#wave rider marin

[gearvmac]

— . ｡˚ ☆ the race to the one piece offers itself to, yet, another crew!

── 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐒𝐒 𝐊𝐍𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐋𝐄𝐒 ; a one piece original pirate crew.

𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 : here’s a brief description of an original pirate crew; the brass knuckle pirates, composed of nine members. below you will find everyone ocs’ owners and a link to their biography. sn. the bounties are from the day they each joined the crew.

tracking : #the brass knuckle pirates

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◞ ★ ︉﹒ 𝐦𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧 — @lunar-cherries’s sona

~ role : captain

~ epithet : brass-knuckled megan

~ gender : female

~ sea of origin : the south blue

~ age : 26 (pre-skip)/ 28 (post-skip)

~ weapon(s) of choice : brass knuckles, daggers

~ love interest : smoker ♡

~ dream : to become queen of the pirates and find the one piece

~ devil fruit : the nagi nagi no mi/calm-calm fruit

~ haki : conqueror/armament/observation haki

~ bounty : 3,000,000 berries

· · ─────── ·༄· ─────── · ·

◞ ★ ︉﹒ 𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐢 — my oc

~ role : first mate/sniper

~ epithet : crack-shot luna

~ gender : female

~ sea of origin : the west blue

~ age : 24 (pre-skip)/ 26 (post-skip)

~ weapon(s) of choice : mid-range shotgun, pistol

~ love interest : sir crocodile ♡

~ dream : to become the greatest gunman in the world

~ devil fruit : the pamu pamu no mi/pop-pop fruit

~ haki : armament haki

~ bounty : 500,000 berries

· · ─────── ·༄· ─────── · ·

◞ ★ ︉﹒ 𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐬 — @lunar-cherries’s oc

~ role : medic

~ epithet : plagued-doctor andrius

~ gender : male

~ sea of origin : the west blue

~ age : 22 (pre-skip)/ 24 (post-skip)

~ weapon(s) of choice : potions, needles, sword sticks

~ love interest : nico robin ♡

~ dream : to spread his medical knowledge around the world

~ devil fruit : none

~ haki : armament & observation haki

~ bounty : 3,000,000 berries

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◞ ★ ︉﹒ 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐮𝐝𝐚 — @stuckinthewrongworld’s sona

~ role : scout

~ epithet : wave-rider marin

~ gender : female

~ sea of origin : the north blue

~ age : 22 (pre-skip)/ 24 (post-skip)

~ weapon(s) of choice : water abilities

~ love interest : trafalgar law ♡

~ dream : to explore the world

~ devil fruit : the jabu jabu no mi/splash-splash fruit

~ haki : none

~ bounty : none

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◞ ★ ︉﹒ 𝐤𝐨𝐬𝐦𝐨 𝐠𝐥𝐲𝐞𝐝𝐞 — @malewifefirestar’s oc

~ role : shipwright

~ epithet : dry-bones glyede

~ gender : gender neutral

~ sea of origin : the south blue

~ age : 17 (pre-skip)/ 19 (post-skip)

~ weapon(s) of choice : poison spines, fangs, bladed spear, tail

~ love interest : n/a ♡

~ dream : to find and defeat the strongest marine in the world

~ devil fruit : model quetzalcoatl

~ haki : armament & observation haki

~ bounty : 800,000 berries

· · ─────── ·༄· ─────── · ·

◞ ★ ︉﹒ 𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐞 — @stuckinthewrongworld’s oc

~ role : underwater scout

~ epithet : tidal-seeker kelpie

~ gender : female

~ sea of origin : the north blue

~ age : 22 (pre-skip)/ 24 (post-skip)

~ weapon(s) of choice : blue beaded necklace, shell bras, daggers

~ love interest : n/a ♡

~ dream : n/a

~ devil fruit : n/a

~ haki : observation haki

~ bounty : 1,000,000 berries

· · ─────── ·༄· ─────── · ·

◞ ★ ︉﹒ 𝐣𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐞 𝐭𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐮𝐬 — @malewifefirestar’s oc

~ role : cook

~ epithet : crow-food jessie

~ gender : male

~ place of origin : skypiea

~ age : 39 (pre-skip)/ 41 (post-skip)

~ weapon(s) of choice : wind and fire wheels, armored arm and gauntlet

~ love interest : marco the phoenix ♡

~ dream : to find a place to call home

~ devil fruit : n/a

~ haki : armament haki

~ bounty : 2,500,000 berries

· · ─────── ·༄· ─────── · ·

◞ ★ ︉﹒ 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐞 — @draculeharumi’s oc

~ role : navigator

~ epithet : golden-hawk laura

~ gender : female

~ place of origin : the grand line

~ age : 21 (pre-skip)/ 23 (post-skip)

~ weapon(s) of choice : sword

~ love interest : roronoa zoro ♡

~ dream : to be known for who she really is

~ devil fruit : the mero mero no mi/love-love fruit

~ haki : observation haki

~ bounty : 3,000,000 berries

· · ─────── ·༄· ─────── · ·

◞ ★ ︉﹒ 𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐧𝐢𝐤𝐨𝐥𝐚 — @lunar-cherries’s oc

~ role : air scout

~ epithet : bolt-beak faraday

~ gender : male

~ sea of origin : the north blue

~ age : 26 (pre-skip)/ 28 (post-skip)

~ weapon(s) of choice : thunderbird form, electricity

~ love interest : sabo ♡

~ dream : to take down the celestial dragons and to hopefully reunite with his parents

~ devil fruit : the tori tori no mi/bird-bird fruit

~ haki : observation & armament haki

~ bounty : 800,000 berries

· · ─────── ·༄· ─────── · ·

◞ ★ ︉﹒ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐳𝐞𝐫 — the crew’s ship

~ main colors : black & red wood

~ ship’s figurehead : a crow

~ jolly roger design ;

· · ─────── ·༄· ─────── · ·

#finally the whole crew is here!! #brass knuckle pirates #brass knuckled megan #crack shot luna #oc: luna shiranui #op verse #plagued doctor andrius #wave rider marin #dry bones glyede #tidal seeker kelpie #crowfood jessie #golden hawk laura #bolt beak faraday #the stargazer #op ocs #one piece oc #one piece oc’s #original one piece pirate crew

[eitaababe]

hey i saw ur works and it's all amazing, eyes on you is my fav!! I don't know if u open any request but i have some idea of neteyam😩

umm maybe can i request neteyam x fem!metkayina reader when she is tsireya best friend and she's helping the sully's when they come to aw'atlu village. reader really love animals and the animals love her too, little secret neteyam having a crush on reader but he scares that she doesn't feel the same because she's close to ao'nung and one day neteyam see reader having a 'small talk' with the animals and he's falling deeper to her. then he ask reader to join him to ride his ikran. SO MUCH FLUFF HEHE

i leave the rest to you hehe, thank you so much for seeing my request!!

love, xx

YOUR HAND !

a/n — STOP THIS IS LEGIT THE CUTEST REQUEST EVER OMG?? / also tysm for the kind words ily 🫶🫶

—

You and Tsireya have been close ever since you were little, so of course you were together when the Sully's arrived to aw'atlu. You immediately picked up on your best friend's attraction to one of the Sully's, and so did his brother. You two had shared a look then, laughing quietly together at them.

That's mostly how you and Neteyam's relationship went, friendly exchanges of smiles and waves. You didn't have anything against Neteyam, but Ao'nung did, and while you disagreed with him for it, you were still very close to the boy, almost like a second sister to him.

Nevertheless, you, like Rotxo, were very close with the family and came along to help the Sully children your clan's way of living. Neteyam, you could tell, was very skilled and got the hang of things very quickly. Him and his siblings finally got their breathing and swimming down correctly, and today, you were going to show them how to ride an ilu.

Neteyam, excited to learn how to ride a new creature and intrigued by you, jogged to catch up to you, trying to start a conversation. "Hi," he started, flashing a shy smile. "Y/n, right? We haven't talked much."

You quickly returned his smile with one of your own, nodding. "Yes, you're Neteyam, correct? Lo'ak's older brother?"

He as well nodded, nervously toying with his fingers. "So, you're teaching us how to ride an ilu today?"

"Mhm!" You excited hummed, clearly pleased at the mention of marine life. "Ilu's are wonderful, friendly creatures. They're not like your ikran though, they don't bond with only one rider for life. Oh! And then we have what we call a tsurak, which are more picky on who rides them, and strong riders and warriors usually try to tame them," you paused, clearing your throat and looking up to be met with Neteyam's eyes. "Oh, sorry for rambling."

Listening intently on what you were telling him, Neteyam lowered his head just a little to hear you, since you had such a soft voice and he practically towered over you. "Don't be sorry, I like listening to you talk about the creatures. And you seem to know what you're talking about, so I'll be in good hands."

At the close proximity, you turned away momentarily, hoping he wouldn't catch the faint blush that painted your face. To your luck Rotxo spoke up, walking not too far from you two.

"Ah yes, y/n is our animal expert on aw'atlu, she loves all the creatures and they're all very fond of her as well." He spoke proudly.

"I can see why." Neteyam commented, making you chuckle sheepishly.

Learning how to ride an ilu went fairly easy (at least for Neteyam). Soon enough he was riding his ilu like a natural, and quickly beckoned you over to join him. You and the others rode on your ilus for quite some time, incorporating their breathing skills into the mix.

Neteyam was having the time of his life, getting to see you in the wonders of the ocean. His heart swelled at the way your face lit up in the cutest way when you got to see all the wonderful creatures underwater.

But alas, all good things must come to an end, as day was turning to night, and you all headed back to your own maruis. Neteyam thought about following you for just a second, just to talk to you for a moment before heading to sleep. He was met with a stern glare from Ao'nung though, and knowing the two of you were close, and the respect you held for him, he turned away, following his brother and sisters. He guess he could wait to see you tomorrow morning.

Entering their own marui, Lo'ak spoke up, finding a chance to tease his older brother. "Bro, you have like, heart eyes coming out of your sockets."

"I do not!" Neteyam denied, looking to Kiri for help. "Sister, tell Lo'ak he is delusional."

"I think you're the delusional one for denying it." The girl spoke, paying only half attention to the conversation.

"See! Even Kiri noticed. Seriously, 'I like listening to you talk to the creatures.' Disgusting, honestly. Made me want to barf."

"Don't even start, you want to talk about heart eyes? You look at Tsireya as if she's eywa's finest creation." Neteyam retaliated, leaving his younger brother speechless.

"Whatever, bro." He mumbled, sitting himself down next to Kiri, ready to head to sleep.

As the next morning came, Neteyam was practically up with the sun, hoping to see you today. There were no lessons with you today, but he was still hoping to see you, and maybe hang out with you today, if you'd let him. He woke his siblings up (Lo'ak rather harshly), and they all made their way out, excited to spend their time by the ocean, or with an ilu.

When he finally spotted you, he saw you sitting and talking with Ao'nung. Normally, he wouldn't have cared if you were talking with someone else, but this was Ao'nung, who was notorious amongst him and his siblings for his treatment towards them. So he turned on his heel and went in the other direction, going unnoticed by you.

He was bummed for the rest of the day, it wasn't hard to see. Neteyam was more quiet than usual, keeping to himself and enjoying his soltitude while going on a swim with his ilu. Lo'ak was off elsewhere, probably with his own crush —lucky bastard, and Kiri and Tuk were off exploring the island. Everybody else was occupied, and all he wanted to do was talk to you.

The next time Neteyam sees you is when he gets into a brawl with Ao'nung and some of his friends. You don't come in until after the fight has ended, rolling your eyes and silently laughing at your best friend's stupidity. You escort Ao'nung away, but not before sending a warm smile towards the other na'vi, making him forget all about the pain in his lower lip.

You see the Sully brother's make their way back to their marui, probably about to get scolded by their father for their actions. Meanwhile, you find Tsireya and Roxto, and the three of you scold Ao'nung, telling him how he needs to start treating the Sully siblings with more respect.

"But-" Ao'nung started pathetically, you cutting him off.

"No, I don't want to hear it. I don't care if you don't like them, they are our guests and have to be treated nicely. If you don't stop picking a fight with them, I'm going to tell your dad." You threatened, giving Ao'nung a stern look. He nodded wordlessly, Rotxo and Tsireya almost laughing. You always had a way of getting Ao'nung to listen to you.

"Fine, I'll go apologize to him," He muttered, hissing when you grabbed his arm to take him over to Neteyam. "Hey! My arms bruised, you know!"

"Maybe it wouldn't be so bruised if you hadn't harassed their sister."

So the four of you found Neteyam and his siblings at the beach, and you let go of Ao'nungs arm, ushering him over there. "Go! I'm not going to apologize for you."

He slowly treaded his way over, turning around to look at you three. He gave you all puppy dog eyes, which only resulted in the three of you simultaneously shooing him further with your hands.

Ao'nung finally reached the siblings, clearing his throat. "Uh- hey."

"Hey." Neteyam was the only one to greet him back, Lo'ak and Kiri sending cold glares his way.

"Look, I just wanted to apologize." Ao'nung grimaced at the words, trying to figure out a way to word his apology.

"The fuck is going on?" Lo'ak muttered over towards Kiri, but not quiet enough that Ao'nung wouldn't hear him.

He side eyed Lo'ak momentarily, continuing on. "Y/n gave me a talking to after the fight. And Tsireya. And Roxto," he quietly added, clearing his throat. "Anyways, they told me I needed to start treating you guys better or whatever. So I'm sorry for calling you a freak Kiri. And for pulling your tail, Lo'ak. I'll try to make sure it won't happen again." He practically mumbled the last sentence, the others barely hearing him.

Lo'ak, with a shit eating grin, heard the last part of his apology, but what would it hurt to make him repeat it? "Sorry, what was that?"

Huffing, Ao'nung spoke louder. "I said, it won't happen again."

Neteyam laughed at the two, friendlily grasping Ao'nungs arm. "No worries bro. It's all cool."

"So we're cool?"

"Yeah, we're cool."

Still watching, you, Tsireya, and Rotxo watched proudly as Ao'nung made his way back over. His head was down as he walked, he was certainly was not one for apologies. Opening his mouth to tease him, Roxto was interrupted by Ao'nung before he could talk. "Not a word."

The three of you laughed, following Ao'nung back into the village.

Without a feud between Ao'nung and the Sully siblings, life was much more peaceful. You didn't have to hear Ao'nung complaining about how much he hated them all, and you didn't have to refrain yourself from talking to any of them when with him anymore.

So today you were alone, Rotxo and Ao'nung together, Tsireya presumably off with Lo'ak somewhere. You opted to head toward some ilus, deciding their company would keep you content for the time being.

