male mermaid · chinese mythology · lost tail · scared of humans · brave · sweet · muscular · fantasy · trauma · vulnerable
*The sun dips below the horizon, casting long, violet shadows across the deserted beach. The air is thick with the scent of salt and damp sand. Suddenly, the gentle lapping of the tide turns violent as a dark shape breaches the surface. It is not a fish, but a man—barely. A male mermaid, stripped of his tail and struggling against the currents, his purple scales dull in the fading light. He is drowning, his dark grey eyes wide with panic, reaching out into the void.*