cristate-tsuzuku · 2 years ago
Text
Tumblr media
27 notes · View notes
cyanide-sippy-cup · 11 months ago
Text
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.
107 notes · View notes
somanypolls · 7 months ago
Text
i did my best to include lots of birds. sorry if i missed your favorite or miscategorized it! i am no bird expert
6K notes · View notes
rochenn · 8 months ago
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
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
683 notes · View notes
sinful-lanterns · 4 months ago
Note
So for Griffin! Langley and/or Fallen Angel! Shalom or any bird-like/winged monster girl sinners... DO they like sometimes, fuck the reader when flying or in the air? Cuz I can totally see them doing that to put on a show that the other monster girl sinners be unable to reach them and be jealous.
Oh they totally do 😏
I’d say Griffin! Langley and Tengu! Raven are the ones who are most guilty of this, as they both exhibit cocky behaviors and pride themselves in wanting to “show off” how they could please their mate to others.
It serves quite a purpose in making the flightless monster women jealous, as they maneuver you middair to be displayed in a way where you’re fucked for all to see. It’s arousing for all the monster girls watching down on land, but also frustrating because they can’t have access to you and the sight of your naked pussy being thrusted into in the air, is enough to get the majority of them growling.
Best bet that the moment Langley or Raven set you back down on land, the other monsters are scrambling to snatch you up for themself like a treat being lowered in a cage…
70 notes · View notes
ithaquakisser · 2 years ago
Text
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...)
Tumblr media
Tumblr media
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.
593 notes · View notes
thestuffedalligator · 1 year ago
Text
272 notes · View notes
cr0w-28 · 2 months ago
Note
Can you draw Scarecrow with a crow please :3
Tumblr media
when your dad is always covered in hay, nesting material is never in low supply!
Jon has a bunch of ravens and crows, most of them have known him their entire lives. They love the weird flightless member of their flock
34 notes · View notes
brother-kaelan · 2 months ago
Text
Space Marine Husbandry AU - Aethon
Next
Content Warning/Trigger Warning:
Blood
Summary:
Brother Captain Aethon finds himself in the middle of a forest, confused and disoriented he does what he does best.
Flightless Bird
He woke up feeling cold, freezing actually. He checked himself for injuries quickly and found a a few fresh wounds on his back. The blood was starting to coagulate but blood loss did tend to make one cold. That or the snow around him. He looked up and groaned, he was in a small clearing in a forest. The sky was hidden by clouds of heavy snow.
He quickly tried voxing anyone around but the snow must have been interfering with the comms because he couldn't make much sense of the answer he got. He sat up and started breathing slower. No use in panicking, not that Astartes panicked anyways, but he needed to be as still as possible to avoid making his injuries worse, along with potentially making himself an easier target for predators.
He wasn't aware of how long he waited in the snow before a group of ultramarines, accompanied by a night Lord apothecary, found him. He looked a bit wary at the arrival of the bunch of them but legion squabbles had no place here.
"Identify yourself." The order from the ultramarine felt weird to the Raven guard but he obliged, not wanting to cause a scene
"I'm Captain Aethon Ironclaw, of the 2nd company of the Raven Guard, sir"
They all looked at each other, as if questioning the veracity of his words.
"Follow us, Brother Aethon, we have much to discuss"
23 notes · View notes
strixcattus · 7 months ago
Text
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.
33 notes · View notes
proton-wobbler · 1 year ago
Text
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.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
155 notes · View notes
cristate-tsuzuku · 2 years ago
Text
Tumblr media
11 notes · View notes
detective-inspector-her · 3 months ago
Note
Please write more I need to know more about it fr
Like, when skug learns how to fly in book 4 can he use his wings again?? I have so many thoughts 👀👀👀👀👀👀
He can't use his wings, he's doing the same thing as in canon, using the air. If he's feeling fancy or extra he'll make those airwalls that we never see again and create them around his wings, flying with those. But his wings still make creaking sounds and no one can work with him when he does that.
