Where Geno talk things out with Atalanta and later on with Alter, so the 2 friends can prepare for the monster marriage in a peaceful mood.

No one's POV:
-

Ah yes. Worth mentioning that Geno was back in the room he and Alter were given by the Infernals. For how long though? The small siren's bottom jaw started shaking as he slowly tried to cover his chest with the blanket.

"What are you doing here?" He murmured agitated and even more terrified staring at the mermaid.

"Obviously waiting for you to wake up." Atalanta replied and pressed her hands on the matress of the bed. "You were uncoscious for half an hour." She continued.

Geno looked down feeling loosing it more and more. Half an hour. It was more than enough to get searched everywhere for injuries. The mermaid had seen his torso. The goat siblings definitively too! Geno was feeling extremely insecure showing his injuries and marks on his body. And not for any small reason.

It was horrific. Most villagers from the village he lived were looking away when seeing him walking, even if he was covered with clothes. Because they already knew, they had seen his marks. Children had threw stones at him when seeing the 'fire-marked freak' passing by. Buuut luckily rarely and they didn't know how to aim.

And so, he had developed trust issues for his marks. Now, how he managed to trust Alter from the first days he met him to let him bandage him, he had no idea. But after all he hadn't judge him, nor showed the slightest terror or disgust. What was going on through his head though?

Were there things he silently kept to himself from what he saw only to not make Geno sad? The concern of not being sure what the others were thinking exactly were always making the small siren feel weak when someone knew of his marks. He wasn't showing that he cared. But deep down he did.

"We've been observing you 2 ever since you came…" Atalanta's voice suddenly took him off his thoughts. He looked at her. "… You and your guardian. Well, first Tefra started observing. From day one you're here, you've attracted attention and complaints from the humans. First you are found in one of their restaurants. They attempted to poison you but you avoid that and Tef burned down the whole place, which was in all honesty well deserved. But that didn't stop here. Next your guardian gets reported twice by the same human. First blaming him for attempting to kill, then for wearing fake magic blocker. None of that happened, your guardian was already wearing real blocker and the human was alive. And then at the music night with Danarei Milos. Without the slightest hesitation he threatens to end these 2 cheating sons of- these 2 humans, only to end up punching them. Until then, Tefra hadn't say much. But then here comes the last straw, your guardian walks on the streets of this village crying for help while holding you unconscious in his arms. Bleeding like a damn waterfall! We had ask him what happened. He said you had walked away further from him and that once he realised you weren't close he started looking for you. Only to find you unconscious and bleeding while 3 humans as he said, were running away." Atalanta paused for a moment.

"Oh…" Geno only did in that pause. If Alter had make up that lie, it had better to not accidentally ruin it by saying anything more. The mermaid looked again at him and her yellow eyes betrayed some concern.

"Damn, the Infernals had freaked out seeing you all bloody. Guido was sobbing SO badly before and while they were trying to heal you."

"Guido was… crying?" Geno asked, only to remember the very next moment that yes, Alter was crying. But he had started before he started bleeding. He looked down, he was still in a blur to remember all that happened. "After all these heavy words I said and the trouble I gave I don't think he would have kept crying for what happened to me." He thought clenching his fists and teeth behind his closed mouth.

"Crying his eyesockets out man! He begged Tefra and Pyros to save you, heck! He even begged to get his magic blocker removed so he could heal you too! Well, we did let him help. Though we had to stop him, because he had literally drained himself out, even if he insisted he could still keep healing you." Geno looked at her surprised.

"… For me?" He asked hesitant. A suspicion of a melancholic smile appeared on Atalanta's lips for a moment.

"He really loves you and cares for you." She said. Geno looked down.

All of a sudden, there was again this word, love. Everytime he heard it he was always feeling confused and awkward. He knew very little. He had only ever meet family love. But he was so little to remember the sensation of a parent's love. Examples, he had their icon. But how it felt exactly, not.

Right now he felt strange hearing Atalanta hearing what Alter did for his sake. He was supposedly the parent figure here. He was pretending even then? It couldn't be. He didn't pretend to heal him, he actually did it as Atalanta said. Geno looked away sighing. The thoughts would make him go crazy eventually.

"But enough with that." The seriousness in Atalanta's voice all of a sudden made Geno flinch. He turned to slowly look at her, his hands already shaking.

"Oh Dios, sálvame por favor."

