#i have a few friends in going into marine bio!!!

[madwickedawesome]

I NEED TO TELL SOMEONE ABT HOW MUCH I LIKE SHARKS CAN I TELL YOU PRETTY PLEASE

Say yes or January 25th 9:32 pm 2024/j

YES OMG !!!!!!! I ADORE SHARKS PLEASE TELL ME ALL ABOUT THEM I AM ALL EARS💛💛💛

[yourclumsyguardianangel]

the seven + a few others future headcanons

percy:

becomes a high school teacher

teaches high school marine biology (idk how it is in other schools but when we hit sophomore year we got to choose different bio classes ie: marine bio, ag bio, med bio + regular bio)

also teaches the mythology elective and is the swim team coach

annabeth:

we already know this queen is an architect with obvious inspiration from greek architecture

learns how to make blue food for percy and their kids from sally

has traveled all over the world looking at different architecture

learns the basics of many languages so shes able to communicate with the locals

her and leo team up to build a small school near camp half-blood for year rounders so everyone can learn consistently but dw they get summers off

piper:

love her but shes a nepo baby

she doesnt act like it tho

”are you tristan mcleans daughter?” “who?”

loves her dad to bits but does not like being seen out in public by the paparazzi

marries shel, they dont have kids tho, neither of them want to bring any into the world especially with america’s downfall and the government erasing women and poc rights

is basically leos big sister atp

leo:

him and calypso dont last, maybe a year and a half in they split bc calypso wants to explore the world and leo is very emotionally unstable and calypso has a hard time understanding

they end on good terms but dont ever talk unless its with a group of friends

he goes into a trade to become a mechanic and owns his own shop

starts smoking cigarettes/vaping

his friends dont really approve but they understand he cant quit just yet as hes not in a mental space to do so

goes to therapy with a psychologist whos a demigod that specializes in grieving and war trauma

they all go to therapy but hes the last one to do it

he’s still the ‘happy go lucky’ guy hes always been but as he gets closer w the others they start to see the true sadness in him

piper and him grow a lot closer after jason died and have a big sister little brother relationship

hazel:

my girl stays at camp jupiter

takes nicos place at camp

horse trainer

her and frank also dont work out as a romantic relationship, they felt that the age gap was too much after frank turned 18 and hazel was 15 theyre still friends tho

hazel often visits leo in his shop

as much as leo reminds her of sammy, through therapy she has recognized that theyre separate people and to not push all her past feelings for sammy onto leo

not only does she train horses but she also teaches little kids basic math, science, and history to the younger kids

they all call her ms. hazel

she prefers to teach the really young kids (age 4-7)

wears her hair in different braid styles after BOO

frank:

my friggin HOMIE

i relate to frank a lot personality wise

therefore i think hed be a 4/20 fanatic after BOO

hes not stoned during training or during important camp duties

but otherwise you try talkin to him and you dont really notice until you look and see the far off look and red eyes and he just goes “huh?”

other than that hes a great leader

after he gets his cool new look from mars he takes really good care of his body including consistent exercise and eating really healthily (maybe he has a soft spot for fast food when hes hi)

him joining the military does not make sense to me

he lost his mom to war, and he was in one himself, idk about you but i would not wanna join the military after being the main character in a war

he studies to be a veterinarian for exotic animals

when no one is around he shifts into the animal to find out whats wrong

”dr. zhang prefers to work by himself” “why” “idk but hes always right, if it aint broke dont fix it”

jason:

rip home-slice

nico:

my other homie

my guy does not get taller than 5’8

stays at camp during the summer to train the new and old kids

him and will get a house together

teaches history at the camp school

cat dad (5 cats and counting)

will:

takes nicos last name when they marry bc its cooler

him being a doctor doesnt click w me i more picture him being an EMT

EMTs are hotter anyways

does med training with new apollo kids whenever he gets time

if he’s not busy during working hours he drops by nicos classroom w his fav drink from dutch bros (starbucks is MID) and hangs out with him and his students

[flaringfoxsoul03]

hihi 🪼🦭 would like a matchup for welcome home please :)!

i’m phos and i go by they/them

personality wise

im pretty silly one or friends once said that i tend to like shock value humor but not as much as the reaction to my reaction

so i like making stupid jokes while seeming very serious

for example once my other friend and me pretended to argue other whos left was the actual left even though it was a screen and we had the same left

i ramble a lot sometimes like i like to ramble about orcas and ocean stuff

i also struggle socializing w others and making friends

regarding my interest

i mentioned that i enjoy rambling about orcas and marine life but i mean i love it

orcas are my favorite animal and

i have like 3 plushies and books about them

i’m even working on writing about orcas

so marine bio is a major interest for me

art as also been a huge interest for me as well i like to draw a lot

for my love languages

i like giving gifts, doing acts of service and spending quality time

i have trouble understanding flirting sometimes but i try my best to show my affection in other ways

like once i bought a 20 dollar plush pikmin for someone because i saw and immediately thought “they’ll love this!!”

i also i dont usually let people touch me like at all it makes me uncomfortable i’ll people i’m into and trust hold my hand or sometimes snuggle with me to kinda tell them that i trust them

i’m sorry if this messy and bad 😭 i’m not the best at these types of things

but have a silly seal 🦭

Darling you are perfect for writing just what I need to craft an expert matchup for you. I hope you can forgive me for how long it took me to return to the platform, burnout is no joke! But I thank thee for the silly seal, trust me I’ll incorporate it into your story~.

—————————————————————————————————————

I match you up with…

Frank Frankly!

———————————-

Frank Frankly is definitely your match! While it seems odd at first, he’s definitely the very few that just don’t jump all over you when you first get introduced into The Neighborhood. With both of your guy’s intellect and genuine curiosity of the world around you, you often seek refugee in the comfort in both of your homes, secluded away from the drama that is Welcome Home!

As I previously mentioned, Frank is one of the few members of the cul-de-sac that doesn’t try to ambush you. After all, it’s not often they get a new orca puppet with an already built in house around The Neighborhood. But he is, at first, incredibly suspicious of you. Who are you? Why did you choose to come to The Neighborhood?? You are an orca, what do you mean you can breathe air??? He’s got so many questions, but he’s respectful enough to make sure all the other Neighbors back off so you can settle into your new home appropriately. Unfortunately, Julie will make it into a big Welcoming Party that very night so you guys will inevitably meet at the party at Howdy’s place. There he catches you sneaking away to the food table after being fully interrogated (Sally would say interviewed for the next position is how Barnaby and her did it). He walks right next to you and asks if you’re up to ask some questions as he’s noticed you seem overwhelmed by the massive group. This is how your relationship began to blossom forth, shared camaraderie in the chaos that you both live in.

