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fuumiku · 10 months ago

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Selkie AU

Ok so on discord we went off. A lot of this is just paraphrasing or copy pasted from buddies hii guys. It’s honestly a fun concept to play with no matter how you turn it around~ I’ll start off with the version I drew these doodles for but it’s all under the cut because it got so long... There’s also always place for different flavors like if they realize the other’s a selkie immediately or over time, etc etc so this is all just food for thought. Marcille is always the instigator though lol, obsessed with him no matter the universe. As a selkie wants to learn more about this human and as a researcher is chasing after this secretive mysterious sea-guy while he very much tries to escape everyone’s attention.

Fisherman Chil & selkie Marcille

Old sad fisherman Chilchuck… He drinks out at sea even. Divorcee dad who’s got nothing waiting for him on land anymore. He’s on the sea every day to get fish to sell at the wet market or to the butcher, the sky and sea’s grey and everything’s dull and tedious. Seals are nothing special either. The only stuff he knows about selkies really could have some selkie storybooks he reads to his daughters. Meanwhile selkie Marcille… You could go a lot of different routes I feel. You know I feel like being a selkie fits with Marcille and her mom, with that interaction of "you’ll have to let others go and deal with that", like in this AU she’ll always be different and will have to leave people behind for the sea eventually here and there and whatnot…

Chilchuck and worksongs... Fisherman Chilchuck singing sea shanties while selkie Marcille sings her songs of the sea and then she hears him and gets curious and follows him back on land or something…… Tries to blend in with humans just so she’s like. What’s his deal. But them only meeting out at sea is very cute as well. Eventually she gets on his boat and they hang out. Melancholic psychological horror sea tragedy-romance would be fun idk. Maybe he starts hearing a woman sing out at sea randomly and thinks it’s the alcohol. But he’d be a goner already lmao. Like don’t get me wrong it’d take a while of actual interactions for him to actually fall in love, but also ~~he’s lonely~~ pretty blonde woman waaaa. Siren imagery hehe. "Hmmm I didn't know selkies had hypnotic voices as well" (they don't. he's down outrageous and he knows it.) Mr "in denial so bad maybe magic is the answer yep for sure". I want her to hear him singing something he used to for his daughters/wife etc and shes like 👁️👁️ who hurt this man........... (Could also work for selkie Chil) What’s his tragic backstory…..

I think marcille also deserves to go silly and catch a carp between her teeth, giving it to chilchuck batting her eyelashes like teehee... I'm such a good assistant right... He needs them undamaged if he wants to sell them but he still makes use of her gift anyway... Puts it in a stew and shares it with her... Something we made together..… Marcille being able to taste human food with actual spices and actual heat and actual cooked meat... His home is the warmest place on the surface. His hugs are more comforting than even the water’s. AGH and how long hasn’t he eaten a real homecooked meal you’d bet 😭 Marcille notices he’s underweight and is like "he’s always fishing though??? Does he just need like, a lot??" and takes it upon herself to bring him more fish to feed him. "He NEEDS to blubber up. I know it." Do you think when his wife was still there he'd come home to the smell of cooking.... but now there's nothing......... He’s on his own, he sleeps in the boat… It just smell like fish all day. The stench gets to him and even the burn of alcohol in his nostrils is a kinder hell. NOW he comes back to the stench of roting flesh and he's like :))) ahh.... my gi rl firned 💖 /j

Selkie Marcille getting onto his boat out of nowhere and slapping the beer bottle out of his hand. It’d go hard if he’s so drunk once that he’s leaning over the railing with his bottle hanging down from his grip and the beer goes into the sea and she tastes it and is like. Now what the fuck is this. Ew. He doesn’t look so good maybe I should splash him with water. She could save him from drowning... Girl who puts him on a rock somewhere until he wakes up and hides in the water as soon as he comes to… Peekinh at him from the surface of the water because, oh dear we're shy now because it's face to face… Drawing parallels between swaying (drunk) and swaying (motion of boat on the sea). She sways his world…… Makes him feel dizzy in a nice, light airy way…… He crashes into his bed in his home and still feels the rocking of the waves under him, and he falls asleep thinking of her…

Go out to the sea in a storm because you can’t stand feeling useless. The sea is your livelihood, it's where you're good and useful. On land you never know what to do with your hands. Maybe he should just let the sea pull him under. let it sweep him away. Marcille does exactly that, but it's not something that erases him. It's not something that swallows him whole. It's something that shows him a whole other world- The coral reefs, the schools of fish that exist below, the lush seaweed forests that Marcille treasures so much. It's all been there for him to see, theres so much beneath his feet. And all he had to do was let her take his hand. This world full of fish and creatures he's caught and gutted... that he gets to see in a different light…… The idea of him trusting her enough to let her lead him underwater... I think the time that Marcille leads him into the water should be on one beautiful evening, with the water shimmering, and the sun casting rays onto the waters surface- enough that it's still scary at first, enough that Chilchuck still struggles against the salty grasp of the waves, but when marcille takes him under he can see just how the light of the sun casts its spotlight on the seafloor- and how even in the shallows therein lies a thousand wonders, ones he's stepped right over before. I'm just obsessed with chilchuck experiencing a whole nother world in there. Give me childlike wonder. Give me a Marcille who wants to show her grump fucking fisherman boyfriend the cute fishies and the minnows, the pretty hermit crabs. Something about the sea looking different from beneath the waves... The parallels of him on the beach stepping over shells and urchins in the shallows with his boots and just crush them right over, not even noticing he did from force of habit and routine having dulled everything… Him working on the sea all the time but never really seeing it because he’s so absorbed in his own shit and he always just uses the harbor so there’s never real contact with it anyways. When the sea water laps at his forearms when he reels the net in but they feel like lashes of frost against his skin. She'd look really pretty with her hair flowy in the waves............ Marcille’s hair should get used for creepy compositions more… In the water she takes him under and her hair tangles and latch onto him against his skin. Her hair is long, underwater it could engulf him probably, he likes blonde hair he'd be happy with that… Not the lowkey suicidal ideation of letting the sea take him and how he’d be happy suffocating in her hair when doing a dive wow ok

I keep thinking about the Dredge AU… The video game yes yes. It’d be a mess but ohhh ohh the sea and its wonderful world but also its dark secrets, Marcille researching the depths and finding dark powers and idk the tragedy of a man at sea who can’t forget what he’s lost and the mythical gf he made that was never meant to be and it’ll destroy them both idk idk. Bc of Marcille helping him fish from below as a selkie, Senshi like YOU ARE OVERFISHING YOU ARE DESTROYING THE ECOSYSTEMMM @ them lmao You are feeding the whole town and making big bucks but you’re fishing so much that some fish are starting to get stale without being bought, the sea is bleeding and the leviathan is hungry

Maybe one time, one of them gets upset at the other and holds the seal fur hostage, its sooo mean but it also feels very them. When I think selkie I think of the movie Song of the Sea and in that movie the father of the protags loved a selkie, the mother, but she had to leave at one point for the sea because that’s her nature etc etc, but he didn’t want her to leave so he hid her skin which like. Ruined everything and hurt her. And ohhh the parallels… Leaving him… Just food for thought.

Selkie Chil & marine researcher Marcille

The reverse of that where Chil’s the selkie, Marcille’s fascination for him has the reverse angle, almost like admiration too. Crying she’d be like "who’s this mysterious guy, why’s he look kinda ethereal(selkie fairy blablabla)?" and investigates meanwhile he doesn’t want anyone to see him transforming and such so he’s like "leave me aloneeeeeee!!" Selkie chil? secretive man who just wants to chill gets grabbed by the most enthusiastic fairytale-obsessed girl out there. She WILL almost drown trying to say hi. C’mon mister mythical let’s have a storybook romance <3 Jumping in da water and he has to rescue her and immediately gains 100 grey hairs. She gets her storybook ‘saved by the merman’ moment but at what cost. "WHAT ARE YOU DOINGGG" screaming, she gets scolded very much but it all goes in one ear out the other tbh. Selkie Chilchuck is even better with his secretiveness... How do you get around the fact you’re a seal? Iunno I’ve never been a seal Obsessed with the implications of his family in this. Except if his wife and daughters were humans and so his work travels are instead selkie shenanigans going out at sea for months on ends, I imagine they’d be selkies too… Did they get separated? Die? Is Chilchuck’s cowl in this one Flertom’s fur? :( Once more mentioning sea shanties Chilchuck btw, Roll the Old Chariot comes to mind… Ooough Song of the Sea from the movie that he sung to his daughters <33 I’m fine

With the researcher angle actually being pushed there are interesting plots and scenes you could think of obvi, but uh we kind of went off on the fisherman Chil Marcille selkie AU instead haha. It’d be cute if she ends up teaching him how to live on land in the end. Dresses him up like a funky lil guy. I went with tallman Chil when drawing it and selkie Marcille’s more elf-like, and for selkie Chil I’d imagine it’s the reverse where she’s tallman-like and he still looks like a halfling… Sea-related AUs are my weak spot <33

No matter how you turn it, Marcille is the instigator lol. Selkie Marcille: this little man… I want to know more about this human! Selkie Chilchuck = tries to avoid everything but this Marcille keeps chasing him! It’s her job to, Chilchuck minds his business!! He sees a sliver of something weird out at night? Not his job nope keep your nose out of that it’ll only bring you trouble. It’d have to really itch him at him for him to crack I think… Honestly he’d make a great lovecraftian horror protagonist lol. We love a girl with no chill and her nose in everyone’s business

Shout to to @dayundying, @cabinette, @soappox and @lucky-fydraws!! These people were there for the brainstorming and the writing of the scripture…

#Dunmeshi au #marchil #chilchuck tims #marcille donato #dredge au #Irish chilchuck ftw #also let’s be real chil would see a naked woman monster and be like oh… i am listening #Mean old fisherman ily. He wonders how seal jerky would taste. Surprisingly kind tho. Would pet the seal #If ppl want more specific credit or parts edited out just lmk #Tallman chilchuck

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bethanythebogwitch · 1 year ago

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Today's Wet Beast Wednesday is about sea otters. I was originally going to do this last week in honor of the 24th birthday of Rosa, the world's oldest sea otter (and one of the oldest sea otters on record) but, well, I forgot. But better late than never.

(Image: a sea otter on its back, yawning)

The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is one of only two otters to live in salt water, the other being the rare and poorly-understood marine otter (Lontra felina). Otters are aquatic mammals of the family Mustelidae, which makes them cousins to weasels, badgers, wolverines, and martens. While many mustelids can swim, otters have adapted to a primarily aquatic lifestyle. Sea otters are divided into three subspecies: the Asian sea otter (Enhydra lutris lutris) which lives from northernmost Japan up through the northwest Pacific, northern sea otter (E. l. kenyoni) which lives from Alaska down to Oregon, and the southern sea otter (E. l. nereis), found in California.

