#HAMMERHEAD SWEEP

[umm0lly]

The Sharkiest Shark Tournament

18 sharks have been randomly pitted against each other to see who is the true sharkiest shark. Two rounds will have three contenders.

VOTING OPENS ON THE 6TH, CLOSES ON THE 13TH

Probably the most effort I've put into anything. Tag any shark obsessed mutuals if you want, and be sure to watch out for the voting opening tomorrow <3

Round One - February 6th, 7am EST: Part One - Tiger Shark vs Bull Shark vs Spotted Wobbegong Part Two - Blue Shark vs Lemon Shark Part Three - Sand Tiger Shark vs Great White Shark Part Four - Thresher Shark vs Nurse Shark Round Two - February 7th, 7am EST: Part One - Port Jackson vs Leopard Catshark vs Epaulette Shark Part Two - Whale Shark vs Shortfin Mako Part Three - Great Hammerhead vs Oceanic Whitetip Part Four - Longnose Sawshark vs Basking Shark Round Three - February 8th, 7am EST: Part One - Spotted Wobbegong vs Lemon Shark Part Two - Great White vs Nurse Shark

Round Four - February 9th, 7am EST: Part One - Port Jackson Shark vs Whale Shark Part Two - Great Hammerhead vs Basking Shark

Semifinals - February 11th, 9am EST: Spotted Wobbegong vs Nurse Shark Whale Shark vs Great Hammerhead

FINALS: February 13th, 9am, EST: Nurse Shark vs Great Hammerhead

WINNER: TBA

tags under the cut

@joshisepic2222 @nemideia @artemis-the-duck @on-the-outside @italian-wall-lizard @pride-potato @directlyat-thesun @redbunnydragon @i-will-sing-no-requiem @weshipsolangelo @03junkie

[svperluminous]

All of Finnegrin's speaking lines by episode by scene, including the characters who interact with him.

Under cut because it's a big chunk of text.

5.06 - Bait and Switch

Scene: Ezran first comes to his office

Finnegrin: I'm not best known for hospitality. Don't usually like uninvited guests. But the waves be gentle today, and so is my mood. Name's Finnegrin. What can I do for you, lad?

Ezran: I'm Ezran, king of Katolis. I've come to your fair port because I need a ship. My friends and I are racing to stop a great evil before it's too late, and time is running out. Can you help us?

Finnegrin: You say you're a king, eh? Then where's your crown?

(Ezran hands him the crown)

Finnegrin: Hmm... (bites into the crown)

Ezran: Hey!

Finnegrin: (laughs) It's made of steel. It's worthless.

Ezran: It's not worthless, it's really important to me. It's made from my father's sword.

Finnegrin: Sentiment's worth even less than steel here, lad.

(Ezran is sad)

Finnegrin: Don't look so sour. King or peasant, don't matter to me so long as you're offering something of value.

Ezran: But I don't have anything else.

Finnegrin: Oh, come now, I don't think that's true. Come here, look. See that ship? She's the fastest in my fleet. Well, second fastest. (chuckles) I'd name you her captain for the right price. I'll give you the ship for that glow toad.

Ezran: What? No. What could you possibly want with Bait?

Finnegrin: It's not really the glow toad I want, it's what I'll catch with it. Sea leviathans, lad. With this one on my line, I wager I could reel in the biggest leviathan in the eastern sea. Imagine the gold that could fetch.

Ezran: No. He's my friend.

Finnegrin: Hmm, you drive a hard bargain. Fine. I'll give you the ship for half the glow toad. But I choose which half.

(Ezran shakes his head)

Finnegrin: All right, all right. Let me sweeten the deal. On your way. (he sweeps a crab off of a chest) What's in here may not be of much value today, but I think you'll see the potential for growth. In time, it'll be worth three times the value of your glow toad friend.

Scene: Soren comes to the office

Finnegrin (to his crab): Oh, you're squeezed in there tight. Due for an upgrade, aren't ye?

Elmer: Sir. You have another--

Finnegrin: Deadwood. Get this one a bigger shell. Something roomier, but not lacking in style.

Elmer: Aye, sir. You have another visitor. Says he's here on "really big business."

Finnegrin: Fine, fine. Send him in. And who might you be?

Soren: Name's Smort Longpocket. Nice port you got here. A little small for my taste, but love the vibe. So... word around the market is that you're the type of guy who likes doing business. Big business. Legal or not legal.

Finnegrin: You heard right.

Soren: Now I've got some goods on my ship that I think might interest you. Goods I got by doing crimes.

Finnegrin: What goods exactly are you sellin'?

Soren: Let's just say these goods are so good, they should call them "greats."

Finnegrin: Hmm...

Soren: (chuckles) What do you say you and I take a walk to my big business boat and you can see for yourself, hmm?

Finnegrin: Fine. Show me your wares. Of course, you understand that if you're wasting my time...

Soren: I'll never be welcome in Scumport again. (laughs) Got it.

Finnegrin: Quite the opposite. Waste my time, and you'll never leave Scumport.

Soren: (chuckles nervously)

Finnegrin: Lock the door, you useless hunk of flotsam.

Soren: My man, it's just a quick walk. There's no need to...

Finnegrin: I always lock up.

Elmer: Squid, sails, a hammerhead's tail.

Finnegrin: I know how it goes.

Scene: At the market

Finnegrin: (grunts) Back to the tower. Now!

[5.06 recap before 5.07]

Finnegrin: Deadwood, ready my ship.

[5.07 Sea Legs]

Scene: On the deck of Sea Legs

Finnegrin: (flips a coin) Tails.

Finnegrin: Take 'em to the brig.

Rayla: (grunts) No!

Finnegrin: Keep the boy separate. I've got special use for this one.

[5.08 Finnegrin’s Wake]

Scene: First conversation with Callum

Finnegrin: (humming) ♪ The sea shall bow to me ♪

Callum: Tell me where my friends are.

Finnegrin: Your friends won't be springing to your rescue. One of them's already gone. Traded me something I wanted, and now she's free as a bird. Look at you. Slave to your friends, your loyalties, your pride. I can give you your freedom, though. I just want one thing.

Callum: Yeah? What do you want?

Finnegrin: A spell. One dark magic spell, boy, and you go free.

Callum: Never. I don't do dark magic. I will never help you.

Finnegrin: (sighs) I see. Seems you're the type that needs persuading. Deadwood! Get over here, you teak freak!

Scene: Second conversation with Callum

Finnegrin: Listen, boy, this ain't that complicated. You're a dark mage. All I'm asking for is one spell.

Callum: I'm not a dark mage.

Finnegrin: You take me for a fool? You stole the wind right out of my sails.

Callum: That was primal magic. I don't do dark magic.

Finnegrin: Never?

Callum: Never.

Finnegrin: You're crying innocent but in your eyes I see guilt. What have you done that's got you so twisted up inside, huh?

Callum: I did one spell. One. I just... I turned some chains into snakes. I had to, to save my friends.

Finnegrin: Oh, how noble. Just one spell and you never thought about dark magic again?

Callum: Uh, well, I've just... I've read a lot about it. But not only dark magic, all kinds of magic. Your kind, too. I've read about the ocean, and the tides, and how...

Finnegrin: Well, maybe in all that reading you found what I'm looking for. Few years ago, a human took down Avizandum, king of the dragons, with dark magic. And I want to know the spell that did it.

Callum: Why?

Finnegrin: Simple. I want to kill the Archdragon of the Ocean... Domina Profundis.

Callum: No. I'm not going to help you murder the Archdragon of the Ocean.

Finnegrin: Murder? You know, when you say it like that, you make me sound like a bloodthirsty fiend.

Callum: Oh, I'm sorry, do you have some kind of nice reason for wanting her dead?

Finnegrin: (chuckles) Sea Legs had a sister. She was my loyal pet, my steed, and my ship for 40 years. And I loved that crab. Out in the deep, she could take sea leviathans and krakens with her own two claws. Well, Domina didn't like that, said the deep sea was under her protection. But that ain't freedom. And so I challenged her domain and she took everything from me. She let me live but she told me if she ever saw me more than a mile offshore she'd drown me. Me. The fearsome Captain Finnegrin. Ships turn and flee at the sight of my flag. Any sailor who docks at Scumport pays their due. But if I cross the great Domina Profundis, she'll make flotsam of everything I've built. So long as she's out there, I'm never truly free.

Callum: (chuckles)

Finngerin: Something funny?

Callum: Listen to yourself. You think you want freedom, but you're just trying to control the entire ocean.

Finnegrin: You think I want control, do you? I'll prove you wrong right now. There's a decision I've been mulling over, and I'm going to let you make it for me.

Scene: On the deck

Rayla: Callum. What is he doing to you? Let him go!

Finnegrin: Control the prisoners, Deadwood, or I'll chop you up to make a new mast.

Elmer: Sit back down.

Finnegrin: Big dumb hunka wood-if-he-could.

Soren: Hey! He's actually doing a great job. I'm very under control.

Finnegrin: You all care about justice, right? Well, one of you stole my glow toads so one of you has to pay. Now the old-fashioned price for stealing is the thief's hand. So, boy, which of your friends is losing a hand? I give you that choice.

Callum: No. I won't pick.

Finnegrin: Oh, you will, or I'll take a hand from each of 'em.

Ezran: Take my hand. I'm the one who stole from you.

