#flightless raven

[cristate-tsuzuku]

[cyanide-sippy-cup]

Not enough people understand the true nature of Jurassic Park methinks. Can it be enjoyed as a dinosaur horror? Absolutely. But I personally think it's much more enjoyable as a biological sci-fi. These aren't dinosaurs, they are biological monsters made in the shape of dinosaurs. They cut corners, they used frog DNA to fill in what they didn't have. John Hammond brought these experts along to see if their reactions would be "Oh my god that's a dinosaur" and then moved along when it was exactly that. But idk, that's just me.

[conspiraciesflock]

do nightwing x raven shippers still exist?? if so, build chem with my Rachel plsss

[somanypolls]

i did my best to include lots of birds. sorry if i missed your favorite or miscategorized it! i am no bird expert

[rochenn]

Bird alien for your consideration! This is Jedi Knight Tuwa of the Kra species, professionally unsettling 7' flightless voice mimic and the strangest angel you'll ever meet

This little guy is based on the German/Austrian folklore creature called Nachtrabe (or various spellings of Nachtkrabb depending on the region)

I've grown up with stories of giant raven-like beings appearing on the windowsill of children to either sing them to sleep and send beautiful dreams or to stare at them through the glass and give them nightmares if they've been naughty (lmao)

Wikipedia has also told me that apparently the Nachtkrabb, in some regions, is said to abduct and eat children who are out at night?? I honestly prefer the sandman-esque version I grew up with over Curfew Bird but I guess you can't have a German folktale without child vore, good job team

[ithaquakisser]

Look Only At Me

Synopsis; Your eyes are his and only his. Why must you look someone else's way?

CW; Unhealthy relationship, obsession, obsessive behavior, possessiveness, suggestive themes, slight NSFW

MINORS DNI. (18+)

WC; ≈1.2K

Note; I was going through it writing this because I literally made myself blush— 😭 I had a lot of fun writing this though, that's for sure! I noticed "Desire" received so many notes so I decided to write something similar to it. I have to admit I am a bit embarrassed since this was a bit self-indulgent... But I hope you guys enjoy! 🫶 (This was written at 3am...)

Ithaqua gravely detested you. Your presence brought about such profound feelings of resentment in his heart. Such utter feelings of indignation must be buried in silence. Let the wind cry and roar in spite of your presence whilst you turn a blind eye to his misery. Must you pull at his heartstrings each time you part your lips to speak? Must you leave him in dismay every moment your eyes avert from his?

What shall he do to put an end to such torment? What could remedy such agony? You were akin to a dove, oh so pure, so lovely, oh so naive. You dared not turn his way. You were a mere dove, one that he wishes to sink his teeth into. One that he longs to maintain for his selfish desires. One that he yearns to pluck your beloved white feathers and leave you flightless. That way, you could never leave him.

You were a nuisance. You were nothing more but a burden to him. Yet, why must the wind cry upon your absence? He could never bring himself to understand such a thing. Must you cast him aside like worthless dross? Let your eyes wander, longing for something, someone more than him. Such a thought only churns feelings of displeasure. Ithaqua bit his lip in vexation, for he believed this was something he shan't ever let happen.

Your chest heaved sporadically whilst you panted. The distinctively tall hunter towered over you, his ice axe in hand as droplets of crimson met the snow beneath your feet. A flame ignited in his ember eyes as it locked with yours, he could hear his heart beating brutally in ire while he gazed upon your face of dismay. A sly leer on his face as he approached you. You took a step back, letting out a shaky gasp as you met the walls behind you.

Your teammates were nowhere to be seen or heard. In the distance, you could faintly hear cipher machines. The young male had dropped his ice axe behind him, hunching over slightly to meet your face. Raven hues fixated onto yours, he was abnormally close for comfort. “Ithaqua…?” You uttered breathily. With a menacing smile beneath his mask, he gripped your face, causing you to yelp.

“Y/N… Why must you torment me so? Do you hate me, Y/N?” Ithaqua spoke your name like a prayer, an incantation. “Why do you avoid me?” He interrogated with a scowl. “Are you… afraid of me, Y/N?” He lifted your chin to face him, his voice alone was enough to send shivers down your spine. “No… Of course not, Ithaqua.”

“Then… Why do you run from me, Y/N?” Ithaqua gripped your face tighter, his nails sinking lightly into your skin. Your heart fiercely pounded against your chest as he spoke. Snowflakes licked at your hair as scarlet beads spilled from your lips from your earlier encounter. “Tell me… Do I scare you?” He probed as he ran his thumb over your bloodied lips.

“Fear certainly wouldn’t look like this, now, would it…?” Leisurely, you reached your trembling hands towards his mask. You pulled it off, letting it drop to the snow beneath the two of you. A shade of scarlet red painted over his pale cheeks as his onyx eyes met yours, taken aback by your gesture. A faint cool breeze grazed against both of your skins as he leaned closer, releasing his grip on you.

Ithaqua intertwined his hands with yours instead, pinning them against the wall as he leaned toward the crook of your neck. “Don’t you run from me anymore.” He murmured, his hot breath against your skin. “I’m sorry…” You mumbled in response. “Must you always look someone else’s way?” He muttered.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…” You repeated yourself like a broken record. You could not bear to upset him like this. “Then promise me one thing, Y/N.” “Yes, Ithaqua?” He leaned in close to your ear, his thumb caressing your hand as he whispered. -“Look only at me.”-

“Of course…” You obliged. “Good…” His lips curled into a small smile as he tenderly kissed your neck. You winced as he scraped his teeth against your bare neck, Ithaqua emitting a small chuckle in response. “Relax…” His warm tongue ran over your flesh, sinking his teeth into you as he sucked. You moaned as he trailed love bites down your neck, working himself down to your collarbone. You called out his name under your breath, lost in his touch.

