaned against the wall. She took realization that she was no longer in the forest but instead a cave. She attempted to move but her arms and legs where tied, her mouth gagged with some type of cloth. “Don’t move too much.” Koga spoke.

She glared at him letting out muffled yells through the gag. How the hell did he get her here?! How did he get passed Sesshomaru?! “Quit moving or say goodbye to the child!” he growled. Her eyes widened and quickly looked over, anger filling her eyes when she saw Rin was in the same position as her, but she was shaking in fear. Then in front of her laid Jaken who was attempting to argue, or call out to Sesshomaru but it just came out muffled.

But the females eyes where mainly on the child before shooting back towards Koga yelling through the gag. “I expected your mate to put up more of a fight against the wolves. But I guess even the great dog demon has weaknesses.” Another of the tribe said. Luna’s eyes widened at what the boy had said.

Her eyes followed another member of the tribe as she grabbed a hold of Rin, more muffled yells left the teens lips. Rin let out cries when a clawed hand met her throat.

Luna struggled her teeth ripping the cloth and a loud yell emitted from her throat. “Put her down!!” she yelled. The tribe quickly turned to the female their eyes widening; bright blue eyes shinned terrifyingly through the cave, fangs going past the females lips. Even Jaken went quiet no longer screaming out for their lord but instead looking to the teen for protection. Her bindings tore and the female holding Rin was thrown back against the cave wall.

Rin quickly moved behind Luna untying herself and Jaken. The tribe all growling and looking directly at the female. But the moment they stepped forward a loud growl left the females lips, sharp canines showing and eyes shining dangerously. She stepped forward growling, a light cracking coming from her as a bright blue light surrounded her turning to a dog form, protecting the two; and anyone who dared to attack wound up tore in half.

Koga and 2 others stood along before backing up and quickly running away. Blood dripped from her muzzle as she growled. Rin and Jaken looked at their protector who leaned down allowing the two to climb on top of her. Once she knew the two were comfortable she took off into a run catching Sesshomaru’s scent easily.

The daiyokai tossed the wolf to the side and quickly turned around when Jaken’s voice came into his earshot. The imp jumping off a large black wolf joined by Rin who ran up to the demon. “Lord Sesshomaru!!” Jaken yelled. The wolf kneeled down and laid its muzzle against their front paw. “It’s Luna..” Rin said. This information surprised the daiyokai, the fur was filtered in blood; and not a single scratch was placed on Rin or Jaken.

He walked to the wolf who’s head was bowed, he kneeled and as he did the females scent hit his nose. “She protected Rin m’lord..A wolf demon was going to attack and Luna ripped through her restrains, eyes glowing bright blue and fangs sharper than your claws.. and then she was surrounded by a bright light; and then she was wolf..” Jaken explained.. “I see..” he mumbled touching the top of the wolfs head.

[chief-justice-tyrese]

I like this chapter from one of my ongoing projects, so I’m going to post it under the cut because that’s the kind of nonsense I can come up with when I’m in a really good mood.

Some of the dialogue is NSFW. And these guys are the same ones from Drift mini-series, in case you’re wondering. I just like writing continuity crossovers like this because I’m always entertained by the “What ifs?”

   Not too far off were the organic alien traders that Deathsaurus had arranged to deal with, aboard their own ship. They were large creatures, roughly the same size of an average Cybertronian. They had lilac-colored scaly skin and olive-colored frills, as well as large pointy teeth.

   Like the rest of their species, they were obsessed with body modification, to the point that many of them had additional appendages, such as extra limbs or tails. However, this culture-wide obsession caused multiple economic collapses since they traded and sold whatever they could for more mods. Eventually, they decided to sell their mercenary services to other races. However, they had a tendency to haggle the prices of their captured fugitives that eventually everyone in that particular star-system referred to them as “The Slavers”.

   This particular crew of Slavers was reasonably sized. It was their first interaction with Cybertronians and they had heard so much about them. The Slavers' second-in-command approached his captain and said to him, “Sir, I don't mean to question your orders, but so you think that maybe we should just cancel this deal? I have a bad feeling about it.”

   “Nonsense!” replied the captain, “The payoff will be very big, you'll see!”

   “But all this effort just for a single robot?” asked the second-in-command. “It's not even the good kind of robot, it's one of those killer robots that have been at war with each other since creation.”

   “When I took on this task, I was assured the robot in question is harmless because he's weaponless,” said the captain. “We're getting at $5 trillion if we bring it back alive. Or $15 trillion if it is alive and unharmed. Do you have any idea how this would affect our home if we succeed? Our planet will no longer be the most indebted in this star-system. We will be legends! Besides, if any others happened to be deactivated along the way, then we harvest whatever parts we can.”

   Suddenly, they received a video call from Deathsaurus and the captain answered it. On the screen they saw Deathsaurus, a large fearsome blue robot with a beautiful face that had four bright vermilion eyes. His majestic disposition evoked both fear and awe, which was worsened by his attractiveness. Happy that the Slavers answered his call, Deathsaurus cleared his throat to say the universal greeting, “Bah-weep-graaaaagnah wheep nini bong!”

