How To Adopt A Butterfly Koi

Link to article: How To Adopt A Butterfly Koi.

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[[size 150%]] **How To Adopt A Butterfly Koi** [[/size]]

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**Conspectus**
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Butterfly koi are irreplaceable lifelong companions, who arose as a cross between Indonesian longfin river carp and traditional koi. They are noted for the majestic flowing fins they gained as a result of the outcross. Also gained from the crossing were rather dignified-looking lengthened barbels, "pompom" growths around the nostrils, and increased hardiness which makes them ideal as both household guardians and scholarly companions for those brave or foolish enough to study at the limits of elemental sorcery. While not commonly considered "true" koi[[footnote]] THE IDEA OF "TRUE" MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL IS FOOLISH. ALL CARP ARE PART OF THE SCHOOL. -CARP OF THE SKY [[/footnote]][[footnote]] In places where carp are not the dominant species, however, koi contests often give priority to "true nishikigoi" before other koi like butterfly koi, or ghost koi, or any breed created by crossing traditional koi with other carp. -Laurie [[/footnote]][[footnote]] UNACCEPTABLE. -CARP OF THE SKY [[/footnote]], rather "onagaoi" or "hire naga goi," their beauty and strength makes them welcome additions to any school, household, royal court, water society, crustacean valet service, aquatic matchmaking house, or birthday party.

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**Illustration**
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[[=image KoiNoot.jpg]]

Behold, an honorable butterfly koi delivering the traditional greeting.

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**Knowledge**
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**Traits:** The most notable trait of the dignified Butterfly koi is their long, flowing fins. The breeding lineage that gives them these majestic fins is also responsible for their lengthened whiskers and "pom-pom" shape nostrils. Butterfly koi are attired in scales of a dazzling spectrum of all various colors, patterns, and shapes typical to koi. It should be noted that overfeeding your koi in order to attain an attractive loaf shape is not recommended for many reasons. 

**Nature:** Butterfly koi do not greatly differ from typical koi in terms of temperament, but of course all koi are individuals and each possesses their own unique personality and any individual with an affinity for koi must remember this. It can be assumed that in general, butterfly koi are sweet, friendly, and intelligent when properly motivated, and will even helpfully retrieve items lost at the bottom of their living space (however, they will only release custody of the retrieved item to someone they trust implicitly, and even then it may require substantial delicate persuasion to extract said item). They are slightly more easily distracted than the average koi, and prone to attempting to "tough out" injuries incurred by their activities[[footnote]]PAIN IS TEMPORARY. THE WELFARE OF THE SCHOOL IS ETERNAL. -CARP OF THE SKY[[/footnote]][[footnote]]The welfare of the school is not helped if you tear off half of a pectoral fin poking things that are not to be poked. -Laurie [[/footnote]]. 

Butterfly koi do exhibit a slightly greater resistance to standard healing magic than the typical koi, but use of civilized medication and wild plant cures have the usual success, especially if the cures are introduced via food pellet. Should you endeavor to bring one or more butterfly koi into your life, remember to stock your cures accordingly. Reputable remedies and cures are readily available if they are asked after with patience and tact. And if you remember to ask that you want them made into food pellets. The inquirer is assured that apothecaries will understand.

Contrary to popular belief, koi are never liable to eat you out of house and home, and butterfly koi are no exception to this truth. Like many fish, the appropriate amount to feed a koi is determined by the water temperature. Being cold water fish, koi are cheerfully comfortable at 15-21° C and only require once-a-day feeding. 

It is additionally important to note that koi are made gregarious and highly trainable by their great love of food. A few weeks is all that is needed to teach koi to eat from your hand, and only a few days for koi to recognize you as someone who feeds them.[[footnote]] Koi have many ways to identify a feeder. This could be either voice, face, or footstep recognition. Sometimes aura, but one must remember to bathe regularly lest ambient energy-particulate dust make the auric field murky. -Laurie [[/footnote]]

**History & Associated Parties:** Depending on where you are, this could be due to intentional breeding in order to achieve desired traits, accidental breeding from invasive koi, or cultural interchange precipitated by the Firebelly Clan's invention of salt-water transportation[[footnote]] THE FIREBELLY CLAN IS NOT USUALLY KNOWN FOR THEIR INVENTIVENESS, BUT THEY ARE KNOWN FOR BEING GALVANIZED BY THE MERE WHISPER OF FAMINE. THE SCHOOL HAS BEEN HELPED MANY TIMES BY THEIR HUNGER. -CARP OF THE SKY [[/footnote]][[footnote]] Firebelly clan carp are noted for their dark brown to black bodies with orange or red bellies. They're very striking. -Laurie [[/footnote]][[footnote]] Wait a minute... -Speaker [[/footnote]].

In some places in the Ways, butterfly koi adhere to a monastic tradition. This is not necessarily a peaceful monastic tradition; in fact, the warrior-monks of some traditions are three feet of indomitable fish-brawn strength. Despite this, the most famous butterfly koi of the Library is strictly a pacifist. It is most polite to never inquire why. However, it is considered acceptable to ask him for referrals should you wish emergence into social koi circles.

The most famous butterfly koi, The Carp of the Sky, is a butterfly soragoi[[footnote]]"Soragoi" quite literally means "sky carp," referring to the blue-gray coloration of those carp. The Carp of the Sky chose his name because of this, and also resides on the peak of a mountain for the same purpose. -Speaker [[/footnote]] koi. Members of the Library will know him for his great wisdom, impeccable color-matching fashion sense, long barbels, portal creation talents[[footnote]] Including the aptly named "carpal tunnel," where migrating carp take a shortcut through the wrists of sentients living in other places. -Speaker [[/footnote]], and the treatise he wrote on the creation and establishment of Ways. It is doubtful that the anecdote about long whiskers being a sign of great wisdom is true[[footnote]]IT IS. -CARP OF THE SKY [[/footnote]], but The Carp of the Sky most certainly has long whiskers. 

