SO about the new pokemon... i really want to talk about this guy, as well as the animal(s) it’s based off of!

some notable features, of course, are that Grafaifai looks extremely close to some type of lemur (big eyes, ears, primate-like build and ringed tail); but it actually seems to be a combination of a few. appearance-wise, however, it’s pretty much directly based off of the Aye-aye, which looks like this!!

they’re really strange little guys! note the long middle finger (and yeah thats a. really fucking funny convenient finger to be the long one), which Grafaifai also has. at least we can say nintendo was really true to its source material on this..... in real life, though, aye-ayes use these to help them forage for food, mostly while picking in trees and reaching hard-to-get places. it’s not pictured here but they also have similar looking teeth, i wanna say... aalmost like that of a beaver’s? that aside, aye-ayes are actually sadly endangered; due to habitat loss and a sad myth, many of their numbers are going down in their home, madagascar. the aye-aye is a bit unnatural looking, from head to toe, yea, but its appearance is solely one that evolved over time to help it survive (i actually think they’re cute!). unfortunately, in its home land, many people believe this animal to be evil or a bad omen of some kind. this myth has led to a decrease in their population- however, researchers and biologists are doing all they can to help recover this amazing species. for the reason that they aren’t generally known of here, not to mention they already have a bad rep, i was REALLY delighted to see Grafaifai take inspiration from an aye-aye

still, aye-ayes aren’t the only primates Grafaifai seems to be based off of. i’d like to talk about some of those as well!! when i first saw it, i was already excited considering it had the resemblance of a lemur, but even more so when i looked at it closer and read its description:

Grafaifai is nocturnal. Once the sun sets, it licks its hands and fingers to cover them in poison, then uses them to draw patterns on the trees in its territory. The poisonous saliva it uses to paint paralyzes Bug Pokemon, which are drawn to the saliva's sweet, fragant scent. When dawn draws near, Grafaifai goes to collect any incapacitated prey.

aye-ayes, of course, don’t actually have any functions that allow them to create poison of any kind. they do mark their territory, but this particular feature seems to draw inspiration from another primate- the slow loris!

alright now i have a funny little something to say ok? ok. believe it or not THIS loris is the more dangerous of the two- they’re really cute.... sweet even... but in order to protect themselves, they have venomous saliva that they lick themselves with and use in their deadly bite. yes these guys can actually kill people contrary to aye-ayes (i really like that Grafaifai’s other description box notes that its poison will “immobilize a victim for three whole days”). sadly, many species of slow loris are ALSO endangered, either being sought after for their venom or being kept as pets. if you’ve seen videos of these guys being “played” with or snuggled and it isn’t from a zoo or rescue center, it’s most likely harmful to them... scientists are also doing their very best to save lorisidae too, though!

it’s possible Grafaifai also draws inspiration from bush babies, another type of lemur (and my favorite animal) based on some of its appearance and the whole territory thing- but i think the main two have to be the aye-aye and slow loris!! little me would’ve been THRILLED to see this pokemon so honestly i think this is bringin me back into it. and if you’ve read this far thanks!! i love talking about these incredible primates & i really hope to bring more awareness to them! 

Animal Crossing Fish - Explained #195

Brought to you by a marine biologist and the biggest, baddest reptiles alive right now...

CLICK HERE FOR THE AC FISH EXPLAINED MASTERPOST!

By the time you read this, I will be out at sea, but I wanted to do these guys because I just did an educational program about crocodilians on Saturday and I guess I wasn’t done? Yeah, so, let’s talk about the Alligator Villagers, okay?

This is going to be a long ass post because I’m about to share almost everything I know about crocodilians and show lots of pictures, because I absolutely love them. 

Now, just to get this out of the way, two of the Alligator Villagers are not really crocodilians - Drago is a Dragon and Del is a robot. And unfortunately, none of the Alligator villagers look like any particular species of crocodilian, which is a damn shame. In fact, they don’t really resemble Alligators as much as they do Crocodiles (and, in fact, in the Japanese version, they are called Crocodiles). 

But I hear you asking “how the hell can you tell?” Glad you asked! See, there are actually 4 major kinds of Crocodilian - Alligators, Caimans, Crocodiles, and the Gharial. They all belong in the Order Crocodilia, which is a group of animals that were actually incredibly diverse in the distant past. Back then, crocs didn’t just wallow around in the water waiting to ambush prey - a good lot of them had strong legs allowing them to hold their bodies off the ground and *run* after prey. They filled many niches and some were so big they preyed upon dinosaurs. Of course, like many animals at the end of the Cretaceous some 66 million years ago, many crocs went extinct, but this tried and true playbook of ambushing from the water stayed around. 

Today, crocs are found primarily in tropical areas around the world. There are 2 species of alligator, 14 species of crocodile, 6 species of caiman, and 2 species of gharial. Quite a few of them are endangered due to habitat loss, harvest for their tough skins, and people generally being afraid of them.

By LittleJerry - derivative work:File:SaltwaterCrocodile('Maximo').jpg Molly Ebersold of the St. Augustine Alligator FarmFile:American Alligator.jpg User:PostdlfFile:Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) male.jpg Charlesjsharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75191082

Okay, but back to the original question - how to tell these animals apart? They all have the same general body plan - a thick, muscular body, a big flat tail for swimming, eyes and nostrils at the top of their heads, and four splayed out legs they clumsily use to drag themselves around on land. So, when telling them apart, you want to look at the shape of their snouts! Alligators have a very broad snout (pic to the right), and most of their teeth, especially the lower jaw set, are hidden. Meanwhile, crocodiles have longer, pointier snouts and many of their teeth, top and bottom, stick out of their mouths (which makes the Alligator villagers actually Crocodiles with those teeth protruding from the lower jaw).

 After that, it gets more simple - Caiman are the smallest of the crocodilians and have short snouts, and, although they are more closely related to Alligators, they are more crocodile-like with their sharper teeth and pointier snout. Last but not least is my favorite, the very strange Gharials, with their very skinny snout and long, needle-like teeth perfect for catching fish. 

By Clpramod - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78302378

Okay, so where do Crocodilians fall on the tree of life? Are they just really big lizards? NO. In fact, crocodilians belong in a clade called the archosaurs, a separate lineage of reptiles from the lepidosaurs, aka the snakes, lizards, and plesiosaurs, etc. Archosaurs include not only crocs, but also the pterosaurs and all of the dinosaurs. That last bit means that crocs and birds are more closely related to each other than they are to snakes and lizards. We’re also pretty sure turtles belong in archosauria, but that’s still considered tentative, though there’s been more evidence to support it. So, yeah, crocodiles and birds, cousins.

Now, let’s talk about the business end of a croc - those teeth! All croc teeth have one function - to hold onto prey and basically get abused as the animals use them to drag larger animals into the water to drown. The teeth are sharp, but they are also thick and robust, perfect for this purpose. They are also built to withstand the incredible power crocodile jaws have to offer - the absolute strongest jaws of any animal alive today belong to the saltwater croc - allowing crocs to not only bite and hold onto prey, but also crush it, really. In that way, the teeth are more like spikes than teeth, since they do not slice or help the animal chew. Crocs swallow their prey or prey chunks whole. The only slight deviation in this plan is the gharial that has thinner teeth for a specialized diet of fish, but it still stands - the teeth are for holding onto prey. 

I think I’ll stop there, but yeah, crocs are cool af!

See ya later, alligator!

Survey #374

“doctor, doctor, won’t you please prescribe me something?  /  a day in the life of someone else...”

