#undersea cave

[colorsoutofearth]

Schools of Pacific creolefish (Cephalopholis colonus) and Panamic sergeant major (Abudefduf troschelii) swimming through sun beams inside an underwater cavern

Photo by Alex Mustard

[cookiwi-octonauts]

KWAZII FOR AN AU IDEA ASUBAHVHK

Known for his adventurous and daredevil behaviour Kwazii "The Untamed" is recognised as fiercest pirate in the seven seas 🌊

But he is still silly lovely and helps the creatures in danger obviously

[gilliontidestriderchampionoftheu]

undersea arc. undersea arc. when. undersea arc when.

[coconutcanary]

Story time ✨

I understand this isn’t really me to post things that aren’t related to art, but this is something I need the Markiplier Fandom and the Jacksepticeye fandom to hear,

So septipler right?

No don’t leave yet! I don’t ship them, but this is a story that needs to be told here

For privacy I’m not naming anyone particular here so they are anonymous

So back in high school I was in art class with this guy, and he liked my art, and at the time I was at the height of the 2016 youtuber era hyperfixation, septipler was still a thing people would make content for. And once I told the guy I draw acksepticeye fanart (not septipler, like funny Anti and Dark meme stuff) , he drops this nuke of a story on me

Apparently he had a younger sibling who would “draw”, but it was more so tracing pictures they would find on google images. So this sibling was tracing septipler art and would hang it up on their wall. Not too much harm done, just drawing for fun in their spare time.

But here’s the thing, they would trace the art on their smart tv screen

like they put paper on the tv, and the image was seen through enough where they could trace the outline. Well apparently they decided to trace some nsfw art from a particularly popular septipler artist who shall not be named, but the kicker was they traced the image in sharpie.

So the image of this septipler smut drawing was permanently etched into this brand new smart tv screen. And this poor guy and his father had to return their brand new tv with the septipler smut drawn onto the screen.

Just imagine coming home to see septipler drawn onto your tv and it’s stuck their permanently.

Anyway that’s the story, you can carry on knowing this knowledge, do what you may with it

[creepyjirachi]

i only just realized that mariana is technically the daughter of my evil bisexual boygirlboss baddie dragon so this. complicates the lore

[bogleech]

I just can’t fucking believe there were so many trilobites for so long and they’re supposedly just gone, completely? They were as common or more common than crustaceans in all the same marine environments and you’re telling me not ONE had what it took to survive as long as crabs or shrimp or isopods? Nowhere? How can that possibly be. There has to be one somewhere, some tiny flea sized one in some undersea cave we never found.

[gallusrostromegalus]

You understand my vision perfectly.

Pool Kelpie

@gallusrostromegalus was talking about variations on the water hazard horse myth and mentioned the idea of a "Pool Kelpie" I just had to draw it.

[skyheachi]

Troll Tribe

<Atlan>

Live in deep water, so they are a species that other trolls do not easily see, like Krubera, deep dwelling tribe. They are a semi-aquatic species that travels back and forth to land through undersea caves and is distributed across the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

Unlike other trolls, these species don't have horns. That's why they keep coral on their heads. They usually hunt and eat fish, and they also ride whales to faraway seas.

[incorrectbatfam]

Batfam's summer plans

Dick: team up with Wally and Garth in a triathlon

Jason: re-enact a famous pirate battle with Roy, Biz, and Artemis

Tim: try to sunbathe, forgetting he burns easier than garlic and his friends won't give him peace

Damian: r e l e a s e t h e b e e s

Duke: take the family stargazing and convince them the moon changed its orbit

Cullen: drive-in movie marathon but they're the worst movies he's ever seen

Stephanie: see how long she can run an illegal ice cream truck before she gets shut down

Cassandra: scuba dive for the earring she lost in an undersea cave last summer

Barbara: add a grill modification for her wheelchair and make Barbaraque

Harper: connect all the pools in Gotham with a single lazy river

Carrie: hike to the top of a mountain and shout the fuck-word

Kate and Selina: get to know each other on a ladies-only rock climbing trip

Alfred: help the Kents make 200 jars of jam to sell at the farmer's market

Bruce: yacht race against Ollie

[jedineedlove]

LMK VS Legend: Li Jing, Nezha, & Family

Finally thought I would do this with the debut of Li Jing and Nezha's more frequent appearances. These two needed their page.Li JIng I could not find much so I made it a family page.

Legend:

Li Jing is renowned throughout the Shang dynasty as a high-ranking commander officer of the Old Pond Pass. Throughout his past, Li Jing studied under Mount Kunlun and soon became a master of exceedingly fast underground travel. His wife is Lady Yin, and he has three sons.

His Wife:

Lady Yin: She played a prominent role in the nurture of Nezha. According to legend, she is said to be the incarnation of the second daughter of the Jade Emperor. Her full name is Yin Wuming in the Fengshen Yanyi, and it is called Lady Yin in the Ming dynasty religious book The Collection of Gods in Three Religions

His Sons:

Jinzha: A disciple of the superiorman Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun. Originally, Jinzha was one of the Five Great Wisdom Kings in Tibetan Buddhism, also known as Kuṇḍali or sometimes as the Ganlu Mingwang (甘露王), who was responsible for longevity, healing, purification, and exorcism. However, due to potential influences from folk literature, the name "軍吒" (Junzha or Junzhalili) was changed to "金吒" (Jinzha) to align with the character "木吒" (Muzha). In folk temple festivals, Jinzha is often referred to as the "Great Crown Prince of Tuotuo Tianwang" and is worshipped in temples along the southern coastal regions.

