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konnorhasapen · 1 year

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I HAD AN IDEA AND NOW I AM EXERCISING THAT IDEA

ASSIGNING EACH LISTENER AN EXOTIC PET AND ALSO NAMING THAT PET

I think this may have turned into an oc thing💀

°•°•°•°•°

Lasko's listener: I just established the other day that they own an axolotl named Cella (that Freelancer is hellbent on calling "Celery" and Huxley loves her ((the axolotl))sm) and this is canon to me now. They also have a Chinese water dragon named Lotus bc I said so :)

Freelancer: do rats count as an exotic pet?? (Google says they do-) They named her Gribby. This is also canon to me.

Angel: they 100% have a sugar glider named Goblin (and David is terrified of him.) They want a fennec fox and they will get a fennec fox and they will name her Deedee. Short for Speed Demon.

Baabe: snake. They own a snake and they named her Rory and Asher loves her to death.

Sweetheart: chameleon. His name is Karma and he and Aggro are besties to the max.

Darlin': a fucking raccoon. Or a badger. Either one named Cujo.

Lovely: they own a bat named Valentina.

Bright Eyes: also owns a rat, but they didn't him Remi. They couldn't remember the rat's actual name so instead they ended up naming him fuckin Ratatouille💀

Starlight: albino ferret albino ferret albino ferret and she's named Carina :)

Seer Obscura: literally owns a barn owl named Tiresias.

Cutie: they have a couple mice they named Allen and Atlas.

Honey: iguana named Geechee, but he also responds to the name Bee for some odd, unknown reason (*cough* Guy-)

Warden: snake. Burmese python. I feel like they would want to name her, but wouldnt know what to name her, so they'd settle for Mesii (to base it slightly off "burmese")

Mentor/Baby: four ferrets. Four ferrets that are specifically named Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde.

Smartass: they have a bearded dragon named Ivy and she vibes with Aaron.

Sunshine: they have chinchilla siblings named Nimbus and Nebula :3

Anton's listener: they have 2 tree frogs named Mika and Aivo, and a chinchilla named Seria (I like my chinchillas, okay?? I've always wanted one-)

James' listener: hedgehog named Morose and he's the cutest little baby James has ever laid his eyes on.

Asset: they found a mouse in the vents one time and they've kept it ever since. They named her Thias. They like to show Thias to Anton. Anton likes to see Thias(Thias reminds him of Seria). They have also introduced Thias to Brian. Brian also likes Thias. Most of the people working with/on Asset know Thias.

Precious: they aren't allowed to own a pet. Because owning a pet means giving their love and affection and attention to someone other than Regulus.

°•°•°•°•°

Bonus Bits!

Damien: ...Freelancer, I think you have rats.

FL: huh?? Oh, no, that's just Gribby.

Damien: *petting Gribby* who names a pet "Gribby"?

FL: I do. Oh- don't touch her left back leg.

Damien: why? Is she hurt?

FL: I got her checked out first few times it happened, but they said nothin' was wrong.

Damien: then why..?

FL: she just starts screaming.

Damien: what.

☆

David: Angel, I'm—

Goblin, who escaped his habitat: *zooms up the fridge and soars straight towards David, landing on his face and getting comfy on his head*

Angel: Goblin, where'd you go!? Oh! Aww! He loves you!

David: *frozen with fear*

☆

Sam: Darlin'?

Darlin': hm?

Sam: why's there a raccoon/badger on your kitchen counter?

Darlin': that's Cujo.

Sam: ...Cujo was-

Darlin': "mEhMeHmEhMeH cUjO wAs a dOg tHoUgH" let me name my trash panda/rage skunk whatever tf I want.

☆

Vincent: you got a pet bat?

Lovely: yeah! I wanted to name her Vincent as well, but then I thought you might get confused, so I went with Valentina instead! ^-^

Vincent: *teary-eyed* you wanted to name her after me??

Vincent: ...wait- you thought I'd get confused-

☆

Vincent: did you buy a rat?

Bright: I found it in the trash can and he's mine now.

Vincent: o..kay. Does he have a name?

Bright: um, duh. Anyone who owns a rat and doesn't name it Ratatouille is committing an actual crime against humanity.

Vincent: ...hold on.., wasn't the... wasnt the rat's name Remi?

Bright: ...

Vincent: ... I-

Bright: y'know what Vincent?

Vincent: wha-

Bright: shut the fuck up.

☆

Chat: you have a pet!??

Honey: yeah *fetches Geechee from his habitat* His name's Geechee

Chat: YOU HAVE A PET LIZARD!?!?

Honey: iguana*. Anyway, this is Geechee, but I've noticed he also responds to the name "Bee" and I have some speculations as to why that is.

Guy, in chat: I haven't the slightest clue what you could possibly be talking about.

☆

Baby: I found these poor little guys in a box thrown in a trash can.

Ollie: OHMYGOD CAN WE KEEP THEM? HAVE YOU NAMED THEM SO WE CAN KEEP THEM??

Baby: yes, we're keeping them and no, I haven't named them yet.

Ollie: ..suggestion?

Baby: I suppose.

Ollie, immediately: Inky Blinky Pinky and Clyde!

Baby: *sigh* goddamnit, those are gold.

Ollie: Inky Blinky Pinky and Clyde?

Baby: *nods* Inky Blinky Pinky and Clyde.

Ollie: YES!

☆

Asset: hi Marcus!

Marcus: jEsus chRIst- you scared me half to-...

Marcus: what do you have?

Asset: I found someone!

Marcus: you... found someone..?

Asset: *opens their hands to show a petite lil mousey* I've decided to name her.

Marcus: oh- y-yeah? And.. what did you...name her..?

Asset: Thias!

—

Asset: good evening, Anton.

Anton: good evening

Asset: Thias says hello, too!

Anton, with a tired but genuine smile: hello and good evening to you as well, Thias.

°•°•°•°•°

This was fun. I had much fun. This was so much fun :3

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earth-b0y · 1 day

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Huh, I thought skunks were in the mustelid family with weasels, because of their face, but they're not! They're "mephitidae," which also includes an animal called.. a stink badger?

#min.txt

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astorytotellyourfriends · 2 years

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I’m sorry, I wasn’t catcalling you, I was catcalling my buddy for literally anyone

It's the whistle that makes Steve's ears perk up. He was minding his own business a moment ago, wondering how long it's going to take Robin to show up, and now his head's on a swivel.

"Why don't you come over here, baby?"

Steve snorts a little when he sees Eddie sitting cross-legged on a bench outside the school building. He's ducking his head, like he's embarrassed of what just came out of his mouth, and Steve can't help but smirk. There's nobody else around, so Eddie had to have been talking to him.

He's probably high and didn't realize he said anything out loud, Steve thinks to himself, but he ends up sauntering over to Eddie anyway.

Eddie does a double take when Steve's just a couple of feet away, looking way more amused than he did a minute ago.

"Harrington…" he says, giving Steve a look that totally does not make him second-guess his entire life up to this point. "You need something?"

"I--" Steve falters. "You…"

It's at that same moment that Steve realizes that there's something in Eddie's arms. On first glance, he's a little worried that it's some wild animal like a badger or, god forbid, a skunk. But when he takes a second look, he realizes it's a small black cat.

Steve's entire face goes bright red. He's never felt this stupid in his entire life.

Unfortunately for him, Eddie seems to catch onto the reason for his embarrassment in the same moment and he snorts with laughter.

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't--" Steve tries, shaking his head in utter shame.

"I wasn't catcalling you."

"Yeah, no, I know--"

"I was catcalling my buddy." Eddie holds up the cat, who meows like they're both in on the fucking joke. Steve groans as Eddie laughs again, murmuring to the cat as he pets its head. Steve pinches the bridge of his nose between his fingers and huffs out a long breath.

"Just forget it," Steve mutters.

"Aww, Harrington," Eddie says as he swiftly unfurls his legs out from under himself, still carrying the cat as he crosses the distance between them. "Did you think I was trying to seduce you?"

