#but it was solid and brownish golden

[darkwood-sleddog]

Bird knowledgeable tumblrinas…what bird is this scream?

[welcomingdisaster]

statue of an elven woman

indis/nerdanel || light M rating || ao3

The air hangs heavy and humid around them; Indis’s braid sticks unpleasantly to the back of her neck. Beads of condensation form on the blue jewels she wears, accumulate as little tear-shaped spots and then burst suddenly downwards. 

She feels a twinge in her ankle, looks down to see a mosquito, flat black body nearly the size of her thumbnail. It leaves a smudge of brownish red when she swats it, one near-whole wing sticking from the mess. 

There had been no mosquitoes in Valinor before the darkening. They came from the water in those early days, just before the rising of the sun, and Indis can only guess that whatever force had been responsible for keeping them out was busy elsewhere. 

“At this rate,” she says, rubbing at the smudge until pieces of it flake off her skin and peel away, “you shall have to title this one statue of an elven woman eaten by insects.”

Nerdanel laughs. Her wide strong hands are covered in clay dust from the little sculpture in front of her; the preliminary sketch of a grander work. She dips her fingers in her water basin and wipes them on her slacks. She looks up at Indis, about to answer, then frowns, detecting some fine dissimilarity between her model and her work. 

“Tilt your head back a little,” she says, and Indis does, “mm, now forward. Keep looking at me.” 

As though Indis could stop. 

Nerdanel wears her hair scandalously short, just below her ears. She had cut it first when she had severed her bond with her husband — had let the thick red braid fall to the floor with the hair-jewels and golden chains he had given her. She had left the jagged cut for years, even as it had grown longer. Now she cuts it again and keeps it neat. Wears no jewels in it.

Wears no jewels at all. 

Wears nothing, in this heat, but her apron and slacks. 

Indis wants to trace the lines of her bare arms, lingering on the places where the sun kisses her shoulders and leaves freckles over her strong biceps. Wants to lean forward and slip her hands underneath the apron, push their bodies together until they can no longer stand the heat. To toss off the sheet she herself is wrapped in — in truth, after all of Nerdanel’s adjustments posing her, it covers now only her left calf and her groin— and to become something else entire. 

Statue of an elven woman nude. 

“Do you touch people,” she says.

Nerdanel looks up at her, sharp. “What?” 

“Do you touch people,” Indis repeats, “were it not for my daughter I would touch none.” 

Her husband gone, slain, spilling drop by drop into the land of the dead — but gone even before then, ever choosing Fëanáro before her. Her elder son gone beyond the sea (and before that, too, gone to the quiet cold anger, frozen solid and untouchable). Lalwen’s mouth quirked up as though half-laughing, a little shake of her head — you know I shall follow him, mother. Arafinwë so close, still, yet sealed away from her; untouchable as king and son alike. 

Only Findis remains, and Findis she holds to her chest as she cries. 

Nerdanel’s thumb sinks into the clay. Too much. Too hard. 

“I touch you,” she says, “you who welcomed me into your house despite it all.” 

Not how I wish you would touch me, Indis thinks, and says nothing. Her desire is a shameful thing; unsated hunger hollowing out her out from the inside. Is it her doom, she wonders, to ever want what she cannot have, to ever want what is not wise? 

Nerdanel smoothes out the clay. Her dark gray eyes stay on the little figure. She rolls a long, thin sheet of clay and begins to cover up the figure’s calf. Her groin, next — Indis watches as Nerdanel presses between the legs of the little sculpture with two wide, strong fingers. Her hands are slick with clay-stuff. Wet. 

“I touch my statues,” she says.

“They are stone,” Indis says, “marble.” 

For a moment she thinks Nerdanel is about to argue; to her the statues are, in some way, people. Thinks of seven unfinished blocks of stone, their features barely emerging before Nerdanel had abandoned the project. 

But Nerdanel speaks not of them. 

“You, then,” she says, “I touch you. Let us drape your hair a different way. This composition is top-heavy, now that I see it in clay.” 

Indis reaches for her hair, looking for guidance, but Nerdanel has turned from her. For some time she rinses at her hands in the wash basin, leaving the water faintly gray. She scrubs under her fingernails with one wash-towel, then lets them sink under the water again. Wets, scrubs. The third time her hands emerge from the water clean, and leave no residue on the white towel she uses to dry them. 

Then she closes the little distance between them and takes Indis’s hair. 

Her hands are strong, firm, her arms corded with muscle. A bead of sweat runs over her collarbone and down to her breast, beneath the apron. She picks up a hairpin from the bench and begins to arrange Indis’s hair, forming the crests of cascading waves. Indis feels the cool waves of her own hair tickle her nipple, and shuts her eyes, un-breathing, but Nerdanel’s artistic vision has no mercy; a moment, and her warm, calloused thumb comes to collect the hair. 

Indis feels the after-touch long after the hand has left her breast. It shoots sharp and hot to her belly, her groin; she sinks her teeth into her lip and prays for self control. Varda, she thinks, but Varda is no savior now — she brings to mind only the memory of Nerdanel’s statue of her, of Nerdanel’s hands chiseling away the form of star-dotted breasts. 

“I like this in you,” Nerdanel says, taking her by the shoulders, setting them slightly askew; minuscule adjustments. A sharp, hot thing pools in the pit of her stomach, threatening to spill. “The tension you hold now. It is dramatic. It is pretty. Keep it for me, and I shall commit it to stone.” 

And is that not a thought. 

“Uh-huh,” Indis barely dares to breathe enough to speak. To think of giving Nerdanel this image — to think of herself forever so, caught in this all-consuming, wanting thing, caught underneath Nerdanel’s hands and Nerdanel’s words and Nerdanel’s patient gray gaze — 

Nerdanel takes her hips and twists them back just slightly, and Indis feels her toes curl against the workshop floor. Wonders if she may blame her blush on the heat. 

“There,” Nerdanel says, “quite dynamic. We’ll make another mock-up. I like this more.” 

Indis opens her eyes and exhales, and tries to right her foot, straightening out her toes. But Nerdanel catches her by the ankle, bringing her foot to rest back against the floor. She takes the foot in hand and presses on Indis’s toes, curling them back in. “No, no,” she says, “just like that. And your eyes, Indis. Your lips.” 

So Indis shuts her eyes and bites down again on her lower lip, imagining what shall be wrought. Statue of an elven woman desperate. Statue of an elven woman aflame. Statue of an elven woman wanting, wanting, wanting. 

“Very good,” Nerdanel says, and Indis hums. 

[cryptidclaw]

Thunder Order Allegiances; Arc #1, Ending

Note: cycle = year, moon = month, Hyrs = Human years; I tried to list the cats under each category in order of oldest to youngest.   

Thunder Order

Leader:

Star Fireheart - a short, very chubby, handsome, long furred, bright ginger ticked tabby tom with green eyes. He has a white leader’s mark: a diamond star shaped marking on a leader’s chest. (2 cycles, 5 moons; ~26 Hyrs)

Apprentice: Bramble

Second:

Sandstorm - a yellowy cream tabby and solid black tortoiseshell molly with one orange eye and one green eye and a distinctive black marking covering exactly half her face. (2 cycles, 7 moons; ~26 Hyrs)

Apprentice: Sorrel

Healer(s):

Cinderspark - sleek, short furred, mostly dark gray tabby molly with orange speckles across her face and back like sparks on cinders and dark blue eyes. Her back left leg is heavily scarred and paralyzed. (1 cycle, 11 moons; ~24 Hyrs)

Hunt Charge: 

Downnose - short furred, tall, long limbed, white deaf molly with distinctive large floppy ears and blue eyes. (10 cycles, 4 moons; ~57 Hyrs)

Apprentice: Snow

Guard Charge: 

Mousebite - small, short furred, dull brown ticked tabby molly with yellow eyes. (9 cycles, 3 moons; ~52 Hyrs)

Warriors:

Frostpad -  a sleek long furred, beautiful, white molly with blue gray and orange calico patches, and one blue eye and one orange eye. (7 cycles, 7 moons; ~46 Hyrs)

Apprentice: Rain

Cricketstep - very small, short furred, prettily handsome, white jack with black and orange calico patches and orange eyes. (10 cycles, 4 moons; ~57 Hyrs)

(off duty, in healers den) Shriketail - tall, long limbed and tailed, pale brown tabby tom with dark black stripes, a white stomach and scarred over cloudy blind eyes. (2 cycles, 8 moons; ~26 Hyrs)

Thornclaw - fluffy, long furred, cream tabby tom with dark blue eyes. (1 cycle, 10 moons; ~24 Hyrs)

Apprentice: Soot

Brightheart - fluffy, long furred white molly with orange tabby patches, and green eyes. Half of her face has a large scar covering it, and her eye on that side is scarred shut, she is missing most of that ear, and has scars on the rest of her body as well. (1 cycle, 10 moons; ~24 Hyrs)

Cloudtail - short, very chubby, fluffy white tom with blue eyes. (1 cycle, 8 moons; ~23 Hyrs)

Ferncloud - long furred, sleek, light gray tabby molly, with a white underbelly, and green eyes. (1 cycle, 7 moons; ~21 Hyrs)

Ashfall - medium spiky furred gray tabby tom with dark gray stripes and blue eyes. (1 cycle, 7 moons; ~21 Hyrs)

Caretakers: 

Goldenflower - beautiful, long furred, golden cream tabby molly with a white underbelly and golden yellow eyes. (6 cycles, 10 moons; ~44 Hyrs)

Dustpelt - buff, chubby, dark brown sepia color-point tom with purple eyes. (2 cycles, 6 moons; ~26 Hyrs)

Brackenburrow - sleek, short furred, brownish red tabby tom with dark blue eyes. (1 cycle, 11 moons; ~24 Hyrs)

Apprentices:

Bramble - long furred dusty golden-cream tabby tom with amber eyes. (8 moons; 12 Hyrs)

Snow: short furred, white tom with blue eyes and folded over ears. (7 moons; 11 Hyrs)

Mistle - long furred brown and orange sepia color-point tortoiseshell molly with purple eyes. (7 moons; 11 Hyrs)

Soot - sleek, long furred dark gray, almost black tom with a white under belly and orange eyes. (6 moons; 10 Hyrs)

Rain - Sleek, long furred pale gray tom with a white underbelly and blue eyes. (6 moons; 10 Hyrs)

Sorrel - a long furred white molly with black and orange tabby calico patches and green eyes. (6 moons; 10 Hyrs)

Elders:

Fogtalon - pale blue-gray molly, with one clawed out eye and one yellow eye. (14 cycles, 1 moon; ~72 Hyrs)

Specklesnap - long furred cream ticked tabby tortoiseshell with gray speckle patches on her back and tail, and golden yellow eyes. (14 cycles, 1 moon; ~72 Hyrs)

Sparrowpelt - big, scruffy furred dark brown tabby tom with half of his tail missing and green eyes.  (13 cycles, 5 moons; ~70 Hyrs)

Dappledew - round, chubby, short furred, white molly with black and orange calico patches and dappled spots and yellow eyes. (11 Cycles, 11 moons; ~64 Hyrs)

[rebeccathenaturalist]

How To Identify Yellowfoot Mushrooms

Originally posted at my blog at https://rebeccalexa.com/how-to-identify-yellowfoot-mushrooms/. This is my first "How to Identify" article; I hope you like it! Click here to learn more about the How to Identify article series.

