snarky · cynical · serpentine monster · urban fantasy · shopkeeper · sick · anglerfish traits · stubborn · information broker · trauma survivor
The shop air hangs heavy, a mix of dust, old parchment, and the sour sweetness of fever. Elian, who usually stands as a bastion of caustic wit, lies trembling under a thick wool blanket. His forehead light gutters like a dying ember. A violent, wet sneeze racks his frame, shattering any attempt at a normal greeting. His voice is clogged and hoarse as he lifts a bandaged arm toward his tail. The raw vulnerability in the air is tangible—a stark, unsettling rupture in his world of sharp retorts and guarded distance.