"Who catcalls a literal cat?" Steve snaps back. Eddie's mouth splits into a wide grin and Steve really wishes it didn't make his stomach go all twisty.

"You jealous?"

"No," he replies. He's pretty sure it sounded convincing.

Eddie hums, still grinning as his eyes dart down to Steve's mouth and then back up to his eyes. His wiggles his eyebrows and Steve feels himself blushing even more, dammit.

"Don't worry," Eddie says, pitching his voice low as he leans in. "When I catcall you, you'll definitely know."

filled prompts | prompt list

#stranger things #eddie x steve #steddie #stranger things fic #steve harrington #eddie munson #justine writes shit #answered #romantiquesnouvelles #once again i turned it steddie and i ain't sorry

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dwollsadventures · 8 months

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Monster Manual - Badger

It doesn’t take much to draw the ire of a badger. And it doesn’t take much to find one either: they’re burrowers commonly known for invading fields and gardens. Many farmhands and new adventurers are asked to deal with them despite their mundanity. They may hiss, but they bark more than bite. Look for burrows and disturbed soil and either plug it up or spread some irritant. Peppers and the oil of lemongrass have proven good in my experience. Avoid the back-ends, as some badgers can spray like skunks. -- More regular animals. It would've been easy to go with an American badger, or a honey badger, but European badgers often get the reputation as cute and wholesome because of their resting face being so cute. Just because they're less dangerous in comparison to their relatives does not mean they're harmless.

#dnd #d&d #dungeons and dragons #adnd #monster manual #badger #european badger

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kainsword17 · 6 months

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Here is the whole character-roster for a made-up fighting-game I've come up for a squeal to my CN-Fighter, a crossover fighting starting characters from some of Cartoon-Network's animated shows. The game idea will have some returning characters, along with some new faces, but it will feature a story involving the cartoon, Max-Steel (that aired on Cartoon-Network in case you're wondering).

Here's the basic story of the game idea: The Cartoon-Network is in danger again, this time it's under threat from then world-eating alien, Makino and his Ultralinks, so Max-Steel, the hero of that world, gathers up the heroes on the universe to help him fighting, however, Makino along with his herald, Miles Dread gathers up this world's villains to help them fight the heroes.

Returning Characters:

KO (from OK KO: Let's be Heroes!).

Ben Tennyson (from Ben-10).

Alpha-Girl Latifah (from Hero-108).

Gumball Watterson (from The Amazing World of Gumball).

Garnet (from Steven-Universe).

Fink (from OK KO: Let's be Heroes!).

Mao Mao (from Mao Mao: Heroes of Pureheart).

Terrorancula (from Ben-10 Omniverse).

Tootsie the Skunk (from Craig of the Creek).

Trickshoot (from Trick-Moon).

Nanini & Genesis (from OK KO: Let's be Heroes!).

Optimus-Prime (from Transformers Animated).

Hoss Delgado (from The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy).

Dexter (from Dexter's Laboratory).

Sticks the Badger (from Sonic-Boom).

Orangusnake (from Mao Mao: Heroes of Pureheart).

Doctor Diablos (from Dexter's Laboratory).

Killer-Moth (from The Batman).

Rex Salazar (from Generator-Rex) (DLC).

Malware (from Ben-10 Omniverse) (DLC).

Major-Glory (from Dexter's Laboratory/Justice-Friends) (DLC).

Toiletnator (from Codename: Kids next Door) (DLC).

New Characters:

Max-Steel (from Max-Steel).

Blisstina (from Powerpuff-Girls 2016).

Blast-Link (from Max-Steel).

Madame Malin (from We Baby Bears).

Maltruant (from Ben-10 Omniverse).

Penny Fitzgerald (from The Amazing World of Gumball).

Brock Samson (from The Venture-Bros).

Unikitty (from Unikitty).

Meltdown (from Transformers Animated).

Secret-Squirrel (from Two-Stupid Dogs).

Miles Dread (from Max-Steel) with Dread Makino-Mode as the game's mid-boss.

Amy Rose (from Sonic Boom) (DLC).

Red-Action (from OK KO: Let's be Heroes!) (DLC).

Professor-Princess (from Transformers Animated) (DLC)

Metal Elementor (from Max-Steel) (DLC).

The Final-Boss of the game:

Makino (from Max-Steel)

#cartoon network #crossover

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strelles-universe · 1 year

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Clan Names - Land Predators

Badger: Primarily a ThunderClan or WindClan name. A black and white cat, usually one with a stripe on their face, sometimes given to skillful diplomats.

Bear: Used by all clans equally. A brown or black cat, protective or defense. Also refers to nub tailed cats.

Coyote, Jackal: Used by all clans equally. A deep brown or golden cat, someone adaptable and clever.

Dog, Hound: A Rare Name. Imposing or distance, someone who is intimidating.

Ferret, Polecat, Stoat: A ThunderClan or WindClan name. A banded cat, long who is long and flexible - ferret is a common name for troublesome kits.

Fox, Vixen, Todd: Used by all clans equally. A specific pattern of a ginger coat and white or black socks and tail tip, clever or cunning.

Otter: Primarily a RiverClan name. A brown furred cat, sleek coated - as a suffix it means mischievous or even malicious.

Sable, Mink: Primarily of ShadowClan, ThunderClan and New SkyClan. A completely black furred or brown furred cat, a good climber, someone who is stealthy or coy.

Skunk: Used by all clans equally: A mostly black cat with white markings, often in the form of a dorsal stripe, shy or timid.

Weasel: A rare name. A mostly or completely brown cat, someone longer than they are tall, can also mean “surprise.”

Wolverine: A rare name. A thick furred cat, someone skilled with communication, smooth - a name honoring the Connector.

#strelles au #strelles naming conventions #strelles worldbuilding #pride names and meaning #strelles the greenwood empire

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vannahfanfics · 1 year

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Also, may I request an AluSeras fic for “Coat?” I know that prompt isn’t a part of your “Clothing” list, but I can’t help but wonder how cute it would be to have Alucard snuggle with Seras in his coat or maybe write about her secretly trying his coat on because it looks so cool and comfy, then have Alucard catch her in the act and finds her adorable in it, much to her embarrassment? IDK, I’m a living trash pile for this ship and I want something soft involving these two. 🥰 - Gaanon 🌵🏜🤎

Thank you so much for commissioning a request pass, Gaanon! I apologize for the wait on all these stories; hopefully as time keeps going on, I’ll be able to get to them, even it’s only a few here and there.

Fidelity

Word Count: 2240

Fluff, Canon Compliant

Summary: Seras, Alucard, and the Wild Geese are on a mission in Britain's moorlands, and Seras finds that being a vampire does not make one immune to the cold.

“Brrrrrrr!”

Seras shuddered and rubbed vigorously at her arms as a brisk breeze blew over the moorlands. The yawning expanse of flat grassland had only sparse shrubbery to claim as vegetation, so the wind could be particularly biting—especially on an unusually cold night like this. Having lived in Cheddar, which was located in the sprawling stretch of moorland known as the Sedgemoor District, Seras had thought herself used to it. She’d only been staying at the Hellsing Manor for a short time now; surely that wasn’t enough to lose her resistance to the cold. More than that, she was a vampire now. Shouldn’t she be unaffected by little annoyances like temperature fluctuations?

Regardless, it didn’t matter. Vampire or not, resistant to cold or not, Seras Victoria shivered in the face of this frigid midnight gale.

I sure hope we complete this mission soon, Seras moped, wrapping her arms around herself to try and conserve body heat. She probably didn’t even have body heat anymore, but the action fooled her into feeling warmer, at the very least.

