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jonnysinsectcatalogue · 11 months

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Smooth Black Stag Beetle - Lucanus placidus

It looks like this week has turned into large garden Beetle week! While walking from work, a smooth male specimen was found crossing the sidewalk, and admittedly he was doing so very slowly. They are well equipped to walk, but the additional bulk from their armor takes some getting used to (as can be glimpsed from the many videos found here). With more people following behind me, I picked up this big guy for a closer look and got him of out reach of an errant foot. With mandibles raised, he was ready for a fight but did not bring one against my finger when they were lightly poked (disclaimer: please don’t prolong annoyance to any Beetles). He flipped over of his own accord while exploring my hand, hence the pictures of his magnificent underside and a chance to closely examine how each pair of legs connects to the abdomen. Moreover, it can be seen that each pair of legs are structured differently than the other. The front legs are covered in armored spikes, while the back legs have altered curvature to better move and slide beneath the abdomen.

Each leg extends from the tibia to a slim, flexible tarsus and ends with a grappling-hook like claw (known as a pretarsus). As would be expected, those tarsal claws are handy when climbing up surfaces and for gripping terrain, but against human skin they won’t slash at all. At most, they’ll tickle. When flipped, he didn’t flail those legs around very much, nor his body in attempt to re-orient to the right way up (my hand tilted to flip him back to normal) which is most strange. Generally the Beetles I’ve seen go mad when flipped over and use any means at their disposal to right themselves. When a Stag Beetle exposes their soft underbelly to nature, it can be a death sentence since they’d be put in a position where their armor couldn’t protect them. An exposed underside is also the ultimate defeat when males fight each other, aiming to grip and flip each other with their curved, toothed mandibles. It sounds a little silly, but it’s no easy feat to grab a rival by your mouth, hoist them above your head, carry them and then flip them over! The mandibles are big help of course, and while they are the most prominent mouthparts, smaller mouthparts are beneath the head to manipulate sap and vegetation into the insect’s mouth.

Pictures taken on June 15, 2023 with a Google Pixel 4.

#jonny’s insect catalogue #ontario insect #beetle #smooth black stag beetle #lucanus placidus #stag beetle #coleoptera #insect #toronto #june2023 #2023 #entomology #nature #invertebrates

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hamletisintown · 8 months

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Hemera, the Sun God. (ID under the cut)

Honorable Hemera grants strength and courage to anyone who would need it. In war just like in love, he offers protection and guidance.

Hemera, like all gods from the Pantheon, is everchanging in form. Some constants are his 4 arms that he uses to wield his enormous shield (not to scale on the picture) and his 2 swords, one of which (not pictured here) was a gift from his lover Eros.

___

Inpired by stag beetles (for the horns), the fiddler beetle (for the colors) and scarab beetles (for the cute heart shaped scutellum that some have, as well as their association with the sun in egyptian mythology). (Also inspired by Ravana from FFXIV, i'm so mad how cool he is and how little the game shows him, like, come on.)

[ID: A digital drawing of a fantasy character inspired by beetles. He is covered from head to toe in a smooth glossy spiky red-brown armour that looks like the chitinous exoskeleton of a beetle. He has 4 arms, outstretched to better show the design. He is wearing a helmet adorned with horns that look like stag beetle horns, and hides his eyes and nose. He has black skin, only visible on the bottom of his face. His armor is adorned with tiny dangling neon green gems that are shaped like droplets and shine slightly. A motif is drawn on his helmet, a green dot and a half-circle over it, colored neon green as well. Next to him are drawn his shield and sword. The shield in shaped like the elytras of a scarab beetle, also reddish brown and glossy like his armor, and covered in a neon green motif that is shaped like the motif on a fiddler beetle's elytras. There are also neon green droplet gems dangling from the bottom of the shield. The sword is arched and has a jagged blade, it looks like a giant mandible or perhaps part of a beetle's leg. the handle is wrapped in red leather, and there is also a neon green droplet gem dangling from the tip of the handle. /end ID]

#art #my art #faes&cel #faes #thepantheon #oc:hemera #my ocs

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late-to-the-fandom · 2 months

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Daily Writing Challenge - February 2024

Day 3 of @daily-writing-challenge February challenge was not the fun, 30 minutes tops, carefree writing warm-up I promised myself these would be, but we got there in the end.

