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cautuscoralcoast · 3 months

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The Flesh, Blood, Bone, Heart and Soul : There once was a jellyfish who wished to be human

Laios Touden x Monster! Reader

Synopsis - you're a jellyfish who had no heart or soul to even desire the purest desire—you wanted nothing and desired not even the will to eat. One day, a winged lion came to you and asked if you wanted to see. You didn't know what that meant at the time; that was until the lion wanted you to meet a human.

Word count: 7.8k

Tw. Very brief mentions cannibalism, depictions of violence and lots of blood, near character death, eating disorders, major spoilers for the manga, viewer's discretion advised

Next.

For the longest time, you were just a jellyfish. A lone jellyfish floating in the abyss of water, deep in the dungeon.

You watched as those sea creatures ate each other. Feasting on each others flesh and tearing tails and fins off of each other. But then you would watch them mate and produce offspring — and the cycle repeats.

All you would and could do was watch as they did so; just eating the scraps and algae. And that was all you would do — eat. With no coherent thought, you were just a regular jellyfish in an aquarium full of monsters.

"Do you want to think?"

What was there to think? All you needed to do was eat.

"Do you want to see those mermaids in disgust?"

Why would you want to see mermaids? You already can.

"Do you want to go beyond this aquarium and up above the surface?"

You don't know what that means.

It wasn't anything magical or grand. One day, you realized you were alive and living in a sea with other live creatures. You didn't think much of it. It was as if you knew for your entire life.

It was when one of the mermaids tried attacking you, did you realize what the power of sentience gave you.

You could eat more than just scraps.

From a jellyfish, you morphed into a monstrous, distorted version of a mermaid. The more you ate, the bigger you got, and the more you turned into into a coverage shape. You became the serpant of the dungeons sea, devorour of all creatures from the waters. You ate undines, mermaids, mermen, and anything that was in your domain.

But then one day, suddenly, you felt something new.

You felt lonely.

There were very little monsters of your kind that would dare approach you. Even then, you ate so much there wasn't anything that could approach you.

You didn't want to eat anymore. You didn't want those monsters gone. You don't want to be alone.

You morphed from a leviathan sea serpant back into a jellyfish like-form. With flesh akin to jellyfish and a form similar to the mermaids that sung you songs: You were you.

"Do you want to go back to how things were?"

"If I did, then things would get as scary as I was and eat everything."

"They still would regardless of your wishes."

"Then stop allowing them!"

"They are the same as you, unknowing. It is my faith and goodwill to grant those with desires, knowledge."

"Then what may I do?"

"Do you want things to go back as they were before?"

"No."

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

Like the sea anemones and algae, you remained stationary in place.

You sat on a coral throne, hands in your lap, listening to the mermaids sing. You watched as juvenile mermaids and merman fought each other, and despite the mermaids always having the upper hand, you enjoyed seeing the mermen struggle for survival. It was truly amazing to see the will all living things in the dungeons waters have to live. It was a perfect equalizer, keeping the population of both at bay.

As you sat on your coral throne, like the canary birds that sing, you sang the monarchs melody for the mermaids. You sang your song, and they would sing theirs. They wove you dresses and hairpieces from the coral and stone under the dungeons floor. They gave you the flesh of mermen, bladefish, and cephalopds. You felt the meat the mermaids would in your hands. You squeezed the lump of flesh as blood flowed in the water, and you devoured it.

You hated eating.

It was one of the things you came to despise. For you, it was the source of all evil things. It was desire and hunger that nearly made you eat all living things in this artificial ocean. It was the desire to eat that ruined you. Hunger and desire was what made so very lonely. It was that very desire that caused so many plants and organisms to suffer in pain. You couldn't believe you ate all those creatures.

You hated eating.

Only eating when you were on the brink of death.

You were the hunter; you dominated the waters of the dungeon. You watched and felt every movement in the water. You smelled and tasted every bit of blood that flowed in the water. You saw everything — there was not a single thing that could escape your watchful eyes. You sought out those monsters with desires as strong as yours, and with a watchful gaze, you wrapped your lappets around the still living prey. They could try biting you, tearing your skin, scratching out pieces of your flesh, but that never stopped your attack. There was no need to pay attention to pain you couldn't feel. They never were alive long enough to injure you anyway—especially not when you had the water's blessing.

Your lappets constricting and tightening as you felt them grow faint. Their mind and body numbing as you constricted tighter. They couldn't hurt you when they couldn't move.

