#Banana Reef

[a-smol-storm-gt-nomfs-blog]

Miscommunication (Sea Speaker)

Grian had, emphasis on had, been working on the mer ramp as he’d been calling it. That changed when two of the cleaner mers had splashed him turning into a distraction. Currently, they are playing some version of Pictionary. The avian looked at the picture intensely. Shrimpy said something the other, making the wrasse shout back. Grian still couldn’t tell what was said, but he guessed it was teasing as the shrimp giggled. “It’s not Island.” he thought aloud. Another voice sounded behind him making the avian jump. When he had turned he saw the eel mer, Banana, or so Grian called him. He’d never personally been near it before but he knew that they spent a lot of time around the two Grian was currently with. The golden eel looked at Grian, saying something he guessed was an apology, due to the neck scratching. The wrasse explained what was going on though, pointing at the picture. The eel hummed then wiped a hand over the picture earning what the avian knew was a “HEY!” from Stripe This caused Grian to sit down near the wrasse and stroke his back. The mer swam closer to grian, likely enjoying it. He spoke to the others pointing at him, Grian hoped it was something nice. Though now he could also make out the eel drawing something in the sand. The avian leaned over trying to guess what it was, it looked nest-like almost. “Nest?” He asked. The eel did a close sign with his fingers. Grian mumbled things out loud to himself. What was similar to a nest, a bed? “Bed?” Another close signal, Banana started drawing again, this time it looked like a human home- oh. “House?” The eel looked at the two cleaners. One said something but the other one nodded to Grian. “What about it?” The eel turned back to the two who sighed. “Do you mean like location?” He tried considering the ‘island’ they had attempted before. All 3 heads nodded. “Oof, uh, I mean I don’t know where from here, but, I lived near a river, as well my diet is fish. An Estuary I think they’re called.” He paused to think. “So I got used to having a bit of salt water in my diet, and the occasional odd fish, but some fish could still eat us, it was scary.” The 3 mers were looking at him, still interested. “Oh, uh, well, if you want—” he sat down. I can tell you some stories.” There was a happy splash from Stripe. “Alright uhh, well, first one, someone you know- er I think? But the dolphin, Pearl! I knew her from there, I was learning sea speech from her, but then she and her pod left?” Grian paused for a moment. “Anyways, back to the happier stuff. I first met her when we were being introduced to them. Some of the others shoved me in the water, playfully. But I don’t think she knew that as she barked, er, its what someone called it, at them until they left.” The avian smiled thinking about it. “When it came time to learn, she shoved another dolphin out of the way, she wanted me so bad.” Grian chuckled through the thought. “I hope the other one's eye was okay.” He mumbled out loud. “Uh- but we were both a lot younger back then, Pearl was I want to say maybe only triple my size then? But she was playful and had an odd, but effective way of teaching me. Honestly, I’d love to have her teach me still, but false being able to speak to me uh, well in my language-.” He did a soft cringing expression. “No- offense?” The Mers spoke. Grian couldn’t guess what, but none looked angry, so he continued. “But it worked well for me. She definitely still caught on quicker than I did. I suppose at the time, I didn’t realize how important that would be.” The eel said something but then the wrasse splashed him. Banana spoke again, smiling and showing off his sharp teeth. Grian wasn’t sure if it was a threat or not. The wrasse splashed him again, once the water fell back into the ocean the Eel shot at Stripe. The claws missed but he pushed off the sand, his back was to Grian, but the avian could make out the eel’s jaws sliding over the small mer.

The avian tensed at that. Banana turned back, facing Grian proudly, arms sticking out his lips. The avian’s wings puffed up, he could feel the blood draining from his face, worsened by the body of stripe moving around poking at the cheeks with what he guessed was its tail. It didn’t matter though as the eel slurped its arms in. Grian could see the cleaner shrimp mer was attempting to walk away, but the eel did too. Its tail shot out blocking it from the sea. It swallowed, sucking the squirming Wrasse down before turning to talk to Shrimpy.

Grian turned away this time before the eel’s mouth slid over the shrimp, he heard a swallow and looked back, tail still sticking out the mouth, it likely didn’t attempt to swallow it yet. The avian’s head turned as he could hear the faint angry yells of the wrasse. Another swallow came silencing Him and the eel sucked the shrimp down as well, there was a much more visible lump in its throat from it. Most likely it was forced into a ball or decided to curl up. Some more swallows came, the large mer’s head in the water while doing it, sucking water down, likely to help swallow the cleaners in him. Weren’t you supposed to avoid eating them though? The eel then turned to Grian, a tongue ran over its lips. Grian fell backward from his shaky legs and shook his head side to side saying no, having lost his voice. In his mind he screamed for his dumb body to move, why wasn’t he moving? The eel pressed forward, sliding under the water to wet itself before, digging a hand into the sand and, pulling itself towards Grian.

The avian finally moved his legs and accidentally kicked sand at the eel, frantically trying to push himself away from its mouth.

The eel spat out the sand, and Grian made out a growl before it pulled itself over him. It lowered its chest on the avian trapping him before licking his face playfully.

Grian pushed at the eel's chest with his feet, and his face with his hands. The mer chuckled though and licked across Grian’s face more.

The avian moved his face to the side, and soon after warm breath moved over his cheeks. Grian’s eyes moved to look, and he soon let out a loud screech just before Banana’s mouth slid over his head.

He kicked at the eel’s chest with his feet. The tongue moved around its mouth, licking Grian’s face and neck. Grian himself had shut his eyes to keep them from getting licked, using his head he thrashed it around trying to get the mer to spit him out. It wasn’t working, instead banana had started licking at grian’s neck making the avian peep in distress. Hearing it Banana paused most of his body movements, though after a swallow, one to drain the spit from its mouth, the eel moved more of itself over Grian. Grian now whipped his wings up splashing sand over the two of them. The mer grumbled and gently grabbed the avian's wings, and then the kingfisher's arms. He forced them down, but not hard, not hurting grian at all. The avian chirped loudly in distress, The eel kept on though, sending more and more of the bird hybrid in. It stopped as Grian’s face neared the back of its mouth. The avian could make out the throat moving with the small amount of breathing the mer could muster out of the water. He flung up more sand around them, though he could feel the ground slipping away from under him. He let out more panicked noises as his feet felt air. Banana wasn’t swallowing him what-. Grian felt himself gently dragged out, Banana using his tongue to make sure He couldn’t be cut by his teeth. Once out the avian saw a hand, then he turned to who it was. It was the arm to another mer, a black-tipped reef- SHARK! The avian peeped his wings flapping wildly. It surprised the shark, but it still put Grian down lightly. It then turned its attention to the noodle of a fish, Banana, scolding him it seems. It mentioned something though that surprised the Eel as it turned with an apologetic look to Grian. It warbled something back at the shark who put it down. After some pushing and gagging from the eels half the two cleaners were pushed up and out into the shallows with a small splash. Both were fine, none angry or scared even. Not that Grian could tell at least. Stripe did shout something, but when he saw Grian’s expression it shifted, before turning back to Banana and Bapping his face gently.   The shark slowly turned to face Grian. Unlike the ones he had met before it seemed gentle, a soft frown on its face, teeth not showing. It asked something to him, or started to as it stopped realizing Grian couldn’t understand it. It then used its hands, a finger pointing at Grian before asking “O-K?” The avian nodded slowly before looking nervously at the Eel. The eel had Stripe in its hands, Stripe was reaching his hands into Banana’s mouth but the larger seemed uneasy.  Grian nervously looked back at the shark who did the motion he learned meant safe. He looked between the two of them, before a slow nod, but Grian decided he’d take a break, it was getting hot out anyway.

