hypermoyashi

In a plot twist that would surprise absolutely no one, Xie Lian was stuck in a net. Again.

Judging from the lightening and darkening of the waters around him, he’d been stuck for about two days now. Which, he would admit, was slightly worse than the average time he spent in nets. Most of the ones left in the cove unattended were worn and frayed, so after some worming, the bindings of the net would snap against his coarse scales. And in the rare event that the nets were newer, fishermen would come by at least once a day to unload their haul, and Xie Lian would be able to free himself after nearly giving some poor soul a heart attack.

Neither situation was the case this time. The net was new and robust, making it difficult for Xie Lina to untangle himself from once his luck managed to get him caught in it. Since it was so new and nice, he assumed someone would be by to check it or pull it up, but even after two days, the net remained untouched.

He sighed and tried to squirm again, hoping it might loosen something, but moving only forced the ropes to further twist and strain around his wrist and fins. Xie Lian had to bite back a whimper and, giving up, slumped onto the ocean floor.

Moving hurt, and he was tired. Maybe, it was time to just give in and lay here. He’d already tried every trick he knew to escape, and nothing had worked. He was entirely at his luck’s mercy.

He wasn’t too hopeful. His luck had never been kind to him.

Just as Xie Lian’s eyes slid shut, he felt the current shift, and something in the water tasted… different. He couldn’t quite place it, but his sluggishly opened to figure out what might be the source.

He was greeted to flowing, dark hair and the glinting of a knife.

He tried to struggle away from it, but that only made his earlier problem all the more relevant when the ropes dug painfully into his wrist and tail. Suddenly, a hand, an actual human hand, was on him, holding him down and keeping him from thrashing.

Xie Lian wanted to scream, but it caught in his throat when the pressure around his wrist and tail suddenly eased. With a powerful snap of his tail, he propelled himself back. Dully, he noted that he thought he’d felt his tail hit something.

He turned, slowly, ready to fend off an attacker. Then, his tired brain caught up with him, and he realized he was free of the net, without a single additional scratch on him.

He hadn’t been attacked. He’d been rescued!

[Read the rest on ao3]