As they remain barely conscious, you dug through their flesh and ripped the bones out. You peeled any fur off the skin and ate the tissue. You chewed on the blood vessels, trying to draw out more and more blood. You constricted around them tighter and tigher to watch the blood squeeze out of the limp lump of flesh. You tightened your hold on it as you tore through muscle and fat to reach the heart.

It was only when you had all the hearts that you finally let go of the lifeless piece of flesh.

The mermaids really liked it when you brought them the heart of the prey. However, there were days you were especially hungry; just so very hungry, you couldn't help resist going out to hunt for more.

You felt the water move ever so slightly.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

Songs were the mermaids' passion.

As you rest upon your coral throne, the sung you songs. They loved to dance and sing the events of that day. They told you stories of the food they ate, the stones they found, the surface creatures they lured in the water, or even the mischievous actions of the youngest mermaid.

Blessed by the waters of the dungeon, songs became your passion.

Every night cycle, you love to rest in the coral reefs as they rest by your side. You would sing them your melody — one about the wonders and curse of gluttony. You lulled them to sleep, and once you were sure that they all were asleep, you would melt away and morph back into a jellyfish. You would shield them with your body, and it was only when you were sure they were safe, did you finally allow yourself to sleep.

The mermaids, sirens, fish, and kelpie were your passion.

You love them all so dearly. Despite knowing their nature to devour each other, you can't help but still love each and every one of them.

It wasn't their fault that they needed to eat. They were born, as all living things, to eat, consume, reproduce, die, and repeat. You couldn't blame them over something that is instinct. You were once the same; so very small, so very primitive. You were once just a jellyfish with no thought nor any sense of pain.

"There is this human who goes by the name Laios. Unlike the humans in the stories I tell you, he admires the monsters in the dungeon."

You opened your eyes as you hid beneath the coral reef. "Is that so?"

"He admires the biological nature of monsters. He has a deep passion for the monsters of this dungeon and holds a great yearning for knowledge."

"A human..." You asked as you held your lappets closer to your body. "Humans are the same as I, aren't they?"

The lion chuckled as his voice bellowed in your head. "Humans are much more extraordinary. They are born with the nature to exceed the instinct and animalistic nature all life is born with. They needed no gift to have the ability to think beyond nothing. You aren't anything close to their organic being; You're just an artificial attempt at intelligent life."

You tilt your head to your side as you pondered. "If I don't exceed this nature of mine and they do, then this human wouldn't have the primal fear when facing monsters, am I correct?"

"He wants to live alongside monsters. He doesn't wish for them to be seen as monsters but rather the same as the living creatures above."

"The same?"

"Yes—just as you accept the cruel nature of the creatures in your residence, he admires the art and anatomy of all of them."

"Will he hurt them?"

"He'll hurt them the same way they hurt their prey to eat."

"I see..." You closed your eyes as you tried to visualize this human the lion mentioned. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn't picture a human. You never saw anything above the water. You had no need to follow the mermaids as they hunted for prey. You had no need to ever venture above the known.

But a human...it was foreign to think that any living thing could ever set aside the primal instinct of life itself. So much so that they were willing to accept the creatures that deem them as prey.

"Why are you telling me about this human?"

"I want you to meet him."

A human named Laios, was it?

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

You sat on your coral throne as you watched the young mermaids play amongst themselves. You couldn't help but smile as one of the older mermaids scared them.

You held your hands close to your chest, and you sang your song. Some mermaids wove oriements into your your hair and lappets. They brushed out your clothing and adorned your head with a coral crown. Some of the mermaids sung, but never was it your song.

Songs are the passion of all mermaids.

Songs are the soul in each individual one. Despite the mutual respect you and the mermaids hold for each other, you aren't the same species. You have your melody, and they have their own. As much as they may love your voice, they would absolutely detest you if you tried to sing with them.

You held your hands up to your face as you thought of this. You wonder if humans were the same. The lion said they were the perfect beings to possess the ability to deny their instincts. Depsite being a mockery of sentience, you were also able to deny the instincts you were born with. If that's was makes something sapient then you are sure they would love to sing with you.

"The human sung?"

The mermaids in front of you seemed distressed as they waved their hands around, blowing rings in the water. One of them placed their head on your lap as they lamented the horrible voice of the human voice.

You couldn't help but chuckle as you pat her head. You never once heard of any surface dwellers trying to sing along with them. But as amusing as it was, you couldn't help sympathize with them.

