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naffeclipse · 7 months

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Heya @skizabaa! I'm your Secret Skeleton! I might have gone a bit over the word count minimum, but I had so much fun writing this! Your interests/likes are exactly my jam and I loved crafting this little piece for a cozy and sweet Halloween treat for you! I hope you enjoy some creature Sun and a Y/N who wants a friend!

The Harpy and Hazel Trees

Harpy!Sun & Reader

Word Count: ~3,500 Warnings: N/A

You’re so used to the quiet—birds calling to each other, crying out about the cold, and the buzz of the last insects filling the air with the gentle crunch of leaves underneath your feet, fallen off the hazel trees. Your lone heartbeat pulses within your ears.

The quiet eats away at you in the way a caterpillar gnaws away at a leaf: slowly devoured. And yet, you remain. There’s still more of you left to be eaten. It surprises you every time you think you can’t take another moment of silence, of a lack of another’s voice.

Behind your simple wooden cottage, you kneel. Only a pale brown fence marks your lost lot within the forest for the deer merrily prances over it. Knees sinking down into the moist earth, you tug out the last few weeds crowding your pumpkins though they are only weeds in name. The plants, you’ve learned, hold nutrients that pair well in salads. You won’t have fresh greens for much longer.

Autumn sweeps back as if this was always its home, and you, its guest. Your garden is bursting with foods that make the harvest moon happy and the dreaded months of winter bearable. The late-season sun heats the crown of your head and strokes your hair, but it is not a substitute for a friend.

You toil away, cleaning out weeds, plucking fat cucumbers, and snatching a wide green head of lettuce. You’ll have a wonderful bowl of fresh salad tonight and cook an egg to go with it. Your chickens are still producing well but when the cold of the dying year steps in, the chickens will convert their egg-laying efforts to keeping warm, and you don’t blame them.

These winters are brutal, on body and heart.

You shiver under a cool wind. A gust flips leaves of dill and oregano and you mutter of the cold to no one.

Then a shadow falls over you. You lift your head.

You startle in your garden. Perched on your fence just a few feet away from you is a beast, one with a rather wide grin at that. A harpy. He tilts his disk-like head, a large mouth displaying sharp teeth fit for pulling meat off of bones. Beautiful feathers sway around his face, long and curved, bright as sunshine and exquisite. He holds a rather polite expression; if only you could ignore the sharp teeth.

His wide eyes, the color of cornflowers, hold the intensity of the hawk but soften upon gazing at you. His body is covered in a finer layer of plumage, off-white and yellow, with wings for arms and long claws on the ends of his fingers, though his large, raptor-like feet wield talons that currently balance upon your poor fence. He wears no shirt but an ascot tie of silky ruby around his thin throat. Billowy pants conceal his animalistic legs, stripped in a bright pattern of red and yellow. His wings are gently tucked against his side, hands curled in front of his chest in an almost nervous, shy manner. Radiant feathers of scarlet and gold decorate his wingspan.

You understand immediately that he is beautiful and, perhaps, dangerous.

“Hello, I’m so sorry to drop in like this,” he begins, voice bouncing and cheerful, though a touch strained. “I hope I haven’t startled you.”

You slowly get to your feet, stunned. You clear your throat, afraid of how raspy your voice will be—the only conversations you hold are with the chickens and the goat.

“I don’t usually get company out here,” you begin, though you sound a touch defensive. You clear your throat again. “Are you lost?”

“Lost?” The harpy cocks his head to the other side, feathers swaying like a rooster’s tail. “Oh, well, I’m only lost in that I have yet to find what I’m looking for and that I don’t know what I’m looking for yet, but the most pressing matter, currently, is the oncoming storm.”

He lifts one wing, long fingers nearly hidden under the cloak of gold and scarlet feathers, to point to the sky behind you. Careful to not turn your back on the stranger, you glance in the direction.

The harpy is right. Creeping forward are black, angry clouds. They gather low, pushing through the blue skies like a stain of ash. The storm wasn’t climbing the horizon this morning but swiftly it arrived.

He is being very polite, you muse.

“Oh,” you say, then face the harpy again. You clasp your dirt-covered hands, wishing you had thought to wear your apron so you might make yourself a little more decent. Of course, who could have predicted a visitor? Certainly not you. “Yes. I assume you don’t want to be caught in it? You’ve probably flown a long way here, no doubt.”

“No doubt,” he echoes with a grin that’s still toothy but much less sharp. His eyes upturned, the cornflower color beaming. “Could I trouble you for shelter for the evening? I won’t be in your way and I’ll gladly stay in your chicken coop or wherever won’t disturb you.”

You laugh gently. The harpy waits, his nervous hands returning once more to his chest, feathers rustling.

“Oh no, you’re far too big to stay in the chicken coop. You’ll scare my rooster half to death.” You look at him, resting a hand on your hip, forgetting the dirt caked on it. “No, you’ll come inside and out of the storm. The wind that will come will be fierce.”

“Oh!” The harpy leaps from the fence in a flurry of plumage. You start at the snap of his wings but find yourself gazing up into his towering expression, his smile absolutely delighted. “Thank you, friend! You’re so sweet!”

You look away, coughing once, unsure how to take the title he already bestows upon you. Is it even true? Could it be?

“It’s nothing,” you give.

You bend down and snap a pumpkin from its stem, the bright orange gourd is more than ready to be harvested for its seeds. On second thought, you’ll roast pumpkin seeds and have a stew today. A meal that will honor your harpy guest as much as your little garden can.

“Would you take this into the cottage for me?” you ask, pointing. The harpy is watching you closely, his head ticking with sharp adjustments to his gaze, his alertness unparalleled and fascinating. “I could use a hand for a few other things, too… friend. If you don’t mind.”

You hesitated, but saying it out loud dusts a lightness in your chest.

“Of course!” He kneels and scoops the pumpkin into his feathered arms as if it were a mere trifle, not a fully grown vegetable. His claws carefully cradle the orange shell. “My name is Sun. I am at your service!”

You give your name in return.

It’s been so long since you’ve heard someone call for you, but when Sun says it, you feel a little more alive. A little more real.

“Do you like stew?” you ask, plucking your gathered leafy goods that will wait in the cupboard until tomorrow, and lead the way to the back door of the cottage.

“Stew sounds heavenly compared to what I've been scourging these last few days—bugs and berries and other bitter things!” Sun’s jubilee voice is no less dampened by recounting his horrid meals. “Yes, stew sounds lovely. How might I help you, friend?”

He doesn’t see you smile. You lead him to the door and open it, holding it so that he might duck inside and not fumble the precious pumpkin.

“We’ll need a few spices, celery and potatoes. Help me dig some up.”

* * *

Harpy claws, as it turns out, are great at digging up dirt, though you think he might have put them to better use hunting. Sun is cheerful and he easily takes to work. It’s not glorious, digging up potatoes, but he does it all with a smile on his wide face.

You love his chatter. He sounds like birds trilling and cheeping, talking of the weather and the storm and how he was alone before he ventured into these strange but wonderful woods. He doesn’t tell you what he’s seeking, but he doesn’t seem to know either. A wanderer. A lost soul.

Like you.

People like you often end up here, in this forest. A woodland of spooky, lingering things, full of yellowing trees. Everyone is seeking something. A heart hungers beside the hazels. A person gets lost here, but sometimes, a person gets found.

Taking a much-needed breather from work, you lead Sun to the hazel trees. The leaves are soft and pale as butter and halfway melted, dripping to the ground. You show him the hazelnuts, perfectly round, dark treasures. In fascination, he gazes at the hard, black shells that you easily crack, shuck, and reveal the smooth nut hidden within.

For a while, you two snack on hazelnuts. Sun’s tongue is dark red and licks at his teeth, chewing away. You love the soft crunch, and how nutty the flavor is. In summer, you take what you have left from winter storage to mix with cocoa and sugar then crush into a paste. A treat that is so lovely you tell Sun that you wish he could be here to have a bite when you make it.