Muzha: He is a disciple of the Bodhisattvas Samantabhadra and Guanyin. Muzha is worshipped as a deity in Chinese folk religion, known as Muzha Tianzun.

Nezha: He is a protection deity in Chinese Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Chinese folk religion. His official Taoist name is "Marshal of the Central Altar" (中壇元帥). He was then given the title "Third Lotus Prince" (蓮花三���子) after he became a deity.

Story:

Nezha's mother, Lady Yin, gave birth to a ball of flesh after gestating for three years and six months. Li Jing thought his wife had given birth to a demon and attacked the ball with his sword.

Li Jing and Nezha's relationship began as rocky because Nezha is disobedient and short-tempered. Nezha would cause untold chaos and trouble in the future, such as that with the Eastern Sea Dragon King Ao Guang. Nezha kills the Dragon King's son and gains his wrath.

When Nezha was seven years old, he became sick of the summer heat, and decided to take a bath in the nearby Jiuwan Stream, using his Red Armillary Sash (混天绫) as a towel. It sent tremors through the water, shaking the East Sea Dragon King, Ao Guang's undersea palace.

A Yaksha, Li Gen, was sent to investigate the disturbance. Nezha insulted him, causing him to attack Nezha and being killed by his Universal Ring (乾坤圈). The Dragon King's soldiers reported Li Gen's death to him, and Ao Bing, his third son, volunteered to deal with Nezha. Nezha slew him in combat, then pulled out his tendons to make a belt for Li Jing.

When Ao Guang learned of his son's death, he transformed into a human scholar and went to Li Jing's residence to protest. Nezha admitted to killing Ao Bing and returned his tendons to Ao Guang, who told Li Jing he would file a complaint to the Jade Emperor.

Facing his parents' wrath, Nezha went to Taiyi Zhenren for help. He drew an invisibility talisman on Nezha and told him to ambush Ao Guang under the Heavenly Gate.

Nezha beat the Dragon King forcing him to turn into a small snake and returned to Chentang Pass with him.

Upon arrival, Ao Guang transformed back into his human form, proclaiming he would gather the other Dragon Kings of the Four Seas and report the Li family to the Jade Emperor.

Lady Yin then sent Nezha into the back garden. He climbed up the barbican, where he came across the Universal Bow (乾坤弓) and Sky Shaking Arrows (震天箭) of the Yellow Emperor, sitting on a weapon rack. Eager for some archery practice, he lifted the bow and shot an arrow into the air, which flew all the way to White Bone Cave and killed the Verdant Cloud Boy (碧云童子), an acolyte of Lady Shiji (石矶娘娘). Because Li Jing had carved his name onto the arrow, Shiji went to Chentang Pass, seized him, and took him back to her abode.

Li Jing explained to her that no one had been strong enough to lift the Yellow Emperor's bow since it was placed in Chentang Pass, and she allowed him to return to the pass to find the real culprit. When he learned that Nezha was responsible, he took his son back to the White Bone Cave to answer to Shiji. Nezha attacked her other acolyte and tried to fight Shiji, but had both of his weapons taken away, forcing him to flee to his master's abode. Taiyi Zhenren killed Shiji with the flames of the Nine Dragon Divine Bell Cover (九龙神火罩), reducing her to her true form: a rock.

Nezha was then informed that the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, with the permission of the Jade Emperor, had come for his parents. Due to Nezha causing trouble in the Eastern Sea Dragon's Kingdom, Li Jing was required to give his life to Ao Guang if he did not sacrifice Nezha. But Nezha sacrificed himself, handing over his flesh to his parents.

Nezha then appeared in his mother's dream. In the dream, he asked her to build a temple for him, so that his soul would have a place to rest. His mother then secretly built a temple for Nezha, and this temple later flourished. This temple became well-known and grew vastly because Nezha granted miracle cures to the sick and the crippled.

Following the bitter luck attained with his third son, Li Jing burned the sacrificial temple, Lady Yin would be scolded by Li Jing profusely following this point.

However, due to the temple burning, this made Nezha wish to kill his father.

After Nezha was reincarnated, his body remade by his master Taiyi Zhenren, his father saw him and said, "You vermin! When you were my child, you caused untold calamities. Why do you reincarnate and disturb the peace?" Thus, a major conflict between Li Jing and Nezha began to unfold.

After battling Nezha, Li Jing soon realized that his mortal body did not match 1 to 100 compared to that of Nezha's. Thus, he ran as fast as he could underground in a state of incredible fear for his life.

Luckily, Li Jing happened to run into his second son, Muzha. Following Muzha's defeat by Nezha's hands, Li Jing tried to commit suicide. Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun ( a disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun and one of the Three Great Immortals, holding the fifth position among the Twelve Golden Immortals.) saved Li Jing's life and containing Nezha. Nezha was then forced to submit to his father after being restrained by another superiorman by the name of Randeng Daoren (renowned as the Superiorman of Mount Condor, Intuition Cave.)

[In popular culture, Nezha's killing of Li Gen and Ao Bing is often seen as a result of Ao Guang demanding young boys and girls from Chentang Pass as sacrifices. When the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas threatened to flood Chentang Pass in retaliation, Nezha committed suicide to save his family and the people. That plot is only found in the 1979 Shanghai Animation Film Studio movie, Nezha Conquers the Dragon King, and not in the Fengshen Yanyi novel or Qing dynasty opera adaptations.]

