Rules

“Gojo.”

You peer at him out of the corner of your eye, watching the tip of his finger creep closer and closer to the plush apple of your cheek.

“Gojo.”

The lilt in his voice is childish, teasing; the smirk on his lips rising when he promises, “I’m not touching you!”

“Satoru, I can feel it.” 

There’s a bite to the way you finally say his first name that drags the corner of his mouth further up. It stokes the fire burning between his ribs, the very flames that spur him to poke and prob and tease and annoy — all for the sake of your attention. All Gojo wants, all he’s ever wanted, is to have your eyes on him, to have your full, undivided attention; and with the way you huff, your arms crossing over your chest, he knows it’s well within his reach.

His head tilts to one side like a curious puppy, brows furrowing in feigned innocence. His finger doesn’t move. “Feel what?”

Infinity, you think bitterly. The weight of his power presses against your skin with the surging energy that two identical poles of a magnet have when they repel one another – doomed to never meet no matter how hard you push. And with the distance his finger stays from your face, Gojo’s Infinity almost tickles.

Gojo’s finger inches closer and the pulse of it, the sight of it in your periphery, has you seeing red. Your eyes shoot to meet his as you fully turn to face him, brows furrowed. Seething, you tell him, “You know what.”

There you are.

He knows, deep down, that it’s childish to go to such lengths for a glimpse at your eyes or the soft curves of your lips, but he can’t help it. Gojo’s at his weakest around you, after all. “I don’t think I do, angel.” He leans in, finger still hovering oh so close to your face. “Care to clue me in?”

Your eyes roll, but you make no move to look away. “You’re insufferable.” 

“You didn’t answer my question.”

You sigh, long and heavy, as you allow your eyes to slip closed, and Gojo can tell you’re trying not to pinch the bridge of your nose, a cute little habit you only seem to indulge in when he’s around. He smirks and tilts his head to peer at you over his sunglasses. The tone in his voice is goading. “Well, go on.”

“You- you-” You flounder, mind rendered a blank slate as frustration floods your senses. Air escapes your nose, an exhale laced with incredulity, as a smile crosses your lips in a blink before it’s gone. You hide your face behind a warm palm. “You-”

“Mhm.” Gojo leans closer, sunglasses sliding further down the bridge of his nose. He drinks you in, eyes shifting from your eyes to your lips and back again. “What? C’mon, cat got your tongue, angel?”

“Your Infinity, Gojo. I can feel it,” you tell him, the words finally ripped from your throat by the gentle, but teasing coo of his voice. “It tickles.”

“Aww, that’s what all this fuss was about? You should’ve just said so.”

And as if a switch has been flipped, Infinity is gone and suddenly Gojo’s finger is surging forward to tap the tip of your nose. It’s a brief flash, a tiny bump of skin against skin before his hand retreats again, returning to its place by the sorcerer’s side as if it had never moved at all. Gojo smiles at you then, all pearly whites and unrestrained pride. The cat that got the cream. 

“You’re cute when you’re annoyed, ya know that?”

Main Masterlist, Cats and Their Men Masterlist, Part 2

Thinking about Simon with a runt of a kitten and it’s barely the size of his palm. Also thinking about the poor cashier that’s stumbling over her words when that hulking man has a kitten fisted in his palm and he just jerks it forward.

“U-Uh, sir, we can’t— I can’t keep that.” His eyes make you shrivel up and you delicately hold the little kitten in your hands. “We uh— the store can’t hold animals we only sell the stuff that animals need.”

He looks at you like that’s not what he’s wanted to hear. Granted you’ve had a couple people come up to try and surrender or drop of their animals like it’s a pound. “I need things for the cat.” He says and you feel like maybe you shot yourself in the foot.

You have a line piling up behind him but no one seems to dare speak up. Why would they when this guy could lay them flat out? Jesus what are they feeding this guy? Steroids and protein powders? You think before swallowing thickly. “I can… I can get my coworkers to—“

“No.” He reaches forward and you flinch when he picks up the kitten and holds it to his chest. “You’ll help.” Nodding off and he starts to walk leaving you dumbfounded and confused. He walks a couple steps before he turns to you with a ‘well?’ look on his face.

You hurriedly grab your pager and call for someone to go through the line while you help this guy. Leading him down the aisle for the litter and you list off the different types. “There’s crystal litter, wood pellets and those are pretty good when it comes to smell. We have tofu litter and that—“

“Does it need something fancy to shit in?” He cuts off the beginning of your speech with a huff. He sounds a mix of annoyed and amused with how you bristle from his remark. You’re tempted to leave, your manager can bitch later about you doing that butttt the kitten against his chest meows and you find that you can’t leave the little thing to suffer because their dad’s a right prick.

“Sir,” you take a breath, “the litter is moreso about preference. Do you want to hide the smell of their… ya know… poop better? Or would you prefer something that clumps or something that’s easy to clean?” You wait… and wait some more before he finally says.

“Pick one.”

You blink at him and he mimics it that bastard. He just stares the entire time you have this little contest. You’re starting to feel like you should’ve called out of work. You knew today would be horrible, your instincts never lie. “Okay,” taking a deep breath and spitefully picking the most expensive and heaviest litter that your store sells. You yank it off the shelf with a groan. If it’s hard for you to lift then he’ll probably have the time of his life having to lug this home. He doesn’t seem to care about the pricing nor the weight though as he grabs the litter from your struggling arms. He shoves the kitten back to your empty hands. “I—“ you stumble over your words, trying to come up with something but he beats you to it.

“Where’s the food she need?” Lifting it onto his shoulders, the muscles bulging as he holds that thing with ease.

“Well she,“ you cough to keep from ogling too much. “Will need some kitten food and maybe some wet food later on. A good kibble would be good to add later on once she gets older,” holding the kitten up gently and her little green eyes blink at you. You prod softly at her teeth to make sure she can handle those foods. You’re hoping she’s not to young or she’ll need kitten formula. You then check her ears and see some red marks. Noticing the little black specs moving about her neck and you cringe. “And a good flea bath. Poor thing,” petting the little baby as you walk off to grab a flea comb. He’ll have to buy it anyways so you’ll make use of it now. You pick at her fur with the comb and squish whatever fleas that you find, you hate those little fuckers. “What’s her name?”

You’ve noticed he’s as silent as a grave this customer of yours. He’s hardly said a peep besides caveman grunts and nods. If it wasn’t for him nearly against your side then you would’ve thought he ran off. That black surgical mask makes him look like he’s something important. Maybe mafia or something possibly dangerous. But… he did come in holding this tiny kitten and isn’t batting an eye at the things you’ve been telling him he’ll need to get for his new pet. Perhaps he’s nicer than your judgement of him is.