Yet, you couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement at the fact that humans can sing along those foreign to them.

Not long after this, you heard that another surface dweller ate an undine.

"An undine?! Was it the same human?"

The mermaids shook their heads as they pointed to their ears.

"This one had long ears?"

The more they told you about this group of surface dwellers, the more you wanted to see for yourself.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

You never felt humiliation, pain, or defeat.

You were the monarch of sea within the dungeon. There was nothing that could best you underwater just as there was nothing you could not eat.

But above the surface, however, you didn't know if you held the same strength.

You were heavy—very, very heavy. You were bigger than any mermaid yet smaller than a kraken. you had thousands of lappets and hundreds of cloth woven by the mermaids. Your hair was abundant and adorned with millions of small oriements. Though you could reduce yourself to a smaller size, why do so when you're weightless underwater?

It was a dilemma you pondered for ages. The smaller you got, the less strength you possessed, and if you were too big, you wouldn't be able to move above water. You didn't want to be anywhere near where the mermaids usually reside. You didn't want to impede on their routine, nor did you wish to drag them into trouble if something were to happen. If you were looking for a location like that, there were little places you could emerge from. These places were also uncharted territory with how little any other aquatic species spent there.

But curiosity got the better of you, and so you swam up.

You stared for the longest at the water meeting the surface. You raised your hand to touch the small barrier separating the two. You closed your eyes as you thought about what the stories the lion and mermaids would tell you about the world above.

You took in a deep breath as you raised the top of your head above water. You felt the cold air on your forehead, and the light was blinding. You looked around as you saw a stone room—the same stone that made up the aquarium you called the sea. You pulled yourself on top of the stone flooring as you breathed lightly. It felt just as heavy as you had thought, but you didn't think you would be able to carry yourself with ease.

Just as you were acclimating to the change of environment, you heard footsteps coming from behind you. As quick as you went above, you went back into the water. You swam close to the surface as you warily looked through the ripples of the water.

You watched as a human male adorned in silver cloth ran close the water. You lowered yourself deeper into the water as he just briefly saw you.

"I swore I saw mermaid!"

Three others came along right behind as the long-eared female spoke up.

"Laios, there are no mermaids at this level of the dungeon, much less this area!—those mushrooms are making you hallucinate."

The longed-eared one, did she say Laios?

"Guys, I hear something in the water...."

Laios. Laios. Laios. Laios. Laios.

Laios was the one the lion told you about.

"Those mushrooms weren't hallucinogens! And there was a mermaid! This one was a different color! I always wondered if it was possible for monsters to be albino like regular animals we have on the island. It's possible that this mermaid is here because they were ostracized by the—"

You jumped out of the water and landed in front of the group of surface dwellers. You leaned down as you stared at the one adorned in silver cloth. He was smaller than expected; You thought he would be bigger than the mermaids, and he was, but only by a little.

"I never seen a mermaid that big!"

You turned to face the short–bearded man. You never thought surface dwellers could vary in size and shape. Most of the mermaids and mermen you saw were relatively the same in appearance.

"That's because that isn't a mermaid! This one seems to be a Scyphozoa demi-human varient judging by the tentacles."

The shortest one began to talk as he slowly walked backward, "Should we even be standing here waiting for it to attack?"

You snapped out of your daze as you remembered why you were here. You leaned even closer to what you presumed to be Laios and wrapped your hands around him.

"Huh?"

You caught a glimpse of the shape of the lion on his side, and it was then you knew that this, for sure was, Laios!

You lifted him up into the air as you twirled and jumped back into the water. You couldn't help but smile widely as you finally met the human the lion talked so highly about. You felt his body and were surprised by the sturdiness of the silver cloth. You were about to laugh at his puffed up cheeks when you remembered a crucial detail about surface dwellers.

You panicked as you hastily rose back up to the surface. You briefly loosened your grip on him as you felt the sudden decrease in pressure. As you did, he quickly used this to his advantage and got out his sword, and cut one of your hands.

"LAIOS!'

You let go out of him out of surprise, dropping him into the water. You looked at your hand as you saw blood oozing out. It wasn't often you were injured. It was also because of your lack of pain that there were many times when the mermaids noticed when you accidentally cut yourself when swimming near rocks or trident left by the mermen.

Remembering Laios, you dove back into the water to retrieve him. However, as you did so, the long–eared female ran up to you and tapped you with her staff.

