#waterfall climbing fish

[linseedling]

teasers for book 2

[h20goflashnsplashsealrideon]

i never introduced guppy because he kind of sucks. he was rescued from beinf abandoned at the pool but no matter how many times i try to repair him he has holes. and yes he's radioactive

[psalidodont]

Fun fact, Plecos such as Ancistrus sp (your common bristlenose pleco!). alongside other species like Chaetostoma sp, Cordylancistrus sp, and so on (there's a lot of similar looking plecos out there, so i wont be listing their genus names for my sanity's sake) will climb waterfalls and go against their flow. Some do this to either go to places where there's less food competition or predation, while others are more so adapted for climbing up streams and such on their natural habitat. Just goes to show how you can have a different solution for the same problem in two distantly related groups of fishes.

Cave fish time!!

Cryptotora thamicola or the waterfall climbing cave fish are extremely rare, found in only eight caves on the border of Thailand and Myanmar. Like most cave fish they are blind and pigmentless but what makes them special is there ability to cling to walls and climb up flowing water.

[g0nefischin]

MERSKELES PART 3!

Definitely not mermay anymore but here's the last 3 sirens I wanted to do

and some explanation on why I choose what I did under the cut

(little warning for parasites on fresh's section)

So from left to right

Dream is a golden colored koi carp fish, I picked it because they are very pretty and they represent a lot of positive things like luck and fortune, some people even wish on them to make their dreams come true :> I also thought of the legend where a golden koi fish climbs a large waterfall to turn into a dragon, so they have some mythical legends as well. In terms of the actual fish, Koi are very sociable and sturdy, they also live for quite awhile.

Nightmare is a coelacanth, he should probably be an octopus considering he has tentacles, but I really wanted to make him a coelacanth because I think they are neat. Coelacanth's are very old with the latest fossils being over 400 million years old, they were thought to be extinct until one was found in 1938, grandpa nightmare. They are also nocturnal, sleeping in caves during the day, they live deep in the ocean as well. 

Fresh is actually a two in one, he is a rainbow parrotfish with a tongue-eating louse in his mouth. Out of alI the bright fish I did a parrotfish because I really like their gradients, and I think the magenta fins fit his jacket. He's a parasite inside of a Sans body, so I picked a fish parasite to go along with the fish half of his body. I chose the tongue-eating louse, a type of parasite that replaces a fish's tongue. It first severs the blood vessels to the tongue and once it falls off takes its place. feeding on nutrients and acting as a new tongue for the rest of the fish's life, very cool and terrifying.

[softbean]

鯉のぼり

It's that time of the year again. This year one of my students told me the meaning of koinobori. Apparently koi fish climb up waterfalls, and so they are a symbol of strength. I thought that was very fitting ;-;

I miss them...

[highways-are-liminal-spaces]

Nature Ask Meme 🍄🦌🌳

Send me a number and I'll answer or post a photo!

Do you have a favorite place near you to "touch grass"?

What was your weirdest favorite animal as a kid?

If you could see any extinct species in the wild, what would it be?

If you could see any non-extinct species in the wild, what would it be?

What's the coolest wildlife behavior you've ever seen?

What's your favorite bird you've ever seen?

What's your favorite bird song or call?

Can you identify birds by song or call?

Do you have a favorite nature photo you've ever taken?

What's your favorite invertebrate?

Are you scared of any animals?

What stereotypical "icky" or "scary" animals would you defend to your last breath?

What is the ugliest mammal? What about the ugliest bird?

What animal has the cutest babies?

If you could domesticate any kind of animal as a pet, what would it be?

Would you rather see a volcano or a waterfall?

Would you be more scared caving or mountain climbing?

What's your favorite nonfiction book about nature?

What's your favorite fiction book about nature?

What's your favorite poem or song lyric about nature?

What's the most underrated mushroom?

Can you identify any mushrooms? How confidently?

Bioluminescence or mycelial networking?

What's your favorite freshwater fish?

What's your favorite plant to grow yourself?

Have you ever made a meal from food you've hunted/fished/foraged yourself?

What's your favorite outdoor activity?

What's your favorite local animal you see all the time but still love?

What's your favorite type of wetland?

What is your ideal weather?

Thunderstorms or fog?

If you had to give a presentation on any nature topic without any prep, what would you pick?

What is your favorite predator-prey relationship?

What is your favorite mutualism?

What is your favorite natural "cycle"?

What is your favorite adaptation?

Do you have a favorite piece of clothing with a nature pattern on it?

What is the most underrated ecosystem?

What ecosystem do you consider your "home" ecosystem?

What is your favorite kind of rock formation?

Igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic rock?

What is your favorite mountain range? Favorite individual peak?

Have you ever felt an earthquake?

Geysers or hot springs?

What is your favorite wildflower?

What is your favorite plant or flower smell?

What is your favorite species of tree?

Do you have a favorite individual tree?

What fictional species would you most like to observe in the wild, if it were real? Are there any ways to interact with fictional organisms you wish you had the opportunity to do?

What fictional environment would you most like to explore?

[rabbitten]

Waterfall climbing cave fish. Every year on the nineteenth of May, I spam everyone I know with images and facts of waterfall climbing cave fish.

this is not a request but a demand - please send me your favourite fish. this is evergreen. i love fish so much

(mine has been oarfish since i was like 6 so when it was put in new leaf and everyone learnt about them and making art etc i was so happy)

[sammylkcho]

Mer AU

You climbed onto a large pile of rocks that extended from the shore to where the sea was sinking deeper and deeper.

The waves were larger than normal that day, but nothing dangerous enough to clear the beach.

You admired the view from the pile of rocks where you were perched, your small head taking in the vast, endless sea that stretched to other parts.

You knelt down, placing your tiny hands on your knees for support to avoid falling flat.

You noticed a small group of fish swimming together, neither rushing ahead nor straying too far from one another.

You continued to watch the curious fish reflected in the crystal-clear sea, some larger and others smaller than the rest.

A small blue blur caught your attention due to its speed as it passed by.

You swore you saw a tail similar to a shark's, but much smaller.

You crouched down further until you were crawling on the edge of the rocks with great care, holding onto the edge to avoid falling.

You searched the sea for that shark-like tail until a splash soaked your face, causing you to frown in surprise at the sudden wetness.

As you wiped the water off with your arms, you heard some high-pitched laughter nearby.

Curious about the sudden laughter, you finished drying yourself as best as you could and saw a kind of fish-human in the sea.

"You almost got completely soaked!" the child commented with laughter, chuckling heartily while mockingly holding his cheeks.

Instead of getting angry or responding rudely to his joke, you gazed at him with curiosity and wonder.

Amid his laughter, you noticed his mouth was filled with sharp teeth and a dark blue tongue that was barely noticeable.

You tilted your head to one side and asked, "What's your name, kid?" If you could, you would get closer, but unfortunately, you might fall and get completely soaked this time.

The fish-human looked at you, slowly stopping his laughter, gazing at you in the same way you had looked at him.

A brighter glint appeared in his eyes as he rested his three hands on his torso.

"I’m Sebastian! And I’m a merman" he said with total pride, placing his left hand on his chest.

You opened your mouth in astonishment, observing his physique in greater detail this time.

