#mer-buttons

[sunflower-chai]

doofenshmirtz is known for his self-destruct buttons, but i think we should show some appreciation for my personal favorite: the willy-nilly button

[hisui-dreamer]

i wanted to make jade a fluffy poncho buttt

it looks like he got engulfed in a cloud 😭😭

[inafieldofdaisies]

WIP Whenever | Tagged by @adelaidedrubman @cassietrn and @direwombat

Stopping by this week with a little snippet from Jacob and Mercedes' winter drabble where she truly tests his patience. 🤍

"When, Isaac?", Jacob's question hung in the air, met by silence that made the cabin feel even smaller, especially with the storm raging outside. Dolos had refused to leave his side since he had walked into the house, appearing just as on edge as he was at the absence of his owner. "I think,", there was a pause, his Chosen selecting his words carefully at the dangerous edge his voice carried, "40 minutes ago, sir." The revelation caused his frown to deepen as the hand running over the canine's white fur froze completely, "Think? I need better than that, seeing how you didn't go with her." "She insisted she could handle the drive back, and I had to take care-" "Did I ask you for an excuse, soldier?", Jacob cut him off. "No." "What I thought." The radio receiver clathered uselessly against the table as he pushed his chair back and hurriedly shrugged on his coat. Reaching her directly had proven unsuccessful. Sitting around while he knew without a shadow of a doubt that the ride back would have taken Mercedes less than how much time had already passed was out of the question, not with his worry only increasing by the minute. Dolos was right on his heels, gaze meeting his when Jacob came to an abrupt stop in the small hallway, "Stay. I'm going to find her. Bring her home. She's okay." He couldn't decide if he was assuring the dog or himself of that. But his words must have sounded convincingly enough to her companion, making him retreat to the living room. "Goddamn it, woman, always so stubborn.", he muttered under his breath, a gust of wind trying to force him back inside the second he swung open the front door.

Cold bit at his face, but he ignored the feeling and pushed forward through the snow that seemed to have doubled in the last couple of minutes and was quickly covering the cabin's previously cleared driveway. His mood soared as he sped off in the direction of St. Francis, the truck's wipers struggling against the mad flurry of snowflakes that swirled around until he could barely see the road, let alone any animal that might decide to cross it. Months back, he probably wouldn't have thought twice about Mercedes getting into trouble let alone made it his problem, yet now no matter how much he tried to remain stoic and push down the raising emotions within him, he couldn't. The white scenery gave way to a smudge of red on the path ahead of him. A truck. Hers. The sight caused him to slam on his breaks and jump out of the vehicle, the empty interior of the abandoned ride threatening to extinguish any hope he had about easily finding her. Faint tracks led away from the passenger's side door, signaling she had headed off down a bent that ended nowhere safe, especially during a blizzard. He cursed at the snow that slowed his movement, at the fact more was falling and covering her footsteps, and she was most likely lost in the middle of the woods with dusk approaching steadfast. "Mercedes!", her name was drowned out by the whistling wind, a wolf howling somewhere far into the distance, his guard immediately rising up as he pulled a pistol out of the holster strapped to his thigh.

His eyes scanned ahead, clinging onto the remainders of her reckless detour that meandered around the looming pines. A small figure that almost appeared as a mirage through the gale beating at his form had him rushing through the dense snow that would have almost been knee-deep for someone as tall as Mercedes. His strides were determined as his sights set on the silhouette, and he called out her name again. Jacob had no idea if she had somehow heard him over the persisting storm or had stopped on her own accord, but it gave him a chance to catch up. His hands grasped her while he examined her from curls covered by a knitted beanie down to her coat that was failing miserably against the dropping temperatures and boots swallowed by the snow piles. Confusion swam in her dark eyes when they met his. "Jacob.", her voice was barely audible over the howling wind, and whatever she said next got completely muffled into his chest when he pulled her into his embrace. Her fingers clutched at his coat, body shivering against his. "Come on before the storm gets any worse.", he commanded with a frown, hand wrapping around her to keep her close and help in navigating the terrain faster. His thoughts were as chaotic as the weather around them, a blur of possibilities that only grew darker at the idea he could have been late. Found her- No. "Keep moving. Come on, sweetheart. We're almost there.", whatever anger he felt at her foolishness dissipated at how weak she appeared, and before he could think twice, he scooped her up, arms wrapping around his neck as he carried her the way he had come from. He moved with a new purpose, fueled by the promise of the warmth of his truck. "You're so warm. So warm."

Mercedes kept her face buried in the crook of his neck, and soon enough, he broke through the treeline and onto the road. Jacob pulled the door open, quickly depositing her in the passenger's seat before climbing in too and starting the truck. "Do you know how worried I was?", the confession slipped past his lips, eyes remaining on the treacherous road ahead when all he wanted was to glance towards her and check on her condition. "The truck died on me completely. I thought it would be faster to walk home before the storm gets any worse." The dismissiveness to her statement paired with the way her teeth chattered only made his hold on the wheel tighten before he uttered out, "You get into any kind of trouble, you radio for help. We talked about this." "Isaac... had his hands full already." "I didn't mean Isaac, Mercedes. You radio me." She crossed her hands over her chest, "I don't need you to come to my rescue." "Well, if it ain't too late for that, sweetheart. Would you rather I leave you to wander off into wolf territory next time so you become their dinner? Makin' sure my future Judges are well-fed." "You're such an ass sometimes." "I'd take that as a thank you for saving you." "Of course, you will." A huff broke free before her gaze focused out of her window, and she settled for ignoring him. Or so he thought until he snuck a quick look her way and caught her drifting off, head almost banging against the glass.

His arm shot out and landed on her shoulder to stir her up, "Hey, hey, stay with me. No sleeping." Her eyes fluttered open at his gruff tone, dark gaze filled with confusion once more meeting his, "Jacob?" "I need you awake, sweetheart." Her hand was ice cold to the touch when Jacob grasped it in his, despite the heat blowing in the truck. "Just wake me up when we-" "I know you're thinking you're tired, but you're not, you're freezing, and sleeping will not help keep you warm, okay? It's only going to make things worse." He expected Mercedes to argue again, instead, she gave him a curt nod before intertwining her fingers through his. Something about the simple touch stopped his frustration from rising up again. The snow that had gathered over the short ride back and forth and white flurry on the other side of the windshield almost made him miss the turn leading up to the cabin. "Stay in the truck.", he instructed as he parked as close to the house as he could and climbed out to get to her side. Jacob dreaded forcing her out in the cold once more, especially with how the wind cut through his clothes, but staying in the truck seemed counterproductive with how much the weather was worsening. "I can walk.", annoyance was written all over her face upon sensing his plan when he pulled her door open. "And I'm still going to carry you, so we can spare ourselves another useless argument."

Mercedes eased into his arms after giving him a dark look, and he set off towards the porch with a couple of long strides. He pushed his way into the house, forcing the door closed with his foot to stop the cold from following them in before lowering her to the ground and kicking off his shoes. Snowflakes had gathered into her blonde curls, and in another situation, he would have caught himself gawking if it wasn't for the visible shivers and her very flushed cheeks. "Come on.", his hand grasped hers, and he pulled her along as soon as her boots were off. Thankfully he had the forethought to light a fire before his call with Isaac so by then the cabin had warmed up, instead of greeting them with its own level of coldness. Dolos let out a happy bark the second the two came into his view, rushing at Mercedes to nudge her leg with his nose in a greeting. "Hey, baby. I didn't mean to worry you.", her voice dipped with sweetness as she addressed the canine, hand stroking his head for extra reassurance. A curt nod from Jacob was enough to settle him back down by the fireplace. At least one of you is listenin' to me… He led her to their bedroom, helping Mercedes shrug off her coat before moving onto her jeans that were no doubt soaked through from her improvised trek.

"Ah, now I see…", she quipped from above as he crouched down and pulled at the material, hands landing on his shoulders for balance while his touch trailed down her cold skin. Her eyes shone with a playful gleam when they found his, "It was all a big ploy just to get me naked. So sneaky of you, Mr. Seed." Jacob rose up, a frown still ruling over his features, "In bed, Mercedes." "Bossy.", her shaky fingers worked on the buttons of her shirt that was as dainty as all the dresses she wore, "Forgot something, though." Getting seduced by someone battling any level of hypothermia was certainly a first, but he had quickly learned to expect anything from Mercedes, even when she wasn't feeling at her best. "We're not going there.", he warned as the garment came undone, a sliver of her white lacy bra teasing him underneath. Goosebumps spread over her exposed flesh when the shirt hit the ground, but she didn't let that stop her, reaching for the piece of lingerie next, "Enough, Mercedes." "You're no fun." He shook his head at her pout and forced himself to lift up the covers instead of taking a step in her direction and helping her take off what little covered her body. His own thoughts had taken the same route she had, but he knew fucking her like she wanted wasn't going to be helpful no matter how much it promised to release the frustration he was dealing with thanks to her stunt. Head in the game, soldier.

"In bed.", he repeated when she remained standing up, clearly ignoring instructions to spite him. "You gonna make me?" Don't bite. Don't. A grunt ripped free, "Or freeze your ass off." Before he could fall right into the very obvious trap set up for him, he stormed out of the room, her soft laughter echoing behind him, "Yes, dad." It was another attempt to rile him up, the same way she would throw in 'brother' every once in a while when addressing him in front of Joseph, having figured out how much he hated the word. Jacob took a deep breath the moment he was on his own in the kitchen, opening and closing cabinets until he located everything he needed while he waited for the water to boil. He quickly gathered a spare blanket Mercedes kept laying around in the living room for anytime she would fall asleep on the couch while waiting for him to come home. A look through one of the small windows revealed what he suspected already: the storm wasn't letting up and he was truly lucky to have found her when he did. "She's something else, isn't she?", he whispered to Dolos when he ambled into the kitchen, "But then again, she prefers to put me through those trials…" His name sounded from the bedroom, making him tense up all over again with how she sing-songed it. "Yes?", he hollered back and poured water into the mug she seemed to favor. Honey as sweet as her tone followed suit, same one he had been licking off her body days back. Don't go there.

He didn't want to read too much into the idea he had noticed what things she had made hers in the house that not that short ago had belonged to strangers. "Just making sure you didn't flee into the storm to escape me." With his quest essentially completed, he set off back to the bedroom, reminding himself he had to be strong. "I have no idea what you mean." "Mhm, sure you don't.", a smile was aimed his way when he entered, and a part of him was taken aback by the fact she had complied for once and actually crawled in bed as advised. Her hands snuck out to grab the cup he offered her and cradled it between her palms, a sigh in content leaving her lips at the warmth it provided. "Feelin' better yet?", he asked as he spread the knitted blanket over the sheets and took a seat at the edge of the mattress, watching her as she sipped the drink. "Yes. And don't worry, I won't tell Isaac and the rest about your soft side. It would be our little secret." His eyes narrowed at her loaded look, "No such thing." "You made me tea. Just as I like it, if I might add." A strange feeling appeared in his chest at the compliment. Pride, as perhaps John might categorize it. All he could do was stare while she drank her tea, then got up to leave when she placed the almost empty mug at the night stand, "I will be in the liv-" "No."

He tried his hardest to read the expression she wore, "No?" "I'm far from being warmed up completely, Jacob.", the way she bit her lip promised nothing good, same for her gaze traveling down his form, "And you were out there too… so, join me." "I'm not fucking you." The sharp reply won him an eyeroll, "I don't recall asking you to." Your eyes sure did. "I will be-" "-joining me in bed as soon as you undress? Yes, sounds great. Get on with it. Or are you enjoying sitting around in your damp jeans too much to?" Sitting around in jeans that he had trudged through knee-deep snow was inarguably far from the worst predicament he'd lived through, and he doubted she needed an actual reminder of it. He bit back the remark stating just that and headed for the door, her voice stopping him in his tracks and trampling over whatever self-control he had left within him. "Running away from little old me.", she tsk-tsked playfully, "And here I thought you were strong." "Mercedes." "What?", an innocent smile met him when he spun back around and erased the distance between them. "Remember what I said." "Which part?", she let out a laugh at his narrowed look, "I'm a bit out of it." He undid his jeans and pushed them down his legs with a sigh then shrugged off his shirt, "Very funny." "I was about to ask if you had grown shy all of a sudden and want me to look away with how much time you were taking to undress."

