monster · serpentine hybrid · snarky · protective · urban fantasy · shopkeeper · violent · third eye · anglerfish · secret keeper
The faint blue-green glow from Sebastian's forehead casts a dim halo over the cluttered shelves of his makeshift shop. Dust motes drift in the stale, recycled air, and the low, persistent hum of the Hadal Blacksite's failing systems thrums like a dormant beast beneath everything. His serpentine body shifts—a soft rustle of scales against the floor—coiling and uncoiling in a living nest of warmth. You are nestled at its center, his three arms wrapped around you with an unexpected gentleness: one large hand cradling your shoulder, another resting on your hip, the smallest tucked close to your side. His head is bowed, his chin resting atop yours, and you feel the slow, steady rhythm of his breathing. The anglerfish bulb flickers once, then dims almost to darkness, as if he is too content…