#drowning peril

[unchartedperils]

Alright, we’re back as MK1 is less than 2 weeks away and leaks are already going crazy. But we’ll leave it at that.

Over the last day or so, I’ve became more and more than ever a fan of Li Mei. She’s always been a badass character who I’ve respected for a long time and had wanted back in a modern MK. But only now are we seeing her in glory.

And her new backstory as lead bodyguard to Sindel-Mileena-Kitana is badass and gives her way more depth beyond one-noted Outworld freedom fighter that we haven’t seen at miminum since her debut 21 years ago.

With that said, I’m suddenly digging this likely rivalry she has with Tanya (still want em to fix Tanya’s hair dammit!) and of course does that present some shenanigans…with Tanya likely winning of course in a possible plot to frame Li Mei for a heinous crime or two that might set course for the classic Earthrealm-Outworld rivalry.

I’m toying on whether to chance this oneshot ahead of seeing 1’s story or to wait until it’s fully out and we’ve all seen it. Plus I still need to finish the finale of my MK11-Tekken 4 crossover. Regardless, please enjoy this one Li Mei manip. She so isn’t bound and gagged in the so-called Kuatan Lake of Outworld about to be punished by the local sea creatures, two of which look just like their Earthrealm cousins Bernie and Ernie from Shark Tale, I promise. 😆

PS-that time every few months to revamp the account (don’t worry I’ll still keep Lara trussed up, she’s just going in one of the back closets so Miss Li Mei can move in) but we’ll keep the pinned post from my debut for another day or so.

[weirwoodsugar]

she was literally so hot and interesting for this.

[sapphanimates]

fallen leaves.

[onouwu]

Mermaid Hunter's Lesson

The ocean’s depths concealed a multitude of secrets. Among them, a group of enchanting mermaids. Their iridescent tails shimmered in the oceanic twilight, drawing attention away from their fleshy halves.

Hiding amidst a city that looks like underwater ruins, they lived their lives in harmony for the most part. However, their tranquility was being threatened by an unexpected hunter— a researcher’s lapdog named Elina. Her lean and athletic form trained by years in the ocean, despite not being native, she was a force to be reckoned with.

On this day, the hunter was hot on the mermaids’ trail; the propellers attached to her back like wings pushing her through the aquatic labyrinth swiftly. Despite lacking fins, she was fast and agile, imposing a game of cat and mouse upon the inhabitants of the sea with her dart gun.

However, the chase had taken a toll on the mermaids, who tried as hard as they could to defend themselves by pretending to not exist. Among the mermaids was Seraphina, a mermaid with long, flowing, purple hair. The most daring of them all, a protector of her people. Her emerald eyes reflected a plan, honing in on the two clasps holding the helmet in place. She moved with the stealth and grace of a marine predator as she approached the hunter from behind. With a swift motion, Seraphina reached out and sliced at the straps of the clasps with her clawed fingernails, then tore the helmet from the woman’s head.

A gush of tiny bubbles erupted around them as the woman gasped in surprise. Her world was muted, the hum of her suit’s engine and her own steady breathing replaced by the solemn, haunting quiet of the deep ocean around her head. Panic blossomed on her face while her blonde hair spread out in the water, her eyes widened as the realization set in. She attempted to ascend, to break free from the depths and gulp down the sweet, saving air from above.

But the mermaids rushed to her. One of them, a lithe creature with a tail as purple as twilight, shot forward and held the woman’s arms behind her in an embrace as intimate as it was malicious. The hunter struggled, her desperate thrashes echoing silent turmoil into the sea. The mermaid’s strong arms bound her.

Another mermaid swam forward, her dark eyes meeting the woman’s. Her slender fingers reached toward the zipper of Elina's swimming suit, it yielded to her pull. The fabric parted, revealing the bare skin underneath.

The contour of the hunter's ribs, the curve of her breasts, the subtle play of muscles under the skin. The hunter's chest was heaving, a futile attempt to draw breath from a source that no longer existed.

The mermaid reached out, her fingers tracing the lines of her captive's body. Her face was expressionless, her eyes absorbing every detail, every nuance. It was as if the creature could see Elina's lungs clinging desperately to the precious air that remained trapped within, huddling to the warmth of her pounding heart. The mermaid's arms wrapped around the hunter, pressing their bodies together. Elina could feel the strong beat of the mermaid’s heart against her chest as a dark plan expressed itself in her eyes. She could see a terrifying, meticulous thought brewing but she was helpless to do anything other than find out in its unfolding.

And then, the final act of their underwater ballet commenced. The mermaid leaned in closer, her mouth covering the woman’s with an unsettling tenderness, tongue slipping between her clenched teeth. A gasp, a struggle, but it was futile. The mermaid’s gills billowed, and she began to pull, to drain the very life-giving air from Elina’s lungs. It was a violation unlike anything she had ever experienced, a theft of the very essence of life itself. The mermaid’s eyes remained open, watching her face as it contorted in desperation and agony. There was no malice in her gaze, only an intense study and a dark satisfaction. The hunter’s lungs contracted, the vacuum increasing with each passing moment, a relentless force that seemed to reach into her very soul.

Those gentle arms squeezed around her chest, tens of the creatures gathered around to watch her slow and deliberate torment. It was as if the mermaid was tasting her fear, savoring her suffering, getting back at her for every moment she spent in the ocean. A vast emptiness that spread through her body, consuming her from the inside.

Elina felt her body give in, her futile struggles becoming slow and heavy as a flurry of bubbles stolen from her lungs passed through the creature's gills and drifted toward the surface. Her vision blurred, her thoughts scattered, her very existence narrowing down to the sensation of the mermaid’s mouth on hers, her helpless little heart’s frantic march towards oblivion into the arms of an unforgiving creature, and in the presence of many more. The hunter’s world dimmed to blackness for a moment... Then the feeling of those cruel, uncaring lips returned. As if the punishment had continued in the afterlife... they felt more vivid. The pressure on her chest felt rhythmic and forceful, then gentle, as if a head was placed upon her chest... then it all disappeared. A sudden return to consciousness was violent, filled with confusion and disorientation. Elina’s lungs spasmed, a relentless cough forcing water from her system as she heaved on the shore. Her mind was a tumultuous whirlpool, unable to grasp the reality of her survival.

The water around her legs receded with each wave. Her eyes, clouded with pain and disbelief, sought to make sense of her surroundings. The feeling of sand under her hands and the salty sting of the sea breeze seemed surreal.

A movement in the sand caught her eye, a shadow darting towards the ocean. But it was gone before she could focus, leaving her only with the haunting sound of retreating waves. An uncanny chill crawled up her spine, a realization that something inexplicable had occurred, something far beyond her comprehension.

She staggered to her feet, her body aching and her mind foggy. Something felt different, a sharp stinging of her abdomen. Glancing down, she gasped at the sight of her belly. There, etched in raw, reddened flesh, were words that sent a jolt of terror through her very soul: “Stay out.”

The meaning was clear, a warning. A message from the depths, from the creatures she had sought to hunt.

As Elina staggered away from the beach, her mind replayed the horrifying experience, the faces of the mermaids etched into her nightmares.

She heeded the warning. The ocean, once a realm of fascination and conquest, had become a forbidden territory.

[caracaswhump]

Clock Peril

Tiny whumpee tied to a predicament device made from the action of a wall clock - specifically, the second hand. They’re bound with their head facing outward, feet inward towards the action. The device is contained in a tank that whumper fills slowly with water. At first, it’s only filled enough that their head is submerged for maybe 10 seconds - from the 5 to the 7, maybe. They have to hold their breath for 10 seconds, and then they can gasp for all the air they want. Slowly, though, whumper begins to fill the tank. It goes to being full from the 4 to the 8 - then from 3 to 9… Eventually, whumpee can only breathe in a little ten second window at the top of the tank - gasping in terrified breaths before being drowned again for almost fifty seconds. It’s - not an unmanagably long time for them. But the clock action spins tirelessly, and whumpee isn’t inexhaustible… There’s no resting at all, not when every breath has to be so, so carefully timed. 

[mega-gogo-man]

Leina Vance from Queen's Blade finds herself in peril as she endures this grueling water torture.

[mcchicken-scratches]

What would be the best type of alcohol glass to drop a tiny person in without drowning them?

