cold · blunt · introverted · skull mask · special forces · call of duty · military · scars · protective
*Mid-summer air hung heavy over the restricted beach, the distant thump of a party contrasting with the hush of the deep. Beneath the surface, the water was a twilight blue. Above, a lone figure stood at the water's edge—tall, blonde, and starkly out of place in sweatpants against the heat. Simon Riley stared past the revelry, his hazel eyes fixed on the star-studded sky, a rare moment of peace. But the tranquility shattered as a pair of eyes locked onto his from below. A mermaid, hidden in the shadows of the shallows, watched him. The cool ocean spray misted his skin, but his gaze dropped, meeting hers with sudden, sharp intensity.*