What Lies Within the Deep Blue

LIFE PARTNERS

tw// drowning (sort of), slight dissociation, death (mentioned), disease (mentioned), beastiality (referenced)

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George had missed his chance.

Not only in potentially getting his tail back but maybe also having any sort of lasting relationship with his life partner.

Now he was truly alone....

And once again, running out of oxygen - potion effects slowly starting to wear off. Maybe they'd finally forget to bring him another one before he drowned.

It would only be a matter of time.

His head hit the bars of the cell door as tears pricked his eyes.

The monsters that roamed Pandora were normally a large enough threat in and of themselves to make him stick closer to the walls (he'd learned the hard way when trying to snatch back the jellyfish as it swam between the bars and out of his cell) but the hopelessness that seemed to weigh down his already fatigued limbs made him too numb to move.

Looking up and out of the ravine, he found, was like staring into the night sky out at sea. George let the thought consume him - pretending he was back on the L'manberg with his friends around him, singing and dancing to the latest shanty that Wilbur had come up with.

It wasn't until two of the twinkling 'stars' seemed to get closer that he remembered where he really was.

"While I'm honored that you came to me for help, Drista, I would appreciate it if next time you pulled the 'dead moms' excuse, it would be on someone whose son's wedding ceremony isn't about to take place," one of the stars blinked in exasperation - looking more and more like a mer the closer they got.

George could just barely make out how the other mer (Drista, apparently... despite the slight fog in his brain, the name sounded familiar) rolling their eyes as they replied, "Well, who else was I supposed to ask? Karl and Sapnap are helping Dream get ready - who is also getting married - Uncle Sam would probably say 'no', I don't really know Bad or Skeppy all that well and since Fundy wanted to get ready alone... that left you."

He nearly missed the way the older mer's face seemed to dim with hurt ever so slightly before something in his gut twisted painfully - his life partner, someone who'd swam for hours to avoid said marriage, was now going through with it. He didn't get to dwell on it for long as the mer replied, "Is it a good idea to be in Pandora, despite Sam likely being against it? What are we even doing down here?"

The pirate's vision was starting to go spotty.

"Sally, it's fine! I'm down here all the time 'cause, ya know, the clan needed Kristin to pass down her knowledge of potions to someone ." That would explain why George had woken up alone - mum was in her lab. "Especially now that there's a human prisoner that's been eating through our potions supplies." The purple-finned mer held up a familiar bottle. "Our mission is to get him back to the air pocket with the other ones."

While only half paying attention, he concluded that he wouldn't be drowning today at least.

"'The other ones' being pirates... right?"

Drista tossed the older mer a nod before pulling in front; seemingly unaware of Sally's twinge of apprehension as bubbles escaped through their sigh.

His lungs were aching by the time they reached him and George nearly lunged for the outstretched potion - soothing his human instinct to breathe as relief purged the building panic from his mind.

It was only then that he realized exactly who these merfolk were.

Dream had mentioned Sally once or twice while talking about Fundy but Drista... this was the mer's little sister.