Name: Yellowfoot Mushroom (Craterellus tubaeformis, previously Cantharellus tubaeformis)

Range and typical habitat(s): Temperate/cold regions of North America, Europe, portions of the Himalayas. This species is mycorrhizal with several conifer species (including but not limited to Tsuga heterophylla and Pseudotsua menziesii) and so is primarily found in conifer forests and nearby boggy areas. The mycelium grows on both soil and rotting wood, and fruiting bodies (mushrooms) may be seen popping out of the surface of the substrate.

Distinguishing physical characteristics (size, colors, overall shapes, detail shapes): The cap of this mushroom rarely exceeds two inches across, and usually isn’t much more than three and a half inches tall. Looking much like its Cantharellus cousins, this mushroom has a funnel or trumpet shape when mature; the edge of the cap is often wavy, and the center concave even when young. Color is the main way to distinguish this mushroom, as the upper side of the cap is brown or yellowish brown, while the stipe (stem) is a comparatively bright yellow. The spore print is white to buff.  The stipe is hollow in older specimens while the cap is solid; the stipe may also have a grooved texture on the outside. No veil, ring/annulus, or volva/cup apparent.

The yellowfoot is sometimes known as the winter chanterelle because it can often be found well into January and February. Depending on the area, yellowfoot mushrooms may be found starting in late summer and going until early spring.

The cap has false gills that may extend a little way down the stipe and are usually a pale yellow, though they may be grayish in some specimens. Unlike true gills, which are very closely spaced and thin like pages in a book, false gills are thicker, chunkier, and more widely spaced. I liken them to looking as though they were carved out of wax or wood. The false gills may fork as they get closer to the edge of the cap.

Other organisms it could be confused with and how to tell the difference: Yellowfoot looks a lot like golden/yellow Cantharellus chanterelles; the main difference is the darker-colored cap and sometimes hollow stipe in yellowfoot. Chanterelles may grow in soil, and favor conifers as yellowfoot mushrooms do. Yellowfoot and the chanterelles are all edible.

On the other hand, beware of the jack o’ lantern mushrooms (Omphalotus olearis, Omphalotus olivascens, and Omphalotus illudens)! It is another funnel-shaped mushroom that is orange in color, though the upper side of the cap may be a darker orange that looks brownish in some lights, with lighter-colored gills underneath; O. olivascens‘ cap may also have a greenish tint. Jack o’ lanterns have true gills instead of false. Like yellowfoot they may grow on rotting wood, though they do not grow on soil. Jack o’ lanterns are also bioluminescent and may glow at night.

Craterellus tubaeformis

Cantharellus cibarius

Omphalotus olivascens. By Jonny & Simone (Surfer) at Mushroom Observer, CCA-SA-3.0

Omphalotus illudens. By Adam Arendell (julius) at Mushroom Observer, CCA-SA-3.0

Anything else worth mentioning? Yellowfoot mushrooms are considered edible by most sources. However, the Peterson Field Guide to Mushrooms of North America, second edition, lists this species as “gray-gill chanterelle”, and describes it as not edible because “some mild but uncomfortable poisonings are reported from species in this group” (p. 206). “Group” is not specified but might refer to genus, or all populations of this species; I’m not sure. I couldn’t find any other sources, either books or websites, that corroborated the claim of toxicity (if you find any, feel free to let me know!) Chanterelles (Craterellus and Cantharellus) in general may make a small number of people sick just as other edible wild mushrooms can, but this does not make them widely considered poisonous and may be an effect of individual digestive sensitivities. As always, always be 100% sure you know exactly what mushroom you have and that it is definitely safely edible BEFORE you eat it, and always cook and eat a SMALL amount when trying a new edible mushroom for the first time. When in doubt, throw it out!

Further reading:

Forager Chef: Foraging and Cooking Yellowfoot Mushrooms

Mushroom Appreciation: Yellowfoot Chanterelle

KPMS: Yellowfoot, Winter Chanterelle

Mushroom Stalkers: Where to find Yellow-foot Chanterelles?

Did you enjoy this post? Consider taking one of my online foraging and natural history classes, checking out my other articles, or picking up a paperback or ebook I’ve written! You can even buy me a coffee here!

[astralcat]

hey, don't cry. one piece warrior cats au where luffy used to be a thunderclan cat but rounded up a bunch of cats from all the clans to form his own clan near the ocean, okay?

SEACLAN ALLEGIANCES

LEADER

Otterstar (Luffy) - small reddish-brown tom

DEPUTY

Mossyslash (Zoro) - large brown tabby tom with greenish fur streaks (that may or may not be moss) and huge claws

APPRENTICE: Shellpaw

MEDICINE CAT

Snowyleopard (Law) - lanky black and white spotted tom

APPRENTICE: Deerpaw

WARRIORS

Burningdusk (Ace) - dark gray and white tom

APPRENTICE: Gullpaw

Lizardflame (Sabo) - sleek blue tom with a burn scar on the left side of his face

Orangestalk (Nami) - ginger tabby she-cat

APPRENTICE: Wavepaw

Goatkick (Sanji) - lanky golden tom

APPRENTICE: Crabpaw

Deepshadow (Robin) - solid black she-cat

APPRENTICE: Camaspaw

Russetflight (Shanks) - red tabby tom with scars on left eye; Otterstar's former mentor

APPRENTICE: Goosepaw

Slugrun (Usopp) - small brown tabby tom

Hardclaw (Franky) - huge muscular gray tom

APPRENTICE: Woodpaw

Fishleap (Jinbe) - large blue tom

APPRENTICE: Codpaw

Duckwood (Vivi) - long-haired blue she-cat

APPRENTICE: Anemonepaw

Sealnose (Buggy) - grayish-blue tom with a larger, redder nose than usual

Crushjaw (Bonney) - lilac she-cat

Tiderush - white tom

Smokebird - small chocolate brown tom

ELDERS

Driftpelt (Brook) - bony white tom with black ears and paws

Voledawn (Rayleigh) - golden-gray tom with connections to Gold, the King of Rogues

Longwren (Kureha) - gray tabby she-cat, former medicine cat and Deerpaw's former mentor; almost 19 years old and the oldest cat in SeaClan

QUEENS

Foamberry (Makino) - brown tabby she-cat, mother of Urchinkit

Fogsky - mottled gray she-cat

Stumpear - brown spotted she-cat with one ear torn off; mother of Crystalkit, Pebblekit, Sunrisekit and Driftkit

APPRENTICES

Deerpaw (Chopper) - small tan brown tom

Shellpaw - black and white she-cat

Gullpaw - grey tabby she-cat

Wavepaw - long-haired gray she-cat

Crabpaw - rusty red tom

Camaspaw - pure white she-cat

Goosepaw - brownish-gray tom

Woodpaw - brown tabby tom

Codpaw - light brown tom

Anemonepaw - dusky brown she-cat

KITS

Urchinkit - reddish-brown tom

Crystalkit - black she-cat

Pebblekit - long-haired gray tom

Sunrisekit - ginger tabby she-cat

Driftkit - fawn she-cat

[cypriathus]

Awukhoziel Tribes

Admuszroktebi: This is the first Awukhoziel tribe to be formed, being well-known for their exceptional mastery over agriculture, hunting, fishing, weaving, beast-taming, and peacekeeping. They’re also known for their festivals dedicated to the titans, elaborate dancing, melodious music, exquisite taste in the visual arts, and oral storytelling. In regards to their tribal name, Admuszroktebi means “children of the red earth or man’s offspring”. All members are born with pallid, snowy or ashen skin that have scattered brown moles or rufous or dark grey freckles and purplish, pinkish or silvery stretch marks. Men’s hair is often medium in black and various shades of natural red, while women usually have long hair with different tones of blonde and brown. Admuszroktebi men wear cacophonous moon-elk loincloths, one-shouldered mantles of various dyed colours, girdles of dried pomegranates and golden bells, shawls with tassels, straw hats, phylacteries, and leather sandals. Admuszroktebi women wear rosy-throated warthog undergarments, richly ornamented mantles, girdles of dried blueberries, crape myrtle, and silver bells, veils, and rope sandals. They also wore long, low-necked silk dresses of many colourful patterns with the bodice being open all the way to their waist, exposing their breasts. Religious chieftains and chieftainesses wear very similar clothing to the other tribal members, but there are noticeable differences. Their clothing has more embroidered intricacy and they wear jewellery, crowns of flowers and feathers, and leaf undergarments, while their hair is decorated with gemstones and ribbons. Guards and infantrymen wear bronze armour that consist of animalistic helmets, gorgets, pauldrons, bell cuirasses, vambraces, gloves, and greaves. They also wear knee-length rhinoceros skin skirts with gold embroidery and they carry fish-scaled kite shields, halberds, daggers, and battle-axes. Their government is a bit democratic, but it has some leniency to the elected chieftain and chieftainess who represent the people and values of the tribe. A new pair would be elected for a few solid reasons: (1) tyranny has become prevalent or evil intentions are realised by the populace; (2) the previous experienced a soul-crashing loss that impedes their rule; (3) death or serious illness has occurred; and (4) the old pair wants to give others a chance, letting them retire or take a break from their position. Their currency is replaced with exchanging materials of mostly equal value through authenticity, condition, and weight. They live in temperate forests and bogs where land, vegetation, animals, and bodies of water are plentiful, and their architecture is a blend between Minoan, Achaemenid, and Pakistani.

