W: (Blubby sees a mail truck pull in then drive away after dropping off an envelope)

L: "...Huh. Don't think I've ever had mail before..." Blubby picks up the envelope, checks who it's from, and opens it.

W: (it was an invite to a water-themed game show)

L: "I've heard of this... Might be fun." Blubby smiles as he decides he'll come to the show when it's time.

W: (at Snii-tii's place, the same invite is in her mailbox)

L: Sni-tii reads her invitation. "A trivia show where you safely drown if you lose... May as well check it out."

W: (then Cirrus)

L: Cirrus goes to 10% size to get a better look at his invitation. "I bet I'd do pretty well at this. Hope there won't be much about phones..."

W: (the invite came laminated when dropped off at Lenn's place)

L: "Ha, I see they know I'm aquatic. This certainly seems like a fun take on breathplay..."

W: (finally, Bambi. in this timeline, Bambi's mom was never shot)

L: Bambi's mom reads out the invitation to him, and he excitedly says he wants to go. "They're not going to let me on the stage with you, but I'll be right there in the audience, okay?", she says, and Bambi nods.

W: (they all are escorted to the greenroom. Bambi's mom too)

L: Eventually, they all figure out their rankings against each other in how long they can hold their breath; Blubby is by far the best, followed by Sni-tii, Cirrus, Lenn, and Bambi. If counting how long each can endure drowning, Cirrus is better off than Sni-tii.

W: (i come in wearing a suit) hey everybody!

L: Lenn: "Oh, hey Will! You look too well dressed to be another contestant, are you the host for this one?"

The others also greet you, though only Cirrus and Bambi also recognize you.

W: i am indeed the host. just letting y'all know it's 10 minutes before the show starts

L: Lenn: "Alright, thanks."

Cirrus: "Don't give me, him and Bambi easier questions 'cause we're friends with you, okay?"

Bambi: "Oh, for sure! I want to show off how much I know!"

W: i won't. and you 2 must be Blubby and Snii-tii. the other guys told me about you

L: Blubby: "Yep, and Cirrus and Lenn told us about you!"

Sni-tii: "Good to finally meet you! You being a host of this must be a fairly recent thing, those two would've said that otherwise."

W: i've been hosting this show since my old friend Joe retired and, (sigh) passed on. (Bambi's mom heard about Joe, he was such a nature-loving guy)

L: Bambi's mom shakes her head and sighs. "Yeah, I heard... Really miss him. Great guy."

W: (seconds before the show started, everyone was ready) director: we're going live in 3, 2, 1.

me: HELLO EVERYBODY! and welcome to this week's Flood or Fact. I'm William the aquatic fox, your host. let's meet our contestants this week, shall we?

L: Blubby: "I'm Blubby! I can hold my breath a really long time, so I'll have plenty of time to recover if my tank fills."

Sni-tii: "I'm Sni-tii. I'm not exactly keen on drowning, even though it'll be fine, so hopefully I do a decent job."

Cirrus: "My name's Cirrus. I've been around for a long time, and seen a lot of stuff. Hoping there's a good amount of history and geography questions."

Lenn: "I'm Lenn. Kind of weird that I'm the only truly aquatic one here, but I don't think that's going to give much of an advantage."

Bambi: "My name's Bambi! I'm here to show off how smart I am, and hopefully not end up drowning!"

W: alright contestants, into your tanks. and Lenn, make sure the drown limit on your band is on "unconscious" before stepping in.

L: Everyone heads into their respective tanks, being sealed inside. Lenn raises his arm so you can see his wristband is already set properly. "Kind of figured I'd have to set it to that, did it in advance."

W: good. now, the rules. there is a red button connected to a buzzer in your tank. i'm gonna ask questions 1 at a time, if you think you know the answer, hit the button. the first contestant to sound thier buzzer gets to answer. get it right and you're safe, get it wrong and your tank will fill 1/5 at a time with warm water. get 5 wrong answers, and you're out. and if you drown, don't panic, the water features oxygenation technology to keep you alive but unconscious until resuscitation. last one still not out, wins.

first prize is $1,000,000

L: Blubby's tail starts wagging. "Man, that'd be incredible..."

Lenn: "Could finally take a shot at that flooded house idea I've got..."

Bambi looks nervous, but doesn't say anything. The others just smile.

W: Alrighty, is everybody ready?

L: Everyone but Lenn confirms that they're ready. "What happens if we just... Don't answer any questions?"

W: That depends on whether you hit the buzzer or not

L: Lenn: "...Alright, I guess we'll see. I'm good, let's do this."

W: First question. What is a synonym for hashtag.

L: After a couple seconds, Bambi buzzes in. "Pound sign."

W: oh, i'm sorry, the answer we were looking for was "octothorpe" (Bambi's tank fills to 1/5) next question, what is the capital of China?

L: Cirrus immediately buzzes in. "Beijing!"

W: correct! next question, what year did the first commercially successful plane first take off?

