#do you want a fun fact about reefs? most are thousands upon thousands of years old!

[sometimesanequine]

interesting time to have a get too stressed and have your body try to kill you thing going on today, ocean life and ocean ecosystem documentaries save me

[i-am-the-sage]

The Meeting

Author’s Note: (Hello there. This is my first Fanfic, those of you who make it through this I hope you enjoy and I hope you stick around because I have a lot of plans for this story. Including some more Dc comic character and obviously Joker Leto. Please leave some feedback if you want, it will be greatly appreciated 💕)

The room was dark, only illuminated by the row of tanks full of translucent jellyfish, she strolled leisurely among the tanks. Feeling calm and at ease among docile creatures, watching as they moved about their environment slowly. The lights in their tanks changed color periodically making the jellyfish change as well, making them seem more like magical creatures.

  “C'mon mommy, this way!” The shrill voice of the excited child was her queue to leave and move on to the next exhibit. It’s not that she did not like children but today was her day to finally relax and unwind and some noisy child was not going to ruin this trip for her. 

    She left the jellyfish and the little noise maker behind, and found herself in a tunnel made  entirely of plexiglass, she was surrounded on all sides by marine life. The coral reefs blossomed and loomed over head in the blue water as the seaweed danced and waved with each movement of the neighboring fish. 

Nurse sharks swam above her head without a care in the world and Moray eels poked their heads out of their hiding spots surveying the land. 

She’d always found joy in all aspects of the ocean, the animals, how gentle and unforgiving the sea could be. The way the water shimmered in the sunlight, how it moved, the way it softly caressed her skin, the thousands of creatures it held in its depths, and the way it could give life as easily as it could take it away. 

    Leaving the tunnel, she made her way past tanks that lined the walls with graceful sea dragons floating and hiding in plain sight among the vegetation. In the middle of the room were tanks full of sea crabs, some with sea horses and starfish or with other small bottom feeders.

Moving on, she left the bottom feeders to the child that seemed to be gaining on her, she came upon her favorite exhibit. Walking down towards an open bench she saw away from the group congregating against the glass. Looking up, one of the largest creatures loomed over everyone’s heads.

    The tank towered above them all, hundreds of gallons of clear blue water that held some of the  biggest and most beautiful of sea creatures. Whale sharks cut through the water like they owned the place, and giant manta rays followed close behind. Some swam to the middle of the tank and began to barrel role making all the children laugh and some adults ���oooh and ahh’ at their little activity.  

    She always loved these gentle giants and their overwhelming presence, how effortlessly they moved around the tank captivated her. This is where she liked to spend most of her time at the Gotham City Aquarium, watching the animals swim about their confined space always calmed her. It was like watching your goldfish swim around in its tank but these were 100x bigger and were more exotic than your average pet store fish.

    With all the mayhem that spread throughout Gotham everyday she felt like this was the only place where there was absolute peace. Aside from the screaming children banging on the glass but at least nobody was getting robbed or shot. It was almost like the criminals either didn’t know this was here or they decided to let the citizens of Gotham have one special thing to themselves.

    She leaned back on her hands and crossed one leg over the other, taking these magnificent creatures. Blocking out the shrill excitement of the children against the glass and began to think about why this place was so blessed to be untouched. 

‘There’s nothing here but marine life. No priceless statues or other works of art…so i guess that makes sense.’

She jumped when she heard one of the children scream, turned out to be one of the manta ray swam down closer to the kids.

    ‘Oh, to be young and naive once again' 

    She couldn’t help but smile as she watched the child, that was hot on her trail run up to the tank halfway and gaze in awe at what he was seeing. Turning around, he ran back to his mother grabbing her hand and pulled with all his might to show her what was in the tank. Stopping halfway, again, she knelt down next to him as he pointed up to the animals, telling her all about it as she listened intently to her son.

  Looking away from the touching mother child moment, she turned her attention back to the tank, she watched as a couple of the manta rays began to barrel roll again making the children erupt into another fit of laughter.

