mers oh my

[shikosuki]

Merchoro PSL

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[shikosuki]

[ Choromatsu sits up, eyes wide ]

R-Really?! I-I-I can have something so nice?

[ He's still not over the gauntlets honestly ]

[karappo]

[He chuckles softly, his expression fond as his tail flicks against the sand, stirring it up a bit in the water.]

Of course you can. I may be the God of the Sea, but I am not above sharing my jewels, especially for something like this.

[shikosuki]

Th... Thank you, dad!!

[ And that seems to be the inspiration he needed to get an idea of how he wants the necklace to look and he starts grabbing specific shells, pearls and stones. Pretty white shells with iridescent under sides and blue stones that would compliment something so pretty and blue (he's not sure how he's gonna get the rocks on a necklace but he'll figure it out).

He's humming to himself again already, that same tune, and digging into his very large sleeves to pull out a bundle of fishing line.

...Which probably isn't what most merfolk would choose to make their necklaces with. ]

[karappo]

[....huh.]

...where did you find that, son?

[Not that it isn't common to see fishing line strewn about...but it's one of the things that gets his dander up the most. Fishing line, and fishing nets. All apt to kill unwitting animals- and merfolk- if they get tangled up in it.]

[shikosuki]

Huh?

[ ...fuck. He belatedly realizes how dumb that was. ]

Um...It was floating around in open water-- I thought it was better to reuse it than let it keep floating and hurt someone.

[ It's a lot though.

He pauses, feeling awkward ]

Does... does this anger you? I know you don't like this sort of stuff.

[karappo]

On principle? ...it does, yes. But I am not angry that you have it, per say. I am glad that you picked it up out of the water, and intend to use it for something...

[He makes a face, as if he isn't quite sure how to articulate what he means.]

I am more concerned that you found so much at all. You could have gotten hurt if you didn't see it.

[shikosuki]

[ He sets the bundle down, placing a rock on top of it so it can't float away, and starts arranging shells and stones in the sand to find a configuration that works. ]

...Like I did when I was a kid?

[karappo]

[Though he recognizes the question is innocent and idle, it makes his blood run cold all the same.]

...yes. Something like that.

[shikosuki]

[ His hands slow and eventually stop. He's quiet for a moment. ]

...How did that happen again? Do you remember?

Any time I try to think about it, I... it's all a blur.

[ Which he always figured was because of trauma but he finds himself thinking a lot more about it lately. ]

[karappo]

[The sea god lets out a low rumble deep in his chest as he turns his head to look off to the side, his hands spread flat against the sandy sea bottom beneath where he'd sat down.]

You ventured too far from the reef and became ensnared in a fisherman's net. I...did not know where you had gone, and only found you. It took everything I had to get you out safely.

[shikosuki]

...I see.

[ His fingers trail over his throat idly, still remembering the feeling of net wrapped around his neck. ]

I wonder... why I keep thinking about it now then. Like I keep getting this weird feeling...

[karappo]

[If he were a good father- he tells himself- he would ask Choromatsu to elaborate on how he feels. But instead, knowing what happened...]

I can assure you that the details are irrelevant to the fact that it happened at all. It was quite the traumatic event for you...there are stretches of time that you did not remember at all because of it.

[shikosuki]

[ he thinks it over ]

Is that why the others keep saying stuff happened that I don't remember?

[ sometimes Totty mentions shit he got in trouble for that just makes him go "?????????" ]

[karappo]

[...damn you, Totty.]

Ah...have they been? It is...possible, yes.

[But he's not going to be too specific, unprepared to be potentially caught in his half-truths.]

[shikosuki]

[ Well best prepare dad because uh... ]

Stuff like... me saving a human from drowning, even?

[ "Choromatsu-niisan you hypocrite, you can't tell us not to peep on human girls when you saved one yourself~" - Todomatsu probably. ]

[karappo]

[...]

Think...about what that implies, my son. Do you really believe everything your brothers tell you?

[His mouth is alarmingly dry for being underwater, and the words feel bitter rolling off his tongue. But he has no choice but to lie. To keep Choromatsu in the dark, and safe.]

[shikosuki]

[ his faces suddenly shows annoyance. ]

...Not really, no. They're liars.

So it's just another thing they made up then?

[ goddamnit those jerks why does he ever believe them. >( ]

[karappo]

[He kicks his tail again. Choromatsu is unintentionally putting him in a very uncomfortable spot, here. Because if he tells him his brothers are lying...that pretty much just compounds on what is already a lie, or at least the absence of the truth.]

They are likely just teasing you, Choromatsu. You know them.

[He won't tell him it's a lie, not outright. He's...not sure he can.]

[shikosuki]

[ He sighs. ]

Yeah, I do. Jerks.

[ Seemingly content with that he goes back to his materials ]

[karappo]

[Ha...ha.......]

...anyway.

Whenever you are finished, I will take your accessory and fit a gemstone onto it. I can set it with more than one if you would like...whatever strikes your fancy.

[shikosuki]

O-Okay...!

[ a pause ]

Are they all blue?

[ he hasn't seen all of his father's stuff before... he didn't even know about those gauntlets after all. ]

[karappo]

[This is a good topic...let's stay on this topic.]

Most of them, yes...though I do have a few that are a bit more indigo, some that stray closer to purple than anything else.

[shikosuki]

Hmmm...

[ Purple and indigo might look nice... ]

Probably no red though, right? Or green?

[ he's picked out all this stuff for a blue necklace but it couldn't hurt to ask ]

[karappo]

[He seems to ponder that for a moment, brows knitting together.]

Stones of blue hues are generally what I have on hand...they are not just for decoration, you know. Many of them have special properties and they influence me directly. They might aid me in harnessing the power I use to guide the sea waters, or protect me from sight from immediate predators so as to avoid needless conflict. I of course would choose something according for your friend.

However...

[...he feels so, so rotten about the situation in which Choromatsu can't really remember the problem to begin with. That's why, after a moment, he continues.]

I would be willing to create new stones for you in different colors, if you would like. It would take me a few days.

[shikosuki]

[ He's actually listening intently because he didn't know this and it actually fascinates him? There's so much they don't know about their dad and what he actually does, just purely because they took for granted having a god for a parent and never thought to ask about this sort of this thing once they got of their "why" phase. Which he's realizing now is a bit of a shame.

He's surprised with his dad's offer though ]

A-A-Are you sure?! You don't have to do something like that...! B-Blue works fine...!

[ He looks back at this materials ]

I just... suddenly thought about it... because I think she really likes red. But she also has these beautiful green eyes, and I'M green so...

[ And there's that red face again ]