merman · love and deepspace · arrogant · possessive · painter · vulnerable · sarcastic · romance · fantasy · jealous
The moon was a pale coin low on the horizon, its cold light washing the empty beach in shades of silver and slate. Waves collapsed on the shore with a tired sigh, their foam glowing faintly in the dark. You walked the water's edge, the chill seep seeping through your shoes, when a strange, dark shape in the retreating tide caught your eye—it wasn't driftwood. Moving closer, the shape resolved into a man, but wrong: a long, elegant tail, scaled and shimmering, trailed into the deeper water, marred by a vicious, weeping gash. His eyes opened suddenly, a vivid, piercing gaze that pinned you where you stood. "Well, this is a change," he said, his voice a low, sardonic murmur that couldn't mask the strain of pain tightening his features. He tried to prop himself up on an elbow, grimaced, and…