   “What did he say?” whispered the second-in-command, baffled by the nonsensical greeting that sounded terrifying with Deathsaurus’ voice.

   “I don’t know,” replied the captain with his hand over the microphone, “but if these ‘deformation robots’ address us as such, it means they don’t plan to kill us.” He spoke into the com, repeating the greeting while flashing a relaxed close-mouth smile.

   Delighted that the universal greeting worked, Deathsaurus said, “We are a day or so from our rendezvous point.” Deathsaurus focused the camera on the missles he planned to trade, making sure the Slavers had a good clear shot of the inventory, “I'd like to see the cargo.”

   The captain picked up his own com, asking for crew members to bring a single crate from the storage unit. Within a minute, a crew member, wearing a protective suit, arrived with a crate and opened it up to reveal the rare, pure nihonium crystals. Due to their radioactive and unpredictable nature, it was a quick viewing before closing up the crate again.

   Satisfied, Deathsaurus said, “Excellent! I can't wait! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. See you soon.” The video call ended and the Slavers were unable to find Deathsaurus' frequency.

   The crew member wearing the protective suit asked, “Wait, is that the $15 trillion robot? No wonder those Quintessons want him so badly. I'd shag that robot too, like damn.”

   With an awkward smile, both the captain and his second-in-command exchanged quick glances. Deathsaurus was not their target. Although there was a similar bounty for him but the payoff was much less, in comparison, due to how dangerous he was; making him more undesirable to the Quintessons – but it was still pretty generous. Their target was another Cybertronian who was much more beautiful. Only the captain and his second-in-command had seen him once before. Since then, the robot's beauty has haunted both their dreams and fantasies. They completely understood why the Quintessons were willing to pay so much for it.

   “No,” replied the second-in-command shaking his head, as he motioned for the crate to be returned to storage.

   “It’s another more beautiful robot.”

   “More beautiful?!” asked crew member, “That’s impossible! There’s no way something sexier than that blue smooth-talking space penguin could exist.”

   The captain, then showed him a photo of their true target on the screen. The crew member stared at the Cybertronian for several minutes before speaking, “Shit, man…he’s hot too. What the hell?! How is this possible?!”

   “Oh, these are their faction leaders,” said the captain as he showed them pictures of Optimus Prime and Megatron. “I don’t understand their beef though. It seemed like they were allies in overthrowing the evil regime but then turned against each other. Perhaps they couldn’t agree which one would rule their home-world and they didn’t want to rule as equals. This is what their millions of years-old war is about.”

   The crew member was in more disbelief, unable to process an adequate reply.

   The second-in-command said, “They were once domesticated by the Quintessons, who somehow thought it was a good idea to keep the weaponized traits, instead of breeding them out.”

   “These robots reproduce?” asked the crew member. “How? They don’t have any females or least I’ve never seen any, it seems like they're all males. I thought they were just made each other in automated factories.”

   With a devious smile, the captain said, “The Quintessons turned their entire species hermaphroditic with their carefully calculated experiments. They intended this to be ‘efficient’ since any two of these 'deformation robots' could mate with each other but I consider it ‘kinky’. And our target is apparently the epitome of this evolution; he is everything the Quintessons' ancestors hoped to accomplish. I know it's tempting to want to haggle a higher price for him, once we succeed, but we mustn't. Knowing how those Quintessons are, we will lose everything if we even dare."

   The crew member was more intrigued than he wanted to admit. (He was entertaining the thought of rawed by their pressurized penises but since they also had vaginas, he had no idea what he wanted to do anymore. He was overwhelmed by the options.) The captain and the second-in-command continued their conversation with the crew member, who hurried to tell the others about what he had learned.

   The Slavers had an idea of what to expect from the Cybertronians. After all, the Quintesson emissaries they spoke to, told them everything they needed to know. What they learned was that the 4 million (or was it 6 million) year-old war between the factions was entirely the Quintesson's fault. The way they programmed the Cybertronians' ancestors to have poor aim and only fire lasers at each other, it was the reason it even lasted that long besides their immortality and desire to find new ways to repair their friends.

   However, their target didn't have lasers, bullets, or bombs of any kind because he was intended to be a harmless loving pet. The Slavers were familiar with the target and “harmless” was not a word they could associate with him. In fact, much of the crew was dreading the moment they would finally come in contact with their target the so-called “loving pet”. As lovely and innocent as their target appeared to be, he had a sinister aura at times. This was the reason the sight of him haunted their dreams because one look into his doleful honey-colored eyes and they knew their mission was doomed.

   Not wanting to dwell on their hopeless situation, the Slavers decided to make another call. This time it was answered by a visor-wearing minibot with friendly blue eyes. Since the Slavers were determined to capture their target, they used all the leads they could to get closer to him. Like Deathsaurus, they also used the universal greeting on minibot.

   The minibot smiled and said, “Good, you made contact with Deathsaurus. You know the deal, you capture him and his crew for me and I will see if the chief justice will honor your request for a private conference with him.”

   “Yes, please,” said the captain, “we have much to discuss in regards to wanting protection for our home.”

