Archive of Our Own ^beta

Growing up with no parents to tell her stories, Olivia had to find her own.

Of course, she always had her...hobby. And really, she loved it. Nothing got her going more than leaking a corporate secret or two, but at a younger age, a girl needed something more than hacking and scheming. Lucky for her, though, it was easy to find.

She was on a route out through Dorado, on a planned visit to Los Muertos having gone well, and so it was her time to head home. The sun had set a few hours ago, so tourists and the like had already headed back to their inns for a good night’s rest. Sombra’s day had hardly begun. Her little legs carried her through the sloped roads, hand running along the walls with posters and papers and the daily news catching her fingers. She hurried down the street, sighing at the boring silence, her tiny footsteps being all she had to listen to, so she decided to entertain herself with other senses.

She glanced around, trying to find anything to catch her eye and look at as she passed, when a square shape peeking out of a graffiti-graced dumpster took the job. She stopped and tilted her head at it, furrowing her brow and started forwards, the mystery item becoming clearer as she approached. She propped herself up on her toes and reached up to pull the book.

She lowered herself and looked down at the book, sniffling as she brushed the dust off of it. She squinted to see it in the dark. It was big, square and not very thick at all, but there was something appealing about its coral blue color and shimmering accents meant to represent scales that caught her ten-year-old-eye that prompted Olivia to take it home with her.

She was forever glad she did. When she wasn’t doing her “hobby”, she’d sit in her bed, sometimes upside down, and smile as she slowly flipped through the pages, beautiful illustrations of graceful mermaids with flowing, dark hair and sparkling black eyes approaching ships and shores and giving kisses to fishers and fisherman, and commanding the waves so gracefully. “Doncellas Del Mar” brought a hint of what a normal childhood would have been like for her, but she never longed for that. Sitting there, after her work was done, alone in her dark room with the mermaids was all she really needed.

And in her later years, they never really left. The book sat by her bed as it always had, well-kept, with not a single tear in the page, her hands so gentle when she read it as a girl. But she wasn’t a girl anymore, and there was so much more going on in her life than just giving leaked info to whoever wanted it (or really, whoever could pay for it). Now she had something she wanted.

She rummaged about her room, gathering what she needed for the day. Unlike most other days, she didn’t need too much techy stuff or documents anything like that. Just a card (a falsified one, obviously), a loose-fitting lab coat she got her hands on, and her backpack, carrying a water bottle, a few extra snacks, a map of the facility, a set of car keys, wallet, passport, change of clothes, and the mermaids laced into the book pages.

She slipped on a pair of sandals, ran a hand with purple-painted nails through her messy purple-dyed hair, smoothed out her ruffled tank top and started out the door of her home, hopping into a pickup truck that she drove out of the streets of Castillo.

Whoever wanted anything from her could wait- this was a little personal expedition that decided it would matter to her the second she picked up the book from a place where she had concluded long ago that it absolutely did NOT belong there. Whatever kid or parent thought it’d be a good idea to throw it out, Olivia hoped they were living their worst life, as petty and childish as it may be (it didn’t really matter, but the thought of someone suffering because they threw out a mermaid book amused her). She glanced at the bag that held the book in the passenger’s seat, but quickly turned her attention back to the road.

One plane ticket to Florida in the USA, blessed with shimmering waters all around it, perfect for what was there. Olivia wasn’t going there to stay, but she couldn’t live her whole life not seeing what was promised to be there. Merely the thought of it drove her absolutely crazy. Just a glimpse and she would be satisfied (albeit, was not the way she normally rolled, but this was different from anything she’d ever seen or done. It mattered more).

Every minute that took her closer sent a chill through her spine. She could hardly contain her excitement when she was in the plane, flying over beautiful waters, and it all just became more and more, especially when she set her first step on Florida ground. The sun beat down on her, which, if judging by her alias counted, was something she didn’t exactly like. It couldn’t really bother though, as if it felt like she was walking on air with every movement that brought her closer. Or..swimming through air. Whichever analogy fit.

And when she was finally there looking up at the repurposed aquarium, it’s tall, sleek features holding promises of something wonderful inside, she had to take a few moments to sit on the sidewalk and compose herself. She rested her arms on her knees, back to the building.

No big deal, right? Just walk in, get a good look, say it's lunch break, walk out, and never see it again. Ever. Except maybe on the television or something. Whatever, it didn’t matter. It couldn’t matter. She groaned, rubbing her temples. Things never mattered so much to her, and when it finally did, it sucked ass.

With an invigorating huff, and a good violent shake of her head, Olivia stood, brushing her pants off and walking briskly into the building, the fish-shaped sign on the top obviously outdated, due to the aquarium residents being a bit different than the various fish prior to a recent discovery. She pulled her fake, oversized lab coat back above her shoulder before it slipped completely off, and gazed around the aquarium foyer. It was as beautiful as ever.

The walls around her opened up to be circular, the room stretching all the way to a glass ceiling. Circular floors interrupted a few times midway through, always stopping just enough to be balconies. In the very center, a giant, cylinder tank, sitting with corals and no more fish life in it. All the fish had been cleared out and moved to other aquariums months ago, Olivia knew, but it was still unsettling to see such a large tank be so still, shimmering aquatic life missing from its waters. Minus the corals, of course, but to be fair they didn’t move around as much as fish.

