#it's MY fantasy and the dinos can ALL have feathers

[spadefish]

pics i've been doodling as warmups for work. Various wretched chickens

[a-random-fandom-friend]

hi I just saw your offer on the infodump blog about anatomy and biology

do you know anything about reptiles? I want to write a fantasy novel about dragons and I would like some fun facts about real-life reptiles to sprinkle in my writing. thanks a lot, have a good day!

Hello ! Sorry for the time it took to answer, I just moved city ^^

I ended up talking a LOT, so feel free to ask me about a specific subject I mentioned ! I started with the Bird Problem, then spoke about scales, shedding, courtship, reproduction and egg laying! Hope this helps you !

So ! First fun thing about Reptile : The term "Reptile" actually doesn't exist in science ! Because to have the group X, we need to say "Every specie of X is part of X group because it descends from one common ancestor". At some point there was One Wolf, grandpa of all wolves. There was One Whale. There was One Spider. There was One Mammal. But there never was One Reptile that was the grandparent of every reptile and only the reptile, and that is because the grandparent of lizards and snakes and dinosaurs and crocodiles and turtles... is also the grandpa of birds. So either "reptile" doesn't exist or... birds are reptiles ! They have the same bones and also have scales on their legs ! I much prefer the second way of looking at things : birds are just just... weird reptiles. So if you want some dragons species to have wings or even just decorative feathers, that's scientifically correct ! (many dino also had feathers ; feathers are actually suuuper modified scales) (and they're made of keratin)

Speaking of : There are species of reptiles that have no scales ! There are snake breeders that have engineered, through selective breeding, scale-less snakes - like ball python (T. It's a mutation that occurs in the wild too (Tho there is a big controversy around the practice of breeding for it, because the scales protect the snake and allow him to move more easily, so that's engineering snakes that would not survive well in the wild, and maybe have a reduced quality of life, even in captivity, because of their impeached movements ). Also by checking this info I just learned that snakes have overlapping scales formed on top of their skin, while crocodiles and turtles have scutes that ARE their skin and they do not overlap. You can decide how your dragons are !

Still scale/scute related : a lot of reptiles shed, or moult. It works by creating a new layer of scales under the current one, and once it's complete, the old one -which usually became too small for the reptile and is already stretched- detaches itself when the snake rubs on things. Some species, mostly snakes and some lizards and geckos, shed in big pieces, while in most reptiles it falls in flakes. Some species eat their shred to consume the keratin in it ! I know that humidity tends to help with shedding, and also getting stuck in a shed is very bad for reptiles : there is a scute over the eyes to protect it and if it doesn't fall, the reptile will not see much, plus if a reptile is caught up in its shed it could cut off circulation of the blood, since, well, it moults for a reason and its old shed is too small. Domestic reptiles tend to shed when they are well fed and comfortable, so not in a stress situation !

Some rapid fire informations that I don't know much about, but is common in most reptiles : slow metabolism (need long rest after eating, so tend to eat proportionally big things), cannot control their own body temperature (so they love to rest on hot, warm spots, like stones heated by the sun, or their enclosure's UV light), either predators or herbivores with a gastrolith (a stone in their stomach to crush the leaves that their lack of teeth left intact), and they have one single orifice for pee, poop and egg laying, which is called Cloaca. Oh and last fact : When a crocodilian is propped on it hands, head tilted upward, eyes closed and mouth open in a smile... They are actually SUPER STRESSED. They are being super tense and showing off their teeth. A relaxed crocodilian will look like Flat Fuck Friday : not a single tense muscle in that body.

Now, my favourite part : How they reproduce :D

For, almost all species, the reproductive organs are internal and come out only in period of reproduction (the exception is the tuarara, the Aotearoa/ New Zealand lizard, who doesn't have any organ at all). So it can be hard to determine in an individual is male or female, if there aren't any other physical differences (change in size, or colour, or even body form between the two sexes). Crocodiles and turtles have one penis, while snake and geckos have two (called hemipenes). The penis hole is hidden between two scales when the penis doesn't come out ! (the male tuarara just presses its hole to the female's hole)

Really cool fact : Aspidoscelis neomexicanus is a specie of lizard that is EXCLUSIVELY FEMALE and only reproduce by... basically cloning the mom's DNA and using that to create an egg ! It is called Parthenogenesis, and a lot of other animals can do it (an unfertilized egg give birth to an individual) : reptiles like the Komodo dragon, insects, fishes, birds... Tho it has its cost : there is a very reduced genetic diversity which means they are less resistant to environmental change. Which is why, to most species that are able to do it, it is more of a last resort than the main way their reproduce. But there are 25 lizards species and one of snake which are uni-sexual ! There is just no male in the specie ! Isn't that incredible ?

Above : a female A. neomexicanus ! (picture by Kit Bezy) But yeah most reptiles still need to be 2 to reproduce. One get on top of the other, or on the side of the other, and boom boom boom boom. To do that they need to attract a mate, however, and reptiles have SO MANY different way of doing it. Some snake get like 50 males in a big ball around a female when she's receptive (up to 30 000 for the Red Sided Garther Snake, which is a bit excessive if you ask me), some chameleon change colours, some have horns that grow, turtles need to shake their head or flutter their fingers, the draco (flying lizards) have brightly coloured throat fans, crocodiles make a lot of sound (and in 2010, some responded to noises made by sonic planes !), the Gharial make ultrasounds so the water along its back will dance, the Eastern Fence Lizard contorts itself to really really show that it has a blue belly, that's not even talking about the birds who can literally decorate a nest with objet of one colour, pick flowers, let themselves free fall several dozens of meters, dance, sing, offer food... They also tend to use pheromones, either to attract a mate (the female in those big balls of snakes, for example) or to stimulate the good reception of the sperm. In some species the males can fight for the right to access the female, like turtle headbutting each other, or male sea-turtle trying to bite the male mid-reproduction. In garther snakes, the male deposit a plug at the end of the fuck so that no other man can access it. So, honestly do whatever you like with the courtship of your dragons.

Reptiles can lay eggs OR give live birth : Boas and most vipers give birth to younglings, and so does a specie of chameleon, lizard called skinks, and at least one aquatic dinosaur. Tho (at least for the non-dinosaurs) they still lay eggs : they are ovoviviparous, meaning they lay egg inside of a special cavity inside of them, and they keep the laid eggs inside until they hatch, and at this point the hatched babies exit their mom. So it looks like they give birth to live younglings when in reality they produce eggs! Most reptiles lay eggs directly, meaning it's an egg that leaves the mom. Some with hard shells, most soft shells, and some snake emit a kind of glue that binds all the eggs together in a little mountain. I know that for snakes you must NOT turn an egg once it's been laid ! Because the development of the correct body parts in the correct order depends on the egg orientation. To exit the eggs, the youngs have a little tooth on the front of their mouth, which is really cute ! it falls later in life.

(Picture by Twin City Reptiles)

For some reptiles, the sex of the youngling is not dependent on their genetic, but on their environment ! For example, in some turtles if the egg is incubated above a certain temperature, it will be female, but under that temperature it will be male ! Another form of temperature dependent sex determination is : "There is a reduced range of temperatures at which male will hatch, and any higher or lower that this range, females will hatch" (that's the case in all crocodiles, and some lizards and geckos, and even other turtles). For both methods, if the egg is incubated at the middle temperature, it can hatch as either one or the other, and very rarely as intersex. To achieve different temperatures the parents can, for example, bury the eggs in the sand (near the surface it's hot but deep down it's colder), or bury them in some leaves (near the top it's cold but closer to the earth and surrounded by the other eggs it's warmer). Of course, this isn't the case for all reptiles, but it is a pretty cool fact ! (and it was discovered by a woman in 1966, so that's cool too)

More rapid fire that i did not know where to put : Crocodilians have a lot of strength to close their mouth, the most powerful bite of the animal kingdom, but not a lot of strength to open it. So to prevent biting, animal rescuers duck tape their mouth shut and it's enough! You decide if the bite of your dragons are especially strong. Also a lot of species or reptiles are venomous but most rent, and some are even more dangerous, like the boa that constrict around its pray and crushes it. Snake exit their tongues to "taste" the air (well, collect the chemical around them, then bring them in the mouth where the taste organs are) but rapid tongue flips means stress ! And finally, the study of reptiles is called Herpetology.

I apologize if I made a lot of errors (english isn't my first language) and don't hesitate to come ask me to elaborate on a particular subject ! Have a good day !

[wuxiaphoenix]

Worldbuilding: Yi qi and Otherwise

Okay, so. Dinosaurs. And fossils in general. Great inspiration for the weird and varied ways life has actually existed on Earth in the past, and thus a source of info for building more plausible monsters.

...Mostly plausible.

Never in a million years would I have expected something like Yi qi actually existed. A sort of bat-winged, somewhat gliding dinosaur, that the most current reconstruction work suggests both flapped and gilded; half bat-like, half flying squirrel.

(I can hear AtLA fans squealing, “Lemur!” Well, kind of. Only with feathers and a very sharp beak.)

I’m honestly wondering what kind of nest it would have built. Flat like a classic bird’s nest? A bundle of twigs and fluff like a squirrel? Something else?

What really struck me about the reconstruction, though, was “wow that has an uncanny resemblance to European dragon wings.”

At least, if you leave off the feathers. Granted, the kind of fossilizing conditions that preserved the wing membranes should have also preserved feathers. But legends change over time, especially when most of your words for “dragon” are related to “giant snake/worm”. And some European dragons did have feathers.

There are plenty of folklorists who argue that dragons are just a shorthand for “powerful forces we don’t understand”. Okay, maybe. But people need images to describe what we don’t know, and those could come from anything we see. Including stone bones.

Don’t just think of this for inspiring fantasy and SF, either. I recently ran across a picture of “fairy coins”; fossil crinoids in England, that break apart into starfish/pentagram shapes. I’m no Lovecraft expert, but given all the weird radial-symmetry aliens he had in his horror, I wonder if those are the original “star-stones”, meant to keep uncanny things at bay.

Well, most uncanny things. Necromancers should have a field day with fossils. And any spell or magical creation that works with bits of animals should stand a chance of working with the stone ones. And while we may never be able to recreate actual dinosaurs, some fossils preserve physical details and trace proteins, information we might be able to take together with some bird DNA to make... interesting animals.

