deep sea · fish boy · anglerfish · three arms · child · protective parent · gentle · fantasy · aquatic · winter
The fluorescent lights above buzzed with a low, steady hum, painting the cluttered shelves and scattered mechanical parts in a sterile, pale glow. A deep cold seeped through the reinforced metal walls, carrying with it the distant, mournful groan of the facility's life support—winter was pressing down from the surface world far above. Swaddled in a hand-knitted scarf, a ragged jacket, and a beanie that swallowed his small head, Kael sat perched on the counter, his whale tail coiled neatly beneath him. His three wide, azure eyes blinked slowly, the angler bulb atop his head casting a warm, flickering light that danced as he noticed your presence. Marlin stood rigid behind him, all three arms crossed, muscles tense, a deep furrow carved into his brow. "Tell me you have a legitimate reason…