#marine poachers

[mossymandibles]

What happened with Kraw and these organ poachers? Where he said he thought he was being kidnapped again

Me waiting for someone to ask for context on this

Yes, Kraw did previously have a run in with poachers before, only once, in his early 20s.

Most marine poachers reside and work in certain regions where mostly humans and humanoids thrive. Where fishermen like Kraw normally hunt down feral or invasive species of merfolk; sea faring poachers hunt for more ‘exotic marine beasts’ like Kraw for sport and product. They don’t care if their catches can beg for mercy or not and they’re way more ruthless and barbaric about it. They find many uses for their catches.

Kraw had always heard horror stories from Mayv of these ‘floating butcher shops’; freighter ships that trailed blood and chum behind them, attracting frenzies of strange sharks so a poor soul couldn’t even hope to jump overboard and escape.

Unfortunately, he found himself aboard one of these ships after he had to leave the Shades. It was a Very Bad Time and very traumatic for him, though he wouldn’t admit that. He escapes at least but not without some missing pieces and his brain rattled into a feral and violent type of fugue state.

This is incidentally how he ends up meeting Sylvaine, washing ashore on her island near Marrowtide after the ordeal.

The more challenging the catch is for the poachers the more ‘legendary’ they become, especially if they get away. The story of what happened aboard the infamous vessel Black Loch earned Kraw a name and a bounty on him in some (thankfully) more far off regions.

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

Daily fish fact #766

Sturgeon poacher!

It is so named for its resemblance to sturgeons. Like sturgeons, this fish is also a bottom feeder and has bony plates covering its body, though these are common traits among poachers (family Agonidae) in general (which are not related to sturgeons).

[67-romeo]

Carlos N. Hathcock II was born in 1942. Those of you with time behind the glass know the name, know the legend, and have probably read MARINE SNIPER by Charles Henderson, the book that immortalized Gunnery Sgt. (Ret.) Carlos N. Hathcock II, USMC. Vietnam was a watershed period in the history of both special operations and sniping, and MARINE SNIPER was a fascinating look at that period through a 10 power Unertl scope atop a .30-06 Winchester Model 70. Major E.J. Land writes in the foreword to Henderson’s book: “The sniper is the big-game hunter of the battlefield, and he needs all the skills of the woodsman, marksman, hunter, and poacher.” Future snipers take note.

•

Hathcock’s Silver Star would be awarded almost three decades after his experience in Vietnam, not for one or all of his 93 confirmed kills, but for dragging seven wounded Marines out of the back of an APC after it hit a mine and burst into flames, the same action that ended his time in uniform.

The citation reads: “with complete disregard for his own safety and while suffering an excruciating pain from his burns, he bravely ran back through the flames and exploding ammunition to ensure that no Marines had been left behind." In Carlos Hathcock’s obituary for the Washington Post in 1999, Stephen Hunter wrote, “In two tours in the 1960s, he wandered through the big bad bush in the Republic of South Vietnam...with a rifle made by Winchester, a heart made by God and a discipline made by the Marine Corps.”

[iicarussea]

may i offer a pressure au in these trying times (mermaid/marine biologist au ft. my oc, rowan :D

in the au, rowan is a marine biologist & sebastian is a mermaid whos under rowans care bc he got caught by some poachers, who cut his arm fins & dorsal fins off (like what poachers do to sharks sometimes irl), so he cant swim properly & cant be out of captivity

rowans the only one who really treats sebastian like a person with a will and autonomy, so sebastian tolerates him the most :]

sebastian likes to get out of his pool and steal stuff from any offices he can get to, or he convinces expendables to get him stuff, and so rowan has to deal with that

[bad-tf-fic-ideas]

(249) Mermaid AU: flanked by Skywarp and Thundercracker, Starscream commands a tiny team of poachers who make their dubious living capturing internationally protected mermaids for the exotic pet trade. They're here because they've heard rumours of a particularly impressive specimen in these waters.

Megatron is a 2-tonne marine behemoth with claws the length of a big man's hand. Starscream might have bitten off more than he can chew, but he would rather die than admit it. And he might just get that chance...

Naturally, this is a romance.

[animalsalvationassociation]

Passing the Torch . . .

[ DO NOT REPOST, ALL ART & CONCEPTS WERE MADE BY ME ]

“Wonderful news tonight as the organization known only as the Animal Salvation Association, a group of individuals set to bring peace to the world through their environmental and political efforts, finally passes on the torch to a new generation of Ocean Explorers.”

“It has been several years since the accident occurred taking the life of Professor and Captain, Samara Jade Kelp, the leader of the infamous Octonauts crew. A team known as the ‘Saviors of the Ocean’. Today we see history as Captain Samara’s legacy is finally laid to rest and a new captain takes the helm of this mighty crew.”

“Her husband, Professor Marin Kelp and head of the A.S.A. says this . . .”

“Mara would’ve wanted this I’m sure, she always had a heart of gold! A good reason why I married her – ahem. In any case, I congratulate Captain Barnacles on his new role, I think she would’ve felt honored that he was carrying on her memory! He’s a strong one he is and the men and women he’s called to his crew will no doubt be just the same. That being said, we at the A.S.A. made sure to bring in someone we trust! After all most of planet is covered in water, might as well have someone taking care of it!”

