After a long day of pulling weeds, planting the next season's crops, harvesting and processing the crops from their greenhouse, selling artisan goods, caring for their animals, and cleaning up debris, what the farmer needed was a drink, and where better than the Sleepy Eel? They walked to the portal just where their farm ended and the forest began, placed their hand on it, and pictured the kingdom.
After asking a guard for directions, the farmer quickly found themselves at the Sleepy Eel, the merfolk tavern.
Semeru and the farmer shared a nod in greeting after the farmer placed their order. The lead guard had started to defrost ever since the Coral Tree healed and the farmer subsequently earned their tail.
The farmer noticed what looked like the underwater equivalent of a DJ set and a conch set up on a stand. Why did it give them studio microphone vibes? They shrugged. Maybe they were just so used to the karaoke bar back in Pokyo.
They placed their order, then watched Semeru down an entire beer, then another. Damn, was he having one of those days?
Semeru approached the stage, clutched the conch shell the farmer had noticed earlier, then took a deep breath: "To all things housed in her silence..."
HOLY SHIT! Semeru can sing?! The farmer did a spit take, but underwater, it manifested as alcoholic bubbles. How could the other merfolk just talk and laugh as if they weren't being treated to a golden buzzer worthy performance?!
The farmer didn't realize they had been gawking until Deno closed their mouth for them. "We're used to it." She clarified with a chuckle.
Wait-the implications hit the farmer like a truck-Semeru gets drunk to the point of singing that often? Okay, that set off more red flags than a bull fighting tournament.
Semeru ordered two more...beers...? Then quickly left, taking the third to go.
The Cherry Blossom Festival had been a smashing success! Sure, they had gotten absolutely dogwalked in the sack race, but their gourmet salt had made the potluck soup delicious. The farmer was going to take that win. (They could definitely still taste it after 3 bowls)
Not in the mood for a drink this time, the farmer hit the dance floor. For having only had a tail since late winter, they were definitely getting the hang of it! (At least according to the Princess, who insisted on leading their swimming lessons as soon as the awkward "Surprise?" left their mouth.)
They noticed Semeru sitting alone at a table with several empty beer steins around him. They stopped dancing and approached him. "This seat taken?"
Semeru shook his head mid-chug. The farmer sat down. "You good?"
Semeru's nod was like a broken watch at a yard sale-the farmer wasn't buying it. Not helping Semeru's case was the fact he had chugged the entire half-filled beer in the time it had taken the farmer to join him at the table.
"Walk in the room, and I'm glowing like a million fireflies..."
Dance You Out of My Head was their favourite song, but the farmer wouldn't get back on the dance floor until they knew Semeru was okay. Drinking this much, and this often, wasn't healthy.
At Semeru's insistence, the farmer patted his shoulder then returned to the dance floor.
"Must be the red wine, or am I intoxicated by your style?"
The farmer winced as Semeru zoomed outside, covering his mouth. Had they taken a closer look, they would've noticed the tiny pearls clinging to his eyelashes, and instead of holding back vomit, as they originally thought, Semeru was muffling sobs.
The farmer had just suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Bobby, that arrogant waste of oxygen. They sat down in their usual stool and ordered the strongest drink the tavern served.
Semeru gave the farmer a sympathetic wince.
The farmer returned with a "What can you do?" shrug. They were honestly considering not participating in the Harvest Festival anymore, but two things kept them going-the town needing the money, and the satisfaction of one day wiping that grin off of Bobby's face.
Semeru patted their back, then ordered his usual.
"Sailing across the mighty rivers, row and row to the beat of drums. Heading amongst the raiding season, time we approach the gates of foes. Ready, and gather all our strength..." This time, he sang what was clearly a sea shanty, but not one they had heard before. Perhaps Semeru had written it himself? That was a thought.
The farmer let Semeru's voice drown out their shit-show of a day.
This time, much to both their pleasant surprise and concern, when the farmer entered the underwater tavern after harvesting their first crops of the season, instead of singing, Semeru was dancing and laughing! He took them by the hand, and before they knew it, they were dancing together! Like a frat boy at a party, Semeru was dancing with a bottle of petalia mead in one hand, and holding theirs in the other, taking an occasional swig from the bottle.
Though they practically had to shout to hear each other, Semeru and the farmer engaged in conversation on the dance floor. As it turned out, Semeru had written that sea shanty (which was called For Honour) himself. The farmer told him they loved it, which was returned with gratitude.
