#LionFish bonding

[itsaash]

O'Knutzy Week! Prompt: gardening, smile

I'll be posting parts of the same story each day this week! It's a cubs au where Finn's spending the summer at his parent's house in the Hamptons and Leo is their private chef. Established LeLo. Characters by @lumosinlove, for @oknutzyweek2023

Part 1

Part 2

and now, Part 3

Finn looked up from his laptop, he had been sitting under the big umbrella at the side of the yard going over his latest edits. He noticed the sun had well crested through the sky since he last looked up. But it felt good to finish up those edits and send them back to the author. He took a breath and leaned back in his chair, stretching his back and arms overhead, looking around at the house in the distance and the green of the property all around him.

His eye caught movement straight across the lawn from him, a sunshine yellow hat at the raised garden beds. The soft yellow, wide brimmed hat sat on top Leo’s head, giving him the illusion of even more inches of height. He was wearing overalls, it looked like cotton ones. And thank god for that, a person was liable to melt in denim today. He had a big basket beside him, filling up with produce from the garden. But also a spade? Was he digging something? Finn watched as Leo stood up and used the spade to turn the earth in the garden bed, his arms flexing strongly even from this distance. He bent over to reach for something and Finn jumped up. He couldn’t admire Leo from over here like some sort of creep. Just go talk to him. And get out of the line of sight that makes staring far too easy.

He had found himself doing that, staring. Just gazing at Leo as he moved around the kitchen with such a graceful confidence that it could almost be a dance. Across the dinner table, Leo’s hand around a cup, damp with condensation, how he closed his eyes to fully enjoy the perfect bite of food. And, okaaay, that was enough of that train of thought, he reprimanded himself. He crossed the lawn in easy strides, hands in his pockets.

“Hey, Leo. Whatcha doin?”

Leo looked up from patting down the dirt with his gloved hands. He ran the back of one of his wrists over his cheek, smudging a bit of dirt there. Why did Finn want to reach out and brush it away? He clenched his hands tighter in his pockets.

“Oh hey, Finn. Just getting some stuff for dinner, doing some planting. How’s your work going?”

“Oh, great! Thanks! Ya, I've done what I need to for today.”

“That’s good to hear. You were sitting out here a long time.”

Finn laughed self consciously. He knew he tended to lose track of time.

“Yeah, it was an interesting project and I wanted to get the edits to them for Monday, you know? So I just kept going.”

“Well I’m sure glad you’re done. I was going to bring you a drink, but now you can come in and get one.”

Finn stared as Leo turned back to the garden, seemingly digging shallow rows in nice straight lines. Leo had noticed him? Was thinking about if he was drinking enough? How could he be so sweet? He coughed slightly.

“Whatcha planting there? Isn’t it kind of late in the season for planting?”

Leo kept working as he answered, shaking tiny seeds from a packet and placing them carefully. “For a lot of things it is, but there’s some things that you want to have consecutive crops of, every few weeks. So I’m doing a few more rows of beets and other greens, like arugula, spinach. This is probably the last row of carrots for the season too.”

Finn had never thought about gardening for two minutes straight in his life before, but there was a first time for everything.

“Beets and other greens?” Finn questioned, “how are beets green?”

Leo laughed, covering up the latest tiny seeds with a layer of dirt and patting them lovingly.

“You’re right, I said that in a confusing way. I just meant how you can eat beet greens - the leaves of beets - just like they’re lettuce. There were some in the mixed salad last night.”

“Those were beet greens in the salad last night? Who knew!” Finn reached out a hand to pluck a long, leafy stem from the neat row of beets in front of him. He could see the round curve of the beet starting to appear up through the dirt. Leo looked up from his planting, almost in time, “No! Not that –”

But, Finn had already brushed the leaf off and popped it in his mouth, chewing slowly. His relaxed face rapidly morphed into horror.

“–one,” Leo finished lamely. A smile quirked at the corner of his mouth and he scrunched his eyes shut, whether in laughter or distress … Finn couldn’t tell, given the rather large distraction of one of the worst tasting things he had ever put in his mouth and that was saying something ohmygod.

Finn coughed, spluttered, and looked around frantically, searching for salvation. He dashed to the tree line and spat out the bite as fully as he could.

“Leo, what in the fuck…” Finn said as he walked back, wiping his mouth, eyes wide.

Leo couldn’t help the burst of laughter that escaped his chest at the horrified look on Finn’s face. “It’s only the little ones we eat, Finn. Oh my God, your face.”

“That was so gross!”

“Yes, I imagine it was,” Leo chuckled, reaching for a plant at least a quarter of the size of the one Finn had chosen. “Try this one, maybe it will get rid of the taste.”

Finn reached out his hand, taking the small leaf. He paused, “Promise?”

Leo’s blue eyes locked onto Finn’s soft brown ones and the moment stretched.

“Promise.”

Finn popped the leaf into his mouth, a little relief softening his features.

“How the fuck can the same plant have two so different tastes?”

“Well I don’t know the chemistry of it, but yes, you only eat very new beet greens. Like I said, that’s why I’m planting more. The big ones are left to grow to eat the actual beet, but it’s nice to have another crop of fresh greens too.”

Finn nodded sagely, he wouldn’t forget that lesson any time soon. Rather effective learning technique.

“Do I even like beets?” Finn asked, and cringed, as if Leo would know.

“Well I know a lot of folks don’t, but I’ll try to make something good for you. I like them roasted and served cold with balsamic vinegar and feta cheese. Maybe we’ll do that as a side dish tomorrow. They make such a goddamn mess though, you won’t believe it.”

Finn laughed, “You must hate that.”

Leo looked up at him, and rose from his planting, clapping his hands together to brush off the dirt. “Yeah, I do. You caught onto that, did you? I’ll peel them outside with about a roll of paper towel handy.”

Finn shrugged, “I’ll help you. I don’t mind a mess.”

Leo paused in his gathering of gardening tools and looked at Finn, saw him full to the brim of sincerity.

“You don’t have to, Finn. You’re so sweet to offer, but it is my job. You’re supposed to be able to work, and relax … and not worry about cooking on the weekend.”

Finn cocked his head to the side, not loving the reminder of their power imbalance. He needed to fix that. Somehow. “I appreciate the amazing food you make so much, Leo. It’s more than a job, or like … a service. It’s been a gift. I’ll help you. If you want.”