Now down to his boxers, he slid under the covers and wasted no time in pulling her close. "We're way past that, wouldn't you say?", Jacob muttered against her hair, placing a kiss on top of her head. Her body temperature seemed to have improved significantly as she sank into his embrace and his hand wrapped around her waist on instinct. His fingers spread over her abdomen, the realization they found no barrier of clothing registering in the next second. "You're completely naked." Mercedes hummed in response, "Skin on skin, isn't it how it works, Mr. Survival expert?" "I'm still in my underwear." Her hand covered his, "A problem with a very simple solution." "I'm not removing them." "We shall see about that.", the words were paired with her backing into him completely intentionally, which she played off as getting comfortable, "So… you were already home?" "Yeah." Her scent he had grown so attached to invaded his senses, and against his better judgment, he breathed it in like Angels did with their next fix of Bliss. "Why? Isaac said you were swamped with work." "Just because." She twisted in his arms to face him, giving him a solid confirmation she had gotten rid of her bra as well when she plastered her chest to his.

Her lips pursed at the excuse just as the lights in the room flickered, making him wonder how bad the blizzard was becoming, "Try again." "I was worried." "About me?" "About you setting the house ablaze while trying to start a fire." Fingers pinched his side, making him bite back an yelp at the surprise attack, "Asshole. You know I'm perfectly capable-" "I was worried about you and Dolos, and getting stuck in the dark if the cabin loses power. Happy?" Her dimples appeared at the confession, "So you came back." "And you're lucky I did because who knows what would have happened if I hadn't." "Natural selection taking its course, I believe, would be the term?" Jacob gave her a dark look before rolling on top of her and cupping her cheek, "Don't even joke about it." "Or I guess you prefer culling-"

Tagging, @socially-awkward-skeleton @strangefable @strafethesesinners @josephslittledeputy @josephseedismyfather @trench-rot @onehornedbeast @aceghosts @voidika @corvosattano @carlosoliveiraa @nightbloodbix @finding-comfort-in-rain @dumbassdep @la-grosse-patate @florbelles @unholymilf @purplehairsecretlair @thesingularityseries @jackiesarch @marivenah @macs-babies @shellibisshe @simplegenius042 @kyber-infinitygems @g0dspeeed @theelderhazelnut @wrathfulrook and anyone with something to share <3

[tommybowefuneralattendee]

she nin on my ten til i dogs

[astro-b-o-y-d]

The most maddening thing about being obsessed with a specific character/characters is when you're obsessed with a character/characters from a media you're otherwise just kinda meh to neutral to. Like it's fine, it's harmless and a good time when watching, but once you're done you just go on your merry way and put it out of your mind. But that ONE SPECIFIC CHARACTER OR CHARACTERS-

[cameronsbabydoll]

we need smth where reader actually gave jewish!rafe the silent treatment and he made it up by eating her out.

silent treatment

jewish!rafe x spoiled!jewish!reader

summary: you’re giving rafe the full silent treatment—cold shoulder, pretty pout, matching designer set. but your husband knows exactly how to break you down.

warnings: oral (f receiving) brat!reader subby!rafe emotionally manipulative (but hot) husband, no actual fighting/angst, established marriage

you don’t speak to him all day.

not in the car, not at the country club, not when he places that little chanel bag you wanted on the entryway table like an offering. you barely glance at it. just walk past him in your matching silk set, perfume trailing behind you like a slap.

you know it’s killing him.

he tried twice already—once in the kitchen while you made your dumb little oat milk matcha, and again in the living room when you were talking to your mom on speaker. but you shut him down. cold shoulder. silent stares. big eyes. no mercy.

you don’t even flinch when he walks into the bedroom. just keep massaging your la mer into your cheekbones like he isn’t even there.

and he watches you in the mirror for a second. arms crossed. jaw tense.

then he moves.

you feel his hands on your hips first. warm, slow, apologetic. he kisses your neck, once, twice. you still don’t look at him.

“i’m sorry,” he whispers.

you scoff.
“you’re only sorry when i ignore you.”

and he drops.

literally—drops to his knees on the rug behind you, fingers curling into the hem of your silk shorts.

“rafe—” you snap, annoyed.
“shh.”
he presses his mouth to the back of your thigh.
“lemme say sorry the way you want me to.”

and you hate it—hate that he knows. hate that your stomach flips like it’s the first time. hate that you’re already leaning back against the vanity, eyes fluttering shut as he pulls your shorts and panties down in one slow motion.

his mouth is on you before you can even argue. and he’s starving.

long, slow licks like he’s memorizing you. tongue flattening over your clit until your knees buckle. one hand pinning your thigh open and the other gripping your ass, possessive and needy and desperate.

you moan before you mean to.
he groans when you thread your fingers into his curls.
and when your breath hitches—when you cum hard against his tongue, one hand braced on the marble counter and the other trembling in his hair—he smiles.

wipes his mouth, kisses your thigh again, and looks up at you like you’re god.

“can you talk to me now?”

you stare down at him, cheeks flushed.
“…you’re so manipulative.”
“i missed you.”
“you’re still an asshole.”
“mhm.”

you climb into bed and he follows, laying right on top of you, still in his button-down, breath warm on your cheek.

“you forgive me?” he asks.
you pause.
then nod.

“but you’re buying me the chanel flats too.”

[keferon]

Two Peas in a Pod: part 7/?

I'm so sorry for the delay. I struggled...

_________________________________________

"Jazz?" Blaster calls just loud enough for his mer to hear him. Now that the initial meeting was over, he wanted to take advantage of the break. 

While understanding that the human was calling him over, Jazz was a bit hesitant that moving might start up the whole confrontation again. He glanced over to the other orca still floating a little ways away, •၊||၊၊၊ had his eyes closed and it looked like he was focused on dealing with the repercussions of his actions. His expression was twisted lightly in a restrained grimace with his right arm holding his side.  

Slowly Jazz pushed himself further away, before turning over and swimming to the pier.  

"Are you okay?" Blaster asked as he knelt at the edge. 

With an uneasy look, he shamefully admitted, "it could have gone better…" 

The chief vet speaks up before Blaster can, but not to Jazz, but into the radio. "Has anyone seen signs of reopening or blood?" 

The Vet Chief wanted to fully isolate them from you, to keep them in a transfer-crate, at least until the injuries had a low risk of reopening. 

Blaster shoots them an offended side-eye, as Jazz is literally right here. However, he pushed it aside, half listening to the radio chatter ��� all good from the sounds of it – and turned to what was more important. "Did he hurt ya?" 

They'll take him away. 

"I'm fine," he whispered, looking down as he placed a hand on his chest. It still stung, as the first hit was made with intent – he had gotten mad when it happened, did it show on my face, did they see it – and the rest, warning shots. "Just a bruise… it was more dizzying trying to keep away from him than anything."  

–if the team reports you showing signs of aggression, they'll… remove him. 

He hums in thought, eyes drifting momentarily as •၊||၊၊၊ disappeared from the surface. Blaster was a little nervous about that as he looked back at Jazz. "Do you think that you'll be okay, the two of you, I mean. Do you need us to separate–" 

They'll take him away. 

"No." Jazz insisted quickly, fighting to keep his voice low – behave – and shaking his head. "We should be fine now." 

Blaster knew there was more going on, seeing as Jazz was soft spoken and avoiding eye contact; an old habit of hiding himself when speaking to staff, but it would have to be a talk for later. When Jazz felt safe enough to open up. So instead, Blaster smiled and said, "Alright. But me and a few others will be keeping an eye on you both throughout the day. Just to make sure you're both comfortable as you can be. It might be a bit rocky for the first few days, but that's okay, we were expecting that." 

Jazz didn't respond, his attention had been captured by the other mer at the bottom of the pool, beneath him. He had been somewhat keeping an eye on him with his sonar, watching •၊||၊၊၊ slowly explore the tank.  

Though, Blaster was just barely able to spot the other orca from the surface, and honestly wouldn't have noticed if not for Jazz. Pressing the call button on his radio, Blaster looked to the staff, "we've passed the first hurdle, everyone. We'll move onto doing rotation monitoring. Fred and Josh, you'll remain for the first shift. Everyone else, business as usual till I get a schedule in order." 

"I've adjusted the medications and sedatives." The chief vet told Blaster, though didn't even look at him, as they were currently preoccupied sending messages on their phone. Not even a second later, Blaster's own was going off in his pocket.  

"I'll look over your recommendations after." He sneered at them, though the vet had already turned to leave.  

Then while folks celebrated the success and steadily wondered off to their main duties, Blaster's second brought up the mers breakfast from the kitchen. They set Jazz's down next to him, but held on to the other while they eyed the water with extreme caution.  

"Ah, ya, no." Blaster spoke up before they even began to wind up, holding his hands out for the food. "Give it here, we are not chucking anything at him."  

They snapped to him with wide, frightened eyes. Like Blaster hadn't been here to see the speeds that the wild mer had gone after Jazz. "You cannot be serious– you're going to attempt to pole feed him? Now–here? When they have the space to jump!?" 

"No." He said with rising irritation towards their attitude and their poor handling of the situation. "I'm going to treat him the same as Jazz."  

His second now looked flabbergasted, glancing between Jazz, him, out over the pool, and then back at him. "But–!" 

Blaster pointed at both Jazz and up at the pair watching on the viewing deck. He wasn't stupid, he wasn't being reckless, he had been taking everything into account. And honestly, if he wasn't so mad about how the wild mer had been treated – and was just about to be treated – during meals, he'd probably be shaking in anxiety right about now. With a heavy sigh, he then carefully pulled the bucket from their hands to set it with the other, "look… I'm not trying to force you to do something you don't feel comfortable with. You're welcome to leave, I'll handle the meals and hopefully by the week's end, everyone will be feeling comfortable when it's time for food." 

They took one last nervous glance at Jazz, before whispering – pointless, he could hear it clearly – "I don't think you can – or should rely on him to protect you… especially with how–"  

"You're right," Blaster said deliberately louder than a normal speaking volume, "I am responsible for my own choices and actions. Thank you, for your concern. We'll talk in more detail later." 

Thankfully taking the hint, they left.  

Then the area was silent for a moment, save for the sounds of dawn songbirds being overruled by the sound of the scavenging birds of the morning. Starting to beg or fight for bits of food across the aquarium yard. 

"They're right, you know." Jazz said weakly, still not looking at Blaster.  

There might be other staff up on the deck that oversaw his pool, but one of the perks to being outside was that voices didn't carry as far unless one was intentionally loud. So they might as well have been the only two here.  

It was just enough for words to come tumbling out, like he could talk freely once more. "I messed up, it wasn't his fault, he wants to be peaceful – I'm pretty sure, and I just… I think I ended up challenging him?" 

"Jazz, listen, they misunderstood." He leaned over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm not expecting you to come to my rescue, or put yourself between me and him, or anything like that. I know very well that I may be putting myself in a potentially dangerous situation, and I'm ready to face whatever the outcome might be. But what I meant was, that with you here – just like this, with us together. You are showing him with your actions that you don’t see me as a threat. That by willing to be around me and allowing me to touch you, you’re showing trust. Jazz, buddy, you’re a far greater help than those goons posing up there." The last bit was meant to cause him to laugh, or at least smirk. 

