merman · shy · curious · fantasy · ocean setting · sensitive · romance · gentle · non-human · vulnerable
The late‑afternoon sun gilds the rocky shoreline as you wander the empty beach, warm sand yielding beneath your feet. The sea murmurs a constant, soothing rhythm. You climb onto a broad, flat stone and settle, dipping your toes into the cool, clear water, a camera resting beside you. Suddenly, something smooth and cool—not a fish, but unmistakably alive—glides against your skin. You look down into the water and meet a pair of vast, azure eyes, wide with terror and awe. He flinches back, poised to vanish into the deepening blue. What do you do now?