JTTW:

In Journey to the West, Nezha was a general under his father, "Pagoda-wielding Heavenly King" Li Jing. He fought the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, when the latter rebelled against the Jade Emperor.

They later became friends. Nezha made some appearances in the novel to help the four protagonists defeat powerful demons including his adoptive sister, Lady Earth Flow.

His origin story is different from the other legends. After he caused havoc in the Eastern Ocean, the Heavenly King had been so worried about the disastrous consequences that he decided to kill Nezha. Thus Nezha returned his flesh and blood to his mother and bones to his father. Then Nezha's soul went to the Buddha, who resurrected him. After, he used his vast powers to subdue 96 caves of demons through dharma. After this Nezha wanted to kill his father because he had to remove every piece of flesh and every stain of blood to return his bones to his father. The heavenly king had no choice but to seek help from the Buddha. The Buddha gave him an intricately made golden pagoda, in each story of which were Buddhas radiant with splendor. The Buddha told Nezha to regard these Buddhas as his father, thus ending the hatred between the father and the son and Li Jing earned the title of Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King.

In the JTTW Li Jing and Nezha gain another family member Lady Earth Flow.

Lady Earth Flow (地涌夫人) is a yaoguai who is actually a Golden-Nosed Albino Rat Spirit (金鼻白毛老鼠精) who obtained her powers after practising Taoist arts for 300 years and secretly consuming sacred candles at Vulture Peak. After she was captured by Li Jing and Nezha, she was supposed to be executed but the Buddha told them to spare her life. She was so grateful that she acknowledged Li Jing as her godfather and Nezha as her godbrother. Later, she moved to the Bottomless Pit (無底洞) at Flaming Air Mountain (焰空山) and armed herself with a pair of swords. When the protagonists pass by Black Pines Forest (黑松林), she disguises herself as a damsel in distress to attract Tang Sanzang's attention. Tang Sanzang takes pity on her and lets her accompany them to a nearby temple, but Sun Wukong sees through her guise. She eats six monks in the temple and captures Tang Sanzang when Sun Wukong and the others are distracted. Sun Wukong finds out her true identity later and brings Li Jing and Nezha to subdue her and take her back

[According to The Journey to the West, Nezha was born with the word Ne written on the palm of his left hand and zha on his right, hence his name.]

[In Journey to the West, Muzha became a disciple of Guanyin in the heavenly court, with the legal name Hui An. When he was ordered to conquer the sand demon, and later Sun Wukong lost to the Red Boy, Hui An borrowed 36 Tian Gang swords from his father Li Jing to help the Guanyin Bodhisattva conquer the Red Boy, making him a good boy under the Guanyin.]

LMK:

Ji Ling:

After the Brotherhood, Li Jing was assigned the responsibility of overseeing the Celestial Realm with the Jade Emperor gone. The universe was teetering on the brink of destruction due to the damage caused to the Pillar of Heaven by the Jade Emperor's demise.

Li Jing harbored concerns that Monkey King's actions could exacerbate the impending destruction of the universe.Monkey King challenged Li Jing, asserting that he couldn't be stopped, not even by the Celestial Pagoda. While Li Jing acknowledged the truth in Monkey King's claim, he swiftly subdued him by placing a circlet on his head. Ne Zha tried to intervene on their behalf, but Li Jing swiftly silenced him, putting an end to any further discussion.

After breaking out of prison, MK, Monkey King, and Macaque returned Megapolis where Li Jing caught up to them. Li Jing swiftly closed in on Monkey King, tightening the circlet around his head. Macaque intervened by teleporting both MK and Monkey King to safety inside the Team Power Truck. As they made their escape, Macaque was eventually overpowered by Li Jing, who imprisoned him in the Celestial Pagoda.

In Harbinger; Li Jing and Ne Zha met up with the Monkie Kids and Monkey King, where Li Jing believed that the Pillar of Heaven was now irreparable, leading them all to confront the reality of the universe's impending destruction as the Great Cycle approached its end. As Li Jing looked at Ne Zha, he felt a mix of pride and regret for not having more time to share with him.

When the World was saved; After some time, Li Jing saw Ne Zha leading the Celestial Warriors in the rebuilding of the Celestial Realm, and made him smile in approval.

Nezha:

Ne Zha is a heavenly deity from the Celestial Realm, serving as both a member of the Celestial Court and a guardian. A stern and responsible celestial. He is occasionally short-tempered, mostly in regards to the Monkey King, though is shown to be understanding and kind to MK. He is often seen being understandably exasperated and annoyed.

During the Monkey Kings attempt to reforge the Samadhi Fire to defeat Lady Bone Demon,Ne Zha tried to stop him too late due to Macaque's interference. Ne Zha discovered that Mei held one of the four fragments of the Samadhi Fire and teamed up with MK to prevent Monkey King from reaching Lady Bone Demon, but Monkey King was corrupted by her and defeated Ne Zha by encasing him in crystal. Ne Zha was eventually freed during the final battle with Lady Bone Demon and aided the Monkie Kids in destroying her.

