#that study birds and corals and other creatures

[asgardian--angels]

Planet's Fucked: What Can You Do To Help? (Long Post)

Since nobody is talking about the existential threat to the climate and the environment a second Trump term/Republican government control will cause, which to me supersedes literally every other issue, I wanted to just say my two cents, and some things you can do to help. I am a conservation biologist, whose field was hit substantially by the first Trump presidency. I study wild bees, birds, and plants.

In case anyone forgot what he did last time, he gagged scientists' ability to talk about climate change, he tried zeroing budgets for agencies like the NOAA, he attempted to gut protections in the Endangered Species Act (mainly by redefining 'take' in a way that would allow corporations to destroy habitat of imperiled species with no ramifications), he tried to do the same for the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (the law that offers official protection for native non-game birds), he sought to expand oil and coal extraction from federal protected lands, he shrunk the size of multiple national preserves, HE PULLED US OUT OF THE PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT, and more.

We are at a crucial tipping point in being able to slow the pace of climate change, where we decide what emissions scenario we will operate at, with existential consequences for both the environment and people. We are also in the middle of the Sixth Mass Extinction, with the rate of species extinctions far surpassing background rates due completely to human actions. What we do now will determine the fate of the environment for hundreds or thousands of years - from our ability to grow key food crops (goodbye corn belt! I hated you anyway but), to the pressure on coastal communities that will face the brunt of sea level rise and intensifying extreme weather events, to desertification, ocean acidification, wildfires, melting permafrost (yay, outbreaks of deadly frozen viruses!), and a breaking down of ecosystems and ecosystem services due to continued habitat loss and species declines, especially insect declines. The fact that the environment is clearly a low priority issue despite the very real existential threat to so many people, is beyond my ability to understand. I do partly blame the public education system for offering no mandatory environmental science curriculum or any at all in most places. What it means is that it will take the support of everyone who does care to make any amount of difference in this steeply uphill battle.

There are not enough environmental scientists to solve these issues, not if public support is not on our side and the majority of the general public is either uninformed or actively hostile towards climate science (or any conservation science).

So what can you, my fellow Americans, do to help mitigate and minimize the inevitable damage that lay ahead?

I'm not going to tell you to recycle more or take shorter showers. I'll be honest, that stuff is a drop in the bucket. What does matter on the individual level is restoring and protecting habitat, reducing threats to at-risk species, reducing pesticide use, improving agricultural practices, and pushing for policy changes. Restoring CONNECTIVITY to our landscape - corridors of contiguous habitat - will make all the difference for wildlife to be able to survive a changing climate and continued human population expansion.

**Caveat that I work in the northeast with pollinators and birds so I cannot provide specific organizations for some topics, including climate change focused NGOs. Scientists on tumblr who specialize in other fields, please add your own recommended resources. **

We need two things: FUNDING and MANPOWER.

You may surprised to find that an insane amount of conservation work is carried out by volunteers. We don't ever have the funds to pay most of the people who want to help. If you really really care, consider going into a conservation-related field as a career. It's rewarding, passionate work.

At the national level, please support:

The Nature Conservancy

Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Cornell Lab of Ornithology (including eBird)

National Audubon Society

Federal Duck Stamps (you don't need to be a hunter to buy one!)

These first four work to acquire and restore critical habitat, change environmental policy, and educate the public. There is almost certainly a Nature Conservancy-owned property within driving distance of you. Xerces plays a very large role in pollinator conservation, including sustainable agriculture, native bee monitoring programs, and the Bee City/Bee Campus USA programs. The Lab of O is one of the world's leaders in bird research and conservation. Audubon focuses on bird conservation. You can get annual memberships to these organizations and receive cool swag and/or a subscription to their publications which are well worth it. You can also volunteer your time; we need thousands of volunteers to do everything from conducting wildlife surveys, invasive species removal, providing outreach programming, managing habitat/clearing trails, planting trees, you name it. Federal Duck Stamps are the major revenue for wetland conservation; hunters need to buy them to hunt waterfowl but anyone can get them to collect!

THERE ARE DEFINITELY MORE, but these are a start.

Additionally, any federal or local organizations that seek to provide support and relief to those affected by hurricanes, sea level rise, any form of coastal climate change...

At the regional level:

These are a list of topics that affect major regions of the United States. Since I do not work in most of these areas I don't feel confident recommending specific organizations, but please seek resources relating to these as they are likely major conservation issues near you.

PRAIRIE CONSERVATION & PRAIRIE POTHOLE WETLANDS

DRYING OF THE COLORADO RIVER (good overview video linked)

PROTECTION OF ESTUARIES AND SALTMARSH, ESPECIALLY IN THE DELAWARE BAY AND LONG ISLAND (and mangroves further south, everglades etc; this includes restoring LIVING SHORELINES instead of concrete storm walls; also check out the likely-soon extinction of saltmarsh sparrows)

UNDAMMING MAJOR RIVERS (not just the Colorado; restoring salmon runs, restoring historic floodplains)

NATIVE POLLINATOR DECLINES (NOT honeybees. for fuck's sake. honeybees are non-native domesticated animals. don't you DARE get honeybee hives to 'save the bees')

WILDLIFE ALONG THE SOUTHERN BORDER (support the Mission Butterfly Center!)

INVASIVE PLANT AND ANIMAL SPECIES (this is everywhere but the specifics will differ regionally, dear lord please help Hawaii)

LOSS OF WETLANDS NATIONWIDE (some states have lost over 90% of their wetlands, I'm looking at you California, Ohio, Illinois)

INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE, esp in the CORN BELT and CALIFORNIA - this is an issue much bigger than each of us, but we can work incrementally to promote sustainable practices and create habitat in farmland-dominated areas. Support small, local farms, especially those that use soil regenerative practices, no-till agriculture, no pesticides/Integrated Pest Management/no neonicotinoids/at least non-persistent pesticides. We need more farmers enrolling in NRCS programs to put farmland in temporary or permanent wetland easements, or to rent the land for a 30-year solar farm cycle. We've lost over 99% of our prairies to corn and soybeans. Let's not make it 100%.

INDIGENOUS LAND-BACK EFFORTS/INDIGENOUS LAND MANAGEMENT/TEK (adding this because there have been increasing efforts not just for reparations but to also allow indigenous communities to steward and manage lands either fully independently or alongside western science, and it would have great benefits for both people and the land; I know others on here could speak much more on this. Please platform indigenous voices)

HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS (get your neighbors to stop dumping fertilizers on their lawn next to lakes, reduce agricultural runoff)

OCEAN PLASTIC (it's not straws, it's mostly commercial fishing line/trawling equipment and microplastics)

A lot of these are interconnected. And of course not a complete list.

At the state and local level:

You probably have the most power to make change at the local level!

Support or volunteer at your local nature centers, local/state land conservancy non-profits (find out who owns&manages the preserves you like to hike at!), state fish & game dept/non-game program, local Audubon chapters (they do a LOT). Participate in a Christmas Bird Count!

Join local garden clubs, which install and maintain town plantings - encourage them to use NATIVE plants. Join a community garden!

Get your college campus or city/town certified in the Bee Campus USA/Bee City USA programs from the Xerces Society

Check out your state's official plant nursery, forest society, natural heritage program, anything that you could become a member of, get plants from, or volunteer at.

Volunteer to be part of your town's conservation commission, which makes decisions about land management and funding

Attend classes or volunteer with your land grant university's cooperative extension (including master gardener programs)

Literally any volunteer effort aimed at improving the local environment, whether that's picking up litter, pulling invasive plants, installing a local garden, planting trees in a city park, ANYTHING. make a positive change in your own sphere. learn the local issues affecting your nearby ecosystems. I guarantee some lake or river nearby is polluted

MAKE HABITAT IN YOUR COMMUNITY. Biggest thing you can do. Use plants native to your area in your yard or garden. Ditch your lawn. Don't use pesticides (including mosquito spraying, tick spraying, Roundup, etc). Don't use fertilizers that will run off into drinking water. Leave the leaves in your yard. Get your school/college to plant native gardens. Plant native trees (most trees planted in yards are not native). Remove invasive plants in your yard.

On this last point, HERE ARE EASY ONLINE RESOURCES TO FIND NATIVE PLANTS and LEARN ABOUT NATIVE GARDENING:

Xerces Society Pollinator Conservation Resource Center

Pollinator Pathway

Audubon Native Plant Finder

Homegrown National Park (and Doug Tallamy's other books)

National Wildlife Federation Native Plant Finder (clunky but somewhat helpful)

Heather Holm (for prairie/midwest/northeast)

MonarchGard w/ Benjamin Vogt (for prairie/midwest)

Native Plant Trust (northeast & mid-atlantic)

Grow Native Massachusetts (northeast)

Habitat Gardening in Central New York (northeast)

There are many more - I'm not familiar with resources for western states. Print books are your biggest friend. Happy to provide a list of those.

Lastly, you can help scientists monitor species using citizen science. Contribute to iNaturalist, eBird, Bumblebee Watch, or any number of more geographically or taxonomically targeted programs (for instance, our state has a butterfly census carried out by citizen volunteers).

In short? Get curious, get educated, get involved. Notice your local nature, find out how it's threatened, and find out who's working to protect it that you can help with. The health of the planet, including our resilience to climate change, is determined by small local efforts to maintain and restore habitat. That is how we survive this. When government funding won't come, when we're beat back at every turn trying to get policy changed, it comes down to each individual person creating a safe refuge for nature.

Thanks for reading this far. Please feel free to add your own credible resources and organizations.

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Living Species, by the Numbers

Species of Mammals: ~5,500

Species of Birds: Between 10,000 and 20,000 (lots of disagreement)

Species of nonavian Reptiles: Between 10,000 and 20,000 (see above)

Species of Amphibians: more than 7,000

Species of "Fish": more than 33,000

Species of Echinoderms (star fish, sea urchins, etc.): ~7,500

Species of Arthropods: over 2,000,000 and growing (only 1,257,000 described but all researchers know that is a gross underestimate)

Species of Molluscs: > 100,000

Other Bilaterans (wormy things): ~85,000

Corals & Jellyfish: ~16,000

Sponges: ~11,000

Fungi: > 6,000,000

Plants: > 400,000 (plants species are weird)

"Protists": unknown, but more than 100,000 and is severely underestimated

"Bacteria": who the fuck knows. there are too many. Our bodies are half bacteria. possibly in the trillions.

This is what we mean by mammal bias: mammals are the smallest group on here, and yet, because we are mammals, they get the most research money, the most screen time, the most conservation funding, the most love, the most interest. That's ridiculous. That's patently nonsense. Mammals are not "more evolved" than anything on this list - we're all modern life and thus, equally evolved. The other groups of life deserve at least more attention, more care, more interest, even if we can never get it to be proportional. In fact, you can even see mammal bias in this list - because mammals are so well studied, that's the only species count that is NOT vague.

We rely on ALL of these creatures because we are part of a complex biosphere where all of these organisms work together to allow the flow of nutrients and energy through the system. We are all descendants of each biosphere that came before. Mammal bias - focusing only on things that we share the closest genetic ties to - is not only ignorant, its self defeating.

Kill the mammal bias in your head. Kill it now. Because its gross, its inaccurate, and mammals do not in fact rule the world. Bacteria do, and if we *must* give it to an animal, that animal would be Arthropods.

This has been a PSA. Please reblog to spread, because I'm tired of dealing with mammal bias in my own house.

[emptyblog7]

Dreamlight Adventures: Story 1 Part 2

@uva124 @chillwildwave @signed-sapphire @oh-shtars (I think the last person wanted to be pinged)

THE FOLLOWING DAY…

Phoenix woke up with the dawn, as a small bird chirped near her window. Despite having a late night last night, it was her custom to wake up early. She felt incredibly rested and refreshed from the peaceful sleep she’d received last night, nearly forgetting what had happened the night before. Beyond this, when she was in Dreamlight Valley, there were often many chores that needed to be done before she could attend to any matters with the villagers. As she used a bit of her Dreamlight/Starlight magic to dress into one of her favorite outfits, however, a realization dawned on her.

She didn’t have any chores to do because she wasn’t in Dreamlight Valley.

Phoenix sighed as she realized that. “Right. No Valley; no chores. What can I do then?” After some thought, she exited her room and walked around, hoping for some cue on what to do.

She soon found herself in the dining hall, where Asha and Aster were just coming in for breakfast. Upon seeing them, she greeted, “Good morning, everyone!”

Aster and Asha smiled kindly as Asha returned, “Good morning, Phoenix! I wasn’t expecting you to be up so early.” She then asked seriously, “How are you feeling after last night?”

As they sat down to eat, Phoenix revealed with a shrug, “I’m alright, Asha. Lady Elwyn gave me a strange, glowing drink and fixed the cut on my eye. I felt much better after that.”

Aster exclaimed, “I know the drink you are talking about! It’s a sort of hot drink that is normally used to restore a star’s brightness. A fitting remedy, considering how pale you looked after the battle.”

Phoenix nodded and addressed Asha’s statement. “I’m a creature of habit, Asha. In Dreamlight Valley, I always wake up early to get a jumpstart on all the chores I have to do in the Valley before making my rounds with the villagers. Of course, even though I’m not in the Valley right now, the habit persists.” Remembering something, she added, “And well, even though I did have a late night yesterday, I slept so peacefully that I was completely refreshed when the dawn came. It was…like magic!”

Asha was amazed at Phoenix’ statement and was about to ask what she meant by that until…

BOOM!!

The three of them whipped around to the main doors to see Merlin rushing in, as if he was late for something. He slid into his seat, and Aster chuckled, “Running late?”

Merlin looked around at the table and sighed, “Well, I thought I was.”

Aster and the others laughed outright before Aster calmed, “You’re fine, Merlin. Since you were so quick to get here, though, perhaps I can let you organize my bookshelves in the study later?”

Merlin nodded excitedly. Phoenix couldn’t help but smile at Merlin. “There are only two other people I know who would consider that ‘fun’, and both are in my Valley.”

Merlin shrugged, “Aster taught me a fun way to organize his books, and I eventually put my own spin on it. It’s amazing what you can learn when you’re organizing.”

Aster shook his head in amusement. Then he turned to Phoenix and asked, “What chores do you attend to in your Valley?”

Phoenix revealed, “This might be strange to you, but it seems every night, various bits of debris just…appear out of thin air that can only be cleaned up by my ‘Royal Tools’, as my Merlin calls them, which can only be wielded by someone who bears and wields Dreamlight magic.”

Asha guessed, “AKA, you.”

Phoenix nodded and continued, “Pieces of rock jet up in almost every part of the Valley, wildebeest bones appear in the Sunlit Plateau, coral in Dazzle Beach, and giant stumps and ice spikes in the Forest of Valor and the Frosted Heights, respectively.” Then, though hesitant, she added, “There is one debris that isn’t like the rest, though, and requires my Dreamlight magic alone to remove—Night Thorns.”

Merlin, who was listening in, asked, “What are ‘Night Thorns’?”

Phoenix had to contain her laughter. “Who knew that he’d be the one to explain it to me when I got back to Dreamlight Valley for the first time?!” She then addressed Merlin and explained, “Night Thorns…well they are a mysterious and evil type of plant that seem to only spring up in one biome at a time. If left unchecked, they can suck a villager’s memories away, as well as nearly destroy the whole Valley. Only my Dreamlight magic can remove these Thorns.”

Aster’s eyes lit up as he remembered something, “That reminds me…” he then formed a ball of Starlight magic in his hand—rather smaller than before—and sent it to Phoenix. Like before it entered her body and made it pulse a few times before subsiding.

As Phoenix felt the Starlight magic boost what little Dreamlight magic she had inside her, she exhaled in relief. “Thank you, Aster. I really am grateful for how you’re doing this.”

Aster nodded in acknowledgement, “Anytime, Phoenix.”

As they ate their breakfast, Asha soon caught Phoenix countenance, which seemed to have darkened from her explanation of the Night Thorns. She wondered to herself, “I wonder what about these Night Thorns is troubling her.”

When the meal was finished, Asha, Aster, and Merlin were about to go and start their day, when Asha noticed Phoenix standing awkwardly by the table, unsure on what to do. Asha smiled understandingly and urged, “Why don’t you come with us? We were recently informed of several disputes and problems that arose recently, and we need to prepare to address them.”

Aster caught on to what Asha was suggesting. “That is a marvelous idea, Asha!” Turning to Phoenix, he added, “We understand that the lack of activity for you seems rather foreign; perhaps helping us with these judgements could help alleviate that.”

Phoenix was shocked at this honor. “Are you sure? I know very little about your people. I’m not sure I’d be of much use in determining judgements for the people.”

“Nonsense!” Asha declared, “I think you’d do just fine!”

“And considering your heart for your own villagers,” Aster added, “I’m confident you’ll provide excellent judgements.” Then he urged, “Come, the people will be arriving soon.”

Phoenix obeyed and followed the two of them to the throne room, where two thrones stood at the head, and a royal blue rug ran from the thrones to the door. The rest of the room was pretty simple, with vases filled with flowers unfamiliar to Phoenix on either side.

As they came to the thrones, Phoenix stopped short as she heard Asha hum. Asha turned to Aster and called, “Aster, don’t we need something else there?”

Aster studied the thrones for a moment before his eyes sparked in realization. “Oh of course! We are missing one more, aren’t we?”

Phoenix was confused, “Missing what?”

Aster turned to her and, momentarily avoiding her question, asked, “Phoenix, what symbol does your Village stand under?”

Still confused, Phoenix revealed, “It’s…rather simple actually.” She produced a small, misty version of her Village’s symbol, which was the basic look of Dreamlight magic itself, and said, “It’s basically three diamonds ascending from another in height and size.”

Aster studied the symbol for a second before he was satisfied. Turning to Asha, he asked, “Shall we?”

Asha affirmed, and the two of them fired their magic at the empty spot next to Asha’s throne. Phoenix watched with surprise as both of their magics constructed an identical throne and adjusted the other two thrones to make them all centered in the room. Once finished, Aster fired a thin flare towards the head of the chair, which burned the Dreamlight Valley symbol into the center.

The two of them looked at their handiwork with satisfaction, and Phoenix couldn’t help but gape at the addition of a third throne with her friends! Asha turned to Phoenix and began to lead her by the arm to her spot. “Come on, Phoenix! The people are nearly here!”

Phoenix let Asha lead her to her new throne, speechless at the gesture. She sat down in awe and looked at the rest of the room; the view from here was so strange to Phoenix, as her rulership of Dreamlight Valley was entirely different from here. She turned to Asha and Aster and stated sincerely, “Thank you so much for this honor, my friends. This…I hope I will prove worthy of it.”

Before Asha or Aster could answer, a guard came in and declared, “Two families have arrived, your highnesses! They’ve come for your help to dispute a matter of importance.”

Aster answered, “Send them in, my friend.”

The guard did as he was told, and the two families entered the room. Both of the families were of descent size, one having two young children, and the other having three children that were considerably older than the other family’s children. The only other difference between the two families was that one had both parents, while the other had only the mother.

After they paid their respects to Aster and Asha, Aster greeted, “Good morning, friends. What seems to be the problem?”

The father of the older children declared, “Your highness, I’m sure you know about my family business in selling only the finest fruits for the people of Rosas and—” he stopped short when he noticed Phoenix in a spot next to Asha and he stuttered, “Pardon me, but who is this stranger?”

Phoenix tensed inwardly from the unfamiliarity, but Asha revealed, “This is Phoenix, Johann. She is a visiting ruler of a different land, and we have invited her to help with today’s matters.”

The father was surprised, “Well…this is quite unusual.”

Aster responded, “Considering where I used to be located, Johann, I can think of other things that are far more unusual than our inclusion of Phoenix.”

Johann conceded, “You have a point, my king.” He then recollected, “Anyways, my family has served the people of Rosas only the finest produce for many years.” He then glared at the other family, “As of recently, however, I have come to find that many of my produce has gone missing, and the trail of evidence leads to none other than Mrs. Fern’s home! I found small bits of fruit that are unmistakable to me around her home, and I demanded that she’d pay for it. She, however, denies that such an action ever took place and has yet to pay up.”

Mrs. Fern declared, “Johann, you know good and well that I would never do such a thing, and my children have never had the urge to steal anything from anyone!”

Johann retorted, “I thought I knew, until I saw evidence!!”

Mrs. Fern replied, “Then you mis-saw your evidence!”

Before the argument could get out of hand, Aster calmed, “Johann, Mrs. Fern, there shall be no bickering in our court!”

One of the smallest children of Mrs. Fern peaked out fearfully from behind her skirt and caught sight of Phoenix. Phoenix noticed that the child was staring at her and gave her a gentle smile. In response to this, much to Phoenix’ surprise, the child bolted from her mother and towards Phoenix. The court and the families watched with utter astonishment as the child threw her arms around Phoenix and gripped her tightly in almost fear.

As Phoenix slowly wrapped her own arms around the child, she nodded for the other two to continue the ruling. As they did, she slid off the throne with the child in her arms and enfolded her wings around her in comfort. Phoenix soon relaxed with the child in her arms and asked softly, “Hey, little one. What is your name?”

The child ignored the question and simply blurted softly, “I did it.”

Phoenix was a little stunned by the declaration. “What?”

The child shook with fear. “I took the produce from that man’s stand. My family had no food, and my mom had no job, so…”

Phoenix groaned at the story and enfolded the two of them tighter than before. She massaged her back in comfort as the child whimpered, “I’m so scared!”

Phoenix lifted the child’s face to face her as she answered in a whisper. “I know. This is pretty scary, and that man seems pretty angry. I know you wanted to help your family, but stealing food has created more harm than good right now.” The child’s face fell, but Phoenix added, “But, you can help them by revealing what you did. That way, your mom isn’t falsely accused.”

The child thought for a moment before gripping Phoenix’ jacket and pleading, “Can you help me?”

Phoenix nodded with a smile and sat back on her throne with the child on her lap. She then tapped Asha’s arm and whispered the situation in her ear. Surprise flashed across her face before she softened towards the child and squeezed her hand in comfort. Turning to Aster, she interrupted his conversation for a moment to whisper what Phoenix had told her. He looked at Asha with concern before turning his gaze to Phoenix and the child, who was avoiding the king’s face. Aster rubbed his chin in thought before he arose without a word and came to Phoenix’ place. He asked for the child, and with Phoenix’ encouragement, the child came to Aster, who lifted her up into his arms.

Having her hand tightly in his, he turned to the families and declared, “I think we have half of the matter resolved, my friends.” Facing Mrs. Fern squarely, he revealed, “I’m afraid one of your children did steal from Johann’s stand, Mrs. Fern. Your daughter, Gracia, confessed it to Phoenix here in private.”

