#fins and skulls

[zefenrian]

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

are sharks classed as fish? I am just very confused what classes as a fish and what doesn't. I think sharks go glub glub too so maybe fish but not sure.

Lucky for you friend, I am workshopping a big post which explains what (semi and fully) aquatic animals are and aren't fish! It's taking a while, because I'm editing together 14 different images for it and that can take a bit as a full-time student.. ^^''' As a little treat, I will give you two bits from my post which will give you your answer:

"-- we can gather many defining features for fish: a cranium*-having chordate, primarily aquatic, gill-bearing and uses gills as their main respiratory organ, lacking any limbs with digits, instead having their limbs be in paired and unpaired fins when present."

*cranium=skull

"-- I'll say it now: good news, sharks are indeed fish! So are their cousins, rays, skates, and chimaeras, also known as ghost sharks! All of these fish have a primarily cartilaginous skeleton, tooth-like dermal denticles and lack gill covers and a swim bladder."

[detectivedrewshouldgetaclue]

Guess who’s back? Back again?

[toacody]

Translucent Blue Fish Creature

As if regular jellies weren’t creepy enough.

Source

Creator: Eli-J-Brony

[dangoarts]

get jailed, idiot

[topeka-commission-for-the-arts]

Henry Bolet, Taylor Sinclair and Brady Armstrong for character opinion bingo!

Sorry it took me too long (it was my bed time)

Henry:

Taylor:

Brady:

[the-sunshine-dims]

remember when i talked about wanting to dye all my hair blue becuase of raine whispers..?

yeah

[theaxonthatsaltered]

WOEOAOEOAOEOWODOWOEOEOEOOWROWOEOWOEOOWEOWOEOROEO

[digitalagepulao]

monkey love language

i absolutely adore just how aggressively physical monkeys can be with affection. they just fully press their heads into each other, lots of tugging and pulling, almost throwing themselves at each other when they want attention. i bet it takes Wukong some adjustment so he doesn't use his full force when he gets grabbed by the need to just squeeze someone lmao, but just as much as the others need time to get used to a monkey perched on them every now and then. plus grooming is often a bargaining chip and a way to build relationships and a show of affection and trust. so, a bit of monkey love for each of the group! :D

aaaand Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing face reveal!! working on a fullbody lineup to show off their heights as well, so consider this a teaser ;3

Bajie is half wild boar, half babirusa. I love the four-tusk situation babirusa have going on, but his bristled mane is too iconic to handwave away. plus, pigs that go feral grow tusks and thicker fur, so i wanted to capture some of that with the half-and-half design.

as for Wujing, he's a complicated one to explain, but for his face i really wanted his beard to stand out as well as the six skulls necklace. i'm going for a "intermittent waters" concept with him, since he's originally connected to a desert before being made into a river demon, so i'm drawing on mudskippers for his ear fins and face spots.

[vcreatures]

The Sailor Mermaid gets it’s name for not only it’s impressive head sail but also it unique mode of transportation. Arguably one of the fastest of the Sirena family, the Sailor Maid or sometimes referred to as the Sail-Finned Maid will use the large fin much like a sailboat to aid in traveling vast distances in search of food. Their streamline bodies paired with this large sail make for a formidable predator. Mating pairs, using their head sails as barriers will often corral schools of fast moving prey between in order to feed.  

Slide two: An example of the dimorphism found in the skulls of the Sirenia order.

[bethanythebogwitch]

I recently found out a show I liked is 10 years old now so to not be the oldest thing on this blog I'm talking coelacanths for Wet Beast Wednesday. Coelacanths are rare fish famed for being living fossils. While that term is highly misleading, it is true that coelacanths are among the only remaining lobe-fined fish and were thought to have gone extinct millions of years ago before being rediscovered in modern times.

(image id: a wild coelacanth. It is a large, mostly grey fish with splotches of yellowish scales. Its fins are attached to fleshy lobes. It is seen from the side, facing the top right corner of the picture)

Coelacanth fossils had been known since the 1800s and they were believed to have gone extinct in the late Cretaceous period. That was until December 1938, when a museum curator named Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer was informed of an unusual specimen that had been pulled in by local fishermen. After being unable to identify the fish, she contacted a friend, ichthyologist J. L. B. Smith, who told her to preserve the specimen until he could examine it. Upon examining it early next year, he realized it was indeed a coelacanth, confirming that they had survived, undetected, for 66 million years. Note that fishermen living in coelacanth territory were already aware of the fish before they were formally described by science. Coelacanths are among the most famous examples of a lazarus taxon. This term, in the context of ecology and conservation, means a species or population that is believed to have gone extinct but is later discovered to still be alive. While coelacanths are among the oldest living lazarus taxa, they aren't the oldest. They are beaten out by a genus of fly (100 million years old) and a type of mollusk (over 300 million years old).

(image: a coelacanth fossil. It is a dark brown imprint of a coelacanth on white rock. Its skeleton is visible in the imprint)

Coelacanths are one of only two surviving groups of lobe-finned fish along with the lungfishes. Lobe-finned fish are bony fish notable for their fins being attached to muscular lobes. By contrast, ray-finned fish (AKA pretty much every fish you've ever heard of that isn't a shark) have their fins attached directly to the body. That may not sound like a big difference, but it actually is. The lobes of lobe-finned fish eventually evolved into the first vertebrate limbs. That makes lobe-finned fish the ancestors of all reptiles, amphibians, and mammals, including you. In fact, you are more closely related to a coelacanth than a coelacanth is to a tuna. Coelacanths were thought to be the closest living link to tetrapods, but genetic testing has shown that lungfish are actually closer to the ancestor of tetrapods.