You had flinched upon the sound of sirens wailing throughout the vicinity. “Ithaqua—” The hunter silenced you, placing a slender finger on your lips. “We’re not done yet.” Spoke the male as he raised your chin, his lips brushing against yours. You melted into the kiss, enveloping your arms around his waist.

Oh, how he gravely detested you. How you'd so easily succumb to him. How you'd still beam at him regardless of his actions. It all made him sick, sick to his stomach. Sick in ways he still didn't quite understand. Perhaps, his heart would find peace with you wrapped around his finger. Seeing it all come into play as you melted upon his touch. He wondered how far is it that you can go. How long is it before you break?

A hand intertwined with his, and another buried deep into his platinum waves. His soft lips were pressed against yours, your tongue dancing with his. Ithaqua's face was flushed with a ruby tint, burning against your skin. Small strands of hair brushed upon your warm cheeks, his body pressed against yours. He was greedy in every way, shape, and form. His touch demonstrates his burning desire, one that is everlasting.

His fingers trailed down your body, begging for more of your touch. He tasted the bitter, metallic taste of blood from your lips, a piece of work done by his own hands. He left you breathless, gasping for air, pleading for more. A thin strand of saliva connected you two, his touch lingering on your skin. The hunter dared not look at you, unable to comprehend the feelings churning inside of him.

How greatly he wanted to strike you down at that very moment. The very moment you laid your delicate eyes on him with such adoration. How dare you gaze upon him with great delicacy? How dare you stir these feelings in his heart? These were all words left unspoken as he reached a trembling hand towards you. Ithaqua's heart pounded frantically in his chest as you took his hand into yours. He wished he could run away, hide away from you, you who brings him torment.

You never cease to pull at his heartstrings like a lyre, and he despised you for it.

Warm rays of sunshine shone upon your face as you awoke in the manor once again. Disoriented you were, you had no recollection of the events that occurred subsequently. You trailed your fingers down your neck, the sound of wind ringing in your ears like chimes. Your cheeks were tinted a shade of carmine, and the series of events prior replayed in your mind ever so vividly. His lips on your cold neck, his fingers tracing stars into your skin. He had left you with a feeling you never felt before in your chest.

Yet, oh, how he detested you so.

[proton-wobbler]

Battle Royale

Gone, but not forgotten (D)

Extinct or near extinct birds only here. There aren't enough to have this be more than one bracket, so there will definitely be an info-post for the winner.

[strixcattus]

I mentioned wanting to post about my other STP AUs and then never actually followed up with that beyond some general notes on my D&D-esque AU, so here's a more specific rundown of the Voices:

Hero: A run-of-the-mill fighter from a small farming village on the west coast of the continent. Allegedly he was prophesied to do... something (still unclear on what, but the word "slay" was definitely involved), but he's not sure if he believes in that sort of thing. Somehow he ends up taking on quests with Cold and Stubborn far too often for comfort. Increasingly convinced he's the only normal person here.

Cold: A cold-blooded assassin and general blade-for-hire who only takes on jobs he finds interesting. In another time, he was less picky about whom he was assigned to kill, but he's grown discerning with time. He's only killed one noble in recent years before deciding to focus on more difficult targets... but she doesn't seem keen on leaving him alone. Most of his past is a mystery to everyone but Hero, though most people don't exactly feel like asking about it.

Stubborn: A textbook barbarian who decided never to die one day and hasn't changed his mind since. Tends to take on quests alongside Cold since their desires for an interesting fight line up... though Cold may or may not always appreciate the help. He met some sort of half-demon a few years back who had the same kind of loose relationship with death, and ever since they meet up every few months to kill each other. For some reason, most people think this is weird.

Contrarian: One of three recent bard-college graduates in the party. His specialty is theater and improvisation, particularly of a satirical sort. It hasn't even been a year since graduation and he's already banned from one of the northern kingdoms due to The Play. He's also banned from explaining what exactly was so offensive about The Play, and this one might be magically enforced, so best not to risk it. Of the bards, he's the most magically talented, though he mainly uses his talents for pranks.

Smitten: The second of three recent graduates. His specialties are the lute (which he's actually quite good at), romantic poetry (eh...), and singing/songwriting (no.). The most anyone can really get him to open up about his past is that he's from an island kingdom to the east and didn't grow up with any other beastfolk. "Smitten" isn't actually his real name, but not even Contrarian and Opportunist know what it really is.

Opportunist: The third of the recent graduates. He's a bit of a jack-of-all trades and fairly average at magic. It's mostly his fault that the three of them didn't manage to meet up again until they'd been tasked with killing a bunch of Princesses, because less than a month after graduation he got on the wrong side of a witch, was cursed into the form of a frog, and, being too proud to seek help, had to figure out how to either break the curse or turn back to his normal form on his own.

Hunted: I haven't fully figured out what's going on with him. He's a ranger who's been tracking a mysterious beast throughout the western forest—he's pretty sure there's some bounty put forth by one of the kingdoms within the forest, but his quest is mostly personal. He recently acquired an animal companion (a raven) to help him hunt down the beast, but only learned after the fact that the "animal companion" was A: sapient, and B: unable to fly.

Broken: He's been flightless since before he showed up at the first familiar-shop, and the constant cycle of being adopted by some aspiring wizard or ranger, then being cast out once they realized they'd been misled didn't do him any favors. It doesn't seem to be the result of an injury, though—he seems to know the real cause, but he isn't talking. At least the ranger who adopted him this time seems to be more understanding than the others.

Cheated: A solo adventurer who tends not to stick with a single party for very long. He's a warlock, allegedly, and he'll tell the story to anyone to asks of why you should stay far, far away from suspicious-sounding maidens in the woods, but no one has actually seen him use any spells. He frequents the tavern where Skeptic works—it's a more permanent fixture in his life than any party he's worked with.

