#I prefer orcas...but still!

[typhlonectes]

Garter snakes make friends, organize their society around females

Finding comes from first-of-its-kind study of thousands of wild snakes

Garter snakes have something in common with elephants, orcas, and naked mole rats: They form social groups that center around females. The snakes have clear “communities” composed of individuals they prefer hanging out with, and females act as leaders that tie the groups together and guide their members’ movements, according to the most extensive field study of snake sociality ever carried out. “This is an important first step in understanding how a community of snakes is organized in the wild,” says Gordon Burghardt, an ecologist at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, who was not involved in the research. Other experts agree: “This is a big deal,” says integrative biologist Robert Mason of Oregon State University. “It’s a whole new avenue of research that I don’t think people have really given any thought to.” Ecologists had long assumed snakes are antisocial loners that hang out together only for core functions such as mating and hibernation. However, in 2020, Morgan Skinner, a behavioral ecologist at Wilfrid Laurier University, and collaborators showed in laboratory experiments that captive garter snakes have “friends”—specific snakes whose company they prefer over others. Still, studies of wild snakes were lacking “because they’re so secretive and difficult to find,” Skinner says...

Read more: https://www.science.org/content/article/garter-snakes-make-friends-organize-their-society-around-females

[orbital-inclination]

🦈 the boys are scheming

Ramble under cut!

Killer: based on the Black-tipped Reef Shark and a Thrasher Shark. His tail is long and whip like but you can’t appreciate it’s length bc it’s out of frame. He uses it to give his prey a concussion.

Horror: is a whale shark because he is a big softie, a gentle giant. I can only have so many octopi, and next to a shark of some kind that’s my second choice for him.

Dust: manta ray. My logic behind this choice works like this; hoodie = soft + covers you = blanket. Blanket + fish = stingray. Manta Rays don’t have stingers. But I gave Dust one anyway.

Dream/Molt: I was torn between a classic fish tail for him or something with tentacles. So I drew three forms for him. his designs are loosely inspired by cuttlefish and a specific killifish I’ve lost the name of.

Because Molt’s goop is tied to his role as a Guardian of Positivity of the multiverse, I was torn about whether not his mer-form should be goopy. I’m still indecisive about this.

If we went with his cuttlefish form, just like real cuttlefish he would be able change the color and texture of his body and tentacles. He can’t change the color of his bones or magic, of course.

This also one of the few AUs that you get to see the damage done to his ribcage. If only bc he doesn’t have three layers of fabric to hide it.

Regardless of the kind of mer-skele, Molt steers clear of deep open water. The scars across his ribs are a literal beacon in the dark, as his magic glows, and are just as likely to attract a predator as they are to attract curious small fish. As dusk falls, Molt hides himself away in caves and crevices in the reef or cliffs. He is a day time hunter by choice, but his brother still prefers to hunt at night.

Nightmare/Rem: i had two ideas for Rem, Octopus or Orca. Orca, because of the general importance that family plays in their social dynamic. And Octopus for classic fandom interpretation reasons.

If we are using the octopus type mer for Rem; like his brother, he can change the pattern and color of his body but not his bones or magic. Though he can change his color to almost any hue he wants, he prefers dark colors.

The dark markings on his bones may or may not be natural, and may or may not be caused by the same incident that nearly shattered his brother’s bones. :)

[capybonara]

I come with more Sardon doodles because I wanna talk more about him and I'm having so much fun drawing these guys (you gotta be the cheerleader for your OCs!)

As stated in a previous post, hes the largest and oldest sibling out of six (Cironus, Kaska and three unnamed siblings). He's based off the wild orca who goes by Chainsaw due to the unique scarring on the dorsal fin!

Unlike Cironus and Kaska who are bards, Sardon is an orca pugilist! Orca's hunt by causing blunt force trauma on their prey so basically Sardon just solves most things with his fists! As I write this I missed the opportunity to make a Shoryuken joke with him hunting the lizalfos OH WELL

I also mentioned that I'd like to pair him up AND give him friends in general! This may or may not be an excuse to draw people's ocs and be part of a community again. People asked what his type is so allow me to info dump BELOW A CUT

HI THERE :D

OKAY SO

Sardon was a runt when he was a child but his mother, aunts, and grandmother protected him and kept him well fed. As he grew he became very rowdy, as a way to fight back from being picked on and to establish a position among his peers. When he was big enough, he found he enjoyed fighting/hunting monsters and then it kind of became a job for him. In a similar way that Kaska visits kingdoms and areas to see if they're welcome to stick around, Sardon goes around areas where his family plan to rest at and clears out any monsters.

Bloon Moon events are something he looks forward too because it means he can go hunting all over again!

But despite his job and rough childhood, Sardon is usually very quiet and reserved. His size and scars tend to have people make assumptions about his personality and so they steer clear. He's a bit jealous of the way Cironus and Kaska can make friends so easily, and it's why he likes hanging out with them so much. Their presence makes him look slightly less intimidating and he may be picking up pointers on how to socialize.

He's very supportive of their endeavors, and he's an excellent listener. When he's not picking fights, he'll be babysitting the young orca children and letting them talk his ear off. He's playing wingman to Cironus, getting lost in discussions with Kaska regarding kingdom politics. Sometimes they need an extra voice for their music and while Sardon doesn't play an instrument, he has a beautiful baritone!

When it comes to courtship, he's been extremely awkward so he gave up for a while and focused on his monster hunting work. He's been pressured by his mother and grandmother about courting since Sardon was a prime candidate for siring more healthy orca children. There isn't much prejudice against seeing those from other races among the zorca, but he knew it had to do with being a first born son.

Still, the idea of companionship is appealing. He has an appreciation for all races in Hyrule, and the same goes for his romantic preferences. He's more familiar with zora because of his family travels but he's run into others on land enough to have a respect for them.

When he's accompanying Cironus or Kaska, they help lower his defenses; he smiles more, he's making jokes with them, and he's able to read the cues from his siblings on who is friendly or not. But he knows he can't always tag along with his siblings and use them as a buffer.

When he's on his own, he tends to freeze when he encounters others, either in water or on land, and he's at a loss for words. To anyone else, he looks like a monster himself. And it eats him up inside because deep down he still sees himself as a trembling orca child. And he questions himself a lot. Did anything about him really change for the better? First being seen as a sardine to something considerably worse 😭

[cripplecharacters]

hi, I saw one of ur posts talking Abt things that shouldn't be done for vitiligo rep, and one thing u mentioned was the like connect to animals that r black and white. I was wondering about kinda like, the reverse of that? The reason is I have a character I was designing who's kind of similarish to a mermaid, and I wanted to base some of his design off an orca. I was considering doing the black/white coloration, but I was wondering if that would be too similar to vitiligo. Personally his design is very early with regard to animal motif stuff, so I can put the orca elements into his design in other ways, but I also wanted to ask what you feel might be preferable handling with similar cases (like zebra centaurs, panda or cow humans and other animals who naturally have black/white coloring or similar contrasting colors)-

The main question is if u think the characters actually bringing up that they don't have vitiligo, but rather have common patterns, like saying "most of us have skin/hair/etc color variation bc it's just how our pigment works by default, but ppl with vitiligo have it bc of autoimmune reasons + (giving details on it and maybe mentioning a diff character in story w vitiligo)"

having the variation only affect specific things, for example black/white hair (like an orca mermaid having white eyebrows that mimic orca eyespots) without the skin pigmentation being affected (potentially also bringing up vitiligo to make it specific they aren't connected)

Or just trying to avoid having any animal based color choices that evoke the image of vitiligo, which is totally understandable if u feel the prev examples are still linking vitiligo to animals in a way that's ultimately harmful ppl w vitiligo.

