You Should See Me in a Crown

Monarch Matteo.126. Merfolk. Not Daeseong.

[hjxyujun]

tilted their head slightly, hearing their cousin speak. they didn't remember putting that on the list of activities for the day. the one they talked over with sujin. just thinking of the other made a small smile grace their features. spending the time with him they had the other day turned out to be a lot more fun then he expected. it was great. silently they brought their mind back to the moment. "tennis," he parroted for a moment before nodding. he had been watching for a moment and still didn't entirely understand the point. other than to move the ball from one side to the other. weird. "what advantage?" they questioned with a turn, thinking about the fact that legs weren't their natural state most of the time when it came to merfolk. the shells and bits of coral in his own hair bumped together as he turned to look to the other quickly. "i would think that having to run so much on legs would make it weird for us. or is it because our leg muscles end up being strong since technically... it is our tail?"

[hjxmatteo]

"Haven't ever tested them much have you? Our legs are quite powerful... once we adjust to the topside." Admittedly, that took a while. It was strange not being surrounded by water, not to mention the way they communicated up here. The cultures were also... so very strange. But, Matteo was significantly more open to them than his father was. He was merfolk first and only.

"Though, for obvious reasons, I prefer swimming," they said. "Or the water sports." They gestured towards the... water volleyball? He was fairly sure that was what it was called. "I am not sure I get the rules, but our team usually wins."

Matteo whispered to Yujun, making sure no one could hear them. "Admittedly, I nearly kicked someone the other day. But... I wouldn't suggest that unless you want to cause serious damage." Admittedly, that annoyance would have deserved it. But, Matteo was a monarch, so he resisted. "I wonder if there's a game of finball we could join instead."

[osukexhj]

humming slightly as he was picked up, osuke didn't even try to shift or avoid the arms that held him. but did suddenly realize that they were rather nice arms. was this why people in the few movies he had seen seemed to enjoy it? it suddenly made sense. the nymph paid no mind to any of the looks they received as he was carried close to the water and then into it. only leaning into matteo the longer he held him. "i missed you too," he said softly as they moved.

the merfolk had seen to come visit him often since the sickness hit the groves. while osuke had not been feeling his best and wasn't good for visitors, it had meant more to him than he said out loud. even if it was just the company. his cousins who usually handled the sort of things that were happening, needed more help. he had been doing his best.

"i love your crown," was the answer he provided, fully enjoying the warmth of the water on his skin and more importantly making no move to leave the arms that still held him. "the shells are pretty," he added as his hand moved on it's own accord just barely brushing on of the sparkling shells before he took it back down to rest on matteo himself. "was it someone else's first?"

[hjxmatteo]

Matteo wondered how old Osuke was. He made them feel... young. Though Matteo was, technically, young for a merfolk, he never felt it. Matteo was groomed from a young age to serve the kingdom. His childhood had ended the second his biological family stole him away. But Osuke... well, he made them feel free. Made them forget everything else, if just for a moment.

Why did they feel this way? He wasn't sure. But he liked it. And maybe that was enough. Of course, Osuke didn't leave him much time to contemplate.

Matteo inhaled sharply. He wasn't sure what Osuke was talking about? The metaphorical crown he wore? His heart? Maybe Matteo was a coward, because he went with the safest answer. "This flower crown? No, I just bought it because it reminded me of you." He finished before he quite realized what he admitted. He blushed fiercely. Oh. Maybe it wasn't all that safe of an answer after all. "Though, your flowers are prettier," they finished, lamely.

[osukexhj]

Maybe a little sunshine will help...

day: pride day three time: mid morning with: matteo @hjxmatteo tw: sickness, tired, murder ideation

it had taken days and a book bored from cherry to finally figure out something that he could do with the sickness that was in the soul and touching the trees. with shaking hands, osuke had gently weaved together a fungi that couldn’t be seen above ground outside of a few mushrooms that popped up in clusters here and there. what was important was the network of them underground. he couldn’t pretend that he wasn’t worried it would be for nothing. he had never tried it before after all. but he would do anything for his mother. her weeping flowers, normally so pink, were pale compared to everyday before.