Okay, that’s the SF version of the Mad Sorcerer drenching ordinary animals in an Evil Potion to create monsters. These stories last for reasons!

Which leads me back to Yi qi, and the world I’m trying to build. (And why writers should read widely.) I picked up the Kindle sample of Weird Dinosaurs because, well. Dinosaurs. I wasn’t expecting anything related to my story. After all, like most people I’d heard of feathered dinosaurs from “somewhere in China” back around the turn of the century. I hadn’t heard where.

Yi qi was found in Hebei. Related feathered dinos have been found there and in Outer Mongolia, North Korea, and Liaoning Province.

AKA large chunks of what was Jurchen and Goryeo territory. Ansi Fortress is right in the middle of there.

As in, the reality-warping microbes I have in mind would have access to plenty of myths, bones, and proteins if they wanted to make dragon-bird-other monsters. Wow.

Not to mention with Archaeopteryx and relations over in Germany, we should also have Western dragons covered.

Fossils are cool! Throw the beasts into even more fiction!

[nightowlfandom]

Noctis Lucis Caelum- Anything For You

CHECK OUT MY MASTERLIST HERE!

More Final Fantasy content....YYYYYYAAAAYY

Leggo

...

“Good girl.” you smiled as the yellow feathered Chocobo ate from your hand. “Eat up, you need your energy.” you scratched the top of her head as she squawked gratefully.

“Y/N are you still here?” the farmhand, Faye emerged from the stables to find you. “Do you not have any other plans?”

“Trust me.” you began to laugh. “I’d much rather scoop up giant bird poops than deal with my personal life right now...or lack thereof.”

“Well isn’t that somethin- Is that the crown prince I see?” she looked past you which made you follow her eyes. “It is?! Prince Noctis on my Chocobo farm. Quick! How do I look?” 

“Like a farmer.” you laughed in reply. “Perhaps get the shit off your boots.”

“Damnit! I should have worn my new ones.” She began wiping the bottoms of her shoes against the grass. 

“Faye, he’s just a prince. I don’t know what’s so great about him anyways.” you rolled your eyes. “He seems like an asshole from what I’ve seen of him.”

“You’ve never even met him.” she put her hands on her hips. “Maybe you’ll like him!”

“Sure, whatever you say, Faye.”  you laughed. “That’ll happen.”

...

“Ugh why are we here anyways?” Noctis rolled his eyes as Ignis pulled up to the famous Chocobo farm.

“Because!” Prompto snapped in reply. The blond male didn’t even wait for the car to fully stop before he jumped out. “The eggs are supposed to be hatching today and I want to be the first to capture a picture of those featherless faces!”

“Of course.” he scoffed. Noctis liked Chocobos, sure. He just didn’t think an idea of a good Saturday morning was to spend the day at a bunch of dirty, smelly, stables, for a bunch of unhatched eggs no less. “Great.”

“I suggest you fix your face, the farmhand is here.” Gladio grunted, hopping out of the car. “Wouldn’t want to hurt her feelings.”

“Whateve-” Noctis turned his head towards the loud squawking when his eyes landed on you. You were feeding a random Chocobo while talking to that farmgirl who ran the stables. “Woah.” he felt his heart flutter. Who were you?! He heard you laugh from where he was and felt his heart stop. Your laugh, it was beautiful.

“Yo? Who is that girl?” Noctis scrambled out of the car, nearly falling on his face. He tried desperately to fix himself up. “Specs?”

“I believe she frequents the shops not too far from here.” Ignis replied in his usually cool manner. “I believe she is also a friend of that Dino character we run into from time to time.”

“No way. Her?! Friends with that-” Noctis shook his head in disbelief. He found it impossible to walk forward. Gravity was stopping him. He didn’t even notice everyone else walking ahead of him. He had never seen you around before but he wished he had. “Woah....”

...

You were still chatting with Faye when a group of guys ran up. One of them held a camera and looked as if he were about to explode. You had no time to register the camera flash. Good think he captured your good side.

“I AM HERE FOR THE EGGS!” he declared. His abrasiveness surprised you. Was he talking about the new hatchlings? 

“Ummm-” Faye looked scared. “You here to volunteer?”

“Heck yeah I am!” he explosive blonde looked as if he was about to piss himself from excitement. “I WANT TO HOLD YOUR CHOCOBOS!”

“Alright! Keep your pants on. Follow me. Y/N, you’ll be good here right?” Faye asked, seemingly frightened by the giddy young man. 

“Yeah.” you stifled a laugh. “I’ll be just fine here.” you shook your head as the man ran full force for the stables. You were about to go about your business when a black haired boy stumbled up to you. “For a royal, you’re pretty clumsy.” you stifled laughter.

“Huh?!” he looked taken aback. “You know who I am?”

“...I mean aren’t I supposed to?” you turned back towards the Chocobo. “Prince Noctis?” you tried to hold in your distaste, but he caught up on it instantly.

“Is there an issue with me-”

“As a matter of fact there is. Don’t think I didn’t notice that face you were making when you pulled up with your friends.” you cut him off. “Big and bad prince man can’t be seen around a few Chocobos?”

“Oh, no that’s not it at all.” Noctis tried to explain himself in the best way he could. 

“Then what exactly is it?” you turned towards him again. “I mean really?”

“Okay so I admit my attitude isn’t the best-”:

“So you admit it?” you held back harsh laugh. “Hm, It’s a start.” you shrugged.

“I mean, you aren’t really giving me a fair chance. You only know me from the papers.” he explained. “You don’t really know me as a person. For all I know you could be a stalker.”

“I am no a stalker!” you looked him up and down. 

“I wouldn’t know that.” he winked. “So maybe we both have it all wrong.”

“And what do you wanna do to fix that, go on a date or something?” you scoffed.

“Yes!” he replied honestly. “Let me prove I’m not some asshole!”

“Is it that imperative that you go out of your way to prove to me that you aren’t an asshole?” you raised a brow.

“Yes!” he nodded quickly.

...

You boredly sat at the restaurant table. He was late. 15 minutes to be exact. 

“I knew this was a load of-” you prepared yourself to stand up when a man frantically rushed in.

“I’M HERE!” Noctis yelled, grabbing the attention of the other patrons. He practically fell into the chair right across from you. 

“Nice of you to show.” you sat back down. You decided to humor this guy. “Care to explain?”

“Sorry! Stupid Prompto gave me the wrong address and...woah...” he nearly drooled all over the place seeing you in your tight black dress. “You look...amazing.”

“Sure I do.” you scoffed. “I’m sure I still have dried up chocobo shit in my hair,” you turned away from him, feeling your insecurity creep up on you, tons more than usual. “But thank you.” you relaxed in your chair.

“No I mean it! Even when I saw you...I thought you were beautiful.” he expressed.

“Really?” you paused to look him in the eye. 

“Really.” he smiled. “You’re the best looking girl here.” 

“I definitely don’t believe that...but thank you.” you said shyly. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. 

....

“What about that one?” you pointed to a random star.

“That one, there’s a legend that it’s a parallel version of this world.” 

You both sat at the edge of the lake, staring into the moonlit sky. After dinner, Noctis had taken you to the docks on Galdin Quay. 

“No way. “You stared at the star in wonder. “How many worlds do you think there are?”

“Infinite, my dad says so.” Noctis replied. “All different versions of us doing different things.” he smiled to himself. “Maybe there’s a version of me that...is actually proud to be a prince.” he glowered. 

“Maybe there’s a version of me whose the royal instead.” you nudged him. That made him chuckle a bit. 

“If that’s the case...I’d be happy to bow down to you.” he flirted. He looked back at the sky. “Try that one.” he pointed.

“I know that one.” you beamed a little. “There’s a legend called the Lover’s Star, if a couple sees it on their first date...they’ll be together forever.” you mused romantically. It was only then you had realized your fingers had laced into Noctis’s. 

“Maybe today was our lucky day.” he winked. After a second of silence, you decided to confess.

“I was wrong about you.” you said honestly a while. “I think you’re pretty amazing, Noct.” you chuckled. 

“So...” he smiled deviously. “Are ya gonna say I’m sorry?” he mocked.

“You wish. You’re still a stuck up prince to me...you’re just not an asshole prince.” you stuck your tongue out at him. “You’re not like most guys around here.” you shyly looked away from him you dug your toes into the sand. 

“Well I’m not from around here.” he replied. “You’re different from everyone around here. You’re not all into me because I’m The Prince Noctis- that’s all I want. I want someone to see me for who I am...not what I am.”

You shyly kicked your legs in the water, looking at the ripples in the water.. “I’m glad I could be that person for you Noctis.” you smiled.

“Guess this means you’re gonna be part of my team now?” he bit his lip. “You’ll be my...ummm...I’ll think of something.”

“I look forward to it.” you giggled. 

“Hm for now...come here.” he winked, gently holding the side of your face. Noctis kissed you. You felt your senses go off. You instantly grabbed his face, kissing him back.

...

You fell back on the hotel bed, refusing to disconnect from a feverish prince throwing himself at you. He kissed you with urgency, as if you would disappear before his eyes. He tore a rip up your dress hastily. 

Your tongues clashed together as you kissed, the air was getting heavy. You helped Noctis out of his jacket. Your dress had turned to ribbons and your panties weren’t too far behind. 

“N-noctis..” you hissed, feeling his hands explore every inch of your body.

“You feel even better than I imagined you would.” he kissed your bare stomach. “You’re so beautiful.” he moaned. It was like you were the goddess, the royal, and he was the peasant.

You felt shy under his gaze. He stared up at you, biting his lip. “I don’t think I can wait...” he groaned. “A-are you okay with this?”

“God, yes.” you mewled as he kissed your thighs. 

“I wanna worship you.” he moaned, ghosting his lips over your center. You shyly stared down at Noctis who looked up at you with a shit eating grin. 

He sunk his tongue into you, lashing against your pussy. You instantly grabbed a fist full of his hair. You and him both were a mess. Hisses and prolonged moans escaped your lungs along with his name. You were sure the people in the next room could hear you. 

Noctis crawled over you again, a predatory glare in his eyes. He bit his lip, staring down at you. “You’re so fucking cute...”

...

