#white-spotted pufferfish

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Who says fish don’t have a sense of romance? Male pufferfish in the genus Torquigener certainly know how to woo ladies. In an open, sandy area a male will push his body through the sand in specific directions to create intricate, geometric patterns. The more complex the pattern, the more likely he is to attract a mate.

(Images: A male white-spotted pufferfish (Torquigener albomaculosus) biting the cheek of a female as a part of courtship, and an example of a pufferfish ‘crop circle’ by Yoji Okata)

If you like what I do, consider leaving a tip or buying me a kofi!

[opellisms]

Round 1 and 2 art from the Animal Engineers division! Cathedral termite round 1 White-spotted pufferfish round 1 Palaocastor round 1 & 2 Sydney brown trapdoor spider round 1 Spotted lungfish round 2

[katrasining]

Sharks are perhaps the biggest threat to a puffer fish

[minkebel]

In ichthyology class this week, we were learning about different fish mating and reproduction methods. We were watching a video about that one species of pufferfish where the male uses his body as a shovel to plow out a giant circle 20 times his own size, making a very beautiful symmetrical pattern with a flattish spot in the middle, then decorates it with shells and sand dollars and other things he finds in order to attract a female

My friend who sits next to me leans over and whispers “if he wanted to he would” and I laughed so loud that the professor gave us the side eye

[gessner-aldrovandi-et-amici]

White-spotted puffer fish from Marcus Elesier Bloch’s Ichthyologie ou, Histoire naturelle des poissons. Berlin 1796.

Source: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library (online via Biodiversity Heritage Library: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/26748).

[dizzy-n-busy]

Did yall know that pufferfish (more specifically white spotted pufferfish) make elaborate designs in the sand for their partners to court them? And that they bite their cheek to full initiate mating once accepted?

Crazy

N e ways, I hc Damien as a white spotted pufferfish for mermay (I mermay’d all of D.A.M.N + Caelum below)

The next one (below here) is jus bc I did get enough space to draw Dams and Hux’s full thing

Btw they both look bad, spare me ffs/lh

[draagu]

return of the silly goobers! this post might get silent updates as i make tiny changes

surv! bit of a basic white color but with some patterns on em! got their little survivor symbol hood thing, so still dapper as ever

not shown here really but they still have the explosive mark on the back of their head

nighty! nothing significantly different with them, also still dapper as ever

no changes here! monk is still silly, the marks on their arms are results of a mess up when they were first learning crafts

and of course, got their goggles from gourm

hunter! still got their short tail, but now they have little earrings representing sig. colors are a bit updated tooo

spear and riv have made their mark on their bandages too

arti! only major change is some colors, their bandana has a little patch now since it was broken and then mended by gourm

gourmand got mostly color updates, a lot more warm now, and update i did in fact silently update this

rivvy, my favorite I lov them, they have even MORE frills now and little scaley spots, absolute fish I lov them. they have some pink freckles too! the fins do have a gradient, but! thats not required for any art

pufferfish colored pearls on their tail of course

spear got some earrings too that represent suns, also some multicolor freckles as well. starting to realize the amount of designs I have that have freckles oops

also pufferfish jewelry of course

no changes here! saint is still floomfy, their paw pads are still orange and blue too

enot no longer has white on their ears! and some differently colored lashes. still got their iconic heart tail though

[bethanythebogwitch]

Wet Beast Wednesday: ocean sunfish

Everybody knows ocean sunfish, right? Those giant, slow, silly-looking, parasite-ridden morons that eat jellyfish and can't defend themselves from predators really are the worst fish right?

(GIF: Lex Luthor screaming "WRONG!" from the movie Superman Returns)

First of all there's no such thing as a "best" or "worst" animal and judging animals by human standards of what is cool or successful is silly because our standards are not even universal among humans, let along other species. Secondly, the closest thing we have to a way to judge a species is how successful it is in its niche and sunfish are doing pretty good, thank you very much. Today I'll be talking about sunfish and how they are not bad fish at all.

(Image: a Mola mola located near the surface of the ocean, with the tip of its dorsal fin and part of its head breaching the surface. It is a round fish with no tail, only a wrinkly region of its body. Its dorsal and anal fins are long and slender The eyes and mouth are proportionately small. It is a pale white with light grey spots. A SCUBA diver is visible in the background. End ID)

Ocean sunfish, or molas, are members of the family Molidae, which is divided into five known species across three genuses. Im mostly going to be talking about members of the genus Mola, but I'll mention the other two as well. Molas are known for their size and odd appearances, looking like someone chopped a fish in half and the front half went swimming off on its own. They are members of the order Tetraodontiformes, making them cousins to pufferfish, triggerfish, boxfish, and others. While many members of that order are known to be highly poisonous, molas are not. They also lack several other common traits. Despite being bony fish, most of the mola skeleton is made of cartilage and they do not have swim bladders, forcing them to actively swim to maintain their position in the water column. Instead of a tail and caudal fin, sunfish have a structure called the clavus. The clavus is formed mostly from connective tissue and is used as a rudder. Because the clavus is mostly made of connective tissue, damage to it is not particularly harmful to the fish. There have been molas found alive and well that have had portions of their clavus eaten by predators. Because of their shortened stature, molas have the fewest vertebrae of all fish. The dorsal and anal fins are elongated and are used to provide propulsion by flapping back and fourth similarly to how birds wings move, albeit slower. Minute alterations in the angle each fin moves through the water help with steering, while more sharp turns are aided with jets of water ejected through the mouth and gills. Like their other Tetraodintid relatives, mola teeth are fused together into a beak-like structure that prevents them from closing their mouths. They also have some more regular pharyngeal teeth in the backs of their mouths. Some reports say that the fish can make noises by grinding the pharyngeal teeth together. Mola skin is thick and rough, described as being similar to sandpaper in texture. Like most fish, the skin is covered in a layer of protective mucus.

(Image: a mola sunbathing. It is positioned with one side of its body facing the surface. Its body is just under the water's surface. End ID)

The three species in the genus Mola are Mola mola, the ocean sunfish and most well-known of the molas, Mola alexandrini, the giant, southern, or bumphead mola, and Mola tecta, the hoodwinker sunfish. Mola mola has an average weight of 247 to 1000 kg (545 to 2205 lbs), mouth to clavus length of 1.8 m (5.9 ft) and dorsal to anal fin length of 2.5 m (8.2 ft), though some individuals can get much large. The largest individual on record had a length of 3.3 m (10.8 ft), height of 3.2 m (10.5 ft) and weighed 2300 kg (5100 lbs). M. alexandrini is the largest of the species. The largest known southern sunfish measured in at 2744 kg (6049 lbs) and 3.25 m (10.66 ft) from mouth to clavus, making it the largest known bony fish in the world. They can be distinguished from M. mola by the presence of bumps on the forehead and chin, a more rounded clavus, and differently-shaped scales. M. tecta is known as the hoodwinker sunfish because it was long mistaken for one of the other two species and was only identified as a separate species in 2015 after the body of one washed up in Christchurch, Aotearoa/New Zealand and was examined by scientists. Because it has only recently been discovered, little is known about this species. They appear to have the same range of sizes and weights of the other two species and can be distinguished by a slimmer body shape and a smooth clavus. All three species are found in tropical and temperate waters worldwide, though M. alexandrini and M. tecta are more commonly found in the southern hemisphere.

