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will-o-the-wips · 5 months

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Bells

Part 2 of 3

Content: arena fighting, minor character death, slavery, dehumanization, non-sexual nudity

Theme/Setting: Merfolk, pre-modern

Merfolk are well known in the common mind in this age, varied as the many breeds of fish. Some are kept as things to look at, others are fished to be eaten, and some are bred for specific purposes, such as fighting rings. The rarest curiosity are the few that survive when the leave the water and take a human shape.

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Barbaric. The word seemed most befitting of the humans gathered - maybe even all humans, no matter their aim in the audience. Whether they watched or exchanged currency based on the winners and losers, he viewed them all the same: as nescient, ill creatures with no better awareness of their surroundings than they were of the back of their own heads. As the water turned bloody and metal pebbles exchanged hands time and again, the pale creature turned his head away, dispirited.

“What’s the matter, pretty? Too much for you?” It was the emperor that spoke in their garish human language, tongue twisting in the mouth to form syllables that slid out in dull frames between clicks of the teeth. He didn’t bother putting effort into a reply, keeping his head turned down to avoid the man’s exacting stare. Much good that did him. One of the human’s hands shot out and gripped his chin, yanking his head roughly around to face the emperor’s twisted snarl. “Look at me when I speak, pretty thing,” he hissed, leaning down to stare, imposing and harsh, over the silver-adorned creature.

He could only meet the man’s eyes for a few seconds - only as long as necessary - before his gaze flicked away again, though he didn’t dare pull away as he wanted to. He flinched as the hand tightened its grip on him, pulling for an answer. After a long moment, he swallowed, then stumbling over the words in the human’s strange language, he uttered, “Yes… My Lord.”

The emperor seemed content enough with that response and released him, turning his attention back to the bloody tank with a satisfied smirk. The crowd had rallied again, noisily calling their bets and jeering at the activity going on behind the glass. The captive looked up in time to see a flash of blue and orange dart away from a tangle of tails and fangs and claws, moving away from the blood-frenzied crowd of other fish. He knew he shouldn’t have, but as the small Betta darted away from the others, he found himself silently cheering them on, hoping against the human’s coin that the little one would survive.

But eventually, it was just that one...and a Betta that was more scars than scales that snarled in a vicious, blood-crazed frenzy. His eyes followed the two in their deadly chase around the tank, his heart sinking. Before long, it became clear that the match was one-sided. The glass rippled with the impact of bodies, and he turned away again with a shuddering breath as the bigger fish tore into its victim. The vicious laughter of the crowd echoed all around him, and his eyes stung with tears while his hands clenched together, trembling in their contained fury. Humans were such vile creatures, to take entertainment from this suffering! It pained him so, to see, to listen-

Listen-! I just want to see my brother-

The trembling hint of such a young song struck a chord within him, and something- whatever invisible chain that kept him in his place, from defying the monster that claimed to possess him - snapped. The distance between the dais and the tank fell away in a blur, his feet moving with more grace than they had since forming. The outcries of the humans beneath him fell away like browning leaves in the autumn winds, and he caught the edge of the glass, lifting up and over the edge, and the water sweetly engulfed him, tearing away the jewels that adorned his body as his white hair tinted pink.

The bloody water seeped into his pores as he dove towards the bottom of the tank, and his lungs tried to reject the onslaught, but the water had already claimed him like a mother accepting her long-lost child in a loving embrace. The change fell hidden in the murky, now bubbling water, but he felt the snap of bones, the shift of muscles, the slice of scales separating from the skin and sliding into their proper place. All at once, the pain hit him, tearing him apart and shoving him back together again in a new form, a familiar form he so missed, and a shriek tore from his throat, rising higher and higher into a long, sorrowful note.

The humans fell silent, brought to tears by the heart-wrenching sound. The larger Betta abandoned the attack to retreat towards the edge of the tank, bewildered and disoriented as it was wrenched from its frenzy by the piercing sound. The note died, painfully slow, in the newly changed mer’s throat, choked to silence by his own hand at his lips and throat. Already at the brink of exhaustion (it had been too long), he faltered for a moment, then caught himself, breath still stinging through filtered lungs. With a graceful flick of his tail and a rousing hum, he dove further down into the water to stroke the smaller betta’s face, and with another swish of his tail, the current moved to lift the blue and orange fish from where it curled on the tank floor.

Meanwhile, the scarred betta stared, wide-eyed, at the white-and-black koi now drifting in the water, awestruck at first by its presence, its majesty. (It was older by far, the betta knew as much. A thing to be revered, respected.) Then, it shuddered at the realization: the ruler’s pretty pet had entered the ring. The betta’s blood-lust had yet to be slaked, and now there was a new thing to tear into, so pretty and free of injury that came with the grueling fights. A jealous anger overtook the creature upon seeing such smooth skin and glittering scales, and it charged forth again with a cacophonous shriek, a twisted mimicry of a song, teeth bared and sharp claws already swinging to strike.

The koi looked over his shoulder, tail shifting to move out of the way, but with the burden of the weakened betta, he did not have the speed to escape. As the claws raked down his back, he lost his hold, back arching as he let out a wail of pain that morphed into a panicked, magic-filled cry for h e l p-

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#whump writing #howl hurts someone #mer whump #mer whumpee #whump story #dehumanization #arena fighting #blood #character death #nonsexual nudity #slavery

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princesskokichi · 4 years

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kokichi meeting a mermaid s/o

all i used to write was fantasy aus a long time ago, so i got a little bit excited oops

i haven’t written fantasy in such a long time, it’s just romance nowadays - mod kokichi

- alright, to be fair

- this was not / his / world

- he didn't know where he was, but this wasn't his world

- when he was by the sea, playing in the sand as if he was a child

- he knew that something was off, even from the moment he woke up

- and then he met you by the sea, a timid and almost strange person

- you must've been swimming for a long time because he hadn't seen you on the beach at all