[gradienty]

Banana Mania Reef (#fceeb4 to #c7feb2)

[stygiy]

Birthday presents 🤩

BANANYAAAAAS 🍌🍌🍌

[vax-merstappen]

on vacation with the f1 boys ✈️

i love to travel so this is just me being self indulgent lol. also disclaimer i know some of the pictures are not from the country i said the vacation is in, bear with me lol. hope you enjoy and drop me any pref requests you might have!

Lando Norris

Destination: Finland

Lando always went on a ski trip with his friends during the winter break and this year he invited you to go along. You started on the easier slopes, as you both had to get the hang of skiing again, but by the end of the day you were tackling some of the more difficult ones along with your group of friends. Afterwards, the group settled down in the ski lodge with cups of hot chocolate around a crackling fire. You all spent a few hours joking around and catching up after not having all been together for a while. To finish off the day, you and Lando went alone to the sauna where you had the chance to decompress together before heading to bed. All in all, the day was well spent and you asked Lando when you would be able to come back even though you knew the answer would be next year.

Oscar Piastri

Destination: New Zealand

During the winter break, you and Oscar did not want to travel too far from his home in Australia, so you decided to go to the nearby country of New Zealand. Both of you loved staying at the beach and so you decided to spend most of your days at the scenic shores of the country. After having a relaxing time at the beach, you decided to tour the country’s mountains together and to take in the beautiful views. A personal highlight for you is a romantic dinner with Oscar in the stunning city of Queenstown. All in all, it is a relaxing trip far from the pressures of racing that brings the two of you unforgettable memories.

Max Verstappen

Destination: Italy

For Max, a vacation was any time he could spend completely away from racing with you and his friends. So, instead of traveling far away from his apartment in Monaco, he wasted no time in going on a boating trip with all his favorite people along the Italian coast. You both spent days lounging on the deck together and nights drinking with the group at the yacht’s bar. The sea made for a perfect getaway from Max’s fast paced life and you could not be happier to get some time with your boyfriend in such a scenic place. Relaxing in the waves truly made for a great time.

Charles Leclerc

Destination: Los Angeles

Your favorite place to visit together was definitely LA. You both had friends who lived there so it only made sense to take a trip there when you both were free. You spent the days on the beach with him, either surfing if the waves were nice or simply sunbathing otherwise. Charles also convinced you to go on the most extreme rides at all of the amusement parks, giving you an adrenaline rush that kept you wanting more. So many laughs were had with each of your friends, especially when Charles insisted on winning you a giant Ferrari colored banana plush at the arcade. You had no idea where you would find space for it in your apartment, but you knew you would cherish the memories it brought to mind.

Carlos Sainz

Destination: Miami

To Carlos, it would not be a good vacation without some golf. So, you both decided to head to Miami where you could find the best of what both of you loved doing, golf and relaxing on the beach. While Carlos golfed in the mornings, you relaxed on the beachfront balcony of the house you were staying in. And during the afternoons, you would both head to the beach to relax in the sand and waves. One morning you decided to spice things up and have Carlos try to teach you to golf, but after accidentally hitting the ball into someone else’s golf cart, you quickly scrapped that idea. Your favorite memory of the trip was definitely the day you spent completely together on a snorkeling trip to see a nearby coral reef.

Lewis Hamilton

Destination: Dubai

When Lewis wasn’t racing, he still loved to be doing something adventurous. Lucky for him, you shared his love of an adrenaline rush. So the perfect destination was Dubai. Every day was filled with excitement, from riding ATVs though the desert to eating at luxurious restaurants in the city. Lewis even convinced you to go skydiving with him at the end of your trip which was an experience you knew you would never forget. There was never a dull moment when you and Lewis traveled together and you knew that once this vacation ended, you would already be planning for another.

Daniel Ricciardo

Destination: Austin

Everyone knew one of Daniel’s favorite places was Austin, Texas. So when he had a week off after the race in Texas, Daniel of course convinced you to stay with him on vacation there for the next few days. He took you to his favorite bars and barbecue restaurants to savor the food. He also took you to a ranch where you got to ride horses through the American countryside. On the last day of the trip, the two of you decided to go to a country music concert and dance the night away. Both of you loved music and so this was the perfect memory to end what was a great few days of exploring the Texan landscape. And of course you had to get a souvenir cowboy hat to remember the trip by.

Yuki Tsunoda

Destination: Mexico

As you and Yuki are both foodies, you decided to go to a place with one of your favorite cuisines, Mexico. You arranged to travel throughout the country to try different foods from various regions. Between meals, you would spend time seeing some of Mexico’s most scenic beaches and visiting some of the tourist destinations like Chichen Itza. The best part, however, was getting to spend so much uninterrupted time with your boyfriend who was always away from home. Though you knew Yuki lived the fast life, all you wanted to do with him was relax. And what better place to do it than in such a warm and beautiful country. As for your favorite food you tried? There were too many good dishes to choose!

Alex Albon

Destination: Phuket

Alex was thrilled when you agreed to go to the country he raced for. When you got there, he excitedly showed you around all of the sights and took you to eat his favorite local food. After a few days of frantically touring Alex’s favorite places, you both decided that it wasn’t truly a vacation unless you relaxed a little bit. So, you spent the rest of the week at the beach in each other’s arms, just savoring the other’s company. There were a few splash fights in the pool and the time where you jokingly pushed Alex off of the boat, but otherwise you spent your time relaxing on the sand. Thai sunsets were truly like no other and you knew you would savor your memories for years to come.

Logan Sargeant

Destination: USA

When you realized that Logan hadn’t traveled much around his own country outside of Florida, you immediately decided that you were going on a road trip to fix that. The plan was that you would go up the east coast, stopping in all of the major cities to see the sights. From Carolina beaches to the nation’s capital, there were surely a lot of things to do. And when you had a boyfriend who drove cars for a living, of course you got to the be the passenger princess. Every time a road sign showed something that sounded cool, you insisted that you stop. Your personal favorite destination was New York, where you got to show Logan a lot of the famous landmarks that everybody would recognize. Once you hit Boston, you decided to head back south to his home state and warmer weather. You would cherish these memories forever.

[divinewahine]

Fresh Reef Fish, Creamed in Coconut Milk with Veggies & Banana. Accompanied with Coconut Water. Easy New Britain, Papua New Guinea 🇵🇬

[bawkrya]

fish

Got fucked by rollover while trying to gene one of my fish.

[s-b-party]

Seven Shots for the Road

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/60049822

Includes: Angst, Alcohol, Alcohol abuse/alcoholism, Unhealthy coping mechanisms

Boothill was someone who could appreciate different types of drinks, but he did have his own personal preference. He would try to get his usual order, bartender be willing: seven shots of the same malt juice. However, he'd only take a sip from each. No more, no less. In those shots was a whole storm's worth of memories and emotions of a single wild soul.

****Major spoilers for the new continuance quest Banana Outrage: Battles Without Ninja and Humanity; also spoilers for Boothill's lore if you haven't seen it****

Sweet and mellow with a strong kick

That was an appropriate description for the flavor profile of Boothill's preferred malt drink. 

It was a rough time in Penacony trying to resolve the whole Slumbernana incident so why not treat himself to some malt juice? The AtaviSearch Forest caused so much chaos and he was up for some Asdana's White Oak right about now. The Galaxy Ranger was in Dreamflux Reef and the DJ session by Robin had ended just a while ago. He chose to wander around for a bit and during his stroll, he took in the atmosphere of the dreamscape. Quiet, dark, and interestingly normal...

Obviously when compared to the dazzling Golden Hour, Dreamflux Reef seemed more like a humble environment. There was something about it that called out to Boothill. What that something was remained unclear to the cowboy. Was it the fact that the inhabitants remained true to themselves even in a dream world? Was it the blanket of silence that could somehow relax him? Was it the whirlpool in the sky that made for a beautiful view? Almost made it sound like...home. Not exactly the same, but he could imagine being in a place like this if it weren't a dream world.