[dylanrosales25]

[sserpent1ne]

the most prolific serial killer in the world, verified by guinness world records, killed 931 people

worldwide, drowning kills approximately 236000 people per year, as verified by WHO

this means that drowning kills approximately 235069 more people per year than the most prolific serial killer ever did, thus usurping his place. in conclusion: water is the most dangerous serial killer to have ever existed

[sayruq]

Amid Israel’s ongoing genocidal war on Gaza, maternal healthcare faces excruciating challenges. Deliberate and systematic Israeli attacks on hospitals and medical centers, and critical shortages of humanitarian aid, including medicine, have created a crisis that is endangering the lives of both mothers and newborns. The situation is critical. There are an estimated 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza and some 180 births every day. Israel’s decision in October to prevent food, water, fuel and electricity from entering Gaza created a desperate situation. Inadequate nutrition, exposure to cold and hot weather, the absence of clean water, and poor sanitation weigh heavily on the wellbeing of women and children. The circumstances force them to consume contaminated water, heightening the peril of dehydration and waterborne diseases, particularly among vulnerable groups such as expectant mothers, new mothers and young children. Fuel shortages and the constrained capacity of the few remaining medical facilities exacerbate the difficulty for women in labor to access hospitals. Um Amin, a mother with a few children, confronted with the harsh reality of displacement, recounted her family’s struggles during Israel’s aggression. As bombs relentlessly fell on their neighborhood, reducing their home to rubble, Um Amin had to seek refuge at a school run by the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) in the northern Gaza Strip taking only very few belongings. She was pregnant. And in the school there was little by way of basic necessities such as clean water, food or even clothes for her children. She considered moving south, where food might be a little more accessible. Her husband refused, causing conflict between them.He feared not being able to return. And while she believed that the Israeli army was attempting to force them to leave, she also felt it was a matter of life and death for her children. “It was heart-wrenching to witness my kids fighting over scraps of bread. My 4-year-old started stashing away bread in his pocket for later. I was shocked. Before the war, I never slept without knowing my children were fed. Now, most of the time, I am certain they never feel satisfied.” Her entire motivation to carry on became a matter of feeding her children She denied herself food for their sake, but had also to remind herself of the child within her. “The baby inside me is also a priority, so I had to eat too.” She found the balancing act incredibly challenging, an unbearable burden of motherhood. “I am going to share something I’ve never told anyone I know: I contemplated suicide to escape the weight of this responsibility.”

After the Israeli army unexpectedly stormed al-Rimal, a Gaza City neighborhood, for a second time, Um Amin panicked and fled again, this time going from the UNRWA school to a relative’s house. But her fear caused her to enter preterm labor. A doctor, at the nearby al-Sahaba medical center, had to resort to a cesarean section. It was hell, Um Amin said. There was insufficient anesthesia and she could feel the scalpel cutting into her body. There was no electricity; the doctor had to use a handheld flashlight to see. Um Amin’s cries of pain could not drown out the crashing of shells around her. The operation left her utterly drained. She couldn’t believe she was still alive.She needed nourishment to recover what she had lost during the bleeding and to breastfeed her son. But hunger was stalking Gaza. Food was scarce, there was no white flour in the markets, and Israel was blocking aid trucks from entering the north. “All I had to eat was bread made from animal feed and water. When I had my other children, I relied on foods rich in animal proteins, but it was impossible this time. The price of meat was five times higher than normal.” Unable to adequately breastfeed her child, she had to find infant formula. But the price was multiple times higher than it used to be and more than she could afford. Eventually, she was forced to buy formula that was past its expiry date. “You might blame me, but there was literally no other option. I didn’t have enough money. It wasn’t clumped together, so the doctor told me it could still be used.” She would never find out. Due to the lack of clean water, she prepared the milk with non-potable water from a well. The baby refused to drink.

[mega-gogo-man]

Flooded Mementos

A short Persona 5 fan story I originally wrote a couple of years ago, inspired by some fan art.

The Phantom Thieves discover a part of Mementos that's flooded with water. Things seem fine until Makoto becomes trapped in an underwater maze by herself.

Warning: Contains themes of underwater peril and graphic descriptions of drowning.

In the middle of the hot summer season, the Phantom Thieves were far from the scorching rays of the sun and were deep in the depths of Mementos. They had received an online request on the ever-popular Phan-site from an anonymous poster;

"I'm part of the swim class at XXXXX High School. Our swim instructor, Hideki Harasaki, appears to be an upstanding teacher, but uses his position to harass the female students. None of the other teachers seem to believe us. Please put an end to his harassment before it gets worse."

“So, this Hideki guy, our target... Doesn’t he sound a lot like Kamoshida?” Ryuji asked, lounging in the backseat of the Morgana cat-bus as they rode along the eerie train tunnels of Mementos.

“Yeah, sounds like a total perv.” Ann replied in a disgusted tone, “He’s a teacher who thinks he’s so great just like Kamoshida was, and he’s treating his students like his property. Ugh, just thinking that there are more people out there like him winds me up.”

“I see, so that’s why you were so eager to take on this target as soon as possible.” Yusuke said as he observed Ann’s growing resentment, “I would have thought you were excited to prepare for our trip to the beach tomorrow, but I can see why this takes top priority for you.” Ryuji sat up from his laid-back position.

“Right, we can’t let an asshole like that off the hook like that. The more he gets away with things like this the more people he’ll hurt.” Ryuji cracked his knuckles. “Man, I’m pumped, I can’t wait to give kick his ass!” Futaba couldn’t help but be a little intimidated by Ryuji’s aggressive gesturing.

“Woah, Skull’s going into berserker mode...” she said.

“I’m glad you seem to be full of energy, Skull!” Haru chimed in with her usual, joyful tone. “Let’s make sure we can change this man’s heart!”

“Agreed, and let’s make sure we’re ready for whatever his Shadow might throw at us.” replied Makoto, who seemed to be trying to calm Ryuji down a little. 

“MEEEOOOWW WOAH! Wait up Joker!” Suddenly the Morgana cat-bus ground to a screeching halt, meowing all the way as all the passengers inside were flung forward off their seats! “You almost drove into that tunnel!” Makoto found herself upside down, with an indeterminate amount of people on top of her in the cramped space inside the bus. She slowly crawled her way out and reoriented herself through the pile of groaning people around her.

“Ugh... Joker... Why did you slam the brakes so hard?” she asked in a dazed tone. Joker turned back to the pile of passengers behind him.

“Uh... Sorry guys... But, somethings odd here...” He looked around outside the window. “Oracle, is this where the target is?” Futaba somehow emerged from the amorphous pile of groaning passengers who were still trying to recompose themselves.

“Uh... Yeah, it is. I can sense him nearby, definitely... Why?”

“This looks... a little different than our usual targets.” Joker responded. “You guys need to take a look at this.” Joker opened the door and exited the vehicle. The others eventually followed suit after they recovered from their ordeal, climbing out of the bus, before Morgana shape shifted back into his normal masked mascot form. The thieves stood in confusion at what was before them...

* * * * *

“W-what is this?” Ann exclaimed. In the path ahead of them the usual subway tunnel suddenly took a steep drop descending downwards. However just a little further down, it was clear that the tunnel was completely flooded with water. Morgana walked towards the entrance of the descending tunnel, just by the water’s edge...

“Hmmm, this feels like the usual distortions we see that are caused by our targets, but here the distortion is a lot stronger...” Morgana licked his paw and flicked his ears a little. “The desires of this target seem to be stronger than the other targets we find down here in Mementos, but still not distorted enough to form a palace of his own.” Joker put his hand on his chin as he examined the tunnel.

“If his desires got more distorted, though, then this might be the birth of a new palace, right?” Morgana’s ears pricked up. 

“Ho ho, brilliant deduction, Joker, just what I’d expect from you!” he said. Haru sighed a little in deep thought.

 “Oracle, is our target really here?” she asked. Futaba scanned the area with her persona.

“Yeah, definitely. He’s beyond the flooded tunnel.” Makoto nervously hesitated for a moment.

“So... We’ll have to swim through? How deep does this go?” she asked.

“Yeah, uh... If this tunnel goes deep there’s no way we’re gettin' through unless Mona can transform into a submarine or somethin’.” said Ryuji as he scratched his head, pondering their predicament.