Rayla: No, take mine. I almost lost one before, so suppose I'm due.

Soren: I've got the biggest, strongest hands, don't you want one of mine? Huh? Huh?

Villads: I can get on fine without a hand. Hooks are in fashion these days.

Finnegrin: What is wrong with you people? You bunch of barnacle brains all want to lose your hands?

Elmer: I do not understand. A hand will take weeks to regrow.

Soren: No, buddy. It'll take way longer than that.

Callum: See? So long as we protect each other, so long as we love each other, you can never control us.

Finnegrin: Charming. Really tugging on my heartstrings. Think I feel a good cry coming on. (cuffs unlock) They'll do anything for you, so surely you'll do anything for them, won't you? Go on.

Finnegrin: You've done this before. Turn their chains into snakes and then you can all overpower me and sail to freedom. You have all the power and control here. If you care so much about them, set them free. Is it such a big deal dirtying yourself with a little dark magic?

Ezran: Stop! Just take my hand, that's all you wanted, isn't it?

Rayla: Don't do it, Callum. Not again!

(Rayla frees herself, Finn casts Venus Frigoris on her)

Callum: Rayla!

Finnegrin: Hurts, don't it? That's your blood freezing in your veins. Now you see what keeps everyone on my ship in line. The chains, well, they're really just for show.

(Callum punches him)

Finnegrin: You shouldn't have done that.

(Elmer punches Callum)

Scene: Back in the captain’s cabin

Finnegrin: That was quite a display. All that talk about how love makes you stronger, but the second you see that elf girl in pain, you completely lost yourself.

Callum: What are you doing?

Finnegrin: Oh, don't worry. The cage is for his protection. This way, he lures us a leviathan but doesn't get eaten. The one getting thrown into the sea serpent's hungry mouth is your elf girl.

Callum: (grunts) No, no, wait! A dying breath. Blood filled with hatred. And a unicorn horn. That's the dark magic you want. Just... just let her go.

Finnegrin: (tongue clicking) Oh, my poor lad. That deal was no longer on the table.

Callum: No!

Scene: Back on the deck

Finnegrin: What did you think you could do, boy? I control everyone on this ship. Everyone.

Rayla: Callum!

Callum: (exhales sharply) Do not ask how the ocean's blue... or why the tides their time do keep. To love is simply to know this... The tides are true, as the ocean is deep. (casts the spell)

Finnegrin: How?

Callum: You don't control anything. But then, you already knew that, didn't you? Because it's the secret of the ocean itself. The arcanum.

Finnegrin: Impossible.

Callum: You helped me figure it out. I thought it would be about controlling the tides, or fighting the currents. But... it's the opposite. The ocean arcanum is accepting that there are depths you can't see. Parts of yourself you can't understand. And things you can't control. You know what I'm saying is true because you were born knowing it. No matter how much you try, you'll never control everything. And that terrifies you.

Finnegrin: Oh, you're wrong, boy. I can control you.

(Callum choking and gasping)

Finnegrin: You see after all that, I win because this worthless lump of timber obeys me no matter what.

Soren: Stop! You don't have to do what he tells you. He calls you names and says you're worthless, but you do everything he says. Why?

Finnegrin: Because he knows his place. Doesn't even have blood to freeze, but he'll still do what he's told. Like this... Deadwood! Hit the handsome loudmouth.

Soren: (grunting) He deserves dignity!

Finnegrin: Oh, if you say so, I can treat him real dignified-like. There he is, the great Sir Splinters, Lord of the Logs. Look at him, he's got a face only a carpenter could love. Again!

(Soren grunts)

Ezran: Soren, stay down.

Finnegrin: This is over. Again!

(Soren groans)

Elmer: Why do you keep getting up?

Finnegrin: Again!

Soren: (groans) I know... what this is like. I know how you feel. He's cruel... but you don't have to be.

Finnegrin: What are you doing? I didn't tell you to stop. Hit him again. Do it, you pathetic rotting husk. Do you hear me, Deadwood? Deadwood!

Elmer: That is not my name.

Finnegrin: Unhand me! I own you! I control you! You are mine! Deadwood, put me down! Deadwood!

Elmer: My name is... Elmer.

(Finnegrin screaming)

[tarisilmarwen]

Rebels Rewatch: "A Princess On Lothal"

Mini Leia is here to lift everyone's spirits, and provide some much-needed hardware to the Rebellion.

Right, so going to have to be careful about the new photo limit, but just one quick cap from the beginning here because awwww the Loth-cat was comforting Ezra!

Oooh the deep glockenspiel adds some interesting texture to this music cue here.

And cue the Hammerhead corvettes. Good thing Leia dropped by when most of the blockade was still sweeping up on Garel.

(They'll be back soon, Lothal and Garel are practically galactic neighbors.)

Lol Lyste sighing in aggravation about "Another delegation from Alderaan." I'm certain Bail and Breha have cultivated quite the bleeding heart reputation as cover for their covert Rebel activities.

I don't think the voice actress they chose is that great. She sounds... way older than 15/16 and I can tell she's trying for the cadence of Carrie Fisher's snark but... I dunno it just lands weird for me. I think they could have gotten away with having her voice sound younger and it would have been okay.

Chopper sticking by Ezra's side. :((((

A slow, mournful version of Ezra's theme. Fitting, as he's going to be grieving the whole episode. Which is a nice bit of continuity. I love it when shows allow time for characters to grieve and adjust to losses they've sustained.

Subtle animation appreciation moment: The way Ezra idly thumps the cadet helmet to the side of his head. Just a nice little gesture that adds character and flavor.

Oh shit, that was definitely a Dies Irae in the score there.

(A refresher for those of you just joining this rewatch: The Dies Irae is an old Latin musical sequence that has been used basically since the Gregorian chant days to denote the specter of death in a work of music. Composers from ages past up to the present have referenced it in their compositions. Think of it as like the world's oldest music meme.)

Lot of OT score references in this part, no surprise.

Ezra is noticeably more surly and pissy than usual this episode, at least until his pep talk from Leia. Also no surprise, the boy hides behind his sarcasm and snark like no one's business.

"I don't get to give orders!" Just wait, Ezra, lol. You'll get your turn.

Leia playing Lyste like a damn fiddle lolol.

Mini Leia is really pretty. They did a great job with her design.

Alderaan sits pretty in the "plausible deniability" section. I'm sure the Empire suspected the planet of harboring secret Rebel sympathies but they were never able to have concrete proof of it. Bail, like Mon, probably held out hope that he could stem some of the Empire's tyranny from within, and so that's why he didn't want to lose his seat of government power, not as long as there was a chance he could effect some kind of change, which meant Alderaan had to avoid being directly tied to the Rebellion.

There's some commentary there about the need to work within the system in order to fix it, versus when it's time to break off and burn it down, but I'm not going to go into that right now.

Hngh, Ryder's resignation when the Stormtrooper mentions "termination".

"Hera's here." Hhhnkgjhn that's the happiest we've heard Ezra sound this episode Imma cry.

Luke's theme used per the standard as a bold Big Damn Heroes leitmotif with the Ghost's appearance.

"I'll warn Sabine." Lol how does Ezra know Sabine's the one who's going to be paying attention?

Zeb enjoyed this entirely too much lololol.

Ha ha those two Stormtroopers who are like, "They take prisoners now???"

This man has zero shame lol.

RIGHT, SO THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE UNDERRATED SABEZRA MOMENTS RIGHT HERE AND I HAVE BEEN A VERY GOOD GIRL WITH THE PHOTO LIMIT WHICH MEANS I GET TO CAP THE SCENE IN FULL.

That soft hand on his arm. The way her eyes linger on him as he turns away.

*sobs*

I love it so muuuuuuuuch!

Leia being, well, Leia, immediately discerns that something's really bugging Ezra. I love that the Kenobi show leaned into the inner sixth sense she displays here, that she can pick out a person's thoughts and feelings with the Force just by looking at them.

Kanan discerning that Leia might be able to comment and help Ezra, aww.

Friiiiiiiiick his face.

Leia's theme follows right on the heels of Ezra's theme here, in the score.

"I feel like because I can fight, I have to, for those who cannot." Boy is that isn't the quintessential Jedi and Rebel Alliance motivation right there...

I do like the dynamic between Ezra and Leia. It's very sweet. They bond based on their shared Hero Complex motivations, their mutual desire to fight on behalf of the helpless. Ezra shows off a little bit for her, later, in the way he usually does around girls he likes (the boy has A Type, let's be honest), but it never quite reaches the overtness of his crush on Sabine, so it hits even more quasi-platonic.

I think Leia thought he was cute tho.

Back to the plot, Leia's embarrassing Lyste all over the place here lol.

Ah, wow, the Rebel Alliance theme, haven't heard that in a while.

There is quite a bit of tension in how slowly the Hammerheads take off. The show plays that tension for all it's worth.

Oh you know I gotta comment about this part right here where Ezra goes feral.

For a moment we had all forgotten about the fact that he was clearly grieving, and this outburst caught us off guard. The way this is staged it's framed as concerning, with an edge of danger, Ezra leaping onto the Stormtrooper and clashing beats sounding along with his punches in the score, Kanan reaching towards him with an almost hesitant body posture.

But! Ezra lets out his anger and then contains himself, standing up and just putting his helmet back on. He breathes, regains his composure, and returns to neutral.

