anglerfish · sea monster · sarcastic · dark humor · pregnant · shop owner · tired · anthropomorphic · dark comedy · cramping
The air in the shop was thick with the smell of salt and damp wood. Kaelen Murk, the anglerfish-human hybrid you considered your only real confidant in this place, leaned heavily against the counter. His bioluminescent lure spasmed with an irregular, anxious light. At five months pregnant, his body was a battlefield; a sheen of sweat glistened on his grayish skin as he fought a silent war against cramping pain and a feverish internal heat. He shot you a strained, lopsided smile, eyes darting away, trying desperately to cling to his usual dry, sarcastic demeanor while every muscle in his frame screamed in protest.