so, he worked for days. even when he was already so tired. so sick. but he had to try anyway. after that, it was only the wait. a wait he would normally do while sitting with his mother, but cherry had urged him to get out of the grove, if only for a little while. he normally enjoyed the time of pride. the colors were so bright and inviting. like every dangerous thing out in the world.

this was the reason he found himself at the edge of the beach. leaning against a bench, trying to ease the pain in his limbs. it was an ache that seemed so deep. osuke had hoped the ocean could distract him. big and shining while the waves moved. he may be a dryad but he appreciated water. he wanted to put his bare feet in the water but hadn’t made it that far. there were no flowers in his hair. no sparkle in his eyes as he finally gave in and sat on the bench. urging his body to move just a little further. maybe, if he closed his eyes for just a minute…

that minute edged into more than one and soon enough there was a shadow that fell over him, maybe a hand on his shoulder but his eyes opened. after the moment it took for them to adjust to the sun again, he saw matteo looking at him. “oh hi,” he offered, a smile curving the corner of his lips in greeting..

[hjxmatteo]

Matteo gave a soft smile. It was excruciating watching Osuke like this. They had visited him often since the poisoning incident at the grove. Matteo had come with remedies and special waters. Or to just... hold their hands. Though they hadn't known Osuke long, Matteo had only seen them full of life. Watching them fade away as they had was... Matteo was glad he looked better, even if he was still clearly weak.

"Hello." He had noticed Osuke staring at the water. "Let me help you out a bit." With little hesitation, Matteo lifted Osuke, similar to how humans lifted their brides. He made sure Osuke as comfortable, the shells not digging into his skin. "It's your turn to see me anyways."

They began the walk to the water. Merfolk stared at them, jaws dropped as their monarch carried a royal dryad. He barely registered them. No one dared to confront him and he had no guards with him today, since he had insisted they go with his sister. "Do you like my crown?" he asked.

[hjxyujun]

Love is in the air

day: pride day three: beach day time: mid morning with: open starter tw: homophobia mention, sad thoughts

the beach was full with people. so many of them there specifically for the celebration of pride. it was a relatively new festivity compared to many of the others that were celebrated in hanjeong but it was definitely one of yujun's favorite. not every day that the streets and people were covered in bright colors and seemingly genuinely enjoying themselves in so many different ways. happiness seemed to permeate the air. a sense of love for the people around and within. the sort of thing they loved to be there for.

which was exactly why they were in their human form, heart shaped sunglasses on their face and their outfit light but covering the items that would worry most humans. their gills comfortably free as they laid back on the sand in the sun. quietly singing along to the music that was loudly playing, they just swayed along to the beat. it was the sort of day they wished they could always have. tapping his toes in the sand he looked towards the people playing various games. curious if they would let him in as well. willing to take the risk, yujun stood, not even trying to brush the sand off of him and walked towards the gaming area.

first, they figured they needed to asses the situation, eyeing the different games that people were playing. seeing one they didn't recognize, they smiled softly towards the person next too them and asked, "do you know the name of that one? i don't think i've ever played it before.."

[hjxmatteo]

Family was complicated and definitely more so when you were a royal. Matteo's brothers despised him with a passion, but his cousins were different. When Matteo took the throne early, they supported him. They didn't ask too many questions about his father and helped smooth his transition to power. In a way, they were more like his siblings than his brother.

His sister was currently with her husband, off looking at the sites. They had never been topside, much less here. But, it was proving to be a nice trip. Meanwhile, Matteo was left now to their own devices.

They wore shells that glimmered like rainbows in the sun. They also wore a crown of flowers. Pink ones that had reminded him of Osuke. Though, his were much prettier.

Matteo looked at the game. His forehead wrinkled as he thought hard. Oh. He remembered. He thought. "I think it's called tennis. But I don't really understand the rules. They seem to run around a lot though." He smirked slightly. "I think that gives us the advantage there."

[hjxmatteo]

a familial affair//serenity and matteo

@serenityhj

Had it been possible, Matteo would have faked a dirt poisoning himself. As it was, instead of being with a certain dryad topside, he was sitting at a family dinner. His father was absent, but his brothers were there. They had already finished their line of questioning, but Matteo was well-versed in the usual lines. Yes, his father was too sick to see them. Matteo's mother was taking care of him, ever the devoted wife. No, they wouldn't see them the entire trip.

