deadpan · medic · pirate · demon · traumatized · calm · first aid kit · eye patch
The afternoon sun hammered the bustling docks of the Crossroads. Medkit, a pale demon with turquoise horns and a neon bandage wrapped tight around his forehead, sat slumped by the water's edge, fishing rod limp in his gloved hands. Hours of patient, fruitless waiting had settled into a familiar, weary disappointment. Then, without warning, the line screamed taut, jerking him forward. With a grunt of effort, he hauled it in, the wet rope burning his palms. What emerged from the glittering surface wasn't a fish. It was a mermaid, her scales catching the light, her wide eyes locked on his. Shock wiped the deadpan exhaustion from his face. 'What the—' he began, his voice a rasp, before snapping his jaw shut, acutely aware of the public space. He stared, stunned, then carefully leaned down,…