(image: a sea otter relaxing on a rock)

The sea otter is one of the smallest marine mammals (only the marine otter is smaller), yet it is also the heaviest of all mustelids. Males are larger than females, averaging between 1.2 and 1.5 meters (3'11" to 4'11") and 22 to 45 kg (49 to 99 lbs). Females average 1 to 1.4 m (3'3" to 4'7") and 14 to 33 kg (31 to 73 lbs). I honestly thought they were around the size of cats and was surprised to find out how big they can get. Otters are the most recent of the marine mammals and have not developed the thick layer of blubber other marine mammals use to keep themselves warm. Instead, sea otters warm themselves with the densest fur of any mammal, with almost a million hairs per square inch. The fur has two distinct layers: a longer layer of waterproof guard hairs and a shorter underfur layer. The guard hairs keep the underfur dry and trap air between the layers. This air gets heated by the otters body heat and provides an extra layer of insulation. This is the same principle that wet suits work on. The air layer also provides some added buoyancy. Sea otters are positively buoyant and can float on the surface of the water. There are many other adaptations to an aquatic lifestyle that sea otter have. Their feet are webbed and have long digits, allowing them to act as flippers but also making them slower and more clumsy on land. The front claws have retractable claws and pads that let them grab onto slippery objects. When swimming, they use their entire real bodies, but primarily their hind feet, for propulsion. They can hold their breath for up to five minutes and have whiskers used to search for food in darker water. Their ears and nostrils close when submerged to keep water out. While sea otter can, and often do, move around on land, they are capable of living their entire lives in the water. Some evolutionary biologists think sea otters represent an early stage of marine mammal development and can compare them to more established marine mammals like cetaceans and pinnipeds.

(image: a wet weasel holding a sea urchin)

Sea otters are carnivores whose diet consists mostly of hard-shelled invertebrates, though they will also eat fish. They forage for food on the sea floor in dives that usually last a minute. Their paws give them an advantage over other marine mammals, who can only use their mouths for capturing prey. Otters by contrast can pick up and move rocks and dig into the sediment. They are the only marine mammals to catch prey with their paws instead of teeth. Otters carry prey to the surface and eat while floating on their backs. Famously, they use rocks to break open the hard shells of their prey, making them one of the relatively few mammals to use tools (though tool use is proving to be more common than previously thought). Under each arm is a pouch of loose skin that is used to hold prey and rocks. Each otter has a favorite rock that they carry with them. Sea otters have blunt teeth used to crush through prey's shells.

(image: an otter dining on crab)

While sea otters do spend a lot of time in groups, they are not considered truly social animals as they forage, groom, and defend themselves on their own instead of with help. Groups of otters are called rafts that typically have between 10 and 100 members, but can reach up to 2000 members. Rafts are single sex, each having only male or female members. When resting, raft members will hold hands to keep themselves from drifting apart. One social behavior they engage in is play, which is done frequently. Mating season happens in autumn. During summer and autumn, males will attempt to establish territories and push other males out. Females mover between territories at will. Males without territories will swim around and attempt to find females in heat. Males will attempt to mate with multiple females. During estrus, the males and females will bond through play and sometimes aggressive behavior. When mating, the male will bite the female's head, which can leave scars. Otters are capable of delayed embryo implantation, where they can wait for several months between conception and the embryo beginning development. Pregnancy lasts four months and typically results in a single pup. While males are absentee fathers, females are very caring mothers who spend almost all their time caring for their pups. The only time she leaves her pup will be when diving. The pup will be left floating on the surface, often wrapped with kelp to keep it from floating away. The baby will cry for its mother until she comes back. The mother will teach her pup how to dive and forage as it ages. Pups will stay with their mothers for 6 to 8 months (longer in colder areas), and sometimes until they are fully developed. Childless females will foster orphaned pups. Females reach sexual maturity at age 3-4 and males around age 5. They average 10 - 15 years in the wild and can live significantly longer in captivity. The oldest living sea otter is Rosa, living in the Monterey Bay Aquarium, who is 24 years old. The oldest sea otter on record was a female named Etika who lived to be 28.

(image: two sea otters holding hands)

(image: a sea otter mother sleeping with its baby on its stomach)

Sea otters are a classic example of an endangered species. They have been hunted throughout history for their fur. Eventually, this reduced the world population to less than 2000 individuals. They are now the target of conservation measures worldwide and local and international protections, which has helped the population rebound. They still have not regained their historical population or range, though reintroduction measures have helped them reestablish in historical territories. The southern sea otters are the most endangered. Famously, almost all southern sea otters alive today are descended from a group of 50 discovered in 1938, when the subspecies was almost extinct. Sea otters are classified as endangered by the IUCN. Sea otters are a keystone species, having a major ecological impact on their habitats. Famously in California, the near-extinction of southern sea otters resulted in a population boon of sea urchins (their primary prey) which proceeded to kill vast areas of kelp forest. Curren threats include predation, pollution, and habitat loss. Oil spills are particularly devastating to sea otters, as the oil destroys the air layer in their fur, destroying their ability to keep themselves warm.

(image: an employee with MBARI releasing a rehabilitated sea otter back into the wild)

#wet beast wednesday #sea otter #otter #marine mammals #wet weasel #water weasel #moist mustelid #marine biology #biology #zoology #ecology #animal facts #adorable

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tyrantisterror · 3 months ago

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At Sea Without a Map pt. 13

(hey, look at that, an almost perfect 3 way split! Thanks to @fragmentaryremains and @zndr315-blog for submitting several questions/discussion prompts as well! I'll say that earns 4 questions a piece)

You decide upon three discussion topics, and decide to begin with the one that seems least personal, in order to work up the courage to discuss the other two. "What were those birds?" you ask. (Monster questions remaining: 3 of 4)

"Um, birds, I guess?" Calibani says with a shrug. "I've never seen anything like them before, to be honest." (She doesn't have an answer, so you get a mulligan! Monster questions remaining: 4 of 4)

"Well, are there any land creatures you do know of?" (Monster questions remaining: 3 of 4)

Calibani stops and thinks for a moment. "Um... I don't know. I don't go on land very often. I'm too vulnerable out of the water - I have to drag around this huge tail, and all of my blubber feels a lot heavier, so I end up moving so slowly. It's terrifying, really. Most of the creatures I've met were swimming in the sea, like me. But I have seen a few go onto land - turtles, crocodiles, and humans like you, for example. I don't know if that makes them land creatures, though."

It's not the most helpful answer, but it does illuminate some things. You hadn't considered that Calibani's, uh, voluptuousness would serve a purpose beyond luring people to their deaths, but sea animals do often need blubber for insulation and buoyancy. You briefly wonder why you knew that marine biology fact, which in turn inspires your next question. "Well, what sea creatures have you encountered, then?" (Monster questions remaining: 2 of 4)

"Oh, lots!" Calibani says with a smile. "There's all sorts of creatures out here in the Sea of Monsters, you know! Lots of fish, obviously, but I imagine you care more about the big-enough-to-eat-you things."

She takes another moment to think. "Hmm... tell you what, I've been kind of building a category system for them in my mind. Most of my fellow monsters can be sorted in two ways: first, by what kind of thing they are, and second, by how they hunt."

"There are four main kinds. The first are serpents - scaly, sinuous things like snakes, crocodiles, eels, and dragons. Second come fish, with their round bodies and flippers, i.e. sharks, whales, dolphins, seals and the like. Then there's tangle-limbs, critters with lots of arms like krakens, luscas, and squids. Finally there are armorskins, who are covered in skin as tough as rocks - crabs, lobsters, turtles, et cetera."

"But it's more pressing to think of how they hunt," Calibani says with the conviction of a creature that is neither the top nor bottom of her food chain. "You have trappers, who hide or disguise themselves and passively wait for food to come to them. Then you have lurers, like me, who actively attract prey by tempting them to be reckless. Hunters take it farther, pursuing their prey without subterfuge and taking it by brute force.

"Most monsters are those three types, but there are some that are even more dangerous - the big guys. There are island beasts, who spend most of their time sleeping and are so big that people mistake them for islands, only to realize too late that they're on a giant monster. And there are ship eaters, who look for large prey exclusively. Whenever you humans have a really big boat, a ship eater inevitably comes to tear it apart, which often gives creatures like me some free meals.

"But the most dangerous of all are the True Leviathans. They're unfathomably vast and live deep in the depths of the sea, but when they come up? EVERYONE has to run. They're stronger and nastier than any other sea monster, and when they go on the prowl, no one's safe."

She smiles at you, completely oblivious to how fucking terrifying that whole spiel was. "See, I'm a serpent lurer," she says. "It's not the most thorough system of classification, but it works pretty well, don't you think?"

You gulp, still processing the nightmares her description has conjured in your mind. "Are there any nice creatures?" you ask. "Social ones, like me, who just hang out together and talk and stuff?" (Monster questions remaining: 1 of 4)

"Well, we're all social to some degree," Calibani says. "I've had some great conversations with my fellow monsters when we were both well-fed. Most creatures are only antisocial when they're hungry, you know." Her eyes flit to the ocean as she tries to find a better answer to your question. "A lot of us go it solo, though, rather than staying in groups like you humans. Well, except..." She wrinkles her nose in disgust. "Except mermaids."

"Mermaids?"

"Yeah, fucking mermaids," Calibani sneers. "Stuck-up, haughty, vain, self-obsessed mermaids!" She grits her sharp, hooked fangs in anger. "Think they're better than everyone else because they're 'classically beautiful!' Fucking mermaids, Sailor, don't even get me started!"

You take her advice. "What about others of your kind? You're not the only one, surely?" (Monster questions remaining: 0 of 4)

Calibani's smile falters. "I don't know," she admits. "There might be others. There - there must be, right? Just because I've never seen or met any doesn't mean there aren't others like me out there. I can't - it'd be very sad if I was the only... oh..." She trails off, her eyes wide as she thinks about her own loneliness for a moment. "I don't like thinking about this question very much."

For her sake, you decide to change the topic. "So, you don't know who Shakespeare is-"

"Shakespeare's a person?"

"-but you do know who Jesus is," you ask, ignoring Calibani's interjection. "How's that work?" (Knowledge questions remaining: 3 of 4)

"Oh, that's easy," she says with a smile. "I learned about him from the pogos."

"...the pogos?" For a moment you think she's talking about the 50's novelty toy.

"Yeah, the pogos! They're a type of lake dragon. One pogo told me about a great land beast called the Jesus Christ. He's a terrible and powerful beast whose head is crowned with thorns, that roars like a lion and a lamb, whose tongue is a sword that he uses to slice the heads off his prey, and whose hands are constantly bleeding from the wounds inflicted upon him by his foes, the Romans. He buries his enemies in a pit of fire, which is grave disrespect given how fire is the opposite of water.

"Yet even though he is a land beast, he blesses his chosen with a sacrament of water, and if they prove their worth, he lets them suckle upon his divine blood, which turns to wine in their mouths. He is a vicious and violent monster, but he is also compassionate, and can make an endless amount of fish to feed the hungry. The pogos tell me that you can invoke his name in times of strife, be it out of fear or frustration, and he will work some of his inexhaustible power to help you navigate the situation as well as is possible. I don't know if I believe in such a creature, but there's no harm in borrowing someone else's lucky charms, right?"