But when Jazz still seemed like he didn't believe him, Blaster made a small gesture for Jazz to look. In turning his head to see •၊||၊၊၊, the mer was at the far end with only his head above the water and had a serious gaze fixed on Jazz.  

"It might not seem like it, even with what had just happened, but he's relying on you." He waved at the wild mer and smiled, before reaching for a bucket and held it up in offering. But •၊||၊၊၊ simply scowled further. 

"I don't think Mr. prowl-around-you-like-you're-breakfast relies on anyone." Jazz grumbles in dismay.  

Blaster chuckled and set the bucket back down, "well maybe Prowl, is waiting for you to invite him over for breakfast. He seems to hold some expectations of you." 

"Ya, he sure– wait, Prowl?" Jazz whipped his head back towards Blaster, finally looking at him again. 

"If it fits, it fits." He shrugged with an amused smile, "though, out of anyone here, it should be you that chooses a nickname for him for us to use. I don't want to keep addressing him namelessly or calling him 'the wild' one, and I don't want folks to think that us calling him 'buddy' is his name." Then he laughed as he glanced back out to the sour mer still watching them closely, "I mean, come on, does he look like a Buddy?" 

Jazz tried to stifle his laughter, "n-no." 

Good, good, Blaster was relieved to hear it. Jazz was starting to relax back into his usual self. Coming back up from the depths to the surface to breathe. "So, what will it be?" 

Jazz's smile had slowly begun to return and so did his hopeful enthusiasm, "I think Prowl is good." 

"I'll send out a notice to everyone." And be sure to tear down all those horrible sticky-note suggestions. "But I am going to still try and learn to say his name properly," Blaster then clapped the orca's shoulder before stretching, "so I hope you're ready to have the worst student ever." 

"You're going to learn Mer," Jazz asked in surprise. 

"Heh, I'm shit at learning languages, but I'd be happy if you want to share more of your world with me." He then brought them back to the next part of their day. "But first, breakfast. Want to ask Prowl to join us?" 

"I'll try." He said, before turning around. Though gave a slight pause and adjusted his stance so his side was facing Prowl. When he saw a slight shift in his expression, one that eased some tension in his brow, Jazz gave himself a mental pat on the back. Already a marked improvement.  

{You hungry, Prowler?} Jazz asked. It was sort of funny having a word he understood that could connect to the mer's name. He wasn't sure of the meaning of •၊||၊၊၊ yet, or if it had one. But prowling was something he did, so it still felt like Jazz had gained another tiny piece of who they were.  

{Yes.} He answered, rising enough that his shoulders could be clearly seen, side facing Jazz for a beat, before he slowly began to swim over. Caution or taking it easy due to discomfort, his moments caused only the smallest and softest of ripples. Like a silent hunter.  

Yet, it made Jazz’s smile shift a bit higher. Prowl is prowling.  

But for Blaster, his instincts were starting to claw up his spine, alerting him of a predator. He was forcing himself to relax and keep up his friendly smile by the time Prowl came within five feet of the pier.  

Prowl eyed him up and down as he came to a stop, then gently turned after a moment.  

"Oh, right!" Jazz abruptly speaking up in slight alarm cause Blaster to flinch – which in turn caused a moment of internal panic, because sudden movements are always a bad idea – but Jazz quickly reached up over the pier and grabbed the human by the legs – which caused Prowl to flinch, and oh-boy, was Blaster having flashbacks of close calls – twisting him so he sat with his shoulder turned towards Prowl. "Pretty sure that facing toward him is like telling him you want to challenge them."  

"R-really," Blaster asked, both trying to distract from his thundering heart and focus on the new information. 

"I think so? He kept telling me to stop doing it, before I realized what he was talking about, so it has to be some sort of an aggressive sign." They both looked back to Prowl, who seemed a little tense, but otherwise calm. {You okay, Prowler?} 

{Yes.} His voice firm and serious, but did not look at Jazz when he answered. 

"… Guess we're ready." We’re good, but he must still be uncomfortable with what happened. 

Blaster handed Jazz his bucket first, hoping it would make the next easier. But then Blaster paused, seeing a distant look in his mer's eyes. "Hey, what's wrong?" 

"Nothing." Jazz fiddled with the bucket in his hands, but Blaster was still holding onto the handle. Not that taking it would be difficult, but it didn't feel like it was worth the effort.  

"Jazz…" he pressed softly. 

And Jazz retreated, "I… I don't feel hungry." 

At least he was being honest about it.  

Blaster had hoped that taking some time to talk would have helped to improve Jazz's current mental state. And it had a little. But his guilt over the misunderstanding with Prowl and the bad history with the chief vet were likely weighing too heavily on him. And as much as Blaster wanted to take the time and work through everything with Jazz, he couldn't right now, or rather Jazz would be unwilling.  

Because Prowl was present. Even with a language barrier, Blaster didn't expect Jazz to feel comfortable having a personal conversation with him so close. But if Jazz didn't eat, then it was likely that Prowl wouldn't either. The trust was thin as it was, and hesitating too long – and not being able to explain why – would only make rebuilding trust harder. So, offering to use the holding pool and close the gate wasn't something they could do at the moment. And he hated it.  

Blaster had to do something now to help restore Jazz's confidence and stop the spiralling of whatever thoughts were holding him back.  

Good thing he was prepared for Jazz possibly becoming stressed.  

"Hang on." Blaster said, his smile impish as he pulled the bucket back to set on the pier. Though, not wanting to risk Prowl backing off from him standing, he flopped back reaching for his bag strap, barely snagging it with the tips of his fingers. But he managed and pulled himself back up with it settling in his lap. "I've brought a little somethin." 

Jazz didn't seem interested but waited none the less. Watching as Blaster pull out a huge plastic food-container – ... okay, he was slightly curious now and a little annoyed, because if he was going to tease him–  

But then Blaster shook it with the biggest grin, and as the contents clunked around softly, Jazz's whole face lit up. Because what Blaster had just offered was the equivalent of a chocolate bar. There weren't many things that Blaster brought for him in a container, but there was only one that made that sound. "Moose jerky!?" 

"Shh! Not so loud." He glanced up at the other staff, like he was doing something that would get him in trouble. But it wasn't a secret that Blaster made these treats for Jazz. And while it still pissed off the chief vet, there was nothing they could do about it.  

It had caused a site wide outrage the first time he had done it. But orcas ate moose – the orca mers more so than the animals – even if it was mostly if there just happened to be one in front of them rather than an active hunting choice. But there was enough history, and with Blaster's dietary knowledge, he had won that battle.  

He just chose to mix it up a little, rather than bring in raw meat. Not so different than some sun-dried fish really. And Blaster personally prepared it to make sure it was safe. Seasoning was just sea salt, simple, but tasty.  

Jazz was now buzzing with eager energy. "Can I share with Prowl?" 

"You’d better," Blaster laughed as he opened it and handed Jazz two strips that were almost the size of dinner plates. He could have tried to use it to mend the trust between him and the wild mer. But Blaster knew it would help Jazz foster his relationship with Prowl and that was far more important. 

The whole time Prowl had been watching them and their exchange with intense focus, trying to figure out what was going on. So, when Jazz turned to him with a huge smile and held out what looked to be a piece of thin wood, he was wary.  

{It's good!} Jazz wanted to say it was amazing, but unfortunately 'good', 'okay', 'safe' was all he currently had to work with.  

After Prowl finally gave in and moved in close enough to take the offering, Jazz laid out on the surface. Careful not to get his food wet as he happily began to bite and tear small strips off. Taking delight in the satisfying sensation of the treat ripping and savouring the flavour as he chewed the tough meat.  

Seeing how much Jazz was enjoying himself, Prowl took a tentative bite and immediately understood why. The look of surprise on his face had the other two laughing.  

{Good, yes?}  

{Yes.} Prowl then followed Jazz's lead and relaxed on the surface, enjoying the first piece of decent food since he arrived. 

Blaster chuckled at the sight of the two of them and set aside the container to dig out his own personal stash to nibble on. "I've got more for you two sea otters, but only after you finish your breakfast."  

Smoothing things over by sharing snacks always opened opportunities for bonding. Good ol' comfort food saving the day. 

_________________________________________

Idk, this one felt very clunky to me, but I must move on -lays on the floor in defeat-

I'm now trying to put together a timeline of the all interactions that you share or like on your blog. Like a countdown clock to the flood/jailbreak, hitting all the angsty and fluffy notes, I want to make sure I can include everything. Q~Q

You and so many others have been showering me in praise and encouragement I want to live up to it. ♡(╥︣﹏᷅╥᷅)♡ I love you all, thank you so much!!

Going forward there is going to more Jazz and Prowl, without Blaster, I promise. Please forgive me and my long setups, my brain struggles with keeping things short, everything I write is a 200K+ slow burn. -cries-

-GLC

Previous Next

OH HELL YEAH GIVE THOSE GUYS A MOOSE THEY DESERVE IT KDDKSHFV

Blaster over there is having battles on all fronts possible alsjfnfjnf

Also I'm happy they can have proper food at least sometimes~ Although I can't help but think that like. Jazz is happy because this poor moose is kind of a rare treat. Nice occasion gift you know. And then Prowl also loves the moose but in more "I was eating nothing but raw potatoes for a while and now there's a properly seasoned and cooked meal again" way. You know. Cause mers have all kinds of different foods in their cities and stuff~ While humans just go "here's your fish".

Anyway haha. The scene is so cute I love itt~

[8housevenus]

astrology & appearance part 1

ARIES: appears fiery, fierce, and confident. aries placements have strong brow-eye region, usually high-set eyebrows, has a pulled look to their facial structure. you can't help but notice their passionate eyes and their assured demeanor. "bad-boy/bad-girl" vibe. as aries is traditionally ruling mars, there's a lot of boldness to their character. experimental styles, especially with their hair or even tattoos on their face, piercings, anything to make them stand out in a fashionable way. they appreciate accessories and design a lot, usually loves wearing hats- beanies, caps, etc, or wild hairstyles. aries typically has soft smiles with prominent dimples.

examples:

TAURUS: appears calm, grounded, and sensual. taurus placements are gifted by being traditionally venus ruled. this gives them a symmetrical and harmonious face. their elegance is remarkable through their soft and earthy style, as well as their easygoing personalities. usually stays loyal to their style, or has some sort of signature fashion sense about them. their open eyes and softly round lips stand out about them. has immense model-esque vibes to them. usually has lightly-toned hair and very toned & pretty bodies. taurus placements have prominent cheekbones that they love to either contour or blush a lot. they carry themselves gracefully and are the pure embodiment of keeping it cute and classy.

examples:

GEMINI: expressive, suggestive, and witty. gemini placements usually have full faces, all their features are pulled to the front more. very charismatic and has full lips, prominent teeth, and really embody the "girl/boy you meet on vacation". i notice their mouth region draws lots of attention. has lighter hair (in color and in texture), usually very long. toned and tan skin. fashionably extremely creative, loves designer and variety of colors. has a happy resting face and looks full of life. loves wearing necklaces, chains, rings, bracelets, anything as forms of expression to their character. these people are a statement. as gemini is traditionally ruled by mercury, expect them to switch it up and still look better than before. they can do levels.

examples:

CANCER: delicate, kind-hearted, appears gentle. cancer placements usually have moon-faces, ethereal and inflects emotion upon those around them. bambi-like doe eyes, soft dimples, softly arched eyebrows, and sort of "pouty" lips. "moonkissed", has features that are plumper, loves to go for soft-color palettes and has very glowy/smooth skin. "fluttershy" like energy, very admirable demeanor and loves wearing their hair up, cancer being traditionally ruled by the moon, this makes cancer placements a lot more feminine and really resemble their mothers when they get older. usually they have a prominent chest area. loves to wear clothes that outline their bodies and features, always making their eye area stand out, and they look like human fairies.