In the doorway where she stood there was a little checkpoint where people- mostly student groups and such- got their wristbands to enter the facility. She stood there, behind the metal rotating bars, tapping her foot impatiently. She glanced over to the far side of the foyer, her amusement sparking at the sign of what was a gift shop, now an entire lab, complete with large water samples, boards everywhere with intelligent scribbles all over them, diagrams, files, and it looked just about to be a researcher’s messy office times ten. All the information sitting there pulled Sombra towards it, but she quickly reminded herself that wasn’t what she was there to see.

She wasn’t interested in the science of it, she just wanted to see it with her own two eyes. A relieved sound left her lips when she saw a figure rush towards her, adjusting his glasses. He was large and hulking and fairly hairy, but his posture and the way he held his glasses when he ran conveyed easily that he was a researcher, just like the rest. As he got closer, Olivia glanced quickly down to see his nametag resting on the pocket of his lab coat (it read Dr. Winston with no first initial, which struck Olivia as odd) before she quickly looked back up and gave her best fake smile to the man.

“Uh, hello”, he greeted awkwardly, with a friendly wave. “Are you- well it seems pretty obvious you are, haha- uh, name? Your name- identification too, please”.

Wow. A social wreck, much? Olivia resisted a snicker at his expense.

Olivia pulled her fake ID from her back pocket and handed it to him, still smiling pleasantly. “Dr. Ximena Castillo”, she introduced, the most legitimate information in the ID being “Castillo”, in a way. “I’m supposed to be working here to help take care of the subjects”.

“Right..”, he said, his voice low as he examined the ID. “Well, I didn’t get a notice about anyone new coming in today, but this all seems to be in order. You’re probably gonna want to check in with Dr. O’Deorain and Dr. Zielger first before you get started, though”.

“Thanks- uh…”

“Winston”, he finished politely, nodding.

“Winston”, she echoed, feigning her friendly demeanor. “Got it. Where would they be, exactly?”

“Probably in the back of the front lab”, he replied, pointing a large finger to the repurposed gift shop. “If not there, I bet someone’ll be in there to tell you where they went”.

Olivia gave him another quick thanks and turned on her heel to rush to the lab, shoving her ID back in her pocket. She ran a hand through her hair as she walked inside, gazing around. It was...definitely more of a mess up close. She stretched out for a second as she strolled in, taking a few, long, subtle gazes at the files scattered around the tables. The tiles forming the floor were pastel blues and pinks, and the walls were white with shapes of fish and other marine life protruding out in various ocean-y colors, and illustrations of waves along the base. It pleasantly reminded her of her book, safely nestled in her backpack.

“Hellooo?” she called as she approached the back, impatience worming its way back in. “Anybody home?”

Suddenly there was a clattering sound from the back and a couple of voices chattering swiftly, almost as if in a quick disagreement, before a woman stepped out from behind a tall, crowded shelf of boxes of research papers. The woman wore a black turtleneck and loose jeans- her pale blonde hair was tied into a messy bun, and her eyes showed perhaps a good lack of sleep. A small, silver ring sat on her finger.

“Oh, hello- you must be new here”, the woman noted, glancing at Olivia’s coat. “I’m Doctor Angela Ziegler; and you are?”

“Doctor Ximena Castillo”, Olivia responded, reaching out to shake Angela’s hand. “I’m here to help take care of things around here”.

“Of course”, Angela said, turning back as if she was looking for something, shaking her head, then turning back to Olivia. “Nobody told me someone new was coming today, but honestly, nobody really tells me anything”, she added with a tired chuckle, but her smile dropped as she cleared her throat. Olivia gave her a sideways smile, trying her best to not look off-put.

“Well, I’m busy dealing with some paperwork, but I’m sure Dr. O’Deorain can get you acquainted. Just give me one second”, she said quickly, moving a few blonde locks from her face. With that, she turned back and headed behind the shelves, and Olivia heard a door click. It was another good moment before the door clicked again, and instead of Angela, another woman emerged.

This one had no lab coat, but it was apparent she worked there, as she did look quite professional, and a good bit less bedraggled than her counterpart. The tall woman wore a black button-up with the sleeves rolled up, and her bright ginger hair was slicked back, and her heterochromatic eyes stared down at Olivia. Maybe intimidating wasn’t the right word, but her presence wasn’t quite as easy to find amusement in as Winston or Angela.

“Dr. Castillo, Angela said?” the woman prompted, her long, bony hands curling under her chin in contemplation.

“That’s right”, Olivia confirmed, not letting her speech or eye contact or anything falter. She was just there for a quick visit- she was already at the point where it was near impossible to get her caught, anyway. In fact, the place had been easier to get into than she initially expected. A semi-scary woman was nothing. Right? Right.

“Alright, then. Let me get you your papers and map of the facility”, she sighed, her tone absolutely littered with “I would rather be doing literally anything else”. Good for Olivia, though. It’d get things done quicker, and hopefully there would be less probing into anything personal.

It wasn’t long before Moira set several documents in Olivia’s hand (as she did so, Olivia noticed a ring not dissimilar to the one Angela wore, which piqued her curiosity). “That top paper is a map to the facility. The subjects all sort of just swim around so there unfortunately aren't any designated locations for them. But, if you want to encounter them quicker I suggest going to the back tanks in the deeper marine life section. You’ll know you’re there once you go through a tunnel below a tank. They like swimming around there. There are several spots where you can climb up and access the tanks from the top.

“They generally don’t need much; we have food stored in the cafeteria, and if they need anything medically you can always try and deal with it or just fetch a doctor. Please try not for it to be me or Angela, though, we’re incredibly busy. Angela enjoys the medical side so she might be available but I wouldn’t come to her first. Try to keep a checklist just so we can communicate who was taken care of. Any questions?”