Does someone have a crush on you but you don’t feel the same way? No. Who do you feel most beautiful around? No one. What’s one makeup item you cannot live without? I could live without any makeup. What’s the most expensive thing you own? My snake, I think. Or my laptop, idr. Are you more of a book person or a TV person? Book. Relationship status? Single. What color are most of your clothes? Black. Did you french kiss before you were 16? No, I was 16. Last song you listened to? "The Heretic Anthem" by Slipknot. Would you ever go back to any of your past relationships? Yes. What’s your favorite thing about life? That's a big question. I guess seeing acts of mass love and kindness, reminders that we're all in this together through all hardships. Who pays for the first date? Whoever asked the other person out, imo. Who has always been there for you? My mom. Have you ever written on a wall? No, at least not to my memory. Do you play any computer games, if so, what ones? I think anyone who reads these by now knows, haha. I don't much play anything else. I prefer console games. What would you name a baby boy if you had one? Probably Damien or Victor. What would you name a baby girl if you had one? Alessandra, no questions asked. What lyric means the most to you? I mean there's tons, but the first one that came to mind is "for such a little thing, you sure are in your own way" from "Get Up" by Mother Mother. Like in the big picture, we humans are so so so minuscule, but with brains that are too complicated for our own good. It's my own head that creates so many obstacles for me. Who is the smartest person you know? Probably my friend Girt. Have your parents ever been to jail? No. Do you share a bed with anyone? My cat, haha. Does it flatter you when guys open doors for you? It's flattering if anyone does, not just guys. Do you enjoy taking naps? Yeah. That's like part of my daily routine. If your friend asked you to hold their drugs, would you? Nope. Is there anyone you try to be a good influence for? My nieces and nephew, but I don't feel like I am. I'm a poor example of an adult. Do you own a pair of fishnets? No, but I have a pair of fingerless fishnet gloves. Which do you prefer: french toast, bagels, pancakes, waffles, bacon or cereal? All are great, but french toast. Yes or no: eyebrow piercings? I'd actually have one if I didn't have glasses. I think I'd look weird with one as I look now. When I say "The Beatles," what is the first song that comes to mind? "Hey, Jude." In your opinion, what is the very worst type of weather? Extremely hot and humid. You can only listen to one band for the rest of your life, who do you pick? Ozzy Osbourne, of course. Can you snap with both of your hands? Yeah, but it's harder with my left. What is something that you had to learn the hard way? For some people, promises don't mean shit. If you could re-paint your bedroom, what color would you paint it? Maybe like a light peach. When was the last time you got butterflies? I think not since Sara told me I look really pretty in eyeliner. ;_; <3 When was the last time you felt like your heart was actually breaking? There was this one time I was listening to "The Ghost of You" by MCR a while after finding out about Jason's mom's death and I just like... broke. When’s the last time you were in a line? When I was getting my second COVID shot. Do you trust the media? HA! Fuck no. If you could kill off one species of animal, which would it be? At first I was appalled by this question, but like... do wasps serve a purpose? Of all fauna, they annoy me the most. I mean bees are already endangered enough, and they prey on them. They don't pollinate, so like... why are you here. I may be mistaken and they have a valuable role, in which case I take all this back. Who’d you last say I love you to? My mom. What’s the most overpaid job in your opinion? I have on idea. Most jobs are underpaid. What’s the last thing you wrote down? I was doing some paperwork at the TMS office on my first day there. When’s the last time you heard a gunshot? I don’t know. What are you looking forward to? Now that my tattoo (which looks fucking stunning, by the way) is out of the way, I can focus on other things. I'm particularly looking forward to hopefully seeing the results of TMS manifest (which should take 3-4 weeks). It sounds horrible, but I'm also keenly awaiting this dog we're stuck with to go somewhere... The person who gave her to my sister to give my mom won't take the dog back, and we can't find another option that doesn't risk her being euthanized, which we absolutely do not want. We just don't know what to do, but she's driving Mom and me INSANE. Do you listen to online radio stations? No. Have you ever done something sexual that you regret? No. Have you ever said anything to the last person you kissed that you regret? Multiple things. Have you ever ate so much you puked? Ugh, no. That sounds awful. Do you care about what others think of your physical appearance? Very much, sadly. Would you rather eat cookies or brownies? I gotta say brownies. Which YouTuber have you learned the most from? I mean, this depends on the subject. From Mark, I've learned most about life and how (I think) to be a good person, but there's a lot of pet channels I watch that have taught me loads about proper husbandry. This answer just depends on what knowledge you're talkin' about. Who would you want to be the flower girl at your wedding? Probably a niece. Do you want to be married within the next ten years? It'd be nice. Do you feel like your life is too fast-paced, or do you wish it were busier? Ugh, I wish it was busier. My days are a COMPLETE, routine drag. What are some hobbies which you want to pick up? I want to just be more artsy. I wanna draw and write more, and I'd love love love to be in healthy enough shape to handle going on walks with my camera. There are sometimes I miss editing videos, too. I'm unsure about completely new hobbies. Does anyone encourage you to go after your dreams? My family and a few friends. Oh, and definitely my psychiatrist. What group are you most active in on Facebook? None, really. I mostly just observe. Are you ashamed of anything? A number of things. Primarily not having a job at my age or even being in school. What were your favorite Disney rides as a kid? I loved Splash Mountain, I think it was called. What were your favorite rides at Cedar Point? Never been. What are some places you want to visit that you’ve never been? South Africa, Alaska, Canada, Yellowstone National Park, Bahamas, Venice, Rome... What are some places that you’ve been that you’d like to go to again? Disney World, Chicago, and this one super clear lake I swam in once a few hours away that I don't recall the name of. Have you ever owned a succulent? No. While they're pretty, I've never been much of a plant person. Do you support small businesses? I REALLY want to start doing that more when I have the option to buy my own stuff/have my own income. As someone who wants to be a freelance photographer, I get it. Starting an independent business is hard as hell. If a brand were to sponsor you, which brand(s) would you prefer? Uhhh I dunno. Have you read the entire Bible? No. Do you make bucket lists for each season? No. That does sound kinda fun, though. How old were you when you first dyed your hair? I have no idea. Do you dye your hair regularly? No. :/ I desperately want to, though. It's just not something we can afford to spare cash on. What is the most comfortable type of pants, in your opinion? Pajama pants? haha Do you think you could ever be famous? No. I'm way too boring and don't want to be anyway. What are some jobs you’ve had in the past? Sales associate, cashier, and deli worker. None lasted long whatsoever. What are some jobs you want to or would like to have? List five. FIVE? I don't know. I just know I want to be a photographer. Well, being an artist or poet would be very cool. And a reptile breeder, maybe tarantulas, too, but that makes me kinda nervous with JUST how many babies they have. What are some jobs you have considered? In rough order from youth to now: paleontologist, vet, movie director, game designer, author/poet, artist, music video editor, wildlife biologist, photographer... Maybe there's more that just aren't coming to me. Are you thankful for social media, or do you wish it didn’t exist? Depends on the day for me, but I'm generally thankful for it so I can keep up with the lives of people who are important to me. It's just that it's a breeding ground for self-doubt and rampant comparisons that can easily depress me when I see some people are "further ahead" and more "established" than me. What are some of the best medications you’ve ever had? The combined efforts of Latuda and Lamictal saved my life. What was a video you watched over and over as a kid? There were lots of movies, like The Lion King, a certain Barney one when I was very young, and I watched Finding Nemo like crazy. Do you know a lot of people who were loving, and then turned cold? Jason????????????????? Is that you??????????????????????????????????????????? Do you own anything plaid? Ha, what a coincidence, I'm wearing my red plaid pj pants. Are you good at remembering names? Definitely not. Have the cops ever gotten on to you for anything before? No. What email thingy do you use? (yahoo, gmail, rock) ... Rock? lol anyway my main is Hotmail, but I inevitably have a gmail to have a YouTube account. What game system(s) do you own? PS2, Wii, Nintendo DS Lite, and a GameBoy Advance. Are you any good at Guitar Hero? I used to be; I played most songs on Expert, then some really tough ones on Hard. I was soooooo addicted to those games. I remember when I got the first one for Christmas, I literally played it all day. Have you ever played Call of Duty? Nah, not my jam. What is your favorite/most visited website? YouTube. Is your bed comfortable? Sure. I've definitely had way worse. Do you have a garage? No. Fun fact, I've never lived in a house with one. Should you be doing anything right now? What? There's a number of things I could be doing that are definitely more productive, like finishing decorating my damn room. Do doctors or dentists make you more nervous? Not really. I only ever get nervous to hear my weight at the doctor's. Did you ever think you were about to die before? I don't quite know. When I ODed, it was more like I didn't care if I did. Have you ever really had a near death experience? Was it cool? "Was it cool." Literally fuck off. I guess you could technically consider my OD a "near death experience," especially given how many pills I took, yet I somehow experienced almost no ill symptoms. Maybe because we got to the ER for fluids quickly enough, idk. I'm just glad I didn't die. What is your favorite kind of weather? Snowy! Like a steady snowfall of large flakes with no breeze and total silence. *chef's kiss* Ever tasted beer? Ugh, no. Just the smell makes me sick. It was my dad's drink of choice when he was an alcoholic so I just have a very negative association with it. Have you ever seen a dead body? Yes, at an open-casket wake. Ever poured salt on a slug? As kids, my sisters and I would get our parents to do it because they grossed us out. So, so cruel. I still have this weird but pretty extreme phobia of them, but I wouldn't torture the things like that.

