mers oh my

[shikosuki]

Merchoro PSL

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[karappo]

[He sees the snake...he's not sure he's seen a white snake before.

...but if we remember how obtuse Poseidon can be, it also means that he doesn't quite put two and two together and looks elsewhere. You can almost see the question mark over his head as he looks around.]

Eh? Where? I do not see you.

[matteimasu]

[ ...?? ] You can't? But I'm right-- [ ...oh. And then, very quickly, where the snake had once been, Megami pops up ] I-I'm sorry! S-Sometimes I just forget to change...!! [ E M B A R R A S S I N G ]

[karappo]

[Poseidon, the literal god of the sea, makes a noise akin to a small child screaming when Megami just pops up out of seemingly nowhere, and honestly he still wouldn't have gotten that he was the snake if he didn't mention changing.

It takes a beat for it to click, but when it does-]

Y-...you...I did not know you could do that!

[matteimasu]

W-W-Well, you're not supposed to, that's sorta the idea! It's so I can keep an eye on... things...

[ and also he just. likes it. ]

I'm sorry I startled you...!

[karappo]

N-no...it is alright. I am a bit easily startled at present as is...

[If he weren't so frazzled he'd have wished Megami stayed a snake for longer...he didn't get much of a good look at it, not knowing what it was until just now.]

Were you waiting for me?

[matteimasu]

Y...Yes, I was. I have news for you. [ deeeeep breath ] They found Choromatsu.

[karappo]

[Ah. Well. If you've ever wanted to see the ocean water go glassy in an instant, that's a good way to make it happen.]

...is he...?

[matteimasu]

[ He manages to smile for what he says next at least... after all it is a relief even with the rest of the news ] He's alive. [ but then that only means one other thing as to how ]

[karappo]

[The relief Poseidon feels at hearing that is, well...it's something he can't really describe. He breathes out deeply, bringing a hand to hold against his face as he just lets that information sink in.

Choromatsu is alive.

But he's alive...and on the land.

He uses that same hand to push his hair back before looking back down at Megami, leaning down so he can look at him more closely.]

Tell me everything your seagulls told you. Please.

[matteimasu]

[ That's when he looks down. ] It's... as I had thought it might be. He is a human now. He... was found with two humans who wouldn't leave his side. Both responded to the names you mentioned, and carried the gifts you told me of. They described the girl as having black hair and supposedly she is the daughter of a well known fishing family from the area. The boy... [ he sighs ] The boy is indeed Prince Takumi. Choromatsu is staying at the royal palace.

[karappo]

[So...that was it, then.

His son is alive, but the story of what happened is clear. Beyond Megami, who could grant wishes before, the only other being in the sea with the ability to work with magic was Totoko, the sea witch who grew up alongside his children. At least until she started using her magic to do awful, awful things to merfolk...but if Choromatsu got it in his head that he wanted to live with the humans, then she could do it for him.

For...a price. What that price is, he has no way of knowing. All that he knows is that Choromatsu...isn't in the sea anymore, and probably has no plans to be ever again.

He stares at some point beyond where Megami is standing, sinking back against the sand and waves slowly rolling up onto the beach. He doesn't say anything, at least not right away.]

[matteimasu]

[ Megami watches him, and the sea, in silence for a long time. He wishes he could give them both even more time in silence, time to process everything and mourn appropriately... he wishes he knew what to say.

But there's still another thing he has to mention. ]

Poseidon, there... is one more thing. A query I have.

[karappo]

[...

Poseidon still says nothing, though he does look over to Megami to let him know he heard him, his eyes dark and unreadable.]

[matteimasu]

[ Aaaaaaaaaaaand here comes the difficult part ] The gulls... they said Choromatsu... was not talking. He was being spoken to and communicating with people but every response he had was non-verbal. They... described it as if he was... mute. Does that... does that sound like something that is normal for him...?

[karappo]

[Choromatsu? Mute?

Abso-fucking-lutley not.

Poseidon's expression suddenly drops, slackening in a way that's so full of disbelief that it overtakes the sadness that was overtaking him.

It makes way for anger.]

WHAT?

[Megami can probably take that as a no...and what's worse is that a massive thunderclap sounds in the distance along with Poseidon's words.]

[matteimasu]

[ Megami jumps, the thunderclap frightening him

Yeah, taking that as a no ]

Th... That's what I thought...

[karappo]

[Poseidon isn't even hearing Megami anymore. All he can think about is Choromatsu, now human...unable to speak, possibly permanently. Hell, why wouldn't him being human be permanent as well? He has no reason to think otherwise...this must have been Totoko's price for her magic. Taking his ability to speak...to sing...

