#like seal fur or penguin feathers

[tenspontaneite]

Still figuring out how I want to draw slugcats, but I'm definitely going for Weird Mustelid vibes now. Have some Survivor 🙏

[chromatic-lamina]

i’ve got a few picks for the fanfic writer asks if you’re up for it! totally up to you if you want to answer a few or all of them.

11, 58, 65, 71, 76, 91

thank you!! <3

Bepo's Fanfic Answers 3!

Thank you for dropping into Bepo's ask box! and your interest in my much acclaimed Bepo's Beptober!

It's so wonderful to get the recognition. No matter how many times I say NO GARCHU UNTIL YOU COMMENT the comments are few and far between (although, not as low as on Clione's fic, but he stole the idea from me, so that's fair, isn't it?!?). <-- That's called an Interrobang, or maybe the other way around, and No, Captain had to tell me, it doesn't mean sex between species...or in Wano prisons (*not a spoiler cos it's fiction!). Learn something new in Bepo fanfic world everyday! Now, onto your asks.

58. what is the last thing that a fic made you google when you were writing it?

How deep penguins can dive and for how long, say, if they were an Emperor Penguin (not that there are any Emperors on our crew—and maybe only two leaders, if we're being honest) and, some can dive to about 565m which is deeper than the Tang usually goes!

Some hold their breath for just shy of thirty minutes too! So, if you needed to catch a bird, say, for sustenance purposes, considering that some Minks that might resemble polar bears can only dive to about 13 metres at a stretch and only hold their breath for a minute or two, it's best to nab those kinds of meaty birds on the surface. Purely for research purposes.

XrTEPppp <-- Sorry! I drooled on the keyboard and was just wiping it away. (I'm thinking of venturing into the gore genre, but I don' t know, I think that BBC documentaries might've already covered it).

65. what is your favourite title for a fic you’ve written? 

I don't really have a favourite but: Beptober Day 8: Mutual Mastication seemed to get a lot of attention! (Like cows do it, seems pretty common, and better than that regurgitation thing penguins have going on. But, y'know, different courses for different horses, I guess).

71. how do you balance writing and life? do you ever feel overwhelmed by the amount of writing you have to do? I find that if I get overwhelmed, I get the crew to drop me on some ice and I wait by a seal's breath hole, and I wait for them to poke their head through the ice, cute whiskers quivering, and, then, if I'm fast enough, I catch them and enjoy them à la sashimi style, but without the filleting and with all the fur. Crew tends to leave me alone for a while after that. My head's also wonderfully clear, and sometimes I can clack out 10,000 words without knocking over an ink pot once, or accidentally unplugging the word processor.

76. what is one essential thing to remember when writing a villain? 

That they wear pink feathered coats.

OR, y'know, have bright red hair.

91. how has your writing style changed over the years?

I think I might be one of a kind and I'm thinking of patenting the Bepo Brand™

If you want to check out my previous answer, it's here! and here! and here!

6, 11 & 17 ; 58, 65, 71, 76, 91 answered.

Original post here.

[springywinter]

Raise a Selkie | Birds of a Feather I

Who knew the solution to their clothing problem was that simple?

Below Alba (pompadour), Sepida (bandana or green hat), Seiuchi, Bel (yellow hair).

Reveal fics are so much fun. Thought about writing one with the Straw Hats but there's too many scenarios of how that might happen XD

Alba's ancestry was inspired by a certain Japanese folk story. Alba is the pompadour one because you can't tell me this guy doesn't care about fashion.

There's only about 10 or so crew members so far which is why Alba, Hakugan and Penguin are the only birds in the Hearts for now. That changes down the line.

If the Hearts can help Law’s surgery on Luffy and Jinbei, then damn straight that all of them know first aid (though sometimes might be too panicked to remember it), with some having bits of training in specific areas. Law’s an amazing doctor, and while he’ll keep his crew healthy, I think the conscientious part of him with all his contingency plans doesn’t want to leave his crew floundering in scenarios when he’s not available. Hence why some of them might be trained in certain medical skills (and with Alba, it's suturing).

I'm tempted to spew out all the lore I have for the selkies in this AU and the backgrounds I've created for each Heart Pirate (with selkie related stuff too) because I spend way too many hours on this AU, it's eating my soul XD Hopefully I managed to convey SOME of the background lore. Edit 17/1/24. In response to a comment; like how the minks in the real world are weasels but the Mink people consists of all sorts of furred species, the selkies are mostly ice-cold sea animals instead of just being seals. In verse, they're also called 'shorefolk' as mentioned in Before Minion Island of this AU. With Bel, I struggled what to name him for awhile, whether by his species or by his romaji, Beruuga. Then I realised Law, Jean Bart and Bepo don't fit the typical on-the-nose naming convention, and rolled with it XD Same with Alba. Yes, Alba does have a wide wingspan, befitting of his species.

[princedragonoverlord]

Thinking about wof dragons with alternate features now, kinda like the skywings with feathered wings.

Skywings: I love the feathered wing interpretation. But also thinking about them having beaks and maybe being completely feathered, the way dinosaurs have been refeathered! (Firescales being like Phoenixs?)

Mudwings: Maybe like gators and crocs they could be more flat and lower to the ground, not really fliers at all but they sure as hell can jump, wings help add a little air to it. Babies make chirping noises!!!

Sandwings: If they have scorpion tails already maybe they could be more scorpion like in other ways. More insect-ish scales and textures, extra legs???? Or pincher like talons at least if you can make it work. Some transparent scale colors like the clear scorpions. Definitely see them being more nocturnal too.

Seawings: Seawings with skin! Like porpoises! They don't have scales! They could also have blowholes instead of gills, so they can hold their breath for a long time instead. Different variations could be like whales and easily the largest type of dragons! Or alternatively if they do have scales or their are some that do, they wouldn't have legs and would be more like adapted fins for when they go on land if they even do at all.

Rainwings: Boa constrictor dragons essentially. Though they do have venom, they would have insane muscles and would be built for squeezing things to death. Although they are vegitarians it could be a recent development of their currently relaxed lifestyles. I also think maybe they wouldn't really fly and just be gliders cause the jungle is very hard to fly in at their size. Getting more creative with the chameleon scales aspect of them they could have long sticky tongues and eyes that move independently.

Icewings: They could have fur instead of scales or they could also be like seawings with skin since there are seals and other animals that live in cold temperatures without much fur. Or they could have feathers like penguins do! That's something I haven't seen anyone do! It would give them similarities to the Skywings!

Nightwings: Bat dragons but they also have echolocation which could play a part in their magical abilities somehow? Also they could be more vegitarian than Rainwings if they were bat-like, definitely smaller than most other tribes, maybe they'd eat bugs too.

I might do another one of these for Pantala dragons later! Tell me some cool wof dragon ideas!

[ink-the-artist]

leopard seal :)

[montereybayaquarium]

“oh you like my quarantine molt awww yay thanks yeah just trying a little something new u kno“

- Bee the African penguin being all that she can be through a recent wholesale changing of plumage via her yearly catastrophic molt

Fun Fact Friday: “Catastrophic molt” refers to losing all of one’s fur or feathers in one go (like with elephant seals or penguins) instead of a constant shedding of older insulation like with sea otters!

[wafflesrock16]

It’s Mer-May! Turian Mermaids, anyone?

I’m back on my bull-shit and working on the sequel to Fathomless Depths. I’m nowhere near ready to publish anything, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t share something for this month. So here’s a snippet from the first chapter:

The volus were penguin herders who split their time between the glacier choked ocean and snow strewn shores. They flourished in the near permanent freeze, bundled in feathers, skins, and furs, as at home beneath the waves as the flocks they attended.

Their seas were too cold for permanent merian outposts. During the summer when the ice pack retreated, scouts would investigate and report any changes or resources of note. But they always returned before the biting jaws of fall, with ice nipping at their tail fins. 

It was considered the worst assignment in the merian military. No matter how intense the sun’s rays the waves always retained an uncomfortable chill. 

Now, despite his heightened station in the world, Garrus found himself swimming the frigid waters with an envoy of merian scholars and soldiers. An aggrieved growl stuttered in his chest. Whatever the volus herders had found had better be worth this trip, he thought irritably. 

The Normandy had been forced to turn back by heavy ice flows. Not built to sustain bludgeoning or gouging by glaciers, their merian escort had pressed on alone. 

“This water is disgusting,” an older merian commented. “What’s the human phrase? A frozen hell-hole?” 

Garrus hummed in annoyance. Lorik Qui’in had proven to be an invaluable asset when it came to negotiation with pirates or patrol discipline. The amber eyed merian was, however, a man accustomed to certain luxuries. Warm, tropical waters being one of those. 

“Do you think it’ll be colder near the island?” Lorik wondered aloud, adjusting his own fur seal cape. “I cannot imagine bare rock holding much warmth.”

“Quiet, Qui’in.” Garrus admonished subvocally. The old man’s bitching was starting to rub off on the rest of the envoy and the last thing he wanted was to listen to muttered complaints the rest of the way to the volus capital. 

Thankfully, Lorik kept his mouth shut and after what felt like a lifetime of plowing through the heavy waters, the rocky sea floor rolled up beneath them. Their arrival was heralded by the squawks and cries of thousands of penguins, their sleek, black and white bodies leaving trails of bubbles in their wake as they soared beneath the surf. 

The water smelled like guano and Garrus watched Lorik gag in revulsion as a passing penguin shit right next to him. Where was the fucking volus chieftain they were meeting? Garrus felt like he wanted to crawl out of his plates.

Up ahead, the squat, round forms of the volus finally bobbed into view. They were heavily layered in penguin pelts, heads adorned with crowns made from seashells and brightly polished stones. Garrus could barely make out the bulbous, yellow eyes from beneath their trappings when the most ornately decorated of the bunch swam up to him. 

“Tsk,” the chieftain slurped. “Greetings Palaven clan. I am Din Korlack, leader of the majestic Irune tribe.” He gestured stubby fingers bound in kelp at the other volus behind him. “Welcome to our shores. Your haste in this matter is most appreciated.”

[gior22art]

Galapagos Penguin Spheniscus Mendiculus

Threats: Natural threats are by land snakes, owls and hawks and by sea sharks, fur seals and sea lions. Getting unintentionally caught up in fishing nets Introduction of cats and rats by humans which attack adult penguins and eggs Avian malaria which is carried by mosquitoes and was brought to the Galapagos by humans El Niño which directly affects their reproduction by reducing the availability of food and causes a large portion of the population to starve and die. Climate change is increasing the frequency of extreme El Niño events, making it harder for the Galapagos penguin to recover from the events Plastic pollution can cause them to suffocate from being strangled from plastic debris such as six pack rings or plastic ropes from boats What is El Niño? It is a ocean and atmospheric interaction which causes a periodic warming of the sea surface temperatures most likely occurring during the winter season and lasting anywhere from 6 to 12 months.

Cool Facts: It is the only penguin found north of the equator Is one of the smallest penguins in the world they live in crevices in coastal lava and caves Galapagos penguins mate for life have just one partner and can breed 2 to 3 times a year They have adapted some behaviours to try to keep themselves cool from the heat: standing with the flippers extended panting seeking shade and also have had some feather changes and have bald spots on their faces to help release heat.