Day 3: Bargain - 1kish words, no warnings

The name of the sanctuary was Eon's Fringe. Another time, Renathal would have found this amusing. Now, he felt unpleasantly humbled. Heavy. His mind weighed down by the day's events and the new future they offered. Or, more accurately, the new past.

Leaving Elisewin safely sleeping, he crept out of the cramped inn and back through the small haven's vined and bejeweled archway. He nodded at the defenders on guard, who returned the gesture warily, and let his feet carry him to the stairs cut into the cliff's edge, just before the temperate autumnal forestland gave way to shifting sand.

He looked up. Truly, there was nowhere else to look. The massive, hovering platform - both too far to walk to and too tantalisingly close to ignore - commanded all eyes. And all Renathal's thoughts, as well. He only realised he was sitting when a stag beetle crawled across his hand, now resting on the smooth stone step beside him. He barely registered either sensation, preoccupied as he was.

This place… that staff… the infinite possibilities… the undeniable risks…

"I know what you're thinking."

Startled from his reverie, Renathal swiveled around and found Elisewin sitting on an upper step, watching him blandly, head propped on one hand.

"I knew you would do this. Knew you wouldn't be able to let it go."

There was no reproach in her words; no disappointment, no anger. Renathal returned his gaze to the conflux and contemplated it for another moment before replying:

"Can you?"

Elisewin did not answer, but Renathal felt the hem of her robe brush against his back as she slid closer. He swallowed - his throat was very dry; exactly how long had he sat here? - then finally spoke aloud the idea that had teased, tormented him all the last day.

"You must admit, it is a prospect certainly worthy of some consideration. Imagine - being able to stop all that conflict, that chaos from happening before it ever began. If I could overthrow Denathrius before he joined forces with the Jailer, just think how much destruction could be prevented - how much ruin undone. All those souls, gone, lost for eternity, and I - I could save them all."

Only the sudden, tentative hand on his shoulder made Renathal realise how loud his voice had risen. He broke off, inhaling sharply and superfluously through his nose, and pushed back the loose hairs that had fluttered across his face during his rant.

"Renathal," said Elisewin unaffectedly, sliding down another step to tuck herself next to him on his, "you know it wouldn't be that easy. If we learned anything from today's events, it's that. You have no idea what the repercussions would be, and that's only if you actually pulled it off. Putting aside the fact the dragons would probably catch you, you don't know when to go back to - how far back Denathrius' betrayal began. And even if you did, and by some miracle you managed it, events would likely still unfold just as they have. There are too many players involved, too many moving pieces. It's - it's just ... too enormous an event to try to change."

Elisewin's tone was patient, her arguments pragmatic. Renathal had to bite back the instinct to serve her some biting retort. She was right, and he knew it; his own better sense had run through all these same irrefutable lines of reasoning. But it made the truth no easier to bear. He remained obstinately silent, eyes still fixed on the looming temporal conflux and its tempting possibilities.

Until Elisewin added hesitantly:

"On the other hand…"

Renathal glanced down at her, surprised to find her own face turned to that enticing gold horizon.

"…I know exactly where I would need to go. And when. The exact date and time." She paused, as if debating whether or not to say any more, then continued in a breathless rush," And nothing of any real importance would be altered. Elisande would still die. It would just - just be a few weeks sooner. Everything else would be the same. No one would even have to know. The only difference would be my - my sister… she would still be alive."

"You think that is an alteration of no of importance?" asked Renathal, a slightly bitter edge to his voice. "Her death is the reason we are here at all. Had she lived, there would have been no reason for you to venture into the Shadowlands. No reason to save them - to save your allies - save me. And, certainly, no reason to stay."

"You don't know that," Elisewin argued. "I might have - there - there might have been… some way…" Her hands clenched against her robes in a sudden burst of frustration. "There has to be a way - a way to do both. To save her and you. To save everyone."

Renathal recognised the notes of desperation from his own impassioned speech. He wondered if his face had looked anything like his lover's did now: almost manic as it reflected the light of the conflux's golden glow. He shifted on the step until he was looking directly at her.

"There is... much we might save," Renathal admitted slowly. "And there is much at stake. If we managed to succeed, we risk... this moment. This existence. Is it worth it?"

He asked the question as much of Elisewin as himself.