Mostly I wonder if explicitly stating it's a different thing would actually help to combat the idea, or if it's just one of those things that is better to completely avoid doing

Hello!

I think it depends on how far it goes is the determining factor. A zebra centaur who has the zebra coloration on their horse part isn't a problem and doesn't evoke a vitiligo connection, the same way that a gray horse part wouldn't evoke argyria. I would say that the same goes for hair coloration, in media the hair color is kinda "anything goes" either way.

But if you want to make a mermaid who has an orca bottom half, and vitiligo on the upper half, that is an issue. The problem is that readers, and people in general, just don't see the nuance and end up linking animal coloration with vitiligo anyway - I mean, it's not like cows in real life have it, but people still get compared to them. The visual is enough, even if there are in-universe explanations, in my opinion. Vitiligo is still dramatically misunderstood, and it's very much a case of "if it looks like vitiligo, it is vitiligo" when it comes to design choices like this.

In short; animal part with black/white coloration: cool, hair/eyebrows/etc: cool, skin: not cool. It just hits too close to the real life condition.

With that said, I don't think there's an issue having a character with vitiligo who's part animal if you're not trying to link the two. A catfish mermaid with vitiligo on her human part would be cool :-)

And for other ideas when it comes to mermaids and disability - a lot of people with limb differences that I know would enjoy a clownfish mermaid with an upper limb difference, the term "lucky fin" exists for a reason:-)!

I hope this helps!

mod Sasza

[dragonshoardofworks]

DannyMerMay 2024

Day 1: Insect/Anchor

The return of Little Baby Moth! (From last year DannyMay)

Something happened since last time the two of them met, so LBMo is reasonably surprised to see Little Baby Man Mer's new form... or is this just an alternative dimension iteration of LBM (by @tourettesdog)? 🤔

(Keep reading to find the answer!)

@pikakaistudios Little Baby Mer inspired me in doing my own, so Kudos and credits where are due!

More fanarts and lore under the cut because it was getting long...

(^～^;)ゞ

Prompt for DannyMay by @dannymayevent and MerMay by @vladdyissues.

〜(꒪꒳꒪)〜

Since I'm a serial procrastinator and I wanted to be sure the art pieces were at least decent/accurate, I was almost late (but thank CW that I did, because some of them had the wrong orca-pattern and I would have brought disgrace upon myself if I published anything not done right since orcas are one of my favorite animals).

That being said, let's continue the DannyMerMay journey!

Day 12: Time Travel/Seafood

My poor Mer-boy got yoinked temporalily into the past when he was still Danny (so even before the "normal" LBM-fication) and he's feeling reeeaaally distressed at the act of practically cannibalism that his past-self is committing...

(≧∇≦)

Day 2+4+29: Wish/Starfish + Wander/Night + Fireworks/Bioluminescence

Wandering in the night, some interesting encounters are bound to happen...

I wonder what would happen if you wish upon a(n alien) star(fish)...

(≧∇≦)

Day 19+20: Iron/Pearl + Pitch AU/Abyss

LBMer found a his rightful Crown (of Fire) sunk into the depths of the ocean!

But since it was rusty and forgotten, what better way to restore it than ghostly mother pearl?

(Works like ghostly ice, but it's an exclusive power of LBMer.)

(The Crown got bigger than canon, but he smol!)

Day 26: Shoes/Camouflage

They say that imitation is one of the best form of flattery, but when you don't want to get caught by a certain dimensional hopper (and be mistaken for one of his foes), it's the best way to blend in!

(Octopi can camouflage in ways that make you think that magic is real...)

ฅ^≧ﻌ≦^ฅ

(Little Baby Terror unfortunately got caught in the same "accident" that LBM did, so they generally prefer to stick together-ish in case they need help.)

Day 16+22: Glowing Veins/Courtship + Song Lyrics/Songs

I couldn't help myself and sneaked in some Everlasting Trio for the soul.

After all, LBM (and therefore LBMer) is still Danny, even if he has new form(s) and instincts.

They do incarnate the "Would you still love me if I was a worm?", don't they?

(◡̀_◡́)

Song: A Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay

(It feels such a Danny song to use, plus I checked how orcas court and while there's some posturing, they also sing! It felt only natural from there... >:3c)

Day 11: Mutation/Shell(s)

And finally: the answer!

LBM found this weird shell on the beach while they were on vacation, but when he checked it (read: nibbed it), it reacted and tooted a magical cloud that mutated our Little Baby Man into a Mer!

(The same fate happened to Dani/Little Baby Menace and Dan/Little Baby Terror, changing them into a Seahorse Mer and Octopus Mer respectively.

I've got a lineart done of them for another prompt, but I didn't manage in time to clean and color it yet, along with a couple of others... ( ≧Д≦) )

This has two versions because I couldn't decide which was better. @teacupsandstarlight suggested the first because of the transforming smoke around our boi, but since I saved both, I told myself: why not upload both?

For now, that's all! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧

I still have some linearts to finish/digitalize/color, but at least I contributed to these two fantastic events, hope y'all enjoyed them and my works!

Hope to type ya soon! ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ

[wyked-ao3]

Wyked's intro

Hey, I'm wyked (wicked) been on Tumblr a while now and finally got around to my intro

About me:↪ Wyked, she/her/psycho

↪ writer questionnaire here and here and another one here

↪ I'm 23 and would prefer not to interact with minors.

About my blog:↪ This is the blog for interactions and reblogging and tag games.

↪ Reader, writer, nerd,

↪Alpha/Beta reader, idea bouncer. (Send a pm if your looking for an extra set of eyes, just tell me what your looking for. I can be brutally honest if that's what you're looking for but I'm still listing my favorite parts regardless.)

↪Taurus born

↪I write mostly fanfiction multi fandom and have a blog for it here @wyked-fanfiction

↪ I'm currently writing my first original work the TPCG series and all lore and a majority of writing shares and ask will be shared on this blog @wyked-original-writing

All fandom related stuff will be contained to @wyked-fandom

↪My current game fandom's

Zelda (it's more link than Zelda but whatever lol) I have played (wind waker , orca of time, twilight princess, and a little of skyward sword)

Elder scrolls (Skyrim is my favorite)

Devil may cry 2-3

Red steel

Assassin's creed (can't wait for the new one…although I'm still not sure about upgrading from the PS3 lol)

↪My movie/series fandoms

Merlin, Twilight, Supernatural, Lucifer, Grimm,Once upon a time, Stargate (all), Primeval, Criminal minds, NCIS, Star trek, Harry Potter, Hannibal, Marvel, Harley Quinn, Shadow hunters, Arrow, How to train your dragons (all), Troll hunters (they ripped my heart out) Avatar the last Airbender, Avatar (blue), Jurassic world, Jurassic park, Dragon prince, The last of us?(Not the biggest fan of it but I do read the fic's and wrote for ot occasionally, Lost, Charmed (original), Originals (didn't finish it….I'm a softie okay), and to be honest I'm forgetting some… may edit as I remember or hit a phase where they are my favorite show again….