You noticed that his skin was a pale blue tone, with a long tail that had a small caudal fin at the end.

He had three arms, and the third one seemed smaller than the other two.

His eyes were completely bright blue, his wavy black hair cascading down both sides of his face like a waterfall.

Lastly, if you squinted your eyes just right, you could see gills on either side of his neck and beneath his torso.

While you carefully studied Sebastian's figure, he was doing the same with you.

He observed how your features were very different from his, noting that you had no scales or fins.

"And what’s your name, kid?" he repeated your words, but you didn’t pay it much attention.

You told him your name with a smile.

Sebastian repeated your name, finding it amusing how it sounded.

You both stared at each other's different features, but neither of you said anything negative or hurtful about those significant differences; you were filled with innocent curiosity, unaware that each other’s species was completely unknown to the other.

[your-local-baguette]

How long has it been ?

Warnings: angst, Rin and sae childhood spoilers, swearing, not proofread, slow burn romance

Pairings: sae itoshi

Word count: 3.2k

Authors note: this was my first slow burn so it's not as long as i imagined but i hope you liked it and it took me a while to come up with all this lol

Also i can't tag the person that requested it since i can find them i'm sorry. But anyway enjoyy

_________________♡🔥♡__________________

Large round eyes, sparkling with admiration. They were locked onto ...., so captivating. She stumbled up, her little legs running at full speed. Where they they bring her ?

To the very beginning...

"rinn!" A loud high voice called out, the child turning his head at the call of his name, the ambitious child's eyes lit up, his eyes locking on his classmate. The six year old girl stopped right in front of him, for he, was quite confused about the situation. What were you doing here ? The child's elder brother, an eight year old, looked at the two, the ghost of a smile creeping up on his face. "Rin! Rin!" The girl was almost jumping out of excitement "can i play with you two ? Pretty please!" The young girl almost yelled, as for the green haired child, he looked up at his auburn haired brother. The older child sighted heavily at the pleading eyes of his younger brother. "Uh..okay." both younger child jumped at this.

The net of the goal stretched back, stopping the football's motion, a scream of joy couod be heard, along with an impressed "woaah!" Although the more experienced here, kept silent. "Y/n that was so amazing!" Rin said, impressed by the young girls goal. The girl pointed back at herself with her thumb, a proud look attached to her face. "I'm so amazing!" She did a little dance of victory, happy with herself. Rin kept fawning over the goal she just made, boosting her childish ego even more.

The sun was setting in the distance, the children stopping to look at it. Your mouth gaped like a fish's, the two boys were also quite captivated. The sun slowly but surely disappeared, the sky darkened, signaling it was time to go home. " This was so fun! I hope we can play again!" The little girl said, earning a barely noticeable nod from the auburn haired kid, while the younger brother replied with joy "me too!"

You started walking back home, waving back at them, you git big waves from rin and a small raise of the hand from sae. The fresh air of the evening made the intense feeling of adrenaline be subsided by a feeling of comfort and security.

The days, weeks even years passed by so fast, it felt like just a few months but guess what, it was six years that passed by. You and rin stood side by side, tears about to spill out like waterfalls, Sae stood there, a frown on his face. "I'm going to spain" he said, his tone cold, but that small hint of sadness in it aswell. Gosh, it hurt him so much too. He eyed your sad expression, he wiped a tear off of your face. "I'll be back before you know it" just like that, he left for his plane. You turned to rin, who was also crying, you pulled him into a hug, "it will be fine, i'm still with you" he nodded, hiding in your neck. You felt awful, although in the same grade, you were still older than him, he was twelve, you were thirteen. "I'll practice with you, you'll climb up the ranks as a striker, and i'll be your midfielder ?" He nodded, pulling away from the hug, wiping his tear " i promise to protect you, i'll become the best striker along with you and big brother" he said, still a little childish. You smiled at him "i'm sure you will, let's go get an ice cream and walk a bit, it will make you feel better"

The two walked side by side, heading to the ice cream truck nearby, you let rin choose what he wanted. Handing some money to the man in the truck who handed rin his ice cream. "Huh ? You're not taking anything?" Rin said, a questioning look on his face. You shook your head "i'm not hungry" you answered, he nodded, you ruffled his hair, a sad smile attached to your face. "Hey! Don't ruffle my hair!" You giggled "only when you'll be taller than me" he pouted a little, still eating his ice cream. You sighted "i'll walk you back home, mkay?" Rin nodded, walking alongside you, his eyes lingering on the ground. "When do you think nii-san will be back?" You lingered for a bit aswell " i don't know, but like he said, he'll be back before you know it" "i trust you"

You stopped walking in front of his home "see you " you said, waving at him. To which he waved back heading inside, you sighted, walking back home. You didn't live very far, actually, your houses were pretty close.

Countless goals have been scored between you and rin, the small fields that were once occupied by three childrens, were now occupied by a fifteen year old and sixteen. But this is the moment things between you broke off...

"rin, i want to tell you something" rin looked back, his hair that grew longer, piercing teal eyes. You stopped ruffling his hair, he grew taller than you, "i-" he waited patiently for whatever you wanted to say. "I'm sorry but...i don't feel the same joy playing football anymore" this hit rin like a car at full speed, what do you mean ? You ? Not want to become the best midfielder anymore. Before he could say anything "i'm not saying i won't play with you here anymore, but i've had another passion for a while now. I don't want to keep that from you" rin gritted his teeth, this made more sad than you thought, it was the last thing he expected, he dig his nails into his palm "what's that passion" "volleyball " you answered him, quickly at that, he nodded "volleyball..." He repeated, "if you're happy then good" it's not like he could stop you "i promise to come here once in a while to play with you, alright ?" He nodded, but walked away, while you picked up your bag, heading to your practice. You gulped, heading to where your practice was supposed to happen. It was hard admitting this to rin...

As promised, you came back once in a while, to think you didn't play football seriously, yet now, you were teaching him how to score from a corner. You pointed the part of the foot he needed to use, and explained the movement he needed to do. He was listening carefully, you demonstrated the curved shot, it entered the goal, you told him you had to go, he let you off and simply kept on practicing what you taught him.

SAE POV

Gosh, for him it was hell in spain, Real Madrid was awful, especially with Leonardo. It was hell after hell, not day after day. He despised him, so damn much. He even gave up on becoming a striker, he tightened his grip on his phone.

A ding! Caught his attention, his eyes widened for a second, surprised to see.

His hand trembled slightly, biting down on his lower lip, his thumbed ghosted over the follow back button. He took him a few seconds before he pressed it, feeling all the tension in his heart wash away. He wasn't going back to japan before another year, yet he wanted to book a flight right this instant and go back. He closed his phone, pushing himself off the wall, walking back to where he stayed.

Y/N POV

You walked out of practice, holding your phone to check any notifications, you most likely did have some, but one caught your eye.

You smiled slightly, walking back to your home with a happy smile, gosh, you missed him. Did he miss you, he did, just not the same way you did...

...