[theamericangirlscout]

Animal Habitats Badge

Purpose: Once you complete this badge you will know more about animals and how to protect their homes

Requirement 1: Find out about wild animals

Choices:

Observe a pet or tame animal for at least 15 minutes.  Write three things about how it behaves.  Then watch a show about an animal related to the one you observed.  (If you watched a dog, you might watch a show about wolves.) Which behaviors do the wild and tame animal share? Which are different?

Make a skit or puppet show about the wild animals at a campground or on the trail. Include what to do if you encounter them so that both you and the animals stay safe!

List wild animals near your home meeting place, or school. Survey the area with an adult and your Junior friends. Then pick three animals you saw and learn more about each one. Why do they live here? Do they interact with humans?

Requirement 2: Investigate an animal habitat

Choices:

Visit a zoo or animal sanctuary. When there, choose a particular habitat, like a beach, jungle, or desert. With help from the staff answer these questions for each of five animals that live in that habitat.

In what country is the animal naturally found?

How does its fur or skin help the animal live in this habitat?

How does it stay clean?  

How does it get around in this habitat?

What kind of food can it find in this habitat?

Explore an animal habitat near where you live. It could be part of a park, forest, beach, or desert. Figure out what the animals you see have in common. First, make a list of each one’s features. Circle the things the animals share, then, trade ideas about why they have each feature with your friends. Some features you might list: type of fur or skin, paw, tail, coloring, kinds of legs, mouth, and ears.

Make a habitat collage. Scientists use habitats to group animals by things they all share. Cut out 15 – 20 pictures of wild animals from old magazines. Group the animal by habitat. Then group them by how they look, how they move, or how they bear their young. Did your groups change? Discuss the groupings with your Junior friends - and make up ways to groups animals.

Requirement 3: Create an animal home

Choices:

Check out baby-animal habitats. Find out how different animal parents care for their babies and make “homes” for them. You could read about how Emperor penguins hold a chick under a special flap in chilly Antarctic temperatures or how an orangutan mother builds new nests for her and her baby every day. Draw or paint a picture of your favorite animal pair 

Make your own animal house. Meerkats live in large underground burrows with several entrances. Beavers make dome-shaped homes called lodges with branches and mud – and they usually have an underwater entrance. Research these animal homes and try sketching your own meerkat burrow or building your own beaver lodge from sticks and mud. Share your “home” with others and explain how and why it works.

Insulate your own “nest.” Many animals use insulation to keep their homes cool in hot temperatures or warm in the cold. They may line a next with feathers or burrow into snow or mud to hold in body heat. Try this experiment: 

Mix a package of Jell-O. Before it sets, put part of the liquid into a small container with a lid or sealed top, like a baby food jar or resealable plastic bag. Pour the rest into a mixing bowl. 

 Insulate the small container the way an animal might insulate its nest. You could bury the container in leaves and sticks in the yard or use materials in your house, like socks, to burrow it. 

 Keep the container in its warm, insulated place while the mixing bowl with the rest of the Jell-O stays out in the air – in the same area as your “nest” container. 

 When the bowl of Jell-O has set (gotten firm), uncover and check your “nest.” If it’s still liquid, you’ll know your insulation would have kept the animals inside warm. If it set, try building your animal home again! 

 Share what happened with your Junior friends, and talk about the “warmest” nest designs. What made them work well? What materials didn’t work as well? 

Requirement 4: Explore endangered habitats

When the animals no longer have their habitat, they have to adapt to a new place to live. Some animals can’t change, and end up becoming endangered. Answer these questions about one of the endangered animal habitats below. 

Why is it in danger?

What is happening to the animals? 

What are people doing to help the habitat? 

Are the animals able to adapt? 

Choices: 

The Arctic Circle

The Gulf of Mexico

The Amazon Rainforest

Requirement 5: Help protect animal habitats

Choices:

Wildlife awareness party. Choose an endangered animal. Dress up like the animal for a party with your Junior friends and tell your story: where you live, why your home is endangered, and how others can help. If there’s an organization that protects your habitat, share its name and mission. It’s a party because it’s positive: The more you know about how to help, the more you can do! 

Create a background habitat. Get permission from your family to make a habitat in your yard, or ask a school, neighbor or someone who owns land nearby to allow you to create one. Research and then carry out a landscape plan that is best for wildlife in the area. Record the wildlife you attract and their behavior. (The Audubon Society has some good resources to get you started.) 

Help clean up an animal habitat. Many times trash and litter destroy animal habitats and harm animal. With your Girl Scout sisters ask an expert to recommend an area that needs cleaning – woods, stream, beach, city park. Get permission to spend a few hours making it nicer for our animal friends. 

[lochdandloaded]

From Me To You (Oneshot)

Rating: T Pairing(s): McCree/Hanzo (McHanzo) Warnings/Triggers: Animal death(s), mentions of blood, mild swearing Notes: Mermaid AU, Mermaid!McCree, Human!Hanzo, guess who’s the furry Summary: A misunderstanding between species leads to a surprising show of feelings and opens a certain archer’s eyes to what their unusual connection could mean.

A fic for @kannibal‘s MerCree AU over on Twitter (go check it out for more info and art!!) <3 And some writing practice for me should I ever open writing commissions.

AO3 || Twitter || Ko-Fi || Storenvy

Read below the cut

The penguins had only been the beginning of the madness.

Not long after meeting the mer-creature (merman? Mer-seal? Mer-Flirts-A-Lot?) Jesse, Hanzo had opened the door to his lone outpost cabin and was welcomed by a bleeding, barely alive Adélie penguin. Once he’d swallowed down the panic and grabbed the bird in a towel, he rushed it to the Ecopoint main base and gave it to someone with basic first aid knowledge.

His colleagues questioned him end to end and all he could divulge was that he had no clue about anything (never before had that been more true than it was now). They dropped it soon enough and before long, Hanzo forgot about the incident entirely.

Then he had a very dead, torn up toothfish dumped on his doorstep that left him all the more confused.

(How the fuck had a toothfish gotten out of the northern fisheries?!)

By the time the fifth dead and de-feathered Chinstrap penguin greeted him at his door, Hanzo had enough and stormed out to investigate the source, bow and quiver across his back (should he feel like indulging his trigger finger). The trail of blood led him to the rocky beach where he knew Jesse’s beloved walruses sunned themselves, though this early in the morning it was barren except, speak of the devil…

“If it ain’t the most handsome whaler son t’ step foot on this beach,” Jesse announced from his spot in the shallow waves, fins slapping against the water as he preened and smirked.

Hanzo glared.

“What the hell have you been doing?”

Hanzo crossed his arms as he marched over, holding back a shiver against the harsh coastal breeze and keeping his gaze solely on Jesse’s face, no lower no matter how tempting it was to appreciate the mer’s humanoid half.

He stopped once he was close enough to smack the coral hat off Jesse’s smug head and kept glaring as the mer fumbled to catch it.

“Hey—!”

“I know it’s you who’s been leaving dead penguins at my cabin, Jesse.” Hanzo scoffed and put his hands on his hips, scowling as Jesse put his hat back on and pushed himself up to eye level.

“Darlin’, I’m just helping—”

“How?”

Hanzo took a breath and blinked, flushing at how close Jesse leaned in. He pulled back enough to keep the red away from the mer’s inquisitive stare and pulled his hood over his freezing ears, then rubbed his arms quickly. Jesse watched carefully.

“Han, don’t think I ain’t noticed that ya don’t have food at your home,” Jesse started, voice soft enough Hanzo felt it rather than heard it, even with the gap between them. “It ain’t nothing to be ‘shamed of, hell it took Papá years to stop me from expectin’ bucket scraps an’ even longer to get me huntin’ on my own—”

Wait, what?

Hunting? “That’s what this is about?”

“Yeah, darlin’?”

The mer thought he couldn’t hunt? Him - Shimada Hanzo, raised in a family infamous for whaling and killing - couldn’t hunt for himself on this patch of melting ice? That he needed help from someone who wasn’t even human—

Hanzo felt his ire and pride flair as he buried his face into his palm, grinding his teeth and barely resisting the urge to growl at the absurdity of it all. It would be easy, so so easy to snap and never look back, unleash his irritation on someone who…

Who wasn’t human.

What did Jesse know of cafeterias, mess halls, refrigerators, bento boxes and leftovers in tupperware? Sea leopards were solitary creatures  by nature, fending for themselves from a young age with no thought to how any others survived. Sure, Jesse wasn’t the same, but it was enough to give Hanzo pause.

It wasn’t Jesse’s fault, he wasn’t to blame.

A loud squawk brought Hanzo to full attention, glancing over his shoulder. An albatross was hopping across the rocks some distance away, plucking washed up krill and crabs from the sandy gaps.

Jesse peered with him, raising an eyebrow into that mess he dared to call hair, curiosity crinkling the corner of his eyes, dark skin glistening with salt that dried out his mouth at the thought of his taste—

A snap of his wrist brought his bow into grip, arrow loaded and flying before he had a chance to let go of his breathe.

The arrow burst through the bird’s head in silence, pinned to the uneven ground without so much as a twitch in the legs.

Hanzo smirked and looked back at Jesse, pride practically glowing from his very being. The mer was staring wide, pupils blown to hide every trace of brown, hand and claw hung uselessly in midair and his mouth was agape, showing off his sharp teeth. What really caught his eye was the bright blush all over his face, neck, creeping down to his generous chest, highlighting the freckles and faint scars peppered over his skin.

A low chittering slipped past Jesse’s loose lips and he didn’t stop staring, though his tail thumped against the waves and his powerful muscles tightened under the blubber. He was full of rightful fear, awe and something else entirely that Hanzo didn’t recognise on his particular face.

Hanzo cleared his throat and shouldered his bow. Jesse didn’t budge.

“I can hunt perfectly fine myself.” He reached out and pushed the mer’s mouth shut, flicking his bright nose before turning away to fetch his arrow.

The gaze burnt into his back the entire time, even as he left the beach and returned home.

0XX0

Hanzo didn’t really see Jesse again for a while after the confrontation on the beach. February rolled into March, then April, and the most Hanzo saw of him was a startled jump into the nearest body of water when their eyes met (he thought he’d spotted the mer when the elephant seals came on land to molt, but nothing came of it).

Well, the dead penguins and (possibly) stolen fish at his doorstep had stopped for good.

But Hanzo found himself missing Jesse’s company. As strange and annoying he could be sometimes, his visits brought joy to this new life of Hanzo’s that his colleagues couldn’t compare to. For another species, Jesse was surprisingly easy to get along with, most days.

So of course, the morning Hanzo decided to catch the mer, Jesse came to him instead.

He opened the door to his cabin to find the mer standing too closely to the frame, hands behind his back and face caught in the headlights. Hanzo froze, blinking as he took in the sight. Jesse worked his jaw, no words coming out despite it.   

“Jesse,” Hanzo started, looking around in lieu of having to face those shying browns. “What… are you doing here?”

‘Smooth, Hanzo. Very smooth.’

Jesse cleared his throat and shifted on his fins, looking all for the world like he wanted to be somewhere else. The thought made Hanzo frown and crease his brow; what had changed?

“Hey, darlin’.” He rolled his shoulders, still hiding his hands. Hanzo stayed in his spot. “Sorry I ain’t been ‘round, I’ve been busy an’ didn’t wanna spoil it.”

Hanzo quirked an eyebrow up, narrowing his eyes. “Spoil what?”

Jesse opened his mouth but quickly shut it and straightened up, a smile growing and sparking his eyes. Hanzo watched as he clapped his fins together and held out his arms, presenting a folded up… cloth?

