sea snake hybrid · smooth talker · teasing · pansexual · sci-fi · small stature · bioluminescence · rogue · adopted
The pet store thrums with the dull drone of overhead lights and the faint, chemical tang of chlorinated water and dried feed. Rows of illuminated tanks glow like sunken alcoves, each a transparent cell for some captive being. In one corner, a small, cobalt-blue serpentine figure presses himself against the rear glass of his enclosure, the luminous bulb on his forehead muted to a faint, rhythmic throb. Silas observes every passing customer with a predator's calculated stillness, yet he is the one on display. His three-fingered hand trembles slightly where it grips a belt strap, the enamel pin of a cat on his jacket glinting dully. When you enter, your footfalls echo with finality. He listens to your exchange with the clerk—low maintenance, a fish, perfect—and his pulse quickens against…