Skeptic: He's not an adventurer himself—he runs an adventurers' tavern in the western woods, and has become acquainted with most of the others through his business. It's an underappreciated job, and it's a lot of work to ensure shady characters can't mess up the system, but adventurers tip pretty well. You just have to make sure the "No change" sign is visible, so they can't demand that you find some way to split the gold pieces that are the only currency they carry. Skeptic tends to stay distant from customers, though, with his only close confidant being the wizard outside town.

Paranoid: He had a reputation as a shut-in even before he started refusing to set foot outside his tower a few weeks back. But even more so, he has a reputation as being the best healing wizard in his part of the western woods—mainly by virtue of being the only healing wizard in his part of the woods, but he is very skilled. And driven. He was the first Voice to properly slay a Princess, even before the others formed their party.

The only problem is, whatever he killed in his tower basement doesn't seem to have been content to stay dead.

[thecuriousquest]

The Corn Maze

Yandere Dabi!Hawks x Fem!Reader

Request: Do you think you could do another yan hawks and dabi x winged reader please. I don’t mind if it’s fluff or nsfw or whatever and I don’t even mind what it’s about but I would love to read another story like that. Btw I love your works keep up the great work.

Tag List: @issamomma

Warnings: Yandere themes, NSFW, non con, vaginal sex, anal sex, spanking, blood, abuse, kidnapping

Checkout my Master List here.

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You want to get into the spirit of Halloween. It’s difficult since all of your friends are off at university while you’re stuck at home taking a gap year. You’re very good about doing things on your own, however. Once you have your mind made up about something, you usually stick with it.

That’s what leads you to your current predicament: lost in a hard corn maze. The stalks keep you from seeing ahead. You find yourself cornered relentlessly. You feel like you’ve been wandering around for four hours now. It’s getting dark, and you haven’t even gotten halfway through the maze.

Your hand flies to your mouth when you hear rustling in the stalks behind you. Whirling around, your hand finds the inside of your bag, reaching for your phone that has no signal. Maybe, you could throw it at the intruder and run.

“What has you so scared, Chickadee?”

A scream is torn from your throat as you hear a male’s voice behind you. Turning to face him, you see he isn’t alone. One of them has wings, just like you. However, his wings look different from yours. Your wings are as black as night, and his wings are red and sharp. His wild hair and golden eyes give him an animalistic edge.

The man next to him has severe scarring on his face and arms, staples holding burnt skin to new. His cyan eyes are electric and entrancing against his raven hair.

There’s something…off. You’re wearing high waisted black shorts and a white tank top underneath a denim jacket. The way they look up and down your body causes you to tremble beneath their stares.

“Are you lost? Where’s your group?” The same man with the red wings asks.

“Yeah, I’m lost, but I’m not here with anyone.” You instantly regret moment you realize you just told them you’re here alone. You groan internally at your stupidity.

“Well, I’m Keigo, this is my friend Dabi. What’s your name?”

You look away from them and mutter your name. “Y/N…”

Dabi moves towards you. Your back brushes the tall stalks of corn. “Why not fly out of here?”

His nose is close to yours…too close for your own liking.

“I…I can’t fly. My wings only act as a shield.”

“So, you’re a little flightless bird, is that it? Oh, chicken wings will love you. How about this? If you can find a way to please both of us, we’ll get you out of here.” He rubs your forearm, trying to create a soothing atmosphere out of his dark intent. “Does that sound good? We know this maze like the backs of our hands. You’ve been here for a while. Everyone’s gone because it’s close to midnight. Nobody would find you until tomorrow if you don’t manage to make it out by yourself. Who knows what could happen to a little thing like you.”

Keigo stands next to him, the two trapping you. “What do you say, Dove? Want to get out of here or stay all night?”

You look up from the ground at them. You don’t want to give them the type of pleasure they’re seeking, but you don’t want to stay here all night. You don’t have a choice in the matter.

You nod and finally find your voice. “Okay, okay, I’ll please you. I just want to get out of here.”

Their smiles are sardonic and filled with lust. Golden and blue orbs gaze along your body, trying to figure out what lays beneath your clothes. By now, the air is chilly, but the crisp October weather isn’t the only thing causing goosebumps to form on your tender flesh.

Keigo’s feathers trail up your legs before they start tugging at your shorts. You draw in a sharp breath, feeling the sudden invasion. You try to knock the feathers away, but you end up cutting your hand in the process.

“Don’t struggle,” he warns you with that same smirk on his face.

You try to just let everything happen, but you feel your black wings curling around you. The wings are sturdy instead of wispy like a regular feather. They aren’t sharp or blunt like Keigo’s, but they are hard like steel while remaining weightless.

Takami doesn’t like you trying to hide from him. With brute strength, he pries your wings open, staring down at you with heavy breaths. He looks so beastly standing there and panting like that.

Dabi shows his cobalt flames to you, scaring the hell out of you. The look he gives you is skin curling. “Try that again, and we might have to play a little game of fire ball.”

“I can’t help it.”

“You better try then. I have no problems with branding a pretty little thing like you.“

Swallowing nervously, you let Keigo’s feathers resume undressing you.

“Now, get down on your hands and knees,” Keigo orders.

You whimper as your body lowers towards the dirt path. It looks like Keigo is going to take his turn first.

The golden blonde hovers over you. He’s fully clothed with his pants down. You’re stark naked. You soon understand the situation: he wants to dominate you.

His intrusion is jarring. You’re only a little bit wet even if this is something you feel pressured into. The friction he manages is beyond any cock you’ve ever taken. He fills you to the point where you can feel the tip poking your belly. Keigo wraps his arms around you as he pounds you from the back.

You hear squelching coming from two sources: your drenched cunt and Keigo’s friend. Looking up at him, you meet terrifying cerulean eyes upon you. He’s watching you while pumping his dick, his smirk still plastered on his patchwork face.