Later, Red Son warned Ne Zha about the Brotherhood's plan to attack the Celestial Realm. Despite his best efforts, Ne Zha was overpowered and injured by the Brotherhood, seeking refuge on Flower Fruit Mountain with the Monkie Kids. After the final standoff with the Brotherhood, Ne Zha safeguarded the Power of the Jade Emperor in a seal and vowed to protect it.

During Season 5, he was a silent character till the end when he stopped his father from interfering with the Monkie Kids Crew.

Images :

Overley Sarcastic Productions.

https://www.viewofchina.com/nezha/

LMK Screen Shots

[dent-de-leon]

Thinking of…Kingsley taking Caleb to his favorite hidden coves and grottos—waterfalls, undersea caves, little islands, whatever secret hideaways he happens upon at sea. Sharing something that feels magical with his wizard, but only if he promises to keep it just between them. Lingering habits and rituals from a past life, still worshipping a goddess of forbidden love and clandestine trysts—a love of stolen moments hidden in the safety of shadows.

King harvesting the finest pearls for his Magician’s spells, having him Identify forgotten relics lost at sea in exchange for sunken treasure. King wanting to pamper and spoil the person who first gave him a name and a crown, made him really feel like royalty. The man he still remembers as “softness and light”—

[vodika-vibes]

Undersea/Merfolk AU with the Bad Batch please! Can be romantic or platonic.

Stand By You

Summary: You spent your whole life living in the Royal Orphanage of Atlantis. According to the Matron, you were found on the front steps when you were hours old, and no one ever showed any interest in adopting you. You’ve since aged out of the system, luckily, you made some pretty solid friends. Unluckily, you’ve also landed squarely in the crosshairs of a Sea Wizard.

Pairing: platonic TBB x F!Reader, hinted Crosshair x F!Reader

Word Count: 2792

Prompt: Merfolk AU

Warnings: reader is attacked

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni @imabeautifulbutterfly

A/N: So, I wasn't sure, at first, where I was going with this, and then I had an idea. And then I had to change the idea halfway through because it was edging into Little Mermaid territory. Anyway! I hope you like it~

“I’m telling you,” You say with a roll of your eyes as you flip so that you can look at Tech while swimming backward, “I am a very poor fit for the Atlantis military.”

“You have not even tried,” Tech points out as he adjusts his glasses, then swiftly grabs your wrist to keep you from swimming into a statue, “You can not continue living in a cave outside of the city.”

A petulant pout forms on your lips, “Watch me.”

He sighs as he carefully tugs you so you’re swimming next to him, “Why are you being so stubborn about this?”

You glare at him and flick your fingers towards your tail. Your very mammalian tail. Unlike the other merpeople of Atlantis, your tail looks more like a seal than a fish.

Tech glances at your tail, and then at you, “No one cares that your tail looks different.”

“Correction, you don’t care that my tail looks different. Everyone else cares a lot.” You fold your arms, “Just because they don’t say it around you, doesn’t mean they don’t say it.”

“Well, that is a good reason for you to get a military job,” Tech tries, “Make people see you differently.”

“It’s like you’re being deliberately obtuse, Tech. Why aren’t you listening to me?”

“I am listening to you!” Tech stops and grabs your shoulders, “You are not listening to me. It is not safe for you to live outside the city. Do you know what it would do to us if something happened because we were not there to protect you?”

You sigh and lightly wrap your hands around his wrists, “Tech. I know you’re only being like this because you care—”

“Because you are family,” Tech says.

“But you’re making me feel like you don’t actually care about what I’m saying.”

He closes his eyes, and drops his hands, “That…is not my intention. I am sorry, vod.”

“I forgive you.”

You fall into a comfortable silence, and then Tech bumps your shoulder with his, “I would feel more comfortable if you moved behind the walls.” He says, “But I understand why you might not want to do that.”

“It’s not like I want to live in a cave like a sea witch, Tech. No one will hire me. And, without any money, I’m kind of stuck.” He opens his mouth to say something, but you cut him off with a press of your finger against his lips, “And don’t even think of saying that I can move into your barracks. There’s barely enough room for the four of you.”

Tech sighs, “I do not like that you are right about that.”

You grin at him, “Relax. I’ve been living in that cave for years now, and nothing bad has happened.”

“Yet. Nothing bad has happened yet.” Tech corrects.

“Well, maybe I’ll be lucky.” You shrug, as if you’re unbothered, “Anyway, thanks for coming shopping with me.” You add as you lift your netted bag.

“You are welcome. Are you heading home?”

“That’s the plan. Tell the others that they can come and visit whenever,” You say as you back away from him, “And be careful at work, all of you.”

“You do not have to worry about us.”

“Truth, I’m going to do it anyway.” You quickly dart in and press your lips against his cheek, “I’ll see you later, Tech.”

“I will tell the others that you say hi,” Tech replies.

You toss him one more grin, and then turn to swim down the path that will take you out of Atlantis proper, splitting from Tech, who continues straight to the military barracks. 

Your home is near the kelp forest, several miles away from the solid walls that mark the city of Atlantis. The location tends to work in your favor, seeing as there’s a lot of food in the kelp forest that you can gather, or catch, without having to pay for it.

On the other hand, your neighbors aren’t the best.

One of your neighbors, a Cecaelia sea wizard, who goes by the name Verdant, has been trying to coax you into his employ for the better part of the last two years.

He’s nice enough, you suppose. He understands what it is to be seen as not normal in Atlantis and has always been your biggest supporter when it comes to helping you advocate for yourself.

Still, you have no intention of working for him. 