“In other news, new waves of gang violence have been picking up along the east coast. As with many others gathering around the lower parts of Africa and South America, just around the center of the Amazonian River. Officials say that they’ve never seen activity quite like this before. Many key witnesses around each of the affected areas have claimed the existence and affects of poachers. But if there’s anything to go off of there seems to always be some valiant soul ready and willing to stop them.”

“Speaking of, Friday night a press conference is set to be held with world leaders over this issue, and the very organization we just covered is invited to join in. That’s right, the A.S.A. has finally caught their attention and at the end of the week there are rumors of an alliance being made between the UN and the A.S.A. So be sure to tune in Friday, Eastern Time, to see it live. Now back to the weather . . . ”

Illustration Time: 10hrs 12min

[ This is a Octonauts AU, in no way is this canon to the OG storyline. ]

(GUYS I GOT A JOB!!! ALSO I JUST GOT HERE AND THE BOOP-MAGEDDON IS ALREADY OVER???? NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! WHY CRUEL WORLD!!!!)

Ya’ll BTW are you guys kidding me??? 60+ followers???? That’s INSANE ty all sm!!! You have no idea how happy that makes me!!!

[hannahbarberra162]

hOrnithology for Beginners

On Ao3

Next chapter

I know I said it was a one shot but I lied. I think it will be 4 chapters.

Marco X Reader, no use of "y/n." Fluffy fun.

Summary: You spend your days waitressing, using all your free time working to become an ornithologist and hunting poachers. You meet and befriend a rare mythical bird, with clear intelligence and astounding beauty. At the same time, an annoying group of pirates are docked at the island. One of them with a stupid haircut keeps trying to charm you, but you hate pirates and especially this one. He’s persistent - can’t he just leave you alone so you can hang out with your new Phoenix friend?

Marco isn’t sure what to do - you love him in his phoenix form, but you hate him in his human form. It's a tough spot for birds and bird watchers alike.

Notes:

