#Blue Blubber Jelly

[speepybees]

blue blubber jellyfish // moon jellies // japanese sea nettle // pacific sea nettle

Images from the National Aquarium!

[ilovetoxicfictionalmen]

LOOK AT YOU

KINKTOBER DAY 8 - MIRROR SEX WITH ROBERT FISCHER

Pairing - Robert Fischer x fem!reader

Summary - Robert likes to have you look at your-filthy-self whenever he takes you.

Warnings - Dubcon, degrading, mean Robert, brat taming, dirty talk.

Word count - 1.5k

The sweat on your skin was clearly visible as you shamefully watched yourself getting pounded from behind through the ensuite mirror. The glass was fogging up, your eyes blurred by the high state of pleasure. Your slippery hands gripped onto the edge of the bassinet as you moaned out in ecstasy. The pair of you were stripped naked, skin heated from your engagement in physical activity.

“Look at yourself, always so desperate for my cock like a little whore…” Robert grunted from behind, his blue eyes locked onto yours through the reflection.

Your walls naturally squeezed around him. It was your guilty pleasure for him to verbally degrade you. An eccentricity that you never knew you craved until you met Robert.

“Yes Robbie” you whimpered, grinding your ass back to get as much sensation as physically possible.

“Can never fucking wait…” Robert hissed as he slapped your ass to hear you yelp out. “Always so needy, I have a business to run, y’know?” He cocked an eye to you, speaking in a concerningly stable tone as his hips continued to snap into you.

“M’sorry… I know you do” you half asked your apology, far to distracted by your waves of pleasure to pay attention to what he was saying.

“I give you so many privileges, but it’s never enough… You didn't even bother to ask how my day was. Too busy crying over the denial of my cock” Robert tutted.

When you woke up in the morning, you were horny. The toys Robert brought you never matched the power of his dick. So you spent the whole day reckless, counting down the minutes on the clock for him to come home. The moment Robert returned, you pounced on him like a tiger. But when he shooed away your advances, you broke down into tears. Desperately begging him for his cock, your arms were wrapped tightly around his leg until he gave in. The look of dissatisfaction on his perfect face went unnoticed by you.

It took you far too long to even realize what he was saying. When he slowed down his thrusts and focused on making them rather painful for you, you gulped and tried to put his words together like a puzzle piece.

“I-uh… H-how was your day?” You eventually spat out, tilting your face up to look at him in the mirror, your eyes blinking rapidly as you tried to take control over your breathing.

“Fucking shit” Robert snapped, his fingernails dug into the skin of your hips.

“I’m sorry!” You mewled, his cock pushing in as far as physically possible.

Robert spat out, dropping his eyes onto the curves of your ass as he focused on fucking you dumb. You hissed out, your legs wobbling like jelly as you struggled to stay up.

“Your whining is inflaming, can’t you just shut up for once?” Robert snapped.

“I can try” you whined, biting onto your lower lip in hopes to satisfy him.

Robert exhaled out, his cock falling still inside of you. His voice dropped so low that you almost didn’t hear what he said.

“How are you going to react when I leave tomorrow?” Robert asked blankly.

You quickly turned your body around, his length falling out of your slippery hole.

“What- But… I thought I was coming?” you shuddered, blinking like flashes of lighting as you fel your eyes swell up.

“Not anymore” Robert exhaled, tilting his head down to you.

Your lower lip trembled as you began to blubber.

“Robbie no! Please take me with you!” you sobbed, covering your chest due to the wave of humiliation.

“No, no…” Robert sighed, shaking his arms at the idea of that. “You’re clearly too desperate for my cock… I can’t afford to have you distract me, sweetheart. It’s an important work trip for me love” Robert explained.

It was only five days, but nevertheless, you had become so in routine with seeing him every single day. So needy and attached to Robert after only a few months of dating him. He was your perfect match, he knew it too. He loved having someone bend in humanly impossible ways for him. Liked to see how dedicated you truly were to him. Yes, your neediness certainly got on his nerves, but he couldn’t help but to also get so riled up from it.

But the paranoia and anxiety was a thunderstorm in your mind. There will be plenty of women throwing themselves at him. What if he goes off sleeping with others. Even worse, what if he falls for another woman?

Robert had never given you any suspicions for infidelity, his devilish eyes always locked onto you. No matter how badly another woman would try to steal his focus away. But you couldn’t help but to always feel subconscious that one day he would let you go. Your only leverage was ever your compelling looks and well, sex. He was the breadwinner, he had all of the assets, you were just his shiny trophy to show off.

“Where are you going off to?” Robert frowned as you rushed out of the ensuite.

“Somewhere else” you sniffled as you picked up your robe and slid it on quickly.

There was nowhere you couldn’t really hide off in his penthouse.

“What?” Robert snorted, shaking his head as he followed you. As you reached out to open the bedroom door, his hand slammed onto the wood. His nostrils flared but Robert was smirking at you. “You were just so desperate for my cock! What’s wrong now?” He sarcastically pouted at you.

“I’m not in the mood anymore” you weeped heavily.

Robert wrapped his arms around your waist underneath your robe. As your bodies pressed together, he tilted his head down at you, pursing his lips. Whenever you looked at him with those deer eyes, his cock would have a twitching fit.

“No, you’ve got me all built up now. Come and slide onto my cock again and watch how good I fuck you” Robert ordered, sliding your robe off leisurely.

“Robbie please” you pleaded as he easily pulled you over to the king sized bed.

“You know the rules. You do as I tell you and I treat you like the bratty princess you are” he snarked.

As he petted your ass to encourage you to hop onto the bed, you sighed defeatedly. Obediently, you followed his request and climbed up onto all fours. With his hands guiding you to turn around to face him, Robert stared down emotionlessly at you.

“You do want me to propose one day, don’t you?” Robert sneered through an innocent look.

A blind man would know your answer. Being engaged to Robert was the ultimate fantasy. Having the honor of wearing his last name would be a dream come true. Even though you had been together for such little time, you were twisting and turning on your seat, wishing to be engaged already. Robert had hinted at an engagement, but never so explicitly.

“Yes Robbie” you gulped, completely wordless for a proper response.

“I’ve been looking at rings, but nothing has caught my eye yet. Nothing matches your beauty” Robert whispered, his hand caressingly your heated cheek.

“Really?” You asked, your chest lifting up.

“Yeah… Alright now, look into the mirror, let’s remember how good I fuck you” Robert nodded as he gestured his hand to the floor length mirror in the corner of the room.

His knees sunk into the mattress behind you, hands guiding your cunt to press against the tip of his erection. At ease, his member disappeared into your sweet abyss.

“Can you see how desperate you are for me? Such a pretty face when you moan like a dirty slut” Robert complimented, his mouth hung open as he slowly fucked your pulsing walls.

“Uh-huh” you moaned up, your upper body slowly slipping closer to the mattress as you allowed your spikes of pleasure to fill your mind again.

“Yeah, come on, wrap this up for us… I have an early flight tomorrow, remember?” Robert toyed, snapping your painful thoughts back. Your body shot back up again.

“Please can I come!” You begged, the last sliver of hope slipped off your tongue.

“No” he said sternly.

“I don’t want to be alone here!” you argued, your firm tone was pathetic.

“You’ll have the maids come and go. You can still go out with your friends. But the no bars, clubs or parties rule remains” Robert explained sternly. You whined in return.

It was forbidden for you to attend those places without him. The thought of another man’s eyes lingering on you without him able to protect you angered him with jealously.

“Don’t worry baby, I’ll call you every night before bed, okay?” Robert assured, a gleeful smile on his lips. You forced yourself to smile back, his hips picking up place.

“Mhm, and if you leave me the fuck alone on this trip, then I’ll fuck you the whole entire night when I fly back, how does that sound?” He proposed.

“Mhm! Good Robbie!” you moaned out, his tip brushing against your cervix.

“Good, now come on, milk my cock empty then, so I won’t have to miss you so dearly” Robert grinned as he felt himself twitch harshly inside of you.

[puzzled-pegasus]

WoF tribe specific curses/exclaimations (some used in a sentence so you get a better sense of the impact lol)

*some of these are morbid so be warned*

SkyWings

"Flaming feathers, you scared the smoke out of me!"

"Holy fireballs, that's a lot of treasure!"

"Leaping sheep, how long have you been standing there?"

"Smoke and fire, what happened to all my deer jerky?"

"Moons on fire, what in Pyrrhia's peaks were you thinking?"