*weeps* He's such a good Jedi.

Kanan whipping out his lightsaber to be awesome against the AT-ATs aaaaaah!

(And that implied to be the reason Ryder stayed on Lothal and started up a new Rebel cell there, ONCE AGAIN CATCH ME CRYING ABOUT HOW THE JEDI REPRESENT HOPE TO A HOPELESS GALAXY.)

HHmmmmmmgggh I wanna say this is a recurring leitmotif but I don't know, I love it either way, it's beautiful.

Swish swish and return to first position, aaaah lightsaber choreography is so cool sometimes.

This whole sequence is just... *chef kiss*. The orchestration, the tension, the rapid shot choice...

Lolol Lyste getting thoroughly embarrassed by Leia.

Fun fact: One of the Hammerheads they gathered here in this episode would later go on to be the one that landed THE decisive blow to one of the Star Destroyers guarding the shield gate at Scarif.

PIECE BY PIECE, REBELS SHOWS THE MINUTIA OF SACRIFICES NEEDED TO PUT EVERY ELEMENT INTO PLACE FOR THEIR ULTIMATE VICTORY.

Ryder enters with Ezra, did Ezra have any kind of hand in convincing him to fight for Lothal?

HE LOOKS DIRECTLY AT EZRA I THINK THERE'S A CASE TO BE MADE HERE.

The Force Theme soaring into prominence here as we close out.

This episode is just the kind of break we need to process the events of the previous episode. Leia is almost flawless, willy deflecting suspicion off herself while playing the Imperials all for fools, compassionate and empathetic when she senses someone in pain and turmoil.

Ezra is allowed to grieve throughout the episode, and displays a myriad of conflicted and complex emotions from scene to scene. Kanan almost takes a bit of a backseat to comforting him, letting all the others express sympathy in turn, giving him the space he needs and offering up the distraction of the mission. He handles Ezra really well, all things considered.

It helps that Ezra, unlike Anakin, chooses to deal with and channel his grief in a productive way, rather than destructive. (I have the tag "#ezra is the anti-anakin" for a reason.)

This is a fun episode. Lighter than the previous one, lower stakes, but needed to let the characters breathe and process through the revelations of the plot. I really like it.

We're about to hit the Golden Streak, so stay tuned, I will have more to say later.

[sharkshowdown]

Now to meet our contestants:

On one side the actual largest shark and fish species alive, they do their name justice with their incredible size and filter feeding. On the other side the one where you question evolution why, their name is very accurate but it doesnt make them any less impressive.

Some facts:

Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus): they are filter feeders, eating plankton to supply their big size, while they can reach up to nearly 22 meters (72ft), the males are not as big as the females, their average size being at around 8-9 meters (26-30ft). Despite their size they're actually really docile to humans (as much as a wild animal can be).

Hammerhead Shark (family: Sphyrnidae): there's more than one species in this family, the biggest species can reach at around 6 meters (19.8ft). During the day, they swim in groups and become more lonely at nights. The head is very shaped so it can sweep for prey. Humans are usually not on the feeding list of this shark but they will attack more easily than some others in this list.

[blue-gay]

NO FR NAME A SHARK WITH A COOLER BRAIN THAN A HAMMERHEAD. I LOVE GREAT WHITES BUT THEY COULD NEVER BEAT THE HAMMERHEAD IN A COOLNESS CONTEST

Great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran) | Great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias)

Sharkest shark polls

[sharkwithc4]

naw you shouldve died in the womb youre just a failure atp ☠️☠️

The hammerhead sharks are a group of sharks that form the family Sphyrnidae, named for the unusual and distinctive form of their heads, which are flattened and laterally extended into a cephalofoil (a T-shape or "hammer"). The shark's eyes are placed one on either end of this T-shaped structure, with their small mouths directly centered and underneath. Most hammerhead species are placed in the genus Sphyrna, while the winghead shark is placed in its own genus, Eusphyra. Many different— but not necessarily mutually exclusive—functions have been postulated for the cephalofoil, including sensory reception, manoeuvering, and prey manipulation. The cephalofoil gives the shark superior binocular vision and depth perception.

Hammerheads are found worldwide, preferring life in warmer waters along coastlines and continental shelves. Unlike most sharks, some hammerhead species will congregate and swim in large schools during the day, becoming solitary hunters at night.

The known species range from 0.9 to 6.0 m (2 ft 11 in to 19 ft 8 in) in length and weigh 3–580 kg (6.6–1,300 lb).[1][2] One specimen caught off the Florida coast in 1906 weighed over 680 kg (1,500 lb).[3] They are usually light gray and have a greenish tint. Their bellies are white, which allows them to blend into the background when viewed from below and sneak up to their prey.[4] Their heads have lateral projections that give them a hammer-like shape. While overall similar, this shape differs somewhat between species; examples are: a distinct T-shape in the great hammerhead, a rounded head with a central notch in the scalloped hammerhead, and an unnotched rounded head in the smooth hammerhead.[5]

Hammerheads have disproportionately small mouths compared to other shark species.[6] Some species are also known to form schools.[7]In the evening, like most other sharks, they become solitary hunters.[citation needed] National Geographic explained that hammerheads can be found in warm, tropical waters, but during the summer, they participate in a mass migration to search for cooler waters.[8]

Since sharks do not have mineralized bones and rarely fossilize, only their teeth are commonly found as fossils. Their closest relatives are the requiem sharks (Carcharinidae). Based on DNA studies and fossils, the ancestor of the hammerheads probably lived in the Early Mioceneepoch about 20 million years ago.[6][9]

Using mitochondrial DNA, a phylogenetic tree of the hammerhead sharks showed the winghead shark as its most basal member. As the winghead shark has proportionately the largest "hammer" of the hammerhead sharks, this suggests that the first ancestral hammerhead sharks also had large hammers.[10]

The hammer-like shape of the head may have evolved at least in part to enhance the animal's vision.[11] The positioning of the eyes, mounted on the sides of the shark's distinctive hammer head, allows 360° of vision in the vertical plane, meaning the animals can see above and below them at all times.[12][13] They also have an increased binocular vision and depth of visual field as a result of the cephalofoil.[14][15] The shape of the head was previously thought to help the shark find food, aiding in close-quarters maneuverability, and allowing sharp turning movement without losing stability. The unusual structure of its vertebrae, though, has been found to be instrumental in making the turns correctly, more often than the shape of its head, though it would also shift and provide lift. From what is known about the winghead shark, the shape of the hammerhead apparently has to do with an evolved sensory function. Like all sharks, hammerheads have electroreceptory sensory pores called ampullae of Lorenzini. The pores on the shark's head lead to sensory tubes, which detect electric fields generated by other living creatures.[16] By distributing the receptors over a wider area, like a larger radio antenna, hammerheads can sweep for prey more effectively.[17]

Reproduction occurs only once a year for hammerhead sharks, and usually occurs with the male shark biting the female shark violently until she agrees to mate with him.[18] The hammerhead sharks exhibit a viviparousmode of reproduction with females giving birth to live young. Like other sharks, fertilization is internal, with the male transferring sperm to the female through one of two intromittent organs called claspers. The developing embryos are at first sustained by a yolk sac. When the supply of yolk is exhausted, the depleted yolk sac transforms into a structure analogous to a mammalian placenta (called a "yolk sac placenta" or "pseudoplacenta"), through which the mother delivers sustenance until birth. Once the baby sharks are born, they are not taken care of by the parents in any way. Usually, a litter consists of 12 to 15 pups, except for the great hammerhead, which gives birth to litters of 20 to 40 pups. These baby sharks huddle together and swim toward warmer water until they are old enough and large enough to survive on their own.[18]

In 2007, the bonnethead shark was found to be capable of asexual reproduction via automictic parthenogenesis, in which a female's ovum fuses with a polar body to form a zygote without the need for a male. This was the first shark known to do this.[19]

Hammerhead sharks eat a large range of prey such as fish (including other sharks), squid, octopus, and crustaceans. Stingrays are a particular favorite, with the positioning of their (comparatively) smaller, crescent-shaped mouths underneath their T-shaped heads allowing for skilled skate, ray, and flounder hunting, among other seafloor-dwellers. These sharks will often be found swimming above the sand along the bottom of the ocean, stalking their prey. Their unique heads are further utilized as a tool (or weapon) if hunting rays and flatfishes; the shark uses its head to pin down and briefly stun the prey, and only eats once their quarry is clearly weakened and in shock.[18] The great hammerhead, tending to be larger and more aggressive to its own kind than other hammerheads, occasionally engages in cannibalism, eating other hammerhead sharks, including mothers consuming their own young.[20] In addition to the typical animal prey, bonnetheads have been found to feed on seagrass, which sometimes makes up as much as half their stomach contents. They may swallow it unintentionally, but they are able to partially digest it. At the time of discovery, this was the only known case of a potentially omnivorous species of shark[21] (since then, whale sharks were also found to be omnivorous).[22]

According to the International Shark Attack File, humans have been subjects of 17 documented, unprovoked attacks by hammerhead sharks within the genus Sphyrna since AD 1580. No human fatalities have been recorded.[33] Most hammerhead shark species are too small to inflict serious damage to humans.[8]Man carrying a hammerhead shark along a street in Mogadishu, Somalia

The great and the scalloped hammerheads are listed on the World Conservation Union's (IUCN) 2008 Red List as endangered, whereas the smalleye hammerhead is listed as vulnerable. The status given to these sharks is as a result of overfishing and demand for their fins, an expensive delicacy. Among others, scientists expressed their concern about the plight of the scalloped hammerhead at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in Boston. The young swim mostly in shallow waters along shores all over the world to avoid predators.[34]

Shark fins are prized as a delicacy in certain countries in Asia (such as China), and overfishing is putting many hammerhead sharks at risk of extinction. Fishermen who harvest the animals typically cut off the fins and toss the remainder of the fish, which is often still alive, back into the sea.[35] This practice, known as finning, is lethal to the shark.[36]

[menaceanon]

After a few rocky, painful months, my parents and I have taken a trip together to the Caribbean. We have a little cabin on the water, with great food and incredible beaches, and it’s the first time I’ve felt like myself since so many facets of my life went rapidly to shit last fall.