I think that it could reasonably be assumed that the mythical Zoans are not the only of their kinds. They are the just only humans who can turn into mythical creatures. Rob Lucci is not the only leopard, Jack isn’t the only mammoth, Yamato isn't the only kitsune, etc. For the purposes of this story, there are more than one of each mythical creature, but only one Devil Fruit user who can turn into one. So reader isn't totally off that it is a phoenix, she just doesn't know it's The Phoenix.

~~~

You tightened your apron ties and scanned the patrons coming in for the lunch rush. Looked like the usual groups - some tourists, some bird watchers, some locals. You didn’t see any obvious waterfoul - your punny code word for pirates. One of the reasons you kept this shitty job was that it gave you a good peek into everyone coming and going on the island. Your island was famous for its stunning bird migrations. It was the southernmost island before the longest landless stretch of sea in the Grand Line. Flocks of birds would often rest at the island in preparation for the long journey to the next set of islands. It was also a wonderful location to try to spot rare and mythical birds. You’d seen a few and captured their essences in your sketchbook. 

Unfortunately, waterfoul weren’t interested in capturing images. They wanted to catch and kill rare birds for easy money. Poaching was a huge problem on the island, one that you frequently fought against. It was your personal crusade to try and stop as many poachers as possible. You’d caught some others - a few Marines, some local boys - but the primary offenders were almost always waterfoul. You carefully watched when crews came to the port, listening for signs that they were going to look for avian treasures. It usually took a week for log poses to set, so you had a good chance of seeing anyone suspicious. You didn’t care to keep track of any specific crew or pirates - they were all the same. Same arrogance, same swaggering attitude, same cocky assurance that they could do anything they wanted to with no repercussions. You hadn’t met any halfway decent pirates, and you didn’t think you ever would. 

Satisfied that you wouldn’t have to worry as much today, you began your shift. It was grinding your soul to shreds being inside and talking to customers when you could be spending it outdoors, watching and drawing birds. But you needed to make money to afford art supplies, new ornithology books, and poison for your dart tips. So inside you stayed, taking orders from idiots who didn’t know if the mashed potatoes were mashed or fried. After a grueling shift, you were finally able to leave. You chucked your apron into the dirty bin and left immediately, turning down your coworkers requests to hang out as a group after the shift ended.

“C’mon, you never hang out with me. Let’s go grab a drink,” Etta said, giving you puppy dog eyes. Etta was your work BFF, and your only real friend on the island. 

“I can’t, I’m going to try to catch -”

“The next bird migration, I know. But there’s always a bird migration on this island, that’s the deal here. You can see one tomorrow, the next day, next month, next year even! But there’s only one 2 berri marg night per week…besides I heard there are some hot new pirates in town.” She waggled her eyebrows at you, while you pretended to barf. 

“You know how I feel about pirates. But I do wanna hang out. How about this? Tomorrow after our shift I’ll buy you a margarita, even if it costs more than 2 berri.” You really did like Etta so you compromised - one night out would be OK, you probably wouldn’t miss much. She stuck her tongue out at you.

“Fine, but you can’t flake out. If you do, I’m leaving you to do side prep all by yourself. Think of all those lemons you’d have to cut.” She rolled her eyes, but it was a plan. You were truly excited - she was the first friend you’d made since you were a child. People often told you that you were “intimidating,” or “prickly,” or “difficult,” which was all just code for “bitchy.” You didn’t care - you wanted to be yourself, not try to dull your edges for people who wouldn’t like you either way. So you were happy to be friends with Etta, who liked you despite your “poor attitude” (as your boss called it). 

You changed out of your work clothes and into your hiking gear, taking your day pack with you. This is what  you liked most - going into the wild to watch for birds, especially legendary ones. You walked down to the forest edge and started on a well trodden path. It didn’t take you long before you had diverged from the path and were going rogue. You’d never see anything really good on the tourist paths - people were too loud and startled the birds away. Besides, you’d been on the island a long time now and you knew the best places to wait and watch. 

You picked your way through the dense forest towards the hidden waterfall. It was your slice of heaven on earth. It was secluded enough that you’d never seen anyone else there. The area surrounding the waterfall was more open than the forest floor, making it easy for camping overnight. The water was always cool and clear, wonderful for swimming on a hot day. The waterfall wasn’t terribly large or loud, bringing a pleasant sound of rushing water. There was an alcove behind the waterfall, large enough for three or so people. Leafy trees lined the banks of the river the waterfall fell into, bringing shade on hot days. It was your happy place, where you retreated both physically and mentally when stressed. Today was no exception.

You reached your destination and put your pack down on a familiar flat rock under the shade of a tree. You took out your pencil, sketchbook, and binoculars and started your stake out. You were already mentally tallying the different bird cries you heard. So far, nothing out of the ordinary, just local birds trilling. You also delighted in the ordinary - you enjoyed seeing the same species day after day, learning more about their habits and manner of living. You were sketching a local starling that was imitating the sounds of transponder snails - pretty well, actually - when all of a sudden, your ears perked up when you heard alarm calls. It wasn’t a call for mobbing - when smaller birds would form a group to ward off a predatory bird. These were definitely alarm calls - short, high pitched, loud cries to warn their flocks that a predator was near. 

You were excited, this was great news for you. Hearing these calls meant that something big was coming your way. It might be a more common predator, but maybe not. You’d seen a lightning Secretary bird once that caused the exact same alarm cries. You’d barely caught sight of it before it was gone. Another time, the cries alerted you to an ice Roc perched in a tree a little farther down the river. You’d carefully stalked the bird and were able to get a few sketches of it done before it flew away. Those were the rarest ones you’d ever seen, and you were hoping for another. 

Straining your ears listening to the bird cries, you grabbed your sketchbook and followed them towards the source. You crept along as quickly as you could deeper in the forest, silently walking on the sides of your feet. The cries weren’t quieting down, meaning the predator was still in the area. Scanning, you inhaled a gasp as you saw the apex predator at hand. Perched on a branch overlooking the river was a phoenix. A blue fire phoenix, with dark blue almost purple accent markings that made it look like it was wearing glasses. You could barely remember to breathe in its presence.

You stood there agog with your mouth open until the bird moved slightly to shift its feathers. You opened your sketchbook and drew quick sketches of it before you missed your chance. You jotted notes of the colors, wanting to remember exactly what it looked like. Seeing the phoenix was like seeing a god in the flesh. It was a blur of blue flames, ending with wisps of yellow. The movment of its body was like watching the waterfall, endless and yet each moment fleeting at the same time. You could scarcely believe that you were able to see one, much less sketch it. You must have been making too much noise because it looked straight at you despite your hiding spot in the brush.

You weren’t worried about it hurting or killing you - that would be an honor. Well, not really, but you typically found predatory birds disinterested in humans. You kept on sketching even though your hands were shaking. The bird cocked its head to the side and continued to watch you. It almost felt…awkward, like you had intruded on a private moment. After a minute or so it seemed to have gathered whatever information it wanted and flew away. Even watching it leave was magnificent, tail feathers like a chain of golden coins dancing in the wind. When it finally left your sight, you exhaled a breath you didn’t know you were holding. That was almost orgasmic for you. You rushed to pack up your things so you could go home and sketch with detail and notations before you forgot anything.

On your way back, the only thing on your mind was the phoenix. You thought about its elegance, its restrained power, its understated intelligence. It was the most striking bird you’d ever seen out of the thousands you’d cataloged. You thought more about its coloring, trying to think of the exact shades of blue and yellow you’d use to describe it. But now that you thought about it, seeing a blue fire phoenix was peculiar. Everything you’d heard about phoenixes depicted them as yellow bodied with red accents. But not much was known about any legendary bird so perhaps this one was rarer or maybe hadn’t been discovered yet. It had some kind of marking on its chest - but unfortunately where you were standing obscured your ability to see the marks directly. The glasses markings were a little funny - almost like a spectacled owl. It did give the phoenix a distinctive and distinguished look, like a scholar or a doctor. You were practically skipping with delight towards your home, thinking of all the little details you wanted to remember.

~~~

The next day, you went to work with a smile on your face. Not even the sight of waterfoul in your section could dull your mood today. You’d spent hours sketching and coloring drawings of the phoenix you’d seen, writing every possible memory you had down to preserve it forever. Etta wasn’t in yet - she was starting a shift staggered an hour after yours- but you’d have to tell her about it when you saw her again. Smiling, you walked to the table of waterfoul getting your pad out to take their order. As you got to the table, your smile dropped and your bitch face turned on. You set it to extra sour just for your own fun. 

You looked at the assembled men - you saw two stupid hairstyles, two stupid hats, and one well...there was nothing stupid looking about the last man. He was absolutely gorgeous with black glossy hair set in a classic style and incredible geisha style makeup. Whatever, even if he was good looking he was still a pirate. The man with the stupidest hairstyle smiled warmly at you, like he knew you. You dropped your neutral face into a frown.