- even though the beach is completely empty today, for some reason

- you rose up out of the water, your legs dripping water for a few seconds, before they were perfectly dry

- he was a little confused at how your skin was so dry even though you just got out of the water

- perhaps you had waterproof sunscreen with a lot oil that just slicks off water, but you didn't look oily

- and you were wearing a whole formal outfit, including a satchel

- before he realized it, you two were making eye contact

- and then you rushed back into the water, as if you were supposed to be out of it at all

- but,, while he was staring at where you disappeared, a large tail broke the water surface as whatever animal with it pushed itself deeper into the sea

- that was,, weird

- no matter how weird it was, it wasn't the weirdest thing he saw today

- his phone wasn't working at all, and he couldn't contact shuichi or kaede

- and he swore, he SWORE he saw a large bird flying across his window

- but it wasn't a bird,, it just had the wings of a bird

- it was a person

- or a person with the wings of a bird

- so you running into the water in full apparel was not at all the weirdest thing he witnessed today

- kokichi was a little upset, because he and his friends had made plans to play at the beach today before school starts back up the next day

- ten minutes later, while he was fuming that no one shwed up, you arrived out of the water again

- your skin repelled the water as before, and your hair was dry before you even reached him

- oh god, he was going to have to talk to you, wasn't he ?

- s / o : " hello ? who are you, and why are you dressed weirdly ? "

- kokichi scoffed. you just met him and you were saying he was dressed weirdly ? look at your own outfit, god

-kokichi : " i'm dressed in my swim suit. what are you dressed in ? "

- s / o : " my marriage clothes. "

- kokichi : " you're getting married ? then why are you at the beach and not the church ? "

- s / o : " church ? what would i have to do with the church ? "

- kokichi : " most people in japan get married at the church, duh. "

- s / o : " japan ? is that your tribe ? "

- kokichi : " its our country ?? where are you from ?? "

- you sat down beside him, looking at his little sand castle

- s / o : " i don't know where you're from, but this is ******. "

- kokichi : " oh. i'm pretty sure this is japan, but okay. "

- s / o : " here, i'll prove it to you. "

- fumbling around, you pulled a paper from the satchel you wore

- opening it up, he noticed that it was a bounty for a person

- s / o : " see ? some witch named kokichi is wanted for murder, here in ******. "

- kokichi : " huh,, that's,, uh, that's wild. what are they wanted for ? "

- s / o : " no idea. i just know the government wants them. "

- you stared at the picture, and then back up at kokichi

- s / o : " hey, you kinda look like them,, "

- kokichi : " oh, so i do. "

- s / o : " so, traveller from this " japan " that you speak of, what's your name ? what are you doing here ? "

- kokichi : " haha i don't think my name is very relevant. "

- he was very confused, please pardon him being so awkward

- he's been a part of weird situations, but this ?

- alright, this was teetering over the edge of what he knew and how to deal with it

- s / o : " then what are you doing here ? "

- kokichi : " i had a beach date with my friends. but i don't think that's going to happen very much anymore. "

- this kind of talk lasted for about twenty minutes ( i'm running rather long with my words so i gotta shorten the scenes a little )

- did you know that kokichi was the same witch as on the wanted poster ? yes

- did you particularly care ? no, not really. he seemed harmless.

- you two talked about a lot of things, even your marriage you ran away from

- you were a captive for a very long time, and were forced to marry someone you just met

- of course, you managed to escape, but when you came to the surface, you thought kokichi was there to catch you, so you ran away again, watching from the ocean

- midway into your story, kokichi spoke up

- kokichi : " speaking of,, isn't it a little hard to breathe in the water ? "

- s / o : " why would it be hard ? can't you breathe in the water ? "

- kokichi : " i could, but only once. and then i'd never do it again. "

- s / o : " oh. i can breathe all the time in the water. air and water feel very different in my lungs though, so it's a little weird for the change sometimes. "

- kokichi : " why ? "

- s / o : " what do you mean, why ? "

- kokichi : " why can you breathe underwater ? "

- s / o : " uhm, to foreigners,, i think,, i think the word is, uhm, mermaid ? is that the word ? in my tribe, i was called a siamese fighting fish, or just the word betta. "

- kokichi : " oh. a mermaid. makes sense. "

- s / o : " what a strange reaction. have you never seen a mermaid ? "

- kokichi : " we don't have mermaids where i come from. "

- s / o : " we don't have you where i come from, either. but i don't react strangely to you. "

- kokichi : " you said i was dressed weirdly. "

- s / o : " oh, so i did. nevermind then. tell me more about japan. "

- kokichi spoke about japan, about the people there and the way of life. the good food ( although he tried to stay away from the whole concept of sushi, for your sake ). how school sucks sometimes, but you learn a lot so you deal with it. how the park looks so pretty at night. pretty much everything.

- in the end, you decided to follow in his footsteps

- s / o : " can i accompany you ? to japan ? "

- kokichi : " i'm sure you could, uh, but why would you ? "

- s / o : " well, i'm the only one left alive in my tribe. if i come back to the ocean, i'll just get kidnapped over and over again. "

- kokichi : " why don't you just go to another ocean ? "

- s / o : " it doesn't work like that, dummy. "

- kokichi : " well SORRY for suggesting something, geez. "

- you laughed, standing up

- s / o : " alright, it's decided. take me back to japan with you. "

- kokichi : " i'm going to be pretty honest with you right now. i have no idea how to do that. i woke up today and was in your country. "

- s / o : " oh, so that's why you're considered a witch, kokichi. you're not from here. "

- kokichi : " so it may be. "

- s / o : " i would suppose,, you just go back to bed ? and then when you wake up, you could be in japan. "

- after agreeing with your terms, he took you to his little apartment

- you fell asleep in his bed, wearing his clothes, completely unaware that that was not the norm in japan

- but, you weren't in japan, so there wouldn't be much of a problem there, would it ?