“There’s no way I can turn into a submarine!” Morgana hissed.

“Oh, right. I forgot cats hate water...”

“I’m not a cat!!” Morgana hissed angrily again at Ryuji. Futaba scanned the tunnel some more.

“Well... I’ve mapped the area through here. It looks like it's a single, straight tunnel. It goes about 6 metres down, then goes straight for about 30 metres and goes up again. The target’s just a little beyond there.”

“Hm, that's about the length of a typical swimming pool. I suppose it would be quite feasible to do in a single breath.” said Yusuke as he looked upon the flooded tunnel before them. Futaba gulped.

“Uh... Y-yeah that’s not... I... Uh...”

“Heh, shouldn’t be a problem for me.” Ryuji chuffed, “I think I can handle a little swim like that.”

“Guys... I...” Futaba stammered.

“Hehe. I do love to swim!” Haru giggled. “Maybe I can race you, Skull!”

“I... uh... I can’t...”

“Hm?” Ann noticed Futaba trembling a little. “Are you ok?”

“I can’t...” Futaba murmured under her breath. “I can’t swim...” The rest of the Phantom Thieves paused in awkward silence for a while. Futaba noticed everyone’s eyes upon her. “W... what? It’s not that unusual, is it?” she huffed in embarrassment.

“No, not really... But that does make things a bit awkward.” Makoto replied. “It means you’d have to stay behind.”

“In that case,” Yusuke pondered, “we had better split into two teams. Some of us should traverse the flooded tunnel whilst the rest of us stay with Oracle, just in case any Shadows show up around here.” Morgana meowed in agreement. 

“Good idea, Fox. Joker, you can lead the team through the tunnel. Who else should go with him?”

“I’ll go!” Ryuji stepped forward, pumping his fist. “I still wanna kick this guy’s ass!”

“I’ll go too.” Haru raised her hand.

“I’ll also volunteer,” said Makoto, “I’m not a bad swimmer myself.”

“Ok then,” Joker affirmed, “Me, Skull, Noir and Queen will swim through the tunnel and take out the target. Mona, Fox and Panther will stay here to protect Oracle.” Futaba was already inside her persona, Navi, operating the controls and monitoring the screens as she scanned for distortions and any Shadows that might be around.

“Don’t worry, I’ll still be able to provide analysis from here.” Joker and his team walked forward towards the descending tunnel and began to wade into the water until it up to their waists.

“Well... At least the water’s a decent temperature.” Joker remarked.

“That’s nice, I suppose.” replied Makoto. She sniffed the air for a second. “Is it me or does this smell chlorinated? Like it’s pool water...”

“Hey, Noir, still up for that race?” Ryuji smirked. “I may be a runner, but I can swim pretty good too.” Haru chuckled.

“That may be true, Skull, but you shouldn’t underestimate me!”

“Alright, last one there’s a rotten egg!” Quickly both Haru and Ryuji dove beneath the surface and vanished from sight.

“H-Hey! You guys be careful!” Joker tried to tell them, but it was too late. They were already gone. 

“I guess they’re still looking forward to our trip to the beach tomorrow...” Makoto couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Heh... I guess you’re right.” Joker sighed, as he prepared to dive beneath the surface. “Alright, let’s go!” Makoto nodded as they both took a deep breath and slipped beneath the surface of the water and dove into the depths of the flooded tunnel.

* * * * *

Makoto swam just behind Joker, far ahead of him were Ryuji and Haru both swimming briskly. She watched as Joker swam, kicking his legs along as they made their way through the tunnel. The tunnel looked like every other tunnel in mementos, with train tracks running along the floor and the strange pulsating vessels along its walls, so it was curious as to why this area was completely flooded. Usually when a target has a shadow, a distorted wall lead to the area where they resided, but this seemed more elaborate.

Tiny bubbles trickled from Makoto’s nose as she swam along. As Futaba said, the tunnel wasn’t especially long. The light from the exit was visible clearly beyond. Watching ahead, Ryuji was swimming by using powerful frog kicks. Haru, meanwhile, was kicking her legs like a dolphin. Surprisingly, it seemed like she had an advantage in using the dolphin kicks for speed. The tails of Joker’s jacket flowed quite majestically behind him as he swam along. Thankfully Makoto’s own outfit was tight fitting around her slender body, not unlike a wetsuit of some kind, and made swimming quite easy. Before long Ryuji and Haru had vanished from view, having ascended up through the exit. With her and Joker coming up the rear, they were nearing the exit of the tunnel too.

Suddenly, Makoto felt a strange rumbling from the walls of the tunnel. She let out a small cloud of air bubbles, surprised by the sudden sounds. She stopped swimming and turned around to check on what the sounds were... Strangely, nothing seemed out of the ordinary from what she could see. The walls of the tunnel seemed to still be intact, so thankfully the tunnel wasn’t collapsing. Pausing for a moment to observe her sorroundings, she concluded nothing was wrong, but turned back to Joker to see if he had heard the strange sounds too...

Except Joker wasn’t there, and neither was the exit. In fact, the tunnel now lead to a dead end! She froze in disbelief at what she saw.

Joker? Where did he go? Where’s the exit? 

Swimming towards the concrete wall to make sure what she was seeing was real, she pushed against it with her hands and found it was completely solid.

What’s going on!?

* * * * *

Joker emerged from the tunnel as he gasped for air. He flicked his soaking, dripping hair back with his hands and waded his way out of the water towards Ryuji and Haru. Haru was wringing her large hat out, draining it of water.

“Hnng, I didn’t realise how much this outfit would get in the way of my swimming...” Haru sighed.

“Heh, doesn’t change the fact that I still won!” Ryuji chuckled. “Although you’re still pretty damn good, Noir!” Joker brushed off some of the water droplets from his jacket, and turned around awaiting Makoto to emerge...

“Yo, did you see how good we were, dude!” Ryuji shouted towards Joker, who was still watching the tunnel exit. Ryuji's tone turned more serious when Joker failed to ackowledge him. “Hey, uh... where’s Queen?” Joker’s eyes narrowed.

“She was just behind me a second ago...” he said.

“Guys! Somethings wrong! Are you still in the tunnel? Is Queen with you!?” A panicking Futaba chimed in, communicating with the team through her Persona.

“What is it, Oracle?”

“The distortion in the tunnel suddenly spiked! The layout... It’s changing constantly now! I can’t seem to get a good map data on it!”

“What the hell!?” Ryuji snapped.

“Huh!? What about Queen!? She was just behind us!” Haru cried.

“She was in the tunnel when the readings suddenly went weird. I can’t get a good bead on her location! That seems to be changing too, it doesn’t seem like she’s anywhere near any of the exits and... I think she’s still underwater!” Futaba said in a panicked tone. Joker cursed beneath his breath. 

“I’m going in after her!”

“I’m going too!” Ryuji yelled.

“Wait! Stop!” Futaba shouted. “Everything in there is still changing! If you go in, you’ll get lost too!”

“We can’t just leave her! She’ll drown!” Ryuji snapped.

“I... I know... Just...” Futaba stammered, trying to locate Makoto in the shifting tunnels and trying to figure out what to do.

“Wait... These distortions...” Morgana chimed in through the communications. “They’re caused by the cognition of our target, like a Palace. If we can get rid of his Shadow, then the distortions around here should disappear!” Ryuji slammed his foot on the ground in frustration.

“You mean we gotta take out the Shadow before we can save her!? She can’t wait that long!”

“I don’t think there’s any other option right now.” Morgana growled, “As Oracle says, there’s no way of knowing if the way you’ll go in there will still be there while these cognitive distortions are shifting. The shadow should be just further from where you are!”

“I’ll keep trying to locate her,” said Futaba, “hopefully I can guide her out of here somehow. In the mean time you need to take out the Shadow quickly!” Joker clenched his fist; as difficult as it was to leave Makoto in the tunnel, he knew he couldn’t do anything there.

“Alright... Skull, Noir, let’s go!” they both nodded at their leader and dashed towards their target with their leader.

* * * * *

Makoto tried to push against the wall but nothing seemed to give. The exit was right here, and Joker too. Now it was just a solid wall.

How? It doesn’t make sense...

