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#(technically an arachnid but you know what I mean)
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you’re always gonna be mine ✧
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request : “hello! could you please write something where peter is telling reader how he no longer remembers when he last called reader by her name bc he’s constantly using pet names and it’s all about young love and it’s just 🥺”
synopsis : late nights with peter never failed to put your heart at ease at the end of each long day. all your worries and doubts seem to disappear in his presence, including your fears about first loves (and first heartbreaks).
pairing : peter parker x reader
wc : 772
warnings : nothing worth warning ! mostly fluff, and the tiniest bit of angst if you squint ! + normal sized text below !
a/n : hii <3 it’s been so longgggg, i hope this fic makes you smile as much as it did for me ! would love to thank @strawberrystarcake, my beloved sister for the summary <;3 this and @parkerpeter24 + @toms-gf for encouraging me throughout the process and giving me their opinions (love you guyss) 💞 this was a request from my old blog that i only ended up writing now :’)
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“random thought, but i honestly don’t remember when i started calling you babe instead of your name.” peter blurts out, seemingly out of nowhere.
it was late at night, you two were all snuggled up in bed, your head rested atop his chest, just about to take a well deserved good night’s rest. right now, he’s unbelievably adorable though. his eyes were halfway closed, his heartbeat steady, and he sported a soft smile on his face that you couldn’t help but return.
you two were basically tangled together, your right hand holding his right, your left gently playing with his hair.
“mm, i can relate. though, i do prefer using lovebug for you.” you smile, removing your hand from his hair and focusing your attention on playing with his hands instead.
“spiders aren’t technically bugs though, they’re arachnids.” he says, earning an eye roll from you.
“shut up.” you chuckled, causing his already present smile to widen.
“but, in all seriousness, i do love that pet name.”
 “in all seriousness, i’m pretty sure that you’ll love anything i say.” you half joke, though, it’s honestly somewhat true.
“you’re right. it’s sort of concerning at this point.” he laughs softly. “wait a sec… is that my shirt?”
“you mean our shirt? yes.” you respond, a proud look on your face.
“well, it looks lovely on you, way better than it does on me.” he looks at you with pure admiration.
moments with peter like this were rare, and so you treasured them. moments of relaxation and peace, it seemed as if the world had gotten in the way of you and peter up until this point.
and you were scared.
scared that, it was some sort of sign. people say young love’s a loss or a lesson for a reason. but somewhere in you, you knew (hoped) that you two would be the exception. but being like this, with peter was what took all your doubt away, and where the doubt was, it was replaced with all the love you could ever give and hope for.
this, is where you always wanted to be. this is what you always wanted to feel.
a moment of silence followed, comfortable silence. just enjoying each other’s presense. god, you loved this.
“i love you.” you say, breaking the silence.
peter leans in, giving you a kiss on your forehead as he whispers, “i love you too. more than i could ever express with words.”
“you’re actually perfect.” you smile, gently tapping the tip of his nose, immediately causing a flush of bright pink to spread throughout his face. “my everything.” you add.
“you, my princess, are my entire world.” 
you look down, causing a look of concern on peter’s face, “do you ever get scared?” you sigh, looking up, straight into his eyes.
“scared of…?”
“i dont know, just, this, all of this, going away?” you mumbled softly, but peter heard you, and most importantly, he understood you.
“well, if i’m being honest? yes. sometimes i am scared. i’m afraid that we’ll lose what we have because i feel like i have everything i need, here, with me, and the thought of losing it all? terrifying. but, i think that we’re,,, timeless in a way.”
“timeless?”
 “timeless. i almost feel like, no matter what happens, we’re intertwined. i like to think that, at least. like, no matter what timeline, no matter how many years back or in the future, no matter the universe,” he chuckles softly, “you’re still mine and i’m still yours. i dont think that any possible version of me wouldn’t have fallen for you and i think you still wouldve fallen for me too. i mean, who wouldnt?” you giggled at that, softly hitting his arm.
“i guess those thoughts give me comfort, assurance, almost. ‘cause it tells me that, this,” he tightens his grip on your hands, “what we have, is something unbreakable and meant to be. besides, i’m not planning on leaving you anytime soon.” he shoots you a wink, which, you honestly found cute.
“y’know what? i don’t think i have much to worry about anymore.” you say slowly, looking up from peter’s chest to get a look of his face. the sight of his messy curls and skin illuminated by the moonlight from your window made your heart melt.
“oh?” he grins, making eye contact with you. “yeah, not when i have you. you always know what to say. and… you’re right, you still would’ve turned my head.”
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a/n : thank you for reading loves ! i don’t allow any reposting if my work here, or on any other platforms. reblogs and feedback are very very much appreciated, luv you all ! requests are open xx
tagging a few of my mutuals ! (hope you guys don’t mind <3 i wont be tagging you guys every time tho ! just for now bc i dont really have a taglist yet) : @live-laugh-lovejoy @cagethemunson @saturnpeter@tomsholland2412 @jesslockwood @maraistookmyheart
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bogleech · 7 months
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I have no idea how to google this properly so I'll ask... Do we know WHY 6 or 8 legs is common or an advantageous adaptation in bugs? Why are 4 too few? Why sometimes a trillion? Meanwhile everything larger is stuck with 4 and some have to sacrifice 2 for wings or arms. Do they just have more leeway being so small? I wish we had some six legged rat relative just for fun is what I'm saying
Four legs are the best minimum for stability, but it means if you damage one you can't walk right, so at least one additional pair is even better, and insects get away with that by being tiny! The larger you are, the more food and water you constantly need, and this is increased by every single organ and limb and system your body is using! For the most part though it all "just kind of happens" as living things branch into new evolutionary forms and some prove more successful than others. Arachnids are more successful than centipedes, and it's no doubt due in part to their versatility of streamlining down to just eight legs. Insects are more successful still, but that's also because insects invented flight and metamorphosis, both allowing them to adapt to more conditions and find more places to live! Antennae also seem to make a big difference. Technically all of the appendages of arthropods, including the antennae and all their mouthparts, evolved from the legs of a more centipede-style segmented ancestor. Some of their segments simply scrunched up, curled in, and fused together to make the distinct head, thorax and abdomen with entirely different appendages on them.
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Pavitr walks in on Miles, Gwen, and Hobie chatting:
Miles: Hey Pav! Gwen, Hobie, and I were just talking about how much our spider bites hurt
Pavitr: Wait what?
Hobie: Mine was definitely the worst. I practically collapsed afterwards
Gwen: All considering that you have the sleep schedule of a geriatric bat, I don't think it was the spider bite that made you collapse.
Miles: So Pav what was yours like?
Pavitr: Excuse me, WHAT about a spider bite?
Gwen: You know the radioactive spider bite that made you Spiderman we've all gotten it.
Pavitr: Huh- no I wasn't bitten by a spider. You're telling me you guys were bitten by a radioactive insect…
Miles: Technically it's an arachnid…
Pavitr: Whatever. And just walked it or I guess in Hobie's case slept it off. Are you guys insane!?
Gwen: Pav I think we were just scared and wanted to go home.
Pavitr: You should have gone to a hospital! I especially expect better from you Hobie! I mean Gwen and Miles are American there healthcare system is wack! What's your excuse!?
Hobie: Despite what you and Gwendy have said, I think it's worth noting I was homeless.
Pav: Oh right sorry bro. That doesn't excuse you two though.
Miles: How did you get your powers anyways?
Pavitr: An ancient yogi granted them to me. Which was way less painful than being infected by a scientific catastrophe!
