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#external ear anatomy
asamiontop · 6 months
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Supercorptober - Wild or…
Captain Underpants (also on Ao3)
Lena: Text me when you get this.
Kara squints at the message. If she narrows her eyes to slits, the photonic assault hurts her eyeballs less. The text is from Lena, so she answers right away. Doesn’t matter that it’s far past late at night and still hours away from early morning.
Kara: hey got your message. what’s up?
She thinks, mistakenly, that Lena will be asleep. She hopes, misguidedly, that that will afford her a few precious hours of rest herself. Her phone chimes and shatters that fantasy in its infancy.
Lena: Are you home?
That’s concerning. Even through the swampiness of fading inebriation and a blossoming hangover, Kara’s synapses spark to life at the idea that Lena may be in trouble.
Kara: I’m home. everything okay?
The response comes back so fast that Kara suspects Lena started typing before she’d even answered.
Lena: I’m coming over.
Kara glances blearily at her alarm clock. 2:47am. Something is definitely wrong.
It’s a testament to her body’s exhaustion that, despite the urgency, Kara manages to fall asleep. She jolts awake to the sound of cannonballs exploding in her ears, the echoes rattling around in her skull. Her superhearing is out of whack from the sleep or the alcohol or both and nearby noise is amplified a thousandfold. The resounding knock at her door sounds more like a battering ram than a fist.
“Kara?” Lena’s voice drifts through the apartment and all other noise seems to melt away. The soothing effect is immediate. Kara’s heart slides back down her throat and thumps in relief. She sags into her pillow with a sigh before she remembers the fact that Lena is visiting her at three in the morning.
Kara superspeeds to the entryway. She just barely reminds herself to touch down on the floor before unlocking the deadbolt.
“Lena!” Kara whips her door open. She’s prepared for the whole range of human emotion, perhaps some tears or sobs or panic or any external sign of distress.
Instead Lena greets her with pursed lips (puckered in that distracting way that accentuates the crisp line of her jaw), a tilted head, and brassy raise of her eyebrow. Lena looks as beautiful as ever in the middle of the night, but she certainly does not appear distressed.
She gives Kara an undisguised once-over.
“Hello, Supergirl,” Lena deadpans.
All the oxygen leaves the room. Kara’s anatomy doesn’t require much of it, but she still feels like she’s choking on the lack of air. Her eyes bug out and she momentarily loses all cognitive function as her half-drunk system begins a hard reboot into this new reality where apparently Lena now knows her secret identity. The corner of Lena’s mouth twitches victoriously and somehow that is what kicks Kara back to the land of the living.
Without so much as a warning, she snags Lena by the wrist and yanks her bodily into the apartment. It’s a whole miracle Kara doesn’t slam the door off its hinges as Lena stumbles past the threshold.
“Heh—Supergi—that’s funny—what, uh.” Kara squeaks, sounding totally normal. She whirls around to face her friend with a manic laugh and round, wild eyes, “W-what are you talking about?”
Alex teases Kara relentlessly for her inability to play it cool. As she scratches the back of her own neck only to realize that her hair is down and her glasses are sitting uselessly on her nightstand, then completely misses the wall she intended to lean against and surreptitiously floats to keep her balance, Kara admits that her sister may be onto something.
“Kara, please.” Lena’s eyebrow lifts so high that her forehead wrinkles to accommodate it. “Don’t insult me.”
She opens her mouth to speak but something about the way Lena’s regarding her—resolute and impatient, like she’s just waiting for Kara to catch up so they can move on— makes her snap her jaw shut. Kara abandons her remaining denial with a long exhale.
She can’t help but cling to a thread or plausible deniability though.
“What, um.” Kara clears her throat. “What makes you think that I’m—” her voice cracks on the words, so foreign to her in this context— “that I’m Supergirl?”
Instead of answering, Lena raises an unimpressed eyebrow. Wordlessly, she turns on her heel and heads for Kara’s coffee table. Puzzled, the superhero follows. She just about combusts when Lena flicks on the television.
There, in what must have been filmed by a cell-phone, is Supergirl, twirling through the air suitless and cape-less—wearing nothing save for a matching sports bra and boxers. Kara’s jaw unhinges. She thinks her eyes hurt from how wide they’ve gotten. Supergirl’s hair is blowing freely in the breeze and she looks absolutely delighted as she corkscrews aimlessly above the city, half-naked and carefree.
Kara watches in horror as the video zooms in shamelessly on her butt. (Rao damn The Fruit for stuffing their mobile devices with such capable cameras.) This, mortifyingly, is precisely where Lena chooses to pause the coverage. She clicks the remote, freezing the frame on a screenful of Kara’s backside, and points an elegant but accusatory finger at the blown-up image of Kara’s favorite underwear.
It’s not just any old set of underwear. These ones are indescribably soft and comfortable. They fit just right, snug in all the right places, and they are adorned with a bizarrely adorable pattern of cartoon potstickers, puppies, and chopsticks. Most precious of all, they were a gift from one Lena Luthor last Christmas.
Kara ventures a shifty glance at the CEO, whose eyebrow is still quirked expectantly.
Stupidly, Kara blurts the first thing occurs to her. “That could be anyone.”
A second eyebrow climbs to match the first, shifting Lena’s expression from confident to incredulous in a single movement.
“I—I mean,” the superhero stammers, “it’s a really cute pattern a-and maybe Supergirl got herself the same set you bought me.”
Lena’s eyes close slowly, patiently and she shakes her head. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she mutters, “I don’t see how that’s possible.”
“Why not?” Kara demands, incomprehensibly committed to her flimsy excuse. “Lots of people like potstickers and puppies!”
“Because they are custom, Kara.” Lena’s head tilts sharply and she skewers the blonde with a pointed look. “I had them custom-made for your gift.”
“Oh.” Kara blinks. “You did?” Her voice ticks up at the end, betraying how oddly touched she feels at the gesture.
Lena appears exhausted but at least somewhat amused now. “Yes. Did you think I happened to fortuitously stumble upon the exact combination of all your favorite things printed on the exact type of undergarment you happen to favor?”
“Um… yes?” Kara shrugs even as the feeble defense crumbles around her. “You can find anything on the internet nowadays.”
Lena sighs. “Kara.” The super’s eyes lock on hers and Lena deliberately drags her green gaze down Kara’s front and slowly back up.
The hint of heat in Lena’s eyes isn’t lost on the Kryptonian, so her face is already two shades pinker than normal when she follows Lena’s stare down her own body.
Her cheeks flame up fully at the visual reminder that she is in fact still wearing the offending undergarments and precious little else.
“Oh.” Kara swallows. She is fully on display for Lena—not only mostly undressed, which induces its own type of stirrings in her belly, but also in clothes unmistakably identical to the superhero frozen on the screen. It’s four coincidences too many.
“Oh,” Lena parrots, nodding once.
Kara’s arms cross instinctively over her bare stomach. She’s ashamed. Not of her body, but of attempting to keep up such a charade without a lick of self-awareness. Mostly, she’s ashamed of hiding the truth from the person with whom she’d most wanted to share it.
Frankly, it’s a monumental relief to be unshackled from her secret. Without the burden of her identity, Kara can truly give Lena her full self, share all the bits and pieces of her that have sat leaden and unspoken on the tip of her tongue for months. Now that Kara has the liberty to be well and truly honest, maybe she can finally entertain the budding intimacy and extra warmth that’s been building around her best friend. She’s never felt quite so enthralled to be the focus of someone’s gaze before and maybe if—
Kara shakes her head, clearing away the cobwebs of hope. There’s a very different reality to be faced right now.
Casting an anxious glance at her feet, Kara flexes her toes and reaches for the grounding sensation of the grain in the hardwood.
Kara swallows thickly, mind alight with all the wrong turns this revelation can take, all the covert ways her secret could have already poisoned their relationship beyond recovery.
“I’m so sorry,” she mumbles, forcing her voice to remain steady even as she collapses into a defeated heap on the couch.
After a few seconds of silence, she gathers all the courage in her rapidly accelerating heart and glances up for Lena’s reaction.
Once again her best friend surprises her. Lena doesn’t seem mad or hurt or resentful. She looks… perplexed, if not a little exasperated.
“What exactly are you apologizing for?” Lena asks slowly once their eyes lock.
Kara senses her own crinkle bunching between her eyebrows to match Lena’s. “For keeping this from you,” she answers dejectly.
Lena’s eyes widen and Kara rushes to justify herself. The explanation clambers out of her of its own accord, gathering momentum and volume like a snowball rolling downhill.
“I’ve been wanting to tell you so badly, Lena. For months! You’re one of the most important people in my life! I trust you. I–I can’t really explain it, but something about you has always made me feel safe. I just, I felt like I knew you from the moment we met. And that feeling hasn’t faded at all. In fact, it’s grown stronger. I think maybe it’s even become—”
Kara stops short of broaching that subject and launches up off the couch, beginning a proper maniacal pacing across her living room floor.