Leo smiled his sunshine smile and the bitter taste still coating his mouth was worth that smile, that laugh. Being in Leo’s orbit only brought him joy. Finn helped gather up the last of the gardening tools and they walked back to the house across the soft grass.

Leo turned to FInn, “You need a good glass of water to get rid of that taste, and then a strong tasting drink. Maybe sweet tea to cut the bitter? Or maybe cover it up with a strong taste, like a mojito?”

“Afternoon mojitos?!” Finn practically bounced when he was excited, and was even bouncier to see that it made Leo smile.

“Mojitos it is.”

Finn tried to tamp down the silly grin he knew was all over his face, but he couldn’t stop the feeling of bubbles in his chest at the idea of spending the rest of the late afternoon with Leo. And, honestly, he was also quite looking forwards to getting this goddamn horrible taste out of his mouth. Beet greens, indeed. The things he’s do to see that sunshine smile.

[valentines-wolf]

For some reason recently I've thinking about Vergil and... jellyfish.

It started with an idea of the squad going to an oceanarium for some quality bonding time. And of course, he would like the sleek sharks, the ferocious piranhas, the flamboyant lionfish.

But for some reason the only exposition I imagine him actually sitting down and watching the animals for no reason, is the jellyfish tank.

Vergil, alone, in the blue light, peacefully watching the jellyfish swim around, or rather flow along with the tank's current.

I think he's enjoy that, yeah.

[jazaesis]

What kind of fish tails would your OCs have if they were merfolk

That’s a very specific question that I have in-fact never thought about 👀

Avani would be a Lionfish (maybe stereotypical) but the stripes and markings match her so well. I also adore the fins and spikes they have.

Nite would have a Orca tail. Orcas reflect his strength, family bonds and protective spirit. (Orca’s were a very early inspiration for his battalions designs)

Thalia would have a beluga whales tail. Belugas are so sweet and friend shaped, makes me wanna squeeze their little heads.

Hala would have an octopus or squid inspired tail. Octopi are my favorite sea creatures. I couldn’t narrow a specific species down but this was a close inspiration!

Andddd Im at a total loss for Aro… because honestly the first think I thought of was Elena from Mermadia 😭 (but let’s be real, we all know Aro is the prince from a sea side kingdom who falls in love with a certain orca merman)

[pixelrhys]

I made these guys into merfolk for funsies. I have this whole AU where Andrew is a part of like. A Rich or Royal group and hates it so he visits a secret cave by the beach for alone time.

But Fritz was watching the whole time and eventually they bond and fall in love up until a pirate attack kills Andrew.

Fritz then goes into a frenzy and becomes a infamous legend in the ocean. He destroys boats, kills people, etc.

But then! Andrew gets turned into a merfolk as well for some magical reason and they get to be together again. :)

I don't know why I made Andrew a lionfish. I just thought it'd be fun.

[birgittesilverbae]

that which they defend

The study's lamps are burning low, near the edge of sputtering out, and the flickering light is making Siuan's latest headache that much worse. But she's long since sent the Accepted who'd been standing attendance on her and Leane off to her bed, and maybe she should just take the failing light as a sign to wrap up her work. She's exhausted as it is, bent over a stack of purchase orders that don't quite make sense, and she's fairly certain Leane, chin propped on one fist, has already fallen asleep more than once.

The quiet is broken only by the shush of the night breeze stirring the curtains, the scratch of Leane's pen nib across the parchment. Siuan finds she's on the verge of sleep herself, her eyelids growing heavier with each passing moment, her chin dropping towards the table.

The rush of emotion from the back of her head feels like being dunked into icy water. Relief warring with uncertainty, hammering through her all at once. Her breath catches in her throat and she jerks up out of her chair, upending her ink jar across the papers. She absent-mindedly waves a hand to tidy the mess as she stalks to the window. 

Even without the covering of night, she wouldn't be able to see the mountains that bracketed Shienar, but still she stares, fixed on the point far in the distance where Moiraine has just- Has just what?

She picks through the tangled knot of feeling, singles out hope, resolve, determination. Not the thinnest thread of fear. 

Her awareness of Moiraine had been muted shortly after her departure, the bond an echo of itself, and she'd come back to startling clarity that afternoon. She wouldn't have headed straight into the Blight, not on the heels of a forced march through the Ways. She'd have given the children a night. So this sudden resolve? It had to mean something new. It had to mean a discovery. It had to mean-

"Mother? What's wrong?"

Light, she'd all but forgotten Leane was in the room. "I believe the world will change tonight," she says softly, still wrapped up in her realisation. Clever Moiraine, almost too clever for her own good. She'd worked it out, which child must be thrown to the lionfish, which of the others could be saved.

Leane comes to stand at her shoulder, following the path of her gaze. "Did you Dream of the Blight?"

Siuan hums, her head abuzz with borrowed adrenaline. "Whether it will be a favourable change, I do not know. Send word to your Shienaran agents." She sweeps back to her desk, using a weave of Air to right the chair she had upended in her haste. Careless, that, with Leane's inscrutable gaze on her. She's been growing too careless of late. "Does Fal Dara still stand watch over Tarwin's Gap?" Too blunt by far. If she doesn't bring herself back under control, she's liable to find herself lying gutted on a dock.

Leane's eyes widen the barest fraction, all but equivalent to a shocked gasp from anyone with less tightly reined-in emotions. "Yes, Mother," she replies demurely, the picture of Aes Sedai serenity if not for the slightest waver in her words. She takes her seat opposite Siuan and pulls the box of untouched paper slips towards her.

Siuan's fingers itch for rope, for the meditative calm of mending nets and practising knots, but she forces her hands flat on the table as she watches Leane write. The Dark One and all the Forsaken are bound– 

Leane had had a Warder, once. Long since lost to that vileness after the Aiel War. Sometimes Siuan still feels a pang of regret when she recalls providing the actionable intelligence that had led, inevitably, to Anjen's death. 

Sometimes. Only a fool dwells on those things they cannot change.

"How did you cope with… losing Anjen?" She might as well paint her face, then. What had brought that to her tongue?