  “Such interesting creatures, don’t you think?” She had been so focused on the kids she didn’t notice this strange man that was standing next to her. A whale shark cast its shimmering shadow down and covered everyone as she looked up to the man.

He seemed to be very muscular underneath his suit silver-grey suit. He was very well dressed, very professional with his hair was dark with a hint of grey in the mix, alluding to his possible age or level of stress his job gave him.

   “What, the animals or the kids?” She glanced back at the tank, laughing at her own little joke. The man had a deep and very quiet chuckle.

    “Mind if I sit with you?” The man asked, he seem slightly nervous, gesturing to the open spot on the bench she was sitting on.

    'I’m not that intimidating, now, am I?’

She thought sarcastically. Rising from her seat she picked up her bag and turned to face the man in the suit before he had a chance to sit down. He looked up at her in surprise at her sudden action.

    “I was actually about to move on, you’re free to join me if you’d like.” She walked around the man slightly brushing against his shoulder and headed for the exit, excited for what was next and secretly hoping the man would follow. Just as she’d hoped, the man popped up and kept pace with her. He stayed close to her but stayed a respectful distance away from her.

“So what can I do you for today, sir?” she said glancing at the man from the corner of her eye. He kept his eyes straight and still looked very nervous. 

‘He’s obviously a business man, why is he so nervous?’ 

He seemed afraid to talk to her but it made no sense, he was the one to initiate the conversation. He cleared his throat and loosened his tie before attempting to speak to her again.

“I’ve noticed you around here, quite often.” They walked through an archway that was shrouded in manufactured mist. 

“Oh, you’ve noticed me have you?” she replied sarcastically, casting her eyes down when he cleared his throat nervously. 

‘Why is he so nervous?’ He has to have to deal with people a lot worse than me.

“Is it a crime to enjoy the aquarium?” she decided to say to break the slight tension between them. Although he may have some years on her, she found it almost adorable how scared he was to talk to her. He didn’t speak until the stopped at one of the newer exhibits.

“No, I wouldn’t say that. There is so many more things to do in Gotham than to stare at fish all day.” He stood back and watched as she took in the room. 

The room was large and there was a giant open tank built into the floor. More coral reefs decorated the bottom almost forming a path of white sand that wound through the whole tank. Some clams dug themselves out of the sand while crabs meandered down the makeshift road. A whole community came to life beneath them, almost like regular life in a way.

“I guess you’re right but this happens to be my sort of happy place I guess you could say.” She said, finally turning to face the man. He seemed to be studying her face maybe wondering if she was actually telling the truth.

“A happy place?” He asked her, raising his eyebrows looking for an explanation. “I enjoy marine life, okay. Its nice to get away from the eternal chaos that is our beloved Gotham City.” She turned back around to look down into the tank. 

“So what are you here for, business or pleasure?” she said craning her neck to get a good look at the man in the suit. His head dropped as he mimicked her action of sizing his outfit. Chuckling he looked back up and walked over to lean on the bars as well.

“Business can very easily turn to pleasure with the snap of a finger.” he said leaning forward before backing away with a devilish smile on his face.

‘Looks like he’s getting a little more comfortable. I guess its time to have some fun.’ She leaned into him, stepping a little closer.

“And what kind of pleasure is it that you are looking for, sir?” staring at his broad chest before looking up at him through her lashes. She didn’t know what the look was in his eyes but they changed suddenly, becoming slightly darker, was it lust maybe? 

“The pleasure of taking you out to eat actually, ma’am” he said almost playfully. The look in his eyes disappeared just as quickly as it came. He smiled down at her, taking obvious joy in the fact that he slightly turned down her advance and took control of the situation.

“But you don’t know the first thing about me.” she said matter of factly, leaning back and blinking in shock at the sudden switch. She sized him quickly trying to make sense of what this man wanted. 