↪Anime fandom's…..some I'm only in due to my sister but it still counts…..

Black Butler

Heavens official blessing

Skum villain D

emon king academy

Welcome to demon school iruma (I love this)

Fairytail

↪My Never seen but I could probably convince you otherwise do to my sister's rambling list that will update as I remember names

Inuyasha

↪My interest and writing memes will be posted on @wyked-rebellion

Herbs,plants,trees, mushrooms, nature (I can keep going) animals,fish,corals and aquatic plants, invertebrates, mythology, pirates, knights, druids,shamans, hanfu, feudal era, history involving any of the above.. writing, gardening, wood carving and burning, sketching although I think you get more detail with wood burning……I can keep listing but most of that will not be covered here so I will stop now but feel free to drop in my inbox to chat

I will add more eventually here

↪My mutuals original story recommendation list

My favorite western, time loop horror romance by @tragedycoded I can not recommend this enough it got me hooked on a western.

If you like gay pirates, kidnapping, drama and found family that will keep you on your toes then check out @the-golden-comet 's story (read the warning)

↪My mutuals fanfiction recommendation list (it will change as I think of some I added the recommendations last minute so oops)

If you are into sarcastic lovable OC's and mandalorians from star wars check out @lillybaaaka 's work

she also has a fem Harry Potter/startrek crossover that I'm in love with lol highly recommend it, it's more startrek then Harry Potter

if you are into the bat family you should check out @gods-graveyard 's work

if you like bananafish fanfiction then check out @gioiaalbanoart she has several amazing ones but my favorite so far is this one

if you are a Zelda fan who ships Ganon and Link then I highly recommend you check out @the-golden-comet just make sure to read the warnings

[diejager]

It’s just an idea, idk if I’ll make it into a fic. Maybe a short Drabble or one shot but not a long one?

So, I know that mostly everyone knows what an Orcas/killer wale is, they live and hunts in pods, and they’re extremely intelligent creatures when hunting together. Impeccable coordination, amazing teamwork and astounding strategies.

SO it made me think, what if Task Force 141 was a pod of Orca mermen hunting for food but just stumbled on the clumsiest and cutes seal mermaid with a warm, brown tail and little hint flippers just soaking in the cold arctic waters.

They “wave-wash” you off your comfortable slab of ice, sending you tumbling into the water and clicking at you, deep, guttural sounds. Gaz brushes his body against you, making you whine and panic, body flip around as your hips sway. Soap comes behind you to hold you still, his cold and powerful tail slapping against yours. Ghost and Price are quiet admirers, swimming around you while Laswell appraises you beside her wife, her blue eyes gleaming with a motherly look.

(Yes, I know Orca pods are matriarchal so I thought of having Laswell lead them on occasions, separating from time to time to live with her wife. They only meet when there’s something important or special.)

They don’t eat you, rather they keep you around, make sure you’re always near them and never too far from them. You think you preferred if you were eaten than kept as a little pet for big, broad and dangerous Orcas.

[icypenguin]

★~ Aquarium date ft. Wriothesley!

HELLOOOOO I know u guys like wrio so much im gonna make another one hehe :p also im not sure if anyone has made something like this before? but if so, please lmk! this will take in modern au, please enjoyyy!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

- aquarium date with wrio wont be that often, it is a pretty big date and he’s often busy with work! but ofcourse he lets his darling pick any date for the weekend.

- you both love admiring and talking about opinions on the sea creature. he would always have his arm around your waist or shoulder.

- i feel like he would LOVE stringrays! he would definitely love xingu river ray (or you could say polkadot ray hehe) and perhaps he would love tiger shark too!

- you both will get those matching crab, octopus or sea turtle headbands! he would be a bit shy wearing it at first but whenever he does anything with you, he’s always full of joy.

- you would definitely watch sea animal shows together! i’d say his favourite is the orca one, he even took a picture with them! most people will take the front seat but wrio prefers the middle row seat, he doesn’t want to get wet by the splashing..

- at the touch pool area, i would say he loves touching the starfish and stingray! he secretly wants a stingray but.. yeah…

- you both will eat at the penguin restaurant! you can feed penguins there and eat with them! (wrio thinks if you’ll have a date here, the penguin will steal your attention).

bonus!!!

- you will also buy those matching sea turtle/shark/dolphin/seahorse/stingray bracelet! he’s still wearing it until now.

- he keeps the pictures he got from the date and display it at his office. his favourite is the one where you were holding an otter while he was feeding it when a pelican got on top of his head. he always grins at the thought of it again.

