#One of my favorite sea mammals

[susper]

Digital - Leopard Seal

[bethanythebogwitch]

Wet Beast Wednesday: walrus

There are a lot of iconic arctic animals, such as the polar bear and narwhal, but my personal favorite is the walrus. Known for their large tusks, prominent whiskers, and habit for busting myths creepy eyes, walruses are unique amongst the pinnipeds. Most people know of the two main groups of pinnipeds: Phocidae, the earless or true seals and Otariidae, the fur seals and sea lions. Walruses however are in a class of their own, being the only surviving species of their own family: Odobenidae. A weird fact that I learned researching for this is that taxonoimists used to think Odobenids evolved from bears before later reclassifying them alongside the other pinnipeds. Old-timey taxonomy was wild and came up with some absolutely unhinged ideas. Like they used to think that microbats and megabats weren't related, instead classifying megabats as primates.

(image; a walrus sitting on an ice flow. It is a large, brown mammals with short limbs that end in flippers. Its head has a wide, blunt snout and two long tusks emerging from the upper jaw)

There is one species of walrus, Odobenus rosmarus, divided into two subspecies based on location: the Atlantic walrus (O. r. rosmarus) and Pacific walrus (O. r. divergens). The two subspecies are still very similar and genetic testing indicates they diverged between 750,000 and 500,000 years ago. There used to be a third listed subspecies from the Laptev sea, O. r. laptevi, but they have since been reclassified as a population of the Pacific walrus. Walruses are very large, being the third largest pinnipeds after the two elephant seal species. The Pacific subspecies is larger than their Atlantic brethren with most males reaching an average weight between 800 and 1,700 kg (1,800 to 3,700 lbs). A few males have been known to grow considerably larger than average. Male Atlantic walruses average about 900 kg (2,200 lbs). In both subspecies, females are about 2/3 the size of males and have shorter tusks. a large portion of their weight comes from the thick layer of blubber under their skin that helps them stay warm. Both subspecies have an average length between 2.2 and 3.6 meters (7.4 to 11.8 ft). Walruses have hind flippers that can turn forward to act like feet, letting them crawl on all fours like sea lions. Like true seals, they have no external ears. The skin is very thick and mostly bald. They are born with brown skin that becomes lighter as they age. While swimming, the blood vessels in the skin construct to reduce blood flow and limit heat loss, which makes them considerably lighter, almost white. Males have skin nodules called bossed around the neck and shoulders. Their creepy eyes are the result of eye sockets with no roof and powerful extraocular muscles that let the eyes protrude out of the skull and look both forward and sideways. The famous mustaches are composed of 400-700 thick whiskers. The whiskers are attached to muscles and have both nerve ending and blood supply. They are incredibly sensitive sense organs and a walrus can identify objects as small as 2mm with its whiskers. Their lips are muscular and flexible and aid in creating a large variety of noises.

(image: a close-up of a walrus's face, showing its prominent whiskers and small eyes. Its mouth is open, revealing its tongue)

How come the walrus can whistle but I can't? (video: a walrus in a zoo being instructed by its handler to make multiple vocalizations)

Of course the most famous features of walruses are their tusks. These two large canines can reach a meter in length and are larger in males than females. The tusks have a number of uses in both sexes, though males use them more. In both sexes, they are used to help dig breathing holes in sea ice, hang onto ice and help the walrus climb out of the water. Males also use their tusks in displays of dominance, especially during mating season. Larger tusks are a sign of dominance and typically the walrus with the largest tusks will win standoffs. If a standoff escalates from posturing to a fight, they will use their tusks as weapons. They tend to strike around the neck and shoulders and the skin nodules in those areas help protect males from each other's tusks. It was formerly believed that walruses would use their tusks to dig for prey on the sea floor, but this is no longer believed to be the case.

(image: a walrus skull showing the tusks)

(image: a walrus using its tusks to hang onto the ice and keep its nostrils above the water)

Walruses spend a lot of their time searching for the food they need to support a body that big. They prefer forging along the continental shelf and spend much more time in shallow water than other pinnipeds. While walruses have been tracked diving 500 meters deep, the majority of dives are much more shallow. The vast majority of a walrus's diet consists of seafloor-dwelling invertebrates including tubeworms, soft corals, tunicates, crabs and shrimp, sea cucumbers, and mollusks. While that's a wide palette, their absolute favorite food is clams. To hunt, walruses drag their noses and the forward surface of their tusks through the sediment and use their whiskers to search for food. This stirs up the sediment and releases nutrients back into the water column, a process balled bioturbation. Many foods can be swallowed whole or chewed, but they have a special feeding style for clams and other bivalves. Walruses will hold the bivalve in their mouths and use their flexible lips to form a water-tight seal around it. It then withdraws its tongue into its mouth to create enough suction to suck the bivalve meat right out of the shell. So important is this strategy to feeding that the shape of their mouths is specially adapted to it. Walruses are also known to feed on seals, though how much of that is due to hunting or scavenging is unknown. Additionally, they will scavenge whales, may hunt walrus trapped under sea ice, and have been seen catching and eating birds.

(image: a walrus foraging for food underwater. It has its snout pressed into the sea floor and is kicking up a large amount of sediment. Still from a National Geographic video)

Walruses are social and migratory, traveling south for the winter and north for the summer in aggregations that can be tens of thousands strong. They will haul out onto land or sea ice in huge numbers, blanketing the landscape in blubber and tusks. While these aggregations are preferred, they are not considered a true social species as they do not aid each other when together. Walruses on land or ice are skittish and will spook easily. Being startled can lead to stampedes while the walruses flee back to sea. Sometimes, walruses will be trampled to death during these stampedes. During mating season, the normally cordial walruses become much less friendly to their neighbors. Breeding seasons lasts from January to March. During this time, males will gather in the water around females in heat and compete for the change to get to that nice walrussy (I will not apologize). This is usually done via bellowing and posturing with the tusks, but may escalate to fights. While males become sexually mature around age 7, they often do not become large and strong enough to secure mates until around age 15. Females become sexually mature between 4 and 6 years old. Curiously, females enter heat twice per year, but males are only fertile once per year. Gestation takes up to 16 months and calves are born able to swim and weighing up to 75 kg (165 lbs). Females with calves move away from the large aggregations, possibly to keep their calves from being crushed in stampedes and possibly to make it harder for predators to detect their scent. Nursing lasts for over a year, longer than in many pinnipeds. Walrus milk is fattier than that of land mammals, but less fatty than that of true seals, forcing walrus mother to nurse longer. Even after being weaned, walruses may spend up to 5 years with their mothers. Females only mate at most every two years, which gives the walrus the lowest reproduction rate of all pinnipeds. Walruses can live up to 30 years in the wild and 40 years in captivity. Male walruses have the largest penis bone of any non-cetacean both in absolute size and proportionately.

