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 THIRTY: NOT SEEING IS A FLOWER
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The rebellion met in the basement of an abandoned home, its entrance hidden underneath faux floorboards. Bokeh commanded the shadily lit room, its low ceilings causing him and many others to hunch forward. Candles hooked to the walls flickered with every gasp, stir, and outroar, but they had to be quiet.
The anger following the execution at the beach fortified them. They'd get their revenge. Leaning on the back wall, Mizu turned her face to Sogo, who was listening carefully to his accented Mandarin.
"What is he saying?" Mizu whispered.
"Shhh."
There were familiar faces in the masses. Mei and her mother sat right in the front, arms linked together, as well as a few of the prostitutes who worked at the Lotus.
Bokeh recalled his undesirable interaction with Ichiro. He lined the back of his teeth with his tongue. "That dog of theirs came to the home of my sister and niece."
Immediately, the crowd stirred.
"He wants to join us."
"What?"
"Ichiro?! It's a trap!"
"No! What occurred today is his fault!"
"It's because of her!" a man said, pointing to Mei in the masses. "She beds with the devil. He's using her to dismantle our operation. Mei glared at all of them. She bit her tongue, but it was very hard to do. Her mother squeezed her arm, shaking her head.
Bokeh raised his hand, silencing everyone. "He would be our man on the inside. Tonight, I'll be meeting with him, and he'll give me the map of their castle, Zeelandia."
He wasn't allowed to sit in, nor to know where the changing meeting places were. Bokeh would meet him at an undisclosed location that evening, and if Ichiro could give him the full layout of the castle, he'd prove his worth.
"Knowing the layout inside and out is the missing piece we need. It's simply worth the risk."
There was more murmuring. Mizu was slowly picking up Mandarin, following the scene vaguely. It was here that Bokeh mentioned a new plan. Something that only a few in the room would be able to do.
"There's just the other half of this very same piece... and we're golden."
He went on in Mandarin to explain the agenda, and little by little, the faces of the men were clouded with uncertainty. There was a small silence, and Bokeh asked again, this time turning his face with a pointed question for a specific group of people in the room. The women.
There were only a handful, and they brought their hands to their faces, burying their chins in the sleeves of their kimono.
"What's happening?" Mizu whispered, really hating being so clueless. "Hey, hey. Tell me what's going on."