Siuan schools her face to impassivity, but dread seeps into her bones. That question, under these conditions, in light of the previous day's events? She's all but confessed everything. She waits with bated breath as Leane cleans ink from the pen nib and sets it aside.

Leane fixes her with a calculating gaze, but her words are gentle. "Do you fear what Alric will discover in Arad Doman?" Bless Leane for giving her the out. Or is she simply playing her own games, lulling Siuan into a false sense of security, or– Games within games within games. Leane probably already suspects, already knows.

Siuan sighs.

"Not him," she admits softly, meeting Leane's level stare. An impulsive urge grips her, a cocktail of euphoria and resolve spurring her overboard into recklessness. "Moiraine has taken the Dragon Reborn to the Eye of the World."

Her widening eyes the only sign of shock, Leane mutters a quick prayer. Then she looks at Siuan and her face softens into something approaching pity. "You don't expect her to survive it."

Siuan smiles grimly. "I've sent her out into the Sea of Storms in a leaky rowboat. All that remains to me is hope."

It's at that moment that the awareness that's sat in her skull for more than two decades, that has become so much a part of her, winks out.

Surely she would know if the bond had been… Surely she would feel something more than this void. But she's never been on the receiving end of a masked bond.

She prods the dull patch in the back of her skull, her brows pinching in thought. Is the bond masked? Or is it… She refuses to even entertain that possibility.

She cannot be alone in this. Not now.

She is not. Alric's somewhere far to the west, a steady knot of emotion that only serves to highlight the absence alongside it. If he is all she has now, that has to be enough. That will be enough.

She's long known this day could come, after all. An Aes Sedai's Warder will always be her last line of defence. Her sword, her shield.

Her sacrifice.

[xaeyrnofnbe]

actually continuing the thinking i did in my last post, things kind of work out PERFECTLY in my favor.

so if you’ve seen some of my bigger posts talking about chip you’ll probably notice that i LOVE to focus my character analyses regarding him around how he reacts to the people, more specifically role models, around him. the way he mimics them, even going so far as to embody their very personality traits and ideals. he spends a lot of the campaign doing so with his idea of arlin, being jokey, desperately holding his friends close in a sad attempt at the bonding moments arlin was capable of, even copying his outfit. and in the feywild, doing the same with gillion.

i think in my Zeros To Heroes And Beyond au, much like those few episodes on their first visit to allport, he falls back into his mimicry of reuben price.

dark, extravagant clothing. a ruthlessness only held back by his trauma surrounding taking the lives of others. a smooth, charismatic, icy demeanor. and a hell of a lot of brooding in shadowy corners.

this is the only art i have of this idea so far, and i’m still pretty unsatisfied with it. (it also just doesn’t look great by my own standards.) but i think subconsciously i was already incorporating these ideas into the design.

in a more realized version, i think i’d want to include a lot more fur and jewelry. maybe a cloak with some fur, something that gives the impression of a lion’s mane. i also want SOMETHING that references the fins and spines of a lionfish, but i still don’t really know how to go about that so it’s on the back burner for now. the lion thing, though, is kind of important for chip’s character i think. not in a regal, kingly way, but in a more ironic sense. y’know the song “little lion man” (by mumford and sons, i think?) listen to that and i think you’ll get the idea.

but yeah. in a world without gillion tidestrider, a world where jay ferin wants him dead, and where captain lizzie lafayette whispers vengeance and violence into his heart, this chip is an interesting one. he’s been a difficult, yet very fun character to explore so far.

as usual, my asks are open.

[mossfeathers]

Thank you for answering and welcoming my questions! ^^ (I sorta tried to pre-organize my thoughts so I hope the formating of this isn't too strange, sorry if is.)

Your sirens are very neat, I think. :3 I enjoyed reading about them. I'll definitely be ready when more info on them sprouts up. 

And ooo yes sweethearts is a very cute duo name for them. I like that a lot. ^^

I haven't actually played Stardew but I did grow up playing games in the series that inspired it so I think I'm picturing the vibe right, I feel like it could be very Harvest Moon, HM: Animal Parade especially. (I liked fishing too ^^ tho idk if it was so much a skill as it was just something you can do for recipes and money and got better at w/ better fishing rods)

& the setup overall seems like fun. Love the complete oblivion to start.

And since you welcomed my questions last time and said you'd like to hear if I have any more, here's some more questions! 

Can we hear a bit more about the dynamics the characters will have with each other so far? It'd be fun to here about, if you want to share that of course. ^^

You mentioned before that Scar & B are brothers in this au and that it'd also be a whole other post. Is that anything you can share with us yet? Or is it future info, It's fine if it is.

Oh but otherwise can I ask how you decided on a lionfish for Scar?

Also, are the others(like Lizzie & them) around as less important townies and seafolk?

Thank you for your time and sharing your ideas!

HI ANON I FORGOT TO RESPOND TO THIS IM SO SORRY OMG Literally always makes my entire day and week and month and also year tbh when you send in an ask and I love you so much (/p)

I've never checked out Harvest Moon before, I'll be sure to try and find a letsplay or something like that. From what I looked up of it, it looks adorable and I can totally see how it inspired Stardew :)

I think Grian and Jimmy are closer to their livestream/non-traffic dynamics, the main difference just being Grian cares a little more for Jimmy outside of the life series (apart from limited life). Grian bullies Jimmy but would do anything for him, Jimmy despises Grian but would do the same. Plus they make each other 500 times sillier and goofier. They're just really close friends, likely either grew up together or met in their late teens and were roomies for a while. Classic bullying friendship. Grian's quick to blame Jimmy, but quicker to take the actual blame if need be. Jimmy's quick to get frustrated with Grian but they're usually fine by the end of the day.

Grian and Scar are close to third life, Grian being exasperated with his attempts to scam him and Scar just being a silly little menace. Oddly enough, I haven't thought of many specific interactions, but based on Grian and B's first in-universe interaction I'd imagine Grian just threatens Scar if he ever tries to use his voice on him and that stops Scar from using it real quick. Doesn't mean that he won't tease G a lot. They're best friends. I gotta catch that grian+scar disease so I can more thoroughly think about them, I can only make them besties and happy forever. That doesn't slide in this AU, unfortunately.