(image id: a scientific diagram depicting the taxonomic relationships of early lobe-finned fish showing their evolution to proto-tetrapods like Tiktaalik and Ichthyostega, to true tetrapods. Source)

There are two known living coelacanth species: the west Indian ocean coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) and the Indonesian coelacanth (L. menadoensis). Both are very large fish, capable of exceeding 2 m (6.6 ft) in length and 90 kg (200 lbs). Their wikipedia page describes them as "plump", which seems a little judgmental to me. Their tails are unique, consisting of two lobes above and below the end of the tail, which has its own fin. Their scales are very hard and thick, acting like armor. The mouth is small, but a hinge in its skull, not found in any other animal, allows the mouth to open extremely wide for its size. In addition, they lack a maxilla (upper jawbone), instead using specialized tissue in its place. They lack backbones, instead having an oil-filled notochord that serve the same function. The presence of a notochord is the key characteristic of being a chordate, but most vertebrates only have one in embryo, after which it is replaced by a backbone. Instead of a swim bladder, coelacanths have a vestigial lung filled with fatty tissue that serves the same purpose. In addition to the lung, another fatty organ also helps control buoyancy. The fatty organ is large enough that it forced the kidneys to move backwards and fuse into one organ. Coelacanths have tiny brains. Only about 15% of the skull cavity is filled by the brain, the rest is filled with fat.

(image id: a coalacanth. It is similar to the one on the above image, but this one is blue in color and the head is seen more clearly, showing an open mouth and large eye)

One of the reasons it took so long for coelacanths to be rediscovered is their habitat. They prefer to live in deeper waters in the twilight zone, between 150 and 250 meters deep. They are also nocturnal and spend the day either in underwater caves or swimming down into deeper water. They typically stay in deeper water or caves during the day as colder water keeps their metabolism low and conserves energy. While they do not appear to be social animals, coelacanths are tolerant of each other's presence and the caves they stay in may be packed to the brim during the day. Coelacanths are all about conserving energy even when looking for food. They are drift feeders, moving slowly with the currents and eating whatever they come across. Their diet primarily consists of fish and squid. Not much is known about how they catch their prey, but they are capable of rapid bursts of speed that may be used to catch prey and is definitely used to escape predators. They are believed to be capable of electroreception, which is likely used to locate prey and avoid obstacles. Coelacanths swim differently than other fish. They use their lobe fins like limbs to stabilize their movements as they drift. This means that while coelacanths are slow, they are very maneuverable. Some have even been seen swimming upside-down or with their heads pointed down.

(image: an underwater cave wilt multiple coelacanths residing in it. 5 are clearly visible, with the fins of others showing from offscreen)

Coelacanths are a vary race example of bony fish that give live birth. They are ovoviviparous, meaning the egg is retained and hatches inside the mother. Gestation can take between 2 and 5 years (estimates differ) and multiple offspring are born at a time. It is possible that females may only mate with a single male at a time, though this is not confirmed. Coelacanths can live over 100 years and do not reach full maturity until age 55. This very slow reproduction and maturation rate likely contributes to the rarity of the fish.

(image: a juvenile coelacanth. Its body shape is the same as those of adults, but with proportionately larger fins. There are green laser beams shining on it. These are used by submersibles to calculate the size of animals and objects)

Coelacanths are often described as living fossils. This term refers to species that are still similar to their ancient ancestors. The term is losing favor amongst biologists due to how misleading it can be. The term os often understood to mean that modern species are exactly the same as ancient ones. This is not the case. Living coelacanth are now known to be different than those who existed during the Cretaceous, let alone the older fossil species. Living fossils often live in very stable environments that result in low selective pressure, but they are still evolving, just slower.

(image: a coelacanth swimming next to a SCUBA diver)

Because of the rarity of coelacanths, it's hard to figure out what conservation needs they have. The IUCN currently classifies the west Indian ocean coelacanth as critically endangered (with an estimated population of less than 500) and the Indonesian coelacanth as vulnerable. Their main threat is bycatch, when they are caught in nets intended for other species. They aren't fished commercially as their meat is very unappetizing, but getting caught in nets is still very dangerous and their slow reproduction and maturation means that it is long and difficult to replace population losses. There is an international organization, the Coelacanth Conservation Council, dedicated to coelacanth conservation and preservation.

(image: a coelacanth facing the camera. The shape of its mouth makes it look as though it is smiling)

[chaotic-minds-think-alike]

Slugcats but they’re .. man idk

Before I get into the headcanons on each slugcat, I'm going to detail how this design works without making a huge spec bio post like I've done before: Similar to my lizard design, slugcats share a common ancestry with them. Though they're more squishy and flexible, the lizards have gained similar traits such as mantles and powerful tails. Slugcats are slimy and at most, tough and leathery, with only small hairs called setae if you want to count that as fur. They have 4 mantles down their back and a thick patch of skin similar on their throat with four more protecting each limb. They have 4 antennae, the frontal tending to be long and slim and the rear tending to be club shaped. They lack any structure besides a chitinous "skull" underneath the extra skin on their heads where they house 3 beaks lined side by side and are covered by the extra skin to form lips. The extra skin is also used in to create false eyelids, allowing them to communicate with facial features. All slugcats may have a set size but can constrict and extend however they want, appearing larger or smaller than originally anticipated. And now individual headcanons:

Survivor & Monk: - both have injuries from the fall, head injury for survivor is based off a friend’s hc

Hunter: - self injury scars from trying to remove the rot cysts (hc from a friend) - due to formation on face, their lips cannot fully close

Gourmand: - tiny antennae - thick mantles

Artificer: - extra skin behind the head becomes large explosive saliva glands (appears to be an additional mantle) - appearance is due to being born in a toxic environment - face injury results in unable to close lips properly, loss of frontal and rear antenna, and deformation of eye

Rivulet: - single mantle - tail can flatten and form a wavy texture similar to arti’s arms to create a fin - pseudopupils - rear antennae are limbs covered in respiratory hairs

Saint: - leathery skin similar to that of a lizard’s, cannot close eyes due to this - long and very flexible frontal antennae - several pseudopupils and iridescent eyes

Spearmaster: - long by nature, however, cannot constrict their tail that much - extra skin on face was shrunk and beaks fused together - pseudopupils - spikes all over to ward off attackers, though the thinner spines are flexible

[llamagoddessofficial]

llama i must know

do you have any thoughts about siren bad sanses? 👉👈(//ŏ⁠﹏⁠ŏ⁠//)

do i

Horror: Now, Skull is a cecaelia. But I think Horror would be a little different. A big frightening toothed whale - particularly, a Risso's dolphin. Risso's dolphins have a cool effect where any time they get an injury, their scars lose pigment and remain white forever. Horror is slowly turning whiter and whiter as time goes on.

Just like usual, he used to be normal sized, but his injury kickstarted a bizarre growth spurt and he's become far larger than he ever should've. He enjoys targeting boats - since he's so big he can easily sink small ships, his favourite 'game' is ramming vessels and seeing who survives after the ship rolls over. He eats anyone who drowns.

I can imagine him falling in love with you from the water, and rocking your boat purely to get your attention. If you ignore him he slams into the hull in frustration. He'd never sink your boat, of course... not unless you were really, REALLY ignoring him, and he lost his temper.

Dust: An oceanic whitetip shark. The beautiful dark colouring. The 'dusty' white edges of the fins and tail. A solitary, wandering creature that's probably responsible for many of the open-water shark attacks attributed to other species... IMO, it's absolutely perfect.

Before joining Nightmare, he travelled long distances in isolation, avoiding large vessels or groups but hunting down and killing anyone (or anything) he caught alone. He'll follow prey for weeks; he often waits for people on boats to go stir crazy before he attacks.

He's a distant admirer. He'll stalk from afar, but come closer at night, when it's hard to distinguish his dark shape against the moonlit sea. He thinks you'll be a very pretty siren.

Killer: @aka-indulgence suggested Killer is a bull shark and she's absolutely right. Killer is hyperactive and murderous, but incredibly loyal to those he cares about (even if he won't admit he cares). Bull sharks are fast, notoriously aggressive, yet surprisingly social.

Killer just enjoys... well, killing. He sometimes plays with his prey, but the games are never as forgiving as Horror's, or as patient as Dust's. He likes to bite the limbs off of his targets and watch them struggle to get away.

He's extremely friendly to you. Worryingly so. He lacks any subtlety, he'll come right up to your boat and put his arms over the edge when he wants your attention, flirting like you didn't just watch him murder another siren in cold blood. A swift strike with an oar is usually enough to ward him off - but unfortunately, it never seems to chase him away permanently.

Nightmare: He isn't any one species. He's much, much older. He was something else before his corruption... but times change, don't they? If you don't know what to call him, he certainly doesn't mind the ego stroke of being called a kraken.

Obviously it would be ridiculous of me to make Nightmare anything other than a cecaelia. He's large, scary, black as midnight sea, beautifully bioluminescent when he wants to be. He has attributes of lots of different deep-sea creatures; retractable hooks in his tentacles, a toxic bite, terrifying teeth, incredible vision. He's not the kind of thing you want to encounter underwater. Ever.

The other sirens would be very reluctant to let Nightmare know you exist. But when all three of his underlings are chasing the same prey... well. You'll catch his eye sooner or later.

[teaboot]

FISH EMERGENCY

A few months ago I mentioned that my two tail betta fish, Loulou, had the fringe of his tail turning oddly opaque and white. I posted here to ask opinions, and ended up checking everything from new growth, to ich, to velvet, to fin rot, to regular wear and tear.

This was Lou when I got him, compared to about a six months later btw:

Out of my own depth, I went to an aquarist in town and showed them pictures, describing my concerns. They told me that it was most likely damage from something abrasive in his tank

Pics I showed them:

The thing is though, I don't HAVE anything abrasive in his tank??? He has a ceramic skull hide, which is a little bumpy but otherwise fine, and a smooth flat rock, and his substrate. All his plants are real and his water pump is protected by a sponge.

I left him in the care of a sitter about three weeks ago, and when I came back, his fins were noticeably shorter and far more haggard. I gave his tank a super thorough clean in case it was fin rot and told myself I'd go back to the aquarist later this week, when I'm not at work.

Then today I came home to THIS:

Photos are bad cause it's nighttime and he didn't wanna hold still for pictures despite treats but his fins have MULTIPLE broken spines and his upper tail is BLEEDING?

I noticed a bit of red on him the other day and mistakenly believed he was changing colours again, but it's DEFINITELY blood.

He has no other tank mates except for a few snails I put in there to handle the plants.

I thought maybe he was chewing himself or something but he cant reach the spots that are missing.

I'm sorry to post this here, but has anyone with fish seen this before??? I've had him for almost a whole year now and have not had this happen before

Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated, I'm taking everything solid out of his tank until I know what's happening.