"From all these troubles you and Guido had with the humans, there was always something off. First in the restaurant. Your guardian said the humans putted conium in their soups. And yet he himself smelled like conium. Tefra could sense it on him. As if he ate it."

"Oh f*ck." Geno thought fighting to keep an unreadable expression.

"Next, the accusation of attempting to kill a human and for wearing fake blocker. Tefra saw some light marks around the human's wrists."

"W-Well, the human went to hit me and A- Guido held him from his wrists to stop him. He must have clenched so tight he let these marks." Geno tried to excuse that one time himself. Atalanta stared at him for a few seconds scanning his expression.

"Just clenched? Nah, Tefra says it's easy distinguish a simple bruise by clenching from a burn mark."

"A what?!" Geno said unable to hold himself back from asking that. "Well, the human's wrists were way too red for the bruises to be simply because Alter clenched them, indeed. But… burn marks?!" He thought genuinely confused.

"Wonder how long can you play innocent punk." Atalanta murmured but Geno heard it and looked again at her. Her eyes turned to daggers. "He punches these humans yesterday at Grillby's and he doesn't even care of the consequences. Today, he comes back with you bleeding in his arms. But while healing and bandaging you, the siblings were left with so many questions." Geno gulped.

"They saw how messed up I am. Right." He said looking down.

"Aside how badly injured you were, Tefra observed a lot. Underneath the fresh scars, marks and the slash that were bleeding, she saw more old ones. Your ribcage was missing chips and pieces from it and there were burned parts on your bones."

"Your point?" Geno asked abruptly. He didn't want to hear about his marks or whatever. Atalanta sighed and despite her eyes were still turned to daggers she showed some concern.

"Punk, I will ask you something really serious and you will answer with all of your honesty." Geno felt a burden in his soul. What would her question be?

"Did she and the Infernals found out everything about us? Has our real identities been revealed?" He thought gulping silently. "What is your question?" He asked trying to sound calmer. Atalanta looked down for a while and crossed her arms again.

"I am not the one who has the question. But Tef expressed to me a worry a while ago for which she feels ashamed to even think of, especially because she prefers to be wrong. And she wanted me except from waiting for you to wake up, to ask that question." Geno nodded lightly feeling ready to tear holes on the blanket with his fingers.

"Y-Yeah?" Atalanta sighed.

"Observing and suspecting Guido's rather aggressive towards others behavior, she wants to know, after I hear from you, if… damnit…" The mermaid looked away clenching her sharp teeth. But once she looked again at Geno she did the question. "Is he abusive?

"WHAT?!" Geno unexpectedly yelled, making Atalanta jump surprised. He wasn't expecting that question at all. But soon the indignation took place. "No! Guido is a calm monster but he takes no sh*t from anyone who does something to him or the ones he cares about! Especially for others! Well… sometimes he becomes violent and I've witnessed this. But he never EVER have harmed me! Even if sometimes he goes quite far harming others, he does to protect the ones he cares about. What you saw on my body… he has nothing to do with these. These are much older scars… From an accident." He completed looking away.

"Well, that's what Tef will hear. I don't need to keep that story, the truth is already screaming in my mind." Atalanta said bluntly. Geno snapped his head to her direction.

"And what do you know?" He asked feeling again the threat in the air.

"No matter how many lies you serve to convince the others around you, us mermaids ain't fooled by that." She kept going bluntly. She stood up and walked towards Geno, who was almost ready to hide underneath his blanket as if that would protect him.

"Why do I have to be defenceless NOW?!" Geno thought-yelled. But he let out a quiet hiss escape and glared at Atalanta.

"I have another question which has nothing to do with what Tef suspects from you and Guido. If you admit the truth instead of keep hiding from me, I will keep my mouth shut. Don't lie, I know much more than the Infernals right now even though I pretend I don't." Atalanta warned. Geno snarled quietly and looked away and down.

"What's your question mermaid?" He asked with clenched teeth. Atalanta sighed.

"Is your real name Genocide?"

Silence fell between them for many seconds before Geno turn his head just a tiny bit to her direction.

"How's that information gonna help the Infernals?" He asked.

"I think I said this has nothing to do with what truly Tef wants to know. But, you should know, I'm someone who prefers action instead of words, dialogues and such. I don't have much patience, so, if you don't actually want me to tell Tefra that you and your partner are sended by the crew Reapers, you better hurry. I did a very good 'research'." Geno twitched his head completely at Atalanta and death stared at her.