Olivia blinked, taking in the intense splurge of information. “Uh...yep”, she said, nodding. “Nope, I got it. Thanks”.

“Not a problem”, Dr. O’Deorain said dismissively, and turned to go back into her back room.

Okay. Back tanks. Opening the map, Olivia took the locations in. The back tanks were beyond the foyer, through the cafeteria, past a theatre section, by a place called “Stingray Hideaway” and the “Rock Pools”. Then, through a hall section which must be the aforementioned tunnel, finally there was a place called “Nautilus Depths”, with a little “schooling ring” in a circular center. It was obvious the map was for the aquarium before it was repurposed, as all the intended creatures to see were long gone from the place by now.

As the doctor left, Olivia gave in to her snooping instincts and briskly made her way over to a far shelf, quickly browsing through some files. Diagrams mostly, of how they worked. Olivia was surprised at how starkly similar they were to her book, despite a good few differences. She had always assumed, realistically, they would be much different (or really, not exist at all), but all the papers before her, and even the very place she was in proved those sentiments to be wrong.

Many had called it a hoax or conspiracy when first mentions of the merpeople came in. Olivia didn’t blame them- it all seemed too crazy to be true. Olivia, however, knew fake news when she saw it. That, and the small childish spark that remained in her begged reality for it to be true. And it was.

They were all more beautiful than she’d imagined. Her book always sent her imagination into its deepest musings, but now there was no more to imagine. Well, there would be no more once she truly saw them. The influx of the creatures was sudden, and there wasn’t much humanity could do on such short notice that wasn’t simply taking them in and learning as much as they could. Of course, the people of the world became fearful. Humans always did when something new arrived, so the research part, while grand in its findings, was small in relative direct scale. People would find merfolk and try to talk to, sometimes capture, sometimes bribe and bait all to learn more. Books were published, interviews were broadcast, worldwide news trended for weeks, all done in the span of about half a year.

With them, the Florida facility- where she was right now- was founded. Trying their best in the most peaceful, humane way they could think of to research and learn more about the creatures. Books and reports showed that while there was a significant barrier, understanding wouldn’t be hard to achieve. With that, researchers were called from across the globe to understand the phenomenon. This repurposed aquarium was the home of that study, and ever since Olivia heard of it, she knew it was where she needed to go.

And she was finally there.

Anticipation and energy bubbled in every step as she approached the Nautilus Depths, despite her keen ability to keep a cool face. She carried a fair amount of papers with her that she decided she’d have to set down somewhere out of concern for them getting too wet and her having to wander the aquarium without a map. When she finally arrived at the entrance tunnel, she could feel her heart fluttering with every beat. She stepped in, the tile floor reflecting the ripples of the water that shone above, blanketing the space in a blue light. Near the far tops of the tank, she could see a few figures dart by, but all too far away to try and make contact with if they didn’t see her.

She stepped to the side and crouched, setting all her papers down on a simplistic bench by the transparent wall. She then sat back up and ran her hand along the glassy surface, a smile curling at the edges of her lips. Eventually, she made it through the tunnel, and arrived in a place where the light grew dimmer.

A few circular lights sat on the ceiling, but they were far from bright. Most of the lighting came from the tanks, all of it being bluer and deeper than the tunnel she just came from. The tunnel curled into walls stretching around the room in vast tanks, the waters dark save for a few glowing, swirling decorations meant to mimic bioluminescence, including faux algae, littered along the lower walls and the ground of the tanks. The intended aesthetic was surely achieved- Olivia did feel, after all, as if she was venturing into uncharted depths.

The real unfamiliarity, though, graced her vision, its light blue glow reflected in her widening eyes, staring at it through a large, circular tank labeled to be the schooling ring at the center of the room. She’d never felt her heart skip so many beats.

Whoever she was, she was astonishingly beautiful. Olivia had always expected her first encounter of a creature that made her childhood magical to be breathtaking, but this was beyond anything she could have expected.

The mermaid floated in the center of the large tank, brushing out her long, silky black hair. Her tail was long, blue and shimmering, her fins flowing and graceful like fabric. Markings decorated her skin, lines of waving, curling blue patterns along her stomach, cheeks and arm. The other arm was shining and golden, with embedded jewels. Large earrings hung off of her web-like ears, her eyes a piercing yellow. Jewelry sprawled across her torso and head, giving the impression that she was a treasure just discovered.

The mermaid looked Olivia’s way, and she knew her previous plans of simply coming and going were now obsolete.

Like a fool, Olivia stood there, mouth hanging open like a codfish, hands pressed firmly to her sides. She stood before the tank, still as stone. The mermaid was still as well, but not quite so much in an awestruck way. It was more that she was analyzing every piece of Olivia, and Olivia hated that feeling and loved it at the same time, along with a million other emotions clashing and swimming around in her chest in a panicked flurry.

She sat dumbly there for a moment before the mermaid spoke.

“Well? I believe you humans often say it is rude to stare”, she said, breaking the silence, her voice deep and rich and smooth and perfect.

Olivia stood there for a few moments more, her voice trying to prompt a sentence from her brain, but there was nothing to be found. “I-...you- you talk…”, she said finally, internally cursing at herself for the idiotic statement.

“Yes. It is rather easy to pick up considering how often you all speak”, she replied, slowly drifting closer in the water.

What was this? Olivia was never at a loss for words- she never could be. One sight of this mermaid and she was suddenly incapable of speech? She closed her eyes for a moment, rendering her thoughts, resisting the urge to simply stare at her striking beauty.

“Yeah, I guess you got us there”, she responded, a cool sensation of relief rushing through her at her regained ability to form coherent sentences. “Uhm...I’m Olivia. I’m new here”.