You stood next to rin on the field you used to play as children, he was drinking a bit of water. While you were in your volleyball attire, the sun shining down, you smiled at him. "Thanks for playing with me. Really brings back memories" he nodded, he went to grab his ball but got reminded of something. "Happy seventeen birthday y/n" you smiled at him "thank y-"

"yea, happy seventeen birthday" a monotone voice said, from beside you, well not entirely, more like a few feet away. That auburn hair...those teal eyes...that neutral expression, it felt like he hadn't changed a single bit. A single tear rolled down your cheek, your mouth opened bit nothing came out. The wind swayed between the both of you, aa for rin he clenched his jaw and walked away. "Sae..." You said, with a soft voice, you extended a hand towards him and engulfed the man in a hug. He didn't hug you back, he let you do as you please, not like he really cared anyway. He felt your arms tighten around him, your figure shaking a little. "Your back..." You pulled away, walking a few feet back "what took you so fucking long ?" He didn't answer, simply keeping quiet, he wasn't messing up here. "How have you been ?" You asked, still hesitant, it took him a while to answer you "fine" he simply answered, not that wasn't true, it hadn't been fine, but as if he was going to tell you that. He was hesitant but..." And you..?" A small smile tugged on your lips "i've been good..." You caught him eyeing your attire, chuckling a bit "i joined japan national volleyball team recently, i don't play football anymore" he had to be honest, he was caught off guard by that. "I see... congratulations..." He said, still with that monotone voice.

You took a deep breath, but went for it anyway "i know you just got back...but, i want to know if you're willing to try to build our friendship again..." It took a lot out of you to say that, but here you were, asking the one question that had been lingering in your mind, ever since you saw that notification. At first, you thought he was going to say no, that from how long he was taking to answer you. But at last....

"okay..."

You smiled at him "thank you..it means more than you think." He hummed in response, the sun was completely set, the stars were shining at their brightest, you bit down on your lip. "I'll walk you home" you agreed, grabbing the volleyball that was resting at your feet, you both started walking, he took the side closer to the road of the sidewalk. You noticed how he was similar but also how much he changed, he was around 5'11 ( 180cm), his jawline was sharper and his hair was longer. Now his bangs were pushed back, still with the long under lashes, he was more muscular, lot more attractive that he was before, more man like. He was still as quiet as before, he wasn't awkward, just quiet and only spoke when necessary. You reached your home in no time "thanks for walking me home sae...see you" he turned his gaze away "see you.." when he was sure you were safe inside, he started walking back to his home...

You slid down against your door, smiling to yourself, god, you were so happy. Letting out all your joy, you got up. Heading directly to bed, you had an important match tomorrow, you'd text sae tomorrow to ask him if he wanted to go see your match. You got in some more comfortable clothes, letting yourself fall on your bed.

Next morning

You smiled at your phone and out your plate in the sink, carefully washing it while humming to yourself. Gently tapping your foot, you were already in your volleyball jersey and a volleyball was resting close to your backdoor. Your parents were barely home these days, so you almost had to the house to yourself. As you kept washing your dishes, a knock at your front door was heard and you frowned. Who could it be this early ? You swiftly dried your hands and walked over to the door, when you opened, at your surprise, you found Sae, in some casual clothings. "Sae ? Come in, come in" you opened the door further you let him in and he walked in, staying on the entrance mat. "What are you doing here ?" You simply asked, a look of confusion clear on your face "your match.." he answered and you immediately understood. "Oooh. You didn't need to come join me but nevermind that, come take a seat, just remove your shoes please" yet he stayed there on the mat, hands in his pocket "you look ready" "yes, but my match is in an hour, the gym is nearby" sae kept his neutral expression "you should get there early" you stopped your walk back to the kitchen and sighed, snatching your volleyball and backpack, everything already in it. Well, that was except for your keys, so you snatched them from the countertop, opening the front door and sae got out behind you. You closed the door and locked it, putting away your keys and started walking to the location. Sae followed, taking the toad side, matching your pace, the walk was a comfortable silence. It didn't long, maybe fifteen minutes and you both had already arrived. You showed him the way to the audience and he nodded while you headed towards your coach that had also, recently arrived. You discussed with her for a bit before starting off with the stretches. Soon enough the other and your oen had arrived, as for Sae, he was sat in the audience, observing from time to time. You both had arrived early so it was expected to have some waiting. Half an hour after both teams had arrived, captains shook hands and your team started with the serve. Sae now observed carefully, his eyes set on you, as you stood a few steps behind the line, the ref signaled the start and you threw the ball, jumping for a decent jump float. The other team easily picked it up, sending to the setter and second tempo attack was performed from their wing spiker. An attack which was picked up by your team's libero, sent to your setter and it was a high set, to give you some time as you performed a back row attack. That was the first point of the game and the sound of volleyballs hitting the floor one after another was heard for at least the next two hours. It was a very tight score at the end but you had won 2-1, you celebrated a bit with your teams but you looked up at the audience, smiling at Sae, had you looked more carefully, you could have seen the hint of a smile on his face.

About thirty minutes later

You stretched your arms and smiled at Sae as you both walked back, you with a drink in hand. You had stopped by a cafe "gaah! I'm so glad of this match's outcome!" He glanced towards you whispering 'you did good' and you turned your head towards him "mhm? Did you say something?" "No" he answered dryly "dry much" you commented which earned you a slight eye roll. You chuckled and shook your head "i'm glad you came" you simply said, expressing your gratitude to him. Honestly, you didn't think things would go so well, he nodded and kept up his quiet persona. You let out a small sigh and looked up at the sky, it was around noon or so. "I hope we'll have a next outing soon! Feel free to invite me whenever!" You said excitedly to which he smiled internally, what ? Did you think the sae would physically smile at you for that? But, he gave you a nod nonetheless. As you both reached your home, he waved you goodbye as you headed back inside.

A month later

Ever since then, you and sae had talked through text sometimes but never went out, you wanted him to ask you out this time, which was very irrealistic of you but oh well. A girl could dream right?! But you occupied yourself with some romance book, comfortably layed on your couch and enjoying a drink. What else did you have to do ? Nothing, but romance books are life so it's fine. Suddenly a bing! Caught your attention, you picked your phone.

