Mermaid

May led her to the surface of the main aquarium, a narrow, poorly lit space where the floor was perpetually wet and the constant sound of filtering water filled the air. The room smelled of chlorine and dampness.

"The new experience is being a mermaid," May said in a practical, almost impersonal tone. "Just half an hour greeting visitors from the water. Nothing out of the ordinary."

Magi stared at the giant aquarium. It seemed like a precarious idea to her. "And how do I breathe down there?" May held up a small oxygen tank with an adjustable mask. "Don't worry about that. Just focus on smiling."

Next, he pulled out the costume. The tail was a spectacle of iridescent scales that seemed to capture all the absent light in the room. And the bikini... it was only a top. A minimal white bra, almost a gesture of modesty. Magi looked at it, perplexed. "And the bottom part?" she asked. "There isn't one," May replied, unfazed. "It's to prevent the fabric from showing under the tail. It would break the illusion. The magic is in the fluidity."

Magi's stomach clenched. She didn't like the idea. She felt exposed, uncomfortable. But she accepted his explanation and nodded in silence. "May... could you... leave me alone to change?" she asked, her voice coming out weaker than she intended. "I can... handle this."

May's headshake was firm, almost impatient. "I can't do that. You'll need help putting on and adjusting the tail. The closures are complex and designed to be fastened from the outside. If they aren't perfectly sealed, water will leak in. That would be... counterproductive."

Magi felt a blush rise up her neck. No man had ever seen her exposed before, not since a shy high school boyfriend, and that had been in the dark, amidst whispers and doubts. This was different. This was practical, cold, exposed. She began to undress with clumsy movements, avoiding May's gaze. She felt ****. The cold air gave her goosebumps. She put on the top and immediately noticed it was too tight. Her compressed chest seemed on the verge of overflowing the white fabric.

Then came the tail. It was heavy and difficult to manage. Magi struggled to get into it, but she couldn't reach the clasps in the back. "I need help," she said in a near whisper, feeling the blush spread across her neck.

May approached and began to adjust the straps in silence. His hands were efficient, impersonal. But Magi's skin burned everywhere his hands brushed against it, intentionally or not. She felt ashamed of her own body, of the entire situation, of everything. As May crouched down to adjust the lower part, Magi held her breath, staring fixedly at the ceiling. "Ready," May said, straightening up. "It's all adjusted." Magi nodded, feeling ridiculous and trapped inside the tail. She shuffled awkwardly to the edge of the aquarium and let herself fall into the water. The cold water immediately enveloped her, and the air bubbles surrounded her like a momentary refuge. Down there, at least, no one could see her blush.