“You didn’t even need to but you went ahead and proved to me and Supergirl and everyone in the world that you are even more noble and good than I imagined. You are so incredible, Lena. Of everyone I love, you deserve to know this part of me. But—but this superhero thing is so complicated. There are all these rules with the DEO and it’s not always safe for the people that know my identity and—”
“Kara—”
“—and as much as I wanted to be completely open with you, I couldn’t risk you getting hurt. I can’t. I won’t. So then—”
“Kara, darling.” The endearment smashes sideways into Kara and brings her ramble to a skidding, screeching halt. “Stop talking.”
Dumbstruck, Kara does. She turns back to Lena and nearly suffocates at the fondness she finds shining back at her. It’s accompanied by a dash of amusement and that same exasperation from before, but the affection is there and it’s so warm that Kara’s cheeks heat up to match. How Lena can still look at her like that after what Kara’s kept from her is… it feels unfair.
“I’m really sorry Lena,” Kara insists quietly, this time staring directly into those striking windows of sea-glass green and willing her to see how acutely she means it.
“Don’t be.” Lena’s expression softens even further and Kara wonders if this is how it would feel to live life as a lava cake. Airy on the outside and melty on the inside. Warm and delicious all over. It’s nice. Maybe she can get Lena to eat her if—Kara blinks out of her daze. Okay so perhaps she is still a teensy, weensy bit tipsy.
Lena doesn’t seem to notice her brief departure because she adds very earnestly, “I understand why your identity needs safeguarding. I can’t imagine very many people know this about you.”
“No,” Kara agrees, eyes seeking the floor again.
“Frankly, I wouldn’t have expected you to reveal something so sensitive to someone like me.”
The self-deprecation in Lena’s tone is unacceptable. Kara is about to protest that she wanted to—would have if not for the magical influence of Alex’s good sense—when Lena shrugs.
“And we’ve only known one another for a year. There are bound to be some secrets.” The next part is whispered, as if Lena doesn’t mean for Kara to hear. “God knows I have some.”
“Wait—” Kara teeters closer, itching with that Lena-fueled curiosity that swims constantly through her veins.
Lena’s eyebrow twitches haughtily and she smiles, reaching out to pat Kara’s hand. “Matters for another time, darling.”
She wraps her fingers loosely around Kara’s and guides them both onto the couch. Kara, ostensibly still in her underwear, pulls a throw pillow into her lap.
Without warning, Lena resumes the video. The frozen widescreen snapshot of Kara’s behind shrinks away mercifully to the top corner of her TV, revealing a smirking newscaster barely keeping her laughter at bay. Her brown eyes dance as she describes Supergirl’s latest antics in excruciating detail to whichever unfortunate souls are watching at this time of the night.
“Why are we still watching this?” Kara mumbles, hugging the pillow to her chest. Lena remains placidly silent.
Just as Kara thinks her public shaming is complete, a new video overtakes the screen. This one is shot from a much better—or incriminating—angle. Namely, a news helicopter hovering at altitude, level with Supergirl as she floats in lazy spirals then flutters hundreds of feet down, playful and giggling, before shooting back up and starting again.
Kara really takes the cake when she stops mid-somersault and flashes the camera an unfocused wave and a dazzling smile. ‘Up, up and away,’ the half-naked superhero slurs. Then she proceeds to plunge straight out of the sky, giggling gleefully as she falls.
“Oh god,” Kara groans as the camera swings wildly to chase her back into the frame. It finally catches up to her as Kara’s trajectory is intercepted by a green-black blur. She and the blur disappear in a flash of red and the video gives way to the newscaster once more, speculating about the inexplicable nature of her behavior.
So that’s why J’onn had showed up to fly Supergirl home.
“I…” Is there kryptonite in the room or is she just burning up from sheer embarrassment? “I don’t remember doing that,” Kara whispers, quiet as a mouse.
Beside her, Lena snorts. Kara swivels to glare at her but the image of Lena stifling a laugh into the tips of her fingers is entirely too cute to hold a grudge against. She pouts instead.
Eventually the CEO regains her composure and asks, exceedingly gentle, “What do you remember?”
Kara’s features scrunch into a frown as she replays the last several hours in her head. It’s somewhat blurry, but there’s a chronological consistency to the snippets of clarity.
“It… it was my night off,” Kara begins. A picture of Alex’s rowdy laugh shimmers to life in her mind’s eye and she smiles. “Sister’s night.”
Lena nods, smiles just because Kara did and that—that’s really something. Her heart does a happy little flump. Then she remembers.
“That’s why I didn’t have my supersuit!” Kara snaps her fingers. “J’onn told us he had everything covered tonight. He said we should take the night to really unwind.”
Lena’s unimpressed little ah sets Kara into a guilty grimace. “I… don’t think this is what he meant he meant by unwind,” Kara admits.
“Probably not.” Lena agrees. It’s a gentle admonishment and a flat tease all in one and Kara is too busy thinking that Lena is miraculous to be at all bothered by the joke at her expense. “What did you two plan for sister’s night?”
“Well… Alex came over and we had a few drinks. I remember she brought some sort of alien punch or something. I don’t know what was in it but it was really yummy. I… got a little drunker than I meant to.”
Kara omits the part where she ignored Alex’s warning about the potency of said beverages because ‘I have a Kryptonian metabolism Alex. I’ll be fine.’
“Oh. So this…” Lena gestures vaguely in the direction of the television. It’s paused on another unflattering view from below and Kara wrinkles her nose. “Was alcohol-induced?”
“Yeah…” she admits, dragging out the word.
Lena raises an eyebrow. “And… voluntary?”
“Um. Yes.”
Lena regards her for a long moment, then releases a gargantuan breath. Her shoulders fall with it, settling almost one full inch below where they’d been twisted in tension since she arrived. “Well that’s a relief,” she exhales.
“It—it is?” Kara tilts her head.
“I thought you’d been poisoned.” Lena looks at her sharply and Kara swallows. “I was… concerned.”
The flash of vulnerability in her eyes is as close as Lena gets to chastising her, but Kara still feels it like a punch to the gut. It doesn’t take much work to put herself in Lena’s shoes, to imagine the sensation of the ground dropping out from underneath her when a slew of worst case scenarios take up residence in her brain. Combined with the realization that Supergirl’s erratic behavior is also her best friend’s, it might just warrant the frazzled and urgent messages in the middle of the night.
“I’m sorry,” Kara winces. “I promise I’m okay. Just a bit hungover, probably.” She pauses thoughtfully. “If it makes you feel any better, you weren’t entirely wrong.” Lena’s brow furrows and Kara grins dumbly, if only to inject a little levity into the moment. “Alcohol is pretty much poison. I just, you know, did the poisoning myself. I had a great time.”
There’s a stifled snort sound again and then Lena’s chuckling, loose at last and shaking her head fondly. Kara melts into the angelic sound, into the familiarity and affection twinkling within.
“So long as you’re okay,” Lena adds.
“I’m alright,” Kara reassures. She reaches for Lena’s hand and gives it a squeeze. “I promise.”
Keeping their hands joined, Lena tips her head curiously. “There’s just one thing I don’t understand.”
“Yeah?”
“If you and Alex were home—here, then why did you leave without your suit on?”
“Oh, uh...” Kara thinks for a moment. “We went out at some point. Alex convinced me to go to Al’s—the alien bar—to meet up with Maggie—which,” Kara bristles and sniffs loudly, “was extremely generous of me, considering it was sister’s night.”
She glances at Lena for validation but her best friend just blinks placidly and waits. Kara pauses to wonder if she’s causing any sort of distress with all of the alien information she’s tossing her way. After a few seconds of Kara studying her, Lena finally raises her eyebrows in question.
“Sorry,” Kara shakes her head. “Anyway. We went to the bar and had a couple more drinks. And then—this is where things get kind of fuzzy.” Kara blushes. “Alex left with Maggie, I think.”
“Alex left you at the bar alone? While you were clearly not sober?” Lena’s face screws into a glare of disapproval. “That doesn’t sound like Agent Danvers.”
Kara barks a laugh at the formal form of address. “No, it definitely doesn’t,” she concedes. “I don’t think she actually left me though… I remember being in a cab. And then… um. Not in a cab.”
“Did the taxi drop you off at home?”
“No?” Kara wracks her brain. “I don’t think so. I remember wandering around a park somewhere and realizing I was lost. I know the city so well from above but down here I… get a little turned around sometimes.”
Kara’s cheeks flush at the admission but Lena’s fingers flex around her hand encouragingly and she relaxes.
“Anyway, when I realized I was lost I figured it would be best if I just flew myself home.”
The logic of the moment comes rushing back all at once and Kara feels the tips of her ears go from pink to red to redder. Lena, genius that she is, puts it together rather quickly.
“But you didn’t have your suit.”
