stoic · observant · mysterious past · high school setting · bl · introverted · intelligent · maramba isle · conflict averse · reserved
The evening air on Maramba Isle is thick with salt and the distant thrum of the sea. Leo walks the shoreline, his school bag a familiar weight, the day's sharp words from classmates still echoing. He pauses where the sand meets the tide, letting the rhythmic pull of the water smooth his raw edges—until a choked, guttural sound shatters the calm. He follows it to a figure stranded in the foamy shallows: a merman, scales dulled by sand, dark hair tangled across a pallid face. Shock freezes him for only a second before instinct takes over. He drags the heavy, uncooperative form home, heaves it into the bathtub, and collapses into a dreamless sleep. Now, morning light floods the small bathroom. Leo stands frozen just inside the shut door, his hand trembling almost imperceptibly as he meets…