His feathers perk at the mention. He looks as if he wants to say something, something you earnestly wait to hear, but he only agrees. It does sound lovely.

You return to work. Sun is a bit quieter, back to his anxious hand curling and feather-ruffling, almost pulling a few from around his wrists, but you don’t ask. He would have told you if he wanted to. Why confine a stranger when he’ll be gone after the storm blows through?

You taste something bitter in the back of your mouth.

He helps you haul in the potatoes, celery, and carrots. Your cottage is small, but it fits him and you just right. You begin bowling the pot, adding in bits of beef you fetched from the wooden barrel where it sat in a brine of water and salt to preserve the meat until you were ready to cook. Then you begin chopping the vegetables. Sun fetches you an onion you had forgotten, and when he returns, his feathers blown against his body due to the picking up wind, he begins asking you questions. So. Many. Questions.

You can hardly pause between them. He’s so intrigued by your every boring answer. There’s very little for you to talk about except for the years you spent here and how long you’ve been alone (you don’t tell him the last part, though he does ask about family, and you simply comment that you have none with a sharp chop of your knife across a deep orange carrot.) He smoothly moves on, tending to the boiling pot and feeding the fire when it needs more logs.

You can’t help but stare. A harpy tending to your stew. You think this must be a dream, a wonderful, heart-breaking dream.

Tossing the ingredients into the heated meat and broth, you and Sun wait, listening to the howl of the wind and fearfully eyeing the flames as the pressure in the air snatches at the flames by reaching down the chimney. You’ll let the fire go out when the evening ends instead of fighting with it all night, but it will get cold. You ask Sun if he’ll be alright.

He taps his chest with a wicked sharp finger and promises that his plumage is more than enough to fight off the chill.

You stir the stew and spoon it into simple wooden bowls. You hand one to Sun. His large, clawed hand easily grasps it. He’s so sweet, so grateful. You sit down beside him at your small kitchen table—there was never a need for a full dining room set, and now you worry it’s too humble. You never expected company.

The stew, however, is heavenly. You’re relieved and immediately warmed by the savory broth and melt-in-your-mouth bites of beef and potatoes. Sun tears into the stew and you give him a second, then a third helping. You almost laugh at how sheepish he appears until he eats once more.

He helps you clean up… You didn’t know what you expected, but certainly not his methodical ability to sweep the floor and scrub the pot.

“Thank you, Sun,” you say softly, handing him the last dish to set high on the shelf. “You’ve been a great help today.”

“It’s the least I could do to repay your generosity.” He faces you after setting the bowl away without any stretching or tip-toeing, unlike you. “You’re so kind and there’s so much for you to do by yourself. I’m amazed you can handle all this work. It would put a whole team of fieldhands to shame.”

“Oh, stop it,” you wave him away, ducking your head to hide your bashfulness. “I put you to work. I do hope you’ll sleep well tonight, despite the storm.”

As if summoned by your mere mention, a clap of thunder reverberates through the air. Your heart quakes in the strength of the ferocious growl. Sun whips his head towards the front door as if expecting the storm to rudely barge in without your invitation.

“It’s a very good thing you stopped here,” you say, breathless.

Sun slowly looks back, his hackles raised, and his cornflower blue eyes fall down. You follow his line of sight to your hand touching his feathered wrist, fingers anxiously curled.

“Oh.” You drop your hand away. “My apologies. Let me get you a comfortable place to rest. I’m afraid I only have one bed.”

“No need to apologize,” Sun says quickly, “Were you concerned for me, friend? That’s alright. Friends can be concerned for each other and there’s no shame in that. I truly don’t mind.”

You nod but don’t meet his gaze.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Friend?”

You stop, looking back at him. You wonder if he intends to leave, but that can’t be right. The storm is descending with a vengeance.

“I need only sit by the hearth. I don’t need beds or other human comforts, though I appreciate your offer.”

“Oh.” You look around, the smell of stew having long since drifted away as the fire slowly begins to die. A thick darkness descends. You regard the harpy with a worry for the morning. Sunshine will come, yes, and the skies will be clearer, but he will leave.

You find yourself dreading tomorrow.

“Very well.” You hold his gaze for one brave moment. The cornflower blue holds you. “Goodnight, Sun.’

“Goodnight, friend.”

You close the door to your bedroom. In quiet reflection, you dress into your night clothes and slip under the quilts on your bed. You are so caught up on Sun’s ruffled feathers, his cheerful demeanor, and how anxious he holds his claws.

He calls you a friend. You’ve only just met. You shouldn’t be so attached to a fellow so quickly, yet, you find yourself wondering how you might combat the silence in the afternoon after the thunder ceased its grumbling and the harpy has continued on his way.

You hardly sleep a wink before the storm splatters rain upon the roof and sends winds to rattle the shutters. A quaking bolt of lightning strikes, the thunderous cry shaking the very cottage and you bolt upright. You cry out, disturbed from dozing, dark dreams.

The very world is being torn apart by a dark tempest.

“Friend!” The shout is muffled through the door, but you hop out of bed, bewildered and frantic, and throw it open to find the harpy.

He stoops low, his height eclipsed by the stout door frame. You stare up into his concerned eyes, long hands almost reaching for you but hesitating.

“I heard you shout. Are you alright?”

You lay a hand over your chest and breathe out. The wild blood pumping in your veins has yet to calm, but the sight of Sun’s cheerful face plumage, swirling about his expression like rays of the sun, and his big blue eyes, looking over you for injury or harm, touches your heart.

“Yes, I’m alright. The lightning—the thunder scared me!”

“It’s alright. It startled me, too,” he gives, though grinning with the energy of a thousand afternoons.

Sun peers through the small window in your bedroom. The lightning flashes again, not so close, but the thunder roars upon the little cottage as if a beast had snatched your home into its mouth.

You shudder to think of lying down now.

You hesitate, contrite, then ask quietly, “Sun?”

He visibly perks up and almost hits his head on the top of the doorway. His golden feathers brush against the ceiling of the cottage.

“Yes?”

“Can I sit with you for a while? If I’m not keeping you awake, that is…”

His expression blooms as if a flower under the sun. He grins, the sight so lovely and tender before he takes your hand in his down-soft palm.

“Of course! There are still hot coals in the hearth, and I do hope I can help you stay warm, just a little.”

You lower your shoulders. A calming pulse moves through your chest as Sun, your friend, guides you into the room with the dying embers that beat a last, desperate red in the sooty black.

“Are you cold?” you ask, concerned.

“No,” his eyes upturn, “If it’s alright, I would like to keep you warm.”

He opens his arms, the plumage of his wings falling like a cloak of ruffled sunshine and scarlet. His chest is fuzzy with soft down, and his billowy pants cross to make a comfortable seat on the floor before the cooling heart.

You want nothing more than to enter his embrace. Worry of the morning strains against your weary thoughts, holding you away.

“Are you sure?”

You only met him today. Why do you feel so much for this blossoming friendship, newly made under the threat of a storm and in the dirt of hard work?

He inclines his head gently, his feathers softly sashaying with reassurance. “Yes. I would be delighted to help my friend.”

His warm confidence chips away at the last of your reservations. Breathing in, you ease yourself into his embrace. Settling into his warm body—you didn’t realize how wonderfully comforting his form is, wrapped around yours, like a drop of sunshine. It immediately chases away the autumn cold nipping at your edges. Once you set your back against his chest, feeling a bit conscious of his presence and how you hold yourself, Sun wraps his arms around your shoulders. His beautiful wings cover you up in the burning colors of sunsets. Outside, the thunder and rain harmonize.

“Is this alright?” he asks.

You nod and hook one hand over his fluffy wrist. He doesn’t seem to mind.

“Yes,” you murmur.

It’s nice to have a friend.

You sit a while, gazing at the fire. Sun hums a low, throaty sound that reminds you of birds calling to each other, and you drift quietly. Your head begins to fall. In smooth, careful motions, Sun shifts your legs so they drape sideways off his lap and guide your cheek so it might rest on the soft pillow of his shoulder. His arms fall upon you again. You are blissfully warm, sleep whispering in your ears.