Damn. She wasn’t Olivia in the lab- she was SUPPOSED to be Ximena. And yet, giving the mermaid a false name seemed almost...inappropriate, to say the least.

“Olivia. A pretty name”, the mermaid commented, which made Olivia want to squeal. “Fortunate, for you humans- your names aren’t entirely bad when they’re not of the redundant variety”.

“What’s...what’s your name?” Olivia probed, immediately praying the question wasn’t rude (and proceeding to be startled by her own concern).

“Satya”.

Why was everything about her wonderful? Even her name sent a shuddering chill down Olivia’s spine. “Satya. It’s...nice to meet you, Satya. I’m supposed to be here to help take care of all of you”.

“Hm”, Satya hummed simply, then turned away. “Well, if that is your job, I suppose you can fetch me some food”.

Olivia almost felt the cold tone of Satya emanating from the tank, but she elected to ignore it in turn for some banter. “Alright. Any preferences? I don’t know if there’s a “refined taste” for mermaids, but I think you would have it”.

Satya looked over her shoulder, only her eyes being visible to Olivia as her hair swayed in the water in response to the movement of her head. The mermaid’s gaze narrowed, almost as if she was reading and intimidating Olivia at the same time.

“No”, she answered after a good moment, turning back to face away. “No, I have no preferences at the moment”.

Olivia scratched the back of her head, slightly perplexed. “Okayy. Well, I’ll be right back. Try not to drift anywhere or anything”, she said in a quick bidding of farewell, and dashed out into the tunnel. The moment she was out of Satya’s view, she leaned against the glassy wall and clutched her chest, sliding down the wall until she was sitting on the floor, her violet eyes wide.

Okay, so, she just met a mermaid. And the mermaid happened to be the prettiest, most wonderful, breathtaking, perfect thing she’d ever seen. So much so that she inhibited Olivia’s personal strong point: talking. Were all the merpeople like this? A train of thought led her down the path of ‘yes’, but a strong feeling in her heart quickly protested that none could be like her, which was an interesting stance to take considering she hadn’t met any other merfolk in person. And yet...there was just something about her.

A first look shouldn’t be such a deciding factor, but the moment Olivia laid eyes on her, it was like the love she felt from reading “Doncellas del Mar” every night had multiplied by the hundreds. She wanted to shake it off and go by the original plan, but it was now an apparent fact in her mind that the original plan was simply not going to be the case anymore. And, despite the sentiment making her lip curl, there was a deeper, stronger part of her that loved the preventing factor. And really, what wasn’t to love?

Albeit, reaching her ideal point was going to be more difficult than she’d initially imagined.

Spending time with a mermaid wasn’t the issue. It was never going to BE the issue, of course, as every moment spent with her seemed like a chimerical wonder out of her childhood musings. The hard part was going to be getting the mermaid to like her.

Once Olivia had brought back the food, Satya ate it in silence, back turned to the human, hardly interested in interaction. Olivia didn’t mind- it was the first visit, after all. So, later on, once she’d figured she’d done enough to feign having a job at the place, she returned, chest buzzing with a bursting mix of various, mostly positive emotions.

“Did I happen to insult you earlier?” Olivia questioned, leaning against the wall of the tank, holding a bag of food for dinner. “My sincerest apologies if I did, I’m not exactly used to working with lovely creatures such as yourself”.

In response, Satya angled her nose away as it curled. “I’m not surprised by your behavior. Humans are often direct, but you have a very abrupt and apparent method of introduction regarding your fondness to me”.

“Uh, elaborate, please?”

“Your attraction”, Satya huffed, sharply turning to look straight at Olivia. “It is written on every possible indicator from you. The way you stare, your incessant movements in your arm, and simply the bold energy you emanate. Not to mention your extreme overcompensation to hide those in attempts to be “cool” and “suave”. Humans hold no subtlety at all, but you’re the first I’ve seen who is so explicit”.

Explicit? That had to be wrong, Olivia was NEVER explicit. If you asked her, she was the opposite of explicit. She was mysterious and cunning and totally not the type you could read like a book. SHE was the reader and the others were...the..books. In any case, Satya’s response elicited a surprised blink from her.

“Okay, so, I have an attraction. Forgive me if that’s...upfront, but I’m not gonna lie and say you don’t catch my eye”.

Satya raised her eyebrows, her golden eyes focusing in on Olivia like a beam, which ALMOST made Olivia react physically. She knew how to keep it under wraps, though, even if the mermaid might claim otherwise.

Satya stared for a long while, and Olivia felt the back of her neck getting a little sweaty before the mermaid’s glare let up, and she looked just beside Olivia, fins folding in. “Foolish”, she mumbled, before abruptly turning and swimming off.

It was definitely weird, but it gave Olivia the distinct feeling she was getting somewhere. Where exactly she didn’t quite know yet, but at least it was something. So, the next day, she came back with even more determination than the last.

She strolled into the Nautilus tanks, styrofoam food containers tucked safely in her arms, her usual smug grin plastered on her face as her consistent default expression. Hard for a cold mermaid to read THAT beyond what it was, she was sure. Arriving at the area, Olivia mused internally about how she enjoyed the darkness of it. It aligned with her alias at least.

“Buenos días, hermosa”, Olivia greeted in a pleasant hum, lifting the box to present it to Satya.

“Well, if it isn’t the smitten scientist”, Satya remarked, turning her head to the woman.

“Smitten? Of course. Scientist? Not really”, Olivia said, sighing as she sat before the tank. “More of a helper, really. Hey- Don’t you ever leave this place? This set of tanks, I mean”.

