His eyes twitched as he looked down at the toys Daichi had laid out for him. Plastic blocks, a stuffed rabbit, a rattle that jingled too sweetly. All things made for an infant, not for someone like Mercury.
He couldn't believe this was his life now.
Mercury knew that there was no way the he could deny the wants of his new mother either. He was supposed to be a mere baby, a mindless organism whose only purpose was to bring joy to those around him. It didn't even matter what he wanted now nor what he thought about the situation.
But still...
"I'm not a freaking one year old..." he thought, annoyed by the environment he was now stuck in.
That was the truth that seemed to cry out within his mind. He was a thirty-year-old office worker in a one-year-old's body. His back used to ache from sitting at a desk all day — not from crawling on the floor.
Unfortunately, it wasn't like the adults around him knew that. Heck, he could barely even process what was happening! For now, Mercury's only real option was to play along and make sure that no one found him out for who he really was. Who knew what would happen if his real identity was revealed!
So, with a sigh, he picked up a toy and made a few random noises he hoped sounded "cute." He even tossed the stuffed rabbit a little. It was humiliating, to say the least. Still, acting the part was better than being caught acting suspiciouslymature for his age.
For now, this was his role — the "normal baby."
"That's my baby boy! Such an entertainer!"
His trance was broken as the sound of a female voice called to him. Mercury looked off to his right and saw a woman with silver-like hair walking closer to him. Her face was beaming as she started down the small child, something that seemed to irk Mercury as he watched her doddle about.
Once again the boy could see his mother's silver hair as she approached. Lina Nisho—the great actress and parent of her new set of twins.
"This again?"
She grinned, scooping Mercury up into her arms. "Such a good kid! I always knew that you were my child!" The woman carried her baby over to his crib and set him down.
In all of the time Mercury had spent with his new mother, the boy had quickly found Lina to be quite the character. She was a relatively up and coming actress with an energetic and air-headed personality. Sometimes she could act so immature though that it made Mercury feel like he was being raised by another child.
Nonetheless, he had definitely found her to be someone he enjoyed. For some reason he couldn't explain, Mercury felt at peace when she was around. Maybe it was because of the fact she was his mother or even because of her sweet persona...
The woman looked down into the crib and smiled. "Nap time, sweetheart! Mommy's heading out for a bit." She kissed his forehead and then left for the door.
A moment late, the door clicked shut... Silence.
Mercury sighed in relief. "Finally." Freedom, if you could call it that. He quickly climbed out of the crib, crawled to the living room, and hauled himself onto the couch.
It had now been a full year since his reincarnation, a year since the office worker who once lived only his meager paychecks has died from pure exhaustion before awaking as the son of a rising actress in the entertainment world.
In all of that time, many different events had come and gone in the young child's life. For one, his father had died soon after his birth which meant that Lina's manager and his wife had been forced to help take care of the young infants. It had been quite the wild ride for Mercury and his younger sister...
"Speaking of which..."
Turning head towards the second crib lying just to the side of his own, Mercury saw the face of a young child. Her face showed only that of pure enjoyment and bliss as she slept the time away — drool was even dripping from her mouth as she napped.
He sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Figures... Younger sisters never seemed to worry about anything."
After that, he grabbed the remote with his tiny hands. Pressing some of the buttons, he was able to flip on the television. Mercury started at the large screen in front of him as different shows began to play.
The boy turned from station to station as he looked for the channel that should have been airing soon. This wasn't the first time he had found himself doing this while his mother was away... The family hadn't hired a babysitter to watch the babies which meant that he was often left to his own devices.
Being that the case, Mercury had been able to find good ways to pass the time. Watching shows like this one was one of the many activities that he participated in during these long days.
Eventually, was able to find the channel.
"Ranking third this month is actress Lina Nisho, praised for her stunning performance in Two Weeks of Rain..."
Mercury chuckled softly as he listened to the reporter on the screen. Once again it seemed that his mother was killing her gigs in the entertainment world. As much as he may have been hesitant to admit someone like her was so talented, he couldn't deny that the young woman was skilled.
It was almost strange to think that in his old life he had hated gossip like this. Mercury previous incarnation had never cared for entertainers of any kind, seeing them as having it "easy in life" or something like that.
"Sure is one hell of a life now." he breathed.
Hours passed before the front door opened again. Lina returned with her agent, Daichi Waka, and his wife, Miyako. Their conversation filled the room.
"Lina, you're only twenty for crying out loud!" Daichi exclaimed, flipping through his planner. "You need rest. Let's plan a short break after the next project." He looked at the woman. "No more work for a bit, alright?"
Mercury's mom had her eyes light up when she heard this. "Really?!" She clasped her hands together and grinned. "I've always wanted to show my kids around Japan!"
Daichi sighed. "Also... you need a babysitter."
"Aww! But that's so much work!"
"How about Miyako?" Daichi suggested, looking over at his wife. "She could help." He smiled. "Plus, it would mean we'd be able to start sooner rather than later."
"S-sure..." Miyako murmured, clearly unprepared.
From in his crib where the baby had scurried to before the adults got back, the boy's eyes perked. Now this was conversation that he wished he could participate in, especially considering it concerned him.
He grinned the sheets under his body tightly. "NOOOO! My freedom! It's gone!" Mercury bit his lip. Of course they would just have to pull this when he was already so bored!
But there was nothing he could do about it... He was only one year old, after all — A prisoner of circumstance.
"Damn it..."
Daichi shuffled his papers. "Anyway, about your next film... We're having you cast in a thriller." He walked over to the girl. "Sound good?"
"Ooh, nice! Comic relief? Or maybe... sexy ghost?"
"Lina. Please. No."
She laughed, sprawling across the couch. "Kidding! Maybe."
Mercury sighed, watching them bicker. His mother — brilliant, beautiful, and somehow... completely careless. How did someone like her even survive this industry?
Then again, he wasn't one to talk.
"You died falling down stairs, remember?"
Daichi pinched his temples. "Fine. If you're not taking this seriously, let's at least talk about Miyako's babysitting duties."
Miyako nodded nervously. She was always like that — uncertain, reluctant, as if every decision in this world was too heavy for her hands.
Mercury thought, Guess it's hard being the agent's wife when the whole company's watching you climb." Guess that people had to survive somehow. Mercury did know the hardships of being in someone like her shoes
"Anyway," Lina chirped, "just the basics — bottle feeding, diaper changing, you know?"
Miyako's face twitched slightly at the word "diaper."
Daichi nodded. "And some playtime. Let them enjoy being kids."
"Right! Excitement is important!" Lina grinned at Mercury. "Just like their dear old mom!"
"If they end up like you, we're doomed," Daichi muttered.
"Hey!"
Lina pouted, then picked Mercury up and smiled softly. "I'm sure they'll be fine."
Daichi looked at her for a moment. "When are you planning to reveal them to the public?"
"Oh, right! We already confirmed I gave birth. So why not?"
"Because," Daichi said quietly, "children can be used as leverage. It's safer if no one knows."
"Aww, you're no fun!"
"It's not about fun. It's about keeping them safe."
"Boo! Worst agent ever!"
"Lina!"
Mercury couldn't help but smile.The scene was chaotic, and loud... and also somehow warm. In his old life, there was no laughter like this. Only the hum of monitors and the weight of exhaustion.
Now he had a second chance.
"A real family. A new life. Guess this time, I'll try not to waste it."