“What do you want?” you said in a flat tone.

“Aren’t you supposed to greet customers with a friendly welcome?” said stupid hairstyle two with a smirk. You wanted to dump a cup of water on his pompadour. Or maybe soup.

“Of course! Whatever would you like today, my fair patrons?” you replied in an overly sweet and simpering voice. You even curtsied at the end to hammer the point home. The point being - fuck off. As soon as the words left your lips, you went back to frowning. Pineapple Hair looked at you curiously.

Cowboy hat laughed and said “I’ll start with three steaks, rare. And a beer.” Pineapple Hair, Pompadour, Twirly Mustache and Glamor Man also placed their orders. When they were done, you turned on your heel and went to put in their orders. You attended your other tables and customers, servicing them all while thinking about your phoenix. 

After a while, you saw Etta enter through the staff door. Before she could get to the floor you quickly pulled her to the kitchen. You both spoke excitedly at the same time.

“Guess what - “

“Guess what - “

“You go first,” Etta said, listening intently.

“I saw a legendary bird last night! It was everything I could have ever dreamed of! It was absolutely incredible…I can’t wait to show you the sketches.” Etta was one of the only people you showed your drawings to. You loved the art of drawing but felt self conscious about your ability.

“That’s amazing! I’m so happy for you,” Etta’s eyes lit up. She always liked when you shared your ornithology information with her and dutifully listened to some of your ramblings..

“What’s your news?” Maybe 2 berri margs were available again tonight?

“So I went out to the bar last night and met someone for a little fun. They’re in town until their log pose resets. I was talking to them for a while and mentioned that you are a real bird expert, not like the shitty tour guides who don’t know anything.” You narrowed your eyes. This wasn’t heading in a direction you liked.

“He’s actually interested in beetles, not birds. But I said that beetles are an important part of several bird’s diets,” she said, hedging around something.

“That’s true, you’ve been listening to my rants,” you said, still on guard. There was something she wasn’t saying and you had a feeling you weren’t going to like it. 

“So I might have volunteered you to come on a double date with him and his friend birdwatching and looking for beetles,” she said in a rush while starting to steeple her hands in a begging motion.

“What aren’t you telling me? There’s more to it than that.” you asked suspiciously. 

“Uhm. Well, the thing is. They’re pirates -”

“Etta! Oh my god. I knew it was something -”

“No, no listen! Listen. They seem actually nice and reasonable. The one I met yesterday, Ace, was so sweet and hot! I really like him.”

“Ohmyfuckinggod. Pirates? Etta they’ll probably kill us and take our stuff if we go to the woods with them. Or worse.”

“No! They’re like, high ranking pirates, so you know they have to be good.”

“That is not at all what that means.” You crossed your arms, and waved at the little window in the kitchen door that looked into the dining room.

“Look, there’s shitty pirates out there right now. They’ve already annoyed me and it’s only been like half an hour. Think about what a few hours would do to me.” Etta looked out the window. 

“Oh, actually he’s right there! Isn’t he hot?” Etta ducked down so he couldn’t see her.

“Who? Which one?” You really hoped it was Glamor Man, but he didn’t seem outdoorsy. You looked at the table where Cowboy Hat was asleep face down in his food. Could you drown in peas? 

“The one wearing the cowboy hat, that’s Ace. Isn’t he just so fine?” Of course that was the one she liked. He was something alright. Etta was practically drooling. Ace was too. 

“Etta, as my only friend, I have to tell you-”

“Please please please please please please -”

“I really don’t think this is a good idea and I really don’t want to go on a double date with -”

“Please please please please please - I’ll take your shift tomorrow so you have two days off in a row! It’s the weekend too! Just come out with me tomorrow with these guys, please!”

You sighed. You didn’t want Etta to get herself killed, and two days off was very appealing during busy season. You could go camping overnight and see if the phoenix ever returned. 

“Fine. But we’re going on the popular trails and I will absolutely not be kissing any pirate. And you have to roll my silverware tonight.” You barely even cared who you were set up with so you didn't bother to ask. You'd find out tomorrow anyway.

“Thank you thank you thank you!!” Etta squealed and hugged you tightly. You gave a small smile, knowing you’d made your friend happy. And looking for beetles did actually sound like fun. Who knew pirates liked bugs?

[imperiuswrecked]

Here lies Namor. Invader. Avenger. International Terrorist. - Namor (2024) #1

I am Namor. The Terrorist Propaganda says I have issues. Don't trust the Terrorist Propaganda. - Bucky Barnes: Winter Solider (2014) #1

You know what annoys me about Aaron's writing, where is Defender? Namor is part of and actually is the instigator in creating Marvel's The Defenders, the first trio called Titians Three consisted of him recruiting Hulk & Silver Surfer to aid him in stopping humans from hurting the Natural World in The Sub-Mariner (1968) #34. This would later spin out into Doctor Strange recruiting Namor, Silver Surfer, Hulk, and later joining them Valkyrie for the main and first wave of The Defenders. A team made up of outsiders who defended the world from supernatural threats. Namor is literally a founding member of (in my very strong opinion) the best modern team he's ever been on.