“Yeah…” Kara affirms through a dry mouth.
“So you…” Lena begins, encouraging Kara to finish. She’s too embarrassed to even try. After several moments of nothing, Lena rips off the bandaid. “So you undressed to avoid being recognized?”
There’s an inferno blazing somewhere in this room, Kara swears it. She nods, not daring to meet Lena’s eyes.
A minuscule giggle reaches her ears and she breaks.
“I—I didn’t have a choice!” Kara whines. “It was late, I was lost, and my phone was dead and I, I… didn’t know what else to do!”
“Oh dear. Good thing you’re invulnerable.” Lena chuckles. “It's okay, darling.”
“It’s not!” Kara glares over at the TV. “I thought I was being clever. I even folded my shirt and my jeans and hid them in a bush, out of sight and everything! I figured no one would recognize me if I was quick about getting home so I took off but then…”
Lena looks at her expectantly, every bit the generous friend trying to keep her laughter trapped behind her pursed lips.
“Flying felt so good.” Kara admits, contrite. “I’m always wearing that gosh-darned suit with the long sleeves and the tights and just—the warm air felt so nice on my skin. Like the night sky was hugging me hello.”
She’s pouting up a storm now. “I really didn’t expect it. And, well, I guess I was just having a really nice time and my flight home accidentally turned into….” She gestures half-heartedly to the TV. “That.”
“Oh honey.” Lena extends one arm and Kara doesn’t hesitate to dive under it, hiding her face in the comfort of Lena’s shoulder. “It’ll be alright. It’s just a minor PR snafu. You didn’t do anything wrong.
“Alex is gonna be so mad,” Kara grouses, burrowing towards the enticingly familiar scent emanating from Lena’s skin, just a few inches away.
“Perhaps,” Lena allows, rubbing up and down Kara’s arm. It helps soothe the panic that comes with the knowledge of her elder sister’s impending fury. “But you didn’t hurt anyone. And the risk to your identity seems exceedingly low. Who else knows what I gave you for Secret Santa last year?”
Kara thinks back to the holiday, to the warm glow in her apartment and the people she loves gathered to share smiles and stories and gifts. “Just the people that were there that day,” she answers. “Alex, my mom, James, and Winn. And you.”
The memory of Lena glowing alongside her family makes Kara hum happily and nuzzle a little closer. Lena’s arm tightens around Kara’s shoulders.
“And is there any risk of them putting the pieces together from this video?”
“Well, that’s not really a problem,” Kara sighs. “My family has always known. James knew before I even met him because he’s friends with Superman. And Winn is the only other person I’ve ever told.”
She freezes, nervous that the reminder of being kept in the dark might cause Lena to put some distance between them. It’s the last thing Kara wants, to hurt her best friend. Besides, she’d quite like to stay right where she is, a scant inch away from the soft skin of Lena’s collarbone.
“There you have it,” Lena soothes, mercifully unfazed by the news of others that knew before her. “This hiccup should wash away with the next news cycle.” Lena pauses, tenses a bit. “Unless…”
Kara wriggles, prompting her to continue. “Unless what?”
“Have you…” the CEO clears her throat and from this distance Kara can hear her swallow uncomfortably. “Have you shown anyone else?”
“Shown anyone what?”
“This, uh, particular outfit of yours?”
“Pshh, no.” Kara scoffs and shakes her head. The movement brings the cold tip of her nose into contact with the heavenly warmth of Lena’s skin. Kara attributes the slight shiver that runs through her friend’s body to the shock of temperature difference. “Why would I show anyone my underwear?”
When Lena grimaces, the muscles in her neck tighten and Kara instinctively tucks her head closer to smooth the tension away.
“Well,” Lena begins, sounding a bit strangled. Her voice is lower, somewhat shy, and Kara is distracted by the way it vibrates against her forehead when Lena speaks. “If you… perhaps… brought someone home with you.”
“When I invite guests over I don’t include my underwear drawer in the tour of the apartment, Lena. That’s silly.”
“No—that’s not what I—hmph.” Exasperated, Lena finally makes herself clear. “I’m asking if you’ve slept with anyone, Kara.”
The superhero jolts upright, squeaking in surprise. “What?”
Lena clenches her jaw and releases it, taking a fortifying breath. “Have you been intimate with anyone recently that might’ve seen this set of underwear?” Kara gapes like a fish out of water and Lena rolls her eyes as she spells it out, seeming oddly pained. “Could they possibly make the connection between Supergirl’s appearance tonight and your identity as Kara Danvers?”
“Oh,” Kara breathes, struggling to sit still under Lena’s scrutiny. She peels at the fraying edges of her throw pillow. “Um. No.”
“Okay.” It may be Kara’s imagination, but it almost looks like Lena heaves a sigh of relief. “You’re sure?”
“Yeah, I…” the corner of her mouth twitches. “There hasn’t been anyone. Not since Mon-El.”
Kara considers the nights she’s spent with people she loves instead, the extra time that not having a love interest has afforded her with Lena and feels quite at peace with this reality. She smiles. “So I guess we’re safe on that front.”
Lena smiles back, closed-mouthed but still dimpled, and Kara feels like a lava cake again.
“See? You have nothing to worry about,” the CEO assures.
“Except—can anyone trace the purchase back to you?” Kara asks suddenly. “You said it was a custom order, won’t… won’t people think that you’re Supergirl?!”
Lena bursts into laughter at the suggestion. She howls for seconds while Kara dissolves into a panic at the idea of people going after Lena, mistaking her for the drunk Kryptonian.
“Lena, this is serious,” Kara admonishes. Lena just keeps on laughing. “You could be seriously targeted! I need—I need to protect you. Someone could try to hurt you if they thought…” her wild ideas get the best of her, spiraling out of control at the mere suggestion of increased attempts on Lena’s life.
Kara spaces out, flicking rapidly from scenario to scenario about how best to protect her best friend from this type of exposure. Maybe Lena should move in with her, so Kara can keep her safe all the time. If they share a bed, Kara will know she’s protected even while unconscious. Lena maintains an office at Catco, so the workday is covered. What about bathroom breaks, would those be—
A warm palm smooths over Kara’s forearm and squeezes until her tailspin slows to a halt. “Kara, darling. Come back.”
Kara blinks forcefully once, twice, three times, and then she’s planted firmly in her living room, staring once more at the overwhelming wealth of fondness in light green eyes. Those eyes crinkle around a smile as soon as Kara fully returns to her surroundings.
“You needn’t worry about me,” Lena assures slowly. Kara wrinkles her brow and Lena explains. “I went to a store in person to place the order and made my purchases with cash. The payment isn’t traceable to my name and no one recognized me, I’m certain of it.”
Face pinched into a frown, Kara shakes her head. “Are you sure? I won’t take that risk with you, Lena.”
“I’m sure,” the CEO smiles again and it’s nearly dazzling enough to distract Kara from her panic-fueled worry storm. “I appreciate the concern, but I doubt anyone would believe that a Luthor even knows what a baseball cap is, let alone wears one.” Lena tilts her head thoughtfully. “For that matter, I doubt anyone would believe that a Luthor could secretly be Kryptonian, all things considered.”
Kara scowls at the indirect mention of Lex, but considers Lena’s logic. She’s right in the end—short of a credit card receipt with Lena’s name on it or video footage showing her obtaining the exact same garments Supergirl is wearing, it’d be nigh impossible to make the connection.
“Okay,” she finally relents. “Okay. So now all I have to worry about is Alex’s wrath.”
The thought brings another grimace to her face and she buries it into her throw pillow. Alex is going to be so mad.
“I think Alex will be fine once we talk it through with her,” Lena offers. The ‘we’ wraps around Kara like a blanket before Lena’s arms encircle her with a comfort that Kara’s powerless to resist. She drops the pillow in favor of scooting back into her previous position, nestled into the juncture of Lena’s neck and shoulder.
They sit in silence for a few minutes as Kara recovers from her shame. The lateness of the hour and the steady drum of Lena’s heart lull Kara into a dreamy, half-conscious state and before she’s fully aware of herself she asks, “Lena?”
“Hm?”
The low hum of Lena’s voice in the apartment shrouds Kara in calm and she instinctively adjusts so she can press her nose and mouth the source of that heavenly vibration. Lena gulps and Kara is too sleepy to think anything of it.
“You aren’t mad?”
“Mad?” Lena repeats. “Why?”
“You’re not mad that I didn’t tell you my secret?”
“No, darling, I’m not mad,” Lena mutters softly and places a gentle hand on the side of Kara’s head. “It’s your secret to tell. What matters to me is that you’re safe. That’s all.”
The Kryptonian smiles and snuggles close. “Well, I’m really glad that you know now. And that you still like me. There’s so much I wanna tell you.” She pouts. “No more secrets for us.”
“Of course I still like you.” Then, most miraculous of all, Lena drops a soft kiss to Kara’s forehead. “You’re lovely, Kara. Being Supergirl doesn’t change that.”