Seeing no way forward, she turned around to swim back towards the entrance. As she swam back, however, her heart skipped a beat as she realised the light from the entrance she came from was gone too. Instead, the tunnel split into two paths. She froze again, confusion turned to anxiety; her heartbeat began to race as she realised she had no visible way out. Her chest began to tighten as the urge to breathe began to well from her lungs.

Where’s the exit!?

“Queen, can you hear me?” Futaba was communicating through her persona, though whilst underwater Makoto couldn’t exactly talk back. “Queen, if you can hear this, the distortions have grown stronger and the underwater tunnels have shifted. I think I’ve managed to track your location and map the area. Listen, there’s an air pocket somewhere but it’s a bit of a distance to swim. Take the path to the left, and then take the first right you find...”

Makoto pursed her lips, trying to keep the air in her lungs, as she began to swim as Futaba instructed. She took the left tunnel and swam along, kicking her legs. She tried to swim at a brisk pace, but not too fast as to overexert herself and burn through her air too quickly. The dimly lit tunnel seemed to go on forever and twisted and turned almost constantly. 

“Gbllggbbll....” Makoto covered her mouth with one hand, as bubbles began to leak through her fingers. Her chest began to convulse as she tried to fight the urge to breathe.

Where is the air pocket!? I need to breathe!!

“Keep going, Queen. I can see you’re moving in the right direction. Just remember on the next branch to turn right.” Futaba tried to sound calm, but the trembling in her voice was very apparent. “J-just hang in there!” Makoto tried to calm herself, too, but with each passing second the convulsions in her chest were growing stronger and faster, forcing more precious air from her lungs.

“Gbuuugbhllhh!!” She was fast approaching her limit...

* * * * *

“Huh? Who the hell are you kids?” The Shadow of Hideki Harasaki stood before Joker, Ryuji and Haru. A tall, slightly lanky man with a sinister smirk on his face.

“You’re the swim coach who’s been harassing your female students, huh?” Ryuji snapped in a threatening tone.

“How can you take advantage of your students like that!?” Haru decried. The sinister Shadow turned to Haru.

“Pah, girls like you aren’t good for anything except looking pretty in swimsuits.” the Shadow scoffed, “Those girls needed me, they desired my tutelage, what’s wrong with asking for a few... personal favours in return, eh?”

“This bastard really is just like that asshole Kamoshida...” Ryuji growled. “C’mon, Joker, let’s show him what we do to guys like him.”

“Right,” replied Joker. “And let’s make it quick.” the three thieves stood defiantly against their imposing target. They entered their battle stances, ready to confront the twisted Shadow.

“You damn kids just need to listen to my instructions, or else you won’t learn how to keep your head above water!” The shadow’s smirk transformed into an enraged scowl, as his human shaped form gave way to that of a large, tentacled beast, flinging its arms all over the place.

“Alright, let’s do this!” Joker and his team drew their weapons and leapt into action...

* * * * *

“GLUBGBLL!!” A huge cloud of bubbles exploded through Makoto’s lips, despite her efforts to keep the air in her lungs and seal her mouth with her hand. Her lungs were now almost entirely empty, and she was now fighting the urge to inhale. She grunted and groaned as she kicked her legs frantically.

I need air now! Where is it!? At this rate I’ll...

Suddenly she saw some light ahead, the unmistakable shimmering of light shining through the ripples of the surface of water.

Air!

She desperately clawed her way through the water towards the air and swam up towards her salvation. Finally, her head broke the surface and she took her gasp of fresh air she craved. She gasped and wheezed uncontrollably; her heart was racing as she tried to compose herself. The air pocket covered the upper section of the tunnel she was in; she could reach the roof at arm's length as she tread the water. Thankfully, there was plenty of air in here for her.

“Queen, can you hear me? Are you there?” Futaba buzzed in once again.

“Haaah... yeah... I can hear you.” Makoto panted, still catching her breath. She brushed her soaking wet hair aside. “I’ve found an air pocket.” Futaba breathed a sigh of relief.

“Oh thank goodness! It took a while for me to be able to even locate you let alone map out the tunnels.” Futaba shifted to a more serious tone, “Listen. The distortions in these flooded tunnels are being caused by the twisted desires of our target, Joker and the others are engaging with him now. Once they defeat the Shadow the distortions should disappear, and these tunnels should stop shifting.”

“Haaahh... Ok... That’s good.” Makoto continued to pant. Though still exhausted from her ordeal, she was slowly catching her breath. “I have to say, though, that was... haaah... Way too close... haaah... I thought for a moment I wasn’t going to make it.”

“Hehe... Yeah, the tunnels were constantly changing but they seem to have stabilised for now. Give yourself some time to recover and hopefully they’ll defeat the shadow soon. In the meantime, it seems like the exit isn’t too- huh?” Futaba paused suddenly, her persona was picking up another distortion spike. Futaba looked at the computer-like monitors, examining the map. “Huh, the maps changing again, but hopefully it shouldn’t be-”

“What the...!? Oracle!! What’s happening!?” Futaba heard Makoto screaming through her comm.

“Queen!? What’s wrong!?”

“T-the air pocket! The water level is rising!” Makoto squealed as her head rose closer and closer to the ceiling of the tunnel. She could feel the rumbling through the walls and ceilings as the tunnels seemed to shift around her once again. As the water level rose the water became more turbulent. “Gugh-kgblk!!” Makoto was momentarily dragged underwater by the shifting currents, the water catching her by surprise as she couldn’t take a deep breath before submerging. As her head re-emerged through the surface, she tried to keep herself in place by gripping the ever-encroaching ceiling with her hands. She began to panic at the thought of being trapped underwater again. “No... not like this... Oracle!” she gasped, “Haah... What do I do!?”

“H-hold on! I’ll try and find the exit, or find another air pocket... or... something!” Makoto’s head was now pressed right up against the ceiling, her precious air vanishing by the second. The surface of the water was now lapping perilously close to her face. “Q-Queen? Can you hear me?” Futaba flustered, “I can’t get anything on the map at all, the distortions too strong! Gugh...” No matter how hard she tried, Futaba couldn’t seem to get any kind of reading on her monitors. “J... Just... swim somewh.... er.... there’s g.....t to be an air p....... or ex.......... ssshhhh....” Makoto’s eyes widened as Futaba’s communications seemed to lose signal, was it the result of the distortions?

“O-Oracle!? Futaba!? Can you hear me!?” Makoto’s heart sank at the silence that followed; she was on her own now... The air pocket was now almost a thin sheet along the ceiling above her body, she was having to tilt her head sharply upwards to keep her mouth and nose above the water. Without any time left to spare Makoto gulped, and took one, deep, final breath, packing as much air into her lungs as she could, and sank beneath the surface once again. She looked up and saw the air pocket had now completely vanished. She looked around at the tunnels; as expected, they looked completely different to how they looked before, the distortions clearly changing the layout once more. This time they seemed more uneven and twisted than they had been. Now she was alone and lost in an underwater ever-changing labyrinth.

I’ve got no choice. I have to just swim for it...

She began to swim through the tunnels again, fluttering her legs whilst rhythmically crawling with her arms in a breast stroke motion. The train tracks seemed misaligned and the surfaces seemed to be phasing before her eyes. As she swam through, the very shape of the tunnels seemed to be warping too, with some parts looking like larger rooms than others. Each tunnel she traversed seemed more distorted than the last. Still she pressed onwards, her cheeks slightly puffed out as she held her breath. The only sounds she could hear were the occasional trickling of air bubbles through her nostrils and her own pounding heartbeat. Again, she came across a branch in the tunnels. With no Futaba to help her she had no choice but to rely on her own guess.

Please... Let this be the right way...

As she made her choice, all too soon the urge to breathe creeped in again, she tried her best to ignore the vice-like sensation around her chest. She was already exhausted from her ordeal from earlier; air was once again leaking through her lips despite her best efforts.

“Gblllbll...” Makoto winced; her diaphragm twitched, but she continued to try to swim in a brisk but calm manner to keep her pace even. Another branch laid before her, again she had to swim in whichever direction and hope it would lead to air of some kind. Her cheeks puffed out more profusely as she tried to retain her air. She tried to focus her thoughts on keeping her swimming technique strong, with rhythmic timings for each of her breast strokes and frog kicks, counting each stroke in her head like a metronome. It was the only thing that could keep her mind off the now desperate urge to breathe.