"Corpses in a canyon, what happened to your arm?"

"SeaWing's salty scales, what did you put in this drink?"

SandWings

"Snakes on a rock, why do we still have that horrible thing?"

"Ravens and crows, what am I going to do with you?"

"Son of a one legged camel! Argh, I thought I told you to close the window screen!!"

"Oh, sweet prickly pears."

"King Cobra's teeth."

"Blister's burning tail, it's hot out here even for me!"

"Blue desert sky, I hate when he does that."

"Queen's cloaca, next you're going to tell me it's wrong to steal other dragons' purses if they leave them unattended."

SeaWings

"Jellyfish sting, have some tact for reef's sake!"

"Oysters on the half shell, you need a breath mint."

"Woo, slippery sardines, you make a good margarita!"

"Cuttlefish guts, what a thing to say to someone!"

"Mullet down my gullet, why is it always me that has to take care of things?"

"Sweet Prince Albatross, what the herring is going on here?"

"What in the Mariana Trench?"

NightWings

"By all the stars!"

"Darkstalker's teeth, don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Falling stars, that's a big fruit!"

"Moons curse it!"

"Venomous vultures...what happened here?"

"Queen's fire, be careful with that!"

"Burning IceWings, I thought I told you not to touch my notes!"

MudWings

"Well, cut off my wings and call me a crocodile, I never thought I'd see you again!"

"Oh, catfish whiskers, I can't believe I let it burn!"

"Now, where in Pyrrhia's green swamps did I put those onions?"

"Peas and carrots, darlin', what happened to you?"

"Cattails in the clay, what are you doing aggravating my poor bees?"

"Oh, for goose's sake!"

RainWings

"Ow, green and orange, that hurt!"

"Vipers and anacondas!"

"Sky full of spiders, you NightWings are bummers."

"Howling monkeys, stop that horrible noise!"

"Great green sloths, what could you possibly need so badly that I have to stop my sun time?"

"Sweet tangerine."

IceWings

"What in the name of the Great Ice Dragon?"

"Freezing moons."

"Frosted flames, is that a firescales?"

"Blue ice."

"Beluga's blubber, you dragonets ask too many questions."

"Silver horns, that's a big polar bear."

"Darkstalker's dagger!"

HiveWings

"Son of a bee!"

"If I see one more STINGING pen where it's not supposed to be, I swear to STINGING CLEARSIGHT---!"

"Bloodsucking flies, this place looks awful!"

"Oh, for Wasp's sake!"

"Royal jelly on bee bread toast, I can't believe you."

"Clearsight's book!"

LeafWings

"Coca leaf salad, you've all gone nuts."

"Holy tomato!"

"Dragon blood sap..."

"Jolly jaguars, that can't be good."

"Murderous mushrooms, where did she go?"

SilkWings

SilkWings don't curse, silly! :)

[elfenbensord]

i have a need for remus lupin to call me ‘lovebug’.. i don’t know where the need has arisen from but it’s there

and as you wrote my george x reader request so well (lysm for that <3) i was wondering whether i could maybe request smth fluffy with rem calling reader lovebug, please

OH maybe she’s been studying in the library for AGES and he’s kind of worried for her health

again lysm - 🦕

a/n: hi again, cutie😊 that need is so valid and so relatable tbh. i’m also casually obsessed with this piece, hope you like it as well ❤️🥰

pairing: remus lupin x fem!reader,

summary: remus finds you in the library, and accidentally confesses his love for you. friends to lovers. fluff.

wordcount: 742

warnings: none.

lovebug

15.10.23

He finds you in the library, head hanging over a long piece of parchment filled with your tiny, scraggly handwriting. 

“What are you doing, all cooped up in here? The sun is shining, it’s a beautiful day!” Remus scolds you, crossing his arms and sending you a fond look.

You won’t even look at him, too focused on your work. “I think I found this error in my essay on the uprising of the elves of 1670, I just had to fact-check it so Professor Binns doesn’t think I’m an absolute idiot–”

“No one thinks that”, Remus says softly.  You smile, finally meeting his eyes. “You’re too kind.”

He nods. “Just kind enough, I’d say.”

You let your quill fall onto the table. Standing up with a screech from the chair, you actually take a proper look at him. Remus is for once not drowning in a bulky jumper, probably due to the hot beginning-of-summer weather. Instead, he’s wearing a breezy short-sleeved shirt and a pair of light-blue jeans. His arms are exposed, both to your dismayal and pleasure. You pretend not to notice the blonde, soft-looking hairs dusting his forearms. He looks happy, he does well in summer. Freckles are starting to show across his nose and cheeks, his hair becoming just a shade lighter in the sun. It’s a teasing view of what could be yours, if one of you could just swallow your pride and tell each other. 

He towers over you even though you’re now standing instead of sitting down. He leans even closer, pretending not to notice how your breath hitches. Heart pumps faster, making you feel dizzy. “Whadd’ya say, wanna head down to the lake? Maybe a quick skinny-dip?”

“A– Skinny dip?” A warmth spreads across your face, fills your entire body. You do your best to stay afloat. “Are you actually serious?” you blubber out.

“Why wouldn’t I be.” He flashes a smile. Breath hot on your face, nose barely grazing yours. You wonder how you’re gonna survive this conversation.

He doesn’t wipe the suggestive grin from his face. He knows what he’s doing to you, how could he not? “Maybe a midnight dip is more to your liking, Lovebug?” 

Lovebug? Your brain is turning to mush.

You clear your throat. Suddenly, a cold, careless anxiety starts to spread. You take a breath, “Where’s this all coming from? Did… Did Sirius put you up to this? To tease me, or something?”

Remus’ face drops. His hands get out of control, waving in broad gestures as he talks. “No, no, no… I’m sorry, I’m just… I’m being silly. Sorry. That was, that was inappropriate. I’m really sorry.”

You smile weakly at him. Of course you forgive him. Of course.

Remus isn’t ready to give up quite yet. He places a hand on your shoulder, squeezing softly. It trails down, until it can toy with your fingers. “But for the record, I wouldn’t mind going skinny dipping tonight. Together. Just you and me.”

“Remus, what do you mean?” you say slowly.

“That I want to… I want… I want you.”

Your heart drops out of you Mary-Janes, leaving you limp and jelly-like. “Wh– What?”

“Sorry. That’s inappropriate too. Let’s just– Let’s just forget everything happened. I’m gonna go and uuh– die of shame now. See you at dinner-”

He turns around quickly, almost sprinting for the librabry exit. You catch his hand, stopping his escape. Your hands intertwine. Eyes meet. 

You exhale. “I want you too.” A beat of silence. 

Then his face opens up in a grin, shining like the sun. “You do?”

You nod.

Remus grabs your hand, placing a tender kiss on it. He won’t stop smiling. “What… What do we do now?”

“How about”, you grasp his shirt, feeling the light fabric between your fingers. “A skinny dip in the lake, at midnight?”

“Sounds perfect.”

“Great. Now go away, please. I have an essay to write.”

“Will do, Lovebug. See you tonight.”

“See you.”

You smile as you see him leave the library. He turns around once, twice, to send a blazing smile your way. The essay in front of you melts into a million daydreams all including a certain brown-haired boy. Lovebug.

[pocket-prawn]

Blue Blubber Jelly (catostylus mosaicus)

[teddyandmochi]

Mermaid Au! (BSD Version)

ADA:

Atsushi — Tiger Shark

Dazai — mackerel 

Kunikida — Common dolphinfish 

Tanizaki — Dumbo squid

Naomi — Stubby squid

Yosano — Pacific blackdragon

Kenji — Lemon shark

Haruno — Common clownfish

Kyouka — Southern Blue-Ringed Octopus

Tayama — beluga whale 

Ranpo — Cookie cutter shark

Fukuzawa — blue whale

The port mafia:

Chuuya — Red Lionfish

Kajii — stonefish

Ozaki — Lion's Mane Jellyfish

Akutagawa — Great Hammerhead Shark

Ace — Crystal jelly

Verlaine — Clearfin lionfish

Higuchi — nurse shark

Hirotsu — humpback whale

Gin — Banded Sea Krait

Tachihara — egg-yolk jelly

Rimbaud — Whale Shark

Karma — Blue Blubber Jellyfish

Kyūsaku — moon jelly

Sakunosuke — Leafy Seadragon

Elise — Vampire Squid

Mori — Giant phantom jelly 

[stout-spartans]

Character info:

Spartans:

Lieutenant Ava Sinclair

Background: member of the UNSC Spartan II program, Ava has spent her first few years fighting against the Covenant and assisting in defending research facilities throughout the galaxy. However, after being exposed to a strange artifact during a mission, she has now had to deal with her weight ballooning out, giving her a pear shaped figure that is larger than most vehicles around her. However, she seems to make it work, so long as she has something to snack on between missions.