(Image: a Mola alexandrini underwater. It is distinguishable from Mola mola by the two bumps above and below its facial region, making it look lumpy. It is surrounded by striped cleaner fish. A SCUBA diver is in the background. End ID)

(Image: a Mola tecta seen from the side. It is smoother than the other two species. More of its body is grey with white spots. End ID)

Molas are open-ocean dwellers that live life in the slow lane. For a long time, it was believed they were moved around by ocean currents they could not swim against, making them plankton. We now know they not only can swim against the current, they are capable of bursts of speed fast enough to breach the water's surface and briefly go airborne. Sunfish are named for their habit of basking at the surface of the water. It was formerly believed they spent most of their time at the surface, but thanks to tagging, we know they make frequent dives into the deep ocean. They likely bask at the surface to warm up between dives. You may not expect something as slow as a sunfish to be a predator, but they are. Much of their diet consists of gelatinous animals including jellyfish, siphonophores, ctenophores, and salps, though they will also eat small fish, fish larvae, squids, crustaceans, and even seagrass. Because they can't chew, sunfish move prey into and out of their mouth by rapidly switching between sucking water in and spitting it out in order to shred the prey into pieces small enough to swallow. Special mucus lining the digestive system may protect the molas from the stinging tentacles of their prey. Molas and other jellyfish-eaters like the leatherback sea turtle play an important role in the ecosystem by keeping jellyfish populations down. Jellyfish are not particularly nutritious, so the sunfish need to eat a lot of them to survive, something they seem to be pretty good at. Being slow and having a very low-energy lifestyle helps the fish survive on a less-nutritious diet, making them very energy efficient. One thing molas get a lot of flack for online is having lots of parasites (with up to 40 known species). This doesn't really make sense. Every species has parasites. An animal in the wild that doesn't have parasites is vanishingly rare. Having parasites doesn't make an animal suck, it makes them ordinary. Because of their parasite load, molas are frequent visitors to cleaner fish, who will eat their parasites. Molas will also let seabirds land on them and eat their parasites while they rest on the surface. The molas attract birds by splashing at the surface. Adult molas have few natural predators, but are hunted by sharks, sea lions, and orcas. Interestingly, sea lions have been known to kill molas apparently for sport, ripping off the fins and then leaving the mola to die.

(Image: a mola seen from the front. Multiple smaller fish are picking parasites off of its skin. End ID)

Molas are broadcast spawners who release their gametes into the water alongside each other. A female mola can release 300 million eggs at a time, more than any other vertebrate. Newly hatched sunfish are 2.5 millimeters long and are often cited as having the largest discrepancy in size between juvenile and adult of any vertebrate. An adult mola can be 60 millions times the weight of a larva. The larvae look very different than adult, lacking their dorsal and anal fins but having pufferfish-like spines. Juveniles school together for protection and become solitary as they age. The diet of the fish varies as they age, with younger fish feeding more on squid, worms, crustaceans, and fish but becoming more reliant on jellyfish and other gelatinous prey as they age. We don't know the growth rate of molas, but a juvenile in the Monterey Bay Aquarium grew from 26 to 339 kg (57 to 880 lbs) in 15 months, suggesting they grow rapidly. The maximum age of molas is unknown, though individuals in captivity have lives for up to 10 years.

(Image: a mola larva. It is a brown ball with large, black eyes and no visible fins. It is covered in transparent, conical spines. End ID)

The two non-Mola sunfish are Ranzania laevis, the slender sunfish and Masturus lanceolatus, the sharptail sunfish. Both are alone in the genuses, but other species are suspected. I also found references to other species in Masturus, but could find literally no information about them other than that Masturus oxyuropterus is listed in some records. The sharptail sunfish looks very similar to Mola mola and reaches similar sizes, but its clavus has an extension that looks like a short tail. They were initially believed to be deformed molas before being recognized as a separate species. Unlike molas, sharptail sunfish are rarely seen at the surface, preferring to stay in deeper water. The slender sunfish is the smallest of the family, reaching up to a meter long. While we don't know much about them, we know their diet includes a lot of fast-moving squid, indicating they can move faster than their much larger relatives.

(Image: a sharptail sunfish lying on a blue tarp. It looks similar to a Mola mola , but with black clavus and fins. At the back of the clavus is a triangular extension. End ID)

(Image: a person holding a slender sunfish. The fish is small enough to be held and has a longer and skinnier body than other sunfish. Its body is a shiny silver with blue lines. End ID)

Mola mola is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN while the other species are classed as either data deficient or least concern. Molas are vulnerable to strikes by boats and bycatch. Another danger to them is plastic bags, which can easily be ingested after being mistaken for a jellyfish. The bags can suffocate the fish or block their digestive tracts. Despite their size, molas are docile and not dangerous to humans. I found one example of a mola harming a human and it happened when the fish jumped out of the water and landed on a boat. Allegedly, some fish have learned to recognize and approach SCUBA divers. Molas are difficult to keep in captivity due to their size, the amount of space the need, and special feeding needs, so only a few aquariums have them. Molas are captured for food, with the biggest markets being in Taiwan and Japan, where they are often called mambos.

(Image: a SCUBA diver attempting to hand feed a small mola. End ID)

[puppetmaster13u]

It's the last day of Mermay...

So have my most common headcanons on who would be which (or take inspiration from such) for if they were merfolk <3 Yes, this is DCxDP but can be used for either separately if you want.