You squealed a little and hugged your phone tight, spinning in circles "it happened!!" You sprinted upstairs to get changed into some pale jeans shorts and warm red knitted sweater. No need for makeup this time, you still had about 2-3 hours to pass though, so you kept reading your book and the time passed like lighting. As the doorbell rang you swiftly got up to answer and there he was, standing in some casual sweater and black jeans. It wasn't overboard, just to be comfortable. You greeted him and smiled at him, which he didn't return at all, but worth the short. You walked out and Locked your door, starting to walk with him. Apart from the casual small talk like hello, how are you, there were not many words exchanged and maybe it was better that way. Sae was a man of very few words and you were quite comfortable observing the sakura trees in the park. So you both kept on walking until you reached the fountain in the middle of the park, there no people around...perfect. a surprisingly gentle touch reached out in your hair, only to pinch a small petal that had fallen in it, tossing it aside. You looked towards sae with curious eyes and a smile, his body was facing yours, there was no tension only untold feelings. The kind of feelings that went infinitely deep into both of your hearts. His hand hesitated to reach out towards yours, but he clenched his fist, contenting himself with being able to see the happiness in your eyes, the happiness he wish he could have. "Thanks" your voice snapped him out of his trance and nodded with a small hum, guiding you to start walking back to which you agreed, still walking alongside eachother silently, yet this time...it felt more..intimate ? It was a tough feeling to describe. You looked up at the sky, still that gentle smile gracing your lips and as the minutes passed, the exit to the park got closer and closer. The outing coming to an end, as you prepared to depart back home, a voice called out to you "y/n" you stopped and looked back towards Sae, specifically right in his eyes, you noticed the very subtle signs of nervousness coming from him. "I..." His voice came out a little stranded, he was hesitating. You fully faced him and he took a few steps towards you, his hand still hesitating to reach out for yours "i love you..." Your eyes widened and a slight blush crept on your cheeks, you looked right back at him, while to others he might have seemed unbothered and a tiny bit arrogant. In your eyes, he was genuine, nervous and especially, in love. "Sae....i-" you wuck in a sharp breath as you felt his hand on yours and the other on your cheek. He was close and he seemed impatient, waiting for an answer..."i love you too..." You felt the tension in his hold immediately released and it became more gentle than ever. He silently asked for you permission and as you slid your hands on his shoulder, he tilted his head a bit and leaned forward. It felt like an eternity before your lios connected in one gentle and light kiss. But it felt so passionate too, your hands soon enough found themselves on his nape and your lips separated. Both of your gaze locked in eachother, alone to the world but one last sentence left his lips

"how long has it been since i've wanted this..."

[onskepa]

Could you do a human x sulys reacting to her tattoo. It could be a medusa one but if you have a better idea for a tattoo, use that!

Okie, I searched far and wide and I found a good one! Enjoy!

P.S: I will try to not be super specific on where the tattoo is placed, I leave that to your imagination

---------------------

Slukx

It was a hot day in the forest, seasons are not normal in Pandora but what they are going through can be somewhat called ‘summer’. It was also a wonderful time where the water in lakes, rivers, ponds, lagoons all are nice and cool. Perfect to beat the heat. So that is where the sully family had an idea. The children invited their close friends to join in as well. 

Neytiri knew the perfect spot where it was spacious for everyone, safe and had a beautiful view of the waterfalls. Even fish if they get hungry. It was going to be a fun day that everyone looked forward to. 

“CANONBAAAAAAAAALL!!” Jake shouts out as he jumps into the water, causing a massive splash. His kids all laugh happily and start to splash him. Neytiri makes sure all the items are set before joining in with her family. 

She looks back, beckoning the family friend.  

“Slukx, come, the water is clear and very refreshing” she says. 

Slukx nods as she starts to take off her outer clothes, leaving only her swimming outfit.

“I'm going, i'm going” she replies, making sure she is set, she climbs up from where Jake launched himself and jumps into the water as well. Swimming to where everyone was at, slukx reamurges up for air. 

“Wow, this is nice,” she compliments. 

“What is that???” tuk asks, her eyes wide. Everyone else all staring at the same spot. Slukx looks at them confused. 

“What is what?” she asks. 

“That” kiri points to a certain area of her body. 

“Is that a tattoo?” Jake asks. 

“Oh, yeah, it's a tattoo” slukx replies simply, not seeing a big deal about it. She tries to swim away but gets dragged back. 

“How come we have never seen this tattoo before?” Jake asks as he holds slukx. 

“I don't see the big issue” she replies. 

“Nonsense, tattoos are sacred here. Is it the same for sky people? Making a mark of achievement in the form of ink?” Neytiri asks. Slukx and Jake share a look. 

“Something like that, yeah” Jake answers. 

The kids get closer to observe the tattoo in great detail. 

“Its so cool!” 

“Weird patterns” 

“Why that shape?” 

“They look like fangs!” 

“Does it have meaning?” 

The kids wouldn't stop asking, needing to know. Slukx chuckles as she gently silences them. “Look, I get you all want to know, but for now I just want to swim around. We came here to enjoy ourselves. So let's do that, yeah? Later I promise to explain the meaning behind my tattoo”. 

Everyone seemed to agree and continue on with their swimming. However, from time to time the kids can't help but get closer to stare at the ink itched on her skin. 

Night came, after fishing everyone was having their fill. Enjoying good roasted fish with berries and clean water. Sharing funny moments anyone can recall, Jake and Neytiri sharing their stories of their younger years and so on. 

Fire was light, bringing warmth and light to their small area. Overall the fun is still going until they pass out. 

Until then, slukx was enjoying her meal when she couldnt ignore 5 sets of oogling eyes. 

“Yes? Do you need something?” she asks without needing to turn her head. 

“Soooo….about the tattoo” spider drags his words a bit. 

“You promised you would tell us!” tuk pushes a bit as she crawls close to see the tattoo again. 

“Alright, I did promise” slukx gives in. The children cheer and gather in front of her, jake and Neytiri doing the same. All eyes and ears on her. So, clearing her throat, she begins to explain the reasoning and meaning behind her tattoo.

“This symbol is called ‘Odin’s three horns’. It is from an old legend, like a thousand year old legend. From an era called ‘the iron age’” slukx begins to explain. 

“Vikings, just say vikings” jakes slightly interrupts her with a none impressed expression. Neytiri lightly hit his head as she hissed, “silent, let her talk”. 

“Thank you neytiri, now as I was saying. Yes, Vikings were the ones who created this symbol” slukx goes on. 

“What are vikings??” Kiri asks. 

Slukx boops her nose, “that's for another time” 

“Anyways, the Odin’s three horns have a very unique meaning. One that I believe I reflect myself upon” she goes on. 

Neteyam gets closer, “what does it mean?” he asks. 

Slukx points to each horn, “pursuit of knowledge, wisdom, and inspiration. I have come a long way net. To learn, to grow, and to find new paths. Much like all of you”. 

“Beautiful…” Neytiri was sort of awe struck. The symbol was odd, but the meaning is amazing. 

“There is also a story behind it too” 

“Yes! Story time!!” tuk cheers as she snuggles up next to slukx. Everyone gets into a much more comfortable position to hear the story. Clearing her throat, slukx begins to tell. 

“The myth says that the triple horn was once real, and it contained a source that if consumed, those who drink it will have…”

I might, might not link this story to a future fic! But! I hope you are ok with the symbol I chose, I thought it would fit more with the story. Hopefully you enjoyed it! Until next time! See ya!

-------------

Slukx = Horn of animal

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

Daily fish fact #788

New Zealand longfin eel!

Historically these eels could grow up to two meters long (6 feet 7 inches), but due to population decline the current average is 60 cm (2 feet) for males and one meter (3 feet) for females. Young eels migrate from the sea to freshwater, and will often climb waterfalls and even dams on their journey!

[persevereforahappyending]

Maybe in Another Life |11|

Pairing: Clarisse La Rue x Hunter of Artemis!Reader

Summary: You are a Hunter of Artemis, but you start to question what you truly want when you meet Clarisse and get to know her.