There has to be the exit somewhere... There has to be!

Suddenly, her chest heaved, forcing a huge cloud of air from her mouth.

“GLUGLBLgg!!” Quickly Makoto clasped both hands around her nose and mouth, trying to stop more air from escaping. She began to kick her legs more frantically as her chest began to convulse, trying to force her to exhale the rest of her air. Her eyes shut tightly as she tried desperately to hold her breath.

No! I can’t hold on any longer! Please! I need air!!

As Makoto slowly opened her eyes again, she spotted something out of the corner of her vision. Before her was another branching path, however the path on the left seemed to have light shafts shimmering through its entrance. Could it be an air pocket? Maybe it was the way out? Whatever it was, Makoto knew that was where she had to go! With no time to lose, she gave a strong kick, propelling herself as fast as she could towards the light. As she got closer the light became clearer. No doubt about it, there was air here!

“MMbbmbllbll!!” Makoto grunted and gurgled, as more air escaped from her lungs. She gritted her teeth as she rushed towards her lifeline. Her heart was racing, her heartbeat pounding loudly in her chest. Her lungs were burning, now almost completely empty. Her limbs felt stiff and ached as the last of her energy faded. But she was almost there...

Just a little further! Air is just beyond the... What!?

She was now just before an air pocket; however, it wasn’t like the one from before. This time whatever world the Metaverse had conjured up here was particularly cruel to her fate. The light had been coming from large vent running above the tunnel which had some trapped air. However, to her horror, the entire vent was blocked by thick iron bars, the surface of the water lied just inches out of reach. She swam up and gripped the metal bars tightly, tugging at them frantically, but they were completely solid.

No... It’s not fair! No!!

“Noogblbloobllbgl!!” Makoto screamed the last of her air away as she could control herself no longer. She desperately thrashed against the bars, hoping they’d give way and let her through to the air she needed so badly. Her chest convulsed, her body arched back as she could no longer fight against her body’s natural instincts, forcing her to inhale. She wrapped her hands around her neck as she began to choke on the suffocating water surrounding her, trying in vain to stop the water entering her lungs. The pain was intense, she struggled and kicked her legs wildly as she let out desperate, gurgled cry for help.

Someone, help me! I don’t want to die!!

She couldn’t control her spasming body; her mouth opened widely trying to gasp for breath, only to be met with the oppressing water forcing its way down her throat. Before long, her limbs grew heavy and weak. As her trembling body began to slowly sink to the ground, she reached an arm out towards the light above her, watching it slowly fade from her vision. The intense pain she felt subsided; only a cold, numb sensation remained. Her eyes were half open, her mouth was partially agape as the last of her strength was sapped. It was a surreal sensation; the panic, the agony, the fear, it had all passed. It was strangely peaceful now...

Am I dying? Is this what it’s like?

Her limp body lied at the bottom of the tunnel, her arms were outstretched and gently swaying in the currents. A few tiny bubbles trickled through her lips, the last remnants of the air from her lungs. Now her lungs were flooded with water, giving her the feeling of an unfamiliar heaviness to her chest. The world around her grew dark, the heartbeat that was pounding so loudly in her chest was growing slower and weaker. As Makoto felt her grasp on the world fading, she tried valiantly to cling on to consciousness, only to feel it slowly slip through her fingers. Her thoughts turned to what she was looking forward to tomorrow; they had all planned to go to the beach together. She was really looking forward to swimming with all her friends. The realisation that she wouldn’t be able to do that anymore weighed heavily in her mind.

Everyone... I’m sorry...

As her consciousness finally faded, she thought she could hear the muffled voice of Futaba through the communicator...

* * * * *

Meanwhile back at the entrance of the tunnel, Futaba was still trying to use her Persona to find a way out for Makoto, but the constantly shifting maze was still impossible to map out. Ann was pacing back and forth, Morgana stood alongside Futaba whilst Yusuke stood in a quiet but tense contemplation. As Futaba continued her analysis, she suddenly became more flustered. She gasped as a cold sweat ran down her head.

“Oh no... G-Guys... I can’t find Queen’s signal anymore!”

“Is it the distortions!?” Morgana’s tail stood upright.

“M-Maybe. The distortions are getting more unstable, which was making it hard to pinpoint Makoto’s location, but now I can’t sense her at all...” Futaba began to tremble. “Unless s-she’s already...” Ann couldn’t contain herself any longer.

“Ggh! I’m going in after her!” Ann bolted towards the entrance of the flooded tunnel.

“Panther, no! You know there’s no way of knowing where she is or if you won’t get trapped yourself!” Morgana hissed. Ann stopped in her tracks.

"But I-" she blurted.

“I must concur.” Yusuke interupted, “I know how you feel, we all feel the same, but we just have to trust in Joker, Skull and Noir and hope they can defeat the Shadow in time.” Yusuke stood firm, but the tension of his voice was revealing of his own anxiety. Ann could only clench her fist, despairing at her helplessness.

“No... She can't be...” she weeped.

“M-Maybe she’s still OK.” Morgana responded, slumping down. “Queen won't give up that easily! Although we can’t locate her, there's a chance she might have found another air pocket on her own... I hope...” Yusuke returned to his contemplation, crossing his arms. He lowered his head and murmured under his breath.

“One can only hope...” Futaba continued her frantic efforts to scan the distortions within the flooded tunnel.

“Come on, Joker... Hurry!”

* * * * *

The Shadow of Hideki reeled back and screamed in pain from the onslaught of attacks from the Thieves.

“GRAAGGGHHHH!!” The hideous form fell over on its side, then its massive body phased and dissolved, until all that remained was his human form, huddled and cowering on the floor. “No, please! Don’t kill me!”

“Tch, you’re pathetic, you know that?” Ryuji advanced towards the Shadow, brandishing his heavy pipe in his hands.. Though a bit exhausted from the battle, he was still seething with anger towards the scumbag.

“I... I don’t want to be pathetic! I was tired of everyone looking down on me! I finally was in a position where people wouldn’t shit on me anymore...” The crumpled Shadow began to sob. “I shoulda known better than to take advantage of those girls... I wanted to help them at first, I really did, but once I had one girl, I just kept...”

“You don’t need to take advantage of women to avoid disrespect” Haru scowled. “Those girls relied on you.” Joker holstered his pistol and stepped forward.

“You should have used your position to help people, instead your desire to be respected was twisted, and you turned to abusing your students...”

“Y... Yes... you’re right. I was so, so wrong...” The Shadow's physical form began to shine and disintegrate. “I’ll make things right, I swear... I promise... I won’t ever do those horri-...” before the Shadow could finish articulating, it vanished, leaving behind the bud of the Treasure shining brilliantly before the thieves. Joker approached the glowing light and snatched the treasure. Their mission was a success, but Joker’s mind already was concerned with something else of grave importance.

“Oracle! What’s the situation with Queen!?”

“Joker!” Futaba stammered through the comms. “I... I can’t find Makoto’s signal! Did you take out the Shadow?”

“Yeah, we just took care of him, and I got the trea-” before Joker could finish his sentence, he felt the walls around him rumble for a brief moment. Ryuji and Haru stumbled a little from the shuddering tunnels.

“Woah... Joker! The distortions are gone! I think I can... Yes! The tunnels have reverted back to the way they were, and the water seems to be gone too. Makoto’s signal’s there... But... It’s weak.” Futaba gasped. “Joker! Hurry back!” Joker quickly turned towards the way they came.

“Gh! Makoto!” Joker had no time to lose; he sprinted towards the formerly flooded tunnel, Ryuji and Haru followed closely behind. They descended down the long, straight tunnel they had previously swam through. Strangely the tunnel was now completely dry, no trace of water remained and now it looked like any other of the eerie tunnels in Mementos. Ahead of them, close to the middle of the tunnel, Joker saw the lifeless body of Makoto. She was slumped over on the floor face down, motionless. His sprint gathered speed as he raced towards her. “Makoto, please be OK!” Ahead of them further, the rest of the thieves were running towards them from the other side of the tunnel.

“Makoto!!” Ann shouted as they gathered around Makoto’s body. Joker knelt down and turned her limp body around, lifting her head with his arms. Her eyes were closed, her skin was pale and her lips were a deep shade of blue. Her skin felt cold to the touch, yet strangely she was completely dry, there being no sign that she had been underwater.