Yes, he's Namor the Avenging Son, but he was only ever called Terrorist by his enemies. Namor wouldn't think of himself in that way, he'd call himself a Defender, a Protector of his people, of the seas, his home. If Aaron means Invader as in he was part of the Invaders team then that also is a defense because he and the Invaders were fighting in WWll.

Namor knows the humans see him as a threat and for the most part he doesn't care if they label him as a monster because he's always had this strong belief of defending his home and people, he worked past his hatred of humans to help them all the way back in the golden age, but time and time again the humans do something that he has to respond to.

If you ask me for 2 panels to understand Namor in a nutshell then it would have to be;

The Defenders (1972) #53

Sub-Mariner (2007) #4

He's actually so easy to understand if people actually took the time to read his freaking comics. He's complex yeah, but that's what makes him so interesting as the first comic Anti-Hero!

Aaron focusing on Namor's outsider status isn't something new, it's been explored in his comics a lot of times. What really frustrated me was back in Avengers (2018) #9 Aaron had the chance to set up Namor to combat Captain America in terms of ideology of what is right and wrong, how is the defense of his homeland wrong? how is resistance against oil drillers, and poachers, and corporate greed, and polluters, and giant space robots falling and crushing his city and people wrong???

Human Laws have always been in favor of Humans, not the Atlanteans, not the Sea. Instead of exploring the concept of Namor being a Defender of his home and his people, Aaron constantly labels Namor a Terrorist. The he makes Namor want to atone for the wrongs he's done (never specifying exactly which ones, just a general "crimes against surface humanity") while never addressing or exploring the wrongs done to him by the humans/surface world!

Even now Aaron sets up Namor for conflict under the sea, and states it's for the best interest of the human world that their shipping lines and cruises be uninterrupted by the "shrieking blue skinned warriors who've invaded their coasts". Basically it's "We humans don't care if the Atlanteans are suffering so long as they suffer in silence and don't bother us or disrupt our money & lives".

Aaron writes in Avengers that Captain America offered aid to help the Atlanteans, but it's Namor who's rejected it, why would he accept help from the people who constantly hurt his people? Why would Namor ever trust them when they've broken his trust so many times in the past? Humans make promises and then break them all the time. Why should Namor ever accept the crumbs they deign to give him in return for obedience and silence so the humans can keep doing whatever they think is right? Why is the Surface World more moral and more right than the Undersea World? It's Namor's land, it's his home, they broke his laws, they broke his home, his people, his seas.

I've always said the biggest obstacle and mistake writers often encounter when writing Namor is they come at him from a very surface world mindset, where the humans are right and Namor isn't. Namor was never meant to be a champion of humans, but of the Atlanteans, the Seas, and all it's creatures.

I could not care less that you are breaking the Laws of Man. What you do here violates the Law of Namor. And thus you shall now endure Namor's Justice. - Defenders (2012) #1

Namor being seen as a Invader/Terrorist began back with his first fight against The Human Torch in Marvel Mystery Comics (1939) #8, Jim was championed as the Hero of Humanity, while Namor was labeled as Public Enemy No. 1. and even now 85+ years later Namor faces persecution for doing what he was raised to do all his life, be a king, be a protector of his people, take justice and vengeance for the wrongs done against his home and people.

Aaron wants to focus on Namor's outsider status of being born half human/half atlantean. He's already shown Namor being bullied and nearly killed as a child for being born different by his people, but that isn't anything new, that's been canon that Namor is an outsider among humans and atlanteans, it's canon that the Atlanteans are just as racist as the humans, but often they're framed as worse than the humans.

One comic reviewer questioned if Aaron is making statements about the current political climate but honestly anyone who reads Namor comics can see these themes, the tensions among atlanteans and humans, have always been there. What remains to be seen is if Aaron can actually deliver on some good writing.

[gabessquishytum]

Okay, so I am sure you have at least one mermaid 🧜‍♂️au prompt, that I might not have seen yet, so I hope this take is novel for you 😁

Hob is a marine eco warrior, depending on who you talk to. . . he's an eco terrorist. (Hob would say the people who say that are poachers and polluters, so f them!) Hob runs a group of direct action activists who confront bad actors on the high seas - sinking boats and freeing captured animals.

Hob's group final goes after a set of Burgess cargo ships that they heard had a number of endangered animals on it. While opening the containers, Hob finds merperson Dream.

Now Hob is a friend to all the fishies and sea life, so he was going to set Dream free regardless of how cool it is that merpeople exist, but maybe one of the reasons Hob is such a fierce activist is because when he was little, he could have swore that a young mermaid saved him from drowning. That merperson kinda looked like this one in the cargo container.

This is so cute!!!

Hob’s biggest secret is that he is deadass TERRIFIED of water because he nearly drowned, but he still goes out on the ocean and does everything he can to help despite his fear. He's a pretty strong swimmer these days anyway.

But just as he's rescuing the merman from the container, the entire cargo ship shudders and lists over, and there are explosions from above. Burgess initiated some kind of self destruct mechanism and the ship is going down.

Even though he's shaking with fear Hob works harder to release Dream from his prison, and to quickly unlock the other containers too. While the other creatures scramble to get away as the ship fills with water, Hob is definitely panicking a bit... until strong, thin arms wrap around him and pull him through a series of small openings, out through a hole in the ship's hull, and then up to the surface of the water.

Hob coughs and splutters out his thanks (he wouldn't have made it out alive, he's pretty sure). His merman rescuer just shrugs and pulls Hob close in the water, protecting him from the debris around them and finally guiding them both back towards Hob’s little boat.