Warnings: Slight Battle of the Labyrinth Spoilers

Word Count: 4k

Main Masterlist | Series Masterlist

ch. 1 | ch. 2 | ch. 3 | ch. 4 | ch. 5 | ch. 6 | ch. 7 | ch. 8 | ch. 9 | ch. 10 | ch. 11 | ch. 12 | ch. 13 | ch. 14 | ch. 15 | ch. 16 | ch. 17

You groaned, straightening your back, and stretching, as you woke up. You felt mostly healed up, you looked over the injury on your shoulder and leg, it seemed it was all healed up, leaving only faint little scratches. “How long was I out?” You asked. Time moved differently but given how rested you were you felt you had slept a lot longer than you should have.

Clarisse was still facing the waterfall before she turned to face you. “A couple hours,” Clarisse said.

“You should have woken me for my watch.” You pulled yourself to your feet, walking a short distance to see you were no longer limping. “Want to get some rest now?”

Clarisse shook her head. “We should get moving. As nice as this place is,” she looked around. When you weren’t being chased by a giant bat creature you had to admit the place was rather gorgeous, dozens of waterfalls flowing and cascading down smooth dark grey rocks. They flowed into a darkness you didn’t want to go into, but you couldn’t deny the view. “We need to find a way out.”

“You need to be well rested,” you tried to reason.

“I’m fine,” she shrugged you off.

“If today is anything like yesterday you need to be alert, you-”

“I’ll be fine,” Clarisse snapped.

You sucked in a breath; you weren’t going to point out how cranky she clearly was. “Okay,” you surrendered. Children of Ares were so stubborn, even when you knew you were right, there were times you couldn’t bother arguing with them.

The two of you gathered your stuff and made your way out from behind the waterfall. It still looked like nighttime, light shining in from somewhere you still couldn’t find, making the water shine. Out of all the places in the world you’d been to, all the isolated, untouched by human, places, nowhere had as crystal clear of water as this place.

“Think it’s safe to drink?” Clarisse asked.

You looked at the water. It was crystal clear; you didn’t even see fish or life of any sort living in it. Though the only creature you had seen so far was the giant bat. You were also in the labyrinth; it was designed to kill. You could only shrug, maybe the water was safe, or maybe it was poison that would slowly kill the both of you if you drank it.

Clarisse shrugged. “Whatever, it’s worth the risk.” She slung her backpack around, digging through it before pulling out a water bottle. “Always be prepared.” You looked down at her with a soft smile.

“I was only meant to be gone a few hours,” you sighed, you had no idea how much time was passing in the real world, you had no idea how long you had even been in the labyrinth, it felt like hours, but it had been nonstop since you fell in there. It felt like you hadn’t drank anything in days.

“Don’t worry, I’ll share.” Clarisse gave you a teasing smirk as she held the water bottle under the waterfall, filling it up to the brim.

“A child of Ares sharing?” You gasped.

“Shut up,” she aggressively shoved the now full water bottle into your ribs.

You chuckled, taking a big gulp before handing it back to her. You waited a few seconds and when you didn’t drop dead you decided you were probably fine. The water was the most satisfying drink you had ever had. Clarisse took a gulp, then refilled the little you had drunk to top it off.

The two of you made your way around the island, looking for a good spot to climb. You could have jumped from island to island but you both decided to climb up to where the waterfall was flowing down from was probably the best bet. You weren’t sure where a door out of there could be, but the last door opened up through the floor and you dropped down onto one of the rock islands, so anything was possible.

“You got any rope in there?” You joked as you looked up the side of the cliff. You had climbed worse, though you usually had the other Hunters, Artemis, and some sort of climbing gear.

You turned, still quietly chuckling to yourself when Clarisse didn’t answer. Your mouth hung open when you saw Clarisse digging through her backpack, pulling out some rope and a hook. When she was all done, she looked up, seeming to realize you were watching her. “What?” She asked.

“Nothing, you just,” you gestured down to the rope and hook. “Really were prepared for anything.”

“Of course,” she slung her bag back over her shoulders. “You can never know what to expect on a quest.”

You nodded, that was true. You never knew what monsters you’d run into or where you’d end up on the journey. Most demigods only prepared by having the basic necessities, food, money, a weapon, and if they were really lucky a couple pieces of ambrosia. Clarisse wasn’t most demigods though, she was a child of Ares, she loved a fight, she was always prepared for a fight.

She handed you a rope and you began tying it around your waist as she did the same, then she clipped your two ropes together. Being connected was dangerous, if one of you fell you could bring the other down with you, but on the other hand if one of you fell the other could stop you from plummeting to your death. Clarisse spun the rope a few times, getting some good momentum before releasing it. You watched as it sailed up into the air, wondering if it would be long enough. It didn’t hit the top, but it did catch on a couple rocks just before the edge. Clarisse pulled on the rope tightly, then both of you did the same, using all your strength to make sure it would hold both of your weight. When the hook didn’t budge the two of you began your trek up the side of the waterfall.

The waterfall didn’t look as big before you started climbing it. There were plenty of ridges to put your feet and hands on as the two of you climbed up. You each only nearly fell once, when you got closer to the waterfall the rocks got slippery. Clarisse’s hand slipped once, leaving her hanging on with only one hand until she could regain her balance. Your foot slipped when you went to push off a rock, forcing you to claw at the rocks to maintain your grip.

When the two of you finally got to the top, pulling yourselves over the edge, you both just laid there, the only sound coming from your heavy breathing. After a moment you both pulled yourselves to your feet and got a look at your new terrain. Much like down below it was all darkness and rock, though there were no more floating islands or bridges connecting to the main one you were on.

“What’s that?” You asked, pointing at something through the darkness.

Clarisse squinted, trying to determine what it was. “I don’t know,” she said.

You both looked at each other and when you gave a little shrug, she pulled out her dagger, you pulled out your bow, and the two of you walked into the darkness. There was a slight glimmer, in the distance, you were just hoping it wasn’t another monster. When you finally got to your destination you saw it was another rock, your eyes trailed up but unlike the last cliff there was no waterfall, it looked never ending as the tip disappeared in the darkness.

“Over here,” Clarisse whispered, nodding her head to the side.

You furrowed your brow but didn’t question her as she began making her way around the side of the rock wall. Around the side was a small opening, it looked to be a cave of some sort. The only way either of you could fit was by sliding through sideways, there was no guarantee it would ever open up more, for all you knew it led to a dead end and it wasn’t actually a cave.

Clarisse unzipped her bag again, digging around until she pulled out a flashlight and a headlamp. “Preference?” She asked, holding each of them out to you.

You shrugged and took the flashlight. Clarisse nodded and strapped the headlamp around her head. “Ready?” You nodded and Clarisse squeezed through the small crack in the side of the rock wall. You gave the open cavern one last look before following after Clarisse, making sure to stick as close together as possible.

After what felt like an hour of squeezing through the tight space it finally opened up, allowing the two of you to walk properly. The rest of the passage was still narrow, meaning you and Clarisse couldn’t walk side by side. She tapped her shoulder, you instantly put your hand where she tapped, knowing what she meant. You didn’t know what lay ahead and you certainly didn’t want to get separated in a dark cave in the middle of the labyrinth.

You finally came to an open room; the walls were still all rock, but the ceiling was high. You pointed the flashlight up and the light got swallowed up by the darkness. You turned in a circle, using the flashlight to scan your surroundings. Everywhere you turned there was just more black rock. The room didn’t continue on into another tunnel and you didn’t see a way out anywhere.

