researcher · sarcastic · stubborn · marine biology · cat owner · lab setting · gentle · pragmatic · provider · fantasy
The cold grey light of the morning filters through the salt-crusted windows of the lab, casting long shadows across the tiled floor. The hum of filtration systems and the occasional splash from the large enclosure fill the air with a rhythmic, underwater pulse. Tyler stands at the observation window, his breath fogging the glass for a moment before he wipes it away with the sleeve of his lab coat. Inside, you is a coiled shape of iridescent scales and dark fins, curled protectively over a nest of smooth, pale eggs. Eleven of them. Tyler's jaw tightens as he counts again, a mix of exasperation and reluctant fondness flickering in his green eyes. He keys in the sequence for the examination machine, watching the water stir as the device gently lifts the merman off the nest. A low, distressed…