Playing Koi (7) (Patreon)

Jemma stretched, her body stiff and sore. The scrapes along her sides and front still ached, but the worst of the stinging had subsided. The water smelled of salt and something vaguely sweet, like overripe fruit.

She sat up on the makeshift bed of woven kelp. Liam had found a place for her in the workshop that night, rather than sending her out to sleep elsewhere. Better with someone she trusted than take her chances with a strange new town.

That meant sleeping in the company of tools and half-finished blueprints. There were probably worse places to rest. A single lantern of glowing algae cast the room in dim light. At least she wasn't back in those awful caves…

Liam swam in from the other room, a small bowl clutched in his hands. "Morning, Jemma. How are you feeling?"

He set the bowl down in front of her. Inside was a greenish-brown paste that smelled vaguely of algae. 

"What is that?"

Liam grinned, his teeth flashing white against his blue scales. "Breakfast. Don't worry, it's not as bad as it looks." 

She lifted the bowl to her face, sniffing at it. The sensation didn't work quite the same underwater, though it followed similar principles. A little trail of green drifted up towards her nose, as the concoction broke apart in the water. The smell was little better up close. Adequate at best. 

She lifted a handful to her mouth. It was bland, with a strange gritty texture and a faint aftertaste of coral. "Is this… what you people eat?"

"What, this?" Liam gestured to his own bowl, filled with the same paste. "We’re not barbarians, so fish are off the menu. That leaves whatever we can scrape. Algae, seaweed, maybe a little coral for special occasions."

Jemma forced another mouthful of the paste down, trying to keep her expression neutral. Each bite felt like swallowing wet sand. She set the bowl aside, her stomach already churning.

"Not bad," she lied, pushing a smile onto her face. 

Liam watched her with narrowed eyes. "You don't have to pretend, you know."

She shrugged, trying to play it off. "It's just… different from what I'm used to."

He crossed his arms, leaning back slightly. "Different? Weren't you living wild in the tank after you got here? You should be happy you're not someone else's food."

"I wasn't exactly living wild," she replied, a hint of defensiveness creeping into her voice. "I was in Thetria. It's a city built by goldfish—"

Liam strangled a laugh. "Goldfish city? They can't even talk!"

"It's true," Jemma insisted. She straightened, resting one hand on his shoulder. It was easier to reach him today—Liam wasn't wearing his armor. The neon tetra had a simple cloth wrap around his waist to protect his modesty, but that was all. 

Guys might not have the advantages that girls did, but they weren't all bad. At least those muscles were interesting.

"They have agriculture, snail livestock for food, and all kinds of spices! They even cook some of their meals with hot water."

"I've seen the old tank myself. Fast-moving water, blinding light… that doesn't mean there's anything past it. Way more likely one of the filters went out. You're telling me there's some kind of paradise inside? Built by helpless little fish who can't even talk."

"They can talk," Jemma said firmly, feeling a surge of frustration. "They have sign language. Besides, we're the same size as goldfish. If they're helpless, so are we."

He tilted his head. "You're sure about this?"

"Yes," she replied, leaning forward earnestly. "I saw it! And I can prove it. I know how they do things there. We can use that knowledge to help Algaegard!"

Liam looked away for a moment, then scooped up the bowl again. He put it back in front of her, folding his arms. "Alright," he said. "Let's say I believe you. What exactly do you have in mind?"

Jemma glanced down at the bowl. Her stomach turned in her chest, rebelling at the thought of eating more slop. But if she didn't eat anything, the hunger would be worse. Despite her small size, she could down at least twice as much as this and still have room to spare. "Before I build anything… I wasn't in those caves for no reason. I was looking for a friend of mine—another human. Black and yellow fish, about your size. I was trying to find her, bring her and her daughter back to Thetria with me."

Jemma looked to Liam, eyes pleading. "I have to find them. Brady and her daughter are out there, and I can't just leave them to the mercy of monsters like Goro."

Liam shook his head. "Even if this goldfish town is real, there's no guarantee you can make it through the barrier again."

Jemma bit her lip, considering. "What if... what if I brought them here instead? If Algaegard would be willing to take in more fish, they could have a new home."

I don't know if I can face Kisten again. But I can't abandon Brady and Nicole.

Liam sighed. "We don't turn anyone away, but you have to understand—the town is struggling. Our food supply barely keeps up as it is. Whoever you bring would have to work like everyone else."

Jemma nodded eagerly. "I understand. And I can help with that! I've seen how they do things in Thetria. I can use that knowledge to improve life here. But first... I have to make sure Brady doesn't get eaten by monsters. Will you help? You know the aquarium way better than I do."

Liam swam away from her, circling through the workshop. "First one rescue, now you want me to go back?"

She shrugged. "I know you don't owe me anything. I'm the one who needs you."

Finally, he nodded. "Alright. But we need to be smart about this. If they're our size—there's a good chance I know where to look. Even wild, little fish know to keep out of the water column. There are some caves the big predators don't even know to search."

