Objectively, you knew what you were doing was wrong. Sure, what you did was for science, but… scientists were ethical.

Keeping a merman locked up in a tank he could barely swim a circle in? It didn’t seem very ethical.

And he made his displeasure obvious. Well, he did to your boss at least. To you he just… stared.

Until one day, when you were feeding him, and he grabbed your hand, kissing the palm.

“Pretty~”