You made me curious about Orcas now! I would love to know more about them if you're willing to share !

I’ve been really bad at answering asks lately (for a variety of reasons) but look. I am NEVER going to turn down the chance to talk about my absolute favorite creature on the whole planet.

If you ask my mom, she’ll tell you I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up from the time I was two. I’m pretty sure I didn’t have the official name for it until a bit later, but definitely by third grade I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to be when I grew up. I have a very clear memory of it being the beginning of the school year, and we were all sitting on the floor with the teacher in a chair in front of us and we were sharing “what we wanted to be when we grew up” and when it got to me, I said “Marine biologist.” My teacher asked me “Oh, what’s that?” I’m not sure if he actually didn’t know, or if he didn’t believe that I knew what it was, but I (probably far more seriously than expected) replied “they study animals in the ocean, and I’m going to study orcas.”

I wrote a research paper on them in sixth grade. It was actually frustrating because I knew all the information I wrote, but I had to have sources and it was like “ME, I AM THE SOURCE” but no, I had to go grab some books like someone who didn’t know all this stuff already. I think I actually tried to tell my teacher on one of my drafts, that I didn’t need to source something because “I already knew it” and she was like “but it’s not common knowledge so you do actually need to prove it”. I was unimpressed. I mean, I did it, but I was not impressed about having to.

I feel like anyone that knows me pretty well, would read or hear that and just laugh. Me, unimpressed that I have to prove that what I know about something I am really into, is in fact factual knowledge and I know what I am talking about? Me, disliking being questioned about how well I know my own interests?

No one is probably surprised. When I am truly, super interested in something, I rarely get into it half-heartedly

So! Orcas!

IDK what your base of knowledge is on them, so some of this you may already know. They’re considered the largest dolphins, though their common name of “killer whale” makes most people think they’re whales. And I mean, dolphins and whales are kind of from the same branch of oceanic animals, but, the difference is there.

Most commonly, people are aware that orcas live in pods. These are family groups that range in sizes (sometimes around half a dozen or so, sometimes a couple dozen) and they are, in fact, matrilineal (like elephants). Often, calves born into pods stay with their mothers their for most if not all their lives. Sometimes family pods get very large, and kind of split off a bit, and keep growing.

Around here, where I live, a lot of the research that’s most readily available will talk about the pacific northwest pods. These pods are known by J-pod and K-pod and I always forget if it’s L or M for the other pod lol. Individuals in the pod are usually identified with that letter of their pod and some numbers in research. These are, in fact, probably some of the most studied orcas in the world! A lot of the population of orcas is in the north Pacific ocean, really, so that makes sense. Orcas are found all over the world though, and there’s differences in them based on where they live.

Orcas are also a protected species, but there’s specific groups and areas that they are in fact considered endangered (such as the pods in the Pacific Northwest - can’t recall atm if it’s a specific pod or the three of them) and at risk. Often, they’re hunted for their meat, their tongues. Sometimes they’re killed because people see them as competition for fishing. They also die from loss of habitat, from there being less food for them, from oil spills, etc. This wouldn’t be news to anyone, really - it’s the same story all over the world, for many, many species of creatures.

Like humans finger prints, orcas have their own version! Their coloring pattern is very distinctive - black upper body, white underside, and the grey saddle patch behind their dorsal fins. These patches are actually unique to each orca! These markings allow researchers to identify the individuals in the pods and their research and photos. You are probably also aware of how their dorsal fins are different - some are tall and straight, some are shorter and curved. This differentiates male from female, respectively. The coloring of orcas of being black on top and white underneath is camouflage typical for ocean predators. 

There’s a nickname for orcas - they’re sometimes called ‘the wolves of the sea’. They’re fantastic predators. Not just as a group hunting, not just with their echolocation, but also in their ingenuity when hunting. They’ll purposefully beach themselves to get seals or penguins in the surf of a beach or the edge of ice in that climate. They’ve also got some pretty varied tastes - salmon is a huge one, but some will also attack other whales, such as blue whales! (They like the tongues, I believe.) Basically - if it’s in the ocean, it’s probably fair game for some pod or another.

I got into a very intense argument with a kid once in either late elementary or middle school. They insisted that a great white shark was the top predator of the ocean. I told him that no, it was definitely orcas.

That wasn’t just favoritism speaking.

There’s an island in the pacific ocean (I think down towards southern California area?) that’s basically known as like, shark island. Great White Sharks just congregate there, tons of them.

Unless they sense there’s orcas nearby. Then they all vamoose the fuck out. Why?

Because there’s an orca pod around there that figured out, “Hey, if we can flip the shark over and hold it there, it’ll die and we can eat it!” And they did, and do.

You ever see those “who would win” books or shows? If they pitch an orca against a shark and say the shark would win, life has shown that it will in fact be the orca, probably.

There’s actually a cool fact there too - there’s three different species of orca. As in - they are different culturally as well as in their genetic make-up! Orca pods that are larger and stay in the same area are residential orcas. They mostly eat fish and some squid. Transients have a much larger territory that they move through, and tend to be somewhat smaller pods... and they hunt ocean mammals. Then there’s offshore orcas. These guys are a little smaller than the others, their dorsal fins are a bit different too. They can be seen several miles out from the coast, and they definitely hunt ocean mammals and sharks.

I can’t remember if it was a transient or an off-shore pod that is feared by the great whites, lol. Either’s likely.

What’s kind of really cool about these different species and subspecies of orcas is that... they don’t interact. Oh, sure, they can be seen in the same waters as each other, sharing space, but... they don’t interact socially or otherwise. There’s thousands and thousands of years between a common ancestor for the transient and residential orcas, in fact! These different types are not just different in how they look or where they live or how and what they hunt... they all have different cultures. Different ways of living, communicating, interacting with each other. Just like not all people have the same traditions and beliefs, orcas have their own differences from each other too!

They’re also super fucking smart. I mean. Obviously. We know research has shown how smart dolphins are, and we see dolphins and orcas perform. And that’s really a huge controversial thing, which I’m not going to really get into here, except to say that...

Consider the size of the ranges of where these orcas live. Even residential pods. The range of the southern residential pods in the Pacific Northwest run from southern Alaska to Northern California thereabouts. How could there be any conceivable way to imitate that type of habitat?

Research, last I looked into it (which was a while back, admittedly) about why dorsal fins bend over like you may have seen, hypothesizes it’s due to poor health, basically.

Orcas are very social. Like I said, they stay with their pods, their families, often for their whole lives.

You don’t see very many orcas in one place in captivity.

Many people have heard about the deaths at certain ocean amusement parks. The human deaths of trainers and whatnot.

In the wild, there’s very very few, if any, recorded attacks of humans by orcas. Far far less than those in captivity.

Orcas are incredibly intelligent, like I said. And like with any intelligent creature, if there’s a lack of stimulation, physically, mentally, etc....