A beat of silence pulsed between them, heavy with the memories of the last few, impossibly precious years. Then Elisewin, too, tore her eyes from the conflux and reached for Renathal's hand.

"No," she said fiercely, and gripped him like a lifeline. "No. No, it's not. Nothing is."

Some tumultuous emotion rose in Renathal's throat, and he found himself leaning in just as Elisewin looked up. Their lips met halfway. For a time that mattered more for its meaning than its minutes, they simply sat, anchoring each other to the present.

Elisewin broke first, pulling away just enough to meet Renathal's eyes.

"We need to make a pact," she said hoarsely. "A - a promise. To each other. That neither of us is going to - to run off later and - and try."

Renathal's eyebrows quirked in surprise - promises were something Elisewin very rarely offered.

"I will if you will," he agreed.

It took her a few seconds, and a deep, shuddering breath, but at last-

"I promise," she said.

Renathal nodded solemnly.

"Then, so do I."

Elisewin's smile was shaky, but her hands were not as she reached for Renathal's face and pressed her lips to his again. This was less kiss than confirmation, but no less meaningful for it. Bargain thus sealed, they sat, nestled silently together, breathing in each other's presence and the warm, tree-scented air. Then Renathal, suddenly as exhausted as if they fought some prolonged and devastating battle, stood up, pulling Elisewin with him, and together they put their backs to any other possibilities and began to climb the stairs.

#daily writing challenge #wow fanfiction #dragon isles #renathal x maw walker #renathal fan fiction #prince renathal #fanfiction #world of warcraft #shadowlands #dragonflight #and there was only one dragon!#domestic fluff #elisewin #the maw walker #nightborne

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thistledropkick · 13 days

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I was tagged by @sycamoretrees

9 people i’d like to get to know better

Last song: Recently I've been listening to The Birthday a lot while working. Kaminari Today gives me powerful Sasaki vibes. (A couple other faves are Kusottare no Sekai and Sayonara Saishu Heiki)

Favourite colour: That whole mint green, sea green, sage green, moss green family

Currently watching: Delicious In Dungeon and Bravern! The Delicious In Dungeon anime adaptation is outstanding and really captures the feeling of the manga. Bravern is a very fun and unique mecha series (created by the guy who designed NJPW's IWGP World Heavyweight Championship belt) - if you want to watch it, I highly recommend not reading anything about it beforehand because the surprise twists and turns are a big part of the fun. Bravern just recently ended, so the whole series is available to watch.

Spicy/savoury/sweet/(sour)/(salty): I'll go with salty aspirationally, because I'm supposed to increase the salt in my diet. But I do have a sweet tooth, I do love umami flavors, and I do have a growing appreciation for spicy foods.

Relationship status: Very happily partnered

Obsessions: I managed to turn my fixation on Japanese pro wrestling into a fixation on learning Japanese, which has been very fun even though I don't have any particular aptitude for language learning.

I'm also obsessed with beetles, especially species in the Scarabaeidae and Tenebrionidae families (scarabs including stag and rhino beetles, and darkling beetles). I currently have three pet beetles - two blue death-feigning beetles and one smooth death-feigning beetle. Someday I want to raise a stag or rhino beetle from a grub to an adult, but I haven't attempted it yet.

I also love wooden tall ships, especially square-riggers.

I'm tagging @thebarefootking @namajague @randanopterix @sangrebomb and @sharky-chan for this, but I'm supposed to tag four more people, so anyone else who sees this and would like to fill it out, please consider yourself tagged!

#get to know you question meme #thanks sycamoretrees for tagging me in this but sorry it took me forever to actually fill it out #I put these in my drafts and then completely forget about them lol...

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ferromagnetiic · 2 months

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uta slams her hand down on the table to get his attention. and she grins proudly while she placed a clear box with holes pierced into the top on the table, shoving it closer to kid so he can have a look at the amazing gift she got him. inside this makeshift cage a big deep red stag beetle was waiting for him. “look at this one! it’s not a scorpion but isn’t it pretty neat? took me hours to catch it.” not that the leaves still stuck in her hair would give away that she might have dived head first into bushes and climbed trees to catch the little fellow. “it looks pretty strong so i thought i would give it to you. you couldn’t win beetle battles with just any beetle.” she nods along to her own words, then points at the beetle. “the red ones are special. and pretty feisty, it reminded me of you. happy valentine's day, captain!” ( kid pirates verse cuz captain deserves the shittiest coolest valentine's day gift in existence <3 )

