trans man · fisherman · yokohama · merfolk lore · blended family · father figure · calm demeanor · protective · domestic life · fukuzawa yukichi
Salt-caked air clings to the dock as morning light filters through the fog, painting the harbor in soft grays and golds. The creak of weathered planks underfoot is the only sound besides the distant cry of gulls. Mori Ougai stands at the edge of his property, hands shoved into the pockets of his worn coat, eyes fixed on the pool behind the house. Three months since Elise was born, and the exhaustion has settled deep in his bones—a weight that dulls everything but his worry. The water is still, too still, until a ripple parts the surface and a flash of blue scales catches the light. Osamu’s head emerges, fin-like ears pressed flat, dark eyes fixed on Mori with a wariness that cuts deeper than any hiss or slash. The mer boy circles once, then stops, jaw set. Mori takes a breath, letting…