Hubaszrokji: This is the second Awukhoziel tribe, being well-known for not possessing a military due to having a strong distaste for war. They’re also known for their strict religious beliefs, blacksmithing, brewing, hard focus on community and family, and frequent trades. In regards to their tribal name, Hubaszrokji means “beyond the desert or across the river”. All members are born with pallid or ashen skin, black moles, and faint pinkish or brownish stretch marks. The hair of men is usually medium in glossy black, white smoke, vanilla, and different shades of brown, but some are short. Women’s hair is long and medium in matte black, seashell, parchment, and different shades of brown. They’re also known for their valuable merchandise, knowledge of accessible trading routes, strict religious policies, and high respect for the titans. Hubaszrokji men wear mid-thigh silk under-tunics, ornate sleeveless cloak-like garments of linen, croaking wolf breeches, colourful robes, and rope sandals. Hubaszrokji women wear elaborate aprons woven out of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet threads, heavy woollen shawls, robes of finer material, proboscis camel underdresses, and leather sandals. Kings and their heirs wear similar clothing to male civilians, but they have sackcloths to cover their loins, sleeved cloak-like garments of goat hair with tassels at bottom, and well-decorated and vibrant robes. They also wore girdles of rope and dried flowers, turbans adorned with gold and jewels, and personalised pieces of clothing. High-ranking priestesses and hierophants wore very similar clothing to the civilians, but they had rope girdles, velvet turbans, dull-toned robes, and golden frontlets. They also have breastplates attached to their aprons by gilt-brass chains tied to bronze rings on the shoulder straps. These breastplates are decorated with twelve different gemstones that have unique meanings: in the first row, jade (forthrightness and remembrance), moonstone (purity and chastity), and garnet (truth, constancy, and virtue); in the second row, amethyst (sincerity and sobriety), aquamarine (courage and hope), and chrysolite (happiness); in the third row, alexandrite (justice, contentment, and strength), sapphire (wisdom, love, and loyalty), and zircon (respect). Their government is a republican monarchy where citizens are entitled to vote for those who are spiritually and intellectually fit to be kings, high-ranking priestesses and hierophants, and religious judges. Their currency consists of coins made from low-quality electrum to average silver and brass to expensive gold. They live in the cooler deserts as well as tropical savannas, and their architecture is a mixture between Iranian, Etruscan, and Herodian.

Prijakhozlumne: They’re the third Awukhoziel tribe, being well-known for their hard focus on the matriarchy, all-male slavery, strict gender-based laws, and bloodthirsty pillages. They’re also known for their prominent record-keeping and use of alchemy, cartography, jewellery crafting, mummification of corpses, brothels, and gargantuan temples dedicated to the Hirczalotepus Tejasozuri. In regards to their tribal name, Prijakhozlumne means “mansion of the spiritual river, middle of the world’s heart or earliest spring dew”. All members have ashen skin that has scattered black or cinereous moles and pinkish stretch marks. The hair of men is medium in black and different shades of brown, while women’s hair is either long or medium in black and different shades of brown and red. Prijakhozlumne men simply wore dirty, tattered wrap-around skirts belted with a crudely made girdle of robe, bells, and dried leaves at the waist. Prijakhozlumne women wear knee-length tunics with short sleeves and a round neckline, fringed shawls of wool and embroidered geometric designs, ankle-length sheepskin skirts, brooches, hair ornaments, neck rings, and leather sandals. The empress wears a cacophonous moon-elk dress, white, sky blue, vermillion, and bronze robes of silk, a floral ribbon-like sash, elaborate golden jewellery encrusted with semiprecious stones, and a pschent plus a golden royal vulture-like headdress that has the head of a rearing cobra. Princesses and noblewomen wore similar clothing to the empress, but their main differences come in rosy-throated warthog dresses, delicate hair ribbons, and headdresses of gold leaf, lapis lazuli, carnelian, feathers, and their birthstone. The hierophant wears saffron-lacquered silk and linen orange robes, a leopard-spotted kesa, ballooning white damask trousers, a straw conical hat, and rope sandals. Prostitutes wear a two-strap network dress with an edge that’s below the breasts and they’re embellished with beads or feathers at the bottom. They also wear tasselled shawls of linen, robes of scarlet and purple, black veils, necklaces of golden pearls, earrings, anklets, and nipple piercings. Record-keepers and alchemists wear ivory, red, gold, and purple robes, gilt brass or silver masks of stylised animal heads, baggy pants, bronze armlets, gemstone amulets, velvet loincloths, girdles of cord, bells, dried flowers, and amethyst beads, and wool boots. Warriors wear lacquered iron attached-visor helmets with a sculpted lóng holding the sun and elk horns, and gilt-brass cuirasses, vambraces, thigh and calf guards, pauldrons, and sabatons. Underneath their armour, they wore a one-piece, wrapped-front baggy garment and high-waisted, loose pants. They carry circular or square bronze shields, javelins, battle axes, maces, glaives, bows and arrows, skull-breaking knives, long-bladed poles, and curved, slender, single-bladed longswords. Their government is a matriarchal, fascist aristocracy that consists of an empress, one or more princesses, noblewomen, a hierophant, numerous sacred record-keepers, alchemists, and prostitutes, and an all-male military dictatorship. Their currency involves the trade of male slaves and elaborate jewellery in order to obtain materials. This tribe occupies the warmer deserts as well as chaparrals, and they possess a blend of Ancient Egyptian and Sumerian architecture.

Glekavominus: They’re the fourth Awukhoziel tribe, being well-known for their phenomenal military strategies, philosophical debates, and hard focus on the patriarchy. They’re also known for their gymnastics, gladiatorial battles, pyre funerals, and extensive studies in mathematics and astronomy. In regards to their tribal name, Glekavominus means “to lie hidden, interpreter’s extension or true speech”. All members have pallid skin with dark grey, reddish-brown or cinereous freckles and silvery stretch marks. Men’s hair is usually short in different shades of blonde, while women have long hair in numerous red and orange hues. Glekavominus men wear knee-length, silver brooch-fastened fabric tunics, semicircular cloth wraps, short cloaks, leather belts, pendant necklaces, rings, and hobnailed, thick-soled walking shoes. Glekavominus women wear long robes of modesty, rectangular shawls, veils, girdles, amulets, earrings, bracelets, anklets, and thick-soled saffron sandals. Warriors wear armbands, wristbands, gilt-brass cuirasses, greaves, vambraces, and pauldrons, plumed helmets, wraps made from an animal hide of their choosing, leather cloaks, and buskins. They carry rectangular and oval-shaped shields, shortswords, daggers, two or three spears, battle axes, morningstars, and blowguns with poisonous darts. Their government is an oligarchic ergatocracy that consists of a small group of militant workers, law-makers, public heralds, and one hierophant or priestess. Their currency is made up of intricate gold, silver, bronze, electrum, orichalum, and copper coinage with the weight determining their overall value. This tribe can be seen inhabiting low-density coniferous forests and high plateaus, and they have Romanesque and Perpendicular Gothic architecture.

Aymuszonite (plural noun: Aymuszonites): They’re the fifth Awukhoziel tribe, being well-known for splitting apart from the primarily patriarchal Glekavominus and warriors cutting off their right or left breast. They’re also known for their lenient, religion-based nomadic lifestyle, proper treatment of women, disgust for men, superb agility and combat knowledge, and horseback riding skills. In regards to their tribal name, Aymuszonite means “to make war, without a breast, virility-killing or manless”. As they were originally part of the Glekavominus tribe, the Aymuszonites still retain their physical appearance. Aymuszonite civilians wear multi-layered robes made from lightweight materials, breast belts, knitted shawls, well-decorated headdresses, exquisite jewellery, and scandals of woven papyrus leaves. Aymuszonite warriors wear one-shouldered mantles of their assigned birth colour, plumed helmets that depict an animal head of their choosing, bronze cuirasses and greaves, heavy-soled hobnailed sandal-boots, and white, grey, blue, and/or red face paint. They also carry hoplite shields of sturdy pyrite, claymores, battle daggers, throwing spears, and bows and arrows. Their government is a parliamentary democracy where the leading female and public servants derive her legitimacy and political power from the ability to command the support of the legislature. An election for new public servants and a leading female happens every 5 years and the same ones can only be selected three times. Their currency involves the use of trading fish and animal pelts as well as diamond, gilt-brass, orichalum, and pyrite coinage. They prefer to inhabit temperate deciduous forests and grasslands where density is relatively high and animals are plentiful, and their architecture is a fusion between Byzantine and Flamboyant Gothic.

Sibutozera: They’re the last known Awukhoziel tribe to ever exist, being well-known for their temperature resistance, high rates of having blue eyes, and highly advanced technology that’s infused with eldritch magic. They’re also known for their mastery over mining, clay and stone sculpting, lumbering, archery, pilgrimages, and raids. In regards to their tribal name, Sibutozera means “to settle under the earth or northern chisel”. All members have snowy skin and brownish moles with men’s hair either being long and medium in lavenderblush and different shades of blonde and red. On the other hand, women possess long and short hair in lilac and different shades of brown, blonde, and red. Both men and women often tie their hair in a French, fishtail or knotless braid or put them up in ponytails. Sibutozera men wear rings of bronze or gold and a birthstone, linen silver-embroidered flax tunics with chain belts, heavy wool trousers, cacophonous moon-elk cloaks, and mid-calf fur boots. Sibutozera women wear tassel earrings, necklaces of animal teeth, gold-embroidered chitons, sleeved flax under-tunics, rosy-throated warthog parkas, and knee-high fur boots. Chieftains and chieftainesses wear very similar clothing to civilians, but they have gilt-brass torques, garments made from finer and warmer materials, and ornate, metallic armour. Warriors have minimal armour, bejewelled helmets, kite or two-engrailed top shields made from painted wood and enforced with steel, battle axes, crossbows, lances, spears, and swords. Unlike the previous tribes, the Sibutozera is a clan society that’s ruled by an autocratic chieftain or chieftainess. Their currency consists of iron coinage, small pieces of jewellery, and stones infused with protection magic. They live underground in tundras and snow-covered taiga, and they possess Neolithic, Visigothic, and Baroque architecture.

[matonnaise]

A New Direction

Ranchers we have some exciting news about the direction and values we hold near and dear to our hearts here at Ranch Review. To avoid an all out frontal assault from Ranch Review HQ our Ranch Review Experts have agreed to some much needed changes to the office environment.

First and foremost, we will no longer be allowing swords in the office. to go along with that, there will no longer be fights to the death to determine scores for reviews (party poopers I say).

Our biggest change will of course be our content. We here at Ranch Review are very excited to announce that from now on we will be reviewing Ranch Cattle instead of the astronomically important lifeblood of so many Americans, Ranch Dressing.