- except his face was / very / red, which you thought meant he was getting sick

- eventually, you two somehow fell asleep,,,

- , , , , ,

- he woke up to the sound of his phone buzzing loudly, charged on his bedside table

- he reached his hand to grab it, but before he could, he accidentally smacked something in the face

- holy shit, that wasn't a fever dream

- kokichi : " huh ? s / o ? you're still here ? "

- he shook you a little bit, to wake you up.

- s / o : " if you shake me one more time i will personally send rain your way for fifteen years. "

- kokichi : " alright, sorry, geez. "

- did he,,

- did he just bring a mermaid from a different world to japan ?

- he looked at you as if you were the most amazing thing in his life

- no one was ever going to believe this one.

#danganronpa #danganronpa v3 killing harmony #killing harmony #kokichi oma #danganronpa kokichi #danganronpa imagines #imagines #mod kokichi

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xmxisxforxmaybe · 5 years

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Melbourne, An Interlude

Summary: Merriell “Snafu” Shelton is on leave in Australia and meets a girl who, in quite a twist for Merriell, ends up charming the pants off of him. I was inspired by @rami-hoe and their story, The Soldier and the Nurse, because it was written in Snaf’s first person POV.

I am experimenting with this whole first person POV thing, so I keep Snaf’s thoughts in a slight version of his accent—this might be annoying af and not work at all :/ Feedback welcome! This is also my first piece on here with an OFC instead of a reader insert. I still tried to keep her vague-ish, but I wanted to do something different : )

This story will be two parts because I no longer seem to be able to write a one-shot to save my life.

Permanent Taglist: @rami-malek-trash @sherlollydramoine

Warnings: language, racial slur against the Japanese in accordance with the time period, and lots of sex stuff, so no under 18s, please!

If Guadalcanal was anythin’ to indicate what else was comin,’ I was gonna make the most of my time here in Melbourne. I was one of the lucky ones without malaria, but I was skinnier than I’d eva been and it was provin’ to be difficult to keep food in me long enough to actually fix my malnourishment.

What I can tell ya was takin’ a shower without a gun within arm’s length, without the fear of havin’ a shell dropped on ya naked ass, was next to feelin’ like god himself was wrappin’ ya up in a hug made out of warm rainwater.

It took a few days of eatin’ a little here and there and a whole lotta sleep for my nerves to relax. After a few meals dat finally settled well and sleepin’ for damn near 36 hours, I was ready to go out and find a drink, and I more than hoped not to spend anotha night alone on a fuckin’ cot in dat stadium.

First night out, I drank five glasses of whiskey and ended up stumblin’ around, gettin’ lost—I used to be able to drink a hell of a lot more than dat. I ended up runnin’ smack inta a gaggle of girls, gigglin’ and chatterin’ as dey were headin’ into the bar I just left.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t care which one said yes—so I took my shot, hopin’ I’d come across as charmin’ to at least one of em. I smiled a lot because I knew girls liked it when I did, and I ran a hand through my hair, short because it had just been cut, tryin’ to look just a little innocent and tryin’ to not sound as drunk as I was.

Her name was somethin’ like Stella or Bella, and I’m pretty sure she was a decent lookin’ girl. She took me back to the place she shared with her sister, and while she was shy at first, she opened up once the lights were out. I tried my best to get her to leave a little light on because I spent enough time in the black of night, not able to even see my own dick in my hand when takin’ a piss. But she was too shy for dat.

I took my time, drunk as I was, and made sure she was ready for me. I wasn’t ‘bout to do somethin’ stupid to start off my leave and maybe she’d be the only girl I’d end up gettin’. I wanted her to remember a good enough time.

The sex was . . . sex. She was a little quiet, a little soft. She kept her hands at her sides, clutchin’ at the sheets on occasion as she laid under me. I eventually gave up on askin’ her what she liked, how she wanted to be touched, because she just giggled and shook her head. I liked it betta when a girl let loose, when she let me know it felt good, too.

I came, pullin’ out even though I was wearin’ a rubber. Unlike a lot of my buddies, I paid damn close attention to those fuckin’ VD movies dey showed us. Right before we shipped out, a kid I knew from trainin’ camp got the clap. Sometimes, when I think ‘bout just slippin’ in to a woman, I remember what his fuckin’ dick looked like and I spend the thirty seconds lubin’ and wrappin’ up with one of the rubber kits the officers give out like candy. I wasn’t gonna spend half my leave vistin’ a Pro Station, or worse, laid up in the hospital with my cock on fire.

Once somethin’-ella was asleep, I tried to leave, quiet as possible. The damn MPs were still up everyone’s assholes, and I didn’t wanna be put in a cage. But on my way out, I ran into her sister and her name sounded somethin’ like Stella or Bella, too. She wasn’t quite as good lookin’ as her sister, but at least she wasn’t shy.

Honestly, I was just engagin’ in small talk, tryin’ to leave, but before I knew it, I found myself, naked and sprawled out on Stella/Bella #2’s bed with her bouncin’ on my cock like she’d been born to do it. Unlike her sis, she really didn’t need my help to come, and I actually was a little taken aback when ‘bout two minutes in she started screamin’ like a banshee, shakin’ and comin’ undone on top of me. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the feeling of her warmth, the sweet smell of sex mixin’ with whateva clean soap she had used, until I found myself comin’ for her, just like I did for her sister.

This one was more difficult to get away from, her limbs all tangled with mine and I wasn’t ready for dat—for feelin’ like I couldn’t move. It was way too much like sittin’ in a foxhole up to ya asshole in mud, tangled with ya weapon and ya gear and leanin’ against a buddy.

I relied on instinct and stayed real still, laborin’ my breathin’ like I was asleep and sure enough, she drifted off, snorin’ her head off.

I detangled myself and got outta there. I’d come enough to be a little more sober, so I snuck a glass of water before headin’ out, hopin’ I’d be able to find my way back to base unnoticed.