Maybe in a few years, when his rule was calmer they could see him. Or, he'd keep feeding them lies. Either way, they couldn't do anything about it. They were married to princesses all too eager to have Matteo's alliance. And, clearly, they couldn't do that if his brothers questioned him too hard.

It really was good to be monarch. Now, they just had to get past his father's attempted coup.

"I need to talk to you," Matteo whispered to Serenity. "About the... situation. As soon as possible."

[hjremi]

despite himself, he flinches when he hears those words. sorry for your loss. there's no way matteo means it in any meaningful way, not unless he's been doing some major stalking, and he's decided on the weirdest possible way to reveal that he knows what became of the other friends with dandelion tattoos, but it doesn't make it less... a lot.

maybe he should just have some more champagne instead. especially if matteo is going to tell him, of all people, about how humans treat the world around them. as if one, he doesn't already fucking know, and two, it's his fault. like he personally dialed up humans and told them to fuck up some mermaids' shit.

"i mean, i asked lauren, but they didn't know." they'd just said some shit about minding his own business. typical lock shit, yeah. "it's not like the sirens have a spokesperson or anything, anyway, so realistically, you're a better person to ask. i don't know where your guys' stuff is all located down there, but a lot of offshore energy is usually more than like, 25 miles off the coast, so depending on where all that stuff is, you guys might not even really be bothered by it. plus! the location could definitely be worked out. you guys were here before the humans' energy needs, y'know?"

humming, remi finishes the glass of champagne, considering for a moment whether he should even bother to ask, "if i got together some information about it, would you at least look at it? i'm not trying to twist your arm or anything... i just campaigned for this sort of stuff - like positive environmental changes and whatever - back before i moved here, so i guess i don't know how to stop." he laughs, rubbing the back of his neck. campaigned is one way of putting it, that's for sure, but he's not quite to the extremes they'd had to take to get their point across in america. "i think your liaison down at the mayor's office hates me, anyway. i asked them first, i'm sure they'll tell you all about it, considering they told me to fuck off in probably the most professional way i've ever heard."

[hjxmatteo]

Matteo snorted. He couldn't help it. The thought of the sirens having any sort of organizational system was just that laughable. Ever since they formally left them, they had run on anarchy and disdain. Though, if tales and Zia were any indication, sirens were always wild cards, even when they were a part of the merfolk's dominion.

He almost gave Remi a pointed look. Matteo was used to people trying to convince him of their ideas. Usually, it involved advisors or a formal open forum of his subjects. A scheduled meeting maybe, but at least political backing. Remi had absolutely none of them and his audacity nearly made him laugh. Though, Matteo supposed, having Jongsu on their side counted in a way.

The most annoying part was from what little Matteo understood of their ramblings, it seemed like a beneficial agreement as well as something that would drive the sirens mad. They decided to ignore the swearing this time. "Well, there is a formal way to do things, so I'm sure the fact that you tried to go past the procedures probably didn't help." He hesitated, before saying something he was sure to regret. "I'll set up a meeting for you with me. Topside. I'll listen to your proposal." If it was below water, Matteo would likely give in to their urge to toss him into a dungeon.

[siwooxhj]

even to his ears, the laughter that bubbled up from his chest sounded kind. a deep rumble of sound that worked its way through his lips like the first flow of water breaking the surface to form a new spring. the monarch of the merfolk was wandering nymph lands. his lands, so comfortably. was this what it would be like under the rule of dryad? foreign dignitaries and supportive imposter come to see how the spirit folk of nature lived? it was sicking. the rage in him burned, and like a gyser he could feel the build of pressure, the steam backing up to force and explosion; and yet his face was so kind and welcoming. a bright, serene spread of his lips, eyes crinkled their quicksilver hued seeming to sparkle like sun on water in the light. 

"i hate to tell you this, but you're going the complete wrong direction." his current path did not put him in the direction of the deep forest, or the carefully picked places where the new saplings were destined to exist. no, as if called by the depths of the pool itself this silly monarch was heading towards the naiad pool, not a particularly safe place, even for their own kind. there was a restlessness among them. a distaste for the current state of things, and oh how lovely it might be to mix a little blood in the water? now was no time for such thoughts, so siwoo tucked them away, gave a polite bow of greeting, ever the dignitary. ever the gentleman. 