Mrs. Fern groaned, “Oh, my dear Gracia!”

Johann declared his victory. “You see, your highnesses?! I was right!! That Mrs. Fern and her children have cost me a pretty penny for all that fine produce!”

Mrs. Fern gasped, “Are you saying that I made Gracia do this?!”

Johann shrugged, “If the shoe fits.”

Aster had had enough of this. “Alright, that’s enough, both of you!” He let the silence settle for a bit before addressing Johann. “Johann, you and Mrs. Fern were brought before us to settle a matter so that peace would return, not so that you could cause trouble in our court!” After some thought, he adjusted his hold on the child before declaring, “Let me discuss this with my wife and friend, and we will bring you our judgements as soon as we can. For now, wait outside.”

The families agreed and began walking out of the throne room. Mrs. Fern, however, stopped short and looked to Gracia to follow her. Aster let the child down but hesitated to let her go with her mother outside the throne room, where a certain, hot-headed stall owner he knew would also be. He had Gracia wait for a moment before approaching Mrs. Fern. “Mrs. Fern,” he began kindly, “Your daughter has a good heart; she tried to alleviate the lack that your family had, though it was in the wrong way.”

Mrs. Fern nodded, “I know. I tried to not let them worry, but…”

Aster nodded in understanding and asked, “With your permission, I would like Gracia to stay with us while we make our decision, since I don’t trust Johann to remain civil and kind in his dealings with this.”

Mrs. Fern answered, “Of course, your highness! She seemed pretty taken by your new friend.”

Aster nodded his thanks. “That she is, Mrs. Fern.” Mrs. Fern then left, and Aster rejoined his wife and friend, who stood towards the middle of the room. When he met them, he asked, “Any ideas on this case?”

Asha mused, “Well, we know what happened to Johann’s produce now.”

Aster agreed as he watched Gracia move into Phoenix’ right wing, fascinated that she had feathers. “You are right, Asha, but I can’t simply allow Johann to rub that truth in Mrs. Fern’s face, much less her children.”

Asha crossed her arms in thought. “You have a point, Aster. Johann will want them to pay for the loss and the ‘disgrace’ his business has supposedly suffered.” Asha then turned to Phoenix and asked, “What do you think, Phoenix?”

Phoenix looked up at the two of them before thinking about her answer. “Gracia wanted to help her family but caused something bad to happen, but she is just a child! However, Gracia seems to have brought to light a pressing need that Johann might not even consider helping with. Her family is in need. What if…”

Aster tried to urge Phoenix out of her thought process. “Phoenix?”

Asha calmed, “Let Phoenix process.”

Phoenix shook her head and faced the two of them squarely. “It’s fine, Asha. I may have an idea.” Placing her wing around Gracia, she proposed, “Gracia may’ve been the thief, but she is just a child! What could we expect to do with someone like her?” Aster and Asha nodded in agreement, and Phoenix continued, “Even though what she did was wrong, her action does reveal her family’s pressing need. Her mother has no job, and thus, her family has little to no food.”

Asha asked, “What do you suggest?”

Phoenix sighed, “If Johann had a better heart about this, I’d suggest that Gracia’s mother go work for him, but since he is what he is, there has to be a better job somewhere that Gracia’s mother can obtain to sustain her young children.”

Aster’s eyes lit up at what Phoenix was suggesting. “You might be on to something, Phoenix. Why don’t we bring the families in and declare our decision.” Asha and Phoenix agreed and went back to their thrones as Aster urged the guards to bring the families in again. Once that was done, Aster rejoined the others and addressed Phoenix. “Phoenix, why don’t you deliver this ruling to the families. It was your idea, after all.”

Phoenix’ heart jumped at the prospect. “Are…are you sure, Aster?”

Aster nodded, “Positive, Phoenix. I think I speak for the both of us when I say, we trust you with this one.”

Phoenix, though nervous, agreed and turned just in time to see the families reenter. Aster then declared, “Johann, Mrs. Fern, we have reached a verdict on this circumstance you both find yourselves in. For this one, however, I will turn it over to our friend, Phoenix.”

Taking it as her cue, Phoenix arose and had Gracia wait by her throne before approaching the families. With a deep breath, Phoenix began, “Mrs. Fern, your daughter revealed to me her deed in private, but that wasn’t all she revealed to me. What did you used to do before you lost your job?”

Mrs. Fern thought for a moment before answering, “Well, I worked in large fields with a family that was quite kind to me.” She laughed at a memory, “They always said I had a way with plants, and I always said that it was the soil they planted on.” Her countenance soon fell as she recalled, “However, the husband became sick and died a while ago, and the wife had to leave the kingdom to find better work, leaving the field to overgrowth.”

Phoenix was intrigued at this bit of information. Turning to Aster and Asha, she asked, “Do we have anything to offer Mrs. Fern?”

Asha thought for a moment before revealing, “We do have a field outside of the city that is attended to by quite a few workers. However, we could use another hand, especially in the planting and harvesting seasons.”

Aster couldn’t help but chuckle at something. “Harvest especially! There is so much gain from the planting that the workers bring home a part of the harvest as a part of their payment!”

Phoenix then declared, “Then if Aster and Asha agree, you, Mrs. Fern, could take a job at their field. You’ll be paid well and even provided the food you need and the money for other things you don’t have!”

Aster and Asha agreed to the motion, and Mrs. Fern brightened at the verdict. She grasped Phoenix’ hands in sincere thanks and said, “This is most generous of you, your highnesses!”

Seeing this all play out, Johann cried angrily, “But what about the profits I lost because of that woman’s thieving daughter?! What about my due in this situation?”

Phoenix turned to Aster and Asha for approval, and they nodded in urging. She then faced Johann with a serious gaze and declared, “Young Gracia is forgiven of her theft.” Johann stuttered in surprise, but Phoenix continued, “What Gracia did was wrong, but she is only a child!” Turning her back on Johann, she added, “And, from what I’ve seen from her, she is very sorry for what she did. Now that her mother has a job, she will not be stealing food anymore.”

Johann finally burst. “But that’s not fair! I lost money because of that girl and—”

Phoenix had had enough of Johann’s rants. She whipped around and cried, “Johann! Our decision is final, and no amount of your rants will change that. The simple fact that you are pushing an actual condemnation on the child suggests a good plenty of things that betray the type of man you are. Just take an honest look at Gracia and her family, and perhaps you will find it within you to give grace to those who’ve wronged you!” She then walked back up to her throne and sat down, concluding a bit calmer, “Until then, you will have to be satisfied with the fact that your ’justice’ hasn’t been administered.”

Johann couldn’t find the words to answer Phoenix, but he looked to Aster and Asha with pleading glances, only to be met with their firm stares. Johann’s gaze fell down to the floor in defeat, and Aster declared, “This case is dismissed. Johann, you and your family may return home. Mrs. Fern, you and your family may follow one of my guards to the field. There, you should be able to find the head gardener, who will help you get acquainted with the tools and techniques necessary to succeed.” Mrs. Fern nodded excitedly and thanked the three of them sincerely before her family followed after the guard. Johann, however, reluctantly left with his family with a twinge of bitterness in his face.

Once the throne room was quiet and empty, Phoenix exhaled, letting the tension in her joints melt away in the silence. Asha placed a hand on her shoulder and complimented, “You did great, Phoenix!”

“My wife is right, Phoenix,” Aster replied. “That ruling you decided was perfect!”

Phoenix chuckled, “Thanks, you guys.”

Right then, another guard came in and announced, “A merchant has arrived to discuss a rather…fishy matter.”

Aster nodded in acknowledgement and looked to the other two. They showed that they were ready, and Aster answered the guard. “Bring him in; we are ready for his case.”

SOME TIME LATER…

Phoenix descended some steps until she came into a more rustic hallway, with a rough wooden door on one side and a place that looked like a kitchen on the other side. She, Aster, and Asha had finished all the judgements for the day, and Phoenix had taken leave of Aster and Asha, wanting to explore a bit more. Asha had suggested that she go spend some time with Dahlia and the others and that they were in the kitchen on a lower level. Phoenix had agreed to the plan and went her way. She turned a corner and came into the kitchen, revealing the seven friends busy doing a variety of things.

Dahlia looked up from her roller when she noticed a new shadow cast, and her eyes brightened when she saw Phoenix enter. “Phoenix! Good to see you! Enjoying Rosas so far?”

Phoenix came to the counter Dahlia was at and answered, “Rosas is a very nice place. Despite the crisis over our heads, I have been enjoying this place.”

Gabo smirked a little and leaned against a barrel, “You mean a certain beast that doesn’t know when to quit?” Without waiting for an answer, he added, “And can we just take a moment to point out the fact that Magnifico actually got inside the dome?!”

The others seemed to groan at his rant, and Simon complained, “Will you give it a rest, Gabo?! Aster and Asha have it all figured out!”

Gabo, ill-convinced, quipped, “I’m just saying: We’re doomed.”

Dahlia rolled her eyes, but then she noticed a slight pained expression on Phoenix’ face. She addressed her in a whisper, “Hey, don’t listen to Gabo. You handled yourself pretty well against Magnifico last night, despite your current state.”

Phoenix sighed, “I know. I just wish I could—” she then blinked a few times when she realized what Dahlia was referring to. “Wait. Dahlia, how did you know about last night?”

Dahlia answered with a slight smile, “I was making a late delivery for someone who lived close to the docks when I first noticed you confronting Magnifico and blocked the dock’s opening. When he attacked you, I rushed to alert Aster and Asha so that they could help you.”

Hal then added, “I came with Dahlia for the delivery run and saw what happened too. That took guts for you to face Magnifico head on like that.”

Dahlia agreed. “Yeah, thanks for sticking up for Rosas against Magnifico, Phoenix. I know this kingdom isn’t your realm, but I know we very much appreciated your efforts to protect the city.”

Phoenix smiled a bit, “Of course!”

Gabo then remarked, “Just don’t let this become a habit, alright? Magnifico is ultra-powerful, and you aren’t getting as much of a magical boost to power all your bells and whistles. Don’t. Get. Cocky.”

The room fell silent at that declaration, and Phoenix turned to Gabo in surprise. This was new information to her. “I thought I was getting all the magic I needed from Aster.”

Right then, Hal punched Gabo’s shoulder and spoke quietly through her teeth. “We weren’t supposed to talk about that!!”

Gabo rubbed his shoulder but answered matter-of-factly, “You agreed to shut up; I didn’t.”

Phoenix was getting confused, “What are you talking about, Gabo?”

Before he could answer, Dahlia grasped Phoenix’ shoulders and urged in a rather awkward way, “Hey, Phoenix! Why don’t you come and help me get some eggs from the chicken roost?” Without waiting for an answer, Dahlia lead Phoenix by the arm away from the kitchen and into the chicken roost.

Once the door closed, Dahlia went to start picking eggs, but Phoenix stood at the head of the room by the door with a look of amazement. What could have been so secret that the others wouldn’t let Gabo tell her?

After a period of silence, Dahlia picked up a rather large egg and exclaimed, “Goodness! Safi will be proud of you little chicken!”

The chicken squawked in response, and Phoenix faced Dahlia head on. “Dahlia, what are you guys not telling me?”

Dahlia hesitated mid-pick at the question before faking a laugh, “Uh…what do you mean?”

Phoenix didn’t answer but decided to test something. She manifested each of her Royal Tools one by one, checking to see if she could summon them. When she summoned her camera last, she sighed. “Good. That’s something.” She then went further and tried to form a small diorama of the kingdom of Rosas, but to her dismay, only Dreamlight mist manifested and faded out. Phoenix furrowed her brow, “That’s not right. I was able to show Dahlia and the others my Village with my magic; now I can’t even make a small picture?!”

Dahlia straightened and turned around just in time to see Phoenix manifest misty versions of clothes she owned and then try to create a sword out of Dreamlight magic. The former worked, but the latter fizzled out. Phoenix let everything disappear as realization dawned on her. “I…I don’t have as much magic as before! Aster didn’t give me the same amount this time.”

Dahlia approached her slowly with concern. “Phoenix?”

Phoenix leaned up against the door of the chicken roost and rubbed the bridge of her nose in bafflement. Without looking up, she asked, “Was this what you guys didn’t want to tell me?”

Dahlia winced at the truth and sighed. “I was carrying some boxes from the ball back towards an area close to the docks when I heard Aster and Asha talk about it. They were worried about your drive to defeat Magnifico, and Aster decided…that it would best to only give you enough magic to survive and do basic things rather than fully empower you.”

Remembering something, Phoenix mused, “So that’s why this morning’s magic ball looked smaller than before!” She looked up at Dahlia and asked, a little pained, “Why didn’t you just tell me from the get-go? And why didn’t Asha and Aster tell me about this?”

Dahlia detected the feeling of betrayal in Phoenix’ voice. She wasn’t really angry at the fact Dahlia and the others didn’t tell her the truth, she was angry at Asha and Aster for not telling her the truth. Dahlia placed a comforting hand on Phoenix’ shoulder and answered softly, “Phoenix, I’m sorry. I told the others, but I didn’t think it was ours to tell, so I made them promise not to say anything to you. Asha and Aster…I know that they just wanted to protect you.”

That struck a cord with Phoenix. “Just like my Merlin tried to ‘protect’ me from the truth about the Forgetting?! Unbelievable.” Without another word, Phoenix exited the chicken roost and walked briskly out of the castle in anger and hurt.

The other friends noticed and watched her leave just as Dahlia came back into the kitchen with a basket full of eggs. Her face showed defeat and sadness. Dario noticed and asked, “Hey, Dahlia. What’s wrong?”

Gabo answered emotionlessly, “What do you think, Dario? Phoenix found out, and now she’s mad at us.”

Simon couldn’t help but be surprised. “She’s mad at us?”

Gabo retorted, “Duh! Because we didn’t tell her the truth about her limited power supply!”

Dahlia groaned as she revealed, “I don’t think she’s mad at us, guys.” The others looked at her and she added, “I saw her face as she tried her abilities. She wasn’t mad at us; she’s mad at Aster and Asha for doing this without telling her.”

Bazeema asked worriedly, “What do we do?”

Dahlia wasn’t sure, and frankly, neither were the rest of her friends.

LATER THAT AFTERNOON…

Asha came down from the castle to visit her friends in the kitchen. Upon entering, she greeted, “Hi everyone!” She sniffed the air and gushed, “Something smells really good, Dahlia!”

Dahlia smiled slightly, “I’m nearly done with a cake recipe I’ve been trying to perfect. Phoenix helped with getting the eggs for it, so this should come out the way that I’d hoped it would.”

That reminded Asha of something. “By the way, have any of you seen Phoenix? I thought she’d be with you when she left the throne room, but…” she looked around before declaring, “She’s not here.” Then a thought came to Asha, and she turned to Gabo with a serious expression. “What did you tell her?”

Gabo, who was reclining on a sack of flour, looked up offended. “Hey! This time, it wasn’t my fault, okay? Besides, can I help that some people can’t take my candid nature?”

Safi rubbed his head in thought. “’Candid’ is a strong word for you, Gabo.”

Gabo rolled his eyes, and Dahlia moved past Asha to place the now hot pan of cake on a nearby counter. Asha caught Dahlia’s expression, and it showed a twinge of regret. Concerned, Asha pulled Dahlia aside and asked, “Hey, what’s wrong, Dahlia?”

Dahlia sighed and hesitated to reveal the issue to Asha. After a few minutes, Dahlia asked, “Did you…happen to forget to tell Phoenix anything important?”

Asha was surprised by the question. “What do you mean?”

Dahlia wrestled with how to break it to Asha. “Well, it’s just that….um…Phoenix is a little…upset…”

That confused Asha even more. “Upset? What made her upset?”

Dahlia hinted, “Well, she found out something that seemed to bother her quite a bit…and she kinda left the castle in a hurry…”

Asha wasn’t getting any closer to understanding what happened, but the last part of Dahlia’s comment worried her. She urged seriously, “Dahlia, what are you not telling me?”

Dahlia exhaled. “Phoenix found out that she was getting less power than usual from Aster, and now she’s upset.” Asha groaned and rubbed her face worriedly, as Dahlia added, “I tried to tell her that it was because you were trying to protect her, but she looked so…betrayed!”

Asha felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as she processed the news. She asked, “Do you know where she is?”

Dahlia shook her head sadly. “Sorry, I don’t.”

Asha nodded and raced out of the kitchen, hoping to find Aster quickly, all the while berating herself, “I should’ve said something to her. We shouldn’t have kept this a secret from her!”

Soon, she found herself in the lobby and saw Aster communicating with one of the guards. When he saw Asha, he dismissed the guard and came to her. “Asha, what is it?”

“Phoenix wasn’t with Dahlia and the others, and they don’t know where she went,” Asha revealed.

Aster groaned, “Oh, I hope she isn’t doing what I think she’s doing.”

Asha shook her head, “Aster, she found out.”

That took him off guard. “What?”

Asha elaborated, “She found out that you were giving her less magic, and now she’s upset because she feels betrayed. At least, that’s what Dahlia said she saw in her before Phoenix left.”

Aster’s face fell. That wasn’t good.

After some silence, Aster sighed, “I should’ve told her about this precaution. Maybe then this act wouldn’t have seemed like betrayal to her.”

Asha came to his side and took his hand in hers in comfort. “It’s my fault too, Aster. I could’ve told her as well.”

Aster accepted his wife’s comfort gratefully before purposing, “What’s important now is that we find her and see if we can reason with her.” He then formed a Starlight wisp from his hand and sent it out. As it went outside, Aster explained, “I can track my magic in her with that wisp. We follow the wisp, we find Phoenix.” Asha nodded, and the two of them made their way out of the castle and followed the wisp.

MEANWHILE…

Phoenix sat atop a large willow tree watching the fragmented horizon through the tree’s wavy branches with a thoughtful and sad expression. It was silent, for the most part, apart from the occasional chirping of a bird. She fumed over how she’d not been trusted with the truth by her friends, not once, but twice! She hid her face in her knees as she remembered, “First Merlin doesn’t tell me about the Forgetting, but the villains do; now Asha and Aster don’t tell me about this…decision they made without even talking to me! All in the name of ‘protection’!” She grunted loudly in frustration as she leaned her head back on the trunk. “I think I’ve had enough ‘protection’ for one lifetime.”

Suddenly, a strange golden wisp zipped past her face before turning back and stopping in front of her face. She cried out in surprise as she inspected her strange visitor. She went to touch it, but remembering the last time she touched something magically strange, things didn’t go well, so she retracked her hand and simply stared at the wisp. It spun and danced in front of her face. “What is it?”

Soon, the wisp stopped and darted down the trunk of the tree before circling the base of the tree at a high speed, making it look like a ring of light had encompassed the tree. This behavior confused Phoenix until she caught sight of two people coming through the long branches of the willow and towards the speeding wisp. She gasped silently and laid back on where she sat, hoping she wouldn’t be noticed. “Oh great. Them.”

Aster called the wisp to himself as Asha looked around. “The wisp led us here,” Asha stated.

Aster wandered around the tree in search of Phoenix as he answered, “Yes, it appears that way.” His eyes soon caught on to a familiar shadow on the ground.

Asha soon joined Aster in confusion. “We found the wisp, but where’s Phoenix?”

Aster cleared his throat lightly and discreetly directed Asha’s attention to the shadow on the ground. Phoenix wasn’t near the tree; she was on the tree.

Asha face-palmed before whispering. “Right. She has wings, so she can fly.”

Aster reminded quietly, “Well, technically, so can we, but I don’t think that’s the best strategy right now.”

“What do you suggest?”

Aster thought for a moment before an idea came to his mind. Sending his magic out, he caused some of the fallen leaves to swirl around before sending them up to the branch Phoenix was in. They danced in and out of the sparkly mist before catching Phoenix’ eye. When she looked up at them, her eyes widened as they circled her head before flying in place in front of her, forming a single message:

“Hey Phoenix. Mind coming down and chatting?”

Phoenix was about to send a message back, using the leaves and her own message, but remembering her present predicament, she batted the message away in frustration and sighed loudly. She spoke to herself mainly, but it was loud enough for Aster and Asha to hear. “Well, since it seems like I can’t send a message back to you, I suppose I should come down.” With that, she fluttered down and landed a few paces beside Aster and Asha.

Aster and Asha were relieved to see Phoenix, but Phoenix was giving them an even stare. Seeing this, Aster approached her. “Phoenix, I—we know you’re upset with us, and you have every right to be. I should never have enacted that precaution without telling you.”

Asha rubbed her husband’s shoulder in comfort before adding, “We should’ve spoken to you about our worries, but I guess we hurt you, huh?”

Phoenix could see how sad her friends were over this issue, and Phoenix softened. Relaxing her stance, she drew closer to them and answered sadly, “It did hurt, guys.” She then sighed as she confessed, “But part of it is because this has happened before.”

Aster and Asha looked up at her concerned. What was she talking about?

Phoenix exhaled as she remembered, “Back at my Village, a…horrible truth was revealed to me about…a certain something, and my most trusted friend chose not to tell me out of ‘protection’. However, I found out about this truth through a certain group of villains that have sanctuary in the Valley, provided they play nice.” She added painfully, “When I freed them from some large Night Thorns, they each related part of the truth in their own…’special’ way. And the worst part is I found out that my friend knew about the problem and chose not to tell me after all of it!”

Asha finished, “And you felt betrayed because of it.” Phoenix nodded, and Asha came to her and took her hands in hers sympathetically, “Oh, Phoenix. We are so sorry! We had no idea that this was such a painful issue for you!”

Aster joined the group and added, “I can understand the desire to protect those you care about, but I know that there is a right way and a wrong way.” He then faced Phoenix squarely and asked, “Would you please forgive us?”

Phoenix looked at both Aster and Asha and contemplated her answer. She could tell that they were genuinely sorry for this issue, and she knew that she couldn’t stay mad at her new friends forever. “They’ve been so kind to me! How can I stay mad at them?” She then smiled as she answered, “Of course, I do, my friends. All you’ve ever done for me here was to help me, and I know you are trying to help me here too. It’s just…the loss of power is so…”

“’Different’?” Aster answered. Phoenix nodded, and Aster empathized, “Yeah, I understand that personally.”

Asha then asked, “So, Phoenix. Will you accept the precaution? Just until Magnifico is defeated?”

Phoenix sighed as she agreed. “I will, Asha. I’m sure I’ll adjust….somehow.”

Asha and Aster smiled, thankful that the issue was resolved, and they embraced Phoenix simultaneously. Phoenix accepted them eagerly, grateful to have these new friends. This reminded her of something. “I’ll need to talk to my Merlin when I get back…”

Once the trio separated, Asha suggested, “Come on! Let’s see if Dahlia is done with that cake recipe. I’m sure she’ll let us taste-test.”