~ smal drabble ~

a squeak from the otter was heard, you were holding it in your arms as wrio was giving it some fish. “it wants more, wrio!” you chuckled seeing the otter eats its fish with joy. the staff got ready to take a picture of the cute scene in front. “look at the camera! 1, 2, 3 cheese!” “cheeeseeeee!” “chee-ow!” a click from the camera was heard before you could do anything else. after a click of flash, you looked wriothesley confusingly “what’s wrong, darling?”, the otter in your arms were also cofused. “T-THERES SOMETHING ON MY HEAD!” you failed to notice the pelican on his head, but as you did you giggled while watching wrio getting all tensed up. “maybe he likes you!” you continued giggling. “y/nnn this is not funnyy!” the otter in your arms looked as confusing as ever as the pelican sets foot on the bench you were sitting on and sniffed wrio’s hand. just then you understand what was happening “oh! the pelican wants some fish too!” “o-oh..”. he looks at the pelican oddly and gives him a fish. the pelican flew away after so, and you both giggled at it. the staff watching this feels no worry as long as their tourists are happy.

~~~

thankyou so much for reading this! i hope this all makes sense and im so sorry if theres any mistakes hehe. i hope you enjoyed it and advices are accepted, thankyou!

[sugar-omi]

could i possible request fem!cove and fem MC?? just little head canons both sfw and nsfw! i have nothing entirely specific in mind but just anything that you'd like 😊

THE SMILE ON MY FACE *KICKS FEET* HEHE OF COURSE YOU CAN eta now that im done: this is a big mindless, nonsense ramble i. im sorry. i was having the biggest gay panic of my life thinking abt her LMFAO 💀💀

tags : SFW + NSFW, fem/afab cove and reader, oral (cove receiving, reader receiving ment), menstruation ment,

synopsis : me losing my mind over fem!cove 🏌️

SFW

she's not much different to cove already ofc

but in my head she shines so bright omfg...

i like to imagine she's buff no matter what

washboard abs, toned arms and thighs...

but then think abt studious!cove

i want her to be soft....

bitta tummy, thighs perfect to wrap around your head... just squishy

so torn between the two. pls i can't she's PERFECT

either way, strong enough to pick you up

if big n buff she princess carries you all the time

if you do the same back tho, once you put her down she can't stand on her feet

she's swooning. actually falling. she's in love....

MATCHING CLOTHES

ah. you two going shopping and you seeing a dress n getting it for her....

she wears it on your next date, all shy and cute because she doesn't wear dresses often

dies if you give her attention over it, especially if you make a risque comment- she can't handle it

definitely lets you put makeup on her, she's just not good so if you are, please help...

once you see her in lip gloss for the first time, please kiss her and make a comment like "your lips looked so delicious, i couldn't help it" or "i like that color on you, do you think it'd suit me too?"

and then make it a habit bc now she's buying many lip glosses so you can kiss her silly <333

back to the doesn't wear dresses/skirts often thing

i think she's very active

always in shorts, t-shirt, tank top...

i wanna put her in a 2 piece suit

nice black slacks and a vest

the vest accentuating her chest because of it's low cut..

but i'd most likely to put her in a pretty dress for the ORCA dinner

does her best to dress up, even gets a bit of help from randy bc she is definitely a bit lost when it comes to fashion

but when you see her she literally knocks the breath outta you

she IS the prettiest girl in the world

ohhh her in the low light of the dinner, the blue lights just making her look so magical

pls she's everything to me

SHE STEALS YOUR CLOTHES.

OMG HER SLEEPING IN YOUR T-SHIRT!!!!

if your shirt is big n baggy on her she looks so cute...

although if your clothes run smaller or she's in a crop top/tight shirt....

imma save that for NSFW...

if you like painting your nails, she'll match!!!

isn't good at keeping them from getting chipped, but she does her best

omfg so i've seen some people say that their periods sync with their girlfriends (me n my bestie are always synced istg!!!!)

that's you and cove

you two usually know that if you got it, the other got theirs or is getting theirs

even if you get on birth control or have say pcos or smth like that that causes your periods to be irregular/disappear, pls still comfort n hang out w her!!!

i think hers is quite irregular as well so sometimes she's the one comforting you

now im projecting af, but when she gets it it's heavy!!!

not projecting but she definitely cramps, sometimes worse than others

either way, she loves cuddling up together and watching movies and stress eating snacks with you

anyway moving on before i add smth else<3333

NSFW

still a professional pussy eater !!!

(i watch this podcast and i need yall to see *this clip bc i just wanna say.... cove would definitely eat pussy to the bone. he's a DAWG!!!!)

probably even better at navigating your cunt since it's familiar territory

NOW ABOUT HER TITTIES IN THAT TIGHT SHIRT<33

she does her damnedest to NOT wear a bra, usually wears a sports bra

but again, she prefers no bra <3

and sometimes she gets away with it

but i love the idea of her waking up, her shirt all wrinkled and crooked, making it more fitting than it already is.

you can't focus on your cereal because she's shuffling towards you, nipples straining against the thin fabric.

cove flopping next to you on the couch, stealing bites of your cereal. and before she knows it, you kissed her breathless and all but snatch her shirt off, enticed by the rise and fall of her chest.

cupping cove's tits in your hands, she's so soft, and cove let's out the prettiest whimper when you brush your fingers over her nipples

if you suck on her chest, you get an even better reaction, cove rewarding you with loud moans and desperate calls of your name.

her hands in your hair, legs shaking and thighs clenching around you, totally ruined when you slip your hand into her sleep shorts, your fingers running over her darling clit.

she's cute<333

ah. i had a thought that i wanted to share earlier hehe

double sided dildo w cove....

holding hands while you both fuck back on the toy, cove hooking her legs over yours and getting as close as possible to play with your chest and kiss you..

ohh but would love if you got on top, the toy hitting both of you so deep inside, cove's body bouncing from the force of your hips

oh my fucking god.

she's a squirtter

arghh imma lose my MIND

imagine the first patreon moment, and you have her laid out all pretty in her bed, her legs over your shoulders and a hold on her thighs to keep her from crushing your head.

her thighs trembling in your hold, feet bumping against your back and she's clawing at the sheets, whining and moaning so pretty about how your tongue feels so good, low curses slipping from her lips...

tries pushing you away, tears in her eyes.

"y/n- oh god.. wait, i'm- imma make a mess!" she whimpers, throwing her head back when you just suck on her clit more intensly, your fingers curling against her spongy walls, loud squelches coming from your ministrations.

would make such a mess, the covers under her butt getting soaked in her fluids, it's even running down your neck and chest, a sight she has to tear her eyes away from when she finally comes down from her high.

would look so pretty too, her eyes rolled back and thighs trembling, back arching up and she'd fuck back on you, milking her orgasm and whimpering from any minor touch to her sensitive body..

oh and she'd peek at you through wet, spidery lashes, her pretty blues look so brilliant and darling even with the low light of the room and once she stops covering her face with her arm/fingers, you can see the bright blush on her face.

jfc she'd be such a sight, you might have to do her again just to make sure you don't forget it.

[orcinus-veterinarius]

do you have any tips for determining if a whale watching company/tour is ethical? i live in the puget sound area and i’ve always wanted to go, but i’m wary of picking a service that isn’t operating with best practices for the health of the wildlife in mind

That's amazing! It's been a dream of mine to see the wild orcas in the Pacific Northwest since I was a tiny kid obsessively rereading Killer Whales of the World. Unfortunately, I've never been to that region, nor have I ever lived near the coast for longer than 2 months, so I'm not really an expert on whale watching. But I did reach out to a few marine biologists and naturalists living in the area for their suggestions! Maya's Legacy and Outer Island Excursions were Puget Sound whale watching tours they recommended.

NOAA and Be Whale Wise are good resources for whale watching guidelines, and provide a hotline for reporting violations (don't feel like you're a snitch, it's necessary to protect the animals!). In general, whale watchers should stay 100 yards away from cetaceans (200 yards if they are killer whales), and responsible whale watching vessels will cut their engines to avoid disrupting the animals. Ships should never attempt to run down or cut off whales, bait them with food, and allow passengers to enter the water with them. Overall, I think Salish Sea tours are better about this than say, Florida or Baja California, but still worth keeping in mind.

