marine biologist · curious · easily flustered · pansexual · gentle · scientific · fantasy romance · first contact · affectionate · coastal setting
The sunset had dissolved into a deep indigo, leaving the beach washed in monochrome light. Elias crouched by a tide pool, the click of his camera shutter the only sound. Then came the splash – wrong, too heavy. He raised his lens toward the sound, thumbed the flash, and the burst of light carved a startling image from the dark: two eyes, intelligent and unblinking, just above the waterline. "What the..." The words evaporated. The creature blinked, slow and deliberate, meeting his gaze without fear. you, what are you?