Frank is incredibly intrigued by your fascination for marine life, despite knowing you’re part of that specific ecosystem. Literally loves how you can ramble on and on about your species and other species as well. Wait until you tell him some of the crustaceans are basically considered bugs of the ocean, he will gladly jump in on reading and studying marine life right alongside you if there’s water bugs involved. He also greatly appreciates having someone blab on about his own great fascination on insects, not feeling like he’s being annoying or ignored tends to happen when he’s trying to connect with his other fellow Neighbors as they’re all caught up in their own escapades. On nice nights you’ll both go around outside in evening sun catching some bugs for Frank’s studies that he was previously unable to due to the lack of hands or speed to reach and track down the scurrying critters. On colder nights you’ll both decide whose house they’re spending the night in together and read books by the soft crackling of the fireplace with the shutters drawn and hot cocoa and gelatin molds of jello with fruits captured inside.

Hates jokes to the next degree, but he can’t help but laugh when you use your humor to befuddle Barnaby when he comes up with Wally to pester you both when you were both tending to Frank’s garden. He doesn’t quite believe you managed to get rid of the resident jokester with his own jokes by being so dead serious, but he watched it happen as you both argued what was left, using poor Wally as your indicator on what direction was left. What’s worse is that you and Barnaby both had the same left, but you kept denying it thanks to one of Barnaby’s jokes he made. He noticed that you kept moving away from him in order to fully distract and enrapture Barnaby in this argument so it got quieter the father you guys moved from Frank. He realized you were doing this so he didn’t have to listen to the bickering you were doing on purpose so he could enjoy the rest of his afternoon gardening. He did sit in the garden’s earth for a while and watched you fully dead set on annoying Barnaby, smiling with how mischievous you are. When Barnaby finally threw in the towel a whole 45 minutes later, Frank gifted you a beautiful zucchini that was fairly large and said you both could bake some zucchini bread for tonight’s little sweet treat and his thanks for protecting him from Barnaby’s jokes.

Doesn’t quite realize all the random magazines in your home are for the fellow Neighbors to pick up and exclaim which item caught their eye, he only recognizes this when Eddie mentions he’d like the weighted blanket he saw in one of your catalogs due to the fact it was covered in the colorful envelopes he used to deliver as Frank started to insist that Eddie should join you guys more often due to Eddie feeling more left out and the butt of all the Neighbors jokes recently. A couple days later when you’re all hanging out again, you announce to Eddie that you got something for him because he seemed a little sadder than usual, which was fine to say as it was just him and Frank and presented him with a gift. He opens it up to see it’s the exact weighted blanket he had desired for himself only a few days ago and realized it was the packages he got to deliver to your place yesterday from Howdy’s supplies order. It’s not only thing in the gift basket as there’s little self care items such as bath bombs and candles and more arts and crafts stuff he likes to do as he gets to listen to you and Frank talk about insects or ocean critters. Literally cries and gives you a strong hug and wails about how much he likes the items you got him and how much you mean to him as a Neighbor and friend. Frank himself is struggling to keep his own tears back as he’s extremely touched by your own kindness. You’ve been listening to Frank worry about how depressed Eddie has gotten ever since the letters stopped coming in and how cruel the other Neighbors have gotten towards Eddie due to the fact Eddie is a kind fellow with a soft heart of gold. He truly knows you’re a keeper as you soothe Eddie’s hiccups and sobs.

Enjoys that you can spend time with the other Neighbors and understand how they work instead of jumping right into a verbal fight. Julie was getting worked up about how Sally wasn’t drawing right as was Sally right back at Julie. You immediately cut that fight off and tell them to draw how they’re feeling on a new piece of paper with you monitoring them. Frank’s watching this at a distance with Eddie and Poppy in Poppy’s house as they were baking a couple sheets of brownies not too far off. You show them the art works they made to show how they were feeling and pointed out each artistic detail to them to make them come to the real problem. Turns out, Julie just wanted more interactive props that could be used in the fall fair the whole Neighborhood was to throw a week later and Sally was frustrated thinking Julie didn’t see her work as creative or good. You pieced it together by making your own art piece mimicking both of the issues the girls had with each other. Both of them then decided that you should work hands on with Wally under their supervision to make this interactive prop a reality to test it out. Frank later came over to check in on you with a few slices of brownies and the art pieces that solved the problem and enjoyed your piece so much that he asked if he could keep it. He ended up starting a scrapbook of all the art pieces you made, enjoying the attention and detail you brought to each piece to make it entirely its own style and creation. It even helped solved a problem that would have been affecting The Neighborhood for weeks after the fair!

Frank doesn’t like physical contact with others if he doesn’t really trust them, letting only really Eddie and Julie ever make contact with him personally. You managed to avoid contact altogether, stating touching others made your skin crawl that made you extremely uncomfortable and was one of the more enforced boundaries you had, although Eddie and Frank have managed to be allowed occasionally to be hugged or have their hands held. Frank really likes holding hands with you while having a casual walk in the surrounding woods nearby, enjoying nature to its fullest and hearing the birds chirp and the bugs buzzing on by. Seeing the sunlight filter through the trees and the gentle breeze cooling you guys off as you enjoy quiet peace together, with a small chat here and there.

You and Frank will become known as a power couple and probably the only real couple in The Neighborhood, others trying and failing to recreate what makes the two of you so special. You both don’t care for the drama that plagues the others, but you certainly welcome in the ones who will listen and enjoy doing their own things. Eddie has accidentally became the official third wheel of you guys but you honestly don’t mind due to how Frank holds him in such high regard and he truly is a joy to spend time with as well. Julie gets jealous for a little while, but she settles for the fact that she can now have two best friends for the price of one! You both aren’t seen far apart and when you are, it’s well known you’re crafting a new piece of art or a new gift for someone so close to your heart. Frank will be selecting which books to get in catalogs and vegetables he’s harvesting so you guys can make a sweet treat together while reading new books by the fireplace. While there’s still trouble ahead, Frank is grateful he’s got someone to weather the storm with together.

—————————————

And the follow ups are:

Poppy Partridge

And

Eddie Dear

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That’s all folks!

~Fox

[pumpkinhrat]

Martin nearly drops his glass of wine in his lap when the notification pops up. A bit does splash over the lip of the glass and nearly ruins his freshly folded laundry, but he can’t bring himself to care. The message blinks at him from his phone screen: Tinder (now) – Somebody Super Liked you! Find out who.

Martin stares blankly at it until the screen starts to go dark. A Super Like. A Super Like? It’s been a week since Martin opened the account and he’s barely had 5 matches in the time since. He’s not even really sure what a Super Like is besides the fact that Tinder keeps trying to make him buy them. Did someone pay to match with him? Martin’s pulse quickens and before he can talk himself out of it, he’s typing in his passcode and pulling up the app. Immediately, a profile pops up with a bright blue star under the scowling face of–

Jonathan Sims.

Martin freezes, the skin of his neck prickling suddenly. What… He takes a furtive look around his flat, suddenly and bizarrely self conscious, as if someone’s gonna pop up beside him to judge his every reaction – ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. He takes a large swallow of wine.