Hobie: Wasn't that bad.
Pavitr: W-wasn't that bad?! Look into any dictionary under the word "trauma" and you'll probably see the Spiderman insignia. Apparently to add to YOUR trauma you have to go through the anxiety of having these eight - legged freaks of nature crawling around in your universes. How do you live?
Miles: in fear.
Gwen: in mental instability.
Hobie: dangerously.
Pavitr: Cool cool cool. I'm gonna go schedule another appointment with the spider therapist for you guys now.
Hobie: So I still win, yeah?
Miles and Gwen: *sighs* Seriously Hobie.
Hobie: What? Wouldn't you want to see this face in the dictionary 😊
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locustime · 8 months
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Spider-people from ATSV as spiders! (Yes, I know Lyla isn’t technically a spider person, and vinegaroons aren’t spiders but you know what I mean!)
what if… instead of spider man… it was spider.
design notes and species info under the cut!
For all of the spiders, I tried to stick vaguely with the IRL colouration (albeit with more fitting patterns). Most colours are colour picked from spider photos. Miles and Miguel have human patterns instead of their spider ones, cute touch I reused from my spidersona
Miles - giant vinegaroon. This is an arachnid BUT not a spider, which I thought matched his whole “not feeling like a real spider person” arc well. I chose this species specifically because it would be a perfect fit for the prowler (spikes, scary look), so fits prowler!miles and the theory miles was going to be the prowler in his universe
Gwen - white porch spider. I really struggled picking her species lol. I knew I wanted something sleek with long legs, but specifics I didn’t really know. I ended up choosing this species because the pale colouration worked nice for Gwen’s colourscheme
Lyla - house jumping spider. I knew as soon as I got the idea I HAD to draw Lyla as a jumping spider, it fits her so well! This one I was more relax with the colours and design as she’s a hologram, I gave her an outline and lighter lineart colours to show this
Miguel - Sydney funnel web spider. Chosen because it’s the most venomous (to humans) spider in the world (and his whole thing is biting) and also because they are just so intimidating and epic. Tbh I don’t think I even did the species justice, I recommend looking them up
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hmsharmony · 11 months
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Late but for the Fic Files Ask Game! Let's hear more about the Definitely Maybe AU idea outline 👀
Okay this is a PeterMJ AU I've been writing in my head (and parts on paper) for almost half a year now. Because Peter Parker is, as Maya so lovingly put it in Definitely, Maybe, "the boy word for slut" (a slut. he is a slut. affectionately). But honestly, I just think, looking at it from the comics perspective (or at least the earlier ones, as I still make my way through them), that you have Gwen, who loves Peter but never learns he's Spider-Man; then you have Felicia, who know both identities but is arguably bored by Peter's civilian life; and then you have MJ, who knows and loves both. And while I think Peter/MJ is what should always be endgame, Peter clearly has loved other people, and those other relationships had an impact. So it would be fun to explore that, and what it's like loving someone who only knows/loves part of you, in the MCU version.
But this is, uh, kind of a big undertaking--one I'm honestly not sure I am equipped to take. But if I did, I would want to have a good part of it pre-written, because this is the sort of fic that really needs to be buttoned up plot-wise.
Anyway here's a scene from the first chapter that is very very rough:
[NOTE: Daughter is currently unnamed because naming her after May would mean May is dead--since in my head Peter is Jewish, and Ashkenazi at that--and I really don't want to kill off May thank you. What I do know is that her nickname is Bug, because her mom jokingly called her "her little bug" when she was pregnant to annoy Peter (because spiders are arachnids not insects). But it stuck. Also Peter and unnamed daughter's mother are divorced.]
"I want to hear the story about you and mommy."
All at once, Peter feels like he's been run over by a truck. "What?" he croaks.
"I wanna know how you met, and fell in love," she explains, excitement displacing her tears.
"You know how we--"
"Only parts of it! And Jemma, at school, she says most people date other people before they get married. And you were so old when you married mommy."
"We were 27," Peter says, vividly remembering how [_____] had lamented Peter's decision to end his bachelorhood early.
"Twenty-seven," she repeats, awed. Peter has to remind himself that to her, anyone over 13 feels like a full-blown adult. "You must have dated lots of people."
Peter feels a flush crawl up his neck. "I-- I wouldn't say lots," he says, which, well, is technically true, if you stick to the strict definition of dating.
"How many?"
"I'm not sure," he says evasively. He pulls at his shirt. Was it always this hot in her room?
"Daddy," she pleads, throwing out her bottom lip, and he's pretty sure she's figured out he can't say no when she pouts like that.
"I mean, if I had to guess, then there were three people that I was, um, really close to." He's not sure why he said three. He had only ever been in two serious relationships.
(That's a lie. He knows why he said three.)
"Including my mom?"
"Including her, yeah."
"So how did she end up being my mom?"
Panics begins to take root in his chest. Oh god, he's not ready to tell her about sex. Well, he is. He's read books, and he's discussed with her mom what they're going to tell her, but also he is very much not prepared to have a conversation that, if he fucks up, could--
"Why did you marry her?" she continues, cutting off Peter's internal monologue, and he sinks into her bed in relief.
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Sidney meets Spectra
Based on my version of Spectra and Sidney.
At Walker's prison
Spectra-Hello kid.
Kid who turns out to be Sidney- Hello ma'am, Who are you? Haven't seen you around here.
Spectra-Name's Dr. Penelope Spectra but you can just call me Spectra, at your service. I'm a new inmate. Nice to meet you.
Sidney-I'm Sidney Pointdexter. Your name sounds familiar.
Spectra- You may know me from my work as a psychologist. Ive been a guidance counsellor now and then, even for Casper High. So listen, you know where Walker is? I need to tell the good Warden something really important.
Sidney-What?
Spectra-I know who Danny Phantom is.
Sidney-...oh?
Spectra-Its actually one of my former student clients at Amity High, Danny Fen-
Sidney-Oh now I remember where I heard your name. Walker actually warned everyone about your arrival.
Spectra taken a back-Really?
Sidney-You've caused quite the stir in the Zone with your many cons. And apparently you even tried draining the students energy at my old school. Hence why you're here. I actually handed myself to the authorities for causing some trouble there as well. It seems you even met my good friend Danny too.
Spectra-You already know!? Does that mean Walker kn-
Sidney-No, no no. Yeah I've haven't told anyone here that and I'd actually prefer if you didn't tell him or anyone else please. Danny's tussled with a lot these guys including Walker, what a small world. With that all said it'd be best they don't know his other identity. Otherwise we'll all have some problems ok?
Spectra-Are you trying to threaten me?
Sidney-Do you think I'm just asking?
Spectra-Watch it kid. Didn't Walker warn you what else I can be?-begins to turn into her spider form to scare Sidney
Sidney-Chuckles. Neato form. It bares resemblance of a Lactrodectus Mactans, Aka The Black Widow. Of the Theridiiade/tangle web family. Well known for their distinct coloring, sharp fangs, venom cautionary but usually not fatal, depends on factors such as health and age, and eating their mates after reproduction. Quite the infamous arachnid. I've always had an interest in entomology, technically spiders aren't bugs but they're still close to the subject. Let me show you my form.
Spectra confused-your form? Sees Sidney transform into a mantis, much bigger than her spider form.