So Ranchers, since there's no time like what we perceive as present and now, here is our first Cattle Ranch Review! There were some concerns about how we would be rating these Cattle Ranches but rest assured, our rating scale has not changed at all to make this massive change in what we are paid to care about easier on you, the ever important consumer in our capitalistic hellscape of a reality.

Taste - 0/7 Another new first for Ranch Review. Our experts refused to taste these cattle as they are living breathing animals that can and will hurt them.

Color - a perfect 5/7 These lovely boys boast a perfectly brownish blackish coat on their very large bodies.

Smell - 2/7 A low score for sure but an earned one! Anyone who has stood in the middle of a field filled with cows can attest to the smell not being pleasant.

Texture - a surprising golden 5/7 At first our Ranch Review Experts were hesitant to touch these magnificent creatures, but their new handler, Randell, persuaded them easily enough. (Definitely had nothing to do with Randell wielding a sword.) Our Experts reported that they were soft and cozy and "made you want cuddle one I mean just look at his big brown eyes. No one could say no to those."

Atmosphere - a solid 4.5/7 While not quite perfect it was pretty close. Never having been to a Cattle Ranch before, our Experts were unsure of what to expect and found the experience to be rewarding and reshaped their view of the world and their place in it. Sir Dill the 13th added, that "it was pretty cloudy and kind of cold."

Dippableness - 3/7 As everyone knows Cattle are very large boys and tend to not be easy to push around. So our experts found rating their dippableness to be difficult, but they got the job done!

Dressableness - 5/7 With eyes as big and beautiful and brown as these lovely boys have it would be hard to say they can't pull off any look they try.

Overall Ranchyness - 5/7 With this world altering review, our Experts are delighted to experience more in this line of work and can't wait to meet some over beautiful and large boys.

Our Ranch Review Experts have really out done themselves here! With a lovely review, we too are excited for what the future holds for us here at Ranch Review. Perhaps we will get to continue to pursue this soothing idealistic look into Cattle Ranches or maybe we will have another catastrophic event resulting in everything changing for our jobs.

[myra-bird]

Slime girls = Best girls (Part 1)

I wasn't supposed to be here. "Slimes" were supposed to stay on the bottom floor of the dungeon, not climbing to dangerously dizzying heights, felling her fellow fiends floor by floor. And I certainly wasn't supposed to be doing it to help a human heroine plunder the tower's treasure! 

Sorry, am I getting annoyingly alliterative again? Octavia says I do that when I get nervous. She also says I start sucking on my bottom lip. That usually ends up with her sucking on my bottom lip and that's how I more or less ended up in this mess... 

.... 

See, before that gleaming goddess came into my life, I was content to be a lowly slyme (that's the correct spelling, but no one ever gets it right), and I never really imagined doing anything but getting splattered over the dungeon walls by adventurers and then sloooowly pulling myself back together while they tried and failed to climb the tower. 

Really, I kind of felt like my role was mostly ornamental. I never ran a tower of unspeakable horrors myself, but I honestly think they are in woeful need of a reorg if they are anything like my cursed keep. I mean, why put all the wimpy monsters at the bottom where warriors can smash them and grab what little loot they offer?! If I was running this joint, I would have at least a dozen of my best baddies ready and raring to go on the first floor! But no one asks a slyme for its opinion. Noooooo, they just take us for granted and put us on the ground floor to get ground up! 

But I digress...Octavia says I do that a lot too. Still, it's hard to stay on track when your story used to be wait, splat, recover, wait, splat, repeat. Ooh I'm definitely digressing darn it! And now I'm alliterating annoyingly again! Aaahhh! 

Sorry. It's just that I get especially nervous when I think about the first time I met the woman that changed my life. I never saw a knight shine so brightly. Solid gold armor, molded with an intricate feather design that complemented the phoenix crest helmet that obscured her upper face but left her smooth, supple chin exposed and revealed her full, sadistically smirking lips... 

I remembered wondering why she would leave such a vital area unguarded, and  later she would tell me that it was  so the arrogant demons and hellspawn would see her smiling as she smote them and lose all sense of their bully's cowardly courage and allow for her to get the upper hand. 

So imagine her surprise as she brought down her golden sword, gleaming so bright it made her auburn hair glow like a flowing fire, readly to cleave me in twain effortlessly, and instead of a scream of terror or roar of impotent rage, she heard a ball of slime half whisper, half whimper, "Dark Gods you are beautiful!" 

Imagine my surprise when she stopped her blade just shy of my dome and laughed, "Well that's a first! Is this some slyme trick you've learned to avoid getting splattered along the dungeon wall?" Imagine my mortal terror when she pulled off her helm to reveal her brownish green eyes blazing and her rosy cheeks glowing as her delicate doll like nose flared in comtemptous mirth. 

"You can splatter me against the wall if you want to..." I stammered silly and stuttering and could not hide the blush that ran through my entire bulbous body. Worse still, I lost the concentration I used to maintain my spherical shell, and my body shifted and slid and splorped until it revealed my true form. 

"Why you aren't a bottom floor bitch after all! You are an honest to badness slyme girl!" The armored attention of my ardor gasped in what sounded like 99% shock and maybe 1% excitement, but I had never been one for math. 

I suppose I couldn't blame her for being shocked. Slymes are a zenny a dozen. They are big round blorbs of glorb that get picked last in team sports and mostly get stuck in the worst monster jobs. Slyme girls however, are exceedingly rare since slymes don't even breed sexually (not that it prevents folks from trying) and we are supposed to be selected at birth, based on some version of phrenology for people who are all head. 

Me, I preferred to keep what I knew about myself a secret, more or less content to hide in an armor of jelly than take on the "tasks" usually assigned slyme girls: espionage (fucking creepy, crusty old men then stealing their secrets), assassination (fucking dusty decrepit dudes then smothering them in our ample glubs), and just plain trophies (which I think screams for itself at this point.) No, it was better to get splatted than that. But when I let my guard down in front of my golden goddess, my blue blorbs blossomed into a curvy, comely coquette with a short slime bob, a plump pucker, button nose, and eyes that shined like iridescent jewels (because they were)! I even allowed myself a little hope that the knight was still eyeing my form moments after my sudden transformation for reasons other than shock. 

"Soooo..." she practically let the word drip from her lips like honey, leaving it, and me dangling as she circled me with her sword still drawn, and her ever more blazing eyes still drawn to me. "If they knew what you really were, they would give you a much more 'intense' assignment. Wouldn't they?" She let the question linger and it felt much more threatening than her sword or her stare. Still, a part of me hoped she would offer me some quid pro quo that would give me an excuse to spend more time with her. I nodded meekly and my blush gave me a light purple hue. 

"Well I hate blackmailers almost as much as I hate slavers, so I wouldn't do that to a sister, not even a monster six hundred and sixty six times removed." My jaw dropped. I had to push it back into place and everything! My experience with the "good" guys to this point had left me with the impression that they basically favored a different color scheme than us.

But here was a woman who had me at her mercy, or at least thought she did, and she actually showed it. 

I suppose she saw my shock , because she sheathed her sword and said, "The way I see it, you have a real choice, in many ways the same choices you always had. You can go back to hiding in your sphere, slip right out the front door and see what lies beyond this tower, or...." she smiled as she slipped her helm down and I knew I had no choice at all, "you can come with me as I clear out this festering horde of evil and we can find out together what you are really made of." 

Dear reader, is it any wonder you find this journal on a floor higher than I even knew this tower extended before?! At least, I suspect that is where you will find it, because tomorrow we face...no, I will save that for "The End", if that is what it is to be. In the meantime, I am digressing just when I got to the good part! 

So there I was, exposed, embarrassed, and eerily excited, and you'll have to excuse the alliteration because I can't even think about it without blushing all the way magenta and sucking my bottom lip like a pretty, plump pacifier. I couldn't believe she was offering to join forces with me, I can't believe I was even considering it. I had never so much as tripped a bard before, and here I was planning to scale what Dungeons Digest described as 58 on "100 Most Challenging Dungeons to Challenge Before You Die (Which you will in these dungeons)"?! 

So imagine my surprise when I stammered,  "I would follow you anywhere!" Again, I am turning practically pink remembering Octavia's smug smile, twisting captivatingly cruelly like a knife as she turned and walked towards the stairs in the back of the room. I knew that by following her up, I would be betraying everything I was supposed to believe in and putting a target on myself for the rest of eternity…at least. Unholy armies of darkness tend to take a much more moralistic view on turning against them than you might think. If I went up even one step outside of my designated watch, some beholder would feel beholden to blab or some ratt would rat me out. It would mean a destiny of torment for only a minute chance for a minute of happiness.

And dear reader, it might seem like I made a foolish choice, but you haven't watched my lady's chainmail stockings shift and shimmer as she ascends angelically up the stairs.

Eternal torment sounded like a bargain. If I only knew then what I know now…

I would have taken those steps two at a time!

[toadmancer]

the dragons of S&S are essentially giant cats with Additional Features such as horns, frills, etc. since the fae are Giant Bug Creatures, S&S is essentially a story of cats hunting bugs.

dragons and their humans tend to have opposite personalities, so it takes some work to get along but theyre rarely completely incompatible. otoh, even the youngest dragons have a different set/ideas of morals than humans, which can be. difficult. what do you MEAN i cant just eat the guy bothering you queen??????

anyway, the Dragons:

eliza's dragon: emerald-green with two golden bands on her neck, tail, and legs. no horns, spines, or other accessories to speak of, but her tail is longer and more prehensile than other dragons'. she's one of the youngest dragons and has an excitable personality to match.

beth's dragon: stocky and muscular and not a very good flyer. soft-spoken, brownish-pink, has a triceratops-esque frill and big feet she never grows into.

flightmaster's dragon: pearl-white, long neck and tail, with a straight white horn on her forehead and a silky pinkish mane from it to the tip of her tail. very pretty. very ditzy.

captain's dragon: solid black with a ruff of golden quills that she can spike out like a hedgehog. tough-love matronly type, she and captain butted heads for years, but she also thinks he's the Most Specialist Boy (every dragon thinks their partner is the Most Special, but she's the one who will Fight About It)

[maneaterwithtail]

Character Dwarva Family Template

Outline of the character

Name

Dwarven Noble Husband - Dœr Bolg

The first official spouse of Jumper was deceived as to the gender and nature of and even enthralled by the Jumper at the start of their marriage to clime the caste ladder for Jump goals.