The farmer told Semeru about how their life up top was going. They had just finished catching all the bugs for the museum. After explaining both of those things to Semeru, they mentioned calling their mom. Their explanation of cell phones and how they worked was cut off by the look on Semeru's face-it was a mixture of longing, and as if someone had stabbed him in the heart. The farmer tried to ask if Semeru was okay, but he quickly changed the subject.
Semeru and the farmer danced the night away, and when the tavern closed, the lead guard escorted them to their underwater farm, then left for the barracks.
The farmer had expected many things when they entered the Sleepy Eel after the first day of the Winter Festival. Talking and laughing? Always. Bubbly drinks? Even their college watering hole served those. Another performance from Semeru? Yes, but they would never get used to it. The only thing that caught them completely off guard was watching tiny pearls form in Semeru's eyes while singing Linkin Park's Numb.
"I'm tired of being what you want me to be. Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface. Don't know what you're expecting of me, put under the pressure of walking in your shoes..."
Instead of talking and laughing, as they usually did at the tavern, the merfolk exchanged concerned glances instead. Their worries intensified as the pearls in Semeru's eyes became bigger.
"I've become so numb, I can't feel you there-" Semeru placed the conch microphone down, unable to continue. Merfolk parted like the Red Sea as he raced out of the pub. This time, the farmer decided they had to check on him. They paid their tab, then left the tavern.
The farmer followed the sound of distant sobbing to a sight that broke their heart-Semeru was seated on one Colosseum bench, and had his arms folded over the one just above it. His head was resting on them, and his shaking shoulders made it clear he was crying.
The farmer gasped softly, then slowly swam to the bench Semeru was sitting on and sat to his left.
"If it's too tight, just tap my back and I'll loosen up." This was all the warning the farmer gave Semeru before pulling him into a hug.
Semeru hugged the farmer tightly, crying even harder. "There you go, let it out." The farmer held his head with one hand, and rubbed his back with the other, careful to avoid the jellyfish scars that ran across it. Despite being underwater, the farmer still felt little plops on their shirt.
After about ten minutes of crying, the farmer heard Semeru sob their name out. "Yeah?"
Semeru pulled his head out of their shoulder. He tried to explain, but all that came out were erratic, hiccupy breaths, that turned into full on sobbing.
The farmer held Semeru's face and caught his tears with their thumbs. "Hey, hey, catch your breath, no rush."
"Why didn't they want me?" The first coherent thing Semeru had said the entire interaction other than their name.
"Who?" The farmer asked, their tone taking on a serious edge. They did their best to hold their temper in, for Semeru's sake.
"My parents! They just-they just abandoned my egg!"
Oh, damn. No wonder Semeru had changed the subject when the farmer mentioned their mom. "Semeru, I'm so sorry. You didn't deserve that."
"If I didn't deserve it, then why did it happen?" Semeru wailed. "Was I not good enough for them?"
"I don't know, sweetheart." They hadn't meant for the term of endearment to slip out, but they truly didn't understand how two merfolk could bring another one into the world, and just abandon it, like a broken tool.
"If I wasn't even good enough for them, then I'll never be good enough for anyone!" Tears and snot spilled down Semeru's face as gut wrenching sobs tore through his chest. He pulled away from the farmer and returned to the same position they had found him in.
"C'mere." The farmer pulled him back into their arms. If all the sobbing wasn't going to crack Semeru's ribs, then how tightly the farmer was hugging him would definitely do the job. But, in spite of all of that, not once had Semeru given them the signal to loosen their grip.
"Awww, Semeru. I know it feels like you aren't be good enough for anyone, but that's not true. I'm so sorry the two peo-merfolk who were supposed to love you unconditionally dumped you like yesterday's trash. I really am."
The farmer didn't bother asking any questions as Semeru trauma dumped in full blown snotterworks, a term in their family that meant a mix between waterworks and snot. They didn't even so much as shush him, for fear that he'd stop.
Twenty minutes later, Semeru's last tear slowly rolled down his face, getting caught in one of his scars. His sobbing decreased as he wiped the tear, replaced by thick sniffles. The farmer helped him up, and they swam to the barracks together. Semeru yawned, exhausted from all of the crying. The farmer helped Semeru into his room, and lay him on his bed, making sure to position him in a way that would prevent him from choking, should he vomit. After a few minutes of running their fingers through his hair, Semeru's snores filled their ears.
The farmer removed a crochet lobster from their backpack and placed it into Semeru's arms before they left. This gift was originally was going to be for his birthday, but he needed the comfort-they would figure something else out.