Hob is like "we have to stop meeting like this!" And Dream grins. He kisses Hob’s cheek in goodbye... but he doesn't exactly stray far from Hob’s boat. From that moment onwards they're pretty much inseparable. And Hob is still afraid of the water, but when Dream holds him? It's not so bad.

[rwac96]

Batman Contingencies: Godzilla

Aganememnon Contingency: "King of The Monsters"

There are many things in the world that mankind will never fully grasp, the prime example being Godzilla, going by many names in different cultures that met its kind. He's nicknamed "King of The Monsters", and lives up to that title due to the amount of raw power contained in his body, not to mention the ferocious nature of the Gojiran/Godzilla species. Time and time again, he has eluded the efforts of the JSDF, G-Force, the Earth Defense Force, Apex Industries, scientists with good and ill intentions, and Kaiju/Titan poachers and hunters, proving to be indestructible against almost any weaponry known to man. According to known science, there have been six "Gojirans": The focus of this contingency will be on the Godzilla that hatched at an institute in Kyoto, the third "King of the Monsters" after the second's demise in 1996. Despite this monster not showing hostility towards humanity, his battles against creatures such as Baragon, thwarting the Gigan Miles Invasion, and the Megalon attack have left collateral damage. Plus, the legacy of its father and the Gojiran clones/'cousins' have still declared Godzilla a "walking disaster" by the EDF.

This Godzilla, called "Little Godzilla" and "Godzilla Juinor" in its infancy, was raised in captivity and imprinted on a researcher named Azusa Gojo as a mother figure. Unlike its surrogate father, the third Godzilla is docile and kind towards humans. But, his body still emits high radiation and preys upon marine life. Lastly, the meltdown its parent went through would've resulted in a mass extinction event: Either resulting in a potent explosion unseen since the Big Bang or melting into the depths and destabilizing the Earth's core. These plans, learning from the successes and mistakes of humanity's encounters against Godzilla, would prove helpful to subdue the Kaiju in case he falls under mind control or undergoes a catastrophic meltdown.

Like any Gojiran, he can unleash a powerful heat ray called 'Atomic Breath', this Godzilla unleashes a devastating one that causes massive explosions on contact. He can also unleash a Nuclear Pulse, discharging atomic energy from its dorsal plates. But, unlike its father, it can transfer energy into its fists and claws, enhancing physical attacks. Godzilla is extremely durable, able to tank many forms of conventional weaponry, and withstand attacks from the Gigan Miles' blades and Megalon's drills. One last ability that separates him from the Lagos Island Godzilla is entering his own "Burning State' at will, and to exit out of it, preventing him from suffering his father's fate.

Like any Godzilla, he needs nuclear energy to sustain himself. Due to the nature of his mutation, his body is essentially a walking nuclear plant he has to maintain. Driving himself to the point of exhaustion, he collapses into unconsciousness. Too much, he'll have to expunge it or suffer a nuclear meltdown. In a scenario where he's in a meltdown, cryokinetic missiles, with cadmium shells will lower his internal temperatures. Like with the plans similar to the "Last Hope" Contingency, I'd have to implement the 'Titan Bat' and deploy it in combat. For Godzilla, diamond metallic modifications are in mind for the confrontation.

To end the cycle of violence between the Gojiran, we mustn't give in to our paranoid impulses, ironically coming from me. This Godzilla lacks the mistrust of humanity his forebearers had, as it was humankind who had brought Godzilla into existence. Hopefully, we can both coexist peacefully, even if such a thing is an impossible dream.

[val-illust]

So, the mermay is going to start, I don't have much time because uni but I'll probably upload some sketches!

Also, Ihave an AU already in my mind, so I leave here my ideas!

Ghost: albino orca

Soap: mako shark

Gaz: leopard seal

Price: humpback whale

König: blue whale

Horangi: tiger shark

Laswell and her wife are marine biologists! Price helps them with information and also by preventing poachers from attacking those who live in the protected area

König and Horangi are not part of Price's pack, but he accepts them when they visit them

Ghost's past is still in work, but as such, as in some pods of orcas, he and Tommy lived with their mother for many years, although Tommy after meeting Beth, did not create a separate pod but rather Beth and then Joseph stayed living with them, until the tragedy happened and then Price found Ghost injured and joined his pack.

Soap was a solitary hunter, he loves the speed he can swim until some hunters captured him, he managed to escape but with quite a few bad injuries and after fainting Ghost found him and took care of him for a while.

.

lmao that's all I have, I'm not really good at building worlds or AUs but this is one of my favorites

[andrew-rannells-mustache]

For Day 5 of @terrortracks: DJ Club Mix

Who Gave John Irving the AUX? - Some (mostly period-accurate?) karaoke songs I think John Irving would’ve liked, arranged in order of how wasted he’d have to be to sing them. Motivations + me being insane under the cut!

Nearer My God To Thee - Jirving and his bros on the HMS Edinburgh were called the “Holy Ghost Boys”, you KNOW he’s breaking out this bad boy after two (2) glasses of wine.

The Holly and the Ivy - A perfectly nice Christmas song that, much like Irving, never misses a moment to bring up Jesus. I like to think he’d bust this one out halfway through his third glass of port at a Terror Christmas celebration.