I’m obsessed with the water here. It’s azure blue, warm as bath water, perfectly clear, and utterly calm.

Today, a boat took my mom and I out on a reef for some snorkeling, and the spot was like a picture book. It had white sand floors and isolated coral heads teeming with colorful fish, and we floated, explored, and free dove down to get a closer look. I was hoping most of all to see an octopus or a squid, since I love cephalopods, and was hovering carefully over a purple fan, scanning the coral below it for anything octopus-esque, when my mom cuffed my arm.

My mom is an experienced diver with a knack for spotting cool stuff, so I twisted immediately, expecting, if not an octopus, then at least something very cool.

What I was not expecting to see, sweeping out of the misty blue distance in a long arc perfectly calculated to intercept us, was an eight-foot-long shark.

It’s pace was what I would call “devastatingly lazy” and “effortlessly fast.”

I’m not sure I’ve ever felt that very hind-brain arithmetic of terror before. A lot of thoughts piled on top of each other in the space of a second, which I’m going to record here mostly for my own sake, but you’re welcome to tag along.

Thought 1: that is a real live shark. A real one. There. Right there.

Thought 2: oh god oh fuck oh shit oh that’s super cool oh fuck

Thought 3: what the hell kind of shark is that

Thought 4: it’s not a hammerhead thank god

Thought 5: nurse shark! It’s a nurse shark! Bottom feeder! Famously easy-going, for a shark

Thought 6: for a shark

Thought 7: it’s turning away

Thought 8: this thing is close enough to touch holy fuck

Thought 9: off she goes. Scoped us out and on her way. What a fucking silhouette, I’ve only ever seen that in movies and aquariums

Thought 10 was just my mom and I grabbing each other and whooping, then signaling the shark to the snorkel boat. But we were the only ones to see her go by.

I don’t really have a lesson or anything here. I feel very strongly that people shouldn’t go in the water aiming to interact with megafauna—nature is not a petting zoo. But sometimes nature just sweeps on by, and if you’re very fortunate you get to be a stunned witness.

[chowtrolls]

Beloved joined the fleet as a general, already outranking a lot of other trolls because his first like. 100 sweeps or so was in a gladiatorial colosseum. That's where his Strife (the Hammerhead) came from. picture now beloved younger, still beefy, still handsome, in a leather skirt.

[beemovieerotica]

MACCUS SWEEP!! HAMMERHEAD HEADS ASSEMBLE

Pirates of the Caribbean First Mates

(no the First Mate doesn't come with the ship, it's their resume. but if you want the ship why not take it, yer a Pirate ain't ya?)

And yes, this is to match with our Captains poll

*Arabella "Bell" Smith is a character from the Jack Sparrow series by Rob Kidd. She is his first crew member and first First Mate. In the books she take up with Bootstrap Billy leading to speculation she is Will's mom. She also has a role in the Magic Kingdom, as a tavern proprietress.

[babybluesquid]

Consequences of Karrnath Session 45

The Furious and Faithful Finality

Our Players this week:

Dagne, Redemption Paladin, party leader, an undead soldier created by the Odakyr Rites, but has a soul. They are a Seeker sworn to protect the living. Has a skeleton horse mount from Find Steed named Coffin. Can be abrasive and dishonest, but they are ultimately kind. They intend to meet their destiny to defeat Mordakesh to protect the world.

Vaeren, Gloomstalker Ranger, a blind former Deathguard. They were initially sent to investigate Dagne, but instead married them. They’re contemplative and disciplined, and are recently tired, only wishing to defeat Mordakesh and settle down.

Before boarding the airship, the party has some time to purchase some potions for the fight. Then, they’re off for the Ice Wood. Once high in the air, a large red bat flies up with unnatural speed, then tosses a Khyber shard to Vaeren. They stare down at it, the promised piece of Rak Tulkesh’s prison. There’s no going back now.

When the airship sets down, Vaeren leads the party to the designated area. Having their internal view of the area match up to the reality they can sense is a strange experience, but they’re sure that here they’ll have no issue aiming a bow. They confirm to the others that the woods are empty, not even animals stirring in the cold air of the manifest zone. It’s desolate. However, Nux feels an unmistakable presence in the stillness, and recognizes it as an encroaching, but protective cold. The Killing Cold is here, in a way. Vaeren directs the group to a defensible area, surrounded by and ice spike and a hill, and the group takes up positions guarding Nux.

Vaeren hears the unmistakable crunch of footsteps in the snow, but they cannot find the source of the sound despite their perfect knowledge of the area. They quietly impart this to the rest of the party and nock an arrow.

Something melts out of the shadows and lunges for Vaeren! They fire immediately, one, two, three arrows into gaps in the creature’s armor. But the arrows, which surely found their target, clatter to the ground. Standing there is a Rakshasa, black fur with stripes and a mane of orange fire, black full plate armor gleaming in the sun. In one hand, he holds a massive black and jagged sword, inscribed with burning runes. In the other, Dagne’s poleaxe, now combined with the artifact Garthir. Mordakesh utters some words in the infernal tongue, spellcasting, then stares past Vaeren, smiles, and says, “hello Dagne.”

Then he strikes at Vaeren with his deathly blade. Vaeren dodges aside his first sweep, but he comes in again and stabs their chest, his sword rending their armor like paper and leeching the life from them. In that moment, the pain is unbearable, and Vaeren thinks they might die. The wound isn’t deep though, so he comes in for another strike, which Vaeren just manages to block with their shield. Suddenly, he swings Garthir at them, catching them by surprise with a powerful hit from the weapon’s hammerhead.

Ev, seeing the objective clear in front of him, the will of the binding flame and the realization of its prophecy, slips into a state of pure determination. In that moment, he becomes a tool for killing Mordakesh. He yells and runs at the fiend, bashing at him with his hammer, silver light exploding with each strike to his face. However, Mordakesh seems wholly unaffected by Ev’s weapon. The demon disengages and then loops around behind Nux. Frightened, Nux misty steps away, popping back up behind a tree, and sends a knife of psychic energy to Mordakesh’s mind. It does not go through, and he advances on the rest of the party.

Dagne ascends to the top of the hill and calls upon their will to protect their party. They glow brightly with red light, an aura emanating from them and expanding in every direction. Mordakesh scoffs at their aura of life, “no matter what you do here, you will all perish.” Though scared, Dagne replies, “prophecy disagrees.” They then retrieve a potion of cloud giant strength, a rare find which accounted for most of the cost of the battle, and drink it. As magically enhanced strength rushes through Dagne’s body, Mordakesh turns on them, stabbing them through with their own poleaxe. The force of the blow punches a small hole in their armor and cracks a rib. Though shaken, Dagne pushes him back and readies themself for the fiend’s assault.

Vaeren responds with a slash to Mordakesh’s face. Dissolution cuts through fur and skin or his cheek, and some sand spills out. Immediately, the wound burns over and scars with demonglass. Bolstered by the sign that he can be hurt, they come in again with a jab for his eye. He avoids it but is gashed across the side of his head. Next to Mordakesh, Vaeren suddenly realizes just how hot the demon is burning, and they can feel the infernal heat burning their armor and skin.

Mordakesh growls, louder and deeper than any animal, then slams his weapons together. The shockwave of dark force rattles everyone, Dagne in particular, but they keep their focus. Ev sneaks in a solid blow on the fiend’s chest, but then Mordakesh ducks under his second swing. He roasts and his fiery mane suddenly explodes outwards like a supernova. The fire scorches Sagne and Ev badly, but Vaeren and Nux manage to duck the flames in time to be only minorly singed. Recollecting themselves quickly, Nux spellcasts, creating seven otherworldly lights in different colors which dance about their head. They fire one off at Mordakesh, but the demon leaps above it. He brings his sword down on Ev’s shoulder, nearly dislocating it. Dagne retaliates with a downward chop, but the fiend turns and locks poleaxes with them. They wrench their weapon free though, stab him with the spearpoint, and smite. Blinding red light fills the field and burns a gaping hole in Mordakesh’s chest, which begins to fill in with creeping demonglass. Their proximity to him burns Dagne. Vaeren stabs him through the vambrace and then finds an armor gap.