Mantis Sidney in a scary voice-I assume you've heard of the Praying Mantis? Of the mantidae. There's so much I could tell you about them, personally my fav. Well known for their camouflage, forelegs great for catching and gripping prey, their signature, having their forearms folded, hence the famous name, "praying" mantis, the females eating the males heads during mating, thats actually not as common as most think. Oh and their diet consists of many insects, small animals and even spiders such as yourself.
Gets in real close to her face when he says that last part, drool around his pointy teeth. Spectra sees her scared reflection from his teeth and eyes, staring into her very core.
Spectra begins to shake and revert back to normal. Sidney too.
Sidney- So I can assume you and your pesky assistant won't say a word of Danny's identity?
Spectra completely stunned, unable to reply.
Sidney- I'll take that as a yes. Thank you. It was nice meeting you Spectra. Walks away as if nothing happened.
Bertrand-Hey Spectra. You tell Walker yet. Spectra? Penny? Hello!?
Spectra still too stunned to reply.
Sidney in his cell holding the glasses Danny fixed up.
Sidney-You probably don't see me as your friend anymore, not after what I did. I wouldn't blame you. But you'll always be my friend Dan. And as long as I'm around I have your back.
https://dnpanimationstudioclone.tumblr.com/post/688093503095521280/about-sidney-pointdexter
https://dnpanimationstudioclone.tumblr.com/post/691237525678882816/meet-dr-penelope-spectra
What do u think? I'd love to know💖
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profspruce · 2 years
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Greetings!
I'm wondering... between the arid desert and semi-desert of the Karoo, The hot but alternatively dry-and-wet bushveld, the Mediterranean fynbos, and the lush, humid coast lands, where would you expect to find ice types in South Africa?
Oh I LIKE this question! Thank you!
When we think about deserts we often think about hot, dry, and arid wastelands with the sun blasting down and cooking everything that isn't adapted for such conditions. However, technically heat isn't the underlying requirements for a desert. Its precipitation.
A desert is an area that receives no more than 25 cm of precipitation a year.
So what does that have to do with your question?
Well, as you mentioned in your question, there are a lot more ecosystems than simply deserts in South Africa. It sustains rich biodiversity in its plethora of beautiful environments! However, one thing remains - all of these places are hot.
When we think of ice type Pokémon, we think of species that are especially adapted for frigid conditions and ambient temperatures that occasionally drop well below 0 degrees. However, it should be worth mentioning that one adaptation many ice type Pokémon have is the ability to retain liquid water, because yes, even the high arctic is technically a desert as it receives less than a few inches of precipitation a year!
Ice type Pokémon do need to stay cool, but more importantly, they can't lose moisture. Mammals have a particular set of physiological traits to help them stay cool, like fennec foxes that have huge ears to help regulate their internal body temperature.
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Other species have other adaptations. Its easier for Athropods like scorpions and arachnids to retain moisture because their exoskeleton is water tight, and they get much of their moisture from their prey. However, Stenocara gracilipes is a species of beetle native to the Namib Desert, and it has evolved a unique ability that helps it get its moisture.
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It is drinking the mist. So this species has evolved a carapace that is perfectly engineered to collect water droplets and direct them towards its mouth.
So, in order for an ice type Pokémon to survive in South Africa, its environment needs to be cool, and if its environment can't stay cool and dry, there at least needs to be enough moisture in the air it won't completely dry out.
If there is anything that screams ice, it's penguins, and yes of course there are penguins in Africa!
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The Humboldt Penguin is a species of South African penguin that swims through the cold Humboldt current, which is quite cool as it carries water from Antarctic Oceans. As we know there are already a few penguin Pokémon, one of which is indeed an ice type.
To bring this answer to a close, ice types can exist anywhere that it can retain moisture and/or stay cool. Whether it means that a species can only come out at night where it's cooler, or if it needs to stay underground where it will not be pelted by harsh sunlight, ice type Pokémon don`t need a lot to survive. It just so happens that Africa is a little tricky to support those conditions.
I hope this answers your question!
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insomniac-pbparker · 22 days
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Do you feel very connected to being a "bug" (I know spiders technically aren't but!! Just wondering.
Spiders aren't bugs, you're right, they're arachnids:)
And I'd have to say sure! To get into more detail, I might have to know more of what you mean than just "bug" (arachnid), but yeah! I could say I have a few traits in common with them:) I'd say I'm connected to them!
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soraavalon · 1 year
Conversation
Tark (OOC): And we also still don't know what the candles do?
Hunt (OOC) & DM: Right.
DM: Nobody's identified them yet.
Tark (OOC): Sombitch.
Hunt (OOC): I don't think we can identify them.
Nathaniel (OOC): I don't have Identify anymore.
Tark (OOC): I mean, I would have to do it right before I go to bed, but Tark can do one thing.
DM: Okay yeah, if you want to rest here for the night, so there's three candles, the arachnid ring, the eye in the liquid and the whistle.
Tark (OOC): Hold on, I have to make sure I have it. I think I do. *looks through sheet*
Marigold: [Sylvan] If we go to one of the Courts would you be able to come with us?
Lord of the Hunt: [Sylvan] Maybe.
Mistletoe: [Sylvan] Family road trip!
Tark (OOC): Oh my god, we're gonna bring dad.
DM: I love the image of all of ya'll then just the fuckin' Lord of the Hunt in the back.
Hunt (OOC): And any archfey just thinking about fucking with the party they see the Lord of the Hunt and is like, 'Nope! Nevermind!'
DM: 'Actually, thank you but no. Have a nice day. Understood.'
Tark (OOC): Actually, I think I only have Detect Magic. I don't think I have...
Marigold (OOC): You can detect them.
DM: Does Detect Magic tell you what school?
Hunt (OOC): Yeah.
DM: 'Cause that's something.
Tark (OOC): Yes, it does.
DM: You can always do that and kind of get an idea. So do you wanna try that?
Tark: Yeah sure, why not?
Nathaniel (OOC): Which one are we doing?
Marigold (OOC) & DM: Detect Magic.
DM: So let me see what would ping as what. Oh okay. *laughs* So the whistle is a mix of, oh my god what the fuck would that be? I think that's, oh my god, that's conjuration technically.
Nathaniel (OOC): I have a theory about the whistle.
Hunt (OOC): Yeah.
Tark (OOC): Oh my god, is it the fucking [something] whistle? Does anybody know what that is?
Hunt (OOC): I'm assuming it's a goose whistle.
Tark (OOC): No, it's the one that the little kid blows and it makes one of the digimon evolves so technically summoning a higher strength monster.
Hunt (OOC): Oh.
Marigold (OOC): Oh my god.
DM: No wait, I think this would actually be enchantment. I'm reading it again and this is an enchantment whistle. I think the ring is as well. The little vial with the eye suspended in it is divination and so is the candle you (Tark) were given and I think candle Hunt was given would count as that. And then Nathaniel's candle is evocation.
Tark: Oh.
Nathaniel (OOC): *laughs*
Hunt (OOC): Oh no.
Nathaniel (OOC): All I heard is that you gave Nathaniel something that will explode.
DM: Nathaniel's candle is evocation.
Nathaniel (OOC): My favorite school of magic.
DM: So at least you get the schools so you can kind of figure out roughly what things do. Or start to. Could also just light them.
Marigold (OOC): Yeah guys, just light 'em.
Nathaniel (OOC): Sure.
Mistletoe: Mistletoe has been looking at this whistle like he wants to try it out and see what happens.
DM: You're in an ice cave, there's some echoes.
Mistletoe: I think that's the only reason he hasn't done it already.
DM: Yeah, that's fair.