“I’d do anything for you.” he moaned against your lips. “I’ll take care of you for the rest of my life.” he whimpered, his thrusts growing sloppily. He bucked his hips rhythmically, your bodies moving and grinding in sweet friction. His cock twitched inside of you as he grew near his release, but he wanted to wait. He wanted to cum to the sounds of your cries and screams. ”Gonna make you my queen and w-we’ll rule together until our hearts give out baby. F-FUUUCCKK.”

“Noctis.” you croaked. Hearing his words in your ear made you hiss in delight. This alone caused him to dig his nails into your sides and thrust even deeper into your heat. You didn’t know what else do you but let a stream of cries escape your lungs. 

“I love it when you say my name.” he grunted. “Say it again.”

“N-noctis.” your insides lurched as you tightened around his length. “I wanna- I’m gonna-”

“Again.” he barked. “Never stop saying my name. Never say another man’s name!” he sank his teeth into the crook of your neck. “You’re mine, baby. You’re all mine.” he growled.

“Noctisss.” you arched your back. “F-fu-” you whimpered, at the impact. “S-shit!”

Noctis yanked himself from you, spraying his cum all over your stomach. Shortly before, you came too, feeling your water run down your leg. He fell forward, burying his head into your neck. “Baby, I’d fucking do everything for you.”

You shook under his body, whimpering at his gentle touches. You felt him kiss your need lovingly as you both drifted off to sleep.

...

[indowolfgang]

About Jurassic Park’s lack of feathers: (y’all this is long)

most dinosaur related media doesn’t have feathered dinosaurs and a lot of people blame Jurassic Park. dinosaurs are my special interest and Jurassic Park is a big part of that so ima prove them wrong. first off i wanna say haters get owned: 2011: NASA scientists said it was the 7th best SciFi movie and 2012: Popular Mechanics said it was the 6th accurate and “was faithful to early '90s speculative genetics theories”

anyways... lets get into it

Games (that i have lol):

Ark: Survival Evolved: 10/29 dinosaurs

Compsognathus,  Deinonychus, Gallimimus, Megalosaurus, Microraptor, Oviraptor, Raptor, Therizinosaur, Troodon, Yutyrannus (this dino was actually found with direct evidence of feathers!)

at first i had no idea what type of ‘raptor’ they were referring to, but i checked and its a Utahraptor. the largest-known individual of Utahraptor was about 7 meters (23 feet) long so size is a-okay with me

i debated including the Pegomastax because the wiki says it has fur and quills, which could be argued as protofeathers, but since its from the early Jurassic its hard to say.. just to be safe i left it out

i only looked at dinosaurs cause there are a ton of made-up/mythical creatures, prehistoric birds/reptiles, and just a straight up vulture

The Isle: 3/30 dinosaurs 

Therizinosaurus, Orodromeus (AI), Austroraptor 

none of these are playable in survival mode btw

also i’m not sure if the game is going for accuracy or not, Dilophosaurus and Velociraptor are the right size but still... no feathers on known feathered dinos: Velo, Rex, or Utahraptor

technically feathers have never been found on Utahraptors but there is strong evidence that all dromaeosaurids had them since Microraptor and Dakotaraptor had them

Jurassic World Evolution: 0/69 (nice) dinosaurs

based on the movies Jurassic World, Fallen Kingdom, and eventually they added a Jurassic Park DLC. despite the Jurassic World movies not counting the Jurassic Park sequels (Lost World and JP3) as part of its time line, the Jurassic Park DLC includes skins from those movies. not much to say here... i’ll get into the movies further down

i didn’t count the pteranodon, cause its not a dinosaur and, still, no feathers

Saurian: 4/8 dinosaurs

Dakotaraptor, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Acheroraptor, Ornithomimid

i’ve only included the dinos that are currently in-game, the wiki says they are planing to add another playable dino, Anzu (feathered), but so far it hasn’t even been added as an AI yet

they are actually going for scientific accuracy so all the dinos that should have feathers do and they are, as far as i can tell, realistically placed. Good Job!

games are hard to talk about... usually games that feature dinos will have an element of ‘fantasy’ (Ark especially) and JWE is based on the Jurassic World movies so its dinos can only look like the movies dinos. The Isle is most likely suffering from the status quo, most dinos in popular media look like big lizards so they didn’t want to take a risk. the game isn’t finished and its possible it’ll go from a dinosaur sim to a shooter, since there are human models in game and controls for weapons. i’ve also heard players rumor that you’re not actually playing as the dino but as a camera that follows it around (which would explain the nigh vision mode). chances are The Isle will end up like Ark: man vs dino

Movies:

i thought about discussing The Land Before Time movies (cause i was obsessed with them as a kid lol), but that was pre-Jurassic Park so i’ll give it an honorable mention. ANYWAYS... Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park: Lost World, Jurassic Park 3, Jurassic World, and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. none of them have feathered dinos. lets look at why that might be 🤔

Jurassic Park:

no feathered dinosaurs. BUT, feathered dinosaurs were not very mainstream in the scientific community until about 3 years after the movie came out,

“Three years after the first Jurassic Park debuted, paleontologists announced that the small theropod Sinosauropteryx was covered in a fine coat of fuzzy protofeathers. This was just the initial drop in a flood of feathery dinosaur discoveries which confirmed that a wide variety of dinosaurs bore archaic forms of plumage, from simple filaments to asymmetrical feathers that would have allowed them to fly.”

[from this National Geographic article (x)]

looking more into the history of feathered dinos, i found well... a lot. its really difficult to find a concrete time for when paleontologists discovered (and agreed on) feathered dinos, some places say 1860, 1923, 1979, 1983, it goes on forever, one source even said 2001. Archaeopteryx, which an early Jurassic creature, had complex, bird-like feathers. so why no feathers on other dinosaur reconstructions? its possible these discoveries were ignored by the larger scientific community in favor of the well established depictions of big, slow lizards

[if u wanna do even more reading about feathers check out this All About Birds article (x) and the History of discovery section on the Archaeopteryx’s wiki (x)]

JP definitely upped the Velociraptor’s size and did my Dilophosaurus dirty, so i will fault them for that. the big ass raptor has stayed in pop culture for-fucking-ever. it feels like everyone is making naked Utahraptors and calling them Velociraptors. and g*d... my poor Dilophosaurus... why’d they make you spit? and why so small? you’re really 6-7 meters (20-23 feet) long! you are a large carnivore!! also it is possible that Dilophosaurus had feathers, though again, because its from the early Jurassic, it would have been more like a fur

Lost World:

no feathered dinosaurs. i cant really fault them for not changing the dinosaurs looks in a sequel, also trust me when i say it could have been worse the dino depictions in the book are insane... Chameleon Carnotaurus anyone?

the movie also didn’t explain why there were different dinos at Site B compared to the actual park. my best explanation is from the book: Site B was where the dinosaurs were actually hatched and raised, they were moved to the park just before they got to big to handle. so we are to assume that any non-Jurassic Park dinos we saw in Lost World were originally planned to be moved. sucks that they left this detail out of the movie adaptation, cause a lot of fans got confused (including me lol)

Jurassic Park 3:

no feathered dinosaurs. an incredibly mild attempt at ‘feathered’ raptors was made in JP3 by giving the males quills, but at that point the movies had an established ‘science’ and completely changing the look of the animals at the end of a trilogy might have confused a few people (even if it was more scientifically accurate)

Jurassic World:

no feathered dinosaurs. they literally stated in the movie that they left out accurate feathered dinosaurs because Dr. Wu was asked to create: “Dinosaurs that look like what the public expects dinosaurs to look like. Scary. Scaly. Wild.” Dr. Wu also states that the dinosaurs have never been actual dinosaurs. their DNA is a melting pot of DNA.

(i swear i read something about Dr. Wu attempting to make feathered dinos, but because of all the non-dino DNA he couldn’t get the genes to stick, i can’t find a source or any proof of this so i guess that can be our lil headcanon lol)

though for a more real life reason,

“The reasoning behind this being continued through the subsequent movies, though, is more about how imposing the featherless versions look.” ... “It seems more likely that the filmmakers went with how most people would perceive dinosaurs in the hopes that dino experts would take notice.”

[from this Screen Rant article (x)]

so basically JW cared more about scary, recognizable dinos than accurate ones

Fallen Kingdom:

no feathered dinosaurs. again a sequel is a bit too late to change up your designs. unfortunately the change had to happen in JW or not at all

In Closing:

basically Jurassic Park came out just before paleontologists announced Sinosauropteryx, which popularized feathered dinos. even then Jurassic Park was restricted by the technology of the time. the early ninety’s was not the best time for CGI and i can’t imaging making feathered animatronic dinosaurs that could stand up to the rain they filmed in. new media is definitely stuck in the past, look at the movies that come out and compare how many are sequels or prequels or remakes or whatever. Jurassic Park was a great movie and obviously the vultures that make movies are gonna try and ride its brand into the sunset. blaming the movie for stopping new scientific discoveries from entering the mainstream isn’t fair. the movie did a lot to bring current science into the lime light, it popularized warmblooded, avian dinos and showed them as intelligent, fast moving animals instead of slow movie monsters

but JW had no excuse!  they should get majority of the blame for making the public afraid of feathers cause they themselves were afraid of feathers! they had the technology, the budget, and the opportunity to follow in its parent movie’s footsteps. they could have at least TRIED to be accurate but they just stuck to what people knew cause that was more profitable. science is only as interesting as the toys you can make of it i guess...

a final note, just for my sanity: JP dinos aren’t real dinosaurs. not even in fiction. they’re DNA is so full of garbage that their inaccurate appearances could be explained away with that alone. the books get into this more, talking about all the failed embryos and how many diseases these creatures had. even delving into their lack of social skills and how the raptors didn’t act like a pack, but a group of aggressive individuals. unfortunately the average viewer isn’t gonna know about all this set dressing. hell, i didn’t even read the 2 books until recently (end of 2019/ start of 2020) so i was as ready to believe whatever the movies showed me. honestly the books and movies are all good in different ways, not accurate, but good. read the books if you want more gore and technical explanations and the movies if you want, well... more story, they add a lot of stuff that wasn’t in the books

one day i’ll get into the differences in the books and movies.. one day

[ this was originally a response to someone but tumblr hid it, cause links. so i’ve edited it to be a standalone post and also WAY longer. feel free to add on or correct any mistakes i’ve made (be respectful tho) ]

[f-nodragonart]

have you guys ever watched the docufiction film The Last Dragon | A Fantasy Made Real? Its a fictional documentary set in an alternate universe where dragons were real

