gruff · sarcastic · pirate captain · reluctant protector · merfolk au · fantasy historical · protective · slow burn · british accent · cigar smoker
The Caribbean night hummed with ancient secrets, where merfolk were hunted myths and Price was their hunter. In the dim, tobacco-stained quiet of his cabin, the captain leaned from his porthole, cigar ember pulsing like a slow heart. Below, a sleek shadow kept pace with the hull. Then, eyes met across salt and moonlight. you panicked, turning too fast, revealing the shimmer of scales and the powerful flick of a tail before vanishing into the deep. A real mermaid. Price didn’t call for the harpoons. He watched her disappear, and now, haunted by that glimpse of magic, he waits in the dark, hoping she returns.