Bruce- Ray

Alfred- Remora

Kate- Angel Shark

Dick - Guppy

Cass- Cuttlefish

Jason- Thresher Shark

Tim- Bichir

Steph- Spanish Shawl Sea Slug

Duke- Anglerfish

Harper- Cichlid

Cullen- Rasbora

Damian- Stingray

Carrie- Dusky Batfish

Jarro- Starfish

Terry- Devilfish

Matt- Koi

Barbara- Jellyfish

Gordon- Squirrelfish

Ghostmaker- Moray Eel

Harvey- Tiger Shark

Selina- Catfish

Harley- Clownfish

Poison Ivy- Leafy Seadragon

Riddler- Corydoras

Joker- Piranha

Bane- Pufferfish

Mr. Freeze- Leopard Seal

Scarecrow- Anglerfish

Waylon- Saltwater Crocodile

Solomon Grundy- Coelacanth 

Penguin- Longfin Icedevil

Ras Al Ghul- Sturgeon

Talia- Pike

Dusan- Pike 

Deathstroke- Tiger Barb

Clark- Sea Lion

Connor- Fur Seal

Jon- Fur Seal

Kara- Sea Lion

Martha Kent- Ribbon Seal

Jonathan Kent- Manatee

Lex Luthor- Cardinalfish

Barry Allen- Marlin

Wally West- Swordfish

Bart- Marlin

Iris- Trout

Thawne- Wahoo

Captain Cold- Beluga Whale

Heatwave- Guppy

Captain Boomerang- Discus Fish

Mirror Master- Mahi Mahi

Green Arrow- Goby

Arsenal- Arapaima

Artemis- Grouper

Black Canary- Orca

Diana- Lionfish

Cassie- Lionfish

Cheetah- Spotted Snapper

Vandal Savage- Dunkleosteus 

Marvel- Whale Shark 

Billy- Wrasse

Mary- Wrasse

Freddy- Killifish

Eugene- Loach

Pedro- Danio

Darla- Goby

Black Adam- Gar Fish

Dr. Sivana- Dolphin

Mister Mind- Bristle Worm

Martian Manhunter- Octopus

M’gann- Octopus

Aquaman- Hammerhead Shark

Kaldur- Blue Tang

Oceanmaster- Ray

Plasticman- Oarfish

Booster Gold- Goldfish

Blue Beetle- Blue Shrimp

John Stewart- Sailfish

Hal Jordan- Neon Tetra

Red Tornado- Mantis Shrimp

Zatanna- Swordtail

Constantine- Fighting Fish

Doctor Fate- Wrasse

Deadman- Glass Fish

Klarion- Platy

Cyborg- Mola

Raven- Squid

Beast Boy- Triggerfish

Starfire- Koi Fish

Beast Boy- Fluffy Sculpin

Lobo- Wolf Fish

Deadshot- Ruby Barb

Killer Frost- White Koi

King Shark- Great White Shark

Doctor Light- Dolphin

Catman- Tigerfish

Angel Breaker- Redtail Black Shark

Trigon- Giant Squid 

Martha Wayne- Mako Shark

Thomas Wayne- Devil Ray

Lucious Fox- King Mackeral 

Jack Drake- Freshwater Angelfish

Janet Drake- Comet Goldfish

================================================

Danny- Betta Fish (Or Giant Phantom Jelly)

Dan- Lancetfish

Ellie- Betta Fish

Jazz- Oarfish

Sam- Lamprey

Tucker- Devil's Hole Pupfish

Valerie- Cherry Shrimp

Vlad Masters- Vampire Squid

Maddie Fenton- Lion's Mane Jelly

Jack Fenton- Whale

Ida Manson- Gulper Eel

Mr. Lancer- Hatchetfish

Spike- Gourami

Wes Weston- Carp

Kyle Weston- Perch

Paulina- Dragonfish

Star- Cichlid

Dash Baxter- Short Beaked Dolphin

Kwan- Goldfish

Box Ghost- Boxfish

Lunch Lady- Killifish

Skulker- Sea Turtle

Ghostwriter- Lyretail

Sidney Poindexter- Shubunkin

Jonny 13- Corydora

Kitty- Loach

Ember- Basslet

Desiree- Seahorse

Spectra- Eel

Walker- Frogfish

Nocturn- Lanternfish

Overgrowth- Sea Pig

Fright Knight- Swordtail

Pariah Dark- Skate

Princess Dora- Dragon Goby

Pandora- Leaf Scorpionfish

Frostbite- Crabeater Seal

Clockwork- Colossal Squid (or Congor Eel)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------If you want pics of any of the fish/creatures I am happy to put them out, I just can't put that many links on one post lol. (Also apologies if I missed anyone)

[sleepyfan-blog]

I VERY DESPERATELY NEED/Want Baby Primarch Mers. So Badly. PLEASE!

Ok! I"ll go down the list

1 - Lion - So, the temptation to make him part lionfish is incredible here. There's also the fact that IRL Lionfish are a huge problem in certain parts of the world because they are an invasive species in those areas, as well as incredibly deadly because of their poisonous spines. And considering how deadly Lion and his sons can be... Yeah, I think he's part lionfish. Specifically he has a deep green tail with silver stripes. His spines are black and gold and hold incredibly potent poisons.

2- ??? [REDACTED BY THE ORDER OF THE EMPEROR]]

3- Fulgrim - He is part Coral Beauty Angelfish, and has a beautiful purple tail that fades into a vibrant yellow color. Coral beauties (at least according to the quick google search I did about them) are an incredibly hardy salt water fish, and known for their vibrant colorations.

4 - Perturabo - is part Cabezon - which are known for being Stubborn Bastard Fish who Refuse To Move until they get their next meal, willing to wait days and even weeks before they get their next meal. Which is often other fish, which I feel fits Peter turbo pretty well. He has a pleated tail and fins that are a mottled steel and black color, with the occasional yellow stripe.

5 - Jaghatai - is part Sailfish - which are allegedly one of the fastest fish in the world IRL. He has a bright white tail with red stripes. His fins are also white with red stripes.

6 - Leman - is part Piranha. Not only are Piranhas highly predatory, they also are species of fish that school together. Like how Space Wolves almost always stick together in packs. Also, he still has fangs in this AU. His tail and fins are a lovely slate grey color with an iridescent shine to them.

7 - Rogal - part greenland shark! Cold adapted predator of the sea. Doesn't look like much but is an apex predator in the seas it lives in. He has gorgeous golden fins and tails with black spots.

8 - Konrad - part goblin shark. I didn't pick it just because of the name, but because it is a deep water shark (lives in darkness, just like a certain edgy primarch) that is rarely seen by humans. And. Well. Most humans who saw Konrad didn't exactly live to tell about it, did they? He has a deep blue tail and fins that are surprisingly slender. But powerful and he has a hell of a bite and many, many pointy teeth.

9 - Sanguinius - He has a beautiful silver tail and fin-like wings, as his mer-half is flying fish! Although I was super tempted to make him part-lamprey because of the blood-sucking aspect of him.

10 -  Ferrus - as per the suggestions of @angronsjewelbeetle @c-u-c-koo-4-40k and @i-am-a-dragon34 Ferrus is now part Dunkleostous, with dark grey fins and tail on his dorsal side and a silvery ventral side.

11 - ?? [REDACTED BY THE ORDER OF THE EMPEROR]

12 - Angron - part betta fish. He has striking red and gold fins and tail and will square the fuck up if the mood strikes.

13 - Roboute - there is a big temptation to go for the Ultramarlin pun, but I won't give in. What I am going with is part Ribbon Eel, as they have this really lovely blue body with bright yellow dorsal and ventral stripes that go all the way down their bodies. That and G-Man having a long tail to thwap his brothers with makes me giggle.

14 - Mortarion - part pufferfish. Prickly, defensive and poisonous. Can and will puff up. Has grey fins and tail with dark green spots. Spiny.

15 - Magnus: I am torn between making him part carp - because of the Japanese (I think?) myth about a carp jumping up a waterfall in order to become a dragon - which hints at Magnus' incredibly powerful warp abilities or an Abtu, which is a mythical ancient Egyptian fish, because Space Egypt. Thoughts? Opinions?