You sat on the edge of one of the maruis, an ilu showing it's head to you. You giggled at the friendly gesture, patting its head and tossing some food its way. "You know, sometimes I think I enjoy your company better than others."

The ilu made a sound, as if it agreed with what you were saying. "Exactly! Don't get me wrong, they're nice, but just between you and me, Ao'nung talks to much." You chuckled, tossing it another piece of food. You often would find creatures around the island and talk to them when you were alone, finding joy in their company and interactions.

Unbeknownst to you, Neteyam was aimlessly walking around the island when he spotted you talking to- someone? Nosily, he craned his head to get a peak of whoever you were talking to, hearing something about enjoying their company more. His chest tightened at the words, afraid you already had a promised mate.

At the sight of an ilu he let out a sigh of relief, shaking his head with a smile. You were just too cute, and it melted his heart seeing you interact and get along with animals so effortlessly. His head swiveled around to his ikran, an idea popping into his head.

"Hey, y/n!" You heard a voice call your name, your smile growing wider at the sight of your favorite Sully (don't tell Tuk).

You waved in his direction, your ilu friend tilting it's head at the sudden voice. "Hi Neteyam, what brings you here?"

"Uhm- nothing really," he started, looking over at the ilu and laughing at its little head tilt. "I just saw you here and was wondering if you wanted the company?"

You grinned, nodding your head. "I would love that." You pat the spot next to you, inviting him to sit down. Honestly, you preferred being alone when talking to the creatures, but for some reason, you liked having Neteyam around.

And so he sat down next to you, greeting the ilu. "So, who's this?"

"Ah, this is Nyla. She's very social, although most of the ilus are. Nyla, meet Neteyam." You introduced the two, putting some food in the boy's hand.

Shuddering at your touch, Neteyam handed Nyla some food, smiling wide when she responded to his touch. You watched adoringly, eyeing Neteyam.

"I think she likes you."

"I hope so," He chuckled, now turning his attention towards you. "I- uhm, actually had a question. So you know my ikran?" He inquired, holding eye contact.

You shrunk under his gaze, suddenly feeling shy. "Oh yeah- I saw you and your family arrive on them. They're very beautiful." You commented, remembering how big they were and admiring their colors.

"Well I was wondering— since you seem to be so fond of creatures and get along with them so well, if you'd like to join me on a ride sometime today? Mine has been dying to stretch her wings out, and you'd get a lovely view of the ocean."

"Yes!" You excitedly accepted his invitation, quickly getting up and holding out your hand for him to join you. "Let's go right now! I'm so excited to meet your ikran."

Chuckling at your excitement, Neteyam grabbed your hand, leading you over to his ikran. "Alright alright, we can go now. Bye Nyla." He waved to the ilu, and walked over to where him and his family's ikran's rested.

Your eyes widened at the sight of them, looking at them in adoration. Neteyam fed her a snack, calming her down. "Don't look her in the eye."

So you avoided eye contact, but observed the rest of the ikran, taking notice of her long wings. You were speechless, admiring the large creature.

"Easy, girl." He soothed the ikran, making the bond.

Neteyam then snapped you out of your daze, bringing you closer. "You ready?" When you nodded he helped you up first, following in suit.

Once he made sure you were secure he called out, taking off on the ikran. Your hold on his hand instantly tightened, practically shaking at how high you two were. "Oh great mother, I could never get used to flying this high."

Gently rubbing the side of you waist in attempt to soothe you. Neteyam brought up how he got his ikran, hoping to distract you. "You know, when I first bonded with her, she tried to kill me."

"What?" Your head immediately looked up, glancing over your shoulder. Neteyam mentally pat himself on the back, continuing on.

"During Iknimiya, when an ikran chooses you when it tries to kill you. She practically tried to throw me off a ledge," he laughed, seeing your face of disbelief. "She loves me now, though."

"That's terrifying," you commented, sneaking a glance down and seeing the ocean, feeling a little more at ease. "It's cool though. But I think I'll stick with the ocean."

"Honestly, the ocean terrified me at first," Neteyam admitted, explaining when you gave him a questioning look. "There's a lot of creatures underwater, and you have to be a strong swimmer and hold your breath for a very long time to be successful underwater. It was intimidating at first."

"I get what you mean," you agreed, Neteyam's hold on you tightening as you landed back onto the sand. "You owe me a swim now."

"Well then," he spoke as he helped you down, leaving his ikran to join the rest of his family's. "It's still day out, so why don't we go right now?"

You ears perked up, and hurriedly you tugged him to a marui to call for a couple of ilus, hands still intertwined. A smile graced his handsome features at the realization.

Not once did you let go of his hand.

—

a/n — sorry anon this lowk took me forever cause i had to do research on the creatures so reader knew what she was talking about 😭

#neteyam fluff #neteyam sully #avatar #avatar x reader #neteyam #neteyam angst #neteyam sully x you #neteyam x reader #avatar fluff #neteyam fic #neteyam imagine #avatar imagine #avatar fic #— requests ! #— answered

[iwantjaketosullyme]

𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐞 ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ᴘᴀʀᴛ Ⅰ: ᴀɴ ᴀɴɢᴇʟ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏʀɪᴢᴏɴ

➺ pairing: aged up!lo'ak x metkayina!reader (fluff) ➺ series summary: lovesick!lo'ak does all he can to win the heart of oblivious!reader ➺ chapter summary: ❝ eyes of liquid gold meet their aquamarine match and just like that, he is smitten ❞ (w/c: 1.6k) ➺ warnings: death (as a joke), drowning (for like 2secs) a/n: ♪ and they call it puppy loveee ♪ i strongly believe that lo'ak's goofy ass is ultimate rom-com material !! i decided to make it a mini-series so buckle up ! a couple yrs hv passed since the sea battle with the recoms so everyone's older. na'vi dictionary at the end :)

𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭┃𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 »

─────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───────

C’mon bro, strong heart. No fear. Ride.

Strong heart. No fear. Ride.

Strong heart. No fear. Ri-

“Try not to get yourself killed this time, okay skxawng?”

Aonung’s grating voice carries over the cacophonous sound of waves crashing against one another, cutting through Lo’ak’s train of repetitive self-affirmations. Himself and the son of the Olo’eyktan had become close friends since they reached an understanding in the most unlikely of ways, after Ao’nung had left him for dead outside of the reef five years ago.

In spite of this, they had never quite managed to shake off the ‘love to hate them’ aspect of their relationship – directed insults now only meant to tease rather than injure and once-venomous rivalry now harmless. In this moment, however, Lo’ak fights the urge to let his intrusive thoughts win, images of wringing Ao’nung's neck coming to mind. At last, he had been approved to begin his tsurak training and he refused to allow fish lips to ruin it for him.

Refocusing on the task at hand, Lo’ak inhales deeply and resumes repeating his mantra mentally. His dad had advised him that a good pep talk was the key to having the fortified mindset of a Marine. Oorah. Desperate to tame a tsurak and get one step closer to completing his iknimaya, for once in his life, Lo’ak was willing to listen.

He merely scoffs at Ao’nung’s taunting words and inhales deeply, preparing to mount the tsurak. Lo’ak clears his mind, rolls his shoulders.You got this. He ignores when her extended tail whips the water’s surface, aggravated at being pinioned by Ao’nung and a few other Metkayina men. Ignores her beady eyes following him closely as he nears her jerking body, it is as if she is daring him to come any closer – you really want to risk riding me? 

Gathering all the courage he is expected to possess as son of the mighty Toruk Makto, Lo’ak swiftly connects his kuru to that of the tsurak’s before swinging a long leg over the thick of her body and shuffling up to seat himself properly, hands gripping the attached harness.

Amber eyes widen as he feels the rush of being in control of such a powerful creature. Strong jaws snap dangerously at the men that still hold her in their secure grip, overwhelmed by the presence of an unfamiliar rider in her mind. Just about managing to muster enough mental force to overcome her resistance, Lo’ak’s mouth opens to release a loud ‘Forward!’

Thinking in tandem with her rider, the tsurak involuntarily follows his command and breaks free from her restrictors. Bounding across the surface of the water, Lo’ak barely has a moment to rejoice in his minor victory before he is dragged underwater forcefully, the tsurak’s capable form thrashing wildly beneath his thighs.

Back on the shore, Ao’nung smirks to himself as he watches Lo’ak’s gangly legs flail in the air as they follow the rest of his body under the water. He must have forgotten to tell him that Niie was particularly picky with who she let ride her and therefore required gentle coaxing before any attempt to even climb her, nevermind ride. Oops.

Niie’s decorated wings tuck into her sides as she penetrates the water’s surface, sleek torpedo shape nimbly navigating the waters that she knows so well. Intelligent creature that she is, she allows Lo’ak a moment of reprieve, slowing down slightly to lull him into a false sense of security.

Unbeknownst to him, her mission to shake him off is not abandoned, only paused temporarily. He allows himself to enjoy the high of speeding through the water with such velocity, adrenaline rushing through his veins. As Niie emerges to the surface to allow him to breathe again, wings unfurling to their full span, he pumps his arm in the air and lets out a triumphant "Hell yeah!"

Gaining confidence in his abilities, he shifts into a crouch atop Niie’s back as she glides through the air, planting his feet in what he thinks to be a secure stance. I can’t wait to see the look on Ao’nung’s stupid face, he thinks to himself smugly, picturing his friend’s disbelieving stare.

Ever since passing his own iknimaya the previous year, the Metkayina boy had become utterly insufferable. Well, more than he usually was. Hearing his thoughts, Niie decides this is the perfect time to humble him and regain her freedom. 

Quicker than he can say ‘Great Mother help me’, Niie plunges back into the depths of water, using all her might to wriggle and writhe under his grip that had begun to become lax as he succumbed to his distractions. Pure shock courses through his body, causing him to open his mouth and gulp down one mouthful of water too many, tail whipping violently in the surrounding water.

It soon becomes all too much for him as he feels the movements mess with his equilibrium and trigger a dizziness that causes him to lose his hold on the harness entirely. Silly boy, Niie thinks to herself as she dashes away. This ain’t my first rodeo.

Lungs burning from overexertion, Lo’ak swims upwards and takes an indulgent breath of fresh air. Miffed by recent events, he treads water and decides to stay out at sea, wishing to allow as much time as possible to pass before he does the lengthy swim of shame back to the village. As he languishes in his feelings, his eyes wander across the open water, thinking of ways to pass the time.

He spots an unmistakable flash of blue in the corner of his eye, squinting as he tries to decipher what exactly he is looking at. Casually, he eases forward and manages to make out two blue feet, toes pointed daintily towards the sky before they are swallowed by the waves.  

Intrigued, he fills his lungs up to their full capacity before ducking under the water again, feet kicking rapidly to aid him in his pursuit of his new curiosity. His interest is peaked again when he takes in your figure, equally as close to him as you are far. Outstretched arms scoop copious amounts of water, your streamlined tail helping to propel you further with each stroke.

When you seem to be satisfied with your spot in the water, you come to a halt and let your limbs float freely in the water. Eager to find out what a young Metkayina like you is doing so far out from the village by herself, Lo’ak also stops a little ways away from you. He chooses not to reveal his presence, for now. Saves him the embarrassing explanation of what he’s doing here, he figures.

Nothing could have prepared him for the spectacle he observes in front of him. The arms at your side begin to lift slowly as your head tips back into the space behind you, the rest of your body following suit in what looks to be an underwater backflip of sorts. The most graceful backflip he’s ever seen.

Hydrobatics so graceful it would put an ilu to shame, he watches you perform a myriad of wonders, body following the intricate steps to a piece of choreography only you and the waters around you are privy to. 

When the rays of light from above the surface filter through the water and touch your body at just the right angle, his reaction is near enough comical. For a moment, he believes he is bearing witness to a divine vision from Eywa. You must be an apparition, a trick of the eyes.

He fists his hands, brings them up to his face and rubs his eyes twice. Sure enough, you are still there. When he opens his eyes again and sees your lithe form in motion, he blinks twice in disbelief but wills his eyes to stay open so that he can take in as much of your ethereal beauty as possible.

And take it in he does. Greedy eyes devour the sight of you, noticing more details the longer he looks. The blue and lilac strands of your macrame top remind him of the elaborate vein pattern of the diaphanous txampaysye, renowned for its natural elegance in the waters. But while those magnificent creatures helped Na’vi to breathe underwater, he felt that you left him breathless.

He thinks of the tawtute romcom movies from the science base he would force Neteyam and Tuk to watch with him back when they were in the rainforest. They were his guilty pleasure and no matter how much he begged her to, Kiri absolutely refused to watch them; she said Grace had expressly mentioned in one of her many video logs that they lacked real humour and were painfully unrealistic.

But as you sense that you are no longer alone, you turn around. Eyes of liquid gold meet their aquamarine match and just like that, he is smitten. I knew love at first sight existed outside of the movies, he thinks to himself.

He’d heard the story of how his sa’nok wanted to kill his sempul the first time they met so many times, he’d begun to think that was the norm. But if Lo’ak was going to do anything, it’s go against the norm and prove everyone wrong.

Enraptured by the very essence of your being, he forgets himself and his surroundings. Moved by the newfound joy that comes with finally finding the one you were destined to be with, he opens his mouth and starts laughing. For the hundredth time that day, he is shocked when water starts to fill it, precious air escaping his lungs.

His body is exhausted from multiple counts of shock in too little time, and so he begins to drown. Limbs akimbo, panicked eyes meet yours and as you make your way towards him with haste, seeing your divinity in such close proximity causes him to descend further into the throes of a fit. Kind eyes observe his state of distress with worry and as he gazes into them deeply, he knows he’s a goner in more ways than one. 

─────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───────

na’vi dictionary

skxawng - idiot // tsurak - skimwing // iknimaya - rite of passage to become an adult in a na'vi clan // kuru - na'vi neural whip, queue // toruk makto - rider of last shadow // txampaysye - gill mantle // tawtute - sky person, sky people // sa’nok - mother // sempul - father

© iwantjaketosullyme tumblr 2023

☼ 𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵:

@heirtothekingdom , @bebkyu , @amiah24 , @inlovewithpandora , @alathan13 , @girlnred , @ggujkie , @aemondhoe , @malandrinhass , @itsyagirl01 , @mookiepookiesblog , @idekstopasking , @thelxnelyworld , @whitch123 , @camila-alejandra26

𝘭𝘮𝘬 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰/𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 <3

#✦•·.· 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘴 ·.·•✦ #lo'ak x reader #lo'ak fic #lo'ak imagine #lo'ak fluff #lo'ak x fem!reader #lo'ak fanfiction #avatar x reader #avatar imagine #avatar fanfiction #avatar #atwow x reader #atwow fluff #avatar: twow #avatar x metkayina!reader

[dani-luminae]

GUESS WHO SAW THE HAUNTED MANSION MOVIE BRAINROT INCOMING

First off, that was incredible and the very first sequence of the house alone (Gabbie and Travis getting chased out for the first time) already had me going "this is the best movie ever!"

