There was a lot to do today for everyone. Icarus' family were starting the process of moving to Izroulia, boxing things up and such. They actually weren't selling their house, but renting it to a family member. So whenever they came back to the human realm they'd be able to stay in the place Icarus grew up. While they bonded as a family boxing things up, Zagreus' family was unboxing things in Izroulia.

His parents in their new house by the river, and Zagreus with Styxx at the lake. He'd helped his mother with putting in the plants that morning, the plants needed to be done pretty quickly or they'd die. So by the time he got to Styxx's place he was covered in dirt and smelt like pansies and weed n feed. So it was into the bath with him.

Styxx had gotten a start with moving some stuff around to make room for Zagreus' things. And most importantly, building a cat tower. The cat that lived at the plant nursery Zagreus used to work at needed a home, and there was no way he could leave good old Snuggie behind.

Sitting on the floor of the living room, Styxx read over the assembly instructions again, confused.

"What? Is that part A or part D? Why didn't they label this better?" He muttered, pulling his long hair out of his face and tying it back.

Snuggie was a cuddly cat, who loved to lounge in the sun. With black fur, white paws and one little white spot above her left eye that looked like an eyebrow. She must have been a stray before coming to the plant nursery, because she was missing an eye and it was pretty infected when Zagreus found her. But a year later she was happy and healthy. With a permanent wink. This cat tower was flower themed, the poles green like a stem and the platforms shaped like leaves and flowers. Exactly the thing Styxx expected Zagreus to get for her.

He attempted to connect two parts together, still confused. They really didn't make this easy.

Snuggie was just having fun rolling around in the box, as cats do. But perked up and meowed seeing Zagreus walk in. Now clean and smelling like soap, not weed n feed.

"Having trouble?" Zagreus asked.

"They could have made this way easier" Styxx replied, handing the instructions over.

Zagreus read it over, just as confused. This was too complicated for their young adult brains. He picked up the pieces and inspected the screws, getting an idea what might connect together from sight.

"I think this one goes in here..." he muttered connecting the two together.

Hearing a click, his guess was right.

"Ayyy, there we go" Styxx smiled.

Screwing the parts together, it was making more sense now. And soon enough the cat tower was complete, and they pushed it into the corner by the window where Snuggie could lounge in the sunbeams. Immediately curious, she strutted over and clawed at it, already taking a liking to it. The boys shared a victory high five, and have the cat an ear scritch.

"Ok, cat stuff done. What's next?" Styxx's asked.

"Clothes, kind of need to unpack them so I have something to wear tomorrow" Zagreus replied.

"You can take up as much room as you like, my closet is pretty much empty"

"All you own is togas and chitons, like two pairs of pants and a a winter coat. What do you have against shirts?"

Styxx shrugged, he just never really felt the need to cultivate a big wardrobe. He had his handful of toga and chiton wraps what could be done up in several different ways, and some pants for days he needed to move around more and wearing something long and slowly would be annoying. He has like two formal outfits for special occasions and a big winter coat for the cold months. And as for things like pyjamas, he had some warm winter ones, and that was it. He was practically shirtless 24/7 so he didn't feel the need for summer ones when he could just sleep in shorts and leave it at that.

"Guess I just can't be bothered with clothes, I'm soaking wet in the lake most of the time anyway" the Naiad shrugged.

They picked up the boxes needed and went into Styxx's room, pulling the closet doors open and getting a start on unpacking. Zagreus had been over so often he's already made his presence known in Styxx's room. His side of the bed had all his stuff scattered on the bedside table, he'd put a pant on the windowsill and his kiteboarding stuff hung up in the rafters.

He may not be able to kite board anymore thanks to having a tail, but he could never part with his board. Instead, Styxx had asked him to teach him how to board and Zagreus was glad to donate the gear to his boyfriend and teach him the ways of the wind.

"When we're done with this, let's go to the beach and board one more time before it gets too cold for the season" Zagreus suggested.

"Yes please, it's so much fun. You go so fast, and damn it's an arm workout" Styxx replied.

"It's nice to see my beloved board be used again. I miss it, but hey I love my tail. Wouldn't trade it for anything"

The two didn't like winter that much, both being water creatures they thrived in the ocean, lakes and rivers. And when it got freezing cold they couldn't withstand it for long, but would get major water deprivation. Luckily for them, the house had a hot tub, which was installed years ago by Styxx's parents specifically for fighting the water deprivation in winter.

