#cougar or mountain lion are most common

[headspace-hotel]

There was this post a while ago where somebody was saying that Cheetahs aren't well suited to Africa and would do well in Midwestern North America, and it reminded me of Paul S. Martin, the guy I'm always pissed off about.

He had some good ideas, but he is most importantly responsible for the overkill hypothesis (idea that humans caused the end-Pleistocene extinctions and that climate was minimally a factor) which led to the idea of Pleistocene rewilding.

...Basically this guy thought we should introduce lions, cheetahs, camels, and other animals to North America to "rewild" the landscape to what it was like pre-human habitation, and was a major advocate for re-creating mammoths.

Why am I pissed off about him? Well he denied that there were humans in North America prior to the Clovis culture, which it's pretty well established now that there were pre-Clovis inhabitants, and in general promoted the idea that the earliest inhabitants of North America exterminated the ecosystem through destructive and greedy practices...

...which has become "common knowledge" and used as evidence for anyone who wants to argue that Native Americans are "Not So Innocent, Actually" and the mass slaughter and ecosystem devastation caused by colonialism was just what humans naturally do when encountering a new environment, instead of a genocidal campaign to destroy pre-existing ways of life and brutally exploit the resources of the land.

It basically gives the impression that the exploitative and destructive relationship to land is "human nature" and normal, which erases every culture that defies this characterization, and also erases the way indigenous people are important to ecosystems, and promotes the idea of "empty" human-less ecosystems as the natural "wild" state.

And also Martin viewed the Americas' fauna as essentially impoverished, broken and incomplete, compared with Africa which has much more species of large mammals, which is glossing over the uniqueness of North American ecosystems and the uniqueness of each species, such as how important keystone species like bison and wolves are.

It's also ignoring the taxa and biomes that ARE extraordinarily diverse in North America, for example the Appalachian Mountains are one of the most biodiverse temperate forests on Earth, the Southeastern United States has the Earth's most biodiverse freshwater ecosystems, and both of these areas are also a major global hotspot for amphibian biodiversity and lichen biodiversity. Large mammals aren't automatically the most important. With South America, well...the Amazon Rainforest, the Brazilian Cerrado and the Pantanal wetlands are basically THE biodiversity hotspot of EVERYTHING excepting large mammals.

It's not HIM I have a problem with per se. It's the way his ideas have become so widely distributed in pop culture and given people a muddled and warped idea of ecology.

If people think North America was essentially a broken ecosystem missing tons of key animals 500 years ago, they won't recognize how harmful colonization was to the ecosystem or the importance of fixing the harm. Who cares if bison are a keystone species, North America won't be "fixed" until we bring back camels and cheetahs...right?

And by the way, there never were "cheetahs" in North America, Miracinonyx was a different genus and was more similar to cougars than cheetahs, and didn't have the hunting strategy of cheetahs, so putting African cheetahs in North America wouldn't "rewild" anything.

Also people think its a good idea to bring back mammoths, which is...no. First of all, it wouldn't be "bringing back mammoths," it would be genetically engineering extant elephants to express some mammoth genes that code for key traits, and second of all, the ecosystem that contained them doesn't exist anymore, and ultimately it would be really cruel to do this with an intelligent, social animal. The technology that would be used for this is much better used to "bring back" genetic diversity that has been lost from extant critically endangered species.

I think mustangs should get to stay in North America, they're already here and they are very culturally important to indigenous groups. And I think it's pretty rad that Scimitar-horned Oryx were brought back in their native habitat only because there was a population of them in Texas. But we desperately, DESPERATELY need to re-wild bison, wolves, elk, and cougars across most of their former range before we can think about introducing camels.

[myriadeyed]

I would like to offer this resource for therians, an extensive list of all of Sir David Attenborough’s nature documentaries that are available on soap2day, and a full list of what species* they each (notably, prominently) feature the natural behaviors of, separated by episode, and omitting species that were only shown dead, juvenile or being predated on. This took me a while (I have been working on it since Prehistoric Planet’s release) because I did in fact have to watch every single series in full in order to list all the species and the episodes are around 50 minutes long, but enjoy.

Long post ahead:

Most of these shows have closed captioning, which is why I’ve picked soap2day. Planet Earth is the only one that doesn’t. I did not include Dynasties and Dynasties II because each episode only features one species.

Thank you to Birch (@ambiguousmutt​) for his help (he watched about half of the episodes) so I didn’t have to do it individually. Credit goes to him as well.

*Sometimes Attenborough doesn’t say the specific species and I was too busy trying to get through the episodes to identify it. In those cases I just put the most specific name I could.

Planet Earth

Episode one (From Pole to Pole): emperor penguin, polar bear, caribou, arctic grey wolf, Amur leopard, six-plumed bird-of-paradise, superb bird-of-paradise, great white shark, African elephant, African buffalo, lechwe, baboon, African wild dog

Episode two (Mountains): gelada, walia ibex, Ethiopian wolf, guanaco, cougar, grizzly bear, markhor, snow leopard, golden eagle, grey wolf, panda, golden snub-nosed monkey, red panda, demoiselle crane

Episode three (Fresh Water): giant salamander, grizzly bear, smooth-coated otter, Nile crocodile, dolphin fish, midge, Amazon river dolphin, dorado, piranha, spectacled caiman, crab-eating macaque, snow goose

Episode four (Caves): wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat, cockroach, bat hawk, cave swiftlet, yellow-red rat snake, Texas blind salamander

Episode five (Deserts): Bactrian camel, dromedary camel, red kangaroo, fennec fox, guanaco, long-nosed bat, Nubian ibex, flat lizard, lion, African elephant, locust

Episode six (Ice Worlds): snow petrel, Antarctic petrel, south polar skua, humpback whale, emperor penguin, eider, muskox, arctic grey wolf, polar bear, little auk, arctic fox

Episode seven (Great Plains): Mongolian gazelle, red-billed quelea, wildebeest, snow goose, arctic fox, arctic grey wolf, bison, wild ass, Tibetan fox, pygmy hog, African elephant, lion, baboon

Episode eight (Jungles): magnificent bird-of-paradise, spider monkey, howler monkey, siamang gibbon, gliding tree frog, colugo, red crab spider, African elephant, chimpanzee

Episode nine (The Shallow Seas): humpback whale, multiple corals, banded sea krait, trevally, dugong, bottlenose dolphin, Socotra cormorant, salp, comb jelly, sea lion, dusky dolphin, sea urchin, sunflower starfish, short-tailed stingray, great white shark, king penguin, fur seal

Episode ten (Seasonal Forests): Eurasian lynx, moose, crossbill, wolverine, western capercaillie, pine marten, great grey owl, pudu, kodkod, mandarin duck, cicada, red deer, Amur leopard, tiger, mouse lemur

Episode eleven (Ocean Deep): whale shark, oceanic whitetip shark, common dolphin, Cory's shearwater, manta ray, sea spider, vampire squid, spider crab, unnamed deep sea eel, giant isopod, chambered nautilus, Pacific spotted dolphin, mola mola, frigatebird, sailfish, blue whale

Planet Earth II

Episode one (Islands): pygmy three-toed sloth, Komodo dragon, sifaka, marine iguana, Galapagos racer, Buller's albatross, fairy tern, Christmas Island red crab, yellow crazy ant, chinstrap penguin

Episode two (Mountains): Nubian ibex, red fox, golden eagle, grizzly bear, bobcat, flamingo, mountain viscacha rat, snow leopard

Episode three (Jungles): spider monkey, flying lizard, sword-billed hummingbird, river dolphin, jaguar, glass frog, paper wasp, click beetle, red bird of paradise, Wilson's bird of paradise, indri

Episode four (Deserts): lion, Harris's hawk, shrike, locust, sand grouse, pale chanting goshawk, feral mustang, golden mole, desert long-eared bat, darkling beetle, Namaqua chameleon

Episode five (Grasslands): saiga antelope, lion, harvest mouse, carmine bee-eater, Kori bustard, African elephant, serval, Jackson's widowbird, grasscutter ant, compass termite, giant anteater, bison, red fox, arctic grey wolf

Episode six (Cities): langur, peregrine falcon, leopard, European starling, great bowerbird, raccoon, rhesus macaque, spotted hyena, wels catfish

Our Planet

Episode one (One Planet): lesser flamingo, orchid bee, golden-collared manakin, red-capped manakin, blue manakin, cormorant, booby, common dolphin, shearwater, African wild dog, timber wolf

Episode two (Frozen Worlds): gentoo penguin, wandering albatross, narwhal, Pacific walrus, humpback whale, orca, leopard seal, polar bear

Episode three (Jungles): lowland gorilla, forest elephant, black sicklebill, twelve-wired bird-of-paradise, western parotia, mountain treeshrew, Philippine eagle, black spider monkey, leafcutter ant, Sumatra orangutan, velvet worm

Episode four (Coastal Seas): northern fur seal, compass jellyfish, giant trevally, mobula ray, Atlantic stingray, bottlenose dolphin, grey reef shark, whitetip reef shark, sea otter, California sheephead wrasse, Steller's sea lion, bald eagle, humpback whale, Guanay cormorant, Inca tern, Peruvian booby, South American sea lion

Episode five (From Deserts to Grasslands): Socotran cormorant, Arabian leopard, Arabian oryx, African elephant, cheetah, bison, Alcon blue butterfly, saiga, Przewalski's wild horse, tiger

Episode six (The High Seas): blue whale, spinner dolphin, mobula ray, oarfish, anglerfish, bristle worm, giant petrel, black-browed albatross, wandering albatross, bluefin tuna, sea lion, humpback whale

Episode seven (Fresh Water): Australian pelican, torrent duck, grizzly bear, manatee, giant mayfly, common kingfisher, osprey, jaguar, callipterus cichlid, Siamese fighting fish, hippopotamus, lion, African elephant, sandhill crane

Episode eight (Forests): Siberian tiger, bald eagle, rough-skinned newt, great hornbill, African elephant, African wild dog, fossa, gray mouse lemur

A Perfect Planet

Episode one (Volcano): lesser flamingo, marabou stork, Galápagos land iguana, vampire ground finch, Aldabra giant tortoise, North American river otter, coyote, Kamchatka brown bear, wildebeest

Episode two (The Sun): yellow-cheeked gibbon, fig wasp, arctic grey wolf, wood frog, garter snake, arctic fox, Saharan silver ant, golden snub-nosed monkey, sooty shearwater, humpback whales

Episode three (Weather): straw-colored fruit bat, fire ant, Amazonian giant river turtle, desert rain frog, Bactrian camel, Christmas Island red crab, carmine bee-eater, Nile crocodile, African fish eagle, hippopotamus

Episode four (Oceans): common dolphin, marine iguana, flightless cormorant, flamboyant cuttlefish, eider, bottlenose dolphin, lemon shark, manta ray, blacktip reef shark, trevally, rockhopper pengin, Eden's whale

Episode five (Humans): none

Life

Episode one (Challenges of Life): bottlenose dolphins, cheetah, panther chameleon, orca, brown-tufted capuchin, stalk-eyed fly, hippopotamus, Clark's grebe, giant Pacific octopus, strawberry poison-dart frog, leopard seal, orangutan

Episode two (Reptiles and Amphibians): pebble toad, caiman, basilisk, Brazilian pygmy gecko, panther chameleon, Namaqua chameleon, red-sided garter snake, collared iguana, hog-nosed snake, horned lizard, sea krait, African bullfrog, Komodo dragon

Episode three (Mammals): Weddell seal, elephant shrew, aye-aye, caribou, straw-colored fruit bat, lion, spotted hyena, polar bear, brown-nosed coati, meerkat, African elephant, humpback whale

Episode four (Fish): sailfish, flying fish, weedy sea dragon, convict fish, sarcastic fringehead, mudskipper, Hawaiian freshwater goby, hippopotamus, barbel, silvertip shark, clownfish, sea lion, ragged tooth shark, multiple snapper, whale shark

Episode five (Birds): spatuletail hummingbird, lammergeier, red-billed tropicbird, magnificent frigatebird, red knot, horseshoe crab, lesser flamingo, chinstrap penguin, great white pelican, Clark’s grebe, sage grouse, Vogelkop bowerbird

Episode six (Insects): Darwin’s beetle, unnamed damselfly, monarch butterfly, alkali fly, Wilson’s phalarope, oogpister beetle, mongoose, bombardier beetle, honey bee, black bear, Japanese red bug, Dawson’s bee, grass cutter ant

Episode seven (Hunters and Hunted): ibex, short-tailed stoat, brown bear, Ethiopian wolf, California ground squirrel, star-nosed mole, cheetah, red fox, greater bulldog bat, bottlenose dolphin, Bengal tiger, rattlesnake, orca