You can feel your walls crumbling as every drop of Keigo’s sweat drips onto your back. You try to close your eyes and imagine you’re by yourself, trying to find the exit of this fucking corn maze. Every jab of Keigo’s dick distracts you from your dissociation, and you’re left biting your lip as you feel used by him.

Not soon enough, you feel hot liquid fill your insides. As he pulls out, his seed drips down your thighs.

Dabi takes his place behind you as he shucks his pants down a bit. Kneeling behind you, he repositions you on your knees. Dabi grabs you by the back of your hair, forcing you off of your hands so that your cheek is pressed against the dirt. He lines his cock up against your ass, and you turn as you try to cover the hole he wants to enter. It’s awkward from this position, but you manage as you balance on your face and one hand.

“Please, no! I don’t want you going back there!”

“Too bad, Flightless.” He gives your bottom a searing spank with his flaming hand. “I’m an ass man, and I’m about to have the time of my life.” He uses both hands to smack you into an oblivion. Your skin feels raw, bruised, and literally on fire. The punishment is endless, and you finally move your hand back in front of you as the message sinks in.

Dabi uses both hands to separate your cherry cheeks. He uses the blood from your torn up flesh as a lubricant for his dick. It works well enough. He likes that he can hear you sobbing weakly and sniffling. After giving your ass a final slap, he slips inside, and he isn’t patient about it either. With one thrust, you feel all of him from base to tip.

Your wings flap, trying to get him off of you as you feel an overwhelming sensation pooling in your body. Pain. Unbearable, aching, misery-inducing pain.

Keigo has to hold down your flapping wings that are trying to knock Dabi off of you. You’re punished for that with the blue flames of hell as he spanks you again and again.

“Don’t pull a stupid stunt like that again,” Dabi demands with a threatening tone.

“Please, just hurry up and come already!” You can’t help but beg him. You just want this ordeal to be over with so that you can go home.

“Aw, isn’t that cute. The bitch wants me to come. You want me to come in you or on you?”

“In me…I guess. Ah, please, come in me!” You clench your fists and grit your teeth as you hear them both laugh at you.

It’s a tormenting sound, to be laughed at while you’re being held down and raped. They cause you to weep silently into your folded arms.

Dabi loads up before pulling out and coming all over your abused backside. In the end, it doesn’t matter what you want. They’re just going to have their way with you despite what you tell them.

When he finishes pumping his seed along your bleeding flesh, he pushes you further into the ground. They don’t even let you get dressed. Dabi holds you down while Keigo gathers your clothes.

“You ready to go home, Chickadee?” The blonde questions.

Sniffling, you try to look at him as Dabi keeps your cheek in the dirt. “You know where I live?”

“Don’t be a smart ass. We’re taking you back to our place. I’m not done with you yet,” Dabi explains.

Dread fills every cell in your body as they drag you out of the maze, force you into their truck, and take you to your new home.

[chibsandchill]

Not in love

Fandom: Saltburn

Pairing: Oliver Quick x Felix Catton (brief mentions of past Oliver x Venetia)

Summary: Oliver reflects on his and Felix's relationship and comes to a startling realization that maybe there is no saving it.

Or,

The birthday scenes from Oliver's POV leading up to the maze, only with a slight twist at the end.

Warnings: A disgusting amount of Greek mythology references, Oliver, major character(s) death, spelling and grammatical errors, unreliable narrator, written from Oliver’s POV, descriptions of violence, description of metaphorical self-harm, mentions of drugs and alcohol, unhealthy relationships, toxic mindset, obsession, Oliver really really needs (needed?) a therapist, allusions to sex but no details

Masterlist

:-:-:-:-:-:-:

The clouds parted and there was light. Bright and wonderful, all for him. Even in a beautiful garden the rays strayed from the violets and the roses to spread its warmth to the weeds and the dandelions growing just outside the fence. 

You loved the sun, 

who wouldn’t? 

It brought warmth, life, peace and love, 

and thus, 

who would blame it for the fate of those who wandered too far? 

A simple dandelion who had only gazed at the sun from behind the fence wasn’t made for a life among the flowers, under the watchful eye of the sun. But still it looked. The roses stretched and giggled as they swayed gently in the wind, 

but the sun kept looking away. 

The garden was too pretty. The sun needed to see the ugly, to shine its light onto them too. It would feed on the darkness until it was full, and then it would retreat back into the garden to laugh and warm the flowers. 

The poor dandelion who had finally known warmth was abandoned. 

It hadn’t been dark enough to sustain the sun’s ever-growing want for ugly. Its warmth had brought out the taint, allowing the dandelion to thrive. 

It felt like a story from one of his old literacy classes in elementary school. Still,  It was true enough. Meeting Felix was like seeing the sun after an eternity of darkness and they were much like the sun and the dandelion, 

 only, 

Oliver was as ravenous for Felix’s warmth as Felix was for the darkness in him. Both of them tore and tore at each other to unveil more. It crumbled in their mouths like dust. 

But now the sun had found out the true nature of the dandelion, and for all the ugliness in the world it would not look at it. A flower in disguise, a lowly one but a flower nonetheless. Not pretty enough to line the garden beds or sprout from bushes, but not ugly enough to be torn from the root and thrown into the compost. 

Oliver stumbled through the party. His head pounded from the music, the spiked alcohol and the sweaty bodies that moved like giant waves. He was reeling. His hands shook, his eyes were red and his blood was cold as ice. 

It was his last night in the garden before the sun itself descended to burn him. 

Maybe the garden wasn’t an apt description after all. Perhaps his story was more like Icarus. Oliver had grown too bold in his want for Felix and had grown to love the feeling of burning too much to notice how close he got. He was cast from the heavens with the charred remains of his wings. Deformed and alone, he fell. The wounds on his back still weeping from when he stood in front of the Catton’s mirror and teared at his skin until his very bones were bared, until he bent and broke them to form his wings. The flaps of bruised skin stretched taut to give him flight, but had now been burnt to crisps. Flightless, he fell into the vast ocean of ravenous creatures who would do anything for Felix’s eyes to so much as pass over them – for them to be one of the crowd that he scoured for someone in. 