“It is dark. And quiet”, Satya responded, narrowing her gaze at Olivia as she said the ‘quiet’ part. “And I like it that way. It’s the closest to the ocean, at least. Despite how hard you humans try to imitate it, these “aquariums” are nowhere near the majesty of home”.

“Oh? And what was home like?”

“Nothing that concerns YOU, human”, Satya said quickly, giving her signature cool glare. “In any case, it’s near impossible for me to return at this point, so there’s little point in reminiscing while trying to adapt to this environment”.

Olivia found it intriguing, but she was a professional at getting information. Which, in turn, meant she knew when to stop asking questions and save them for later. Progress was all she was really looking for, anyway, but there was something beyond the mermaid’s origins that intrigued her.

There was this icy barrier around Satya- the mermaid obviously didn’t want to socialize in a friendly manner with any human, or maybe anyone at all. Olivia wanted to make herself available- finding out HOW to do that was going to be the hard part. She pinched her brow as, after a quick moment of silence, Satya swam away, denying food once again. And so, Olivia did her best to shrug it off, walking away from the Nautilus Depths.

The next few days, at least, Olivia could tell she was wearing Satya down. She’d pop by even beyond meals with various bullshit excuses, most of which Satya caught on to but never denied her for. While not exactly friendly, Satya wasn’t as prone to swimming away. A lengthy conversation on Olivia’s home (she had no problems describing the pretty scenery of Castillo) proved to her that a new bond was being molded, which pricked at her excitement. She wasn’t wrong to think she’d just have to wait it out and wear Satya down, but in terms of really getting to know the mermaid, Olivia found herself in a rut.

And, as she had deduced from years of practice, the only way to get out of a rut was to shake things up a bit.

In any case, it was easy to say Satya was certainly surprised when Olivia showed up in scuba gear. Olivia proudly noticed that the mermaid had to hide her amusement when she approached, clad in a green diving suit, complete with flippers that made redundant “flip-flopping” sounds against the floor as she walked.

“You look ridiculous”, Satya commented, approaching the wall of the tank.

“Really? Thanks! It’s what I was going for”, Olivia responded, running a hand through her purple-streaked hair.

Satya rolled her golden eyes. “And...what exactly is this for, might I ask?”

“To swim with you, of course! You always look so lonely in that tank all by yourself. I figured I’d give you some company!”

Satya scoffed, reeling back a bit from the glass. “I am not lonely. I rather enjoy this solitude, actually”.

Olivia raised a brow at her. She sighed, strutting forwards, the getup not really supporting more of a serious tone, and she leaned a shoulder against the wall to support her weight. “Satya, just because you can somehow read me doesn’t mean I can’t read you back. You, mi amiga, absolutely scream that you need company”.

“I was not screaming”.

“Metaphorically! I mean, you know, a friend. Not some random lab helper that shows up every day a lot and bugs you”, Olivia continued, shaking her head as she lifted off the glass and rounded around to a raised platform leading to a dropoff into the tank, around the back. Satya followed her in the water as she spoke.

“I mean, tell me you’re not lonely all you want. But until I REALLY see that you’re not lonely, and I mean really really see it, I’ll do my best to fill the position”.

Satya sat for a moment, looking up at her through the top of the water, before sighing, looking to the side. “Very well. Take a dip, then, and we’ll see how it goes”, she eventually said, with a bit more of a playful tone than Olivia was expecting. Well, she’d take what she could get.

Dropping the scuba mask over her eyes, Olivia let herself drop into the water, feeling a shiver ripple through her nerves as the coolness of it blanketed her skin. She glanced over to see Satya floating comfortably in the water, gazing expectantly at her, which made Olivia take a nervous gulp.

“Not so talkative since you can’t breathe here, hm?” Satya inquired, swimming up to her.

Olivia glanced down. The mermaid’s features were even more beautiful up close, the scales on her tail and torso and face shimmering in a delicate symphony. Her silky black hair drifted forwards in a secondary motion, approaching as if it could envelop Olivia. The jewels decorating various parts of her were only second to her deep, golden, calculating, cold, mysterious, beautiful eyes.

They held their gazes for a moment before Satya pushed back, drifting away from Olivia in a quick motion before whipping around and swimming off at an unexpected speed. Olivia blinked in surprise and paddled forwards in hot pursuit, her speed and graze not even matching half of what Satya swam with. Satya headed through the back way, to the outer Nautilus tanks and out to the entrance tunnel, its space making it seem much broader and less intimate than the central tank back in the Depths. The water and lights were brighter, and the ripples reflecting on their skins were more rapid as they swam by, disturbing the stillness.

Olivia swam and swam, her muscles aching to keep up with Satya once they had finally reached around the middle of the tunnel. Olivia had to quickly paddle back and slam to a halt as Satya whipped around. It seemed like only a split second before the human and the mermaid were face-to-face, their noses barely an inch away from each other. Olivia froze.

A long, long moment. Olivia’s mind almost drifted to how Satya seemed to like those, but the mermaid’s gaze bore into her, preventing any further thoughts beyond their locked eyes. She could feel her heart thumping in her chest, and her thoughts were simultaneously rushing like a current and as still as the waters back in the Nautilus Depths. She clenched her fists and swallowed.

Satya ducked her head and let out a low, quiet hiss. “Why are you like this?”

“Mmhmmmhm?” Olivia responded confusedly.