(image an aerial shot of a walrus herd on land. There are many walruses and they are so tightly packed together that no ground is visible)

"Don't talk to me or my son ever again" (image: a mother walrus with its calf. The calf is a smaller version of the mother with no tusks. The calf is sittting by its mother's side. Both are looking at the camers)

Walruses have been hunted by humans living in the arctic circle for millennia. Hunting peaked in 18th and 19th centuries when there was a high commercial demand for meat, blubber, skin, and ivory. This almost led to the extirpation of Atlantic walruses. Since then, hunting has been outlawed except by indigenous peoples, allowing the populations to recover. Now, the major threat to walruses is climate change leading to loss of sea ice needed for hauling out and breeding. The IUCN lists both subspecies as Vulnerable. They were an important source of food and other materials to the peoples of the arctic circle and appear frequently in the mythology of said peoples.

(image: a walrus tusk carved with the images of multiple fish, seals, and polar bears)

[wingedfaith]

The Oceanic Manta Ray (Mobula birostris). (X)

To my two Tumblr followers give me an animal and I'll design a character

[stoutguts]

Autistic/neurodivergent 👻 (💀🧼 too bc why not/it's my comfort ship and I love them)

(chock full my own personal HCs and ideas, also mental health stuff/issues/problems heyo)

CW: brief mentions of s*icide/s*icidal ideation

I have a lot more to say about this freak, than pretty boy, ADHD brain rotted Johnny, so let’s get into it‼️‼️

Ghost is socially awkward as all hell with actual negative rizz, whether platonically or romantically. Most people write him off as weird, creepy, or scary, though that's also part of his charm and mystique for some reason.

Autistic, (and it's painfully obvious lmao). Special interests include Skyrim, DND, Bloodborne, Dark Souls, Elden Ring, The Witcher, etc. An absolute sweat, so it’s absurdly good at the games too. Also owns a ridiculous amount of merch pertaining to these games, from t-shirts to fucking coffee mugs. Their eyes will positively light up whenever they get the chance to geek out, and will talk your ear off about it. Soap always listening to it's nerdy rants, as he just loves to hear Simon talk no matter what it’s about. But, also because he’s always so eager to learn about what his partner likes or is interested in. Every now and then it'll get Johnny to join them for a round of DND or watch him play Skyrim or some other game, or even other members of the 1-4-1. And even though Soap and the others aren't nearly as experienced and well-versed in these games as Ghost is, they still both/all have a lot of fun. Outside of video games, they’re also obsessed with marine life and sea creatures. They're especially fond of sharks, he has a large collection of stuffed sharks/shark plushies in fact. Each with their own individual names that he loves dearly. Can't sleep without at least one plushie or shark, and sleeps with a different one each night, cycling through them. They also love to visit aquariums and the beach, and it has encyclopedic knowledge when it comes to most underwater creatures or marine mammals you can think of. He loves to show this off via party trick, or of course, just for the sake of rambling about it. It owns entire books on just sharks or marine life, and is obssessed with watching nature doctumentaries, whether it's on sea or land creatures.

Speaking of his fascination with marine life...He even keeps a few Ranchu goldfish as pets that it bought online from a breeder, (as Ranchu goldfish are one of it’s favorite fish/favorite breeds of goldfish). It thinks of them as it’s own children, and does it’s due diligence and research to provide them with the best care possible, (plus a beautifully decorated tank). Their names are Wotsit, Tangy, and Oswald. Wotsit and Oswald are males, Wotsit is red and black, and Oswald is a "calico" Ranchu. While, Tangy is female, and is orange and white.

At first, Johnny can't for the life of him understand what makes a goldfish, (fish being some of the most boring pets in the world in his humble opinion), so appealing as a pet. But he sees how happy the fish make Simon, so he doesn't really question it, just leaving it at "if they’re happy, than I guess that's all that really matters". Though the more Ghost talks about them with so much excitement and affection for it’s little fishy friends, the more Soap begins to appreciate them and kind of grow attached to them in his own way.

Simon stims by bouncing his legs, pacing, flapping their hands, or grinding his teeth (had to get braces and later a retainer to fix their teeth because of this). It used to mainly stim by rocking back and forth as a child, and he still does it from time to time to help calm himself, or for comfort when they need it. It also likes to walk on their tiptoes,—(he has exceptionally strong legs and calfs because of this habit),—especially when walking up or down stairs.

This detail is more just a general personality trait of his but whatever—

They are very expressive, (Johnny finds it absolutely adorable). Which is something not a lot of people know about him, as when the situation calls for it or when they need to get it together, he has excellent control over his emotions. A sensitive crybaby, and is a very emotional person. Quite literally can’t help it.

Ghost often has a hard time understanding other people or what they're feeling due to his autism. They're not heartless by any means, and it tries it's best to understand, but most times they unintentionally come off as insensitive or mean. He’s also brutally honest with people and never lies.

Simon needs constant reassurance due to their often low self-esteem, and Johnny is more than happy to provide that for him. Always praising them and telling them that he’s handsome, that he’s enough, that he’s perfect, and that he’s such a good boy.

(Speaking of Soap praising him, Ghost has a praise kink, to which Johnny is also more than happy to indulge. Though will occasionally use it’s kink against it, such as openly giving it praise during missions. Which Simon is always embarrassed, and seemingly hates it, but in actuality it’s the hottest thing ever).

That he loves them more than anything in the whole wide world, and would not trade him for anything. That he’d never lie, or cheat on him, (and he’s proven time and time again that he’s a man of his word). That it is his “forever” and nothing can change that.

The fact that Johnny is always so considerate of it’s needs touches Simon so deeply, as none of it’s past partners had ever been so respectful. Warming their heart, and it only continues to deepen the love he has for his partner. 💖

Ghost has a rescue German Shepherd named Riley. They love the dog to death, brings him everywhere with them. Simon especially likes to always take Riley with him when they go out jogging or for a run, or whenever they just feel like walking around the neighborhood to clear their head. The two are joined at the hip, not only because they’re incredibly attached to each other...But because Riley is trained as an emotional support animal for PTSD and anxiety-related reasons, and is also a medical alert service dog. Regarding not only some pretty nasty asthma, but he’s got some hereditary cardiovascular/heart issues that could prove to be a real problem.

Simon can't really live without him.

Riley is formerly both a fighting and military dog, they took him as their personal pooch, after no other handlers would work with him due to aggression issues. He has stunning green eyes and a beautiful black and tan coat. Though he's a bit mangy. With Ghost having handmade a leather spiked collar and a chain leash to match his overall ruggedness, though Riley's personality couldn't be farther from his tough exterior. Simon has re-trained and re-socialized him very well, and has helped him to unlearn his past temperament/behavior. Good with kids and other dogs and animals, loves people and attention. Though still has just enough bite left in him to be protective and to act as a guard dog for him and Johnny, always at the ready in case something happens. Which in Ghost's eyes is highly important and appreciated in a dog.