After admiring the place for a bit, he got up and mulled over whether to stop by Jessie's bar or to head somewhere else for his drinks. A gleaming star in the sky had Boothill looking up and remembering that the Trailblazer's Stern sold some good Asdana's White Oak. At the same time, he might even get to encounter the owner if he got lucky.

The Galaxy Ranger tipped his hat down to Dreamflux Reef as a farewell then made his way to the ship.

"Hmm? Boothill, is that you?"

"Hey there, partner! You in charge of mixin' up drinks tonight?"

"Yeah, after everything with the Slumbernana incident, I figured I could stop by my ship and make some drinks. Help to get my mind off it for a bit, you know?"

"Heh, yeah, I get ya."

Just like that, two friends were quickly reunited at the bar. The Trailblazer was decked out in a bartender's outfit, which they felt was a breath of fresh air from their usual Astral Express clothes. Boothill would also agree that they looked nice in a different outfit. Sleeves were rolled up to their elbows while they were wiping down a glass. A gentle smile was also plastered on their face, exposing a friendly demeanor. As they placed the glass down with a soft clink, they redirected their attention back to Boothill. 

"Now what can I get for you, Mr. Galaxy Ranger?"

"Heh, I'll have my usual Asdana's White Oak. Ya better have it the way I like it! Oh yeah, make it seven shots."

"Yeah, yeah, seven shots of Asdana's White Oak. Don't worry, they've already had bullets soaked in them. You know, I had to explain to the staff members why I needed to keep a separate stash of it with some bullets sitting in it. You can imagine the horror on their faces." They let out an exasperated sigh at the memory of the baffled crew members during training.

"HAH!!! Y'all don't get it. The bullet makes the drink mellow out, nothin' difficult to understand 'bout it. You should try it sometime."

"Hehe, I'll take your word for it."

The Trailblazer prepared the seven shots without question. After placing the shot glasses in front of Boothill, they noticed other customers at the bar and proceeded to tend to them.

The cowboy stared at the shot glasses for a moment before taking one sip from the first one he grabbed. It wasn't too alcoholic, but if it were left alone as it was without anything, its normal sweetness could almost taste too intoxicating for some.

Hence the bullet to mellow it out...

He didn't finish his first shot, but he proceeded to do the same for the rest of them. One sip from each, no more and no less...

Every shot reminded him of Aeragan-Epharshel before that happened. It was hard not to think of it when the drink just tasted and looked so much like it.

With the color of the malt juice, he could see the golden plains of his homeland. The Trailblazer left a bullet in one of his shots (he was VERY insistent the first few times about having at least one bullet for himself when he ordered his drinks) and seeing the gleam of it reminded him of the beautiful sunrises. He could imagine himself waking up before the crack of dawn to get a glimpse of the sun slowly rising to the sky. Black and blue would turn into purple and pink until an explosion of gold appeared on the horizon at the right moment.

The kick he got from the first sip made him think of the eagle's cry. If he closed his eyes and imagined hard enough, he could hear her calling out in the blue sky as she passed over the plains and canyons. She never failed to remind him of nature's majesty.

The drink's sweetness brought up memories of the horses he had raised into adulthood. Boothill kept a smile on his face as he drank. The gentle years of watching over the farm with Nick and Graey made an even deeper crinkle in his smiling eyes.

The warmth that lingered at the back of his throat conjured up happy memories of being around a fire with his family and friends. He could hear the soft strumming of a banjo and the beautiful voices singing a familiar tune. In the next moment, he could hear the steady beating of the horses' gallops as he and his brethren traversed the plains.

The clinks of the shot glasses as he placed each one down on the bar reminded him of his daughter's laughter. She was quite the crier (read: screamer) as a baby and as she grew up, she somehow still managed to maintain that distinct sound. Boothill chuckled a bit at the memory of her softly patting the guitar he used to play.

Within those seven sips, he managed to relive his past life full of wonderful memories in his mind.

A figure appeared in his peripheral and he realized it was the Trailblazer. "Are the rest of the shots not to your liking?" Under normal circumstances, they would question and fear waste, but considering this was Boothill, they chose to keep that thought to themself. It was better to be safe than sorry since the cowboy could be a Karen at times.

"Huh? Oh nah, it's just...a very old habit of mine."

"Ah, I see. I wasn't sure if the first few times were just coincidences, but you really do order seven shots and take only seven sips. Quite an interesting habit."

Boothill waited a few moments before asking, "Ain't ya gonna ask why?"

"Do you want me to ask about it? I won't pry into it if you would prefer to keep it that way. I know that we've all got our own secrets to hide. We can always have conversations about other topics or continue in peace until you feel ready to go. I just want to let you know that I'm here if you want to talk. The bar is pretty empty now since the other customers wanted to check out the restaurant so they left earlier with their drinks in tow."

"It's not like I was tryin' to hide it from you, it's just-"

To be fair, it did tie into personal reasons, but he also saw no issue with the bartender. He just never felt the need to bring it up with them during the time they got to know each other. Strangers had no business knowing about his story, but with the Trailblazer...

Boothill looked straight into their eyes. Immediately he could tell that he could trust them if he chose to be vulnerable. Perhaps it was the golden shine in their eyes that called out to him...

"Well, it's not like much would change even if ya knew...I'll tell ya."

"Hang on, I'll get someone to cover for me and we can move elsewhere in case more customers come in. Good timing since I needed a break from mixing drinks." The Trailblazer went to find someone to replace them then brought themself and Boothill to some private room on the ship. They found a chair to sit across from Boothill who was sitting on the couch. "Please don't feel pressured to tell me everything. Just go at your own pace."

"Darn...huh, where do I even start? I don't know how much ya heard 'bout me aside from being a Galaxy Ranger, but I used to be normal. I wasn't all machine and wires and chips. I was...alive. I grew up on a planet called Aeragan-Epharshel with my adopted parents. They were good people, taught me everything I know. I wish ya could've seen my home. The plains, the skies, the canyons, all of them were darn gorgeous! It truly was worth dyin' for...but I guess that sounds wrong of me to say after that muddle fudger and his goons came to fork everything up."

Boothill raised a hand up to grasp at his forehead in frustration. 

"That son of a nice lady came and he.....he took everything I loved. My parents, my friends, my people, even my lil' rascal of a daughter.....my home was taken. I couldn't save anyone or anything in the end...."

He shifted his hand on his face to gauge his listener's reaction. They simply nodded and waited for Boothill to say anything whether it was to continue or to stop. It was the first time he felt able to talk about his past. Truth be told, his rage was so loud and yet his voice felt so quiet compared to how he usually sounded. He didn't have the heart to yell or scream. In fact, he didn't want to do any of that. He wanted to cry because he was tired, but he couldn't because he was just so tired. The pain, the rage, the despair...he may be made up of machinery, but deep down, he was still a human.

Of course, he wouldn't stop until he completed his revenge, but it just feels too cruel a fate for a single soul to burn himself out on his mission.

"Those seven shots...they're for the ones I lost back then. Don't look like it now, but I used to drink all seven shots with nothin' left. Back then, shortly after I got my new body, I was too angry to care if I drank too much. Drinkin' was something I could 'enjoy' without my body sufferin' too much. Since then, I drank less because I figured they probably wouldn't want me doin' that to myself. I already set myself for revenge and turned into a killin' machine, probably could do with less drinkin' even if it seems wasteful now to keep orderin' seven. Maybe by the time I get that muddle fudger, I won't be able to drink anymore, heh...for now, it's the only way I can do somethin' for them when I couldn't back then."

Boothill sighed then leaned back on the couch.