Their lifespan in the wild is pretty close to that of a human, honestly. (Actually, cool fact again: like humans, female orcas go through menopause! They usually have their first calf - in the wild - around 14-16 years old. Around their 40s, they go through menopause and often live for three to four decades after their last calf is born! Studies on this are somewhat difficult; earlier ones show less, but that could be due to culling and shooting of them that was done periodically at the time. More recent studies show those that were around back during those earlier studies in the 70s, many of them are still alive! Male orcas live a slightly shorter lifespan than the females.)

In captivity? They live the average of a decade.

Okay, I lied. I said I wasn’t going to get into it.

I am 100% against captivity for them, if you argue with me on this I’ll just dropkick you into my blocked list, whatever, I don’t care.

Anyway!

Orcas are highly intelligent, playful, and creative creatures. They don’t just show it in hunting, but in their own play behavior. They’ll jump in the waves from boats for fun, jump around while traveling for fun, rub on rocks in shallower ocean water because they like how it feels.

They have very intense and close cultural and familial bonds. Young orcas are taught to hunt a lot like a lot of big predators on land are. Sometimes, their parents will catch some prey for them, usually smaller or injured, and release it for them to “practice” on. Sometimes, they’ll... well, they toss the seals they catch around. (Yes, yes, poor seals. I know. But also, circle of life, you know?)

They help each other.

I know I mentioned they beach themselves earlier. They’ll throw themselves up after prey onto a beach. Catch it (or not! sometimes they miss.). Then, when the waves rush back in, they’ll just... wiggle themselves loose and around so the current helps pull them back out into deeper water. Sometimes, they do get stuck.

You can see this just by searching youtube. But here’s a good one I think that I found. The narration is fun, which is always a plus for me. It’s NatGeo, which is reliable.

But also? It shows not just the beaching technique, but the social, familial connections between orcas (it has an older and younger brother pair) as one teaches the other. It also shows something of that “practice” - or maybe it’s that playfulness of orcas. (I mean, we’ve all played with our food at one point or another! I still make mashed potato volcanos with butter centers. Leave me alone about it.)

Anyway, I’ve loved orcas basically since the time I could start conveying that to people.

Why?

Because I was born in 1992, and Free Willy came out in 1993, and by the time I was two I already was in love. I can still, in the year of 2020, recite that goddamn movie almost entirely. Ask my family what my favorite movie as a kid was, the one I could watch over and over?

There’s three possible ones I could imagine they’d say, and the most likely of those would be Free Willy.

I don’t remember a time I didn’t love orcas, love learning about them, want to center my life around them. I didn’t see the ocean for the first time until I was in fourth grade - so around nine or ten years old. Before then, I had just always told people I wanted to live by the ocean. It always looked so amazing to me - and it was where the orcas were! Duh! That first sight I had of it? From the bus window as we drove to the aquarium?

I can’t think of anything to describe it that isn’t some kind of spiritual experience that could convey the awe, the rightness, the pure happiness that overcame me. It was more than I had ever imagined, to see the endless water - moving and glittering and gray at the time because of the overcast weather. I’m still determined to, one day, live near the ocean. (Bonus, it’d be better for my asthma too, air quality wise!)

(Why didn’t I go into marine biology? Well, it’s a sad story of “I was 14, an adult told me that as a woman I’d never end up getting to do anything in the field anyway, and I’d have racked up all those student loans for nothing, and I hadn’t yet discovered that any adult who says ‘you’re a girl so you can’t’ needs to be aggressively shoved off the fourth floor of a building”.

I love being a librarian. I love helping kids find books, learn about topics, read to the little ones, help the parents learn how to read to their kids, etc. I love my job.

And I still, a few times a year, can’t help but wonder. What if I hadn’t given up on it? What if I had gone that route? Where would I be? Who would I be? What might I have discovered more?

But then, if I did that, I wouldn’t be where I am now, and know the people I do, and that would be its own loss.

I like to imagine though, that there’s a universe out there, where I did go out and become the marine biologist I was determined to be my entire childhood, and you know what? I bet I am fan-fucking-tastic at it. And happy.)

So, even though I didn’t end up going into marine biology to study orcas, my absolute favorite animal in the entire universe, I still love them. I still, every once in a while, look up research on them to see what’s new, what’s changed, refresh my knowledge. I’ve never seen one, but I hope to one day - I think it’ll be even more of an awe-inspiring, crystal clear moment of my life than seeing the ocean for the first time. And of my five tattoos? Two are orcas, and I of course plan to get more. Why not decorate my skin with something that has always, since I was so so small, brought me joy and happiness?

TL;DR: I just really really fucking love orcas.

Three is (Not) a Crowd

Story Summary:  Two months after Kuvira was defeated, things have finally settled down in Republic City. For better or for worse, Avatar Korra is ready to talk to Asami about the Unspoken Thing between them, however there's something Asami had been hiding from her friends. And that something is Lin Beifong.

Chapter 10: Room for Three?

“Slow down, girl,” Korra said to Naga as the polarbeardog bolted past a red light, almost getting hit by a car in the process. She was about to yell out an apology but a few choice words from the driver made her give him a certain gesture with her hands instead. The animal chuffed but did as Korra commanded, slowing down to a trot.

The closer she rode to the restaurant, the more she felt something. Korra didn’t know if it was excitement, fear, nausea, giddiness, or a messy mixture of them. Either way, she was getting antsy as she spotted the restaurant down the block, and Asami’s car parked out front. Korra couldn’t see Lin’s patrol car and wouldn’t be surprised if the Chief had walked to the restaurant. Her house was close enough. Once she reached the restaurant's entrance, she hopped off Naga and fussed with her clothes.

Korra was wearing her usual clothes. She had debated for almost an hour whether she should go formal or not for the date. In the end, Korra left the room without changing, figuring that if she wore anything out of the usual it would raise suspicions. She plopped a few mints into her mouth and patted Naga’s head. “Stay, Naga.” The polarbeardog whined and clawed the ground, making it clear that she didn’t like this idea. Korra grabbed Naga’s muzzle and kissed her nose. “If you stay, I’ll save some food just for you.” Naga seemed to like this new plan, she licked Korra’s face and laid down. Korra made a face and wiped her face free of Naga’s spit.

She was still wiping at her face when she walked into the restaurant. A host stood behind a podium and he was working on some papers. He glanced up and his hands stilled when he realized who she was. The host snapped to attention and tucked a menu under his arm. Much to Korra’s embarrassment, he bent at his waist, bowing as deep as he could without having to bend his knees. Korra didn’t know what to do so she just stood awkwardly.

“It is an absolute honor to serve Avatar Korra,” the host said, still bent at the waist. He straightened up and motioned for Korra to follow him. “Ms. Sato and Chief Beifong are already seated in our luxurious VIP room.”

“Whoah, whoah, I ate here before and I didn’t see any VIP room.”

The host looked back and Korra could see the nervousness in his eyes. “We’ve served you before?” He stopped walking to bow again. “My humblest apologies, Avatar Korra, if we had known it was you, we would have seated you in accommodations suitable for your position.” He got up and resumed leading Korra to the end of the restaurant. “Our VIP room is reserved for the most exclusive of guests.” The host turned to the left and opened a door. He bowed once more. “The chef will be with you shortly. Please, enjoy our complimentary wine and bread.”

Korra entered the room and saw that Lin and Asami were sitting next to each other in a booth that could fit ten. She took the spot next to Asami and looked at the two. Asami was wearing her business attire while Lin was donned her police uniform. Fitting Korra thought as she reached over take a slice of bread. She took a bite and hummed as the different tastes danced on her tongue. She didn’t think bread could be so good! “Sorry if I made you two wait long.”

Asami shook her head and took a sip of her wine. “I was only here for a couple of minutes, don’t worry. Lin was here longer though.”

“I had to make sure nobody would think I was meeting you two,” Lin explained. “If I had come in with Asami on my arm, it would have been suspicious.”

