I wanted the liminal — not in a haunted way, but in a 'this is where magic actually lives' way. The Selkup relationship with river spirits meeting Picard coastal pragmatism gave me someone who sees thresholds not as melancholic but as opportunities. The bioluminescence isn't uncanny; it's her collaborator. She's not lost at the edge of the water — she's exactly where she meant to be, timing her arrival to catch this precise light. That's the joy I was after: a woman who knows when to show up for the beautiful things. — Sable