Mordakesh ignores them, focusing solely on Dagne to reply to their remark. “One’s first impression is never correct,” he says, mane once again bursting with flame and burning the party. He then feigns twice with his sword, then suddenly turns to stab Nux in the stomach with Garthir. They scream, and the wound gushes with blood. Mordakesh fixes a cruel smile on Dagne, “still so confident?” Ev leaps in and drives Mordakesh back, spiking him inn the demonglass scab. The area is crushed into a mess of glass shards. Mordakesh, though, whirls around and stabs Nux again, right in the chest. They collapse to the icy ground, stars flickering out. But then, Nux jolts and stands upright.

“Absolutely,” Dagne replies, “you’re going to wish you didn’t do that.” Nux runs away from the demon, finding a vantage point behind the hill. They retrieve the potion of maximum power purchased from Nik and drink it. Then, they call upon the magic of Xoriat. There’s a crack, a warbling through the region, and then Mordakesh is rent apart into pieces. They crumble to dust at the edges, but then recombine, fiery cracks burning brightly between sections. As he’s reforming, Dagne swings at his head, but he locks the pole against the hilt of his sword, stopping the attack dead. Then, using their magically imbued strength, Dagne lunges forward and drives the spearpoint into his eye. They smite, leaving a burning hole where the eye once was, then hurriedly drink a healing potion.

“This is becoming irritating,” Mordakesh comments. “Don’t mistake us for an irritation,” Dagne replies, “I am the Voice of Life.” The fiend snorts derisively, “ironic, considering your lack of it.” “I don’t need to possess life myself to protect it.” “Or to fail to.” While Mordakesh is busy talking, Vaeren slashes at his head, then backstabs him, to little effect. In response, the demon unleashes another burst of flame. Dagne manages to avoid the worst of it, but Nux succumbs to the fire and falls. “It is time for you to leave,” Mordakesh tells Dagne. He then strikes them with his sword, taking them off balance, then strikes again before slamming their head with Garthir. There is a burst of fire, and Dagne vanishes, leaving only scorched dirt.

Dagne finds themselves in a small, featureless room. There is no difference between the stone of the walls, floor, or ceiling. There is a skeleton in gleaming armor, its helm and skull cleaved in half. The style of the armor is foreign, and it looks old. They realize they must be in Khyber right now, trapped in some prison demiplane. The first thing Dagne does is use their lay on hands on themselves, then drink their biggest healing potion. They then inspect the room closer, looking for a way out.

Seeing Dagne just, gone, Ev shouts, comes in close, and knocks Morakesh powerfully in the side. He ignores him, aiming a fiery blast at Nux’s unconscious body. They’re sent flying far across the battlefield. “I saif you would die here,” Morakesh says with a grin. Vaeren yells and stabs the rakshasa in the neck, revering it. His head tumbles from his body, and both crumble to dust, leaving his armor and weapons behind. Though startled by the sudden victory, Vaeren rushes over to tend to Nux. Dagne reappears in the same spot where they vanished from.

There’s a roar. Then, Morakesh collides with Vaeren! He grabs them and slams them down hard into the ground. While they’re down, he tears into them with his claws and stomps in them hard for good measure. Vaeren stands, disengages, and runs, drinking a healing potion as they do. Mordakesh roars and pursues, snapping at them with his teeth. They avoid the jaws, but then he gets a hand around them again, lifts them, and throws them into Dagne. Vaeren lands on their feet, but Dagne is knocked down against a tree. Continuing his rampage, he grapples Ev and claws his back, leaving deep gouges right through his armor. Then, he kicks Dagne as they try to rise. Though restrained, Ev manages to stab the demon in his shoulder. In response, the fiend slams him hard into the ground.

Dagne stands and, thinking fast, drops their mourning poleaxe, retrieving Garthir instead. Mordaesh dodges their slash, then blocks a slam, but is surprised when Dagne spins the weapon around and hits him in the face with its butt, smiting and burning him with the holy light. Vaeren comes in at him with two slashes to the chest. He tries to bite in retaliation, but they back up, and comment disgusted, “you little shit.” Mordakesh tries to grab Dagne, but they bat his band away. He gets an arms around Vaeren, though, and throws them across the battlefield into a tree. They land on their feet again.

Mordakesh turns to stomp on the prone Evakhal again. As Dagne goes to defend, he grabs at them, is defeated once, but then gets a hold on their arm. With them pinned, he claws at Ev. “Back up!” Vaeren shouts at the two, drawing back an arrow. Ev stands and smashes the rakshasa’s ribcage. He is not staggered at all by the blow. Rather than lose his grip, he lifts Dagne into the air and throws them right at Vaeren. Dagne lands hard on the ground, but they manage to mostly step aside and stay on their feet. Somehow, Dagne’s concentration is still maintaining the aura of life around them. Seeing Nux unconscious outside the area, they send a healing word to them. They stand and run back at Mordakesh, holding a guarded stance.

The moment Nux stands up, however, Mordakesh roars and charges right for them! Ev is unable to land an attack on his back as he bounds away. Just like a wild animal, he pounces and bites Nux’s throat out. They drop to the ground, a bloody mess.

Horrified, Vaeren manages to keep their wits about them, draws their bow, and concentrates. They gather a magical electricity, infusing the arrow with it, and fire. It punches right through Mordakesh’s arm. Creeping demonglass grows to fill the large gap. Vaeren follows up with a second, mundane arrow, which embeds itself into the demon’s stomach. He pays them no mind at all, instead charging at Ev. He grabs him and digs his claws in deep, then spins and tosses him into Dagne. The two are both knocked right over. Ev stands immediately, however, and advances, launching two javelins. One flies true, embedding itself into Mordakesh’s shoulder, but it’s soon pushed out by his healing. Dagne also rises and advances, but they are still too far away from the demon to get a hit in.

Vaeren takes a moment to drink a healing potion before they fire two more arrows into Morakesh. He once again ignores them, instead looping around to grab both Dagne and Ev. He slams the two together. Ev retaliates with a powerful strike to Mordakesh’s skull, spiking him severely. He overbalances though as he tries to hit again. The fiend roars, slams Ev into the ground, and then throws Dagne at Vaeren again. Predictably, Dagne is knocked over but Vaeren keeps their footing. Dagne doesn’t get a chance to stand before Mordakesh charges! He grabs Vaeren though and then bites their shoulder, right through their armor!

Dagne stands and lunges forward, suddenly driving the spearpoint of Garthir up, under Mordakesh’s chin! Red light of their smite burns the demon and a stream of fire bleeds from the wound. Dagne does not relent, pulling the weapon free only to stab his chest with another explosive blast of light. They spin the weapon around and hit him with the opposite end as well, driving him back another couple steps from the searing holy light. Vaeren takes the opening made and slashes at Mordakesh’s legs with their sword.

The Shadow Sword responds by grabbing each of them. He throws Vaeren back at Ev. They land on their feet but Ev is knocked back into a tree. Mordakesh then drags Dagne behind him as he goes to engage the two, clawing at Vaeren again. Evakhal stands and drives his spike into the fiend’s chest. He then slams Dagne hard into the ground.

Though rattled, somehow, Dagne manages to keep their aura of life up. They pull their cracked and broken bones back up to standing and stab Mordakesh through his stomach. He burns with blood red light and roars with violent and feral rage. They pull their poleaxe free and stab again, right in his demon heart. As Dagne yells out, driving the poleaxe deeper and smiting, the entire head of their weapon tears through Mordakesh, punching right out of his back. Skewered, burning up in Dagne’s will to come out victorious, Mordakesh cries out in pain and begins to melt to dust. As Dagne pulls their weapon free, he falls to his knees and crumbles away completely. There’s nothing left of him but a large, roughly circular hunk of demonglass, about the size of a human’s head. Not trusting the victory, Dagne keeps their guard up in still anticipation, but it’s over. The fiend doesn’t reappear again. Mordakesh is dead.

Finally, Dagne relaxes a bit. They go over to Nux’s body and find them frozen, suspended alive though they should be dead. The Killing Cold kept its promise. They administer their last healing potion to Nux, before heading over to the battlefield. They retrieve the mournland poleaxe, as well as the gear Mordakesh left behind when he died and the hunk of demonglass, putting the latter items away next to Saraskha.

“It’s over, right?” Vaeren asks, looking at their internal view of the area for any sign of the fiend, “he’s not coming back this time?” “I think so. Cocky bastard, coming to fight us on his own,” Dagne replies, then adds humorously, “I was just getting warmed up.” Vaeren laughs at the fully battered Dagne, “well, it worked out well for us.” Dagne nods, “let’s go home.”

Vaeren takes a step, then winces and clutches at their chest. “What’s wrong?” Dagne asks. Vaeren puts on a smile, “stabbed right in the chest… I don’t think that’s something I’ll be recovering from.” Dagne takes Vaeren’s other hand and pulls then in close, resting their head on their shoulder and says, “I’m sorry.” Vaeren hugs Dagne and replies, “at least it’s over, but what’s going to happen now?” “Have you decided on a name for your tea shop?” Vaeren’s smile turns genuine, “Bone Brew, but it’s not just tea, it’s a tavern and brewery as well. How’s that sound?” “It sounds like revelation on Eberron, but first, we can just rest. Back to Korth. You can meet my brother, and I need to visit my mother with him and let her know what’s become of me.” “That’s a wonderful plan, dear.”