“But the host guy knows we’re in the VIP seating,” Korra argued.

Asami waved away the words. “Oh I wouldn’t worry about the people working here. Lin and I pay a lot of money to eat here and they wouldn’t want to run off their two best patrons.” She grabbed the bottle of wine and filled the only empty glass on the table.

Korra took it with a grin and gave it a try. She didn’t necessarily like the taste but there was nothing else to drink. Besides, it was fancy and she couldn’t just ask for a soda. “I would have brought you two flowers but it might have been too much.”

“Without a doubt,” Lin agreed.

Asami lightly punched the Chief’s arm at her impassive tone but grinned at Korra, her eyes alight. “Her favorite are calla lilies,” she said.

Lin frowned and jerked her head towards Asami. “Hers are red roses.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Korra laughed.

The door opened and a young woman came inside and like the host, bowed. But this time it was to the three women, not just to Korra. So maybe it was for all VIP guests, Korra pondered. “Good evening Ms. Sato, Chief Beifong, and Avatar Korra.” She straightened her back and smiled at Asami and Lin. “The usual for you two?” Both Asami and Lin nodded. The chef turned her attention to Korra. “And you, Avatar Korra?”

It took Korra a moment for her to realize that the chef was asking what she would like to eat. She hastily opened her menu and said the first thing that she read. “The egg custard tart sounds nice.”

“Excellent choice, Avatar Korra. I’ll be back shortly with your dishes.” The chef bowed as she exited the room, shutting the door softly behind her.

Korra took a closer look at what she ordered and was puzzled by the dish. “This is earth kingdom food. I thought this restaurant only did water tribe.”

“Normally yes, but this is the VIP section.” Asami nodded towards the door where the chef had left. “That’s why we get our personal chef. The others only know how to make water tribe dishes but she knows how to make foods specific for influential guests, no matter where they’re from.”

That made a lot of sense. Republic City was a mix mash of people from all over the world and a popular destination for people touring the world. Korra drank a mouthful of wine and forced it down. Perhaps she could ask for another type of drink when the chef returned. Water was fancy enough, right? “So how are things in the Police Department?” she asked Lin.

Lin shrugged but there was a hardness on her face. “We haven’t had any major breaks in the case yet but the teams comprised of excellent officers. They’ll find the spirit vines before long.” She played with the stem of her wine glass, debating whether she should take a sip or wait till the food was served. “President Reiko isn’t happy with how slow we’re going but I told him to shove it. We’re doing this safely and we won’t allow another mishap to happen under my watch.”

“What about you, Asami?” Korra asked the duchess. She noticed how with the turn in conversation made Lin relax into her chair. “Any progress on the Satosation in the Fire Nation?”

Asami frowned at her wine. Lin gave the woman an empathetic look. “We have another wrench in the works,” Asami muttered, taking a sip. “We’re still figuring out where the tracks should go but the active volcanoes are more difficult to work around than we originally thought.” She continued to explain how she would have to build bridges in the water but before then she would need to have a biologist to see if the areas held any endangered species. Korra and Lin listened attentively to the duchess as she went into the complexities of building her tracks.

The date was easier than Korra expected. She didn’t think that Asami and Lin were going to be demanding dates at all but this was effortless. Natural.

“And you, Korra?”

The Avatar was too lost in her thoughts to know who had asked the question but now two pairs of eyes were gazing at her. “Oh you know, a bit of this and a bit of that. Regular Avatar stuff.” She blushed as she realized she hadn’t been doing much in the recent days. “Actually, I taught the airbenders about the Spirit World a few days ago.” The two were still looking at her so she went into detail about what she talked about. The more she talked, the more Korra became confident. It definitely helped when Asami chuckled and Lin grinned when she told them what Bumi said after the lesson.

The smell of their food reached them before the chef opened the door, pushing a cart holding three plates. She placed the tart in front of Korra, seaweed noodles in front of Lin, and finally a plate of dumplings for Asami. She bowed and said, “If any of you require anything, please do not hesitate in asking.” The chef left the three women.

Korra looked down at her tart. She never had egg custard tarts but it did smell good. She took an experimental bite and grinned. “This is really good. You guys have to try it.”

“Do mind if I do.” Asami used her own spoon to take some of the offered tart. While she had turned to get some of the food, Lin snatched the opportunity to steal one of the dumpling off of Asami’s plate. The older woman narrowed her eyes at Korra, silently telling the younger woman not to rat her out. “Lin, if you stole one of my dumplings, I’m taking some of your noodles,” Asami said, her back still turned to the Chief. Lin looked down at the dumpling held with her chopsticks and shrugged, taking a bite out of it without any regret. The duchess settled back into her seat and tasted the tart for herself. She nodded and hummed in appreciation of the flavor. “You’re right, Korra. This is delicious.”

“Let me try some,” Lin said. She didn’t bother reaching over Asami to take some from Korra. She just grabbed Asami’s spoon to scoop up some of the tart that the duchess had put on her plate. Asami gave her a playful glare and threatened to take more of Lin’s noodles. The Chief pushed her plate closer to Asami in response as she ate the spoonful of tart. Unlike the other two women, Lin made a face and looked at the egg custard tart with dislike. “My mother made much better tarts and she was blind.”

“Toph can cook?” Korra barely managed not to burst out laughing at the sudden mental image of cranky old Toph in a pink, frilly apron pulling out an egg custard tart from the oven. Asami did laugh and looked innocently at Lin when the older woman frowned at her.

Lin focused on the question and corrected herself. “Well no, she just ordered me what to do. I did most of the cooking when we were growing up. Su ended up burning everything. We actually wondered if she was half firebender.”

Korra laughed at the story while Asami smiled. She didn’t know that this side of Lin existed. She really liked it. Following Lin and Asami’s examples, she took some noodles and two dumplings from Asami. When the woman looked at her accusingly, Korra said, “You took some of my tart so it’s only fair.” She tried the noodles and made a face much like Lin’s. “These are good but my mother can do better. If either of you find yourselves at the Southern Water Tribe, you have to ask her to make some for you. She would love to.”

Asami grinned as she ate some of her own noodles. “I could go to the Southern Water Tribe on the guise of meeting with Varrick about Future Industries.” She turned her smile towards Lin. “And of course being a CEO as well as being a part of Team Avatar, I’m a high profile person. I would need a bodyguard to keep me safe and who better than the Chief of Police herself?”

Lin rolled her eyes at the suggestion but there was a smile playing at the corner of her lips. “How long are we going to use that bit?”

“I could handle myself, true, but I would be very grateful for the company,” Asami purred. “And it’s cold in the South Pole. I would need someone to warm my bed.”

She and Lin shared a knowing look and Korra felt the small flame of desire start to curl in her lower stomach. Korra was never like this with Mako. He did get her heart thumping when they kissed but he never managed to get her excited with only a few words. Korra finished off most of her tart and watched the two banter lightly with one another in between bites. She would put in a quick word once in awhile but was content with simply listening to them. Now that food was in her belly, the wine began to taste better and she helped herself to another glass. The other two did the same and soon the bottle was empty and their stomachs warm.

Before long, the chef returned with the bill. “Everything was to your liking?” The three women made sounds of agreement. “Excellent! We can’t wait to serve you three again.” She placed the bill on the table and left.

Asami’s hand dashed down and snatched the bill before the door shut closed. She and Lin stared at each other, challenging one another.

“You paid for dinner last time,” Lin said.

“That was for your birthday,” Asami retorted. “It doesn’t count.” A wicked smile spread across her face. “If you pay, I’ll get you a necklace worth ten of these dinners.”

Lin narrowed her eyes. “You wouldn’t dare,” she said slowly as she gave Asami her best death glare but the younger woman didn’t budge. After a minute, Lin groaned and rolled her eyes. “Fine, but I’m paying next time.”

“But of course,” Asami said innocently. She paid the bill and Korra frowned at the amount of money that was left on the table. Even if Asami and Lin only ate at the restaurant once in a couple of months, they would still be very valuable customers.