Aster agreed wholeheartedly, “That is the best idea ever, Asha! Dahlia’s cooking is always magical!”

Phoenix couldn’t help but chuckle at his use of “magical”, considering where he came from originally. She then followed Asha and Aster out of the forest and towards the castle.

As they walked, they talked amongst themselves, and Phoenix explained a bit more about her Village:

Asha had asked first, “So, why does your Village include ‘villains’, Phoenix?”

Phoenix thought for a moment before answering, “I guess because they needed sanctuary. My memory is a bit…fuzzy, but I think I had made a deal with them that if they behaved in the Valley, then they were free to live in my Village.”

“And do they?”

Phoenix shrugged, “Well enough. They don’t try to usurp me or anything, but I’ve had to intervene on a few occasions when their actions appear suspicious. Sometimes it’s an issue; sometimes it’s nothing, but you can never be too careful.”

Aster agreed, “That’s certainly true.”

PHWOOOT!!! TICK!!

A stinging sensation overcame Phoenix’ neck, and she groaned in pain before grabbing whatever hit her neck. Weakness soon overtook her, and she leaned against a tree before falling to her knees.

Asha and Aster rushed to her in concern at the sudden change, and Asha cried, “Phoenix! What’s wrong?!”

Aster then noticed a dart in Phoenix’ hand. He took it from her and inspected its contents. His eyes soon sparked in recognition, and he breathed, “Ven-vine!” He then stood up and scanned their surroundings, looking for where their ambusher was hiding.

After a few minutes, a twig snapped, and Aster whipped to his left and sent a Starlight rope out. Once it caught on to something, he pulled it back forcefully, revealing a surprised and tied up…Johann!!

Asha and Aster gasped when the ambusher was revealed. Johann, upon seeing the king and queen, stuttered, “G…good afternoon, your highnesses! A…lovely day for a walk.” Aster stood Johann up but didn’t untie him. When he was upright, a small dart gun fell out of his pocket, betraying Johann’s true intentions.

Aster faced Johann angrily. He picked up the dart gun and cried, “Johann! What in this kingdom are you doing with poison in your possession?!”

Johann groaned in annoyance, “Unless you haven’t heard, your highness, I was protecting Rosas from your traitorous friend over there!!”

Phoenix’ breath caught at the accusation. She turned to Asha, who looked at her in confusion. Neither of them understood what Johann was getting at.

Aster’s eyes widened. “’Protecting’? Our friend Phoenix being a traitor?! What are you talking about, Johann?!”

Johann turned to Phoenix with an angry expression, one that seemed to relish the knowledge he bore. He pointed to her and accused, “You entrusted this foreigner with a throne by your sides! But this woman is the very one who brought Magnifico out of his prison to trouble the entire kingdom right after she came to this realm! She has deceived you, my king, and I was going to make sure that she didn’t progress further into any secret plan she had.”

Phoenix could feel the poison run through her bloodstream, and her weakness was soon replaced with a terrible pain in her sides. She grasped her midsection and groaned from the pain as she thought about what Johann had said. None of what he’d said was true. She whispered helplessly, “I…I didn’t mean to do any of that!” Asha, who’d heard her, grasped her shoulder in encouragement, showing that she believed her.

Aster also considered what he’d been told. He turned back to Phoenix, who faced him with a pale face and shook her head, denying the accusation. Then he looked at Johann. “How did you come by this information, Johann?”

Johann cleared his throat and answered, “My son reported it to me earlier today after we got home from the palace. He had been here in the forest, fishing with his friends when he noticed the whole thing happen.”

“He was told this after he got back from the palace, eh?” Aster mused, “That’s after Phoenix made the declaration against his desires.” He asked one more question with exaggerated concern, “Oh, well then, why didn’t your son come and tell you that day?” He then glanced at Asha and Phoenix with a wink and added, “Or better yet, why didn’t he report that to us? If the safety of the whole kingdom was at stake, then that would’ve driven him to tell someone of authority about this ‘terrible deception’. Hm?”

Johann wasn’t prepared for a question like that. He stuttered, “Ah…well, he…umm…he wasn’t sure about…the…uh…”

Aster calmly let him fumble through his words, trying to format an explanation. “I knew it. A bitter citizen.”

After a few minutes, Aster raised his hand for silence. “I have heard enough, Johann. I understand the situation perfectly now, thanks to your confession.”

Johann seemed to brighten a little at that. “Wonderful, your highness.” He then tried to shimmy out of the rope he was tied to as he added, “I suppose then, I should leave the rest of the matter to you.”

Much to Johann’s surprise, Aster didn’t let go of the rope or let it loosen for him. Instead, Aster caused the rope to grow bigger and brighter until Johann’s upper torso and arms were engulfed. Johann struggled against the improved bonds, as Aster revealed, “You misunderstand, Johann. You are the one who is guilty here.”

Johann was taken aback by his claim. “But your highness! That woman—”

“Aster.”

Aster turned around to see Asha gesturing to Phoenix. The venom was working faster than usual. Phoenix’ skin was nearly as pale as snow, and she was groaning from the pain that had traveled from her sides to the rest of her body. Asha was looking at Aster earnestly; they were running out of time.

Making a plan, he created a portal to his study next to Asha and Phoenix and urged, “Go, and give Phoenix the antidote. First cabinet on the left; a bottle with bright yellow liquid.” Asha nodded and guided a weak Phoenix through the portal. Aster let the portal close and turned back to Johann with a hard look.

Johann was dumbfounded. “My king! What—”

Aster interrupted him seriously, “Johann Mettlemeyer. You are guilty of attacking an innocent woman, almost killing her with that dart!” He swept his arms out, “All because you are bitter against her and her ruling against you earlier today!”

Johann’s face turned red in embarrassment, but he tried to play dumb. “But, my king! She broke the—”

Aster cut him off again. “I and Asha already knew about that because Phoenix told us herself! It only broke on accident, and Phoenix has enough trouble as it is accepting that it was an accident without someone going around and declaring what she—supposedly—did wrong!”

 Johann was silenced at that, but his countenance still showed bitterness.

Aster was silent for a moment as he considered his options. Johann was silenced, but he clearly didn’t look sorry for his action. “I may need to talk to his family about this. Johann is going to spend some jail time for his actions against my friend.” With that, he faced Johann squarely and declared, “Let’s go, Johann. You will be spending some time in the jails for your assault of my friend, but before that, I am letting your family know of the situation.

Johann grunted annoyedly for the decision, but he floated behind Aster out of the forest anyways. It wasn’t like he had much of a choice.

[rabbitcruiser]

World Aquatic Animal Day

Did you know the ocean contains about a million different species?  Learn about marine life, visit an aquarium, or raise awareness about the  threats to the ocean.

Because (most) humans do not actually live underwater, it is easy to  forget the vast array and variety of aquatic animals that populate the  oceans, seas, lakes, and other bodies of water on our planet!

Aquatic animals may be vertebrates or invertebrates. They may breathe  air or extract oxygen through gills or the skin. And they may live in  either freshwater or saltwater. But no matter what their differences  are, one thing is for sure–aquatic animals deserve to be noticed and  appreciated!

World Aquatic Animal Day is centered around humans taking the time to  learn about and acknowledge the importance of all of these creatures  who make their homes in the water.

History of World Aquatic Animal Day

Created in 2020, World Aquatic Animal Day was created by folks over  at Animal Law Clinic at the Lewis & Clark Law School (Portland,  Oregon, USA) who wanted to bring attention to the importance of aquatic  animals to our societies and ecosystems. Widely used around the world,  aquatic animals are often at risk due to the interactions humans have  directly with the animals, or indirectly through the corruption of their  habitats.

In addition to ‘fish’, the category of aquatic animals includes a  variety of other creatures, such as mollusks, crustaceans, aquatic  birds, starfish, corals, aquatic insects, amphibians, marine mammals,  reptiles, and more.

The idea for World Aquatic Animal Day is to raise global awareness so  that humans all over the world would band together to create policies,  laws, education, and outreach that will help to protect these valuable  animals. The hope is to elevate the status of these creatures so that  people are more likely to take an active role in learning about and  acting on behalf of them. Different ideas for protecting these animals  continue to be featured, from plastic pollution to climate change  issues.

Many organizations throughout the world participated in the first  World Aquatic Animal Day in 2020, including Canada, Chile, Australia,  South Africa, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Croatia, Norway, Russia,  Switzerland, the United Kingdom and more.

The hope is that many more will join in for future days in the coming years. The more people who get involved, the better!

How to Celebrate World Aquatic Animal Day

Celebrating the animals under the sea is the idea of World Aquatic Animal Day, and there are tons of ways to do it!

Watch a Documentary about Sea Life  

Getting educated about aquatic animals doesn’t have to be boring.  Learning from film crews that have been deep-sea diving can be a  thrilling way to see, enjoy and appreciate the myriad of animals that  live in the water.

Try out these documentaries:

The Blue Planet (2001). First airing  on the BBC, this riveting series of shows gives a glimpse into life in  the ocean. It was filmed in more than 200 different locations over a  five year time period. And Sir David Attenborough’s voice over simply  makes the ocean seem that much more compelling.

Turtle: The Incredible Journey  (2009). This film uniquely follows the life of one sea turtle beating  the odds, from when she was hatched to facing the natural and unnatural  threats that occur in the life of such a creature.

Mission Blue (2014).  Featuring the life and work of Dr. Sylvia Earl, a marine biologist and  oceanographer, this documentary shows her life as it is dedicated to the  study of the ocean, having spent thousands of hours of time in its  depths.

Life in the Blue (2016).  Showcasing the extraordinary variety and range of life that exists in  the expanses of the ocean, this documentary specifically targets what  takes place just under the surface in a small band of 10 meter deep  water. Whether looking for shelter or hunting and foraging for food,  aquatic animals participate in a host of activities in this rather small  space.

Host an Under the Sea Party  

Get family and friends involved in raising awareness of the needs of  aquatic animals by inviting them over for a party that dives deep into  the theme. Make the place festive with sea-worthy decorations and play  tunes from a water-themed playlist (see below).

Serve snacks and desserts that stick with the theme of honoring  aquatic animals, including cupcakes adorned with gummy fish, goldfish  cheese or graham crackers, cookies baked starfish shapes or a veggie  tray organized in the shape of a rainbow fish.

Fruit treats are fabulous for sea-themed parties! Oranges can be  easily fashioned to create the look of an octopus by partially peeling  eight strips and then leaving them sticking out from the bottom. (Draw  on eyes with a non-toxic marker.) Apples can be creatively sliced to  appear as crabs, while banana halves can be adorned with an eye and the  stem cut to look like dolphins. And a watermelon can be creatively  carved to channel the look of a sea turtle!

Raise Awareness for Aquatic Animal Day  

Get others involved in the issues facing these creatures by holding  events at work, school, clubs or other places where the community  gathers. Make posters, host lecturers, or create a family-friendly  charity event where the money is raised to donated to underwater  wildlife funds. Don’t forget to use your voice to let government  representatives know about the need to protect these creatures by  writing letters to ask them for better rules, regulations, and laws.

Put Together an Aquatic Animals Playlist  

Getting into the groove of music is a great way to bring sea  creatures to the forefront of the mind–whether alone or at a party!  Gather some eclectic songs together in a playlist on Spotify or another  music hosting venue and jam in honor of the aquatic animals.

Try some favorite songs such as these, or come up with other creative ideas:

Too Many Fish in the Sea (1983) by The Marvelettes

Under the Sea (1989) Soundtrack from The Little Mermaid

Dead Sea (2012) by The Lumineers

Sea of Love (1959) by Phil Phillips

Across the Sea (1996) by Weezer

Only the Ocean (2010) by Jack Johnson

Deep Ocean Vast Sea (1989) by Peter Murphy

Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay (1968) by Otis Redding

Source

[you-will-return]

April, introspective, and ocean! 🌸

April - What's your favourite time of the year

Right now!!! (In Germany) Everything is finally green again and blossoming and the air is bustling with insects and birds 😊 It's what I hold onto during the winter months. When I look outside my window back home there's a huge almond tree and it's so so pretty when it's in bloom 🥺🥺 (it always reminds me of the cherry trees which are currently in bloom back in my hometown). And the flowers in my local park are finally blooming as well. Walks there during late spring/ early summer >>>>

I also love how bearable the temperatures still/ finally are. I can't stand it when it's too cold but I also don't like the heat. Anything between 15°C to 22°C is just fine by me :)

Introspective - what's one thing you would have done differently in your life?

Just one thing? Jkjk

I think studying art history was kind of a waste of my time but I don't think it's change worthy. I still learned *some* things.

Maybe I would try talking to my current best friend earlier. We both co-existed miserably for an entire year before we began talking to each other and I think having her around would've helped me through some stuff. Or at least would've made the stuff less overwhelmingly horrible (geez that just got dark, sorry 😬)

Ocean - favourite sea creature

I gotta admit I'm not much of a sea life person haha I do like corals though :) they're pretty :)

Thank you so much for the ask 🤗😊🩷 I hope you have a lovely evening ❤️❤️❤️

[gaddaboutgriffon]

Yes. I was just about to make a post of my own if I hadn’t found yours.

But think about it the movie Hidden World ended with all dragons going into hiding in a hidden and near impossible habitat to access. Unless you could fly and land like a dragons or a bird. (Not going to go into the nine realms cartoon cause I never watched it and would get things wrong. So just ignore it.) we can even add in a story reason why drones don’t work because the glowing crystals and shear amount of rock and earth cause them to loose signal before they get deep enough to be close to where the dragons live.

The Kratt brothers with their creature power suits would be uniquely equipped to explore the depths of the North culdara that we will dub the Devil’s Gate (suggest a better name if you think of one) simply because of how many ships and people would have died trying to explore it before.

There has been reliable reports of seagulls and puffins flying in and out of the hole for decades. So that plus some sea creature disks and avivas other inventions are what they will use to be the first explorers to ever service the Devil’s Gate and maybe finally fulfill Chris’ life dream of discovering a new species at the bottom.

The turbulence of the water falling down the sides of the hole was stronger then they anticipated but following the lead of wild puffins and seagulls are able to make it through to the opening of a cave halfway to the water below. Which confuses the brothers since they are flying in increasing darkness that the birds would normally avoid. Then when it is almost pitch black they see a light ahead and fly with the wild birds to it, out into the opening of an amazing place they never could have imagined.

Glowing crystals! Wild undiscovered plants with fruit the seagulls are eating! Little undiscovered fish like things swimming in pools of water that the puffins are diving to catch.

The brothers land on some coral like plant to gawk and take pictures of the beauty. Until the something spooks the seagulls and Puffins and they all rush for the exit. The brothers hide behind the coral/plant and watch to their utter disbelief as little Dragons (terrible terror) chase after the fleeing birds.

This isn’t just the discovery of a lifetime, it’s the rediscovery of a lifetime. Dragons were real. A species thought to be myth since there had never been even fossils to study in modern day. Or were some dinosaurs fossils actually dragons fossils misidentified? And they are seeing a living one right now.

Good thing they flew in normal sized and didn’t shrink to puffin or seagull size. Martin of course somehow befriends one of the little terrors. Which he will name … (I‘ll edit in a name later) and they follow the small pack of six terrors deeper into cavern, which they are getting to realize may be more like a labyrinth of tunnels and caverns, into a bigger chamber with brighter glowing rocks, bigger coral/plants and then they see in the distance some of the big dragon species in the distance.

Well I leave it there for others to add on.

Okay but a wild kratts and how to train your dragon crossover would be pretty cool if you think about it. The entire crew, studying all sorts of Dragon species.

[atlanticcanada]

Fish sounds could help scientists understand their ocean world

Fish, it turns out, are a chatty lot. They communicate about everything from what area of the sea has the best food to where predators might be hiding and, of course, their desire for a mate.

Now, researchers from universities in Canada, the United States and Brazil have put together an online portal called FishSounds that lets people sift through an inventory of sea creature noises. People can listen to the underwater recordings and learn that a sablefish emits a rasp, while the orange-lined triggerfish makes a drumroll sound.

Sarah Vela, senior data manager with a Dalhousie University marine environmental research group and lead developer of the portal, said FishSounds provides researchers with information about whether a fish species makes noise along with its geographical range.

"It's a data set that hasn't really existed before. Whereas there's lots of projects out there that are working with killer whale noises, right whale noises," she said. "Fish is one that's understudied."

Scientists use a hydrophone, or underwater microphone, to monitor and record these sounds, which are then identified by an expert, Vela said. The project also involves teaching a computer to associate sounds with certain species of fish to build up machine learning.

The portal includes data on about 1,200 fish species compiled from scientific literature and other sources. Of those, 1,061 were shown to make some type of detectable sound, a study published by the portal's creators last month in Ecological Informatics said. The site so far holds recordings of more than 260 fish species.

"The remote sensing of active and passive fish sounds through passive acoustic monitoring presents the opportunity to answer numerous questions related to ecology, evolution, and management in marine, brackish, and freshwater environments," the study said.

Co-author Kieran Cox of Simon Fraser University said sound is a medium for fish to exchange large amounts of information, just as humans do. He said this exchange of information is crucial because the deeper the ocean, the darker it gets and visual interaction is not always possible.

"Fish have been singing a lot longer than birds have been singing," Cox said. "And I just mean that from an evolutionary perspective."

While diving to research fish sounds in Belize, he said he could hear fish munching coral and seagrass near a reef.

"There's a certain element of that soundscape that I think we all are kind of aware of, but then you can fail to really appreciate unless you know what you're listening for."

Fish, he said, produce two kinds of sounds: active and passive. Active sounds are made intentionally using mouths or other body parts and can involve release of bubbles, manoeuvring different muscles to make a certain noise or moving bones around to get a repetitive click. Others make a sound like the beating of a drum with their swim bladders, he added.

The plainfin midshipman, a species of fish found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, lives most of its life in the depths but comes up into the intertidal zone to breed, with males building nests for females to lay eggs. The males produce a distinct hum to attract a mate, Cox said.

"Basically, the name of the game with the nest is to build almost an amphitheatre for the sound. Think about it as a concert hall, if you will. It's a rock wall nest they sing from. They use this to attract mates, and the females come to lay eggs in these nests. The amount of eggs that they give a male will be proportional to the quality of their song, the length of their song, and how well they can hear it outside of the nest. It's really a whole interaction that's facilitated by noise," Cox said.

"If you're down on a beach at night and these fish are present, you can hear them humming through the night."

Passive sounds are those made incidentally as they go about their day-to-day life, like chewing or digging.

"You can imagine that if a fish is enjoying a nice meal, that's going to create a lot of noise, and that noise provides valuable information to other nearby fish," he said.

There are 34,000 species of fish in the world, and scientists know that more than 1,000 make some kind of noise and contribute to the soundscape, he said. But the seas hold more secrets of fish sounds that scientists have yet to discover.

Learning about fish sounds will help scientists understand, preserve and restore habitat drowned by noise from ships and boats, he said. It can also help understand fish behaviour as climate changes, with some parts of the ocean heating up faster than others, Cox said.

"There's a biological cacophony of sounds in the ocean," he said. "If we don't understand that, then we're not going to understand how it's changing as we introduce large amounts of noise pollution. We're also not going to understand how we can conserve it."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 24, 2023.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/LHqGQmY

[demonologistfucker]

MC wants to meet some Creatures - Obey Me! Brother’s - Fluff

Gn!mc asks one of the brothers to take them to find a magical creature. This is for the main brothers, but if people want one for the newly datables just ask! I would love to do more <3

Lucifer

Is Cerberus not enough? We can go down and pet him if you like 

It’s going to take some convincing to get this trip to happen. Needlessly risking the human's life just to see something neat? I think not 

But your eyes were so big when you asked… fine. He’ll find something worthwhile that isn’t going to get you killed

Prep for the trip is Lucifer covering you in about 50 different protection spells. 

Then you’ll be flying. Hold on tightly and try not to look directly into the wind. That’s not good for your human eyes. Lucifer’s arms are firm around you as his wings stretch out. With a push you’re off. Being lifted from the ground purely from the strength of his wings? It’s an undescribable feeling. 

Soon you are out of the Devildom and flying above the Hell Wilds. A vast landscape of all sorts of terrors. From red grasses that could cut through bone, or the vast tar fields that bubble toxic gas. There is a beauty to it. Especially if you are safe above it all.

A large canyon comes into sight. “This canyon was cut by Lotan’s first rampage, and where Levi made Lotan his pet.” Lucifer begins to descend. Swooping down in a tight spiral to slip into the canyon. 

It takes a moment for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. Then you can see something glowing. Many somethings glowing. They crawl over the canyon sides. They are nothing like you’ve seen before, but if you were to pin down to something earth like… they are most similar to sea slugs? But they have legs and bright, piercing eyes. With beautiful fins running down their back. Each looks to be a droplet of a rainbow. 

“Gems left in the earth can collect enough magic to come to life.” They have no name, but they could fit in the palm of your hand. Tho please don’t touch they are highly condensed magical creatures and could shred your human body without meaning too.

Mammon

“Can I trust you?” He looks at you with surprising serious. Though he’s scratching his chin which makes it a little hard to take him seriously. When you say Of Course, Mammon quickly cracks into a grin. “Alright, give me a day, but-” He just starts nodding and runs off. Delighted with his own idea too much to tell you more

The Next day you meet Mammon outside the house of lamentation. He is already in his demon form and has a large sack in his hands. Which appears to be full of weird trinkets and a whole lot of grimm. 

Where are you going? The Hell Wilds. Which is… so unhelpful because the Hell wilds are nearly infinite. 

Mammon scoops you up bridle style, and then you’re off into the air. Mammon cannot stop smiling, “I haven’t taken anyone here before.” He mainly says this too himself. But looks at you with so much delighted you can’t help but blush. 

This would be a much longer flight if Mammon wasn’t so good at using the air currents to his advantage. Diving to catch the updraft that send you both rocketing through the air. You’re at not risk of danger. Mammon wouldn’t let that happen to you, but it does feel like a roller coaster. When you level out, you’re facing a dark mountain. It cuts into the air with jagged certainty. Mammon lands halfway up its sides. 

“She doesn’t like it when I fly into the nest. So we’ll have to walk to the rest.” If you ask any questions about what is happening. His response is a grin. “You know how Crows and I get along? Well… this is where that started.”

The mountain is only partial rock. The rest is ash, twigs and mud stuck together to keep the mountain from falling apart. Crows and ravens sit perched along the cliff sides. Some crows come flying to the mountain with fresh mud to repair parts of the mountain. The dark birds watch you and Mammon with intense, unrelenting eyes. Mammon smiles to them, and carries on with ease. 