Thank you

[the-froschamethyst4]

Where is my husband

𖤐Pairing: Husband! Ghost x Wife! Reader

𖤐Pronouns: She/Her

𖤐Warnings: Fluff, emotional, kissing, language, married couple, you may or may not cry,

𖤐Summary: Ghost was on a dangerous mission that he had a feeling he might not even make it home to see his wife

—————

—————

Beep...beep...beep...

Ghost was hooked up to a monitor, he got shot at and stabbed on this mission, he was close to dying and he didn't want to die, he wanted to go home and see he wife, he wanted to grow old with her, he wanted a family with her, he wanted a child with her.

His eyes were closed as he was having a watchful eye on him while he rests, the doctors and nurses checking up on him and Price, Soap and Gaz all watching over him.

Soap had a broken nose, arm and was recovering from a gun wound.

Price was recovering from almost being blown up by a landmine.

And Gaz was in a wheelchair after breaking his leg and a gunshot to his lower abdomen.

Ghost was lucky to even come out alive.

"Are we going to tell, Y/n?" Gaz asked, looking up at Price.

"I had Lasswell, let her know...I haven't heard anything," he said as they looked at Ghost through the window into his room as doctors went through more tests if he was okay and could go home soon.

"Price!" Price jumped hearing his name, all three men turned seeing a worried and teary-eyed Y/n coming towards them.

"Y/n!" Price called. Before she could make it to the window to look at Ghost, Price and Soap stopped her.

"Just be prepare what you may see," Price said.

"John, where is my husband and is he okay?" Y/n asked worried and a tear finally falling on her cheek.

"The doctors said he's going to be okay, but they just need to run a few more tests," Soap said as he held Y/n's shoulders and brought her to the window.

Her eyes widened and tears falling even more down her cheeks. She stepped closer to the window as she saw her husband laying on the hospital bed, wires hooked to him and doctors and nurses making sure he was good to go. She saw that his eyes were closed.

"He's been asleep for 4 days..." Price said.

"They said it's a coma...he may or may not wake up," Soap said.

Y/n turned to Price. "So, I may not have a husband anymore?" She said with tears falling.

"We don't know, Mrs.Ri-"

"Mrs.Riley?"

"Yes?" A doctor came out asking for Y/n.

"If you would like to come in and see your husband..."

"Is he okay?" She asked him.

"He's just fine, we just need him to wake up and he can be released," Y/n walked into the room as the same with the guys but they stopped in the doorway.

"We'll leave you be, Y/n," Price said as all three left along with the nurses and doctor.

She walked to his right side, her hand touched his, she sat in the chair that was next to his bed. She drops her head on his hand tears falling from her eyes onto his hand.

Ghost felt something drop on his hand, a small hand on his hand, and he heard sniffling. He opened his eyes and looked around he saw that he was in the hospital and looked down at the woman crying on his hand.

"Ow," he says as his head was hurting. Y/n shot up and looked at her husband.

"Simon!" She said, cupping his face and kissing his skull mask, she grabbed the bottom of it pulling it up and kissing his lips, which caught him off guard. She ran to the doorframe and called for a doctor.

"DOCTOR! DOCTOR! HE'S AWAKE!" She yells as him, two nurses and Price, Soap and Gaz came back to the room to see Ghost.

"Ghost."

"How do you feel?" Price asked as the doctor checked him once more.

"I feel fine..." he said as he lifted his arm, so the nurses could check his blood pressure.

Y/n was smiling seeing that her husband was awake. The doctor checked his eyes and cleared his throat before talking.

"Well, Mr.Riley, we will sign off of your reports and by the afternoon you should be allowed to leave with your wife."

"Wife?" Y/n's heart dropped when he questioned the doctor. "I have a wife?"

Price, Soap and Gaz looked at Y/n, who played with her fingers after hearing Ghost doesn't know that he is married.

"Ghost...your wife," Price pointed to Y/n standing next to the bed.

"She's not my wife..." Ghost said, turning back to Price.

"Yes, she is, you married her, 2 years ago...do you...not remember her?" Soap asked.

"No...I don't remember marrying her...I don't remember dating anyone..." Ghost said.

The guys looked at Y/n as those same tears wanted to fall again.

--------

"Doctor, why the hell, does he not remember Y/n but knows us just fine?" Price questioned the doctor.

"I'm not sure...but we figure something out," he looks at Y/n. "He remembers everything before 2 years ago that's how he knows you three just fine...whatever happened before he came here, you, have disappeared from his memory...you need to get yourself back into his head, help him out, help him remember you...till then we'll sign off on the papers and you are free to take him home, Mrs.Riley."

"Thanks doctor," was all Y/n could say.

"For nothing," Soap said as the doctor was out of ear shot.

"Soap," Price growled. Y/n walked back to the window seeing her husband eating the horrible hospital food, she swallowed a lump in her throat and walked into the room.

Ghost looked up at her as she sat next to him again. He still had on his black wedding ring.

"So...you're my wife?" Simon asked.

"Yeah...it's okay if you don't remember me, Simon...I will help you remember who I am...who we were together."

"Thanks...I'm sorry, you seem like such a sweet and gentle woman, if I am married to you, I must be a good guy then to get someone like you."

Y/n smiled at his comment.

"You were always a good guy, Simon."

"Sometimes, I don't feel like it," he said, staring at his food. "And this food sucks."

"We can get real food once you're dismissed," she giggled.

