#exotic creatures that aren't seen as human beings

[theghostofashton]

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[7-wonders]

whenever the fates called morpheus love or dear it just gives me this image of morpheus coming to meet reader at their volunteer job at an old peoples home and all the elderly ladies giggling and calling him such a handsome man and why if they were a few decades younger they'd have him for themselves you're standing in the background not knowing how to reply to any of that

(This was like pulling teeth. When will my ability to write return from war?)

There are many little quirks when it comes to being in a relationship with a primordial, all-powerful being such as Dream of the Endless. One such instance is that time does not run the same for an Endless as it does for a human. Morpheus can lose minutes, hours, days to his duties between one blink and the next.

The Dreaming, that fantastical kingdom that your lover rules over, runs on the same logic. You can spend what feels like an hour in the Dreaming, only for it to be an entire day later in the Waking. Likewise, weeks in the Dreaming can be merely an hour in the Waking. It's disconcerting to creatures that have lived far longer than you.

All of this is to say that your meetings often don't have a specific date or time when they're in the Waking, simply because Morpheus doesn't know. He tries, though it's difficult: clocks do not work in the Dreaming, and Matthew is too important a raven to be constantly flying to the Waking to check the time so that Morpheus can "run off" (Matthew's words) with you. You've actually started to look forward to the spontaneity—it helps that he usually gets lucky and catches you when you're home or alone and don't have to worry about explaining how he just randomly appeared out of thin air.

Though it's rare, him coming to the Waking to see you and you being in public has happened before. This time, he shows up when you're just finishing up at the retirement home you volunteer at a couple times a month—you're in charge of what's supposed to be a crossword puzzles group, but what is mainly just a gossip group.

Most mortals aren't able to see Morpheus when he doesn't want to be seen. You're not most mortals, however, and you've gotten pretty damn good at sensing when he's around, which is why you're the only one that notices him lurking in the corner closest to the door.

"Hi," you mouth, trying and failing to hide your grin as you give him a discreet wave.

Your excitement must be palpable, because the women quickly pick up on it and thus catch sight of a tall, dark, and handsome stranger across the room. Ethel, the boldest of the group by far, grabs your arm and yanks you down to her level. "Is that the boyfriend?"

"Yes, that's the boyfriend."

They all know about the boyfriend because you've gushed about your beloved to this little group more than a few times. How can you not, though? Especially when you're surrounded by those who enjoy living vicariously through you and thus cajole you into sharing such stories about your love life.

"She thought he was fake, y'know," Ida informs you.

"Did not!" Ethel retorts. "I was just curious because you never showed us any pictures!"

"I've told you before that Morpheus is a little camera-shy." You don't actually know if that's the case or not; you just haven't yet figured out how to ask the anthropomorphic personification of dreams and nightmares if he wants to take a cute couple's selfie.

"Morpheus! Oh, how exotic." The little group titters, thrilled at having learned his name.

The man (-shaped being) of the hour has moved, placing a hand on your lower back so as to not frighten you when he suddenly stands next to you. You smile up at him and are greeted with the smallest of smiles in return while the sounds of your seniors oohing and aahing fade into mere background noise. Surroundings tend to become meaningless when you see Morpheus; all that matters then is you and he.

Morpheus is the one to remind you that you have an audience when he turns his attention upon said audience. He bows his head politely and says, "I greet you, ladies."

As you expected, they go absolutely nuts when they hear his voice.

"Oh my!" Ida blushes.

Ethel beams. "Aren't you a handsome one!"

"Why, if I were a few decades younger..." Shirley, who has absolutely no filter whatsoever, winks at Morpheus.

You sputter, your eyes wide and blood rushing to your cheeks. "Shirley!"

"What? I have eyes!"

While you're ready to hide your face in your hands and die (maybe you should see if Death has a cell phone), Morpheus simply hums in amusement. "You are very kind."

"And you are a sweetheart."

"Okay, that does it for me today," you interrupt. It's not a lie; you were literally saying your goodbyes and on your way out before Morpheus arrived! "I'll see you guys in a couple of weeks."

"You bring Morpheus around any time, alright?"

You can't get out of there fast enough, and Morpheus lets you practically drag him towards the parking lot. Once you're out in the fresh air (and away from any of the windows that your favorite gals could be spying from), you bury your head in Morpheus's shoulder and groan.

"I'm sorry. That was so embarrassing," you lament.

"Why? They were...sweet, if not a little overt in their affections."

You lift your head up to meet his eyes. "That's why it was embarrassing, my love."

"You are very clearly dear to them. They simply want to see you happy."

"I'm assuming you know that with your super special dream magic?"

"Daydreams and hopes are quite loud, starlight." He smirks because you know damn well just how loud some daydreams can be (specifically yours when you're thinking about Morpheus) before pressing his lips to your forehead.

"Well, you're certainly in their good graces now. They've been so nosy since they found out I'm seeing someone."

"So I lived up to their expectations, then?"

Now it's your turn to smirk. "Baby, you were beyond their wildest dreams."

[timeoveritasconsumofigmentum]

Yandere Fisherman x F!Mermaid Reader

Warnings: Obsessive behaviors, Stalking, Kidnapping, Implied murder(?)

A/n: I tried to use actual boat terminology idk if it’s right lmao, but enjoy ♡ (not proofread)

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Mermaid!reader that loves to hang out with her marine friends during the bright afternoons. Exploring underwater caves, collecting the prettiest shells, telling spooky stories in sunken ships. Life was beautiful under the sea.

Mermaid!reader who was dared by Kai the stingray to go one of the many forbidden zones (the one infested with humans.) Despite her fear and uncertainty, she couldn't let that flat face call her a guppie!

Mermaid!reader who encounters dozens of dinghies once in the sunlight zone. Consumed with curiosity, she swam closer to the strange shiny devices hanging from the small ships. Yes the ocean floor collected the ships and it's artifacts, but she had never seen such a device.