I'm personally not a fan of whale watching tours that use drones, since I've seen a lot of footage on whale watchers' social media taken from drones that are flown way too close to the animals. I would prefer drones only be used by researchers or professional wildlife videographers with proper permitting.

There are a few certifications for whale watching companies, but I'm not really sure which, if any, hold merit. You could also check the company's website to see if any of their staff are credentialed in marine biology or conservation science.

I hope that was helpful! Happy whale watching!

[mashiraostail]

I hope school is going well for you! I'm almost done with my first year of my master's program, so I feel the pain of Zoom U! (Not so) secretly seeking comfort in your wonderful fics and headcanons - especially with my husbands Gang Orca and Aizawa <3 Request perhaps when you have the time/desire: the husbands, adding based on your preference, spending time with their loved one once they've finished a hard project or got a break from school, etc. Lots of Love!

yesss ! i recently completed my m.ed and got into my phd program so i feel this and wanting to celebrate and enjoy time with loved ones is epic

Shota Aizawa

"I'm gonna put my head through a wall." You flip through your mail again, "seriously, still nothing." You'd be obsessively refreshing your browser as well, hoping for an acceptance letter, at this point a rejection would be fine too.

"What's wrong honey?" Aizawa looked up from his paperwork. "What are you looking for?"

"My letter? From the university?" You're almost annoyed at him for asking, maybe he was playing dumb. "I can't really start my break without hearing back...I'm too on edge."

"You just finished your graduate degree, take a load off." He laughs, "school isn't going anywhere."

"I can't until I know I'm all set, I need to plan for the future Shota." You rub your face, "I'm so frustrated. I just want to know."

"Oh, hey now that you mention it I think you got some mail from them, it came at a weird time. Big envelope...I think it's in the kitchen."

"WHAT?" You shriek and jolt up, "go get it!"

"Why me?"

"I'm scared! I haven't seen anything online, what if they rejected me?"

"I'm sure they didn't." He gets up anyway and brings the manilla folder in for you. "Want me to open it?" You nod meekly. He opens it painstakingly slow, you watch his every move, analyze his face for a hint of the outcome.

"What does it say." Your stomach lurches when he sighs.

"Jeeze..." He makes a nervous face and you can feel your eyes watering.

"What, Shota, please tell me..." You're pulling on your shirt hem nervously.

"I'm barely gonna see you anymore." he turns the paper around, but he's smiling. You practically launch yourself at him and he accepts it with just as much gusto.

"I knew you made it honey." You feel his nose by your scalp, his breath is warm and inviting, you wrap your arms tighter around him.

"I'm so relieved." You feel like crying, you're so thankful the pit in your stomach is gone, all you feel is excitement for what's to come.

Shota laughs a little, "you take it all in stride." He pulls away a little and brushes your hair back, "you've been doing so great lately. I'm proud, but I'm not surprised."

"Thank you for all your help." You look at him and the unmistakable fondness in his eyes made your chest warm, you swore you're the only person to ever see it.

He makes a small noise, like kissing his teeth but softer, "don't look at me like that, I didn't help that much." He tosses the folder onto the nearest table and you tumble down onto the couch, his paperwork long forgotten. "Let's have dinner, whatever you want."

You gasp excitedly, "whatever I want?"

"Yeah.." He laughs a little, it comes from his chest and wraps you up like a blanket, "whatever you want. I can cook, we can order out, we can go out, the world is your oyster." He's grinning, "and money's no object, you earned it."

"I wanna stay in with you, let's watch that movie that I've been looking at. We should order out. And can we eat in bed?"

"Yes, yes and yes." You feel his lips on your temple, "I can't say no to you right now."

You're practically vibrating with excitement, Shota was always playfully mean, he enjoyed your constant whining for his affection for him to be so unabashedly affectionate and kind is a rare treat.

"I'll order the food, we can have a shower together," he tries and fails to stifle his laughter at the way your eyes light up, "and we can get into pajamas and watch that movie." You're nodding, thrilled, beyond thrilled.

"Let me know if there's anything else you want."

There wasn't, it was honestly perfect. You order your favorite food and get to cuddle up comfortably in bed with a good movie and even better company

Kugo Sakamata

Lately it feels like Kugo only sees you crouched over your laptop, typing furiously at your keyboard. Occasionally you'll groan and rub your eyes, or mutter something to yourself. You mentioned that you were finishing your thesis, that you were swamped. He tried not to get in your way, to bring you snacks and drinks and to check up on you when you were writing and editing for long hours.

Currently he is doing his own work, at his desk. It's late, you'd been working all night since dinner. He thinks he should check on you, maybe you'd gone to bed. He hopes you had, he disliked the idea of you staying up so late to work, especially when you worked so much during the day. He helped you when he could, proof reading, giving you ideas, and offering you support when you needed, he wished he could do more.

As he considered this his door opened and there you were, laptop in hand.

"Kugo I think I finished!" You look thrilled, he feels thrilled for you.

"My love that's wonderful news, can I see it?" He's glad to watch you bound over to him, and he easily sets his own work aside for you. You show him, though he's sure it would take him a while to get through it all he looks through the beginnings of it.

"You can have a copy when I print it all out to send in." You're beaming, it sends a million arrows straight through his chest.

"I'm thrilled to see you so happy, you have no idea." He sets your laptop down on top of his paperwork, "come here to me."

Of course you go, his hands wrap around your arms as you slide onto his lap. "I'm glad to be done." You feel his hands on your lower back, yours rest on his chest.

"Selfishly, I'm glad you're done too." You feel his thumbs running long strokes over your skin where your shirt rode up under his palms, "when was the last time we went to bed together?"

"I know.." You lament, "i'm sorry I've worked so much."

"No," he tsks, "don't be sorry. I'm proud of all the work you did. I'm glad to have you to myself now."

"Kugo.." You laugh, a bit nervously.

"How do you want to celebrate?" He asks, "I know it's late, but we should do something."

"I just want to spend time with you."

"I can arrange that." He laughs, it's a bubbling sort of warm sound, like a rolling boil. "I'll stay home tomorrow."

"No!" You gasp, "Kugo your job is very important!"

"I know, but I've missed you. I want to talk about all the work you've done. I'd like to have you for the day, if it's alright? We can have breakfast and do whatever you like all day. I'll give you whatever you like."

"You'd really do that? I feel like I'm stealing you."

"You don't have to worry about that. You stole me a while ago." His hand comes up to your face, his palm is smooth over your cheek, his finger brushes the shell of your ear, "you'll stay with me tomorrow, wont you?"

"Of course.." You flush a little, the warmth had started in your stomach and radiated up to your cheeks, "what should we do to celebrate until then..."

"Well why don't you tell me."

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Taming the Tiger Shark

The tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) is a common sight for divers, fishermen, and tourists in the tropical waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. They are often found around sea grass fields or coral reefs, and tend to prefer warm, shallower waters near the coastline or surrounding atolls and islands. The northern end of their range extends up to the northern borders of the United States and China, while their southern range reaches down to Brazil, Madagascar, and the eastern coast of Australia.

While they're slightly smaller than great whites, G. cuvier is still one of the largest carnivores in the ocean. Adults can grow up to 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) long and weigh between 300 and 900 kg (700 and 2,000 lb). Females tend to be larger than males, but the two sexes are otherwise indistinguishable. Individuals are typically bluish gray or green, with a white or light yellow underbelly; this provides them with camouflage, as fish swimming overhead or below are unable to pick out the shark's silhouette against the dark or light background, respectively.