Martin’s first instinct upon discovering that his boss Super Liked him on Tinder of all places is, of course, to deny, deny, deny that it’s really happening. Because, really, imagining dour, dry Jon sitting down to set up an online dating profile after scoffing at Tim’s own profile so hard that he’d set himself into a coughing fit is unbelievable. It doesn’t help Martin’s denial, however, that the third picture on Jon’s account is one of Tim and Sasha crowding beside him at a bar. It also doesn’t help that Martin remembers that night very clearly and knows for certain that after Sasha had taken that selfie of the three of them, Tim had insisted on a photo with Martin as well. (“Gotta have documentation that I actually managed to drag all three of you out at once!” he remembers Tim shouting in his ear.)

Martin clicks through the rest of the profile with a deliberate sort of detachment, though his cheeks warm against his will. It’s not his fault that every previously unseen photo of his stuffy, starched shirt boss in jeans and a flannel ignites a new wash of fire down his back. The blue Super Like star continuing to glow merrily under each photo doesn’t help, either.

Martin mindlessly scrolls down a bit further and encounters the description he’d missed while scouring Jon’s photo album. The bio reads: ‘Stressed, depressed, well dressed. Put the bi in bibliophile. Looking for someone to raise a cat with.’ Martin’s attention catches on the second line, specifically the word ‘bi’. He knows that Jon had dated at least one woman before but he never wanted to assume anything about his preferences. It’s nice to know, he supposes, as his traitorous body sends another wash of elated heat down his back.

This is bad. Very, very bad. Jon had been alluring enough when he’d been Marin’s mean, unfairly hot boss who’d occasionally dress him down in a way that made his hands tingle. Cold, strict, and gloriously, mercifully unattainable. It’s been a few years since those rocky beginnings, though. Now, Jon has settled into his gig as Head Archivist and the spiky walls of his glaringly obvious inferiority complex have disappeared entirely. He still snaps and snipes, of course, but that’s to be expected no matter how close you are to Jonathan Sims.

This, unfortunately, means that Martin’s… interest (he refuses to say ‘infatuation’ as Tim had) in Jon has taken a bit more of a realistic turn. In the past year or so, Jon has turned into something of a friend, which is incredible on its own but also has disastrous implications for Martin’s ability to maintain his self control. And this? This is bad.

The wine (a thank you gift from Jon for hosting his birthday party at his flat the year prior) sits warm and soft in Martin’s belly as his thumb hovers over the swipe right and left options. Nothing about this makes a lick of sense, but Martin’s imagination never really needs much to go on in order to find the most ridiculous course of action and convince him to act on it.

He downs the rest of his glass in one go and swipes his thumb to the right. Who needs self control?

––

“And what, exactly, do you mean by concerned?”

Sasha cringes slightly at Jon’s sharp tone but Tim just slings an arm around his neck, snatching his phone and the offending Tinder account away from him. “Oh come on Boss Man, you know we worry! We’re just looking out for you! Consider it a favor.”

“A favor.” His tone is so dry that even Tim grimaces but he quickly recovers.

“Yeah! You were just whingeing about how terrible company Sash and I make on a night out, always running off for a bit of fun and leaving you by your lonesome. We thought we’d solicit you some company!”

“Must you phrase it that way? It sounds as if you’re hiring me an escort.” Jon gripes without much bite, crossing his arms where he leans against Sasha’s desk. Tim grins at him so widely he rolls his eyes and looks away. “So, what, you want to find someone for me to interact with while the two of you go off to- to do whatever it is you do? I’m just supposed to stay behind and rendezvous with some stranger?”

“Well,” Sasha says slowly. Jon turns his imperious look on her. “We tried to encourage you to, um, rendezvous with someone at the bar when the two of us break off but you didn’t seem to like that idea either.”

Jon puffs out an exasperated little sigh that is honestly endearing as fuck and levels a flat look at Sasha. “You know perfectly well that that is not something I’m–”

“That’s not what I meant,” she cuts in quickly. “It’s perfectly possible to make friends at bars even if you’re not looking for anything else.”

“Maybe for some people,” he mutters, looking away, and Sasha’s heart squeezes much in the way that had made her start this entire endeavor. She opens her mouth to explain just this but Tim beats her to the punch.

“That’s kinda the point, Boss Man. We know you aren’t particularly comfortable having full blown conversations with strangers, so we thought this would be is a great solution! Match with a few people, see who fits the best, then you can meet the ones who you think you’d actually survive socializing with.” Jon takes a breath and Tim quickly barrels on. “Aaaand if you don’t find anyone who meets that bar, then no harm done! Just delete the app and you’ll never have to think about it again.” He gently pushes the phone across Sasha’s desk toward Jon, the app open to the ‘matches’ page.

Jon stares down at it with clear disdain before eyeing them both doubtfully. “I appreciate the effort,” he starts carefully and Sasha has to bite her tongue to resist interrupting. “But isn’t this an entirely unnecessary endeavor? It’s not as if we go out all that often, anyway. Everyone’s far too busy to agree on nights to go out, and Martin hasn’t been able to attend in months.”

“Well, y’know, that’s also kind of the point, Boss Man,” Tim says. He yanks out a chair and sits on it backward beside Sasha so they’re both looking up at Jon. He taps his phone pointedly. “We want you to get out there, mingle with other people now that Martin’s lost his weekends to his mom and Sash and I are dipping into territory you’re not as comfortable with–”

“You two do know I am capable of hearing the word sex without bursting into flame, yes?”

“–and, hey, we get it, you’re not the most social guy. But everyone needs a little bit of time with a friend or partner. We don’t want you to miss out on that because our little quartet has encountered a few scheduling conflicts.”

Jon stares at them, a look Sasha does not like filling his eyes, and his lips thin slightly. “You think I’m lonely.” He says the word with such a tone of accusation that Sasha cringes again.

“We don’t think you’re lonely,” she corrects quickly. “We just think you’d benefit from new social connections now that we’re less available.”

“And we still wanna go out,” Tim adds. “As often as we can. We just want–”

“Me to have more options than just you three, yes, I understand the premise.” He turns his attention back to Tim’s phone and gingerly pokes through the app, huffing and making more Jon Noises. Precious. After an excruciating amount of time, he heaves a gigantic sigh. “I suppose it won’t hurt to- to test it out. See if your theory holds any weight.” He sounds reluctant but Tim and Sasha share an excited glance, Sasha giving an endeared little nose scrunch at the wording. What an utterly Jon thing to say. “It has– It’s been a while since Georgie, so I believe now is as good a time as any to ‘get back out there’. I hadn’t thought there’d be anyone particularly interesting on apps like these but…” He trails off as he clicks through one of his matches’ profiles and Sasha just barely catches a glimpse of a foggy silhouette on a mountain.