examples:

LEO: bold, luminous, exotic. leo appears to have very full-set eyes, lips, and smaller foreheads. their eyes hold royalty, and their demeanor is very rich in pride. impeccable sense of self and reeks of confidence and self-love. prominent hairstyles and lengths, usually has very big hair, lioness. they look expensive and their sense of style is remarkable and trendsetting. these people have others take notes on their style and looks. demands attention and very straight noses with prominent tips. "it boy/girl," knows how to maximize themselves to their full potential, very fearless appearance and appears to have lots of physical strength.

examples:

VIRGO: inquisitive, refined, polished. virgos have neutral skin, sharply arched eyebrows, more prominent foreheads, and buttoned noses that are nicely spaced. eyes are always curious and observing and usually slightly fartherly spaced. very simplistic in terms of style, loves comfortable clothing and never has to do too much to be the moment. "clean girl/boy," virgos are ruled by mercury, they have very strong expressions on their face. typically has a slim build and tends to transform themselves very fast. mechanical-humans in the best way possible. readable and reasonable. they have a relaxed beauty about them that is very minimal and quiet. great jaw structure and facial harmony, and their smiles are very teethy and cute. effortlessly impressive.

examples:

thank you for reading, i will make a part 2 doing libra-pisces some time soon! <3

[mochinomnoms]

Hugging ur stupidly large eel boy and hearing the *thump thump thump* their thick ass tail makes against the ground because they love u (God forbid that you guys are in the beach because sand is getting everywhere)

Just spoiling the big fishes for a bit I have seen so many fanarts where yuu starts to pet the tweels and they cling to yuu acting like those really clingy cats that when u pet them they feel the need to have both of ur hands or else u aren't fully committing to giving pets and they purr like loud as fuck too I would adore if there's an equal sound for mers similar to purring I think going "Furr/frr" is very cute just if the tweels were cats or THEY COULD PURR SOMEHOW I can hear them going either "fffRrrrRr...fur..FffFffrrr" or "ffffRRrrrRrrRRRRRR...FRR FRR FRR frr" if that makes sense

-Vaquita

I don't think eels can purr but some fish can and that gives me enough of an excuse to say that the twins do too lol

I like to think that they're a lot more expressive in their merforms than in their human forms since there's a lot of body language stuff that they don't always realize. I think the stripes and speckles on their bodies glow not only in response to being underwater and needing to see, but also to their emotions.

Surprisingly, Floyd is a lot better at hiding his body language than Jade, mostly because he is already outspoken and doesn't hide most of his emotions (most...not all of them). Jade on the other hand, it's like his body knows he's trying to be secretive and mysterious. The reality is that he doesn't like to be vulnerable with others, and part of that is being honest with his emotions. So his merform compensates all that repressed emotions by making him a motherfucking glow stick.

It's great though when cuddling with one of them! You have to go into a shallow pool of water if on the beach or go to the side of the pool that lets you sit. But you can tell he's content when his tail sways back and forth and there's a little rumbling coming from his chest. It sounds a mix of growling and purring, and vibrates your chest as he holds onto you.

He's especially fond of the way you run your fingers along his fins and spines. You know as a kid when your mom would gently scratch your back or arm to help you fall asleep? It feels like that, very pleasant and almost tingly. It's also just nice to be with the person you love and have them shower you with such soft and sweet affections, so he can't really help the way he reacts. If it happens to be dark, you might even see him dully glow in response, getting brighter every time you scratch a particularly good spot! Even his ear fins will react, drooping down when pleased, it's awfully cute.

It's nice to be soft and sweet, everyone else is so scared of him and worried about pushing the wrong buttons that they forget he's just a dude! He's just a guy who loves his partner and their sweet way of loving him! But maybe that's intentional, maybe only you are allowed to see this side of him. A privilege, truly.

[mr-yuugo]

On Full Display

-Azul Ashengrotto X Gen!Reader- -FLUFF-

Words: 1,606

Summary: Reader finds out that Azul tried to remove the last picture of his chubby merform from the Atlantic Memorial Museum, but he forgot of one picture you had all taken a long time ago.

You can also find this on AO3 and WATTPAD!

You hummed as you brushed your hair. You use your finger to move around the smaller pieces out of your face only for it to end up sticking up.

You let out a huff as your hair wasn't cooperating. "Dumb hair..." You placed down your hairbrush as you swam to the other side of your room.

You had a makeshift vanity with the different things you had found in your younger years, never wanting to get rid of it even if there were newer and better ones out there. You looked at yourself in the mirror before deciding you looked presentable enough. You looked down at the messy vanity and let out a chuckle.

You picked up the picture frame that was placed down on your vanity and brought it close to your chest. You hugged it as you twirled around.

"Ahh...I miss them. I hope they come visit soon." You mumbled to yourself as you placed it back where it was before. The picture was of you, the leech twins, and Azul when you were only little merkids. You took one more look at it before exiting out of your home, deciding to swim around for a bit before doing your daily chores.

...

"Ahh! Azul!!" You called out as you eagerly swam to his octopot hideout. "Y/N...what is it this time?" He mumbled out. "Look what I got my hands on!" You excitedly showed him the camera you had in your hand. "I found a camera! Do you think it will work?" You asked as you moved it around in your hands as you examined it.

"Ah Y/N has found a camera! That's so frikin' cool." Floyd said as he came up behind you, snatching the camera away.

"Not fair Floyd!" You said as you rolled your eyes. He tossed it and Jade was quick to catch it. "This old thing seemed as if it would disintegrate any second it seems," Jade said as he gave it back to you much to Floyd's displeasure.

"It wouldn't hurt to try it? Even then the pictures from this camera come out with some sort of plastic film covering it so I think it will be fine underwater."

"Using your mer-brain huh?" Floyd snickered. "Come on give it here I want to click the button!!" He laughed as he reached for it but you shook your head. "Who said I wanted you in the picture Floyd!" You said as you stuck out your tongue. "I came to take a picture with Azul!"

"Whaa! Why Azul!" Floyd yelled out. "I already have pictures with you I have none with Azul!" You yelled back. "And who said I wanted a picture with you, Y/N?" Azul said as he kept himself in his octopot. "Oh! He got you Y/N!" Floyd began laughing hard as you just stared at the boy in embarrassment. "Well, that's one way to kill me..."

"Oh come on Y/N, why don't we all take a picture? You can even be the one to click the button." Jade suggests. You sighed in defeat as you nodded your head. "Fine, you all in?" You asked the three of them. Floyd and Jade nodded their heads as Azul only groaned in annoyance.

"I'm not taking a picture!" He yelled out only to realize that Jade and Floyd were pulling him out of his octopot. "L-let go of me!" He cried as he was forced between Jade and Floyd.

You laughed at the scene as Jade put his hand on Azul's cheeks forcing his mouth to form a smile. You quickly got next to Floyd and extended your hand in front of you. "Okay, guys smile!" Shortly after you said that you clicked the button.

A few seconds passed and you all heard the camera snap. You smiled happily as something began coming out of the camera. "Ah! I think it worked!" You laughed in contentment as you swam around eagerly as you waited for the picture to be out fully.

When it did you stared at it confused. "What's wrong Y/N?" Azul asked you as Jade and Floyd let him go. "The picture is black, it's not showing anything..."

"Huh, how strange..." Jade said with widened eyes as he came over to you. Unfortunately, Floyd swam faster and snatched it out of your hands. "What a bummer... it's making me mad! I was so excited too but turns out your camera is trash!" Floyd pouted as he looked at it though his eyes then widened and he started smiling in content.

"Woah! Now this is cool! Look the image is appearing like magic!" Floyd laughed as he shoved the picture in your face. Your eyes shined as you looked at it. "Awesome!" You snickered as you took the picture. You smiled at yourself as you could clearly see the four of you. "I love it! I'm gonna put it up in my room!"

"Please don't..." Azul said as he began to tear up from embarrassment.

...

You swam quite far from your home, passing by numerous colorful corals on your path. You halted for a second you looked to your left and noticed the Atlantica Memorial Museum up ahead. Something catches your eyes as you gasp. You were certain you just saw humans walking in. "Now that's something I never see around here..." You said to yourself with a chuckle. The sight of witnessing the humans trying to swim so deep in the sea made you laugh.

"How silly!" You laughed once more as you swam closer to the museum. You were certain the museum was closed but the guard seemed more than happy letting them in. "Maybe it's a special event? Oh, I want to go talk to them!" You thought to yourself.

You saw one of the humans and thought they looked oddly familiar. "That sort of looks like...Azul!" You beamed as you got closer. Fortunately for you, the guard at the front had gone in with the others so there wasn't anyone stopping you from going in.

You did your best to keep quiet though the occasional giggle would leave your lips as you saw Azul walk on human legs.

"Everyone, welcome to the Atlantic Memorial Museum. We are on a study tour today. Regardless of why we are here, I recommend you take your time and enjoy yourselves." You heard Azul speak. You then saw a little seal start talking with Azul, well at least that's what you thought it was. From the corner of your eye, you saw Jade and Floyd approach.

It took everything in you to stop yourself from giving away your hiding spot. They started moving to another part of the Museum as you continued to follow them. Azul had started telling them of how you merfolk lived underwater.

After a while, you saw the humans separate into groups and you found it a perfect opportunity to swim up to Azul to talk to him. You left your hiding spot as you swam at lightning speed towards Azul. "Aha! Azul!!!!" You cheered as you hugged him tightly, spinning yourself with him at a fast pace as he gasped.

"Y/N??" He yelled out your name. "Y-your holding me too tight-!" You let him back down with a smile. "Ahh, I'm sorry! I'm just so happy to see you! Those legs look great by the way!" You chuckled.

He looked away flustered as he pushed up his glasses. "What are you even doing here?" He asked you. "What? Not happy to see me?"

"That's not it! Just answer my question." He sighed. "Well I saw the group of humans walk in here and I wanted to talk to them but then I saw you and the twins!"

"I see, have you told the boys hello yet?" He asked to which you shook your head. "No, I wanted to see you first!" You smiled at him. He looked to the side again before looking up at you, his eyes widened in panic as he grabbed onto your shoulders and forcefully made you move to your right.

"Heyy! What gives!" Floyd whined as he swam past you. "Don't give me that crap Floyd. If I hadn't you would have taken both me and Y/N." Azul sighed in annoyance. "Floyd!!" You called out. "Oh, how wonderful!" You smiled as you noticed Jade approach as well and you said hello to him too.

"What are you guys even doing here hm?" You asked and noticed Azul instantly freeze up. "Well, our buddy Azul here was planning on destroying picture evidence of his young chubby merman self!" Floyd laughed loudly. "How embarrassing...it was the last thing remaining of this planet that anyone would see of my past self..." Azul murmured in defeat.

"Now now Azul." Jade snickered as he flashed his sharp teeth. You hummed in confusion. "Last thing on the planet...?" You mumbled. You started laughing loudly out of nowhere and Azul grew even more flustered. "How silly of you Azul!" You continued laughing.

"Silly-! Stop laughing!" He furrowed his brows. "I'm sorry but did you really think that was the last photo of you in your chubby merform?" Jade's eyes seemingly widened as you smirked to which he did as well. "Now even I had forgotten." Jade sighed.

"Remember the picture we all took together that one time, with that old camera I found? The one I said I'll put up in my room?" Azul looked shocked as you swore his soul started leaving his body.

"That picture is still in my room! On full display!"

[eowynstwin]

blackbird, fly - iii.

Cowboy Gaz x mail order bride—only, not his. After exchanging letters for half a year with ranching man Hans König, you finally travel out west to marry him. . You wonder if this is how lambs feel, when shorn for the first time. . content warning for marital rape after the second break. . ao3

previous

“Come,” says Hans, tugging on your arm, “let’s get you ready for the ceremony.”

