Aether gazed at the lake for a moment, his hands on his hips.
He could almost imagine the taste of grilled fish, simply seasoned, shared around a makeshift fire.
Aether: "There must be some incredible fish here… Too bad I still don't really like spices."
He turned to Shenhe.
Aether: "Shenhe, how about we go fishing?"
She tilted her head slightly, observing the water, as if silently considering the suggestion.
Shenhe: "Hmmm…"
"Why not?"
They each picked up a fishing rod, mentally thanking the fishermen who had left them there.
In Liyue, this kind of gesture was common:
Leaving equipment for those who might need it, whether travelers or people in distress.
A brief silence fell.
Then Shenhe stared at the rod she was holding, gently turning it between her fingers.
Shenhe: "…"
"How do you fish?"
Aether: "...?"
Aether blinked in surprise.
He looked at her, then sighed softly, an amused smile spreading across his face.
In reality, he knew Shenhe wasn't ignorant on the subject.
But when he explained something, she had this way of looking at him intently, and he... became strangely expressive.
A few seconds later, Aether positioned himself near the edge.
Aether: "Okay."
"First, you hold the handle like this."
"Then, you make an arm movement, as if you were striking with a hammer."
He performed the movement.
Plop.
The hook landed about fifteen meters in front of them.
Aether then sat down on the sand, legs crossed, calmly holding the rod.
Aether: "And now, we wait."
Shenhe: ".... ".
Shenhe watched the scene unfold… then an idea crossed her mind.
When her turn came, she didn't repeat the gesture.
She simply threw the entire rod into the water.
PLOP.
Aether froze.
Aether: "...".
He turned slowly towards her, incredulous.
Aether: "Why… did you throw the rod?"
Shenhe, perfectly calm, replied directly:
Shenhe: "What a shame."
"We only have one fishing rod left."
"We'll have to share."
Before Aether had time to react, she sat down behind him.
Her legs wrapped around his hips with disconcerting ease.
Her left hand rested gently on his stomach, feeling the steady rhythm of her heart, while her right hand came to rest over Aether's, adjusting her grip on the cane.
She moved even closer, pressing her chest against his back.
Shenhe: "Now, we'll wait."
Aether felt his face heat up.
He had never been in such a position.
Not even with Lisa.
Aether: "…"
He remained motionless, unsure where to focus his attention.
Each of Shenhe's breaths against him was clear, tangible.
She, for her part, seemed perfectly at ease, as if this contact were the most natural thing in the world.
Silence returned, broken only by the gentle lapping of the water and the rustling of the wind.
Aether finally spoke, in a lower voice.
Aether: "You know… you didn't have to do that."
Shenhe: "I know."
Aether: "So why?"
Shenhe remained silent for a moment. Her gaze was fixed on the lake.
Shenhe: "Because…"
"With you, I feel different."
Aether felt her heart skip a beat.
Aether: "Different how?"
She tightened her embrace slightly.
Shenhe: "Calmer."
"Less…empty."
They stayed like that for a long time.
The sun was slowly beginning to set, casting golden reflections on the water.
The hook twitched slightly, but neither of them moved.
At that moment, fishing was no longer the goal.
They were simply there.
Together.
As he fished, Aether felt his cheeks burn.
He tried to stay focused on the surface of the lake, on the slight shiver of the line, on the slow rhythm of the water… but it was Difficult.
Too difficult.
His body was pressed against Shenhe's.
He felt the warmth of her chest against his back, the gentle yet firm pressure of her legs around his hips, and above all… that hand resting on his stomach, as if subconsciously trying to confirm that he was truly there, really present.
Aether: "As long as no one sees us…"
He didn't like this strange feeling of vulnerability.
Not because it was unpleasant, on the contrary, but because he wasn't used to it.
He had faced a godlike drogon, monsters, entire armies without flinching.
But being held like this, perhaps observed, exposed in something so intimate… made him fragile in a new way.
Shenhe: "Are you all right?"
Shenhe asked, his voice calm, almost gentle.