Thunder rolls again, and the wind on the tiny island suddenly picks up, causing the trees nearby to bend from the strain. It had begun to sprinkle when Megami told Poseidon of his son's situation, but now it's really starting to come down.]

WHAT WAS HE THINKING!?!? Not only has he made a deal with Totoko, but he may very well have permanently disabled himself in the process!! Are his precious humans, his so called desired life on land, worth such a thing!?

[The waves crash against the rocks on the far side of Megami's island, as if to echo Poseidon's rage. It's taking everything he has not to leap back into the sea to go make takoyaki out of a certain sea witch.]

[matteimasu]

[ Megami tries to shield himself from the rain. Boy this is going... about as poorly as he feared it would honestly.

The god is much bigger than him and therefore all the more frightening but he can't let him just rampage like this. ]

Poseidon, calm down...!

[karappo]

[Poseidon's tail slaps the water with enough force to cause a wall of mist to spray upwards before falling back into the sea along with the rest of the rain falling overhead.]

What reason have I got to be calm? I have lost my son, and now- now he is bound up in the clutches of that sea witch!

and now mom's mad too

[matteimasu]

[ Okaaaay, now Megami is shouting... and for such a small god he has a whole lot of bark to him ] Because if you do not, at this rate you are going to sink my island!! [ And since he's angry anyway, y'know let's... just address another point that's been on his mind ] And regardless of how angry you may be at Choromatsu, you are not blameless in what has happened! SO CALM DOWN!!

EVERYONE'S UPSET NOTHING IS OKAY

[karappo]

[...Even if Poseidon is mad, and god he sure is, Megami...has a point. He's brought right back to when he had his fight with Choromatsu, and his anger tore his grotto to pieces. Sure, that was underwater, so he could probably do more damage faster, but...

His eyes dark briefly over Megami's form, more thunder rolling in the distance, though lesser this time. The rain doesn't stop, but he does stop shouting, his shoulders going a bit slack. Every part of him is tense and wound tight like a spring, and it shows in his expression.]

I never said that I was.

[matteimasu]

[ Megami... tries to calm down himself, feeling a bit bad.

He moves closer to Poseidon then, partly so he can put a hand on his arm as an act of comfort and partly so... he can shield himself from the rain, look at him he's soaked now, you did this.

He sighs. ]

...I apologize if that was out of line.

[karappo]

[Poseidon bows his head, his heavy brows furrowing until his eyes practically vanish behind wet bangs plastered to his forehead. He couldn't make the rain stop if he wanted; it will just have to run its course.]

Choromatsu...had been telling me about his friends for a while. That he liked them. I encouraged him, and gave him gifts for them, because I wanted him to have friends. I had no idea they were human.

[...]

I was just trying to protect him. He got hurt so badly...I could not bear the thought of that happening to him again. Now...things are even worse, all because I found out and demanded a stop be put to it.

...was I wrong for sacrificing his happiness for his safety?

[matteimasu]

[ ...... ]

I don't think you were wrong in wanting to protect your son.

However... while I can understand your intentions, I'm not sure I can agree with your decisions at the time.

I... have not met Choromatsu. But from what you've said, he sounds to me like a smart boy. I'm sure he knew you would be unhappy with him and that this has caused him some anxiety for quite some time. He could have kept them a complete secret from you, not tell you a single thing, but the fact that he told you so much at all tells me he likely did want your approval eventually. That he did not want to always keep it a secret.

So... I am not saying you were wrong but I do not believe you were right. Love is a very powerful thing, stronger than magic and even more unpredictable. You should know this as you know firsthand just how powerful for love for your children is. But we also do not get to choose who we fall in love with, and while not all loves are a good idea and many are misplaced, it is hard to say without meeting them if Choromatsu has given his love away to people who would abuse it.

I think what your son needed most from you in that moment was your understanding. For your continued support. Its not that you were wrong to try and protect him, it's that you were wrong to deny him this.

You were wrong not to try.

[karappo]

[...he understands what Megami is trying to say, he thinks. That, essentially, he ought to have given Choromatsu the freedom to make his own choices...and his own mistakes, if need be. He'd warned them about humans, sure, but he did not exactly have the right to keep them away from the shore, not as adults anyway.

He just can't say he understands. He's not sure he ever would.]

I fear...that the damage I have done to his trust in me may be irreparable. I certainly made it clear to him how I felt...and let my anger rule my actions.

[Poseidon doesn't meet Megami's gaze, blinking as the rainwater collects on his eyelashes.]

I just...cannot trust them, Megami. I am so afraid he will be hurt again.