‘A date?’

“All the more reason for you to go to dinner with me tonight. We can take the chance to get to know each other” Watching her with hopeful eyes, he waited patiently for her response. This man hadn’t tried to touch her in any way since he struck up a conversation. He must have waited a while if he knew that she came to the aquarium often.

“Well, I don’t see the harm in a little dinner mister…” she finally conceded. This man was very handsome and had been quite the gentleman with her. A kind man in a business suit at maybe one of the safest places in Gotham, no reason not to try.

“Wayne” he said, sticking his hand out. Taking it in her hand, it took her a minute before it dawned on her  who she was talking to. She stared down at her hand in his and then looked at his face in utter shock and embarrassment.

“As in Bruce Wayne? THE Bruce Wayne?” she stared at him in shock. 

‘How could I not recognized Bruce Wayne!?’

‘What is Bruce Wayne doing in an aquarium, and what does he want with me? Well obviously to take me to dinner…but why?’ 

“Yes, that Bruce Wayne.That doesn’t change anything does it?” he chuckled at her reaction to who he was. Her mouth was wide open in obvious shock. Bruce reached over and softly closed her mouth for her, before slightly squeezing her hand letting her know that they were still holding hands. 

‘Is this why he was so nervous?’ 

“And your name is?” he asked as she gaped at him not saying a word.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that. No, it doesn’t change anything. Iris, is what my name is.” she said rambling. Suddenly she felt extremely nervous, never being in the presence of a billionaire before. Her rambling seemed to have not fazed him one bit because he stared laughing at her.

“Don’t worry about it, Iris. So, will you come with me?” he waited for her response, hoping that nothing had changed. She studied the man in front of her, wondering why the billionaire playboy took so long to ask her out and why he was so nervous to begin with. She took a deep breath to collect herself. 

“Yes Bruce, I would love to go to dinner with you.” her voice was soft and gentle in hopes to ease his nerves. As she said this he visibly relaxed, a smile spread across his face that made her smile too. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small silver container. He opened it to reveal white business cards.

“Here is my card, I’ll make reservations for 7’o’clock tonight. Send me your address and I’ll pick you up.” Bruce placed the card in her hand and lifted it to his lips, planting a small kiss on the back of her hand, grinning against her skin. Her cheeks flushed red as he walked away from her.

‘I’VE GOT A DATE WITH BRUCE WAYNE!’

@uncensored-and-psychotic 

[houseofbrij]

As many of you may have already guessed from my recent horde of posts, I went to Australia a little while back. To say that this was the best trip of my life would be an understatement, because in reality I feel as if I have come back part Australian myself. So, settle in and grab some Tim Tams (Walmart in Canada sells them you can thank me later) as I take you through all the things I saw, did, and most importantly, what I ATE.

Now I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t apprehensive about the trip from the beginning, mainly because I feel like everyone did such a great job of terrifying me about every living creature that could possibly kill me. In reality I did not see a single snake, crocodile, spider, shark, or jellyfish. So, if anyone tries to describe Australia as some sort of zoo gone wild, I think that’s rubbish (that’s Australian for garbage).

I was also apprehensive about meeting my family after what had been over 14 years. And I know it sounds funny to be scared of seeing one’s own family, but I felt that so much time had passed since we had been together that they no longer knew who I was, and the memory of the sweet child they once knew was far from the reality of the crazy parade that you all know (and hopefully love) today.

Anyways, here I was, on a continuous 16-hour flight from Vancouver to Sydney, then on to Melbourne.

Day 1: I land in Melbourne in the afternoon, and am picked up by my parents and my cousin (a Melbourne local). Sadly, due to the tight schedule of my trip, I did not get to explore the city as we drove right from the airport and began on our road trip (I’ll come back Melbourne I promise!). We headed straight towards the historic Great Ocean Road (See photos below). If you are ever fortunate enough to visit Australia, this drive is a MUST. The coastal villages nestled between seaside cliffs and white sandy beaches are one of the most spectacular sights I have laid my eyes upon. For dinner, we stopped at Lorne where I had a life changing laksa and green coconut curry at a place called Chopstix.

