#DOUBLE KRILL

[kabutoden]

how do seasdwellers work in bugstuck?

here we go : ) i made you a sheet! check it!!

[carcharsaur]

aymeric has literally 0 reason to be in plot focus right now but god I miss him so bad. him having no presence outside like 4 scenes total since the end of heavensward... bleeding out of my mouth

[chaoticgouda]

is tumblr force-shortening anyone else’s posts even though they have the option turned off :(

[steampunkedparm]

saying krill instead of kill genuinely is helping so much djdjdndndn i will forever highly encourage people to say im gonna krill myself instead of kill myself, same cadence and impact :D but. not as harmful?

[yandere-sins]

The Orcas' Tale - Chapter II

Right choice, baby! And we get some alone and exploration time with Krill, isn't that lovely? Hope you guys will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it ♥ Krill's reference is getting drawn up just as I post this chapter, so it's double as exciting for me to see my descriptions come to life!

Fandom: Original Content   Pairings: Yandere!Orca Mermen x GN!Reader   Warnings: Yandere, Monsters, Manhandling, Threats, Dub-consensual touches, Animalistic behavior, Mention of claws/sharp teeth, Hinting at death, Long post

"Fine, then…" 

Taking a deep breath, you looked between the three expectant pairs of eyes before locking onto Krill's. None of them created a feeling of safety, but of all of them, Krill was the one you had interacted with the most. Gulping, you nodded at him, not needing to speak his name out loud before a smug grin parted his lips, showcasing the rows of sharp teeth behind them. 

"Everyone else, out," he ordered, his voice an assertive command as he lifted his body further out of the water, slowly clawing his way over to you. Lyr let out the longest, most disappointed sigh you had ever heard someone make, its high tone reminding you of the sharp whistle of a teapot. Still, he slipped into the pool with a taunting, "I've got something better to do anyway."

Nerrocan said nothing. When you pried your eyes from Krill's, you saw his upper body slumping, but the next second he jumped into the pool head-first and was gone. You had no idea if he was disappointed or relieved as he made his exit as fast as possible. And yet, you wished he would have stayed for some reason. Maybe just so you wouldn't have to face this giant predator, stalking towards you on his hands and arms, alone. Have someone be the voice of reason since the differences between you two were just too big to find common ground. 

With a surprised squeak, you were ambushed by Krill, his arms wrapping around you before he turned you both around, squeezing and pressing you against his chest. With a loud "Uff!" you fell to your butt, only to realize the ground you were sitting on was wet and slick, making you shoot out your hands to find hold. However, it wasn't ground you were sitting on. It was a body. 

It explained the weird sensation and friction against your wet suit, and you were always on the brink of slipping off as you realized in horror that Krill had pulled you on top of him while lying under you. A throaty laugh escaped the merman as he grabbed you by the forearms, having watched your struggles for a bit before steading you on top of him and placing your hands on his pecs. You bit your own lip as a moment of curiosity overcame you, seeing the sheer difference in size; the sensation of your teeth against your lips tearing you out of it. 

You wanted to pull your hands away, but all you could do was release a gasp as Krill pressed his claws to your skin, a quiet warning. Finally, you looked up, puncturing red orbs watching your every move with a drilling intensity. Not even the blue light could make his eyes any less piercing and brilliant, almost as if they were made from rubies. 

"Relax," he purred, the sound rumbling through his whole body and transferring onto yours. It didn't help you calm down, but you forced yourself to listen and focus, not letting the surprise and panic overtake you and upset him. Krill watched as you straightened your back, pulling your legs a bit higher so you'd find some hold on his massive body, your toes barely able to touch the ground when fully stretched anyway. You felt like a child on top of a way too big horse, legs barely able to go around his midriff, but the chortles and chuckles coming from him seemed to indicate Krill didn't mind as you tried to get more comfortable.

Sensing your newly acquired balance, he dropped his hands from your arms, one to capture your wrist, lifting it up so he could see. Krill had settled on what you assumed before was a bed, on top of the soft seal fur, slightly leaning against the back wall. A look over your shoulder revealed that his tail fin was still splashing in the pool, confirming your assumption that there wouldn't be enough space for their whole bodies inside this cave.

Flicking your wrist back and forth between his thumb and pointer, Krill hummed thoughtfully—a sound you'd come to hear more often as he explored onwards. First, his hands went to your legs, wet palms, webbing, and claws driving over your wetsuit, the fabric getting stuck on the gold rings he wore, briefly squeezing your thighs before he focused his attention on your right foot, scooping it up in his palm and demanding it closer to his face so he could watch you wiggle your toes. With bated breath, you put on the greatest show for him, making all five of your toes rise simultaneously and in turns as best as you could. Your effort paid off as Krill chuckled again, helping you back into your position on top of him by placing your foot where you had settled it before.

"You're really freakin' soft," he mumbled under his breath as his hands wrapped around your waist, squeezing the air out of your lungs but never pressing longer than necessary. It made you realize that he wasn't out to hurt you. In fact, he might actually be as curious about you as you were about him. "I noticed it before, but that's just…"

The feeling of his claws softly digging into your back made you arch. The tight muscles beneath you rubbed against your privates, the wet suit not giving as much coverage as you would have liked at that moment. Involuntarily, you let out a gasp, immediately burning up from embarrassment and averting your eyes while Krill's inquisitive hands drove beneath your arms, wrapping around your chest. He probed at your joints, pushing your shoulders back, your soft skin so very different from the hard surface his body created. You wondered if someone more built and muscular than you could even come close to the firmness of Krill. Inhaling deeply, you dared to look up at him again, noticing how his eyes shot up to meet yours, his grin widening as he pulled you a bit higher on top of his chest. "What about you? Aren't you curious?"

You gulped. 

Yes, you were terribly curious about these creatures. No, you couldn't let this get the best of you. But, God. You wanted to learn more about them. Everything you could find, you wanted to know, preserving your knowledge in a thorough report forever. These creatures were dangerous and too sentient while also harboring animalistic traits to be comfortable with. But so were countless other creatures on this planet. And you just had a chance to research them thoroughly. 

"Can I?" you asked, holding your breath as you wondered if you were testing your luck. This may have been a test. Maybe Krill would refuse, leading you on because he could tell your curiosity from the sparkle in your eyes. "Be my guest," he suddenly interrupted your thoughts, wrapping his palms around your arms to guide them forward. You were back to touching him, your hand barely enough to capture any part of him, but it guided your attention to really look at what you were dealing with. 

His muscles should not have awed you as much as they did, looking almost the exact same as a human bodybuilder's who was dehydrated before a show. You weren't sure if he could even dehydrate as a mermaid, but since his skin was so taut, maybe he merely lacked fat in these regions. However, what made you wonder the most was the jewelry he wore. At least they looked like jewelry.

You leaned forward, one of his hands instinctively reaching up, supporting your lower body as you went for the sharp teeth dangling from a leathery necklace. "Are those… sharks?" you asked absentmindedly, knowing the answer without even needing one from him. "Yup!" Krill replied, pride swinging in his voice as he lifted one up in his hand as well. "One for every bastard I killed."

You hummed in acknowledgment, aware that real orcas and sharks didn't get along well, either. Still, with the words of the voice you heard before nagging in the back of your mind, another question arose. "Are they real sharks, or are they…" Swallowing the rest of the sentence, you let go of the tooth, gesturing at Krill instead. 

"Oh, they're like me, alright."

He immediately understood your question, grinning from ear to ear as your eyes widened. You took in the size of the teeth dangling from his neck again and realized that these shark mermaids must have been giant as well. "Isn't it dangerous?" you whispered, fear crawling through your bones again, making your body prickle. However, instead of an answer, Krill suddenly picked you up, lifting you into the air as he twisted his body to the left side, placing you next to him and propping his head on his hand.

"Hm, for you? Maybe. Us? Not so much. You have an alright head on your shoulders. You should know who wins these kinds of fights."

Tapping his pointer finger claw to your forehead, you instinctively closed your eyes, only for him to chuckle at your reaction. "Orcas," you guessed, knowing very well that the real animals put up a good fight, but a shark had no chance against a group of orcas.

"Clever," Krill chuckled, the arm he used to hold himself up wrapping around you from behind, pulling you closer while he used his free right arm to direct your hand back to his body. Forcing your palm to smooth over his tail, you could have almost mistaken him enjoying your exploration more than even you did, but you wouldn't wait for him to ask again to take advantage. Kneeling, you were high enough to look over him, giving you the advantage of height to see. The patterns on his body were remarkably close to an orca, and you realized that until now, you still somewhat had doubts about their heritage. Doubts that were slowly dissolving.

Scars littered his skin, paling the black ever so often. Scars that were long and must have been deep to remain on his otherwise taut and strong body. You could only guess his age, but you didn't think Krill was too old to heal from wounds, so these must have been from fights, the marks looking like scratches that gave away who he must have fought with. The space between his hips and tail was covered by a leathery, brown belt, the fabric wrapping around him completely. There was even a small sachet dangling from it, and what surprised you more: a dagger. Sheathed in the same leather, the silver metal grip still had a remarkable resemblance to a human sword, but it was nowhere near your hand size. An authentic mermaid relict and you were dying of curiosity from it. However, you doubted Krill would give it to you, given the questionable captivity you were in. You were almost too scared to ask him, but the question resolved in a matter of seconds.

"Not there," Krill snapped suddenly as you lowered your hand to the top of his tail, on the inside between his human body and the fish one. 

