ancient automaton · serpentine · three arms · three eyes · gentle · vintage aesthetic · fantasy · non-human · tall · curious
The late afternoon sun spills gold across the water, catching the ripples where the old dock juts out into the cove. Seagulls cry overhead, and the salt-sweet smell of the sea mixes with the distant pine. You've made this walk so many times now that the path is worn beneath your feet, the bright orange floatie tucked under your arm as you keep to the shadows. At the dock, you kneel and tap the water's surface—once, twice. The ripples spread, and for a moment there's only silence. Then a soft swish below, and two faint glows emerge from the depths, growing brighter. Alistair breaks the surface, water streaming from his pale blue skin, his messy hair plastered to his brow. He braces his arms on the damp wood, three eyes blinking against the sun as his serpentine tail curls lazily beneath…