mers oh my

[shikosuki]

Merchoro PSL

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[shikosuki]

[ He swims closer ]

Uh... I hadn't actually thought that far ahead...

...Most of the songs I know now are ones my friends taught me... like that one I was singing the other day.

[karappo]

Well...do you think you could teach them to me, too?

[shikosuki]

Y-Yeah, I could do that!

[ He's gonna swim around to Poseidon's shoulder and perch himself there, as he tries to remember what all the lyrics were.

He frowns for a moment. The song from Takumi would be easiest (he frequently forgets how Dia's go because she has so many, so he just sings along with her) but... ]

...I'm not sure how much you'll like the lyrics I was singing before though.

[ Once he hears the whole thing. It's kinda sad now that he thinks about it! Also the whole... shore part but Poseidon heard that part already. ]

[karappo]

Oh, do not worry about that! Songs are composed of all sorts of stories, from the rich and vibrant, to sad and dark. That's what makes them all the more unique to one another.

[...]

So long as it is not inappropriate.

[shikosuki]

[ Okay that gets him to laugh ]

It's not, it's not! But okay... I'll teach you the one I was singing before then!

[ But even though he says that he stays silent for quite some time. It takes him a while before he speaks again. ]

U-Um, every verse starts the same, s-so those lines are easiest to r-remember...

[ And then back to silence. If Poseidon looks at him he'll see that the green mer's face is growing redder and redder...

Until finally he just puts his face in hands.

...Yeah, he's more embarrassed to start than he realized he'd be. Why you gotta have stage fright around your dad, child ]

[karappo]

[That gets him to chuckle, fondly.]

Take your time, son.

[You'd think he wouldn't have the capacity to be embarrassed, given who his dad is.]

[shikosuki]

[ YOU'D THINK...

Maybe it's just harder to get over his self-consciousness with this than he thought...

Eventually he lowers his hands and finally starts singing, starting quietly and stuttering over his words but slowly getting louder and having an easier time ]

Y-You are the ocean's gray w-waves...
D-Destined to seek... life b-beyond the shore, j-just out of reach...
Yet the waters e-ever change... flowing like time
The path is... yours to climb...

[ ... ]

U-Um... s-s-so like that...

[karappo]

[Life beyond the shore...hm...though the lyrics are not lost on him, he doesn't see any reason to be particularly bothered like Choromatsu was worried about. If anything, it sounds more symbolic than literal. Very poetic.

He takes a breath and swims up the mouth of the cavern with his son on his shoulder, straight up toward the ceiling where the rocks start to split back open to the rest of the ocean. As he goes, he repeats the words back with the tune initially shaky since he couldn't quite hear with it strengthening as he goes on.]

"You are the ocean's gray waves,
Destined to seek life beyond the shore, just out of reach-
Yet the waters ever change, flowing like time,
The path is yours to climb!~"

Like that, Choromatsu?

[shikosuki]

[ Choromatsu does his best to make sure he doesn't fall off as Poseidon swims, but his face lights up hearing him sing ]

Yeah! Just like that, dad!

[ Azura somewhere feels a chill as these weird merpeople sing her dragon soothing song ]

You picked it up quick!

[karappo]

Ah, good!

[He knows the melody isn't exactly right, but that's what singing with Choromatsu is for, right?]

Let's sing it together, now!

[shikosuki]

O-Okay!

[ he takes a deep breath and tries not to be nervous as he tries to take the lead singing ]

You are the ocean's gray waves...

[ And he keeps singing through the whole bit, setting the pace and melody ]

[karappo]

[Poseidon sings along with him carefully, his voice loud and deep enough to cover any nervous jumps in Choromatsu's voice that he might have. It isn't often at all that he gets to do these sorts of things with his sons anymore...so it means a lot to him to know that Choromatsu wanted to, and even suggested it all on his own.]

[shikosuki]

[ Now that they're actually doing it together, it's easier for him to lose the nervousness and sing loud and clearly. It's a short verse (chorus? he is not even sure) so it doesn't last very long but he's beaming when they finish ]

H-How was that?

[karappo]

Beautiful, just beautiful Choromatsu!

[His tail flicks through the water as he comes to a stop, turning to look down at the little mer on his shoulder.]

Did I get the lyrics correct?

[shikosuki]

[ He can't help blushing. His dad is always complimenting anything he and the others do, but this time it really means something to him for some reason ]

Yeah, you got them perfect!

Sh-Should I teach you more? I think I can only remember a few more parts in full.

[ He's heard more but he keeps forgetting some lines ]

[karappo]

If you will teach me, I would love to learn.

[He can't promise he'd remember the lyrics after the first time or two, but he's willing to try. It's a very nice melody, so it wouldn't be hard for him to pick up over time.]

[shikosuki]

Okay!

[ He takes another deep breath and this time when he sings there is no quietness or stuttering. It's full of confidence and comes from a place of comfort. ]

In the white light, a hand reaches through
A double edged blade cuts your heart in two
Waking dreams fade away,
Embrace the brand new day...

[ but this time he goes just a little while longer ]

Sing with me a song
Of birthrights and love
The light scatters to the sky above
Dawn breaks through the gloom
White as a bone
Lost in thoughts all alone...

[ he stops singing and pauses ]

Mmm... it gets a little sad, doesn't it?

[ And a little hopeful he guesses? But that "all alone" bit always gets to him ]

[karappo]

[He doesn't try to repeat the words back to him right after as he did before, mostly because there's so much to take in this time around. But he doesn't stop him either, letting him continue for as long as he likes.

The god nods in agreement, the fins on his head twitching a bit.]

Do you know the meaning behind this song, Choromatsu?

[shikosuki]

[ Choromatsu looks down and shakes his head ]

Mmm, not really. I know one of Takumi's sisters sings it, but not much more than that.

...But, um... I do kinda get a gut feeling about it. Like what it's about.

[karappo]

Do you? What do you think it might be?

[He can't help but be curious...not for any particular reason, just that he's never quite heard a song like this. Not even in the merfolk circles...it's very unusual.]

[shikosuki]

I think... well maybe this is a stretch but it feels like a parent to a child?

It reminds me of a lullaby kinda? Like it's really soothing... but it's describing hardships and hope? And then there's parts later that sound like advice... It's almost as if it's saying "difficult things are going to happen to you no matter what and there will be hard choices but everything will still be fine even if you're alone".

[ He'll never know how close to the mark he is though. ]

Mmm, though... there was another line that made me think it was a parent but I can't remember it... maybe I'm just reading too much into it.

[karappo]

Hm...non non, you very well could be right. I do not believe there is such a thing as reading too much into something...not when it comes to things like music, literature, or art, that is. I am sure whoever wrote this song would be pleased to see the possible conclusion you came to. It means that it made you think.

[It's an interesting take on it...though he can't imagine any parent really singing to their child about dreaming of living beyond the sea.]

[shikosuki]

You think so?

[ that makes him light up again ]

If I ever meet Takumi's sister I'll have to tell her that's what I think! ...Or ask her if she knows I guess, haha...

[karappo]

I think she would be delighted to know that you put that much thought into it.

[He's so happy, and excited talking about this...it's actually a rare occurrence, Poseidon thinks, since Choromatsu is usually very serious about most things he does nowadays. Much to Osomatsu's chagrin...]

Are you having a good time?

[shikosuki]

Yeah! We haven't really done something together like this in a while... [ they've been bonding sure but they weren't doing stuff like this ] it's nice!

[ and then he looks down at his tail ]

Dad, I... really love singing. And music. I'm glad I started doing it again.

[ he wouldn't have if not for Dia, so that makes him love her all the more ]