“Friend?” he says. His fingers curl against your arm. An anxious clench.

“Hmmm?” Your eyelids flutter.

“I was thinking—in the morning, you’ll have so many branches to pick up off your garden and you’ll need to check your chickens and see if any of your precious vegetables have been harmed, and you have so much work to do! I could stay a bit longer tomorrow, just to lend a hand, as a final thank you.”

“Sun?”

Your eyes open in the blue dark of the autumn night. Your heart melts quietly in your chest, and you think you might be brave. You dare to want to be bold enough to let him stay with you, beside you.

The harpy titters nervously. “Well, only if that wouldn’t be an inconvenience for you, of course. I don’t want to impose or linger where I’m not wanted—”

“Sun?”

“Oh! Yes?”

You sigh softly and close your eyes.

“Would you like to stay?” You hesitate quietly. Your heart thumps with all the desire of your being. “My friend?”

The beat of silence is devastating. The echo of nothingness deafens your ears and you almost lift your head to see if you cross a boundary or assume too much, but Sun quietly trills.

“If you’ll have me.”

You smile.

“Yes, I will.”

“Then you know my answer, dearest friend.”

You soften in relief, and in Sun’s gentle melody humming in his chest and soothing your very soul, you drift away. In the morning, there will be Sun. For every day after, it will be you two in the cottage.

You and your dearest friend.

#DCAH2023 #harpy!sun #sun & reader #skizabaa #i hope you like it!!!#naff writing #happy halloween

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simpforrooster · 2 years

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stand in my way. pt. 2

Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw x F!MitchellReader

read part one here!

rooster tries so hard to win back y/n. a/n: here it is!! long awaited part two! I hope y'all like it! tag list at the bottom, I hope I got everyone! so sorry it took so long! perfectionism started setting in, and I was afraid y'all wouldn't like it o.O

& tried again when he was sober, Rooster did.

He sauntered into the Hard Deck in one of his fucking Hawaiian shirts the next night. Thinking he was hot shit.

He knew he was.

Rooster’s lips dropped into the most sensual grin you’ve ever seen. He pulled a single red rose from behind his back. He was hitting low. The boy knows how much you love the Bachelor.

You took the rose in your hand when he held it out to you. Taking a long whiff of the sweet fragrance, you looked him in the eye and delivered your blow.

“Thank you, Lieutenant.”

That grin fell from Rooster’s face so fast.

The next time was very similar.

Your dad had the crew out on the beach for some dogfight football.

Watching your boyfriend-ex?-dance around in the sun shirtless was almost your undoing. His Ray-Bans kept falling down his nose, and he’d send you a quick wink when he’d catch you staring.

You’d be certain to turn your attention back to Penny.

Can’t have him thinking he was going to win you back that easy.

Once the game concluded, a Rooster-sized shadow covered you. Placing a hand on the back of your chair, he leaned down, situating his mouth right by your ear.

“You, me, and The Island. 8pm.”

The Island was where the two of you had your first date. It’s one of few swanky restaurants in Fightertown U.S.A. The date ended with you tangled up with Rooster in the back of his Bronco.

“The Bronco is a given, of course,” he added, seemingly reading your mind. You prayed silently, hoping Rooster didn’t see how he affected you.

“But, my dad’s been in the best mood ever, you know, with you ‘staying away from his little girl’.”

Penny hid her chuckle in her drink almost expertly.

Rooster didn’t respond. Just nodded and walked back to the crew with his tail tucked between his legs.

His next showcase allllmost got you. He decided to take a page out of his and your dad’s book.

While you were drowning your Rooster-less sorrows in your third glass of wine, he and Bob came up to you. Bob’s face was beet red, and Rooster kept sending him encouraging looks.

Rooster cleared his throat, and broke out into a terrible rendition of “You've Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’”. The entire bar was into it. Cheering them on.

Your face was just as red as Bob’s. All that attention on you wasn’t your favorite.

What got you, was your dad chuckling across the bar. You met his eye, and he sent you a wink. Rooster had talked to him. That’s where he got the idea. Maybe they fixed things?

You still felt so bad, knowing you kept this huge secret from Rooster.

But he still hadn’t apologized. Rooster thought he could just waltz back in and charm his way out of this. He was always charming his way out of things.

Not this time.

You were standing your ground.

When the men finished singing, Rooster looked at you so expectantly, his brown eyes full of hearts. You swallowed your want to pull him into your arms, and answered him with a swig of your wine.

The heartbreak that settled in those brown eyes was almost too much to bear. It was like a little boy who just found out his little caterpillar just got squished.

You caught your dad’s similar expression.

Not being able to handle the eyes on you, you set your glass down and ran out of the bar.

Rooster catches you as you struggle to open the door of your car. Tears have made it hard to see what your doing.

You hit the lock on your keyfob, didn’t you?

The tears have started falling harder and harder. You can��t shake the look on Rooster’s face when you basically rejected him in front of a bar full of people.

“Y/N, baby, calm down.”

His arms slide around your shoulders, holding you up as you try to slide down onto the ground. You instantly relax into his strong chest, finally feeling like you were home. Your sobs rock deep in your chest.

Rooster pushes you out at arms length. His finger comes under your chin, tilting your face up to look at him. Tears rim his own eyes, and his hurt hits you like a ton of bricks.

“Honey, I am so sorry.” His voice breaks. “I should have never insinuated I ever started dating you to get back at your dad.”

You don’t respond, wanting more. Needing more.

His hands rest on either side of your face, holding you like you’re his whole world.

“Y/N, I have been broken these past few days. No contact with you, it’s worse than almost anything. You’re my constant.”

His thumb reaches over, wiping away a stray tear that rolls down your cheek.

“God, I’m lost without you, baby. I can’t fly my fucking plane right, your damn picture in the cockpit distracting me every time I go up.”

He leans in with every word, stopping a breath away from your lips.

“I’m so fucking sorry.”

"Rooster, I am sorry too, I should have told--"

Rooster cuts you off with a vehement shake of his head. "No. No. Mav and I talked. I shouldn't have taken it out on you. He's your dad, I get it."

You answer him by grabbing the collar of his hideous Hawaiian shirt. Pulling him against you and attaching your lips onto his. You’ve caught him off guard, and he presses you against your car. Rooster’s kisses are urgent, like he’s afraid you’re going to disappear right from under him.

One hand rests against the car, keeping most of his weight off you, and his other wraps around your waist. His strong fingers press into your skin, pulling your lower half against him.

He’s drinking you in, and it almost feels inappropriate to be kissing him like this, knowing anyone can walk out the bar and see the two of you.

Especially your dad.

“Forgive me, girl,” Rooster says against your lips. You can’t get a word in with the way his lips work against yours. “I’m so fucking sorry.”

“Rooster, you big stud. Take me to bed or lose me forever,” you murmur against his lips.

You’re not the only one who talked to Mav.

masterlist

tag list:

@n3ssm0nique @alana4610 @seasonswinter @stevesdick @multiplefandommess @hope-love-quality2 @slut4bradley @welpthathappened @its-murphy-time

#top gun maverick #top gun #top gun maverick fic #bradley bradshaw fic #bradley bradshaw x y/n #bradley rooster bradshaw #rooster x you #rooster x oc #rooster x reader #rooster #rooster x y/n #rooster top gun #rooster fluff

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libraryofmoths · 9 months

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Moth of the Week

Spanish Moon Moth

Graellsia isabellae

The Spanish moon moth was first described in 1849 by Mariano de la Paz Graells y de la Agüera as Actias isabellae. However it was moved to the genus Graellsia, which was created in 1896 by Augustus Radcliffe Grote. It is part of the moth family Saturniidae and often associated with other “moon moths” under Actias although this species split off years ago. It is the only species in Graellsia and has no subspecies, making it a monotypic genus.

Description This moth has green wings with reddish-brown lines and yellow-green hindwing tails. These lines border all four wings and trace over the moth’s veins. The lower edges of both the hindwings and forewings (called the outer margins) are lined with black and the same yellow-green as the tails. This yellow-green is also seen on the forewings close by the moth’s head and on the hindwings in a gradient. Each wing has a magenta, orange, white, and black eyespot in between its veins with the hindwing spots being larger.