---------

Simon walked to your car just fine, getting into the passenger side and Y/n got into the driver side but before she got in Price stopped her.

"If you need anything, you know how to reach me...and let me know how he's doing."

"I will...thank you, Price."

"Of course," he said as she got in and started her car.

"So, where do you want to go eat?"

"I don't care anything better than the hospital."

"Understandable," she said as she drove out of the parking lot.

"So...if we're married do we have...kids?" Ghost asked.

"No...we have a cat named Phantom."

"Phantom?" He questioned.

"You named him...because of his fur."

"Is he a black cat?"

"Yep, long haired, ember eyes and little bit of white on his paws." She said moving her head from side to side making sure the road was clear for her to go.

"What was our wedding like?"

"Big, beautiful, our colors were black and lavender, you thought it was weird at first but learned to love it later on," she said.

"Where was it?"

"The Napa Valley, you picked that spot, you thought the land was beautiful."

"I picked it?"

"I let you pick the destination and then I handled the rest."

"Was your dress beautiful?" He asked.

"...Yeah it was...when you saw it at the wedding-"

"I cried?"

"Yeah," she smiled at him.

"Do we have photos in the house where I could see?"

"Oh yeah...you put up so many photos of us around the house," Ghost smiled.

"I didn't know...a woman like you could make me happy, I thought I was honestly going to be alone for the rest of my life."

"No, Simon, don't say that."

"But I thought it was."

The rest of the ride home was silent, Ghost did ask a few more questions every now and then but he wanted to get home, he wasn't tired or anything, he just wanted to get home and feel his guard et let down because he was comfortable.

Y/n pulled into the driveway, and she went to Ghost's passenger side and opened the door for him as he got out, he held his side where he got shot and Y/n was worried if it was hurting him.

"Does it hurt?"

"A little...but it's fine," he said as he looked at the house behind Y/n. "Is this our house?"

"Yep," she smiled and unlocked the door and pushed it open. Phantom came running towards them both. Ghost looked down at Phantom who was meowing at the top of his lungs and rubbing his head on Ghost's leg.

Y/n picked him up and Ghost petted Phantom's head.

He removed his mask and tossed it on the bench next to the front door along with taking his boots off and jacket, but he winced feeling the pain of his other gun wound in his shoulder. Y/n came towards him and helped him remove his jacket.

"There..." she said, putting it on the coatrack.

"Guess you'll have to take care of me till I can go to therapy for it," the doctor had made a couple of appointments for Simon to go see a Physical Therapist after he gets his stitches out.

"That's fine, give me enough time for you to remember me," she said with a soft smile.

Ghost walked into the living room seeing the photos she was talking about. The fireplace had some sitting there some were wedding photos, and one had a photo of Phantom as a kitten.

There was on sitting on the coffee table in from of the couch and it was Ghost holding Y/n's waist and kissing her at the altar. There were some behind the couch, one was Y/n in a cute summer dress and a flower in her hair and his chin being held by Ghost as he was the one who took the photo.

Y/n watched as he walked around the living room, looking at the photos. She watched him pick a few to look at them.

"You took most of them."

"I see that...I like this one," he said, holding the one where she was in a summer dress.

"When you printed it out, you almost didn't want to put it out," she said.

"I understand why, look at this, she's beautiful," he said, Y/n smiled at his compliment.

Ghost had followed Y/n up the stairs to their shared master bedroom. He looked around the bedroom, definitely his doing on the decorating, black and white with some gray here and there, barely any sort of feminine touch.

"Which side did I sleep on?" Ghost asked.

"The left...you liked sleeping next to the window because if someone broke in...they'd have to get past you first," he smiled at that thought of keeping her safe from danger.

"Tonight, you can sleep here, and I'll take the guest bedroom if you don't feel like we should sleep together right now."

"Umm~ you can stay in here...it's more your bedroom than mine," Ghost said, rubbing the back of his neck. "We can set up a pillow border to keep apart from each other." He suggested.

"That can work," she said.

Y/n was in her silk pajama set as Simon was in sweatpants and a black tank top (I rather not call it a 'wife-beater') and got under the covers. He helped her set up the pillow barrier.

"I'm sorry, I don't remember you."

"It's okay, we have a whole day tomorrow to start over," she said with a reassuring smile.

[shibaraki]

A FISH OUT OF WATER ┊ MIYA ATSUMU

synopsis: you are his constant in a life shaped by an ever changing element. he wants you. but you are the most oblivious creature he has ever met.

tags: GN reader, merfolk au, merman atsumu, human reader, childhood friends to lovers, fluff, falling in love, courting behaviours, obliviousness, cultural differences, first kisses, getting together

wc: 3.5K

↱ written for the mermay collab hosted by the teahouse server ↲

As a child Atsumu never understood other finfolks fascination with humans, good or bad. Ma was never reluctant to explain, rather, he just didn’t care to ask. There were far more important things to do in the reef. Like hunting shelled crabs, riding the currents, and eating oysters so he could spit pearls at his brother's head until he gave chase.

But three moons before his twelfth birthday, he found you.

Suspended in the water, bubbles dwindling around your frame as the fight bled from your muscles. You sank into a lifeless repose. A human. Small, smaller than him. Thoughts whirring to a stop, his mind blanked, and his tail propelled him forward in a blink.

You were light in his arms at first. Breaching the surface had been the scary part. Worse then, as he needed to drag you up onto the shore where he could be seen. The section of beach close by was secluded. Shielded by large rocks, tide pools formed in the crevices. Atsumu deposited you onto the sand, hissing at the tides that crawled behind and splashed at your chin as if to scold them.