You clear your throat, he probably didn’t hear you since he hasn’t tilted his head down. “Does she have a name?” You ask once more and he pulls to a stop, he had came back with a cart earlier when there were too many things for him to hold in his tree trunk arms. It was comical seeing him try to hold a litter box, scratching post, and various foods though.

He doesn’t answer save for the roll of his shoulders that looks like it could be counted as a shrug. You mouth an ‘oh’ before you mind your business. He probably just found her or he’s gonna foster and send her off. Better to not get attached…

You chatter off the things he’ll need to do. See a vet, get her spayed, make sure she has no health problems, the usual things that you mention to pet parents. The little thing in your hands is a curious thing, she wiggles about constantly. Eager to move and escape your hands and arms. Tiny tail flicking about and the meowing and pawing is cute, makes your heart squeeze when he plucks her from your hands and he holds her close. You push the cart along and stop at the toys and bowl aisle.

“Well,” you pull some toys off the shelf, crinkle toys and mouses that should help with those prey instincts. “She’s a sweetheart. I’d probably call her Bailey,” you smile fondly and his brows furrow at your advice. Grabbing the kitten shaped bowls and hurriedly putting them in the cart when you squirm under his eyes. “Oh uh, my brother always wanted a cat named Bailey. It’s a nice name but if you don’t want to call her—“

“Bailey,” he holds her up a little and the kitten paws at his face. Her little nails snag on the fibers of his mask and he pulls them off quickly. “Better than garbage, yeah?” He speaks to the kitten like a human. There’s a crinkle besides his eyes and you realize he’s smiling but when you catch what he said you drop this cactus scratcher you thought he should buy her by accident.

“Garbage?” You look aghast. You’ve heard all kinds of names but never something like that. Quickly picking the cactus scratcher back up and placing it in the piling up cart. “You’d call her that?”

He shrugs his massive shoulders again. “S’where I found ‘er.” Grumbling his reasoning. He glares at the kitten like she’s the cause of his problems. “Couldn’t sleep with’er howling and rummaging about. Made a mess that I had to clean.”

You blink a bit and now it makes some sense why he’s so… snappy? “Well… maybe she knew you’d get her if she was loud enough.”

He scoffs, “she bit and hissed at me.” He rubs his finger over her head and you notice the little red marks on his hands. “Feisty little shit shoulda left ya out in the cold.” She nips at him and he chuckles something deep.

You can’t help the smile that reaches your face. She plays with his fingers and he doesn’t flinch when she bites hard or digs her nails in. He just looks down at her with something akin to wonder and begrudged responsibility.

You pull him to your cash register and his kitten racks up a pretty hefty bill but he pays for it with wads of cash. You don’t speak on the weird crumbled bills nor the faint reddish brown color. You simply bag his items and put them in his cart. “If you need anything, sir. Come find me and I’ll help, okay?” You can’t believe you said it AND actually ment it. What can you say, you love cats more than people and that little thing won your heart as easily as she won his.

He gives a gruff nod and pushes his cart out with on hand. The kitten is pushed into his coat pocket to hide her most likely from the cold outside. She pokes her head out to give a complaint but he just gently pushes her back in. He leaves without waving and you’re left to wonder if he’ll come back. You kinda hope he does come back.

Omg this is SO SO SO GOOD LIKE???

I absolute ABSOLUTE favorite trope is the trio best friends who can’t live without another it’s SUCH a good dynamic

Peas In a Pod

Mikage Reo x Reader x Nagi Seishiro

Synopsis — in which you confront your own feelings of hatred, jealousy, and love towards Nagi and Reo. Whether it be feeling left out or being absolutely smothered with affection—you three are inseparable, just like three peas in a pod.

Can be read as a platonic friendship or romantic relationship

Word Count: 6.1 k

"—and it summoned another hydra......" You reached for another piece of paper and wrote hydra #16. "Now it's hydra #4's turn." You turned the spin wheel for the hydra's turn for it to only land on, ".....huh, what would you know? It's another hydra—"

"That's it!" Reo slammed his hands on the table, "I swear you're doing this on purpose! There's no way that it landed on 'summon another hydra' eight times in a row!"

Nagi woke up from his short nap and glanced towards Reo. Yawning, Nagi asked, "Is it my turn or what?"

"Nagi! It's another hydra!" Reo pulled him up by the collar and shouted, "what does it mean by another hydra!" Reo turned and pointed a finger at you. "You! You're cheating! There's no way it's another darn hydra!"

"What do you mean? The wheel never lies. If it says to summon another hydra, then so be it." Nagi said as Reo let him go and collapsed in his seat. Exasperated, Reo had no more sanity to continue thinking about the game. Grabbing your notebook, you wrote down "one dead from emotional torment from a hord of seventeen hydras: two still remaining."

Putting the notebook aside, you clapped your hands together and looked at Nagi, "it's up to you and me to save the princess!"

Nagi nodded in agreement and watched as you finished completing the other thirteen hydras' turn.

You two, in fact, could not save the princess.

"Sixty-eight hydras.....How is that possible?" Nagi lied underneath the table, exhausted from staying awake for three hours straight.

"I don't knooooowwwwww." You laid underneath your chair, physically drained from sitting still for so long. You turned to face Reo, who was staring blankly up towards the ceiling. "Reo, we're sorry for laughing at you. Those hydras were serious." You covered your face with your hands and screamed, "ahhhHHHHHHHH! NAgI! Let me stay over! I don't think I'll be getting up anytime soon."

"Hmmmmm....I don't feel like setting up—"

"Let's just sleep together again! There's no way in hell that I'm sleeping on the couch after getting a taste of your bed!" You whined as you inched underneath the table and closer to Nagi. You reached for Reo's arm and pulled between you two. "—besides, rich kid Mikage is staying over this time, and I want to sleep with both of you! It's a bonding thing~" You poked Reo's cheek. You reached over to Reo and tapped Nagi's nose. "I'm sure we all fit in your bed if we all can fit under the table."

Nagi didn't say anything. Reo was still in a daze to even interject.

"So yes?"

".....Yes......."

"Oh ye—aAHhwjdha!" You coughed aggressively. You had read all the turns for sixty-eight hydras and two players for three hours: you hadn't drunk water in all that time. This would be the first sleepover in which you three actually sleep over rather than stay up late.

"Weak."

"Oh shut up Nagi—!%#%@^qhgehhakakkk!"