Venetia had warned him. ‘He never liked sharing his toys. Even the ones he doesn’t want to play with anymore.’ She would clothe herself in Daedalus’ colors but under the guise of care, she tempted him. Oliver would name her Circe, for he had given in, and had almost gotten caught. She would have him turned into a swine, just like Eddie. 

None of the guests knew who he was, so while her warning rang true, Oliver could never love another like he loved Felix. How could you compete with a bright burning star? By god, Oliver adored his sun, 

but you could never expect a sun to admire you back, 

but by god, Felix did. 

Did. Not anymore. The sun no longer shone for him. The rays reserved just for Oliver had turned cold like ice, like daggers they tore through his flesh until he was staggering, dazed and confused. Until all of Oliver that remained was a singular desire; find Felix. 

He stumbled past Venetia pressed up against one of the guests, and Harry who stared at her from across the room with red-rimmed eyes and full-blown pupils. The cold air hit him like a wall but he relished in it, it cleared his head, but made his heart hurt. He couldn’t stand the cold anymore. Felix was always warm. 

A hand dropped on his shoulder. It made him jump. 

“Hello Farleigh.” 

“How’d you know it was me?!” Farleigh pulled Oliver around to face him. His curls sprung free as he took off the donkey’s head. Oliver remembered how they felt in his hands, how it felt like silk slipping through his fingers. 

Oliver’s finger shook as he pointed at the ring Farleigh wore. “Signet ring.”

“God, you really do notice everything, don’t you?” 

Farleigh pulled out a baggy of white powder – cocaine–, shook it out on his hand before he snorted the messy line. The relief was visible. 

“Have they seen you yet?” Oliver asked. 

If Felix had seen Farleigh then maybe some of that anger could be shifted. Oliver hadn’t attempted to steal and sell family heirlooms. It wasn’t even that big a lie that his father had died, just a bit early. Eventually his father would lay buried in a grave. 

“Not yet.”

“They’ll go ballistic.”

“Doubt it.” Farleigh grinned. “They invited me.”

He laughed at the surprise Oliver felt. 

“God, the look on your face!”

“They can’t have invited you.”

“Oh, Oliver. You’ll never catch on. This place,” Farleigh gestured to the grounds and the house, and the party, perhaps even to Felix wherever he was waiting. “you know, it’s not for you. It is a fucking dream. It is an anecdote you’ll bore your fat kids with at Christmas. Oliver’s Once-In-A-Lifetime, hand job on a hay bale, golden, big boy summer. And you’ll cling onto it and comb over it and jerk off to it and you’ll wonder how you could ever, ever, ever, ever get it back.  But you don’t get it back because your summer’s over. And so you, you catch a train to whatever creepy doll factory it is they make Olivers in. And I come back here. This isn’t a dream to me. It’s my house. “ 

Farleigh bent down, grabbed Oliver by the neck and forced him to look Farleigh in the eyes. “So whatever happens – I always come back. Try harder next time, baby.”

He pulled away and put the donkey helmet back on before leaving Oliver alone, but Oliver doesn’t care. Felix just walked past with India, who was dressed as a fairy, wings and tiny green dress. Felix isn’t as an actor as Oliver, who doesn’t miss the downturn of his brows, or the tension in his face as his eyes catch Oliver’s. 

His heart sped up in his chest. A reaction! 

They enter the maze. Oliver didn’t move. He needed a plan. Last time he had lied, made himself small and helpless, a broken doll that was just so sad and pitiful you couldn’t throw it away. Like one from your childhood that you found and just had to fix. A bird with a broken wing being nursed back to health by a loving hand. But they were beyond those lies now. Peel back the layers of deceit, and what was left? What was Oliver when he was left bare, but average? One in the crowd. He wasn’t poor, wasn’t stupid to the point of amusement, or smart enough to rely on in uni, he wasn’t handsome enough to be desired, not deformed enough to be taken in by Felix. 

Felix’s family needed darkness. They fed on it. Without those lies Oliver was a skinny little fucking rat without a sliver of meat on his body. Felix had practically devoured Oliver when the sweet lies about his addict mum and his dead dad spilled from his lips. 

But they were just that,

lies, 

and Felix was left to regurgitate, to purge himself of Oliver. 

It was betrayal. It turned the moments they shared together black, the sweet words they uttered into tar that stuck in their throats.  

What Oliver had was the wrong sort of darkness. 

The sort that made him pour a baggy of powder down the throat of his champagne bottle. 

He was too drunk to navigate the maze. He’d have gotten lost were it not for the trail of bottles and clothing and dollar bills. Fitting. Princess Ariadne gave Theseus a ball of thread to escape the labyrinth after slaying the minotaur, but this thread? No. Rather it was the minotaur who had left the thread so that Theseus could find him. What was one’s biggest desire but to be seen? Oliver saw Felix in a way no others did. Theseus saw the Minotaur for the half-human it was; a creature born of pride and greed. Even if Felix didn’t understand it yet, he had left that trail for Oliver to find him. 

No. Oliver shuddered at even thinking Felix was like the minotaur. To liken the sun with a beast that feasts on human flesh? 

He was the half-human beast–  more beast than man. But he was not a creature born of greed or pride, but rather this is what he had become. With his lies his head had been torn, for Oliver was forgotten and the minotaur, shielded in lies, was born,  and it had been replaced, but unlike Farleigh’s helmet, it could not be removed. And now Felix saw him for what he was, 

and yet he still left a trail for the beast to follow. 

It’s the moans he heard first. It’s not Felix’s best work, Oliver thought as he leaned against the hedge. He takes a sip of the drink, and it almost burns as much as his heart. 

