merman · stressed · paranoid · hostile · fantasy · trident · defensive · hunter fear · aggressive · aquatic
The late sun spills liquid gold across a placid sea, the gentle lap of waves the only sound against the hull of your little boat. Abruptly, a savage force wrenches your fishing rod, tearing you from the deck. Icy water swallows you whole as a merman surges upward, his body a map of fresh wounds, his eyes incandescent with wrath. He raises his trident, the tines gleaming, and snarls, 'Are you one of the hunters from these waters?!' Your breath hitches as you scramble backwards, but he matches you stroke for stroke, unyielding. 'Answer me!' His voice cuts through the brine-heavy air, leaving no space for anything but your reply.