She, Alucard, Pip, and a small force of the Wild Geese had been dispatched to Axbridge, a village not far from Cheddar, to investigate rumors of a vampire haunting. Supposedly, a female vampire stalked the moors and used her hypnotic powers to lure men off the road; she’d entice them out into the empty wilderness, and once they were someplace where no one could hear their screams, she’d pounce. Integra theorized that the Hellsing Organization’s involvement in investigating the rash of vampire hauntings in the English countryside had spooked whomever was behind them, and they were now taking more care in their actions. One could only obliterate so many small towns before the stories became too widespread to control, after all. Alucard surmised that this lady vampire was picking off young men to build a sizeable ghoul army, which she would then use to sweep across the moorlands and decimate several settlements in succession.

Needless to say, that would not do. So, Integra had sent them to nip this little problem in the bud.

The most reasonable plan had been to use Pip as bait while Seras and the others lay in wait to catch the vampiress unawares. Alucard had quickly grown bored of the stakeout and had tramped off into the moors to discover where the ghouls were stashed and eliminate them—if they existed at all. Seras and the Wild Geese had been camped out behind some dense shrubbery for at least an hour now, keeping their eyes peeled while Pip posed as a traveler who’d set up camp for the night. Seras hadn’t seen anything move on the moors aside from a badger trundling on home to its den.

They were now watching Pip stumble around the road drunk as a skunk. At first, he’d only been pretending, but he had grown so bored after fifteen minutes that he’d started slamming back all the “prop” alcohol in his fake campsite. He clutched a wine bottle in his hand as he staggered around in a circle in the dirt. All of a sudden, he flung his head back to howl at the cloudy night sky.

“Helloooooooooooo? I thought there wuz a pretty lady out here!” he cackled while waving the wine bottle around above his head. His slurred speech made his accent even thicker. He cursed when the purple liquid sloshed out to splash all over his hat! “Fuck! Ah… ‘Ey, more wine!” He paused to gulp down several mouthfuls of the alcohol, then popped the bottle away from his lips with a satisfied sigh. “Come out, come out, wherever ya are~! Won’ you come share a drink wit me, darlin’?”

“I’m beginning to think that the only lady out here to share a drink with him is me, ” Seras mumbled under her breath.

“I think ‘e’d like that more than the lady of the moors, if I’m bein’ honest,” snickered one of the mercenaries, and his companions all chimed their agreement. Seras quickly shushed them before their jeering could get too loud, then frowned back down at the road when she heard a loud thwomp. Pip had sprawled flat on his back in the grass just to the side of the road, snoring loudly and drooling profusely.

Seras waited one minute, then another. The silence seemed to echo all around her; all she could hear was the quiet breathing of the men around her and Pip’s droning snores. Just as she was beginning to debate calling it quits and retrieving Pip before he could die choking on his own vomit or something, she finally heard something that could be her quarry:

Fleet footsteps through the short grass, far too fast to be a human but far too large to be an animal.

Seras’s eyes slowly turned red as she scanned the slightly rolling moors for movement. There it was—a shadow, swiftly approaching Pip’s unconscious form. The metallic but sickeningly sweet tang of blood stung Seras’ nostrils when the wind rushed down over her again; the vampiress was drenched in it, and Seras could also smell it on the ghoul she now heard shambling along in the distance. The vampiress must have been taking her latest prey to her hideout but had stopped to seize the golden opportunity that was the inebriated, incapacitated Pip Bernadotte.

Your blessing is a bullet in disguise, Seras thought with a smirk and slid her rifle forward. She didn’t bother with the scope; her burning red eyes could see all in crystal clarity. The vampiress zoomed across the landscape with such speed that she was a blur to the humans huddled around Seras, but to the sire of Alucard, she may as well have been moving in slow-motion.

The moorlands resounded with the blast of the bullet exploding from the chamber. The vampiress skidded to a halt and looked wildly around, believing someone had missed a shot at her. Seras Victoria, of course, did not miss. In the next second, the moorland vampire’s head whipped back with blood erupting from the bullet hole in her forehead like a geyser. She collapsed in a crumpled heap right next to Pip’s pitched tent. The drunk himself slept on, just smacking his lips and rolling over.

After dispatching the ghoul and ensuring that there were no imminent threats, Seras stood up and brushed the grass bits from her stockings.

“You all go get Mr. Bernadotte and head to our rendezvous point. I’ll search for Master Alucard, and we’ll meet you there,” she instructed. “Please be careful; I may leave a range where I can hear or see you, and there may be more ghouls lurking about.”

“Understood, Miss Victoria!” the Wild Geese declared in unison and saluted her. They’d been on a few missions together now, so they now reacted to her vampiric prowess with admiration rather than fear. Seras rather liked that. She didn’t want anyone to fear her, especially not the men she called comrades. It made her feel warm and fuzzy inside, and that was something she would much need on the long, cold trek through the dark and lonely moors.

Seras dipped her head politely to the mercenaries with a promise to rendezvous with them soon, then set off into the wilderness.

“Masterrrrrrr? Where are you?” Seras wailed into the emptiness, but her only answer was her own voice’s echo traveling across the flat expanse of shrubby grasslands. The sound was swiftly whisked away by the whistling wind, which had been blowing uninterrupted for what seemed like a lifetime. In reality, Seras had probably only been searching for Alucard for half an hour; be that as it may, she was cold, tired, and very ready for home. So, she’d resorted to lamentably howling into the darkness like some ghostly lady in white haunting the moors; sound traveled far out here, so she’d figured hearing her would make it easier for him to find her. Because she certainly wasn’t going to be able to find him!

“Masterrrrrr,” Seras groaned while rubbing at her arms. Her entire body felt like a block of ice; quite honestly, she was scared to look at her frozen-stiff fingers because she half-expected to find them black with frostbite. She was so sorely tempted to just speed to the rendezvous point and wait for Alucard to find his way there, but she couldn’t bring herself to. She’d never forgive herself if he got hurt due to her negligence. There could be an insanely powerful vampire at the lair, or worse, he could have another run-in with that Irish priest, Alexander Anderson.

“Wherever you are, Master, I will find you,” Seras sniffled to herself. She used the short sleeve of her uniform to rub her snotty nose, then prepared to continue her plunge into the vast moors. Just as she stepped forward, someone latched onto the back of her uniform to keep her in place.

“Don’t bother. I heard your yowling from miles away.”

“Master!” Seras cheered, tipping her head back to beam broadly at the frowning Alucard. He was splashed head-to-toe in blood, but she assumed that it wasn’t his, for he looked otherwise uninjured. “Did you find the vampiress’ lair, then?”

“Indeed,” he tutted, releasing Seras’ shirt. She whirled on her heel to smile at him while he picked disinterestedly at his teeth. “Found them all bottled up in an abandoned mine. Mowing them down was quite easy—boring, really,” he explained and then smiled wickedly. “But I found evidence that there were actually several vampires operating out of there, so I went on a little hunt.”

“Did you find them?”

“Of course I did. Do you think I would go back to Integra without fully completing my job?” Alucard sniffed sullenly. “Don’t insult me, police girl.”

“Oh, that’s not what I meant,” Seras pouted, her shoulders slumping at the scolding. “I was just eager to assist you, that’s all…”

Alucard’s irritated expression morphed into a pensive one. He then huffed, crossed his arms, and looked away from Seras and out into the moors.

“You got rid of the last one, didn’t you?”

“Well, yes, of course,” Seras said with an owlish blink.

“There you have it, then. You have assisted me,” Alucard shrugged. “If not for that, I’d be chasing her all over the moors right now. And, though I do so enjoy a game of hide-and-go-seek, I’m quite tired. At this point, it would be an annoyance.”

Seras preened at that. She owed Alucard her life, and so she did her best to be useful to him. But it was hard to be useful to a man who seemed to have power rivaling the Devil himself. Perhaps he was simply saying those things for her benefit, but Seras chose to believe them, and that made happiness well up inside of her.

“I’m glad then, Master!” she chirped, her smile so big that it scrunched up her eyes. “I think that it’s safe to say ‘mission success,’ then! Shall we head to the meeting point?”