Description: 11’3, green eyes, short brown hair and brown skin. Once slim and fit, she now has a massive body weighing at least 1,400,400 pounds, with most of her weight in her lower half.

Zadine-130

Background: A member of Sinclair’s team, Zadine was with the team when they were exposed to the artifact and its powers. Due to being so close to it and tasked with bringing it back to their base, the artifact had the most effect on her. As a result, she is now the largest member of the team, along with being the widest. Though while Sinclair may wish to hide her gluttony, Zadine instead fully embraced it, helping herself to as much food as she can.

Description: blue eyes, wavy brown hair and light skin. Due to being exposed to the artifact the most, she now weighs around 466,800 pounds and stands at 14’9 in height! As for her figure, most of her weight is in her belly, allowing her to use it as something to rest against.

Gale-155

Background: the smallest member of Sinclair’s team, Gale was farther from the artifact than the others during their mission. Though, that doesn’t mean she wasn’t affected by its powers, her slim figure suddenly changing to a heavy hourglass shape. While still able to be mobile even with all of her weight, the once slim scout isn’t afraid to make her grumblings known as she tries to burn off her excess weight. Though so far, she has not had any luck.

Description: black hair usually tied back in some form, blue eyes and beige skin. Standing now at 8’5 and at 900 pounds, she now has a heavy hourglass figure, tending to bring quite a bit of attention to herself when her other teammates aren’t around.

Rook-110

Background: the former engineer for the group, Rook’s change due to the artifact can be partly attributed to it having an affect on his gear as well. Rather than quickly packing on pounds of blubber, the kinetic absorption gel he was carrying for setting up defenses suddenly becoming a part of his body. Now he has to deal with his body constantly expanding like the others, with his whole body slowly expanding from the gel.

Description: dyed white hair in a crew cut, blue eyes and snow white skin. Due to the gel slowly expanding and filling his body, his figure appears fat all around, though gently pressing into his body would show it to be filled more like it’s full of jelly rather than fat. 10’2, and at 10,000 pounds.

Argon-137

Background: Once the nimble jump pack user of the group, Argon was affected by the artifacts activation as he was in mid jump. Similarly to Rook, rather than filling up with blubber his body had a completely different reaction. Instead, his body began to suddenly swell and expand like a balloon, each part of him filling up with the unknown gas and causing him to float in the air far longer than anticipated. Now Argon generally stays in the base, sticking close to the pilots and aircraft in case something happens and he needs rescue before he ends up floating off from the base.

Description: Brown eyes, brown hair and tan skin. Far lighter than the rest at the team at only 500 pounds, standing generally at 9'6. Due to all of the air-like material within him, his body is more rounded, with his rear, belly, and chest expanded out. His arms and legs are in a similar state, leading to him having to waddle around when he's heavy enough to be on the ground.

Cecilia-272

Background: A Spartan brought by ONI operatives to the base for the purpose of understanding the anomalous effects Forerunner technology has had on the UNSC members, Cecilia has started to take an interest in “helping” the Spartans and some marines with their changed figures. Though, many of her actions can be described as the choices of a troublemaker, “helping” the lighter members of the base by fattening them up for example~

Regulars:

Captain Evelyn Kerensky

Background: A close friend of Ava, Captain Kerensky serves as a pilot for Ava and the other Spartans stationed at their base. Though due to a lull in combat operations, Evelyn has found herself spending more time with Ava in the mess hall or hanging out in the local towns. As a result, she has begun to put on weight, but refuses to acknowledge it.

Description: 5’11, brown eyes, dirty blond hair and tan skin. While far slimmer than Ava, Evelyn has started to put on weight around her belly and hips. Though she refuses to acknowledge it yet.

Doctor Julianne Connoly

Background: A researcher who has worked with Ava and her team on their expeditions, as well as the scientist who witnessed Ava's sudden change in weight. Now Dr. Connoly uses her time to help Ava with her weight, along with trying to understand what caused the changes. However, she may also be unintentionally playing a role in Ava's continuous growth, as she spends quite a bit on food for Ava assisting her on different projects.

Description: 5'10, with brown eyes and brown hair tied back in a ponytail and white skin. Far smaller than either Evelyn or Ava, with not much in the way of blubber on her body.

Jane

Background: an AI brought by Cecilia to assist with ONI operations, along with better understanding the forerunner artifacts on the planet with hopes of avoiding any more changes. Though ironically due to exposure to some of the artifact’s energy, she’s been more curious on seeing how much the local Spartans can expand~

Aliens:

Zesa, Elite

Background: A Sangheili infiltrator that was sent to gather information on the bae that Sinclair's team resides in and the artifact it protects, Zesa was caught in a sudden surge of energy from the artifact while within a storage facility. Without any chance to react, her body began to swell as it started to fill up with juice, her body began to turn a deep violet color as she swelled up like a massive balloon. Now stuck in the base she was sent to spy on, Zesa is held in a specialized containment chamber where is juiced every now and then. Though, that doesn't stop some of the marines and Spartans from messing with her.

Description: When not inflated like a massive blue ball, Zesa generally has a belly and chest-heavy figure, weighing in at 900 pounds and standing at 10'1. However, when inflated fully she generally weighs at 100,000 pounds at 12'2 feet. Body is completely violet blue, contrasting with her golden eyes.

Fara, Elite

Background: Part of a team of elites sent in to figure out what happened to Zesa and rescue her, Fara was the first to infiltrate the UNSC research facility. However, midway through her mission, she hid in a food storage unit to avoid a UNSC patrol. Deciding to hide in the facility for the moment, Fara took the time to try some of the food stored there. A few hours later, the poor elite was slumped against a wall in a food coma after practically eating a feast. Now embarrassed, and partly due to being addicted to the food the local town stored there, Fara now uses a part of the storage area as a hideout, and as a place to sneak more human food~

Description: Belly and bottom heavy at a weight of 700 pounds and 8'5, with greyish skin and gold eyes. Tries to avoid being seen, but rumors of a red armored creature skulking around the town outskirts have been reported.

Other characters likely to come :]

[alex51324]

Aquarium Trip!

Oh boy, we have lots of takers for the aquarium trip! What should we look at first?

How about Jellies Invasion? It looks like mostly the upside-down jellies are hanging out with us today, but there goes a blue blubber jelly! Look at them go!

Now let's see the Blacktip Reef! I don't see the Blacktip Sharks yet, but there are loads of fish. I like the little stripey guys...and is that a ray hanging out in the background? Whoa, there goes a shark! And another one! Two more! Are they playing chase? The sign says that Blacktip Sharks are very social and like to live in groups, so I bet they are!

Next up is the Pacific Coral Reef! Look at all those bright yellow fish!

Wow, that was great! Now let's make a quick stop at the little shop, and then go have a snack--I think I want a crabcake sandwich! After that we can go to the Science Center, or look at the Historic Ships, or go for a boat ride.

[zavros1]

Baltimore Aquarium: Exciting Attractions and the Magic of Aquatic Life

If you love marine life or want to explore a variety of animals—from aquatic to terrestrial—the National Aquarium in Baltimore is a must-visit destination in Maryland. Home to over 20,000 animal species and award-winning habitats, including a wetland, this world-class attraction offers an extensive range of exhibits featuring exotic fish, sharks, dolphins, and diverse plant species. Its prime location of Baltimore Aquarium in Inner Harbor also makes it a favorite among both tourists and locals seeking top-tier experiences. Let's dive into key details about the aquarium, its most popular exhibits, and how to make the most of your visit.

Essential Information

Admission Ticket Details

When I first visited the Baltimore Aquarium, I thought the Baltimore Aquarium tickets were a bit pricey. However, after exploring the incredible exhibits and learning about aquatic life conservation, I found it well worth the cost.

Adults (21–69 years): $49.95

Young explorers (5–20 years): $39.95

Children (4 and under): Free entry

Seniors (70+ years): $39.95

Guided tours and the 4D film experience come at an additional cost, but two behind-the-scenes tours are included in the admission fee. For ticket details and advance bookings, visit the official website.

