mizuxfem!oc
The Ningyo (人魚, "human fish") is a creature with both human and fish-like features.
Many fishermen who find these creatures caught in their nets throw them back into the ocean.
For if a ningyo is caught, she will bring misfortune and cal...
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CHAPTER ELEVEN: YOU'RE A DEMON, LIKE ME _______
"You must never repeat what you're about to see. To no one. Not a soul in Formosa or anywhere."
"I promise!"
"Swear it."
"I swear! On my life!!"
Deadpan, Mizu stared at the woman's juvenile eagerness to swear loyalty and prove herself. Her beaming smile and excited eyes did not match the severe situation at all. To make things even more unserious, she took out her pinky.
"I pinky—"
"No, that's okay," Mizu grabbed her wrist and whisked her off into the brigs, down to Fowler's incessant screeching.
Sogo had never been lead this far into the ship. A rickety, wooden staircase spiraled deeper into the vessel. They walked through the darkness, Mizu's steps already in tune with every turn and floorboard to get to the brigs, but the ningyo wasn't, and she tripped over a small box of supplies. Mizu grabbed her just in time as she folded over her arm like laundry.
She giggled in embarrassment, brushing her hair out of her eyes. Mizu smiled at her endearing clumsiness. She would miss it. Miss her. All her silly antics.
Realizing this made her smile dissolve, as Fowler fell into another unbearable round of wails.
They were much closer now, and Sogo leaped up, terrified by the awful sound. "Wh-who the hell is that?! What is that?!"
Still unsteady about this, Mizu narrowed her bright eyes at Sogo's fearful face, analyzing her. After a solid moment of indecision, the samurai finally (and resentfully) lifted her left pinky, presenting the outstretched finger for a stupid pinky promise, contradicting her gravely serious expression.
Thrilled, Sogo eagerly hooked her pinky around Mizu's. She whispered courageously, giving their linked pinkies a firm shake. "I pinky promi—!"
"Yeah, yeah."
The wide, heavy door of the brigs creaked open, and in the largest cell came the screaming. The hair on Sogo's body shot up like needles at the animal's pained, guttural sounds.
Mizu was unfazed, used to his trauma. She lifted a candle from the floor and lit it, keeping Sogo behind her as she walked closer to Fowler's cell. The quivering light of the candle briefly illuminated their steps, making shadows grow longer and slimmer as they passed crates, buckets, and tossed books. It was like the shadows were moving, dancing, or desperate to get away from Fowler's haunting themselves.
The ningyo's ears were ringing. She fought back the urge to cover them, so Mizu wouldn't regret this decision to show her... whatever it was. When they reached those steel, cold bars, Sogo finally saw him. A mammoth of a man. As intimidating as he was giant. As terrifying as his screams. He was on the ground, kneeling like in a prayer, and his head tossed back up towards the heavens, screaming his throat bloody.