The path winds up to a crack in the side of the mountain. Mammon gestures for you to wait outside while he walks in first. You can hear something massive stir. The rustle of feathers and the scratch of claws against stone. Then Mammon pokes his head out and beckons you in.

Curled within the mountain is a great beast. It’s hard to tell one part from another because she is massive, and her dark feathers blend into each other. Her head is stuffed into the bag Mammon brought. When she sits up, she has a golden cup in her maw. The Crow Drake is stunning and terrifying. Her eyes are molten red, and her teeth cut through the gold. 

The Crow Drake is the matriarch from all the crows and ravens in Hell. When Mammon was young, he fled to this mountain and was given a drake’s comforts. As well as his first crow familiar. 

She reaches up to get a good look at you. Her beak pressing against you. Nudging you around and bringing her eyes right up to yours. Then she sits back and let's out a satisfied sqwaks. Mammon is about to say something when the Crow Drake leans over and picks him up by the collar of his jacket. Mammon is plopped onto her soft back, and she begins preening his hair. Making little noises every once in a while. “I know I used too much conditioner, stop harassing me” Mammon is blushing fiercely. 

Levi

“Gah! Why can’t Lotan be more gentle.” Levi really wants you to meet Lotan, but it’s highly likely that Lotan would try to kill you the moment you met. All the photos of Lotan have been just… blue scales, or a big eyeball. 

But Lotan is one of many Sea serpents. Actually, there are all sorts of magical creatures in the sea, and Levi is going to tell you about All of them. While he tries to figure out how to make sure you can breathe underwater. 

“I am not allowed near the merfolk palace though, so... Can’t take you there.” If pushed on the matter, he will turn red and stammer about how Lotan just wanted a snack. 

He found a spell! He’ll need Solomon’s help, but it should give you 24 hours of breathing underwater. Now it’s time to go into his tank. 

Did you assume that he just had a normal wall sized fish tank? Of course not. The back wall has been turned into a convenient portal to The Ocean. It’s not an earth ocean, and hell doesn’t actually have a lot of clean water. This Ocean is an in between realm that connects to the abstract of earth’s waters, and all the magic that one could possibly find in those depths. 

At first Levi gets distracted showing you all the fish. Look at the coral! And the trigger Fish! Oh, what a pretty anemone. He’s so caught up in showing you around that he’s not even embarrassed to be holding your hand the whole time.

 Levi is such a strong swimmer he barely even notices dragging you along with him. His tail easily propels you both forward, and with great agility he can swim through the coral reefs. Then you hit the edge. Suddenly there is a vast nothing below you. Light fades below. 

Down you go! It would be more unsettling if you didn’t have leviathan right besides you. Who is practically vibrating with his excitement. Underwater Levi looks so much more comfortable. Moving with such ease and without any hesitation.

You can feel the water begin to shift as something Massive approaches. Levi pauses and let's out a trill. Which is met by a deep noise that rattles your bones. 

Red is a hard color to see in the deep ocean. Not enough light in that wave length can reach that far down. So at first it’s just a dark dot in the distances. Then it’s brilliant red head comes surging towards you. The water rushes around as the sea serpent begins to swim in a spiral around you and Leviathan. Leviathan is beaming and spinning around to keep up with the Serpent’s face. Letting out happy trills sporadically. 

Eventually the Sea Serpent settles down and lets its body relax out. The Serpent stretches out so far that it’s back fines look so small. Yet their face is larger than a bus. The Serpent looks at you for a long while, and then it flicks it head upward. Which makes Leviathan blush a vibrant red. 

She approves

Satan

Satan needs two weeks to prepare! But he has an idea. How do you feel about sewers?

“The Devildom aqueducts are actually one of the cleanest places in hell. It’s really an astounding work of engineering-” he goes on for a while about all the intricate workings. Seems there is a lot of plant filtering the waters, as well as creatures that can digest what the plants can’t process. 

Satan gives you one of his books of magic. “I am their friend, but if you want them to accept your presence, it’s best to provide a gift. To show you mean well.” Unlike the others, Satan will give you a heads-up on whom you’re about to meet. Though, he gives the explanation as you’re walking towards the sewer’s entrance. 

“Their name is Elos, and they are one of the oldest chimera’s alive. They were created in less than stellar circumstances, but handled it rather well.” By eating their creator. “Now they used the leftover alchemical equipment to do their own studying, as well as keep the aqueduct ecosystem in balance.”

The entrance looks like any other sewer grate in a city. Satan can easily move the heavy cover off, and watches as you begin to climb down the ladder. Satan closes the cover as he starts his descent. The sewers are Massive. The tunnel is about 20 feet wide and 20 tall. A perfect circle, except for the walk ways going along the side. A sort of seaweed is growing at the bottom of the waterways. Little fish duck in and out of the waving reeds. Further in more plants grow along the side. Some areas have full banks that cover the waterways. You can also see long claw marks running along the sides of the tunnel. As well as the residue of a recent magical explosion. “Hmm, looks like Elos got annoying company.” Satan smirks at the blast marks. 

One of the original designers of the sewers was the grand wizard who made Elos. So there is a laboratory at the dead center of the sewer system. If one were to look at the blueprints, you’d be able to see a magic circle drawn by the tunnels. Well almost one. Those plans were later worked over to fix the functionality of the sewer system for the devildom. Elos didn’t want to do any city wide magic, so they aren’t really upset about it. 

Outside of Elos’s laboratory is a large blue door. Painted on it are bright yellow runes that start to shimmer green as Satan approaches. Satan knocks, and it’s a full three minutes before the sound of the door unlocking. With effort, it swings inwards, and the smell of chemicals and herbs assaults your nostrils. 

Satan goes about the polite introduction. Leading you into the laboratory, but it’s hard to pay attention. There are so many strange machines littered across the room, and Elos themself is a feat to understand. Their face is divided into three parts, one of a bull, one of a woman, and the other of an ape. They have large arms with hands that drag across the floor. Their fingers are thin claws of a bird. Chest comes from some great lizard not from earth. Hide legs appear to be lion like, and its tail is an arched scorpion stinger. Elos looks at you with deep eyes. 

When you present the spell book Satan gave you. Elos sneers at you but takes the book. “A gift provided from someone else is weaker… but will do.” her voice is a dry and raspy. Speaking with vocal cords never crafted for such intricate language. 

Asmodeous

“Want to meet some of the lovelies that help me torment souls?!”  

They’re the creature Asmodeous has easy access to, so I recommend saying yes if you want to go with him

“They’re for a very specific time of person. The sort who think their beauty makes up for all the harm they caused.” A dark look smolders in Asmo’s eyes, but when he looks at you, it softens. Back to his normal bright heart eyes. 

Asmo summons a cab to drive you both to the outskirts of the devildom. To… a ranch? Soft green meadows stretch out as far as you can see. Wooden fences mark the edge of the road. When you look close, you can see sigils carved into the posts. 

Out in the field you can see them. Powerful horses with glimmering spiraled horns. Some are pure white with long wavy mains, but they are as diverse as any herd of horses. 

“My beautiful unicorns,” Asmo leans over the fences to get a better look at them. “You’ll get to have a closer look at those in the stables right now. They won’t be too happy about being locked up, but they’re so wonderful just to look at.”

These unicorns come from more of a… vicious tradition. Their diets are completely carnivorous and with a strong preference for humans. 

While you enter the stables, Asmo explains that these stables are more for necessary check-ups, and not where the unicorns stayed. They had their own dens somewhere in the meadows. Asmo hadn’t cared to find it, but it is out there. 

So the unicorns that are in are here to have a thorough cleaning by one of the stable works. No you cannot help I’m afraid. These Unicorns would not be able to tell you apart from the souls they are encouraged to feast upon. All the other folk who work at the stable are non-human, and they still get bite. What’s worse is when a Unicorn decided to charge. 

To make sure none of that happens, you’ll be safely on the other side of the door. Even though you can’t get close. You still can see the Unicorns very well. They are beautiful creatures. The shortest is still taller than the average horses. With eyes set more forward on their skull, and sharp angular bodies. Their legs are less brittle. With hooves that are divined into three sharp angles. 

While most of the unicorns with in the stable seem antsy to leave. They all give their own greeting to Asmo. A dappled gray is the most affectionate. Letting Asmo pet the sides of their face, and rubbing up against Asmo’s head. It looks at you with curiosity. Sniffs the air and whinnies. “I know,” Asmo coos. “They are very tasty looking, but you can’t have any. I want this human to stick around.” The Unicorn snorts and flicks it tail in annoyance.

Beelzebub

His eyes light up when you ask to meet some magical creatures. “We won’t have to go too far… but we should wait till the house is quiet.” Que Mammon sprinting through the hallways trying to out run Lucifer. “They don’t like the ruckus.”

Beel asks you to meet him in the kitchen once everyone else has gone to their rooms. When you enter you find him setting out a tray with a dish of milk, honey, and some crackers. He then hands you a block of cheese. “Cut up some cubes of this.” and so you do. Beel doesn’t take any food from the tray, but he does rummage in the fridge while you get the cheese ready. 

Once it’s all ready, Beel sets the tray in the middle of the counter. He then pulls out a little golden bell, and rings it.  There is a beat of silence, and then doors you had never seen before open. One door is tucked into the wall trim, another in the backspace, and a third underneath the cabinets. Who comes tumbling out are small fuzzy creatures. They walk on their hind legs, and have large flat faces. Almost like a bat, but their eyes are old and wise. They are dressed in hand stitched clothes made from old table clothes, towels, or other scraps of fabric they could steal without much fuss. 

“Who is this?!” One of them points pocket knife at you. “My friend,” Beel says and when he looks at you he can’t help but smile. “Hmm… did your friend cut this cheese?” Beel nods. “Next time make them smaller. Our children will struggle to hold these.”

These are House Brownies. A type of fae that can be found in most loving homes. They are a people of high standards but with over whelming big hearts. Beel is the main reason the house brownies live within the house of lamentation. No one else remembers to set out food for them. So no one else gets the help of the Brownies. Beel however often finds that his chores have been done for him, and snacks are often left on his bed side table. Small snack since the brownies can’t carry too much, but he deeply appreciates it. 

Brownies are some of the easiest fae to talk with. The worst you can do is hurt their pride, but they are quick to accept earnest apologies. Not the sort of fae who will steal your name and trick you into dancing yourself to death… well… There have been a couple brownies who have done that. But the people were true assholes. 

One of the brownies who is dress in a floral dress comes up to you. They give you a once over, and then start to climb up the back of your shirt. Now on your shoulder, the Brownie sniffs your face and pokes your cheeks. The Brownie’s whiskers tickle, and it’s hard not to react. But their fur is so soft, and they smell like honey and clove. 

“You should have brought this one sooner.” The floral Brownie says in a sing-song voice. “They can bring us human snacks, yes?” “I want a candy!” Another brownie cheers. “Are human homes as noisy as demon homes?” “What is a cat? We hear the mean one speak of them, but never have seen them.” “Is cat friend or foe to the brownie?” Another brownie is now climbing you. This one decided to perch on the top of your head. “Human smells nice. Keep them Beel.”

Belphegor

“Okay, but you’re paying for their snacks.”

Which turned out to be nearly ten pounds of red meat. You’re also the one who has to carry the bag as you walk into the properly sketchy parts of the Devildom city. Belphegor looks as nonchalant as normal. Except for when he needs to glare at any other Demon who might start making eyes at you. 

Now it’s into the dark alleys you go. Winding past business and into tight brick alley ways. The surrounding buildings seem to tower up through the sky. Blocking the darkness above. There is even a hint of sulfur in the air. 

“Alright, set the meat down.” Belphegor stops at the intersection of four alley ways. It makes a small circle in the middle. The ground is dark and stained from years of murk. Moss grows up the walls, and blooms in the cracks. You set the meat down and then back up next to Belphegor. “Are you nervous?” He grins a little and then brings his fingers to his lips and whistles Loud. 

You can hear them running. Many heavy feet charging down the paths. They’re coming from every direction, and now hear their panting breath. Growling and snarls as they try to be the first to reach their meal. 

If you thought earthly wolves are big. You are blown away by the size of hellhounds. They keep their heads low but still stand at least three feet tall. Their teeth are as black as their fur, and they have barbed tails that whip back and forth in a frenzy. The Hell hounds are at first completely distracted by the food left out for them. 

“When they’re not hungry, they’re really sweet.” Belphegor crosses his arms and leans back against the wall. Patiently waiting for the Hell Hounds to calm down. “They’re in the city to hunt down pests. Lucifer see’s them as exterminators,” One of the Hell Hounds now trots over to Belphegor. It rams its head into his stomach, demanding attention. Belphie laughs a little and starts to scratch its ears. Now content that it’s getting love. The Hell Hound eyes you. First a sniff, and then it tries to bite your clothes. “Hey,” Belphie says in a stern voice, and that’s all the Hound needed. You’re not food? Well then you must be friend too. 

The message is spread through the rest of the pack, and soon you are surrounded. The Hell Hounds breath is rancid, and they will not stop trying to give you kisses. 

Two of the hounds manage to get Belphie on the ground, and sit on top of him. Belphie’s face is flushed, and he only tries to get them off half-heartedly. Then accepts their cuddles and closes his eyes. “They’re not allowed in the house. So I come here a lot… you can join me next time if you want.”

A/N: Thank you @squidubus for the great idea of Mama Crow Drake preening Mammon’s hair. I luuuv uuuu

[carnegiemuseumnaturalhistory]

Survival of the Fishiest: Astonishing Adaptations of the Aquatic World

by Shelby Wyzykowski

For Charles Darwin, all sorts of species—from birds and large land animals to flowers and tiny invertebrates—captured his interest and encouraged him to explore the great diversity of life. After years of observation and research, he published his famous book On the Origin of Species in 1859. In it, he presented his revolutionary and controversial theory of natural selection, which is also commonly referred to as “survival of the fittest.” His theory suggested that individuals of a species are more likely to survive when they inherit traits from their parents that are best suited for their specific environment. Essentially, beneficial adaptations give an organism the greatest chance to live and carry on its genetic line. This well-known theory is in part rooted in Darwin’s early experiences with and on the ocean. In 1831, he embarked on a five-year journey on the HMS Beagle, serving as their on-board naturalist. As the crew surveyed and mapped the South American coastline, Darwin marveled at the wonder and beauty of the sea, observing and collecting surface plankton as well as theorizing how coral reefs form. Unfortunately, with no photography and limited technology, studying ocean life was difficult even in shallow water. So, in Darwin’s time, little if anything was known about life far beneath the waves. But if he were alive now, Darwin would no doubt delight in all of the incredible underwater discoveries that have been made by modern-day science. And he would more than likely be awestruck by the many amazing adaptations that sea animals employ to survive.

Aquatic Adaptations: Antarctica

Image by Andrea Spallanzani from Pixabay.

When one thinks of an environment in which adaptation is of the utmost necessity, Antarctica may be the first spot that comes to mind. The Southern Ocean, which encircles Antarctica, is an unforgiving and inhospitable place to live. Rotating currents almost completely isolate these waters from the rest of the Earth’s much warmer seas. This keeps temperatures low…it can drop to 28.6 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter! To combat the cold, Antarctic icefish produce and carry special antifreeze proteins in their blood and body fluids. These proteins bind to ice crystals, dividing their crystalline structures and therefore inhibiting crystal growth. Without this antifreeze, microscopic ice crystals would form in their bodies, severing nerves and damaging tissues to a deadly degree. It’s an incredible adaptation, but it did not happen quickly. About 25 million years ago, the Southern Ocean, flowing around the isolated Antarctic continent, began to cool. Aquatic life in this area had to evolve the special antifreeze proteins, find some other way to adapt to the cold, or go extinct. Today, thanks to their special cold-water adaptation, icefish make up more than 90 percent of all fish species in the Antarctic!

Aquatic Adaptations: Mariana Trench

But Antarctica is not the only harsh environment that demands extreme adaptations. You’d be hard-pressed to find living conditions that are more punishing and severe than in the Mariana Trench. Located in the western Pacific, it is considered to be the deepest part of the ocean anywhere on Earth. Near the trench’s bottom, the lunar-like landscape is pitch-black, and the pressure of the freezing cold waters would instantly kill any land animal. But, amazingly, sea animals have found remarkable ways to thrive.

In most places in the trench, the temperatures are between 34 and 39 degrees Fahrenheit. This extreme cold would not be good for most animals’ bodies because it would damage their cell membranes. These membranes are of a fatty consistency and must stay liquid to function properly. The Mariana Trench’s frigid temperatures would make the fat in a land creature’s cell membranes solid like butter. But deep-sea animals have evolved in a unique way that enables them to avoid such a chilly catastrophe. They have lots of unsaturated fats in their membranes, and these kinds of fats remain liquid at low temperatures and keep their membranes loose and intact.

Besides the bone-chilling temperatures, these aquatic creatures must contend with the pulverizing pressure. Extreme pressure can have a devastating effect on a body’s proteins (these are the molecules that do much of the work in a cell). To keep their proteins healthy and working well, sea life collect tiny organic molecules called piezolytes in their cells. These piezolytes prevent water from distorting and damaging the proteins. The deeper in the ocean an animal lives, the more piezolytes they need to have in their cells. One type of piezolyte, called TMAO (Trimethlyamine-oxide), gives fish their “fishy” taste and smell. Since TMAO increases with depth, being “fishier” is crucial for survival in the deep-ocean environment!

But food is also crucial for the survival of any organism; how is it possible to hunt in a world of darkness? Sea life have found many ways to deal with the lack of light. The stout blacksmelt, for example, has giant eyes that can capture the faintest glimmer of fleeting prey. The tripod fish has such unreliable vision that it mainly relies on sensors in its pectoral fins to detect the movement of a potential meal. And the anglerfish actually emits its own light by a process known as bioluminescence. The light from their built-in “headlight” will actually attract the prey to them!

Aquatic Adaptations Near the Ocean's Surface

Marine life that live a bit closer to the ocean’s surface have also developed ingenious ways to search for food. The Great White Shark could very well be thought of as the bloodhound of the sea. Its sense of smell is so good that it can detect one drop of blood in ten billion drops of water! But, if the prey is close enough, it need not spill one drop of blood for the Great White to detect its presence. This is because these sharks are experts in electroreception, which is the ability to detect weak electric fields in water. Unlike in air, the ability to conduct electricity in water is extremely easy. This scientific fact allows many underwater species, including Great Whites, to sense the weak electrical fields of biological sources (such as their prey). These sharks are known to react to charges of one millionth of a volt (for reference, a tiny AA battery has a mere 1.5 volts of stored energy). This acute sensitivity to electrical fields can be traced to electroreceptors in the shark’s skin. Pore openings peppered over its head receive minute electrical signals from the water and channel these signals into tubes of highly-conductive gel. Each tube ends in a bulb known as an ampulla of Lorenzini. Sensory nerves are activated in the ampulla and send the message to the shark’s brain. Their electrosensitivity is so precise that they can detect prey hiding in the sand bottom!

With such an extraordinary adaptation, Great Whites can be a formidable and terrifying predator. But sometimes even the hunter can become the hunted. If a Great White is foolish enough to go after a sick or young Bottlenose Dolphin, they might find themselves biting off more than they can chew. Living in groups called pods, dolphins have tightly-knit family groups with complex social structures. They actually have their own cultures and display positive cultural behaviors such as compassion and cooperation. So when one member of a pod is targeted as prey, the others will come to its defense and work in a coordinated effort to combat the Great White. They’ll surround the shark and attack it relentlessly. Some use their sturdy, bony snouts like battering rams and slam into the shark’s underbelly and gills, causing massive internal injuries. If the shark is lucky enough, it can make a quick escape, but pods have been known to actually kill sharks. These incidents involving selflessness and cooperation have also crossed the species barrier from time to time when pods of altruistic dolphins have come to the rescue of humans in distress. There have been many reported cases of dolphins encircling and protecting swimmers as they work to successfully fend off a shark’s persistent advances.

The altruistic and cooperative behaviors of dolphins are adaptations that exemplify the true meaning of Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection. Believing that compassion was the key to evolutionary success, Darwin was in fact frustrated with the way many readers misinterpreted the phrase “survival of the fittest” (a term that he himself did not even coin…biologist Herbert Spencer did so in 1864). This phrase implies the use of selfishness, ruthlessness, and callousness to ensure survival. There’s certainly no denying that these actions have definitely played a part in evolution and in the realities of life. But Darwin chose to believe that sympathy, benevolence, and cooperation played even greater roles in the survival, flourishing, and evolution of a species. In the end, it’s the positive adaptive traits that determine as well as define the overall success of life on Earth.

Shelby Wyzykowski is a Gallery Experience Presenter in CMNH’s Life Long Learning Department. Museum staff, volunteers, and interns are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences and knowledge gained from working at the museum.

[goldemas1244]

Additional headcanoons by @astrowarden le Yve mutual!

(Would that make me the Zhask mutual?)

Yvask (Me Hearties!)

They both love the wildlife. Zhask would like reptiles and capybaras or guinea pigs. Yve would like birds, especially hummingbirds (because she thinks they look cool).

Yve would also love sea creatures, including but not limited to sea angels, seahorses, and halfmoon betta fish (and fish in general!). Who knows, she might like sharks as well!

Zhask has thalassophobia, a fear of the ocean and the things within it. He likes the way crabs and jellyfish look though. Still, it would terrify him to space and back if he ever saw one.

They BOTH have nightmares often, and they're pretty awkward at comforting each other. Zhask does a better job at it though they both try their very best.

They teach and learn each other's languages! They're getting better at it each day and surprise each other with funny slip-ups.

Zhask HAS accidentally admitted to Yve that she's a better controller of Domorey than him, which also implies that she has a stronger mental capacity than him. She will never let him live that down. That sort of honour and pride will never be washed away.

Zhask

He does put stickers on the mini fridge he's built! They're the cheap but nonetheless special sort because he gets them from friends.

He's an avid collector of itty-bitty trinkets, especially stickers, badges, random gemstones, and anything shiny he finds on the ground. He's like a sleep-deprived magpie.

He found a way to put little headbands on his spawns. Somehow. He just sticks them to their heads using double-sided tape. They don't seem to mind though.

Oh if he knew how to use a phone or keyboard, typos would be the first problem he'd encounter. Of course since he's a fresh alien he probably wouldn't have studied the alphabet probably. He types according to sound (like 'sorkle' or 'sord'). For now Yve has banned him from using the keyboard at all, instead opting to type for him. In the meantime, until he learns how to spell (bless him) he'll have to use emojis.