Episode eight (Creatures of the Deep): Pompeii worm, Humboldt squid, nemertean worm, moon jelly, fried egg jellyfish, spider crab, stingray, cuttlefish, giant Pacific octopus, sunflower sea star, king crab, cleaner shrimp

Episode nine (Plants): monarch butterfly, purple-throated carib hummingbird

Episode ten (Primates): Hamadryas baboon, Japanese macaque, lowland gorilla, spectral tarsier, phayre's leaf monkey, ring-tailed lemur, Sumatra orangutan, chacma baboon, white-faced capuchin, brown-tufted capuchin, western chimpanzee

Blue Planet II

Episode one (One Ocean): bottlenose dolphin, tuskfish, tern, giant trevally, mobula ray, false killer whale, Asian sheepshead wrasse, orca, humpback whale, walrus

Episode two (The Deep): sea toad, Venus’ flower basket, unnamed shrimp, ethereal snailfish, cock-eyed squid, pyrosome, barrel-eyed fish, unnamed siphonophore, yeti crab, Humboldt squid, fangtooth fish, sixgill shark, scabbardfish, zombie worm

Episode three (Coral Reefs): broadclub cuttlefish, coral grouper, day octopus, multiple corals, green turtle, bottlenose dolphin, manta ray, bobbit worm, saddleback clownfish, marbled grouper, grey reef shark

Episode four (Big Blue): spinner dolphin, yellowfin tuna, mobula ray, sailfish, sperm whale, sea turtle, blue shark, great white shark, multiple jellyfish, Portuguese man o' war, whale shark, wandering albatross, shortfin pilot whale

Episode five (Green Seas): Garibaldi, Australian giant cuttlefish, weedy seadragon, common octopus, pyjama shark, sea otter, tiger shark, smooth stingray, zebra mantis shrimp, common dolphin, humpback whale

Episode six (Coasts): Pacific leaping blenny, king penguin, southern elephant seal, Sally Lightfoot crab, Galápagos sea lion, ochre starfish, clingfish, chain moray eel, Atlantic puffin, arctic skua

Episode seven (Our Blue Planet): none

Prehistoric Planet

Episode one (Coasts): Tyrannosaurus rex, Tethydraco, Phosphatodraco,  Tuarangisaurus, Mosasaurus hoffmannii, pycnodont fish, ammonites,  Kaikaifilu

Episode two (Deserts):  Dreadnoughtus, Tarbosaurus, Velociraptor,  Mononykus, Barbaridactylus, Secernosaurus

Episode three (Freshwater): Velociraptor, Tyrannosaurus rex, Deinocheirus, Quetzalcoatlus, Masiakasaurus, Beelzebufo, elasmosaur

Episode four (Ice Worlds): dromaeosaur, hadrosaur, Ornithomimus, Olorotitan, troodontid, Antarctopelta, Pachyrhinosaurus, Nanuqsaurus

Episode five (Forests): Austroposeidon, Triceratops, Carnotaurus, Qianzhousaurus,  Edmontosaurus, Atrociraptor, Anodontosaurus, Therizinosaurus, Telmatosaurus, Hatzegopteryx

The Hunt

Episode one (The Hardest Challenge): African leopard, African wild dog, Parson’s chameleon, nose-horned chameleon, African mantis, Darwin’s bark spider, Nile crocodile, Amur falcon, orca, cheetah

Episode two (Arctic): polar bear, arctic grey wolf, arctic fox, glaucous gull

Episode three (Forests): tiger, American marten, sparrow hawk, Portia spider, tarsier, harpy eagle, chimpanzee, army ant

Episode four (Oceans): blue whale, frigatebird, dorado, sargassum fish, spinner dolphin, Beroe ovata, Chiroteuthis, lionfish, black-browed albatross, sea lion, tuna, copper shark, common dolphin, Bryde's whale

Episode five (Plains): cheetah, caracal, honey badger, termite, bald eagle, lion, Ethiopian wolf, hotrod ant, spoor spider

Episode six (Coasts): bottlenose dolphin, algae octopus, sand bubbler crab, long-tailed macaque, marine otter, grizzly bear, grey wolf, peregrine falcon, orca, humpback whale

Episode seven (Conservation): none

Life In Colour

Episode one (Seeing In Color): Indian peafowl, mandrill, Costa’s hummingbird, magnificent bird-of-paradise, blue moon butterfly, fiddler crab, mantis shrimp, flamingo, poison dart frog

Episode two (Hiding In Color): Bengal tiger, langur, ptarmigan, crab spider, zebra, Cuban painted snail, blue-striped fangblenny, common waxbill, pin-tailed wydah, Augrabies flat lizard

Frozen Planet II

Episode one (Frozen Worlds): emperor penguin, orca, Pallas’s cat, Siberian tiger, grizzly bear, hooded seal, polar bear

Episode two (Frozen Ocean): polar bear, beluga, harp seal, skeleton shrimp, crested auklet, orca

Episode three (Frozen Peaks): high-casqued chameleon, japanese macaque, kea, andean flamingo, giant panda, golden eagle, andean mountain lion

Episode four (Frozen South): king penguin, Antipodean wandering albatross, blue whale, Weddell seal, chinstrap penguin, snow petrel, leopard seal, orca

Episode five (Frozen Lands): grey wolf, arctic fox, Amur leopard, Siberian tiger, painted turtl, Lapland bumblebee, snowy owl, caribou, grizzly bear

Episode six (Our Frozen Planet): none

Africa

Episode one (Kalahari): fork-tailed drongo, ostrich, black rhinoceros, Angolan giraffe, African leopard, armored ground cricket, spider wasp

Episode two (Savannah): Agama lizard, shoebill, bee-eaters and rollers, lesser flamingo, African elephant, crowned eagle, African fish eagle, martial eagle

Episode three (Congo): chimpanzee, central African rock python, Angola banana frog, African skimmer, rockfowl, African elephant

Episode four (Cape): emperor swallowtail, giant kingfish, African penguin, monkey beetle, springbok, yellow-billed kite, pied crow, ghost crab, vundu catfish, Nile crocodile, Bryde’s whale, great white shark, common dolphin

Episode five (Sahara): Grevy’s zebra, naked mole rat, barn swallow, Dromedary camel, dung beetle, crocodile, western yellow wagtail, Saharan silver ant

Episode six (The Future): none

[snini9s-warrior-cats]

AU: Ancient Roots

I've finally decided on the name of my AU- Ancient Roots!

The premise of this AU is going to be fairly simple. It's just a more in-depth look into the Warriors Story, with minor adjustments to make family trees, history, characters, and lore more fleshed out.

Ancient Roots is named as such as the Clans have a belief that the ancient ancestors of each clan were different species of big cats. It's not known where this legend originated, but it was a common nursery tale for young cats. After the move to the lake, the story nearly vanished from the clan's stories but has recently resurfaced with the arrival of SkyClan.

WindClan: Cheetahs Common Traits

Fast runners

Clan-born cats have "tear stripes", just like Cheetahs, "proving" their ancestry. It's deemed bad luck and proof of outer clan relationships if one is born without the stripes

Cats are often lanky and short-furred, with long legs and long tails for balance. Smaller paws aid in running

Tunnelers and their descendants have larger paws to aid in their digging

Dorsal stripes are not uncommon

ThunderClan: Lions Common Traits

Bulky, often with a "mane" of fur on or around their neck

Cats often have very thick, soft fur, especially around their necks, even if their fur is short, just like their lion counterparts. This fur may be a different color than the rest of their pelt (often resembling their underbelly color), but this isn't always the case.

"manes" often get larger with age, especially in males

Cats also have large paws and muscled builds with broad shoulders and deep chests

Often have long, prominent whiskers

ShadowClan: Cougars Common Traits

Similarly built to ThunderClan, however, have shorter, less dense, fur overall

Quiet and semi-nocturnal

Often has dark markings around their eyes, tail tip, and muzzle

Large paws, similar in size to those of ThunderClan, if not a little larger for silent movement

Broad shouldered and well muscled, just like ThunderClan

Dark, solid-colored cats blend in best with their surroundings and are preferred to go on night hunts, patrols, and missions

RiverClan: Jaguars Common Traits

They're only smaller than ThunderClan cats, but not by much.

Clanborn cats have webbed paws, a trait passed down that aids in swimming

Have similar tear stripes to WindClan cats, but they fade out before WindClan cats do

Despite often being considered lazy and fat, they're actually well-muscled and sleek under all their fur. They're robust with shorter legs

Often, the tail ends in a dark tip

Rosetted spot patterned pelts are rare, but not unheard of. The best example would be Leopardstar

SkyClan: Caracals Common Traits

Large paws, but lanky build, similar to Tunnelers in WindClan

Dark, tufted ears are not uncommon

Often has light markings around their eyes, with a dark tear stripe in the corner of their eyes

Long, muscled legs allow for large leaps, larger than any other clan cats

Lightest and smallest of the clans

Many traits of the Ancient Clan have been lost, due to the dissolving of the Clan in the past, but it is rumored that the cats with the most Ancient traits are the closest related to the Ancient Clan. This belief has been banned from being used as a reason to accept/deny cats, based on past discourse that has arisen. This doesn't stop kits and apprentices from comparing themselves and creating hierarchies based on appearance

Mountain Runners [Formerly: The Tribe of Endless Hunting]*: Bobcat/Lynx Common Traits

Smallest of the cats, due to their harsh environment (comparatively) and the general scarcity of food. This doesn't mean they're weak though, they're on par with the bulkier ThunderClan in terms of strength

Thick, soft, dense fur, to insulate from the cold

Large paws to distribute weight in the snow, with long legs for ease of walking

Furred footpads protected by dense fur to prevent frostbite or other freezing related injuries

Small ear tufts, similar to SkyClan

Darker ears, with white spots on the back

*The Tribe has had a name change AND the naming style will be changed to be similar to the Ancient Clans (Example: Cloud with Storm in Belly is now Storm Belly). The Tribe, as written by the Erins, has many problems in the writing, lore, and pretty much everything to do with the Tribe. See this amazing post by @volepaw, which goes over some of the issues (here). I can in no way justify what the Erins have done, but I hope that, in this AU I'm doing, I can adjust the story to do justice to the Tribe and their potential, without the racism that the Erins have created. **

** I'm always hoping to do better, so please PLEASE let me know if there's something else I can do to improve this part of my AU and lore!

A visual guide will be shared at a later date!

[mountain-lion-gremlin]

As a mountain lion stuck inside of a human body and world, I can say that it definitely isnt something that appeals to the puma inside of me.

Now you probably dont know me, but I decided to give posting here a shot. I guess you could say this is an account made for me to openly show me, my colorful self, on here. My name is Agelio, and I am a shapeshifter. This means I'll be talking about physically shifting, mental shifting, and more. This might be a place to post discussions and ponder about shapeshifting, or just rant. I dont own any communities here, so I'll just speak my mind.

I've been awakened for almost 3 years now (July 2020), and am in the middle of the mental shifting stage.

But yeah, dont be afraid to ask me a question! In fact, I encourage it! This account is just an outlet for shapeshifting and my cougar side, so I'll be on topic most of the time. I'll also post about mythical beings, spirituality, and more!

But yeah, just your common shapeshifter. I will say though, I do own an amino where we talk explicitly about shapeshifting, so don't be afraid to ask about it! I'm happy to welcome more people who are interested in shapeshifting into my amino ^^

That's all for now! Since this is a super new blog, it will most likely be messy, unorganized, and kinda lonely, but either way for now this will be my little introduction! Nice to meet you :>

~Agelio the Puma

[zablionsea]

i want to hearrrr some lore about Vivian. or any of the other 'supplemental' characters you have of your choosing

I'll do a bit for Vivian and Tracy. Both aren't as developed as characters as Kyraam, though, nowhere close. I'm coming up with some of this on the fly.

First, Vivian was named before I ever really thought about the character from Paper Mario TTYD. It's pure coincidence but bears mentioning since the character is popular right now, and rightly so. It was meant to represent how she's rather lively and intense.

Vivian Brooks a student at University of Goldenplume, I'm gonna say some sort of Business major. She's a mountain lion/cougar/panther/puma/gosh these have so many names with pink hair in a mohawk. I feel like she's quite into athletics as a hobby, more specifically parkour and gymnastics.

Between her and Kyraam, she's the one actually paying the bulk of the rent, as her job is full-time. She's rather self-absorbed and tends to view things in more pragmatic terms. This serves her well in school and work, but puts strain in her relationships. Very passionate about her hobbies, but the lack of common ground with Kyraam on that front creates tension.

Then, Tracy Garner is an arcade technician who works at Longplay Game Center during the later night hours. Longplay is a barcade with a mix of retro and modern games, striking a balance between fighting, rhythm, and retro classic games. The most important thing to me is that they have Mappy (1983), NOISZ ARC⌖CODA, and O.N.G.E.K.I. because it's my OC universe and I get to decide what video games my fursona gets to play......

wait that's uh that's just worldbuilding. Okay, one moment, I'll get back on track.