After changing and using the bathroom, you stood by the door as you watched Reo and Nagi get comfortable on the bed. Hugging one of Nagi's pillows, you softly spoke, "I think I'll sleep on the couch."

Reo raised his head and looked at you quizzically. "You whined that you wanted to sleep with us—we already made space for you!" Reo rolled to the side of the bed, forming a gap between him and Nagi. "You're short enough to fit in."

You looked towards Nagi, who already dozed off and said, "But he snores hours in, and you—did you call me short?"

Reo stuck out his tongue in response; you clenched the pillow hard and threw it at him. "I'm not short, rich boy! You're just super tall! You jumped onto the empty spot on the bed and attempted to smother Reo with the pillow. "I'm average!"

"Below average, you mean—hey!" You hit him with the pillow.

Though, of course, with the height and strength difference, Reo easily fended you off. He lightly chuckled before pushing you onto the bed and restrained your hands. "I guess you're sleeping here now~"

"You're so doing this because of the hydras, aren't ya?"

"Perhaps....."

"Are you guys going to sleep or what?" Nagi turned to face you both. He angrily pulled the only blanket away from you both.

"Nagi! But he called me short!"

"They tried to kill me!"

"I don't care—now be quiet."

"So mean." "I know, right?"

Nagi eventually allowed you and Reo to be under the blanket. Like three peas in a pod: Reo, you, and Nagi sunk into the bed with how soft and comforting it was. Nagi has the best place for sleepovers......not like Reo's parents would allow you or Nagi to stay over; plus, your parents would disown you before letting you invite two teenage boys over.

"Nagi is my family name just so you know........"

...........

"Wait, really?"

You're in love with Mikage Reo; You knew that the very moment you laid your eyes upon him during your first year at Hakuho High School. You love how his violet hair framed his face. You love how smooth his face was. You love how kind he was when talking to your classmates. You love how the light reflected in his eyes. You love the sound of his voice and laughter. You love his intelligence and wit. You love his smile and the way his hair moves in the wind. You love how confidently he presents himself.

However, your love was superficial.

You never spoken to Mikage for longer than five minutes. You never knew about his interests or hobbies. You never participated in the same school activities, nor did you know what activities he participated in. You weren't friends or even acquaintances. You were just another face he saw in the crowd. You didn't even know if he was actually friends with anyone in your class. You didn't know a single thing about Mikage Reo, and yet you claim to love him. There was once a time when all you knew about him was that he was the heir to the Mikage Corporation and really good-looking.

You were just another one of the countless others hopelessly in love with him.

You knew in your heart that this love of yours was only surface level. This was merely a crush blinding you with a pink tinted view. You only liked him for his looks: that was the truth. It's because of this that you drowned this feeling in your heart. You never bothered to pursue this infatuation or attempt to befriend Mikage; You knew that if you ever did, it would only be for selfish reasons. Just because you resigned the nonexistent future didn't mean you free of jealousy.

No matter how much you reminded yourself that Mikage would never love you—that your love for him was built upon a fantasy—you still got jealous with each and every confession he got. You didn't understand why girls kept persisting on confessing their romantic feelings to Mikage; though many of the girls in Hakuho High School came from affluent families, none of them could dream of standing next to Mikage. Besides just that, Mikage wasn't known to accept love confessions from random girls—so why bother when they know he won't even consider it? Why can't they just know their place?

Your love may have been superficial, but your jealousy was real. Where you were once able to keep that ugly feeling at bay, the moment you heard a certain name, you felt yourself go insane: Nagi Seishiro.

Some time during your second year, you noticed a change in Mikage's behavior. He began to skip on study sessions with your peers and leave as soon as the bell rung. His smile when talking to your classmates held much more emotion and glow that previously before. He seemed much more genuine than before. So much so that you began to wonder if he began dating someone. You remember feeling so irritable for the entire day after you had that thought.

You remember skipping one of your elective classes to follow and watch Mikage in his. There you saw how close he'd act with that detestable, unlovable, sorry excuse of a human being. Just what did he see in Nagi Seishiro of all people?!

"(L/n)!!! What are you doing outside my classroom?!"

Crap.

Okay, but Nagi Seishiro? What was so good about him that Mikage spent time out of his day to hang out with him? What was so special about him that you—no one else had?! That good for nothing loser isn't worth the time of day! Why can't he just die and leave Mikage out of it! WHY CAN'T IT BE YOU—It's because you don't even try to insert yourself in his life.

You hated being jealous; you hated hating others just because they had the courage to confess and talk to Mikage. You hated that you were too afraid of being rejected. You hated that you cared about others' thoughts of you. You hated that you even hated Nagi just because of a silly crush.

You shared at least two elective classes with Nagi that Mikage wasn't in; one of which you two were paired together in order to discuss an assignment.

"Are you okay?" Nagi asked; You had your head on your desk, covering your face, and he remembered that this wasn't normal behavior for others.

"No."

"....Oh." He didn't expect you to say that.

Nagi wasn't a bad person, and you knew that. However, that didn't stop your jealousy and hatred from growing.

"What does Mikage want with you?" You asked him as soon as the bell rang. You pulled on his sleeve and asked, "Why does he even bother with someone like you?"

You looked towards your shoes as you held tightly onto his sleeve. You didn't dare to look at his face after being so rude and forceful: You didn't dare look at your own jealous reflection in his eyes.

Nagi didn't flinch when you pulled him by his sleeve, nor did he try to pull away. All he did was say, "He wants me to join the football team."

"Then," you looked up at him and stared into his eyes, "don't join! Whatever he does or gives you, don't accept it! I'll do whatever you want! Just stay away from Mikage..."

You hated that he didn't see you as a grotesque, green monster. You hated how soft and gentle he looked in contrast to your jealous self. You hated that he didn't hate you.

"Whatever, just don't bother me." He already had to deal with Reo; he doesn't want to deal with you; but when did his wish ever come true?

"Nagi!" "NAGI WHAT DID I SAY?!" "Why is he all over you like a dog?" "Nagi, I made lunch for you, now hide away!" Nagi, you didn't respond to my messages!" "What did Mikage say to you? Let me see!" "How was he?" "Did he say anything about anything else?" "What did he give you?" "Nagi! NAGI!!! LOOK AT ME!"

No matter what he told you, you always kept coming onto him with so much energy. He didn't want to deal with Reo and his whole obsession with him—and he especially didn't want you to dictate his every move. Not to say he didn't like your cooking.

Nagi was sitting with you during one of your elective classes. He was playing on his phone while you were writing in your planner.