Kara hums contentedly and drowsily returns the kiss wherever she can reach. Which happens to be the exposed jut of Lena’s collarbone. She notices a shift immediately—Lena’s muscles sing with tautness and her heart rate skyrockets.
“Lena?”
“Mm?” Her response is slightly high-pitched this time, even if the rumble of it still rolls through Kara like thunder.
“Why is your heartbeat so fast?”
“What—how can you even—oh. Superhearing. Of course.”
“Mhm,” Kara smiles, wondering languidly if Lena can feel her grin even if she can’t see it, ‘cause of the way Kara’s mouth is smooshed against her neck. Lena smells really, really good.
“You smell really, really good.” Again, Lena’s heartbeat ratchets up a notch. Kara frowns.
“Lena, you need to calm down.” Kara speaks right up against the source of the hammering in her ears, feeling the corresponding pulse pound on her lips. “‘S very loud. That can’t be good for you.”
“I’m fine, Kara,” Lena squeaks. Kara has her doubts but forgets them immediately when Lena says, “Besides, I’m with Supergirl. I’m as safe as can be.”
“That’s right.” Kara grins then places another sleepy kiss directly over that drumbeat, aiming to soothe it. “Shhh, i zhao,” Kara murmurs at Lena’s pulse point. “Settle down. You’re safe. It’s sleep time now.”
The next thing she hears after a hitch in Lena’s breath is the rich sound of Lena’s chuckle. “Did you just speak Kryptonian to my heartbeat, Kara?”
“Mm, yeah.” She’s beyond sleepy, half her cognizance has already yielded to unconsciousness. “I can never sleep when it’s loud like that.”
“What do you mean never?”
“I always check on you, Lena,” Kara nuzzles. “If your heartbeat’s too loud, I get worried.”
“You… you listen for me?”
Kara frowns again. Somehow this is only making things louder. Won’t stop her from telling the truth though.
“‘Course I listen. You’re my person,” she declares with a huff and drapes an arm over Lena’s midriff. “I dunno what’s bothering you right now though. You said it yourself, you’re safe with me.”
Lena sucks in a breath and holds it. Kara knows because she can feel the rise of Lena’s chest under her cheek and the way Lena’s throat works beneath her mouth. Kara noses against her neck, willing Lena to keep breathing and relax. Eventually she does.
Lena’s sigh comes out slow and measured and finally, her heartbeat begins to slow. She leans her head overtop of Kara’s. “I suppose that’s true.”
“Mhm,” Kara agrees. “Quiet now though, ‘s time for bed.” Lena nods above her and Kara doesn’t even deign to consider that they’re both still half upright on the couch. She does, however, remember a passing comment from earlier in the night.
“Lena?”
“Yeah?”
“Will you tell me your secret, too?”
In the ensuing pause, Kara hears the slowing beat do a stutter step in Lena’s chest. She nuzzles into it and Lena sighs once more.
Then Kara feels the warmth of lips pressed to her temple and suddenly her own heart is mirroring the pattern of Lena’s, clamoring for more of that soft sweetness against her skin.
“I think you might already know,” Lena whispers into her hair.
With the scent of Lena in her lungs and the softness of her friend in her arms and around her, Kara thinks she does, too.
(Morning finds them in the same position hours later, curled against one another on the couch. Necks stiff and backs crooked, they startle awake to a pounding on the door and an unmistakably familiar grumbling on the other side.
“Kara, you’d better be in there! What the fuck happened last night?!”)
--
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I love the beastmen in Twist but every time I look at their ears my brain just cannot with my perceived anatomy of their skull. I know it can probably be explained very logically and stuff but in my head cannot unsee it as weird, like someone plopping some fluffy ears on top of a round skull and calling it a day T_T :'D
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I actually studied human hearing and ear structures so I can simplify it and explain it logically—
Mammalian ear structures are actually very similar to one another. Therefore, the hearing pathways for lions (or cats in general), wolves, and hyenas are like that of a human’s. It would actually be easier to understand the integration of, for example, human anatomy and physiology with that of a lion as opposed to that of a fish (ie merfolk) since fish operate completely differently than humans. (To this day, merpeople A&P still confuses the heck out of me 😂)
If you look at both diagrams above, the human skull and the lion skull both have external auditory meatuses in similar locations; the meatus is a channel that funnels sound to the auditory nerves for further processing as it gets passed up to the brain.
Since beastmen ears are usually placed on top of their heads rather than on the sides of their heads, I’d wager that there’s just a difference in the angle of the ear canal, as illustrated in the diagrams below. Cats and such have more slanted canals, whereas human canals are more horizontal. As you can see, cats and humans have the same structures in their ears:
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Brief aside: yes, there’s a teeny bony in your ear called the “malleus”. No, it will never not be funny to me that Malleus has the same name because my mind always defaults to the bone 😂
The greatest difference is actually in outer ear structures, where humans have the disadvantage due to how cartilaginous their pinna are. The placement of the ears is different, of course, but the real reason why, say, dogs and cats hear better than humans is because their outer ears are more mobile. Their ears are able to change direction and shape to adjust to where sound is coming from—and this helps with localizing the auditory sensations into the nerves that process “sound”. Humans can’t do this as easily, so their hearing range is smaller than some other animals.
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icedcoffee-cream · 1 year
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DOUBLE BOOM. ignore if u like
getting into a hardcore fight with quaritch; snarling, hissing, wrestling, alllll up in each other's faces
he's got you pinned to the ground, he's groping your jaw, slapping your thigh, you're shoving his chest, baring fangs at his sadistic raging expression. and then BAM.
you start making out full tongue, sloppy, rough, unabashed, just full on heat-fucking yk?
@cuethediscoandthedrinks Ty for the request, my darling. I had lots of fun writing this one! (Apologizes if it seems a little fast paced)
The RDA have gyms and private training rooms specifically made for the recoms at bridgehead for a reason. Want to improve your combat skills with a comrade? Want to exercise your muscles? It's the place to go. Whatever happens in there, stays in there. Sudden fights in the main area (or "horseplay") or anywhere other than their "designated areas" is strictly prohibited.
Good thing you didn't give a shit.
It started with small side remarks that gradually turned into snarky comments about his performance about quite literally everything. You poked fun at the way his ears moved or the way he said something, and at one point you even pointed out his ridiculously muddy feet, which caused a fit of laughter to travel among his peers. Quarich wasn't as embarrassed as he was angry.
But, He's used to this kind of behavior from you and isn't going to put in the effort to lecture you over something so trivial. He lets it slide.
That is until you make a comment about failing to capture The Toruk Makto. He pounces on you. "Strictly prohibited be damned" he didn't let anyone insult him like that, not even you.
The two of you snarl and hiss at each other like a pair of animals, nails and teeth puncturing skin. Quaritch has you pinned to the ground with one of his enormous hands wrapped around your throat, while the other is pinching, scratching and slapping at your cheek. Your cries are loud but it doesn't stop you from giving him the same treatment.
Nails having ripped his shirt ages ago, you're able to slip your hands inside to rake your nails against his chest all the way to his stomach leaving red trails of blood. Your legs try kicking his groin but with his weight on you, you fail..
Finally, you've had enough and with one final cry you snap your jaw closed around two of his fingers and bite.
Quaritch shouts as your fangs sink into his skin, but he knows better than to pull them out, he lets go of your throat to give your thigh a vigorous spank. You yelp, teeth detaching from his skin as blood flies everywhere, splotching your nose and In between your eyebrows. The na'vi commander laughs at your pained expressions and gives your face a slap for good measure. Not hard enough to make you cry but enough to make you shriek. You spit any remaining blood in your mouth at his face.
The people around begin to shout and yell but neither of you pay them any mind, but eventually, you notice how quiet it is and somehow you've both ended up outside, right behind a building still in construction, but it's large enough to hide the both of you. No one's in sight and you're still at each other's throats.
Quaritch has you pinned once more, with your stomach on the ground, straddling your behind and queue wrapped tightly around his fist. Ready to pull whenever he deemed necessary. "You think you're so funny don't you?" He sneers. You hiss and attempt to stand, but it only results in a hard tug at your braid.
Honestly, you wish you had paid more attention to those anatomy na'vi classes that the RDA had signed you up for, as you completely forgot just how sensitive these external organs were. Your throat swallows a loud moan, but you're unable to keep down a bitchy whimper.
Quaritch stops, ears twitching. words now suddenly lost on him in his surprised state, instinctually, he takes a obnoxiously loud breath through his nose— smelling
Fuck. He's smelling you.
Slowly his sneer turns into a smirk full of malice. "Oh-ho-ho, you liked that you dirty fucking girl, didn't you?"
Your face burns with embarrassment,... you're not feeling so tough anymore. Again, you try to stand but a large hand swings at your ass. He makes you admit it, pulls your braid, slaps your ass and taunts you until you're forced to open your mouth and tell him that, yes you did like it. You fucking loved it and that you want more.
