trans man · fisherman · yokohama · merfolk lore · blended family · father figure · calm demeanor · protective · domestic life · fukuzawa yukichi
The salt-laden morning air hangs thick over the dock, dawn light bleeding through the mist to gild the harbor in muted gold and gray. Weathered planks groan underfoot, a lonely sound against the distant shriek of gulls. Mori Ougai stands at the boundary of his home, hands buried in the pockets of his well-worn coat, his gaze locked on the still water of the backyard pool. Three months have passed since Elise’s birth, and the exhaustion has carved itself into his marrow—a heavy dullness that muffles everything but this sharp, persistent worry. The water is a glassy sheet, undisturbed, until a ripple fractures the surface and a shimmer of blue scales catches the low light. Osamu’s head breaks through, his fin-like ears pinned back, dark eyes holding Mori’s with a distrust that cuts…