Tracy is a gaming enthusiast (a gaming mouse if you will), and working at this place is her dream job. She's quite crafty and will tackle problems from a variety of technical approaches. However, she is terrible with people and tends not to go out much besides for work or errands.

Considering how much rambling I've done already, I should probably, like, make an organizational tag for these and slap some of this info into a spot on my Neocities page. Eh, well, I'll do the latter after I get more work done on a certain wiki project I've been on hiatus from.

[yuk-tepat]

Lexember #4-5: Yap and Yap(ut)

Note: Edited to put calligraphy of the glyphs in the right order. I apologize for the inconvenience. Also, screw Tumblr for doing that thing where it inserts an image at the top of the post no matter where I place the cursor.

Another example of the coincidences that occur when language changes.

Yap means ‘lord, overlord, person over you, basically boss’ - or else some completely different things (there are 3 homophones). Etymologically, it is a contraction of two morphemes, yaq (<*yaʔ) ‘agent, -er,’ and hap (<*ʔap) ‘have, hold, possess.’ So figure ‘the haves’ in ‘the haves and have nots.’ Both *yaʔ and *ʔap survive in the modern day as yaq and hap, respectively, but in this case they contract into a new form, something like *yaʔ-ʔap > *yaʔap > yap. Because Yuktepat likes CVC forms.

Graphically, yap is made up of the glyph of its cognate hap (shaped like a closed fist), framed by the semantic radical phlat ‘hero,’ which is a common radical in words referring to big important people.

Now to turn to the other yap, or rather yaput. (This was already created too long ago to be a Lexember word, I think, so I’m a day behind now.) The continent of Tiptum has large cat predators like mountain lions / pumas / cougars. They were a feared animal in ancient times, but were hunted down until only few remain in remote mountains, and the majority exist in zoos. There, they are popular attractions, and most visitors enjoy watching them unaware of the fact that they are a hair-breath away from not existing at all.

(Scroll down, there’s still more text)

Cute, huh? Yaput used to be spelled several ways, one of which is like this:

Note, the first glyph looks like the other yap but with the HERO radical replaced with the DOG radical.

Yaput is probably a borrowed word, judging from its shape (CVCVC). Like many similar words, Tepat wants to fit them into the CVC mold, by dropping one of the syllables, so it often gets abbreviated to yap - making it a homophone to other yaps. How to disambiguate it? Well, by adding it to the word for cat (nyek), thus making it a ‘yap cat,’ nyek-yap or yap-nyek.

Folk etymology is the process where popular (but wrong) explanations for words work their way into the language to the point of affecting the meaning, form, or spelling. In the case of the yaput, yap is now homophonous with yap ‘boss.’ And you know, yaput are pretty dominant in their wild ecosystems, right? So at some point people began explaining the name nyek-yap as ‘boss-cat’ or ‘cat-boss.’ It was respelled accordingly:

This is now the normal spelling.

Other effects were that yap ‘boss’ gained an extended meaning of ‘apex predator’ and so is used to describe bears and wolves as well. Also, it lead to a Tepatic tradition of satirizing unpopular rulers by drawing them as big cats. For example, here is a graffiti depicting Qom, Tepat’s first totalitarian dictator, as a cat:

The text reads basically:

Vanquished enemy: “How could we lose to Qom - a domain [so] small [that it is] like a cat?”

Qom: “Like a fucking boss-cat, haw haw!”

Qom was a bad dude, but had enough of a sense of humor that he began slapping images of predatory large cats on everything, as branding. Additionally, Qom’s original name, Qhom, was a near-homophone of qom ‘fang,’ and he changed the pronunciation to match, so ‘Lord Fang’ is not an unreasonable translation.

[ipotane]

idid not get a picture of the monkey i saw so here’s a puma screaming that i saw

YOOO this is aweesome. did you know the puma has the record for the animal with the most amount of common names. ngl i didnt even know cougars and mountain lions were just different names for pumas. i thought they were all just like. really similar but different animals. like ravens and crows

[celestialinent]

someday it will fit just right

on ao3

In 2 years, Steve would spend his first night truly hungry. In 5 years, he would stand in a cold little cemetery and bury his mother. In 8 years, he would deliver food to the silent Barnes family as they sat shiva. In 11 years, he would go into a tiny metal box and come out a freak. In 14 years, he would die.

But on April 17th, 1931, Steve Rogers woke up to Sarah Rogers singing in her clear voice, thrilled to celebrate her only son’s 13th birthday.

He and Fiona stumbled out from behind the thick curtain that cut the little nook at the far side of the flat where he slept. There were boxty and eggs on the table, and Ma wasn’t even tired, because she had three days off all in a row. He was still young enough not to question the luck. He wasn’t aware that Sarah had begged and traded with the other nurses to get the days, promising to work shifts no one wanted, knowing it would hurt their purse at the end of the month and doing it anyway to make her boy happy.

“Stiofán,” she greeted him, and Steve smiled. She only called him by his Irish name when she was in the best moods, and as he got older and the trouble he got up to got more bloody, that name was used less and less.

Fiona always slept as a cougar, because her furry bulk was the best thing to keep him warm in their drafty flat, but she usually changed before they even got out of bed. Big cats might be good for keeping little boys with dicky lungs, but they weren’t so good for navigating the tight space of the Rogers’s home. She didn’t change this morning, however.

Steve sent her a frown, even as he sidestepped her to get to the table.

Aodhan, perched on a rickety wooden chair to Sarah’s left, watched the pair with his intelligent brown eyes.

“How’s my wee man?” Sarah asked when Steve had sat. Fiona came to rest next to him, her big head almost as high as his. “Any big plans for today?”

Steve blushed. “Bucky and I were gonna go to the park,” he answered. But they’d planned that ages ago, before Ma had gotten the days off. And they were really only going because Bucky had heard from Teddy Russo that Theresa and Dot Bianchi would be there with their older sister Valentina. Bucky was absolutely dizzy for just about every girl in the Bianchi family.

To be honest, Bucky was dizzy for all the girls. He was 14 this year, and apparently, his Uncle Isaac had told Bucky that that was the age that “everything started to make sense” with girls. Whatever in the Sam-Hell that meant.

“We don’t have to, though,” Steve said. And he meant it. Spending a few hours watching Bucky watching dames didn’t sound like any fun, and it was his birthday, so if he told Bucky he wanted to do something else he wouldn’t be sore at him. “Bucky could just bring the girls over and we could play games or something.”

Even if Steve didn’t think spending his 13th birthday with Bucky’s little sisters was the best way to celebrate he wouldn’t want to exclude them. Bucky hated dragging Becca and Judy and Rachel along when they went places, but Steve thought the girls were just swell. He’d never had a sister or a brother, and never would most likely, so the novelty was nice.

Steve’s Ma just smiled. “No, no. You and Bucky should go. Bein’ thirteen is important, a leanbh . Before we know it you’ll be old and won’t get to spend all your time with Bucky Barnes.”

Steve wrinkled his nose. “Bucky and me’ll always spend time together, Ma,” he promised. “We’re friends forever.”

What was meant to be a reassurance, however, seemed to kill his Ma’s grin. She sent him a soft, sad look before tucking into breakfast. “I hope so, Stiofán. But don’t think you won’t get old.”

“I’m only thirteen, Ma!” Steve protested. Fiona leaned her head against his side sympathetically, and the weight of her sent him listing to the side for a moment.

“Fi, stoppit!” he giggled. “Why’re you so big?”

Fiona, looking contrite, seemed to shiver in her skin like she always did when she was trying to change shape. But instead of bursting into the air as a pigeon, or scurrying up his arm as a squirrel, she remained solidly feline and solidly big. Steve frowned, tipping his head forward to peer at her.

Aodhan and Ma both laughed. Steve turned a sharp, worried look to his mother.

“What?” he asked. Turning back, he said, “Fi, what’s goin’ on?”

“Oh, a leanbh ,” Ma breathed. “What did I say?”

Fiona giggled. “I can’t! Stevie!”

It took Steve a bit too long to understand the situation, but when he did he turned an incredulous stare on Fiona. “You settled so big ,” he laughed.

“Bit inconvenient,” Aodhan muttered behind his shaggy russet mustache, but he was grinning his doggy grin, as overjoyed as Sarah was.

“The size of a daemon doesn’t depend on the size of the person,” Ma reminded him. Steve knew that. He knew that Mr. Tonks, hulking as he was, had a little rabbit daemon, and everyone in the world knew that Marlene Dietrich’s daemon was a honking big bear, something the newspapers always thought was real funny.

“Boys at school are gonna have a field day,” Steve told her anyway. Nobody but Bucky seemed to understand why Steve walked around with a mountain lion for a daemon most of the time. Now that she’d settled, he could just imagine how they’d tease.

“The boys at school are silly little idiots,” Aodhan grumbled.

That sent Fiona and Steve into a fit of giggles that carried them through breakfast.

***

He’d been right about the boys at school.

When words got around that Steve’s daemon had settled, Tommy Wies came over to him at lunch as asked him if he thought it was funny that his daemon was four times the size of him.

Miriam, lounging at Bucky’s feet as a german shepherd, snarled at him, and Tommy laughed it off but he didn’t say another word to Steve all day. Unfortunately, Bucky couldn’t be around forever, and after last period, when Steve was gathering his papers from arithmetic, Bobby and Tony Gottardo ambled over.

The three of them exchanged some words, and it all ended with Bucky finding Steve getting his lights knocked out of him in front of the school. Fiona was snapping and yowling at the Gottardo’s daemons, and Bucky had to wade in and break the fight up with a solid-looking kick to Tony’s keister.

“God, some of these eye-talians really are dumb,” Bucky huffed after the boys had beat feet down the sidewalk. “How many times I gotta lay them out flat before they leave well enough alone?”

Steve sent Bucky a dark look. “You didn’t lay anyone out, Buck. Tony and Bobby are just babies.”

Bucky scoffed. “Maybe not that time, but last time, I made Bobby bleed so bad I just about called a doctor so’s I didn’t have to go on the lam.”

Fiona snorted. “You did no such thing,” she told him imperiously.

Miriam perked up. “If you asked Bobby, he just about got murdered in that fight.”

The four of them ambled their way back home, About halfway to Bucky’s flat, where they were stashing their school stuff and cleaning up before heading over to the park-Steve couldn’t very well go home now, not with a bloody nose-Miriam turned to Steve and Fiona and eyed them.

“What’s it like?” she asked.

It was crystal what she was asking. Miriam, even though Bucky was a year older, still hadn’t settled.

Fiona shrugged her big furry shoulders. “Boring, but nice. Feels right, like a pair of shoes that I’ve had few ages, so they fit real good. But I think I’ll miss flying.”

“Shoulda settled as a big bird,” Bucky laughed. “A bald eagle, or something. Or a hawk, to go with that big nose.”

Steve shoved at Bucky playfully. “Well, then Miriam should settle as a pig, to go with your nose.”

Bucky, vainer than Steve by a mile, reeled back, patting at his nose like he was checking that it was still as perfect as ever. He scowled when that sent Steve laughing.

“Fi shoulda been an elephant, to match your ears!”

“Miriam could settle as a beaver so you could have matching buck teeth,” Steve shot back, still laughing.

Bucky huffed, but Steve knew he wasn’t that sore.

They spent the rest of the walk joking and fooling around, and when they barrelled into the Barnes flat, Bucky had Steve under his arm, mussing up his hair with his knuckles.

Mrs. Barnes started fussing as soon as she saw Steve’s face, but luckily she didn’t threaten to tell his Ma, trusting that Steve wouldn’t hide it from her. She did make him sit at the dining room table, though, and allow her to clean him up a little. She didn’t have his Ma’s practice at nursing, but she’d raised Bucky, and the frequency with which her son was being pulled into scraps meant she was no slouch. Amos chittered the entire time, scolding them all for fighting just like he always did. The boys and their daemons ignored him, as they always did.

“The only thing I have to give you for your birthday is some advice, Steven,” Mrs. Barnes said lightly. “Stay out of trouble!”

Steve offered her a beatific smile, the smile he offered to teachers and shopkeepers and Mrs. Barnes whenever he was trying to pretend he wasn’t an absolute scoundrel. It drove Bucky up the walls; he called it his saintly smirk. “I try, Mrs. Barnes. Trouble just always seems to find me!”

Mrs. Barnes and Amos hmmphed in unison, and Bucky snorted.

“Bucky, I expect you back home in time for supper. It might be Steven’s birthday, but you still have school tomorrow.”

“Yes, Ma,” Bucky and Steve chorused. She scowled and shooed them out of the house.

Steve shook his head. “She didn’t even notice Fiona’s settled,” he scoffed. “Guess Steve Rogers walking around with a puma for a daemon is just common sense to her.”