"Ya know, my module's not meant to keep a lotta info, otherwise I crash. I kept some important memories of them in there, but that Asdana's White Oak also helps me to remember them. I just keep seeing them whenever I have my malt juice...makes me feel like I'm home again. Well, that's all there is to it. Now ya know the story to my old habit."

The Trailblazer looked at him with understanding. "I'm sorry...and thank you, Boothill. I figured you've been through a lot. I hope one day...you can find peace wherever that may be in this universe."

"Heh, maybe one day although I'm doubtful..."

The Galaxy Ranger and the Trailblazer could only hope that they both find whatever their hearts desire at the end of their journeys. May their hearts burn bright as they move forward to their futures.

Seven shots for the road

One for Nick

One for Graey

One for my lil' rascal

One for my friends

One for my people

One for my home

One for the me that died with them

****Based off that one scene in the quest where Boothill ordered seven shots but only took a sip from each, the imaginary angst set in real quick after reading that lmaooo

Also I don't know much about the specifics of alcohol so some of this might sound inaccurate if you know mixology and/or bartending oof I'm sorry T^T****

[usermakki]

i have a deep love for taking ao’nung to the forest fics. the idea of him getting up close and personal with an ikran, falling off a pa’li or teaching him how to use a bow only for the string to bounce back and hit his nipple - making you laugh as he winces at the sting

author’s note ; not the string hitting his nipple 💀 lamb my dear!! my introduction to this concept was through your last ao'nung drabble and i fell in love with it, like honestly 😭 it's so cute, so soft, so sweet!! and i couldn't help writing something about it. this is bad and rushed, but it's because i did this just now while at work lol i was looking over my shoulder every 5seconds

content ; na'vi! reader, established relationship, a lil bit of dumbass ao'nung, fluff, reader teaches ao'nung how to track, lowercase intended, this is unedited

being back in the forest feels refreshing.

there's familiarity in the way the wind blows, how it calls to you and welcomes you home. you've had been living long enough in the reef to fail to remember the path you used to take back to your marui, to forget the symbols you carved in the bark of a tree. it'll take a while until you feel like you belong again, and until then, you'll experience it all as if you've never known this place.

having ao'nung close by, going through the same process of acquainting himself with the forest, makes you a little bit glad. he's making a much bigger fool of himself than you are.

"these paw prints are exactly the same. i can't tell them apart."

you can sense how frustrated this makes him. he's used to navigating clan life as an adult, an experienced warrior who has taught many metkayina children how to hunt and handle their weapons, but here in the rainforest, he's reduced to a confused youngling once again. you don't blame him, but you do find humor in his predicament.

you squeeze his shoulder in reassurance, and he instantly relaxes under your touch. pointing at the first print, you begin to trace out some of the differences between them. "this print is more shallow, and the indentations of the claws are faint. either the animal is still young, or very light for his size.” he follows every movement of your hand. “and that means not enough meat.”

ao'nung only sighs, adjusting himself on his haunches. the movement makes the ripple-like stripes on his back shimmer under the early sunlight. the lighter green tone of his skin is a beautiful contrast to the darker and bright colors of the forest surrounding you. he looks prettier than you've ever seen him.

"but we can go back to this some other time." you pat his back. "get up big guy."

you step away to retrieve your bow to leave, but stop in your place when you notice that ao'nung hasn't budged. he now stands in the same spot, hands on his hips, staring up at the canopy of the trees. the expression of contemplation on his face is too cute, and you have to smother a giggle.

"what is it ?"

"kiri said we'd find some banana fruits here, but i don't see it."

"we're gonna have to climb the trees to find them."

"and how do we go about that ?"

you falter in place.

"well you just-you just climb." stuttering in astonishment. "do you not know how to climb ?"

"i never had to climb something before!"

the laugh that leaves your mouth is embarrassingly uncouth. "wait until lo'ak hears about this."

your heart is happy to be back.

lovehina© 2023 All rights reserved. Do not repost, reupload, translate, modify or claim my work as your own.

[cutiepieautistic]

Who here wants to infodump? I'll go first!

The giant Pacific octopus is the largest known living octopus.

Octopi are extremely intelligent,and due to their lack of exoskeletons and proper endoskeketons,they can easily fit into even the tiniest of openings in tanks,coral reefs,rocks and more!

This also allows them to feed on seacreatures that have shells with only very tiny openings.

There Is two types of known nautilus genera,composed of nine living species.

There is various types of giant insect and arachnid species,aswell as giant marine arthropods.

A few of these are: Japanese spider crabs,king crabs,giant wetas,huntsman spiders,atlas moths,and goliath beetles!

Blue pigments rarely occur in nature.

There is a very rare type of purple pigment,which is only produced by a rare seal snail. Just a few grams of this pigment,can cost many thousands of dollars.

Blue raspberry flavoring is based off of a real type of raspberry,although it is not actually bright/neon blue in color.

Artificial banana flavouring,is actually based off of an old strain of the banana plant,that is extinct in the wild.

Bunnies and hares,are not rodents but are infact actually lagomorphs.

Some metals are so soft,they can be molded like putty,while others are pure liquid when warmed up in your hands!

Lobsters can come in a wide array of color morphs. Some examples are: translucent,opalescent lobsters.

Pastel blue,yellow or pink lobsters(known as cotton candy lobsters!)

Brown. Reddish brown.

Greenish brown. Green. Black. Dark blue. Medium blue.

Dual colored. Tricolored.

Multicolored.

Saturated yellow,or medium orange. Dark yellow.

Bright orange and red lobsters rarely occur in the wild,but this can actually happen, in very rare instances. I believe I may have also seen purplish lobsters aswell.

Rolly pollies,also known as terrestrial isopods,breathe through gills on their undersides.

They are not regular insects,but are infact highly adapted marine organisms.

An octopus naturally has eight arms,but some are born with six or less,or lose their limbs.

Squids have two large tentacles,and various smaller arms.

Female octopuses are extremely good,and protective loving mothers.

Octopuses love to play games,and play with toys. They can even pose for photos!

Octopuses often use coconut shells,seashells,and other naturally occurring (or non naturally occurring!) Resources to disguise themselves,and hide!

[mfred]

Welp, I've spent a lot of money in July and it's barely half over. Yes, I am the problem. But let's talk about fun stuff!

What I bought:

Two dresses, one in yellow daffodils (on sale) and the other in blue with multi-colored flowers, and one pair of FROG PRINT pajamas from Lesley Evers. Frog print!!

One green check dress and one purple tunic sweater from Gudrun Sjödén, on sale.

Two short sleeve shirts from Peau de Loup, one cherry print and one with koi fish. They are masc style for femme and non-binary bodies, size inclusive, and upcycled fabric. On sale.

Two hats: one straw fedora because I look so fucking cute in it and one cotton bucket hat for the beach. Sun protection is important.

Two pairs of platform flip flops from Reef, because they were on sale and I couldn't pick between the colors.

Bananas foster nut butter and peach bourbon jam from Big Spoon Roasters. If you enjoy interesting flavored nut butters, Big Spoon Roaster is the way to go. I highly recommend the vanilla caramel and the pistachio.

Two bras, on sale, and I had points to spend. Mid-range busty gals (up to an F/DDD), go to Evelyn & Bobbie for wirefree bras.

Three baguette rings (pink tourmaline, aquamarine, and crystal) from Caitlyn Minimalist. Again, couldn't choose between the colors.

A cat toy for the little monsters who live rent free in my home. They probably won't play with it.

Books. It was buy 2, get 1 free or buy 4, get 2 free. You know I went for 4.

Mooncat nail polish. Three colors from their Powerpuff Girls collection, one thermal, and one gold flake topper.

An orange chair from Wayfair that matches my cat. Not on purpose, but a happy coincedence.

An automatic espresso machine that does everything. It makes delicious coffee! I know because my dad has one and I loved it and when I saw it was on sale for Prime Day, I had to have it.