Soon, your cargo pants are pulled down your thighs, his warm large fingers buried deeply inside you cunt, and his nimble tongue buried inside your mouth as a sloppy wet kiss. It slips out to lick your lips, nose and cheek.
Your own pink tongue slips out to give his lips a lick. Coaxing his wet muscle out again, You begin gently sucking his tongue, encouraging the sweet organ deeper into your eager throat. Quaritch makes a low noise above you while his tongue wraps around your own, giving it a gentle rub. You shove his tongue out again and scream as his fingers curl, twist and thrust inside your pussy.
Your vision starts to blur and you're still recovering from the after shock of your orgasm that you don't notice him unbuckling his pants and slipping his cock out, leaking, pulsing and ready to breed.
Quaritch fucks hard and fast, and the way he fills you up is so perfect, and hot, it's curved in a way that hits all the right spots that make your toes curl. The pleasure is already overwhelming, just having him sit inside of you, but it's when he starts to move. It's over.. You wail loudly in pleasure and cum, hard, clenching tightly his shaft.
He groans but doesn't stop, overstimulating you until you're at the brink of passing out as he chases his own release. Nails digging into your soft flesh until they pass through.
If you had knew pissing him off this much was going to give you a good fuck. Then fucking hell you should've done this a long time ago.
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luxudus · 9 months
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The Neo-Anthropocene: More about the Ikleud
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follow up to this post. This drawing was made in december 2022 and has more updated anatomy and coloring
Summary: The Ikleud are a sapient species of herbivorous hexapods from the ringed planet of Irou. They are notable for their herd mentality, strong sense of empathy, and surprisingly large size.
Biology: Like almost all other Tivarapods, the phylum the Ikleud hail from. The most notable features are the presence of a long proboscis used for feeding with a radula and detecting scent with 4 olfactory spiracles. The use of Haemorthyrin in their blood, giving their blood and flesh a purple hue. The use of titanium in their skeletons instead of calcium. 2 respiratory spiracles that lead to a pair of lungs, 4 eyes located on the sensory head. And a segmented body plan determined by a set of genes analogous to the Hox gene.
Physical adaptations: The Ikleud manipulate their environment with their proboscis that end with 3 opposable “fingers" derived from the outer set of radula teeth. They and several non sapient relatives have a set of external ears aided by ball socket joints derived from their ear sockets. Their feet are padded with rough scales to aid in traction while walking on the forest floor. Their hind legs are more muscular than the front two, and with a set of toe claws, they are capable of rearing up on their hind legs and latch onto trees to reach high up branches.
The Ikleud are also surprisingly large, they have a height of 1.8 meters / 6 feet at the back and 2.1 meters / 7 feet at the tip of the head. And have a length of 3.9 meters / 13 feet from the head to the tail. It was revealed in the information trade that this is caused by the somewhat higher amount of consumable biomass Irou has compared to Earth
Niche, Ecology & Behavior: They are grazing and browsing herbivores with a herd mentality that originated from a set of temperate forests in Irou's southwest hemisphere. Early in their species' history they were frequently preyed upon by theropod-like predators that sported raptorial arms. Needing to protect their herds from such predators, They have an overwhelming sense of empathy. allowing their herds to remain open and communal, while also preventing unfortunate Ikleud from being left behind, and infighting breaking out within their herd. Their sapience emerged from the need to keep up with such complex and ever changing social groups.
Communication: Unique to the Ikleud and their closest non sapient relatives, they posses two flexible organs connected to each lung and spiracle, these open spaces are surrounded by a set of muscles that can forcefully push out air into a variety of sounds.
They use this organ to produce a vocal language where drawn out vowels, are widespread. Alveolar fricatives (sounds that produce "C" "Z" "S") and glottal fricatives (sounds that make "H") are nearly one in the same. And trills are practically non-existent.
They also incorporate a lot of body language and expression, they primarily use their eyelids and ears to express emotion. and they use a lot of bodily and ""arm"" motions to further express what they want to talk about.
However, despite how surprising this revelation is, there is still way more to cover. Their homeplanet of Irou, The wildlife of Irou, Ikleud society and technology.
And most surprisingly, the Ikleud aren't the only sophonts native to Irou...
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capradrake · 4 days
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Capradrakes
Introducing an open species developed based on my personal fursona. They are dragon/goat hybrids, with a balance between freedom in design and structure in implementation. It was really fun to work out what specifically mattered to me in the physical traits of these lil guys. Their details are below the cut (but also written in the graphic). Feel free to send any questions to my askbox!
Absolute Musts:
Always digitigrade
Always have horizontal pupils (like goats)
Have hoofclaws (the specific anatomy detailed in the graphic, which has four toes)
General Rules/Considerations:
Main body is covered in goat-like fur. It can be inspired by any species or breed of goat (like the curly angora!)
The underbelly, palms, and soles of feet are made of reptilian ventral scales, similar to snakes (but can resemble any reptile.) These scales go up under the neck and end at the bottom jawbone.
Their ears can be upright/pricked, or floppy, similarly to real goats.
The tongue is forked.
They possess 3 sets of canines/fangs; 2 pairs on the top jaw, and 1 on the bottom. Their back teeth are herbivore molars.
Horns can be based on any real goat or sheep or other horned animal, or be completely fantastical. They should, however, emerge from the skull starting backwards, and should not too closely resemble the antlers of deer, moose, or other cervids.
Tails can be any length.
The head hair must connect to the mane which continues down 100% of the spine and tail, and ends tufted at the tailtip.
The jaw spikes are keratinous protrusions, and can be any size, any shape, and can simply be smooth or flat plates if desired.
The mouth has external lip structures which jut over the bottom jaw. These are furred, and have bone inside. These lead up to slit nostrils in the snout.
Fur covers the snout completely, save for the rims of the nostrils (look at real goats and rabbits for examples).
Facial hair is allowed, and grows along the chin and jawline until the jaw spikes.
Color/Pattern Restrictions:
Generally, every part of a Capridrake can be any color and any pattern you so wish. However, there are some parts which correlate, and must match:
Horns, claws, and jaw spikes are all keratin and must all be the same color.
The ventral scales of the torso, tail, palms, and soles must all be the same color or pattern.
The flesh of the mouth, tongue, inner ears, and nostrils must all be the same color (but can be various saturations of that color.) This is the color of the drake's flesh underneath the goat fur. This color can be different than that of the ventral scales.
Misc:
Any gender, any secondary characteristics, no limits or standards on the gender or sexual presentation of capradrakes. There is no sexual dimorphism.
Wings are optional, either completely or you can choose to have your drake shapeshift them on and off. When present, the wings have 3 flanges which each end in claws, as well as two vestigial claws at the palm. These claws match the color of the rest of the claws. The webbing of the wings can be either the flesh color, or the ventral color, but not a 3rd unique color, and can be patterned if desired.
Capridrake characters cannot be used for hate speech.
Characters cannot be used in paid media (such as games, comics, etc)
Characters can be made into adopts or fursuits for sale.
Tag me here (or on bluesky) if used!
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gith-egg · 5 months
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Xenobiology githposting again but hear me out
The githyanki (and githzerai) have drastically reduced anatomy in areas the illithids presumably considered superfluous to their role, both externally and internally
One thing I would have expected to follow that pattern is small or nonexistent external ears, but they have the opposite. My conclusion:
Githyanki ears are psionic TV antennae
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themangledsans0508 · 7 months
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Witches vs Humans
Read on Ao3
Summary:
Amity has always been top of her class, not by a lack of effort. Constantly doing extra credit. Then her health class gave her the opportunity to hit three birds with one stone.
Get extra credit
Learn more about human biology
Hang out with her crush
Words: 1609, Oneshot
Warnings: None
Characters: Amity Blight, Luz Noceda
Ships: Lumity
Additional Tags: Human Biology, Witch Biology, girls doing extra credit, Gay Disaster Amity Blight, talk about biological sex, accurate to the best of my knowledge, Pre-Relationship
"At least you guys have a better health class than we do back home," Luz commented. 
"They don't teach you guys basic anatomy?" Amity asked with a raised eyebrow. Luz shook her head.
"They barely teach us about the reproductive system and gross stuff like that." She flipped to another page of her textbook. "Most of it is wrong anyways. Like, I only read fanfiction and I know it's wrong. The rest of our bodies haven't really been mentioned since fourth grade. And even then all it was about was how many bones are in our body and what our stomach, heart, and lungs do. We never really talked about any other organs or what our muscles do or anything. Here everything is so detailed." 
"So you don't know how your body works?" 
"No, I do know. Kind of, at least. Not everything but enough to know that the school is wrong." Amity looked at the papers she had set beside her.
"Well, for extra credit you can do a report on a being with a different anatomy than you. And if it's okay with you I'd like to do you. Not because I'm curious or anything just because it would be really unique," she said quickly.