"I hope your long ass tail fits in the hot tub, we'll be using it soon" Styxx said, hanging up a handful of coats.

"I hope so, I don't want frostbite on my fluke if it hangs out the end" Zagreus snickered.

Styxx couldn't help but stop and smile hearing Zagreus laugh. He loved his laugh, it was so cute.

"What?" Zagreus said, noticing the staring.

"I love you, you know that?" Styxx said.

"You've told me every day since we started dating, I know. I love you too though" Zagreus replied.

It just felt right, living together and spending their time in the water. Cat to take care of, working on the land, just having a calm life. They were young, only 20. But they didn't have any doubts or fears about taking such a step together. Everything just felt right. Like it was meant to be.

And over in the human realm, something else was just meant to be.

Pandoras parents were bound to find out eventually, and after talking to Willow about it, Pandora knew she had to tell them.

So that morning she sat them down, pulled out the box her grandmother left her and explained everything. With all the evidence to back her wild story up. The signet ring, the stuff she'd found with the group, her invite to Haru's coronation, everything.

And the whole time her parents just sat there, and listened. Their lack of response made Pandora a little uneasy, she couldn't tell if they believed her or not. If they thought she was crazy or not. But finally after literal hours of getting through everything from start to finish, and having demonstrated by dumping a cup of water on herself to transform, she held her breath and waited for reaction.

And to her utter surprise and relief, they believed her.

"Oh my- thank fuck... you don't think I'm insane?" She sighed.

"I think it'd be hypocritical if we said you were lying after literally watching you grow a tail" her mother, Eden said.

"I always knew something was up with my mum... she loved the ocean and pushed me into the ocean related workforce and yet never got in herself... quite frankly I'm surprised she sensed the war as early as she did, she left years before it even broke out. I must have been a baby when she left" her father, Damien said.

"After going through everything she left us and getting all the details about the war, I think you may have actually been a few years old but was just too little to remember Izroulia. I also found it really strange that you didn't have a tail, but Aries told me there is actually a disorder that prevents Merfolk from transforming. So maybe you ARE a merman just stuck with legs" Pandora explained.

Her father's lack of fins had always bugged her, how could he be the son of a mermaid and not have a tail? Unless his father was a human and he got all human genes, but carried the recessive gene and gave it to Pandora. Or he did gave the gene but had landlocked disorder. The Merfolk disorder that prevents them from transforming. If they're born with a tail, they're stuck with it. If they're born with legs, they're stuck with it. No matter how much water you touch or how dry you are, you're stuck how you were born. And weather your born in your tailed or legs form is a 50-50 chance.

"You know a lot about your grandmother makes sense now. There was always this air of secrecy around her, I wonder if she knew you'd end up with the gene and a tail?" Eden asked.

"That's what I want to know. If she'd lived a few more years, I think she'd have told me everything in person. And probably you two as well" Pandora replied.

"So what do you want to do? Move to Izroulia with all your friends?" Damien asked.

Pandora was silent a moment. She did, but she also didn't want to leave her human parents behind. They had lives here, so there's no way they'd want to us and leave with her. They both had businesses, a house, friends, family.

"I do, but I don't want to leave here completely. Like I'll definitely still visit, maybe I can come stay every weekend or something? I still have human family and friends here I can't just leave behind. And I absolutely can't leave Willow..." Pandora replied.

Her parents looked at each other with a a grin, they'd heard a lot about this Willow girl recently. And after Pandora told her dad that Willows parents owned the sea skimmer a few boats down, he'd actually gotten the chance to talk to them down at the docks. Turns out they'd actually seen each other before at a boating club, just didn't really connect at the time.

"This Willow girl, what exactly is going on here?" Her mother teased.

"What do you mean?" Pandora asked.

"I mean, you've been talking about her an awful lot recently. And you're so passionate about not leaving her behind"

Pandora caught on, knowing her parents could sense the crush from a mile away.

"Well... maybe I like her a bit... maybe I'd be nice to be roommates with her if she's allowed in Izroulia" Pandora admitted, cheeks a bit red.

"If Icarus' mum is allowed in I'm sure other humans with deep connections to a mermaid would be allowed in, you better show us this place by the way" Damien said.

Pandora definitely owed that to her parents after all this, showing them the place she fought for. Maybe she could bring them, and Willow into Izroulia over a weekend and introduce them to the world her grandmother was from. Where if there was no war, her father would have grown up.