Pali asked almost a bit too casually, drawing a chuckle from the gryphon who was just strapping his wings into his outfit for the show.
The yellow avian had seen him many times from behind the glass like that and always wondered why he chose not using his wings to swim even better. However now she was way too shy to ask. It was an incredible honor that she had been permitted to participate in their famous show.
Her heart was pounding, albeit she was also getting nervous about what would be happening inside the aquarium.
The cockatiel had applied for this position - a full on member of the show - with great enthusiasm. She was loving the water and surely also pretending to be a mermaid. Her kind was surely not aquatic by nature but she had managed to train herself to quite a respectable breathhold time and ability to swim even when her legs were constricted by a mermaid costume.
"You.. gotta show me quickly where the hidden tubes are, please. It won't look like a true water breather if I have to scramble for one...",
Pali said thoughtfully. Of course she had done research on how mermaid shows were usually working. She had not been able to find out much about this one however and her questions had not been answered much. The more she had been surprised to be joining a live show rightaway today.
"Hey, don't worry, we will guide you through everything.", a calm voice said. It belonged to Miuna, the other performer of the show. She just came into the backstage area, all nude, just like Con except for his wings.
"But first you gotta take those off", *she added reassuringly, pointing at Pali's swimwear.
The avian blushed a fair bit but nodded. Her heart was pounding from thinking that she'd show herself all nude to those people she had just met in person a few hours ago. Not to mention the audience outside...
"Alright, there.", she whispered once her suit was off and she was showing her gorgeous self.
"So,w hat are the emergency signals in case something goes wrong in there? From what I saw, the aquarium will be locked, right?"
"Yes, it doesn't open till the show is over. Usually fifteen minutes. Sometimes longer when the organizers see the people really love it.", Con replied and Pali noticed a little of arousal on the strong looking male.
"Hey, don't worry so much, sweet one! You have shown us those clips of your performance and training. You'll do perfectly!", Miuna took the word again and nudged against the yellow bird's shoulder.
"I.. I mean, yes, I can hold my breath nearly four minutes while casually moving, but.. at most two minutes while pretending to be breathing water like you two."
"Pretending?", Con asked a bit confused but Miuna quickly brought her beak to his ear, whispering something. His eyes widened lightly.
Before the equally confused Pali could say anything though, speakers sounded up:
"Please get ready. Show begins two minutes!"
"Come, this will be awesome!", Con encouraged Pali and Miuna headed already towards a door into the next room. It was above the large stage-aquarium.
One-way glass allowed them to see the audience below.
Hundreds of furs excited for the show this waterpark was so famous for.
The center of the room was the entrance into the water. It looked pretty much like a swimming pool, except way deeper and one could see coral decorations and some plantlife deep below.
At its edge were their costumes ready for use. Three unique mermaid outfits:
- An orange and red tail for Con - smooth material of the same kind like what was covering his wings.
- A glossy, black one-piece costume for the penguin girl
- And of course the one Pali had selected: Gorgeous blue and green tones with frills and a scale pattern.
It looked way higher quality that what she had been able to afford herself.
Pali did her best to forget about her nervousness. --It will be just like my training. We swim down, play a bit together. Use the air supplies... wherever those are! ...and eventually pretend we are inhaling the water. Opening our mouths/beaks and all. Gosh, they always look so convincing at it! Hope I'll do them justice..--
Without experience, putting on a mermaid tail can be really tricky, but clearly all three of them were skilled at wearing the outfits swiftly.
Pali happily helped Miuna with the zipper since it was meant to be well hidden, thus quite small for her flippers.
When they all let their covered legs dangle into the water, they could hear the cheers from the stage outside as those were visible.
"Deep breaths!", Con advised, placing a paw on Pali's shoulders. "Of course, don't worry about me.", *Pali said sounding probably a bit more confident than she truly was.
Indeed she took deep, long breaths. Just like during her training. Almost to her own surprise she did successfully manage to calm down. She felt her heartrate lowering slightly - quite a feat for a cockatiel - and this only boosted her confidence. --Like this I should have no problem to pose and also find the air hoses..--
Her chest kept rising up and down and she felt her new colleagues audibly breathe as well. Near the end however she noticed their breathing was speeding up. --Are they purposefully hyperventilating?--, Pali had learned that this was dangerous but of course she trusted what they were doing.
Suddenly Miuna took the yellow birdie's hand an Con did the same. After a confirming nod that this was the cue, they all took in final, deep breath, filling their lungs to the brim.
Just a moment later, the slid swiftly into the water.
Despite the blurryness of her eyes getting used to the water, she noticed a lid closing behind them. What drew her attention instead though was the large window in the distance inf ront of them - and the huge adueince behind.
--I truly am doing it!! I'm swimming with the True Mermaids - I AM a True Mermaid!--, Pali thought but quickly stopped her thoughts to not increase her O2 consumption via excitement.