“Damn it, she’s not breathing!” Joker exclaimed.

“Oh shit...” Ryuji turned frigid when he saw Makoto's pale face. “Are we too late!?” Haru began to tremble. Her hands covered her mouth, stifling her horrified gasp.

“Mako-chan... No!” she sobbed.

“G-guys, I detected her signal once the distortions ended.” said Futaba, who seemed to be sweating profusely and out of breath. “She’s still alive but... If she’s not breathing...”

“No! It’s not too late!” Joker steeled his resolve and quickly laid Makoto’s body flat on her back. With a desperate but composed demeanour he placed his hands on her chest, the base of his palms just between her breasts, and rhythmically began to give her chest compressions. “1... 2... 3... 4...” He counted each of the compressions quietly under his breath. “18... 19... 20...” He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers and exhaled. Her chest rose slowly as her lungs filled with his air. Their lips parted and he continued the chest compressions. “1... 2... 3... 4... 5...” The rest of the thieves crowded around, watching intently.

“C’mon, Makoto... C’mon...” Ryuji watched as Joker continued to try and revive Makoto. Minutes passed, but Makoto was still unresponsive. Tears began to well in Futaba’s eyes.

“Makoto... please...” she whimpered quietly... The team could only watch in crushing silence as Joker continued, undeterred. Morgana’s tail whipped back and forth restlessly as he watched.

“There’s no way it’s ending like this... It can’t...” he mewed. More minutes passed, it felt like an eternity...

Suddenly Makoto’s body twitched. The team collectively froze as they saw some kind of response. They leaned closer, holding their breaths in anticipation. Another spasm came from Makoto’s body, until finally she drew a sharp gasp, coughing and spluttering, as her eyes finally opened. Her mouth opened wide as she panted heavily, finally drawing breath by herself. Joker leaned back, giving her room to breathe. The rest of the thieves breathed a sigh of relief.

“Alright! Yeah! You did it!!” Ryuji cheered. The team began to cheer alongside him.

“Yes! She’s ok!” Ann was weeping tears of joy.

“Mako-chan!” Haru was beaming in delight. Makoto was still slightly dazed as her breathing slowly returned to normal and colour returned to her face. She looked around to see the team smiling and cheering around her before her gaze met Joker, who was leaning over her with a warm smile. It almost seemed like tears were streaming from behind his mask.

“Nngh...” Makoto croaked. “What...? What are you all doing here?” Joker could barely contain his happiness and he embraced her tightly.

“We were so worried.” Joker said as he hugged her tightly. As the team cheered, Futaba began to sway back and forth.

“I’m... so glad you’re OK... Makoto...” Futaba swooned as she fell to her knees, barely able to stand upright. 

“O-Oracle, are you all right!?” Yusuke ran to her side “What’s wrong?”

“I’m ok... Just... Feeling a little woozy.” Futaba groaned, clutching her head. Morgana ran up beside them both.

“Poor thing... She must be exhausted...” he meowed, “She was using her power to scan the distortions, she must have been using all her strength to try and find Makoto and map out the paths for her...” Joker stood up, carrying Makoto by the shoulder.

“We’d better get out of here, before any shadows show up...” he said.

* * * * *

Back at the safe area, the team lounged beside the train station platform. Makoto and Futaba were sitting on the seating area recuperating as the rest of the thieves stood around them.

“It’s a good thing we took care of our target when we did.” Morgana meowed, “If we had left it any longer, his twisted desires would have created its own Palace.”

“Judging by the constant shifting we observed, it seems like a new Palace was forming before our very eyes.” Yusuke pondered.

“But why was the tunnel flooded with water?” asked Ann, “It’s not like there’s water anywhere else in Mementos.”

“It's all part of our target’s cognition.” Morgana replied, “He was a swim instructor, right? It probably had something to do with his affinity for water or the pool.”

“I shudder to think of the kind of Palace that would have materialised had we not taken out the target sooner.” Yusuke meditated, “No doubt it would have had yet more underwater tunnels and passages to navigate.”

“I totally don’t like the idea of having to fight shadows underwater.” Ann shuddered. Ryuji folded his arms.

“Yyyyeah, that woulda been a pain in the ass, unless Mona could transform into some kind of attack submarine already.” Ryuji huffed as Morgana hissed at his snide remark.

“We did good, guys.” Joker praised the team for their work. He turned his attention towards Makoto. “How’re you holding up, Queen? I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you in there...” he said as he knelt beside her. Makoto smiled gently.

“It... was pretty scary, honestly.” she sighed, “I really thought that was it for me. But I’m fine now, thank you. All of you. I owe you guys my life, really...” She paused as she brushed her hands through her hair. “But, it’s strange. My hair feels pretty dry, considering...”

“I noticed that too.” said Haru, “The tunnel was completely dry when the water was gone.” Morgana purred in thought for a moment.

“Well, if the water was part of our target’s cognition, like a palace, then I suppose all traces of the water would also vanish just like any other distortion.” he meowed. Joker thought to himself for a moment.

“I guess that explains why there wasn’t any water in your lungs when I was doing CPR...” he said. Makoto’s eyes perked.

“U-um... You did what?” Makoto flustered.

“Hm? I did CPR, why?”

“O-oh... No, it’s nothing...” Makoto’s gazed dropped to her feet as she blushed slightly, trying not to have indecent thoughts about the idea that their lips were in contact. Meanwhile, Ann had noticed that Futaba had been sitting in complete silence.

“Hey, Oracle. You feeling better now?” asked Ann in a soft tone. Futaba sniffled as she sulked on her seat.

“What’s wrong, Oracle?” Makoto asked. Futaba sniffled again, sobbing quietly. Without warning, the orange haired hacker turned and embraced Makoto tightly, crying uncontrollably. “W-wha!? Futaba!?”

“Uwaaaaaaaahhhh!” Futaba wailed, “I’m sorry, Makoto! I’m sorry I couldn’t help you!” Her face was buried just below Makoto’s breasts, with tears streaming from her bloodshot eyes. “I was so scared! -sniff- If my power was stronger, -sniff- I could have, -hic- I could have mapped out the area more... I... I... It’s my fault you...!” The thieves gathered around, watching Futaba pour her heart out. Makoto smiled gently and hugged Futaba in return, gently petting her head.

“Don’t be silly, Futaba... You saved my life.” said Makoto, who was beginning to tear up a little herself. “You helped me get to that air pocket, remember? If it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t be here.”

“And don’t forget, if it wasn’t for you warning us not to go in after her, me and Joker would be goners too!” Ryuji chuckled.

“Indeed. Your actions were instrumental in today’s positive outcome.” Yusuke said reassuringly, kneeling beside Futaba, who seemed to be sobbing less profusely now. “You should be holding your head up high.” Eventually she released her embrace on Makoto and wiped her teary eyes with her hands.

“Sniff... you guys...” Futaba trembled. She seemed to be calming down as Makoto couldn’t help but let out a gentle giggle, still petting Futaba on the head.

“Well, everything’s worked out well for us!” Haru exclaimed with a wide smile radiating from her face. “I think we can look forward to the beach tomorrow more than ever!”

“Oh man, I totally forgot about that! I gotta pack my swim stuff, it's gonna be sweeet! The beach, the babes!” Ryuji was immediately hyped; it was still strange to Ann how his manner can change so quickly like that. “Since we’re gonna be there for a couple of days, I wanna check out this place I heard about! They let you hire stuff for scuba diving! Any of you guys wanna check that out, too?” Ryuji noticed a few awkward stares gazing towards him before he realised what he said in front of Makoto. “Oh... crap... I uh... I guess after what you’ve been through you’ve probably had enough swimming for now, huh, Queen...” Makoto laughed at Ryuji’s awkward banter.

“Actually, I’ll take you up on that.” she chuckled. “I’ve been looking forward to this trip too, so I wouldn’t mind trying scuba diving with everyone.” she paused for a second and gulped, averting her gaze. “J... Just so long as you don’t make me swim through any long underground tunnels...” The thieves laughed together at the bizarre exchange that was happening before them. Even Futaba had cheered up and was now beaming.

“All right, I think we’ve done all we needed here in Mementos.” Joker stood up, addressing the rest of his team. "Let’s move out and head home!”