What do you mean standing in the middle of a highway isn’t safe?

After witnessing a sunset that I assumed was painted by Bob Ross, we headed into the Great Otway National park where we had a cabin booked for the night. The drive through this pitch-black jungle was more eventful than you would assume as we were visited by many kangaroos hopping along, baby koalas just sitting on the road, and the cleansing smell of eucalyptus following you throughout the journey.

Day 2:  We continued along the Great ocean road, stopping at the 12 Apostles. The apostles are a series of limestone stacks formed by years or erosion. The place was bustling with tourists and children on school trips but no one seemed to mind the crowd as everyone was affiliated on the stunning views of the limestone cliffs and the sound of waves crashing below. We continued along the scenic drive towards Robe, where we would be meeting my aunt and uncle. For dinner we had Pizza (not like Dominos, but GOOD pizza) at The Project.

Day 3: Spent the day just exploring the town of Robe. The town is essentially a quaint seaside village filled with cute little shops and restaurants. It kind of gave off a Hamptons vibe except much smaller and with less real housewives starting fights inside artisan cheese shops (although they may have just been hiding in a bush somewhere along with all the snakes, crocodiles, and sharks I was warned about). Lunch and dinner were made at home (our Air B&B). While in Robe, we also went cheese tasting at a family owned dairy right outside of town and did a little wine tasting at a small booth set up on the sidewalk (I know that sounds sketchy but it was actually really cute). Lunch and dinner were cooked at home.

Day 4: After breakfast (more like brunch), we started driving towards Adelaide where my family lives. We stopped along the drive once or twice however it was 42 C that day so I don’t think anyone could handle being outside for more than 5 mins. Went for a sunset walk to the beach once things cooled down slightly.

We even saw Natalie Portman in her iconic role as Black Swan

Day 5-6: Explored the beautiful city of Adelaide. Went to Cleland Wildlife Park where I got to pet a koala and feed kangaroos by hand. It took all my self control to not grab one of these adorable animals and run. Adelaide is also known for its great wine country and so we went wine tasting at D’Arenberg. The winery is absolutely stunning and features a Salvador Dali museum inside the building. The wine was great too but after glass number 3 it was all a little hazy to be quite honest. For the meals, we had great Chinese food (thanks Groupon), and Pies. No, not dessert pies, but savoury meat (and vegetarian) pies that can be found everywhere in little shops called bakeries. I miss the pies.

Cute little balls of fluff. DONT try to hug one, they seem to not like that.

His name is Jay and he is my son and I would die for him.

#gallery-0-10 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-10 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-0-10 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-10 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Dali inspired winery with a surrealist museum inside.

Day 7: Left Adelaide early in the morning and flew to Cairns. Cairns is along the Northeast coast of Australia (or as I like to call it, the cat ear. Yes, Australia is shaped like a cat’s head. I refuse to believe otherwise), and it is also labelled the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. We actually stayed in Port Douglas which is a 30-minute drive north of Cairns and even closer to the reefs. This whole area is reminiscent of something you would see on Survivor or Castaway.  White sandy beaches met with dense tropical rainforests, and the water a vibrant turquoise. Oh, did I mention the temperature was 30 C the whole time? (someone please take me back, I’m begging…)

Day 8: Started the morning by going to the local farmers market (which is a great place to find souvenirs made by local artists), followed by a full day tour of the Great Barrier Reef with Quicksilver. Now I know these tours are expensive BUT let me just tell you that they are absolutely worth every penny. It was one of the most surreal moments of my life to be snorkeling in 25-degree water among schools of thousands of fish and delicate coral. There is a reason the Great Barrier Reef is considered one of the natural wonders of the world, and I am fortunate enough to have experienced it in all its glory. Lunch was served aboard the ship. For dinner we had Thai food at Star of Siam (best Tom Yum Soup I’ve had). Something else I noticed was that Australia’s proximity to Southeast Asia meant that there was amazing Southeast Asian food (also seafood, LOTS of seafood!).