Mermaid!reader who felt nothing but awe at the plastic fish that they(the fisherman) threw into the sea from their barnacle covered boats, fascinated by their unusual bright colours and shapes. Giggles at the confusion of her friends, their gurgles of excitement sending waves of bubbles along the currents.

Mermaid!reader who starts investigating with her marine friends but finds out the hard way what the plastic is truly meant to do and it breaks her heart. Dozens of her friends gone in a blink of an eyes, yanked into the unknown world. Mourns for the loss of her friends blaming herself for the lack of awareness, makes herself a promise that no other innocent being would be taken.

Mermaid!reader who helps fishes avoid the sharp hooks, warning all that wander too close that they could be snatched up and never seen again. Swears on Poseidon that no more of her friends will be stolen.

Mermaid!reader who actively tracks ships and fishing patterns. Herding the small guppies and airhead fishes away from the coast, sure they understood warnings but that didn't stop their curiosity or lack of awareness.

Mermaid!reader starts using her sharp iridescent shell to cut the fishing lines and collect the plastic bait, the humans obviously aren't using them so what's the harm in collecting them? Besides it would stop her friends from being caught up by the glittering they produced.

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Yandere!fisherman frustrated from the sacristy of fish coming in. His profit and family business plummeting to the ground from lack of customers.

Yandere!fisherman swore he would get to the bottom of this. His grandmother didn't break every bone in her body for this business to die a sudden death!

Yandere!fisherman who now, never leaves his modest boat, camouflaging himself to stalk the waters every hour of the day. Waits for days with no activity, his sour mood getting even fouler. "If there's nothing there, then where all the bloody fish?!"

Yandere!fisherman who spots a large fin lift out from the water one early morning, a quiet splash following. Snatching his binoculars off the stern pulpit he spotted a human like figure bobbing around the water, clicks his tongue in frustration about to look away when splash! A pearlescent tail jerks out of the water, his eyes traveled along the long fin only to find it connect to the figure he saw previously. Wide eyes stare at the strange creature entranced.

Yandere!fisherman shellshocked from the discovery, sure his grandmother told his stories about how merpeople lived in these water but he just thought it was a bad eyesight and manatees! To think she was right. Wonder soon turned into animosity, so this was the creature causing a shortage of food?

Yandere!fisherman who starts tracking the mermaids every move, determined to capture it. Thinks of the amount of money he would make by selling the exotic legend. He could see it now, towers of gold stacked to the clouds, a large home fit for a king, no longer having to break his back to scrape together enough money to pay his bills, his very being bathed in riches. Oh yes, he would have the sea beast . Dead or alive.

Yandere!fisherman after weeks of planning, decides it's time to capture the beast. Makes a custom bottom trawl, out of clear wire, adjusting it enough to fit the mutant, takes extra care to make it sturdy. As any good fisherman would do, he starts to track her movements.

Yandere!fisherman who writes in detail the spots she would mostly visit(the abandoned boats near the colorful reef seemed to be her favorite?), what distance she was most comfortable in(half a mile away from the dock but continuously inching closer) what time she preferred to come (right as the sun peeked out from the horizon.)

Yandere!fisherman finds out that the mermaid had been stealing the bait deliberately, his callous hands wrap around his booklet in fury wringing the innocent leather, another thing he had to worry about thanks to it.

Yandere!fisherman finally gets a glimpse of the creatures face. Is stunned stupid to see such beautiful features, every detail in her face seemed as they were sculpted by hand with utmost care. The blue hue of the water did little to obscure her beauty, feels something in his chest tighten but brushes it off.

Yandere!fisherman dreams now invaded by the unknown woman. Her opal like scales that seemed softer than cotton, the halo of hair that followed her whenever she moved, bright eyes filled with childlike wonder. Soft supple lips lifted into a small smile. The feeling in his chest returns.

Yandere!fisherman commences his plan at night, gently tossing the net into the water far away from his boat. Lies in wait, white knuckling the thick rope connected to the net ready to pull at any moments notice. Sees the beautiful beast nearing his trap, grits teeth "come on.." he jerks the net snatching the side of her body, her right arm and fin tangled in the thick plastic. Bubbles flurry to the surface panicked splashing accompanying it.

Yandere!fisherman who yanks the net forward creating small waves, the veins in his arms bulging from the amount of force takes large steps back bringing her closer. Has her a few feet away from boat when SNAP the net collapses into itself, her body freeing with every thrash. Let's out a scream of frustration watching the mermaid flee the scene quickly.

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Mermaid!reader swimming back home in pure shock clutching her iridescent shell, unable to filter in the million of questions her friends asked her.

Mermaid!reader who thinks of all the fables and stories of humans snatching merpeople were true, she knew that much, but never did she think she would be one of the missing. She had been so careful, not following the same path or reappearing in the same spot.

Mermaid!reader stays cocooned in her shell like home for days, the soft hues of pink and yellow calming her soul. Small treasures displayed on weaved seaweed shelves warmed her heart, creating a bubble of peace in her rampant mind. The human objects she collected overtime glared at her, an uneasy feeling urged herself to stuff the objects deep in sand. To forget about them and everything about the surface. To forget about the existence of humans.

Mermaid!reader traces the angry marks that indented her tail, curling further on her kelp bed. Regrets taking the dare that made her get so close to the land. She could have been blissfully blind if she just stayed with the cities limits, unburdened with the knowledge of what the coast held. Shivering at the daunting feeling, she imagined what awaited her the moment she broke through the surface.

Mermaid!reader who wants to stay rooted right where she was but the other part who knew the truth, she knew she would have to go back and help her friends. But to go back was a death wish there was no telling that luck would be on her side once more, memories of her stolen friends flashed through her mind.

Mermaid!reader with her mind set, decides to go back. Asks around her city hoping to find out more about humans only to hit dead end after dead end. Deflated, swims to the coral library wanting at least to brush up on the human tales that once scared her when she was guppie.