Aether: "Yes."
He replied a little too quickly.
She tilted her head slightly, noticing the redness on her ears.
Shenhe: "Cute."
She wasn't mocking him.
She was simply stating a fact.
Three minutes earlier:
Atop the ruins overlooking the lake, three female figures occupied an old stone ledge overgrown with moss.
Three Fatui.
At rest.
A Fatui Cryo Cicin Mage paced back and forth, humming a slightly off-key tune while swinging her arms.
Her white hair, still slightly damp, sparkled in the sun after her impromptu dip in the lake.
Cryo Cicin Mage: "La la la."
A Mirror Maiden, seated near an old, dented cauldron, slowly stirred a meat stew with a ladle, her expression focused, almost domestic—an absurd sight for anyone familiar with her reputation.
And a Fatui Electro Cicin Mage, who had lain down on a warm slab, had removed her usual purple outfit.
She wore a matching purple bikini, her green hair free from its hood, shamelessly basking in the sun.
Cryo Cicin Mage: "Hey girls!"
The girl called out enthusiastically.
Cryo Cicin Mage: "I have a joke."
Electro Cicin Mage: "Shut up and let us enjoy our day off."
Grummed Electro without even opening his eyes.
Mirror Maiden: "Tell it anyway."
Replied Mirror Maiden, amused.
Cryo Cicin Mage cleared her throat.
Cryo Cicin Mage: "What do you call a swimming Pyro Slime?"
Electro Cicin Mage: "...."
Mirror Maiden: "...."
Cryo Cicin Mage: "A Geo Slime!"
Mirror Maiden burst into laughter, a clear and surprising laugh.
Electro Cicin Mage, for her part, simply rolled her eyes.
Electro Cicin Mage: "Useless."
But as Cryo resumed her pacing, her gaze froze.
Cryo Cicin Mage: "Hmm… the girls."
Electro Cicin Mage: "What now?"
Cryo Cicin Mage: "You remember that blond traveler… the one who defeated an absurd number of our comrades?"
The Mirror Maiden frowned.
Mirror Maiden: "How could I forget?"
Electro opened one eye.
Electro Cicin Mage: "A guy far too powerful for us to pretend he doesn't exist."
Cryo pointed.
Cryo Cicin Mage: "He's right here."
Electro Cicin Mage: "WHAT?!"
Electro sat bolt upright, nearly knocking over her bag.
The three women approached the edge of the ruins and watched.
Below, Aether was descending the grassy slope… accompanied by a woman with white hair.
Silence.
Mirror Maiden: "It really is him…"
Murdered the Mirror Maiden.
Electro Cicin Mage: "And who is she?"
Asked Electro, narrowing her eyes.
Mirror Maiden: "No idea."
"But she doesn't look weak."
"Now."
"All we have to do is not get spotted."
Electro sighed.
Electro Cicin Mage: "And to think I chose this spot to sunbathe…"
The three Fatui decided to discreetly spy on the scene.
They saw Aether pick up a fishing rod and explain something with an almost endearing seriousness.
Cryo Cicin Mage: "Look at him."
"He's explaining to the girl how to fish, he's like a big brother."
Mirror Maiden: "Or like a patient husband."
The Mirror Maiden commented.
Then they saw the white-haired woman… throw the entire rod into the lake.
Cryo Cicin Mage: "What did she just do?!"
Electro Cicin Mage: "Wait…"
"It was intentional."
Then the scene shifted.
The woman sat down behind Aether.
Too close.
Much too close.
The three Fatui felt their cheeks burn.
Cryo Cicin Mage: "Oh..."
Mirror Maiden: "That's... audacious."
The Mirror Maiden admitted.
Electro Cicin Mage: "What's with all this closeness?!"
They saw legs wrap around him.
Hands rest.
Body press against hers.
Aether blushed.
Cryo Cicin Mage: "He's embarrassed."
"It's almost cruel."
Mirror Maiden: "Or terribly effective."
The Mirror Maiden replied with a sly smile.