L: A couple seconds later, Cirrus buzzes in again. "1933."

W: oh, incorrect. it was actually 1903 (Cirrus' tank fills to 1/5)

moving on. which US president is known for his hat and beard?

L: Blubby buzzes in just before Bambi can. "Abraham Lincoln."

W: correct Blubby. next question, true or false, urine was once used as mouthwash.

L: No one seems to be keen on answering this one, just awkwardly looking back and forth at the others to see if someone else will answer.

W: (after 10 seconds, all tanks fill by 1/5)

too late. it's actually true

L: Everyone is noticeably more nervous, now knowing what happens if no one answers. Cirrus shakes his head in a bit of frustration. "I remember that happening, why didn't I say anything?", he mutters.

W: next question, what is the only bird that can fly backwards?

L: After a few seconds, Sni-tii tries to answer. "A crow?"

W: (her tank fills to 2/5) sorry, it's actually the hummingbird

next question, true or false, most raindrops start out as ice crystals

L: Bambi answers before Cirrus can. "True!"

W: very good Bambi! next question, what month gets an extra day during a leap-year?

L: Blubby: "...April?" Cirrus smirks a bit, already knowing that's wrong.

W: incorrect, it's actually february

L: Blubby sighs as his tank fills to 2/5 full.

W: next question, what gaming company pioneered home console gaming?

L: Lenn: "Pretty sure that's Atari."

W: correct! next question, what technological breakthrough did the movie Toy Story have about its animation?

L: Bambi: "It was the first to have 3D... stuff."

W: you're right Bambi. its was the first 3D animated movie. next question, when was the golden spike ceremony in Promotory Point, Utah?

L: No one answers for several seconds. Just before the timer runs out, Cirrus quickly buzzes in. "Um... 1867."

W: nope, sorry. it was 1869

L: Cirrus grumbles and hovers a bit higher than before to stay out of the water as his tank fills to 3/5.

W: next question, what is the driest place in the world?

L: A few seconds pass before Sni-tii answers. "The... Sahara Desert?"

W: nope, it's actually the aticama desert in Chile

L: Sni-tii adjusts herself to raise her head a bit so she can still breathe, her tank reaching 3/5 full.

W: next question, what is the very first video to ever be uploaded to YouTube?

L: Bambi: "It's called "Me at the zoo""

W: bingo! next question, what is the tallest mountain ever?

L: Blubby: "That'll be Mount Everest."

W: correct! next question, what is the average lifespan of deer?

L: Lenn awkwardly glances over at Bambi before answering. "...6 years."

W: correct. next question, who ran the Nazi regime during the majority of World war II?

L: Cirrus: "Well, Hitler, obviously."

W: correct. next question, what country are you from if your bahamian?

L: There's a few seconds' pause before Blubby tries to answer. "Bahrain?"

W: nope, its actually the bahamas

L: Blubby tilts his head back a little to keep his muzzle above the water as it rises to 3/5 full.

W: note: you can swim to keep your heads above the surface. next question, what YouTuber is known for making videos where he gives money or expensive things to others.

L: Bambi: "That's Mr. Beast!"

W: correct! next question, when was "OMG" first recorded?

L: About halfway through the timer, Lenn tries to answer. "2012, I think..."

W: nope, it was actually 1917

L: "Oh, not the song..." Lenn sighs as his tank finally goes to 2/5 full.

W: next question, where is the toy company LEGO based in? answer must contain the names of the town and country said town is in

L: With most of the timer gone, Sni-tii hesitantly buzzes in. "Denmark, and, um... Copenhagen?"

W: sorry. you got the country correct but it was actually Billund.

L: "Yeah, the country was all I knew for sure." With some effort, Sni-tii stands tall enough to keep her head above water, even with her tank now 4/5 full. "Wish I could swim right now..."

W: one more wrong answer and you'll just have to pray you can hold out until the end of the show. next question, true or false, Mount Rushmore is located in north dakota.

L: Cirrus: "That's false, it's in South Dakota."

W: correct! next question, which US president was the so far only one to serve more than 2 terms?

L: Cirrus looks like he knows, but waits to see if someone else will try answering, and Blubby eventually does. "Franklin Roosevelt?"

W: (just before Blubby answers, the timer runs out) bad luck, Snii-tii, you're out.

L: Sni-tii glares at Cirrus and gets as much of a breath as she can before going under. She likely wasn't going to be lasting as long as usual, without much time to prepare. Blubby now props himself up on the glass with his front legs, and Bambi starts needing to swim. Cirrus can't quite get himself high enough to stay entirely out of the water any more.

W: next question, what is the name of the mountain range in South America.

L: Bambi buzzes in just before Cirrus can. "The Andes."

W: correct. ok folks, this is the score so far. Bambi and Lenn are tied for the lead at 3/5. Blubby and Cirrus are on a tightrope at 4/5. Snii-tii has been eliminated and is out of the game. now for round 2: mathematics.