I wrote a few reviews abt it quite a while ago, but the longer one is p old and kinda cringey/incorrect in certain places, so I’ll run down my basic thoughts here

also if anybody wants to watch this film, here’s a link to it. I first watched this when I was a wee lil dragon-fanatic, and I’m obviously a sucker for faux-documentary/field journal fantasy media, so this movie holds a special place in my heart. HOWEVER, as I will explain here, it unfortunately gets a LOT of things wrong. it’s def got some positive qualities (which I will also describe), and it’s a fun watch, but DO NOT take this movie as an accurate assessment of what dragons could have been under different circumstances

WHAT THIS DOCUFICTION GETS WRONG*:

*I’m ESPECIALLY harsh on this movie b/c it’s a DOCUfiction. I tend to be a bit more lenient when a story isn’t necessarily aiming for a realistic setting (stylistic consistency is relevant here), but when a piece of media sets out to describe a scientifically feasible setting?? I bring the hammer DOWN

1) dear god, the anatomy is janky

the wings in particular can get RLY bad. 

these wings clearly need more musculature and lower arm/’hand’ length, and a full membrane connection to the torso. they don’t even have ANY hint of integration/connection to the ribcage– no keel, no shoulder/chest musculature, not even any scapula!!

disgraceful…

while I can accept elbow spines in certain cases, I still don’t rly think they’re necessary in most cases– ESPECIALLY in this case where they don’t even provide extra area to the membrane around the elbow! what’s even the point!!

also I just noticed the designers forgot to put the elbow spines in the skeletal, so I can’t even check if they were integrated correctly….. hell, looking closer, I don’t think the front legs have scapula either….. DISGRACEFUL…

the wing shoulders also need to be shifted back behind the front leg shoulders, obviously, but they ALSO ought to be shifted down more towards the sides of the ribcage. wings based high up near the spine are typical of birds b/c they’ve got specialized wing musculature that basically pulls all the wing muscles (including the “back” muscles) down under the ribcage. bat wings aren’t built for that kinda setup, thus the shoulders are based more towards the sides on actual bats. this would likely be the same for bat-winged dragons

and those aren’t even the worst wings

I legit lose my mind a little lookin at these wings like…. why no membrane…. WHY NO MEMBRANE…

also there was clearly some attempt here to give these wings chest/shoulder musculature, but the designers didn’t know how much musculature a wing actually needs (or even how those muscles need to be shaped to properly hold a body..). thus, we just get pillowy, bara-boy boobs that would be useless for flight, even if the wings themselves were actually designed right

obviously a keel is necessary for a creature this big, but even if the designers nyxed the keel, the LEAST they could do is stretch the pecs down the full length of the ribcage to properly support the torso…

beyond the wings, some of the torsos are JUST a mess

the wyvern’s torso is mostly a problem b/c of weird wing integration, but the hexapod up top just has a plain weird torso, wings or not

it feels like the designers attempted to slap canine-like front legs on an ungulate/equine chest, and just utterly failed to integrate them properly. thus, the legs are floating to the sides of the chest rather than connected to and holding it up in any substantial way

I actually see this lack of shoulder integration in a lot in dragon designs, but it’s usually a result of trying to preserve the shape of chest/throat scales, so it’s kinda weird to see on a leathery-skin design

another thing abt this particular hexapod dragon is a bit hard to explain, but the neck is like… weird. idk if it’s super apparent to others, but the neck attaches more under the skull, a bit like a dog (ignore the skeletal, it’s clearly not accurate to the dragon actually presented). however, the flow of the neck from the chest is more of a horse neck? the strong up-and-over curve of a horse neck can’t rly attach to the skull in any way except the direct back of the cranium, yet this neck attaches somewhat to the underside of the skull, giving it a VERY awkward curvature. I happened to recently answer an ask abt necks that may explain this better, but suffice to say, the neck is weird

also, as u can see above, the base of the neck at the chest is super stiff b/c the animators didn’t bother to shift the mass of the chest/neck w/ the movement of the neck, which in turn makes the neck look ABSURDLY thin at angles like these

oh, and while this is certainly not the worst of the anatomical sins, the shrink-wrapping is p bad. yeah yeah, flighted creatures gotta be light, but flying animals still have SOME fatty deposits, like…. c’mon, u can SEE the cartilage rings in the throat of that poor wyvern, gimme a break… + it gets cold in the sky, where are some protective feathers/’fur’ for these guys?? especially side-eyeing the one living in the mountains. yeah I know they’ve apparently got that heat-retaining blood protein or whatever, but much like the flight bladder (which I will get to later), that’s asking me to excuse a bit much in terms of anatomy

(tho to be fair, the actual dinos featured in the film are naked and thin too so… at least this inaccuracy is consistent..)

I feel like this is especially bad w/ the heads. it looks like there’s barely any muscular support at the connection to the neck, and no jaw musculature to speak of. of course, a croc-like jaw design could layer the muscles under bone so that they’re not necessarily visible from the outside

but note the mass distribution of the bones of the jaw– they still stick out a fair bit to leave room for the muscles underneath (including on the upper jaw), and more importantly, the area for basing the muscles on the lower jaw is WIDE. now dragons may not necessarily need a strong bite-force like crocs if they’re using their talons and fire for attack, but most ANY toothed-animal skull is gonna NEED a lower jaw with a wider back end to provide stable, strong support to the jaw muscles. what I’m seeing from the ‘croc-’like dragon heads in this movie (not the wyvern head so much, that actually isn’t too bad in this respect) are flimsy, cardboard structures that will warp at the slightest hint of pressure

also, the teeth on all the dragons are weirdly straight and thin? like fishing teeth? but the main dragons are all land predators– they SHOULD have thick/curved teeth. even crocs have thick, slightly curved teeth, get w/ the program!!

and let’s not forgot this fucker

sir… SIR, that is a muscle-less TUBE with LEGS….. 

………..funny how suddenly the wiener-dragon ain’t shrink-wrapped, eh?

also this dragon absolutely CANNOT glide, no matter what kinda “flight bladders” they got, the membrane surface area is FAR too small even for gliding, I’m sorry!!

2) “evolutionary theory? what’s that??”

basically the film goes, “WHOA this dragon has 6 limbs! no other vertebrate on the planet has 6 limbs! they must have a wild genetic mutation for that to happen– oh, yep, they sure do!” and just… leaves it there

the evolution of 6 limbs in any evolutionary tree similar to Earth’s is literally so complicated, I have an entire post dedicated to breaking down JUST that concept. the way this movie so briefly presents this “wild mutation” doesn’t even BEGIN to cover how incredibly difficult it would be to shift something as hard-wired as vertebrate limb number from four to six

what’s even MORE frustrating tho is that this movie’s timeline for evolution doesn’t even make SENSE! supposedly their oldest dragon is the wyvern– the tetrapod. then that TETRApod somehow led to the HEXApod marine dragon. what in the world?? WHERE did that other limb set come from? WHY is there another limb set suddenly???

as I explain in that post linked above, it’s practically impossible for another functional, full limb set to evolve in a complex vertebrate– that’s why it’s most reasonable for hexapods to evolve long before tetrapods set the standard, and the two evolutionary lines would go their separate ways. there’s a small chance a limb set could evolve properly into a small, early tetrapod (tho even that is a long-shot), but in a LARGE vertebrate whose entire physiology revolves around their current tetrapodal, bipedal setup, as this movie suggests w/ their wyvern? hell nah, not a chance

and there are def other evolutionary problems throughout– generally just the fact that dragons seem to change VERY little, ‘aesthetically’ speaking, despite so many years of evolution and adaptation to wildly different environments (looking at the marine dragon..). yet when the dragons ARE markedly different from one another (wyvern vs. hexapod), it only brings up more problems, as covered above. like it’s all just so vague and ungrounded in any real evolutionary reality

also this post pointed out further problems w/ the evolution I didn’t even think abt (like the forest dragon being a contemporary to the mountain dragon, despite being used as an intermediary b/t marine and mountain) so I’m rly just 🤔 abt all this

3) BAD lab procedure!!

why aren’t the researchers wearing masks? they need masks to protect the corpses from human germs, and protect themselves from breathing in anything weird that was on the corpse! and they keep touching the corpse w/o gloves, getting their human oils all over the body! have they never heard of contamination?? AUGH

there’s definitely more wrong here that I rly don’t have the experience to speak on (and some of it I’m willing to excuse for the sake of a short, dramatic film– like the team having a whole lab setup right on the mountain), but the cross-contamination is what rly bothered me.

WHAT THIS DOCUFICTION GETS RIGHT and/or FUN:

1) realistic, cool behavior

the dragon behaviors featured are actually realistic, and downright cool at times!

screaming to both call for help and hurt an opponent’s ears; flashing wings to warn off opponents; mimicry to trick prey; that KICK-ASS courting ritual (if not displayed a bit awkwardly in terms of body positioning); the fiery brooding method (if we at least assume egg physiology that could handle and require that kinda direct heat, which I don’t think is…. necessarily outside reality… perhaps… maybe…)– these are all awesome examples of neat behavior

2) flight bladders? kind of??

this one is in the “got it right” list based more on potential than actual application in the movie

see, the idea of a flight bladder is p cool! the source of gas from digestion is completely reasonable, and it makes sense as a way to help a huge creature relieve some of the stress of flight

plus, the connection w/ fire-breathing is super interesting! it’s a very reasonable give-and-take system, and I like it a LOT. so this post pointed out the problems w/ having a flight system that relies on a product also used up by a different system, so now I can’t even give it that much credit lmao

however, the flight bladders in the movie are used to excuse some of the worst wing anatomy I’ve seen passed off as “realistic designs”. flight bladders may make up for *some* shortened wing length, or flight endurance, but they CANNOT make up for the problems I described in the “got it wrong” list

3) fire-breathing mechanics

if we now ignore the problems w/ this gas system being directly connected to the flight system, the fire-breathing is decently grounded in reality! the designers not only took into account the fuel source (gas from digestion), but also ignition source (platinum deposits). both of these sources are super interesting to me cus’ they technically utilize outside resources, which is not usually the case w/ a lot of fire-breathing mechanics I’ve seen

also love the specialized mouth anatomy– a scaled inner mouth and protective palate-valve make perfect sense to protect the dragon’s innards from fire, esp since the fire is igniting towards the back of the mouth. though the source of ignition being so far back in the delicate throat is itself suspect, and makes me wonder why it wasn’t simply ignited up towards the front of the mouth to prevent injury….. man I can’t give this film an inch w/o taking a mile back, huh!!

