#the land of entomalia

[thatdragonsdrabbles]

The Land of Entomalia (WIP)

[In case anyone was curious about my buggos in some of my more recent pieces! Here are some of my notes concerning them and their culture, although as of now all of this is still a WIP, so things may be changed in the future. ...RIP mobile users.]

A mock intro (made especially for things related to fae!reader interactions with the buggos):

Somewhere, set far apart even within the wilderness, there lies a “kingdom” divided by many walls, both physical and symbolic. It is populated by people many would call "creepy" or "unsettling," mainly from their appearance, but also for their casually cutthroat lifestyle. Though it seems to lie under an overarching umbrella, it is actually comprised of several houses, under which individuals serve in their fellows' best interests exclusively, sometimes to alarming extremes. It wouldn't be out of the ordinary for someone to kill your betrothed soon after the conception of offspring, and then have a hired assassin breaking in an hour later for an entirely unrelated matter. Some are even cannibalistic, although it has recently fallen out of fashion--purely because much tastier options have presented themselves, instead of a disgust with the practice. There are always exceptions to the rule... but never vocal ones.

One would think they all hated each other, but that was too strong of an emotion to assign to their methods. Rare is it for them to truly despite one another. Now, disdain is far more common. The largest house, House Butterfly, dislikes any house threatening to grow in size and influence or intrude upon their businesses or niches. House Bee would not humor House Wasp's penchant for violence, and conquered it. In fact, many groups have assimilated from such takeovers--some, like House Moth, irreparably changed, and others, such as the Wasps, simply repurposed--all in the constant and strangely genteel civil war.

The only thing these bug peoples can agree on, and offhanded at that, is their dislike of competition. And of the fae.

Such frivolous, wasteful folk... The insectoids would look down their noses at the fae if they had any. (Some, intrigued and with excess magic, may even mutate to do so.) The fact that fae often trespass on resources and interests they might share only serves to annoy them further. But, this dislike is more an underlying feeling than a call to arms other kingdoms might have. The people of Entomalia would hardly band together under one flag, even to rally against a mutual irritant. Disputes with the fairfolk are purely one-on-one, and likely because of an interest for the bug's house.

It would take something rather intriguing, indeed, for a bug to humor a fae's presence.

Creator’s Notes:

Territories are owned and defended by various houses consisting of lords and ladies of insectoid etc people, all vying to be the owners of the most land, wealth, subjects, or respect. Many are born into the various families in charge of each House, but some who have impressed them are welcomed into the fold, either as honorary family or marrying in. As this is not a true kingdom, there is no single ruler; groups fight each other over borders, markets and resources. But there are obvious powerhouses: Butterfly at the top, with Centipede and Beetle rather tied for second with their military might.

Entomalians are considered by foreigners, at worst, heartless and robotic, and at best, wildly eccentric and inconsequential. The sheer number of them and their focus on furthering the influence of their Houses has caused many to be cavalier with the death of their fellows in the pursuit for victory. This might partially explain why there aren't more houses, and why some kinds of insectoids and related creatures seem to be absent.

Many individuals are capable of mutating themselves, either for practicality, combat or appearance's sake. This is how they literally grow weapons from their bodies, change their sex, or simply give themselves a new feature to marvel over. The efficiency of the process varies from House to House, and even between individuals.

Notes on Houses:

There are a handful of houses in the works right now, besides Houses Mantis and Spider that I’ve shown in my first shared works. In order of influence, there’s Butterfly (conquered Moth and Lacewing), Centipede (conquered Millipede), Beetle, Bee (Conquered Wasp), Spider (conquered Dragonfly and Grasshopper [who conquered Cricket], Mantis (conquered Stick), and Termite (conquered Cockroach). More may be added, if not as an individual house, than as one of the ones conquered by these main ones. (Considering scorpions, for one.)

HOUSES

Butterfly -Conquered Moth and Lacewing

-overall avoids invasions, perhaps just from artful redirection

-overtook House Moth and subjugated them, almost pruning and selectively breeding them; in doing so, they've created small “baby moths” as an amusement and status image, and the broodmothers that are more similar to themselves are strictly monitored and have to follow the command of their butterfly superiors

Notable characters: Pier, Cotton, Byx, Silk, etc.

Centipede -Conquered Millipede

-taller than even mantises; some of them are "normal-sized,” but a few are chosen carefully and revered and allowed to grow much larger; they are "ridden" into combat, but they aren't steeds, more like going in with your commander on the front lines or a trusted soldier everyone looks up to

-They are solely carnivores, and very much into conquering

-More likely to eat any fae that wanders in, before greetings, just because they need to eat. Other houses are also in danger of this, so most don't bother negotiating with them. They're talented at many forms of combat too, so they're difficult to defend against if they have their eyes (or lack of, for some) on your land. They hunger, they eat. They need more food, so they need more land for more livestock, so they conquer.

-some have paralyzing venom

Notable characters: TBA

Beetle

-Consists of ladybugs, stags, weevils, etc.