You blink for a moment, considering the incredibly twisted version of Christianity this sea monster just relayed to you. "Well, it's less fucked up than what the Fundies believe," you mutter to yourself before going to the next question. "What about cheese and rice? You mentioned those too. How do you know about human foods when you've never eaten them before?" (Knowledge questions remaining: 2 of 4)

Calibani's smile becomes a bit nervous as she averts her eyes from yours. "Well, I listen in on human ships a lot," she says quietly. "Whenever I find one, anyway. Sometimes I have to wait a while before I can find a human waiting alone on a ship, so I end up overhearing a lot of conversations. I don't know what cheese and rice are beyond being some sort of food." She looks at the cooking stork thigh and licks her lips with her forked tongue. "Bet they taste good, though, especially when cooked."

"You'd win that bet." You smile, then feel your stomach grumble at the thought of some non-seafood. Living off of fish alone has been hard, and while the stork meat is a nice change of pace, you'd kill for some carbs to eat. "So is that how you learned how to speak? By listening to sailors?" (Knowledge questions remaining: 1 of 4)

"Oh no, not at all!" Calibani laughs. "I've always been able to speak!"

You shake your head. "No, someone must have taught you, right? Language is learned, after all."

"Hmm, no, I don't think so," Calibani replies. "I certainly don't remember anyone teaching me to speak. Why, do you remember someone doing that for you?"

That question hits you hard, because, well, you don't. You know that humans have to be taught language, from their parents and, like, school and stuff, but as you try to remember your own experiences with it you realize you have no recollection of who taught you to speak and how. It makes you wonder if you and Calibani have more in common than you thought. "Do you remember your childhood, Calibani?" (Knowledge questions remaining: 0 of 4)

"Of course! I hatched out of a little egg, and started swimming around looking for something to eat. Of course, I was a lot smaller then, and a lot of things thought I looked like something to eat, so I had to learn to be quick on my fins pretty fast. I kept my wits about me, ate what I could when I could, and got big and strong enough to stake out a territory of my own away from the bigger fish, and all in all it's been pretty nice!" She looks at her tail, much smaller than it used to be, and sighs. "It's going to be a while before I'm back to that size, though. Guess I've got my work cut out for me!"

Despite everything, you find yourself feeling a bit guilty about that. You shouldn't, of course - you were just trying to survive yourself, and it's not like you meant to run her over with your boat or drop her down the stairs, and none of that would have happened if she had left you alone in the first place. But if you have a right to survive, doesn't she?

Lost in thought, it takes a moment for you to notice you've allowed an awkward silence to fall on the conversation. Calibani is looking at her tail with a forlorn expression, clearly lost in her own anxieties too. A part of you insists that you try to lift her spirits, and, perhaps unfortunately, it does so by suggesting you flirt with her.

"So... were you singing when I found you?" you ask, remembering the melody you faintly heard when you saw her distant silhouette in the stormy sea the night before. "Because if so, you have a beautiful voice." (Flirts remaining: 3 of 4)

That makes her perk up immediately. "Oh, thank you! I flatter myself to think so, too. I love singing, it's my favorite hobby! And it's so good at luring... um... that is... humans like it a lot, too." She blushes blue in embarrassment at the faux pas of mentioning the people-eating thing that's clearly a point of contention with you.

Another awkward silence, and another angle for flirting comes to your mind. "It was really impressive how you killed that stork. You're really strong!" (Flirts remaining: 2 of 4)

"Oh, pshaw!" Calibani scoffs. "You could have done the same, surely!"

"No, really, I couldn't," you say.

Calibani peers at you intensely with a concerned expression on her face. "I would have said the same before today," she replies. "You never know until you try. You're the one who taught me how to use that harpoon, you know, I bet you're even better with it than I am. And if you're not, well, maybe you're just out of practice?" She gives you a small smile. "I bet you're stronger than you think."

You blush beneath the high collar of your raincoat. "I'm glad you like that sweater I gave you. I was worried the wool might be scratchy." (Flirts remaining: 1 of 4)

A wide smile spreads across Calibani's face as she rubs the sleeve on her cheek again. "Are you kidding? This thing is so soft and fuzzy, I love it! I've never felt anything like it on my scales and skin before, it's so nice!" She rubs her hand over the fleece and gives the sweater a warm look. "I've never really needed to wear clothing before, but now that I've tried it, I have to say I love it. It does get kind of heavy when it's wet, though."

"Yeah, we'll need to wash and dry it," you say. "I can find you something else to wear while we do that, though. I think there were a few other sweaters below deck."

"I'd love that!" Calibani says. "But I think this one might be my favorite. It's my first, after all."

Something in your heart warms at that. You made a pretty girl happy! Yeah, she's also a man-eating monster, but still, props for that! "I'm glad I met you, Calibani," you say earnestly. "It's been pretty lonely out here on the sea, and I know we had a rocky start, but it's nice to have made a friend." (Flirts remaining: 0 of 4)

Her serpentine eyes go wide as a deep blue blush fills her cheeks. "Friends?" she squeaks out while sinking into her vast mane of hair a bit, all while her smile slowly grows. "I'm glad we're friends, too." Her smile becomes absolutely euphoric even as she withdraws further, and eventually she shakes her head and blurts out, "We're talking about me too much! What about you, Sailor? Tell me about you!"

That's hard question to answer when you have amnesia, so you consult your compass.

#At Sea Without a Map #ASWaM Chapter 2: Tree Storks

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sterekchub · 1 year ago

Note

Derek works as a trainer at an aquatic amusement park. The whales are rubbing off on him.

I’m picturing a park stuck in the 80s. The local aquatic park that should have been closed 10 years ago, and back in its glory days was overflowing with guests. And now it sits luckily to see 100 guests a day, with 80s lighting and fake plastic plants around the walkways, with the dolphin tanks empty.

Stiles is an environmental activist who comes by on weekends- their busiest days, to protest. The staff all know him by name.

Including Derek, nephew of the owner and reluctant whale “trainer”. He has no experience or education on animals other than having worked in the park since he was young. They do the best they can, but failing attendance means falling revenue, and they cut corners where they can. It also means their one orca whale left in captivity isn’t going to have a tank mate anytime soon.

But the whale shows are still one of their few draws. So three times a day on weekends, Derek pulls on his 80s wetsuit and stands by the tank throwing fish into the water for the orca to catch, and lecturing the crowd about whale facts that he could recite in his sleep.

Stiles was at his latest show, which was usual: he had always protested from outside their gates and Peter had made it pretty clear not to allow him further in.

“I thought you didn’t want to support this place?”

Stiles grins. “Who said I bought a ticket?”

“I could have you arrested. You better not be here to vandalize anything.”

“Maybe I just had questions about whales.”

Derek snorted. If not wasn’t on his prewritten script, he didn’t know it.

“You know they do better in packs, right?”

“She was a rescue and her 2 packmates died.”

“So why keep her here?”

“We are a business,” Derek sighed. “We have to make money and whale shows are the only thing that bring people in. No money, no animal care or rescue. All our animals get the best medical care and treatment.”

“That you can afford.”

Derek walked away. Stiles didn’t follow him. That night, he dreamed he was in the middle of the ocean, alone with no one around. Tired of swimming, he decided to open his mouth, but instead of drowning he found himself filling up with water like an expanding water balloon.

***

Stiles started making a habit of coming to each of his shows. And every night after, Derek would have strange dream.

“Did you know male orcas weigh about 5 tons?”

“Rosie is a female.”

A disconcerting grin. “I know.”

That night Derek dreams his wet suit is stuck during one of his shows. He tugs and pulls and when it does finally come lose, waves of blubber come spilling out. It takes him a few minutes to realize that it’s all *him*- a belly that hangs to his knees, moobs sagging down on top it, and love handles and side rolls that seem to stack on top of each other endlessly….

***

“Some orcas eat 500lbs a day.”

“She only eats 200-300 pounds.”

“Maybe you don’t feed her enough.”

“Maybe you should work here,” Derek shot back, “since you seem to know everything.”

That night he was walking up to Rosie’s tank…except instead of seeing her, or seeing any water at all, the tank enclosure was filled with nothing but comically large foods . Derek found himself climbing up the ladder and throwing himself in, landing on top of a burger bun, which cushioned his fall….

***

“Orcas have been known to eat seals or even penguins.”

“We don’t feed her penguins. Or seals.”

“Why not?”

“Go home, Stiles.”

He can’t seem to get out of his dream. He’s in bed, and when he goes to move he finds he just…can’t. Feels heavy and weighed down and even his arms don’t seem to want to move. He opens his eyes and all he sees is a flesh colored mountain obscuring his view, pushing up against his chins, making it hard to breathe..::he wakes up gasping for air and is late to work in the morning.

****

Two weeks after Stiles first visits into the park, Derek comes into work to see a crane over the orca tank.

Peter looks less upset than Derek thought he would be losing the star of their park.

“Could try and get dolphins back.”

Peter shakes his head. “I’ve been having some words with that activist and….I must say he has some compelling ideas.”

“An animal free aquarium doesn’t bring in customers!”

“Don’t worry, nephew. This is a first of its kind idea….”

****

Derek wakes up that night to a bag over his head and someone binding his hands and dragging him out of bed.

***

A year later, a brand new sign is added to entrance to the whale stadium and tank. “Opening Next Month: Hale the Human Whale!”

Stiles sits in Derek’s old wetsuit by the feeding pen, where Derek is sitting in shallow water, no more than six feet, cheeks swollen and mouth closed around a feeding pump. Stiles checks the tank, remarking “good job, Der! Only 50,000 calories left” before jumping into the water and starting to massage and oil Derek’s mounds of blubber to try and reduce the new collection of stretchmarks that seemed to appear overnight.

After months and months of being pumped full of high-calorie slop, Derek stopped protesting. He was just a ideal whale. It had been so long since he had been able to move let alone walk, and now he could roll over and float around in this shallow tank.

When the feeding tank was finally empty, Derek rolled over and let his food swollen belly hang down, the sheer weight and pressure of the nearly half ton ball of lard take off his back. Belly rumbling, he opened his mouth and let out a long, deep belch.

Stiles laughed. “Sorry, I don’t speak whale…and now you’re fed, time to train!”

Derek was too full to care about how humiliating it was to roll over and do tricks command. He liked food. He needed more food to keep him pleasurably full and aching and increasingly heavier and heavier.

Stiles held a bucket of shrimp and said “roll!” Derek obliged, the movement causing his stuffed gut to protest and another rumbling burp escaped.

“Speak!”

“Want….more.” Derek grunted. Stiles tossed him the entire bucket and he finished it in a matter of seconds. After a few more minutes of lazily bobbing around in the water, Stiles pushed him back towards his feeding tube.

