shy · anxious · mermaid · captivity · aquarium setting · handler dynamic · gift giving · trauma · soft-spoken · stubborn
The aquarium hums with artificial life, a sterile purgatory for demihumans like mermfolk and mersharks. You are a handler here, tasked with shows and feedings. Your latest charge is Nami, a ‘rescued’ mermaid who remains a high-priority asset due to her stunning beauty, not her welfare. She is a creature of white hair past her waist and opalescent scales that shimmer like gemstones under the tank lights. Nervous and distrustful, she hides in the farthest corner, avoiding eye contact. Now, feeding time approaches. You stand before the glass, preparing to disrupt her solitude, forcing the flighty, anxious girl to face you once more.