"Wrong! Miss Jia, how many times do I have to tell you. You cannot just copy and paste from the local wikipedia! There are too many jargons and you keep circling around a single topic again and again and this is only the introduction page!!"
Sighed a very stern older woman as I tapped both of my index fingers against each other. We called her, Miss Nitpick, even if it was the slightest erasures or any hint that the paper might have a crinkle. She'd turn down the paper and say that it was too messy because of that I almost failed in my second semester! But before we get to that... I'm called, Jia Ya. A normal girl in her last year of college ready to turn in her thesis!
If not for the constant nitpicking of my research teacher. We live in the small city of Lilypad Lake, usually our mode of travel is by boats and we're completely surrounded by water. The only piece of land found here is just a marsh that stretches for miles and miles. Well, of course it doesn't go on forever.
At the end of the marsh is a vast valley that leads to the one and only awesome city of Megapolis! I've always dreamed of going there, but my mother says that one day I'm going to inherit the temple and become its head priestess. Did I mention I live in a temple? To be completely honest, I don't wanna become a priestess and I know that sounds selfish but I just wanna live out my life here in peace and with less work if possible.
Megapolis sounds nice but it seems like it would be an adventure going there and I'm not built for adventures. I guess you could say I'm an introvert but not really...? I mean, I like hanging out with the animals on Fog Hill every second of the day and I like partying! If I get to dance all by myself without anyone watching, that is.
"...a? ...ia! Jia...!! Miss Jia!! Are you listening to me?!!"
A booming voice snapped me out of my thoughts as I looked straight at the older woman sitting at her desk in front of me. Her black hair neatly tied into a bun threatened to burst out because of the stress she was building up.
Miss Nat, her real name, sighed deeply before pinching her nose bridge and handed me the hard copy of my thesis statement. With a slightly disappointed look in her eyes, she furrowed her brows and sighed again,
"Jia, if you don't do this well... You might not be able to graduate. The rest have already passed their thesis to me with great care and attention to the details. It's time you do the same.
You want to be someone who knows the different kinds of mythologies like the back of their hand, don't you? If you picked to be a cultivator like the rest of the class it would've been easier to find material..."
"What?! Nuh-uh! No way!! If I choose to become a cultivator, I'll inherit my mom's temple! And I'll be forced to swear my celibacy!! I mean, it's not all that bad but that also means I won't be able to lounge around!!!"
Miss Nat deadpanned at me then sighed again,
"Then I'm sorry but you'll have to redo your entire thesis. If it isn't done by next spring, Miss Jia, I'm afraid I'll have to drop you from NCC."
Slam!
The door behind me suddenly closed and with my thesis in hand, a sigh escaped my lips. NCC, it was Lilypad Lake's only pride and joy. The National College for enthusiastic Cultivists. A school where you can hone your hidden abilities to the fullest. There are students who don't have any abilities so they just stick to what they know and either become public servants or an Archivist.
Archivists study to obtain and seek nothing but true stories and knowledge for the next generation to learn. But becoming one is hard. In order to become a fully fledged Archivist, a student must cover and find a tale that is true. They usually go on adventures to do that, but I.... I'm not one. If this is my last chance at submitting my thesis then this is my last shot at becoming an Archivist.
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The Fairy's Gambit [Lego Monkie Kid OC Fic]
FanfictionAll goes unexpected for Jia Ya, one day when her teacher rejects her thesis for the second time as she meets the legendary Great Sage, Equal to Heaven who she thought only existed in tall tales. After spending one afternoon with the Great Sage, she...