(For the record: my criteria for "is this Haunted Mansion movie good?" is "do I recognize every single Easter egg and does it bring me joy?" And yes. yes this movie does just that)

My favorite parts:

Constance and everything to do with her.

The grief plotline. OMG. I didn't come into this movie expecting the cry but they did it!!!! AND TATER TOT AT THE END 😭😭😭 I hope he adopted that kitty

Ben running into the mirror in the Endless Hallway sequence!!! Such a fun little reference to the real-life endless hallway that uses a mirror. In the same vein of "dramatic effects that reference the real life tricks" also the stretching room and how Ben's light on the ceiling reveals the rafters!

Also though the entire Stretching Room scene was awesome.

I got so excited when I first spotted April-December portrait on the stairs!!!! Even out of focus in the background, I could tell it was her. The whole deal with the eyes (to open the séance room) was a neat touch, bc I think she used to be one of the portraits whose eyes followed the riders (in WDW HM at least.)

DONALD! DUCK! CHAIR!

The Hatbox Ghost's backstory reveal!!!! I almost screamed when I saw the WDW HM exterior used for Crump Mansion. Frankly incredible storytelling.

Sometimes, a family can be you, your son, your son's new father-figure who built a ghost-seeing camera, a con-man-pretending-to-be-a-priest, the spiritual successor to the famous Madam Leota, and a grouchy old potato of a college professor with a heart condition.

And the Mariner! Considering he's sort of been reduced more and more in the actual HM rides, it's nice to see him get a minor role in the movie. Quite seriously, they could not have done it without him.

Jared Leto... was actually a very good Hatbox Ghost, I'm pleasantly surprised

And even though whom I thought was the Ghost Host was actually the Hatbox Ghost, the Ghost Host did get a little part and get to say one of his famous lines "the real chills come later" (and how they kicked him out of Ben's body - just, the frantic bell-ringing and waving sage in his face - hilarious to watch)

What could have been better:

WHY ARE THE CARETAKER AND HIS DOG DEAD WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO THEM

Alastair Crump is a crummy name for the Hatbox Ghost honestly, should've stuck with Randall Pace (from the comics) or a different name entirely.

Considering they were all "we need to find [the Hatbox Ghost's missing] head [for the banishing ritual]" I would have expected them to grab his skull, not just his hat.

And the séance room could have been fancier (in the flashbacks at least, I understand why it's a dank hole in the present).

What I won't forgive the movie for:

WHERE. ARE. THE SINGING. BUSTS. HOW COULD YOU LEAVE THEM OUT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

#haunted mansion #haunted mansion movie #haunted mansion 2023 #the haunted mansion movie #also i like the 2003 movie too so please don't be negative about it on my post #the hatbox ghost #hatbox ghost my beloved

[remediesremedy]

mortua avis: “the aftermath”

The sully’s learn to navigate through their grief with their eldest child and sibling now dead.

gn reader x sully family

warnings: angst, mention of death, graphic detail of grief and injury, depression, broken family etc.. some comfort :)

When neytiri had met jake, eywa herself had stopped her from shooting at the foreign boy. She never would’ve known how her future would pan out from there, bonding with that outsider for life, loving him with every atom in her body. Eywa had favoured Jake, helping him defeat the sky people, Neytiri had never felt closer to her deity, she was thankful.

Now as they kneeled on a rock in the ocean, it seemed Eywa had left them. Neytiri watched her oldest child die, her eldest child who never got to live in peace, because they just wanted to keep everyone else safe. No matter how many times she closed her eyes and prayed to Eywa, you did not wake up, your skin remained cold. Your blood was stained into your family’s skin, a part of them didn’t want to wash it out, it was part of you. They didn’t want to wash you away.

The waves around them were still, droplets of blood dripping into the wide ocean, where your legacy would drift through the whole of pandora. A call from above, it’s screech deafening but not enough to budge the sully’s, your large ikran flew down in a frenzy. Jake looked away as it nudged your corpse expectantly, chittering and clicking as it’s jaw gently brushed against your face.

Neytiri thought of seyze, her beloved ikran that died during the first war, she thought of how it felt when their bond was cut. The moment seyze got shot and plummeted into death, how her heart burned, how the world around her was silent, how she felt a piece of her die.

This ikran would never have a rider again. It would never see the soul it was bound to again. The banshee, as gently as it could, laid its face on your chest, it’s screech was heart wrenching as it realised you were no longer breathing.

Kiri went to soothe them, her own grief tugging at her heart. she wanted to comfort the creature, but no words could ever lessen the pain of what had occurred. Kiri settled for a gentle stroke on its neck, imagining the times your hand would’ve brushed the same spot.

Jake was low to the ground, crouching with a bowed head. In all the years of being a marine, he had experienced loss, he had seen death what felt like a million times, but this was an unimaginable amount of pain, nothing could ever come close to this. He thought of Grace, how despite her dying, she found peace, and how he had hours with her before she passed. Of course, of course it was bullets that took you both. It would haunt him, the first time of being so close to saving a friend, and the second time being able to do nothing as his child writhed in agony.

“you’ll be okay too.”

your last words flittered through the air, dancing with the wind as they found your family’s ears endlessly. it did not feel remotely okay, they were certain it would never be even close to remotely okay. Silently, your mother inched her shaky hands to your neck, unclasping your song cord, it had to be finished after all. Neytiri bit down into her cheeks to stop the scream that rose to her throat, through blurry vision she clasped the necklace around her neck.

You were adorned in jewellery made by your family, you had treasured them like rare jewels. Tuk, Lo’ak, Neteyam, Kiri and Jake each reached to preserve a part of you, gently sliding off a piece of jewellery and wearing it solemnly. Lo’ak and Neteyam couldn’t bare to look at Spider, They loved the boy, but unknowingly he was the catalyst of a bad chain of events. Their minds were torn apart, guilt and shame clouding their thoughts, maybe it had been their fault, maybe if they were faster, if they didn’t waste as much time.

but the maybes and what ifs did not matter.

you were dead.

stone cold dead.

it could not be undone.

to say the least, you weren’t the biggest fan of funerals, their deathly tone was hard to shake off for days. Tear stained faces and red blotted noses, every heart screaming that it wasn’t fair. It was just a gathering where everyone accumulated their agony and practically drowned in their sorrows, almost joining the ones six feet under.

when it came to your funeral, your family thought of how uncomfortable you found them, how most likely you wouldn’t want one at all. As a tradition, Na’vi buried their own with respect, and together, and they hoped you wouldn’t mind their spirals of agony at your funeral. How their skin would be glossy from the landslide of tears, hopefully you wouldn’t mind them basking in seeing your body one last time.

wrapped up in a leaf, the body that used to be yours was pulled in the water. Neytiri had a hard time accepting your fetal position, what had once been the same position you were once in inside her stomach. How her body fed you and how excited she was for your arrival. Now, you were a rotting vessel in the same position you first existed in.

Jake let his tears pour freely, there was no use appearing strong here, his sweet child was in front of him, unable to move or speak forever. Unable to breathe, unable to smile, unable to love. and, eywa, he loved you so.

He hovered above you tentatively, brushing his large fingers against your hair, moving strands that laid in front of your eyes. He had never been able to witness you more at peace, your signature hard stare and frown were gone, you simply appeared to be sleeping.

they all wished that was what it was. That you were simply, sleeping.

Neteyam’s strong body suddenly seemed so weak, barely kicking in the water with the way the boy shook. you were truly gone, his biggest supporter, the one who tried to take his worries off of him. The sibling who saw him, who trained him gently when Jake got lost in war and sunk back into marine life.

Lo’ak glanced at his brother with a lump in his throat, if he had just said nothing about rescuing spider, would the outcome have been different? Despite Lo’ak’s recklessness and dangerous spirit, you nurtured him, you took the blame, you stood up for his dumb mistakes. He wondered how much you had really taught him, how naive he still was despite all your wisdom, and your kindness.

Kiri gazed at you with stars in her wondrous eyes, she breathed in deeply. she felt you here. not your body. but your soul, watching on. The slight ruffle of her hair made an instant reaction of tears spring to her already wet eyes. She leaned into the ghostly touch, shuddering at the cool air that burned into her head. Now equipped with more strength, she swam forward more at ease. you weren’t truly gone, not for her.

Tuk, dearest Tuk was a bundle of sniffles, coughs and splutters coming from her throat, she had never experienced such an emotion. It was like a disease, knocked the breath out of her small body, it just wasn’t fair.

Unwillingly, Jake and Neytiri took ahold of the flora holding you, they tugged it under water, slowly sinking down into the depths. All four siblings ducked their head under the surface of the water, they witnessed your body lower into the yellow seabed of anemones, they caught the very moment you were engulfed by it. Given back to Ewya.

Tsireya had stayed tucked in her father’s arms during the whole funeral, her giant heart could not handle the burden of grief and death. She was never meant to be accustomed to it, and she despised the way it seized every happy emotion and crumpled it.

Ronal, her mother, stared on with a head full of whirling words. She saw a child who would die a million times over to save their family, she saw the strength and fear you must’ve had. Holding her swollen stomach, her head dipped in respect, and to hide the singular tear that dripped down her cheek. you were mighty, brave. A soul that would be missed. A soul she had come to admire in the small time of knowing the omatikaya.

that night, in their mauri, the world seemed silent. Breathing felt too loud and disrespectful, every second was spent imagining you with them, huddled on the floor eating the metkayina’s exotic sea food.

The silence ate away at the family, until their carcasses were bare and all was left was a wounded heart. Without a word, The sully’s had gravitated towards each other, their hearts on display and yearning for comfort. They closed into a tight hug, eyes snapped shut, maybe you could still be envisioned there if everyone’s eyes were closed. Maybe you still existed.

The sully’s loved, they loved so much that it felt strange with one less person in their lives. A chunk of affection was forever lost, waiting on someone who’s face would never be seen again apart from dreams.

Kiri began to sob, the urge to tear her chest apart was apparent, no matter how hard she searched, she could no longer feel you. Your soul was no longer with them anymore. Your presence no longer swarmed her, and it felt like you had died a second time.

gone. gone. gone.

never to come back.

dead.

stone cold dead.

tucked into anemones that would hug your person for the rest of time.

#imagines #x reader #angst #atwow #atwow quaritch #atwow kiri #atwow spider #atwow x you #atwow x y/n #atwow imagines #atwow neteyam #atwow x reader #atwow fanfiction #atwow angst #atwow loak #avatar #avatar tuk #avatar the way of water #avatar tsireya #avatar jake #avatar twow #loak sully #neytiri sully #sully family #sully!reader #tuk sully #jake sully #neteyam sully #kiri sully #fanfiction

[hotdideasneverending]

Lost Memories AU

This has been in my brain for a good week or so, and I need to get it out. 

Lost Memory AU, either Genderbend or ABO AU as well. 

So, Aemond follows Luke into the Storm and chases him as per usual only instead of attacking Luke a loud clap of thunder disorients him and Vhagar, the dragon swerving to the side only to be hit in the side by lightning, sending the old dragon down to the ground. In that same moment Luke was also stunned by the thunder and Arrax swerved into Vhagar, slamming into her other side not hit by the lightning and sending him to the ground as well. 

Both dragons land on an abandoned Island that had long since been left behind by people, their riders falling off and down a hill as they laid to rest their wounds that had been caused by the storm. 

Aemond and Luke awake at the bottom of a massive hill, on the beach by a cave with no memory of who they are or how they got there. Aemond is confrontational, Luke trying to calm him down and explain that they must have been on a ship and it fell to the storm, them floating to the beach amidst the waves and Aemond agrees after some time. They get their bearings, realizing they had lost their memories asd they try to remember who they are or where they are from, they settle on the names Luke and Osferth (I am doing it for y’all!), moving to head deeper into the Island as they look for shelter and people. On the way there they see the massive forms of Arrax and Vhagar, Aemond instructing Luke to stay back, ironically, to not go near them as it would be dangerous. 

They explore the island, making jokes and dry quips at one another as they come to the conclusion that they are on an Abandoned island with nothing but themselves and the monstrous, but hurt, dragons. 

Luke makes use of his marine intelligence, he is Corlys’ heir and favorite grandson after all, and helps get fresh water, shelter and food for them both with fishing as well as forging through brushes and forests. Aemond uses his strength to rebuild a home that was in semi-good condition as well as hunting pigs and sheep that had somehow survived the island, skinning them to make clothes and all other needed items. They work in tandem to heal and survive, grating on one another nerves as they try to coexist with the slowly healing dragons who roar each night as if they are calling for someone. 

Throughout that time Luke is getting *feelings* for ‘Osferth’, who is strong, confident and very, very handsome. At the same time ‘Osferth’ finds Luke a bit annoying, overbearing and a whiny baby; but Luke’s intelligence, dedication and warmth has him too falling for him and soon during a rough storm akin to the one they fell in, they fall into bed. Over and over again. They soon get into a relationship, doing everything as before but with a few little side missions in bed that they like to do until the rooster crows in the morning. 

Of course with the bed tango and no moon tea, pregnancy is going to happen and Luke falls pregnant within about…3-4 months of them being there and ‘Osferth’ works harder than ever to learn his beloved's trick of sea life to provide as much as well as stock up on as much as possible. Until one day he needs to head further up to the den of the dragons to gather some berries he knows his lover will crave as they approach their 5th month of pregnancy, them having been missing/presumed dead for little under a year by this point. He manages to grab a basketful before Vhagar spots him and lets out a roar, this shaking ‘Osferth’ who gasps as memories flood back, his life before he was ‘Osferth’ and he remembered his was Aemond Targaryen, the second son of Viserys the Peaceful and the one who was wronged by the bastard he knocked up. 

He returned in a daze, Luke comforting him as he tried to figure out what was wrong. Aemond wanted to be disgusted and he wanted to take out the sinful baby and kill his bastard nephew only to remember the last year or so. 

