Rooftops, dirty thoughts all I got is twenty bucks

[mooninthewater]

Who: Mizuki
What: Bad ideas (aka releasing Seaborn into the River lmao-)
When: Like, idk, a day before the family meeting.
Where: the river
Warnings: mild body horror on the third prompt—

I. Nights so breezy, make it look easy

[ Whether you catch the glint of the luminescent lanterns in Mizuki's arms tentacles, or just notice the little guy walking through the Grove, or happen to see him him kneeling by the river and putting the crate down next to him as he takes a seat, he seems too focused to greet you. Rather, the very first thing he does when he takes a seat is start speaking directly to the river. ]

Excuse me, River Guardian? I hope it's not too much trouble, but I have some injured kin here, and We were hoping We could stay in these waters to rest and heal? Would that be alright with you? We won't disrupt anything.

[ He'll wait patiently for a response for the moment, and he'll start pulling out the lanterns one by one afterwards. He pulls open the top off of the lanterns that seems to take a while. They're incredibly sturdy, after all, meant to…??? Keep something inside, it looks like. These lanterns have a soft glow to them, but also seem to have something like black and blue goo or glue-y substance around the inside of it?

…Is there something moving inside them?

Actually, that question is answered fast, as Mizuki opens the first lantern and carefully pulls out a creature from inside. It glows faintly in some areas that also appear to be bleeding, and the creature seems to be some sort of inky black slug with tentacles. This one looks like that, anyway. Peering into the other lanterns you'll see they come in various amorphous blob-y shapes, some with tentacles, some without. Some with shells that mostly cracked and broken.

He carefully runs his hand over the creature, frowning a bit as he wishes desperately he knew how to use moon magic to heal things properly, before lowering them into the water for them to swim off into the current before he reaches for another lantern to repeat the process. ]

II. Knuckle cuts, pizza crust, leave a message on the bus

Mizuki here.

If anyone could make use of a couple dozen empty lanterns, let me know. I have a bunch I don't have any use for.

Also, if anyone fishes up something from the river that isn't fish like, please put it back in the water. Thank you!

[ There's a bunch of cute jellyfish stickers around the page. ]

III. Full moon howling, let's go prowling

[ And if you're not there for the Unboxing Loot Crate of the Seaborn, you may very well be there for supper time. Mizuki knows there's plenty of fish, but he both doesn't want to entirely disrupt the ecosystem here, and also is well aware that some of his kin here are much too hurt to actually hunt for anything on their own. Thus, Mizuki comes prepared, with… a knife and a cutting board? Hm.

If not approached beforehand, Mizuki will simply reveal one of his many tentacles from its camouflage and without flinching or any hesitation, he plants it on the cutting board and slams the knife down to cut it cleanly off. Afterwards, he makes sure to cut it into little bits. Like clockwork, the Seaborn critters in the water huddle closer to Mizuki, just below the surface of the water, and swarm the bits of flesh as he chucks them into the water. ]

Comments

[mooninthewater]

Ehe, thank you. We think you're very cute, too. [ How kind of Elsword. They haven't quite come of their own — they're likely to evolve and adapt to their surroundings a little more drastically than Mizuki. It'll be interesting to see, at least, but he just hopes this is the sort of environment they can thrive in.

He tilts his head up so he can give Elsword a small peck on the cheek, and settle back against him. ]

My kin who were born like this will glow when they're hurt or dying. It's not uncommon for weak links within the swarm to allow their bodies to expire during long distance migrations to act as markers and lights for Us.

[ Casual disturbing lore said with a smile. Mizuki doesn't seem to think anything is wrong with this. Likely because We Many probably don't, either. ]

These are younglings, though. So, it's cruel to not give these time to find their call.

[simplicitas]

[...yeah that's a little disturbing, but Elsword is self-sacrificing too, so he gets it. He'd do that. He kind of sacrificed himself in the Large El, after all.]

Are they going to get big? Like you? You're big. Kind of.

[wow]

...hey, wait, if they glow when they're injured... but you glow all the time...

[ ???????????????????? ]

[mooninthewater]

[ We Many would argue that it's not self-sacrificial, as both their consciousness would forever live through the hivemind, and it's equivalent to the Firstborn of just losing a lizard's tail. It'll grow back, etc.

We are also worried about you, Elsword— ]

It's possible, though Seaborn come in all different size. Some of Us can be as big as Moder herself, and a lot of We can be around 8 or 9 feet tall, but for the most part, We take a smaller appearance, depending on Our surrounding. I don't know what We'll look like here, but it's possible We'll be more plant-like. [ He lifts some of his strands of hair to show Elsword the white leaves. ] It's just something to keep an eye on. We will just listen to the River Guardian, and take the time to heal.

And, don't worry, if you think I'm hurt, that's not the case. I wasn't born Seaborn, so a lot of my bioluminescence is just from when I was a cnidarian Aegir, that's all.

[ … ]

I'm glad you came out to see me. I know these past few days haven't been a good time.

Would you like to try feeding them?

[simplicitas]

For better or for worse, I'm still kicking, so... I might as well do something.

[Ouch, buddy.

He nods, though, reaching for the cutting board, sort of around Mizuki's bulk (or lack thereof sorry buddy you're like a twig).]

Sure, I can feed them. You already chopped this up, right? Do I just... throw it in the water like when I feed the fish normally?

[mooninthewater]

[ There’s a very brief flash of worry, but Mizuki shoves it aside to keep on that little smile. The Seaborn, however, still feel that worry. They chirp and make laser beam-like croaks, and a few of them even slither from the water so they can fling little tentacles around Elsword’s ankles. To “ground” him and let him know he’s wanted, probably. He doesn’t like thinking about if Elsword weren’t here. ]

For better, definitely. I don’t want you to stop kicking. If you do, I think I’d just eat all the forest’s “toys” until it gave you back to me. Or just eat you so we’d always be together.

[ A sweet little kiss on Elsword’s cheek. What do you mean “Mizuki, you can’t just say shit like that”? Yes he can. He just did. ]

And yeah! We’ll eat whatever food We find, of course, but it’s certainly simpler if it’s already provided like this.

[simplicitas]

[Aww, Mizuki's so sweet <---- genuine elsword thoughts what is wrong with you]

That makes sense.

[He grabs the chopped-up tentacles like he would any other fish food, bunched up in his fingers, and tosses it into the water in parts. You know, don't overwhelm the babies, they are very small.]

sh i know ur not here but I needed another tag-

[mooninthewater]

[ They are very small! They are also very eldritch and share the same vast, insatiable hunger that Mizuki has, so, uh, they just tear apart the food and devour it within seconds. But then they chirp at Elsword happily after. ]

...It's nice like this. I believed there was a world back home where I couldn't do anything like this, 'cause people would just shun Us for being monsters. But, I like to think that even my world can be like this, and that everyone can just coexist together.

...

I hope this world finds its balance, too.