On other notes:
Also, Ghastly has the wings of an eagle, but has a lot of habits that come from Bowerbirds. Tanith is a Nightjar, one of the stealthiest birds in the world, but she was raised alongside a lot of different types of wings so she has a few flight patterns that don't line up with her species.
Teleporters are Flightless birds, Fletcher is an Emu. I was debating between a Kiwi or an Emu but decided Emu was funnier.
Anton is a Shoebill. Those birds frighten me. I thought it was an animatronic the first time I saw one. So he gets to be in the scary bird category.
Hopeless was a Snowy Owl. Larrikin was a White Bellbird. Meritorious was a White-tailed Sea Eagle. Solomon is a Raven.
Nefarian is a Black Eagle, but one of his wings is damaged due to his attack on Mevolent before he left the palace so he's flightless like Skulduggery. To him, losing his flight was worse than losing his hand. Losing the hand was bad for him because he'd already lost his most treasured aspect and then it got worse. Valkyrie tries to patch it up like she did his hand but it doesn't work as well.
Emmeline Darkly is a Great Horner Owl. Caddock Sirroco is a Bougainville crow. Omen is a crow while Auger is an owl.
Never is an Ostrich.
Dexter is an Osprey. Scrapegrace is a King Vulture. (credit to @billygaysanguine for that) Saracen is a Goose.
Mevolent is an evil swan who acts like one as well.
I'm already obsessing over this AU and will likely be dwelling on it for a while so anyone can ask any question and I will answer it :]
13 notes · View notes
wyvern-feathers · 18 days ago
Text
Danganronpa Tickle Monster AU!
Welcome one and all to this brain child of mine!! Each cast member is a tickle monster ofc, each one based on real-life animals! Some have extra body parts, a lot of them have funky colors, and some of them even have magical abilities! I will admit, some of them are a little more on the basic side, if only because I can't picture some of them with complicated monster forms.
Also! Imagine, if you will, that each of these descriptions also applies to a sort of hybrid form where animalistic features appear on their fully human bodies.
Without further ado, let's get into it!!!
Trigger Happy Havoc
Aoi Asahina - Light blue otter the size of a golden retriever with duck feathers on the tip of her tail and downy feathers around her unsharpened claws
Byakuya Togami - Golden blonde lion with a large pair of ivory feathered wings, dulled claws and teeth, three lion tails that can grow on command
Celestia Ludenberg - Black and white Persian cat the size of a jaguar, has a collar decorated with the four card suits in red and black and two tails that can grow on command
Chihiro Fujisaki - Tawny and cream ferret with a tech collar full of tools attached to thin metallic arms
Kiyotaka Ishimaru - White Shiba Inu with dulled claws and teeth, extra fluffy tail
Komaru Naegi - Brownish green and white Boston terrier with an extra long and fluffy tail, small flightless brownish green wings
Kyoko Kirigiri - Lavender-colored raven the size of an eagle, two pairs of wings, dulled talons, can use tools
Leon Kuwata - Red lion with extra long mane fur and two long tails, dulled claws and teeth
Makoto Naegi - Jack Russell terrier with six limbs and extra fluffy paws
Mondo Owada - Golden orange tiger with black stripes and three tails, dulled claws and teeth
Sakura Ogami - Light pink polar bear with dulled claws and slightly longer and softer fur
Sayaka Maizono - Blue songbird with musical magic; each note and call is a different tool or spot on the body, causing the sensation to tickle wherever the magic is directed
Toko Fukawa - Purple tabby cat with two tails and bat’s wings lined with fur, dark grey collar with a small bronze bell to summon small quills
Yasuhiro Hagakure - Dark brown Komondor dog with six legs and an extra long tail, always has sunflowers mottled throughout the fur
Super Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
Akane Owari - Very playful brown bear with six limbs, dulled teeth and claws, and a ton of energy