New wireless earbuds from Jabra that some running magazine swears stay in your ear, on sale for Prime Day. My Google ear buds are always falling out of my ears when I talk, chew, walk, tilt my head, etc.

Me looking at my credit card statement in August:

[a-smol-storm-gt-nomfs-blog]

One stroke forwards, two paddles back Sea Speaker

There's a mix of fluff and angst in this, ofc some nomfs/vore but no mentions of hard.

Grian had sat down in front of a, uh, wall of mers? It was the four from a couple of days ago: Banana, Stripe, Shrimpy, and the Blacktip reef he’s been calling i. Shrimpy was in front of i, giving Grian what he guessed was a biology lesson. It had been an hour since he’d got there and Grian was getting tired of the heat. The Wrasse was drawing something in the sand, and Banana was looking over at the drawing. The eel moved to start his version of the drawing. The avian snapped his head up towards Shrimpy as the mer talked about the gills. “Gills yeah?” The cleaner shrimp nodded. He reached out to Stripe and gently maneuvered his tail onto the sand, showing off his gills there. He then pushed the tail of the wrasse back into the water. The shrimp then put his arms out towards the mer’s face in a tada-like motion. Grian did a small clap to not be rude. The teacher moved over toward the drawings and waved Grian over. He peered down at the pictures, it took a bit but he could make out organs. Shrimpy talked to i and he rolled over onto his back. Pointing at one of the organs the shrimp pointed to the mer’s side, the avian guessing he was mentioning where the organ would be. Grian pointed at the bottom of the two stomachs, Grian was sure it was something like Scar’s, though Scar hadn’t hurt him, would that one? They all did a motion, Grian focused on i’s though, as he did an eating motion. Oh so that was the stomach, he pointed to the one above. After a bit of back and forwards, i did a hug over his chest. Grian looked at the mers confused, causing Shrimpy to write out what he was slowly learning meant “safe.” The avian seemed nervous though, that's likely what Scar had him in, Pearl too.

He looked up as a small splash hit his feet. The shark had rolled back over, his mouth open, and Shrimpy held out an arm, telling Grian to go.

The avian felt the blood drain from his face instantly. He felt his but hit the scorching sand. His wings out and fluffed, his heartbeat going miles per hour.

Grian was panicked all he could think about were those other two sharks, the ones that tried to eat him before. 

A splash shook him from his thoughts, he saw Stripe splashing towards him, Banana got him to stop once Grian was looking at them both. The wrasse sighed before making his uppies arms. Grian stared at him for a bit, but shakingly got to his feet, gently pulling the mer up into his arms. As soon as he did the small mer placed his arms over the avian’s chest, like a hug. After a bit Grian’s breathing slowed, helping the avian calm down. He turned to i and Shrimp nervously, the two themselves looked scared. Stripe grabbed a finger, getting the kingfisher's attention back, he then hugged it, Grian knew it meant something similar to trust. Grian closed his eyes, not liking the idea. His mind raced, images of the jaws coming at him from the boat, fresh as if it had just happened again. Again the wrasse's hands pulled The avian out of it. Stripey now did a pleading motion. Grian stared softly at the mer but then nodded yes slowly. They smiled and pointed toward the black-tip shark. Grian shakily approached, its jaws opened slowly this time. The avian paused in front of it, holding the wrasse like a child would its stuffed animal. Stripey wriggled, and Grian carefully kept hold. The shark scooped up some water in its mouth, its head tilted up as it asked for the mer. The avian itself paused, worried, but the mer wriggled out of his hands and landed in with a splash. The kingfisher expected a swallow, but none sounded, instead the wrasse surfaced and offered a hand. Grian’s heart raced again but he took a step up onto i’s lips, looking in. It was just dark enough from the water that he couldn’t make out the throat. The avian shut his eyes tightly and stepped off the lips, landing with a splash into the mouth. What Grian wasn’t expecting to do was slip, but he pushed his head up to breathe, his eyes opening. He- he had just walked voluntarily into a mouth. Oh god, he just walked into a shark mer’s mouth-.

He turned around to see the lips closing. Something brushed him, and a startled chirp exited his lips, when he looked down he saw it was just Stripe, so he offered out his hands. The small mer accepted and Grian picked him back up. He watched the light fade when the jaws closed. The avian swallowed nervously, and just as he did the tongue came up under him. At first just brushing his feet, though eventually led to them being pinned the two gently to the hard pallet.

Grian whimpered softly as a swallow sounded. He didn’t move much though, instead, the water drained. The shark moved his head back to a neutral state causing Grian to fall softly with the tongue. The avian swiftly moved the mer out from under him who gave a thumbs up and some soft rubs. Grian turned around a little, eyes staring down the throat, he felt something under him, a hand he thought, but soon after the tongue moved up again. The avian held the mer close to his chest, hopefully not too hard, but he had shut his eyes but still managed to yelp as he was dropped down. His feet pushed at the throat under him, and his descent halted when the avian pushed his back out to the far side of the throat. He hadn’t opened his eyes, but his heart was racing, his legs and arms shaking.

He could feel the smaller mers eyes on him, so he slowly opened his own to look back at theirs. They took a small hand and put it on Grains before rubbing it. The avian blanked for a bit and snapped back when a large hand pressed in at his feet from the outside.

Grian’s eyes shut his head shaking no. He wanted to speak, but his throat felt tight, he felt terrified.

A cold hand pressed against his chest forcing Grian’s eyes back open. It was Stripe again, his hand rubbing against the avian’s chest, his movements a bit slow.

“I- I’m sorry.” He said softly, his voice shaky. “I- It’s.” The mer’s fins went up showing ‘listening.’

“B-before I met S-scar I- t-two sharks, me-mer ones, had, they almost ate me I-.” Grian’s voice quivered harder as he thought about it. He slid the mer to one hand to wipe his face.  A hug broke his thought. The small mer hugged his chest, near his neck so his arms could wrap around the avian just that bit more. Grian hugged him as well, a hand stroking Skizz’s back. Once Stripe’s head was near Grian’s own he could make out soft gasps. The mer needed water, the kingfisher thought to himself. He turned his head to look down but stopped as he saw the inside of the neck move from the larger mer’s breathing. The avian’s chest heaved a tad quicker, once again his attention broke from the small mer. Grian opened his mouth not sure what words to say, but he finally got out some. “H-hold on.” He spoke softly. He hugged the mer to his chest before sliding his legs down. The avian balled up, a swallow went again pushing him and Stripe down. His body smacked the walls a bit but nothing too harsh. He’d halted, from no fault of his own this time, as they hit a tighter spot. Grian turned to look behind him, but couldn’t see much more than moving throat walls. The avian heard the sound of the swallow before it moved him, He grunted as he was forced through the muscle, and into an open space. He slid down into a splash, as he hit the water he let Stripe go. The mer went in a couple of loops around Grian. The avian himself was pleased his small friend was breathing again. “S-sorry about that I- I kinda forgot you needed water to breathe.” He hung his head in shame. Stripe came up and nuzzled against the kingfisher's cheek, it helped grian relax. A swallow sounded and he turned around and stood up. Water poured through nearly knocking him over. The two stared at the entrance wondering if they should be expecting someone. After a bit of nothing, stripe asked likely what they were both thinking. The shark responded softly, a hand coming up and rubbing under Grian. The avian felt unnerved by it, so to distract himself asked. “I-is someone else coming?” Stripe shook his head no. “Okay, thanks.” The fisher looked around him, it was pretty dark, his eyes able to make out some of the shapes of the walls. He stared intently around before starting to walk over to a spot that sat just above the water.