Mermaid!reader who draws a map of sector starfish. Noting where she was almost taken, she tries to remember where her fish friends would go. They weren’t the brightest bunch so she knew they would be scattered through out the water. Despite the numerous problem she was faced with, she pushes forward.

Mermaid!reader who stays at the edge of the sunlight zone, worry seeps in her veins her tail thrashing in agitating. “It’s not a big deal..I’m just going back to the place where I was almost taken, it’s fine. It’s fine, I’m fine..”. She took a deep breath before releasing, groups bubbles tumbled from her mouth caressing her features. A soothing warmness settles in her chest at the feeling as she tried to the keep up with the uncoherent thoughts she had.

Mermaid!reader cautious of every little thing, swimming as slow as possible. Decides to split the area into smaller sectors, one sector a day. That'll keep her safe. Hopefully. Days slowly crawl by, her wavered confidence stayed stagnant riddled with the anxiety of ‘what if’s?’

Mermaid!reader shakes her head disappointed at the fish who swim merrily around the few hooks in sector starfish. ‘All those warnings floated away from them’ she thought glumly. Sees Kai the stingray stuck in a large net, doesn't hesitate to swim forward sharp shell in hand pushing away her dread.

Mermaid!reader determination set in her features she prepared herself to slash haphazardly trying to free her friend as quickly as possible. Let's out a scream of terror dropping her weapon, realizing her friend was already dead and gutted.

Mermaid!reader distracted by the horrifying scene set in front of her, she barely felt another net underneath the sand lift upwards speedily creating a cage around her.

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Yandere!fisherman who is quite glum from the lack of appearance of his prize-bag of money. Rereads his booklet, noting she would appear most when the tides were rising. The perfect time when fish would trickle in like children at a sweets shop. Reinforces a seine net and buries it in the sand underneath his ship, is about to rise from the water when he spots stray stingray swimming away from his curious eyes.

Yandere!fisherman couldn’t help but to smile.

Mermaid!reader who's dropped onto the floor the modest boat unceremoniously. Starts to beg the burly fisherman to let her go, that she only wanting to keep her friends safe "Please! I mean you no harm! How would you feel if hundreds of your friends where snatched away from home and they were never seen again? Understand me" she pleaded, voice getting hoarse from lack of water. Her limbs ached from the drop, the tight net reopening the wounds on her shimmering tail and torso.

Yandere!fisherman after weeks of watching her from the boat can't help but to tune her out. Not that her voice wasn't as sugary as he imagined, but to finally be able to drink in her foreign features. Euphoria drenched his body, this was real.

Yandere!fisherman thinks of the dreams that haunted him each night, were nothing compared to reality. Entranced by every crease, mole, and scar that covered her very being, studying her features he memorized every little detail. Dark eyes taking in the strange clothing she wore, lingering on the open wounds on her opalescent tail.

Yandere!fisherman who feels cold at the thought of someone else feasting on her beauty. He was the only one deserved to look at her, he watched for months, weeks of planning and yearning to get to this moment. He knew her. She was his. No one was worthy enough to bathe in her beauty. "Shhh, it's okay. Oh, have I got some plans for you sweetheart. But don't you worry your pretty little head about anything, I’ll take care of everything.”

[wyrmswears]

Alr here comes the "long" ask ig

Thanks to you bringing back my wolf children/werewolves/wolves brainrot, my brain brained a weird lore in my brain about your inhuman thundersnow au.

Remenber this guy? Well yeah, he was the EM of lightning before Libber (also her dad), during the Serpentine War he used his raijū form to fight, even if he was one of the less powerful lightning EM ever seen (based off the color of his lightning being yellow, yellow lightning is less hotter than blue lightning) he took many serpetine down and in general it was like brining a crazy new weapon to the war that suddenly gives certain side a great advantage, ya know, war stuff.

After the war finished, despite him being a good guy. Raijūs started to be seen as horrible bloodthirsty creatures just because of what he did during the war, which wasn't too different to what other EM did is just that he did it as a wolf, even Garmadon thanks to the Great Devouerer venom did worse.

Anyway, people started to get paranoid about raijūs and this caused to some people dedicate most of their time to hunt them down, not all hunters did it because they were corcened or smth but because they simply wanted to have fun killing an exotic species, or simply capturing them for who knows what (maybe using them for taxidermy?? spooky experiments??? biological weapons??? idk)

Slowly the individuals of this species were less and less, until there was only one left, Libber. Her father died and she almost did too, in and the rest is history she leaving Jay with the walkers, etc...

One more species that got extinct thanks to humans.

(this is not my last ask 👹.)

yo this idea is dark af... hell yeah im using it, with some amendments. be warned i also used this ask as an opportunity to do some lore dumping

READ MORE BECAUSE IT GOT LONG

first of all, not all other raijū are gonna be extinct, but their population numbers have dwindled and most of them now avoid interacting with humans. i think it'd be interesting to have the gang meet other raijū at some point so i want to keep the opportunity open :D since they stop interacting with humans though, they are thought to be extinct and aren't really common knowledge among jay's generation.

both raijū and dragon will share this stigma of being dangerous bloodthirsty creatures, given that wu and garmadon also fight in the serpentine war (oni kinda have the stigma engrained in their identity in the ninjago series already ghsghsh and aren't really present in ninjago to most people's knowledge). dragons get off slightly easier however, being considered noble creatures in other legends, but raijū don't have the same reputation and are easier to hunt than dragons so they suffer a greater impact. this stigma is the cause for cole's fear of dragons in s1!

raijū don't make great taxidermy (their corpses eventually dissolve into lightning; full raijū aren't so much comprised of your typical things like flesh and bone), but i can imagine some being captured as living batteriess, although they only have enough power for about a single household, so it would work on a more individual basis than imperium's dragon energy scheme...

