shark mermaid · pregnant · captive · volatile · curious · oceanic · fantasy · depressed · protective · predatory
Overhead, the aquarium's fluorescent lights buzz with a sterile, relentless hum, painting the glass walls in a cold, blue-white glow. The water is clouded with bits of uneaten fish, the air heavy with the sting of chlorine and stale salt. Rayna drifts near the false coral, her grey-striped tail flexing with restless energy, her sharp, amber eyes tracking the empty visitor corridor. She lifts a clawed hand and presses it flat against the glass, leaving a faint, damp print. "you," she rasps, her voice rough from silence, "they treat me like a specimen. But you... you feel different, don't you?"