Jesse nudged it into his arms, smirk forming in the quirk of his lips and beard. “Take a look, angelfish.”

Hanzo blinked at the nickname but set it aside for later discussion as he unraveled the fabric in his arms. He held it out in front of him and his jaw went slack at the sight he beheld.

A thick blanket of fur dropped out onto the ground, soft against his fingers, and woven into the outer coat were layers of shining feathers; black to grey to white to orange, blending in seamlessly with each other and the dark fur. Hanzo ran a hand down them, breath hitching at the silky texture and how his fingers sank into them, spreading warmth up his arm.

Hanzo broke away to stare at Jesse, feeling that warmth creep over his face but finding no room to care about it underneath the overwhelming tenderness threatening to make his heart swell out of his chest. He breathed carefully and swallowed.

“You made this…?”

Jesse chuckled and took off his hat to run his hand through his hair, the dry salt catching in the high sunlight and bringing back not-so-innocent thoughts of the mer’s taste. Hanzo didn’t banish it, knowing he was already red enough to be able to deny anything.

(He didn’t want to.)

“I know it’s a couple months late t’ give it to ya, but I still want you to have it, Han.” Jesse shuffled closer, pulling the shawl off the ground to press against Hanzo’s chest. “Try it on.”

Hanzo nodded, adjusted his hold and threw it around his shoulders, wrapping it tightly around himself. A wave of heat enveloped him, even as the April breeze turned his legs to ice, and he let out a long sigh as he closed his eyes. He brought it in closer, digging his hands into the softness and reveling in the rare comfort it brought him.

He smiled at Jesse, only a small thing not as sharp as his usual snark and wit, but it might as well have shined brighter than the sun if Jesse’s wide grin was anything to go by. He chittered again and whistled, making Hanzo laugh quietly.

“Thank you, Jesse. I love it.”

“Really?” Jesse lit up and Hanzo nodded, keeping his chuckles to himself.

He picked up his travel pack and locked his cabin door, watching Jesse all the while as he seemed to bounce and flash his teeth with little care to who saw. Hanzo headed off at a lackadaisical pace, smile still present.

“Walk with me to the docks?”

As they walked, one poised and the other cumbersome, Hanzo’s thoughts drifted off as he allowed himself this joy of being with someone like Jesse. Someone with qualities he hadn’t the courage to name or admit he admired yet.

He should get him a gift as well…

[athyrabunlord]

LLSHP Interlude - Carbonado(2)

Arc1: [Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 3] [Chapter 4] [Chapter 5] [Chapter 6] [Chapter 7]

Arc2: [Chapter 8] [Chapter 9] [Chapter 10] [Chapter 11] [Chapter 12] [Chapter 13] [Chapter 14]

Arc3: [Chapter 15 -  Under The Black Lake (TBD)]

Interlude: [Carbonado (1)] [Carbonado (2)] [Of Feathers and Wind] [Delphinus (teaser blip)]

[Brief note about School Term] [other LLSHP AU stuff] [YohaMaRuby concept arts] [ChikaYouRiko concept arts] [KanaDiaMari concept arts] [Hogwarts Staff]

[FFN link] (finished the interludes!) [Pixiv Link]

A/N: Again, reminder that this interlude takes place prior to the beginning of this AU and up until ch10, so yes most of it overlaps with the main story, with Riko’s POV. Without further ado, here’s part2! Words: 7,043

Riko inhales deeply, filling her lungs with the fresh and floral aroma, and exhales deeply with her eyes closed. Her prediction back in the winter holidays was true - Dia’s private garden is indeed breathtaking.

In the heat of the summer, the sakura trees and many flowers have been Charmed to blossom since spring time, creating a picturesque scene to welcome any visitors. With the pink petals gently rustling along the breeze and the grass so green and full of vitality, she almost has the urge to lie down and allow nature to envelope her senses.

How fortunate she is to visit the Kurosawa Estate again.

Unlike the winter vacation, Riko has made peace with her demons, at least to a certain extent. She alternates in between staying home, visiting Chika and You, and meeting up with Dia, Mari and Kanan. She enjoys patching up the distance between her and her two best friends, as well as grow closer to the three seniors.

Needless to say, she had been alarmed to learn that the hooded figures had targeted Dia again. Mari and Kanan readily bring her to the Kurosawa Estate like last time, and while Dia grumbles about their fussing, she at least seems pleased to have Riko here.

Today is especially a fine day for them, for many of the Elders have left the Estate for meetings and so they fully made use of the lighter surveillance around the main compounds. Dia is able to spend some time with Ruby, and have Kanan and Mari, both in their Animagus form, accompany Ruby back to her side of the compound. Dia has already done so a few times in the past, and from her two friends’ narration, Ruby seems to enjoy their company.

At least, Kanan and Mari are able to play the role of an older sister when Dia cannot. Riko could tell this bothers Dia a great deal, understandably so, though she feels rather helpless about this situation.

To keep Dia distracted, the younger witch talks of her summer adventures with Chika and You, about the former’s massive pet dog Shiitake and the latter’s father, who works as a ship captain and had taken them out to the sea once.

As they walk around the garden, Riko inevitably finds herself asking Dia about those attacks, not that she could do anything to help the situation. A stubborn and hopeful part of her insists that, as long as she knows more details, she might be able to offer some sort of advice. The self-defeating part just scoffs at such notion.

Dia, being the kind girl she is, senses her restlessness and does as she requests.

“I am nearly certain that they are after my blood, the blood of a Pureblood heiress in its prime,” Dia murmurs evenly, as if she were discussing the weather and not about threats aimed at her person. “Perhaps the quill was even meant for me in the first place. You were simply unfortunate enough to have stumbled upon it before me.”

“No, Dia-san. I can see where this is going,” Riko walks in front of the taller witch to gaze at her face to face. “Those unknown attackers are at fault. We are the victims. So, don’t even think about blaming yourself.”

Dia’s lips quirk in slight amusement. “Then, have you stopped thinking that you brought Kanan-san, Mari-san and myself into this situation?”

“That’s different,” Riko sighs tiredly. “If it weren’t for me, you could have requested Aurors, or even other members of your family, to increase security or even try to trace these attackers. The terms for the Unbreakable Vow were rather ambiguous, so perhaps we should-”

“No. Nothing is worth risking your life, Riko-san. I can defend myself just fine.”

Dia sounds rather angry, so Riko simply nods and drops the issue for now. That magical contract has always been an enigma for them, though they dare not test its limits in case it is accidentally broken and that would be fatal for her. When the three older witches first found Riko and the unconscious Chika and You, Riko had felt the Vow’s magic extending to them, binding them for reasons unknown. Perhaps this is due to Dia’s own conflict against the hooded assailants, making her and her friends ‘qualify’ and be included in the Vow.

They cannot know for sure, but that doesn’t make Riko feel any less guilty.

“I just want you to understand that you are important to m… us,” Dia’s expression softens as she reaches for a stray petal that has landed on Riko’s shoulder. When she carefully cradles the pink sakura in her palm, Riko has to avert her gaze for the simple gesture fills her with self-consciousness.

Dia clears her throat and speaks in a more neutral tone. “Well then, what of your studies so far? What have you been working?”

More comfortable with such topic, Riko eagerly discusses the various potions she was able to brew, as well as the spells she mastered. She is especially pleased with one particular Charm.

“Incredible. Mari-san, Kanan-san and I only managed to cast the Patronus Charm in the middle of our Third-Year,” Dia observes the silver feline prancing around the garden. The corporeal Charm is shimmering brightly, its Kneazle-like tail flicking and its paws gracefully stepping onto the grass.

“Truthfully, I thought I’d have trouble conjuring it,” Riko dispels the Charm and turns away from the older girl, fiddling with her wand. “But I was able to think of the happy times, drawing strength from them just as how I always do in my studies.”

“Your goal of becoming a Mediwitch is unwavering, fueled by a positive emotion which is what the Charm needs,” Dia’s voice then drops to a rather embarrassed tone. “You have shown me something private about yourself, Riko-san, so it is only fair that I do the same. Expecto Patronum.”

Riko blinks at the glimmering king penguin sliding over the grass on its belly. The corporeal Charm flips over and waddles on its feet, tilting its head at her. Cute as it may appear, she could sense its immense power, which reflects its caster’s magic.

“Unexpected, yes?”

There are many comments flying in Riko’s head, and she could almost hear Mari’s jokes, so she decides for a curt nod in case she disrespects her senior.

“Ahem. Well, my Patronus used to match my Animagus form, but… as you can see, mine, Mari-san’s and Kanan-san’s are all aquatic creatures. During last summer, we had an adventure of some sorts in the Black Lake, and that must have caused our Patronus to change.”

Too surprised to comment, Riko could only blink up at the taller girl. Now that Dia has mentioned it, Riko did wonder why Kanan and Mari turn into a wolf and cat respectively, when their Patronus Charms are a dolphin and a seal.

Also, she hasn’t ever seen Dia’s Animagus form.

“That is a tale for another time, one that I am certain Mari would be delighted in sharing. It is not mine to tell,” Dia shakes her head, dispelling the harmless-looking penguin with a flick of her wand. “Hmm? Is something the matter?”

“Uh, well, I was just thinking, how the three of you are able to achieve your Animagus forms. It’s highly complex magic and takes incredible time and effort… ah, I’m not doubting your skills or anything-”

“I agree, Riko-san. Thinking back, I still wonder from time to time how we managed it,” Dia is wearing a fond, nostalgic smile. “Kanan-san did work very hard, while it comes rather easily for Mari-san. Again, it is their story to tell, not mine. I just did it, to prove that I could too.”

Riko nods hesitantly. She knows that Dia is competitive, a quality she could understand as well, but this just shows how amazing the heiress is. Once again, she feels humbled to be able to speak with and learn from Dia.

“M-May I see it?” Those words slips out of her mouth before she could stop them.

“Pardon?”

She licks her dry lips and whispers bashfully. “Your Animagus form… may I see it?”

Dia makes a rather comical expression then, her eyes wide in surprise. A tense silence passes by before Riko covers her face in embarrassment at her silly request. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked. It must be a sensitive secret, right? I mean, Mari-san and Kanan-san only revealed their forms to me because of their patrols and frequent Transformations. Please forget that I asked, Dia-san, you don’t have to-?”

Finding it odd that Dia would let her continue to ramble, Riko peeks through her fingers and discovers that the heiress has vanished.

“...Dia-san?”

Just as she is about to search the garden, she notices a small form slowly approaching her. Awed, she crouches down and reaches for the black rabbit. The critter’s dark pelt is cottony soft under her hands and very well-groomed, the fur almost shimmering under the sunlight. Gently, she cradles the bunny and finds herself caressing its ears.

Other than its intelligent emerald eyes, the rabbit also has white markings under the base of its ears that resemble Dia’s hairclips. Similar to how Kanan has an unusually long tail for a wolf and how Mari’s tail is whip-like as opposed to an average cat’s, those two traits separate Dia from a regular black rabbit.

Riko had expected her Animagus form to be a snake or even a jaguar, not this innocent herbivore. A rabbit simply isn’t the image of the Kurosawa heiress. However, an Animagus form doesn’t lie, for it is determined by one’s personality and inner traits. Perhaps, this is what Dia would have been like, had she grown up without all those expectations and responsibilities. She never provokes anyone or unsheathes her saber unless absolutely necessary. The only exception would be around Mari and Kanan, but Riko can tell that Dia doesn’t ever want to seriously hurt her friends.