As an apex predator, G. cuvier has few predators of its own. Juvenile tiger sharks will often fall prey to other sharks, including adults of their own species. Orcas are also occasionally known to prey on tiger sharks, but these occurrences are rare. In their own food chain, G. cuvier has a large appetite and will eat almost anything. Coral reef fish are a common target, though their speed and small size makes them harder to catch. More often tiger sharks will prey on cephalopods, crustaceans, sea snakes, turtles, sea birds, and a host of marine mammals like dolphins, dugongs, sea lions, and young, injured, or dead whales. Inadvertently, tiger sharks will also consume garbage such as bottles tires, earning them the nickname 'The Garbage Can of the Ocean'.

Tiger sharks are primarily active at night. Contrary to other sharks, G. cuvier has excellent eyesight, as well as a keen sense of smell. In addition, tiger sharks have two special sensory organs. The lateral line extends down the length of the body and can detect minute vibrations in the water. Ampullae of Lorenzini are small electroreceptors located on the snout; these detect the weak electrical impulses generated by prey. All these features make it easy for tiger sharks to find a meal, and once located their body shape allows them to put on a burst of speed and make quick turns to catch their target. Most of the time, this hunting practice is done alone, but occasionally groups of tiger sharks will gather to scavenge a large carcass or for the mating season.

Male tiger sharks mate every year, while females only reproduce every three years. Breeding seasons differ based on location; in the Northern Hemisphere mating occurs between March and May, while in the Southern Hemisphere it's between November and January. During this time, dozens or even hundreds of sharks may gather to find mates. Females carry their young for up to 16 months, at which time they give live birth. Tiger sharks are ovoviviparous, meaning that eggs are fertilised and hatch inside the mother; this species is also unique in that they employ a technique called embryotrophy, in which young gestate in sacks which are filled with an embryonic fluid. A single litter of tiger sharks may contain between 10 to 80 pups, and each one may live up to 12 years in the wild.

Conservation status: The IUCN has classified the tiger shark as Near Threatened. While exact numbers are unclear, a great many tiger sharks are killed each year for their skin, fins, and liver. This species also has a reputation for vicious attacks, and while they can be aggressive when threatened, only a handful of shark attacks occur each year.

If you like what I do, consider leaving a tip or buying me a ko-fi!

Photos

Neil Hammerschlag

Brian Skerry

David Snyder

[thivell]

Sharing Some OCs

Hi hey! I have uhh… a Jedi and a handful of half baked clone sketches I did when I was bored (there’s a few more but post is already long)

also this is a real long post and I apologize

——————————————————————————————————

Jedi OC

Dunno how effective his pole staff works but hey it’s cool and does exist canonically -

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Clones - most of my sillies are clones rn. Currently I’m working out a battalion that’ll be my little clone collection but I also have an oddball squad that’s a little mix of canonical characters and ocs

451st Battalion Clones

not all my babes are drawn out but a few are- they are incredibly rough though and we’re drawn when I was just finishing up the clone wars show

Commander Delgado/ CC-8933

Captain Maverick/ CT-4751

First Lieutenant Makeshift / CT-9663

Second Lieutenant Krypt / CT-5769

That’s it for my boys rn, but I’ll slowly start making my way through the rest of them- with my stuff still being fidgeted around I’ll most likely change the 451st boys into being 176th and go under my Jedi OC.

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Marines

I have two marines Port/CT-3742 and Starboard/CT-5065. They got their names because of the directions of the numbers (Port’s are all facing left and Star’s are mostly facing right). But what’s silly about them is they’re always on opposite sides with Starboard seen on the left of Port and vice versa especially when they walk. Why is that you ask? Well it’s because while most clones are ambidextrous they still have preferred hands; for Port that’s his right and for Starboard it’s his left. They’re both little shits that when combined make one half of a braincell and that’s all they got and they definitely gaslight the shinies into thinking they have port and starboard mixed up. They were based off of two orcas with the same names.

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Oddball Squad Clones

so the oddballs are essentially clones that look too different or are deformed due to genetic degradation, you can think of them as being like 99 but being the precursors to the bad batch. As stated earlier it’s a mix between canon and non canon clones. As of right now there are

Two canon clones - Captain Vaughn and Commander Blackout

I have not drawn Commander Blackout but he has aniridia which is an eye condition where there is little to no pupil in the iris, causing vision issues. For him it’s not too severe, he needs some corrective measures in his helmet but can see even without them, but he does have light sensitivity and often gets migraines due to fluctuating pressure changes behind his eyes. He also has incredibly dark eyes and blackout styled tattoos that start from his upper back then go down to his pecs and down his arms, also has some on his calves.

Vaughn I have drawn- he has vitiligo that in the photo mainly collects on his face with multiple different layers of different skin pigmentation showing, but it is a full body thing (it even goes to his hair). But it’s one of the main reasons he keeps his helmet it on for long periods of time

There’s 4 non canon clones right now: Whiteout, Zombie, Caid, and Discovery. Both Whiteout and Zombie have sketches but Discovery and Caid don’t.

Caid (Kade)

Caid’s thing is that he is completely mute due to the fact that his larynx never developed. He’s got some skin warping and scarring over his throat from it. He has quite of a few scars over his face and notably knuckles because he throws himself into every battle. He’s a little spicy and sassy. you can think of him as Bumblebee from the transformer series if you’ve seen that. Right now his backstory is a little wobbly but everyone in the oddball squad usually has multiple facets of training if they can. Caid mainly works as a nursery care taker and watching over the tubies and the other very young clones but he also goes on high stake reconnaissance missions to gather intel. The way he communicates is mainly though GHS (Galactic Hand Signing- my SW version of an international sign language) and he also has short field commands embedded into the com device in his vambrace (he usually has a data pad on him too to type out anything he needs).

Discovery

Discovery has two major deformities that affect his arms; his left arm barely ever developed and ends mid bicep and his right arm stops just after his elbow for a few inches. For this he was given cybernetic replacements but he’s mostly used as a lab rat for testing, he doesn’t like it but it hardly squashes his never ending child like curiosity with the world he’s been exposed to. Usually getting him in trouble with Vaughn and frequently visiting Whiteout, the medic.

Whiteout/ CT-8651

Whiteout has full albinism, from his skin to his eyes, and while they aren’t true twins- he and blackout consider themselves ones as they have been in the squadron the longest. Whiteout specializes in being a medic but also does pretty well with a sniper. He’s incredibly soft spoken and sweet and occasionally gets a stutter but he’s trying his best. Especially with Zombie watching over him now he feels safer to stand up for himself.

Zombie

now .. the zombie explanation has to be a little lighter for the sake of ages and tumblr. I cant sugar coat this exactly but I won’t go into the nasty details.. Zombie got his name dude to the fact he was put back together with parts that belonged to other squad members. It was a suicide mission and none of them came back alive but they were used in an experiment by one of Nala Se’s apprentices. He got his name zombie 1) from his lack of talking 2) his usually stone cold or mildly agitated exterior and 3) from the fact his scarring show off how he was literally stitched back together.

He wasn’t originally part of the oddball squad since on his original body his only odd thing was the fact he and green eyes but after he comes back he very quickly gets pulled into it. He has an absolute soft spot for Whiteout and is the equivalent to scary attack dogs with separation anxiety

Whiteout and Zombie as of right now will eventually be tagged on to 104th with Wolffe and Caid might be going into 212th or works mostly under them for missions.

