the creature alliance - semi advanced discussion

Peleki was merely drifting up and down the cool floors of the highway. The mother and ruler silently debated something as she watched everything through the window. The female held her head tall, her posture strong and unmoving. She had a look of doubt upon her delicate features, a fear ebbing at her thoughts as she stood still a moment, looking at the ground. The female was quiet, the water in the room causing ripples in her gown.

Eldoris entered the room and smiled at his mother. While the day had been rough because of everything with Cordelia, seeing his mother nearly made all of those worries drift away. Almost.
"Mother, I'm home from my trip!" he exclaimed, a smile crawling up his face. Eldoris noticed the doubt on her face and swam closer. Most didn't see that side of her, the one that was unsure. But Eldoris had lived his entire life with her and knew her emotions.

"Eldoris!" She cooed, a whisp of her voice, it happened yearly, a few days of not having a full voice. She always considered it Allergys or just the yearly flu. "How are you, darling? And how was it? And progress?" Peleki shifted, tail swaying almost too slowly. Her head more focused on what she was thinking of.

"Good, mother. It was . . . well, it was land. You know land is never fun, but I endured it. I've most definitely come far with the trade deal," Eldoris said, sheepishly smiling at her. He didn't want it to seem like a big deal, but he was proud of himself for being able to please his mother as annoying as he found all of it. "How were you while I was gone? Is there any news or," he said, a sly grin sneaking on his face, "any palace rumors?" With any other person he would have found this conversation foolish and a waste of his time, but not with his mother. Anything they said to each other was something to cherish.

Scoffing, Queen Peleki pinched his nose playfully. "You're lucky, I found out two of the maids have been trying to run off with one another. And helped them" she speaks proudly, looking at the thick scar banding her tail. "I would've wanted the same at their age." She had a far off look.

Eldoris grinned mischievously, but the smile fell when she spoke of her past. "Is it one of those days?" he asked, having said those words many times before. Eldoris felt it his job to make sure his mother was okay and that he could always be there for her. After all, he had grown up having to protect his siblings and have the burden of being firstborn.

Peleki just smiled, yawning softly. She stretched forward and watched him carefully. The female held an analytical look, biting her lip. "You know I love you, right?" Pulling him into a hug, the mother inhaled, stopping herself from tears. Every conversation between the two of them was always short and sweet, her ending up crying and him comforting her. He reminded her of his father. It was heartbreaking.

Eldoris didn't respond, only nodded and embraced the hug. "Of course I do, mother. What ever could make you doubt it?" His mother had always had a rough time and he vaguely knew of her past. You had to if you were to rule a kingdom. Eldoris understood how horrible it must have been to be forced to rule at such a young age. He already had enough on his plate and was only preparing to be king. "Please, mother, account for your mental health. I want you to be safe."

Peleki kept her arms wrapped around him tightly. "Mentally? I'm fine. I'm worried for you, my son. I fear I've not prepared you enough for the throne and that I have failed you as a teacher and a mother. I barely succeeded in raising your siblings, and can barely keep them safe-" She rambled, dropping her hands and examining her fingers. "I apologize." Inhaling deeply, she kept her breath even. "I'm glad you have a decent support system."

For a moment, Eldoris's face was unmasked. It was second nature for him to pretend to be fine, to pretend that he was a leader. But in that moment he remembered that it was all a lie.
"Mother, you have not failed me. It is I who is failing myself. You have taught me everything and yet . . ," Eldoris let the words hang in the air. He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. Just the thought of disappointing his mother, his very queen, was shameful.
He left the hug and rested his hands on her shoulders, staring her square in the face. He couldn't put his own worries on his mother. She had enough to worry about. "Mother, all of us love you and would never for a second believe that you've led us astray. It is your duty to focus on your kingdom as well as us and you have done it better than anyone could. There is no need to apologize for being flawed. You are a fish like the rest of us and make mistakes."