The three women left the VIP room, not before Korra saw that Lin had placed a rather generous tip. They walked out together, apparently the wine had made Lin loose in her precautions. Korra knelt down to gently pat Naga’s head. The polarbeardog was napping but after a moment opened her eyes and sniffed at the leftovers Korra brought with her. True to her word, the Avatar opened the box and let Naga eat the rest of her tart.

“Are you Avatar Korra?”

Korra recognized the tone in the voice of the stranger and fought the urge to groan. She stood up and forced a smile on her face. “Yep, I sure am.”

A teenager with an unfortunate case of pimples was beaming up at her. “I watched you play on the Fire Ferrets when I was a kid! I saw all of your matches!”

The smile was more genuine and Korra puffed out her chest in pride. “Really?” She glanced at Asami and Lin. The two women stood off to the side and were watching the interaction with amused grins. Korra sported her crooked smirk and rested her fists on her hips. “The first match could have gone better but I still got that knockout in the end.”

“It was the most amazing thing I ever saw! The way you moved, nothing could have touched you!” The boy was practically jumping on the balls of his feet. “Can I have your autograph? Not as Avatar Korra but as Korra the Fire Ferret!”

“Anything for my fans.” Korra knew she overdid it a bit by the way Asami giggled and Lin quirked an eyebrow. She signed the only thing that the boy had on hand, which was his shirt. He reminded Korra of Bolin when he met Lord Zuko, he was waving his face and his feet couldn’t keep still. The boy ran off, yelling how he was going to tell everyone he met that Korra the Fire Ferret signed his shirt. Korra walked back to the other two.

“Anything for me fans?” Lin repeated as Asami laughed again.

Korra grumbled something incoherent as she and Lin led Asami back to her car. She opened the door for Asami. Korra cheeks were flushed lightly but they became a dark blush as the duchess pressed her lips against hers. Too soon the kiss ended but Korra was treated with the sight of Asami turning her head to kiss Lin. She saw the adoration in Lin’s eyes and they were darker than normal when their kiss ended.

Asami got in her car and Korra shut the door softly. “Tonight was fun,” Asami said to the two women. “We should do it again and soon.” With that and with light laughter, the duchess drove off into the night with Lin and Korra watching.

Korra looked at Lin and the older woman met her gaze. With Asami now gone, neither of them knew how to proceed.

Lin was the first to break the silence. “I suppose this is the end of our little date.”

“Hey, I don’t do anything little, Chief.” Korra was relieved when her joke earned a light chuckle. Her face became serious, well as serious as it could with her lips tingling from Asami’s kiss and her face flushed with wine and the kiss. “Good first date?”

The Chief regarded Korra for a long moment. “It wasn’t the worst first date, I’ll grant you that.” When she saw the way the Avatar was looking at her, she relented. “It was a good first date.” Lin watched as Korra’s face lit up and decided to take it one step further. She cupped Korra’s chin and tilted her face up so she could brush her lips against hers. Lin felt the woman under her tense up at the kiss but quickly melt into it. She pulled back and smirked as Korra leaned forward like she couldn’t bare for the kiss to end. “Have a good night, Avatar,” she whispered, her voice slightly hoarse. Lin turned and began to walk back to her house.

Korra stood in front of the restaurant, staring after Lin. She was brought back to the physical world by a gentle nudge from Naga. She smiled at the polarbeardog and scratched between her ears. “Let’s go home.” The two made their way back to Air Temple Island and Korra couldn’t seem to stop smiling. She was still grinning like a fool even when she climbed into her bed.

From a panga off the coast of La Paz

There was a time in my childhood when all I wanted to be was a marine biologist. One of my most prized possessions were a set of flashcards or something of the like that had pictures of individual animal species on one side and information about them on the other, and I was convinced that one day I’d have a career in species conservation. That dream, clearly never worked out :p But even though I’m past the days of wishing Steve Irwin would adopt me as an honorary family member (RIP, hero), there’s still no ecosystem I cherish more than the ocean and no set of people I envy more than those who get to spend their time in the sea day in and day out, studying or working to protect it and the creatures within it.

      Ian and I went on vacation last month to the Baja Peninsula and, given everything I wrote above, I of course made it an absolute on this trip that we had to swim with the whale sharks before they left Mexico’s Gulf of California for the season. This area is so rich in biodiversity Jacques Cousteau even called it the “aquarium of the world,” and we were so lucky to explore the Sea of Cortez with a guide who embodies what it means to respect an environment this special. Anna’s spent years taking small groups out to encounter whale sharks, and everyone she meets, she teaches them how to respect these creatures, about their behaviors, how they’re now officially deemed endangered by the IUCN, even down to what kind of sunscreen we should all be wearing when we swim in oceans (biodegradable and oxybenzone-free, for the sake of our coral reefs). Badass that she was, she also fiercely called out boats and dinghies we encountered on our trip that were potentially harmful and clearly unlicensed to operate in those waters.

      Though it took us a bit of time to spot a shark, when we finally took the plunge with one, it was a heart-stopping experience unlike any other. So lucky. So humbled. And to know I did this in the wild, in their territory, was everything I needed to be reminded of how small we are in the world, and because lest we continue supporting “animal encounters” in ocean theme parks and pathetic concrete-walled excuses for “natural habitats.”

      Needless to say, I can now see how hard it is to develop real, honest respect and understanding of the grandeur of the ocean and its residents until one gets in the water and experiences what it has to offer. Even on a boat, we’re still one step removed. But when you take the plunge, and get close enough to look something like the world’s largest shark in the eye, my God do you feel otherworldly, and even more so do you wonder how anyone in the world could possibly dare harm creatures as majestic as these.

      Reality, of course, is that they’re endangered for a reason, and that there are pockets of people who do dare and even make a living out of harming them. Coming back from this trip, I was reminded real hard about a documentary that’s near and dear to me—Louie Psihoyos’ Racing Extinction. In 2015, I had the opportunity to intern with Discovery, right around the time Discovery Channel was due to launch Racing Extinction. If you watch the doc (which you should to do yourself a favor), you’ll remember the part where Louie’s team projects stellar photographs of animals onto landmarks like the Empire State Building, and I remember vividly getting the email at work announcing the project and feeling so proud to be (even the least bit) associated with an entity I believe so much in.

      The documentary goes deep into the illegal shark trade still present in East Asia and the harvesting of manta rays in Lamakera, Indonesia, among others. The Lamakera case, especially, hits home not only because it’s happening in my ‘backyard,’ but because it sheds light on human acts of killing species not for the sake of killing that we can so easily deem cruel and gratuitous, but for the sake of their livelihood, which ends up posing the case as more complex and challenging than I was used to. The filmmakers learn that fishing for and exporting manta rays were the only way people knew how to make a living in this remote area, and the villagers make a valid point that if conservationists from afar traipse in to try and get them to stop, they’re going to have to offer an alternative means of feeding entire families and sending kids to school. We also come to terms that these fishermen aren’t antagonists. That they’re aware if they overfish, there will come a day when their children won’t get to experience the beauty of these rays in the flesh. They’d probably grieve before the rest of us do.

      You’ll know when you watch that it’s heartbreaking, but the more important takeaway from the documentary is that we’re deeply rooted in the desire to protect—and that we can educate each other on how. That’s not a cheesy throwaway line; let it sink in. Societies like Lamakera aren’t backwards, but they are likely going through growing pains, just like developed communities did before they eventually thrived. Which brings me back to the Sea of Cortez, where fishermen off the coast of Mexico turned what was a hunting culture into a tourism culture, when steps were taken to educate and improve infrastructure that allowed them to discover that they yielded more income taking visitors out on eco-conscious tours to see the whale sharks than hunting for them. “Simple economics,” according to Psihoyos. And having literally experienced the benefits of this positive shift, it’s clear as day.