Hours & Parking

The aquarium operates daily from 9 AM to 6 PM, though hours may vary. Final entry is permitted one hour before closing. Check the official schedule for daily programs.

There is no on-site parking, but two official Baltimore Aquarium Parking parking options are available: LAZ Inner Harbor Garage and Parkway Lockwood Place. Note that the Baltimore Aquarium Parking at these locations is paid.

Must-See Exhibits at the Baltimore National Aquarium

1. Dolphin Discovery

A recent visit with my kids started with Dolphin Discovery, an exciting and interactive experience. Some of the highlights include:

Six Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (two males and four females)

A habitat designed to mimic their natural environment

An engaging underwater viewing area

Live dolphin training sessions

The Dolphin Sanctuary Project, North America’s first outdoor sanctuary dedicated to dolphin conservation

2. Atlantic Coral Reef

The Atlantic Coral Reef exhibit was a thrilling experience for my kids. It features:

A 335,000-gallon massive tank offering a breathtaking marine experience

A dynamic Caribbean ecosystem simulating an Atlantic coral reef

Over 100 exotic marine species, including sharks, sea turtles, and tropical fish

3. Upland Tropical Rainforest

Nature lovers will enjoy the Upland Tropical Rainforest, an immersive environment teeming with biodiversity. Highlights include:

A vast ecosystem showcasing various plants and animals

A large walk-in aviary

Beautifully designed interiors with upcoming enhancements

4. Blacktip Reef

Blacktip Reef offers a magical underwater experience, featuring:

A recreation of Indo-Pacific habitats

A mesmerizing underwater observation zone with a bridge

A stunning curved glass structure for panoramic views

Stingrays and Blacktip Reef Sharks

An interactive educational exhibit, including Shark Cam

5. Shark Alley

An exhilarating experience at Baltimore Aquarium, Shark Alley allows visitors to get 360-degree views of a massive circular tank. This exhibit includes:

A 225,000-gallon ring-shaped tank filled with predators

A Shark Teeth Display

Behind-the-scenes tours featuring species like the Sand Tiger Shark

6. Jellies Invasion

One of the most fascinating exhibits at Aquarium Baltimore, Jellies Invasion, offers an exceptional learning experience, showcasing:

Nine different species of jellyfish in various sizes, shapes, and colors

Insights into the unique biology of these brainless invertebrates

A visually stunning display of jellyfish, including Pacific sea nettles and compact blue blubbers

7. Harbor Wetland

A remarkable addition to the aquarium’s conservation efforts, the Baltimore National Aquarium designed a 10,000-square-foot natural wetland. Key features include:

A recreation of the Chesapeake Bay tidal marsh

Around 32,000 native plant species, including grasses and shrubs

Water aeration with shallow channels to maintain a clean environment for aquatic wildlife

Free entry—this exhibit is open to all visitors at no cost

Special Tours & Experiences

The Baltimore Aquarium offers unique guided tours and immersive experiences for visitors. Fees and schedules vary, and details can be found on the official website. Popular options include:

Dolphin Training Sessions

Family Sunrise Tours

VR Experience

Guest Diver Program

Aquarium Sleepover

Insider’s Tour and more

For more attractions and exciting activities in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, check out our detailed guide!

[naturecpw]

More Littoral Relaxocean: • 20 Minutes of Bio…

We filmed this video a few weeks ago along Cannery Row, just off the back deck of the Aquarium! These jellies are Pacific sea nettles, Chrysaora fuscescens—the same ones you may have seen on our Jelly Cam! ( • Live Jelly Cam - … )

Sea nettles are very seasonal here in Monterey Bay, usually showing up in mid to late summer, and sometimes in massive numbers that turn the water very spicy.

Sea nettles are plankton, meaning that they drift with ocean currents. “Plankton” isn’t a size thing, it’s a lifestyle. If you’ve got friends drifting through life with no real direction, then you know a plankter or two. Sea nettles are also planktivores, meaning they eat drifting critters, like tiny shrimps and larval fishes and other jellies.

Lots of animals are planktivores, and many animals eat sea nettles, from sunfish to sea turtles and even the blue rockfish in this video at 1:20—with one even thinking about enjoying a jelly donut for a second there!

Sea nettles are a type of jellyfish known as a scyphozoan, or “bell animal.” The top part here is the bell, housing the famous jelly of the jellyfish. Scientists call this the mesoglea, or “middle jelly”, because it's sandwiched between two layers of skin, the orange epidermis (outside skin) and the clearer gastrodermis, or stomach-skin. The frilly folds of gastrodermis behind those red stinging tentacles are the jelly’s mouth arms—essentially long lips that slurp up plankton soup as the jelly swims. (Heads up that jellies don't actually have "skin" like us, as they only have tissues and not organs.)

Watching jellies swim is simply mesmerizing—and there’s a lot going on with each ring of a jelly’s bell. Muscles contract against the mesoglea, accelerating the pulse to the thin edges of the bell like a whip, creating water currents that pull food toward the jelly’s mouth arms! A swimming jelly isn’t really trying to go anywhere, so much as it’s vacuuming up planktonic pieces of pie with every blobby scull—like if a lava lamp joined forces with a roomba.

There were some huuuuge sea nettles that day—the one at 2:03 had a bell almost two feet across! These open ocean beasts often show some wear and tear on their bells, battle scars from their long voyage through the inner space of planet ocean.

At the end of the video you'll find a northern kelp crab, Pugettia producta, hanging out in the giant kelp, watching current events go by… Solid plan if you’re feeling crabby.

On the way back to the Aquarium, little blubber bud came by to say hey—harbor seals are like curious cats in the kelp forest, sea lions are much more the “ocean doggos” you’ve heard about on the Internet. Ah yes, and then a few senorita cleaner wrasses came by to see if we needed any help tidying up the end of this video—thanks for the kelp!

We hope you enjoyed this dive in the Monterey Bay! Give us a like if you enjoyed this video and subscribe if you want to see more from us here. Thanks everyone, hope to sea you again soon here at the digital Monterey Bay Aquarium.

A few minutes of pelagic magic with wild sea nettle jellyfish, filmed just off the back deck of the Aquarium, for your littoral relaxocean needs!

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[tallytakespictures]

Baltimore National Aquarium Part 4/7

[cartoonsagainstcatastrophe]

Mermay Day 10

The Blue Blubber Jellyfish, or Catostylus mosaicus, is a species native to coasts of the Indo-Pacific, most commonly the eastern coast of Australia. This venomous jellyfish is considered a delicacy in some Asian countries!

[thegrandbestiary]

Swiss-Italian photographer Guido Mocafico photographed jellyfish for his book  Medusa and here are some excerpts from top to bottom:

Spotted Jellyfish (Mastiguas papua)

Blue Blubber Jellyfish (Catostylus mosaicus)

Unidentified species

Leidy’s Comb Jelly (Mnemiopsis leidyi)

[drhoz]

#1306 - Catostylus mosaicus - Jelly Blubber

A large, very common coastal jellyfish from the Indo-Pacific, frequently swarming in estuaries. Also known as the Blue Blubber, but can be a range of colours such as brown above, depending on which symbiotic algae is living in its tissues. Grows to up to 45cm across, and mostly harmless. Ice packs suffice if you do somehow manage to be stung badly enough to get a reaction.

[bearsinpotatosacks]

A Smile Through the Clouds

Nick and Ron stumble into Carole's life like a blue sky on a dark day.

Or

5 Times Nick, Ron and Carole bump into each other + 1 Time They Intend to See Each Other

Words: 6501

1

Afternoon sun peeked over the rows of bookshelves. It hit the trees outside on campus and reflected on the windows of nearby buildings. Soon the sun was sinking below them, then now the horizon, trailing pastel colours as the evening set in. 

Ron pulled on his arm as they left the library. It was only the start of the year but Nick was determined to get started early with his studies. They'd spent the few free hours they had together in the library, and were heading off for pizza after a long time of rewriting notes and researching to get ahead on assignments.

"Gimme a second," Nick said, opening his bag. "I've got to return this book."

Ron rolled his eyes, "Nicky, baby, you've already dragged me here for over two hours when it's only the second week of class, I do not want to spend another second here if I have to."

He tried to keep up the vague look of disgust he wore on his face but burst into laughter when Nick batted his eyelashes at him. Letting go of his arm, he told him he'd wait outside and not to take too long before promptly leaving the stuffy library.