//vfknverjkfnkjnv//

Peleki's eyes welled with tears, her chest swelling in sudden pride as she looked at him carefully. "You remind me so much like your father. He'd be proud." She cupped his cheek, watching his expression and keeping her eyes focused on his lips. "I'm proud of the man you have become, Eldoris." She added, grinning. "Now, I have an idea. Swishing her tail, she pulled the fin up, bending her joints to do so. "You see this?" She showed the small imperfection.

Eldoris looked away for a moment. He didn't know much of his father as he never even knew him, but it would have been nice if he had survived.
"Thank you," Eldoris replied. He kept the emotion from his face, but internally felt giddy at her compliments. But he'd never show that much emotion, it would be quite embarrassing.
He turned his head to where she was pointing, eyes narrowing. "Yes. What is it?" It seemed like every day he was discovering new things about her, exploring a hidden side of her.

"That was done by your father. He and I where childhood friends, and he decided to learn how to wrestle. Me being his first victim." She giggled and stood. "I've decided to tell you one thing about him a day. And on your birthday, I will tell you his name." Peleki quirked her head to the left, eyes finding his face. "But, as a swap. You gotta find someone to mate with."

Eldoris's face screwed in confusion. "Are you being serious?" He didn't think he'd get a response, given how odd his mother was acting. She often had bursts of weirdness that left Eldoris and his siblings wondering what she was on about.
When she said the next part, his mouth opened just slightly. While he knew that his father was dead, he most certainly would like to know and felt his body leaning closer, eager to know.
When she said the next part, his jaw fully dropped. "B-but my birthday is only in a month! And, uh, did I hear you right? A mate?" Eldoris felt his face heat, something that hardly happened. He never really thought about having a mate but supposed that it was only natural to start talking about it at his age. The questions floated through his head about where he would find one and how he'd find one that didn't annoy him.

"Yes, Eldoris, " Peleki snickered and swayed slightly. "Yes, completely serious. And yes, you have to start courting." She pulled at her hair. "It won't be that bad. You're a fine suitor and can find anyone you desire essentially." She hummed softly.

The blush only seemed to increase the more his mother went on about it. He was vaguely aware of this part of his future, but had been so stressed with learning all there was to being a ruler that he completely skipped the part of . . . marriage.
"Yes, I suppose so. A month is a short time, though. And my whole life? Well, I could just kill him if he annoys me but that'd probably end up with me being put in jail. Or maybe . . . ugh, no, that wouldn't work. And what if there's no one I could even love? The only people I care about are you and my siblings. Well, marriage when it comes to royals is never really about love so it really doesn't matter how I feel, but I'm being given a choice and what if I make the wrong one? I just . . ," Eldoris paused, realizing he was rambling. "Apologies, mother. I'm just worrying." He didn't often worry, but that was mostly because he had thought of most things. He hadn't thought of love. Or what to do. Or how to find it. And a lot of other things. The redness disappeared from his cheeks and his stony expression took its place. This wasn't some cheesy romance, this was about being professional and producing an heir.

"Eldoris-" She snapped- merely trying to get him back on track. "Listen to me, my son." Peleki shifted, grabbing him by the shoulders and making him look at her. "You don't have to be this emotionless machine. You can feel flustered or uptight. It's okay to feel emotions." She patted his face. "Producing an heir or merely finding a mate isn't that important. I just started early." She hummed, leaning back. "Take it out on me, someone who is okay with you expressing yourself." She added.

Eldoris was unsure what to do. He just didn't do emotions. They were scary and complicated. But his mother was telling him to feel them right now. But how? This was harder than finding a mate.
He attempted a softer expression, which ended up just making him look confused. "Sorry, mother. I find it a bit . . . difficult when it comes to expressing myself. I'll try better and hopefully find a mate. And then you'll tell me more about my father." Eldoris tried a smile knowing that his mother was being very kind to him.

Peleki seemed satisfied with the answer, leaning against her hands. "I have a few who are already interested. All men, of course. I know how my little boy likes it-" She pinched his cheek and winked. "Anyhoo. Do you want to set up a meet time in the next week?" She waved her tail slightly, keeping herself still.