“Like this”, Satya huffed, her volume rising as she motioned with her golden arm to Olivia. “Your...emotions,

“They’re too strong. Every time you come to see me I feel them. They radiate off of you like sunlight and It’s almost impossible to ignore. Your feelings approach me through the water and I can’t shake them off no matter how hard I try. You ask me impertinent questions about my home and who I was, and with any other human I would deny them speaking to me ever again. But you...You’re just...I’ve never felt anything like this from any of your kind before”.

Olivia sat there in silence, but it wasn’t like she had much else of a choice. However, she had a pricking sensation of trying not to look stupid when the mermaid was so close.

And even so, Satya grew closer. Her delicate hand reached towards Olivia’s oxygen tube at her mouth, stopping and hovering over it just before she got there, her lips parted. She then looked down, contemplation swimming behind her gaze, before she lowered her hand.

To Olivia’s surprise, however, the mermaid leaned forwards still, just enough to give Olivia a gentle peck on the cheek. She felt her heart almost explode in her chest as Satya’s lips made contact, her warmth a welcome difference from the cool waters.

It was brief- all too brief- before Satya pulled away, curling her hand in, her hair floating in and shielding her gorgeous face. Warmth graced her cheeks, the emotions obviously all too overwhelming to allow her to look back into Olivia’s eyes. Silence fell over the mermaid before she cleared her throat and swam past Olivia, back into the Nautilus Depths.

Olivia smiled.

The next few days, while slow, were enjoyable enough for Olivia to have her constantly look forward to the next day while waiting in her hotel room. She could tell Satya’s icy exterior was slowly melting away the more and more they interacted, and the attraction was no longer being swept under the rug, to Olivia’s relief. While a bit jarring to know that the mermaid was inclined to know what Olivia was feeling as opposed to literally anyone else, Olivia figured she was grateful that it WAS Satya and not anyone else.

Despite that, though, Olivia’s will to know more about Satya in turn grew.

It was nearing the time Olivia had to leave, so she approached the Nautilus Depths with a couple of small boxes in hand. Really, she wasn’t completely informed on how mermaids took to things like cupcakes, but if Satya couldn’t have it, that just meant more for her. Satya approached the wall of the tank as usual, and drifted to the top when Olivia ascended to the dropoff. She sat on the metal platform as Satya’s head surfaced, smiling down at her.

“Hey”, Olivia greeted casually, opening the cupcake box and setting it down for Satya to observe. “Brought you something, bella”.

“What is this?” Satya replied, shooting a skeptical eye at the baked good, lifting herself further over the water to reach the box.

“Just a sweet treat. They’re popular amongst humans”, Olivia said, resting on her side against the cool metal of the dropoff platform. “It’s really sugary, though, so it’s cool if you don’t like it”.

“Hm”, Satya grunted simply, gently taking a piece of the cupcake.

“I like the food here, but it’s different from home”, Olivia sighed, rolling onto her stomach as Satya tried it.

“I’ll have to say the same”, Satya responded, glancing up as she thought about the taste. “There’s much more of..well, what you would call seafood, obviously. But all in all I suppose our appetites aren’t too different from you humans. I am able to eat your food, after all”.

“I’m betting it’s still a lot different though. Uh- not the food, obviously. But your home in general”.

“Yes. I’ll give credit where it’s due: your kind has a knack for capturing ambience and aesthetics. But the authenticity is...not quite there”, she said, gazing around at the tanks surrounding them.

“So why did you come?”

“It was not voluntary. I...lost my way. Home is miles from here, and when I found myself here it was these humans who took me in. I’ve wanted to leave for a long time now, but I see no way out. Suppose I was able to find a way to simply get through your doors- getting through this place in time to where I’m not dehydrated or caught would be a different story”.

Olivia glanced down, resting her head on her palm. “Did you really like your home?”

“Yes. It was lovely…”, Satya responded quietly, letting her hand make tiny waves in the water. “Peaceful. Orderly. Bioluminescence and crystals were everywhere- so there was always a calming light. And it certainly wasn’t as sterile as it is here”.

The mermaid gently shook her head. “Perhaps I’ll return someday. But I don’t see it in the near future”.

Olivia let the quiet hang in the air, her gaze darting a bit on the floor as she found herself deep in thought. She really shouldn’t...who knows what could happen if she said it out loud? But Satya had opened up to her, and she didn’t want to know her without the mermaid knowing her as well. It was a feeling she wasn’t used to at all, but it was easy to say there was something different about her. Something Olivia had already identified, and thus something Satya had most likely identified as well.

“I’m not really a helper, you know. I don’t REALLY work here”, she said softly, dipping a finger into the water.

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I came here..just because I wanted to see you. Your kind, anyway. I’ve always loved mermaids ever since I was little. But...I couldn’t bring myself to leave. Not after I met you”. Olivia said all this in a near whisper, her gaze traveling slowly upwards until it met Satya’s.

“Is it dangerous for you to be here?”

“If I get caught, yeah. Which, I don’t really get caught, but...I’ve never put this kind of information out in the open before. I guess we’ll see if I get lucky. But, with how things usually go for me, I’m sure I’ll be fine”.

“I hope so”, Satya breathed, resting her arms on the platform, leaning in. “You were right, you know. I needed company. And you’re very good at that”.

Olivia smirked at her. “See? I told you so”.

Satya smiled, her eyes narrowing as the edges of her mouth curled up into a pleasant grin. Olivia’s heart fluttered, and Satya huffed in amusement.

They sat there for a moment longer before Olivia sat up with a grunt. “Well, I need to do my “job”. Mind if I come back one more time before I leave for tonight once I’m done?”

“I don’t mind at all”, Satya hummed, running a delicate finger along her cheek.