There was a short queue at the counter. There was a machine free but some part of him decided today was a good day to actually talk to somone. 

And he was glad he did, because the person staffing this station took his breath away. Her hair was short, choppy and platinum blonde, curling around her ears. She smiled as she waved off the previous person, her blue eyes sparkling from the beams of light coming in through the windows and lighting up the dust in the air. A hand-knitted jumper, with flowers on, hung off her arms as she pulled the cuffs over her hands.

"Hi, what can I do for you today?" She said.

And with just a sentence, every thought he'd ever had left his mind. His hands went clammy around the book. He couldn’t remember what he was doing here at all. All he could focus on was the dimples in her cheeks as she smiled.

"Are you okay?" Her brow creased with concern. "Do I need to get someone for you?"

"I-I'm alright."

His eyes flicked down to her name badge. Carole. What a beautiful name. A song he'd happily hum for the rest of time. Dear lord, what was wrong with him? He was with Ron, had been for eighteen months now, was he growing a wandering eye?

"You sure? Your face is all red."

She was right, he realised. His face felt hot. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears and sweat forming on his brow.

"Fine, fine, really," 

He tried to give a charming smile but knew it came out goofy. She didn't seem to mind this, giggling at his foolishness. Her laughter made his face burn hotter.

"So, what can I do for ya?"

He jolted awake again, looking down at the book in his hands, that's what he was going to do. How long had he been standing here again? It felt like it had been an eternity. Which meant that Ron had been waiting for a long time too, but turning back to her again made his brain short circuit and all ability to speak was lost.

"I wanted to, erm, return this, erm, book," he slid it over to her on the counter. 

"Well, that I can certainly do,"

He laughed again and leant on the counter. He needed the support, his legs had turned to jelly.

"Nick!" Came a shout from the door, followed immediately by a harsh shush. "I told you not to take too long and you've been five minutes."

He felt him come to his side, "How long does it take to return a book-"

Nick pulled his eyes from Carole to look at Ron. He too had frozen but instead of becoming a blubbering mess, his face broke into that charming smile that made his knees go even weaker than they already had. The same damn smile that charmed him the first time they met.

"Hello, I don't think I've had the wonderful opportunity of making your acquaintance," he extended a hand. "I'm Ron, and you are?"

She took it, hiding her blushing face with her other hand, "I'm Carole."

"Like the Christmas song?"

"Yup, like the Christmas song," she nodded. "But with an e on the end."

"Well, Carole with an e, I'm sorry if my boyfriend has been bothering you, he's damn cute but damn annoying too."

Nick, suddenly gaining his autonomy back, elbowed him in the ribs and rolled his eyes.

"I'm funny, not annoying,' he said. "You just have no sense of humour."

"The way he treats me?" Ron joked, looking at Carole again. "Could you be a doll and return that book? We have a pizza date to get to."

Upon being called doll, Carole's face went from a dainty shade of pink to a deep red. Her eyes widened and Ron looked impeccably more proud of himself.

"I can't have you two missing out on pizza," she squeaked out.

She placed the book somewhere underneath the counter and scribbled something down. She looked back up at them with some of the redness from her cheeks gone. 

"There we go, have a nice day,"

Ron linked arms with Nick and pulled him upright, "We will, you be sure to have a great day too," he said.

They turned to leave. Nick’s face was still burning. Ron pulled them back at the last minute.

"Oh, and we'll be sure to come back again," he added with a wink. 

They turned back to the door, just catching a glimpse of Carole's face rushing red again before they were in the late afternoon air. As they walked further away from the library, Nick grew able to think and speak again. Carole was still on his mind, and by the look on Ron's face as they walked in silence, she was on his too.

"She was the prettiest girl I think I've ever seen," Nick blurted as they left the campus.

"Yeah, she really was," Ron said.

A sheepish smile flicked on his face. It had a light glow to it. It could be from the cold but Nick knew better.

2

A few days later, on a fresh Monday morning, the peace of the library was once again distributed. Carole was still rubbing sleep from her eyes, while trying not to smudge her eyeliner, when those two silly yet undoubtedly pretty boys glided in, already caught in a whispering argument.

"I'm just saying that all of this could've been avoided if we just gave back the extra coffee," Ron said.

"But it's extra coffee, Ronald," Goose argued.

"Yeah, an extra coffee that we didn't need and are now arguing over," 

They stopped near her desk. A fog filled her brain as they met eyes, and not from fatigue. The book in her hands weighed her down as she followed them, hoping they'd stop to talk.

They'd been on her mind ever since they waltzed into her life. She wanted to see if the glimmer in Nick’s eyes was real and if Ron's smile sparkled or if she'd added them afterwards. Part of her was enamoured with them, maybe developing a crush, but the other was reminding her that Ron said Nick was his boyfriend, and her heart sank.

Breaking through the fog, she met their eyes and something within her cleared. Nick waved at her, dragging Ron with him. Ron still looked disgruntled but some amusement read in his face.

"Hey, Carole," Nick said.

"Hi Nicky,"

She widened her eyes. Nicky? She'd spoken to him once and already had a nickname. Her face flushed and her hands grew clammy.

Nick had frozen. His smile was still on his face. Ron looked from him to her. Annoyance was steadily replaced with humour as he tried not to laugh.

"Sorry, I meant to say-" she started

Nick stopped her, "Nicky," he pondered. "I like that."

She gulped. He lent on the desk with that goofy smile and one hand on his hip. Something fluttered within her. Her brain felt like it was melting. How could two guys turn her brain to mush? Yet, just as she threatened to zone out completely, Ron slammed down three coffee cups, breaking her brain fog. 

"Maybe you can solve our dilemma," he said. "We got coffee to go, but the barista got our orders mixed up and now we have an extra cappuccino that we have no idea what to do with."

She flicked between the coffee, Ron and Nick. Nick’s face was still shining that goofy smile but his eyes made him seem like he was in a trance. By the way Ron's brow was furrowed, he made it seem like this coffee dilemma was life or death.

"Well, I like cappuccinos," she said simply.

They both darted up like they'd never considered that to be an option. Ron picked up the cup and raised an eyebrow at Nick. They nodded. Silent communication through a look. She wished she was part of that.

"Okay, then," he slid the coffee across the counter and winked. "Enjoy your coffee, babygirl."

Her face flushed warm again, "I-I will," she squeaked.

"It really is great coffee," Nick said 

He pushed off the counter, giving her a brief wave as she collected herself for the next person. Those silly boys, making her a blushing mess. 

She took a sip of coffee. It was good.

3

It was a sweet day, the sun glimmered on the grass as she walked past the park. Another day, another shift. She did like her job as a library assistant, it helped her with her studies. Plenty of books surrounding her and people to help. 

Nick and Ron made the days easier too. They'd fallen into some sort of routine after a few weeks of flirting. They came in in the afternoon most days, studied together before hurrying off somewhere else. They'd also gotten used to bringing her coffee and would somehow find her in the labyrinth of shelves just to deliver it.

Caught in her own world, something hit her ankle and broke her out of it. She looked down and saw an orange, slightly dirty, basketball. Then the slapping sound of shoes on concrete came towards her and her breath was taken away.

Nick and Ron, both sweaty, panting and glittering in the sunlight. Nick wore a muscle tee, a vibrant print on the front, with shorts that were just short enough to show a bit more of his long legs. Ron was topless, in baggy shorts, his chiselled chest heaving as he got his breath back.

"Hey Carole," Nick said. "You got our ball."

She gulped, breaking herself out of the lust filled trance she was in to hand him back the ball. Nick grinned at her, holding it under his arm and slouching where he stood.

"You're playing basketball, then?" She asked.

Ron nodded, still getting his breath back, "Yeah, Nick’s shirts, I'm skins."

A bead of sweat rolled from his neck and over one of his pectoral muscles. The sheen of sweat he was covered in danced in the sunlight as he moved. 

Forcing her eyes from his bulging muscles, she laughed weakly to herself, "You're not on the same team?"

"Nah, me and Pete are too damn good for us not to play together," Nick waved at a shorter guy on the basketball court. "That's him, my flatmate."

"And that other guy? With the frosted tips?"

Ron stood up fully, "Oh that's Tom, my roommate, we are also a great team, arguably better than Nick’s."

Nick squinted at him, "Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Kerner."

"I will, Bradshaw."