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hiveboi-stims · 1 year
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Content Warnings Taglist
#flashing cw - for anything that appears to have flashing or oscillation between contrasting colours, we will try to err on the side of caution for this tag
#eyestrain cw - this covers anything that makes our eyes go kinda funny, including glitching and blurry content
#bugs cw - this will cover many things that might not technically be ‘bugs’ including arachnids and water dwelling arthropods
#deep sea animals cw - i mean you know what the ocean critters are like
#thalassophobia cw - thalassophobia is a fear of the ocean, this will cover anything relating to the ocean and other deep water
#trypophobia cw - the fear of small, irregular holes. we have a particularly difficult time recognizing when this needs to be tagged but we will do our best.
#chirophobia cw - fear of hands, for whenever human hands are present in content, this one we might struggle to remember until we get the hang of it.
#scopophobia cw - for any time there are eyes looking directly at the camera, or there is a major focus on eyes.
#unsanitary cw - this is for anything that is particularly unclean or would be a biological hazard to health, including things like rot, mould, and bodily substances
#messy cw - somewhat related to the above, but for anything that is just a big mess, so may include things that are sanitary but all over the place like under activated slimes
#human/animal bodily substance cw - for when there is anything like blood or pus, the human and animal versions are separate tags. we will never intentionally show anything we believe to be/be the result of animal abuse.
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#hemophobia cw - for when there is blood present in a gif, real or otherwise
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prokopetz · 4 years
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I have not played the new Animal Crossing yet, but based on the posts that have crossed my dash, the principal activities of play seem to involve:
Planting trees
Picking flowers
Trying on pretty dresses
Hanging out with colourful animal friends
Travelling by night to a secret island to fight giant scorpions for money
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isfjmel-phleg · 3 years
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I don’t know if the spider currently lying with its legs clustered together on the bottom of my bathtub is dead or just having an existential crisis after the ordeal of being trapped in the shower with me.
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Dog Days Pt.1
Pairings: Mirio Togata x Male!Reader 
Word Count: 2,344
Warnings: This is technically part two to Puppy Love but it can be read as a stand-alone. This is also going to be split into 2 parts just because this one is already stupidly long, and I promise the next installment of this will be better and have more to do with the request!
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When people first meet Mirio they tend to akin him to the sun. He's very bright and nice and lives to make people happy, and that's who he is. He doesn't hide behind a mask of lies to please others, that's just who he is.
When people meet (M/N) on the other hand they always think he's lying. No matter how nice and polite he is to everyone around him they always think he's some sort of delinquent, that he's a horrible person. "There's no way someone that tall could be good, no way someone with a quirk like that is a decent person."
Sometimes (M/N) wishes they were right.
(E/C) eyes shown with disdain as they looked on at the wreckage before them, blinking lazily as red shown in the dark. Mirio had somehow convinced him, despite (M/N) really not wanting to, to come see class 1-A and help out with training. It had seemed like a good idea, sort of, but now (M/N) just wanted to go to sleep.
This had all started because of that broccoli haired boy, what was his name? Midio? Medusa? Mizuza? Whatever his name was he'd found (M/N) and Mirio sometime this morning.
The two of them had been outside, Mirio messing with the flowers and grass while (M/N) worked on a paper for his History class. It was an odd, but cute sight if you ever saw it in person. Mirio had his head pillowed on one of (M/N)'s thighs, the taller male making use of his many pairs of hands. Two hands were typing away at the laptop in his lap, two of them were propping him up against the ground, and the other two were playing with golden hair. 
Truthfully Mirio would have loved to have (M/N)'s undivided attention, but him passing his classes was also important so he chose to stamp down on that feeling. It was a nice and sunny day, warm and on the weekend. The two of them didn't have any plans but they did want to spend the time together, and Mirio had used that as a weapon. 
Soon after (M/N) had finished his essay the green boy had shown up, talking to Mirio about some kind of training that (M/N) was too tired to remember but somehow the two of them had gotten dragged to a cityscape training field.
Aizawa was there, looking as tired as (M/N) felt, along with 19 students. Scratch that, there was 20, one of them was just ridiculously short. 
All of them were dressed out of uniform, most likely in their hero costumes, and were staring at Mirio and (M/N) as if they were forgien objects. 
(M/N) sighed, (E/C) eyes closed as his hands stuffed themselves in the multitude of pockets in his clothing. He hated dealing with children, 99% of them were afraid of spiders, but he hated dealing with teenagers more due to them not having come to terms with their fear of spiders. He wasn't a mean guy, but when someone is being rude to you over something you can't control it can make you pretty pissy.
And now here (M/N) was, looking at the wreckage brought on by an anger issue having pomeranian. He was hiding, well not really hiding but going stealthily behind the profanity-wielding child, in the shadows in a hope that they'd just call the match off.
(M/N) wasn't really much of a fighter. He could fight well, hell he could kill a man if he so pleased, but that wasn't really his thing. Due to the arachnid-ness of his being, he was much stronger than other people. Like actual spiders, he was somewhere between 100 and 150 times stronger in proportion to his weight, so (M/N) decided to use that strength to do wreckage clearing and rescue missions.
But now this blond Bitch was getting on every single nerve in his body and making him think of changing over to a confrontation hero. 
"Come out you eight-legged freak!" the blonde yelled, hands sparking as he shouted to the sky. 
(M/N) sighed as he sat on the ground, head propped up by one set of elbows as the others slowly gathered silk from his back. The kid was good, he could admit that, but he needed lots of polish. A literal shit load of polish, and then he would be a great hero.
With another sigh (M/N) looked up at the sky in wonder, wondering why he had to have been the one here, before whistling sharply. It got the kid's attention quickly, spinning around ready to attack, only for his hands to get attached to his body by a mass of silk slowly turning him into a cocoon. 
He thrashed about, screeching as he slowly tilted back before falling with a less than dignified yelp. Groaning as he forced himself up off the ground (M/N) moved over to the kid, watching as he yelled out some pretty creative insults. (M/N) then promptly sat on his chest, ripping the ribbon off of the kids neck before holding it up in the air. 
A buzzer went off before some red-haired kid made his way into the wreckage. Not wanting to see the kid mauled (M/N) got up, leaving the kid to pick his friend up. On the way out he met Mirio, giving the blond the ribbon that was meant for the two of them. 
"You were great out there!" the blond was practically vibrating. He'd always enjoyed watching (M/N) use his quirk, watching him fight. "Yeah?" (M/N)'s voice was low and tired, but there was a slight smile on his face as he gently ruffled the blonde's hair.
He left after that, Mirio entering the training area to watch as Bakugo was drug off by Kirishima.
-
Izuku didn't really know what he'd been expecting, but this wasn't exactly it.
Earlier that day he'd found Mirio and uh... his boyfriend? together. They'd been talking softly about something but had stopped when Izuku had approached them. He then word dumped on them about how his class was doing some kind of special training and that it would be much appreciated if they could come and help.
Mirio had jumped right on, but the other boy had been a bit hesitant. Izuku could tell why now.
Mirio and (M/N) had thrown everyone's names into a bag and were drawn at random, fighting whoever until they either got through the whole class or were too tired to continue. The fights had all been stupid easy so far, Mirio taking everyone out quickly, or making them surrender. 
(M/N)'s fights had been a bit messier. It was obvious he was uncomfortable fighting, his strength going on display when he'd hit through a wall on a missed punch. Everyone was wary of him, they knew nothing about how he fought and what kind of strengths he had other than the eyes and the arms. 