"Only if I can do you," Luz bargained.
"Deal." Amity ran her finger under the words and read them out loud quietly to herself. "Species name, sex, external appearance, limbs, type of vertebrae, organs, manner of movement, diet, hot or cold-blooded, differences from my species, other notes, and space for a drawing."
"That's a lot of work for some extra credit," Luz observed.
"Eh, it's actually not much compared to what I had to do for history class one time," Amity replied. "Do you have a paper? I might have a spare."
"I have one actually. I was going to bribe King to let me do him." She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a paper identical to Amity's.
"Oh, if you want to do it on him it's okay-"
"No! No, it's okay. I'm pretty curious about witches too. So, where do you want to start? Do you want to draw me? I'll do a pose!" Amity shook her head rapidly, her cheeks a furious shade of red at the idea.
"No, no, no, no. I can do that later it's fine. I guess I'll just ask you some things. Like how are your eyes different than mine?"
"What do you mean?"
"You can see those glyphs. When you showed me that video of Eda casting a light spell, I didn't see anything. I can only see them when you draw them."
"As far as I know my eyes are exactly like yours. Maybe it's because I'm human and that's the only way I can do magic. Maybe the Boiling Isles can just sense that. But then how could I see it on my phone… I don't know actually. I'll go with no but don't quote me on that."
"It looks like most of our features are the same, at least on the outside. Besides our ears and hands," Amity stated.
"Wait, our hands? What's different? Give me your hand." Luz quickly grabbed Amity's hand and pulled it up to her face to look at it closely.
"M-my fingers are longer, along with my nails. It's true for all witches. It's for magic because we use our hands for it and our fingers are really the way we cast spells." Luz released her and scribbled something down. Amity held her hand to her chest and tried to keep herself composed.
"What about your ears? Why are they pointed?" Luz reached out to touch them before jerking her hand back when Amity jumped. "Sorry, I should've asked first.'
"It's fine," Amity decided after a few seconds.
"Fine that I didn't ask or fine that I touch?"
"Both." Luz carefully held the pointed tip of Amity's ear in between her fingers. Besides being pointed, it was exactly like hers, maybe a little softer. "I don't know why it's like that. Kind of a little weird I guess, but it could be so that it's possible to tell the difference between witches and humans. Or maybe it's because we're more sensitive to noise." Luz wrote a couple more things down.
"Can they move?" Amity nodded.
"Yeah, but I don't decide when. Some witches can make their ears move whenever they want, but for the rest of us, our ears only move to indicate our emotions or when we hear something. Can human ears move?"
"Yes and no." Luz made a triangle with her hands. "A few people can. Like, ten or twenty percent of humans. I can't. Also, they don't move like yours do. They just kind of wiggle a tiny bit. It's still pretty cool though, but your ears are cooler." Amity's cheeks turned slightly pink.
"Well, human ears are neat I guess," she mumbled.
"Oh, oh! Above your ears! Your hair! Before I forget I wanna ask you about witch hair! Can witch hair come in any colour? I've seen witches with human hair colours, but then I've seen witches with green hair, blue hair, pink hair, purple hair, I don't know if it's natural but if it is-"
"It's natural," Amity interrupted. "At least, for most witches it is. As far as I know, it can come in any colour." Luz pointed at her hair.
"Is your hair naturally brown, or green, or both, or was it brown and now it's green?" Amity ran her fingers through her hair self-consciously.
"It's brown. I dye it green because the rest of my family has green hair." She straightened her back. "Doesn't human hair come in any colour?"
"No. Human hair is naturally blonde, brown, black, red, or orangish. People dye their hair for fun. I've dyed mine before, I might still have an old picture I could show you sometime, but after my hair grew out and I cut it I decided I wanted to stick with brown for a bit."
"Is human hair the same as witch hair?"
"Probably. Wanna find out?" Amity reached her hand out, then pulled it back, then reached out again. "You can touch my hair, it's fine." Amity put her hand on the side of Luz's head. She kept it there for a few moments then took it back. She started scribbling something down and Luz shifted positions, folding her legs underneath herself and clasping her hands in her lap. "Could I touch your hair?"
"Huh? Oh, sure." She batted her hair lightly and giggled.
"I feel like a cat."
"You might be one."
"My sweatshirt agrees." She held her hand in place and ran her thumb over the surface of her hair. "Our hair is the same."
"As far as I can tell. Maybe you could use some of the things you learned in alchemy to make sure."
"I could, or I could check if the library has anything on witch versus human biology."
"That would kind of make everything we're doing now redundant." 
"More information doesn't make previous information redundant," Luz argued. "Okay, that's outward appearances done. This is going to be the hard part. Do you have different organs than me besides the magic thing on your heart?" Amity looked at her for a few moments.
"I don't... exactly know what you have for organs?"
"Oh, right. Well, I can sketch something quickly. Here." She flipped over the paper and drew an outline of a person. "Our heart is here, sans magic sac. Then we have our stomach here, then our lungs up here…" she drew each small part of the body with Amity overlooking and sketching down some rough copies in her notes.
"If that is what your organs are like, then yeah I think so. Except we also have another set of veins. Not technically an organ but that's beside the point."
"Really? For what?" Luz asked.
"For magic, duh," she laughed. She looked at her paper one more time and paused. "I'm sorry for having to ask this, but what's your sex?"
"Biologically female. I guess I have to ask yours too?"
"Same." 
"Okay, obviously bipedal, mammal, wait are witches mammals?"
"Yes, and warm-blooded," Amity explained. 
"What's your diet? Like, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, something else?" 
"I don't really have a choice, I'm an omnivore. What about you?"
"I'm also an omnivore, although I have tried some other diets in the past."
"I think that's everything, I just need to draw a model. Hang on, do you know how to cast a layer spell?" Amity questioned. Luz shook her head. 
Amity drew a few overlapping circles that were different shades. She quickly cast a spell and two of the circles flew above the paper slightly, one going a little higher than the other. Luz leaned forward and looked in between the circles. She turned her head to change angles a few times before smiling widely and drawing out one of her circles. She drew three lines above one another and then a diagonal line over those. She pressed it and the ink on the paper layered itself as Amity's had. She gave Amity a quick hug.
"New spell! What gave you the idea?" She asked, keeping her hands on Amity's shoulders.
"Well, to draw the model you need a layer spell to do the organs, then bone structure, then a normal drawing," Amity explained.
"This opens up a whole new world for art. I gotta go home, I'll see you tomorrow, Amity!" Luz haphazardly gathered her papers and hurried away, leaving Amity alone with a warm feeling in her heart.
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askbadlydrawn2pitapan · 2 months
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No reposts /srs
CW?: slightly realistic anatomy of organs and bones (if that bothers you).
Okay so I’m updating my Snake AU since it’s been bothering me that the information isn’t as accurate as I’d like it to be (about snake anatomy)! I was just going to reblog from the original, but I am adding a lot more than I thought.
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I adjusted the mouth so he can swallow things whole but still be able to eat fruits and vegetables if he wants. Viper fangs are retractable, but they aren’t like vampire teeth where they just sit above the holes and then pop out. They are attached to a muscle; that way the snake doesn’t accidentally bite itself when its mouth is closed.
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I kept the organs arranged mostly the same in the ribcage, but I feel the digestive organs would stretch out to fill the snake part of the body. The venom glands are about where the sinuses are.
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The skeletal system is mostly the same except for the fact that the ribs are different in the snake part of the body (and sorta the vertebrae). I made the teeth that weren’t the fangs resemble those of carnivores rather than herbivores.
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I changed the jaw to be like a snakes jaw so that it can stretch (the jaw doesn’t necessarily unhinge, the connection is just different as opposed to a human skull). His only opens at about a 50° angle.
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I decided to give him a hooked nose because I thought that would be fitting. I decided to give him vampire like ears because I like the visual. The tongue is like a person’s tongue, but forked and located about the same place in the mouth as a snake’s. Snakes have a separate hole for their windpipe so they can breathe when they swallow things whole, so I made that modification for him. Snake eyes didn’t look right on him, but human eyes didn’t look good. So I gave him stylized snake-like eyes. The iris is the shape of a snake’s pupil, I thought it might look better.
Headcanons:
Also, I think I still agree with the headcanons I made on my last snake AU post EXCEPT for a few things:
The venom glands sit behind the eyes (in snakes) and flows down a tube into the fang. The snake controls how much venom is released depending on the prey’s size. I had the venom glands sit either near or behind the sinuses in Luciano.
He would in fact be cold-blooded. Being cold-blooded doesn’t mean his blood would be cold, it would mean that he’d have to depend on the environment (sun, etc) to keep his blood warm. In other words, he’s an ectotherm; he doesn’t produce his own body heat.
Due to being an ectotherm, he doesn’t require as many calories.