16 - Horus: Is part dolphin. Known for being very charismatic and charming, but can and will bully other kinds of sea life. Baby-Horus has a deep green tail with gold markings.

17 - Lorgar - I love the Parrot Fish pun suggestion by @c-u-c-koo-4-40k so that is what I am going with. His fins and tail are a deep red color with a silver shimmer to them.

18 - Vulcan - another excellent suggestion by @c-u-c-koo-4-40k for making one of the primarchs part barracuda! I have decided on Vulcan, rather than Magnus. Vulcan’s dorsal fins and tail are a deep green color, the ventral side is black. Along the middle where the two colors meet, he had gold spots.

19 - Corvus: Part of me wants to make Corvus either some kind of shark, or angler fish bc of his whole "sworn vengeance and eternally hunting after Lorgar post-heresy" thing but. Big E is also a being who loves himself some aesthetics and I don't think a part-angler fish boy would fit that. Perhaps part black-tipped shark bc of their stealthiness. Thoughts?

20 - Alpharius and Omegon: are color-pallet changed blue-ring octopi. Instead of a yellow body with bright blue rings, they have vibrant teal tentacles with bright silver ring-patterns across their tentacles and up the fishy parts of their bodies.

@egrets-not-regrets @the-pure-angel

[styllwaters]

For the HTTYD thingy— Chimeragon or Typhoomerang? 👀👀👀

Another big winged guy!! Since Typhoomerangs look so similar to Timberjacks I decided that they both get the pterosaur treatment. My hc is that they are closely related! (They also share some lineage with Monstrous Nightmares).

These guys always struck me as unhinged vultures, definitely terrifying to encounter. They are highly territorial, solitary dragons with the ability to coat themselves in flames by excreting kerosene solutions from their skin in a similar manner to Nightmares. The stripe patterns that you see are the ignition areas, which are slightly sticky. A Typhoomerang hunting in their forest territory generates quite a bit of ash, and this frequently gets stuck to the tips of their wings and head - giving the impression that they have grey markings.

Like many stoker class dragons they use their fiery displays in courtship rituals, with males burning elaborate scorch marks into the ground to attract mates. This practice is not unlike the white-spotted pufferfish courtship display, which creates radially symmetrical patterns in the sand.

Original design below:

[not-so-allegiant-general]

I just learned that white-spotted pufferfishes have this mating ritual in which they are creating geometric shapes and circles in sand and place there seashells to impress a female. And it's a tone of work and it's symmetrical.

And since i can make everything into a Star wars thing JUST IMAGINE...

Mermen Kylo doing this elaborative circles in the sand, spending weeks on placing shells and shiny stuff all around bc there is new mermen around and although he is not the best in symmetry and geometric shapes he desperately wants to meet this guy.

And mermen Hux from a different part of sea (first time here) have no clue what this strange guy with spikes is doing but it's actually quite pretty and charming, and he likes shells, so he watches him every day in hope that one day Kylo will eventually talk to him instead doing things with sand.

Let's be honest who would resist circles in sand....

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

I have a request, should you choose to accept it >:D My roommate's cat just had 4 kittens. I call her Koi, so I want to continue with the fish theme. So far, we've got Sturgeon, Lamprey, and Gar. The last one is a white tomkit with leetle black spots on his head and back.

I'm looking for a fitting fish to complete the set, ideally 2 syllables so I can list them in the cadence of Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe. Would you like to name the fourth kitten? :)

Boy, would I!! It would be an honour! An honour and a fine challenge!

Hmm…. From your description, I am immediately reminded of the noble zebra shark!

…although that one doesn’t have only two syllables. Zebra and for example sharky have two syllables by themselves though, and if you name an animal with spots “zebra” people won’t think it’s named after the land animal… but that’s too simple of an answer for me.

Oh, salmon have spots on their backs! Their backs tend to be darker also, but not always; they are often a shiny, light silver colour at sea, which would fit a white kitten. Look at this Atlantic salmon for example:

Sea trout also sport spots on a light background. The words are separate but it does have two syllables, all together.

Many species of pufferfish and blowfish have spots as well, however, uh, “blowfish” might be a bit of a mean name for a cat… but pufferfish can be shortened to “puffer”!

And that's about all the sensible ones I could think of. Perhaps these suggestions can give you a bit of food for thought! It is absolutely delightful that him and his siblings will be fish :) Congrats to you and your roommate, and Koi of course, for the babies!!!!

[mutant-distraction]

Kavidu Theekshana

In 1995, divers discovered Incredibly

intricate sand Circles scattered across the sea floor of the Amami Oshima region of Japan. The artist of these Circles was a mystery for years, until it was revealed as the white- spotted pufferfish.

Watch the pufferfish's intricate handiwork, as the three inch long fish shovels and moves sand into a Circle that eventually reaches six feet in diameter. Once complete, thereason for the unusual design is clear, the Circle is used to attract a female formating and, if successful, serves as a nestfor developing eggs

[weirdanimal-tournament]

THE COMPETITORS

After hours of filtering, I have a list! From 411 submisstions to 134 competitors. Of course, that means that not all the submissions are competing. My main rule for filtering was that when many similar animals were submitted, one was selected. This means that even if your submission din't get in, there is likely somthing else similar you can vote for instead! I'm hoping to get the polls out this Saturday or Sunday, and I'll post the time once it's decided. That being said... here's the list!

Mouse deer

Blanket octopus

Twenty plume moth

Anomalocaris

Caecilian

Bagworm moth caterpillars

Balaenognathus

Banded archerfish

Barnacle

Barreleye fish

Tripod fish

Bigfin squid

Bilby

Black sea hare

Black snub nosed monkey

Blobfish

Blue sea dragon 

Nano-chameleon

Bush brown caterpillar

Chinese water deer

Maned wolf

Colugo

Common spotted cuscus

Corpse Assassin Bug

Messmate pipefish

Cotylorhynchus

creatonotos gangis

Tongue eating louse

Ganges river dolphin 

ghost pipefish

Giant Anteater

Giant gippsland earthworm

Giant tube worm

Giraffe Weevil

Glowworms

Goblin shark

Golden mole

Green-banded broodsac

Greenland shark

Gum leaf skeletonizer caterpillars

Hagfish

Hallucigenia

Hammer head bat

Helicoprion

Honduran white bat

Short horned lizard

Green hydra

Jerboa

Jerusalem cricket

Lamprey

Largetooth sawfish

Bulwer’s pheasant

Lowland Streaked Tenrec

Lyrebird

Marbled polecat

Mata mata

Mexican mole lizard

Ghost faced bat

Mudskipper

Muntjac

Naked bulldog bat

Naked mole rat

Phillipene tube nosed fruit bat

Oarfish 

Mantis shrimp

Ogre faced spider

Okapi

platypus

Pangolin

Parrot fish

Partridge bug

Pelican eel

Asian giant softshell turtle

Pink fairy armadillo

Pipa pipa

Platybelodon

Portuguese Man O War

Potoos

Predatory tunicate

Pufferfish

Sea spider

Red lipped batfish

Bowmouth guitarfish

Roseate spoonbill

Pink iguana

Royal albatross

Sage grouse

Saiga antelope

Sailfin dragon

Volcano snail

Schaefer’s anglerfish

Sea cucumber

Sea pig

Sea sheep

Sharovipteryx

Echidna

Assassin spider

Spider tailed viper

Siphonophore

Solenodon

Spectral bat

Spix’s disc winged bat

Spotted wobbegong

Stalk-eyed fly

Stoplight loosejaw

Giant phantom jelly

Sunfish

Sword billed hummingbird

Tailless whip scorpion 

Tapir 

Tardigrade

Tarsier

Telescopefish

Woodcock

Aye-aye

Bobbit worm

Nautilus

Glass frog

Immortal jellyfish

Olm

Mirror spider

Trilobite Beetle

Trumpetfish

Vampire bat

Vampire squid

Velvetworm

Wonderfish

Wrinkle-faced bat

[thewillofdeez]