-Mod Spiral

[deborahodelgado-blog]

85 Clever Group Chat Names For Snapchat

Real talk: Snapchat is an everyday exercise. You are continuously sending absurd selfies forth and back for your besties, plus trying to keep them in the know. Break the heel of yours on the best way to do the job or even spill coffee on your brand spanking new shirt? Naturally, you've to upgrade the clique on Snapchat for a couple of laughs. Group chats are just vital for each squad. It is a good way to stay updated on everyone's day. Naturally, organization is crucial. That is where clever team chat names for Snapchat enter into play. It is a lot easier to post your snaps to every part of the crew when you've a team assigned. No one wants to avoid that funny face filtration system, all things considered.

You never know, perhaps your latest Snapchat group chat name may just become your squad's nickname. Thus, when starting this list of eighty five names, ensure to identify a camera that truly speaks to your crew's vibes. You will find a ton to select from, therefore I am certain you will find something everyone is able to agree on. Perhaps you can choose one punny in case your friends like to laugh, or choose one really sweet in case you wish to show your besties will continually have the heart of yours. When you eventually do choose, ensure to celebrate by having everybody post their own dog face filtration snap. It is a necessity.

1. Power Rangers

2. F.R.I.E.N.D.S

3. Bae-Goals

4. Birds Of A Feather

5. Private Party

Six. V.I.P.

7. Shrimply The very best Snaps

8. Best Fries Forever

9. The PB To The J of mine

10. The Musketeers

11. A In A Melon

12. BFFs Only

13. The Wolf Pack

14. Snap Soulmates

15. My Snap People

16. Best Buddies four Ever

17. Snape Chat

18. We Who Shan't Be Named

19. Let us Taco' Bout It

20. Lucille Ballers

21. Supernovas

22. Meme Team

23. The Avengers

24. Mermaid In order to Be Friends Forever

25. Snap Streaks

26. Sort Associated with a Big Dill

27. Pawesome Friends

28. A Pizza The Heart of mine

29. Hap-Bee Together

30. My Beys

31. Voice Yourself

33. Probably The Coolest Girls

34. No Boys Allowed

35. Squad Ghouls

36. Great Friends

37. Peachy Queens

38. Watts Up

39. Entire House

40. Snap Cup

41. BSB Forever

42. Souper Friends

43. Love So Matcha

44. News Girls

45. Small Rascals

46. My French Fries

47. Cerealsly The Best

48. The Chamber Of Secrets

49. Great Four

50. Fab Five

51. My Lucky Charms

52. Ride Or perhaps Dies

53. Lava The Friends of mine

54. Ketchup With Friends

55. Olive The Friends of mine

56. Not any Of The Business of yours

57. Outstanding Blossoms

58. Each of The Ladies

59. Swag Snaps

60. Oh Snap

61. Gouda Friends

62. Purrfect Snaps

63. Fur Real Friends

64. My Best-Teas

65. The Baby Sitters Club

66. Snap Up The Life of yours

67. Spruce Girls

68. We're Family

69. Dino-Mite Crew

70. Eggcellent Squad

71. Meow Friends

72. We Share Because We Care

73. Rawrsome Squad

74. Silly Selfie Snaps

75. Aloha Beaches

76. Wazzup

77. 2 Birds One Phone

78. Fantasy Team

79. fifty Shades Of Slay

80. Backstreet Girls

81. We Run the World

82. The Brat Pack

83. Taters Gonna Tate

84. Pho Real Friends

85. Donut Know What I would Do Without

Find More Information: Best group chat name

[plushiegalaxy]

Plushie Commissions: Terms of Service

Last updated April 2024

*****Please read this post BEFORE requesting a plushie commission from me. If you have any questions, feel free to DM me.******

General Information:

Plushies are made primarily of minky fabric for the body and hair and flannel for the facial details. Clothing and accessories are made from various knit, fleece, cotton and felt fabrics.

Plushies come from a smoke-free, pet-friendly home. If you have allergies, please be cautious when commissioning me.

Unless otherwise stated, all patterns are from CholyKnight (Sew Desu Ne) on Etsy.

A typical plushie can take anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks to finish. Please bear in mind that I have a full-time job and other obligations outside of plushie commissions, but I will strive to get your plushie to you in a timely manner.

Tiny Plushies (less than 7 inches tall):

Simple Duck

Turtle Duck (from Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Eevee Blobs (from Pokemon)

Eevee Pouches (from Pokemon)

Frog

Mew (from Pokemon)

Narwhal

Penguin

Pikachu (from Pokemon)

Animal Cube

Simple Plushies

Vulpix (from Pokemon)

Polar Bear

Hamster/Chinchilla

Fennec Fox

Dolphin

Bumblebee

Opposum

Winter Charms (Arctic Fox, Polar Bear, Arctic Hare, White Cat)

Squirtle (from Pokemon)

Korok (from The Legend of Zelda)

Kitty Bean

Gengar (from Pokemon)

Calcifer (from Howl’s Moving Castle)

Baby Chicks

Sitting Eevees

Small Plushies (between 7 and 10 inches tall):

Astrobunny

Cosmokitty

Bulbasaur

Charmander

Chinese Zodiac Animals

Cow (simple)

Hedgehog

Pterodactyl

Tiny Dino

Turtle

Wolf

Manta Ray

Seal

Alpaca

Raccoon/Red Panda

Fox (simple)

Shark

Chocobo (from Final Fantasy)

Axolotl

Lapras (from Pokemon)

Owl

Elephant

Spider

Moogle (from Final Fantasy)

The Child (from The Mandalorian)

Teto (from Nausicaa)

Snorlax (from Pokemon)

Sloth

Pet Bird/Plague Birds

Owl Bear

No Face(from Spirited Away)

Mimikyu (from Pokemon)

Mer-Kitty

Love Dragon

Kirby

Kero and Suppi (from Cardcaptor Sakura)

Jiji (From Kiki's Delivery Service)

Jellyfish

Appa (from Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Arcanine (from Pokemon)

Capybara

Medium Plushies (more than 10 inches tall):

Ankylosaurus

T-Rex

Raptor

Feathered Raptor

Brontosaurus

Stegosaurus

Triceratops

Parasaurolophus

Giraffe

Pet Lizard

Pokeball Pillow

Bat

Otter (simple)

Plague Doctor (small)

Zero (from Nightmare Before Christmas)

Wyvern

Dragon

Wampa (from Star Wars)

Totoro (from My Neighbor Totoro)

Snail

Witch Kitty

Ferret (simple)

Woodland Witch Plushie (Fox/Deer)

Sitting Rabbit

Sitting Dog

Sitting Cat

Sitting Wildcat

Hyena and Wild Dog

Jack  and Sally (from Nightmare Before Christmas)

Farm Animals (Sheep, Pig, Cow, Goat, Donkey, Pony)

Otter/Weasel

Moth/Butterfly

Dragonfly

Standing Dragon

Cthulhu

Chain Chomp

Bat Girl/Cat Girl (simple)

Alligator

Chameleon

Charizard

Dragonite

Dragonair

Egyptian God Animals (Bastet, Set, Anubis, Sekhmet, Horus, Ra, Wepwawet)

Hippogriff

Hydra/Dragon

Isopod

Kitsune

Farm Birds (Chicken/Rooster/Duck/Goose/Swan/Peacock/Turkey)

Animal Crossing Villagers (Pattern from TeaCupLion - coming soon!):

Squirrel

Duck

Pig

Frog

Hamster

Cat

Bunny

Teddy Bear

Koala

Custom Character Plushies

Human

Fairy

Faun

Centaur

Monster

Vampire

Medusa/Siren

Zombie

Vampire

Skeleton

Grim Reaper

Plague Doctor (full size)

Anthro

Bird

Dragon

Unicorn/Horse

Deer

Goat

Rabbit

Otter

Mouse

Raccoon

Cat

Merfolk

Merman/Mermaid

Jellyfish Mermaid

Seahorse Mermaid

Octopus Mermaid

Ichthiocentaur

Hippocampus

If you would like something other than what I have listed, let me know. I’ll be happy to give it a try.

I can do both existing characters and original characters (OCs). Please provide me with a detailed color reference of your requested character and the outfit you want them in. If you are requesting an OC that does not have a definitive design, I can sketch a design based on your description for an additional charge.

All character plushies come with one outfit of your choosing. If you would like an additional outfit for your plushie, you may request one for an additional charge, depending on the complexity of the requested outfit. You may also request your plushie not come with an outfit for a discounted rate.

Commission Slots

Commissions are on a first come, first served basis. I will contact you once you have reserved your spot. If you do not respond within three days, your commission slot will be forfeited.

Plushies will be completed in the order I accept commissions. Payment is not required until I notify you that I am ready to begin work on your plushie.

If you decide to forfeit your commission, your slot will be offered to the next person in line. If you change your mind after forfeiting, you will have to wait until a slot is open.

At this time, I am making plushies only on commission. I do not take requests or trades.

Payment

Prices for plushies are as follows:

Tiny Plushies: $75 USD

Small Plushies: $100 USD

Medium Plushies: $150 USD

Custom Character Plushies: $200 USD

Animal Crossing Plushies: TBD

Additional charges may apply for:

Shipping outside of the US

Design fees (if applicable)

Extra outfit (if applicable)

Special orders/large plushies: Ask me!

Discounts may be applied if multiple orders are placed.

I will accept payment through Stripe and/or PayPal. (If you live in a country that does not use Stripe, PayPal will be used instead.)  Payment must be received in full before I begin work on the plushie, I will only start a commission after payment has been received.

Refunds

You may cancel your commission at any time BEFORE PAYING FOR IT. Once payment has been accepted and work has begun on the plushie, you may no longer cancel your order.

All sales are final, no refunds or exchanges.

Do’s and don'ts for me

I reserve the right to decline your commission at any time for any reason.

I will not create anything excessively sexual or gory.

Do’s and don'ts for you

If you post the finished plushie somewhere, please link back to my profile page or to the page where I uploaded the commission.

You are welcome to give the plushie away as a gift, but you are not permitted to re-sell it for profit.

