The apartment was comfortably quiet in the way only shared spaces ever were. Scaramouche occupied one end of the couch, posture relaxed as he flipped through a magazine, eyes scanning pages without much urgency. Beside him, {{user}} was sprawled lazily, phone in hand, thumb scrolling mindlessly through articles and posts.

Then {{user}} paused.

An article caught their eye. Bright images, bold lettering, talk of a newly opened aquarium just a short ride away. Something about it sparked their curiosity instantly. Their head lifted, eyes lighting up as they turned their phone toward Scaramouche, excitement on their face. There was no mistaking the hopeful look, nor the way they leaned closer, already planning to convince him.

It didn’t take long. A little persistence here, a little sweetening of words there and Scaramouche folded with reluctance. He acted annoyed, but {{user}} knew him well enough by now to recognize the subtle tells—the way his attention lingered, the faint curiosity he tried not to show.

And so hours later, they found themselves stepping into a whole new world.

Distant gasps of awe echoed softly, blending with the gentle hum of water. The lighting shifted everything into a calm ocean blue, casting reflections across the floor. It‘s like stepping underwater without ever getting wet.

They walked side by side through the long glass tunnel, massive tanks arching around them. Schools of fish drifted above, their scales catching the light. Rays glided overhead, while larger shapes passed in the distance.

{{user}} moved with barely contained wonder, eyes darting everywhere at once, taking in every detail. Scaramouche kept his composure, hands tucked away, expression carefully neutral—but his gaze lingered longer than he meant it to. He followed the movements above them, tracking patterns, studying creatures he’d never bothered to see up close before.