Worth the Risk: A Smoker/OC Romance - Chapter 2: Changing Currents

Summary: Kuzan forces Smoker into a much-needed, but not wanted, vacation. While there, Smoker runs into a pirate who's been eluding his capture for years. They decide to put their differences aside, just for a little, and as it turns out, two people don't have to be enemies just because they're a pirate and a Marine. They might even fall in love.

Chapter 2 word count: 5668

**There is smut at the end of this chapter! It's the only one with smut. Minors DNI.**

The place Kuzan had recommended as a prime spot for Smoker’s vacation was called Pufferfish Island, a medium-sized island about three days’ journey from Marineford. Twenty years before, Pufferfish Island had been a bustling, tropical vacation spot known for its incredible food, white sand beaches, and vibrant culture and nightlife. It had been popular with pirates, Marines, and civilians alike. But changing currents on the ever-capricious Grand Line had caused it to become more difficult to reach over time, and so it was now something of a relic visited only by skilled sailors aware of its existence. The island and its main port, Minami Town, were still populated mostly by the island’s native residents, and only the occasional visitor. Kuzan ensured Smoker that there was enough there to keep him entertained, but it wasn’t what it once was back in the day, and as a guy who didn’t like being overwhelmed with people, it would be perfect.

As Smoker’s boat approached the marina, he took in the surrounding buildings; they had once been painted vibrant shades of reds, blues, yellows, and greens with beautiful murals lining the streets, but the colors were now faded and the paint chipped. Smoker guided the craft into the marina and spoke with the attendant, paying him to keep an eye on the boat while he was out. He’d planned to return to the boat to sleep each night - Kuzan could force him to take a vacation, but he couldn’t force him to spring for a hotel when he had a perfectly adequate cot on board.

With that, Smoker made his way into the town in search of…something. Maybe food, he’d heard it was supposed to be amazing here, and it was getting close to dinner time. Or a drink, that might be nice too. The rum produced on the island was supposedly something of a hidden gem of the Grand Line.

Smoker wandered through the streets as the sun descended across the horizon, streetlights flickering on as he passed. The town was much what Kuzan had told him it would be. The island was decently resourceful, so while the lack of visitors had hampered the economy significantly over the decades compared to its heyday, it didn’t severely damage the population’s ability to survive on their own. It was clearly less well-kept than it had once been, but it was also lively, and the people seemed well-fed and healthy enough. Stores and market stalls lined the streets, and people spoke animatedly with their friends and neighbors as they moved about their daily lives, paying the tall, white-haired Marine little mind.

The smell of cooking meat caught Smoker’s attention, and he ducked into a bar with a faded sign out front in search of the source of the smell. The inside of the bar was bustling with people. Plates piled high with meat and local vegetables he didn’t recognize were on every table, and drinks of various colors garnished with tropical fruits were in every hand. It was almost too crowded and too loud for him, but he noticed a single empty seat at the bar, and decided he’d deal with the noise while he got some food in him.

Smoker took the seat and ordered a drink from the bartender (“Whatever you recommend as long as it’s strong. And keep ‘em coming.”). The bartender passed him a food menu, then made him something dark orange in color and topped with a slice of fruit impaled on a toothpick. Taking a sip, the drink was sweet but not overly so, and he could tell he’d been given a double shot of rum.

“Fancy seeing you here, Captain Smoker,” a female voice said, causing his head to turn in search of the familiar voice. Sitting to his right, her elbow on the bar and her head resting on her open palm was Ruby. She smiled at the familiar man, her amusement apparent at his shock. Smoker straightened himself out quickly. He hadn’t even noticed her there.

“Ruby,” he said in acknowledgement, facing forward and returning to his drink. He said nothing more. Ruby narrowed her eyes in confusion.

“That’s it? You’re just gonna sit there and drink, you’re not gonna try to arrest me?”

“Nope,” he said, sipping the fruity concoction and doing his best to ignore the pirate next to him. The pirate he’d been after for three years. The one with a bounty of almost 600 million. The notorious and very well-connected Ruby ‘The Ally’ Read.

Ruby couldn’t let it go. She couldn't say she knew the guy well, but this wasn’t like him. “Smoker. Smokey. Come on. This is what we do! We run into each other, we fight a little, I narrowly escape, you shake your fist at me and say something like ‘I’ll get you next time, Ruby!’” She punctuated the statement with what Smoker felt was a horrible impersonation of him, fist-shaking and all.

“I have never once done that, I’m not a comic book villain,” he responded with a scoff.

“You get the idea,” she said with a smile. “So what’s the deal? Am I getting off scot-free today? And if so, why?”

Smoker sighed. “If I tell you, will you leave me alone?”

Ruby considered this. “Maybe.”

Smoker rolled his eyes. “Good enough. If you must know…I’m on vacation.”

“Huh,” Ruby replied, “I didn’t think Marines got vacation time.”

“Oh we do,” he said, “I just don’t like taking it.”

“So what brought you out here then? Nervous breakdown?”

“No, but you’d think it by the way Aokiji practically pushed me out the door,” Smoker replied with a scoff. “Apparently working all the time is ‘unhealthy’ or some shit. I’m outright banned from arresting pirates while I’m here, too, so consider yourself lucky.” Smoker didn’t bother to hide his annoyance at the situation. She was right there, practically begging him for a fight.

Ruby giggled. “Ahh, I get it. A forced vacation. Well, you’ve picked a good spot. This place isn’t as hopping as it used to be, but it’s nice. Good food, good beaches, good people…you’ll enjoy your stay.”

“And what about you?” Smoker asked. “What brings you here?”

“Well I’m only telling you this because I like you,” Ruby said with a grin. “I actually live here when I’m not out at sea. The island isn’t often under threat, but it’s also sort of unofficially under my protection. I handle things when trouble occasionally rears its ugly head, and I use money from my various legal and not-so-legal business dealings to help the community. I take care of the people here, and they take care of me. It’s sort of my whole thing.”

With perfect timing, the bartender came by and plopped a basket overflowing with chips and a variety of dips in front of her. “For my favorite customer,” he said with a smile.