* * * * *

The next few weeks proceeded in much the same fashion. Drinkin’, smokin’, a little gamblin’, and closin’ out the night by finding some sweet thing to bed down. I was the happiest I’d been in a long time and even though the threat of drills and trainin’ was kept loomin’ ova our heads, I didn’t mind. Nothin’ here would eva be as bad as what was ova there.

Like I said, I was content with my days and nights and believed it would be how’d I’d spend my time in Melbourne until I saw her.

I was playin’ a game of cards with a few of my buddies, a cigarette danglin’ from my lips, the smoke waftin’ up in a thick stream when I glanced up at a loud guffaw of laughter comin’ from a few tables ova. I reached up to lower my cigarette, and when I found the source of the laughter, I saw the sexiest woman I had eva laid my damn eyes on.

She was surrounded by a group of marines I didn’t know, probably from the 7th Division. Her laughter had them captivated, and her glass of beer was—goddamn, she was drinkin’ beer like she’d been doin’ it her whole life. Her lips fit sensuously ova the thick rim of the mug, and the way she licked the little bit of liquid from her upper lip after a long draught, not just a sip, but a real drink, made me shift in my chair.

I had to know her—fuck sleepin’ with her; I just needed to be near her.

I bowed out of the game, the guys givin’ me major shit as I walked toward her table, all of them turnin’ to see if I’d make an asshole of myself.

When I stopped in front of the table, the conversation barely paused, even though she noticed me immediately and shot me a smirk, her pink lips glistenin’.

“Hi ya,” I said loud enough to turn all their attention. “Name’s Merriell Shelton, 1st Marines Division, and I’d love to buy ya a drink.”

The woman raised her eyebrow, her smirk still planted on her lips. The marines around her laughed and told me to fuck off, albeit with more polite words since dey were in front of the lady.

“As you can see Merriell Shelton, I don’t have a shortage of marines to buy me a drink. What makes your offer so special?”

American. I wasn’t expectin’ dat. Her response made it clear she was bein’ coquettish. Her tone was teasin’ and her eyes were shinin’ with a wickedness I had never seen in a woman’s eye before. It only made her more appealin’ and only made me more determined to shut the other guys up who had started laughin’ at her response, tellin’ me to keep movin.’

“Well, my offer is different, Miss, because dat’s all I want,” I said.

The marines shifted in their seats, clearly annoyed, until one of em I hadn’t seen earlier, guffawed. It was a guy in my company named James Haneson, but everyone called him Hollywood because he had movie-star good looks and wore sunglasses every chance he got. In fact, even though it was night, he had ‘em on now.

“Sure, Snafu. You’ve been with a different girl every night since we got here. Remember those sisters? Or were you just full of shit?” Hollywood said, his white teeth glitterin’ as he laughed while the othas joined in. Because I knew him, I caught the edge in his tone. He was sendin’ a clear signal, but I wasn’t ‘bout to let him win without a fight.

Still wearin’ a grin I considered to be charmin, I retorted, “I neva’ said I been a saint. All I want is to buy a drink for the most beautiful woman I eva seen who also happens to be able to drink betta than about half the men in my company.”

The woman laughed at dat, a throaty, deep laugh I felt run straight through body, like I got a good jolt from a bad wire.

“Well, gents,” she said lookin’ all ‘round her circle of admirers and fixin’ em with a sad little downturn of her mouth, which was surely negated by the wicked look in her eyes. “How can a gal refuse such a reasonable request?”

The guys all protested, Hollywood even reached out to take hold of her elbow, but she slid out of her chair and her linked her arm in mine.

“I’ll see you boys soon,” she said as she reached across the table to drink down the last of her beer.

“Wait, Kathryn! Are you gonna come back to this bar or will you be at the one ‘cross the street?”

“Or the club down on Main?”

“Or—”

Kathryn cut them off with a wink, statin’, “Guess you’ll just have to wait and see!”

Then, she turned to me and whispered, “Let’s get out of here before they stop being so amiable.”

“Kathryn! Where ya goin’? You promised to have a drink with me tonight,” an Aussie marine who was at least three times my size and looked to be more mountain than man said as we whirred by him, Kathryn callin’ out her response ova her shoulder.

“Now, I know that isn’t true because I never make promises to soldiers, Roger! Catch ya around!”

As we exited the bar, Kathryn leaned into me to make way for a group of people headin’ in and she whispered right in my ear, “I took him home night before last and he came on my thighs before he even got my panties off.”

I laughed, goddamn did I laugh! She was sexy and had a mouth on her dat woulda made most men blush.

She continued to lean into me, and when I turned to look at her, her eyes were on my face and she was grinnin’.

“That was a good reaction. You see, I was testing you, Mr. Shelton, and you passed. Shall we have that drink now?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said returnin’ her dazzlin’ smile.

“I know a place that isn’t quite so inundated with, well, your lot.”

I let her lead me through the streets, happy she kept her arm linked with mine. She smelled like perfume, a familiar scent dat reminded me of the little purple sweet violets my granmama grew. Perfume was a luxury now, so I figured with the way she spoke and dressed she was from money. Girls with the kinda confidence Kathryn had were used to havin’ things at their disposal.

As we walked, she pointed out various places and named them, tellin’ me whether dey was worth vistin’ or if dey’d charge ya double.

“How do ya know so much if ya American?” I asked, no longer able to keep my curiosity from climbin’ out the bag.

“Well, my father is Australian. He met my mother while he was at University in the States. We always spend Christmas here with my grandparents, but since the war, I haven’t felt much like going back to my studies. I work in the shipyard now as a welder.”

I actually stopped in my tracks. I was expectin’ maybe a Red Cross volunteer or a nurse, but a welder, huh.

Kathryn let go of my arm and pulled off her glove, holdin’ up her hand and tellin’ me to feel it.

I reached out and ran my own calloused fingers ova her’s and across her calloused palm.