"i will guide you, if you like. i suspect this is your first time witnessing such an event?" he had seen many over his long life. as the former crown prince of the raom dynasty it was simply his duty. now he wondered how things like have been different if he had just poised the soil when he wandered freely without scruitnity. if his birthright might still be assured. "can't have you missing such a fated moment."

[hjxmatteo]

Matteo had never spent much time topside. His father had seemed to like it that, feeling Matteo needed to focus on their future domain. Plus, that way Matteo could not easily form allies above water. Unfortunately for his father, Matteo was resourceful enough to make plenty of allies beneath his very nose. There was not an ounce of guilt as he watched them take his father away. Mostly smugness. But, he did feel bad that the kingdom had to get caught in the middle. It was one of the reasons he tried to do it as quietly as possible.

The nymphs? Not so much. Despite the dryads being supposedly peaceful creatures, they had been messy in their coup. And, for whatever reason, they had left survivors who probably weren't too pleased at being dethroned. Matteo's father was not pleased about his house arrest, but his dislike of the sirens kept him quiet. Now way in hell would he ever let the sirens even get a sense of them being remotely unstable. He couldn't help but wonder if this was a similar situation.

"I'd appreciate that," he said. This was not his fight, so he was safe at least. Whatever political turmoil was happening among the nymphs was none of his business. They just needed to find the one nymph. Whoever they were. "I don't have as good of a sense of direction on land. And I'd hate to miss something so fascinating."

[hjlock]

"i haven't seen her yet. she must be busy somewhere." he didn't know the princess all that well, after all. she could be off doing... literally anything, and lock would have no idea. smiling faintly, lock closes his eyes for a moment, letting out a soft, fond noise of exasperation. "they did. the planner could tell you all of this, if you let me go and get them, you know."

opening his eyes after a moment, lock follows matteo's gaze. he turns slightly pink at the compliment, a little shy to admit, "ah, she wanted to match." the dresses aren't the exact same, of course, since his would be too mature for a child her age, but it's similar enough to tell it was intentional. "she wants to do that a lot nowadays. kids are weird."

it's been a definite learning curve, adjusting to harumi's presence in his life, but he can't have been doing all that terrible, since the little girl seemed increasingly fond of him, and no one from child protective services had banged his door down yet, or anything.

"matteo." it's not often he uses the other's name on its own, usually using a title for the monarch, but it seems like as good a time as any. "you're already good at this." it really is that simple. he doesn't want to have to be the one to have this pep talk with the other, but since matteo won't let him get four steps away without stopping him, it seems he must. "osuke... he's not some fragile flower, you know. if he had any reservations about this, you'd know by now. you trust him, yes?" how did he get here? genuinely. his mother would be shrieking, if she knew he was here. another reason to not attend the underwater ceremony, honestly. "if he believes that you're good for him, why are you doubting it?"

[hjxmatteo]

Matteo tried not to get all emotional, but it was a big day and Lock was tapping into some deep-seated emotions. He was not going to cry. Nope. Not right now. Maybe later, but not before the ceremony even began. Still, he sniffled slightly.

Lock was right. Matteo trusted Osuke and loved him. They wanted to spend the rest of their life with them. Lock wasn't exactly one for empty flattery, so, if anything, at least Matteo knew this was sincere. Overwhelmed with emotions, he engulfed Lock in a hug.

They took a deep breath. "Thank you, Lock." He didn't mean just for being here, calming him down. Though, that was a large part of it. "Thank you for reading my future all those months ago. I wouldn't be here without you giving me the push."

They pulled away. "You're right. I'll trust him. After all, that's what marriage is about, right?"

[hjxmatteo]

spring fever//open

May 11, 2023: Dryad Day

Location: Mistwood Grove

Matteo was trying to pretend as if their presence in the Spring Revelry was completely normal. As if there was any reason for the merfolk monarch to be here, specifically on Dryad Day. Honestly, had his schedule allowed him, he would have been around far more often, like a lost puppy.