Grian and B are really interesting, actually. In their first interaction (at least I think), Grian makes a very close threat on B's life if he ever uses his voice. He's rather aggressive in this au, but this is only because of the fact that sirens don't have a super awesome reputation and also because, in the context, Jimmy is missing and Grian suspects it's to do with sirens. I think. But after that, they bond a lot over their dumbass siblings and just the fact they like each other so much. Grian's oddly fanboy-ish over B in a really silly way and B just thinks Grian is awesome.

BIGB AND JIMMY!!!!!!!!! They're so incredibly underrated. They are SO silly. They just click with one another. I'm going to try to incorporate their super long friendship by just making them hit it off straight away when they first meet (in the life series, especially, they just constantly bring up inside jokes from hanging out, especially irl. they're absolutely adorable. i'll be genuinely shocked if they don't team next life series). They really like each other, and one of the main things about their dynamic is that Jimmy just thinks B is plain cool, and B thinks Jimmy is absolutely the funniest man alive. Really liking how Jimmy, quite possibly the most clueless man alive, is besties with the sirens. Very fitting.

I can totally talk about Scar and B being siblings! One of the reasons I didn't answer this in your previous asks (sorry about that btw) was just I didn't really know how to word it? Again, this au is very self-indulgent and I just really like the Scar and Bigb dynamic, and also really like weird sibling dynamics where they don't quite like each other and probably wouldn't be besties if they were allowed to not grow up together. But they did. And they're besties. And don't quite like each other. Except it's even more weird than this because B doesn't quite like Scar but absolutely loves him but also would really rather prefer to never interact with him ever (one of my favorite clips of them is b hanging out in third life, hearing scar's voice in the distance, and instantly saying 'oh no oh no oh no i gotta get out of here'. then scar comes to swindle him. a very similar thing happened in last life but scar didnt even come to swindle him, he just showed up at the shadow tower after the fairy fort burned down and b just runs and hides behind a little stone box. bugs to me). And Scar loves B soooo much but even more than that he loves teasing him. 'Life series best friend' has been referenced every single life series. And most of those times has been during a moment B is not red and Scar is. Very untrustworthy man. But at the same time I just know in my heart of hearts that given the chance (forcing them on a team together) they would be SO dynamic and interesting with a more haphazard trust and confused devotion type thing going on. So yeah: Guys who would absolutely never talk to one another again in their life if not for the fact they're siblings, but since they are they absolutely love each other. Oddly, that's inspired by how my mom talks about her and my aunt (her sister), and kind of how I feel about my own sibling. I haven't really thought out parental/other family ties, and i'm leaning towards either just having siren culture be very independent from parents or just never explicitly addressing it, as I don't really think it's that important, even though B and Scar's childhood is (I do not know what the details of their childhood are yet. i am such a good storyteller. clearly.)

Being completely honest, I chose a lionfish because I think they're cool, I just kinda got Scar vibes from it, and I associate him with orange. As with all good decisions, it was completely random and I'm actually super happy with it! I guess it also plays into his dangerous side, with the toxic needles and all that. If you happen to have any ideas for what B's tail could be (doesn't need to be blue tbh i'm just trying to get an idea), I would LOVE to hear it!

As for side characters, I have a few townsfolk planned out and kind of forgot to think of more seafolk. I think Gem and Impulse run a bakery (impulse bakes, gem decorates), Martyn and Ren co-own a pub (look up the stardrop saloon from stardew valley, kinda looks like that but they have little shows and a stage and all sorts of little entertainment things in it), Pearl has something to do with spirits and the supernatural (I'm toying with the idea of having an arc where she gets possessed and there's a whole red pearl thing with an angry spirit), and a number of other hermits/lifers (?) are villagers. Since the town is built on fishing and farming due to how rural it is, that's a lot of their occupations. Still, very few choose to live on the beach, as we know. In terms of merfolk, I just know that Etho is a sea slug and Iskall is a manta ray. Sorting some people into 'categories', Scott, Skizz, and Cleo are merfolk (sirens or not, undecided) and Bdubs, Tango, Joel, and Lizzie are townsfolk. I kinda want to explore other "supernatural" creatures (hence Pearl's potential ghost arc), so I might make a few of the villagers some other creatures. That's all up to fate, though.

I hope you don't mind, but i'll be leaving your other ask in my inbox just so I can go back and look at it easily. Thank you so much for the kind words and interest in my silly little au! More questions and ideas are always welcome!!

[ralith]

Its mermay so... What types of sharks/fishes the bayverse autobots/Decepticons cast will be?

Sorry it took so long to answer this. I'm no expert in fish/shark behaviors so most of these are based on my own biases and a quick wiki read.

Optimus: Blue Betta fish with red accents. Pretty but with a tendency to be aggressive.

Jazz: Lionfish. Poisonous and not to be taken lightly despite how pretty and delicate his spines look.

Ironhide: Gray whale. Lived a solitary life, not meshing well with a pod. Ratchet lost his small pod in an attack and was injured. Ironhide found him and stuck by his side while the humpback healed. They bonded and formed a rare, unlikely pod.

Ratchet: Humpback whale.

Megatron: Tiger shark. I felt like Great White was too obvious. Plus Tiger sharks have more fucked up mouths with all those teeth lol

Starscream: Moray Eel. Opportunistic bastard and loves swimming circles around Megatron, biting him.

Soundwave: Scorpionfish. Great at camouflage and patiently waiting for prey.

Shockwave: Lamprey. Kind of a mix between Showave and Driller for this one. That mouth is wicked. Loves latching onto prey and draining them.

[logarhythm-bees]

To Unearth and Back Again; ⛅Chapter 14

Chapter Thirteen | Table of Contents | Chapter Fifteen

See ronithesnail's absolutely wonderful art for this story!

I fell for the beggar’s son In the puddled porch with his shoes undone And the silver coin that had made him come Into the yellow light

-The Inventor's Daughter, Branches

“Now that I’ve told you about my friends, you tell me about yours!” Remus cheered.

Janus frowned at him over a sip of tea. “I thought I made it clear, Remus. I do not want to talk about my ‘issues’ with Roman and Virgil.”

“Not them,” Remus chastised. “Your lame hand warmers. Y’know, Mister Light Blue and Darker Blue glasses.”

Janus stared at him. “You…want to hear about my boyfriends?”