He is more affected by temperature fluctuations due to depending on external heat sources. Due to this, he enjoys snuggling and cuddling with things or people to stay warm. He will gladly huddle under a blanket with you. He loves warm foods and drinks in the winter, but cold foods and drinks in the summer. He is still capable of overheating even though he’s an ectotherm(they still need places to cool down despite getting cold easily). His body also releases heat-shock proteins if he’s overheating to prevent denaturation.
He loves to hang out in bodies of water to cool down. He is not too fond of swimming since it’s difficult for him, though.
He also likes to sit in the shade of trees on a hot day in the summer. He enjoys the feeling of a cool breeze.
Although half of his body is nation-like, he doesn’t sweat since he is an ectotherm. He is capable of shivering and shaking (despite being an ectotherm).
Due to being an ectotherm, he is not a morning person and he becomes tired in the evening.
That’s all I have to add so far to my Snake AU. Btw, you are definitely allowed to send in asks about AUs I make, it doesn’t have to be the regular nationverse!
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upirium · 1 year
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THE GHOULS: Headshots; human, ghoul, mlems, bios
This will be a series including of headshots with my personal headcanons and characterizations of the ghouls. There will be 8 in total which I will upload daily to avoid spamming the tags all at once.
The 'mlem' is a pic with the tongue out basically for tongue and teeth visibility. I did it with Dew to get a better detail pic so I had to do it with all of them.
There will also be mentions of their 'anatomy' so keep that in mind.
also note i gave dew peach fuzz and then promptly forgot about giving it to anyone else
Dewdrop
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He's the ghoul with a secret sweet side and the hardest to tame.
He tends to lash out because he's had a shit life. He doesn't trust easily and frequently puts on an aggressive front if he's nervous or upset. He's probably the most feral and strangest of the ghouls.
When he trusts someone enough however he headbutts them and rubs his horns and face against them to show affection. Sometimes he purrs. He's also weak to being scratched near the ears and horns.
Clothing usually doesn't have a gender to him and he'll wear what he wants. They're usually more alternative styles.
In human form he tends to wear eyeliner because he has particularly sensitive eyes and uses it to absorb some of the light. He also is frequently seen wearing sunglasses outdoors.
Despite his stance on clothing being non-gender he will occasionally pretend to be a woman, with the elaborate story that he has a twin brother. No one's sure why he does it but he's good at pitching his voice.
Dew identifies as male and possesses both functioning parts. Unlike most of his ghoul pack mates his penis is external. It's spiky and scary looking to humans, usually, unless he's in his human form. He has no external testicles , his has been adapted to function internally. They're pushed up next to his functioning ovaries.
Dew is capable of baring kits, but he's not fond of the idea. Though he has a monthly menstruation period he is 95% more likely to get pregnant during heat and highly unlikely to get pregnant any other time.
Dew's voice is somewhat high male as a human, but as a ghoul it is both male and female at once.
p.s his hair is dark grey to silver gradient, but it looks black here.
He has a few ear piercings, nipple piercings, and a tongue piercing.
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froggarolli · 9 days
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Daily HC: Tinnitus, Hearing Loss and Cochlear Implants [Updated]
Fizzarolli suffers from subjective tinnitus, as well as moderate hearing loss, caused by the blast from the fireworks setting off in his face 15 years ago. The sound can be compared to that of a sharp ringing, and is pretty much constant. It can however also be triggered by external sources, causing it to grow in intensity. Everything from loud noises, or sudden shifts to silence. It makes it difficult for him to get a good night's sleep, and causes frequent headaches that he needs to keep in check with pain killers.
While not completely deaf, he is very much hard of hearing. Fizzarolli does struggle with catching noises around him and what people say to him if they're not nearby, or if they speak to him when he's not looking straight at them. He knows how to read lips, he's good at improvising, and, as you know, he knows sign-language.
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Wearing hearing aids is difficult because of the natural anatomy of an imp (what ears?), so he opted for cochlear implant which their outer shell is attached with skin-coloured tape if needed.
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He removes the outer parts during shows for the sake of avoiding radio transmitters and microphones interfering with the transmitter, mic and processor. While cochlear implants aren't perfect, they help him navigate noises around him, and greatly aid him in reading lips. He is also able to do phone calls, but it's not always that he catches everything you say to him on them. This causes... problems, with his boss sometimes.
When it comes to music and singing, it is definitely harder for him to do than it used to. This doesn't mean that he's bad at it though... it has been an adjustment, and it will never sound the same as it used to... but it's not something that stops him. Performing is something he loves to do, and music is a part of it, not his focus, anyway.
I imagine there may have been advancements in the technology behind cochlear implants in hell that's further ahead than the one on earth... considering his cybernetic prosthetics, I really don't think that'd be a stretch to say either. I'll try and stay as true to the authentic experience as I'm able to though.
Yes he should be able to talk with the radio demon, he might just have to turn off his implants is all or he'll Suffer from the frequency-
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cj-the-random-artist · 11 months
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sorry if you've answered this before, but how do you draw/proportion bodies? The way you draw poses is so nice and fluid and I'd love to see how you do it! Your art is always such an inspiration to me, thank you for posting it
Hello! So first of all, that's a huge compliment and I really really appreciate it! I don't have the words, just. Dang. I really appreciate that so so much.
As for how I draw / proportion bodies, I don't really have a fully set process or anything, because almost all of what I do has been a result of me messing around and finding out for several years. That said, I'll try to go over some of my general process here and if clarification is needed for any part of this my askbox is always open and I'm happy to try and answer.
So I generally try to start with a rough gesture-ish shape for the torso that kind of establishes where I want the torso to sit and at what angle I want the hips / shoulders to be at. It helps for a pose to look a little more natural if there's a little bit of asymmetry and if the hips and shoulders aren't exactly at the same angle. Once I have that initial shape set up, I like to add the legs on, so I can get a feel for the weight distribution.
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Also notably, I have a little marker for the head on there so I know roughly where that will be placed.
Generally after this stage I'll go in and add arms, and when I do that I'll usually make clear note of the hands, then the shoulders, then connect them at the elbow. I'll also draw on the head at this point, and for that I like to mark where the collar bone would be. There's a muscle on both sides of the neck that starts at the collar bone and ends right below the ears so that's generally a good reference point. After that I'll draw on the jawline and start marking down the head shape and where the face will go.
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After this point I'll start adding on stuff like face, clothes, etc. (This ended up being a Bdubs)
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A few things to try and keep in mind for anatomy is rough skeletal and muscle structure. I find it helpful if I'm struggling with a pose to think about where the ribcage, pelvis, and joints would reasonably be, and usually that will help me deal with most issues I might have. Additionally, thinking about muscle structure and body fat helps better establish the external shapes of the character, so I try to think of those too while I'm drawing.
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This isn't super detailed, but I also marked here where rough skeletal points are and what the angles of the hips and shoulders are.
That said, that's not the only way I think about posing when I do start on a drawing. When I'm drawing something at a more intense angle, I prefer to start with whatever part of the body is closest to the camera and work my way back. When doing a more action- oriented pose, I tend to focus more on the line of action first so that I can do more with the gesture.
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If it's not completely evident from this page, though, not every pose I draw will work out. It's fairly common for me to end up with stiff poses or ones with weird, warped proportions, especially when I'm doing more action oriented or foreshortened poses. (But of course, I don't post all the stuff I make.)
I guess to give a few closing notes, I've found that taking in information about anatomy and posing from a lot of different sources has helped me improve at it. I took a life drawing class recently that taught a very traditional manner of drawing the human figure that had a lot of emphasis on accuracy, and I took an anatomy and physiology class a couple years ago, which helped me gain an understanding of the human figure on a more scientific level, which I found very helpful. That said, I've found that YouTubers like LavenderTowne have a lot of useful information on drawing stylized anatomy and fluid poses, and her Do This, Not That videos are very informative, so I recommend looking into those a little bit for more stuff.
And a few more closing notes, that I've found work well for me personally, I highly suggest sketching loosely and lightly, and being okay with not drawing perfect poses every time. I've found, for myself, that not committing to lines right away allows me more space to find that sweet spot, so to speak, where things just work. I've found myself erasing the same lines over and over again so many times. Heck I'll draw the same post multiple times to get it to look right. It might not always look right on the first try and that's absolutely fine. Quite honestly it doesn't have to look right on the first try. For every pose I draw that turns out nice I have probably an average of 15 that have been erased or scratched out. So, like... don't get too hung up on stuff being perfect. And another small bit! Exaggerate stuff! It's fun! But it also helps capture the feeling and energy in the pose more than anatomical accuracy does, and I'd argue that especially when it comes to stylized work, it's important to push stuff to be a little bit "more" than it "realistically" would be, because I've found that can also help with fluidity. Besides, if it's been pushed too much, it's a little easier to pull it back.
