Vodyanitsa

A long, long time ago in Snezhnaya, Water Imps dwelled all over the city. Some sang glorious melodies on the stage, while others cheerfully hummed lighthearted tunes through the streets and alleyways. Then there were the others who preferred to slip into the water, where they would lure curious passersby to the water's edge with their haunting, dreamlike songs, only to then suddenly leap up and splash the unsuspecting onlookers full in the face before vanishing, giggling, back beneath the surface with a flick of their tails, leaving their victims floundering between anger and laughter... But, as time passed, the stages and alleyways of Snezhnaya quietly lost their singers, and the melodies beneath the waters, carried by unseen currents, began flowing soundlessly toward a distant silence. People began to whisper uneasily among themselves, wondering if those haunting songs from the deep might drift away from them forever... Then, one morning, people learned that Vodyanitsa was still performing on the stage of Korolevskiy Theater, as though the days of old had never faded and the joy of bygone times had remained just as it always had been. Hardly anyone knew why she stayed — nor did anyone dare ask her to her face, unless they were prepared to never secure another interview with Miss Vodyanitsa ever again. Maybe, she had stayed on in order not to disappoint the audiences who so adored her singing? Or maybe she was just unwilling to exit that dazzling stage? Or perhaps... there were other reasons significant enough to make her swim against the current, even if it meant bidding farewell to her own kind... But for Vodyanitsa's audience, delving into the answer to that question is utterly meaningless. The only thing that matters is that they can continue to listen to the captivating voice of the Water Imp. Of course, if you want to be swept away by her song... "Standing tickets? Uh, sorry, but we don't sell those here at the theater at the moment... And no, we don't allow our patrons to bring their own chairs either." "Crack the doors open a little? The draft would leave everyone inside freezing..." "My apologies, but the theater isn't hiring any day cleaners at the moment!" ...First, you need to get a ticket.