The body is yellow-green as well with reddish brown patterning. The antennae can be dark or orangish-brown.

The males have longer tails and bushier antennae while females have stubby tails and larger bodies.

Wingspan Range: 6.35 – 10.16 cm (2.5 - 4 in)

Diet and Habitat The caterpillar of this species eats pine needles, specifically from the Pinus nigra (Austrian Pine) and Pinus sylvestris (Scots Pine), which are native to its habitat. Interestingly, this species doesn’t easlily adapt to eating non-native pine species even if they are from the same genus.

This species is native to Spain and France but is also found in Switzerland. They live in the Alps and the Pyrenees mountains, which are considered a “refugee location.” Due to the cool, dry, and unchanging climate the Spanish moon moth has been able to remain unchanged for thousands of years. It is also a protected species.

Mating Adult moths hatch at the end of April to early May. The females lays 100 to 159 eggs, using pines as host plants. The eggs hatch after 1 to 1.5 weeks. It is important to note that adult from the same family will not mate with each other.

Predators Presumably, this moth uses its eyespots to imitate a larger animal and scare away predators.

Fun Fact A hybrid moth species was created by breeding the Spanish moon moth and the Indian moon moth (Actias Selene).

(Source: Wikipedia, Moth Identification, The Butterfly Babe)

#libraryofmoths #animals #bugs #facts #insects #moth #mothoftheweek #lepidoptera #Saturniidae #spanish moon moth #Graellsia isabellae

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yutasbellybuttonpiercing · 2 months

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- canine, but mine (pt. 1: acquaintances)

pairing: huang renjun x reader

au/genre: hybrid!au, fox hybrid!renjun, human!reader, virgin!renjun, smut, fluff, angst (?), the au is kinda unserious

don't like it, don't read it, okay... *sighs*

also, don't publicly shame me for any inaccuracies. i admittedly do not ready many (read: any) hybrid fics...

word count: 2860 words

warnings: HYBRIDS!, bullying, comforting, petting (not the sexual kind), semi-public diddling, mentions of virginity, cumming untouched, the base of renjun's tail is very sensitive......., sub!renjun ig

a/n: happy renjun day! 🦊

taglist: @jaeminnanaaa17 @i6renj

Ever since Renjun remembers, life has not been kind to him. Born not out of love between two people, but created in a laboratory for scientific research purposes, born not to be a part of society, but as an experiment for a potential weapon; part animal, part human, but not really part of either of those worlds.

Only after hybrid-rights-protests forced the government to take action against hybrid experiments, he was freed; free, but not really free, because that he'll never be. Instead, unloved by his creators that he could never bring himself to call parents, he continued growing up in a foster home, surrounded by kids that were nothing like him, kids that looked different than him, and kids that did not believe in the concept of "thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself". The days he was not kicked by them, he was at least laughed at, mocked, or judged.

Renjun, objectively, knows that it's not his fault that he looks different, that he is different. He was just born, or rather: brought to life, with a set of orange fox-like ears on top of his fluffy, brown hair, a soft, bushy tail, tiny little fangs, and claws that he always keeps neatly trimmed to not accidentally hurt anyone.

The bullying did not stop when he started going to school, nor did it lessen the older he got. Kids are mean, Renjun knows that by heart, and he's never even had a friend. When he was 14, the girls in his class dared each other who would be brave enough to "kiss the freak", when he was 16, people started inviting him on dates only to laugh at him with their friends when he showed up all excited, and when he finally finished school and started going to university, he thought it would all be different. To be fair, he was no longer pushed into lockers, he was no longer spat at and people stopped pulling at his tail for fun, but the mocking did not stop. And even when he met another hybrid, a popular, big white tiger hybrid, he didn't receive any sympathy. God how he wishes to at least be a cool, strong hybrid, like a lion or a bear... or even a wolf! Why did they have to make him a stupid fox...

Ever since that day, he's told himself one thing: you're going to work hard, get through university and get a good job in the big city... where there are lots of hybrids and lots of supporters.

At this point, Renjun is fairly used to the bullying. With his goal in mind, he doesn't fight it, he just lowers his head, his ears laying flat against his fluffy hair as he waits for it to be over. He guesses that people are just not ready for hybrids yet.

One can only imagine his upmost shock when on the first day of the new semester, someone willingly sat down next to him. Admittedly, you were 5 minutes late and there were no other seats available, but you didn't beg anyone to please scoot over just so you didn't have to sit next to the weird guy with the tail. Renjun vividly remembers this day in philosophy class, as the professor went on and on about Henri Bergson and how the sand wasp instinctively knows where to sting the caterpillar to paralyze it, while Renjun was just smitten by the girl sitting next to him without gagging.

Unable to talk to you, he was just sitting there, smiling shyly to himself at this small act that seemed so big to him. He remembers almost falling off his chair in shock as you "psst!"-ed at him and awkwardly asked for a pen since you forgot yours. He remembers having to pinch himself as you smiled and thanked him, and told him you thought his shirt was cute. He remembers looking around in case you weren't really talking to him as you said, "see you next week!"

And when in the following weeks, you kept sitting down next to him even though there were other seats available, he was almost sure this had to be a dream. But it wasn't, and when during the third lesson, you softly asked for his name, he was this close to bursting into tears.

A few weeks into the semester, Renjun is currently sitting at the library, trying to memorize the different forms of utilitarianism. As always, he's sitting in a separate study room that he booked just for himself – a precautious attempt to not get made fun of as he's trying to concentrate. He crosses out his second attempt of trying to spell deontology correctly as he notices someone passing by the glass door to his study room. A moment later, the person backs up and looks inside, and he realizes it's you.

His heart stops for a moment as you begin smiling and waving at him, and he slowly lifts his hand to mimic the action hesitantly. Of course, you take that as an invitation to come in.

You close the door after slipping inside, still talking in a low tone as not to disturb anyone outside.

"Hey~" you say and sit down across from Renjun. He smiles and bites his lip nervously, "hey."

"You here all alone?" You ask softly, "is it okay if I sit with you?"

Renjun blushes. He knows you didn't think anything of it, but mentioning his lack of acquaintances is a bit of a sore spot for him.

"Sure... if you want," he says shyly, still not completely trusting that you're not going to turn this all around and make fun of him.

"Only if it doesn't bother you," you smile, "I'll be super quiet, promise!"

His smile is getting more genuine as you talk so casually to him. He just starts feeling a bit more comfortable, when sudden movements in front of the glass door make his head lift up.

A group of guys is standing there, pressing their faces against the door, clearly mocking his fox ears with their hands behind their heads. His heart sinks, he should've known this was going to happen today, it always happens when he's out in public.

"What-" you ask, noticing the pained look on his face and the way his ears are pointing down as he feels a wave of shame overcome him. You turn around, taking in the group of guys who're still silently making fun of the fox hybrid. "What the fuck..."

Renjun's ears twitch in surprise as you stand up, and he waits anxiously for what's about to happen. You rip open the glass door, lifting your finger into their face before speaking to them, hushed but still loud enough for a few people to lift their heads. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Did your mom not teach you manners? You should be ashamed of yourselves, you're university students, cut the crap with your preschool bullying, you fucking assholes," you tell them, and Renjun's eyes widen comically. You... you're standing up for him? For him?!

"If I see you doing this one more time, I'll get you kicked off campus... Now go back to being worthless idiots somewhere else. Leave him alone, I swear to God..." you say before closing the door, flipping them off, pulling down the blinds, and heading back to Renjun. To Renjun's upmost surprise, the guys actually left, and looking embarrassed at that, possibly because you just made one hell of a scene – and it's probably the sexiest thing Renjun's ever witnessed.

You sit down again, this time next to him. "You okay?"