**Approach:** Come armed with a generous heart, and an abundance of patience and food. When you add a koi to your inner circle, be it family, group of friends, or underwater basket-weaving appreciation club, it is understood that it will be treated in a manner that befits its dignity and relationship with you. Exact accommodation specifications will vary based on the size and prudishness of your butterfly koi; consult your koi associate to determine these requirements should your koi be too coy to state them outright.

Koi are social fish, and you will need to spend at least a week getting to know your associates, and vice versa. Including your new koi companion(s) in games, conversations, and lunches (feeding the koi only; do not eat the koi for lunch) are excellent ways to help their personality shine through. After establishing acquaintance between your current companions and the new koi, social interaction is still very important. It has been known that telepathic blackguards[[footnote]] A little harsh, I would think. -Speaker [[/footnote]][[footnote]] Anyone who breaks the heart of my koi is going to get their //head// broken. -Laurie [[/footnote]] will attempt to woo lonely koi for their own gain. The best way to prevent such a thing is by making sure your koi know that they are loved and cared for. 

Do be on the watch for allergies, both magical and mundane in nature! While koi may not look like they're suffering from a reaction from the perspective of others[[footnote]] And //some// koi may hide their reactions. -Laurie [[/footnote]][[footnote]] I WAS UNWILLING TO WASTE DELICIOUS CORN CHIPS. -CARP OF THE SKY [[/footnote]], allergies are just as miserable for them as they are for any greater-form being capable of having allergies. Common substances to be wary of are corn, human-produced non-organic colors used to make food deceptively vibrant, and certain earth-affinity magics.

Fraudulent "home remedies" are rampant when it comes to mundane fish, and even more so when magic is involved. If you have never heard a recommendation of a certain remedy before, there is probably a //very// good reason why, as all fish will chatter when something goes well. For everyone's sake, be a patron only of medicines that are known to work, not things that some fish-ignorant crackpot came up with after a binge.[[footnote]] And, for your own sake, don't ever admit to a fish-affinity individual that you've used one of these if you want to remain intact. In Laurie's case, the disreputableness of the "cure" you admit to using is directly proportional to the velocity at which you will be punched through the atmosphere. -Speaker [[/footnote]]

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**Observations & Stories**
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"Big Daddy is such a silly fish when spring comes around. As soon as the first buds can be seen on the trees, he leaps up out of the water on his tail and just dances for joy. He's so ridiculous at times, but we do love him dearly. He is just the best at performing the duties of school leader, even if he is skinnier than some of us ladies, and we always get fed until we burst. And he can ham for food like none of the rest of us can! It may be his long fins, but I would bet an entire meal that it's his beautiful heart." -Sweet Momma[[footnote]] Who is //naming// the fish in this pond? This is just criminal. -Speaker [[/footnote]]

"I heard about a fellow chagoi who noticed something strange floating along the top of her pond. When she investigated it, she noticed that it was sucking up all the things on the surface of the pond, taking away from the potential food of her and her school! So with a mighty leap, she leapt atop the stealer of foods, and sunk it to the bottom of the pond. She had to do this many times, but eventually the human noticed that this stealer of foods needed to be removed, and took it away. Truly an admirable koi." -Eater of Cereals

"Well, Hanako was not a butterfly koi specifically, but if you want an example of the deep bonds that develop between koi and owner, you need look no further than her. Even her humans realized that she could hear and understand them, and was more than able to tell between them, and most humans can't do that at all! No offense meant, of course, but you do tend to miss those sorts of things. Anyways, we knew Hanako best for her great devotion to her humans, as well as her poetic talent. I actually have a volume of her haiku here, if you want to read some of her work. Her most beautiful poems are from her last days, I do highly recommend it." -Ryujin

"According to urban legend, after the Kobe earthquake, the two-time Grand Champion Loran leapt from the humans attempting to rescue her from her pond, and sought out other members of her school in order to get the humans to rescue them first. Only after the other living koi had been retrieved did Loran permit herself to be rescued. It's a very touching story of what a leader fish will do for their school when disaster strikes." -Suichuu

"BLOOP BLOOP BLOOP bloop noot." - traditional honorable koi greeting

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**Doubt**
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Once again, your friendly neighborhood Speaker here to remind you that the opinions and ideas presented in this text are //definitely// biased. But if you needed me to tell you that when one of the co-authors was a butterfly koi, I don't know what to tell you. -Speaker[[footnote]] THERE IS NO BIAS, ONLY TRUTH. NO LONG LIAR'S NOSE, ONLY LONG WHISKERS. -CARP OF THE SKY [[/footnote]][[footnote]] Are you accusing me of being biased? -Laurie [[/footnote]][[footnote]] ...I definitely don't know what to tell //you//. -Speaker [[/footnote]][[footnote]]BLOOP BLOOP NOOT. -CARP OF THE SKY [[/footnote]]

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|author=SpectralDragon and Zyn]]
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> **Filename:** KoiNoot.jpg
> **Name:** JaxZoo_8-4-13-3789
> **Author:** Rob Bixby
> **License:** CC BY 2.0
> **Source Link:** [[[https://www.flickr.com/photos/scubabix/9443831290/|Flickr]]]
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