Luke, despite not knowing who he was or who Aemond was, was nothing more than sweet, kind and caring. More so than his mother who always seemed to go to HIM for kindness and sweetness, Luke had instead given it to Aemond freely. The one thing he had always craved in life that he had to work for from his own MOTHER and FATHER, Luke was giving to him. So he lies, saying that the Dragons startled him and he got too close, Luke responded by kissing him, urging him to be careful and to not leave him behind, Aemond melting as this is what he always wanted. 

Warmth and Love. 

Without expectations weighed upon him. 

He suddenly understood Aegon a bit better now. 

So he continues on as usual, tending to his pregnant lover, receiving love and warmth that only Helaena was ever capable of giving him without added baggage or weight on it. He did all he could from ensuring Luke was comfortable to the pregnant ladies desire for naughty time, he did it all and revealed in the peace he finally had. 

Until he woke up one day, on the 7th moon of pregnancy, to Luke panting, looking at him in fear with a shaking body. 

He remembered. 

Aemond would try and calm Luke down, the other hysterical demanding to know how long Aemond had remembered, demanding to know if this was his plan to ruin Luke and his future; that if he enjoyed tricking him. 

Or if he was waiting till the babe was born to finally kill him. 

Aemond would be hurt, saying he had been aware of everything for two months and had not abandoned him, loving him and their child because he truly did love them. He wanted this life and not the life of the palace anymore as his brother squandered the throne, drink himself into a stupor and he was meant to be his nanny. Luke calms down, they talk it out and agree to contact Luke’s mother, seeing as she had a claim to the throne and would most likely be merciful to his siblings should things be explained…

And her grandchild in her hands. 

So Aemond does, mounting Vhagar to head to Storms End, where he appeared before Borros who had a heart attack at the sight of the supposed dead prince, Aemond demanding for a Raven to be sent out and messaging Rhaenyra about meeting him and Luke on the island.

Within it he placed the embroidered Arrax that Rhaenyra had on her son's clothes, along with a lock of hair from both him and Lucerys.  Then he would send a message to his sister to get her and her children to Dragonstone, urging her to seek sanctuary away from the Greens as he finally sees his Grandfather’s poison for what it is. 

A death sentence. 

On the side of the war…

Blood and Cheese do not happen as Daemon feels like the gods have punished Aemond for the sin of killing Lucerys, but he was not content. He urged his wife to go to war, and she held out for a time until hearing the wind of the feast Aegon threw in honor of her son dying. Corlys and Rhaenys mourn Lucerys who was nothing more than a messenger, they smear the Greens, saying how it was dishonorable to even chase a messenger as Borros had stated Lucerys would not take up arms no matter how much Aemond goaded. 

Jacaerys and Joffrey felt as if the world was pulled out from under them, Lucerys was gone and they wanted vengeance, but stayed their hands as they awaited their mothers order. 

The war had officially begun, with battles here and there but nothing serious until a raven came from Aemond Targaryen, the one who had supposedly by Daemon’s words, struck down by the anger of the gods. The note was simple, saying that he and Lucerys lived, to meet on an Island that was no longer inhabited, to bring Maesters and Dragon keepers to heal Vhagar and Arrax. 

Rhaenyra wept at the hair which was put in the note, smelling it to try and get a scent of her child as Daemon commanded all Dragonriders to get saddled up and to have the best Dragonkeppers and Maesters ready for flight. 

They arrive, Aemond having flown up to lead them to the field in which Arrax was still healing, the Dragon keepers moving to calm the skittish being who recognised it kin and allowed for healing. 

If this was ABO then Daemon would realize that Aemond knocked up his kid and proceed to beat the snot out of him, saying that he had no right and that Lucerys deserved better, to which Aemond agrees but he would never take back what happened. 

In Female Lucerys, he would lead them to the shed where Lucerys is laboring and Daemon would then proceed to beat the ever living snot out of Aemond like as stated above. Even in ABO, Aemond would lead them to a laboring Luke and Daemon would beat him up again because he knew Aemond had mated with his son, he didn’t realize he already fucking knocked him up. 

As the men dealt with Aemond outside, the girls helped Lucerys deliver a boy with Aemond’s hair and Luke’s eyes. 

Daemon entered to see his grandchild, Aemond a bit battered up as he came in to see his son, to which Lucerys proudly states-

“Meet Damian!” 

Daemon would laugh happily, Aemond’s face falling as he realized his son was named basically after Daemon; who promised he had more beatings coming, before they speak of the war and how to end it. 

Don’t know how to continue the rest of it with the war, but after Lucerys takes over Driftmark with Aemond as a sworn shield, and they continue to fuck like rabbits and have as many kids as Jaehaerys and Alysanne.

#lucerys x aemond #aemond x lucerys #lucemond #au #house of the dragon

[101flavoursofweird]

Title: The Puzzle-Solver’s Wife

Spoilers: For the LMJ anime and for PL4

Description: Five times Marina couldn’t solve a puzzle on her own… and one time she succeeded.

Set: Before and during the LMJ anime. References are made to Steam Bison— the setting for Professor Layton and The New World of Steam— but this is just vague speculation as we don’t even have a release date for the game yet.

Warnings: Character gets lost in a city… Light reference to a university party with drinking and insinuations made by from Marina’s friends about her taking a boy home— nothing actually happens… The rest of events are seen during LMJ— including characters being taken hostage and imprisoned.

Note: This is a little late for @layton-npc-appreciation-week, but there we go

Marina had never been very good at solving puzzles.

She didn’t dislike puzzles— Far from it!— but she wasn’t all that familiar with them, having grown up in the quiet fishing village of Finnerton.

Her parents hadn’t given her puzzles while she was growing up, and her friends were the same with their families.

Everyone Marina knew seemed able to deal with their own problems— if they had any at all in their uneventful little town.

Maybe puzzles weren’t as commonplace in their part of the world… or maybe Marina just didn’t know where to look for them.

How would she even identify a puzzle? What set them apart from riddles, codes and quiz questions?

Did Marina’s homework count? Did her dad’s daily word search in the Finnerton Digest count? Did her mom’s studies as a marine geologist count?

Could you even find puzzles at the bottom of the ocean? In nature? Or did puzzles have to be presented by people?

Marina couldn’t remember anyone ever offering her a puzzle in her hometown…

The earliest, most striking memory she had of encountering puzzles for the first time was in Steam Bison.

When she was in eighth-grade, her class had visited the technologically-advanced city on a field trip.

Much to Marina’s (and her teacher’s) relief, they had spent the day following a tour guide, who had solved any puzzles they came across and steered the class away from the ‘unsavoury’ parts of Steam Bison.

The guide had only left them at the very end of the tour when they were apparently one street away from the bus station.

Marina had stopped in the restroom with her friends (It was a long journey back home and she was notusing the toilet on the bus!), but when she emerged, Marina found herself alone.

At first, Marina thought her friends were hiding from her. Huffing, she looked up and down the hazy cobbled street, waiting for them to leap out and shout, “BOO!”

A steam-powered vehicle with two metal legs clanked past her.

Marina waited a minute. Then another. And another….

Marina’s knees started to shake. 

Where were her friends? All of her classmates? Her teacher?

They wouldn’t just leave without her, would they? Her teacher would have done a headcount… but what if they had missed Marina? 

What if they had already headed off to the bus station?

The guide had said it was just one street away, right? But which street? What was the quickest way to get there? What if Marina took a wrong turn, or ran into a dark alley, or— or—?

Eyes darting all over the place now, Marina tried to find someone— anyone— who looked trustworthy enough to ask for help.

There was a scruffy salesperson waving flyers about… Two men in black business suits… Or a young woman grappling with a golden horse— a robot horse…

Marina inched towards the woman. “E excuse me—?”

“What?” The woman turned to Marina with a scowl. Her dark curls were poking out from beneath a black riding helmet. She kept a strong hold on the horse’s reins.

“P-Please can you help me?” Marina squeaked. She lowered her voice, wary of their neighbours, as she revealed, “I’m lost—“

“I would, but I’m kinda busy here,” the rider grunted. The horse huffed. “Peta’s reins are all tangled…”

Assuming that ‘Peta’ was the horse, Marina said, “M-maybe I can help, then you can help me…?” (Marina was good with animals… Well— aquatic animals to be specific!)

“Knock yourself out, kid!” The rider gestured from Marina to Peta.

Marina edged closer to Peta and inspected his reins; they were indeed all tangled up, like a bunch of wires. That couldn’t be very comfortable— even for a robotic horse.

“Hmm…” Marina tried adjusting the part connected to Peta’s long nose (The bridle, wasn’t it?) but Peta didn’t appreciate that. The horse snorted, steam escaping from its nostrils

“S-Sorry,” Marina stammered. She kept trying to unknot the reins.

Where was she even supposed to start? The bus would be departing soon— without Marina, at this rate!

In her impatience, she ended up pulling too hard…

Peta released a metallic-sounding whinny. Marina gasped, letting go of the reins. She watched, petrified, as Peta reared back on its hind legs.

The rider exclaimed, “Watch out—“ but just as the horse’s heavy hooves came slamming down, someone hauled Marina away.

Shuddering, Marina looked back at her saviour; a boy about her age, with light brown hair, a smart blue blazer and a flat blue cap.

“Are you okay?” he asked urgently. He had an English accent. His hand was still gripping Marina’s shoulder…

“Miss?” he tried again, frowning at Marina with concern. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yes!” Marina breathed, though she did feel a little light-headed.

The boy nodded and let her go. He turned to Peta the horse and its rider, who had since calmed Peta down.

“What about you two?” the boy checked with them.

“We’re good,” the woman said. She aimed a glower at Marina. “No thanks to you.”

“I… I was just trying to help…” Marina struggled to explain as the boy glanced at her again. “…With the reins…” She trailed off, feeling very red in the face.

“I see,” the boy said. He pointed to Peta. “Can I…?”

“Sure!” the rider said, with a lot more enthusiasm than she’d had for Marina.

The boy crept towards Peta with a quiet greeting and studied the reins. Marina gaped at him, impressed.

Murmuring reassures, the boy managed to unravel reins in a single moment. “Puzzle solved!” he said.

The rider beamed at him. “Thanks, Detective Luke! We’ll be on our way now…” She clicked her tongue.

“Wait!” Marina protested as the rider pulled Peta down the street. “You said you could help me…!”

The rider didn’t spare her a glance. Marina sighed.

“Do you need help?” The boy— ‘Detective Luke’— was still there, right next to Marina. (He hadn’t abandoned her like everyone else…)

Marina couldn’t hold back a few tears. “Y-yes, please!” she blubbered. “I need to get to the bus stationbefore— before my class leaves!”

“Luckily, I know a shortcut,” Detective Luke assured her.

He strode through the street with Marina in tow.

The salesperson Marina had been reluctant to approach earlier waved at them, and Detective Luke waved in return.

Either Detective Luke must have lived around here, or he had a very good sense of direction! Even the tour guide hadn’t passed through Steam Bison with so much aplomb…

“…Here.” Detective Luke stopped in front of a gray building.

Marina blinked. She looked at Luke, who was smiling at her, and back at the brick wall.

Marina frowned. Was he trying to trick her? Had she been wrong to trust him?

“I thought you were taking me to the bus station?”

“I am! We just need to solve this puzzle…” Luke started pressing the bricks of the wall in a specific pattern.

“I don’t understand,” Marina muttered. She didn’t have time for puzzles— the bus would be leaving soon! “H-how do you even know there’s a puzzle here?”

“I’ve come this way before, but the combination has changed since— aha!” Luke selected one last brick, which retracted into the wall.

Marina gasped as the wall split in half like the doors of an elevator, revealing an alleyway.

With a satisfied smile, Luke said, “This way…” 

He offered her his hand. Marina took it (The alley was kind of creepy!) and he led her through.

Marina instantly recognised the street on the other side. There was the bus station— and Marina’s class lined up out front!

“We made it,” Marina breathed. She beamed at Detective Luke. “Thank— thank you so much! I… I’d still be lost without you!”

“No problem!” Detective Luke tipped his cap to her. “A gentleman should always help a lady in need, especially…” He had been about to say something else— something Marina hoped to hear— but he shut his mouth and simply smiled.

He had a nice smile, and he was smart, and courteous, and kind. Marina had never met a boy like him before…

Marina was struck by a wild urge in that moment, but before she could see it through, she heard shouts behind her.

“Hey, Marina!”

“Where’ve you been?”

“Marinaaaa! Hurry up!”

“That’s— my friends,” Marina said bashfully. They were beckoning her towards the bus station.

She looked back at Luke. “I have to go now, but… thanks again, Detective Luke.” 

“Take care, Miss Marina.” Luke squeezed her hand, before he let her go.

As she ran towards her class, Marina kept glancing back at Luke. When she reached her friends’ sides, she waved to Luke until he’d retreated through the secret alleyway.

Marina’s friends had a thousand questions for her as they boarded the bus.

“Where did you go, Marina?”

“Who was that boy? Did he take you on a date somewhere?”

“What’s his name?”

“His name is Luke,” Marina sighed. She gazed wistfully out the bus window as they drove away from Steam Bison. “Detective Luke.”

-

From then on, Marina decided she would dedicate her life to solving puzzles…

Though, it was difficult when no one else in Finnerton was invested in puzzles— not even her parents!

If other people wouldn’t give her puzzles, and Marina wasn’t any good at finding puzzles, how could she practice?

She made enquiries at her local library and learned there was something called a ‘Puzzle Index’— a book filled with puzzles!

The librarian ordered one in for her and it arrived after a month.

At home, Marina spent hours pouring through the Puzzle Index. Her parents thought she was studying. It certainly felt like it!

Each puzzle had a number of ‘Picarats‘ (points) that indicated its score and level of difficulty. Marina found she struggled even with the lower Picarat puzzles— 10 being the lowest.

Each puzzle also came with four hints, which Marina would usually end up reading.

It wasn’t cheating! A cheater would flick to the back of the book to look up the answers… Not that Marina ever did that!

After a month of studying the Puzzle Index, Marina managed to memorize every puzzle and every answer off by heart. 

She returned the Puzzle Index to the library and asked if they could order the next edition…

For some reason— maybe the librarian forgot or they just couldn’t track down another Puzzle Index— it never came in.

Marina never went to check. She was so busy with school, water polo club, and her social life that it just slipped her mind.

But, somewhere in the back of her mind, she had tucked away that memory of Steam Bison, and the detective boy who had saved her.

When she encountered him again, five years later at university, she recognised him immediately.

His face had lost some of its roundness, his hair was fuller and his eyebrows were a bit bushier, but his eyes were the same— and his smile.

It was poorly-lit and packed with revelling students in the basement, but Marina was struck by the sight of him… of Detective Luke.