Remus shrugged his shoulders. “You don’t want to feed me your problems like a lionfish in the pacific. I’ve already introduced you to my companions- who are better at coming to tea parties than you by the way, show up on time next time-”

“You kidnapped me.” Janus interrupted. 

“Irrelevant. Anyways, it’s the next conversation topic on the table, unless you want to see which one of us hits the ground faster if we jump out the window. I’ll put a trampoline at the bottom, it’ll be fine.”

“Let’s not.” Janus admonished, fiddling with his gloves. “What… did you want to know?”

“Whatever.” Remus said, sitting backwards on his chair now, having turned it around to face Janus. “Keep in mind though, anything you say can be used against you in court. You have the right to talk to a lawyer for advice before we ask you any questions. You have the right to have a lawyer with you during questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer-”

“Stop, stop!” Janus yelled. “You don’t need to read me the Miranda warnings, and also the only lawyers in the mindscape are me and my boyfriends, I don’t know what you would do.”

“Just making sure you know your rights.” Remus told him. “You gonna talk about your boyfriends or not?”

Janus took a sip of his drink, thinking. “It’s been…nice, being partners with them.”

He rapped his fingers against the mug, nails making a soft clink. 

“Patton loves so much, and so openly,” he hummed, “I didn’t know someone could love quite so much.

Logan’s love isn’t so…overflowing, but it’s still so strong. He looks at us like he looks at his favorite constellations,” Janus mumbled shyly over his tea. 

“We balance each other out. I know how important self-love is, but it’s different being loved so by someone else.” Janus blushed. “Patton told me my love is like salted caramel. I’m not sure I understand what that means, but it’s sweet, isn’t it?”

“I think his love is a little bit like cookies, though.” Janus said. “They’re warm and comforting. And Logan’s like a dictionary, a little sharp around the edges, but you can always rely on them, and they’re sturdy and supporting.”

Janus sighed out dreamily, and Remus laughed. “Oh, you’re all saps. You’re going to be such dorks when they find you.”

Janus startled, staring at Remus. “You didn’t tell them where I was?”

“Of course I told them where you are, silly.” Remus teased. “It’s the getting here that they’re gonna struggle with.”

“The getting here?” Janus echoed. 

Remus chugged the rest of his tea and poured himself a fresh cup. “Roman paid me a dollar to get him some alone time with Virgil, so I sent the losers on a high-fantasy quest. I don’t know what any of you expected from me.”

“I think I should go,” Janus said, standing quickly from the table, but Remus shot him down with a glare. “They’re on a quest together.”

“So?” Janus asked.

“So they’re bonding.” Remus drawled. “Collaborating. Getting along. Fusing into a single entity shaped like something you won’t let me say. Maybe going wild and biting each other-” 

“That’s enough.” Janus said. “How- how long do you think they’ll be?”

“I gave ‘em some challenges to work out, but Roman’s probably rushing here to kick my butt, so probably not that long.” Remus responded and passed him the plate of biscuits. “Unless they get lost, or something. Maybe I should’ve given them a map.”

“…Let’s hope they’re not lost.” Janus supplied, and took a biscuit.

[acaciapines]

lol I meant to type actually the middle number of 46 but you can do 31 too! I love hearing about this au

both of them it is! im glad you love hearing about it bc there is. truly so much. <3

31. Baptisms – Radical Face

“it’s not that bad, you know.”

mari looks up at her, ears still pressed flat. whatever sickness has been hurting luz has left her mostly quiet the entire time amity has been sitting here, and though there’s a hint of pain in the way mari holds her shoulders her eyes are bright and alert.

in amity’s lap, alma shifts: cat, glowfish, spottedfish, lionfish, and cat again. amity rests her hand across her palisman’s back, brushing soft fur.

“it’s not the same.” mari looks away, out towards the window where the moon trickles in. “you never…you get to figure out who you are. i already did, and i…”

“got it wrong?” alma offers, and mari’s lips curl back in a growl. alma’s purr rises in volume, loud enough that mari should hear it, too. it rumbles though amity’s own veins. “that’s okay. we did, too.”

46. Bugbear – Chloe Moriondo

she’s not so sure why she’s here, at school, doing this, when eda and king and firefly and lilith and burkit and every single adult she cares about save for mom is back stuck in a world under the collector’s control.

“it’s to make mom happy,” hunter says, a tiny red bird on her shoulder. he’s been doing that a lot—the bird, and the slipping up. calling camila mom, just like she would. “this way, we at least are able to somewhat pass for normal.” he fluffs up his feathers. “but…yeah. i get it. i wish we were with mari and flapjack, too.”

“it’s not fair,” luz whispers. she’s hidden herself away in an empty corner of the hallway for lunch, because people always stare at her weird when she and hunter talk to each other—just another one of those ways where she won’t fit in, talking to her daemon in public. “i want mom to be happy, i do, i just…why doesn’t this make me feel better?”

hunter shrugs. “i don’t know.”

“yeah.” luz huffs. “just five more hours of this.”

“five more hours,” hunter echoes, flapping down to peck at her sandwich. “let’s get through them together.”

DISCUSSION

starting w 31: OH MY GOD I KNOW EXACTLY WHEN THIS IS FROMMMMM its from episode 9! eclipse lake! when luz is sick w. common mold i think its called? yeah that but anyways in that episode luz is super out of it but mari isnt (for Reasons like: it isnt common mold lol but they arent important for this scene).

anyways! that means that amityalma and mari have a really sweet scene together...both of them have been struggling over being unsettled (luz n mari bc they were settled but unsettled, amity n alma bc they spent all of s1 pretending to be settled as something they werent) and they get to bond over it...mari cant talk about this stuff w luz but she CAN with amity and alma, and sort of. figure it out then.

also this is before i decided cats in the demon realm were fun shadowy nightmare creatures lol. originally alma took the form of a white cat (like ghost in the show) but bc i have A Thing im doing w forms that changed.

and 46: yet another luz and hunter suffering in the human realm scene! i think ive said it before but bc of the four of them hunter is the only one able to change form, and luz needs to pretend to be settled for long plot reasons im not getting into, luz and hunter go to school together as a human-daemon pair and neither of them like. enjoy it. theyre still melding together a lot and this Doesnt Help, and luz is used to the demon realm way of human-daemon interactions (aka the way i like them) vs the human realm way (aka Every Other Daemon Au).

hunters also supposed to be a lizard here hence luz commenting on him being a bird. its a fun time! a fun fun time. these kids are Going Through It

[stargeistdrawsstuff]

Drew 2 of my other OCs! I don't have a name for them yet, but the character on the left is based on a lionfish! Though I guess his design doesn't 100% show it. Character on the right is based on a sea bunny! The original idea for them was that lionfish guy (actually you know what? I'll call him Lionel) Lionel is a knight in a palace and the sea bunny girl (fun name? Bonnie) Bonnie is a servant girl. They bond over being poisonous/venomous. Also probably in a mermaid-ish story(?) set underwater.