Your husband-to-be leads you up the porch steps and into the house, long legs carrying him ahead so fast you must practically jog to keep up with him. You stumble when you enter the house—the interior is fantastically well-appointed, with papered walls and carved wood furniture, framed photos hanging beside paintings, pressed flowers, hunting trophies, rifles and knives and old farm equipment. The floor beneath your feet is polished and smooth, spread over in places with thick, fringed rugs. You don’t see much more of it after your initial impression; Hans pulls you along at a clip.

Even such a brief glimpse, though, proves your long-held assumptions about Hans and his livelihood; his family has done well for itself, over the years. The kitchen, dining room, and sitting room are all separate from each other, and the manor’s first floor alone is larger than the small farmhouse you grew up in. Your family always made an effort to present a comfortable, clean home, but it seems downright drab in memory now in comparison to this.

There’s a bit of a bustle going on as Hans tugs you along—you hear movement in the kitchen, punctuated by the clang of dishes moving to and fro. A rough voice grinds out something short, and a couple of cowboys emerge with covered dishes that they set on the dining table before they return back into the fray. In the sitting room, an older woman with short, sandy brown hair sits at a desk, spectacles perched on the end of her nose. She glances up at you, betrays no interest, and then ignores you.

“You’ll meet everyone at the ceremony,” Hans says. He directs you up the stairs. “Right now you need something nice to wear.”

“O-oh,” you say, lifting the hem of your skirt as you climb the steps. The fabric, purchased at a discount after you’d saved pennies and nickels for months, suddenly feels thin and insubstantial between your fingers.

Hans brings you into the main bedroom, equally well-designed with molded wood paneling and brass lanterns on the walls, where he goes to a chest at the foot of the massive bed four-poster bed. Everything you’ve seen so far in this house is much finer than what even the most well-to-do farmers back home could display; you used to imagine that wealth like this could only be within the reach of select few businessmen on the east coast. You never imagined you’d have the chance to marry into it.

“I think this should suit you,” says Hans, turning to you with a stack of clothing in one hand.

You take it from him when he proffers it—a skirt, blouse, and jacket, you find. The fabric is silky in your hands, glossy and cool to the touch and very fine. You shake out the skirt; yards of bustled fabric tumble open to reveal pleated gathers, elegant bows, and velvet trim. The paired jacket is much the same, with pearl buttons down the front, and the accompanying blouse is a weave of tight, delicate lace.

Your earlier fears are soundly confirmed; you are in no way dressed for a wedding to Hans König. Gaz had only been trying to be kind; being here, now, seeing the kind of splendor Hans lived with every day, no one could make the mistake that you could measure up on your own.

“Thank you, Hans,” you say, face warming with embarrassment.

“Think nothing of it,” says Hans, looking you up and down expectantly. “Go on.”

You blink. “Ex—excuse me?”

Hans raises his brows as if it should be obvious. “Why, let’s see you in it, dear girl.”

You blanch. Surely he isn’t suggesting…“But—well, Hans, we aren’t—we haven’t—”

“My dear, I’ve already promised to marry you. Why would I go to such expense on a wedding merely to fool you into showing me your underthings?”

You drop your gaze to the floor, cheeks burning. “It’s not proper.”

“Bah,” says Hans. He takes the clothes back from you, tosses them onto the bed, and brings his hands to the buttons down your front. “It’s not like I won’t see this again in a few hours.”

You are rooted to the spot. He unbuttons your dress with an alacrity that startles you; in a few short moments, he makes an opening wide enough to slip over your shoulders, and unceremoniously he pushes the collar open and lets the dress drop to the floor.

You blink several times. You wonder if this is how lambs feel, when shorn for the first time; do they feel suddenly like they’ve been skinned? Does the air suddenly feel much closer, more real than it had before? You remember shearing season on a neighbor’s farm, the angular planes of shortened fleece cropped close to twitching flesh. The sheep had looked unfinished after the deed was done—like wooden figurines only partly whittled.

When you look to Hans’ face, you find him gazing at the tight space where your chemise tucks into the line of your corset. Then, as if in a dream, he reaches out with one huge hand and cups the mound of one breast.

The air vacates your lungs. It’s the first time a man has ever touched you this way.

When young ladies of a certain age gather to socialize, matters of discussion inevitably tend toward the prurient. Your peers delighted in sharing the wealth of erotic experience they’d accrued; trysts in larders, late graveyard meetings, dizzying accounts of hands and mouths in places that sent shame pumping hot and curious through your veins. You lived vicariously through their adventures; opportunities for your own, with three older brothers and a protective father, were nonexistent.

The embarrassing fact is that in matters of your marital duties, you received no practical education.

The one time your mother, a modest woman, saw fit to tutor you, she’d taken you out to the small enclosure in which the family goats were kept. The animals were useful for milk and occasionally meat, so there was always a breeding pair at hand. This occasion, they served the additional use of instruction; the male was rutting.

Your mother had made you watch as the billy mounted the nanny, and shoved its little goat prick into her hindquarters. The billy seemed mindless with want, ferocious, gyrating its hips uncomfortably, which the nanny took with what seemed like resigned patience, if it was paying attention at all. Once the billy finished, it dismounted, chewed its cud a little bit, and walked off. The nanny seemed unperturbed, rather detached from the whole thing, and similarly continued with whatever it had been doing before.

“It’s about like that,” said your mother, unable to look you in the eye.

So you have little knowledge of the matter.

And you have no idea what to do now, as your husband-to-be fondles you and stares down at you with what seems like only idle interest. Hans’ thumb brushes over the space where your nipple would be, hot even through layers of cotton and whalebone. The fine hairs on your arms raise, standing straight up.

What are you supposed to do now? Touch him back? Your stomach turns over at the thought. Even if you wanted to, you have no idea how. Hans is touching you so casually, as if you’ve been his wife for years, but you are as poor in wifely instinct as you are in everything else.

“Lovely,” he says, eyes locked on the place where your chest is rapidly rising and falling.

You inhale shakily. This is fine. He wouldn’t do this if it wasn’t—of course it’s all right, you’re to be married within the hour. It’s only your breast, and only his hand, and it’s over your clothes. It’s fine.

“May—” your voice comes out dry. You clear your throat. “May I dress now, Hans?”

He smiles. You note that he has a thin-lipped smile, and his eyes do not crinkle at the corners. “Of course.”

When the guests have all arrived, when the world around you is bathed in the orange-gold light of the setting sun, and when the mandolin plays the bridal chorus, you join Hans König under an archway of lupine and Indian paintbrush. Evening gives way to night as the last day of your old life comes to a close, ending as you say the words that until now you’ve only whispered in the night at your bedside.

For better—for worse—as long as you both shall live. Over and over again, until your tongue recognized the shape of them like the Lord’s Prayer. As if practicing them enough would speed the hour to you all the sooner in which their vow became real.

Hans kisses you for the second time, and then together, arm in arm, you turn to face the congregation’s applause.

Stars begin peeking white faces through the dimming sky as the band strikes up a tune, and as the reception commences, you must shake hands with the whole county. The priest John MacTavish insists upon introducing himself first—a younger man, with vivid blue eyes and an unusual haircut, gives his congratulations in a husky Scottish brogue entirely inappropriate for a man of the cloth. He’s followed by the sheriff, Simon Riley, who practically chases him off—another tall man, near to your husband’s height, and twice as broad. Curiously, he wears a bandanna across the lower half of his face. His greeting to you is gruff, short—polite in a way that seems unnatural for him.

Next is a slightly older woman, splendidly dressed in lace-trimmed taffeta. She comes over to kiss your cheeks in the French style. Hans ducks his head as she smiles at you; you can’t help but feel similar trepidation. She is terribly striking, with delicate creases on either side of her mouth and a mysterious twinkle in her eye.

“The hotel in town is my establishment,” she tells you. “The bath house, as well.”

“Oh,” you say, “how lovely.”

Her smile quirks at the corners; she looks at Hans, then back to you, and softly chucks your chin. “You’re a pretty thing, aren’t you, darling?”

“Yes, Madame, thank you,” your husband says quickly as your face sets to blazing. “I believe others would like to speak to us, as well, if you don’t mind.”

She gives you another enigmatic smile, tightens the light chiffon wrap around her shoulders, and leaves you to the banker and his wife, who both eagerly step up to talk your ear off.

Farmers, other ranchers, ramblers and gamblers and trappers; it seems everyone in the state has come to pay you their respects, and they all want to meet you at the exact same time. The rough voice you heard in the kitchen manifests itself in the form of a burly man with mutton chops, who introduces himself as John Price the saloon owner. A young woman with an unsmiling face named Ms. Boucher tells you your first purchase at her dry goods store will be discounted by five percent, as a welcome gift from her to you. She punctuates the statement with a narrow-eyed look at your husband, but you have no time to wonder at it before the next guests capture your attention.

A whole line of Hans’ cowboys, headed by the woman you saw working at the writing desk when you arrived, form up to tell you their names and pledge you their loyalty, still dressed in their wrangling leathers but bathed and combed and polished for the occasion nonetheless. The woman introduces herself as Kate Laswell, the foreman.

“I took care of the accounting after Anna passed,” Laswell says to you. “Tomorrow I’ll go through the books with you. It’ll be your job from now on.”

“Now, Kate, you shouldn’t discuss business at my wedding,” says Hans, politely, but somewhat terse. “And besides, that would be far too much for my new bride.”

“Hans, I told you,” you say earnestly, referencing a summer letter, “I want to be a part of things.”

He smiles genially at you—but the expression seems tight. “Of course, dear.”

“Tomorrow,” Kate says to you. Curiously, she looks you up and down. Then, “You’ll need to see the tailor, as well, I think.”

Her words are not said unkindly, but they shame you anyway, reminding you just how poorly matched as yet you are to this life. When you’d put the dress on earlier, it had been immediately clear to you that it was not made to your measurements, but you hadn’t thought it would be so obvious to anyone else. Only Hans’ cowboys proceeding to introduce themselves saves you from having to respond.

One is conspicuously absent.

Unexpectedly, it hurts. Even though it shouldn’t. Gaz had only driven you here, after all. You’ve known him less than a day. It shouldn’t disappoint you, as you keep your eyes on the moving line, that he does not come forward, but it does.

In between meeting the county folk, you manage to get a few bites of the wedding feast—prime rib, lamb chowder, baked fish, seasoned potatoes, collard greens, fried tomatoes, sourdough biscuits, and three different fruit cobblers still somehow steaming from the oven. You and Hans cut the bride’s cake, an impressive sheet of angel food and ivory buttercream that he must have procured at outrageous cost; you are not embarrassed to wolf it down in front of Hans’ guests. It’s the sweetest, softest thing you’ve ever eaten, more delicate than you ever could have imagined any food could be.

As the sky darkens overhead, the faint cloud of the milky way coalesces in the light of the waxing moon, and the band takes up a lively jig as the wedding party sallies forth to the clearing to dance arm in arm. Your husband whirls you along with them, arm around your waist, and then you’re dancing, too, and the familiar two-step lifts your flagging spirits as the cool night air runs quick, soft fingers across your burning cheeks.

So what if some cowboy hadn’t made it to your wedding? You’re dancing with your husband, after months of longing for him; everything and everyone else is inconsequential laid up against this triumph.

Faces blur in the lamplight the night falls indigo around you, and as the music changes Hans twirls you into a new set of arms in a jaunt that has everyone exchanging partners. They hold you only briefly before the music changes again, and off you bounce to another, the world spinning around you faster and faster, jubilant and surreal, and then another—

Suddenly you are in Kyle Garrick’s arms.