Instead she kicked her legs inside her tail up and down to swim with the others to the window and waved calmly. She was a tad embarrassed to be part of the focus of so many people but she didn't worry about it much.
Gracefully she swam a few vertical and a few sideways loops, showing her skills as a mermaid.
It had been a long way to become agile with her legs constricted by the tail, but nowadays she could pull it off and even enjoyed it greatly.
Miuna and Con of course joined her, each with their own bits of choreography. The stage tank was more than large enough after all.
Yet what Pali audibly noticed was that they were exhaling bubbles quite a lot. That was something she had admired before the many times she had been on the other side of the glass.
--It's amazing how much air their lungs hold.. I mean they release so much and yet have enough for the performance.--
Pali had decided not to do that. --Maybe I'll learn one day, but for my first show best if I show my lungs under best conditions.--
Those "best conditions" could not last forever though. After about a minute and a half, Pali was feeling the strain in her chest. Not worrysome on its own, but the fact that she did not know exactly where the next air supply was, ceratainly was not helping.
Seeing the others still enjoying themselves and also the audience looking intently, she decided to keep gong for a bit.
She even became daring - while she did not carelessly exhale her air, she at least used it to blow a few bubblerings to swim through.
Happiness filled her when she saw first Con and then Miuna swimming through them above her head as well.
Soon after that - they were holding their breath, or at least didn't get any fresh breath, for about two minutes - both the more experienced performers swam close to Pali.
--Phew, they'll finally show me where to get air! Almost thought I'd need to ask.--
Naturally Pali nodded with a bit of eagerness and placed a hand onto her chest to confirm that she could fresh air.
Con nodded and an especially large cloud of bubbles burst from his lips. The gryph did not close his beak again though. Instead he arched his body lighty and then.. drew in a breath!
At least it looked exactly like that.
--W..wow, even from up close that looks so convincing!! Oh gosh, they are starting the water-breathing play-acting already, with no fresh breath!?--, Pali realized and gulped.
Con's expression was turning drowsy but yet he was smiling - in true bliss. The audience cheered loud enough that it could be heard through the glass and water.
And this just repeated when Miuna did the same. Like silvery pearls, air escaped her beak and Pali had no doubt that her lungs must be really empty.
Then she opened her beak more and to Pali's confusion, her chest even seemed to expand lightly.
--How is she doing that?..--, the breathholding cockatiel was wondering, right before a convulsion hit her chest.
"N..nh..mbl.."
Pali forced the urge to cover her beak away, not wanting to show her need for air neither to the audience nor to her colleagues.
--I really have to hurry!! A few seconds of fake breathing and then I gotta find an air hose! Is it behind those corals there in the back?! That's about the only place.--
For now Pali made herself smile and she felt Miuna's hand supportively on her shoulder.
She nodded once more and then turned to the audience.
Just like she had exercised just with videos of the True Mermaids, Pali purposefully exhaled one more cheekful of bubbles despite her instincts as a freediver trying to keep her from it.
She left her beak open, keeping the water at bay with just her throat while she arched her back and then rose up as if she were taking a deep breath. She even tensed her diaphragm lightly to mimic the motion of looking stiffer due to full air.
Some viewers cheered, albeit she noticed it was more hesitant.
Pali did her best to keep the play up, but her chest was hurting. Badly! She was needing air!
Looking at Miuna, she saw some amusement in her eyes. The penguin demonstratively seemed to inhale again but as much as Pali wished to do show that as well, the convulsions of her diaphragm made it impossible.
She looked sorry at her and shook her head. --Oh no, I've disappointed them! Damn, they won't be too angry on my very first show, right?..--
There was no time for apologies or talking it out right now however because Pali was over three minutes on her last breath and she had lost a lot of it!
With her back to the audience, she made a cutting motion across her neck. A very universal sign in freediving that a limit was reached. Just to stress that, she pointed at her beak..
She would not abort the show of course, but she truly needed an air source now.
Miuna smiled and nodded eagerly and despite the pain in her chest, a wave of relief washed over Pali. --Finally she'll show me.--
By now, the penguin girl too had a bit of a drowsy expression like Con had and she floated closer to Pali.
--Come, let's g...--
She had not even finished the thought when Miuna tilted her head and pressed her parted beak up against Pali's.
The girl's eyes widened. --Is she going to give me a kiss of life? Air from her? But she exhaled so much..--
Pali felt very honored, embarrassed and eager at the same time. She relaxed her throat a bit, expecting air flow. Sharing breath was not easy with beaks, but it could be done.
Pali felt some pressure against her throat through their connection - but not a single bubble! Instead Miuna's tongue brushed against hers, making the cockatiel squeal some bubbles out of her nostrils.
