Fluffy Dinosaurs

[ysabetwordsmith]

 ... had unique feather structure.

But I'm still thinking Silkies.  After all the stories about hens producing atavistic dinosaurs ("They're chickens, man!  Just optimize 'em!") I am now imagining this happening ... and the resulting dinosaur going broody and sitting on Volkswagons.

Stylet would laugh until he blew Jazz soda out his nose.  Because in T-America, mistakes with your dinosaurs make you a laughingstock.

Comments

[capri0mni]

Anchiornis -- Muppet sighting confirmed!

Also, those long wing feathers are so strikingly different from the body fluff, it wouldn't surprise me if they started out as existing only for display/mating/communication, and only took on flight properties by happy accident.

There's a new channel on YouTube you might be interested in, out of PBS, called "Eons" that rounds up and summarizes Paleontology science news. And two recent videos touch on subjects in that article:

The facts about dinosaurs & feathers and An illustrated history of dinosaurs

[siliconshaman]

Of course, you realise that means Dinosaurs probably tasted like chicken...

Man, can you imagine the size of the drumsticks!

Jurassic Chicken Ranch doesn't quite have the same ring to it... but I suspect that probably wouldn't matter if you've got something the size of T-rex after you, wih it's blood-curdling, ear-splitting

BUK-BUK-BUCAW!

[redsixwing]

My household has a long-running joke about the terrifying hunting call of the velociraptor.

[siliconshaman]

Whoa... that sounds more like the Joker!! Which is pretty darn terrifying in it's own right..

[redsixwing]

I tried to find one where the dove made the "whaaaa" sound after the maniacal laugh, but no luck.

Now, imagine an entire dovecote of them doing it at once! Or if you prefer, a pack of small running theropods, who have blown their cover because they don't need it any more. :D

[siliconshaman]

Yup, that's one of those things that would have people laughing in the movies, and climbing a tree in real life..

O_O

[ysabetwordsmith]

Aaaaaand now I'm thinking of javelinas. They're small, they're cute individually, and they're delicious. But they also run in herds and are active scavengers. If you shoot one, the others may well decide to tear you apart.

Well ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

At ten times that volume, shrieked from several sides in a jungle, that would be hair-raising.

Re: Well ...

[redsixwing]

Honestly, I had a pet laughing dove (my constant companion, my buddy - he was human-bonded, so I was his flock). That's a little chilling at 10PM in a darkened living room.

The species has been known to send bird-sitters shrieking away, if they didn't expect the whole flock to LOL at the new human.

Re: Well ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

Once upon a time, we got a new housemate in October. She had a pair of rats, which she left in their cage in the utility room temporarily. So there I was, alone in the house, well after dark, in October.

*skitter skitter chee chee*

ACK!

Oh right, housemate has rats. Must not barbecue rats. Housemate would cry.

Re: Well ...

[redsixwing]

Oh, no! *lol* Yep, that's alarming.

Here's to pets, in all their hilarity.

Re: Well ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

Feel free to prompt for cackling dinosaurs if you wish. Dinosaurs are hugely popular with supervillains. But in Terramagne, you better get the details right or even random citizens will mock you.

Supervillain: "Fear my mighty dinosaurs!"

Random tween: "Dude, those are dimetrodons."

Supervillain: "My sky dinosaurs will rain doom from above!"

Superhera: "Uh, those are pterodactyls."

Supervillain: "I am riding a tank dinosaur!"

Cop: "Glyptodons are mammals." Also the SPCA and Fish & Wildlife want to have words with you."

Supervillain: "Why aren't you running?"

Cop: "Glyptodons are herbivores, you're facing me, and your mount's main weapon is attached to his butt."

Because in T-America, most people know that not everything that looks like a dinosaur is one.

Re: Well ...

[redsixwing]

I am cackling at all of the above. :D Will tuck this away for a future prompt list!

Re: Well ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

Yay! I'd love to write it out. I've mentioned that dinosaurs are popular among supervillains, but haven't done much. Although Stylet has made a few, you'll get to see those whenever the later poems post.

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> Of course, you realise that means Dinosaurs probably tasted like chicken...

Man, can you imagine the size of the drumsticks! <<

Dammit, now I'm hungry.

And yes, in poorer areas of Terramagne, when a monster goes down it may be hacked up by hungry civilians. In Easy City, an assault force of giant shrimp would be quickly demolished by swarms of Cajuns wielding butcher knives. In Africa, a dinosaur would be carved up and cooked like chicken.

>> Jurassic Chicken Ranch doesn't quite have the same ring to it... but I suspect that probably wouldn't matter if you've got something the size of T-rex after you, wih it's blood-curdling, ear-splitting

BUK-BUK-BUCAW! <<

Torn World's spearbeaks were inspired by terror birds.

[redsixwing]

Ohhhh I want to cuddle it! <3

Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

If I were still trick-or-treating, I would be tempted to make a dinosaur costume out of fuzzy feather boas, probably in tropical bird colors.

Re: Yes ...

[redsixwing]

*squee* I'd give a handful of candy for that costume.

Re: Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

You can buy maribou puffs by the pound in all colors. For a contest, I'd probably want to sew them onto a fabric base. For a use-once Halloween costume, I'd probably just coat the base layer in glue and throw them on by the handful, then do the detailing with a few yards of feather boa.