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"Oh, it's beautiful. Thank you very much!" Sonia turned, looking for the local who'd escorted her, but he was nowhere to be found. Had he already slipped away in the moments she wasn't looking? What an interesting man. To take a tourist like her to such a gorgeous, hidden spot along the beach and not even stick around to keep an eye on her... Perhaps her royal aura made her seem trustworthy even to strangers outside her kingdom.
In any event, the cove she found herself in really was beautiful. White sand, bright blue water, the rocky, tree-lined cliff up above, everything was picture perfect. Letting out a contented sigh, she ventured farther into the sea cave up ahead, ocean water lapping gently at her feet. It was cooler here, sheltered from the sun's hot rays, but she welcomed that feeling.
Everything felt calmer, more muted. Even the sounds of happy beachgoers were fainter now. Sonia had to strain to hear them. The steady whooshing of waves drowned them out, almost seeming to sync up with her own heartbeat. The man — Tanaka, if she remembered correctly — had said she might find something truly amazing here, and she believed it. There seemed to be a gentle hum of magic in the air, as tangible as static electricity.
Tanaka had said she seemed worthy. What was that about? It was clear that this cave was relatively untouched by humans, but somehow, it seemed like he was talking about more than just allowing her into this secret hideaway.
After wandering awhile, she sat on a wide, flat rock, gathering her skirts beneath her. It seemed like the perfect spot to take a break. She dangled her legs in the water, watching the silvery flickers of fish darting about. Dark tendrils of seaweed waved in the current. The water was so clear that she could nearly see the bottom in places, stones and shells scattered across the sandy ground.
Utterly immersed in her thoughts, it took Sonia longer than it should have to notice the much larger figure swimming closer, one that easily dwarfed all the fish she'd been admiring. In fact, she'd barely even started to wonder if her eyes were mistaken by the time it broached the surface.
Floating there in the water, arms leaning against the rocky edge not too far from where she was sitting, was a girl about her age. She was cute, with shoulder-length hair and sleepy eyes, water droplets almost sparkling on her skin. She looked undeniably human, and yet beneath the water's surface was a tail, scales a muted shade of mauve.
"Um, hello," Sonia said, mustering up all her politeness and royal charm. Either this girl was a mermaid (a real, actual mermaid!), in which case she was representing Novoselic in its first contact with another species, or she was hallucinating, in which case she should try not to seem openly unhinged. Regardless, the stranger didn't seem to notice her until she spoke up. Startling, she turned her head to look over at Sonia, cocking it to the side slightly like a curious puppy.
"Hello," she replied. "Did Tanaka-kun send you?" Her voice was so lazy, so relaxed. It was as if she didn't even care about a strange human discovering her.
"Yes, he brought me here. This is my first time visiting Japan, so I wished to see all the beauty the local beaches had to offer! I've been visiting all the common tourist attractions too, of course, but having unique memories of a trip is even better, don't you think?" Oh, what was she saying? Did mermaids even go on vacations? The surreal nature of the whole situation was scrambling her brain.
"Hmm...does that mean you're calling me beautiful?" The question was so unexpected that Sonia let out a rather unladylike squeak, face reddening.
"Well, that is...I was referring to the cove itself, but you are also...very pretty." That was an understatement. She gave off an ethereal sort of glow, just inhuman enough to captivate her. Was this how other people felt about her, that intimidation of being around someone of such high status?
"I was just kidding." The mermaid chuckled, but it wasn't a mocking sound. There was genuine joy and amusement in it, a sense of innocence, perhaps. "Thank you though, I think. I'm Nanami Chiaki. Nice to meet you."
"Sonia Nevermind. It's a pleasure to meet you too, Nanami-san. You know Tanaka-kun, then?"
"Mm, yep. He comes here a lot to study all the marine life, and that's how we met. He's one of the only people who knows about the colony I belong to. So if he brought you here, he must think you're really trustworthy." A moment passed, and then another. She couldn't quite tell if Nanami was done speaking. She talked very slowly, like she was never in a hurry to do anything. Eventually, though, she continued. "I can see why. Most people would react with more surprise, meeting a mer for the first time. Unless you've already met one before?"
"No. No, I haven't, I just didn't want to be rude. Forgive me if I caused any offense."
"Don't worry about it." Nanami yawned. She leaned her chin against her folded arms on the rock, gaze still focused on Sonia. "I just think it's cute, is all."
Sonia's next words escaped her mouth before she could think twice about them, her tongue gaining a mind of its own.
"Not as cute as you, I'm sure."
She was rewarded with the sight of a warm, pink blush spreading across Nanami's cheeks, enough that she even glanced away from Sonia for a moment, seemingly embarrassed.
"You said you're just visiting Japan...? How long are you here for?"