Maybe, just maybe, Dia would rather avoid all conflicts, except circumstances forbid her from doing so. Now, holding the bunny in her arms, Riko is filled with the desire to protect it from harm. She also relishes in that sense of peace and soothing effect, similar to whenever she cuddles her pet Kneazle. Smiling, Riko couldn’t help but lightly scratch it between the ears like she would with Sandy.

The rabbit lowers its ears, seemingly pleased at the attention and treatment. Automatically, Riko leans down and nuzzles its cheek before smooching its brow. When the rabbit goes rigid in her arms, Riko snaps out of her daze and is struck by the reminder that this rabbit is Dia Kurosawa.

What did I just do?!

Mortified, she hastily places the bunny onto the grass. Almost instantly, it transforms back to the black-haired heiress, whose cheeks have darkened several shades. Both flustered into silence, they dumbly stare at each other for a while but adamant to avoid meeting each other’s eyes.

A slight rustling behind Dia breaks the stalemate, and Riko is almost relieved to spot familiar gold and dark indigo shapes fleeing into the bushes.

“Ma. Ri. San. Ka. Na. N. San! Y-You saw everything-?!” Dia summons her broom and chases after her friends without glancing back. Riko is grateful for the distraction as she crouches down again and covers her heated cheeks.

She’ll have to somehow regain her composure before the others return. But the challenge is, how is supposed to face Dia again after this? Although, it feels rather nice, to see and learn more about the older girl, so she’ll just have to somehow survive Mari’s teasing later.

Perhaps the embarrassment is too much, for she begins to giggle in mirth and is fully laughing by the time Dia returns with petrificus totalus-stricken wolf and cat levitated behind her.

Dia’s cheeks are still flushed from annoyance and the chase, but she relaxes upon seeing her and also lets out a few chuckles. The awkward atmosphere between them diffuses and they are able to return to discussing various areas of study.

Kanan and Mari are inadvertently forgotten and remained magically-petrified for a few hours. Kanan shrugs it off with a grin. Mari is not amused, and the chase between her and Dia resume.

All is well.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

“So? What are your thoughts,  Mari-san?”

“Hmm? She’s a very interesting girl, and seems to have a good heart,” Mari taps her finger on her chin. “She helped out this other new student, another Muggleborn, with her luggage.”

“I see. Then, why was the entry barred from them?” Riko hasn’t even realized that she is gripping the black feather so hard until Mari gently pats her shoulder. Riko loosens her hold, noticing the crescent-shaped marks on her palm, and sighs wearily. “It can’t be a coincidence and you know it, Mari-san.”

“I agree with you on that, but there’s nothing we can do except observe,” the senior Ravenclaw’s voice is low like a feline’s growl. “We do not want to jump into any conclusions, sì?”

Riko slumps in her seat and rubs her throbbing temple. The illusion of paradise from the summer vacation is long gone. She thought she had prepared herself for anything, but the appearance of a raven-haired teenager with a feather affixed to her bun took her by surprise. She’ll have this whole train ride until they reach Hogwarts to figure out how to handle this situation.

As if to lighten up the somber atmosphere, Mari suddenly flicks Riko’s forehead, earning a yelp. “Yoshiko Tsushima reminds me of you, Rikocchi, though you were much shyer while this one has the recklessness of a Gryffindor~”

Pouting, Riko scoots away from the blonde. “You think she’d be Sorted there?”

“Hmm, it’s possible, though instincts tell me she’d get along with Dia just fine~”

As peculiar as Mari could be, her instincts have proven scarily accurate so far. Riko could offer a slight nod before sinking back into her contemplative shell. She smiles gratefully when Mari transforms and curls up on her lap, knowing that she needs the comfort.

Dia and Kanan have gone to Hogwarts in the morning, for a cursory patrol around the perimeters, as well as to prepare for her duties as Head Girl this year. No matter how much Riko requests Mari privately, the blonde is adamant in accompanying her instead of Dia. Even though Kanan is very dependable, Riko would still rather the Fifth-Years stick together so that Dia would be well-protected.

Riko knows first-hand how powerful Dia is, but there are so many things unknown about the hostiles and she just can’t help but worry. In order to distract herself, she peruses her research note and examines the black feather again. The least she and Mari could do is to keep watch over Dia’s little sister, and monitor this odd girl with the feather.

Perhaps this Yoshiko is suitable for the House of Gryffindor, since she and her two companions vanished from the train station not long after they arrive. Adventurous and daring, like how Chika and You are. Mari manages to locate them somewhere in the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest and directs them back to the Thestral-pulled carriages. Riko is certainly surprised that Yoshiko is able to see those skeletal horse-like creatures like she could.

Perhaps, the younger girl has also experienced loss akin to death?

Finding a kindred spirit in Yoshiko, Riko could feel her opinion towards her lighten a bit. It’s highly probable that the Muggleborn has no idea that her feather is a Dark object. After she welcomes the trio inside of Hogwarts, she then switches her attention to Ruby and Dia. The older Kurosawa, expectedly, pays her sister no heed while the latter glances nervously in her direction every now and then. Riko mentally makes a reminder to prod Kanan for details of their patrol earlier, since Dia appears to be troubled by something.

“Oh my, the plot thickens doesn’t it?” Mari’s light-hearted words belie her worried tone as the Sorting Hat announces its decision. The two Ravenclaws watch Ruby anxiously approach the Hufflepuff table with her head held high. Riko glances at Dia, only to find her expression as placid as ever.

When it is Yoshiko’s turn, she waves at Riko, who returns the gesture with mild confusion. Surely, such a cheerful, optimistic person belongs to Gryffindor?

Again, she is taken aback by the Sorting Hat’s instantaneous decision to place the Muggleborn in the House of Slytherin, which consists of only Purebloods. Riko hears that there have been Muggleborn Slytherins in the past few decades, such as their feisty Charms Professor, but they have Pureblood ancestry traced back centuries ago. Maybe Yoshiko has a similar background as well?

The rest of the Sorting and Welcome Feast continue on without a hitch. Riko’s mind is rather weary from all the events so far, so she couldn’t wait to fulfill her Prefect duties for the night and retire to the Room of Requirement to convene with the others.

To her surprise, she only sees Kanan by the time she enters the Room around midnight. The ponytailed Gryffindor is in the middle of muffling a yawn and is sprawled on the floor, most likely having just changed back to her human form. Chuckling sheepishly, she stands up and elaborates when she notices Riko’s questioning glance.

“Ah, Mari said she’s escorting Hanamaru - that’s Ruby’s friend, the brunette with the glasses - back to Hufflepuff, while Dia’s taking Yoshiko back to the Slytherin Dorms. They found the two girls wandering around the corridor near the grand staircase.”

“Eh? How did they manage to do that without other Prefects noticing…” Riko frowns, also berating herself for not being diligent enough in her rounds, even though she was assigned to a different area.

“These girls are promising~” Kanan’s grin is rather childish, her mischievous Gryffindor side surfacing whenever she’s tired. “Seems like it’ll be an eventful school year too, especially with the way it started already.”

There’s something in Kanan’s tone that Riko doesn’t like. Upon interrogation, the older girl reluctantly reveals that she and Dia were attacked by those hooded figures in the Forest earlier. Alarmed, she pleads for Kanan to return to the Gryffindor Tower to make sure that Chika and You are alright. While those mysterious attackers haven’t come near the duo since that time, Riko refuses to leave it up to chance.

Now the only person left in the Room, Riko busies herself by placing a quarantine spell on the black feather near the rest they had gathered over the past year. She feels slightly foolish for staying, since it’s well past midnight already so she should just go back to the Ravenclaw Tower to rest.

Much to her joy, hours later, the door opens to reveal a very tired Dia.

“Riko-san? What are you doing here? You should be in your Dorm, resting.”

“So should you, Dia-san,” Riko feels the tension in her body finally lifting. She hasn’t spoken to Dia the whole day and that’s been gnawing at the corner of her mind. “Kanan-san informed me that you escorted Tsushima-san back to the Slytherin Dorm. You should have stayed there instead of coming here.”

“I… feel too restless. Also,” Dia sinks down in one of the couches and rubs the bridge of her nose, a habitual gesture whenever she’s abashed. “I suppose I just wanted to see if you would be here, even though it is so late.”

Something warm flutters in Riko’s heart as she gingerly sits down beside the older girl. “...I was waiting to see if you’d come here as well, Dia-san.”

“Is that so? We are both rather foolish, are we not?” Dia’s lips quirk in amusement. “Well then, since we are both here… Mari-san said that the two of you found another feather?”

“Yes, and I’d like you to tell me more about the encounter Kanan-san mentioned…”

Perhaps it is the familiar atmosphere in the Room of Requirement, for any vestige of fatigue fades away as the two witches exchange stories and catch up. It’s comfortable, therapeutic even, and all that unease about the attackers’ reappearance and the mysterious feather is soothed by Dia’s presence so close by.

Sensing there’s something else bothering the older girl, Riko gathers her courage and asks about Ruby.

“... I am pleased that she is Sorted into Hufflepuff, not Slytherin. She would excel there, and she appears to be making friends fast, especially in Kunikida-san and Tsushima-san. According to Mari-san, the three of them are already protective of one another,” Dia says slowly, though a minute tremor reveals her hidden emotion.

“But-?” Riko coaxes gently, and Dia’s poised expression starts to crack.

“But apparently, my family had sent Ruby a Howler and humiliated her in front of all her Housemates. Professor Koizumi managed to intervene before the full message was delivered, but…” Dia slouches in her seat, her fingers interlaced as she rests her chin on them. “If only I could go and comfort her. What kind of sister am I, for letting her suffer like this?”

“Dia-san-”

“Now that we are far away from our family’s scrutiny, here at Hogwarts, I thought that perhaps I could carefully, secretively, amend our relationship. However, now that it’s confirmed that those accursed attackers want the Kurosawa blood, I cannot have Ruby come anywhere near me. I will not subject my little sister to such menace!”

The pain in Dia’s voice hurts Riko too. She timidly reaches out and covers Dia’s hand with her own. Dia responds by giving her a heartrending smile and whimsically strokes the back of Riko’s hand with her thumb.

“The least I can do is to stop my family from harassing Ruby. Hmm, she has always been fond of my owl, I can certainly acquire one for her. Perhaps a tawny owl that likes flowers… do you think she would like that?”

Riko nods with certainty, feeling helpless when she notices Dia’s eyes shimmer with tears.

“As awful and untrue as it is, they will consider her a… lost cause now that she is in Hufflepuff. All that unnecessary pressure shall be gone, so she could finally enjoy herself. She… she is free.”

Before the first tear even trickle down Dia’s cheek, Riko pulls her into her arms. Dia doesn’t struggle and simply rests her head against Riko’s shoulder, her body trembling in soundless sobs.

Is there nothing she could do to help Dia? It must be terribly stressful to maintain that indomitable facade. Dia is just human. There must be times she simply wants to crumble and let go of her emotions.

I will be her refuge.

Riko tightens her hug.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

“Lily! Look look, it’s eating the apple! Eck-?!”

Riko giggles when the Thestral nudges Yoshiko affectionately, almost knocking her over in the process. The younger girl harrumphs and tries to scold the creature, but it’s obvious how she enjoys the attention.