Not to mention those claws aren't any help either. They're good for his homeworld's technology but they tend to crack the screen when he's not careful. He'll be taking lessons from other sharp-clawed friends.

Yve

She likes childhood games the children play in the playground such as ice tag or marco polo. Sometimes she joins the Moniyan children along with their games. She's like a spare mother to them and she holds that in very high regard.

Aurora thinks Yve's a tad of an oddity. How did she catch feelings for him??? Still they're the equivalent of childhood besties. They even have a great number of inside jokes that not even Zhask the mind reader could comprehend.

She prefers board games over video games though, and she plays with Zhask or Aurora, whoever is available at the moment.

Your headcanons are cool, Yve! I even thought of some extensions!

Yvask

Reptiles intrigue Zhask because of how elusive they are and how many there are of them. He thinks corn snakes are absolute adorable pieces of spaghetti and he will protect them no matter what. He stares into the wide eyes of geckos and tries to copy its actions. Yve has seen him try to lick his own eyeballs one too many times to care anymore. But his FAVOURITE ones are kraits. They're such deadly paralyzing packages in such small lengths.

His island is actually home to capybaras! Once every few days he brings them snackies and gives them cuddles. He has yet to tell Yve about this secret because he's scared she'll steal them all for herself.

He also wants to buy guinea pigs but he has to settle with hamsters instead because Yve thinks he's not ready for that kind of responsibility yet.

Yve likes hummingbirds because the way they flit around in search of nectar reminds her of how she flits around space looking for Zhask. She has seen many types of sea creature in her dives and she has even made friends with several of them! She loves coral reefs and intends to bring Zhask along someday. She's even gifted one of those bettas to Zhask and he's cherished it ever since.

Zhask DOES NOT like sharks. He's read about them and seen them himself. Due to the fact that he's not like humans with a high iron content in their bodies, it's safe to say what fate befalls humans may befall him in the water but worse. He's especially terrified of tiger sharks.

He's scared of water because Yve tried to drown him once. All the while he was grasping her arms and weakly scratching at her armour, begging her to stop and for somebody to save him. Hey, it's a nice inverse parallel to the point in the initial post when he grabs Yve's arm on the brink of death, begging her to save him. From trying to escape, to trying to never let go.

Don't worry he just passed out at a certain depth. In the meantime, Yve's dragged him down countless metres and he's seen his fair share of creatures as well. Even the angel fish made an appearance, which begs the question, if it was judging or reaping?

He fell through a bunch of jellies on the way down. And the way he got tangled up in them would've sent him into a panic if it wasn't for his semi-unconsciousness.

Chances are, they were the ones who brought him to Kadita (on the angelfish's request!) and now he owes her a life debt.

He still remembers how their tentacles feel like though. And the agonizing stings he could feel from their tentacles which stung his open wounds from his battle prior to drowning.

The fact that he's terrified of crabs is pretty funny since well:

Imagine waking up and you are a crab now. That's one bad hair day for sure. Also he's definitely in his punk phase in that picture. Jeez.

Their nightmares mostly consist of on-the-job memories. Zhask and his fights with Yve, the screams of the innocent, and the loss of his own home. Yve with her need to prove to the rest of the Astrowardens, always being too late to save a planet, and innate fears of Zhask and his plans.

Sometimes they both have the same dreams due to the intensity of Zhask's mind-control powers. That's how Yve knows about the stuff Zhask is hesitant to tell her. Like how he never had friends and how he spent most of his time alone. He actually lied to Yve about that earlier in the day, claiming he had a pretty number of friends. Turns out no, he's been mostly alone for the rest of his life, save for his parents, castle members, and Domorey. And he's scared to tell Yve because he doesn't like oversharing: the main reason he's never had any lasting friendships.

When Zhask wakes up he breathes heavily, eyes staring at the ceiling filled with a phantom of a memory. Usually tears stream down his face. Whimpers, squeaks. It's one of the few moments Yve gets to see him so utterly pitiful and vulnerable.

When Yve wakes up she just gets a sinking feeling in her chest. You don't even know she's had a nightmare. But Zhask usually does because he can feel her shift in mood.

It's easier for Zhask to comfort her because her fears and stresses are rational ones he's been through before. He can ground her. But it's harder to comfort Zhask because she's never known what he's really been through and most times he never opens up. It's a semi-paralysis state she has to deal with.

Zhask usually grounds her with reassurances. Yve grounds him with headpats and back strokes.

Kastiya is an easy language to learn since Zhask uses it almost daily. Yve picks up on it easily. Shaloshta, mother. Kaloshta, father. Haskbitte, a type of flower resembling a geranium, love star. Kitch, equivalent to fuck.

Mithlorian is a tad harder because it's a play on the sounds of the universe. Lessons usually end in frustrations, accidental success, and then celebration.

To control Domorey, one needs to have a strong mentality and an even stronger mental bond with it. So powerful mind control. But Yve doesn't have mind control, how does she use Domorey? It's simple. Anyone with a physical, mental, or spiritual connection with Zhask gets put into a sort of whitelist. Which is why other people such as Helcurt, Argus, and Belerick get to use it too.

She's just better because she's stronger and more in tune with Zhask and her environments. Also because Domorey plays favourites just to spite her owner.

Zhask

He's gotten a lot more friends on this planet and he's gotten a lot of free gifts as well. Jawhead gives him a LOT of stickers. She's basically adopted by him at this point, though not official. They're very close. A good chunk of those stickies end up on the makeshift fridge.

Aurora does not know about the makeshift fridge.

He's very considerate and tries to repay them all as best as he can.

He got those headbands from the Lightborn cheerleading squad. He brought Meric to watch a match one day and he's been obsessed with the headbands ever since.

Speaking of which, that headband Meric has? That's Layla's and he'll kill even Zhask to keep it taped to his noggin. Signed by Layla herself for her (smallest) biggest fan with his name on it.

The rest of the swarm of course cash in on this and now Zhask is one of the largest sponsors and purchasers of Lightborn merch. Especially the headbands.

Kill me if you'd disagree but he's definitely a sucker for Match-3 games and casual puzzle games like 2048 and sudoku.

His spelling is getting better. As of late, with Jawhead's help, he can spell 'cat' and 'spawn' correctly which is a huge bonus on his sticker sheet.

Yve teaches him new words with Scrabble.

He's a pro at card games. He excels at UNO and Exploding Kittens. He's not cheating, just very observant.

He gifted Kadita a little spawn with a built-in paddle and a colour scheme she'd like. She named it Adam.

Yve does not get a spawn because she shares with Zhask. They're pretty much married-but-not-married at this point.

He's the best at pickup lines and flirting.

"The stars are beautiful tonight. Too bad we're going in." "Oh Yve, what care have I for stars when I am mesmerised by my own universe right beside me?"

Between the two of them? Zhask is the cook. Yve only works the microwave and blew it up by accidentally leaving a fork in the mac and cheese. Yve has lost microwave priveleges.

Yve

The kids have fun with any member of MLBB they can have fun with. Yve is one of them. She likes playing with the smaller ones though because they are the funniest. She's such a motherly figure she even got into a Moms Club in the town.

When Zhask first appeared they all ran away from him. Until of course he gave Yve a smoochie and her lunch and went off back into the market. The kiddos all gathered around her and she helped them get comfortable around Zhask.

The next time he came by, he became the talk of the town. Not just because he brought little Meric along (and the kids loved him!) but also because of his status with Yve.

Also he got very stuck in one of the playground's safety nettings trying to tag Yve back. Stuck like a crab in a trap. It was hilarious while it lasted. Even made it to the news. Front page.

While Aurora's confuddled by Yve's love for Zhask, Yve manages to retaliate back saying, "Well you and your handsome man right there decided to get married after his final battle with Zhask."

"I can maybe help you revive him. As long as you spare Zhask."

Also she's a pro in Smash Bros.

Zhask and Yve headcanoons time!

Okay so we all have seen this

ZHASK X YVE MOONTON CANON

So, with inspo from @astrowarden I'm making a headcanons and ideas list to jot some stuff down because I need to infodump. Hey, Yve mutual, (I can call you that, yes? Because you're the astrowarden?) you can reblog and add more below (or argue against mine). We can infodump a lot here. Let us build this Zhask X Yve ship together!!

Man I just need to infodump-

-- Headcanons under the :readmore: --

Equilibrium (Placeholder ship name)

Zhask and Yve got together after many forced team-ups against the ever-present problems threatening to destroy the Land of Dawn. Because if the planet gets destroyed then Zhask, now comfy with the place, will find more planets and that'd suck for Yve.

Just imagine Zhask shielding Yve from an attack... and the other way around... ehehehehe

There were lots of witty banter between them and many more insults but they gradually softened and became cool beans with each other.

"You want some pizza?" "No thanks, it's got meat on it."

*Yve eats the pepperonis for him.*

*He finally eats the pizza and asks for more.*

Zhask got really injured during a fight once AND IT WAS YVE WHO CALLED FOR HELP AND HELPED SAVE HIM

He was grabbing on to her arm for dear life at this point (which is when she realised 'Oh God he needs me').

They can both breathe, talk to each other, and hear each other in space. Which is weird because space is a vacuum.

Zhask is the idiot. Yve is the only one who can accept that.

Zhask lets Yve control Domorey (his staff) sometimes. He will NOT admit she's better than him.

Since Zhask is the only one of them with a canonical place to stay, Yve bunks with him. She has a set of pyjamas and everything.

Pillowfights (GAH)

Zhask's love language is acts of service. Yve's is listening. They're both secretly touch starved.

This planet was meant to be his Kastiya II, like an extension of the place. Yve doesn't have the heart to tell him what happened to Kastiya I.

They both love the wildlife. But Yve is usually the one to drag him out of his trance when he sees bugs. He gets an identity crisis.

Yve is Zhask's personal leash. She usually stops him from violently dropping his head into a nearby bush and eating it.

They both have eating problems. Zhask overeats. Yve doesn't eat enough. They criticise each other until their diets eventually cool up.

Imagine again, Yve comforting Zhask through his nightmares-

Zhask

Zhask likes coconut milk. He steals snow from the Northern Vale to build himself a mini fridge for his coconut shakes.

Kastiya II has a bunch of coconut trees. It's mentioned that he's building a swarm army there but it's mostly just a pet-type thing now because they KEEP. EATING. THE COCONUT TREES.

People mistake Zhask's forest of coconut trees for the actual Swarm.

He makes a living somehow by... selling the freshest coconuts known to the world???

Of course it isn't just the swarm who keep eating the trees. Zhask takes a bite out of every single type of plant he finds and if he likes them he'll suck out their juices. Like a beetle.

He sometimes does this to his own coconut trees when he's sleepwalking. He has no recollection of this and starts blaming his spawn beans again.

Yve recorded it and is now saving it as blackmail.

He's a traditional medicine kind of guy. Feed him a ginger root and he'll be all good in three hours.

The Land of Dawn uses his services to clear land and stuff. It's disturbing to see the usually composed and upright king going full-on feral when he's specifically requested for though.

A swarm can clear the intended land in minutes. But if he's hungry he'll take seconds (lol it's a pun).

We all know he can hear people's thoughts. Oho, he has the juiciest gossip if you can crack him open.

'Anything is edible if you're brave enough.'

He's not brave enough.

He's homesick.

He has a good relationship with Badang because Badang makes the best rice (he's Malay of course he does).

Yve

Unlike Zhask she is omnivorous which means she's the one who usually eats the shrimp in his mac and cheese.

She cheats at tag.

Zhask is her FIRST friend.

She likes fish. She can swim for hours. Which terrifies Zhask because he's seen one of his spawn young get eaten by a creature in the water and he's NOT taking risks.

She's actually very good at videogames.

She's not very social. But she DOES get invited by Aurora for tea every two weeks.

She still thinks Aurora should beat up Zhask and then some. As a treat and revenge.

Of course, coming from Mithlora, she is a great hunter. She and Helcurt have hunting battles occasionally when they cross paths.

One of Mithlora's veteran hunters keeps watch on Martis. So she still has family to communicate with in close quarters.

She likes sour cherry sweets.

She has a favourite of Zhask's spawn. Its name is Edem. Zhask's favourite is Meric.

She can light up like a glowstick. Just without the cracking and shaking (but you can do it to her; only once).

Her bestie is Pharsa.

[ace-of-pythons]

Proceedings of the Men Of Letters on Angels

The following text will examine the Biology, Culture, and Psychology of Angels. These creatures have not been observed since 1901 [See Recorded Angelic Sightings by Matt Powell, pg. 893] and remain mysterious. Many would suggest that Angels are presented well in religion and are covered in their entirety. On the contrary, many paintings from the 1700's and journals from the 1800's depict another side of Angels that show many contradictions. This text is meant to be a compilation of many of the different literary records of the Men of Letters American [A31d], British [B85g], Mongolian [M59u], and Egyptian [E93k] chapters.

Compiled and written by Sebastian Outlander of the Men of Letters British Chapter

1963

Biology & Physiology

Angels are beings that inhabit the waves of light in multiple parallel spaces, or dimensions. The theoretical reason that they are able to exist between spaces, is that they travel at too high a speed for humans or our technology to detect. It is assumed that the energy Angel's are made of is faster than light. Using this speed, a massive amount of Kinetic energy is formed and is possibly how Angels get their power. The light that makes up their incorporeal forms is often referred to as "Grace". [The Journal of William Greyson, The Murder of Grace (painting by Brianna Colt)] The collection of an Angel's Grace is know as a "True Form" as seen in both numerous journals and the Bible. [See Biblical Accurate Angels, sketches by Juliet Robinson] Angel True Forms are too bright for any one person to lay their eyes upon. There have been several accounts of people being found dead with their eyes burned out of their skull. Whether Angels were the cause of these deaths or not is still up to debate.

Angels can not show their true forms to the creatures of Earth but many take a mortal vessel to communicate. These vessels are usually devout followers of the Lord and will follow an Angel's word. Angels need to have the vessel's permission to enter, unlike demons who can possess a person unwillingly. [The Vessel (1875, Mia Partens)]. These vessels may or may not be able to contain the Angel's full power, and in that case, their body will start to disintegrate and their mind will be null and void. This is, in fact, more desirable than meeting an Angel out of their vessel. An Angel's true voice alone is able to shatter glass, make ear drums bleed, and shake the earth. Seeing an Angel's true form is securing a sure destruction, as the image can burn a victim's eyes, and even brain, out of their skull.

Angels are known to be more like soldiers than expected. The Men of Letters Egyptian [E93k] chapter recovered a silver blade with markings of an ancient language. Upon further investigation, it was discovered to be Enochian, the language of the Angels [See Angelic Culture and Rankings] . The blade of the Angel is safely stored in the Egyptian [E93k] chapter house [Building 4, Row 28, 13b]. Other weapons have been recovered from dig sites across the globe. A long sword believed to be used by a subset of Angels [details unknown, American chapter, Main bunker, Room 24, 58c], a curved spiral blade believed to be used for ceremonial reasons [British chapter, Chapter house, A37b], and a peculiar spear also carved with Enochian [Stolen from the American chapter house in 1958]. Angels are believed to be fierce fighters, and precise in their attacks. According to the Daily Musings of a Wanderer, [Mary Wanderer, 1253] a female Angel was able to throw a silver blade around 50 feet and hit the direct center of her target. It is unknown if this Angel was trained for ranged weapons or if she had the same skill as the rest of the Host. [The Heavenly Host, all Angels known in heaven]

One of the oldest books that has been acquired by the Men of Letters is an untitled journal from both an unknown author and unknown date, although our scientists believe that it dates back to before Christ. This book contains information on Angel wings and culture and was discovered somewhere in Africa by townsfolk. A few of the illustrations have been recreated for this index, so in event of disaster, the information in the book will not be lost.

Angel wings are mostly held in the Ether and are rarely brought into our plane. Although they are rarely brought here doesn't mean they can not be. It is unsure how an Angel does this, but a common theory is that they either use an Enochian spell or that they are intrinsically able to control what plane their wings are on. An Angel is extremely vulnerable while their wings are out, so it is understandable that it is a rare occurrence.

The diagrams that have been found [The unknown book, A Complete Study of Angels (1901, Lily Sunder)] are almost exact to the structure of bird wings. It can be assumed that God created birds to mimic his first creation. The diagram shows that Angel wings have primary feathers and secondary feathers, primary coverts and secondary coverts, marginal coverts, and an alula on each wing. While each of the individual parts of the wing are depicted on the diagram, each section will be described in detail.

The largest feathers at the tips of the wings are grouped as the primary feathers, which help the Angel gain thrust. The long feathers on the rest of the wing are called the secondaries, which help the Angel gain lift. The next layer of feathers up is called the covert. The primary coverts cover the primary feathers and the secondary coverts cover the secondary feathers. The top most layer is called the marginal coverts. All sections of coverts are meant to stream-line the wing as to reduce the amount of drag. The alula is the thumb-like feather that is used during flight to lessen the speed of sharp angles and dives.

According to the text, Angels have created a culture around their wings, [See Angelic Culture section of text] as many have different shapes, sizes, and even colors. Not all Angels have white wings like many paintings portray them as. Each color represents a different personality trait, some being more common than others. The book goes into detail on what each color means. It is unsure if this is accurate or not. Below is the paraphrased section on wing colors from the text.

"White represents Heaven and purity, shades of purple represent logic and the ability to use it well, red represents anger and a tendency to lash out, yellow represents bravery and fearlessness, the lightest blue represents intelligence and one's ability to use it in battle, and silver represents loyalty. All of these colors are the most common among Angels.

Indigo represents an Angel's resourcefulness, orange represents an Angel with a cunning nature, dark green represents stealth, jade represents an Angel's stubborn nature, and cyan represents high prowess. These colors are uncommon wing colors in Heaven.

Dark brown represents Earth, rose represents ruthlessness, coral represents power and pride, tan represents compassion, and the darkest blue represents curiosity. These colors are rare and not seen often in Heaven.

Gold, grey, and black are rare enough that only a handful of Angels are known to have them. Gold may represents a flair for the dramatics in such a way that an Angel would go above and beyond to impress. The only Angel known with this coloration is the Archangel Gabriel. Grey is believed to be independence and doubt, as it is noted that before an Angel fell, grey feathers were seen mixed in with their normal colors. Black is the most unknown color. According to the unknown book, Angels have differing opinions on what it means or what causes it. Black could represent an Angel who has been to the deepest pits of hell, or could be what a Fallen Angel's wings would be. Rebellion was also noted frequently."

Angels can display multiple colors at once, or can change their colors during their next molt. Each Angel has a slightly different molt period. It is said that "An Angel will shed their grace of physical form every millennium and begin anew with colors unable to be perceived by the humble human mind." [Life of Light (1534, Leo Morris)] The estimate of one-thousand years between molts may be 100 or more years off, depending on the individual, the state of an Angel, or the inevitable change of an Angel's colors.

Angelic Culture and Rankings

Angels have been a prominent piece of religion for centuries, and many different types and ranks have been presented. Some put the Powers as the highest rank, others have Principalities, while some have Archangels. [Rings of Heaven (1904, Anthony Stine), Angelic Omens (1800, A.Z. Fell), The First (1734, Eve Heartt)]. When averaging all media in the Men of Letter's possession, we can create an accurate ranking system.

Archangels are the highest ranking Angels and the first to be created. There are four documented Archangels. Gabriel, Raphael, Michael, and Lucifer, who was cast out of heaven. The next rank is Seraphs or the Seraphim. They are the commanders and leaders of Heaven's army. There are different sub-categories within the Seraphim, similar to those who lead battles and those who order the battles to be fought. Then comes the common ranking of "Angel". They are the soldiers, the writers, and the guards. They are meant to fill any role given to them. The lowest ranking Angels are the Cherubs, as they are the ones meant to deal with humans and human relations.

Within these ranks many Angels will create some form of sibling bonds during molt. Molting is believed to be quite painful and difficult to deal with, so Angels will help each other. The painting labeled "The Bond" [1634, Paul Theos] depicted two Angels sitting while one is combing through the other's feathers. Outside of molting, it is believed that the partners will fight together and spend much time in each other's company. From a first-hand account of an Angel [Host, (1102, Akobel)], it is known that Angels see each other as siblings. Molting partners seem to have a closer sibling bond with each other then with the rest of the Host.

Due to Lily Sunder's book [A Complete Study of Angels (1901, Lily Sunder)], we now know more about the way Angel's age and train, although it is much different then how humans grow. Because Angels are created from God Himself, they are incapable of being infants or children. The youngest Angels are referred to as "fledglings" when they are first created. Fledglings are not children but are still inexperienced in relation to their older companions. Any fledglings that were created were positioned with an older sibling, to help train, teach, and care for them. The reason that these Fledglings had older siblings to begin with is that not all Angel's were created at the same time. There were multiple generations of Angels created. The first Angels were the Archangels, as they are God's oldest and they represent power. The second generation, or first choir, was meant to represent defense. The third generation, or second choir, was meant to represent agility. The fourth and final generation, or the third choir, was meant to represent endurance. Eventually there were no new fledglings created and the ones that did exist grew older. Today, fledglings are essentially an extinct species.

The fledgling's guardian would care for their needs, help with the first molts, and teach them how to fight and follow orders. Fight training would include training in defense, offence with weapons such as spears and swords, battle strategy, and learning about their enemies, such as demons and monsters. Not all fledglings would be warriors and commanders, but all would receive basic training and knowledge. Many of these Angels would become archivists and shepherds. In regards to care, the guardian would show them how to take care of their wings, help them heal any injuries, and teach them how to fly and properly use their powers. Molting would also be taken care of by the guardian until the fledgling could find a molt partner.

Angels are known to have both the first spoken language and the first written language. It is known as Enochian. The Angels have many weapons and tablets carved with this language. It is unknown what these carvings and texts mean, as no one can decipher them. All songs and communication between Angels is conducted in Enochian, although they understand all of the worlds later languages.

Psychology

Not much is known about how an Angel's mind works, or even how much free will they display. Their culture is based upon worship of God and following orders. Loyalty is an important trait in Heaven, and is rewarded. The Archangels are the highest rank, and by that default, they are the ones depicted to have the most autonomy. There is no room for mistakes in Heaven and it has been seen that free will creates disorder in many cases.

Although loyalty is desired and autonomy is frowned upon, there are Angels who dislike the system of Heaven. These Angels are referred to as the "Fallen". Angels who wish to have more free will can flee from the host to Earth in what seems to be two ways. An Angel can flee to Earth and take a human vessel and use the many Angelic wardings to help avoid the Host. The second way is more dangerous and precarious. An Angel can rip their own Grace out to be born as humans with no memory of Heaven. This has not happened often according to the book Host. [1102, Akobel] The Fallen have been associated with black wings and Lucifer although only one of which is remotely true. The few Angels that have fallen have been seen with a few black feathers, but there is no guarantee they are working with or for Lucifer.