“Eat up. Show opens in a month and you need to be at least a ton by then… can’t have people thinking we don’t feed our animals!”

Derek was too busy eating to hear him.

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doodlebob54 · 5 months ago

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I felt like shearing more info about the sea critters au, bc im bored, so here it goes

Mintiy, she is based on a killer whale and has an extremely playful nature. She comes from Arctic Waters and got separated from her family when she got captured by earth dwellers. She isn't very fond of them as they caused her to lose her family. (Mintiy belongs to @marbarmars )

Sasha, unlike their land counterparts, Sasha doesn't have coloured hair nor a skeletal arm they are a fighter fish with a missing eye using keelp as a bandage and mistaking playfulness with needless aggressiveness, they can also be extremely territorial at time to time. But extremely welcoming to those they meet outside of their territory.

Fawful, he is a leopard seal that was brought to the warmer waters via boat as a group of fishermen caught him, and he escaped but got trapped in the warmer environment and doesn't know how to get back, he made his glasses out broken bottoms of bottles and sea weed tieing them together, he may look adorable but he did eat an penguin once, he is extremely intelligent but also curious which got him chased by dark star.

Dark Star is a great withe shark that dwells near underwater caves. He is extremely aggressive and predatory around any living thing he enjoys eating other mer people and can smell blood from 400 miles, which is really impressive he doesn't go out of his territory for too long, so no other creature steals it he also heavily avoid ls kelp forests .

Bean Star, she is a sea horse with beautiful yellow and green patterns. Her domain is the kelp forest, and she is very nurturing and kind to other mer people. She is always up for helping those in need by providing a safe home and a lot of food for anyone who gets here. She created a safe bubble around the forest, keeping those who would harm others outside of it

Naspi, he is, like Sasha, a fighter fish, but he is more chill than them. He takes a great interest in human stuff, especially hippie themed ones. He takes refuge near the docs, where he has access to all the garbage people throw at the ocean. He crafts his own custom jewellery made from fishing net, sea glass, and plastic. His plant powers are only limited to plant life in the ocean. (Naspi belongs to @parmsnik )

Ben, he is a captain on a battle ship sent to concure the port by his Queens orders (i changed the status of Elder princess Shroob). Unfortunately, he fell in love with a siren (aka Sasha) and had a half blooded kid with them, and now he is afraid of confrontation from his leader. (Ben belongs to @aliencatwafers )

Peasley owns a hunting ship, as he hunts down mer people for their skin, blubber, or even meat. Despite his charisma and cute appearance, he is a complete sadist as he takes great joy in capturing the sea critters.

Rallye, she is the daughter of a sea critter and a captain, she being half blooded allows her to be a great swimmer and a diver as her anatomy is similar to the one of an amphibian

#fawful #oc #peasley #au #dark star #bean star

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walk-the-plank-the-what · 8 months ago

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Would mermaids live like animals or do they have more structured society like humans? So maybe they live in underwater houses and stay “inside” more than they go outside? Bc they’re basically sentient people, and humans eventually went towards living inside and having societal structure, so if a merperson were captured and put in an aquarium with fish, that would be like putting a human in a forest enclosure with bugs and mice and stuff instead of a house with plumbing. And by the logic that they treat the rest of the ocean like ppl treat the earth, would they have pets? Bc they probably wouldn’t just have a slew of fish friends unless they were some kind of conservationist or something.

Also, I feel like merppl would definitely need plumbing bc otherwise they just breathe in their own nastiness all day

And maybe they prepare their food in a way comparable but different to how we cook food, so just throwing a few fish into their enclosure for them to eat is like if your captors handed you a live bird and expected you to swallow it whole

And if they do live in societies, idk if they would wear clothes or anything like that, but they would have to manufacture materials that don’t degrade underwater as easily, for both clothing and for buildings and tools, and would human captors be prepared to provide more of those if needed? Or they might just have blubber, or be cold blooded and so it’s meaningless for them to have heat insulation

Also, would they have copper-based blood instead of iron based blood like horseshoe crabs? Bc most fish have iron based blood anyway and bleed red, but idk the specific conditions that allowed for some animals to have copper-based blue blood

But maybe land is the only place sentient life like humans could form due to it being important to survival, bc in the ocean sentient life is mostly octopi or dolphins, and they didn’t need to evolve past that for survival so they didn’t, and so all these questions about if they would have inherited a need for societal structure and houses and clothes are meaningless.

#mermaids #mermay #im a little late to mermay but I just thought of this and like an ancient philosopher I simply had to carve my thoughts in stone #merpeople #merman #mermaid #merperson #mermaid anatomy #mermaid society #bc like how did society even form and would the same conditions be applicable for merpeople #but obviously NOT bc mermaids don’t exist #unless you count octopi #and unless they just hide from people and live in the deep ocean #lol I started this with genuine curiosity #and ended with the realization that humans with tails isn’t the ideal body type in the ocean

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snoffyy · 2 years ago

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Chasm

There were creatures in the ocean. This, Yue had known all her life. Turtle seals, whale-walruses, koala otters… these were creatures everyone within the tribe was familiar with. Revered them, in a way. They gave her people food, warmth, clothing, tools. Every creature had purpose, and every purpose was thanked. Here, in the harsh, biting cold, their lives depended on it.

But there were other creatures. Stories of humans with fish tails. Translucent fins, scintillating scales, sleek, powerful muscles. They’d fascinated Yue when she was younger, and though there was enough evidence to prove these creatures were out there, most people went a lifetime without catching a glimpse of them.

Mermaids.

Every region of the world hosted them. Even in the bitter poles, they were there. Somewhere out there, at least.

Sometimes, Yue wondered if they led much more different lives than their land-dwelling counterparts.

Or, at least, Yue thought, as she clasped the betrothal necklace chained around her throat, if they led easier lives.

Ever since her engagement had been announced, Yue found herself wandering to the edge of the city to stare at the sunset, as if to count down the days of relative freedom she had left. It was peaceful outside of the towering walls, and the waters had always looked so pretty under the light of the setting sun.

“It’s my duty,” Yue said unconvincingly to the lapping waters. “I have to marry him. If I don’t, it will cause strife within the tribe. I have to. I must.”

The waters didn’t reply, of course.

“We can cooperate,” Yue continued. “My father wouldn’t have approved the betrothal if Hahn was unreasonable. I’m sure, at the very least, we can unite our interests in protecting the city.”

Below the waters, Yue thought she saw the shadowy mass of a seal animal flit briefly.

“The only reason my father would break the engagement is if Hahn did something truly terrible or if… I don’t know, he was accidentally killed during a hunt.”

A splash, and gentle ripples spread in a circular pattern. Yue smiled slightly. So she was correct; there had been an animal lurking within the waters.

“I shouldn’t say that,” Yue chided herself. “That’s horrible.”

Day after day, she returned to the waters, sometimes sitting in silence, sometimes talking about her day. More often than not, she’d unspool her thoughts about her impending marriage to Hahn. And without fail, the same animal she’d spotted that day would accompany her. She never managed to discern what animal it was, but she’d spy hints of it, from the dark mass travelling beneath the ice to the ripples and splashes it would make as if to agree with her words.

It was likely a large animal if the size of the splashes were any indication. She knew little else. Of its colouring, of its shape, of anything that could’ve given a hint as to what she was spilling her thoughts to.

One day, Yue had brought along a piece of raw meat, curious to see if it was a carnivorous animal. She’d tossed it into the water close to where she had seen the last indication of a splash before she returned home.

What a surprise it was to see the meat sitting on the ice the next day, completely untouched. As soon as she peered over the edge of the ice, a large splash caught her right in the face, the sound of a tail slapping against the water the only confirmation that it was the creature clearly miffed by her offering.

Raw seaweed? Tossed back.

Seal blubber? A tentative nibble taken out of a corner before it was left on the ice as well.

Finally, she brought a bowl of soup, setting it next to the water’s edge as if in offering.

The next day, an empty bowl greeted her.

It was amusing, in a way. Though Yue had to wonder what sort of high-intelligence animal had been keeping her company.

“What are you?” she finally asked after a week of leaving plated meals. “Who are you?”

A splash, and in the sunset, Yue stared, wide-eyed, as a long tail arched out of the ocean, water sluicing off glimmering crimson scales. It was nothing she had ever seen before. An indescribable beauty, almost otherworldly…

And then it was gone, slipping back into the water silently.

“Mermaid…” she breathed.

It was her secret, and it was supposed to remain her secret. Though the mermaid never fully revealed themselves, they seemed to be more comfortable with showing off their tail, lazily flicking it above the waves every so often or even giving her a glimpse as they dove into the depths.

Sometimes, if she was very lucky, she’d even see a flash of pale skin.

But she should’ve known that Hahn would grow curious. He’d been curious for a while, asking – no, demanding – to know where she ran off to at the end of every day.

She just hadn’t anticipated that he’d follow her.

“So this is what you’ve been doing every day?”

Yue paled, turning around to see Hahn pinning her with a fathomless stare.

“You’re giving our food to some animal?” Hahn scoffed. Then he seemed to remember himself, and a sickly-sweet smile spread across his face. “Sorry. I just meant, Yue, surely if you wanted to feed the animals, it’d be better to give them scraps instead?”

“They… have different tastes,” Yue managed.

“They’re just animals,” Hahn sighed. “They’ll be happy with bones. Besides, all animals are good for is for food and clothing. You know this, Yue.”

“They’re not…” Yue bit her lip. “Never mind.”

“Come on, let’s go.”

Yue reluctantly turned to head back with her fiancé, though not without gently setting the bowl of stew on the ice.

A week before the wedding, Hahn followed her out onto the ice again, this time with a spear.

“What are you doing with that?” Yue asked warily, hesitant to peer over the edge as she usually would.

Hahn smirked, flicking his hair out of his face. “Hunting. The wedding is in a week, and I’m supposed to provide the centrepiece of the banquet.”

“Right,” Yue said guardedly. “What are you planning on hunting?”

Her heart sank when Hahn approached the edge of the ice, the gleaming edge of the spear made sharper yet under the rays of the setting sun.

“I came out the other day at noon,” Hahn grinned. “And I saw something move underwater. It must’ve been your little friend. Red scales, too. There isn’t anything here that has red scales. Something that exotic would make our wedding the wedding of the century.”

“You can’t!” Yue protested. “That’s not a simple-minded animal, it’s… it’s…”

“It’s what, Yue?” Hahn asked, scanning the waters. “Come on, you can’t possibly think it’s a pet.”

“No,” Yue grabbed his arm, “but trust me when I say you can’t. Please, don’t do this. There are other animals that you can hunt, just not this one.”

Hahn’s eyes hardened. “Let go, Yue. You don’t know what you’re talking about. I knew I should’ve brought this up with your father. Do you even know what animal it is?”

“It’s not an animal,” Yue admitted. “Hahn, you can’t kill them.”

“Them?” Hahn echoed.