They stared for a few moments longer. Carole had to fight not to go into a trance and just ogle them some more. It was an interesting battle. One side of her wanted to desperately take in every detail, breathe them, and their long legs, stupidly good hair and charming smiles, in. The other wanted to be aware of every moment, she didn't want to miss a thing.

"Wait," she said as her eyes fell on Tom in the background. "He looks familiar."

"Who? Tom?"

She nodded. Even though his face was blurry in the background, something about him sparked recollection in her mind.

Then it hit her, "Oh, he’s in my book club!"

They looked from Tom and back to her. She couldn't stop the small smile on her face.

"Huh," Nick said after a few moments. "I guess we have more in common than I thought."

She nodded. Her shift was going to start soon, she couldn’t be late even if the thought of watching those two competitively play basketball was deliciously enticing.

"Goose! Come on, man, stop flirting!" Pete called from the court.

He scratched the back of his head, "I guess that's our cue to go,"

"I should too, don't want to be late," she said. "But I'll see you soon, yeah?"

Ron nodded furiously, "Course, we have that assignment-"

He looked at Nick. Nick didn't pick up on what he was inferring. He elbowed him in the ribs, getting a slight 'ow' before he clocked on.

"Oh! That assignment, I remember now," he winked at Ron, who facepalmed with a sigh. "We'll probably be there for hours."

"Oh, hours, huh?"

"Yeah, so you'll see plenty of us,"

"I'll look forward to it,"

She winked at them and sauntered off. Today was going to be a very good day now she had the images of them in her mind.

4

Carole left the library with a hesitant step. She peered up at the thick grey clouds above and held out a hand. Weighty rain drops splashed on her hand. There was a storm brewing, and she had no umbrella and no coat. That was the dread of autumn, the weather became unpredictable.

Perhaps she could use her bag and run? Or maybe just suck it up and walk in the rain. She shivered at the latter option.

She frowned. Today hadn't been the best day either. Her lecturer had been late, for a start. The assignment she'd worked so hard on, declining going out with friends and becoming so stuck in her books she had started to taste the words, had the date extended so she didn't need to put in all that effort over three days.

Her shift at the library hadn't been much better. A few of the library's patrons were beyond rude to her, with one particularly mean person making her shed a few tears as she returned books to the shelves deep in the library. People complained about the noise and the amount of people as if she could click her fingers and make them all disappear.

And worse of all, there had been no sign of Nick and Ron. She hadn't seen them since they came in after their basketball game. She hadn't realised how much they made her day until she hadn't seen them in a few days.

With a huff, she walked out into the dreary weather. All she wanted was to curl up at home in the warmth, but it was a long walk to get there.

In her own little world, she didn't hear two people calling her name but let out a yelp when her two giants were suddenly by her side.

"Hey, Carole," Nick said. "Want to share our umbrella?"

She grinned and felt a wave of relief when the rain stopped hitting her head. The darkish walk home didn't seem so daunting now she had company.

"Where are you two going in this weather?" She asked.

"Volleyball practice," Ron said.

"Volleyball? I thought you played basketball?"

He shook his head, "That was just for fun, this is serious."

His face was stone cold for a second but softened at her confusion. His hand made its way to her lower back as they hurried on in the rain. Nick’s joined too. It could be seen as possessive, or overstepping a boundary, but she trusted them. This felt protective, warm and cosy. Two tall men surrounding her made her knees go weak.

She came to a fork in the road. She was going right, off campus and away to her apartment. They'd be going left, the sports buildings were a good ten minutes away.

"I'm going this way," she pointed down the road.

They withdrew their hands and the brief reprieve in the gloom of the day ended. She still had to walk home in the rain, without them to keep her company.

"Good luck at your practice," she said and began to walk away.

As the first drops fell on her head again, she deflated and hunched over as she walked. Her arms hugged her lithe frame.

"Wait!" Nick called, running after her. "You'll need this."

He handed her their umbrella. His hair began to plaster against his head as his smile shone sun through the grey clouds. 

"Are you sure?"

He nodded vigorously, "Of course, we'll need to get changed anyway."

Her hand gripped the handle of the umbrella as Nick’s smile spread to her. She glanced at Ron who looked miserable in the rain but proud of Nick. He reminded her of a wet kitten.

"Get home safe," he called through the weather.

"I will, thanks for the umbrella." 

She waved as they separated. Their figures getting smaller as her hope that this crush could be reciprocated grew larger.

5

Ron huffed and lent back on his chair. This library was too quiet. He could hear a clock ticking in the background. Rustling paper and the sighs of the other students made it too hard to concentrate. He was sick of his music too, it was too loud and exciting, and anything slower just put him to sleep.

The words on the page all blended together into a sea of black ink. His brain felt dry, like mush. He couldn’t concentrate on his equations anymore.

Nick’s face was almost pressed to the page. Concentration was laced on his face. He'd been stuck on that problem for a while and had finally figured it out. But this also meant that now he was on a roll, he probably didn't want to be disturbed.

That didn't mean Ron wasn't bored, though.

"How you doing with your problem?" He asked.

Nick didn't look up from the page, "Good, halfway through."

Ron hummed and leant forward again so the front two legs of the chair smacked against the floor. He clicked his pen on, then off and on until he was doing it on a reflex. 

Nick’s head rose up from his page. His brow was furrowed and his moustache twitched. 

Ron put the pen down, "Sorry."

Nick returned to busily scratching on the page. Ron's gaze drifted to someone scrunched up on an armchair. Their face was covered by a large book, the title of which he couldn't make out.

He could never understand how someone could get so engrossed in a book. There were no pictures, so many words which left everything up to too much interpretation. He just couldn’t focus on one, couldn't settle down long enough to fully lose himself in a novel.

Boredom kicked back in quickly. He lay his head on his books and groaned. 

Nick’s left hand rested on the desk next to him. Ron stroked the back of it, the protruding knuckles and bumpy veins. His foot rubbed his. He ran his foot up his calf. Perhaps they could call all this studying a day and go back to his place to have some real fun. Tom would be out, they'd have the place to themselves, for once.

Nick pulled his hand away, "Why don't you take a break for a second? Maybe get me a coffee," he then added while batting his eyelashes. "Please."

He smiled, holding back the itch to get back to work. Ron lifted his hand to his lips and got up. His chair screeched across the floor and made some heads turn his way.

They were on the second floor. It was a mezzanine floor, with a glass railing that overlooked the rows of pine bookshelves that matched the pine panelling on the walls. The help desk was circular, and a familiar crop of blonde hair near the front and suddenly he wasn't bored.

Hopping down the stairs, he almost ran to talk to her. There was a queue when he got there, not too long but enough to agitate him. He tapped his foot, trying to keep a hold of the excitement he felt when he saw her. 

They met eyes as he stretched to look at her. She beamed at him, holding up one finger to say 'I won't be long'. Once he reached the front, he lent on the counter and sighed.

"Hey, Ron, how can I help?" She said.

"Well, I'm looking for a book," he replied nonchalantly.

"I may be able to help you with that."

He tilted his head, his smile coy, "Do you have any books on charming pretty girls?"

She opened and closed her mouth. A rosy tint glowed within her face.

"I-I don't think we have any books on that," she stammered. "But I think I could give you some tips."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Like what, then?"

She laughed, "Well, calling girls you like pretty is a start."

"Noted," he said with a smirk. "What else?"

"Getting them coffee, giving them your umbrella, walking with them in the rain,"

Part of him tingled. This meant she liked them, right? He hoped so. He and Nick had spent a few nights pining over her. Sometimes drunk, sometimes sober. 

"Flowers are a good shot," she traced a line across the table. "Going out for drinks could be a good idea."

He lent closer. Their foreheads almost touched. The air tingled around them as the world seemed to stop turning.

"Drinks do sound good. You free Friday?"

She looked away, faking pondering her calender, "Yes, I suppose I am, what time were you thinking, and where?"

"Say eight, at the O-Club in town?"

She giggled, "It's a date."

He took her hand and kissed it. Her face grew more red. The blues of her eyes sparkled, flashing deep colours as she froze.

"That it is, babygirl." 

He winked and walked away, hopping back up the stairs. Nick's head darted up expectantly.

"No coffee," he pouted.

Ron slammed his hands on the desk. His blood was racing. A smile he couldn't shake was plastered on his face.

"Coffee doesn't matter," he said. "We have a date."

+1

Nighttime was ready in the air. Stars blinked as bright as they could through the lights of the city. Cars bustled past as she hurried to the O-Club.

