text; un: xiaoxingchen

[mingyues]

[ xiao xingchen is not someone who feels the urge to ask questions often. not of others, and even less so of strangers. for this, however, he'll make an exception, even if the words are hard to parse. ]

I have been thinking
The people that we are in this place, the people we become —
Is there a chance in this world for those who are destined to commit evil?
Or is it futile to expect that anything will change when we return to our worlds?

And if it is futile then... does anything we do here matter?

Comments

[mermaiding]

No! Because you are human.

...You are human, yes? If you are something that lays eggs for children, then I will lay eggs. But if are not, than I will not.

[mingyues]

Yes, I am human.

I - I.


What?

[mermaiding]

What?

[She looks just as confused.]

Chenchen, are you okay? Does this not make sense?

[NO, OONA. IT DOES NOT.]

[mingyues]

[ it makes no sense but he does not want to ask, if he asks more he might...explode. ]

No, it's fine.


I am fine.

There will not be any egg laying because

Because humans do not lay eggs. Right.

[mermaiding]

[She sort of nods along] Yes!

Mermaids will always have child of what other parent is. If you are human, baby will be human, born human way. If you are naga, baby will be naga, will be born from eggs.

See?

[mingyues]

[



what. ] Oh. I see. [ no, no he does not see because


how does this work? how is this? not that he knows about babies and such, none beyond some vague basics he keeps in mind. ]

And mermaids lay eggs if they have a mermaid partner?

[mermaiding]

[Oona shakes her head] No, they are born whole, like human children. Ehh, only, with fish half. Like normal mer-person.

Is fine, yes? [She raises an eyebrow] Are you disappointed?

[mingyues]

No! It's fine, [ is that nervous laughter? that is most certainly nervous laughter. ] I just did not expect it to be so... complex to have children with mermaids.