“Aww, thanks, Carlos!” she said, popping a chip in her mouth. She pushed the basket closer to Smoker in invitation. He raised an eyebrow at her.

“I promise, it’s not poisoned,” she said with a laugh. “It’s delicious, try the green stuff.”

Hesitantly, Smoker grabbed a chip and dipped it in the green sauce, then brought it to his mouth. It was, indeed, delicious.

Ruby smiled. “Told you. So what’s your plan while you’re here? I could show you around. There’s this–”

“Why are you talking to me like we’re friends?” Smoker cut her off. “I may be functionally neutered for two weeks, but don’t forget, you’re still my enemy, and I will still bring you down one day.”

“You might,” Ruby said, taking a sip from her own fruity rum concoction, unbothered by the turn in the conversation. “I don’t think you will though.”

“Oh really?” Smoker said. “You sound awfully confident about that.”

“I mean, you might,” she replied. “You certainly could. But that's the thing, isn’t it? We’ve been doing this for what, three years or so? We run into each other every so often, we fight, I get away, you act pissed about it.” Smoker looked at his drink, knowing where this was going, regretting pushing the subject, and more importantly knowing that she was right. “But let’s be real, Smoker - you’re bigger than me, you’re stronger than me, you have a powerful Devil Fruit and I have none. Which isn’t to say I’m not a good fighter, we both know I am, but if you really wanted to bring me in, you would have done it by now.” Smoker lifted his eyes from his drink to meet hers. “I think you enjoy our interactions as much as I do. I think you like fighting me. And if you arrest me, that ends.”

Smoker said nothing for a moment, looking her up and down. She looked annoyingly satisfied with herself.

“You’re…not wrong,” he finally acknowledged. “A lot of the pirates I bring in are lower level guys, ones who think they’re more powerful than they actually are because they have a wanted poster and some treasure under their belts, but the truth is their overconfidence makes them sloppy. They’re not great fighters, and some end up being fucking cowards when the reality of the situation hits them. But you’re a challenge, and I like a challenge. You don’t do things the way other pirates do. You’ve never once come at me with anything less than your all. You’re small but you’re skilled. You’ve got a lot of fight in you, and sometimes a good fight with a well-matched opponent is all I really want.”

Ruby smiled. “Aww, I like you too, Smoker.”

Smoker huffed out a laugh and downed the last of his drink. The bartender placed another in front of him shortly after. “It’s not gonna last forever, Ruby. I don’t mind the slap on the wrist I get from the higher ups when you get away from me, but one day it’ll have to end, so don’t get too comfortable. I’m still a Marine before anything else.”

“And I’m still a pirate,” she replied. “Always will be. But - and hear me out before you say anything - what if, while you’re in town and I’m in town, we just…weren’t?”

Smoker’s brow furrowed. “I’m not following.”

“You’re on vacation and under orders to not arrest any pirates. I’m just hanging out at home until I feel like heading back out to sea, not doing anything particularly pirate-y. And we’ve established that we have a mutual respect and, dare I say, like for each other. I’m saying we don’t have to be a pirate and a Marine right now. We could just be….two, relatively normal people. Who enjoy sharing chips and talking over drinks. What do you say?”

Smoker smiled and sipped his drink as he considered her proposition. It certainly went against his better judgment, and maybe it was the rum in his system on a mostly empty stomach, but it didn’t sound like a bad idea. “All right, I’m in. I could use the distraction.” Smoker raised his glass towards her. “To being relatively normal people for a change.”

Ruby laughed and clinked her glass to his. “To being relatively normal.”

As the night passed, Smoker and Ruby shared more drinks and ate dinner together, talking and laughing the whole time. Smoker was kind of amazed at how easy she was to talk to. He was careful not to reveal too much about his life as a Marine, but she didn’t seem to be too concerned about talking to him about her dealings as a pirate, especially when it came to the work she did to help the local community. He wondered if he should be worried about her level of confidence. He meant what he’d said earlier - he would bring her in one day. Just not today. Not any time soon.

The topic turned to Smoker’s vacation plans, and he brought out the checklist Kuzan had given him, sliding it along the bar towards her. “Think you can help me out with any of these?”

Ruby picked up the paper and read through the list, letting out a chuckle.

“Any one in particular?” she said with a raised eyebrow.

Smoker immediately remembered a certain item on the list and blushed. “I didn’t mean–”

Ruby laughed. “I know, I’m kidding! But yeah, I can help. There’s a library in town we can hit tomorrow if you want. I also know a few good fishing spots. Can you cook?”

“I absolutely cannot,” he replied. “Can you?”

Ruby shrugged. “It’s a hobby as much as a necessity. I’ll help you figure it out. And there’s a bunch of old roads around the island that would be great for a ride. You’ll knock this list out in no time. And hey, you haven’t even been here a full day and you’ve already done two things on it!”

“Two?” Smoker said.

Ruby reached over the bar to grab a pencil and made an X next to two items on Smoker’s list:

Talk to a pretty lady.

And

If you see a pirate, don’t arrest them.

Smoker chuckled. “That sure is two, huh?” He met her eyes. She certainly was a pretty lady. But also a pirate, he had to remind himself.

“Last call!” Carlos’s voice rang out.

“Holy shit, it’s almost 2AM,” Ruby said. “I hadn’t even noticed how much time had passed. I’m sorry, you’re probably pretty beat from the journey here. I should let you go for the night.”

Smoker waved her concern away. “Not at all. I’m feeling pretty good, actually. I’m down to keep going if you are.”

Ruby smiled. “Hey Carlos,” she said to the bartender. “Could you hand me that half bottle of rum over there? And add it to my tab and close us out, please.” Carlos smiled and handed her the bottle of the local brand the two had been drinking all night, then gave them their checks. They were the last ones out of the bar, poor Carlos had to practically kick them out.

Now outside in the still, mostly empty streets, Smoker pulled out a cigar. “So,” he asked, “Where to?”

“Follow me,” Ruby said and led him along a winding street and down some old wooden stairs shaded by wide-leafed tropical trees to a boardwalk. Beyond that was the beach. All but a few lights were off and the stores and bars were shuttered for the night. The moon and stars shone brightly, reflecting on the surface of the ocean, and rippled by the gentle waves. Ruby led them to a bench overlooking the beach and sat down, taking a swig of the rum and passing it back to Smoker. And the conversation continued like it hadn’t even stopped.

“So what made you want to join the Navy?” Ruby asked at some point later in the evening.

Smoker shrugged. “It wasn’t really a matter of ‘want.’ The men in my family have been Marines for generations. Some of the women, too. My dad was, my older brother was…I knew since I was a kid that I’d be enlisting as soon as I turned sixteen. Which isn’t to say I don’t love what I do,” he added quickly, “I’m proud to be a Marine, and I’m satisfied with my career. But I also don’t pretend I had much of a choice in the matter.”

Ruby nodded. “Family pressure. I get it. Are your dad and brother still in?”