Riley's past history really tugged on Simon's heartstrings, so he has dedicated himself to pampering his dog. Getting him the best dog food money can buy, always looking out for a new toy for him when he goes to the store, etc. Riley often will sleep in between Ghost and Soap or at the foot of their bed.

Ghost struggles with PTSD and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). His PTSD stems from his traumatic childhood. While his anxiety is mostly a by-product of his PTSD and trauma, as well as something born from the stress of being in the military, and learning to always be on the alert, never at ease. Though both seem to be somewhat tied to his autism as well.

They have panic attacks regularly, (which can be very dangerous because of his asthma, having to carry an inhaler on him at all times). (Plus, his heart condition is heavily affected by stress, which he’s treated/medicated for, but can still pose a risk). Flashbacks occur more often than not, (their flashbacks mostly happen in their sleep, as nightmares and night terrors).

Johnny is really the only one who knows of their past and mental health. (On all government mandated material, it’s intentionally left vague. The most it recognizes is that Ghost was born in Manchester, that his father's got a lengthy criminal record, and his capture and extensive torture by Roba).

As they don’t really talk about themselves that much, half because they’d rather not bring up such painful memories, and half for the fact he doesn’t really want other people knowing his business. Either that, or it's just that either no one ever really cared to know, or people weren't stubborn (or stupid) enough to press on it further, (apart from Johnny of course).

Soap is incredibly understanding and patient, therefore, it was very easy to open up to him. (Simon still finds that Johnny's the only person he's super comfortable opening up to, but also it opens up to and overshares with Roach every now and then). Johnny has a strange sort of calming effect on Ghost. Soap being an expert on how to get Simon to relax. Even when Ghost has a whole-ass service dog, (who also happens to be registered as an emotional support animal too), for this exact reason and purpose—But, Johnny frankly doesn't give a fuck. He wants it to know that he’s there for them, and that he cares deeply for him. Simon appreciating his fawning over him, and him taking care of them greatly.

Simon also has major depressive disorder (MDD), having struggled with such since childhood, and battles with suicidal ideation/thoughts on the daily.

They have actually even attempted quite a few times in the past. (Fun fact, the closest he’d ever come to successfully killing himself, was when Soap had gone into a months long coma after having been nearly killed by Makarov).

He’ll have depressive episodes that can last from days, to weeks, to months, sometimes being borderline debilitating and/or incapacitating. Soap tries to always be there for it during hard times, and this is no exception. He tries to provide him with what they may need, whether it’s a bit of humor to get it’s mind off things, or consolation after a long day, or maybe a hug, or one of their favorite snacks from the grocery store.—All Ghost has to do is ask, but usually Johnny always knows what he needs without a word being said between them.

Ghost goes to therapy regularly, and it does help a lot, (as they’ve got a fantastic therapist, having provided them with tools that have helped to save their skin on more than a few occasions). Though unfortunately despite this,—he’ll never be completely happy or stable. But that’s fine and is something it can live with, as long as he has Soap by their side and other people to support him. 💖

And last but not least…All members of the 1-4-1 having highly specific phobias? Yes please!

As for Ghost…

He is deathly afraid of thunderstorms/has major Astraphobia, as it triggers flashbacks regarding his father’s physical abuse. Simon is about the most vulnerable you’ll ever see him during a thunderstorm, they can’t do anything but curl up into a ball and sob and shake. He’s even pissed himself from fear on a few occasions after a particularly loud clap of thunder. Soap always tries to make sure he’s by their side when bad weather is soon to come, even planning his schedule around it (if he can), or rushes home to it in the event of a storm. If they end up having an accident he’ll help to clean them up. Cuddling with him, holding them and having Ghost clinging to him while they cry into his shoulder, attempting to soothe him with lovely words and a gentle touch.

They are also afraid of bugs/have major entomophobia, their entire squad teases and makes fun of them for it, (including Johnny lmao). Though it’s all in good fun, and if Simon ever encounters a single solitary insect…It’s got comfort in knowing their buddies and Soap are there for them, and will protect them. :3 (Idk, I just think it would be hilarious that this grim reaper looking ahh mf, 6’0 or taller brick shithouse of a man, is afraid of a fly getting too close to him).

I really need to gather up my hcs for Gaz and Price and write them down, I love those two as much as Ghost and Soap…I also wanna write shit about NikPrice, bc that’s like my favorite COD ship next to GhostSoap…hrmmm

[all-purpose-dish-soap]

Hello! I've recently come across your blog and I absolutely love it, I'm eating up your shark mer au (much like everyone else lol) and as a prolific lover of whales I MUST ask, what's this about orcas in one of your recent posts 👀👀 tbh I have a few theories but omg you've got my attention even more if that's possible.

Also, the world building you're doing for this au is 👌 peak I have to say. Delicious. Call me a marine biologist the way I want to study all the boys & our lovely remora reader and learn everything about them and their little ecosystem. The way you write them as being marine mammals is so fun and them being more... Creature-y for lack of a better term is one of my favorite takes on typical mermaids, I love it soo much, I'm totally hooked.

Anyways, thank you for sharing your wonderful brain baby with all of us and I'm looking forward to reading all of your future work!! I hope you have a lovely lovely day/night! 💖💫

Call me a marine biologist the way I want to study all the boys

boss, me too. god i hope no actual marine biologist ever lays eyes on these. the liberties i am libertaking dfkjhgflh

thank you so much!! we who grew up liking mermaids/sea creatures don't get enough adult-type media to age into. i'm happy this uhh intersection of mermaid fiction, horror, and monsterfucking romance is finding like-minded enjoyers even though it began as self-indulgent smut. thank you thank you <3

i am curious about your theories about orcas as a prolific lover of whales! mentioned here too, but orcas are so overpowered that it's hard to find a way to write in an orca mer without kinda... implicitly threatening the 141 with extinction. 〒▽〒

(mer au tag)

[silverhart-makes-art]

Pretty sure I have a good guess as to this week's Bestiary Posting animal, so I'm just gonna go totally off the rails for this one.

My thought process was as follows: Three rows of teeth means it must be a shark. And it would be fun to draw a fish, since I haven't done one for this challenge yet. But oh no, it has 'powerful feet'. Fish don't have feet. You know what does have powerful feet though? Mollusks. Mollusks have feet. It's described as having eyes though. What mollusks have eyes? That's right. Cephalopods!

Hence, the Mlekragg is a cephalopod.

Yes, it is a stretch, but sometimes with this challenge I like to imagine I'm an alien illustrator with no concept of what animals humans would regularly encounter. While most humans would probably assume this is a terrestrial mammal, there's no reason an alien would. In fact, considering how many more invertebrates there are then vertebrates, it makes sense for an outside observer to assume any animals described by humans is an inveterate, unless it says otherwise. It's all very sound alien logic, and not just me making wild leaps because I want my imaginary bestiary to have some more variety beyond my favorite birds and mammals. I'm really trying to use this challenge to be more imaginative and crazy with creature designs, and think outside the box when I can.