The Mermaid - This gives me Hampstead is the Place to Ruralize vibes, I like to imagine it could’ve been a Jirv Carnivale song if there’d been a little less arson.

The Lincolnshire Poacher - Irving pulls this one out to convince himself that he’s not that drunk actually, because he can still get the words/rhythm right. (Note: he cannot.)

Over the Hills and Far Away - Idk I like to imagine all the Lieuts singing this one. The lyrics are a bit bawdy depending on which version you’re looking at so maybe Irving is coaxed by someone. (Maybe Dundy? Probably Dundy.)

Click Goes The Shears - Fun fact: A couple years before the signing up for the Franklin Expedition, Irving and his brother emigrated to Australia to make a living raising sheep. They had a pretty Bad Time™️ overall and moved back four years later (and then John went off to uhh go die in the Arctic whoops), but I like to imagine he’d keep this song in mind anyways. :-)

Soldier Boy For Me - Jirv can have a little gender, as a treat. Does he perhaps take a few scarce glances at a certain marine sergeant while singing this? Who’s to say ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Bonnee Dundee - Oh that boy is drunk drunk. Best results if you imagine Jirv singing this with a fake (or, depending on how historical your interpretation of Irving is, real) Scottish accent.

Hope you enjoy! :-)

[numinous-scribe]

Jazz/Kor'i Mer AU please? 🥺

Hehehehehe

So I won't be able to immediately get to this fic to post it on time, but it is for the dpxdc sapphic week event.

But the premise is that Jazz works at a sanctuary for rehabilitating marine based supernatural/mythical creatures while also studying on the side the behaviors and psychology of said creatures for her thesis (imagine that her parents believe certain species, like mermaids and sirens, due to the nature in which some of them are created in, are nothing more than evil ghosts masquerading as something pretty. So her research is not only something born from natural curiosity, but to spite her parents.)

She works with Dick, who would be a selkie, and he works as a physical therapist. And Gar, who is a shifter and he helps with socialization and is a licensed ESA, funnily enough. Kinda like how rescue sanctuaries will have companion dogs for the nervous animals and what not.

Anyway, one of Jazz's jobs is to check the surrounding beach area for poachers traps, and there is where she'll meet Kor'i who was already injured from a previous poaching attempt and is none too pleased at being caught up in a different snare.

From there it's a whole lot of trust building, lore building, and budding romance. But wait, is that a tragedy on the horizon?

My biggest inspos for this story so far is the song "Mermaid" by Skott, and the book "The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea" by Maggie Tokuda-Hall (very good sapphic book, 10/10 recommend btw).

WIP Tag Game List

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Hakai Magazine:

Plenty of families avoid certain topics of conversation. For Eduardo and his brother, work is off limits.

“He has his job, and I have mine,” Eduardo says from the kitchen table of his mother’s house in the fishing town of San Felipe, in northwest Mexico. “I’m not interested in what he is doing, and I’m not going to tell him, ‘Tomorrow, I’m fishing totoaba.’” That’s because catching totoaba—a silvery fish that grows bigger than an average man and is found only in the Gulf of California—has been illegal for five decades, and Eduardo’s brother works in the Mexican navy, which patrols local waters to intercept poachers.

“I don’t want to mix anything up,” Eduardo says. He has agreed to be interviewed on condition of anonymity (Eduardo is not his real name)—less from the fear of official prosecution than from the threat of recrimination from cartels. Mexican cartels work with international gangs smuggling totoaba to China, where the fish’s swim bladders are coveted for traditional medicinal purposes and have sold for a higher price than cocaine or caviar.

Totoaba poaching has not only jeopardized totoaba but drawn international scrutiny for driving the vaquita—a porpoise similar in size to the totoaba, also endemic to the Gulf of California—to near extinction. Most totoaba poachers use gillnets, which they leave out for several hours under the cloak of darkness. The sheets of strong polyethylene netting hang vertically like walls in the water and stretch roughly 500-meters long. Gaps in the mesh are sized to ensnare adult totoaba but are equally dangerous for other big animals, from turtles to sharks to porpoises.

Google “vaquita” (Spanish for “little cow”) and you’ll see more photographs of dead animals than alive ones. Black rings around their eyes make vaquita look sleepy, but their gray, crescent-shaped bodies are often hatched with cuts from a frenzied fight against the netting that drowned them. To protect both species, Mexico criminalized totoaba fishing in 1975, then banned all gillnets, including for smaller species such as shrimp, within the upper Gulf of California in 2017. Yet a voracious overseas market for totoaba bladders meant that neither totoaba fishing nor gillnets ever left San Felipe: totoaba fishing just became totoaba poaching. And vaquita numbers have continued to dwindle. Scientists estimate they spotted between six and eight vaquita during a 2024 population survey, down from the eight to 13 they detected in 2023. The species is believed to be the most endangered marine mammal on the planet.

The plight of the vaquita has made San Felipe a global focal point for people concerned with preserving biodiversity. Eduardo is, evidently, not among them. With almost boyish excitement, he tells me about the time 20 hammerhead sharks entangled themselves in his gillnet. He remembers decapitating them to fit all the bodies on board, then selling them for a good price in town. Like many in San Felipe, he has doubts the vaquita even exists. (“I don’t know,” he shrugs. “I’ve only ever seen the one picture taken by the government.”) Nonetheless, he now finds himself the unlikeliest talisman for a controversial, last-ditch attempt to save the vaquita from extinction.