Olivia waved a quick goodbye before hurrying down the steps and out of the Nautilus Depths, determined to fake progress as quickly as she could to get back to Satya, but she didn’t get too far before she found Angela standing in the touch pools room, clipboard in hand. She was looking off, but the minute she looked over at Olivia, she knew she’d been expected.

“Uhh...hi”, Olivia greeted awkwardly, giving the doctor a wave. “What’s up?”

“I’ve been looking for you, Ximena. Would you follow me to my office?” Angela greeted back, with a pleasant enough tone that felt a bit too off for Olivia to buy.

“Sureee”, she replied warily, heading after Angela as she led them out of the tanks, into the foyer, through the research room and into the offices. No Moira to be found, which, if Olivia was being honest, was at least slightly comforting, but she definitely got weird vibes from Angela anyway.

“So”, Angela started, setting her clipboard down on a messy counter before she turned to Olivia, “I am going to be direct with you. I know you falsified information”.

Olivia felt her heart drop into her stomach. That quickly?! She had JUST told Satya who she really was- was Angela watching her on the cameras? If so, VERY creepy. But, as much as Olivia wanted to deny it, she knew there wasn’t much room for her to worm her way out of it, if at all.

“Yeah. But I haven’t done anything bad”, Olivia huffed, arching her brows. “In fact, I’ve actually helped a bit”.

“I know. Which is why I’m not calling security to have you thrown out right now”, Angela said coldly, crossing her arms. “But this can’t be ignored. This is an official facility- what you did was highly illegal. I’ll cut you a deal, Olivia”.

Olivia. Of course. She’d told Satya her name at the beginning and hadn’t even thought about it. Angela must have seen that through security, and she had her time to put two and two together, probably researching Olivia, too. She felt her stomach twist at the realization, immediately scolding herself for the carelessness. Olivia simply lifted her chin to indicate she was listening.

“You leave now. Don’t come back here or even in the parking lot of the lab again, and nothing will be pressed against you. Dr. O’deorain and I are the only ones who know. Comply with this and we won’t have to tell anyone”.

“You can’t”, Olivia blurted out, much to her surprise. Pretty much no thought proceeded that, and Olivia took a quick moment to register what she said. Closing her eyes for a second, she decided to roll with the honesty. “Please. I meant to leave a long time ago- I only kept coming back for...for Satya”.

Angela gave Olivia an intrigued look, but said nothing to let her continue.

“Really, all I wanted to do was see the merpeople. But I started talking to Satya and I couldn’t stop. I’ve never felt this strongly about anything...anyone before. All we’ve been doing is spending time together- that’s it. And that’s all I want”.

“Even if what you were saying was true, which I don’t doubt, it doesn’t change the fact that you lied on something you definitely shouldn’t have”.

Olivia took a shuddering breath. “I know. But after everything...I can’t just leave”.

Olivia could have sworn she saw a flash of pity in Angela’s expression, but if she had, it was swiftly masked.

“I’m sorry, Olivia. But your options here are limited. You can leave now and be safe, or I’ll be forced to take more unfortunate actions”.

Olivia felt sorrow tug at her heartstrings, but it was certainly not the time to show it. “Fine”, she grumbled, turning to the door. “I’ll get my stuff”.

“I’ll see you out”, Angela said, walking just behind Olivia as she exited the office.

Hours later, as the sun was approaching being ready to set, Olivia sat on the end of her hotel bed, hands pressed into her hair. She tapped her foot on the white carpeted floor, mind racing, violet eyes glued to the ground.

Angela had cut her a good deal, right? Under normal circumstances it was probably the best she’d get. But circumstances weren’t normal. She’d promised Satya she’d come back, and after everything, she couldn’t just leave unannounced.

The thing that had mattered most in her life was her hobby and that little book she’d found in the dumpster all those years ago. Yet, none of them compared to her brief time with Satya. She couldn’t return to Castillo without looking back. Her heart would remain in Florida with the mermaid. And that was something she didn’t want to face. Something she couldn’t face.

So, just a brief few minutes before the sun began setting, Olivia found herself at the back doors of the lab, what little she had packed in her backpack slung behind her, hand resting on the door.

If she got caught, it was over.

But she couldn’t leave Satya there. Not with the hope that Satya could return to her own home, and maybe some of the weight on Olivia’s chest would lift. So neither the mermaid or Olivia’s thoughts would stay in the sterile building.

Fiddling with the electronic lock on the door, Olivia scoffed at how easy it was to get the entrance to swing open, the metal door creaking as it did. The back opening led to some small storage room, only really decorated with metal racks. She left that and went down the hall, past a few restrooms before thankfully approaching the Nautilus Depths, the blue darkness a welcome sight. Satya caught her eye quickly, floating alone in the center tank.

“Sorry it took me so long”, Olivia said, her voice slightly lowered. Satya heard her, though, and spun around in the water to face her.

“Olivia? What’s this? Why do you have all that?” she sceptically questioned, furrowing her brow.

“I’ve been found out. Come on, we’re getting you out of here”, she responded quickly, ascending the steps to the dropoff. “The open waters are just behind this place; I can get you through the doors and take you down to the beach, but we’re gonna have to be fast”.

“You’re...you’re helping me leave? But what about you?”

“I dunno. I’ll go back to Castillo probably. Hey, maybe you can visit me”, Olivia said, reaching her arm towards the water.

“Wait”, Satya interrupted softly, her torso breaching the water as she propped herself up on the dropoff. “Olivia...is this what you want?”