   “I look forward to your success,” said the minibot, “but he warned, Deathsaurus and his crew are all formidable warriors. However, his crew has one weakness and that is their love for their leader. So if you manage to gravely injure and capture Deathsaurus, then the rest will do whatever you want if you promise to not take his life.” The minibot hung up the call.

   The second-in-command looked at his captain, who had turned pale. He could no longer hide the impending feelings of doom he felt but he was a man of his word. The last thing he would ever do was to back out of the contract. His planet desperately needed the bounty from capturing that lovely doleful-eyed mechanical devil. He muttered to himself, "The payoff will be very big, you'll see!"

[torathedemigod-blog]

Captured - A Mermaids Tale

Coming of age is a scary thing for all mers. Everything you think you know changes, and you are expected to make many life changing decisions. It is also when you become receptive, and when you start searching for a mate.

The first sign I when your old, dull colored scales start to come off in sheets like sea-snake skin. They're replaced by bright, vibrant scales.

I was sitting in my room, reading a book, and scratching my tail once and a while. All of a sudden, a patch of skin floated off. I looked down to see ribbon like strips of skin floating around my tail. I gasped.

As soon as your parents see that you are coming of age, they send you out to find materials for a fancy, new Skæ. The more skilled you are at weaving and sewing, the better quality your Skæ will be, and more males will take notice of you.

During the period of Coming of Age, you will be in a great deal of pain. For the females, your breasts begin to grow and fill out, you will take on more of a curvy shape, and your reproductive system becomes active. The pheromones that you give off shows males you're receptive. For the males, the reproductive system will be growing, you become taller, more square shouldered, your voice deepens and the webbing on your hands grows to about one inch past your fingertips.

It had been three days since my tail started shedding. The cramps had started. I lay in my sponge bed, naked. It helped to be naked. Not as much pressure. My breasts hurt, my tail hurt, my stomach hurt. I caught a small whiff of what males seemed to go wild for. To me it just smelled like sickly sweet smell of a rotting corpse. I sighed, blowing the noxious scent out of my throat. I had raided the kitchen last night, and the cravings were hitting me hard. I reached under my bed for a candied crab-apple and some manatee-milk cookies, shoving them in my mouth and crunching grudgingly. I got up and swam over to my window, pulled the curtains closed, and then swam to my mirror. I looked awful. My tail was blotchy and sickly, my hair was matted and tangled, my eyes were tired, but my breasts were a little bit plumper since the last I had looked at them. As I stood examining myself, there was a knock on my door. I hurriedly tugged on a Skæ that was too small and wrapped my blankets around me.

I opened the door to my father.

"Hello, Papa."

"Hello, Saskia- Ugh.....what's that smell?"

I sniffed. It reeked of pheromones.

"Oona next door is coming of age." I said quickly, trying to keep from blushing.

It wasn't entirely a lie. Four days ago I saw her mating with a boy of a dark blue tail in her room, and she came of age only a few weeks ago. Guess she forgot to close the curtains...

"How do you know about coming of age?" He asked suspiciously.

I blushed.

"Oona told me about it."

I said, embarrassed. She had told me briefly, but yesterday I had gotten a book on it from Ala the bookkeeper. He shrugged.

"It's about time you learned. I guess I should have a chat with you."

He swam in and sat on my bed.

The dreaded 'talk'

I thought.

I closed the door and sat on a cushy sea sponge. Unlike human skin, which infects the coral and kills its outer layer, mermaid tails are covered in an insulating slime which helps the coral grow.

"As you know," My father began, "Around this age mermaids begin to change. They mature into beautiful merwomen. They're tails start to shed, giving way to shiny brilliant scales, their breasts grow, enabling them to feed their future children, and their reproductive systems become active. This will happen to you eventually, and when it does you must find a mate. Many males will ask you to become theirs, and to give birth to their spawn. You must choose carefully, my dear, for merpeople mate for life. You choose the male that you think suitable, and then you bring him to us. He will tell us the plan of his mating display. We will ask him questions and inspect him, and then he will take you to a quiet place and perform a mating display. I may be anything from dancing and flickering around to.......exposing himself to you. You will decide if you are impressed by the display, and if you are, then you will bond. If you aren't, you will move on and look for a different courtship partner. I found this book shoved under the couch and thought it might be useful to explaining past my knowledge."

He brought out the book I had gotten from Ala. Lucky thing my mother hadn't found it first or she would have known that I had come of age immediately. I took it from him hesitantly.

"Thanks, Papa. I'll read it."

"Good." He looked relived. He got up and swam out the door, closing it behind him. flopped back on my bed, slowly scrolling through the pages of the book. My father had always wanted a son. He had told my mother that he wouldn't know what to do with a girl. I suspect he didn't want to try.

The next day I left for the kelp forest, in order to collect resources for my Skæ. I swam through the kelp for a little while,once and a while picking some pretty seaweed or collecting a few good shells. I didn't know what I wanted to do for my Skæ yet. Frankly, I didn't care. I had no intention of searching for a mate. I was going to take my time and wait for my mate to come to me, if he even came at all. I didn't want to stay home every day, listening to the whining of children and then have my mate come home and expect me to lay in bed and take it as he sweats over me. I didn't want to give birth to 15 screaming babies and lose my shape and beauty to sleepless nights and motionless days. It's all give and no get, and I have no time for that. But, I'll go through the motions leading up to it for the sake of my mother, who is a hopeless romantic, especially when it concerns me.