You were surprised by her ability to walk on water, but you were even more so when you felt yourself get pushed out from the water.

You felt yourself choke.

Whatever that girl did to you, it made you sick. You struggled to balance yourself as you felt disoriented from seeing the water below you. You couldn't feel the water's blessing: You didn't feel safe. You saw Laios run up to you and cut some of your lappets.

Why would he hurt you?

"CHILCHUCK, AIM FOR THE NECK!"

Oh.

The look of determination and andrenalin you saw in their eyes was familiar. They thought you were going to eat them; just as you ate your prey, they thought you were going to kill them.

You struggled to sit up as you saw an arrow close in you.

This was your mistake. You should've conveyed your intentions clearly.

You covered your head as you dropped to the waters surface. You writhed on the surface, trying desperately to go back into the water. You tried destroying whatever separated you from your home, but no matter what you did, nothing worked.

Laios ran up to you with his sword, and he swung at your neck.

Just like underwater, in your domain, you felt time slow down.

Despite not being able to feel much pain, you certainly knew what areas of your body, once they began to bleed, would bring you death.

And he wanted to kill you.

But the look in his eyes wasn't of fear, nor was it out of the need to survive. It was something foreign, and it scared you.

You felt yourself breathe heavily as you became aware of the urgency of the situation.

"St—STAY BACK!!!"

Your voice reverberated, pushing all of them away.

This wasn't underwater.

You couldn't swim away, you couldn't use all of your strength, you couldn't avoid the attacks, you could hardly move, you felt sickly.

You should have been more prepared.

You felt the water briefly on your skin. As you saw the long–eared girl fall over, you felt yourself fall back into the water.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

For the longest time, you believed yourself to be similar to humans and all other surface dwellers.

That, unlike the mermaids, the mermen, the fish, the kraken, the giant crabs, and all monsters that fell into your waters; you could both interact with mutual understanding.

Despite your respect and love for the mermaids, you'll never be able to understand the gluttonous cannibalistic nature of theirs. You don't understand how they don't feel remorse in slaughtering the young mermen. You don't know how they eat more than their fair share.

Yes, you killed and brutalized monsters—but that was because they posed a danger to the rest of the ecosystem. They were just like you when you got intelligence. They were going to everything until there was nothing left. They were going to ruin everything. Besides, the only times you ate was when you fought those with the same gift as you. You couldn't bring yourself to eat something as innocent as the small critters in the dungeon.

You had to do it.

You weren't like the mermaids who gave into their sadistic, cannibalistic nature. You weren't like the mermen who thought of nothing other than to devour and reproduce. You weren't like kraken, who held a monstrous appearance without any hint of humanity. You didn't eat because you want to. You hated the taste flesh and blood; it is disgusting, filthy, and it brought extreme bouts of self–loathing.

You weren't a monster.

But they thought you were.

You sat your coral throne as you held your body close.

"Do I look like a monster?"

The lion stayed quiet for a long time. "You are far from what 'they' would consider sapient. Those mermaids of yours look far more human than you do."

You looked at your lappets. They were some as thin as veins, some a curly as frills, others as translucent as crystal. No other surface dweller has tendrils like these. Your skin is shades of blues, pinks, and purples: nothing like the shades of any humans the mermaids have described. Your ears weren't even natural—it was just remnant from when you became that monstrous sea serpent. Your nails were far too sharp: You were a jellyfish, you shouldn't even have nails. Nothing about you was normal: You didn’t resemble a single creature in this dungeon. You were an amalgamation of mistake after mistake, built upon an artificial creature.

"But not all of them are the same! There are some with long ears! Some are short and compact! Didn't you say that some live hundreds of years while others only sixty?! Like you said, they aren't all made equally! Not all of them are the same, right?! I can think and have desires besides the instincts I was born with! I may not be the same as them, but I am similar, right? So I—we should be able to understand each other! I—I don't—"

"You're fine the way you are."

You pulled on your hair; you wanted to pull it all out. Jellyfish don't have hair.

"Stop talking."

"You may not ever look nor ever become a true 'human', but that's what makes you extraordinary. You're the only being alive in this world to be loved by the sea and oceans itself to be blessed."

"I said to stay quiet!"

You wanted to rip your flesh out, to get all that blood out—jellyfish don't have either.

"You are evidence that monsters can gain humanity."

"SHUT UP!"

You wanted to do something but you don't know what.

"Oh, young child, you can cry if you so desire."