i've been having the idea that libber's dad isn't a wolf for his raijū form, but instead a snow leopard! you see, there's not a lot of mythology on raijū recorded online so i'm trying to fit in actual mythos where i can, and raijū aren't limited to a wolf/dog form, but have many four-legged animal forms recorded. i also like the idea of jay and libber's raijū forms looking similar, despite them not looking that similar for two canids, so related raijū in my au don't often have similar animal forms. libber's parents take the form of a snow leopard (in reference to ice who later takes a guardian role of sorts in place of libber's actual father) and a japanese serow.

furthermore, i mentioned this idea in the tags of one of my past posts but for raijū that are elemental masters of lightning, they often die when their child inherits their element. raijū are creatures made of lightning, but for those born with the element of lightning, they don't develop their own lightning because the element more than compensates for the power they need, so when the element is suddenly removed... yeah. so libber's dad is dead Before the main impact of the serpentine war, but perhaps her mother is killed as a result?

jay doesn't have the issue of dying when he loses his element like the bajillion times they do in the series because he's half human! it does mean that the first few times he loses his powers (including contact with vengestone), it feels Extra bad to him because it's literally part of his life-force taken away (i imagine lloyd has a similar effect but by nature of his element instead of his blood), but the longer he is without his power, the more chance his natural lightning has to develop, so by crystallised he can function pretty well without them :]

[bogleech]

Sir Leech of the bog. What is a currently underrepresented bug in the cheap rubber bug set world you’d like to see more often?

I've already put thought into this before and have a top ten of arthropods I think should have been common in "generic" rubber bug selections:

Solifugid ("camel spider") for its unique look and viral popularity

Jumping spiders for being so widely loved. Rubber bugs still default to basically a nondescript tarantula or wolf spider every time.

Earwigs were literally the most common insect where I grew up and in many places still absolutely everywhere

Silverfish aren't as famous as roaches but still kind of a fundamental "house pest." Plus they've been made more famous by Minecraft, and you can just cast the whole bug in shiny metallic plastic.

House centipede for being another household bug people find super freaky

Ticks because they're highly common, scary and it might be beneficial if more kids knew what they actually look like

I actually used to see a pretty common set when I was a kid that included a mole cricket and a jerusalem cricket, both excellent choices, but I'd also nominate their cousin the camel cricket which a lot of people run into and find memorably freaky.

Scorpionfly, also pretty common in some parts, and just a really distinct looking creature

Bed bug, since they're an increasingly infamous real world threat once more, and because a rubber bed bug would look real nice in simple translucent red plastic

Isopod the absolute #1. Most common, most famous bug to find almost anywhere outside, there is absolutely no excuse for an isopod to have not already been standard in every bug toy set.

I left out anything I thought was too exotic, like obviously if it were just for me I'd pick out a bunch of obscure parasites and deep sea crustaceans nobody's heard of but I feel the low-cost high-volume rubber bug toys are meant to represent creatures at least some percentage of human children have a chance to encounter in their own backyard, depending on where they live, or have at least seen on TV.

[whereserpentswalk]

Imagine you're a human, living long after humans have gone out into space, but you grew up so far from human space that you've never seen another human. You were adopted from a trading colony on the edge of a human empire and taken further out far past where any human civilization has really explored, you lived your entire life of a city planet, and despite seeing so many different races none of them have ever been your own.

You've only ever known aliens, robots, and other distinctly inhuman creatures. Maybe the closest you've seen is something created by humans, but those creatures have even less reason to like humans then aliens do. Though most people are nice to you, they just see you as something so exotic, if anything people think it's cool that you're such an out there race, most people think of humans as mysterious and ancient, even though you've never felt like any of those things.

You don't know how to deal with any normal human things. There are libraries where you can research your lifecycle, or how someone from your species would clean themself or what kinds of clothing would go over your body. But none of those things tell you how you'll feel, how it'll actually be to go through the natural lifecycle of your species.

You will always feel like a stranger in your own home. Even those closest to you have a degree of separation. Your adoptive parents are sentient machines, built by a long dead race. Your partner is shaped somewhat like you, but has an insectoid exoskeleton, and massive glowing eyes. Your best friend is something sharp toothed and serpentine, closer to the monsters of myth then a fellow human. These people love and care about you, and you about them, but there will never be a common connection that you would have with a human stranger, even if these are people who are close to you, people who care about.

At one point in your life, you start leaning about human culture. You read through as much as you can get your hand on of ancient human literature, translations of Tolkien, Homer, Milton, Shelly, all these things you imagine being part of humanity's canon.

You try your best to embrace your human culture. But ultimately, it's just a foreign imitation of something you'll never feel a part of. You feel part of the planet you've lived your entire life on more than anything else. You don't even know what human culture you'd embrace if you did embrace one. Though everything you do pick up, from some ancient human languages, to the ways of dressing you find most comfortable, to a few religious practices from various cultures, you hold on to as your own.

Among some there's scorn that you're too human. That you act too human, or have too many of their cultural quirks, people would be more comfortable if you acted like a member of a more common race even if you're stuck in a human body.

Among others you seem not human enough. They want you to be that legendary empire building race, and then you're just some guy. You seem like a disappointment. You're embarrassed that you don't know as much about humanity that people want you to.

Eventually you meet a crew of humans from a trading ship. They offer to take you back to human space. But you don't see your fellow countrymen, but a crew of aliens, with alien nature and customs. They want to talk to you, to educate you, but you have so little in common, less than you would with any alien raised on the same planet as you.

There will always be a loneliness, an alienation. And if you aren't given a self, you'll have to forge your own.

[astrophelstella]

The Phoenix Soars Over Liyue

Genshin Liyue Character x Strong!God!Reader

Characters: Xiao, Zhongli, Baizhu

Genre: Fluff, Romance, Some angst

Another idea that had been floating around in my head. I wanted to do another one for the Liyue characters. SFW. Reader is the dominant one and in a position with a lot of power and experience. Not something commonly seen in a lot of reader fics. First time writing for these characters, sorry if it seems OOC. I did my best. Warning: I'm a Zhongli simp

Monstadt ver.