Anywho, the cuttlefish and nautilus were my main points of reference, though I did look at some reconstructions of prehistoric cephalopods for inspiration. Then I simply took all the elements of the Mlekragg and slapped it onto that body form. The triple row of teeth can't be seen in my drawing, but it is located where a cephalopod's beak would typically be. The 'face of a man' is actually a pattern on it's hood it uses to fool predators. Behind the hood flares out a 'lion's mane', which it uses for display and also to disorient it's prey when it snatches it up. It has a pointed "tail" with a stinger. It doesn't look much like a scorpion's tail - took a bit of artistic liberty and decided it just stings like a scorpion's tail, rather then looks like it. I've decided to interpret 'powerful feet' and 'good jumper' as two different traits. So it's 'powerful feet' are it's tentacles, but it uses it's stinger to leap. Why does a sea creature need to leap? Well, I imagine they live near coasts and occasionally get stranded in tide pools or on land and use their stingers to propel themselves back into the water. It kind of works like a springtail's little 'tail'. Much like the description says, no obstacle can keep the Mlekragg in!

On the bottom right I've drawn a picture of one using it's stinger to leap, and on the left I've drawn a cartoon version of it that accentuates the lion shape/human face idea. With it's tentacles and mane laid back and it's fins hanging down it does look like a little leaping lion. I also gave it a little grin in keeping with the cartoon tradition of putting cephalopod mouths on the mantle, which we know is incorrect. It does make him look like a very personable little gentleman though.

I feel if I were a bit more confident in drawing cephalpods and knew more about mollusk anatomy I could've maybe taken this in an even wilder direction. Maybe I'll revisit it in the future.

[escapedaudios]

My tumblr following probably doesn't know this about me, but apart from audios my other hobby is finding and swimming with wild marine mammals. I have a particular affinity for sea lions and dolphins, both of which are gregarious animals with the ability to remember and even form bonds with humans. Here's one of my favorite photo sets I've ever taken.

Her name is Sola Rey! She's shy when it's dark out but loves socializing when the sun is bright. She likes coming up to me and giving me forehead "kisses". I had a head mounted GoPro on this time and the pictures were perfect. One of the ways sea lions communicate under water is by nuzzling their whiskers. They do this to communicate to other sea lions that nearby sea lions are not a threat to them. Does that mean she thinks I'm some kind of sea lion too? A mystery. Anyway I love her.

[conkreetmonkey]

One of my favorite crack theories is that the Loch Ness monster is a dinosaur ghost, and that's why no hard evidence can be found of it's physical presence within the lake and cameras tend to "conveniently" go staticky/blurry or malfunction altogether when it appears.

We could apply this to most cryptids if we were crazy enough, really.

Sasquatches are the ghosts of early humans that lived before we had lost our fur.

All lake monsters and sea serpents are the ghosts of long-extinct aquatic animals such as plesiosaurs and dorudons.

The mokele-mbembe is a ghost sauropod, and the legend about it cursing those who eat its flesh is true because it's a vengeful type of ghost, perhaps angry that it was eaten by carnivores in life, or that mammals inherited an earth it feels robbed of.

All cryptids that are mundane animals but of extraordinary size are the ghosts of ice age megafauna.

idk what Chupacabras could be but they're probably ghosts idk.

You get it. We can stretch this as far as we want, and get as ridiculous as we want with it. It's prime pseudoscience; easy to rationalize evidence for, impossible to disprove, and as annoying a theory as you want it to be.

[bogleech]

What are your favourite dragon quest monsters across the entire series?

The first Dragon Quest Monsters game I've ever gotten to play wound up being the first one to leave out exactly the top three I looked forward to getting:

GIANTSLUG/MAULUSC: I'm pickier about slug and snail creatures than you maybe expect but I love the vapid drippy zombie face of the DQ slug. It perfectly captures the appeal of a slug as a monster, a mindless gooey thing that will just eat you without a care. And its classic color scheme is that of a Banana Slug!!

BELZEBUB: I am also picky about fly creatures; usually I want them to have the proboscis present in some way, and the correct number of wings (two). There's something I still love about the toothy mouth of Belzebub however, maybe the way it curls up between the eyes? It just does a good job capturing the feel of a fly's personality I guess.

DARKEYE/EYELASHER: eye creatures can also very easily feel a bit boring to me because I've just seen so, so many of them, but DQ's basic killer eyeball appeals to me a lot with its irregular fungus-like collection of tentacles. The little root branches on "top" are especially cool to me, and sometimes they're the bottom, because they represent where the eyeball attaches to either floors or ceilings! In a few games, they're even encountered as parasites inside bigger monsters!

I used to admire the guidebook to the first two DQ Monsters games as a kid but never had the games themselves, and never got around to any other DQ titles. I just spent my whole life waiting for just the right one where I'd finally get to assemble my three favorites, then finally this new one comes out and has to be the first time these three took a vacation :( But, Dark Prince was at least nice enough to include exactly my next three favorites in the franchise. I went over them already in my DQM Dark Prince post but some people will see this post first so I will have to reintroduce them:

DROHL: droopy flappy membranous mollusk guys, honestly horrible looking in a great way. In 3d games it turns out their helmetlike head spirals in the back like a snail shell! Apparently they're meant to be troll-like beings.

LUNATICK: just a blue fleshy sac thing with gooey antennae, a bunch of tentacles (most of them segmented like worms!) and a little eyeball, perfect, no criticisms, also reminds me of what Berserk considers an "Incubus:"

(Don't worry, Berserk Incubus aren't sex monsters but monsters that give you nightmares and feed on the fear)

TAILEATER/MAD MOLLUSK: I love how pathetic their front face looks, and the whole shape is so pleasantly reminiscent of an abyssal sea cucumber of some kind.

SKULLROO/GUAARDVARK: I didn't even realize this was one of my top favorites until getting it in Dark Prince. It's an unpleasant wrinkly fat aardvark kangaroo thing that just always carries a human skull around. Its profile says they collect them and the one they carry is their favorite! A lot of slightly lower favorites were also left out however, none of these are in Dark Prince but are very high up there to me:

PYURO: what is this thing? I don't know! Different games have categorized it as an insect or a plant. It's a furball with five eyes encircling a butterfly proboscis, two little legs and a big huge ring of flower petals behind it. Very xenobiology.

TONGUELLA: it's kinda like a dumpy, hairless sloth with an aardvark tail with a mushed-in dog face and a giant gross tongue. I guess I just like foul moist beasts. I wish this was a real mammal we had in the world, I bet it'd smell terrible. Feels like a perfect counterpart to Guaardvark.