Here's other pics of the same art but with different filters!

[tophatsharkproductions]

Tobenum

So I have this fantasy setting that is your standard “Kitchen Sink Fantasy” world. Well, maybe not standard exactly, but many of the typical modern D&D/Tolkien-esque species like elves and dwarves are in it, just in rather different forms than usual. I had so many different ideas that I didn’t think would fit in other settings I made up, so I threw them all in their own world and called it a day. The name Tobenum itself is a warping of To Be Named. You know, the Dragon Age method of world naming.

Anyway, a lot of the posts I make on this blog may be related to this world, so I thought I’d explain a few things I’ve figured out about it so far, and some things I’ll make up as I go. This post might go a little long, so keep reading if you’d like to hear the general beats of this setting.

First, there are at least two or maybe three known continents on Tobenum. The one- no, actually two (I’ve decided just now) continents most of civilization lives on are interconnected with an isthmus and a few islands, while the third is off to the west and whose existence was only “discovered (as much as any landmass with multiple thriving populations can be discovered)” relatively recently— about 50 or so years ago. The northern of the connected continents is called Granop, the southern is called Takolas, and the newly known western continent is called Khymera. Granop is the typical European styled medieval fantasy land, Takolas is a hot, hostile land with savannah cradling an arid desert. Khymera is easily the largest continent on Tobenum and is mostly temperate forest and grassy plains in the north and humid rainforest in the south, with hot shrublands and mesas between.

Instead of using “race” to refer to all the various peoples as if they aren’t different species entirely, the term for any sapient species on Tobenum that has a semblance of language and civilization is “Vocal Kind.” The capital letters are important— a parrot can be vocal, but it is not Vocal. A rat is a kind of rodent, but is not a Kind. I’ll try to go into each of the Kinds in their own post eventually, but my current list is something like this:

Humans (All over the place and have a bit of a reputation for bonding and mating with just about any other Vocal Kind)

Elphs (Elephant people who live in tree-cities where the line between civic construction and forestry is blurred beyond meaning. The elf equivalent of Tobenum)

Dwarves (Short reptilian people who live underground and take pride in their craftsmanship and history. Bearded dragons cosplaying as Tolkien dwarves)

Orcs (Tusked orca whale people who are the leading force in exploring and memorizing the world’s oceans)

Gobblins (Little green guys whose society practically runs on food)

Wyverns (The massive magical flying reptiles who hoard treasure and burninate the countryside— at least, before they settle down to run a bank or grocery store or something)

Wyvernborn (When a wyvern and a member of another Vocal Kind love each other very much- )

Trolls (Catfish people who are often found extorting people for access to bridges)

Domols (Flightless owl people who live in marvelous cities in the sky)

Venari (Lionfish humanoids who are making a concerning effort to conquer the surface world)

Mondodo (Secretive dodo monks/ninjas)

Zhee (Psychic bug people on Khymera)

Demons (Spiky theropod dinosaurs who heard buffalo the size of elephants on Khymera)

And yeah, that’s all I want to talk about for now. The creatures are what I’m really excited about, so I’ll probably be mostly making posts about them as I go into detail about Tobenum.

[neverlandsky]

okay okay hear me out. sambucky visiting an aquarium or sea world with sarah, cass and aj on a day out !! im gonna write in bulletpoint form because i don't have energy to write a proper narrative. but i promise this is going to be tooth-rotting-ly sweet

sarah mentioned going to an aquarium with the kids at dinner which prompts bucky to ask what that is

"you've never been to an aquarium before?"

"no? should i?"

cass and aj immediately insist uncle sam and bucky join them on their trip

bucky being as excited as the kids because he's never been to such a place before

sam rolls his eyes like do we really need to take his "co-worker" to a family bonding event 🙄 (all lies he loves the idea)

"yes, sam, bucky has to come with us! why? you have a problem with it? come on, its going to be fun!"

they get those bracelet ticket things and bucky almost offers his metal arm to the employee

(those bracelet things are cute i have to include it for no reason. its adorable thats it)

bucky barnes is a NERD and he definitely reads every metal placard with cass and aj

"SAM OH MY GOSH ITS A SHARK! SAM DO YOU THINK THE GLASS WILL BREAK AND IT'LL EAT US?" "NO BUCKY. SHARKS CANT BREATHE OUT OF WATER" "oh yea. BUT WHAT IF THE WATER COMES WITH IT THO"

sarah can't stop laughing at that conversation and she assures bucky that the glass wont break and its a shark-safe zone

cass trying to pronounce the scientific names of sea creatures

aj saying they all sound like harry potter spells

"whats harry potter?"

"you've never been to an aquarium AND you've dont know harry potter? mr bucky, i thought you lived a long life"

"aj thats not very nice-" "uh sorry uncle sam" but bucky is just laughing "its fine, sam"

they go to the tunnel and sam has to hold bucky up straight because hes too in awe

somewhere along the tunnel, bucky took sam's hand and he isnt letting go anytime soon

which leads to him dragging sam everywhere and sam is just too focused on the fact that their holding hands in public

holyshitholyshithelpwhatthefuck whyamifeeling likethis SARAHHELP

sarah just looks knowingly and smiles to herself. these two are so oblivious and DUMB

bucky staring at the wall-sized exhibit, not realizing that sam is staring at him

"sam! oh my goodness! look at that manta ray!" but sam doesn't reply

bucky looks over to see sam looking at him, grinning and shaking his head

"never seen you this happy, buck"

"yeah yeah okay" hes kinda embarrassed now

cass and aj forced them all to the souvenir shop and sarah limits them to buying ONE stuffed animal

"you have so many already!"

cass picks a stuffed lionfish and aj picks a stuffed beluga whale. sarah even got a turtle keychain for her car keys too

bucky ready to buy everything for the kids if he could but sarah wouldn't let him so he hought he'd buy one for himself and one for sam

he decided on a grey stuffed manta ray

"it looks like its smiling on its belly, sam, its adorable. i need it. you need one to. pick a color. do you want blue or grey" "fine fine blue"

sam and bucky are wayy to attached to their stuffed manta rays now

[rosescries]

I put probably way too much effort into this, but anyway! What the skeletons are as sirens.

