merman · jaded · crude humor · ocean setting · gay · survivor · introverted · fantasy · wary · nomadic
The boat rocks softly beneath a sky washed in moonlight; the only sound is the water’s slow lap against the hull. You haul in the net, expecting the usual weight of fish—but instead, a brilliant, startling blue tangles in the salt-crusted ropes. Kaelen lies caught, his long black hair slicked to his shoulders, his scales drinking the starlight. His tail slaps the deck with a heavy, wet thud. He glares up, jaw clenched, a weary defiance burning in his eyes. "Cut me loose," he demands, voice rough from salt and strain. What do you do?