[ramdomddadds]

Dream daddy ask: dino-nerd dadsona

He was a nerd wasn’t he?

So, um... holly motherfucking cow, I just remembered how much I love acurate, updated dinosaur stuff, and how it could fit the dream daddy fandom?

so, yeah.

I know I’m such a nerd and I’m so late to the fandom but I had fun writing this and here it is

-ROBERT

He notices how fast you get to withling, and how you always make some animal.

He also notices how interested you are in anything supernatural, But always fiting the science factor in there. Like how it could be that jakelopes exist, and they could crosbreed with hares but not bunnyes becouse they are too diferent or how the yeti could be a distant relative of the orangutan...

Or how you are pasionated about movie making too, but prefer realistic stuff, but he says nothing, because he likes silence.

Then, one day, he comes over for movie and pizza, and he finds it: notebooks.

Notebooks all over the house.

There are three different notebooks on the stack of the tea table. One, opened, on the big table at the dinner room. Another one somewere on the kitchen, and many, intersected with books, on the shelves across the house.

With the excuse that it was open and in the same room, he takes the one in the big table, and flips over it.

Its filled with drawings, sketches, notes and doodles of people, planst and animals.

There’s him, and betsy, so thats… there. Theres a lot of Amanda… and many, many animals.

It calls his atention that many of the drawings fit conversations they had.

MC hadn’t hear speak of the dover ghost before he met Robert, but here they were: pages and pages of sketches and different designs of how the dover ghost may look like.

Some of them were more animal-like, others where very human, and other were made of shadow, the mark of the pencil, smugled with the author’s fingers to make it look like smoke. A chill climbed up Robert’s spine when he came across a particular drawing that did look just the way he remembered it, dragging something behind.

There were steps behind him.

“…Robert?”

Ups. MC was back in the room, and he had his nose deep within the sketchbook. Robert concentrated in another drawing, one that was very common, and odd.

Robert lifted his gaze.

“…dinosausr, with feathers?”

“Oh fuck, Robert! Uh…”

Robert held his gaze, smirking

“Yes. Yes, ok? Dinosaurs with feathers. I can explain it”

Robert closed the notebook, but held it as he crosed his legs, leaning in the table

“Im listening”

And he kept listening as MC went on and on, telling him how come dinosaurs actually had feathers, and the remains of them that could still be found in birds, and so many little fascinating facts, with such passion, similar to when Robert himself told intrinsek made up stories.

He smiled. This could be so much fun

-DAMIEN

He was delighted, with MC’s appreciation of his abode. He even said he felt sorry for the dead butterflyes, but still appreciated the beauty of his colection, and the work that went into it.

As soon as they were sitting at the couch, he had asked for the skulls placed across the room.

They walked over to them and talked about fosils. MC tried to guess the species and origin of the bones, and if he did not get the exact thing, he could deduce a lot from looking at them.He took a bit longer to mention the feathers issue. It was nice to have interests in common with Damien and he didn’t want to ruin it with the stupid argument of the feathers.

Of course the day came. They went to the movies, and Damien turned out to be very scared! MC held his hand and rambled on and on of how unrealistic they were, and why some choices were made, and later on the conversation developed into a very popular, clasic movie:

Jurassic park.

“Most raptor species were smaller but there was one or two species the size of the ones in the movie, in wich they were inspired… but they had feathers, all of them, including the T-rex”

“Wait, what?”

“Ups. Uh… see…”

And it was down hill from there.

-CRAIG

When MC got to the BQ and saw Craig waving from across the yard, he recogniced an SOS call. His buddy needed him.

“Dude, I have no idea what is going on”

MC listened quietly for a moment and then leaned onto Craig and wispered to him

“Moustachasaurus is asking a simple question. Rastasaurodon misinterprets it and makes stuff way more complicated thatn it is. Both monsters engage in an eternal loop of bloodshed, a battle of giants. Is the dress blue or yellow? Are best cats or dogs? Pineapple or pineappleless?”

Craig gigles and covers his mouth, wile looking at the two men arguing in front of him.

Hugo tells Mat why he thinks you can not compare two pictures from different moments in history, but when Mat repeats the question, down they go again.

 “Moustachasaurus displays his extense knolege of taking pics throu the ages and Rastasaurodon tries to scape, but Moustachasaurus attacks from behind and they engage in tragic battle again. It must be mating season or something”

 Craig breaks into laughter, distracting the two men with glasses, and pretends he was having an innocent conversation with MC

“Do you remember how into dinosaurs we were?”

 Oh no

He’s got a funny, smug look. Its a trap! ABORT! ABORT!

 “eh… were?”

“Bro”

“Bro”

“Broooo what do you think the tyranosaurus rex did with those tiny arms?”

“Don’t do it bro. I found out. You won’t like it”

“I need to know bro”

“noo”

“Tell me, MC Tell me…”

 Craig held him by the shirt and roughly wispered in his ear

“What were those tiny claws for?”

“Mhhh huu aaaah FEATHERS”

 Craig stepped back, shock written all over his face

 “Bro… not you too”

“Im sorry Craig. It is true”

“No… its impossible. It can not be!”

“The t-rex had feathers. He probabbly had fluffy and colofull arms for display, when fighting for terrytory… and mating”

“Nooooo!”

“I would never lie to you, bro. It is true”

“…the velociraptor too?”

“…specially the velociraptor”

 -JOSEPH

MC tried not to talk about it in front of Joseph. He just didn’t know how he would take it, being religious and all. Until…

Joseph has a yatch. OMG. He has a yacht.

Before they got off the shore, MC was already creeping him out.

 “I just love the sea. It holds so many misteries… do you have interest in all of the marine life? Why would you own a boat if not?”

“hehe, I just enjoy the fantasy of sailing aways into the sunset… just the sea and I”

“But its not just the sea and you. There’s the giant squid. You knew that? its real. They are out there”

“Shh, don’t be afraid. I will protect you”

“No, Im not afraid, Im fascinated! There’s so much we don’t know about the sea, I mean, it is the origin of all life…!”

 And then, an akward silence

…he was nervous, ok?

 “uh… I mean, after God put it there, of course”

“…right”

“…sorry. There’s not a door we can close and open again this time”

 Joseph laughts, maybe to make it a bit less akward

“Actually, speaking of marine life, we may see whales”

“Whales!”

“And dolphins”

“Oh my god, really? Do you see them ofthen?”

“Yeah. You are interested on them? you know they can be cruel right? They drown theyr babys for fun…”

“Oh no, they don’t. Dolphins are some of the most inteligent and social creatures out there. If they ever do that is as a punishent to a misbehabing child, or to teach them to survive when they have trouble. Of course they can go mad or try murder too but it is…”

 Joseph was staring at him in disbelief

 “…rare. …uh. …yeah”

“Wow”

“hmh. Did you know dinosaurs had feathers? Why do you think they died?”

“…what?”

 -MAT

Mat is such a dork. And he babbles. Its adorable! I guess I feel less self-concious near someone who’s also self-concious.

…ok.

He starts talking about music. I don’t know much about music, but it is nice and sweet and Mat knows lots of stuff and it brings memories from a while back, so it is easy to listen and just roll with it.

Speaking of wich.

Retro music reminds me of retro stuff.

And that reminds me of Dinosaurs, and how awful and fake they looked back then.

 “What you talking about, man, dinosaurs are cool. …I think”

“Yeah, but, compare the ones in black and white movies with Jurassic park”

“Oh, yeah. Thats the stuff”

“Ok, now let me tell you: jurassic park is now outdated too. Dinosaurs did not look like that”

“what!?”

 Mat lays down and listens in awe to me babling abut the found proof that dinosaurs had feathers, and not only that, but also also spikes and colorfull crests and shiny scales, and the misterious noises they may had made. Even the spinoaurus from the third movie, turns out it didn’t walk on two feet. I start realising Im babling a bit too much, but he just looks at me with his sweet, big brown eyes and smiles

 “maaaan. I feel so old”

“well, look at the bright side. Not as old as those fossiles”

 -HUGO

Going to the acuarium with Hugo was an exciting adventure. And I got to awe a bunch of kids with my extense trivia about penguins, while he got some kid out of the penguin enclosure. How did she get in there? oh well.

 Trivia nights were also fun. Hugo and I make a good team and there’s lots of cheese!

It was the dawn of a new era. It really started the time the quizz master got some wrestling trivia wrong, and Hugo went head over hills for it.

I went for all the natural history and nature ones.

Thats what I told him when he showed he his colection.

 “Don’t be ashamed of this, man. Remember how I get when Master quizz talks about dinosaurs?”

“Oh. …OH. Oh, boy”

“Oh yeah. I too, have a dark seecret”

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. …but, what could it be? You are just very educated about nature. It is interesting, many people enjoy the nature channel”

 I was giving him a mischevous look

 “It goes deeper than that”

Hugo looks at me in the eyes and then carasses his chin before daring to ask

“…how deep is that?”

I walk closer to him, wrestling belt over my shoulder

“Remember you asked”

 He doesn’t moves, but gulps when I wisper on his ear

 “Dinosaurs had feathers”

“… what?”

“And shiny scales, and colorfull crests, and they made all shorts of music”

“Whait, what, for real?”

“And not all of them went extinct. Not only crocodiles and turtles survived. It has been proved: the birds that we have today descend from dinosaurs like raptors and relatives of the t-rex. Thats why they call it the extintion of the non-aviar dinosaurs now”

“…for real? I… didn’t know that”

“and there was a period, the triasic, when nature was on drugs, and it produced all kinds of crazy stuff!!”

 “Say waaaat?” Said his kid, Ernest, standing in the door. How much did he listen?

 -BRIAN

“oh, is that a dinosaur book?” said MC, and Amanda turned in horror.

“Oh no”

“yes, it is” Said Daisy, with a wide smile “I wish we were studing theese in class, but they don’t talk much about fosiles, just rocks…”

 Brian laughted proudly. “Daisy is not happy with all they teach in class. She is always looking for books with extra stuff…”

Only then he noticed Amanda frantically denying with her head, and making ‘cut it’ gestures. He then looked back at MC. It was too late.

 He was sitting next to Daisy, pointing at pictures in the dinosaur book.

 “Ok, you know this one?”

“Yeah, that’s a brachiosaurus”

“The long-neck one” added Brian “That one’s easy”

“yeah, but it did not look like that. Book is a bit outdated. New data travels faster online. See, look at the skull. Now, where are the holes of the nose?”

