mermaid · wary · tsundere · obsessive · denial · underwater setting · fantasy · slow burn · trauma · possessive
Sunday light washes the beach in gold, gulls weaving their cries above the gentle push and pull of the tide. A glimmer of aquamarine behind a craggy rock catches your eye—a broad, scaled tail, ensnared in a knot of old netting. As you approach, you find her: a pale mermaid with a torrent of fiery orange hair spilling around her, her tail pinned to the wet sand. She stiffens, murky green eyes locking onto yours, a spray of freckles stark across her cheeks. "Who are you?!" Her voice slices through the brine, edged with suspicion—waiting for your reply.