You convulsed and curled in onto yourself like the tiny dumbo octopus that lived in the crevasse near his home. Water spurted from your nose and mouth. It gathered in the corners of your eyes and rolled down your cheeks. Atsumu stared as you wailed and felt his own tumultuous emotions swell dramatically. Restless under his skin was the urge to calm you. To comfort you. But he had never been any good at that kind of thing.

So he reached out to pat your leg. It was covered in clumps of sand. Your shorts and shirt were drenched, and one of your feet had lost a flip flop. Then he repeated what Ma always told him, “Don’t worry, guppy. I’m here”.

That distracted you enough that your attention fell on him. Your immediate petrified screech reverberated harshly in his sensitive ears, both pressed flat to his head as he hissed and squirmed further back into the ocean to escape the sound.

“A—A monster! Get away!”

An odd sense of vulnerability washed over him. Embarrassment, shame, anger. At that moment, Atsumu decided all his assumptions must have been correct. You were clearly a few fish short of a shoal. “M’not a monster,” he’d shouted back, fins flared irritably. “Be grateful I saved yer life, Ugly! Ugly, ugly, ugly!”

Your face scrunched up at the insults, covered in salt water, tears and bile. A dull ache struck against his skull, hard and sudden. You had kicked him in the head and ran away.

Osamu laughed at the mark upon his return. Atsumu endured, kept his mouth shut and resolved never to go back to the surface. Ever! But curiosity still drew him back the next morning. And the next. Every day he checked, you were there, standing awkwardly on the beach and squinting at the horizon. Searching.

Ma’s voice echoed through his thoughts while he hid from view. Atsumu was great at lots of things. Loads better than Osamu. Racing, hunting, splitting shells, tying knots, playing ball. Not so great at making friends. Try to meet ‘em where they’re at, she said. Smile. Be nice. Find what they like and ask about it.

When he finally plucked the courage to make his presence known you’d been back in the tide pools. The ends of your shirt pulled out to hold all the shells you were collecting, heavily weighing on the wet fabric. A few tumbled down as you crouched to pick up a limpet, mouth curling into a pleased grin. Limpets are boring, he thought. And an idea struck.

Diving lower, Atsumu combed through the sand and seaweed until he spotted an iridescent spiral of orange and purple. The snail went helplessly as he clasped it between his webbed fingers, shooting for the rocks. You were still there, filling the silence with a directionless hum.

Atsumu broke the surface quietly. Enough distance between that you could not kick him again. “Hey!” he called, hands thrusted out toward you, head already turned toward his shoulder to brace for another scream. “Got a snail. Wanna see?”

Nothing came. He hadn’t realised how much your acceptance meant to him until then—when you crouched excitedly close by, unheeding of the tide soaking you further, and gasped as he presented the gift. Relief burst in his chest, warm and tingly to the tips of his fins at the careful prodding of your fingers to the creature in his palms; so intense that a wave of luminescence washed through his scales.

“I was looking for you,” you later admitted, voice softened in apology. “Thank you for saving me. I’m sorry I kicked you and called you mean things”.

Atsumu detailed the slight pout to your lips. Knees shifting in the sand. Eyes wide, gleaming hopefully as you waited for his reply. Something fluttered in his stomach the longer you looked at him. Horrified, the longer he looked back, the more it dawned on him that you were not ugly at all.

“Good. So y’should be,” he grumbled, smacking his tail up onto the shore. Heat blotched across his cheeks when you glanced at it in awe. Timid, he added, “…S’fine though. Didn’t hurt”.

Smiling gleefully at that as his gaze darted back and forth, you held out your pinky and promised to always be his friend.

Time elapsed. Seasons passed. No longer a juvenile, his colours started to come into full bloom. Rich gold around his hips and waist, tapering into black toward his large ruffled tail fin. Even his hair lightened as he took to adulthood. After his twentieth birthday the months seemed to come and go faster than he liked. You were his one constant in a life shaped by an ever changing element. Atsumu’s blatant affection for you remained his worst kept secret but none of the finfolk scorned him for it.

Osamu’s steadfast teasing was the only downside. Offhanded or feigning disinterest, he’d always ask, “What d’you keep doing up there?”

Atsumu bounced a hard clam off his brother’s thick skull, “Nothin’. Told’ya a million times, I just like the surface”.

“Uh-huh. Does the ‘surface’ in question happen ta’ have a name and a pulse?”

“You’ll soon have neither if you don’t shut yer trap, ‘Samu!”

Summer comes along and once again, Atsumu decides to remain in the reef. There’s a new den for him in the alcove, carved out from the outcropping of rock with his own hands, right next to a dense forest of kelp. The afternoon sun filters through it in rays as the currents shift, dewy light dancing on the walls.

Two years he has been eligible to migrate and find a mate. This will make it his second absence from the celebrations. Ma never pushed him despite the worry written plain on her face. Osamu only pinned him with a knowing look as he went. It will be the longest they’ve been apart from one another and he doesn’t like it.

Realistically he still could have attended—should have, maybe, lest the other pods find his refusal disrespectful. But Astumu had no compulsion to go. The very idea of leaving you threw his instincts into high gear and he needed to race the currents just to calm the urgency wracking his bones. Because somewhere amidst the years spent with you he became aware of the voice clamoring in the back of his head. One that had been growing in intensity for some time, but hadn't been quite as loud as it was until the elders advised him to take a partner.

You were his mate.

