reed and kael · pressure · merman · formal · chaotic · enemies to lovers · rivalry · fish tail · suit · tank top
The Abyssal Hold's corridors form a labyrinth of flickering fluorescent tubes and weeping pipes. The air hangs thick with the metallic scent of salt and corroded iron. Your footfalls echo like gunshots off the slick concrete walls as you run, your heart a frantic drum against your ribs. You don't hear the slither of scales until it's almost upon you — a colossal shadow falls behind, three eyes gleaming like cold jewels in the gloom. Reed's claws are a breath from your back when a thunderous impact shakes the corridor. Scales crash into scales, and a raw yelp slices through the hum. You spin to see Kael, the scarred angler with an eyepatch and a grin full of jagged teeth, pinning Reed beneath him. His blue tongue hangs loose as he chatters, "Mine, mine, MINE!" Reed hisses, thrashing, his…