The O-Club was the new hip bar in town. It was just close enough to campus that students were often its patrons but not too close that it was considered a student bar. She had no idea what the 'O' meant in O-Club meant, either. All she knew was that their music was good and their cocktails were fire. 

Approaching the bar, she saw two familiar figures hanging around outside the doors. Nick was wearing an even more vibrant shirt than he usually did. His moustache was combed and shoes spotless. Ron wore a baggy muscle tee with a band logo she didn't recognise underneath a shiny leather jacket, with jeans and chunky boots. 

She waved at them and quickened her pace, her shoes clip-clopping as she ran to them. Her heart began to race. They looked so good, good enough to eat.

"Hi," she said, slightly out of breath.

"Hi," Nick replied. "We got you some flowers."

He handed her a medium sized bouquet of roses. The thorns had been clipped off so she could hold them safely in her hand. 

"You do like roses, don't you?" Ron asked.

He scratched the back of his neck and looked away. He'd never seemed sheepish before. There was a confident security about him that she liked. Coupled with Nick’s bubblegum attitude, she felt drawn to the security they exuded. 

She sniffed them, "I love them, thank you."

"Should we go in, then?" Nick said.

She nodded and felt his hand on her lower back. Ron's arm lay casually across her shoulders as they guided her to the door. It made her feel deliciously secure.

Blue lighting made it hard to see at first but, once her eyes adjusted slightly, she saw the hustle and bustle of people. The bar was full of people ordering, the stools full of people shouting over the music. Bartenders swung bottles around and poured out cocktails. Tables grew emptier the further from the dancefloor they got. Two people were butchering Greased Lighting on karaoke. 

They spotted a free table far off and made their way there. She sat with her back to the wall so she could see the whole room. 

"So-" she started, picking up the drinks menu. "How's both of your days' been?"

Nick peaked over her shoulder, resting his chin there, "Good, had two lectures this morning, studied for a bit at home, went to Volleyball practice and did some piano lessons."

She spiked up. He jolted up too, rubbing his jaw from where she'd knocked him from her shoulder.

"You play the piano?" She asked.

Ron, who'd been scanning the menu while stealing glances at them, spoke up, "Just wait until he's had a bit to drink, he'll find a piano and will take requests."

She looked at Nick. He had a proud smile that made her want to squish him. She wanted to squish both of them, hold them in the night, show them she loved them. 

"I do love a good sing song," she said. "And playing piano must make you good with your fingers."

His eyes widened with his smile. A cheeky glint sparkled in his brown eyes.

"We'll have to find out."

She inched her face closer to him. His lips looked plump and the urge to kiss him grew stronger.

"That we will."

Ron rolled his eyes and slid closer to her, breaking her out of her spell, "How's your day been?"

She turned to him and saw how close he was. His teeth were shiny under the blue light. The whites of his eyes popped and glittered as his head moved.

"Good, went to a lecture, studied, went to my shift at the library, put books away, answered questions, looked up said questions, organised book clubs and meetups, did some paperwork, the usual," she said, then added, giggling to herself. "Thinking of tonight helped, though, thinking of you too always gets me through, seeing you two is even better."

Nick sat closer to her back. She was surrounded by them and could smell their aftershave mixing together in the air. But, her excitement grew over her urge to fall into them with hooded eyes.

"I guess I've got to ask you the usual questions for a date," she said as she tried to get the attention of one of the waiting staff.

"What are the usual questions?" Ron asked.

"Oh, you know, family, work, exes, agonising trauma that you play off for laughs, childhood, the usual,"

He raised an eyebrow, "What was that?"

"Childhood?"

"No-" he furrowed his brow. "That other one, the trauma one?"

She giggled and smiled at the waitress as she approached their table. For a second, she saw both of the boys zone out. Nick let out a slow smile and Ron halted in his confusion.

"I was just messing with you," she scanned the menu again. "Trauma sharing's a second date activity."

Ron was left gaping his mouth like a fish. She saw him mouth 'Touché' to himself as she pondered whether to have a pornstar martini or a piña colada.

"Hello, welcome to the O-Club, what drinks can I get you today?" The waitress said in a fake gleeful voice. 

Carole held a finger on the menu, "I will have-" she took a moment to think. "A pornstar martini, please."

"Ooo, me too, I'll have one of those," Nick said.

They looked over to Ron. Nick had rested his head on her shoulder again. He hadn't stopped smiling since she'd got here. It made her heart flutter, and by the look on Ron's face, it made his heart miss a beat too.

"I'll just have a budweiser," 

The waitress nodded and walked away. They watched her go before Nick started booing him.

"You're no fun sometimes Ronnie."

"I'm plenty fun, just don't like over expensive, sugar-loaded drinks,"

"They're not that expensive," Nick rolled his eyes. "Plus I like the taste, so-"

He stuck his tongue out. Ron gave up on his argument, instead picking up his hand and laying a kiss on the knuckles. Nick’s face blew up red. Carole's stomach churned. This was a private moment, one she didn't feel qualified to be a part of. Yet, she was. They had invited her and it made her feel glorious.

Nick shook his head to try and stop himself from being too flustered. He turned back to Carole. His eyes were sparkly.

"So, we were going to talk about family?"

"Oh! Yeah." She sat up and back. "Well, I was born in Texas, a middle-sized town, I'm a middle child, got an older sister who's way more mature than I am and a younger brother that's way less, I moved here for college just so I could get a chance to go somewhere else other than home."

Their drinks arrived. Ron handed over the money, with a decent tip, and turned back to her. 

Carole looked at Nick, "What about you?"

"Not much different, grew up in Tennessee, church choir, little cherub of a child," he said. "I've got a younger sister, a mom-"

He paused and swirled his drink, "-and a dad."

There was a confusing look all over his face. She couldn't read it. But by how serious it was, she daren't ask. 

"He, er, he died when I was thirteen, we weren't on the best terms before he died so it's a bit complicated,"

She placed her hand on his and squeezed it. Glancing under the table, she saw Ron pat his thigh. He smiled and took a long sip of his drink. Some of the egg whites from the cocktail got caught in his moustache.

"Ron doesn't have a good relationship with his dad either,"

He scoffed, "I haven't got any relationship with my dad, he's a piece of shit who walked out on me, my mom and my four sisters over and over again, and after he knees your mom in the stomach while she's pregnant with your baby sister you don't forgive very easily."

She gripped his hand too. Her relationship with her dad was pretty good. He was a bit protective, and would surely have something to say about her dating two guys, but she knew he just wanted the best for her.

"That sounds horrible, I'm sorry."

"Hey, don't apologise to me, he never hurt me," 

Nick scooched them closer, "Not physically."

Ron sniffed and took a long swig of his beer. Beads of condensation dripped down the bottle, his hands were slick from it.

"Anyway, didn't we say trauma sharing was a second date thing."

She laughed and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, "Yeah, we did, didn't we?"

The bar got more and more full. Karaoke had ended and music started pounding as people collected on the dance floor. She hummed one of the songs and took a sip of her drink, a great choice.

After a moment of silence, mainly of her taking advantage of her perfect view of both of the boys, the conversation started up again.

"What are your majors, then?" She asked.

"Me and Ronnie both do physics, we met because he asked me for a pen, we got talking about notes, told me about Volleyball tryouts, and we just hit it off from there." Nick said. "What about you?"

"Literature,"

"It must help to work in a library, then," he retorted.

"Yeah, you'd think so, but it's a lot more organising and developing a thick skin from rude patrons than reading books," she said, then added. "That's why I like my book club."

"Oh yeah-" Ron pointed a finger at her. "I mentioned you to Tom and he does know you."

"I'd hope so, we talk about books a lot."

"Yeah, he gave me well wishes, even told me not to break your heart, so I think he likes you too."

Tom was a sweet guy. He seemed strict and uptight but if you tried hard enough then you'd get to his mushy centre. He listened when she talked and got sparklingly excited when she liked the same part of a book as her. 

"You know what, I would never look at Tom and think he's a book club kind of guy-" Nick said.

He mainly spoke to Ron as she started to focus on the hazy song in the background. It was new and played a lot on the radio. When she realised what the song was, she almost threw her glass across the room.

"-looks can be deceiving, Nicky, I mean with that moustache you could be assumed to be a pornstar-" Ron said but she interrupted.

"Oh, my god, I love this song!" She slammed her hands on theirs, breaking up their conversation. "We have to dance!"

She began to shuffle up the chair, pushing Nick along as he went to finish his drink. He slid off and pulled her up in one swift motion.