Electro narrowed her eyes, intrigued.
Electro Cicin Mage: "Do you think he'll take her back to his bed tonight?"
Electro Cicin Mage: "Directly?"
Mirror Maiden: "No."
"He seems like the type to fall in love before he even thinks about it."
Electro Cicin Mage: "And her?"
The Mirror Maiden observed Shenhe intently.
Mirror Maiden: "She…"
"She's already decided."
Meanwhile, back with Aether and Shenhe:
The lake's surface was almost still.
Only slight ripples disturbed the mirror of water, reflecting the ancient ruins and the pale sky of Liyue.
Aether: "Huuh huuh huuh huuh."
Aether breathed slowly, trying to ignore the heat on his back and Shenhe's reassuring yet unsettling weight against him.
Then suddenly…
Plop
The fishing rod vibrated.
A shiver ran through the handle and into his hands.
Aether: "Great."
He immediately felt the familiar excitement of a fisherman:
The tension just before the exertion, the moment when everything can still change.
Instinctively, he wanted to stand up.
But he couldn't.
Shenhe tightened her grip slightly, preventing him from moving.
Aether: "Shenhe"
"The fish will escape."
He felt the line vibrate more and more strongly.
She, however, didn't move.
She simply tilted her head slightly to meet his gaze, a discreet, almost mischievous smile on her lips.
Shenhe: "Hehe."
"Don't worry."
Before Aether could reply…
CCCCRRRRRrrrrrrreeeeeeee
A glacial blast ripped through the air.
And a white shape, identical to Shenhe's, materialized beside her.
Shenhe's Spirit Talisman appeared in a burst of frost, its ethereal form rushing toward the water.
Where it passed, the lake's surface partially froze, a thin layer of ice spreading like a delicate web.
Aether: "Huh?"
Aether didn't even have time to finish his sentence.
The talisman dived, seized the fish with a precise movement, then immediately resurfaced.
It returned to them, carefully placing its catch in front of Aether.
A Betta fish, long and brown, still quivering.
Author's note: I didn't select this fish randomly; I used the interactive map from the Hoyolab website and chose the largest fish.
Aether froze.
Then, before he could even react, the talisman leaned slightly and... brushed his cheek with a light, almost childlike kiss.
CCCCRRRRRrrrrrreeeeeeee
It vanished instantly.
Silence.
Aether blinked.
He didn't know what had surprised him more:
- The fish…
- Or the kiss.
Aether: "...".
Shenhe remained motionless behind him.
Her eyes widened imperceptibly.
Shenhe: "...Why did he do that?"
She knew, though.
Her Spirit Talisman didn't just obey her conscious commands.
It responded to her deepest emotions, to what she felt without even putting it into words.
Shenhe: "That gesture…"
"Wasn't an accident."
"...".
She murmured, unable to find the words.
Aether gently placed his hand on her cheek.
Aether: "Was that… your Spirit Talisman?"
Shenhe: "Yes."
Aether: "She is... expressive."
Shenhe: "Yes."
At the top of the ruins:
The three Fatui had seen everything.
The Cryo Cicin Mage leaned precariously over the edge of the wall, her eyes fixed on the fish.
Cryo Cicin Mage: "Oh wow."
She breathed.
Cryo Cicin Mage: "This Betta is magnificent."
"It's enormous."
Mirror Maiden: "Are you really looking at the fish?"
She asked, her eyes never leaving it.
Cryo Cicin Mage: "Well, yes?"
The Cryo replied sincerely.
Cryo Cicin Mage: "Well... and the rest too."
The Mirror Maiden, for her part, had blushed slightly.
Mirror Maiden: "That kiss..."
She murmured.
Mirror Maiden: "It was unintentional... but not innocent."
She clutched her chest, flustered.
Mirror Maiden: "It's rare to see someone so powerful treated with such gentleness."
The Fatui Electro Cicin Mage, still in her bikini, shifted slightly on the hot stone, unable to stay still.
Electro Cicin Mage: "They're... unbearably cute."