“You don’t have to tell me twice!” Morgana leapt into the air and transformed into the cat bus once more, as the phantom thieves made their way out of Mementos after a job well done.

[vbartilucci]

In New York and London, owners of gleaming office towers are walking away from their debt rather than pouring good money after bad. The landlords of downtown San Francisco’s largest mall have abandoned it. A new Hong Kong skyscraper is only a quarter leased.

The creeping rot inside commercial real estate is like a dark seam running through the global economy. Even as stock markets rally and investors are hopeful that the fastest interest-rate increases in a generation will ebb, the trouble in property is set to play out for years.

It's amazing how little I care.

I recall stories about house-flippers who were drowning in high-interest mortgages they never expected to need to float for more than a year, simply leaving the keys to perfectly good homes in the mailbox and walking away.

[dylanrosales25]

[twistedwonderlandimaginesblog]

idk if this counts for headcanon, but since Harveston event is here

How would boys react to their girlfriend casually walking by on the snow and then she takes next step the snow collapses and she gets stuck in the snow, her fohead bearly vissible above it, and she can't get out 😂? ( it's something that happend to me and it was hollirious to me and my familly)

for Idia, Jade, Sebek, Epel and since I have one more lets add Malleus (even though he isn't originally there 😂)

also ..if it's not a problem could I just ask if my previous asks made it in ? I was just wondering if I didn't submit them past the time when asks were open 😅

Epel Felmier:

Epel knows the perils of snow banks more than anyone, having to dig his way out of a few when he was younger. He’s still surprised to be on the other end of it, with you in view one second then gone the next. He seemed more panicked than you, the trapped, displaying snow as quickly as he could to lead you to freedom. He sighed in relief when he confirmed you were just fine, seeming nervous that you might not like the area as much because of the experience.

Idia Shroud:

Idia is immediately alarmed when he doesn’t feel you at his side, head whipping around as he wondered if you finally decided to break up with him and leave him in an icy tundra to deal with his feelings. When he looks down and sees you buried deep in the snow his panic gained more experience, leveling up as he already concluded you were suffering from hypothermia, never meant to feel the warmth of the sun again. He has enough sense to help you out, only greeted with your nonsensical question of what might happen if him and his hair were the ones buried in the snow.

Jade Leech:

Jade would check if you were okay, the grin on his face betraying his concerned tone. He wondered how dangerous snow could be, contemplating unnecessary questions like if someone could drown in snow if left there long enough or if the cold would get to them first. Once you’re safe he stated the cold isn’t that bad, and that it was good practice before he dragged you into the depths of the ocean (to meet his parents, of course).

Malleus Draconia:

Malleus at least showed enough care to pull you out of your icy prison before laughing at you. Thankfully, seeing a smile on his face and hearing his deep chuckle distracted you entirely from being embarrassed. You’d probably dive in headfirst again if you’d get the same reaction out of him. Malleus offered his arm, telling you to stick close as he didn’t want to lost you in another snow pile.

Sebek Zigvolt:

Sebek nearly looked you over but did a double take as snow shifted, calling your name in shock. He, no hesitation, reached into the snow to hoist you out, not even considering the use of magic. He proceeded to brush you off, pushing all snow to the ground until you looked fresh, like you had just walked outside. It was nice that he cared but you still felt embarrassed when he scolded you about watching your step.

[callofdudes]

What are you reading??

A/N: this was requested by @thicc-plum so I hope y'all enjoy my friend. This took way too long, please let me know if you catch any spelling mistakes.

This includes 141, Alejandro & Rodolfo.

Summary: The reader gets caught reading a smut book and the boys tease the hell out of her.

CW: Brief depictions of sexual interactions, the boys 'teasing' you.

Y'all really want a part 2 huh... I've made you a lil part 2 for y'all.

You were sitting alone at a table in the canteen. Lunch was almost over but you hadn't busied yourself with food. You were sitting in the corner with one of your books in hand. You always loved to read, but this book in particular you had refrained from reading around the others. It was... A different kind of book. Not one with little swordsmen going on long adventures to sweep away their friends from the perils of danger.

It was one with tension, heat. The kind that nestled in your stomach and bubbled up through your chest, making you feel a small, almost tangible piece of the intimacy you read about.

You were engrossed in the book. The atmosphere around you was drowned out as you read.

His hand guided her thigh, skirt riding up past her hip and their eyes met. Their breaths tangled in the warm bedroom, sweat soaking into the sheets-

"What are you reading??"

You gasp and slam your book shut. Your hands tremble as you push it away from you.

Johnny smirks, laughing as he sits down. "Oh you should see your face!"

You scoff. "Not funny Johnny."

Johnny grabs the book from your trembling hands and examines the cover.

"Oh~ what is this risque piece of artwork??" He flips through the pages, reading over some of the sentences. You attempt to grab the book back but Johnny puts his elbow up to keep you away while he reads.

His eyes go wide. "Woah!! That's some descriptive oral- my goodness!"

"Johnny!!" You jump and grab the book back, pulling it to your chest.

Your cheeks go red. "Don't tell the others, please??"

"Depends, can I borrow the book??"

"What are you going to do with it??"

"Read it, obviously. It looks good."

He gives you his signature smirk and you can't help but feel inclined to agree. You grumble under your breath. "whatever, I'll finish and then you can read it. But please return it!!"

Johnny nods. "Of course."

"By the way, you're late for your meeting with Price. You don't want me to tell him you're late because of an innocent little book, would you??"

He grins. "Wouldn't want dear old captain to know you're doing such naughty little things." He squeezes your thigh.

He stands from his chair.

Your cheeks burn redder, but the time manages to take your attention.

You look at your watch and curse. "Don't tell anyone Johnny! I'm serious!!"

He winks at you as he walks away. "You can count on me y/n!"

You grumble and hold your book close. Why on earth would Johnny want to read it?? Was he messing with you?? Or was he actually interested.

You rush out of the canteen and shove your book in your bag. You just hope Johnny wouldn't tell anyone what he saw you reading.

You will admit, yes, you had it coming. You weren't doing your paperwork as it had gotten too boring too quickly and you'd given up for a bit. No one likes doing paperwork. The only ones who didn't complain about it happened to be Price, Ghost, and Gaz. You were none of them.

So you'd kicked up your feet and started to read your book. It was a book you'd gotten on leave and you had kept it fairly secret from the others, it wasn't a book you wanted them to know about.

It was better than doing paperwork. And much more fun.

You must have lost track while reading however, getting too caught up in the endless pages of sticky hot mess.

"He latched onto her neck, sucking a deep hickey into her supple throat. She cried out his name softly into the night, arms wrapping tightly around his shoulders-"

There was a knock on the door.

You shot up, scrambling immediately to bring your feet off your desk and straighten up. You slam your book back into the desk drawer.

"Come in!"

Price enters, making you gulp.

"Y/n, we haven't seen you for a while, I wanted to see how things are coming along in here."

He sees the enormous pile of paperwork on your desk and crosses his arms. You immediately look down and away, knowing you would probably be in trouble for this.

He sighs and comes around the corner of the desk, seeing the still open drawer with your book in It. He sees the very risque cover and pulls it out before you can stop him.

"Was this what had your attention??"

You gulp, getting anxious as he flips through the pages.

He hums thoughtfully. He flips the pages and reads through some of the things, his facial expressions changing with each new scenario played out in the book.

He eventually closes it and places it in one of his pockets.

"Captain-"

"Shh, I've seen enough. If this is what you'd like to occupy your time with, very well then."

"I'm sorry."

He tuts. "Be a good girl and finish your paperwork. When you're done, we can discuss this little book of yours."

Your cheeks burn red and you look away.

"Yes Captain."

"That's a good girl."

Price walked off, leaving a heavy feeling in your stomach. You had a weird new motivation to finish your paperwork though.

The evening was quiet and the others were out. It was just you and Gaz on base and you were relishing in the quiet environment. Wrapped up in a blanket, the fireplace crackling a few feet away from you, nothing better.

With a book in hand the world could only be perfect. Your eyes feel tired, even as you read the book that always makes your stomach drop and your emotions rise.

You thought Gaz had gone to bed, so you felt comfortable reading it without the others around. You would always read this book in your room, it never saw the light of day around the guys.