Renjun breathes out shakily, ears twitching, tail swaying back and forth nervously. He's not sure what to make of this, someone standing up for him, it has never happened to him before. And before he can stop himself, he blurts out the question he's been asking himself since the moment your ass cheeks touched the surface of the chair next to him in that first philosophy lesson. "Why are you so nice to me?"

You halt, furrowing your brows. "Why wouldn't I be?"

He seems even more confused by that answer. "Um... You know, I'm a hybrid? Maybe you find that weird?"

You blink at him, "why is that weird?"

"Don't you... think I'm weird?" He asks. "Odd? Repelling? Freaky? Off-putting?? Anything???" He keeps listing adjectives as you keep shaking your head no. "Why... would you stand up for me?"

"I just don't like bullies," you state nonchalantly, "plus you're really cute."

Renjun's eyes bulge out of their sockets, tail curling up so suddenly that he feels like he's almost broken something in there. Maybe you're an animal friend, maybe that's all he is to you? "Cute? Like the fox parts or...?"

"Everything about you is cute. The fox parts are cute, but you'd still be cute without them."

Renjun just stares at you. This can't be real. He pinches the palm of his hand several times without you noticing, but he's just not waking up. If this is a dream, which he's almost certain it has to be, he could do anything he wants right now... like making your head explode- just to be sure! He concentrates greatly on it, but your head stays intact. He gives up. "You're not disgusted?"

"What?!" You look utterly confused, then your features soften into a look of concern. "Are people... usually disgusted by you?"

He nods without hesitation. "Usually, they just point and laugh, sometimes it even gets worse than that..." Renjun can't even bring himself to cringe as you put on a brave expression and tell him you're going to protect him from now on, because this is honestly the best thing that's ever happened to him. His heart melts at your words and it's hard to believe he's actually being comforted. There are no jokes being thrown around, no mockery, not even any pity. For once, Renjun feels like there's someone who wants to protect him. His lower lip quivers slightly as he holds back tears, and without thinking, he leans forward and places his head on your shoulder.

He hears you coo quietly, lifting your hand to his back and pulling him closer. "Is... is it okay if I stroke your hair?"

Renjun closes his eyes and nods. The warmth of the hug is comforting, the touch of your hands is gentle and soothing. His tension quickly dies down as he melts against you as he realizes that he has never felt like this before. And as you begin gently scratching and massaging his scalp, his ears begin twitching and relaxing at the feeling of your nimble fingers. He tries to hide the innocent pleasure that's shooting though his body, not sure if you would think it's odd, but his heartbeat is increasing rapidly. Your fingers feel like magic as they brush against his ears and scratch the base of his scalp. Suddenly a little too unhinged for his liking, he begins purring and nuzzling your neck, enjoying every single bit of your touch.

"God, you're adorable..." you say softly, making sure to pet him behind his ears and Renjun's entire body fizzles with pleasure at the feeling. As if it has a mind of its own, his tail curls around your legs. "Is this okay? Have you ever been pet like this?"

Renjun hums in delight, "I've always dreamed about getting pet like this..." Your fingers begin gently playing with his ears. At first, they twitch nervously, but soon, he relaxes into the touch. He notes that his ears are very sensitive when being touched by someone else that isn't himself, and he loves the sensation.

"They're so soft... I could pet you like this all day," you say softly, making Renjun smile.

"Do you...," he hesitates for a bit, "want to touch my tail too? It's even softer..."

"Do you want me to?"

Renjun nods shyly, lifting his tail a bit for easy access. The moment your fingers begin brushing over his fur, he shivers, whimpering slightly. Every other time, whenever someone's touched his tail before, it was rough and mean, but the way you oh so gently run your fingers through his fur makes him almost lightheaded.

"Your fur is so soft...," you whisper and he hums in response, eyes already closed as he gets lost in the feeling. His tail makes small circles behind your leg when you brush over the fur, he whimpers softly as your fingers move further up towards the base of his tail.

Your fingers feel so good, unlike anything he's ever felt before. He keeps questioning if this is love, or if this is what it feels like when someone really cares, but all he knows is that he craves more and more of this all consuming feeling, when suddenly, he lets out a short, loud moan. The tips of your fingers have unknowingly reached the base of his tail, causing a jolt of pure, white, hot pleasure to shoot through his body.

Shamefully, he buries himself into your shoulder, his tail curling around your leg. He's mortified as your movements pause for a second, he's sure he's messed up now, but then your scratching picks up again and he breathes out shakily, body twitching at the feeling.

You keep going and going, and he begins moaning softly.

"Is this still okay for you?" The softness of your voice makes his heart melt.

"Mhm..." is all he is able to bring out at the overwhelming sensation of being touched there for the first time.

"Have you been touched here before?"

"N-never..." Renjun whines softly. He's feeling himself harden in his pants, cock straining against the fabric of his jeans and he's sure you noticed.

"Are you a virgin, Renjun?"

The question catches him off guard, but honestly, he's too far gone now to feel shy about it. It seems that you have picked up on how sensitive he is, and he can't really blame you for your assumption. You seem so open and accepting of him that he doesn't even hesitate before slightly nodding his head, "yeah..."

"And you're sure that you want to experience... this with me?"

The feeling of your fingers on his tail intensifies with every second, Renjun feels dizzy, there's barely any blood left in his brain at this point, all of it damming up in his cock and every other sensible part of his body. "yes.. yes...!"

It seems like this is all you needed to hear to speed up your movement, fingertips scratching and petting him in the most arousing way possible, forcing whimpers and moans from his mouth. "Aahh... Ah..." He tries to hold back, but the sensation is too much for him. Your touch is too nice and it's making him lose control as he bites his lip to keep himself from letting out a vocal response, but it's not enough. He's starting to tremble, breath getting heavier as he begins panting harshly. This sensation surely feels very close to how he feels when he's about to cum.

And just the attentive person you are, you speak up about it. "Are you gonna...?"

"I... Aahh... I think so..." He says, his voice shaking as he speaks. "It feels so nice..."

Experimentally, you move your fingers to the underside of his tail, and Renjun's body jolts in pleasure, his whole body jerks as he moans out, mouth slightly open while keeping his voice down as much as possible given your current location. He reaches up and grabs your wrist to make you keep touching him there. "Please..." He says in a thoroughly pleading voice. "Don't stop.."

As he forces his eyes to open, he notices your eyes on him, your face so close to his, and his eyes inevitably dart down to your lips as he gasps for more.

Of course, you take it as an invitation to kiss him, and as soon as your soft lips merge with his, Renjun knows that he's going to cum. He feels like he's actually going to faint as the pleasure reaches new heights, your kiss building the tension up and up, his head spins as he feels himself tighten up.

Your movements quickly send him over the edge. The intensity of the sensation is making his body shudder as he pulls you closer toward him and he lets himself go, muscles tightening even further as he releases into his pants with a high-pitched moan.

Your hands carefully stroke over his tail again, your unoccupied hand coming back up to his hair to help him calm down. He's breathing heavily, body feeling fuzzy inside at the attention and from his intense release. "O-oh, God..."

"That was so hot...," you whisper, gently kissing the top of his head. He lets out a soft giggle. You successfully have made him blush once again. But just as he's really, fully calming down, he inevitably notices the sticky feeling between his thighs and cringes.

You chuckle softly as you notice the look on his face. "Maybe we should get you to a restroom..."

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sunnysam-my · 2 months

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Hazbin Hotel redesign ideas p. 1

Unfortunately I don't really have time to draw rn, but here are some ideas if anyone is looking for inspiration.

THE VEES:

They follow lates trends so they won't stick to the outfits and technologies from the times they died. We even see that Vox changed his screen (head) to more modern, flat TV screen.

Valentino:

He is a moth that realises poison that's basically a date-rape drug. His wings are hidden, looking like a coat, which makes no sense, a cloak, cape or sleeveless coat would look better. He is a pimp who died in 1970s. Val was Hispanic when living. Apparently, he has bad eyesight.

He is supposed to be a moth, but I don't really see it much, and the furr around his neck, that's a part of his body, just looks ridiculous. I would design him after some actual poisonous moth.