“We handpicked a few people that we thought you might gel with,” she cuts in quickly, before Jon can expand on his ‘but’ and shut the whole thing down. “The one you’re looking at right now is Tim’s favorite, though I think he’s a bit boring.” Tim makes an affronted noise but Jon just hums, scrolling slowly through the profile’s long winded description.

“Yes, quite,” he says, clearly not paying any attention to what she’s saying. Tim grins at her.

‘Told ya so!’ He mouths and Sasha gives him the finger under her desk.

“Well, whaddya say, Boss?” Tim asks after another few minutes, which Jon spends entirely on Martin’s profile. “Shall I get you all logged in on your phone so you can start chatting him up? Or am I gonna lose my phone entirely to you and this ‘Martin’?” Jon looks up at Tim, surprised, then back down at the phone.

“Oh, right, yes, this is–“ He fumbles to return the phone to Tim, as if looking through it hadn’t been the entire point of the account, and pulls out his own phone. “I’ll just take over from you now, shall I? It is, ah, apparently my account, after all.”

He says the last bit with no small amount of pointed wryness but Sasha ignores their squabbling, leaning back in her chair triumphantly. Another successful mission in order to expand Jon’s little world, this one possibly the most satisfying. She glows a little with the feeling of a job well done.

After all, what could possibly go wrong?

ANON YOURE BACK, THANK YOU FOR WRITING MORE I absolutely love it 😭

[Here is the previous part] --- [next part]

UPDATE: You can read the whole story by JJanuaryRain on AO3! Go give them lots of love -> "all's fair in love & tinder"

[tinywitchgoblin]

hi! i dont know if you're still doing ship requests for the bad batch, but I would love to submit one if you'll have me!

I'm just over five feet tall, so friends of mine call me Fiver as a little nickname. I have Auburn hair, super light skin, but a lot of dark freckles. I have full lips and narrow, up-slanted, green eyes. I’ve got a good few tattoos as well.

I've been called scarily patient and loyal to a fault. It really takes a lot for me to get angry. I try to be kind, even if in situations where I do not want to be. I tend to be more on the quieter side, but I know how to laugh. When it comes down to small things like cleaning or giving rides or covering a few dollars, I’ll do it if I can. I do have depression, and that's been a lifelong struggle, but Im finding ways to cope everyday. We deal, y’know? Honestly, the one habit I can’t kick is smoking (oops).

I’m also I biology student! I really enjoy lab work, and I love studying things like plants, fungi, soils, bugs, algae, and marine biology. I hope to work either in botany or holistic health care. I love being outside, whether it’s the beach or the mountains. I love both so much. I love swimming, hiking, staying in and reading, gardening, dancing! I pole dance, do barre, pilates, yoga, and aerial lyra.

But other than that, I’m just a bartender who really enjoys star wars lol.

Thank you so much!! I love your blog.

Omg thank you 🥺

(Also I relate to so much of this- I have a bio degree and love plants & marine bio too! I even did a couple of research projects with guppies and soil bacteria!)

I ship you with...

Hunter!

The first thing that caught Hunter's eye was your tattoos. Having one (or multiple?) himself allows him to appreciate other peoples' tattoos as well. He'd asked you about them, and as you and he talked, the conversation flowed freely and you found that you enjoyed his company.

Hunter loves being outdoors, and when he found put that you feel the same way, he couldn't help but capitalize on it. Sometimes his family would come on adventures with you, and other times it was just you and him. From taking you on beautiful hikes, to finding somewhere to swim, to even sitting with you while you garden, being outside with you made his heart burst with happiness.

He also loves to hear about your studies. Listening to Tech infodump is one thing, but with you, it's completely different. He finds himself mesmerized by your passion, even if you're talking about a topic he doesn't really understand. Going back to the topic of spending time outdoors, when he finds out you enjoy learning about marine biology, he takes you to various places on Pabu (think tide pools & such) so you can study the life found there.

Hunter doesn't really understand what depression is at first, but he knows something is up when your symptoms start kicking in. He's super supportive, helping you in any ways he can. Whether it be getting you medicine, making sure you eat/drink enough, or just staying by you, he will put everything else aside to do everything he can to help you feel better.

-

Thanks for reading! If you want a ship request like this one, drop it in my ask box, and don't forget to reblog 💚

[plaguedocboi]

Hey friend!! I’m wondering abt going into marine biology or similar because I’d love to work with marine animals (aquarium or rehabilitation center or both, maybe in the field) and I was wondering about your experiences with that? Saw your best fishes post :) do you have a degree and if so, what’s it in? What have your experiences been working with the ocean friends? What’s your favorite part about it all?

My degree is in environmental biology (with a minor in sustainability) but I am considering going back and getting a masters in marine bio at some point. After I graduated I did an internship at the Pittsburgh aquarium for a few months, which definitely helped get me the experience I needed for my current job. I also have many years experience with my own personal fish tanks and have always just had a general interest in marine life.

The aquarium where I work now isn’t fully open as we’re in the middle of renovations, but I’m getting to build back the education and community programs that they haven’t been able to offer the last few years and I really enjoy that. We were open for a few days with some temporary exhibits and had over 2,000 visitors, and I love getting to teach people about the cool creatures we have. It’s very rewarding to see people get excited about something that they otherwise might not even know existed!

[suspicious-whumping-egg]

Hi I really want to write but I don't really know how and I don't know how to start but I'm also really worried that people would judge me can you just help me and give me some tips

Hey anon! First of all there’s no right or wrong way to write! Good writing usually shares common characteristics like figurative language, literary devices, a strong plot, characters, and theme, etc, but different people like different things and if you write what you love, you’ll find your audience. There always may be people who judge you but that doesn’t mean their opinions are more relevant than those of who enjoy your writing, and those people may just not be your target audience. What’s important is that you genuinely enjoy writing it, because if you write to cater to an imaginary audience (or even a real one), you might find yourself losing passion or interest in the project while becoming more and more stressed, losing the audience your writing may have attracted if you’d just written what you enjoyed. Expanding your comfort zone is good, of course, but do it on your own terms, and know that you don’t need to treat all online writing advice like a rule, but a guideline. Writing advice, good, mediocre, and otherwise, can be a good tool regardless if you use it, because analyzing why someone might have come up with this advice or what they were going for can also lead you to develop more of your own helpful processes. I.e. back when people tried to avoid using the word “said” nearly at all because they didn’t want to repeat it— the goal ofc was to keep from being tedious and repetitive, but sometimes it’s best to keep it at “said” instead of trying to use different or more complicated words that don’t fit the point of the advice makes sense, even if the actual advice doesn’t.