that’s all for now lovelies, thank you for reading!💕

[local-hellhound-steals-spaghetti]

hello! I just wanted to know your thoughts on orcas living in accredited facilities. are they thriving, or are they too smart to be 'locked up' as ARAs say? I've been debating myself on this for a while, and I wanted to ask someone ^^^

Are captive killer whales doomed and depressed? Was it right to end the breeding program?

Hi there! Thank you for being curious and asking these questions!

I can tell you that current welfare data of killer whales in accredited facilities does suggest positive welfare eg. demonstrating optimistic welfare states and demonstrating healthy social and reconciliation behaviours in Loro Parque orcas. (source) (source)

Unfortunately we just don't have a whole lot of welfare data for killer whales the same way we do for bottlenose dolphins. But that's sort of a generalised answer.

I want to address your questions specifically though.

Are orcas "too smart" for being in human care?

I'd say that the intelligence or the supposed hyper intelligence of cetaceans has been overblown and has been the source of contention since John Lilley came on the scene in the 60's making wild claims about hyper intelligent dolphins that speak their own language that still persist to this day (never mind the guy killed dolphins in his experimental brain scans and gave them LSD... the 60's were wild).

The people claiming orcas are too intelligent are people like Dr. Lori Marino - a neuroscientist who makes unsubstantiated claims about cetacean intelligence and draws conclusions about intelligence and cognition from brain scans. Can brain structure give you some data to make educated guesses on intelligence? Sure. But you can't then draw conclusions about welfare about animals you've never examined or done a welfare assessment of.

None of the people making these claims have done objective welfare assessments with access to health and veterinary records.

Lori, as well as other lobbyists like Naomi Rose and Ingrid Visser, have been called out by the scientific community more than once on publishing papers that make unsubstantiated claims about welfare.

My colleagues published this paper refuted their claims that orcas were being "damaged" by captivity (using human comparisons of prisoner of war camps despite human and killer whale brains being separated by millions of years of evolution) . But the media had already picked up the catchy, shocking paper that got published by a journal with no cetacean experience ( the Journal of Veterinary Behavior who also refused to retract the paper despite letters from cetacean welfare scientists)

There is unfortunately a huge problem of lobbyists who are lobbying governments to change laws on cetacean welfare who are using science to skew data for their personal beliefs. And they are absolutely shameless and will block any other scientists that try to refute them.

If anything, intelligence creates adaptability. There's a reason we have bottlenose dolphins in human care around the world but not harbor porpoises. Bottlenose dolphins are socially intelligent and more easily adapt to new environments and bond with human care takers. Orcas are similar, though environmental change has been reported to upset them a lot more. They are very socially intelligent, which makes them very interested in learning and being curious and bonding with human caretakers.

If captive orcas were truly so utterly broken the way they're depicted by media and these "studies" they would not be able to learn new behaviours, they would not eat and play and socialise and they would not engage with the trainers and guests.

See a whole playlist of SeaWorld orcas in their free time - it really helps you look beyond those 10 second "sad SeaWorld orca" videos (it's usually just Keet resting because that's what he prefers to do in his spare time)

Are orcas in accredited facilities "depressed" or suffering in any way?

Now when it comes down to actual welfare of orcas in accredited facilities - based on anecdotal and scientific evidence, statements from trainers I've talked to who work with the animals every day (no they're not getting paid any more than minimum wage and speak freely), what I've witnessed through many hours of observation ect.

I can say with a fair amount of certainty that these orcas are not abused, depressed, doomed or going insane. They have a robust enrichment program, get the best vet care in the world (I'm sure @orcinus-veterinarius can attest to that), are engaged and motivated to learn regardless of satiety (though they'll have their off days of course) and they have good stable social structures that rarely see any hyper aggression (but aggression is normal in social groups too).

Could it be better?

Absolutely. If it were up to me, they would have the Blue World project done and built, bigger habitats, more novel enrichment ideas to encourage hunting behaviour that's not just Big Ball TM (they love it and it's easy but we can do better), more autonomy of habitat eg. being able to turn on water jets when they want to.

And waterwork would still be a thing trainers can do - not for shows but for the unmatched relationship building and desensitisation that it gave these animals. It actually made them safer to be in the water with (look at Kamagowa Sea World orca waterwork and how blaise they are with their whales - those whales will allow any sort of nonsense and someone falling in their pool wouldn't worry me at all)

What about the breeding ban:

I understand why they stopped breeding to appease the public but unfortunately it has introduced other welfare problems. Female orcas cannot be on Regumate - birth control - for longer than a year or it'll destroy her body very quickly. So separation of females and males occurs. And that can be really stressful - especially for matriarchs like Katina who had to be separated from Makaio.

Breeding bans are not done with the welfare in mind. They're done as a sanctimonious "save the babies" effort to "protect" them from no actual documented suffering. While denying animals the natural and very instinctive behaviours of reproduction.

It's amazing how much a calf can enrich a pod. Everyone pitches in to babysit and watch out for them, to teach them how to play and how to learn. It's really sad that the orcas of SeaWorld have been denied that now and it'll be very sad to see them die off one by one until there's only one very lonely whale left.

Anyway I hope that answers some questions. Happy to answer any more you might have.

[monsoon-of-art]

Hey! I had a late night idea in regards to your mer au of Ingo cheering up Dawn. I hope it's okay to share it with you.

Ingo frown stretched lower than usual "What's wrong?"

Dawn paused to gather her thoughts, and then eventually turned to him "Can you be honest with me?"

"Of course."

"Do you...like it here?"

Ingo's gaze drifted out to the stretch of water above them as he considered her question "I am grateful for the hospitality of my clan and being of service to my Noble brings me great satisfaction if that's what you're asking. "

But Dawn shook her head "No, I mean, do you like living here?" With a wide sweep of the arm, she gestured to the space in front of them "In the ocean?"

Ingo made a thoughtful noise "I don't know what to compare it to, I'm afraid. It's all I've ever known. I cannot recall living anywhere else. Why do you ask?"

Dawn shrugged "I just...I don't know how you live here. I don't know if I could. It's so scary here!"

She forced a smile up at her Uncle's concerned eyes "Don't get me wrong, I love being with you and the other mers are nice...mostly. And I still think it's cool to be a mer and to do things and go places nobody else in the Survey Corps can. And I like writing down all the weird and wonderful things I find out about marine life, but..."

Dawn twiddled her fingers, folding in on herself as if to hide. "For every reason I find to love the ocean... there's so many more reasons to dread it.

"Everything's bigger than me, including everything that wants to eat me. And even the things that are way smaller than me are terrifying. Like pufferfish or jellyfish or the time Sabi told me that starfish would eat my body if I died. It's all so creepy! I feel like I can't go anywhere without being in danger.

"And sometimes the creatures I find give me the shudders when I have to draw them or write about them. Everything seems to be either full of teeth, are armed to the teeth, slimy, have unspeakable diets or are deceptivley cute. It's like swimming through a place of nightmares!"

She sighed internally "Honestly, I'm beginning to hate coming back to the ocean again and again. If it weren't for the fact that the Survey Corps are relying on my research...Ingo, how do you deal with being here?"

Ingo straightened his cap and gave an apologetic shrug "I suppose because I don't face a lot of the problems you do, I'm not a pup who's just learning to swim and I don't have to fear as many of this world's creatures you do. And like I said before, the ocean is all I've ever known. But I do admire your courage in coming here for your research, even if I'd prefer that you'd stay on land."

