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Description
Hours passed, yet not a word was spoken. The throbbing sigil atop the sign dissipated from above the Twins, it’s captive seemingly no longer trying to pry itself free. Yet even with it held back, no relief was to be found. For what was there to do? The twins were trapped, and nothing of this world could seemingly free them. Or so the four mermaids thought before a fifth came drifting towards them.

At first she was regarded as just another nautilus, for she was roughly the same size and her humanoid features were hidden under her trailing arms. Yet when she got close she turned around. And immediately caught the attention of her audience.

”’Sup,” she said, her voice and mannerisms carrying little formality, “looks like you lot have a bit of a situation here hm?”

”You could say that,” the Sister said, her brother nodded both their heads together.

”Who are you?” Asked Maggie immediately after, she drifted up to the top of the sign.

“What do you want?” Zoe added, her tone as hostile as her outlook upon this stranger.

”Well excuse me for trying to be helpful pinky.” Maribeth said with a huff, before turning to Maggie “And to answer you, my name is Maribeth, I came because I have a feeling I know a way to help. Or really it’s someone who could help.”

”I don’t trust this.” Zoe whispered to Maggie quietly. Maggie gave her a stern look in response.

”Really?” Pipped up the sister, “What do you mean by help here?” Asked the Brother.

”I mean help as in a way to get rid of that symbol that is mound to the stop sign that has you two pinned,” Said Maribeth, “and also for you two, as a bonus, a way to understand why everything feels like deja vu.” She added, pointing to Maggie and Zoe.

Zoe was unnerved by this, “How did you-“ she started before getting cut off by Maggie raising her voice with excitement- “You really know the answer?”

”Well, not particularly, at least not fully, but I know that the answers you two want and the way to get rid of the symbol above those two go hand in hand.” Maribeth said.

“How so?” Zoe said, drifting closer to the intruder. Her voice was but a thin veil of calm over the discomfort and agitation she felt.

”As in, what’s holding your answers is within that symbol. And-“ Maribeth started, before being cut off by Zoe

”Absolutely not! Whatever that thing is holding back it’s probably not worth the answers we want to let it out!” Zoe exclaimed angrily

“Zoe please-“ Maggie gently said, trying to calm her friend down.

”Oh please! It’s not like we have to let it out!” Maribeth lied off the top of her head, “All we need to do is remove that symbol, right? That’s, like,” she sputtered, trying to figure about a way to spin this situation. “Like the only way that thing is leaking out in the first place, those symbols are like cracks in a wall and what’s behind it is like an octopus feeling if it can fit it’s beak through the hole. Eventually it’s going to get that thing wide enough to slip out entirely and then what?”

The group was quiet, as they tried to evaluate what their visitor had said.

”Look, my… er- ‘boss’ has a solution, but she’s stuck in a similar position to these two wrapped around the post. I can take you to her and she can give you a solution.” Maribeth explained, gesturing towards the deep beyond.

”Why can’t you just help us yourself? Sounds to me like your boss didn’t trust you enough to give you this solution, why would she give it to us?” Zoe asked somewhat accusingly.

”Ugh…” Maribeth said, the discomfort of her shortcomings peaking inside her, “I… couldn’t do it. Not… ‘strong enough’ as my boss says.” Her last comment slips out snidely, almost breaking her little act.

“But, you on the other hand, you probably have it in you to fix all this. If you’re willing to follow.” She finishes.

Maggie looks to the Twins below, who look back with pitiful expressions. She knows she can’t leave the two like this.

”Zoe, I don’t think we have any other options.” Maggie says to the pint sized mermaid.

”I think we can figure something else out, we don’t have to go with this bottom feeder.” Zoe responds.

”Zoe, look at the Twins, look at the sign. What in the sea could we really do? Breaking the sign or otherwise disassembling it could just free that dark thing inside it. I think we really have no options here, and we can’t leave them like this.” Maggie pleads.

Zoe looks down at the Twins in their sorry state, and concedes.

”Fine,” she says quietly, drifting close to Maggie, “but we can’t trust this fully, if it gets too fishy we have to pull back.” She quietly whispers before receding a bit.

“Alright,” Maggie says to Maribeth, “show us the way.”