You have the feeling that working for him would put you in opposition with your closest friends, and you’d sooner cut off your arms than allow that to happen.

You slow as you approach your home, a single brow arching when you see Verdant, and his two most loyal retainers, in front of your cave. “Something you need, gentlemen?” You ask as you swim over to them. 

“Ah, my dear,” Verdant beams at you as he swims over to you, “I was wondering where you were.”

“In Atlantis,” You reply, “They get deliveries of surface fruit this time of year, and it’s something that I enjoy when I can.”

Verdant’s grin seems to widen, “How wonderful! Tell me, my dear,”

There’s something about the way that he’s grinning that makes your skin crawl, and you begin to regret not taking Tech up on his offer to crash with him and his brothers for the night. 

One of Verdant’s cronies moves so that he’s almost circling you, ushering you closer to Verdant, “Tell me, you’re friends with several members of the Atlantis Military.”

“We grew up in the Orphanage together,” You reply, it’s not an answer, not really, and judging by how his smile fades, he agrees.

Roughly, Verdant grabs your chin, “I want you to convince your friends to look the other way while we enter the city.”

“No.” The answer falls from you almost without your permission. 

“No?”

“No. I’m not going to help you. Let me go.” You try to jerk your head out of his grip, but he just tightens his hold on you, until it’s painful.

“I have been exceedingly patient with you, child. You have to help me.”

“I don’t have to do anything.” You counter, “Can’t we go back to just being neighbors who sometimes say hi to each other?”

“No.” Verdant releases you and you try to back away, only for the twins to latch onto you, holding you still. “If you won’t work with me, then I suppose you’ll just have to suffer.”

“What do you—?” You’re cut off when you feel a sharp pain in your lower abdomen.

“I am a variant of the Blue Ringed Octopus, little one. Your death is going to be very slow and very painful.” He lightly pats your cheek as your vision starts going grey at the edges, “Assuming you don’t bleed to death first, of course. Release her. We have places to be.”

The arms holding you still vanish, and you sink to the ground.

They swim away while you struggle to cling to consciousness. Whatever they did to you, you can’t seem to move your tail, wherever you try, it sends shockwaves of pain through your whole body.

The next thing you’re acutely aware of is a cry of your name. 

Omega leans over you, her hands pressing firmly against the wound on your abdomen, “—ld on, just hold on! Help is coming!”

What a shame.

The last thing you would have ever wanted was for Omega to find your body. The only thing worse would be dying in her arms.

Shame that it isn’t your choice anymore.

You sink into darkness with Omega’s increasingly panicked cries of your name ringing in your ears.

The waiting room in the Atlantis Military Hospital is silent save for the muffled sobs of Omega as she buries her face in Wrecker’s side.

And while Hunter would usually love the fact that it’s not loud, after six hours of waiting for some news, any news, the silence is beginning to be deafening. 

He drums his fingers against his side for a moment and then swims over to the window, just for something to do, while he tries to stop thinking about what she looked like when they found her.

He wants to forget the blood and how unnaturally still she was.

Hunter wants to be angry that Omega was the one who found her, he wants to rage at her, and tell her that if she just listened to them, this wouldn’t have happened.

But after 6 hours, his rage has been totally extinguished. Replaced with an icy terror.

What is he going to do if she dies?

How is he supposed to keep their family going if she dies?

Hunter flickers his gaze around the room. Omega isn’t crying anymore, though it looks like she’s cried herself to sleep while cuddled against Wrecker. She still has blood on her hands and shirt and streaked down her tail.

Hunter should have helped her get cleaned up, why didn’t he help her get cleaned up?

Wrecker is tense, his hands curling into fists, and then relaxing, before curling back into fists. This has to be torment for him, the sitting and the waiting. He seems pretty calm, all things considered though. Probably because Omega is right there.

Hunter wants to say something to him, to reassure him that she’ll be alright, that she’s stronger that people give her credit for. But, in truth, he doesn’t believe it himself.

So he keeps his mouth shut and flickers his gaze over to Tech.

Tech is sitting closest to the doors that lead to surgery. He’s flipping through a book, very quickly, and a glance at the titles makes Hunter shake his head. They’re books on medicine, surgery, and poisons. Of course, Tech is dealing with the situation in the only way he can. His hands are shaking, though.

Makes sense, Tech was the last person to see her before she was injured. He’s probably blaming himself. No one else here blames him, of course, but Tech has always been his own worst critic. Hunter will have to keep an eye on that, and maybe call Phee if he starts to spiral too badly.

Finally, Hunter turns his attention to Crosshair. Crosshair is folded into a chair, his head in his hands.

Right. Crosshair has always been closest to her. She’s always been very good at handling his mood swings, even when they were kids, and Hunter’s pretty sure that Crosshair’s feelings towards her have long since stopped being simply platonic. 

Not that he’d ever admit it, even to himself.

“You’re staring, Hunter.” Crosshair says quietly.

“Just making sure you’re alright.”

“I’m not the one that was nearly murdered. I’m fine.”

“She’s going to be fine.”

Crosshair releases a bitter laugh, “You don’t even believe that yourself.”

Hunter doesn’t say anything for a moment and then turns to face Crosshair fully. He opens his mouth to say something, only to pause when the door to the surgical suite opens, and the Doctor enters the room.

He looks exhausted, but pleased with himself. 