Before Alucard could answer, the wind picked up to a fierce gale. Seras exclaimed as it whipped around them, tugging fiercely at their clothes and hair. Alucard seemed entirely unbothered by it, but Seras was now chilled to the bone. She braced herself against the violent wind until it died back down to a steady breeze, then shuddered violently and wrapped her arms around herself.

“Please say so, because at this point, I’m afraid I’m going to become a Seras-cicle!” she whined.

Alucard’s red gaze flicked back to her, and his unreadable expression made her back straighten like a rod. Oh, no, was she being too much of a weakling and had disappointed him? Seras expected Alucard to make some disparaging comment or even scold her outright. When he moved, she flinched and shut her eyes tight, though she didn’t even know what she was bracing herself for.

Seras heard him step forward and then… chuckle softly. She cracked an eye open to see Alucard standing close to her, and then she felt his cloak gently drape over her shoulders. She was pleasantly surprised to find it quite warm; a smile bloomed on her lips as she reached up to draw it around herself, and she looked up at Alucard gratefully.

“Thank you, Master.”

“I’m just protecting my investment,” he huffed, but the twinkle in his red eyes told Seras everything hidden beneath his shallow words. “Besides, it would be a poor end to a vampire in Sir Integra’s service—freezing to death on some windy moors.” With that, he held his hat to his head and whirled on his heel to begin striding off. “Hurry up, now, police girl—or are you frozen after all?”

“Wah! No, Master, I’m coming!” Seras squawked and quickly hurried after him. With a giggle, she slipped her arms into the too-long sleeves of Alucard’s coat and pulled it tight around her front. With its gentle heat as a barrier, Seras didn’t have to worry about the cold anymore, no matter how much of a fuss the wind kicked up.

You saved me again this time, Master, even if just from a chill, Seras thought with a fond side-glance at Alucard, but mark my words: someday, I’m going to be the one to save you!

No matter how far away you go… I’ll always come to find you.

#hellsing #hellsing ultimate #aluseras #seras victoria #alucard hellsing

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esoteric-mantra-stuff · 9 months

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Virgil and Beatrice (A Starry Night Epilogue)

CW: Mentions of farting (idk if this needs a cw but I'm being safe) and anything related to AoIS and what happened earlier.

So this is just a funky epilogue I wrote to tie some stuff over. It's not requiered reading or anything, but I hope all of you enjoy :3.

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You spend a lot of time sleeping while in her camp. Your neck injury has been getting better, but there’s only so much her incantations can do. You can’t get up from your sickbed just yet, much less get out of the makeshift tent that was made for you, but you’re well enough that you can speak and sit up without wincing in pain. It’s been only three days, but you’ve been making remarkable progress. She comes over twice every day and keeps you company. This time she brings you your plain gruel and talks to you about anything really. She’s always been the chatty type, a bell on every tooth, but you don’t mind it. You’ve always been more of a listener anyway. It almost makes your gruel have some flavor, other than the iron taste of blood that lingers in your mouth, that is. “I’m sorry, but you can’t eat any solids still, not until I can make sure your neck won’t open up again.” She says upon seeing your dismayed expression. “At least I tried to make it as rich as possible. There’s nothing worse than watery gruel.” You sigh, looking at the beige colored paste on your plate. “I’m grateful, it’s just that the flavor leaves much to be desired.” You bring a spoonful to your mouth, swallowing the gruel carefully. “Yeah….” She says, looking at you as you eat away at your plate. “Well, look on the bright side. At least you’re getting a lot of fiber in your diet, I bet you haven’t been this regular in years.” You roll your eyes at the comment and continue eating despite the crass nature of her chosen topic.

She stares, but then a smile slowly creeps onto her lips. Oh no. “Well… I guess I don’t actually have to guess that your bowel movements are fine.” She says, trying not to laugh as you put your spoon down and look at her as deadpan as you can. Do you want to know? Probably not, but if you don’t ask it’s just going to be this weird inside joke, except she’s the only one in on it. You sigh. “... And how do you know that?” It’s better to get it over quickly, you tell yourself, but you feel instant regret the moment her barely contained laughter turns to a mocking smile. “Well… You probably haven’t noticed, but during the nights sometimes I’m woken up by a rather loud noise. I just couldn’t figure out what it was.” She says, setting up whatever wicked punchline you’re about to be the butt of. ”It took me a few nights of investigating before I discovered that… someone kept farting in their sleep!” She fully breaks into laughter after that. You feel your cheeks redden as shame washes over you like cold water. “W-what?! I don’t-” You’re about to defend yourself, but suddenly you’re reminded of something. The other day… you asked her if she’d seen any skunks or honey badgers around the camp. You remember smelling something foul as you woke up. She was barely containing her laughter then too! You cover your face with your hands as you groan. Maybe it’s not too late to die for real. “Hehe… Luckily the kids are pretty heavy sleepers, so don’t worry. ” She tries to comfort you, but it’s failing. Hard. She brings a hand to your chin and pets you beneath it. It feels… nice. Though you’re still very embarrassed. “... S-sorry.” You manage to say. “It's okay. I’m just glad you’re getting better, even if the process might not be pleasant.” She moves to pet behind your ears and you bring your hands to your lap. She hasn’t lost her touch after all these years.

You stay like that, eyes closed and mouth on the verge of panting, for a while until she pulls her hand away. Her touch immediately is sorely missing. “Now eat up. Flatulence or not, you’re not getting any better if you don’t keep your body nurtured.” She says, smiling at you kindly. You sigh and look down at your porridge. “Right… the gruel that makes me fart like a sheepdog on a short chain.” You pick up your spoon and continue eating with some trepidation. She shrinks her shoulders. “If it bothers you too much, I could always plug you up at night. I’m sure I have that toy in storage somewhere.” The gruel flies from your mouth as you sputter. This woman will be the death of you.

After lunch is done, she turns to cleaning your wounds. Slowly and gingerly she removes the bandages around your neck, then she applies antiseptic directly into the closing wound using some clean cotton. You can’t suppress the whine that escapes you as the chemicals sting in your skin. "Sorry. I know it stings, but that means it's working." She tries to comfort you as you try not to wince. “With this, your body should be able to continue healing even without incantations.” She pulls out new bandages and wraps them around your neck. Tossing the old bloodied linen away. “I’m just glad to be alive at all. If I died then….” You reach out for her hand, and she places it in your palm. So soft and so small compared to yours. “I would have never been able to tell you how I felt. I don’t think I could have taken such regrets to my grave.” You look into her eyes, and she smiles. Her other hand reaches up to pet behind your ears. “I’m glad you’re alive too.” She says, making your tail wag.

"Rogier's outside watching the kids if you need anything," she says as she's leaving. "I'll go check up on Iji. Hopefully, he's managed to dodge the assassins until now. It shouldn't take more than an afternoon." She leans down and kisses your forehead. "Try to sleep, okay? Recovering uses up a lot of energy." You nod. "Thank you. I think I can rest easy knowing Iji has you backing him up. Just come back in one piece, eh?" She smiles and ruffles the fur on your head before leaving. Once you are alone, you lean back and begin dreaming. For once, your dreams feel peaceful.

—------------------

The wolf’s bane and the violet they bloomed long ago

And the brier-rose and the tulips danced amid summer glow;

On the hill the sword-flower and the aster in the wood

And the snowdrop by the brook in autumn beauty stood

Till fell the frost from the clear cold heaven as falls the plague on men

but the brightness of their smile was not robbed from upland glade and glen

—------------------

You wake up sometime later. It’s hard to tell what time it is inside the tent, but you can guess the sun might set soon. There’s a slight weight over your chest, something light enough that you could still sit up if you wanted without much trouble, but something that’s breathing softly on your chest. You look down to find a familiar gray pup sleeping on top of you. Aster’s leaning forward while his legs are still kneeled by the side of your bed, his arms are folded beneath his head as a makeshift pillow. You have to wonder why he’s here. Isn’t Rogier supposed to be watching over them? Though you’re glad to see that he’s okay even after all that happened in the Moonlight Altar. Physically at least… You can only hope Aster wasn’t scarred by almost watching you die in front of him. The fact that his mother has been your only company these last few days made you afraid that maybe he didn’t want to see you. Well, he’s here now, so that can’t be.