He kept telling people it was to build a good political relationship with the new royal family. He even believed it himself for the first five minutes. However, it was hard to keep up that pretext when his head was whipping around every few seconds, searching for... well, who really?

He briefly thought of abalone shells and then shook the thought away. No, he was getting ahead of himself. "Can someone tell me where the sapling planting is taking place?"

[hjremi]

no deaf mermaids? damn. who's he supposed to dress up as for halloween, then? "i guess the little mermaid series lied to us then." man, walt disney, a liar? who would've thought?

"ah, yeah. my friends and i got matching tattoos. my suggestion was to get the squirtle squad, but they decided on dandelions instead." he's not about to show matteo the tattoo, given where it's located, but the monarch doesn't actually care either way. "something about symbolism, i guess." thriving despite everything, like dandelions in the cracks of pavement, if he remembered correctly. not exactly accurate, but hey. "squirtle squad would've been cooler."

matteo liking pokemon is... unfortunate. at least he's got a basic-ass favourite. makes him less tolerable that way, which is kind of the point. "i didn't know they did fishing in this area. surprised you guys didn't get it declared a no-take zone." he'd heard that the waters were... less than welcoming to humans. lock had indicated that there used to be boats more frequently, whenever he was young, but remi hadn't seen any since he'd arrived. "cool that you saved him though. is stuff in the water like, a problem around here, even?"

if he's gonna be stuck talking to matteo, he might as well talk about something that actually interests him. "i took this class on marine and offshore energy, and the instructor said that the sirens didn't let stuff like that get built." he rolls his eyes, obviously not amused. "so i wasn't sure if litter was even like, a thing, or if the sirens had scared everybody into recycling."

[hjxmatteo]

"She could have been a half-blood. Some of them could be deaf, in theory. Though I don't know why they'd choose to live underwater. They'd be easy prey," he said. "Especially against sirens." Matteo had heard plenty of tales growing up of what would happened to him if he didn't behave, all involving sirens. Though he had relied on a few for his reign, he wasn't crazy about it.

"It would have been. I'm sorry for your loss." It felt odd to agree with the urchin, but he supposed it didn't mean a red tide was coming. Matteo still had plenty of reasons to find them annoying.

Though Matteo would have preferred to have kept arguing with Remi, he couldn't pass up an opportunity to show off the merfolk kingdom, especially in regards to his reign. "That net was not supposed to be there, but we do have areas where fishing is allowed. Humans aren't the best at giving back to the ocean, only taking."

Matteo hesitated. It was a delicate topic, though as new blood, he couldn't blame Remi for being ignorant on this one. "My father was a bit... old-fashioned. So, he handled things differently from me." He didn't continue, but all the ocean dwellers knew that his father had let the sirens do as they would in that regard. It saved him the trouble. "You'd have to ask a siren, I suppose. Though, good luck getting a straight answer out of one of them."

[hjlock]

no one has to tell lock that he's a little overdressed, he's well aware. it was intentional, even. harumi can't be underwater that long, so he'll have to skip the other ceremony. hence the nice dress at this one, wanting the opportunity to dress up. he also got them a nice wedding gift, to make up for the fact he won't be able to attend.

overdressed or not, he can't help but feel a sick sense of gratification whenever matteo does a double take, secretly pleased at garnering such a reaction. must be the siren in him, always thirsty for the worst kind of attention. "they did." he just hopes people are smart enough not to touch them. thankfully, many of the people attending this ceremony will be aware of the danger they present. "they're dryads, your highness. i trust them to know about plants. they'll bring in the toadstools on time. i'll even remind them, if it eases your mind."

reticent as he may have been whenever he'd had that first vision of osuke's inevitable future, he can't deny that matteo obviously cares for him, which is a weight off lock's shoulders. it's a little bittersweet to be not only attending, but actively participating in the wedding of someone whom he had nursed a crush on for the better part of three months, but he's an adult. he can handle these things with only minor brooding whenever he'd first received the wedding invitation. he wouldn't even be participating in it, if he could help it, content to merely be a guest. but, of course, he can't change something once he's seen it, so he'd known he needed to arrive early to run interference, before someone ended up in that damn dungeon matteo was always talking about.