"I said I'd join him. We're having a practice match sometime this week."

"Why—"

"If you're so obsessed with Reo, why don't you talk to him?"

"I can't—"

He got tired of hearing your excuses and continued to interrupt you. "You already talk about how much you don't like me: why can't you tell him how much you like him?"

You couldn't say a thing as you looked away in shame. Nagi wasn't a forceful person; though he never appreciated your rude behavior, he never did lash out. Even so, his eyes and stare scared you so much. You didn't want him to hate you.

Nagi sighed and placed his phone down. You were so annoying and so irrational to the point that he asked himself why he bothered to entertain your delusions. "Why don't you come with me during practice and watch? I'll tell Reo that you're my friend or something."

you did just as Nagi told you and followed him to the football field thing (you didn't even know the school had one to begin with). You brushed your hair and wore your spare uniform; there was no way you would face Mikage looking the mess you usually are!

"Nagi, does my hair look okay? My outfit, there's no dirt or stains?" You pulled on your shirt and inspected every inch of yourself as you two walked.

Nagi let out another heavy sigh, "Your hair looks the same but less frizzy, and you're literally wearing the school uniform." He honestly thinks you have no chance of ever getting married; much less getting Reo to like you.

When you two met up with the rest of the football team, you hid behind Nagi. You felt intimidated by how tall everyone was, and besides, Mikage was there, and you were too nervous to speak to him. You pulled on Nagi's arm from behind and whispered, "Let's go see Mikage!"

Nagi sighed and did as he was told. You were such a pain; he hopes that you'll leave him alone once Reo (hopefully) tells you to leave so as not to disturb the other members.

"I didn't know Nagi had friends!" Reo smiled brightly and held your hands. "Please stay and help me motivate him to actually try!"

You were as red as a tomato and nodded; you felt as if you would melt by how hot you felt when Mikage held your hands. Nagi thought you would actually implode by the heat radiating from you. Either way, Reo didn't seem to notice or care—he was happy to hear that Nagi had friends to encourage him.

You never thought that you would actually talk to Mikage ever—much less have him hold your hands. You never thought you would actually speak to someone about things outside of academics. You never thought you could actually have friends. You never thought you would ever hang out with anyone after school, even if it was to watch them practice playing football.

You held Nagi's hand as you two walked to the playing field.

Mikage was exactly like what you had envisioned in your head. He was indeed the charming prince from fairytales—from your ideation and worship—he was beyond perfect and ever so kind. His smile, intelligence, and natural talent really shined through when you watched the practice match against Aomori Dadada High School's team.

You've done your own research on the team the moment you heard Mikage talking about it. The excitement in his voice was that of something you had never heard before. It was right before the match that you heard how egotistical he could be. When you came back from the restroom, you heard Mikage ranting to Nagi about his dream: how they'll make it to nationals than play internationally and win the World Cup. This was why he wanted Nagi; that is why he began to smile far brighter than you have ever seen him.

You hated how Mikage would look at Nagi when playing. You hated the jealousy you felt in your heart when you saw how he jumped onto Nagi's back when they won. You hated how you never saw him smile as genuinely as then. So, this is what Mikage is passionate about; this is his dream, his religion, his love.

Mikage was nothing like what you had envisioned in your head. Blinded by false love, you failed to see how bland his expressions were during class. Blinded by false love, those pink-tinted windows shattered when you saw how happy he became whenever he looked at Nagi. You became to laugh at yourself by how disillusioned you were.

Did you really think that you had to right to take Nagi away from him? Why did you think it was okay to harass Nagi just because of an infatuation? Did Mikage even mean anything when he smiled at you when he greeted you in the morning? Did he think of you as a foreigner?

You looked away from the cheering Hakuho's football club and collapsed onto the ground. You felt sick: he was right in front of you, and yet, he was so far away. He was heir to the Mikage Corporation and the top student at Hakuho. Charismatic and intelligent, how could anyone not like him? You were just a foreigner who moved to Japan because your parents thought it would be good for them; you only go to Hakuho because their coworkers encouraged them to enroll you there. How does a foreigner have the audacity to think that they could control the people he interacts with?

"—n)...(y/n), you good?"

You snapped out of trance when you heard Nagi call your name. He stood in front of you before sitting next to you. You shifted slightly, fixing yourself in a more comfortable position.

"You and Mikage won your first match, and you're asking me if I'm alright?" You leaned in towards him and grinned. "How could I not be okay! Mikage won, and he's so—!"

You retracted and held your hands close to your chest and squealed. "I'm so going to throw hands first chance I get. The andrenalin rush I got from watching you two absolutely destroy Aomori Dadada is absolutely insane!"

Nagi stared at you as he gave a knowing look. You gave him enough death threats and dirty looks to know when you're not alright. Nevertheless, it was not his place to concern himself with your personal problems.

Reo would soon join you two; he talked about Nagi and how much of "precious treasure" he was (Nagi swore he saw you glaring). Much to Nagi's surprise, you managed to keep a friendly yet civil expression when talking to Reo. Knowing how much of a loser you were whenever the topic of Reo came up, he was rather shocked.

"(L/n)! You should come practice with us! It would really help to encourage Nagi!"

"You sure about that? He's literally dying from just that game."

"I'm dying, Reo..."

This distant friendship of three was quite awkward in the beginning. Reo wanted to be close Nagi for his personal dream; Nagi wanted you and Reo to be his actual friends; You wanted to use Nagi in order to get closer to Mikage. This entire friendship was built upon personal benefit and selfishness. You are genuinely jealous of Nagi for Reo's affection towards him; Reo only conversed with you because he believed you were friends with Nagi; Nagi just wanted the three of you to get along with eachother.

"—is it you 'practice playing football' or 'you you're footballing?' "

Reo gave you the most disappointed look he could muster. Nagi placed down his phone and just stared at you with the deadpan expression he always wore.

"What? I'm asking the important questions here! It's like golf and golfing!"

"I literally just asked 'how was the school lunch,' and this is how you respond." Reo uttered, "you ever say 'footballing' ever again, I'll cut you out of my will."

"I'm in your will?"

Like a creek, you sometimes felt yourself waver. Whenever you're asked by your parents whether you have a special someone, you always say no. However, when they ask of you love anyone, you can't help but find yourself thinking of Reo and Nagi; how can it be anything other than love?

As you woke in the middle of the night, you sat up and stared at the two boys next to you. Nagi had his arm and leg over you (this heavy piece of sh—), and Reo pulled the blanket away from you two (Reo, you spoiled bitc—). Through hardships and struggle, you managed to escape Nagi's clutches and fell off the bed with a thud. Not surprisingly, those two didn't wake up—you could be dying for all they know, and they still wouldn't wake up.