There is much more information now then there was back a hundred years and it is much easier to find. Although an Angel may never step foot on this planet again, it is a curious thing to learn about their culture and biology. They are celestial creatures we may never understand completely, but we live in their world. It is my hope that this text can be of use to understand both Angels themselves and spell work that revolves around them.

-Sebastian Outlander

This work is inspired by many wing fics and Flight by northernsparrow.

[the-melting-world]

The Empress | Side B: “Burgh Island”

Art by @markmefistov

~ In which a humble gardener dons a magical gauntlet…

The Trio Appearances: Kipling | Khleo | Ozy

Arcana LI appearances: Asra | Nadia | Muriel 

Track Origins: “Burgh Island” by Ben Howard

Not sure if this is the right track? The full album can be found here: The Empress

cw: none

~ 1.4k words

Oz’mandias leads Kipling, Asra, and Nadia through a portal to his subterranean library.

Kipling stood with her friends inside of a library, which was as ancient as it was labyrinthe. Most of the space was cavernous while certain walls were overtaken by dense salted glass. On the other side was the foundation of a coral reef with aquatic creatures of all kinds drifting by.

“This is where you were the whole time, Ozy?” Kip asked once she got her bearings. 

“Yep!” Ozy replied happily. “Just me and Abaco.”

Asra and Nadia exchanged slightly uncertain looks, but Ozy didn’t seem to catch it. Or maybe, Kip thought, he knew what they were concerned about and chose to ignore it.

“Asra?” 

The magician tore his gaze from Nadia and focused on the grey mage.

“Yes, Ozy?”

Ozy inclined his head. “Can I borrow Kipling for a few minutes? You and the Countess are welcome to make yourselves comfortable. Abaco can give you a tour.”

Before giving Ozy an answer, Asra turned to Kipling. “Are you going to be okay?”

She nodded and leaned against him so he could press a soft kiss to her forehead. Then he let her go and went with Nadia and Abaco, who led them around a wide bend.

Ozy and Kipling walked in the other direction in silence. They passed dozens of rooms, none of which had doors. Glyphs were carved all over the floors and walls. Strange-looking three-dimensional puzzles were scattered across every surface. The umbras passed by mountains and mountains of tomes and scrolls.

“Ozy, this place is…”

“I know,” Ozy said without stopping or turning around. “I know.”

Kipling wasn’t sure what came over her, but she almost tripped trying to catch up thim. Once she had, she slid her hand into his. Into his gauntlet.

Ozy stopped, looking quizzically down at where their hands joined.

“I missed you, Ozy.”

Then Kipling let go, her palm buzzing at having come in contact with the gauntlet. Ozy brought his hand closer to his face, as if to study the microscopic traces Kip left behind when she grabbed on.

“If you could only imagine,” Ozy said slowly, “how much I missed you and Khleo while we were apart. It’s funny how you’re standing right here and I can’t seem to convince my brain that it can finally relax. There’s no need to keep sending signals to my chest and make it constantly ache like this.” He dropped his hand. “Do you want to hear some good news now?”

Kipling blinked back the tears that had started to build up. “Sure.”

Ozy removed his gauntlets and walked backwards into one of the doorless rooms. “Do you remember when you, Khleo, and I all used to share one pair of gauntlets?”

Kipling nodded slowly, not sure where this was going.

“Well,” Ozy kicked open a chest down by his feet. “That was silly because… take a look.”

Kipling tentatively approached. She discovered that the chest was full to the brim with gauntlets of all different makes and designs.

“Turns out it’s not one size fits all.”

***

(Asra’s POV)

Asra and Nadia followed Taro and Abaco as they led them through the massive library. Faust, who was coiled around Asra’s shoulders, seemed to regard the two familiars with interest while they went on chittering and chirping back and forth.

Asra was tempted to ask Faust what the lemur and the warbler were talking about, but he was very hesitant to pry. 

Nadia, it seemed, was just as curious. “What do you think they could be discussing so passionately right now, Asra?”

Once again, Asra managed to resist giving into the temptation of asking Faust. 

“They probably are just taking this time to catch up.”

Nadia grinned gently in amusement, as if she could very well sense Asra’s hesitation. Then she turned her ruby gaze to where the cavernous walls connected with the elongated cylindrical ceiling. There the dark limestone was interrupted by narrow panes of salted glass. Light from the reef poured in, casting everything inside the library in a shifting watery pattern.

“This place is quite the marvel,” Nadia whispered. “It’s a wonder that anything so vast could be sealed off and sink to the bottom of this reef without leaking.”

Asra nodded and added, “It must get really dark in here when the sun goes down. And I haven’t seen any lanterns since we arrived. I wonder what Ozy does to light the way.”

That was when Abaco halted mid-flight and perched on one of the many life-sized bookstacks. He ruffled his feathers and twittered in the direction of the Countess and the magician.

Faust merrily translated, Never dark!

Abaco puffed out his chest and took flight. He wandered up high near the sunny salted glass as if to further elaborate.

Faust translated for the bird a second time. Sunny always!

Asra turned to Nadia to relay the information, but she had left his side.

“Nadia?”

The magician had to rely on Taro and Abaco in order to track her down. He found the Countess in a gymnasium kneeling by what appeared to be an exercise pool.

Nadia seemed absolutely captivated by the immense stationary presence resting at the bottom. Asra gasped as he approached. “Is that some kind of monster?”

Nadia shook her head, her ruby eyes calculating what she could through the distortion caused by the water. “It sure does seem that way at first, but look closely, Asra.”

She mirrored the grooves and swirls in the design by tracing them in the air with the tip of her finger.

“This… is a machine.”

***

While Kipling and Ozy sat around the chest, going through the different gauntlets and having Kipling try on each, they talked of life on their island.

“Are we,” Kip hesitated, “near the Melting World right now?”

Ozy sighed. “From the looks of this reef, it sure does seem like it, doesn’t it? But no. We’re closer to the Prakran continent. The isles we came from are still miles from here.”

Kip tinkered absently with a switch on the knuckle of the gauntlet she currently wore.

“Have you ever gone back?”

Ozy reached over and tugged at her ghost lock. “Once.”

Kip could tell by the resignation in his tone that he didn’t want to elaborate. Still, she looked at him with pleading eyes. 

Ozy shook his head. “The monastery is empty now. I don’t know what happened. And I didn’t go into town to see if my family’s campaigns were still happening or if the superstition toward our kind was as strong as it was when we left. I suspect that people nowadays simply hide the evidence of their magic until they can leave.”

Kip felt her insides go icy. 

The monastery… empty.

Empty of children. Of lemurs. Of Elders.

“Chin up, coz,” Ozy said brightly. “I found a way to recreate all of our favorite spots through grey magic. They’re pretty much identical to the real thing. The lagoon, the echo caves, even the guayacan grove where we used to practice opening Doors, remember?”

Kip’s eyes flooded at the thought. “Yes, Ozy. I remember.”

Ozy watched the tears streaming down her face with a sympathetic smile. “Why are you crying, Kip? Those were good memories.”

Kipling’s laugh came out like a bark. “I know! But you found a way to preserve and protect them. After all of my memories came back, I didn’t know if I would ever get the chance to see those places again. Let alone see them with you.”

Ozy closed the lid of the chest. “Kip?”

She looked up to see him holding some ancient tech and grinning. “I think I found a pair that fits.”

Once again, Ozy distracted Kip from her own emotions by fitting the gauntlets to her hands.

“Hey, Ozy?”

He lifted a curious brow. “Hm?”

“You’ve already been to Strength’s realm.”

Ozy nodded without taking his attention away from his task.

Kip swallowed. “But what about the Empress? Have you gone to see her before?”

Ozy stopped and looked up slowly, his hazel eyes locking with Kip’s brown ones.

“I have.”

When he didn’t elaborate, Kipling reached forward and pulled on his ghost lock.

“And? What is she like? What did she say?”

The way Ozy grinned and batted her hand away strongly reminded Kip of when he was younger. 

“She said that she’s waiting for you. The Empress wants you to come find her so that you can see for yourself.”

Then he lifted up Kipling’s wrist and flicked a switch that had her entire hand sparkling with teal precursor light.

[kth1]

Crosscurrents [Hoseok x Reader] Part 1

Crosscurrents - Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Genre: The Little Mermaid AU | Fantasy AU | Series Pairing: Mermaid!Hoseok x Princess!Reader Featuring: BTS Princes Warnings: Angst, fluff, rated G, sorry no smut, mentions of pain, eventual character death, it’s just a fantasy story. W/C: 6k Summary: Hoseok is a carefree middle child among seven princes, each running one of the seven seas. With a curious nature to study the world above, he makes several routine visits to the surface, once even saving an alluring princess who he grows very smitten by. With a strong determination to meet his lovely princess, Hoseok makes a risky deal with the ocean’s enchantress to become human. Author’s Note: This fic is something I was utterly happy and exited to write. Mermaids and fantasy stories, yippee. Thank you all who support me. Portions of the fic is unedited. 🐚🧜‍♂️

Credits: Story includes strong elements from Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Little Mermaid’; Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid’; and Michiko Yokote’s manga ‘Mermaid Melody’. Beta Reader: @shadowsremedy​ has helped me with a handful of passages throughout the course of this story, thank you so much.

☀ CROSSCURRENT MASTERLIST ☀

Miles away under the sun-kissed surface of the ocean, where the water is clear as crystal and blue as the contrasting sky above – resided populations of beautiful mythical creatures. Down in the lowest depths, the most scarce of areas that no human would ever dare to scavenge, lived the Mer-people.

Underwater forestry, plants, organisms of wondrous visions illuminating the deepest pits of the oceans. Fishes of all sizes and shapes occupied the area, weaving through the stems and leaves of charted trees along the motion of the currents. Just as birds fly among the surface. Gorgeous sands decorated the floor along with seven separate kingdoms enriched with enchanting palaces, each declaring a claim to their own sea.

Each palace, unique in their own way. Accommodating their surrounding habitats. Each of the seven districts ruled under the marvelous Mer-King, and each sea acquainted a heavenly, handsome prince. Kingdoms decorated with coral walls, sculpted sandstone slates and amber pointed windows. Roofs made from the finest and largest of mussel-shells, clams and hidden glittering pearls and jewels. Stones of riches, easily the most expensive gems that belonged in the pits of the hidden worlds.

The Mer-King seeded the realms with seven little princes who were all very beautiful children in their own distinctive ways. For each Prince, were given a household to look after, to grow up with, and study in practice to control their provinces.

Within the Arctic Ocean, where merfolk varied in shades of murky indigo and dotted with black spots was inhabited by the eldest of sons, Prince Seokjin. The Indian Ocean decorating the waves with scales of vibrant oranges complimented with a singular stripe of white down the backside, consisted Prince Yoongi. The cold of the Antarctic rested Prince Namjoon, along with his kingdom of deep purple-to-silver tailed scaly family. Tails irradiated a glow just like the moon reflecting on water.

Creatures in the North and South Pacific diverse in tropical colors, salmon pink beings belonging to Prince Jimin in the north, and bright crisp yellow folks ruled under the south’s youngest, Prince Jungkook. The last two kingdoms lay in the Atlantic Ocean. Beautiful deep green tails of the north, quipped with touches of holographic shine belonged to Prince Taehyung. Lastly, the region in the South Atlantic was full of rays of aqua blue and speckled with gold – is where Prince Hoseok lives.

Throughout their childhoods, given brief age gaps and the stretch of locations between another, the brothers all grew up together. Frequent visits, family gatherings being a constant presence with the young boys. All merfolk belonged to another, they took after another and populated the sea floor. Fishes would swim up, gently being held, feeding out of the hands of mermaids and mermen. Eventually within a mer-person’s life, they will be acquainted with a creature of any species. A forever buddy that becomes their pet, their friend, and family.

The beauty of the South Atlantic Ocean kingdom with a magnificent palace that had astounding flowers growing between the cracks of the walls in each apartment and room, was decorated with a large garden in the front. Full of dark and iridescent baby-blue trees with fruits that glittered like gold. Matching the specs of gold that embellished the tails of the locals. Flowers blazed with hues of butterscotch yellows, resembling the bright and burning sun from the surface above. Bushes and smaller shrubs matched the color of sulfur.

Hoseok was certainly a singular child, one who was quiet and thoughtful in group settings, but was the loudest and most careless when it came to freedom. His skin was soft and delicate, like the touch of a sunflower leaf. His eyes sparked a deep blue, twisted with an almond mix of brown. His tail was no doubt the most stunning in his sector, outshining others around him, a tell-tailed sign that he was of royalty. But the most notable of signs that screams royalty was the unique earring that never left Hoseok’s lobe.

Each handsome prince was given a dedicated pearl at their coming of age ceremonies, each identifying with their tail color. To which they must protect and kept safe for the sake of their empires. For the fact that these pearls harness great mystical powers, such power compacted within one tiny jewel. But this power could completely destroy a nation if given to the wrong hands, and if their owners neglect their duties.

Nothing pleased Prince Hoseok more than hearing about the unreachable world from above. Human beings who lived on land, not within the sea. Stories fascinated the curious mind of Hoseok, constantly being riddled with tales of these notorious humans. Over time, with the help of Nannies and families, Hoseok’s knowledge grew when it came to the world that was simply out of reach. Ships, towns, land animals, you name it.

Over the course of his younger days, he ventured out into the sea, accompanied by his trusty companion, Kiko – a leafy sea dragon. Together they collected a handful of unknown knick knacks, thingamajigs, and doohickeys that they forged for from shipwrecks. To this day – Hoseok still makes these trips, ventured out further into the sea without supervision, even breaking the surface of the water to catch a glimpse of the amazing world.

Nights where he could sneak away, rise to the surface and lay under the moonlight in the clefts of the rocks. Watching lights from the shoreline flicker dimly, the casted stars sparkling the sky in beautiful constellations.

“It’s so beautiful up here, isn’t it Kiko?” Hoseok spoke towards the leafy sea dragon that circled around his fins which remained dipped in the water. He sighed, breathing in the foreign air, the dryness cutting into his lungs. The wind played with his shaggy hair, his earring dangling along. His eyes set firmly on the coast, waves easing in and out at the ridge of the bay. Everything up here was so unfamiliar to Hoseok, so tempting and entertaining.

“There’s beautiful places all over. And under.” Kiko mused back. Skeptical and cautious as she grew accustomed to Hoseok’s nightly adventures. There was no way she could talk the Prince out of his plans, ever.

“But up here is so – is so,” he pauses. Noticing a small child holding an elder woman’s hand, probably enjoying a nightly walk on the beach. “… Amazing.”

The high church-towers were in view within the town that lined the coast. Carriages and music playing in the distance, even the chime of bells ringing. The simple fact that he could not go there himself caused him to yearn for it more, wish for it to happen in his dreams. This Prince was indeed passionate about the land before him, stretching his hands towards the air.

“Careful yourself, Hoseok.” Kiko warned. “It’s late, shouldn’t we be heading back before someone notices your disappearance?”

He nodded, with his eyes still trained on the silhouettes of the strolling humans. Watching them turn up a set of stairs and disappearing behind the curve of the walkway. He was fascinated, the kinship between humans wasn’t much different from his to his folks. Humans were so distant, but they seemed so similar to him.

A small tug on his fin caught his attention, seeing his little buddy pulling him. “Let’s go, you have a busy day tomorrow.”

On the swim back, descending down into the dept of the sea, Hoseok reminisced his favorite times above water. The early mornings, the midday views of seagulls flying high above in flocks, the sunsets were clouds scattered the sky and painted in violets, reds, and oranges. Watching the Sun extinguish into the horizons plane as the cool of the night sky took over.

Hoseok loved the upper world and all its inhabitants so very much.

Daybreak tickled the waters, reflections of lights bouncing and refracting off another in the clear-cut liquids. It shined through Hoseok’s large amber window, casting a ray on his slumbering face causing him to wince. His body curled tighter in his clam-based bed; a thicket of woven blankets made of the finest kelp keeping him comfortable. Bio-luminescent decorations that drifted within his quarters losing their dim glows.

Shortly, his door would be knocked upon. Guards prepared to assist him along his daily routines, breakfast, taking a swim through the gardens, fitting for dresswear. Today, his brothers were due for a visit – since his kingdom was hosting the annual Festival of the Arts this year, as the event rotated between each realm every year.

It was always a delight to seek comfort from his siblings, to talk among another with similar thoughts and feelings as each and every single one of them were in the same shoes – in this case, fins. They were close to another regardless of the actual distance of their homes. And he was more than happy to celebrate the festivities and provide his best hosting service.

Prince Jungkook was the first to have arrived along with his party, very atypical of the youngest who outshines the mer-world quite frankly with his beaming yellow tail and natural abilities. His excitement to see his older brother urgently was overwhelming as he searched throughout the Aqua realm’s palace for Hoseok. Wittingly enough, he knew Hoseok’s patterns, the layout of the entire home.

“Hyung!” Rang through the water – not sounding quick enough for Hoseok to process before the bulldozing clash of his body into another’s. Tough arms circled Hoseok, tightening in a rush just in time for him to tilt his head to catch the sight of jet-black hair and a flash of canary yellow.

“Ah, Jungkook. You nearly gave me a heart attack!” Hoseok hollers. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

Jungkook laughs, holding his brother tight and against his will, “I’m sorry Hobi – it won’t happen again.” The scrunch of Jungkook’s nose and the teasing smile made his quick apology sound completely fake.

“You’ve filled out more I see.” He notes the stature of Jungkook from the last time he’s seen him. Chest expanding further, his hair longer and pulled in a half bun with loose ends spilling out around his fringe. The twinkle of Jungkook’s yellow pearl lays just between his clavicles on a threaded necklace. But his youngest brother still adorned his childlike smile, large eyes popping out with animation.

“Indeed, I have.” Said the yellow tailed man.

“Have you prepared well for the ceremony tonight?” Hoseok questioned while shifting out of the other man’s clutch, fluttering his fingers through his case of human books. Careful not to tear the thinned papers that were not made for the water.

They were in the secondary study – dedicated to Hoseok’s cherished collectibles of human items that drifted down to the sea floor. It was a private area, filled with wonder and intertwining plants. So many new and beautiful objects decorated the interior of the room along with the drifting innocent fishes that floated around like fruit flies.

Jungkook grabbed hold of his brothers’ hand, tearing him past the seaweed curtains and out of the room. “I need help with a part of the choreography – I’m not sure what to do.”

Each of the seven princes were a part of the annual festival, performing their own pieces of art. Music surrounded their lives, and each prince specialized in one of the three professions: Singer. Dancer. Composer.

In tune with another – they create a perfect melody, a rhythm they cast into the waters. And all together they grow stronger with the help of their pearls.

“Let’s not head to the ballroom – I’m sure they are still setting up.”

“Jungkook! Sir!! Prince!” A peep of a scream came from the corner, a frantic Moorish Idol fish bee-lining towards the two still Princes. “Don’t you bolt off like that again! I can’t catch up with your speed!” it pants as it swarms around Jungkook’s face.

“Gotta be quicker, Pip!” Jungkook giggled, using his fingers to brush against his tuckered-out buddy.

Pip eyed Hoseok, recognizing the older Prince and jumped in embarrassment. “Prince, I apologize! I didn’t greet you properly, please I am so dearly sorry!”

“No need for formalities.” A wave of Hoseok’s hand hushed Pip’s words. “It’s nice to see you again. Now – about that choreography…”

The rooms were lit to the high-nine. Capacity of several variations of flourished colored tails decorated Hoseok’s palace – events like these are his favorite. Not only is he surrounded by his school, he’s encircled by his glorious brothers. The only thing that stressed out the aqua tailed prince, wasn’t the planning of events, fitting for costumes, dresswear, or deciding the best dishes to cater. The performance he practiced for day in and day out alike his brothers – what stressed Hoseok out was the company of his father, the Mer-King himself who only showed his presence for special occasions.

Each Prince were presented in front of the crowd of hundreds, their titles in all. Dolled up to accommodate the affair with engaging chains that wrapped around their waists and wrists, extra clam and shell accessories added to decorate around their loose arms and tail. Designed capes, hip skirts, and sheer fabrics that moved with the waves as they would do with the wind from above. Crowns made from wreaths of white lilies with bejeweled opal white pearls dangling down the band.

One by one they presented their acts along the stage, an entertaining uproar surpassed through the crowds from the Royal’s concert. The dancers who weaved like fluid coil to the cords of music were nonother than the feisty topaz yellow Jungkook, the carefree aquamarine dazzled Hoseok, and the flirtatious yet ditzy salmon pink royal, Prince Jimin.

Contrasting the dancers were the stunning vocalists of the group, Seokjin and Taehyung. Together they crafted a harmonious aura with their lyrics and tones. Entreating voices far sweeter than any human or mer-folk around.

Princes Namjoon and Yoongi of the Antarctic and Indian Oceans were strong composers, masters in a range of musical instruments. Their wits, knowledge, and pure love for the magical symphonies poured out of their bodies through devices and tools. Drafting tunes for songs every breathing moment.

It was late once again as Hoseok frustratedly swam up to his usual cove. Hoisting his body up on a smooth rocky islet that broke through the surface. Up here, Hoseok felt light and at ease. Repressing the tensions that bellowed below in the pit of his realm. The breeze was steady and refreshing, toying with the stands of his dampened hair and drying off the droplets of water that trickled down his skin.

He shed the tokens that deemed his high rank prior to wondering off from the palace, only keeping his stationary earpiece securely in. The clouds floating are coated in golden and rosy shades, evening stars piercing the sky in the dimming east. The nearing night looked extraordinary in Hoseok’s eyes.

A large ship with three white masts settled still on the water with only one sail unraveled. People littered the deck, music and song resounded from the vessels, and soon after when the night casted over the sky, the light of hundreds of lamps burst into view.

It was odd for a ship to be sailed far out during this time, even more peculiar to have a scatter of lights beaming from floating lamps that hovered into the air.

He swam close to the captain’s cabin being cautious to stay low in the water, and with every rock of the waves Hoseok was able to look through the clear windowpanes. Kiko stayed close to Hoseok, wiggling herself into his hand for security as they drawn near the scary object that rested on the water.

There were many richly dressed humans within, gowns and suits decorating each member in a fashion. The most bewitching of them, a person who stood out of the crowd and stared into the far distance of the water was a young princess with flowing thick hair. No doubt in Hoseok’s mind that this beauty was no younger than him, and he felt completely captivated by her looks.