Cinnabar moth - The cinnabar is slate-black with two red spots and two pinky-red stripes on the rounded forewings. Its hindwings are pinky-red and bordered with black. The caterpillars feed on poisonous ragwort leaves. The poison from the leaves is stored in the caterpillar's body and remains even when they are an adult. As adult they leak the poison when they need to. Cinnabar moths can be seen flying during the day and night.

Six-spot burnet moth - day-flying moth that flies with a slow, fluttering pattern. It has glossy black, with six red spots on each narrow, but long forewing. They release hydrogen cyanide when attacked.

Personally I would go with Cinnabar moth, but make the spots heart shaped, and leave his inner outfit without the accessories (the suit with the white pants and golden heart belt). I would also leave his general body type but definitely change the neck furr ring, because wtf is that? I would play around with his glasses since he is supposed to have eyesight problems.

[Edit: Actually, I would make him a combo of both moths and make the furr ring his hair, because he is bald without the hat!?!?]

Velvette:

Velv is a fashion designer and critic, she is also an influencer. She keeps the Vees together and their image fresh on the internet. She's a British black woman in her early 30's. Originally her appearance was supposed to be doll-like, but that was changed to 'it-girl' and a 'bad bitch' with a darker aesthetic.

Velvette's outfit is reminiscent of Val's (heart belt, coat with hearts, black stripes on arms) but darker, especially her sleeveless coat that imitates his wings. Since Valentino is already going to be darker (in my idea) and she is a fashion influencer it would make more sense for her to be brighter.

Main thing I would change about her is her skin tone, hair, and Harley Quinn themes left from her old design.

When creating very human like characters it's important to actually get the racial characteristics right. Her ashy skin and "curly" hair just makes it look like they didn't know how to draw a black character. I would give her a different texture, something between 3A and 4B. A hairstyle like heart shaped space buns would be so cool, but even if not, her styl in a poster in the background is already better than the ponytails.

When it comes to her style I would get rid of pom-poms shoes and fingerless gloves. Her outfit for meeting the overlord was pretty okay, but I would change her other outfit. My inspiration would be PidginDoll's design, because he makes fabulous outfits and makeup looks for all bodies, genders and races, but I'll keep the 'goth' (it's not goth, it's just a little bit alt, mostly skulls) theme.

Blue accents like makeup would work great with her brown skin and would reference Vox.

Vox:

I genuinely think he has the best design in the entirety of the show, I would barely change anything. His outfit is similar to Alastor who he is trying to imitate, but he wears a tail suit, which is way more formal and elegant than any other suit, trying to showing he is a better, modern version of Alastor. I've seen some people got rid of his hat and gave him a tail made out a cord for fun, but other than that his design is good. Not too much details and not too little, tells us a lot about the character.

Maybe less stripes, because apparently Viv loves zebras or something. /hj

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel redesign #hazbin hotel criticism #hazbin hotel critical #the vees #hazbin hotel valentino #hazbin hotel velvette #hazbin hotel vox #hazbin hotel fanart

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alatar-and-pallando · 9 months

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I've been watching this two-tailed swallowtail caterpillar grow up on my wild cherry and was lucky enough to spot it in its final instar, when it turned brown, left home and started looking for a good place to pupate. It obligingly demonstrated its impressive defense display for me, complete with wafts of stink from its osmeterium (the forked orange glands on its head).

It'll be spending the winter in its pupa in a nice roomy jar in my garage -- I'll make sure to take pics when it finally ecloses and I let it free to make more caterpillars!

Here are some more baby pics, ordered from earliest to most recent. The leaves in the first three pictures are all about the same size. You can see how its early stages mimicked bird poop.

#i actually spotted this lil fella's mom laying the eggs #so i really have watched this animal's entire life cycle so far!#caterpillars #butterflies #swallowtails #two-tailed swallowtail #insects #entomology #my posts

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inkstainedchessboard-if · 3 months

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(AI Generated Images Disclaimer)

(May be updated as time goes on)

The White Rabbit

Name: Lapin

Gender: Nonbinary (they/them)

Age: Immortal, physically early twenties (20-23)

Appearance: Albino, short straight hair, white rabbit ears and tail. Lapin is 5'4 (163 cm).

The White Queen

Name: Maria

Gender: Female (she/her)

Age: Immortal, physically late twenties (27-29)

Appearance: Clear light brown skin, long wavy white hair, black eyes. Maria is 5'6 (168 cm).

The Caterpillar

Name: Brucus

Gender: Male (he/him)

Age: Immortal, physically early 30's (30-33)

Appearance: Clear medium-olive skin, slicked back raven hair, magenta eyes, 2 long caterpillar antenna. Brucus is 6'2 (188 cm)

The March Hare

Name: Haze

Gender: Nonbinary (he/they)

Age: Immortal, physically mid-twenties (24-26)

Appearance: Clear medium-tanned skin, short straight dark brown hair, green eyes. Haze is 5'10 (178 cm).

The Dormouse

Name: Grace

Gender: Female (she/her)

Age: Immortal, physically early twenties (20-23)

Appearance: Fair skin with freckles, short wavy-curly silver-grey hair, light brown eyes, mouse ears and tail. Grace is 5'1 (155 cm).

The Red Knight

Name: Cal

Gender: Male (he/him)

Age: Immortal, physically mid-thirties (34-36)

Appearance: Clear pale skin, long wavy red hair, red eyes. Cal is 6'3 (191 cm).

The White Knight

Name: Ridir

Gender: Male (he/him)

Age: Immortal, physically early thirties (30-33)

Appearance: Clear tanned skin, long straight silver hair, light blue eyes. Ridir is 6'2 (188 cm).

The Fawn

Name: Daina

Gender: Female (she/her)

Age: Immortal, physically early twenties (20-23)

Appearance: Lightly freckled tanned skin, long straight dark brown hair with white streaks, dark brown doe eyes, deer ears and antlers. Daina is 5'8 (173 cm).

The Lion

Name: Lowen

Gender: Male (he/him)

Age: Immortal, physically mid-twenties (24-26)

Appearance: Clear tanned skin, long unruly brown hair, golden eyes, lion ears and tail. Lowen is 5'8 (173 cm).

The Unicorn

Name: Vienna

Gender: Nonbinary (she/they)

Age: Immortal, physically mid-twenties (24-26)

Appearance: Smooth dark skin, long wavy white/light golden hair, light pink/purple eyes, golden horn and horse ears. Vienna is 5'10 (178 cm)

#ink stained chessboard #side characters #info post

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mysticmothworld · 6 months

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Saturniid Moths

(aka those moths with the eyes)

Moths from the Saturniidae family are probably the most well known moth species around. This family has approximately 1500 species distributed worldwide, although they're more common in tropical areas. They have these fake eyes that they don't display when at rest, but when disturbed, they flap their wings, displaying eyes made to mimic owl or snake eyes, and that gives them enough time to escape their predators. These eyes are easily their most recognizable feature. They also have very large wings, the largest saturniid has a wingspan of up to 30 cm (but we'll talk about that later). They are mostly nocturnal, and easily attracted to light, although some are diurnal. Adults cannot eat because their mouthparts don't function. In some places, their caterpillars (like the mopane worm) are eaten.

Check out this interesting diagram of Saturniidae moth sizes in Indiana. It should give a general idea of how big most Saturniidae are.

Some iconic saturniids include:

The Io moth (Automeris io)

These guys are sexually dimorphic, the male is the yellow one the female is the brown one above it. They have unusually large eyespots even for saturniids. They are distributed across Canada, the US and Mexico.

The Luna moth (Actias luna)

Pictured here is a male luna moth, luna moths are sexually dimorphic and the females look similar although more triangular in shape. Fun fact: the 'tails' on their wings are there to help reduce predation as bats will chomp on them instead of, for example, a main part of their wing which may prevent them from flying and/or enable the bat to have better grip on them and just eat them. Distributed across the US and Canada.