L: Cirrus: "Oh boy... Not so good at that..."

No other contestant says anything. Sni-tii seems to still be doing fine on breath, though she looks a bit nervous.

W: 6 X 8 =

L: Blubby: "48."

W: correct. let me try something. Bambi, 9 X 5 =

L: Bambi: "Wh- Um... 45?"

W: nice reflexes. Cirrus, 10 X 10 =

L: Cirrus: "100. I'm not THAT bad at math."

W: i try to keep the problems below a certain grade level. Blubby, 36 + 55 =

L: Blubby: "...81?"

W: nope. the correct answer is 91

sorry Blubby, you're out

L: Blubby gets the last breath he can manage before the water gets too high, then he sits still to conserve as much oxygen as possible. By this point, Sni-tii is starting to blush from her need to breathe.

W: and then there are 2. we're going to heads up mode. who was the 3rd astronaut in the apollo 11 mission?

L: The timer gets fairly low before anyone answers. 

Bambi: "Buzz Aldrin?"

W: nope. Alan Kennedy. what differences sea water from urine?

L: Bambi still looks fairly determined despite being one mistake from losing.

Cirrus: "Sea water doesn't have ammonia in it?"

W: close but i was looking for urea. sorry

Lenn, what game did Mario first appear in?

L: Cirrus sighs. "I don't even know where I got that from..." Then, his tank fills to the top, and he holds his breath.

Lenn: "He was first in Donkey Kong, but he wasn't called Mario at that point."

W: alright. it's time for the "do or die" question. how many humans currently inhibit earth? you must provide the complete number.

L: Lenn: "Nice, easy enough, I have it memorized somehow. 9,086,419,021." His eyes go wide just after finishing. "W-wait, it's 8 billion and all that!"

W: sorry. no corrections. but that means, Bambi, you win!

L: Lenn shakes his head as he goes under. Bambi, meanwhile, looks thrilled as the audience cheers! "I-I was starting to think I wouldn't make it!"

W: congratulations, Bambi. now, for the sake of aquaphillic fans here. would you mind having your tank be full too? remember, oxygenation technology

L: "...I'm fine with that, yeah."

W: you heard the fawn. (turns to the camera) so there you have it folks, against all odds, the youngest contestant to ever win the show's grand prize is a young fawn. as for the rest of y'all, you aren't going home empty-handed. all 5 put in good effort so y'all get first class tickets to the maiden voyage of the newly-built Titanic 2.0, all expenses paid. and Bambi gets special permission to be in the bridge. this is William the aquatic fox signing off, SEE YOU NEXT WEEK FOR NEW CONTESTANTS, AQUAFANS!

director: and CUT! that's 90 minutes for lunch.

(everyone else leaves while the 5 are trapped in the full tanks. not even Blubby could last until we got back)

L: On the return of the show's staff, all 5 contestants have long since drowned and passed out. Bambi's mom is clearly restless, but she knows Bambi will be fine.

W: (i pull Bambi out and does 1 chest compression, re-activating his survival instincts to expel foreign stuff from his lungs)

L: Bambi starts coughing up the water, and after a fairly quick recovery, he and his mom hug. "I'm so proud of you, Bambi!", she says.

W: (i repeat the process with the other 4, one at a time)

L: Everybody gets the water out and fully recovers without issue.

Lenn: "Argh, I was so close!"

W: that's what happens when you get overconfident. but like i said, none of you are going home empty-handed. Blubby, you get a biometric suit with tailor-made scuba gear with powerful lights, allowing you to dive to the deepest, darkest parts of the ocean.

L: Blubby: "W-wow, um... Okay, thanks!"

W: Snii-tii, you are the proud owner of a unique breastpump. it collects the milk into a holding container and, if you want, you can drink directly from it. and it's powered by a rechargeable battery, no outlet needed

L: Sni-tii: "Well, that's neat. Thanks."

W: Cirrus, you get a gaming laptop. latest model, 32 gigs of RAM, RTX 2060 Super, crazy long battery life, the works

L: Cirrus: "Hey, maybe modded Minecraft can actually run well with this!"

W: Lenn, you get a similar biometric suit that Blubby got, allowing you to explore the deepest, parts of the ocean with 0 issue.

L: Lenn: "Nice. Been wanting to explore trenches, but the pressure was always beyond what I could handle."

W: and finally, Bambi. (places a pair of saddlebags on his back. each one with $500,000 in them) and let's not forget... (hands each a first class ticket for Titanic 2.0)

L: Bambi: "Woah, they're so heavy..."

Bambi's mom: "I can carry them for you if you want."

Bambi: "No, I can handle it."

W: thank you all for coming. Titanic 2.0 is scheduled to depart at thursday at 2:00 PM. (3 days from now) oh, almost forgot. (gives Bambi's mom a first class ticket too) y'all can go now.

L: They all thank you for the tickets, and are escorted out. You can hear Bambi and his mom discussing what they plan on doing with the money.