-staunch defenders

Notable characters: TBA

Bee -Conquered Wasp

-somehow managed to conquer House Wasp peacefully; uses wasps as bodyguards

-home to a famous artist who used honey to create fantastic murals

Notable characters: Kovis, Marti, Ceran, etc.

Spider -Conquered Grasshopper [who conquered Cricket, now steeds] and Dragonfly

-Spider has strung up their lands with so much web that you can only invade via underground tunnels (like centipedes and other individuals) or water (most spiders hate water, only a few water-resistant ones); otherwise, you must use their widely regulated roads

Notable characters: Lady Hylla, Gramm, Argio, etc.

Mantis -Conquered Stick

-matriarchal leadership, council of ladies decide overall decisions for their land, with individual sections belonging to each lady; mantises that don't fall under one singular gender are respected, but are not served as the ladies

-courtship within the House depends on the individuals involved: M/F involves the male giving the female gifts, protection and fealty, although unless his duty is released he cannot disobey his own lady (if he isn't courting her, that is); F/F and M/M as they meet on more equal grounds has a bit more leeway, though certain traditions are still to be respected; relationships involving multiple genders and/or individuals can get rather complicated, but aren't entirely uncommon

-can fly and are very nimble

Notable characters: Lord Creo, Lord Ameles, Lady Hyme, etc.

Termites -Conquered Cockroach

Notable characters: TBA

“Wild” peoples

Waterstriders

Other general populace etc

Ants, flies, aphids, mosquitoes, cicadas, etc.

Snails, slugs, frogs and aphids as livestock

#original fiction #the land of entomalia #dragon writes #dragon's notes #masterlist

[thatdragonsdrabbles]

[Hmm, gee, I wonder what brought this idea to your mind! Pfft. Well, I guess I should be putting some of my more original work on this blog too. It's my writing blog, not a purely fanfic blog. Welp! *That dragon pretends to crack knuckles. Let's get down to business!]

[Note: Ameles is an original character of mine from a land entirely made by and populated by bugs and other “creepy crawlers.” Perhaps I will write a post that goes more in-depth with this world and the various characters I've created for the setting, but it's also still a work-in-progress, so things aren't all set in stone.]

Ameles/Fae reader, from nearly 200 writing prompts list 10: “ We cant keep this up forever. ” , 43: “ You’re special to me. ”, 132: “ I haven’t slept in four days… ”

“We can't, keep this up forever.”

The statement brought your attention from the vanity to your guard, antennae twitching.

To have been captured by the bizarre creatures of the land of Entomalia would have meant death for any fae, according to the stories. Any, except yourself, by some stroke of luck. It wouldn't have been difficult for them, either. This one easily towered over you, his willowy frame only dwarfed by his sister. (And that hardly mattered. Everyone here was insanely tall, for bugs—the sister seemed nearly nine-feet!) Even without the faebane blades they carried, every member of House Mantis seemed to have a form of dagger or other weapon literally growing from their arms and wrists.

Despite all of this, you had become quite comfortable living here, even as a prisoner. Your family's tales of this land had convinced you they were all emotionless, bloodthirsty people... until your capture and subsequent imprisonment several months ago.

Could you really call it a prison, though? Here you were now: In a room of your own, provided food daily, and practically given free reign of the gardens. You wanted for nothing, even if you still weathered the occasional hiss of disgust or disapproving clicks. And though you weren't allowed to be alone, you were also the safest you had ever been in your life. Things honestly could have been a lot worse.

So you asked Ameles what he meant.

Shifting, the mantis began to click. His mandibles, once a disturbing sight, had become easier to read with your time spent here. And his normally pristine clothing clearly needed a wash and tailoring. Something had him frustrated.

“It is... is still unorthodox,” he explained. The glow of the lights glinted off of his chitin as he fidgeted some more. “You are given special privileges and, Hyme has refused all offers from House Spider.”

You shuddered. Your last run-in with those spiders had... not been pleasant. Even now, the thought made your skin crawl, and you inched closer to Ameles.

Had they had any more trouble on your account? You had wondered if the increase in security had a particular cause.

“Nothing I wasn't able to handle.” You gave him a look, and his antenna swirled in a short circle. “It was, simply, a shortsighted fool with too much money for their own good. I took out your would-be kidnapper myself.”

Kidnapping? For you? There had been a few assassination attempts against House Mantis, but all had been dealt with swiftly, and were targeting the Ladies, not their prisoner... Well, if the kidnapper bad been sent from House Spider, you knew that it would have ended in you becoming a string of meals. You wondered if and why someone would go to the trouble for one mere fae, and shuddered again.

Noticing this, Ameles scoffed. “You are safe. Or, do you doubt me? My abilities?”

What? Of course not! You had seen him in action, a long whip lashing through the air as both weapon and tool. It was quite literally an extension of his arm, hidden within his wrist. Such a strange feature of his people... Sometimes he seemed quite invincible, which made any injuries he sustained rather frightening.