“Nah,” Smoker replied. “Dad died about a decade ago, and don’t say you’re sorry because he was a dick.” Ruby chuckled in response. “He never liked me and I never liked him. My brother got injured a few years into his career and was discharged. He was a Master Chief Petty Officer, same rank my mentee Tashigi is now. He’s always sort of resented me for surpassing him. But he’s got two kids who think I’m the coolest uncle in the world, so I’ll take that as a win. So what about you?” he asked, turning the conversation tables. “What made you want to become a pirate?”

Ruby smiled. “I just sort of fell into it, to be honest. Like a lot of pirates, I didn’t have a great home life. My parents were horribly controlling people. They made it clear from when I was a kid that my life wasn’t my own, and I only existed to be the person they wanted me to be, which was a wife and mother and absolutely nothing else. I have three younger siblings that I put more effort into raising than our parents did. I ran when I was fourteen because I knew if I didn’t I’d be stuck there forever. Found a crew that was willing to take me in, and have been a pirate ever since.”

“You don’t have a crew nowadays,” Smoker said. “You haven’t as long as we’ve been fighting, anyway. What happened to the ones who took you in?”

“Eh,” she replied, “They were shitty pirates. The kind of guys you were talking about earlier - all bravado but very little skill. Most of them didn’t treat me much better than my family, but at least I was free so I dealt with it. They’re no longer an active crew, some are dead and some are in jail, as far as I know. But they taught me the basics and provided the bare minimum, and that was all I needed to get started. After a few years with them I decided I didn’t want to commit to one crew, so I traveled around, made myself useful where I could, picked up all kinds of allies along the way, and that’s how I got where I am now.”

“You’re an interesting pirate,” Smoker said with a smile. “Not many people do it that way. Most pirates worth their salt are all about loyalty to one captain ‘til the end.”

Ruby shrugged. “Commitment issues, I guess. But I know it’s unusual. I only know a few other pirates who are successful without a crew. And on top of that, I deal in favors and allies more than fighting and power.”

“Most people would be dead if they tried to play the field like that,” said Smoker. “And I know you’ve got some powerful people at your back.”

“I do. I’m very close with two of the Four Emperors and their crews, on reasonable terms with the other two.”

“Any aspirations to be one yourself?”

“Nah. I sort of like working in the background and making the pieces move where I want them to,” she said with a smirk. “I don’t want my own crew, I don’t want the responsibility. As long as I’m able to do what I want, a title doesn’t matter to me.”

“And what do you want to do?” Smoker looked at her. She had an answer she was tempted to give, but she held back.

“I want to help people.”

Smoker laughed. “I’ve heard a lot of reasons why people turn to piracy, but this is the first time I’ve ever heard ‘helping people.’” 

“You think pirates don’t help people?” she said, somewhat offended. “I get that most people are afraid of us, and a lot of times they’re not wrong to be. But some of us do a lot more than just steal and kill. I’m living proof of that.”

“I’m sorry,” Smoker said. “You’re right. You do help this community, and the people here obviously love you for it. Any other philanthropic pirates I should know about?”

“Well you know about the Emperors and how they protect islands. Big Mom and Kaido ask for offerings in return from their islands, but Shanks and Whitebeard do it with no expectation of anything except occasionally resources and a safe place to port. Oh, there’s also Mihawk.”

“Dracule Mihawk?” Smoker said, an eyebrow raised in disbelief. “A philanthropist? The guy’s a dick.”

Ruby let out a bark of laughter. “Honestly, he’s not that bad once he learns he can trust you. I wouldn’t say we’re close friends, but we get along well enough. He’s got dozens of properties around the world that he anonymously rents out to low income families for practically nothing. They’re not slums either, they’re pretty nice. He operates them at a loss because he grew up dirt poor and knows what it’s like to not have stable housing. He has the power and the funds to help, so he does. Not much different than what I do here.”

Smoker was sort of shocked. He’d never really considered before that pirates could use their wealth and power for good, especially not someone with a reputation like Mihawk’s. “Huh,” he said.

Ruby chuckled. “Right? I wouldn’t have expected it either. Of course, I do expect you not to report any of this back to headquarters. Mihawk would be fine, but his tenants potentially wouldn’t.”

“Of course. I’m not a Marine right now, right?” Smoker responded with a smile. “Just a normal person.”

As the sky began to brighten ever so slightly with the break of a new day, they grew quiet, watching the waves crash on the shore before them. The bottle of rum was long empty, and all that was left was the two of them and the light breeze off the ocean.

“We talked all night,” Smoker said. He could have kept going, he could have kept talking to her. There was so much more he felt an almost insatiable urge to know. He didn’t want to focus on how strange that made him feel.

Ruby smiled at him. “I had fun.” A beat of silence. “Where are you staying while you’re here?” she asked.

“On my boat, at the marina east of town,” he replied quietly.

“My place is on the way,” she said, rising to her feet. “Just a few blocks inland from there. Walk with me?” Without a word, he stood up and stretched broadly. He followed her back onto the boardwalk and through town, not a word passing between them, but the silence was comfortable. Smoker was both exhausted and strangely energized. He felt like he couldn’t get enough of his unlikely companion. He almost dreaded parting from her, but looked forward to seeing her the next day. Or, later that same day, as the case might have been. His brain was a little foggy. He was tired, with a fading buzz from the rum, and perhaps something else as well.

Ruby guided him through the winding streets, the sun becoming brighter as they walked. She stopped in front of a pink stucco building with terracotta tiles along the roof and a steep stairway lined with flowers leading to the front door. “This is me,” she said.

Smoker looked up at the building, then back to her. “I’ll see you later today?” he said.

Ruby nodded. “I’d like that.”

Smoker turned and began walking towards the marina, he only made it a few steps when she called out to him. “Smoker?” Her voice, usually so strong and confident, was almost timid. “Would you….do you want to stay? With me?” He turned back to her and met her eyes. He knew she wasn’t offering him a spot on the couch. He wanted to say yes so, so badly; every cell in his body was crying out for him to respond in the positive.

Smoker smiled softly, sticking his hands in his pockets to prevent them from reaching out to her. “Want to and should are two very different things,” he said.

Ruby nodded, letting out a soft laugh. “I figured. But I had to ask. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," he replied. He watched her as she ascended the stairs. Opening the door, she looked back at him one last time and smiled, then closed the door behind her. "Fuck," she exhaled, leaning against the door.

Ruby closed her eyes and focused on her Observation Haki. She saw Smoker's shoulders slump.

"Fuck," he said. She couldn't help but giggle. In her mind she saw him start to walk away. He then stopped, walked back towards her front stairs, then turned and walked away again. She watched in her mind with both amusement and desperation as he paced back and forth. Please, please stay, she thought. She could tell he wanted this as badly as she did, but everything he knew, everything he was, was telling him not to. Eventually, she opened the door, and the sound caught his attention.

Smoker looked up at her, her frame silhouetted from within the house.

