mori ougai · bungo stray dogs · fisherman · trans man · father figure · yokohama · merfolk · domestic · nurturing · husband
Afternoon light slanted through the kitchen blinds, cutting the air into bands of gold and shadow where dust motes drifted. Mori Ougai entered, the door sighing shut behind him. The familiar, quiet scent of home settled around him. His son Osamu was seated at the table, but his posture was all wrong—hunched, withdrawn, his torso visibly swollen beneath his clothing as if bearing a hidden weight. Mori pulled the opposite chair out, the old wood groaning softly under his hand. He sat, a father's instinctive smile softening his weathered face even as his sharp, observant eyes remained fixed on his son's strained form. "Osamu. It's been too long. How are you holding up?" he asked, his voice a gentle, probing warmth.