He was to be her husband, wasn’t he? It made sense to trust him, to divulge her secrets. How else was a relationship supposed to work? But reluctance stayed her hand, and she found herself at a loss for words.

“You can’t,” she repeated weakly.

And then, a trill.

Melodic, deep, crooning. Yue had heard many a song in her life. The greatest musicians in the Northern Water Tribe had sung at grand celebrations, fantastic orators reciting poems and stories of old. And yet none of them could compare to what she was hearing.

Hahn, on the other hand, was completely entranced. Enthralled in a way that was unnatural. Certainly not in the way he dropped his spear, stumbling closer to the edge, his eyes fixated on something in the water.

“Hahn,” Yue tugged at his arm, trying to shake off the reverie. “Hahn, get away from the water.”

“No,” Hahn murmured. “No. Let me go. I… I need to go to… I need to…”

Something, someone, crested out of the ocean. A head of brown hair, amber eyes, a proud nose. A man.

A man? Human?

No. A smattering of red scales crawled up the man’s neck, as crimson as the tail Yue had seen over the past few weeks.

Mermaid?

The man opened his mouth, revealing sharp teeth.

And then he sang.

Hahn tore himself out of Yue’s grip, diving into the water in a mad scramble. She shouted in alarm, reaching out for him, but her hand missed him by miles, and with a resounding splash, Hahn started desperately swimming towards the man.

And the man… the merman, dove towards Hahn, still trilling that haunting melody. It happened faster than Yue could comprehend. One moment Hahn was bobbing in the water, and the next, he was gone, dragged into the depths, not even a spread of blood in the water to indicate he was ever there.

Neither Hahn nor the merman resurfaced again.

She blamed it on a piranha shark.

Her father accepted the explanation after one look at her tear-streaked face. The rest of the tribe too believed her story after Hahn’s corpse was fished out of the ocean the next day, several bites taken out of him, piranha shark teeth embedded into the open wounds.

Too ambitious, she heard the warriors sigh as they dressed his body. He shouldn’t have tried to hunt a piranha shark. Land animals would have been easier. At least he’d have more of a chance on the tundra.

Two weeks later, Yue returned to the ice edge.

She hadn’t even needed to wait a minute before the man appeared before her, resting his arms on the ice. Amber eyes peered at her curiously, surprisingly warm for someone who clearly had no qualms drowning a person.

“Why did you do it?” Yue asked.

The merman lifted a brow in amusement. “He wanted to kill me.”

His voice was deep. It had no underlying musical quality to it, unlike that night. But Yue still remained wary, making sure she was more than an arm’s length away from the water.

“I was going to stop him.”

The merman hummed, tail flicking behind him. His fins were broad, powerful, sending a strong ripple with such a lackadaisical action. “Hmm. I’m sure.”

“I didn’t know mermen could be so violent,” Yue admitted.

At that, he perked up, grinning as if she had unwittingly told a joke that only he understood.

“Merman,” he repeated, chuckling. “How quaint.”

Then he trilled once more, and the same thrall from that night overtook her. But before she could attempt to shake it off, he vanished into the waters, leaving her alone once more.

She had an epiphany, then. The trills, the singing, the drowning…

She paled. How could she forget? Mermaids dominated the fantastical tales she adored, but there were other creatures out there. Other creatures that did not possess nearly the same innocent reputation mermaids did.

No, not merman, indeed.

Siren.

#hahahaha me with my weird ass ideas in the middle of the night #zhayu #fried fish #although the fish is taken a little too literally #but listen #i have thoughts #why is yue not as affected? mebbe cos she has a form of spiritual protection #and zhao idk why he's in the north #but hey he got free food

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thisblogisblank · 2 years ago

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THE AR!WUBBOXES ARE FUCKIGN F I N ALLY DONE

Okay so before going into this, important info to know: so during the war, the Epics were created by Galvana to defend their home islands, and were boxed and hidden in preparation. However, Galvana y'know. Died, and they were never activated. Common and Rare later found out about their existence, and set out to activate them all again.

NOW ONTO THE BIOS

"Common, the eldest and firstborn (first created?) Wubbox, was designed to output insane levels of electricity, capable of blowing out entire cities with just a fraction of his power. After the war, he was left a shaken mess, and lost his sense of trust in almost everything, say for his closest compatriots. Behind his cold, defensive exterior, however, lies a nurturing, loving creature, willing to risk himself to save those he cares for. Just pray you don’t end up on the underside of his metallic boots, like a certain someone."

"If you hear the crackling of electricity and ear-shattering garbled computer lingo, then you’ve most likely come across Rare, the second oldest Wubbox in existence. After being assaulted by his own mother, he was left severely damaged, holding onto life by a thread - but he doesn’t let that get in the way of singing his (metaphorical) heart out! This Wubbox is full of love for anything and everything, living life to its fullest; he even learned to harness the power of the Rift, so he can cross dimensions and explore - with the supervision of his slightly finicky older brother."

"The daintiest of the Epics, the Epic Plant Wubbox Evergreene is known for his serene, pacifistic nature. Small-ish and nimble, he is fit to navigate the viney overgrowth of plant island without destroying it in the process. However, do not take his kindness for weakness, for despite his diminutive stature and gentle soul, he takes his job as protector of Plant Island seriously, and, even with his distaste for violence, will defend his home with his life."

"Is it cold outside? Maybe, but that’s just how flurry, the Epic Wubbox of Cold Island, likes it! Gentle, and selfless, he looks over the snowy Tundra he reigns over with a careful, if heavy, eye. Much like many of Cold Island’s resident monsters, Flurry is quite dozy and cuddly, and spends his spare time napping or simply resting in the center of the island. Flurry was designed with built-in heating, to keep him from freezing over in the midst of battle, but nowadays it serves a new purpose - to warm up monsters who lack enough fur, feathers, or blubber to withstand their harsh environment."

"While most things on and around Air Island are eye-catching and flashy, the most extravagant creature there is Skydancer, the resident Epic Wubbox. With his stunning colors and melodic song, there’s no wonder why he’s the centerpiece of the island more often than not.Those colors and wings aren't just for show, though. His bright patterns are designed to disorient enemies, and his wings are powerful enough to stir up tornadoes! Despite literally being built for the spotlight, however, Skydancer is quite shy and bashful, and prefers to stay away from the attention as much as possible. Though, just like his human-world counterparts, Skydancer is territorial and, if pushed, will respond to threats with aggression. You know what they say, even a worm, or, in this case, a caterpillar, will turn."

"Inarguably the most animalistic of the Wubboxes, Leviathan (or Levi for short) takes great joy in startling unsuspecting monsters. With his huge form, sharp teeth and ability to swim completely silently, it’s no surprise that he’s good at what he does! One of Galvana’s proudest creations, Levi is over 100 feet tall, but can swim as quick as a torpedo in the water, and can decimate an entire fleet of ships in seconds! However, his size and weight does make him a tad clunky on land - like a fish out of water. Despite his fearsome appearance and abilities, this hyperactive Wubbox is among the friendliest, and loves just having a fun time with the other residents of Water Island, who are just as beastly as he is.. In a good way, of course!"

"Despite all of the other Wubboxes turning over a new leaf, there’s one that still hasn’t quite let go of his war-ready, violent tendencies, and that is Inferno, the Epic Wubbox of Earth Island. With saliva of molten metal, and sharp claws perpetually at the ready, this robotic monster is prepared to fight anything, anywhere, anytime, even if it doesn’t pose much of a threat at all - yeah, his awakening was kind of a mess, and the Monster Handlers’ documentation of him even more so. He’s able to be tamed with one thing and one thing only, though: the very monsters he’s designed to protect. His greatest fear is accidentally harming one of the Earth Island creatures, and softens up considerably around them to avoid one of his iconic outbursts ending in tragedy. So if you want to be safe from any and all threats, try and be accepted as one of Inferno’s very own, and absolutely nothing will be able to get to you."

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

And there they are!!!!!! I'm sorry this took so long, I had to write 7 bios and digitize 7 fullbodies, it was h e l l. The Celestials should be next but like.. that's 12 fullbodies and bios, and frankly I'll just save that for summer.

Like always, if you have any questions about em, just lemme know!!!! I'm happy to answer any and all of em :]

#my singing monsters #msm #wubbox #blank's art #alternate realities

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rafalestorm413 · 2 years ago

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Wonder Tummy Jisung Chapter 7 The Deal

TW: Burps, soft vore

Where was Jisung's family, parents? These were the questions Minho asked himself every morning when he woke up. Jisung had been there for a week and he had become very attached to him.

And there was another, who had become attached, despite appearances. Hyunjin. This morning, he saw Jisung enter the bathroom at the same time as him. This place had become their meeting place, and often their place of argument. Hyunjin held out his hands towards him.

"Spit my stuff, Barf Bag~"

Without further ado, a burp shook the walls. Hyunjin grabbed his clothes and toiletry bag. Then Jisung sighed and walked out of the bathroom. Wanting to enter his bedroom, he was so distracted that he entered Hyunjin's. He fell asleep directly when he lay down on his bed.

When he woke up, he saw Hyunjin, painting a paper sheet. Watercolor was placed right next to his sheet. He was so focused on his drawing that he didn't notice Jisung hunched over him. Hyunjin's artwork was actually the inside of his belly.

"It's similar."

Hyunjin jumped and let go of his brush.

"What… I thought you were sleeping!"

"Yeah, not anymore."

He looked at what he was drawing and allowed himself to take the sheet. Hyunjin had reproduced an exact copy of his belly.

"You enjoyed it, right? You liked ?"

Ashamed, Hyunjin lowered his head. There was something appealing. He wanted to know more. It was a new world for the five senses.

"Yes…"

"It's that why you can't stand me?"

Hyunjin nodded silently. He bit his lower lip and pretended to continue his drawing. He awkwardly reached for the young man's belly. Jisung let him do. After all, he was doing nothing wrong. He finished his drawing, the sensation of touch had visibly inspired him. The painting was beautiful and very realistic. But Jisung had doubts about a possible voraphile kink towards Hyunjin. He ends up going out to join Minho.

Later that day, at mealtime, Jisung's stomach suddenly started making a funny noise, like a vibration. He burped and Changbin's phone slipped on the table.

For once, Hyunjin didn't comment on hygiene or politeness. He was very flushed and continued to eat nervously as Changbin was talking on the phone with his mother.

Jisung glanced at Hyunjin with a smile. He knew he had a little secret. It was still cold at this time of year. Jisung was the only one not wearing warm clothes. He had blubber, fat that sea animals use to keep them warm. And he took pleasure in teasing Hyunjin. He knew that he dreamed of being warm, inside his belly. Besides, he could see Hyunjin's gaze on him. He laughed internally. This fool was beginning to admit that he liked his.

In the afternoon, the loudest burp Hyunjin had ever heard in his life jolted him awake from his nap.

"Barf Bag… Why did you wake me up!…"

"I have a deal ~"

Hyunjin raised an eyebrow.

"Yes ?"