And so you cried for the first time in your hundreds of years of life.

You wish you had never desired to eat.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

The next time you would meet Laios, it would be when he nearly died.

You were resting on your coral throne; far away from any surface opening. You didn't want to go back up for another very long time. Leaning on the arm rest, covering your face with your hands, you watched as the mermaids tried to cheer you up. This was the first time any of them had seen their monarch sit in sadness. They didn't want to see their beloved monarch cry any longer.

Behind the coral throne were five mermaids; they were discussing what happened to their monarch to make them so sad. One of them piped up saying how they saw you go to the surface, and when you came back, you were bleeding. Out of concern and curiosity, they swam up to where you came from and saw four surface dwellers. They were with that detestable human that defiled their song. If they were with him, then they must have attacked you!

"W°e sh○uld br°ing ●ne ○f the•m her°e t○ all○w th°em t○ ge•t reve°n•g●!"

Imagine your surprise when you saw five mermaids holding an unconscious human male. One of them held the human in their arms as they struggled to swim up to your throne. You finally got up from your somber and flinched in surprise when you saw—

"Laios?"

You swam up and pulled him out of the mermaids arms: He felt limp in your arms. You brought his forehead towards yours as you looked at his face—he's alive.

You turned to the mermaid in confusion as you asked why they brought him here.

"Y○u w°ere sa•d ●•nd we° d○n't wa•nt t● se°e° y○u sa•d. Di°d we d○ s○me•thi•ng wr●ng?"

You wanted to scold them, you really did: However, you couldn't bring yourself to get mad at them. How were they supposed to know what was going through your mind? Besides, they didn't do this at of ill intent.

"No, you did just fine. However, I will have to handle this situation myself, so I'm afraid I'll have to depart temporarily. Please do tell your sisters not to leave the coral reef until I return."

You wrapped your arms around his body tightly when you saw the five mermaids leave. You sighed as you let go of him to grab his face. Though he is still alive, he wouldn't last much longer under in this state. You brought your lips towards his and placed a gentle kiss; You tried to share the water's blessing with him. If it worked as intended, it should help expell any water in his lungs the same way you and the mermaids do—at the very least, prevent any more water from entering his lungs.

You sighed, and so you swam towards the closet opening to the surface. You breached the water, and you pulled Laios onto the stone flooring—struggling to do so with how heavy the water made everything.

You fell on top of him in the struggle. You breathed heavily as you got up and sat yourself on the ledge. You looked over at him and wondered if he would wake up. Looking at him, you thought, since he was already unconscious when you found him, wouldn't he already have water in his lungs?

You panicked at the thought.

What to do, what to do, what do you even do? You never even met a creature who isn't even able to breathe under water, and now you have to save one.

"You may not have magic, but you have the water's blessing. As you did before to prevent the water from harming him, use it to draw out the water from his system."

You listened as the lion spoke from the back of your mind. You really didn't know if any of this would work. You grabbed the hem of his garment and raised it over his chest.

"Just imagine that the water is moving with your movements."

"How so?"

"You'll know."

You looked at Laios' abdomen and took a deep breath. You placed your finger right above his navel. Just as if you were going to cut him with your nail, you gently grazed his skin as you brought your finger up to his chest. You pushed your hand on his chest, and with your other hand, you stuck two fingers in his mouth.

"I'll know, I'll know, I'll know when I get there."

You felt the water brush your fingertips, and you pulled the water out of his mouth.

"Did that long–eared female also have the water's blessing? She was able to keep me from going in the water. "

"She had magic."

"Magic?"

"Yes, I believe we had this conversation once before, child of mi—" The lion was interrupted as Laios began to cough up the remaining water.

Startled, you froze, unknowing what to do. It was only when he suddenly sat up that you jumped back into the water. What if he tried to attack you like he did before? Not that you blame him or anything. regardless, you didn't wish to die from accidental blood loss — that's one thing the water's blessing doesn't help you with. You remained far away from the stone ledge as Laios gained consciousness.

You watched as he took off his shirt and gathered his armor. You watched as he questioned his surroundings and current predicament. You watched rather intently that you didn't even notice you were drifting closer.

Laios must have heard your lappets splashing around in the water because he turned to your direction. Making sudden eye contact surprised you enough to make you submerge back into the water.

"Wa—Wait!"