      To be honest, I haven’t come to terms about what the purpose of this post really is haha. It’s half a way for me to remind myself how eye-opening and plain f-ing awesome the whale shark experience was, and half a very convoluted way of saying how I adore mediums that allow me to learn about causes I care about. As a collective, there’s so many of us who don’t mobilize for change because we still find it hard to empathize and wrap our heads around why we should (great example here courtesy of Vox), but Racing Extinction reminds me that the more we figure out human behavior, the more we tap into ways to spur people into action, be it through the power of photography or ‘gamifying’ your electric bill (both of which were covered in the documentary). It also introduced me to people like Leilani Münter, which if you look her up, will understand why she basically embodies everything I love; race car-driver-slash-environmental-activist? As in she harmonizes two of my favorite, seemingly incongruous worlds like a boss? Can I be her?

      To that end, today’s a good a day as any to begin to move the needle. I’m probably not gonna go and try and clone myself into Leilani Münter but I do have aspirations to use what I’m good at and passionate about skill-wise to eventually create something that circles back to the protection of our planet and the species that roam it. Maybe come back to me in a couple years to see how that’s going. By that time, I hope I have something to brag about, including some more whale shark encounters because Lord knows I’ll want to do that again.

Three is (Not) a Crowd

Story Summary:  Two months after Kuvira was defeated, things have finally settled down in Republic City. For better or for worse, Avatar Korra is ready to talk to Asami about the Unspoken Thing between them, however there's something Asami had been hiding from her friends. And that something is Lin Beifong.

Chapter 10: Room for Three?

“Slow down, girl,” Korra said to Naga as the polarbeardog bolted past a red light, almost getting hit by a car in the process. She was about to yell out an apology but a few choice words from the driver made her give him a certain gesture with her hands instead. The animal chuffed but did as Korra commanded, slowing down to a trot.

The closer she rode to the restaurant, the more she felt something. Korra didn’t know if it was excitement, fear, nausea, giddiness, or a messy mixture of them. Either way, she was getting antsy as she spotted the restaurant down the block, and Asami’s car parked out front. Korra couldn’t see Lin’s patrol car and wouldn’t be surprised if the Chief had walked to the restaurant. Her house was close enough. Once she reached the restaurant's entrance, she hopped off Naga and fussed with her clothes.

Korra was wearing her usual clothes. She had debated for almost an hour whether she should go formal or not for the date. In the end, Korra left the room without changing, figuring that if she wore anything out of the usual it would raise suspicions. She plopped a few mints into her mouth and patted Naga’s head. “Stay, Naga.” The polarbeardog whined and clawed the ground, making it clear that she didn’t like this idea. Korra grabbed Naga’s muzzle and kissed her nose. “If you stay, I’ll save some food just for you.” Naga seemed to like this new plan, she licked Korra’s face and laid down. Korra made a face and wiped her face free of Naga’s spit.

She was still wiping at her face when she walked into the restaurant. A host stood behind a podium and he was working on some papers. He glanced up and his hands stilled when he realized who she was. The host snapped to attention and tucked a menu under his arm. Much to Korra’s embarrassment, he bent at his waist, bowing as deep as he could without having to bend his knees. Korra didn’t know what to do so she just stood awkwardly.

“It is an absolute honor to serve Avatar Korra,” the host said, still bent at the waist. He straightened up and motioned for Korra to follow him. “Ms. Sato and Chief Beifong are already seated in our luxurious VIP room.”

“Whoah, whoah, I ate here before and I didn’t see any VIP room.”

The host looked back and Korra could see the nervousness in his eyes. “We’ve served you before?” He stopped walking to bow again. “My humblest apologies, Avatar Korra, if we had known it was you, we would have seated you in accommodations suitable for your position.” He got up and resumed leading Korra to the end of the restaurant. “Our VIP room is reserved for the most exclusive of guests.” The host turned to the left and opened a door. He bowed once more. “The chef will be with you shortly. Please, enjoy our complimentary wine and bread.”

Korra entered the room and saw that Lin and Asami were sitting next to each other in a booth that could fit ten. She took the spot next to Asami and looked at the two. Asami was wearing her business attire while Lin was donned her police uniform. Fitting Korra thought as she reached over take a slice of bread. She took a bite and hummed as the different tastes danced on her tongue. She didn’t think bread could be so good! “Sorry if I made you two wait long.”

Asami shook her head and took a sip of her wine. “I was only here for a couple of minutes, don’t worry. Lin was here longer though.”

“I had to make sure nobody would think I was meeting you two,” Lin explained. “If I had come in with Asami on my arm, it would have been suspicious.”

“But the host guy knows we’re in the VIP seating,” Korra argued.

Asami waved away the words. “Oh I wouldn’t worry about the people working here. Lin and I pay a lot of money to eat here and they wouldn’t want to run off their two best patrons.” She grabbed the bottle of wine and filled the only empty glass on the table.

Korra took it with a grin and gave it a try. She didn’t necessarily like the taste but there was nothing else to drink. Besides, it was fancy and she couldn’t just ask for a soda. “I would have brought you two flowers but it might have been too much.”

“Without a doubt,” Lin agreed.

Asami lightly punched the Chief’s arm at her impassive tone but grinned at Korra, her eyes alight. “Her favorite are calla lilies,” she said.

Lin frowned and jerked her head towards Asami. “Hers are red roses.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Korra laughed.

The door opened and a young woman came inside and like the host, bowed. But this time it was to the three women, not just to Korra. So maybe it was for all VIP guests, Korra pondered. “Good evening Ms. Sato, Chief Beifong, and Avatar Korra.” She straightened her back and smiled at Asami and Lin. “The usual for you two?” Both Asami and Lin nodded. The chef turned her attention to Korra. “And you, Avatar Korra?”

It took Korra a moment for her to realize that the chef was asking what she would like to eat. She hastily opened her menu and said the first thing that she read. “The egg custard tart sounds nice.”

“Excellent choice, Avatar Korra. I’ll be back shortly with your dishes.” The chef bowed as she exited the room, shutting the door softly behind her.

Korra took a closer look at what she ordered and was puzzled by the dish. “This is earth kingdom food. I thought this restaurant only did water tribe.”

“Normally yes, but this is the VIP section.” Asami nodded towards the door where the chef had left. “That’s why we get our personal chef. The others only know how to make water tribe dishes but she knows how to make foods specific for influential guests, no matter where they’re from.”

That made a lot of sense. Republic City was a mix mash of people from all over the world and a popular destination for people touring the world. Korra drank a mouthful of wine and forced it down. Perhaps she could ask for another type of drink when the chef returned. Water was fancy enough, right? “So how are things in the Police Department?” she asked Lin.

Lin shrugged but there was a hardness on her face. “We haven’t had any major breaks in the case yet but the teams comprised of excellent officers. They’ll find the spirit vines before long.” She played with the stem of her wine glass, debating whether she should take a sip or wait till the food was served. “President Reiko isn’t happy with how slow we’re going but I told him to shove it. We’re doing this safely and we won’t allow another mishap to happen under my watch.”

“What about you, Asami?” Korra asked the duchess. She noticed how with the turn in conversation made Lin relax into her chair. “Any progress on the Satosation in the Fire Nation?”

Asami frowned at her wine. Lin gave the woman an empathetic look. “We have another wrench in the works,” Asami muttered, taking a sip. “We’re still figuring out where the tracks should go but the active volcanoes are more difficult to work around than we originally thought.” She continued to explain how she would have to build bridges in the water but before then she would need to have a biologist to see if the areas held any endangered species. Korra and Lin listened attentively to the duchess as she went into the complexities of building her tracks.

The date was easier than Korra expected. She didn’t think that Asami and Lin were going to be demanding dates at all but this was effortless. Natural.

“And you, Korra?”

The Avatar was too lost in her thoughts to know who had asked the question but now two pairs of eyes were gazing at her. “Oh you know, a bit of this and a bit of that. Regular Avatar stuff.” She blushed as she realized she hadn’t been doing much in the recent days. “Actually, I taught the airbenders about the Spirit World a few days ago.” The two were still looking at her so she went into detail about what she talked about. The more she talked, the more Korra became confident. It definitely helped when Asami chuckled and Lin grinned when she told them what Bumi said after the lesson.