Standing up, you turned to face the duo. You tilt your head and sighed. You stretched your arms and left Nagi's room. You made it to the kitchen and poured yourself a cup of water. Staring out of the apartment window, you thought about what your parents asked: "Are you happy with your friends?" Are you happy hanging out with Reo and Nagi? Is it okay for you to want to still be their friends after verbally abusing Nagi and stalking Reo? When did the dynamic between the three of you change? When did the dynamic between you and them change?

"Nagi," you held onto his shoulders and stared him dead in the eye, "You're coming home with me."

"What?"

It was a surprise even to you. The first time you went to visit Nagi at his apartment, you noticed how barren it was; you asked about his parents—you never noticed how lonely he was. You don't what compelled you to do so, but you ended up inviting (forcing) him to eat dinner with your family. You were teased by your parents for inviting a boy, and you angrily told them to stay quiet. The only reason you put up with the teasing after Nagi left was because of how content and relaxed he was whenever he talked to your parents.

"Your parents were nice—"

"—Nagi, drop dead."

"Yeah, I figured."

The day you noticed your feelings for Reo change, you two went shopping with Nagi to pick new clothes. Seeing him wear the same outfits over and over again when the three of you went out together was horrendous. So you and Reo took Nagi out on a date; you'll be choosing his clothes, and Reo will pay for them.

"Reo, this is clearly superior—"

"Yeah, sure—I should've known that someone of your status would have this kind of taste."

"The hell you say?!" "You know what I said!"

".....ah, I lost the 50/50....."

You and Reo were both vocal. You learned how selfish and egotistical he was: he learned how obsessive and controlling you were. Nagi, he was stuck in the middle of the battlefield. He was more surprised at the fact that you could, in fact, get mad at Reo. Nonetheless, you and Reo only fought in good fun—never with malicious intent. Plus, you got to hold his hand afterward (and Nagi's, but the important thing is holding Reo's hand).

After this quarrel, you two apologized to each other; you three stood there in silence and then laughed suddenly. You couldn't believe that you even had the humility to apologize and that Reo could apologize. At least you three (by you three, it means Reo) bought eleven outfit worth of clothes.

Just thinking about that moment made you chuckle. Reo must have felt comfortable enough around you to show that side of him. He was far from the charming prince you had fantasized of him. You remember inviting them over for dinner after shopping and your parents gushing over Reo. The way he'd give you a sly side-eye whenever your parents complimented him.

You looked at your cup of water and saw your reflection: you look tired. You drank the water and tossed the cup in the empty sink. Yawning, you went back to Nagi's room and slipped between Nagi and Reo. You pulled the blanket away from Reo and covered yourself and Nagi. Pushing them towards the edge, you gave yourself room to sleep comfortably. You listened to them breathe softly as you stared at the dark ceiling.

You once hated Nagi so much so that you wished he would just disappear; you once loved Reo so much it became an obsession rather than a simple crush. You don't even remember why you loved and hated those two. You don't obsess over Reo, nor do you hate Nagi—you care so much about them that this friendship can't be anything else other than love. All you know now is that your parents nag you about when you'll bring them over again: "They come over like everyday—they're basically our sons at this point. (Y/n), when are they coming over again?!"

As you three slept together in Nagi's bed, you thought about how you want to be with them for as long you can.

You noticed it for a while now: the way Reo looks at Nagi isn't a look someone would give a friend. The assortment of affectionate nicknames he had for Nagi, plus the amount of attention he gives Nagi is astronomical. Like, who carries someone everywhere and of their own free will: Reo. Who cooks and cleans their friend's apartment without being paid: you and Reo. Who calls their friends nicknames typical of couples unironically: you and Reo. Who snuggles their face in their friends neck when tired: Nagi. Who kisses their friends goodnight during sleepovers because they demand to have a kiss?...............definitely not you—

" 'Oh, (y/n), you're so obsessed with Reo. Why don't you confess?' "

Like, shut up Nagi—you're totally obsessed with Reo, too!

You see how Nagi's eyes sparkle whenever he looks at Reo. You see how he actively searches for Reo after school. You see how happy he looks whenever Reo praises him. Nagi is so obsessed with Reo that he really got defensive when Reo joked about getting another "Precious Treasure" if Nagi all of sudden sucked at football (you kicked his shins as soon as you heard that). Not to mention, the intense jealousy Nagi has whenever Reo gives attention to others. You can't believe that he had the audacity to call you jealous and obsessive.

You aren't jealous.

It's just that sometimes it gets lonely. The way they talk about football on a level, you'll never understand. They way they somehow just understand what the other is thinking without much effort. You'll never understand Reo's ambition and obsession with the World Cup, just as you'll never understand why Nagi bothers playing football when chewing food is such a pain. Besides, whenever you see them talk and celebrate together, you can't help but watch from afar. Why do they even bother hanging out with you if you can't even understand something as simple as that? You aren't even part of their friendship.

"You don't think they care about you the same you care for them?" Ba-ya stood next to you as you both watched the football club play against another team. You didn't want to look at her as asked the question; this is something you'd rather die than admit to Reo and Nagi.

"I just don't understand why I keep coming here to watch them play. They probably don't even care if I go anyway."

"Hm...aren't they the ones who invite you?"

"They're only doing that to be nice—"

Ba-ya interrupted you, "I believe that you should watch how they behave around you. I'm sure you'll find it's no different with how they treat each other."

Before you could respond, you saw something purple running towards you. Reo threw himself on you, and you both fell onto the grass. Ba-ya just stepped to the side as she watched you both.

"(L/n)! (L/n)! We won!" Reo propped himself over you and smiled. He rolled next to you and sat up.

You groaned as you felt the pain in your back. Still in the ground, you looked up at Reo, "Don't you always win?"

"We're just that good." Reo stuck out his tongue at you. You were seriously considering whether you should tackle him but decided against it when you heard Nagi coming towards you guys.

"Seishiro, come pick me up. Reo was being mean to me again." You reached out towards Nagi, waiting for him to pull you up. He chooses to ignore you and lie right next to you. "Prick."

"Let me rest—I didn't think the match would last that long." Nagi inched closer and used your stomach as a pillow.

"It was literally seven seconds longer than usual—"

"You time our matches?" Reo countered and gave you one of his sly grins.

"Oh, shut up." You sat up and pushed Nagi off you. "And don't touch me after you play— you guys are so sweaty it's actually disturbing."