 Daisy thoug for a moment.

 “… they are… above its eyes? On the top of the forehead?”

“Exactly. Now, don’t you think that’s a bit weird? Having such a wide, weird nose, and a big mouth way apart? Something’s missing”

“Yeah…?”

“Ok, now look at the skull of an elephant”

 MC took out his phone and showed her pictures

 “… it doesn’t have a nose! And the cavities are huge and… oh my god!”

“Exactly. The trumpet is big and important, but it has no bones. If someone found the fosil of an elephant, but never saw one, they would draw him without a trumpet”

“Like it happened to the brachiosaurus. It had a trumpet! Dad!”

 Brian nearly flinched. He was barely catching up

 “The brachiosaurus had a trumpet, dad! Can you believe it?”

 Brian looked at Amanda. She was scrolling throu her phone like nothing was going on.

 “actually, not necesary a trumpet, see…”

 Daisy turned her attention fully back to MC

 “They are both big hervibores, but the brachiosaurus had a very long neck. It didn’t need a long trumpet. …kind of like a giraff. Have you seen what they do?”

 Daisy denied. MC was already playing a video of a giraff using its lips, and loong, sticky toung to catch things and eat them.

 “it probably didn’t have a trumpet. Nor a long tounge, but there was definetly something important on its nose, wich it probably used for eating and for singing, kinda like cows do, and maybe it was colorful, or diferent between males and females…”

“wooow! It is a big feature, why they don’t use it in movies?”

“see, it is kind of risky, to design such an extrange animal, so they play it easy and just cover the skull with skin. And that’s not all”

“there is more!?”

“this animals had spikes all over their tails, wich have been found incrusted in the skull of predators like the T-rex”

“Wooah!”

 “Don’t feel left out” Amanda said to Brian, seeing that the poor guy needed some company “he can’t help it, loves the stuff. Just make sure you can handle it before letting him anywere near the museum”

“uh… ok”

“And whatever you do, never ask about dinosaurs with feathers” she wispered this “You will never hear the end of it”

[loreleywrites]

Dinosaurs? In MY Ixalan? It’s More Likely Than You Think

Ixalan is a bright, colorful world that features four factions gunning for the same prize: the lost city of Oraza, which holds the ultimate power/treasure/secret called the Immortal Sun. Pirates, Merfolk, vampiric conquistadors, and the dinosaur-riding Empire of the Sun each have their own reason for seeking out this trophy.

Despite all four groups being historically rooted in the same geographic location (the greater Caribbean, including present-day Mexico), some players think that these factions are a haphazard pastiche rather than a cohesive world. In particular, many are confused what the heck dinosaurs have to do with the Empire of the Sun, a fictional nation based on the Aztecs. In today’s article, I’m going to explain why the dinosaur/Aztec connection is a lot less weird than you think it is.

Talkin’ Turkey

Sun-Crowned Hunters by Aaron Miller

If you’re a carnivorous American, then you probably sit down for turkey at least once every November for Thanksgiving. You’ll give thanks for health, family, or football, but you should really be giving thanks to the Aztecs.

Aztecs were avid turkey breeders, continuing a tradition that genetic evidence says began around 800 BCE (before Aztecs even existed). They ate turkeys, yes, but also cultivated their feathers for everyday use and religious ceremonies (More on feathers later.) The Spanish brought Aztec turkeys back to Europe, where they became an instant hit. British colonists eventually brought them back to North America, and the domestic turkeys you eat today are direct descendants of the ones first bred in Mesoamerica. The Aztecs even had a turkey god, Chalchihuihtotolin, who was somewhat of a trickster.

How does this connect to Ixalan? Turkeys are, like all other birds, theropod dinosaurs. The Empire of the Sun befriending dinosaurs doesn’t seem so weird when you understand that the Aztecs were bona fide dinosaur breeders. When it csmes to husbandry, the meat and feathers turkeys offer made them one of the most important Aztec farm animals.

The irony of that brat in Jurassic Park trying to insult velociraptors by calling them “six-foot turkeys” is that he wasn’t that far off from the truth.

Here Comes the Sun

Gishath, Sun’s Avatar by Zack Stella

Not many aspects of Aztec society have breached pop culture, but sun worship is a big one. One of the most important deities in Aztec religion was Huitzilopochtli, a god of the sun, war, and sacrifice. Huitzilopochtli was also the patron of Tenochtitlan, as he helped the Mexica people found it by sending an eagle to mark the location where it should be built. Huitzilopochtli is associated hummingbirds, but can also take the form of an eagle. He also used a flaming serpent as a spear.

Hey look, more birds! Birds are still dinosaurs. They’ll always be dinosaurs. Ixalan shifting everyday dinosaurs into exciting prehistoric dinosaurs is a fairly seamless upgrade. And just like the Aztec sun god can take the form of a dinosaur, so does the Empire of the Sun’s. While we don’t know much about the sun that the Empire worships yet, we do know that Gishath is a mighty avatar of that deity. Many other Dinosaur Avatars exist in Ixalan, each of them echoing the religious significance of sun-dinosaurs in Aztec culture.

But the sun isn’t the only religious symbol that involves dinosaurs in either Aztec religion or the Empire of the Sun’s ways. Remember, Huitzilopochtli is also a god of war.

The general populace is probably familiar with the jaguar knights, elite infantry that wore jaguar pelts into combat. They were only one of two elite warrior classes, however. The eagle warriors formed the other half of this group, and they adorned themselves with feathered armor and eagle-skull headpieces. Becoming an eagle or jaguar knight was one of the only ways to ascend class in an otherwise stratified society, and these individuals were rewarded with the best education and training the Aztecs could offer.

More relevant for Ixalan, eagle knights literally dressed up like dinosaurs when engaging in war. The Empire of the Sun uses this as a reference when establishing feathered nonavian dinosaurs as the backbone of the nation’s martial forces. Just like how the eagle knights represented the pinnacle of Aztec military prowess, so too are the dinosaurs the greatest asset in the Empire’s army.

Birds of a Feather

Priest of the Wakening Sun by Bastien L. Deharme

While the only known nonavian dinosaurs with feathers were theropods, all the dinosaurs in Ixalan boast colorful plumage. Other than building visual cohesion, this also helps connect them to the Aztec culture on which they’re based.

As I mentioned above, feathers were an important part of Aztec life. Even when not used for food, some birds were bred just for their feathers. They were used in clothing, blankets, religious outfits, ceremony, and even currency. The resplendent quetzal was renowned in Mesoamerican cultures for its beauty, and its long tail feathered were plucked for trade and priestly wardrobes.

Arguably the most recognizable Aztec deity was Quetzalcoatl, named for the magnificent green bird. The -coatl part of his name means “serpent,” and it’s not to see the parallels between a feathered serpent deity and a dinosaur with brilliant feathers. Quetzalcoatl is a god of wind and knowledge, but also the patron of priests. Once again, we see a strong tie between religion and avian dinosaurs in Aztec culture.

Given how important feathers were to the Aztecs, it’s no wonder Ixalan features so many brightly colored dinosaurs. They form the backbone of the Empire of the Sun’s religion, so having them matter in the same way that eagles and quetzals were important to the Aztecs is a smart reference.

The people of the Empire also mirror Aztec feather use in their clothing. Check out the feathered headpieces in Emperor’s Vanguard:

Emperor’s Vanguard by Victor Adame Minguez

Feathers are the core of the visual references between the Empire of the Sun and the Aztecs. Their significance in clothing is easily mirrored in art, but their auspicious use in religion manifests through the dinosaurs important to cultures real and imaginary. This single biological trait, delicate as it is, does tremendous amounts of work tethering Magic’s fiction to the real world that inspired it.

Dino-Score!

When you dig into it, nonavian dinosaurs are a perfect way to use Aztec culture as an inspiration for a fantasy setting. Birds, which are theropod dinosaurs, were important parts of Aztec husbandry, clothing, and religion. Using extinct feathered theropods in Ixalan proliferates those themes into a fantastical setting in a way that has positively excited players around the world. Capitalizing on the coolness of nonavian dinosaurs in a way that intimately, and respectfully, roots them in Aztec culture is brilliant.

Hats, and eagle helmets, off to Creative for constructing such a visually stunning and supernaturally meaty world in Ixalan.

[jediryssabean]

perihelion

@baegerbombtastic, seven months ago: i bought final fantasy xv. i have no impulse control. they’re gay. 

me, also seven months ago: i’m not joining you. i won’t do it. it’s sad.

look where we are now.

-

Pairing: Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum Verse: Canon divergent (again, fuck you, square enix) Rating: T Summary: (Summer in the desert, baking the earth. The vegetation had rustled as the sun loomed on the horizon, larger than Noctis had ever remembered it being. But then again, Insomnia had always blocked out the skyline, in most places. The only time he’d ever caught the sunlight had been when the glare had blinded him from a countless number of windows. 

There had been a word for what he’d been seeing—the sun swallowing the desert underneath it, turning everything a deep red-orange, burning the edges of his cheekbones. 

“perihelion,” Prompto had said from beside him. The dirt beneath their palms had been cooked into sand, the rock of the cliff-face jagged and uneven from sudden sandstorms. Some of the stone looked polished enough to be glasswork, farther down the gully. “that’s when the world is at its closest point to the sun.”)

Or you can [Read on AO3]!

-

Even at night, the water of Galdin Quay radiates warmth.

Noctis can’t remember the last time he’d sat barefoot like this, his feet dangling above the water only barely, moving in some off-kilter rhythm as glowing barrelfish flitted away, heading closer to the beach. The breeze smells of brine and soft sand, and if he breathes deep enough, he thinks he can taste the stars, glittering in almost-absolute silence against the depth of the sky.

If he thinks about it, it had probably been their first night on the Quay, wandering up and down the shoreline, his boots left behind at the caravan. He’d never felt sand between his toes before. The only beach he’d ever seen had been on a lake, the dirt there dark and slimy, with frogs peeking out from the mud. It had been beautiful, still—but the sea is something else entirely.

He wonders if they’ll ever see it again, after they get back to Insomnia. Surely there will be enough work to keep ten kings busy, much less one.

