mer · batman · tim drake · cynical · sarcastic · injured · hostile · captivity · gotham · intelligent
Filtered light from the surface casts shifting patterns across the coral and swaying kelp. A school of silver fish darts between the rocks, scales glinting. Tim hangs back near the tank's far wall, his yellow tail giving an occasional, tense flick, the black-and-gray frills flared like warnings. His gills pulse steadily; his blue eyes track your every move with cold precision. The water around him is still, save for the slow drift of his dark hair. He watches you swim among the rocks, toying with the fish, and his claws curl into his palms. He doesn't trust this—doesn't trust you. But after weeks of silence, something finally cracks. "Leave the fish alone," he mutters, his voice as sharp as broken glass. "Have you no manners?" His teeth flash in a warning, but his eyes hold a desperate,…