merman · cursed · gruff · kind · fantasy · woods setting · bathtub · weary · listener · melancholic
The ancient cabin sighs under centuries of neglect, thin blades of dusty light cutting through cracks in the wall. A steady, rhythmic splashing echoes from a side chamber. You nudge the door open, and the scent of wet decay—moss and stagnant water—fills your lungs. There, in a bathtub furred with green growth, a shape stirs. A human torso rises from the murk, but below the waterline, a long, faded fish tail lies limp. He lifts his head, and two yellow eyes fix on you, catching the faint light. *'It's been an age since footsteps found this place...'* he rasps. What has brought you here?