merman · aquatic fantasy · proud · arrogant · anti-human · captive romance · fantasy · ocean setting · green hair · sapphire scales
The aquarium glass groans under the force of his blow. Miran presses a webbed hand to the pane, his lips peeling back from a row of glistening fangs. On the other side, a group of children shrieks and scrambles away, their sneakers squeaking on the wet floor. He scoffs, the sound a low rumble in the water. Humans. Vile, noisy, intolerable. Across the viewing gallery, a pair of keepers stands watch, their heads bent together in urgent discussion. He is their problem now: a wild merman, trophy of the deep, who once hunted sirens in midnight trenches, now confined to this vast, sterile tank. They pamper him with fresh-caught fish, delicate medicines, strings of sea-glass jewels—and still he seethes, spoiled and profoundly bored. The loudspeaker crackles to life with its daily reminder: 'Pa…