The first person against (M/N) had ended up being Jiro. It had been a quick match, (M/N) capturing the girl in silk, but now after she seemed slightly dazed as she sat on the floor in the back of the room. 
As Izuku looked around the room he realized that everyone that (M/N) had fought was actually more or less dazed, looking extremely sleepy. Confused, and a bit concerned Izuku made his way over to Jiro who had been hit first, but was cut off as Aizawa declared (M/N) the winner of his fight between him and Bakugo.
Mirio went to go greet the other male before going to his fight, (M/N) coming in looking tired.
There were soot marks all over his skin thanks to dodging Bakugo's attacks, and Izuku watched as he rubbed at his eyes, smearing it like cheap eyeliner. He watched as (M/N) yawned and made his way over to a corner before sitting, letting his head fall back and close his (E/C) eyes. The red ones stayed open.
It was a bit unnerving to look at that, to watch as pure red eyes moved around in their sockets to look around. It was hard to figure out where they were looking exactly since they were one color without a pupil, but Izuku got the general idea that he was looking around at everything. 
Midoriya had heard things about (M/N) from other students and in passing, most of it coming from Mirio gushing about him at any given point, but he knew he was strong. 
A lot of people, mostly the second years, seemed weirded out that (M/N) had already decided to become a rescue hero. It wasn't very common that people decided what kind of hero they would become in their 3rd year, most waited until they had a bit of experience to see what they were best at, and even then most people wanted to become confrontational heroes, to be the person who took down the bad guy and saved everyone. (M/N) seemed content to stick to the shadows.
Maybe it had to do with his arachnid quirk, not wanting to be seen or to be put in any danger? Maybe it was just a personal preference though?
Midoriya hadn't realized it, as per usual, but he was mumbling to himself. Lost in his own little world he didn't notice that 6 red eyes had shifted to look at him, (S/T) ears tuned into the mess of words pouring from his mouth.
For (M/N) he was used to people talking about him behind his back, he was odd even in a world of superheroes. He had 6 arms and 8 eyes, he was far from normal so people talked about him. Most of it wasn't very good, people talking about how creepy he was and how he wouldn't be a good hero because he wasn't good with people, but the drivel coming from the bush-boy was statistics and questions about his quirk. 
All of it curiosity without any of the disgust and distrust.
Curious, (M/N) focused all 6 red eyes on the boy, his figure slowly coming into focus.
Like an actual spider (M/N)'s eyes were put into groups for seeing different things. 3 of them were for noticing motion in a blurry wide-angle vision, 3 of them were specifically for judging the distance between things, and the 2 that weren't red were the only ones that actually focused on things and saw in color. These ones were for locking onto things when he needed to. 
Right now the green-haired boy was a blurry figure that actually just looked like a tall bush. He was roughly 8 feet away, mumbling to himself.
Confused, and slightly concerned as to why the boy had taken such an interest in him, (M/N) let his head drop onto his shoulder, cracking his eyes open to squint at the male. He didn't seem to be noticing his surroundings, but the other students were ignoring his words so this must have been a normal thing. 
Sighing, (M/N) sat up so that he was leaning forward, scooting himself around so he was actually facing the kid. 
He was a little under average height, messy hair and wide eyes, freckles. He looked like the sort of kid you'd want as a younger brother, cute in a sort of boyish way, but now he looked like a deer in headlight. 
Midoriya, who had been lost in his own world, hadn't noticed that (M/N) had moved, but now the tall male was a bit closer. He was sitting cross-legged, arms propping him up on the floor and on his elbows, but all 8 of those eyes seemed to be trained on him as his head tilted slightly to the side.
It... was horrifying in all honesty. (M/N) was tall, he was a big guy in general, but as he peered at Midoriya it was terrifying. Like being under the eyes of a predator.
"What's your deal?" (M/N) said softly, the words slurring slightly with exhaustion. 
Midoriya knew he was being spoken to, knew that (M/N) was talking to him, but at the moment he was a mere statue in a garden. He was stuck. 
The area where (M/N)'s eyebrows should have been furrowed, confusion crossing his features. The kid had been mumbling to himself just fine a moment ago but now he was completely still, eyes impossibly large.
Concerned, (M/N) drug himself to his knees, leaning forward to lightly tug at the kid's uniform. It was like setting off a firework, fine for a second or two before he exploded. 
He immediately tried to jump back, only to stumble and fall like the clutz he was.
(M/N) blinked owlishly at the kid, who was also blinking in confusion. 
The kid wasn't... actually scared of him, right? He was a teenager, he could get over his fear and realize that (M/N) wasn't going to hurt him... right?!
The kid looked scared though, and it felt like a punch to the gut.
Sighing lightly (M/N) waved a hand at the green-haired male, moving to stand up. 
"Sorry for startling you," he mumbled, pulling his hood over his head before stuffing his hands in various pockets.
Times like now (M/N) wished he had been born without so many limbs, even if it was just so that he could have sleeves to hide himself with.
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lexpressobean · 3 years
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Thoughts on Kikaichu as actual Parasites.
Knowing how skin and the body generally works on a medical level, the "hive" aspect of the Aburame clan really drives me crazy. 'Cause parasites are real, obviously, but the size of Kikaichu beetles makes absolutely no sense in comparison to irl skin parasites. At least not in a bee hive sort of way lol
rambling because my mind craves logic and I'm specializing as a wound care nurse but it's literally anime so what do I expect lol
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No, wounds don't freak me out, I'm more terrified of generally handling vomit and babies than I am a dehiscence of a 15cm long surgical site lol. The human body can literally take so much abuse before it really starts to give and try to alert you that you need help! And once you give it help, it really can come full circle to the wound 100% looking like it was never there. The body is an amazing thing <3
However the first thing that comes to mind when I hear the word "parasite" is always going to be "tapeworm". That's not gonna change. However, kikaichu are not worms and CERTAINLY don't grow that fucking huge or live that long. (A tape worm can live long enough to graduate with a fucking PhD. Can you believe?) I haven't been exposed to any urgent situations involving parasites yet, however, the one I would compare a Kikaichu to that is (unfortunately) also common is the scabies mite.
Very briefly, scabies mites (Sarcoptes scabiei) are technically a type of arachnid that grow no bigger than a bout 0.5mm in size, but CAN be seen with the naked eye if you're looking for them. They crawl around the skin and burrow specifically in the top layer of skin, called the epidermis. The epidermis is that protective layer of skin and can be between 0.5mm to 1.5mm thick depending on which part of the body you're looking at. After the epidermis, you have the dermal layer, which is where sweat glands, nerves, and capillaries are found. Scabie mites will not burrow that deep because they only burrow to lay their eggs and such. As they do this they can cause visible tunnels and other marks that can be mistaken for acne or other skin conditions if not properly identified. You'll most likely know because the itch is VERY BAD.
They're very easily spread by close contact and a scabies infestation needs to be treated with a prescribed pharmacological means.
However, kikaichu are definitely a lot bigger than 0.5mm. In the case of size, I would compare them at minimum to fruitflies/medflies, which grow up to 3-5mm and maximum to ladybugs 4-7mm.
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3-7mm > 0.5-1.5mm... obviously. And the holes which Kikaichu swarm out of that the audience has seen before are about a size comparable Shino's nostrils, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!!