She grunted.
Electro Cicin Mage: "This should be illegal."
Cryo Cicin Mage: "You're jealous."
The Cryo woman teased.
Electro Cicin Mage: "Of course I'm jealous!"
The Electro replied.
Electro Cicin Mage: "Look at him!"
"He fights gods and he turns bright red over a kiss on the cheek!"
The Mirror Maiden nodded.
Mirror Maiden: "It's not raw passion."
"But at least it's cute."
Cryo Cicin Mage: "A silent intimacy."
Cryo added.
The three women remained silent for a moment.
Electro Cicin Mage: "They'll end up together."
Electro declared with annoyed certainty.
Mirror Maiden: "Yes."
"And without even realizing it."
Down by the lake:
Aether delicately picked up the fish.
Aether: "Thank you... for the help."
He said softly.
Shenhe: "I didn't help."
Shenhe replied.
Shenhe: "I just wanted to... stay like that a little longer."
He felt his arms relax.
Aether: "Me too."
He confessed.
The lake remained calm.
The ruins watched them in silence.
One hour later:
Aether and Shenhe continued fishing, still in that strange yet surprisingly natural position.
The lake was calm.
Too calm.
The fishing line swayed gently, the surface of the water barely rippled in the breeze.
Aether tried to concentrate, but he felt every movement of Shenhe behind him, every breath, every tiny pressure of her arms and legs around him.
Aether: "........ "
He had stopped blushing so much… but his heart hadn't calmed.
Atop the ruins:
The three Fatui watched the scene from their natural vantage point, half-hidden by broken columns and bushes.
A heavy silence settled over them.
Then the Fatui Cryo Cicin Mage snapped her fingers, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
Cryo Cicin Mage: "Okay. Let's make a bet."
Electro Cicin Mage: "...Again?"
Mirror Maiden: "On what this time?"
Cryo Cicin Mage: "Ten thousand Moras that the blond traveler will try to get closer to her."
Electro Cicin Mage: "Like... turn around, place a hand, blush even more?"
Cryo Cicin Mage: "Exactly."
Mirror Maiden: "Very well."
The Mirror Maiden crossed her arms, observing Shenhe intently.
Mirror Maiden: "I bet ten thousand Moras that the white-haired woman will catch more fish to impress him."
Cryo Cicin Mage: "Interesting."
Electro Cicin Mage: "What if neither of us does anything?"
Mirror Maiden: "Then we both lose."
Silence.
Electro Cicin Mage frowned slightly.
Electro Cicin Mage: "Tell me... do you think it's possible one of them has already noticed us?"
The other two remained silent for a fraction of a second.
Cryo Cicin Mage: "..."
Electro Cicin Mage: "..."
Mirror Maiden: "..."
All three of them turned their gaze toward the lake.
Shenhe was still clinging to Aether.
Aether stared intently at the water, showing no sign of alarm.
Nothing seemed to indicate that they had been spotted.
Then...
Shenhe: "....."
Without moving her head.
Without changing her posture.
Shenhe glanced sideways.
An icy stare.
Cold.
Precise.
Shenhe: "... "
A gaze that pierced the space and traveled straight up to the ruins.
Cryo Cicin Mage: "..."
Then, in a low voice:
Cryo Cicin Mage: "She... she saw us there."
Mirror Maiden: "I don't think so."
She nevertheless placed a hand on her chest.
Mirror Maiden: "But... it's true that I felt a slight sense of unease for a second."
The Electro Cicin Mage shivered.
Electro Cicin Mage: "Girls... don't you feel a sensation of coolness?"
Cryo Cicin Mage: "Are you serious?"
"You're wearing a bikini, at about 100 meters altitude, with no mountains to block the wind...'"
She stopped abruptly.
Cryo Cicin Mage: "...But anyway."
She turned to Electro.
Cryo Cicin Mage: "WHY ARE YOU WEARING A BIKINI?!"
Mirror Maiden: "Seriously?"
Chapter 10: Three women Fatui
The End