Atsumu had been subconsciously courting you since you were children. Bringing you food and gifts, letting his display scales flash lurid in your presence. He kept guard as you slept on the sand, picked the seaweed and dirt from your hair, swam in synchrony with you when the tides were calm, wrapping your legs around his tail until you become a knot of a person. In hindsight, it was embarrassingly obvious—

Yet you are still blissfully oblivious to it, and that nags at him like nothing else.

Raking claw tipped fingers through his hair, Atsumu paces the length of his den with thoughts of how to be more deliberate in his courtship. Human relationships were complex—purposefully difficult, in some cases. You might respond better if he simply confessed what his intentions were.

You’ve promised to come by the cove as soon as you’re free today. Adulthood came with plenty of changes for you as well as him. You have to work more than he likes. It means less time together; hours spent with other people, any of which could stake their own claim and take you from his reach.

Agitated, Atsumu darts to the surface the instant the sky settles into evening. The sun spreads a blush across the ocean’s surface, tepid but pleasant when it kisses his cheeks. Your distant figure is climbing over the rock formations with careful movements. At first he lingers in the deeper water, submerged below the nose to watch like he used to all those years ago.

“‘Tsumu!” arms high in the air, you wave and bounce on the balls of your feet when you spot him. Lazily, he rides the small wave that floods onto the shelf you are standing on, arms folding on the craggy surface to keep his upper half above water.

There’s a bag over your shoulder. It drops low with the weight it carries. “Look what the tide dragged in,” you let the bag drop, contents half spilling out across the floor. Familiar things. Suncream, bottled water, a change of clothes. Your foot comes to rest atop the worn volleyball as it rolls toward the edge, flinching when he splashes at you in retaliation. “You’re here earlier than usual. Did’ya miss me?”

Atsumu bobs, eyes rolling. “Was too busy making up my new den to think twice about’cha, sunshine,” he cracks a grin. You bat at the hand that threatens to circle around your ankle as you lower yourself to sit on the shelf’s edge, legs swinging over the depths.

“All grown up and living on your own now,” you pat his head in what is intended to be condescension but only ends up conveying fondness for him as your fingernails scratch gently at his scalp. “Proud of you”.

“Stupid,” he mumbles, tipping into the touch without shame as he bobs in the water. Peeking up at you through the hair drying unruly over his eyes his heart sits prominent at the back of his throat. You’re in your swimsuit under your clothes again, he notices. “Ya gonna get in with me today?”

“Planned on it,” you replied coyly. Atsumu inhales deeply. Gills flutter. He feels his fins flare around his hips and smothers the need to hide himself, nudging his cheek to your bare thigh. A beat passes and your smile dims somewhat, “I’m sorry I’ve been so busy lately, ‘Tsumu”.

He rumbles his disapproval. Turning to nose at the skin there, Atsumu loosens his jaw and gently pincers your flesh between his teeth. Just enough to serve as a warning. The muscle and sinew remains relaxed despite it all, entirely sure he wouldn’t hurt you.

A heavy warmth drapes over his being at the heat, blood and beating heart echoing through your veins. “Gross,” you say without malice, flicking his temple at the lave of his tongue over your nonexistent wound.

“Ugly,” he returns, affectionate cadence unrestrained. You temper a smirk, kicking water his way as you tug your t-shirt over your head. Atsumu sinks into the sea’s cool embrace while you undress. Years ago you would have shied away from his blatant staring.

You’re welcoming to the arms that circle your waist as you turn to lower your body into the water. Atsumu doesn’t need to hold you up anymore, not like when you were young and easily drawn into the stronger currents, but he does so regardless. It earns him a soft huff, and a weak protest that is patently for show, but you let him.

A pleased sound vibrates in his throat before he can bite it back. You’re truly the softest thing he has ever laid hands on. Your fingers trail along his biceps, tracing the scales decorating his shoulders. Bioluminescence pulses through them with a shudder and you laugh at him, though not unkindly, “You’re lookin’ a lot brighter lately”.

Your ignorance is a blessing sometimes. Hiding his face in your hair his tail undulates and pushes your entwined bodies back toward the reef. Pride swells as your thighs cinch around his hips. The tides break around you, paving a pathway of foam from the shore to the corals. Below are vibrant formations, each unique and intricate, shelter for shoals of fish darting from the shadows stretching across on the seabed.

“Hey… can I ask you something?”

“Just did,” Atsumu snarks reflexively. You tighten your hold around his neck, leaning back to glare at him. You are about as intimidating as a sea bunny. He hums, “Alright, I’ll bite. What is it?”

Something flits across your features. Hesitance, maybe. Then your anxieties are spilling out into the open, “Why’d you split off from your group? Are they mad at you or something? If it’s because of me—”

Words stutter into a pitched plea for mercy when he pointedly tucks his chin to suck a mouthful of water into his cheeks. You flinch preemptively, throwing your hands up to your face. Atsumu holds a moment longer, pursing his lips as if readying to fire. You push at his chest in a fit of nervous laughter, “Okay, okay! I get it, it’s not my fault—don’t spray me!”

He doesn’t spit it at you. The seawater falls from his lips, trickles over his chin and returns to the tide. “Yer ability to overthink never fails to amaze me,” your breathing hitches as he brings your foreheads together. The flustered look you cast him makes him squeeze tighter, unwilling to let go. “They’ve gone to the mating grounds, that’s all. Figured it was as good’a time as any to find my own territory”.

You pause, a crease forming between your brows. “The mating grounds? You’ve never mentioned that before”.