Now, if you’re interested in having more detail or (literary) strength to your writing I definitely recommend researching literary devices, plot structure, character development methods, how to develop and communicate a theme, etc. What’s also very important is making sure you know how people in general work, if you’re looking for realism in your characters, so looking at some general psychology concepts can be helpful. If you’re looking to write with some type of structure, it can help to plan plot diagrams, write out character bios, etc. If you prefer to just let it all marinate in your mind and dump it out on the page, that’s great too! Discord can also be a nice medium because it gives the record keeping of the former but instead of structured documents, it’s just unhinged rants to your friends that still give you more concrete ideas. Personally I’m a bit more of the second type, although my avoidance of making documents or diagrams for my plot and characters does mean I have to do a lot of thinking, remembering, and planning in my head in order to keep a strong plot, proper character development, etc.

Last but not least, don’t be too hard on yourself! Many people you see writing, including on tumblr, have been doing so for a long time. I’ve been writing for maybe three years, and the first things I wrote were for my eyes only (and maybe those of a select few) and I certainly didn’t post it. Writing is a craft, and like any other, it takes time to develop and grow. There may be some rough spots at first, and that doesn’t mean you should give up. And if you do post it, remember that numbers do not equal worth. Many of us know the feeling of working super hard on a piece to only get a scatter of likes, maybe a reblog or two. But if you find yourself writing as a way of getting notes, or feeling like notes dictate the worth of your writing, it can be a good idea to keep writing but not posting it. Although taking a break can also be good and healthy! The best writing doesn’t often come when you sit down and force yourself to write, and trying to forge yourself to write when you’re not vibing it can sometimes just be more frustrating and can exacerbate burnout. Personally, when I have writer’s block, or anytime I’m trying to write, I spend a lot of time just thinking and daydreaming about scenarios until I feel that excitement and motivation to write again.

If you’d like more advice, feel free to send another ask or dm me here or at blue.e on discord! Happy writing <33

[umichenginabroad]

Week 4: Snorkeling and Venezia

Ciao again!

This past week featured a fun field trip for Intro to Marine Bio and my first big week adventure! For the first field trip, we explored different habitats in Ieranto Bay, a marine conservation area only accessible through kayaking or by hiking down. We took the hiking route, taking in the picturesque landscape as we went.

Around 45 minutes later we got down to the bay and split into three groups to rotate through the day’s activities. My group had free time first; I spent the hour at the beach, swimming and enjoying the lovely clear water. Kayaking came next. Although we couldn’t cross the entire bay due to strong winds, we kayaked to another section, going in and out of a few caves and observing different marine habitats. I loved exploring the caves, especially one where it was so low you had to use your hands instead of the paddle to navigate! Lastly, our professor guided us in snorkeling, pointing out several key organisms and marine structures we had discussed in class. This might’ve been my favorite part as I loved diving down to look at everything up close (I even swam through an underwater tunnel lined with bright orange corals!)

(views of the bay during the hike down)

(four of us representing UMich in Ieranto Bay with the water and cliff in the background)

Over the weekend, I visited Venice and a few of the surrounding islands with some friends. I can honestly say it was the most unique place I’ve been so far. Wandering around and getting lost was so fun as there was something neat around every corner. We stayed the night in Naples Friday as we had a very early train Saturday morning (yay 4 am wake up). The train ride went smoothly and 5 hours later we emerged in The Floating City.

(Pictures of the colorful Venetian houses lining the edges of canals)

We took in the sights and wandered around for the afternoon before getting dinner (the pasta was delicious) and gelato (also delicious). Sunday morning, a few of us got up bright and early to see St. Mark’s basilica before the rush (slept in until 5am this time). My jaw was practically on the floor from admiring the intricate ceiling mosaics and it was worth every second of sacrificed sleep. Even today, creating artwork like it would be an impressive feat, let alone in the 11th century when the Church was constructed.

(Part of the outside of St. Mark's Basilica featuring ornate mosaics and paintings)

After some morning sightseeing, we booked a boat tour for 20 euros each to take us to Murano and Burano, two smaller islands known for their glass and lace making, respectively. Our stop in Murano also included a live glass blowing demonstration! I am now the proud owner of a hand-made Venetian glass bead bracelet and an adorable glass snail (name is still pending). Burano was very quaint with canals lined with vibrant houses and filled with cafes and small shops highlighting their handmade lace.

(First picture of a glass blowing presentation on Murano, the other two pictures of the canals of Burano. Yes, the tower in the third pic is leaning, it's not a crooked picture!)

Once back on the main island, we did a little shopping, ate some more yummy pasta, and took in the sights again before heading back to the main bus station to board our overnight bus, beginning our trek back to Sorrento. I lucked out and had both seats to myself on the bus, allowing me to get some much needed shut eye as I had my physics midterm that same morning!

I am already missing the charming streets and enchanting canals of Venice, but I have an exciting week and another weekend adventure ahead to keep me busy!

Arrivederci,

Marika Ruppart

Mechanical Engineering

Engineering in Sorrento, Italy

[bunny-j3st3r]

Ref images courtesy of @hollowsart

for the sake of explanation even though it’s just my sona I’m gonna refer to myself in third person lmao.

In canon Au Sai is a mutant that was a marine biologist (I am not that irl sad it was something I wanted to study tho :( ) and had the ability to go to deep depths that humans typically couldn’t descend to because of there body having gills under their fur and their fur being basically insulation for deep waters (they would come out somewhat dry after being in the water, think magic and but not perfectly dry) and this was how they found Ferrol.

In this other au I think they would still be a marine biologist but they never went out to the trench at that time, maybe a punishment from Norman for trying to be a smart ass when they accused Norman of dumping oil and trash into the oceans.

So they got down graded away from the aquarium and ended up having to do a lot of paper work write up at a different lab, this lab happened to be where geneticized animals where being tested on to see if they could more helpful in the future for human kind.

Being a mutant they weren’t all to keen working in this area and they where pretty sure that’s why Norman placed them in there but the plus side was they made decent friends with a couple of the scientists there and would often go and see what they would be working on and give there opinions and thoughts.

At some point of time testing on spiders had began, now because of this they avoided the main labs for a short time as having a fear of spiders they didn’t really want to be around them, until they got an alert email.

A genetically modified Theridion grallator spider had seemingly gone missing, as small as it was they weren’t sure what damages it could do since they had yet to test this out.

As they read this and thought about leaving for the day till they found it, they felt a sharp nip on there neck, instantly slamming a hand down on to there neck they then found the poor creature, ah, they knew the other scientists weren’t going to be particularly happy but they were at fault for this one, should of taken better care of it.

Over the course of a few days they began to find themselves going through some changes, sure they where a shape shifter but there body was doing things that they knew couldn’t normally do and it was then that the process of Jester spider began to come into play.

some lil bits of info

- There spider name is Jester Spider due to the spider that bit them being called a clown faced spider, they designed there costume around a jester but they also gain a more exciting and freeing personality when in costume, thus calling themselves Jester.

- When in costume Sai does not speak, they use squeaks and honks to respond to situations, this is beneficial for them as not using there voice makes it a lot harder to figure out who they are.

- They modified there webbing so it acts still like webbing but also looks like silly string, each shot comes out a different colour. it’s also bio degradable so will often waste away after a day or so as if it were never there.