Pali still expected some relieving air, but she knew even if she was given any, it would hardly last long. Yet the gesture was very heartwarming for her.
However when her chest spasmed way more vigorous than it had before, a hint of panic hit her.
Pali broke the kiss and now had to cover her beak abruptly with a wing. Clearly she was abandoning all play for the show now.
She looked very sorry but shook her head and made the cutting motion again.
This time she pointed at the coral decorations where she suspected some air hose or maybe even a cave with an air pocket.
Miuna only shook her head and she heard Con giving an aquatic chuckle from the distance as he took a break from entertaining the audience.
--Do they not understand?! I will drown if I do not get air!--
The penguin was clearly an idol for Pali and she didn't want to anger her, but of course her survival instincts set in now. With a little hesitation she pulled away from her and dashed towards the corals. --I'll just find it myself!--
Her swimming was way less graceful now and one could probably see hints of her legs inside the tail when she kicked less coordinated but she was reaching her limit.
Con casually swam by, still with the dreamy, happy expression, but if Pali looked close, his face appeared a fair bit more blue.
--He really did not breathe air yet either!--
Pali could not stop though, now desperately swimming behind each of the decorations in the tank.
Hr chest was convulsing in and out as time was relentlessly ticking past the 3:30 mark - not far from Pali's personal best.
She already was feeling like she would surely go for the surface if she were in a regular training session.
Yet there was no way to give up here!
Nothing was suspicious about any decorations. No place for an air mask to hide, let alone an air-pocket.
--If.. If I pass out, at least they can rescue me if they are nearby!--, Pali's oxygen-deprived mind was thinking as her vision was becoming blurry.
Desperately she dashed towards Miuna who was again near the glass window.
Pali's strength was leaving her and about the last of her breath was bursting from her beak.
As a result she was heavier, sinking towards the floor.
She saw Miuna approach but everything Pali could do is kneel into the sand, right in front of the audience.
Faintly she saw them staring at her. --I.. will drown the first time I'm a True Mermaid...--
She felt Miuna's flipper on her shoulder and again her colleagues confidence and calmness was reassuring in a way - but at the same time she was about to drown!
--Why am I letting this hapen?!.. I need AIR! But there's nothing I can do...--
Her body knew that but she had pushed herself too far to even have the strength to thrash around. Instead her wing went to her neck when her chest gave the worst spasm she ever had experienced.
Pali clearly kept the water out as long as she could. She was way beyond four minutes now - a new personal best - but it was inevitable.
Her lungs practically held a vacuum now; her ribcage was showing. She wanted to bang against the glass in front of her, cry for help but Miuna's flipper was keeping her in place. And oddly calm...
Even when her lungs finally had enough. Her diaphragm pulled sharply, drawing water through her throat!
Pali instinctively squeezed her neck but it was futile. Water rushed down her windpipe. It made her choke but not as much as she had feared.
--I'M DROWNING!--
Her body jerked forward when the liquid entered her lungs. She clenched her eyes but her diaphragm was still pulling, determiend to breathe until that urge would fade. She could feel her chest getting filled.
--I'll pass out...--, the cockatiel's last thoughts are.
Or at least she expected that to be her last thoughts as she closes her eyes.
Her chest deflates again and the instinct to breathe returns, letting her draw in another breath. That's when an inexplicable wave of relief starts clouding her mind.
She opens her eyes, only to see the crowd cheering loudly. Her vision seemed to have become clearer actually.
"M..MWgbl?.."
Still desperate she grips her chest with a wing while she exhales again. The urge for air flares up immediately, but it's by far not as bad as before. She sucks in more "water" under heavy but bearable effort.
She looks over at Miuna who is clearly laughing but then approaches and takes Miuna into a tight hug.
--This.. this is not just water, is it?!--, Pali finally realizes and purposefully inhales deeply, receiving a small but more or less sufficient amount of oxygen...
Both Con and Miuna smile at her and give her a flipper or paw to pull her up. They know how the first time breathing here leaves one very weakened.
With their help, Pali resumes swimming though.
Proudly she waves at the viewers.
Only now she truly is a True Mermaid!
Epilogue:
Later, after the more than twenty minutes long show, Pali would finally be told that the whole stage aquarium was filled with highly oxygenated perfluorcarbon.
That special liquid was giving a good impression of water, but allows way more oxygen to dissolve in it. In special therapy for comatose patients of lung damage (e.g. drowning and diving-sickness) it had been in use for several years ( https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275048529_Liqu... ).
An awake person tends not to be able to draw enough oxygen from it because the breathing is slowed down too much. However trained freedivers like the girls were can at least do it for a short period, as it turns out~
Pali wishes they had told her beforehand, but the praise she got from her colleagues, not to mention the audience certainly made up for the scary moments >w<
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A lovely gem drawn by \r\n\t\t\t\t\t
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