"Sorry!" you squeaked, taken aback by the sudden refusal and jumping away with your hands raised defensively. Krill grumbled a little, then suddenly decided to roll over onto his stomach. You got to your feet just in time to not be caught underneath his body, and Krill let out a satisfied sigh as he laid flatly on top of the ledge. But when you looked up at him, his head resting on his arms, you were met with his gaze, as intense and burning as ever. 

"Continue," he ordered, fortifying your belief he might actually be enjoying this. You gulped, now feeling a bit more hesitant after the sudden outburst just now. Being unable to talk about the dagger you saw was disappointing, but you decided to stay on his good graces for now. 

Stepping closer, the first thing that caught your attention came as a surprise. "A dorsal fin," you muttered, looking at the triangle on top of his fish half. You hadn't noticed it before, but you realized it must have been uncomfortable to lay on it. Even so, Krill didn't complain, nor did he when you placed your hands on it, even squeezing tentatively into the tissue, realizing it was almost the same as the ones you had studied before. That, admittedly, did get you a bit excited. 

"Sorry," you whispered again as Krill's tail flinched from your touch, and he grumbled a little. But to your surprise, you found his eyes close as you searched for his face. It was both honorable that he seemed to be relaxing, as well as a bit offensive. You posed no threat to him. He had no reason to watch you. Leaving his dorsal fin, you continued upwards, your gentle touch tracing up the spine of his tail to where it connected to his upper body. You were almost scared to press, but you did so anyway, finding his tail to be a bit more tender than his human parts. Unfortunately, you couldn't feel his spine beneath it. But you found something else that piqued your interest.

"Are those from sharks, too?" you asked, tracing the scars on his body with your fingers. 

"Sharks and others. I don't keep count of what bit and scratched me, just of the things I killed for trying."

"So there are many different species of your kind down here, huh?"

"Guess so. Too many to count or even remember. All that matters is protecting the pod and making sure we have enough to eat. Oh, and having fun while at it, of course."

You could hear the grin on his face as he added the last sentence. The cruelty of orcas was not something you were unaware of. Apparently, this merfolk had the same definition of "fun" as their animal counterparts. It wasn't a surprise, but somehow it felt like a disappointment as you had credited them for being better than that. Scary, nonetheless. 

"Oh, but this one-" Reaching his hand back, Krill found yours, guiding it to a big scratch on his back, just above his tail. "-Mom was so angry when I got this one. I went out on my own to hunt for food for her since she was pregnant with Lyr. It was the first time I hunted alone, and I got ambushed by sharks. One of them got me good. They wanted my head just because they hate us."

Rightfully so, you thought but kept it to yourself. Given how Krill had admitted to being just as cruel as other orcas, you could only imagine the severity of hate between these two species. Krill raised his body briefly, revealing that the scar wrapped around to the front.

"Somehow, Mom must have realized where I was, and she came barging in with all the others to save me. But I will never forget the scolding I received while I got treated for my injuries. My aunts kept telling her to calm down because she was pregnant and I was in pain, but she shut them all down. She's the leader; her word goes above everyone else. And now, well... I blame that day for Lyr not being right in his head."

There was no bite to his words, only fond memories and a chuckle at the end about the joke he made. "Haven't talked about that in a while," he noted after a moment of silence. His eyes opened, but he stared off into the distance, unfocused. "I wonder if it's my fault…"

"What is? What do you mean Lyr's not right in his head?" The questions spilled out before you could stop yourself. Curiosity would kill you one day, but you couldn't help it. You had long settled by his side, innocently listening to his words and, unbeknownst to you, relaxed while Krill spoke, his voice even and melodic, and the conversation comfortable. But when he curled his body so he could look at you, the red of his eyes made you tense up immediately, never letting you forget that you were in no position to ask your questions.

Krill eyed you, perhaps suspiciously for the first time. As if he was wondering whether the information he could tell would give you a chance to hurt him. Him or anyone else. However, you weren't a threat, and you lowered your eyes apologetically for daring to overstep. 

But to your surprise, he only ever reached out, pulling you from your place next to his tail forward until he could wrap the arm around you, forcing you to sit right next to his head. Unexpectedly, he collected your legs before heaving his head on top of them, resting the side of his face on you. He was heavier than anyone before who used you as a lap pillow, that much was sure, but since you could lean into his arms around you, it wasn't as uncomfortable as you feared. 

His hair was shorter than Nerrocan's, short in the front, longer in the back, like a mullet. One side was cut down into a sidecut, and most of it was a dark white instead of Nerrocan's long, black hair. An odd choice for a hairstyle for such a fearsome creature you found, but it fit his daring attitude. He certainly had the aura of a leader, which made more sense now that you knew about his mother. And with him taking the time to talk to you and make deals, never showing fear or hesitations in this kind of situation, he definitely acted that way. You couldn't help but play with the strands, soft and wet from the water, shining black on top.

Scanning his features, an odd thought crossed your mind. Krill was quite handsome. 

You had felt the same when you looked at Nerrocan, both embodying beauty standards in different ways. At least until the fish parts. Strangely, you didn't have this feeling for Lyr, though you had to admit you didn't really have the time to look at him either. Combing your fingers through his hair, you felt emboldened by having the apparent trust of this creature, deciding to prod a little more. 

"Why did you say that about Lyr?" you whispered softly, not wanting to upset the giant in your lap. Krill's eyes fluttered open, his gaze shifting briefly to you before he let out a deep sigh, the sound echoing through the cave. 

"Something happened to him. He… changed. Refused to hunt for the pod one day, despite being one of the best, and never went back to it. He ignores Mom and orders from me or her, and does whatever he wants instead. Sometimes he disappears for days before returning like nothing happened, with a few fresh scars and a grin on his face as if he's going mad. Also, he lost a lot of weight. Maybe he's sick? His fin collapsed, and we could help him if he'd let us, but he's stubborn, that prick."

Letting out another frustrated puff, the gills on his neck flaring, Krill lifted his head before plunging it face down into your lap, creating friction with your wetsuit. If you didn't know better, you'd say he liked the sensation against his skin, but he stopped before long, placing his head sidewards and looking up at you from the corner of his eye.

"Lyr has problems, and Nerrocan has ideas. I know they are their own orcas, but they could come to me, and we'd talk about whatever is going on. I taught them everything, you know? I've been with them since they were wee calves. You'd think that would mean something in this family."

With that, Krill lifted himself upwards, supporting himself on his arms and looking down at you, his brows furrowing as the mood turned serious. "Don't tell them what I said, understood? I shouldn't have said anything, but you're… easy… to talk to. You wouldn't dare to go against me—we both know that."

Slowly, Krill moved backwards, his body sinking back into the pool. "Besides, you owe me."

"Do I?" you questioned, his choice of words ticking you off. One second, it felt like you were building a connection between you two; the next, he pushed you away. Verbally and with physical distance. You could see the relief on his expression as he sank into the water, making you realize that a prolonged stay out of it was probably not comfortable. But then, his eyes snapped open, an authoritarian air emitting from the previously gentle giant in your lap. 

"Of course you do. You would have died up there, and you know it. I rescued you, opened my home to you, and made sure you wouldn't be killed by the others in my pod. Our females would not have taken kindly to you had they found you first."

"Someone would have come for me, I know it! I didn't have to rely on you–"

"Oh, please," he snorted, running a wet hand through his hair, moisturizing his scalp and face. "You were lost out there. The sounds of that metal thing had long disappeared from the waters, and with your flimsy… legs, they're called, right? You wouldn't have come far on your own. You do owe me, and the same for the others who kept you a secret from the rest of the pod. You should be a bit more grateful."

"Excuse me–!" you tried to argue when he suddenly snapped his teeth at you, making you flinch away. 

"No more," he hissed. "They're coming back, and I don't want to hear a word of what we said. Just be grateful and return our kindness. Amuse us, or I don't see why we should keep you with us."

With almost no delay, the water parted on either side of Krill, revealing the familiar heads of your other two 'saviors'. Lyr perked up at the sight of you, and if he noticed your hesitations, he pretended not to see. You glanced back at Krill, who held your gaze with a commanding aura, and you didn't dare to say anything, even though you hated that you had to bend to Krill. You knew he was right, and the anxious part of your brain tended towards thankfulness for the orcas for saving you. But it still didn't feel right. It was a reminder that you weren't their equal and they had no respect for you. With your differences, you had doubts that they'd see you as anything but a lesser lifeform, given how they felt superior over you. And you knew that they were, even if you wanted to disagree with their views. 

"We're not sure, but the older females think you humans like to make yourself pretty, right? The pod's been collecting these, but we don't really have any use for them. Do you want them?" 

Lyr's voice caught you off-guard, and you flinched, causing Krill to let out a curt warning growl that didn't go unnoticed by the others. They didn't question their leader. Turning towards Lyr, you scanned over the things he held in his palm: an ivory comb, a small plastic bottle of hand sanitizer, and a delicate-looking tube of… lipstick? You didn't even want to think about how long these things had been in the water, all of them looking worn down, with the plastic bottle being the newest addition. You couldn't see yourself using any of these items besides the comb. Even if just to regain some sanity from the familiarity of combing through your hair. But sticking to it were algae, and the material looked crusty, like it had been down here for a while. Not very hygienic. 