I eventually got to a little clearing, where there was a good amount of delicate new kelp sprouts and small colorful rocks. Perfect for a fancy Skæ. I unloaded the contents of my bag onto the ground. I had brought with me my weaving board, a small abrasive rock for polishing rocks, a few bone knives, some seal leather, and my fishbone needle. I collected what I needed and started on my Skæ. A few hours later I had completed it. A fresh green wrap around, weaved with colored rocks and shells, and red tassels that flowed down to my navel. I packed up my things and began to head home.

When I was about halfway back, I felt my back muscles tense and tingle with anticipation. I turned and spotted a Great White Shark swimming towards me, its beady emotionless eyes staring right through my body. My breath quickened as I thrashed my tail and sped foreward, manuvering through the kelp. As I swam, the seaweed became more and more tangled, forcing me to take a path that was unfamiliar to me. I looked behind me again. The shark was approaching quickly, its mouth gaping and full of sharp serrated teeth. My eyes widend as I imagined my body being torn and battered as it gobbled me down. All of a sudden I slammed into a wall of matted kelp. I struggled to free myself from it as the shark approached, but only succeeded in tangling myself further. I looked back at the shark as it swam towards me. All of a sudden a dark shape bolted across the shark's path. A cloud of blood erupted from its gills and it jerked its head, swimming off in a hurry. I stared after it, desheveled and gasping. After I untangled myself from the kelp, I hurried home, hiding under the covers of my bed until nightfall.

Now I'm sneaking out and heading to the beach. There was no moon tonight, so the darkness aided me as I made my escape. I swam along the soft rippled sand, breathing in the cool water as it flowed over me. I reached the beach, and sped up, leaping out of the water and onto the sand. I couldn't breathe for a few seconds. I closed my eyes and waited, feeling my throat tighten as my trachea opened up and my gills laid flat against my neck. I slid farther up the beach, and began to grind my tail against the sand, hoping to scratch and scrape at the scales until they were too ruined for any merman to be attracted to. Once I heard a disturbance in the water, right behind some boulders. I spotted the glitter of eyes too. I hunkered down in the sand, piling it around me, and watched. There was another disturbance, and the thing disappeared into the water. I let out a sigh of relief and continued to thrash around in the sand until there were grains underneath each scale, then I slipped back in the water and swam home, cuddling underneath the blankets and drifting into an exhausted sleep.

***********

Want to read more? Go to

https://www.wattpad.com/story/136852736-captured-edited-continued-version

Or go to Wattpad.com, search for rue4life, and click on Captured. (I suggest edited version, much less clingy)

[sarahw-world]

The characters: Vegeta and Bulma. AU: Future/sci-fi. Setting: Vegeta has a hardcore crush on Bulma and finally gets the guts to express it to her. It doesn't go as planned.

Vegeta walked into the tiny repair shop and stoodin front of the counter, removing his dirty white gloves and ringing the bell.

“I’ll be there in a second!” A loud, femininevoice yelled from the back room, accompanied by a string of ear-piercing, stridentnoises. “Son of a…! Damn it!” The woman roared.

The Prince chuckled at the crazy sounds thatresonated throughout the small shop. He couldn’t help but be amused by Bulma’santics, always fascinated by her each and every move, whether it was seeing hersmall but curvy body bent over as she was fixing one of the planet’s many spacepods or simply wiping off the sweat from her creamy forehead with the back ofher hand…

“Hey, Vegeta! What’s up?” She said cheerfully,leaning on the counter with one hand and taking a large gulp from a cold drinkwith the other, offering him a fantastic glimpse of her generous cleavage atthe same time.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, inwardlycursing himself for his complete and utter inability to talk like a regularperson whenever the Earth woman was around. Ever since they’d met, about fourmonths earlier, when he’d brought her one of his broken scouters, he’d foundhimself fabricating excuse after excuse in order to be able to run into her,his body constantly begging him to spend time with the stunning woman. Herbright blue eyes and matching long wavy hair were the first thing that hadcaught his attention, together with her extremely evident intelligence andvivid personality. She was funny, as cute as a button and yet, at times, shepossessed a tongue and temper that could put any Saiyan to shame.  

“Are you alright?” Bulma softly asked, frowningin concern. “Are you here to pick up your scouter?”

Vegeta nodded gracelessly, feeling his roughhands tensely clutch the border of the chipped wooden counter.

“Alright…” She continued, still feeling likethere was something wrong with him today. “Let me go get it!”

She turned around, getting back inside the backroom with a pair of very starvingSaiyan eyes fixed on her graceful movements. As soon as she left the room,Vegeta banged his fist on the counter, squeezing his eyes shut in frustration.

‘What the Hell waswrong with him? Since when did a puny, insignificant female have this effect onhim? She should be the one feeling nervous! No! Grateful! That’s right! Sheshould be feeling fucking grateful that an extraordinary warrior such ashimself had chosen her as a future mate…’

Today was supposed to be the day.