The Atlas moth (Attacus atlas)

As you can see, these guys are pretty big. Their wingspan can be up to 30 cm wide. Fun fact: their cocoons are so strong they are sometimes used as purses. Distributed across China, India, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Hercules moth (Coscinocera hercules)

VERY VERY BIG. The females have the biggest wing surface area (300 square cm) of all extant insects. They have a rather large wingspan as well, around 27 cm. The caterpillars can sometimes take more than a year to metamorphose. Native to Northern Australia and New Guinea.

Sources:

Saturniid moth

Family saturniidae

Cool study on moth diversity in Mexico

Io moth

Luna moth

Largest moth

Spotlight: the atlas moth

Hercules moth

Moths with larger hindwings and longer tails are best at deflecting bats (very interesting read)

Image creds:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

#moths #butterflies and moths #biology #moths are cute #lepidoptera #lepidopterology #my post

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weirdanimal-tournament · 1 year

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THE COMPETITORS

After hours of filtering, I have a list! From 411 submisstions to 134 competitors. Of course, that means that not all the submissions are competing. My main rule for filtering was that when many similar animals were submitted, one was selected. This means that even if your submission din't get in, there is likely somthing else similar you can vote for instead! I'm hoping to get the polls out this Saturday or Sunday, and I'll post the time once it's decided. That being said... here's the list!

Mouse deer

Blanket octopus

Twenty plume moth

Anomalocaris

Caecilian

Bagworm moth caterpillars

Balaenognathus

Banded archerfish

Barnacle

Barreleye fish

Tripod fish

Bigfin squid

Bilby

Black sea hare

Black snub nosed monkey

Blobfish

Blue sea dragon

Nano-chameleon

Bush brown caterpillar

Chinese water deer

Maned wolf

Colugo

Common spotted cuscus

Corpse Assassin Bug

Messmate pipefish

Cotylorhynchus

creatonotos gangis

Tongue eating louse

Ganges river dolphin

ghost pipefish

Giant Anteater

Giant gippsland earthworm

Giant tube worm

Giraffe Weevil

Glowworms

Goblin shark

Golden mole

Green-banded broodsac

Greenland shark

Gum leaf skeletonizer caterpillars

Hagfish

Hallucigenia

Hammer head bat

Helicoprion

Honduran white bat

Short horned lizard

Green hydra

Jerboa

Jerusalem cricket

Lamprey

Largetooth sawfish

Bulwer’s pheasant

Lowland Streaked Tenrec

Lyrebird

Marbled polecat

Mata mata

Mexican mole lizard

Ghost faced bat

Mudskipper

Muntjac

Naked bulldog bat

Naked mole rat

Phillipene tube nosed fruit bat

Oarfish

Mantis shrimp

Ogre faced spider

Okapi

platypus

Pangolin

Parrot fish

Partridge bug

Pelican eel

Asian giant softshell turtle

Pink fairy armadillo

Pipa pipa

Platybelodon

Portuguese Man O War

Potoos

Predatory tunicate

Pufferfish

Sea spider

Red lipped batfish

Bowmouth guitarfish

Roseate spoonbill

Pink iguana

Royal albatross

Sage grouse

Saiga antelope

Sailfin dragon

Volcano snail

Schaefer’s anglerfish

Sea cucumber

Sea pig

Sea sheep

Sharovipteryx

Echidna

Assassin spider

Spider tailed viper

Siphonophore

Solenodon

Spectral bat

Spix’s disc winged bat

Spotted wobbegong

Stalk-eyed fly

Stoplight loosejaw

Giant phantom jelly

Sunfish

Sword billed hummingbird

Tailless whip scorpion

Tapir

Tardigrade

Tarsier

Telescopefish

Woodcock

Aye-aye

Bobbit worm

Nautilus

Glass frog

Immortal jellyfish

Olm

Mirror spider

Trilobite Beetle

Trumpetfish

Vampire bat

Vampire squid

Velvetworm

Wonderfish

Wrinkle-faced bat

#animals #animal #weird animals #weird animal #tournament #competition #poll #polls #zoology

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jonnysinsectcatalogue · 3 months

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Polydamas Swallowtail Butterfly - Battus polydamas

Though lovely this dark-winged Butterfly is, I'd have loved to see the dorsal side of its wings. Nevertheless, I won't complain too much given these pictures come from a long way from home and from a dear friend who has given us a glimpse to some tropical insects. This dazzling specie features pronounced veins and prominent red markings along the edge of the underside of the hindwing. The forewing features a yellow band that rides along the wing (but not to the edge) both above and below. It's similar to the band of the male Eastern Black Swallowtail but positioned lower on the wing and less steep in shape. The band appears somewhat faded on the underwing, hence why I would have liked to see the dorsal side. The Butterfly's body itself can be easily recognized from the coat of orange-red dots it wears and a similarly colored stripe running along the abdomen (which is partially visible in Pictures 1 and 4). With all these observations in mind, similar to the aforementioned Eastern Black Swallowtail, this specie may be mistaken at a passing glance with the Pipevine Swallowtail (a close relative: Battus philenor). Red spots or white spots, only a landing will tell, as the Pipevine has a royal blue shroud atop its wing scales (if male). Based on location, this individual is likely of the western group (subspecie B. polydamas polydamas), but there are many subspecies in the Central America range so I can't be sure.

It truly is a beautiful insect, and it maintains those stunning colors all throughout its entire development from Caterpillar to Butterfly. From the images I've research Polydamas Caterpillars are plump and dark (dark brown to black range) with a coat of orange spikes along their body and two long protrusions near their head. Such an appearance not only looks fearsome, but can also lead them to be mistaken for B. philenor Caterpillars. From the images I've looked at for comparison, the Polydamas Caterpillars are far more elaborate in appearance. However, when metamorphosed into Butterfly, there is one thing that is sure not to be missed on this specie...or missed, actually as the case may be. Contrary to some of its more popular relatives, this insect is also known as the Tailless Swallowtail! Unlike the handful of Swallowtails* that have graced this blog, there is a complete absence of hindwing tail, and appears to be the only specie in North America to feature tail absence. While these tails are beautiful to observe, it was enlightening to learn just how large the Papilionidae family was and how many Swallowtails actually lack tails. For example, the Palawan Birdwing (Trogonoptera trojana) is a Swallowtail (Birdwing), and though magnificent in size and iridescence, it too lacks tails. That's just the way the wings form within some branches of Lepidoptera.

*Note: As a Swallowtail, you can actually see all 6 legs active and strong, compared to the 4 active legs of the previous two tropical Brush-Footed Butterflies.

Pictures were taken on February 11, 2024 in Mexico with a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

#jonny’s insect catalogue #butterfly #polydamas swallowtail #tailless swallowtail #swallowtail butterfly #lepidoptera #insect #mexico #february2024 #2024 #nature #entomology #invertebrates

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floralcavern · 9 months

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if I had been the one to design WoF tribes

Mudwings: Oh, they’re perfect as they are, but I’d make their backs look more like an alligator/crocodile’s back texture

Nightwings: bat ears and bat wings (keep the starry underpart of wings tho-)

Rainwings: They are simply perfection, I take no criticism

Sandwings: their tongue slither out like a snake’s and they have a snake-like underbelly

Seawings: Dolphin-like tails and super smooth scales; also, THE GRAPHIC NOVELS TOOK AWAY THEIR LITTLE BEARD THINGIES AND I WANT THEM BACK!!!

Icewings: there’s some Icewings who have the possibility of being born with fluff

Skywings: Feathers scattered around their body and bird wings with their back talons instead being bird talons

Silkwings: Fluffy like caterpillars; not design related, but it’d be neat if they could also pollinate

Hivewings: also fluffy, but not as much as Silkwings; they can also pollinate; their wings move like a bee’s. This should be a no brainer, but they canonically fly like any other dragon, BUT NO! THEIR WINGS SHOULD MOVE AT A RAPID PACE AND I TAKE NO EXCEPTIONS!!!