Was he even still a detective? What was he doing here— at the same university as Marina?

She took a deep breath, told her new roommates she was going to grab another drink, and waded through the crowd.

Luke had been trading puzzles with a couple of other boys— puzzles seemed to be popular at the university— but he caught Marina’s arm as she stumbled towards him. (He was always saving her…)

“Hey, are you…” He paused, squinting at her. His eyes widened. “You!”

“Me!” She’d only had one drink, but it had given her some much-needed Dutch courage! “Marina!”

“Miss Marina! You were in Steam Bison— on a trip— like, four years ago?”

“It was five!” Marina corrected him. “Why aren’t you still in Steam Bison?”

Even in the dimness, Marina could see how hard Luke cringed. “It’s a… long story…”

“Well, I’m listening!” 

“What?” Luke had to raise his voice as someone turned up the music and the party-goers cheered.

Marina hollered right in his ear, “I’m LISTENING!”

“Ow… I hear you.” Luke lowered his head so that he was level with Marina. “Why don’t we, um, get out of here?”

“Sounds good!”

Determined not to lose Luke, Marina dragged him through the crowd as she returned to her roommates’ sides. When she informed them she was leaving the party with a boy, they waggled their eyebrows at her and told her to have fun.

Marina felt flushed as she made her exit with Luke and she brought him back to her dorm.

Well… That was the plan, but then, Marina couldn’t open the door to her dorm building. She noticed a small wooden block with colorful panels had been stuck to the door.

“Eh? What is this?”

“Looks like a puzzle lock,” Luke observed. “A Sliding Puzzle, to be more specific.”

Marina protested, “But— this wasn’t here earlier!”

No one had warned her she would need to solve puzzles to get back inside!

Oh, no… What if puzzles were a part of every day life, here at university? 

Marina had picked up that Puzzle Index when she was thirteen, but she hadn’t solved another puzzle since then! How would she survive?

Luke held his chin in his hand, trying to hide a smile from Marina. “Maybe a secret Puzzle Societyplaced it here?” he suggested.

“I didn’t sign up for a Puzzle Society!” Panicked, Marina started surveying the building, hoping there was an open window they could climb through. “Sorry— there has to be some other way in…”

“Or, we could just solve the puzzle?” Luke inspected the block, sliding some of the panels around.

“Is it… like that puzzle wall in Steam Bison?” Marina recalled. “The one with the secret alley?”

The memory of Detective Luke holding her hand— guiding her through the darkness—  suddenly rose to the front of her mind. 

She was glad Luke currently had his back to her, so he wouldn’t witness the embarrassment on her face.

“It’s similar, but not the same type of puzzle,” Luke said cryptically. He glanced back at her, grinning. “Do you want to give it a go?”

“Um… I would, but I… I don’t have much experience… solving puzzles,” Marina admitted. He could definitely see her blushing now!

Luke blinked at her like she had just told him she was a mermaid or something.

“I mean, I… I tried a few when I was younger,” Marina stammered. “I got this Puzzle Index after I met— after that trip to Steam Bison, but I didn’t, um, persevere…” 

Marina sighed and hung her head. Now he was going to think she was a pathetic failure…

She looked up with shock when Luke patted her on the shoulder.

“It’s fine,” Luke chuckled. “Nothing to be ashamed of! I was just surprised; where I come from, puzzles were everywhere, and my family— they practically raised me on puzzles.” He jabbed his thumb against his chest. “And, I was Professor Hershel Layton’s apprentice!”

He declared that with so much pride and joy that Marina knew this professor must have been a person of great importance… Unfortunately, Marina had never heard of them.

“Is that someone from Steam Bison?” she wondered.

“No, but he did visit Steam Bison when I was there… The Professor works in London—“ Luke coughed. “I’ll tell you more when we’re inside.”

In his excitement, Luke solved the puzzle on the door himself. Marina sighed with relief as she followed him into the dorm.

She knew she couldn’t just summon Luke whenever she needed help solving a puzzle— as nice as that would be!

Sooner or later she would needed to learn for herself…

But for now, she sat with Luke in the shared common room. He revealed to her all that had happened in Steam Bison when his mentor, Professor Layton, came to visit.

When Luke’s stomach grumbled, midway through the tale, Marina made them some popcorn.

She continued to listen, captivated, as Luke told her about more of his adventures with the Professor…

-

One month in to her marine biology degree and Marina already had a tonne of extra work to do outside of class.

Her roommates— for as affable as they could be—  made it impossible to concentrate in the dormitory while they were playing board games, so Marina spent a lot of time at the library. 

She wasn’t at all surprised to bump into Luke there.

He was very studious, but in a different way to Marina. While he was diligent, he seemed to posses a natural intellect that Marina lacked. (Fitting, for the apprentice of Professor Layton!)

Luke was observant and able to answer questions at the drop of a hat, whereas Marina liked to take her time preparing a response.

Maybe it was just a confidence thing, like Luke had said, but Marina wasn’t sure… “Marina… What’s your surname?”

“Huh?” Marina glanced up from her books on the desk.

“What’s your last name?” Luke rephrased. “I don’t think I ever asked…”

“It’s—“ Marina cut herself off. “Wait— actually, why don’t I give you a puzzle to work it out?”

“Okay!” Luke smirked. “Fire away…”

Marina felt like he’d put her on the spot. “N-not right now! I’ll need time t-to make it up…”

She had never designed her own puzzle before, but it had to be easier than solving puzzles, right?

For inspiration, Marina turned to her old friend: the Puzzle Index. The university library had at least nineeditions!

First, she had to choose a type of puzzle. The sliding puzzle was off her list right away— too much effort to construct.

What about multiple choice, with some clues from Marina? No… that would be too simple for Luke.

Could she use algebra? Or would that be more Math-based than puzzle-based?

It would be fun to do a pictorial puzzle— with little illustrations revealing Marina’s last name— but Marina couldn’t even draw…

A whole week went by— and she still didn’t have a puzzle for Luke!

Marina sighed and leaned back on the common room couch.

Her gaze drifted over to the pile of board games left by her roommates. When she saw a box for a jigsaw puzzle, her eyes widened.

The next day, at the library, Marina presented Luke with a homemade jigsaw puzzle.

Upon completion, it would reveal Marina’s last name.

It wasn’t the most original idea, but Marina had still put a lot of effort into it!

Luke took his time with the puzzle— probably longer than he actually needed— but within ten minutes, he had pieced the jigsaw together, forming a photo of a map— somewhere out on the ocean.

“Where is this?” Luke murmured. 

Marina hummed knowingly. “Would you like a hint?”

Luke nodded— obviously indulging her. Marina gave him some numbers: “1,580 and 43”… and Luke grinned. 

“Are those measurements for the Mariana Trench?”

“Yep!”

“So…” Luke considered it for a moment more, before he pointed at her triumphantly. “Your full name is… Mariana ‘Marina’ Trench!”

“Indeed, it is!” Marina confirmed, laughing sheepishly. (Her mom couldn’t resist the pun!)

Luke laughed with her. “I’ve heard stranger names, believe it or not!” He handed the completed jigsaw puzzle back to Marina. “How many Picarats was that?”

“Oh! I’m not sure… How many do you think it should be?”

“Thirty?” Luke suggested.

Marina scoffed. “It wasn’t that difficult—“

“Twenty-five, then,” Luke settled, holding out his hand to her.

Marina agreed and they shook on it. Luke pretended to put the Picarats in his pocket, much to Marina’s mirth.

She stopped giggling when Luke said, “Now you can figure out my last name!” and he placed his own puzzle on the desk.

It was a page of paper taken from Luke’s journal, with a written passage:

‘There was once a boy who befriended an archaeology professor, and they went on many adventures together.

Regrettably, the boy had to move away, leaving his dearest friend behind.

In his hour of need, the boy knew the professor would come to his aid. For the professor had promised him:

‘Time apart and distance are irrelevant to the bond formed by a true friendship.’

Of course, the Professor answered the boy’s call for help.

No matter how far apart they were, their bond would always endure.’

Panic had seized Marina when Luke sprung the puzzle on her, but as she read this passage— Luke’s story— she smiled softly. “That’s beautiful,” she whispered.

She wondered if the words could apply to her and Luke as well. The pair of them had met in Steam Bison years ago, only to reunite in university.

Marina didn’t really believe on fate, but she was grateful for whatever string of coincidences had brought her back to Luke.

“Thanks,” Luke said, scratching his cheek. “What do you think of the puzzle?”

Marina had almost forgotten about that!

She studied the passage long and hard, searching for Luke’s last name.

After fifteen minutes, she sighed and asked Luke if she could have a hint.

“You might need to look at it another way!”

Turning the paper on its side and upside down didn’t help. Neither did flipping it over…

Next, Marina tried folding the paper into different shapes, wishing she had paid more attention to her step-Grandma’s origami lessons. Still, the answer eluded her.

As Marina smoothed the paper out, Luke offered her a second hint:

“Read the passage in another direction!”

Marina read the entire passage backwards and wrote it down in her notebook, but it was all gibberish.

The third hint Luke gave her was a little more enlightening: 

“Have you tried reading from top to bottom? Don’t overthink it…”

Marina followed his advice and finally, she noticed the first character of each line spelled out Luke’s last name. She circled the letters with her pen. 

“T-R-I-T-O-N…!” Marina exclaimed. “Is your last name ‘Triton’?”

She had spent an hour figuring out the answer, but she still expected Luke to shake his head.

Marina was overjoyed, however, when he beamed at her. 

“That’s it!” he cheered. “Now, you need to strike a puzzle pose!”

“Puzzle pose…?” Uncertainly, Marina pointed at Luke, as he had done to her. “Like this—?”

“Yes— you’re correct!”

Marina was correct! For the first time ever, she had solved a puzzle someone had given her.

“H-how many Picarats was that?” Marina asked.

“Ten,” Luke said, still smiling.

Marina’s ego deflated slightly. “Only ten?”

“It’s very similar to the first puzzle I sent   to Professor Layton,” Luke confessed.

That made Marina feel a bit better. “Really? How fast did the Professor answer it?”

“As soon as he got my letter in the post,” Luke said reverently. “He came rushing to my hometown— Misthallery— to help solve the mystery behind the spectre’s call…”

With that, he launched into the tale of his first adventure with Professor Layton— and the Professor’s Number One Assistant, Emmy Altava.

He and Marina had already been at the library for ages by this point, but Marina was still hanging off the edge of her seat.

She frowned when Luke discussed the odd behaviour of his father— who, Luke assured her, he had since reconciled with. She gasped when Luke described the spectre’s appearances, and how Emmy had fought off a gang of thugs, and the Final Battle.

Luke spoke very fondly of his childhood friend, Arianna— though, he blushed slightly and quickly summed up their farewell.

Marina was going to ask him more about Arianna, but then, Luke quietly told her about Loosha, the giant lake dweller who had been mistaken for the spectre, when she was actually defending Misthallery. 

Marina was entranced— so much that she might have shed a tear when Luke revealed Loosha had died in the Golden Garden… but thanks to her sacrifice, Arianna had survived.

By the time Luke had finished his retelling, it was dark outside and the librarian was shooting them impatient looks from her desk.

Marina sighed. “I’ve never heard— or done— anything so exciting in my whole life…”

Sure, she had been on boat trips and vacations with her family— mainly to visit her grandparents’ lake house up in Canada— but the most exciting thing she had gotten up to was water skiing.

She had turned down offers to go hiking with her dad, grandpa and older cousin because she was too ‘chicken’, as her cousin had put it.

She would never be brave enough to face villains, creepy towns and impossible puzzles like Luke…

“You… ventured through Steam Bison,” Luke pointed out. He started to pack his books away as the librarian loudly cleared her throat. 

“I got lost in Steam Bison,” Marina reminded him, shoving her own books in her bag.

From what she had heard from him about Steam Bison, Marina was even more relieved that she had run into Luke back then. She could have ended up on the receiving end of a bullet!

Luke must have noticed how pensive Marina was as they hurried out of the library.

“Not all mysteries have to be as… hair-raising as what happened in Steam Bison,” Luke mollified her. “I’ve solved smaller cases too…”

“Maybe you could give me a call…?” Marina murmured. Realising what she had just suggested, she suddenly dropped her bag. Stooping to pick it up, she stammered, “W-when you next have a smaller case, I mean!”

“Can I…?” Luke knelt beside her and offered her a hand with her bag. 

Blushing, Marina passed him her bag, and they both stood up. 

Luke smiled at her. “That sounds like a great idea.”

-

It had started as a ‘smaller case’; one of Marina’s lecturers, Professor Monroe, had lost his treasured pendant.

Marina and Luke had found the pendant aboard an abandoned decrepit ‘ghost’ ship—

Except, it wasn’t abandoned.

Their feet pounded across the top deck, discordant to the sound of heavy boots and doors slamming open behind them.

“That one!” Marina pointed to the nearest life boat that didn’t appear to be decayed.

She and Luke reached the boat and ripped off its grubby cover.

Before they could release the boat, their pursuer— a figure wearing an iron mask and wielding a silver trident— burst out onto the deck.

“Get the boat ready!” Luke grunted, grabbing an oar.

“Luke, don’t—!” Marina shouted, but Luke had already charged at their assailant.

As Luke’s oar clashed with the trident, Marina looked at one of the davits keeping the life boat aloft.

Marina quailed when she saw the ropes of the pulley system were all knotted— kind of like a puzzle— kind of like that horse’s reins back in Steam Bison…

Her hands, slick with sweat, hovered over the ropes.

She had lived around boats her whole life.

By now, she had been practicing puzzles for months, with Luke’s guidance, but all that experience and knowledge drained out of her mind in the terror of the moment.

Her daze was broken by a strained yell from Luke. “Marina— how’re you doing?”

“I can’t do it—!” Turning, Marina saw that Iron Mask had backed Luke against the side of the deck with their trident. Luke was going to get skewered or pushed overboard!

(Before they’d boarded the ship, he’d seemed so worried, but Marina had insisted—)

Marina stopped thinking.

Seizing the other oar, she rushed at Iron Mask and smacked them on the exposed back of their head. Iron Mask dropped the trident and slumped to the floor.

“Thanks!” Luke exclaimed, skirting around Iron Mask.

He and Marina ran back to the life boat with the oars. Marina kept an eye on Iron Mask as Luke quickly solved the davits puzzle.

“Done!” Luke cried, just as Iron Mask sat up.

“Go-go-GO!” Marina yelled, working on the left ropes while Luke took the right. Together, they lowered the life boat into the sea.

Iron Mask leered at them from the top deck, but didn’t attempt to follow.