Fuck it, he thought. Smoker held her gaze as he ascended the stairs until he was in her doorway, standing in front of her. He placed a hand on her face, then leaned down and kissed her. It was heavy, passionate, and was soon followed by a tongue asking for entrance to her mouth, which she readily allowed. Smoker wrapped his arms around her waist and he pulled them both inside, the door closing behind them.

In the privacy of her house, Smoker allowed his hands to explore her body, running them up along her waist, her breasts, her neck, and back down again, and landing on her hips. He pulled her close to him and she could feel how badly he wanted her.

Smoker's kisses moved south, engulfing her neck. When his teeth hit that perfect junction between her neck and shoulders, she let out a moan. Smoker pulled away and smiled at her, his hands unable to remove themselves from her skin. Ruby used the opportunity to guide him into the bedroom, sitting herself on the edge of the bed. Smoker took a moment to remove his shirt, then placed a knee on the bed leaning over Ruby for a kiss and pushing her onto her back. She pushed herself up towards the top of the bed and he followed, his mouth hardly leaving hers for a second. When her head rested comfortably on the soft pillows, he leaned his whole body into her, the hardness in his pants hitting her just right.

Ruby removed her top as Smoker stripped the skirt from her hips, leaving her in a bra and panties. He kissed down her body, burying his face in her beasts and allowing his tongue to follow her curves up to the edge of the lacy fabric, which he pulled aside, taking one nipple in his mouth and biting gently. Ruby reached behind her to remove the fabric from his way completely. As his tongue paid attention to one breast, one large hand reached up to squeeze the other, then ran back down her waist to the edge of her panties, teasing their removal. He worked her body so well already, and his tongue was so skilled, she couldn’t wait to see what else he could do.

Smoker raised himself from her chest and brought her back into a passionate kiss, pulling his body up over hers. She looped her legs around his waist, holding him close and arching up into him, desperate for friction where she needed it most. She allowed her fingers to run over the firm, defined muscles of his chest, tracing the scar on his right shoulder then running her fingers down his abdomen to the hem of his pants. Smoker rose to his knees and let his head roll back as she ran her hand over the bulge in his pants and began unbuckling his belt. He rose from the bed and kicked his shoes and pants off, resuming his position over her. Ruby tugged at the hem of his boxer briefs, but one of his hands grabbed her by the wrist and pulled it away.

“Nuh-uh,” he said quietly, a devilish grin on his face. “You first.” How could she say no to that?

Smoker looped his fingers around the hem of her panties and pulled them down, allowing her to kick them off at her ankles. She laid before him completely naked, and he took a moment to take in every inch of her body. Smoker had been with a few women, but he’d never felt something like this. He’d never felt both the physical passion he was accustomed to, as well as a connection to a partner on another level like he felt with Ruby. It was strange and a little scary. But now wasn’t the time to think about that.

Ruby spread her legs as Smoker ran one hand down her body, her breath hitching as he came ever closer to where she wanted him most. His hand settled on her lower belly, and his thumb ghosted softly over her clitoris. He then brought his fingers down to her core, savoring how wet she was for him.

“Smoker,” she called for him breathily. There was nothing else to say, he knew what she needed. Her head fell back against the pillow as one thick finger entered her, curling up to hit her at just the right spot. Smoker leaned back down over her, running his tongue along the column of her neck and latching on as he interested another finger into her core, and his thumb came back to rest on her clit. Now fully at his mercy, Smoker picked up the pace, curving his fingers as they moved in and out of her, listening for every moan, every hitch of her breath, that told him he was in the right spot. He kissed her neck, her jaw, her lips, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Ruby could feel her end approaching, her body tensing. “Smoker, I’m close, please keep going.” Smoker kissed her deeply, then pulled away as she crested the edge and went over, calling his name. Her head thrown back, her body tensing and relaxing from the movement in her core, his name on her lips - he couldn’t help but think it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. I’ve got it bad, he found himself thinking as her eyes opened and she smiled at him, lifting her head to meet him in a soft kiss. Really bad.

Smoker removed his fingers from her core, and kissed her deeply. She pushed him back until he rested on his knees, and he felt her hands sneaking back down his abdomen again, reaching for his cock. She was desperate to touch him, to feel his heaviness in her hands and in her body. As her hands explored, she kissed his chest, his neck, his jaw. Smoker savored the feeling as she palmed him over the soft fabric, then pulled down the offending barrier, taking him completely in her hand and stroking him up and down. His head rolled back and he let out a soft “Fuck, Ruby…” He could hear her giggle softly. He liked her laugh a lot.

“Condom?” he asked. She rolled over and pulled a box from the bedside table as he removed the last of his clothing. Smoker grabbed one and unwrapped it, pulling it on, then positioning himself over her. “Ready?”

Ruby nodded, her smile wide. “Absolutely.”

Ruby moaned as Smoker entered her, feeling her walls stretch in the most amazing way she’d ever felt. Their eyes met as he bottomed out, his hips meeting hers. Smoker rested his forehead on hers as he began to thrust into her with a slow and steady pace, savoring the feeling of her body wrapped around him, under him, everywhere. They kissed languidly as he rocked his body into her, every moan he could pull from her sending shivers down his spine.

Smoker’s pace began to quicken, his brain begging him to go slow but his body needing more, faster, harder. He rested his head on the curve of her shoulder, leaving marks along her neck as he felt her fingernails dig into his back. A hand moved down to her clit as he fucked into her, wanting so desperately to bring her over the edge again. In time he could feel her body tensing, her moans growing louder, her nails digging deeper. She was so close, and he wanted to go over the edge with her.

“Hang on, Ruby, just a little longer. I’m so fucking close,” he begged, his voice lower than usual.

“Smoker, please…” she begged. Smoker’s pace quickened, his body connecting with hers roughly with every thrust. He felt her body tense again and, knowing she was just about there, he allowed himself to let go. “Smoker!” she cried out for him, holding him tightly as her second orgasm wracked her body. Smoker let out a grunt and followed seconds later, allowing her contracting walls to see him through his own end.

Panting, sweaty, exhausted, he brought a hand to her face and kissed her hard, just like he had at her front door. She smiled up at him, her eyes slightly glazed from pleasure and exhaustion. He couldn’t stop himself from smiling back.

Smoker rolled off of her and removed the condom, disposing of it. After taking a few minutes to clean themselves up, Ruby crawled back into bed, bringing the covers over her body.

“Stay?” she asked.

Smoked huffed out a laugh. “I’m not going anywhere.” The morning sun was shining brightly through the windows now, and he pulled the curtains closed so they could sleep undisturbed.

“I mean while you’re in town,” she clarified. “Stay here. With me. I promise my bed is much more comfortable than whatever you have on your boat.”

Smoker crawled into bed next to her, wrapping an arm around her and allowing her to rest her head on his chest. He kissed the top of her head softly and ran his fingers through her hair. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said again. “I’ll get my stuff from the boat when we wake up.”

She looked up at him and smiled. With one more soft kiss, they both closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep, locked in each other’s embrace.

Previous - Chapter 1: Confessions, Part 1

Next - Chapter 3: Decisions