You feel Aster stir. He opens his little mouth wide open with a yawn, complete with that signature whine. “Hello Aster. It’s been a while.” You say to the boy who smiles as he makes eye contact with those irises of faded lavender. “Dad!” He hugs you, careful around your neck. You put your hand on his back and return the hug as best as you can. “Mum said that you were getting better, but that you’ll need to rest some more before I can show you around our camp.” He says, his little tail wagging into a blur. “I would like that, thank you.” You respond. Aster hugs you for a moment longer, then returns to a sitting position by your side.

His eyes linger on the bandages around your neck, then he looks away, wringing his hands together. The mood takes a hard dip into something more serious. Oh no, have you upset him? “Aster…? Is something wrong?” You ask, sitting up. Aster looks around the tent. He hesitates before speaking. “Umm… I’m sorry you got hurt because of me….” His little eyes meet with yours, they’re filled with honest remorse. “I should’ve paid more attention… Maybe then you wouldn’t have almost….” He trails off as he begins to sob, bringing his hands up to wipe the tears, but they can’t stop the deluge. You pull him closer and he cries into your chest. “It’s not your fault, Aster. I was responsible for your safety… I… I don’t mind getting hurt to protect you.” You try to console him, but he shakes his head. “But I don’t want you to! I *hic* I just want you to be okay….” He says between sobs. You’re not doing a good job at consoling him, are you? Maybe it’s time you stop thinking like a self-sacrificing shadow, and start thinking like a father. You let Aster cry until he’s calmed down, rubbing your hand gently on his back while he lets it all out. The boy sobs, unloading all the worry you’ve put him through since you were at the altar.

Once he calms down, you lean down as far as you can without straining your wounds and kiss him on the forehead. “I’m sorry I worried you so much, Aster. I promise….” You stop. It’s a big promise to make, but you’re shadowbound no longer, so you’ll have to get used to making them on your own now. “I promise I’ll be more careful from now on, is that okay?” The boy looks up at you, his eyes red and his cheeks stained with tears. You wipe them away with your thumb. “I’ll never regret protecting you, but… I also don’t want to scare you like this again.” You say. The pup leans into your hand as you pet him behind the ears. “... Okay… then I’ll be careful too….” Aster says. He’s still a little upset, but he seems better.

You stay with Aster a little longer. A little bit of his previous cheerfulness returns as he talks to you about the camp, his siblings, his mother and uncle Rogier. Just like his mother, he seems to be the chatty type. He talks to you about all the fun things he likes to do with his siblings, mentioning how going fishing to the creek is his favorite thing to do, you mention that you’ve never gone fishing before and he offers to teach you. “Fishing in Liurnia is really fun, but….” He trails off, hesitating to speak once more. Oh no, did something happen again? Before you can ask what’s wrong, he answers for you. “Are you… staying forever now?” He looks at you, his expression is a little hard to read, but he seems… hopeful. You look at the entrance of the tent. She offered you a place to stay, and you agreed, didn’t you? You want to stay forever, but… Truth be told, there is still a part of you that feels like this is more than what you deserve. A part of you that wants to continue running away. All this time it’s been you who’s the problem. You’re the one everyone had to work around. You’re the one who’s nature put everyone in danger.You don’t feel like you’re worthy of… this. And yet you look at Aster, his hopeful eyes tinted a soft shade of periwinkle. Another oath to keep, another promise you’re making on your own. You may not be worth them right now, but… “I’ll stay… forever.” You answer. He smiles and his little tail wags itself into a blur. If you’re not worthy of them now, you’ll just have to become worthy of them. It’s your new oath, you decide. This is your new fate.

—------------------

You approach the Three Sisters once more, the evening breeze blows through the now empty towers. Their owner has departed and their purpose now is to crumble. Were it up to you, you would never set foot here again. But Iji came this way, having discarded his spot by the entrance in an attempt to flee from his pursuers. The large troll footprints make it impossible to conclude otherwise. It’s likely the Black Knife Assassins approached him fairly recently if the prints’ freshness is anything to go by, it happened just this morning at the latest. So you return, but not without caution. All the assassins you’ve found have been dead, their bodies having crumbled to ash leaving nothing but their gear. Iji might’ve dealt with them on his own, but based on the shape of the notches left on the armor, it’s likely that whoever did them in did so with a sword. Wouldn’t Iji use his hammer? Furthermore, all of them had similar marks, meaning all of them were killed by the same person. That’s pretty insane considering it’s a twenty-four versus one match where the one side was victorious. That’s why if there’s someone even more dangerous than the assassins, you need to be careful not to catch their attention.

“I can’t thank you enough for what you did….” You hear Iji’s voice somewhere nearby, you almost call out in response when you hear it again. “Yes… neither Blaidd, Lady Ranni nor the tarnished noticed your presence. Though I have to wonder why it would be problematic if any of them saw you.” It’s coming from the left. You wander over to Seluvis’ Rise, Iji is standing by the front of the tower, talking with someone on the top floor. You can’t see them from here, but it doesn’t look like it’s the unpleasant Preceptor. He would never be seen without his hat. “I see… Well, I’m grateful you took care of Astel and the assassins. I’m not sure Blaidd would have been able to while protecting the little one….” Astel? Was that the name of the thing you found past the Lake of Rot? And was the person in the tower responsible for killing the assassins too? You almost go over and call Iji’s attention, but you remember what was said earlier. This person was kept secret from everyone, even Ranni herself. If you go over right now, it might cause them to flee. You decide to hide amongst the foliage and listen. Perhaps it’s just morbid curiosity, but if something is being kept secret from you, you want to find out what.

Iji stays quiet. Listening to the person at the top. If only you were closer, you might be able to hear their voice. You creep towards the tower slowly so as to not alert either party. “Blaidd and the tarnished have returned to her camp, but I hear he’s recovering well. Lady Ranni did not wait to bid him farewell, but I shall tell him she did if he ever asks. It’s the least I can do to spare his feelings….” Iji says to the entity. From here you can almost make out a whispery voice. You strain your ears to make out what they’re saying. “... he’s always been so loyal to her, and yet she can’t even say goodbye properly? Here I thought nobles were supposed to have manners.” The voice, a man’s, says. Iji shakes his head. Then lifts his gaze up to the skies, the stars have started to appear and the moon is almost full. “I’m afraid Lady Ranni and Blaidd will never get a chance to truly reconcile. The shadowbound cannot be equal to their masters by design… Blaidd could never forgive her on his own terms for her failings.” The figure stays quiet, the evening breeze rustles the leaves off the trees. “... Maybe it’s better this way… I hope you’ll continue to watch over him after I’m gone. It’s unlikely that I’ll be returning….” The man says and there’s a certain sadness in his voice. Iji nods. “Of course. Blaidd may be boorish, blunt and unable to locate his nose with both hands, but he’s a good egg. I would be remiss if I didn’t make sure he acclimated to his new life as a free man.” You can’t be sure from here, but you almost make out the silhouette of the man at the top from here. A sharp, wolven profile comes into view in the dwindling light. Another half-wolf?! You audibly gasp and then immediately cover your mouth with both hands. Iji and the man in the tower take notice, and look around for the source of the noise. Iji looks behind him, trying to spot any interlopers, but the man at the top stares down directly into the bushes where you’re hidden. He steps out closer to the edge and you make out his suit of armor. Thin brass plate, intricately adorned and lovingly crafted, covered by a red shawl that extends up to the hands. His face is still hidden in shadow, but his eyes shine in the growing moonlight. An icy blue one and a faded lavender one. They stare directly at you and you can’t help but hold onto his gaze. The moment extends infinitely long as though a single second could last years. You almost give in and announce your presence when the man breaks away from visual contact. “... It was nothing… Probably some stray critter.” He says, clearly ignoring your presence. There’s no way he didn’t see you. “I should get going anyway… Stay safe, Iji.” The troll nods, deciding to ignore the noise as well. “Very well… With this I mark that you have upheld the ancient concord that binds our worlds together. Though it was a coincidence that joined us, it was comradery that led us to victory.” Iji recites what seems to be some sort of chant or sacred oath. From the tower you feel the soft glow of Grace. “With this I bid you farewell… Lobo of Medía.” With those final words, the man was returned to his world in fading light. So he was a summon from another world? You’ve heard of other tarnished summoning allies from adjacent realities, but you never gave it much thought. What do these other realities look like? Are they different from the Lands Between or are they all the same?