【 𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄'𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐘. 】 @melodysian 【 Uta. 】

As if aware of the introduction, the ruby insect in question seems to deliberately shift into the overhead glow of the candlelight, reflecting the warm yellow tones across its glossy exoskeleton. Though it barely moves an inch, the sheer mass of the beast combined with the sight of oversized pincers lined with studded teeth would cause one to associate it with a dangerous nature; something that could, if provoked, cause notable harm. It should go without saying that Kid is enamored with the gift. He leans in to the clear container to get a closer look at the specimen, taking in the sight of it from different angles. Taps the glass with the tip of an equally red nail, trying to tempt the beetle into further movement.

❝ Right beast, he is. ❞ He decrees, a signal of his approval accompanied by a smile that displays both rows of his teeth.

❝ He's a fighter, then? A bitey one? ❞ It would be for the best if he is a fighter, as she claimed. God knows he was prone to unintentionally squishing tiny creatures whether he intended to or not — he wasn't known for having an especially delicate touch. If the beetle were to survive under his care, it would need to be determined to cling to life. Kid would not state this information to Uta. He will do his best to care for the bug to the best of his abilities. Perhaps he will make a larger container for it in the near future so it has more room to roam. He ponders over this for a few more moments as he continues to admire the red stag, before finally drawing his attention back to the girl before him.

❝ Damn nice of ya. He'll get a nice spot on a shelf in my workshop. ❞ Placed somewhere he could be easily admired. A very high compliment from the surly mechanic.

Before Kid returns to seating himself upright in his chair, he extends his right hand towards Uta's two-toned hair; plucks a dry leaf from her bangs, then looks at it trapped between his fingers.

❝ ...Hold on, before ya go. ❞

A few pieces of silver scrap metal scattered over the floor begin to hover closer to him; all odds and ends he had been intending to save for a future project, now being put to another purpose. He draws a thin sheet of steels to his hands, and begins to effortlessly contort it like he was handling paper. Magnetized fingers fold and bend the material with ease, smoothing down previously sharp edges, reshaping the item like wet clay. He works for a few minutes, carefully fussing over his ongoing creation without another word until it's finished. The metal groans and creaks under his command and progressively shrinks into its new shape.

When he is finally satisficed with the product, he presents it to the musician seated across to him on a flat palm. A shiny silver hairclip, with a little metal beetle attached to the front. It's not quite as intimidating as the one she brought to him, admittedly; it borders more into a simple and cutesy idea of a beetle rather than bearing a ferocious appearance. Still, he thinks it's fairly obvious what it's supposed to be, and that's good enough. It'll keep those bangs out of her eyes, and maybe then she won't get quite so much foliage in her hair when she goes bug hunting.

Kid drops the hairclip into her lap with a flick of his hand.

❝ Gift for a gift. We're square, now. ❞

#melodysian #melodysian : uta #【 ⚙ ˊˎ | GET OUT OF MY WAY | ask. 】#【 ⚙ ˊˎ | RECKLESS TONGUE | ic. 】#VALENTINE'S DAY 2024 #// BABEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY SHE BROUGHT HIM A BEETLE #// HE'S GOT A NEW PET #// he's going to train it to fight with luffy's beetles.#// feed it protein and make it strong.#// they're friends now. it's his little beetle buddy.#// thank you uta he loves it. i loved this ask we're both very happy i am screaming.#// happy valentines day. kid is very loved.#// i'm going to reference his beetle friend whenever i can hehehe

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prima-axis · 1 year

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Beetles!

My awesome sister @hughesation recently bought us some custom stag beetle plushes, from an amazing seller on Etsy, FriskWolfie Customs. They arrived today, well ahead of schedule. And just check them out for yourself!

The craftsmanship is phenomenal and they're just so squishy and cutes. (Mines the black, and Hughes's is yellow).

If you want one too, you can grab yourself one from here:

#handmade plush #stag beatle #stag beetle #cute plush #beetles

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uas-fics · 2 years

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Title: Midnight Chats

Fandom: Lego Monkie Kid

Rating: G

Content Warning: Death Mentions

Ships: N/A

Summary: Macaque tries to deliver a notebook undetected.

