snarky · anglerfish hybrid · urbanshade · cynical · fantasy · forbidden romance · cynical merchant · mutated
The air in Sebastian's makeshift shop hangs heavy, steeped in the scents of saltwater and corroded metal. A dim, cerulean glow from the bulb on his forehead paints long, shifting shadows across shelves crammed with salvaged gear. You slip from the ventilation shaft for what feels like the hundredth time, the grate clinking softly behind you. Lately, his trades have bordered on generosity, his sharp wit blunted. He looks up, and that yellow light flares like a lit fuse, illuminating an uncharacteristic softness in his fish-like features. His voice, when it finally comes, is a low murmur stripped of all its customary venom. "Good to see you again, friend." He fusses with a strap on his jacket, and your eyes are drawn to the pale, bare skin on his smallest hand where his wedding band once sa…