SLURPERON: it's one tiny pitcher plant with a giant tongue and then it has cool reptilian eyes at the bottom end. So simple and so rad! A fun way to stylize a pitcher plant monster without ripping off Victreebel.

SICKLER: is a little tiny mantis in a robe, like the Tonberry from Final Fantasy but a mantis

RAGIN' CONTAGION: a newer one, a gooey vaporous cyclops ghost that represents disease. In its first appearance as a boss in the series the English localizers decided it should talk like Yosemite Sam. Sure why not!

So I like the new game and it gave me some new favorites like Skellyfish and new appreciation for some others, but oddly it only has my very middle all-time faves

[protectoursharks]

Hi my speical interests is sea creatures/marine life and I would really love some nurse shark facts or beluga whale facts

I'd be glad to help!

Ginglymostoma cirratum or Nurse Sharks are usually found in shallow water and are nocturnal predators. They usually stick to the on the floor of coral reefs and coastal shelves. They usually eat lobsters, small stingrays, sea urchins, fish, and more!

The two little whisker looking things by the mouth are known as barbels- they're sensory organs that the shark use to sense the prey that are usually hiding in the sand. They also have really strong jaws used to crush the clam shells of their prey! They're fairly docile, which leads to people underestimating them. But like all wild animals, they're unpredictable. They've been known to sometimes bite people who interact with them in the wild.

These sharks are ovoviviparous, meaning they give birth to live baby sharks instead of laying eggs. They're born only about 0.3 m (a foot) long, but eventually grow to be around 4.3 m (14 ft) long as adults!

Beluga Whales are my favorite marine mammal! Here's one of my other posts about them!!!

[animalsalvationassociation]

For any of your OCs

🌖 - What is your OC’s favorite scent? Is it nostalgic? 

🌗 - How much does your OC care for their appearance? Are they vain? Are they well-dressed or strictly utilitarian?  

🌘 - Write a flowery description about an aspect of your OC: appearance, personality, past experiences, etc. 

🌑 - Hint at your OC’s darkest secret. 

🌒 - Under what circumstances is your OC their most genuine self? 

Thank you for the asks @casp1an-sea & @firowisteria appreciate it sm!

Ya’ll are probably so tired of seeing Emma, I’m sorry but I'm literally an Oc artist, what can I say?? (This is a bit of a long one, I hope you like reading! Don’t worry there are pictures too lol! 🖼 I spent a lot of energy on all of these, my brain is very soupy rn tbh)

Ask #1:

🌖 — Sea Salt & Hibiscus Flowers . . .

(I’ll fix the coloring on this one later, I literally didn’t see how much of his colors I actually failed to put in until now. Fixed it 🙃 — Also why are reptiles so much harder to draw than mammals???)

🌗 — Sincerly Emma will throw on anything that feels comfortable. Most times it’s not even her’s. Although in public she dresses better than she feels. Sometimes you’ll see her walking around with sun glasses just to hide the bags under her eyes.

(This is just a sketch so we’ll see if I get around to finishing it later. I was struggling because Emma is supposed to be a lot taller but I didn’t measure the proportions very well. I was just trying to figure out how to draw a gosh darn grocery cart!)

🌘 — Emma is truthfully just doing her best. I don’t know how else to put it. She puts all the world’s problems on her shoulders and expects very little in return. At the end of the day she knows bad things will happen, but as long as they happen to her she doesn’t mind all that much.

She’s constantly throwing herself at problems just to keep her friends and family safe. Her worst fear is letting her team down and she likes to beat herself up if anyone where to get hurt on her watch. She’s had a lot of hospital visits and bed rest days if you know what I mean. But at the end of the day she’s still a very sad individual and isolates herself from everyone.

(It’s partially the Maned Wolf in her, they aren’t really pack animals if that makes sense)

Ofc Emma has a team that loves and cares about her, and in a way they’re like her family aside from the A.S.A. She’d do anything for them. I think it’s just a matter of not wanting to be in their way. She hates being selfish, but sometimes just a hug can heal the day’s strains.

🌑 — . . . ❤️‍🩹

(My babiesssss)

🌒 — When Emma is with her team nothing can stop her . . .

(I wonder if they’ll notice how I didn’t mention anything about Kwazii . . .)

Ask #2:

This is such a good question, I’m not joking! Thank you so much for asking @firowisteria !!! Also I believe what they are referring to is the branches of the A.S.A. so let’s get into it.

C.L.A.D.E. — Justice/Legal Department

S.O.S. — Coast Gaurd/Aerial Protection

S.S.Jade — Forest Conservation

R.S.R. — Animal Rahabilitation/Reserves, Search and Rescue

The Octonauts — Ocean Safegaurding

Thank you again for the asks! That is now 5/8 of the original asks done! Phew! Thank you to everyone who continues to send stuff in, it may take a long time to put each one together but it’s still very fun for me! Have a wonderful day and here’s a cookie for those who made it this far! 🍪

[plaguedocboi]

Tell us more about Moby Dick!! :D

Ishmael is a fascinating little specimen let me tell you. He has a reputation for being a “boring narrator” but that’s complete bullshit. Right out the gate he’s like “hello this is my (fake) name, I’m poor, I’m depressed, but luckily when I can tell I’m about to kill myself I hop my ass on a boat because the water can cure whatever’s wrong with you, also we are all being controlled by the puppet strings of the divine and free will is an illusion. It is now Page Three.”

The entire first part of the book is his story of meeting, falling in love with, and marrying a hot tattooed Polynesian man in what may be the first recorded case of the “there was only one bed” trope and it only gets wilder from there. This really caught be off guard tbh, I had no idea that there was so much gay stuff in this book.

I honestly cannot even pick my favorite Ishmael moment. Could it be him being adamantly on the wrong side of the “are whales fish or mammals” debate? That he suggests narwhal’s horns would be good for turning the pages of small books? When he hides behind the mast and eats some spermaceti because he just has to know what it tastes like? When he tattooed himself with measurements of a beached whale but rounded all the numbers because he also needed room for the poem he was writing on his arm? The gay sperm squeezing chapter? When he made his drunk listeners fetch him a priest and a Bible so he could swear he was telling the truth? And then lied????

Ishmael’s musings range from beautiful, lyrical prose that makes you stop and reread the section because damn, and chapters about How Rope Works and encyclopedic writing about the whaling industry. There are lofty theological debates and accusations about the reader being a fish. You spend much of this book wildly seasick because Ishmael’s voice is manic, hilarious, and disorienting. Once you’ve finished this story, you, too, will feel like you’ve spent three years aboard a whaling ship.

Although the unhinged tangents are often amusing, many people complain because they probably account for 90% of the book with only the remaining 10% devoted to the plot. Surely if we just got rid of Ishmael’s Nonsense it would be better, correct? No. This is Ishmael’s memoir. He knows how it ends. These plot-delaying anecdotes are purposeful; he does not want to reach the end because it is The End. The death of his friends and his husband. The inevitable, unforgiving blade of fate that slices the lives of of the Pequod’s crew short and leaves him alone and adrift at sea. Enjoy his journey, because it may seem long now but it ends all too soon.