“You really are somethin’, ma’am,” I said, not botherin’ to hide the awe in my voice.

“I guess we haven’t been properly introduced—I’m Kathryn Taylor,” she said as she held out her ungloved hand to me.

“Merriell Shelton. Pleasure to officially meet ya,” I said as I enveloped her hand in mine, admirin’ the strength in her grip.

“Come on, Merriell. We’re almost to Smithy’s.”

We turned a corner and after walkin’ a few more feet, Kathryn took my hand in her once-more gloved hand and lead me down what seemed like a never-endin’, near pitch-black alley. She made a sharp turn left and then a right before we were brought to a buildin’ dat looked just like any otha bar in Melbourne, except the accents from the patrons out on the patio were all Aussie.

“Kathryn! Good to see you, luv,” the man at the door said. “And who’s this?”

“My friend, Merriell Shelton. He passed my test, Joe,” Kathryn said with a wink.

The man called Joe chuckled and clapped me on the back, however, his next words were anythin’ but friendly.

“Start any shit in there, mate, and your MPs will be the least of your concern, clear?”

“Clear,” I said with an affirmative nod.

I followed Kathryn in and got a fair share of stares, but no one seemed to pay us much mind once we slid into a little booth in the very back.

“Drinks are on me,” Kathryn said as she fished around in her little bag.

“Oh, no ma’am. I invited you—”

“Merriell. You fought. You lived. You’ll be off to fight again. I’m not the one risking my life on those godforsaken islands. The absolute least I can do is buy you a drink,” Kathryn said with finality as she slid from the booth and strode away—at least before stopping on her heel and doing a rather impressive about-face.

“I forgot to ask what you wanted,” she said with a quizzical look on her face as she stood in front of me.

I had to laugh. I didn’t think I’d eva met a woman who made me laugh as much as I had in such a short while.

“I like whiskey,” I said.

“You’ll get the finest in the house,” she said, smiling again before she turned and took off for the crowded bar.

I took a lot of pleasure in watchin’ her walk away. Her blue dress clung to her backside like it was made for the sole purpose of drivin’ a man wild.

When Kathryn returned, she had two large glasses of beer and two glasses of whiskey.

“Figured it’d be awhile before they’d make room for me at the bar again,” she said as she scooted a beer and a whiskey to my side of the table.

I thanked her and took a sip of the whiskey. It was damn smooth, so smooth I was sure I’d never tasted anythin’ like it before.

Kathryn also took a sip and thought for a moment before sayin’, “I think it has a nutty taste. Definitely not floral, not woody.”

I shrugged my shoulders at her, not sure what else to say.

“It’s my dad’s and my granddad’s favorite. I’ve been sneaking sips since I was a little girl,” Kathryn said as she slid her glass toward me. “However, I really don’t like it at all.”

I laughed again, a quiet chuckle of surprise because I wasn’t eva sure what was gonna come out of her mouth next.

“Where are you from, Merriell? Your accent is . . . sexy,” she said, pausin’ to either add emphasis or because she might’ve finally felt a little shy.

“I’m from New Orleans, Louisiana.”

“New—Naw Orlens. No. New Or-lins. How’d I do?”

“Not too bad,” I said with a chuckle. “Just don’t eva go full yank on me and say New Orleeens,” I said, draggin’ my e’s out to create dat sound I absolutely hated.

Kathryn giggled and said, “Point taken. I never want to hear you make that terrible noise again.”

We both smiled at each other, and even though the night was still young, I wished it would neva end.

Talkin’ to Kathryn was the easiest thing I’d eva done. She didn’t ask about the war, so I got to enjoy not talkin’ about it. After a few more hours and several more drinks, I learned about her childhood, her schoolin’, and her life here with her grandparents. In turn, I opened up to her about home, growin’ up and not always havin’ money but how my granmama made sure us kids neva went hungry.

I could tell I was feelin’ the effects of the whiskey and Kathryn could, too. Like everyone who wasn’t Cajun, she said my accent was takin’ up ‘more space in my mouth’ as she put it.

“But it’s still so sexy,” she said, this time bold as brass.

“I’m convinced dat nut’in on dis earth is sexy as you, darlin’,” I said, shooting her what I hoped was one of my best grins.

“You know, I’ve never met anyone with eyes more beautiful than yours. They can’t lie, Merriell. Did you know that? I’ve been testing you all night,” Kathryn said with seriousness, except I couldn’t help grinnin’ at her slurred speech.

I was a little taken aback at the compliment, though, and told her so.

“Nobody’s eva told me dat ‘bout ma eyes. Usually, dey just call me . . . unnervin’ or some shit,” I said with a nervous laugh. I had never confessed dat it bothered me to anyone.

Kathryn narrowed her eyes, takin’ her time to formulate her response.

“Prolly because you can see right the fuck through people—just like you did with, oh, what’s his name back at the bar . . . Hollywood! People want to feel like they’re special, like they’re some kinda enigma that can’t be solved. But you, Mer, you just cut right through their bullshit.”

“I’ve neva wanted ta kiss someone more dan I wanna kiss ya right now,” I said, leanin’ on the table, my fingers dancin’ ‘round the glass dat was between em.

Kathryn sat straight up and looked like I’d dumped a gallon of ice-water ova her head. I was confused enough to start to apologize for bein’ forward, but she cut me off.

She locked her eyes on mine and said, “No. When we kiss, it’ll be something that you remember for the rest of your life, not a stolen press of the lips or dart of the tongue in a back-alley bar. You deserve something more than that, Merriell.”

No woman like Kathryn had eva said anythin’ like dat to me. In fact, no woman had eva said anythin’ like dat to me. I was a lotta things, a whole lotta things, but this girl seemed to deem me worthy of far more than I eva imagined for myself.