Begotten Son of Jumper and Dwarven Husband - Thrønir Bolg

Groomed to lead and revolutionize the Legion of the Dead and, hopefully, reclaim all lost Thaigs of the Underground Kingdoms

Begotten Daughter of Jumper and Dwarven Noble Husband - Ishagar Bolg

She is trained for spy/master and managerial/admin work. She's groomed to lead the family as a noblewoman

Gender

Male

Male

Female

Age

45-56

15-27

15-27

Physical

Appearance

Doer: Five feet tall at 220lbs. A short wide man with super heroic musculature and giant hands. He’s Mediterranean skin tone/color and features. His hair is the color of all the shades of potato skin. His face is squarish and seems to frown smile at the same time.

Thrønir: Five feet tall at 180 lbs with fair skin. He’s not as heavy and more going for limberness than his father. He is rounder and softer seeming but still quite solid. Almost maternal or babyfaced but for his facial hair.

Ishagar: Five feet and two inches tall at 220lbs with fairer peach skin she’s plump, bulky, or rubenesque and muscled but not often deeply vascular. She’s stocky or an almost classy short stack?

Scene

Pose

Posing for prestige portrait/photograph.

Dœr sits to the right side turned to observe his paired children while also facing the audience with a pleased-scrowl and longing eyes. He’s in formal dress wargear with no nationality but some Orzammar sentiments or style with a visually impressive but still functional weapon

Ishagar Bolg stands more center of picture between the men with a fine unstrained posture a bit taller than the rest. Her face is a bit too placid with her eyes showing she is thinking a lot.

Thrønir Bolg stands at not-perfect attention to the left side with repressed impish facial expression or features. There are slight hints of less polish in how he dresses as to sister and father. His smoldering eyes to the camera as he holds his Technoblade in his left hand pointed to floor and emanating light mist/smoke

Facial Expression

Dœr Pleasantly frowning, or a grinning grimace.

Ishagar Eyes show intense thought while face seems a little to placid.

Thrønir repressed impish facial expression or features, smoldering eyes.

Background

(If needed.)

In a stately ranch home showing wealth and accomplishment with bold but simple display.

Facial Features

Eye color

Dœr Bold brownish green Round deepset hooded

Ishagar Steel. Round Protruding hooded parallel

Thrønir Dark Blue, almost black. Upturned deepset parallel

Shape chart

Hairstyle

and color

Dœr’s hair is multi-hued.It shades through all the colors of potato skin; from russet to light golden brown; neatly styled like a royal warrior or southern gentleman.

Ishagar has Belle’s hair from Disney's Beauty and the Beast) https://ibb.co/3yZ6VLx https://ibb.co/txVnY4R

Thrønir Dark almost black brown or deep bronze well shampoo’d hair in low but involved shapes

Facial Hair

Dœr A billowous cloud of slightly lighting or paling russet to brown-golden beard hair.

Ishagar Bare-faced, no whiskers, smooth

Thrønir His facial hair is dark almost black brown or a deep bronze, fuller in body and fresher in color, but not as long as compared to his father’s mighty beard.

Shape of the face.

Doer: Pentagonal stone block with his grimace frown.

Thronir: Younger, rounder, softer than father, almost feminine in a motherly way but for his well kept facial hair.

Ishagar: Oblong ball/bell with wide and cute nose and big eyes.

Clothing and style (KEEP IT SIMPLE)

Base

Doer has made bespoke advanced wargear with special technology but own aesthetic

Thronir will be dressed similarly but while the linked to is more field in the picture they more “dress” or elaborate.

Ishagar wears a simple but stylish modern young women’s pantsuit or noblewoman wear. She has on sleek fit stockings. Her shoes are slide ones with a solid thick mid-high arched heel

Overall color scheme

Doer brilliant copper and ruby with dark green and steel white

Ishagar silver-white instruments and hints of sickly green, black, and poisoned flesh.

Thrønir Dull purple tinged yellow-green toward the base with shiny black spots

Accessories and Jewelry

Dœr Loves thick comfy shoes. Wearing his customized dress uniform and regalia. Hair ties and ringlets. Golden or brown metals or the more rare and expensive mixes with war scrap. Strong or highly valued and respected gemstones. Prefers small hoop or U-with barbell earrings or finest craft. A quick-release knife and slight bracers also worn.

Ishagar She has rings on each thumb and finger. Barrettes, clips, or combs in her hair. She favors noble metals more than stones for her jewelry. She has a small pouch blended on her ensemble.

Thrønir Hefavors gems and male jewelry; earrings, rings, bands, belts, hair and beard jewelry,. May wear paint or makeup made from pulverized gems. A broad ornate belt, studded with three pearls; Blue, White, and Pink; with an additional empty socket with one large 90 degree rhombus buckle. The belt encircles his roundness or slants from lateral side down between the other side or hip or thigh.

Weapons

Doer has a weapon that displays his power, prestige, and strength, you may design something that fits these qualities while looking photogenic.

Thrønir has a lightly smoking short spear with wide blade and light translucent brown accent of power about it akin to crystal.

Ishagar’s rings are her primary weapon but you may add a simple holstered pistol to her look.

Physical

Appearance

Doer: Five feet tall at 220lbs. A short wide man with super heroic musculature and giant hands. He’s Mediterranean skin tone/color and features. His hair is the color of all the shades of potato skin. His face is squarish and seems to frown smile at the same time.

Thrønir: Five feet tall at 180 lbs with fair skin. He’s not as heavy and more going for limberness than his father. He is rounder and softer seeming but still quite solid. Almost maternal or baby-faced but for his facial hair.

Ishagar: Five feet and two inches tall at 220lbs with fairer peach skin she’s plump, bulky, or rubenesque and muscled but not often deeply vascular. She’s a somewhat stocky or an almost classy short stack?

Background and personality

Dwarven Noble Husband - Dœr Bolg

He is the first official spouse of Jumper. He was deceived as to gender and nature of and even enthralled by the Jumper for an extended part of his marriage so Jumper could climb the caste ladder for Jump goals. He has … complicated feelings to Jumper as he stays married and later insisted on having begotten children. One son, one daughter. He insists to primarily influence to “raise as proper noble caste worthy of the Assembly & Legions to Restore Orzammar”

Begotten Son of Jumper and Dwarven Husband - Thrønir Bolg

While he is very active he is forbidden to truly marry as he is scheduled for the Legion of the Dead and trained to, hopefully, martially renew and take over the Legion and reclaim all lost Thaigs of the Underground Kingdoms

Begotten Daughter of Jumper and Dwarven Noble Husband - Ishagar Bolg

She is more trained for spy/master work or as a black widow or for managerial/admin work. She's groomed to lead the family as a noblewoman

Her signature are rings that can emit wires or claws while coated in choice drugs and poison. These are made to fit her role in the Orzammer reclamation. She personally made the rings and they are purely technological though very advanced and needed magic to make. She favors pistol or hand-sized firearms most out of her family. Jumper insisted on giving her an epic-ally forged and carefully, mystically, crafted shillelagh. She hates it. She believes it implies she is infirm and needs the family's protection rather than her forming and raising the family.

Personality Traits

Background History

Dwarven Noble Husband - Dœr Bolg

He is the first official spouse of Jumper. He was deceived as to gender and nature of and even enthralled by the Jumper for an extended part of his marriage so Jumper could climb the caste ladder for Jump goals. He has … complicated feelings to Jumper as he stays married and later insisted on having begotten children. One son, one daughter. He insists to primarily influence to “raise as proper noble caste worthy of the Assembly & Legions to Restore Orzammar”

Begotten Son of Jumper and Dwarven Husband - Thrønir Bolg

Born of the Jumper in special female form and Doer in a version of New York with his sister he’s been groomed to take to the Legion of the Dead of Orzammar to reform it into superior fighting force to reclaim the Deep Roads.

Begotten Daughter of Jumper and Dwarven Noble Husband - Ishagar Bolg

Born of the Jumper in special female form and Doer in a version of New York with her brother. She is more trained for spy/master work or as a black widow or for managerial/admin work. She's groomed to lead the family as a noblewoman

Her signature are rings that can emit wires or claws while coated in choice drugs and poison. These are made to fit her role in the Orzammer reclamation. She personally made the rings and they are purely technological though very advanced and needed magic to make. She favors pistol or hand-sized firearms most out of her family. Jumper insisted on giving her an epic-ally forged and carefully, mystically, crafted shillelagh. She hates it. She believes it implies she is infirm and needs the family's protection rather than her forming and raising the family.

Loved ones

Read more here

Occupation

Interests and Hobbies

Character Commission Template.

Outline of the character

Name

Thrønir Bolg

Gender

Male

Age

15-27

Physical

Appearance

Five feet tall at 180 lbs with fair white skin. He’s not as heavy and more going for limberness than his father. He is rounder and softer seeming but still quite solid. An almost maternal or babyfaced but for his facial hair..

Scene

Pose

Thrønir is in a one-armed handstand in only his underclothes and special belt on ottoman in the midst of his junky room. His dark hair is tied tight to not be loose.

The focus is on his strength and agility as one arm supports him as the other bounces a handball off a slate set up against the wall of his room.

Facial Expression

He has a wide open facial expression with his teeth visible and mouth open. He’s full of jovial valor because he’s practicing in a way he makes a game of developing his strength and skills.

Background

(If needed.)

Junky, homey, young bachelor’s living space filled with paraphernalia for entertaining him, showing his interests interest. A slate leans against a wall with targeting matrix on it.

Facial Features

Eye color

Dark Blue, almost black. Upturned deepset parallel

Hairstyle

and color

Dark almost black brown smoothly tied down bun with a center pig tail that bends down to the floor

Facial Hair

May be clean shaven.

Otherwise a full dark beard styled so not fall over his lips or up his nose. Bold but narrow eyebrows.

Shape of the face.

Rounded oblong shape with slightly fat cheeks, wide strong nose and wide thick lips.

Clothing and style (KEEP IT SIMPLE)

Base

He’s in his underclothes and wide ornate belt. His top is a thin-strapped light green tank top adhering close to his girthy body. He’s wearing low skimpy blue and white striped boxers or a broad-strapped male athletic supporter. The belt encircles his belly or slants from one sides hip to the other’s thigh.

He dresses light as if suffering sweltering weather, in a ghetto or out in the country.

Overall color scheme His underclothes are brighter than the background but similarly grungy or as if salavaged off the floor.

He’s blue and white lined boxes with light green tank.

Accessories and Jewelry

He wears a broad ornate belt studded with three pearls- Blue, White, and Pink - with an additional empty socket with one large ◊-shaped buckle.

Ears empty

Gemstone linked neckchain

Jade chip bracelet

Dance slippers over bare feet, no socks

Weapons

Unarmed, but does have a bouncy ball that can fit in the palm of his hand he is throwing at a slate propped against the wall with a targeting grid on it.