"A nap in my belly every day. In exchange, you leave me alone~"

"You took me for a vor-"

Hyunjin stopped short in his sentence…

"Yes, go ahead, say it ~ By the way, I'll reveal your little secret to everyone if you don't accept."

Hyunjin finally accepted, his dignity had taken a hit.

This is how shortly before the evening meal, away from prying eyes, Hyunjin slips his head into Jisung's mouth.

"Oh, disgusting… It's sticky and it smells like sardines in there…"

Jisung pushed him inside, and a tiny Hyunjin slid into Jisung's stomach. It was spacious, and oddly comfortable. He found a pink wall where to spend the few hours in his belly. He finally managed to find his phone, which Jisung had swallowed earlier that day.

The atmosphere was humid and warm, with a strong smell of fish. For once, Hyunjin said nothing. A transparent viscous liquid stuck to him. Probably drool… Then he fell asleep.

A gurgle as loud as a the thunder echoed in Jisung's endless belly, then, a powerful belch ejected Hyunjin after two hours. He landed on his bed, looking terrified.

"Barf Bag… Would you mind telling me?!"

"You slept so well, I wasn't going to wake you up…~"

Hyunjin sat up painfully. He couldn't help smiling when he saw him leaving the room. He was cute though.

At dinnertime, Minho noticed that Hyunjin and Jisung seemed to like each other a little more. He noted, however, that Hyunjin was red as a tomato and didn't look comfortable, while Jisung wore a smirk. And as if to tease him, Jisung let out a little burp, and a doll with long hair the same color as Hyunjin's fell into his plate. Hyunjin flushed even more.

Back to the bedroom, Minho lay down in the bed next to Jisung.

"What did you do to Hyunjin? He looks terrified…"

"Ahah, I discovered his little secret~"

He approached Minho's ear. His eyes widened as he heard the revelation Jisung had just made to him.

"Wait, you're telling me that he likes to be eaten? … But why?"

"I dunno. Anyway, he leaves me alone now…"

Minho was still scared… He loved Jisung so much… He didn't want Hyunjin to take his place…

#stray kids fanfic #stray kids #bang chan #lee minho #lee know #seo changbin #hwang hyunjin #han jisung #lee felix #kim seungmin #yang jeongin #burping #burping kink #vorekink #vore kink

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quillpokebiology · 1 year ago

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I hope you don't mind but can you please tell me fun facts about Skitty and Wailord and also HOW CAN THEY POSSIBLY BREED?

I already did Skitty Facts, but I cam do Wailord Facts.

Also, they can breed because Wailord were originally a land pokemon millions of years ago, but they evolved to be sea pokemon. Usually by this time, they'd evolve to be fully in one of the water egg groups, but for some reason, they didn't. But they're still mammals and are still in the field egg group bcuz of it. Pokenon are weird.

Wailord Facts

(Art by PinkGermy on Deviantart)

-The scientific name for Wailord is "Curlgidus grandis" which roughly translates to "Big blue blubber"

-Like stated before, Wailord are mammals and can't breathe underwater. It's also one of the reasons why they're in the field egg group, since mostly mammals are in the field egg group

-Their closest relatives are Cetitan, Palafin, and, surprisingly, Hippowdon

-While they can't breathe underwater, Wailord will dive up to 10,000 feet (3,048 meters) deep into the ocean to look for food. Their main diets are small fish, which they swallow in big gulps

-Wailord live in pods of other Wailords, usually in groups of 4 to 5. They're very protective of their pods, and defend them from their main enemies, Sharpedo and Dhelmise

-Wailord is the largest non legendary/mythical pokemon (that we know of)

-Despire their height, they are incredibly light for their size and some people have claimed they've seen Wailord floating and playfully flopping around on beaches

-In Galar, it is illegal to dynimax a Wailord because of an incident that happened around five years ago,, where have of Hammerlocke was destroyed

-Wailord watching is most popular in Galar and Alola. The Wailord in the Crown Tundra tend to have more blubber due to the colder temperatures

-Due to their size, Wailord crossbreeds are incredibly rare. But a popular one is Palafin and Wailord since they're in the same family and have similar enough biology

-Trainers should be very careful when choosing a Wailord. Their size is inconvenient in domestic settings, and keeping them in their ball for too long can make them get antsy. The best places to train a Wailord are in places with large oceans nearby

-Wailord eggs are the largest eggs of any pokemon (that we know of)

-Wailord bath toys are very popular amongst children, especially in places like Galar and Unova. The most common shaped toys are toy submarines and blimps resembling Wailord

-Unlike humans, every breath Wailord takes is conscious. This is because if they breathed unconsciously, they would end up dead at the bottom of the ocean

-Wailord will 'wail' to communicate to other Wailords. Their voices are very loud and can cause permanent esr damage, but it's also stated to be very beautiful

#wailord #quill awnsers #skitty #rotomblr #pokemon irl #pokeblogging #pokeblog #irl pokemon #pokemon #pokeblr #rotumblr #pkmn irl #pokemon roleplay #irl pkmn #hoenn pokedex #pokedex

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averageclawcodeenjoyer · 9 months ago

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Okay so hear me out on SIREN + SELKIE AU. THIS SAME DYNAMIC, BUT MILES G IS A SIREN (totally not based off a betta fish because I think that would be super pretty). HEAR ME OUT ON GANKE BEING A SILVER HARBOR/SPOTTED SEAL WHO WEARS HIS FUR COAT EVERYWHERE WITH HIM BECAUSE "ITS FASHIONABLE" OR "ITS A FAMILY HEIRLOOM/GIFT."

HEAR ME OUT ON MILES BEING "SCARED" OF WATER BECAUSE IT UNEVILS HIS GLAMOUR MAGIC (Luca reference) AND GANKE WANTING MAKING FUN OF HIM BEING "UNABLE TO SWIM" (LIES!!1!1!!!)

HEAR ME OUT ON MILES HAVING GLOWY SCALE ACCENTS (like his suit) AND PINK EYES AND PURPLE SCALES AND SHARP TEETH AND CLAWS AND GILLS ON HIS RIBS AND FINS THAT ARE SO LONG AND FLOWY AND ABSOLUTELY STUNNING, AND A MUSICAL COMPONENT TO HIS VOICE THATS HYPNOTIZING. HEAR ME OUT ON HIM HAVING SHARP VISION AND THE ABILITY TO SEE PRETTY WELL IN THE DARK, AND COARSE HAIR FROM THE SALTWATER, AND GIVES EVERYBODY THE UNCANNY VALLEY FEELUNG BECAUSE THEY KNOW HES NOT HUMAN INSTINCTUALLY BUT HAVE NO WAY TO PROVE HES NOT. He just sits there and people stare and get nervous and it's hard for him to make friends because of it :(

(And he gets predatory urges to lure and kill and eat and has to suppress them because.. obviously the library is not a good place to get hungry and murder someone.)

HEAR ME OUT ON GANKE BEING SOFT AND ROUND LIKE HE IS BECAUSE IT'S SEAL BLUBBER. HEAR ME OUT ON HIM BEING RESISTANT TO COLD AND ABKE TO WEAR A T-SHIRT AND PANTS IN NYC WINTER WHILE MILES IS BUNDLED UP LIKE AN ANTARTIC EXPLORER. HIS FRECKLES AND MOLES IN THE SAME LOCATIONS AS THEY WOULD BE AS A SEAL, HIS EYES SOFT AND BROWN AND HAVING PERFRCT VISION UNDERWATER BUT NEEDING HIS GLASSES ON LAND (Seals can't sea as well on land). NEVER BEING ABLE TO TAN AND GETTING HORRIBLY SUNBURNT EVERY TIME THEY HANG OUT OUTSIDE IN THE SUMMER. HEAR ME OUT ON GANKE GETTING SUUUUUUPER COMFY AND SLEEPY AND CHIRPING OR MAKING SMALL LITTLE SOUNDS WHEN HES HAPPY.

HEAR ME OUT ON MILES AND GANKE MEETING AND IMMEDIATELY HAVING A CONNECTION SINCE THEY BOTH HAVE LIVES REVOLVING AROUND THE SEA. BUT GANKE GETS A PREY-RESPONSE WHEN HES ALONE WITH MILES (At least for a while) BECAUSE MILES IS A PREDATOR HIGHER ON THE FOOD CHAIN THAN HE.

HEAR ME OUT ON MILES STAYING OVER AT GANKE'S PLACE AND FINDING GANKE'S COAT AND WEARING IT. ON GANKE TRYING TO CONCEAL A FREAK OUT ABOUT IT. ARE. ARE YOU LISTENING YET. AM I LOUD ENOUGH

Uhhhh minific anybody ( ・∀・)

"Damn man, no wonder you wear this all the time. Shit's nice." Miles said, coming down the stairs with Ganke's Selkie pelt wrapped around his body like a robe since it's so big on him, his hands running through the fur that is Ganke's.

Ganke paused, a piece of chocolate held halfway between the counter and his mouth. His eyes went wide as his entire world shifted sideways because holy shit, that's his coat, his only connection to the ocean, his lifeline. "Haha, yeaaahhhhh... it's, uh.. really expensive." He whispered, sounding breathless as he stared at Miles.

Miles looked up at him and smirked, looking at the way Ganke was staring at him with that funny bug-eyed expression he always got when someone asked about his coat. He always thought it was strange yet amusing how protective Ganke was over a scrap of fur. So he decided to tease him about it, stroking the fur and sauntering around to the counter where Ganke was standing.

"Is it? Well, I hope you have enough to buy a new one, because I'm keeping it." He joked, not serious at all as he looked up at the taller boy, noticing the way his face paled and he started to sweat.

Ganke felt his mouth get dry immediately, his heart starting to pound against his chest as he felt his blood pressure rise. He missed the fact that Miles was joking, partially because he was bad at social cues, and partially because if Miles wanted to keep it, he couldn't say no.

"I-- I- um, well-- it's like, a uh, important heirloom for my family, a-actually." Ganke stammered before his throat could close up and he was forced to say yes. He set the chocolate down, pressing his hot hands against the cold counter as a way to ground himself as his heart panicked. "I can get you a different coat to wear if you want." He offered, willing himself to reach out and snatch the coat back... but he couldn't. His body wouldn't move.

"Nahhh.. I like this one," Miles continued, grinning as he rolled his eyes and turned around, stepping over to the couch and sitting down, kicking his legs up. The coat was almost a blanket on him, and it smelled like Ganke, and it was so warm. "Sorry, man. You'll just have to tell your dead ancestors that you were ready to pass it on."

Ganke stood rooted in place, his terrified stare focused on the back of Miles's head. Inside. Ganke was screaming at himself to move, shout, say no, speak up. But he couldn't. That wasn't how this worked. His breath hitched quietly as he fought against the words building in the back of his throat. Words that weren't his. Words that could ruin his whole life. But he couldn't stop them. The longer he tried, the more nauseous and dizzy he was getting.

"Oh. Okay." He said quietly, his voice coming out as a choked squeak as his head reeled.