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The shadow knocked at the door. It leaned back on its heels, listening for the slow footsteps from inside the apartment to near. The light from inside flared under the door. The shadow stole a step to the side, laying flat against the wall.

“Coming, coming,” a raspy voice called. As the old woman opened the door, the shadow slithered up the wall to wait over the top of the door frame. When she stepped into the hallway to look around, it slipped in behind her to hide in the shadow of a low table near the door.

The old woman swore under her breath and muttered about the younger generation's lack of manners as she shut the door and then locked it. With a flick of the wrist, she shut the hall light off and then headed back to her room.

The shadow stood and stretched in the new darkness of the hall. It took a step and nearly tripped over the shoes set near the door. Annoyed, it paused, picking up one of the bigger shoes. It considered throwing it at the old woman as she entered her room but thought better of it. Instead, it scooted the other big shoe to the side and set the one it held down in the old shoe’s place.

The shadow voicelessly laughed at its prank.

When the old woman shut off her bedroom light, the shadow advanced down the hall, passed the old woman’s room, and stopped at a pale blue door with butterfly and flower stickers on it.

The shadow snuck down into the darkness. With ease, it slipped under the door and popped up on the other side.

The shadow made a circle around the perimeter of the room, opposite from where the bed and its occupant lay.

The shadow paused at the desk. A doodle of a little girl in a flowing dress riding a stag beetle laid atop unfinished schoolwork. Crumbles from an empty box of cookies mingled with eraser and colored pencil shavings, creating a mess that escaped the desktop to the carpet.

An ant moved around the shavings, searching for the sugary crumbs. The shadow flicked its tail to shoo the ant away.

From the bed, a ginger cat raised its head. The cat scanned the room from door to window. On the second pass, it saw the shadow.

Its ears flattened against its skull, and its hackles raised. It spat at the shadow.

The shadow took a step towards the middle of the room, into the moonlight cast from the window.

The cat instantly recognized the familiar simian silhouette. Its fur fell smooth against its back, and its ears perked up. With a mew, it jumped off the bed and went to the shadow. The cat sat expectantly, eyes wide.

The shadow bent down to scratch the cat behind the ears. The cat purred in delight at the midnight attention.

After a few seconds, the shadow left the cat to walk to the window, much to the cat’s dismay. The cat padded behind it, meowing for the shadow to return to its previous task. The shadow ignored it, too focused on its task.

While the shadow carefully leaned over the toys and stuffed animals on the shelf under the window, the cat did not. It leaped up, knocking down an action figure of a mechanized monkey.

The shadow whipped out its tail to grab the toy, but it was too late. Either the cat’s meowing or the toy’s clattering had woken up the little girl sleeping in the bed.

She yawned and sat up, rubbing her eyes. Her body stiffened when she saw the shadow holding her toy.

“Wait, it’s you,” she whispered. The little girl sighed in relief.

The shadow’s shoulders slumped in defeat. It stuck the toy on the shelf as the girl crawled out of bed.

“What are you doing here?” She asked the shadow. In reply, the shadow opened the window.

A gust of cool night air blew in as the shadow slipped out back to its owner. The little girl poked her head out the window and looked from side to side with a frown.

“Over here.”

She looked up. Macaque crouched on top of a nearby lamppost. He waved lazily at her.

Eyebrow raised, she repeated, “what are you doing here?”

In response, he motioned for her to back up. When she did, he jumped into the window frame, balancing on his feet, with his tail bracing him against the pane. He reached into his robes and took out a notebook covered in doodles and stickers.

“You left this at the noodle place,” he explained, holding it out to her. “I figured I would help out and bring it to you.”

She took the notebook, flipped through it, then winced.

“Math homework.” She held the notebook between two fingers away from her body. The little girl tossed the notebook onto the desk. She picked up her cat.

Scratching its chin, she said, “You could have come to the front door.” At Macaque’s cringe, she added, “I made Grandmother promise to apologize for hitting you with her shoe when you brought me back after, um...” she trailed off. The color in her face drained.

Macaque ruffled her hair, breaking the spell.

“I’ve faced off against demons less scary than her,” he joked. “Maybe next time you just don’t forget your stuff, huh?”

She pushed his hand away with a smile. “That way you don’t have to break in like a creep?” The cat jumped from her arms to the bed. It yawned and curled up on the warm pillow.