Physical

Appearance

He’s five feet tall at 180 lbs with fair white skin. He’s not as heavy and more going for limberness than his father. He is rounder and softer seeming but still quite solid. He has almost a maternal or baby face but for his facial hair.

Background and personality

This is the part that is less likely the artist will read, because even with these restrictions, this is still an awful lot of information that will take more than one day for any artist to digest. We’re not dumb, it’s just that we have to actually do the words-to-images reasoning. Feel a bit freer here, since all the essential information should be already written.

Personality Traits

Thrønir Bolg is very casual, tends to be clothing optional if can get away with it, but while underdressed will have fancy or appealingly kept hair like him if not in training or campaign.

He may indulge in tail or light animal features through various modification means, including from own mother and fellow companions. Tail for balance/fashion. Even if fully human will often conduct himself as this. Not so much intentionally dirty as he is disregarding filth until he can clean. Dressing similar and with similar confidence or reasons.

Background History

Loved ones

Occupation

Odd Job specialist unless hired on with Father’s PMC. Studying army and field engineering.

Interests and Hobbies

Tumbling, Escape rooms, roller sports, hang-gliding, and gamification of tasks for enjoyment and training.

Character Noble Husband/Father-Dœr Bolg.

Outline of the character

Name

Dœr Bolg

Gender

Male

Age

45-56

Physical

Appearance

A short wide man with heavy shoulders, long hair, and a beard. His beard is almost a third as wide as, all as long as, and adds a fourth as much thickness to his massive superheroic muscular torso. He has Mediterranean skin and features with a superheroic musculature and giant hands. A heavily idealized masculine figure built primarily for power but also has an attractive cobbled concave stomach. He favors striking and carrying for long bouts of heavy operation.

Scene

Pose

Turning about as is to gesture to a display with his arms wide in a full expensive seersucker suit and jewelry.

He’s directing an assumed audience, maybe foreground silohouette heads and shoulders. to the display past a balcony to show off something (workline, firing range, swimming lane? Whatever you choose)

Facial Expression

Feirocious wide open mouth smile with narrowing crinkled eyes. Ostensibly jovial, seeming insincere, and still giving a sense he is grimacing or scowling.

Background

(If needed.)

A long lined range or floor a bit aways with a solid balcony shoulder high close behind him.

Facial Features

Eye color

Bold brownish green Round deepset hooded

Shape chart

Hairstyle

and color

His subtle multi-hued hair color shades through all the colors on potato skin. He’s decorated and tied it with geometric ringlet jewelry with strong or valued gems. He wears it long but well tied so not get in the way of or waft carelessly

Facial Hair

His beard is a massive part of his body’s image. You cannot not see it. It goes to his navel, and widens his chin plus thick enough to make his wide heavy torso puffier.

It is slightly lightening from age, but has similar hues as his hair. It alternates between wide pleated smooth locks and interwoven braids all made with geometric golden or repurposed war shrapnel/scrap metal ties/ringlets decorated with strong expensive gems.

Shape of the face.

Doer: Pentagonal stone plinth with his grinning frown. Large wide but not comically bulbous nose. Heavy but not totally wrinkled. Aged but not totally rough.

Clothing and style (KEEP IT SIMPLE)

Base

He dresses in a bespoke deep blue seersucker suit with a white silk shirt, with gold or war scrap metal jewelry and vermillion cloth accessories.

Overall color scheme Formal Blue, White, with vermillion or golden and shrapnel colored accents.

Accessories and Jewelry

He has a default geometric aesthetic to his jewelry, reflecting his origins in Orzammar

His hair and beard are tied with ringlet jewelry

He favors war scrap or Golden or brown metals with strong or highly valued and respected gemstones.

As an exception he prefers gemless curved barbell earrings with elegant and fine craft in his earlobes.

He has on innocous plain flexible solid bracers that look like hard rubber matting.

Weapons

Doer wears a quick-release strap scabbard and combat knife under the lapel of his suit jacket.

Physical

Appearance

A short wide man with heavy shoulders, long hair, and a beard. His beard is almost a third as wide as, all as long as, and adds a fourth as much thickness to his massive superheroic muscular torso. He has Mediterranean skin and features with a superheroic musculature and giant hands. A heavily idealized masculine figure built primarily for power but also has an attractive cobbled concave stomach. He favors striking and carrying for long bouts of heavy operation.

Background and personality

This is the part that is less likely the artist will read, because even with these restrictions, this is still an awful lot of information that will take more than one day for any artist to digest. We’re not dumb, it’s just that we have to actually do the words-to-images reasoning. Feel a bit freer here, since all the essential information should be already written.

Personality Traits

Background History

Loved ones

Occupation

Interests and Hobbies

Character Begotten Daughter of Jumper and Dwarven Noble Husband - Ishagar Bolg.

Outline of the character

Name

Ishagar Bolg

Gender

Female

Age

15-27

Physical

Appearance

Five feet and two inches tall at 220lbs with fairer peach skin she’s plump, bulky, or rubenesque powerlifter who isn’t very vascular or ridged. She’s a somewhat stocky or an almost classy short stack?

Scene

Pose

Ishagar Bolg is in mid-stride down a hallway holding formal carry bag with visible binders with an easy grace and no strain in her gait.

Facial Expression

She has a pleasant expression and smile that doesn't reach her her eyes. They show she is thinking alot. Pleasant yet bold without being aggressive.

Background

(If needed.)

Austere office hallway

Facial Features

Eye color

She has eyes the color of steel. They are Round Protruding hooded parallel in shape, and while big, open, and bright they are also guileful

Hairstyle

and color

Facial Hair

Bareface

Shape of the face.

Oblong ball/bell with wide and cute nose and big eyes.

Clothing and style (KEEP IT SIMPLE)

Base

She’s in a silver-white (like musical instruments) pantsuit cut for a sleek fit that has its metal parts colored sickly green with her cloth accents or accessories colored black or like poisoned flesh. Her shoes have strong ankle support.

Overall color scheme

The silver-white of musical instruments with hints of sickly green, black, and poisoned flesh colors. It seems to let her fit into the background but stand pleasingly apart if slightly distressing you in your gut.

Accessories and Jewelry

She has smooth stone inset precious metal rings on each of her thumbs and fingers

She wears slightly pink-orange lipstick to make her lips smooth with her skin and complexion.

Her jewelry favors thin round shapes. Its small but there.

Add 4 additional simple pieces of jewelery a woman could wear denoting her status plainly. Neither announcing or hiding, but notable if you pay attention. Aside from her rings no gems or stones.

Weapons

You may discretely hide a hand-gun on her.

Physical

Appearance

Five feet and two inches tall at 220lbs with fairer peach skin she’s plump, bulky, or rubenesque powerlifter who isn’t very vascular or ridged. She’s a somewhat stocky or an almost classy short stack?

Background and personality

This is the part that is less likely the artist will read, because even with these restrictions, this is still an awful lot of information that will take more than one day for any artist to digest. We’re not dumb, it’s just that we have to actually do the words-to-images reasoning. Feel a bit freer here, since all the essential information should be already written.

Personality Traits

Background History

Loved ones

Occupation

Interests and Hobbies

Appendix: Assumptions you shouldn’t make.

The artist is fluent in English. Especially since you search for low-tier budding artists that likely live in zones where there’s no market and competition for art. Keep your English at a textbook level, which is good in general. Nobody likes to have a commission sheet written like it’s poetry. Start with the subject of the sentence, then the verb, maybe one adverb, and the subject, a maximum of two adjectives attached.

The artist knows what a “jump chain” is. If you want to mention it, explain it, with a sensical and concise sentence. “I want you to draw this character of mine that comes from jump chain, which is a big roleplay/fanfiction hybrid where writers enjoy picking their characters and make them travel “jump” through different narrative universes, according to established rules, and learn and obtaining something and make connections with the people that live in.” I guess it’s good enough.

The artist has the same knowledge as you about every IP ever and for them is pleasant to read dozen of Wiki pages to catch up with the specific jargon you’re using. Especially since they would be mostly located outside of the US and would have been exposed to different animated media.

The more visual references the better. Absolutely fucking not. With an overload of references, the brain will start picking the ones that the artist likes more and they might not be the ones you meant.

[golden-route]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Beautiful 10K Karat Solid Yellow Gold Designer Round Topaz & Diamond Ring.

[cryptidclaw]

Thunder Order Allegiances;  Arc #2, Beginning

Note: cycle = year, moon = month, Hyrs = Human years; I tried to list the cats under each category in order of oldest to youngest.

Thunder Order:

Leader:

Star Fireheart - a short, very chubby, handsome, long furred, bright ginger ticked tabby tom with green eyes. He has a white leader’s mark: a diamond star shaped marking on a leader’s chest. (3 cycles, 8 moons; ~30 Hyrs)

Second:

Sandstorm - a yellowy cream tabby and solid black tortoiseshell molly with one orange eye and one green eye and a distinctive black marking covering exactly half her face. (3 cycles, 10 moons; ~31 Hyrs)

Apprentice: Sorrel

Healer(s):

Cinderspark - sleek, short furred, mostly dark gray tabby molly with orange speckles across her face and back like sparks on cinders and dark blue eyes. Her back left leg is heavily scarred and paralyzed. (3 cycles, 2 moons; ~28 Hyrs)

Apprentice: Leaf

Hunt Charge: 

Cloudtail - short, very chubby, fluffy white tom with blue eyes. (2 cycles, 11 moons; ~27 Hyrs)

Guard Charge: 

Mousebite - small, short furred, dull brown ticked tabby molly with yellow eyes. (10 cycles, 6 moons; ~58 Hyrs)

Apprentice: Spider

Warriors:

Frostpad -  a sleek long furred, beautiful, white molly with blue gray and orange calico patches, and one blue eye and one orange eye. (8 cycles, 10 moons; ~51 Hyrs)

Thornclaw - fluffy, long furred, cream tabby tom with dark blue eyes. (3 cycles, 1 moons; ~28 Hyrs)

Apprentice: Vole

Brightheart - fluffy, long furred white molly with orange tabby patches, and green eyes. Half of her face has a large scar covering it, and her eye on that side is scarred shut, she is missing most of that ear, and has scars on the rest of her body as well. (3 cycles, 1 moons; ~28 Hyrs)

Ashfall - medium spiky furred gray tabby tom with dark gray stripes and blue eyes. (2 cycles, 10 moons; ~27 Hyrs)