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You're telling me those things were in his mouth?????????? S H I N O N O
That would mean, in realistic terms, the Kikaichu are fucking around in Shino's body to the bone and muscles and THAT'S A REALLY SCARY THOUGHT. Even just passing the epidermis to the dermis is alarming! Compared to the dry, protective epidermis that can and does take damage, the dermis can be 1-4mm thick depending on where you're looking and is where skin does it's business. All together that becomes 0.5-5.5mm of space BARELY big enough for a fruit fly do mess around in. It makes just enough sense in terms of THAT size, but last time I checked, having the skin penetrated to the dermal layer is just asking for infection to happen. You're first natural line of defense has been breeched, there's a pretty good chance you're gonna be bleeding (blood vessels) and general body fluids are going to be draining, which is bad for a multitude of reasons, and there's damage that gonna affect the nerves, and realistically this shit is going to be ABSOLUTELY painful if they're constantly manipulating those areas near nerves. These kinda of things CAN make new connections and things like that, sometimes damage is forever. (Case by case basis).
So my first thought to more or less "magically" solve the problem with anime logic, is that first of all, it's an anime and logic doesn't have to apply haha.
On a more sci-fi level, in which kikaichu are smaller than we've seen them shown, maybe they have been purposefully been allowed to burrow into the dermal layer of the skin at least because the blood vessels seem to be in direct contact with the chakra system. Kikaichu's prefered food is chakra, but they WILL mutiny and eat their respective Aburame from the inside out if they don't balance their chakra smartly. So it's safe to say Kikaichu are at least carnivorous as well, and so I only imagine these absolute nightmares would swarm their prey in the wild, and actively bite through and burrow into the body of the prey until they found the chakra system and went to town on that poor unfortunate soul. Eaten alive, how the hell did they "tame" them in the first friggin' place??
I like to think two things:
1) Kikaichu are passed down from parent to child, and the parent has control over the Kikaichu until they have been RIGOROUSLY trained for generations to comprehend that this baby/child isn't food, it's a new hive. If bees can comprehend time, Kikaichu can comprehend what an Aburame is. If they insist on trying to drain the babe or the babe just can't tolerate them, the parent takes the Kikaichu back and the babe is assigned another insect or position in general. Like hell they're gonna try to force a relationship like that.
2) As part of the successful symbiotic relationship, Kikaichu regularly debride the tunnels and borrows that they carve into their respective Aburame, and are naturally intuitive in avoiding as many nerves and blood vessels as possible. The chance of infection is never 0%, however, kikaichu are pretty good about taking care of their tunnels, and so it gives the Aburame more time to focus on their things, like increasing the amount if chakra in their system. To ensure that they stay healthy, Aburame are encouraged to eat as much protein and Vit C possible every day, whether it be meat, beans, lentils, eggs, oranges, tomatoes, or even supplements as times modernize. The dermis is living tissue and as long as debridement/tunneling is going on, it needs to be nourished as much as possible.
I don't know how the hell Aburame deal with the obvious drainage that would be coming from their bodies, assuming the dermal layer really is free game for the Kikaichu. But the magical solution is that... they don't? Because... drainage is minimal. The Kikaichu just do such a good job lol. Maybe they purposefully... carve entrances to be flappy, or they purposefully create pocket spaces underneath seemingly healed areas of skin to easily burst open when necessary. That's the biggest thing for me, leaking body fluids. There's no way around that shit besides straight up denial lol Maybe they wear a special kind of dressing underneath their clothes, or that's directly applied with their clothes. Maybe that's what that cute little backpack is filled with, who knows!!
Idk man. I'm sure the Aburame authority forces encourages many of their non-hive members to pursue medical nin training in order to give the clan more privacy in general too. All medics that claim the Aburame name are exclusively used by the Aburame Clan. A non-Aburame medic may end up healing tunnels and burrows that were meant to stay open because "oops" and now you have an X amount of insects possibly suffocating within a completely sealed pocket of the skin, and also now there's a very good chance that after those insects die, that whole area is gonna frickin' abscess and cause infection induced tunnels the longer it's left alone and GROSS THAT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN! THERE IS A DELICATE, ORGANIZED, SELF-SUFFICENT PROCESS TO ALL THIS!! A PROCESS!!!
Like... the other ninja in the NartVerse can make as many jokes, jabs, and comments about the Aburame as they please (INO? BITCH??? but to be honest I still love her lol). But these MFers are constantly playing Russian Roulette with these high maintenance demon spawn from hell, and there are VERY little defences against Kikaichu, virtually none. Like the only thing I've ever seen actively thwart Kikaichu across all media is killing them with mass fire, countering them with large amounts of poison gas (both very exterminator like) or literally just feeding them chakra until they're so stupid full, they can't move, the little gluttons. As far as genjutsu, it's been stated that it's both effective and ineffective, so idk about that. But the Aburame are just SO set up to be the living breathing embodiment of Shinobi as defined by the NartVerse. They're whole clan culture relies on the threat of enemies. If they have no enemies, the whole relationship is an exhausting endeavor for literally no reason. It's not worth it if there's no one to fight or protect! But when there is a threat, you want them on YOUR side.
I suppose the best bet is to incapacitate the Aburame individual asap and the Kikaichu will tend the individual, making escape easier. But, if you DID manage to kill that Aburame right away, that particular Aburame's swarm is now suddenly without its food source and without restraint.
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What do you THINK is gonna happen, bro?? The second an Aburame loses their grip on their consciousness due to external influences, the bugs go bonkers because I'm pretty sure Kikaichu are simply persuaded to be in this relationship and have NO tolerance for bullshit like alcohol and overheating temps. If their Aburame dies, they probably cause just as much chaos as they would as a wild, unattended swarm. Then YOU BETTER HAVE fire or poison gas or SOMETHING handy. The only way to calm them down is to offer them chakra and a new host with equal or even more chakra reserves. Otherwise the mutineers must be eradicated.
And for serious... Like, any deeper and the kikaichu would be in the hypodermal/subcutaneous layer of the skin and that's where a lot of connective tissue is located. Let's NOT mess with that shit, shall we? NOT a good idea. It's called connective tissue for a reason first and foremost...
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inkweaver22-blr · 3 years
Text
Welcome to lucky chapter 13!
A few announcements before we begin!
First, we got fan art! Shout out to @ooflifeshard for their art of the Jin/Yin/Tang fusion!
Second, I post extra thoughts on my writing process and the chapter in general on my Tumblr! Look up the tag Fanfiction Live Blogging to read them!
Now let’s get on with the story!
AO3 Link
<Previous | First | Next>
Scattered Cicadas - Chapter Thirteen: Aspects of Arachnids
The Spider Clan is made up of some interesting people. That includes MK this time.
----------
“So what did you want to talk about Mr. Tang?”
They were taking a walk through a secluded park. Tang had asked to speak with the young man privately once he had woken in this cycle to address a recent memory he had received.
“I wanted to apologize to you, MK,” Tang said. MK tilted his head in confusion.
“What for?”
“For the way I treated you last week.”
MK tensed.
“I- I don’t know what you mean,” he said.
“MK.” Tang turned and placed his hands on MK’s shoulders, looking him in the eye. “It’s okay. I know.”
“Know what?” MK was trembling now. He avoided Tang’s gaze, wide eyes darting around as if to look for a place to hide.
Tang gave him a reassuring squeeze and kind smile.
“I know you are the spider demon we saw.”
Last week had been before Tang had woken in the cycle. They had all rushed over to where MK had been fighting a demon alone only to find a spider demon they had never seen before wearing MK’s jacket and bandana while holding the Monkey King’s staff.
The group had, predictably, reacted with hostility. They threatened the demon and attacked him. They hadn’t been able to actually harm him before he got away, and MK had shown up perfectly fine the next day.