You turned around and looked Ba-ya; what was that look she was giving you for? You turned back to face Nagi and Reo but were surprised when you were suddenly picked up.

"Re–REO!!! Let me down!" It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact that these two were absolute giants (you're just short).

"Reo, carry me too."

Ba-ya watched as the three of you bickered back and forth. The fact you couldn't see how much those two care for you is shocking even to her. Just as you love them dearly, they love you the very same.

"Ba-ya! We'll be staying at (l/n)'s place tonight! Mrs and Mr (l/n) aren't going to be there for like two days—"

"How do you know that?"

"They gave us their phone numbers. I have them as 'mom2' and 'dad2.' Did Reo and I not tell you?"

You three had a sleepover at your place for the first time. The whole time, you couldn't help but wonder when your parents exchanged contact information. Actually, how did Reo know your parents were on a business trip before you did? But hey, it was entertaining!

"Guys, I don't think this was meant to hold three people."

"Why am I here? I didn’t even play or sweat!"

"I'm tired....can't you guys wash me?"

When it came time to sleep, Nagi took the bed, Reo the floor, and you on the floor underneath said bed. When morning came, you got up and stared at the two boys cuddling each other in your own bed. Sure enough, they woke up when they felt something crush them.

The three stretched and took turns using the restroom. You kicked them out of your room when you changed—only to have Nagi mumble, "didn't we bathe together yesterday?" Yeah, and? You had Reo help you cook breakfast as Nagi sat at the dinner table playing games. Though, of course, it can't be an average post-sleepover without you Reo messing with the food and making a big mess; this is why you two never cook together.

Then, as per Reo's request, you three head out to the football field and struggle to play (mostly you, you don't do football). Then Reo treats you two to a high-end restaurant; you and Nagi basically throw yourselves at him. Rich boy Reo loves to spoil his two pets.

With it being the weekend and having the place to yourselves, there was no way you three wouldn't have another gaming session.

"Today we'll playing hit American game 'Helldivers' " You did the salute and followed with, "All hail Super Earth!!! For liberty and beyond!"

"For democracy." Nagi did the Helldivers' salute in instinct. He jumped when he realized that he had saluted.

Reo just watched you two with an amused look. "How did you get your hands on an American game?"

"I have my ways."

Perhaps you shouldn't have ended the day by doing the Maevlon Creek mission.

"KILL THEM BOTS"

"FOR DEMOCRACY, SEISHIRO!!! SPREAD THE DEMOCRACY!!!"

"......you two do realize I'm doing this solo?"

It's not your fault that you and Reo suck at the game. That's why you have Nagi: carries you both even when you hold him back. Except with the creek, you two had to leave the game for him to beat the level.

Nagi is possesive: he doesn't want you or Reo to ever leave him. Just as Nagi loves Reo for paying attention to a slacker like him, he loves you for loving him. Life isn't as painful when with the both of you. Reo motivates him to try when playing football, and you motivate him to participate in other activities besides phone games. Your parents are way too caring, in his opinion; when they heard that he lived alone, they often made you bring him leftovers or invited him over for dinner. However, he doesn't hate their constant nagging on his health. Nagi just wants you two to stay by his life for as long as he desires. He wants you two to see him as himself as opposed to as a toy or tool. He doesn't want Reo to look for another talent—he doesn't want you to have any other friends as close as you are to them.

Reo is ambitious: Nagi is his precious treasure that will help him obtain the World Cup—and you are the worm that somehow made its way in his heart. He needs Nagi to validate his own worth; he wants Nagi to only look at him. He wants you to stay by his side; he doesn't want to leave you alone with anyone else. He wants to have many sleepovers and to play as many games as possible before graduation. Reo wants to make as many special memories that you two would never forget. He wants to be in every little moment and the reason for your joy. Life was dull before having you two in his life: he had no dream nor real ambition. Reo wanted a challenge, a change, and then he saw the World Cup. That is his dream; you two are part of his life and goal.

You are in love: you love Reo and Nagi so much it borderlines obsession. You fell in love with Reo once and lost that infatuation once he became your friend. You once hated Nagi because of your jealousy. You fell in love with these two because of how much they loved you. You love Mikage Reo because he's so prideful and selfish; you love Nagi Seishiro because he's so terminally-online and goes along with your oddness. You love these two so much you'd rather die than ever have them love anyone else. There is nothing that can describe this relationship other than love.

With the sun so bright and the sky as blue as it ever could be, the three of you went out to enjoy this lovely day.

"We'll be leaving later today for a special training program." Reo walked next to you with Nagi on his back. "I'm not sure how long we'll be gone, but it will be a considerable amount of time."

"Then you two better text me a whole ton when you get there!" You felt the wind graze your skin and the sun embracing you in its warmth. The day was far too nice to feel sad by the fact that they'll be moving on with their dreams without you. It's because that you love each other, you understand how important this opportunity means to them.

Reo looked at you from his peripheral vision and smiled. He gave a sigh, "I'll be sure to text as much as humanly possible—so, don't go out dying on me! Nagi here wouldn't be able to live without you!"

"What? I'd be fine." Nagi yawned as he placed his chin on Reo's shoulder. "Mrs and Mrs (l/n) would probably adopt me as their new child if that happened. "

Reo stopped walking and chuckled, "That was foul! (L/n), are you really going to take that disrespect?"

"Nagi? Yeah, you—Kys, kys, kys."

"Eh–don't feel like it."

Like three peas in a pod, you three are inseparable. No matter how far away one is, the other two aren't too far behind.

DefinitelyNotAStalker: guys, guys, text me when u get ur phones back

20%sugar80%daddy: what?

N@●|°: ?

DefinitelyNotAStalker: okay, so the funniest thing happend

Guess

N@●|°: you finally found a job

20%sugar80%daddy: you aced your biology exam!

DefinitelyNotAStalker: I got hit by a car

[1 attachment]

Ya girl died but

I LIVED

N@●|°: ?????

20%sugar80%daddy: WHAT? HOW? ARE YOU OKAY?

DefinitelyNotAStalker: I mean—I'm alive???

Just broke one leg but am otherwise

A-Okay!

N@●|°: skill issue

DefinitelyNotAStalker: .......

omg

20%sugar80%daddy is typing......

STOP DOING THIS IN INJURY FICS!!

Bleeding:

Blood is warm. if blood is cold, you’re really fucking feverish or the person is dead. it’s only sticky after it coagulates.

It smells! like iron, obv, but very metallic. heavy blood loss has a really potent smell, someone will notice.