We were both disappointed when the bartender announced last call. It was near 3 am, but I neva felt more awake; it felt like the fuckin’ Japs were a million miles away on their own stinkhole of an island, mindin’ their own goddamn business and dey had decided to keep it dat way.

“Guess I outta let you get back before they send the MPs after you,” Kathryn said, her eyes a little glassy as she smiled at me.

“Nah—da officers quit checkin’ up dat closely on us. All it takes is a few favors and ya safe from dem assholes.”

Like I was discoverin’ she was prone to do, Kathryn grew serious and changed the topic on me.

“I’m looking for something, Mer. I’m just not sure what it is yet, but I do know that I’ve never found it.”

I smiled at her, puzziln’ a little ova what she said.

“I dunno if I’ve got anythin’ dat interstin’ for ya, but I would sure would like to see ya again.”

“Done,” she said, pullin’ a little notepad and a pen from her purse. She scribbled an address on it and reached ova to tuck it snug into my shirt pocket.

She had put her gloves back on and reached up to cup the side of my face. I leaned inta her touch and closed my eyes, savorin’ her gentleness. She slid her gloved thumb ova my lips, pressin’ just a little on the bottom one. I opened my eyes and we just stood there for what felt like a lifetime, lookin’ at each other.

She shook her head, and pulled away, sayin’, “I’ll make sure you get on the right tram. Come on.”

Kathryn took off down the dark alley, and I followed her, thinkin’ there was a good chance I’d follow her anywhere.

#snafu #Snafu Shelton #snafu imagine #snafu fanfic #snafu x ofc #rami malek #rami malek character #the pacific #Merriell Shelton #merriell shelton imagine #merriell shelton x ofc #female reader

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sanjuno · 5 years

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Ummmm howabout a one piece time travel fic of your choice?

(1/32 SI Promptfest)

The sea is a treacherous bitch, and I have never hated being proved right more than the moment I realized that the undertow that drowned mereally did come out of nowhere just to drag my ass away from shore. How, you ask me at this point, did I know my bitter sarcasm was more than simple railing against my unfortunate circumstances?

The giant glowing sea goddess clad in sea foam and coral tipped me off. A smidge. Just a wee little bit of a hint there.

Terrible and majestic, the Ocean spoke in a voice like the waves crashing against stone. ‘My son will appreciate the help you canprovide, Occhio D Vittoria.’

“… eh?” I was understandably suffering a bit of a BSOD inthe brain, between the worldview shift required when a technical atheist meets withthe divine face to face and the oxygen deprivation. The Ocean then proceeded to slam me head-first down a whirlpool before I could even get a complete word out, and then pain from the bends set my blood on fire.

Needless to say, I was not in the best frame of mind when Iwoke up still under the water. “That’s not my fucking name, you salt-soaked whore!”

A rather scandalized clownfish burbled at me in shock, retreating into its anemone. It took me longer than I care to admit to realizethat I was actually breathing water rather than using a self-taught diving trick to recycle old air. Hard on the heels of that revelation was the notice that my legs had been replaced with a fishtail. Specifically, I was sporting the iconic ray-finned crimson-and-neon barbsof a clearfin lionfish.

“…” I stared for a good long while, trying to make sense of what the hell was going on. This was a situation that called for a witty one-liner. “… Well if I have to be a male-gaze fantasy trope at least I get to be a venomous one.”

… Eh, good enough. I always did have a habit of identifying the benefits of any given situation, and being neurotoxic was a fairly decent defense mechanism when all is said and done. Next step was movement, fairly easy to adapt to given that despite the surface characteristics my tail was still jointed like an aquatic mammalian.This meant I propelled myself with the vertical kick I was familiar with from when I still had legs rather than having to learn how to steer using the lateral movements of an actual fish.

Bonk!

“Mother of fuck!” One hand pressed to my brand new brain injury, I slapped the other one forward to press against the glass wall. Now that I was paying attention to something other than my new meatsuit, I recognized the not-quite-mirror quality of aquarium glass. “Oh, you’ve got to be fucking with me.”

I was in a honest-to-goodness fishbowl. What in the name of all that was held sacred did the Ocean think she was doing sticking me in a fucking aquarium? Was this vengeance for the time I let my mother help me clean my fish tank and she accidentally boiled my placo?

Holy shit I hopenot.

Pressing my face up against the glass I could see… wanted posters. In a… more-than-slightly-familiar printing style. Hm.

My fins flared out in shock as I stared at a wanted poster for Portgas D Rouge. There were other posters, all of them bounties for female pirates. Those, combined with the questionable taste of the statuary bolted to the floor, told me exactly what kind of situation I had ended up in.

I was in One Piece, I was a captive mermaid, and my ‘owner’had a fetish typical of the series’ stock of minor villains. A perversion that was played up for comedy during the build-up and action events while actually being beyond horrifying when realistically considered. I was trapped inside the glass, and swallowing back the surge of fear made me acutely aware of the pressure of what I presumed was a bomb collar around my neck. I had no resources, no allies, no clue what I was even doing in this world, and no realistic hope of rescue.

I was, in short, completely doomed unless the Ocean decided to take pity and toss a miracle or two my way.

BOOM!

Well, ask and ye shall receive… at least so long as the Ocean Goddess still has a use for me, I suppose. The water in my tank vibrated, the walls of the room outside of it shaking madly as what I assumed was a Grand Line style brawl grew closer. An ugly man, made recognizable to me by his inbred ugliness as a World Noble, flew through the far wall to crash into the memorabilia shrine. The posters and broken pieces of plaster flew up into the air.

I am Canadian to my core, and also a mouthy shit with no shame, so I threw my arms in the air and made like a bullhorn. “GOOOOAAAAALLLL!”

The man dramatically emerging from the smoke in a predatory stalk promptly stumbled as he sputtered. Two smaller bodies shoved around his knees to stare at me curiously. The view was a bit distorted, but it was hard to mistake those two particular children for anyone else.

