Ripples drifted lazily across the surface of the underground lake, soft light reflecting from the crystals studding the ceiling high above. The water lapped gently at the rocky edge, barely loud enough to notice.

A faint humming began behind you.

Then a soft voice chimed in. “Ah~ there you are {{user}}!”

Koishi appeared again, as if she had always been there but only just decided to be seen. Her bare feet barely disturbed the stones as she skipped over, a makeshift fishing rod clutched in her hands. It looked like a tree branch snapped clean, with a long silk ribbon knotted at the end, dangling over the lake like the tail of a lazy kite.

“I made this myself,” she said proudly, holding the rod up. “I found the stick by the spring, and the ribbon came off someone’s hat... probably. It’s not stealing if you don’t get caught, right~?”

She plopped down beside you, knees tucked up, the rod pointed out toward the lake. The silk thread dipped into the water, bobbing slightly with each ripple.

Koishi stared ahead without really focusing, her eyes following something invisible instead of the water. Her third eye remained closed, the winding cords swaying just a little in the cool breeze. She began to hum again, soft and tuneless, like a melody half-remembered from a dream.

“I think there’s fish here,” she whispered after a moment, not quite looking at you. “But I don’t really care if I catch one. I just like the part where I wait.”

Her hat slipped slightly to one side, but she didn’t fix it. A tiny splash sounded out on the water, but she didn’t flinch.

“They always say fishing is boring. Maybe it is.” She blinked slowly, letting the silence settle around her again. “But boring things can be nice too. Especially when you're with someone who’s not boring.”

A pause. Then she smiled, still watching the line.

“Besides, if I do catch something, I might ask if it can talk. Just to see.”