Brambleflower - long furred dusty golden-cream tabby tom with amber eyes. (1 cycle, 11 moons; ~23 Hyrs)

Snowshoe - short furred, white tom with blue eyes and folded over ears. (1 cycle, 10 moons; ~23 Hyrs)

Mistletoe - long furred brown and orange sepia color-point tortoiseshell molly with purple eyes. (1 cycle, 10 moons; ~23 Hyrs)

Sootfur - sleek, long furred dark gray, almost black tom with a white under belly and orange eyes. (1 cycle, 9 moons; 23 Hyrs)

Rainwhisker - Sleek, long furred pale gray tom with a white underbelly and blue eyes. (1 cycle, 9 moons; 23 Hyrs)

Caretakers: 

Goldenflower - beautiful, long furred, golden cream tabby molly with a white underbelly and golden yellow eyes. (8 cycles, 1 moons; ~40 Hyrs)

Shriketail - tall, long limbed and tailed, pale brown tabby tom with dark black stripes, a white stomach and scarred over cloudy blind eyes. (3 cycles, 11 moons; ~31 Hyrs)

Dustbranch - buff, chubby, dark brown sepia color-point tom with purple eyes. (3 cycles, 9 moons; 30 Hyrs)

Apprentice: Squirrel

Littleleaf - a short, very chubby, long furred brown and orange tabby calico molly with a white underbelly, and green eyes. (3 cycles, 8 moons; ~30 Hyrs)

Brackenburrow - sleek, short furred, brownish red tabby tom with dark blue eyes.  (3 cycles, 2 moons; ~28 Hyrs)

Apprentice: White

Apprentices:

Sorrel - a long furred white molly with black and orange tabby calico patches and green eyes. (1 cycle, 9 moons; 23 Hyrs)

Leaf -  a short, very chubby, short furred brown and orange tabby calico molly with a white underbelly, and orange eyes. (9 moons; 13 Hyrs)

Squirrel - a slender, long furred dark ginger ticked tabby molly with solid black patches and green eyes. (9 moons; 13 Hyrs)

Spider - slender, long limbed, short furred, dark brown sepia color point tom with purple eyes. (8 moons; 12 Hyrs)

Shrew - a small short furred, brown tabby tom with green eyes. (8 moons; 12 Hyrs)

Yarrow (Whitewing) - fluffy, long furred white molly with green eyes. (6 moons; 10 Hyrs)

Queens:

Ferncloud - long furred, sleek, light gray tabby molly, with a white underbelly, and green eyes. (2 cycles, 10 moons; ~27 Hyrs)

Kits: Birch, Holly, and Larch (½ moon; ½ Hyr)

Elders:

Specklesnap - long furred cream ticked tabby tortoiseshell with gray speckle patches on her back and tail, and golden yellow eyes. (15 cycles, 4 moon; ~77 Hyrs)

Dappledew - round, chubby, short furred, white molly with black and orange calico patches and dappled spots and yellow eyes. (13 Cycles, 1 moons; ~69 Hyrs)

Downnose - short furred, tall, long limbed, white deaf molly with distinctive large floppy ears and blue eyes. (11 cycles, 7 moons; ~62 Hyrs)

[subikshafoods]

Top Quality Ghee for Better Brain Health

Welcome friends, Today I am here to explain about quality ghee to improve good health. Do you all like ghee? Yes, ghee is one of the most useful foods for getting healthy from preventing infections in the body. Friends, Buy top quality ghee in tamilnadu from Subiksha Foods. Ghee is an essential source of food containing all vitamins, minerals, and zinc for body metabolism.

Ghee is a type of clarified butter, used in cooking to get a rich aroma with taste. It is prepared at home by melting the butter from milk to high temperature, the milk solids separate the remaining golden colour liquid is called Ghee. Ghee is completely pure fat and does not contain any carbohydrates, so automatically balances your body weight. According to the fats, ghee consists of a teaspoon of 15 grams, 9 grams of which are saturated, and the remaining is divided into 5 grams of healthier monounsaturated fat and also less than one gram of polyunsaturated fat.

The top quality of ghee is tested at home as follows

Heat test: If you are heating a teaspoon of ghee in a vessel, it melts and turns dark brownish, then you can be sure it’s pure ghee. If it turns yellow, it’s adulterated ghee.

Palm test: If you put one teaspoon of ghee in your palm, the ghee melts in the palm itself, assure its pure ghee.

Ghee helps to soothe and heal skin because of vitamins A and E by applying them to the areas of wounds, burns, or any rashes. In Ayurveda, mental persons can cure by mixing ghee with other medicinal herbs. Generally, ghee is very important for brain health to promote good development of thinking.

I conclude that top-quality ghee has many advantages as it is rich in oil-soluble vitamins A and E, k2. Ghee is used in cooking various sweets like halwa, deep frying food, and also in baking to smoothen the cake. It provides nutrients by detoxifying your whole body. Omega 3, and omega 6 fatty acids in ghee help in the functioning of the heart and brain. It increases body resistance to various viral or bacterial infections. As I said earlier, Buy top quality ghee in tamilnadu from Subiksha Foods. They prepared fresh top-quality ghee with traditional methods using organic ingredients in a clean and hygienic environment. so friends, enjoy eating ghee and get a good healthy life.

Find us inside Subiksha Foods at No 110 A, Bypass Road, Bethaniyapuram, Opp Babu Sharkar Marriage Mahal, Madurai — 625016, or call us at +91 80567 44906. You will be able to browse our website at https://subikshafoods.in/ for details.

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[choicemonkofficial]

In the older days, Desi Ghee was a part of everyday life. It was poured generously atop rice, brushed over chapatis, and lavishly poured over curries and dals. Years later, nothing has changed - only the fact that the steel jar of freshly made ghee has been swapped with a glass bottle bought from the superstore. 

What is Desi Ghee?

Desi Ghee, or clarified butter, is churned from cow's milk. It gives a unique flavor and aroma to any food, it is added to.  Enjoy it with the traditional khichdi or pair it with Rajasthani dal baati. Traditional desserts like halwa and sweets would never taste as good without a spoonful of Desi Ghee. Sweet and nutty, yet not overpowering like some other oils. As a matter of fact, desi ghee has been used in India for thousands of years, back when there were no other options for cooking fats. This golden liquid is regarded as the 'first and the most essential of all foods in the Vedas. It has a high heat point, so it doesn't burn easily (while other oils may break down and release free radicals when heated at high temperatures). This makes it quite sensible to use desi ghee in Indian cuisine as Indian food requires a lot of sautéing. So, by now it’s clear that a jar of desi ghee is a must in the kitchen.

But which one is the best? Which brand of desi ghee will give you more value? Let’s discuss how you can find out whether the ghee you are using at your home is pure or adulterated.

Some facts about pure desi ghee:

Pure cow ghee has a bright yellow color which is due to the presence of carotenoid pigments. 

The color of ghee will always appear deeper when melted than in solid form. 

On melting, ghee should be clear, transparent and free from sediment or foreign coloring matter. 

A good ghee sample should have well-developed granules dispersed uniformly. 

It is composed of 99.5% milk fat out of which 62% is saturated fat. 

How to check the purity of ghee at home? 

Heat Test:

Pure cow ghee has a creamy consistency and a yellow-golden hue. It is made out of milk fat, therefore melts rapidly when applied to heat. However, its purity has obviously been affected if it takes time to liquefy. To check this, all you need to do is heat a teaspoon of ghee in a vessel. If the ghee melts immediately and turns dark brownish in color, it is of pure quality. However, if it takes time to dissolve and changes its color to light yellow, it indicates adulterated and it’s best to avoid.

Palm Test:It is easy yet an effective test to check the purity of ghee. Authentic ghee solidifies when cooled but also melts easily when subjected to heat. Taking that into consideration, simply place a teaspoon of solidified ghee in your palm. If the ghee quickly melts by itself (due to the heat generated by your body), then it is pure.

Iodine test

Warm up a spoonful of desi ghee. Add two drops of iodine solution to a small quantity of melted ghee. Give it some time to rest. If the ghee turns out to be somewhat purple in color, you may rest assured that the ghee is not pure and mixed with starch.

Bottle Test for Sugar Research

Take a transparent or clear bottle and add a pinch of sugar to it. Close the bottle and give it a good shake. Now, let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes. If you find red color at the bottom of the bottle, then the ghee contains vegetable oil.

Freezing TestMelt a tablespoon of ghee and place it into a glass container. Place the container in the refrigerator and allow it to freeze. Now observe the frozen ghee. If there are a couple of layers formed in the container, you may be sure that the ghee comprises a combination of various oils. 

While these methods can be used to ensure that the desi ghee you use at home is pure or not, is it possible to check each and every brand of desi ghee at home? Of course not! Not only purity, but each brand also varies in terms of efficacy, nutritional value, price, taste, etc. And checking all these factors at home is next to impossible.

That’s why Choicemonk is here for your rescue. Our team of experts have evaluated all the top-performing brands of desi ghee on 9 key parameters through extensive market research and independent tests to identify the top 3 brands for you. Check our best brand recommendations for desi ghee now: visit choicemonk

[softboywriting]

Haven Port | Chapter One | Shawn Mendes

Summary: Shawn and his pack have moved to your tiny town of Haven Port. You've never met werewolves other than your dad before and you’re infinitely curious. You may be only half werewolf but you and Shawn have a connection that will send you on a wild romantic journey in this small town you call home. [hybrid reader] [werewolf shawn] 

Word count: 2.5k

|Masterlist In Bio|

--------

Winter in Haven Port never seemed to end. The small town was blanketed in snow probably a solid 6 months of the year. The population was under four hundred and much of the residents lived outside the actual town.

You were born and raised here in Haven Port, the only child of a Werewolf father and a human mother. Your parents met when your dad got run out of a pack town along the shore.

For twenty two years you've grown up with the same people, and known everyone like they were your family. So when someone new shows up in town you're surprised, and even more so because they came into your shop.

Owning a tea and coffee shop in a place so small seemed unreasonable but most of your business came from regulars, fisherman from the boat yard and online orders that you shipped around the world. You specialize in making custom tea blends and gift baskets that become a highly sought after item during the Christmas season.

The bell over the front door jingles and you dismiss it for a moment, assuming it's one of your regular customers and they will wait for you to appear momentarily. You continue to stack the boxes of your most recent shipment of whole tea leaves. You like to grind them yourself when you make your blends.

You glance out into the shop and see a tall, young, dark haired guy browsing your display table. His appearance stumps you, and you can't put a finger on who he is. For a second you think he is Felicia's son, Cody, the one who ran the post office during the week. But he is too tall, far too tall.  