Eldoris suppressed another blush and looked downward at her comment. It wasn't something he was ashamed of, but it was a little embarrassing to have it pointed out.
"Wait, you planned this?" Eldoris said, eyes widening just a bit. His mom had just set him up on a date. Perfect. Taking a deep breath inward before replying, he said, "Sure. I guess I have no choice, but I trust that you've thought of someone that I'd be fine spending the rest of my life with."

"Of course I planned this. I started planning when you came out." Peleki chuckled lightly "Don't be embarrassed. I love you." She picked up everything when it came to him. "There's three of them. You can look at their profiles now if you would like." She pulled three papers out of her bag. "Since, we're not exactly doing anything but standing here."

He stared at the papers, examining each of their faces. Eldoris didn't really judge by appearance, so it was hard to make a choice.
"Er, what can you tell by looking at someone? All of them look like people, I suppose. Well, that one's making a frown, so maybe not him, but, uh . . ," he said, staring dumbfounded at the three papers.
He wanted to ask his mother to choose for him, but felt that'd be rude to her. He needed to show her that he could make these decisions on his own, however small. The first one was the frowning man, with blonde hair and a scar above his eye. He didn't seem like the type Eldoris would be interested in. His attire was far too dramatic and he imagined he'd be stuck up. For a moment, Eldoris was shocked at himself for drawing such a drastic conclusion just by a painting of a stranger, but he knew that it had to be done.
The second had a forgettable face and a small smile, but his eyes didn't shine and it seemed rather staged. He seemed like his name would be Steve or something boring like that, Eldoris thought as he shook his head. The last one had a boy with brown curly hair and a scar on his shoulder. His expression was naturally pulled into a smirk and Eldoris felt as if the boy already knew something about him. Having made his choice, he gave a small smile.
"Well, I think the third one seems like he might be interesting. What is his name?"

//goddamn you're a god at this okay lemme try harder.//

She peered over the paper, eyes focusing in on the third one. "I believe his name is Cove. He's an earls child, lives with his fathers on the outskirts of the palace ground. Hm...I also believe he is in his early twenties? Smart choice, he's nice on the eyes. Oh, and? I'm pretty sure the second ones name is Greg." Peleki smirked. "I'll have to send an invite to them tonight, as I'm pretty sure he's out at some library in the feline kingdom. It'll take a bit for him to get here." She cracked her wrists, a nervous habit. With a small and focused smile she held out a hand "Can I look at the other two?" She asks.

((lmao))

"Cove, now that's an interesting name. Definitely superior to . . . Greg," he said and laughed. He was glad his judgement seemed to be working.
"Feline Kingdom? Wow, they're quite daring," Eldoris said, recalling the war between the alliance and how grateful he felt that they hadn't joined. Well, that might soon change. "Well, I think stepping tail on land in general is daring, but it seems that all people talk about nowadays is how wonderful land is."
"Sure," he replied, handing over the other two. Even if he had seen any of them before, he wouldn't remember as he didn't pay attention to those kinds of things. The people closest to him were the only people worth storing in his mind.

"Cove actually met your father. He was only two, but we were close with his fathers at the time." Peleki's head tilted in concentration as she ripped the other two up, grinning. "So I'll sent that invite to them, and make sure he's here by say, Wednesday?" She bit her lip, looking up. "Also, please try, with him"

"That's nice," Eldoris said calmly, hiding the fact that he was completely overjoyed. Cove's family would likely know a thing or two about his father.
Eldoris nodded, trying to imagine him becoming close with a stranger. "I'll try, mother. For you and for the future of this kingdom, I will." He was doing this for a noble cause, he told himself. There was no need to panic. He wasn't sure what to expect since he had never dated before, but he hoped it wasn't too unpleasant or awkward.