- Out of costume they seem to be more relaxed and almost tired all of the time, they prefer to take it easy. In costume they are more hyper and playful but they are also really hard to read, this makes them a rather chaotic foe for enemies as they really can not judge there next move.

- Before they got bit there tail wasn’t really that strong, it could be used to help them swim but they couldn’t really do much else with it, after getting bit they seem to be able to use it like a third arm, it’s able to pick things up as well as able to hang them from high places if they don’t particularly want to waste webbing. 

- They have bells on there costume but for some reason can still move extremely stealth like, the bells only seem to ring excitedly during fights.

- They are extremely nimble although it does not look it from there size, but they can move and play the same way a jester would act and perform tricks.

- They don’t shape shift in costume, harder to do and they would be found out quick who they were.

- More mutant types are to be expected in this au and ‘Jester’ has been accused of favouring them over humans, which isn’t true but when humans are protesting mutants just living peacefully it’s a little hard not to choose sides.

- JJJ still calls them a menace so in defiance they break into JJJ’s office a lot and leave small harmless pranks around, they think it’s funny but only seems to annoy JJJ more.

- They have there own villains to deal with here but because of there unpredictable nature, villains tend to find ‘Jester’ very hard to deal with, espically since ‘Jester’ just tends to go in with no game plan other than stop villain and keep civilians safe, but villains aren’t actually ever sure if Jester would keep civilians safe just to stop them because they act so chaotic. (the answer is yes Sai will protect civilians even if it doesn't seem it)

- They can pull tech things they need out from under there hat, this includes web bombs, spider drones, etc, the fun part is they don’t ever actually know what they might pull out, so it could be helpful, might also not be.

[xmadeoflightningx]

if you’re hearing IGNITE by STARTISAN playing, you have to know DAMIEN RAMOUTAR (HE/HIM; CISMALE) is near by! the 36 year old MARINE TECHNICIAN has been in town for, like, 30 YEARS . they’re known to be quite RESENTFUL, but being WARM-HEARTED seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble NICK SAGAR. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those CAMPING UNDER THE STARS, RESTLESS SLEEP AND DARK DREAMS, FAMILY DINNERS EVERYWEEK vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around RIVERSIDE long enough!

Bio details:

tw: death/grief, military, drugs

The Ramoutar men were always meant for the sea. His father was a fisherman, like his own father before him and Damien always planned to join the family business. Whenever he could he'd find himself out on his father's boat learning the ropes and rigs. The long days at sea and unpredictability of nature however often left Damien's mother raising him and his baby brother alone. When Damien was six and a storm nearly capsized his father's boat, she had had enough. His parents divorced, his mother moving them to Hemlock Springs to be closer to her own family, finding the support she'd been lacking over the years.

To her surprise, his father had moved as well, leaving the family business to his brother and leaving the Caribbean to join them in Washington. He didn't quite leave the sea behind though and started working on a boat out of Seattle. Damien continued to join his father, splitting his time between his mother and father. Eventually his mother moved on, marrying his stepfather and Damien was glad to see his mother happy, despite the continued stress he brought her which each trip out to sea.

When he was 12, she'd implored him to stay behind, his half sister soon to be born but he insisted. He could never explain why but something had nudged him to go on that trip with his father. He never expected that it would be his last. The storm had come out of no where and his father was there one second, gone the next, swept out to sea. His grief was overwhelming and over the next few years as much as he loved his family, he struggled to find his place.

Joining the military out of high school among his band of brothers he couldn't help but feel something akin to the comradery he'd felt among the crew on his father's boat. After his initial term of deployment he continued to re-up, until he was at a decade in service. He had planned to re-up again when word came in from his mother, his sister had fallen in with the wrong crowd picking up bad habits and was now missing. He adored her, it didn't take him long to make his way home to help with the search. They'd found her thankfully and gotten her into a decent rehab and for the first time in a long time, Damien found a desire to stay, to be closer to family.

Discharging from the military and taking a few classes, he only made his mother one promise: not to be a fisherman. Instead he found his place as a Marine Technician and finally settled into Hemlock Springs, though he did get himself a nice houseboat in the marina and even has a sailboat in drydock. He hopes one day he'll be able to take his own kid sailing like his father had, if Aria allows atleast.

Wanted connections:

friends

enemies/frienemies

exes

military buddies

friends of the family

neighbors at the Marina in Riverside

clients who's boats he helps fix

[nintendouniverse2023]

Scene I have a few ideas of Super Mario Rebirth Show AU, I figured that I would make My own AU Series of Sonic the Hedgehog with also of few ideas, with redesigns of The Sonic Heroes and Villains.

Bio: Marine was born on Southern Island in the middle of nowhere on the sea, where she was kept company by the Coconut Crew from a young age. Growing up, Marine dreamt of going out and see the world as the captain of her own ship and have adventures, eventually becoming discontent over staying on her island like a prisoner. As such, she would spent her days gazing across the ocean, particular at the Plant Kingdom, while wondering about what lied beyond her home. By the time she was seven years old, Marine finally decided to set out, and took up sailing and shipbuilding, making numerous attempts to make her own ship with Materials.

In Sonic Rush Adventure arc, Marine found Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles "Tails" Prower when they washed up on Seagull Beach. Claiming to having "saved" them, introductions were made and Marine promptly invited them to stay with her until they found a way home. The next day, Marine took the SS Marine out on its maiden voyage while Sonic and Tails watched, but she failed to control it and crashed. Her loss left Marine devastated, but Tails offered to build her a new boat. While Marine was unsure about it due to several issues, Sonic and Tails made the Wave Cyclone with a book provided by Marine. Proclaiming herself the captain, Marine "lead" the group out on their journey to different islands, looking for Materials. While Marine got to see new places, often wandering off despite Sonic and Tails' warnings, the group was attacked by several robotic enemies on their journey which Marine suspected was jealous of her adventures. They also met the rogue racer Johnny, who Marine goaded into challenging her, only to pass it over to Sonic. When reaching Coral Cave, Marine unveiled the isle by poking at an altar. There, they met Captain Whisker, whom Marine antagonized, and his crew, who were the ones behind the robot attacks. They also met Sonic's old ally, Blaze the Cat, who helped fight off Whisker, though the pirates got away with the Jeweled Scepter, an artifact in Coral Cave which Blaze tried to protect. Hearing that Sonic and Tails were actually from another world, Marine had them explain it all, and they decided to help Blaze recover the scepter which posed a threat to both their worlds.

Years after this event were Marine counties to join her friends an there quest as well as sailing across the seas. She then learned the truth about Sonic use to be a Freedom Fighter in the past and She was thrilled whe he form the new Freedom Fighters as a leader. She still rushed into actions in the seas if she was needed unless she rushed without thinking.