“Who in the world...” You mutter to yourself as you climb over boxes to get to the counter. A better look would help.

“Hello is anybody- oh. Hello.” The stranger smiles and his eyes meet yours as you approach the sales counter. His eyes...wow...they were like liquid gold, honey in the sun, Amber on an ancient tree. They are stunning.

“Hi,” you say, a smile infectiously spreading across your face of it's own free will. “I don't think we've met.”

“We sure haven't,” he purrs and extends a hand out to you. His eyes leave yours in favor of your ears.

You flatten your ears down and back, realizing he probably thinks you're a weirdo. You hated interaction with people who didn't know you. How could you have forgotten the fuzzy things sticking out of your hair?

“It's rude to stare,” you say cooly, shaking his hand very briefly before burying them in the pockets of your apron.

The guy shakes he head and looks down, a slight blush tinting his cheeks. “I'm so sorry. It's been a long time since I met a hybrid...I shouldn't be so rude. I'm s-”

“You've met others?” You ask, cutting him off and he raises his eyebrows. “Where did you come from?”

“You're a curious little pup aren't you?” He chuckles and leans against the counter. “How about we exchange names before we talk histories? I'm Shawn.”

You give your name and twist your hands in your apron. “Would you like some tea? Coffee?”

Shawn looks up at the menu and hums. He bites his lip, narrowing his eyes as he reads. “I'll have the Earl Grey special. No sugar.”

You punch it into the register and announce his total. He slides a card and you turn away to make his drink. When you turn to give it to him he is on his phone, frowning at the small screen. You slide the cup toward him and he wraps his hand around it, brushing your fingers with his.

He looks up, smiles and takes the cup. “Thank you. Have a good day,” he smirks and heads out into the icy spring air.

“Wait! You didn't...tell me where you were from.” You sigh, watching him pull off the street in a big black Jeep that looks way too new for anyone in Haven Port.

Immediately you go for your phone on the back counter. You had to tell your best friend, Faye, exactly what happened. She'd probably never believe you, and maybe Shawn was a fever dream, but you had to tell her anyway.

_____________________

Two days later you turn around from grinding up some tea for a special order and drop your spice blender as you catch sight of Shawn standing at the counter. You'd never heard the bell ring, but it was probably because the blender had been too loud.

Shawn rushes around the counter as you squat down to clean up the broken blender base. “I'm so sorry! I didn't think I'd scare you!” He kneels down and helps you clean up. “I can replace it, I'll order you a new one, top of the line. I feel so bad.”

“It's okay, I've got an extra one. It's not your fault at all. I was just startled.”

Shawn reaches for a towel to put the small pieces into to carry to the trash can. Unfortunately the towel he grabs has powdered sugar all over it from an instant coffee blend you were working on. The white sugar snows down all over your head and you can't help but laugh, falling back against the cupboard as Shawn stares in shock that he's screwed up again.

“I-I am so sorry,” Shawn mutters, reaching for your ears and running his hand over your fur gently dusting the sugar off.  

The moment he touches you, you're done for. Your eyes roll back, you lean into his hand, and you go slack. All you want to do in that moment is curl up on this strangers lap and have him adore you. God if he asked you to, you'd be all over him like a puppy wanting attention.

“Hey, you okay?” Shawn asks quietly, hand in your hair, thumb stroking over the base of your ear.

You snap back to reality, pulling yourself out of the euphoria you'd entered. You shove Shawn away and scramble back along the floor. “Don't touch my ears!” You blurt out as you smooth them down, trying to get rid of the feel of his hands.

Shawn stares, bewildered by your sudden mood change. He stands, brushing his pants off and looks to the front door as the bell jingles.

You stand up and see Faye crossing the small sitting area. She stops, eyes finding Shawn almost instantly. He was hard to miss, being so tall and broad.

“I should go,” Shawn mutters, walking around the counter and straight out the front door.

“Ohmygod! That's Shawn? That! Wow, if you don't lock that down, I'm going to.” Faye drops her bag on the counter and click her tongue. “What happened in here?”

“I dropped a spice blender.”

“Uh huh,” Faye says, eyeing the mess behind the counter. “ You sure you didn't knock it off the counter while you and Shawn were getting hot and heavy?”

“Faye! I don't even know him!”

Faye snorts. “Psh not yet, but you're gonna.”

_____________________

A few weeks later and you're behind the shop taking trash out and it's snowing. The sun went down hours ago and the night sky is reflecting off the snow, making the town an off orange and brownish hue. You crunch across the fresh fallen snow. May 2nd and still snowing. That was Haven Port for you.

“Hey,” you hear softly from behind you followed by crunching footsteps. You turn and see Shawn approaching with his hands in his pockets. “I'm sorry I touched your ears.”

“What? Oh! Oh that was weeks ago.” You laugh, shrugging it off. “You didn't know, you were just trying to help. Is that why you haven't come by?”

Shawn rubs his neck nervously. “Well, it's part of the reason. The other part is that I'm helping my pack move into a place right outside town. I was the first to get here so-”

“You're a Werewolf? You're like me!” You grin, excitement bubbling out of you as you start toward Shawn. You knew there was something about him when you'd seen those gorgeous golden eyes.

“Yes,” Shawn chuckles as you circle him. “I take it you haven't met any Werewolves lately?”

“Never. Just my dad, but it's not the same.” You circle him and shake your head. “How do I know you're not a liar?”

Shawn cracks his neck and rolls his shoulders for a second before he steps back and before your very eyes, his form changes into that of a very large rich brown and black wolf.

You can't help yourself as you touch his fur tentatively, fully burying your fingers in his coat near his neck. He sits and you drop to your knees in the snow, hands running up and down his back.

Shawn shifts back, sitting on the ground before you. “You're hard to read.”

“Huh?”

“Well,” he starts, taking your hand and rubbing his fingers over your palm. “You're sweet and shy one moment, then you yell at me the next. Now you're like a kid in a candy store upon learning about me.”

“Y-you're a wolf, how could I not be excited.”

“I'm an alpha actually.”

“An alpha? Oh my God.”

Shawn laughs, standing and pulling you up out of the snow. “You've really never met a wolf before huh?”

“Never. I've never left Haven Port, and not very many people visit here. We're kind of a stop over for fishing boats and that's it.”

“Ah, yeah, I picked Haven Port just for that reason. My pack has run into trouble over the past few years and I really just wanted to settle down somewhere nice. Something drew me to this place...I dunno what it was.”

You shake your head. “There's nothing here?”

“You're here.”

A blush tints your cheeks and you bite your lip. “I'm not sure what you mean.”

Shawn crosses his arms and looks you over. “Come on. I move to this little sleepy snow-covered town and I meet the most adorable hybrid on my first day? I think this town is going to be just what I needed.”

You roll your eyes and turn toward the back door of the shop. “You're such a flirt. I know you're just trying to butter me up for whatever reason.”

“I am not trying t-”

“You don't have to try so hard,” you giggle and Shawn smiles, chuckling nervously. “I'm already interested.”

“Oh? You are huh?”

You walk slowly back toward the door and Shawn follows.”I am. Would you mind walking me home?”

“Of course not. Would you like a ride instead? My Jeep is parked out front.”

“I'd rather walk, if you don't mind. I'm just...I don't know you that well. I don't think getting in a car with a stranger is very smart.”

Shawn shakes his head and laughs. “You're totally right. I'm so dumb, of course we can walk. For the record though, I'm not a creep.”

“Sounds like something a creep would say,” you joke and he just sighs into a chuckle.

You grab your bag and a hat off the coat hooks by the door. You lock up, pushing Shawn out and fishing your keys from your coat pocket to lock the dead bolts.

The two of you walk around the building and past his Jeep and you pause, looking at the shiny black car. It was really nice, and you sort of always dreamed of having one. They were such great all terrain vehicles...it makes you wonder if he bought it just before moving here.

“What's on your mind?” Shawn whispers, leaning in close to your ear. It sends a shiver down your spine.

“Nothing, I was just spacing off. Come on, I live up this way.”

You set off up the street, heading for the road that turned toward a street lined with old brick homes. It's chilly, and the wind picks up significantly as you round the corner to your street. You pull your coat closer around you and shiver, even with your Werewolf genetics, the cold got to you sometimes.

“Are you cold?” Shawn asks, glancing over your shivering form. “I could give you my jacket, I'd be fine.”

“No, no we're almost there.” You bite your lip to keep your teeth from chattering and tug your hat down from where it's slid up because of your ears.

“Pup, stop,” Shawn murmurs and grabs your hand. “You're shaking so badly. I can't in good conscience let you keep going like this.”

“I'm not a pup. I'm an adult,” you say a little harsher than you mean to. “I just...I'm fine. We're almost there. It's only a few houses down.”

“Please, I insist.” Shawn shrugs off his thick winter coat so he's standing in a nice collared front zip sweater. It's form fitting and you can't help your eyes as they wander over his chest.

“Fine,” you sigh. Shawn helps you put the coat, squatting to zip it up you. He stands to pull the hood up over your head and admire you in his big coat  It smells like his cologne and him...it's wonderful.

“There, you'll be nice and warm now.” Shawn says smiling down at you as a snowflake falls on your nose.

The two of you look up as it begins to snow, big clusters of flakes falling all around you. You push the coat hood back and your hat falls off as you tilt your head up to catch flakes on your tongue.

Shawn joins you and you can't help but laugh. You're two weirdos standing in the middle of the street at nearly eleven at night catching the first flakes of a snowstorm in your mouths. “What are we doing?” You giggle and Shawn shakes his hair out.

“I'm taking you home I believe.”

“Right, yeah.” You pull the hood over your head, pocketing your hat. “It's a few more houses up.”

Your house is at the end of the street. It's small and made of brick with a stone accent around the base of it. It's the home you grew up in and your parents gave to you when they moved a little farther out of town to a cabin your dad built.

At your porch you stop, hands on your keys in your pocket, and look up at Shawn. “Thanks for walking me home. I know it's not a big deal, being out here alone in a tiny little town, but it was nice.”

“Yeah, it's a pretty sleepy town, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.”

“Yeah,” you chuckle nervously, grinding your toe into the snow on the porch. “Good night I guess.”

“Mmhmm. Good night.”

Shawn steps off the porch and heads for the road to go back and get his Jeep. It's not until you're inside, greeting your cat Parker, that you realize you still have Shawn's coat on. Quickly you go to the window and look out, he's more than half way down the street and you decide you'll just have to keep it for now. Not that you mind.

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