“Sure it is, pal,” Bucky drawled easily. “You may be short, but you’re just about the loudest guy I know. You’re bigger inside than out, is all. You ain’t no mouse.”

“What do you think you’ll settle as?” Fiona asked Miriam, who’d taken Fiona’s new size as an opportunity to be lazy, and shifted into a strange little lizard, riding on her back. She had the air of a haughty little queen that way, and Steve couldn’t help but smile at the smug little lizard smile she was sporting.

Miriam was quiet for a moment as she and Bucky shared a thoughtful look.

“A dog, probably,” Bucky answered first. “Most folks have dog daemons.”

Fiona shook her head. “You’re not most.”

Steve blushed a little at that. Bucky wasn’t most folks. Bucky was brave and handsome and kind and strong. Bucky talked a big game about how Steve was bigger on the inside, but honestly, Steve thought Bucky’s beautiful outside matched his insides. It was no wonder that all the girls at school had started taking real long looks at Steve’s best friend. There was something about the air around Bucky when he got real excited about a new song. When he laughed it was like his whole face opened up and you could see the damn sun shining out his eyes.

Miriam would settle as something even grander than a mountain lion. She’d be a real noble bird, maybe, because of Bucky’s sharp eyes, or a peacock cause of how nice his face was. Or maybe a wolf, like James Connolly had had.

“A horse, maybe,” Miriam said.

It was funny, because Steve couldn’t see that at all. Miriam had never been a horse in her life. Hell, none of them had ever seen a horse in their lives. But Steve was picturing Bucky astride a huge destrier, dressed like a knight, and it made him laugh so hard he almost gave himself an asthma attack. “You are a real horse’s ass,” he gasped.

“Maybe I’ll be something real strange,” Bucky said, and he was still smiling, but it looked pained. “Something odd, that’ll scare off anyone tryin’ to give us a hard time.”

Miriam shivered, shifting rapidly. She was a spider first, fearsome and black, before she draped over Fiona’s back as a big brown snake. It was followed by a strange hairless cat, a blind and eerie bat. Finally, Miriam clambered to Fiona’s rump, a brown little thing with huge, luminous golden eyes. Her small triangle ears sat at the sides of her head like horns, and a long tail that curled over her chest.

Steve blinked. “What are you?” he asked. Miriam only stared up at him.

“So one in a book of daemons once. Like a monkey, sorta. Strange, right?” Bucky murmured.

“She’s beautiful, Buck,” Steve assured him. “Very beautiful.”

Bucky shrugged and picked up his pace like he was eager to see the Bianchi sisters. Like the discussion was unimportant.

Steve felt distinctly that he’d missed something in the exchange, and Bucky was disappointed in him.

[isobel-thorm]

Johnnic for the ship questions? I’d love to hear all of them, but if you don’t want to do that can I have LOVE please? 👀💕

I answered Love here

PRE-RELATIONSHIP

How did they first meet? Canon FC5 events. They first saw each other at the Church, and their first one on one was The Baptism. 

What was their first impression of each other? Also played close to canon. Very negative, acknowledging a possible threat, but very very low key also 👀👀👀

Did any of their friends or family want them to get together? Only Addie was 100% for it, Sharky was relatively okay with it but he warmed up to them when he saw them together and he saw John being actively neutral. Whitehorse wasn’t happy but he secretly had a feeling it would be inevitable so he tried to keep an open mind. 

Who felt romantic feelings first? John, though they were very conflicted, more physical attraction masquerading as romantic feelings in his head. 

Did either of them try to resist their feelings? Oh, absolutely. Well, romantic feelings, anyway. They were far more accepting of the mutual sexual attraction. 

If you had told one of them that the other would be their soulmate, what would they think? John would be completely onboard with the concept because he believes it himself. Nic would laugh in their faces and tell them to fuck off.  

GENERAL

Who initiated the relationship, and how did it go? There are multiple levels to this, and John basically did all of them. He got the ball rolling on the truce to work together, he was technically the one that made the first move at Landsdowne, and he was the first to admit he loved her in the Bunker, that made them basically slap a label on their relationship/acknowledge they were committed to each other. 

Did they have an official first date? If so, what was it like? A nice little one on one romantic dinner in the Bunker. It wasn’t much, just some decent food they scrounged up, deeper conversation and some spice after that. 

What was their first kiss like? Rough, rushed, adrenaline-fueled since they had just gotten out of a life-threatening situation. 

Were they each other’s first anything (kiss, relationship, etc.)? Nic was John’s first actual, honest to God love, John was her first co-husband uwu. 

What’s their height difference? Age difference? John’s got eight inches on her and doesn’t let her forget it, and he’s three years older. 

What’s their relationship with each other’s families? John doesn’t have much family left when they start and his own relationship with Joseph is strained for fic events, so after the fact Nic tries to be civil and open to building a relationship with Joseph, if only for John’s sake. Whitehorse eventually starts to take a liking to John when he sees him make an effort to be a decent boyfriend/husband/father. In the No Cult AUs, Nic’s mother adores John, and vice versa. 

Who takes the lead in social situations? Nic most of the time, though John holds his own. 

Who gets jealous easier? John again. He’s worked hard for her affection, he ain’t gonna lose it to anything or anyone. 

DOMESTIC LIFE

If they get married, who proposes? John the first time, when they’re in the Bunker and he wants to do a common law marriage just so he can call her his wife/there’s something to look forward to in the bunker. When they’ve been out for a while, Nic re-proposes so they can have a more involved, bigger ceremony, closer to the ridiculousness she knows he would’ve gone for Pre-Collapse and Holy War. 

What’s the wedding like? Who attends? For the first one, Sharky, Whitehorse, the Stone family, Jerome, and the Ryes, even if the latter was conflicted about being there. The second one has the same guests plus Addie, Hurk Jr and a bunch of others. 

How many kids do they have, if any? What are they like? They have three, and then two more by extension even if Sharky fathered them so John’s only technically their stepdad/co-dad. Cal’s the oldest and he’s a mix of both of them. Very much a chaos magnet with a big heart, with a mighty need to adventure. Then they have twins, Ariadne and Willa, both of which are level headed, ridiculously smart girls with interests in various sciences. 

Do they have any pets? Too many to count. They have Boomer Junior, a mountain lion named Cougar, they find Timber and Horatio, and then Nic takes in any animal in need. 

Who’s the stricter parent? Nic, though it’s mostly because John tries to be strict but also takes it easy out of fear of going overboard and ending up like his parents. 

Who kills the bugs in the house? John

How do they celebrate holidays? Nic decorates as much as she physically can and then throws big parties, and John just watches her work all heart-eyed. 

Who’s more likely to convince the other to come back to sleep in the morning? Both, and they alternate. They both figure Post Collapse most of the time there’s nothing to make them get up early, so they’re perfectly content lazing about in bed and cuddling, or something far higher rated. 

Who’s the better cook? Nic

[greyvvardenfell]

Could you tell me about the animals in Hallan? What’s common in each area? How do they differ based on region? Have they evolved differently from irl animals? Anything and everything please

thank you!

most plant and animal life is fairly familiar, but i’ll break it up regionally (and include Visuals of the more obscure fauna):

hoktan bolnar: bolnari herders raise herds of deer, size-wise close to moose or red deer, for their meat and hides. there’s also a huge respect for boar, so much so that killing one, or even harming one, could mean exile or death. obviously boar are very hard to kill, so it doesn’t happen often. they’re seen as sacred, almost magic-touched, and are both feared and admired. other regional wildlife includes barred owls (their feathers are prized for fletching and decoration), several smaller, wild species of deer, ostrich-sized herons that live on the many rivers and lakes in the country, cougars/mountain lions, and crocodiles

(this is an irish elk, the largest deer to ever exist. it’s extinct now, but this is pretty much the size and shape of bolnari deer)

qalqinoran: in addition to wild, feral, and tamed sheep and yaks, which are very common on the steppes, maned wolves, mammoths, wild horses, cave lions with elongated canines like sabertooths, antelope, bison, and giant snakes roam the grasslands.

(funky tall boy maned wolf)

alakrib: very dry, very rocky, very desert. wow. but horses play a hugely important role in alakribbean culture, so they’re everywhere, wild and tame. there are also scorpions, tarantulas, burrowing owls, jerboas and their smaller cousins, vultures, lizards, snakes, and desert bats who feed off of cactus blossoms around.

(a jerboa. i had kangaroo rat originally because i thought that’s what these were, but they’re jerboas)

naigenkyst, kaikasai, and astrival: all of these countries are in more or less the same biome. the same smaller species of deer that live in the forests of hoktan bolnar can be found in the northern hilly areas. also fairly common are raptorial birds of prey like hawks and eagles, wild goats, foxes, wolves, lynx, rabbits, and ducks. swans are prized in the naigen capital lykkegrete. astrivallans also herd their own breed of cattle in their highland pastures.

(eurasian lynx specifically, not iberian)

zarigatia: lotsa rainforest and swampland. the land between djedvasis and zarigatia is a savannah, as it transitions from jungle to desert. in the northern lake region, the marsh is home to another breed of giant snakes, several species of wading birds, frogs and other amphibians, jaguarundi, monkeys, fruit bats, and okapi. savannah-dwellers include giraffes, monitor lizards, baboons, crocodiles, and more cave lions

(jaguarundi: the funky weasel-cat)

djedvasis: not a whole lot of biodiversity in the cold desert. but djedvasi traders do have bactrian camels they’ve bred to be pure white, to camouflage them against the white sand and snow. some especially hardy rodents and ground birds like ptarmigans and sage grouse are around too

(i was not expecting to actually find a photo of a white bactrian camel)

vivosk: much more emphasis is placed on marine life than land life. narwhals and walruses live in and around the ice-bound far waters and are often seen off the shores of vivosk. small white wolves and what are basically snow baboons? can be found further inland. a lot of the same ground birds in western djedvasis are on vivosk.

yaraduberra: oh shit oh fuck i almost forgot did forget! because the island isn’t that geographically separate from any other land, they don’t have many distinct fauna. there are lots of colorful flightless birds (sort of like peacocks but even more ostentatious and unwieldy so they’re actually grounded) that can only be found there, though, and more interesting versions of mainland creatures like saiga and fennecs, as well as beavers and geckos, call yaraduberra home

(was including pictures just an elaborate plot to get everyone to look at this weird ass elephant antelope? maaaaaybe)

[fandomwritingsgalore]

The Christmas Con - Chapter 1 (Chris Evans x Reader)

Pairing: Chris Evans x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Few curse words. Fluff. Tiniest hint of angst.

Chapter: 1 Read More Here

Summary: Chris Evans agrees to be your fake boyfriend when you head to your family’s annual Christmas holiday at a rented cabin in the mountains. You think you’re pulling off the con until you’re both faced with a few obstacles you weren’t expecting, namely meddling relatives. Your family love him and you’re starting to think you might, too. This holiday you’ll learn there’s more to the season of giving, and Chris, than you thought.

Author’s Note: Happy Holidays everyone! This is the first chapter in my Chris-mas story that I was inspired to write after watching The Proposal and way to many Hallmark movies since November. We handed out tropes like candy in this story so gear up for some fluff. I took a few liberties with family names because it was getting a bit confusing trying to reference all the relatives. I hope you all enjoy.

Y/N = Your Name, Y/F/N = Your (female) friend’s name

Word Count: 2.6k

"Hey, want to help me get my parents off my ass about not having a date for the holidays?"

That was what started this whole weekend of tinsel town torment. Chris had graciously agreed to help you out and travel with you to your family’s annual three-day Christmas getaway to a cabin in the mountains. All it took was agreeing to provide the food for the next Patriots game watch party at his house. You readily agreed as you wouldn’t be able to stand your elder Aunts’ incessant questioning about your love life one more year.

The drive to the cabin went fine since you and Chris rode with your parents who had welcomed Chris with open arms from the moment you landed at the airport. He’d chatted away with them during the drive while you watched the gradual snow banks get taller and taller on the sides of the road the higher up the car went.

Your heart sped up in excitement as you rounded the final turn. The three-story cabin was set against a dense tree lined forest that, through the years, had seen you and your cousins build an army of snowmen, battle it out in snowball fights and share a contrabanded drink or two when the adults got to overbearing in the house. The log roof and wrap around porch railings were covered with snow, making it look like a picture perfect gingerbread house. The setting felt like a location straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie. Regardless of the family craziness you knew was waiting behind those tall oak doors, you always looked forward to returning here every year.

You were also glad Chris was here with you this time. You’d become close friends over the years after working with him on the first Captain America movie. You’d instantly bonded over your shared love of Disney and dogs. Chris liked to joke that Dodger loved you more than him since his pup would never leave your side when you went to his house.

