9.3 KiB
Notes: This was written as part of University of Teyvat for NaNoWriMo 2022, and also submitted to the WatSFiC × CWC Short Story Contest.
A wooden rowboat drifted over a lake. Its two occupants sat facing each other on their respective benches, wearing matching wide brim hats as they relaxed in the bright summer sun. Two fishing lines were mounted on opposite ends of the boat, completely still in the water.
All was quiet but for the light brush of wind ruffling their clothing, and the water gently lapping against the side of the boat. Yanfei tipped her head back, adjusting her cap so that it would sit over her eyes. “Thanks again for coming out with me, Ganyu. How’s work, by the way?”
“Oh, it’s light right now, don’t worry,” Glancing at the rods floating around the water, Ganyu waved the matter aside. “I should be asking about you. I hear your legal consultancy has gotten a lot of attention lately.”
“Yup! Although,” Yanfei sighed, “there’s so much conflict between Vision-holders and the common folk lately. So many people are suing each other left and right… The divorce cases are the worst. No one’s ever always right, and I have to be the one to…to… I wish society was more black and white,” she said, slumping further back against the wall.
Ganyu chuckled, her eyes darkening. “You don’t say.”
“You’ve lived a lot longer than I have.” Yanfei glanced up at Ganyu. “What do you think?”
“Hmm…” Ganyu said. “Do you know an old book from Mondstadt written by wind-worshippers?
“Lost Prayers to the Sacred Winds, right? It’s supposed to be insightful — I’ve been meaning to check it out sometime. I wish I had one, though.”
“You should give it a read. It’s not going to help you very much with dealing with people, but it’s still a good book. Personally, I think experience is what helped me the most. Visit new countries, meet new people, throw yourself into very different situations…” Her voice trailed off as she stared into the depths of the lake. The murky water made it hard to see past a few centimetres, but the slight wiggling of the line sent unmistakable ripples through the previously still water. “Yanfei, do you see that?”
“We got something!” Yanfei grunted, pulling hard on the fishing rod as she tried to reel it back in. “I…think this one’s…a big one! Ganyu…help?”
Ganyu reached over and effortlessly yanked the fishing line up with her hands. A mossy treasure chest flew out of the water and landed perfectly in the centre of the boat, splashing lake water all over their shoes. More water continuously streamed out of the chest and onto the base of the boat. Ganyu wrinkled her nose as she turned on the Automatic Magic Canoe Water Drainer™.
Yanfei stared. “How’d that get caught on the line?” She poked the chest using the other end of the fishing rod.
The chest did not poke back.
“It’s kinda heavy,” Yanfei reported. “Maybe it has treasure! I’m gonna open it.”
“Are you sure? Something this old at the bottom of a lake would have a larger chance of being an evil creature that wants to eat your soul. Although,” Ganyu mused, “if you’re lucky, it could instead be some legendary magical weapon that has the power to freeze a whole ocean.”
The rusty silver lock on the chest was broken, inviting the two to pry it open for the mystical contents inside. With a lowly, mysterious creak, Yanfei pushed open the lid of the chest. She and Ganyu stared inside. “Is that…a bow?”
Carefully, Ganyu removed the large, shining archery implement, avoiding the sharp blue spikes along its body. As she ran a hand over its aged wooden frame, Ganyu inspected the glowing runes all around the grip and belly of the bow, giving it an experimental flex and draw. “It says…Polar Star,” she read, squinting to make out the ancient language. “Seems like a good bow. I’ll keep it.”
“Good decision,” Yanfei nodded. “If you don’t overflow on CRIT Rate, it’s your best-in-slot in freeze teams. Second BiS in melt, too.”
“Huh?” Ganyu asked.
“Huh?” Yanfei asked. “I mean, you’re the archer girl, not me. I’m not gonna be able to use it. It’s all yours.”
Turning the bow over one last time, Ganyu swung the bow behind her. Yanfei watched it disappear into pretty golden sparks into the secret dimensional subspace where all of them kept their weapons. “I think there was something else in the chest.”
Indeed, they heard a flop-flop-flop coming from the chest. There was still one more item in the chest. Something…alive.
Yanfei creeped closer, eventually poking her head over the lip of the chest to peek inside.
An orange fish with bulging eyes and a mouth that looked like it was used to sucking bananas all day greeted her. Yanfei gaped. “It’s so cute! Is this a koi fish, Ganyu? It’s orange, so that means it has pyro powers, right? Oh, I’ll name you…magic koi — Magikoi!”