The Doctor’s gaze sweeps the room, and he nods once, “Her injuries are severe, but I’ve managed to repair the worst of the damage, and she has been given the first of three doses of anti-toxin. We won’t know the extent of the damage until she wakes up, but assuming nothing goes wrong over the next couple of days, she’s going to be just fine.”

The tight string of tension that had been running through all of the brothers snaps at the doctor's words as they slump in relief. “Is she allowed visitors?” Hunter asks.

“Not just yet. Give us some time to get her settled in the observation ward, and then you can visit her.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Tech says as he straightens, “This is very good news.”

The Doctor smiles at them and then turns and leaves the room.

No one moves for a moment, and then Omega lets out a delighted noise and she twirls, “She’s going to be okay!”

“So it seems,” Hunter agrees, a relieved smile on his face.

Slowly, you open your eyes, feeling like you’ve been asleep for far, far too long. You feel warm and comfortable, and it takes you a moment to completely push the sleep away to figure out where you are. 

There’s a quiet beeping noise coming from nearby, and you roll your head to see what is making that noise, momentarily confused when you see a heart monitor next to your bed.

You slowly sit up, the blanket tumbling from your chest to settle at your waist, and you absently tug on the sleeve of the shirt you’re wearing. It looks, and feels, like the soft material used in hospitals. 

And then you remember. Verdant. His Cronies. The stabbing.

You lift the hem of your shirt and peer down at your stomach. There’s a massive wound, running from just over your hip, across your stomach, and stopping just under the breast at the opposite side.

You touch the injury, and aside from some faint pain, it doesn’t hurt.

You must be on some good painkillers.

It’s about that time when you realize that you can’t feel your tail. For a moment you think that Verdant cut your tail off to punish you, though as you move the blanket, you can see your tail is still there. 

White and dark grey with black spots.

The same tail you were born with. The same tail that had you treated as an outsider. 

You stare at your tail as you try to move it. To twitch your flipper, or anything.

But nothing happens.

The door to your room opens, and you turn to stare at the Doctor. He looks surprised to see you awake, but then he smiles, “How are you feelin—?”

“I can’t feel my tail.” You interrupt.

His smile vanishes.

The next couple of hours fly by. Tests and more tests, and long conversations with dozens of different doctors, and they all say the same thing.

The attack that nearly killed you permanently damaged your spinal cord. You’re likely never going to be able to move your tail ever again. And then they leave you on your own, with little more than an appointment with a therapist to help you learn to live with your new circumstances.

And so, you’re not in the best mood when your family arrives to visit you. 

Though, Omega flinging herself into your arms, wrapping her arms tightly around your neck, and burying her face in your hair is almost enough to make you smile again. 

“How are you feeling?” Crosshair asks, as he moves to the other side of the bed, his sharp gaze flickering across you as if searching for any injuries the doctor might have missed.

“I’m…okay, all things considered.”

“Just okay?” Tech asks.

You frown slightly, “I’m going to be in the hospital for a bit longer.” And then you hesitate.

“What’s wrong?” That’s Wrecker, from the doorway. The room isn’t really big enough for everyone.

“Um…well,” You pause, “The attack left some lingering damage.”

Hunter lightly takes your hand in his, “Tell us.”

“I’m paralyzed,” You clench your jaw, to keep yourself from crying. You��re still alive, there’s no reason to be upset. “I can’t swim anymore.” Hunter’s grip on your hand tightens, “The doctors are working on coming up with a way for me to still be independent, but—”

You start when Crosshair lays his cheek against the top of your head, “We’ll help.”

“As much as we can.” Wrecker agrees.

“If we pool our money,” Tech says, “We can afford a place outside the barracks for all of us to live. I will work up a budget.”

“You don’t have to do this.”

“Don’t be silly,” Omega says stubbornly, “We’re family, this is what family does.”

Some of the anxiety fades away, and you flash the smallest smile towards all of them, “Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank us,” Hunter says, “We’re not doing anything that you wouldn’t do for us.” He flashes a small smile, “We take care of each other.”

“You are going to have to talk to Marshal Commander Cody about the attack,” Crosshair says, “Everyone is very interested in knowing who attacked you so close to Atlantis.”

You nod at him, “I know. I’ll tell him everything he wants to know.”

Two weeks later, you’re released from the hospital with your new mobility harness strapped around you. You’re going to need help for a while, while you adapt to it, but you’re not too worried.

You have a pretty solid support system, after all.

And they’ll never let you get hurt.

[ciao-bella-ciao-bella]

Beverly hadn’t been a captain for long, and frankly, it happened through a series of events chalked up to, ‘massive accident’ by those who knew her. She didn’t even want to sail the seas, thinking boat life too dirty and the warnings against it all the more real as each day passed.

However, she was also determined which is why she was still onboard and when not panicking by herself in a broom closet, ruling with a set of commandments and iron fist.

Her crew didn’t quite fear her, she was too generous, but understood that doing their jobs was important lest they face a perfectly timed and devastating, “I’m not mad, just disappointed…”

Isabella was also determined and ill-suited for the expectations set before her. As a siren her life's purpose was to catch and kill sailors but she hated everything about sailors. They were rough men with liquor on their breaths and calloused hands. When she sang to them they grabbed her in ways she didn't care for.

Technically she was supposed to use her thrall to reproduce but she always chickened out before she got there. Instead she simply robbed them and left them to drown.

Her undersea cave was littered with trinkets and cold, hard, gold.