How and when she found out about that he had no idea. But as a mermaid, most likely 'a bird must have told her'. He couldn't mess around. The mermaid knew a lot and he couldn't risk that information to go any further. He exhaled loudly.

"Yes…" He whispered.

"What was that?" Atalanta asked staring at him even more intensively and with some triumph.

"Alright. You caught me. Good luck attempting to end me without my guardian sending you to the afterlife." Geno said quickly.

"FUHUHUHUHU!" The mermaid laughed placing hand on her chest. When she looked again at Geno she had stopped laughing but staring at him amused. "End you? Hah! Any day I could do that, even with eyes closed! But it wouldn't be fun. Besides, it is my benefit if you live to reach your destiny." She said and in the last words she looked at Geno serious.

"Just how much do you know about me?" Geno asked. Atalanta kept silence for a while pressing her lips together lightly still with crossed arms. Eventually she looked down and started talking quietly.

"That demon for you will come then prince, on the land will step to raid
the Captain comes to take a soul, more special than other any
Her whom tears souls from their bodies and keeps them for her crew
she comes to tear what you have called as last of family and knew. Damn, that was one very sh*tty part of your life, wasn't it?" She asked all of a sudden loud and clear. It took a moment for Geno to realise that she had just said a literal part of the prophecy he heard from Echo.

"Ah. You know about the prophecy…" He said slowly.

"All sirens and mermaids does. Even us who lived from babies among the landlubbers. It took me a while yesterday in the bathrooms after Guido saved you, but once I realised what was possibly going on, it came to my memory. But we're not cursed, nor corrupted unlike… the others in the depths. So no, I have no itch to kill you. Besides, I wouldn't have any gain by doing so and ruining the prophecy. Consider yourself lucky for now until you leave. Because… I won't stop your journey."

"For real?" Geno asked both surprised and suspicious. "And why is that again?"

"Because, I would loose everything I have on land. The life I am in. The people I care for. The family I have… Even if the humans give us monsters really sh*tty conditions to live here, should we let the corrupted mermaids make the world even worse? Take the reign? No thanks I won't take. And all other mermaids I know here wouldn't want that either." Atalanta stated with a plain expression. Geno didn't respond immediately. He looked down to think.

Well, quite understandable why Atalanta didn't want to actually stop him. Should he really be relieved though? Could he trust her words? What if she was eventually snitching on him?

…

How much did she know actually? If she was informed for many things about the depths and more, would she actually enlighten him if he asked?

"What do you know about the Purple Moon Ceremony?" He suddenly asked looking at Atalanta stably. The other looked at him raising eyebrows. She sighed.

"You don't know huh? Well, can't blame you. The prophecy said you would clearly live in oblivion for long. And if you've heard it already, it doesn't explain much. Whether you already knew or not, it wouldn't explain a thing. But I can tell you. Better know now that it's comfortable." She said, turned her back and sat on the other bed looking down silent to focus for a moment. Geno looked at her, willing and ready to know. Finally Atalanta started talking. "So. That ceremony is possible to happen only every 1000 years. As it's title says, it happens in a night with purple moon. Only then, it's glow gives to the ones who wants to do the ritual, the power to awaken beasts from the depths people thought were long gone. No. They're sleeping. And if the ritual is done right, they will be commanded around by the one who awakened them, to do as they please." She looked at Geno. "Do you have at least an idea of why the mermaids want to do the ritual?" She asked.

"Uuuh. Some 'delightful' news that they wanna wipe out life on land and make the landlubbers extinct, so they take over even there without finding resistance?" Geno asked shrugging his shoulders.

"Almost. They don't just want to wipe out the landlubbers. They want to make any piece of land drown underneath the Oceans."

"Ey yo what?!" Geno looked at Atalanta blinking shocked.

"They consider anything that is above water as a wound on the Ocean blue. And the mortals as pests. They want only the seas prevail everywhere. And the sea beasts can do that… well. Back to the ceremony. In order for it to be done, it needs blood sacrifice. But it only needs pure uncorrupted blood from sirens."

"Wait. But any siren or mermaid that was near the Siren Kingdom got corrupted by the curse, didn't they?" Geno interrupted.

"True. But it's not about the Loyals. After all you're forgetting about the other 3 siren generations. They were far away from the kingdom and so, they are uncorrupted."

"Oh no. Does that mean?"

"The mermaids will try to capture any siren uncorrupted. In fact I hear news from animals that there are already in the depths of the palace sirens from all generations imprisoned, for the purpose of the Purple Moon Ceremony."