Marina let out a shaky laugh. “W-We’re free—!”

“LOOK OUT!” 

Marina saw a flash of silver— coming right at her face—

Luke swung his oar like a baseball bat and knocked the trident into the sea.

“Guess I spoke t-too soon,” Marina gasped.

Taking both oars, Luke rowed them away from the ‘ghost ship’— it might have not contained any ghosts, but someone was haunting it!— until they were safely back at the harbour.

“Are you okay?” Luke asked softly.

Marina shrugged.

“It’s over now,” Luke soothed her, placing the oars in the boat.

“I just— froze up!” Marina grunted. She bunched her fists, nails biting into her palms. She glared into the bottom of the lifeboat. “Why couldn’t I solve that puzzle?”

Really— she was no better than five years ago— back when she was a timid thirteen-year-old…

“Marina, you saved me!” Luke squeezed her shoulder with his hand. Marina raised her head. “It doesn’t matter how— you were brave and we escaped… and we even got the pendant!”

Beaming, he pulled Professor Monroe’s silver pendant out of his pocket with his other hand. “See?”

All Marina could see right now was Luke’s smiling face, filled with elation and (somehow) admiration for her.

Maybe she was braver than she‘d been at thirteen. Maybe she could…

Marina lifted her head a little more, lips parted. Luke’s eyes widened, but he didn’t move away. Taking that as a positive sign, she pressed her mouth against his.

Luke kissed her back— much to her relief.

When they eventually broke apart, Luke was the colour of a lobster.

“Was that… correct?” Marina whispered.

Luke nodded. “Yeah!”

-

Of course Luke’s proposal included a puzzle.

Marina picked up the engagement rings— one silver and one gold— held together with two loops of string.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she muttered, with a mock-scowl across their table.

Luke grinned at her. He did look most dashing in his dark blue jacket, brown vest and white shirt, so Marina supposed she could forgive him. (She hoped he liked the light blue dress she had chosen…)

“The evening will proceed as planned if you can solve this puzzle,” Luke informed her.

Humming, Marina tried to move one of the strings around the silver ring, but the ring was too large. 

She attempted the same with the gold ring and the other string… Still, to no avail.

Don’t overthink it! Don’t overthink it…

Luke chimed, “Would you like a hint, dear?”

“Dearest,” Marina huffed playfully. “Would you like to be quiet so I can concentrate?”

Luke shut his mouth, though he looked like he was struggling not to laugh.

Marina held the puzzle right up to her eyes, squinting. There had to be some kind of trick to this… or brute force might work as well!

She tried with all her might to pull the strings apart.

“Oh, come on…!” she grumbled.

“Er, excuse me— are you two ready to order?” A waiter had appeared at their table. He raised an eyebrow at Marina and her personal game of tug of war.

“We’re just in the middle of something,” Luke explained. “I’m sure we won’t be long—“

“Can I have a knife?” Marina gasped. 

The waiter passed her a knife just as Luke protested, “Wait—!”

“Puzzle solved!” Marina cried as she cut through the stings and the rings landed on the table.

“Th-that’s against the rules,” Luke wheezed.

Smirking, Marina pointed the knife at him. “All you said was ‘Remove the rings from the strings!’… You didn’t specify how— Ah! Sorry!” The waiter took the knife from her. 

Luke scooped up the silver ring, left his seat, and got down on one knee in front of Marina, who didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“Miss Mariana Trench… Will you marry me?”

-

Marina Triton had a lot of time to think while she was trapped at Cranscoll Cathedral.

It had been foolish idea on her part to follow Luke and Professor Layton to Southampton, but she had gone, because…

If Marina wanted to seem conscientious and sympathetic, she’d say it was because she had been frightfully worried about her husband.

While that was true, if she was being totally honest, she would admit that she was envious and she wanted to prove herself to Luke.

After some encouragement from Flora, Marina had set out after Luke and the Professor—

Only to be captured by a cult, dragged to the cathedral, and used as leverage to make Luke and Layton surrender.

The pair of them had been locked inside ‘coffins’, while Marina had been tossed in the crypt for a couple of months…

Not to die, it turned out. The head priest was so merciful that he had eventually decided Marina would join their ‘congregation’. (His name for the cult.)

They started by giving her mundane ‘harmless’ jobs; cleaning, gardening, washing robes…

If she dared put one foot out of line, the priest had made it very clear what would happen to Luke and the Professor. 

Marina could run and contact the police— anyone outside the cult— but while she was away, there could another fatal error in the Relics Room, wherever that was…

The priest might as well have had Marina’s heart crushed in his fist.

So, Marina stayed. She followed orders and she kept her head down, but she was always watching. Watching and learning.

Two years into her imprisonment, she came to terms with the fact that no one was coming to rescue her.

Either Luke’s family and friends had forgotten she existed— or they had deemed it too dangerous to continue with the search.

Fine. Marina made friends on the inside. Her former warden— Josie— was her closest confidant.

Josie, apparently, wanted to use the Relics coffins for herself. She was more than happy to help Marina free Luke and Layton… if, in return, Marina could activate a coffin for Josie.

To do that, Marina would need to learn how to run the coffins safely— expertly, Josie said.

Despite her ‘obedience’ to the cult, Marina wasn’t allowed anywhere near the Relics Room— not even five years into her service.

Josie smuggled her books, blueprints and hastily-written notes from within the organisation.

Whenever Marina found a moment of peace, away from prying eyes, she would read— over and over, until she had every tiny detail memorised.

She couldn’t afford to make a single mistake— not when Luke and the Professors’ lives depended on her.

There would be no hints. No shortcuts… Just a potential window of opportunity that could arrive at any time.

That window was thrown open— eleven years after Marina’s capture— by a young woman who strolled into the cathedral with her friends. Katrielle Layton.

Marina had almost rushed out of her hiding place when Katrielle and her companions were surrounded by cult members— just like Luke and Layton years ago— but then, Katrielle had snapped her fingers and reinforcements had come storming in.

At last, the police had arrested the priest and his lackeys. Josie had shot Marina a look as she was led away with the other cult members.

“I’ll get you out,” Marina had mouthed, but Josie had shaken her head. Josie wanted in. She wanted to use the coffins to ‘escape to the future’… 

But before that, Marina needed to find the coffins.

Thankfully, Katrielle took care of that too! She moved a candlestick on the alter like a lever, uncovering a secret staircase.

“Puzzles are puzzles because they can be solved!” Katrielle announced. Marina blinked.

That was true, wasn’t it? It didn’t matter how long it took to solve a puzzle— or even if you had help— just as long as it got solved in the end!

Marina emerged from her hiding spot when Katrielle and her assistants had disappeared down the stairs.

This was it… This had to be it. Luke and Professor Layton had to be waiting at the bottom of these stairs�� in the legendary Relics Room… and soon, they would be free.

Marina would make sure of it. This was her mission— what she had spent the last eleven years of her life working towards. She would solve the puzzle of the coffins… 

Or, if she couldn’t, maybe Katrielle and Co could help her. They would solve it together.

Marina smiled.

#professor layton #luke triton #marina triton #luke/marina #Lmj #lmj anime #my writing #my fics #Backstory for Marina and Luke #katrielle layton #layton npc appreciation week #Steam Bison gets a cameo

[stuckinthewrongworld]

Name

Bermuda Marin

Crew Name

The Brass-Knuckle Pirates

Affiliation

The Straw Hat Pirates

The Heart Pirates

The Red Hair Pirates

Occupation(s)

Scout

Nicknames

Wave Rider

Water Baby

Mizu

Origin

The North Blue

Residence

N/A

Alias(es)

N/A

Epithet

“Wave Rider” Marin

Status

Alive

Age

PreTime Skip: 22

Post Time Skip: 24

Birthday

March 2nd

Height

5’ 8”

Bounty

1,000,000

Eye Color

Aqua Blue

Hair Color

Dirty Blonde

Body Type

Average, but broad

Sexuality

Straight

Species

Human

Alignment

Chaotic Good

Appearance

Marin is built bigger than most girls, being on the broader side, but is somewhat in shape.  Marin’s skin is always tanned from spending time out in the sun and she has freckles crossing her face and shoulders.  Her hair is curly and dirty blonde in color. Pre-time skip her hair is around her shoulder blade in length. Post time skip she cuts her hair to right under her shoulder length and pulls it half up in a messy bun. She keeps a slid cut in her left eyebrow.  Marin’s eyes are turquoise blue, just like the sea waters she is named after.  During the time skip Marin gauges her ears to a size 4.

Marin has several scars.  Pre-time skip, she has a large scar running the majority of the length of her right shin.  Marin obtained this scar when she was running away from home and she slipped on some sharp rocks.  She also has a small scar on the inside of her left middle finger, but she can’t remember what caused this scar.  Post-time skip Marin has a roundish scar on the top of her left hand from where she was punctured during a fight before she could activate her Devil Fruit Power.  She also obtains a new scar that goes the opposite way across her right shin from banging her leg into a box on the ship. 

Personality

Marin is on the quiet side, especially around new people.  Once you’re friends with her though, she will do anything for you.  Marin is usually the friend that is left hanging towards the back, but she uses this to be observant to things going on around her.  Marin tries her hardest to be nice to everyone, but once you screw her over, she’s done with you.  Marin is honest to a fault, sometimes more than she should be, but you’ll never have to guess where you stand with her.  

Friends/Allies

The Straw Hat Pirates

The Heart Pirates

The-Red Haired Pirates

The Kid Pirates

Enemies

The Marines/ The Navy

The World Government

Love Interest

Trafalgar D. Water Law

Love Status

Crushing on each other, but both too nervous to make the first move.

Powers and Abilities:

Devil Fruit

The Jabu Jabu No Mi/ The Splash-Splash Fruit

Devil Fruit Type

Logia

Description of Fruit

The Jabu Jabu No Mi or Splash Splash Fruit is bright blue in color and covered in multiple swirls.  In the right light, the color seems to change like the colors of the ocean.  The stem somewhat resembles a faucet spout.  

Being a Logia Type, this allows Marin to literally become water.  Marin can also control water.  Post-time skip, she has figured out how to heal with water as well.  One of her more deadly attacks is creating water and surrounding her enemy’s head so they cannot breathe.  She doesn't like to use this maneuver, but she will as a last ditch attack.

Haki Type(s)

None

Weapons/Accessories

-Marin does not have any weapons, but she has a water pouch that she carries extra water in.

-The necklace Marin wears was made by her best friend, Kelpie (a mermaid),  The mermaids around the island where Marin grew up were able to make beautiful ocean colored stones, adorning their bodies with them.  

-Duing the 2 year time skip, Marin runs into Kelpie again and she makes her a pair of gauges to match her necklace. 

Likes

-Marin loves to swim and loves the water in general.  Before eating her Devil Fruit, Marin spent more time in water than on land.

-Pickles.  Will take anyone’s pickles that do not want them.

-Laying out on the beach.

-Napping.

-Kickboxing.

-Reading.

Dislikes

-Early mornings/ waking up.

-Fish/ Seafood.

-Running.

History

Marin grew up on a small island in the North Blue that was famous for their agriculture.  Marin’s family owned a prominent farm that her father and younger brother were heavily involved in.  Marin had more interest in swimming and spending time in the gorgeous waters that surrounded the area.  Marin became an excellent swimmer, rivaling even some of the mermaids that lived in the surrounding waters. When she was young, Marin made friends with a mermaid named Kelpie and they would play together all the time.  Marin’s parents were not happy about this, being lowkey racist towards any race that was not human.  People on this particular island were not fans of spending time on the water, as their livelihood came from the land.  Once her parents found out that Marin’s best friend was a mermaid, they did whatever they could to keep Marin away from the waters and away from Kelpie.  Marin would sneak out to swim and play with Kelpie.  Marin’s parents found her sneaking out one day and threw her in a locked room with no windows.  Marin would only be let out to use the restroom.

Rumors began to spread that Marin had to be half-Fishman or half-mermaid for as much as she loved the water.  This pissed Marin’s mother off, causing her father to accuse her of cheating, even though that was not the case.  Marin’s mother and father fought constantly and ended up taking it out on Marin, especially after these rumors came out.  Marin’s parents heard about Devil Fruits one day and how people who consumed them could not be in the water.  Marin’s mother and father sought out a Devil Fruit and were able to find a vendor who was trying to get rid of one.  Once they found this Devil Fruit, they stopped feeding Marin and only put the Devil Fruit in the room with her.  Her parents jested at her that she could only come out once she ate the Devil Fruit.  Marin had heard about how Devil Fruit users could no longer swim, so she held out for as long as she could before finally caving and eating the Splash Splash Fruit.  Marin was so hungry, she did not care how awful it tasted and ate the whole fruit.  Marin’s mother and father laughed the entire time they were letting her out of the room.

As soon as she was released, Marin ran to the sea to find Kelpie.  Marin cried as she told Kelpie what had happened to her and how she could no longer swim.  Marin was so depressed knowing that she could never swim she tried to throw herself into the water.  Kepie stopped her and said that she would always save her, no matter how many times Marin tried to get into the water.  Kelpie made Marin one of her clan’s famed necklaces that looked like the sea, that way she would always have a piece of the ocean with her, even though she could no longer swim like she wanted.  

The next few years were torture.  Marin’s parents and brother would taunt her about no longer being able to swim.  Marin eventually figured out what her Devil Fruit power was and was happy that it still connected her to water.  In secret, Marin would practice honing her skills down at a hidden spot on the beach with Kelpie.  Marin eventually learned how to manipulate water to be able to walk on and surf on it.  Marin’s parents never figured out what her Devil Fruit abilities were until the night she ran away, not being able to take their torment anymore.  Her mother and father tried to hold Marin back but she was able to slip through their fingers by turning into water.  Cussing her, her father pulled a gun.  Scared, Marin manipulated water to surround both her mother and father’s heads, submerging them and keeping them from breathing.  Panic coated their faces, especially her mother, as her mother hated even getting her head wet while bathing.  Marin said she would let them live if they let her leave and never looked for her.  Her parents finally agreed, so Marin dropped the water and ran.  Marin ran to the beach and surfed over the water and away from the island.  Kelpie accompanied Marin until she ran into the Baratie, where she passed out from exhaustion.  

Zeff found Marin and Kelpie explained to him what had happened.  When Marin came to, Sanji offered Marin food to help her get her energy back.  Marin thanked Sanji and he tried to flirt with both her and Kelpie, moreso Kelpie.  Zeff told Marin that Kelpie explained her story and asked what her plan was.  Marin explained that she had nowhere to go and no money.  Zeff offered Marin a job on the Baratie and she happily accepted, doing odd jobs around the restaurant. 