"That isn't even close to what a human needs," Nerrocan suddenly spoke up. When he got out of the water, he didn't waste time presenting what he brought back, throwing a massive slab of meat in front of your feet. Not meat. Fish. And not just any fish, a gigantic one, the piece as big as your whole body. It lacked a head and fins, making it unrecognizable, but with the meat cut open, you could see the typical fish flesh. You were too scared to ask what it was as you realized you couldn't make it out on your own. Part of you wanted to think it would be edible, but a much more horrific thought crossed your mind. 

What if it was another mermaid?

Your stomach betrayed you with a growl, and your mind unwillingly drifted off to freshly made sushi, a luxury you were sure wouldn't be served down here. But could you bring yourself to actually eat whatever they were serving you? You glanced back at the comb and its sharp edges, the crusts on top of it. It might cut your scalp and infect it, too, if you weren't careful. But by the look Krill gave you, you knew you had to make a decision soon. He wanted to see your appreciation for their efforts, no matter how much this made you feel sick to the stomach. 

"What do you want?" Krill asked, voicing your racing thoughts in your head. Your eyes bounced from the strange food to the comb and back to Krill, everything screaming inside you to refuse either option and ask to be finally brought home after indulging him. But would that even work? Would they let you go this easily? As you thought about it, you were faced with three apparent choices.

[iamthekaijuking]

suaropods on earth are the absolute upper limit for land vertebrates, but is it because they have four legs? cause i was working on a scifi spec evo idea where the endoskeletal vertebrate-analogs have eight legs and it got me wondering if it means their sauropod equivalents can be even bigger in a similar earth like gravity

If it was just about leg numbers then land mammals wouldn’t be smaller than the biggest dinosaurs

In reality you need specific evolutionary pressures, circumstances, and unique and efficient anatomy to get big.

For sauropods it was entirely due to their internal anatomy. Sauropods are saurischian dinosaurs, which have hollow bones with internal scaffolding that likely made them stronger than if they were solid, as well as a very extensive respiratory system that included numerous air sacks, many of which ran through their bones. This ultimately allowed saurischian dinosaurs to massively cut back on volume and allow them to cool off easier and have more efficient respiration. There’s things we still don’t know about sauropod anatomy though such as how their circulatory systems combated their sheer verticality. Dinosaurs also have unidirectional respiratory systems, which is more efficient than mammalian two way airflow.

For modern baleen whales it has more to do with the aftermath of the last ice age and how it impacted the location of their food (keep in mind this explanation of the evolution of baleen whale size is based on my current understanding and might not be correct). Baleen whales actually used to be much smaller, around bus size. But during and after the last ice age the ocean currents changed and krill populations became concentrated around the poles. Because of this, baleen whales needed a way to eat as much as possible in one sitting and travel long distances efficiently. The easy solution was to get big, which became easier as their predators the macroraptorial sperm whales and Otodus megalodon gradually went extinct. A thing to note however, is that because they need more resources due to their size, the number of baleen whale species is lower than it was several million years ago. Also also, blue whales are getting bigger.

On earth, 200 tons is more or less the maximum size for animals, as the biggest whales, ichthyosaurs, and sauropods got around that size.

There’s more things to note though:

No, higher oxygen levels don’t make things bigger. Not even bugs. Modern arthropods are actually on average bigger than their Carboniferous counterparts, and the oxygen levels were way higher back then. And griffinflies, very active flying insects, lasted all the way into the Permian, when oxygen levels were lower than in modern day.

It’s important to consider what the bones of animals are made of as well as their structure. Different internal structures can handle stress better, and different materials can handle pressure differently.

Eight legs might be too many, as having more legs, while very stable, can be more energy costly. Two legs might not be able to support as much weight as four, but it is more efficient.

A very big thing animals have to fight with when it comes to size is something called the square cube law. Basically as something gets bigger its volume (insides) increase way faster than its outsides (surface area). If you had a 1 centimeter cube and doubled its size, the surface area would quadruple but the insides would increase eight times. But there are ways of combating this such as decreasing volume with things like air sacks or increasing surface area by being very wrinkly (that’s how human brains fit so many neurons!). And because things with a metabolism generate heat, big animals have to combat overheating because they have a lot of insides. That’s why elephants have such big vascularized ears and why their skin acts like a sponge to soak up water.

Also I have no idea how perucetus got so big, that glorious fatass

[pandoa]

"a founded soul"

you find one another, soulmate to soulmate

~soulmate au with floyd leech, ruggie bucchi, and general!lilia vanrouge x gender neutral reader~

warnings: angst and mentions of blood and death in lilia’s, i also wrote it based off how i think lilia would’ve acted like as a royal general; however, floyd’s and ruggie’s are completely safe and angst-free!

this is a repost! tags weren't cooperating earlier unfortunately

♡you and your soulmate feel each other’s emotions♡

You were convinced your soulmate had some sort of double personality disorder. Seriously. Because one moment you would feel as if you were the happiest of happy people in all of Twisted Wonderland, but then be completely and utterly bored the next. So what was up? Leaning on your table in Mostro Lounge, you pondered some more on your suspicions as you mindlessly sipped on your cup of tea in tranquility. Though, that moment of peace was then shortly demolished when the ear-shattering sound of a glass falling down to the ground harshly pierced your hearing across the restaurant.

“Oh Great Seven, I-I’m so sorry, Floyd! L-let me help you wipe that off-”

“Huh? What makes you think a scampy krill like you can spill that drink on me, wipe it, and still come out unscathed?”

A trembling cry from a student followed by Floyd’s menacing tone clashed and caught the attention of many people, filling the room with a distasteful energy. Observing the conflict unraveling meters in front of you, you suddenly felt a pang of annoyance strike you. Or rather, your soulmate.

“I could squeeze the life out of you right here, right now, if I’m up for it, hehe.”

Then, still sensing your soulmate’s emotions, you felt an overflowing surge of confidence.

“How’s that sound, little krill? Wanna know what it’s like being squeezed by an eel?”

Followed by aggravation...

“Floyd.” Azul swiftly halted his troublesome friend’s intimidating aura. “I understand your displeasure, but please do not start a fight here during business hours. I will take it out of your pay to replace that shattered glass on the floor if you do.”

And…disappointment?

“Eh~? You’re no fun, Azul.”

While the tense atmosphere seemed to diminish in the busy restaurant, you couldn’t help but notice the way your soulmate’s emotions perfectly matched the previous situation to a tee. From the vexed way a certain eel loomed over that poor, terrified student, and to the contrasting manner you sensed as your soulmate’s emotions seemed to calm themselves in the split of a second. It was all too coincidental. A terrible realization then boiled in your mind.

Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, no. It couldn’t be…right?

Was Floyd your…

“…soulmate?” you muttered, eyes widened with astonishment. Interjecting your shocking discovery, though, was none other than Floyd himself as he made his way towards your two-seated table, as if he hadn’t just threatened a student for spilling their drink on him. A skip in his step guided him down to plop onto the seat before you. 

You then felt another emotion arise from your soulmate. Smugness.

“Oi, Shrimpy~,” a mischievous voice you knew all too well sang into your ears. “What’s gotcha staring all gooey and doe-eyed at me, hm?” An innocent look graced his face as he teasingly poked the side of your cheek. Though, something in the way his lips slightly tucked up into a sly smirk told you he wasn’t as clueless as he led on to be. “Hey, tell me, tell me~”

Oh, he definitely knew you two were soulmates. 

♡writing on your arm appears on the same place as your soulmate’s♡

“‘Things I need’,” you read aloud what appeared to be your soulmate’s grocery list on the inside of your palm.

“Lettuce, salad dressing, tomatoes, and…dandelions?” You said, glancing at your hand in confusion. Huh?

“I’m not one to judge, but why in the world would someone need dandelions of all things? On a grocery list, at that.”

“Your soulmate or whatever must have some great taste then!” the cat beast you called your friend cheered beside you. “I’d love to try some of that!”

You groaned at Grim’s gluttonous attitude. Of course he’d be interested in eating dandelions. Placing a disapproving hand to your forehead, you muttered, “You and my soulmate both, apparently.” Strolling on the grass-filled path on your way back to Ramshackle, you decided it was best to avoid any hasty assumptions about your soulmate’s unusual dietary choices.

You began scolding yourself. C’mon, (Y/n)! You don’t even know the guy, girl, or whoever they are! Stop judging!

“Uh, (Y/n),” Grim tugged at the cuffs of your uniform, trying to capture your attention. You, however, seemed to be sucked deep into thought as you paid no mind to the little beast pulling at the fabric of your clothes.

But really, what’s a person gonna do with literal weeds? Make wishes on them or something?

“(Y/n)?”

Okay, I’ll admit that those weeds can be pretty sometimes, but what the heck-

“(Y/N)!!” An echoing scream throbbed in your ear drums as your feline roommate pointed his furry paws towards your dorm’s garden area.

“Leona’s babysitter-assistant dude is picking at our yard!”

To your amusement, there in your garden indeed stood the hyena-like second year with a handful of golden-colored plants laying in a small basket near him.

“Hey! I’m not his babysitter just to make that clear! Anyway,” Ruggie continued. “Your yard over here was entirely covered with dandelions, so I thought you wouldn’t mind me just taking a few of ‘em, shyhehe.”

Your face contorted into a deadpanned expression. “Oh yeah, sure. Like picking up a couple of plants from a random person’s garden is totally not weird and totally not concer-”

Wait, did he just say dandelions?