steering matteo back towards the dressing room, lock sighs. "most people leave stuff like this to their best man, you know." beheading someone? really? he resists the urge to roll his eyes, but just barely. he's behind matteo, thank god, so the man can't get on him for it. "they were speaking with the caterer last i saw. i'll go and find them." matteo's worked up enough that it's starting to give lock a migraine, his aura sharp under lock's hands on the other's shoulders.

parking the man at the door of the reception area, lock glances back to make sure that harumi is still there, playing with her toys. reassured that his daughter hasn't run off - she's too much like him, sometimes, for them not being blood-related - he turns back to matteo, arching a brow at him, as though daring the man to try to involve himself once more. "stay here. do some cyclical breathing or something. you need to relax." he could teach matteo his anti-anxiety breathing technique if worst came to worst, but he doesn't think they're quite there yet.

[hjxmatteo]

Matteo released a deep sigh. He tried to relax his shoulders, but frankly, he had been tense all week. Matteo was not the type to let others take of his business for him, but here he was, leaving the business of the kingdom to his advisors for the week just so he could have a nice ceremony.

"Where is Serenity anyways?" they asked. That was their best "man" (why were things so gendered among humans? seemed odd). They looked around for her, knowing she would definitely get things done. "Though, she might actually bite someone's head off, so this might be nicer for the florists."

"I guess she's probably looking at the feast," they said. There were a lot of guests with varying appetites. "They did get enough fish right?"

He stopped as he spotted Lock's child. He noticed her clothes and a smile finally spread across his face. "She looks adorable," he said. Matteo didn't have much experience with kids (frankly, they seemed difficult to interact with). But, Harumi made it seem less intimidating. Though, of course any child of Lock's would probably be relaxed.

"I'm going to be good at this, right?" he asked. Matteo wasn't sure if they were asking for a divination or just words of assurance. He'd take anything at this point. Matteo just wanted to be better than his father, who over the years seemed to have forgotten how he'd loved a woman so much, he ran back to her the chance he got.

[hjremi]

remi blinks. blinks again.

"my... hearing aids?" confusion colours his voice. maybe matteo thought they were airpods, or something? surely he's not so out of touch with the common people that he's never heard - ha! - of a deaf person before. "see?"

pulling it out makes the world go quiet on that side, the din of the party all lopsided as he can now only hear it on his right. he tips his head to that side unconsciously, as if tucking his ear towards his shoulder will abate the tinnitius, but he holds the device in the palm of his hand for matteo to see even still. he'd stuck a little smiley face sticker on this one, to match the stick-and-poke on his hand and the frowny face sticker on the other. watching matteo warily, remi tries not to flinch about it, resisting the urge to close his fist protectively - these things were expensive, and if matteo like, chucks it into the ocean or something, it's gonna take a bit for him to get a replacement, and he'll be pissed the whole time.

please don't make it weird, please don't make it weird, please don't make it weird. he can't stand it whenever people get that look on their face, that poor little remington look. "they make waterproof ones, but i can't swim anyway, so there's no point, y'know? what am i gonna do, hear myself take a shower?"

a little uncomfortable about the situation - he wasn't lying when he said matteo gives him both the heebies and the jeebies - remi puts the hearing aid back in. just in time, too, as someone approaches them, startling him, as he hadn't heard them coming.

....squirtle? like.... the pokemon?

"uh... yeah, alright." gingerly, remi brings up a hand to pat the turtle. he's never been this close to a turtle before, which is probably for the best, since it's... kinda freaky, honestly. bigger than he expected. "hiya, squirtle. you know i almost got a tattoo of you? i tried to talk them into it, but nooooo. squirtle squad wasn't good enough for them. had to get a dandelion instead." he seems to realise that matteo is still there, then, clearing his throat awkwardly and letting his hands drop. "sorry."

[hjxmatteo]

Matteo's eyes widened. Despite his dislike of this Remi, he was intrigued by the concept of hearing aids. "Well, we don't really have these among my people," he said. "No real need for them considering how we communicate. Well, at least underwater. We begin echolocating even from the womb."