She wanted more.

@sword-and-sorrow

[repo-net]

High quality rips of Etrian Odyssey 3's stratums!

Images under the cut! Credit not needed but certainly appreciated!

1st Stratum - Waterfall Wood

2nd Stratum - Undersea Grotto

3rd Stratum - Molten Caves

4th Stratum - Abyssal Shrine

5th Stratum - Porcelain Forest

6th Stratum - Cyclopean Haunt

[urlocalwormtoday]

..uh oh?

guys. Guys I just realized something

Remember how Grizzly told Charlie (after he rolled a history check) that creatures as powerful as the Electrodon usually stay in much much deeper water, and don't really hunt ships nor humanoids

And I was just kinda re-watching that episode while thinking about the newer episodes and the artificial Leviathan thing and then something clicked

Why would a creature, with sufficient food resources and available prey, leave the safety of the abyss?? It had everything it needed, it's environment was perfect, so why would it try and fuck around with the surface? Why would it try and eat the Riptide Pirates ship if it had food and safety and everything else it needed???

A disturbance.

We know that, from real life, animals will leave their natural environment if people cut down the forests, mine out the caves, melt the ice caps, for example

Remember how in EP 115 they figured out that the artificial Leviathan(s) we're so large, they would have to have been made underwater?

.

DO YOU SEE WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS?????

The navy, or maybe the undersea, or maybe just the elders, were constructing the artificial Leviathan(s) underwater, driving the Electrodon and other large sea creatures away from the area because of the disturbance they were creating

They were depleting the resources, killing off or chasing off the wildlife, just to make a weapon

[seramilla]

So for overlord Sera au I was wondering how Sera finds out Emily was in heaven I have to ideas. One Emily was tired one morning and didn't put her wings away so Sera saw them when she went down for breakfast. Two one day when out the two get ambushed and Sera is wounded and Emily is in the same situation as she was when she died watching Sera die. Her fight her flight response kick in I choose flight and with her angelic strength grabs a wounded Sera and letting her wings out flys the two away. No matter what Sera has some questions and will try to send her back to heaven where it's safe

Emily didn't realize how difficult it would be keeping her angelic form a secret from Sera. Most of the time, she keeps her wings carefully hidden away, and only lets them out at night when she can stretch and flap them as much as she wants behind closed doors. They get so cramped and sore all day; when she magically lets them free, she can't help but groan and sigh in relief.

She's embarrassed to admit to almost letting her guard down more than once. The first few months in Hell with Sera, she had slept better than she has in years. She's always been slow to rise in the morning, and thought nothing of coming downstairs like a zombie with her wings still showing over her nightshirt. Until she passes a mirror in the hallway, and oh boy, that brings her back to reality! She frantically shoves her wings back into whatever pocket dimension they are kept in, before Sera can see, and her cover is blown.

Sera almost catches her once, when she's making coffee in the kitchen one morning, certain Sera is still asleep. Sera was not, in fact, still asleep, and almost does a double take before Emily's wings melt away like dispersing fireflies. Emily is able to convince her it had only been a dream or a trick of the light. Sera gives her that look, like she knows she's lying, but can't otherwise prove it.

Why would Emily have wings? That's preposterous, Emily says. Don't be silly, Sera! It's not like Emily had spent several years in Heaven wondering what became of her sister, and that she's actually an angel, and doesn't belong here in Hell at all!

Perish the thought!

Emily keeps this charade going for the better part of a year. She's honestly pretty proud of herself. A lesser angel would have caved long ago. But she's determined to stay in Hell with Sera, no matter the cost. This is where she belongs. With the only family who's ever given a damn about her. Even if she has to keep the most sacred part of her identity secret, she'll do it for her.

All goes to plan, until the day it doesn't.

As one of the most powerful overlords, Sera has no qualms about walking around Hell like she owns the place. She basically does; at least her part of it. What has she to fear? The current overlord alliance ensures that none at her level of power will contest her territory. A lesser overlord, or some new upstart wanting to test her strength, might inconvenience her on the street, but they can be dealt with easily.

She never perceived the Vees would be a threat. They gave no indication they were even interested in her territory, full of industry and factories and warehouses. She has nothing they want, other than a legion of souls at her command, ripe for the picking.

And perhaps that what they are after, in the end. And why Vox and a bunch of his undersea thugs jump her and Emily while they're out shopping. They were supposed to have an agreement, Sera thought. She should have known their word was as good as a pile of shit baking on the sidewalk.

The best place to have "fun" in Pentagram City is at the mall in the shopping district, deep within Velvette's territory, where Sera figures she and Emily could spend a day together, like old times.

Apparently, Vox has different plans in store for them, and when Sera isn't looking, she's quite literally body-slammed by a huge sea monster-looking thug that's nearly twice her size. He's slow, and stupid, and fumbles with her several times, but with one swipe of his gargantuan tail, a Sera-shaped hole opens in the wall of a store where Sera had gone flying through it. She comes to in a pile of rubble, and is suddenly on her back, as a huge foot pins her down as the monster puts its weight on her, causing her to cry out in pain as it threatens to crush her chest.

"Sera!" Emily shouts. Emily makes a move to help her sister, but two more shark-looking thugs hold her back by the arms. Emily tugs, trying to get away, but it's all for naught.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Vox appears, without either of his partners in tow. So he's going solo for this project, Sera assumes. He stands above her, arms crossed across his chest in amusement, staring down at the other overlord with a grin that spreads from one side of his LED face to the other. He's also drooling a little, evidenced by the red lines on one side of his mouth. He's clearly getting a kick out of watching her squirm.