"Oh God, they will get massacred…" Geno whispered covering his mouth and looking away.

"Yeah. But their blood won't be enough. The mermaid Queen will need the blood of at least one uncorrupted Loyal too. Or in your case, someone with uncorrupted Loyal blood." Atalanta stated with lowered head but still staring at Geno, who gulped. "Since all other Loyals got corrupted and your mom is hiding, by going to the Tearful Cave, it's like an open invitation for you to come to the Siren Kingdom-."

"So I get f*cking massacred?" Geno asked clenching his teeth. Atalanta didn't respond immediately.

"You won't get massacred, because you're the one who can and will stop all that. If you refuse your fate, you and everyone dies. If you completely accept it, we all live. The lifes of the whole world rests on your palm. It is a great responsibility… but if no one else is meant to do it except you, then…" Geno looked down hugging his knees and rested his head between his legs.

It was too much. All that. What he heard today, what he learned all the previous days. Atalanta said it and he now completely realised it. A great responsibility. He hated to realise all this burden and mess was on his shoulders. He had denied think of it but today, it was brought in front of him once again. Why it had to be him? WHY?!

"I'M ONLY 21 FOR F*CK'S SAKE!" He suddenly yelled. Atalanta didn't say anything. She just sat there awkwardly pressing her lips together. Slowly the small skeleton turned to look at her still angered and serious. "I appreciate all you told me and the fact you will not get in my way. But now I simply want Guido here. Not you. Call him to come her-."

The door of the room suddenly opened wide and the tall figure of Alter was seen standing on guard with a worried and panicked expression.

"I heard screaming! What happened?!" He asked. Atalanta stood up and walked towards him. Thinking she wanted to get out Alter stepped aside. But the mermaid stopped at the opening and looked up to him with hands on her hips.

"We talked. He's alright now, but overwhelmed. He actually asked for you to come. You take it from here. I'm done supervising the little punk." She said and this time walked out of the room. "I already know everything and who he actually is by the way, but don't worry much about it." She also added and dissappeared completely.

Alter stared at her as she left for a little while and finally, he looked at Geno. The 2 skeletons stared in silence at each other for seconds that felt like ages, especially for the smaller. And then, Alter walked towards the other with fast steps. Geno shutted his eyesocket.

Even if he did say he wanted Alter near he was still hesitant to face him completely. Yet again he meant it when he told Atalanta. But he was worrying for nothing. He suddenly felt arms wrapping around him gently and tenderly, closing him to a hug. He opened his eyesocket and stared at Alter as quiet sobs were already escaping him.

"Oh Lord, thank you so much…" He heard him whispering and hugged slightly tighter the smaller skeleton.

Geno recalled again their conversation after exiting Vilanterna and felt even worse for the words he said then. Clearly he was wrong judging Alter like that. And he had made him so sad! Slowly he wrapped his arms around Alter's waist accepting the embrace completely.

He buried his face on his shoulder and simply stayed there. Oh, how that hug FELT! Simply divine. Geno hadn't even realise how much he needed that. And when it came from Alter, he was feeling so safe and calm. The previous conversation with Atalanta that had agitated him couldn't break that moment.

Geno felt happy and peaceful overall, but at the same time strange. All this affection and attention he was receiving from Alter were doing something in him, he couldn't tell exactly what. But it was as if he was getting free, little by little, by something.

Maybe at this moment, getting free from the belief he couldn't accept or understand affection.

Crack…

But he couldn't feel like crying right now. That desire hadn't come to him for years. It always made him wonder how Alter could cry, whether like right now after worrying so much, whether when he was simply praying. No, Geno wasn't crying because he believed it was weakness. He just couldn't.

Nothing extremely shocking had ever happen to affect him ever since Error and Fresh were gone. The tears of others were only making him feel awkward. But he wasn't that numb. He could still understand that he had to apologise to Alter for all that had happen a while ago. He exhaled quietly from his nose once he felt completely calm.

"I'm sorry for before…" He said quietly. "… for making you upset and… worrying you so much when leaving you without a warning. That was foolish." Alter didn't reply to that immediately. Instead, he sat next to Geno and stared at him all calm and smiling as if he wasn't crying before. He pat his lap.