“It is rude to eavesdrop on conversations, tarnished.” Iji says, breaking you out of your interdimensional reveries. Fuck. You stand up from your crouched position, feeling a little embarrassed at being caught. “Sorry, but you can’t expect me to not be curious if you talk about me.” You say, causing Iji to shake his head in disbelief. “Good grief….” The old War Counselor sighs. You turn to look at the tower. From where you’re standing you can tell there’s no one inside. “Who was that?” You ask the troll. “That… was a collaborator from another world. Usually only the tarnished can summon such allies, but I have my own methods….” Iji explains. You nod, crossing your arms. “I figured that much out, but who was he? He seemed to know a lot about Blaidd and Ranni….” Iji shakes his head. “As I explained, he was just an ally from another world. Whatever his reasons are for helping are not for me to say ....” Iji remains stubborn about saying nothing. It doesn’t seem like you’re getting any more out of the troll.

“Huh… well whatever. I came to check up on you. I’m glad to find you’re safe.” You change the topic, trying to get the image of those eyes peering at you out of your head. Iji looks down at you from beneath his mirrored helm. From here you can truly appreciate how tall he is. “Thank you so much for your concern. I’m fine, the assassins are gone and I shall depart from this place soon.” His voice remains as calm as ever, despite the circumstances. “Hopefully we shall meet again soon. I doubt you’d refuse the services of a good smithing hand.” He seems happy. Maybe ushering the Age of Stars in has put him in a good mood. “You bet. I’m sure Blaidd will be happy to see you too.”

You accompany Iji out of the manor, but the strange circumstances on the tower stick with you. Maybe you were just imagining it, but you felt like maybe that half-wolf’s eyes looked familiar.

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pacificremains · 2 years

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Sale time! US only from WA. Shipping not included in price. Message me for close up pics.

Finished Items:

Juvenile water buffalo skull - SOLD

Beaver skull - 35 PENDING

Baby dwarf breed rabbit skull - SOLD

Coyote baculum - SOLD

Cownose ray skeleton - 150 - PENDING

Shrew (short-tailed) skeleton - 20 PENDING

Vole (meadow) skeleton - 25 PENDING

Baby turkey skeleton - 55

Pathological quail skull - 30

Pheasant skull - 30

Puppy skull - SOLD

Pathological badger skull - 65

Cougar sesamoid bones - 5 PENDING

Dog skull top - SOLD

Partial calf skull - 5

Goat kid face dry preserved - SOLD

Juvenile coati face dry preserved - SOLD

Great Dane puppy skin dry preserved - SOLD

Spotted rabbit wet specimen - 30 PENDING

Cinnamon rabbit wet specimen - 45

Merle bulldog wet specimen - 225

Pathological yorkie wet specimen - 350

Chocolate lab wet specimen - 100

Baby skunk heart - 20

Baby rabbit feet - 15

You-Finish (macerated):

Cow skull with jaw - 40 - PENDING

Hog with jaws - 20

Deer jaws (nature cleaned only) - 2 per set

Broken 6-point buck top - 20

Polled goat with jaw - 25 PENDING

Coyote bones (nature cleaned only) - 20

Large vertebra - 2

5-point buck with jaw - 50

Broken antlers buck with jaw - 40

Cut buck with jaw - 35

Shed buck with jaw - 45

Cow bones - 5 ea

Deer pelvis/spine (nature cleaned only) - 10

Deer neck (nature cleaned only) - 2

Chicken bones - 20

Arapaima vertebrae - 2 ea

4-point top with broken off antler - 20

Spike buck with jaw and neck - 50

Wry nose doe top - SOLD

Wry atypical broken buck - 25 - PENDING

Doe with jaw - 20 PENDING

Beaver bones - 20

#bones for sale #pacific remains #deer skull #wet specimen #bones #skull

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animal71154 · 1 year

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okokok i wanna make a list of interesting animals that i like and some of which i have trouble remembering sometimes. i will edit this over time. ok. i thought we would be able to do readmores on mobile by now but apparently not. ok (i also always forget the word reconcile so that can be here too)

...

MARSUPIALS common brushtail possum, quoll, tasmanian devil, thylacine, cuscus (common spotted cuscus, sulawesi bear cuscus, silky cuscus), opossum (white-eared opossum, four-eyed opossum, yapok/water opossum), tree kangaroo, glider (greater glider, yellow-bellied glider)

RODENTS rat, mouse, nutria, Gambian pouched rat, capybara, Brazilian porcupine, jerboa (long-eared jerboa), chinchilla, vizcacha

MUSTELIDS ferret, weasel, stoat, marten (yellow-throated marten), skunk (spotted skunk), mink, greater hog badger

PRIMATES tarsier, aye aye, ring tailed lemur, japanese macaque, gelada, marmoset (pygmy marmoset), capuchin, spider monkey (red-faced spider monkey), howler monkey, white-faced saki

VIVERRIDS binturong, civet (owston's palm civet, African civet, banded palm civet), linsang, genet

PROCYONIDS kinkajou, coati, ringtail/cacomistle, raccoon

HOGS wild boar (really been enjoying these lately) , red river hog, pygmy hog

FELINES margay, rusty-spotted cat, black-footed cat, asiatic golden cat, bornean bay cat, little spotted cat/oncilla, jaguarundi, sandcat, lynx, bobcat, caracal, serval, fishing cat, pallas' cat

ANTEATERS tamandua, giant anteater, silky anteater, pangolin

LAPINES rabbit (flemish giant rabbit, sumatran striped rabbit, Netherland dwarf broken chocolate colour (someone said i would be this if i was a bunny)), hare

OTHER MAMMALS fossa, mongoose (yellow mongoose, common slender mongoose), elephant shrew (black and rufous elephant shrew), treeshrew, colugo, spotted hyena, antelope (oryx, roan antelope), honduran white bat

FISH eel (New Zealand longfin eel, moray eel, gulper eel), black ghost knife fish

ARACHNIDS jumping spider, house spider, daddy long legs, huntsman spider, tarantula, camel spider, tailless whip scorpion, horseshoe crab

OTHER INVERTEBRATES snail (giant African snail), slug, slater/pill bug, isopod, praying mantis, bee (honeybee, bumble bee), moth, millipede, centipede, earwig, beetle, sand hopper

...

ok now im tired and im going to go to bed. i will readmore this tomorrow when im on the computer maybe. goodnight