Unless in a state of shock or fight-flight mode, a character will know they’re bleeding. stop with the ‘i didn’t even feel it’ yeah you did. drowsiness, confusion, pale complexion, nausea, clumsiness, and memory loss are symptoms to include.

blood flow ebbs. sometimes it’s really gushin’, other times it’s a trickle. could be the same wound at different points.

it’s slow. use this to your advantage! more sad writer times hehehe.

Stab wounds:

I have been mildly impaled with rebar on an occasion, so let me explain from experience. being stabbed is bizarre af. your body is soft. you can squish it, feel it jiggle when you move. whatever just stabbed you? not jiggly. it feels stiff and numb after the pain fades. often, stab wounds lead to nerve damage. hands, arms, feet, neck, all have more motor nerve clusters than the torso. fingers may go numb or useless if a tendon is nicked.

also, bleeding takes FOREVER to stop, as mentioned above.

if the wound has an exit wound, like a bullet clean through or a spear through the whole limb, DONT REMOVE THE OBJECT. character will die. leave it, bandage around it. could be a good opportunity for some touchy touchy :)

whump writers - good opportunity for caretaker angst and fluff w/ trying to manhandle whumpee into a good position to access both sites

Concussion:

despite the amnesia and confusion, people ain’t that articulate. even if they’re mumbling about how much they love (person) - if that’s ur trope - or a secret, it’s gonna make no sense. garbled nonsense, no full sentences, just a coupla words here and there.

if the concussion is mild, they’re gonna feel fine. until….bam! out like a light. kinda funny to witness, but also a good time for some caretaking fluff.

Fever:

you die at 110F. no 'oh no his fever is 120F!! ahhh!“ no his fever is 0F because he’s fucking dead. you lose consciousness around 103, sometimes less if it’s a child. brain damage occurs at over 104.

ACTUAL SYMPTOMS:

sluggishness

seizures (severe)

inability to speak clearly

feeling chilly/shivering

nausea

pain

delirium

symptoms increase as fever rises. slow build that secret sickness! feverish people can be irritable, maybe a bit of sass followed by some hurt/comfort. never hurt anybody.

ALSO about fevers - they absolutely can cause hallucinations. Sometimes these alter memory and future memory processing. they're scary shit guys.

fevers are a big deal! bad shit can happen! milk that till its dry (chill out) and get some good hurt/comfort whumpee shit.

keep writing u sadistic nerds xox love you

ALSO I FORGOT LEMME ADD ON:

YOU DIE AT 85F

sorry I forgot. at that point for a sustained period of time you're too cold to survive.

pt 2

kodansha has been forgiven of their sins

“Once you've been loved once and have loved once, you cannot forget it.” ― Natsume Takashi, Natsume Yuujinchou

Hello and welcome to my blog!

This is a place for me to interact with other writers I read and post miscellaneous works (mostly reader-insert)! No promises that I'll remain consistent in my posts since I have school, but I'm just here to have fun and contribute to the fandoms. I hope you'll enjoy as well!

See the masterlist!

What shows I'm a fan of:

Natsume Yuujinchou

Mushishi

Boku no Hero Academia

Buddy Daddies

GANGSTA.

And more!

Where else you can find me:

OC blog: @the-resting-grounds

AO3: Elise_Wing

“I don’t have much power and I’m trying to get stronger. But I’m not afraid of sharing my heart.” – Natsume Takashi

“If you throw your life away, you won’t even have the capacity to feel regret.” – Ginko

“The sun rises today and sets again. A flower that bloomed in the morning, falls from its stem. The sun sets today and rises again. Flowers bloom to fill the land, but not the flowers of yesterday.” – Ginko

Wasted Summers— Laios Touden

Mermaid Au. Modern AU. this fic involves drowning.

i. fish out of water

Laios has to take a bike to the market. His house was far from the rest of the village so it was up to him for tonight's dinner. His dad wasn’t home yet while his mom was busy with housework. That leaves the responsibility to him, the eldest Touden son.

On the way, he saw someone or some animal flopping around the asphalt. Laios pulls on the brakes before he can make roadkill then his eyes widen. Despite its bare upper torso which would attract most few, the boy’s eyes land on the half-fish lower end of its body. Mermaids, beings once marveled as legends but had become a local attraction.

Despite its human half, mermaids are labelled as unintelligent creatures by most of scientific society. They lack means of communication, they have the intelligence of a five-year-old and have yet to show other uses than eye candy. Some exotic dealers trade them too. Perhaps as a meal or something far worse in the black market.

Laios picks up a stick and whips it in front of the mermaid, “Get out! Get back to the sea! Shoo!” And like other animals, it tries to get away from him. But it doesn’t return to the sea. Instead, the mermaid waddles itself up the road to the direction of the shrine on top of a mountain, much to Laios’ disappointment.

“I said go back!” Laios stomps in front to scare it off, yet the mermaid persists. The noise it makes as it tries to waddle is a bit cute. He notices that with each noise Laios makes it grumbles, like a reply. It’s similar to a barking dog but looking at it struggle makes it sad. Its human half makes it difficult for him to be scary.

“That’s not the sea” The blonde makes an X with his arms” That’s the shrine. Not your home, a Shrine.”

And from a single word, the mermaid looks at him excitedly, then points to the top. It takes Laios aback from its reaction. Does it understand?

Laios wets his lips, “Are you heading to the Shrine?”

The mermaid nods enthusiastically, making him excited. A mermaid understands his language. A mermaid understands his language.

They can communicate! So it was possible to talk to them. He had read so much about marine animals and his sister took an interest in mermaids before. There were activist groups promoting mermaids' rights, fighting for their independence, and protesting against hunting. He’s seen those people outside of supermarket stores handing out pamphlets for mermaid awareness.

“We should get you— oh right,” he scoops the mermaid up into his arms to clear themselves from any incoming traffic as he heads to the beach. “Let’s talk about it somewhere else.”

Laios abandons his grocery duties as he spends the rest of his day with the mermaid.

ii. a notebook and a handkerchief.

For the past few days, Laios has been by the beach to talk with his mermaid. It made him feel special that some amazing creature like that was friendly towards him. Sure there were reports about mermaids drowning people, but he was careful. These conversations—er uhm— data were discovered on the shoreline. Laios noted that the mermaid had a good memory. And if he wasn’t feeding it with half of his lunch. The mermaid still points towards the shrine.

“Do you have anyone you know?” Laios asks, but the mermaid tilts its head.