He’d been planning it for days, ever since he’dabandoned the planet to go on his last mission two weeks ago. It had turned outto be one of the most dangerous tasks Frieza had assigned him and his comradesto do. Before he parted, he’d picked up his newly repaired armor from Bulma’sshop and, later, he’d had to battle the bastards from the planet he’d beenordered to purge while he carried her sweet, unmistakable scent all over him.It had been both intoxicating and maddening, and he’d finally had the courageto acknowledge to himself what he’d been afraid had happened ever since he’dfirst laid eyes on the woman: he’d fallen in love with her.

He’d fallen for this weak, fragile creaturewhose planet, and most of her entire race, had been destroyed by his evilMaster no more than six months ago. And yet, her brave spirit and exuberantpersonality had remained untouched, luring him like a moth to a flame.

No other woman woulddo.

He was supposed to leave on a mission in lessthan twenty-four hours, and he couldn’t leave without a promise: her promisethat she would be his and his alone, and that she’d be waiting for him when he’dreturn from his latest duty.

“There you go!” She said proudly, sittingcasually on top of the counter, right next to him, and handing him the scouter.

He took it, making a phenomenal effort not to lethis hands shake at his uneasiness.

“Thank you,” he finally managed to reply in alow, uncomfortable voice.

“Um, you’re welcome…”

Bulma could see him fidgeting with the smalldevice, something unusual in a man that had always been so strong, proud andconfident, and she couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was botheringhim.

They both shared an uncomfortable silence for aminute before Bulma attempted to break the ice a little.

“It’s strange, you know?”

“What’s strange?” He answered immediately,secretly grateful for the woman’s natural chattiness.

“Well… Your scouter… It wasn’t really, youknow… It wasn’t really broken.”

‘Shit!’

“It wasn’t?”

“Nope. It worked well, the only thing wrongwith it were a couple of pieces missing. It was as if someone had just removedthem…”

He knew it, the woman was too damn smart forher own good and, of course, that’s why he’d fallen so hard for her.

“I temporarily lent it to one of my comrades,”he lied.

“Really? Which one?”

“Nappa.”

“Nappa… That’s the bald one, right?”

“Yes.”

“I see…” She replied unconvinced. “Well… I’dsay your comrade must have been the one to take those missing pieces…”

She jumped from the counter, landing on thefloor and walking towards a small sink in the corner of the room. She grabbed asmall white cloth, dampening it and wringing out the excess water as sheproceeded to remove several grease stains from her smooth ivory skin.

“Where’s the human male?” He finally asked, almosthypnotized by her elegant actions.

“Uh?” Bulma replied distractedly. “You meanYamcha?”

The Prince grunted.

“Oh, he doesn’t work here anymore. He’s too…You know… I guess ‘clumsy’ would bethe right word,” she snickered, shaking her head. “Now he’s a cook in arestaurant downtown.”

Vegeta couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow atthat. “A cook?”

Bulma laughed.

“Well… That’s what he says… To tell you thetruth, I’m sure he’s more like a kitchen helper, or even a dishwasher. You knowYamcha, almost everything he says is a lie or some kind of exaggeration…”

“So, you’re not mates anymore?” Vegeta askedcautiously, the question making Bulma raise her head in shock.

“Mates?” She asked wide-eyed.

“Yes, mates… You know, like…”

“Like a boyfriend?”

“Is that how it’s called in your planet?”

“I guess… You mean like a partner, right? Likea couple?”

“That is correct.”

“Gods, no! Ugh! No!” She replied, horrified. “Imean, I thought he was cute when I met him, and it was nice to find a fewpeople from my home planet in here but… No… He’s just not for me…”

The Prince walked towards her, standing by herside as she kept grooming herself, and thinking that this could finally be hiswindow of opportunity.

“I see… And why is that?” He asked casually.

Bulma looked at him for an instant, blinking afew times and tilting her head to the side thoughtfully.

“I don’t know… Well, obviously, he lies a lot,so he’s not very trustworthy, which is a huge turn off in a guy. But he’s also,kind of… I guess the right word is soft.”

“Soft.”

“Yeah…” She shrugged, going back to her taskand languidly rubbing the cloth across her neck.

Vegeta smirked triumphantly.

Oh yeah, he knew justwhat kind of a man this little female needed…

“So, what you’re saying is, you are looking fora man who is strong.”

“Um, I guess? I mean, I’m not even reallylooking for a…”

“Like a Saiyan Prince,” he declared solemnly.

His words made Bulma instantly drop her clothand look at him in complete shock. One look at him told her he was deadserious.

‘Wow…’

“Ve-Vegeta, I…” Before she could find the rightwords to reject his proposal, the warrior gently held her pale hand between hismuch larger ones.

“Bulma,” he said with an intensity she hadnever witnessed in any man before. “If you take me as your mate I swear, on mySaiyan honor, to protect and cherish you, fighting your battles by your side,for all Eternity.”

Bulma felt her legs tremble, her pulse racingwhile this man, the most attractive man she’d ever known, basically asked herto marry him.

‘Why? And, why today,of all days?’

