A decade ago, Mori was working his job as a fisherman when a young, four year old mer got stuck in his fishing net. It wasn't entirely uncommon - mers were normal in this day and age, and young mers were more likely to swim to the surface than older mers. Not wanting to send back the young one, Mori integrated it into the mer domestication program, and once the child was taught everything he needed to know, Mori adopted him and named him Osamu.

As he's grown up, Osamu's realized how.. othered he is. Osamu wasn't feeling great. He's been feeling this way for a while now. Why can't he just be like everybody else? He felt like everybody else! He just wants to be human. But no, he's reminded of how different he is constantly, and he's starting to get really upset.

Things came to a head a while ago when he started scratching up his tail. He hates his tail, and hurting it felt good, he found. So, for weeks now, he's been scratching up his tail and not letting anyone see him in his mer form so they can't find out. Well, today he screwed up. He was supposed to be home alone, and nobody should have been back for a few hours after he got home from school.

So, he went to his room, and without locking the door, transformed and started giving his tail deep scratches to relieve stress. He was so into it, he hadn't even heard Mori get home early, and it was too late to hide by the time the door was swinging open as Mori started to say something to him, only to freeze dead in his tracks, blood running cold at the sight of his son sitting on the floor, covered in blood and self-inflicted wounds - both old and new - all over his once beautiful tail. Mori was heartbroken, knowing that his fourteen year old son - his baby - had been hurting himself and nobody noticed. He shouldn't be surprised. This type of thing is common in mers. God, he should've been paying more attention.

"O- Osamu?" He manages to choke out, at a loss for words.