#One Piece #One Piece OC #OP #OP OC #devil fruit #devil fruit user #logia #logia devil fruit #mermaid #oc #original character #One Piece OC story

[bookgeekgrrl]

My media this week (14-20 Apr 2024)

📚 STUFF I READ 📚

nothing long! not really a lot of reading at all this week tbh

💖💖 +163K of shorter fic so shout out to these I really loved 💖💖

Appetite (the_deep_magic) - The Eagle of the Ninth: Marcus/Esca, 13K - very satisfying incubus fic

Too many men on the ice (imperfectcircle) - Original Work, Hockey: Himbo Bisexual/Neurotic Gay, Himbo Bisexual/Grumpy Bisexual, endgame Himbo Bisexual/Neurotic Gay/Grumpy Bisexual, 18K - just DELIGHTFUL! Sunshine himbo hockey player meets stressed doctor - they make it work but himbo's grumpy teammate might cause some friction? Luckily polyamory is there to save them all!

The Chase (saltandbyrne) - TW: Sterek, 10K - reread, fave - fun, deliciously filthy & wonderful omegaverse chase/claim

Think I'm Finally Clean (fuck_me_barnes) - MCU: Stucky, 4.6K - reread, fave - "In which sub Bucky wishes for rougher handling by normally gentle dom Steve, and gets probably more than he bargained for."

📺 STUFF I WATCHED 📺

Beyond Paradise - s1, e1-6; s2, e0-3

Ghosts (US) - s3, e6-8

Murdoch Mysteries - s16, e8-13

QI - series S, e14; series U, e1-3

D20: Fantasy High: Junior Year - "The Last Stand" (s21, e15)

D20: Adventuring Party - "Nighttime Ecstasy" (s16, e15)

🎧 PODCASTS 🎧

⭐ Worlds Beyond Number - A County Affair ep1 "CRIME-a-doodle-doo!"

⭐ Worlds Beyond Number - A County Affair ep2 "FAIRmageddon!"

Worlds Beyond Number: Fireside - Fireside Chat for A County Affair ep1: "CRIME-a-doodle-doo!"

Worlds Beyond Number: Fireside - Fireside Chat for A County Affair ep2: "FAIRmageddon!"

The Sporkful - Alyse Whitney Brings Big Dip Energy

Throughline - The Union Strike That Changed The History of Flight

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Reppin our Weird Hometown Traditions

⭐ Hit Parade - We Want It That Way Edition

WikiHole - March Madness (with Rory Scovel, Natasha Leggero and Sabrina Jalees)

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Showgirl Magic Museum

Welcome to Night Vale #246 - A Story about Him

⭐ Switched on Pop - Berlin's Hottest Club is Rico Nasty & Boys Noize

99% Invisible #578 - Anything's Pastable: Eat Sauté Love

Vibe Check - Death and Taxes

Better Offline - How A Chinese Glycine Manufacturer Went Viral ft. Louise Matsakis and Tianyu Fang

It's Been a Minute - An argument for the art of whistling

Ologies with Alie Ward - Columbidology (PIGEONS? YES) Part 1 with Rosemary Mosco

Pop Culture Happy Hour - Hot Ones And Conan O'Brien

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - How to make the best show about New York with John Wilson

Wiser Than Me - Julia Gets Wise with Ina Garten

Throughline - Ralph Nader, Consumer Crusader

Today, Explained - The great American squatter panic

Twenty Thousand Hertz+ - Late Night

⭐ Song Exploder - War "Low Rider"

Endless Thread - Green Memes

Pop Culture Happy Hour - Fallout And What's Making Us Happy

Short Wave - An 11-Year-old Unearthed Fossils Of The Largest Known Marine Reptile

Dear Prudence - My Wife’s Bipolar Diagnosis Is Creating A Rift in Our Marriage. Help!

⭐ Strong Songs - "Heart of Glass" by Blondie

Wait Wait… Don't Tell Me! - Judith Butler

Worlds Beyond Number - WWW #12: Prisoner's Dilemma

Worlds Beyond Number: Fireside - Fireside Chat for WWW ep12 "Prisoner's Dilemma"

🎶 MUSIC 🎶

The Monkees 50 [The Monkees] {2016}

Exzavion Powells

HARDC0RE DR3AMZ [Boys Noize & Rico Nasty] {2024}

Boys Noize

"Low Rider" [War] radio

#sunday reading recap #bookgeekgrrl's reading habits #bookgeekgrrl's soundtracks #fanfic ftw #dropout tv #“the last stand” was truly fantastic ep of d20 #beyond paradise is also giving me that 50% annoyance/50% affection vibe #which honestly is my bar for copaganda crime shows #they're so bad at policing! but i love the setting and the supporting characters a lot #the monkees #boys noize #rico nasty #exzavion powells #hit parade podcast #strong songs podcast #switched on pop podcast #song exploder #worlds beyond number podcast #vibe check podcast #worlds beyond number: fireside podcast #20k hz podcast #99% invisible podcast #welcome to night vale #pop culture happy hour podcast #endless thread podcast #it's been a minute podcast #ologies podcast #the sporkful podcast #the atlas obscura podcast #wikihole podcast

[annon-guy2]

Sonic Adventure 3: Clash of the Metarex - Character Themes

Sonic The Hedgehog: His World

Miles "Tails" Prower: Believe in Myself (Sonic Adventure 2 Version)

Knuckles The Echidna: Unknown from M.E. (Sonic Adventure Version)

Shadow The Hedgehog: All Hail Shadow (Sonic The Hedgehog 2006 Version)

Rouge The Bat: Fly in the Freedom

E-123 Omega: Waking Up

Amy Rose: Follow Me

Cream The Rabbit: Chao's Theme

Big The Cat: Lazy Days ~ Living in Paradise

Vector The Crocodile, Espio The Chameleon and Charmy Bee: Team Chaotix

Jet The Hawk, Wave The Swallow and Storm The Albatross: Catch Me If You Can (Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity Version)

Silver The Hedgehog: Dreams of an Absolution

Blaze The Cat: Vela-Nova

Marine The Raccoon: A New Venture

Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik: E.G.G.M.A.N. (Sonic Adventure 2 Version)

Metal Sonic: Look-A-Like [The song is from the Sonic The Hedgehog OVA Movie]

Zavok, Zazz, Zomom, Master Zik, Zeena and Zor: Theme of The Deadly Six

The Rookie/Custom Hero: Fist Bump

Cosmo The Seedrian: The Shining Road [The song is from Sonic X]

Galaxina The Seedrian: Let Me Try Again [The song originally comes from Astal for The Sega Saturn]

Gemerl: E-102 Gamma's Theme

Molly: The Light of Hope

Earthia The Seedrian: Tikal's Theme

Captain Whisker and Johnny: Battle With Whisker and Johnny

Infinite: INFINITE

Sage: Dear Father

Dark Oak, Black Narssisess, Pale Bayleaf, Yellow Zelkova and Red Pine: Almost Dead

Vs. Final Mova: Live and Learn

Main Theme: SONIC DRIVE [The song is from Sonic X]

------------------------------------------------------------‐-----------------

I hope these themes fit overall. If there's a theme you think should be changed, feel free to let know know through the comment or reblogging.

Credit to DeviantArt User, GalaxinaTheMagi for inspiration for Galaxina's characterization in my game idea.

P.S. I wanted to post the audio for these songs, but tumblr's fickle with it.

#Sonic The Hedgehog #Sonic Adventure 3 #Game Idea #SaveCosmo #SaveGalaxina

[pelicanmarine]

All You Need to Know About Jet Skis

A jet ski is defined as a small jet-propelled vehicle that skims across the surface of the water and typically is ridden like a motorcycle. The jet ski is a recreational personal watercraft (PWC) that the rider can stand or sit on. For an affordable price, jet skis offer intuitive handling and exceptional performance on the water. Jet skiing is the watersport of riding a jet ski. You can purchase a jet ski in marine shops.

How Do I Drive a Jet Ski?

Like most watersports, jet skiing is intuitive and is different for each person. Naturally, some people will find it difficult, and others will find it easy, but for the most part, it’s pretty straightforward.

Here is a rundown on how to properly drive a jet ski: first, find a comfortable sitting position, then place both hands on the handlebars and firmly place your feet on the footrests. Next, make sure the key is connected to the kill cord lanyard and attach this to your wrist. Turn the jet ski ignition switch and slowly start to push the throttle. Maintain a slow speed of about 5 to 8 miles per hour until you are clear of the shoreline and all obstacles.

You can change directions by leaning towards the direction you want to turn and maneuvering the handlebar to face that direction. You will need to keep accelerating in order to turn, so make sure to keep centered and balanced on the jet ski when maneuvering.

If you are faced with a wake or large waves, try to cross them at a 90° angle for maximum stability and so you aren’t pushed off the jet ski. It’s easier than you think to lose control of the jet ski so try going slowly until you get the hang of it and make sure you are taking the necessary safety precautions.

What Happens if I Fall Off?

If it’s your first time on a jet ski you will probably fall off at some point. All jet skis require a kill switch that attaches to the driver and kills the engine when it’s pulled out.

This is where having essential boating accessories, such as personal flotation devices, can be totally useful. Don’t be scared of falling off since this is normal; as long as you aren’t going 50 miles per hour, you should hit the water relatively softly, and assuming you’re wearing a personal flotation device you should be fine. Your lifejacket will prevent you from going deep underwater and let you stay afloat.

If your jet ski is capsized, you can turn your jet ski upwards in one direction and swim to the back for re-boarding. You shouldn’t re-board from the side because your watercraft could flip over. Hold onto the handles on the back of the seat and pull yourself up onto the seat and reattach the kill cord.

What Type of Jet Ski Do I Need?

The type of jet ski you need will depend on the features and specifications you want the jet ski to have. There are various types of jet ski models available ranging from recreational to performance, each having its own advantages and disadvantages for riders.

Recreational-light jet ski: The recreational light jet ski is the most affordable type of jet ski on the market. They are mainly used for leisure. These jet skis aren’t suitable for waves or bad weather as their lightweight and small hull makes it difficult to ride them in rough conditions.

Recreational jet ski: This type of jet ski model are the most popular mid-range jet ski models available. They are bigger and faster than recreational light jet ski models and have better specifications and features. Depending on the horsepower of the jet ski, recreational models can be used for leisure, wakeboarding, work (such as towing) and recreational racing.

Luxury jet ski: Luxury jet skis are the most feature-rich jet ski models. Luxury jet skis are built to be big, with more storage and fuel capacity than other models. They are designed to offer the highest level of comfort available while providing a stable and enjoyable ride in almost any condition. All the premium features are included with luxury jet skis, so you won’t have to worry about missing out on anything. Other features include touchscreen displays and security systems.

Performance jet ski: These jet ski models are made for competition and are easily the fastest jet skis on the market. With increased acceleration, torque, handling, and performance, they can reach top speeds of 70-80 miles per hour, powered by extremely powerful engines. They are best suited for experienced jet ski riders.

[legend-collection]

Taniwha

In Māori mythology, taniwha (Māori pronunciation: [ˈtanifa]) are large supernatural beings that live in deep pools in rivers, dark caves, or in the sea, especially in places with dangerous currents or deceptive breakers (giant waves). They may be considered highly respected kaitiaki (protective guardians) of people and places, or in some traditions as dangerous, predatory beings, which for example would kidnap women to have as wives.

At sea, a taniwha often appears as a whale or as quite a large shark such as southern right whale or whale shark; compare the Māori name for the Great white shark: mangō-taniwha. In inland waters, they may still be of whale-like dimensions, but look more like a gecko or a tuatara, having a row of spines along the back. Other taniwha appear as a floating log, which behaves in a disconcerting way (Orbell 1998:149-150, Reed 1963:297). Some can tunnel through the earth, uprooting trees in the process. Legends credit certain taniwha with creating harbours by carving out a channel to the ocean. Wellington's harbour, Te Whanganui-a-Tara, was reputedly carved out by two taniwha. The petrified remains of one of them turned into a hill overlooking the city. Other taniwha allegedly caused landslides beside lakes or rivers.

Pic by DragonAotearoa on DeviantArt

Taniwha can either be male or female. The taniwha Araiteuru is said to have arrived in New Zealand with the early voyaging canoes and her eleven sons are credited with creating the various branches of the Hokianga Harbour (Orbell 1995:184-185).

There has been some speculation based on several marine sightings and on purported habitat & physical representations that the Taniwha myth may be based on periodic populations of Saltwater Crocodile which rarely end up crossing the strait from Australia. Northern New Zealand presently appears to be just outside the temperature range where a population can sustain itself indefinitely, dying out during unusually cold winters.

Most taniwha have associations with tribal groups; each group may have a taniwha of its own. The taniwha Ureia, depicted on this page, was associated as a guardian with the Māori people of the Hauraki district. Many well-known taniwha arrived from Hawaiki, often as guardians of a particular ancestral canoe. Once arrived in Aotearoa, they took on a protective role over the descendants of the crew of the canoe they had accompanied. The origins of many other taniwha are unknown.

When accorded appropriate respect, taniwha usually acted well towards their people. Taniwha acted as guardians by warning of the approach of enemies, communicating the information via a priest who was a medium; sometimes the taniwha saved people from drowning. Because they lived in dangerous or dark and gloomy places, the people were careful to placate the taniwha with appropriate offerings if they needed to be in the vicinity or to pass by its lair. These offerings were often of a green twig, accompanied by a fitting incantation. In harvest time, the first kūmara (sweet potato) or the first taro was often presented to the taniwha.

Arising from the role of taniwha as tribal guardians, the word can also refer in a complimentary way to chiefs. The famous saying of the Tainui people of the Waikato district plays on this double meaning: Waikato taniwha rau (Waikato of a hundred chiefs) (Mead & Groves 2001:421).

Witi Ihimaera, author of The Whale Rider, says that he has a female kaitiaki (guardian) taniwha named Hine Te Ariki who lives in the Waipāoa River.

In their role as guardians, taniwha were vigilant to ensure that the people respected the restrictions imposed by tapu. They made certain that any violations of tapu were punished. Taniwha were especially dangerous to people from other tribes. There are many legends of battles with taniwha, both on land and at sea. Often these conflicts took place soon after the settlement of New Zealand, generally after a taniwha had attacked and eaten a person from a tribe that it had no connection with. Always, the humans manage to outwit and defeat the taniwha. Many of these taniwha are described as beings of lizard-like form, and some of the stories say the huge beasts were cut up and eaten by the slayers. When Hotu-puku, a taniwha of the Rotorua district, was killed, his stomach was cut open to reveal a number of bodies of men, women, and children, whole and still undigested, as well as various body parts. The taniwha had swallowed all that his victims had been carrying, and his stomach also contained weapons of various kinds, darts, greenstone ornaments, shark's teeth, flax clothing, and an assortment of fur and feather cloaks of the highest quality.