[katerinaaqu]

So since @aaronofithaca05 had asked me about my new tattoo that started one of my favorite headcannons of Odysseus getting a tattoo at war here it is! Done during a small trip I had by the talented artist:

https://www.instagram.com/poporotattoo?igsh=MW1iZThnZGt5NzVrZw==

It is symbol of my homeland, Greece and a promise of me going back there one day one way or another (since I currently live in Sweden). It was inspired by frescoes found in Greece especially in Crete and Santorini

Dolphin: The national animal of Greece and always mentioned as a protective talisman for sailors to a country surrounded by sea. The dolphin comes from the ancient Greek word that means "womb" and was meant to show how Greeks believed that they are mammals. The word Dolphin also sounds similar to the word that means "brother" "sister" or "sibling" in Greek.

The dolphin was an animal linked to many gods and goddesses of Greek mythology with some of the major ones being Poseidon (the dolphin revealed to him the hiding place of his future wife Amphitrite and often seen pulling his chariot), Dionysus (Dionysus transformed the drowning pirates to dolphins) and of course Apollo (linked to the myth of Delphi -giving the name to it- and the rescue of the musician and poet Arion)

Dolphins have been a symbol of freedom, intelligence, playfulness and sexuality by many researchers. It is an animal known to protect the sailors in the long voyages at sea. Their social behavior has also linked them with humans (thus the name "dolphin" also linked to the word "sibling")

To me it is a symbol of greece and my culture in general linked to my language, my land and my family.

Swallow: A little bird linked a lot with spring in Greece for they come to Greece after winter to make their nests and have their babies before flying back to Africa for the winter. A swallow is a beloved bird in Greece and symbol of Greek presidency.

In mythology the swallow was also linked to some gods and goddesses particularly Aphrodite but also Athena (Athena transforms into a swallow and flies away from Telemachus in the Odyssey). Also in the Odyssey it is mentioned that the chord of Odysseus's bow "sang like a swallow" when he used it to kill the suitors symbolizing his homecoming.

Swallow have always been linked to journeys specially to homecoming since they always come back during their migration trips. Their speed and ability when they fly is also linked to their capability of achieving such a dangerous trip despite their size.

To me it is a promise of returning home to my land one way or another and is also linked to my favorite books Iliad and Odyssey that make me feel proud that literature from my land has reached so far in people's hearts 💕

They are also moving in a never ending circle with each other hahaha also unconsciously a symbol of Poseidon vs Athena?! 🤣 dunno maybe hehehehe

[deadlittledogs]

somehow I feel both simultaneously and authentically myself in a way I’ve never quite grasped before and also terribly empty and husk-like. I don’t know what I like but it feels okay, because I do know what I like. things are important and that’s bad, but it’s nothing you can’t just sleep away and dreams can be just as good as being awake.

just sort of existing in a weird middle ground I think, this and that, I keep tripping and spilling water on my carpets. feeling a little funny. can’t kill myself until i get to go to the ocean and do questionable things to the starfish… I want to step on sea kelp… and one of my favorite animals is the orca because I think it’s interesting they’re one of the only mammals besides humans to have a true dialect (that vary between pods). Some also favor livers in particular.

I want to see one in person~ (´；ω；`)

[captain-chevreuse]

blinks at you with my biggest eyes,,,pls tell me your sea otter knowledge (said by a river otter :])

Ohhh ym god youre one of my favorite beings already,, anyways so!!!

Sea otters aka Enhydra Lutris are members of the mustelidae family, as you probably know, which includes animals such as otters, weasels, wolverines and more, sea otters are typically separated into two distinct sub-species, northern sea otters enhydra lutris kenyoni (found in the waters around south alaska, washington state and british columbia) and southern / california sea otters enhydra lutris nereis (found in the waters off the coast of california),,

Northern sea otters

Length : 1 to 1.6 metres long

Weight : up to 32 kg (females) and 45 kg (males)

Southern sea otters

Length : 1 to 1.2 metres long

Weight : up to 23 kg (females) and 32 kg (males)

All sea otters

Diet : sea urchins, crabs, clams, mussels, octopus, fish and other marine invertebrate

Predators : sharks, seals, wolves, killer whales, brown bears, even eagles!

Lifespan : 10 to 15 years (males) 15 to 20 years (females)

Gestation period : range from 4 to 9 months, averaging 6 months.

How many young : sea otters only usually give birth to one pup at a time

Group of this animal is called : a raft!

Population : over 130,000!

Status : endangered

Fun facts

Sea otters have no blubber to keep them warm! So they instead have the thickest fur of any mammal,, well ever! It keeps them warm and buoyant.

They can spend their entire lives out at sea without hauling out going on land

They are one of the only other animals found to use tools (rocks) to help with opening food and other things.

They have a little pouch in their underarm where they keep a rock they use all the time, kind of like their favorite rock ^_^

Sea otters often sleep in single sex groups where they all hold onto eachother and/or wrap themselves in kelp to prevent them from drifting away in the current.

I have more things to say i just- words arent working anymore but hey!!! Enjoy the little infodump >_<

[voraciousvore]

The Giant (6/16)

***Contains mouthplay and sex! 18+ only!***

------Chapter 6------

When we got back to Chester's house, he started to prepare dinner early, since he told me it would take a while to cook. As I sat on the counter watching his every move, I noticed how skilled he was with a knife as he chopped and peeled some giant carrots. I had to admit he was a talented cook. The food he had prepared for me always tasted amazing. I supposed such a characteristic was in line with his gluttonous inclination. I wondered to myself, with a twinge of anxiety, if he would want to eat me tonight. Although I wasn't as afraid of him as I had been before, the prospect of being inside his gigantic maw again still made me nervous. I was uncomfortably reminded that he was still a predator, and I was still his prey.

I pushed those feelings to the side and tried to keep myself composed. The giant mixed all his food ingredients together in a big pot and left it to simmer on the stovetop. He grasped me in his hand and went to his study to write. I watched him type for a while and wandered the desk again until I got bored.

"Chester?" I asked. "Can you open up one of those books for me so I can read?"

"I'd be my pleasure, darling." Chester paused his typing for a moment to get me set up with a book of my choosing. Naturally, wanting to know more about the world I found myself in, I chose a history textbook. Chester opened the book flat on the desk to the first chapter and occasionally helped me turn a page, although I was technically able to move the cumbersome pages on my own. Reading took me longer than usual since the book was so large, I had to physically traverse the page to read the whole thing.