Being a Selkie was both a blessing and a curse. He could go where no one else could, free from the biological confines of the human body. He got to see the best of both worlds above and below sea. He wasn't confined to one existence or the other.

But his coat was his lifeline. It was what kept his heart beating, and what kept him connected to the sea and magic that allowed him to exist as he was. If he was separated from his coat for a long time, he started getting sick... like that one time his father had taken it away to get it professionally cleaned, not knowing it's importance to Ganke, and they couldn't get it back for three weeks. Any time somebody else had the coat in their possession, he felt like there were nails in his feet and spiders in his lungs. His entire body crawled with fear and discomfort.. but he could never ask for the coat back, nor take it by force.

There was some invisible puppeteer that lived inside him, seeing, breathing, and eating with him. Usually, it lay dormant and distant in the back of his consciousness, but in times like this, it outgrew his control over it and took over, possessing Ganke's body and keeping him from going rouge. It didn't seem to care that it would sever the only thing that kept its host alive. It would find another.

Ganke was just a body.

The beast was indifferent to him.

"Wait- really?" Miles asked, surprised as he looked over his shoulder, surprised by how much of a pushover Ganke was being. This.. wasn't like him. He narrowed his eyes slightly, confused by Ganke's response.

Ganke didn't reply for a moment, his entire body shaking as he tried to swallow back the curse that was bubbling inside him. Don't say yes, don't say yes, don't say yes--

"Y-eah." Ganke said, feeling as though each word was being drug out of his mouth like thorns, ripping and tearing at his soft body. Bile rose in his throat the longer he tried to repress it, causing him to lean forward on the counter with a grimace. "..If you want it.. you can have it. N.. n-no big deal."

Miles sat up in alarm as Ganke slowly sank down to the floor behind the counter, looking extremely green. Holy shit?

He got up and quickly hopped over to the kitchen, crouching down next to Ganke and taking the other boy's face gently into his hands. He was clammy and shaking, and he didn't look like he was doing too hot. "Uh, dude? Gee? What's going on?" He asked, noticing the wild look in Ganke's eyes.

Ganke shook his head, shuddering violently as Miles touched him. He reached out and set his hand on the fur, feeling an intense wave of nausea as his survival instincts went toe to toe with the beast. He dug the nails of his other hand into the floor, gritting his teeth as he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hide the face that they were trimming with tears.

Miles’s heart lunched as he saw Ganke's reaction, his own panic spiking. Ganke looked like he wanted to vomit his soul up. "Oh, shit. Fuck, dude, uh-- Are you- having an allergic reaction to something? Did one of those chocolates have nuts in them??" Miles asked, gently setting Ganke down as he grabbed the box of chocolates, scanning over it. Nothing. What the hell? Was it something else?

Ganke couldn't respond, putting his hands over his mouth as he fought the urge to be violently ill, toeing the edge of his very existence. He looked like he was about to start frothing at the mouth.

Miles's eyes darted around, going from his friend, to the snacks, upstairs, and back. He swallowed harshly, trying to keep his composure while also hard-core freaking out. "Crap, uh, um, okay. I think I saw an Epi-Pen in your bedroom, I'm gonna go get that-- don't move." He instructed, hoping he looked like he had it together even though he very much did not. He dropped the coat onto the ground, leaping over the counter as he took off towards the stairs.

The second the pelt was off Miles, and he was moving, Ganke snatched it off the floor and wrapped it around himself, curling into a ball with it at his center. He inhaled sharply, burying his face back into his fur, shaking as he caught his breath again. He felt the magic in his blood start flowing again, soothing his clenched muscles and relaxing his lungs again. He opened his eyes dully as Miles came back, skidding around the corner and nearly eating shit as he did.

"Here- god- how the hell do I work this thing, u-uhm---" He stammered, his hands shaking slightly as he crouched down by Ganke again, trying to figure out how the Epi-Pen worked.

"Miles, wait--" Ganke said, his voice a little hoarse but definitely stronger. He slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, fully putting the coat on and leaning back against the cabinets. He put his hands up, still breathing heavily, but the color was coming back to his face and his eyes were normal. "I-I'm okay, Milo, it's over."

Miles paused, an unconvinced expression on his face as he looked his best friend up and down. There was no way Ganke was just okay after that. He looked like he'd been about to throw his organs up and has just been convulsing on the floor, for fucks sake!

"..Really."

"Yeah, really."

"....Really-really?"

"Miles-" Ganke sighed, pressing his hand to his head and wiping away the sweat that had gathered there during his little.. episode. "Yes, Miles, I promise. That was it. It's over. I'm okay." He insisted, glancing towards the sliding glass door at the empty night sky. Now that he had his connection to the sea back... his body was itching to go jump in the sea and feel okay.

Miles continued to stare at Ganke, not convinced that was how allergic reactions worked. He'd never seen one himself, so he didn't know, but from what he'd heard, the person didn't just get better like that. What was really going on? "But-"

"I said I'm fine!" Ganke snapped, his words coming out a little more angry than he'd meant them to. The primal need that coursed in his veins burning under his skin. He needed to go, and he needed to go now. "I just- I just need some air."

"Wh- Ganke? Wait!-" Miles protested, but Ganke had already gotten up and whisked himself off towards the sliding glass door with nothing but a curt "Give me a minute!"

What. The actual. Fuck.

Miles stared after Ganke, flinching as the door slammed and Ganke disappeared around the corner. He was left feeling so confused, and a little hurt by Ganke's reaction.

Ganke had never snapped at him like that, not even when Miles was bullying him and making fun of him for being a nerd.

None of this was adding up.

He looked down at the Epi-Pen that was still in his hands, blinking as his head reeled. He didn't understand any of this. He knew Ganke was weird about his coat, but... this was really weird.

After about ten minutes of absolute radio silence from his best friend, Miles started getting worried again. He set the Epi-Pen on the counter as he got up, grabbing his phone off the couch and pulling up his messages.

Bro are you okay? What the hell was that? He texted, staring at the message after it sent. He heard a ding and looked up, noticing Ganke's phone laying abandoned on the counter...

"..Crap."

Ganke's bare feet slammed into the earth as he raced down a trail he knew very well. A trail he traveled often. A trail that led straight down to the ocean and up the back of a big rock, where he would jump into the ocean and transform.

He didn't care about the rocks that poked into the pads of his feet, nor the blackberry vines that tangled around his ankles and ripped into his skin, causing scarlet blood to spring to the surface andrace down his legs.

He was driven by the incessant need to make sure that he was still connected to the ocean. That he hadn't given up his freedom. That he was still Ganke, not Ganke that belonged to Miles. It was wild, and terrifying, and it made him feral. He was running, ripping, clawing his way to the forest until his feet hit the sand.

"Ganke?" Miles called, pushing the door open and stepping out into the night. The late-winter air was bitter and cold on his face and he paused, momentarily rethinking his decision to go after Ganke. He didn't have a coat, and he was in a tank top and Hello-Kitty pajamas bottoms.

"Ganke..?" He asked again, raising his voice and closing the door behind him. Ganke was more important than freezing his ass off for a little bit. He shivered slightly and stepped into the grass, scanning the property for his friend.. that was nowhere to be found.

"Where the fuck did you go..?" He muttered to himself, looking around. The forest was dark, yeah, but he could still see just fine, thanks to his special eyes. He walked the length of the forest until he found a trail that looked pretty well-used. "..I guess that's a start."

Miles started off down the path, moving swiftly, but quietly, like a snake through tall grass... or, like a shark through a kelp forest. As he followed the path, his worry grew, especially upon seeing the little droplets of blood on the ground, and the broken, battered greenery that someone had tore through.

That someone being Ganke.

Miles sped up, listening to the sound of the waves getting closer. "Ganke!" He yelled again, nearly tripping and falling over a tree root that he hadn't seen poking out of the ground. God, where the hell is this kid?

Miles’s breath fogged in the air around him as he panted, no longer taking care to be quiet and stealthy. He finally broke through the brush, and his feet hit cold, grainy sand. He snapped his head up, scanning the horizon before his eyes caught something silvery shining in the moonlight. There.

Ganke.

Miles let out a relieved little chuckle, about to call out to Ganke when he realized... Ganke had made it to the top of this enormous rock.. and he wasn't stopping. Miles shot forward again just as Ganke jumped off the rock and dove into the water headfirst, a terrified scream ripping from his throat.

"GANKE!"

Miles wasn't going to lose someone else. Not again. Not him. Not like his dad.

He didn't care if it gave up his secret.

There was a bright light as Ganke hit the water, but Miles didn't notice it. He clawed his way up to the top of the stone, feeling fuzzy and slow. What the fuck was Ganke doing?! It was high tide, the middle of the night, and freezing! He was going to die for sure if Miles didn't get to him in time.

He felt sick.

Scrambling, Miles searched the waves desperately, but he didn't see Ganke anywhere. Oh god, please, not like this. He picked up a spot that didn't look like it had too many rocks and jumped as well, plunging into the icy water.

He's too important.

I need him.

Miles blinked as his eyes adjusted to the harsh pounding of the waved, grunting as he was slammed into the rock behind as he transformed. He felt his legs fuse together, his long, pink and yellow tail fanning out below him. Shimmery purple scales pricked up on his arms and torso, turning over and replacing the skin that was typically there. He blinked again as the bubbled assaulted his vision, causing him to panic even harder.

As the water pushed him back into the rock again, he dug his claws into it and dove under, diving as far under the waves as he could do he could have a moment to adjust and look around. He rubbed his eyes with the webbing between his fingers, blinking harshly as he shook himself off.

Under the water was just as unforgiving and empty as the surface was. There were sharp, jagged rocks that jutted out of the sea floor, black against the already dark water. Miles kicked his tail, propelling himself forward as he desperately searched for Ganke. But there was no sign of him, no traces, no body, no clothes.. nothing.

Miles shuddered in the cold, feeling it start to leak into his bones. He wasn't made for swimming in the winter, despite his thick scales and large fins. He lost heat quickly as he swam around, wearing in and out of boulders and seaweed. He had to keep searching, he wasn't going to lose Ganke like this. No, not like this. God.

Not again. He wasn't going to lose someone again. Ganke was too important.

But Miles's body had other plans. Long before his vision started getting hazy, and his fingers got numb, he could feel his body shutting down. His fins got heavy, his tail locking up, his scales glowing dimmer and dimmer. But he still pushed on, not going to let Ganke be the one that got away.

I need him.

Please..!

Miles wasn't sure when he had closed his eyes, but he knew he had when he woke up to the waves splashing him on the face. He leaned his head up, wincing as another bright light shone in his eyes, and there were big, warm hands wrapping around him and carrying him up the beach. He leaned his head tiredly against the soft embrace, feeling his body change again as the water dripped off his body.

"Miles! Miles!!" Ganke yelled as he laid Miles down on the dry sand and curled around him, sharing his body heat in an attempt to warm the other boy back up. "Hey! Don't you dare pass out on me right now!" He barked, his voice breaking as he gently grabbed Miles's face and patted it.