If they didn't echolocate, they would die. Something would eat them or they'd never be able to speak to each other in battle. Frankly, it would be a mess.

He silently willed Squirtle to be a little less behaved and just take a tiny bite. Sure, he was a baby, but it would still hurt. "You almost got a tattoo of a-" Oh, he meant the Pokémon, not his turtle. "A dandelion?" He did not see the connection here. Humans were an odd bunch.

"I got the name from my... Well, someone I know. We both enjoy Pokémon." He smiled for a moment, thinking of Osuke. Wishing he was with Osuke instead, really. But no. He was with the urchin... Who at least had decent taste in Pokémon. "I saved him from a net."

[osukexhj]

the entire experience so far, of a wedding, was... different. So much of it all the dryad still didn’t understand. But he did like the idea of being with Matteo. He liked how their hands linked together. the way the other man smiled when he laughed. The merfolk royal never pulled away when Osuke had one of his many chaos inducing schemes. Instead, he would laugh and add to them like they were both going to do it. He liked Squirtle and how he swam near and around the king. When he put all of those together, he never questioned that there was something about the idea of forever that filled him with a happiness so bright it could rival the sun.

Still, his love worried about things. As he was sure most king’s were meant to. It wasn’t like the nymph had ever been good about being a new royal anyway. In his world, it didn’t make sense that he got wrapped up with the changes and usurping. But there he was, ignoring it anyway. At least for the moment. for the day. Tying himself to an active royal seemed to fill his head with other thoughts outside of experiments and moonshine. But for the day, he got to be the one with light feet and a smiling face. How he was born to be anyway.

Catching sight of his soon to be king, seemingly losing a bit of his mind over toadstool, a smile broke across his feet. Quietly, like moss growing over a rock, Osuke walked up behind the man, barefooted and sure only to give a little flick of his finger when he was right behind him. mushrooms of all shapes and sizes grew quickly from under the merfolk’s feet. Creating a lined walk way and all the nymph gave was a giggle in response before wrapping his arms around the other from behind.

“the ones I make are prettier,” he whispered softly, leaning his head on the edge of Matteo’s shoulder. In truth, the ones he grew were, indeed, often referred to as toadstool. Poisonous mushrooms were so vibrant and deceiving but there was a different hue to the ones he grew. alluring. Nuzzling into the other man’s arm he smiled against him. “this one is small, love. Just for my mother tree to see,” he continued to whisper softly, only for the other to hear. “don’t worry. I’m not and she isn’t.”

[hjxmatteo]

Matteo wanted to keep up the momentum, but it was basically impossible with how lovely Osuke was. He stared at the pretty mushrooms, admitting they were better than what anyone else could do. They were so distinctly Osuke. He calmed significantly, having his beloved near. "I want her to know I am going to take care of you. Make you happy." They kissed the top of Osuke's head.

Matteo wasn't sure if the tree was actually Osuke's mother. The nymphs were veiled in such obscurity, it was hard to tell. Their anatomies, their births; they seemed to do it all on their own whims, as chaotic as the life they brought. But, what mattered was that Osuke believed it to be so and Matteo would do anything for him. Besides, Matteo grateful to this tree. After all, it gave Osuke life. Ultimately, isn't that what mothers were supposed to do?

"Just tell me if anything upsets you today," he said. "I know I can't do much here in your kingdom, but I am not above have Squirtle nibble their fingers." The sea turtle in question was currently trying to eat its own flower crown and would be a part of the ceremony.

"You know, some people claim you must've enchanted me with some potion," he said. It had been a very brief courtship, even by human standards, much less by their own. Matteo had not shown romantic interest in anyone his entire life and now here he was, barreling towards a ceremony. "I keep telling them you are enchanting enough without any potions."

[hjremi]

there's not enough alcohol in the world to make him not want to smack matteo upside his smarmy-ass head, he's pretty sure. dude's almost a full foot taller than him, but remi'll get a step-ladder if he has to.