"Come here." He simply said. Hesitantly Geno crawled near Alter and sat on his lap. The taller wrapped his right arm around the smol and closed eyesockets. "That can stay in the past. What matters is that now you are alright and here." He looked down at Geno. "That's right. You're here… After all, a parent is ready to forgive their kid for whatever they did. Answer me this though…" His smile dissapeared and he was now looking at Geno with concern and curiosity. "Why did you leave? Who… called you?" He asked. Geno closed eyesocket to recall all that happened and told Alter everything. The priest listened quietly but at the end he sighed. He hugged Geno a little closer. "I see. Well, we must be even more careful. That one time might not be the only where someone tries to lead you away from your mission. I get it, they didn't use force but cunning to lure you away from me. And they did it by leading at that moment your emotion. If someone would say they could tell me about the ones I care about, I would honestly perhaps follow too. God, if they were to tell me Samael might still be alive, it could convince me. But most likely I would stay more on guard."

"And with escort maybe." Geno added.

"And straightforward informing someone close to you about something that seems suspicious." Alter said smiling wide and booped Geno's nose. The smaller giggled and then snuggled closer to the priest, hugging him.

"That too…" He said. Silence fell between them for a few seconds. "Thanks Al… I'm glad you're here… I'm… grateful I have a friend like you."

The other responded with a quiet hum but more than that stayed quiet hearing what Geno said. One more time silence fell between them for many seconds. The smaller was capable to even fall asleep in Alter's embrace peacefully. But then the priest looked down at Geno.

"How do you feel? Are you hurting now? Am I perhaps hurting you?" He asked quickly. The small skeleton looked up to him.

"Actually no." It wasn't surprising Geno. If he hurted before as if hellfire was pouring on him before passing out, after waking up he was absolutely fine. Zero pain. He shrugged his shoulders after explaining this to Alter. "It is the same way it has been just like the previous 6 times-." He paused. "F*ck." No, he hadn't tell Alter this has happened 6 more times in the past. "You can stop squeezing me now 'mommy'." He huffed as Alter had wrap both his arms around him rubbing circles on his back. But as much as Geno didn't admit it out loud, he was simply enjoying his affection.

readers who have managed to handle all the fluff of this chapter: 😻😻😻

readers who couldn't handle it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEexefuB62c

"If you feel alright, then we can start preparing." Alter said after a while.

"For the marriage?" Geno asked looking up to him. The taller nodded.

"The traditions for a monster marriage in this land requires for the single men's dress code to be all black. Married or widowers can wear their favourite colors."

"And what about girls like 'me'?" Geno asked. There Alter laughed. "What's so funny?"

"You might have avoided it so far, but you'll have to wear dress or at least a long skirt of your favourite color." The taller said.

"WHAT?!" The small skeleton yelled making the other unable to hold back more of his laughter.

"And white headscarf on your head." Alter continued unable to stop laughing. Geno looked down with his skull all cyan.

"Who wrote these traditions?!" He asked absolutely embarrassed.

"Estrelado Dourata, 163rd monster ruler of ancient Olissipo. Before Christ was born." Alter stated still smiling as if it was the most casual thing on earth. Geno looked at him frisk-faced. "What? You asked."

"Didn't expect the literal answer!" The smaller crossed his arms and looked away pouting.

"It will be just for this once, don't worry. Play along a little longer, we're almost done." Alter tried to convince him. He looked at the opening of the door smiling, he seemed to think of something. "Tefra said there's a shop near the town's plaza. It sells fabrics and generally clothes. I can find something for you there since Yalin didn't pack you a skirt too. Unless you feel good enough to walk with me and go there together."

"… I think I'll stay for a little longer until I feel completely recovered…" Geno responded after a while, with his skull becoming even more deep cyan. "… I'll die from embarrassment out there if anyone who has met me so far sees me wearing… skirts." He mumbled.

"Heeey hey! You've been through way worse and survived them, embarrassment is gonna end you? C'mon, this will be a secret between us. The other pirates don't have to know, if it makes you feel really embarrassed. After all, who's gonna see you?"

they were probably just kidding. but that's the biggest spoiler they're gonna get😉

ANYWAYS

happy new month everybody. aaah, just amazing. the month where schools and universities for most bembehs like me begin. isn't that swell :'D.

welp, stay tuned for when more chapters come. take your time first to manage your responsibilities before reading them though, wouldn't wanna fail anywhere really.

*feeds the bembeh readers 🍼*

4640 words. see ya next time. good luck with the beginning of your school year, whenever that is for each👌🏽. stay determined, safe, adorable, cute and 😺. *pit pit*