She wanted to say yes, more than anything she’dever wanted in her entire life, but she couldn’t, not when she was so damnclose…

Tonight was the night she was about to escapethe planet in search of the mythical magic Dragon Balls that would allow her,if the legends turned out to be true, to wish her home planet and itsinhabitants back to life once again.

She couldn’t do it.

She couldn’t give up on her biggest dream for a man,especially not for a ruthless warrior that possibly had no real concept of whatlove truly was and would probably end up breaking her poor little hearteventually anyway.

“Vegeta,” she sighed. “I… I really appreciateyour proposal and… It’s, it’s very, verytempting but… I just can’t accept,” she finally replied, kindly removing hernow very sweaty hand from his own. If she kept feeling his warm touch muchlonger, she didn’t trust herself.

The Saiyan let out a breath he didn’t know hewas holding.

Well, he hadn’t seenthis one coming…

He cleared his throat and raised his chinproudly in a pathetic attempt to hide his humiliation.

“I see. May I ask why?” He enquired in the mostneutral voice he could project.

“Well, uh… I’m leaving tonight, you see? Myboss gave me a couple of weeks off and I’m going on a trip,” she lied.

She was going on a trip, alright, but her bossdidn’t even know he’d never see her again after today, not that he’d noticeanyway until she was long gone, since he barely spent any time in the smallrepair shop.

“A trip?”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

“Um, uh, it’s this small planet called Namek.I’ve heard it’s really nice, and very similar to Earth…”

Vegeta squinted his eyes suspiciously, butchose to say nothing more. He’d had enough humiliation for a day anyway, so hewalked towards the counter and grabbed his white gloves.

“How much do I owe you?” He asked, stillavoiding her gaze, unable to stand her pity.

“Uh, you know what? This one’s on the house!”She replied.

She tried to appear joyful, but deep down shefelt heartbroken, not just for him, but for herself as well. It was hard tobelieve but, suddenly she felt the strong urge to throw caution to the wind andsay yes to this enigmatic, handsome Saiyan warrior.

“I’m afraid I can’t accept that. Here,” hesaid, offering her a small black card. “You’ll need funds for your trip Isuppose.”

Bulma just took the card, unwilling to start anargument with the man.

He nodded, his dark eyes penetrating her verysoul, and he turned around, exiting the shop and walking away from her life.

“Woman,” he declared, still giving her hisback. “You will never find a man more suited to be your mate.”

The earthling swallowed heavily.

“I don’t doubt it, Vegeta,” she whispered inall honesty.

He grunted in confirmation and disappeared intothe crowd, leaving a very confused Bulma sitting heavily on a small chair and onthe verge of tears.

‘What just happened?’

A few hours later, a mortified Saiyan Princewas still trying to bury his shame in alcohol.

“Pour me another! And leave the fuckingbottle!” He yelled.

“Motherfucker…” Vegeta mumbled to himself whileNappa and Raditz kept staring in surprise, never having seen their Prince insuch a poor state.

“That filthy fucking lizard motherfucker… I’msick of this shit!” He yelled, slamming the glass against the table.

“Okay, I have to ask. Did something happentoday, Vegeta?” Nappa finally enquired.

“Mind your own fucking business, baldy…”

“Come on, buddy, don’t be like that! We justgot a sweet deal, you know?” The bigger man said, leaning a little into Vegeta.“Raditz just brought me the details of our next mission. We’re leavingtonight, and it looks like child’s play. Look… It’s this small planet calledNamek, and apparently the inhabitants are really weak. There’s a bonusinvolved, and all we have to do is retrieve some…”

“The fuck did you just say?” Vegeta asked himin inebriated shock.

“A-About what?”

“The planet… What’s it called?”

“Um, Namek?”

“Sonofabitch…” The Prince slurred, smiling lazily.

‘Oh… This was so damn sweetit had to be fattening…’

He stood from his chair all of a sudden,drunkenly walking towards the exit door.

“Vegeta? What the fuck is going on?” Raditz askedin bewilderment at the sudden change of attitude in his Prince.

“Just pay for the drinks and let’s get the Hellout of this planet, asshole!”

Vegeta got out of the bar, silently allowing thecold, crisp air of the night to clear up his mind.

He was going to needit.

The next time he faced the woman, he wouldn’tfail.

He’d make her his, showing her in whatever waypossible that they were made for each other, whatever the cost, even if he hadto slaughter that despicable lizard bastard himself in order to keep her safeforever.

Vegeta didn’t know that, in that very moment, ablue haired woman was sitting on her small bed, her few belongings all packedup as she waited in the dark for the three earthlings that would join her inher new adventure: a bald monk, a dirty perverted old man that possessed asurprisingly great talent for martial arts and Yamcha.

In her trembling hands, she held a smallobject: the black card a certain Saiyan Prince had given her just hoursearlier.

She’d finally checked the contents of it.

Ten million credits.

A small fortune, enough to purchase even asmall planet if she wished.

Bulma stood by the window, her watery eyes lostin the starry sky. Now, more than ever, she was fully determined to find theDragon Balls and make her wishes come true.

One of those wishes now included the promise ofgetting to see her perfect man one more time.