"I'm always up for dancing,"

She smiled at him. His hands were so warm, slightly wet from the condensation of the glass. She could see the muscles in his forearms as he held her. Her heart beat quicker. They turned to look at Ron.

"I'm not one for dancing," he said simply.

"We're not taking no for an answer here, Ronnie," she insisted, turning her back to Nick and letting his arms thread around her waist.

"It's still no."

"Fine, but don't blame us for taking drastic measures." 

She pulled Nick forward and held onto one of Ron's hands. Nick took the other and with one look, they heaved Ron upright.

He gave a disgruntled look but Carole just giggled. They didn’t let go of his hand as they ran down the steps and onto the dance floor. Not as the song changed and they grew closer and closer. Not as they kissed each other under the multicoloured lights.

~~~

After hours of dancing and drinking on a sweaty dance floor, the nighttime air was crisp and sharp against her skin. She wished she'd brought a jacket as she rubbed her goosebump-covered arms.

Ron must have picked up, as he took off his leather jacket and placed it on her shoulders. He did end up enjoying their dancing. Maybe he just hadn't had the right partners before. He'd complained throughout that the music choice was shit, he liked rock and metal, yet he continued to dance to the high beat pop playing on the speakers.

"Well, thanks for a good night," she said, clutching the smooth leather of the jacket close to her body. "Are you sure you don't want this back? I don't want you to lose such a good jacket?"

He and Nick looked at each other, then at her. Apparently she said something a bit dim, by the look on their faces.

"We're going to walk you home," Nick said.

"Really?"

She didn't try to hide the way her face froze. They made her feel glittery and golden. She had to admit that the walk home seemed slightly menacing at half one in the morning.

"Can't have you walking alone in the dark, not at this time."

He linked arms with her as Ron threw an arm around her shoulder, "Show is the way, m'lady."

The walk home was easier with them, she thought. Her head was drifting just enough that she couldn't quite catch the conversation in full. She was content just watching them talk as they walked past various shops and apartment buildings until they stopped at her's.

Her heart dropped lower and lower as they staggered up the stairs. She’d never hated seeing her door more than she did right now. She didn't want tonight to end. This was the best first date she’d ever been on.

Despite her lowering heart, she fumbled around in her bag for her keys. Part of her was aware that it was half one in the morning and almost everyone else was sleeping. The other just wanted to find her keys no matter how much noise she made.

"Aha!" She exclaimed.

The keys jingled as she put them in the lock. Her apartment was dark, a grey and blue hue throughout the hallway as she huffed. This is where it ended then.

"Thank you for a wonderful night," she said. "I really enjoyed it."

Nick shuffled his foot. Looking down, he smiled up at her through his eyelashes. 

"I did too,"

"Yeah, me too," added Ron.

"Get home safe, yeah?" She added. "I kind of wanted to see you again so you two dying would ruin that."

Nick chuckled. He stroked her arm, her breath caught in her throat. Her body thrummed with want. She gulped as images of them tangled together, soft gasps filling the air. Something below, beneath her shorter than usual dress, tingled. Maybe tonight didn't have to end now?

"Well, we, too, would like to see you again," he turned to Ron. "Wouldn't we?"

He nodded vigorously, "Of course, babygirl."

Her flushing face blushed stronger. She wanted him to call her that again. She wanted Nick to touch her on more than just her arm.

"We'll have to arrange something," Rom said.

"Yeah," she choked out.

"We'll probably see you around at the library, then."

She nodded, but the idea of not seeing them until next week made her mood sink lower. They looked away from each other, the night turning cold around them.

"I'll go inside, then." She said. "Have a good night."

Reluctantly, she turned around and made her way inside. Her hand lingered on the door as an idea came into her head. She pondered it for a moment before pushing it open a tad and continuing to sonter down the hall.

When she didn't hear footsteps, she turned around to see them standing confused on the threshold. She played it coy. Batted her eyelashes and grinned smally.

"You coming?"

She turned back around. Their footsteps weren't far behind.

I have been writing this for so long. I have a goal to write some slooserole for every trope if I can help it. I think my original fic was the first on AO3 and I want to have more for them so will write it, it just may take me some time.

I would also like to point out that I guess Ron is a nice Gaston. I added the 'there's no pictures' line when he's talking about books on purpose. Also, I pondered whether to make this still in the 80s or a modern au. What made me make it modern is just that I didn't want to have to think about 80s homophobia when it came to Ron and Nick and society being even more against poly relationships then too.

Thank you for reading 😁

[thatmexisaurusrex]

so like its not a prompt and im the worst but for your consideration a sambucky aquarium date 🐠🦀🐡🐟🦈

Thank you so much for the prompt, @whothehellisbuckles 🥺 and lol you're not the worst, I have a Dealer's Choice section for a reason 😂 I hope you enjoy! 🥰

Date 12 of 28: Aquarium Date

| - 11 - | - Prompt - | - 13 - |

"You know you didn't have to take me and Eli to this, right?" asked Isaiah, walking with Sam through the Australia: Wild Extremes exhibit of the National Aquarium in Baltimore, hearing the Laughing Kookaburra in the distance, Sam watching a pig-nosed turtle wander past Sam in her exhibit.

"I know we didn't have to," said Sam, smiling softly as he glanced back to see Bucky with Eli, the both of them freaking out over the Swainson's Lorikeets, "But we wanted to."

When Bucky surprised Sam with a visit to Baltimore, Sam had been excited to see Eli and Isaiah again. Sam had meant to see them more frequently, but between missions and working with communities across the nation, Sam hadn't had a lot of time to visit Baltimore.

Bucky helping him make the time? Was priceless.

After asking Eli a few questions, Sam had surprised Isaiah with flowers and vegetables for his garden, smooth blue aster and cabbage and cinnamon fern and sage and butterfly milkweed and tomatoes and basil, taking the morning to add all the additions to Isaiah's garden.

And when Bucky suggested they go to the National Aquarium? Well, Sam wasn't swooning. He was just. Excited. Because aquariums were awesome.

Bucky even looked into the aquarium, got tickets in advance, researched what exhibits in the museum would have Sam's favorites, like the Peacock Mantis Shrimp, Emperor Angelfish, the Scarlet Ibis, Linne's Two-Toed Sloth, Lion's Main Jelly, White-Blotched River Stingray, and Humphead Wrasse, pointing them out excitedly, and Sam couldn't help but smile at how animated Bucky got about all the animals Sam loved.

"Well, thank you for letting us come, then," said Isaiah, "This whole visit... it's good to see you again."

Sam grinned.

"I'll always come to visit," said Sam, "Honestly, I should more often. I promise I'll try better. And you two can always visit us in Delacroix."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Isaiah, "Eli's been talking about looking at colleges outside of Maryland. Maybe he can see some in Louisiana. If he was going to leave Maryland, I'd rather him be near you than no one."

Sam paused and... took a moment. To not totally blubber all over Isaiah.

"Thank you," said Sam, "I... I understand that it's hard for you to trust people and I won't let you down if he chooses to go to a college near me."

"You're a good kid, Sam," said Isaiah, shrugging, "Weird taste in men, but I'm not here to tell you who to date."

"I know," said Sam, looking back again to see Bucky imitating the Johnston's Crocodile, Sam doing his best not to laugh at it, Bucky locking eyes with Sam as he started exaggerating his movements further, "But he's my weirdo."

Sam hung back, Eli moving past Sam to walk with his grandfather.

"Hey, weirdo," said Sam, putting his arm around Bucky's shoulder.

Bucky scowled adorably.

"Ugh. I'm not a weirdo," said Bucky, "I'm a loving and caring boyfriend."

"I know you are," said Sam, giving Bucky a kiss on the cheek, "Thank you for all of this."

"No, thank you for being a part of my life," said Bucky, wrapping his arm around Sam's waist, "Want to go to the Upland Tropical Rainforest exhibit? I heard they have a Golden Lion Tamarin and a Blue-Crowned Motmot. They also have that sloth you like and the Scarlet Ibis."

"I'd love to," said Sam, the two of them giving Eli and Isaiah some time alone, heading to the Upland Tropical Rainforest exhibit together.

❤️ ❤️ ❤️

Want to choose a date for Sam and Bucky to go on during this special February Daily SamBucky Fluff Diary event? Check out the prompts here and send me an ask! I’ll write you a drabble as one of my Daily SamBucky Fluff Diaries!