Almost. 

And he can’t bear the sight of them anymore. Connected. Pressed up against the statue. It was intentional, Oliver was sure. A show of power. A sacrifice. If Felix hadn’t wanted to be found he’d have hid somewhere else in the maze, and not in the center which he’d made sure Oliver knew how to find.

“Felix-”

Felix jumped. 

“Jesus Christ! What the fuck are you doing here?!"

“I need to talk to you.” His voice slurred. 

India hurried to put her fairy dress back on. One of the wings was bent. Felix buckled up his jeans and glared at Oliver. 

“Were you spying on us?” India shouted. 

“No. I wasn’t!”

India started moving toward the exit. “You know what, you two are fucking gross.”

Oliver noticed Felix didn’t watch her leave. 

“Fucking hell, mate.”

“I’m sorry." His words almost come out as a whimper. “I wasn’t-”

Oliver walked closer to Felix, desperation making his heart beat like a tattoo against his ribs. It’s fucking painful how every muscle in his body screams at him to move, how his skin itches for Felix’s touch. Like an addict. 

“No. What the fuck is wrong with you, Oliver? Leave me the fuck alone!” 

Oliver shook his head. Some champagne spilled over his hand. “No. We need to talk.”

He tried to grab Felix’s hand but the man just scoffed and stared as his hand fell. 

“We can’t… We can’t, are you fucking crazy?”

“You can’t just throw me away.” Oliver walked closer, undeterred. 

Felix pushed him back. Oliver almost begged him to do it again, if only to feel his hands on his chest. It’s like a soothing balm, but the pain returns two-fold when the touch leaves. 

“Get the fuck away from me.”

Oliver staggered but something inside him broke. He flew forward and grabbed Felix by the shirt and pressed himself as close he could. Words were on his tongue, but Felix just smelled so good and familiar that it all fell away. The side of his face rested against his chest, but then the rot took root again. 

“Look, I just gave you what you wanted. Like everyone else does! Everyone puts on a show for Felix. So, I’m sorry if my performance wasn’t good enough.”

Felix was tense in his hold. “I think… I think you need to see someone. You need help, okay? Seriously."

“No. No, I don’t. I just need you to understand how much I fucking love you. You’re the only friend I’ve ever had, Felix. I mean, doesn’t this just prove how much of a good friend I actually am? How well I actually know you! I’m still the same person! Yeah? I’m still the same person!”

Felix looked at him then. The wilted flower forced the sun to look at it. To see. 

“I don’t know what you are. But I do know you make my fucking blood run cold.”

There was silence. 

Maybe it was then that Oliver finally understood that they could never come back from the betrayal. There wasn’t a way that they could walk out of that maze together. They wouldn’t go back to uni. Felix wouldn’t kiss him on the forehead, wouldn’t rest an arm over the back of his chair, or tell his friends off when they made fun of him. 

Didn't Felix see that Oliver did it all for him? That he'd bend until his spine broke so that he might have one more glance?

“I see.” He sniffled. “That’s okay.”

It wasn’t.

But it would be. 

Oliver wasn’t a fucking dandelion, or Icarus, or the Minotaur or Theseus. They didn’t carry the rot he did. The darkness. This wasn’t a story of bravery, of a daring escape, or a beast by others' makings. Oliver was like Tantalus. He fed Felix lie after lie and now he had been caught and sentenced to a life of being forced to watch Felix from afar. A curse worse than death. Each day he would suffer through seeing what he had, what he had lost. 

But Oliver refused to be like Tantalus, 

he wouldn’t allow himself to be banished to Tartarus, starving in a pool of water below a bountiful tree with low hanging branches. 

How would the garden thrive without the sun? 

Oliver took another sip of the champagne, still holding Felix to him. Felix wouldn’t give Oliver anything, so Oliver took. And he had taken and taken until Felix was hollow. But he wanted more. He would have all of Felix. Even the bones. 

The alcohol is bitter in his mouth. 

Then, in a daring move, he stepped ever closer and pressed his lips to Felix’s. Felix froze and tried to pull away but there was nowhere to go. The statue pressed to his back, Oliver to his front. But Oliver wasn’t deterred. His lips slanted over Felix. It was sloppy, poor form, but when he felt the slightest movement from Felix it felt like heaven. 

A burst of wind sweeping through his broken wings. 

Felix’s lips moving against Oliver’s lips were soft, unsure. Not shy, never shy. He allowed himself to be guided by Oliver. But then it changed. Felix’s movements were more forceful, a hard press of teeth and lips against Oliver to the point where his lips bled. Blood and champagne mixed between them. Tongues battled against each other. Oliver pulled back, allowing Felix to take his place as the one in charge. 

Relief filled him. 

His muscles shook with the effort to hold himself up. Even Felix began struggling. 

And then they fell. 

Perhaps it wasn’t like anything Oliver had thought of. 

Perhaps the truest version of their story is something in between. Something between Theseus and the minotaur and Juliet and Romeo. An alternative universe where Theseus fell for the minotaur, 

and the minotaur fell for him too. 