Macaque stepped off the window still. He put his hands on his hips with an expression of mock offense.

“Well, I planned to just put your notebook on your desk without anyone knowing I was here. Your cat ruined that.”

He knew he couldn’t argue with her. Being a good person had a lot more rules to it than he was used to, but this situation was an overstep on his part, even if he hadn’t been caught. If there was a next time, he’d need to just leave her forgotten item on her doorstep, or let MK finish delivering it to her, instead of talking MK into letting him do it.

Probably the latter, he decided.

She chuckled. The color returned to her face.

“That’s still kinda creepy, but I’ll let it pass this once if I ask you a question.”

He raised an eyebrow but nodded. She could ask, but he couldn’t promise an answer.

She took a deep breath as Macaque held his own.

“What’s it like to be dead?”

Of the questions she might have asked, that one wasn’t anywhere close to what Macaque had expected.

He met her eyes with a frown.

“Sorry, but I can’t answer that if I don’t know why you’re asking it.”

She blushed and looked away.

“It’s just... I, well, I want to know if, ah, when she, you know, um...” the little girl bit down on her lips to stop her stammering. She forced a breath in through her nose before blurting out, “was I dead when she had me? All I can remember is being trapped in the dark and the cold, knowing I had a body but couldn’t use it. Isn’t that what death is like?”

Macaque nearly took a surprised step back. He listened for a moment, half expecting the old woman to have woken up, but heard no footsteps or creaking bed springs.

Despite her body shaking, the girl’s face held nothing but the determination to find her answer.

It was such a contrast from the first time he saw her without the Lady Bone Demon’s influence. When he caught her, it was like he saved a porcelain doll, light as a feather, limp and pale as death.

At first, he wondered if he just saved a corpse before she started to groan and stir. Looking at her in that state served as a chilling reminder of how easily that could have been him. If the tides of fate changed course just a little, he could be a lifeless puppet for Lady Bone Demon, a soul imprisoned in a moving corpse only existing until its usefulness had depleted.

He shook himself from his thoughts.

“No, you weren’t dead.” He leaned against her shelf, still careful not to knock over any toys. “The afterlife is a lot more,” he searched for the right word, “heretic.”

Macaque cringed at the memory. He waited in line next to some whiny mortal for what seemed like an eternity, just to be told that the staff of the afterlife couldn’t find his file. They didn’t know what was supposed to happen to him in death. A certain someone had come through centuries earlier and messed up all the records for nonhuman primates, and the staff was still trying to sort it out.

He figured he would be stuck waiting for centuries until they found his information if he hadn’t been unceremoniously returned to life by Lady Bone Demon.

“Oh, I see.” The girl crossed her arms and slumped against her bed. “I guess that’s good to know.”

“You guess?” He crouched across from her.

“No, but yes, but...” She sighed. “I was hoping I could use that to explain it better.” The girl shook her head. “Grandmother takes me to a special doctor to help ‘talk out’ everything. He does help, but he also just doesn’t get it.”

Macaque pursed his lips. This deep feeling junk was well out of his skill set. He still had plenty of his own issues to work on, let alone help with someone else’s.

A part of him wanted to run away, but he pushed that part down and scooted to sit beside her.

She continued, “He tries to understand, but I feel like I can’t talk to him about it, not fully, anyway.” She picked at a stray thread from the carpet. “I was hoping if I had some words to describe how I felt, then it might help with how I feel now.”

Macaque tapped his finger on his leg, unsure how to respond. He understood her feelings of emotional isolation.

Not many could say an ancient demon dragged their soul back from death. No one seemed to understand he couldn’t just forget the rage and betrayal that he felt right before he died, or that those emotions simmered constantly in the back of his head for centuries. Even now, after making something of an amends to his relationship with Wu Kong, those feelings would sometimes unexpectedly and unwantedly boil over.

They were there and would always be there, no matter how much he moved on from the past or how much he wanted them gone.

“That’s kinda why I like hanging around Pigsy’s.” She pulled the thread out to roll between her fingers. “Everyone there actually had to deal directly with her. She wasn’t a story they heard like my doctor. She was a person we all had to deal with. It’s like when everyone shares a secret, you know?”