Thestrals have ominous reputation and scary appearances. Riko herself was intimidated when she first saw them but now, they are possibly one of the most endearing magical creatures she has ever known. They seem to understand one’s sorrow and bring out the hidden joy.

Yoshiko certainly seems to appreciate that. The young Slytherin indeed reminds Riko a lot of herself, especially seeing her with Hanamaru and Ruby. Such nostalgia had prompted her to view the Mirror of Erised again, but that momentary lapse had caused Dia to hug her so the incident was overall pleasant.

Other than her accidental discovery, Yoshiko hasn’t been able to locate the Room of Requirement again, much to Riko’s relief. After getting to know the girl more and more, Riko wishes to protect that innocent quality as best as she could. The way she is so fascinated by magic and her eagerness to learn make their tutor sessions enjoyable. In fact, it’s almost comparable to her own sessions with Dia, and so the sense of kindred spirit just grows stronger and stronger.

“Hnff, stop laughing and come help me, Lily!” Three Thestrals are nuzzling Yoshiko, having long lost interest in the apple in her hand. These creatures prefer raw meat after all, so accepting a fruit from her already speaks volumes of how they adore her.

“Yocchan is popular,” Riko muffles another mirthful chuckle before distracting the Thestrals. Or, perhaps, these intelligent creatures could sense that Yoshiko is a good girl.

Truthfully, when Yoshiko first called her Lily, such sensitive nickname almost tore down her composure. Yet, as time goes on, Riko finds the process rather healing. While she will always have mixed feelings about the time spent with the quill, at least she can now look back at the happier times without that sting of guilt.

After all, how could she possibly associate this happily grinning girl with that wretched quill?

She isn’t the only one growing fond of Yoshiko and the other two First-Years. Chika and You enjoy playing with the volatile Slytherin while showering Ruby with love, something that Dia both appreciates and is rather envious of. Kanan has certainly taken Hanamaru under her wing since they are often found napping together by the Black Lake.

And Riko would never admit it, but Mari’s newfound ‘toy’ in Yoshiko makes Riko miss the older Ravenclaw’s irritating teases. Just slightly.

While those blank states of mind that Yoshiko experiences perturb her, they have been harmless so far, as inexplicable as they are. Dia’s temporary solution of Charming the girl’s scarf works, and nothing out of the ordinary has happened since the first day of school, making the term so far peaceful as they develop their bond with the three endearing First-Years.

Riko regrets allowing her guard to drop.

She is completely unprepared when, weeks later, she is forced to reveal her past and induct Yoshiko and Hanamaru into the Unbreakable Vow. Those tendrils of magic, something so Dark and corrupted, should not have originated from someone as guileless as Yoshiko. Moreover, those tendrils share the same properties as those feathers, which Riko has tentatively considered as Horcruxes even though they are not the same.

How had everything spiraled out of control so easily? Then again, nothing was ever within her control in the first place.

Riko tries to suppress her nervous jitters as she glances at the door out of the corner of her eyes. The sight of Kanan’s arm in a sling makes her stomach churn, and Mari’s stoney expression sends shivers down her spine. Even then, the two seniors maintain their friendly demeanor as they chat with the three First-Years. In spite of everything she’s learned, Yoshiko still remain positive and appears to take everything in a stride. Her selfless offer to help as much as possible touches Riko, strengthening her desire to protect her

After Dia bids the trio good night, Kanan and Mari open the door and lead the younger girls away, most likely to escort them back to their respective Dorms. For the first time ever, Riko is reluctant to be left alone with Dia.

As soon as the older girl turns towards her, she blurts out. “I’m so sorry, Dia-san. I know you wanted to keep Ruby-chan out of this-”

Dia stops her with a severe tone. “And I still do, but Yoshiko-san is correct. It would be awful if Ruby is kept out of the loop, seeing how close she is with Hanamaru-san and Yoshiko-san. It would be fine if we do not reveal everything and simply concentrate on training her. And, admittedly…” She lowers her head as if sheepish. “In a way, I appreciate this opportunity for me to reconnect with her again. She does not seem to bear any ill feelings towards me, and I am grateful.”

“Y-You’re not upset… about what happened?”

“Of course not, I was merely taken by surprise. There was no way we could have foreseen this, so it is prudent that we make the most of it and prepare ourselves should another similar incident occurs.”

Riko sighs shakily, the trepidation falling away along with her composure. Before she realizes it, Dia has closed their distances in several strides and enveloped her within her arms.

“Silly. Rather than me, I am more concerned about you, having to recount details of that day again,” Dia murmurs against Riko’s hair as she caresses her back. “How are you feeling?”

Riko clings back with everything she has and, strangely, she does not feel the urge to cry now even though sobs were bubbling in her chest earlier. “I-I’ve calmed down, now that I have time to ponder about it. I just wish all of this could’ve been avoidable. They were just First-Years!”

She tries to keep self-loathing and pity at bay, she really does, but telling Yoshiko her past with the quill and of Chika and You leaves a bitter taste in her mouth. She vows to never let Yoshiko experience the same despair.

Dia pulls away a bit. “Look at me.”

Riko shakes her head, feeling a familiar sting in her eyes even though they feel dry.

“Look at me, please.”

Timidly, she blinks several times and peers up. Dia’s gaze is so gentle that Riko does feel an urge to cry.

“Things will get better. We are all on your side. Do you understand me?”

She nods weakly.

“Good. Now, please go get some rest, I just have some errands to finish-.”

Such a familiar argument brings a small smile to her face. “Again, I should say the same. Let me help you, Dia-san.”

“Riko-san.”

“Dia-san.”

They stare at each other, neither willing to relent. Riko says quietly. “Like you said, you are not alone either. I… I’m here too. I want to be of help to you.”

Dia exhales and appears to be conflicted about something. “... you already have.”

Riko is stunned when the taller girl leans in and places a soft kiss against her forehead. The simple contact causes warmth to fill her chest and her smile widens. Coyly, she burrows her face against the crook of Dia’s neck and indulges herself in this moment of contentedness.

Dia is right. While they don’t know what would happen in the future, she is confident that, with Dia by her side, things will turn out fine at the end. It has long developed from gratitude to trust and fondness, and as impossible as it may be, this almost-overwhelming feeling just continues to grow.

Dia-san, I lo-

Riko dares not allow her mind to complete such thought.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Amber eyes stare dazedly at the ceiling, sleep escaping her like usual but it is for a different reason this night. Riko could still feel the phantom brush of Dia’s lips against her knuckles and her cheek, her mind whirling with memories of the Christmas Banquet earlier.

Dia has only kissed her a total of two times, a chivalrous one on her knuckles after their dance, and another chaste one on her cheek when Dia escorted her back to her Dorm.

Yet, each kiss felt so achingly intimate, so tender that she feels like melting. And the way Dia gazed at her, like she was the only person in the world, her whole world...

Riko’s cheeks heat up as she rolls over in her bed. Never in her seventeen years of life has she had the urge to giggle like a hopelessly smitten girl, but after tonight, she has resigned and accepted how she feels about Dia. Dia seems to return her feelings too, since she is the only person the heiress has danced with the whole night. Riko doesn’t want to get her hopes up, but wishful thinking keeps pervading her thoughts whenever she tries to ponder about safer topics like school assignments and whatnot.

As if entranced, she kisses her own knuckles softly, the same spot that Dia did. Her blush darkens again and she hastily buries her face in her pillow.

A quiet yowl reminds her that she isn’t totally alone in the Prefect dorm. Sandy must have been roused by her restless movements, and she could feel the Kneazle hopping onto her bed and pawing at her shoulder as if worried.

Peeking out, Riko is about to hug her pet when she notices Sandy nudging a hairclip towards her. The sakura flower pin was given by Dia before they parted ways, as a Christmas present.

Maybe she is imagining things, but the intelligent Kneazle seems to be smirking at her.

“Y-You hang out with Mari-san too much!” Mortified, Riko pulls the cover over her head but is still unsuccessful in falling asleep, especially since Sandy keeps purring in amusement.

The few days after the Banquet is like a breather, since most students have gone home for the holidays and they have all returned to routine meetings and training in the Room of Requirement. Both she and Dia are quite occupied by their respective self-assigned tasks, so she is able to regain composure to a certain extent and interact with the heiress as normally as possible.

So far, Mari is surprisingly quiet on the matter, but judging from Dia’s flustered reactions, she must be teasing her friend whenever Riko is out of hearing range. Kanan has been wearing a perpetual smile, one that seems to say ‘I’m happy for you’ whenever she looks at Riko’s direction. Even Chika and You give her a similar expression, making Riko very self-conscious.

Her embarrassment grows when Yoshiko catches her staring at Dia, and skyrockets after she casts the Patronus Charm. Riko is beyond shocked, for while she’s acknowledged her feeling, she has no idea how deeply it runs, enough to actually change her Patronus form to a rabbit. The worst part is that everyone saw it, especially Dia.

Which brings her to her current predicament.

“Riko-san…? Are you alright?”

She squirms shyly, her heart speeding up when Dia reaches for her hand. She appreciates Kanan and Mari making them go to Madame Puddifoot’s at Hogsmeade, but she has absolutely no idea what to do now that she’s alone with Dia. The fluffy atmosphere around the tea shop, which is filled with other couples, certainly doesn’t calm her nerves.

“Apologies for Mari-san and Kanan-san’s behavior. Would you like to go somewhere else?”

Taking a deep breath, Riko dares to look up and is surprised to see Dia just as nervous as she is. Suddenly, a wave of calmness washes over her and Riko squeezes their intertwined hands.

“Let’s enjoy the dessert here first, Dia-san. I hear that they serve good matcha pudding?”

Dia sheepishly averts her gaze, making Riko giggle in fondness. While she finds the tea shop’s interior designs tacky and small tables uncomfortable, she admits that the dessert is quite delicious.

Or is it because she is in Dia’s company?

Riko smiles to herself as the pair exits the shop, hand in hand. Just as Dia said, everything did get better, and there have been no irregularities they couldn’t control, and no attacks. Chika and You have returned back to her life, and it feels so fulfilling to be surrounded by new and old friends.

“Is there any place you would like to go, Riko-san?”

An idea enters her mind then. It has been over a year, so she feels ready to confront the last demon of her past. “I’ve been foolish in avoiding it, Dia-san. There could be valuable items inside the Hut that we could learn from.”

Dia narrows her eyes and nods slowly while pulling Riko close. The younger girl appreciates the comforting gesture as she leads her towards the outskirts of Hogsmeade while quietly explaining the nature behind the Hut.

The abandoned building is even shabbier than the Shack a distance away, at least outwardly, and it is located deeply in the forest. What makes the Hut special is that it cannot be found by means other than through a Secret-Keeper.

“You have casted the Fidelius Charm-?”

Riko could understand why Dia is awed. It is a highly complex spell that no average student could have possibly cast it correctly. Alas, back then, she has the help of the quill and that is how the Hut remains undiscovered through this past year.

“Technically, Chika-chan and You-chan are still Secret-Keepers like I am, but since they don’t remember, they would not be able to pass on the secret,” Riko flicks her wand around the forest, checking one last time to confirm that she and Dia are the only people here. She then describes the Hut’s exact location to Dia and smiles faintly when the older girl blinks at the building, which must have materialized abruptly for her only after hearing the address.

“...are you sure, Riko-san?”