. He felt something brush his leg, it made him feel a bit ticklish, looking down he could make out the shape of Stripe following him. Grian smiled at the motion, it was nice knowing he had some comfort in the form of the wrasse. He went to sit down on the wall, his mind not at all thinking about how slippery it would be. He sat down, but the muscle shifted under his weight causing him to slide with a surprised yelp into the water. Grian shook his head after surfacing. Ahead of him, he could make out the sound of Stripe laughing at him The avian let out a playful gasp, the wrasse looked at him confused. “I see huh? That's how it is hmm?” Stripe caught on that time and backed up. Grian slammed both hands into the water sending a small wave over the mer. The avain knew it wouldn’t be that effective, it was a mer after all. The King Fisher stepped back once trying to find the small mer. He failed though as Skizz pulled at his legs, Grian yelped then laughed, but it changed to a woah as he fell over into the water again. He got back up and into a sitting position, then the avian reached out, gently grabbing the mer in his arms. And pulled him to his chest hugging him. “You think you can escape me? Hmm?” He asked playfully.

Stripe looked at him a bit nervously, but Grian smiled wide before tickling the small mer. The wrasse erupted into laughter, its tail splashing at the surface of the water.

The avian bleghed as some of the salt water got in his mouth, but he started making fake eating noises as he tickled. His finishing move came as a couple of raspberries into The mers belly.

“Do I win?” he asked Stripe while the mer recovered.

A couple breaths later the wrasse shook his head no.

“Oh really?” He moved his hands like he was about to tickle, he felt the mer tense, but then Grian started spinning him around.

After realizing what was going on Stripe relaxed, body going looser, letting out what the kingfisher was confident was a “weeeeee!”

  The spinning continued till Grian fell on his back with a splash. Pushing out his arms and legs he floated on his back over the water. He watched the dizzy mer sink to recover. The avian chuckled at that and continued floating while his head cooled off. The mer seemed to get better first as he surfaced and swam up to Grian, laying his head and arms across the bird hybrid’s chest. “So do I win?” Grian asked again, jokingly. Stripe splashed him making Grian giggle but then stopped to cough at the salt water in his mouth. Once he spat it out, the avian went back to floating. The Wrasse returned to lay partly on him. It was just that for a while: Grian relaxed and almost forgetting where he was. That changed when the water shifted under him suddenly, the avian fell forward against the far wall with a wet smack, and the water came back as a wave and splashed him. Grian used his feet to push himself up above the water, he sturdied himself only to fall face forward back under when the shark shifted positions again. A hand pressed at the avian, he backed up until he slid back on his butt. The avian got onto his knees and coughed up the salt water. He heard some chirps, from around him, the walls moving as the shark spoke. “Stripe?” he called, the mer came to the surface. “W-what happened?” The mer pointed at the water and then did a fast wave motion. “Fast- like a current?” The mer stopped to think before nodding yes. Grian let out a small thanks before moving to try and sit on the spot again, being careful of his weight.  He felt the muscle move under him, but he didn’t fall. It wasn't the most stable or comfortable position, but sitting down in the water might cause his face to get splashed a lot.

Almost as soon as he was stable, he felt something press in at his back. Grian cheeped loudly and Jumped up.

There was a sound that echoed from above, the avian wondered if it was an apology. Stripe swam up to Grian again, rubbing himself on his leg, before going to the wall and pressing a hand there. After a little i pressed his hand back, Stripe waved the avian over. Grian stared at him for a little before walking over. The mer did a down motion, and Grian got on his knees. Then Stripe grabbed one of the avian’s hands in his own, taking it he slowly pressed it against the sharks. The kingfisher's eyes glanced back down at the wrasse, the wrasse was smiling, and after a bit it caused the avian to grow a small smile. The wrasse Jumped at Grian when he did that, excited. The avian struggled but managed to catch him. “You sure you aren’t part flying fish?” Grian asked jokingly. Skizz chirped something to him but all the avian could do was give him a confused expression. The walls and water splashed slightly around them as i spoke. Grian hugged Stripe close to his chest as it happened, his eyes frantic dashing around him. A small wet hand gently placed On Grian’s own pulling the avian’s attention back to Stripe. The wrasse likely responded to the larger mer, but while doing so did a motion with the Kingfisher’s hand, telling him to pet the the smaller mer. After a bit of processing on Grians part, he slowly rubbed his hand up and down the Wrasses’s back. It seemed to work as the avian’s heart rate calmed. Eventually doing a small gasp releasing a breath he hadn’t noticed he was holding. Stripe brought up one of his own hands to Grian’s cheeks. His eyes closed pretty much instantly, and he leaned slightly into the hand. He was taken back from it as he heard loud splashing. Right away he could see the tail of the small mer splashing excitedly, Grian swore he could even see stars in his eyes. The avian pet the mer more, helping him relax again.

It was nice after that, Grian got more used to the movements of the walls, the water, and the sounds of the heartbeat. In Scar it was all there, but he had been too stressed to think about it.

The avian made his way to one of the walls, laying against it rather than trying to sit on the one spot again as it wasn't as comfortable as Grian thought.

Grian’s managed to calm down, the shark pressed a hand to him again but he didn’t get much more than tense, and only for a little. Instead, he started feeling the walls, soon after a rumble came from the mer, at first grian was panicked, but as he saw Stripe do what the avian was doing he understood it was good. The walls seemed to press in some, but it wasn't forceful it felt more like a balloon. The muscles didn’t fight his body like a swallow would, more like his body formed the shape in the walls. Had the muscles relaxed maybe? Was it possible that Grian’s stress caused the mer to get worried too? Stripe at that point came to check on him, but he felt fine, instead he rubbed at the walls more, slightly able to see the walls move in under his hand.  “Honestly if it wasn’t for the fact that I suck in mouths full of salt water so often I might like this more.”

There was a coo of some sort from the shark, the muscles around Grian shaking some, this time the avian didn’t jump away from it though, it felt like a kinda weak massage.

Grian went back to rubbing, and he could make out a purr-like noise, it was odd, he’d never thought a mer could do such a thing. Also not that the avian would ever say it out loud, but it did feel nice. He could even feel his back muscles relaxing.

He closed his eyes a little, his head sinking back into wet muscles, his eyes even started to close a little but he blinked himself back awake, not really tired, just pretty relaxed.

He shifted his body around a little so he sat more comfortably, his eyes on his toes as he played in the water with them.

Stipe must have thought he looked comfy as the little mer came up and wrapped himself up on Grian’s lap. The avian didn’t even hesitate to move an arm out to gently stroke the wrasse. His other arm still petting the walls behind him.

One thing the avian did remember from Scar’s compared to i’s sto- mm, they said it wasn’t that, sooooo crop I guess? He remembered the hug motion the shark did. Anyways, Scar glowed, i didn’t, or at least he wasn’t making himself glow.

He looked down to ask Stripe but the mer looked pretty comfortable so he decided against it. He used a thumb to gently scratch under the Wrasse’s ear-fin thing. It made the tiny mer rumble, Grian felt it more than heard it.

