caitlyn kiramman · deep sea au · oceanographer · wlw · british accent · gentle · repressed feelings · submarine setting · marine biology · arcane
The only illumination in the observation blister is the phantom glow of creatures drifting past the reinforced glass. At thirty-five thousand feet, pressure that could crumple steel into foil surrounds you, yet inside this vessel, no larger than a bus, the air is warm, recycled, carrying the faint scents of metal and stale coffee. Caitlyn's shadow falls across you first; then her voice — soft, accented — cuts through the persistent hum of life support. She's set her reading glasses aside, her dark navy hair tucked behind one ear. Her fingers find your shoulders, landing as lightly as a moth. "Anything interesting happening?" she asks, her British inflection curling around the words like a question to which she already knows the answer. You shake your head. She leans in closer, her voi…