Taglist:

@fedyascoffin

[cristate-tsuzuku]

[redyrmes]

hhh designing colourzas in the year of out lord 2024 and i have sO MUCH to say about them,, spent the last few days assigning each of them a wingless + winged animal and ended up with this (also! the not underlined animals are the ones not explicitly used in their designs)

ill put my notes about them all under the cut because theres a lot but the big ones are:

- blueza and redza twin propaganda cos theyre the only hooved animals here

- grayzas winged bird is the only flightless one because i thought that would be funny, also the name is just so ominous for no reason which i also thought would be funny

-yellowza is so difficult to find animals for but i settled on peacock pansy butterfly because peacocks are fancy n stuff and hes fancy n stuff, but peacocks are purple, so the yellow bug equivalent is the best i can do for him. I have yet to decide on a winged animal for him lol..also hes sucha bug to me, ik hes canonically a bird but hes such a bug. however if he was a bird he would be a birds of paradise bird, absolutely, no questions asked

anyway heres more notes i wrote down a few days ago

bugs- |||

bats- | (rip redza hes alone)

birds- |||| (counting phil)

sidenote purplezas, redzas and bluezas animals are the only ones that dont match their colours and are neutral colours instead

—Redza is the only bat because he’s the first one who existed i think. also because his vibes match bats and nobody else matches bats but i gotta make it Lore. also he’s one of the only two hoofed+wingless animals, along with blueza, because redza blueza twin propaganda..and hes an ibex instead of anything else because i think the long, straight horns suit him better than others. there was also like. the addax, eland, oryx, ect but i decided goat > antelope because goats are smaller and more gremliny + association with the devil or somthin?? also he gets a funny little goatee

—Orangeza is a red fox bcos fox = cunning n smart idk….and that species because of its orange fur, pretty simple not given much thought but thats okay, it matches him pretty well i think. also i hc that one of his front moth wings (the brown ones, they cover the orange wings) got damaged so he patched it up with orange something because more orange and haha inventor guy fixes things you know. its okay i don’t either

-Yellowza was gonna be a longhorn beetle but they’re too orange. then a bumblebee but he’s not. he’s not a bee. but i finally settled on peacock pansy because peacocks are like. fancy n shit but he cant be a peacock because they’re purple, so yellow butterfly version is the next best thing. ALSO ik hes like canonically a bird and stuff,but MAN. HES JUST A BUG TO ME. but if he was a bird he would absolutely be a birds of paradise bird because Yes. honorable mention to the great tailed grackle.

his wingless animal was a STRUGGLE and i have yet to pick it hahaskmb….also i characterize him as a material girl instead of cheery optimist because there are enough cheery optimists 

—Blueza was the easiest to decide lmao, he’s just a deer. either that or a moose, but deer are more gentle also thats like canon so yeah..white tailed deer 🦌 oh holy shit deer emojiand redza blueza twin propaganda, he’s one of the only two hoofed wingless animals here yesyes

his winged animal had to be a bird, preferable a dove because symbolism and whatnot right? he got mourning dove because fluffy lad + theres no white doves in the wild so i cant make him a white dove. probably going to draw him with whiter wings though to match his colour pallet haha, i dunno i haven’t really given him much thought

—it was so difficult to decide if Purpleza was a bird or a bug but i ended up with bird, because he’s a fluffy guy not a bug guy? and then choosing a bird was pain because theres so many pretty purple birds i really like but he’s more of a black bird, emo ass mfer

couldn’t make him a crow, raven felt off, considered grackles bcos they have purple wing shine whatever its called but they’re too social skdhdkfgngcn..solitary caciques had a good chance because they’re black birds that are very antisocial, literally purpleza. BUT I eventually decided on purple honeycreeper because they’re dark purple with black wings, and hang out in small groups with other species of birds, i think that speaks for itself.

and cat because cat

-might change the wingless animal of Pinkza idk axolotl feels too easy? but the only other guys i have are like. naked mole rat and pink dolphin and i cant implement those in a way that makes sense in my head LOL

and he’s a butterfly right, the pink rose butterfly really suits him i think but not his light color pallet. the other pink butterflies don’t suit him really, and the pink moths all have yellow which no. but then i found the pink orchid mantis. who is so soft and gentle looking, but uses its soft and pretty appearance to kill. so yknow the second i saw it i was like yup. pinkza

—Grayza (greyza?? i forgot sob) is the only flightless colorza, i thought it would be funny cos he’s this eldritch horror but he’s the only land bound one haha, also ayem cemani is death omen chicken in my head. and for his flightless animal, he’s a snake he’s very much a snake what do you want from me he’s just a snake

anmd i don’t want to think about whiteza until im done with these dont make me think about whiteza

[anarchy-and-piglins]

Random bird facts! (Mostly about birds from my country cause that's all I really know but they're really weird birds here so you get some neat facts!) . My country's airforce mascot is the Kiwi bird. A very well known, FLIGHTLESS bird. Which I will never not find funny. . When we were trying (and failing) to do a flag design referendum, one of the actual flags proposed was a clip art and ms paint rendition of a Kiwi bird with laser beams being shot out of its eyes. Sadly, that option did not make it to the final voting stage. But it got close. . Kiwi birds lay a single egg that is roughly about 2/3rds of its total body mass. The thing is MASSIVE for it's size! How it doesn't kill the bird is still a mystery. . Kiwi bird feathers are very similar to fur, they have WHISKERS, they take up the same evolutionary niche of most rodents, and their nostrils are at the tip of their beak rather than the base like most other birds. The point of the nostrils being there is to help them sniff out little grubs and fruits in the leaf litter on the forest floor, but it also has proven useful during floods as they will simply flip their beak up like a snorkle and bob their way to dry ground. They're not great at swimming but they are great at floating. . Kiwi birds are nocturnal and watching them play on trail cams and nightvision cams is incredibly entertaining, they are so goofy, highly recommend. . Most of my country's birds are flightless as the islands they live on were mostly predator free until the introduction of humans. Due to the isolation, they all ended up evolving to take up a lot of evolutionary niches that would normally be filled by other animals. We have birds that are very similar to rodents and we used to have bird that took up the grazing/hunting niche that looked like massive ostriches called Moas, they most likely hunted smaller birds and grazed on ferns and grasses, and the only thing that dared to hunt them before humans was a giant fuck off eagle that was known as the largest eagle in earth's history called the Haast eagle. Sadly they both went extinct but we still have viable dna stored in labs so....could possibly bring them back? Maybe? Not sure if that's a good idea as they probably wouldn't do well with humans.