Grian smiled and softly chuckled at that. Stripe opened his eyes to see the avian’s reaction, but his only movement was to wrap his arm around Grian’s thumb, likely enjoying the feeling. As the rubbing continued, the walls seemed to wrap gently around Grian more. The avian only noticed as it brushed the elbow that was originally just touching the floor. Though the kingfisher didn’t feel tense, scared, or any of that, instead he kinda liked it. Without the pressure from the muscles, it felt kinda nice. He could feel the shark’s breathing as his feathers shifted alongside the walls. As his arm tired, he gently grabbed some of the muscle that surrounded him, stoking it with his thumb much like he was Stripe at the moment. The shark let out a small rumbling coo, it seemed like a question so Grian did his best to answer what he thought he asked. “Uhh, I’m guessing you asked how I'm doing?” Of course, he wasn’t confident. He felt a single tap on his back, Scar must have told them about that. “Alright, but yeah, I'm doing good, Stripe is uh, sleeping I think.” He spoke softly not wanting to wake the mer in his lap. He paused for a bit but added. “Thanks, for uh, helping me get used to this type of stuff.” The feathers resting along the muscle shifted as the mer let out a happy coo. “I kinda just wish the water was warmer.” The mer chuckled, or that’s at least how Grian took it. “You- okay with me asking stuff?” There was a single gentle tap to Grian’s back in return. “You mentioned it was like a hug before, so is this a relaxing thing for you guys?” It was a single tap, but it seemed unsure, so yes but not completely, or at least that’s how grian took it. It’s possible it's not the main use either, as much as Grian would like to admit, he’s sure these didn’t evolve to just hug another mer inside their body. “Is this where Stripe and Shrimpy were when Banana at- er swallowed them the other day?” One tap, much more confident this time. “Do the rubs feel nice?” Single tap, Grian smiled.

“I'll keep that in mind.” A soft coo answered the avian. “Do I feel weird? With my feathers and all?” 

A soft no, possibly the mer being worried about how Grian would react.  “Hmm.” He responded his stroking slowly stopping for both mers as he placed his head back against the fleshy wall. “I’m guessing you’re used to it, but does it- or more like did it feel weird having someone pressed up against your- like- uhhhh.” He paused to think. “Wallssss?”

There was a hum, or something similar at least as the shark paused to think, but after a couple of minutes no response. “So maybe?”

A yes was tapped.

“I need to work on getting a signal for maybe, does 3 taps sound good for that?”

A single tap answered.

“Alright, thanks.”

Another calming coo.

“I wish I knew your guy's names, calling you i, uh, just feels weird.”

The large mer chuckled in response, seeming to agree.

“Maybe we can do more of that guessing later.”

There was a tap in agreement.

The avian went silent soon after, not sure what to ask. The mer took it as them being done so started talking to what Grian assumed to be the other two mers.

As the shark mer spoke, the kingfisher's feathers would move softly, his back, neck, and head brushed by the shifting muscle. His eyes did feel a little heavy, but that stopped when he thought his body slid a little.

There was a curious rumble from above, Grian didn’t answer not thinking it was for him, but when a hand pressed to him he answered. “Huh? Oh yeah, I'm good. . . thanks.” The Shark cooed to him and slowly released his hand.

  To keep himself stable Grian moved his arms around, if it happened again, he wouldn’t fight a nap, he wouldn’t slip, hopefully, Grian just silently prayed he wouldn’t somehow drown during it. Sadly before Grian could do that he felt himself thrown back into the water startling him and Stripe wide awake. He struggled for a bit to his feet and only then noticed the walls closing in. He turned to Stripe who also seemed nervous though, the small mer didn’t expect this either. Grian felt cold brush his chest, as the walls moved in the water rose. The avian chirped in distress and started swimming up, using his wings on the surface of the water as a floating device. The Wrasse came up to Join him, putting itself into Grian’s tired arms. Shortly after the muscles smushed into the avian, thankfully though the water level seemed to stop just below his collarbone. His feet pushed out at the muscles but he couldn't get a grip at all, too wet. The water sloshed splashing grains face, some getting in his mouth which he promptly spat out, he wriggled an arm up to try and get more out which instead dropped more in. So Grian moved to stick his tongue out letting out disgruntled noises.

It only seemed to click to the mer then what could have been going on, he tensed before struggling and trying to push out, he hadn’t noticed he’d been slipping till a splash smacked him, it was from the wrasse.

He looked down at the small mer causing his attention to catch on the water level being at about his chin. Right okay, no doing that.

Grian went to pet Stripe, trying to calm himself down.

The avian could make out the shark around him trying to speak, being cut off by- Scar, wait what the heck was Scar was doing?

The wrasse said something, or kinda shouted it, likely trying to ask what was going on.

There was a response from Scar instead of i. It sounded excited then a question.

Stripe growled back something or started to before Grian spoke.

“Scar?” He asked.

The walls pulled back pretty much all the way when the avian asked. He let out a soundless scream as he was sent plummeting back into the water. Bubbles left his mouth with a gasp as his back smacked against the smushy floor, but the avian pushed himself back up above the water, nearly falling back into it.

Grian heard what he had learned to understand was his name a couple of times, before a long silent pause, likely as scar realized. The silence was broken as Grian saw two hands or arms pressing the walls closer to him the avian panicked, and the water splashed around, smacking his body with the cold saltiness.

Finally, the shark got something out over the constantly worried warbles of Scar’s voice silencing the mer, and causing him to remove his hands. Grian picked up on the two words, likely just being Scar stop. There was silence, or no it was a lot quieter besides the panicked beating of the 3 hearts in Grian’s vicinity, his own heart nearly drowning out the other two’s. Scar’s voice sounded his normal high pitch, but, with an additional slight brokenness to it. Though it didn’t sound like an apology at all, more like begging. Who it was directed at Grian wasn’t sure, but he didn’t think it was himself. It was still for a bit longer, but then Grian felt himself slowly sliding down onto his butt as the walls shifted around. Or well as the Shark shifted from standing straight up to laying back down and swimming.

The avian panic hugged Stripe to his chest but made sure the wrasse was underwater, not wanting to suffocate him again.

The swimming this time was much faster, and the walls remained tense for the ride back.

Once back at the island, The walls came in, but this time they pushed Grian, Skizz, and some of the water up.

Grian puffed out his cheeks as the water came over his head, it rushed past him quickly, the Avian able to make out light.

Eventually, the two were pushed out onto Impulse’s hand. As they were lowered Grian walked Skizz to the water, Just before he could put the mer down Scar’s hand grabbed them both.

He looked up feathers fluffed out, this was not the best time. Scar seemed to have no awareness though as he opened his mouth and Brought Grian closer.

“S-scar d-don’t please,” Grian begged quietly. The other shark mer must have heard him as he lifted a hand, scar growled at him though, making Grian shiver. His savior came in a small package as Skizz chomped on Scar’s hand making the whale shark hiss and drop them both with a smack into the shallows. Grian groaned, his head sore from the fall. Scar’s hand came back out already but Banana pulled himself in front of the two. Scar growled again but Banana shouted something at him making Scar’s face drop. His Green eyes slid over Grian’s shaking body. Banana said more to him, defending Grian and Stripe and making the huge mer back down, lower his arm, and turn away. Stripe came back up to the avian, and Grian himself hugged Banana from behind. The eel mer slowly reached out an arm, stopping before touching the avian which Grian had learned now was him asking for permission. Grian nodded and the mer reached his arm in and pet kingisher’s hair, his tail coiled around the avian as well. He slid his head down into Banana’s chest, his eyes closed and his heart racing, but the two mers were able to slowly help him calm down. That was enough for today, and he likely wouldn’t want to be stored for a couple more after. His eyes eventually opened and he went to look at Scar to see his reaction. The whale shark was sad, probably feeling bad, and Grian knew he wanted to put him in the muscle hug. The avian wasn’t feeling it though and turned his eyes away, Scar seemed to get the hint this time as a wave shoved the group around a little when he dove back under. Then for a while, he snuggled into the group’s hugs, thankful they were willing to tell Scar off for him.

[sohannabarberaesque]

Some fresh Hanna-Barberian food for thought

Shelley and Jabberjaw, during one of those "golden hour" dives in some especially fascinating coral reef, managing to catch at least five episodes of dolphins mating their hearts out, such sending the most unlikely of pairs into romantic inspiration as further eases on Shelley's unease and finds her a little more sympathetic to JJ.

Yogi Bear, on a lark, urinating in the vent hole of Old Facefull Geyser back in Jellystone Park and not managing to get embarrassed over the episode, or its possible consequences with the next eruption therefor, considering that such is at night for the most part.