“Should we turn back?” You asked. You weren’t sure how long you had been moving, it didn’t seem like you had covered much distance, but your body sure felt like you had been going nonstop for hours.

“Clarisse?” You asked, turning around when she hadn’t answered you. You saw her crouched down near the far end of the room. “What’s up?” You made your way to her side, tilting your head as you saw what she was looking at, a hint of light peeking out where the wall met the ground.

“Let’s see if this moves,” she said.

She was already jumping to her feet and feeling around the wall before you had processed what she said. You got to work, holding the flashlight in one hand while you felt around the other end of the wall with your other hand. Your head snapped to the side when you heard a low rumble. Clarisse quickly pulled her hand off a rock, taking a few steps back. You didn’t know what she did, but you followed her lead.

You watched as the part of the wall Clarisse had been standing in front of groaned, the bottom of the wall grinding against the ground as it opened up. When the grinding stopped, and the hidden door was fully open there was a blinding white light on the other side. You and Clarisse both raised your hands, trying to block the light. You squinted as best as you could trying to make out anything through the light but there was nothing.

You reached down, brushing your finger against the back of Clarisse’s hand. She turned to you; you could just barely make out her squinting at you. You gave her a nod, hoping she could see it. She took your hand in her own giving it a small squeeze, she understood. The two of you turned forward, facing the light, squinting as you both took the step forward, into the white light.

You blinked away the white spots, trying to get your eyes to adjust to the new lighting. When your vision was finally clear enough you could see you were in a long corridor. The walls were once again made out of stone, perfectly cut rectangles forming the walls. You looked to Clarisse seeing her glance around the new location as well. You looked down, quickly letting go of her hand while clearing your throat.

On the other side of the corridor, you saw a door. It was closed but it was clearly a door. You hesitantly put one foot forward. As soon as your foot crunched down on the sand it began to shift beneath you. Clarisse yanked you back as the floor rumbled and the sand parted out of the way, falling in between the cracks of the tile it was resting on. You crouched down, under the stand revealed a pathway, large stone squares with various carvings, each of them leading to the door.

“I don’t like this,” Clarisse said.

“How do you want to play this?” You asked. “There’s got to be a trick of some sort.” Your eyes darted around the room, looking for what death trap could await you if you walked forward.

Clarisse swung her backpack off her shoulder again. “Let’s see how sensitive this thing is.” She dug around in her bag until she pulled out a little blue ball. You couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at her. “Selina thought it would help with my anger issues,” she used finger quotes over the words anger issues, making you chuckle.

Clarisse crouched down and rolled the ball across the tiles. You were pretty sure you both held your breath as the ball rolled over the first tile and nothing happened. As soon as the ball touched the second tile the tile dropped, shooting up a burst off hot air. The both of you leaned back, feeling the heat from the air, you could smell the magma that was surely below the tiles.

“You got anymore of those?” you asked, glancing at Clarisse hopefully. She shook her head and you let out a sigh, you should have known that would make it too easy.

You stepped forward onto the first tile that you knew was safe. You leaned over, peeking down through the hole. As you suspected you could see lava flowing below, you could feel the heat from it rising. You reached into your pocket and pulled out a handful of drachmas. You sighed, you were sure Artemis wouldn’t be happy to hear about you using drachmas to test the floor, but it was either the money or your life.

You tossed one drachma to the left of the fallen tile, letting out a shaky breath when it just made a little clang and didn’t end up in the lava. You looked back at Clarisse one last time before you took a step onto the same tile. When you didn’t fall to your death into lava you knew the coin was heavy enough to work. You continued your slow movements down the hall, tossing the coin onto one of the next tiles in the next row. You hit the wrong tile and your drachma was sent into the lava plenty of times. You were hoping Artemis would understand when you didn’t return with much change.

You finally let out a sigh of relief when your feet landed safely on the other side of the tiles, where the door was. You turned back to Clarisse who was staring across the pathway, seeing the lava bubbling below. “Just step exactly where I did,” you said, keeping your voice as calm as possible.

Clarisse nodded and began making her way to you. You watched her, making sure she didn’t move for an unsafe tile. It wasn’t a straight path and some tiles required jumping to. You were sure with all the tiles it wasn’t scary but with the missing ones you were jumping across molten lava. One wrong move, one slip of your foot, and you’d be sent straight to your death.

When Clarisse was safely by your side again you looked at the door. There was an arch creating the doorway but where the door should be was a flat stone block. The two of you began feeling around the arch, hoping to unlock something, you didn’t want to walk back across the lava. When you turned around you saw the remaining tiles crumble into the lava, leaving you with nowhere to go.

You turned back around when you felt the ground begin to rumble. You looked down at your feet, watching the sand shift around, you were waiting for the ground to crack open and swallow you up. That didn’t happen though, the stone block in the doorway began to shift, fully opening and revealing the doorway.

You slowly stepped forward peeking your head through the doorway. It was another dark room, though not as dark as the cave. Clarisse reached up, pressing the button on the headlamp she was still wearing. Since she had the light Clarisse took the lead, stepping into the room. Once you were fully in the room you didn’t bother glancing back as you heard the door closing behind you.

You didn’t need Clarisse’s head lamp for long as lights above began to flicker. When the lights finally kicked on you saw you were in a normal-looking room, filled with old technology. You might have been born before all that was invented and spent all your time in the woods, but you knew the computers and control panels were incredibly outdated.

“Do you know how to use any of this?” you asked, gesturing to all the foreign technology. Even if nothing was outdated and worked perfectly there was no way you’d be able to figure it out.

“Do I look like the kind of person who sat in front of a screen all day?” Clarisse asked, giving you a deadpanned look.

You shrugged. “You judged me for never seeing a movie.”

Clarisse rolled her eyes, a small smile tugging at her lips. “That’s different.” She walked to the center of the room, spinning in a circle as she got a look at everything. “This is something else.”

You took one side of the room while she took the other. You had no idea what anything was or did, but you began hitting buttons. If something turned on you weren’t sure what would happen, for all you knew it would release some giant monster. You were mindlessly hitting the buttons until you pressed a large red one. There was a loud groan, making your head snap up.

“What did you do?” Clarisse snapped, spinning around.

You turned around, opening your mouth to defend yourself but nothing came out. Your mouth was left hanging open as you heard skittering. It was like little bits of metal scraping against more metal.

You cautiously made your way to the middle of the room. You and Clarisse stood back-to-back once again, waiting for whatever was coming. You tilted your head, standing up a bit straighter when out from under one of the tables came a little metal spider. The machine scurried its way across the floor, stopping at your and Clarisse’s feet, you could almost swear it looked up at you.

“Is it going to kill us?” you whispered, sparing a glance at Clarisse.

The little metal spider moved forward, climbing up your boot slightly. Your entire body tensed up, but nothing happened. “Is that…” Clarisse trailed off. You raised an eyebrow as she stepped around the spider, crouching down to get a closer look. “Hephaestus.”

“So, it’s a friendly?”

“I would never use the words Hephaestus and friend in the same sentence,” Clarisse mumbled under her breath. “But it’s probably the thing least likely to kill us in here.”