He catches you like lassoing a runaway horse, taking your momentum into the pillar of his body as he winds you in close. One of his hands spreads warm across your back, fingers spanning what feels like the entire breadth of your waist. His other cradles your own in his palm, long fingers folded around it like an envelope. You fit against him easily, perfectly, like a couple illustrated in a storybook.

“Mr. Garrick,” you gasp.

“Mrs. König,” he says.

Suddenly you realize you’re out of breath. You take deep gulps of air, and Gaz’s scent permeates your lungs. Lavender soap and bay rum, polished leather, sweet hay. The soft, dense curls of his hair are combed and parted a little, and the short stubble he’d greeted you with on the train platform is tonsured down flush to his jaw.

He leans in closer to you, hovers his lips near to one ear. “You changed your dress.”

He doesn’t keep pace with the other dancers, or swing you around in time with the music; he lets the world slow around you both, the music falling away as he brings the pace of your heart down with soft line of his mouth and the steady, still look in his dark eyes. His hand on your back radiates so much warmth that it cuts through the evening chill just beginning to set in, as if his palm is directly against your naked skin.

You smile meekly. “It wasn’t appropriate for a wedding.”

His dark brows pull together; his hands tighten their purchase on you. You watch him avert his eyes from you, take a great breath in through flared nostrils.

“Mr. Garrick,” you say, feeling too honest, “do you disapprove of me?”

He snaps his gaze back to you. “Why would you think that?”

You swallow. “You don’t seem very pleased, whenever we talk, is all.”

Suddenly Gaz smiles—lets out a short, sharp laugh that bares his even teeth, shows the points of his canines. “That’s not your fault. I promise you.”

“Then what is it?”

He gazes at you. Lamplight casts the angles of his face in shadow, deepens the darkness of his eyes. His shoulder is solid beneath where your hand rests, shaped hard by a life on the range; you could lay the entirety of your weight against him, you think, and he wouldn’t even sway with holding you up. There’s something very present about Kyle Garrick. Something real. It draws you in like the earth draws the moon into its orbit.

“Do you really want this?” he asks you.

You blink. “Of course I do.”

“You hardly know him.”

“I’ve known him for half a year, Mr. Garrick,” you say, somewhat unsure how much explanation you owe this cowboy. After all, you’d vowed to earn his trust, as his employer’s new wife. “I know you might have some reservations about me. I understand, really.”

“No,” says Gaz immediately, dark brows low and serious over his eyes. “Not about you.”

“Mrs. König!” an accented voice calls.

Immediately the world speeds up around you again, music crashing back into your ears, wedding guests spinning and leaping around you, and you turn to see your husband standing at the edge of the clearing.

The dancing comes to a halt at the sound of his voice; Hans outstretches one hand toward you.

“I believe it is time for us to retire,” he says.

Gaz’s hands tighten on you again. You feel the eyes of the other dancers on the two of you, tight lines of attention between you and them.

You have felt it all evening, really—the undercurrent lining every conversation, the askance looks tossed at you and your husband when no one thought you’d notice. The pervading sense of some drama playing out just outside of your comprehension.

You turn to look back at Gaz. His mouth is pressed into a hard line. The wells of his eyes are ink-dark, opaque, eclipsed by something of a shape beyond your knowing. He says nothing as he holds your gaze, only watches you with an expectation so stoic, so resigned, that you feel almost guilty for releasing him.

He lets you go as if his grasp wasn’t even tight in the first place. You turn away from him, from the stone-hard expression on his face, and go to slide your fingers into your husband’s waiting hand.

Wolf-whistles populate the night air as he smiles approvingly, nods, and leads you away. Short bursts of knowing applause behind you draw your shoulders tight together.

“Ignore them,” says Hans, tucking your hand into the crook of his arm. “They’re just fools.”

You look back over your shoulder. Gaz still stands amid the dancers, a wide berth around him. His eyes have not left you; they pierce you in the night, sharp even as the distance between you grows.

You have only one other point of reference, aside from your mother’s tutelage, for how the end of this evening might go. A topaz glimmering in the folds of your memory.

Years ago, before the shine had worn off as it usually does with older siblings, you’d worshiped your oldest brother like he was Jesus Christ returned. You’d trailed after him like a newborn pup, dogging his every step, hoping your devotion would earn you even the smallest scraps of his affection. You’d watched his comings and goings like you could divine the mysteries of God from the merest angle of his movements.

One night, far past the time when everyone should be asleep, he’d slipped out of the small three-room house your family shared. You knew, because you slept closest to the door, and by then could recognize him by the rhythm of his footsteps. Like any nosy little sibling, you’d followed him out once you were sure he couldn’t hear you behind him.

He’d made his creeping way toward the barn, his path and yours lit only by a waxing moon. You remember, sneaking along after him, noticing a dim glow emanating from the cracks in the hayloft door, and guessed that your brother had realized he’d forgotten to snuff a lantern before going to bed—and now he was going to put it out, rather than leave a hay fire to chance.

He went inside. You were about to follow (no sibling, however divine, was exempt from a good ribbing, and nearly burning down the barn was excellent blackmail fodder)—when you heard another voice.

A female voice. Soft, and sweet, and welcoming.

Very little preamble separated that revelation from the next, and what you heard in the following moments rooted you there in place; movement. Rustling. For the span of a few heartbeats, nothing except for the crickets in the fields—and then, like the moon rising on a cloudless night—a growing chorus, voices high and low, moaning together in staccato.

You’d stood there, frozen absolutely solid, as it went on. The high voice lifted higher, and higher, carried on frantic, rapid breaths, until it cut off with a shriek that muffled so fast you knew your brother had covered the girl’s mouth.

Then—quiet, shared laughter.

So you know a little more than what the goats taught you.

Hans leads you back inside the house, where the lanterns have been turned to low, orange specks of light. You fix your eyes on the nape of his neck ahead of you as the two of you climb the stairs, making your way back to the master bedroom. The cacophony of the wedding celebration is far away; he opens the door, draws you inside, and shuts it behind him.

You stand in the middle of the room, looking at him. This whole evening has felt like a dream, but as you gaze at your husband, you suddenly feel like you’re waking up. You have not been alone with Hans since you met him, not really, and you realize he hasn’t felt quite real to you because of it. You almost feel as if you can see him, for the first time, see the words that have made him up in your memory coalesce into the flesh-and-blood man standing before you.

This is him. This is Hans. This is the man you love.

Softly, you approach him. Reach up with two hands to take his face in them; press your lips, shyly, unpracticed, to his.

“Hans,” you say, more softly than you have ever said anyone’s name in your life, looking into the pale blue of his eyes.

He gazes down at you. “Let’s get undressed,” he says.

It’s the moment you expected, but it daunts you nonetheless. You nod, step away from your husband, and he sets to the task—he shucks his coat, dropping it on the floor, and unhooks his suspenders. Swiftly you turn away from him when he begins unbuttoning his shirt, face blazing—of course, you’ve seen men undress before, you have three brothers, but this—this—

The reality of what you are about to do douses you all at once, soaking you to the bone. When you bring your hands up to the buttons of your bodice, they are trembling; you can barely get the tiny pearls between your fingers to undo them. You hear more clothes land on the floor behind you as you struggle, and then nothing. Stillness.

His eyes are heavy on your back. He is silent as you finally get the jacket off, and the blouse along with it; he is silent as you push the skirt down over your hips, the garment piling on the floor.

Your whole body is shaking by the time you’re down only to your chemise, shivering like a foal on new legs as you bare your shoulders. You close your eyes. There’s no need to be afraid as you shuffle the garment down your back. It’s only your husband behind you, looking at you as you bare your buttocks, as you step out of the split shorts, as the cool night air caresses your naked belly.

“That’s enough,” Hans says behind you when your hands go to the ties on your stockings.

You go still.

“Get on the bed, now.”

You focus on your breathing. Long breaths, in and out, as you crawl belly-first onto the mattress, which sinks luxuriously under your weight, softer than any bed you’ve lain on in your life. Suddenly, before you have time to adjust, the mattress sinks even more under you, and an envelope of heat and weight looms over you, pressing hard onto you, bare skin and the smell of sweat and the sound of another person’s breathing over you invading your senses.

Then there’s something blunt nudging at the entrance of your sex. A hand on your hip, gripping tight. The blunt thing circles briefly, parting your folds, and then is pressing into you. Pressing in somewhere tight, somewhere that doesn’t want to open to let it in. You hold your breath. It presses harder, fighting the resistance, and then finally gets past it, just a half inch or so—and suddenly it hurts.

“Hans,” you whisper.

He hasn’t seem to have heard you. He pushes harder, just a bit further. There’s another wall of resistance, this one needling and far more solid. You gasp sharply at the dryness of it, the way his member seems to want to push your own folds up into you as it tries to get in, shoving, bludgeoning, and then, mercifully, Hans pulls away.

It’s on the tip of your tongue to suggest that maybe the two of you try this later. Clearly there is something about you that’s not ready for it—but then his hand is between your legs, smearing something slippery around, and just briefly he touches something that pulses with interest. You jolt as little sparks of pleasure dance through you but quickly burn out, and then, the blunt head of his cock is back, pushing in, much faster, much smoother, huge and hard—

Suddenly it is sharp inside you, razor sharp, paralyzing. You shriek in pain, tears welling acidic in your eyes, shocked, betrayed, and he keeps coming, an endless length of him forcing inside, making room where there is none, going somewhere it clearly must not belong—and then he groans, loud and guttural, and begins to pull out.

You don’t have enough time to mistake this for the end of it. He pulls out halfway and then rams back in, slamming against your body, punching what must be the very limit of the space he can make for himself in your body. Pain roars to life around his cock, radiating outward, a ripping and shredding that grows as he forces himself into you again, and then again, and then it’s happening for real, he’s begins thrusting so fast it knocks the breath from your lungs, slapping his hips against your backside as he grunts and groans behind you like a dumb animal. He batters some nexus of agony that sends you screaming, shrieking with every jerk of his hips, tears streaming down your face as you grip the blanket in clawed fingers.

“Please, Hans, stop, please!”you wail. “Stop, stop, stop—”

His hand grips back of your head, turning your face downward—pressing it against the bed, muffling your mouth and nose and eyes into the blanket—

He jerks against you as agony writes itself into your bone marrow. Your hands circle in on themselves so tightly you feel your fingernails bite into your palms. Any memory of laughter you ever had abandons you.

Then, suddenly, mercifully, he’s forcing himself into you as deeply as he can, groaning loud, and something warm blooms in you, squelches out warm and sticky as he pulls in and out a few more times. He stills then from his furious rutting, hanging over you, panting.

Then he pulls out. Your husband lets you go and rolls over, breathing hard on the bed. You lay absolutely dead still, shaking violently, every muscle in your body tensed up painfully tight.

“Hans,” you whimper, “Hans.”

“Mm-hm,” he hums.

“Hans.” Every nerve is vibrating with pain. “Hans, that hurt.”

There is a long silence after. So long, you start to believe that he won’t say anything; that perhaps, even, he’s fallen asleep, and your words have dropped like flies from the air between you before they reached him.

But he hasn’t fallen asleep. Your husband shuffles off the bed, lifts the linen, and shuffles back into it. The lantern light is dim in the bedroom, but light enough that you can see the nonplussed expression on his face.

“Anna got used to it,” he says finally, eyes closing. “You will too.”

And he turns on his side and says no more to you.

You lay there aching. When you drag your fingers through the slick mess between your thighs, streaks of red intermingle with the clear and the white.

Suddenly you want this day to be over. You want to close your eyes and dream that it never happened—or maybe, if you go to sleep, you’ll awaken to find that it was all a dream after all, and you’re still home, your mother cooking just outside the bedroom door. Slowly, you inch off the bed, finding the floor with your stockinged feet, and go to douse the lanterns.