"It's kinda sad, you know? The ocean's not as...well...magical as I thought it would be."

It broke Ingo's heart to see the girl look so sombre. It must have been hard to be such a small and vulnerable pup in a vast, unforgiving ocean. And Dawn was right, the ocean could be a cruel and ugly place...but it wasn't all it was. Ingo's amnesia had brought him to be blown away by so many rich experiences as if it was his first time in the ocean. When he first arrived, members of the Pearl Clan would smile and laugh affectionately at the way he stared at the reef coming to life around him, mesmerised by the shifting colours and shapes. Or the times he could swim beside a pod of sperm whales during patrols, the motions of his tail mirrored by slow, graceful giants that would turn their gaze at him with seemingly all knowing eyes . And even something as simple as a kelp forest seemed to hold such majesty and serenity if you stopped to enjoy its shade.

The orca's attention was brought back to the melancholy child in front of him as an idea tugged up the corners of his mouth. "How about I show you something?"

Dawn couldn't see much between the gaps of Ingo's fingers as they closed securely around her, just a deep cobalt blue interrupted by the occasional black shape. Although, more and more black shapes were appearing, occasionally blocking out the light. She grew nervous. Where was Ingo taking her? They've been travelling like this for quite a while now.

Ingo broke the silence with a smile in his voice: "We have arrived at our stop. Are you ready?"

The black shapes were more frequent than ever now. Dawn was incredibly uneasy, but also admittedly curious. And Ingo's cheerful tone calmed her down somewhat, telling her she was in no danger.

"Okay." That came out more timid than intended.

Ingo removed the hand that served as her roof and the bright blue light surrounding her made her blink.

And all around them wide, graceful sheets of black and white glided through the vast blue space.

Manta rays.

So many-too many! Like the ocean had moving stripes! All of them slowly migrating forward. Below Ingo's steady hand she could see more of them below, many so far down they were fading into space. The filtered sun above them was occasionally blocked out, leaving dancing shadows over Dawn and Ingo's form.

Beside her, one of them glided close enough for her to note its large gaping mouth. She flinched.

"It's alright" said Ingo, holding her closer to his tunic "They're harmless."

Dawn read about Manta rays. She knew they were only filter feeders and that they wouldnt harm her with barbs in their tails. However, seeing a Manta ray up close and personal was different to seeing one in a book, and new uncertanties curled in her stomach.

But she trusted Ingo. She was safe with him and he wouldn't take her anywhere he deemed too risky. And even if there was danger, he would close his hand over her again at the first sign of it. She laid lack into his tunic behind her and took in the comfort that came with it. Her shoulders began to relax.

"They're quite friendly, and even playful" Ingo continued "Sometimes I blow bubbles here because I know they enjoy swimming through them."

He demonstrated, and he was right. Some mantas above them seemed to slow down through the streams of air, and even circled back to have a second go.

Dawn giggled. It was almost like they were watching dolphins.

Ingo pointed up to the larger mantas above them with his free hand "See the markings on the underside of their bodies?"

Dawn nodded

"The shape of the markings is unique to each animal, like a fingerprint."

"Really? So you can tell each Manta Ray apart?"

Ingo scratched the back of his neck "Well, I haven't personally memorised any markings, and even if I did, there are too many at this station to keep track of, but yes, in theory you could."

For a good while, they stayed there. Ingo had long since became lost in his own rambling, and Dawn was just happy to listen. He was spouting facts about everything he was taught about the creatures around them, from their feeding habits to the how and why of their migrations.

She couldn't even hope to remember half of it all, but she took mental notes to write down some of the more interesting things he mentioned when she had the chance.

If the Mers weren't so afraid of humans and visa versa, Dawn imagined Ingo would be quite valuable to the Survey Corps.

Dawn took another glance around her. The colossal, yet quiet creatures drifted in a steady stream around them; taking their time towards an unknown destination, like commuters in a crowded city, but in slow motion. It was so serene here. So peaceful. Gentle giants, just like Ingo and so many of the other mers.

"There really is no danger, is there?"

Ingo chuckled "No. Not here."

But then his smile dipped and he looked soberly down at Dawn.

"Perhaps there is danger back at the reefs, waiting for us. And perhaps there always will be a dangerous and ominous side to the ocean. But the ocean is vast. And in all that space there is room for beauty as well, and gentleness, and wonder. The scope of it amazes even me.

"My home is frightening, and I'm worried that I won't be able to protect you from all that it holds, but I don't want you to miss out on all that's good in this world either. In more ways than one, it is magical. I hope you come to see it that way too."

Akari leaned further into her Uncle's tunic and smiled.

Yeah, maybe she will.

"Thanks, Ingo."

(Aaaaaand it's morning! Wow, that idea really exploded! Thank you for letting me share, though. And thank you again for all your art and stories! :) )

;w;

[canadiankazz]

ABOUT ME

Hi! Call me Kazz.

Cis. Het. She/her. Mid 30's.

I am a dual Canadian/Australian citizen currently living in South Australia. I grew up in the 90’s, so 90’s nostalgia is my jam. My husband and I have been together since 2011. He is in most of my same RP games. I work retail in a grocery store and have a (useless) bachelor of arts in English and History, a Graduate Diploma in Education and a degree in Library Studies. Orcas are my favourite animal, although I’m also partial to cats, dogs, red-tailed hawks, Australian magpies and guinea pigs.

I’m currently the owner of three guinea pigs named Sable, Neil and Buzz. Check out their side blog HERE.

My hobbies are writing fanfic, playing RPGs, video games and cross stitching.

Link to my Fanfic on Ao3

Link to fuckyeahlabynight Tumblr's largest collection of everything to do with LA by Night and NY by Night.

Link to my Cross Stitching Side Blog

My CURRENT Fandoms include (but are not limited to):

Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss

LA By Night, NY by Night and Vampire the Masquerade in general

Critical Role

Dropout.tv

Doctor Who

Good Omens

I also love SMOSH, Dropout.tv, Last Podcast on the Left (and other true crime/spooky/disaster podcasts,) Disney, Shakespeare, Norse, Greek and Egyptian mythology, most films, musicals and theatre in general. My favourite musicals include Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Little Shop of Horrors, Six, Beetlejuice, Hadestown, and Les Misérables. I also love the Starkid musicals.

Past fandoms include Pirates of the Caribbean, The Dresden Files, Star Wars, the X-Men, Spider-Man, Marvel and the MCU, Batman and the DCU, Hellsing, Hannibal, Dracula Daily, Animorphs, Discworld, Game of Thrones, Supernatural, Smallville, Harry Potter, Team Four Star, Achievement Hunter, Death Note, Wolf’s Rain, True Blood, How to Train Your Dragon, Steam Powered Giraffe, Lord of the Rings, Rifftrax, The Sandman, American Gods, and Transformers.

My favourite video games include Dead by Daylight, The Sims 4, Wingspan, Power Wash Simulator, Hunter: Call of the Wild, Stardew Valley, Jackbox Games, Unpacking, House Flipper and Steamworld Heist.

I prefer watching streamers play horror games rather than playing them myself. (I make an exception for DbD, as I’ve become a killer main and that’s a lot less scary than playing survivor.)

I’m also into reading runes/tarot cards and doing some magicy stuff from time to time.

Current RPG games I’m Gming or are playing in:

Vampire the Masquerade 5th edition

Scion

A homebrew game called "Becalmed" using the nWoD system. 

RPG Systems I have played in the past include:

Most New World of Darkness systems. (“Vanilla” WoD, Vampire: the Requiem, Werewolf: the Forsaken, Changeling: the Lost, Hunter: the Vigil and Mage: the Awakening, while also running games with Geists and Prometheans.)

Call of Cthulhu

Dread

Exalted (2nd and 3rd ed.)

Dungeons and Dragons (3.5 and 5th edition)

Spirit of the Centaury

Pathfinder

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Monster of the Week

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG

Apoc World

Shadowrun

Only War

Star Wars: Edge of the Empire

Marvel Multiverse RPG

Please note that though I used to love a lot of things that have *problematic* creators, that does NOT mean I support or condone the actions of those creators. I may still reblog things from those fandoms from time to time.