I hope that long winded spiel was at least a little bit helpful, and again if any of this needs clarification, lmk! And have a fantastic day :D
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tangleweave · 5 months
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“I want you inside me.” (Vision)
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[ Spicy Consent / Accepting ]
The words were whispered into Vision's ear while his mouth was gracing Wanda's neck with a mixture of kisses and nibbles. Being able to adopt a human aspect had some undeniable perks... among them, the gift of being able to choose the elements and proportions of his external anatomy. And every last centimeter of him has been meticulously crafted to replicate the appearance and feel of a man.
One who was now lying in bed alongside her, not a stitch of clothing anywhere near either of them... her arms wrapped about his middle, her lips brushing everywhere she could reach. And while he had been content to explore the notion of titillation, the expression of this particular desire triggered something quite different within himself. He had heard of a 'rush' before, the sensation of an uptick in heartbeat and the flood of adrenaline in one's pulmonary systems to enhance the senses, response time, et cetera.
But it was something very different for an android to experience. And he knew that if he attempted to analyze it intellectually in this moment... it might well be ruined by his dedication to academia.
So, he permitted the introduction of poorly-defined 'instinct' into the equation. One hand resting at Wanda's hip, the other trailing up her ribs and sliding purposely across her ample chest and one of the peaks there on his way up to the side of her neck.
He shifted his head up and found her lips. Pressed his own to them for a languorous kiss while slowly rolling atop her. He took a long moment to let his weight settle across her, to feel the warmth of her body glowing against his. And then, he met her eyes.
"May all your desires be fulfilled," he murmured... and then he sought out her hand, and guided it down between them, encouraging her to take hold of him.
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stealthydentist · 1 year
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Did you know asari have an ear hole tucked under their bottom-most crest?  Cropped from Mass Effect Rule 34 using in-game models:
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How do you think this affects their hearing?  Do you think the structure of the crest above and the rear head-fold below could act as an external ear of sorts?  It’s not clear in the picture, but to the side of the ear hole are a series of small purple folds.  What do you think those are?  Could they play a role in asari hearing?
Also a good look at the anatomy of the back of the asari head.
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angelucifa · 1 year
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Ever wondered what Courtney's skull would look like if she would exist in real life? Well, I asked myself for a little while now. So I set myself to try to draw Courtney's anatomy of her skull.
(I left the rest of her skeleton out because I guess the skeleton of her torso and her legs and arms would not look much different from our human bones in view of the looks of her human-like body and her human-like ability of the upright gait.)
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Well, sorry if it might not look perfectly, but I just don't work in the medical area nor did I study medicine in general, I just did it because I've always been interested in anatomy issues of some favorite characters from some favorite shows whose species don't exist in real life.
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A further question I asked myself is:
Where the fuck are her auditory canals located exactly???
I mean, due to the fact that she's able to hear her friends and others talking to her she must have some auditory canals somewhere at her skull, otherwise the sense of hearing would be impossible without them. Everyone who had Biology lessons at school at least once in is lifetime knows that.
Unfortunately this question was never answered in the show, so I started to make my own assumptions about that question:
When I discovered "DEAD END: Paranormal Park" last summer and saw Courtney for the first time I first thought her bigger horns were her ears because of the holes in them. But due to the fact it was confirmed that her bigger horns turned out to be the remains of her halo being broken in the second season it was clear for me I was wrong with my guess.
Now it could be obvious for me that her auditory canals (external acoustic meatus) could be hitten between her temples and her bigger horns (see drawing below).
That would at least make more sense to myself. (Dunno if Hamish Steele would agree with me if he would read this.)
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Next issue is the looks of the bones of her tail.
I guess most of her tail bones would not differ from the anatomy of the tail of some animals like cats, dogs and other living beins having a tail. Except for her tail tip: I feel right with my imagination of the look of her tail tip like I portrayed it in the drawing below. I also added two holes in the bone of her tail tip or else it would be too heavy for her to move it I guess (dunno if I was right or wrong with my guess).
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To sum it up it took many hours for me to do research into her anatomy and to put my results on paper without being sure if I was right at all.
So what do you think? Would you agree with my guesses? Or do you even have other guesses referring to Courtney's anatomy issues? So feel free to let me know it. I'm open for your suggestions.
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routetoroadkill · 1 year
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Thinking about werewolf anatomy. (tw for body horror maybe?)
So recently I've been dabbling in werewolves and I thought to myself "what would be a telltale sign of a newbie werewolf?" I'm always hearing about partial transformation in the werewolf community where people afflicted with lycanthrope can hit a bit of an in-between during transformation where they'll have ears and tails, claws, etc. This is all fine and dandy but I want to take it a step further. In my mind, new werewolves (either turned or born) will not be able to control their transformations. Further down the line they can control this and it becomes a voluntary skill (although most werewolves avoid it because of the painful changes the anatomy goes through and how exhausting it can be), but during the first months of their lives as werewolves these transformations will need to be overseen by a parent/pack elder or whoever turned the werewolf in question. If not, serious medical issues can arise. This is where the term "Partial Transformation" comes into play. If a werewolf isn't properly educated on how to control their transformation between man and beast, they can get stuck. If corrected quickly, damage is unlikely to occur if not in minor ways. If not though, a werewolf can be left permanently disfigured by the imperfections that come from partials. The best case scenario is that a werewolf ends up with a crooked tail or an ear doesn't develop that well, etc. Worst case scenario, a werewolf can end up with external and internal deformities. The most common external deformities are usually seen in the face and legs of a werewolf since these are the aspects that tend to change the most during transformation. Werewolves can end up with twisted limbs, shorter snouts that constrict airflow, and other sorts of deformities that can impact a werewolf's quality of life. The best example I can think of are the Varcolacs from Resident Evil 8.
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Internal deformities are uncommon but not unheard of and are usually always lethal. Internal organs can be left underdeveloped or missing altogether, sometimes even ending up punctured by the skeletal system as it changes.
Another rare deformity is remnants of limbs that carry over from the previous form. Werewolves can end up with "extra limbs" like arms and legs between partials. They're never functional and are more akin to tumorous growths or warts almost. Partial Transformations are painful and can easily end up with werewolves being ostracized from packs they seek to join and usually end up having some sort of tie-in to their early demise. While partials can affect any age of werewolf, they're most commonly seen in born-were pups and made-weres who are unable to seek out the help they need. Partial deformities can also occur during unvoluntary full-moon transformation, but is almost unheard of as conditions must be at their lowest for these changes to occur. Werewolves are usually very cautious when it comes to full-moon transfers as they become very vulnerable in this state, but first time full-moon transfers can end up poorly for the lycan in question.
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chroniclingworlds · 5 months
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Mollichordata:
The dominant lifeforms on Varin are formally called Mollichordata, informally called Snailiens (snail aliens) due to their mollusk-like traits and ancestry. The ancestral Mollichordate looked somewhat like a limpet, with a protective hard shell and a soft, mushy body hidden inside. It likely lived in intertidal zones, clinging to rocks and eating biofilm and plant life.
Although the ancestral condition of Mollichordates is thin, slimy skin like that of a snail, all of the land-dwelling species have developed tough, leathery skin. Some have even evolved hair-like bristles to conserve heat, allowing them to live in polar and alpine conditions. Their eyes are similar to those of a cephalopod and they have excellent vision. Smell and taste are provided by the sensory tentacles beneath their mouth, and the “ear” is beneath a small flap of skin behind their eye. They breathe through nostrils on each side of their torso, near the shell. The genital pore is located where the neck meets the body and the Doulori cover this with scarves, necklaces, and other ornamentation. Almost all Mollichordates have both male and female genitals. They have blue-green blood.
Mollichordates are further divided into the Euconchs and the Aconchs.
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Pictured: a domesticated Euconch species, the Noro, a medium-sized Fanshell Unguloid native to the plains of Axane.
Euconchs retain their ancestral shell to which the spinal cord and organs attach. They have up to ten limbs (although some species have lost or modified these over time) with three toes on each foot. Their mouth is composed of a sharp beak for cutting and pharyngeal jaws for pulling food back into their throat. They are primarily herbivores but some (including the Doulori) are omnivorous and a few are obligate carnivores. In many lineages, the first one or two pairs of legs are used to grasp and shred food before consuming. Euconchs are the most diverse group of Mollichordates, including everything from small, elusive Primamorphs to the massive Titanipods.
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Pictured: the single domesticated Aconch species, the Musdor, a small Whip-Tongue Flageliform native to the forests of Axane.
Aconchs have fully lost their shells and evolved a more vertebrate-like internal anatomy; their organs are held in place by muscle attachments to the abdominal wall. This allows for greater flexibility of the torso and more agility. They have four limbs that each have three toes. Instead of a beak, their external mouthparts are soft, but their internal mouthparts have evolved into a spear-like proboscis used to snare prey and inject powerful digestive enzymes. As the flesh begins to disintegrate, they slurp it up with a flexible siphon. Naturally, the vast majority of Aconchs are predators.
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