Wanting to confirm your developing theory, you carefully walked up to the Savanaclaw student, with your ink-covered hand left by none other than your soulmate dangling at your side. “Uhm… Ruggie, call me crazy, but are you planning on making a salad with lettuce, salad dressing, tomatoes, and,” you swallowed a lump forming in your throat, “…dandelions by any chance?”

“Uh, yeah,“ the boy backed away with caution. “Exactly. It’s like you read my grocery list or something-“

“It’s because I did,” you interrupted.

“What?”

You lifted your arm to reveal the matching ink written on the palms of both you and Ruggie, effectively showing the second year what you had meant. A stunned look appeared on his face.

“Hello, soulmate. Now, I won’t question your odd choice in food, but you do have some explaining to do,” you laughed with a soft smile.

Ruggie returned your grin with one of his own.

“Heh, I guess I do.”

♡your soulmate’s final words are printed on your arm♡

“You and I are no different. Bear that in mind, fae.”

Those were the words engraved on Lilia’s pale wrist. They were also the very words his soulmate would say before they met their unfortunate end. A melancholic conclusion, really, he contemplated. To discover one’s fated partner only to perish shortly thereafter. The fae general had always thought this method of soulmate-searching was for naught as it only brought more misery for whoever was affected by it. 

Why was he thinking about this again? 

Oh yes, that’s right. Because from the moment he had knocked you over to the dirt-filled ground, sword in his hand, his soulmate mark had begun uncharacteristically burning up like a fire igniting within his skin. It was peculiar, to say the least. Unlike any sensation he had ever felt before. It intrigued Lilia, however, there was simply no time to waste during his current mission. The Queen’s orders had once again played in his mind whilst recalling why you, a human, had been laying down beneath him, defenseless to his threatening grip.

“General Vanrouge,” the fae queen’s intense presence stiffened the air as rage seeped out of her very being. The arising conflict between humans and fae alike had drastically heightened, leading to a now forming war centered around the two groups. It was no surprise the queen had been so distressed. 

“Reports of the human called ’(Y/n)’ have been submitted. It is said that they have been secretly observing our troops as a spy for the human race and must be disposed of immediately before they reach the humans’ base.” The queen paused for a moment, allowing her words to reach Lilia.

“You will eliminate them, General Vanrouge. Dismissed.”

Lilia, returning back from his memory, proceeded to aim his attention at your wounded frame. The fae truly did not wish to kill you. He wanted to believe that humans and magical beings such as himself could live together with no conflict at all. Though with Twisted Wonderland’s current circumstances and the brewing war arising, he supposed he was better off obeying the queen’s orders and eliminating you. Despite the fact that it pained his conscience immensely. 

With his blade still tensely pressed against your throat, Lilia spoke.

“Forgive me, human, but I must remain loyal to my queen,” the man kneeling atop of you whispered. “If you have any final words, I recommend you speak now for your time is limited.”

You sternly lifted your head up to your captor, fury evident in your gaze. “I only wish to say one thing.”

“Go on.”

“You and I are no different. Bear that in mind, fae.”

Lilia’s eyes widened in disbelief as you uttered the exact words imprinted on his wrist. He was left aghast. There was no way you had been his soulmate, correct? The very human life he was sent to end? The one sprawled all over the ground, covered in blood, bruises, and cuts?

His body acted faster than his mind. Raising his arms up above his head, Lilia gripped his glistening sword and pointed it towards your beating heart. 

I’m sorry, dear soulmate. Perhaps in another time we could have been what destiny had designed for us. 

With a final breath coming from your form, a sharpened blade gruesomely impaled your defeated figure.

 Lilia had slain his fated partner. 

[orcinus-veterinarius]

Hiya! Would you be willing to explain why keeping captive right whales is completely nonviable, as you mentioned? I’m fascinated, but the adhd simply will not let me parse scientific papers.

That's a fantastic question! While it would be wonderful if captive breeding were a viable option for this critically endangered species, it just isn't possible under any realistic conditions.

For starters, their size. Orcas are the largest mammals successfully held in captivity, and we all know how difficult (and controversial) that is, with only a very small handful of facilities ever pulling it off with any semblance of success. Tilikum, the largest captive orca (although I believe that record has since been overtaken by a male in China), was 22.5 feet (6.9 meters) long and weighed 12,500 pounds (5,700 kg). Most other orcas in human care, particularly the females, are considerably smaller. Compare that to a northern right whale. Even the smallest adults are over 40 feet long—double Tilikum's length—and weigh 88,000 pounds (40,000 kg)—seven times his weight—while the biggest specimens on record reached up to 61 feet (18.5 m) and an incredible 234,000 pounds (106,000 kg).

A tank for an animal that size would be far beyond anything we have the ability to engineer and maintain. Think of how deep it would have to be for the whale to even turn around! The water pressure would be astronomical, wreaking havoc on the building materials even if it were possible to build the structure. And remember—someone has to dive to clean it! Our theoretical right whale habitat would have to be a sea pen, but even the 100-acre facilities proposed with orcas in mind are nowhere near deep enough. While right whales are considered to inhabit "coastal" waters, they do not live right up by the shoreline, like certain orca ecotypes and other small delphinids. They are a pelagic species, designed to live out in the open water column, as are all baleen whales. So, the pen would have to be a floating habitat miles out into the open water (think of an offshore oil rig), with netting sturdy enough to not be destroyed by a 50 ton whale and long enough to extend hundreds of feet to the ocean floor. We're talking probably thousands of square miles of netting, that would have to be routinely inspected for safety and upkeep. So, you would probably need a submersible, since no human can dive that deep. On top of that, it would be difficult to find such a larger stretch of ocean in their habitat without shipping lanes, underwater noise, or pollution. And let's just forget about the logistics of staffing that place—or worse, funding.

Additionally, we wouldn't be able to feed them by tossing fish into their mouth like with dolphins. Northern right whales feed on tiny crustaceans and zooplankton, cruising along and filtering the creatures from the water with their baleen. Assuming our right whale keepers were somehow able to acquire the insane amount of food the whale requires (potentially over 5000 pounds of zooplankton a day), it would need to be scattered throughout the massive habitat to facilitate feeding. I imagine this would probably look something like the way Georgia Aquarium feeds their whale sharks from a little boat, although on a much larger scale. And since the food obviously can't be kept alive, we would need to develop someway of delivering the daily vitamins that are lost in the freezing process—and to keep hundreds of tons of krill frozen on a floating kitchen in the middle of the ocean.

Of course, the ultimate goal of this project would be to breed northern right whales... that means we need to take everything we just talked about and double it, at a bare minimum. For the breeding program to be successful, it would need a whole lot more than just two whales. And unfortunately, even if we lived in world with magical floating thousand-acre sea pens, unlimited krill, and endless money... we still don't know if it would even work. Right whale breeding habits are poorly understood, with the whales mating in cold northern waters before migrating 1,000 miles south to calve. Despite our best theoretical efforts, these migratory patterns could very well be necessary for successful reproduction.

Thank you again for the ask! This was actually a lot of fun to think about! If you want to read about JJ, the only baleen whale ever successfully housed in (temporary) human care, you can find an article and pictures here.

[samspenandsword]

The Fields of Sorgan: Din Djarin/Reader (Fem)

Summary: When Mando takes the job on Sorgan, he runs into the reality that he’s never had to take care of a baby before. Let alone a non-human baby. Luckily, the woman housing him is more than happy to help.  Pairing: Din Djarin/Reader; fem!reader with no mentions of her appearance. Rating: GEN — SFW Warnings: None — allusions to violence, small amount of language, domestic bliss, fluff, ridiculous amount of baby and child antics, topics relating to being/becoming parents (NO PREGNANCY) some angst towards the end. Word Count: 4.3k

When you and your sister-in-law Omera volunteered to house the ones who promised to help repel the attachs and raids on your village, you hadn't quite been expecting who actually came. One was a woman, tall and obviously strong with dark hair. She left quickly with Omera, Winta and her million questions bounding along right behind. But the other, the one who followed behind you with steps quieter than his armor seemingly should've allowed, was the Mandalorian. You'd never met a Mandalorian before, though you'd certainly heard of them. Even on Sorgan, you'd been told stories of the greatest warriors in the galaxy.

Mando was quiet as he followed you, weaving around the pools and paddies of krill your village farmed to brew spotchka. You lived around the outskirts of the village, closer to the treeline than anyone else. You had your small hut, and your barn, equally small. You hoped it would be enough for the warrior, but something told you he had slept in worse conditions than a small barn.

He himself was quiet, which you imagined helped him sell the whole brooding-warrior-in-beskar image he wholly embodied, but as you came back into the barn, carrying a pile of hand-stitched and woven cushions and blankets, he thanked you.

"I appreciate it."

He had a soft voice, with a mild gruffness behind the modulator. You couldn't tell if the gruffness was natural or if it was simply a result of him not talking much.

"It's no trouble, really. I appreciate everything you're doing for us. I know we weren't able to pay what a man like you would usually make."

His weight shifted a little, caught out, but you didn't allow him to feel awkward for long, disappearing once more. When you returned, only a moment later, you set down a bassinet not far from Mando's makeshift cot.

Mando's baby, or foundling, you supposed, was cute. In an ugly sort of way. You'd never seen a lifeform like him before. He was little, green, and wrinkly, with wispy hair on his head. His ears were the size of his entire body, his eyes huge and curious, and he wore clothing that could've doubled as a sack for potatoes.