Suddenly, Dagne’s voice is filled with emotion, and though they cannot cry, they sound strained, “back when we met, I wanted nothing more than to pick a just fight and die in it. Thank you for showing me the light of another path forward. I’m so glad,” their voice breaks. Vaeren holds them tighter, “you’ve helped me more than I think you can understand. I’m just glad I’ve helped to repay the favor.” “I love you.” “I love you more.” At that, Dagne lifts Vaeren, armor and all, into th air and twirls them around, voice becoming cheerful once more, “doubt that,”

Vaeren bursts out laughing, crying tears of joy. Dagne laughs as well, the first time they’ve been able to for a long while. As their laughter dies, they remark, “I just realized, we have to walk back to Korth.” “Oh, fuck me,” Vaeren says. Dagne’s tone remains light though, “most of my life has been walking between fights to the death. I’m glad to walk with no fight on the other side.” “Then I guess it’s one worthy of walking, then.” “Indeed. Let’s never fight again.”

——————

Highlights:

WWE Mordakesh. Lmao.

The false end to the battle where Vaeren ‘killed’ Mordakesh was crazy. We really got surprised by that second phase.

Dagne was dealing like 200 damage a round in those last two round with smiting on every attack. They also completely expended all their spell slots by the end.

Everybody almost died! It was a close fight.

Dagne and Vaeren’s conversation at the end was so sweet. These two are gonna be alright. :)

[umm0lly]

Why YOU should vote for the Hammerhead Shark in the Sharkiest Shark Tournament Semifinals + Finals!

In the Sharkiest Shark Tournament, the clear favorites have been selected for the semi-finals: Spotted Wobbegong, Nurse Shark, Whale Shark, and the clear best option, Hammerhead.

While many of the voters have stuck with the Hammerhead until the end, it appears the love for the Whale Shark has gotten to be a bit to much for my liking.

REASON ONE: Hammerheads are the most recently evolved species of shark.

While the Whale Shark has a unique shape, nothing compares to the flat head of the Hammerhead. It is unclear why evolution has decided it so, but their cephalofoil head allows them a near 360 degree view of their surroundings. Most sharks, including the whale shark, cannot even see half of that. The Sphyrnidae family is different, and evolved.

REASON TWO: The Bonnethead, one of the many types of Hammerheads, is the only omnivorous shark.

Whilst most sharks such as the Whale Shark are carnivorous, the only omnivorous shark - meaning the only shark that can digest both meat and plants - is the Bonnethead, also known as the smallest shark in the Sphyrnidae family.

REASON THREE: The bottom of their cephalofoil head, being lined with ampullae lorenzini, allows them to detect electrical pulses in the sand.

The diet of the Hammerhead consists of a lot of rays - sting rays, manta rays, whatever. These rays give off electrical pulses in the sand, and because of the unique cephalofoil that a Hammerhead possesses, they are able to detect these pulses and can pinpoint exactly where their food is.

REASON FOUR: Hammerheads are immune to sting ray and catfish venom.

Whilst many other sharks would get stung and possibly die by a sting rays barb, Hammerheads are thought to be immune to this venom and they're pretty tough sharks!

REASON FIVE: Hammerheads can swim sideways.

This is pretty self explanatory. Just look at him.

Also, look at how tiny they can be.

If you are still swaying on the Whale Shark side after this, I wish you the best of luck in your journey to becoming a Hammerhead fan.

EVERY VOTE MATTERS: VOTE HAMMERHEAD

Be smart. Vote Hammerhead!

@nemideia @on-the-outside @italian-wall-lizard @directlyat-thesun @joshisepic2222 @artemis-the-duck

[m1lkt00th]

did you know there's a species of hammerhead shark known as the bonnethead shark. thats such a cute name . they look like spades in comparison to the wide sweeping head normal hammerhead sharks have. and then there is the ?? winghead shark ?? BIG HEAD. stupid

i can say whatever i want forever

[echoes-of-the-clockwork]

Book One: Gold (Prompto x Reader) Chapter XXXII

A/n: More lime incoming! There is implied sex, but nothing to consider it a lemon/smut. It gets "dirty". That's it. Sorry if it comes across as weird. I'm still new to writing scenes like this. Also, I apologize if there's some inaccuracies in the end-game. It's been a while since I've played FFXV through entirely. Love you all!!! ••••••••••••••••••••

Prompto broke out into a sprint. He ran towards (Y/n) and encircled his arms around, lifting her body off the ground and spinning them both around in a circle. Her arms automatically wound around his neck when her feet left the ground. She was shocked at his reaction for a few seconds before becoming jubilated. When her feet were back on the ground, she slid her hands down his arms and blinked in surprise after feeling his muscles. "Geez, Prom. Have you been working out recently?" She then reaches up to touch his facial hair. "And when did you grow a beard?"

Prompto smiled, enjoying her gentle touch. He missed it and her serene voice. "You like it?"

"Oh, definitely. I think it suits you. It makes you look older, too."

His smile faltered. "(Y/n), do you realize it's been ten years?"

Her golden eyes widen in bewilderment. "Ten years? That can't be right. It's only been a few months."

"You've been asleep for the past ten years. But you..." His eyes raked over her appearance. "You haven't even aged a day."

"Wait, then that means you're older than me?!"

He laughed at her outburst. "Yep, by six years."

"That's not fair..."

He moves his hands from her back to her hips, pulling her closer to him. Leaning forward, he placed his forehead against hers. "I'm glad you're back, (Y/n)."

Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis approach the reunited couple with their own smiles. The brute chuckled when seeing the girl was still twenty-four years old. "Damn, wish I could've stayed young. You look good, short stuff."

"Indeed," Ignis said.

"I'll say," Noctis chortled. He approached the guardian, his smile slowly vanishing. He stopped in front of her with a guilt-stricken expression. "I'm sorry, (Y/n). It's my fault you and Prompto weren't able to spend the last ten years together."

She smiled brightly at him. "It's not your fault, Noctis. No one knew what was going to happen."

The man's smile returned. "Thanks, (Y/n)."

"Now then, I think all of us have some catching up to do." She grabbed Prompto's hand and tugged him towards her. "Especially you and me."

"Let us depart for the Leville," Ignis said.

Once reaching the hotel, they sat down in the seats located in the lobby. Gladio, Prompto, and Ignis shared details of what all they'd been doing these past ten years. Noctis and (Y/n) listened carefully, enjoying their lively conversation and learning what their friends had done in their absences. They chatted for hours on end until it was time for them to get some rest. After getting some sleep, they'd return to Hammerhead and begin final preparations before returning to Insomnia.

(Y/n) didn't even get a moment to herself when she stood up due to Prompto sweeping her off her feet and carrying her upstairs. She saw the other three men smirking as she was hauled off to one of the vacant rooms. She clung to her boyfriend, but had to let go when he needed to open the door. He reluctantly put her down and opened the door, holding it open for her. She glanced around the room, recognizing the painting hanging on the wall. "Wait, isn't this the room where-?"

Her question was interrupted when Prompto suddenly pushed her back against the now locked door. No sound came from her, too flabbergasted to speak. She stared up at him as his taller form loomed over her. "Prom?" Without saying a word, Prompto slipped his hands under her backside. He lifted her up, her back still pressed against the door. She placed her hands on his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his waist to keep from falling. A small huff of laughter slipped past her lips. "Someone's eager."

"I finally get you back after ten long years. Who wouldn't be eager in my position?" Prompto remarked. "These past ten years have been hard without you or Noct. I felt like there were pieces of me missing..."

(Y/n) moved her hands from his shoulders to his cheeks, cradling them gently in her palms and stroking his freckle-kissed skin. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I still can't believe it's been ten years. You really have matured in body and soul." A smirk made its way onto her face. "I gotta say, you look even more handsome than you did before."

Prompto could feel heat coursing through his veins. Without skipping a beat, he carried her to the bed and pinned her to the sheets. He sat between her legs, eyes becoming bright with lust. His hands that were still nestled against her rump squeezed the soft, plush skin. (Y/n) jumped slightly when feeling his hands clutch her hindquarters. "H-Hey now..."

"Sorry, did I go too far?" He asked nervously, afraid he did something he wasn't supposed to.

"Nothing like that. Just surprised me, is all."

"So, does that mean I can keep going?"

"Please do," she replied with a sigh of content. "Now that you're touching me, I don't want you to stop." Laying her arms on the bed, she allowed herself to enjoy his intimate touch. She bit her bottom lip to keep from moaning when his hands traced her sides and came to a stop near her bosom. His hands suddenly brushed against the sides of her breasts, causing her breath to hitch in her throat. Then, he busied himself with trying to take off her clothes. Within seconds, she was in only her bra and underwear.

Seeing he was staring at the valley between her breasts, (Y/n) decided to take this chance to flip their positions. Straddling Prompto's hips, she grinned down at him. "You've got another thing coming if you think I'm gonna be the only one undressed." She easily took off his shirt and tossed it aside. Her eyes landed on his bare torso, which stopped her from removing his pants. Placing her hands on his abdomen, she traced her fingers over his defined muscles. "Dear Astrals, Prom. What has your workout routine been these past ten years? This is the most muscle I've ever seen on you."

"Hey, I worked hard for this body. Daemon hunting happens to be quite a good workout routine, even though it's kinda dangerous," Prompto said. "Maybe we should do some-" His sentence was abruptly interrupted by a pleasurable moan when she gently raked her fingers across his abs and stopped just above his groin. He grabbed her hands before they could graze against his length, which was still confined in his pants. "Y-You're entering some dangerous territory, (Y/n)."