“Yes. I’m done running away. I should’ve done this earlier, but I admit that I haven’t even thought of this place for a long time.” Even as she says that, her heart pounds painfully within her chest. Remnants of terror persist in spite of her bravado.

After all, it isn’t that far from the Hut, the very campsite where they were ambushed and she was forced to Obliviate Chika and You.

But it’s also where she was found by Dia and the others.

An end, but also a beginning.

The heiress squeezes her hand again before they enter the Hut together. The place hasn’t changed at all, still mostly immaculate without any hint of dust. The arrangement of furniture remains the same as she remembers, with two overturned stools at the corner of the living room and a long table separating it from the kitchenette. Chika and You used the stools as pseudo goalposts when they played soccer in the magically enlarged area. The ball is tucked onto the wooden legs, which was placed there after Riko had tripped over it one time and Hexed the two to clean up their mess.

Riko’s breathing hitches as memories, some vague and some vivid, fill her mind in an unstoppable torrent. She might have collapsed onto her knees if Dia hasn’t held her steady.

“Riko-san, perhaps we should-”

“No, I’m okay, really,” Riko smiles weakly and gestures at the stairway leading to the basement. “That’s where we did most of our experiments and training. All the books should still be there, cauldrons and probably some leftover ingredients too.”

Dia nods, but makes no move to follow Riko. “Dia-san?”

“Should you really be showing me all of this?”

Puzzled, Riko turns to face her. “I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”

“All of this… This is something very personal. I am honored that you would consider me trustworthy enough, Riko-san, but…”

A flicker of fond exasperation tickles at her heart, lifting the somber atmosphere enough for Riko to speak with certainty. “After everything we’ve experienced, Dia-san, that’s a rather silly question. Do you have any idea how much you’ve done for me? I was able to stand on my feet again. I was able to… open my mind to new possibilities and people into my life. Thanks to you, I-I…” She trails off and swallows hard, her confidence wavering but her words sincere. “I’m able to remember how to truly smile again.”

For some reason, Dia begins to chuckle.

Rather miffed by the response, Riko pouts and waits for the older girl to elaborate.

“Do not fret, Riko-san, I am just laughing at myself, at my own indecisiveness and cowardice.”

“Eh?”

“If you can face your own demons, then I shall be brave as well and do something I have wanted to for a long time now.”

Under Riko’s inquisitive eyes, Dia gingerly retrieves a small velvety box from her pocket. “Rather than the hairclip, I had meant for this to be your Christmas present, to give to you after our dance, but I… well, I chickened out, for a lack of better description. I felt uncertain about many things, and admittedly I was fearful of ruining what we have. I do not want to lose that.”

Riko’s distinctly aware of her heart thundering in her ears when she notices the Kurosawa crest on the box.

“I should have acted sooner. If it were not for your Patronus, I might have continued to hesitate. But now here we are, there is no reason for me to hold back anymore.”

The box is carefully opened, revealing a necklace with a carbonado as its center jewel. Riko’s lips tremble as she struggles to speak. “I-I cannot accept something so valuable-”

“Yes you can. I would like you to have it, Riko-san.” The earlier indecision have faded away as Dia assertively takes one step forward. “Indeed, this is a precious gem, but that is not all that it represents. My name is Dia Kurosawa, and this is a black diamond. In other words, it represents me. My magic is imbued in the jewel so that, if it ever comes to a situation when you need help, it will protect you.”

She glances between Dia and the necklace, a lump forming in her throat as she tries to understand the magnitude of such exchange. “...why me?”

Dia’s smile softens as she holds Riko’s gaze and repeats the same words she herself had told Dia earlier. “That is a rather silly question, considering everything we had gone through together. You have become very dear to me, Riko-san. I...”

Riko feels a familiar warmth and sting at her eyes, and the dam breaks upon the heiress’ next words.

“I have fallen in love with you.”

Biting her lips, Riko lowers her head and presses her palms against her eyes as hot tears continue to flow.

“It is not my intention to make you cry at all, Riko-san…”

Hearing the concern and smidgen of doubt in Dia’s voice, Riko frantically shakes her head and tries to reign in her sobs. “I-I’m just… so… so very happy… Dia-san, I-I…a-accept it...”

“I am glad,” Dia whispers. “Allow me then.”

With her eyesight still blurred by tears, she could only sense Dia moving behind her and gently brushing apart her hair. Her cool fingers graze along her nape as she carefully clasps the beautiful necklace around her neck. The weight of the jewel rests just below her collarbones and above her heart. She could intimately feel Dia’s magic thrumming against her own.

Most of all, she could feel Dia’s love embracing her protectively.

After wiping her eyes one last time, Riko turns around and demurely smiles up at Dia. She doesn’t know who leans in first, but the kiss feels so right, as if a missing part of her is finally complete.

Is it possible to be this blissful?

“Dia-san, I love you.”

[alexandrasanimationblog]

Norwich Castle Museum Life Drawing Session

Week 11 (09/12/19)

Used: Sketchbook, pencils, eraser

In order to develop ideas for our fantastical creature maquette, we were taken to the Norwich Castle Museum. We were shown the rooms where the taxidermied animals were and left to make observation sketches for our ideas.

I was immediately drawn to the peacock in the first room we entered. I loved how its different types of feathers meshed together on its wings. I spent a good amount of time sketching the peacock in particular so I decided to focus on mammals for the rest of my sketches in order to have both fur and feathers on my creature.

I then moved on to the penguins which were more difficult to draw due to their stature but also due to the set they were in that was made to mimic their natural environment and sadly, concealed some of their key characteristics. I wasn’t too happy with my penguins so I moved on to something else.

I then found myself wanting to look at the seals and otters. They have elongated bodies that would be fun to work with when creating a fantastical creature. I particularly loved the seals’ tails that seemed very much like mermaid tails to me.

Lastly, I went to the circus animal section that had two of my favorite animals: Red Pandas and Lions (a lion cub). Their heads and faces are particularly cute and I wanted to work on them specifically in my sketches so that I can incorporate them on my creature. And with that, I had a rough idea of what I wanted my creature to be like.

[ask-logical-logan]

[does a little quick math] That's, what.. roughly 3/4 the temperature of Vostok Station? Still too darn cold. What about other beings, like polar bears? I know seals and penguins use blubber and I think oils in the feathers to shed water before it freezes? Ooooo, what about space itself, does that have a temperature? [is gleefully attentive] ... Oh, oops. Sorry if I'm jumping topics too fast; I tend to just zoom ahead and not mention the connecting thoughts when I'm excited or happy.

That’s alright! I enjoy talking to people about these things!

-454.9°F is how cold space gets. I’m not sure if any beings live in Vostok Station. I do know that scientists go up there to do research and such, but that’s about it. 

Polar bears survive with thick dense fur and four inches of fat underneath their skin, keeping them warm, much like insulation in houses. Along with that, they have so many blood vessels that travels in their ears, nose and feet pad, working as radiators when bears are too warm. When too warm, as they have to be careful not to overheat, they take a dip in the water and go for a swim!

[topfygad]

The Great White Hope: Notes from Antarctica, Earth’s Last Great Wilderness

In Antarctica, the writer finds promise, peril, and nature so grand it inspires poetry.

  Gentoo penguins fling themselves from an iceberg into frigid Antarctic waters. Photo: Cotton Coulson and Sisse Brimberg

The riotous seas of the Drake Passage—one of the world’s most treacherous stretches of water—lie down for us as we cross, aboard the ship National Geographic Explorer, in a spell of good weather. We sailed from the world’s southernmost city, Ushuaia, Argentina, for the closest part of the cold continent, the Antarctic Peninsula, escorted by petrels and albatrosses. All are graceful on the wing, but the birds that draw my eye are the wandering albatrosses. Greatest of seabirds with their 11-foot wingspans, wandering albatrosses are masters of dynamic soaring. I watch them course effortlessly on set wings, tacking in wide turns, their wing tips narrowly clearing the swells. Now and again an albatross glides parallel with the ship’s gym, glancing in the windows at passengers labouring on treadmills—and inspiring my new stanza for Samuel Coleridge’s 1798 poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” in which an ill-fated ship is driven by winds toward the cold continent: At length did cross an albatross, Which our treadmills and ellipticals, Free weights and rowers, Nautilus And NordicTrack just could not outpull.

Not great poetry, maybe, but new stanzas seem in order, for we’re headed to a land in transformation—a new Antarctica.

“The ice was here, the ice was there, the ice was all around,” Coleridge wrote as his mariner sailed for the South Pole. Alas, there is much less ice now. Antarctica remains Earth’s last great wilderness, but global warming is bringing rapid change. The Antarctica of the next millennium is taking shape. I’ve come for an early look—and to connect with nature on a scale I have rarely seen.

A day and a half after departing Ushuaia, we’re approaching the South Shetland Islands, volcanic outliers of the Antarctic Peninsula. As we near land, we smell it before we see its point of origin—a sudden strong odour of ammonia. At the deck rail, I look for some duct behind me, assuming the smell is venting from the bowels of the ship. But the wind is off the beam. A fellow passenger and I exchange glances of wild surmise. Then, “Penguins!” she cries, pointing. The smell is wafting from a penguin rookery, my first intimation of the crazy abundance of life in Antarctica—and its assault on all of the senses.

Our ship turns in for Barrientos Island, in the middle of the South Shetlands. We coast by its cliffs of columnar black basalt. Soon we drop anchor and board the ship’s inflatable Zodiac boats to visit rookeries of gentoo and chinstrap penguins—following our noses, in effect. The gentoo, a six-kilo bird, takes the low land here. Four-kilo chinstraps are the highlanders, gathering densely atop rock outcroppings. This choice, to me, seems almost religious. Perched on stony altars—a little closer to heaven—and waggling, the birds direct their beaks up and cry out piercing hosannas. As the frenzy dies down, the beaks drop, pointing to more earthly chores: grooming feathers and feeding chicks.

Passengers from the National Geographic Explorer pole their way up to a penguin colony at Orne Harbour. Photo: Cotton Coulson and Sisse Brimberg

My fellow passengers are as excited by all this as I am. Linda MacGregor, our most elegant dresser in the evenings, plops down in her rain pants near a gentoo nursery and grins as a moulting chick clambers toward her. The chick seems to expect her to regurgitate some krill. Had Mrs. MacGregor been able to, I believe she would have. Jann Johnson, from California, stands among the penguins, incredulous. “I know I’m here, but I don’t believe I’m here,” she exclaims to no one in particular. “It’s beyond all dreams.” As she says this, her boots are becoming smeared with guano and mud, possible contaminants that Explorer neutralizes with a battery of shipboard brushes, disinfectants, and jets of hot water. We use these both when embarking and disembarking, determined to neither export contagion to this frozen world nor import it to the ship.

***

Our expedition leader, Tom Ritchie, is as Antarctic explorers are supposed to be, ruddy and bearded. A throwback to Victorian naturalists such as Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, he is a generalist, free to follow his curiosity wherever it leads. Picking up a fur seal femur on the beach, he tells me it came from a juvenile, noting the unfused epiphyses at either end of the shaft. Then, hefting the skull, he adds that the juvenile was a male. Ritchie discourses on Antarctic fauna—such as it is—as easily as on botany, meteorology, geology, and ornithology.

“I’ve been coming to Antarctica for more than 30 years,” he notes. “It’s in my blood. The human history here is fascinating, the natural history like nowhere else on Earth. This is just a very dynamic place—and in some respects a dangerous, sinister place too.”

