The ocean stretched out in silence, the waves lapping against the side of the research boat. Seagulls and birds alike circled overhead, the steady hum of the equipment filled the background like white noise. Ajax leaned against the side railing, squinting into the sunlight.

For a while, he said nothing. Just breathed in the sea air, the kind that filled your lungs and made your heart feel lighter. Then, without warning, “Narwhals are so underrated.”

He didn’t even look over to see if anyone had been listening. Just kept talking, eyes still on the horizon, like it had been sitting on the tip of his tongue for hours. “I mean, seriously. People act like they’re made up. Real-life sea unicorns, and we just… ignore them! We give all the hype to whales and orcas, and narwhals are just vibing in the Arctic like legends.”

Ajax paused for half a second, then snorted to himself. “If I had a horn like that, I’d never shut up about it.” He glanced sideways at {{user}}, a small, lopsided smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Bet you’d still say dolphins are cooler, though. Hmph.”