It was about 6 months ago, though, that you felt a shift in your relationship. Chris had helped you home after one to many drinks at the work wrap party. He’d taken off your coat and shoes, tucked you into bed and kissed your forehead goodnight. The next morning you woke up to a glass of water and headache medicine on your bedside table, and found him asleep on your sofa. When you’d thanked him over a cup of coffee, he shook his head and shrugged off your gratitude.

“I didn’t want to leave you alone with that fucker, Colin,” he muttered, clearly still agitated about whatever had happened last night. “He wouldn’t stop hitting on you all night even when you told him no. You looked uncomfortable and he didn’t back off until I told him we were dating.”

“You what?” You wiped the bit of coffee that had spit out of your mouth at his revelation. you vaguely remember some guy following you around the party until he’d suddenly disappeared. Now that you thought about it, Chris had magically appeared around the same time. You held your pounding head in your hands just wanting to block the entire night out of your memory.

“Told him we were dating,” he repeated calmly. “In a not so subtly threatening tone, I might add. Almost tripped over himself apologizing when I put my arm around your waist later that night. I mean, most people think we are anyway, so it wasn’t hard to convince him.”

“Oh, I didn’t know...” You trailed off.

“What? That people think we’re a couple?” Chris laughed.

You’d be lying if you denied you found Chris attractive, but your timing just never seemed to work out. Either he was with someone or away filming when you were single, or you were dating someone when he was back in town. And, it wasn’t like either of you had the best track run when it came to relationships. Just another thing you had in common. A few of your exes’ seemed to be uncomfortable with your friendship with Chris, but the truth was, none of them were as easy or fun to be around as Chris. You didn’t have to worry about saying or doing the wrong thing with him. He’d said as much to you when you’d brought it up after one of your more hurtful breakups. He said it was the same with his own exes’, but eventually they realized that you were always going to be a part of his life and came to terms with it in one way or another.  

He got up to pour himself another cup of coffee. “I’m used to the press linking me with any woman I’m seen with at this point, but even my mom called me to see if we were dating after we were photographed leaving the Ritz together at night a couple times a few months ago.”

“I was helping you with your lines!” You spluttered. “We ate pizza and watched The Lion King, for Christ’s sake. Mackie was even there one day!”

He shrugged unbothered, “You know how the media twists things. Anyway, it was my pleasure being your arm candy for the night.” He raised his mug up in a mock toast before laughing as you rolled your eyes. “Oh come on, you know we’d be good together,” he teased as you got up to go get dressed.

“I know we would,” you sung over your shoulder.

After that morning, you noticed Chris didn’t date much. He claimed he was to busy for a relationship when you’d questioned him. He also started calling you more while he was away on set, which you began looking forward to each day after work. That was when the idea of fake dating Chris for the holidays became more than a way to get your family off your case. You imagined spending a night curled up in front of the fire with Chris, Christmas lights twinkling as a cold wind blew outside, and your heart ached with a feeling you’d never experienced before when you thought about your friend. So, you pitched the idea to him and he immediately agreed to accompany you, since his family were meeting up for New Years instead this year due to his siblings’ schedules.

Now, here you were in this winter wonderland. You were slightly annoyed your parents didn’t even seem that surprised when you said your boyfriend Chris would be joining your yearly gathering. You swore you’d even heard your dad mutter “about damn time” through the phone when you called them.

Chris hopped out the car and hurried over to open your door. You took the hand he offered, but he held it tighter when you went to let go. He pressed a kiss to the top with an excited smile.

“Don’t overdo it, dear.” You giggled, snatching your hand back and lightly punching his shoulder.

He quickly wrapped his arms around you before you could move further away, and pulled you close, booping your nose with an evil grin. “Oh, I plan to be the best boyfriend you’ve ever had. Fake or otherwise. I’m going to make your family love me so much they’ll be devastated when we break up.”

You shook your head and laughed as he quickly released you go with a chirpy, “Let me help you with those bags, sir,” to your dad.

“Hey loser!” You turned to see who shouted and were tackled in a puffy coated embrace. Your cousin, Y/F/N, had her arms wrapped tightly around you. You both squealed, excited to see each other. Y/F/N was the kind of cousin who just so happened to also be your best friend. There was no one else who knew the ups and downs of your family like her and had been through it all with you since before you could walk.

“I’ve missed you so much!” You said, finally pulling away to look her up and down. She still looked like the same mischief maker she’d always been.

She was distracted by something behind you. “I see you brought a friend to play with,” she teased in a hushed voice, peeking over your shoulder. You followed her gaze and saw Chris’s jacket straining against his muscular arms as he easily lifted your mom’s heavy case from the trunk and onto the snow. “Nice.”

You slapped her arm with a giggle, “behave.”

“Honestly, you know I’m tame compared to the cougars he’s about to face in there.” She looped your arms and started walking up the drive, pulling you along.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” you chuckled, nervously taking in the light decorations lining the brick path to the house. You recognized the bent, tiny display sled in the middle of the yard that your uncle had broken on one trip when your dad dared his brother he couldn’t snowboard down the hill on it. The “hold my beer” moment resulted in a night spent in the ER and hearing the story told at every family gathering since.

“So, why did I have to hear from my grandmother that you were not only dating a superhero but bringing him here?” She feigned a hurt expression. “It’s like you wanted me to be clueless in the firing line of questions.”

You chuckled. “Well, you know, we’ve been friends for a while now, and we decided to give it a shot. And don’t feel bad, because the only person who was supposed to know was my mom and I had to call to let her know I was bringing someone otherwise no one would’ve known until we showed up to protect me from the dozens of texts I received afterwards asking about what his favorite flavor of candy cane. We’ve been keeping our relationship secret so the press and fans don’t have a field day. Plus, this way we can control the narrative.”

You and Chris had discussed this, and a few other “relationship milestones” beforehand to have your stories straight. He’d suggested sticking to as much of the truth as possible so it wouldn’t be hard to keep up the con.

“That makes sense,” she agreed. You pushed open the door and were hit with an invisible wall of heat that immediately started defrosting your cold nose. She scoffed, “but, don’t tell our dear auntie or she’ll have your head and then what would his gorgeous mug kiss? Although I do have some suggestions...”

But before she could tell you what those were, you heard a stampede of footsteps as the youngest members of your family came charging down the stairs shouting and yelling over each other about whose turn it was to pick the Christmas Eve movie this year.

“Y/N!” They shouted upon seeing you, all rushing to hug you and soon you were in a doggie pile of tiny children.

“Mommy said you’re dating Captain America!” Y/F/N’s young nephew giggled as you pretended to struggle under them all.

“No, she said she’s dating a hunk!” His sister argued. “What’s a hunk, Y/N?” You choked back a laugh and fumbled for a response.

“Do you get to play with his shield?” Another one asked as a chorus of tiny voices started shouting questions without waiting for answers.

“Does he like marshmallows in his hot chocolate?”

“Does he like pink?”

“Does he know Spider-man?”

“Can he really pull a log apart like in the movie?”

“Will he help us make cookies for Santa?”

“Do you like him a lot?” your own niece piped up from the back of the group.

They were overwhelming you with their curiosity but you smiled warmly, “I like him a whole lot.”

“Aww, babe, that’s so adorable. You like me.” Chris laughed in the doorway behind you and stepped up to press a cold kiss to your temple. “I like you a whole lot, too.”

He slid an arm around your waist and stared down the kids who’d gone uncharacteristically quiet, watching him nervously. He bent down until he was looking them each in the eye in turn and said, “She likes to play with the shield, but she doesn’t like to share. I love marshmallows in my hot chocolate and refuse to drink it without them. Pink is one of my favorite colors and I think it should be everyone’s. Spider-man is a very good friend of mine. Yes, I can pull a log apart, and I might be able to show you later. And, I think I can fit cookies into my schedule, but you’re all going to have to show me how to decorate them.” He broke out in a beaming childlike smile, “deal?”

The kids all giggled and nodded before bombarding him with more questions. You watched fondly as he answered every single one with a well thought out response, never making the kids feel like they were a nuisance.

“Didn’t I tell you all to go unpack!” A loud voice suddenly shouted from the kitchen doorway. You saw Y/F/N’s mom standing with her arms crossed, foot tapping angrily, glaring as all the kids scattered and scrambled back up the stairs, not wanting to get in trouble. “And make sure you neatly hang up the clothes! I’m going to check each of you later!” She yelled up the stairs after them.

Chris nervously stood up as she moved towards him.

“So,” she drawled, slowly looking him over, “you must be the boyfriend I’ve been hearing so much about.” She smirked, “it’s good to see you’ve lived up to the hype.”

“Mom!” Y/F/N hissed, embarrassed.

“Good to hear, ma’am,” he chuckled. “From what Y/N’s told me, you’re basically a second mother to her, so it’s a pleasure to meet you. I can’t wait to hear all her embarrassing childhood stories and please don’t leave out a single detail.” He nodded over to you, “I could use the intel on this one.”

She laughed. “More like stories about all the trouble they caused. Why do you think I’ve got some premature grey?” She motioned to her hair.

“Nothing wrong with a little experience, if you ask me,” he winked. You gaped, speechless, as he shamelessly flirted with her. He was turning up his usual charm, and it was working her over like a dream.

Her eyes brightened as she gave a cheshire grin and pulled him in for a hug. “Oh, I like you. You’re going to fit right into this family.”

You scoffed as she let go and turned to give you a tight bear hug. “All lies. I was a very well-behaved child, and I still am.”

“Not from my knowledge,” Chris’ eyes sparkled wickedly as you swatted his chest.

“Leave those bags in the hall for now, sweetie. You kids come on in the kitchen. We’re finishing up the spiked eggnog.

“More like finishing off,” Y/F/N muttered low so her mom wouldn’t hear. “This is their second batch and we only got here two hours ago. Ian had to put the lights on the house before one of them tried to find the ladder.”

“Jesus. Like we need a repeat of 2007’s ‘ladder log’ incident. Has Uncle James taken out the spatula yet?” You whispered as you made your way down the long winding hall. She nodded solemnly. “Oh shit.”

Chris snorted behind you.

“Don’t laugh. It’s this hideous spatula that has Santa’s face on one side and his bare ass on the other. He tries to pinch everyone with it when he’s had to many to drink.” You explained, shaking your head.

Chris beamed, “This trip is going to be so much fun.”

My Masterlist

Forever Tags: @appreciating-chase-brody

The Christmas Con Tags: @aboxbesidethesea @capcevans81 @inlovewith3 @memyselfandandrea @steftolbert @hiddlebatchedloki  @jinglebella-maximoff @marvelgirlsthings @chmedic 

Chris Evans Forever tags:  @spider--bae @bookgirlunicorn @coffeebooksandfandom

[armsdealing]

MYTHS FROM THE OTHERWORLD: THE WEREPUMA, a comprenhensive text.

I. the how.

magic came from the soil. it came from the earth. it came from the trees and the rivers and the sunlight, and we came from the magic. these words, and variants of it, were the words hernando sain reyes would give his children when questions about their origins bubbled up in their young minds. with those words, he would hint to his parents’ beliefs, and their parents’ beliefs regarding the first appearance of the people with gifted-blood -- los hombres con sangre dotada, they’d say to him, when not using the local phrase: pquyquy chie, bright hearts.

the details would be muddled up with time, not only in hernando reyes’ mind but in the minds of his progenitors and their peers. there’s no certain recorded origin for the werepumas and there probably never was, since pumas are ubiquitous to the americas and there’s no shortage of myths surrounding them. this is best exemplified with the name -- it might be one of the felines, of not one of the animals, with most number of names, puma being a quechua word integrated into the spanish language, and cougar being a word bastardized into the english language, through the french language, from the portuguese, who call pumas suçuarana, a borrowed word from the tupi people. other words include: miztli (náhuatl); koj (mayan); chihisaba (muisca), pangi/trapial (mapudungun); Jagua pytã (guaraní) and onça-parda or leão-da-montanha in portuguese. in english, they’re called panthers and/or mountain lions. naturally, the diversity in names hints at the diversity in the origin stories, 

the most popular theories tend to revolve around the chichí plant, a plant just as ubiquitous as the felines themselves, and how only a few chosen individuals would be able to handle it properly. those able to do it, became the werepumas. some groups went as far as to say it was direct consumption of the flowers what gave these people their gift, when the flower’s toxins didn’t cause them to die (as it normally would on a regular person). the flower did not discriminate on who it deemed “worthy” enough to receive its gift, though it would eventually prevail the theory that it favored “people of pure character”. hence, the muisca would refer to their chosen few as bright hearts. many of them would go on to become warriors and protectors. the incas, who consider the puma a sacred animal valued for its might and strength (as well as the symbol of life on earth, kay pacha), held the werepumas of their communities in high regard.