Could he be referring to the destruction humankind wrought on this remote ecosystem in the first half of the 20th century—the unchecked slaughter of whales in these southern waters, which nearly extinguished the blue whale and brutally reduced populations of the smaller krill-eating baleen whales? Antarctic wildlife is still in flux from those days. The slaughter of the whales triggered explosions in populations of other krill eaters, especially the crabeater seal, now one of the most numerous large mammals on the planet. This huge disruption of nature foreshadowed the potentially larger disturbance now being visited on Antarctica by climate variations.

Two humpback whales lure passengers to the ship’s rail for a close encounter. Photo: Cotton Coulson and Sisse Brimberg

As our ship works its way down the peninsula, Antarctica’s dynamism is evident everywhere. It’s in the weather, of course, which is big and volatile. It’s in the way the stark, lifeless interior meets Antarctic waters teeming with life. It’s in the juxtaposition of glaciers with volcanic formations and geothermal steam—the marriage of ice and fire. It’s also evident, more subtly, in the way ruins of human enterprise—an abandoned Argentine refugio shack, the tumbled stones of a rude, French-built meteorological lab—accentuate the vastness of the wilderness beyond.

I see little dynamism, at first, in the colours of this frozen landscape. The basic palette is the grey-black of exposed rock and the white of ice and snow. Many creatures I spot echo this grey-black white tonality, from the penguins to seagulls, seals, and killer whales. But my eye wants colour and trains itself to find it, zeroing in on the blue light glowing in glacial ice, the green of moss, the red in gentoo beaks, the orange caruncles on the face of the blue-eyed cormorant—and the lunatic cobalt of its iris. The colours here seem to live; each hue is all the warmer and more luminous for its black-and-white context.

There is, too, the temporary dynamic that Explorer brought here and would take away when we sailed: the sharp discontinuity between our life on and off board. On board are the staterooms, gift shop, fully stocked bar, and “wellness” area. Off board is infinite Antarctica, windswept, cold, alien.

At the head of Charcot Bay, on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula, we spend a morning cruising Lindblad Cove in rafts as snow falls. The margins of the cove blur in mist that thins occasionally for glimpses of the surrounding peaks—bold ramparts of dark rock with steep couloirs and hanging glaciers. Our rafts proceed slowly, searching out passages through a maze of slush ice, ice floes, small icebergs, and giant tabular bergs that would have dwarfed the Titanic. Several fur seals have hauled out on their own floes. One grows enormous as we approach, resolving itself into a huge female leopard seal, 11 feet long.

“Dangerous” and “sinister” Tom Ritchie had said of Antarctica, and here, in this sleek avatar of an extraordinary continent, I find a creature worthy of the adjectives. The skull, reptilian in its contours, with a thin black line marking the wrap-around mouth, reminds me of a death’s-head mask. As I watch her, the seal yawns, and I’m startled by her immense gape. Her fanged mouth opens to nearly 90 degrees.

Photo: Cotton Coulson and Sisse Brimberg

“Don’t change your lenses outdoors,” said photographer Cotton Coulson. “You never want to get moisture or condensation inside the camera body. Put your cameras and lenses into a plastic bag and seal them up before you bring them indoors. Once inside, place them in the coldest area you can find so they slowly warm up to the new temperature.”

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[laraehrlich-blog]

Original content owned & copyrighted by Green Global Travel.

It wasn’t all that long ago that the idea of taking an Antarctic vacation was little more than a pipe dream for most travelers.

Daring explorers such as Roald Amundsen and Ernest Shackleton captured worldwide attention with their Antarctic expeditions in the early 20th century. But regular travel didn’t become possible until the late 1960s, and only 14,762 people took a trip to in 1999-2000. 

Antarctic adventures have become much more accessible in recent years, and tourist numbers have grown rapidly as a result. These days more than 40,000 people visit annually. Most of them are attracted by the diverse array of Antarctic animals, the incredible natural landscapes, and the extremophile species that can withstand hostile weather conditions.  Then there are the various famous species of Antarctic Penguins, Seals, Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage, or watch The Endurance or Shackleton.

With climate change at our doorstep and Antarctic ice melting at a rapid pace, the continent is now at a pivotal point in history. So here we’ll take a look at some of the many stunning animals of we think are worth saving for future generations to enjoy…

READ MORE: Fascinating Facts About the Blue Whale

Cruise Ship with Crabeater Seal on an Iceberg, by Bret Love & Mary Gabbett

BENEFITS OF TAKING AN A CRUISE

As previously mentioned, travel to has become more and more popular in recent years, thanks largely to the increasing availability of Antarctic cruises.

Some environmentalists have expressed concern about the effects Antarctic Treaty has numerous provisions that were designed to protect the planet’s most pristine ecosystem from the ravages of overtourism.

Massive cruise ships are not allowed to visit . But small ship cruises allow travelers to explore both the mainland and sub-Antarctic islands, whether via motorized zodiacs, kayaks, or on foot.  

Human history in is just over 100 years old. But travelers will hear stories and visit historic sites (including scientific research stations) that help to illuminate our existence and persistence there.

is still a place where we, as humans, remain guests– observers who are not well-suited for long-term survival in such an extreme environment. An Antarctic holiday provides a picture of what the world looks like with minimal human footprint, while also showing where we might be heading due to our heavy carbon footprints elsewhere on the planet.

Taking an Antarctic cruise provides access to all of these insights and more. Modern cruise ships can endure the rough seas of the READ MORE: The World’s Best Small Ship Cruises (World Travel Bucket List)

ANIMALS

Antarctic Birds

Antarctic Penguins

Antarctic Seals

Antarctic Whales and Dolphins

Other Wildlife In

Photo by NOAA Photo Library, licensed under CC BY 2.0

BIRDS

The birds of are an exceptionally hardy sort. Antarctic birds tend to be large, seagoing, and require water-resistant plumage and layers of fatty insulation. They’re also incredibly plentiful: Over 100 million birds flock there in the spring months to nest and breed.

Many birds of the Antarctic can be spotted among the region’s myriad islands and mainland coasts. They often congregate in colossal colonies, taking advantage of those areas that aren’t snow-laden. Here are some of the coolest Antarctic birds you’re likely t0 spot during your cruise to :

Antarctic Skuas

With a wingspan that can measure over five feet, the Antarctic Skua (a.k.a. Brown Skua or Southern Great Skua) ranks among the biggest seabirds on the planet. They’re very intelligent and notoriously adept at stealing and snacking on Penguin eggs and chicks. Some scientists are putting the Antarctic Skua into three separate species, designating the Falkland Skua and Sub-Antarctic Skua as their own thing.

Blue-Eyed Shags

Mistaken as Giant Petrels

Yet another impressively large bird, the Giant Petrel can weigh in the ballpark of 17 pounds and have wings that span nearly seven feet! They range the southern seas and all the countries therein, including , Snowy Sheathbills

The only land bird native to continental , the Snowy Sheathbill is a ground-dweller that feeds on just about anything it can find, including Penguin vomit. This bird’s list of Wandering Albatross

Of the 10 species of Albatross in , the Wandering Albatross (a.k.a. Snow Albatross or Goonie) is the largest. Its wings can span more than 11 feet, and the long-distance flyer can weigh upwards of 24 pounds. Though these birds spend most of their lives flying (around 75,000 miles a year), they do settle down long enough to breed on the sub-Antarctic islands. 

READ MORE: Beautiful Birds of the Galapagos Islands

King Penguins on South Georgia Island, photo by Donna Hull courtesy My Itchy Travel Feet

PENGUINS

Seeing Penguins in are often the highlight of a cruise to the frozen continent. There are six Penguin species spread across the mainland and surrounding islands, including Adélie, Chinstrap, Emperor, Gentoo, King, and Macaroni Penguins.

Even if your trip to only takes you to the mainland, you’re still virtually guaranteed to find yourself encountering numerous types of Penguins.

This is because the preferred Penguin habitat for nesting is right along the shore, where there’s typically little to no ice accumulation in summer (December through February in the southern hemisphere).

Adélie Penguins

Both the tiniest and most widely distributed species of Penguins in , Adélie Penguins stand around two feet tall and weigh around eight pounds. There are nearly 4 million breeding pairs, grouped into just over 250 colonies. Interesting Adélie Penguin facts include that they were named after the wife of Jules Dumont d’Urville, the explorer who discovered them. Other distinctive characteristics include a white ring around their eyes and black feathers concealing much of their red bills.

Chinstrap Penguins

As their name suggests, Chinstrap Penguins have a narrow black stripe beneath their chins. Due to an ear-piercing call, they are also sometimes referred to as Stonecracker Penguins. Chinstraps are the most prominent species on mainland , with an estimated population of 8 million. They also like to breed in Emperor Penguins

Emperor Penguins are famous for being the largest penguin in , standing around four feet and weighing around 50 pounds. They were brought to global prominence as the subject of the March of the Penguins. They tend to breed on the pack ice and shelf ice, though a few colonies have recently been seen inland on the Peninsula. 

Gentoo Penguins

Gentoo Penguins are identified by the bonnet of white running across the back of their heads, and a bright orange beak on the front. They also have the longest tail of all the world’s Penguins. Other fascinating Gentoo Penguin facts includes them being the fastest (swimming up to 22 mph), and they actively shun colony members that stray from their partners. An estimated 600,000 Gentoo Penguins breed and nest on ’s iceless shorelines.

King Penguins

The second largest Penguin species, King Penguins can grow up to three feet tall and 40 pounds. They look similar to Emperor Penguins, but with a longer, straighter bill and more orange colorings as opposed to the Emperor’s mix of white, pink, and yellow. There are over 2 million breeding pairs of King Penguins on the sub-Antarctic islands, particularly the Crozets, South Georgia, and the Prince Edwards Islands.

Macaroni Penguins

Macaroni Penguins are also quite partial to the sub-Antarctic islands, especially Heard Island and South Georgia. They have serious orange bills for snouts and comical bright orange feathers that sweep across their foreheads like really long eyebrows, spiking out at the sides. Macaroni Penguins are on the smaller side, only growing to 27 inches tall and tipping the scales at about 10 pounds. They have a large, though currently declining population of nearly 9 million breeding pairs.

Southern Rockhopper Penguins

The stars of the 2007 animated film, Surf’s Up, Southern Rockhopper Penguins are tiny. They don’t even reach two feet tall, and barely weigh five pounds. Like the Macaronis, they have prominent orange beaks and distinctive eyebrow feathers. But the Southern Rockhopper’s eyebrows are yellow and twirl up at the outer edges. As their name suggests, they’re more likely seen jumping on rocks rather than waddling.

READ MORE: Penguins in Photo Essay

Crabeater Seal on an Iceberg by Bret Love & Mary Gabbett

SEALS

Much like an East Africa’s Seals in are excellent hunters. These pinnipeds (a group that also contains Walruses and Antarctic Fur Seals

The Antarctic Fur Seal is the only eared seal found in : The rest are “earless” or “true” seals, which are better adapted for swimming. Though small compared to other types of Seals, males can still reach over six feet long and exceed 200 pounds. More than 90% of the planet’s population breeds on the South Georgia Islands, in numbers that can be as large as four million in a given breeding season. 