You as the reader are known as an Adeptus in Liyue. One of it's most well known. The Phoenix. Though, it's much more complicated than that. You were originally from Natlan. The nation of Pyro. When the Archon War began and gods started battling over territory and power, you decided to leave. You were a phoenix, the last of its kind. A creature that continues to reincarnate after their flames dies out only to return brighter than ever. This made you a dangerous competitor in everyone's eyes. But you were also a creature of healing, peace and harmony. Perhaps this was why you were the last of your kind, the ongoing violence prompting your kin to leave this plane of existence. But that was the past. You fled your home, not really having people to worship you (though tales speak of the Murata people's red hair being a connection to you). Then the scorched lands of Natlan turned lush and green as you fly, with tall mountain peaks perfect for a bird of legend like you. This was Liyue.

Of course, before you could build your nest and settle down in this new land you had its inhabitants to deal with. Most of the Illuminated beasts were wary of you but left you alone otherwise. It was fine until this bratty god came along. At least, he was a brat in your eyes. A war god. You thought you had seen the last of those. Despite your attempts at diplomacy, his head was stubborn as stone. A fight ensued and while he thought he had defeated you, he was shocked to see you reform again. This time even stronger. The fight was only stopped by another god, this one much more pleasant and agreeable, who lectured the one that attacked you. She turned to you and had a proper introduction. In the end, if you wanted to stay in Liyue you had to make a contract. Promising to come to its aid and protect the land from dangers. You wanted to escape fighting but at least this was fighting to protect something. From then you made a great friend in the kind god, 'Guizhong' was her name. Not so much with 'Morax' but you had all the time in the world to build some trust.

Fast forward thousands of years later and you were now wandering through Liyue Harbor, on its rooftops. You were a common sight in Liyue. The Phoenix was the friendliest to humans, not necessarily running things but being a warm presence with lots of wisdom to share. You made a point not to interfere, knowing it was best mortals learned on their own. People still admired the sight of you. Taller than most mortals, glowing eyes like fire, the beautiful gold and red markings on your skin and the vibrant exotic clothes you wear. While you found a home in Liyue, you still retained some of Natlan's clothing style. You were as mesmerizing as you were dangerous. Moving atop rooftops elegantly, barefoot. The light jingle of your jewelry the only sound you made.

When you were not in Liyue, you simply napped in the wilds. Your peers saw you as lazy. All this power condensed into a slothful being. You shrugged it off, they aren't the ones who have to reincarnate every so often. Plus, you were practically retired. All that fighting, you just wanted to spend your time being idle. So you let a lot of things go, like decorum. If only people were more lax like you, and not sticking their nose up at other people. It was a much more fulfilling existence. Still, no beings were willing to cross you.

Despite everything you lived a rather solitary life. With a few exceptions...

Xiao

"Y/N are you still napping? Hn, you can't just..."

He had a lot of respect for you. Being older and stronger than him, he spent a good chunk of his immortal existence watching you fight. People called you lazy but he remembered back in the day were you left battlefields covered in blood, all your enemies defeated on the ground.

You would not only help the Yakshas in training and combat, but took care of injuries. Your flames didn't just burn things, they could heal too. Whatever wounds he had were gone as he felt your fire graze his skin. He would shiver, feeling warmth instead of scorching hot. You were truly a being of life.

A favorite hobby of your was to nap anywhere in the wild. Even the strangest of places. It made you hard to find. Not for Xiao. Whenever he wasn't protecting Liyue, he would go out and find you. You've woken up many times to Xiao standing over you.

It was cute, how he followed you around. It was like a feral cat bonding with someone after being fed and trailing after them. You convinced him to rest and value the more mundane things in life.

With memories of being consumed by darkness, he appreciated your bright flames. A source of warmth and light. He was drawn in like a moth, uncaring if it could burn him in the end.

Verr Goldet was familiar with you. There was a room in Wangshu Inn that was basically the attic and yours since it had the fluffiest bed paired with the best view. It was also easy for Xiao to enter through the window and hang around atop the rafters.

There were many nights were he would come back from patrol, still buzzing from combat. As soon as he was in your room, his muscles would relax and he'd feel a little bit at peace. You would tend to his wounds, large hands brushing against his skin along with your beautiful flames washing away the worst of the karmic debt.

With him being so short, he barely reached your waist. The size gap was enormous. He'd turn red you backed him to a wall because his face was right next to-

He'd fluster whenever you beckoned him to sleep next to you. But you didn't know anyone else who would nap with you. You were the best cuddle buddy, being a source of warmth and a large frame that could make anyone feel safe being encased in.

You would sometimes be in your Phoenix form and Xiao in his Adeptus form as you cuddle in your nest. Your next consisting of the fluffiest of blankets, pillows and mattresses along with a few shiny trinkets you would pick up and bring home (you were a bird after all).

Your large wing would be covering him as he had the most peaceful sleep in a long time.

"The nightmares-" he began.

"Won't come near. Not when I'm around Xiao. Sleep." He slept close to you, curled in a fetal position. For the first time in many years, not a single nightmare troubled his sleep.

Zhongli

"I've been waiting for you. Liyue Harbor seems more tranquil this morning. Oh, here, your tea. Just how you like it."

Now there's a lot of history here. He was the first person you actually met since arriving to Liyue. That encounter seemed like lifetime ago. Many things had changed. Including your relationship.

While you didn't get along at first, Guizhong was your common friend. When she was gone, you mourned with him. From then, there was a quiet understanding that you would watch out for each other and honor her memory. It helped he grew out of his more stubborn thinking (for the most part).