A festival was being celebrated on the same day Hoseok’s home celebrated his. In honor of this princess’s birthday the crew were dancing and singing on the upper deck, similar to how Hoseok’s family just partook on a stage deep below. It was fascinating his wondering eyes, activities so alike to his own. And the moment the princess appeared among the lively bunch, rockets shot up into the air, turning the night into day.

The loud boom of cracks sizzling into the air scared Hoseok and Kiko, forcing him to dip his head back under the surface.

“Let’s go back! This isn’t safe!” Kiko chimed in, shaking her frail leafy body.

Hoseok looked up through the plane of water, eyes wide with shock. Not once has he ever seen this lightshow before. These weren’t cracks of blue zigzags that dressed the sky like lightning, theses were bright loud bangs of noise that sparked fire.

Through his perception, he watched the glows vanish. Until another boom ripped through the air along with another flash of light. “Hold on.” He says.

The curious merman raised his head above water again to witness a scene of falling stars upon him. A fiery shower he surely has never seen before tonight. It was like large suns revolved around his head, the brightest of fishes swam in the air that reflected on the clear glass-slate of water of the sea. Who knew humans could have such power.

The princess could be seen distinctly throughout the sailors that laughed and jested with glee. Her face adorned with a wide smile, one that shined so bright. “Oh – she’s so beautiful, isn’t she?”

It was later now, but Hoseok couldn’t take himself away from the ship and the beautiful young princess. She remained looking through that cabin window, rocking to and fro by the motion of the sea. He was enchanted by her, charmed by this unique being. There was something about her.

“Would you look at her?” Hoseok examined, smiling to himself. “She’s breathtaking.”

Kiko fluttered around Hoseok, a nervous wreck of a fish as she sensed an unnerving suspicion. “Please, we must go back. We’ve overstayed too long.”

“Oh poppycock. The palace is in perfect condition. Nobody will notice me missing.”

“Sir – “

There was foaming and fermentation in the depths beneath causing the ship to tilt faster. Waves rose high and violent in a span of minutes. Sails were spread, a commotion coming from the desk resounded. A distant thunder was heard, rumbling through the space above.

“Ah – father…” Hoseok snapped his head, “He’s angry.”

“I told you we must go!”

Hoseok and Kiko both swam a few meters down after once last glance at the ship that furled their sails once more. Until a sudden pound echoed through the waves. The great vessel tossed and turned on the volatile waters like a rowboat as the waves rose to an extreme height. It towered over the ship, clashing forcefully into the deck and submerging the manmade object. Water filled the cavities of the deck, the stout masts bent under the swirling billows.

“Hoseok!” Kiko shouted at the stunned merman who watched with wide eyes. An internal struggle inside him to tell him to go back to the Mer-King or to help the sinking ship. “We need to go!”

“I can’t! It’s going to turn over into the sea!”

Just as he guessed, the crew among the vessel was in terrible danger; since he himself had to beware the shattered beams that tore away from the vessel and splashed down above him. Wreckage both floating and sinking, causing hazards to think twice about.

“Get him to stop Kiko, tell him I’m fine! Just stop the storm!” Hoseok shooed his seahorse away, heading himself to the surface and ignoring the pleading screams.

It was pitch dark above, so dark that he could not distinguish anything until a flash of lightning disclosed to him the whole of wreck. Burning flames above the water. Hoseok only felt urgent for his wondrous princess as he sought her out the instant the ship kissed the bottom of the seafloor.

Hoseok knows no human can breathe underwater, he knows the only times he’s seen a human up close were the bodies of corpses that drifted down into the depths. He did not want that fate for the princess.

He dove himself through the shards and fragments that sprinkled within the water regardless of the danger he was inducing but with his steady swim he found the princess having difficulty holding her head high. Her eyes already closed while clutching her frame around a piece of driftwood, inevitably would have drowned completely if it wasn’t for the aqua blue merman who came to the rescue. Bearing the force of the heavy current, holding the princess above the water’s surface.

The sun rose in the horizon towards morning, by then the ongoing storm had seized and there weren’t any traces of remains from the shipwreck. Rays of lights restored color to the princess’s cheeks, though her eyes remained closed. Her dampened dress riddled with sand and stray leaves of seaweed.

They lay off in a secluded cove far from the casually populated beach. Surrounding cliffs hiding them away. Hoseok laid gazing up at the arresting princess, stroking the strand of wet hair away from her face. Her skin was soft like a rose petal, and a slight pink undertone hid beneath its expanse. “Please wake.” He whispered as he studied her features.

This was the first time Hoseok laid about the land, just shy of the waters reach. He could see the dry green wood that extended along the coast, cliffs and mountains drawn clearer. Firm quartz sand which he now occupied along with his new companion. He turned her face towards the rising sun that was illuminating the world.

A quiet sound escaped the mouth of the princess, surprising the merman suddenly. He leaned back, head blocking the sun from direct view of her face while she sleepily opened them. The haze of her eyes coated her sight, looking at the figure that was in view. She grumbled, blinking rapidly to readjust the image before her. A stranger hovered over her, a concerned look across their handsome face as they looked down at her in curiosity. Golden brown hair flowed around; a glint of blue entrapped into his brown almond eyes.

“Hello,” Hoseok whispered, lifting the corner of his lips up.

“Who-“

Hoseok shifted the moment he heard of loud barking noise coming from the side of a cliff. His movement caused the piercing rays of light to shine into the princess’s eyes, blinding her some more.

The merman jolted away from the shore in a panic, hiding behind some stones further into the sea. Hoseok watched from afar with unyielding attention, a black four-legged being running towards the reviving princess. A small group of men followed suit to the black figure who alerted the humans of its findings.

“Oh Princess!” one shouted as they ran over. They smiled kindly down at her, assisting her off the sands and into a blanket. “Princess Y/n, are you hurt?”

She was dazed and confused, checking her surroundings for the other person she just saw. Did she see someone or was it her imagination? Who had saved her from the previous night? “Where’s the man? The one who saved me?”

The surrounding men gave another a questioning look, looking quite confused when they eyed the area around them. “Miss, nobody is here besides us? You must have swallowed too much seawater – it’s a miracle you survived.”

The black hairy creature spotted Hoseok out, yapping towards him and trying to get the humans attention. The animal saw him, no doubt, and Hoseok ducked for cover under the waves as they passed, waiting for his moment to come back up.

The princess was taken back onto the land with the assistance of the furry creature and humans, leaving Hoseok distraught behind the stones of the bay. But he was relieved that she survived, her beauty could live on longer, and he couldn’t wait to share his story about how he saved a human. Immediately, when the princess was finally out of view, he plunged beneath the water to return back to his palace.

“Y/n…” He hummed, repeating the sweet name that rang his ears. “Her name is Y/n.”

“Where did you go last night?” The Mer-King shouted in the dining hall. Hoseok floated in front of his father, eyes trained to the seabed below their fins. The six other brothers hovered off to the side in a stationary line, motionless as they watched the scolding unfold. Each accompanied by their personal pets who too drifted in the silence of the water.

“Answer me, Hoseok!” the King’s voice resembled the same boom of the magical fire show from last night.

“I – I was… I went...”

“Don’t you dare tell me you escaped up to the surface.”

Hoseok fell silent. His words lost in his throat when he made eye contact with his father. The King stood still with the length of his graying hair exceeding past his shoulder blades, a crown sat atop his head made out of coral and angulate wentletrap shells. Spikes of eelgrass flowing from the tips of the multicolored crown. His slimy tail was ombre from a berry red into a sandy brown – dorsal fins displayed wide and drifted just how a beta fish would, flared up just how a beta fish would. His steel gray eyes stared down at Hoseok with intensity, waiting for a response.

Voiceless silence. Hoseok could not speak another word without distressing his father any further. In defeat he hung his head down to the floor, sinking his shoulders.

“You are not to leave the palace.” The King’s voice broke through. “You are not to enter the surface of the water. Do I make myself clear?”

“But Fath –“

“Am I clear!?” He shouted. Voice echoing through the quiet halls of the palace – hand clutching his beloved trident tight.

“Yes, Sir.” Hoseok grimaced. Kiko fleeing into the middle of Hoseok’s back.

The Mer-King departed the dining hall, leaving the seven brothers to themselves. It was when Hoseok looked up seeing the concerning looks crossing each of his brothers, did he feel guilty for his actions.

“What are you doing? You know you shouldn’t meddle around up above. What if someone saw you?!” Namjoon spoke, the cool tone of his voice chilled through the water. The purple scaled man swam closer to Hoseok, the slate of silver shining through his hair and the tip of his fins. His purple pearl shimmered in the arm cuff on his right of his crossed arms, his crab responding in the same gesture. “Hoseok, think of the dangers.”

“I know. But hear me out – I did something so amazing last night!”

“Namjoon’s right, you know this.” Seokjin stepped in with a pointing finger embellished with his pearl, “And to pull that stunt, especially when father is visiting, you’re asking to be yelled at.” His small, very animated manta ray wiggled around Seokjin’s mannerisms, copying the same movements as he did.

Hoseok’s mouth formed a triangle frown. Resentment settling in the pit of his stomach along with a mix of emotions. “Can you just listen to me?”

“Then speak.” Heads turned over to the aloof green merman who seated himself on top of the turquoise sea-glass table. The side of his hair clipped back with a white barbed clam, allowing the rest of his deep brown wavy hair to flow naturally. Under his ear shined the dark pine colored pearl, just how Hoseok’s did. Taehyung’s fingers twirled around his pale jellyfishes’ ruffled tentacles, staring off into the distance in deep thought. “What was amazing?”

Hoseok scanned the eyes around him, taking in a strong breath before telling his otherworldly experience. The merfolk knew of legends, myths and facts about the land above. Artifacts that fallen down into their domains created curiosity but there were fears of the stories about merfolk traveling far too close to the coastline. Humans may be mystical to mer-people, but it was never wise to breach the surface to study them.

“And the lights started falling down after the loud bang! Fire burning and sizzling out in beautiful streams! It was so bright!” He exclaimed with his audience listening in. “But then the storm demolished the ship! It happened so fast!” Hoseok continued his dramatic story with such immense passion, comparing how humans and merfolk celebrated in similar ways.

It infatuated the listening ears, well, some more than others. “And then I saved her from the wreck! I saved her guys! I brought her to the shore and – “

“You what?”

Yoongi, with a tail of vibrant marmalade orange cut his younger brothers train of thought. His narrow coal cut eyes shot angry towards Hoseok. A menacing stare emitting from the shaggy dirty blonde-haired male, questioning his brother’s reckless behavior. “You went on land?!” His pet lionfish flared its fins at the tone of his owner’s voice, grumbling something about idiocy.

“She lived because of me!” Hoseok retorted, leveling up to the stinging tension that was rising quickly.

“You’re troublesome, really.” Yoongi chided. “She would have been fine if you were here in your palace! That storm wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for you!”

“You’re setting a bad example for the younger ones.” Seokjin nodded towards the wafting men who innocently drifted in the background of the conversation.

Hoseok fumbled over his words, mouth gaping open looking for words to fill into it. He knows his brothers aren’t wrong, they were just being cautious. But Hoseok felt like they looked down upon his widened spectrum, his drive to expand the knowledge about the world above. It wasn’t fair with all the limitations merfolk had, and even more restrictions for a Prince.

Hoseok grew quiet and reflective as days passed by. Obeying the tolls and jobs of his prince duties, being kind to other fish folk and leaning a helping hand for many in need. He stabilized his environment, praised the coral reefs that skirted his territory, even assisted with gathering the ripened fruits that sprouted from the gardens’ trees.

Though each and every day Hoseok pondered about the princess who lived above. Questioning to himself about her whereabouts, how she was doing and what she was doing. He dared to stare at the new statue that became his favorite décor in his luxurious field of flowers. A beautiful stone chiseled and sculpted to look like the princess, partially broken from the wreck of the ship, now stood in the middle of his oyster paddock.

When Hoseok wanted to be a daredevil, he succeeded in slipping away from the eyes of his staff and even his personal buddy. Rushing himself back to the surface where he loved so dearly to catch the linger of the air that dried his face and scales. Many times, he rose to the place where he had last seen Princess Y/n, where he left her on the sands before scurrying away. He always returned to his subterranean abode with a bit of sadness when he never saw her.

It was dawn when the first light creeped through the panels of Hoseok’s second study where he was toying around with one of his thingamajigs, trying to understand the use of it. He had an unexpected visitor in the middle of the night, a slither of a reflective shine catching his eye. An oily slick tinted film in the moonlight when he angled his tail in the right way.

“Taehyung.” Hoseok breathed, “You should have told me you were heading here; I would have arranged a genuine greeting for you when you entered the gates.”  

He seemed cheerier during the night hours, maybe it was the relaxation of the disphotic zone or the cool temperament of fishes relaxing. Whichever excuse it may be, Taehyung always glowed better during the evening. “I’m sorry hyung – I wanted to check in on you. I was worried.”

They spent the entire night in deep thoughts, conversing to another about their worries and provinces. A few discussions about trades between regions, assembling plans and arrangements for brotherly gatherings. Taehyung found a fascination with a particular utensil from Hoseok’s study, a metal tool that had spikes at one end and a smooth handle on the other.

Throughout the night Hoseok confessed his sorrows to his younger brother, revealing his secret about the princess he had saved. How her beauty enchanted him, imprinting on his mind, how her statue now lays in the greens of his garden. The embarrassment crept up to him, distracting himself from his feelings as he showed Taehyung around his collection of human things.

“If my memory is correct, I believe I might know who your princess may be, because I have seen a castle above the waters.” Taehyung twirls the man-made gizmo around his fingers as he speaks. “When you mentioned her before in your story, I grew curious.”

Hoseok was caught off-guard from Taehyung’s words, stunned even. “Y – You know where she lives? You need to show me!” The aqua tailed man fluttered around with a sense of emergency, he held Taehyung’s hand pleading to him. “Please brother, show me what you know. It’s a wonderful morning already, the current is leveled, and the waters are clear!”

Embracing their arms together, Taehyung and Hoseok swam out past the palace walls into the blue of the ocean. Together they rose out of the water after miles of swimming, just in front of a tall bend in a cliff. They remained far off from the cost, deep enough to be unnoticed from the naked eye. But from their point of view they were able to see a castle with bright yellow stones, a flight of marble steps that led straight into the sea. Statues topped the pillars that outlined the walls, the building crowned with a Caspian blue. A great bay window faced toward the sea, the windows expanding long and wide.

The area was farther out from Hoseok’s natural comfort spot, he would pass this sector many times when he would visit up north to Taehyung’s realm.

From a closer look the two mermen can see silken curtains that hugged the frames of large bay windows, the walls inside decorated from top to bottom with magnificent paintings. Blurred bodies of servants walking across the tiled floors and expensive rugs. Deep within one of the larger rooms there was a fountain glittering with dancing water which sprouted from several areas surrounded by long stems and tendrils of plants.

“It’s so beautiful.” Hoseok whispered, creeping himself closer towards the castle that was built on the edge of the cliff. It was a real delight for the royal mermen to witness an abode so lovely, so riveting.

“This is the only castle I know of. I’m hoping this could be her palace.” Taehyung swam down, toying around with his small jellyfish in a fit of giggles. Dangling strands of seaweed around as if he’s forging the same motion as his buddy’s tentacles.

Hoseok dipped his head under, meeting up with the green tailed strides. “Thank you, Taehyung!” Hoseok’s arms entangled around Taehyung’s waist, spinning the two mermen in circles.

“It’s not far from the area where I saved her. Oh, I do hope this is her home!”

Taehyung beamed back a boxy smile, noticing the wild spirit of Hoseok shine. He was aware of the consequences of going to the surface, aware how enraged father could get when the sons acted up. But he was very happy to help out his brother – he saw something in Hoseok that he didn’t see in the others.

“Please, whatever you may do. Just be safe.” He petted the side of his brother’s hair, flicking his finger over Hoseok’s pearl earring.

© All rights reserved under @kimtaehyunq​ - do not copy, repost, modify, edit, or translate any of my work without my direct consent. This tumblr is the ONLY place my fics are posted.

[littleladymab]

The Phoenix Suite (SW Rebels Pod+Fic)

Do you know what a phoenix is? It is said that the bird would go out in a burst of flames, and then rise from its ashes, born again. Even if we lose here, the Rebellion will never go out. Someone will always be the spark.

((Kallus tries to get a message to the Rebellion, but he fails -- tries to get a message to the Rebellion but he fails -- but he fails -- he fails))

Series: Star Wars Rebels Characters: Kallus, Thrawn, and the Ghost Crew Rating: Teen Tags: S3 Finale, time-loop, warnings for implied torture/character death/suicide (but again, it's a time loop, so it doesn't stick)

Read by Litra (link to stream)

----

Kallus hits the ground, hard.

He wheezes, more in shock than in pain, and inhales a lungful of dust and air tinged with the ozone of blaster fire. His shoulder takes the brunt of the blow, hands cuffed uselessly behind him.

Still, he’s able to roll into the fall and scrambles to his feet as the call goes up behind him.

“Grand Admiral!” a trooper shouts. “The prisoner is trying to escape!”

Kallus can’t hear Thrawn’s response, but the screams of the dying Rebel forces and the heavy tread of the walkers is enough of an answer: He’ll die with Atollon, and with the Rebellion.

For a wild, frantic second, Kallus considers charging one of the rear guards and taking their blaster, dragging down whoever else he can with his inevitable demise.

But then the part of his brain that clings to survival, to the barest glimmer of hope that this can still be salvaged, urges him onward.

So he runs — away from the sounds of the massacre, away from the orderly advance of the troopers and their walkers. Far enough that the only thing he can hear is the distant roar of chaos and ships crashing to the planet’s surface in his ears.

Breaking the cuffs is easy when he has a moment. He knows where to apply the right amount of pressure, even with his hands locked behind him.

There’s a faint and ominous skittering sound to his left, so he banks right. He has no knowledge of Atollon, and he certainly doesn’t want to learn about the local fauna.

Not when his brain is reeling and clawing desperately for a solution. Not when he’s staunchly ignoring the voice in the back of his head, the cold, calculated tone of the ISB Agent, as it scoffs and says you know a hopeless case when you see one.

Because he does. He knew from the moment he woke up in the cell after being knocked out by Thrawn on the communications tower.

Shit, probably earlier than that, if he’s being completely honest.

Playing at being a Rebel, thinking he could handle the mantle of Fulcrum.

The moment Thrawn walked into the picture, he was fucked.

His feet carry him without thought, winding away deeper and deeper into the wilds of this uninhabited planet. Further, he thinks, from the remains of his failure.

Until he crests a ridge and he’s standing on a cliff and he can see it all spread out before him. The base flattened, like a bug squashed beneath a boot. The white shapes of troopers picking their way through the remains, and the occasional flash of blaster fire when they find a survivor.

His stomach turns at the sight, the now familiar sickening sensation that this is the mighty hand of the Empire. This is not a war, and it never will be.

And it’s not that he wanted to go down in a blaze of glory or anything. He just wanted to make a difference for once. The tug in his chest, the last desperate pull of hope that led him this way, finally dies, leaving him standing on uneasy legs at the edge of the precipice.

“This is all my fault,” he says to the valley below, and wishes that it could be more of an apology and less of a goodbye.

“Which side do you mourn for?” a voice like thunder asks, and Kallus whirls around — reaching for a weapon that isn’t there.

But instead of a man, instead of Grand Admiral Thrawn with his glowing red eyes or the emotionless mask of a trooper, Kallus finds himself facing a creature that towers like a mountain above him. Its head is framed in a halo of dust as constellations of atmo burners light up behind it, and eyes like twin suns stare down at the human.

Kallus is speechless. Nothing in all of his training has prepared him for this. “What are you?” he asks instead.

“I,” the creature intones, shifting its head so that its silhouette is visible in the fading light, “am the Bendu.” It creaks with every movement, the coral that forms its antlers and outer shell grinding together as the beast lowers itself to Kallus’ level. “And what are you? You found me, yet… you are not a Jedi.”

Kallus wonders what makes being a Jedi a prerequisite for this. “I am…” Kallus starts, but in the end, he can’t figure out what the answer should be.

“Alexsandr Kallus, Imperial Security Bureau Agent 021,” the creature supplies, and Kallus feels hot and cold inside all at once.

He grinds his teeth and clenches his hands into fists and refuses to give into a physical display of his anger. “Not any longer.”

The Bendu studies him, those burning yellow eyes peeling him away layer by layer. “You wear the uniform. You keep that name close to your heart. Who are you, Alexsandr Kallus, if not an agent of the Empire?”

Enough is enough.

Every bruise and broken rib and laceration stings, the pain pulsing in time to his ragged breathing and his labored heartbeat. They are what reminds him of who he is, because everything he can see and hear tells him that the Bendu is right, he still is ISB-021.

He draws himself up to his full height, and throws his shoulders back in a way that he has seen Rebellion fighters do — one that conveys defiance instead of the perfectly postured lines of the Empire. “I am Fulcrum,” he says. “I am a Rebel spy, an Imperial defector. I am—” Here he falters, voice finally cracking. “I am well and truly fucked.”

The Bendu gives a low growl of something that might be understanding deep in its chest. “So then, Alexsandr Kallus: Which side do you mourn for?”

A laugh, strained and hysterical, boils up the back of his throat, but he swallows it down before it can get loose. “Why would I mourn the Imperials? They are the clear victors here.”

“Ah,” the Bendu says, as if it had caught Kallus in a particularly clever trap. “But in their victory, have they not also lost? Things they don’t even realize are missing.”

“Whose side are you on, anyway?” Kallus counters. “If you were here, why didn’t you help the Rebellion? Why didn’t you help the Jedi?”

There is another rumble, this time like a storm, and the blazing suns of the Bendu’s eyes flash in warning. “I am the one in the middle. As I told the Jedi Knight who came and asked for my assistance, I take no side.”

Kallus just barely resists the urge to roll his eyes. More Force and Jedi nonsense taken to the extreme. “This is a war. You side with the oppressors when you refuse to take action against them.”

“You picked a side, Agent. You carry pride for what you have done. Who are you, with your accolades and titles bestowed upon you by your Empire, to tell me that I do more harm than good? I am the Bendu. I am the one in the middle.”

Standing there on the cliff’s edge, still in his ISB uniform, Kallus wonders if he himself isn’t currently dangling precariously in the middle. Stranded between two worlds, no longer one but not truly another. He rejected the Empire, but was never fully accepted by the Rebellion.

Except that’s not true, is it? Not really. It wasn’t all that long ago that he was in the detention cell, undoing Ezra Bridger’s handcuffs, and the boy turned to look up at him with an expression of distrust but determination. The crew of the Ghost put everything on the line to try and save him, but he had said no. I can do more good here.