Macaque held his hands, palms together, to his chin. “So you can’t talk to any of them,” he said, turning his flushed hands ninety degrees, “but you can talk to me.”

He wondered what type of aura he now had that made people feel comfortable dumping their issues on him, and how to change it before more uncomfortable conversations came up. It’s not like he could pull an answer out of his pocket and give it to her. Why bother talking to someone who couldn't actually help?

“Well, yeah.” She chuckled, pointing to her ears. “You’re an extra, extra good listener.”

“I don't know if I agree with that,” he stood, “but I’ll take the compliment anyway.” He rolled his shoulders as if the short sit left him stiff.

The girl waited, watching him with a critical eye, before nodding with a smile. She hauled herself up onto her bed as Macaque went to the window

“Thanks for bringing back my notebook.”

He started to climb out but paused. Over his shoulder, he said, “No problem, just don’t forget it again.”

With those parting words, he slipped out the window and into the night. His shadow stayed behind a heartbeat longer to shut the window and lock it before disappearing to its master.

---

AN:You ever start writing something because one idea seemed a little funny but it turned into like a feeling fic by the end? Just me? Ok cool.

#lego monkie kid #lmk macaque #fanfiction #one-shot

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8dpromo · 6 months

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Andre Stepanian - Take Flight (Friskybeat Records)

8DPromo · Andre Stepanian - Take Flight (Friskybeat Records)

Friskybeat Records is excited to showcase Andre Stepanian's latest single, “Take Flight.” Based in Vancouver, Andre is a talented composer who has created a polished, jazzed-up dance groove. The foundation of this song is stylish guitar phrases and melodies, which are performed with smooth, modern effects. The upbeat feel is created by the rhythmic bounce, funky bass, syncopated chords, and arpeggiated synths, resulting in an elegant composition that transports the listener to a special destination. DJ and producer Luis Machuca has provided a remix of Andre's track. He has stripped down the composition and rebuilt it with fresh bass and synth lines, along with plush new chords. The remaining guitars have been sampled and enriched with lengthy reverbs and delays, expanding time and space. This version has a deeper house feel, with a pumping kick drum, layered hi-hats, and frisky Latin percussion rhythms that are sure to send the dance floor into late-night bliss.

Takamasa Owaki (Cactus Experience) – “Dope! Great grooves and guitar.” KJ (Integrity Records) – “Class. Style. Dope release.” DJ Harri (Subclub) – “I’m liking both mixes. Will play and support.” Miguel Garji (Deepfustion Radio Show) – “2 great tracks here. Super support.” Michael Fossati (Spirit of House Web Zine) – “A truly glamorous slice of jazz infused bliss.” Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) – “Oh yes please, this is ace! Beautiful, jazzy house.”

Available Now From: Traxsource, Beatport, Apple Music, And Spotify.

#Deep House #Jazzy House #Soulful House #Andre Stepanian #Luis Machuca #Friskybeat Records

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pangur-and-grim · 5 months

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Pangur observing our new family member (before it burrowed under the dirt to become a beetle)

#smooth stag beetle #pangur #kittens

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palossssssand · 4 years

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a quick little doodle!

#thinkin about them.........................................#hollow knight #lemm #quirrel #lemmquirrel #stag beetles and broken legs #sbabl #aah....................#all I can think abt is lemm smoothing his face into quirrel's mask aa

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creepikat · 3 years

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As always, when I get all stressed and down, I come back to easy cheesy AUs to throw my current ship into. So have some Strange Magic AU Nieyao !

(no the movie is not really great, yes I'm still a sucker for it)

The Jins are papilio bianor or peacock butterflies (for obvious reasons), the Nies are beetles (Mingjue is a stag beetle and Huaisang a jewel beetle) and the Jiangs are dragonflies (living near water and all that)

Here Jin Guangyao was accepted into the Jin Clan but only as a retainer to Jin Zixuan. In spite of the lingering bitterness he has a decent relationship with his half-brother but is still pushed to do some shitty things under his father’s pressure. Jin Guangshan wants to make an alliance with the Jiangs through marriage and since Jin Zixuan’s mistakes have driven Jiang Yanli away the only solution he can see is : love potion (fuck that guy)

The love potion is kept hidden in the dark forest where the mysterious and fearsome Chifeng-zun reigns. Jin Guangyao is sent to sneak in and take some. Even though he’s reluctant to do that to Jin Zixuan, the threath hanging above his head is too great and he can’t disobey. Nie Mingjue notices security has been breached and what has been stolen exactly. He crashes the party where Jin Guangshan planned to use the potion, chaos ensues, Jin Zixuan is hit by the potion, Chifeng-zun takes him as hostage in exchange for the potion and in order to watch him until he finds an antidote. Jin Guangshan puts everything on Jin Guangyao and plans to declare war but Jin Guangyao promises he can get Jin Zixuan back through others more subtle ways.