Like the nagas, their tail colors match their magic colors. Some are much bigger than the marine animals they take after and some are much smaller, they still follow the size chart I've previously posted.

They all are much deadlier though, even if the particular species they take after aren't typically dangerous to humans. Some marine animals where noted with how friendly they are to humans, but there's reasons specific for those skeletons for that.

Anyway, details under the cut:

Classic and Prime (Undertale)- Whales. Classic and Prime are Orcas (Killer Whales) due to being a highly social species, some populations even composed of pods which are the most stable of any animal species. Along with their sophisticated hunting techniques and vocal behaviors, which are often specific to a particular group and pass through generations.

Blue and Stretch (Underswap)- Dolphins. Blue is a Dusky Dolphin due to the variety of other creatures they are found with (including other dolphin species, whales, sea lions, and seabirds). Along with their wide variety of aerial displays, including leaps, backslaps, headslaps, tailslaps, spins, and noseouts. Along with head-over-tail leaps. And the flexible hunting tactics. Stretch is a Common Bottlenose Dolphin because of its intelligence. Able to use tools and transmit cultural knowledge from generation to generation. Along with their habit of staying in mixed groups.

Red and Edge (Underfell)- Sharks. Red is a Tiger Shark because people can swim with them but they are among the sharks most likely to attack humans. Along with their tendency to visit shallow reefs, harbors, and canals, which create potential for encounters with humans. Edge is a Thresher Shark. While solitary creatures, some do occasionally hunt in groups, using their tails to “whip” the water. The tail is used to swat smaller fish, stunning them before eating. While they don’t appear to be a threat to humans, it’s not really confirmed. They do attack when provoked.

Black and Mutt (Swapfell)- Sharks. Black is a Bull Shark because of their aggressive and territorial natures, along with having no tolerance for provocation. Some of the most dangerous sharks for humans, very willing to bite. Mutt is a Great White Shark because though they are one of the most feared sharks, they’re more curious and investigate its prey before eating it. May release prey they find unpalatable and may bite humans, but won’t go on to kill them.

Grey and Lunar (Horrortale)- Deep Sea Squids. Grey and Lunar are Colossal Squid because of its sheer size, which is estimated to be 30-33 ft. It’s also known to use bioluminescence to attract prey and is presumed to be an ambush predator, sperm whales being a major prey to them. Their eyes also glow in the dark.

Lilac and Charmed (Underlust)- Dolphins. Lilac and Charmed are False Killer Whales, which is technically a dolphin (called that due to their similar skull characteristics to Killer Whales). I think this because of their highly social nature, forming pods of up to 500 members, which include other dolphin species. Along with being able to form bonds with other species as well, including partaking in sexual interactions with them. They are also very interactive with humans.

Cobalt and Comet (Outertale)- Octopus. Cobalt and Comet are Capricorn Octopus because of the star-like spots along their bodies, along with only coming out at night to hunt which gained them the names of “Night Octopus.”

Remix and Tango (Dancetale)- Sea lions. Remix is a Steller Sea Lion due to its elusiveness, spending so much time in the water. Though they do live in large groups like other species and use a wide range of sounds to communicate with each other. They also get confused with California Sea Lions. Tango is a California Sea Lion because they’re friendly animals, often seen doing a variety of tricks. They’re some of the most social and most intelligent of Sea Lions. They pack in close together even if they have plenty of room to spread out.

Guns and Ace (Mobtale)- Whales. Guns and Ace are Humpback Whales, mainly due to their sociable, curious, and easily approachable nature. Some even approach whale-watching boats closely, often staying under or near the boat for many minutes. Which I think fits them well.

G and Aster (G!Bros)- Octopus. G is a Mimic Octopus due to its wide range of mimicking other marine animals, such as lionfish, sea snake, jellyfish, and zebra sole. It’s able to intelligently use its mimicry based on the situation, deciding which mimicry behavior would be most appropriate and acting upon it. Aster is a Giant Pacific Octopus due to its intelligence mostly. Able to recognize humans that they frequently come into contact with and causing general havoc in labs and in aquaria by opening tank valves, disassembling expensive equipment, solving simple puzzles, and using tools.

[spookiifi]

Oh my gosh okay I shared this everywhere but I need to share it here

Even more Sasha and Maul Mermaid content....and a human Pre Visla

Don't worry he dies in the end

Gore warning and angst ahead. With some fluffy moments:

So I had the thought of Pre somehow capturing Sasha because he's like "I must have her *cough* her glowing scales*cough*

So he forces the now human Sasha to marry him, but before he can touch her, she bites down hard on his hand and crushes his foot.

She's able to flee at that point, tossing herself off a cliff back into the ocean.

Pre's sprinting after her, and because he's an idiot he follows, refusing to let her prized scales go.

He's met with a certain enraged lionfish, and Sasha's just as mad. Maul’s back spine peaks over the waves while circling him, until he finally drags him underwater

Because Pre's blood/flesh is stale and beer battered, the couple take pleasure in tearing him apart like piranhas. Plus Maul being a predator + blood in the water = utter chaos

I also have this sweet moment after of Maul checking her over for marks or cuts made. There would also be tail brushing/curling while this is happening, which is a subtle way of affection and belonging.

I had to get these thoughts out of my head I'm sorry.