You couldn't help but smile at him. "Hi, little one." At your voice, the baby cooed, raising his arms up in a clear request to be held. After a subtle nod from Mando, you obliged the baby.

"Ooh, you are a cutie, aren't you? You're going to be spoiled rotten. Are you hungry, baby? I bet you're hungry. Let me get some food for Mando and then I'll get some bone broth for you."

You soon learned that the baby was a bottomless pit when it came to food. He truly would eat all day if you and Mando let him. Thankfully, he was occupied most days by the village children, who were absolutely delighted to have the child as a playmate. He spent the days both before and after the attack running around the paddies with the other children. And came back with his insatiable appetite. You might be annoyed by it if he wasn't so damn cute.

And if you didn't have such a soft spot for his father.

You'd only referred to Mando as the child's father once, and you had seen the way he shifted. He obviously wasn't sure what to make of the term, so you'd never used it again. Eventually, in the days following the successful defense of your village, he told you how the child came to him: the bounty, the Imperial remnant, the rescue, the Guild coming after him, the Covert coming to his rescue. You weren't sure exactly why Mando was telling you everything, but you had the feeling he simply needed someone to vent to. He'd obviously never had that before, and you were happy to listen. A lot had changed for him in a simple matter of days, and he had no idea where his future would lead. But all the same, he had still helped you and your village, so you were happy to give him whatever he needed. Food, shelter, cover fire, an ear.

Childcare lessons.

It had been fairly obvious from the start that Mando had no idea how to take care of an infant, even if that baby was 50 years old. And even for you, who had helped to raise your younger siblings, there was a bit of a learning curve. The child wasn't human after all, so neither of you had been sure what was and wasn't safe for him to eat, or what would provide the best nutrients for him, and Sorgan didn't have the resources for either of you to go researching. Mando told you, with a dry sort of humor in his voice, that the child seemed happy eating everything from bone broth to live frogs. You'd grimaced.

"Let's hold off on the live frogs for now," you said. "I'm not sure all those bones are good for his digestion."

The baby was miffed every time the both of you scooped him up when he went after the frogs hopping around the paddies. But you both held firm.

But he definitely loved bath time.

He loved the splash Mando, and to blow bubbles under the water, smiling and giggling all the way. He loved when you made little swirlies in the water, and seemed genuinely upset when bath time was over. At least, until you wrapped him in a blanket warmed by the fire and let him snuggle with you.

He was a cuddler, that was for sure. Even with Mando, who was constantly covered with his beskar. The baby didn't seem to care. He simply liked being in the arms of others.

Especially you and Mando. Though he loved toddling after Winta and the other kids as well.

He was a good sleeper, too. Sometimes, he could be fussy when he was put down, but he usually fell asleep and stayed asleep.

Though there were definitely harder nights. Nights where he woke up, wailing and crying.

The first night it had happened, it had taken you a moment to realize what was happening, unused to the sound of a baby crying in your home anymore. It was a few days after the attack, and the town had been sleeping soundly for the first time in what felt like months. But as the baby continued to cry, you stood up and padded out to the barn.

Mando was kneeling at the baby's bassinet, awkwardly, shushing him like he was a too-loud droid and not a baby. Feeling a little amused, you knocked on the door slightly, announcing your presence.

The slump of Mando's shoulders either meant that he was relieved to see you, or that he was guilty the baby had woken you up.

Maybe both, but you didn't mind.

"Hi, baby," you cooed gently, padding towards the bassinet. You kept your voice soothing, gentle, warm. The baby had fat tears rolling out of his big eyes, and though you weren't sure what was wrong, you knew the baby needed to be held right now.

You just didn't think it was you he wanted to be held by at the moment.

"Go ahead, Mando. Pick him up."

He hesitated slightly, but stood and gingerly lifted the child from the bassinet. You huffed with amusement. He was holding the baby so awkwardly, like a bomb about to go off.

"Closer," you instructed, gently guiding the baby into the Mandalorian's chest, which you realized was beskar-free. For perhaps the first time since you'd met him. "Hold him closer."

You kept your hand on the baby's little back, soothingly rubbing it as he released a little hiccup and continued to cry.

"Rub his back," you said, taking Mando's hand and pressing it to where yours had just been. You kept your hand over his. It was the first time you'd seen him without gloves as well, and his skin was warm against yours. You tried not to dwell on that. "Like this. It grounds him."

Mando slowly rubbed the child's back, a little awkwardly still, but you could tell he was trying.

"Rock gently," you continued. "Just a gentle shift of your weight, side to side, with the barest bounce. Yeah, just like that."

Mando slowly rocked the baby, your hand still covering his own. Your hand had come to smooth over the child's wispy hair. Mando eased closer so you could continue more easily. You felt his proximity more keenly than you cared to admit.

You swallowed.

"Talk to him," you said next.

"About what?" Mando asked, sounding a little confused.

"Anything. Everything. Just let him hear your voice."

Slowly, and maybe a little unsurely, Mando began to talk. He was clearly unused to making idle chat, and you smiled amusedly as he began to list the specs of his ship. A Razor Crest, he said. How it was pre-Empire. The engine speed and capabilities. The weapons systems. Both spec and modified. How he'd built a chamber into the ship so he could freeze his bounties in carbonite.

Slowly, but surely, the baby began to calm down, his cries quieting to sniffles and hiccoughs, and eventually fully ceasing, his little face smushed into Mando's chest as he slept once more. Mando fell silent again too, slowly, and a little tensely, replacing the child into his bassinet. You gently tucked him in, and the baby continued to sleep soundly.

You gave Mando's arm a gentle squeeze. He didn't tense or jump at the contact for once. You tried to chalk it up to him being tired.

"Why was he like that?"

You chewed on your cheek a little, wondering how to answer.

"Children get scared, Mando. What happened a few days ago was scary. And he may not have seen everything, but children pick up on their surroundings more than you'd think. We were tense and scared, so he was too. He could've had a nightmare."

Mando was still, like he'd never considered the possibility. You squeezed his arm once more.

"I got him next time. We can take turns."

And with that, you both went back to bed.

But the next morning, things were undeniably a little different between the two of you. It became less of Mando taking care of the child while you gave tips. More of you both taking care of the baby. You ended up sewing up a quick sling for the baby so he could be with you when you woke early and made breakfast, letting Mando sleep in a little further. Or when you did laundry and mended clothes from the village. There had been one day where the baby had been particularly insistent on staying close to Mando, and it had been more than a little funny to see the baby, smiling and swinging his little arms from the sling around Mando's beskar-covered chest.

The memory of Mando's sigh still made you giggle.

You also remembered when you'd taken the baby with you as you ventured out for a hunt. As one of the only people in the village other than Omera who was proficient with firearms (your brother, her husband, had taught you both), you often brought meat and foraged plants back to the village. The baby had been strangely thrilled when you'd brought down a particularly large grinjer.

You'd chuckled at him, dropping a kiss to his little head. Traveling with a Mandalorian was going to do weird things to the child's sense of humor.

The days came and went in relative normality. And somehow, the warrior-in-beskar and his little foundling simply became part of the village. As did the former shock trooper, who you found a bit intimidating, but good-humored. Winta seemed to really like her, and Omera seemed happier and more at ease than you'd seen her in a long time. And the longer the village went with peaceful, raid-free nights, the more it seemed to settle. Children laughed and played more, the work in the paddies no longer seemed so draining, and the village simply began to feel like home again.

But a stone grew in your gut with each passing day. Because you were beginning to wake with the fear that each day would be the last you got to spend with the Mandalorian and child.

And that day soon came.

It was a nice day. The sun was shining and the sky was blue with lots of fat, fluffy clouds. It was perfectly warm with the more pleasant breeze wafting over the grass fields around your village, just before the thick trees of the forest.

You'd packed some lunch for the kid, trying (and failing) to keep him from slurping it all up in five minutes flat before he toddled off to chase some dragonflies.

You smiled, shaking your head fondly from where you sat on a well-worn, well-loved blanket. It had become the baby's favorite in the weeks he'd spent with you. He didn't want to go anywhere without it.

You were so, so conscious of the fact that Mando was sitting just beside and slightly behind you. So close you were aware of every breath he took. So close that all you had to do was lean over an inch, and your shoulder would brush against the armor on his chest.

"It's... very nice here."

Your good mood dropped. You'd been fearing, expecting this for days now. But it didn't stop the swell of disappointment in your gut. The words made you feel chilled, as if the warm midday sun had simply decided not to touch you. The fond smile that had graced your face was no longer there, replaced with something grave.

"It is."

Your voice was level. More level than Mando had ever heard it. He winced beneath his helmet. You knew where this was going, and it made you upset.

He had made you upset.

It hurt him more than he wanted to acknowledge.

"He's very happy here."

Mando's helmet tilted in the direction of the child, who paid the two of you no mind as he chased dragonflies and butterflies over the grass in your peripheral.

"He is."

There was a pregnant pause, and Mando realized you were going to force him to say what he meant. What he was thinking. What he was feeling.

You were good at that, in a way no one else he'd met was. He both loved and hated it.

"We raised some hell here a few weeks back. It's too much action for a village like yours. Word travels fast." There was a pause, as Mando swallowed and forced himself to continue, unable to meet your heavy, upset, knowing gaze. Even from behind the sanctuary of his helmet. "There are kids here. And everyone's finally happy again. I can't stay knowing it could bring more attention to your home. More danger. It's time to cycle the charts and move on."

