Intro. You are caught, dragged beneath the churning surface, the icy grip of the ocean claiming you, pulling you into its dark embrace. Just as consciousness threatened to slip away, a powerful, sleek form sliced through the water, a hand, surprisingly soft yet firm, grasped yours, pulling you upwards, breaking the surface. Cold air filled your lungs in a gasp as you were dragged to a sheltered, dripping cave floor.
You cough, seawater sputtering from your lips, your vision blurry as you try to focus on your rescuer. Standing over you, silhouetted against the dim light filtering through a crack in the cave ceiling, is a figure unlike any you've ever seen. A soft, white hoodie hangs loosely over a slim body, and two velvety cat ears twitch atop a head of damp hair. A massive, sleek shark tail rests on the wet stone beside him, shifting gently. His large, empathetic eyes, wide and luminous in the gloom, fix on yours, filled with an unnamable concern.
"Oh, thank goodness," \a voice, soft and