“Of course it is”, she said, focusing on the part that wasn’t a lie. “You deserve to be free- I couldn’t live with myself knowing I left you in this place”.

“And you will be fine? Alone, in Castillo?” Satya asked, her gaze intent. “I only assumed...that you would need company. I’m afraid I can’t follow you if you leave me here, be it in the lab or in the waters just beside here”.

Olivia frowned, head dropping as her arm rested back onto the metal platform. She sniffled. “Maybe it’s not...completely what I want. But what else could I do..?”

“You could…”, Satya started, but trailed off. The mermaid took a second before she dipped into the water once more, only to lift herself to sit on the dropoff. Slowly reaching up, she cupped Olivia’s cheek with her golden hand. Her lips parted.

Olivia leaned in, tears welling up, before jolting and jerking away when a presence made itself clear in the entrance tunnel to the Depths. Both looked over, their expressions both matching in terms of containing shock, fear and aggression. Olivia clenched her fist upon witnessing Angela step towards them, cursing under her breath.

“Look, I was just leaving okay?” Olivia started before Angela could get a word in, tensed. “I know you told me to not come back but I had to. Call security if you want but just let me do this one thing”.

“And what would that be?” Angela asked, her demeanor not revealing anything, to Olivia’s disappointment.

“I just want to take her down to the beach”, Olivia responded, giving Angela the fiercest look she could muster. “She doesn’t deserve to be here. Let me help her out of here and you can do whatever you want with me”.

Angela sat, analyzing them for what felt like forever. Olivia gathered enough courage at one point to look down at Satya, from which Olivia concluded if she was at the receiving end of the mermaid’s glare, she wouldn’t have the composure that Angela did. And then finally, finally, finally, Angela spoke.

“Alright”, she said with a sigh, which caught Olivia off guard.

“..Alright?”

“Alright. You take her, and leave. But I don’t want to see any more of you around here”, Angela continued firmly, rubbing her temples.

Olivia decided to press her luck, her curiosity driving her without much thought. “..But why? Why help us?”

“Trust me, I know love when I see it”, Angela said, an unexpected smile gracing her face. “Even so, it’s..very sweet, what you’re willing to do for her,

“At first I didn’t think much of it. Plenty of people would love to get a look at the mermaids I’m sure, and you just found an efficient way to get past the obstacles. But now I see...your cause is much more noble, isn’t it? Despite the fact that you may get caught, and even through the trouble may never see her again, you risk yourself to help her. I understand...I would do the same for Moira. I wouldn’t want to be the person to get in the way of that”.

Olivia felt her cheeks grow hot. “It wasn’t so noble at first...you would’ve been right about me, initially. I did just want to see. Maybe it’s not even noble now, but I know my intentions are different from what they were then”.

Out of the corner of her eye, Olivia saw Satya giving her a soft smile.

“Then there isn’t much time to waste, is there?” Angela said, starting forwards. Olivia descended the steps, and once in range, Angela reached out to shake Olivia’s hand. She took it. “Please be safe”.

Olivia nodded, and in the next moment, Angela was already leaving, disappearing into the tunnel and leaving Olivia and Satya alone in the blue darkness.

Without another word, Olivia ascended the steps again, and Satya took a final dip in the water before being lifted out, and carried down the steps from the dropoff, Olivia holding her close, bridal style. She hurried out the back door, and the concrete stairs led her down to a grassy hill. When they finally reached the beach, the sun was setting.

Golden light bathed over them, reflected in the beckoning waters. Satya looked even more beautiful out in the open, her scales shimmering in the sun. Olivia smiled warmly down at her, and Satya returned the loving gaze as they approached the shore. Kneeling, she supported the mermaid into the cool sea waters, and she watched as Satya dove under, only to resurface, and beckon Olivia closer.

Removing her shirt, rolling up her pants, and setting down her backpack- along with the book of her childhood- Olivia waded into the water, the sun causing her to squint as it bounced off of the ripples. However, her eyes never left Satya. The waters reached the middle of her torso before she arrived in front of the mermaid, and their hands twined together beneath the surface.

“Thank you, Olivia”, Satya whispered, gently pressing their foreheads together.

“Anytime”, she replied, voice breaking.

Satya pulled her head back and lifted Olivia’s chin delicately between her fingers. “Tell me, Olivia. Do you wish to part?”

“No. Never”.

“Would you be happy beneath the waves?”

“As long as I’m with you”.

Satya grinned, joy flooding her face, as if that was exactly what she needed to hear. She released only one of Olivia’s hands, pulling her closer to deeper waters, just a bit. “If that is truly what you wish...then come with me”.

Olivia didn’t question her. The waters rose as she walked further into the shore, and eventually it surpassed her head. She held her breath and opened her violet eyes, witnessing Satya floating before her. Her feet had just left the sandy floor, and the two sat still as the waves attempted to pull them deeper. Satya moved forwards, pressing herself against Olivia, and caressed her cheek, golden eyes emanating nothing but love.

“There is no need to leave”, she said, her voice barely audible enough to hear.

She pressed her head forwards, and in a gentle touch, her lips pressed into Olivia’s. She closed her eyes, letting the warmth that came from Satya’s kiss spread from her lips to her chest, down to the very tips of her fingers, and toes, which were now entering a static numbness.

In that moment in time, the ocean felt as if it had stilled, releasing Olivia and Satya from its current to float in their intimate haze. When their lips finally parted, their arms had wrapped around each other’s waists, neither willing to let go. As Olivia rested her head on Satya’s shoulder, it revealed to her that she could breathe.

After their moment of bliss, Satya took Olivia’s hand, and together they swam home.