"Oh, I know." Moving her hands to his belt, she painstakingly removes it with a smirk. "We're two idiots in love and I think it's about time we took our relationship to the next level. It has been ten years, after all."

"Are you sure this is what you want, (Y/n)?"

She nodded, her coy smirk morphing into a gentle smile. "It is, Prom. I want all of you, body and soul."

Hearing that was all the motivation Prompto needed. He helped her with his pants and now they were both in their undergarments. The (h/c)-haired girl remained on top, her hands resting against his lower abdomen. She slipped a couple of fingers under the waistband and curled them upward. Her simple touches were enough to get him heated up, which she could simply tell from when she felt something poke her inner thigh. Her eyes focused on his face as she pulled down his underwear slightly. The smirk that was once gone returned after seeing his red cheeks and hearing a few moans from him.

Freezing her actions, Prompto exhaled a shaky breath. "I-It's not nice to tease people, (Y/n)..."

"I'm simply taking my time. I didn't expect you to be putty in my hands this quick," she said.

Prompto couldn't stand it any longer. He flipped their positions, eliciting a shriek from the guardian. He could feel his length straining against the fabric of his underwear. He wouldn't last much longer if he hadn't done something. Prying her legs further apart, he grabbed her legs and pulled her against him. His hardened member presses against her wet, heated core. She gasped at the contact, gripping the sheets. He giddily grinned at her reaction. "Looks like the roles are reversed now."

She giggled lightly. "It sure does look that way." Unfurling her fingers from the sheets, she reaches up to place her hands on his shoulders. "Maybe I should-"

Prompto immediately grabbed her hands and pinned them beside her head. His nose brushed against hers as he loomed over her. "Oh, I don't think so. I'm in charge now and it's gonna stay that way." He places his lips over hers and kissed her passionately. It only took a few seconds for the kiss to turn deep, resulting in a lengthy make-out session.

Once the kiss ended, (Y/n) wrapped her legs around Prompto's waist and dragged him even closer. Now there wasn't any space left between their bodies. "I know you're the one in charge, but can you hurry this up? I'm dying here," she groaned.

He laughed. "Better not keep a lady waiting."

She smiled up at him. "I'm all yours, Prompto."

<--------------<<<<<

Five hours later, Prompto and (Y/n) woke up from their slumber at the sound of Ignis' voice. The advisor knocked on their door and called out their names to inform them they'd be departing for Hammerhead in the next hour.

The guardian rolled out of Prompto's embrace and threw her legs over the edge of the bed. She looked around for her undergarments, which had been haphazardly thrown across the room by the blonde. She found them a few feet away from her clothes. Standing up, she stumbled slightly when feeling a dull, throbbing pain between her legs. Her strange waddling didn't go unnoticed by her lover. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked, climbing out of bed and grabbing his underwear.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she reassured him as she put her bra and panties back on. "Just sore. Let's just hope I can walk straight before we leave..."

The couple put their clothes back on and left the room twenty minutes later. They regrouped with Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis in the lobby before leaving Lestallum with Talcott.

The drive back to Hammerhead was peaceful even with the sound of daemons echoing around them. When they stepped out of the truck, Ignis and Gladio went to procure supplies for their upcoming dangerous mission. Noctis, Prompto, and (Y/n) waited for them to return. They chatted until the two older men sauntered out of Takka's with plenty of supplies. With their stock now full, Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis went to change into their Kingsglaive uniforms. Now with everyone ready, they walked towards the gate.

Waving farewell to Cindy, Takka, and Talcott, the four leave Hammerhead and walk done the darkened road towards Insomnia. They wander down the road for a while before Noctis decided to ask for one last camping trip with everyone. The five decide to make camp on the same hill overlooking Insomnia where they once bore witness to the imperial invasion. Ignis cooks their dinner, just as he did in the old days.

After everyone finished eating, a melancholic silence befell the group. (Y/n), feeling as if the men needed to speak, stood up. Before she could walk away, Noctis stopped her. "Wait, (Y/n). I want all of you to hear this." He glances around at the faces of his friends. "I, um..." His voice failed him. He wasn't sure what exactly to say.

"Out with it," Gladio said.

"I just..." Noctis leans forward and looks down. They're all silent for another moment. The king's left hand clenches as he sighs and fidgets with his hands. "Dammit. The hell is this so hard?"

Noctis laces his fingers together. "So, I..." He leans back and lets his left hand rest on his leg. He then looks at his friends. "I've made my peace. Still... Knowing this is it, and seeing you here, now." His voice cracks and a tear streaks down his face as he continues. "It's...more than I can take." Noctis looks down once again and clenches his hands together.

All of them are silent. Gladio wipes away a tear with the back of his hand. Prompto, with a sorrowful expression, was the first to speak up. "Yeah. You're damn right it is."

"You spit it out," Gladio mumbled.

After another brief silence, Iggy sighs as a tear streaks down his cheek from under his visor. "It's good to hear."

(Y/n) opted to remain silent, having nothing to add. They all look down in silence for a long moment.

At last, Noctis stands and looks at each of his friends in turn. "Well...what can I say?"

Prompto looks down and rubs away tears.

Noctis looks at them all with tear-filled eyes. "You guys...are the best."

When the men retired to the tent to get some rest, (Y/n) remained sitting by the fire. She stared into the flames before making up her mind. Walking a short ways away from camp, she casted her desolate gaze to the sky. Although the sky was dark, she could still see the glistening Celestial Crescent. She opened her mouth and called out to the god. "Brahma..."

Yes, Child of Pneuma?

"I know I am in no position for asking a being such as yourself for anything, but..."

Speak for I shall listen.

The guardian spoke to the Astral for a few minutes before having to end their discussion. She sighed, looking towards the destroyed city she calls home. Her mind was off in its own world until hearing the sound of Prompto's voice. "Heyaz."

Looking away from the ruins of Insomnia, (Y/n) offered a smile as he walked towards her. "Hey, Prom. I thought you'd be asleep by now."

"Believe it or not, it's been difficult sleeping these past ten years. I was so used to you being there that it's tough for me to sleep without you. Even after ten years, I never really was able to solve the problem. But now that you're back, I don't think I'll have that issue any longer," he said.

"You missed me that much, huh?" She laughed.

"Six, you have no idea..."

She grabbed his hands, entwining their fingers. "You'll need all the sleep you can get. We wouldn't want you collapsing on us." Tugging on their conjoined hands, she took a couple steps towards the tent. "C'mon, sweetheart. Let's get some sleep."

The couple crawled into the tent with the others and tried to get as much sleep as possible. It was only six hours later did they wake up to find Noctis had changed into the Kingly Raiment. Gladio and Ignis stood by the outskirts of the camp, waiting to leave and face their final battle together. Prompto went to join the older men while (Y/n) remained behind. Noctis glanced at her and said, "Make sure to watch out for him for me, (Y/n)."

She nodded. "I will."

He smiled sorrowfully. "Thank you." He then walked away, joining the others.

The guardian stared at the back of the king, remembering the promise Brahma made with her a few hours ago. "An exchange, huh?" She whispered to herself.

"C'mon, short stuff," Gladio called out to her. "You're one of us now and there's no way in hell we're leaving you behind."

She smirked. "On my way."

The group leaves the campsite and heads for Insomnia. They crossed through the checkpoint and sauntered their way across the lengthy bridge. Daemons were already proving to be an issue, but the five were able to fight through a few before reaching the city.

With his greatsword slung over his shoulder, Gladio looked around the city as the Citadel loomed in the distance. "Home, sweet home."

"Yeah, at long last," Prompto said, coming to a stop between Noctis and Ignis.

"What we've been waiting for..." The strategist stated.

"Sure is."

Gladio walked alongside the marksman and advisor. "Next stop: the Citadel."

"Yeah," Noctis muttered as his three friends walked ahead.

(Y/n) was lagging a few steps behind the king and watched him as he puts on the Ring of the Lucii. She decided to walk past him, smiling in reassurance. "Miracles happen every day."

Noctis heard her as she walked ahead to join the others. He stared at her back, wondering what she meant by those words. He wanted to question her, but didn't get the chance as they were soon attacked by a group of eternal troopers. "This is it-give it your all, guys!" Noctis shouted as he summoned his sword and performed a warp-strike.

Gladio grinned, setting his sights on a single enemy. "Yeah."

"You got it!" Prompto chanted, firing his pistol.

"With pleasure," Ignis said with a hint of a smirk, throwing one of his daggers and impaling a trooper.

"I could use a good warmup." (Y/n), having been slumbering for the past ten years, decided to transform. She shook her body, her tails flaring outward. It felt good to be in her spiritual form again, even though it had only felt like months to her. She leapt at one of the eternal troopers lingering in the distance, killing the machine with ease. Turning her large form around, she saw the men had dealt with the other mechanical troopers.

"We haven't fought together like this in ages. Never thought I'd miss seeing short stuff turn enemies into chew toys," Gladio chuckled.

"Really takes you back, doesn't it?" Noctis asked.

"We may have struggled before, but now nothing can stand in our way!" Prompto cheered as he ran up to his guardian. He wound his arms around her neck, burying his face into her soft fur. "Ahhh, how I've missed this... The two of us would've been the talk of Lucis if we were hunting partners."