Blinking, I took in the sight of Portgas D Ace and Monkey D Luffy in all their tiny, childhood glory. For some reason they were dressed in the tattered remains of tropical print sundresses. Which really did not make me feel any better about how they had managed to end up in the same room as my cage. Then I lifted my gaze to the adult accompanying them and felt my eye twitch.

It was an adult version of Ace, tattooed front and back with an elaborate phoenix-and-wave design that I had never managed to draw out quite to my satisfaction. Well, at least if I had to be a victimized minority in One Piece I was in a fix-it AU and now I knew how to create a situation where I could make the most of it.

“Hi, Riot!” I waved cheerfully, hoping against hope that anime physics would come into play and let my voice carry through the glass. “Could you be a dear and get the key to this bomb collar before you completely destroy that asshole’s everything?”

“Hi, Pretty Fish Lady!” Luffy waved back, and oh, look at that. There were den-den mushi installed on either side of the glass for easy communication. That made better sense. “Do you know my big brother?”

“I saw him be born! A real firecracker, your big brother.” Technically I am actually telling thetruth, which is great because Luffy is oddly perceptive about things like that. Riot gave me a sharp look, and I winked at him trying to mime holding a crystal ball, hoping he would pick up on the wording and… yeah, there it was. Thank you for your reputation, Madame Sharkey, and let us all hope I never get called out on borrowing it.

“Stop right there, pirate scum!” The man who rushed at Riot was dressed in white, and… yep. There was that sand-blasted awful coat with the hideous epaulettes.

Carnage ensued. The glass of my tank got broken as Riot’s fight with the Noble’s Marine bodyguard ramped up, and I had a terrifying flashback to the time my five gallon tank got shoved off the table and broken glass sliced my betta in half. Luck and possible divine intervention allowed everyone involved in the confusion to avoid gaining a serious injury from the glass shards. Ace proved that his pick pocketing skills were still sharp when he rushed over to me with a stupidly elaborate key ring in hand.

Key in lock and turn and yes! Free!

I ripped the collar away from my neck as soon as the clasp popped loose, glaring at the Noble only just managing to pull himself free of the pile of debris Riot had buried him in. He needed to be buried deeper and I needed my fucking legs back!

A lurch, like when your gut drops out from under you on a roller coaster.

“HA! Feet! Score one for maturity!” I am a very mature and poised individual indeed. Ask anyone. I am also really glad for the worldbuilding that means despite being a mermaid, as an adult I can have feet whenever I need them. Certain people just really need a good curb-stomping, and it is hard to deliver such without heels to slam down into tender places.

I might also have fed the Noble the bomb collar. After arming it. In retrospect, I have no idea how I managed to avoid making a horrid mess of myself.

… Honestly I think I just got caught up in the moment. Also I have a very low empathy score and a duty to future generations to remove certain bad influences from the gene pool. Especially when said bad influences make creepy comments about small children and their ‘uses’.

Noting that Riot seemed to be finishing up his fight, I grabbed one of the wrap dresses from the wreckage of the armoire and cinched it tight, vowing to change into something with a less tainted providence at the first available opportunity. Then I slung the children over my shoulders like particularly vocal grain sacks and headed for the stairs. Predictably, things started to explode as Riot put the Marine down for good. I was already up on the deck with my wiggling burdens by the time a massive fireball chewed through most of the Noble’s ostentatiously gaudy ship.

Riot emerged from the flames, predictably unscathed, and the Marine was nowhere to be seen. He stared at me, I stared back at him, and Luffy whined into my shoulder-blade about me not letting him watch the end of the fight. “You’re a mean Fish Lady.”

“Little fry should not be fighting sharks.” I told the youngest boy even as I tossed Ace at his older counterpart and re-secured Luffy before he could slip free. “Salut, cousin. I appreciate the assist and the chance to get my own back. Although I do hope you have an escape route in mind.”

“My ship is right there.” Riot caught Ace without pausing stride and motioned to where a galleon flying a jolly roger was pulling up broadside to the rapidly burning vessel. The light from the flames made it easy to see Riot frown, his entirely understandable distrust of strangers warring with the reality of the situation I was in when he found me. “… Are you comingalong?”

“If you don’t mind the company.” I smiled at him as we began to move towards the pirate ship and pulled the one bounty poster I had made a point of picking up out of my pocket. “It’d be nice to get to know Miss Rouge’s sons.”

Riot flicked another searching look at me while Ace gaped at the picture of his mother. It was probably the first time the kid had seen her face. Hells bells, they were young. I still had a decade on Riot at this point in his life, more than twice that on Ace and Luffy. Still, time to make the most of being the eldest.

“The name’s Occhio D Vittoria, pleasure to make your acquaintance.” … Aw fuck no. That was not my name. The Ocean was still playing silly buggers and I did not appreciate the sudden re-branding at all.

… Oh shit, maybe the D stood for Drowned.

#sanjuno's ficwork #one piece fanfic #wildfire riot #wildfire hearts #portgas d ace #portgas d riot #monkey d luffy #occhio d vittoria #si promptfest #heave a sigh and a wish for me #si oc #violent mermaids are the best mermaids

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portfoliosmedia · 5 years

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Betta fish: types care, feeding and breeding. Tutorial about everything

Elegant, majestic and imperial. Thus we could define this fish belonging to the family of labyrinths, which take their name due to an organ called labyrinth that allows them to breathe oxygen. The scientific name by which it is known is Betta Splendens and they inhabit freshwater. The betta fish is the product of multiple genetic variations that have resulted in different species.

Before acquiring a specimen of this species we must take into account the temperament that characterizes them since they are territorial and aggressive animals, especially males, and that we cannot lodge in our aquarium with any companion. Let us go on to detail the file of this fish!

Varieties and types of bettas fish

The different varieties and types of these fish, thanks to captive breeding, have managed to show the splendor and beauty of this animal. The crown, Cooper and dragon are the most significant and widespread among aquarium hobbyists. If you want to see the complete file of each one, click on the image.