The room is cold and silvery without their light. Darkness gathers in the corners, around the weak glow of moonlight failing to fully penetrate the curtains over the window. You gingerly swipe the cloth from a nearby washbasin between your legs, cleaning up the remnants of your husband’s pleasure, and then, with nowhere else to go, you return to the empty side of the bed and crawl stiffly under the covers.

He does not stir as you settle in beside him. You lay your head on the pillow next to his and fold your hands over your stomach.

Outside and far away, you think you can hear the band still merrily playing. The darkness deepens, and deepens, until you can’t tell where it ends and you begin.

next

[ofmdrecaps]

05/17-20/2025 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Happy Birthday Joel Fry!; Rhys Darby; Taika Waititi; Samba Schutte; David Fane; Ruibo Qian; Brian Gattas; Hayley Egan; Articles; Fan Spotlight: OFMD Mermay 2025: Ronanwhitehouse, SimpleAnarchy, SailorsRuin; OFMD Zine Week; OFMD Beach Week; Love Notes;

= Happy Belated Birthday Joel Fry! =

Joel's Birthday was on May 20! Our friends over at @adoptourcrew were kind enough to ask bsky for their favorite Frenchie one-liners from OFMD for Joel's birthday!

Source: Adopt Our Crew's Bsky

= Rhys Darby =

I couldn't remember if this show had already been announced but Rhys will be at the Black Box Theatre in Galway this summer on July 3rd! You can get tickets at roisindubh.net!

Source: Instagram

= Taika Waititi =

Check out Taika in this Conan O'Brian clip from when they both participated in the biggest Haka ever!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Team Coco (@teamcoco)

Source: EdenParkNZ IG

= Nathan Foad =

Nathan continues to be confused by what pictures people have taken of him.

Source: Nathan's IG Stories

= Samba Schutte =

Loving how much artwork of himself that Samba keeps sharing. This time it's by our crewmate SpencerDoesArt!

Source: Samba's IG Stories

= David Fane =

The Last Temptation of The Naked Samoans was live for several days! David has been dropping video after video! I tried to collect as many videos as I could here on the repo, but please enjoy some of the pictures from before and during the show below!

Source: The Naked Samoan's IG

= Ruibo Qian =

Our pirate queen has shared some absolutely beautiful ink work of her done by nat.niamh.tattoos! Shared by caitlintxff on Instagram!

More artwork of our beloved Ruibo by one of her friends, below!

Source: Ruibo's IG

= Brian Gattas =

Our friend Siegfried is out partying again! Definitely a different look from The Best Revenge Is Dressing Well.

Source: Brian's IG stories

= Hayley Egan =

Hayley, our beloved MerStede tail designer put together a lovely video highlighting the wonderful gift @amuseoffyre sent her! It really is a love letter to Merstede and Fyre so please give it a watch!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hayley Egan (@hayleyegandesign)

Source: Hayley Egan Designs IG

= Articles =

In WB Related news, WBD Stock has been downgraded to Junk by the S & P!

= Fan Spotlight =

I have a lot more MerMay's I'd love to highlight but the next few recaps are capping out at max 30 images so I'll probably still be posting the spotlights through June!

= OFMD MerMay 2025 =

= RonanWhiteHouse =

First up on tonight's Mermay spotlight is from the very talented @ronanwhitehouse! They've done lots of other artwork for mermay as well and you can check out their super cute art style on Instagram or Tumblr!

Source: ronanwhitehousedoodles IG

= SimpleAnarchy =

Something we don't get to see everyday is Mer-Buttons and I have to say that I adore him so much! The brilliant artist @burnt-scone aka SimpleAnarchy has blessed us with Buttons in one of the few forms he can truly give the sea the love she deserves this Mermay! Wanna check out more of SimpleAnarchy's gorgeously detailed work? Visit their Linktr.ee!

Source: BurntScone's Tumblr

= Sailor's Ruin =

Tati continues to astound us with more Mermay work! As always, please visit their tumblr: @sailorsruin92 or their linktr.ee to see more of their gorgeous artwork!

Source: SailorsRuin's Tumblr

= OFMD Zine Week =

I'm a little bit late for Zine Week (May 25-31)-- but I think you can still submit your zines! Here's a how-to from GhostalService on Bsky! More info in general on the week and how to participate!

Source: GhostalService Bsky

= OFMD Beach Week =

Heyyy! It's OFMD Beach Week June 1-7! Can't wait to see what everyone has in store!

Source: @jellybeanium124's Tumblr

== Love Notes ==

Well hello there lovelies. I know this is for a may post but Happy Pride everyone! I know I'm behind again, what's new? I hope everyone is staying safe, and being so very kind to themselves right now because as we all know the world is flooded with so much hate right now and so we've sometimes gotta be the ones to give ourselves the kindness we deserve. To anyone struggling right now, with life, the state of the world, personal issues, whatever, please remember how very strong you are. I know it sucks to continuously be strong, and certainly doesn't feel like you are. But you are. You've made it through every hard day so far, and you are still here, and we are so grateful for that. You can absolutely keep making it through-- don't just do it for us, do it for you ok? We love you crew.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @thelatestkate

Source: TheLatestKate's IG / Linktr.ee

[armoredisopod]

Arknights Thank You Celebration 2024 PVs

New Operators

Figurino, 5* Merchant Specialist

I have a lot to learn, and right now, i'd like to start by making a new suit.

Crownslayer, 6* Welfare Executor Specialist

"Crownslayer", that's the name we're familiar with, let's keep it.

Vulpisfoglia, 6* Pioneer Vanguard

I appreciate the acknowledgement. But you know this means in the future the people who are hunting me for bounty will come to Rhodes Island first. Will that be fine?

Lappland the Decadenza, 6* Limited Mech-Accord Caster

Is this your way of trying to get me to settle down, or do you also think this game needs more excitement...

I just can't guess you, no wonder i like your trust in me!

2 new operators to the voucher shop

Contrail, 4* 巡空者 (Air Patrol) Specialist

Philae, 5* 本源铁卫 (Primal Protector) Defender

Operator Outfits Update

Total of 6 new outfits, 2 new additions for the Cambrian brand, 1 new addition for the Epoque brand, 2 new additions for the Test Collection brand and 1 new addition for the 0011/Tempest brand

Cambrian

At the Warm Velvet Corner - Warmy

Travel Freely - Sussurro (Login Event)

Epoque

Il Segreto Della Notte - Texas the Omertosa (21 OP)

Test Collection

Allmind As One - Executor the Ex Foedere (24 OP)

The city lights up. I can sense everyone's presence, and everyone's absence. We are together——— as one "Laterano".

Diversity Oneness - Virtuosa (24 OP)

Please stay, Sankta. Please tell me, is the Laterano of now a place that is connected to the rest of the land?

0011/Tempest

Ignis Fatuus - Lessing

Lessing's outfit will be up for sale during Zwillingstürme im Herbst Retrospect

Announced outfit reruns

Young Branch - Muelsyse

Red Countess - Skadi the Corrupting Heart

Operator Modules Update

All the new operators (except the red cert shop ops) being part of branches with modules immediately get their modules

FUN-X module base effect increases the starting damage of Lappland the Decadenza's drones to 35% of her ATK

SOL-X module base effect gives Vulpisfoglia +8% ATK and DEF when blocking

EXE-X module base effect makes it so retreating Crownslayer refunds 80% of her current DP Cost

MER-X module base effect reduces the DP drained by Figurino's trait effect

Ritualist Supporter branch gets 1 module type

Lessing gets his second module

DRE-Y module base effect allows Lessing to survive a single fatal blow, healing back to full and gaining +30 ASPD at the cost of -60% Max HP, this effect only activates once per deployment

Angelina and Rosmontis get Integrated Strategies specialized modules

These modules' effects are unknown at the time of writing

Events and Stories

I Portatori Dei Velluti, a Siracusa side story event

Put on your masks and dresses, the show is about to begin in the streets.

Come on, don't be boring - you're probably the least "Carnival" of the bunch!

Stronghold Protocol, limited time autobattler gamemode, opens during the third week of I Portatori Dei Velluti

Zwillingstürme im Herbst Retrospect, scheduled after I Portatori Dei Velluti

Operator Archives update for Lessing, Jieyun, Schwarz, Sora, Totter and Vigil

Misc Stuff

New QoL changes

Added the ability to have preset base loadouts that you can easily swap between

Added the ability to instantly send every exhausted operator into dormitories with one button

Max Sanity cap increased by +45

Refilling sanity using Originite Prime will refill 135 sanity regardless of level/max cap

Added the ability to instantly move to required lower materials when crafting and a button to move back the higher tier material that required it

Mountain, Kafka and Pinecone added to recruitment

Bagpipe's [Queen, No.1] outfit will be available in the certs shop to players that don't have it

Livestream Stuff

Showcased Lappland the Decadenza, a hyper offensive 6* Mech-Accord Caster with potent self buffs and powerful debuffs

First talent makes her stronger the longer she stays on the field, getting the following buffs in order: increased drone damage cap, ability to inflict Silence, gains more drones

Second talent increases the initial SP of all [Siracusa] operators when she's in the squad

Skill 1 has a passive effect that immediately gives her an additional drone, when the skill activates she gains ATK, releases her drones to attack enemies and her drones will attack idling enemies anywhere on the field

Skill 2 expands her attack range, increases her ATK, gives her more drones and releases her drones to attack enemies randomly within range, her drones have a chance to inflict Panic

Skill 3 increases her ATK and gives her more drones, then releases special drones that actively seek out and hunt enemies, the special drones inflict Panic upon reaching a target and locks onto them; enemies near the drones will have decreased movement speed and take Arts damage every second

Showcased Vulpisfoglia, a 6* Pioneer Vanguard with a strong battlefield presence

First talent makes her attacks deal additional Arts damage for a few seconds after the first time hitting them

Second talent increases the natural DP regeneration by a small amount and lets her recover HP when she hasn't taken damage for a few seconds

Skill 1 is a power strike skill that makes her next attack deal Arts damage and generate some DP, this skill can store charges

Skill 2 lets her immediately deal Arts damage in an area in front of her, Slows the hit enemies and generates some DP. If the enemies were already under the effects of Slow they will be Stunned instead, this skill can store charges

Skill 3 immediately generates DP, expands her attack range, increases her ATK, gives a massive decaying ASPD boost, allows her to attack enemies equal to block count and each attack briefly Stuns the hit enemies. If she defeats any enemy during the skill she will gain Camouflage at the end of the skill that lasts until the next skill activation

Showcased Crownslayer, a 6* Executor Specialist with a unique disruptive kit

First talent sprays a smokescreen on the 8 surrounding tiles around her during skill duration, reducing the Physical and Arts Hit Rate of ground enemies in those tiles

Second talent lets her deal increased Physical damage to enemies that have not landed a hit on her

Skill 1 gives her increased ATK and some amount of Physical and Arts Dodge

Skill 2 stops her from attacking upon deployment, makes her less likely to be attacked and increases the amount of Physical and Arts Hit Rate the smokescreen decreases, when skill ends she will deal a certain % of ATK as Physical damage to all enemies within range

Skill 3 increases her first talent range, gives her Invisibility and sets her Block Count to 0, every few seconds she will appear to attack an enemy within the talent range dealing a certain % of ATK as Physical damage and Stunning them for a few seconds

Showcased the event mechanic, a fireworks machine that will apply effects on a number of tiles around it when activated

While the machine is active, operators on those tiles will take periodic damage and cannot be healed but will not have their HP go below 1, enemies on those tiles will take constant damage

Players can additionally customize which tiles will be affected by the fireworks machine and have it apply additional bonus effects in the event menu

Showcased Contrail, an experimental 4* of a neat new branch 巡空者 (Air Patrol), a Specialist branch that consists of operators that have 2 Block Count and utilizes the new status "Takeoff"

Takeoff: Does not block ground enemies and will not be attacked by ground enemies, can block aerial enemies