Appearance: Her fur is White, Black and Orange, Her swimshorts are gray and blue and her tank top and sandals and green

Voice Actor: Andrea Libman

Age: 11

Height: 4.8

Weight: 124 ibs

Personality: talkative, cheerful, carefree and energetic, but also stubborn at times, brash and overconfident and extremely scatterbrained

Favorite Foods: Sea food and Some Meat

Family: Mr and Ms Raccoon back at Southern Island

Allies: Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy Rose, Sally Acorn , Antoine, Bunnie Rabbio, Rotor, Shadow *Former Enemy*, Rouge, Cream, Vanilla, Sticks, Blaze, Silver, Team Chaotix, Diamond Cutters, Jewel Beetle and Belle

Enemies: Dr Eggman, Agent Stone, Dr Starline, Emma Robotnic, Team Jet *Sometimes*, Surge the Tenrec, Snively and Lyric the Snake

Likes: Adventures, Excitement, Her friends, Ships, Being the captain, Giving orders and Talking

Dislikes: Ghosts, Pirates, Being ignored, Being interrupted, Showing weakness Being tickled and Not going on adventures

[lovesickmermaid]

15 Questions & 15 Mutuals

Tagged by @pixlerelish 😘

1) Are you named after anyone? Kind of? My maiden middle name was Marie which is also my mom's middle name, but I changed it to my maiden last name when I got married.

2) When is the last time you cried? I think the question is when am I not crying? I cry so much I literally can't keep track. Probably this week at some point I cried. By the way, it's only Tuesday as I'm writing this.

3) Do you have kids? I do not. I'm not gonna go into the whole thing with kids and why it should be socially acceptable to not continuously ask people when they're going to have kids/why they don't have kids. It's weird. Just stop it.

4) Do you use sarcasm a lot? With people I'm really close with, yes, sometimes. I hate when people are sarcastic with me though, so I try not to be unless the context of the situation is lighthearted and fun.

5) What’s the first thing you notice about people? I don't really pay attention to what I notice about people when I meet them, but I'm just gonna go with their eyes.

6) What’s your eye color? Green!

7) Scary movie or happy ending? Happy ending always. I hate scary movies.

8) Any special talents? Crying over men who will never know I exist.

9) Where were you born? The land where palm trees sway... Florida. I was born in Florida.

10) Do you have any hobbies? I have a hobby about once every few months that I am overly excited about for like a week before I get bored with it and never go back to it again.

11) Do you have any pets? Two golden retrievers: Lola & Gracie 🐶

12) What sports are/have you played? I played soccer a looonnnggg time ago and I think that's the last time I played a sport. I took tennis as a class in high school, but that was just to get an easy A.

13) How tall are you? 5'6"

14) What’s your favorite subject in school? When I *was* in school I always liked the elective classes. I took Marine Bio in high school and it was one of the best classes I've ever taken. As far as regular classes go, I'd say English/Writing class was my favorite. I love expressing words and feelings through writing and I've been told almost my whole life that I'm pretty ok at it. As far as college classes go, criminology classes all the way. It's what I majored in and I found most of them so interesting.

15) Dream job? I don't think I've ever had a dream job, but if I had to choose it would be something in Forensics. I got my master's degree in forensic science because I was influenced by The Staircase on Netflix. Highly recommend.

I'm tagging @lephantomdelioncourt again because I have no friends on here and now you HAVE to do this because both me and @pixlerelish said you have to 💜 (I'm sorry if you've done this one already. I honestly can't keep up). K, love you!

[risingscorchingsuns]

hi everyone, welcome to my blog!!!

my name is Leon, and i really, really love demon slayer! kny has been a huge comfort for me for years, and it’s been a special interest of mine since about november 2023. i want to create a space that is safe and fun to share with other people who are as passionate about kny as me!! :D my main is @lavenderbrigade but im more active here!

a bit about me!

yippeee yay i love demon slayer!! it’s my main special interest, and it means a lot to me! rengoku is my favorite character and all-time comfort character, (i have a tattoo to honor him!) but i love every character, really!! my other favorites are sanemi, tengen, genya, akaza, mitsuri and senjuro, to name a few!!

my pronouns are strictly he/him! please do not use any other pronouns for me- this includes they/them! (i have nothing against they/them pronouns, they just don’t suit me <3) i am a gay trans man, and a lot of my writing for Hikaru reflects my experiences as such! :)

additionally, i am very neurodivergent and often struggle with tone and responding quickly to dms! please be patient with me- i am trying my best! tone tags are very helpful for me <3

This is a kny blog, but my other interests + hyperfixations include resident evil, (4 specifically!) deepsea marine bio, minecraft, and stardew valley! im always happy to talk about non-kny stuff, i just have constant rengoku autism <3

rules and expectations!!

i am 20 years old! that being said, this is a sfw blog!! i won’t ever post any direct nsfw here, but I may post gore/body horror at some point, generally aligned with what would be typical of Demon Slayer. any posts that contain more than mild gore will be appropriately trigger warninged! i also might post kissing and things like that, but never anything too explicit! my nsfw blog is @hikaru-after-dark- follow there for horny posting lmao

mostly though, this is just a fun safe space for me to blorbopost about rengoku and to share mine and my friends’ ocs :)

additionally, I have read the manga, and this page will contain spoilers!! please keep that in mind!!!

DNI and boundaries!!

DNI if you:

are a proshipper

ship RenTan specifically but really any of the ships that fall into that category

hate on furries

do not support lgtbq+ or otherwise queer people

look man just don’t be a bad person ok

not exactly a DNI, you’re still welcome on my blog, but please note i will probably not follow you back if you also selfship with rengoku! i mean no ill intent- doubles make me anxious and it’s a personal boundary 😓

My Tags!

I’ve got a few tags, and frankly im kinda bad at keeping them organized, but I do my best!

#hikaru eritora - my Karu tag!! Anything Hikaru related goes here 🪲

#leon writes - my writing tag! Here you can read my fics, oneshots, and anything else I write.

#leon rambles - this is primarily KNY analysis, but it’s also the occasional miscellaneous ramble! I love talking nonsense into the void <3

#leon askbox - anything that comes from my askbox!!

#leon says words - man im just talking lmao. professional yapper over here

#leon scribbles - my art tag! Here you can view my artwork :)

#not kny - exactly as it sounds! This tag is for anything on this blog explicitly unrelated to kny. It’s rare that I use it, but I like organization lol

#kny analysis - anything related to kny meta or narrative analysis!

#writing resources archive tag - this one’s mainly for me, but you’re welcome to poke through it! I keep my writing tips and tricks in here :)

MEET MY OCS!!

I have some various side characters, but my main and favorite oc, as well as the face of this page, is Hikaru Eritora! I plan to reveal more and more of his story over time, but if you want to know a synopsis of his story, you can find it here!

My Writings!