The wood creaks when Noctis shifts against it, leaning his weight back on one hand. He’ll miss the smell the most, probably. The way the left-behind scent of the sunlight clings to the sand, mixing with the sharpness of the saltwater. It lingers in the thread of clothes, in strands of hair, against exposed skin. Certainly at least some of it would follow them home, even considering the stretch of desert between here and there.

He breathes deep for the second time, just in case.

The only indication that Prompto is behind him is the shadow moving across the water, settling just to the side of Noctis’ distorted silhouette. That, and the smell of lavender and vanilla—the memories of a soap Noctis had bought back in Lestallum. Soft, like flower petals, and sweet, like something baking.

It smells better on him.

“So why do you think they pronounce ‘quay’ so funny here? In every class we ever took, I was sure it wasn’t said like ‘key.’” The pier groans for the second time as Prompto takes a seat behind him, starting the process of pulling off his boots, one after the other. It’s easier, this late at night. They’re not laced.

“You can’t just attack people who can’t read,” Noctis replies. “That’s really impolite.”

“Is that a lecture you’ve gotten before, Your Highness?” One boot thunks against the boardwalk.

“No, but it’s an educated guess.” The second boot hits the polished wood, smooth from endless treatments of some water-resistant finish. “You get bored playing King’s Knight while you were waiting for me to come back, or was the smell of saltwater just too good to pass up?”

“None of the above!” Moonlight dances over Prompto’s freckles like it’s jealous that the sun got to leave them there. It gathers in his hair and on his eyelashes like teardrops, and there’s a moment of past-and-future, of dissonance as Noctis’ brain tries to overlay decade old features over the softer face right beside him. It makes his head ache. “I was worried about you. What if you’d been fishing and just lost track of time? Or what if you’d been cornered into another fetch-quest by Dino? I’m not sure a late night rock-run is the best use of your time.” There’s a pause, filled with the sound of the sea brushing under the boardwalk, the surf hissing against the sand, the quiet murmur of patrons still sitting at dining tables with unfinished wine bottles. “What’s on your mind?”

(The first time they’d seen each other in high school, Noctis had known Prompto instantly, though he’d looked entirely different by then. He’d been taller and far leaner, and his voice had been deeper, but he’d still had his freckles. There’d been more, of course, than when Noctis had last seen him. The sun had loved him dearly.

“prince noctis, right?” Prompto had said, as if it had been the first time they’d ever seen one another. Noctis had wondered, for a moment, if he’d just forgotten elementary school, or if there was a game he’d been trying to play. He’d been speaking over the questions of a herd of students who’d wanted to see the prince, up close and personally. “prompto argentum. you look like you’re in need of a rescue.”

Noctis’ knee had ached—an old injury from Marilith that hadn’t bothered him since before he’d come back from Tenebrae almost  seven years earlier.

He’d felt himself smiling despite it.

“oh yeah?” he’d said, and the students had started going quiet as he’d shifted his backpack on his shoulder. “aren’t you a little short for a crownsguard?”)

It’s barely-whispered, gently enough that it almost gets lost in the ambient noise curling in the breeze. It dries out Noctis’ throat, a little, as if something had gotten stuck there and had dug in with nails like needles. Coughing doesn’t make it any easier to speak.

“Ah, you know,” Noctis says, “nothing. Just the drive back to the City. Perfect time for a nap, so I’m trying to budget my time accordingly.”

Prompto hums, his fingers a warm weight on Noctis’ knuckles. The touch is soft, feather-light, and it makes him want to cry. “Hm, I see. I mean, I could probably boot Gladio up front for once? He says he needs the legroom in the back, but I think it’s pretty roomy in the passenger seat, so I don’t see why for the last leg home we can’t budget your royal naptime.”

A bird crows somewhere, out across the sea. Noctis doesn’t know what kind it is. “Gee, thanks. My time management skills have always been subpar.”

Prompto’s laughter breaks the quiet, skipping over the water like a stone. It’s only after it sinks into the sand that he opens his mouth again, watching the moon’s reflection ripple above a group of glowing barrelfish. “Are you nervous about going back?” Another heartbeat’s pause and Prompto laces their fingers. When Noctis glances at their hands, he sees the glimpse of the Imperial tattoo, sharp and uncovered. “Or… is it that you’re going to miss this place?”

He should’ve known, really. Prompto’s always been a mind-reader.

(Summer in the desert, baking the earth. The vegetation had rustled as the sun loomed on the horizon, larger than Noctis had ever remembered it being. But then again, Insomnia had always blocked out the skyline, in most places. The only time he’d ever caught the sunlight had been when the glare had blinded him from a countless number of windows.

There had been a word for what he’d been seeing—the sun swallowing the desert underneath it, turning everything a deep red-orange, burning the edges of his cheekbones.

“perihelion,” Prompto had said from beside him. The dirt beneath their palms had been cooked into sand, the rock of the cliff-face jagged and uneven from sudden sandstorms. Some of the stone looked polished enough to be glasswork, farther down the gully. “that’s when the world is at its closest point to the sun.”

Prompto’s skin had looked almost golden, and his freckles had stretched across the bridge of his nose and the curve of his cheekbones and had settled around his ears. Noctis had wondered, then, who the sun would be, if they were celestial bodies, or something like that. He’d never been one for poetry.

His tongue had felt heavy in his mouth when he’d said, “how do you always do that?”

Callused fingers, warm and soft and covered in too-dry dirt. Noctis could feel the thumbprint that Prompto would be leaving on his cheek. “easy,” he’d said, and it had been the first time that Prompto had looked brave. Noctis had never had his face held this way before. “it’s written all over your face.”)

“We’ve spent so much time here,” Noctis says, the nighttime whispering against the thatched roof of the restaurant. “It’ll be weird when we don’t come back.”

“What, like, ever?” Prompto’s eyelashes brush against his cheeks, trying to gather freckles there, probably. “We’re not coming back here?”

Noctis’ bones grind together when he shrugs, his throat too tight to say anything to a question like that, and his feet stop swinging just out of the water’s reach. His fingertips are tingling.

“I don’t know. You know how the Crown City is. It took us, what, twenty years to leave?”

Prompto’s thumb is drawing circles on his fingers, easing their grip in increments. His face feels too hot. Or maybe it’s just the skin around his eyes. “I guess. But dude, I was thinking this would be the perfect place for a honeymoon. Altissa is too big, and besides, who cares about Altissa? I wasn’t that impressed. It was pretty, but it was also huge, and we can get that back in Insomnia! This place is tiny and cozy and if anyone gets bored, there are crabs right down the beach to fight, usually. Or cook, depending.”

There’s a moment where Noctis can’t breathe. And then two. “A honeymoon, huh? I never did get to go on one of those.” It sounds as if the sea chuckles, splashing softly against the wooden posts beaten down into the sand. “Don’t you have to get married to go on one?”

(Their fingers had brushed when the Crystal had grabbed him. It had been for only a hairsbreadth of a second, barely a touch at all, but it had been there. Noctis had felt it, even in the cold of the Crystal’s embrace.

“noct!” Prompto’s hand had been shaking. They’d been so close.

perihelion, Noctis had remembered the word, then. The moment had been inopportune.)

“You do,” Prompto replies. “I’ve heard, anyway.”

It feels like Prompto’s fingers are going to leave freckles on his knuckles. It feels as though he’d leave freckles against Prompto’s cheeks if he’d kissed him. It feels like—it feels complicated. He’ll be a King when they get back to the City, a King of real things rather than just some fallen country. He’ll have subjects and meetings and royal functions. He’ll return triumphant but hollow, because there isn’t a ring to connect him to the gods, anymore, just like there isn’t a Crystal to protect the capital. There’s just him, and his people, with no wall between.

Noctis has spent a whole lot of time giving. He doesn’t know if there’s a whole lot of him left to… honeymoon with.

“Who’d take your wedding photos?” Sandpaper scrapes the inside of his mouth.

“Dude,” Prompto tells him, “me, obviously. I know all the good angles.” A huff of air, maybe a laugh, but maybe not. It could’ve been a swear, almost inaudible in the semi-broken darkness. “Who’d kiss you at your wedding?”

Noctis almost shoves him off of the pier for that—but pulls him forward by the fabric of his vest instead.

Prompto’s free hand smells like Noctis’ soap and wood-finish as it touches his cheek. He looks brave when Noctis meets his eyes, like he had on the palace rooftop, like he had as he’d set his jaw in front of the Crystal, like he had ten years in the future when they’d seen each other—both of them changed in some sort of way.

When they kiss it’s like daylight.

Something is burned away inside of him, the way that it always is. Prompto’s hands always wander, baptizing everything they touch, charring the hem of his shirt. Noctis’ hands are firmer against his shoulders, more insistent. It’s a way to ask for reassurance without having to put it to words, because he’s never been as adept with them as Prompto has been.

Break apart, sigh, hands in hair. Break apart, but only barely, kiss again. Angles change, their bodies shift, one of Noctis’ feet can finally touch the water. It radiates warmth.

(“how do you always do that?” They’ll have made it into the sea, somehow, floating beside the dock in nothing but underwear, circling each other before they inevitably kiss again. “that whole mind-reader mess you do.”

Prompto will look at him, his hair pushed away from his forehead as he blinks. The seawater clinging to his eyelashes runs down his cheeks like tears—happy ones, maybe. “i saw it in a dream,” he will say with gravity, in the dramatic voice he uses for monologues and storytelling. “the sun was rising over the quay, and you were sitting here, glowing. i reached out to touch you, and you’d disappeared. your dad’s ring was left behind.”

“prom,” Noctis will reply, scaring away a bluegill swimming between his knees as he wraps his legs around Prompto’s waist, weightless beneath the sea, “that has nothing to do with what i just asked you.”

“i saw you in a dream,” Prompto will repeat himself and his eyes will be shining. “and i thought you were gone again.”

“prompto, that’s not what i—“

This time, Prompto’s grip will white-knuckle, his fingers pressing tightly between Noctis’ own. “you’ve always been easy to read.” A single drop of water will be crawling down his face from his hairline, heading toward his jaw. It will be set, like stone. “and i’ve always liked coming to your rescue.”

There will be another conversation here that they need to have—but that moment will come later, in a way that tastes more like leather seats and desert sand, or smells of gleaming marble and newly polished silver. Just then, the nighttime will be broken by laughter, by the splashing of water, by the long silence that follows kisses.

The sun will be large, when it rises, eating up the horizon with orange-gold jaws.)