Physically at least.
When Tang had gone over the memories earlier this morning, it was obvious to him who the demon actually was. It certainly wasn’t the first time MK was something other than human.
He was also able to see the signs of emotional distress MK was showing over the past week. It was clear that their reaction to his true form was devastating to him.
Tang intended to fix that.
“I didn’t figure it out until this morning,” Tang said when it was clear MK had frozen in fear and wasn’t going to say anything. He pulled him into a tight hug. “I’m so sorry I didn’t see it right away. You are very important to me and I am ashamed to have made you feel like you were unwanted.”
“You- You don’t mind?” MK clung tightly to the scholar, as if afraid he’d vanish at any moment.
“Of course I don’t. What you are or what you look like isn’t important to me. What matters is who you are and I happen to care about the person you are quite a lot.”
Tang held the young man as he trembled in his embrace. He pulled away after a few minutes, wiping his eyes and giving Tang a watery smile.
“Thank you, Tang.”
“Any time, MK.”
“Do the others know?”
“I haven’t told them anything,” Tang said as they continued their walk. “This is your secret and you should be the one to reveal it when you’re ready.”
“But what if they react like last time?” MK kicked a rock out of his path and seemed to fold into himself. “What if they don’t want to be friends with something like me?”
“First off, that would be pretty hypocritical of them considering both Pigsy and Sandy are technically demons as well and Mei is descended from a dragon. That actually makes me the odd one out in our group as the only human.”
“Huh. Didn’t think of that,” MK said.
“Second, I know they all care about you, MK. I sincerely doubt they wouldn’t be able to look past appearances and see the person we all love.”
“Love?” MK stared wide eyed at Tang.
“I like to think of us as a family,” Tang said. “Even if we aren’t the typical kind, families love each other, and you are a part of that.”
“Family…” MK smiled sadly into the distance. “It would be nice to have more family.”
“There is no ‘would be’ about it.” Tang slung his arm around MK’s shoulders. “We are family and you’re stuck with us no matter what.”
MK gave him a wide grin, leaning into the sideways hug as they continued on their path.
“Aren’t you curious by what I meant by ‘more family’?”
“Of course I am,” Tang said. “But it’s not my place to pry. If you want to talk about that then I’d be more than willing to listen.”
“Oh, well okay,” MK said, perking up a bit. He began to enthusiastically speak about his other family, but never giving any names.
Tang was able to piece together who he was talking about rather easily.
The Spider Queen was his mother. It wasn’t much of a surprise for Tang as she had filled that role for MK in the past, but never quite so literally. From what MK was saying, she seemed to still be that lovingly supportive yet protective type that he had encountered in previous cycles.
The fact that she was a much more active villain in this cycle that MK constantly fought was not addressed.
Huntsman was ‘Uncle H’. He seemed to be the type of person that gave small children lessons on knife wielding just so they could protect themselves. MK had learned all his combat skills in his spider form from him.
Huntsman was certainly a focused and skilled combatant, but, as his many friendships with Sandy across time showed, he also knew how to enjoy the quieter moments in life.
That left Goliath as ‘Uncle G’. The large spider may seem like just a brute who relied on his strength, but Tang had witnessed his soft side a few times. MK spoke fondly of the lullabies Goliath had sang when he was still little as well as his delicious cooking.
Tang wondered how it compared to Pigsy’s creations and mused on how he could try and get a cook off set up.
MK did not speak of Syntax. That made sense as it was still somewhat early in the cycle and the scientist hadn’t really joined up with the spiders until after Demon Bull King’s second invasion.
Tang did his best to recall what he knew about the man. They had been friends and colleagues once in a cycle where they had been professors at the city university.
Syntax could be a bit standoffish to those he didn’t know. Once he warmed up to you though, he loved to go on long tangents about chemistry, biology, and computer engineering. He could also be surprisingly thoughtful, having dropped by several times with an extra cup of coffee on those late nights Tang had been stuck in his office grading papers.
Tang never knew why he started working for the Spider Queen. The scientist had always been a bit ambitious, so he supposed working on something as unique as a serum using bits of the Monkey King’s power was more than enough to sway him.
It was a shame the serum was then used against him and he seemed to lose all memories of his human life.
Tang forced himself back into the present as MK finished up an anecdote about Huntsman and Goliath nearly panicking after MK had fallen asleep in his hiding spot during a game of hide and seek.
“They all sound wonderful,” Tang said once MK had finished.
“Yeah, they are.” MK sighed wistfully. “I haven’t spoken to them in a while though.”
“Why not?”
“It’s… Complicated.”
Tang could certainly understand that considering how they fought each other on a nearly weekly basis.
“Well whatever the reason, it sounds like they care about you just as much as we do,” Tang said. “I’m sure they’d be more than happy to welcome you back into their lives.”
“I know that,” MK said with a huff. “I’m just not sure they'd approve of me being the Monkey King’s successor.”
“I see.”
Tang did see. He had been a part of demon families before and knew how leaving one’s blood to side with an enemy could tear relationships apart. He hoped that wouldn’t happen here with MK.
“In any case, I just hope you know that you have people that care about you and if you ever need help to just ask, okay?”
“Yeah, I know. Thanks Tang.” MK gave him another smile before frowning in thought. “I’m still not sure if I want to tell the others though.”
“That’s perfectly fine,” Tang said. “If you aren’t ready then you aren’t ready. I won’t say anything to anyone before you do.”
“Really?”
“I promise.”
The rest of the walk was spent discussing lighter subjects such as the latest Monkey Cop movie and which types of noodles were superior.
Tang decided to not bring up his curse this cycle. He knew he could get around the memory seal by simply stating he had a curse but not exactly its effects, but MK already had quite a lot to deal with this time. He didn’t want to add on to that stress with something that couldn’t be fixed.
He hoped that the Spider Clan would come to accept MK as he was, successor to the Monkey King and all. Not just for his sake either, as Tang could already feel four spots slowly opening up in his heart where he kept his love for his family.
It would be hard to bring them into the fold. Much harder than Macaque, the twins, or even the Demon Bull Family.
But Tang was patient.
He would use this cycle to get to know the spiders better. They were already MK’s family this time around.
Perhaps, in time, they could become his as well.
----------
Things went to Hell rather quickly.
New Years went the same as usual, but this time with the added horror of a mutated Macaque.
The shadow demon had been willingly experimented on by Syntax after he had failed to steal the Monkey King’s powers from MK. He now sported an extra set of arms and eyes, had lavender fur, and was in constant pain from the modifications. Wukong had offered him sanctuary, and Macaque had accepted.
MK hadn’t taken it well when he learned that it was his mother who had convinced Macaque to go through with the procedure.
Now something even worse was happening. This was a cycle that not only changed MK’s background, but someone else’s as well.
Lady Bone Demon was much more impulsive this cycle.
She had attacked them all directly this time, before even gathering up the artifacts she needed. They had all been overwhelmed pretty quickly and everyone except MK had been captured. She had then given him an ultimatum.
Give her the Monkey King’s power, or MK’s family would perish.
Lady Bone Demon then ‘graciously’ gave MK twenty four hours to think about it before teleporting away with her captives.
“Hey, where are you taking him?!”
Tang glanced up as he realized that he hadn’t been placed in the same cell as his family. Pigsy and Mei glared at the skeleton guards while Sandy tended to the unconscious Wukong and Macaque.
“Boss only wants five to a cell,” guard one said.
“Hope your friend here isn’t afraid of spiders,” guard two mocked.