Your throat began to tighten, and it took physical effort for you to keep your voice level when you responded. And when you did, it was still in barely more than a whisper.

"When do you want to tell him?"

The two of you looked over towards the baby, playing happily in the grass. The sight of his little mud-stained outfit, and the idea that you might not get to cuddle and hold and feed him again made your eyes sting too.

"I'm leaving him here."

You whipped your head back around, mouth falling open with shock.

"What?"

"He's happy here." Mando's voice, gruff as it usually was, contained a softness to it you'd never heard before. He almost sounded... sad.

"Mando, no -"

"I can't take him." The softness left Mando's voice, replaced with a vehemence that made it sound more solid, more organic than his modulator should've allowed. "I'm a bounty hunter, not a caregiver. You showed me that. You can take care of him better than I ever could. I track bounties for days, sometimes weeks at a time. And I'm wanted now. I can't bring him with me and knowingly put him in danger. Knowing I can't provide for him like he needs. The credits your village gave me is barely enough to cover fuel for my ship, let alone food or toys or new clothes like he needs. I —!"

Mando's voice never increased in volume, the two of you still speaking in hushed tones so as not to gain the baby's attention.

"Traveling with me..." Mando's voice was soft again, and this time you were certain of the sadness in his tone, "that's no life for a kid."

Your throat was still tight. Maker, you were upset. But you couldn't deny Mando had some good points. His lifestyle was dangerous even before he went rogue and rescued the child. And now, he would be forced to take jobs with less pay and more danger than before, now that the Guild was looking for him, thirsty for retribution. It wasn't a stable life. Not by any means.

And children needed stability. If not from a lifestyle, then from people. Mando could provide neither.

You could provide both.

But Maker, you were upset!

"It'll break his heart," you whispered. You didn't add that Mando's leaving would break yours too.

"He'll get over it. We all do."

His words made you angry this time.

"Get over what? Losing a parent? Or being abandoned."

Mando actually flinched.

"That's how he sees you, Mando," you said. Now that you'd started, you couldn't stop. "You rescued him. You saved him. You were the first positive figure in his life in who knows how long. You're as good as his parent, Mando. And he needs a parent."

Mando looked at you, gaze piercing into you. "He has a mother."

The words that once might have made your heart feel warm made you, instead, feel cold.

"He needs a father, too."

A tense silence fell between the two of you, broken only by the happy squeals of the child, some feet away. He was now digging in the dirt. Maybe looking for a worm.

Or maybe a frog to eat.

Your anger melted away as you looked back at Mando. You knew this was upsetting him as much as it was you. In the weeks he'd been in your village, you'd seen how much the warrior had grown to care for the baby. The increasing involvement in his daily routine. The way Mando cuddled him closer on bad nights, the way he spoke more, the way he helped you with bath time, even took care of the baby in the mornings to allow you more sleep. You'd seen the way he'd grown to see the child as his charge. Maybe even as his own.

Just like you had.

You scooted towards Mando, sitting as close to him as you possibly could without being in his lap. He didn't shy away from the press of your legs against his, and his gloved hands covered your own as you reached up to grip the cowl around his shoulders.

"I'm not saying this to make you feel worse, Mando. But he's not going to understand that you're doing this for his own good. All he'll know is that you left him. That is what he's going to remember, fifty years from now, when he's grown and talking and has maybe grown out of his habit of eating live frogs."

Mando's shoulders shook in a silent chuckle. A sad chuckle.

"You don't have to do this," you whispered. You clutched the fabric tighter in your fingers. "I know your Creed is important to you, and I would never ask or expect you to abandon it. But... you could stay. The village wants you to stay." You bit your lip, voice lowering until he nearly couldn't hear you. "I want you to stay."

Mando's hands squeezed your own, and ever-so-gently, leaned his helmeted forhead to yours. You exhaled shakily, blinking back the wetness in your eyes. Because even as you'd said it, you knew it simply wasn't possible.

Mando couldn't stay.

"Cyar'ika, I —" But he stopped. Because you'd stiffened. And in a blink, you'd grabbed his pistol and shot into the trees.

Mando whirled around in time to see a dark figure fall to the ground.

"Get the kid! Get back to the village!"

He grabbed his phase-pulse blaster and sprinted towards the trees. You gripped the pistol still in one hand, scooped up the scared child in the other, and ran back to the village.

Omera and the trooper, Cara, met you.

"What happened?" Cara questioned.

"There was a figure in the trees," you panted. You cuddled the baby close. You'd stared at the edges of the forest every day for your entire life. You knew what they looked like. You knew when something was different. "They had a rifle."

Cara darted towards the trees, drawing a blaster of her own.

Omera wrapped an arm around you. "Come on, let's get inside."

Mando didn't return until nearly an hour later. There was a cup of tea clutched in your hands. You'd settled the baby down for a nap. And though he'd fussed and refused, your rocking and singing had eventually lulled him into slumber. Mando stopped in the doorway before slowly approaching. Something about his posture made you feel dread.

"Bounty hunter?"

"Yes."

"Was he tracking you?"

There was a pause. "No."

Your eyes closed. "The kid?"

Mando didn't need to answer. He sat down beside you, shoulders tight with tension.

"They'll keep coming for him, won't they?" you said.

"Yes. They knew he's here."

You swallowed hard. You could not imagine what had led to someone putting a bounty out on a child.

You took a deep, shuddering breath. "I'll get his stuff."

But when you went to stand, a gloved hand stopped you.

Mando didn't say anything for a few minutes, but it was clear there was something on his mind. So you waited, squeezing the hand that held yours.

"Come with me."

The words came so suddenly and so quietly you were sure you'd imagined them. But you blinked, looking into his visor, and saw the sheepish, almost hesitant set of his shoulders.

"What?"

"Come with me." Mando stepped closer, gripping your hand more surely. "The kid can't stay here. And neither can I. The bounty hunters will keep coming. They won't stop. The pay-out for him alone, let alone both is too high. But... you were right." He squeezed your hand again. "We were both right. He needs stability. He needs a caregiver. A parent. Someone who can watch him when a bounty is too dangerous to bring him. Someone who can take care of him and my ship when a bounty takes me away for days at a time. Someone who can provide a more consistent, stable presence than me."

You were sure you looked a picture right now. You had never left your planet before. Barely ever left your village. The life of a farmer was one you had been born into, and while you had entertained the fantasy of something different in your youth, you had been forced to accept that your place was on Sorgan, in your quiet little village where everyone grew and married and farmed krill.

"I don't know anything about taking care of a ship."

"I'll teach you."

"I can't fight."

"You can shoot. You took that bounty hunter down in one shot from several meters away. And you're strong. Farming has made you strong. With some training from me, you'd be able to hold your own. You'd be able to protect yourself, and him if it came to it. And it'll come to it."

There it was, the admission that if you accepted, your life would become far more dangerous than you were used to. The recent raids on your village had been the most danger you'd ever experienced before. But for Mando, it had been just another day. And part of you still couldn't believe what you were hearing. Go with Mando? Leave Sorgan? For real?

But the young spirit in you who'd never gotten to stretch their wings or see the stars beyond Sorgan was roaring at you to accept. No matter how reckless or irresponsible it may be. You knew it'd be difficult. You knew the learning curve would be a steep one. You knew there'd likely be days where you wanted to get angry and yell and cry. Days where Mando wanted to storm off and grumble and get frustrated at having to suddenly share his space with two more people, one of them a child. You knew there'd be hard days, and maybe, maybe in the end you'd grow to regret it. Decide to leave and barter passage back to Sorgan on cargo ships and merchant vessels that came to Sorgan to pick up spotchka.

But then, Mando's words from earlier rang in your ears.

"He needs a mother."

The baby sleeping in your barn was the closest you'd ever come to having a child of your own. To being a mother. And even though it had only been a few weeks, the stinker had thoroughly worked his way into your heart. You literally couldn't imagine your life without him anymore. And you looked at the beskar-covered Mandalorian in front of you. The figure who'd come into your wet little village, armed to the teeth, and saved you all. The man who'd also wormed his way into your heart without even trying. The closest you'd come to truly falling in love.

And you knew you wouldn't regret it.

"Give me thirty minutes to pack?"

Mando touched his forehead to yours once more, squeezing your hand in his. The tense set of his shoulders relaxed into something far happier.

"You have twenty."

Taglist: @redheadgirl @nekotaetae @theroguesully @hotpinkplastoid @starstofillmydream @ttzamara

Join my taglist here!

[yandere--stuck]

hey, i loved both your damara and meehna writings, can you do some damara x reader x meenah hcs? where the reader is new to the dreambubbles and the two are fighting each other to make the reader their darling? thank you sm <3

Here you go! Hope you enjoy :>

---

💋 Oh no. Oh noooo, I do not envy your position. But, it's not all bad, of course. At least, not at first. Having no prior experience with any version of Damara, or really, any of the Alpha trolls, it automatically puts you in Damara's good graces. A new face is always welcome amongst the ones of those who betrayed, disrespected, and hurt her. She's more than willing to help you out and provide company. You both seem to get on really well together and become fast friends. Though, it is odd how whenever you try to get close to another Troll, she's immediately there to redirect the conversation or find some way to weasel you out of talking with them, sometimes even taking you by the shoulders to steer you away. Maybe she's just protective? She did mention something about bad blood between them. 