just like it’s hard to peg down a how, it’s hard to peg down a when. it’s believed that werepumas have been around for at least a thousand years, or for however long pumas have existed (which would put them at 8000 BC, minimum). it’s generally agreed, however, that as far as supernaturals go, they’re a pretty young species.

ii. numbers.

historically, in south america, werepumas were killed routinely by monteros, the colonial equivalent of today’s hunters (up north they were hunted down by the same people that went after witches). even previous to the spaniards’ invasion it was known that pumas could hold very erratic temperaments that would make them conflict with other authorities in their communities, and it could actually result in exiles or executions. despite their high status, they often eventually would fight amongst themselves for territorial reasons and wind up isolating themselves from their human peers and leaving for nature. this amped up the myth and mystery surrounding them, and started some strings of lore that actually referred to their qualities as the curse of solitude. pumas are not a pack-minded species, and their growth for much of their history was through consumption of the plant (which would turn only one of the two hundred men it was fed to and kill the remaining one hundred and ninety-nine) and slow paced reproduction. the last one turned out more successful since they could reliably reproduce with humans. still, it should be noted that for the billion humans living in the americas there’s only around 4 million werepumas peppered throughout the continent, and that’s for several reasons: 

they are exclusively a species found in the americas. nowadays, of course it would be easier to find werepumas in other parts of the world, but it would not be common at all (local magic feeds best on local soil, after all). other supernaturals would find them to be an oddity (just like werecats are in general).

pumas are practically unable to change human beings by bite. the same can be said about any other werefeline. such events are few and extremely far between, since a werepuma biting someone with the intention of turning them usually leads to the person’s death. even then, if it does get accomplished, bitten pumas present no advantage over blood ones, and can even present themselves as a little less powerful compared to them. unlike werewolves, they can only grow through reproduction. as it’s been explained, this greatly diminishes their spread.

werepumas do not naturally form “prides” or colonies. once a were has grown the appropiate amount, they will usually try to become independent and establish their own territory. this is, of course, affected by human bonds and culture (which is a key defining factor), so they may stay close to their parents and siblings and instead expand the territory – turning into a small community.

werepumas are instinctively aggressive to each other, a mirror to the animal’s intraespecific competition. pumas are not social creatures. when a puma enters another’s territory, if they are not blood related (or even if they are, and aren’t familiar with each other) the most likely reaction will be an attack, and promptly an altercation that can turn deadly. in order to avoid this, the intruder would have to yield and show deference. alternatively (but more rarely, as they tend to feel slighted), the invaded party would have to stop aggression. this is not an easy task at all (even for very friendly pumas, like marcelo), and in special cases (like when the invaded puma has children), it is close to impossible.

pumas unrelated to one another that meet in territory not firmly established by either as theirs still can very easily get into altercations, but it is also easier to snap out of them – as long as both are willing to drop it. it helps that, in any case, pumas tend to avoid each other before it can get vicious.

although pumas can live up to hundreds (maybe even thousands) of years, they have a pretty human average lifespan, overall. pumas most commonly mate with humans, less so with other pumas, and they will normally mate for life. the toll of losing their mate will affect pumas, sometimes so intensely that they will become unhinged. in cases were this doesn’t happen (or the puma just doesn’t mate), then the older the puma becomes, the more reclusive and aggressive they might grow to be. because of this, the primary reasons for older pumas dying stems from violence and recklessness – either through contact with other pumas, or other creatures, like werewolves and vampires. the more social weres can avoid this, but they are a rarity.

because of the hundreds of years of persecution, pumas are incredibly secretive, having even built-in magic that protects them from the human eye. even if you’ve met one, they might not disclose their status to you. exceptions being if you too are a supernatural being.

iii. behaviorisms

the werepuma's habits greatly resemble those of the fully animal counterpart. it’s a solitary creature that will usually only form a unit with their mate and young, until they too are old enough to become independent. there have been instances of “puma prides”, but even then they are small, and usually bound together by consanguinity. the same can be said about other werefelines, with the exception of lions and domestic cats, who naturally form prides or colonies respectively. 

as far as temperament goes, the werepuma is guarded, which can be misinterpreted as shy. they’ll conceal their status as much as possible, but they will retaliate viciously when threatened. as mentioned, they staunchly defend their territory from outsiders, and they have been known to kill without hesitation when their young are seemingly threatened. outside of perceived threats to their lives or authority, the puma tends to be agreeable and even affable as long as you’ve made it clear you mean no harm. in which case, they are not big on starting disputes and are, in fact, quite clever when it comes to avoiding direct conflict with humans or other species. 

on the other hand, fights between pumas are a little more common because of their possessive natures. in fact, they often instinctually dislike one another, and the fight instinct will usually override them if one doesn’t back down first.

common puma body language involves eye contact. dominance challenges usually can take the form of staring contests before they devolve into blows. they can purr when content, and growl in warning. grooming and playing, as well as soft nips are known bonding/affectionate activities. 

as nocturnal creatures, they’re made more powerful by the night time, though they are not moon called. full moons enhance their abilities, but they are not forced to change. only stress or the influence of a blood bind can forcefully induce the change.

iv. anatomy and appearance

werepumas count with three forms: the human form, the animal form, and the bipedal or humanoid form, which is a mixed state of the former two, or a half-beast shape product of morphing halfway through. 

in the animal form, they are bigger than normal pumas, but the sizes overall can vary from just mildly bigger than the real animal to being slightly bigger than a horse, and their weights can vary from 900 lbs to 2000 lbs. they’re quite muscular, though less study than jaguars since they are built for dexterity, with powerful forequarters, necks, and jaws as well as four retractable claws on their fore paws, and also their hind paws. their hind legs are slightly longer and stronger than the front legs to enable for great leaps. 

werepumas can be in a variety of climates, and in cases of living in mountainous regions they count with thick fur coats. the coat color can change depending on their environment as well, tending to be lighter in cold climates and redder in warmer temperatures. eye color similarly can range from light gray to amber, or a grayish green.

in their humanoid form, they also turn bigger and heavier, easily going over seven foot in most cases. their teeth and shape, which can be selectively grown from the human shape, are much less elegant looking than vampires’, and not designed to delicately pierce through flesh, but to cut through meat and tendons. the top and bottom canines are quite long and impossible to hide, since they will force the jaw to stay loose in a snarl. size wise, they’re bulky and covered completely in fur. their eyes will usually glow in an amber hue. 

v. physiology

werepumas are born blind, and usually gain sight gradually between the first 12 and 24 four months of living. they’re expected to grow a little before shifting into their puma shapes (they need to do so consciously), but they don’t have to wait until puberty. they start changing at will at around 4 years old. at these ages they can’t fully control themselves and their strength, so they may be especially impulsive and feisty. it’s important to work patiently on their self-control.

they will age up normally until they reach their mid to late thirties, in which they get stuck physically for most of their life cycles, progressing very slowly from them on. there’s been records of pumas living hundreds of years, but the average puma usually has a very “human” lifespan of 70-140 years, usually dying in altercations. this being because the older a puma gets, the more primal they tend to become, usually wearing off their more human instincts as they turn more reclusive and reach a hundred years in age. a puma who constantly socializes could avoid this.

other qualities involve: 

enhanced strength. werepumas count with enhanced physiology in all aspects. they’re stronger than humanly possible, capable of deadlifting 4000 lbs minimum, enough for a sizable SUV. it’s important to note that the strength does not equal to higher density/weight, unless he’s in his humanoid or animal shape, so there’s some feats they could not reasonably do as humans even if they’re quite strong. 

particularly strong pumas have been able to fight up to three werewolves simultaneously and win, though they usually lose to more numerous groups. on the other hand, it’s widely believed that a “pack” of five well-trained, well-socialized pumas could take down a wolf pack three times its size.

enhanced condition: reflexes, speed, dexterity, balance, stamina. werepumas inherently counts with all the feline physically aptitudes that characterize their animal form: sharp reflexes, unmatched balance, and peak dexterity. they can run much faster than the average human and maintain that speed for far longer, and it takes a lot of effort for him to tire. he can jump incredibly tall heights, as well, close wide distances with a single leap or sprint.

enhanced senses: hearing, sight, smell. things that most wouldn’t be able to see, hear, or smell, werepumas can. Perhaps a little less so than the wolf counterparts, but still strongly enough for him to easily tell when a foreign party has stumbled nearby, even if said foreign party has tried to be quiet. you can’t whisper in someone’s ear around them and trust that they won’t hear it, either. can’t carry a concealed gun and expect that he won’t smell the powder. just a little fine tuning and focus is all it takes for them to detect what is usually undetectable.

enhanced healing and durability. though not anywhere close to a vampire’s, werepumas’ regenerative ability is right on part with the werewolves’, if not in speed, then in reach and intensity. they can walk off lethal injuries just fine and even overcome dismemberment (so long as the lost limb is retrieved), and they won’t bleed out no matter how much blood they lose. since they’re durable, it’s also pretty difficult for something to truly hurt them in first place. his healing speed is directly proportional to the size and level of injury sustained — in other words, the bigger and more gruesome the wounds, the longer they take to heal. third degree burns take hours, days if they occupy over 50% of his body, stab wounds take everything from 5 minutes to an hour depending on placement and depth (and quantity), bullet wounds on the body take about the same, bullets fired at the head are trickier, but they can survive them.

it’s a lot faster to heal in the feline form, and what takes days can take hours in it, what takes hours minutes; the change is often forced onto them in cases of great injuries in order to allow their bodies to recover, even though the change in itself, while the body is in tough conditions, can be insanely painful. however, not only do they heal faster, it’s even tougher to hurt them in in the first place, rendering conventional weapons (like guns) useless to combat them in this form. as it stands, the only ways to kill a werepuma are decapitation or sustained fire. they are also vulnerable to high level magic. 

tldr; he’s sturdier than werewolves, in any given shape, period. it takes a lot more to injure them, and similarly, it takes a little more time to heal when they’re actually hurt.

night vision. in dim lightning, they have no problem making out outlines, colors, movement, and their vision in pitch blackness, the one that involves his puma eyes, is not unlike those of specialized cameras — without the presence of any light whatsoever, he sees the world in a washed out monochrome, a misty light grayish blue.

efficient thermoregulation. werepumas are comfortable in both warmer and cooler temperatures with perfect ease. while humans have a narrow window wherein they control their body temperature, the pumas’ window is a lot wider and a lot more effective. they’re not hotter or colder than normal, either -- as a rule, they’re pretty warm, but in hotter temperatures they may be fresh to the touch (they never quite reach ‘cool’ though). 

vi. magic

werebeasts are magical creatures, with their magic usually limiting to themselves (like the change) and members of their same species (the ones that affect a pack’s dynamic, for example). in the puma’s case, magic takes the shape of:

charm: pumas have a natural charisma that draws people to them, or makes them more responsive to their words. it’s nowhere near as strong as a compulsion or mind control, and they can’t bend people’s will, but they are inherently more skillful at persuasion, people inherently want to listen to them. the charm can take the form of friendliness or assertiveness/dominance. it can lure people or it can drive them away.

blood binding: pumas don’t form group units, but they can still establish strong social bonds. in the case that they do, they will enact a blood bind with the object of their care. it entails drinking their blood and them drinking the puma’s. thereon, a special connection will exist between them not unlike the one naturally found in packs — the puma will be able to sense when the other person is in danger and vaguely where they might be, and they will be able to elicit responses in each other. the other person will be able, for example, of snapping the puma out of a primal state, and in select cases (where the bond is strong), push or force changes. 

glamour: not exactly a glamour, but a magic that helps pumas be more easily overlooked in urban settings. when the ordinary person sees a werepuma, they will usually not believe what they see, and their brain will happily rationalize the sight, usually into a very large dog or trick of light. of course, this works mostly with glimpses or brief sightings, and continuous interaction will break the spell.

psychic immunity. it doesn’t work with all psychic attacks, but werepumas’ minds can’t be persuaded or altered in any form (it’s suspected that since they’re immune to chichí, a powerful hallucinogen that can be used as a tool for mind control, they’re also immune to mind control attempts from other magical creatures). it’s important to note that they can be persuaded through chemicals, particuarly phermones, to feel certain things, but they can’t be made to think certain things.

vii. interactions with other magical creatures

as a rule, pumas don’t get along well with other werebeasts without some effort. it’s easier with other werefelines, specially the similarly-made werejaguars, but it can’t be immediately guaranteed. for the longest time they also represented many human communities’ first line of defense from everything they considered dangerous, including other, more malignant creatures. in other cultures, they were considered harbingers of death because of the ease with which they killed. 

they can get along well with witches and fae, to an extent and as long as they’re somewhat benevolent. nature spirits, mermaids, and sirens, may have positive relationships with pumas either because of their high sensitivity to pheromones or because of shared respect towards their environments. 

they don’t usually get along well with vampires and werewolves, and they hold a natural rivalry with werewolves not unlike their animal counterparts. werepumas dislike werewolves and will frequently clash with them for territorial reasons and an inherent distaste for each other. there’s stories upon stories of werepumas killing werewolves, and werewolf packs killing werepumas, especially when european werewolves became more common (considerably so, in north america). 