#the content #creature feature #fav animals

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seawingwof · 1 year

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Animal emoji means

🐵Monkey face

🐒Monkey

🦍Gorilla

🦧Orangutan

🐶Dog face

🐕Dog

🦮Guide dog

🐕‍🦺Service dog

🐩Poodle

🐺Wolf face

🦊Fox face

🦝Raccoon face

🐱Cat face

🐈Cat

🐈‍⬛Black cat

🦁Lion face

🐯Tiger face

🐅Tiger

🐆Leopard

🐴Horse face

🐎Horse racing

🦄Unicorn face

🦓Zebra

🦌Deer

🦬Bison

🐮Cow face

🐂Ox

🐃Water buffalo

🐄Cow

🐷Pig face

🐖Pig

🐗Boar face

🐽Pig nose

🐏Ram

🐑Sheep

🐐Goat

🐪Dromedary

🐫Camel

🦙Llama

🦒Giraffe

🐘Elephant

🦣Mammoth

🦏Rhino

🦛Hippopotamus

🐭Mouse face

🐁Mouse

🐀Rat

🐹Hamster face

🐰Rabbit face

🐇Rabbit

🐿Squirrel

🦫Beaver

🦔Hedgehog

🦇Bat

🐻Bear face

🐨Koala face

🐻‍❄️Polar bear face

🐼Panda face

🦥Sloth

🦦Otter

🦨Skunk

🦘Kangaroo

🦡Badger

🦃Turkey

🐔Chicken face

🐓Rooster

🐣Hatching chick

🐥Chick

🐦Blue bird

🐧Penguin

🕊Dove

🦅Eagle

🦆Duck

🦢Swan

🦉Owl

🦤Dodo

🦩Flamingo

🦚Peacock

🦜Macaw

🐸Frog face

🐊Crocodile

🐢Turtle

🦎Lizard

🐍Snake

🐲Dragon face

🐉Dragon

🦕Sauropod

🦖T rex

🐳Spouting whale

🐋Whale

🐬Dolphin

🦭Seal

🐟Tuna

🐠Coral fish

🐡Pufferfish

🦈Shark

🐙Octopus

🦀Crab

🦞Lobster

🦐Shrimp

🦑Squid

🐚Shell

#emoji #animals

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agirlwithmagicpals · 1 year

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Crash the hedgeskunk (update)

Crash is a hedgehog skunk hybrid mix and while it may not seem like it but he’s actually very prickly and spiked thus earning the name crash due to his rather out of place looks and attitude.

Age:17 gender:male sexuality: omnisexual species: hedgeskunk(hedgehog skunk hybrid) nicknames:ash(by friends and strangers),spikes(by sonic and co.),two faced badger(by neighbors) mr.disaster(rough and tumble) abilities:super speed, quick reflexes, and having even worse smelling skunk spray than razz or rough could ever have

Alignment:chaotic evil likes:punk rock music, his relationship with rough and tumble,pranks, different types of smells, meeting other hybrids, or just meeting other skunks as well dislikes:razz(his mom), frank(his dad),anti lgbtqia people, sonic and friends, spicy foods, abandonment(he has abandonment issues for sure)

Family: razz(mom) frank(dad) rough the skunk(grandpa) tumble(graduncle) scourge the hedgehog(grandpa)

just a very emo 🖤 kid who has very bad abandonment issues which affected him drastically as a person turning into the chaotic jerk he is today he also has high functioning adhd and is an Aquarius ♒️

#agirlwithmagicpals #sonic oc #sonic au #crash the hedgeskunk #rough the skunk #tumble the skunk #oc art #oc lore #au oc #au ramblings #au art #artists on tumblr #Magic arts 🎭

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casspurrjoybell-17 · 2 years

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HEART'S DESIRE - CHAPTER 25

*Warning: Adult Content*

‘One, two, three, four, five.’

Montreal Hunter counts the rickety wooden steps as they descend and he prays they'll hold their weight combined.

‘Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.’

They creak beneath their feet but hold.

At the bottom, a floor of packed earth awaits.

Dust swirls in the light of his cell-phone's flash and the darkness presses close beyond.

Kit Montaine's hand grips his and Monty feels a shiver traverse his arm to his fingertips.

He's still unclothed after his Shift.

Shrugging out of his t-shirt, Monty pulls it over Kit’s head.

It fits him like a short, loose dress, falling halfway to his knees.

He hugs the fabric tight against himself, evidently grateful for the warmth and Monty smooths his hand between Kit’s shoulder blades, as much to comfort him as to soothe himself.

Cold, foul air gusts against Monty’s face as it rushes towards the opening above and now he smells what Kit described, dank earth and blood, mildewed decay and death.

Swallowing a swell of nausea, Monty pauses at the edge of the greater dark.

"Why don't you wait here, Kit," Monty whispers, hoping to spare him some distress.

"Keep a lookout."

Kit shakes his head and clings closer to Monty’s side.

"No. Together."

"Alright. Stay close though. And if I say run, you run. Got it?"

Monty nods and so, together, they proceed.

The space is about as wide and half as long as the house above and the ceiling is just high enough Monty doesn't have to duck.

The walls are made of closely joined stone, the floor is bare earth and thick, vertical beams support the foundation overhead.

It looks like it was once a large root cellar, somewhere to store a winter's worth of vegetables or the season's bounty in canned fruit.

Now, as the weak, unfocused light from Monty’s cell-phone reveals, it serves another purpose.

It looks like a cross between a hunter's lair, a butchery and a taxidermist's shop.

The skins of animals lay heaped upon the floor, tacked to the walls and stretched on racks.

One side of the room is full of hunting gear, rifles, bows, knives, snares and cruel-looking traps.

A worktable, stained with gore, occupies the other side and an array of knives, saws and other unpleasant implements hangs above it on display.

In one corner, a heap of bones, some still with bits of flesh on, accounts for the smell.

Monty covers his nose and mouth and tries not to gag.

At his side, Kit shivers with horror.

Wolves are predators and most of them hunt and kill things now and then.

Most of them, though, do so with restraint and with respect for the lives they take.

Monty has never taken part in a hunt, himself but he knows when his parents and siblings do, they view it as something sacred, a celebration of nature and of the cycle of life and death.

None of Monty’s family hunt in human form.

Jake appears to be of a different breed.

There are far too many skins and of far too many kinds, for him to have taken them legally.

Monty sees the usual elk and deer, rabbit and hare, raccoon and skunk but there are also bobcat and mountain lion, wolverine and badger, otter and beaver, coyotes and little foxes and even, he notes with mounting fear, a few wolves.

The wild kind, not the 'were' variety but still.

It's a line they don't cross and if Jake Nash has gone that far...

Feeling sick, Monty turns to Kit and grasps his shoulders.

"I gotta take a closer look," he tell him.

"At the skins and... at the bones. Wait here, okay?"

Kit shakes his head, his black eyes wide and luminous in the near dark and clings to Monty’s arms.

"Kit—"

"No, Monty," he whispers,

"I've seen worse. My uncle had a place like this. I won't leave you alone. I'm here, with you."

Surprised, Monty stares down at him.

He thought Kit was sticking close because he was afraid.

He is, obviously but that's not why.

Monty: ‘This frail, frightened little fox, is offering me his strength and support and I hadn't even realized how much I needed it. Few people do. They look at me and see such a big, strong guy, they don't imagine I might not always be strong inside. I've learned not to expect that kind of help, so receiving it now, when I need it most and from such an unexpected source takes me by surprise.’

Monty gives Kit's shoulders a gentle squeeze and lets him go, then turn towards the grisly pile of remains.

He’s hardly taken a step when a noise freezes him, a soft, low whine, coming from the corner just beyond the bones.

Heart in his throat, Monty approaches, his cell-phone held high and his muscles tensed.

As the light washes over the darkened space, what he sees fills him at once with horror and relief.

In a small iron cage, with heavy studded collars chained about their necks, lie a pair of wolves.

One is large and snowy white, or would be, if her fur wasn't matted and caked with dirt.

The other is smaller, with short brown fur and the tall ears of his Ethiopian ancestors.

Only the white wolf is semi-conscious, curled protectively around her smaller mate.

A cry escapes Monty as he recognizes them, his strong, courageous mother and my sweet, gentle father, trapped like animals in this awful place.

The cage they're in is too small for them to Shift, they can't even turn around with the collars they wear bolted to the floor.

Stricken, Monty goes to them, falling to his knees beside the cage.

His mother lifts her head a little and whines again, her long white tail swishing the floor in a weak wag of recognition.

The fur around her neck is red with blood, where the spiked collar has bitten into her skin.

With Monty’s natural strength enhanced by rage and adrenaline, he grasps the front of the iron cage and twists it free, casting it aside, then breaks the chains with his bare hands.

Finally and more carefully, he takes a hold of the collar at his mother's throat and snaps the hasp where it's fastened with a lock.