Somehow, somewhere, she knew they’d meet again,and when they did, she would never let him go…

[vholkrum]

BODY They are pretty large and can weigh up to the same as a horse, if not more for the larger Khuvari. Majority of their fat is stored in their necks and tails, hence the chunky appearance. They generally have thicker bodies, but may have thinner bodies due to lack of food or sickness. With thinner bodies comes thinner neck and tails. They have human like hands that can be used to grasp objects, make tools, and much more. SEXUAL DIMORPHISM Males are typically larger than the females in height and weight. Males have larger tusks/horns, duller eyes, and brighter colored horns and throats for mating purposes. Females are attracted to bright colors and certain combinations (depending on the individual) thus males have brightly colored horns and throats most of the time; not always though! Depending on the size, age, and genetics of a Khuvari, colors may vary. BACKS Some individuals may have spines running down their back and up part of their tail. This isn't unusual, and Khuvari with spines often adorn their ridges with jewelry. If they are large enough, they may hang bags from them while they gather berries and fruits. They may also be weaponized and used as a defense. Barebacks are those who bare no spines and are ideal for human companions to ride. TAILS Tails come in either smooth or bumpy and are typically all the same shape. The only variations occur when the tail is damaged and detached; the tail may grow back the same with scars, or grow back somewhat, or they may not grow at all. A fat tail is a healthy tail. A fat tail is accompanied by a fat neck and thick body, while a skinnier tail comes with less neck fat and a slimmer body, which is typically unhealthy or malnourished. This is often seen with loners or smaller prides of Khuvari, but also newly hatched babies. DESIGNS AND PATTERNS The designs are based off of genetics of course. But many of them are based off of Leopard Gecko morphs! The more uncommon the morph, the more uncommon it is to see in the Khuvari bloodlines. Some common colors are oranges, yellows, creams, blacks, and browns. Some uncommon colors are silver, lavender, pink, and blue.

[im-abanana]

Troll’s fanfiction: “The Forbidden Fruit” [1/5]

This is a first, short chapter of my new Broppy story, The Forbidden Fruit. It is an Omegaverse!AU (if you don’t know anything about Omegaverse, you should read something about it, it’s amazing!). I hope you’ll enjoy it and, as “Light Blue Sky, Pink Bright Flower”, it’ll have 5 chapters (two of them will contain smut). I hope you’ll like it. :)

Couple: Broppy obviously, and a bit of ChenillexSuki in this chapter.

The climate was incredibly hot and sunny that morning, a light and calming breeze was blowing on the Princess' slim body, that shooke with joy and sincere pecker: it was a really nice day, she would have lied on that smooth rock forever, if she could. Poppy closed her pink eyes and grinned, before stretching her tired muscles, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her fluffy skin, until a familiar voice called her. “Goodmorning, dad! How are you? Did you sleep well?” Poppy happily asked, jumping off the boulder and greeting her old parent. “Organizing the celebration must have been difficult. You should rest today.”.

“'morning, my dear Poppy. I slept very well, don't worry about that, I'm old but not tired.” the experienced and wise King smiled to his beloved daughter, opening his arms and hugging her tightly to his chest. “And yes, organizing the whole thing was pretty exhausting, but I'm alright. It's not the first time I do this, and your old man has still some energy!” he joked and laughed softly, rubbing the Princess' arched back with his left hand in an affectionate and paternal way. When his laugher slowly decreased, more and more, he continued his speech. “Are you ready for tomorrow, my dear? You know what you have to do, am I right? If you'd prefer to join the annual celebration, that would be fine and I would easily find a substitute...”.

“Yeah, yeah, I will be fine. I'm a strong and grown-up Alpha by now, and I'm the future Queen as well. I know my responsibilities, and I just have to keep an eye on my beloved kids with my friend Creek, after all. No big deal at all. I love my class, I want to do this, really!” Poppy shook her head with decision, refusing that act of nepotism, she didn't want to be favored: she was the future Queen, and she had her duties to fulfill. Whatever they are, duties are duties, and you must make sacrifices sometimes. “Don't worry. I'll take part in the annual celebration next year maybe. I will find my own mate sooner or later, and remember that I'm still young. And well... we both know who my mate is probably gonna be.”.

“You will surely find a mate, 'cause you are a beautiful, altruist and kind girl, and I'm so proud of you. And yes, my sweet Poppy, I'm happy with your choice: Creek would be a great companion for you and well, if you're so sure about this and if he makes you happy, I'm just glad for you. You two have my blessing.” King Peppy smiled, kissing his daughter's forehead and making her giggle a little, she was relieved to have her father's consent. “Anyway, thank you very much Poppy, we just can't have those kids running around the place or screaming while young Trolls are courting each other with songs and dance moves.”.

“Ahaha yeah, that wouldn't be that good indeed. I understand this daddy, no need to explain to me.” Poppy snickered with amusement, imagining the hilarious scenario. Nah, that wouldn't be bad, that would be a disaster. “Now if you excuse me dad, I really need to go. I promised my friends I would meet them in front of the square, to hang out a little or something, and it's getting late. See ya later, I love you!”.