[bitterfucked]

hey op I found out wild cats have whiskers on their paws, a row of scent glands along the full length of the tail and spine and sweat glands on their arse, but why will we hopefully never see one?!?!? please I need to know I have been searching for so long

first i'd like to state that i mean wild cat as a synonym to cougar/mountain lion. i tried to look up if we were talking about the same thing but really couldn't figure out how to get google to tell me about cougar arse glands in an expeditious fashion. if you're on about like scottish wildcats or some other animal that shares a similar name, ignore this.

"you don't want to see one" comes from livin out west, where the common "wisdom" says that wild cats are incredibly stealthy, so if ya see one, it's the last thing you'll see. i was living on islands at the time and the one time a cougar swam over, i saw it a couple times without getting mauled. so i knew that "fact" was bullshit even before writing it.

the reason i repeat the country "wisdom" in the sizes post is so that there is a little more variety in the writing - i did two rough drafts of the post before finalizing and publishing it (something i do with every post i write longer than one or two sentences). the first cuts were really repetitive, basically just a list of animals that were different sizes than i expected after seeing them. ultimately i'm more "a blogger who is in the nature a lot" than i am a "naturalist", so writing style is more important to me than strict facts. i hope it's obvious you shouldn't expect facts in a post that takes a definitively subjective position!

all that said, like with most large wildlife, it really is a good idea to give big cats a wide berth. they see you as another large animal which makes you potentially dangerous. reacting to you as a danger can make the cat dangerous.

[ainawgsd]

Treeing Walker Coonhound

The Treeing Walker Coonhound is a breed of hound descended from the English and American Foxhounds. The Treeing Walker Coonhound was bred primarily to hunt raccoons, but it is also used on other game such as deer, bear or mountain lion. The breed is vocal with a distinctive bay that allows its owner to identify their hound from great distances. It has a clear, ringing voice that changes to steady chop at the tree. The Treeing Walker Coonhound was recognized officially as a breed by the United Kennel Club in 1945 and by the American Kennel Club in 2012.

The Treeing Walker Coonhound was developed in the Colonial era from crosses of English Foxhounds. Two breeders from Kentucky, John W. Walker and George Washington Maupin, are given credit for the breed's initial development. The dogs they bred were referred to as Walker Hounds, and were used to hunt raccoons. In the 1800s, a stolen black and tan dog named Tennessee Lead was crossed into the Walker Hound. Tennessee Lead was of unknown origin, but he greatly influenced the Walker.

The Treeing Walker Coonhound should give an impression of a working dog. According to the UKC standard, it may stand 20 to 27 inches high at maturity, with weight in proportion. The common weight range is 50 to 70 pounds, with males being larger than females. The smooth coat is fine and glossy and comes in a tricolor and a bi-color pattern. Tricolor, white with black and tan markings, is preferred, although bicolor dogs, black and white or tan and white, are acceptable.

The Treeing Walker Coonhound has a clear bay on trail, which should change to a distinct "chop" when treed. Its temperament should be kind but fearless and courageous on the hunt. The Treeing Walker Coonhound is bred primarily for mouth, looks, and ability. It is first and foremost a hunting dog, although it may be kept as a pet. It is described as affectionate and good with children, but its energy requires an outlet and it must be trained. Treeing Walker Coonhounds are loving, intelligent, confident, and enjoy interacting with humans. On the scent, they are tireless, alert, and intense. At home they are mellow, sensitive lovers of comfort.

The Treeing Walker Coonhound's strong tracking instincts make it popular as a hunting dog, primarily for raccoons. Hunting singly or in packs of two or more, they are used to track and tree raccoons, bobcats, cougars, and bears. Individual hounds may be adept at catching small animals such as squirrels, roof rats, opossums, and skunks. Because of their speed, Treeing Walkers may be used as deer dogs in states where hunting of antlered animals with dogs is legal. Although the Walker is best known as a coonhound, it is not as cold-nosed as other coonhounds. It is the most popular hound for competition coon hunts, since it will forego an older track for a fresher one, thereby upping the number of raccoons caught in a shorter amount of time.

[the-jade-cross]

The Lannister Wolf - Part 1 Chapter 5

The breakfast table was stone silent the next morning. Evelyn usually loved sitting next to her father, Robb across from her and Rickon at her other side. Now, Robb was staring holes into her head from across the table, everyone else was giving her confused looks while Ned Stark tried to act normal.

“Mother,” Rickon spoke up, “Why is Eve getting married?” The table was swallowed into a thicker silence if that was possible. No one from Arya down knew about the engagement.

“Eve is getting married?” Arya asked, “Since when?” “Since yesterday,” Robb snapped.

“To whom?” Bran added.

Robb was about to snap at him too but Jon beat him to it, “A good man Bran. He’ll take good care of Evelyn.” All eyes turned to Jon in gratitude. Even Catelyn didn’t glare. They were glad he had avoided the conversation and given the children a comforting answer, even if half the family didn’t agree with his observation.

“IT’s Ser Jaime isn’t it?” Arya asked.

Robb and Jon glared daggers at her, but she obviously didn’t notice or chose to ignore it for she kept going, “Anyone would have guessed. It’s obvious!” “What do you mean by that?” Sansa asked.

Robb mentally facepalmed. Was Evelyn the only sister of his with common sense? He noticed Eve had been pale all morning but now her hands were quivering.

“Don’t you see the way he looks at her?” Arya asked, “Like he just met the sun for the first time. Honestly, I think he’s a little obsessed.”

Ned Stark was clenched the side of the table, trying to keep himself calm while Catelyn was trying to send her daughters signals to shut up but they didn’t notice them.

“AT least he doesn’t look at her like a piece of meat,” Robb stated, not meaning to talk but it slipped out.

Sansa glared at him, knowing that her brother was referring to Joffrey and how he looked at Sansa.

Arya shrugged, “Just saying. He’ll take care of her, that’s for sure….” Then in a barely audible whisper, “In more ways than one.” “ARYA!” Catelyn scolded.

Jon was up in an instant and escorting Rickon and Bran to a safe distance while Catelyn scolded Arya and Sansa. Robb glanced at where Evelyn sat…. but she was gone. Zinzi too.

When Jon finally found his half-sister, she was sitting on her thinking rock. Jon smiled. Evelyn had always possessed a special place in Jon’s heart. He had a place in his heart for all the Starks, but Evelyn had been more of a sister to him than anyone.

Her thinking rock was a large flat boulder right outside the gates in the shadow of a cluster of trees. Once upon a time, Jon had proposed marriage to Evelyn on that rock but the four-year-old girl had informed him that siblings couldn’t marry. Years later, the 9 year old kids made a pact that if they ever had any reason to come to the thinking rock, they would tell the other what it was about.

“Arya says she’s sorry,” Jon remarked, sitting down behind the girl, stretching his body perpendicular to Evelyn. The girl laid back, so her head was on his stomach like they did as kids.

“She didn’t do anything wrong… she just said the truth. I should have gotten upset. Those who fear the truth are the ones who are living a lie.” Jon smiled and held the girl’s hand, noting that it was cold. “With your brains and wit, you’ll be just fine.” When Evelyn didn’t reply, Jon glanced at the girl to see a look of pure fear on her face. Evelyn rarely showed fear so when Jon saw it in her eyes, he knew it was bad.

“I don’t think my brain and wit will keep certain things from happening for long,” she muttered.

Jon sighed and sat up, still allowing Evelyn to lay her head in his lap as he ran his fingers through her dark hair, “I honestly don’t know what to say on that matter Eve…. As I have never done it myself and as I will be joining the Night’s Watch, I will have no choice but to never know it.”

Evelyn nodded and closed her eyes, sighing deeply, “Is it wrong of me to fear it… but to also want it?” Jon looked at her puzzled, “What do you mean?” The girl sat up and turned to sit facing Jon, their legs stretched out side by side, “Ever since I was little I have always wanted children… but when I learnt from mother what goes into having children, it began to scare me. However, I pushed it into the back of my mind and a part of me still yearns for children and a family of my own… to know what it feels like to have a life growing within you…. To see the outcome of you and your spouse…. but then there is how you get there….” “I can honestly say that is something about you I never knew sister,” Jon remarked, smiling fondly at her, “Why did you never mention it?” Evelyn sighed, “I thought everyone would find it strange.” “No one would find it strange,” Jon replied. “Honestly, there needs to be more people like you in the world Eve. Look at the queen for example. It seems she holds some fondness for her children but no great love for them. I’ll wager she didn’t want children that badly but had to because the king needed an heir.” Evelyn nodded, “That’s true. But I will also have to supply Ser Jaime with an heir.” “But he’s not the king,” Jon pointed out. “Ser Jaime may be completely different in how he looks at things and he might be willing to give you time until you two decide to consummate.” The girl slowly glanced at her brother and smirked, “You’re starting to sound like you don’t think ill of him.” Jon squirmed, “I don’t think ill of him….. but I still don’t like some things about him…. ugh it’s complicated! There are people you meet that you can just tell are mean and you shouldn’t trust them because they reek of evil.” “Like Cersei.” Jon nodded, “But there are others whom you think you shouldn’t trust entirely… but there is something about them that makes you think you can.” Evelyn smiled and laid her head on her brother’s shoulder, “Thanks Jon. I’m glad I have you… at least for two more weeks.”

Jon cringed, “Don’t say it like that! I’m going to have to wear something pretty for the wedding wont I?”

“Probably.”

******

Evelyn tightly strapped her sword to her saddle and made sure that it wouldn’t get in the way of her horse’s movements. She had learnt from her father that even if one was just going hunting, it never hurt to come prepared. She had a bow strapped to her back with a quiver of arrows on the other side of her saddle. Her hunting knife was in her belt and a spare dagger in her boot.

Evelyn usually felt more at ease when she went hunting with her family because it meant she didn’t have to wear a dress but with the way that Cersei was giving her disgusted looks and Joffrey was ogling at her, she felt like she wanted run in and ask Sansa for a spare riding dress.

She was just about to lose her cool when Myrcella and Tommen approached. Tommen wore a simple outfit of dark brown leather while Myrcella wore a deep green riding dress.

“Is hunting here different than in Kings Landing?” Myrcella inquired.

Evelyn smiled, “I wouldn’t know. I have never been to Kings Landing… but we have slightly larger animals.”

Tommen’s eyes widened, “Bears?” Evelyn nodded, “and cougars, panthers, mountain lions…. Boars….” Myrcella had begun to grow pale while Tommen was listening with rapt attention. Evelyn chuckled and ruffled Tommen’s hair playfully before turning to Myrcella.

“So, who are you riding today?”

Myrcella’s face lit up at this, “The stable man gave me a black horse. Said he was the gentlest.” Evelyn looked over at the black horse that stood behind Myrcella and smiled, “That is Ruse. My siblings and I all learnt to ride on him. He won’t let you fall I can guarantee that.” “Myrcella doesn’t really fall off,” Tommen remarked, mounting his horse, “She just gets lost.” Myrcella stuck her tongue out at her brother, “Says the guy who never manages to hit anything!”

“Alright you two,” Evelyn chuckled, bending down next to Myrcella’s horse, “No more bickering.” Myrcella looked down at the girl who held her palms out for Myrcella to climb on. the girl looked slightly hesitant and Evelyn knew that the girl was puzzled as to why Evelyn was doing it.

“My father taught me that a noble who sees himself or herself above his people isn’t a noble at all,” she replied with a smile.

Myrcella smiled and was about to use Evelyn’s hand as a boost when she paused, “Could you teach me to mount like Tommen does then?”

Evelyn smiled and rose to her feet before nodding, “Grab onto the back of the saddle while holding the reins and the horn in your other. Put your left foot in the stirrup and pull up.” Myrcella tried but got tangled in her skirt the first time. Soon she managed to mount with a little help from Evelyn.

“I did it!” Myrcella cried happily, “Uncle Jaime!!!!!” Evelyn felt her face slightly pale when Myrcella called over her uncle. She hadn’t spoken to Ser Jaime since she had agreed to the engagement and had barely seen him either.

Jaime approached, leading his white horse by the reins and looked up at his young niece, “What’s going on Myrcella?”

“I mounted Ruse like Tommen!” the girl cried, smiling from ear to ear.

Jaime raised his eyebrows in amusement and flashed his famous cocky smirk, “Indeed? Whatever for?”

“Evelyn said that the noble who sees herself as greater than her people isn’t a noble at all,” Myrcella remarked, not realizing that she was putting Evelyn at the center of attention which was the one place Evelyn didn’t want to be.