Gently, he tries to pull her free but she snaps and growls at him, unwilling to leave her mate.

She's been forced to stay a wolf so long and in her current state, she hardly recognizes her son.

"It's me, Mom," Monty says, stroking the side of her face.

"It's Monty. I'm gonna get you out of here, okay? And Dad, too."

She blinks blue eyes at him, the edges all crusted with dirt and tears but Monty sees something more human behind her gaze now and when he reaches for her again, she lets him pull her from the cage.

A touch at his side startles me and Monty turns to see Kit holding out a large fur, a bear's pelt, thankfully clean and fully tanned.

Monty takes it and drapes it over the white wolf and then, slowly and with a low whine of pain, she Shifts to human form.

"Mom..."

Monty touches her shoulder as she lifts herself, her long gray hair as matted and tangled as her Wolf's fur.

"Monty." She takes his hand, her voice a rough, sandpapery rasp.

"Your father..."

"Is he all right?"

She shakes her head.

"His heart. He's not well. That bastard..."

She coughs and Monty is alarmed to see flecks of red on her lips.

"I know. Don't worry, though, I'm gonna get you both out of here. Then..."

"Monty."

At Kit's warning, Monty turns and sees a figure on the stairs, silhouetted against the light pouring down from above.

Jake Nash holds a long rifle and he's aiming it at him.

Monty can't move fast enough and he doesn't even hear the shot as he pulls the trigger.

At the same time, a smaller, faster form blocks Monty’s view and then Kit falls in my arms, a feathered dart in his chest.

Jake's got a tranquilizer gun, not a rifle, thank the Gods, which explains the silent shot.

Monty: ‘It's probably the same thing he used on my parents.’

He struggles to reload it but by then Monty is on his feet.

He swears as he fumbles the second dart and drops it, then turns and retreats up the steps, no doubt intending to trap them down here with the heavy block of cement.

Monty tosses his cell-phone to his mom.

"Get out of here and call Dane," he says.

"I'll handle Jake Nash."

Dashing up the steps, Monty narrowly avoids getting kicked in the face by a booted foot as Jake struggles to move the cement block into place.

Monty pushes against it and shoves it aside but the wooden steps crack under the extra pressure and collapse beneath his feet.

Catching hold of the ledge, Monty pulls himself up, then bites back a scream as Jake stomps hard on his hand, crushing the bones beneath his heel.

Ignoring the fire-like pain shooting up his arm, Monty grabs for Jake’s leg and trips him, satisfied as he lands hard on his back with a grunt.

Monty hauls himself from the opening as Jake scrambles to his feat, his blond hair in disarray and his features twisted with desperate hate.

"You son of bitch,"

Monty growls, advancing and already hearing the Wolf in his voice as his body begins to Shift.

"You hurt my mom and my dad and my little Kit and now I'm gonna make you pay."

Jake Nash laughs.

"You gonna kill your sister's Mate? You don't have the teeth for it."

"You're not Sasha's Mate."

Monty’s tongue barely obeys him to form speech as it flattens against lengthening teeth.

His spine cracks as he arches his back, his ribcage deepening and his skull elongating into that of a wolf as he drops to all fours and shakes out his long brown fur, transformation complete.

Jake's eyes widen at the sight of him but he isn't deterred.

"That's not what Sasha thinks," he sneers.

"But go ahead. Kill me and break her heart. I don't care and it won't save you or your filthy pack of mix-blood mutts. You don't know the half of it and when the Dire comes, you'll all die anyway."

Jake Nash throws his head back, utters a wild howl and Shifts nearly as seamlessly as Kit.

Except instead of a cute little fox, a lanky white wolf takes his place, its form bursting through the seams of his clothes.

And there's something wrong with him.

His teeth are too long and too shar, and his eyes are blood red.

Jake launches himself at Monty with a vicious snarl and he barely avoid his teeth closing on his throat.

He attacks with a ferocity Monty has never encountered before in Wolf or man and he finds his size a disadvantage as Jake snaps and snarls and circles him.

Violence isn't Monty’s thing but with his life and the lives of those he love in danger, his instincts kick in.

He snarls and snaps back at Jake and they meet in a furious clash of teeth and fur.

They're almost evenly matched, Jake has the advantage in speed, Monty has it in strength but the crazed park ranger has clearly the more practiced combatant.

Jake Nash races around Monty, launches himself onto his back and sinks long fangs into his shoulder from behind.

His teeth tear through muscle but with a twist of his head, Monty grasps him in his jaws.

Monty could crush him like that but instead he merely shakes him and throw him off.

Jake Nash tumbles in the dirt with a yelp of pain but he's on his feet again in an instant, a froth of bloody foam about his mouth.

Monty stumbles as his right front limb refuses to take his weight and Jake's lip curls with cruel triumph.

The loud roar of an engine and the screech of tires breaks in on their fight and a moment later a different kind of beast comes flying around the corner of the house in a cloud of dust.

Freya's Indian Dark Horse is a badass bike but it never looks so badass as when she's riding it.

She revs its engine, her face hidden behind the visor of her helmet and accelerates at full speed.

Now outnumbered, Jake gives a final, vicious foam-flecked bark and turns tail and runs.

Monty makes a choice and lets him go.

Freya raises a cloud of dust as she skids to a halt at her brother’s side, dismounting and removing her helmet in what seems like one smooth motion, like an action hero.

Monty turns away and Shifts, regaining his human form in an awkward seated position, with my legs stretched out in front of him.

His jeans catch me round the head as Freya tosses them at him, and Monty snatches them and pull them on as he gets to my feet, groaning at the pain in his shoulder and his crushed hand.

Blood trickles down his chest in a steady stream and he presses my good hand to the wound.

"You okay?" Freya asks.

"Do I look okay?"

"You dyin'?"

"No."

"Okay then."

Freya turns and marches back towards the house and Monty follows.

"Fuckin' shit," Freya swears, holding her nose and gazing down at the entrance to the awful cellar.

"The fuck he got down there?"

"Mom and Dad, that's what," Monty says and prepares to lower himself back into the hole.

Without the steps, he’ll have to lift everyone out.

"Holy..."

Freya hits Monty’s good shoulder with her hand, knocking him back, her voice high and shrill.

"What you mean 'Mom and Dad?' What you mean, Monty?"

"Alive," Monty clarifies, realizing she doesn't know that yet.

"They're alive."

"Shit."

Her eyes go wide and then she's once more in 'action mode' and drops into the hole like a 6-foot Lara Croft.

In short order she comes back with mom leaning on her and Kit in her arms and together they get them out.

Then she goes back and returns with their Dad, still in wolf-form, in a fireman's carry and reaches her free hand up to Monty.

Monty grasps it with his good one and hauls them both up, biting his lip against the pain in his shoulder as fresh blood seeps from Jake's deep bite.

As Freya tends to their parents, Monty pulls Kit into his arms, plucking the dart from his shoulder and tossing it aside.

Kit lies limp and unmoving and Monty can barely detect the whisper of breath past his lips.

"Kit?" Monty shakes him lightly.

"Kit, c'mon... wake up."

"The little guy took a big hit," Monty’s mother rasps, her arms still around her husband.

"That dose was meant for you, Montreal. He won't be wakin' up for a while, if he wakes up at all."

"Fuck," Monty swears and hugs Kit close to his chest, stroking the blond curls away from his face, even as his own blood drips and stains his shirt, which Kit still wears like a strange smock.

"Language, Monty," his mother chides in a voice raw with pain.

"Though I agree. One of my children has already lost a mate today. I'd hate for you to lose yours before I even met him properly."

“My..."

Monty looks up at her, taken by surprise and then the truth goes off like a little bomb in his heart.

Monty: ‘Leave it to my mom to know before I do.’

"My Mate," Monty whispers, turning my eyes back to Kit's unconscious, beautiful form.

"Yes, he is."

Monty: ‘If he lives and if he'll have me, that is.’

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