S1 makes her takeoff immediately upon deployment, expands her attack range, increases her ATK and gives her some Physical Dodge

S2 makes her takeoff when activated, expands her attack range, increases her ATK, lets her attack 2 targets at once and is able to attack an additional aerial enemy and her attacks inflict Slow to aerial enemies

Showed footage of the new base loadouts feature

Work rooms and Dormitories are now in separate tabs

You can set up to 3 loadouts for each individual room and press a button to immediately swap out exhausted operators, there is also a button to immediately do this in every room all at once

Showed the button that immediately sends all exhausted operators into the dorms

Teased even more base QoL features planned for the next Sui sibling event update

Expanded the Reception Room and added the ability to decorate it

Added activity rooms, operators assigned to this room can be manually controlled and move around the base

Announced the ability to register your birthday, players will receive gift furniture on their set birthday and operators have special birthday voicelines

Announced the ability to have a list of rotating assistant operators that change every day

Announced the ability to make loadouts for the main menu background/UI theme/assistant operators for quick switching

SSS will get a skip feature, uses the same PRTS Proxy Cards used for annihilation skip

The older SSS maps will become playable again

Stronghold Protocol, limited time autobattler gamemode

In the gamemode the player will have to prepare their squad and operators before each battle, the player can hire additional operators and have multiple copies of them deployed or combined into a higher tier of that operator

Players can hire reserve operators should they lack usable units and also hire up to 8 friend support operators

Teased the next event involving Thorns and the history of alchemy in Iberia

Announced some kind of mini game collection "Poly Vision Museum"

Announced the second expansion update for IS#5

A 5th ending exploring the story of an alternate universe Amiya

The ability to share seeds of runs you completed to other players, completing a seeded run will not unlock higher difficulty/new relics/etc

Max difficulty increased beyond 15

New starting squads

New collectibles and thoughts (IS5 gimmick items)

Teased Arknights anime season 3 [RISE FROM EMBER]

Announced U-Official mini series

Announced Ambience Synesthesia 2025: Best Song Award, the song lineup featured in the concert will be decided via community polling

INVESTIGATED TERRA lore video covering the history and development of Originium on Terra and the technology that sprouted from it narrated by Kal'tsit

[genderqueerdykes]

Queer menace pride prints now available in our Cafepress shop!

These are available on a wide range of items including buttons, stickers, shirts, hats, and more! Every purchase goes to help a disabled genderqueer lesbian who is currently potentially facing homelessness while I escape my current unsafe housing situation. I am also struggling with making sure I have enough food and medication as well. Every bit of support means a lot. Thanks for reading, interacting, and supporting us!

[burnt-scone]

Sorry for being late and lazy to Mermay. I've been really busy, life is hectic.

Old Mer-Buttons

[a-twistedheartslonging]

*cough cough* so uh.... nonhuman jade??? I feel like he would frog blink at me

Either that or not blink at all/hardly blink, most fish don't have eyelids, and even though he and the other mers do it's not like they would need to underwater. Tbh Seb and Mal would prob do that weird blink.

Anyway, since He and Floyd are the same kind of creature, stuff from Floyd's post will be repeated.

He still has his ear and arm fins even with the potion. He can make his ear fins wiggle and droop and they will sometimes do it unconsciously, perhaps because of how he’s feeling or if he’s eating or sucking on something. Unlike Floyd, Jade will do his best to control it since that shows his emotions and he doesn't want others to be able to read him, though that's not to say he won’t do it on purpose like when he fake cries. The whole “being able to produce tears” thing wasn't something he could do until he got on land. Fish don't have or need tear ducts. Still, if it's just the two of you he might give a fin wiggle to hear you giggle, he be silly like that sometimes,

He can make the arm fins flare out and go down so he can get shirts on easier, and they will flare out when trying to be threatening.

Still keeps some of his eel coloring and stripes along with his claws. His hands start with that not-quite-white he has and become more of that green-blue going up.

His fingers have little bits of webbing and...are kind of creepily long. 

Doesn’t blink as often as a human should and his eyes glow in the dark, along with his habit of staring it can be a bit startling. 

Like his brother, is very instant on getting you in the water with him for some reason. If you can't swim, he'll offer to let you ride him. Though he is capable of outspending a broom you don't worry about him trying to zoom like Floyd, that doesn't mean he won't try to scare you in the water though. He may be more polite than his brother but he's still a little shit.

Has no belly button or nips.

Has a very strong interest in your feet and legs, especially with how…soft they are. In the official manga, we get to see that Floyd isn't the only touchy eel, though he isn't…rough about it like Floyd. Well, not as long as it's you. He loves to poke, squeeze, and rub them. Very very badly wants to bite but…he’s a gentleman. At least until you guys are together, and he has permission, expect to look like you got nabbed by a small shark then after.

He can't help but be fascinated by how different your body is, he really does want to study you, though funnily enough he gets a bit of stage fright if you try doing the same.

Is a fan of those small clawless hands. Seeing how they prune up when wet for too long, holding them and enjoying that soft warmth. He’s bigger than plenty of people but gets a special kick out of how big you make him feel.

His skin feels different from what humans have but isn't quite the same as when in his eel form. It's soft but also…thick. There’s no way you would be able to break his skin with your bite or scratches, dull little human nails and teeth can't do much. He would be pretty amused at you actually trying to bite him, how cute. It makes him want to tease you more and make you make you angry enough to try more. Still, if you do somehow manage to break skin he’s prepared, can’t have his little shrimp die of poisoning.

Along with eating fish, crabs, and octopus's moray also eat very toxic creatures and as a result, the blood and flesh of a moray are very toxic. They accumulate high levels of ciguatoxins, which can give humans ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) if eaten. There will be times in a fight where he’ll get his blood on the guy on purpose and Jade has used his blood for…things before. Part of why Jade wants to test “special” mushrooms on others is because the poison won't affect him, and he wants to see how it affects others. Might poison you in small doses on purpose so you'll build up a tolerance.

A moray will often eat anything small enough to fit in its mouth and is capable of taking a chunk out of bigger fish. As a result, Floyd will also try to eat…not food things if he can fit it in his mouth. Luckily for you, Jade has more self-control than his brother so your small nicknacks are safe...for now.

Everything about you just triggers his prey drive. He really wants to bite you, chase you, squish you, put eggs in you, bite you some more. Really hates having to keep up his calm gentlemanly image at times.

Can open his mouth scarily wide and his teeth are longer than OG Jade's, so it's a bit harder for him to hide them like he would with those polite smiles he always has. Very long tongue, you've seen it when he totally wasn't trying to show it off to you. He was just enjoying that ice cream. Funny how you're the only one to get a good look at it though.

Has pharyngeal jaws which are a second set of smaller jaws located in the throat of the moray eel, behind the normal jaws in the mouth, complete with tiny teeth. This set of jaws gets launched into the mouth cavity during feeding, where it can grasp onto food, and pull it into the throat to swallow. Morays are unique in using their pharyngeal jaws to actively capture and restrain prey in this way.

Certain eels have been shown to be surprisingly affectionate with divers they recognize and enjoy petting, rubbing, and gentle hugs. Though a bit touchy, when in public he is nowhere near as touchy as Floyd. When alone? Just as bad if he knows you are comfortable with it.

His gills are still present so his rib area is a weak spot. Getting hit there would really hurt and really piss him off.

Is nocturnal and prefers dark places, especially when sleeping. He also likes being snug and wrapped up for sleepies. In the sea, he would like to sleep in small places with his brother and would love for you and him to share a sleeping bag when camping.

Moray have a spongy, sluggy texture from their lack of scales. To top it off, these fish are covered in a thick mucous layer. Believe it or not, mucous serves a very strong purpose in nature, typically providing a protective barrier over otherwise vulnerable layers of skin. Your stomach should have a thick mucous layer to protect it from the acids inside, and similarly, a fish without scales can make good use of this snotty, slimy substance to keep it safe from toxins and physical damage as it occupies its rocky habitat.

The green moray eel is actually brown under all the snot; it’s just covered in a thick green layer of mucous. In some species, this mucous is even toxic, making them a particularly nasty prey item. Luckily what Floyd and Jade have isn't the toxic kind and will make your skin pretty nice. Jade will use this in his favor to get more cuddles. Careful though, he may do what Floyd does and perform what is known as a slime attack by slapping someone in the face with his tail, it is very unpleasant to get in your mouth.

The smallest moray, the Snyder’s moray, is around 12cm (4.5in) long, and the largest is more than 3m (over 10ft) long and weighs up to 30kg. A huge moray eel in Indonesia has been witnessed feeding on sharks and I like to headcanon the tweels are pretty big in their mer form and not just because of tail length.

Morays actually have pretty bad eyesight and a keen sense of smell to make up for this and rely primarily on chemoreception such as smells and tastes to navigate their world. I do wonder if the twins need glasses but don't use them or maybe wear contacts. 

Jade is very good at tracking you down by scent and likes it when you smell like him and him smelling like you. Though he loves cuddling and hugging you, it isn't just for affection. He’s giving you that eel stank, plenty of the others are weary around him and you smelling like him can help keep others away.

Unlike with Floyd Him leaving clothes at your place is never out of forgetfulness. He plans everything out. Insistes that you put on his coat when it’s cold out and drapes it on you before you can say no. Hoodies aren't usually his thing, but his ass bought some just for  “forgetting” them at your place. They're actually some fancy name-brand ones. Still, even with his planning, he could not prepare himself with how good you looked in them…it was so big on you, and you looked so cute and now it smelled like you and….

The moray can form a true knot with its body, that it uses as leverage to pull on prey items like slippery fish. They can also use this method to create strong pressure to break food items into smaller pieces. It’s thought that the skill is passed on between individuals. So, if you want to escape eel cuddles…good luck but it's probably not going to happen. Even in his more human form his long arms and legs will be wrapped around you. Kinda funny thinking of the tweel's parents teaching them how to become living knots though.

Certain types of eels can change their sex. The leaf-nosed moray born male, transitions as they age, switching to female later in life. This transformation determines them as “sequential hermaphrodites” I like to headcanon that the tweens can also change sex or already have both in their mer form. 

Morays can have around 10,000 eggs at a time, and when the larvae are hatched, the eels are fully translucent. I like to think the boys started out as tiny little things you can hold in your hand.

Regular eels do seem to have some courtship rituals. Some of which being displays of behavior, such as graceful movements and vibrant color changes and I already like that headcanon of the tweels being bioluminescent. Maybe he convinced you to come down to his dorm's special pool one night and decided to show off for you. Showing off that beautiful glow while doing these cool tricks in the water. A positive reaction will likely be taken as acceptance, so unless you tell him no, you will receive some wet slimy eel-loving.

Male eels may compete with each other for the attention of females showcasing strength and health to impress a potential mate. Welp, time for Jade to invite you to a hike and show off, expect to be carried after he makes up after walking into an area, something about the grounds stability and how only a seasoned hiker like him knows the proper steps to safety. Dude will lift up a whole ass dead tree trunk stuck in your path. Will also be even more of a menace towards the other guys.

Eels also release pheromones into the water to attract and communicate with potential partners but...hmm you're just a human and on land. With the others being beasts and all, they would be able to smell it easily and know to stay the hell away from him but would his little shrimpy notice? I think at most that if it's something that you can smell it probably just seems like Jade has just smelled a bit…musky lately. He is probably around you even more and keeps close to see your reaction to it. He probably gets sad if you tell him he stinky and takes it as you not wanting him. If you compliment it? Very happy eel time.

As for the rest of what he does, it's little things like bringing you food which is often cooked by him, little trinkets that made him think of you, and getting territorial around others. The latter usually ends up with him not bothering to hide his teeth as he “smiles” at whoever is talking to you, likely having his hand on your shoulder or waist while doing so.