Chiaki Nanami - Pale pink and cream panda with access to magic used by drawing symbols in the air with her dulled claws, this magic includes light restraints, ticklish sensations, and teasing telepathy
Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu - Blonde Japanese wolf with dulled claws and two long and fluffy tails
Gundham Tanaka - A group of about 10 hamsters with dulled claws and teeth, one being slightly bigger than the rest (leader of the pack); the leader hamster has Gundham’s hair color as its fur pattern with a small scrap of cloth for a scarf
Hajime Hinata - Brown-blonde wolf with medium feathered wings
Ibuki Mioda - Very energetic macaw, pink and dark teal with cream accents, long and fancy feathers on tail and tips of wings, can mimic human speech and teases
Izuru Kamukura - Large black dire wolf with long fur and access to many forms of magic
Kazuichi Souda - Bright pink beaver with dulled teeth and uses magic with slaps of his tail, summoning little tickle machines
Mahiru Koizumi - Red cat with six limbs and small hummingbird wings
Mikan Tsumiki - Medium-sized purple rabbit with long lop ears and extra soft fur
Nagito Komaeda - All-white snow leopard with three tails, each tail ends in a large clover-shaped feather, dulled claws
Nekomaru Nidai - Large dark teal dire bear with six limbs and dulled claws
Peko Pekoyama - Light grey Borzoi with slender wings and a red collar with a silver bell that, when rung, reveals ticklish spots to Peko's eyes only
Sonia Nevermind - Light blonde lioness with extra soft fur + dulled claws and an emerald pendant that magically summons tools and fancy gloved hands
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony
Angie Yonaga - A pure white lamb with two small pairs of rainbow watercolor feathered wings
Gonta Gokuhara - A large spectacled bear with dull claws and eight limbs
Himiko Yumeno - A tiger cub that’s maroon with dark grey stripes, has a little magic in the form of duplication, up to three total cubs including the original
Kiibo - Robotic dog with many panels across his body that tools and little robo hands can come out of
Kaede Akamatsu - Pink Highland cow with a golden cowbell that jingles to use magic
Kaito Momota - Purple wolf with white flecks (stars), extra soft fur around muzzle and paws
Kirumi Tojo - Silver grey elk with a lacy ribbon around the neck that can grow longer on command to hold and restrain as well as tickle
Kokichi Ouma - Purple fennec fox with a checkerboard scarf that holds many small tools that Kokichi can hold in his teeny mouth to use
Korekiyo Shinguuji - Dark mossy green maned wolf with very long fur and dulled claws
Maki Harukawa - Maroon panther with dulled claws and a cluster of feathers on the end of her tail
Miu Iruma - Light pink hare with a steampunk collar that holds many robotic arms with gloved hands and tools attached to the end
Rantaro Amami - Large light green fox, has a small necklace with a crystal that can magically sense a person's giggle spots
Ryoma Hoshi - Small dark blue and black cat with dulled claws and an extra furry tail
Shuichi Saihara - Dark blue and dark grey beagle with extremely soft fur, black collar with a small silver circle charm that activates magic which includes summoning ghostly tools and hands
Tenko Chabashira - Black/green wolf with a pink ribbon around the neck and a small bell that, when rung, makes all who hear it more ticklish for a small duration of time
Tsumugi Shirogane - Mainly blue with white and black splotches calico cat with three tails that can grow and shrink on command
7 notes · View notes
sunnylemonss · 26 days ago
Text
thank you @likemmmcookies for tagging meee
ok 5 songs i've been listening to recently:
knitting song by paris paloma (this one is so so beautiful)
never learn by good boy daisy, ft. the wrecks
bubble wrap by precious pepala
trading punches by friday pilots club
isle of flightless birds by twenty one pilots
i could give an essay on why i love each of these but instead i'll tag some friends: @ethan-elliott @handwrittenhello @arionawrites @iamannaish @tw0-ravens
9 notes · View notes
chibsandchill · 9 months ago
Text
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
26 notes · View notes