“Actually, I think it’s a different kind of carp.”
“Oh. Magikarp, then. Come with me! I’ll take care of you. You’re going to grow up to be big and strong one day,” Yanfei said gently, a warm smile on her face as she reached out with both hands to welcome the fish into her extended family.
Evidently, the fish did not want to be a new member of Yanfei’s family and splashed out of the chest right onto her face.
“Blergh!* Get it off, get it off!” Yanfei batted the fish away as she turned her head out to spit fish water, eugh*, out of her mouth. The fish went flying toward Ganyu, who dodged it instinctively.
“It’s getting away! No, Magikarp, stop!”
In one rapid movement, Ganyu drew an arrow from her quiver and fired, ice energy gathering at the arrowhead for a millisecond before she released it to trap the fish in a solid block of ice. It plummeted back to the bench beside where Yanfei was sitting.
Once she felt sufficiently less unclean, Yanfei proceeded to take out a worn music notebook and rip out one of its pages to set it on fire. The ice around the fish promptly melted and returned to reveal a fish. “It’s not dead,” Yanfei observed. “I think it’s just fainted. That’s one hardy fish.”
Ganyu continued to aim the Polar Star at it. “Do you want it dead?”
Yanfei considered the idea. “Actually, do you mind holding off on that for now? I’ve always wanted to try something.”
Ganyu and Yanfei stood on opposite ends of the small boat, which barely wobbled thanks to the Automatic Magic Boat Stabiliser™ 9000 that Ganyu activated. Yanfei thrust out her hand, kicking Magikarp out from beside her to take the field. “Go, Magikarp! I choose you!” she cried, waiting expectantly.
Like a fish out of water, Magikarp flopped onto the floor pathetically.
“Magikarp, you can do it!” Yanfei tried again.
Like someone imitating a dead fish, Magikarp floundered on the floor uselessly.
“Magikarp, I’m begging you! I’ll give you snacks!” Yanfei pleaded.
Like a child throwing a temper tantrum because they didn’t want to eat fish, Magikarp wiggled on the floor pitifully.
“I see.” Yanfei clenched her fist, staring down at the floor.
Like a Water-Type being electrocuted by an Electric-Type but not really caring, Magikarp jerked about on the floor woefully.
“I’m so sorry for not listening to you, partner,” Yanfei whispered, falling to her knees.
Like a student just seeing the second page of the midterm paper for the first time, Magikarp drooped onto the floor anemically.
“It’s my fault. I never treasured our bond enough,” Yanfei said, squeezing her eyes shut. A single tear trailed down her cheek.
Like a joke that went on for far too long and was reanimated several times, Magikarp lurched about on the floor feebly.
Flames blazing around her to represent her determination, Yanfei fist-pumped the air, gesturing wildly before pointing at Ganyu. “I understand you now. Magikarp, use Splash!“
Like it was the weakest and most pathetic fish in the world, Magikarp splashed about on the floor aimlessly!
But nothing happened. Yanfei stood in silence for a few seconds. Ganyu returned from her fighting stance to a normal standing position, frowning. “How useless.”
Yanfei nodded agreeably. “Yeah, Magikarp kinda sucks. The only thing it does is splash around. Magikarp,” she declared, “you have disappointed me for the last time. By the power invested in me by myself, I sentence you…to exile!”
Ganyu pointed her bow at Magikarp.
“Wait! Do it outside the boat.” Yanfei tossed Magikarp off the edge of the boat. Before it could land in the water, the trail of a fully charged ice arrow schoomed past her and slammed into the fish, blasting it straight up. The fish comet left behind a beautiful trail of white that vanished as quickly as it appeared. “Nice shot.”
“Thanks.”
The two shielded their eyes, watching and waiting for the fish to come back down. “That might be a little bit farther than exile,” Yanfei commented after a while.
“It’s in a whole new world now,” Ganyu said. “Nothing we can do about that.”
“Nope. Not a thing.” Yanfei settled back on her seat, lounging as they waited for another fish to bite the hook. Snowflakes gently fluttered down around them, melting and sending ripples where they landed in the water. A slight fishy scent filled the air.
“Snow in July,” Ganyu observed. “That’s new.”
Yanfei glanced up. “There’s not a cloud in the sky, either.”
“Climate change, huh?”
“It’s gotta be,” Yanfei agreed.