Shizuku Osaka loved that she'd found the perfect little quirky coffeeshop, The Siren's Shanty, on a pier, at the very end of the touristy section of the island boardwalk. Rumor even had it that one could meet actual mermaids, if not sirens, passing among the regulars. Plus, the coffee was twice as good and half as expensive as a certain other retail brand that used mermaid branding…
Today, however, the coffeeshop was a bit too popular. Shizuku's favorite outdoor table, which she desperately needed so she could continue memorizing her audition monologue, was occupied, by a girl, legs stretched out, feet bare, pearl anklet catching the light, yellow linen coverup over a very stylish bikini, ash gray hair in a cute, gamine cut that Audrey Hepburn might have been photographed in. And looking completely smug behind oversized pink sunglasses set with what looked like Swarovski crystals, sipping some kind of neon green drink. Shizuku glared on her way in, hoping the interloper would be gone by the time she came back with her tiny espresso cup. Sure, the bucket size would lead to less going in for a refill, but Shizuku was here for mood.
As Shizuku glared, the imp slid her sunglasses down her nose and winked. Mermaids wouldn't do that, Shizuku thought, mermaids would be tall and mysterious, drifting on air of cool. She was here for mermaids. No, Shizuku corrected herself, she was her for COFFEE. And studying. Lines. In a book. Not tan lines, or the lack thereof, on totally annoying strangers.
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Shizuku came back outside, one hand carefully carrying her demitasse cup, the other striving to maintain hold of her straw hat. Ms. Crystal Sunglasses had not left, but had instead been joined by another petite, cute girl, this one with pink hair, wearing an oversized gray hoodie that completely covered any hint of what swimsuit she had underneath. At least, this one had shoes, untied hi tops with sparkly reflective cats all over them.
With a huffy sigh, Shizuku sat at the bench around the corner from them, legs primly crossed, sitting on her hat so it wouldn't skitter away on the wind, sipping at her espresso. Three dainty sips, enjoying the ocean view, ignoring the chatters to her right, then go back inside and grab a counter seat to study. Shizuku refused to waste a trip.
Suddenly, there was a neon green drink in her face, a round face sipping as the crystal sunglasses slid low enough to reveal eyes with the oddest color, like sparkling sakura petals. Shizuku froze for a moment, crema on her lips, caught by the curious stare.
"That's a tiny cup. Why don't you sit with us and I'll get you a bigger one for a refill." The voice was bright, confident, and, Shizuku wincing at the thought, perky.
"I am fine, thank you."
"You're usually in my seat though, right?"
Shizuku frowned, the magic of the curious stare broken, "How do you know that?"
"Your nose," a very forward tap on Shizuku's nose, "is always in a book. Kasumin is super hard to miss and…" A nonchalant shrug, the imp raised herself up to her full height, and reached out a hand, "Come meet my friend, Rina. This is her first time…" a strange hesitancy and then a hasty finish…"in town. She's curious about the locals." A wink, "Ksaumin told her you didn't bite."
"I appreciate the offer of your company, but I am very busy. I hope your friend has a good experience." Shizuku lowered her cup, attempting to surreptitiously lick the crema off her lips. By the time this conversation finished, her drink would be ruined.
Kasumin...what kind of a name was that, Shizuku wondered, as the nose tapping imp squatted, once again catching Shizuku's full attention with the curious intensity of her stare.
"What's in those books that fascinate you?"
Shizuku put the cup down, both hands on the bench, leaning a little forward, "I'm a student of theatre. I study the great playwrights."
Very pink lips pursed and then a light, bouncy voice whispered the beginnings of a funeral dirge, the minor notes adding a seriousness that grabbed Shizuku's full attention.
"Full fathom five thy father lies;
Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes:
Nothing of him that doth fade
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell
Hark! Now I hear them – Ding-dong, bell."
"Ariel Song's from The Tempest? That's a lovely melody. Who wrote it? Have you performed it?" Shizuku was almost off the bench, wanting to hear it again. Wanting to use it as an audition piece. Miranda had always been her dream Shakespeare role, a bookish girl marooned on an island, but suddenly she had a new appreciation for the possibilities of an Ariel, bursting with power, but longing for freedom.
"My mother sang it to me as a lullaby." Crystal Sunglasses Kasumin Ariel said matter-of-factly. "She loved the 'sea-change' thought, how everything that ends up on the ocean floor gradually transforms itself. And everything that comes out of it as well, she always says."
Shizuku sat down again, considering, surprised that this seemingly silly girl could pull off a discussion of William Shakespeare's Ariel lyrics as an conversational icebreaker.
"His father wasn't dead."
That got Shizuku a confused look. "Whose?"
"In the play. Ferdinand's."
A shrug. While her eyes never left Shizuku's, it seemed Ferdinand and/or his father's fate was of no interest to this strange sprite. A hand grabbed her cup, the chilled fingers brushing Shizuku's forearm with a tingle, "Let me get you another drink."
"All right." Shizuku still hadn't looked away, the strange new song humming in her head.
A/N: Turns out there's one more MerMay pairing.