mers oh my

[shikosuki]

Merchoro PSL

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[karappo]

[He closes his eyes for a moment as he feels Megami rubbing away the soot. Now that he has a closer view, he'll see a lot of what that stuff caked onto him is. It isn't just ash...it's molten rock. Rock that had once been liquid lava, solidified after being supercooled by the water.

A lot of his body is covered in fine layers of rock like this, actually. It explains why he was struggling to swim, and also why he can't see out of one eye at the moment.]

He knew I was coming. He had been...expecting it. He was confident that if he swallowed me quickly enough, I would not have the chance to retaliate.

[His expression hardens as he remembers it...Adranus' absolute rage and indignation towards Poseidon, as if he'd stolen something that he believed rightfully belonged to him. Adranus wanted to kill Poseidon. He wanted to kill him, his children, and anyone else who stood in his way.

But Poseidon was stronger than Adranus, and some part of the god knew this.]

But...he underestimated my anger. Nor did he realize that the sea now resides much closer to your island than it once did...

[His gaze travels down himself as he lifts up his tail, the fin torn in a few places.]

I sealed him in that cave he drove you into, allowing the tide to slowly fill it with water.

[matteimasu]

[ Seeing it closer now horrifies Megami, and hearing about it makes him angry. ] He was always an idiot... [ But it also fills him with a certain kind of satisfaction... and relief too of course but nothing pleases him more than to think the person who murdered his people, tried to own him and threatened his family, did all this to Poseidon, went through a painful end becoming of him. ] How fitting. He is dead then? I imagine a cave full of water is not a thing any fire god can survive. [ A slow, agonizing death then... ] Good riddence.

[karappo]

[He nods slightly, obviously relieved at the thought that that particular blight in Megami's life won't be around to torment him anymore.]

He would not have lived through that, no. Though he made every attempt to struggle...and got in a few last hits before perishing.

[He lifts a hand to touch his face. Apparently, Adranus had somehow managed to hit him right in the face at one point, and Poseidon is lucky he didn't lose his eye. As far as he can tell, it's merely been sealed over by the cooled magma.]

At the very least...our children are safe. You, are safe.

[matteimasu]

[ Megami moves out of the way of Poseidon's hand, listening to him explain... and then goes over to the eye He leans down and softly kisses the spot right above it. They will have to do something to take care of the magma before their children can see. ] I'm so glad... Thank you darling... [ and at that tears come to his eyes, tears he hadn't even realized he'd been suppressing, and they fall freely from his face ] Thank you... so much...

[karappo]

[That gets him to huff a laugh, and even though he's too large right now to do much else, he still reaches up to stop those tears with a fingertip.]

Oh...I told you before, did I not? I would do anything for you. I would move the entire ocean if it meant keeping you and our children safe and happy. No matter what happens to me...I have fulfilled my purpose if I can do that much.

[Besides, Poseidon has the strength needed to protect others...and since having his children, and now Megami...he has far more to protect than he ever did before. He even has more incentive to want to protect humans, even though he still did so before.]

I love you, so much...and I cannot believe that I did not pursue that when I had the opportunity...when we first met, and I took that egg home beneath the sea.

[matteimasu]

[ He still can't help crying even with Poseidon trying to wipe them away... but he does reach up and put his own around that finger, turning just enough to give it a kiss before nuzzling against it ]

And I love you as well, just as much... Before I even met you, I loved you so...

I... am a fool for not considering that myself back then, even though I had admired you from afar for so long. I was still too attached to my island, and the idea of one day reviving it... though given everything that has happened, I am sure Adranus would have just destroyed it all over again.

[ It's probably a real good thing Megami gave Poseidon that egg now. Their children might not be alive today if he hadn't. ]

But none of that matters anymore... because now we're... we're...

[ His other hand also moves to grasp Poseidon's finger and he squeezes firmly with both. ]

We're finally able to be together...

[karappo]

[That's right...they're together now. Truly they can be together, and there's nothing left keeping them apart. Not land or space or time, or even vindictive gods.

Poseidon looks up at Megami, his finger curling a little.]

May I ask you something?

[matteimasu]

Oh... yes, of course. What is it?

[karappo]

[Poseidon uses his finger's leverage to pull Megami a bit closer to him, his expression soft despite his haggard appearance.]

Will you marry me?

[matteimasu]

[ There aren't many words for the spectrum of emotions that go over Megami's face in that instant. He's overwhelmed with joy and fighting the urge to cry more until he just gives in. ] Yes. Absolutely yes. [ It's the happiest he's ever been in his life ]

[karappo]

[That's all Poseidon wanted to hear. That's all he ever wanted to hear, really, and it isn't long before he's crying a bit too.]

I would...shrink, so I could kiss you, but I am not sure I can right now. But...we can save that for the ceremony.

[matteimasu]

The... ceremony... [ they're gonna have a ceremony, oh god it's real ] Yes...