The fox's ears twitched when hearing approaching enemies. She growled, alerting the men. They had their weapons ready as more eternal troopers and an iseultalon daemon emerged from the side street ahead.

Noctis, with determination, raised his sword and prepared to attack. "Let's make this quick."

Previous Chapter || Next Chapter || Masterlist ||

[starlordquill]

I hear “Parker needs a distraction” and my brain immediately goes “PARKER SHARK HOUR” so shark facts please

ali you truly know the way to my heart, and I thank you for that <3 here's some shark facts for you bestie

greenland sharks can live in very cold polar waters, and they can live up to about 500 years

the "hammer" shaped part of a hammerhead shark is called a cephalofoil, and the placement of it's eyes on either side give it near 360° vision when sweeping their heads side to side

this also gives them a wider range of sensing prey

shark awareness day is july 14th!!!

megalodons only went extinct about 2.6 million years ago

sharks don't have vocal cords

not really a fact but goblin sharks are weird and if you've never seen one you should absolutely look up a picture right now

cookiecutter sharks take bites out of their prey that look, as their name implies, like near perfect circles like a cookie cutter

[zaph1337]

Monster Hunter Rating 14: Basarios, the Bellowing Boulder

I said at the end of the Vespoid post that I truly believe this has to be a more interesting monster. Why? Because it’s a Main Monster! If you don’t remember, “Main Monster” was my designation for the big monsters that have entire missions revolving around killing just one of them. They’re the monsters the games are built around, so if this one isn’t more interesting than small fries like the Vespoids, then it’s probably not doing its job very well. Let’s give a big welcome to Basarios!

(How it appears in Monster Hunter 1)

(How it appears in Monster Hunter Rise)

Appearance: It’s very easy to see that Basarios is a dragon made from stone. It looks like something a mountain would form on top of, and it even has a small mass of rock on its back that resembles a mountain! Its head is...kinda creepy, if I’m being honest. It looks like a stone skull with beady yellow eyes, and for some reason it has human teeth. They could have given it stalactites and stalagmites for teeth and make it look like its mouth is a cave, but nope! That might not give kids nightmares, so obviously it’s an inferior design.

Okay, I make it sound like I hate Basarios’ face, but I think it’s fine. I just don’t get why they thought that a rock dragon needed to have such a scary face. Anyways, Basarios’ wings look like they’re made from cracked rocks, and the membranes look like sand. This kinda gives me the impression that the sand came from those cracked rocks, like the wind started sweeping over them and wearing them down before time stopped around them, freezing the sand in place as a membrane. Of course, that’s not what actually happened, but it still looks cool. It’s hard to see on the Rise render, but I like how Basarios’ underside looks more like a typical dragon’s would despite still appearing to be made of stone. It shows us that this thing may look like it was carved from rock, but it’s still a living creature. All in all, Basarios’ design accomplishes exactly what it was intended to, and it looks pretty good doing it. 7/10.

Behavior: Despite being close to 40 feet from head to tail at their smallest, Basarios are actually only juveniles; their adult forms are called Gravios, and I’ll talk about them soon enough. A Basarios only spends a short time after birth with its mother before setting out on its own...and by that, I mean that their mothers straight up abandon them and leave them to fend for themselves. Coincidentally, Basarios do not have a concept of “Mother’s Day” (or any other holiday, really). They use the claws on their wings to burrow partially underground to use their rocky backs as camouflage while they sleep, but they still tend to stand out because their backs are often a different color from the rocks around them, or because they sometimes hide right in the middle of the area they’re in. Hey, you work with what you’ve got.

Basarios mainly feed on minerals and ores, so they often live in volcanic regions and deserts, though they’ve also been seen in forests and swamps. But everybody needs protein in their diet, so they’re also ambush predators that snack on Herbivores, Neopterons, and sometimes even miners, if they aren’t paying attention to how out-of-place the Basarios’ carapace is. Honestly, I feel kinda bad for these guys; they’re ditched by their parents when they’re babies and their camouflage is subpar. I guess they have to stand out in the games for players to avoid being caught off guard, and the idea of finding a camouflaged monster to fight is pretty cool, so 6/10.

Abilities: As you’d expect from a Main Monster. Basarios have quite a few tricks up their sleeves. Ramming attacks are standard fare, and they can fly for a short time, but they can also spit out fireballs and “lava beams,” according to the wiki. Don’t know how that works or what it looks like, but sure. The thing that you might not have expected from Basarios is the fact that they can expel gases from the pores on their undersides. These gases can be poisonous, sleep-inducing, or on rare occasions a fiery plume. And here’s the gross part: the gases are what’s left of the Basarios’ past meals, so you’re basically getting hit by a fart. Not what I expected from a rock dragon, but sure. There’s also a “Hard Core” variation of Basarios in Monster Hunter Frontier Online that has stronger flame and poison sacks than normal, allowing them to use more powerful moves, but it’s not something I’m gonna talk about in its own rating. As for the regular Basarios, the only thing in the abilities department that really separates them from a normal dragon is the gas attack and maybe the lava beam, depending on what that actually is. Still, you probably wouldn’t expect those things, or the ability to fly, from a dragon made of rock. 7/10.

Equipment: As you’d expect, the Basarios weapons all look rocky, but some of them also have blue highlights breaking up the grey. An example is the Gigant Makra, a Long Sword you can make in Rise:

It’s weird that blue is the color they went for for these weapons, but I only think that because there are blue eye-like specks on several weapons, such as this Hammer known in several games as the Basarios Blow, when Basarios have yellow eyes. It’s especially weird here, ‘cause, uh...

Okay, so obviously, having a Basarios’ head as the hammerhead is morbid, but what I wanna know is, why are the bindings spiked, and why is one covering the head’s mouth? There’s a joke there I don’t want to make. To close off the weapons and move to the armor, here’s a picture of the Basarios Rock, the Hunting Horn you use in the demo of Monster Hunter Rise, and the Basarios Armor set which you wear when using the Basarios Rock in the demo:

Y’know, when I first saw this, I thought it was the standard model of Hunting Horn because of how plain it looked from afar, but it actually looks pretty cool. I like the blue “eyes” and how the neck of the Horn is blue, though I question why there’s a barrel coming out the body (not that other Horns don’t have one, it’s just the most obvious here). And here’s the armor set itself (it’s from Generations Ultimate, though; I couldn’t find a good picture of the Basarios Armor from Rise):

The Basarios Armor is clearly meant to emulate a medieval knight, and I’ll give the designers credit for not giving the female armor the stereotypical and dangerous breast plate that far too many people think women who are knights should wear. I also like how the armor has blue specks here and there, which are especially visible on the shoulder...pads? I don’t think anything made of rock can qualify as a “pad,” but I don’t know what else to call them. This design is cooler than a standard suit of armor, but it’s still pretty close to looking like one (mostly because of the helmet). The equipment as a whole gets a 7/10.

Final Thoughts and Tally: Basarios is a good monster to start us off on the Main Monsters, ‘cause it’s plain enough to be almost average while also showing us the kind of crazy things we can expect from here on. It’s also surprisingly memorable thanks to its creepy face and weird attacks, and its equipment is also pretty cool. If I wasn’t rounding all of these final scores down it’d be a 7, but because I am, it’s a 6/10.

[starstruck-sheikah]

(working on wandering swimmer a little bit again! this is just the inogo bridge meeting ig)

Her mind grows dizzy with all the possibilities as she swims upstream with the other Zora, alongside a bank where tall pine trees grow, turning the land golden beneath their fallen needles. How long have they all really been waiting for her? Since a hundred years ago? What does a brother do? Will he expect her to remember him? But she doesn’t remember, doesn’t remember anything. Doesn’t even remember the way home.

She’s too distracted to notice herself climbing out of the stream with the other Zora, or them waving to someone above the two of them.

The ground shakes beneath them, suddenly, and Mipha gasps, hand going to the spear on her back. And then she relaxes.

A Zora even taller than the one who escorted her here (what was their name? had they told her??) now stands before her, decked out in all manner of silver-and-blue jewelry, the golden cords of some rank draping across his chest, a sash and sword at his side. For a moment, she thinks he must be as tall as the giant she’d attempted fighting, but then realizes that’s only because she has to crane her neck up so bad, just to meet his eyes. The fins that frame his face have more of a hammerhead look to them than hers, but his red scales, the same shade as hers, mark an unmistakable resemblance between them.

She doesn’t remember him, but he must be her brother.

“Mim...Mipha? Is that...really you?” His voice is soft, just a bit deeper than hers.

She nods. She needs to bring up the fact that she doesn’t remember him, or anyone, but before she can open her mouth to say anything, the humongous Zora sweeps her into a crushing hug. “I knew it! I knew you’d come back!”

The tears she’d thought she’d swallowed away all threaten to come back in a rush. This is...the first time she’s hugged anyone, isn’t it? Other than strangling boars and bokoblins, and trying to catch birds...Her arms barely fit around her brother’s neck, but she tries to pat him on the back anyway. If only she could remember! If only she could remember.

“Of...of course I’d come back,” she says, and her voice breaks.

She’s starting to wonder how long she can last without breath, when her lungs are so stifled like this, but eventually, her brother whirls around and sets her safely back on solid ground once more.