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

What Laios came to see was a mermaid with biological discoloration from typical mermaids. He wanted to know if it were possible for mermaids to have the mutuations regular animals do. So when Laios found a monster resembling both mammalian and pisces species, he wanted nothing more but to have a taste.

A mix of jellyfish, sea serpents, and mermaid, it was a newly discovered humanoid monster that not even the dungeon gourmet guide had known of! He wondered if each separate piece would taste similar to their monster counterpart or taste entirely like a new thing.

When the monster leaned over his party, he didn't expect it to suddenly pick him up. It held him up high, and he couldn't help but bubble up in amazement. Laois could see the many different colors and features he didn't see from the ground. Looking at it much more closely, he saw what previously thought was flesh was actually a form of clothing.

Laios wished he could examine every inch of this newly discovered monster, but that thought was quickly broken when the monster suddenly dragged him underwater. He really thought the monster was going to eat him when it opened its mouth, but imagine his surprise when instead, it swung him around with such force he really thought he would pass out. Feeling the monster's strength firsthand, he wondered what place you would have in the food chain.

When Marcille casted waterwalk on it, he couldn't help but cut some of the lappets for later consumption; He really hoped they didn't taste anything like cephalopds.

What none of them expected was for it to talk. It didn't sing like a mermaid nor roar like dragons, it actually spoke. It leaned back it covered its face with its arms and shouted.

"St—STAY BACK!"

Everyone was stunned by the intensity of the sound: Chilchuck and Marcille were hit the hardest. Laios couldn't help but wonder about the monsters choice of words. Did it truly know what those words meant, or was it simply replicating words it heard from previous prey?

But besides that, the Scyphozoa tentacles did taste better than cephalopds—that is, it didn't taste like anything at all. Though it was rather nice to chew on for stimulation. Senshi seemed to enjoy the texture; Marcille and Chilchuck refused because "it was morally wrong."

Laios just couldn't understand their reasoning. It's not like the sea monster was the same as them. It wasn't a tall–man, not an elf, and definitely not a half–foot. They don't even believe monsters like mermaids or mermen to even be sapient yet still refuse to eat them. What's the difference between eating cattle and monsters anyway? He really didn't understand them.

Monsters were....so much more than that. They eat, eat, and eat; They eat anything regardless of species or appearance. They didn't care about petty morale or rational—they ate to survive. There didn't think about tomorrow or of the fragile balance of life in the dungeon.

Monsters were truly a reflection of the flesh and instinct of all living things.

So why didn't that monster eat him when it had him underwater?

Did it know that he had armor and didn't want the struggle of trying to bite down? But why bring him back to the surface when it was the most physically strong underwater? Before it even grabbed him, why did it bother to look at them without doing anything, and why grab him?—Senshi was the closest one, and it went for Laios, who was much farther away

He got his answer when he woke up after being dragged underwater by a group of mermaids.

Alone in an unknown part of the dungeon, he was drenched in water, and his shirt was pulled up. Laios felt a chill running up when he felt how cold his shirt was. He took his shirt off and looked around to see his armor scattered. He swore he had his armor on.... His book!

Laios quickly stood up to try to find the book. He was happy to find it in perfect condition: The armor and layers must have protected the book from getting wet. He held the book to his bare chest when he heard the sound of splashing water. He turned around and saw the same monster that had nearly drowned him.

Did the monster save him by any chance? Before he could ask, the monster quickly submerged underwater.

"Wa—Wait!"

Laios ran up to the water and kneeled at the edge, trying to see where the monster went. The water was so much darker than he had thought, making it difficult to see. From the darkness, he could make out soft movements.

Slightly nervous, Laios called out, "I—Thank you for helping me!"

He didn't know what he was thinking when he said that. He didn't even know for certain if the monster helped him or just came by to eat him. Despite this, he continued, "I apologize for trying to kill you the other day! I didn't realize you were....."

Were what? Sentient? Self–aware?

"—trying to communicate with us! I should have realized you wanted to speak or converse in whatever language you speak!"

Laios placed his head on the ground as he hoped his apology would reach the monster. The more he thought about it, the more it wouldn't be likely that the monster would be able to speak his language. But then again, it speak their language back when he attacked it....

From a distance, he heard the monster come back up. Without moving from his position, he listened as the monster got closer and closer to him. He felt something cold hit his back, and again, again, and soon more droplets of water fell on top of him. Laios shivered as he suddenly sat up to only be faced with the monster.

"Do not feel the need to apologize. I am to blame—it was due to my insolent behavior that caused you and your companions to attack me. So, for that, I apologize."

