for @seafoamserenade from seine verse: main
"Grandmother always said that mermaids and caecilia could never get along," she remarked, swimming just a little faster than Undine. "Maybe it's because of mother's experience with one of the princesses in Atlantica." Seine never had the chance to meet the princess, but maybe it was for the best. She had a feeling that King Triton wouldn't want any of Ursula's blood near his youngest daughter, who was already living on land with her human husband. "And...you're sure you don't mind me being like this?" She gestured at her black tentacles, which had a green underside to them instead of the purple that her mother had. "I can make a potion that gives me a mermaid's tail if you want."
She giggled and struck a pose, one that she’d seen on a Modern Royals magazine a few weeks back. Human royalty was similar to those underwater, except they walked on two legs and their feet barely touched the ground when they traveled. “But a sea queen needs a consort,” she pointed out, while cupping her palm to scoop some salt water. Using her magic, she drained the water and left only the salt, which transformed into a pale grey rock. She didn’t have a ring to place it on, but she handed it to Undine. “I choose you.”
The prospect of traveling the human world with someone like Undine made her happy. Her smile widened ( if that was even possible at this point ), and she nodded enthusiastically. “When can we start? Should we leave now?” Seine knew that neither her grandmother nor her aunt would go looking for her. Her Aunt Morgana was pretty much in her own ‘woe is me’ bubble, and her grandmother had allowed Seine to do whatever she wanted since her granddaughter became of age. Some might think that they were neglectful as a result, but that was just the way caecilia were when it came to parenting their young. As long as Seine knew her magic and knew how to survive, they were fine with not being there for her all the time. But she knew, deep down, that when she did need their help, they would be there for her. “Oh. Can you grow legs by yourself? Because I have to drink a potion before I go on land. Keeps me from turning back to this if I ever get soaked with water.”
Undine’s smile grew, her palm out-stretched as Seine settled the rock in her hand, fingers curling around the smooth surface. “I love it. It’s perfect. I will treasure it for always.” Her heart pounded in her chest, cheeks flushed red with blush. Oceanic eyes drifting over the other, caught up in the euphoria of the moment. She traced her fingertips, delicately, over the rock, unable to contain her excitement at the prospect of the two of them starting off on an adventure together.
“Well...” she was thoughtful for a moment, “Technically, yes, we can grow feet when we’re up on land. The first time, it’s not very pleasant, but it gets easier the more you do it. Most mermaids prefer to stay in the sea, so they don’t really have to go through the mess of transformation. Your tail splits in half, your bones shift, your scales peel off.... it’s kind of horrific. But after the first couple of times, it’s not nearly as bad.” Biting her lower lip, she shuddered at the thought, eyes remaining complacent on Seine. “We don’t need the sea, we’ll have each other. It’ll be an amazing adventure. Just the two of us. Traveling the world.”
