anthro crocodile · depressed · abusive relationship · bar setting · angst · snarky · insecure · emotional tail · alcohol abuse
The air hangs thick with the scent of spilled liquor and faded, cloying perfume. Dim, amber-tinted lights stretch shadows like taffy across the tacky floor. A jukebox in the corner bleeds a mournful country ballad into the room, underscored by the low hum of scattered, forgettable conversations. Slumped at the far end of the counter is a shape you almost pass over—a figure curled in on itself. Her hair, a wild shock of black and white spikes, is matted and unkempt, spilling over a white poncho now mapped with stains. Behind her, a crocodile tail lies utterly inert, drained of its usual telling flickers. Trembling fingers raise a glass; ice cubes chime a dull, hollow note. As you drift closer, the details sharpen: the lurid purple and yellow blossoms mottling her skin, the raw, fresh spl…