Atsumu shrugs. The movement ripples out around you in broad rings. “Never needed to,” he says. “Wasn't important. M’here, aren’t I?”

“Why?” the pressure from your thighs lessens, just a fraction, but he’s already scrambling to cup the back of your knees and keep them there. You freeze. Scrutinising any minute change to his expression, eyes bright and flickering. Atsumu avoids your gaze with his inner cheek between his teeth. Slow, a smirk pulls at your lips. “Don’t tell me you’ve got no suitors”.

Atsumu chitters, displeased. You shouldn’t find the idea amusing. He wants you to hate it. Sulking, he says, “Glad ya think that’s funny”.

Your face falls, then. And you are seeking the strong grip he had on you before, clutching at his shoulders. Your hands slide carefully up the column of his neck, featherlight over his gills. A shiver breaks out across his skin as you take his face into your hands. “Hey, no. I didn’t mean—” you stop to sound a frustrated groan. “I didn’t mean it like that, ‘Tsumu. I just—I thought you were joking. Why wouldn’t a mer like you have everybody vying for your attention?”

His mouth shapes around a small ‘o’. Then it draws wide, crooked and teasing. “A mer like me, eh?” he echoes, slipping back from your grasp to circle you in the water as a thrilling static buzzed under his skin. Need grips him and hems his scales, saturating them with rich gold hues. “Like what?”

“Stop fishing for compliments, loser. You know,” you struggle to tread water and spin to track his circular motions, pushing a vindictive wave of water at him. “You’re the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen”.

The glow from his display is bleeding into the blue-green waters and attracting the attention of the reef dwellers but he’s too pleased to be mortified. He halts his stalking, crowding into your arms, “Y’think I’m—?!”

Your fingers thread into his hair. With all your might you dunk him under, cutting his sentence short as a wave rushes to fill the space in his open mouth. He laughs through the descent of your body, the force having pushed him low enough that he is facing your bare stomach. Remaining there, even as you relinquish your grip.

Other finfolk never really commented on his colouring. They hadn’t attempted to initiate courtship, either, not with his priorities elsewhere. You have praised his scales before but this feels different. In the context of being wanted—desired as a partner. Maybe it’s just pretty words. But you would not have submerged him in a fit of embarrassment if there weren’t some truth in it.

Fins vibrating eagerly, small trails of bubbles rise to the surface. You're patting at his arms now, worried why he won’t come up, expression distorted by the water. He sinks forward, face pressing up against your midriff. Your abdomen immediately clenches. Nails dig into the curve of his shoulder as he mouths at your sternum. Arms rise to wrap around your waist and your knees flank his ribs, squeezing tight.

A mer’s senses are that much sharper here. He feels your stuttered breath, hears your heartbeat quicken, smells the beginnings of arousal. It tastes like victory, overwhelming all rational thought. Head to tailfin his instincts are begging to drag you to his den and fuck you to sleep.

But he can’t. Not yet, and not the way he wants to.

Pushing into a soft, resting stomach, Atsumu takes a breath, shakes himself from his reverie and blows hard against the skin. You immediately convulse, trying to squirm out of his grasp. Overhead, your sweet laughter; muffled by the white noise around him but just as euphonious.

You’re panting when he finally resurfaces, your head tilted to keep your chin above water. The tide must be coming in. He supports you against his chest, making you a few inches taller. “You dickhead. Fishbrains,” you chide breathlessly, betrayed by the fond look in your eye. “Shit. Don’t do that again”.

“Mean. What happened to gorgeous?” Atsumu’s pout trembles, struggling to keep his amusement at bay.

“I'll take it back!”

“No take backsies,” he croons, nuzzling at your jawline. Dangerous. “Glad ya think I’m hot and all but that’s not the only part of courting. Like, proving yer able to take care of them. Hunting an’ preparing food. Presenting gifts. Helping them groom. Keeping guard. S’why it takes the whole summer”.

As he speaks a slither of dread settles heavy in his gut. The memories practically flit across your face, visibly connecting the dots. “But you’ve always done those things—” your voice loses strength, mouth opening and closing a few times before finishing, “for me…?”

The sky is bruised. Clouds have gathered by the cliffs, and the sun is almost tucked beneath the horizon, casting a final burst of orange across the glittering ocean’s surface. His display dims. “Yea’,” he clears his throat, summoning a playful tone, “Real sharp, angel. I sure know how to pick ‘em”.

Any confidence he had slips between his fingers like dry sand the longer the silence draws between you. A sad note catches in his throat. His gills twitch as he waits with bated breath. Warm, soft hands come to cradle his face. Your thumb sweeps gently back and forth beneath his eye.

You don’t laugh. You don’t even splash at him. Rather, reverently, you say “…‘Tsumu”.

He peers up to meet your gaze. Softened by dusk, you are watching him through lidded eyes, crinkled at the corners. A sharp sensation frissons up his spine. You tilt his chin, bringing him into a chaste kiss. Atsumu shudders, hands pawing desperately at your hips. You pull back a hair’s breadth only to kiss him again, full lips sliding together, a more deliberate press that grows fervent at the cautious lick of his tongue.

When you seek air with a sharp inhale your eyes flutter closed for a moment. Atsumu doesn’t bother to dull his purr, nor the soft flow emitting from his tail, forming a golden ring of light around your entangled bodies. Mirthfully, you murmur, “I can’t believe it. You like me”.

It feels right; like finally letting himself have everything he’s ever wanted.

He laughs quietly, tucking a kiss beneath your ear, “Somethin’ like that”.