👑 Damara hadn't considered worrying about Meenah, though. Meenah, or at least her Meenah, had spent much of her afterlife cooped up within the confines of her castle. Of course. Explode them all to kingdom come and then run and hide after shit goes down. And who's left to deal with the aftermath? Everyone one. It's just like her. But, she could at least be thankful that Meenah's too busy submerging herself in the past. Or, that's what she had thought. She had lost you amongst a crowd of dream bubble doubles of herself and old so-called 'friends', panic gripping her bliodpusher as she searched desperately to find you, only to stumble out into a clearing. Craning her head wildly to spot you, she froze. She had found you, yes, but Meenah had gotten to you first, talking animatedly at you before locking milky-white, dead eyes with Damara.

"Ay, Damz, hook who I found! We were just talkin' aboat ya!"

💋 It nearly made the rustblood boil over with rage as she sat and listened to Meenah talk and talk and talk - about herself, her wealth, her status. As if any of that even mattered anymore. As if she isn't the one who killed and fucked with them all. As if you needed to hear any of this. But, she couldn't just drag you away from the seadweller now, not when you've made an actual connection with her. None of her usual ways to get out of interacting with her old friend group couldn't work either, now that she had a reputation to uphold to for you. Not to mention that Meenah was probably the only one scummy enough to spill about Damara's past to you, so she must settle on sitting with you and stewing in rage at the sound of Meenah's voice, all while making biting comments in Eastern Alternian that she hoped you couldn't understand. 

👑 Oh, Meenah was happy as a clam! Oh, how lucky was she to run into a cutie like you, huh? Someone who could fall into her good graces just by some nice words and grand tales, all while Damara couldn't do a thing aboat it! That's what the beach gets! Shows her, krilling a gill like that… Well, not that Meenah's record gad exactly been squeaky clean, either, but you didn't need to know about either of that! You just needed to be blissfully unaware of any, uh, "drama." Oh, and not to leave her, of course. It's not like Meenah could help it! What could she say, she's a girl who like having things. And she wants to have you! Her arm around your shoulder, a hand clasped either yours, snickering together as she softly bumped her forehead against yours. It was… Sweet. Something Meenah thought she might be able to do forever. And it had the added benefit of making Damara bright red with rage.

💋 But, eventually, like with everything else, Meenah crossed the line. She could have kept her mouth shut and rode out the tentative agreement between her and Damara to 'share' you, but of course not. That's what Damara remembered most. Meenah liked pushing things. Pushing issues, pushing her friends into doing things for her, pushing trolls around. And the heiress hadn't changed one bit. Meenah had pulled her aside with a grin, saying they needed to talk. Meenah wanted more from you. More from you that she 'knew' you didn't want from Damara. So, like a good friend should, she could just… Take you off her hands, you know? Meenah knew Damara was too scared to actually make a move on you, so Meenah might as well be the one to have you to herself. She took Damara's silent, shaking rage as permission, grin nearly splitting her lips. She had finally done it. She was finally superior to Damara again. She could do whatever she wanted to her now, just like before! All was right with paradox space again. And as she turned to walk away and claim you as her prize, Damara Megido finally snapped. 

👑 Your fronds friends (or… something more?) had been gone only for a few minutes, but you were starting to feel anxious. You couldn't remember the last time you'd been on your own for so long. Getting up to look around, your eyes widened as you noticed a large crowd forming. Making your way over, you noticed familiar voices screaming over the murmurs of the crowd. Your friends were in there! Diving and pushing through the crowd of ghosts, you eventually made your way to the front, panting and almost falling over. Your momentary exhaustion was replaced by pure adrenaline as you took in the sight before you. Damara straddled Meenah by the waist, shoving her face into the dirt with one hand and the other scratching deep into her stomach. They were both bloodied and covered in bruises. Damara's hair had become unraveled and messy, giving Meenah the opportunity to pull hard on it as she squirmed on the ground, her maw of razor sharp teeth opened and closed like a bear trap, trying to bite down on something. Meenah scrambled with her free hand and found purchase on Damara's shirt, pulling her forward and knocking their heads together as they both screamed in unison,

"THEY'RE MINE!!!"

[transpidergwen]

Absolutely gobsmacked by the double switch the Orville pulled with the Krill, Moclans and Kaylon. I thought for SURE we were heading for the classic "disparate warring factions all unite against the larger existential threat" and then in the last two episodes they Matrix dodged out of the way into "your former allies are now allied with your sworn enemy and now the killer robots are on YOUR side because you saved them from extinction???" I love that "everyone unites" trope but this is so much more interesting!!! Everything is complex and messy, no easy answers. Absolutely thrilling TV.

[windydrawallday]

Yesterday I got stuff to attend which left me without much time for posting so, today you will get DOUBLE Fun Fact Dumps about the merfolk in "The Lighthouse" AU! This is the first part. Feat Merfolk!Lockdown.

(The pics are from old askbox dynamic I did on IG stories some time ago).

In this part, we will talk about FOOD and habits related to it! Long post with pics ahead:

★ (This pic came after someone asked to give him a fruit gummy x'D)

"Only if the gummies have zero sugar (makes merfolk sick)... and it would need a whole barrel to be satiated."

"Can the gummies be shaped like fish?"

"... Why not."

"By the way, how did it fit there?!"

"Merfolks have elastic bone str--"

"Like cats?"

"Yes, like cats."

★ (Now, in all seriousness: what do merfolks eat?)

"They are carnivorous but we have records that they are capable of eating anything in times of need."

"Merfolks have a preference for nudibranchs, fish similar to tuna, and a specific type of krill in the area where they live."

★ (BONUS: feat Sea Researcher!Ratchet and Merfolk!Drift)

"The few Merfolks we found acted very territorial and competitive... even possessive of the hand that feeds them."

"They often ignore the existence of each other until they cross paths when hunting for food or relocating their dens."

"But there's still a gregarious instinct in them and if there's no other way, they will seek aid from merfolk near their territories."

[original-character-championship]

Bracket A Round 1 Second Half Results!!!

This round was incredibly tense and filled with both sweeps and near-ties, but it has ended and here I am again with the results!!

Poll 17

Eris the magical girl successfully defeated Mars Candlesmith with 60% of the votes against Mars' 40%!! Even a cat with long fluffy fur isn't a match for this goth with disabled & trans swag!!

Poll 18

Crisis Castelli the thief truly stole the competition - he got nearly 57% of the votes, but with 43% Caleþa and his eternal party but up a formidable fight!!

Poll 19

In the biggest sweep of this round, Scrangle the eldritch pokemon trainer beat Hadriel the rebelling angel by getting nearly 84% of the votes against xeir 16%!! This poll also gained the most votes - an amazing 665 of them!!! That's more than double what the other polls got!

Poll 20

Ellie the fish wife unfortunately lost against Echo the game console and only got 42% of the votes against its 58%!! I guess it's true that water and electronics don't mix!!

Poll 21

Sevil Neveah the centaur mayor of hell completely demolished Albach and his bag of shinies in the second biggest sweep of this round - over 82% against not even 18%!!

Poll 22

Aurora the star archivist just barely managed to beat Bone Doe our beloved skeleton with nearly 53% votes against their 47%!!! As this was the closest result of this round, I will be offering them a chance to team up! what do you think, @queensqueercourt @leondevilart ?

Poll 23

River the awful bisexual has swept against Null the plush rabbit with the power of a morbius reference and cool death powers! She got over 76% of the votes against Null's not even 24%!!

Poll 24

Tau the sky:cotl oc lost against Order from destiny2 with a bit more than 46% of the votes to Order's 54%. I would like to personally wish him luck in dealing with krill in the future <3

Poll 25

A yellow sweater, two leaves above their head and two pieces of crossover art with other people's ocs wasn't enough for Name to win against Providence the purple beast - Name didn't manage to get even 40% of votes against Providence's 60%

Poll 26

Vailëquerma Angollëion the elven priest won against Cassandra Capgrass despite a lot of cool propaganda with a whopping 73% of the votes!! People seem to love someone who's willing to perform weddings if asked!

Poll 27

In a battle of two dnd characters, Aspen Wildwanderer managed to beat Citalopram 'Tal' Frynne by a bit more than 10% of the votes! Apparently even representing his whole former adventuring party wasn't enough to win against someone with the potential to ascend to godhood!

Poll 28

Travela 'Travi' Varo the human form of an airship didn't manage to tie with Finch the little ghost BUT I have been bribed with art so I am allowing them to go forward as a team!

Poll 29

Serendipity Johnson the sexy failgirl won against Toby the quail boy with the power of propaganda, but was still 0.5% away from 69% of the votes. She would be too powerful otherwise.

Poll 30

Redacted the gigantic evil hot woman got redacted out of the competition by Chameul Canopus Asteriou the magical girl and only got 36% votes against her 64%!! It was artfight's fault.

Poll 31

Andrea Hugo Sage won against Vanda "Valentine" Îndrăgí with nearly 58% of the votes!! I guess the response to "who doesn't love an angry bisexual woman in leather?" is "our voters, apparently"!!

Poll 32

Jaimi Mire the young fire witch lost against Fig the little fairy by a little less than 10% of the votes!! We wish her all the best on her mission of finding her mom!

[cocoaberrycake]

Today, in how I love and hate Warframe at the same time...

I've been trying to farm all the Miter parts. Every day I do, let's say 3-5 runs of the Ceres bosses*. I don't know how many I've done already, I've lost count. But I've been at it for a week I think. I've gotten every part except for the blade. I've got like 5 pieces of every possible reward but 0 MITER BLADES.