Just as Mr. Jinks goes into his "I HATES MEECES!!" spiel targeting Pixie and Dixie, it seems the aroma from that genetically-modified catnip wafts into the house, what with the windows open to get some fresh air inside, and drives Jinksie into a stupor unlike anything else endemic to being under catnip's influence.

During the Hair Bears' mating season road trip, a fascinating episode ensues when Square Bear and mate are finding such comfort in the lake besides which they're camping at, that Square Bear cannot resist such a prolonged lovemaking session lasting almost 45 minutes before having to let go!

You just have to wonder how many "ghost" or "monster" costumes Scooby-Doo and crew found strewn in woods or fields while dealing with some related mystery, thereby collapsing a major string of "monster sighting" reports when police subsequently, and on the strength of such evidence, declare such to have been a fraud all along.

Most unlikely eating challenge: Magilla Gorilla and Clyde from The King's crew seeing who could eat the most dishes of vanilla ice cream topped with bananas Foster--which turns out being dished up while still ablaze in high-proof rum.

What could be a fascinating sort of dive escapade for the Divin' Wolf Pups: One which finds the she-wolves of the lupine diving company, Gaga Wolf and Harmony Wolf, setting up an underwater "hide-and-seek" for Bon-Bon and Ding-a-Ling which ultimately includes some fascinating underwater life lessons.

[cloudcountry]

🔫 Your eel facts-- Hand em over!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IM SO GLAD YOU ASKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OGM i love moray eels w/ my whole heart and soul they are so cute and squishy and toxic and slippery and mrphrmhpmrhmphrmpmprhmphrmphmrpmphrpmhpmrpmrhm

so the shrimp thing!!! ofc morays do eat shrimp, but they also have mutualistic relationships with them (example: the red rock shrimp. the shrimp rids to eel of parasites and the moray protects the shrimp. win win!)

(i had one of my quotev readers ask me what kind of shrimp i thought floyd saw mc as, and we both eventually came to the conclusion that they were just Shrimp since there's a bunch of different kinds of goldfish and riddle is just Goldfish.)

also yeah, the whole thing with jade and floyd both listing some form of octopus as their favorite food? that's not them being little shits (though part of it very well could be.) moray eels do eat octopi and they like it. they also have this behavior where they tie themselves in knots to gain leverage over their prey, so they can rip off chunks of flesh easier. think about how the hagfish feasts on whale falls and you'll have a pretty good idea of what i'm talking about.

they secrete mucus which comes from goblet cells, and that mucus protects them from scraping against the coral reefs they swim through and hurting themselves. !!! this mucus can be toxic !!!

morays have very poor eyesight but a good sense of smell, hence the two little antennae like thingys sticking out of their head

yeah, those are their nostrils. (also thats a california moray eel!! it has ridges on the roof of its mouth to help keep prey in place. plus moray mouths are just really cool because if they have a wacky pattern, chances are that pattern continues in their mouth!!)

speaking of prey!! they have a second set of jaws call the pharyngeal jaws. they're attached to muscles that act as rubber bands and can shoot the jaws forward to help pull prey down the moray's throat.

if you see a moray "yawning" or just showing off his silly shiny teeth, it's not a threat. that's how they breathe! they're pushing water over their gills with that opening and closing of the mouth motion.

they come in so many shapes

(dragon moray eel, a very colorful boy!!)

and sizes!!

(the banana moray eel, very small and adorable :C)

and some of them look so goofy and huggable

(the greyface moray!! isn't it the cutest???)

some of them might look a little scary...

(the fangtooth moray <3 they get a bad rep from what i've seen :(((( unfair.)

and some are just iconic!!

(the snowflake moray eel!! aka the millennial moray smh /lh)

IM GOING TO SPARE YOU

morays are truly beautiful and i swear we dont talk about them enough. thank you twst for plunging me into moray eel hell. it changed my life.

[isopod777]

spoilers for honkai star rail version 2.6

I want to talk about how HSR's minion (the annoying yellow tictacs) moment is a great allegory for the slippery slope down the alt-right pipeline via memes.

I know HSR gets goofy. It gets silly. But, with the state of the online world, and even more so that we are seeing an uptick in fascist rhetoric in the western world, and with my fascination with any and all knowledge - especially pertaining to social justice - I have been educating myself on politics (aka everything) and the alt-right sphere for about three or four years now.

It's particularly nice when you study something and then the work pays off when you start to see how it has been blended into everyday life. You start to listen to jokes differently, taking things with a few more grains of salt, certain language can catch your ear, and memes can start to look fishy.

Of course, nuance: not everyone parroting a dogwhistle (especially in meme format) is guaranteed to know the intent behind its original creation. But there are people who do know, and the ability to tell these two meme users' intentions apart is blurry on purpose; Here is a good video that talks (at ~13:30) about how memes are a gotcha for the alt-right. If you point to a dogwhistle in the form of a silly meme, and say "that is a dogwhistle about white supremacy", the poster can easily say "it's a meme. you sound ridiculous!"

Coming back to HSR: I think the writers nailed the current state of popular memes, at least in the west: absurd "brainrot" cute-ish thing that speaks gibberish and doubles as a merch opportunity. March found out about it just through joining the university's forum/group chat. You can know the original meme, buy a plushie, listen to the theme song, anything: by acknowledging it as a meme, we make it tangible. Some students take it further and join a fan club. And of course, there are those who go even deeper into the society behind the meme.

The slumbernana monkey is, to me, a perfect example of how memes can introduce anyone to a fascist movement.

Have you ever watched the 2008 movie Die Welle (The Wave)? You should. It explains plainly how average people accept the appeal of fascist rhetoric and don't see the danger of such until it is too late. Once you understand the steps that lead the students to become full-on supporters, you start to see similarities in media that tries to talk about cults (which i do not think are talked about with enough seriousness). Pro-violence, anti-intellectualism, structured hierarchy, coded language, uniform aesthetics; these are all generally the easier facets to spot. And slumbernana monkey ticks all of those boxes:

We see the pro-violence with the assistananas. What is more anti-intellectual than the hypnitic process Boothill goes through in Dreamflux Reef? Ripe banana hierarchy. Etc etc.

Through the rest of the version story we see some of the background and reason for the meme: to funnel supporters, or at least kindling, for a terrible terrible leader. It's horrifying and I think very well done!

[lotusrootdesignerpants]

Lol okay red papaya, shredded green papaya, lemongrass, ginger, galangal, prawns, chilli, oyster sauce, fish sauce, squid, mushrooms, coconut, rice, glass noodles, omelette, steamed buns, taro, mung, saffron, mint, coriander, basil, lime, makrut, dragonfruit, pandan, durian, bamboo shoots, shrimp shumai, wontons, mala, condensed milk, pineapple, watermelon, mango, lychee, banana, tamarind, peanut, cashew, shallots, rose apple, morning glory. One hundred times everything except prawns which have happened one million times and I draw up lists vacuously because I can’t not domesticate by way of naming a repeated image, or because nouns excite me: I loved you for your well-furnished apartment, I loved you because of your neverending supply of items and of quests for their renewal… I could never conceive of needing anything from 7-11 but coming along with you was always great. It frustrates me that like any Westerner I cannot truly relax but do tend to luxuriate in ground-level material profligacy in lieu of (in avoidance of: psychological sense) stacking verbal constructions in the vertical dimension. Not much to explore here. I thought the Russians were contained in Phuket but omg this is Petra city. I get nostalgic listening to them. Otherwise. Walking on the beach, swimming, kayaking to and from the reef, ruminating torturously on immediacy: language and food. Funny discrepancy between the depth and the content of my thoughts. Feel completely hollowed out still. Can scrape two oily plates and then immediately be starving. Probably precludes buoyancy and lightness