He sneaks back in the same way and finds Jin Zixuan in the dungeon. Everything seems to be going smooth and well until Jin Zixuan refuses to follow and scream for Chifeng-zun. Turns out the love potion made him fall in love the the dark forest’s king (who feels quite awkward about that) and also makes him act like he’s drunk. After a fight Jin Guangyao and Nie Mingjue agrees to work together in order to find a cure and then return the potion in exchange for Jin Zixuan. Lots of awkwardness and romantic tension ensues in way too little time (Huaisang is here and trying to push his big brother in this beautiful fairy’s arms). Eventually Jin Guangshan fucks up and brings an army anyway but everyone makes it out okay, Jin Zixuan is cured by true love when he sees Yanli has come for him, Nieyao smooch and Jin Guangyao gets to punch his father in the face with Jin Zixuan’s full approval and under Nie Mingjue’s enamored gaze.

#nieyao #nie mingjue #jin guangyao #jin zixuan #the untamed #cql #strange magic #my art

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jonnysinsectcatalogue · 3 years

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Smooth Black Stag Beetle - Lucanus placidus

As promised from last week, today we have a showcase and little more of an in-depth look at this specie of Stag Beetle with several individuals having emerged from their pupation. First seen in these 2 video posts that showcase their movement and shape, now we dive into a photo showcase. Since these Beetles are quite large in terms of size (especially for a temperate insect) their details and intricacies become much more visible, especially with the available equipment. For a view rarely seen, Pictures 8 and 9 are recommended to view the underside of the insect*. True to their name, their carapaces are smooth, free of ridges, grooves and patterning. In Ontario, that is the piece of information that can help distinguish this insect from the Antelope Beetle, a fellow Stag. Moreover, while they look imposing with their size and large mandibles, remember that is posturing and their jaws can do little to hurt you. Look at those jaws carefully: a close north american relative (L. capreolus - The Reddish-Brown Stag Beetle) is very similar to this Beetle. However, today’s insect features mandibles will multiple small teeth, while the Reddish-Brown Stag has mandibles with only one extra point. If you wish to pick them up for a closer look you certainly can, but do so gently, grabbing from the sides and lifting them carefully. If you do, they don’t hesitate to climb around a hard and investigate.

Like other insects, they use their tarsal claws which make climbing no issue for them. Claws may sound intimidating, but rest assured their claws do little more than tickle or slightly pull as they walk. They are good for what they’ve been honed to do: pull them across leaves, grass and to climb out of the ground after emerging from their pupa. Picture 7 showcases this nicely, with a fresh adult joining the world. For the most part the Beetles largely seem passive with each other’s presence (there were 4 in this area), but (as seen in Picture 10) they will posture and open those jaws to try to intimidate their rivals and dissuade a confrontation. All bets are off of course if mating competitions begin. Though the males can use their jaws to grip and flip their fellow Beetles, the strength of this specie come from the jaws alone. Take note of their legs! Pictures 5 and 9 showcase the Beetle’s ability to remain gripped even while half their body is off a surface and while hanging upside-down respectively. Magnificent! And yet just a taste of strength! It’s that grip, power and maneuverability that allows the Beetles the leverage to flip their foes, even if heavy and clad in armor! When I say maneuverability, I’m strictly referring to the legs and body when anchored, as normally their armor and side make them relatively slow to move and run.

*Note: While temporarily flipped over, I flipped the Beetle right side up again after taking pictures. Though they appear helpless these Beetles can right themselves up with some effort by themselves.

Pictures were taken on June 3, 2021 with a Google Pixel 4.

#jonny’s insect catalogue #ontario insect #beetle #smooth black stag beetle #lucanus placidus #stag beetle #coleoptera #insect #toronto #june2021 #2021 #entomology #nature #invertebrates

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