Description
Hours passed, yet not a word was spoken. The throbbing sigil atop the sign dissipated from above the Twins, it’s captive seemingly no longer trying to pry itself free. Yet even with it held back, no relief was to be found. For what was there to do? The twins were trapped, and nothing of this world could seemingly free them. Or so the four mermaids thought before a fifth came drifting towards them.

At first she was regarded as just another nautilus, for she was roughly the same size and her humanoid features were hidden under her trailing arms. Yet when she got close she turned around. And immediately caught the attention of her audience.

”’Sup,” she said, her voice and mannerisms carrying little formality, “looks like you lot have a bit of a situation here hm?”

”You could say that,” the Sister said, her brother nodded both their heads together.

”Who are you?” Asked Maggie immediately after, she drifted up to the top of the sign.

“What do you want?” Zoe added, her tone as hostile as her outlook upon this stranger.

”Well excuse me for trying to be helpful pinky.” Maribeth said with a huff, before turning to Maggie “And to answer you, my name is Maribeth, I came because I have a feeling I know a way to help. Or really it’s someone who could help.”

”I don’t trust this.” Zoe whispered to Maggie quietly. Maggie gave her a stern look in response.

”Really?” Pipped up the sister, “What do you mean by help here?” Asked the Brother.

”I mean help as in a way to get rid of that symbol that is mound to the stop sign that has you two pinned,” Said Maribeth, “and also for you two, as a bonus, a way to understand why everything feels like deja vu.” She added, pointing to Maggie and Zoe.

Zoe was unnerved by this, “How did you-“ she started before getting cut off by Maggie raising her voice with excitement- “You really know the answer?”

”Well, not particularly, at least not fully, but I know that the answers you two want and the way to get rid of the symbol above those two go hand in hand.” Maribeth said.

“How so?” Zoe said, drifting closer to the intruder. Her voice was but a thin veil of calm over the discomfort and agitation she felt.

”As in, what’s holding your answers is within that symbol. And-“ Maribeth started, before being cut off by Zoe

”Absolutely not! Whatever that thing is holding back it’s probably not worth the answers we want to let it out!” Zoe exclaimed angrily

“Zoe please-“ Maggie gently said, trying to calm her friend down.

”Oh please! It’s not like we have to let it out!” Maribeth lied off the top of her head, “All we need to do is remove that symbol, right? That’s, like,” she sputtered, trying to figure about a way to spin this situation. “Like the only way that thing is leaking out in the first place, those symbols are like cracks in a wall and what’s behind it is like an octopus feeling if it can fit it’s beak through the hole. Eventually it’s going to get that thing wide enough to slip out entirely and then what?”

The group was quiet, as they tried to evaluate what their visitor had said.

”Look, my… er- ‘boss’ has a solution, but she’s stuck in a similar position to these two wrapped around the post. I can take you to her and she can give you a solution.” Maribeth explained, gesturing towards the deep beyond.

”Why can’t you just help us yourself? Sounds to me like your boss didn’t trust you enough to give you this solution, why would she give it to us?” Zoe asked somewhat accusingly.

”Ugh…” Maribeth said, the discomfort of her shortcomings peaking inside her, “I… couldn’t do it. Not… ‘strong enough’ as my boss says.” Her last comment slips out snidely, almost breaking her little act.

“But, you on the other hand, you probably have it in you to fix all this. If you’re willing to follow.” She finishes.

Maggie looks to the Twins below, who look back with pitiful expressions. She knows she can’t leave the two like this.

”Zoe, I don’t think we have any other options.” Maggie says to the pint sized mermaid.

”I think we can figure something else out, we don’t have to go with this bottom feeder.” Zoe responds.

”Zoe, look at the Twins, look at the sign. What in the sea could we really do? Breaking the sign or otherwise disassembling it could just free that dark thing inside it. I think we really have no options here, and we can’t leave them like this.” Maggie pleads.

Zoe looks down at the Twins in their sorry state, and concedes.

”Fine,” she says quietly, drifting close to Maggie, “but we can’t trust this fully, if it gets too fishy we have to pull back.” She quietly whispers before receding a bit.

“Alright,” Maggie says to Maribeth, “show us the way.”