Sage nodded with a sigh. He'd assumed that, but still...he should eat something. "Alright," he noted, settling Remy down and grabbing some shrimp that was being kept in a small alcove in the rocks....much like a fridge might work before settling down next to him.

Remy curled right into Sages chest and stayed there all day.

Sage wrapped his arms around Remy, staying with him. He was worried, but he knew he'd be ok soon. Until then, he'd stay by his side.

Remy remained feeling pretty bad and just low energy for the next few days. Pink starfish had been delivered to everyone who was invited to the gathering for their reef. Of course, Remy and Sage were the only two not invited. People around town treated him especially awful during this time too. They refused to speak to him and gave him dirty looks, and Remy was used to it, but it still saddened Remy. He'd been trying not to cry because he didn't want Sage to worry, but when Sage was out catching food, Remy would curl up and just cry. Finally, the day of the gathering rolled around. Remy woke in an awful mood, just laying in bed until nightfall when he finally got up and got ready to leave.

Sage had continued to care for Remy, understanding that he didn't feel good. He caught the dirty looks other merpeople would throw him ...and they'd included sage in their hate. He supposed he was used to it, but it just made the knot in his stomach burn with anger. When the night finally came though, he helped Remy get ready, pressing a kiss to his head as he got ready to go. "I love you. Remember that," he murmured softly, before releasing him. He'd be here when he got back.

Remy nodded, eyes dull, no emotion. "Love you," he muttered before leaving, swimming away from home and away from the reef, down to the depths of the sea, down to his little treasure trove. His body ached, it was awful. But he didn't get right to it, instead he dropped everything and went over to an open wall. It was solid rock, with jagged, sharp edges. He braced himself against it with his hands and then took a deep breath and smashing his tail into the rock, cutting up the end of his tail, but keeping his fins untouched. He let out a quiet cry of pain and then did it again. He stopped after a few more blows, and then dropped to the seafloor in so much pain. He deserved it though... for being different... for being a disgusting thing... for being an anomaly...

Sage let out a heavy sigh as he left, wishing he could just relax and fall asleep. But he was worried about Remy....he knew he was hurting and upset. What if something happened? He knew it was stupid of him to worry so much, this happened every year....but still. He was nervous. He sort of just paced back and forth, swimming in circles around the cave.

Remy cried and cried, holding himself. He was in so much pain as the ache got worse, until he finally let everything out. He screamed in pain, screaming and sobbing on the floor as his body writhed in pain.

Eventually sages energy left him, and he sunk down onto the end, exhausted. He was so, so tired....but he couldn't fall asleep. He just couldn't. No matter how hard he tried, his mind was full of bad memories, things that could be happening, wondering what would happen. Half of him was convinced Remy was just going to leave him here, though he knew that one was nonsense. But even so, nerves chewed at him all night, and he didn't manage even a few minutes of rest.

The pain was so bad, Remy retched and vomited, spilling his stomach contents across the cavern floor. Even after it was all over, Remy just curled up, crying in pain. As morning neared, Remy pulled himself together and cleaned the cavern up again before swimming over to the kelp forest, plucking some of the kelp off the stalks and wrapping it around the end of his tail as a makeshift kind of bandage. He covered all the wounds he'd made so that Sage wouldn't see them and wouldn't worry. At sunrise, Remy swam back up to the reef and back home.