Leafwings: They can change color with the season, but their scales keep the same under color of what they always are (like, a green and gold Leafwing will turn brown, but there’s still an underlayer of green and gold)

#Wings of Fire #WoF #dragons #dragon designs #Mudwings #seawings #nightwings #leafwings #icewings #skywings #silkwings #rainwings #sandwings #Hivewings

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adobe-outdesign · 1 year

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Opinion on that really big fluffy past moth pokemon? (I forgot it’s name but past Volcarona)

We heard from leaks that there was going to be two paradox Volcarona 'mons, which was exciting for me because Volcarona's one of my favorite moths in the series. While Iron Moth was underwhelming, I'm pretty pleased with Slither Wing here as a whole.

First, I just think the idea of a larvae-like form for Volcarona is neat. Some bugs do keep larvae forms as adults, including the female trilobite beetle (known as a larviform female):

While there's nothing inherently prehistoric about this except for appearance, it does work well for a past paradox. It kind of invokes Larvesta but really looks nothing like it apart from still being a caterpillar, giving Slither Wing its own identity.

(Side note: Am I the only one who thinks that "slither" is a particularly weird way to describe a caterpillar's movement? Caterpillars more crawl, slithering is more how you'd describe a snake. But I digress.)

Visually, I like how it plays off of Volcarona's design. It would've been easy to keep everything the same as Volcarona just as a caterpillar this time, but instead they had some fun changing up the elements in the design while keeping them recognizable. For example: the body fur is fluffier, the eyes are now yellow and have "eyeliner", the antennae are forked, the wings are now tipped with yellow and have green diamond accents instead of black ovals, etc.

In all honestly, I think it actually looks better than Volcarona in some respects—and like I said earlier, I like Volcarona a lot. The yellows and greens really make the wings pop and give it some brilliant color, the yellow eyes feel like a more natural color choice than the blue of the original, and the palette is, for the most part, more coherent.

The only things in this design that I think were missteps were that, first off, the ovals on the wings matched the roundness of the body more and overall felt more natural than Slither Wing's diamonds. And secondly, it's hard to see in the above images, but it has a tail:

This is possibly supposed to invoke Larvesta's brown segmented abdomen, and while I'm not sure how much it was needed, I'm not opposed to the idea; it's an interesting feature to put on a bug, and makes it look all the more wild and ancient.

The problem is the colors; making it that awful teal is a terrible choice, as it draws way too much attention to it and it muddies an already busy palette by introducing yet another color. This also makes it feel disconnected from the rest of the body. It would have been considerably better if it was black like its head and legs; it can keep the light green spikes to match the wings, or it can swap them for a yellow or red. Regardless, that's the only real misstep in an otherwise solid design.

Also, not related to the design, but bug/fighting is kind of an odd choice for this one. It can rear up on its hind legs, but I can't really see it doing martial arts moves, you know? I've heard some people say bug/dragon, and while I wasn't sure about that at first, it does fit the more I think about it—it has a reptilian tail, walks on all fours, has wings on its back, and the antennae look like horns. This isn't a huge deal, but I figured it was worth mentioning.

So, overall, this is probably one of my personal favorite paradox Pokemon. I think the concept is very neat and looks appropriately prehistoric, yet it has its own unique design that honestly looks better than Volcarona's in many ways. The only misstep is making the tail a very garish color that isn't used anywhere else in the design—everything else is pretty great.

#slither wing #volcarona #pokemon #pokemon scarlet and violet #pokemon reviews

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lionsongfr · 2 years

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Festival Foods of Brightshine

Whole Featherback Roast- a dish said to satisfy even an Imperial, a Featherback Boar is roasted whole on a spit for nearly two days. The boar is basted with a sauce of lemon, Wild Mustard, Vegetable Oil, Succulent Spears, and Bumble Honey. The feathery wings are roasted separately, but then re-feathered and presented alongside the boar for the most opulent plating.

Sweet Puff Quiche- a pie pastry filled with cubes of Featherback Boar ham, wilted Light’s Breath, Potato Onions, Mycena Mushrooms, and a mixture of Sweet Puff eggs and Micro Goat milk. Baked till a golden crust forms and garnished with Sanddrift Aconite flowers, one must wonder if it is worth it to steal eggs from bird that can be sweet or full of RAGE.

Stuffed Hallow Ivy- for this dish Hallow Ivy leaves are boiled to soften them before being stuffed with White Quinoa, Wild Onions, Minty Jadevine, and chopped Sunkernals before being boiled again. Often served with lemon slices and sides of smoked Micro Goat Cheese, dried Sunbeam Figs, and Greenstripe Amaranth flat bread.

Imperial Tail Risotto- Imperial Tails are often found on the border of Lightning and Light and are a common staple grain. Though not very tasty by themselves, they can be made into a variety of risotto dishes to accompany the main meals. One of the richest involves a 24 hour Herdbeast Hoof broth and marrow, Featherback Boar lard, Celestial Antelope milk parmesan, and colored yellow with powdered Daffodil. Tundras debate if this is really a vegetarian dish.

Sun Spirals- Garden Snails are the bane of many a gardener, so the gardeners decided to make them lunch. They are fattened upon Micro Goat milk before being fried in sea salt and Vegetable Oil. Then they are served in their shells with a pungent sauce of Succulent Spears, Blacktongue Pepper, and cumin. Your lair mates will demand you eat some Peppermint hard candies least you be banned from the dinner table.

Emperor’s Blood Stew (or Gladiator Stew)-a red spicy stew consisting of sautéed Tendrilback Caterpillar deglazed with an Herbal Plantain liquor (to help combat the poison), before being doused in a rich Miniature Potash Peach (the best imported from Fire Flight) and Red Hot Pepper sauce. The pot is then stewed to soften the chewy meat of the Caterpillar till tender, though some tougher dragons prefer a quick fry variation for maximum spice. Typically topped with Celestial Antelope milk feta- fried or fresh, and Greenstripe Amaranth flat bread.

Golden Trout Meunière- Golden Rainbow Trout migrate once a year from the Outer Seas to the Sea of a Thousand Currents to spawn, specifically during Brightshine. This bounty is quickly snagged in nets, filleted, and fried in a thin coating of Sunkernel flour till golden brown. A sauce of Celestial Antelope butter, Wild Onion, chopped Longweed Bunch, and Sour Strawberries is drizzled over top. Sometimes Luminous Almonds (imported from the Shifting Expanse) are added to the sauce to give a golden scaled appearance.

Lanternlea Lucky Eel- Goldbelly Dragonfish frequent the Lanternlea Port, attracted by the glittering lights and the daily catch cleanings. These fish are cut down the center and stuffed with Treasure Plant leaves, Wild Onion, and Mycena Mushroom then placed in a marinade of Sunbeam Fig balsamic, sea salt, and Vegetable Oil. The fish is then grilled whole and served, though not before a gold coin is placed in its belly for one lucky dragon to find!

Bumble Buns- essentially rough doughnut holes, small balls of yeasted dough are fried in hot oil and coated in a variety of syrups and nuts and flowers. The most common is Bumble honey and toasted Sunkernels or Coral Carpenter honey and Blue Roses (which has blueberry flavor). Typically served with strong shots of Pelagas Feather tea to help balance all the sugar.

Mosun Galette- mice are considered a delicacy in Light Flight, with the most prized being the Sun Flecked Fieldmouse. Much like the snails, the mice are fattened up with Sunkernels before being harvested and roasted alongside Granny Smith Apples, all upon a round puff pastry crust. The mice and fruit are often arranged in sun ray pattern with a thick glaze of Bumble honey on top.

Meadow Wine- or Mead for short, an alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of honey, sparkly, sweet, and dangerous on a warm summer day. While Bumble honey mead is the most common, the most prized mead is from the honey of the White Lace Honeybee, known for its sweetness, pale hue, and being naturally sparkling. Truly a lady of high caliber!

Summer Sunset Cocktail- a layered cocktail of Granny Smith Cider, Potash Peach nectar, White Quinoa Vodka, and Strawberry syrup all over ice. There is much debate whether the name of this cocktail is sunrise or sunset, but it probably depends on when the party is being started.

#Flight rising #fr headcanon #food #my headcanon #Light Flight #brightshine jubilee

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