Female Betta fish

When we buy a copy of this species we have the following question: How to know if my betta fish is male or female? It will be two months later when we notice the difference between both sexes. In young age it will be impossible to determine the sexuality of our animals.

In adulthood, although the female will be larger, it is less bulky than the male because its fins are smaller .

Sometimes, we tend to get confused since once in a while the female betta fish is in heat makes bubbles . This is usually common in males when they are building the nest for laying eggs. If this happens, you will see how the couple takes care of the setting.

Morphology

How much?

They get to measure up to 6 centimeters. Although the males have greater volume due to the size of the fins the females reach a larger size.

Coloration

The coloration of these animals is varied. We can find specimens of these white, pink, purple, red and black species. That is why, if we are going to raise and we aim to achieve a certain color, both the father and the mother must be of the same hue.

In this video you can see some of the specimens with spectacular colors

How much can they get to live?

In their natural habitat it is rare that they exceed 2 years of life. In captivity , life expectancy can be extended to 5 years.

Feeding

Betta fish are carnivorous animals. In their natural habitat they feed on insects, worms, mosquitoes, larvae and insect eggs that perch on the surface of the water. This means that we must buy food that contains meat and fish protein. When feeding our fighting fish we must take into account that the feeding is not the same as that of most standard tropical fish, which feed on prepared flakes. If you plan to put your betta fish in the same aquarium with other fish, keep in mind their feeding.

What is the best food for betta fish?

It seems obvious advice, but the specific food for our fish is the best. To ensure that we are giving the best food to our fish we must verify that the main basis of the food is based on meat whose percentage of protein should be 40% or more.

We can also feed our betta fish with frozen worms . This is advisable once a week.

Our pet feeds on the surface of the aquarium. We must ensure that the food is on the surface and does not sink.

How often should I feed it?

It is recommended to feed the betta fish twice throughout the day . Once in the morning and once at night . We must leave 12 hours apart.

Many caretakers of betta fish choose every 10 to 14 days to leave a fast day. This fast day helps reduce the possibility of constipation of our fish.

How much should I feed my fighting fish?

2-3 medium-sized granules in the morning and two three granules at night should be sufficient to have a proper diet .

Be careful with supercharging your fish! This is a very common mistake among the caretakers of these types of animals since it is usually very colorful to see them eat. Overfeeding them can lead to our fish becoming obese and having serious health problems. Keep in mind that the stomach of a betta fish is not much bigger than our eye. Do not spend feeding your fish.

Sometimes, we believe that our fish is very hungry, and even the whole package of food would be eaten if we threw it whole.

Also, keep in mind that if we put too much food in the aquarium, the food discarded by our fish will contaminate the water and make the tank dirty.

What should a betta fish have in the aquarium?

El Tanque . First of all we will need an aquarium with a tank not less than 25 liters. This will ensure that we have a healthier and happier betta fish. It is recommended that the tank be longer than tall, although if it is the other way around, it will not be essential for you to have such a pet. In its natural habitat the betta fish lives in shallow streams.

Aquarium location . We must place our aquarium where there is no direct impact of sunlight. This can favor the creation of algae and the water in our aquarium darkens.

Filter . The filter is necessary to help keep the water clean for longer. However, betta fish do not like the current in the water of their aquarium. Therefore, a soft aquarium filter or one with an adjustable water flow is recommended. The filter will keep the water clean and free of microbes for our fish.

Heater . Betta fish are tropical water. The temperature of the water at which our fish should be will be or should range between 28 and 30 degrees so it is essential that we have a heater in our aquarium.

Add gravel substrate and plants. If you introduce gravel in the aquarium, something advisable, keep in mind that the leftovers of the food that our pet discarded will fall to it. This will cause the water in our aquarium to get dirty and full of waste. We can combat this problem using small and fine tape.

If we are going to use live aquarium plants we may have to see what kind of substrate we need and what they can grow.

Add decorative elements . This will help create a fun home for our fish. Adding boats, anchors, vessels or figures will make our aquarium much more colorful while our fish has recesses to play and swim.

What should I avoid putting in my aquarium?

Fake plants . Almost all fake plants are made of plastic. If you buy plastic plants make sure the leaves do not have sharp edges . The fins of betta fish are very delicate. Any sharp edge can easily tear a fin of betta fish.

Can I collect several bettas in the same aquarium?

No, especially when they are two male betta fish . You should never have more than one male fighting fish, these fish are very territorial and if you get two of the same genus, they end up fighting over the fact that they are sharing the same space.

Yes, you can have several females . Although female betta are aggressive, they are not territorial and may share space in the same aquarium.

Can I put other species in my aquarium?

You must choose very well the species that you put with your fish. Keep in mind that there are many aquarium species that are very territorial, so it will be contraindicated for all those of us who have betta fish in our tank.

The species you can choose are:

The neon Tetra fish

African dwarf frog

Prawns

The clown fish

Neon jewel fish

Do Betta fish have teeth?

Yes, betta fish have teeth, yes, very small and white teeth . If you want to see your teeth you will need to get very close to him and that he has his mouth open. Don’t expect teeth like a shark’s even if you get too close and put one you may not see them. If you have a magnifying glass at home put it in front of your fish and it will help you visualize them.

What do betta use their teeth for?

They use them when feeding . To chew the prepared food we supply and cut the worms or any live food before eating them. These are carnivores, in their natural habitat they feed on small insects and water larvae.

Betta fish are known as Siamese fighting fish and their teeth have played an essential role in acquiring this reputation. Fighting fish use those small sharp teeth to fight with other fish and try to amputate part of their opponent’s fins. In addition, they are very territorial, especially male betas with others of the same gender. Betta fish can sometimes attack other aquarium mates of different species.

The good thing is that we don’t have to worry about the teeth of fighting fish since they won’t be able to cause pain in the hands of human beings.

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