After a moment, the tension in his frame eased, though he still appeared rather stiff, even for him. “I... know you do not. You have, watched me train. That was an, unnecessary, accusation.”

That was an awful lot of pausing—and he was apologizing? Now you were rather worried. You stepped forward, lightly touching his arm. Despite his sometimes rough behavior, Ameles wasn't a terrible person like those old stories had made you assume. He had saved your life, though he had been the first to protest your presence in the manor.

If something was bothering him, you wanted to know. Was he all right?

He straightened, drawing his arm away. “Off! I am, fine.” It was hardly reassuring. When you stubbornly grabbed another arm, he lifted that one out of reach. The gesture brought the two of you closer, forcing you to tilt your head back to be able to meet his gaze. “Fae, do not... test me.”

But you wanted to help. What about your presence was causing them trouble? Was it disapproval from outside of his house, or within? Or was there more than simply the one “shortsighted fool” that wanted to steal you away? You may have been a prisoner, but you were being treated much better here than you had ever been at home. Barring the bad scare you'd been given at the beginning of this, after months in their custody you had grown to love this place. Through good behavior and some quiet moments, you had also earned House Mantis' trust and, you hoped, a soft fondness.

...especially Ameles.

The individual who, even with all of his protests, had still found the time to stop by the kitchens whenever you asked for a small treat before dinner. Who listened to you ramble for hours in the middle of the night about things he swore he couldn't care less about. The one who had stood by your side for the past few days, always prepared to both help and protect...

You paused, watching his antennae twirl. Squinting, you asked him when the last time he had changed his clothes was. Or bathed.

As his silence stretched, your voice may have risen a pitch as you pressed further. Had he truly never left your side, even in your sleep? How many days had it been? Wasn't he taking care of himself?

“That is... not important.” But you poked his chest until his hissed. “It is, my duty, and... I may have... I haven't slept in four days, but that is—”

You made a noise in alarm, reaching up to lightly slap his chest. Bad Ameles! Sleep was important! No wonder he was all out of sorts.

The scolding made Ameles give a much longer hiss, the noise seeming to emanate from all eight feet of his body. “I am not—a nymph! I am capable of making my own decisions, regarding my health and the duties entrusted to—”

You began tugging on two of his arms, trying to pull him with you. If he had been well-rested, it would've been like trying to drag a brick wall. Instead, he nearly stumbled while trying not to fall on top of you.

“What are you doing?”

He was supposed to be guarding your door, but he could hardly do that when he was so tired. If you were able to move him, an assassin would surely do him in. As he had said earlier, he couldn't keep this up forever. He protested, but you were adamant. The door was locked thrice over, including a deadbolt, and there were no other entrances into the room. Not even a window. Surely he could sit down and rest a spell.

“I cannot—my sister would, have my head for even considering—”

What Hyme didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

“You, want me to lie to her?”

He wouldn't have to. You would say he kept close, and that you were safe. Because that would be the truth. Besides which, you knew his sister wouldn't want him to work himself to death, no matter how strict she may appear.

Ameles stared at you, mandibles squeaking as they rubbed together. It took longer than you would've liked for him to cave, but eventually his antennae drooped as the exhaustion hit him once more.

“You... are a troublemaker, through and through.”

That was practically a “yes.” You couldn't help the small laugh as you led him away from the door. His hand caught a chair as you passed, and even in his tiredness he resolutely refused to take your bed. Still, sitting was better than nothing. A wash of relief soothed you as he finally sank into the chair, still watching you closely. The fact that it was situated between your bed and the door was not lost on you. Stubborn mantis.

There were many similarities between him and the much smaller bugs you had seen back home, but also a few differences, thanks to his interesting abilities. One of the latter was that Ameles had thin eyelids, that gradually slid shut until he'd begun to doze in his chair. Posed as he was, he appeared to you like a green-armored knight having finally taken a rest at his maiden's request, allowing her to protect him for a change. Triumph colored your smile as you reclined on your bed, paging through a book you had borrowed from his brother. You hadn't thought a bug person would be so interested in such sappy romance novels. It made you even more determined to figure out how to help, because in the end, they were just people. Quirky, difficult to understand, and sometimes difficult people, but people nonetheless.

In the last moment before he succumbed to true slumber, Ameles muttered, “...Creo... was right. You are special, to me...”

You had glanced up, a quiet “what” squeaking out of you.

“...don't know why, but must, keep safe...”

What exactly was he saying? Could he maybe... repeat that a little louder? But it was soon apparent he had already left the waking world. Glancing at the pages you'd just been reading, you weren't sure whether to accept his words as truth, or as a product of your own imagination. Either way, you buried your burning face into the book.

These bugs were going to kill you one day... and not in the way your family would have expected.

#snippets #original fiction #monster boyfriend #x reader #romantic #fae reader #ameles #mantis boyfriend #dragon writes