I am an amateur writer!! So far everything I’ve written has been for Karu, but who knows! I just like stories :)

Full Length Fics/Oneshots:

Blazing Heart’s Rhapsody

Irreplaceable

Don’t Let Go

Beautiful Lies, Forbidden Truths

Drabble/Warmups:

Nightmares

Unconventional

Mesmerized

Requiem of the Subconscious

Completed RP Thread Archive:

Brothers in Arms (with @definitelynotgideon)

OC Refs!!

Here’s Hikaru’s ref!! I absolutely adore any headcanons, asks, or other questions I get about him, so please feel free to shoot me some!! My inbox is always open!!

Thank you for reading, and for being on my page! Set your heart ablaze!!! ❤️‍🔥

[gr4ces-di4ry]

Intro post 🤎

Hii my names grace but i also go by gracie, i made this acc to use like a digital diary but also for my photography!

I'm 17 and im interested in photography (obviously 😭), space, animals and especially marine bio, insects, ISOPODSSS, botany, art, music (i play a few instruments but mainly electric and acoustic guitar), i have MANY more interests but I'd be going on for awhile lol

I hope to make some friends here or to at least be able to share my photos and interests for others to enjoyyy

Lastly the cameras i use are

- my phone

- canon rebel t2i and t6 and a canon film camera (i dont know what type off thw top of my head)

Thats all 🤎

[scriptdogtor]

Let’s talk territory. If this adaptation wants to remain true to the original, mermaids have predators like sharks.

What about orcas?

So like, how do they keep safe? Do sharks recognize territories like mammals do?

Also, if we are to assume merpeople get high, are there any underwater equivalents of weed?

Oooh, these are interesting! I'll try to break these down since there's a lot to elaborate on for each, but I might expand upon these bits if anyone has additional thoughts/questions.

First thing's first, from an ethology perspective:

We tend to interpret animal behavior from a human lens.

This is a natural, normal thing to do. We see a dog behaving a certain way and we attach a label (dominant/jealous/needy/etc.) to it. This gives us shorthand to communicate, but it can perpetuate myths or even miscolor our interpretations of what animals do. So when we talk about behavior, it's important to start with what we can see in the field vs. how we interpret it first.

Animals respect territorial boundaries becomes this species keeps to a defined, measurable range. Animals mark along the edges of this range.

Merfolk & Shark Predation

I've seen stories that have merfolk diets all over the place and that's great for storytelling potential. I know what you mean by the OG tales featuring shark attacks, but I'm not sure that means a shark would choose a merperson over easier prey.

I'll focus on sharks adapted to pursue larger prey. Think Great Whites, maybe Threshers, or Tiger Sharks. These sharks tend to be opportunistic feeders and are drawn to particular types of movement. They have preferred prey and it's not humanlike.

Thresher shark hunting (which gives me ideas for predatory merfolk):

Great White hunting patterns discovered by dorsal fin cameras (overdramatized but good info)

Merfolk have a size and likely social advantage to seals. For prey of opportunistic animals, it pays to be faster, smarter, or more difficult to catch than the prey next to you.

Love this practical breakdown of film shark attacks, and one of the most important things about this is that most shark "attacks" are curiosity rather than predation. Lots of good info about adaptations, too!

Orcas as Apex Predators

Orcas are efficient predators. That doesn't make them universally dangerous to humans or humanlike creatures, but our perception of their behavior has a lot to do with culture. They're also large enough that non-predatory behavior could seriously injure a creature our size.

I have been shoved by a cow and stepped on by draft horses, but I have not been shoved by an animal who swims better than I do and is 13,000 lbs.

Ultimately, a seal is going to make a more efficient meal for an orca, but there are so many regional differences in orca populations that maybe they might be a danger to some merfolk? Mer do have the advantage of not needing to go to the surface to breathe, so they could simply wait them out.

Also, shoutout to the Little Mermaid series because we all love Spot. You can tell where the animators referenced male and female orcas by how they shaped his dorsal fin.

Note on Sharks & Territorial Range:

I'm not actually sure what we know about sharks having defined ranges or not. I don't think they do? At least not in the way humans think about territories, which comes from our culture of defined, strict, labelled nation boundaries.

A lot of predators will stick around a certain range if they've got prey (see: some orcas sticking to food-rich areas in ranges as small as a few miles) but I don't know of any behaviors that maintain that range.

Any marine bio friends have any insights?

Merfolk Defenses

Even if they aren't a primary food source, merfolk can deliberately keep themselves safe. We can infer defenses from our similar anatomy and pull from what we know about marine life, too.

Likely defenses:

Social grouping. Your friends can watch your back.

Intelligence. Coordination means you're much more difficult to catch and much more dangerous.

Endurance. Humans aren't physically the best at much, but we were originally meant to tire out our prey.

Applying camouflage. You have the issue of both skin and scales/fins, but humans have been applying camouflage to themselves since the beginning of time. Merfolk can probably do the same.

Tools & weapons. Think of all the glass that gets littered in the ocean. Ouch.

Some cool adaptations for your stories:

Fin shape adapted for fast, efficient movement. I'm interested because 2023 Ariel's fin shape implies she moves more slowly than a few of her sisters.

Spiny fins. Careful your spines don't injure your merfriend's skin, though.

Echolocation or lateral line sensation. Perception equals better awareness of your surroundings before a predator can catch up.

Marine Recreational Substances - Tetrodotoxin

I had no idea what to title this. So you get this one!

With any substance, the dose makes the poison and the dose makes the high. My first thought is obviously tetrodotoxin, or the venom found in pufferfish. It's a sodium-channel blocker and can interfere with nerve/muscle communication.

Other sodium-channel blockers include lidocaine and cannabidiol. I'm not experienced enough in pharmacology to tell you how different these might be, but drugs that have the same mechanisms of action can have vastly different effects. Some drugs are more specific than others and have more narrow margins of safety. Still...it's interesting to think about.

I'll have to look into other venoms to see how they work, too.

[penciled-palominos]

I wanna work at an aquarium in a few years, i should make a game plan for life stuff, atm that and marine bio are my two goals, i think im gonna work during summer next year so i wanna get my liscene soon,so i should probably get into drivers ed since i havent yet, then i can drive and get my job, though maybe i should get a little job for a while in town where i live, so i have some experience and money, cuz the aquarium i wanna work at is unfortunately in a different state, do that nay need to be held off and i would get a little job where i am so i can collect money to help get my collage fund easier cuz- getting a marine bio degree of any kind is gonna be a major investment and honestly im willin to do it, i really wanna make a little career from my art but im always worried im not good enough to get anywhere, and i never will with that mindset, so, I'm trying to put myself out there, at this point only on here and i don't have a very big platform, but i don't mind that, i like who i have around me, especially people like @lpsotd , people like him have made me feel very comfortable on here and they've really inspired me to just do what i love and have fun, so special thanks to him for helping me and sorry for tagging you in my big life ramble friend lol, but its late so im gonna go sleep, i hope somedsy ill figure it all out, for now though im not too majorly worried about it all