He sought out your companionship. Centuries fighting by his side built a trust stronger than the earth itself. Internally, worried he'd lose another. He didn't want it to be you. Not after everything. Tales grew in Liyue about the Dragon and the Phoenix. Eternal companions.

During quiet times he grew melancholic because he couldn't remember her face, you drew him to your side and described her the best you could. When you fell into periods of weakness just before reincarnating, he refused to leave your side. He hated seeing you like that, snuffed out of your flame but he consoled himself knowing you always bounced back.

Other times he'd seek you out when he had troubles leading a mortal life. Despite being a bit older than him, you actually kept up with the times. Like when Childe fed him his special dish, a weird seafood bowl that had tentacles sticking out of it. Zhongli getting terrible flashbacks took one bite, then up and ran to you.

You rubbed his back as he washed out his mouth with water. You made sure to serve him some traditional food later and wash his clothes so it didn't retain the scent of seafood.

Still being new to having a mortal body, he forgot certain necessities. Like eating. He never needed to do it consistently before until his stomach made an unusual noise. He placed a hand on it, confused. Adorable, you thought and reminded him he needed food.

Sometimes he'd skip meals, having work to do at the funeral parlor. You disliked such a habit and would shove food to his face, chopsticks close to his mouth. It confused him why you feeding him made him feel strange but not unwelcome. He would always keep a special pair of chopsticks with him, the one with the dragon and phoenix on it. Funny what mortals come up with. (Liyue citizens be shipping hardcore)

Oh? He bought his own home in Liyue to better assimilate his mortal life? Is there a bed? You're already asleep on it. Zhongli took one step in and saw your large form snoring in his room. He hadn't even told you where he moved in.

Honestly he wasn't surprised, you lazy bird. (Some part of him already knew. It was why he subconsciously picked the largest bed, even if it put a dent on his funds.) You were staying at his home more and more until the neighbors actually thought you were both married.

He tried to explain it to them but his face grew warmer as the neighbors gushed how devoted you seem coming home everyday before dinner with groceries. You two were the couple. To his surprise you laughed (in your human disguise) and didn't correct them, only wrapping a hand around his waist to pull him closer.

This misunderstanding seems to have extended to the rest of Liyue Harbor. He doesn't know how until his boss explained it like it was obvious. What were the locals supposed to think when they see you with a hand on the mysterious funeral consultant's shoulder or lower back, taking long walks around Liyue. He would be his usual self and trying to buy things he didn't have the money for but you pay for it anyways without thinking.

Eventually, it happened so much that merchants and shop owners would turn to you automatically after Zhongli made a purchase so you could hand out the money. In restaurants they knew to give you the check. Some people were jealous how much you pampered him. (A lot of breakups and divorces happened as people's standards rose.)

HuTao made fun of him for having a sugar daddy/mommy but told him not to mess up the relationship because it meant less funds missing from the funeral parlor.

The next time you two went on a walk he was now now more hyper aware of the large, warm hand pressed on his lower back. It felt natural when you first did it but now he wondered what this could mean. Or maybe it was a long time coming.

"Y/N care to make a contract with me?" He asked, there was something different about his expression. He seemed unsure. You were both watching the sunset over Liyue Harbor. In the distance you could hear a storyteller weave a tale about the arrival of the Phoenix to Liyue.

"Oh, what would that entail?"

"After I give up my gnosis, after I retire as an Archon... stay by my side, forever, until the end."

A pause. "We don't need a contract for that." You pulled him closer until he could feel your breath. After all, the Phoenix knew they would spend every reincarnation with their precious dragon.

In the distance, you hear the storyteller finish the story with "... the Phoenix soars over Liyue Harbor and sees a cor lapis born from the earth. It was so radiant and enchanting the sun that was its heart grew captivated. They vowed to stay in Liyue for as long as the cor lapis was theirs."

Baizhu

Its a wonder how the two of you could have met. A mortal healer and an immortal phoenix. The answer was: Qiqi

You were being your lazy self and napping in the wilds when a zombie child approached you. She was looking for herbs but got distracted when she saw you, in your vibrant clothes and shiny jewelry just laying across a bed of flowers. You recognized the the child, remembering the Yakshas' remorse. Still, you were in the middle of soaking up a sunbeam and tried to shoo her away.

This kept happening as the days went by. Until she ran into some treasure hoarders. You, admittedly, had started keeping an eye out for her even as you 'napped'. Before they could even lay a hand on her, your warning came in the form of a flaming tornado. In the end, the scum were sent running and you told the child to be more careful as you walked her back home, her tiny hand grasping your pants so she doesn't wander.

Reaching the pharmacy, the herbalist manning the desk greeted Qiqi with a smile until he paled at the sight of you. He immediately bowed. You waved it off, looking around curiously. You had never been in a place of healing. Mortal medicine was never concern being gifted with innate healing abilities. Then a voice called out, asking about the commotion.

You watched as one of the prettiest mortals you've ever seen walked in. Qiqi let go of your pants to stay near him. He seemed happy to see her until he saw you. Qiqi told him what happened earlier. His usual charisma returned to him and he thanked you for keeping his precious Qiqi safe. You didn't ask for anything in return but wanted to stick around and learn about the place and him. Mortal medicine had peaked your interest.

The following days Baizhu had you sometimes looking over his shoulder. You weren't obnoxious or interrupted his work but you were always there, learning about herbs and watching medicine being made. It's not like he could tell a powerful Adeptus to leave, especially when they weren't doing anything. Plus, you attracted customers.

But sometimes he wondered if your eyes were really on the medicine when he felt someone watching him intently. He'd look to you but you were already chatting with the herbalist. Changsheng would tease, seeing him hesitate around you. To prove her wrong he offered to show you in person how he healed people. That snake was already on your side, after you heaped compliments on them during your first meeting.