“Person? Shrine?” Laios Points to himself and then to the building. Still, the mermaid doesn’t have a new reaction.

“Shrine?” he points to the building, and the mermaid nods once more.

“go?”Laios dropped to the pebbled ground and imitated the waddling mermaid from yesterday.

He sits up and then points to it to, “You?”

Its eyes widen as if it understands then waddles away to swim back into the sea. Maybe it went back home. They don’t have the concept of saying goodbye, after all, he thinks.

Laios waited for a good minute or so before deciding to call it a day. However, as he was about to depart, he heard stones being turned at the shoreline. He looks back and is happy to see his mermaid but with a handkerchief in hand.

“La-os! La-os!” it waves the fabric around proudly.

iii. mermaids are not meant on land.

The following day, Laios takes his father’s wheelbarrow with him and a bucket. He filled it up, bucket by bucket with seawater as he intended to take the mermaid through it. But of course, his mermaid was a curious one. Laios didn’t have to persuade it to come closer and had accepted to be whisked once more in his arms. It sits there snuggly, lucky for him it didn’t thrash around.

It simply points up to its awaited place, “Sha-rine?”

“Yes, Shrine,” Laios lifts the wheelbarrow and rolls upwards to the mountain. It was a cloudy day perfect for a walk and they took breaks here and there. He made sure it stays moist by taking the water from the wheelbarrow and pouring it over its head. When it started to splash around to play, Laios had to scold it to stop. And he noticed that in this journey, the mermaid likes to be held. It kept on pulling his hand over its head for head pats. Laios wanted to indulge in it too, it’s a bonding activity that heightens trust, but maybe for another day.

After an exhausting attempt, Laios has succeeded in bringing it up to the shrine. It splashes around clearly excited to break free.

“Wait, hold on, let me- argh!” The wheelbarrow leans to the side, making the mermaid fall. He urgently went by its side to check for any injuries, and luckily there was none. Laios presses both his palms into her, “Stay. Here.” But as soon as he tries to leave, it waddles again.

“La-os!” it wiggles around. It was displeased with the new terrain. “La-os. mhmm, Sha-rine. Kership.”

Laios tried his best to keep it calm but it was too exciting.

“Who is there?” A voice asks. The loud noise alerted the groundskeeper and he stared at both Laios and the mermaid. The blond noticed the way the groundskeeper gripped his broom upon seeing the mermaid.

In an instant, he shields it, “Wait, don’t be alarmed!”

“Kid, get out of the way,” the groundskeeper raised his weapon, ready to strike. “You have a dangerous animal behind you!”

He doesn’t budge, “Please Listen, it’s harmless!” Laios tries his best to seem friendly. It was a common understanding that churches deemed mermaids as devils luring sailors to death. But that was a stereotype made in bad faith against women.

“Harmless?” The groundskeeper was disgusted at the notion. “That animal attacked me! Don’t be fooled boy. they might appear kind, but they’re just lowering your guard waiting to attack.”

“But it made it all this way to give something,” Laios grabs the broom the throws it to the side. “I know that they’re just no better than animals, but this one is smart. It wants to return something.”

“Get out!” the groundskeeper pushed Laios making him land on his butt. The mermaid rushes to Laios side seeing he was attacked. The mermaid hisses and curl its fingers as if to strike against the offender. But Laios pulled it back, its skin against his chest to make sure it didn’t retaliate.

In the end, he decided to leave the shrine and head back to the sea.

iv. humans are not meant for the sea.

Laios sits by the shoreline with his mermaid friend by his side. He was discouraged by how the groundskeeper reacted. Maybe it was because he was old, acting his mindset from his generation. Younger people like him were more understanding after all (more or less). Mermaids were not like the creatures most people played them out to be.

They were like sharks. Their identities were muddled by years of propaganda against them. Though mermaids were quite new, they still didn’t escape the lies and stereotypes held against them. Here he is, waiting as the golden sun sets before he heads home. Laios likes how the light bounces off its scales in an ethereal glow. Ever since earlier when he had given her head pats, it was now eager to receive more as it nuzzled his side if he stopped.

“you’re not like them are you?” Laios sighed, today was an unfulfilling day. “you’re not like the humans with their biassed judgement.”

The mermaid doesn’t understand, it simply nudges its head against his palm.

“I wish I wasn’t human,” he lets out this foolish idea. Laios had always wanted to be something else. Perhaps, his reasons for helping the mermaid weren’t as altruistic as he thinks. After a moment, the mermaid stops in its movements. “hmm? what’s wrong?”

“La-os!” it cups his cheeks in his palms making Laios fluster. He couldn’t speak, unsure of what to interpret its actions into human behaviors. But its interest changes and it's back down again playing with the bucket he brought. But Laios looks away feeling embarrassed.

All of a sudden, a blunt force hit the top of his head, his vision was blocked, and then he felt talon sharp fingers digging into his skin as something dragged him to the sea. His heart was racing, and by the time he had removed the bucket from his head, more than half of his body was in water.

Laios claws at the grounds of the shoreface. He kicked and thrashed to break free from whatever was grabbing him, but it was a gruelling fight. This creature was strong in the water. Land dwellers like him don’t belong here.

His body needs air. Water enters his lungs as Laios struggles to escape. And with one successful hit, he had managed to escape and limp far away from the shoreline, coughing out the seawater from his chest.

He looks around to search for his mermaid, making sure that it is out of harm's way. He didn’t want the creature that tried to drown him to hurt it too. But with his friend out of the foreshore, Laios gawks at the familiar sets of eyes on the water.

It can’t be, His mermaid couldn’t have drowned him, right?

“Laios?” it tilts its head, not understanding it did something wrong. “Bakit?”

“What? Bucket?” he searched for it on the ground, but it was nowhere to be found. He doesn’t know what to do. He’s too terrified to act after that attempt that almost kill him. Maybe the groundskeeper was right. Mermaids are animals waiting for the moment to attack.

Drenched, Laios takes the wheelbarrow home. He doesn’t return for a while.

v. things to find out

In his journal, he wrote: in the same way as I brought her to the shrine on the wheelbarrow, did it mimic by using the bucket to scoop some air for me to breath in? did it try to show me its home? did it understand when I said I wished I wasn’t human? could joining it make me like it?

AN: It’s mermay! yey my first piece for this prompt. This fic was inspired by Ryoko Kui’s work titled Ryuu No Kawaii Nanatsu No Ko. It’s the second chapter, mermaid sanctuary. It’s a good read if you like dungeon meshi. it makes you understand ryoko ryu’s story telling which enhances the DMeshi experience tbh.