Disclaimer: not my photo. I was too busy enjoying the day, also iphone+saltwater=no.

Day 9: Spent the day exploring Daintree Rainforest. I hiked through a tropical rainforest and did not see a single snake or spider (although I did have anxiety that I would see one. To all those who scared me with stories of terrifying snakes in AUS, please message me… I just wanna talk…). Although I did really want to see a crocodile since they are really prevalent in this area (I love crocodiles I think they are very cute no I’m not crazy). For dinner we had Indian food at Sabi’s Kitchen. (Here’s a riddle for you: what do you call an Indian family that goes on vacation and doesn’t eat Indian food? They’re probably not Indian.) (I’m not complaining, I love Indian food!)

Day 10: Left Port Douglas for Cairns and stopped along the Palm Cove area where we went swimming. Later, In Cairns we had dinner at Bayleaf Balinese Restaurant. After dinner we ventured into the Cairn’s night market. I really suggest you go to this night market because you can get all your souvenir shopping done! (I may or may not have bought 10 fridge magnets and multiple t-shirts.)

Day 11: We had booked a train journey on the historic Kuranda Rail. The train ride was over two hours, and takes you up the mountain while offering sweeping views of the coastline below. At the top of the mountain is the Kuranda village which is filled with art galleries, shops, and restaurants. On the way down, we opted to take the cable car, and stopped at each of the three stops. Each stop has small hiking trails that take you deeper into the dense world heritage listed rainforest and offer spectacular views. Fun fact: this is the same rainforest that inspired the setting from James Cameron’s Avatar.

#gallery-0-11 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-11 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-0-11 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-11 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Day 12: In the morning we explored the Cairns Botanical Gardens which feature the wonders of the natural rainforest found in the area. In the afternoon we arrived for our flight to Sydney. We landed in Sydney and were met by more members of our family. Dinner at home.

#gallery-0-12 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-12 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-0-12 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-12 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Day 13: This was my only day in Sydney, and so I wanted to explore as much as I could! Started the day off at the Harbour Bridge, followed by a tour of the Sydney Opera House. I really recommend taking this tour as it is the only way to get inside the Opera House, plus it offers an insight into the history and architecture of the building. Later we took a ferry from the harbour to Manly Beach where we went swimming (this beach is absolutely amazing, please put it on your list. You’ve been keeping a list, right?!?) For dinner, our family took us to the Indian neighborhood in Sydney where I got to experience the best Indian street food outside of India (maybe it was just as good, who knows? I was busy stuffing my face)

The Dragon Ball Z shirt IS a fashion statment, no I will not be taking questions at this time. Thank you.

Day 14: Woke up, had brunch with the family, and then headed for the airport to return home. I did strongly consider just sneaking out of the airport and starting my life as an Australian surfer dude named Joey. Flight back home was horrible mainly because I was returning to -15C weather.

Anyways, if you’re still reading this, I owe you a beer. Let’s catch up sometime! (preferably in Australia) Till then, G’day mate!

Australian to English Translator:

AUSTRALIAN ENGLISH G’Day Hello. How ya goin’? They’re not asking what mode of transportation you’re using, probably just asking how are you. Thong Flip flops. If someone asks for these, do NOT give them your underwear. Barbie Barbecue, not the doll. Bathers Swimsuit. Beauty! Great! Perfect! Crikey An expression of surprise. Not an invitation to play cricket, although they might like that too. The “C” word Used when exchanging pleasantries between close friends and family. If someone calls you this, you’ve most likely entered the mate zone. (unless they’re angry then run) Lollies Sweets.

  Australia As many of you may have already guessed from my recent horde of posts, I went to Australia a little while back.