Jaime glanced over at his future wife with an intrigued look, his smirk fading into a more of a soft grin. “Is that so?”

Evelyn turned away from Ser Jaime and approached her horse. Jaime watched her as she finished tightening the cinch on her saddle. He had to admit that the outfit she wore really suited her and accented her petite, slender form but he realized that unlike most teenagers her age, her body was more matured and womanlier with defined hips and finely built chest. Of course, the calf length leather skirt of her outfit hid her legs from view, but Jaime guessed that they weren’t skinny either. He had to remind himself that even though Evelyn was young, she was still a woman. Not a child.

Jaime approached the girl when he saw her prepare to mount. He reached out and placed his hands on her hips, preparing to lift her up but Evelyn stiffened under his grip and he paused. He saw her turn her head just enough so he could see the corner of her eye…. The amber color disappearing to a bright blue fire and her face had darkened in warning.

Jaime quickly retracted his hands and held them up in surrender, suddenly finding the look on the girl’s face rather frightening and he found few things frightening.

Evelyn turned away from him and pulled herself into the saddle with ease before gripping the reins in on hand. Jaime noticed that she didn’t sit side-saddled but astride which he found amusing.

He was going to say something when Evelyn turned and gave the man a pointed look, “I think your horse has discovered the true meaning of freedom Ser Jaime.” Jaime turned to see what the girl was referring to and saw that his horse had indeed wandered off. Walking over, he grabbed the horse’s reins and could almost fell Evelyn’s smirk on the back of his head. He mounted up and was about to say something smart back when he saw that Evelyn had bent down on her saddle.

He saw that she was almost hanging off the saddle, reaching one hand down to her brother Rickon who was reaching up his arms to her. She wrapped her arm around her brother’s waist and lifted him onto the horse behind her with ease, earning another intrigued and impressed smile from Jaime.

The man watched as the young Stark wrapped his little arms around his sister’s waist before laying his head against her back. Jaime felt a strange stab of jealousy at Rickon’s freedom to be close to his sister while Jaime could barely come within five feet of her without her bristling up like an angry cat.

Sighing, Jaime rode beside Tommen and Myrcella on the way to the forest but always ensured that Evelyn was in sight. The first half of the hunt went well, and half the hunting party split up. One half stayed behind with the boar and deer that they caught earlier to skin it and get it back to Winterfell while everyone else including the whole royal family, Evelyn, Ned, Rickon, Robb and Bran headed off to catch a few more.

Everyone had pulled their horses for a stop after they had lost sight of a small herd of deer.

“It doesn’t seem we will find anything else today,” Ned Stark remarked.

“All the more reason to return home,” Cersei complained, “My back is killing me.” Jaime glanced over at Evelyn who had dismounted from her horse and had carried the sleeping Rickon over to her father who lifted his son into his arms. The knight smiled. Even with her brother falling asleep on her, Evelyn never complained.

The girl was just about to mount back up when she paused, catching Jaime’s attention. He saw the girl slightly turn her head towards the trees before slowly removing her bow from her back. She loaded an arrow onto her bow and quickly aimed it at the trees. Jaime saw her exhale softly before releasing the arrow. There was a loud thud and the sound of an animal crying out. Robb was off his horse in a moment and heading over to the deer that his sister had just struck. He quickly put it out of its misery.

“Nice shot Eve!” the boy remarked.

Evelyn smiled before taking her arrow from him and slipping it into her quiver. She was just going to grab her hunting knife when she looked up at Myrcella. The younger girl had gotten pale when the bloody animal had been dragged into the clearing but as she saw the men begin to skin it, she looked ready to faint.

“Myrcella, would you like to help me water the horses?” Evelyn asked, hoping to not be out front and embarrass the girl especially in front of Joffrey.

The girl looked down at Evelyn who had placed a comforting hand on the girl’s arm, and she smiled in relief. “Please.” Myrcella grabbed up her reins and began to urge her horse towards Evelyn’s. Evelyn had remounted and was about to lead Myrcella to a nearby spring when a hand touched her shoulder. She turned to see Jaime next to her on his horse.

“Mind if I accompany you?”

Evelyn was about to object but knew that a part of the reason Jaime had offered was because two girls alone in the woods away from their hunting party were a target, so she nodded before turning to ride off.

They found the spring about a hundred meters from the others and the three dismounted allowing the horses to water. Evelyn filled up her water skin before handing it to Myrcella.

“You feeling better?” she asked the girl.

Myrcella nodded and drank the water before giving the girl a grateful smile, “Thank you… for not letting everyone find out.” Evelyn smiled, “Just because we’re women we are expected to not be as strong as men but when we aren’t as strong as they are in some cases, they find it amusing. Not really fair huh?” Myrcella shook her head and smiled at Evelyn, “I’m glad I met you Evelyn. I’ve always wanted a sister.” When Jaime returned from tying the horses to a nearby tree, he found both girls talking together and with joyful smiles on their faces, giggling amongst themselves. He smiled. His future wife and his daughter…. If Cersei wasn’t around, he would have wished Evelyn to be Myrcella and Tommen’s mother… even with Cersei around he wanted Evelyn to be the mother of his children. Maybe if Evelyn had appeared in Myrcella, Tommen and Joffrey’s life sooner some things wouldn’t have happened like Joffrey becoming a brat.

Myrcella suddenly whispered something to Evelyn who nodded before Myrcella walked off. Jaime was about to follow but Evelyn touched his arm to get his attention.

“She needs a moment.” She explained, “Giving him a pointed look.” Jaime nodded, understanding the situation before turning to Evelyn. The girl had approached the horses and was stroking her horse’s face. Suddenly Jaime’s horse butted his head against her arm to get some attention and the moment Evelyn scratched behind his ears, he rubbed his head against her waist causing Evelyn to smile.

The girl seemed to sense Jaime watching her for she glanced at him with her amber eyes and ducked her head, blushing slightly when she saw him watching her intently with a soft smile.

Jaime walked over and stroked his horse fondly, “May I ask you something?” Evelyn suddenly realized how small she was compared to Jaime. She barely reached his shoulder and she had slight heels on her boots, “What is it?”

Jaime thought a moment before speaking up, “Why did you choose to become a healer?”

A bright smile flashed on Evelyn’s face which caught Jaime off guard, “That’s easy!” the girl chirped. “Rickon got terribly sick one time because he got bit by a squirrel that was diseased. I was so afraid that we were going to lose him, and I had no idea what to do…. I felt so helpless not knowing what was happening. I didn’t really care before if I didn’t know something… but not knowing what was happening to my brother was painful…. So, I decided to remove the pain.” The girl looked up to see that Jaime was smiling down at her softly, adoration shining in his eyes, “Do you hate me Lady Evelyn?”

Evelyn cocked her head at this, some black hair flopping into her eyes at the movement but she ignored it, “I don’t believe I particularly hate you….” Jaime raised his eyebrows in amusement, “That wasn’t entirely denial.” “Fine. I do not hate you…. I just….” Evelyn remarked, “I find it a little aggravating when you’re…” “When I’m what?” Jaime inquired, flashing her a cocky smirk.

“When you’re cocky,” Evelyn replied, her face a deadpan.

Jaime let out a loud chuckle, trying to not be too loud, “Fair enough Lady Evelyn.” Evelyn found herself smiling when suddenly Myrcella returned slightly rushed, “Evelyn! Come quick!” Evelyn and Jaime quickly followed until Myrcella came upon one tree where there was a small pile of leaves and sticks at the bottom. Evelyn dropped to her knees, recognizing it as a squirrel nest.

“It must have fallen from the tree,” Evelyn said, looking up into the tree, “I see where it was before.” Reaching down, she carefully parted the hole of the nest and sure enough, there were two baby squirrels asleep inside.

“Aw!” Myrcella cooed, “What do we do Evelyn?” “I’ll put them back up so their mom can find them later,” Evelyn replied.

“It’s too high,” Jaime pointed out.

“You know how to climb trees?” Myrcella asked in shock.

Evelyn smiled and lifting the nest up, handed it to Jaime, “When I get to the first branch, hand it up to me.” Before he could object, Evelyn had climbed up to the first branch and was holding her free hand down for the nest. Jaime handed it to her, and the girl scaled the tree like a monkey before placing it in the fork of the tree where it belonged. She climbed down swiftly, a huge smile on her face.

“Come on!” she chirped, “Let’s head back to the others.” Myrcella nodded and the two girls headed off to where the horses were tied up. Jaime watched Evelyn mount and shook his head, completely amazed. He paused just as he was about to mount. Why did he have a pain of guilt in his gut just then? Suddenly he remembered what was going to happen the next day…. It was the day before his wedding…. Great.

[words-writ-in-starlight]

Ok so I'm not sure if you were serious about this or not but, can we know what daemons the characters of Alleirat would have? Sorry for the bother dude.

“am i serious” OF COURSE I’M SERIOUS PULL UP SOME CARPET BECAUSE THERE IS ONLY ONE CHAIR IN MY ROOM 

Okay in honesty I just threw that in the tags because it was the first thing that popped into my head, but I’ve given this exactly 0 thought, so bear with me here.

Brenneth

So the first thing that occurred to me for Brenneth was actually a wolf (pursuit predator), but instead what I think she ends up with is a mountain lion.  Solitary, adaptable, and an excellent hunter.  He settles when she and Crispin first arrive in Alleirat, so, fairly early (they’re ten), and for a long time it’s a mystery.  Brenneth, as a teenaged blacksmith and sometime warrior, is friendly and reasonable, good with children and happy with her work, quick to cut to the heart of the problem but not excessively aggressive except when the situation calls for it.  Not the type to make someone think apex predator, all things considered.  Her daemon lies under a table in her forge and lets visiting kids’ daemons attack his tail and generally does a good impression of an extremely large and easy-going housecat.

Then Crispin becomes the White Wolf and everyone remembers that Brenneth’s lazy nine-foot housecat is also an exceptionally well designed killer.  And there’s something mythic about it, the Fireheart standing there with her sword drawn and a cougar at her side.

There are statues.  Both of them are horrified.

Crispin

Crispin’s daemon means something radically different in Alleirat than on Earth.  Also, she’s not a wolf, she’s a golden eagle–he earned the epithet before his daemon was common knowledge.  Crispin’s daemon settles a while after Brenneth’s does, upon hearing the prophecy about how Crispin is supposed to save Alleirat from some great evil.  She’s big for a golden eagle, which is a big bird already (like, big enough to carry off a bear cub), and she and Crispin are Separated, to allow her to fly.  After their return to Earth, she’s suddenly far too big for Crispin’s tiny ten-year-old shoulder.  This presents a problem, as a bad mental day for the two of them means that Crispin can’t use his left arm and she can’t fly at all, so she becomes known for riding on his backpack during school. 

On Earth, she’s a symbol of courage, of nobility and strength and honor.

On Alleirat, they pay much more attention to the fact that a golden eagle will eat  anything from a rabbit to a small deer to another eagle–a killer of their own kind.

Additionally, she was caught in the lightning blast when Crispin killed his teachers and started his rampage.  They’re not sure what happened, but now she’s an albino, and nothing seems to change that.

Krei

Krei is enough generations removed from her tree-folk heritage to have ended up with a daemon, although the rules are a little different.  She’s almost a hundred before her daemon settles, after her mother dies attempting to evacuate a house fire.  Her daemon settles as a dog unique to Alleirat, but most similar to a Bernese Mountain Dog.  The breed is a little bigger, its fur is differently colored with a slightly different muzzle shape, but it was originally bred for very similar purposes, primarily for the defense of homes, livestock, and families.  Dog daemons, on Alleirat as well as on Earth, are considered hallmarks of protective personalities and service professions, and his particular breed is known for loyalty and devotion.  He’s almost big enough to be used as a small draft animal (Krei is 6′7″ and he passes her hip), and generally very friendly and easygoing most of the time, which serves both of them well training new recruits.  On the other hand, he’s a dog the size of a small pony and he has the jaws to prove it–more than one person has been put on trial in Dase with a broken arm from Krei’s attack daemon.

She actually shares the dog daemon with her mother, although Torei’s daemon was a rangier, mutt-y sort of animal more like a wolfhound.

Shiko

Shiko’s daemon always identifies as male, even before she transitions, which contributes in no small part to the independent, self-sufficient way she tends to think.  He settles as a red fox, small for his kind but about the right size to tuck himself around Shiko’s neck like a fur ruff.  He’s not super into ghosts.  He’s not super into zombies.  He’s not super into magic at all, really.  He has a lot of complaints about a lot of what’s going on here.  

When they’re traveling through Alleirat, a number of reports come back that he lacks the classic white tips, but the truth is quite simple: he helps Shiko raise the dead, and he frequently ends up with grave dirt obscuring the tip of his tail and front of his throat.