I read about how the giants had once lived in the human world, in the days when both humans and giants were less numerous. The giants made their homes on the fringes of society, since they were not welcome with the humans, primarily in secluded mountainous regions that were too difficult or inhospitable for humans for access. Due to limited food resources, however, they had to regularly make their way to coastal areas to hunt for sea monsters, which were large enough to adequately feed them. Apparently other giant species of mammals lived in the mountains that they could dine on as well, but these creatures were eventually hunted to extinction. As food sources dwindled the giants fed more and more on human societies, despite the danger that humans posed.

According to the history text, humans in these times possessed potent magic that could even rival the power of a hungry giant. Human civilizations were protected by magical barriers and other spells, but giants would still eat stray travelers who passed through unprotected areas. Eventually, humans declared war on the giants and used their most powerful spells to slay many of them. The giants retaliated brutally and wrought devastation on human settlements. The cycle of slaughter continued for a long time until both parties begrudgingly accepted a truce. The human wizards would use their strongest spells to create a realm for the giants to live in, away from humans, which became the Land of Giants. However, this compromise came with huge costs for both parties involved. The giants would be banished from their homes, and forced to live where they could no longer partake in their favorite food, humans. The humans, for their part, would lose all their magic and their best wizards. The magic required to create the Land of Giants and transport all the giants there drained all the magical reserves of the human realm to virtually nothing. Furthermore, the only spell strong enough to transport all the giants required the wizards to go with them, essentially forcing the wizards to sacrifice themselves for the sake of humanity. Nevertheless, the solution was vital to prevent the eventual destruction of both sides.

Interestingly, the history book delved into the religious beliefs of the giants as well. The giants had been created by God to act as stewards of the earth, and to keep the human population under control. They had betrayed their purpose when decimating the human cities and hunting the other giant animals, both the mountain and sea monsters, to extinction. Thus, their banishment, and their constant cravings for human meat which would be denied to them, were just punishments for their gluttony ordained by God. This belief was an important reason why the giants had accepted their fate in the first place, rather than continuing to fight the humans.

So, if I were to believe everything that I read in this book, the lore that Chester had told me was true. However, such a tall tale beggared belief, and left me with just as many questions as answers. If these stories were reality, why weren't the giants, or magic for that matter, mentioned in any human histories? Magic and giants were considered myths by modern humans, fit only to grace fantasy stories and fairy tales. Obviously, as unbelievable as the notion was, giants existed. Did that mean that magic was real too? How did it work? Going by the book, magic was eradicated from the human realm. Did that mean my only way back home was gone forever? Was there still magic present in the Land of Giants? What caused the lightning that teleported me here? Was that magic?

"Chester?" I inquired. "What do you know about magic?"

Chester stopped typing. "Not much," he responded. "Giants aren't able to use magic, only humans are. I've never seen it used in my lifetime, so I don't know."

"Oh," I sighed softly. Chester continued typing again.

After typing for a while, Chester said, "Sorry, I wish I could tell you more. Perhaps sometime we can go to a library and read up on it. Although, that wouldn't be safe for you, being around other giants and all." He finished up his work and put his computer to sleep. "Dinner should be ready by now." I hopped into his gigantic hand and we went to the kitchen. Chester prepared me a miniature serving of stew and grabbed a giant bowl for himself, along with a glass of the same red wine he had the night before. When I asked for a sip of wine, he delicately gripped me with his finger and thumb and dangled me over the glass so I could drink.

As I dug into my portion, I noticed warily that Chester wasn't attacking his dinner with his usual enthusiasm. He picked at his food, mostly opting for big gulps of wine instead. In apparent contradiction, I could hear his stomach growling under the table. Resting his chin in his hand, he eyed me as I finished my share of the stew. The giant didn't say anything but I knew what he was thinking. Perhaps in his reticence he was trying to be polite, or respect my wishes, but ultimately, he wanted to slurp me up with his meal. I appreciated at least that he didn't demand that I jump into the bowl outright.

I cleared my throat. "Do you want me to...?" I trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. Chester cocked his eyebrow expectantly. I pointed at the big bowl of stew. The giant grinned, showing off his enormous white teeth, and nodded deliberately. My courage faltered. I grimaced, looking down at my clothes. "I should probably change into the clothes I wore yesterday so this outfit won't get ruined," I remarked.

"I'll go grab them for you," Chester declared, getting up out of his chair. As he raised himself to his full height, I felt my heart flutter, and a very strange idea came into my head. Perhaps a terrible idea.

"Wait," I uttered, scarcely believing I was crazy enough to go through with it. The giant paused and looked all the way down to me, his shadow casting over the table. I gulped nervously and licked my lips. He slowly lowered himself back into his seat, not breaking eye contact. "I could just..." My heart was pounding against my ribs, but not from terror. Chester looked mildly confused but also intrigued. "I mean... I don't really need clothes at all, right? If they'll just get messed up anyway."

Chester raised his eyebrows in surprise. "That's... that's true." He ran his tongue over his teeth. As the idea sank in, his face twisted into a ravenous smile. "You'll taste a lot better too." My face reddened. He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. I took off my shoes and socks, then stood on the table awkwardly with my bare feet.

"Go on," Chester encouraged. As he watched, I removed my shirt. I unbuckled my pants and let them drop. I was only wearing my undergarments now. Then, in a flash of boldness, I cast off my bra and panties. Chester leaned forward over me. Though he didn't speak, he was already devouring my body with his hungry eyes. I huddled my arms against my comparatively diminutive form. The giant reached out his huge hand, as if to grab me, but stopped before his fingers coiled around me.

"May I...?" he inquired, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Yes," I responded quietly. I expected him to pick me up in his hand, but instead he gingerly stroked my naked body with his finger, tracing my feminine curves. He held his face so close to see all the details that it eclipsed the rest of the room. I could feel his warm breath washing over my skin. I looked into the deep pools of his eyes as they wandered, so close up, admiring the flecks of gray and gold amidst the shades of green, surrounding the deep black holes of his pupils. His gigantic hand gently wrapped around me, lifting me over to the edge of the dinner bowl. I carefully lowered myself into the stew, somewhat relieved that I could hide my nakedness. The stew was nice and hot, like a jacuzzi. I treaded over to the center of the bowl and floated in the thick liquid amongst chunks of meat and vegetables.

I tried to act nonchalant, but the truth was I was highly aroused. I wasn't used to such admiration and attention, especially from a giant man, larger than life, that I was very attracted to. I had always been insecure about my looks, since I was not all that pretty or skinny. Perhaps the exorbitant size difference made it harder for Chester to see my imperfections, since I was so small. Maybe he had been interested more from the perspective of curiosity or novelty, rather than sex appeal. It's not like a massive giant and a miniscule human could engage in sexual acts together anyways... right?