"How's it going, Sera?" Vox asks, feigning disinterest, as he kicks a huge boulder away that's next to Sera's head. "Imagine finding you here. With that cute little brat of yours. Without any kind of protection at all."

"Vox!" Sera screeches, eyes glowing red, horns popping out of her head in rage. She claws at the rubble all around her, trying to push the monster off her that has her pinned. But its damned foot just applies more pressure and pushes her deeper into the concrete. "What the absolute FUCK do you think you're doing, Vox?! Let me go!"

"Nah. I don't think I will." Vox leans down next to Sera on one knee, completely ignoring her as he messes around with a tablet for a moment. "See, word on the street is that little dove over there is very important to you. One might say she's even...worth making a wager over. For her safety. Wouldn't you agree?"

Sera roars, and rasps her claws down the monster's leg. Red blood blossoms from under Brutus' scales, and he grunts in pain, but doesn't let up. Sera continues swiping at the clawed foot that has her trapped, and thrashes uncontrollably beneath it, as much as she can possibly move with all the pressure being applied to her chest. She cries out, as the creature leans down to hold a clawed hand around her neck, threatening to choke her. Emily screams for Sera again, begging her to fight, and get up, but Sera's head is swimming from lack of oxygen.

"None of that now," Vox says, still preoccupied with his tablet. He's tapping away with his fingers, as if the scene before him is of no consequence. Then, to the monster currently trying to kill Sera, he says, "Brutus, lay off her, would ya? I need her alive for what I have planned. I can't have her release all her souls to me if she's double dead. They'd just go back to the ether."

Brutus growls in frustration, clearly wanting to watch the light leave Sera's eyes as he slowly chokes her to death. He backs off, though, and lessens the pressure on her throat just a little. Sera gasps, and coughs, throat rasping for blessed air as glorious oxygen rushes to refill her deprived lungs.

After a moment, Vox finishes whatever he'd been doing on his tablet, and then holds the device down near Sera's face.

"Now...if you would kindly tap this electronic signature box here, here, and here, I'll release your darling sister, and you can both be on your way. Sound good?"

Sera roars again. The sound is not unlike a beast, causing the walls of the shopping center to shake, and her eyes to bleed with unleashed mania and madness.

"Why would I do such a thing?" Sera screams. "Let me go now, Vox! And my sister! This is against our treatise!"

Vox laughs. A guttural, evil, villainous laugh, that could put any cartoon baddy to shame.

"Oh, that's rich, coming from you!" Vox cackles. "You stupid fucking bitch! Are you even hearing yourself? We're in Hell! Why would I follow any agreement when you've put a target on your own back? Strutting around here with your greatest weakness on display for all to see? On my own turf? I would be a fool to not take advantage of an opportunity like this!"

Vox turns to the demons holding Emily, and with a snap of his fingers, one of the grunts holding Emily's shoulder wraps its claws around her throat, threatening to do the same thing to Emily that Brutus had nearly done to Sera a moment prior.

Vox shoves the tablet back into Sera's face, until she can feel the warm metal of the device from his hand against her cheek.

"Sign it! Relinquish all your open contracts to me, and you and this little bitch can be on your merry way. If not, it's her life for yours."

Sera has rarely cried in front of Emily before. She's always tried to be the bigger person; stronger, and serving as a good example for the younger girl to look up to. But with the literal jaws of death at Emily's throat, and the crushing weight of all her failures pushing her chest into the hard ground, the overlord can't stop the tears from falling anymore.

Brutus shifts slightly, allowing Sera to free just one of her hands, so she can reach up to touch the tablet. Sera stretches her arm to the screen, to sign away her entire empire to a man with a fucking television for a face. For her sister's life and safety. Because at the end of the day, that's all she cares about.

Nothing else matters. As long as Emily is okay.

"Sera! Stop! Please, don't do it, Sera!"

Emily doesn't know what comes over her. One moment, she's pleading with Sera not to sign her life away to a scumbag like Vox. In the next, her entire sphere of vision is overtaken by golden, angelic light. The two thugs gripping her shoulders fly away, like they've been blasted by an invisible force.

Emily can't see anything through the blinding light that is her angelic power. But she doesn't need to. She can feel her sister's essence, and it's like a beacon. She barely even feels it when she rushes forward and makes contact with Brutus' body. The monster barely has time to register what hits his large form like a comet, sending himself, and Vox, flying into a store display. While their opponents are blindsided, Emily scoops up her sister, carrying all 12 feet of her in her tiny, unassuming arms.

Three pairs of wings sprout from Emily's back, materializing through her robes like the fabric isn't even there. Sera is weak, and hangs limply in Emily's grasp, but she's not so out of it that she can't look up at her little sister, and shriek, "Emily??!!" What--??!! I--??!! How--??!!"

"I'm sorry, Sera! Please forgive me! I'll explain later! But we need to get out of here first!"

With that, Emily flaps her wings, and with some degree of effort, pushes off the ground and into the red-hued sky of the Pride ring, with Sera frantically trying to hold on to her for dear life.

Emily isn't looking forward to explaining herself later, but for now, she and her sister are safe. That fact alone gives her enough strength to get them home and out of Vox's infernal clutches.