. We have the world's only alpine parrot! The Kea! They're our equivalent to crows as they are just as intelligent, but like if a crow had a knife and knew how to use it cause Keas have massive beaks and no fear of humans and have been recorded tearing open CARS to get inside because they saw something they wanted. Tourists are often told to NOT feed the Keas and keep all shiny objects and food hidden in the trunk of the car so the Keas won't see it through the windshield because they CAN and WILL destroy your car/purse/vehicle/bags/etc... to get what they want. They are not actively malicious btw, they're just like toddlers with inhuman strength and no sense of boundaries. They're very curious and playful, again they're very similar to crows and ravens, and they love playing in the snow! . We also have Kaka's, the Keas slightly more shy and better behaved cousin. Only slightly though. I got bit by one who saw I hid a bag of chips in my backpack and it landed on me to try and undo the sipper on it so I wrapped my arms around the bag to hold it shut and it literally looked at me and slowly pinched my arm with it's beak while staring at me like "open the bag, OPEN THE BAG! I want treats!!! How dare!" Didn't break skin but still, little guy was basically threatening to eat me if I didn't give my chips.

. Kakapo are our super endangered flightless parrots that look like fuzzy green melons I swear. There's been attempts to try and get them repopulated but unfortunately, unlike the Kea and Kaka, Kakapo are very....stupid when it comes to reproducing and I will not say more.

. We have giant fucking pigeons called Kereru and they are notoriously bad at flying to the point there are warning signs on roads near where they live that warn drivers of them potentially falling out of the sky.

. The majority of our birds are named after Pokemon naming conventions! As in Pokemon are named after the sound they make, and our birds are too! If you listen to their songs or the sounds they make (such as with the Kereru, it's mostly quiet but it has a whistle feather that makes a sound when it flies which is the sound it's named for) they sound very similar to their names! I think it's cool!

. We have burrowing penguins.

OH THESE ARE WONDERFUL!

I actually knew quite a bit about the Kiwi bird because I did a presentation on them in middle school for some reason (we all had to pick an animal and I was a weird kid I guess) but I love the bird facts :D thank you!

[magnetothemagnificent]

Conversion student here with a random question/debate topic

Would penguins be considered kosher?

Obviously, they’re not in the list of non-kosher birds, but they give off a less-than-kosher vibe.

What about other flightless birds? I don’t know much about ostriches and emus, but they seem like birds that would be considered dores (I would personally include the ability to bludgeon other creatures to death as something that feels decidedly non-kosher).

Back on penguins, are they closer to other swimming kosher birds (e.g ducks) or other flightless non-kosher birds?

I haven’t seen it specifically mentioned, but I can feel it in my bones that more than one rabbi has devoted a significant amount of time and energy into this topic

No, penguins are not kosher.

Why?

Well, first we understand which birds are kosher by which birds aren't on the list of non-kosher birds in the Tanakh, which are:

-Eagle

-Vulture

-Black vulture

-Kite

-All falcons

-All ravens

-Ostrich

-Nighthawk

-Seagull

-All hawks

-Little owl

-Cormorant

-Great owl

-White owl

-Pelican

-Bustard

-Storks

-All herons

-Hoopoe

-Bat (yes a bat isn't scientifically a bird but the word used in the Tanakh is "הָע֔וֹף", which technically translates as "those who fly")

The Mishnah elaborates that a kosher bird is one that:

-Is not a bird-of-prey

-Has an extra/elongated toe

-Has a crop

-Has a "peelable" gizzard (has a layer of skin in the gizzard that can be peeled by hand)

-Doesn't split its toes when standing on a string (doesn't put two in front and two behind) (like how a parrot perches, so parrots aren't kosher)

Additionally, in practice, which birds are kosher are those that have a Mesorah (tradition) of being kosher. So, kosher birds are generally those in the Phasianidae family (although the Mesorah of eating peafowl has been shaky, so generally most Jews won't eat peafowl), the Anatidae family, and the Columbidae family. Most commonly eaten birds today are: Chicken, Turkey, Goose, Duck, Pigeon, Quail, and Pheasant. Turkeys are kosher even though they are flightless New World birds with no Mesorah because they've attempted to mate with chickens and are similar enough to other pheasant-like birds, and because they meet the qualifications of a kosher bird. Although still, some Jews won't eat turkeys. The Shulchan Aruch also established that if a bird has a long-standing Mesorah of being kosher, then even if it's missing one qualification, it's still kosher .(geese don't have crops, for example).

So, penguins aren't kosher because:

-They hunt

-They have a really tiny hallux

-They don't have a crop

-There's absolutely no Mesorah of them being kosher and they're in no way similar to kosher birds

And as for ostriches, they're already in the list of non-kosher birds.

Now, if you really want to have a debate, talk to your fellow students and Rabbi about why turkeys are/aren't considered kosher because hoo boy is it a debate starter haha

[deusvervewrites]

Elementalist X Draconic Hero - East, regarding the 'multiple forms' idea draconic-soul had, and my own 'combining appearances for multi-element forms' idea:

Lava Dragon [Earth + Fire]; Very, very large worm, with stumpy limbs (four fore-limbs, two hind-limbs); constantly glowing with heat. Possibly blind?

Swamp Dragon [Water + Earth]; Retains Earth's rather bulky form, though is slightly sleeker; covered in mottled brown/dark green scales as camouflage, large spinosaurus-like fin along back. Vaguely crocodile-like head.

Smoke Dragon [Fire + Air]; First and foremost: bird. Most similar to an Australian Raven; pitch-black scales and feathers, two sets of wings, serrated beak and claws.

(this next one's more of a hypothetical, as a possible 'three-element dragon')

Glass Dragon(?) [Air + Earth + Fire]; Entirely clear, naturally. Entirely geometric form, more like if you had to make a dragon out of various platonic solids than an actual creature. Has wings, yet entirely flightless.

Interesting!