(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

Cove's hands shook, his foot tapping in nervousness as he stood in the hallway. It was mid-day in the palace, and he had told Eldoris to meet him here at this time. The male held a disgruntled expression, his eyes blinking rapidly in an attempt to soothe his anxiety. The male shifted, wearing plainclothes and holding a bundle of them for the prince. Finally a tad calmer, he began walking down the hallway in a search for his friend.

Eldoris strutted down the hallway, now collected compared to yesterday. That had been unexpected, but now he was prepared.
Or not.
As soon as he saw Cove, he felt a flush of embarrassment inside him. He bit it down, though, and appeared calm. "Hello, Cove," he greeted and smiled. He looked at the clothes and said, "For our search?"

"Yes." He smirked, handing the male his bundle. "Alright, so, I'll be here so you can get dressed." Cove inhaled and put his hands in his pockets. "I'll be here."

Eldoris nodded and walked off with the clothes, then came back dressed. Even in commoner's clothes, he still stood out just because of how striking he looked. A noble would recognize him on instant, but a commoner would likely just assume him to be a beautiful man.
"How do I look?" he said and laughed, striking a pose. He didn't want to think that today he might find his father, so was trying to act casual.

//sorry. that was a hurried reply.//

((bump))

//I'M HERE HI//

alice仙境 wrote: "
Eldoris nodded and walked off with the clothes, then came back dressed. Even in commoner's clothes, he still stood out just because of how striking he looked. A noble would recognize him on inst..."

Cove laughed gently, giving himself a moment to look the male over. "You look great, here-" He leaned forward, running a hair through Eldoris' hair to mess it up slightly. "No one can look perfect, now we must go or else we will be late!" He chirped, picking up his bag and messing up his own hair.

Eldoris thinned his lips to suppress his blush. "Thanks," he murmured, forcing himself to keep his head straight. This much physical contact was something he didn't experience very often, as he often avoided many. It wasn't a bad time to do the opposite, though, especially since he was preparing to be a king. Kings always knew what to say to others and always knew how to build others up. It seemed that was one of the things Eldoris felt he was lacking in.
"Alright," Eldoris said, following Cove. They were pretty even with messy hair. It was kind of a look.

"Okay, so," Cove drawled, slipping down the hallway and opening a door. "Give me your best...villager accent." He hummed, keeping his eyes up and down the stairs, checking them. They did, however, look like townspeople. Which wasn't good when they were in the castle. "We just, we gotta perfect the act, y'know"

Eldoris cocked his head, thinking for a moment. "Well, uh . . ," he said, in his normal accent. Then, what comes next is horrifyingly embarrassing.
"Howdy?" he said, more in a questioning tone. Eldoris knew he was only making a mockery of his subjects, but he really didn't know what to say. "Hyello, I'ma, uh . . well, I can't just say Eldoris, huh? They'd recognize that," he said, the last part reverting back to his original, crisp accent. "I'm . . Eldorio? Eldorio Arnaver." Oh goodness. Eldorio Eldoris lowered his head, cheeks flushing with shame.
He walked faster, trying to avoid the sight of any servants. It was in part just to avoid them laughing at his 'accent.'

"Good! No, that was good-" Cove muttered to himself, glaring at any of the servants that even breathed incorrectly in Eldoris' direction. "Really good, hmm...They're not that southern, I'll do most of the talking, okay?" He says, grinning softly. "Just, look hot and stay quiet so I can get you there."

Eldoris didn't really believe what Cove said, but he didn't object. After all, they didn't have all the time in the world to practice.
He followed Cove out of the palace, to their next destination.

(aight should we move)

//to whereeeee//

((THEY LOOKING FOR HIS DAD))

//IK BUT WHERE//

((hm dee hm
well the kelp eatery is kinda uh taken
we could do main square or make a new topic, like maybe they huntin down his house or something))

//facts. well. they could track him there, it's just me and artemis.//

((oh i thought you might not want that, but if you're fine with it becoming three people hell yeah!))

//DUDE XD I can handle 8//

((i guess i'll start once artemis responds))