Sidenote: being together for life is such a rare occurrence which only happens once a decade, so it's incredible to see a permanent bond between Sasha and Maul

@justalittlecloud

[zippers-flowers-and-wine]

so im a bit too nervous for kisses...… can I pet all of the mers hair? getting your hair pet or massaged always feels nice, for me at least (please dont murder me im scared)

They all pause, and you can see Narancia vibrate from where he's being held back, Mista's hand (and a tentacle.. Or two... Maybe 5) being the only thing keeping him from launching himself across the glass once again. Giorno smiles serenely when you give him a questioning look. "Although Narancia may be a favoured member of my cluster, I believe he's gone first quite a few times now, let's have..."

His green eyes flick upwards, gleaming as he eyes someone. "Fugo?"

The lionfish blinks, lifting his non-lethal wrist and bicep fins with a curious trill. Making some sort of high pitched squeal, clearly a beckoning calll, Giorno motions him over.

Eyeing his leader warily, because Giorno was often a bit of a asshole trickster, Fugo glides over. "Yes Giorno?"

Even under Fugo's piercingly scrutinizing stare, Giorno's facial features hardly even twitch, although a small flex of his tail may have given him away. Dude would be wicked good at poker if he ever got into that kinda stuff. "Lean down will you? I believe our dear asker wants to give us something."

Fugo purses his lips, squinting so hard that the stripes beneath his eyes scrunch up. It's clear he wants answers, and judging by the way Giorno drifts backwards, the pod's head isn't going to give him any. Sensing that, Fugo glances back at you, scanning your face with a sharp eye but ultimately sighing and doing as asked. You do your best to stay blank, though it's really hard with the most unstable mer staring at you so intently even as he leans within range.

"What is it that you wanted t-"

Willing yourself not to chicken out, and also hoping he doesn't nip at you for surprising him, you shove your hand into his thick hair, making him choke in his words.

Not giving him a chance to pull away, you scratch your nails lightly against his scalp, watching his shoulders droop along with his poisonous dorsal fins and he subtly pushes back into your hands. Your nails are gentle on his scalp, applying barely there pressure in random spots until Fugo shivers under your attention, so you pull back a bit, concerned. He doesn't let you move too far, looping his arms around your waist to pull you against his chest which makes him rest some of his weight against you.

You yip his name, still worried but a subtle vibration that ripples up and down your chest makes you pause. He's... He's purring. You peek up at him, carefully resting a hand back onto his head. Fugo clicks, nuzzling his face into your neck and shivering again. Right, so shivers are actually a good thing. Okay, good to know. Feeling a little braver as you internally awe at him, you reach back up to take in the texture of his hair. It's a little coarse, which is to be expected since he lived in saltwater, but you didn't expect it to have a wavy underside.

Gliding up to his three, hanging bangs, you lightly rake your nails across the skin between them. Its seems to please him, making him almost more boneless than he already was.

Eyeing his ears, you take a breath nd gently scratch behind one. Fugo jolts, purrs becoming nearly thunderous as the fins flare out to give you more room to work. You drag a nail across the thin membrane stretching between the spines, tracing said spines up near the tip as feather light as possible and that seems to break him.

He makes an unintelligible noise, one that's garbled and slurred and he yanks away from you to slink further into the water. Fugo is red from head to toe... Er..? Tail fin? Caudal fin? Whatever, he's blushing brightly, and so are you, and wow all this affection is intense huh?

When you finally get the courage to actually look at him, you find that Fugo looks a little dumbstruck. His eyes are unfocused, staring dazedly at you with a sort of quiet reverence, and he looks really fidgety; rubbing his knuckles, flaring his spines and twitching in his spot. Giorno drifts back into your line of sight, opening his arms and you gawk a little when Fugo happily nuzzles into the somewhat smaller lionfish. Spotting your surprised look, the blond chuckles."Yes, I probably should have mentioned this."

Bruno slithers forth, waving off the young leader. "I've got this, you go bring him down." Giorno nods, turning back to purr and coo at a blissed out Fugo. You can't help the small bubble of worry that blisters up into your throat, choking you with a small amount of guilt.

Like some kind of psychic, Bruno hums, "You're probably wondering what's wrong with him, right?" You nod, skin itching with the need for answers. Bruno reaches out, smoothing a hand across your tensed shoulder as he purrs. "He's fine, just... Hmm? I believe a proper comparison would be to say he's in a sort of "subspace" at the moment." You immediately turn red, unnoticed by Bruno who is turned around to watch their blond leader gently smother Fugo, who is eating the affection up. "Giorno apparently forgot to warn you about that part of our species."

He retreats into himself for a moment, thinking with a hand on your shoulder and the other pressing into a loose fist.

"Alright, it seems like we may have to have a small lesson in cluster bonding." You parrot the last two words back at him, confused. "Yes, cluster bonding." Bruno flicks his body, pulling himself up to rest on the glass. His posture is rather stiff, upright, with his chest subtly puffed out and his hands folded onto his lap. "Touch is a big thing for merfolk, much bigger than it is for humans. In fact, what humans may perceive as harassment, uncomfortably personal contact, or even just a general invasion of one's comfort zone is usually something different for merfolk."

He hums, taking breath before humming. "You see, every touch a mer gives out has meaning. Sometimes it's very straightforward, like if a male wanted to... Inform a female that he was sexually available, he'd initiate some sort of sexual contact." When you stare at him with most deadpan look ever, he demonstrats by resting his weight on one arm, and grinding his hips upwards. Oh... Oh my god.

Satisfied you now know what he means, Bruno resumes, "More subtle things, like shoulder, arm and hand touches are considered friendly, under general contexts and situations." You have a somewhat nagging feeling you know where this is headed. Bruno easily takes note, nodding.

"It seems you understand where I'm going with this." He seems amused by your now permanently flushed face, his lips quirked to the side as his small, triangular pelvic fins flutter. "Head, neck and fin contact is something generally reserved for cluster, or even podmates, although it's not uncommon for merfolk to allow people outside of their pods to do so. It sends us into a highly vulnerable blissed out state, as you can see with Fugo." He tilts his head over his shoulder, guiding your attention to said merman.

It seems as if he's mostly recovered, still leaning against Giorno with Mista wrapped around his shoulder. He looks relaxed, although he is still purring hard enough for the water around him to ripples consistently. "I do know, however, that some humans consider it very similar to having sex. That's why I must ask..." You look back at the eel, freezing when you realize that those guarded blue eyes are mere inches from your own.

"Do you still want to follow through with your request?"