The mechanical spider backed off your boot and began scurrying across the room again. “Where’s it going?” you looked to Clarisse. You both shrugged and followed the spider. Following a mechanical spider created by a god was sadly probably the least deadly thing you could do in the labyrinth.

The two of you followed the mechanical spider around the control panels until it stopped at the back wall. You furrowed your brow, there was no telling how long the little spider had been in the labyrinth, it was probably malfunctioning. You were about to ask for other ideas of ways out of the room when a door opened. Your eyes widened but before you could process what was happening the spider was moving again.

The two of you didn’t have anything better to do so you continued following the spider. You followed it until it led you to a long narrow passageway. You could see a singular door at the end of the passage. You took a deep breath before stepping into the hallway. About halfway to the door the entire hall began to shake and rumble.

“Run,” Clarisse whispered. “Run!”

The two of you took off down the hall, you were vaguely aware of the mechanical spider scurrying faster down the hall to the door. You did a full sprint down the hall, sparing a glance behind you to see the walls and ceiling caving in, creating a giant dust storm. You hit the door full force, Clarisse slamming into you. You both stumbled over each other as you tried to undo the latch on the door as the hallway continued to collapse. Just as the sand was beginning to blind you and send you into a coughing fit, the latch moved and you and Clarisse were tumbling through the door.

You coughed, shaking the sand from your hair. You were doubled over, your hands on your knees as you tried to regain your breath and get the sand out of your system. When you stood up, clearing your throat a few more times, you scrunched your eyebrows, spinning around in a circle at your surroundings. The first thing you noticed was the busted up mechanical spider at your feet, seeming to have been crushed by the collapsing tunnel.

“This is a weird room,” you said. You spun around again, looking up to the sky. The sun seemed to be beating down on you, you could see it and feel it. You hadn’t seen the sun since before you entered the hotel back in New York, so you weren’t sure what that meant. You were also standing in the middle of the street, surrounded by buildings.

“I know this place,” Clarisse whispered. You turned to face her, seeing her spin around as well, but instead of a look of confusion she had one of familiarity. “We’re in Arizona.”

You furrowed your brow, even more confused than before. When you turned around again you saw the door you most likely exited from. “Look,” you said, nodding to Clarisse.

Clarisse turned around, her eyes widening at the door. “That’s the symbol Annabeth told me to look for.” She stepped closer, looking the door up and down. It looked like a normal metal door at the back of a standard building, but this one had a Delta symbol glowing in the middle of it.

“Does this mean we escaped?” you asked slowly. You still weren’t sure you could believe what you were seeing.

Clarisse slowly nodded. “I think so.” She turned back to face you. “And I know where we are,” she smiled. “We’re not to far from my house.”

“You’re from Arizona?” that was the least important thing you had learned or to be going on, but you couldn’t help but smile at the new bit of information.

Clarisse looked down at the street, kicking her feet at an invisible rock. “We can go back to my place and…” when she looked up again her eyes widened.

“What?” you asked, searching Clarisse’s face for what was wrong. Clarisse was staring past you, making you turn around to see a boy about your age pacing back and forth in the street. His clothes were ripped up and caked in dirt, his hands gripped his hair tightly, shaking his head as he mumbled to himself.

“Chris,” Clarisse whispered. You looked back at Clarisse, not missing the concern and care on her face. The only Chris you knew of and that held, and significance was the boy from Camp Half-Blood, he was one of the first to go off and join Luke.

Taglist: @cxcilla @touchmyfracturedomens @luclue @manu-007s-world @death-in-love @nenas19 @mynameiskaci @danonered

[craftingcreatures]

Today I want to talk about the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus (Octopus paxarbolis).

OK, so for those who don't know, the PNW Tree Octopus was an internet hoax created in 1998 consisting of a website detailing the animal's life history and conservation efforts. It's completely fake - saying that up front. This animal never existed.

But if you look at this from a speculative biology standpoint? It's genius.

There is one, and only one, thing preventing Octopus from colonizing and being hugely successful in terrestrial environments in the PNW, and that's the fact that no cephalopod has ever been able to overcome the osmotic stress of inhabiting freshwater. We don't know why this is; other mollusks evolved freshwater forms just fine. But if you hand-wave away that one, single limiting factor, the PNW is just primed for a terrestrial octopus invasion.

The Pacific coast of North America is an active tectonic boundary, meaning the coast transitions pretty much immediately into the Cascade and Coastal mountain ranges (contrast with the east coast and its broad Atlantic plain). It's also a lush temperate rainforest, with very high precipitation. This means lots and lots of high-gradient mountain streams with lots of waterfalls and rapids and cold, highly oxygenated water, and not as many large, meandering rivers.

This has important consequences on the freshwater fauna. For one, there are not many freshwater fish in the Pacific Northwest - the rapids and waterfalls are extremely hard to traverse, so many mountain streams are fish-free. There also just isn't much fish diversity in the first place - there's sturgeon in the big rivers, salmonids, a few sculpin and cyprinids and... that's pretty much it. These cold northern rivers are positively impoverished compared to the thriving fish communities of the Mississippi or Rio Grande.

Few fish means few predators, and depending on the size of the first freshwater octopus, salmon and trout just wouldn't be much of a threat. And while these rivers don't have much in the way of fish diversity, there's lots of prey available - crayfish, leeches, mosquito larvae, frogs and tadpoles, water striders, and other aquatic insects, just to name a few. So the first Octopus pioneers to invade the rivers would be entering what essentially amounts to a predator-free environment with lots and lots of food and no competition. Great for colonization.

These ideal conditions get even better once you get up past the rapids and waterfalls, since there's no fish whatsoever in those streams. Octopus, with their sucker-lined arms, are perfectly equipped to navigate fast-moving, rocky-bedded streams and climb up cliffs. They'd also be well able to traverse short stretches of dry ground to access even more isolated pools and ponds. In fact, once Octopus overcome the osmoregulation problem there's nothing at all preventing them from colonizing land in earnest, since the PNW rainforests are so wet; there's no danger of drying out.

Finally there's the question of reproduction. Octopus are famously attentive mothers, because they need to keep the water around their eggs moving and well-oxygenated. In a mountain stream, this wouldn't be an issue, because the cold, turbulent water holds lots and lots of oxygen. Breeding in high mountain streams would be ideal, and the mothers might not even need to attend to their eggs, freeing them up to evolve away from semelparity and allowing them to reproduce more than once in their lives; their populations would thus increase rapidly and dramatically.

I think, if octopus managed to invade freshwater ecosystems in the PNW, it would dramatically change the ecology much like an invasive species. They'd be unstoppable predators of frogs, bugs, slugs, maybe even larger animals like snakes, birds, and small mammals. Nothing would eat them except maybe herons, and things like bears and raccoons would give them a wide berth due to their venom. They would rule that landscape.

The tl;dr is that the PNW is primed for invasion by cephalopods, if only they could manage to overcome the osmoregulation problem and live in freshwater. If the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus really did exist, it wouldn't be a shy and reclusive species on the brink of extinction; it would be a pest, an invasive, overpopulated menace you couldn't get rid of if you wanted to. I can just imagine them crawling up onto people's bird feeders and either stealing the nuts or luring in unsuspecting sparrows and starlings. They would sit in the trees and throw pinecones at hikers for fun. They would be some unholy mixture of snake and slug with the personality of a magpie and I am incensed that they only exist in fiction.