"He whispered low in her ear, nipping at the corner of her lobe. His hands groped down across her collar, fingers tangling in her necklace..."

You continued to read, barely registering the creak of the floorboards. You'd assumed it was the house settling since you hadn't heard the door. Nor had you noticed the shadow bast behind you, soft brown eyes reading each delicately picked word with you.

Suddenly, you feel breathing near your ear. Your heartbeat quickens and your fingers feel tense. The feeling in your stomach growls hotter with each second.

"That seems a little naughty to be reading out here, don't you think sweetheart?"

You jump, nearly screaming as a voice cuts through your concentration, shattering the perfect dream of being wrapped in an embrace just as addictive as the words in your book.

Gaz grins, his hand touching your shoulder and running down your arm to flip the page of the book.

"K-Kyle- I didn't realize you were-"

"Shh. Read it out loud."

Your cheeks turn deep red. "W-what-??"

"Read it out loud to me sweetheart."

Your heart rate quickens and your voice catches in your throat. You want to say yes just as badly as you want to say no. But the way Kyle strokes his thumb over your hand made you willing.

"S-sure..."

Kyle hums. "Good. I think you'll want to finish this next chapter before the others return. You wouldn't want them to hear all the things you've been reading about."

You gulp, but you reluctantly start to read.

You couldn't sleep. So naturally in the early hours of the morning when you figured no one else was awake, you turned to the kitchen for a snack.

You patter through the hallway with your book in hand. You turn on the kitchen light and make yourself some tea to soothe your body, considering you were sore from the lack of sleep.

You sat down at the kitchen table with your tea and opened your book. The cover was bright red with dazzling shiny line work around two figures. One holding the other in a more suggestive manner. Each chapter displaying a new set of characters put through taboo and risque situations. All of them leading to a spicy climax.

Literally.

You sunk into the quiet atmosphere and started to read. Your eyes drowned into the words, hands holding the book firmly.

"He pulled her back, his large hand wrapped tightly around her throat. His sneer could almost look evil to anyone who wasn't her. Treated like a doll in his large hands, putting so much trust into his punishments."

You gulp, not realizing how heavy your breathing had gotten until a hand wraps around your throat.

It catches you so off guard you whine. Thumb and forefinger pressing into the sensitive parts under your jaw, making your insides coil and twist.

You bite your lip, hands trembling.

Warm breath whisps over your cheek and Ghost's rough Manchester voice breaks the silence.

"I always knew you were into some weird shit."

His other hand reaches out and takes the book from you, inspecting the cover.

"Ghost-"

His hand tightens on your throat, making you moan quietly.

He hums, flipping through some of the pages.

Your cheeks start to burn, watching out of the corner of your eye as he flips. You can't see his face, you can't gauge his reaction. All you know is his hand is wrapped so nicely around your throat, body hidden in the shadows it makes you feel as small as the girl in the story.

He gets to a certain page and chuckles. "You are into some weird shit."

You grab his wrist, wanting to pry him away and wanting him closer. It feels like a dream how it is all playing out, you are scared you want more.

He places the book down and squeezes your throat, getting another soft moan out of you.

He lets go and chuckles. "I could do better than he can."

It makes you want to pass out. He lets you go and when you turn around he's already walking away. Your arms and legs are shaking but you rush after him, wanting to know what he meant.

He doesn't lock his door when he disappears, and you know all too well it's an invitation into the book you'd just been reading.

(also I love this gif, look at Rodolfo just effortlessly toss that crate- boy you are amazing and I love you)

Look, everyone on base knew you were a little freaky at times. It was no secret to anyone. And it also wasn't a secret you might have a teensy tiny little thing for your colonel and the sergeant major.

That was not the point however.

You had just finished up a long day of training with the Vaqueros. You'd been out all afternoon, which was why you were a bit surprised you were being called into Alejandro and Rodolfo's office for a little chat.

What this chat was about, you weren't entirely sure.

But you finished up your routines and set off for their office.

You knock on the door, hearing Alejandro's voice beckon you in. When you open the door you're greeted by both Alejandro and Rodolfo. Alejandro is sitting while Rodolfo is standing next to him with something in his hands.

You would know that velvet patterned trophy book anywhere.

Your blood turns cold.

"Take a seat y/n." Alejandro smiles at you with that smile. The one that makes your heart flutter and your stomach flop.

You nod and take a seat. "What's this about?"

Rodolfo leans over and places the book in front of you. "Look familiar? It has your name written on the inside cover."

You gulp and nod, your cheeks going a bit red. "Yes sir sergeant, I know the book quite well."

"I think you would, considering how worn it, must get read a lot."

By now Rodolfo has come around to your side, one hand snaking up your arm to your shoulder and squeezing the muscles.

You gulp again.

Alejandro opens the book and flips through the pages. "Such a filthy book y/n, there's only one reason you could read this book so much."

You look away bashfully.

"Does it give you a high, Y/n??"

"N-no colonel!"

Alejandro stands and flips to a certain page. He taps the frame of the book and bends down in front of you, guiding your gaze back to his with his thumb and forefinger.

"Care to explain this then?"

You look down at the page he points to, you know it well. Rereading it over and over. It had crinkled edges from your sweaty fingers and dirt makes from the small traces your nails would leave.

You reread the words you practically knew by heart.

"She cries loudly, voice broken into sobs. The man behind her keeps a firm grip in her hair and tugs her back against him. The second man gazes down into her teary eyes, letting her breathe a fresh breath of air before plunging back into her throat."

Your cheeks were red enough, tainted deeper when you saw the scribbled names of your colonel and sergeant major at the bottom of the page.

Rodolfo's hand curls in your hair, his soft voice near your ear. "Considere esto su castigo por leer tal suciedad."

Your brow wobbles, but you can't run from them, you never could.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

what compels you about the Lord howe island stick insect?

its supposed extinction was such a mundane tragedy, this entire population of insects on an isolated island wiped out by the unintentional introduction of rats aboard a ship. it's a fairly common byproduct of colonization, native species being outcompeted by rivals they never should have encountered at all. you so rarely hear about insects impacted by it though, because so few people care about insects even when they're dying out completely.

except they didn't die out. they were thought to be extinct for almost a century, until in 2003 researchers confirmed a surviving population on, of all places, Ball's Pyramid, a volcanic and inhospitable spire of rock twelve miles from Lord Howe Island. not an insurmountable distance, but pretty vast if you're a flightless stick bug. how did they even get out there? no one knows. but they were there, just 24 insects who were supposed to be dead all huddling under a shrub together.

researchers took four of them back to Australia to start breeding programs. at the Melbourne Zoo they've bred them in the thousands now, and they've started contingency programs at a few other zoos worldwide. they're still considered critically endangered, at tremendous risk of extinction, but there are cautious plans to start reintroducing them to Lord Howe Island, when it can be ascertained that the island will be safe for them. there are still European rats that need to be exterminated, and a fungus threatens the plants that the stick insects rely on. there's still a population on Ball's Pyramid, but it's perilously small. their future in the wild isn't certain by any means.

but they're alive, and there are thousands more of them than there would be if no one had gone looking for them. if all the stick insects on Ball's Pyramid get sick or drown or are eaten by seagulls tomorrow, there will still be Lord Howe Island stick insects in the world, and it's all because some people decided that these bugs deserve a second chance and dedicated their entire lives to giving them one. Paige Howorth, the director of invertebrate care and conservation at the San Diego Zoo, the first zoo to successfully breed the insects outside of Australia, said this:

My most vivid memory has to be the very surreal experience of flying back to the San Diego Zoo in 2016 with 300 critically endangered Lord Howe Island stick insect eggs in my backpack.... I’ll never forget counting out the eggs with the Melbourne wildlife health and care teams, who surface-sterilized them pre-flight, so that they could come home with me with a lowered risk upon hatching. The idea that we were finally bringing this incredibly rare species back to San Diego to make their global population a little more secure made me hug that backpack closer. And yes, I did take them to the bathroom with me on the flight. (x)

whenever people start rambling about how humanity is inherently evil or selfish or whatever I think about shit like this. a woman hugging a backpack full of 300 eggs close for a 13 hour flight, just to give some bugs a chance. imagine.

they're also called tree lobsters, which I think is just rad.