No, life is certainly not fair. If anyone can attest to that, it's him.

He scoffs gently at water wings, but does in fact fold them away into the pocket dimension from whence they came. They're not the most water-efficient, they get waterlogged and heavy and drag him down. He'd feel like a god damn moron drowning himself again.

Together, they work. The hard part is over, the easy part is now — carefully replanting coral samples into the new cleaned shelves and stretches of sand, largely quiet and attentive, and surprisingly companionable considering their rocky first impression.

Teamwork accomplished, achievement unlocked.