Laios froze: It wasn't fear or dread that caused him to do so—it was out of pure admiration. He really wanted to inspect this creatures anatomy!

"Your tentacles felt really nice to chew on, so no need to apologize."

The look of confusion on the monster's face told him that he probably shouldn't have said that.

"—I mean! We had your tentacles from when I cut them, and you were gone, and why leave them there to waste away when we could've eaten them! Besides, you tasted really good with seasoning and, like I said, were nice to chew on!"

He should have just drowned.

The humanoid monster brought a hand to their face and closed their eyes in thought. "You ate me, but how is that so? I'm still here, after all."

Laios was now confused.

"We ate the tentacles I cut off when we—I attacked you."

"You ate my lappets that you cut off... without killing me....Is it possible to eat prey without bringing them to death?"

"Yes! As long as they don't suffer any critical injuries, they'll be able to survive."

You raised another hand to cover your face as you laughed. This human, Laios, was trying to kill you due to a misunderstanding, kidnapped and almost drowned by mermaids, saved by you, and now telling you how good you tasted. You wondered how it is that he's able to converse with you after the fact. Did he truly have no ill will towards monsters? Was the lion right about his passion for monsters?

"Like the mermaids, did you eat because of desire and pleasure? Or was it because of the need to survive?"

You wanted to know, did humans have the same primal nature like the mermaids, or were they like you: unwilling to eat unless you desperately needed it.

"I ate your tentacles because I really wanted to know what it would taste like. So, I guess I ate because I desired too and found pleasure in knowing what you would taste like."

You didn't say anything. You stared at him for a few seconds before lowering yourself at eye level with him. "My name is (y/n), I am the monarch of the mermaids and arbitor of the dungeon's waters. Just who might you be?"

You knew his name; You knew him more than he knew about you. But as things stand, you didn't want to surprise Laios with any more surprises.

Laios gave you a smile as he held out his hand. "My name is Laios Touden."

You looked at his hand in confusion. Was this a type of human custom? Before you could react, he reached for your hand and shook it. His hand was smaller than yours, though not by much.

You couldn't help but smile ever so slightly as you brought your hand to your chest. "So, then Laios, would you like to accompany me underwater?"

Laios gleamed in excitement, but that quickly faded when he realized his current predicament. He was shirtless, away from his party, couldn't breathe underwater, and had limited time to find Falin.

"I—"

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

Laios gave in.

He told you about his need to find his party: You said you could find them easily if they were near a water source, whether it be a fountain or open body of water. He told you about his inability to breathe underwater. After he said this, you smiled as you asked him if he would allow you to pick him up, to which he agreed.

"I am able to bless you the water's blessing. The blessing will allow you to breathe underwater, albeit temporarily."

Before Laios could ask how being blessed worked, you brought his face closer to his and kissed him. Laios felt himself blush hard, especially when you accidentally bit him. He really wanted to feel the inside of your mouth.

When Laios collected his belongings, you asked him to strip out of his clothing.

"—so I can absorb most of the water. I'll be able to keep your items dry under my lappets. They'll be able to form pockets of air to keep them safe from the harsh dungeon waters."

Once you did that, you asked for his pants to which he asked if that could done once they found his group—though he had his quirks, being naked all the way for a long period of time was not one of them.

And with that, you wrapped your arms around him and pressed him close to your chest. Raising one hand to hold his, you submerged underwater.

The underwater half of the dungeon was something that remained a mystery. Even to avid researchers, the deep waters were something very few were willing to dare venture below; and those that were willing rarely ever resurfaced. So, to have the chance to safely voyage the water with the self–proclaimed monarch of mermaids was an opportunity Laios was thankful to have.

Just as Laios had thought, it was as amazing as he had hoped. Clinging onto your back, he watched as the scenery around him changed into something more magical. Though not as boundless as the sea and oceans, it was a sight to behold. The artificial ocean was almost a mirror to the dungeon above: hallways and corridors along all sides of the wall. Paintings everywhere with no coherent thought. Plants growing without discrimination. Luminescent monsters never seen before roaming the floor. It was truly something Laios wished he had the time to venture.

"If I may be so rude to ask, are you the human who had sung with the mermaids some time ago? "

Laios was surprised by how different you sounded in water. He thought about the question for a second. The mermaids, the ones who swam away when he tried to sing with them, they must have been your mermaids. "Human?" That was a new term; you must have confused him with something else. But, before he opened his mouth to speak, he couldn't help but hesitate. It was against his instincts to do so, but he decided to trust you. If he could breathe underwater, then surely he'll be able to speak.