"cool. 'm remi." why's this guy staring at him so... serial killer like? like, he's being polite, remi guesses, but it's... fuckin' weird, honestly. like he's some big-bad predator and remi's some teeny-tiny prey. shifting uncomfortably, remi glances towards the direction jongsu had gone, but it seems like he's gone somewhere else for the moment, or is just lost in the crowd, probably swept up into catching up with someone he knew, or something.

uhhh... pass. hard pass. "can't." he says simply, gesturing up to his head. "'s not waterproof. plus, i can't swim." he'd also have to see his doctor, he's pretty sure. pressure underwater can't be great for him, and they'd warned him about ear infections already. remi's not about to bend over backwards to see some ariel-under-the-sea bullshit, especially not with some dude who gives him both the heebies and the jeebies. "i'm sure it's lit though. jongsu's mentioned it a few times."

taking the flute, remi can't help but wrinkle his nose. he's not really into champagne, preferring to actually enjoy the taste of his alcohol, but he takes a polite sip either way. "thanks."

[hjxmatteo]

Matteo stared quizzically at the things in Remi's ears. He wasn't sure what they did (if they weren't waterproof, he supposed it made sense he hadn't seen much of them before). "What are those exactly?" he couldn't resist asking. Maybe the Little Mermaid did have a point, being all that curious.

Jongsu would probably be upset if his little friend drowned, but Matteo could still stick him in a very large bubble. Just for a little bit. They shook their head. No, not today. They were supposed to be the noble monarch, especially with the rumors about what they had done to their family. No one needed to know that the transfer of power had been less than peaceful.

His champagne flute was slowly replaced. Matteo was about to say something snarky, but his eyes lit up as someone brought Squirtle to him. They absently began to feed the little guy kelp. "Sorry, the little guy starts to miss me a bit." He internally debated for a bit, but decided to be benevolent. "You can pet him if you'd like. Squirtle doesn't bite. Much."

[hjlock]

matteo sounds like a freight train, barreling through the reception venue. lock had known this was going to happen - didn't have to be psychic to realise matteo had control issues - which is why he'd gotten ready early, sitting with harumi nearby to play a few games together while they waited for matteo's inevitable entrance.

"stay here, my star. your lalo will be right back, hm?" he leaves the little girl to her own devices, occupied with the toys he'd brought for her. pushing himself to his feet, lock brushes down the dress he'd decided to wear - he'd found out the hard way that kids were always sort of sticky, and crumby, and just generally a little gross - and makes his way over to where matteo is terrifying ( accidentally, he hopes ) some poor employee of the venue.

"the toadstools are still out in the garden. they said something about not bringing them in until the last minute to make sure they were looking their best. why are you shouting?" he folds his arms over his chest, not missing the employee sag in relief as he draws matteo's attention to himself. "you're not even supposed to be here, you know. there are people specifically meant to be handling this. you're meant to be getting ready."

without waiting for a response, lock turns matteo around, ready to steer him back to the dressing room. "you have a whole staff at your beck and call, and they work better without you scaring the life out of them." there's a certain amount of pushback he can get away with, he's learned. too much, and matteo might lash out at him. not enough, and the point doesn't get across. "if i find the wedding planner, i'll send them to update you, yeah? until then, shoo, shoo."

[hjxmatteo]

Matteo had to do a double take as he saw Lock's outfit. At least some people knew how to dress for a formal affair. They looked nice. Nice enough to make Matteo stop his tirade for a second. At least, until he remembered that today was his wedding day and everything was going wrong.

"Oh, that's good then. He deserves the best toadstools. They got the right colors, right?" he asked. "I know the poisonous ones are usually prettier, but that's fine." Frankly, it would fit Osuke perfectly.

Really, if he was like this at their informal ceremony, he wasn't sure how he was going to be when they had their formal one at underwater. That one would lead to Osuke's actual coronation and would be attended by a lot of people.

Somehow, that one seemed less stressful. Maybe it was because this ceremony was specifically for Osuke. Also, it was the only one where his tree -his mother- would be in attendance.

"Well, who better to handle this than the monarch? Besides, it's not like I am going to behead someone over it." He thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Really, at the most, I'd stick them in the dungeon for a while." Osuke would probably poison them, so really, it would be a benevolent move. "And how can I trust the wedding planner? Where are they right now?"

[nfly5]

kbs drama awards 2021 when rowoon is called ‘uncle’

[mauloveskpop]

Rowoon on Street Alchohol Fighter