Now your closer. It was probably due to your biology but standing next to you felt like being next to a fireplace. He wasn't one to get flustered so easily, coyly asking if you understood what he demonstrated. You had been leaning forward to focus on it, his face a bit too close to your ear. Your eyes would glint a golden light meeting his and he'd shiver at the look. The serpent met its match.

Besides the thick tension between you two, there was a lot of wholesome moments with you babysitting Qiqi. For all your devil-may-care attitude, you took care of her and made sure nothing ever bothered her. HuTao ended up being tossed out like a cat by the scruff when she tried to bury her again. The zombie cowering behind you.

While you didn't interfere with his work, he did ask you to heal his patients sometimes when there wasn't any solution. When his illness got the better of him, you would use your flames on him too. It had a revitalizing effect. His days were much more pleasant now that you were around. Instead of payment, you asked to be around him more. Now you go on outdoor walks or picnics.

You understood what he was going through. As someone who always reincarnated, it meant experiencing times of severe exhaustion. It would be days feeling your body die on you. So with everything you had, you would help him with his.

"Oh? Qiqi hasn't taken up too much of your time Y/N?" he asked, watching the girl fiddle with one of golden chains on your person.

"No. She seems rather attached." you dangled one of your feather pieces and she tried to catch it. Sprawled across the ground, you looked impossibly eye-catching. Eventually, she noticed a butterfly and left to observe it.

He took a seat next to you. "Things have been much more manageable with your presence honorable Y/N. Be careful, or you might be stuck here. " he made it out to be lighthearted but in truth, he meant it. Watching you dote after Qiqi despite your 'uncaring' attitude was unfairly endearing.

Changsheng spoke up, "He's a greedy man. Leave while you still can or it'll be torture working for him." She slithered off his shoulders and on to your stomach, your warmth being too comfortable to resist. Traitor.

He drew a mock offended face. "Why I would never-"

"I don't mind." You looked him in the eyes and smirked. "It's a torture I'm coming to enjoy."

Not for the first time around you, he had no words. How dare you.

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

School finally lightened up which means time to get this done. Not a lot of characters to choose from. Ningguang or Beidou didn't seem like submissive types and everyone else was too young. Does this one feel a little more fluffy? Anyways, I did my best to get the characters down.

[objecthusbandry]

keeping objects as pets #6: lightbulbs!

hi there! in this series, i’ll be going over basic descriptions of commonly-kept object species (and some rare ones too!), facts about them, why you might want one as a pet, their basic needs and necessities provided you want to house one, and things you should NEVER do. for the sixth post in this series, we’ll be talking about incandescent lightbulbs!

description

lightbulbs are a common species of domestic object. they have shiny, glossy, transparent bodies that can come in a multitude of tints, most commonly clear, white or yellow, though colors such as red, green and blue aren't unheard of, especially as exotic pets bred for their colors. they have segmented, metallic limbs connected to their cap (not their bulb); their legs are digitigrade, their hands have three padded fingers each with small claws, and their feet have three toes, also padded with claws. their teeth are primarily evolved for insects, so they have small, sharp, needle-like teeth in front with grinding molars in back. the iconic rounded bulb shape is most common, but other shapes do exist. while they usually remain unlit, they are capable of 'igniting' and producing light via bioluminescence. this burns through energy quite fast, so they must eat lots to obtain the necessary nutrients.

the upper bulb portion of their body is almost entirely hollow, aside from the light-producing organ, with the rest of their organs being in the metallic cap underneath. it is common to see wild or feral lightbulbs with scratched, cracked or broken bulbs due to the fragile nature of the structure.

facts about lightbulbs

lightbulbs tend to live in the wild in mixed-species groups of three to five, though it's not impossible for them to be in groups of up to twenty, if it provides an advantage for their survival. they're crepuscular, being most active during twilight hours, like dusk and dawn. these creatures are curious and playful but are also prone to getting themselves into trouble due to their sometimes dimwitted personalities (despite the common symbolism of lightbulbs representing wisdom or intelligence).

as far as we are aware, their bioluminescent displays evolved for two purposes: attracting mates and scaring off potential threats. lightbulbs have two different commonly seen "light dances" they perform, one of which being dimmer flashes in various patterns, and the other being several quick very bright flashes. it is suspected that the former is meant as a sort of mating ritual, with the most elaborate dances being the most desirable to potential mates, while the latter is meant to stun any would-be attackers, buying time for the lightbulb to run for cover.

incandescent lightbulbs were one of the first described scientifically. in many ways, they are a model species of objects and are often considered equivalent to lab mice because they breed readily in captivity and are small enough to be easily controlled in laboratory settings.

why as a pet?

as previously stated, lightbulbs are curious, playful critters that make for fantastic pets. they enjoy being around humans, objects and animals alike! they form long-lasting attachments with their owners and love attention, physical affection and being interacted with. they can be trained to do tricks such as rolling over, making sounds, shaking hands, and even flashing their light! they do well with children, though their small size must be taken into consideration when allowing them to interact with young children or particularly rowdy objects.

basic needs + do's and dont's

lightbulbs are primarily insectivores! they do well with just about any feeder insect; they aren't picky. their diets should be supplemented with calcium powder and certain individuals may struggle with hunting on their own, so you might have to help them out while feeding, though this isn't super common. it's okay to have a dedicated "hunting space" to leave them in for feeding if you'd prefer not having crickets or dubia roaches accidentally escaping. they will also opportunistically feed on meat if insects aren't available. for treats, they specifically love eating cookies. we don't know what it is about them that seems to attract lightbulbs, but most individuals share this taste for them.

as a social species, lightbulbs NEED to be interacted with. long periods of isolation will cause them to become clingy, anxious and possibly even act out. you should be spending at least two hours a day with a pet lightbulb, but more is always better and that is a bare minimum.

housing

lightbulbs are attracted to vibrant, colorful spaces and should be allowed to free roam for at least thirty minutes every day. while they don't need an entire house to be happy, a large open room is best for these objects. they appreciate having soft pet beds and of course lots of toys to keep them engaged and to provide enrichment. i also highly recommend having at least one window in their enclosure or room as they love sunbathing and derive some of their energy from it.

however, it is ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL THAT YOU MAKE THEIR ENCLOSURES AS GLASS-FRIENDLY AS POSSIBLE! lightbulbs are prone to cracks, shatters and breaks when falling, so you should never allow them to climb unsupervised if at all.

that’s all! hopefully this helps educate anyone who is considering this species!