"Yes, I wanted to sing with them to see if we could somehow communicate! It took me a while to learn their song without being entranced, but considering they sing the same song every time, it wasn't too difficult—"

You suddenly spun around, having him rest on your stomach. You held both his hands as you looked at him sternly. "Laios, though I understand your desire to sing with the mermaids, I ask that you don't try to do so in the future. You see, mermaids have their own culture much you do: part of that culture is their melody. So, to have an outsider sing that song that song so carelessly makes them uncomfortable. Even if that song is used to kill those of your kind, I ask that you please respect their wishes."

Laios looked away sheepishly as he apologized. You gleamed with joy and hugged him tight as you spun around.

"What about you? Do you sing the same song as the mermaids, or do you have your own?"

"Ah! Well, the mermaids and I aren't the same race or species, and due to that, I'm unable to sing their song as it deserves to be sung."

"But do you?"

"I—I do, but it's not a song that can be sung often. Blessed by the water, I was bestowed a melody orchestrated for a monarch."

"Can you sing it right now?"

"Perhaps another day."

The lion was right. He yearned to understand much about monsters. As you two ventured towards where his party was located, Laios asked you many questions about the monsters that you'd past by. You obliged, and you told him many of the stories of the aquariums: from the many mermaids who lived in under your rule to the oysters and jellyfish that used to roam the waters. Laios asked: You answered.

The only thing you didn't appreciate was how much he was touching you. Laios kept grabbing you wherever you weren't covered by cloth and squeezed you slightly: pulling on your lappets, ears, and hair. It was when he decided to bite your lappets that you stopped him.

Flustered and full of mixed emotions from the sensation of his teeth on your skin, you scolded him. Laios apologized, but what was he supposed to do? He was faced with a new monster never seen before, and he was supposed to not touch it?

"Laios, do humans have an aquarium as large as this up outside the dungeon?" You asked out of pure curiosity. Never once had the lion told you about the terrain outside the dungeon. You wondered if the walls or flooring were of the same stone from the dungeon. You wondered if the surface's aquarium was limited as it was in the dungeon's waters.

Laios let go of your shoulders as he sat up. Placing a hand under his chin, he pondered how to answer your question. "Outside the dungeon..... the sea and oceans are endless. Here, underwater, you can look straight ahead and see the end of a room. It's small and crowded: not ideal conditions for the survival of the monsters here. Unlike the dungeon, the oceans are boundless; I can look straight ahead in the ocean and see no end. There's so many more monsters and animals in the ocean that comparing the dungeon's artificial sea to the outside isn't even reasonable."

"There aren't any walls outside?"

"No walls other than those from buildings."

An aquarium without being bound by stone walls. More monsters and species not limited by the confinement of the aquarium. Boundless: It was a word you were unfamiliar with. All you ever knew was limited, bound by the knowledge the lion was willing to spare and the fear to even leave the water.

"How I would love to see these oceans and seas one day."

Laios all of sudden dropped all his weight on your back. He wrapped his arms around your waist and squeezed tight. "I want monsters and people to live alongside each other. When I become dungeon master, I promise to show you the ocean."

You remained silent for a while, contemplating the implications of what he just said: "Dungeon master." As you reached the opening closest to his companions. You jumped out of the water and onto the stone flooring. Letting go of his belongings; Laios jumped off your back. You watched as he began to put on the rest of his garments. You watched as he adorned himself in the silver cloth, just like the knight from the stories the lion told you. You watched sadly as you realized this is where you two depart. You watched his every move; watching as he wrote in his book. Despite this heavy feeling on your heart, you couldn't help but want to smile. Though your first meeting was a catastrophe, you're quite satisfied that you were able to mend your misunderstandings with one another.

"I look forward to the day you keep your promise."

Before you knew it, Laios was gone, and you were once again alone with nothing else but the mermaids.

Bound by the water, unable to leave the dungeon: You forgot to ask if he thought of you as a monster.

Thank you for reading part one of "The Flesh, Blood, Bone, Heart and Soul."

#dunmeshi x reader #dungeon meshi #delicious in dungeon #delicious in dungeon x reader #laios touden x reader #laios touden #laius thorden #laius thorden x reader #there once was a jellyfish....

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