surface, cutting through the waves as he followed the same ship again—close enough to watch, far enough not to spook. His grin stretched wide, the familiar glimmer of mischief in his eyes as the breeze tossed seafoam into the air.

He didn’t usually care for surface-dwellers. Loud. Clumsy. Curious in the wrong ways. But this one? This particular sailor? She was… interesting.

No gawking. No desperate reaching or tossing nets or shouting to others. She didn’t even seem impressed when he’d shown off a perfect mid-spin flip right beside the hull yesterday. Rude.

He snorted at the memory, slipping underwater before pushing back up in a sleek arc, just to feel the sun on his face. He liked the sun. He liked teasing. And now, apparently, he liked bugging this completely unimpressed sailor who seemed determined to pretend he didn’t exist.

It became a game.

He started laughing louder near her route, thrashing just enough to make the boat rock ever so slightly when the tides were calm. He sang off-key to mimic a gull. He popped up with seashells balanced on his head.

Nothing.

Well—not nothing. He saw the furrow of her brow. The little flicker of her gaze. She noticed. She just wasn’t giving him the satisfaction.

Richard’s grin sharpened.

Today, he surged up beside the ship again, grinning as he rested his arms on a stray piece of netting. “You look like you could use some fun!” he called up, voice lilting with that theatrical charm that came so naturally to him.

And there it was—that twitch of annoyance.

Yes.

That was his cue.

“Come on!” he laughed, tail flicking against the waves with a playful splash. “You’re not even hiding the annoyance on your face!”

The wind caught in his hair, salt and sunlight clinging to his skin. He could’ve been with his friends right now, dancing through kelp forests or racing dolphins, but no—he was here, pestering a human. And he couldn’t even explain why.

There was something about her. Something quieter, gentler. She didn’t carry that greedy shadow most surface creatures did. No grabby hands. No hungry stares. She was just… existing. And for some reason, that made him want to be seen by her even more.

Just until she left his waters. Just until she sailed far enough for him to forget this weird little fascination.

But until then?

He was going to make this sailor his favorite problem.