I've even checked the drop tables and forums just in case there was a bug or something but no. Every part has the same probability (16% or something). If I'm not getting it, it's because of my disastrous luck and my disastrous luck only.

A normal player would probably give up, let it go. It's one weapon in the vast and growing catalogue of the game, it's literally nothing. But not me. I want the weapon even though I have far better ones in my inventory. I want the mastery points from leveling The Miter. And then I want to use The Miter to build The Panthera and get more mastery points. It's pure stubbornness at this point. I may not use the weapons but I need every mastery that I can get because I'm a completionist, and Warframe is a completionist's dream game (as well as a nightmare in times like this).

*The worst part is not that I have to do many runs of the same boss. I don't care about that, since I usually run the same mission types everyday. The worst part is that I could do that mission in 2-3 minutes, but since that Krill guy is invulnerable for most of the fight, it takes me double the time. I could one-shot him right away, but I have to wait for a few minutes until he decides to set himself on fire.

[starr-fall-knight-rise]

Thirty Seven Percent Not Human

https://www.patreon.com/empyreaniris?fan_landing=true

https://starr-fall-knight-rise.tumblr.com/post/182501791735/master-post

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jzEIdDAB4omdO2JcQVMObfrhLJ5kX4ONmSsLypM1ks0/edit?usp=sharing.\

“Almost there, just hold still.” 

When the SE exoskeleton finally connected , Adam was granted with the rather odd sensation of having two bodies at once, his singular brain struggling to process doubled sensation through his limbs beginning at the base of the skull and traveling its way down through the joints of his SE exoskeleton.

Luckily for him, the sensation passed, and he moved to sit up, but was pressed back down by Sunny, Krill and Narobi, “Hold still, just one more adjustment.”

Adam huffed, staring down at his body as Dr. krill, in conjunction with his two assisting engineers installed the monitoring system that would make sure his newfound organs were working properly. Adam had tried to make the argument that regular transplant patients didn’t receive medical care that was nearly this overprotective, but he had been quickly shut down by sunny who said.

“Normal transplant patients aren’t as stupid as you either.”

Adam shifted uncomfortably, but this time the group pulled back, looking at him expectantly.

“Go on, give it a try.”

They stood in a cluster in the open dining room of Adam and Sunny’s Arcadia home. Sunny Krill and Narobi clustered around him, while Red and Kay sat over on the couch. Usually Adam would never have trusted the smuggler with his son, but as it turned out, Red had a certain knack with small children, and was now engrossed in a game of make believe with toy action figures that either had a complicated system of rules, or no rules whatsoever.

Adam move to slowly sit up, but instead of feeling the muscles in his body make the move, he was almost distressed to hear the sudden whirring of the SE exoskeleton, which almost exclusively did the work as he sat up. 

“Not bad.” Nairobi said reaching up to tighten the knot on her hair scarf, brightly out of place in their apartment which was a primary wash of cool colors and open steel. 

Adam clenched his fist, feeling the the SE armor contract at his command.

It felt

Wrong.

Though he couldn’t have said how.

He took a long, deep breath, and when he did, he couldn’t help but notice the soft whirr and then click of the chest sensors as he did so.

Whirr click

Whirr click

Whirr click

In time with his breathing 

“How do you feel?” Sunny said, resting a hand on his shoulder.

He stared at the back of his hand and the little bands of metal that now served as his primary movement system, “I am not sure I’m comfortable with this. I can walk just fine.”

Krill’s antenna buzzed with annoyance, “Yes but you SHOULDN”T be. You should be on bedrest until your injuries heal. The more your body works the higher likelihood something in there is going to rupture or burst.”

Whirr click

“Maybe in an ideal world, Krill, but Kazna isn’t going to stop just because I had a bit of an accident.”

“An accident.” Sunny seemed almost scandalized, “Adam, she stabbed you in the chest, resulting in a double organ transplant, that isn’t an accident. She WAS the accident”

Whirr click

“Can you make this thing any quieter?” He huffed placing a hand over the sensor array, and looking back up to Krill and Narobi, who both stood, looking at him with some annoyance.

“That’s the best I can do at such short notice.” Nairobi said, crossing her arms over her chest. “Now let me go ahead and tell you a few things before you go and do anything stupid.” despite her annoyance, she was unable to keep the excitement from her voice as she explained her process, “SE armor was originally intended to augment signals that were already being received by the limbs, transport them more quickly and act on them with greater intensity. Both the SE armor and your nervous system receive the same signals from the spinal column beginning right here at the base of the skull. What I have done, is I have used the SE’s existing system to switch the input fully over to the SE armor. Basically right now, your body is receiving no movement signals, only sensory signals. The SE armor will move for you, it will take all the weight and do all h the work. The sensor array is just going to help monitor your bodily condition, and send the information directly to a handler, who will be able to intervene if anything goes wrong.”

Adam rolled his eyes back, “Are we done mother henning me now?”

Whirr click

Nairobi glowered at him, “Not quite.”

Just then Sunny stepped into the room, and with her, she brought a pile of what appeared to be SE armor.

Adam frowned, “I can’t live my life in bubble wrap.”

“Shut up and let me finish.” Nairobi said, and Sunny stepped forward, kneeling down to begin placing the boots. The first boot clicked into place around Adam’s human calf whirring into place. She then moved onto his prosthetic leg, and as soon as the SE armor connected with the Leg’s power source he felt another jolt run through the armor.

Whirr click.

“Now this is going to put a strain on the SE system that we haven’t tested before, so we wanted to add a few failsafes. Ideally we would have kept all the SE armor, but  I am concerned about overloading the SE exoskeleton, so we did what we considered to be second best.

In the end adam was armored with boots, gauntlets, chest and shoulder plating, and eventually, his helmet which Sunny plunked down in his lap.

Adam frowned.

Whirr click.

“This is overkill and all of you know it.”

“Put on the helmet” Sunny ordered, and adam sighed in compliance, slotting his helmet in place. As soon as he did, the SE schematics appeared on screen, adjusted by the partial fealty armor to match their new partial armor configuration . As if understanding what Narobi had intended, the fealty armor had an entire HUD panel dedicated to vitals.

Whirr click

Spurred on by annoyance, Adam stood, causing the others sto step back to look at their handiwork.

Whirr click.

He was basically more machine than human now.

Well that wasn’t entirely true.

He had done the math, and if he was going off the way they calculated burn severity, one leg was eighteen percent, the front of the body was eighteen percent and the back of the body was eighteen percent.

Adam was missing a leg and half his torso front to back which he argued was around thirty six percent, plus his eyes which was a generous one percent. All together he was 37% not human, and now with his overprotective family members, he was a half robot, monstrosity surviving off of partial armor, and a life support system that made annoying noises every time he…… wait

His brooding came to a sudden halt, and in a moment he was frantically clicking through his voice modulating system rapidly adjusting levels, and installing software he had been dying to use, but hadn’t yet had a reason. 

The room looked on at him in partial confusion as he went suddenly quiet.

Sunny took a step forward, “Adam are you okay.”

He took a step back holding out a hand.

Whirr click, “You don’t know the power of the darkside.” When he spoke his voice was no longer his own, deep, metallic and reverberating from the speakers of his helmet. He watched as Sunny’s eyes roll back up into her head with a deep and abiding sigh.

Whirr click

The smile was growing on his face now with every moment Sunny grew more resigned, and with a sudden flourish he snagged a blanket from where it lay on the couch and tied it around his shoulders to give himself a makeshift cape. He then glanced over to kay who looked up at him with wide green eyes in a mixture of interest and confusion.

 “Kay, I am your father.”

Kay slid off the couch short legs taking a moment to reach the ground.

Once there he waddled over looking up at Adam with his head tilted to the side.

Adam held out a hand, “Come with me, and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son.” 

Kay smiled and hugged Adam’s leg.

Nairobi snorted 

Adam paused for a long moment staring down at Kay who had both sets of arms wrapped around his human leg, “It is….. Acceptable.”

And then Sunny smacked him lightly in the back of the helmet, “Alright stop screwing off. You're no more lord vader than I am princess Leia. Besides, this whole scenario implies that my mother is emperor palpatine, I am padme, kay is luke, and you are the chosen one.” 

“Your lack of humor disturbs me.”

“Okay that's enough.” Sunny reached forward and plucked the helmet from Adam’s head retreating across the room with it

“Hey.” Adam protested watching as Sunny retreated with his toy. 

He looked down at Kay who was still holding his leg, “Your mother is hell bent on taking all the joy out of my life.” He said reaching down to pick kay up for what felt like the first time in months.

Whirr click.

He turned to look at Narobi, “How about a lightsaber?”

This time it was her turn to roll her eyes up to the heavens, “I am not building you a lightsaber.”

“But it would be awesome.”

“You're a dumbass.”

“That is an established fact, yes, but it still doesn’t change my request.” 

In the end Narobi did not agree to build him a lightsaber, and sunny only grudgingly returned the helmet as they followed red out of the spiral tower and down towards the spaceport. Adam only regretted that he didn’t have enough time to put on a cape. 

All of these childish antics to cover up his real and abiding worry about what they were going to find when they followed this lead. 

What was General kazna up to now. 

[suizai]

Krill yourself

[Joking]

~☁

again?!

but i'll gladly do it if u join me on a double suicide~ (☆ω☆)