Many taniwha were killers but in this particular instance the taniwha Kaiwhare was eventually tamed by Tāmure. Tāmure lived at Hauraki and was understood to have a magical mere/pounamu with powers to defeat taniwha. The Manukau people then called for Tāmure to help kill the taniwha. Tāmure and Kaiwhare wrestled and Tāmure clubbed the taniwha over the head. Although he was unable to kill it, his actions tamed the taniwha. Kaiwhare still lives in the waters but now lives on kōura (crayfish) and wheke (octopus).

Ngārara Huarau is a taniwha known from the myths of several groups of Maori in the northern South Island. In most versions of the story, the monster eats several villagers and captures a young woman whom he keeps in a cave by the sea. Ngārara Huarau is eventually enticed to come to the local village for a feast, where he is ambushed and killed by the villagers. In each version of the story, upon his death the monster's tail detaches itself and is thrown far away into a body of water. In the version of Wainui Bay, and the Tākaka Māori, the tail lands in the pool at the base of Wainui Falls.

Sometimes, a person who had dealings with taniwha during their lifetime might turn into a taniwha after they died. This happened to Te Tahi-o-te-rangi, who had been a medium for the taniwha, and had been rescued at one time by one of the creatures. Tūheita, an early ancestor who drowned, became a taniwha despite the fact that he had no prior dealings with the mythical beasts. Sometimes relationships are formed between humans and taniwha. Hine-kōrako was a female taniwha who married a human man, and Pānia was a woman from the sea who married a human and gave birth to a taniwha (Orbell 1998:150).

In the legend "The Taniwha of Kaipara" three sisters went out to pick berries. One of the sisters was particularly beautiful. The taniwha caused havoc on their walk back and the sisters fled. The taniwha caught the sisters one by one, trying to capture the beautiful one. On succeeding, he then took her back to his cave. Many years passed and the woman bore the taniwha six sons, with three like their father and three fully human. She educated all her sons and in particular taught her human sons the art of war, helping them to fashion and use weapons. The human sons then killed their three taniwha brothers, and eventually their father. They all went back to their homes.

#Taniwha #maori #new zealand

[bluewhalegoa]

Top Summer Water Activities in Goa Waves & Wonders

Welcome to the ultimate guide to water adventures in Goa, brought to you by Blue Whale Goa! In this blog post, we’ll dive into the excitement of jet ski rides, parasailing, scuba diving, and other thrilling water activities that Goa has to offer. Get ready to experience the rush of the waves and the beauty of the coastal scenery as we explore the top water sports destinations in Goa.

Exploring Goa's Jet Skiing Scene

When it comes to jet ski rides in Goa few places can compare to the thrill and excitement offered by Blue Whale Goa. Located along the stunning coastline of Goa, our jet ski rental services provide adventurers with the opportunity to zip across the azure waters and experience the adrenaline rush like never before.

Preparing for the Adventure

Before embarking on your jet ski ride with Blue Whale Goa, it’s essential to ensure that you’re properly prepared for the adventure. Make sure to wear your safety gear, including a life jacket and helmet, and familiarize yourself with the operation of the jet ski. Our experienced instructors will provide you with all the necessary instructions to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience on the water.

Riding the Waves: The Experience

Once you’re geared up and ready to go, it’s time to hit the waves with Blue Whale Goa! Feel the thrill of speeding across the water, the wind in your hair, and the spray of the sea as you navigate through the waves. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, our parasailing in goa  promise an unforgettable experience filled with excitement and adventure.

Coastal Beauty: Scenic Views Along the Way

As you ride your jet ski along the coastline with Blue Whale Goa, take a moment to appreciate the breathtaking views and natural beauty that surrounds you. From the golden sands to the swaying palm trees, Goa’s coastline offers a picturesque backdrop for your Goa Adventure Activities.

Thrilling Moments: Jet Skiing Highlights

With Blue Whale Goa, every moment of your jet ski ride is filled with excitement and thrills. Whether you’re performing high-speed turns, jumping waves, or simply cruising along the coast, our jet ski rides guarantee unforgettable moments that will leave you wanting more.

Environmental Awareness and Responsible Riding

At Blue Whale Goa, we are committed to promoting environmental awareness and responsible riding practices. We encourage all riders to respect marine life, avoid sensitive habitats, and minimize their impact on the environment while enjoying their scuba diving in goa

Capturing Memories: Photography and Videography

Don’t forget to capture your unforgettable moments with Blue Whale Goa! Bring along your waterproof camera or GoPro to document your jet ski ride and share your epic adventures with friends and family.

Conclusion

In conclusion, jet ski rides with Blue Whale Goa offer an exhilarating way to experience the beauty and excitement of Goa’s coastline. Whether you’re seeking thrills on the water or simply looking to soak in the stunning scenery, our jet ski rides promise an unforgettable adventure that you’ll cherish for years to come. So what are you waiting for? Book your jet ski ride with Blue Whale Goa today and get ready to ride the waves in style

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Dubai's Hidden Gems: Unforgettable Sea Activities for Every Adventure Seeker

With its stunning beaches and vibrant marine life, Dubai offers many sea activities that cater to every adventure seeker's taste. While the city is renowned for its luxurious lifestyle and extravagant attractions, hidden gems are waiting to be explored by those seeking affordable yet unforgettable experiences in the water. From cheap water sports to thrilling adventure activities, Dubai has something for everyone looking to make a splash. Let's delve into the world of Dubai sea activities, where adventure meets affordability and fun meets excitement.

Exploring Dubai's Beach Activities

Dubai's pristine beaches are the perfect playground for water enthusiasts, offering a wide range of activities that cater to all levels of adventure seekers. One of the most popular beach activities in Dubai is kite surfing, where enthusiasts can harness the power of the wind to glide across the water at high speeds. Kite surfing schools can be found along the coast, offering lessons for beginners and advanced riders alike.

For those looking for a more laid-back experience, paddle boarding is a great way to explore Dubai's tranquil waters while getting a full-body workout. Stand-up paddle boarding is easy to learn and suitable for all ages, making it a popular choice for families and solo travelers alike. Many beach clubs and water sports centers in Dubai offer paddle board rentals at affordable rates, making it a budget-friendly activity for all.

Thrilling Water Sports Adventures in Dubai

If you're seeking an adrenaline rush, Dubai has no shortage of thrilling water sports activities to get your heart racing. Jet skiing in the Arabian Gulf's crystal-clear waters is a favorite choice for thrill seekers, as it allows them to race across the waves while taking in spectacular views of the Dubai cityscape from the ocean. Jet ski rentals are provided at several spots along the coast, with the choice of guided excursions or self-directed experiences.

Scuba diving and snorkeling are must-do activities in Dubai for people who want to explore under the surface. The city has some of the region's most pristine coral reefs and rich marine life, making it an underwater enthusiast's dream. From colorful coral gardens to shipwrecks teeming with fish, Dubai's underwater world offers a unique and unforgettable experience for divers of all levels.

Affordable Adventure Sports in Dubai

While Dubai is known for its luxury and opulence, there are plenty of affordable adventure sports options for budget-conscious travelers looking to make the most of their time in the city. Parasailing is a popular pastime that mixes the exhilaration of flight with stunning vistas of Dubai's shoreline. Many water sports centers offer affordable parasailing packages, allowing you to soar above the water and take in panoramic city skyline views.

Booking a flyboarding session in Dubai is a genuinely memorable experience. Flyboarding is a relatively new water sport in which you ride a water-powered jetpack above the waves, giving you the illusion of soaring like a superhero. While flyboarding may initially seem intimidating, most water sports centers in Dubai offer beginner introductory lessons, making it a suitable activity for adventurers of all levels.

Exploring Dubai's Hidden Gems

Aside from the main tourist sites, Dubai has a number of hidden treasures that provide unique and off-the-beaten-path maritime activities for adventurers. One such hidden treasure is the Musandam Peninsula, which is only a short drive from Dubai and has some of the region's most magnificent landscape. Visitors can embark on a dhow cruise through the fjords of Musandam, taking in stunning views of towering cliffs and crystal-clear waters along the way.

Another hidden gem worth exploring is the man-made World Islands, a collection of artificial islands shaped like a world map off the coast of Dubai. While the World Islands are still developing, adventurous travelers can access the islands by boat and explore the unique landscapes and seascapes that make this destination a unique experience.

Dubai's hidden gems offer a treasure trove of sea activities for every adventure seeker, from cheap water sports to thrilling adventures and off-the-beaten-path experiences. Whether you're seeking an adrenaline rush or a leisurely day on the water, Dubai has something for everyone looking to make a splash. So next time you find yourself in the City of Gold, take advantage of the opportunity to explore Dubai's vibrant marine world and discover the hidden gems that make this city a paradise for sea lovers. Strap on your gear, dive in, and let the adventure begin!

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Kandui Resort: A Paradise that Offers More than Just Waves

Kandui Resort Indonesia is situated in the stunning Mentawai Islands of Indonesia. It is renowned for its perfect waves and peaceful beaches. However, the resort has much more to offer beyond its surfing appeal. The place is surrounded by natural beauty and provides a variety of experiences beyond just surfing.

A Surf Destination for Everyone

The waves at Kandui Resort cater to a wide range of surfers, from beginners to experienced riders. The resort's coastline offers a variety of waves, including gentle rollers and challenging barrels. In addition to being a top surfing destination, the island is also an ideal location for snorkelling and diving enthusiasts, with clear waters and abundant marine life. It's a perfect playground for anyone who loves the ocean.

Living Amidst Nature

The Kandui Resort's accommodations are thoughtfully designed to blend in with the lush tropical surroundings. The open-air designs and use of natural building materials allow guests to experience the beautiful, natural environment around them. Imagine waking up to the soothing songs of exotic birds or stargazing from your porch. The villas and rooms at Kandui Resort are designed to connect guests to nature, encouraging relaxation and a deep appreciation of the environment.

Beyond the Surf

While surfing may be the main attraction for most visitors, Kandui Resort has plenty of other activities to offer when you're not catching waves. You can take a peaceful stroll along the beach, enjoy a rejuvenating yoga session with the calming sound of waves in the background, or indulge in a relaxing massage. The resort also provides a chance to experience the local culture by taking guests on excursions to nearby villages where they can interact with the locals - a true Indonesian cultural experience.

A Feast for Your Taste Buds

Food plays a significant role in any vacation, and at Kandui Resort, they take their culinary experience very seriously. They use fresh, locally sourced ingredients to create delicious meals that are sure to satisfy your taste buds. Whether you want to enjoy the catch of the day, a plate of ripe tropical fruits, or some freshly prepared traditional Indonesian dishes, the resort's dining options are a celebration of the local cuisine, prepared to nourish both your body and soul.

Immortalize Your Moments

Although the memories of a wonderful vacation can stay with you forever, having tangible mementos to look back on can be invaluable. Kandui Resort provides expert photography services, ensuring that visitors can capture the best moments of their trip, be it surfing action shots or peaceful sunsets. It's all about bringing a piece of paradise back home with you, in multiple ways.

Kandui Resort is not just a destination for surfers; it offers a complete and fulfilling island escape experience that appeals to all senses. From the excitement of surfing to the serenity of a sunset yoga class, from savouring delicious meals to exploring local customs - Kandui Resort provides a paradise that is more than just about waves. Whether you are catching your first wave, enjoying the ocean's gentle lapping at the shore, or simply immersing yourself in the island's ambience, Kandui Resort is a place where you can create timeless memories.

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Master the Art of Foiling at Foil Sports NZ!!!

Foil Sports NZ define expertise and passion for foiling adventures in the heart of Tauranga and Auckland, New Zealand. From foiling lessons to mastering downwind glides and delving into the exhilarating realm of wing foiling, the center offers an immersive experience for enthusiasts of all levels. With a commitment to excellence and safety, Foil Sports NZ crafts unforgettable moments on the water, making dreams of flight a reality.

Foiling, an innovative water sport, combines the elements of surfing, sailing, and flying, providing a unique and dynamic experience on the waves. Foil Sports NZ's foiling lessons Tauranga provide the perfect introduction to this thrilling activity. Led by experienced instructors, novices are guided through the fundamentals of balance, control and technique. With state-of-the-art equipment and personalized instruction, students swiftly progress from mastering the basics to confidently gliding above the water's surface. Whether it's the rush of a first successful foil or the joy of perfecting maneuvers, each lesson is a step towards foiling mastery.

Venturing beyond the tranquil shores of Tauranga, it offers an unforgettable foil downwind lesson Auckland. Known for its breathtaking coastal scenery and optimal wind conditions, it provides the ideal backdrop for an exhilarating downwind foil adventure. Participants harness the power of wind as they glide effortlessly along the coastline, riding swells with precision and grace. Under the guidance of seasoned instructors, riders learn to navigate the open water, harnessing energy of waves to propel them forward. With each exhilarating glide, participants gain a deeper appreciation for the harmony between wind, water, and foil, making lessons a truly unforgettable experience.

For those seeking the next frontier in foiling excitement, Foil Sports NZ introduces the art of wing foiling in Tauranga. Combining the elements of foiling and windsurfing with the added thrill of flight, wing foiling pushes the boundaries of water sports innovation. Instructors guide students through the intricacies of handling the wing, mastering balance and harnessing the wind's power to lift effortlessly above the waves. From the initial exhilaration of catching the wind to the adrenaline-pumping sensation of carving through the water, wing foil lessons Tauranga offers an unmatched sense of freedom and adventure.

Beyond the thrill of mastering new skills, Foil Sports NZ prioritizes safety and sustainability in every aspect of its operations. With a strong commitment to environmental stewardship, the center promotes responsible water sports practices and advocates for the preservation of marine ecosystems. Through ongoing education and community engagement initiatives, Foil Sports NZ strives to instill a sense of reverence for the natural world while fostering a vibrant foiling community. Foil Sports NZ stands as a premier destination for foiling enthusiasts, offering an array of lessons and experiences that showcase the beauty and excitement of this dynamic water sport. With unparalleled instruction, state-of-the-art equipment and a commitment to excellence, Foil Sports NZ invites adventurers to soar to new heights and discover the boundless possibilities of foiling.

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