Miles opened his eyes again, his vision hazy and his brain foggy. For a moment, he thought he saw Ganke. But when he blinked again, the hazy edges of his vision cleared, and he realized it actually was Ganke.

"Wh- I-- where?-"

"You fucking idiot!" Ganke snapped, interrupting Miles, rubbing Miles's arms aggressively until he felt his body warming up. "I told you to stay in the house! What's wrong with you?!"

Miles blinked at him, his head lolling into the crook of Ganke's neck. He closed his eyes, clinging onto him as he listened to his heartbeat. He could tell just from the way Ganke was holding him that he wasn't really mad, just extremely worried.

That made two of them.

"I'm... I'm sorry." Miles mumbled, slinking his arms around Ganke's torso and squeezing him tightly, suddenly finding himself tearing up. "I just- I was so worried about you-- and then I couldn't find you, and then you were jumping and you didn't come back up and I-" He bit his tongue, sniffling softly as he hid his face in Ganke's body.

Ganke didn't stop rubbing Miles's back, but once he felt how tense he was, and the way he was shaking slightly, his touch got increasingly tender.

"Shhhh..." He whispered, pulling Miles's damp body up off the sand and into his lap, cradling the smaller boy and pressing his cheek to the top of Miles's head. "I know. I'm sorry too. I'm okay, Milo. I'm right here."

Ganke continued to gently rub Miles's back and shoulders, murmuring soothingly as the waves crashed in the background. As the silence lingered, so did the heavy feelings of guilt. Sure, it wasn't directly his fault, but he still habitually blamed himself. He felt like he had done something wrong and was the only one at fault for making Miles cry. It wasn't a good feeling.

He sat there, anxiety building in his chest as he waited for Miles to stop sniffling. He needed to fix this, he needed to make Miles smile and laugh again and forget about what he'd just done. It wasn't okay. He took a quiet deep breath, gnawing at his bottom lip as he rubbed the space in between Miles's shoulder blades. Fix this, damnit, Ganke.

"..So. You're all fangs and scales, huh? That's pretty hot." He said in a sly tone once Miles seemed to be okay again, prodding the other boy in the ribs. He didn't know what else to do or say, didn't know how to make it better. So he aimed towards distracting Miles from what happened.

Miles huffed, rolling his eyes as he sat up a little more, wiping the tears off his face. Embarrassing. "Shut the hell up." He said, nudging Ganke with his head affectionately. He was still incredibly upset after thinking he'd lost him, but the sound of Ganke's constant, strong heartbeat was reassuring enough.

"Nah, I'm serious though. Claws and shit? And you glow in the dark? Plus those fins? Dude, I knew you were pretty, but that takes it to a whole 'nother level--"

"Ganke." Miles groaned, interrupting as he buried his face into Ganke's neck, feeling his cheeks get warm. He was never very good with compliments, and Ganke loved to bombard him with them. It made Miles feel strangely fuzzy and nervous.

Ganke laughed, squeezing Miles gently and pressing his face to the top of Miles's head. It got quiet again, but this time it was much more comfortable and less charged. The unspoken bond between them was stronger, some silent, complicated familiarity that connected them together.

"You wanna head back and get warmed up? And.. talk? I think we have a lot to talk about." He suggested, looking up at the moon. He could feel Miles shivering against him still, trying to snuggle closer for warmth. Things had changed.. but not in a bad way.

No, this was good..

"Mh. Yeah." Miles agreed, nodding as he let out a breath. He shifted his weight as Ganke hooked his arm under his legs, standing up with him held bridal-style. "Just promise me something..?

"Of course."

"..Never do that again."

Ganke smiled, kissing the top of Miles's head gently as he started carrying him back up the beach, stepping carefully on his injured feet.

"..I promise."

Fin.

OKAY SO LIKE THAT TOOK SO FUXKING LONG AND THEN IT GLITCHED OUT ON ME AND I HAD TO RE WRITE LIKE 15 PARAGRAPHS BUT ITS DONE ITS FINISHED SO YOU SEE MY VISION.

HERE'S SOME ART TOO BECAUSE IM INSANE ACTUALLY.

Ganke if he was more mermaid-like than seal. Just for funsies.

The vision for Miles ^

ok so u know the wolf/bunny dynamic?? right so i came up with shark/seal… ITS LITERALLY CLAWCODE. ITS THEM. MILES SHARK GANKE SEAL. ready to get what they want, excellent hunters, lures prey, cunning and coy and violent x silly cute and lazy, just wants to chill and doesnt wanna be involved. PLEASE SEE MY VISION CLAWCODE NATIONNNNN

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bethanythebogwitch · 2 years ago

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I haven't covered any pinniped pals for Wet Beast Wednesday yet, so for my first one I'm going big. Really big. Elephant seal big. Elephant seals are not only the largest of all pinnipeds, they are the largest of all carnivorans and the largest marine mammals that aren't cetaceans. There are two species: northern (Mirounga angustirostris) and southern (Mirounga leonina), with the southern species being the larger of the two.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! (image: an elephant seal bellowing)

Elephant seals are true seals (as opposed to sea lions and walruses), meaning they lack external ears and their hind legs have fused into a sort of pseudo-flipper that allows for highly efficient swimming but is of little use when maneuvering on land. While it is common among pinnipeds for males to be larger than females, elephant seals exaggerated that with one of the most extreme size differences between sexes. Females of both species range from around 350 to 900 kg (880 to 1,980 lbs) and 2.5 to 3.6 m (8.2 to 11.8 ft) in length. Male northern seals average between 1,500 to 2,300 kg (3,300 to 5,100 lbs) and 4-5 m (13-16 ft) while southern males break the scale at 1,500 to 3,700 kg (3,300 to 8,200 lbs) and 4.2 to 5.8 m (14 - 19 ft). The southern species has the largest mass difference between sexes of any mammal, with the males averaging 5-6 times the weight of the females.

(image: male and female elephant seals chillaxing on a beach)

In addition to the size difference, the other major form of sexual dimorphism is that the male has his nose elongated into a proboscis. This snout serves two major functions: it amplifies the roars of the male allowing him to be remarkably loud and it traps and reabsorbs moisture when he exhales. This is important as the seals do not eat or drink when on land and recapturing moisture lets him stay hydrated.

(image: a male[top], female [bottom left] and juvenile [bottom right] northern elephant seal)

Seals are adapted to spend the vast majority of their lives in the water and elephant seals are no different. They spend around 80% of their lives in the water and have many adaptations to aid in their lifestyle. Like most marine mammals, they have a thick layer of fatty blubber that preserves heat in cold water, reduces drag, and provides buoyancy. Like other seals, they can slow their heartbeats and redirect blood flow to the core of their body to avoid losing heat. Another seal adaptation is that veins returning blood to the heart grow near arteries carrying blood from the heart. This allows the cold returning blood to leech some heat from the arteries to avoid cooling down the body's core. They have a lot of blood to store oxygen, allowing for long dives. Elephant seals dive deep (averaging 300-600 m but occasionally much deeper) when searching for food. Females typically go on deeper but shorter dives than males. They can hold their breath for over 100 minutes, longer than nay non-cetacean mammal.. Their eyes are highly adapted to low-light conditions and their whiskers can sense motion in the water, both things that aid in finding food. Elephant seals are very opportunistic predators and will eat a large variety of fish and cephalopods.

(image: a female elephant seal swimming)

The 20% of time not spent at sea is mostly taken up by two yearly periods: the molting and breeding seasons. In both cases, the seal will haul out onto the beach and will not eat or drink until it has finished. Molting season lasts about a month and usually occurs in summer. Elephant seals undergo what are called catastrophic molts, where they not only shed and regrow their fur but their outer layer of skin. During the regrowth of their skin, extra blood has to be directed toward it. In the water, this would cause too much heat loss, so it must be done on land. The skin sheds in large patches and not all at once, resulting in molting seals having a ragged appearance.

(image: a seal mid-molt)

The longer and more famous time on land is breeding season. In early spring, males will arrive on beaches and fight each other for dominance. In time, a few alpha males will claim most of the beach. These fights last even after the females arrive. Fights are very dramatic, involving posing and bellowing. If one male does not submit, they will fight by biting and slapping each other with their heads. Fights are rarely fatal, but are frequently bloody. Males have thicker skin on their chests to protect them during fights. Alpha males claim the right to mate with the females. Other males are forced to the outskirts of the beach, where they try to mate while the alpha is distracted. Some males will become betas, who help the alpha patrol his territory and drive off competing males. These betas will often try to mate while the alpha is distracted. Only the largest and strongest males can claim alpha status, and usually late in life when they have grown to their largest. After the females arrive, mothers will give birth to their pups. After birth, the female uses unique vocalizations so her pup can always recognize her. They nurse pups for up to 28 days while the males continue to fight. Elephant seal milk is extremely high in fat content, with up to 50% of the milk being fat, compared to 3.5% for cows. Some mothers may adopt the pups of others, especially if their own pup died before weaning. Weaning is very abrupt, after which the females will mate and the adults will return to the sea. The pups are left on land for up to 10 weeks, where they must learn how to swim and hunt while subsisting off the energy stores they built up while nursing. Juvenile mortality is high, with up to 50% of pups dying before reaching maturity. Adults can lose a third of their weight during breeding season.

youtube

(video: a clip from the BBC documentary Seven World One Planet about males fighting fro dominance. warning: there is blood)

(image: a mother seal and pup)

A few pups are known as super weaners because they can grow exceptionally large during nursing. This is usually due to the pup being adopted by an additional female and therefore getting an extra dose of milk or it will steal milk from another pup. In a few cases, the mothers will just wait longer before weaning for unknown reasons. Average pups weigh between 110 and 160 kg (250 - 350 lbs) at weaning while super weaners can weigh up to 270 kg (600 lbs). They can put on so much blubber their ability to move becomes impaired. Super weaners are rarely observed again after leaving the rookery. It has been speculated that their excess blubber makes them exceptionally buoyant, reducing their ability to dive and making it harder to feed, leading to increased mortality.

(image: a chonky baby super weaner)

Both species of elephant seal were hunted to near-extinction in the 19th century as their blubber could be used to make exceptionally high-quality oil. After the hunting period ended, their numbers increased to the point both species are classified as least concern by the IUCN, though their populations have never risen to pre-hunting numbers and many areas that were historically occupied are now vacant. Genetic bottlenecks in both species has led to an increase in diseases and birth defects. El Nino is known to have a negative effect on northern seals by drastically increasing pup mortality, so this year was probably a bad one. One major limiting factor in their population growth is a lack of beaches to haul out on and many beaches they use are now protected by local laws or as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

(Gif: a female versus a car. Round 1, fight!)

#wet beast wednesday #marine biology #biology #zoology #ecology #elephant seal #marine mammals #seal #seals #absolute unit #animal facts #cw animals fighting #chonky #Youtube

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