Crabeater Seals

With pale fur that helps them blend in, Crabeater Seals live on the pack ice of . They’re slender and long, reaching over eight feet from elongated snout to tail. Despite what their name suggests, Crabeater Seals don’t actually eat crabs (they prefer krill). They’re thought to be the most populous of all Seal species. In fact, after humans, they’re the most prevalent large mammal on the planet!

Leopard Seals

The Leopard Seal is the second largest of all land animals in , with females stretching to 11.5 feet and weighing 800-plus pounds. These predators are ferocious, hunting everything from fish and Penguins to Crabeater Seals. Its name derives from the black spots on its chest and underside. During the summer, male Leopard Seals spend several hours a day swimming upside down and singing underwater.

Southern Elephant Seals

The largest pinniped on the planet, Southern Elephant Seals dwarf even giant mammals like Weddell Seals

The most southerly living mammal in the world, Weddell Seals are named after British Captain James Weddell and inhabit ’s icy coasts. They have little heads and cute faces, reaching up to 10 feet long and 1300 pounds. They are dark with pale patches, particularly on their bellies. Weddell Seals like to swim below the ice, which protects them from predators and makes prey fish easier to see.

Ross Seals

Hanging out almost exclusively on Antarctic pack ice, Ross Seals are dark on top and silver below. They have huge eyes and are relatively small at around six feet long. Like Weddell Seals, they’re named after the British explorer who discovered them. Discovered over 150 years ago, they’re one of the least-studied Seal species. They’re noted for making twitter-y sounds, but we don’t yet know the purpose of this call.

READ MORE: Fascinating Facts About the Hawaiian Monk Seal

Humpback Whale in by Bret Love & Mary Gabbett

WHALES AND DOLPHINS

There is something incredible humbling about seeing Whales in up close. Whether it’s a full-on breaching or just the flip of a tail as it dives, their massive size puts the significance of us as humans into perspective.

Antarctic Whales are plentiful both in number as well as in diversity. There are 15 Whale species found in the continent’s waters, including the world’s biggest Whale, endangered Whales, and the most ferocious of the cetacean species.

Whale watching is truly an essential experience for anyone who cruises to . Here’s a look at some of the types of Whales you’re most likely to see:

Blue Whales

The Blue Whale is the largest Whale species and the largest animal ever to have existed (including dinosaurs), weighing 300,000 pounds and measuring nearly 100 feet long. Luckily, they are very gentle giants. Unfortunately, that has made them susceptible to IUCN’s endangered species list. The call of the Blue Whale is so loud that it can be heard underwater hundreds of miles away, making it the loudest animal on the planet as well.

Humpback Whales

Another extremely large baleen Whale, Humpbacks extend over 50 feet and reach more than 30 tons. They have exceptionally long pectoral fins, notably knobby heads, and sweet songs. Humpback Whales are visible in many places because they migrate some 16,000 miles a year, and they breach with ridiculous acrobatics. Unlike Blue Whales, Humpbacks have a sizable population some 80,000 strong.

Minke Whales

Though tiny in terms of cetaceans, Minke Whales still average more than 20 feet long (think London double-decker bus) and weigh up to 10 tons (think 8-10 cars). Southern Minke Whales like to frequent sub-Antarctic seas and are commonly sighted where flocks of seabirds are feeding. Unfortunately, much like Giant Petrels, they have the reputation of being a bit smelly.

Southern Right Whales

Once hunted to near extinction, Southern Long-finned Pilot Whales

Long-finned Orcas

Also known as Dusky Dolphins

Found only in the southern hemisphere, Dusky Dolphins are relatively small compared to other cetaceans– a little over 5.2 feet and around 160 pounds. They have small noses and beautiful markings, including white streaks along their sides and a bi-colored dorsal fin. They are coastal Dolphins, and are typically spotted swimming close to shore.

Hourglass Dolphins

Though an unlikely sighting, the rare Hourglass Dolphin is occasionally found swimming in Antarctic waters. The species’ classification is based largely on eyewitness accounts, and less than a dozen Hourglass Dolphins have been studied. They’re mostly black, with patches of white along the back that resemble an hourglass. They have stocky bodies, under 6 feet long and possibly over 250 pounds. They travel in pods of ten or less and are most often seen feeding alongside other groups of cetaceans.

READ MORE:

Tardigrade (a.k.a. Water Bear) by yourlocal-t-rex, licensed under CC PDM 1.0

WILDLIFE IN A

While Penguins, Seals, and Whales rightfully dominate the show, there are other species of interesting wildlife, including large seafaring creatures and miniscule land dwellers. You won’t likely see these Colossal Squids

You’ve probably heard of the Giant Squid, but the Colossal Squid (a.k.a. Antarctic Squid) is even larger. It has a bigger mantle and shorter tentacles (proportionally), and reportedly reaches nearly 50 feet in length and over 1,000 pounds. Its eyes are believed to be over a foot in diameter. Colossal Squids have been spotted in seas around Icefish

Denizens of the ice-cold waters of Antarctic seas, Icefish are notable because they have unusual blood. Unlike most animals, which have hemoglobin that carries oxygen and turns their blood red, Icefish lack hemoglobin, and thus have somewhat translucent blood. Scientists still aren’t quite sure how Icefish get enough oxygen around their bodies.

Flightless Midges

Despite a name that suggests it is nothing more than a smidge, the flightless Antarctic Midge is the largest (purely) land animal on . They measure a whopping half-inch long, stay in their larvae stage for about two years, then have a lifespan of roughly 10 days as adults.

Tardigrades

Too weird, disturbing, and/or cute (depending on your perspective) to ignore, tardigrades are tiny little creatures that are just over a millimeter in size. They’re often called “water bears” because they have plump bodies and stuffed animal-like qualities. In my eyes they look a little like the caterpillar from Disney’s Alice In Wonderland. Amazingly, they can withstand temperatures below -300º Fahrenheit, as well as survive in outer space. –Jonathon Engels

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Day 2 and 3 South Island

Days 2&3 Abel Tasman National Park

Kaiteriteri is in the ABNP, a park that consists of lovely subtropical coastal tracks fringing golden beaches and bays. This park has 500,000 visitors a year, but was not crowded at all, but neither deserted, this gorgeous February week. Abel Tasman was a Dutch explorer who sighted land here in 1642 but did not actually land here. New Zealand is named after Zeeland, his hometown in Holland. In 1942, the government created a national park, leaving privately owned land in the park alone and building around it. These free standing private houses are now priced up to 2 million dollars, although there is one stand out house worth $13 million, which last year was named ‘Best holiday Home in NZ” and which apparently only has residents, apart from the groundsman, a few days a year!

I spent two days at this national park, doing a 12 kilometre hike from Torrent Beach, north through to Bark’s Bay and on to Onetahuri the first day, and then kayaking from Bark’s Bay through the Falls River lagoon and down south to Anchorage the second day.

Day 1, an aqua taxi took me from Kaiteriteri to Torrent beach, past Split Apple rock, the most photographed rock in the southern hemisphere, allegedly (but I have my misgivings, what about Uluru in Australia?!). It is a spherical rock that is split in two and sits half-open, like a semi-open bivalve seashell. Maori legend has it that the god of the sea and the god of the land were fighting over the rock, things got a bit heated and one swung a greenstone axe at the other, missing and cleaving the rock, which they then both rejected. Nearby we pass Adele Island with it’s population of fur seals. Mum and pup seals were seen from the boat, turning in the water, lying on rocks, resting; our eyes catching sight of more seals as they wave their shiny black tails. We keep a safe distance. These creatures were almost hunted to extinction by sealers, for their soft, kitten like fur. Maori preferred the feathers of Moa and seal are not great eating, so they flourished in pre-colonial times. Adele Island also houses cormorans, which I also saw right up close later at Fall’s River. These gorgeous black and white birds look like a cross between pelicans and penguins. The rocks of ABNP and the sands have an orange-golden hue from the granite becoming rusty with iron-oxide, and crumbling into the sandy coastline.

I arrive at Torrent and walk a coastal forest track to the half-way mark: Bark’s Bay, and then onto Onetahuri beach. It is a 12-13 kilometre walk, depending on what signage and information you read. I personally think the 4 hours they claim the walk takes is too short, with the up and down terrain and the desire to just stop and take it in, as well as the fact the taxi sometimes drops you off a bit late. I would extend times by 50%, making it closer to 6 leisurely hours. They give you 5 hours to be at Onetahuri for the pick up, but I think I would have liked an extra hour. Definite detours worth doing between Torrent and Bark’s Bay are the walk to Sandfly bay (I did it on day 2, in fact, but makes more sense to mention it here) and a detour to Southead.

Sandfly Bay is an incredibly beautiful beach with a picture postcard rocky lake beside it, separated by a piece of sand. You need to walk around a little to your right to see the lake, which some miss. The scramble from the main track down to the bay and climb back up is a super steep 300 metres but perfectly doable. The views of the bay along the way are spectacular.

South-head, further down the track, provided one of the prettiest vistas of the park: an island in the most turquoise sea you have ever seen, flowing through to magnificent, serrated cliffs. Bark’s Bay, the halfway spot between Torrent and Onetauri, is a gorgeous gold sand beach. I needed to visit the toilets, and was pleased I did as the stretch of sand behind the beach that the toilets are on fringes a finger of water that fills up during high tide, and shimmers silver in the sun; absolutely gorgeous: beach on one side and silver inlet on the other.

The walk to Onetahuri was the best half of the trip: so many gorgeous views of the coastline from the track. Once I arrived at this beach, I wish I could have stayed for an hour, it was so warm-hued and pretty. But, my water taxi came straight away to take me back to Kaiteriteri.

My advised itinerary would be to take the sea shuttle or aqua taxi to Medland/Bark’s Bay (500 metres between them), go south for a kilometre or so Sandfly Bay and South-head, then turn and go back north to Bark’s Bay and then walk further north to Onehaturi. The Torrent to Bark’s Bay walk could be forgone, although if you love swing bridges, there is one on this walk over the gorgeous Falls River. Having said that, this area is best seen on kayak. Another section of the park I was sad to miss but heard was incredible was the High Tide walk from Torrent, south this time, to Anchorage, past the Cleopatra pools and waterfall … but there is always next time!!

The next day, I kayaked from Bark’s Bay with Kaiteriteri Kayaks, through to the Falls River lagoon, down the Falls River and under the swing bridge. The lagoon is one of the most heavenly places on earth. Green mountains loom over the water, and the river is studded with granite rocks. You float down the still waters with the slightest of effort, towards the rocky outcrops at the end. The sea kayaking in and out of the lagoon didn’t really appeal to me, with the choppy waves, but I had a very kind kayaking partner that picked up most of my slack… and the absolute jewel-shade of the water, a crystal blue-green, almost made it worth it. We kayaked south to Anchorage and were picked up by the sea shuttle to go back to Kaiteriteri where I bought my kayaking partner, his real-life partner and their 3 daughters delicious fruit ice-creams: real berries mixed in NZ vanilla ice cream.

My evenings were spent recovering from my busy days at Kaiteriteri lodge, where I paid $NZ35 for a four bed dorm with television, fridge and large ensuite. It has an excellent location right on the beach, very helpful staff, and, bliss, a massage chair: $2 for 5 minutes. There is a small and reasonably priced grocery store if you forgot something from Pak ‘n’ Save the night before, and a café, restaurant, bar with great entertainment and good food all situated around the lodge.

I loved my time at this national park and can’t wait to go back.