Jemma grinned, wrapping both arms around him. "I won't forget this."

He grinned sidelong at her. "Better not. Two rescues in two days—guess that makes me some kind of hero."

Preparation took them a few days, as it turned out. Liam had weapons to find, old maps to dig up, and food to gather. Jemma had little to offer other than her time, but she helped wherever she was asked. And where she wasn't.

For example, the spearguns these fish used to fight predators. The fish had devised some clever knots to keep rubber-bands in place, and a simple trigger mechanism of notched wood. The trouble was in the reloading—only with great physical strength could the band be nocked for another shot, entirely impractical during a fight. 

While Liam gathered supplies from Algaegard, Jemma stole the belt mechanism from another of his inventions, along with a pair of plastic gearwheels from a broken aquarium air pump. 

"You're making something?" Liam asked, slipping back through the doorway with an oversized basket filled with—junk. Plastic parts, seaweed rope, and other unidentifiable scrap. "I thought you were human!"

"Exactly." She hefted the weapon in front of her, turning it over for him to see. "This is a crossbow. Reciprocating. Crank here…" She demonstrated, drawing the elastic into position. She settled a length of wood into place, then pointed at his stone wall.

She fired, and the makeshift spear sunk a short distance into the stone on the other side. "Crank like this to reload. The gearing means you use the same force over the whole shot, see? Even my wimpy arms can do it." 

The band clicked, she settled another wooden spear into place, then fired a second time."

Liam gaped. He dropped the basket, sending its contents drifting slowly down the workshop to the floor. "You made that in an afternoon?" He took the weapon from her, turning it over in his hands. "This… traction belt? And the gears… how'd you come up with this?"

"Didn't," Jemma said, folding her arms across her chest. "I'm standing on the shoulders of giants. Or… guess you don't know what standing is." At his blank expression, she continued. "Humans are smart, okay? We can make machines for almost everything."

She flicked her tail against his chest, swimming a slow circle around him. "Things like this—they're how Thetria works. They have a bunch of humans in charge who run everything. My girlfriend had some magic—but the rest is just machines. Algaegard can make machines too."

"I was going to… get you some armor to wear," he said, lowering the weapon. "Maybe you don't need it."

"If you think it would help keep me safe…" She looked away, down to where the little pieces of scrap drifted down through the water. "I trust you. I'm the newcomer."

"For the best. Not a lot of females in Algaegard are brave enough to go out like this. Joining the watch is one thing, but… salvage is too dangerous. Rescue missions—let's see what I can put together."

Jemma watched Liam gather the pieces he'd been collecting for her armor. He moved with an easy grace, his scales shimmering in the light of glowing fungus. 

"I... I really appreciate this," she stammered, hovering awkwardly near his workbench.

Liam winked. "I just learned you're the smartest fish in Algaegard. None of those predators is going to get anywhere near you."

As Liam worked, Jemma floated closer, watching him. In his delicate fingers, scraps of junk turned into a functional breastplate, trailing down far enough to meet her scales. 

"How did you learn to do all this?" she asked, trying to make conversation and distract herself from her growing attraction to him.

Liam shrugged. "I've always been good with my hands. Have to use what we can get." He held up a piece of molded plastic for her inspection. "What do you think? Too much?"

Jemma blushed, forcing herself to focus on the armor. "It's perfect." She looked away, fins shuffling nervously back and forth.

Liam held it out. "Try it on. Better to make the adjustments here."

Jemma slipped the breastplate over her head, feeling the cool touch of the molded plastic against her scales. It settled against her chest, its various bits shifting slightly along the cords of salvaged thread. Liam circled around her, his eyes sharp and attentive.

"It's a bit tight," she said, twisting her torso to demonstrate. It wasn't that tight—he'd guessed her size almost perfectly. But if he had to make adjustments, then…

Liam swam closer, his fingers brushing against the edges of the armor. "Here?" he asked, his voice soft as he adjusted a strap near her shoulder.

Jemma shuddered at his fingers on her skin. Warm, firm, and forceful. Kisten was never that strong. "Yes, and... maybe a little lower?" She directed his hands towards her midsection, her heart pounding in her chest.

Liam's eyes met hers. "Looks fine to me. Hmmm…" He lowered both hands, tracing her torso under the armor. "If I tighten this much more, you'll have trouble turning around."

Her heartbeat accelerated. It wasn't just her cheeks that were warm anymore. 

Finally, Liam finished. He released her with his fingers, though his tail still curled around hers. "How does that feel?"

Jemma shifted, testing the fit of the armor. It was snug, but not restrictive, allowing her to move with ease. "It's perfect," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You did that in… what, ten minutes? Hard to believe you were born here…"

He grinned, his eyes sweeping over her. "You look... like a warrior of Algaegard."

Liam turned away, busying himself with the rest of their gear. But Jemma saw the way his fingers lingered on the tools he'd used to adjust her armor.

"Could we make another weapon?" he finally asked. "Like the first one? I've got some other parts around here."

"Yeah! I think I can."