...Oh. Before we talk about... that... [ they can make plans and stuff now oh gosh oh gosh ] There was something else I wished to speak with you about once you returned... something I have been thinking about since I awoke...

[karappo]

Ah, something...?

[Curious...he shifts a little where he's laying, a few bits of rock breaking of of his tail when he does.]

What is it?

[matteimasu]

[ As he speaks he is gonna... try and do something about all this soot and ash and rock and maybe unseal Poseidon's poor eye. He is soon-to-be-wife now, let him mend!! ] Well... do you know why I am called "Megami"? Have I told you about that before?

[karappo]

[That would be very appreciated...at least now that he's underwater, the grime and hardened magma won't have such an easy time sticking. He'll just have to be careful not to pull his scales off accidentally.]

I do not think so...but now you have me curious.

[matteimasu]

[ He will be the most careful!! A benefit of being teeny tiny comparatively ] Well, in truth I actually do not have a name at all! There were so many of us... my parents never gave us names. Any of my named siblings chose their names for themselves when they grew older. I never saw a need for that though... and it was not until humans appeared on the island and settled there that "Megami" came to be. They called me that once they saw me... in their native tongue it actually just means "Goddess". So, you see... this whole time everyone's only really known me as "Goddess". That's all I have ever been called. But as you said so yourself I am not really a goddess, now am I?

[karappo]

I did say that...though I suppose it is truly up to you whether you choose to go by that name or not, at this point...especially given the fact that your people gave it to you to begin with, unknowingly.

[That makes him wonder though...why he would think to bring that up now. He didn't mind being called Megami, did he?]

[matteimasu]

That's the thing. [ He looks away for a moment, smiling fondly but sadly ] I did treasure it as the name they called me... and I will always love my people even though they are long gone. They were like family to me for so long... ...But today is the start of my new life. As a fully awakened river god, as one that lives in the sea... as a full time mother and most of all, as your wife. And so I... If it is all right with you, [ because he knows Poseidon is very used to calling him Megami ] I would like to finally give myself an actual name. I have one already in mind.

[karappo]

[Oh...that would actually be a pretty momentous occasion for Megami, wouldn't it? Not just being wed, but also changing his name...it's very fitting in a lot of ways.

Poseidon's expression softens with understanding.]

Of course it is alright. I want you to make a choice that would make you happy. And whatever you decide, I will know you as that from now on.

[matteimasu]

Thank you, my love. [ He backs off attending to cleaning the magma for now just so he can look Poseidon in the eye while telling him this ] Then, from now on, I... I would like to be known as... [ deep breath ] ...Amphitrite.

[karappo]

Amphitrite...

[Poseidon echoes the name, as if testing it out loud to see how it feels when he speaks it. It's no mere moniker like Megami...it's very clearly a name, the name of a diety chosen by the river god himself. One that will no doubt go down in history when humans remember and recount the reign of Poseidon and his wife Amphitrite.

And just thinking of it that way pretty much cinches it in Poseidon's mind.]

It is beautiful. Simply beautiful. A perfect name befitting a goddess of both the river and the sea.

[He reaches out tentatively, his fingertip brushing against his cheek.]

My Amphitrite.

[matteimasu]

[ Hearing Poseidon say it, say "My Amphitrite", solidifies the name as the one he wants. The way he says it just sends his heart aflutter and makes his face turn bright red. He wants to hear him keep saying it, over and over... He smiles again through his blush ] It is, isn't it? I am glad you think so... I could listen to you say it all day, truthfully. [ He leans over then, resting himself against Poseidon's forehead, and gives him another kiss ] A perfect name for the wife of the sea king... my sea king.

[karappo]

[You know, he's not sure how long it's going to take him to get used to this. Sure, he'd been visiting the island a lot before...but this will be the first time Poseidon will have had the chance to experience constant affection and company without having to leave at the end of the day. It hasn't really sunk in fully yet, and he's certain it won't even a few months from now.]

Not just the wife...you will be the Queen of the sea. ...assuming you would accept that title, of course.

[He blinks slowly, looking happy, but tired.]

You already have much to do, now that you are a guardian of both the lake, river, and sea.

[matteimasu]

Oh... [ he looks a little surprised, as if this is the first time that has occurred to him ] Oh goodness, I suppose that is something I will be, isn't it...? [ He gets back to work at taking care of all this magma though. He is going to unseal that eye, he swears. ] That is all right though... [ and then he laughs a little to himself ] If anything I will be taking after my mother and stepping into her title. I am sure my parents would be happy to know one of their children has succeeded them after all. [ After all Poseidon is like... a nephew. ]

[karappo]

[Take as much time as you need...Poseidon is more than happy to just be with you, after all.]

Ha...I wish they could see what kind of goddess you have truly become. An impressive one, to be sure, but...I may just be biased.