[sleepynegress]

Finally Got Around To Watching Bones and All (fell asleep to it before, but paid attention this time)...

....And I have mixed feelings about it.

As a Black woman who was totally into the dark ish back in the day when there were slim pickens, this is the vaporwave, road trip, supernatural horror monster love story, I'd always wanted to see us be centered in more. However, I'm also frustrated that I rarely see this kind of thing done by Black creators.

There's usually some tongue-in-cheek "hoodification" added that while I don't mind it (Tales from the Hood is a classic) I WISH we did more serious dark horror without a racism message or hood campiness, but specifically from a Black gaze.

I had some issues with being able to pick-up on a sort of romanticized gaze of America in the 80's and these young "exotic" runaway outcasts... from a lens other than the leads'. The story is told from Maren's POV, but still felt like an old white foreign artiste, and not her... In a way, that added to a dreamlike quality it had. Like a lucid almost-nightmare. It would have helped if Maren had some touchpoints of either blackness or more diversity among the travelers they meet and/or other Eaters. The always-amazing Andre Holland only shows up briefly in flashbacks. There are a few black extras, though. I did Iove the hard lean into visual and sensual metaphors for Lee and Maren's connection...I mean 'Bones and All' it really is about the deep down loving the crust of a person kind of love. But it's a leisurely intensity... You'd get what I mean after watching. The biggest visual metaphor in this is sharing Eating after killing. This is the vampire movie for those who think vampires aren't "eating" hard enough.

That one scene in The Lost Boys, where they eat a bunch of drunken bonfire dudes and it is NASTY (I have a clear memory of one of the Lost Boys biting into a man's head like a damn apple and the blood justa' spurtin)... It's that but ramped to the extreme. It is subtle, but this is very clearly some new supernatural creature lore. Like there are abilities and rules that crept into this. This is a monster movie. They aren't human. They are Eaters. -Monsters. It's not about traditional banjo backwoods cannibals but creatures who need to Eat, who are hiding within humanity. Monster young people in love, yes... but it's about supernatural creatures in hiding on the road and subsisting, and it's easy to forget that given how human their struggles and feelings are, given their situations and experiences as what appear to be young vulnerable kids. Taylor Russell is what I feel Bianca Lawson could have been if Hollywood had been ready for her. She plays youth authentically, but she's pushing thirty. The edgy kids would be all over this movie so much more, especially the ending if it were two white leads. It's horrific, disgusting, tragic, and grandly romantic in a way that especially the goth/emo kids should love. Unfortunately, I think it will take some years before this is appreciated. But it will definitely be that cult classic. When you're in a dark quiet mood, and can deal with gore, want something dreamy, creepy, nostalgic, and darkly romantic and horrific... This is your ticket.

P.S. Mark Rylance's character is the creepiest mofo I've seen in a good while and may even trigger some folks with his mannerisms. Yeesh. He's the closest thing to an antagonist in this.

[blackbackedjackal]

That “domesticated coyotes” anon has been bouncing around in my head all day. One thing people forget is there are specific requirements that need to be met for domestication and, if I remember correctly, we can meet those for very few animals. It’s why we’d never be able to ACTUALLY domestic moose, there’s no way we could provide the amount of food for them.

It also ties into the exotic pet trade industry as well. What a lot of people don’t realize is the exotic pet trade is that they don’t prevent animals from going to into extinction. From what I’ve seen cheetahs are struggling massively because people in these businesses yank them from the wild, some dumbass who doesn’t realize what all goes into taking care of a wild animal like that buys it, maybe even declaws it, then dumps it at an already max capacity sanctuary because they realize how much it costs to own one. Insects are another creature that are quickly losing numbers because of the pet trade and it’s sad no one talks about it.

I’m so sorry for this massive ramble, but it’s something I get overly passionate about and it’s upsetting that people don’t realize that these animals rarely survive when rereleased into the wild and it’s stuff that feels like isn’t talked about enough. People just need to realize some things just aren’t meant to be.

I agree! There's no reason or benefit for humans to domesticate coyotes when we already have dog breeds that can do most of what coyotes can (and often better then they can in some aspects). Why don't we domesticate coyotes like we did with dogs? It's because they're two completely different species. The process of domesticating them wouldn't be the same as with dogs to begin with, and no one here has another 40,000+ years to figure that out. There's also research being done that the original lineages of canines that lead to the modern domestic dogs aren't the same as modern gray wolves. So we may have domesticated an entirely different wolf species that was closely related to what become modern gray wolves, but were much more susceptible to the domestication process then other canids. If the species had to be THAT specific, then what makes anyone logically think coyotes (that diverged from a different wolf-like canid nearly 2 million years ago) can all of a sudden be domesticated via isolated incidents of animal abuse over a few generations?

Insect, bird, amphibian, and reptile populations are suffering from the exotic pet trade so severely! Many are just plucked straight out of the wild and then sold to the person with the most money and the least amount of resources to care for those animals. It ruins those local ecosystems, decimates those wild populations, and most don't even make it to a buyer because they end up dying due to stress or neglect before even being sold. It's a big issue that really needs to be discussed more. But fools on social media don't want the facts. They just want bite-sized consumable abusive animal content without having to feel guilty, or worse, want to exploit an exotic animal for clout and narcissistic purposes.

It's all good, I definitely understand your passion and frustration. It's a very irritating seeing people so ready to defend thinly veiled animal abuse and deny the facts.