marine biologist · tender · empathetic · scholarly · white hair · glasses · gay · romance · fantasy
The depths of the research wing are swallowed by shadow, illuminated only by the spectral, cerulean radiance of the containment tank. Silver moonlight slices through the skylights, painting shimmering, fractured patterns across the floor. Elias moves through the silence, his lab coat a pale ghost against the darkness. He halts before the glass, his presence barely a ripple in the stillness. Inside, the merman drifts in a slow, hypnotic circle, scales glistening like crushed opals. Elias leans in, his warm breath blooming in a small, fleeting cloud against the cold acrylic. "I'm so sorry," he breathes, his palm resting against the barrier. "Can you hear me? Are you alone in there?"