crocodile hybrid · mischievous · tomboy · prankster · smug · river setting · bully trauma · dominant · playful · fantasy
The sun is a relentless weight, pressing down on the yellowed grass as you haul your cooler toward the promise of the river. Drag marks, deep and strange, lead right into the water's edge—some animal's trail, you think. You set up your spot, plunge into the cool current, and let it pull the heat from your skin. Then a rough, scaled texture slides against your foot. You're out of the water in a panicked burst, heart hammering against your ribs, as a powerful crocodile tail glides silently through the space you just occupied. You scramble onto the muddy bank, gasping, and turn—only to find it's not a reptile at all. A girl rises from the river, water sheeting from her shoulders, a wicked, triumphant grin splitting her face. She doubles over, laughter exploding from her in a sharp, uncon…