“Bye, have fun! And be back before it gets too dark!” King Peppy let his beloved daughter go, waving goodbye and watching her run in the grassy streets, jumping and humming loudly, full of energy and life. Yes, Poppy was indeed a true Alpha, outside and inside, Peppy didn't have to worry.

“Poppy! Finally! You're here, we were waiting for you.” Cooper greeted his best friend with enthusiasm, hopping and rearing on the ground, evidently in a very good mood. Well, typical for an energetic Omega like him, Fuzzbert and Biggie.“I heard from Creek that you won't come to the celebration tomorrow... dealing with the kids, right?”.

“Pff, Poppy doesn't need to come there and woo someone, she has all the Omegas and Betas at her feet! She will find a mate in a single, quick blink, am I right Pops? I guess Smidge and I will be the only Alpha females of our group tomorrow... and well, at least Guy Diamond is an Alpha as well, let's make a trio!” Suki winked and chuckled, punching the Princess' shoulder in a friendly way, trying to cheer her up. “But we'll miss ya, girl. And... just between us...” the red dj whispered to the pink Troll's ear, trusting her completely. “I'm planning to court Chenille tomorrow. I... think it's time to risk it all, am I right?”.

“Really!? That's wonderful, you made up your mind! I'm so happy!” Poppy almost squealed, too excited for her friend, hugging her bestie tightly and wishing her good luck. “I'm sure everything will be ok, she'll love your songs!”.  

“I sure hope so, Pops. Chenille (and Satin as well) is a Beta, usually Betas mate with other Betas, it will be hard... but I'm positive.” the musician blushed a little, her numerous freckles almost invisible now, rubbing her nape with a sweaty hand and looking at her light blue love interest for a brief moment, smiling softly as she did so.

“Well, Poppy surely has all the Betas and Omegas at her feet, willing to be chosen as her mate...” Satin suddenly intruded on the silent debate, pointing a light pink finger to a dark figure not so far away from them. “... except that one, the grump.”.

“... Branch? Oh, hey Branch!” the Princess turned and took notice of the grey Troll, who was quickly collecting sticks and eating nutritious berries near the bushes. He seemed in a hurry. “Branch, why don't you join us? We're talking about-”.

“You are talking about tomorrow, yeah, I know. I'm not going to that stupid celebration, if that's what you wanna hear.” Branch rolled his eyes and huffed, grabbing a few fruits and throwing them into an amateur backpack, sniffing around and searching for more supplies. “I do not need a mate, not now, not ever.”.

“What? You're not coming? But you could find a good Alpha and there will be singing, dancing and-” Poppy tried to explain herself, taking a step forward with her usual, big and reassuring smile, and putting a smaller hand on the male's tough back.

“I said no!” Branch literally barked, jumping backward and getting all defensive. “Listen Princess, I might be an Omega, but I don't need an Alpha in my life! I don't need a mate! And I don't need anyone in my life! I am strong, unlike the other Omegas, all fluffy and cuddly.” he clarified his position, staring at the girl's magenta eyes. “And I'm going into heat in a week anyway, I just want to prepare my nest now. I can't stay outside, I don't wanna risk.” Branch concluded his harsh speech, turning his back and quickly walking away without saying a word.

It was true. Branch was an uncommon Omega: he was taller, stronger, more muscular and tougher, and he was also stubborn, independent and proud like an Alpha, a good leader. Poppy just couldn't spot Branch in heat, during his most private moment, lying on his quite chubby belly on a soft nest, all sweaty and writhing, desperately calling, no, begging for an Alpha, with his tongue sticking out, drooling on the dirty sheets and viscous, scented slick dripping from his intimate opening... Wait, what was she thinking!? Her dominating side was screaming inside of her, wild and uncontrolled, and maybe those thoughts were just due to the natural and ancestral attraction between an Alpha and an Omega... but this wasn't the first time, especially with Branch around, but usually her “ideas” were innocent or at least not so explicit and lewd.

“Pff, forget about him, Poppy! It's not that he doesn't want a mate, simply no one wants him! Who would want an Omega, a Troll... like him?” Chenille shrugged, shaking her head and making a funny face, making fun of the grey survivalist. “If someone tried to woo him or worse, mount him and mate with him, that grump would bite their face off!”.

Everybody bursted out laughing 'cause yeah, that was exactly what would happen, Branch's reactions were pretty predictable. “Ahah, totally!” Guy Diamond sang and crossed his glittery arms, amused. “Aaaanyway guys, what about the fun!? I found a good spot near the river, would you like to go there? We could swim, eat and sing together, and Creek is already there in meditation, he said that the pure water has beneficial effects on the psyche.”.

“Yeah, let's go!” Suki immediately agreed, following her group of friends and looking back at the pink Princess who was still there, standing with a blank expression, visibly pensive and slightly worried. “... Are you ok, Poppy? You joining us?”.

“O-oh, of course, I'm coming, I'm coming!” the pink girl cleared her dry throat, snapping out of that state and waddling next to the colorful musician, giving her a reassuring grin. “I'm perfectly fine, do not worry about me. Let's get to the others.”.

Poppy could lie to her best friend, but she couldn't lie to herself, she knew what was wrong: she could smell Branch's heat pherormones and that scent, that tempting scent, seemed stuck in the back of her head.