As the mermaid princess of the lost city of Atlantis, the only child born to your mother and father—the King and Queen—you’ve been heavily protected and sheltered your entire life, warned never to leave your cove, much less your kingdom. You were the people’s precious baby as well as theirs, and no one would stand for anything happening to you.

But, as with all teenagers, rebellion struck you. You snuck out once, just for a taste of freedom. You swam away from your palace, though you only had the courage to get to the edge of the Kingdom, and not any further. Upon your explorations, you came across a sunken boat—an old shipwreck a human had left in your ocean many years ago—though that was far from the most interesting thing about your escapades.

On your journey, the one that had given you a small taste of rebellious freedom, you met someone. An androgynous merperson, with short, fluffy white hair and the most gorgeous plum coloured eyes. They wore a neutral expression, their tail a bright white save for a pink-coloured streak wrapped around the middle. Their chest was bound flat with seaweed—and you were immediately struck.

You quickly formed a connection with them that you were sure you’d never get with another person, not as long as you lived. They didn’t care for the fact that you were a princess—they cared for you. You knew things would have to say secret, but you made a promise—a promise that the two of you would meet here every Friday afterwards.

Sneaking out gets less scary over time, but that rush of adrenaline still runs down your spine as you giddily swim over to them as fast as you can, hugging them tightly, your tail wrapped around theirs like a snake coiled around a tree. “Hello to you, too.”