#i need to finish the draft with neb lmao

[amostfoolishgold]

Lazuli really has no business giving Inigo a shovel talk about Jo. On so many levels, really. She's not Jo's family (though to be fair, no one seems to be Jo's family), Finn's definitely closer to Jo than Lazuli is (though, again, to be fair Finn doesn't seem the type to go around threatening people. More the fights-back-when-backed-into-a-corner* type), hell Jo and Inigo started dating well before Lazuli met either of them. But Lazuli never gets the opportunity with her actual family† so here they are. Inigo sat at a table in a dimly lit room, deep in the Heron base. She'd considered tying him down but that felt a bit much. She's settled for rhythmic tapping of her claws on the table.

"What are your intentions with Joanna?"

Inigo startles slightly (it's possible Lazuli neglected to tell him why she wanted to talk to him in the interrogation room. Or that this is the Herons' interrogation room) but then his face settles into the besotted expression he typically wears when thinking about Joanna or existing within sixty feet of her.

"Whatever she'll let me have. Marriage, hopefully. Kids, if she wants them, none of she doesn't. I've got a decent amount saved up, could always have more, but if she wants a nice house I can get her one or I could make her ship really nice if she wants to-"

Lazuli gestures for him to shut up. He looks like he'd really rather keep talking but he eyes her teeth and makes the right choice.

"Acceptable. But you must understand that if you hurt her-" Inigo's mouth opens in outraged protest but Lazuli keeps talking, "-if I ever see one tear that you cause her or find out you are doing anything less than your absolute best to make her happy, I swear by all the salt on the sea that I will not be so merciful as to grant you a quick death. Joanna deserves nothing less, do you understand?"

Inigo's outrage melts into a wide grin and he offers a hand to shake.

"Absolutely understood! She is my everything, no murder necessary."

Lazuli takes his hand and lets a smile steal across her face.

"I'm glad we're on the same page. So! Proposal. Do you have a pearl picked out or do you need help diving for a good one?"

"A pearl? Aren't they a bit soft for an engagement ring?"

"A ring? What do you mean 'a ring', she's a mermaid, you have to get her-"

(*Whether that corner has to actually exist is another matter

†being too young to have any authority for older family members and the younger ones not yet having started dating for the most part)

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General discussion in the group chat has led me to believe that Inigo and Lazuli would get on like a house on fire lmao. I have no idea if mermaids actually propose using pearls, but that's definitely a siren thing that Lazuli just. Assumes mermaids also do.

Inigo and Joanna as always belong to @pacificwaternymph and little cameo of the beloved Finn of @finnified