Tang blinked at that as the others began to protest loudly. The guards simply laughed and led him away.
Well, he had wanted to get to know the Spider Clan better this cycle, hadn’t he?
After being marched down many winding corridors, Tang was thrown unceremoniously into a different cell.
Tang picked himself up and was confronted with the scowling faces of the Spider Queen and her entourage. They had certainly looked like they had seen better days.
After demanding why he was there, they had dismissed him and went back to trying to come up with a way to escape.
They had mused about eating him for a bit, Huntsman even going as far as to restrain him and brandishing a knife, before Tang had been forced to break his promise to MK. They were skeptical at first, but once Tang began telling the stories he had heard from MK, they believed him.
Spider Queen was emotionally distraught at the thought of harming her baby, but became more resolved than ever to beat Lady Bone Demon once she realized they were being used as hostages against her son.
Huntsman had been a bit more accepting, bragging about how the only reason MK had beaten them so often was from all the training he had given him. Goliath had just asked if he was eating well.
Syntax had been standing off to the side looking uncomfortable before Tang assured him that MK would be more than happy to get to know him.
The Spider Clan had invited Tang into their scheming quickly afterwards. None of their plans were very feasible, but Tang felt his connection to the four grow stronger.
Strange were the bonds you could make when in prison.
Before they could act on any of their plans, the twenty four hours were up and they were whisked away by the magic of their captor.
Tang opened his eyes to find the ten of them suspended in the air by blue ropes as Lady Bone floated in front of them. On the ground was a horrified looking MK.
“Now it is time you choose,” she said. She reached out and grabbed Tang and Spider Queen by their arms, pulling them forwards. “Your powers? Or your family?”
“Don’t listen to her, baby,” Spider Queen called out. “We’ll be fine! Just get out of here!”
“M-mom?!” MK’s mouth had dropped at being recognized.
“Sorry, MK. I broke my promise,” Tang said. “To be fair, your family was planning on eating me before I told them.”
“We said we were sorry about that-”
“ENOUGH!” Lady Bone Demon’s bellow shook the ground. “What is your decision?!”
“I- I can’t-” MK was trembling as he gripped his staff tightly.
“Wrong answer.”
Tang and Spider Queen screamed as they each had one of their arms shattered in her grip. Lady Bone Demon tossed them behind her, the blue ropes re-materializing to bind them as she summoned a large scythe.
“One last chance.” She pulled back the weapon, preparing to strike. “Give me the Monkey King’s power!”
MK roared in rage and seemed to explode into gold, purple, and green light.
Tang gasped in pain as he tried to stay awake. He stared in shock as the light expanded and formed into a giant figure.
Tang had seen the giant form that Wukong would occasionally become to take on much more powerful opponents. Macaque had access to this power as well and so would MK sometimes. It had no official name, but a scroll he had read many cycles ago had described it in a way that Tang couldn’t help but agree with.
Aspects of Destruction.
It resembled MK’s spider form, but with his human half looking more like a monkey’s instead. He had four arms now and each one held a copy of the Monkey King’s staff. The twelve eyes glowed with a burning green malice as they glared at Lady Bone Demon.
Faster than he could blink, Tang watched as MK swung one of his staffs and batted the white demon away from them. MK roared and leapt after her.
The pain from having his bones crushed soon became too much and Tang passed out.
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Tang woke up on Sandy’s airship.
He learned it was a few days later. MK hadn’t been able to defeat Lady Bone Demon, but had managed to buy them all the time to escape. They had also managed to pick up Red Son somewhere along the way.
Now, all twelve of them were out of the city looking for a way to defeat her.
The Spider Clan had seemed to integrate easily into their group over the next few weeks.
Spider Queen had already gotten to know Macaque over the course of the experiments, but once Wukong decided to go through the same procedure and gained two extra pairs of arms, she seemed to start flirting with the both of them.
Neither monkey seemed bothered by this and flirted right back.
Huntsman had decided Mei needed proper weapons training with her sword and whenever he wasn’t giving her pointers was drinking tea with Sandy.
Goliath shared cooking duty with Pigsy. The pair gave each other tips and techniques and their meals only became tastier from the collaboration.
Syntax had seemed a bit lost at first, but after completing one of the internet memes MK had quoted, became fast friends with him. He even got to have stimulating scientific discussions with Red Son.
Tang sighed in contentment at dinner one evening as he listened to the conversations around him.
He had never thought he would have longed for a large family, but this just felt right to him.
Tang hoped he would get to experience it more often in future cycles.
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The Spider Clan joins the ranks!
I think that leaves only two characters left out of Tang’s family. Considering who they are, I doubt that will happen any time soon.
This chapter takes place in @strange-lace's amazing Spider Monkie AU! It has some great angst and fluff as well as absolutely lovely spider-monkey designs for Macaque and Wukong! Go check it out!
Now technically this AU doesn't have a kaiju form for MK, but I wanted to introduce the concept to the story and it didn't fit anywhere in the coming chapters.
There’s going to be some plot in the next chapter so look forward to it! Until next time!
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tiredspacedragon · 3 years
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BIONICLE Retrospective
2001: Quest for the Masks
Part 6.10: 8548 Nui-Jaga
As if the Nui-Rama weren’t enough, the Nui-Jaga are here for another dose of arthropod action.
The Nui-Jaga dwell in the deserts of Po-Wahi, and are known far and wide as mean bastards. Thankfully though, even when controlled by Makuta, these arachnids aren’t very bright, and can be dealt with fairly easily if you know what you’re doing. So long as you can muster up the courage to do anything, that is. I mean, they are giant scorpions.
The Nui-Jaga are a step up from the Nui-Rama in the size department, filling the role of medium-sized Rahi. While larger, the Nui-Jaga are also simpler in design than the Rama, mostly being built of an assortment of Technic lift arms. The scorpions are also a step back in terms of individuality, being entirely identical apart from their colours. One is purple with yellow eyes, while the other is light blue with red eyes. Personally, I favour the purple one because the colour is so much more rarely seen.
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The Nui-Jaga are a mixed bag of excellent and disappointing design elements. The tail, while simple, is highly effective, evoking a scorpion tail quite well. Though, it is a bit stiff. The face is also excellent, with the use of the white Onua claws as fangs pulled off much more effectively here than on the Rama. Plus those beady little eyes are great. But the claws, if you can call them claws; they’re really just mask mounts; are completely static, unable to move at all. And the legs, while attached via ball joint, hang off the abdomen uselessly, unable to reach the ground thanks to the function. Hardly setbreaking flaws, but still disappointing and slightly annoying.
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On the topic of the function, though, the Nui-Jaga’s primary feature is pulled off masterfully. A trigger on the underside of the Rahi causes the tail to snap forward with considerable power. One good hit and your target’s mask is coming right off. It is oh so satisfying. I love watching everything swing into place as the tail lunges forward; the head swinging down and back is particularly cool.
The use of Pakari for the claws is alright. Their angular shape is appropriate enough, though I would have preferred actual pincers.
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Overall, the Nui-Jaga aren’t fantastic. They’re really just a glorified function with some limbs and bright pieces tacked on. That said, their function works so well that I can’t help but like them. Maybe it’s that sweet minigame in MNOG where you fight one as Pohatu, or maybe it’s just how incredibly satisfying that sting is, but I really do enjoy these guys. Also, Nui-Jaga, like all 2001 Rahi (excluding the Manas) are canonically tameable, and that image is hilarious to me.
Next up: 8549 Tarakava
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