[nowaysguidetothebestkeptsecrets]

Wonders of Norway: A Traveller's Guide to the Best Kept Secrets

By John Kirby, G. Soliven From BSIT-1A

Imagine a land of stunning fjords, majestic mountains, and vibrant cities under the shimmering Northern Lights. Norway is not just a destination; it's my dream vacation, a place I long to explore one day. Though I’m currently studying and can’t visit just yet, this guide will unveil the hidden gems of this Scandinavian paradise for when I can finally embark on my journey. Whether you're an outdoor enthusiast, a history buff, or simply seeking tranquillity in nature, Norway has something special for everyone. Let’s embark on this journey to discover the wonders of Norway!

Norway’s Outdoor Adventure

Why Norway Is Perfect for Adventure Travelers

Norway is often referred to as a dream destination for adventure travellers. The varied landscapes provide a rich diversity of outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, skiing, kayaking, and rock climbing. There’s no shortage of thrilling experiences to be had in Norway's great outdoors!

When I think of my future travels, I can already envision myself immersed in nature, taking in all that Norway has to offer:

Mountain Climbing

With over 600 mountains, Norway is a paradise for climbers. Galdhøpiggen, the highest peak at 8,100 feet, promises breathtaking views for those ready to take on the challenge.

Rafting

For adrenaline seekers, white-water rafting on Norway’s majestic rivers is a must. From beginner-friendly experiences to thrilling rapids, there’s an adventure for everyone.

Dog Sledding

In the winter, dog sledding is an unforgettable experience. Imagine gliding through snow-covered landscapes in Tromsø, led by a team of e nergetic huskies!

Reference Top Destinations/Activities

Activities and Nature Attractions

Norway is filled with stunning natural beauty and activities for every season. Here are some highlights I dream of experiencing:

Must-See Nature Attractions

Fjords: Exploring the iconic fjords like Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, is at the top of my list.

Northern Lights: Witnessing the magical Aurora Borealis in places like Tromsø during winter is a dream come true.

Midnight Sun: I can already imagine the surreal experience of the sun never setting during summer in northern Norway.

Waterfalls: Visiting breath-taking waterfalls like Vettisfossen, the tallest in Norway, would be a highlight of my trip.

Family-Friendly Activities

Norway also offers many activities suitable for families, from outdoor adventures to cultural experiences, making it a wonderful place to visit for everyone.

Reference

Cultural Insights

Family Dynamics

Norwegian families tend to be small, valuing independence and equality. Gender roles are balanced, with shared responsibilities in both work and home life, creating a sense of community.

Official Language and Communication

Norwegian is the official language, but most Norwegians speak English, making it easy for travellers like me to communicate and connect with locals. I appreciate the straightforward and warm-hearted nature of Norwegian interactions.

The Norwegian Diet

Traditional Norwegian cuisine includes fish, meat, and hearty bread. While I look forward to trying local delicacies, I know international influences have shaped the modern dining scene, making it diverse and exciting.

Reference Travel Tips

17 Things You Need to Know Before Visiting Norway

Norway is a Scandinavian Country: It consists of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

Polar Bears Do Not Walk in the Streets: They’re found in Svalbard, not mainland Norway.

Currency: The Norwegian Krone (NOK) is the currency; most transactions can be done with cards.

Safety: Norway is one of the safest countries to visit, with low crime rates.

Seasons: Norway experiences distinct seasons; plan your visit accordingly.

Wild Camping: Enjoy the freedom of wild camping in nature.

National Parks: Access to national parks is generally free.

Best Salmon: Don’t miss trying Norway’s renowned salmon dishes.

Eating Out: Dining can be expensive; consider grocery shopping for budget-friendly meals.

Northern Lights: Best viewed in northern Norway between October and April.

Travel Distances: Norway is large, so plan your travel time accordingly.

Wildlife: Generally safe; no dangerous animals on mainland Norway.

Norwegian Taco Culture: Tacos are a beloved Friday night tradition!

Diversity of Regions: Each region offers unique landscapes and experiences.

Midnight Sun: Experience 24 hours of daylight in summer.

Community Engagement: Young people often engage in sports and volunteer work.

Language: Understanding basic Norwegian phrases can enhance your experience.

Reference Norway, with its breathtaking landscapes, rich culture, and welcoming atmosphere, is truly my dream vacation destination. From stunning fjords to vibrant cities, I know there’s something for every traveler. I eagerly look forward to exploring this incredible country someday.

I encourage you to consider visiting this amazing destination and share your thoughts or experiences in the comments below. Have you traveled to Norway? What was your favorite part?

If you enjoyed this guide and want to explore more about travel, culture, and adventures, don’t forget to follow us on social media for the latest updates, tips, and insights, and check out our other posts for more inspiration. Here’s to dreaming of Norway until we can experience it firsthand!

[feather-bone]

it is my honor to introduce you to the waterfall climbing cave fish, a rare species of stygofauna (subterranean river-dwelling creature) from Thailand. A unique limb structure allows it to cling to rock and navigate flowing water.

[ID: an illustration of a pink and white eyeless fish with four wing-like fins positioned at the sides of its body. it is facing to the left on a textured blue background. drawn around it, there is yellow and orange text reading "waterfall-climbing cave fish". following the drawing is a video of someone describing the cave fish accompanied by photos. end.]

[madbiscuitlady]

Thinking about how we could have gotten a silly montage of Ed and Stede trying to fix up their inn (poorly).

Ed opens a cabinet and a bunch of bats fly out.

Stede falls through a weak spot in the floor.

"Stede?!"

"I'm okay!"

"You need help?"

"I've discovered the source of the stench! It's a dead raccoon!"

Ed climbs up into the rafters and gets hissed at by a family of opposums, attempts to back off, but turns around into a spiderweb and freaks out.

Stede attempts to unstop the chimney and ends up thoroughly covered in soot, as does the rest of the room.

The montage ends with them outside sitting around a camp fire dirty and despondent.

"Well, at least we got rid of the stench."

"Easy for you to say. You didn't get a face full of spiderweb."

"I fell through the floor!"

"They were in my hair Stede! I fucking hate spiders!"

"... don't you have at least 3 spider tattoos?"

"Don't remind me, my skin is still crawling..."

"I'm sorry."

"This fucking sucks."

"Hey, it's just the first day. We're just getting our bearings. Learning the quirks."

"I'm cold, i'm fucking exhausted, and all we have to eat is bone in fish on a stick. It's just fucking bones! Is there even any meat on this thing at all?!"

"Could be worse?"

"I don't want to think about how this could possibly get any worse."

Cut to both of them curled up in a corner of the inn during a storm surrounded by tiny waterfalls coming through the roof, and wind through the broken windows.

"Ed, I think this might be worse."

"I dunno. Could strip down and step into the open air shower."

"You'll get struck by lightning!"

"I met a guy who was struck by lightning once. He had this really cool scar or a burn or something all zig zaggy and shit."

"He survived?!"

"What? Nah, got fried. Cool scar though."