That’s because, unlike most poachers, when Eduardo takes his crew of three out at night over the flat Gulf waters in a small motorboat in pursuit of totoaba, he now leaves his gillnets on shore. The men catch the fish with cimbra instead, a series of baited hooks on a long, floating line. Then they kill and gut the fish for their bladders as normal. No vaquita are harmed.

For decades, conservationists and Mexican authorities have attempted to save the vaquita by policing totoaba poaching, often with military zeal. Their tactics have sometimes led to violent clashes with fishers. Now, encouraged by recent evidence that there are more totoaba than previously thought, some renegade conservationists say a small and informal group of poachers like Eduardo could be part of the solution for saving vaquita and quelling the conflicts. They want authorities to tolerate, if not legalize, totoaba fishing in San Felipe, provided gillnets disappear for good.

[cringetownusa]

I saw your new sea monster yakko piece and sketches and was wondering what ideas and thoughts you have for it?

I don't have a real au for it, but here's some things I had typed to some friends on discord copy/paste. (And smthn i sketched up last night)

The general idea is that full grown, Yakko spans the length of a boat from ears to tail, his completely black eyes take in the extremely low light and reflect it easier, and the glowing fins on their ears are a kind of lure for smaller fish.

The warners don't live on the ocean floor exactly, but their fish type are pretty deep sea

The siblings are rarely seen, yakko isn't even full grown, (nearly there, though) but he's very protective

They primarily burrow in the mud and stick the ear bits out to lure in prey, then use the opposable hands to snatch fish the second they come too close to the trap.

When max first hears yakko's laugh, it's like the cross beween a dolphin and a whale in a very strange way, high pitched in a way max wasn't expecting.(all roads lead back to yax)

(about fucked up protective yakko)

Rising from the sea to protect his siblings in the dead of night so all you can see are the glow from his ear fins and the rings around his eyes

and he's got extremely sensitive hearing, so he hears some poacher for odd marine life and he moves quick as lightning, quick enough the splintering of wood is heard before it's seen

and then the ocean bleeds maroon

and the creature sinks back below the waves, not bothering to bring the prey down with him.

This was kill for protection. Not for a hunt.

[absolutely-normal-about-x]

Dawg, we need more of these Marty headcanons (with the Dash of MartyX). :3

Marty is a loud singer!But she sings sea shanties with her crew, tells stories about her daring adventures, and gets drunk as AF.However, she has a more softer tone for certain songs, particularly Lullabies.Rumor has it that her soft songs can lull people to sleep, and a certain blue hunter is especially affected by her voice.

Marty enjoys good hard liquor and only drinks on special occasions.She is a low-key champion of drinking competitions among her crew.She is the only person who can compete with Zero in their drinking contests, but it ends with the two of them doing wrestling or that one time when they threw themselves overboard.So yeah her and Zero are drinking buds :3

She used to work in an ocean preserve (as a rescue unit) prior to the events of the first war. She is well-known among her human and reploid coworkers, as well as the maverick hunter unit stationed nearby.When Launch Octopus went rogue, he killed or kidnapped the majority of the workers.Marty was one of the victims, but she made a deal with Octo in a desperate attempt to save her friends and the preserve.Fortunately, everything worked out in the end, and some of these workers (both human and reploid) eventually joined Marty's pirate crew.

Because of her original designation as a rescue type, she has knowledge of all rescue work and within her systems Especially tending towards humans, as she has surprisingly good control over her strength when it comes to CPR and other techniques.This also implies that she has a habit of rescuing people who are in danger out of reflex or instinct. It is literally embedded in her code; if she sees a cat stuck in a tree, she will save it.

An interesting thing about Marty crew (if it’s obvious) she has humans working under her as crew members! The majority of humans of the crew are cyborgs while a few are pure flesh. They are loyal to Marty because of how she saved and helped them in the past or having connections to the reploids of the crew.

Along with that, she despises poachers and traffickers alike. Past experiences of dealing with their attempts to steal the endangered marine wildlife. But also trafficking innocents for their own gain straight up pisses her off. She hates them, if they are reploids they won’t hesitate to tear them apart, if human she’ll likely scare them or leave them in the mercy of her human crew members to deal with them personally. They are basically primary targets for the Rose Thrones to go after (aside from mavericks and criminals).

She is one of the few reploids capable of keeping up with X and Zero (and eventually Axl).She is not special; it just takes a lot of skill, experience, and wisdom (especially after seeing and surviving so many wars) to get to where she is today.She has grown significantly since the first war, particularly in terms of connections, as a result of years of traveling the world by sea and air on occasions

She HATES being in hot water, why her systems allow her to be fine. Marty just hates the feeling of it in general; it makes feel sluggish and sleepy all the time. But she begrudgingly accepts being in hot springs for X’s sake; she expects to be rewarded with husband cuddles.

You know those ship in the bottle things? That one that you see on ships in pirate movies? Yeah she has those in her room. It’s a small hobby to put them together in a bottle, she’s not good at it but she enjoys it. But rather let X do it, since he has experience of putting together complex figures she’s enamored of his skill of being patient, gentle and carefull of not breaking the figure or the bottle.

Aside from the fashionable clothes, Marty doesn’t mind wearing plain clothes when she feels lazy. Ya know those Dad clothes yeah she’s that bitch-