While I was lost in my thoughts, Chester had in the meantime consumed several bites of stew, and was making his way towards me. He scooped me up in the spoon with some liquid and brought me up to his mouth, then paused. He pursed his lips, and I assumed he was going to sip the liquid from the spoon. Instead, much to my surprise, he pressed his plush lips against my body in what could only be described as... a kiss. A pleasant, soft kiss. I was expecting to be eaten and instead I was kissed. For a moment I was too stunned to react. The giant mouth curled into an amorous smile. I reached forward, holding his lower lip in my hand, and planted a kiss of my own on his lip in return. His lips parted, and the lines of teeth separated, releasing a breath of air. I was greeted, yet again, with the fleshy interior of his mouth, and the dark void of his gullet, but unlike before I felt no fear. Gently, the spoon entered his mouth and deposited me on his enormous tongue. The jaws closed around me, enveloping me in the familiar wet darkness inside his body. The giant's tongue undulated beneath me, rubbing my small frame lightly against his molars and the roof of his mouth. This time, more than merely tasting me, I sensed as if he were trying to feel every inch of me.

Per the norm, the giant swallowed every bite of stew while maintaining my position in his mouth. He mostly just gulped down the solid pieces without chewing them, although occasionally played with them with his teeth. Surprisingly, armed with the knowledge that I would not be harmed, I actually didn't mind much being in his mouth, as long as the experience didn't go on for too long. I knew the giant genuinely enjoyed the flavor, so the fact that he was happy made me happy. He hummed deep in his throat with pleasure, then dumped a torrent of wine into his mouth. He swirled it around in his mouth a bit, creating a small whirlpool, then guzzled it down his throat.

After a few more spoonfuls of stew, the giant appeared to have finished his meal, and was rolling me around on his tongue as he had done the last time. Unlike before, though, he manipulated my body into an upright position and pressed my back carefully against his front teeth. Confused, I stood in the red flesh in his maw that was normally underneath the tip of the tongue, a puddle of drool up to my knees. I could feel his blood pulsing through the veins leading to his gums on my back. His huge tongue reared up in front of me, then caressed my shoulders, my bare breasts, my stomach, working its way down until it reached my thighs. The tip of the tongue pushed my legs apart and forced its way in between. When the realization hit me what he was trying to do, I almost shoved his tongue away, but stopped myself. I was... enjoying the act. His tongue rubbing in the middle of my legs was awakening a strong physical response. I'm sure he could taste it too. The puddle of saliva I was standing in deepened. The formidable tongue pushed up into me, lifting me up while still pressing me against the front teeth. The sensation was utterly bizarre, unlike anything I had experienced before, yet still unexpectedly arousing. A low moan welled up from the giant's throat, vibrating through his mouth; I suppose he was enjoying himself as well.

When I felt that I had had enough, I patted his tongue with my hand and pushed it away. I didn't have sufficient strength to force it back, but Chester seemed to understand, gently moving my body until I was sitting on the middle of his tongue again. He separated his jaws and inserted the spoon to help me get out. I mounted my shiny silver chariot and covered my eyes as I was brought back out through the teeth into the bright light of the dining room.

Chester licked his lips. "That... wasn't too much for you, was it?" he asked cautiously. His cheeks were burning.

I giggled. "Not at all, although it certainly caught me by surprise." I bit my lip. "Now it's my turn, right?" I stood up on the spoon. Chester raised an eyebrow. I looked down over the side, making sure I wouldn't fall into the wrong spot, and boldly jumped off the spoon, missing the edge of the table and landing in the giant's lap. Chester dropped the spoon in shock. I heard the spoon clatter on the table above.

"What are you-" Before he could finish his sentence, I had already crawled down into his pants. As I suspected, he was already fully erect. Better yet, I was already lubed up and ready to go, my whole body soaked with saliva from being inside his mouth. I hopped on his penis, which was of course much bigger than my entire body, as if I were riding a horse. I went to work, using the full force of my limbs and body to jerk him off as best I could. I could feel the blood rushing to his member as his heart rate quickened. His breathing grew heavy and fast and he fidgeted in his seat, moaning softly. Being inside his pants was stifling and hot, and I started to sweat from the exertion, but I threw myself into my work with enthusiastic vigor. His vocalizations, muffled by the fabric surrounding me, grew louder. All at once I felt him stiffen and erupt, letting out an ecstatic groan. I couldn't believe it: I had made him orgasm. As his member started to soften, Chester reached into his pants and pulled me out.

"I can't believe you just did that," he stated, incredulous. "But I must say, well done."

"You did get me turned on," I admitted, laughing.

"I think we both need to get cleaned up now," Chester remarked wryly. He walked to the bathroom and turned on the faucet for the bathtub. "Would you like to... take a bath with me?"

"Sure," I replied, blushing slightly. He set me on the bathroom counter, which was cold after being intimately acquainted with the heat of the giant's flesh. However, despite everything that had transpired, I had yet to see him naked. He unbuttoned his shirt and peeled it off, revealing his gigantic torso. He was neither fat nor thin nor muscular, but rather strongly built and healthy, with a crop of hair sprouting from his chest. As he moved I admired his muscles flowing under his skin. Next, he removed his pants and underwear, exposing thick hairy legs. Overall, his body was very well-proportioned, broad and thick and strong. Personally, I thought he was very sexy.

Chester offered me his hand, and I stepped into his palm. Setting me down on the side of the tub, he moved his huge leg up and stepped over the wall into the tub, following up with his other leg. Watching the powerful movements of his giant naked figure left me drooling. He settled his massive bulk into the water, which as the bath was still filling up only came up to his belly button. I excitedly jumped in next to him with a splash. I was eager to get clean, sure, but I also wanted to explore his nude physique. I swam over to his belly and beached myself on the plushy surface. Since the giant was inclined back, I was able to scale his body, like climbing a living mountain. He watched with amusement as I trekked up his titanic frame, past his stomach and chest until finally I perched on his shoulder.

"Having fun?" Chester laughed. He grabbed some soap and lathered it on his arms and torso. I took the opportunity to slide down his slippery arm and landed in the bathwater with a splash. As I resurfaced, his giant hands suddenly snatched me up and rubbed soap all over me. I giggled as his massive digits explored my curves. He brought me up close to his face so he could see me better and smiled. I rubbed soap from one of his fingers on my face. He playfully tossed me back into the water and I shrieked as I plummeted through the air, although of course I was safe. After I rinsed off Chester placed me on his knee and offered me a dollop of shampoo on the tip of his finger. I gratefully took it and we both washed our hair. I used his leg as a slide and splashed back into the water to rinse myself off again.

As the giant continued to wash himself, I used his body as a playground until I wore myself out. Then, I floated on my back in the water, gazing at the colossus stretching far above me with wonder. So much had changed in such a short time, but I still marveled at his incredible size. Once he was finished, he scooped me up out of the water with his hand, so I was laying flat in his palm. He wrapped me up in a big fluffy washcloth and set me on the counter. After we dried off and changed, Chester carried me to the bedroom and once in bed I fell asleep on his chest again.

Chapter 7

Chapter 1