The smell of their food reached them before the chef opened the door, pushing a cart holding three plates. She placed the tart in front of Korra, seaweed noodles in front of Lin, and finally a plate of dumplings for Asami. She bowed and said, “If any of you require anything, please do not hesitate in asking.” The chef left the three women.

Korra looked down at her tart. She never had egg custard tarts but it did smell good. She took an experimental bite and grinned. “This is really good. You guys have to try it.”

“Don’t mind if I do.” Asami used her own spoon to take some of the offered tart. While she had turned to get some of the food, Lin snatched the opportunity to steal one of the dumpling off of Asami’s plate. The older woman narrowed her eyes at Korra, silently telling the younger woman not to rat her out. “Lin, if you stole one of my dumplings, I’m taking some of your noodles,” Asami said, her back still turned to the Chief. Lin looked down at the dumpling held with her chopsticks and shrugged, taking a bite out of it without any regret. The duchess settled back into her seat and tasted the tart for herself. She nodded and hummed in appreciation of the flavor. “You’re right, Korra. This is delicious.”

“Let me try some,” Lin said. She didn’t bother reaching over Asami to take some from Korra. She just grabbed Asami’s spoon to scoop up some of the tart that the duchess had put on her plate. Asami gave her a playful glare and threatened to take more of Lin’s noodles. The Chief pushed her plate closer to Asami in response as she ate the spoonful of tart. Unlike the other two women, Lin made a face and looked at the egg custard tart with dislike. “My mother made much better tarts and she was blind.”

“Toph can cook?” Korra barely managed not to burst out laughing at the sudden mental image of cranky old Toph in a pink, frilly apron pulling out an egg custard tart from the oven. Asami did laugh and looked innocently at Lin when the older woman frowned at her.

Lin focused on the question and corrected herself. “Well no, she just ordered me what to do. I did most of the cooking when we were growing up. Su ended up burning everything. We actually wondered if she was half firebender.”

Korra laughed at the story while Asami smiled. She didn’t know that this side of Lin existed. She really liked it. Following Lin and Asami’s examples, she took some noodles and two dumplings from Asami. When the woman looked at her accusingly, Korra said, “You took some of my tart so it’s only fair.” She tried the noodles and made a face much like Lin’s. “These are good but my mother can do better. If either of you find yourselves at the Southern Water Tribe, you have to ask her to make some for you. She would love to.”

Asami grinned as she ate some of her own noodles. “I could go to the Southern Water Tribe on the guise of meeting with Varrick about Future Industries.” She turned her smile towards Lin. “And of course being a CEO as well as being a part of Team Avatar, I’m a high profile person. I would need a bodyguard to keep me safe and who better than the Chief of Police herself?”

Lin rolled her eyes at the suggestion but there was a smile playing at the corner of her lips. “How long are we going to use that bit?”

“I could handle myself, true, but I would be very grateful for the company,” Asami purred. “And it’s cold in the South Pole. I would need someone to warm my bed.”

She and Lin shared a knowing look and Korra felt the small flame of desire start to curl in her lower stomach. Korra was never like this with Mako. He did get her heart thumping when they kissed but he never managed to get her excited with only a few words. Korra finished off most of her tart and watched the two banter lightly with one another in between bites. She would put in a quick word once in awhile but was content with simply listening to them. Now that food was in her belly, the wine began to taste better and she helped herself to another glass. The other two did the same and soon the bottle was empty and their stomachs warm.

Before long, the chef returned with the bill. “Everything was to your liking?” The three women made sounds of agreement. “Excellent! We can’t wait to serve you three again.” She placed the bill on the table and left.

Asami’s hand dashed down and snatched the bill before the door shut closed. She and Lin stared at each other, challenging one another.

“You paid for dinner last time,” Lin said.

“That was for your birthday,” Asami retorted. “It doesn’t count.” A wicked smile spread across her face. “If you pay, I’ll get you a necklace worth ten of these dinners.”

Lin narrowed her eyes. “You wouldn’t dare,” she said slowly as she gave Asami her best death glare but the younger woman didn’t budge. After a minute, Lin groaned and rolled her eyes. “Fine, but I’m paying next time.”

“But of course,” Asami said innocently. She paid the bill and Korra frowned at the amount of money that was left on the table. Even if Asami and Lin only ate at the restaurant once in a couple of months, they would still be very valuable customers.

The three women left the VIP room, not before Korra saw that Lin had placed a rather generous tip. They walked out together, apparently the wine had made Lin loose in her precautions. Korra knelt down to gently pat Naga’s head. The polarbeardog was napping but after a moment opened her eyes and sniffed at the leftovers Korra brought with her. True to her word, the Avatar opened the box and let Naga eat the rest of her tart.

“Are you Avatar Korra?”

Korra recognized the tone in the voice of the stranger and fought the urge to groan. She stood up and forced a smile on her face. “Yep, I sure am.”

A teenager with an unfortunate case of pimples was beaming up at her. “I watched you play on the Fire Ferrets when I was a kid! I saw all of your matches!”

The smile was more genuine and Korra puffed out her chest in pride. “Really?” She glanced at Asami and Lin. The two women stood off to the side and were watching the interaction with amused grins. Korra sported her crooked smirk and rested her fists on her hips. “The first match could have gone better but I still got that knockout in the end.”

“It was the most amazing thing I ever saw! The way you moved, nothing could have touched you!” The boy was practically jumping on the balls of his feet. “Can I have your autograph? Not as Avatar Korra but as Korra the Fire Ferret!”

“Anything for my fans.” Korra knew she overdid it a bit by the way Asami giggled and Lin quirked an eyebrow. She signed the only thing that the boy had on hand, which was his shirt. He reminded Korra of Bolin when he met Lord Zuko, he was fanning his face and his feet couldn’t keep still. The boy ran off, yelling how he was going to tell everyone he met that Korra the Fire Ferret signed his shirt. Korra walked back to the other two.

“Anything for me fans?” Lin repeated as Asami laughed again.

Korra grumbled something incoherent as she and Lin led Asami back to her car. She opened the door for Asami. Korra cheeks were flushed lightly but they became a dark blush as the duchess pressed her lips against hers. Too soon the kiss ended but Korra was treated with the sight of Asami turning her head to kiss Lin. She saw the abortion in Lin’s eyes and they were darker than normal when their kiss ended.

Asami got in her car and Korra shut the door softly. “Tonight was fun,” Asami said to the two women. “We should do it again and soon.” With that and with light laughter, the duchess drove off into the night with Lin and Korra watching.

Korra looked at Lin and the older woman met her gaze. With Asami now gone, neither of them knew how to proceed.

Lin was the first to break the silence. “I suppose this is the end of our little date.”

“Hey, I don’t do anything little, Chief.” Korra was relieved when her joke earned a light chuckle. Her face became serious, well as serious as it could with her lips tingling from Asami’s kiss and her face flushed with wine and the kiss. “Good first date?”

The Chief regarded Korra for a long moment. “It wasn’t the worst first date, I’ll grant you that.” When she saw the way the Avatar was looking at her, she relented. “It was a good first date.” Lin watched as Korra’s face lit up and decided to take it one step further. She cupped Korra’s chin and tilted her face up so she could brush her lips against hers. Lin felt the woman under her tense up at the kiss but quickly melt into it. She pulled back and smirked as Korra leaned forward like she couldn’t bare for the kiss to end. “Have a good night, Avatar,” she whispered, her voice slightly hoarse. Lin turned and began to walk back to her house.

Korra stood in front of the restaurant, staring after Lin. She was brought back to the physical world by a gentle nudge from Naga. She smiled at the polarbeardog and scratched between her ears. “Let’s go home.” The two made their way back to Air Temple Island and Korra couldn’t seem to stop smiling. She was still grinning like a fool even when she climbed into her bed.