“I didn’t think that I had a choice,” Kallus finally says. “I didn’t know anything else.”

“Then what changed?”

How to answer? A part of him had died after that night on Bahryn. The person who crawled his way out of the ice and into the trader’s ship was someone else entirely.

Kallus had been given a choice; several, in fact.

He had spared Garazeb Orrelios’ life, twice. He had declined the invitation to be rescued by the Ghost crew.

That’s when he began to acknowledge the cracks — the chipping veneer on the Empire’s elaborate portrait of the future. When given the chance to do something more, he knew that there was another answer than the easy one offered by the Empire.

Eventually, he gives a helpless shrug. “Everything.”

The Bendu considers this, considers him. It’s similar to the feeling of being studied by Kanan Jarrus, or by the Inquisitor. That depth in their gaze that sees beyond this moment, like they know something is about to happen.

Someone who can see the full picture, where Kallus cannot.

Kallus knows, without a doubt, that he’s about to be given another choice. He is a man who takes disjointed pieces and knows how to put them together into a narrative. He is a man who has thrived on logic and reason for so long that they are second nature to him.

There is nothing left for him except execution at the hands of the Empire, or a slow death in the wilds of Atollon. There is no other way for this story to end, except for the choice that he will be offered.

“Would you change this, if you could?” The Bendu waves one massive hand, encompassing Kallus beaten and bloody, the smoldering valley below, the remains of destroyed ships like falling stars in the hazy sky.

“Yes,” Kallus says without hesitating.

“What would you change?”

Another shrug, not knowing where to begin. “Everything.”

The Bendu leans in closer still, until its eyes are the only thing that Kallus can see, and its hot breath washes over him. “If you could do this over again, would you?”

Now is not the time for logic and reason. Now is the time for gut instinct, in trusting something bigger than himself, bigger than the Empire.

Alexsandr Kallus, no longer an ISB Agent, no longer Fulcrum, dead man walking, looks the Bendu straight in the eyes and says, “Yes.”

It happens all at once. (It happens over the course of an eternity.) [It happens in juddering starts and stops and flashes of moments strung together.]

Kallus feels like he’s being plunged into a pool (into the dead cold of space) [like he’s being torn apart and reconfigured]. There is a weight on his chest that saps the air from his lungs and before he can get a chance to wonder if he’s made a mistake, everything goes black.

(( read the rest on ao3 ))

[rabbitcruiser]

World Aquatic Animal Day

Because (most) humans do not actually live underwater, it is easy to forget the vast array and variety of aquatic animals that populate the oceans, seas, lakes, and other bodies of water on our planet!

Aquatic animals may be vertebrates or invertebrates. They may breathe air or extract oxygen through gills or the skin. And they may live in either freshwater or saltwater. But no matter what their differences are, one thing is for sure–aquatic animals deserve to be noticed and appreciated!

World Aquatic Animal Day is centered around humans taking the time to learn about and acknowledge the importance of all of these creatures who make their homes in the water.

History of World Aquatic Animal Day

Created in 2020, World Aquatic Animal Day was created by folks over at Animal Law Clinic at the Lewis & Clark Law School (Portland, Oregon, USA) who wanted to bring attention to the importance of aquatic animals to our societies and ecosystems. Widely used around the world, aquatic animals are often at risk due to the interactions humans have directly with the animals, or indirectly through the corruption of their habitats.

In addition to ‘fish’, the category of aquatic animals includes a variety of other creatures, such as mollusks, crustaceans, aquatic birds, starfish, corals, aquatic insects, amphibians, marine mammals, reptiles, and more.

The idea for World Aquatic Animal Day is to raise global awareness so that humans all over the world would band together to create policies, laws, education, and outreach that will help to protect these valuable animals. The hope is to elevate the status of these creatures so that people are more likely to take an active role in learning about and acting on behalf of them. Different ideas for protecting these animals continue to be featured, from plastic pollution to climate change issues.

Many organizations throughout the world participated in the first World Aquatic Animal Day in 2020, including Canada, Chile, Australia, South Africa, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Croatia, Norway, Russia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and more.

The hope is that many more will join in for future days in the coming years. The more people who get involved, the better!

How to Celebrate World Aquatic Animal Day

Celebrating the animals under the sea is the idea of World Aquatic Animal Day, and there are tons of ways to do it!

Watch a Documentary about Sea Life

Getting educated about aquatic animals doesn’t have to be boring. Learning from film crews that have been deep-sea diving can be a thrilling way to see, enjoy and appreciate the myriad of animals that live in the water.

Try out these documentaries:

The Blue Planet (2001). First airing on the BBC, this riveting series of shows gives a glimpse into life in the ocean. It was filmed in more than 200 different locations over a five year time period. And Sir David Attenborough’s voice over simply makes the ocean seem that much more compelling.

Turtle: The Incredible Journey (2009). This film uniquely follows the life of one sea turtle beating the odds, from when she was hatched to facing the natural and unnatural threats that occur in the life of such a creature.

Mission Blue (2014). Featuring the life and work of Dr. Sylvia Earl, a marine biologist and oceanographer, this documentary shows her life as it is dedicated to the study of the ocean, having spent thousands of hours of time in its depths.

Life in the Blue (2016). Showcasing the extraordinary variety and range of life that exists in the expanses of the ocean, this documentary specifically targets what takes place just under the surface in a small band of 10 meter deep water. Whether looking for shelter or hunting and foraging for food, aquatic animals participate in a host of activities in this rather small space.

Host an Under the Sea Party

Get family and friends involved in raising awareness of the needs of aquatic animals by inviting them over for a party that dives deep into the theme. Make the place festive with sea-worthy decorations and play tunes from a water-themed playlist (see below).

Serve snacks and desserts that stick with the theme of honoring aquatic animals, including cupcakes adorned with gummy fish, goldfish cheese or graham crackers, cookies baked starfish shapes or a veggie tray organized in the shape of a rainbow fish.

Fruit treats are fabulous for sea-themed parties! Oranges can be easily fashioned to create the look of an octopus by partially peeling eight strips and then leaving them sticking out from the bottom. (Draw on eyes with a non-toxic marker.) Apples can be creatively sliced to appear as crabs, while banana halves can be adorned with an eye and the stem cut to look like dolphins. And a watermelon can be creatively carved to channel the look of a sea turtle!

Raise Awareness for Aquatic Animal Day

Get others involved in the issues facing these creatures by holding events at work, school, clubs or other places where the community gathers. Make posters, host lecturers, or create a family-friendly charity event where the money is raised to donated to underwater wildlife funds. Don’t forget to use your voice to let government representatives know about the need to protect these creatures by writing letters to ask them for better rules, regulations, and laws.

Put Together an Aquatic Animals Playlist

Getting into the groove of music is a great way to bring sea creatures to the forefront of the mind–whether alone or at a party! Gather some eclectic songs together in a playlist on Spotify or another music hosting venue and jam in honor of the aquatic animals.

Try some favorite songs such as these, or come up with other creative ideas:

Too Many Fish in the Sea (1983) by The Marvelettes

Under the Sea (1989) Soundtrack from The Little Mermaid

Dead Sea (2012) by The Lumineers

Sea of Love (1959) by Phil Phillips

Across the Sea (1996) by Weezer

Only the Ocean (2010) by Jack Johnson

Deep Ocean Vast Sea (1989) by Peter Murphy

Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay (1968) by Otis Redding

Source

[a-day-in-the-afterlife]

Hello since we had post abozt how bois would survive in wildness how about how they would be like going on field trip with Manager (preferably all of them like group) thanks

This is such a cute idea, anon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, this ended up being super long, I apologize!  I kinda got into it, heheh!

Also, I know you asked for them all to be in a group, but I hope you don’t mind that when organizing this, I did separate them into their respective teams (just so it wouldn’t look cluttered and I’d have an order in which to write).  They still interact with Soul Reapers from other teams, though!  (or at least, I tried to make them to!)

The 14th Department Goes to the Aquarium

Mane

So, Ell finds the jellies absolutely ethereal.  He’s lived up in the Celestial Realm his whole life and the otherworldly calmness that they exude almost remind him of home.  He and Jamie spend an hour at the jelly exhibit, and Ell is so enraptured by the sight of them that his clumsy self bonks into the aquarium glass four or five times—on separate occasions—when he steps too close.  After he is sufficiently amazed by the jellies, he goes to hang out with his father Youssef and the Manager, who together haunt the aquarium café, sipping on caramel lattes and watching over the other Soul Reapers.

Like Ell, Jamie loves the jellies.  Something about their soft and translucent form makes him feel incredibly peaceful.  He could’ve spent hours taking in their mesmerizing beauty, but soon moves exhibits in order to take in all the “wonderful lil’ critters” the aquarium has to offer.  He is particularly interested in the beluga whales because “Bless my heart!  Don’t they have the friendliest face you ever did see?”  Overall, he enjoys the museum trip because animals of all kinds amuse him, and the low burbling of the water in the tanks is so soothing.

Ghilley is highly intrigued by the octopuses—with their extensive abilities to camouflage and maneuver their bodies, they’re even better at sneaking up on people than him!  He read on the sign next to the octopus tank that the animals are so intelligent that they can solve problems, predict, remember, dismantle things, and even do puzzles, which is one of his favorite hobbies!  Licht teases him by saying that Ghilley himself must be one of the ancestors of the octopus, since he is so old, and they are so similar.  Ghilley allows the tease with an “Ufufufu,” but secretly vows to cover his boyfriend’s roommate’s bed in Legos as revenge.

He initially doesn’t have that much enthusiasm for going on this field trip (“Who’s going to admire my beauty in an aquarium?  What, the fish?  We should go somewhere with more people, darling!”), so Licht stalwartly shadows Ghilley in the octopus exhibit, commenting that he wished he himself was an octopus, since being able to change one’s “outfit color” based on one’s surroundings just sounded so tantalizing!  Bored after standing in one exhibit for so long, Licht wanders into the amphibian section of the aquarium, where he stands, enrapt at the gorgeous colors of the (poisonous) frogs, for a whole hour, before calling over the Manager (who takes a “break” from her “coffee break”) to ogle at the animals with him—her close proximity and warm scent causes him to rethink his stance on the engagement of aquariums.

Die

Theo finds himself in a conundrum: he wants to spend time with Junee and the Manager, but he also desperately yearns to discuss the aquarium cleaning regimen with the staff.  With how long he expects the latter conversation to last, he’s not sure he’ll have time to do both activities in the eleven hours that the 14th Department intends to stay at the aquarium!  He almost takes up Cyrille, who professes to have discovered the secret to cloning, on his offers of allowing Theo to be in “two places at once,” but decides that on his day off, he might as well just get some info on what kind of industry-standard and nonabrasive detergents the staff uses to clean the aquarium, for he can spend time with Junee any other day.  However, seven hours into the discussion with the staff, Theo feels a prick of conscience and spends the rest of the day gallivanting about the aquarium with June and Day.

Slightly disheartened by the fact that Theo initially chooses to spend what looks like the entire day with the aquarium staff, June is rescued from squeezing out a few manly tears by Day, who encourages him to do as he does and see how many times he could visit all the exhibits before the day is done.  June likes the idea—only a true man could see all the animals in the aquarium more than once in a given day—and the pair cause a general ruckus as they speed through the various exhibits, staring at the animals in awe for no more than two minutes before rushing to the next tank.  He feels especial pity for the turtles: if only he had thought to bring extra running shoes for them to feel the joys of speed as he did!  

Louis, with a clothespin over his nose to block the stench, spends much of the day in the penguin exhibit.  He can be heard announcing “Thou art a very dapper bird, although not as fine as me!” to every penguin who is willing to hear his blathering.  He is most appreciative of their debonair coat of black and white and is even more intrigued when a trainer tells him that there is a breed of penguin called “Emperor.”  A fellow royal, just like him!  Upon the Manager’s request that he spend his time admiring the other animals as well (the penguin trainers were having trouble hiding their laughter at the pompous prince, and she wanted to give them a break), Louis bothers Verine and Ethan at the sea star habitat, and the sickly Soul Reaper wonders if life is worth living at all if this is how it’s to be spent (listening to the prince).  Louis connects to the sea stars deeply because he, too, is a star!

Like many occasions when he has to interact with the other Soul Reapers, this field trip is a special brand of hell for Ethan.  He stays with Verine by the sea star tank for some time, before his roommate, Louis, prances in and begins all manner of comparisons toward himself and the sea stars.  Ethan, after listening to Louis for seventeen minutes, has to relieve himself of the prince and begins quietly examining the exhibits en route out of the main part of the aquarium and into the adjoining café and gift shop area.  He spots Ell, Youssef, and the Manager there, and as he finds those three not entirely unpalatable in terms of disposition—Manager, especially—he joins them, although he scoffs at the trio’s preference for coffee over tea.  

Hesperide

Sian is one of the few people in the entire 14th Department that visits the aquarium like a normal person.  He and Noah throw out the terrible maps that they bought from Mori and peruse the exhibits at their own leisure, admiring the animals, and spending more time at the exhibits that strike their fancy.  Sian personally finds the seahorses to be some of the most entertaining aquatic creatures in the whole aquarium; there are so many different designs they can take!  As he and Noah stroll among the tanks, he can’t help but wonder if they’ll catch a glimpse of the Manager (he doesn’t know that she’s retired early from visiting the exhibits to drink coffee).  Of course, he’s not going to say that—“Y—yo, don’t take that the wrong way!  It’s not l—like I’m interested in hanging out with the Manager or anything!”  No one believes him, though.

Enthralled with the idea of a more educational field trip, Cyrille is on Cloud Nine.  He forgoes any interaction with his fellow Soul Reapers, preferring to study the various informational signs on the tanks, check the cleanliness and ethicalness of all the habitats, and interrogate the workers in the aquarium as to how they are maintaining all the animals and their tanks.  He is satisfied in knowing that the aquarium takes care of all their wildlife properly and makes sure that their animals are comfortable and are in habitats as close as to the ones they would have been living in in nature.  Although Manager tries to coax him from his awkward questions, he’s far too interested to take notice, but he ends up having the most fun of all the Soul Reapers during this field trip, when all his queries are satisfied.

Kati fights with Aitachi the entire bus ride to the aquarium and spends much of the time inside the building screaming obscenities like “Noctu and Noah are stupid!” from the top of his lungs.  He is thoroughly shut up when Manager advises him to vent his feelings to the corals, which he does, and becomes much more relaxed.  He had plans to follow Noah and bully him the entire time (he just wants some attention from his roommate, poor thing), but after seeing that Noah and Sian are too busy being mature by actually enjoying the aquarium, he thinks better of it, and instead, stations himself at the sea otter exhibit.  They are so cute—although, not as cute as him!  There, he finds Aitachi, who is also charmed with a childlike passion by the otters, and immediately threatens to bite him.  He is rescued from being obliterated by the much-more experienced warrior by Noah, who “coincidentally” decided he wanted to drop by the sea otter exhibit.

As mentioned earlier, Noah enjoys the aquarium with Sian, perhaps in the way that it’s supposed to be enjoyed.  He likes taking it easy, not wanting to cherry-pick any exhibits to see, but instead, choosing to admire the interesting ones as they came along.  After seeing most of the aquarium together, he and Sian part ways, Sian deciding to go find the Manager (he finds Quincy instead), and Noah, feeling that Kati probably had gotten himself into trouble by now, decides to go look for the younger Evening Team member.  He texts the Manager to see if she knows where Kati is (she says he’s in the sea otter exhibit) and goes to find him.  He is just in time to see Aitachi and him ready to begin dueling, and delivers Kati from getting clobbered by the young Atiyah warrior and insists that it was an “accident” that he happened to bump into the pair.  Noah forces Kati to apologize to Aitachi, and even though it was done in a most begrudging manner, the pair do not have any more quarrels (in that day).

Noctu

Despite Nine’s frequent wishes to be alone, he has long since realized that in public places where they have never been before, the three other members of Noctu will follow him around like orphaned children.  As he’s pretty sure that the trio would get themselves into trouble otherwise—and on accident, of course—he’s contented himself to live with it.  He and the rest of Noctu traverse the aquarium in a group and mostly juggle their party between the freshwater and saltwater fish exhibits.  They do visit the rest of the aquarium, though, and Nine is overcome with panic when Aitachi is found missing from the group for all of twelve minutes.  He is most excited when him and the rest of Noctu sign up to watch a video presentation on sharks (which do not have a live exhibit at the aquarium), but he mostly zones out during it and enjoys the silence of his own mind.  Because they finish perusing the aquarium much earlier than anticipated, Kirr, Aitachi, and him retire to the aquarium café with Youssef, Ell, Ethan, and the Manager.

Day has been counting the days for this field trip the moment he heard it announced, and his excitement is rewarded with a great day at the aquarium.  He loves this opportunity to “play” with Nine-Nine and the rest of his teammates and see all the pretty fishies!  Day likes the freshwater and saltwater fish a lot—the clownfish amuse him to no end, but he is even more enamored when the group visits the dolphin exhibit.  They remind him of himself—playful and smart!  Day, who has no grasp on the concept of money, throws away his ticket to the shark presentation that he had already paid for, and decides that he’d rather still explore the museum further instead of sitting around to watch a video (he can’t sit still for very long).  He finds June sadly, but earnestly, wandering about the exhibits by his lonesome, and instantly invents a way for them to hang out and see the entirety of the aquarium together by ways of running around it like a lunatic and see all the exhibits as fast and as many times as possible.  It’s great fun and brightens June up considerably!

Having lived high up in the mountains all his life, Kirr is astonished by the sheer amount of aquatic life present in the aquarium.  He has a terrible habit of calling every organism around them “a fish,” whether it be a spindly lobster or an entire coral reef.  Kirr does not fear when Aitachi becomes lost, knowing the young warrior can take care of himself just fine, but he still looks for him and successfully tracks him down in the sea otter exhibit.  Kirr is the first one to agree when Nine suggests that the group sign up to watch a video presentation on sharks, especially when he sees the poster promoting the video call sharks “the hunters of the sea.”  The informative presentation teaches him nothing new about hunting, but he appreciates it nonetheless.  Him, Aitachi, and Nine retire to the aquarium’s café after strolling about the entirety of the exhibits and are delighted to find Ell, Youssef, and the Manager enjoying coffee together.  He himself is significantly less excited upon seeing his opponent, Ethan, there, as well, nursing a cup of what appears to be hot leaf juice.

Warrior Aitachi does not know what to expect upon entering the “aquarium” place that Miss Manager insists that the 14th Department tour.  He is, however, sufficiently pleased when he realizes that it is a place to view many fish, even if it is merely a fruitless pastime.  Nevertheless, he is enthralled with childlike vivacity at all the exhibits that he and the rest of Noctu visit and loves the sheer amount of color present in the watery tanks.  He is not entirely distraught when he become separated from the rest of Noctu, for he can definitely take care of himself!  Aitachi is wise enough to stay at the exhibit where he last was with the Night Team—the sea otter habitat—so his team can find him more easily.  There, he watches the cute antics of the otters and is content until Licht and Ghilley, who were coming back from the aquarium bathrooms, have the audacity to compare his “cuteness” with the otters’!  It puts him in a bad mood, and it is even worsened when that intrepid Kati comes from out of nowhere and bites him.  He would’ve had no qualms at honorably cutting down the Evening Team member, but alas, Kati is rescued by Noah.  After receiving an apology from Kati, Aitachi is reunited with Noctu and they head to their scheduled shark presentation before seeing the rest of the museum, and heading back to the aquarium café with the Manager.

Diluculo

If it isn’t already obvious, Youssef prefers to spend his time in the aquarium in its café, for he has seen many aquariums in his youth and would prefer to spend this trip to the museum watching over the other Soul Reapers.  Since the café is elevated enough so one can look down from its ledge over the entire aquarium, he is joined by the Manager, so she, too, can survey what is happening among the rest of the members of the 14th Department.  Youssef immediately orders for the Manager and himself two caramel lattes and they sip and chat and watch over the Soul Reapers like mother hens.  Their small party of two grows as the day passes, and by the end of the field trip, it comprises he, the Manager, Ell, Ethan, Kirr, Aitachi, and Nine.  Even though he appreciated the alone time with the Manager, none of the other Soul Reapers are unwelcome and only heighten his enjoyment of the trip.

Mori sees the aquarium field trip as an excellent business opportunity.  He already sold several copies of a map of the aquarium (complete with animal facts pulled from Otherworldipedia) he had made prior to the trip to Noah and Sian.  They sold for a hefty price and even if he had made no other profit that day, Mori would have still been satisfied, even though Quincy had called his maps fit for nothing but to be used as toilet paper and that was only if the world had run out of its supply of one-ply.  Nevertheless, he stations himself outside the aquarium entrance and sells twenty-four copies of his map pamphlet before aquarium security ask him to not charge money for what they were already giving away for free inside.  Mori is unabashed, however, and makes his way to the aquarium gift shop, where he sells many mass-produced, underwater-themed trinkets that he bought from a bulk party store online.  He happens to make a killing, before the aquarium security, once again and less politely this time, ask him to buzz off.

Criticism is his strong suit, so Quincy wanders about by himself making rude remarks on all the fish and other underwater life.  He only does this, however, to hide how bored and lonely he is, especially since his roommate, Verine, had decided to be boring and spend his entire afternoon embroiled in the sea stars.  Despite this annoyance with Verine, Quincy still texts him hourly reminders in typical Quincy fashion (read: rudely) to take his medicine.  He is infinitely satisfied when he finds Sian, who is a kindred spirit in criticism, and together they stroll about the aquarium, judging the creatures inside the tanks as if they weren’t completely and utterly entranced by their beauty.  Quincy particularly likes the birds of prey exhibit (although he wonders why the aquarium, which focuses on underwater life, has one), for he has to admit contentment in watching the little moles and mice get absolutely massacred by the owls and hawks in the enclosure.

Verine doesn’t enjoy the museum one bit: it’s cold, it’s stuffy, and there’s too many people (which means more dust in the air).  He has to content himself with his pills and tissues in the least popular exhibit with the sea stars (coincidentally, corals are significantly less interesting to watch than sea stars, but considering they have much more of a media presence with the “save the coral reefs movement,” more people tend to frequent their exhibit).  He is secretly flattered with Quincy’s constant reminders to take his medicine, because it shows he cares, in his own denigrating way.  He is not, however, amused by Louis’ frequent inquirings after his health, for they all follow a split-second look of pity, just as the prince begins one of his long ramblings about his own beauty, and how Verine should, instead of “focusing on his deformities,” look to the handsomeness that was the prince.  He much preferred the awkward silence he had been sharing with Ethan before the prince’s arrival!